Purpose: Leadership theory has morphed and diverged through many iterations from Thomas Carlyle’s Great Man Theory of the early 1900s to the array of people-centered theories actively applied today. While change and growth in theory are natural, modern Human Resource Development (HRD) scholars and practitioners are facing a distinct lack of consensus on a dominant modern leadership theory. This descriptive review seeks to determine what current Human Resource Development scholars are looking for in a leadership theory. This analysis may assist in the creation of a more universally accepted leadership theory by discerning what current Human Resource Development scholars prioritize in their work on leadership. Design/Methodology/Approach: With the lack of a universally accepted modern leadership theory in mind, this descriptive literature review seeks to determine what current Human Resource Development scholars are looking for in a leadership theory. Three online resource databases were searched for scholarly, peer-reviewed articles pertaining to leadership and Human Resource Development. The literature reviews and conceptual frameworks were analyzed to determine how these scholars define the construct of leadership theory, how they label these theories, and the organizational results from the application of these theories. Findings: The following five points describe the commonalties and patterns in the literature: concept ambiguity in the HRD leadership field, a desire for representation, rejection of models relying on economic outcomes or behavioral approaches, acceptance of follower-driven theory, and the confounding effect of power distance on theory acceptance or application. The findings of this paper provide direction toward the creation of a comprehensive, universally accepted HRD leadership theory.
Cite this paper
Watson, M. J. (2024). Beyond Transformational Leadership: A Descriptive Review on the Future of Leadership Theory in Human Resource Development. Open Access Library Journal, 11, e1362. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1111362.
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