Abstract
The aim of the present study was to learn more about the content of leadership ideals among Norwegian military officers, and to what degree such ideals influence the officers’ actual leadership practice. We have also explored possible generational differences between generation X officers (born between 1965 and 1980) and generation Y officers (born between 1980 and 1998) related to leadership ideals. The sample consisted of 117 younger and 91 older Norwegian officers. The ideals framing the study were operationalized as authentic leadership (AL), portrayed in the literature as an ideal form of leadership. The results showed that the officers in both generations perceived all dimensions of AL as ideal. Younger officers, however, perceived an internalized moral perspective and balanced processing as less ideal than their older colleagues. No relationship between AL ideals and practice was found for the sample, after controlling for the effect of self-evaluations. However, the results indicated a positive influence of ideals among the young officers. These results are discussed in relation to the existing literature and practical implications. Suggestions for future studies are also outlined.
Highlights
The last decades’ growing body of leadership research has focused on the importance of ideals, on how followers’ leader ideals in terms of prototypes influence their leaders’ performance and, vice versa, how leaders’ follower ideals influence followers (Junker & van Dick 2014)
This study included a sample of officer cadets at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy (RNoNA), with an average of 1.6 years’ previous military service before admission, and a sample of officers, with an average of 18 years’ service experience, participating in a one-year executive leadership program at the Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC)
We are surprised by the limited amount of studies which address the content of leadership ideals among leaders – and how these relate to behavior
Summary
The last decades’ growing body of leadership research has focused on the importance of ideals, on how followers’ leader ideals in terms of prototypes influence their leaders’ performance and, vice versa, how leaders’ follower ideals influence followers (Junker & van Dick 2014). If and how the individual leaders’ personal leadership ideals influence their own leadership performance has attracted limited attention This lack of research is noteworthy because several organizational practices regard leadership ideals as important antecedents of effective leadership behavior. Substantial efforts and resources are allocated to the coaching and socialization of leadership ideals Formulations of such ideals become an integrated part of strategic leadership and numerous MBAs and leadership development programs (e.g., Bass & Bass 2008). The idea behind these practices seems to be that by nurturing the right ideals in leaders, their leadership behavior will subsequently improve. Some researchers suggest that ideals are nothing more than a reflection of a person’s self-image (Dunning, Perie & Story 1991; MacDonald, Sulsky & Brown 2008), questioning the relevance of external ideals as a unique predictor of leadership performance
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