"Liquid Society": the Decline of Values and its Reflection on Contemporary Leadership

Mariya Veleva ()
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Mariya Veleva: University of Economics - Varna

Izvestia Journal of the Union of Scientists - Varna. Economic Sciences Series, 2017, issue 1, 148-157

Abstract: The aim of this theoretical paper is to discuss some "liquid society" reflections on contemporary leadership. We suggest that business environment mirrors the social problems of the society because the changes in small group behavior reflect the changes in the big group (society) behavior. The deformations in the social behavior cause deformations in organizational behavior too. By tracing the social changes and their studies, we outline some negative characteristics of contemporary management concerning leadership, to appear as result of social values decline. The stronger is the focus on consumerism and individualism in society, the bigger are the deformations that occur in management of people in organizations. Destructive leadership, also known as dark leadership or dysfunctional leadership creates and supports behavioral deformations as aggression on the job place, humiliation, mobbing, bullying, stress, burnout and other destructive behaviors. The result of the social values decline we see to be manifested through the results of destructive leadership as: lack of employee commitment, low job motivation, team-work problems, interpersonal conflicts, strong individualism that narrows employees' focus, employee lack of identity with the company, increased levels of job related stress, burnout. With this paper we try to provoke further discussion on the presented problem, as well as we call for action for understanding and avoiding the negative impact of the social values decline on organizational level in general, and on contemporary leadership in particular.

Keywords: liquid modernity and liquid society; organizational deformations; destructive leadership; individualism; collectivism; bullying; organizational culture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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