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Discourses of Charisma: Barack Obama’s First 6 Months as the President of the USA

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  • Tuomo Takala
  • Sanja Tanttu
  • Anna-Maija Lämsä
  • Aila Virtanen

Abstract

This study aims to investigate discourses of the charisma of Barack Obama in articles in a leading Finnish newspaper during the first 6 months of his presidency. The results show that the media created a very enthusiastic atmosphere around Obama. His charisma was built up mostly around his person, with the emphasis on an exceptional personality, life story and behaviour. In addition, the various crises that arose were used to reinforce the picture of Obama as charismatic. The findings undermine the idea of a single form of charismatic leadership and provide empirical support for the framework put forward by Steyrer (Organizational Studies 19(5), 807–828, 1998), that various types of charismatic leadership exist: In this study paternalistic, heroic, missionary and majestic are identified. The study contributes to Steyrer’s framework by showing that certain types of charisma occur in different social contexts. The results also suggest that ethics is constructed as a crucial part of charismatic leadership, but the construction of Obama’s charisma in contrast to others raises ethical concerns. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Tuomo Takala & Sanja Tanttu & Anna-Maija Lämsä & Aila Virtanen, 2013. "Discourses of Charisma: Barack Obama’s First 6 Months as the President of the USA," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 149-166, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:115:y:2013:i:1:p:149-166
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1389-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Boas Shamir & Robert J. House & Michael B. Arthur, 1993. "The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(4), pages 577-594, November.
    2. Sefa Hayibor & Bradley Agle & Greg Sears & Jeffrey Sonnenfeld & Andrew Ward, 2011. "Value Congruence and Charismatic Leadership in CEO–Top Manager Relationships: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(2), pages 237-254, August.
    3. D. Gotteland, 2005. "Editorial," Post-Print halshs-00094555, HAL.
    4. D. Gotteland, 2005. "Editorial," Post-Print halshs-00103100, HAL.
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    1. Helena Liu, 2017. "The Masculinisation of Ethical Leadership Dis/embodiment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 263-278, August.
    2. Helena Liu & Christopher Baker, 2016. "Ordinary Aristocrats: The Discursive Construction of Philanthropists as Ethical Leaders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(2), pages 261-277, January.

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