Chapter 7: Charismatic and transformational leadership

Journal Article 7.1: Chaturvedi, S., Arvey, R.D., Zhang, Z. and Christoforou, P.T. (2011) ‘Genetic underpinnings of transformational leadership: The mediating role of dispositional hope’, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 18(4): 469–479.

Description: In this study, the authors investigate the extent to which dispositional hope mediates genetic influences on transformational leadership. Based on a sample of female twins (214 identical and 178 fraternal) from the Minnesota Twin Registry, results indicated that 53% of the variance in hope and 49% of the variance in transformational leadership were accounted for by genetic factors. After controlling for positive emotionality and negative emotionality, it was found that the genetic influence on transformational leadership was mediated by dispositional hope with the overlapping genetic factors explaining 20.8% of the total variance in transformational leadership.

 

Journal Article 7.2: Groves, K.S. (2005). ‘Linking leader skills, follower attitudes, and contextual variables via an integrated model of charismatic Leadership’, Journal of Management, 31(2): 255–277.

Description: A charismatic leadership model consisting of leader social and emotional skills, follower openness to organizational change, and organizational-change magnitude was tested using data from 108 leaders and 325 direct followers in 64 organizations. Leader social control and emotional expressivity skills predicted charismatic leadership, whereas follower openness to change mediated the relationship between charismatic leadership and leadership effectiveness. Surprisingly, organizational-change magnitude did not moderate the relationship between charismatic leadership and leadership effectiveness.

 

Journal Article 7.3: Heracleous, L. and Klaering, L. A. (2014) ‘Charismatic leadership and rhetorical competence: an analysis of Steve Jobs’s rhetoric’, Group & Organization Management, 39(2): 131–161.

Description: One of the primary ways leaders influence others is through their rhetoric. This case study is of the rhetoric of the late Steve Jobs, an acknowledged charismatic leader, to expand understanding of the fundamental link between charismatic leadership and rhetorical competence.