Reframing Transformational Leadership through Dharma and Justice: A Cross-Civilizational Model for Human Transformation and Organisational Sustainability

Abstract

The current research on leadership has helped to advance the knowledge on organisational change, performance and transformational leadership. Yet, there has been limited research on the process of human transformation, while the focus of existing scholarship has been largely on behavioural and organisational outcomes. In response to emerging ethical, social and sustainability issues, this paper proposes that transformational leadership is a process of human development, rather than organisational change, through a moral framework.

The paper is based on the Indian and Western philosophies and suggests complementing the ethical principles of Dharma and Justice for leadership. Dharma means duty and responsibility, harmony and welfare of the community, while Justice is about fairness and legitimacy, human dignity and ethical governance. To solve the above limitation of these traditions in leadership scholarship, the paper proposes the Dharma–Justice Transformational Leadership (DJTL) Framework. Workplace spirituality and spiritual intelligence are thus identified as vital mechanisms by which ethical values are internalised and transformed into human transformation, transformational leadership, organisational sustainability and human flourishing.

The study advances the theories of leadership by applying both Eastern and Western ethics into a single leadership model and by further expanding transformational leadership beyond the realm of behaviour to the development of character, the responsibility for ethical behaviour, and meaningful engagement. The proposed framework provides a cross-civilizational view for furthering leadership, sustainability, and responsible management research and a base for future empirical research in a variety of organisational and cultural settings.