TITLE:
Theoretical Constructs of Dissent Leadership: Moving from Theory to Practice
AUTHORS:
Kent L. Willis, Christina Tuell
KEYWORDS:
Dissent Leadership, Theory of Distributed Leadership, Discourse Analysis, Stance-Taking Behaviors
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Leadership,
Vol.9 No.4,
December
24,
2020
ABSTRACT: This paper introduces a construct for moving from theory to practice by underpinning the dissent leadership approach with the theory of distributed leadership. Navigating the decision-making process during uncertain times, such as the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, presented critical challenges for stakeholders across organizations. A single explanatory conceptual framework derived from the theory of distributed leadership is presented. This framework specifies four competencies that ensure diversity in the workforce increases: 1) leveraging personal and social identities, 2) utilizing a global and diverse mindset, 3) leveraging community and organizational contexts, and 4) promoting a diversity-supportive and inclusive climate (Chin et al., 2016; Cammarota, 2011). Furthermore, this paper reconceptualizes dissent leadership as a mechanism for equitable and inclusive decision-making. Leveraging diverse points of view may strengthen organizational responses to large scale operational disruption such as the 2019 global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.