Leadership and purpose salience in organizations: A within-case exploration of strategic change

Kuipers, Ben and Higgs, Malcolm (2026) Leadership and purpose salience in organizations: A within-case exploration of strategic change. European Management Review. ISSN 1740-4754

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Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of organizational purpose and leadership within a case of strategic organizational change. Grounded in the growing scholarly awareness of the role of purpose in organizations, the study contributes by addressing the need for a deeper understanding of shared purpose by exploring how leader behaviors relate to purpose salience in organizations. It builds on knowledge and recent insights obtained from the literature on leadership, organizational behavior, strategy and purpose, and the social identity theory. Qualitative data obtained through interviews with 12 managers on all levels and focus groups with 37 frontline caregivers is analyzed in this within-case study of five care organizations undergoing a large-scale reform. The study further contributes through the development of a 4C framework for purpose salience (including content, clarity, consistency and connectedness) and reveals an important role for purpose-engaging leadership behaviors on multiple levels providing directions for further research and development of purpose-driven strategies.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1111/emre.70112
Dates:	Date Event 14 September 2026 Accepted 5 October 2026 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	leadership, purpose, strategic organizational change, social identity, multilevel, within-case study
Subjects:	CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-04 - management studies
Divisions:	Business School > Management, Business and Marketing
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	18 Sep 2026 08:45
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2026 11:38
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/17249

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