Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 29, 2026
06:11
High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity
Published on: September 26, 2025
1.2K
Mission command: How daily empowering leadership enables proactive behavior
Hans-Christian Knevelsrud1,2, Jørn Hetland1, Arnold B Bakker3,4,5,6
1Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Summary
Empowering leadership, specifically autonomy support, boosts military cadets' engagement and performance by encouraging personal initiative and strengths use. This leadership style is crucial for proactive motivation in demanding environments.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Military Leadership Studies
- Human Resources Management
Background:
- Mission command, a dominant military leadership doctrine, relies on decentralized decision-making and initiative.
- Empowering leadership, encompassing autonomy and development support, is theorized to enhance proactive behaviors.
- Understanding the daily dynamics of empowering leadership in high-pressure military training is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the daily relationship between empowering leadership (autonomy and development support) and work engagement/performance.
- To examine the mediating roles of personal initiative and strengths use in this relationship.
- To assess the moderating effect of development support on the autonomy support-initiative link.
Main Methods:
- A 15-day diary study design with 261 Norwegian military cadets.
- Daily self-reports on empowering leadership, work engagement, personal initiative, and strengths use.
- Task performance rated by others; multilevel analyses conducted.
Main Results:
- Leader autonomy support positively predicted daily engagement and task performance.
- Personal initiative and strengths use mediated the positive effects of autonomy support.
- Development support moderated the autonomy support-initiative relationship, amplifying indirect effects.
Conclusions:
- Autonomy support is a key component of empowering leadership that fosters proactive motivation and effectiveness in military cadets.
- Personal initiative and strengths use are crucial mechanisms through which autonomy support influences engagement and performance.
- Findings offer practical guidance for leaders in military and other demanding contexts to cultivate proactive and engaged teams.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Impact of Individuals on a Group
450
In social psychology, the interplay between individuals and groups is a central concern, particularly regarding how individual actions and characteristics influence group processes and outcomes. While much research emphasizes the group's power in shaping individual behavior, it is equally significant to understand how individuals contribute to the functioning, development, and success of groups.Individual Roles in Group Productivity and Decision-MakingIndividuals are not passive participants in...
450
01:20Motivational Cycle
1.4K
The motivational cycle is a key concept that explains how individuals are motivated to meet their needs. At its core, the cycle revolves around four distinct stages: need, drive, goal-directed behavior, and goal achievement. These stages respond to imbalances in the body or mind, prompting actions that restore balance.
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...
1.4K
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
17.9K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
17.9K
01:25Self-Regulation
358
Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
358
01:29Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions
218
Aligning actions are communicative strategies individuals employ to maintain social harmony and preserve personal identity in the face of potential disruptions to social norms. These actions are particularly important in managing social impressions when one's behavior might be seen as inappropriate, incompetent, or morally questionable.Types of Aligning ActionsThe three principal types of aligning actions are disclaimers, accounts, and apologies.DisclaimersDisclaimers are preventive; they are...
218
01:29Self-Efficacy
369
Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to organize and execute actions necessary to manage prospective situations. This belief significantly influences how individuals approach goals, tasks, and challenges across different domains of life.Psychological and Educational ImpactsIndividuals with strong self-efficacy are more resilient in the face of difficulties. They are more likely to adopt effective problem-solving strategies, persist through obstacles, and regulate emotions such as...
369