Dimensions Of Leadership Research Articles

Creating and Validating a Digital Leadership Model for University Teachers, Liaoning Province

Background and Aims: In the era of digital transformation, digital leadership has emerged as a critical component of educators' ability to navigate and utilize data literacy in increasingly digitalized environments. University teachers, in particular, need digital leadership to adapt to advancements in technology and enhance their teaching and administrative skills. This study focuses on constructing and validating a digital leadership model specifically for university teachers in Liaoning Province. The research aims to identify the key components of digital leadership and develop a model that addresses the current and future needs of educators in this evolving landscape. Methodology: The study employs a grounded theory approach to build a theoretical structure of digital leadership for university teachers. Field interviews with a diverse group of university educators were conducted to gather qualitative data. This data was then analyzed through a series of open, axial, and selective coding processes, allowing the identification of six key categories that form the foundation of digital leadership. These categories were then subjected to quantitative analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the fit of the proposed model. Validation was achieved through iterative model testing and refinement, ensuring that the final model accurately represents the digital leadership characteristics of university teachers. Results: The analysis revealed six key dimensions of digital leadership for university teachers: Digital Leading Insight: The ability to foresee digital trends and incorporate them into teaching strategies. Intelligent Teaching Organization: Effective integration of technology in teaching methods to enhance learning outcomes. Industry-Education Integration Promotion: Fostering collaborations between academia and industry to align educational practices with industry needs. Teacher Professional Development Learning: Ongoing self-improvement and learning to stay updated with technological advancements. Digital Cooperation and Communication Influence: Facilitating effective digital communication and collaboration within and across institutions. Digital Education Policy Decision-Making: Engaging in the formulation and implementation of digital policies in education. The model demonstrated a high degree of fit across all indices, confirming its validity as a framework for understanding digital leadership in the context of university educators. Conclusion: The study provides a validated model of digital leadership for university teachers, highlighting six core competencies that educators must develop to succeed in the digital era. Recommendations for fostering digital leadership include offering leadership development training, optimizing blended learning environments, enhancing collaboration, driving organizational change, establishing incentive mechanisms, and promoting an integrated culture of industry-education collaboration. The results suggest that addressing these areas will significantly enhance the digital leadership capacity of university teachers in Liaoning Province, thereby improving educational outcomes in the digital age.

Psychosocial risks of workers in the plywood industry: A cross-sectional study in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

This work assessed the psychosocial risks of 124 workers from the plywood industry in Ecuador's Amazon region. Two psychosocial risk assessment (PRA) methods were selected due to their widespread use in Ecuadorian organisations: FPSICO from the Spanish National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the "Psychosocial Risk Assessment Questionnaire" (PRAQ) from the Ecuadorian Labour Ministry. Therefore, two surveys of 89 and 58 items were applied to evaluate nine scales and eight risk dimensions for FPSICO and PRAQ, respectively. Results show that according to FPSICO, the main psychosocial risks were detected in the scales of working time (WT), variety and content (VC), and workload (WL), with a prevalence of 34.8 % and 41.7 %. For PRAQ, the margin of action and control (D4), load and work rate (D1), and leadership (D3) were the most affected dimensions, with a risk prevalence between 29.1 % and 43.6 %. Although there is a lower risk prevalence in the rest of the scales and dimensions assessed, improvement actions are needed in the short term. Furthermore, the findings suggest an association between gender and risk prevalence, especially in the dimensions of Leadership (D3), Skills development (D2), and Self-perceived health (D8.8), where being a woman increases the likelihood of suffering from these conditions by up to three times. In addition, a brief comparative analysis was conducted, looking for coincidences in the scales that each PRA instrument assesses and the prevalence of the psychosocial risks detected.

Authentic student leadership development: structural equation model testing differences among student leader populations

ABSTRACT Objective There remains a need for effective and ethical development in students, for cohesive and connected societies of moral actors. This paper adopts an authentic leadership development in students perspective as a possible complement to discipline expertise. This research explored whether taking leadership roles while studying had a positive effect on students’ development of authentic leadership attributes, including demographic contributions. Method This study comprised a quantitative survey of undergraduate students (n = 415) at an Australian university using structural equation modelling to test relationships between student leadership status and authentic leadership. Results Results demonstrated that student leaders exhibited higher authentic leadership than students who were not leaders. Demographics (e.g. gender) also explained variance across authentic leadership scores. Authentic leadership also served as a useful predictor of whether students intended to take up formal student leadership roles. Conclusions Practical implications of this research include opportunities for policy development to support leadership opportunities and training for higher education students as a method of developing their authentic leadership.

Sisterhood in COVID-19’s she-cession: does stronger female representation mean weaker female discrimination?

PurposeGender equality is an important issue targeted all around the world, see, for example, the Gender Equality Strategy articulated by the European Union (EU). These goals were hindered by COVID-19, which caused a well-documented she-cession: females were hit harder than males. This paper shows that a “sisterhood behaviour” can mitigate the effects of the she-cession: female decision-makers were more likely to favour other females in recruitment and retention.Design/methodology/approachMotivated by theories from psychology and industrial demography, we hypothesise a so-called sisterhood effect or homophily: female decision-makers are more likely to favour other females in recruitment and retention. We use firm-level survey data from 19 European countries collected before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we apply a difference-in-differences methodology to test the hypothesised sisterhood behaviour.FindingsOur study finds that in firms where the top manager was a woman, gender discrimination was less likely or even not at all presented, i.e. COVID-19 did not decrease the proportion of female employees.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that promoting gender equality in leadership dimensions can also moderate discrimination at the level of the employees. Therefore, in a wider context, gender equality goals are interrelated.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to analyse the existence of the theories mentioned before in a manager – employee relationship using firm-level data from the COVID-19 period.

Digital leadership in local government: an empirical study of Dutch city managers

ABSTRACT Local governments across the world are adopting new digital technologies to improve their services and to create public value. These new digital technologies challenge traditional forms of leadership. So far, few empirical studies have focused on what digital transformation implies for leadership in the public sector. Based on theories of leadership, digital transformation, and public value, we identify nine dimensions of digital leadership. Based on these dimensions, we examine how city managers across the Netherlands are leading their organizations during the digital transformation. Our findings show that city managers need to develop a value-based vision regarding digital transformation, pay attention to different forms of legitimacy, be consciously aware of the ethical dilemmas and implications of digital technologies, involve politicians more and earlier in technology projects, and stimulate digital competencies of themselves and of public servants. We conclude that ‘digital leadership’ requires both new and existing leadership dimensions.

The Impact of Leadership Orientations on Decision-Making Styles: A Research on Youth Camp Organizations

Youth organizations are very important for the development of young people. It is thought that the leadership orientations of youth leaders and the decision-making mechanisms which they use are important in terms of being role models for young people who will play an important role in the construction of the future. This study aims to investigate the relationship between leadership orientations and decision-making styles of individuals working as leaders in youth camps affiliated to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a non-profit public organization. A total of 197 youth camp leaders, consisting of 45 females and 152 males, voluntarily participated in the research. The Multifactor Leadership Orientations Scale and the Decision-Making Styles Scale were used to collect research data. According to the correlation analysis results, a positive and moderate level of relationship was found between rational decision-making and structural leadership (r=.553), human resource leadership (r=.531), political leadership (r=.429), and charismatic leadership (r=.475) dimensions. There was a weak level of relationship between intuitive decision-making style and structural leadership (r=.165), human resource leadership (r=.232), there was a moderate level of relationship political leadership (r=.355), and charismatic leadership (r=.381) dimensions. A positive and weak level of relationship was found between dependent decision-making style and human resource leadership (r=.207) and political leadership (r=.187) dimensions. A negative and weak level of relationship was observed between avoidant decision-making style and structural leadership (r=-.171). According to the regression analysis results, structural leadership (β=.295), human resource leadership (β=.248) and charismatic leadership (β=.198) dimensions have a significant positive influence on the rational decision-making sub-dimension of the decision-making styles scale. Charismatic leadership (β=.315) dimension has a significant positive influence on the intuitive decision-making sub-dimension of the decision-making styles scale. Human resource leadership (β=.225) dimension has a significant positive influence on the dependent decision-making sub-dimension of the decision-making styles scale. In conclusion, leaders who exhibit structural, human-oriented, and charismatic leadership styles are likely to effectively employ a rational decision-making approach. Additionally, leaders with a charismatic leadership orientation may be proficient in utilizing an intuitive decision-making style, while those with a human-oriented leadership approach might excel in dependent decision-making. Future research could explore the expectations of young individuals from their leaders.

Validation of the Wise Leadership Questionnaire (WLQ)

Purpose The purpose of this study was to validate the psychometric properties of the Wise Leadership Questionnaire (WLQ). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from three independent samples from Canada, China and Morocco (n = 616). Factor analysis, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses, structural equation modeling and Bayesian approach were used. Findings Study 1 confirmed that the WLQ higher-order factor structure is the most adequate theoretical model to capture the four-factor structure of the wise leadership scale, namely, intellectual shrewdness, spurring action, moral conduct and cultivating humility which are essential for a leader to qualify as wise. Study 2 assessed and supported the criterion-related validity by approving that the higher-order wise leadership construct constituted a predictor of work outcomes such as followers’ subordinates’ performance and job satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis results yielded a second-order factor of the wise leadership construct with four first-order factors, namely, the four wise leadership dimensions. The correlations between the four first-order factors (i.e. dimensions) and the second-order factor of the wise leadership are positive and statistically significant in both the China and Morocco samples. They are, respectively, as follows: intellectual shrewdness (β = 0.74; 0.62, p < 0.01), spurring action (β = 0.52; 0.76, p < 0.01), moral conduct (β = 0.76; 0.62, p < 0.01) and cultivating humility (β = 0.78; 0.69, p < 0.01). Originality/value Results suggest that the new wise leadership construct is positively associated with followers’ subordinates’ job performance and job satisfaction directly and indirectly through supervisory support, emphasizing the added value and relevance of the WLQ.

Women directors’ attributes and demographics: New insights into bank risk

This study examines the impact of women directors’ representation and characteristics on bank risk in a unique sample of 12 developing countries with dual banking systems. We examine different women’s leadership and monitoring attributes (leadership and independence) and demographic attributes (educational level and background, foreign directors, and financial expertise). Our results indicate that women directors significantly reduce bank risk, regardless of bank type. Foreign female directors and the financial expertise of women directors are both associated with high bank risk while the relation is inverted for independent women directors. We also find that women directors with high educational qualifications (i.e., postgraduate level) and those holding qualifications in accounting and finance are negatively associated with bank risk. Considering bank type, women on the board have an overall adverse impact on risk in Islamic banks, showing high bank risk across various risk indicators and directors’ attributes/demographics.

Impact of Transformational Leadership toward Organization Efficacy in Nigeria Petroleum Company

This study investigates the relationship between transformational work performance and organizational efficacy in selected Nigerian petroleum companies. It is anchored in transformational leadership theory and the high-performance work systems (HPWS) framework. Transformational leadership, pioneered by Burns and developed by Bass, emphasizes leaders' influence through idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The HPWS framework highlights HR practices that enhance employee skills, motivation, and opportunity, ultimately driving organizational performance. While existing literature on transformational leadership mainly focuses on Western contexts, this study seeks to address the gaps by examining its applicability in Nigeria's petroleum sector. Methodological limitations, organizational-level focus, and contextual specificity are identified as gaps in prior research. The study aims to investigate these relationships in Nigeria, considering sociocultural variations and employing a mixed-methods approach. Through structured interviews and questionnaire surveys, data were collected from 280 employees. The data analysis included regression analysis, correlation analysis, and reliability testing. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between transformational leadership dimensions and organizational efficacy. The study contributes to understanding the dynamics of transformational leadership and HPWS in a developing economy context, particularly within Nigeria's petroleum industry. Future research should explore these relationships further, considering contextual factors and employing longitudinal designs.

A comprehensive analysis of leadership attributes, discrepancies, and implications for gender equity in vascular surgery

ObjectiveWell-developed leadership skills have been associated with a better understanding of health care context, increased team performance, and improved patient outcomes. Surgeons, in particular, stand to benefit from leadership development. Although studies have focused on investigating knowledge gaps and needs of surgeons in leadership roles, there is a noticeable gap in the literature concerning leadership in vascular surgery. The goal of this study was to characterize current leadership attributes of vascular surgeons and understand demographic influences on leadership patterns. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was a descriptive analysis of vascular surgeons and their observers who took the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) from 2020 to 2023. The LPI is a 30-question inventory that measures the frequency of specific leadership behaviors across five practices of leadership. ResultsA total of 110 vascular surgeons completed the LPI. The majority of participants were White (56%) and identified as male (60%). Vascular surgeons most frequently observed the “enabling others to act” leadership practice style (8.90 ± 0.74) by all evaluators. Vascular surgeons were most frequently above the 70th percentile in the “challenge the process” leadership practice style (49%) compared with the average of other leaders worldwide. Observers rated vascular surgeons as displaying significantly more frequent leadership behaviors than vascular surgeons rated themselves in every leadership practice style (P < .01). The only demographic variable associated with a significantly increased occurrence of achieving 70th percentile across all five leadership practice styles was the male gender: a multivariable model adjusting for objective experience showed that men were at least 3.5 times more likely to be rated above the 70th percentile than women. ConclusionsVascular surgeons under-report the frequency at which they practice leadership skills across all five leadership practice styles and should recognize their strengths of enabling others to act and challenging the process. Men are recognized as exhibiting all five leadership practices more frequently than women, regardless of current position or experience level. This observation may reflect the limited leadership positions available for women, thereby restricting their opportunities to demonstrate leadership practices as frequently or recognizably as their male counterparts.

Relationship of Leadership Attributes and Motivational Factors with Job Performance of Teachers

In the modern era leadership plays a vital role for the development of the educational institution by performing numerous management activities. To achieve this objective, the leader focuses on the enhancement of the competencies and motivate the employees for better performance. The major objective of this research was to determine the relationship between leadership attributes and motivational factors affecting job performance of academic staff. This study was quantitative based on correlational research design. The population was comprised of the public secondary school teachers in Lahore. Simple random sampling technique was administered to select the sample of this study which was 283. The primary data was collected by using a self-administered questionnaire through survey method whereas, for analysis of data Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was administered. The results of the study revealed that there was moderate relationship of leadership attributes with motivational factors and job performance while there was also significant correlation between leadership attributes and motivational factors. Furthermore, there was a significant effect of leadership attributes and motivational factors on job performance. This study is beneficial for the heads, management staff and academicians to adopt innovative techniques and strategies for the enhancement of teaching-learning process by rendering the supportive workplace environment.

Conceptualizing the Dimensions of Digital Leadership towards Academicians’ Competencies in AI: A Systematic Literature Review for Instrument Design

This study investigates digital leadership's role in improving academics' AI skills and the crucial shift in teaching and learning techniques brought by digital and AI advancements. A learner-centric approach customizes, engages, and includes learning using digital and AI. It demands a change from traditional education and stresses digital leadership and AI capabilities for academicians. The study conducts a thorough literature review to identify key digital leadership attributes, including the ability to innovate, strategically use digital tools, and give equal access to educational technology. It also describes the AI capabilities academics require to personalize instruction, streamline administration, and boost student performance. Results show academicians require specific professional development to learn digital leadership and AI. These apps help teachers use AI to meet digital needs. Digital leadership is dynamic and involves technical, strategic, ethical, and collaborative abilities to transform education, according to the paper. Cooperation and research are essential to understanding digital leadership and creating effective assessment and training methods as the digital world changes. The initiative will assist academics navigate modern educational situations and promote digital integration and innovation. As implications, this study reveals how digital leadership and AI capabilities are altering education. This research emphasizes the role of digital leadership and AI in enhancing teaching and learning in the digital era, adding to the discourse about preparing academicians for the future.

Characteristics of Wise Leadership Practices in an Educational Setting: A Content Analysis

Leadership practices encompass a range of behaviours, actions, and attitudes that leaders utilise to effectively steer and guide their teams towards a shared objective. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of research that clearly delineates the attributes of smart leadership, despite its significance in educational contexts. This study aims to investigate the diverse characteristics of wise leadership practice in an educational setting. This study employs a content analysis technique to scrutinise the current literature and identify the fundamental themes and strategies that have successfully fostered wise leadership in educational settings. The completed content analysis yielded seven (7) distinct characteristics of wise leadership practices in an educational setting, specifically: (a) lifelong learners for self-reflection; (b) emotional and cultural competence; (c) ability to manage emotional conflicts; (d) self-discipline and self-control; (e) innovative and encouraging creativity; (f) supportive and collaborative in relationships; and (g) effective interpersonal communication skills. In conclusion, this study has provided useful insights into effective leadership strategies in educational environments by conducting a thorough analysis of numerous studies. Future studies should prioritise the thorough investigation of sensible leadership techniques in education.

The Impact of The Ethical Leadership and Knowledge sharing on the Employees Creativity: An Investigation of Saudi Companies

This study addresses contemporary issues pertinent to both business research and practice, focusing on leadership roles, knowledge sharing, and their influence on employee creativity a topic with limited local research attention. Specifically, it examines the ethical dimension of leadership and the role of knowledge sharing in enhancing employee creativity within organizations. The study's primary purpose is to scrutinize the impact of ethical leadership, characterized by integrity and fairness, on employee creativity, as well as the effects of supportive knowledge sharing by leaders. Key inquiries include the examination of leadership integrity and fairness on employee creativity, and the influence of knowledge sharing support on creativity. Employing a theoretical model derived from literature, the research methodology employs surveys to test hypotheses and gather data from a sample of 250 employees across diverse industries. One of the study’s key findings is that ethical leadership positively affects employee creativity. Employees engage in successful knowledge sharing, contributing to creativity both within their job roles and across organizational knowledge domains. Practically, the study underscores the importance of ethical leadership and knowledge exchange in fostering employee creativity within Saudi enterprises, particularly emphasizing the educational level. Its findings fill a crucial gap in this area, offering valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners. In terms of originality and value, this study represents a recent and quantitative exploration of a topic that has been relatively overlooked. By investigating the impacts of leader integrity, fairness, and knowledge sharing on employee creativity, it provides meaningful contributions to unexplored areas of employee output. However, the study acknowledges certain limitations. It was conducted solely in Saudi Arabia and across various sectors. Future research could explore different countries or specific sectors to enable comparative analyses. Additionally, qualitative or mixed-method approaches could provide deeper insights into employee creativity. Moreover, future studies could delve into how organizations define and measure creativity, further enriching our understanding of this complex phenomenon.

Impact of Transformational Leadership Behaviors Organizational Effectiveness in the Manufacturing Industry of Shenzhen, China: Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing

In the dynamic and competitive industrial landscape of Shenzhen, China, where technological advancements and rapid developments are the norm, effective leadership becomes instrumental in driving organizational success. This paper investigates the influence of transformational leadership behaviors on organizational performance within the manufacturing sector of Shenzhen. Drawing upon the framework, which delineates four core components of transformational leadership—Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individual Consideration—this study aims to unravel their implications in the context of Shenzhen's manufacturing industry. Through a comprehensive analysis of these leadership attributes, we seek to provide insights into how leaders can effectively navigate the challenges and opportunities inherent in this dynamic environment. Additionally, this research explores the role of knowledge sharing as a potential mediator in the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational performance. By examining the intricate interplay between leadership behaviors and organizational outcomes, this study contributes to the existing literature on leadership in industrial settings and offers practical implications for enhancing organizational effectiveness in Shenzhen's manufacturing sector.

The individual-team multilevel outputs of humble leadership based on the affective events theory

Purpose This study aims to break through the limitations of previous studies that have focused too much on the individual-level effects of humble leadership. Based on the affective events theory (AET), this study provides to construct an individual-team multilevel model of humble leadership focusing on the followers’ affective reaction and attribution of intentionality. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of subordinates’ attribution of humble leadership, it is believed that there are actually two motivations for humble leadership: true intention (serve the organizational collective interest) and pseudo intention (serve the leader’s self-interest), to which subordinates have different affective reactions, causing different leadership effectiveness. Thus, this study conducted an extensive review based on the qualitative method and proposed an integrated multilevel model of leader humility on individual and team outputs. Findings Followers’ attribution of intentionality moderates the relationship between humble leadership and followers’ affective reaction, which also determines followers’ performance (task performance, interpersonal deviant behavior and leader–member exchange); the interaction between team leaders’ humble leadership and collective attribution of intentionality influences team outputs (team outputs, organizational deviant behavior and team–member exchange) through team affective reaction; team humble leadership affects individual outputs through affective reaction and team affective climate plays a moderating role between affective reaction and individual outputs. Originality/value This study explores the individual-team multilevel outputs of humble leadership based on the AET theory, which is relatively rare in the current field. This study attempts to incorporate leaders’ motivation (such as attributions of intentionality) into the humble leadership research, by confirming that humble leadership affects affective reaction, which further influences individual-team multilevel outputs.

Supporting Teachers’ Retention Through Influence of Leadership Dimension and Job Satisfaction Towards the Principle of Best Practice

This study determined the leadership dimension of the school administrators as the entry point to explore the influence on teachers' job satisfaction and their decision for retention. This study collected questionnaire data of teachers from 5 universities in Guangxi Province, sorted out and analyzed the demographic characteristics of teachers, the self-evaluation of teachers' job satisfaction, the evaluation of school administrators' leadership ability, and the correlation and differences of related factors. The research results show that administrators' leadership dimensions seem to work against teachers' differing personalities. The researcher recommends encouraging teachers to open dialogue with school administrators; school administrators could initiate activities for team building and provide training to attain esprit de corp and nurture collegiality on the campus that can resonate in the faculty rooms and classrooms. This fosters a culture of belonging within the learning environment and invites regular resource persons for personal and professional guidance to address individual issues.

Teachers’ Transformational Leadership on Academic Culture of College Students: Towards Enhancing Leadership Skill

This study aims to explore the impact of teacher transformational leadership on academic culture and career planning of university students, with the ultimate goal of improving students' leadership skills. The students participating in the survey are coming from sophomore level only from the five universities in Jiangxi Province of China. From the total size of 4,436 sophomore students in the five universities, Qualtrics identified 354 to be the total sample size of the actual research participants. based on the research problems and parameters of the study, there are some findings. Teacher transformational leadership profoundly influences students' career planning, facilitating clarity and direction, resource management, resilience in overcoming challenges, development of academic skills and integrity, fostering interdisciplinary abilities and self-discipline, offering guidance and mentorship, promoting academic exchange, and facilitating adaptation to diverse academic environments.Based on the conclusions, the following are recommended: .Institutions should prioritize the implementation of culturally responsive practices. Building on the effectiveness of transformational leadership dimensions highlighted in the research, institutions should invest in leadership development programs for educators. Institutions should ensure that leadership development initiatives are accessible and inclusive to individuals from diverse demographic backgrounds.

Fostering Organizational Resilience through Agile Leadership: A Comparative Study Analysis

In an increasingly volatile and uncertain business landscape, organizational resilience has become a critical factor for long-term success. This study aims to explore the role of agile leadership in fostering organizational resilience through a comparative analysis of various organizational contexts. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative case studies to investigate the relationship between agile leadership practices and organizational resilience. Data were collected from multiple organizations across diverse industries, including responses from leaders, employees, and key stakeholders. The quantitative component utilized validated scales to measure agile leadership dimensions and organizational resilience indicators, while the qualitative component involved in-depth interviews and document analysis to gain deeper insights into the lived experiences and best practices. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between agile leadership practices, such as adaptability, innovation, and collaborative decision-making, and enhanced organizational resilience. Effective agile leaders cultivate a culture of continuous learning, encourage experimentation, and empower teams to respond swiftly to changing circumstances. However, the study also highlights challenges in implementing agile leadership, including resistance to change, hierarchical structures, and organizational silos. The research concludes that agile leadership is a critical enabler of organizational resilience, equipping organizations with the agility and flexibility to navigate disruptions, seize opportunities, and thrive in an ever-changing business environment. It recommends the integration of agile leadership principles into organizational strategies, talent management practices, and leadership development programs.

Selection of a business school dean: a multi-criteria knowledge-based approach

PurposeBusiness schools play a significant role in providing individuals with the ability to adapt to constantly changing environments. Such agile organizations require deans who, as leaders, possess the knowledge and attributes of astute and responsible executives. In this regard, the measurement of the attributes of leadership paves the way for evaluating a leader’s options process. In this study, we measure the attributes of leadership to pave the way for evaluating a leader’s decision-making process.Design/methodology/approachThe rich data included the opinions of 93 university professors from seven countries: Iran, India, China, France, the UK, Canada and the USA. In appraising the responses, the authors considered the nationality and the development level of each participant’s country and continent. In this study, the authors developed an online questionnaire based on the best-worst method (BWM). By performing a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the authors also determined the significant statistical differences of the scientific communities through the lenses of authentic leadership, leader-member exchange and social identity and leadership.FindingsThe results provide evidence of transparency, measured as the most important criterion for leading a business school, i.e. knowledgeable deanship. Furthermore, the findings reveal a meaningful difference between developed and developing countries in the context of an authentic leadership pillar.Originality/valueThis paper contributed to the literature in five major ways as follows: The authors investigated the attitudes of scientific communities from different countries, business schools, BWM, dean selection and leadership evaluation.By means of the BWM, the authors measured the criteria culminating in the selection of a knowledgeable leader for a business school.The authors compared and contrasted the attitudes of scientific communities in developing countries vis-à-vis those in developed ones.The authors addressed the differences and similarities among countries in relation to the selection of a knowledgeable business school leader.The authors provided beneficial insights by addressing the different perspectives of researchers on the weights of the criteria involved in the selection procedure for a business school dean.