Instructions
Do a literature review from the two articles provided on leadership research.
Based on the extended literature review, write a paper, addressing the following issues:
1. What is leadership research?
2. What is the nature of this line of research?
3. What are some of antecedents and consequences of leadership?
4. Why should we conduct research on leadership?
Please organize your paper in a scholarly way. Add section titles when necessary. Explain your logic and when appropriate, and use proper citations.
Essay
Leadership Research
It is imperative to embark on leadership research. Many researchers undertake research to understand the concepts of leadership in a more detailed and more clearly way. Leadership research refers to a detailed and systematic examination of the concept of leadership to make a discovery of the new information and make a new understanding of the leadership concepts. These concepts relate concerns with how leaders communicate a clear vision and direct people in the realization of established vision. Leaders provide clear information and the methods needed.
Researchers carry out research on leadership guided by a particular aim. An analysis of some of the research conducted would give detailed insight on what leadership research entails. Jacquart and Antonakis (2014) investigated the use of the attributional processes and inferential processes in the evaluations of leaders. After detailed research, they concluded that the two mechanisms can help in the selection and the retention of leaders. Boal and Hooijberg (2001) proved that a strategic leader must have the ability to learn, change, and possess managerial wisdom. The research first investigated on the necessity of the strategic leadership. After that, the research provided a detailed theoretical review. The researcher in leadership must understand the currently available literature. The ability to understand the literature gives the researcher the chance to understand the gap that exists in the current leadership knowledge.
Nature of Leadership Research
The motivation of leadership research is by the inquisitiveness and the need for intellectual discovery. Most of the researchers are concerned with issues regarding leadership have the aim to discover and explain its various aspects in a more clear way. The leadership research aims at providing more understanding of the available knowledge on leadership. In every research initiated, there is a discovery of new aspects of knowledge. The researcher would give a better understanding of a concept or give a new understanding. The foundation of the new research is the existing knowledge. The need to either confirm a certain concept or object the existing understanding motivates the new research. For instance, research by Amabile et al. (2004) was built on the fact that leaders support had been related to the creativity of the subordinates. The researchers conducted the research to determine the effect of the specific leader behavior on the reactions of the subordinates.
Leadership involves the application of a rigorous methodology in attaining the research objectives. The researcher must construct a hypothesis, adopt a specific methodology, and develop ways to analyze the results. The results attained needs to be reliable and relevant to the field of the leadership. Jacquart and Antonakis (2014) built a model that facilitated the development of the facts related to the inferential and attributional evaluation of the leaders. The model built represented the fairest economic model of the year 2009. The model covered both the attributional and inferential effects. The model intended to provide specific information on the choice made by citizens on US presidency vote.
The models adopted in the leadership research give the most reliable results. The researcher developed the variables of the equation that included the performance signal, leader charisma, clarity of the performance signal, and the number of votes received. Leadership research involves a cognitive process and the development of the ideas in the various steps involved. Besides, the researcher must communicate in methods acceptable in academic research. For instance, Jacquart and Antonakis (2014) used the Linear Probability Model (LPM) in communicating the results obtained. Besides, the researcher described the fact that the probit regression is used in the estimation of the consistency in the binary outcome models as the reason to reject the model.
Antecedents and Consequences of Leadership
Rising to leadership position requires a person to find ways of exhibiting the required capacity. The most crucial way is by developing the leadership skills. When in the position of leadership, a person is expected to help an organization to attain tremendous results in its operations. The results obtained by leaders in the political and the business sectors are constantly evaluated. The performance forms the basis to demote or reappoint the leaders to leadership positions (Jacquart & Antonakis, 2014). Therefore, the important precedent of leadership is acquiring the necessary skills fit for desired leadership position. In some instances, the leaders are the key motivator of the employees in the organization (Amabile et al., 2004). Thus, the leader must adopt the behavior that would best fit the position of leadership.
In addition to the development of skills, there are situations that force the emergence of transformational leaders. The crisis and the unstable environments demand the transformational leaders to save the society from a given problem. Similarly, the increasing complexity of the organizations and the changing responsibilities demands an adoption of critical skills to develop the organizations (Bugenhagen, 2006). Moreover, the transformational leaders arise to help the organizations adopt the right strategies where goals are unclear, and the organization is unstructured. The transformational leaders in such situations emerge because of the organizational demands.
Leadership influences the success of an organization. The leader’s values and the capability to make choices in particular situations are significant in attaining the objective of the organization as well as the choices of the strategies. The leader faces the demands and constraints, and he has to make the decisions on the rights strategies adopted. Also, the leader must be aware of the power he has towards making a particular decision (Boal & Hooijberg, 2001). The leader may have a particular discretion, and failure to utilize it would result in a failure. More so, if he makes a decision, and he has no power to make the decision, it would meet resistance affecting the performance of the organization as well.
The strategic leaders have an effect on the motivation of the employees. The leaders have an impact on the performance of the employees. They are responsible for communicating aims and the goals of the organization. The environments created by the leaders have the capability to motivate or demotivate the employees. The strategic leaders are entrusted with the responsibility to make strategic decisions, vision communication and organizational structure development (Boal & Hooijberg, 2001). Moreover, strategic leaders are required to develop, and the maintain the organizational culture. All the stakeholders in the organization must be motivated to attain the objectives.
Leaders also enhance the creativity and the innovation in an organization. The leaders create an environment enhancing the employee’s creativity. The leaders enhance the employee’s capability to think by interacting with them directly or providing the necessary resources. The supervisor’s interaction with the employees has a direct impact on the way the employees solve the problems at work. The top management behavioral support, provision of resources, encouragement, and the cooperation has an impact on employee innovation and creativity.
Need for research
The research on the leadership is important. Amabile et al. (2004) proposed research on the leadership behaviors. The research conducted would facilitate the leaders understanding the effect of their behavior on subordinates. The areas of research include autonomy syndrome, amplification of the leader’s behavior and the perception of the employees towards their leaders. The researchers would need to research on the perception of subordinates towards the behaviors adopted by their leaders. The research would help improve the relationship between leaders and their subordinates.
The research on leadership would enhance a more understanding on how to adopt strategic leadership. Boal and Hooijberg (2001) suggested that a consideration of the leadership emerging theories would help to give more understanding on the strategic leadership. The new theories would give a more positive impact towards understanding the intellectual capacity and complexity of the strategic leaders. To gains more insights on the strategic leadership, researchers should focus on company’s policies, conducting interviews and investigating the value statements of companies.
The leadership research is necessary as it adds more knowledge on the field. The knowledge developed facilitates the growth of the organizations by providing a basis for developing leadership skills. More so, leaders have the capability to develop holistic strategic visions. Moreover, improve their relationships with the subordinates. The leadership research improves the understanding of the available leadership information and theories. It is crucial for the leader to possess the necessary leadership skills. Their performance in the political and business leadership position is constantly evaluated. If they do not direct their subordinates rightly, their power and influence would be lost and hence the organizational goals are not achieved.
References
Amabile, T. M., Schatzel, E. A., Moneta, G. B., & Kramer, S. J. (2004). Leader behaviors and the work environment for creativity: Perceived leader support. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(1), 5-32.
Boal, K. B., & Hooijberg, R. (2001). Strategic leadership research: Moving on. The Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), 515-549.
Bugenhagen, M. J. (2006). Antecedents of transactional, transformational, and servant leadership: A constructive-development theory approach. Theses & Dissertations, Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication Department, 2.
Jacquart, P., & Antonakis, J. (2014). When does charisma matter for top-level leaders? Effect of attributional ambiguity. Academy of Management Journal, amj-2012.
