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A paradox perspective on the interactive effects of visionary and empowering leadership

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  • Kearney, Eric
  • Shemla, Meir
  • van Knippenberg, Daan
  • Scholz, Florian A.

Abstract

In a multi-source, lagged design field study of 197 leader-follower dyads, we test a model that predicts positive interactive effects of visionary and empowering leadership on follower performance. Based on the paradox perspective, we argue that visionary and empowering leadership are synergistic in that their combination enables leaders to address a key paradox inherent to leader behavior identified by Waldman and Bowen (2016): Maintaining control while simultaneously letting go of control. We argue that visionary leadership addresses the former and empowering leadership addresses the latter pole of this pair of opposites. Hence, in line with paradox thinking, we posit that leaders will engender more positive effects on follower performance when they enact visionary and empowering leadership behaviors simultaneously and adopt a “both-and” approach, rather than focus on one of these behaviors without the other. Our results support our hypothesized interactive effect of visionary and empowering leadership on goal clarity, as well as a conditional indirect effect such that goal clarity mediates the interactive effect of visionary and empowering leadership on individual follower performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Kearney, Eric & Shemla, Meir & van Knippenberg, Daan & Scholz, Florian A., 2019. "A paradox perspective on the interactive effects of visionary and empowering leadership," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 20-30.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:155:y:2019:i:c:p:20-30
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.01.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ying Xue & Xiyuan Li & Hao Liang & Yuan Li, 2020. "How Does Paradoxical Leadership Affect Employees’ Voice Behaviors in Workplace? A Leader-Member Exchange Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-24, February.
    2. Weber, Ellen & Büttgen, Marion & Bartsch, Silke, 2022. "How to take employees on the digital transformation journey: An experimental study on complementary leadership behaviors in managing organizational change," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 225-238.
    3. Andries Lionardo & Chairun Nasirin, 2020. "Leadership Management and Youth Competencies in the Administration of Public Policy in Indonesia," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(3), pages 335-343.
    4. Waldman, David A. & Putnam, Linda L. & Miron-Spektor, Ella & Siegel, Donald, 2019. "The role of paradox theory in decision making and management research," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 1-6.
    5. Cai, Wenjing & Fan, Xueling & Wang, Qiqi, 2023. "Linking visionary leadership to creativity at multiple levels: The role of goal-related processes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

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