Research Literature Review Sample

LiteratureReviewonaRelevant TrendinLeadership Leadershipisoftenconsideredasaverystrangeparadox.Thisverysamebehaviorcaneitherbefunctionalordysfunctional,highlydependingonmotive,intent,consequence and context.Itmayalso be viewed asconstructive,especiallybythoseintheseniormanagement.Ontheotherhand,itcanalsobeviewedasdestructive,eventyrannicalatthesametime,bythesubordinates.Theverysameleadercaneitherbelovedorhatedequally.Thesamesymbolsandpowersofofficemayleadtoillnessinsome,whileofferingintellectualmotivation in others.The same strategies which result in improvedperformancemayalsoresultinsuicideamongsomeemployees,thusmakingitaconfusingparadoxinitself.Thisisgiventhefactthattheamountofmoneyand the depth oflegislation particularly focused atemployee welfare,especiallyamongmodernorganizations. Garner(2006)suggeststhatitisanaïvethingtodotocategorizeleadersinto“good”and“bad”.Thisisbecauseleaderswhoareeffectiveinwhattheydomaysuddenlyfail,whileso-calledmediocreleadersmayshinesuddenly.Theauthorsaysthattherearefactorswhichmayaccountforthedifferencebetweenpotentialsuccessandfailure,andtheyareinnumerable.Atthesametime,notallofthem maybeanticipated.Keith(2008)saysthatthebehaviorsofapositiveleadersuchasconfidence,assertivenessandcreativityareoftenunderpinnedbymodernmeasuresofself-esteem whileontheotherend,behaviors of a dysfunctional leader clearly manifest in grandiosity,self-centeredness,exploitationandlackofempathy,andallofthesecanhavedevastatingconsequences. Thisresearchpaperlooksintodysfunctionalleadership.

Theliteratureonthissubjectofleadershipiscategoricallyvast.Itseemsthateverybodyhastheirownviewpointonwhatleadershipis.However,onlyafew agreeonitsactualdefinition.DespiteoverhalfacenturyofstudiesandresearchsinceStodgill(1974)explainedthat“thereareasmanydefinitionsonleadershipastherearepeoplewhoattemptedtodefineit”.Thereisstillaconfusionastowhetheritmaybetaught,orwhethertheeffectivenessmaybepredictedormeasured,andindeedwhetheritneedstobedefinedasanindividualorasaresult.(North,2012).Nevertheless,healsopointedoutthatthereisalevelofagreementregardingtheviewpointwhereinleadershipisaprocess,requiresinfluence,happensingroups,andcommongoals.Thisgivesthesuggestionthatleadersneedtoknow how tomobilizeandgalvanizeagroupofpeople,directingthem inawaythatwillhelpthem toachieveresultswithoutusingviolenceorthreats. Eventhoughmostoftheavailableliteraturefocusesonfactorsthatmakeleadershipeffective,whilepresentingleadersasperfectrepresentationsofvirtue,thereisalsoenoughevidencethatshowsthatsomeofthem indeedresortto using violenceand threatsin orderto achievetheirgoals.Thisresearch,however,willnotfocusonnationaldespoticleaderswhoenjoyedseeingotherssuffer,andwhosegoalscausedoppressionandmiserytomany.Thefocusofthisresearchpaperisorganizationalleadershipatitscore. Since Timothy’s (2002) systematic examination regarding abusivesupervision,therehasbeen an increasing interestregarding thenegativebehaviorsamongorganizations,aswellastheimpactofthesebehaviorsonthelifesatisfaction and job oftheemployees,aswellasorganizationalcommitment.AccordingtoKeifer(2003),ithasbeenrecognizedlongenoughthatleadership hasa ‘shadow-side’,negativelyaffecting otherindividualswithintheorganization.Inextremecases,however,maybringtheorganizationdowntoitslowestpoint.Theliteratureregardingstressorsintheworkplacesupportthisview,showingthatunhealthyworkenvironmentsincludedifferentfactors,includingthosethat“threatensafety,whileunderminingthecreationofvarioussocialtieswhichmayeitherbeviolentorabusive”(Taypenet.al,1999).

Inareviewofabout75%ofthecompensationclaimsamongworkersintheUSA,Wilmer(1993)foundthatdifferentmentalstressorsserveastheresultofthreatsandabusivetreatmentsfrom themanagers.Ontopofthat,studiesonthenegativebehavioratworkhasdiscoveredthatbetween5to10% ofemployeesexperiencedbullyingatanyonetime.Ungga(1999)alsofoundthatabout40%oftheparticipantsalsoexperiencedbullyingfrom anemployerorleaderduringhisentirecareer.Lionaldo&McCollin(1985)foundthatoutof73managers who were interviewed,about74% ofthem experienced anintolerablebosswhentheywerealsoemployees. ThereislittledoubtleftthattheDCLmodelusedinstudyingleadershiplendsweighttoitsoveralldefinition.Itshowsthatthereismorethanjustasingletypeofbehaviorindestructiveleadership.Italsodifferentiatesthebehaviors,especiallythosethataredirectedtowardsthesubordinates,aswellastheorganization,showingthatleadersthatareineffectiveanddestructivemaybehaveconstructivelyanddestructivelysimultaneously.Themodeldoesnotfurtherdiscuss any intenton harming anybody based on intent.Destructive behaviorin leadership has added lightto whatan effectiveleadershipshouldlooklike. References Garner,Y.(2006).TheActualPrevalenceofDestructiveBehaviorinLeadership.JournalofManagement,Vol.22,439-450. Keith,H.(2008).Smalltyrannyamongorganizations.HumanRelationsJournal,25(2),755-788. Keifer,J.(2003).TheManagerialArray.Houston:ABCPublishing. Lionaldo,H.A.,&McCollin,T.Y.(1985).Whyleadersendupfailing.Lookingintothedarkerside.InInspiringLeaders.Florida:Showcase. North,H.A.(2012).ThePsychologyofWorkplaceAggression:NewYork:Raley. Stodgill(1974)Handbookofleadership:researchandtheorysurvey.NewYork:FreePress. Taypen,H.S,Summers,E.A.,&Brosch,Q.E.(1999).Ineffectiveleadershipfocusingonthenegativeattributesofemployeesandleadersonorganizationalneutralizers.Ohio:PressPublications. Timothy,K.A.(2002).Wisebusinessneedsethics.TheBusinessCommunicationsJournal,23(2),123-124. Ungga,Q.(1999).Hatingyourwork.Whydisenchantmentwithworkisgrowing?TheEconomist,September10th,1999. Wilmer,P.R.(1993).Astudyofcharacterizingmanagerialderailmentandpersonalitypreferences.ManagementandDevelopmentJournal,26(2),176-187.