Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

2-2018

Abstract

With roots dating back to Fiedler’s (1978) contingency model, contextual leadership has been one of the most trending topics in leadership research over the last decade. However, although roughly 500 studies have examined the impact of context on leadership and its outcomes, there is neither a systematic approach to nor agreement regarding what constitutes the context for leadership. This is surprising, considering the central role that context plays in leadership: Leadership does not occur in a vacuum, but rather exists in a context where leaders function. This review article uses Johns’s (2006) categorical framework to fully portray the leadership context and systematically reviews the existing theoretical frameworks and empirical findings for the impact of context. When called for, this review also integrates related streams of research (e.g., institutional theory). Finally, the article summarizes the general trends in the study of contextual leadership and suggests future directions, offering ideas to help meaningfully structure the voluminous and diverse body of research on the leadership context.

Keywords

Contextual leadership, leadership context

Discipline

Leadership Studies | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Leadership Quarterly

Volume

29

Issue

1

First Page

218

Last Page

235

ISSN

1048-9843

Identifier

10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.12.004

Publisher

Elsevier

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.12.004

Download

Share

COinS