Exploratory Study of Polyvagal Theory and Underlying Stress and Trauma That Influence Major Leadership Approaches

Abstract

Leadership approaches have evolved to incorporate rational and non-rational processes. Traditional leadership research focused on internal and external organizational influences, but this paper underscores the need for adopting modern-day approaches for investigating leadership outcomes. Neuroscience can illuminate different cognitive effects that influence leadership. The research paper highlights the importance of attitudes towards leadership due to the complexity of modern organizational influences. The main forces highlighted are polyvagal theory, underlying stress, and trauma. A literature review provides a description of the fundamental neural and cognitive drivers of leadership. The paper also explains the findings of research studies demonstrating the correlation between neurocognitive processes and three leadership approaches: transactional, transformational and servant leadership. The discussion section elaborates these findings to determine whether insights can be applied in typical organizational settings. Lastly, the conclusion section summarizes the main deductions and explains limitations and recommendations for future exploratory investigations on rational and non-rational leadership choices. Overall, the paper attempts to justify why non-rational drivers carry equal weight as the rational influences.

Exploration of How Polyvagal Theory and Autonomic Nervous System Impact Organizational Performance Through Reduced Employee Turnover and Improved Work Culture

“…Employee turnover is a critical challenge in most organizations. An article published by the Harvard Business Review reveals that employee turnover in the modern work environment is relatively high (Tupper and Ellis, 2022). These changes can be attributed to the never-ending cycle of releasing and recruiting new workers.…”

“…Alternatively, other workers resign prematurely because they lack sufficient career progression opportunities or work in unconducive organizational environments. If this trend continues, employee turnover is projected to increase by 50-70% (Tupper and Ellis, 2022). The current study aims to highlight how creating a polyvagal-informed work environment can alleviate rising employee turnover rates worldwide.…”