The article under analyzes is called The Social Scientific Study of Leadership: Quo Vadis? and is dedicated to the analysis of relationships between leaders and organizational culture (House 409).
Due to the fact that most research studies are associated with Western industrialized culture, specific attention is made to the analysis of leadership paradigms, including trait, contingency, behavior, and neocharismatic theories. Therefore, the author provides new techniques and directions in exploring leadership theories.
While examining leadership trait paradigms, the author focuses on the individual features that distinguish leaders from followers. A large number of characteristics are associated with gender, physical attributes, appearance, and psychological traits (House 412).
In fact, the investigated traits have become strongly associated with leader efficiency. The obvious connection is especially seen leaders operate in organizational setting with insufficient technical requirements where the focus is mad on the degree to which they are able to motivate their employees and delegate various situations.
Behavioral models are also applicable to discussion of leadership approaches. In particular, behavioral responses to various situations identifying the common characteristics of leaders are also among the paradigms related to senior control.
Contingency theory relies on leader’s ability to interact into various situational realms. The performance metrics concerns the leader responses and behavioral reactions to other employees’ action. Situation control is an important indicator of leadership skills.
Such frameworks as path-goal theory, life-cycle theory, cognitive resource theory, and decision process approach have been introduced within this context. Leader-member exchange framework is among the modern theories that discuss the relationships between leaders and their subordinates.
Finally, the author discusses neocharismatic theory that consists in sub-theoretical paradigms, including charismatic leadership, transformational leadership, and value-based theory of leadership.
All these frameworks belong to a common genre and identify how leaders control organizations to found, develop, and growth of successful firms. Corporate culture evolution is also involved into the analysis to discuss how competition contributes to leadership policies.
Finally, such a theoretical approach allows the scholars to understand how particular leaders are able to introduce strategies for encouraging, motivating, and enhancing the potential of their staff.
This is of particular concern to leaders’ versatility and ability to predict what external and internal factors influence employees’ performance. Further discussion is dedicated to the analysis of related research studies to define what theories are popular among current leadership practices.
Apart from personality and behavioral traits, the author also pays attention to leadership styles that are based on the above-presented paradigms. In this respect, the focus is made on cultural and social environment that make leaders act in a specific way.
In conclusion, it should be stressed that the article produces a multifaceted view on leadership theories and allows scholars to gain a deeper understanding of what strategies should be implemented to enrich organizational culture and build a highly competitive environment.
The author also attains much importance to leaders’ individual skills. Although the given studies introduce cultural limitations, the discussion of new paradigms complements the existing theories in leadership.
With regard to the above-presented information, the following questions for the discussion are presented:
- What theories, models, and frameworks are applicable to a modern business environment?
- How have the described theories contributed to the traditional outlook on theory?
- What theories should not be employed and why?
- What leadership styles can you describe?
Works Cited
House, Robert, J. “The Social Scientific Study of Leadership: Quo Vadis?”. Journal of Management. 23.3 (1997): 409-473. Print.