In a post-pandemic world, culture is projected to include three dimensions of collaboration, trust, and learning. These three keywords cannot make or break a SME but I have found that incorporating each of them together can begin to move a SME to COVID-19 recovery. I asked executives how they felt about the role of transformational management practices. They agreed that transformational managers enhance collaboration and dialogue by aligning subordinates’ individual interests with collective interests.
With new and reborn technology, trusting a system that is secure with modern technology will help executives lead now and in the future. Executives that employ transformational management practices can engender trust by focusing on identifying employees’ individual needs within SMEs. This was confirmed in my conversations with executives in the pandemic world we live in.
Furthermore, most executives agreed with my assumptions found in the literature that transformational managers provide the freedom for employees in order to explore new ideas and knowledge. Thus, this kind of management can be applied to develop learning climates.
Executives also mentioned that collaboration is a necessary precursor to creating new ideas and knowledge. In addition, when asking executives how transformational management practices work best for them. The undeniable reason, they expressed, is being an enable of extenuating trust-based relationships. This kind of relationship is ideal for sharing tacit knowledge. This is not a novel issue and has surfaced as a scholarly idea for decades. It simply has more applicability today as we survive the pandemic and prepare for the post-pandemic. In fact, managers’ ability to create knowledge and develop a more innovative climate is a product of employees’ trust in their managers’ decisions.
After my discussion with executives, I also posit that sharing best practices and experiences (i.e. learning, technology, and presentation equipment) could play a crucial role in embedding organizational knowledge in members and creating new knowledge for SMEs for the post COVID-19 recovery. Thus, SMEs emphasizing the cultural aspect of learning are much stronger in generating new ideas and knowledge.
In closing, this article highlights the vital importance of transformational management practices employed in improving organizational innovation both today and in preparation for the post-pandemic. In addition, this article reveals that transformational management practices have significant effects on organizational factors as managers navigate an iterative process of sustaining business. This article highlights the vital importance of transformational management practices to stimulate a culture of learning as many followers are working remotely, build upon collaboration, and provide for an equal amount of trust for both managers and their remote workers.
Mostafa Sayyadi works with senior business leaders to effectively develop innovation in companies, and helps companies—from start-ups to the Fortune 100—succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders. He is a business book author and a long- time contributor to business publications and his work has been featured in top-flight business publications.
