Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana – The latest issue of Final Arete – Volume 4, No 1 Fall Winter 2026 highlights a remarkable collection of scholarship from emerging and established thought leaders whose work advances understanding of leadership across global, organizational, cultural, educational, and community contexts. Published in collaboration with the Global Leadership Institute, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and PALNI, Αρετή (Arete) Journal of Excellence in Global Leadership continues to provide a global, peer-reviewed, open-access platform for advancing leadership research and practice.
Named for the ancient Greek concept of excellence and virtue, Arete is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and innovative scholarship that addresses complex challenges facing leaders worldwide.
Among the featured contributions in Volume 4, Number 1 are two internationally recognized scholars whose work has shaped the field of global leadership for decades.
Distinguished Scholars Reflect on the Evolution of Global Leadership
In “Pioneering New Fields of Study: Lessons and Reflections from the Nascent Field of Global Leadership,” Joyce Osland, Professor Emeritus at San José State University, and Mark Mendenhall, J. Burton Frierson Chair of Excellence in Business Leadership at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, offer a compelling retrospective on the birth and growth of global leadership as a recognized field of study.
Their article chronicles more than two decades of scholarship, collaboration, and field-building efforts that transformed global leadership from a niche area of inquiry into an established academic discipline. The authors share insights into the challenges of developing a new field, defining foundational concepts, building scholarly communities, and expanding global leadership research around the world.
The contribution is particularly significant given Osland and Mendenhall’s foundational role in shaping the modern study of global leadership. Their reflective essay provides valuable guidance for researchers, educators, and practitioners seeking to understand leadership in an increasingly interconnected and complex world.
Exploring Leadership in Unexpected Places
Another standout article comes from Dzungwenen R. Tyohemba, whose research challenges conventional assumptions about where leadership occurs within organizations. In “Global Leadership Without a Passport: Hospital Chaplains and the Micro-Construction of Organizational Culture,” Tyohemba introduces the concept of non-positional cultural leadership. Using hospital chaplains as a case study, he argues that significant cultural leadership often emerges not from executive offices but through relational influence at the front lines of organizational life.
The article bridges global leadership theory, organizational culture research, healthcare practice, and cultural intelligence, offering a fresh framework for understanding how individuals without formal authority shape organizational culture through daily interactions.
Additional Research Highlights
This issue also features diverse scholarship addressing contemporary leadership challenges:
· Traci M. Orman examines the ongoing barriers facing women seeking leadership roles in”Lack of Women in Leadership Positions Due to Gender Inequality,” proposing policy and structural reforms to advance gender equity.
· Christina Smith Pearison explores servant, authentic, and relational leadership through the life story of Pastor Rose Sparks in”Called to Serve,” illuminating the challenges and opportunities women encounter in faith-based leadership.
· Jacqueline “Jackie” Ruff presents the Engage-Amplify-Pipeline (EAP) Framework, a practical model designed to help regional orchestras build audience engagement and long-term sustainability.
· Dani Badgett and Michael King contribute a leadership poster on ethical artificial intelligence implementation that offers practical guidance for leaders navigating technological transformation across cultures.
Growing Recognition and Impact
The journal continues to gain visibility within the scholarly publishing community. Arete was selected as a featured publication during the Library Publishing Showcase Week 2026, a national initiative recognizing innovation and impact in library publishing.
As a peer-reviewed, open-access publication, Arete remains committed to making high-quality leadership scholarship accessible to researchers, educators, practitioners, and students worldwide without author publication fees.