Innovative Leaders and Empowered Employees: Insights into the Future of Work

A special issue of Administrative Sciences (ISSN 2076-3387). This special issue belongs to the section "Leadership".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2022) | Viewed by 22637

Special Issue Editors

École des Ponts Business School Paris, Paris, France
Interests: qualitative research methods; family business; executive coaching; sustainable business strategy; social innovation; digital entrepreneurship; circular economy; digital disruption’s impact on leadership
EADA Business School, 08011 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: international business; authentic leadership development and disruptive strategy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

After decades of growing income inequality, job loss due to technologically-driven advances, and rising social conflict, the global pandemic of 2020 and 2021 has pushed economic systems into decline, disrupted labor markets, and fully revealed our failed social contracts between employers and employees.

Today’s advancing technological innovation, which defines the Fourth Industrial Revolution, can be leveraged to reskill and upskill individuals orient today’s workers towards the future of work. At the younger end of the workforce spectrum, individuals increasingly expect to be able to vary their career paths and at the same time continuously upgrade their skills in the use of new technologies. However, the efforts to support those affected by the current crisis lag behind the speed of disruption.

Employers claim that the need for skilled talent is so urgent that the conventional education system cannot keep up with demand. The Reskilling Revolution program launched by the World Economic Forum in January 2020 estimated that one billion people need to be provided with better education, new skills, and better work by 2030.  It is now urgent to enact what the WEF calls the Global Reset and find solutions to the evident talent mismatch experienced between individuals and corporations in the 4IR era. It is our hope as scholars and academics that leaders and employees collaborate to shape a more just, economically and socially, global labor market 

This Special Issue of Administrative Sciences aims to refine a focus on how both innovative leaders and empowered employees can show us the way to a more equitable future of work across developed and developing economies.

Prof. Dr. Daphne Halkias
Dr. Jordi Diaz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • future of work
  • employee empowerment
  • reskilling

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 933 KiB  
Article
Psychological Empowerment and Job Performance: Examining Serial Mediation Effects of Self-Efficacy and Affective Commitment
by Paola Ochoa Pacheco, David Coello-Montecel and Michelle Tello
Adm. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13030076 - 07 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3067
Abstract
A substantial body of literature has analyzed the influence of psychological empowerment on individual and organizational outcomes. However, there is still a need to examine how empowered employees achieve higher performance. To fill this gap in the literature, this study analyzed the mediating [...] Read more.
A substantial body of literature has analyzed the influence of psychological empowerment on individual and organizational outcomes. However, there is still a need to examine how empowered employees achieve higher performance. To fill this gap in the literature, this study analyzed the mediating role of self-efficacy and affective commitment in the relationship between psychological empowerment and task-based job performance. Data were collected from 357 employees. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping procedures. The results validated the structural relationships between psychological empowerment, self-efficacy, affective commitment, and task-based job performance. In addition, the serial mediation effect of self-efficacy and affective commitment was also confirmed. These results highlight the relevance of psychological variables, such as psychological empowerment and affective commitment, for individuals and organizations. The study supports that feeling empowered and emotionally committed is essential in building a long-term relationship between the employee and the organization. Full article
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17 pages, 440 KiB  
Article
Towards a Funambulist Leadership in Researchers Well-Being: Managing Equilibriums and Tensions in the Hybrid Work Era
by Jacinto G. Lorca and Simone Belli
Adm. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13020063 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1936
Abstract
The chaotic adaptation to hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that workers still do not know how professional dynamics function correctly in this new context. In this paper, we focus on new issues that have arisen in this era of hybrid [...] Read more.
The chaotic adaptation to hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that workers still do not know how professional dynamics function correctly in this new context. In this paper, we focus on new issues that have arisen in this era of hybrid work, with the aim of improving performance, conciliation, and well-being in the specific professional environments of universities and research institutes. We will show the results from a non-representative survey comprising 451 scientists. Aspects such as management and leadership over their work, the purpose to achieve something innovative in their work, and promoting well-being in their work spaces and co-workers, have been observed and identified in the survey. The figure of a leader emerges as someone who is communicative, collaborative, and that helps colleagues and their professional development. We suggest that a tightrope walker leader, that is, one who knows how to strike a balance between individual needs and collective interests, could be the key to ensuring the well-being of scientists. Full article
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12 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
Supporting Knowledge Workers’ Health and Well-Being in the Post-Lockdown Era
by Tatiana Harkiolakis and Marcos Komodromos
Adm. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13020049 - 08 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2389
Abstract
The specific problem is that knowledge workers experience high levels of stress and burnout in their professional lives, a trend that increased due to the transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This integrative literature review addresses this problem by answering the [...] Read more.
The specific problem is that knowledge workers experience high levels of stress and burnout in their professional lives, a trend that increased due to the transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This integrative literature review addresses this problem by answering the following research questions: (1) How can working in the post-lockdown era allow greater well-being, job satisfaction, and job security to abide?; and (2) How can mental capital be increased in the 21st century to ensure maximum health and positive well-being in the future employment arena and on a global scale? This review contributes to the literature on worker health and wellbeing, hybrid work arrangements, and knowledge workers’ professional experiences. The findings suggest that knowledge workers can only thrive in a hybrid work environment if organizations take an empathetic approach to manage these workers and give them sufficient autonomy and flexibility in determining their work conditions, in addition to ample opportunities for social interaction and professional advancement. Full article
21 pages, 533 KiB  
Article
Pandemic Imposed Remote Work Arrangements and Resultant Work-Life Integration, Future of Work and Role of Leaders—A Qualitative Study of Indian Millennial Workers
by Debashish Sengupta and Dwa Al-Khalifa
Adm. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12040162 - 11 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5104
Abstract
The unprecedented nature and scale of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mass lockdowns around the world, and millions of people were forced to work remotely for months, confined in their homes. Our study was aimed at understanding how pandemic-imposed remote work arrangements affected [...] Read more.
The unprecedented nature and scale of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mass lockdowns around the world, and millions of people were forced to work remotely for months, confined in their homes. Our study was aimed at understanding how pandemic-imposed remote work arrangements affected millennial workers in India. With signs of the pandemic slowing down, but with the likelihood of organizations retaining some of these work arrangements, the paper also explores how these are likely to affect the future of work, and the role that organizations and leaders have in managing the workforce in the ‘new normal’. The study follows an interpretivist paradigm and qualitative research approach using the narrative method as a key research strategy. The data was collected using in-depth interviews from Indian millennial respondents employed in both private and government sectors. The findings show a kind of work-life integration for the workers as a result of the pandemic-imposed remote work arrangements. This integration has been caused by four different types of issues that have also emerged as four major themes which have resulted in a further 10 sub-themes. The four major themes identified in this research are Managerial Issues, Work Issues, Logistical Issues, and Psychological Issues. Full article
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13 pages, 1134 KiB  
Article
Hey Leaders, It’s Time to Train the Workforce: Critical Skills in the Digital Workplace
by Pauline Weritz
Adm. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12030094 - 02 Aug 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3403
Abstract
Businesses are confronted with digital challenges and require skilled employees to work effectively in the digital workplace. Drawing on the theoretical background of digital workplace transformation and the conceptual learning framework, we conducted a qualitative study. With the help of a cross-case analysis [...] Read more.
Businesses are confronted with digital challenges and require skilled employees to work effectively in the digital workplace. Drawing on the theoretical background of digital workplace transformation and the conceptual learning framework, we conducted a qualitative study. With the help of a cross-case analysis of nine multinational corporations, we provide a skillset for leaders on how to train the workforce in the digital workplace. The insights showed that an entrepreneurial mindset, digital responsible thinking, digital literacy, transformative skills, personal development skills, communication skills, community management skills, data analytic skills, and web development skills are critical in the digital workplace. These findings contribute to the literature by offering an exploratory understanding of essential skills for the digital workplace. Furthermore, we provide a theoretical foundation for future empirical investigations of cognitive and metacognitive, social-emotional, and practical skills. The study also offers practical implications for businesses and leaders on how to upskill the workforce and what kind of employees to recruit in the future workplace. Full article
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14 pages, 845 KiB  
Article
Technology Boom(ers): How US Multinational Technology Companies Are Preparing for an Ageing Workforce
by Alan Stone and Nicholas Harkiolakis
Adm. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12030091 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2630
Abstract
This study addresses a lack of knowledge of how US multinational organizations are preparing for an ageing workforce. The study took the form of a qualitative multiple-case study, comprising in depth semi-structured interviews of senior managers in target companies selected through purposive sampling. [...] Read more.
This study addresses a lack of knowledge of how US multinational organizations are preparing for an ageing workforce. The study took the form of a qualitative multiple-case study, comprising in depth semi-structured interviews of senior managers in target companies selected through purposive sampling. The study used institutional theory and dynamic capabilities theory as theoretical frameworks. The findings of the study imply that there are still no rigorous processes in place to support the contribution of older workers to the success of the organization, that legislative compliance is a key current focus, and that considerations of intersectionality between age and other aspects of diversity are emerging. These findings suggest recommendations for practice that are related to the transparency of age-related data, implementation of considered recruitment and retention strategies for older workers, and the direct involvement of older workers in technological product and service development. Full article
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12 pages, 572 KiB  
Article
Going the Extra Mile (or Not): A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Job Resources, Abusive Leadership, Autonomous Motivation, and Extra-Role Performance
by Annick Parent-Lamarche, Claude Fernet and Stéphanie Austin
Adm. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12020054 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2827
Abstract
Abusive leadership is particularly prevalent in nursing and it can have multiple adverse effects on performance at work. However, little research has examined whether and under what conditions abusive leadership may be detrimental to nurses’ extra-role performance. This cross-sectional study explores whether abusive [...] Read more.
Abusive leadership is particularly prevalent in nursing and it can have multiple adverse effects on performance at work. However, little research has examined whether and under what conditions abusive leadership may be detrimental to nurses’ extra-role performance. This cross-sectional study explores whether abusive leadership intensifies the effects of emotional job resources on autonomous motivation, a psychological mechanism that could be responsible for extra-role performance. Data were collected from dyads of registered French-Canadian nurses and their immediate supervisors (n = 99 dyads). The models were tested with path analysis using Mplus. Our results show that extra-role performance is positively associated with nurses’ job emotional resources and autonomous motivation, but negatively associated with abusive leadership. Nurses’ cynicism is also negatively associated with autonomous motivation. Importantly, the indirect relation between emotional resources and extra-role performance through autonomous motivation is moderated by abusive leadership, providing support for a moderated mediation effect. These results add to those supporting a similar moderated mediation mechanism to explain employee attitudes and demonstrate the relevance of self-determination theory in a work context. These findings reinforce the need to focus on the quality of leadership practices as well as interventions aimed at promoting the performance of nurses at work. Full article
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