Greta Thunberg and the Generation of Moral Authority: A Systematic Literature Review on the Characteristics of Thunberg’s Leadership

Numerous efforts have been made by political leaders worldwide to prevent further climate change and develop sustainable solutions. However, due to conflicting political positions and the complex solutions required, attempts to limit climate change have proven largely ineffective. For these reasons, a new kind of environmental change leader is needed to catalyze significant societal transformation. In recent years, Greta Thunberg has become a major spokesperson for environmental issues, mobilizing people worldwide to act against climate change. Utilizing a theoretical framework based on transformational leadership and moral authority, this article discusses, by means of a systematic literature review, the characteristics of Thunberg’s leadership. Using the PRISMA protocol, data were collected from various national and international media sources. With the assistance of ATLAS-ti.v.9 Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany, qualitative deductive content analysis was performed to analyze the data. In this review, we discuss how Thunberg embodies five characteristics that are typical of moral authority, thereby becoming a transformational leader who influences the possibility of preventing climate change and promotes more sustainable solutions. This article concludes that it is through the characteristics of moral authority that Greta Thunberg has become a global transformational leader for those defending the natural environment.

You as a Change Leader

The executive or other member of the organization who is in charge of the change initiative will need to engage in self-assessment to identify the need for personal development of any change leadership competencies and skills and then implement a plan for leader for development. Traits including a high energy level, emotional maturity, personal integrity, self-confidence, and an achievement orientation are valuable assets. Task, relationship, and change behaviors and the use of influence tactics are all essential. A change leader must develop self-awareness, including the understanding of one’s basic philosophies and preferences as well as strengths and areas to develop. Ethics issues are relevant in organizational change leadership. All of these dynamics of change leadership will affect how a change leader will design and implement an organizational change intervention.

Assessment and Goal Setting

The first step of the change model is to identify the problem, need, challenge, or opportunity. Common examples are changes in priorities of the organization’s funders, expectations to use a particular evidence-based practice, or a need to develop an information system that can use performance-based contracting. The second step, identifying the desired future state—the change goal—must ensure that the future state will adequately address the identified problems or challenges. Assessing the present has several dimensions. Assessment of context of the change might involve revisiting the agency’s strategic plan in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Assessing the change content might involve deeper problem analysis. Assessing change process includes examining the change readiness and capacities (e.g., the change’s fit with agency mission, staff feelings of self efficacy) of the change leader, staff, and the organization as a whole. These may need to be addressed before continuing.

Where We Have Been and Where You may Go

Organizational change is directed toward providing outstanding services and has a secondary purpose of providing a high-quality working life for staff. This chapter reviews the 12-step change process used in this book. Chapters on change methods can be seen as “menus” of items to be used as appropriate. Particular attention should be paid to assessment: The executive or other change leader should engage in thoughtful assessment about one’s own capacities and readiness for organizational change. This same assessment should be done for staff and the organization as a whole. It is important to remember that human service organizations are “moral organizations” with clear ethical principles and standards and missions to reduce suffering and social inequality. “Disruptive engagement” can be effective in rehumanizing work. Human service organizations face daunting challenges, but these can be met by competent and committed leaders and others in an organization. Planned organizational change can help.

Uncertainty and Emerging Tensions in Organizational Change: A Grounded Theory Study on the Orchestrating Role of the Change Leader

We draw on the grounded theory methodology to analyze an automation project in a global parcel delivery company, as implemented in three parcel sorting hubs in two countries, seeking to identify key factors in successful change and the role of the change leader. We show that a crucial—but often neglected—aspect of successful change is the detection and management of tensions stemming from uncertainty. By recognizing and managing uncertainty and tensions (in this case, manual vs. automated, corporate vs. site, and planned vs. emergent), the change leader, here the industrial engineering function, can orchestrate the differing views and expectations of corporate actors toward a successful implementation of a change program. In line with recent theories on paradoxes and tensions in organizational change, our empirical outcomes imply that effective leadership of change requires the conscious acceptance of uncertainty and tensions between opposite options in key decision areas.

Do Pragmatismo Ao Universalismo: A Mudança De Estratégia Da Política Externa Brasileira Para A América Latina No Governo Figueiredo (1979-1985)

Este artigo busca identificar e qualificar as mudanças da política externa brasileira para a América Latina no governo de João Figueiredo (1979-1985) em relação ao governo de Ernesto Geisel (1974-1979). O artigo é baseado no modelo proposto por Charles Hermann para mudanças em política externa. Serão considerados os quatro níveis graduados de mudança – ajuste, programa, objetivo e orientação internacional – e as quatro fontes de mudança – guiada pelo líder, burocracia, reestruturação doméstica, e choques externos – propostos pelo autor. Testaremos o modelo a partir de uma revisão de literatura que versa sobre as linhas gerais e específicas da política “universalista”. Os dados indicam que ocorreu uma mudança de ajuste nas linhas gerais da política externa, mas, nas relações com a América Latina, houve uma mudança de objetivo. Argumenta-se também que tais mudanças foram impulsionadas pelo processo de redemocratização e gradual substituição do modelo de desenvolvimento econômico; além do impacto de choques externos.Palavras-chave: Política externa brasileira; Mudanças em Política Externa; Governo Figueiredo. ABSTRACTThis paper aims to identify and qualify the changes that occurred in the Brazilian Foreign Policy in João Figueiredo’s presidency (1979-1985) in comparison to Ernesto Geisel’s tenure as president (1979-1985). Our analysis is based upon Charles Hermann’s framework to analyze changes in foreign policy. We consider his four graduated levels of change – adjustment, program, problem/goal, and international orientation – and his four sources of change – leader driven, bureaucratic advocacy, domestic restructuring, and external shocks. We test his framework through a literature revision about the “universalismo” general and specific lines. Our analysis points to adjustment changes in the foreign policy’s general lines, but objective changes towards Latin America. We also argue that the sources of such changes were twofold: the domestic re-democratization process and the gradual replacement of the national economic development strategy; and external shocks impact.Keywords: Brazilian foreign policy; changes in foreign policy; Figueiredo government.