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Between Rigor and Pragmatism: The Dilemmas of Contemporary Leadership Studies

Joanna SAMUL

Journal of Leadership Studies2026https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.70025article
AJG 1
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

Methodological rigor in leadership research enhances the reliability and credibility of scholarly findings, yet it may also constrain their practical relevance beyond academic audiences. Achieving a balance between rigorous methodological standards and theoretical richness with practical significance remains a critical challenge in leadership studies. This article examines the increasing publication demands of high‐impact journals that prompt scholars to align their research designs with stringent methodological expectations, while not necessarily addressing persistent shortcomings in leadership research. The article offers a critical reflection on current publication practices in leadership studies and encourages continued scholarly discussion on this issue.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.70025

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@article{joanna2026,
  title        = {{Between Rigor and Pragmatism: The Dilemmas of Contemporary Leadership Studies}},
  author       = {Joanna SAMUL},
  journal      = {Journal of Leadership Studies},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.70025},
}

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Between Rigor and Pragmatism: The Dilemmas of Contemporary Leadership Studies

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.