Transformational leadership and learning flows

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine how transformational leadership impacts learning flows that are critical for enhancing the learning capabilities of organizations. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 502 employees of business organizations located in India. A cross-sectional design was adopted, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis. Findings Transformational leadership behavior positively influences feed-forward learning flows in organizations and strengthens their learning stock. Learning stock held by the individuals emerged as a predictor of feed-forward learning flows in organizations and a partial mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and feed-forward learning flows. The study’s findings suggest transformational leadership encourages feed-forward learning flows through the development of individual learning stock. Originality/value This study empirically supports the theoretical claim of transformational leadership behaviors as an important antecedent to fostering organizational learning.

Balancing power, learning and change in learning organizations

“…Hariharan & Anand (2023) found that transformational leadership strengthens followers’ learning stocks and that such learning stocks lead to increased feed-forward learning flows. When there is transformational leadership and the learning stock is high, transformational leadership stimulates feed-forward learning flows more intensely.…”

“…Hariharan & Anand (2023) address learning flows and how they can be influenced by transformational leadership. Optimizing learning flows is key to improving an organization’s learning capability and its competitive advantage.…”

“…Employees represent the human capital of the organization and the individual learning stock. Hariharan & Anand (2023) state that the individual learning stock, i.e. the competencies and motivation required for effective task performance, is influenced by feed-forward and feed-back learning flows.…”

“…In the face of adverse circumstances, but also in normal situations, practitioners should practice agile and contextual learning as well as transformational learning. Transformational learning can be stimulated by transformational leadership, which Hariharan & Anand (2023) explored in terms of learning flows, particularly feed-forward learning flows that introduce new learning and ideas. In some systems, such as libraries, order is a much more desirable state, especially when it is culturally driven, which was addressed by Tran (2023).…”

Leadership styles, collaborative integrative behavior and ambidexterity in university research groups

“…Transformational leadership facilitates the growth of the work teams' learning capacity through intellectual stimulation (L opez-Zapata, Hincapi e-Montoya, & Zuluaga-Correa, 2017) and influences an organization's ability to pursue exploitation and exploration innovation by promoting their ambidexterity (Jansen, Van Den Bosch, & Volberda, 2005). Recent studies have found that transformational leadership fosters feed-forward learning flows through the development of individual learning stock (Hariharan & Anand, 2023). The performance of work teams tends to improve due to the organizational climate and job satisfaction promoted by the transformational leadership style (Gaviria-Rivera & L opez-Zapata, 2019).…”