Competence in virtual communication: Remote transformational leadership

• Published date: 01 May 2023
• Author: Lauren H. Loyless
• Date: 01 May 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13618

VIEWPOINT

Competence in virtual communication: Remote

transformational leadership

Lauren H. Loyless

Public and Nonprofit Management, School of

Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, The

University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson,

Texas, USA

Correspondence

Lauren H. Loyless, Public and Nonprofit

Management, School of Economic, Political and

Policy Sciences, The University of Texas at

Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.

Email: lauren.loyless@utdallas.edu

Abstract

This paper seeks to evaluate how researched communication methods from within

transformational leadership theory can contribute to the overall effectiveness of

leader and organizational performance within remote working environments. A

review of existing literature within the scope of research will aim to uncover if the

four established elements of communication (oral, written, listening, and nonver-

bal), as defined by the Van Wart text Leadership in Public Organizations, remain

efficient in transformational leadership theory, or if methods must be expanded

upon when looking toward the future. With the onset of the COVID-19 global pan-

demic in 2020, it is theorized that a modern-day addition to the communications

mix is needed to endure contemporary events impacting leadership performance

and rapidly changing organizations across the world.

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of practi-

tioners and leaders operating within a remote working

environment. As such, contemporary transformational

leadership in practice should produce a renewed focus

on leader competency through the lens of virtual commu-

nication. The burgeoning digital work environment

demands further exploration and adds urgency to

decade-old correlations between leadership effectiveness

and communication research. It is theorized that virtual

communication skills, an underdeveloped area of

research for the 21st century, will play an even more

prominent role in developing the next generations of

competent “remote”leaders (Tables A1, A2 and A3).

This essay will first address the strengths and chal-

lenges of transformational leadership theory, setting the

foundation for why this particular approach is suitable for

advancing communication skills in practice during

periods of significant organizational challenges. Leader-

ship scholar Montgomery Van Wart’s four elements of

communication skills are then evaluated for influence on

leadership effectiveness and competence in organizations.

This composition will ultimately seek to institutionalize

communication skills in leadership studies by identifying

a need in modern leadership performance literature. In

further support of building upon existing literature, pub-

lic administrators in a remote working environment may

need to expand their communication knowledge to

incorporate new adaptable approaches that provide

leaders with the proper tools through training. Conse-

quently, competent leaders require tangible, applicable,

and practical communication skills for an increasingly

virtual setting.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: A

THEORY IN PRACTICE

In the late 1970s, the transformational leadership theory

arose with an emphasis placed on behavioral psychology

and assumptions of the style and attributes required to

be an effective leader, encouraging “performance beyond

expectations”(Van Wart, 2017, 94). Presently, it is well

postulated that these are the leaders who would create

profound structural changes across organizational cul-

tures by “motivating followers to work for transcendental

goals and for higher level self-actualization needs”

(Vasilaki et al., 2016, 2495). When concerning such moti-

vational circumstances or ‘transcendental goals,’the

COVID-19 pandemic has postured rapid adaptation to

organizational leadership with a shift toward remote

operations. An evaluation of theoretical strengths shows

Academic: Lauren H. Loyless, M.S., Ph.D. in Public Affairs Candidate, Public and

Nonprofit Management, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, The

University of Texas at Dallas, lauren.loyless@utdallas.edu.Practitioner: U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers (USACE) Social Scientist.

Received: 18 February 2022 Revised: 6 January 2023 Accepted: 26 January 2023

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13618

702 © 2023 American Society for Public Administration. Public Admin Rev. 2023;83:702–709.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/puar