Anthony K. Asare, Cory T. Cromer, & Charles C. Manz
Although research has indicated that self-managing teams can help organizations improve
their performance, middle managers instructed to facilitate the introduction of these
teams sometimes resist the change effort. One of the key reasons why these managers resist
the introduction of self-managing teams is confusion surrounding the role of the manager
after the teams have been empowered. This confusion stems from the fact that the manager
has responsibility for a team that is expected, to a large degree, to lead itself. Since
resistance by middle managers is one of the main factors resulting in self-managed team
failures, it is important to learn more about the reasons why these managers support or
resist the team initiative. This paper looks at the impact of uncertainty and
intraorganizational relationships on middle managers' decision to support or resist the
introduction of self-managing teams. It also suggests ways in which organizations might
work with managers to help them develop greater openness and support for this team
innovation.
[read the full article: "The Impact of Uncertainty and Relationships on a Leader's Decision to Resist the Introduction of Self-Managing Teams"]
Michael G. Goldsby,
Donald F. Kuratko,
Jeffrey S. Hornsby,
Jeffery D. Houghton,
& Christopher P. Neck
Despite increasing research on corporate entrepreneurship, a review of the literature
shows that little has been developed to improve the cognitive processes of middle
managers engaged in entrepreneurial activity. One existing framework explains sustained
corporate entrepreneurial activity on the basis of whether outcomes of such entrepreneurial
behavior either meet or exceed the expectations set by managers before undertaking the
activity. However, there is a gap in our understanding of what can be done for managers
prior to that critical moment of approving or declining further entrepreneurial projects...
[read the full article: "Social Cognition and Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Framework for Enhancing the Role of Middle-Level Managers"]
Jeffrey A. Matteson & Justin A. Irving
Since Greenleaf (1977), research pertaining to servant leadership has carved a unique
place in the leadership literature. The last decade has produced focused theory
development including instrument development and empirical studies. Similarly,
since Burns (1978), this era witnessed increased theoretical and empirical attention
on the role of leader self-sacrifice. Recently, Stone, Russell, and Patterson (2004)
and Smith, Montagno, and Kuzmenko (2004) examined the similarities and differences
of servant and transformational leadership. This paper employs analogous methods
to examine servant and self-sacrificial leadership. The authors suggest that although
servant and self-sacrificial leadership share many common characteristics, they differ
in several behavioral dimensions.
[read the full article: "Servant versus Self-Sacrificial Leadership: A Behavioral Comparison of Two Follower-Oriented Leadership Theories"]
Vivian Shulman & Susan Sullivan
The purpose of this study was to describe the journey of an educational leader in
several different contexts. An intrinsic case study was used to examine the
development and evolution of this leader as he moved from school principal to
deputy superintendent for Bronx small schools to deputy superintendent for one
of 10 New York City restructured school regions. Theories of charismatic and
constructivist leadership proved effective in describing the style of this
particular leader. It was suggested that the effects of context change on
leadership practices need to be incorporated into current leadership theory.
[read the full article: "The Journey of a Charismatic Leader: From Principal to Principal Change Agent"]
John Mullins & Margaret Linehan
This paper presents new findings on public library leadership from interviews with
library leaders in Ireland, Britain, and the United States. The study takes as its
unique focus the perceptions of currently serving library leaders on the topic of
leadership and followership in public librarianship. The findings illustrate the
importance of the library leaders' role to followers in their organizations. This
paper highlights aspects of the leader-follower relationship including team leadership,
leader as teacher/mentor, leader as emotional/psychological supporter, leader as role
model, leader attitudes to in-house challenges, and the nurturing of new leaders.
Varying leadership styles have been practiced by leaders, with no universal or
common traits even within national boundaries, for developing successful
leader-follower relationships.
[read the full article: "Public Library Leaders' Perspectives on Followership: A Transnational Study"]
