In today’s dynamic and competitive business landscape, effective strategy execution is crucial for organizations to achieve their goals and sustain growth. However, conventional top-down, control-based leadership approaches often fall short of addressing the complexities of strategy implementation, prompt ing a search for alter-native frameworks. This conceptual paper employs a qualitative research framework, utilizing a comprehensive approach that comb ines literature review, emic perspective integration, synthesis of findin gs, and critical analysis. Drawing insights from stewardship theory and related literature, the findings reveal a distinctive leadership structure emphasizing em ployee empowerment, trust building, collaborative communication, an d shared strategic leadership. Proposing an integrated leadership framework for strategy execution rooted in stewardship theory principles, the study advocates for a departure from conventional top-down control. This framework offers a structured approach for leaders, fostering innovation, commitment, and success in the pursuit of strategic objectives. The article concludes with s uggestions for future studies, highlighting the need for contextual analysis an d longitudinal studies to further enhance our understanding of effecti ve leadership in strategy execution.
Akroyd, C., & Kober, R. (2020). Imprinting Founders’ Blueprints on Management Control Systems. Management Accounting Research, 46, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2019.07.002
Aksu, K., & Aktas, G. (2020). Effects of Effective Communication on Employee Engagement and Organizational Success: An Empirical Study on SMEs. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 16, 35-59.
Alamsjah, F. (2020). The Impact of Leadership Styles and Strategy Implementation on Financial Performance: Middle Managers’ Point of View. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7, 1703-1711.
American Management Association and Human Resource Institute (2007). Magnifying Customer Focus: A Study of Current Trends and Future Possibilities, 2006-2016. Author.
Anand, G. (2017). Corporate Excellence through Governance and Employee Engagement. Journal of Commerce & Management Thought, 8, 554-562. https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-478X.2017.00033.7
Avey, J. B., Avolio, B. J., Crossley, C. D., & Luthans, F. (2009). Psychological Ownership: Theoretical Extensions, Measurement and Relation to Work Outcomes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 173-191. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.583
Azhar, A., Ikram, S., Rashid, S., & Saqib, S. (2013). The Role of Leadership in Strategy Formulation and Implementation. International Journal of Management and Organisational Studies, 1, 32-38.
Bass, B. M. (1999). Two Decades of Research and Development in Transformational Leadership. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 8, 9-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/135943299398410
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. (2006). Transformational Leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410617095
Behling O., & McFillen, J. M. (1996). A Syncretical Model of Charismatic/Transforma- tional Leadership. Group & Organization Management, 21, 163-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601196212004
Bhimani, A. (2003). A Study of the Emergence of Management Accounting System Ethos and Its Influence on Perceived System Success. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 28, 523-548. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0361-3682(02)00025-9
Bolden, R. (2011). Distributed Leadership in Organizations: A Review of Theory and Research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 13, 251-269. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00306.x
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2014). How Great Leaders Think: The Art of Reframing. Jossey-Bass.
Booysen, L. (2013). The Development of Inclusive Leadership Practices and Processes. In B. M. Ferdman, & B. R. Deane (Eds.), Diversity at Work: The Practice of Inclusion (pp. 296-329). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118764282.ch10
Boswell, W. R., Bingham, J. B., & Colvin, A. J. S. (2006). Aligning Employees through “Line of Sight”. Business Horizons, 49, 499-509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2006.05.001
Breevaart, K., Bakker, A., Hetland, J., Demerouti, E., Olsen, O. K., & Espevik, R. (2014). Daily Transactional and Transformational Leadership and Daily Employee Engagement. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87, 138-157. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12041
Brinkschroder, N. (2014). Strategy Implementation: Key Factors, Challenges and Solutions. In 4th IBA Bachelor Thesis Conference (pp. 1-9). University of Twente.
Byham, W. C. (1992). Would You Recognize an Empowered Organization If You Saw One? Tapping the Network Journal, 3, 10-13.
Cándido, C. J. F., & Santos, S. P. (2015). Strategy Implementation: What Is the Failure Rate? Journal of Management & Organization, 21, 237-262. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2014.77
Carson, J. B., Tesluk, P. E., & Marrone, J. A. (2007). Shared Leadership in Teams: An Investigation of Antecedent Conditions and Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 1217-1234. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.20159921
Contrafatto, M. (2014). Stewardship Theory: Approaches and Perspectives. Advances in Public Interest Accounting, 17, 177-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1041-706020140000017007
Cotton, J. L., Vollrath, D. A., Froggatt, K. L., Lengnick-Hall, M. L., & Jennings, K. R. (1988). Employee Participation: Diverse Forms and Different Outcomes. Academy of Management Review, 13, 8-22. https://doi.org/10.2307/258351
Davis, J. H., Schoorman, F. D., & Donaldson, L. (1997). Toward a Stewardship Theory of Management. Academy of Management Review, 22, 20-47. https://doi.org/10.2307/259223
Dicke, L. A. (2002). Ensuring Accountability in Human Service Contracting. Can Stewardship Theory Fill the Bill? The American Review of Public Administration, 32, 455- 470. https://doi.org/10.1177/027507402237870
Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). The Role of Trust in Organizational Settings. Organization Science, 12, 450-467. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.12.4.450.10640
Donaldson, L. (2008). Ethics Problems and Problems with Ethics: Toward a Pro-Mana- gement Theory. Journal of Business Ethics, 78, 299-311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9336-6
Donaldson, L., & Davis, J. H. (1991). Stewardship Theory or Agency Theory: CEO Governance and Shareholder Return. Australian Journal of Management, 16, 49-64. https://doi.org/10.1177/031289629101600103
Doz, Y., & Kosonen, M. (2007). The New Deal at the Top. Harvard Business Review, 85, 98-104.
Drennan, V. M., Calestani, M., Ross, F., Saunders, M., & West, P. (2018). Tackling the Workforce Crisis in District Nursing: Can the Dutch Buurtzorg Model Offer a Solution and a Better Patient Experience? A Mixed Methods Case Study. BMJ Open, 8, e021931. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021931
Du Plessis, M., Wakelin, Z., & Nel, P. (2015). The Influence of Emotional Intelligence and Trust on Servant Leadership. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 41, a1133. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v41i1.1133
Epitropaki, O., & Martin, T. (2005). The Moderating Role of Individual Differences in the Relation between Transformational/Transactional Leadership Perceptions and Organizational Identification. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 569-589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.06.005
Gande, T., & Hlophe, C. (2023). Assessing the Impact of Leadership on Strategy Implementation in a Telecommunications Company: The Case of Botswana Telecommunications Corporation. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 13, 345- 370. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2023.135022
Gray, B., Sarnak, D. O., & Burgers, J. (2015). Home Care by Self-Governing Nursing Teams: The Netherlands’ Buurtzorg Model. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/case-studies/2015/may/home-care-nursing-teams-Netherlands https://doi.org/10.15868/socialsector.25117
Greer, C. R., Lusch, R. F., & Hitt, M. A. (2017). A Service Perspective for Human Capital Resources: A Critical Base for Strategy Implementation. Academy of Management Perspectives, 31, 137-158. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2016.0004
Gronn, P. (2002). Distributed Leadership as a Unit of Analysis. The Leadership Quarterly, 13, 423-451. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(02)00120-0
Hansson, D., & Martensson, A. (2011). An Analysis of Non-Management Employees’ Strategically Aligned Behaviour in the Strategy Implementation Process: Stimulating Non-Management Employees’ Contribution to Strategy Implementation. Masters Dissertation, Halmstad University.
Hernandez, M. (2012). Toward an Understanding of the Psychology of Stewardship. Academy of Management Review, 37, 172-193. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2010.0363
Hrebiniak, L. G. (2006). Obstacles to Effective Strategy Implementation. Organizational Dynamics, 35, 12-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2005.12.001
Hrebiniak, L. G. (2008, March/April). Making Strategy Work: Overcoming the Obstacles to Effective Execution. Ivey Business Journal. https://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/making-strategy-work-overcoming-the-obstacles-to-effective-execution/
Hrebiniak, L. G. (2013). Making Strategy Work: Leading Effective Execution and Change (2nd ed.). FT Press.
Ikiara, J. K., & Kariuki, P. (2018). Effect of Leadership Styles on Strategy Implementation at the National Treasury of Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business and Change Management, 5, 1396-1409. https://doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v5i4.962
Jacobsen, C. B., Hvitved, J., & Andersen, L. B. (2014). Command and Motivation: How The Perception of External Interventions Relates to Intrinsic Motivation and Public Service Motivation. Public Administration, 92, 790-806. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12024
Jaleha, A. A., & Machuki, V. N. (2018). Strategic Leadership and Organizational Performance. European Scientific Journal, 14, 124-149. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2018.v14n35p124
Joseph, E. E., & Winston, B. E. (2005). A Correlation of Servant Leadership, Leader Trust, and Organizational Trust. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 26, 6-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730510575552
Kalali, N. S., Anvari, M. R. A., Pourezzat, A. A., & Dastjerdi, D. K. (2011). Why Does Strategic Plan Implementation Fail? A Study in the Health Service Sector of Iran. African Journal of Business Management, 5, 9831-9837.
Kanter, R. M. (1983). The Change Masters. Simon and Shuster.
Kloninger, S. M. (2010). Drivers of Strategy Implementation Success: The Effects of Middle Management Behaviour, Administrative Mechanisms and Environmental Uncertainty. http://books.google.co.za/books/about/Drivers_of_Strategy_Implementation_Succe.html?id=QK_QZwEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Kluvers, R., & Tippett, J. (2011). An Exploration of Stewardship Theory in a Not-for- Profit Organization. Accounting Forum, 35, 275-284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accfor.2011.04.002
Kotter, J., & Rathgeber, H. (2005). Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding under Any Conditions. Harvard Business School Press.
Leana, C. R. (1986). Predictors and Consequences of Delegation. Academy of Management Journal, 29, 754-774. https://doi.org/10.2307/255943
Li, Y., Guohui, S., & Eppler, M. J. (2008). Making Strategy Work: A Literature Review on the Factors Influencing Strategy Implementation (pp. 1-46). ICA Working Paper, 2/ 2008.
MacLennan, A. (2011). Strategy Execution: Translating Strategy into Action in Complex Organisations. Routledge.
Martin, R. L. (2010). The Execution Trap. Harvard Business Review, 88, 64-71.
Metz, A., Jensen, T., Farley, A., Boaz, A., Bartley, L., & Villodas, M. (2022). Building Trusting Relationships to Support Implementation: A Proposed Theoretical Model. Frontiers in Health Services, 2, Article ID: 894599. https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2022.894599
Mezeger, S., & Violani, M. (2010). Turning Strategic Vision into Action: It’s a Mind Game. A.T. Kearney.
Mills, D., & Keast, R. (2009). Achieving Better Stewardship of Major Infrastructure Assets through Configuration of Governance Arrangements Utilising Stewardship Theory. In C. Greve (Ed.), Proceedings of the 13th International Research Society for Public Management Conference (IRSPM XIII) (pp. 1-29). International Research Society for Public Management.
Mubarak, M. F., & Yusoff, W. F. (2019). Impact of Strategic Leadership on Strategy Implementation. British Journal of Management and Marketing Studies, 2, 32-43.
Mulyani, S. R., Sari, M. W., Sari, V. N., & Tawakalni, W. (2019). The Effect of Locus of Control and Organisational Culture toward Employee Performance with Organisational Commitments as Intervening Variable. JEMA: Jurnal Ilmiah Bidang Akuntansi Dan Manajemen, 16, 147-159. https://doi.org/10.31106/jema.v16i2.2631
Murtaza, S., Mahmood, A., Saleem, S., Ahmad, N., Sharif, M. S., & Molnár, E. (2021). Proposing Stewardship Theory as an Alternative to Explain the Relationship between CSR and Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behavior. Sustainability, 13, Article No. 8558. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158558
Nasomboon, B. (2014). The Relationship among Leadership Commitment Organizational Performance and Employee Engagement. International Business Research, 7, 77-90. https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v7n9p77
Neilson, G. L., Martin, K. L., & Powers, E. (2008). The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution. Harvard Business Review, 86, 60-70.
Nienaber, H. (2010). Conceptualization of Management and Leadership. Management Decision, 48, 661-675. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741011043867
Nutt, P. C. (1986). The Tactics of Implementation. Academy of Management Journal, 29, 230-261. https://doi.org/10.2307/256187
Nutt, P. C. (1987). Identifying and Appraising How Managers Install Strategy. Strategic Management Journal, 8, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250080102
Nwachukwu, C., Chladkova, H., & Olaunji, F. (2018). The Relationship between Employee Commitment to Strategy Implementation and Employee Satisfaction. Trends Economics and Management, 31, 45-56. https://doi.org/10.13164/trends.2018.31.45
Nyong’a, T. M., & Maina, R. (2019). Influence of Strategic Leadership on Strategy Implementation at Kenya Revenue Authority, Southern Region in Kenya. International Academic Journal of Human Resource and Business Administration, 3, 128-159.
O’hara, K., Kjeldskov, J., & Paay, J. (2011). Blended Interaction Spaces for Distributed Team Collaboration. Transaction on Computer-Human Interaction, 18, Article No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1145/1959022.1959025
Oliński, M., & Szamrowski, P. (2020, July 1). Stewardship Concept Utilization on the Websites of Polish Public Benefit Organizations. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 22, 91-106. https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2020.2.302
Ong, T. S., Magsi, H. B., & Burgess, T. F. (2019). Organisational Culture, Environmental Management Control Systems, Environmental Performance of Pakistani Manufacturing Industry. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 68, 1293-1322. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-05-2018-0187
Oreg, S., & Berson, Y. (2011). Leadership and Employees’ Reactions to Change: The Role of Leaders’ Personal Attributes and Transformational Leadership Style. Personnel Psychology, 64, 627-659. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2011.01221.x
Pawar, A., Sudan, K., Satini, S., & Sunarsi, D. (2020). Organizational Servant Leadership: A Systematic Literature Review for Implications in Business. International Journal of Educational Administration, Management, and Leadership, 1, 63-76. https://doi.org/10.51629/ijeamal.v1i2.8
Pearce, C. L. (2004). The Future of Leadership: Combining Vertical and Shared Leadership to Transform Knowledge Work. Academy of Management Executive, 18, 47-57. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2004.12690298
Pearce, C. L., Manz, C. C., & Sims Jr., H. P. (2009). Where Do We Go from Here: Is Shared Leadership the Key to Success? Organisational Dynamics, 38, 234-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2009.04.008
Pearce, C., Manz, C., & Sims, H. (2008). The Roles of Vertical and Shared Leadership in the Enactment of Executive Corruption: Implications for Research and Practice. The Leadership Quarterly, 19, 353-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2008.03.007
Pearce, J. A., & Robinson, R. B. (2007). Formulation, Implementation and Control of Competitive Strategy (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Perry, J. L., Engbers, T. A., & Jun, S. Y. (2009). Back to the Future? Performance-Related Pay, Empirical Research, and the Perils of Persistence. Public Administration Review, 69, 39-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2008.01939_2.x
Pierce, J. L., Kostova, T., & Dirks, K. T. (2003). The State of Psychological Ownership: Integrating and Extending a Century of Research. Review of General Psychology, 7, 84- 107. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.7.1.84
Podrug, N. (2010). Stewardship Relations within the Management Hierarchy. Doctoral Dissertation, Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business.
Popli, S., & Rizvi, I. A. (2015). Exploring the Relationship between Service Orientation, Employee Engagement and Perceived Leadership Style: A Study of Managers in the Private Service Sector Organizations in India. Journal of Services Marketing, 29, 59-70. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2013-0151
Radomska, J., & Kozyra, C. (2020). Awareness of Strategy Execution Barriers in the Decision-Making Process: Moderated Mediation Analysis. Decision, 47, 61-78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40622-020-00234-w
Raja Hisham, R. R. I. (2020). An Empirical Study of Servant Leadership on the Performance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Malaysia/Raja Rizal Iskandar Raja Hisham … [et al.]. Universiti Teknologi MARA, Accounting Research Institute (ARI).
Randel, A., Galvin, B., Shore, L., Ehrhart, K., Chung, B., Dean, M., & Kedharnath, U. (2018). Inclusive Leadership: Realizing Positive Outcomes through Belongingness and Being Valued for Uniqueness. Human Resource Management Review, 28, 190-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.07.002
Rapert, M. I., Velliquette, A., & Garretson, J. A. (2002). The Strategic Implementation Process: Evoking Consensus through Communication. Journal of Business Research, 55, 301-310. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(00)00157-0
Rastogi, A., Pati, S. P., Krishnan, T. N., & Krishnan, S. (2018). Causes, Contingencies, and Consequences of Disengagement at Work: An Integrative Literature Review. Human Resource Development Review, 17, 62-94. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484317754160
Rayton, B. A., & Yalabik, Z. Y. (2014). Work Engagement, Psychological Contract Breach and Job Satisfaction. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25, 2382-2400. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2013.876440
Reinke, S. J. (2004). Service before Self: Towards a Theory of Servant-Leadership. Global Virtue Ethics Review, 5, 30-57.
Sagie, A., & Koslowsky, M. (1994). Organizational Attitudes and Behaviors as a Function of Participation in Strategic and Tactical Change Decisions: An Application of Path- Goal Theory. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15, 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030150105
Samimi, M., Cortes, A. F., Anderson, M. H., & Herrmann, P. (2022). What Is Strategic Leadership? Developing a Framework for Future Research. The Leadership Quarterly, 33, Article ID: 101353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.101353
Saputra, G. R. (2022, January 1). Influence of Human Resource Competence, Internal Control System, Participation in Budget Preparation, and Accounting Control on Performance Accountability of Local Government Agencies. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Innovation Track Accounting and Management Sciences (ICOSIAMS 2021) (pp. 197-203). Atlantis Press. https://scite.ai/reports/10.2991/aebmr.k.211225.028 https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.211225.028
Schillemans, T. (2013). Moving beyond the Clash of Interests: On Stewardship Theory and the Relationships between Central Government Departments and Public Agencies. Public Management Review, 15, 541-562. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2012.691008
Schillemans, T., & Basuioc, M. (2015). Predicting Public Sector Accountability: From Agency Drift to Forum Drift. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 25, 191-215. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muu024
Schillemans, T., & Bjurstrom, K. H. (2019). Trust and Verification: Balancing Agency and Stewardship Theory in the Governance of Agencies. International Public Management Journal, 23, 650-676. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2018.1553807
Smith, J. L. (2009). What Is Your Legacy? Ask Yourself What, or Perhaps More Appropriately, Who Is Your Legacy. Quality, 4, 61. http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=uphoenix
Spreitzer, G. M. (1995). Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation. Academy of Management Journal, 38, 1442-1465. https://doi.org/10.2307/256865
Stiffler, M. A. (2004). Cascading Corporate Goals: The Missing Link in Creating Performance-Driven Organizations. http://businessfinancemag.com/business-performance-management/cascading-corporate-goals-missing-link-creating-performance-driven-o
Sugita, M., & Takahashi, T. (2015). Influence of Corporate Culture on Environmental Management Performance: An Empirical Study of Japanese Firms. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 22, 182-192. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1346
Tawse and Tabesh (2020). Strategy Implementation: A Review and an Introductory Frame- work. European Management Journal, 39, 22-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2020.09.005
Torfing, J., & Bentzen, T. O. (2020). Does Stewardship Theory Provide a Viable Alternative to Control-Fixated Performance Management? Administrative Sciences, 10, Article No. 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10040086
Vallentin, S., & Thygesen, N. (2017). Trust and Control in Public Sector Reform: Complementary and beyond. Journal of Trust Research, 7, 150-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/21515581.2017.1354766
Van der Maas, A. (2017). Mastering Strategy Implementation. https://arnoudvandermaas.com/mastering-strategy
Verweire, K. (2014). Strategy Implementation. Taylor and Francis. https://www.perlego.com/book/1547814/strategy-implementation-pdf https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315849447
Wiles, J. (2020). It’s Time for Every Function to Hone Strategy and Execution. Gartner Execution Gap Survey. https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/its-time-for-every-function-to-hone-strategy-and-execution
Ye, J., Marinova, D., & Singh, J. (2007). Strategic Change Implementation and Performance Loss in the Front Lines. Journal of Marketing, 71, 156-171.