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Leadership research: choosing gods and devils on the run *
Author(s) -
McCALL MORGAN W.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of occupational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0305-8107
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8325.1976.tb00339.x
Subject(s) - ambiguity , focus (optics) , psychology , work (physics) , sociology , social psychology , engineering ethics , epistemology , public relations , political science , engineering , computer science , mechanical engineering , philosophy , physics , optics , programming language
The accumulated research, while contributing substantially to our understanding of complex leadership processes, has not yet produced an integrated body of knowledge. Still plagued by definitional ambiguity, a proliferation of terms, and contradictory research findings, the mountain of evidence has left many unanswered questions. Traditional approaches to leadership have focused primarily on the relationship between the leader and the group. Studies of what managers actually do—as opposed to what they should, could, or say they do—suggest that the leader–system relationship may be a more fruitful focus. The nature of managerial work, as reflected by observed behaviour, can be a valuable guide for designing future leadership research and training.