Disparate Safety Enforcement: Curvilinear Effects, Mechanisms, and Boundary Conditions of Supervisor-Rated Leader–Member Exchange

Across three studies, we integrate relational leadership theory with affective events theory to examine the leader perspective in dyadic relationships and how this perspective influences differential leader behaviors directed toward each subordinate in terms of safety enforcement. First, in two field studies with different high-risk contexts, we delineate a curvilinear relationship between supervisor-rated leader–member exchange (SLMX) and safety enforcement. In our second field study we also examine the moderating role of leaders’ safety commitment as well as the linkage between safety enforcement and accidents. Finally, in a fully randomized experiment, we explore three relational dynamics as mechanisms of the effect of SLMX on safety enforcement—trust, consideration, and liking. Through these efforts, we offer rare direct tests of the theoretical assertion that leader–member exchange includes differential treatment based on affective relationship cues within a leader-and-subordinate relationship. Our two field studies reveal that leaders are likely to monitor safety most closely for low- and high-SLMX subordinates, but mid-SLMX subordinates are most likely to be overlooked. This U-shaped relationship emerges only for less committed leaders, and safety enforcement translates these effects to actual accidents. Our experimental study reveals a similar U shape between liking and enforcement, but a positive relationship emerges between distrust and enforcement, as well as between consideration on enforcement. These results shed insight into theoretical and practical implications for how leaders can foster a safer workplace for all.

School-based Psychosocial Support: Asset-based Approach for Positioning Guidance and Counselling as a Core Component

The necessity for school-based psychosocial support (SBPSS) provision has become a fundamental issue in global education systems. However, for many schools in Lesotho, and in other Sub-Saharan countries, there seem to be no clarity on the position of guidance and counselling (GC) in school psychosocial support (PSS) undertakings. This paper considers G/C as an essential component of psychosocial support provision in schools, and argues that G/C should be well positioned so that it becomes the core component of PSS activities. The paper intents to address issues raised by international research that against the backdrop of ever increasing complex societal challenges that impact negatively on school going population and school life in general, there is need strengthen G/C as part of PSS activities. The interplay of the various challenges often makes the adverse experiences more complex, subsequently causing adjustment disorders among students. Underpinned by asset-based approach and relational leadership theory, this study employed qualitative semi-structured questionnaires, online free attitude interviews and focus group discussions to explore teachers’ perspectives on possibilities for positioning GC as the core component of SBPSS. This study uncovered various factors contributing to undecided position of GC. The study concluded that schools need to tap into asset-based approach to strategically position GC in SBPSS undertakings.

Evaluation of Women’s Empowerment in a Community-Based Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling Social Entrepreneurship Program (Hope Project) in Peru: Mixed-Method Study

Background: Understanding the community women’s sense of relational and financial empowerment in the social entrepreneurship context could be the key to developing a sustainable pathway to scale-up community-based human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling programs in low-resource settings. The Hope Project, social entrepreneurship from Peru, trains women (Hope Ladies) to promote HPV self-sampling among other women in their communities. This study aims to evaluate the Hope Ladies’ relational/financial empowerment after participating in the program. Methods: We used a parallel mixed-method design. The Hope Ladies participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews (n= 20) and an eight-questions five-point Likert scale survey that evaluated their relational (n=19)/financial (n=17) empowerment after participating in the social entrepreneurship. The interview and the survey questions were developed using validated empowerment frameworks, indicators, and theory: 1) Kabeer’s conceptual framework, 2) International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)’s economic empowerment indicators, and 3) the Relational Leadership Theory (RLT), respectively. Deductive content analysis was used to evaluate the interviews with pre-determined codes and categories of empowerment. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey results. Results: All Hope Ladies reported experiencing empowerment in the social entrepreneurship. Interviews: The women reported challenges and improvement in three categories of empowerment: 1) resources (balancing the roles between the household and working as a Hope Lady, camaraderie with other Hope Ladies, recognition from the community as a resource); 2) agency (improved ability to express themselves, increased knowledge about reproductive health, ability to speak out against male-dominant culture and fear of cervical cancer-related stigma); and 3) achievement (increased economic assets, improved ability to make financial decisions from increased supplemental income, widened social network and capital, and technology skills development). Survey: All (100%) agreed/totally agreed an increase in social contacts, increased unaccompanied visits to a healthcare provider (86%), improved confidence in discussing reproductive topics (100%), improved ability to make household decisions about money (57% pre-intervention vs. 92% post-intervention). Conclusions: The Hope Ladies’ reported improved relational/financial empowerment through participating in community-based social entrepreneurship. More studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between empowerment and worker retention/performance to inform the scale-up of HPV self-sampling social entrepreneurship.

Dynamic System Analysis of Leadership Effectiveness in Complex Environments

In this paper, based on chaos theory and dynamic system simulation, a dynamic model of a relational leadership system with pressure factors is established and simulated. The study found that the excessive self-leadership and the relational leadership cannot effectively improve the leadership effectiveness of leaders. In addition, with the adjustment of the self-leadership adjustment coefficient, leadership effectiveness will change from a stable state to a chaotic state. Only by adopting limited rational decision-making strategies in multicycle decision-making can leaders maintain a high level of leadership effectiveness. Previous research mainly focuses on the theoretical analysis of the complexity of the leadership system or the issuance of questionnaires, but seldom on the dynamic complex process of the leadership system. This study reveals the complexity and chaos characteristics of the dynamic evolution of the multifactor relational leadership system, puts forward the relational leadership theory and the complex leadership theory under the influence of pressure, and makes some suggestions on how to improve the leadership effectiveness under the complex environment. The research results are of great significance to theoretical innovation and practical application.

EXPRESS: From Empathic Leader to Empathic Leadership Practice: An Extension to Relational Leadership Theory

Does empathy merely take place in leaders’ mind? How does it help us better understand and practice leadership? In the past, entitative relational leadership studies have mainly drawn on a mind-based understanding of empathy and focused on the association between individual empathy trait and leader emergence and effectiveness. Such an approach overlooks leadership practice of empathy as a constructive process. By integrating emerging research from diverse disciplines from philosophy to communication, the paper first offers a constructionist view of empathy, based on which empathic leadership practice is conceptualized. The paper explicates how leadership practice of empathy construction is rooted in relational ethics and takes place in both synchronic dyadic interaction through conversation as well as diachronic narrative practice with a collective other. By conceptualizing empathic leadership practice through a social constructionist approach to empathy, the paper makes significant contributions to our understanding of relational leadership.

Responsible Leadership in the Manager–Employee Relationship

Research questions: The aim of this study is to explore and conceptualize responsible leadership. The topic is viewed from the viewpoint of the dyadic level between managers and employees. The following research questions are answered: What principles do managers and employees perceive as being significant for responsible leadership in the manager–employee relationship? What social contexts in the relationship call for the principles to occur? To whom do the parties place responsibility for the advancement of the principles? Theory: The study draws on relational leadership theory as well as literature on responsible leadership. Responsible leadership is understood as a dynamic and contextual process of social construction through relationships between managers and employees rooted in principles, which guide the parties’ actions. Type of the case: An explorative case study strategy was adopted. Two executive MBA groups are the cases through which the research phenomenon, responsible leadership, is explored. The data consists of a sample of 22 participants in the groups. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Basis of the case: The participants in the executive MBA groups offer real-life data from which the results can be built. The participants represent professionals who have a broad and versatile perspective to leadership issues from the viewpoint of employee and manager. In general, an executive MBA programme advances its participants’ competency to reflect and analyse leadership topics. Findings: Conceptualization that shows the principles of responsibility in leadership—fairness, empowerment, openness, trust and caring—and their contextual and dynamic nature in the manager–employee relationship was formed. Discussions: This case study implies that exercising responsible leadership is produced differently in different social contexts: in some contexts the manager is expected to take the lead and be in charge, while at other times it is expected that practising responsible leadership principles will be shared between partners. A limitation is that this study explored its topic only at the dyadic level between manager and employee.

RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY ON NEW AGRICULTURE VENTURES IN UGANDA

The purpose of this study is to analyze the importance of relational leadership for a social business initiative in rural Uganda. The author follows the case of the Hope Development Initiative (HDI) that supports (i) female farmers to become entrepreneurs as well as (ii) the development of the region. The study aims to illuminate relational leadership theory, particularly how it is applied in a specific context. Data were gathered during a ten-day research expedition to Northern Uganda. The study first presents obstacles the HDI faces in terms of lack of resources as well as socio-cultural dynamics limiting its organizational processes. Afterward, a framework of HDI’s processes of relational leadership serves to analyze and structure the results, thereby demonstrating how HDI actors manage to circumvent these obstacles based on building relationships with critical actors from the stakeholder environment. The case indicates that relational leadership should be seen as one of the most critical organizational capabilities to access resources for value creation in rural Uganda when actors from the stakeholder environment hold these required resources. The study demonstrates how relational leadership incorporating actors from the stakeholder environment on the micro level affects the success of the respective organization and development of the region on the macro level.

Has something changed? Leaders’, practitioners’ and parents’ interpretations after renewed early childhood education and care legislation in Finnish private centres

This study addresses leadership enactment in the context of early childhood education and care centres in Finland. The study was implemented at a time when the early childhood education and care legislation had changed. The research draws from relational leadership theory to address the following questions: How do leaders, practitioners and parents evaluate and interpret the impacts of changing early childhood education and care legislation in private Finnish centres? And how do these evaluations and interpretations reflect leadership enactment? This study conceptualises leadership as a context-dependent phenomenon constituted by shared meanings and relationships among leaders and other human actors in private centres. In order to achieve a multilevel picture of leadership enactment in private early childhood education and care centres, this study employed a mixed-methods approach. The data was collected through three online surveys and analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed that private centres form a heterogeneous context for leadership enactment in Finnish early childhood education and care. Compared with practitioners and parents, the leaders were the most positive in their interpretations of the legislative changes. Specifically, the study found a gap between the leaders’ and parents’ evaluations of how the legislative changes had impacted daily praxis. The study calls for further research and tools for developing leadership enactment in private early childhood education and care.

‘In the mix’: Relational leadership explored through an analysis of techno DJs and dancers

Relational leadership theory views leadership as a process of social construction in which participants engage through their bodily presence. The ‘in-between’ space connecting leaders and followers, however, is under-researched and has not been analysed with a focus on movement. With a phenomenological approach and dance theory, this study explores movement by considering techno DJs and their live performances to an audience in clubs. It analyses DJs’ insights into relationships between themselves and followers. DJs actively seek physical proximity and use bodily movement and kinaesthetic empathy to relate to the participants, engage in mutual challenge, and embrace the co-creation that emerges. These insights are transferable to many leadership situations that include embodied interaction. The study illustrates that leaders not only ‘have’ bodies, but ‘are’ (moving) bodies who achieve a profound appreciation of the situation. This changes how we conceive of leadership when agency in embodied interaction is conditioned and reciprocated by leaders and followers in the ‘in-between’ space and does not pertain to one or the other.