Fostering Artistic Ensemble Performance Exploring the Role of Transformational Leadership

摘要

Although empirical studies suggest that a transformational leadership style is efficient in orchestras, a coherent explanation for this finding is lacking. Linking research on workforce diversity with research on team innovation, this article provides a framework that explains the positive effects of transformational leadership in orchestras. Transformational leaders enhance the positive effects of ensemble diversity on idea generation, while at the same time reducing its negative effects on idea integration. This twofold effect of transformational leadership promotes artistic ensemble performance, that is, a coherent, highly synchronized interpretation of a given score. Contributions to the literature and implications for further research are formulated.