Framing the discourse of leadership: an analysis of the social construction of leadership within communication, business and higher education

There is an increasing amount of academic and pop culture interest centered on leadership development. The study and advancement of leadership is tied to many academic disciplines and is continually evolving. Within academia there are multiple perspectives from which leadership can be advanced and taught. This study advances the notion that leadership is socially constructed. By examining the discourse surrounding leadership study and education the goal is to better understand the foundations and frameworks related to leadership advanced by scholars and professionals from the academic disciplines of communication, higher education, and business. Through examining the socially-constructed language within these relevant disciplines common themes emerged to provide support to disciplinary frames that influence the pedagogical approach for developing leadership curriculum. This study reviews related literature, analyzes how leadership is defined and framed within these areas, and provides recommendations for future inquiries into the blending of knowledge from these academic disciplines for the improvement of leadership education as a whole. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries