CALL FOR PAPERS
The Leadership Quarterly Special Issue on Leadership in Extreme Contexts
Editors:
Sean T. Hannah (sean.hannah@usma.edu), <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">United States</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Military</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Academy</st1:placetype></st1:place>
Mary Uhl-Bien (muhlbien@unlnotes.unl.edu), University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Bruce J. Avolio (bavolio@unlnotes.unl.edu ), University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Leadership scholars have called for increased attention to focusing on context in the study of leadership (e.g., Osborn, Hunt, & Jauch, 2002, LQ). In addition, organizational scientists are beginning to call for research on "extreme" contexts rather than average situations, and panels and symposiums on dangerous contexts were conducted at the most recent Gallup Leadership Institute Summit, SIOP, and served as the central theme at the last biannual Global Leadership Conference at <st1:place w:st="on">West Point</st1:place>. As noted by McKelvey (call for papers for 2008 Org Science Winter Conference), "managers don't really need the advice of organization science scholars when faced with 'average' situations. It is when they confront extreme events, emergent outcomes, irregularities, or crises that managers should find it useful to learn from organization scientists." However, very little empirical or theoretical work has addressed leadership in extreme situations. Therefore, the purpose of this special issue is to bring together a compendium of papers that begin to advance a science of leadership in extreme contexts.
We define extreme contexts as those in which leaders are faced with dangerous or highly dynamic and unpredictable situations where the outcomes of leadership processes can either avoid or result in catastrophic consequences. These consequences may be physical or psychological in nature (e.g., death, disaster, psychological trauma). We are less interested in purely economic consequences (e.g., large financial losses) as a focal point for examining extreme contexts, although we could envision examples related to the other two conditions, such as a pandemic crisis resulting in an economic disaster.
The editors pose the question, "What constitutes effective leadership for extreme contexts?" This broader question suggests more specific questions, such as: What are the dimensions comprising extreme contexts and what are the boundaries by which they can be defined? How should and does leadership differ under such conditions? Given self-selection, in what ways do followers and leaders differ from those in non-extreme 'regular' contexts? What unique attraction, selection, socialization and attrition processes are present and what are the implications for leadership? What individual differences and attributes are required for leading and following in extreme contexts? Where might shared leadership processes fit in understanding leadership in extreme contexts? What motivational and influence processes operate under these conditions? How does followership differ in these conditions? What type (e.g. shared, network, command and control) of leadership is most effective? How can we better inform leader, leadership, follower, followership, team member and team development? How should and does leadership influence meaning-making as well as self and social identity under extreme contexts? Finally, how do extreme contexts offer the opportunity for 'bad' leadership, corrupt leadership or personalized charismatic leadership to emerge?
In this special issue, we are calling for a broad, systems approach to studying leadership at the 'extremes' that includes a better understanding of leaders, followers, peers and the emergent influences of groups, teams and other collectives operating in extreme contexts. We also suggest that authors investigate how extreme conditions may vary by domain and type, are measured by magnitude versus extreme/not-extreme dichotomizations, and may be perceived and attributed differently by varied leaders and followers including some focus on cultural differences. The potential for catastrophic consequences inherent in extreme contexts also raises questions about outcome dependency. For example, how does leadership differ when both leaders and followers may experience the outcome (e.g., a swat team leader and his team all entering a building), when only followers are exposed to consequences (e.g., a commander sending troops into battle), or when neither leaders or followers but their 'client' is at risk (e.g., trauma team doctor or air traffic controller).
Papers should make a clear contribution toward advancing current leadership theory and research by bringing into focus the relevance of extreme contexts to investigating leadership. Papers are appropriate that provide frameworks and testable hypotheses to inform future study in this critical area of leadership research. We are particularly interested in pieces that advance the understanding of both leader development and leadership development to prepare practitioners to purposively operate in extreme contexts. Quantitative and qualitative empirical studies conducted in extreme contexts are highly desired. Papers offering current models focusing on reactive leadership under unplanned situations, such as the focus on "crisis leadership or management" will not necessarily be excluded, but will be scrutinized for their theoretical and practical application to the main focus of this call. We encourage authors to consult or collaborate with practitioners who operate in extreme conditions to ensure papers have ecological validity and practical implications/applications.
Due Date: Full paper submissions need to be received by <st1:date w:st="on" year="2008" day="1" month="11">November 1, 2008</st1:date>. The special issue editors encourage but do not require authors to submit a 5 page (double spaced) proposal outlining their intended paper. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis up to <st1:date w:st="on" year="2008" day="1" month="9">September 1, 2008</st1:date> and authors will receive prompt feedback about the suitability of their intended paper.
An electronic copy of the submission should be sent to Dr. Sean Hannah at sean.hannah@usma.edu. Questions about this special issue, expectations, requirements, and the appropriateness of a topic can be answered by any of the editors. Inquiries about the regular issues of The Leadership Quarterly should be made to Dr. Michael D. Mumford, Senior Editor, email: mmumford@ou.edu.
Submission Guidelines: Manuscripts should be prepared in MS Word in accordance with APA format and be no longer than 40 pages (not including abstract and references). Additional information on the Leadership Quarterly may be obtained at www.ilr.ba.ttu.edu.