Article

Leadership development: Does it make a difference?

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

January 2006
27(1):5-27

DOI:10.1108/01437730610641331

Authors:

Ruth Boaden

The University of Manchester

Purpose This paper seeks to examine the impact of a leadership development programme provided for, and funded by, the NHS. Design/methodology/approach It analyses the context, process of delivery and outcomes of the programme in the light of relevant leadership research. The programme itself is described after some consideration of the literature. Although the programme was originally commissioned by the NHS Leadership Centre for Human Resource (HR) professionals from the NHS, it is now offered to any aspiring or newly‐appointed director, and aims (amongst other things) to enable NHS staff to manage people more effectively within the context of change. Findings The paper concludes that the programme has, to date, been successful in impacting on personal and organisational contribution, as far as individual participants, commissioners and providers are concerned, and as far as can be measured within current understanding. Originality/value The programme fits well with the most recent typologies of leadership development.

Examining leadership as a strategy to enhance health care service delivery in regional hospitals in South Africa

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2018

Background Four public hospitals in South Africa, which render both specialized and nonspecialized services to thousands of patients, were examined to determine the impact of leadership on health care service delivery. These hospitals were inundated by various problems that were impacting negatively on health care service delivery. Purpose This research study aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, complexities and constraints facing public health care in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and to examine leadership as a strategy to enhance healthcare service delivery with a particular focus on four regional hospitals in the KZN Province. Methods The mixed-method research approach was utilized. Purposive sampling and stratified random sampling were employed in the research setting, and in-depth, semistructured interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the Nvivo computer software package for in-depth interviews and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software for the quantitative analysis. Results The research findings showed that the current leadership framework adopted by the health care leaders in regional hospitals in KZN is weak and is contributing to poor health care service delivery. Conclusion This study, therefore, aimed to address the current challenges and weaknesses that are impacting negatively on health care service delivery in regional hospitals in the KZN Province and made recommendations for improvement.

Kauno miesto SVV organizacijų analizė vadovų lyčių lyderystės aspektu

Article

Jan 2014

An In-Depth Literature Review of the Role and Efficacy of Development Centres

Article

Krista Hegan

Development Centres (DCs) are now being commonly employed by Human Resources (HR) in organisations (Wilson, 1996) as a result of wanting to maintain a competitive advantage through their human capital (Vloeberghs & Berghman, 2003). This literature review aims to discuss DCs in detail in order to determine their role and efficacy. The role of DCs will be examined in relation to developing employees, succession planning (SP) and leadership capacity development (LCD). The effectiveness of DCs will then be determined by discussing their potential benefits and drawbacks.

Leadership Development Needs Assessment in Healthcare: A Collaborative Approach

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2013

Purpose This exploratory study aims to present data collected from a collaborative project designed to assess leadership development needs in a healthcare setting. Design/methodology/approach The research describes a three‐phase design that draws primarily upon qualitative data collected from focus groups, written submissions and interviews with middle managers employed in a provincial health authority, Horizon Health Network, located in Atlantic Canada. Findings The findings reveal a number of considerations for future leadership development programs including the need to make space for leadership development, the role of partnerships in leadership development, and the need for mentoring and coaching. In addition, a number of challenges facing the organization and the possible impact on leadership development are identified. Research limitations/implications The findings are based upon one case study site and this limits the generalizability of the research. In addition, the researchers were only able to make direct contact with one half of the 150 middle managers that will be participants in the eventual leadership development program. Practical implications This research describes a collaborative approach through which to increase buy‐in and commitment to leadership development in healthcare organizations. The approach provides a path to build sustainability in overall organizational performance through a healthy and engaged workforce. Originality/value Most research describes or evaluates leadership development programs with little attention devoted to the process of needs assessment. In addition, the literature focuses upon participants who have finished a program or are part way through a program. This research looks at the possibilities of a collaborative approach to leadership development pre‐leadership development program starting at the needs assessment phase.

Clinical leadership training: a clinician's perspective

Article

Oct 2020
CLIN RADIOL

Experiences and outcomes of a women’s leadership development program: A phenomenological investigation

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2016

Women’s leadership training programs provide organizations opportunities to value women leaders as organizational resources. This qualitative research utilized phenomenological methodology to examine lived experiences of seven alumni of a women’s-only leadership program. We conducted semi-structured interviews to clarify what learning elements were most beneficial in furthering an individuals’ leadership role. Emerging research themes included perceptional and personal agency changes within participants. Women’s leadership programs provided an opportunity for cognitive, affective, and behavioral growth; engaging learning activities, social capital development, and relational model methodologies were perceived as most helpful in leadership development. Action learning techniques, fostering interconnectedness, and philosophical leadership development activities were critical elements in leadership development. Insights gained from this study provided perspective on the unique experiences of women in a leadership training program.

VAD GÖR EN LEDARSKAPSUTBILDNING FÖR SKILLNAD FÖR EN LEDARE?

Article

Jan 2007

Richard Axelsson

Museums, Leadership, and Transfer: An Inquiry into Organizational Supports for Learning Leadership

Thesis

Aug 2012

Julie Johnson

Given the rapid changes that 21st century museums must manage, flexible thinking about leadership forms and purposes is needed. Today's complex leadership landscape necessitates that staff engage in enacting leadership with positional leaders. Limited empirical literature exists that describes how the next generation of museum leaders is being nurtured and developed. The purpose of this study was to: describe museum professionals' perceptions of leadership practices; investigate museums as sites of organizational and leadership learning; and consider the experiences of museum professionals who have participated in leader development programs. The study involved an on-line survey with 310 professionals working in U.S. museums and follow-up interviews with a subset of 13 survey participants. Bolman and Deal's (1990) Leadership Orientations Inventory (BDLO) was used to assess museum leadership practices; Marsick and Watkins (1999) 21-item version Dimensions of a Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ-A) was used to assess supports for learning in the museum. Findings based on bivariate correlation and multiple regression analysis show a significant relationship between ratings for leadership effectiveness at the department and organization levels and scores on the BDLO and the DLOQ-A. While leadership effectiveness at both levels tended to be positive, over 60% of middle and non-managers did not perceive their museum’s leadership as mastering any of the BDLO Leadership Orientations Inventory frames. Statistically significant differences in the perception of museums as learning organizations were found with decreasing support from senior managers to middle managers to non-managers. With regard to learning leadership, findings indicate that the DLOQ-A Strategic Leadership for Learning dimension, Organization Support, and Peer Support are important for facilitating continued learning and application of new knowledge and skills derived from leader development programs. Finally, most leader development program participants indicated that they were immediately able to apply some skills learned; however sustaining incorporation of new knowledge was difficult. Implications for museum professionals, leader development program providers, museum studies programs, leadership and change, and future research are discussed. A digital introduction accompanies this dissertation. This dissertation is accessible at: http://aura.antioch.edu/etds/13/

The Implications of Taking a Distributed Leadership Approach on Organisational Outcomes

Article

Charlotte Drury

Gold standard research and evidence applied: The Inspire Nursing Leadership Program

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2024

Billions of dollars are invested annually in leadership development globally; however, few programs are evidence-based, risking adverse outcomes, and wasted time and money. This article describes the novel Inspire Nursing Leadership Program (INLP) and the outcomes-based process of incorporating gold standard evidence into its design, delivery, and evaluation. The INLP design was informed by a needs analysis, research evidence, and by nursing, Indigenous, and equity, diversity, and inclusion experts. The program’s goals include enabling participants to develop leadership capabilities, cultivate strategic community partnerships, lead innovation projects, and connect with colleagues. Design features include an outcomes-based approach, the LEADS framework, and alignment with the principles of adult learning. Components include leadership impact projects, 360-assessments, blended interactive sessions, coaching, mentoring, and application and reflection exercises. The evaluation framework and subsequent proposed research design align to top-quality standards. Healthcare leadership programs must be evidence-based to support leaders in improving and transforming health systems.

Transformations towards an integrated leadership development system—A longitudinal study in a high-performing public organization

Article

Feb 2024

Leadership development (LD) plays a significant role in achieving high-quality performance and business results, but there is little research on how leadership development itself evolves as the organization develops. This study explores how a leadership development system evolved over 30 years, during a time when the organization became increasingly high performing. Through reflexive thematic analysis of organizational documents and interviews with top managers and practitioners, the study provides a rich longitudinal description of the evolvement. The results revealed three pervasive changes of the leadership development system: 1) from a system for business-specific learning to one for system-wide learning; 2) from a system for personal development to one for customer-oriented quality development; and 3) from a leadership development system consisting of leadership development programs to one that is integrated into regular meetings and uses simple rules. These changes supported the gradual transformation of the leadership development from being independent to becoming integrated in the wider system, supporting the business system. The findings offer a unique insight into how an organization transitioned from individual leader development towards promoting collective aspects of leadership development. The study provides two main theoretical contributions that support the perspective of viewing leadership development as integrated within organizational development. Firstly, we present a more multifaceted way of understanding leadership development, wherein managers and employees, customer outcomes, and business advancement are seen as mutually developing. Secondly, we introduce two new critical points that complement previous descriptions of an advanced leadership development system: It is system wide (not only business specific) and customer oriented (not only leader/participant oriented).

Learning to lead

Article

Dec 2012

This article discusses the impact of a leadership development programme that attempted to develop leaders and leadership amongst actual and prospective managers within a large local authority social work service. It concentrates on empirical findings that illustrate the forms of change that took place at the level of the individual and those that extended beyond leader development and into leadership behaviours that involved collective and collaborative action. It sets the discussion in the context of previous studies into leadership development activities before briefly discussing the methods of evaluating training and education activities. The evaluation aimed to assess the impact the programme had on individual leadership practice, the participants’ teams and on the provision of services through attempting to evidence observable performance outcomes. The findings suggest that there were elements of the programme that had sustainable impact at the level of the individual and in wider operational terms within the service.

Evaluation of a Leadership Development Programme in a London Local Authority

Article

Oct 2015

Chika Grace Agabu

This is an evaluation of a Leadership Development Programme (LDP) consisting of a number of development approaches such as leadership coaching and action learning; carried out for leaders in a London Local Authority. Using semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion the Taxonomy of Training and Development Outcomes (TOTADO) framework is applied to evaluate the influence of the LDP on individual, team and organizational level outcomes. Characteristics of coaching and action learning were examined; along with factors that may influence learning and transfer of learning to the workplace. Findings suggest that the LDP led to increased confidence and awareness of leadership behaviours and improved teamwork amongst leaders. Coaching content, the coach’s experience and experience sharing in action learning were found to promote leadership development. Manager and peer support, opportunity and work demands were found to influence transfer of learning to the workplace.

Preparing Industry Leaders: The Role of Doctoral Education and Early Career Management Training in the Leadership Trajectories of Women STEM PhDs

Article

Full-text available

May 2022
RES HIGH EDUC

While gender diversity in leadership has been shown to benefit organizations and promote innovations, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions in the industry sector. With increasing numbers of women pursuing PhDs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, it is critical to examine how PhD programs contribute to the career paths of PhDs. This study examines the role of doctoral education preparation in communication, management, and technical skills, as well as post-PhD early career management training (ECMT), on PhDs’ attainment of leadership positions in industry. Data come from the National Science Foundation Survey of Doctorate Recipients, National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates, and National Research Council Rankings of PhD programs. Using regression analyses, results indicate that ECMT is associated with a higher likelihood of attainment of leadership positions. PhD preparation in management skills also contributes to the attainment of leadership positions. Previous literature has shown that structural inequities and workplace bias contribute to limiting women’s progress to leadership positions and that it is critical to address systemic and workplace biases. Research findings suggest that PhD program preparation and increased access to professional development opportunities can help contribute to the enhancement of women’s pathways to leadership roles. Structural changes in doctoral education preparation in management skills and increases in ECMT opportunities offered by employers also have the potential to increase the participation of STEM PhDs in leadership roles in industry.

Fundamentos pedagógicos para la creación y producción de recursos educativos abiertos (REA)

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021

En este artículo se presenta el componente pedagógico del modelo derivado de la investigación Modelo para la cocreación y producción de contenidos educativos abiertos mediante el uso de una plataforma virtual. Este modelo busca contribuir al fortalecimiento de la formación virtual en el departamento de Antioquia. El bjetivo de dicha investigación fue implementar un modelo para la cocreación y producción de contenidos educativos abiertos, llamados REA, mediante el uso de una plataforma virtual. Este modelo, que es el producto principal de esta investigación, está estructurado por tres componentes principales: pedagógico, de producción y tecnológico, los cuales se encuentran alineados a través de la autonomía, interacción, flexibilidad y mediación como principios transversales al modelo que lo orientan hacia la creación de contenidos educativos abiertos. El propósito fundamental de esta investigación es promover una educación en la cual se mejoren los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje a través de los REA haciendo uso de la ecnología y de los elementos necesarios para que los contenidos sean más eficientes y productivos. Al mismo tiempo, se busca implementar su distribución bajo licencias que permitan su reuso, adaptación y ransformación sin restricciones de propiedad intelectual. El componente pedagógico, en el cual se hará nfasis en este artículo, surge del análisis de diferentes teorías, estrategias y metodologías de enseñanza-aprendizaje que se utilizan en la educación mediada con las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC). Este componente del modelo se fundamenta en el conectivismo como teoría de aprendizaje que fundamenta el proceso de creación de recursos educativos abiertos.

Mapping Master Students’ Processes of Problem Solving and Learning in Groups in Sustainability Education

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2020

Sustainability challenges in tourism are widely discussed. There is a huge need for education in the field of destination development. Students require appropriate problem-solving skills. This article examines the master’s course in destination development at Uppsala University, Campus Gotland, with the aim of increasing students’ skills in solving sustainability problems. The course took place in the spring semester of 2020 with the main goal of improving students’ skills in formulating and solving sustainable challenges in groups. This was achieved by activating the heterogeneity of the group, seeking relevant information and facts, and organising and carrying out the task with a design-thinking methodology. Students were provided with real problems or challenges by tourist companies, authorities and other interest groups on the island of Gotland. The purpose of this study is to describe the group of students as well as joint learning processes and knowledge needed in the work towards sustainable solutions. The major implication of the study is that the course gave the students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of both the barriers and benefits of working with heterogeneous groups. Furthermore, the study revealed a number of factors that all organisations would need to take into account in order to improve the effectiveness of their work towards sustainable solutions.

Competencies development for women edupreneurs community – an integrated AHP-TOPSIS approach

Article

Jun 2020

Purpose Education is the most promising and prominent domain for entrepreneurs who are willing to infuse innovation and creation to initiate the change in existing educational practices. These changing agents are known as edupreneurs. Educational domain generates an opportunity for women entrepreneurs to balance work and life, both. However, women edupreneurs community needs to enhance their competencies and capacities to handle diverse issues and challenges posed by stakeholders. This paper aims to explore competencies helpful in designing a customized leadership development program, especially for women edupreneurs community. Design/methodology/approach From the extensive literature, a number of competencies for women's edupreneurs were found and 12 competencies were selected in this study after experts’ opinions. These competencies were analyzed by an integrated analytical hierarchy process (AHP)-TOPSIS approach. Findings The study has extracted competencies (visionary, delegative, inquisitive, learning agility, cognitive ability, self-reflection, tolerance, decisive, self-development, receptive to feedback, building partnership networks and save face) to be included in leadership development program specially designed for women edupreneurs community engage in operating child care, pre-school, primary-elementary schools and secondary-high schools, addressing the problems and issues related to students and parents community. Practical implications Future leadership development programs designed for women edupreneurs can include these competencies and trainers, educators and policymakers can follow the suggested structure for execution purpose. Originality/value This study is an initial attempt to set a benchmark for improving competencies of women edupreneurs.

Critical reflection as catalyst to unlock the power of experiential learning

Conference Paper

Full-text available

Aug 2017

Corporate Training in Emotional Intelligence: Effective Practice or Modern ‘Fugazy’?

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2015

The article presents a viewpoint for conducting corporate training programmes aimed at soft skills, using comprehension of the Emotional Intelligence concept. The purpose of the article is, by disclosing some of the flaws and failures of such programmes, to offer new solutions directed towards overcoming automatic defence mechanisms; a coping technique that reduces anxiety which hinders personal development by making individuals unwilling to learn and act outside their usual comfort zone of behaviours.

Leadership Coaching 2.0: Improving the Marriage between Leadership and Coaching

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2017

Ken Otter

Guest Editorial Reshaping leadership and management

Article

Jan 2010

Research of Chinese Public Sector Managers Leadership Based on the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method

Article

Sep 2015

Leaders in public sectors should have such qualities as skills for future management, foreseeing thinking, promoting social comprehensive development, coordinating in creating harmonious society, solving problems, creating new advantages, strictly and lawfully implementing and closely uniting cadres and people. They should continuously improve their capability in serving the public and handling crisis as well as their non-authoritative influence. Therefore, the establishment of a comprehensive Public Sector Managers Leadership Model that provides a new perspective and a new way to study the quality of public sector managers, assessment training and selection improved. In this paper, based on the research of the theory of leadership, we established a leadership evaluation model and introduce fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and AHP to quantify the evaluation factors which contain the characteristics of fuzziness and complexity science. We have carried on the instance analysis.

British Columbia Nursing Leadership Institute: program evaluation report

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2011

SQUARING THEIR ROOTS: LEADERSHIP PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF SOME U.S.-TRAINED AFRICAN PROFESSIONALS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Article

Jan 2010

William Dant

Stress and stress-management in entrepreneurial activity in Russia

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2015

This study explores questions of psychological health, sources of stress and coping with a sample of entrepreneurs in Russia. The research was carried out as part of an educational project aiming to teach entrepreneurs how to manage fundamentals of management; including how to deal with issues of stress management. On the basis of our findings we make practical recommendations for individuals and suggest the effective use of stress management methods.

Ikkunoita henkilöstötyön tulevaisuuteen - Tutkimuksia henkilöstöbarometrin 2010 tuloksista

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2011

Hafford-Letchfield, T. and Lawler, J. (Eds) (2013) Leadership and Management in Social Work. Whiting and Birch.

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2013

Using the Delphi Method for Qualitative, Participatory Action Research in Health Leadership

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2014

Current pressures on public health systems have led to increased emphasis on restructuring, which is seen as a potential solution to crises of accessibility, quality, and funding. Leadership is an important factor in the success or failure of these initiatives. Despite its importance, health leadership evades easy articulation, and its study requires a thoughtful methodological approach. We used a modified Delphi method in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project on health leadership in Canada. Little has been written about the combination of Delphi method with PAR. We offer a rationale for the combination and describe its usefulness in researching the role of leadership in a restructuring initiative in "real time" with the participation of health system decision makers. Recommendations are provided to researchers wishing to use the Delphi method qualitatively (i.e., without statistical consensus) in a PAR framework while protecting the confidentiality of participants who work at different levels of authority. We propose a modification of Kaiser's (2009) post-interview confidentiality form to address power differentials between participants and to enhance confidentiality in the PAR process.

Public sector leadership: New perspectives for research and practice

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2013
INT REV ADM SCI

In this article, we aim to portray the state of the art in public sector leadership in order to recommend directions for research and training practice. To this end, we review the scattered strands of literature on public sector leadership (PSL) and classify them in a single framework. The results of the study suggest that public sector leadership is emerging as a distinctive and autonomous domain in public administration/public management studies, although the debate is still underdeveloped compared to business administration studies. Leadership skills truly do matter in improving the performance of public sector organizations, and it is highly likely that the optimum leadership style is an integrated one: Public sector leaders should behave mainly as transformational leaders, moderately leveraging transactional relationships with their followers and heavily leveraging the importance of preserving integrity and ethics in the fulfillment of tasks. Points for practitioners This study on public leadership suggests that administrative leaders in the public sector behave differently from their counterparts in the business world, and as a result there is a great need for leadership development programs which focus on these differences instead of merely mimicking programs designed for leaders in the private sector.

Evaluating Leadership Development Needs in a Health Care Setting Through a Partnership Approach

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2013
Adv Develop Hum Resour

The Problem Strategic HRD contributes to creating an environment in which objectives and improved performance can be realized through leadership development (LD). Despite considerable investment in LD by public and private sector organizations in North America and Europe, these efforts often fail to produce significant changes in leaders’ behaviors, organizational culture, or organizational performance. As a result, too often leadership development programs (LDPs) are “one size fits all” or a prepackaged competency model without paying attention to individual and contextual differences. A more collaborative approach in the design and delivery of LD has been advocated; however, to date little research has documented or evaluated this at the pre-LDP or needs assessment stage. The Solution This research argues that LD should be a collaborative process involving all stakeholders and that such a partnership approach starts at the needs assessment phase. The research documents and evaluates a three-phase LD needs assessment process in a health care setting. Adopting a case study methodology, it draws primarily upon qualitative data collected from focus groups, written submissions, and interviews with senior and middle managers employed in a provincial health authority, Horizon Health Network, located in Atlantic Canada. The Stakeholders HRD researchers and practitioners in health care responsible for designing, delivering, and evaluating LDPs will find the approach described here insightful and practical. Middle and senior managers working in health care settings who seek to find practical and effective means of addressing leadership gaps and building and sustaining leadership competence across organizations under the pressures of persistent and complex change will also find this research relevant and valuable.

A Cultural Approach to Evaluating Leadership Development

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2013
Adv Develop Hum Resour

The Problem Current thinking around the evaluation of leadership development programs pays insufficient attention to the way that learning to lead becomes embedded and affected by the cultural context within which leaders and leadership operate. The Solution We propose an enhanced appreciation of cultural factors, organizationally, regionally, and nationally, when evaluating leadership development programs. We go on to suggest a cultural approach to the evaluation of such programs. This more cultural view enables a greater appreciation of current and contemporary accounts of leadership in the literature that are of a more distributed and cultural nature. This view also enables a more significant appreciation of shifting cultures, contexts, and situations within the process of learning that is a central element of leadership development. The Stakeholders This article will appeal to researchers in the area of leadership and leadership development, as well as those engaged in the design, delivery, and evaluation of leadership development in a professional capacity.

Leadership development in the UK National Health Service: Assessment of transformative academic education

Article

Elite High-Level Sport Coach and the School Leader: What Can We Learn from Them?

Article

Jan 2024

Menanamkan Nilai-Nilai Keorganisasian Bagi Siswa Smkn 4 Kota Bengkulu Dalam Pembangunan Pendidikan

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2024

SMK Negeri 4 Bengkulu City on Embedding Organizational Values for Students of SMKN 4 Bengkulu City in Educational Development. The targets of this activity are students of SMK Negeri 4 Bengkulu City who are active in the intra-school student organization (OSIS). The activity method is carried out directly (face-to-face) through exposure to organizational and leadership materials. This PKM activity is carried out in several stages, namely the preparation stage, observation stage, implementation stage, report writing stage, and activity evaluation stage. The results of this activity educate and instill organizational values for students of SMKN 4 Bengkulu City in educational development. This PKM activity is carried out to encourage and motivate students to be more active and foster a sense of belonging, solidarity, caring and develop creativity and innovations in organizations to improve students' soft skills and hard skills. So it is hoped that the achievements achieved by SMK N 4 Bengkulu City students will increase and have a role in the development of Indonesian education.

Micro-business entrepreneurs and bricoleurs on their way towards sustainable practice – implications for learning processes

Article

Dec 2020

Anette Oxenswärdh

The purpose of the study was to investigate how some micro-business entrepreneurs and bricoleurs experience their learning processes through workshops, especially with respect to sustainability issues. This qualitative and explorative study focuses on learning processes during the GreenBizz course, which are analysed on the basis of inquiries and observations of discussions among course participants and on documents describing the course design and assignments. It was found that entrepreneurs are aware and are familiar with sustainability issues but they have neither proper tools nor the knowhow for implementing sustainable changes in their businesses. To be successful, the learning process needs to sufficiently heterogeneous, should involve the transmission of tacit knowledge and provide opportunities for participants to learn about their motivations and should include both theoretical and practical elements. Participation in the course enables entrepreneurs to network with other entrepreneurs, give support and share knowledge about sustainable solutions in their businesses. The study shows that such courses not only must allow for a certain degree of flexibility but also require a course or team leader with a solid and practical knowledge in entrepreneurship and sustainability.

How Senior Executives Learn and Apply that Learning to their Practices

Conference Paper

Jul 2019

Robert Cooper

Learning and applying learning are considered to be vital activities for the success of senior executives in their jobs and, in turn, for the success of the organisations they lead. That connection between learning, applying learning, and personal and organisational effectiveness has been posited by observers and supported by research. However, few studies have closely examined the specific ways in which senior executives learn and apply their learning. This study was conducted through qualitative analysis of interviews with 24 experienced senior executives from three broad fields. Eight of the interviewees were from educational institutions, eight were from publicly-traded for-profit companies and eight were from private for-profit enterprises. Thirteen were men and 11 women. All had at least five years of experience at a senior organisational level. Twenty-one of the participating senior executives were interviewed once, and three of them—one from each of the three fields—were interviewed twice, with the second interview taking place at least six months after the initial interview. Twenty ways in which more than half of the senior executives reported that they learn were identified, and those were placed into four primary categories. Three of those primary categories—learning from experience, from reflection, and from guidance by others—were supported by a fourth category of practices and attitudes that prompted and furthered their learning. Eleven ways in which more than half of the senior executives reported that they applied learning were identified, and those were also placed into four primary categories: to advance the organisation’s effectiveness, to create constructive change, to support the growth and success of others, and to personally improve. The findings are presented and discussed in the context of expectations in the research and theoretical literature regarding learning and application of learning by executives, and suggested subjects for further study are presented.

Does leadership development alter the perspectives of NHS managers?

Article

Feb 2019

Leadership and leadership development are widely discussed topics in the NHS, and common agreement on the best way forward is rarely agreed upon. Examining the experiences of NHS managers undertaking leadership development offers an insight into the impact training these leaders can have. Five non-clinical managers, who had recently completed a leadership development programme, were interviewed to explore their perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with leadership development. The study respondents cited personal benefits to their participation in the Leadership Development Programme, and how they were able to bring this learning into their workplace. However, limited evidence that personal benefits are translated into organisational gains was found. Translation barriers were explored, and a key obstacle was the lack of involvement of senior managers in the programme. Areas for future study are identified, including the need for longitudinal research to determine the value of leadership development in an organisation.

Technological advances in rural fire management: use of organizational knowledge and simple economic analysis

Research

Full-text available

Apr 2017

Brendon Christensen

New Zealand (NZ) is predominantly a rural and forested country, with wildland and rural fire and its management potentially costing the NZ taxpayers and forestry shareholders over $52m per year in direct costs, $60m per year in environmental damages. Investment in emerging technologies may contribute to a reduction in the suppression costs of wildfires, and is thus worth careful consideration of trials by researchers and managers. This dissertation focused on the engagement of both professional managers and operational staff to help direct such investment, and the potential economic benefits of incorporating emerging technologies. Opinions elicited from professional rural fire managers (59) and DOC operational fire staff (159) were utilized to determine the most commonly perceived technology needs within rural and wildland fire management. Of those who responded to a specific survey question, remote sensing technology needs were noted as important by 49% and 41% of professional rural fire managers and DOC operational fire staff respectively. The second most recognized emerging technology need was communication and information improvement/tools (34% by professional rural fire managers, 22% by DOC operational fire staff). The survey participants identified approx. 20% of active helicopter time at fires is used for survey and monitoring purposes. In the second stage to this dissertation, the potential incorporation of a newly emerging remote sensing technology, Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) was investigated using a cost-benefit analysis approach. The benefits of RPA and RPA/FLIR incorporation were measured as the reduction in cost-opportunity of helicopter use, and were estimated as $548 per fire (or a 31% cost saving on total suppression costs). The return on investment (ROI) of RPA/FLIR was estimated at 24 fires, whereas the ROI of thermal camera/helicopter use occurred after 160 fires. The inherent uncertainty on such unevaluated technology (the combination of RPA and FLIR) was addressed by adding stochastic variability and a triangular probability distribution approximation. Key management issues and recommendations are identified such as; greater use of current thermal camera equipment, greater engagement by analysts with employees and end-users, taking a project management based approach for further testing of RPAs and other emerging technologies, improved financial recording and reporting of fire management efforts.

The Impact of Labor and Management Win-Win Leadership Education on Learners' Leadership Competency

Article

Oct 2008

Yang-Yi Kwon

A cross-level study of transformational leadership and organizational affective commitment in the Korean Local Governments: Mediating role of procedural justice and moderating role of culture types based on competing values framework

Article

Apr 2013

The current study used a sample of full-time employees of local governments in South Korea to examine whether transformational leadership (TFL) has a significant positive effect on procedural justice (PJ) and organizational affective commitment (OAC) and whether PJ is positively related to OAC. The study also examined whether PJ mediates the effect of TFL on OAC and whether the four culture types (clan, advocacy, hierarchy, and market) moderate the effect of TFL on OAC. The results indicated a positive relationship of TFL with PJ and OAC and a significant relationship between PJ and OAC. Thus, the results demonstrated that PJ partially mediates the relationship between TFL and OAC while hierarchy and market culture type fully moderate the effect of TFL on OAC. However, clan and adhocracy culture type did not moderate the effect of TFL on OAC. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are made.

Leadership development in the Asia-Pacific region. Building capacity in the Indonesia defence environment: A case study

Article

Aug 2015

Roger Darby

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide further discussion on the role of educational support adding value by sustaining the function of capacity building in emerging countries and states in transition and development. The Asia-Pacific region is noted for being in a continuous and rapid state of change dramatically affecting both private and public institutions. One such institution involves the provision of education with specific emphasis on leadership development in the defence sector; and the on-going education and development of military personnel, civil servants and civilians from different professions, in the wider Indonesian society. This exploratory research paper highlights one bi-lateral educational initiative that has acted as a catalyst for change which was developed in partnership between the Indonesian and British governments and Cranfield University in the UK. The findings highlight a challenge to dominant western perspectives on educational provision in general and leadership development in particular; and focused on the potential for a schism between content and process issues in the provision in particular of leadership development that is not contextually situated and can be dominated by Anglo-American perspectives. Key factors including capacity building, knowledge management, the learning process and the influence of culture were identified as fundamental and integral for a more appropriate design of leadership development programmes in defence and security, within the Asia Pacific region. Design/methodology/approach – Using a case study approach, it utilises one educational institution involved in the provision of education with specific emphasis on leadership development in the defence sector; and the on-going education and development of military personnel, civil servants and civilians from different professions. Findings – The findings highlight a challenge to dominant western perspectives on educational provision in general and leadership development in particular; and focused on the potential for a schism between content and process issues in the provision of education and leadership development that is not contextually situated and can be dominated by Anglo-American perspectives. Practical implications – It is a potential guide in helping practitioners in identifying, designing and implementing leadership development courses to manage the complexity of the processes of change in an international context. Originality/value – Given the dearth of research on defence and security the study was prescient. This paper contributes much needed further discussion about the role leadership development interventions play in supporting capacity building in states in transition and development.

Le leadership du secteur public : nouvelles perspectives pour la recherche et la pratique

Article

Sep 2013

Public sector leadership: new perspectives for research and practice In this article, we aim to portray the state of the art in public sector leadership in order to recommend directions for research and training practice. To this end, we review the scattered strands of literature on public sector leadership (PSL) and classify them in a single framework. The results of the study suggest that public sector leadership is emerging as a distinctive and autonomous domain in public administration/public management studies, although the debate is still underdeveloped compared to business administration studies. Leadership skills truly do matter in improving the performance of public sector organizations, and it is highly likely that the optimum leadership style is an integrated one: Public sector leaders should behave mainly as transformational leaders, moderately leveraging transactional relationships with their followers and heavily leveraging the importance of preserving integrity and ethics in the fulfillment of tasks. Points for practitioners: This study on public leadership suggests that administrative leaders in the public sector behave differently from their counterparts in the business world, and as a result there is a great need for leadership development programs which focus on these differences instead of merely mimicking programs designed for leaders in the private sector.

Using Provocative Statement Assignments to Foster Critical Thinking in Leadership Education

Article

Sep 2009

This paper advocates for and describes the use of provocative statements as a leadership assignment to foster critical thinking. Critical thinking is an essential competency for leaders who must analyze issues and convince others of their point of view as they compete for scarce internal resources. The provocative statement assignment incorporates common elements from long-established practices of Socratic questioning, debate, argumentation analysis, and rhetoric. It challenges students to develop and advocate their point of view on the controversial issues of their field. Preliminary findings of student perceptions of the assignment in a graduate leadership class are presented which suggest the assignment can be a powerful learning tool.

Reshaping Leadership and Management’

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 2013

The Community Leadership Educator’s Perspective on Program Sustainability

Article

Sep 2009

Those who work to develop and manage community-based leadership programs have long been concerned with how to sustain them – to keep them healthy and useful. But focusing on how to sustain programs requires exploring what sustainability means. This paper reports on interviews with 41 community-based leadership education program coordinators. In contrast to their definitions of success, which emphasize impacting individuals and communities, interviewees defined program sustainability more as having enough participants, adequate funding, continuity, community support, and alumni involvement in program management. The paper explores the nuances of these definitions, including internal aspects of sustainability over which program managers had significant control, and external conditions over which they had less control. The paper also explores differences in perspectives between coordinators of programs sponsored by Chambers of Commerce and those sponsored by Cooperative Extension and universities or nonprofits.

The contingent role of management and leadership development for middle managers Cases of organisational change from the public services

Article

Sep 2011

Patrick McGurk

This thesis investigates the contribution of management and leadership development (MLD) for middle managers. Its central hypothesis is that MLD plays an important role in enabling strategic change through middle managers, but that greater contextualisation is required to understand the precise nature of its effects and its limitations. The thesis builds on organisational contingency theory (Mintzberg 1979) to develop and test a model of changes to middle management roles and associated outcomes of MLD. The thesis differentiates between the MLD options of management development, leader development and leadership development (Day 2001) and hypothesises a range of MLD outcomes across organisational types. For its empirical base, the thesis focuses on public service organisations (PSOs), in which substantial investments in MLD have been made at all levels of management in recent years. Three case studies show how, as PSOs seek greater flexibility, the devolution of a broader range of responsibilities to middle managers creates various development needs according to different directions of organisational change. The thesis finds that: i) when the machine bureaucracy divisionalises, investment in line management training makes a significant contribution to organisational stability, while leader development is most effective in the customer-facing divisions of the business; ii) when the safety bureaucracy professionalises, investment in competence-based management development and leader development can successfully promote more participatory forms of management, but that the potential for political obstacles to MLD is accentuated; and iii) when the professional bureaucracy adhocratises, investment in MLD makes a significant contribution to balancing ongoing organisational effectiveness with the building of adaptive capacity for the future. The thesis adds to academic knowledge of MLD options and their expected outcomes. The thesis also develops the academic literature by contextualising changes to middle management roles and explaining the contingent role of MLD in organisational change.

Transforming community services through the use of a multidimensional model of clinical leadership

Article

Aug 2014
J CLIN NURS

Aims and objectivesTo evaluate the application of a Multidimensional Model of Clinical Leadership on the community healthcare leader and on transforming community services.Background Healthcare policy advocates clinical leadership as the vehicle to transform community and healthcare services. Few studies have identified the key components of an effective clinical leadership development model.DesignThe first two stages of Kirkpatrick's (Personnel Administrator 28, 1983, 62) Four/Five Levels of Evaluation were used to evaluate the application of the multidimensional model of clinical leadership.Methods Eighty community healthcare leaders were exposed to this multidimensional clinical leadership development model through attendance of a community clinical leadership development programme. Twenty five leaders participated in focus group interviews. Data from the interviews were analysed utilising thematic content analysis.ResultsThree key themes emerged that influenced the development of best practice principles for clinical leadership development:Personal leadership developmentOrganisational leadershipThe importance of multiprofessional action learning/reflective groupsConclusions Emergent best practice principles for clinical leadership development include adopting a multidimensional development approach. This approach encompasses: preparing the individual leader in the role and seeking organisational leadership development that promotes the vision and corporate values of the organisation and delivers on service improvement and innovation. Moreover, application of the Multidimensional Model of Clinical Leadership could offer the best platform for embedding the Six C's of Nursing (Compassion in Practice – Our Culture of Compassionate Care, Department of Health, Crown Copyright, 2012) within the culture of the healthcare organisation: care, compassion, courage, commitment, communication, and competency. This is achieved in part through the application of emotional intelligence to understand self and to develop the personal integrity of the healthcare leader and through supporting a culture of lifelong leadership learning.Relevance to clinical practiceEmbedding the best practice principles of clinical leadership development within a multidimensional model of clinical leadership provides a promising approach to: equipping the healthcare leader with those transferable leadership skills required to help them embark on a journey of lifelong leadership learning; and producing the healthcare leader who is caring, compassionate and can confidently and effectively transform community services.

Leadership development in selected leading Thai companies

Article

Mar 2012

This research examined leadership development (LD) and leadership development programs (LDPs) in three selected Thai businesses. The research purpose was to identify and explore the features, leaders' competencies, activities and programs, key elements, and critical issues of LDP in these organizations. A case-study approach was employed as the research method. The data were collected through company documents, questionnaires, and interviews of managers who were directly responsible for leadership development in their organization. Three levels of LDPs were commonly found among the studied companies: those organized for supervisors, managers, and executives. Leaders' competencies were derived from the companies' vision, mission, and values, business drivers, and top management judgment. Development activities included formal training, development activities, and self-initiative undertakings. Common key elements of LDPs were support from top management, adherence to human resource development (HRD) and business strategic plans, and emphasis on coaching and mentoring. The critical issues included top management trust in employees' abilities; competence and independence of local internal staff; evaluation of LDP effectiveness; level of engagement by potential company leaders; and costs of building, executing, and evaluating LDP.

The Use of Benevolent Leadership Development to Advance Principles of Responsible Management Education

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2013

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose benevolent leadership development as a framework to incorporate principles of responsible management education to mainstream management curriculum, specifically within the context of leadership courses. Design/methodology/approach – The illustrative processes, exercises, and projects in this paper come from leadership development courses offered in Turkey and in Canada. Findings – This paper presents four anchors that support benevolent leadership development: ethical sensitivity, spiritual depth, positive engagement, and community responsiveness. Research limitations/implications – The paper develops the framework of benevolent leadership as a means to impart the principles of responsible management. Practical implications – The paper shares pedagogical strategies to incorporate benevolent leadership in leadership development courses through use of individual and team projects and exercises. Originality/value – The paper shares a theoretical framework and practical insights for incorporating multiple literacies and sensitivities – namely morality, spirituality, positivity, and community – in leadership development.

Optimizing health care employees' newly learned leadership behaviors

Article

Jul 2011

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative research study is to gain an understanding of the workplace experiences of individuals, employed in health care organizations, a few months after taking leadership development programming, as they endeavor to put into practice the concepts, ideas, and skills they acquired as part of their leadership development programs. Design/methodology/approach Four providers of leadership development programs in the health care arena canvassed their recent “graduates” to participate in the study. A total of 54 participant telephone interviews were transcribed and inductively analyzed. Findings Despite the range of leadership development programs attended, participants were consistent in their enthusiasm for the uptake of leadership knowledge, and the organizations for which they worked were largely consistent in their facilitation of the participants' leadership efforts when they returned to work. Organizational factors that support or impede the practice of effective leadership, and strategies to facilitate supportive organizational responses to aspiring leaders, were identified. Research limitations/implications This study cites benefits realized by health care organizations when participants of leadership development programs return to their workplaces; such benefits are based on the participants' self‐report only. Future research could gain third‐party corroboration concerning specific organizational impacts related to employees attending leadership development programs. Practical implications There are many practices organizations can implement to ensure that full value is realized from employees who have attended leadership development programs. This study provides organizations with qualitative evidence of what supports and hinders employees in practicing newly learned leadership behaviors. Originality/value Little qualitative research exists that provides an overview of the workplace leadership experiences of individuals after taking leadership development programs.

Can Leadership Be Taught? Perspectives From Management Educators

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2003

Jonathan P. Doh

This article presents the results of a survey of management educators on business leadership education. The management educators consulted here generally concurred that leadership requires a particular kind of education. Leadership education, like leadership itself, must rely on heuristic approaches such as mentoring, coaching, patterning, and, trial-and-error experience. Most educators agreed that individual personality traits provide at least part of the basis upon which leadership skills are built, and such characteristics reach stability by adolescence. Hence, a frame is established that drives how future managers view their roles, their style of communicating, and their modes of interaction with others. Clearly, these frames can change, and individuals can learn to view things differently. Managers, like educators, continue to grow socially, physically, and intellectually. However, this early grounding and foundation may strongly influence the choice of career or profession, the style or attitude toward work relationships, and the approach of managerial roles and interactions, including leadership roles.

Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness

Chapter

Full-text available

Apr 2008

This chapter contains section titled:

Public‐Sector Leadership Theory: An Assessment

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2003
PUBLIC ADMIN REV

Monty Van Wart

This article reviews the mainstream leadership literature and its perennial debates and compares it to the public-sector (administrative) leadership literature. The mainstream leadership literature fully articulated the transformational models in the 1980s and began the serious work of integrating transactional and transformational types of leadership into comprehensive models in the 1990s. Many have considered this to be a major advance over the field's previous fragmentation and excessively narrow focus. This integration has not been reflected in the public-sector literature, in which the normative debates about what leaders should do has received most of the attention in the last decade. Although many types of leadership in the public sector have been discussed extensively, such as leadership by those in policy positions and working in community settings, administrative leadership within organizations has received scant attention and would benefit from a research agenda linking explicit and well-articulated models with concrete data in public-sector settings.

The Development of a New Transformational Leadership Questionnaire

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2001
J OCCUP ORGAN PSYCH

No This study sought to investigate the characteristics of 'nearby' leaders by eliciting the constructs of male and female top, senior, and middle-level managers and professionals working in organizations in two large UK public sectors (local government and the National Health Service). An instrument, the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ-LGV), was developed and piloted on a national sample of 1464 managers working for local government organizations. Analysis of the data, presented here, revealed the existence of nine highly robust scales with high reliabilities (.85) and with convergent validity (range r = .46 to .85). These findings are discussed, together with suggestions for subsequent research.

Leadership and Decision-Making

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1973

It has become a truism that âleadership depends upon the situation,â but few behavioral scientists have attempted to go beyond that statement to examine the specific ways in which leaders should and do vary their behavior with situational demands. Vroom and Yetton select a critical aspect of leadership style-the extent to which the leader encourages the participation of his subordinates in decision-making. They describe a normative model which shows the specific leadership style called for in different classes of situations. The model is expressed in terms of a âdecision treeâ and requires the leader to analyze the dimensions of the particular problem or decision with which he is confronted in order to determine how much and in what way to share his decision-making power with his subordinates. Other chapters discuss how leaders behave in different situations. They look at differences in leadership styles, and what situations induce people to display autocratic or participative behavior.

Why leadership-development efforts fail

Article

Mar 2003
MIT SLOAN MANAGE REV

Evaluating Training Programs: The State of the Art

Article

Jan 1968
Train Dev J

Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?

Article

Jan 1977
HARVARD BUS REV

A. J. Zaleznik

Managers and leaders are two very different types of people. Managers' goals arise out of necessities rather than desires; they excel at defusing conflicts between individuals or departments, placating all sides while ensuring that an organization's day-to-day business gets done. Leaders, on the other hand, adopt personal, active attitudes toward goals. They look for the opportunities and rewards that lie around the corner, inspiring subordinates and firing up the creative process with their own energy. Their relationships with employees and coworkers are intense, and their working environment is often chaotic. In this article, first published in 1977, the author argues that businesses need both managers and leaders to survive and succeed. But in the larger U.S. organizations of that time, a "managerial mystique" seemed to perpetuate the development of managerial personalities-people who rely on, and strive to maintain, orderly work patterns. The managerial power ethic favors collective leadership and seeks to avoid risk. That same managerial mystique can stifle leaders' development - How can an entrepreneurial spirit develop when it is submerged in a conservative environment and denied personal attention? Mentor relationships are crucial to the development of leadership personalities, but in large, bureaucratic organizations, such relationships are not encouraged. Businesses must find ways to train good managers and develop leaders at the same time. Without a solid organizational framework, even leaders with the most brilliant ideas may spin their wheels, frustrating coworkers and accomplishing little. But without the entrepreneurial culture that develops when a leader is at the helm of an organization, a business will stagnate and rapidly lose competitive power.

Organizational Performance: The Future Focus of Leadership Development Programs

Article

Jan 2001

Doris B. Collins

Executive Summary This article analyzes 54 studies on leadership development research from 1984 — 2000 and determines the extent to which the intended outcomes of those leadership development programs focus on organizational performance, taking Burke and Day's (1986) meta-analysis as its starting point. Burke and Day's analysis, commonly regarded as the principle empirical support for the evaluation of the effectiveness of managerial training, found mixed results on the effectiveness of programs with only 2 out of 70 studies having organizational performance as the explicit outcome. This research confirms that from a sample of available studies organizations have begun to take a more systemic approach to leadership development, as 16 of the studies analyzed focus on organizational performance as the outcome of the leadership development experience. However, results on evaluations of effectiveness of the leadership development programs continue to be mixed.

Leadership: Lessons From the Best

Article

Mar 1999

This article presents the results of a study of best practices in leadership development, conducted jointly by the American Society for Training & Development; the American Productivity & Quality Center; James Kouzes, chairman of TPG Learning Systems; and Robert Fulmer, professor in the School of Business Administration, College of William and Mary. The purpose of the benchmarking study was to identify and examine innovations and key trends in the area of leadership development-especially in starting or reengineering a leadership development effort and to enable the study's sponsoring organizations to direct their own programs more effectively. Thirty-five organizations participated, with six emerging as having strong or innovative leadership development processes. Those six are Arthur Andersen, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Shell International, and the World Bank. Some of the major findings are that it's essential to link leadership, corporate strategy, and HR systems; to define leadership competencies and make them consistent throughout the organization; to develop leaders from within; to focus on action rather than knowledge in leadership development; to link leadership development to succession planning; and to assess the impact of such programs continuously. Overall, the study concludes, leadership development is a symbiotic process, meaning that top-level support is critical. And executives are more likely to support such efforts if they're producing the desired results. The article provides contact information on how to get the complete study, "Leadership Development: Building Executive Talent.".

A Force For Change: How Leadership Differs From Management

Article

Jan 1990

John P Kotter

Leadership Performance Beyond Expectations

Book

Jan 1985

Bernard M. Bass

Leadership development through action learning: an executive monograph

Article

Dec 2003

Jennifer K. Bowerman

This article examines a leadership development program based on action learning principles, in a quasi government health insurance organization, undergoing transformation to a more private and entrepreneurial format and attempting to shake some of the more bureaucratic shackles of the past. The purpose of the program was to develop leadership and build business literacy by bringing managers and supervisors together from across the organization to work on real business projects through an in house action learning program. Using reflective essays written by participants and material provided from interviews some two years after the program ended, the paper examines some of the key leadership themes that emerged. These include an important distinction between leadership of organizations and leadership in organizations and the relationship between the two; the need for managers to understand emergent strategy; the value of a marketing approach for building support around strategic issues, the importance of critical thinking through the interplay of theory and practice; and a different paradigm for understanding learning.

Leader Self-Awareness and Its Relationship to Subordinate Attitudes and Performance

Article

Nov 2003

This study explored the relationships between a leader’s self-awareness of his/her leadership behavior and the attitudes and performance of subordinates. Following previous research, leaders were categorized as overestimators, underestimators or in-agreement. Results indicate that subordinates of underestimators reported significantly higher levels of supervisory and job satisfaction than did subordinates of those who were in-agreement, and both subordinates of underestimators and those in-agreement reported significantly higher levels of supervisory and job satisfaction than did subordinates of overestimators. No significant differences were found between the self-awareness categories and transfer intent. Finally, subordinates of underestimators and those in-agreement achieved a significantly higher level of productivity than did subordinates of leaders who overestimated their leadership ability.

Action learning and multi-rater feedback as leadership development interventions: Popular but poorly deployed

Article

May 2003

Action learning and multi-rater feedback are today among the most widely used interventions for leadership development. Despite their popularity, the authors believe that both have been poorly deployed. For example, while grounded in real company issues, action-learning formats often fail to provide the multiple learning experiences necessary to develop complex knowledge. Inadequate opportunities to reflect on learning, poor facilitation and a failure to follow up on project outcomes seriously hamper this intervention's potential to develop leadership talent. Similar shortcomings apply to the deployment of multi-rater feedback. For example, when its use is stretched and different purposes, such as performance measurement, are coupled with it, or when its quantitative aspects are emphasised and the qualitative ones neglected, or when it is conceptualised as a single event rather than as an enduring system, the actual capabilities of multi-rater feedback are limited. Both interventions require far more attention and thoughtful application if they are to realise their potential to develop leadership talent.

Integrated leadership development programme for health service professionals - From pioneer to prophet

Article

Jun 2001

In the context of an increasingly complex and costly Irish health service, the importance of effective managers to achieve the health strategy was recognised. The Office for Health Management in Ireland, acknowledging a dearth in future leaders in the healthcare system, commissioned two leadership development programmes (one for nurses and one for general managers). The programmes differed from conventional management development programmes. Specifically, central to the programme for general healthcare managers was the combination of theory with action learning in the workplace. To facilitate this process, the programme was run as a series of residential modules and participants were supported and guided in their development by a mentor and through learning sets. Participants were encouraged to take ownership of their development and the programme content and delivery was participant driven and aimed to meet participant needs. In addition, individual personal development plans (PDPs) were provided which focused on the development of specific leadership competencies. Programme content, style and delivery served to emphasise the situational and transformational aspects of leadership. Programme success was evident from participant questionnaires completed at the end of each module and an independent review carried out by the Office of Public Management in London. Participant questionnaires revealed that overall satisfaction with the programme was high (80%). The programme met the needs of individual participants in 84% of cases. Group work, action-based learning and the role of the learning sets were highly commended. The Office of Public Management report looked at participant expectations from the programme and their perceptions following programme completion. Overall, the programme was highly commended by participants. Mentors were found to be particularly helpful in 75% of cases. Line managers identified significant changes in participants' performance, including increased confidence and initiative taking. Improvements in problem solving and communication were also reported.

Qualitative research as the cornerstone methodology for understanding leadership

Article

Dec 1998
LEADERSHIP QUART

Jay A Conger

Discusses why qualitative methods must play a central role in leadership research. One qualitative method that has been underutilized in leadership research–observation is included. The author discusses his own experiences employing observation methods in several research projects. A discussion of the challenges of managing the volumes of data generated by qualitative research is included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The brave new world of leadership training

Article

Dec 1993
ORGAN DYN

Jay A Conger

Argues that much of what has been called leadership training and development is based on the requirements of previous decades, not necessarily on the upcoming challenges of the 1990s. To meet the demands of a changing marketplace, future leaders will have to become strategic opportunists, globally aware, and capable of managing highly decentralized organizations. To meet the demands of a changing work force, these leaders will need to be sensitive to diversity issues, interpersonally competent, and community builders. A detailed discussion is provided of the training and development required for these 6 competencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The evolving paradigm of leadership development

Article

Jan 2001
ORGAN DYN

Robert M. Fulmer

The field of executive education and leadership development is going through a series of revolutions that challenge the existing "maps" for the business landscape of the future. This article examines where executive education has been, where it appears to be today, and where "best practices" are moving. Changes are apparent in 7 areas. The first is the role and nature of participants; no longer offered only to only an anoited few, leadership training is being made available to large numbers of managers. The next area is program design; ongoing, never-ending processes are displacing formal curricula. The 3rd area is purpose; the objective is no longer knowledge or even wisdom, but action. The 4th area is period focus; anticipatory learning is displacing the case study method. The 5th area is key players; the curriculum designers are people with wide experience in both industry and the academic world. The 6th area is form vs content; eloquence in presentations is becoming less significant than the ability to facilitate processes toward practical outcome. The final area is place; "virtual campuses" are displacing university campuses and dedicated corporate facilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Sculpting the learning organization: Lessons in the art and science of systemic change

Book

Jan 1993

Leadership and the public sector: An internationally comparative benchmarking analysis

Article

Oct 1996
PUBLIC ADMIN DEVELOP

In this article the concept of leadership is explored. Particular attention is given to examining the dynamics of individual and team leadership, as it is postulated that the impact of top people and top teams is crucial to the running of today's organizations. The results of an extensive survey conducted across the departments of the Civil Service of a European country government will be presented. These results will be benchmarked against the results of a worldwide survey of business leaders, spanning 12 countries and the responses of top managers in National Health Service (HNS) Trusts, UK. Emphasis will be given to the necessity of conducting effective team leadership through high quality dialogue and through cabinet responsibility in order to successfully lead and maintain the organization on its agreed path. Finally, approaches to the development of leadership for those already in top positions and for those entering into such challenging positions, will be discussed.

From intent to impact: Developing clinical leaders for service improvement

Article

Aug 2003

This article describes an approach to evaluating a leadership-development programme which considers the impact of the programme on individuals, their organizations and the services they manage. Participants were clinical leaders from the health system in Eire, aiming to further develop their leadership skills, awareness and potential. The programme was used as a vehicle for linking personal development, as a leader, with leading improvements at work. Based on the principles of action learning, the programme was underpinned by the application of learning to practice, and the evaluation process was integral to the design and delivery of the development activities. Perceptions of the participants and key stakeholders were used as a baseline to identify desired changes in culture, structure, behaviour and processes in the services where participants worked. Participants used action learning and the content of programme modules to lead changes in their service areas. Perceptions of services at the beginning of the programme were compared with those at the end by using a visual analogue scale, a process that provided an indication of the extent of service improvement and change achieved in organizations by participants. The quantitative data was complemented by qualitative data which reported the personal development of participants’ leadership skills and awareness. Lessons for future evaluation of leadership-development programmes are suggested. Sufficient time needs to be built into the design and delivery of programmes to embed ongoing evaluation within the development process. Time spent on this at early stages aids an in-depth understanding and high level of ownership of the evaluative process by participants. To gain optimum benefit from stakeholder rating, the choice of stakeholders involved needs to take account of unavoidable stakeholder attrition. Methods for identifying organizational support for change, the relative involvement of chosen stakeholders in the change process, and external sources of data to triangulate the reported outcomes, would also enhance the overall evaluation approach.

The Paradoxical Nature of The Relationship Between Training and Learning

Article

May 2001

Elena Antonacopoulou

The difficulty of explaining the paradoxical nature of organizational life has resulted in reductionist approaches, which present the relationships between processes as causal and linear. The relationship between training and economic performance, the contribution of training to individuals' adaptability to change and the significance of knowledge and learning to organizational competitiveness are just some examples of the perceived linearity of the relationships between processes. The relationship between training and learning falls in the same category in that it is assumed to be very strong. This article makes a contribution to this debate by providing new insights about the relationship between training and learning. Using recent empirical findings from a longitudinal study in the Financial Services Sector, this article examines some of the basic differences between training and learning using the individual manager as the unit of analysis. These differences reveal some of the conditions that shape the relationship between training and learning. The findings from the study suggest that the relationship between training and learning may appear strong on the surface; however in essence it may be superficial and mechanistic.

Leadership Development: A Review in Context

Article

Dec 2000
LEADERSHIP QUART

David V. Day

Interest in leadership development is strong, especially among practitioners. Nonetheless, there is conceptual confusion regarding distinctions between leader and leadership development, as well as disconnection between the practice of leadership development and its scientific foundation. The present review examines the field of leadership development through three contextual lenses: (1) understanding the difference between leader development and leadership development (conceptual context); (2) reviewing how state-of-the-art development is being conducted in the context of ongoing organizational work (practice context); and (3) summarizing previous research that has implications for leadership development (research context). The overall purpose is to bridge the practice and science of leadership development by showing the importance of building both human and social capital in organizations. Specific practices that are reviewed include 360-degree feedback and executive coaching, mentoring and networking, and job assignments and action learning. Practices and research are framed in terms of a general need to link leader development, which is primarily based on enhancing human capital, with leadership development that emphasizes the creation of social capital in organizations.

Effectiveness Correlates of Transformational and Transactional Leadership: A Meta-Analytic Review of the MLQ Literature

Article

Sep 1996
LEADERSHIP QUART

A meta-analysis of the transformational leadership literature using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was conducted to (a) integrate the diverse findings, (b) compute an average effect for different leadership scales, and (c) probe for certain moderators of the leadership style-effectiveness relationship. Transformational leadership scales of the MLQ were found to be reliable and significantly predicted work unit effectiveness across the set of studies examined. Moderator variables suggested by the literature, including level of the leader (high or low), organizational setting (public or private), and operationalization of the criterion measure (subordinate perceptions or organizational measures of effectiveness), were empirically tested and found to have differential impacts on correlations between leader style and effectiveness. The operationalization of the criterion variable emerged as a powerful moderator. Unanticipated findings for type of organization and level of the leader are explored regarding the frequency of transformational leader behavior and relationships with effectiveness.

The ABC of action learning

Book

Jan 1983

R. W. Revans

Shifting the Balance of Power: The Next Steps

Book

Jan 2002

Department of Health

FAIR Process: Managing in the Knowledge Economy

Article

Jan 2003
HARVARD BUS REV

The article describes one such process, which grew out of their research into the links between trust, idea sharing, and corporate performance. Their central finding is that employees will commit to a manager's decision, even one they disagree with, if they believe that the process the manager used to make the decision was fair process. And because they do not, they never know what they have lost in the way of ideas and initiatives

Transformational leadership : an integrative review of the literature /

Article

Joseph Mark. Gasper

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Western Michigan University, 1992. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-150). Photocopy.

Varieties of managerial learning

Article

Feb 1993
J Health Admin Educ

Gib Akin

Fair Process: Managing in the Knowledge Economy

Article

Nov 1996
HARVARD BUS REV

Unlike the traditional factors of production--land, labor, and capital--knowledge is a resource that can't be forced out of people. But creating and sharing knowledge is essential to fostering innovation, the key challenge of the knowledge-based economy. To create a climate in which employees volunteer their creativity and expertise, managers need to look beyond the traditional tools at their disposal. They need to build trust. The authors have studied the links between trust, idea sharing, and corporate performance for more than a decade. They have explored the question of why managers of local subsidiaries so often fail to share information with executives at headquarters. They have studied the dynamics of idea sharing in product development teams, joint ventures, supplier partnerships, and corporate transformations. They offer an explanation for why people resist change even when it would benefit them directly. In every case, the decisive factor was what the authors call fair process--fairness in the way a company makes and executes decisions. The elements of fair process are simple: Engage people's input in decisions that directly affect them. Explain why decisions are made the way they are. Make clear what will be expected of employees after the changes are made. Fair process may sound like a soft issue, but it is crucial to building trust and unlocking ideas. Without it, people are apt to withhold their full cooperation and their creativity. The results are costly: ideas that never see daylight and initiatives that are never seized.

Leadership development in UK companies at the beginning of the twenty-first century: Lessons for the NHS?

Article

Feb 2001
J Manag Med

States that the development of leadership in the NHS is currently high on the agenda of the Department of Health, the government and local health sector organisations. Reports the findings of a study of public and private sector organisations, exploring the development of their in-house leadership skills. Outlines the findings in depth and discusses the implications for health organisations.

Leadership Research in Business and Health Care

Article

Feb 2002

To summarize research on leadership in the health care and business literature and to identify the outcomes of leadership on individuals, groups, and organizations. A computerized search and review of research studies was conducted in the health care and business literature from 1970-1999. Studies were categorized and analyzed according to participants, design, primary topic area, and effects or outcomes of leadership. Most of the health care and business literature on leadership consisted of anecdotal or theoretical discussion. Only 4.4% (n = 290) of 6,628 articles reviewed were data-based. Further, the largest proportion of the research (120/290, 41.4%) was purely descriptive of the demographic characteristics or personality traits of leaders. Other studies showed the influence of leadership on subordinates (27.9%). Only 15 (5.2%) of 290 research articles include correlations of qualities or styles of leadership with measurable outcomes on the recipients of services or positive changes in organizations. Research on leadership in the health care and business literature to date has been primarily descriptive. Although work in the social sciences indicates that leadership styles can have a major influence on performance and outcomes, minimal transfer of this work to the health care system is evident. Limited research on leadership and health care outcomes exists, such as changes in patient care or improvements in organizational outputs. In this era of evidence-based practice, such research, although difficult to conduct, is urgently needed.

Evolution of Leadership in Nursing

Article

Dec 2002

Nadeem Moiden

Medicine, management, and modernisation: A "danse macabre"?

Article

Apr 2003
Br Med J

To break their destructive antagonism over issues of health service modernisation, doctors and managers should engage more directly with nursing and allied health professionals when responding to reform initiatives.

The Quantitative Measurement of Organizational Culture in Health Care: A Review of the Available Instruments

Article

Jul 2003

To review the quantitative instruments available to health service researchers who want to measure culture and cultural change. A literature search was conducted using Medline, Cinahl, Helmis, Psychlit, Dhdata, and the database of the King's Fund in London for articles published up to June 2001, using the phrase "organizational culture." In addition, all citations and the gray literature were reviewed and advice was sought from experts in the field to identify instruments not found on the electronic databases. The search focused on instruments used to quantify culture with a track record, or potential for use, in health care settings. For each instrument we examined the cultural dimensions addressed, the number of items for each questionnaire, the measurement scale adopted, examples of studies that had used the tool, the scientific properties of the instrument, and its strengths and limitations. Thirteen instruments were found that satisfied our inclusion criteria, of which nine have a track record in studies involving health care organizations. The instruments varied considerably in terms of their grounding in theory, format, length, scope, and scientific properties. A range of instruments with differing characteristics are available to researchers interested in organizational culture, all of which have limitations in terms of their scope, ease of use, or scientific properties. The choice of instrument should be determined by how organizational culture is conceptualized by the research team, the purpose of the investigation, intended use of the results, and availability of resources.

A Collaborative Perspective on Nursing Leadership in Quality Improvement: The Foundation for Outcomes Management and Patient/Staff Safety in Health Care Environments

Article

Oct 2003
Nurs Admin Q

By 2004, only organizations whose institutional operating strategies are built on a continual state of readiness and include performance improvement practices throughout the organization are going to successfully meet Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards. As stewards of patient care, nurses maintain a unique role in identifying and guiding the intervention processes central to quality care, which prepares them to become key players/designers of a paradigm that demonstrates commitment to establishing and maintaining quality care. However, without recognition and support from organization leadership and physicians, the opportunity to effectively use the capabilities of nursing may be lost. The collaborative perspectives offered here attest to the fact that mutual belief and vision, coupled with creativity, strategic planning, and implementation, can effectively mobilize resources to establish priority measures and achieve quality patient/safety outcomes within the organization. Shifting the paradigm from just meeting the standards to continual readiness and performance improvement throughout the organization then becomes mission and mantra.

Managers and leaders. Are they different? 1977.

Article

Feb 2004
HARVARD BUS REV

Abraham Zaleznik

Results-based leadership

D Ulrich
J Zenger
N Smallwood

Transformational Leadership: Industrial, Military and Educational Impact

Jan 1998

B.M. Bass

Systematic Review: Evaluation and Leadership Development, Henley Management Caollege

J Burgoyne
S Williams

The NHS Plan: A Plan for Action, a Plan for Reform

Jan 2000

Department of Health

Standards for better health: health care standards for services under the NHS - a consultation

Department
Health

Leadership through Effective HR Management

Jan 2000

B. Harris

Career Tracking Cohort 1 of the Leadership through Effective HRM Programme

Jan 2003

C Harris
R Boaden
A. Shephard

Leadership Development: A Systematic Review of the Literature

J Hartley
B Hinksman

Managing the human dimensions of change

Jan 2002

NHS Modernisation Agency

An introduction to the NHS leadership centre

Jan 2003

NHS Modernisation Agency

Breaking through. Building a diverse leadership workforce: programme outline

Jan 2004

NHS Modernisation Agency

Gateway to leadership

Jan 2003

NHS Modernisation Agency Leadership Centre

Leadership development: Does it make a difference?

Abstract

No full-text available

Recommended publications

Exploring links between NHS leadership and improvement