Abstract
This paper investigates the tension between two contrasting organizational leadership paradigms: heroic
leadership, centred on the vertical relationship with the hierarchical superior, and diffuse leadership, understood as a
distributed process among team members. The analysis draws on an engagement survey administered to 99 employees
of a multi-location retail organization in Romania between 9–29 March 2020, a window overlapping the WHO
declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic (11 March). Two composite indices were constructed from 17 questionnaire
items with excellent reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.92 for the heroic index; α = 0.89 for the diffuse index). Results reveal
a significant asymmetry between the two dimensions (M_heroic = 4.32; M_diffuse = 3.96; t(95) = 7.50; p < 0.001; d =
0.77), with 75 of 96 respondents scoring higher on the heroic index - confirming a pattern of strong vertical trust
alongside more cautiously evaluated horizontal collaboration. Multiple regression analyses show that when both
predictors are entered simultaneously, only the diffuse leadership index retains a significant unique association with
employee engagement (B = 0.61; β = 0.64; p < 0.001) and overall satisfaction (B = 0.84; β = 0.39; p = 0.021). Sub
dimension decomposition identifies peer cohesion and voice - understood as meaningful participation in decision
making - as the predictors carrying the most specific explanatory weight. An exploratory pre-/post-state of emergency
comparison, subject to explicit methodological caveats given the small post sub-sample (n = 23) and the absence of
statistical significance, suggests a descriptive trend compatible with a centralisation of perception toward senior
management under conditions of acute uncertainty.
leadership, centred on the vertical relationship with the hierarchical superior, and diffuse leadership, understood as a
distributed process among team members. The analysis draws on an engagement survey administered to 99 employees
of a multi-location retail organization in Romania between 9–29 March 2020, a window overlapping the WHO
declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic (11 March). Two composite indices were constructed from 17 questionnaire
items with excellent reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.92 for the heroic index; α = 0.89 for the diffuse index). Results reveal
a significant asymmetry between the two dimensions (M_heroic = 4.32; M_diffuse = 3.96; t(95) = 7.50; p < 0.001; d =
0.77), with 75 of 96 respondents scoring higher on the heroic index - confirming a pattern of strong vertical trust
alongside more cautiously evaluated horizontal collaboration. Multiple regression analyses show that when both
predictors are entered simultaneously, only the diffuse leadership index retains a significant unique association with
employee engagement (B = 0.61; β = 0.64; p < 0.001) and overall satisfaction (B = 0.84; β = 0.39; p = 0.021). Sub
dimension decomposition identifies peer cohesion and voice - understood as meaningful participation in decision
making - as the predictors carrying the most specific explanatory weight. An exploratory pre-/post-state of emergency
comparison, subject to explicit methodological caveats given the small post sub-sample (n = 23) and the absence of
statistical significance, suggests a descriptive trend compatible with a centralisation of perception toward senior
management under conditions of acute uncertainty.
Cuvinte cheie
heroic leadership
diffuse leadership
distributed leadership
employee engagement
organizational voice
team cohesion
retail Romania
Istoric articol
Publicat
26.06.2026
Informații autori
Citare recomandată
NICOLAE MOGOȘ (2026). THE HEROIC–DIFFUSE LEADERSHIP PARADOX: VERTICAL TRUST AND HORIZONTAL COLLABORATION IN A ROMANIAN RETAIL ORGANIZATION. Constantin Brâncuși University of Târgu Jiu Economics Series, 1(3), 266–279. https://doi.org/10.65631/jes.3.2026.24
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