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Managers doing leadership: The extra-ordinarization of the mundane

Alvesson, Mats LU and Sveningsson, Stefan LU (2003) In Human Relations 56(12). p.1435-1459
Abstract
Based on a case study of managers in a large, international knowledge-intensive company this article suggests a rethinking of leadership, taking the mundane, almost trivial, aspects of what managers/leaders actually do seriously. In the study, the managers interviewed emphasized the importance of listening and informal chatting. Managers listening to subordinates are assumed to have various positive effects, e.g. people feel more respected, visible and less anonymous, and included in teamwork. Rather than certain acts being significant in themselves, it is their being done by managers that gives them a special, emotional value beyond their everyday significance. Leadership is conceptualized as the extra-ordinarization of the mundane.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
extra-ordinarization, leadership management, mundane, knowledge-intensive firm
in
Human Relations
volume
56
issue
12
pages
1435 - 1459
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • wos:000221179800001
  • scopus:2442447206
ISSN
0018-7267
DOI
10.1177/00187267035612001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b7e37101-ac7d-4833-9df0-2146e7d211d4 (old id 899032)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:16:42
date last changed
2022-04-21 05:15:07
@article{b7e37101-ac7d-4833-9df0-2146e7d211d4,
  abstract     = {{Based on a case study of managers in a large, international knowledge-intensive company this article suggests a rethinking of leadership, taking the mundane, almost trivial, aspects of what managers/leaders actually do seriously. In the study, the managers interviewed emphasized the importance of listening and informal chatting. Managers listening to subordinates are assumed to have various positive effects, e.g. people feel more respected, visible and less anonymous, and included in teamwork. Rather than certain acts being significant in themselves, it is their being done by managers that gives them a special, emotional value beyond their everyday significance. Leadership is conceptualized as the extra-ordinarization of the mundane.}},
  author       = {{Alvesson, Mats and Sveningsson, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{0018-7267}},
  keywords     = {{extra-ordinarization; leadership management; mundane; knowledge-intensive firm}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1435--1459}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Human Relations}},
  title        = {{Managers doing leadership: The extra-ordinarization of the mundane}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00187267035612001}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/00187267035612001}},
  volume       = {{56}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}