The purpose of this study was to explore the kind of leadership that could infect positive
changes in the work environments of government research organizations undergoing
privatization in most developing countries in order to enhance the commercialisation of their
production activities. An interpretive analytic framework was used as an appropriate
platform to build a qualitative design. Qualitative data was collected through taped-recorded
interviews with seventeen senior staff members identified as key actors in the organization’s
privatization processes, and analysed using an interpretive description qualitative approach.
The results showed that the organization’s managers used charismatic and values-based
leadership approaches during the transition period of commercialisation process and was
viewed by their subordinates as leaders who were true to their own values and who also went
on to help those they led to articulate what they valued. It was concluded that an
amalgamation of transformational and value-based styles of leadership approach could be
used by managers of government agencies in most developing countries to infect positive
changes in their work environments when managing the privatization of their organizations.
The study has shown that value-based transformational leadership could be used by
managers of challenged government research and development organizations in most
developed countries to infect positive changes in their work environments and which could
help facilitate their efforts towards the privatization of their organizations’ activities
