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626 631 vidyabharati international interdisciplinary research journal 12 2 issn 2319 4979 behavioral theory appraisal for leadership development in the digital workplace a mehan gdg university gurgaon reachcdr gmail com ...

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                                                                                                                                                                                                  626-631 
                               Vidyabharati International Interdisciplinary Research Journal 12(2)                                                                                                                                  ISSN 2319-4979 
                                               BEHAVIORAL THEORY: APPRAISAL FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT  
                                                                                                             IN THE DIGITAL WORKPLACE 
                                                                                                                                              A. Mehan 
                                                                                                                             GDG University, Gurgaon 
                                                                                                                                   reachcdr@gmail.com  
                               ________________________________________________________________________________ 
                                                                                                                                           ABSTRACT 
                               The COVID-19 pandemic disruption has accelerated the shift to digital ways of working. Organizations find that their 
                               leadership  development  practice  needs  to  develop  leaders  adept  at  leading  effectively  in  the  digital  environment 
                               marked by virtual collaboration and delivery. The paper examines extant literature on the behavioral approach for 
                               leadership development. Behavioral leadership theories prescribe observing and evaluating a leader's actions and 
                               behaviors when they are responding to a specific situation. This idea that leaders can be made is conducive for 
                               contemporary  research  in  leadership  development.  Being  based  on  development  potential-  this  approach  can  be 
                               suitably adapted to study the leadership behaviors best suited for the leaders in the post pandemic work reality.  
                               ________________________________________________________________________________ 
                               Keywords:   Digital leader behaviours, Leadership, Behavioral Theory, Traits, Digital Workplace 
                                
                                     Leadership Development for the Digital                                                                                      being compelled to discard legacy traditional, 
                                                                                  World                                                                          hierarchical structures and move to a flexible, 
                               Leadership  development  is  concerned  with                                                                                      decentralized  organization.  Digital  leaders 
                               ensuring  the  availability  &  readiness  of                                                                                     should be able to harness digital technologies 
                               effective  leaders  who  can  lead  the  workforce                                                                                and  solutions,  but  also  should  also  be 
                                                                                                                                                                 contextually  &  emotionally  aware  and  agile 
                               for           continued                      business                    success                   of          the                both for leadership behavior towards followers; 
                               enterprise.  ―COVID-19  has  escalated  digital                                                                                   and towards customers/clients. Thus the review 
                               initiatives  into  digital  imperatives,  creating                                                                                finds  that  leaders  have  to  do  the  right  thing 
                               urgent  pressure  on  HR  leaders  to  work  with                                                                                 when dealing with followers and stakeholders; 
                               their  CEO,  CFO  and  CIO  to  rethink  skills                                                                                   and  also  ensure  success  and  competitive 
                               needs  as  business  models  change  at  light                                                                                    advantage.  
                               speed‖ ( Gartner 2020).  A Survey conducted                                                                                       Behavioral  scientists  have  sought  to  discover 
                               on  lack  of  digital  skills  reports  that  only  51                                                                            what  characteristics,  talents,  attitudes,  power 
                               percent  of  business  leaders  are  already                                                                                      outlets,  or  situational  factors  decide  how 
                               prepared  for  talent  management  in  a  digital                                                                                 effectively a leader will control followers and 
                               world (Brecher, Laurenceau & Sloman 2016).                                                                                        achieve group goals. The reason some people 
                               Studies also highlight that when the leadership                                                                                   emerge as leaders and the determinants of how 
                               style             does              not            align              with              the            digital                    a leader behaves are other important issues that 
                               transformation –―problems may emerge which                                                                                        have been studied, but the primary concern was 
                               could impact the organization in negative ways                                                                                    leadership efficiency (Bansal, 2008).  
                               for  many  years  to  come  (Allio,  2015)‖.                                                                                      A  large  number  of  existing  studies  in  the 
                               Organizations  have  felt  the  acute  need  to                                                                                   broader literature have examined the theme of 
                               develop  leaders  that  can  lead  in  the  new                                                                                   this  preparedness  to  do  the  right  thing.  For 
                               normal.  Leadership  Development  has  shifted                                                                                    instance,  (Sattler,  2016)  defines  the  future 
                               its focus to development of ‗digital leaders‘.  
                                                                                                                                                                 leader as ―The future leader should be able to 
                                           Behavioral Theories of Leadership:                                                                                    utilize the new technologies and solutions. The 
                                                                           Perspective                                                                           author also proposes certain behaviours of such 
                               Digital  leader development entails developing                                                                                    leaders:  able  to  quickly  adapt  themselves  to 
                               two key areas—‗one is digital and the second                                                                                      and manage changes, to have a pioneer spirit 
                               one is humanitarian‘ (Cortellazzo et al. 2019).                                                                                   and  being a quick  learner. Leader behaviours 
                               These can be examined from the utilitarian and                                                                                    have  also  been  elucidated  in  various  studies 
                               deontological lenses. To ensure the success of                                                                                    and  there  is  a  general  agreement  that  the 
                               their digital transformations, organizations are                                                                                  desirous  behavior  are  :  ―should  also  be 
                                                                                                                                                                 contextual,                          emotionally                            intelligent                        and 
                                                                                                                                                             
                                June 2021                                                                      626                                                          www.viirj.org 
                               Vidyabharati International Interdisciplinary Research Journal 12(2)                                                                                                                                  ISSN 2319-4979 
                               trustworthy,  and  should  lead  democratically,                                                                                  given the supporting argument from behavioral 
                               share  responsibilities,  to  be  decisive  and                                                                                   theory (leaders have the potential of adapting 
                               cooperative,  control  and  promote  networks,                                                                                    their  behaviours)  to  the  current  situation  of 
                               trust  and  motivate  employees,  and  give  them                                                                                 digitization  -  a  customized  leader  behavior 
                               regular feedback‖.                                                                                                                library can be crafted for use in the field. 
                                                      Behavior focused approach                                                                                                                  Behaviours vs. Traits 
                               Behavioral  theories  of  leadership  study  the                                                                                  In             behavioral                          sciences-                       ―traits‖                    and 
                               specific  behaviors  of  a  leader.  As  per  the                                                                                 ―behaviors.‖  can  be  used  to  predict  job 
                               behavioral theory school of thought- the leader                                                                                   performance and development potential. When 
                               behavior is the best predictor of translation of                                                                                  we look at the fundamental difference between 
                               leadership from theory to practice and the best                                                                                   the  two,  we  find  that  Personality  traits  are 
                               determinant of success on ground.                                                                                                 ―persisting  /  lasting‖  characteristics  that  are 
                               This behavior-focused approach is of value to                                                                                     consistently  demonstrated  even  when  the 
                               take theory to practice, and an ally for action-                                                                                  subject is placed in changing circumstances or 
                               research.  The  leader  behavior  school  has  a                                                                                  environment.  These  are  then  seen  as  strong 
                               large  potential  to  be  adapted  as  bedrock  of                                                                                indicators of habitual patterns of  thought and 
                               leadership development strategies. This school                                                                                    emotion,  and  can  be  used  to  guess  the 
                               of  thought  propounds  that  behaviours  can  be                                                                                 underlying drives. 
                               conditioned in a manner that one can respond                                                                                       Behaviors,  on  the  other  hand,  are  about  the 
                               in  the  most  appropriate  manner  to  a  given                                                                                  way  we  voluntarily  conduct  ourselves  –  it 
                               stimuli.  Votaries  of  behavioral  leadership                                                                                    counts  among  itself  the  articulation,  control 
                               theory  opine  that  leadership  development                                                                                      over  one‘s  impulses,  public  behavior  and 
                               should  aim  to  facilitate  the  learning  and                                                                                   practicing  emotional  intelligence.  Personality 
                               implementation  of  certain  behaviours  by                                                                                       traits don‘t easily change over time but we can 
                               existing  managers, and thus develop effective                                                                                    alter  behavior  traits  to  a  degree.  This  is  an 
                               leaders. Some observers have viewed this as an                                                                                    ongoing debate. While traits define underlying 
                               efficient marketing tool for the L&D (learning                                                                                    motivations                           and             drives,                  their               use             in 
                               & development) industry.  When  seen  from a                                                                                      development  seem  limited  beyond  a  point. 
                               genesis and evolution perspective- we find that                                                                                   Traits  can  be  a  very  good  lens  to  use  for 
                               research  on  personality;  and  leadership  in                                                                                   selection. Testing for traits offer a good job-fit 
                               particular  has  gone  from  the  precept  that                                                                                   and predisposition check. However, as the need 
                               leaders  are  born,  (Great  Man  Theory)  to  the                                                                                changes to development of future leaders- the 
                               immutable traits that are heritable, towards the                                                                                  behaviours  are  an  effective  lens  to  view  the 
                               measure-bility                            of          a         subject‘s                    leadership                           world.  
                               potential  (Trait  Theory)  using  psychometrics                                                                                  In  the  context  of  leadership  development,  or 
                               instruments,  and  towards  studies  in  neuro-                                                                                   the quest to find the gaps in current models of 
                               plasticity  and  the  current  focus  on  positive                                                                                leadership-  investigations  need  to  compare 
                               psychology (founded by Martin Seligman and                                                                                        various  approaches  to  personality.  A  subject 
                               Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). Behavioral Theories                                                                                     could be methodical as assessed by personality 
                               weigh on the side of the strong possibility that                                                                                  trait,  but  could  still  be  prone  to  impulsive 
                               appropriate                        behavioral                       response                     can             be               behavior – the impulsive behavior being driven 
                               imparted  to  potential  leaders.    Important                                                                                    by involuntary forces / reptilian brain. It could 
                               Behavioral                        studies                 are           the            Ohio  State                                also  be  seen  via  the  lens  of  the  para-
                               University                        (1940s),                    and              University                        of               sympathetic and sympathetic  nervous system. 
                               Michigan                       (1950s)                   led            by           the             famous                       Study  of  personality  also  examines  the 
                               organizational psychologist, Dr. Rensis Likert.                                                                                   differences  using  extraversion/  extroversion, 
                               Thus from a practice point of view, behavioral                                                                                    introversion                         or          psychot-ism/                            neuroticism. 
                               leadership  theory  is  highly  relevant  in  a                                                                                   These lenses are a way of defining the response 
                               number of fields. Criteria developed using the                                                                                    to  stimuli  in  various  ways.  To  elaborate this- 
                               tenets of the behavioral leadership theory can                                                                                    extroversion is a trait, but an extrovert sitting 
                               be employed to assess digital leaders. In turn,                                                                                   quietly in a meeting is a type of behavior. This 
                                                                                                                                                             
                                June 2021                                                                      627                                                          www.viirj.org 
                               Vidyabharati International Interdisciplinary Research Journal 12(2)                                                                                                                                  ISSN 2319-4979 
                               behavior                     could                 be            mastered                      via             life               caution  advised  by  the  authors  is  mentioned 
                               experiences,  aging,  maturity,  acculturation  or                                                                                here-               ―weak  associations                                         suggested                       the 
                               vicarious learning. Organizations can also have                                                                                   importance of future research to focus on both 
                               an  influence  by  positive  reinforcement  of                                                                                    narrower                        personality                         traits                and               non-
                               certain behaviours and negative reinforcement                                                                                     dispositional  determinants  leadership‖.  Other 
                               of others.                                                                                                                        reviews of  literature on the subject have also 
                                                    Personality Traits and Types                                                                                 concluded that the trait approach has fallen out 
                                In  various  approaches  involving  personality                                                                                  of favor among current leadership researchers 
                               assessments and usage of psychometric tools-                                                                                      due to its emphasis on determinism.  
                               behavioural  combinations  are  often  measured                                                                                     Better predictor of leadership effectiveness- 
                               independently,                                    whereas                            traits                    are                                Leadership Traits or Behaviours 
                               predominantly  measured  on  scales.    In  type                                                                                  Despite  decades  of  research  on  traits  and 
                               theory  e.g  MBTI,  while  responding  to  self-                                                                                  behaviours, this continues to be debated among 
                               report  questionnaires  one  prefers  either  one                                                                                 researchers.  For instance, DeRue & Wellman, 
                               type             or          another,                   example  -introvert  or                                                   (2009) assert that that leader behavior tend to 
                               extrovert/extraversion.  The  practice  literature                                                                                predict  more  variance  across  a  variety  of 
                               around MBTI now amply cautions readers to                                                                                         effectiveness  criteria  than  do  leader  traits. 
                               not  see  the  MBTI  types  as  watertight                                                                                        Further,  other  studies  (Day,  2000)  have  also 
                               compartment,  but  instead  as  dynamic  energy                                                                                   explored the question of effectiveness of traits 
                               boxes.  In  this  mode-  we  can  counteract  the                                                                                 vs. behaviours. Research by (Dragoni, Tesluk, 
                               strong  impulse  to  attach  such  fixed  labels  to                                                                              Russel,  &  Oh,  2009)  recognizes  that  though 
                               subjects.                                                                                                                         there  exist  certain  traits  that  may  predispose 
                               With  such  discretion  in  place,  behavioral                                                                                    individuals to certain behaviors, behaviors are 
                               assessment  is  useful  for  the  purpose  of                                                                                     the  more  important  measure  for  predicting 
                               developing leaders  for the current digital era.                                                                                  leadership  effectiveness.  We  see  here  that  a 
                               The study finds that trait-based measurements                                                                                     number of studies maintain that behaviors can 
                               are  useful  to  view  complimentary  skills  in  a                                                                               be  learned  and  developed.  Extending  this 
                               team  setting.  Psychometrics  measuring  traits                                                                                  further,  behaviours  should  take  precedence 
                               provide  relative  strength  and  ―dimension‖  to                                                                                 over traits when it comes to research towards 
                               one‘s  personality  vis-à-vis  either  norms  or                                                                                  leadership development.  
                               other team members. A simple visualization to                                                                                     Many  studies  have  investigated  this  topic 
                               understand  this  is  using  a  measuring  tape  to                                                                               further.  Multi-year  research  accredited  to 
                               measure height  of  members of a sports team                                                                                      Avolio (2007) reports that that ―there are some 
                               (rather  than  a  cutoff  point  and  either  or                                                                                  universal characteristics and traits that leaders 
                               descriptor). Using the MBTI example, the test                                                                                     possess, offering that these are associated with 
                               results  tell  a  subject  that  they  are  introverted                                                                           effective  leadership,  including  persistence, 
                               relative to someone else.                                                                                                         tolerance for ambiguity, self-confidence, drive, 
                               A  comprehensive  review  of  leadership                                                                                          honesty,  integrity,  internal  locus  of  control, 
                               character traits across the leadership literature                                                                                 achievement motivation, and cognitive ability‖. 
                               was  put  forth  by  Judge,  Bono,  Ilies,  and                                                                                   Extensive  review  of  mention  of  traits  across 
                               Gerhardt  (2002).  This  review  reported  that                                                                                   literature  on  leadership  was  carried  out  by 
                               there               exist                inconsistencies                               in           relating                      Judge,  Bono,  Ilies,  and  Gerhardt  (2002),  and 
                               personality  traits  to  leadership.  The  authors                                                                                the  results  of  their  examination  of  existing 
                               also  found  that  upon  scrutiny  the  results  of                                                                               body  of  work  reported  that  linkages  to 
                               such relationships were ‗strong support for the                                                                                   personality  traits  to  leadership  have  been 
                               leader  trait  perspective  only  when  traits  are                                                                               ‗inconsistent  and  often  disappointing‘.  The 
                               organized  according  to  the  5-factor  model‘.                                                                                  contemporary view argues that after the advent 
                               The inference that can be drawn here is that the                                                                                  of the knowledge economy, globalization and 
                               trait  approach  is highly conditional. In a later                                                                                waning  of  the  industrial  work-  the  trait 
                               study  Bono  &  Judge  (2004),  the  authors                                                                                      approach  finds  itself  losing  favor  among 
                               cautioned against a deterministic approach. The                                                                                   leadership researchers. Judge et al. (2002) offer 
                                                                                                                                                             
                                June 2021                                                                      628                                                          www.viirj.org 
                               Vidyabharati International Interdisciplinary Research Journal 12(2)                                                                                                                                  ISSN 2319-4979 
                               that  while  there  is  renewed  interest  in                                                                                     past  knowledge and skills.  They weigh  in on 
                               dispositional                         explanations  associated  with                                                              the  side  of  vicarious  learning  on  the  job 
                               attitudes and behaviours, some researchers are                                                                                    training and post that ‗Leadership development 
                               still  pessimistic  in  regards  to  the  personality                                                                             occurs primarily through action-based learning 
                               variables in leadership‖. Studies conducted in                                                                                    and  experience‖.  DeRue,  et  al.  (2011), 
                               the post internet world by researchers such as                                                                                    behavioral  theory  research  needs  to  be 
                               Conger and Kanungo (1998) assertively  state                                                                                      compared  to  previous  research.  The  current 
                               that  the  replicability  of  the  trait  approach  in                                                                            behavioral theorists are in broad agreement that 
                               follow-on studies has been found to be low due                                                                                    behaviors  can  be  categorized  into:  task-
                               to  it  being  ―too  simplistic‖.  Authors  such  as                                                                              oriented,  relational-oriented,  change-oriented, 
                               House and Aditya (1997) concluded by stating                                                                                      and passive leadership.  
                               ―It appeared that the search for universal traits                                                                                 Recent theorists such as Goleman (2015) and 
                               was futile‖.                                                                                                                      Sahyaja and Sekhara Rao (2018) propound that 
                               A  study  by  Fleishman,  (1991)  identified  65                                                                                  digitalization  calls  for  new  variables.  These 
                               distinct  classifications  of  leader  behavior.                                                                                  new  constructs  affect  and  determine  the 
                               Further  studies  have  pointed  out  that  leader                                                                                leadership  styles  and  characteristics  to  better 
                               behavior typologies and theories find currency                                                                                    suit  the  digital  era.  These  are  intellectual 
                               among  contemporary  research  (Avolio  et  al.,                                                                                  quotient (Q), emotional quotient (EQ), digital 
                               2003;  Pearce  et  al.,  2003).  This  affirms  that                                                                              quotient (DQ), personal quality (PQ) These are 
                               leadership behaviours remain the relevant lens                                                                                    best situated in the leader behavior category as 
                               to  examine  leadership  effectiveness  in  recent                                                                                Goleman‘s work on emotional intelligence  in 
                               times.                                                                                                                            practice  also  weighs  heavily  on  the  side  of 
                                                         An integrative Approach                                                                                 teaching leaders and managers to develop E.I 
                               However, the existing research has also caution                                                                                   as a learnt behavior. 
                               against rejection of one approach over another.                                                                                                                                  Strengths 
                               It  is  best  summed  up  in  ―The  leadership                                                                                    Behaviour  theory  supports  the  idea  that 
                               literature  suffers  from  a  lack  of  theoretical                                                                               leadership is a skill that can be learned through 
                               integration‖                           (Avolio,                       2007,                   American                            development,                              on-the                 –job               training                   and 
                               Psychologist, 62, 25–33). An analytical article                                                                                   experience. It allows us to step away from the 
                               by  Derue,  Nahrgang,  Wellman, & Humphrey 
                               (2011)  examined  developing  an  integrative                                                                                     limiting  beliefs  imposed  by  the  ―Great  Man‖ 
                                                                                                                                                                 theory (leaders are born with innate immutable 
                               trait‐behavioral                                 model                      of               leadership                           traits).  Examining  leadership as a  verb rather 
                               effectiveness. This study advises that ―Leader                                                                                    than a noun also opens up the possibility that 
                               behaviors  tend  to  explain  more  variance  in                                                                                  one  can  practice  and  get  better  at  the  art  of 
                               leadership effectiveness than leader traits‘. This                                                                                leadership. As organizations of today are more 
                               study goes on add the path forward with a note                                                                                    inclusive,  leadership  selection  as  well  as 
                               of  caution  –―integrative  model  where  leader                                                                                  development hinges on the belief that given the 
                               behaviors  mediate  the  relationship  between                                                                                    right  investments,  talent  will  respond  to 
                               leader traits and effectiveness is warranted.‖                                                                                    leadership  development  leading  to  emergence 
                                                                  Current Theorists                                                                              of leaders equipped to lead in the digital era.  
                                The study finds considerable agreement of the                                                                                                                                Weaknesses 
                               idea that leadership is not simply inherited or                                                                                    Earlier work in behavioral theory (Kouzes and 
                               assumed  but  developed  through  learning  and                                                                                   Posner,  1988)  research  suffers  from  the 
                               experience.                         Theorists,                      such               as           Avolio,                       limitation that translating theory to practice is 
                               Walumbwa, and Weber (2009), emphasize the                                                                                         fraught  with  challenges.  Subjects  that  have 
                               vicarious learning and the nurture over nature                                                                                    learnt  the  practices  and  behaviors  may  not 
                               argument  in  ―life  context  a  person  grows  up                                                                                perform them in day to day tasks. Research on 
                               around is  more  influential than  heritability  in                                                                               leadership  development  using  the  behavioral 
                               showing career leadership success‖. According                                                                                     studies does not sufficiently address the open 
                               to DeRue and Myers (2013), success in being a                                                                                     question  of  the  mediating  effect  of  cultural 
                               leader is linked to there must be development 
                                                                                                                                                             
                                June 2021                                                                      629                                                          www.viirj.org 
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...Vidyabharati international interdisciplinary research journal issn behavioral theory appraisal for leadership development in the digital workplace a mehan gdg university gurgaon reachcdr gmail com abstract covid pandemic disruption has accelerated shift to ways of working organizations find that their practice needs develop leaders adept at leading effectively environment marked by virtual collaboration and delivery paper examines extant literature on approach theories prescribe observing evaluating leader s actions behaviors when they are responding specific situation this idea can be made is conducive contemporary being based potential suitably adapted study best suited post work reality keywords behaviours traits compelled discard legacy traditional world hierarchical structures move flexible concerned with decentralized organization ensuring availability readiness should able harness technologies effective who lead workforce solutions but also contextually emotionally aware agile c...

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