Benazir Bhutto and the Challenge and Response Theory

This study estimates the leadership qualities of Benazir Bhutto, first female Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Islamic world. The life history of Benazir Bhutto also falls under the category of charismatic leadership as she displayed exceptional leadership qualities in the face of different personal and political challenges. Much has been written on the life, personality and political career of Benazir Bhutto but very few have made academic and in depth study of leadership qualities of Benazir Bhutto which were predominant and striking features of her political leadership during her second tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan (1993-96). Therefore, this article navigates on diverse Socio-economic, Political and Geo-strategic challenges and responses of Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister of Pakistan (1993-96). Further, it encapsulates her relationship with military, dwindling state of economy, revengeful role of opposition and various contradictions with President created a grave challenge not only for poor governance but also for the longevity of her premiership tenure. It was not smooth sailing for her as Prime Minister; however, it was a hard journey full of myriad challenges, inherited dwindling economy, overdeveloped state structure, strife torn society, volatile geo-political situation, regional disparities, vindictive politics of opposition and imbalance of power between Prime Minister and President required stupendous efforts from Benazir Bhutto as a Prime Minister. Further, this study presents a systematic and factual analysis of the socio-economic challenges and the arbitrary use of the Presidential power (58) (2B). Furthermore, theory of challenge and response has also been applied to have a better understanding of Benazir Bhutto’s leadership qualities and administrative abilities. It also throws light on the circumstances that led towards her ouster from premiership. Besides, this study attempts to find what were the diverse challenges faced by Benazir Bhutto as a Prime Minister (1993-96)? How did she respond to various challenges as Prime Minister?

Personality and Psychological Contracts: Mediating Roles of Epistemic Curiosity and Rule-Following Behavior With Moderating Role of Uncertainity Avoidance

This study evaluates what and how personality traits (Big Five) of employees form their psychological contracts with respective employers. Therefore, apart from testing the direct relations between personality traits of employees and their psychological contracts towards employers, the present study investigates the ex planatory mechanisms (epistemic curiosity & rule-following behavior) between the Big Five personality traits and dimensions of psychological contracts, which in cludes transactional, relational, balanced and ideological contracts. In addition, the moderating role of individual level uncertainty avoidance is also examined in the relations between personality traits and explanatory mechanisms i.e. epistemic curiosity and rule-following behavior. Trait activation theory provides overarch ing theoretical framework for this study and norms of reciprocity offer additional support. Time-lagged data in three time-lags were collected from 469 respondents employed in various public and private sector organizations across Pakistan. Results indicate that Openness to Experience positively relates to transactional, balanced and ideological contracts and negative relates to relational contracts. Conscientiousness positively relates to transactional contracts and negatively re lates with relational, balanced and ideological contracts. The other personality dimension Extraversion positively relates to relational contracts and ideological contracts whereas it negatively relates to transactional contracts. Similarly, Agree ableness is found positively related with relational contracts and negatively with transactional and ideological contracts. Finally, Neuroticism negatively relates with all types of psychological contracts. Regarding explanatory paths, epistemic curiosity and rule-following behavior ex plain the relations between specific personality traits and psychological contracts as epistemic curiosity explains the relations between Openness to Experience, Con scientiousness and Extraversion and psychological contract types. While in case of rule-following behavior, majority of the hypotheses stand accepted, except for balanced contracts. In case of moderation, the results show that uncertainty avoid ance weakens relationship between Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and x Extraversion and epistemic curiosity. The results regarding moderating role of uncertainty avoidance in the relations between Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism and rule-following behavior could only be partially claimed due to the fact that uncertainty avoidance was not found affecting the relation between Con scientiousness and rule-following behavior. Overall directions of buffering effects were somehow mixed as compared to expectations. These results have theoretical as well as practical significance. The study makes theoretical contribution in psychological contracts body of knowledge by adding two new explanatory mechanisms to elucidate the reasons why people with certain personality traits form different types of psychological contracts and what affect individual level uncertainty avoidance has on these relations. The practitioners can also benefit from these finding as they can ensure better expectations management and personality-job fit.