Where and when do corporate leaders make a difference?

Daniel Pittino’s research looks at people at the top of their profession and the effect they have on the actions of the organisation they lead. His associate professorship lecture on 21 May looked more closely at the contextual factors that contribute to this.

In today’s society, high expectations are placed on the shoulders of corporate leaders, both in small firms and global corporations. For Daniel Pittino, new Associate Professor in Business Administraiton, the impact of a leader’s personal and interpersonal attributes on a firm’s strategies and performance is interesting, particularly when these are influenced by a certain context.

“To me, it’s crucial to understand where and when strategic leaders at the top of organisations can actually make the difference, and on the contrary, where and when their actions and impacts are constrained by the institutions and environments surrounding them.”

Daniel Pittino’s research pays close attention to family firms and innovative start-up firms. This interest began during his master thesis, and encouraged by his supervisor, this soon became a passionate topic for him, which he chose for his PhD.

In his latest research, he discovered that the effect a leader has on an organisation depends on more than just what kind of person they are.

“Although the popular narrative and understanding about organisational leaders focuses on individuals, the social dimension involving team-level relationships and collegial dynamics is extremely important in explaining a leader’s impact,” says Daniel Pittino.

Daniel Pittino hopes to develop his research to look at how strategic leaders behave and to focus on the neuroscientific foundations of their cognitive behaviour.

Daniel Pittino held his Associate Professorship lecture “Governance and strategic leadership in entrepreneurial and family firms” on 21 May, at Jönköping International Business School.