The effect of effectuation and causation approach on entrepreneurial orientation in the presence of leader dominance and self-efficacy

Purpose Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has witnessed a daunting rise in firm-level practices; to some extent, it has been augmented by the factors such as globalization and technological shift. The wide variety of literature has explained the importance of EO for firm performance. However, it has not yet been explored at a firm-level the approaches of causation and effectuation through the prism of leader traits such as leader dominance and self-efficacy as administrative ability and EO as strategic manoeuvring with strategic decisions obliged as a spin of firms. Design/methodology/approach The authors used the quantitative method to analyse the proposed relationships. For this reason, the authors targeted the Chinese firms to collect the data through the semi-structured survey from December 2020 to March 2021 and contributed to the literature by investigating 480 valid responses of leaders from Chinese firms. Findings The findings support the incorporated view of causation and effectuation on EO, which serve as vital strategic manoeuvring along with leader traits for firm stability and growth. Practical implications This study assists the decision-makers (including the top management team, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer choose the particular approach (effectual or causal) to create the new venture/new product/new process or scale up the existing firm on another level for optimal benefits by considering their existing resources. Originality/value EO is a unidirectional process with three dimensions: innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking that could directly favour the firm by considering the well-known approaches (effectuation and causation) in crisis circumstances (like Covid-19). These approaches help the executives enhance their firm’s performance and maintain its sustainability and stability in crisis conditions by effectively using the available resources within its boundaries.

The Leadership Traits: Analysing the Role of Harpreet Singh Bedi in the Film Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year

This descriptive and analytical paper on leader traits of Harpreet Singh Bedi, protagonist of the film Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year aims to identify leader traits of Bedi and study its impact on organization, employees and customers. The paper comprises of extensive secondary literature on leaderships traits and critical analysis of the film in order to establish the link between positive leadership, organization and customer satisfaction. A highly motivated and positive leader influence and motivates his team, helps the business to grow, organization to flourish and customers to remain satisfied and loyal.

ANCHOR OPINION LEADER TRAITS, USER ENGAGEMENT AND BUYING BEHAVIOR—AN EMPIRICAL CASE IN A NEW SCENARIO

In the emerging marketing scenario of e-commerce live broadcast, there are few studies on anchor-user interactions. By using all the data of the salesmen who introduces the merchandise to the audience through the camera on Taobao website in China in February 2021, a model with user engagement as a mediating variable was constructed to investigate the relationship between anchor opinion leader traits and user purchase behavior. The results show that anchor opinion leader traits positively influence users' purchasing behavior. User engagement plays a fully mediating role in this mechanism. The findings of this paper serve as a guide for the e-commerce industry to better cultivate and select anchors.

The link between stereotypical leader traits and perceived electability: Do Black women politicians face double jeopardy?

This paper examined whether Black women political candidates face double jeopardy in voter perceptions of electability due to Black women being perceived as having fewer traditional leader traits compared to White male, White female, and Black male candidates. Due to increasing political polarization in the U.S., concerns over electability are at the forefront of many voters’ minds when casting their ballots. Traditional conceptions of electability are built upon racialized and gendered notions of what traits connote an effective leader; thus, women and racial minority candidates are often perceived as less electable compared to White men. However, research has not adequately examined the intersectional aspect of electability bias. The current study proposed a double jeopardy effect: we expected that participants (n = 454) would perceive Black women, compared to White men, White women, and Black men, as lower in competence and leadership ability, which would lead to lower electability perceptions and voting intentions. Unexpectedly, there were mixed findings for the effects of race/gender on competence and leadership ability, and we did not find any evidence that candidate race/gender related to electability or voting intentions. We discuss potential explanations for these null findings and suggest avenues for future research.

Understanding the categories of leader traits in socialization: the case of Haier group’s CEO in China

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the categories of leader traits, their generation and their relationships in leaders’ socialization. Design/methodology/approach The authors take the case study method, which is the most suitable method to answer research questions on why and how to fulfill the study purpose on the basis of the case of Ruimin Zhang. Findings Leader traits are classified into four categories with respect to socialization, namely, root trait, driving trait, thinking trait and affair trait. The root trait and the driving trait form from the leader’s insight with the impact of key events, mutually promote and consolidate each other, and together derive the thinking trait and the affair trait on the basis of critical events, culture, family, education, etc. The thinking trait is the premise of the affair trait to be expressed in leadership behavior. The root trait and the driving trait together determine a leader’s growth direction and efficiency and can distinguish leaders from non-leaders. The thinking trait and the affair trait together determine the pattern and effectiveness of leadership behavior and can distinguish effective leadership from ineffective leadership. Research limitations/implications This study transcends prior integral leader trait research by categorizing leader traits from the socialization perspective, makes a clear delineation on the interrelationships among categories of leader traits, analyzes their holistic functions on the leaders, reveals the formation and relationship mechanism of leader traits and identifies the types of leader traits that can work as the standards for distinguishing effective leaders from ineffective leaders or non-leaders. Originality/value This study promotes the development of the leader trait theory in the classification, formations, relationships and overall effect of leader traits.

Serving for Fun and Profit: A Critique of Servant Leadership

The servant leadership approach is worthy of examination for its potential benefits to a public administration in sore need of respite from the concerns of mere efficiency. Yet readers will find here an assertive critique of "servant leader" traits and visions. After an inquiry into the empathy often attributed to the practice of servant leadership, the essay will go on to deliver a hearty objection to the conceptual masking of hierarchies servant leadership pretends to undo. Finally, it will suggest the status of servant leadership as theology rather than theory. In the final analysis, readers will be cautioned away from seeing the "servant leader" as the personification of a useful or essential paradox. In the long run, servant leadership seems a management consulting and marketing slogan with the potential to make executives and would-be leaders feel nicer, accomplishing little else public administrators should esteem.