Inter-organizational Competition

Book excerpt: In Inter-organizational Competition: Does the Leader Cause Cohesion or Chaos?, author Dr. Joyce L. Suber capitalizes on the elements of competition and leadership. With stark realism, Suber shares a vast amount of information on these two elements by bringing to life the truth about the nature of leadership and competition within an organization. Dr. Suber is convinced that intra-organizational competition is negative and has an increased potential to impede team performance and relationships. Business-oriented relationships are extremely important to create sustainable organizations. Past research has suggested intra-organizational competition may be debilitating on teamwork within an organization. In light of this, Dr. Suber examines if a particular leadership style encourages the growth of non-productive, negative competition within intra-organizational environments. Additionally, this book explores whether leaders need to be mindful of the fact their particular leadership style. The focus of the research model is elite leaders and their direct reports from varied industries. Suber's findings challenges leadership theorists to re-examine how other conduits influence leadership style (i.e., communication style) and the consequences of style (i.e., organizational culture) against the effects of intra-organizational competition.