Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies RSS feed -- OnlineFirst Articles

Appalachian Women Leaders: Products of Culture and Life Events

Smith, D. G., Reed, K. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:43:04 PDT

This study explores the effects of cultural expectations and critical life events on women's leadership influence in Appalachia, a unique subculture of the United States. Using a sample of 347 female MBA students, the researchers examined the impact of education, gender bias, family/work issues, and family violence on leadership influence. Not only did results demonstrate significant relationships between education and gender bias with leadership influence, but also these relationships were moderated by culture-leadership style fit. In both researching and developing leaders, special attention needs to be paid to the culturally specific ideologies, events, and other idiosyncrasies within national subcultures.

Leadership and Organizational Culture Transformation in Professional Sport

Frontiera, J. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:43:04 PDT

Organizational culture has long been recognized as a critical component that can facilitate high performance in business (Balthazard, Cooke, & Potter, 2006). The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the phenomena of organizational culture change in professional sport (NBA, MLB, and NFL). Six owners or general managers who had successfully brought their organizations through organizational culture change, as evidenced by their team's performance, agreed to an in-person interview. Five primary themes emerged (Symptoms of a Dysfunctional Culture, My Way, Walk the Talk, Embedding New Culture, and Our Way) which together formed an initial model for organizational culture change in professional sport: the Culture Change Cycle. Each theme is discussed in depth, and differences across sport and role are explained.

Leadership Development in the United Arab Emirates: The Transformational Learning Experiences of Women

Madsen, S. R. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:43:03 PDT

To consider designing future efforts toward developing leadership programs for women in the United Arab Emirates, it is important to understand how these women learn and develop. Transformational learning theory provided a valuable theoretical lens to guide this study. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with women Emirati college students to investigate how their experiences have changed these women through important influences (e.g., individuals, support systems, activities, teaching methods), struggles and challenges (e.g., new environment, learning English), and internal processes (e.g., reflection, discovery of new roles and relationships). Implications for developing leadership programs are also outlined.

Market Orientation, Intrapreneurship Behavior, and Organizational Performance: Test of a Structural Contingency Model

Sun, L.-Y., Pan, W. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:35:04 PDT

This study examines a mediated moderation process linking market orientation and organizational performance. Data were obtained from 143 manufacturing firms in the People?s Republic of China. Regression results reveal that (a) organizational structure moderates the relationship between market orientation and organizational performance and between market orientation and intrapreneurship behavior, and (b) intrapreneurship behavior fully mediates the interactive effects of market orientation and organizational structure on organizational performance. Thus, the interaction between market orientation and organizational structure positively affects intrapreneurship behavior, which in turn leads to organizational performance. The study sheds light on the mechanisms through which market orientation affects organizational performance.