The Role of Religious and Nationalist Ethics in Strategic Leadership: The Case of J. N. Tata

This paper examines the role that religious ethics, complemented by a nationalist principle, can play in a sustained exercise of strategic leadership, hypothesizing a positive association with a societal reputation for credibility or integrity. The key to this relation is the constraining effect on strategic or financial pressures, even if there is coherence in the long-term. J. N. Tata, the founder of Tata Industries who lived in British India, was a Parsee priest and an advocate for Indian national self-reliance and ultimately independence. Even as Tata's two ethics dovetailed with his business interests in the long-term, they conflicted sufficiently with the business calculus of some of his immediate and intermediate strategic interests such that he could enjoy a sterling societal reputation in India, his credibility transcending that of a businessman.     

Authentic leadership promoting employees' psychological capital and creativity

Two hundred and one employees report their psychological capital, as well as their supervisors' authentic leadership. Supervisors describe the employees' creativity. The main findings show that authentic leadership predicts employees' creativity, both directly and through the mediating role of employees' psychological capital. The study empirically validates theoretical arguments that suggest integrating authentic leadership and psychological capital in research, and indicates that both may foster employees' creativity, a crucial resource for helping organizations to face competitive challenges, take advantage of business opportunities, and improve organizational effectiveness.     

The Challenge of Leadership Accountability for Integrity Capacity as a Strategic Asset

The authors identify the challenge of holding contemporary business leaders accountable for enhancing the intangible strategic asset of integrity capacity in organizations. After defining integrity capacity and framing it as part of a strategic resource model of sustainable global competitive advantage, the stakeholder costs of integrity capacity neglect are delineated. To address this neglect issue, the authors focus on the cultivation of judgment integrity to handle behavioral, moral and hypothesized economic complexities as key dimensions of integrity capacity. Finally, the authors recommend two leadership practices to build competence in business leaders to enhance integrity capacity as an organizational strategic asset.     

Sustainability assurance and cost of capital: Does assurance impact on credibility of corporate social responsibility information?

This paper aims to examine the credibility value of sustainability assurance and the type of assurance provider on cost of capital. A large sample of international companies from the period 2007–2014 was used to develop our models of analysis. We find a greater decrease in cost of capital for companies that publish and assure their social and environmental reports. Thus, voluntary sustainability disclosures decrease the cost of capital. However, companies also have the opportunity to reinforce this decrease by providing an assurance statement, so increasing the credibility of corporate social responsibility information. In addition, the decrease in the cost of capital is significantly higher when such assurance is provided by a top‐tier accountancy firm instead of by engineering or consultancy firms; this result supports also the reputational capital of accountancy firms.     

Followers’ Innovative Behavior in Organizations: The Role of Transformational Leadership,Psychological Capital and Knowledge Sharing

This study develops and tests a conceptual model of followers’ perceptions of transformational leadership as an antecedent to their innovative behavior in organizations. Specifically, we hypothesize that followers’ innovative behavior can be directly and indirectly influenced by their perceptions of transformational leadership. Knowledge sharing has a mediating effect and followers’ psychological capital has a moderating role in the relationship between transformational leadership and followers’ innovative behavior. A total of 212 employees from a diverse range of industries filled out questionnaires. Hierarchical linear modeling is used to analyze the relations. Results reveal that transformational leadership produces positive and significant impacts on followers’ innovative behavior and this relationship is fully mediated by knowledge sharing. Results also indicate that the positive relationship between transformational leadership and followers’ innovative behavior is enhanced only when followers possess high psychological capital. This paper adds to innovation literature by empirically testing the moderating role of psychological capital and the mediating role of knowledge sharing on the link between transformational leadership and followers’ innovative behavior. Implications of the findings for theory, research, and practice are discussed.     

Religion in Strategic Leadership: A Positivistic,Normative/Theological,and Strategic Analysis

This paper presents positivistic, normative/theological, and strategic analyses of the application of religion to the practice of strategic leadership in business. It is argued that elements of religion can enrich several components of strategic leadership. Furthermore, it is argued that the question of whether religion ought to be applied involves the more basic question of whether there is a common basis or a meta-framework relating theological and normative analyses. Finally, because the strategic value of religion in strategic leadership involves varying costs and benefits, an optimal level of integration can be established by applying a cost/benefit analysis to a framework of four ways of relating religion to the business arena based on the degree of integration.     

团队精神型领导与研发团队创新行为的关系——团队自省性和团队外部社会资本的影响

研发团队创新行为对企业获取竞争优势至关重要。以往研究相对忽略了精神性因素对团队创新行为的动力机制。文章借鉴创新成分理论和创造力系统理论,聚焦于精神性因素对团队创新行为的动力机制以及团队外部社会资本的调节效应。通过对106个研发团队329名研发团队成员数据的统计分析表明：团队精神型领导对团队创新行为具有显著正向影响;团队自省性在团队精神型领导和团队创新行为之间具有部分中介作用;团队外部社会资本调节了团队精神型领导对团队创新行为的正向影响,团队外部社会资本越高,团队精神型领导对团队创新行为的正向影响也越强,反之越弱。团队外部社会资本还调节了团队自省性在团队精神型领导和团队创新行为之间的中介效应,团队外部社会资本越高,团队精神型领导通过团队自省性的中介进而对团队创新行为的影响也越强,反之越弱。研究结论拓展了中国组织情景下精神型领导在团队层次的影响效应研究,也拓展了团队创新行为的精神性动力因素及其动力机制的实证研究。     

Effects of organisational culture on brand portfolio performance

Many consumer goods firms have a wide brand portfolio. If these are not carefully managed, it can lead to brand proliferation, and result in complex organisational structure, lack of focus and resource constraints. Drawing on previous work on the role of leaders in effective brand management, this study explores the effects of organisational culture on brand portfolio performance. Based on a mail survey of consumer goods companies, the findings show that leadership, company vision, staff rewards, motivation and ownership are crucial to brand portfolio performance. Likewise, a brand orientation helps brand focus, coordination, and emphasises shared vision and the long-term orientation. This study contributes to the organisation-wide approach to brand portfolio management.     

Strategic fit: Key to growing enterprise value through organizational capital

Organizational capital is an intangible asset that is a continuous creator of value through generating above-normal revenue growth, innovation, operational excellence, and stakeholder relationships. The elusive nature of organizational capital stems from competing perspectives on how it can be defined and managed. This article presents a comprehensive model for understanding the critical process, components, and necessary linkages that result in increased enterprise value through the creation of organizational capital. Attention is given to the factors that influence organizational capital (fit among leadership, strategy, and organization design), its influence on human capital, and, ultimately, the impact on operational excellence, stakeholder capital, and the essential levels of innovation that drive capital efficient growth. Guidance is provided for the CEO, CFO, and CHRO wishing to harness the power of organizational capital and increase both current and future value of the firm.     

Responsible Leadership,Stakeholder Engagement,and the Emergence of Social Capital

I argue in this article that responsible leadership (Maak and Pless, 2006) contributes to building social capital and ultimately to both a sustainable business and the common good. I show, first, that responsible leadership in a global stakeholder society is a relational and inherently moral phenomenon that cannot be captured in traditional dyadic leader–follower relationships (e.g., to subordinates) or by simply focusing on questions of leadership effectiveness. Business leaders have to deal with moral complexity resulting from a multitude of stakeholder claims and have to build enduring and mutually beneficial relationships with all relevant stakeholders. I contend, second, that in doing so leaders bundle the energy of␣different constituencies and enable social capital building. Social capital can be understood as actual or potential resources inherent to more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual recognition (Bourdieu 1980). By drawing on network analysis I suggest, third, that responsible leaders weave durable relational structures and ultimately networks of relationships which are rich in ties to otherwise unconnected individuals or groups. Against this background I argue, fourth, that responsible leadership may result in the creation of value networks (Lord and Brown, 2001) of multiple stakeholders, which enhance social capital and thereby contribute to both a sustainable business and the common good.

When should a leader be directive or empowering? How to develop your own situational theory of leadership

A situational theory of leadership attempts to match a particular leadership style or type to specific external circumstances. The general idea is that one type of leadership will be effective in one situation, but a different type of leadership will be effective in another situation. Historically, situational theories of leadership have been too abstract to apply to specific situations. Nevertheless, the concept of situational leadership retains considerable intuitive appeal. In this article we draw on our previous research about situational leadership during resuscitation in a trauma center, in order to derive a general strategy of how a leader can best develop his or her own personal theory of leadership which best works for their unique circumstances. The core of the strategic approach involves: (1) defining goals for a specific situation, (2) defining potential leadership types, (3) identifying situational conditions, (4) matching a leadership style to the particular situation, and (5) determining how the match between leadership style and situation will be made. The medical trauma center we profile provided an interesting example of how leaders considered elements of the situation to guide their own leadership.     

迈克尔·波特"权衡"论的竞争演化诠释

本文认为对迈克尔.波特竞争战略理论中"两种战略优势同时兼得"和"必须在两种基本战略之中权衡和抉择"存在误解,从产业动态演化视角分析了波特所持观点及其演变,提出了产业演化的三阶段背景和二维战略空间中的产业模式演化曲线,以及"权衡点"概念,认为波特的两种论断是在不同情形下作出的,互不矛盾;波特实际上认为经过"权衡"选取一种基本战略是特定产业模式成熟而又缺乏重大创新的特定时期不得不采取的战略措施;在"权衡点"前后,企业可以按照波特第一、第三两个"经典条件"实现两种优势同时兼得;避免或打破"权衡"最重要的途径是首创一项有战略意义的重大创新。     

Entrepreneurial leadership and MNE subsidiary performance: The moderating role of subsidiary context

Managers of international subsidiaries, especially subsidiary CEOs, operate at critical interfaces within multinational enterprises (MNEs) and hold strategic responsibility for the operations in their country. Yet, their impact on subsidiary performance has received scant research attention. Building on the subsidiary entrepreneurship and strategic leadership literatures, we develop a model of how subsidiary CEOs’ entrepreneurial leadership affects subsidiary performance, and how this relationship is moderated by the subsidiary context that determines managerial discretion. We combine survey data of 291 international subsidiaries in South Korea with archival data to test our hypotheses. Our results show that subsidiary CEOs’ entrepreneurial leadership enhances subsidiary performance and that this relationship is strengthened by managerial discretion. Our study highlights the pivotal role of subsidiary CEOs within MNEs and contributes to a microfoundational understanding of international subsidiary management.     

Leading in a Highly Competitive Environment: Effects of CEO Confident Leadership on Follower Commitment in China

As a trait, leader confidence has been examined in major leadership theories, such as transformational/charismatic, Pygmalion, and empowering leadership. However, how confidence affects leadership effectiveness remains an empirical question. Conceptualizing leadership confidence in two behavioral approaches—demonstrating self-confidence (DC-self) and demonstrating confidence in followers (DC-follower)—this study tests the independent effects of the two DC behaviors as well as their interactive effects with firm environment on followers’ commitment. Results of Hierarchal Linear Modeling analyses suggest that both DC behaviors have significant impact on follower commitment and their effects attenuate each other. Results also reveal that DC-self interacts with firm environment to influence follower commitment. The effect of DC-self on follower commitment is stronger in a more competitive environment. Those findings and their implications for leadership research and practice are discussed.     

Unique but integrated: The role of individuation and assimilation processes in teen opinion leadership

Opinion leaders propel the diffusion of innovation and exert a significant influence on the marketplace. This influence is especially pronounced during adolescence, a period marked by increasing reliance on peers and the emergence of a tension between two countervailing needs: assimilation and individuation. A survey of 1142 adolescents reveals that these developmental needs affect adolescent opinion leadership in the critical clothing market. Adolescent opinion leadership relies on a balance between desires for assimilation (i.e., centrality within the peer network) and individuation (i.e., need for uniqueness); adolescents' susceptibility to peers' normative influence and gender moderate these relationships. Adolescents who occupy central positions within their peer network tend to be opinion leaders, though only if they are not susceptible to normative influence. Position within the peer network is a key for girls, whereas need for uniqueness is a key for boys. These differences implicate different approaches for managers targeting adolescent males and females.     

团队美德如何影响包容型领导与下属主动行为的关系——一个跨层次研究

采用领导-下属配对追踪多来源问卷调查法收集数据, 文章探讨了中国情境条件下包容型领导对员工主动行为的影响以及心理资本和团队美德的作用。多层次结构方程模型分析结果表明：包容型领导显著正向影响员工的主动行为;心理资本在包容型领导与主动行为之间起中介作用;团队美德调节心理资本和主动行为的关系,高团队美德会弱化心理资本与主动行为的正向关系,低团队美德会强化心理资本与主动行为的关系;团队美德还调节包容型领导通过心理资本影响主动行为的间接影响作用,相对于高团队美德条件,低团队美德条件下包容型领导通过心理资本影响主动行为的间接效应更加显著。最后对研究结果的理论意义、实践价值、研究局限性和未来研究展望进行了讨论。     

愿景型领导行为与下属绩效的关系：积极情绪与愿景整合的链式中介作用

愿景型领导行为与下属绩效的关系越来越受到研究者重视。基于积极情绪的拓展-建构理论,构建“领导行为→下属情绪→下属行为→绩效”的研究框架,结果发现愿景型领导行为正向影响下属积极情绪和绩效,下属积极情绪在愿景型领导行为和愿景整合的关系中起中介作用,下属积极情绪和愿景整合在愿景型领导行为和下属绩效之间起链式中介作用,但下属积极情绪或愿景整合在愿景型领导行为和绩效之间的单独中介作用不显著。研究拓展了愿景型领导行为领域的作用机制研究,验证了愿景实施过程中下属中心地位的重要性,为愿景型领导行为如何提高下属绩效提供了理论指导。     

Creating and sustaining ethical capability in the multi-national corporation

Multinational corporations are continually seeking sources of competitive advantage. In addition to strategic, technological, financial, and organizational capabilities as sources of competitive advantage, this paper argues that ethical capability also can be an important source of sustainable advantage. The paper presents the challenges of ethics in an international context, discusses the resource-based view of competitive advantage, and describes how a multinational company can develop and sustain ethical capability through the related processes of transformational leadership, organizational learning, and human resource management.     

激励农村信用社引进民有资本的战略投资者

农村信用社改革的方向之一是其法人治理结构应体现"民有资本民营"要求,但由于农村信用社的股权高度分散,股东素质低下,自我管理能力薄弱,再加之省级政府(省级联社)强烈的行政干预,导致其法人治理结构呈现"民有资本官营"特征。应通过加大政策扶持力度,激励农村信用社引进民有资本的战略投资者,提高自我管理能力,促使"民有资本官营"回归"民有资本民营"。这将有利于保持农村信用社县(市)法人地位的长期稳定,实现商业化可持续发展目标与增强农村金融服务功能有机统一;强化省级联社的公共服务职能。