The Impact of Organizational Neuroscience and Self-determination Theory on Neuro-Leadership Theory

Abstract

This article illustrates the way in which the fields of organizational neuroscience (ON), psychology, and leadership can be brought together to address how leadership skills in a business environment can be improved and leadership behavioural patterns can be shaped. This conceptual paper explores how Neuro-leadership will serve as a link between psychological theories and organizational neuroscience. ON studies also enhance opportunities to extend the leadership approach by applying a new-found understanding of neural activation pathways to decision-making. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) offers a detailed explanation of intrinsic motivational factors that are the key to the success of leaders. The neuro-leadership approach uses the SDT factors of autonomy, relatedness, and competence to improve upon leadership theories. In addition, the importance of emotion regulation for leaders is expressed.

Keywords

• Organizational neuroscience
• Social cognitive and affective neuroscience
• Self-determination theory
• neuro-leadership

References

1. Angrave, D., Charlwood, A., Kirkpatrick, I., Lawrence, M., and Stuart, M. (2016). HR and analytics: why HR is set to fail the big data challenge. Human Resource Management Journal, 26(1), 1-11. google scholar
2. Arnsten, A.F.T. (1988). The biology of being Frazzled. Science, 280, 1711-1712. google scholar
3. Balthazard, P. A., Waldman, D. A., Thatcher, R. W., and Hannah, S. T. (2012). Differentiating transformational and non-transformational leaders on the basis of neurological imaging. The Leadership Quarterly, 23, 244-258. google scholar
4. Baumeister, R. and Leary, M. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497-529. google scholar
5. Bass, B. M. and Avolio, B.J. (1993). Transformational leadership and organizational culture. Public Administration Quarterly, 17(1), 112-121. google scholar
6. Becker, W. J., Cropanzano, R., and Sanfey, A. G. (2011). Organizational neuroscience: Taking organizational theory inside the neural black box. Journal of Management, 37 (4), 933-961. google scholar
7. Beugre, C. D. (2018). The neuroscience of organizational behavior. Edward Elgar. google scholar
8. Bratec, S. M., Bertram, T., Starke, G., Brandl, F., Xie, X., Sorg, C. (2020). Your presence soothes me: a neural process model of aversive emotion regulation via social buffering. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 15(5), 561-670. google scholar

9. Boyatzis, R. E., McKee, A. (2006). Resonant leadership Emergence. Complexity and Organization, 8(3),129-130. google scholar
10. Conger. J. A. and Kanungo N.R. (1994). Charismatic leadership in organizations: perceived behavioural attributes and their measurement Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15(5), 439-452. google scholar
11. Davidson, R. J., Jackson, D.C. and Kalin, N.H. (2000). Emotion, plasticity, context, and regulation: perspective from affective neuroscience. Psychology Bulletin, 126, 890-909. google scholar
12. Deci, E. L., and Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum google scholar
13. Deci, E. L., Connell, J. P., and Ryan, R. M. (1989). Self-determination in a work organization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 580-590. google scholar
14. Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. (2000). “The “What” and “Why” of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11 (4), 227-268. google scholar Edison, R. E.; Juhro, S. M.; Aulia, A. F. and Widiasih, P. A. (2019). Transformational Leadership and Neurofeedback: The Medical Perspective of Neuroleadership International. Journal of Organizational Leadership, 8(1), 46-62. google scholar
15. Eisenbach, R., Watson, K. and Pillai, R. (1999). Transformational leadership in the context of organizational change. Journal of Organizational Change Management,12 (2), 80-89. google scholar
16. Gagne, M. and Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of organizational behavior. 26(4), 331-362. google scholar
17. Gomez-Baya, D., Lucia-Casademunt, M.A. (2018). A self-determination theory approach to health and well-being in the workplace: Results from the sixth European working conditions survey in Spain. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 48, 269-283. google scholar
18. Gordon, E. (2008). Neuroleadership and Integrative Neuroscience: It’s About Validation Stupid! NeuroLeadership Journal, 1, 71-80. google scholar
19. Hassin, R., Ochsner, K. and Trope, Y. (2010). Integrating research on self-control across multiple levels of analysis: Insights from social cognitive and affective neuroscience. Self-Control in Society, Mind and Brain. Oxford Scholarship Online. google scholar
20. Hatfield, E, Cacioppo, J, T. and Rapson, R. L. (1993). Emotional contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2 (3), 96-99 google scholar
21. Hines, T. (1987). Left Brain/Right Brain Mythology and Implications for Management and Training. Academy of Management Review, 12 (4), 600-606. google scholar
22. Hughes, B and Zaki, J. (2015). The neuroscience of motivated cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(2), 62-64. google scholar
23. Inesi, M.E., Botti, S., Dubois, D., Rucker, D.D. and Galinsky, A.D. (2011). Power and Choice: Their Dynamic Interplay in Quenching the Thirst for Personal Control. Psychological Science 22(8), 1042-1048 google scholar
24. Kogan, A., Keltner, D., Impett, E., Oveis, C. and Saturn, S. (2011). Thin-Slicing Study of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene and Evaluation and Expression of the Prosocial Disposition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA, 108(48), 9189-19192 google scholar
25. Kross, E. and Ochsner K. (2010). Integrating research on self-control across multiple levels of analsyis: Insights from social cognitive and affective neuroscience. Self-Control in Society, Mind, and Brain editors: Hassin, R., Ochsner, K. and Trope Y. Published to Oxford Scholarship online. google scholar
26. Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., and Cuthbert, B. N.(1990). Emotion-attention, and the startle reflex. Psychological Review, 97, 377-395 google scholar
27. Leotti, L.A. and Delgado, M. R. (2011). The Inherent Reward of Choice. Psychological Science Vol. 22 No.10, pp. 1310-1318. google scholar
28. Levesque, C., Copeland, K. J., and Sutcliffe, R. A. (2008). Conscious and nonconscious processes: Implications for self-determination theory. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 49(3), 218. google scholar
29. Lindenbaum, D. and Zundel, M. (2013). Not quite a revolution: Scrutinizing organizational neuroscience in leadership studies. Human relations, 66(6), 857-877. google scholar
30. Martin, R.E. and Ochsner, K. N. (2016). The neuroscience of emotions regulation development: implications for education. Current Opinion in Behavioural Sciences, 10, 142-148. google scholar
31. Nicholson, N. (1998). How hardwired is human behavior. Harvard Business Review, July-August, 135-147. google scholar
32. Ochsner, K.N., Bunge, S.A., Gross, J.J. and Gabrieli, J.D. (2002). Rethinking feelings: An fMRI Study of the cognitive regulation of emotion. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience,14, 1215-1229. google scholar
33. Ochsner, K.N., Ray, R.D., Cooper, J.C. (2004). For better or for worse: Neural systems supporting the cognitive down and up regulation of negative emotion. Neuroimage, 23, 483-499. google scholar
34. Phan, K.L., Fitzgerald, D.A., Nathan, P.J., Moore, G.J., Uhde, T.W., and Tancer, M.E. (2005). Neural substrates for voluntary suppression of negative affect: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 210-219. google scholar
35. Ringleb, A.H., Rock, D. and Ancona, C.H. (2013). Neuroleadership in 2011 and 2012. google scholar
36. Handbook of Neuroleadership Eds Rock, D., and Schwartz, J. M. 2006. The neuroscience of leadership. Strategy + Business, 43: 71-81. google scholar
37. Rock, D. (2008). Coaching with the brain in mind: A new science for coaching. Symposium conducted at the 2008 North American NeuroLead-ership Summit, New York. NY google scholar
38. Rock, D. (2011). Neuroleadership. Leadership Excellence Essentials. August: 11-12. google scholar
39. Rock, D and Schwartz, J. (2006). Neuroscience of leadership, Strategy +Business, 43,1-10. google scholar
40. Shamir, B., Zakay, E., Breinin, E. and Popper, M. (1998). Correlates of charismatic leader behavior in military units: subordinates’ attitudes, unit characteristics, and superiors’ appraisals of leader performance. Academy of Management Journal, 41(4), 387-409. google scholar
41. Sheldon, K. M., and Elliot, A. J. (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: The self-concordance model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 482-497. google scholar
42. Thibault, G., Hila, A., Elias, B., Israel, S., Michal, H. (2015). Regulation of neuronal pH by the metabotropic Zn2+-sensing Gq-coupled receptor, mZnR/GPR39. Journal of Neurochemistry, 135(5), 897-907. google scholar
43. Vul, E., Harris, C., Winkielman, P., and Pashler, H. (2009). Puzzlingly high correlations in fMRI studies of emotion, personality, and social cognition. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(3), 274-290. google scholar
44. Waldman, D. A. and Reina, C. (2014). A Neuroscience Perspective of Emotions in the Formation of Shared Vision. Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings. 1, 1-12 google scholar
45. Waldman, D. A., Wang, D., Hannah, S. T., and Balthazard, P. A. (2017). A neurological and ideological perspective of ethical leadership. Academy of Management Journal, 60(4), 1285-1306. google scholar
46. Waldman, D. A.; Balthazard, P. A.; Peterson, S. J. (2011). Social cognitive neuroscience and leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 22 (6), 1092-1106 google scholar