Taxonomic Efforts in the Description of Leadership Behavior: A General Approach

摘要

It has often been argued that the actions taken by individuals assigned to formal leadership positions may have a marked influence on the effectiveness of modern organizations. Organizations invest substantial amounts of time and energy in the construction and implementation of programs designed to identify and develop leadership potential. Surprisingly, while substantial investments have been made by many organizations in developing leadership programs, they have not been proven to be highly successful in enhancing leadership effectiveness (Bass, 1981). Researchers, such as Bass (1981) and Mumford (1985) have suggested that the limited effectiveness of some of these programs may be attributed to the tendency to explain a very complex field using a reliavtively small set of constructs. Similarly, Fleishman (1953a) has suggested that the limited effectiveness of many programs can be traced to their failure to consider criteria such as the demands made on the leader by organizational context. These points should be carefully considered in any attempt to formulate more effective strategies for leadership identification and development.