Leadership: Understanding the Dynamics of Power and Influence in Organizations, Second Edition

by Robert P. Vecchio (Editor)

Overview

Today, there are a growing number of business schools, law schools, and continuing education programs in executive development and management training that offer leadership classes. Despite the growing curricular recognition of this area, there is a shortage of strong college-level texts. Leadership, second edition—a completely up-to-date anthology of key writings by well-known contributors—meets this need for a textbook that encompasses the major theories in the field of leadership.

Leadership is divided into six sections. Part I provides an overview of the subject with readings that examine what leaders actually do, as well as the many myths surrounding the notion of leadership. Part II focuses on the fundamentals of leadership by taking a close look at the specific tactics people use to get their own way. These readings analyze the political games people play and the two-way nature of leader-subordinate influence. Part III considers problems that can arise from leadership gone wrong—when power and influence are abused. The major formal models of leadership that have been offered over the years are reviewed in Part IV. The next section looks at contemporary views of leadership, emphasizing reliance on maturity of subordinates for success, including leadership in the context of self-directed work teams, entrepreneurial leadership, the notion of the leader as servant, and examples of leaders who are recognized for having empowered others or for providing moral leadership. The final section examines the roles of societal and organizational cultures as they pertain to leadership.

Robert P. Vecchio has updated the second edition with six new articles. Aimed at upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level courses, Leadership continues to provide classic essays by the major figures in the field of leadership along with topical essays on current and emerging issues.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780268161620
Publisher:	University of Notre Dame Press
Publication date:	06/01/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	600
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Robert P. Vecchio holds the Franklin D. Schurz Chair in Management at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Organizational Behavior, which is now in its sixth edition.

Robert P. Vecchio (1950-2009) was the Franklin D. Schurz Chair in Management at the University of Notre Dame. In 1995, he assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Managemen, the first journal to be headquartered in the College of Business Administration. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate business students, Robert served on many editorial boards, published numerous articles, and authored books in the areas of leadership and organizational behavior, including Organizational Behavior, which is now in its sixth edition.

Editorial Reviews

"An excellent overview of classic issues and theories in leadership by some of the field's most respected scholars. The book is ideal for classroom use because it provides a nice blend of practitioner and scientific approaches to leadership." —Robert C. Liden, University of Illinois at Chicago

"Vecchio's approach to leadership covers the entire range of classic and contemporary leadership theory and research. This book contains essential readings on influence, dysfunctional aspects of leadership and emerging issues that most other texts only gloss over.” —Terri A. Scandura, University of Miami

“The second edition of this landmark work on leadership, edited by Vecchio, could have been subtitled 'From Good to Great,' as it is an improvement on his first edition (1997), which is considered a seminal work. More specifically, this six-part, 35-selection compilation includes classic scholarly and practitioner-focused articles; selections representing current thinking on the topic of leadership; and a number of original selections written by the editor and his colleagues. Faculty and graduate students, as well as practitioners in executive development programs, will find this an excellent resource on leadership and management development. Highly recommended.” —Choice

“Thirty-five papers examine the major theories in the field of leadership. The current edition has been updated where appropriate, while maintaining classic materials. Papers focus on an introduction and overview of leadership; power and influence; dysfunctional aspects of leadership; models of leadership; alternative views of leadership; and emerging issues.” —Journal of Economic Literature

“Now featuring eight new chapters, this expanded second edition of Leadership: Understanding The Dynamics Of Power And Influence In Organizations . . . is a completely up-to-date anthology of key writings on the subject of contemporary leadership in both its functional and dysfunctional aspects. . . . Leadership is a seminal body of work and especially recommended for both its standards of scholarship and its appropriateness for academic library reference collections and the supplemental reading lists of students aspiring to leadership positions in government, business, education, and community organizations." —Midwest Book Review

“Vecchio compiles a mix of 35 scholarly and managerial writings that discuss major theories of leadership for undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership and management, or executive MBA courses. The writings are drawn from management and leadership journals and periodicals. Coverage is of the function of leaders, myths surrounding the concept, leadership tactics, problems that occur from abuse of power and influence, formal models, contemporary views, and the roles of societal and organizational cultures, including gender issues.” —Research Book News

From the Publisher

"An excellent overview of classic issues and theories in leadership by some of the field's most respected scholars. The book is ideal for classroom use because it provides a nice blend of practitioner and scientific approaches to leadership."

Robert C. Liden