The relationship between self-enhancement & self-transcendence personal values and strategist & integrator mindset characteristics of responsible leadership
<p>Responsible leadership emerged out of
ethical leadership and its definition has evolved over the years. The initial
definition of responsible leadership was constructed from an ethical leadership
paradigm. A new proposed definition has emerged that proposes that responsible
leadership is not a leadership style but rather an integrator or a strategist
mindset. The integrator mindset is aligned to the stakeholder’s theory and
therefore is inclined to favour stakeholders opposed to shareholder’s needs;
while the strategist adopts an economic perspective of an organisation and prefers
to prioritise shareholders’ needs compared to stakeholders’ needs.</p>
<p>Various drivers affect the behaviour
of responsible leadership. Macro drivers such as the national culture, the type
of economy of the country and the type of industry have an impact on the
behaviour of responsible leaders. The mining industry is a controversial
industry; that is dependent on natural resources and mining operations can have
a negative impact on the surrounding society and the environment. Meso drivers
such as organisational policies and programmes can have in impact on
responsible leadership. Micro drivers such as personal values have an impact on
the behaviour responsible leaders exhibit. The self-enhancement personal value
dimension consists of power and achievement, while self-transcendence consists
of universalism and benevolence. Individuals with self-enhancement will focus
on achievement and gaining power over resources, while individuals with self-transcendence
focus on being benevolent and being universalists. </p>
<p>This study investigated the
relationship between personal values; namely self-enhancement and
self-transcendence with the two responsible leadership mindsets being
strategist and integrator. This study adopted the hypothesis that individuals
with self-enhancement personal values will prefer to adopt a strategist mindset
while individuals with self-transcendence will adopt an integrator mindset. </p>
<p>This study was conducted in the
mining industry and within an emerging economy, South Africa. This was a
quantitative study and therefore, a questionnaire was compiled, and responses
was solicited to the various management groups within the mining industry for
subsequent statistical evaluation. This study found that a positive
relationship exists between self-enhancement and strategist. Similarly, a
positive relationship has been established between self-transcendence and the
integrator mindset.</p>
