Positive Leadership and Corporate Entrepreneurship: Theoretical Considerations and Research Propositions

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the paper is to describe the approaches to positive leadership and propose research directions on its impact on corporate entrepreneurship. There is much debate within positive leadership domain and the question arises if positive style of leadership supports the entrepreneurship within corporations conceptualised as entrepreneurial orientation.

Research, Design & Methods: The main method employed in the paper is critical literature review. Based on that, some research propositions are formulated.

Findings: Four research propositions concern the possible impact of positive leadership on corporate entrepreneurship. It is proposed that authentic leadership, fundamental state of leadership, psychological capital and positive deviance all positively influence corporate entrepreneurship.

Implications & Recommendations: The main implications of the paper concern future research in corporate entrepreneurship domain. Moreover, the indirect impact is expected on managerial practice in future research results concerning supporting corporate entrepreneurship by enhancing positive leadership behaviours.

Contribution & Value Added: The paper opens new line of research on the cross-roads of positive organizational scholarship research and entrepreneurship theory. The main contribution of the paper is to draw attention to the models of leadership that might be critical for entrepreneurship inside organisations.

Keywords

corporate entrepreneurship, positive organizational scholarship, positive leadership, psychological capital, authentic leadership, fun-damental state of leadership, positive deviance

References

1. Bass, B. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(3), 18-40.
2. Bass, B.M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: Free Press.
3. Bratnicki, M. (2006). The dialectics of organizational entrepreneurship. Katowice: University of Economics in Katowice.
4. Burns, J.M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
5. Cameron, K.S. (2008). Positive leadership. Strategies for extraordinary performance. San Francisco: Berrett Koehler.
6. Cameron, K.S., Dutton, J.E., & Quinn, R.E. (2003). Positive organizational scholarship. Foundations of a new discipline. San Francisco: Berrett-Koahler Publishers, Inc.
7. Cameron, K.S., & Spreitzer, G.M. (Eds.) (2012). The Oxford handbook of positive organizational scholarship. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press.
8. Covin, J.G., & Slevin, D.P. (1988). The influence of organization structure on the utility of an entre-preneurial top management style. Journal of Management Studies, 25(3), 217-234.
9. Greenleaf, R. (1977). Servant-leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and great-ness. New York: Paulist Press.
10. Harter, S. (2002). Authenticity. In C.R. Snyder & S.J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 382-394). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
11. Hayek, M. (2012). Control beliefs and positive psychological capital: Can nascent entrepreneurs discriminate between what can and cannot be controlled? Journal of Management Research, 12(1), 3-13.
12. Hmieleski, K.M., Cole, M.S., & Baron, R.A. (2012). Shared authentic leadership and new venture performance. Journal of Management, 38(5), 1476-1499.
13. Jensen, S.M., & Luthans, F. (2006). Relationship between entrepreneurs' psychological capital and their authentic leadership. Journal of Managerial Issues, 18(2), 254-273.
14. Kreiser, P.M., Marino L., & Weaver, K.M. (2002). Assessing the psychometric properties of the entrepreneurial orientation scale: A multi-country analysis. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 26(4), 71-94.
15. Levie, J. (2016). What drives entrepreneurship inside organisations? Paper presented at 2016 ENTRE Conference in Kraków.
16. Lumpkin, G.T., & Dess, G.G. (1996). Clarifying the entrepreneurial orientation construct and linking it to performance. Academy of Management Journal, 21(1), 135-172.
17. Luthans, F., & Avolio, B. (2003). Authentic leadership development. In K.S. Cameron, J.E. Dutton & R.E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational Scholarship. Foundations of a new discipline (pp. 241-258). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
18. Luthans, F., Avolio, B.J., Avey, J.B., & Norman, S.M. (2007). Positive psychological capital: Meas-urement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Personnel Psychology, 60, 541-572.
19. Luthans, F., & Youssef, C.M. (2004). Human, social, and now positive psychological capital management. Organizational Dynamics, 33, 143-160.
20. Luthans, F., Youssef, C.M., & Avolio, B.J. (2007). Psychological capital. New York: Oxford University Press.
21. Memili, E., Welsh, D.H.B., & Luthans, F. (2013). Going beyond research on goal setting: A proposed role of organizational psychological capital of family firms. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 37, 1289-1295.
22. Nam, D., Parboteeah, K.P., Cullen, J.B., & Johnson, J.L. (2014). Cross-national differences in firms undertaking innovation initiatives: An application of institutional anomie theory. Journal of International Management, 20(2), 91-106.
23. Piccolo, R.F., & Colquitt, J.A. (2006). Transformational leadership and job behaviors: The mediating role of core job characteristics. Academy of Management Journal, 49(2), 327-340.
24. Quinn, R.E. (2005). Moments of greatness: Entering the fundamental state of leadership. Harvard Business Review, July-August, 75-83.
25. Quinn, R.E., & Anding, J.M. (2005). An Interview with Robert E. Quinn Entering the fundamental state of leadership: Reflections on the path to transformational teaching. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(4), 487-495.
26. Spreitzer, G.M., & Sonnenschein, S. (2004). Toward the construct definition of positive deviance. American Behavioral Scientist, 47, 828-847.
27. Tuhus-Dubrow, R. (2009). The Power of Positive Deviants: A promising new tactic for changing communities from the inside. Boston Globe. November 29.
28. Walumbwa, F.O., Avolio, B.J., Gardner, W.L., Wernsing, T.S., & Peterson, S.J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34, 89-126.