This theoretical paper attempts to explore how fostering employee creativity is an important leadership function. Creativity is one of the important factors in organizations ability in creating a sustainable competitive advantage and is required in doing activities effectively. Creative outcomes cannot be achieved without a large degree of support from team members and most importantly leaders. Employees do not need to worry about the outcomes and can pay attention in doing tasks differently and creatively under the guidance of a transformational leader This also leads to significant commitment from the employees towards the organization . It becomes very crucial for organizations to hire leaders who will bring out the best in their employees which will lead to positive development of not just the organization but also of the employees . This paper suggests that Transformational leader plays an important role in bringing out employee creativity .
Table of Contents :
1. Introduction
2. Creativity
2.1. Creative process
3. Leadership
4. Transformational Leadership
4.1. Relation between Transformational Leaders and their Employees
4.2. The role of Transformational Leaders in Employee’s Creativity
5. Conclusion
1. INTRODUCTION
The structure landscape was reworked, since the beginning of twenty first century . Improvement in technology, a world marketplace, NAFTA, the European Union, a lax economy, and plenty of alternative factors demanded that organizations create practices cheaper, move closer to their consumers, and otherwise become additional economical. The authorization of workers has been an important ingredient during this transformation(Forrester, 2000). As compared to historically designed organizations , Empowered workers have larger authority and responsibility for his or her work (Conger and Kanungo, 1988). structure culture and Leadership are widely believed to be connected within the method of amendment (Afsaneh, 1993; Kotter, 1998; Schein, 1984). As Kotter (1998) stated, “Only through leadership can one truly develop and nurture culture that is adaptive to change” (p. 166). Ostroff, Kinicki, Tamkins (2003) consider Leadership as an emerging method that acts on each structured atmosphere and culture.
Followers usually complain regarding careless or irrational leaders. On the opposite hand, leaders usually disregard their followers, whether or not by design. The results are that followers will leave their job ,the requirements of the corporate sometimes does not match with the changing Management , or additional accurately, it doesn’t match the wants of the followers .In order to fulfill the wants of their workers ,companies are focusing on employing leaders who are capable which leads to motivation and high performance. However will this be successful ? Will a leader be able to focus on every follower? What sorts of qualities and what sorts of leadership designs should be taken into account ?
( Amann, D,2014).
Creativity is helpful for the success of the structure (Oldham and E.E.Cummings 1996; Scott and Bruce 1994). Therefore, one biggest concern of analysis on creativeness is to spot factors that promote worker creativeness (Baas et al. 2008; Binnewies and Wörnlein 2011; Hülsheger et al. 2009). Studies have found positive association between transformational leader and worker’s creativeness (Eisenbeiss et al. 2008; Chinese et al. 2008; Zhang et al. 2011). Transformational leaders encourage their followers to see things with different perspective and force them to try out new methods in achieving their goal(Podsakoff et al. 1990).
Customers can have access to a vast area of information, in today’s globalized economic setting. With the increase in different varieties of products customers are authorized to demand for higher quality, higher service, and favorable price ratios from the suppliers (Brett and Okumura, 1998; Yukl, 2001). These realities of the marketplace ,to extend their potency and effectiveness and even add on to the creativeness that they bring about to product/process enhancements and development have placed firms in a difficult situation (Andriopoulos and Lowe, 2000; E.E. Cummings and Oldham, 1997; Tierney, Farmer, and Graen, 1999). Additionally this development has motivated to spot factors that may stimulate artistic behaviors in teams and organizations by practitioners and students. For instance, Amabile (1998) has known 3 important factors: individuals’ understanding (creative thinking skills), experience supported past experiences and a creativity- tributary working environment . Oldham and E.E. Cummings (1996) even have known creativity relevant personal characteristics moreover as characteristics of the structure context like job complexness, collateral management, and dominant management.
Leadership has been known by several researchers as being very vital, among the factors that influence employees artistic behaviors and performance(Amabile, 1998; Jung, 2001; Mumford and Gustafson, 1988). These scholars advice that followers creativeness has an effect in every possible way because of their leader. Leaders duty to followers intrinsic motivation and better desires, that are glorious to be vital sources of creativeness is an example of an immediate impact (Tierney et al., 1999). Irrespective of the outcome, leaders will support creativeness by establishing a piece setting that encourages workers to try out completely different approaches without concern regarding being corrected (Amabile, Conti, Coon, Lazenby, and Herron, 1996).
2. CREATIVITY
Drazin, Glynn & Kazanijan (1999) stated that , “creativity has been theorized to be a critical process necessary for individuals, groups, and organizations faced with complex and interdependent work”.Artistic processes are represented as vital as a result it will enhance the potential for artistic and innovative outcomes, and probably end in magnified overall performance (Kanter, 1988).
2.1. CREATIVE PROCESS
Recently, theorists World Health Organization argue that it doesn’t account for the drivers behind power(Unsworth, 2001) or the importance of participating in an activity itself (Drazin et al., 1999).Power as a method is worried with the journey towards probably building artistic outcomes or up overall performance through the engagement in artistic acts, irrespective of whether or not the resultant outcomes are helpful or creative (Drazin et al., 1999, p. 287). Artistic processes specialize in characteristic issues, formulating hypotheses, discussing concepts with others, and contradicting what’s usually expected,as per Torrance (1988) . Team’s creative processes are outlined as members operating along in such a way that they link concepts from multiple sources, turn to unknown areas to seek out higher or distinctive approaches to a controversy, or search out unusual ways of performing tasks (Amabile, 1996; Drazin et al., 1999; Torrance, 1988; Woodman, Sawyer and gryphon, 1993). It has been urged for a very long time as very important for team performance (i.e., Hackman and Morris, 1975; Maier, 1983), that team members also have an option on whether or not or to not interact in artistic process (Drazin et al., 1999; Kahn, 1990).
“Engagement in creative processes involves team members behaviorally, cognitively, and emotionally attempting new things or ways of going about their work” (Kahn, 1990). Conceptualization of artistic process as necessary initial steps or preconditions for artistic outcomes, improved performance, and as a needed input for ultimate innovation ,therefore are vital in and of themselves(Kanter, 1988; Scott, 1995; Woodman et al., 1993). Finally, artistic processes are expected to become more crucial part for each individual and team success, with rising pressure on organizations to endlessly improve, initiate and adapt.
For Organizations to survive Researchers believe that creativity is very crucial (e.g., George and Chou, 2002; Oldham, 1996; Cummings, 1996 ; Zhou, 1998 ,Amabile, 1988, 1996). Researchers have devoted their attention to characterise its antecedents, driven by the belief that effort of the employees are beneficial for work outcomes, however they need to be shown abundant less interest in its effects (Mumford, 2003; Chou and Shalley, 2008). Creativity is of importance to organizations, however, to the extent that it impacts worker job performance (Gilson, 2008). Hence, working out each of the antecedents and consequences is vital (Zhou and; Shalley, 2008).Scholars contemplate creativity because the outcome involves the 3 stages of downside identification, data search and cryptography, and plan generation (Gilson and Shalley 2004; Mumford 2000). The additional staff interact within the creative method, and in turn find out creative outcomes (Zhang and Bartol 2010).
3. LEADERSHIP
To have an influence on followers is the essence of leadership (Van Knippenberg, De Cremer, and Hogg, 2004; Yukl, 2010).Followers will have profound influence regarding changes within the manner they understand themselves, and so ever-changing their self-concept or identity because of their Leader (Howell and Shamir, 2005; Kark et al., 2003; Liu, Zhu, and Yang, 2010; Lord, Brown, and Freiberg, 1999; Shamir et al., 1993; Van Knippenberg et al., 2004) . A thorough definition of leadership was given by Yukl (2006): “Leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives” (p. 8). Although most researchers agree with this definition, they felt the need to add further details. Other than scientific disciplines like philosophy, economics, law, and science ,the term “leadership” has been a common topic of research (von Rosenstiel, 2001). Stogdill (1974) wrote a review that “there are virtually as several definitions of leadership as there are persons UN agency have tried to outline the concept” (Stogdill, 1974, p. 259). Yukl (2006) gave an outline to this problem that “we [researchers] have fictitious associate degree endless proliferation of terms to pander to it … and still the conception isn’t sufficiently defined” (p. 2). Instead of a joint theory of leadership comprising agreed- upon terms , Leadership is sometimes focused around one or additional domain specific core parts like traits, role relationships, or behaviors or vice versa, every paradigm in leadership analysis relies on domain specific parts ,(Amann, D. 2014).
4. TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Transformational Leadership may be a form of leadership which gear towards improving individual and collective performance and towards modification (Bass and Bass, 2008). The four leadership behaviors : personalized thought implies that leaders concentrate to, respect and care regarding their workers and their growth, Intellectual stimulation underlies leaders tendencies to initiate, to go against the established order, yet on be open to new ideas. Leaders ability to inspire their workers to perform by raising their expectations ,a better vision of the future refers to inspirational motivation . Leaders personal magnetism and attitudes that build them role models to inspire and influence their workers corresponds to idealized Influence.
“Transformational leadership refers to charismatic, visionary, and sacred actions that influence followers to broaden their goals and perform beyond the expectations put forth in their formal work roles and job descriptions” (Avolio, 1999; Bass, 1985; Dvir, Eden, Avolio, and Shamir, 2002; Howell and Avolio, 1993).Transformational leadership has been outlined as an influence on their subordinates by expanding and elevating employees goals and to confidently perform beyond the demands laid out in the implicit or explicit exchange agreement.
Most analysis studies have emerged from the west and Transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985) was developed in the U.S. Its most important model is Multi-issue Leadership Questionnaire(MLQ; Avolio, Bass, and Jung, 1999). According to it model, transformational leadership has four dimensions: sacred motivation, communicates optimism regarding future goals, personalized consideration — the leader acts as a mentor and is considerate of the followers desires ,intellectual stimulation, direction and encouragement; and idealized attributes and influences —the leader stresses on the importance of purpose, commitment, and therefore the moral consequences of choices.Bass (1997) argues that the transformational leadership paradigm transcends national boundaries as a result of various cultures in Europe, Asia, South America, and continent have shown the identical conception and relationship.
Transformational leadership “has an intense emotional component”( (p. 36), and Shamir, House, & Arthur (1993) )highlight effects such as “emotional Attachment to the leader,” and “emotional and motivational arousal of followers (p. 577).” Fredrickson (2003) suggests that, in organizations, because of their position within the power hierarchy,the positive emotions expressed by leaders is also particularly contagious. Transformational leadership has a vital impact on worker structure commitment (Avolio, Zhu, Koh, and Bhatia, 2004; Dhawan and Moslem, 2011).
Transformational leadership comprises a group of behaviors that inspire followers to realize performance beyond the expectations by dynamical followers attitudes, beliefs, and values as hostile merely gaining compliance (Bass, 1985; Yukl, 1999). Transformational leaders build a strategic vision, communicate that vision, model the vision by walking the talk and taking part systematically, and develop commitment towards the vision (Avolio, 1999). Transformational leaders stimulate followers to realize extraordinary results by providing each the meaning and understanding (Gumusluoglu and Ilsev, 2009). Followers goals are aligned with the objectives and goals with the larger organization and supply the followers with support, mentoring, and training (Bass and Riggio, 2006).
4.1. RELATION BETWEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERS AND HIS EMPLOYEES
In order to understand the employees relationship with the leader depends on the attractiveness or desirability of the relationship. The follower will be able to identify themselves, due to the positive analysis of relationship with the leader. In order to improve a follower’s relative identification with the leader by creating the perceived desirability and attractiveness of the role relationship bigger for the follower, there has been some discussion that transformational leadership may be a leadership vogue . A leader presents a goal the future that’s appealing and the follower sets task-related goals and expectations to create clear image of how this can be achieved, once providing the real motivation after interacting with a follower (Bass, 1985, 1990). If employees own personal goals, values and interest are in accordance with the leader’s mission , values and goals then that is the real motivation for the employees (Bass, 1985, 1990).
Additionally, a task model for followers is provided by transformational leader by exerting nice effort and lead to goal attainment, creating sacrifices for the good thing about followers, and exhibiting a high level of moral norms and ethical conduct. Leading with such examples follower is encouraged to attribute exceptionally sturdy positive qualities to the leader, thereby guiding him or her to admire the leader and ascribe his or her goals, values, and beliefs (e.g., Bass, 1985; Wang, Law, Hackett, Wang, Chen, 2005; Yukl, 2010). A transformational leader treats followers separately and otherwise on the premise of their abilities and data, by showing personalized thought, pays attention to their individual issues and desires, and acts as a mentor to encourage their personal growth and development (Shin and ; Zhou dynasty, 2003).This individual thought makes this relationship less unsure and additional enticing for a follower, thereby engendering his or her relative identification with the leader. A leader promotes essential thinking and finding creative solutions within the follower , by providing intellectual stimulation(e.g., Avolio, Bass, and; Jung, 1999). Such behavior of transformational leader influences a follower to become powerful and vital within the relationship with the leader, which inspires the follower to incorporate this relationship in his or her self-concept.
In sum, the employees are not just provided by transformational leader with a transparent sense of the importance and significance of their role relationship, but also successful in creating this relationship enticing and fascinating to the follower by connecting it along with his or her personal desires and ideals (Bass, 1985, 1990). A follower can embrace the perceived attractiveness of the relationship with the leader in his or her self-concept and outline himself or herself in terms of this relationship (Sluss and Ashforth, 2007). Studies prove a positive relationship , in keeping with this reasoning ,between transformational leadership and follower identification with the leader(e.g., Kark et al., 2003; Liu et al., 2010).
4.2. TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERS ROLE IN EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY
Creativity is a person’s tendency to supply novel and helpful concepts (Sun, Zhang, Qi, and Chen, 2012; Zhang and Bartol, 2010). Previous studies in U.S ,Turkey, Korea and China have reported high level of interdependence between transformational leadership and creativeness (e.g., Sosik et al., 1999)(e.g., Gumusluoglu and Ilsev, 2009)(e.g., Shin and; Chow dynasty, 2003)(e.g., Sun et al., 2012), however all of them utilized the MLQ, to justify the results of creativeness it relied on its intellectual stimulation dimension and empowerment argument. Leader’s intervention and management unnecessarily impede worker creativeness, and job autonomy makes workers additional inventive is considered as the underlying assumption . Overall score of transformational leadership in most cases is associated without testing for dimension-level effects.
Ancient ethical values, that promote perceptions of fairness in families, schools, and work organizations are expected to be projected by particularly leaders , parents and teachers. Fairness has associated with trust (Aryee, Budhwar , and Chen, 2002) and lower stress levels (Tepper, 2001). Stress has powerfully associated with rigidity in creativeness (e.g., Staw, Sandelands, Dutton, 1981). Given the stifling effects of rigidity, ethical modeling ought to predict higher levels of worker creativeness. Moreover, workers determine with ethical leaders and rather than politics specialize in tasks (Avolio, Gardner, Walumbwa, Luthans, and May, 2004).
Leadership has been considered as a key factor in the work context that may influence and encourage followers to interact in inventive periods of action (e.g., Mumford, Scott, Gaddis, and; Strange, 2002). Analysis has particularly been targeted on connecting transformational leadership (Avolio, 1999; Bass, 1985) with the emergence of follower creativeness (e.g., Gong et al., 2009; Shin and; Chow dynasty, 2003; Wang and; Rode, 2010; Chow dynasty and Shalley, 2008). Typical leader behaviors known as transformational are articulating clear goal, physical exercise perfect influence, and providing personalized thought and intellectual stimulation to followers (Bass, 1985). Gumusluoglu and Ilsev (2009) advice that , “these transformational leadership behaviors are probably to act as creativity enhancing forces”.Specifically, creativeness is promoted through intellectual stimulation by encouraging followers to find out the underlying reason of the established framework of thoughts and routines and to look at previous issues and things with different approaches( Jung, 2001; Sosik, Kahai, and Avolio, 1998). Likewise, once leaders give personalized thought, they showcase sympathy and supporting individual considerations and openness to new suggestions and approaches (Shin and; Chow dynasty, 2003). Employees could be at liberty, in such a leadership surroundings, to assume in new ways that, transcend normal practices, and proceed with creativeness without worrying of penalties (Frese, Teng, and Wijnen, 1999; Shin and; Chow dynasty, 2007). In addition, being attractive role models associated in articulating a real goal and compelling vision, leaders motivate followers to perform on the far side expectations and exert further effort to get inventive solutions for issues rising in their tasks (Shamir, House, and Arthur, 1993). The findings of a couple of empirical studies, in line with these theoretical deliberations, show positive relationships between follower creativeness and transformational leadership.
Rosing et al. (2011) counsel that transformational leadership could have completely different foci which may or may not expect followers to interact in creativeness behaviors. Followers creativity would improve if they are encouraged to brainstorm and find new directions and to interact in exploratory and artistic behaviors by transformational leaders. However, transformational leadership could inhibit followers from creativity if it express goals (e.g., safety, productivity) that encourage confirmative behaviors, efficiency, and conscientiousness. Thus, transformational leadership may be too broad in itself in nature to specifically promote creativeness beneath all situations (Rosing et al., 2011). This notion suggests that complementary role expectations for creativeness are necessary to encourage employees to interact in inventive periods of action.
Leaders role may vary their role expectations for creativeness from follower to follower depending on the features and uniqueness of the follower . Leader–member exchange theory (Dienesch and Liden, 1986; Graen and Scandura, 1987) articulates that leaders and followers tend to establish and develop their role relationships through social exchanges and role-making , suggesting that leaders and followers actively move and negotiate concerning role expectations. Role expectations are beliefs concerning what a job entails and are presupposed to form role behaviors (e.g., Dierdorff and Morgeson, 2007; Ilgen and Hollenbeck, 1991). The leaders could refrain from transference expectations, If followers have low capacities for acting creatively, or if they perform jobs that don’t embody creativeness needs, for such followers to interact in creativeness. Leaders will deliberately set role expectations for subordinates that are directed at attaining potency or safety goals instead of creativeness goals, because of strategic and operational contingencies. Thus, leaders probably vary their creativeness expectations for various followers. The role expectations dissent across workers, situations, and time, this notion is in line with many theoretical views suggested (Kamdar and Joireman, 2008). Psychological contracts theory (Robinson and; Morrison, 1995) and social science theory (Salancik and Pfeffer, 1978) contend that workers typically dissent in their role perceptions as a result of their dependence on completely different social cues – like different role expectations set by leaders – in their work surroundings.
Creativity isn’t the standard job for all followers ,based on the studies , which leaders vary in their expectations for creativeness from follower to follower, we have a tendency to believe that leader–follower role relationships can vary within the extent to that they embody expectations for follower creativeness. Consequently, whether or not relative identification with the leader will promote follower engagement in creativeness are contingent upon whether or not the leader sets creativeness expectations for the follower. Relative identification by followers is probably going to increase their creativeness after they understand that creativeness expectations are a core feature of the role relationship with the leader. If this can be the case, and relative identification grows, the follower becomes motivated to interact in inventive courses of action so as to fulfill the creativeness expectations that are enclosed within the relationship. However, once a leader sets no expectations for follower creativeness, relative identification by the follower can’t be expected to push his or her creativeness as a result of this specific role behavior is not seen as necessary or relevant to the relationship with the leader. This reasoning suggests that leader expectations for creativeness from followers could operate as a moderator within the relationship between artistic performance and relative identification. Specifically,if the follower perceives that the relationship with the leader includes creativeness expectations, follower relative identification with the leader are absolutely associated with follower inventive performance.
Transformational leaders don’t accept current states however articulate associate appealing and difficult goal. Transformational leaders function as role models for innovation and additionally show unconventional and artistic behavior(Howell and Higgins, 1990). Transformational leaders may additionally encourage followers to think outside of the box (Jung, Chow, and ; Wu, 2003) and explore new brainstorming ways by providing intellectual stimulation. They show completely different and weird views to seem at previous issues and to stimulate followers to critically appraise existing assumptions and dealing strategies (Bass, 1985), that successively ought to enhance team innovation. Moreover, transformational leaders additionally modify followers to achieve future states by enhancing followers self-efficacy (Pillai and ; Williams, 2004) and intrinsic motivation (Shin and ; Chow dynasty, 2003).
Supportive behavior among team members could be enhanced by transformational leadership by making a shared commitment to innovation. Followers exploratory and significant thinking processes, is triggered as a result of transformational leadership, it should establish operating surroundings wherever unconventional and risk-taking approaches of determination issues are powerfully valued and creativeness is given high priority (Jung et al., 2003). Transformational leadership additionally emphasizes collective interests and induces team members to not just think of their own self-interest but also for the betterment of the team (Bass, Avolio, Jung, ; Berson, 2003). As a result, team members attach high importance to team membership and are additionally willing to interact in efforts for the sake of the team (Bass and Riggio, 2006). Thus, we have a tendency to expect transformational leadership to encourage team members to come together and to help one another with plan development and implementation—that is, transformational leadership could bring out support for creativity.
To form and maintenance of worker creative self-efficacy for many reasons employee learning orientation appears tributary. First, a learning orientation is grounded in associate progressive conception of ability—that is, the concept that ability is malleable (Dweck, 1986; Dweck and ; Leggett, 1988)— and such a conception builds efficaciousness beliefs (Bandura mater, 1997). Second, a learning orientation ends up in a spotlight on competency development (e.g., Dweck, 1986, 2000). Workers with a learning orientation probably accumulate expertise of fortunate mastery over time. These workers ought to be additional self- efficacious, with this repertoire of skills and experiences, once it involves manufacturing inventive outcomes. Third, the attribution pattern related to maintaining a learning orientation within the face of setbacks helps to keep up inventive self-efficacy. Workers with a learning orientation don’t attribute setbacks in inventive endeavors to ability factors however instead attribute them to such factors as lean effort or ineffective ways (e.g.,Dweck and Leggett, 1988). This leads to a less likelihood of talking about their setback and so try their best to keep up their self-efficacy in inventive endeavors. Finally, a spotlight on the improvement of self-competence characterizes workers learning orientation. Inventive endeavors are necessarily difficult and risky (Bandura, 1997). A focus on improving shields workers from others negative reactions that will arise throughout the inventive process. In alternative words, by focusing their attention on a way to improve their competency, learning-oriented people are ready to maintain efficaciousness beliefs throughout the unpredictability of the inventive journey.
We expect transformational leadership known by Bandura (1986, 1997) to possess a sway on the four sources of efficaciousness judgments : observational learning, verbal persuasion, enactive mastery, and physiological arousal. Transformational leaders are proactive in generating new concepts and thinking (Bass, 1985). Instead of easily following established routines ,they expect their workers to exhibit similar qualities. Transformational leaders thus function as role models. Through observational learning from such leaders , workers could become additional assured in their ability to develop new concepts (Bass and Avolio, 1990). transformational leaders will powerfully persuade workers through a mix of intellectual stimulation and attractive leadership behaviors (e.g., influencing communication and attractive visions) (Bass, 1985), that they can also be inventive. Transformational leaders show support and encouragement through personalized thought. The rivalry will persuade workers that they are capable of building inventive outcomes, supported by studies (Tierney and; Farmer, 2002).Transformational leaders facilitate workers by being their mentor in developing themselves and create a fortunate enactive mastery experiences , that successively increase their inventive self-efficacy over time(Bass, 1985) . Responsibilities are delegated to the followers by transformational leaders , which may foster employees capability for freelance and significant thinking (Bass, 1985; Bass and Avolio, 1990). Finally, transformational leaders show their empathy, appreciation, thought, and support for employees efforts to require the initiative in endeavor tasks. Sustaining employees inventive self-efficacy becomes easy with such encouragement and support.
5. CONCLUSION
This paper shows a positive relation between employee creativity and transformational leader . Employee’s creativity is enhanced by identifying themselves with the leader which is promoted by transformational leaders. Creativity is associated with strong and visionary leaders and supportive organizations.The level of creativity also depends on the needs of the organization in order to bring about change. Transformational leaders have long been considered as significant contributors to organizational growth.There is an increasing need for transformational leaders who will help in articulating a future goal and also support individuals within the organization.