All-inclusive and all good: the hegemonic ambiguity of leadership
(2015) In Scandinavian Journal of Management 31(4). p.480-492- Abstract
- This paper examines the reasons behind the popularity of leadership and leadership studies. We claim that at least part of the answer to why leadership is so celebrated and ubiquitous – in academia as well in society at large – can be found in how the term typically is (not) defined and presented. Leadership discourses are almost always persuasive; constructed to appeal and seduce audiences of the value and significance of leadership. Given their ambiguity, almost everything can be squeezed in and benefit from the aura of leadership. We propose the concept of hegemonic ambiguity to capture this and point at some basic problems associated with it, and argue for a more reflexive approach in relation to the signifier.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/7791561
- author
- Blom, Martin LU and Alvesson, Mats LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2015
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Leadership, Leadership studies, Followership, Reflexivity
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of Management
- volume
- 31
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 480 - 492
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000366791600003
- scopus:84951938861
- ISSN
- 0956-5221
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.scaman.2015.08.001
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 9fa95b9e-e372-4d85-b4a2-a668e617d430 (old id 7791561)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 14:49:31
- date last changed
- 2024-05-23 07:11:58
@article{9fa95b9e-e372-4d85-b4a2-a668e617d430, abstract = {{This paper examines the reasons behind the popularity of leadership and leadership studies. We claim that at least part of the answer to why leadership is so celebrated and ubiquitous – in academia as well in society at large – can be found in how the term typically is (not) defined and presented. Leadership discourses are almost always persuasive; constructed to appeal and seduce audiences of the value and significance of leadership. Given their ambiguity, almost everything can be squeezed in and benefit from the aura of leadership. We propose the concept of hegemonic ambiguity to capture this and point at some basic problems associated with it, and argue for a more reflexive approach in relation to the signifier.}}, author = {{Blom, Martin and Alvesson, Mats}}, issn = {{0956-5221}}, keywords = {{Leadership; Leadership studies; Followership; Reflexivity}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{4}}, pages = {{480--492}}, publisher = {{Elsevier}}, series = {{Scandinavian Journal of Management}}, title = {{All-inclusive and all good: the hegemonic ambiguity of leadership}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2015.08.001}}, doi = {{10.1016/j.scaman.2015.08.001}}, volume = {{31}}, year = {{2015}}, }