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Barking up the wrong tree: on the fallacies of the transformational leadership theory
Örebro University, Örebro University School of Business.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2156-680X
2015 (English)In: Leadership & Organization Development Journal, ISSN 0143-7739, E-ISSN 1472-5347, Vol. 36, no 6, p. 765-777Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that the magnitude of interest in and of enthusiasm for transformational leadership is out of proportion with its weaknesses.

Findings: The theory has some grave problems: there are conceptual limitations; managerial leadership is conflated with political leadership; the theory is presented as a universal as well as a contingency theory; the claim that transformational leaders are more effective is not empirically supported; and the use of the term “followers” rather than “subordinates” creates confusion in the study of formal organizations. Finally, and perhaps most fundamentally, does transformational leadership theory qualify as a managerial leadership theory?

Research limitations/implications: Transformational leadership is a political leadership theory and thus less relevant for managerial leadership.

Originality/value: This paper addresses the theoretical limitations of the transformational leadership theory as well as the lack of empirical support regarding the effectiveness of transformational leaders.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015. Vol. 36, no 6, p. 765-777
Keywords [en]
Political leadership, Transactional leadership, Transformational leadership, Effectiveness, Managerial leadership
National Category
Business Administration
Research subject
Business Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-45545DOI: 10.1108/LODJ-12-2013-0168ISI: 000360579500008OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-45545DiVA, id: diva2:845485
Available from: 2015-08-12 Created: 2015-08-12 Last updated: 2017-12-04Bibliographically approved

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Andersen, Jon Aarum

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