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Experiences of Pentecostal Leadership: A Phenomenological Study among Norwegian Pastors

Abstract

Despite the exceptional growth of Pentecostalism over the last century, little research has been done on the nature of Pentecostal leadership. This study offers a better understanding of the essential characteristics of the phenomenon through a phenomenological analysis of the lived leadership experience of Norwegian Pentecostal pastors. Utilizing Giorgi’s (2009) descriptive phenomenological method based on Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology, the study detected a general structure of Pentecostal leadership comprised of eight constituents: (a) motivated by a sense of higher, divine purpose—the leader’s motivation to lead comes from a deep sense of commitment to serve God’s plans and purposes for the congregation and the world; (b) derived leadership—pastors see their leadership as derived from God, implying that they lead on behalf of someone else; (c) human and divine agency in a seamless interaction between rationality and spirituality—the idea of being led by God liberates rather than limits the leader to proactively engage in organizational matters, and the Pentecostal belief that God is active in every aspect of life frees him to seamlessly combine spirituality and rationality in leading the organization; (d) pragmatic and eclectic stance towards the Pentecostal tradition—the leader draws on the Pentecostal tradition in eclectic and often unsystematic ways and approaches Pentecostal spirituality as a dynamic reservoir, something to be defined as much as defining; (e) persuasive communication—in setting the direction for the Pentecostal congregation, the leader relies more on persuasion than position, making verbal communication an important means of influence; (f) dialectic relationship between structure and agency—organizational structures simultaneously enable and constrain leadership agency, meaning that the leader’s ability to influence the organization depends on his ability to adapt to the organization; (g) adaptive to context—Pentecostal leadership considers and adapts to the sociocultural context in which it is situated; and (h) involving the leader’s entire life—the leader leads the Pentecostal organization with his life, having modeling as a prime source of influence. The findings’ implications for theory and practice are considered, as are comparisons with organizational leadership theory and suggestions for further research.

Paul’s Rhetorical Leadership in an Arena of Cultures: A Sociorhetorical and Content Analysis of Acts 21-26 and Romans 13:1-7 That Provides Guidance for Presidents of Christian Colleges During Challenges to Religious Liberty

Abstract

The current societal pressures regarding religious liberty and institutional sustainability for Christian higher education in America call for rhetorical leadership from presidents of Christian colleges and universities. This study provides a biblically rooted and theoretically sound, multifaceted approach using sociorhetorical criticism and content analysis of Acts 21-26 and Romans 13:1-7. The Apostle Paul was an exemplar of transformational leadership within a cultural context that contained similar societal pressures to the current climate of Christian higher education. Findings from the mixed methodology provided rhetorical, historical, philosophical, political, and theological insights that were subsequently analyzed through a construct of domains of influence with their resident cross-pressures and the arena of cultural conflict with its participating agents. The conclusions of these findings and subsequent analyses were incorporated into a model of transformational leadership with the intention of assisting presidents of Christian colleges and universities as they represent their institutions in the challenges of religious freedom in the public square.

Towards Developing Authentic Small Group Leaders: A Sociorhetorical Analysis of the Book of Exodus 18

Abstract

The study examined the leadership of Moses and the selection of developing leaders as found in Exodus 18. The focus was on the corresponding aspects of leadership, developing leaders, specifically small group leaders, towards contemporary leadership principles. Moreover, the contemporary leadership principles involved within the study included spiritual leadership and authentic leadership. The multidisciplinary exegetical process followed the methodology of sociorhetorical analysis towards the interpretation of aspects of leadership, leadership selection, and leadership development. Included within the process of leadership selection and leadership development, there remain cognitive and moral components. The textural interpretation generated 22 themes, which remain significant towards leadership. The 22 themes were then organized into five leadership principles drawn from Exodus 18. The themes and principles provided a similarity between both spiritual and authentic leadership. There were sufficient differences noted with greater connection towards authentic leadership. Nevertheless, adequate similarities exist within the themes and principles revealed towards spiritual and authentic leadership. All principles of leadership attributes were derived from the Holy Scriptures and included aspects of humility, remaining teachable and the necessity of a growing intimate relationship with God.

Unearthing the Moral and Authentic Leader: Understanding the Impact of Transcendental Leadership, Workplace Spirituality, and Corporate Social Responsibility on Performance

Abstract

This study assessed a variable that might counteract a growing contemporary trend of immoral, corrupt, and self-serving leaders. It was posited that the spiritual nature of a transcendental leader promotes a work environment where spirituality is fostered, so corporate behaviors positively guide workers’ communal responsibility, which results in improved organizational performance in both the spheres of task and contextual outcomes. This study asked: Is there a positive relationship between transcendental leadership (TL) and organizational performance, and what effect do workplace spirituality (WS) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have on this relationship? The relationships between the constructs of TL (independent variable), WS (moderator), CSR (mediator), and organizational performance (dependent variables: task and contextual) were reviewed. Two hierarchical regression analyses examined the criteria variables on their relationship with the two dependent variables (organizational performance task [OPT] and organizational performance contextual [OPC]), as well as the related descriptive statistics. The results detailed participants’ perceived TL positively predicts with both the organizational performance task and contextual variables at significant levels. Therefore, Hypothesis 1a, There is a positive relationship between TL and OPT, and Hypothesis 2a, There is a positive relationship between TL and OPC, were supported. The hypotheses relating to the WS’s moderating effect between TL and CSR as a mediating variable for the criterion variables (OPT and OPC)—Hypothesis 1b, WS moderates the relationship between TL and CSR such that at higher levels of WS the relationship is stronger; Hypothesis 1c, CSR mediates the relationship between TL and OPT such that higher levels of CSR the relationship is stronger; Hypothesis 2b, WS moderates the relationship between TL and CSR such that at higher levels of WS the relationship is stronger; and Hypothesis 2c, CSR mediates the relationship between TL and OPC such that at higher levels of CSR the relationship is stronger—were not supported.

The Dysfunction Junction: The Impact of Toxic Leadership on Follower Effectiveness

Abstract

This study examined the effect of toxic leadership, as moderated by leader–member exchange (LMX), on a follower’s active engagement (AE) and independent, critical thinking (ICT). Schmidt’s (2008) toxic leadership theory describes the five dimensions of toxic leadership as abusive supervision, authoritarian leadership, narcissism, unpredictability, and self-promotion. LMX theory (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995) describes the dyadic relationship between leaders and followers with some followers forming the leader’s in group while others form the leader’s out group. Followership theory describes the role of followers and following in the leadership process, and Kelley (1992) described how follower style occurs based on the two behavioral dimensions of AE and ICT. Ten hypotheses considered the direct effects of the five dimensions of toxic leadership on the two follower behavior dimensions, and 10 hypotheses considered the moderating effect of LMX. A survey method was employed utilizing Schmidt’s (2014) Toxic Leadership Scale, the LMX-7 (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995), and Kelley’s (1992) Followership Styles Questionnaire. Data were collected from 203 nontraditional graduate students with professional work experience in diverse career sectors. Hierarchical multiple regression techniques were used to test the 20 hypotheses. The regression analysis indicated the self-promotion dimension of toxic leadership had a direct effect on the follower’s AE. Other direct effect hypotheses were unsupported. LMX had direct effects on both follower engagement and critical thinking, but no support was found for an interaction effect. Over 78% of the study’s participants indicated having experience as the follower of a toxic leader. The results of the study further the research related to both toxic leadership and followership, demonstrating the pervasiveness of toxic leadership in organizations and indicating the importance of LMX to the followership dimensions of AE and ICT.

The Relationship between Servant Leadership and Employee Engagement

Abstract

Currently, little is known about servant leadership and its relationship with meaningfulness, safety, and availability as it relates to Kahn’s (1990) definition of employee engagement. Furthermore, definitions of servant leadership have varied over the past 30 years, making it difficult to clarify what it means to be a servant leader. For servant leaders to ensure employees are fully engaged in the workplace and to see if a relationship between servant leadership and meaningfulness, safety, and availability exists, a field-based, survey design with multiple regression analyses was conducted controlling for gender. A convenience sample consisted of full-time employees at a financial cooperative in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. The research findings align with most of the minimal literature that exists with respect to servant leadership and employee engagement—meaningfulness, safety, and availability. When controlling for participant gender and leader’s gender, servant leadership has a significant positive relationship with meaningfulness and safety but not with availability.

Leading from the Pews: Leadership Characteristics of Church Mothers in the Sanctified Church

Abstract

During the 20th century, African American Pentecostal and Holiness denominations took on the moniker sanctified church (E. Y. Alexander, 2011; Synan, 2001) and represented assemblies that believed in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit evidenced through spiritual manifestations such as glossolalia, divine healing, and emotional worship. Early membership primarily was composed of poor and marginalized people, and within its structure, women found a place to contribute their skills and abilities (A. D. Butler, 2007; Gilkes, 1986b). Some of them were recognized as church mothers and gained power that they used to support and guide the direction of the church. Yet, these women were not ordained and did not have the accorded legitimate power. I conducted a phenomenological study to answer the research question: What were the leadership characteristics that enabled church mothers to gain and execute power in the sanctified church during a period when most women were denied ordination, leaving them to function in male-dominated spheres? I used the organizational leadership and courageous follower constructs and the variables of church mothers, the sanctified church, and leadership (Banks, 2013; Chaleff, 2009; Dixon, 2008; Gál, 2012). I engaged a purposive sample representing four denominations of the sanctified church: Church of God in Christ, Mount Calvary Holy Church of America, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, and an independent interdenominational assembly to provide triangulation (Patton, 1999). I based this methodology on the social construction theory. I recorded interviews, transcribed them, dissected them to create a table for each question, and coded the data to identify themes (Creswell, 2003). I categorized the themes and inducted that the leadership traits of church mothers included influence, resourcefulness, modeling, and acclimatizing. This study contributes to the literature on ecclesial leadership, specifically female participation, and to follower studies. I limited the study to the leadership traits of church mothers and did not discuss the implications of recognizing church mothers rather than ordaining them. In the future, researchers may pursue these topics as well the roles of women in other denominations.

Religion and Spirituality in the Workplace: A Quantitative Evaluation of Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment

Abstract

Religion and spirituality were once considered taboo topics in the workplace; however, practitioners and scholars have been finding evidence of positive benefits to the triple bottom line—people, profit, and planet. Benefits include improvement in employee health, reduction of employee stress, more job involvement, increased job satisfaction, higher levels of organizational commitment, less organizational frustration, more organizational identification, and enhanced work unit performance. The first large-scale empirical study of religion and spirituality in the workplace revealed the urgency for organizations to “learn how to harness the whole person and the immense spiritual energy that is at the core of everyone . . . [or] they will not be able to produce world class products and service” (Mitroff & Denton, 1999, p. 84). Responding to the call to explore the two main instruments used to empirically test spirituality at work and contribute to the three most promising theoretical approaches to date, according to Benefiel, Fry, and Geigle (2014), this research used a quantitative, cross-sectional, field-based study to examine the relationships of religion and spirituality in the workplace to work outcomes of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The instruments used to measure six dimensions of workplace spirituality included the Spiritual Leadership Scale and the Spirituality at Work Scale. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire short-form and Organizational Commitment Questionnaire evaluated work outcomes of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Additionally, the Religious Commitment Index and demographic questions examined the control variables of age, education, gender, income, meditation experience, religion, and years of work experience. The findings of this research indicate that altruistic love is worthy of attention with regard to job satisfaction and organizational commitment. In addition to altruistic love, sense of community and meaningful work were significantly predictive of job satisfaction; however, altruistic love clearly stood out as the most important variable.

An Historical Look at the Development of Contemporary Political Leadership in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Implications for Future Leadership Development

Abstract

Bilgin and Morton (2002) posited that the long period of colonialism and the Cold War democracy tended to make way for many strong African states as expressions of power. This provided a new paradigm of freedom meant to afford the triumph of liberal economics. Equally, N’Gambwa (2011) added that this new paradigm of freedom seemed to have caused resurgence in the concept of leadership in Africa and could be viewed as a deciding factor in the rational management of people and public affairs. The emergence of this new democratic paradigm of leadership is intended to encourage participation that guarantees the rights and freedoms of African citizenry. Understanding the dynamics of this paradigm shift is very necessary and key to reconciling, integrating, and synergizing disparities contained within these dynamics. The dynamics of this paradigm shift may be essential to future leadership development efforts in Africa and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as a nation. The current phenomenological study explored the various factors identified as having a devastating impact on the DRC. These factors regarded as major impediments to development in the DRC include but are not limited to lack of good political development, socioeconomic discrimination, lack of provision for peace and security to the people of DRC, fulfilling fundamental duties, and protection of the DRC’s territory by the government. In-depth interviews were utilized to examine questions relating to (a) leaders’ moral requisites, (b) poor governance in DRC, and (c) accountability and transparency. Data were analyzed, and results indicated the issue of state failure was a factor that affects political, socioeconomic, and leadership development in the DRC. While corruption conveys the true situation in the country, results also indicated that the DRC needs good and effective leadership that imbibes the culture of integrity as competent for national transformation. In essence, the development and advancement of the DRC as a nation leans on the ability of good leadership. The attribute of good leadership is seen as a virtue that must be valued by political leaders in order to properly manage and direct the affairs of the DRC.

In the Case of GO Virginia: Exploring Early Leadership for Collaborative Advantage in Regional Networks

Abstract

This qualitative study explored expectations for leadership in early phase organizing of regional networks in the case of a statewide initiative called GO Virginia. Archival and observational data were used, as well as interview data from individual and group interviews with 48 participants. Leaning on theory posited by Huxham and Vangen (2005), this study contributes to the limited stream of research into leadership in collaborative regional network settings by uniquely maintaining a referent focus on the regional level while exploring expectations across levels (state and regional) and sectors (private, public, and nonprofit) involved. No significant variations in expected regional network leadership attributes and behaviors, which are reported at both individual and group levels, were discovered. Data substantiated case-specific contextual features that were largely top-down in nature and influenced conditions and expectations for leadership vis-à-vis primary activities and structures, processes, and participants. Notwithstanding the importance of structuration, this study lent support for viewing leadership as socially grounded phenomena in which, given characteristics of multiorganizational, multisector network settings that are profiled in this study, ethical leadership and the use of highly participative, dialogical group processes and values-based perspectives are particularly important.