Michael K. Muchiri

Transformational and social processes of leadership as predictors of organisational outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the separate and combined effects of transformational leadership behaviour and social processes of leadership on key organisational outcomes within Australian local councils.Design/methodology/approach – A survey research methodology was used to gather quantitative data from employees from nine local councils. Data were analysed using Item clustering analysis for scale construction. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was employed to test the proposed conceptual framework.Findings – It was found that transformational leadership predicted performance outcomes, collective efficacy/outcomes expectancies and organisational commitment. Social processes of leadership predicted performance outcomes, collective efficacy/outcomes expectancies and organisational citizenship behaviours.Practical implications – Results indicate that by practising aspects of transformational leadership such as articulating clear standards and expectations for performance and show...

Gender and managerial level differences in perceptions of effective leadership

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine gender‐ and management‐ level differences in perceptions of effective leadership within a framework of new leadership models that focus on the processes of influencing self and others rather than leadership based on hierarchy.Design/methodology/approach – A self‐report questionnaire was distributed to a sample of council employees. The responses were analysed using thematic matrix displays.Findings – Males and non‐management employees (when compared with female and management) perceived effective leadership as that which emphasises fairness, equality and honesty, develops staff, fosters workplace harmony, and is trustworthy. Female employees emphasised communication, decision‐making ability, and supporting the leader as being important to how a work unit could contribute to organizational leadership effectiveness. Employees at the management level underscored vision, supporting the leader, and integrity as being important to how a work unit could contribute to organiz...

Linking demographic diversity to organisational outcomes: the moderating role of transformational leadership

Purpose – This paper aimed to explore the direct and indirect effects of demographic diversity variables on citizenship behaviours, affective commitment, collective efficacy and general productivity.Design/methodology/approach – A self‐report questionnaire was used to gather data from employees in the public sector (local government) of Australia.Findings – Results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed direct and significant relationships between certain demographic diversity variables and several criterion variables. Moving from non‐management to management level was predictive of an increase in organisational citizenship behaviours and affective commitment. Additionally, an increase in tenure within a work unit was predictive of general productivity. Conversely, an increase in organisational tenure was predictive of a decrease in general productivity. Also, an increase in women in a work unit was predictive of a decrease in organisational citizenship behaviours, collective efficacy beliefs and ...

Examining the effects of substitutes for leadership on performance outcomes

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of substitutes for leadership on performance outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – A self‐report questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 177 Australian local council employees. The responses were analysed using ICLUST analysis and hierarchical multiple regression analysis.Findings – The results indicated significant positive effects of some substitutes for leadership on performance outcomes. Furthermore, some substitutes for leadership moderated the effects of transactional leadership behaviours on performance outcomes, whereas another sub‐component of substitutes for leadership moderated the effects of social processes of leadership on performance outcomes. In addition, some substitutes for leadership partially mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and performance outcomes.Research limitations/implications – The cross‐sectional design of the study reduces the capacity to draw definitive causal inferences.Pr...

Entrepreneurial orientation within small firms: a critical review of why leadership and contextual factors matter

To better understand the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance, this paper conducted a major review of published work on the entrepreneurial process with a focus on small businesses. Following the review, it became evident that even though the extant literature indicated that both entrepreneurial orientation and transformational leadership influenced firm performance, there was limited literature examining how these two important organisational variables related to each other, and how they interacted to influence firm performance within the context of small businesses. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extant literature on entrepreneurial orientation, transformational leadership and firm performance and then build a logical framework depicting the interrelationships between transformational leadership, entrepreneurial orientation and organisational effectiveness within the context of small businesses. Specifically, we advance a conceptual research framework, which explicates some pathways through which leader behaviours influence the firm entrepreneurial orientation and overall firm effectiveness. We conclude the paper by outlining a future research agenda for effectively leading entrepreneurial organisations within the small business sector.

Conflict at multiple levels: transformational leadership and followers' cultural orientation

While various scholars have examined the multi-level properties of conflict and leadership, fewer studies have investigated the influence of leadership on differing forms of conflict across multiple levels and cultures. In this chapter, we discuss transformational leadership and its potential to trigger or minimize both cognitive and affective conflict across multiple organizational levels. Additionally, we also discuss how national culture might moderate the impact of transformational leadership on conflict at the individual and team levels.

Political Risk and Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment to Africa: The Role of Foreign Aid

We investigated the role of Chinese Aid in mitigating the political risk for Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in Africa, especially in resource-abundant countries. Using panel data for 50 African countries that have received Chinese OFDI from 2002 to 2012, we tested two hypotheses developed based on the two-tier bargaining model proposed by Ramamurti (2001). Our results indicated that Chinese aid had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between political risk and OFDI in those resource-abundant countries. However, such a moderating effect was negative for all African countries. Theoretical and managerial implications following on from this study are discussed.