Leadership Research Research Articles

The path ahead for integrative public leadership: a systematic review and call for future research

PurposeThe study aims to review integrative public leadership (IPL) scholarship, identify trends and suggest future research. The paper answers the question, “How has the field of study of integrative public leadership developed, and what gaps should future research address?”Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review (SLR), utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 protocol, was conducted over the period 2000–2023. The preliminary database returned 497 articles; however, 55 articles remained after the screening phase. Three themes were addressed: the conceptualization of IPL (what it is), the study characteristics (how and where it was completed) and what has been studied (what we know about IPL).FindingsIPL differs from its related concepts: “shared” and “distributed leadership.” Cross-boundary behaviors are one of IPL’s pillars. Most studies focus on the local level and center on upper-echelon leaders. IPL has been linked to leadership training and positive outcomes, such as organizational and network performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis review focused on articles in refereed journals, excluding books.Practical implicationsThis work provides a twofold contribution in that it: (1) sharpens the concept of integrative public leadership, establishing the boundaries with similar concepts and (2) provides an overview of the field, identifying relevant areas for future research.Originality/valueThis work provides a twofold contribution in that it: (1) sharpens the concept of integrative leadership, establishing the boundaries with similar concepts and (2) provides an overview of the field, identifying relevant areas for future research.

Spiritual Leadership Research: Past, Present and Future Using Bibliometric Analysis

Spiritual Leadership Research: Past, Present and Future Using Bibliometric Analysis

Measuring Research Capacity: Development of the PACER Tool.

Evaluating research activity in research departments and education programs is conventionally accomplished through measurement of research funding or bibliometrics. This limited perspective of research activity restricts a more comprehensive evaluation of a program's actual research capacity, ultimately hindering efforts to enhance and expand it. The objective of this study was to conduct a scoping review of the existing literature pertaining to the measurement of research productivity in research institutions. Using these findings, the study aimed to create a standardized research measurement tool, the Productivity And Capacity Evaluation in Research (PACER) Tool. The evidence review identified 726 relevant articles in a literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ERIC, CINAHL, and Google Scholar with the keywords "research capacity" and "research productivity." Thirty-nine English-language studies applicable to research measurement were assessed in full and 20 were included in the data extraction. Capacity/productivity metrics were identified, and the relevance of each metric was data-charted according to 3 criteria: the metric was objective, organizational in scale, and applicable to varied research domains. This produced 42 research capacity/productivity metrics that fell into 7 relevant categories: bibliometrics, impact, ongoing research, collaboration activities, funding, personnel, and education/academics. With the expertise of a Delphi panel of researchers, research leaders, and organizational leadership, 31 of these 42 metrics were included in the final PACER Tool. This multifaceted tool enables research departments to benchmark research capacity and research productivity against other programs, monitor capacity development over time, and provide valuable strategic insights for decisions such as resource allocation.

Student leadership in medical school research

Student leadership in medical school research

Creating a content validation process to advance a campus-wide leadership framework

PurposeA content validation process of an institutional leadership framework is described for leadership educators in higher education. We created this process to further integrate our leadership framework across campus, maintain alignment with advancements in leadership research and ensure it is broadly inclusive and culturally responsive.Design/methodology/approachOur approach included seven essential design elements and was informed by a review of leadership frameworks in practice and the literature, validation studies and a comprehensive document review.FindingsOur approach yielded a validated leadership framework with modifications to its principles, values, competencies and outcomes. Modifications addressed pre-determined criteria and were deemed relevant to leadership research and our institutional context.Originality/valueThe external content validation process of our leadership framework is novel and serves as a valuable guide for those considering opportunities to strengthen their own institutional approaches to leadership education.

The Center for Health Outcomes in Medicine Scholarship and Service (HOMES): Fostering and Supporting Physician-Initiated Research

Abstract Problem The U.S. physician scholar workforce, currently comprising less than 1.5% of U.S. physicians, continues to decrease, threatening national status as a global biomedical research leader. Academic medical center (AMC) trends away from tenure-track physician faculty appointments toward clinical faculty appointments have contributed to this decrease, but AMCs have limited strategies to equip clinical faculty to conduct research. Infrastructure fostering clinical faculty research may establish new mechanisms for expanding physician scholar workforce and supporting academic goals of clinical faculty. This article presents one such model, the Center for Health Outcomes in Medicine Scholarship and Service (HOMES), from the Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Approach Established in 2019, HOMES provides research infrastructure, support, and mentorship tailored to clinical faculty needs. Multidisciplinary core faculty support research across 5 cores: clinical networks, biostatistics and secondary data, qualitative methods, mixed methods, and research ethics. HOMES services include research consultation, mentorship, microgrants, a training toolkit, and symposia. Outcomes In 4 years, HOMES supported 50 faculty on 99 projects. Forty-five (90%) of these faculty have reported scholarly output, including 127 national presentations, authorship on 41 peer-reviewed articles, and 53 grant submissions. Forty HOMES-supported grant submissions have received funding, and 4 HOMES-supported physicians in training have pursued or plan to pursue AMC research careers. Next Steps HOMES has fostered scholarly productivity among AMC physicians, competitive grant applications, and research focus among physicians in training. As demand for HOMES services increases, HOMES will prioritize projects based on their innovation and research skill development potential. Academic medical centers can apply HOMES lessons through fostering clinical faculty collaboration with multidisciplinary research teams and increasing research training opportunities for residents and fellows. National expansion of funding opportunities dedicated to building biomedical research capacity and expertise among clinical faculty can facilitate sustainable scaling of HOMES-like models.

The Current State of Leadership Research: Identifying Key Trends through Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning Analysis

The impact of leadership on organizational performance and success is a well-established theme, leading to a significant expansion in related scientific studies. This has made identifying and understanding the current state of literature challenging. Most studies focus on specific aspects of leadership, offering a fragmented view of the field. This study employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques and a machine learning approach to analyze 19,429 research papers from Web of Science and Scopus. We aimed to identify and interpret current trends in leadership research, providing a comprehensive overview of the leadership domain, highlighting five key research trends: (1) Leadership and Digital Transformation Research (LDTR); (2) Leadership and Organizational Performance Research (LOPR); (3) Educational Leadership Research (ELR); (4) Leadership Practices and Development Research (LPDR); and (5) Gender and Diversity Leadership Research (GDLR). This overview not only delineates current trends but also aids researchers in identifying significant gaps in existing literature, thereby facilitating the development of innovative research projects and initiatives.

Communicating science across different cultures — a reflection on the PCST Suzhou Symposium 2024

The symposium occurred from 17–19 October 2024 in Suzhou, China, a city famous for its long history and rich culture and often called “the heaven on Earth”. The 230 delegates from 26 countries spent two insightful days immersed in the world of science communication. The event highlighted that Chinese policymakers and research leaders are taking science communication and science literacy seriously. In his opening speech, Professor Yanhao Xu, Vice Chairman of the National Education, Science, Health and Sports Committee, recalled that China has a special law on science popularisation that recognises science communication as of equal importance to technological innovation. This also means that suitable communication activities must accompany every major Chinese scientific initiative.

CEOs’ Perceptions of Loneliness in the Workplace: An Exploratory Study

Loneliness among CEOs is a topic that draws the attention of leadership experts, as it was suggested that it’s a less explored topic in leadership studies (Wright et al., 2023). The popular phrase “it’s lonely at the top” suggests that top managers frequently experience loneliness in their roles. Not having someone close to confide in is a challenge for many leaders at work (George, 2015). CEO loneliness can have negative effects both individually (e.g., health, well-being and stress) and organizationally (e.g., commitment, employee perceptions of the CEO and turnover) (Wright et al., 2023; Chen et al., 2021). The aim of this study was therefore to explore how CEOs perceived and experienced workplace loneliness; more specifically, we sought to identify what types of loneliness they encounter most often, what situations may trigger workplace loneliness, and how CEOs cope with loneliness in the workplace, in Norwegian organizational settings. Based on empirical results from 14 in-depth qualitative interviews with CEOs of small and medium-sized companies, it appeared they had experienced state loneliness at work and that none of them had reported trait loneliness. State loneliness often arose in situations such as confidentiality cases, decision-making processes and change management processes. Due to the nature of the CEO role, our participants stated that they often accepted the loneliness in the workplace as part of their role, which might suggest a potential coping strategy that they utilize. Other coping strategies that were found include disconnection techniques and the use of their support networks. Addressing this topic adds value to empirical research on leadership by raising awareness of the challenges of loneliness that business leaders in positions of power, specifically CEOs in a Norwegian cultural context, face in the workplace when performing their duties. It provides insight into the types of loneliness experienced, the situations that can trigger CEO loneliness, and how loneliness in the workplace can be addressed and mitigated.

Leading Through Generations: Crafting Adaptive Leadership Styles for Modern Enterprises

This contribution examines the evolution of leadership styles over time. It explores the ways in which these styles have adapted to changing economic environments and generational shifts, also highlighting the intricate interplay between leadership and cultural nuances. The research applies a longitudinal lens to the development of leadership styles, focusing on their adaptability across the lifecycle stages of two universities in Austria and Ukraine. The findings stress the importance of leadership adaptability to organizational and generational changes and emphasize the influence of cultural factors on leadership styles. The investigation employs two case studies, enabling an exploration of the interplay between leadership, lifecycle, culture, and generational nuances. The findings reveal differences in leadership styles, underscoring the impact of cultural, lifecycle and generational factors on leadership genesis. The study concludes that leadership must be adaptive and evolve in tandem with the lifecycle stages of an organization. It also stresses generational differences in leadership and the crucial role of culture in shaping leadership styles. This contribution augments the discourse on leadership adaptability, offering insights for future research and practical implications for leadership and governance in varying cultural and generational settings.

Academic research contributions from Ibero-American countries to general knowledge, engineering, and computer science up to 2023 and COVID impact

Although commonly, competitive intelligence analysis is applied to companies, where new investments and operation expenditures are considered along with changes in the market, competitive intelligence can be applied to different countries' academic research production, which impacts science, technology and innovation making a difference in their competitiveness. This work shows the academic research production for all areas of knowledge, and also specifically for engineering and computer science, from all the Ibero-American countries, based on the SCOPUS database from 2001 to 2023. The results show that based on the volume of their academic production, for an affordable analysis, the Ibero-American countries can be classified into three groups, considering an order of magnitude difference for each group. The leading group is composed of countries producing between 200,000 and about 2 million documents, the second group of countries producing between 20,000 and 200,000 documents, and the third group of countries producing between 2,000 and 20,000 documents. The COVID pandemic impacted all the countries which showed a decrease in annual production over the last two years. The results also show the priority areas of knowledge that these countries invest in and the main countries that they collaborate with. The behavior of production for engineering and computer science is like that of general production, but there are some specific internal factors for specific countries such as in the case of Brazil, the country in which production fell most dramatically, followed by Spain and Colombia. On the other hand, Peru and Ecuador show a high interest in engineering and computer science. This work offers a high value decision-making tool to leaders in academic research, the principals of research driven institutions and investors from industry in Ibero-America. The academic production is related to the size of the GDP and the percentage of the GDP invested by a country in research development and innovation.

Organic Community Leadership: An Integrated Perspective

Community, characterised by reciprocity and mutuality, represents one of the fundamental bases upon which society is built. Community leadership is a distinct leadership style that refers to civic-minded individuals who voluntarily and organically self-organise and devote their efforts towards leading issues of importance within their communities. This organic community leadership is a ‘collective relational phenomenon’ that is favoured in dynamic environments; the voluntary action of people within a community can help tackle community challenges at scale, with speed, and result in grassroot innovations. Despite its positive role in society, community leadership faces additional challenges to leadership in organisational settings, including understanding the spatial boundaries of a domain which spans different social fields, fostering linkages among groups where there is no formal authorisation, being receptive to varying ideologies, capabilities, and divergent viewpoints to foster collaboration, and managing unequal power distribution and divergent political agendas. The above opportunities and challenges posed by community leadership has meant that the past few decades have seen growing attention placed on the study of community leadership. Gaps remain in the body of knowledge in supporting the effective execution of community leadership. Authors argue that the leadership literature remains fragmented, many leadership frameworks/models remain agnostic of context, and there is a need for improved understanding of where and by whom leadership is enacted. Most studies to date concentrate on discrete aspects of the community leadership sphere. A more integrated perspective on organic community leadership is needed. Based on a SLR, this paper presents an integrated framework for organic community leadership. The framework emphasises human agency and fostering the collective efficacy of a broad coalition of community stakeholders to work towards a common purpose. It recognises the legitimisation process of emerging leaders and key leader behavioural considerations, framed within the context of fostering an appropriate environment for community cohesion, collaboration, and action. Thus, this paper takes a step towards providing a more holistic stance on the community leadership phenomenon.

Sensemaking View on Servant Leadership in Crisis Discourse

This study is based on leadership in crisis time - a panel discussion after 62 leaders’ discussions in various workshops. Analysing the data through the sensemaking typology for organisations - using sensemaking typology (Sandberg & Tsoukas 2020) and coming up with servant leadership theory offers a fresh and welcomed view in servant leadership study - revealed how servant leadership and especially the readiness to shift in sensemaking helped to overcome the crisis. The leaders used the four typologies: immanent, involved-deliberate, detached-deliberate, and representational sensemaking in various ways for a servant purpose. For example, seeing the personnel with new eyes and allowing them to act freshly, lowering barriers, and bringing others’ potentiality to use helped to tolerate crisis. To demonstrate, leaders with detached-deliberate sensemaking found a new direction and valued co-work whereas when acting with the immanent sensemaking they held on to routines and kept the focus on the basic task. In brief, the servant-first attitude was emphasized for the leadership to be willing to set oneself in use as well as create an atmosphere where others can work on their best and emerge from others capabilities for them to serve the common good.

TRENDS AND INSIGHTS IN VISIONARY LEADERSHIP: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS FROM 2019 TO 2023

The study of visionary leadership has become increasingly significant as organizations navigate complex and evolving challenges. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publications on visionary leadership from 2019 to 2023, sourced from the Scopus database. The analysis reveals trends in publication output, identifies influential research contributions, and maps the thematic development of the field. Key findings highlight an increase in scholarly interest, with dominant themes including strategic vision, leadership competencies, and organizational change. Despite the wealth of research, gaps remain in empirical validation across diverse contexts, longitudinal studies, interdisciplinary approaches, and practical applications. The study underscores the need for more comprehensive research that bridges theoretical and practical insights, enhances cultural and global perspectives, and develops quantitative tools for assessing visionary leadership. By addressing these research gaps, the field can advance towards a deeper, more applicable understanding that supports both academic progress and practical leadership development. This paper serves as a foundational reference for scholars and practitioners, outlining current knowledge and future research directions.

Global Research Trends in Green Finance: A Systematic Literature Review of Regional Contributions (2001-2024)

This study presents the systematic analysis of existing literature on global research trends in green finance, focusing on regional contributions from 2001 to 2024. Using data from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, this analysis identifies patterns in publication volume, regional leadership, and thematic evolution in green finance research. The findings reveal a substantial increase in scholarly output, particularly in response to climate agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. Notably, countries like China, the United Kingdom, and emerging contributors, including Pakistan, are leading in research output. The study underscores a shift from foundational studies on sustainable finance to specific applications in green bonds, ESG criteria, and climate finance. Additionally, it highlights strong international co-authorship networks, especially among researchers in Europe, North America, and Asia, which facilitate cross-border collaboration and knowledge dissemination.

EXPERIENCE IN ORGANIZING STUDENT RESEARCH CLUB FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

The relevance of this article is underscored by recent legislative changes in Ukraine, including the “Higher Education Law” and the “Law on Scientific and Technical Activity”, which have increased focus on integrating research into the educational framework of higher education institutions. These laws emphasize the need for a symbiotic relationship between higher education and scientific research, particularly in the training of medical students. They mandate new standards for the structure and objectives of scientific research activities within these institutions, encouraging the development of clear research agendas, updated educational resources to foster relevant competencies, and environments that support effective research endeavors. Cultivating a research-oriented professional requires concerted effort starting from the very beginning of a student’s academic journey. Broadening the engagement of medical students in Student Research Club activities is essential. Through participation in Student Research Club, students gain proficiency in navigating scholarly sources, acquire fundamental research skills, learn to apply theoretical knowledge in clinical contexts, and develop the ability to bridge theory with practice. Encouraging medical students to participate in professional competitions, conferences, and symposia at various levels is of great importance as well. Such activities hone public speaking skills, teach students how to engage and retain an audience, and prepare future healthcare professionals to be confident and persuasive communicators. Professional mentorship is vital for Student Research Club members. Faculty involvement, the guidance of Student Research Club advisors, scientific mentors, and leadership from the Student Research Club team are all critical to cultivating the research skills of emerging medical scientists. This article outlines the strategies implemented by the Department of Human Anatomy, Clinical Anatomy, and Operative Surgery at Dnipro State Medical University to engage early undergraduate students in scientific research.

The use of experimental designs to examine causality in authentic leadership: A scoping review

Abstract Authentic leadership studies are often criticised for the limited use of causally defined research designs. To advance scholarship is this area, this article presents a scoping review on the use of experimental designs to examine causality in authentic leadership. Eleven publications were identified, which presented 16 experiments that met the inclusion criteria. Generally, these experiments tested authentic leadership as an antecedent; were conducted online; used a one-factor design; involved large samples, typically of working adults or residents; involved a manipulation check; involved the use of written vignettes to manipulate levels of authentic leadership; included counterfactual conditions; culminated with outcomes pertaining to followers; and established the causal effects of authentic leadership on the outcome(s) of interest. These findings suggest the value of: written vignettes; multi-method approaches; and online experiments. They also highlight opportunities to advance authentic leadership research through the use of sequential experiments and immersive technologies.

Leading while playing: How leader fun pursuit affects leadership perceptions and evaluations

AbstractAlthough pursuing fun seems contradictory to work, it may yield beneficial outcomes for not only employees but also leaders in the workplace. The present paper aims to bridge the gap between the workplace fun/play literature and leadership research by introducing the concept of leader fun pursuit and examining its influence on followers' evaluations. Moreover, drawing on the dual perspective model of social evaluation and expectancy violation theory, we examine the effects of leader fun pursuit on followers' perceptions of leader attributes and evaluations of leadership, and posit a gender‐contingent boundary condition. We conducted three studies to develop a scale and examine our hypotheses. Study 1 (four samples, total N = 734) developed a four‐item scale to measure leader fun pursuit and established its reliability and validity. Study 2 (N = 309) used a multi‐wave design to examine the full model. Study 3 (N = 279) used a vignette‐based experiment to strengthen the internal validity of our conceptual model. We found that leader fun pursuit generally enhances followers' evaluations of the leader, and this effect was especially pronounced for female leaders. Overall, we introduce a novel approach to effective leadership and examine the gender differences therein.

PREDICTING LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH THE TALENTS THAT REALLY MATTER

AbstractConchie (founder and president of Conchie Associates) and Dalton (partner, Conchie Associates) explain that they apply science “to the study, application, and development of leadership,” adapted from the research in their book The Five Talents Really Matter. They discuss their criteria for outstanding leadership and point to “over 58,000 top level leaders in our global database.” Their scientific “assessment of The Five Talents That Really Matter carries a disproportionate weight, greater than all the other factors thought to be important in leadership selection, in predicting top leadership performance.” The Talents “capture the broad variability of traits, dispositions, and characteristics the very best leaders possess, and, through the Executive Leadership Assessment built to measure these talents, we are able to use the results to help predict future leadership performance.” In their words, the Talents are Setting Direction (using modern GPS technology as a metaphor), Harnessing Energy, Exerting Pressure (“Debate and dissent, we’ve found, is what many leaders claim to value yet precious few succeed in delivering”), Increasing Connectivity (“The very best leaders…are straight shooters who deliver difficult messages with compassion,”) and Controlling Traffic (“Exceptional leaders responsible for business execution follow rigid rules with maximum flexibility.”)

A Meta-Analytic Review of Transformational Leadership Research in Public Administration

Despite the increasing research attention devoted to transformational leadership in public administration, there is still concern over whether it is appropriate and effective in the public context. To answer the important question of whether and when transformational leadership is effective, this study meta-analytically reviewed transformational leadership research based on 70 primary studies that include 151 independent effect sizes from 718,601 participants. It was found that transformational leadership was significantly related to outcomes at both individual (motivations, attitudes, and behaviors) and organizational (performance and innovation) levels, and positively related to transactional leadership and leader-member exchange. Moderation analyses revealed that national cultural values and public/semipublic affiliation of the studied samples, as well as measurement scales of transformational leadership explained some of the transformational leadership-outcome relationship variations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.