Scandinavian Working Papers in Business Administration
Working Paper Series,
Lund University, Institute of Economic Research
No 2003/5: Managers Doing Leadership: The extra-ordinarization of the mundane
Mats Alvesson () and Stefan Sveningsson ()
Additional contact information
Mats Alvesson: Department of Business Administration, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Postal: Department of Business Administration, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7080, SE-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Stefan Sveningsson: Department of Business Administration, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Postal: Department of Business Administration, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7080, SE-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Abstract: Based on a case study of managers in a large, international knowledge-intensive company this paper suggests a rethinking of leadership, taking the mundane, almost trivial, aspects of what managers/leaders actually do seriously. In the study interviewed managers emphasized the importance of listening and informal chatting. Managers listening to subordinates are assumed to bring various positive effects, e.g. that people feel more respected, visible and less anonymous and included in teamwork. Rather than certain acts in themselves being significant, it is that managers are doing them that give them a special, emotional value beyond their everyday significance. Leadership is conceptualized as the extra-ordinarization of the mundane.
Keywords: Leadership; Management; Extra-ordinarization; Mundane; KIF (knowledge-intensive firms)
17 pages, August 25, 2003
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