Positive Leadership Research Articles

How College Students’ Perceived Teachers’ Positive Leadership Enhances Their Creativity? The Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivation

The development and cultivation of college students’ creativity is a crucial task of global higher education. Therefore, this study aims to explore the influence of college students’ perceived teachers’ positive leadership on creativity through the mediating role of intrinsic motivation from the perspective of cognitive evaluation theory. The data for this study were collected from 511 students in Chinese colleges. The results indicate that college students’ perceived teachers’ positive leadership has a significant positive impact on creativity. Moreover, intrinsic motivation partially mediates the relationship between college students’ perceived teachers’ positive leadership and creativity. The results of this study have vital implications for college administrators and teachers.

Evaluating the Impact of Behavioral Stress on Employee Productivity and Innovation in the Higher Education Sector of Pakistan

This research examines the effect of behavioral stress on employees’ performance and innovativeness in the higher education Industry of Pakistan. This involves forces put on the employees from personal or organizational factors which place psychological and emotional strains on them. In HEIs, these pressures are further compounded by workload, management pressure and expectations, role clarity and identity confusion, and fast technological changes that characterize the sector that could impact on individual and contextual productivity. The proposed research also follows a mixed-methods approach aimed at identifying the correlation between behavioral stress with productivity and innovation of the employees. Using a questionnaire, quantitative data were obtained from academic as well as administrative staff drawn from different universities in Pakistan regarding their stress level, job performance, and innovation capability. More open-ended interviews were conducted to establish which of these causes of stress impinges on the employees’ performance of their creative roles and output. These findings revealed the negative relationship between behavioral stress and averagely poor productivity of the employees since the high levels of stress affected efficiency, job interest, and performance of the employees. Another area, which promote creativity, open-mindedness and freedom, failed as stressed workers said that they had lower probability to experiment or introduce new ideas. Other organizational characteristics like lack of support from managers, role ambiguity and also scarcity of resources compounded the stress level of the employees and thereby limiting their productivity and innovation. But the employees who had positive leadership styles and good organizational climate experienced less stress and worked better in terms of performance and innovation. Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that one of the constructs; behavior stress is a key factor that degrades both, productivity and innovation in higher education sector of Pakistan. To overcome this, institutions should come up with supportive policies that will enhance work life balance, communications and counseling services. Therefore, by dealing with stress organizers and self-organizers, higher education institutions can create the best working environment that will be healthy, innovative and productive.

أثر الأنماط القيادية على تحسين الأداء الوظيفي: دراسة حالة المؤسسة العامة للتأمينات الاجتماعية في منطقة الرياض

The study aims to know the extent of the impact of leadership styles in improving job performance within the General Organization for Social Insurance in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by using the descriptive analytical approach and designing and distributing an electronic questionnaire to a number of leaders and employees in the organization. The sample was selected randomly. The study concluded with a number of results, the most important of which are: different leadership styles are practiced in the General Organization for Social Insurance in Riyadh, but the autocratic style came in first place, followed by the democratic style and the free style, and all of these styles are practiced to an average degree. Also, elements of improving job performance are practiced in the General Organization for Social Insurance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to an average degree. Based on the previous results, the study recommended the following: the need for the General Organization for Social Insurance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to get rid of leadership styles that would limit performance improvement and achieve job creativity. Also, the need to train leaders in the General Organization for Social Insurance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on positive leadership styles

Echoes of dysfunction: a thematic exploration of toxic leadership in higher education

PurposeNumerous studies have examined effective or positive leadership styles and their effects on employees and organizational outcomes. In recent years, toxic leadership has drawn the attention of several organizations, and toxic managers undoubtedly harm an organization’s social, economic and individual quality of life. This study aims to examine academicians’ perceptions of toxic leadership behavior exhibited by their immediate leaders in the higher education sector.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative interpretive phenomenological research design was used, and data was analyzed using Clarke & Braun’s thematic analysis method. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with 26 teachers from the technical education sector within higher education who had five years or more of experience in the higher education sector.FindingsFive themes emerged from the teacher's narratives based on the research questions that were framed with the help of expert opinions and a thorough literature review (“frequency of occurrences,” “outward behavior,” “repercussions,” “coping strategies” and “support mechanisms”). Using the NVIVO 14.0 software, auto-coded themes were generated and corroborated with the findings. The triangulation of outcomes reveals toxic behaviors exhibited by the leaders in universities and colleges, which conforms with the toxic leadership literature.Originality/valueThis study advances the understanding of the harmful or toxic side of leadership, specifically in the higher education sector. This work advances earlier studies in the field by examining teachers’ perceptions of toxic leadership behavior exhibited by their leaders in the higher education sector. The study continues by highlighting areas of toxic leadership research that are yet to be explored in academic literature and are still to be studied.

Positive leadership, incentive and reward system, and work efficiency in Chinese higher vocational colleges

Positive leadership, incentive and reward system, and work efficiency in Chinese higher vocational colleges

The Influence of Positive Leadership on Team Creativity in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Mediating Role of the Team's Entrepreneurial Passion

Purpose: This paper examines the mediating role of the team's entrepreneurial passion between positive leadership and team creativity in small and medium-sized enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: The data was collected from 604 Chinese SME team leaders. A structural equation model was used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of positive leadership, team creativity, and entrepreneurial passion. SPSS 16 and AMOS 23 software were used for statistical analysis. The findings are as follows: First, Positive leadership in small and medium-sized enterprises has a positive influence on the team's creativity. Second, positive leadership has a positive impact on the entrepreneurial passion of small and medium-sized enterprise teams. Third, the entrepreneurial passion of teams has a positive influence on the creativity of teams in SMEs. Fourth, in SMEs, the entrepreneurial passion of the team plays a mediating role between positive leadership and team creativity. Research limitations/Implications： This study is static and does not fully capture the dynamic process of team creativity in which positive leadership is involved through its long-term effects on team cognition and team emotions. The research focuses mainly on the team level but does not explore the complex relationship between positive leadership and team creativity. Originality/Value ： This paper aims to support SME leaders in choosing the right team leader type and enhance team members' intrinsic cognitive and emotional strengths through positive leadership, thus providing helpful guidance for team creativity. We constructed a model based on social cognitive theory to test our research hypothesis.

Positivity at Work: The Impact of Positive Leadership on Employee Outcomes

Positivity at Work: The Impact of Positive Leadership on Employee Outcomes

Workplace diversity and positive leadership style: impacts on employee well-being in Australian businesses

PurposeIncreasing workforce diversity requires leadership to ensure employees retain their well-being. This study aims to examine how employees’ and managers’ co-creation of diversity in the workplace influences positive leadership (PL) style, which in turn affects employee well-being (EWB) positively.Design/methodology/approachEmployees and managers of Australian businesses participated in a cross-sectional survey. EWB was regressed on PL style and diversity dimensions (DDs). Also, the mediation effect of PL style between DDs and EWB was tested.FindingsResults suggest that Australian organisations appear to have more employee diversity with its partial impact on managers’ PL style, which then positively affects on employee well-being (EWB). Furthermore, the PL style partially mediated the relationship between DDs and EWB.Practical implicationsManagers will better understand workplace diversities and the key role that PL style can play in enhancing EWB.Social implicationsThis study will help improve employees' and managers' personal and social lives by developing a better understanding of health and well-being. It will have further economic impacts, such as higher organisational productivity.Originality/valueThis study fills the gap in the literature where PL style will positively affect EWB. Investigating the relationship between DDs, PL style and EWB using PERMA-profiler is a unique contribution.

Analysis of Skills Needed by Unemployed Fresh Graduates in Business Administration: Evidence from Oman

The authors consider the increasing unemployment rate for fresh graduates from business administration majors in developing countries, such as Oman. The abilities and skills students need to obtain employment after graduating from postsecondary education institutions are the subject of this study. The aim of this study was to identify the skills required by the Omani labor market as well as the employability skills gap among recent business administration graduates. The relevance of this study relies on proposing an evaluation model to assess the skills required by employers, specifically in the private sector, from fresh graduates of business schools. The authors adopted a quantitative research method to achieve the study’s objectives. The data were collected through a survey which was distributed to 101 fresh graduates from two higher education institutions. The findings reveal that soft skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, dedication to work, a positive attitude, leadership, communication, critical thinking, negotiation, and pursuit of learning, are the most needed by graduates in all aspects. The study concluded that there is a demand for different types of soft and technical skills that are important for future jobs in the private sector. The study recommends more collaboration between universities and various stakeholders to review current academic programs and design more professional and vocational training programs. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the promotion of an entrepreneurial mindset to prepare graduates to develop creative business ideas and innovation to create their jobs.

How does leader self‐sacrifice lead to employees' unethical pro‐organizational behavior? A moderated mediation model

AbstractPrior research on leader self‐sacrifice mainly demonstrates its positive role, while less attention has been paid to its potential negative consequences in the workplace. Based on social exchange theory, this study examines how and when leader self‐sacrifice may lead to employees' unethical pro‐organizational behavior (UPB). We tested our hypotheses with three‐wave data gathered from 570 employees. Results showed that leader self‐sacrifice indirectly promoted UPB via leader–member exchange (LMX). Moreover, employees' desire to see themselves in a positive light (i.e., self‐enhancement motives) moderated this indirect relationship, such that the indirect effect was less salient when employees had higher self‐enhancement motives. We discuss this study's implications for the research on leader self‐sacrifice as well as those for practitioners seeking to avoid the potential dangers of positive leadership behavior.

The Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Relations Performance

This paper explores the impact of leadership styles on the performance of employee relations, using various theoretical frameworks and empirical research methods for analysis. By deeply examining the definition, classification, and role of leadership styles within organizations, it reveals the direct and indirect mechanisms through which different leadership styles affect employee attitudes, emotions, and performance. The study finds that positive leadership styles can significantly enhance the quality of employee relations, thereby promoting overall organizational performance. Additionally, the paper analyzes the mediating role of leadership styles in the process of improving employee relations performance and suggests areas for future research based on current study limitations.

Transforming Healthcare: Integrating Positive Health Principles for Enhanced Well being and Lifestyle Change

Aim: To provide insight into the importance of nursing and (para)medical competencies to act from Positive Health in order to contribute to greater health, well-being and a healthier lifestyle for patients. Design: This position paper will describe the aim, the first results and the coming focus of the professorship of Positive Health, Lifestyle and leadership. Methods: We used several methods, like depth interviews and focus groups with about 30 patients (most cardiology and rheumatology) and about 30 professionals (most nurses and (para)medics in cardiology and rheumatology), and a cardiologic patient journey to determine what is necessary for nurses and (para)medics to act from Positive Health. All studies were approved by the Institutional Review Board, and the attributes, benefits and uses of the studies were explained to all participants, and informed consent was obtained.

Factors influencing the job embeddedness of new graduate nurses: A multicentre cross‐sectional study

AbstractAimTo identify factors associated with job embeddedness from the perspective of retaining new graduate nurses.DesignThe study was cross‐sectional in design.MethodsConvenience and stratified sampling were used to recruit 415 newly graduated nurses from 12 tertiary hospitals in China. Anonymized data were collected through self‐designed sociodemographic questionnaires, job embeddedness scale, feedback‐seeking behaviour scale, authentic leadership perception scale and decent work scale. Appropriate indicators were used for descriptive statistics and t‐tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression to examine the influencing factors.ResultsThe study showed that monthly income level, decent labour, authentic leadership and feedback‐seeking behaviour were significant predictors of job embeddedness among new graduate nurses.ConclusionThe job embeddedness of new graduate nurses is moderate. Nursing managers need to construct reasonable and fair compensation incentives, adopt positive leadership styles and encourage proactive feedback‐seeking behaviours to improve the job embeddedness of new graduate nurses and alleviate the nursing talent shortage.ImpactExploring the factors influencing the job embeddedness of new graduate nurses provides a reference for establishing new graduate nurse retention strategies to help promote the career development of new graduate nurses and alleviate the nursing brain drain.Reporting MethodWe adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.Patient or Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.

LEADERSHIP TRAITS OF NURSE MANAGERS AND NURSE STAFF COMMITMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES HOSPITALS

Background: Effective nurse leadership significantly influences healthcare service quality. Nurse managers' leadership impacts staff nurse commitment, patient outcomes, and organizational success. Aims: To examine nurse manager leadership traits and their relationship with staff nurse commitment in a government hospital. Methods: Descriptive-inferential correlation research with stratified and randomized nurse managers (n = 21) and staff nurses (n = 117) as participants from five selected hospitals at Lanao del Norte. Adopted questionnaires on leadership traits and commitment were used and data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation in SPSS v.25. Results: The result shows that nurse manager leadership qualities are usually valid for a leader who encourages others to do what is right, gives subordinates continuing education, and is an ethical and self-confident leader. Their staff nurses believed positive components of the leadership traits of nurse managers were sometimes true. Staff nurses were generally still deciding whether they were committed to their work effectively, continuously, or normatively. Nurse managers' leadership traits are significantly related to the staff nurses' affective, continuance, and normative commitment. Conclusion: Fostering positive leadership through education and supportive environments enhances staff nurse commitment and job satisfaction, reducing nurse turnover and improving nursing care quality. Keywords: commitment, leadership traits, leadership qualities, nurse manager, nurse staff

A szolgáló, etikus és autentikus vezetési stílusok összehasonlító elemzése a BANI világ kihívásainak tükrében

In a globalised and accelerated economy, managers are under increasing pressure to reconcile organisational goals that are independent from human being with the reality of human relationships. The human being, as a being with intellect and senses striving towards happiness, is the focus of positive leadership styles and is their major concern in the field of management theory. In this article, three such positive styles, authentic, servant and ethical leadership principles and their operating conditions are compared using international literature. The literature time span of about two decades shows that the evolution of the ethical leadership literature has slowed down, while the authentic and servant leadership literature has continued to evolve and is still evolving today. The comparative table that appears in this study highlights both commonalities and distinctions, in that, in addition to high moral and ethical standards, the authentic style focuses primarily on the person of the leader, the ethical leader on the ethical standards of the organisation, while the servant leader focuses on the development of the well-being of the subordinate, the other person, even through self-sacrifice. We intend to use the results of this research to investigate measures of positive styles, preparing the scientific ground for future primary empirical field studies.

A new study on the flaws in positive leadership research

A new article, “A fatal flaw: Positive leadership style research creates causal illusions,” in The Leadership Quarterly finds that positive leadership approaches such as “authentic, ethical, and servant leadership” can’t be accurately measured, because they “conflate behaviors with subjective evaluations of leaders.” The writers, Thomas Fischer, Joerg Dietz and John Antonakis, claim that previously published positive research is therefore unreliable, and that “positive leadership style research is not only wrong but also practically futile” because it's impossible to separate out “concrete and learnable behaviors.”

How positive leadership leads to employees’ interpersonal citizenship behavior: a self-consistency perspective

PurposeAlthough researchers have carried out considerable work on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), the questions of whether and how adopting a positive leadership style leads subordinate employees to engage in interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB) remain, thus far, unanswered. To address this research gap, this study aimed to uncover the possible underlying mediation mechanism.Design/methodology/approachPartial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the research model using data collected by means of a three-wave online survey with 166 respondents.FindingsThe results indicated that the organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) of subordinate employees mediated the effect of supervisors using a positive leadership style on subordinates engaging in person-focused ICB.Originality/valueThe importance of positive leadership is revealed in the finding of a self-consistency-based positive spillover effect, according to which the use of a positive leadership style directly benefits subordinates by enhancing their OBSE. This subsequently motivates them to engage in person-focused ICB, which benefits their coworkers. Thus, a positive leadership style creates a positive dynamic in the workplace.

Mental health, positive psychology and leadership: a positive autoethnographic case study of Claude-Hélène Mayer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to meet Dr Claude-Hélène Mayer, Professor in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative positive autoethnographic case study. Mayer uses positive autoethnography to reflect on mental health, positive psychology and leadership across the life span. The first author also responds to ten questions. Findings Leadership can be developed and appreciated in others. Leadership can be a positive and transformative force that can assist and contribute to mental health and well-being. Positive leadership can be supported by developing wisdom, creativity, critical thinking and conflict and emotional management. Research limitations/implications Qualitative research cannot be generalised. Positive autoethnography reflects the views and experiences of the author, in this case a transdisciplinary and transcultural researcher and practitioner. Practical implications Readers will find a range of practical recommendations as to how to develop mental health and leadership and stay positive in challenging times. Academic literature relating to practical recommendations is also shared. Social implications Positive leadership has many social implications. It can be a constructive influence that impacts our lives and benefits our personal development, but also one that impacts the lives and benefits the personal development of other people. Originality/value In this original paper, Dr Claude-Hélène Mayer shares mental health, positive psychology and leadership experiences and recommendations. Leadership skills are of particular value in times of complex change.

From Struggle to Strength: Coping with Abusive Supervision in Project Teams through Proactive Behavior and Team Building.

While considerable attention has been devoted to positive leadership patterns in the realm of project management, the dark side of leadership has rarely been studied within project teams. To address this gap, we focus on abusive supervision in project teams and develop a team-level moderated mediation model to examine whether, how, and when abusive supervision influences project outcomes by drawing from the Proactive Motivation Theory. Survey data were collected from 132 project teams containing 132 project managers and 392 project members using a multi-source time-lagged survey design. Our findings reveal significant negative relationships between abusive supervision and both project performance and project team creativity. Furthermore, we found that a team's proactive behavior plays a mediating role in these relationships. More importantly, our study identifies that team building mitigates the direct negative impact of abusive supervision on proactive behavior and the indirect effects of abusive supervision on project performance and project team creativity. These findings provide valuable theoretical and managerial implications for abusive supervision and project management scholars and practitioners.

Influences of Leadership, Organizational Culture, and Hierarchy on Raising Concerns About Patient Deterioration: A Qualitative Study.

Raising concerns is essential for the early detection and appropriate response to patient deterioration. However, factors such as hierarchy, leadership, and organizational culture can impact negatively on the willingness to raise concerns. This study aims to delve into how leadership, organizational cultures, and professional hierarchies in healthcare settings influence healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers in raising concerns about patient deterioration and their willingness to do so. The study used a qualitative approach, conducting focus group discussions (N = 27), utilizing authentic audio-visual vignettes to prompt discussions about raising concerns. Deductive thematic analysis was employed to explore themes related to hierarchy, leadership, and organizational culture. Positive leadership that challenged traditional professional hierarchies by embracing multidisciplinary teamwork, valuing the input of all stakeholders, and championing person-centered practice fostered a positive working culture. This culture has the potential to empower clinical staff, patients, caregivers, and family members to confidently raise concerns. Staff development, clinical supervision, and access to feedback, all underpinned by psychological safety, were viewed as facilitating the escalation of concerns and, subsequently, have the potential to improve patient safety. This study offers crucial insights into the intricate dynamics of leadership, hierarchy, and organizational culture, and their profound impact on the willingness of staff and patients to voice concerns in healthcare settings. Prioritizing the recommendations of this study can contribute to reducing avoidable deaths and elevating the quality of care in healthcare settings.