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All-inclusive and all good: the hegemonic ambiguity of leadership

Blom, Martin LU and Alvesson, Mats LU (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:
author
and
organization
publishing date
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
2022-04-14 19:56:42
@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}},
}