Contextualising Leader Dynamics: how public service leaders endeavour to build influence
Contextualising Leader Dynamics: how public service leaders endeavour to build influence
A generic conceptualization is developed of the evolutionary relationship between leader activity and context, informed by structuration theory. It is argued that theoretical development to date has underplayed the extent of leaders’ attempted — and more or less successful — manipulation of contextual factors, within structural parameters that bound their agency. A heuristic model of leaders’ interaction with their context is articulated. This links their degree of agency and its delimitation with the degree to which contextual factors can be manipulated to extend leaders’ platform for future influence. Findings from qualitative research on the perceptions of ‘top’ organization leaders in the English public services illustrate the application of the model. Indicative factors are perceived to be variably manipulable. The experience of one successful secondary school headteacher portrays how the context—leader dynamic operates cumulatively and recursively. The conclusion considers the implications of this conceptualization for theorizing, research, and policy for improving leadership practice.
contextual manipulability, leaders’ context, leader dynamics, leadership theory, public service leaders
21-45
Wallace, Mike
d6bf03d8-b402-4b2a-8610-a17faca68abe
Tomlinson, Michael
9dd1cbf0-d3b0-421e-8ded-b3949ebcee18
February 2010
Wallace, Mike
d6bf03d8-b402-4b2a-8610-a17faca68abe
Tomlinson, Michael
9dd1cbf0-d3b0-421e-8ded-b3949ebcee18
Wallace, Mike and Tomlinson, Michael
(2010)
Contextualising Leader Dynamics: how public service leaders endeavour to build influence.
Leadership, 6 (1), .
(doi:10.1177/1742715009354238).
Abstract
A generic conceptualization is developed of the evolutionary relationship between leader activity and context, informed by structuration theory. It is argued that theoretical development to date has underplayed the extent of leaders’ attempted — and more or less successful — manipulation of contextual factors, within structural parameters that bound their agency. A heuristic model of leaders’ interaction with their context is articulated. This links their degree of agency and its delimitation with the degree to which contextual factors can be manipulated to extend leaders’ platform for future influence. Findings from qualitative research on the perceptions of ‘top’ organization leaders in the English public services illustrate the application of the model. Indicative factors are perceived to be variably manipulable. The experience of one successful secondary school headteacher portrays how the context—leader dynamic operates cumulatively and recursively. The conclusion considers the implications of this conceptualization for theorizing, research, and policy for improving leadership practice.
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Published date: February 2010
Keywords:
contextual manipulability, leaders’ context, leader dynamics, leadership theory, public service leaders
Organisations:
Southampton Education School
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 200037
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/200037
ISSN: 1742-7150
PURE UUID: 0d4c9e25-5cf6-4b4e-bf33-86637de6308e
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Date deposited: 21 Oct 2011 10:46
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:40
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Contributors
Author:
Mike Wallace
Author:
Michael Tomlinson
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