| dc.description.abstract | The present study aims to explore positive and negative leadership behaviours (i.e. transformational and non-transformational leadership) in a non-Western ‘change and transformation’ context through qualitative methods. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with
knowledge workers in Turkey. In addition to the original dimensions found in the literature, four
categories of transformational leadership emerged: benevolent paternalism, implementation of
the vision, employee participation and teamwork, and proactive behaviour. Among these categories,
benevolent paternalism was identified to be the most frequently mentioned aspect of transformational
leadership in the Turkish context, which implies that cultural context may influence
the form and enactment of transformational leadership. Regarding non-transformational leadership,
five categories emerged: destructive, closed, passive/ineffective, active-failed and a miscellaneous
category. Among these, destructive leadership that includes authoritarian elements was
identified as the most frequently mentioned form of non-transformational leadership. These
findings imply that non-transformational leadership comes in many forms, supporting the numerous
constructs on the destructive/unethical–ineffective/incompetent continuum found in the
negative leadership literature. The findings are discussed with reference to the literature and
to social change in Turkey. | en_US |
