Western Leadership Research Articles

It Is Leadership, but (Maybe) Not as You Know It: Advocating for a Diversity Paradigm in Sports Leadership and Beyond.

The need to 'rethink leadership' is on the radar of many, from global finance and auditing organisations (e.g., Deloitte) and global sports organisations (e.g., the International Olympic Committee) to national and local sports organisations concerned about the decreasing numbers of participants or the lack of women coaches. Yet, is the dominant Western leadership orthodoxy fit for purpose in the 21st century? The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, to advocate for ways of 'rethinking leadership' that challenge the current dominant ethnocentric, gender-biased, leader-centric orthodoxy. Second, to introduce an expanded global and diverse leadership paradigm that is underpinned by clearly delineated dimensions of diversity and cultural competence, which recognises the importance of the organisational and cultural contexts. The literature discussed in this article draws from leadership studies generally and sports leadership and sports coaching more specifically. Key to this article is the discussion of the implications of adopting a diverse leadership paradigm for policy, practice, development, and research of leadership. This advocacy article does not end with a definitive conclusion but rather with an invitation to participate in a journey to realise the potential of diverse leadership.

The Transatlantic Relationship and the Russia-Ukraine War

Abstract The Russia-Ukraine war triggered a new burst of solidarity across the Atlantic. The reactivation of the battered NATO alliance came easily under the pressure of an external shock. Yet, pulling together to react to Russia's belligerence is not sufficient to announce a new era of transatlantic partnership. The reason lies in the different interests that underpin American and European policies such as reliance on economic sanctions, the promotion of democracy, NATO strategy towards Russia, and economic coordination. Loosely sharing common values is not enough to reinforce the transatlantic relationship. Neither is a decision to stop the atrocities that Russia is committing against Ukrainians. Western leadership requires a coherent vision of Western interests. In the new world order, such coherence cannot be taken for granted.

On Mitigating Celebritistic Culture in Western Ecclesial Contexts

Abstract This article explores the influence of celebrification and celebritisation within Western ecclesial contexts while addressing the ways in which this phenomenon bolsters pressures to structure orthopraxy around pragmatism, popularity, and efficiency. Examining the social effects of celebritisation, such as ‘parasocial relationships’ and ‘mimicry’, on ecclesial dynamics, the article argues that such influences lead to the elevation of those who exhibit impressive or culturally ‘popular’ traits, while marginalising those who ‘fail’ according to the larger system’s standards. Further study elucidates the intersection of celebritisation with Western leadership models, critiquing a perceived over-reliance on strict, ‘ladder’ hierarchy. Western ecclesial contexts have suffered from a celebritisation that is contradictory to communal health, and the paper concludes that its mitigation will require a reorientation of ecclesial structure and practices. Proposing a rejection of these trends, the study first advocates the mitigation of celebrification through internal self-emptying among ecclesial leaders, before suggesting an undermining of celebritisation through trading a ‘ladder’ hierarchy for a ‘lattice’ hierarchy that will serve to enhance community participation.

Linking paternalistic leadership to employee creativity: a meaning-based perspective

PurposeIntegrating the pathway model of meaningful work and the intrinsic motivation principle of creativity, the authors investigate why, when and how paternalistic leadership relates to employee creativity in the Chinese organizational context. The authors suggest that the meaning of work (MOW) mediates the relationship between paternalistic leadership and employee creativity. The authors further identify perspective taking as a moderator in the mediated relationship for the path from MOW to creativity.Design/methodology/approachThe authors relied on a sample of 340 employee-supervisor dyads collected from multiple organizations located in Eastern China to test the study hypotheses.FindingsResults indicated that MOW mediated the positive relationships between the benevolence and morality dimensions of paternalistic leadership and employee creativity, and the negative relationship between the authoritarianism dimension of paternalistic leadership and employee creativity. Further, the indirect relationships between the three dimensions of paternalistic leadership (i.e. authoritarianism, benevolence and morality) and employee creativity through MOW were more pronounced when perspective taking was higher rather than lower.Originality/valueThrough a meaning-based perspective, the authors demonstrate that a culture-specific managerial philosophy (i.e. paternalistic leadership) shapes Chinese employees' perceptions of meaningful work and their subsequent creative performance. This paper complements the dominant focus on Western leadership in the creativity literature and denotes that paternalistic leadership matters for employee creativity in Chinese organizations.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL TO ENHANCE STUDENT TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR APPLICATION-ORIENTED UNIVERSITIES IN SHANXI PROVINCE, CHINA

In this research, the primary purpose was to create a model for developing transformational leadership skills for application-oriented university students in Shanxi, China. The aim was to help college students smoothly enter society and have better career prospects. This study utilized qualitative and quantitative methods, conducting content analysis on ideal AOUs student transformational leadership skills, which include a sense of responsibility, self-dedication, vision, teamwork, innovation, problem-solving skills, communication, and listening. The results of the content analysis were validated by five experts. The study also collected 1,002 survey questionnaires from AOUs students in Shanxi, China.
 The study found that five leadership activities influenced the level of transformational leadership skills: participation in leadership workshops, students’ councils, student clubs, volunteer activities, and social practice activities. Additionally, the study highlighted the similarities between Chinese Confucian thought and Western transformational leadership theory. The four philosophical ideas of Confucianism were found to be applicable in understanding Western leadership theories and guiding students' participation in related activities. The recommendations emphasize the prioritization of transformational leadership skills by stakeholders, recognizing their broad utility and crucial role in students' future success.

Leadership in Muhammadiyah: A Case Study of the Muhammadiyah Organisation in Kudus Regency

Muhammadiyah, the world's largest Islamic organisation, grows by preaching amar ma'ruf nahi mungkar and non-profit Islamic leadership programmes that empower communities. Islamic leadership differs from western leadership, which is frequently the mecca of organisations. The Kudus branch of Muhammadiyah has grown rapidly, as shown by its charities in different community areas. Methods of research The qualitative case study method collects data through interviews, observation, and documentation across time. The strategy was used to focus and deepen study on Muhammadiyah leadership in Kudus organisations. Results of research Muhammadiyah leaders understand leadership well. The success of Muhammadiyah's collective-collegial leadership in the Kudus region is attributed to its persistence in applying seven Islamic leadership principles: justice, amar ma'ruf nahi munkar, ihsan, wisdom, humility, service to the people, visionary, and deliberation.

Views of African higher education scholars about effective leadership

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the views of African higher education scholars about effective leadership and if those views reflect a unique, African meaning of leadership.Design/methodology/approachThe study sought to explore the views of African higher education scholars about leadership in general and if those views reflect a unique, African meaning, that does not necessarily fit the widely accepted western theories. Using a researcher-designed questionnaire, higher education faculty and administrators were asked their understanding and beliefs about leadership. Data from quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test. In addition, qualitative answers, from one open ended question, were utilized to possibly triangulate with quantitative responses.FindingsThis study found that most research participants believe that the widely used western leadership theories are not fully applicable to Africa's context. However, the list of qualities of effective leadership, these participants suggest to be unique to Africa, included mixed attributes from Western, Non-Western and Culture-Neutral theories.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. First, the data for this study was collected electronically which might have affected the potential responses from those with limited Internet connection or who have not updated their current email addresses. Second, the participants of the study are higher education professionals whose insight about leadership may not necessarily reflect the views of others from different background.Practical implicationsBy examining leadership effectiveness in Africa's context, this study adds to the body of literature on the ongoing discussion on the topic of culture and leadership. It is hoped that the findings of the study provide important insights regarding the debate on “western vs non-western” leadership theories.Originality/valueThe universal understanding of leadership and the application of leadership theories across cultures have been an issue of debate for leadership scholars and practitioners around the globe. Many authors argue that the widely used leadership theories are “too western” in value and character (Bass, 1990; Hofstede, 1993; House and Aditya, 1997). This study adds the perspectives of African scholars to the ongoing debate and expands the understanding about leadership across culture.

A Literature Review on African Leadership and Ubuntu Philosophy

Africa is always called the cradle of humanity. Since the ages, Africa has had its particular way of exercising leadership, typically called “chiefdom” and “kingdom.” Unfortunately, with globalization, this leadership approach has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many have associated it with dictatorship, yet it is not necessarily the case; it all depends on the leader. The misinterpretations are mainly caused by the biases of the writers. Africa has many values, which are unique to Africa. One of the particularities is the Ubuntu philosophy. The daily practice of the Ubuntu philosophy has increased the unicity of Africa as manifested through generosity, love, care, and hospitality, especially to foreigners. If Africa is still standing today, it’s because of its leadership based on African culture. In Africa, leadership is not only limited to positions but also with high consideration with respect to age differences. Anyone older than I am is considered a role model, a mentor, and a coach. Using literature review method, this study explores the original African leadership in contrast with the modern Western leadership in Africa through the African lens.

ВПЛИВОВІСТЬ СУБ’ЄКТІВ ВОЄННО-ПОЛІТИЧНИХ ПОДІЙ У ЦІННІСНОМУ СПРИЙМАННІ УКРАЇНЦІВ

Influentiality of agents of military and political events is considered as abilities to influence a course and results of military and political processes. This is not the agents' objective resources, but the abilities attributed to them by other participants of interactions. Influentiality includes the following signs: the objective state of affairs, the general value context of interaction, the subjective attachment of evaluators to the object of evaluation, and their negative attitudes towards the object. According to the data of two all-Ukrainian surveys, the value-orientational basis of Ukrainians' perception of influencity of agents of military and political events has been revealed. In February 2022 (on the eve of a large-scale war), 1,167 respondents were interviewed, in February 2023 – 1,147. During the year, recognition of influencity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine grew most clearly. To a lesser extent, this was manifested in relation to the President of Ukraine, the Russian and Western leadership. Instead, influencity of oligarchic clans, pro-Western forces, as well as central (with the exception of the president) and local authorities decreased. Four categories of the most influential subjects were identified: «Protectors» (the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the leadership of the USA and the EU), whose influencity is connected with the support of mass protests, market reform, and demands for the effectiveness of the government; Power (government and parliament), influencity of which correlates with support for market reforms and recognition of the effectiveness of the authorities; «Enemies» (Russian troops, traitors and collaborators), whose influencity is correlated with patriotic attitudes, condemnation of Russian aggression, support for mass protests, and ascertainment of insufficient effectiveness of Ukrainian resistance; «Others» (inhabitants of other regions and representatives of other ethnic groups), whose influencity is combined with a desire to improve the situation, anti-Russian attitudes, denial of compromises with the aggressor, and condemnation of other groups. Patriotic and anti-Russian, (anti-) reformist, anti-corruption and protest, and dependent attitudes were decisive for assessing influencity of the agents of military and political events.

The Leadership approach of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Africa: A Case Study of TECNO

The definition of leadership, as popularly conceived, comes from the West. In Chinese culture, the term ‘leadership’ is mainly reflected in the Chinese ‘Confucian culture’. Based on the analysis of the African market of Chinese enterprise ‘TRANSSION’ and its subsidiary TECNO, this article examines entrepreneurial leadership on the basis of Confucian culture. This article discusses the differences in entrepreneurial leadership in the context of traditional Chinese leadership culture vis a vis Western leadership approaches. It argues that the success of Chinese multinationals lies in a unique oriental wisdom that combines modern entrepreneurial ideas with traditional Confucian culture, and continuous improvement and upgrade of corporate practice. Through an analysis of the activities of TECNO and the company’s engagement with the African societies where it operates, this paper sheds light on the leadership of multinational companies in different contexts and the outcomes of their activities.

“The Acronyms Club” Has the Ukraine Conflict Exposed the West and its History? The Most Comprehensive Study into How U.S. Hegemony Denies Sovereignties of Nations.

Von Clausewits once wrote [in many of his aphorisms]: “War is the continuation of policy with other means.” (Howard; Paret 1974,). Firstly, this comprehensive body of research is an empirical attempt to purposely examine for the first time, how the West has continued to influence many countries without honouring their sovereignty. Secondly, this paper aims to validate, that the Russian Federation, made the correct decision by escalating the 8-year conflict in Ukraine, as a protectionary measure, thus, confirming the globe’s new “multipolarity” simultaneously; since the inception of military activities. Furthermore, this study will illustrate the decline of a unipolar world additionally via the US Dollar weaponization policies, resulting in denying sovereign states their dignity, from continuing confirmed illegal punitive sanctions. Thirdly, has both the three-year [SARS-CoV-2] pandemic, and the following Ukraine conflict, exposed the West’s true nature of an immoral gambit’s true nature more publicly? Referring to “The Acronyms Club”: US, UN, EU, NATO, IMF, WB and the OSCE, -has it been exposed within its hegemonic conduct, since the cessation of the Cold War? Fourth, it will be confirmed via documented history and acts recently that the UN Charter System i.e., Articles 3, 6, have been ignored on many fronts, consequently, the organization has become redundant and untruthful in today’s epoch. Fifth, this objectional hypothesis will notate the historic factors which has led to distrust of western society, by eastern states; mainly due to its Western leadership of false promises with misinformation. Thus, has Russia’s action exposed an inflection point within the West and neo-liberal economic policy? Finally, the hypothesis being, why had the Russian Federation, purposely venture into Ukrainian territory, via “Special Military Operations” and was there provocation prior to doing so? Finally, has the Acronyms Club inadvertently created a “Cold War” 2.0 within Eastern reviewed trading practice?

The Role of Confucian-Transformational Leadership in Shaping and Influencing Chinese MNEs

The demand to comprehend leadership across the world is becoming necessary and more urgent since the inevitable trend of globalization. In today’s global arena, on the one hand, China has maintained its remarkable economic performance and Chinese culture will have a more powerful influence in the foreseeable future; on the other hand, due to the policy of reform and opening and the economy market, western management theories and practices have flowed into the Chinese market and influencing Chinese companies. Thus Chinese leadership needs to develop more compatible with western leadership, thereby Chinese MNEs become more adaptive and competitive in the current global business environment. Against this background, this paper focuses on Confucian leadership, the most important Chinese leadership shaped by traditional Confucianism for more than 3000 years, and attempts to explore the compatibility of Confucian leadership and transformational leadership. After a thorough case study of Haier Group and its CEO Zhang, Ruimin, the research found that the great success of Haier is due largely to Zhang’s Confucian-transformational leadership, which combines both the wisdom of traditional Chinese Confucianism and the essence of western transformational leadership theory. Therefore, it is demonstrated that Confucian leadership plays a vital role in shaping the management style and performance of Chinese companies, and there can be a high level of compatibility between Confucian leadership and transformational leadership.

تہذیبوں کے تصادم کا نظریہ فکرِاسلامی کی روشنی میں

The quintessence of the theory of "The Clash of Civilizations" presented by American political expert Samuel P. Huntington in his book ‘The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order’ is that the cause of wars and disputes in the world, after the end of the cold war between the United States and Russia, will not be various ideologies but the main reasons behind discord and strife will be cultural and religious identities of people. Far-sighted persons know that before Huntington many western thinkers have also expressed similar views. Western concept of ‘The Clash of Civilizations’ is such a reality that existed centuries before P. Huntington’s book and is there even today. The early signs of this civilizational clash are present in the establishment of European colonization and in the history of crusades. Professor Huntington explains that the clash between Islam and western civilization has become inevitable. Clearly stating the hidden agenda of establishing global western supremacy, he has expressed his apprehension that Islam can upset the current global power balance. Therefore, he has proposed to the western leadership that it should adopt such exploitative strategies against other civilizations so that it only can remain the dominant civilization in the world. It is for this reason that the west is continuously following an aggressive policy against other civilizations. Being mindful of the Islamic way of thinking, a research-based analytical review of this concept of civilizational clash has been taken in this paper. In the light of Islamic teachings and Muslim thought, it has been made clear that Islam rejects the concept of the clash of civilizations rather it teaches civilizational coexistence and holding dialogue. This is the concept through which peace and security can prevail in the world.
 
 Keywords: Clash of Civilizations, Huntington, Islamic Thoughts, Western Supremacy, Peaceful Coexistence.
 
 * اسسٹنٹ پروفیسر، شعبہ اسلامیات، آزاد جموں و کشمیر یونی ورسٹی، مظفر آباد

Restorasi Kepemimpinan Nasional Berlandaskan Nilai Luhur Budaya Bangsa: Studi Kasus Kepemimpinan Ki Hajar Dewantara

<p><em>The leadership of the millennial generation today refers to the concept of western leadership. In fact, Indonesia is a country that has various noble values of the nation. One of these noble values is the concept of Ki Hajar Dewantara's leadership. According to Ki Hajar Dewantara, the essence of education is an attempt to internalize cultural values into the child, so that the child becomes a complete human being, both mentally and spiritually. This stage of internalization of cultural values is very important in shaping the character of the millennial generation as future leaders of the nation. In addition, in the wayang saga, there are astha brata values that correlate with the noble values of Ki Hajar Dewantara. These two values when applied will form the ideal leader character. Unfortunately, the value of leadership begins to fade with the times. This writing method uses a literature review study with a sociological and historical approach. The purposes of writing this article are, (1) Ki Hajar Dewantara's noble leadership model, (2) actualizing the present noble leadership of Ki Hajar Dewantara, and (3) maintaining the noble leadership of Ki Hajar Dewantara through the noble values of astha brata.</em></p>

Educational Leadership in Chinese Higher Education

Despite the reforms to improve the quality of China’s higher education and to adopt certain Western leadership theories, the heroic leadership model is still dominant in Chinese higher education institutions. Therefore, employing educational leadership may be complex in traditional Chinese culture. Thus, this special issue brings four articles together to enhance our understanding of educational leadership within the Chinese context. Specifically, the issue begins by exploring educational leadership in terms of Chinese philosophy and considering its definition and role. The issue goes on to examine the gender issues related to educational leadership. This introduction discusses the topic, introduces the articles, and presents the contributions of the special issue articles.

Medical Leadership: Experiences in the Use of Shared and Parental Leadership to Improve Academic Performance in the Management of a National Plastic Surgery Unit in China.

Effective leadership is an integral component for optimal academic performance of surgical units. As one of the leading plastic surgery academic medical centers in China, the authors would like to share their experiences of using the combined parental and shared leadership approach in managing their surgical staff within the department. It has taken into account the essence of Eastern moral philosophies and Western leadership theories. The authors performed a review of the academic development of their staff and changes in the academic productivity of the department between 1999 and 2018. The difference between the first 10 years (1999 to 2008) and second 10 years (2009 to 2018) was analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the authors' leadership approach. There is an increase in the number of Science Citation Index articles published in the past decade with a higher impact factor and more articles published in international journals. The timing to promotion was on average 8.4 years. The average age of promotion to consultants has increased, likely because of a later start in the training. With similar average age, prior education, and gender ratio of surgeons in the unit, the department also received 14 times more in research funding and four times more in national key topic research topic. The effective application of this combined leadership approach has significantly improved the academic productivity and quality of the authors' residents and surgeons and the academic advancement of the unit.

How Africa and China may shape UN peacekeeping beyond the liberal international order

Abstract UN peacekeeping became a flagship activity of the liberal international order (LIO) in the post-Cold War era, characterized by globalization, liberal norms and western leadership. Western states' diminished support for LIO UN peacekeeping has left it increasingly open to challenge, but significant changes are only likely if a strong group of states coalesces around an alternative model of UN peacekeeping. This article highlights African actors and China as well positioned to play pivotal roles in such a coalition. African states, who host the preponderance of UN missions and furnish almost half of the UN's uniformed peacekeepers, support globalized UN peacekeeping, show relatively weak support for the most liberal peacebuilding principles and assert the need for African-led solutions to continental crises. China's influence reflects its P5 status, financial and personnel contributions to UN peacekeeping and engagement with regional actors, notably in Africa. Aspiring to global leadership and a ‘new world order’, China endorses globalized UN peacekeeping but proposes a non-liberal (and non-western led) notion of ‘developmental peace’ to guide it. The complementarities between African and Chinese priorities raise the possibility of a profound challenge to LIO peacekeeping. Rather than heralding deglobalization, however, this challenge illustrates that post-LIO international institutions may instead be characterized by deliberalization and dewesternization.

20 Years of Chinese Leadership Research: A systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

As the Chinese economy has grown over the past decades to take a prominent place on the world stage, so has research on Chinese leadership. The growing research provides much needed breadth in our understanding of Chinese leadership. However, the research is quite fragmented as it has developed in several largely disconnected areas. This study develops an integrative framework of Chinese leadership, based on a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles published in the last 20 years. We synthesize insights from 169 articles to develop a comprehensive understanding of traditional Chinese leadership practices and Western leadership theories applied in Chinese organizations. Furthermore, we advance research on Chinese leadership by proposing five areas of future research that build on our integrative framework.

Mission Leadership Development in the Chinese Adventist Church: Reflections in the Light of Traditional Chinese Philosophies of Leadership

Different schools of thought have emphasized multiples aspects of leadership, preeminently in the western hemisphere for the last decades (Bennis 1959; Greenleaf 1977; Malphus 2003). As China more decisively steps into the global arena through internationalization of its economy and political influence, scholars are only scratching the surface in exploring the pluralistic styles of Chinese indigenous leadership in both national and international organizations where the Chinese play significant leadership roles (Chen and Lee 2008: xv; Zhang, Chen, and Chen, and Ang 2014). Contextual leadership is essential for the healthy development of any organization and that is equally true when it comes to leadership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in China. As Ma and Tsui denote, “traditional philosophical and cultural roots influence the thought patterns and behaviors of all citizens in a community including its leaders. Hence, leadership practices would reflect unique cultural idiosyncrasies even . . . in a rapidly changing context” such as contemporary China (2015:13). Although western leadership schools of thought have increasingly been studied in Chinese academia and their models applied in organizational settings throughout China since the 1980s, there are still several cultural features from traditional Chinese leadership philosophies playing a significant role in the contemporary Chinese leadership landscape. This article explores cultural leadership aspects among the Seventh-day Adventist Church in China, and how those traits impact the church missiologically, followed by a brief summary of strategies for effective mission leadership development.

A Mentoring Model: A Leadership Style for Seventh-day Adventists in Southern Asia

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in India has been commissioned by God to be a witness to the 1.3 billion people in India of whom 80% are from a Hindu background. After a hundred years, the Southern Asian Division has a membership of 1.5 million people. There are many reasons to celebrate the success of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in India, particularly the success of the Adventist school system and the health care provided by the health institutions. However, the organization that is responsible for leading South Asians to Jesus Christ may not be able to celebrate the same success as the schools and hospitals. An evaluation of leadership practices in the Southern Asian Division is a logical place to begin. The Seventh-day Adventist model of leadership is followed to various degrees by its entities worldwide, including India. Research shows that organizations in India struggle when trying to follow Western leadership styles because Indian society is autocratic (Mehrotra and Sinha 2017:835). Researchers are convinced from years of research that a leadership style from the West is not effective when “transplanted” to India (835). This could be one of the reasons for the failure of the typical Adventist model of leadership in India. However, researchers agree that a model of leadership from within the Indian context is a possible solution because it is part of the cultural context unlike Western models that fail to consider the Indian culture and worldview. Studies show that two styles of leadership originate from Indian culture: autocratic and mentoring. The autocratic leadership style is the most prevalent because it closely follows the Indian family system. The family leader is called the karta and is an autocratic leader who leads from a “high-power distance, hierarchical and dependency prone” culture (Mehrotra and Sinha 2017, 840). The mentoring or guru style is connected to the religious heart of India. Under this model, a master leads with the goal of preparing subordinates to replace himself, perhaps becoming even better leaders than the master (Gayen 2018). The central issue in India is that the leaders of the Southern Asian Division subscribe to the autocratic style of leadership found in the Indian karta family system. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is like an extension of the Indian family. This model of leadership is contrary to the model of leadership suggested in the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual and the Bible. Jesus’ model of leadership is very similar to the mentoring or guru model of leadership.