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Gossiping About the Supervisor: The Mediating Role of Follower Self-Esteem on the Relationship Between the Dark Triad Traits and Workplace Gossip

Abstract

Although the dark triad traits and their work outcomes are of great importance to scholars and practitioners, there is a relative lack of research examining the possible mediating effect of follower self-esteem on the relationship between dark leadership and gossip in the workplace. The present study aimed to fill this research gap by empirically exploring the perceived relationship between leader dark triad traits and workplace gossip and examining the mediating role of follower self-esteem. The hypotheses were analyzed with data from a sample of 228 employees working for three Christian internationally based nongovernmental organizations located in Uganda. The results of the study failed to find support for the mediating effect of follower self-esteem on the relationship between perceived leader dark triad traits and workplace gossip. However, the results of the study revealed the existence of other possible mediating variables in the circumstances that impact the relationship between abusive leadership and gossip at work such as occupational tenure, workplace spirituality, getting along and getting ahead behavior strategies, and the national culture. The results opened possible gaps for future research, and they provide critical insight into the leader and follower personality interaction and the resultant workplace outcomes.

Content Analysis: Women of the Bible as a Leadership Model for Modern-Day Women

Abstract

This research examined the significance of the lives of women in the Bible and the leadership lessons and models that their life examples could offer modern-day women in leadership. The research also examined the details and nuances of success for women in leadership in modern-day society. The precedent of the phenomenon of the narratives of ancient women of the Bible as well as those of the

modern day both hold value and meaning. Women are in greater, more influential leadership positions today in every field in society than ever before in history. This research analyzed timeless, applicable leadership lessons from the lives of 12 women of the Bible utilizing the narratives of six women from the Old Testament and six women from the New Testament of the Bible to extract from their

experiences connotations of insightful leadership behaviors. The purpose of this study was to bring perspicuity to the leadership behaviors of modern-day women and provide applicable leadership lessons and models for successful leadership outcomes through a content analysis of multiple women of the Bible. A qualitative design approach was implemented. The participants were selected from 12 purposeful samples of women of the Bible—from various roles and entities from the Old and New Testament. The literature of the Bible concerning the life of each woman was interpreted through the research method of content analysis. Each narrative was summarized in an analytical memo. The findings were coded and condensed into categories and themes that derived conceptual leadership lessons for modern-day women in leadership. I compared the results of the content analysis

through the lenses of effective leadership concepts presented in the literature to demonstrate relevance. The goal of this research is to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding women in leadership and provide a substantial model of leadership for women, which acts as a catalyst for developing and enriching the capacity of women in leadership globally.

Keywords: gender, success, women empowerment, women in leadership, women of the Bible

The American Women in Leadership from the Suffrage Movement through the Present: National Culture, Values, and Behaviors Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitatively study was to analyze extracts of texts written by 6 American female leaders: Carrie Chapman Catt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, Oprah Winfrey, and Michelle Obama. The goal was to find themes that were translated into value representations to answer the research questions. This work involved Heider’s (1958) attribution theory, Hogg’s (2001) social identity theory, and Hofstede’s (1983) masculinity dimension with elements of assertiveness, ego, materialism, and rationalism. The examination of values/moral character traits of the 6 female leaders was taken from the perspectives of their exhibited behaviors and engagement with U.S. culture. Robbins’s (1996) socio rhetorical interpretation, specifically ideological and sociocultural textures, were used to create context of the eras in which incidents of interests involving female leaders had occurred. Findings were expected to inform and deepen insights into the leadership traits based on these women’s responses to perceived social injustice.

The Impact of Followers

Abstract

Leadership is in the eye of the beholder was one of the foundational and revolutionary concepts of implicit leadership theory (ILT) that transformed the way leadership observers and scholars viewed the process and development of leaders in social settings. The focus of the literature moved to the cognitive structure and sense making processes of followers and their role in the system. Little attention was given to leaders and the influence of their information-processing mechanisms and ILT structure on their behavior. To that end, this study explored the influence of followers’ expectation on leaders’ behavior. Through a qualitative bounded case study design of six Christian leaders in local churches in Amman, Jordan, the study sought to answer three questions: How would leaders act and behave if their ILTs were in direct conflict with those of their followers? Would pastors conform to followers’ expectations if they clash with their own expectations, specifically if they conflict with the biblical core values? How do leaders develop the content of their ILT? The answers to the questions found that leaders’ behavior and adaptation under pressure depend on two factors: mature character and motivation. The study also found a number of pressure sources and confirmed that parents and other contextual variables influence the leader’s ILT structure. The study contributes to the scholarly and practitioner literature in filling a research gap of leaders’ ILT in a specific culture and provides several recommendations for future studies and applications.

The Relationship Between Employees

Abstract

Recent interest in the effects of spiritual leadership on organizational outcomes focused mainly on the impact of spiritual practices on the leader, as well as the relationship between spiritual leadership and group-level outcomes, thus leaving the link between spiritual leadership and individual followers’ behavior chiefly unexplored (Reave, 2005). The purpose of this research was to add to the understanding of the connection between spiritual leadership and followers’ behavior by addressing the research question of whether there is a relationship between employees’ perception of spiritual leadership of their organizations’ leaders and the employees’ commitment to remain with their organizations. This study proposed to explore this relationship by focusing on the vision, hope/faith, and altruistic love dimensions of spiritual leadership proposed by L. W. Fry (2003) and continuance commitment dimension of employee commitment as proposed by Meyer and Allen (1991). To answer the research question and test stated hypotheses, this study utilized a nonexperimental, cross-sectional, correlational research design and employed the Spiritual Leadership Theory Survey as well as the Continuous Commitment–High Sacrifice scale to collect necessary data (Allen & Meyer, 1990; L. W. Fry, Vitucci, & Cedillo, 2005; Powell & Meyer, 2004). The data were collected from 88 participants who were employed in nonprofit religious organizations in the United States. The results of the data analysis revealed a significant relationship between employees’ perception of their leaders’ vision and altruistic love and their continuance commitment. The relationship between employees’ perception of their leaders’ faith/hope and their continuance commitment was found to be not significant. The potential confounding influence of age, gender, and social desirability bias was also explored and found to be not significant. Implications and limitations of this study as well as recommendations for future research were also discussed.

Exploration of Followership Behaviors in the Workplace: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Kelley (1998) acknowledged that the success of an organization depends on both the leadership and the degree of follower engagement. Baker (2007) noted that the scholarly research on followership is limited when compared to research on leadership. This phenomenological study presents the lived experience of followers in their work environments. This study addressed the following questions: How do employees view their followership role within their workplace and how does an employee’s perception of their followership behaviors influence their job satisfaction and job commitment in the workplace? The theoretical framework guiding this study includes self-concept, identity theory, followership behaviors, and job attitudes. The review of the literature contributed to the development of 11 open-ended questions to conduct in-depth interviews of 16 higher education employees representing various institution structures within the United States. This study used in vivo and pattern coding strategies to identify themes. The research questions were addressed from interpretations drawn from the data.

Creative Leadership and Innovative Climates in Ecclesial Settings: Comparing Current Church Planting Efforts to the Early Church in Acts

Abstract

This qualitative study considered the concepts of creative leadership and innovative climates through comparative analysis of both five pivotal moments in the life of the early church in Acts and current church planting resources aimed at equipping church planting leaders in today’s North American context. The sociorhetorical method of interpretation was utilized to consider five narratives in Acts: (a) Pentecost, (b) persecution and scattering, (c) Cornelius and the Gentile mission, (d) the church at Antioch, and (e) the Jerusalem Council. Along with this, a qualitative meta-analysis of the most frequently used resources recommended from 13 church-planting networks and denominations is conducted. The rise of interest in creative leadership and innovative climates within organizations has become an increasingly popular area of interest in today’s organizational leadership literature (Florida, 2002; Puccio, Mance, & Murdock, 2011). However, little research exists pursuing the nature of innovation and creativity in the ecclesial setting; in fact, the research studying evangelistic effectiveness in the North American context only shows a decline of influence toward reaching those outside the church (Dickerson, 2013; Packard & Hope, 2015). This reveals a great need for ecclesial leaders and ecclesial research to begin to pursue and understand innovation and creativity for the sake of effective ecclesial leadership in this current context. This research demonstrates a wide gulf between innovation and creativity in the early church in Acts not as a point of pursuit but rather as a natural and adaptable part of the overflow work of God’s Holy Spirit and current church-planting materials that seem to be emphasizing to planters to create and innovate for the sake of effective contextualization but also to heed a warning that creativity can often be little more than a hazard and distraction from true, pastoral ministry. The current research serves to build a foundation for future research into creative leadership and innovative climates in ecclesial settings.

Missionary Teams as Complex Adaptive Systems: Understanding the Impact of Multiple Embedding Contexts on Team Coherence

Abstract

This dissertation applied one model of complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory to missionary teams to determine the impact of their multiple embedded contexts on team coherence. The literature on missionary teams falls into two broad approaches: scholars contributing to member care literature with few contributions to the leadership of missionary teams, and professional and trade writers addressing practitioners. None of these approaches examine missionary teams as a group phenomenon. This study explored a missionary team as a group phenomenon using CAS theory, thus addressing a gap in the missionary literature and utilizing the recent applications of CAS theory in groups. The CAS literature indicated a group’s contextual environments impact the coherence of the team. This study asked the research question, to what degree do a missionary group’s various environments or multiple embedded contexts impact the coherence of the group? To answer the research question, a single case study methodology was used to examine 1 missionary team operating in Europe. The embedded contexts included its sending organization, U.S. partner churches, and local partners in the host country. The research confirmed these embedded contexts do impact team coherence through the flow of their resources and attempts to address their own fitness needs. Implications for researchers and practitioners, the significance of the study, and its limitations conclude the study. Recommendations for future research include further exploration into the local and global CAS dynamics of missionary groups, particularly the impact of the team’s local resource network.

Examining the Roles of Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Stewardship in Ethical Leadership Theory from a Socio-rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 9

Abstract

This study examined the roles of spirituality, sacrifice, and stewardship in ethical leadership theory by comparing the leadership principles found in Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians 9. This study assessed ethical leadership theory from the standpoint of values and virtues that proceed from the inner life of the leader in the form of sacrifice and stewardship while setting the premise in a context of spirituality. This study offered a multidimensional view of ethical leadership by pairing the social scientific aspect of the theory with that of a Christian worldview and the exegetical analysis of the biblical text, bridging the gaps of the lack of cohesion of the leadership concept. This exegetical process was developed in the purview of socio-rhetorical analysis was applied particularly to 1 Corinthians 9, which yielded three themes from which seven principles for leadership studies were discovered from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. It was found that the principles in 1 Corinthians 9 generally support the literature on the principle of leadership as mimetic, the principle of leadership core values/virtues framework, and the principle of morality in leadership. In the case when there were differences, it was found that the principles of 1 Corinthians 9 expand and elevate the standards found in the literature. The study concluded that there is a close connection between Christian Scripture and secular contexts such that the ethical and moral ideals of the Christian faith can engage and influence the ethical values of a secular cultural context and reconstruct them through the revelation of Jesus Christ. The study discovered the values of spirituality, sacrifice, and stewardship as new and interesting domains for further study of ethical leadership.

Leading Racial Reconciliation: Understanding the Role of Africans in the Bible

Abstract

This study examined if there were any biblical justifications for the lack of diversity in Christian organizations in America. Moreover, this study reviewed the type of jobs, functions, duties, and roles people of African descent held in the Holy Bible. This study of racial reconciliation in Christian organizations in the United States of America draws from the literature on racially and culturally based organizational theories like microaggression, critical race theory, cultural deficiency theory, and upper echelon theory. Research contained in this study followed the exegetical methodologies outlined in social–cultural texture analysis and ideological texture analysis. The data from this study were interpreted for principles connected to reconciliation around culture and race in America and organizations. This study revealed five themes to help understand the role, job, duties, and functions of people with African heritage throughout the Old and New Testament. The results of this study demonstrate that current-day believers of the Bible may have a misunderstanding of the presence of Africa and Africans in the Bible, which may be a contributing reason to why there is an absence of people of African descent in leadership roles in Christian, for-profit organizations. The five themes summarize the findings of the sociorhetorical analysis and function as the guideline for future research about other cultures documented in the Holy Bible.