Contemporary organizations are navigating accelerated and multifaceted transformations shaped by global megatrends and internal systemic pressures, creating cascading demands that compel firms to act proactively to survive and grow in volatile environments. Understanding these dynamics requires a micro-level perspective that captures the interpersonal processes between leaders and followers across hierarchical levels. Accordingly, this dissertation examines how individual differences and motives shape proactive strategic behaviors in the context of organizational change. Overall, the findings suggest that dispositionally proactive leaders and followers engage in proactive strategic behaviors through certain motives, and that this process is contingent on career-related perceptions and hierarchical position. These insights underscore that proactivity is not merely a stable disposition but a context-sensitive, motivational process that unfolds within organizational hierarchies.
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