Leadership Capacity Research Articles

Building a Coaching Culture in Irish Schools; Challenges and Opportunities: A Mixed-Methods Study

Coaching is a relatively new leadership style in Irish schools, but its potential is being supported by the Department of Education and Skills since 2015. This study considers the challenges and obstacles to building a coaching culture within Irish schools, recognising that as a leadership style, it is relatively unknown. It considers school cultures and the challenges as well as the opportunities leaders face in building a coaching culture. A mixed methods study consisting of a quantitative survey (n = 48) followed by semi-structured interviews (n = 12) was the chosen method, using statistical analysis (SPSS) and thematic analysis (Nvivo) to analyse the data. The results indicate that leadership coaching facilitates reflective practice for leaders and those they manage, leading to a distribution of practice that facilitates distributed leadership, therein building leadership capacity and enhancing teacher/leader well-being. However, time, workload and creating a culture of coaching in schools are still challenges, as leadership coaching is still a new and unknown leadership concept. The findings suggest that it is vital that the support services endorse its value, that time is allocated to supporting coaching and that staff need both CPD and further education on what coaching entails in order to build a coaching culture in Irish schools.

‘Teachers Value PD if Leaders Value PD’: Role of School Leaders in Professional Development of Teachers in Rural Pakistan

ABSTRACT In educational literature, especially coming from the developed context, the role of school leadership in Professional Development (PD) of teachers has been portrayed in a quite ideal way. However, literature reports little evidence of any contribution of school leaders to PD of teachers in developing contexts specifically in many regions and countries of Asia. Taking Pakistan as a case, this paper reports the findings of a research that explored the role of school leadership in PD of teachers. Using qualitative approach and grounded theory framework, the research examined the views of 46 key participants including teachers, school leaders, PD providers and officials from the education department through focused group interviews. The findings support previous studies in the limited role of school leadership in PD of teachers. However, it identifies some unique influential factors such as less recognition of PD in the system, limited capacity of school leadership and lack of any monitoring and accountability mechanism. The research argues for a shift in the system to enhance the contribution of school leadership in PD of teachers. Such shift should happen in the form of PD-related expectations from school leaders, developing school leaders with a focus on their role in PD and extending ongoing coaching and mentoring support to them.

The Meso-Level in Quality Improvement: Perspectives From a Maternal-Neonatal Health Partnership in South Africa.

Sustained implementation of facility-level quality improvement (QI) processes, such as plan-do-study-act cycles, requires enabling meso-level environments and supportive macro-level policies and strategies. Although this is well recognised, there is little systematic empirical evidence on roles and capacities, especially at the immediate meso-level of the system, that sustain QI strategies at the frontline. In this paper we report on qualitative research to characterize the elements of a quality and outcome-oriented meso-level, focused on sub/district health systems (DHSs), conducted within a multi-level initiative to improve maternal-newborn health (MNH) in three provinces of South Africa. Drawing on the embedded experience and tacit knowledge of core project partners, obtained through in-depth interviews (39) and project documentation, we analysed thematically the roles, capacities and systems required at the meso-level for sustained QI, and experiences with strengthening the meso-level. Meso-level QI roles identified included establishing and supporting QI systems and strengthening delivery networks. We propose three elements of system capacity as enabling these meso-level roles: (1) leadership stability and capacity, (2) the presence of formal mechanisms to coordinate service delivery processes at sub-district and district levels (including governance, referral and outreach systems), and (3) responsive district support systems (including quality oriented human resource, information, and emergency medical services [EMS] management), embedded within supportive relational eco-systems and appropriate decision-space. While respondents reported successes with system strengthening, overall, the meso-level was regarded as poorly oriented to and even disabling of quality at the frontline. We argue for a more explicit orientation to quality and outcomes as an essential district and sub-district function (which we refer to as meso-level stewardship), requiring appropriate structures, processes, and capacities.

Advancing Instructional Leadership: Instructional Coaching Skills Development Through Mixed Reality Experiences

Educational leadership preparation programs are tasked with advancing the development of future educational leaders’ instructional capacities, including the ability to engage teachers in instructional conversations through instructional coaching. The educational leadership program studied here includes a mixed reality experience designed to develop future educational leaders’ instructional coaching conversation skills. Therefore, the purpose of this research study was to examine future educational leaders’ perceptions of the development of instructional coaching conversation skills because of participation in the mixed reality experience. Findings indicated that, overall, participants held positive views of the mixed reality experience in supporting their development of instructional coaching conversation skills. Additionally, participants indicated development of other skills including, on-the-spot thinking, confidence, and reflection, among other skills. Results suggest that mixed reality experiences provide authentic, realistic learning opportunities to develop instructional leadership capacities.

Enhancing Cooperation to Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kenya

The threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kenya necessitates robust and coordinated countermeasures. This study investigates collaborative approaches to countering IEDs, focusing on opportunities for enhanced cooperation among stakeholders. The primary objective is to assess the impact of multi-agency collaboration on improving the effectiveness of IED countermeasures and to provide policy recommendations for strengthening these efforts. The study is grounded in the theory of collaborative governance, which emphasizes the importance of interconnectedness and cooperative strategies among various agencies to address complex security challenges. Data were collected from a target population comprising security professionals, government officials, and international partners through a mixed-methods approach. This included a survey with 95 respondents and semi-structured interviews with 15 key informants. Findings from the study indicate a high level of engagement in collaborative efforts to counter IEDs. Survey results reveal that 69.8% of respondents agree or strongly agree that multi-agency collaboration is crucial for addressing IED threats, with a mean rating of 3.59. Similarly, 66.8% acknowledge the significant contributions of international partnerships, with a mean rating of 3.73. Despite these positive perceptions, challenges such as poor coordination and transparency issues in international collaborations were frequently cited. Interviews corroborated these findings, highlighting the need for improved communication channels and trust-building measures. Data analysis involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize the level of agreement on various aspects of collaboration, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and insights. Key recommendations include the establishment of structured frameworks for information sharing, enhancing leadership capacities, and prioritizing transparency in international partnerships. Continuous engagement and knowledge-sharing initiatives are also vital for fostering innovation and effectively refining strategies to counter IED threats. In conclusion, this study underscores the critical importance of enhanced cooperation among stakeholders in mitigating the impact of IEDs in Kenya. By addressing identified challenges and leveraging collaborative opportunities, policymakers and practitioners can develop more effective strategies to improve security outcomes and protect public safety.

Leadership Capacity Building in Starting a Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDES) Business in Bengkal Village, Kranggan, Temanggung, Central Java

Abstract. Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDES) in Bengkal Village, Kranggan District, Temanggung Regency, Central Java, have been formally established since 2016 but only started activities in 2021 by updating BUMDES managers and equipping BUMDES with Village Regulations. There is a problem in managing BUMDES, namely managers' weak human resources ability. Pioneering a BUMDES is hard work that requires strong leadership and motivation to face all problems and obstacles in the management of BUMDES. BUMDES managers in Bengkal Village still need to strengthen these leadership and motivation abilities. Therefore, the solution to this problem is by empowering BUMDES, especially in leadership training and motivation for BUMDES managers. The objectives of this activity are 1) to identify the obstacles and challenges faced by BUMDES managers, 2) to improve the leadership skills and motivation of BUMDES managers, and 3) to improve the problem-solving ability of BUMDES managers. Thus, there are several activities in this PKM Program, namely 1) Focus Group Discussion in identifying obstacles and challenges for BUMDES, 2) training on leadership and motivation for BUMDES managers, and 3) training on problem-solving for BUMDES managers. This activity involves BUMDES managers, village officials, business unit actors, and village youth.

E-Leadership: Reconceptualising Teacher Leadership in the Singapore Digitised Educational Landscape

There is an increase in demand for teacher leaders to take on and lead the digitised change in the classrooms. However, there is still limited research on how ready teachers are to lead and manage online teaching during and post-COVID times, and hence this exploratory study investigates the challenges that teachers face in enacting e-leadership. To answer the question on “how do the process and development of the introduction of Home-Based Learning (HBL) influence teacher leadership in Singapore?”, through convenience sampling, this study used questionnaires to understand in-service teachers’ readiness to be e-leaders and the drawbacks in the development and introduction of the hybrid or e-curriculum. The study concluded that when building teacher leadership capacity, it is important for school leaders to set the direction, establish a culture of online learning, and develop e-champions to support e-pedagogies. E-teacher leadership can be described as hybrid leadership that consists of a blend of face-to-face and virtual leadership skills.

Developing a Statewide Strategy for Meaningful Youth Engagement: Insights from a Youth-Driven Program in Wisconsin.

There are various ways to integrate the lived experiences and perspectives of youth and young adults into Maternal Child Health (MCH) goals, initiatives, and programs. This article describes the history, evolution, and current strategy of a program that engages youth from across the state of Wisconsin. It serves as an example for others who may be interested in building capacity for youth leadership and engagement. The Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) Program started as a community-based pilot project and evolved into a robust statewide youth engagement infrastructure. Meaningful youth engagement requires capacity, adaptability, and expertise. Thus, in this case, it has proven advantageous to develop complementary and mutually beneficial partnerships to support adolescent health more effectively and efficiently in Wisconsin.

Impact of participation as a peer change agent on peer change agents themselves: a quantitative study of a peer-led, social media-based PrEP promotion intervention.

Despite the adoption of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a crucial HIV intervention, uptake remains suboptimal among men who have sex with men, a sexual minority group, due to barriers like cost and stigma. Peer change agents (PCAs) disseminate PrEP information within their social networks. This study explores the reciprocal effects of an online community-based participatory intervention on PCAs, focusing on their transformed PrEP uptake perceptions-leadership efficacy, social network dynamics, attitudes, perceived benefits and barriers and self-efficacy. Leveraging insights from the PrEP Chicago Study, our research addresses a key gap in community-based participatory interventions for PrEP uptake: the transformative experiences and perception shifts of PCAs involved in these interventions. We engaged 20 men who have sex with men, aged 18-45, as PCAs in a one-group pretest-posttest design intervention, which disseminated PrEP communications within their preferred online networks. We utilized the PrEP Chicago Study's 45 Likert items, tailored to reveal the PCAs' transformative potential. Data on PrEP uptake perceptions, sociodemographics and social media use were captured and analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, a nonparametric method. PCAs demonstrated significant changes in their PrEP uptake perceptions, including leadership capacity, social network dynamics, attitudes toward PrEP, perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy. Our intervention highlights the reciprocal transformation PCAs undergo when disseminating PrEP information. This study adds a new dimension to community-based PrEP interventions and underscores the need for continued refinement of peer-led strategies to optimize the transformative potential of PCAs.

LONG-TERM PAID CARE WORKFORCE: SHORTAGE, BURNOUT, TRAINING, TURNOVER, WHAT’S NEXT?

Abstract Although the long-term care workforce has struggled historically with staff satisfaction, safety, and retention, the pandemic triggered increased turnover and higher levels of staff burnout. As a result, many residential care organizations are using agency staff at unprecedented levels. Given that continuity of care is central to high-quality person-centered care, and the workforce should have access to a physically and psychologically safe environment, it is imperative that the gerontological research and practical community understand the changing conditions experienced by this workforce in crisis and offers solutions at the workplace, industry, and policy levels. In this symposium, authors explore different facets of paid long-term care workforce to stimulate thought and discussion. One paper contrasts the well-being of the workforce to that of the residents during COVID-19. A second paper presents workforce management capabilities and strategies and posits essential questions for the capacity of management and leadership needs of the workforce. Two papers highlight the struggles that are presented as paid long-term care relies increasingly on contract, short-term workers. Paper three discusses how the use of the contract workforce does not support the provision of person-centered care for conditions like dementia. Paper four uses payroll-based journal data to delve into short and long-term use of contract workforce and discusses the nature of contract staffing, and considers how contract staffing may be disruptive to both the direct care worker and the nursing home environment. The discussant will draw out the policy and practice implications arising from the papers. This is a collaborative symposium between the Aging Workforce and Paid Caregiving Interest Groups.

NÂNG CAO NĂNG LỰC LÃNH ĐẠO CỦA ĐỘI NGŨ CÁN BỘ CHỦ CHỐT CẤP HUYỆN Ở TỈNH QUẢNG BÌNH

In recents years, the Party Committees at all levels in Quang Binh province have focused on perfecting, consolidating and improving the leadership capacity for key district-level officials, creating positive and effective changes in personnel work. The article studies the theoretical and practical basis, analyzes the current situation of leadership capacity of key district-level officials in Quang Binh province, thereby proposing solutions to improve the leadership capacity of key district-level officials to meet task requirements in the new situation.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Using Photovoice Methodology to Explore Perceptions of Servant-Leadership During International Service-Learning

Healthcare education programs are tasked to develop the leadership capacity of students in the preparation for them to become future healthcare providers who can holistically address the needs of complex communities and our society at large. Educational institutions often look to experiential learning opportunities where students can be active participants in the exploration of new leadership behaviors. In particular, service-learning experiences may help support the development of servant leadership qualities. These experiences and qualities both aid in the development of empathetic, inclusive practitioners and professions. A gap in literature exists on health profession students’ perceptions of these experiences and if they are influential to the development of servant leadership behaviors, thus warranting further examination.
 This paper is a qualitative investigation of servant-leadership using Photovoice methodology. Graduate healthcare students studied the concepts of servant-leadership then engaged in an international service-learning opportunity. Broad and deep contextualization of photographs taken during the time abroad explored the five themes of servant leadership: stewardship, partnership, obligation, emotional healing, and elevated purpose. A novel finding was the emergence of intentionally actioned cultural awareness within healthcare service delivery with the authors newly defining the term, cultural humilitence. Conclusions were drawn that support strong researcher and student-generated contextualization alignment with literature-based constructs of leadership and service, and the need for investment by institutions to cultivate experiences (domestic and international) which build interprofessional, transprofessional, and culturally aware teams.

School leadership in the United Arab Emirates: A scoping review

Global research identifies school leadership as a critical factor in school success and effectiveness, especially in an educational reform environment with an ever-increasing number of schools working within public–private partnerships, a feature that characterises the United Arab Emirates. To aid leadership development and practices in a fast-moving education context and to underpin future empirical research, this scoping review of the literature from across three databases provides practitioners and policymakers with an understanding of school leadership for the public–private sector in the United Arab Emirates. Our search yielded 38 publications for analysis. Findings indicate that over the last 20 years, school leadership research in the United Arab Emirates has mainly focused on four themes: (1) context: leaders’ roles and school reform; (2) competency: hiring and professional development of school leaders; (3) characteristics: leadership styles and (4) capacity building: teacher leadership. We conclude with recommendations for research, including exploring cultural, relational, and compassionate school leadership through indigenous paradigms. We also provide recommendations for policy and practice, including the need to modify recruitment methods, equip school leaders to lead reform through advanced models of leadership to suit the collectivist United Arab Emirates culture, and align professional development with the professional standards.

The role experience of advanced practice nurses in oncology: An interpretative phenomenological study.

To understand the experiences of advanced practice nurses working in cancer care. Phenomenological qualitative study. Three focus groups were held to collect qualitative data. Participants were recruited through theoretical non-probabilistic sampling of maximum variation, based on 12 profiles. Data saturation was achieved with a final sample of 21 oncology advanced practice nurses who were performing advanced clinical practice roles in the four centers from December 2021 to March 2022. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was performed following Guba and Lincoln's criteria of trustworthiness. The centers' ethics committee approved the study, and all participants gave written informed consent. Data analysis was undertaken with NVivo 12 software. Three broad themes emerged from the data analysis: the role performed, facilitators and barriers in the development of the role and nurses' lived experience of the role. Advanced practice nurses are aware that they do not perform their role to its full potential, and they describe different facilitators and barriers. Despite the difficulties, they present a positive attitude as well as a capacity for leadership, which has allowed them to consolidate the advanced practice nursing role in unfavourable environments. These results will enable institutions to establish strategies at different levels in the implementation and development of advanced practice nursing roles. Reporting complied with COREQ criteria for qualitative research. No patient or public contribution.

Transformational leadership competency: a cross-sectional study of medical university graduates in China

Purpose To explore the transformational leadership competency of graduates from one medical university in China and its influencing variables. Method From 2020 to 2021, 851 medical graduates from seven hospitals affiliated with the Capital Medical University participated in this survey. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study to assess transformational leadership competency, particularly from three aspects, including values, Emotional Intelligence (EI) abilities, and behaviors using the socially responsible leadership scale (SRLS), emotionally intelligent leadership, and student leadership practices inventory (EILI and SLPI). Results The SRLS scores were medium except for ‘controversy with civility’. The EILI scores were medium. The SLPI scores were high except for ‘enable others to act’ and ‘encourage the heart’. The influencing variables of SRLS, EILI, and SLPI were serving as student cadres, serving longer than two semesters (p = 0.01, 0.02 in EILI and SLPI), joining student organizations, participating in social practice, voluntary service (p = 0.001 in SLPI), in training classes for student cadres (p = 0.02, 0.01, 0.02 in SRLS, EILI, and SLPI), and attending lectures on leadership (except for indicated, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that attending lectures on leadership was associated with high SRLS, EILI, and SLPI scores (p = 0.04, SRLS; p < 0.001, others), and SRLS and EILI scores could affect SLPI score (F = 2674.44, p < 0.001, R 2 = 0.86). Conclusions Medical graduates’ transformational leadership competency at the Capital Medical University was medium measured from values, EI abilities, and behaviors. Group analysis indicated that knowledge learning, organizational involvement, and social/community involvement were associated with leadership capacity building, meanwhile, leaders’ values and EI abilities would affect their behaviors, suggesting medical graduates should undertake leadership training from both knowledge learning and practicing.

Conditions for health system resilience in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania

IntroductionA country’s ability to manage a crisis depends on its level of resilience. Efforts are made to clarify the concept of health system resilience, but its operationalisation remains little studied....

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT OF SALES ORGANIZATION USING FUZZY AHP: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF FMCG

A clear understanding of internal strength allows the company to innovate and adapt in a highly competitive Fast-moving consumer goods market. Therefore, the company's ability to oversee risk and opportunities determines the company's resilience. By employing homogeneous purposive sampling, which focused on the member population of 11 FMCG companies, the present study processed quantitative data from a questionnaire using a Likert scale and qualitative data through in-depth interviews with stakeholders. The data was collected through one-on-one in-depth interviews with 11 respondents online and offline in 12 major cities from August to November 2022. Later, questionnaires were processed using AHP Fuzzy to explain and take into account the role of decision-makers resembling FMCG leaders by defining interactive factors, actors, objectives, and strategies. Factor-actor analysis found that the sales director was the actor with the most influential role in the leadership factor, the sales manager was influential in the Organizational Citizenship Behavior factor, and the sales director was a prominent actor in sales management control. The main goal of the president director, IT/Digital director, supply chain director, and sales director in digital transformation is increasing effectiveness/efficiency in business processes. Besides, the sales manager and sales supervisor aspire to achieve sales targets or sales growth set by the company. In increasing effectiveness/efficiency and achieving sales targets/sales growth set by the company, prioritized strategy can be done through the development of leadership, capability, and human resource capacity. Besides, customer/business partner-oriented digitalization is vital for increasing customer/business partner satisfaction with the company's services/business processes. Furthermore, the present study found leadership models as critical for digital transformation with the realistic scenario (iterative improvement) in all likelihood. Sales organizations are expected to consistently and continuously conduct experiments to find new ways of working and produce digital initiatives that companies need to answer customer/consumer demands. Those strategies can be done by clearly identifying factors, actors, objectives, and strategies for better business execution in digital transformation.

Developing Leaders and Fighting Burnout: An Interview With Sharon Pappas.

This year, Sharon Pappas, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Nurse Executive (CNE) at Emory Healthcare (EHC), Atlanta, Georgia, received the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors an AONL member recognized by the nursing community as a significant leader in the nursing profession and who has served AONL in an important leadership capacity. As CNE of Georgia's largest healthcare system, she leads and supports a Magnet® nursing culture across EHC, with the goal of achieving Magnet designation for the entire EHC system. Dr Pappas was commended for her leadership in leading the EHC incident command during COVID-19 where she focused on providing exceptional patient care and supporting clinical nurses caring for critically ill patients.

An Overview of Distributed Leadership and its Shortcomings in Educational Settings

"Distributed leadership has emerged as a prominent approach in educational settings, emphasizing the collective and collaborative nature of leadership. This article provides a comprehensive overview of distributed leadership, exploring its theoretical foundations, models, and growing popularity, using PRISMA methodology. The benefits and positive aspects of distributed leadership are examined, including enhanced decision-making, increased creativity and innovation, empowerment of team members, development of leadership capacity, and shared responsibility. These benefits highlight the potential of distributed leadership to foster inclusive and effective leadership practices. However, it is essential to acknowledge the potential shortcomings and limitations associated with distributed leadership. Challenges such as role ambiguity, conflicting priorities, and power struggles can arise when multiple individuals share leadership responsibilities. Ensuring effective communication, coordination, and clarity in roles and decision-making processes is crucial to mitigate these challenges and maximize the effectiveness of distributed leadership. To navigate the potential pitfalls of distributed leadership, organizations must consider the contextual factors, organizational culture, and readiness for distributed leadership implementation. Additionally, ongoing support, professional development, and clear guidelines are essential for individuals involved in distributed leadership roles. By understanding both the benefits and shortcomings of distributed leadership, educational institutions can make informed decisions about its adoption and implementation. Balancing the positive aspects with the potential challenges allows for a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of distributed leadership, enabling practitioners to harness its potential and mitigate its limitations in order to create effective and sustainable leadership practices. "

Leadership and Management Capacity of High School Administrators in Son La Province

Leadership and Management Capacity of High School Administrators in Son La Province