The DOI matches its Crossref record; 168 of the 168 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A Critical Assessment of Charismatic—Transformational Leadership Research: Back to the Drawing Board?
Abstract
There is a widely shared consensus that charismatic–transformational leadership is a particularly effective form of leadership. In a critical assessment of the state-of-the-science in this area of research, we question the validity of that conclusion. We identify four problems with theory and research in charismatic–transformational leadership. First, a clear conceptual definition of charismatic–transformational leadership is lacking. Current theories advance multi-dimensional conceptualizations of charismatic–transformational leadership without specifying how these different dimensions combine to form charismatic–transformational leadership, or how dimensions are selected for inclusion or exclusion. Second, theories fail to sufficiently specify the causal model capturing how each dimension has a distinct influence on mediating processes and outcomes and how this is contingent on moderating influences. Third, conceptualization and operationalization confounds charismatic–transformational leadership with its effects. Fourth, the most frequently used measurement tools are invalid in that they fail to reproduce the dimensional structure specified by theory and fail to achieve empirical distinctiveness from other aspects of leadership. Given that these problems are fundamental and inherent in the approaches analyzed, it is recommended that current approaches be abandoned, and that the field forego the label of charismatic–transformational leadership in favor of the study of more…
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In the citing paper
“Van Knippenberg and Sitkin (2013) identified numerous problems with transformational leadership theory and measurement.”
From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
In the citing paper
“Both critiques point out that the conceptualisation and operationalisation of these prominent leadership styles confound the variable with its effects.”
From A meta-analysis of the role of trust in the leadership- performance relationship (2021) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin 2013
In the citing paper
“Sustained efforts to the contrary confound characteristics with behaviors and behaviors with their effects, creating dangerous threats to validity that undermine the utility of leadership research (van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013).”
From Taking Stock of Moral Approaches to Leadership: An Integrative Review of Ethical, Authentic, and Servant Leadership (2019) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
In the citing paper
“An additional advantage to focusing on component-level items is that narrower item breadth further increases construct validity because it reduces the risk of measuring a phenomenon by its antecedents or outcomes, a practice that creates an additional threat to validity that is germane to the moral leadership and the broader leadership literature alike (van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013).”
From Taking Stock of Moral Approaches to Leadership: An Integrative Review of Ethical, Authentic, and Servant Leadership (2019) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
In the citing paper
“questions of similar theory, mechanisms, measurements, and outcomes have been asked of virtually all branches of leadership research for decades”
From Taking Stock of Moral Approaches to Leadership: An Integrative Review of Ethical, Authentic, and Servant Leadership (2019) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
In the citing paper
“Whereas the leadership literature is often criticized for its overreliance on empiricism and absence of strong theory (e.g., van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013), the philosophy and ethics literatures are conversely in need of rigorous empiricism to test their many theories (Widdershoven & van der Scheer, 2008).”
From Taking Stock of Moral Approaches to Leadership: An Integrative Review of Ethical, Authentic, and Servant Leadership (2019) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
In the citing paper
“Criticism of survey-based leadership measures has been raised with moral approaches to leadership, including transformational, ethical, authentic, and servant leadership receiving the most attention (Fischer & Sitkin, 2023; Fischer et al., in press; van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013).”
From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
In the citing paper
“They contended that these problems were so serious ' that leadership research and practice are better off abandoning the construct of charismatictransformational leadership ' (p. 2).”
From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
In the citing paper
“casting such strong recommendations, for example, that transformational leadership research be abandoned (van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013) or that positive leadership suffers from a ' fatal ' fl aw (Fischer et al., in press) as extreme and inappropriate.”
From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Dinh, J. E., Lord, R. G., Gardner, W. L., Meuser, J. D., Liden, R. C., & Hu, J. (2014) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.005 · Cited by 1,426
Paradox research in management science: Looking back to move forward
Schad, J., Lewis, M. W., Raisch, S., & Smith, W. K. (2016) · Academy of Management Annals · doi:10.5465/19416520.2016.1162422 · Cited by 1,385
Followership theory: A review and research agenda
Uhl-Bien, M., Riggio, R. E., Lowe, K. B., & Carsten, M. K. (2014) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.007 · Cited by 1,213
Leadership, creativity, and innovation: A critical review and practical recommendations
Hughes, D. J., Lee, A., Tian, A. W., Newman, A., & Legood, A. (2018) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.03.001 · Cited by 1,080
The Why and How of the Integrative Review
Cronin, M. A., & George, E. (2020) · Organizational Research Methods · doi:10.1177/1094428120935507 · Cited by 850
Metadata
- Authors
- van Knippenberg, D., & Sitkin, S. B.
- Affiliations
- Duke University (US)
- Venue
- Academy of Management Annals
- Publisher
- Academy of Management
- Published
- 2013-06
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-60
- ISSN
- 1941-6067 (ISSN-L)
- 1941-6520
- OpenAlex
- W4232157136
- Cited by
- 1,302
- References
- 168
- Citations by year
- 2026: 74 · 2025: 84 · 2024: 85 · 2023: 126 · 2022: 129 · 2021: 113 · 2020: 131 · 2019: 104 · 2018: 112 · 2017: 105 · 2016: 91 · 2015: 76 · 2014: 48 · 2013: 23
- FWCI
- 163.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Academy of Management Annals (publishedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Employee Performance and Leadership
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Leadership and Management in Organizations
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Keywords
- charismatic leadership, transformational leadership, leadership theory, conceptual definitions, causal models, measurement validity, dimensional structure, operationalization, mediating mechanisms
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