Leadership in complex organizations

    Authors

    R. Marion;M. Uhl-Bien

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Leadersh. Q.

    Keywords

    CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP; MEMBER EXCHANGE; SOCIAL-EXCHANGE; SYSTEMS; MODEL; PERSPECTIVE; MOTIVATION; NEWNESS; Psychology, Applied; Management

    Abstract

    This paper asks how complexity theory informs the role of leadership in organizations. Complexity theory is a science of complexly interacting systems; it explores the nature of interaction and adaptation in such systems and how they influence such things as emergence, innovation, and fitness. We argue that complexity theory focuses leadership efforts on behaviors that enable organizational effectiveness, as opposed to determining or guiding effectiveness. Complexity science broadens conceptualizations of leadership from perspectives that are heavily invested in psychology and social psychology (e.g., human relations models) to include processes for managing dynamic systems and interconnectivity. We develop a definition of organizational complexity and apply it to leadership science, discuss strategies for enabling complexity and effectiveness, and delve into the relationship between complexity theory and other currently important leadership theories. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible implications for research strategies in the social sciences. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Leadership Quarterly

    Volume

    12

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2001

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    389

    Last Page

    418

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000174278500003

    ISSN

    1048-9843

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