John D. Politis

The connection between trust and knowledge management: what are its implications for team performance

The latest buzzwords in organizational change and development literature are “knowledge management” and “knowledge transfer”, which proponents claim are successful ways of improving and enhancing employees’ performance. Moreover, trust and the ability of employees to work in an autonomous manner are often cited as being essential for the effectiveness of self‐managed teams. Little however, is known on the effect of interpersonal trust on knowledge management (acquisition) of team members, and the consequences for team performance. A survey of 49 self‐managing teams was carried out to investigate the relationship between the dimensions of interpersonal trust, knowledge acquisition, and team performance. Overall, findings support that most interpersonal trust dimensions are positively related to the variables of knowledge acquisition. The results also showed that the effects of interpersonal trust on team performance to a large extent are mediated by the intervening variables of knowledge acquisition.

The relationship of various leadership styles to knowledge management

Behavioural and interpersonal skills most often cited as essential for successful knowledge management (acquisition). Unfortunately, little is known about the roles played by leadership in the process of knowledge acquisition. A survey of 227 persons who are, or have been engaged in knowledge acquisition activities was undertaken to investigate the relationship between different leadership style dimensions and a number of knowledge acquisition attributes. Results indicate that the leadership styles that involve human interaction and encourage participative decision‐making processes are positively related to the skills and traits that are essential for knowledge management.

Transformational and transactional leadership enabling (disabling) knowledge acquisition of self‐managed teams: the consequences for performance

Knowledge has been identified as one of the most important resources that contribute to the competitive advantage of an organisation. The problems associated with poor leadership and interpersonal skills manifest themselves in the loss of organisational knowledge and the expensive duplication of knowledge creation and acquisition, rising costs and reduced performance. Although behavioural and interpersonal skills are most often cited as essential for successful knowledge acquisition, little is known about the role played by “transformational and transactional” leadership in the process of knowledge acquisition and the consequences for organisational performance. A survey of 239 self‐managing employees who are, or have been, engaged in knowledge acquisition activities was carried out to investigate the relationship between the components of leadership dimensions associated with Bass’s model, a number of knowledge acquisition attributes and performance. Although results showed that some of the “transformational” leadership dimensions enable followers’ knowledge acquisition, “transformational” leadership is not a pre‐existing condition for achieving desirable performance of self‐managing teams.

Dispersed leadership predictor of the work environment for creativity and productivity

Purpose – This paper examines the relationship between the dimensions of dispersed – self‐management – leadership and a number of work environment dimensions conducive to creativity and productivity.Design/methodology/approach – The study involves a questionnaire‐based survey of employees from a high technology organisation operating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 104 useable questionnaires were received from employees who are engaged in self‐managing activities. These were subjected to a series of correlational and regression analyses.Findings – There are three major findings in this research. First, the relationship between dispersed leadership and the “stimulant” dimensions of the work environment for creativity is positive and significant. Second, the relationship between dispersed leadership, with the exception of encouraging self‐reinforcement, and the “obstacle” dimensions of the work environment for creativity is negative and significant. Finally, the findings have clearly shown tha...

Self‐leadership behavioural‐focused strategies and team performance: The mediating influence of job satisfaction

Purpose – Examines the relationship between the dimensions of self‐leadership behavioural‐focused strategies, job satisfaction and team performance. It also evaluates the extent to which job satisfaction mediates the influence of self‐leadership behavioural‐focused strategies on team performance.Design/methodology/approach – Involves a questionnaire‐based survey of employees from a manufacturing organisation operating in Australia. A total of 304 useable questionnaires were received from employees who are engaged in self‐managing activities. These were subjected to a series of correlational and regression analyses.Findings – There are three major findings in this research. First, the relationship between self‐leadership behavioural‐focused strategies and job satisfaction is direct, positive and significant. Second, the relationship between job satisfaction and team performance is positive and significant. Finally, the results have clearly shown that job satisfaction mediates the relation between self‐lead...

QFD: the role of various leadership styles

Quality function deployment (QFD) methodologies, as opposed to traditional quality approaches, are most often cited as essential for advancing the competitive advantage of an organisation. Unfortunately, little is known about the roles played by leadership in the process of QFD in the Arab world. A survey of 104 middle level managers from a wide variety of United Arab Emirates’ industries who are engaged in quality management programs was undertaken to investigate the relationship between different leadership style dimensions and a number of QFD methodologies. Results indicate that the leadership styles that involve human interaction and encourage participative decision making are supportive of open and collaborative QFD methodologies.

QFD, organisational creativity and productivity

Purpose – This paper examines the relationship between organisational creativity, productivity and the underlying dimensions that foster quality function deployment (QFD).Methodology – A total of 359 usable questionnaires were received from employees who are engaged in quality management programmes from nine companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These were subjected to a series of correlational and regression analyses.Findings – There are three major findings in this research. First, the relationship between the QFD variables and organisational creativity is positive and significant. Second, the relationship between the QFD variables and productivity is stronger compared with the relationship between the QFD variables and organisational creativity.Practical implications – Finally, the study suggests that top management commitment, worker‐supervisor collaboration in QFD efforts, internal processes and strategies for QFD, the effectiveness of use of information and data to support QFD actions, and bu...

Examination of the relationship between servant leadership and agency problems: gender matters

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between servant leadership and agency problems. Also, the paper seeks to determine whether gender plays a role in this relationship.,A survey of 276 employees was carried out to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of servant leadership and the constructs of agency problems of 36 male and 22 female managers/supervisors in the banking sector months before the financial crisis in Cyprus. The responses were subjected to a series of correlational and structural equation modelling analyses.,The study revealed three major findings. First, the relationship between servant leadership behaviour and agency problems is near zero and not significant. Second, the servant leadership behaviour of female managers/supervisors brings the desired negative influence on the constructs of agency problems. Finally, the servant leadership behaviour of males has a more positive and significant influence on agency problems than that of females. These findings should be interpreted with caution, because more female than male participants rated the male managers/supervisors, and salient traits might cause followers to feel that female managers display more servant leadership characteristics, regardless of whether they exhibit them or not.,The conclusions cannot be generalised because the research was conducted in a country undergoing a financial crisis. However, this study provides a springboard to further explore whether the findings are valid if the sample is taken from a country not facing financial crisis, and if an equal number of male and female participants involved in rating male managers/supervisors.,These findings provide evidence that servant leadership is not a gender-neutral ethical construct, and practitioners should focus to develop or recruit managers who possess an ethic of care that could bring the desired negative outcome on the constructs of agency problems.,This is the first study empirically investigating the agency problems – ethical leadership relationship in Cyprus. Moreover, the potential role played by gender for the aforementioned relationship was empirically examined.