Perceptions Of Leadership Research Articles

Diversity-Specific Empowering Leadership: An Alternative Approach to Reducing Sex-Based Bias and Enabling Inclusivity

Abstract Achieving sex-based equity in organizational leadership roles has proven to be a ‘wicked’ problem with existing diversity initiatives providing minimal improvement. In this paper, we address this issue by considering a key inhibiter to women’s leadership advancement—biased perceptions of female leaders’ competence—and links to a climate for inclusion. In Study 1 (N = 236), we develop and validate a Diversity-Specific Empowering Leadership (DSEL) measure, and demonstrate its value in predicting perceptions of female leaders’ competence when compared to alternative leadership models (empowering leadership, transformational leadership, diversity-specific transformational leadership, transactional leadership, leader diversity-valuing behavior, and inclusive leadership). In Study 2 (N = 314), we introduce sex-based diversity beliefs as a moderator in the relationship between DSEL and perceptions of female leaders’ competence. In Study 3 (N = 313), we provide support for a mediated moderation model, with sex-based diversity beliefs moderating the effects of DSEL on perceptions of female leaders’ competence. In turn, this is associated with a climate for inclusion. DSEL is collaborative and developmentally focused, and our findings suggest it may attenuate sex-based biases in perceptions of leadership, especially for those who have been most resistant to change (i.e., individuals with negative sex-based diversity beliefs). Our research offers theory that can support ethical action by advancing DSEL as a promising ‘target-specific’ leadership model for creating less biased and more inclusive work environments for all.

Resistance to Change in Family SMEs: Authentic Leadership during Succession

Resistance to change during the succession phase presents a notable challenge within family SMEs due to entrenched traditions and historical legacies. Consequently, managing resistance to change becomes paramount for facilitating a smooth transition and ensuring business longevity. This study uses the PLS-SEM method to explore how perceived authentic leadership, organisational justice, and psychological ownership address resistance to change with a dataset of 369 valid responses from employees in family SMEs. The results suggest that, in the succession phase, employees’ perception of authentic leadership can mitigate resistance to change directly and indirectly through the mediating role of organisational justice and psychological ownership. Moreover, organisational justice as a moderator diminishes resistance to change by eliminating nepotism between family and non-family members. Given the region’s shared cultural values and institutional frameworks, these findings broadly apply to family SMEs in Southeast Asia.

Testing the psychometric properties of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire among nurses in Saudi Arabia.

This paper aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the "rater" version of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire in nursing practice within the context of Saudi Arabia. The analysis of the psychometric properties of Avolio et al.'s Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (2007). This version of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire was in the English language. A convenience sampling method was used to obtain data from 215 Saudi early career nurses working at public hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia. Data analysis included assessing internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) analysis and the exploratory factor analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version. Face and content validity were evaluated using a content validity index, and Mplus was also used to assess the factor structure of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire by conducting confirmatory factors analysis. The results of psychometric testing of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire provide initial support for the content and construct validity and internal reliability of the instrument among early career nurses in Saudi Arabia. The results supported that the 16 items of the rater's version of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire measure nurses' perceptions of the authentic leadership of their leaders. The psychometric properties of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire yield a valuable contribution to empirical research within the nursing population. The results of this study suggest that the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire will be useful for health service researchers and nursing leaders seeking to understand and capture authentic leadership qualities in Saudi Arabia.

Does Man Has a Place in Kindergarten Leadership? A Literature Review in China's Early Child Education

ABSTRACTThis literature review explores the experiences of male kindergarten principals through the lens of social role theory, which posits that gender roles shape individuals' behaviors and societal expectations, influencing leadership perceptions and practices. Hence, the review aims to synthesize international research on male principals in early childhood education to examine how societal stereotypes and gender roles affect their professional experiences, leadership efficacy, and career trajectories. The systematic review of 11 studies was conducted between 2001 and 2024, using qualitative, mixed‐methods, and case‐study approaches. The findings reveal that despite these challenges, male principals employ coping strategies such as role adaptation, boundary negotiation, mentorship, and networking to navigate gendered expectations and assert leadership. The implications of this review underscore the need for systemic interventions to support male leaders in early childhood education, including mentorship programs, professional development opportunities, and policies that challenge traditional gender roles.

Towards Systemic Leadership Resilience: Proposing the Hybrid Artificial Intelligent Leader in Response to Economic Crises

ABSTRACTResearchers now understand that the Great Recession stemmed from a “systemic leadership failure,” involving various entities such as the government, financial institutions, investors, homeowners, and regulators. Consequently, traditional leadership approaches of the time came under intense scrutiny, necessitating a shift in leadership perception and mentality. This paper conducts a comprehensive examination of existing literature on the primary leadership approaches prevalent before, during and after the global economic and financial crisis era (i.e., 2007–2009). The study aims to synthesize existing approaches and explore new leadership paradigms necessary to foster a more inclusive, prosperous, and responsible business environment. Furthermore, through critical analysis, this paper proposes a new type of leader capable of predicting, avoiding, and effectively overcoming potential future economic crises: the hybrid artificial intelligent (AI) leader. Considering contemporary technological advancements, the study contributes to the theory by providing a description of the proposed innovative leadership approach and justifying its effectiveness in addressing economic crises.

Leadership during the war: perceptions of ideal leadership among public leaders in Ukraine

PurposeRussia’s full-scale war against Ukraine threw all spheres of life in that country into turmoil. The public service was tasked to foster resilience and ensure the continued functioning of the state. Our purpose is to study how a war-shaped public leaders’ understandings of the leadership necessary for tackling emerging crises in a swiftly shifting environment while delivering services to citizens and continuing reforms toward EU membership.Design/methodology/approachThe research reflects the analysis of 15 semi-structured interviews with members of Ukraine’s public service from various parts of the country conducted in September–October 2023. Heroic/post-heroic ideals of leadership, as well as the distributed model of leadership, are selected as the theoretical framework.FindingsAccording to Ukraine’s public managers, the collectivistic ideal of public leadership has persisted. Since 2022 and Russia’s full-scale war, they claim the distributed form of public leadership has developed further. Based on the analysis of the interviews, we suggest these managers differentiated intraorganizational, intergovernmental and intersectoral types of distributed leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is conducted during the full-scale war; therefore, observations and field work are restricted. Face-to-face interviews are impeded by air raids: missile and drone attacks; online interviews are sometimes hindered by constant electricity blackouts and alarms. The results of the study reflect the subjectivity of the participants’ thoughts and feelings and may not be more broadly generalizable.Originality/valueThis is an explorative study that shows how public leaders speak and think about public leadership in the ongoing crisis of war.

The effect of leader-member exchange on turnover intention in healthcare employees.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of perceived leader--member exchange and working conditions on turnover intention among healthcare employees. The study population consisted of healthcare employees working in a medical faculty hospital in Türkiye. A stratified sampling method was used in sample selection. The data were obtained by the questionnaire method, and voluntary participation was taken as a basis. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information, a leader--member exchange (LMX) scale and a turnover intention scale. The research was conducted between April and May 2022 and completed with 400 participants. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple linear stepwise regression analyses were chosen for data analysis. The findings showed that the participants had a medium-level perception of leader--member exchange and a medium-level turnover intention. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis revealed that especially "affect and professional respect" sub-dimensions of LMX had a statistically significant and negative effect on turnover intention scores. In addition, weekly working hours had a statistically significant and positive effect on turnover intention (p<0.05). Finally, it was determined that the variance in turnover intention score was explained by the "affect and professional respect" sub-dimensions of LMX and weekly working hours (R2=0.241). This study provides evidence on the impact of the "affect" and "professional respect" sub-dimensions of leader-member exchange as well as work environment factors on the turnover intentions of healthcare employees. The results are expected to guide healthcare organization leaders and managers on how to create a collaborative work environment that leads to employee retention.

Pengaruh Kepemimpinan, Disiplin Kerja, dan Motivasi Terhadap Kepuasan Kerja Karyawan PDAM Tirta Manuntung di Kota Balikpapan

The presence of human resources in a company is crucial, which necessitates focusing on aspects related to employees. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of Leadership, Discipline, and Motivation on Employee Job Satisfaction at PDAM Tirta Manuntung, Balikpapan City. This study employs a quantitative approach. The sampling technique was conducted using a Likert scale and involved 79 employees of PDAM Tirta Manuntung, Balikpapan City, as respondents. Data analysis in this study was performed using the SmartPLS method. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire designed based on the Likert scale to assess employees' perceptions of leadership, work discipline, and motivation variables. The results of the study show that the leadership variable has a significant effect on employee job satisfaction at PDAM Tirta Manuntung, Balikpapan City. The work discipline variable has no significant effect on employee job satisfaction at PDAM Balikpapan City, and the motivation variable has a significant effect on employee job satisfaction at PDAM Tirta Manuntung, Balikpapan City.

Nurses' perceptions of clinical leadership in the emergency department: A qualitative descriptive study.

Nurses' perceptions of clinical leadership in the emergency department: A qualitative descriptive study.

Educational leadership in Portugal:navigating ethics, morality, and future trends

The school, as the basic unit and a space for the achievement of objectives and goals of the education system, is constantly being renovated, becoming a major challenge for the directors, because it requires of them new skills, knowledge, abilities and attitudes that converge in the need of development of skills for making the decisions more participatory and fair. This study goal is to identify in 30 educational directors of school groups, their leadership perceptions and practices. As a method to achieve this goal, a mix study has been carried out using semi-structured interviews and three leadership scales (ethical, moral and transformational). As results it was found that the leadership perceptions vary between transactional and transformational and that some leadership skills are predictors of the type of leadership exercised. Future studies are needed about leadership, different styles and cultural organizational context variables.

A teacher leadership model validation for in-service teachers

Teachers as leaders in schools have been widely advocated, as they increasingly act as agents of change in education reforms and directly impact students’ outcomes. Developing teacher leadership is critically important for both students and the school’s development. However, teacher leadership is a complex and context-dependent concept and can result in a lack of common language to guide relevant policies and practices. This study aimed to validate a Western model of teacher leadership and develop a Teacher Leadership Scale (TLS) to capture teachers’ leadership perceptions in a non-Western context. Data were collected via a questionnaire from 538 in-service teachers in an Asian context The EFA results (n = 260) yielded a five-factor scale structure, and the CFA results (n = 278) showed that the first-order model (CFI = 0.967, RMSEA = 0.062, SRMR = 0.044, X2/df=2.080) and second-order model (CFI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.068, SRMR = 0.050, X2/df=2.287) of the five-factor TLS adequately fit the data. The Cronbach’s alphas indicated strong reliability. The study provides empirical evidence that the TLS is valid for gaging teacher leadership among in-service teachers and suggests implications for using the scale as a guide for reflection and development. It also makes a theoretical contribution by unveiling that teacher leadership perceptions may differ between Western and non-Western contexts.

Aspects of Individualization Implementation in Higher Education in Russia

This article investigates the perceptions of university leadership in Russia regarding the goals, effects, and barriers to the implementation of individualized educational trajectories (IETs) within the educational process. Based on 15 semi-structured interviews conducted with representatives of Russian universities’ administration (vice-rectors, directors, deputy directors of institutes, and heads of departments), conclusions were drawn concerning the key perceptions of the effects experienced by universities that have implemented IETs. These effects include economic (enhanced efficiency of the educational process in lower courses for greater flexibility in upper courses), organizational-management (updating curricula through faculty initiatives), and motivational (increased student engagement). Additionally, contradictions were identified between the perceptions of respondents with experience in implementing IETs and those without such experience. For instance, respondents evaluated economic effects differently: those who implemented IETs reported increased efficiency, while those who did not expressed concerns about rising costs due to the individualized approach to students. The analysis identified several categories of barriers: conservatism within the academic community, resistance to change (particularly regarding granting students the right to free choice), organizational-management issues in establishing new management processes, regulatory constraints imposed by existing standards and laws, and a methodological dilemma in balancing general education and professional components of educational programs. The findings contribute to the empirical foundation for a more comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of individualized educational trajectories. The identified perceptions of effects and contradictions among respondents with varying experiences highlight the necessity for further research into the effects of individualization using more precise methods. A significant number of universities are already initiating pilot projects to implement IETs, which allows for the collection of longitudinal data for subsequent analysis of the obtained effects. This article will be of interest to senior management professionals who are developing their universities’ development programs and analyzing the feasibility of implementing new educational policies.

Exploring a process-oriented way of working – a case study involving primary and specialised care

BackgroundHealth care organisations have a long history of dividing work and tasks into decentralised functions and units by forming divisions and departments with delegated power. New ways of working, such as process-oriented approaches, have been called for to address challenges such as staffing shortages and resource constraints. There is limited understanding of the interplays that will occur in health care organisations during a shift from a traditional decentralised structure to a process-oriented approach. This study aims to explore the perceptions of health care staff and leaders when introducing a process-oriented routine.MethodWe conducted interviews and focus groups with 29 participants in specialised and primary care in order to explore their experiences of a newly introduced routine regarding on-demand consultation, aimed at enhancing communication and patient coordination in a Swedish health care region. The participants included operating managers, schedulers and physicians. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis in accordance with Braun & Clark’s guidance.ResultsThe findings encompass three main themes when introducing a process-oriented routine: Creates a readiness to act, The critical role of trust for adopting on-demand consultation in everyday practice and Challenges associated with transformation. The results show that health care staff and leaders are positive about the new way of working, but the readiness to act is challenged by issues of trust, as well as cultural components and structural factors such as experienced resource constraints.ConclusionOur results underscore the need to consider not only organisational aspects but also social and individual relational factors when introducing a process-oriented way of work into a decentralised and complex health care system.

School inspections as a lever for educational quality: case studies on processes and effects

ABSTRACT The practice of school inspections is well-established across many European countries. While it is part of broader international traditions and trends, the Flemish Education Inspectorate takes a unique approach. The Education Inspectorate engages in dialogue with schools and operates in a participatory manner. This case study explores the effects of such inspections in 10 primary schools. It aims to understand the perceptions of school leaders and teachers regarding the impact of being inspected, and it expands the knowledge base on how the perceived fairness of the inspection process, the credibility of the inspectors, and the quality of feedback contribute to variations in the perceived impact of the inspections. For each selected case, two in-depth interviews were conducted: one with the school leader and one with either an individual teacher or a pair of teachers. In most of the schools examined, there is a predominantly positive view of the inspection process. However, the actual impact of the inspection in most schools exists but is quite limited. The study identifies and discusses implications for strengthening school inspections as a means to enhance educational quality.

An inspector calls! School leaders’ perceptions of inspection in Wales

Accountability in education takes many forms. One of the most prominent in the Welsh context is school inspection, which is considered an important measure of school performance and a way of holding schools accountable for the public money they receive. However, inspections are not accepted as adding value to the system without exception, and much has been written internationally about the negative impact of inspection on teachers and leaders. This small-scale study was interested in better understanding the perception of school leaders, as those with ultimate responsibility for the direction and performance of schools, based on their experience of the inspection process in Wales. It used a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore school leaders’ feelings about and responses to inspection, using Foucauldian insights on power and discourse as a frame. Findings from the study suggest that the conduct of inspectors was more of a concern to participants than the judgements they awarded. While school leaders accepted inspection was a necessary process linked to the need to build and maintain public confidence, they were in broad agreement that the inspectors themselves did not communicate appropriately with school staff, were too authoritarian, and were at times disrespectful.

Exploring Cambodian Teachers' Views on Transformational Leadership of School Directors

Purpose of the Study: To explore Cambodian teachers’ perceptions of their school directors’ transformational leadership and analyze variations based on gender, age, educational background, and provincial location. Methodology: The study employed ANOVA for statistical analysis, using surveys with 20 statements to assess five aspects of transformational leadership. Data collection involved 639 participants across four provinces. Main Findings: No gender differences were observed. Significant differences existed by age, education, and province. Younger teachers (20–30 years) showed more positive attitudes and educational attainment influenced leadership perception. Novelty/Originality of this Study: This study highlights how age, education, and location shape teachers’ views on directors’ transformational leadership, emphasizing the need for adaptive leadership approaches to address diverse teacher expectations in Cambodia​ , where this type of study has not been done so far.

Unlocking the paradoxical impact of ethical leadership on employees’ pro-social rule-breaking behavior: the dynamics of employees’ psychological empowerment and ethical climate within the organization

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of ethical leadership on employees’ pro-social rule-breaking behavior, focusing on the mechanisms of psychological empowerment and the moderating influence of ethical climate within the organization. Design/methodology/approach Conducting a survey across three waves, the research involves 515 nursing staff in various Pakistani hospitals. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is used for data analysis. Findings Contrary to expectations, this study uncovers a positive association between ethical leadership and employees’ pro-social rule-breaking behavior. The relationship is mediated by psychological empowerment, and ethical climate is found to moderate this association. Research limitations/implications While challenging traditional assumptions, this study acknowledges limitations related to sector focus and employee perspectives. Future studies are encouraged to explore multiple sectors and incorporate management perceptions for wider generalizability. Practical implications The results highlight the need for organizations to consider the unintended consequences of ethical leadership. Managers are advised to be mindful of employees’ psychological dynamics and the organizational environment to navigate the complex interplay between ethical leadership and pro-social rule-breaking. Social implications Understanding the paradoxical influence of ethical leadership extends beyond organizations to broader societal implications. The research encourages organizations to adopt strategies aligning ethical leadership with desired employee behaviors. Originality/value This study challenges established perceptions of ethical leadership, prompting a reevaluation of its universally perceived positive nature. It emphasizes the paradoxical influence of ethical leadership on organizational dynamics. The mediating role of psychological empowerment and the moderating effect of ethical climate contribute to the understanding of the relationship between ethical leadership and employees’ pro-social rule-breaking.

Experiences of Telehealth Reimbursement Policies in Federally Qualified Health Centers

The impact of Medicaid telehealth reimbursement policies on staffing and patient-centered care in the safety net are largely unknown but critical to successful and equitable access to telehealth. To identify and characterize federally qualified health center (FQHC) staff and leadership's perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of Medicaid telehealth reimbursement policies. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews conducted from April 2022 to January 2024 with snowballed sampled participants consisting of FQHC leadership, clinicians, and administrative staff in 6 FQHCs representing the 5 boroughs in New York, New York. Participants described telehealth experiences, including factors impending or contributing to staff turnover, patient satisfaction, and financial sustainability within FQHCs. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Of 56 interviews, 26 participants (46.4%) were part of the leadership team, 18 (32.1%) were clinical staff, 8 (14.3%) were program support staff, 7 (12.5%) were enabling services staff, 3 (5.4%) were site directors, and 3 (5.4%) were another staff category. Three overarching themes characterized staff and leadership understanding of the impact of Medicaid telehealth reimbursement policies on FQHCs: (1) Medicaid telehealth policy design was perceived to exacerbate a workforce shortage, particularly among mental health care practitioners; (2) patients ranged in preferences and ability to access telehealth while FQHCs struggled to attain resources for telehealth; and (3) FQHC leadership envisioned a productive hybrid model where telehealth complements on-site care. FQHC staff and leadership reported opportunities to improve compliance, no-shows, and workflows through telehealth, but improvements in funding policy, such as payment parity and more grants that can be used to address telehealth infrastructure (eg, Internet access, equipment, and literacy), are urgently needed. In this qualitative study, staff at FQHCs perceived the current telehealth Medicaid reimbursement policies in New York State as a factor that exacerbated inequities to accessing care, particularly for mental health needs. These findings indicate that although telehealth brings new opportunities to advance patient-centered care, there are serious challenges on the path toward equitable care because telehealth is not yet integrated into payment in a sustainable way.

Empowering Leadership in NABH-accredited Hospitals in India: The Role of Demographic Variables

This study examines the difference in followers’ perception towards leaders’ empowering behaviour due to followers’ age, gender and nature of the job in NABH-accredited hospitals in India. Data were collected from 295 employees working in NABH-accredited hospitals in India through the convivence sampling method. t-Test and one-way analysis of variance were used to test the hypothesis. Followers’ perception differs about leaders’ empowering behaviour due to their age and job nature. But male and female hospital employees were not having a significant difference in perception of leaders’ empowering behaviour. NABH-accredited hospital managers may use this study’s findings to train their leaders to exhibit empowering behaviour as per the need of hospital employees. This is the first study to examine the leaders’ empowering behaviour from followers’ demographic profile perspective.

Promoting organizational learning in nursing: examining the influence of participatory leadership, psychological ownership and motivation.

The study was designed to investigate the moderating role of employee motivation as a mediator of psychological ownership in the relationship between nurses' perception of participatory leadership and their organizational learning behaviors. The study included 476 nurses working in a training and research hospital in the east of Turkey. This study, prepared in accordance with the Strobe checklist, was designed as a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were collected using a demographic information form, a participative leadership scale, an organizational learning scale, a psychological ownership scale and a motivation scale. Correlation analyses and mediator model tests were performed to examine the relationship between these variables. As a result, it was found that nurses' perceptions of participative leadership positively and significantly affected organizational learning (r=0.74; p<0.01), participative leadership positively affected psychological ownership (r=0.29; p<0.01) and nurses' psychological ownership positively and significantly affected organizational learning (r=0.41; p<0.01). In addition, it was found that nurses' psychological ownership had a mediating role in the effect of participatory leadership perceptions on organizational learning (CI [0.030, 0.089]) and nurse motivation had a moderating role between psychological ownership and organizational learning (β=0.168, 95% CI [0.064, 0.271]). The study's findings have practical implications for the Turkish health system and healthcare administrators. Administrators can significantly enhance organizational learning by implementing participative leadership training and fostering a sense of ownership among nurses. Empowering nurses to take charge of their learning and emphasizing the role of motivation can further drive organizational growth.