Stewardship theory is a theory that managers, left on their own, will act as responsible stewards of the assets and resources they control.[citation needed] Stewardship theorists assume that given a choice between self-serving behavior and pro-organizational behavior, a steward will place higher value on cooperation than defection. Stewards are assumed to be collectivists, pro-organizational, and trustworthy.[1]

In American politics, an example of the stewardship theory is where a president practices a governing style based on belief they have the duty to do whatever is necessary in national interest, unless prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.[2] The stewardship approach is often associated with Theodore Roosevelt,[3] who viewed the presidency as a "bully pulpit" of moral and political leadership.[4]

Further reading

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  • Robinson, Randall L. The Stewardship Theory of the Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt's Political Theory of Republican Progressive Statemanship and the Foundation of the Modern Presidency (1997).

References

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  1. ^ Davis, J. H., Schoorman, F. D., & Donaldson, L. (1997). Toward a stewardship theory of management. Academy of Management Review, 22(1), 20-47.
  2. ^ "The stewardship theory - Presidential Power".
  3. ^ Presidential Stewardship, Humphrey Fellows at Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication – ASU
  4. ^ Constitutional Interpretation: Powers of Government, Volume 1