Conjectural View on conjoint impact of Leadership Substitute and Essay

Conjectural View on conjoint impact of Leadership Substitute and Leadership Neutralizer on Performance Outcome - Essay Example Academic Review The research paper was more about examining the indirect and direct impact of leadership substitutes on performance outcomes. Hence, pertinent research question for the paper was, â€Å"how leadership substitutes can influence the performance outcomes?† Michael K. Muchiri and Ray W. Cooksey used research works of various research scholars such as Arnold et al (2005), Lowe and Gardner (2001), Yukl (2010), Dionne et al. (2005), Avolio and Bass (2002) and Parry (2004) to define the leadership behaviour. The researchers’ duo also stressed on the fact that how particular leadership behaviour has relationship with social setting and what leadership strategy can be embodied to improve the performance outcomes of subordinates. In such context, Lowe and Gardner (2001) argued personal characteristics, organisational context and group processes can be served as alternatives for leadership or substitutes which have the capacity to create hierarchical leadership effe cts on subordinates (Muchiri and Cooksey, 2011). Writers of the research paper strongly argued that there cannot be a definite measure or definition of leadership because leadership is dependent on situational and social context. Dionne et al. (2005) argued that situational variables can not only act as substitute but also increase the effectiveness of leader’s behaviour. Muchiri and Cooksey (2011) argued that situational substitute can enhance the leadership ability influence and job performance of subordinates. Although, the research paper focused various aspects leadership substitutes but the researcher did not shed light on leadership neutralisers which can reduce the effectiveness of leadership. Careful analysis of the research works of Burke (2004), McArdle and Reason (2008), Hicks (2002), McNiff and Whitehead (2002) and Klosko (2000) reveal the fact that leadership has direct relationship with organizational dynamics (OD) process and an individual can play situational role to direct the activity of subordinates. Such kind of research findings supports the existence of leadership substitute which can even make leadership unnecessary. On the other hand, leadership neutralisers do not replace leadership but eradicate the influence of leadership. Muchiri and Cooksey (2011) also pointed out that there are leadership enhancer variables such as organizational environment, talented employee pool and employee which can significantly improve the impact of leadership on performance of subordinates. Research scholars such as Burke (2004), McArdle and Reason (2008), Hicks (2002), McNiff and Whitehead (2002) and Klosko (2000) stressed on democratic leadership aspects while other research scholars argued that democratic culture can be treated as leadership neutralisers. The researcher believe that research work of Michael K. Muchiri and Ray W. Cooksey has its own merit but scope of the research paper can be enhanced by considering leadership in general rather t han confining the research transformational leadership and social processes of leadership. The researcher duo used the transformational-transactional leadership theory proposed by research scholars such as Avolio and Yammarino (2002), Avolio and Bass (2004) and Avolio (2005) to develop their theoretical arguments. On the other hand, research works of Parry and Meindl (2002), Parry and Proctor-Thomson (2001) and Bartram and Casimir (2007) were used in