What Is Pseudo-Transformational Leadership?

Abstract

The notion of pseudo transformational leadership first appeared back in 1999. The lack of a clear definition of the term has led to confusion because of certain similarities with transformational leadership. Few publications on the subject and the developing theory have been presented. However, numerous studies have included the concept as a reference for unethical leadership, and as an opposing term to genuine or authentic transformational leadership, which is common in times of change and visible in corporate scandals. Transformational leadership is described to provide a baseline to compare it with what this leadership style is not. The chapter focuses on a managerial problem that needs to be studied because of its implications in organizational performance. The objective of this study is to present the main characteristics of the pseudo transformational leadership style by analyzing leaders' behaviors and their impact on followers and the organizational culture.