Relational leadership and creativity: The effects of respectful engagement and caring on meaningfulness and creative work involvement

John Paul Stephens, Abraham Carmeli

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

The authors develop a theoretical model that explains why and how relational leadership, through the qualities of respectful engagement and caring, enhances individual creative work involvement. They delineate two pathways to thriving, which, in turn, fosters creative work involvement. The first elucidates the mechanisms by which mutually respectful engagement in the leader-follower relationship helps individuals to develop meaningfulness in working, whereas the second pathway illuminates how mutual caring in the leader-follower relationship helps individuals to develop meaningfulness at work. They suggest that both forms of meaningfulness enable employees to thrive (experience both aliveness and learning), thereby enhancing their creativity. Furthermore, they propose and help uncover motivational conditions that might enhance the linkages between relational leadership, meaningfulness, thriving, and creativity. In so doing, they contribute to the literature by providing a fine-grained theory of how mutual respectful engagement and caring in interactions across various roles and functions help individuals to more fully engage in creative efforts.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHandbook of Research on Leadership and Creativity
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Pages273-296
Number of pages24
ISBN (Electronic)9781784715465
ISBN (Print)9781784715458
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2017
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Michael D. Mumford and Sven Hemlin 2017. All rights reserved.

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