Scientific article 7. DEC 2022
What Makes a Leader? Leadership Identity and Leadership Behavior among Highly Professionalized Public Leaders
Authors:
- Mathilde Cecchini
- Lars Dahl Pedersen
- Mickael Bech
- Christian Bøtcher Jacobsen
- Ane-Kathrine Lundberg Hansen
The development of a leadership identity has been argued to be an important determinant for what leaders do. For leaders in highly specialized work environments, the development of a leadership identity has been regarded both in absolute terms and in relation to their professional identity. This study investigates the extent to which leadership identity in absolute and relative terms explains various types of leadership behaviors. Based on panel survey data from clinical directors in Danish hospital departments, the findings show that the absolute leadership identity predicts transformational, transactional, and professional development leadership, whereas no correlations are found between relative leadership identity and leadership behavior. The study supports the expectation that leadership identity is, in its own right, an important precondition for leadership behavior.
Authors
- Mathilde CecchiniLars Dahl PedersenMickael BechChristian Bøtcher JacobsenAne-Kathrine Lundberg Hansen
About this publication
Published in
International Journal of Public Administration