Taly Dvir’s research while affiliated with Tel Aviv University and other places

Few empirical works have examined the process through which CEO dispositions relate to organizational outcomes. In this study we examined the relationships between CEO values and organizational culture, and between organizational culture and firm performance. Data were collected from different sources (26 CEOs, 71 Senior Vice Presidents and 185 other organizational members), and include organizational financial performance data collected at two points in time. In support of our hypotheses, CEO self-directive values were associated with innovation-oriented cultures, security values were associated with bureaucratic cultures and benevolence values were related to supportive cultures. In turn, cultural dimensions showed differential associations with subsequent company sales growth, an index of organizational efficiency and assessments of employee satisfaction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In this paper we examine the role organizational cultures have at mediating the relationship between CEO values and organizational performance. Whereas several theoretical works have suggested that leader values create organizational culture, and others have argued that culture is a means towards organizational performance, few empirical works have demonstrated the entire process through which values lead to performance. In the present study we gathered data from 26 companies, based on different types of measures and from different organizational sources. Our findings demonstrate that entrepreneurial cultures mediate the relationship between CEO self-directive values and company sales growth; that bureaucratic cultures mediate the relationship between CEO values of security and turnover; and that supportive cultures mediate the relationship between CEO benevolence and turnover.

The new transformational leadership theories stress the emotional bond between leaders and followers, as opposed to the cognitive-calculative exchange emphasized by traditional transactional theories. However, very little empirical research has concentrated on the effects of transformational leaders on emotion- versus cognition-focused aspects of their followers' world. This study tested the relationships of vision, a common theme to all of the prominent new leadership theories, to the emotion-focused affective commitment (AC) versus the cognition-focused continuance commitment (CC) to the organization. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 183 high-tech employees. The quantitative results confirmed that vision formulation, content of social-oriented values, and assimilation were positively related to AC to the organization, and unrelated to CC. The qualitative evidences deepened our understanding on the positive relationships of a balanced transcendental and realistic content of the vision and a high level of sharedness in vision assimilation processes to affective organizational commitment.

The leadership literature has focused on the effects of leaders whereas much less attention has been given to the followers' role in shaping their leader's style. Therefore, this longitudinal field study tested follower developmental characteristics as predictors of transformational leadership. The sample included 54 military units and their leaders, in which there were 90 direct followers and 724 indirect followers. Results at the group level of analysis indicated that followers' initial developmental level, as expressed by the initial level of their self-actualization needs, internalization of the organization's moral values, collectivistic orientation, critical-independent approach, active engagement in the task, and self-efficacy, positively predicted transformational leadership among indirect followers, whereas these relationships were negative among direct followers. The different role of followers' initial developmental level as a predictor of transformational leadership among close versus distant followers is discussed.

In a longitudinal, randomized field experiment, we tested the impact of transformational leadership, enhanced by training, on follower development and performance. Experimental group leaders received transformational leadership training, and control group leaders, eclectic leadership training. The sample included 54 military leaders, their 90 direct followers, and 724 indirect followers. Results indicated the leaders in the experimental group had a more positive impact on direct followers' development and on indirect followers' performance than did the leaders in the control group.

To date, all published confirmations of the Pygmalion hypothesis among adults have involved men. The few studies among women have had methodological ambiguities. The authors conducted 2 experiments in the Israel Defense Forces to test the Pygmalion hypothesis among women. In both studies, the leaders were led to believe that the trainees randomly assigned to the Pygmalion condition had higher than usual potential. Experiment 1 tested the Pygmalion hypothesis among female officer cadets led by women. Although the treatment did raise expectations, none of the performance measures and none of the mediators or the moderators evidenced any expectancy effects. Experiment 2 tested the Pygmalion hypothesis among women and men taking the same course in gender-segregated platoons. The Pygmalion hypothesis was confirmed among men led by a man and among women led by a man but not among women led by a woman. The authors concluded that the Pygmalion effect can be produced among women but perhaps not by women. Pygmalion research among women leading men is now needed.