Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue for theoretical integration as a major step in consolidation of
the vast leadership literature. It is an attempt to lay out a basic canvas that could be further used for building
an integrated theory of leadership.
Design/methodology/approach – The concept matrix framework (Webster and Watson, 2002) has been
used for analytical abstraction to organize the published research on leadership and distill certain
commonalities. The paper finally proposes certain pivots for theoretical integration of the leadership literature.
Findings – A thorough analysis of the leadership literature and the identification of commonalities within
the various theories help the authors to identify the change and collective filter, outcomes of leadership,
organizational outcomes, leadership role, sources of leadership, processes within the larger leadership process
and the context as the pivots for building an integrated theory of leadership.
Research limitations/implications – While the paper is not a detailed literature review and lacks
predictive power, it is a synthesis of the published literature. The paper proposes a descriptive model meant to
provide a sound foundation for an integrated theory of leadership.
Practical implications – The paper provides a framework to reduce the complexity and ambiguity
of leadership research literature and could be utilized as a starting platform for an integrated theory of
leadership. It is hoped that this shall also provide leaders and leadership training providers with a more
holistic approach for leadership assessment and development.
Originality/value – Based on a survey of literature, the explanation of the leadership process, suggestions
for evaluation of quality of leadership and pivots for theoretical integration are the main contributions.