Hybrid Leadership Style in Kibbutz Industries to Promote Sustainability

This study investigates the use of a hybrid leadership style in three kibbutz factories—two in privatized communities and one in a cooperative community. The factory leaders integrate multiple leadership styles in managing their enterprises. This blended style reflects a hybrid approach to management that has democratic and autocratic elements as well as a transformational leadership style that is also community-oriented. The goals of the managers are to make the factory operations sustainable while remaining loyal to communal values. We conducted 75 interviews in the three kibbutzim with individuals from various ranks, ranging from senior leadership to production workers. In addition, to supplement the information, we analyzed organizational documents, including internal newsletters, reports, and booklets summarizing 50 years of activity, as well as news articles that provided up-to-date information on business transactions that contributed to the success of the kibbutz industries. The result identified a hybrid style that combines the communal, transformational, and democratic or autocratic styles. Many features of communal leadership were evident in the practices of kibbutz members rather than those of outsiders and by strategies focused on maintaining the industry for kibbutz members in the long run and an egalitarian communal style. The hybrid style contains democratic features such as transparent and open communication, and a transformational style was also found in key components of this leadership style, including innovation, professionalism, dynamism, adaptability to environmental changes, and human sensitivity.