Literature Review of Leadership Theories
Organizational Communication #
Since Thomas Friedman (2006) declared the world flat, globalization has become a focus for many organizations. Because people are the essence of organizations, global communication has become a familiar vehicle by which to conduct business and stay connected. Over the last 100 years, the nature of organizations and the way their members are connected has changed dramatically. This has much to do with the growth of innovation, technology, and the development of advanced methods of communication via. smartphones. As a result, the world is quickly becoming a big village which is no longer separated by the borders of ocean shores and geographical boundaries.
Currency flows freely across technological channels linked to satellites which bridge previous economic gaps of supply and demand. As a result, new points of contact are being established globally. For example, Coke and Pepsi products are now being carried through mud holes and marketed to people who barely have suitable drinking water (Strategic Direction, 2008). Without the previous communication boundaries of geographical locations, new economies are arising in places which were considered uncivilized not so long ago.
Organizations are quickly realizing the necessity to adapt, in so doing their previous structures and hierarchies are being challenged against the functionality necessary to operate in a 24-hour marketplace unrestrained by time zones or weather conditions. Cultural diversity is at the forefront of both the ingenuity and complexities of organizational sustainability. Geographical regions, countries, and nations all have native cultures which play significant roles in the integration of new constituents. By default, these variables also contribute to the continual development of organizational cultures and subcultures. Leaders are finding themselves in the middle of such complexity bearing the responsibility to unite such differences into perceived benefits which contribute to the realization of organizational objectives (Schein, 2010).
While leadership is by far not a new concept, the expression of leadership within the context of virtual environments is. The acceptance of this practice is quickly gaining recognition as a beneficial platform for organizational connectivity. More than 50% of American companies are embracing the use of virtual platforms to conduct meetings and facilitate teams on some level. This number is expected to experience a 44% increase in the very near future (Mukherjee, Lahiri, Mukherjee, & Billing, 2012).
There is a growing need to develop new management-based approaches by which to lead within the context of virtual platforms, and to develop leaders for tomorrow. This movement is referred to as virtual leadership development. Human Resource Managers find it as a viable approach by which to maximize the uses of current technology while minimizing operational expenses associated with the necessity for organizational members to interact face-to-face (Colfax, Santos & Diego, 2009).
New Skill Sets #
For leaders to adapt to contemporary leadership needs, they must develop new skill sets. There are at least four apparent categories which monitor the evolution of new proficiencies. These include: 1) the necessity for flexibility; 2) independency; 3) service centeredness; and 4) knowledge.
Among these competencies flexibility leads the way; characterized by strategically embracing change to service with continually evolving needs. Independency is a necessary understanding for useful integration into decentralizing organizations, resulting in less direct supervision by managers. Customer centeredness is becoming all the more important because one size no longer “fits all” (or even most). Customization to individualization is the new standards of service. For this reason, it follows that knowledge is becoming both a currency and an expectation (Martin & Healy, 2009).
Industrial/Organizational Psychology #
Known for a scientific approach to the study of workplace behavior, I/O psychology is a natural fit in this discussion. I/O practitioners seek to offer verifiable solutions to undesirable circumstances within organizations (SIOP, n.d.). As a branch of psychology, the discipline focuses upon the dynamics of individual, intrapersonal, and interpersonal human relations within the contexts of organizations. Popular areas of focus are morale, organizational citizenship behavior, motivation, and of course leadership. Quintessentially, these areas are directly linked to leadership in terms of their researched outcomes. People with whom I/O psychologists work are often those within Human Resource Departments (HR) and executives, (i.e. leaders). (Industrial/Organizational Psychology, 2009).
These describe organizational relations with professionals of this discipline. A bigger picture of the industry is visible in this contrast. On individual levels, I/O consultants focus on employee testing, selection, development, and attitudes. On organizational levels, consultants focus on change, climate, culture, structure, etc. All these categories are of direct interest of leadership (I/O Overview, 2004).
Without question, I/O psychology is an organizationally focused discipline; thereby making it a topic of interest to the church. The church globally is the largest organization in the world. Out of an estimated world population of 6.9 billion people, Christianity accounts for some 2.18 billion. This makes Christianity the largest religion in the world, encompassing 1/3 of the world’s population. Further, the United States contributes 11.3% of the Christian population in the world, and 79.5% of the US population is identified as adherents of the Christian faith (Hackett & Grim, 2011). In consideration of these numbers, it follows that Jesus Christ is both the most inspirational and influential leader in world history. Even though more than 2,000 years have passed since his crucifixion, today he is still noted for leading 1/3 of the world’s population.
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Research Proposal for Master of Science in I/O Psychology:
National Association of Christian Ministers
Developed Under Supervision of Dr. L. Faibisch
9/19/2014
