Leadership: A New Synthesis

By James G. Hunt

Book Overview

Finalist for the Academy of Management Best Book Award, 1992 "The Hunt book charts new waters in the study of leadership. . . . Achieves its purpose quite well. . . . Provides a highly impressive review of new developments in the study of leadership along with conceptual mechanisms for the integration of objectivist and subjectivist methodologies for the understanding of leadership in the context of large systems. . . . For the student of leadership, this book provides a stimulus for considering a subjectivist perspective for study as well as the traditional objectivist approach. . . . Another major innovation in Hunt′s work is the contrasting of transactional leadership with transformational leadership. . . . It has much more to offer for those who deal with complex bureaucracies than more simple organizations. Yet, we must remember that this book is directed to the scholar of leadership. As a source of ideas for expanding our conceptions of leadership and for further research, I have seldom encountered its equal." --Administration in Social Work "Chapter 1 of the book delineates clearly the purpose, focus, and scope of the book as well as its structure and organization, thus providing an excellent preview of things to come. In developing the synthesis and formulating the comprehensive multiple-level leadership model, the book goes far beyond the traditional leadership literature and incorporates ideas and concepts from literature in a wide range of fields. . . . The book accomplishes . . . what it sets out to do extraordinarily well. The author has done a masterful job of bringing together a diverse and wide-ranging literature and has succeeded in placing leadership within a managerial and organizational context that encompasses the total system as well as important sub-systems. . . . The book represents a monumental piece of work that significantly extends the frontiers and boundaries of leadership. . . . The book is definitely ′must reading′ for researchers and scholars who share an intellectual and serious interest in the subject of leadership. The expanded theoretical framework that the book provides is sure to have a significant impact on leadership research in the 1990s and beyond. As, and when, evidence begins to come in regarding the linkages among the various constituent parts of the models, it is likely to radically alter our ways of thinking, researching, and teaching about the elusive and complex phenomenon of leadership." --Contemporary Psychology "This is the book that I wish had been available when I took my graduate seminar in leadership and executive development. . . . Hunt has now provided a comprehensive framework for examining leadership. His synthesis brings together these perspectives among others in the presentation of a multiorganizational level leadership model. . . . Hunt uses several devices for orienting the reader. First, Hunt provides very effective introductions to each chapter. At the end of each chapter, the ′Concluding Commentary′ reinforces key concepts and helps with the transition to the next component. In addition, a figure of the model is reprinted in each of the component chapters. This also assists in integrating the material. . . . Leadership] is extremely important. . . . What Hunt has done with this book is challenge us to go beyond the short term. He has provided a model that can provide a framework for more effective research. He challenges both the ′objectivist′ and ′subjectivist′ to consider a rich approach. In doing so he has successfully integrated a diverse literature." --Journal of Management "Jerry Hunt maintains his position of world prominence in the study of leadership. This book takes the field in a new and exciting direction." --Robert E. Quinn, University of Michigan "Jerry Hunt negotiates a vast body of emerging literature on leadership with his characteristic facility and objectivity while gently nudging the reader toward a new synthesis. The good thing about Hunt′s synthesis is that it is gentle and non-interventionistic. This is in refreshing contrast to most attempts at integration through imposition of a rigid structure or framework. "In a sense this book represents a long-overdue marriage between Leadership and Philosophy of Science. Hunt, the matchmaker, deserves praise." --Appa Rao Korukonda, Saint Bonaventure University, New York "This book is the first to provide a broad integration of theory and research on leadership. Hunt brings together the crucial paradigm-shift issues in leadership and places them in a coherent context. This is a landmark book that may well define leadership theory for the next decade." --Marshall Sashkin, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Dept. of Education "An excellent compendium of very divergent views of leadership. Any scholar who reads the book will be impressed with the breadth of coverage. . . . Belongs on the bookshelf of any serious leadership scholar. This book provides a first step in clarifying the potential pieces of the (leadership) mosaic. As such, it was well worth the read." --Leadership Quarterly "The book is written in a lucid, highly readable style. The contents are organized with great skill and all the different parts dovetail well with one another through a cohesive theme. Throughout the book, the author has remained faithful to his original objective, which is to provide a synthesis of leadership concepts." --Vikalpa "Hunt deftly integrates organizational behavior, organizational theory, and strategic management research in his attempt to compare and contrast the findings and conclusions of mainstream leadership research. Of particular note are his analyses of "leadership domains" at different organizational levels, cognitive processes and related schemas, a broad array of leadership behavior typologies, transformational and visionary leadership (with a particularly interesting assessment o

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803937687
• ISBN13: 9780803937680
• Release Date: May 1991
• Publisher: Sage Publications
• Length: 358 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

This book goes beyond traditional leadership,A valuable resource for leadership scholars and practit

Covering a wide range of literature outside the traditional leadership for example systems theory, philosohy of science and desing analysis, there are many implications on this research 1.- at the top leadership becomes organizational - Instead of thinking face to face interactions here the concern is mission definition, strategy setting and organizational desing, thus the organizational and environmental factors become very important. 2.-Differences of complexity at diffent levels and the way we view various aspects of effectineness at each level. 3.- Organizational and individual transformation and change. 4.-The broaden knowledge orientation has implications for the way we understand the reality of leadership. Very clear written and easy to follow, part one emphazise on knowledge and each chapter goes in logical secuence to part two exploring the multilevel model and each interacting factors.