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No more heroes : critical perspectives on leadership romanticism
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Grint, Keith, Collinson, David and Smolovic-Jones, Owain (2018) No more heroes : critical perspectives on leadership romanticism. Organization Studies, 39 (11). pp. 1625-1647. doi:10.1177/0170840617727784
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840617727784
Abstract
This paper revisits Meindl et al’s (1985) ‘romance of leadership’ thesis and extends these ideas in a number of inter-related ways. First, it argues that the thesis has sometimes been neglected and/or misinterpreted in subsequent studies. Second, the paper suggests that romanticism is a much broader and more historically rich term with wider implications for leadership studies than originally proposed. Arguing that romanticism stretches beyond leader attribution, we connect leadership theory to a more enduring and naturalistic tradition of romantic thought that has survived and evolved since the mid-18th century. Third, the paper demonstrates the contemporary relevance of the romanticism critique. It reveals how the study of leadership continues to be characterised by romanticising tendencies in many of its most influential theories, illustrating this argument with reference to spiritual and authentic leadership theories, which only recognise positive engagement with leaders. Equally, the paper suggests that romanticism can shape conceptions not only of leaders, but also of followers, their agency, and their (potential for) resistance. We conclude by discussing future possible research directions for the romanticism critique that extend well beyond its original focus on leader attribution to inform a broader critical approach to leadership studies.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) | ||||||||
| Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Industrial Relations & Organisational Behaviour | ||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Leadership -- History -- 20th century, Romanticism | ||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Organization Studies | ||||||||
| Publisher: | Sage Publications Ltd. | ||||||||
| ISSN: | 0170-8406 | ||||||||
| Official Date: | 1 November 2018 | ||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 39 | ||||||||
| Number: | 11 | ||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 1625-1647 | ||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1177/0170840617727784 | ||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access |
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