RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL MODERNITY IN BELÉM DO PARÁ LAW FIRMS

Abstract

This paper aims to present the results of a study aimed at investigating the relationship between the constructs Organizational Modernity and Relational Leadership in professional organizations, more specifically in law firms. The transformations that the sector has been undergoing, particularly in light of the movements surrounding the so-called "Fourth Industrial Revolution", have brought about significant changes, not only in the scope of practice, products, and services, but also in the profiles, processes, and delivery modes required for the professional practice of law. Consequently, it gives rise to more flexible, decentralized, and distributed leadership styles, more in line with the assumptions of the so-called relational leadership. As for the method, a research with a quantitative approach was developed, involving the application of a survey with lawyers from the ten largest law firms located in the city of Belém (PA). The results indicate high scores for cultural modernity, followed by administrative modernity and people management practices, and finally, political modernity. The results also show a significant presence of the relational leadership factors investigated, as well as a positive and significant correlation between organizational modernity and relational leadership. An important contribution of this study was to overcome the gap in the literature regarding measures and empirical research aimed at measuring relational leadership in law firms.