Key contemporary paradigms of management and leadership: A linguistic exploration and case for managerial leadership

The purpose of this paper is to examine the key contemporary paradigms of management and leadership based upon an evolving linguistic analysis that is rich in the development of these concepts. Following this examination, the justification of the perspective of managerial leadership is put forth as a legitimate combination of these two concepts for usage in the modern global context.

From a European perspective, the paradigms of management and leadership are based upon a rich linguistic heritage that bridges the boundaries of several basic languages. These linguistic bases are examined; and following that, an extensive analysis of the relationship between the functions of management and leadership is presented, and a unique justification of the contemporary perspective of managerial leadership is developed.

In essence, the changes that have typically occurred regarding the paradigms of management and leadership have evolved from linguistic bases that have treated the two conceptual frameworks to be quite similar, and in some contexts virtually interchangeable, to paradigms of understanding that now treat them as being quite distinctive in scope and meaning. This treatise presents an exploration into the conceptual changes that have occurred in the linguistic cross‐cultural meanings of management and leadership, and shows that the distinction between the responsibilities of these two organizational roles, although not universally recognized, does exist in reality.

The basic value of this analysis rests with the examination of the distinct contemporary paradigms of management and leadership, and the case made for managerial leadership as a necessary ingredient for organizational success.