Leadership Alignment Research Articles

Change on the Brain? The Neuroscience of Organizational Transformation

True transformations aim to change the core identity of an organization, are often disruptive, and rarely result in their intended outcomes. The objective of this paper is to propose a theoretical approach for more effective transformations via the syntheses of emerging findings in managerial science, organizational psychology, and social cognitive neuroscience. The authored conducted a literature review of traditional methods and the application of neuroscience to organizational transformation, proposing that consideration to leader and employee neuroanatomy can significantly impact transformation success. The emergent five-phase approach - Exploration & Discovery, Surfacing & Co-Creation, Enablement & Prioritization, Implementation, and Empowerment - integrates practices informed by neuroscience to enhance leadership alignment, employee engagement, and change sustainability. By focusing on activities such as vision alignment, co-creation, and leadership development, the approach seeks to optimize brain functions related to trust, motivation, and adaptability. Neuroscientific concepts like neural synchrony, hormone and neurotransmitter release, and specific neural circuit activations are utilized to improve team dynamics, decision-making, and learning. This neuro-informed approach challenges conventional practices by emphasizing co-creative solutioning with employees, piloting programs, and empowering middle managers to lead transformation efforts. Data from case studies demonstrate significant improvements in employee experience and sustainable shifts in organizational behavior. The paper concludes with a call for further research to solidify the emerging intersection of neuroscience and organizational transformation.

Key Factors in Organizational Change: Case Studies of Netflix and FinoTechno Using Change Management Models

This research explores the key factors influencing successful organizational change through case studies of Netflix and FinoTechno. With the development of science and technology, enterprises should consider the continuous updating of organizational change to maintain their innovation and competitiveness while pursuing benefits throughout the process of expending. It utilizes the SWOT analysis, McKinsey 7-S Framework, Kotters Eight-Step Change Model, and Lewin's Three-Stage Change Management Model to analyze technological advancements, integration of diverse teams, and maintaining a competitive edge. The analysis found that the development strategies of FinoTechno and Netflix should emphasize common values, communication networks and leadership commitment, enhance corporate reputation, and require significant investment in technology infrastructure and customer education. The findings highlight the importance of leadership, communication, and strategic alignment in managing change. Recommendations offer actionable strategies for enhancing technological infrastructure, fostering a unified organizational culture, and driving innovation. These insights provide valuable lessons for organizations navigating complex change processes.

Strategies for engaging stakeholders in data governance: Building effective communication and collaboration

This paper explores strategies for engaging stakeholders, enhancing communication, and fostering collaboration in data governance. It examines the importance of stakeholder engagement and communication channels, such as meetings, digital platforms, and reports, in facilitating collaboration. Lessons learned from successful data governance initiatives underscore the significance of aligning efforts with business objectives and securing executive sponsorship. Practical recommendations include defining clear roles, tailoring communication strategies, and promoting stakeholder participation. Key success factors include leadership support and alignment with organizational culture, while potential pitfalls include resistance to change and inadequate resources. Future research directions include exploring innovative technologies for stakeholder engagement and evaluating the effectiveness of data governance initiatives.

Participative leadership congruence and employee task performance: the intermediate roles of person-unit fit and unit-member exchange

PurposeParticipative leadership's influence on employee task performance has garnered significant attention in a rapidly evolving organizational landscape. This study explores the multilevel dynamics of participative leadership congruence between unit managers and direct supervisors and its effects on employee task performance.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on two longitudinal studies based on the firms randomly selected from the Taiwan Economic Journal (TEJ) database, the research observes the mediating role of Person-Unit fit and the moderating influence of Unit-Member Exchange in the participative leadership-performance relationship.FindingsThe findings reveal how participative leadership congruence enhances person-unit fit, which in turn benefits employee task performance. Unit-member exchange plays a critical role in augmenting the participative leadership congruence? Person-unit fit? Employee task performance relationship.Originality/valueThe study extends leadership literature by highlighting the significance of leadership alignment across levels and the interplay between psychological and social factors in improving employee performance.

Randomized trial of the leadership and organizational change for implementation (LOCI) strategy in substance use treatment clinics

IntroductionEvidence-based practice (EBP) implementation represents a strategic change that requires alignment of leadership and support throughout organizations. Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) is a multifaceted implementation strategy that aims to improve implementation leadership and climate within organizations through iterative cycles of leadership and climate assessment and feedback, leadership training and coaching, and strategic planning with upper-level leaders. This study tested the effects of LOCI on transformational and implementation leadership, implementation climate, implementation citizenship behavior, and EBP reach. MethodsA multiple cohort, cluster randomized trial tests the effect of LOCI in 60 clinics across nine behavioral health organizations in California and Arizona, USA. The study randomized clinics within organizations to either LOCI or a leadership training webinar control condition in three consecutive cohorts. Repeated web-based surveys of direct service providers (nLOCI = 201, nControl = 179) assessed leadership, implementation climate, and implementation citizenship over time. Multilevel autoregressive modeling was the primary statistical analysis such that providers (level-1) were nested within clinics (level-2). The study predicted between-condition differences at 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up assessments. Provider engagement in a fidelity monitoring process assessed reach of motivational interviewing (i.e., number of sessions recorded/submitted for fidelity coding). An independent sample t-test explored between condition differences in motivational interviewing reach. ResultsResults indicated between condition differences at 4 months for implementation leadership, implementation climate, and implementation citizenship behavior such that greater improvements were evidenced in the LOCI condition compared to the control condition. Reach of MI was significantly greater in the LOCI vs control condition such that LOCI providers were significantly more likely to engage in the fidelity monitoring process (chi-square (1, n = 370) = 5.59, p = .018). ConclusionsLOCI was developed based on organizational theories of strategic leadership and climate to affect organizational change processes that communicate that innovation implementation is expected, supported, and recognized as a value of the organization. The LOCI implementation strategy resulted in more positive hypothesized outcomes compared to the control condition. Organizational change strategies have utility for implementing health innovations in complex, multilevel contexts and for greater sustainment of facilitative leader behaviors, strategic implementation climate, and improved implementation outcomes. Trial registrationThis study is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov gov (NCT03042832, 2 February 2017; retrospectively registered).

THE RELEVANCE OF LEADERSHIP ALIGNMENT TO ATTAINING ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE

Objective: This paper aims to investigate the factors that help organizations build resilience, and the need for effective leadership alignment as a prerequisite for enhancing organizational resilience emerges as a critical factor. Theoretical Framework: The paper relied on the theories of leadership to gain pertinent insight and combined the knowledge with contingency theory to develop a robust perspective on how leadership can manoeuvre the challenges caused by disruptions in the business environment while maintaining productivity and profitability. Methods: The study adopted the quantitative approach and used primary data, collected through e-questionnaires, using the snowball sample approach. The descriptive statistics were computed, and Linear regression analysis was used to measure the level of influence that leadership alignment had on organizational resilience. Results and Discussions: The study established the relevance of Leadership Alignment as a driver of Organizational Resilience in the Manufacturing industry, playing a vital role in coordinating the various aspects of business during turbulence in the business. Research Implication: The study shows that Organizations need to adopt practical steps toward fostering interactions among leaders, which would facilitate the flow of knowledge on ways to enhance resilience. More so, the contribution is made to theory as the paper highlights the pivotal role of leadership in the effort to build a Unified Resilience Theory (URT). Originality/Value: emphasizing the importance of Leadership Alignment is a novel contribution to Organizational Resilience discussion which immensely contributes to practices and theories in management.

Digital transformation at third-party logistics providers: Challenges and best practices

Background: Digital transformation (DT) is key for service providers in the logistics industry to achieve or retain a sustainable competitive advantage. However, for many third-party logistics (3PLs) in South Africa, implementing DT remains a challenge.Objectives: To explore the challenges that hinder the implementation of DT and to present the best practices that are important for achieving success in DT among South African logistics service providers.Method: This study was exploratory and descriptive. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of 10 managers employed by South African 3PLs companies. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, which involved manually coding the findings, the organisation of these ‘codes’ into related areas to construct ‘descriptive’ themes and the development of ‘analytical’ themes.Results: The challenges and best practices of DT implementation centre around leadership and strategic alignment, technological integration and innovation, data management and cybersecurity, and resource optimisation and cost management.Conclusion: Substantial challenges and best practices associated with DT implementation in the logistics sector were identified.Contribution: The significance of the study lies in examining DT through the lens of 3PLs providers in South Africa, a segment not conventionally associated with innovation. The outcomes contribute to academic research and industry practice. Firstly, the findings bridge a critical gap in the existing literature, providing insight into previously unexplored DT challenges and best practices. Secondly, this study provides valuable insights into key areas, offering practical guidance for industry practitioners.

The effects of a firm’s internationalization, age, and environmental turbulence on the capabilities that comprise strategic agility

This study investigates a largely unexplored area by examining how internationalization, firm age, and environmental turbulence influence the key components of strategic agility, namely strategic sensitivity, leadership unity, and resource fluidity. Although these factors have been identified as potential catalysts for strategic agility, their specific impacts on strategic agility’s core capabilities have yet to be thoroughly explored. Our research aims to bridge this gap, providing a nuanced understanding of how each of these variables shapes the strategic agility of a firm. The study uses the empirical research of 220 Spanish firms in the service sector and then adopts partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Our findings indicate that internationalization has a dual effect on strategic agility: internationalization enhances strategic sensitivity, reflecting improved environmental awareness, but it diminishes leadership unity, illustrating the complexities of global leadership alignment. Additionally, an increase in firm age is associated with a decrease in all the aspects of strategic agility. By contrast, environmental turbulence positively impacts each dimension of strategic agility, suggesting that turbulent conditions can indeed promote the adaptability and responsiveness of a firm.

Aligning cooperative supply chain relationships with firm strategy: a cross-disciplinary analysis

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the conflicting views in supply chain and strategic management literature regarding cooperative supply chain relationships (CSCR) and firm performance. Supply chain literature suggests a universally positive impact of CSCR on performance, irrespective of a firm’s strategy. In contrast, strategic management literature contends that the effectiveness of CSCR depends on their alignment with the firm’s competitive strategy. The research aims to clarify this disparity, offering insights into the strategic use of CSCR for enhancing firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThis paper theorizes the integration of perspectives for the impact of CSCR on firm performance by examining the relationships considering the alignment of cost leadership and product differentiation strategies with supplier and customer relationships. Plant-level survey data is analyzed using regression techniques to test four hypotheses.FindingsAll four main relationships (cost leadership, product differentiation, supplier relationship and customer relationship) on firm performance are statistically significant. However, cost leadership firms are better aligned to their chosen strategy when they have strong relationships with suppliers, whereas similar relationships with customers create misalignment, negatively influencing firm performance. In contrast, product differentiators benefit by investing in relationships with customers rather than with suppliers.Practical implicationsA firm’s performance does not solely depend on its CSCR efforts but on aligning them with the firm’s overall strategy. Therefore, managers need to be cognizant of the firm’s competitive strategy when investing in CSCR. Failing to do so could negatively impact firm performance and, eventually, its ability to compete in the marketplace.Originality/valueScholars have advocated for the importance of examining competing perspectives of phenomena, both within and across various bodies of literature, as cross-disciplinary analysis often brings enhanced focus and depth, leading to improved understanding. This research is one of the initial efforts to empirically analyze the varying perspectives on CSCR in supply chain and strategic management literature. This cross-disciplinary approach can yield a more integrated perspective.

Quality improvement in public–private partnerships in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

BackgroundPublic–private partnerships (PPP) are often how health improvement programs are implemented in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). We therefore aimed to systematically review the literature about the aim and impacts of quality improvement (QI) approaches in PPP in LMICs.MethodsWe searched SCOPUS and grey literature for studies published before March 2022. One reviewer screened abstracts and full-text studies for inclusion. The study characteristics, setting, design, outcomes, and lessons learned were abstracted using a standard tool and reviewed in detail by a second author.ResultsWe identified 9,457 citations, of which 144 met the inclusion criteria and underwent full-text abstraction. We identified five key themes for successful QI projects in LMICs: 1) leadership support and alignment with overarching priorities, 2) local ownership and engagement of frontline teams, 3) shared authentic learning across teams, 4) resilience in managing external challenges, and 5) robust data and data visualization to track progress. We found great heterogeneity in QI tools, study designs, participants, and outcome measures. Most studies had diffuse aims and poor descriptions of the intervention components and their follow-up. Few papers formally reported on actual deployment of private-sector capital, and either provided insufficient information or did not follow the formal PPP model, which involves capital investment for a explicit return on investment. Few studies discussed the response to their findings and the organizational willingness to change.ConclusionsMany of the same factors that impact the success of QI in healthcare in high-income countries are relevant for PPP in LMICs. Vague descriptions of the structure and financial arrangements of the PPPs, and the roles of public and private entities made it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions about the impacts of the organizational governance on the outcomes of QI programs in LMICs. While we found many articles in the published literature on PPP-funded QI partnerships in LMICs, there is a dire need for research that more clearly describes the intervention details, implementation challenges, contextual factors, leadership and organizational structures. These details are needed to better align incentives to support the kinds of collaboration needed for guiding accountability in advancing global health. More ownership and power needs to be shifted to local leaders and researchers to improve research equity and sustainability.

Ethical culture and leadership for sustainability and governance in public sector organisations within the ESG framework

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore how ethical leadership behaviours within government organisations impact the development and sustainability of a positive organisational culture, which, in turn, has implications for ESG alignment. Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted with 155 government employees in the Central region of Malaysia, utilising a validated questionnaire covering ethical leadership behaviours, ethical culture, and integrity violations related to ESG compliance. The collected data were subjected to analysis using Smart PLS to examine the hypothesised relationships and assess the model fit. FindingsThe study's findings established the role of ethical leadership in reducing integrity violations, particularly in the context of ESG compliance. Ethical leaders contribute to a culture where adherence to ESG principles is prioritised. However, the analysis did not find a statistically significant direct link between ethical culture and integrity violations related to ESG compliance, suggesting the need for further exploration of this relationship in future research. Research limitations/implicationsThe study faces limitations related to sample representativeness and self-reporting bias. The findings are context-specific to the Malaysian public sector, and generalisation to other settings should be approached with caution. Nevertheless, the implications of these limitations have broad relevance for understanding the interplay between ethical leadership and ESG alignment. Practical implicationsThe results of this study offer practical insights for public sector leaders and policymakers in Malaysia who aim to enhance their ESG performance. Understanding the role of ethical leadership in shaping organisational culture not only fosters a more ethical and positive work environment but also guides leadership development programs and strategies geared towards ESG alignment. Originality/valueThis study adds value to the existing literature by examining the specific context of the Malaysian public sector and by emphasising the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational culture within the ESG framework. The use of Smart PLS as an analytical tool enhances the robustness of the analysis, making the findings especially valuable for public sector organisations looking to enhance their ESG alignment through ethical leadership.

Building resilience: Alignment of nonprofit leaders’ understanding of environmental challenges

AbstractThe ways in which a common understanding of environmental challenges is established among nonprofit leaders are not clearly presented in the literature, despite the importance of such understanding as an antecedent of organizational resilience. In response to this research gap, this paper seeks to identify how such an alignment is facilitated. We use a qualitative research approach and investigate seven international nonprofit organizations whose leadership is aligned on environmental challenges. The data collection is twofold. First, leaders of these organizations, being the board chair, one board member, and the managerial executive, respond to closed and open‐ended survey questions. Second, we analyze organizational documents of the participating nonprofits. This includes for example their bylaws, codes of conduct, and strategic plans. Our results indicate that transparency, clarity, flexibility, and quality relationships among the leadership are key interaction characteristics associated with leadership alignment. Good board chair leadership and board gender balance are crucial personal characteristics. The present paper provides insights to academics as well as practitioners who aim to enhance cohesion of their leadership's understanding of environmental challenges.

The Commit to Be Fit framework: a community case study of a multi-level, holistic school-based wellness initiative in rural Virginia.

Public health interventions that target children's physical, mental, and emotional health will enhance their ability to learn and grow. Although more complex, school initiatives that address multiple ecological levels and take a holistic view may be more effective and likely to lead to lasting change. This article presents the framework of Commit to Be Fit (C2BF) as an example of how schools can integrate multi-level and holistic approaches for health. This innovative school-based intervention includes activities addressing individual, home, school, and community to create a culture of wellness. We describe the implementation of C2BF and its basis in ecological models and give examples of activities across three components: cafeteria, classroom, and community. We discuss challenges and note that leadership engagement and alignment were critical elements for C2BF's success thus far. C2BF uses a school-based multi-level approach to creating a culture of wellness and holistic health for students, teachers, and community members. C2BF is unique compared to other school-based programming and includes activities that address all eight domains posited for program sustainability within public health. Built to be flexible and adaptive, C2BF was able to successfully pivot during the COVID pandemic and also follow new science. C2BF and other multi-level holistic approaches are more likely to achieve long-term change by utilizing strategies across the multiple levels of the ecological model to improve health and wellbeing.

Reviewing Literature and Exploring Concept of Leadership for Learning to Organizational Values – HR Insights From Hospitality and Retail Industries in Hong Kong

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore previous and latest literature, as well as examine the concept of leadership for learning to organizational values. Theoretical framework: This theoretical framework tentatively projects effective leadership to the development of learning aligning with organizational values within an organization, it specifically focuses on hospitality and retailing from HR in Hong Kong. The framework includes the alignment of learning, learning culture, leadership, organizational values, and HR practices. Design/methodology/approach: The concept of leadership for learning to organizational values were explored by literature with a matrix created, and tentatively formed 6 items for data collection from HR and related professionals, with 116 responses. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out by SPSS software. Findings: With the factor loading required at least over 0.6 (the actual value of each item was higher than 0.8) as well as the scale over 0.9, the results showed those 6 items as one component of leadership for learning to organizational values. Research, Practical & Social implications: The study practically implied the importance of leadership to employee, team and organizational learning. The allowed HR be more insightful in future practice and policy, regarding the association of learning, culture, organizational value as well as leadership. Originality/value: The value of the study significantly explored the interconnection of learning, culture, leadership and organizational values in the specified Hong Kong’s context in hospitality and retailing. It would be potentially valuable for HRM practices and promotional organizational success in the future.

Inclusive healthcare for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in advocacy and partnership in breast and cervical cancer screening through the EMPOWER Program.

e22510 Background: With the growing burden of Women cancers in Kenya, integrating cancer screening and prevention to optimize horizontal care delivery models is a paramount approach to strengthening women-centered and cost-effective primary healthcare. EMPOWER is a unique public-private-partnership with the County governments of Kenya, County referral hospitals, County First Ladies Association, International Cancer Institute, Patient organizations (Women4Cancer & Africa cancer Foundation), AMREF and Roche Kenya to demonstrate and deliver integrated cancer prevention, treatment and capacity building including Persons living with Disability (PWDs). Objectives: 1. Generate buy in from county leadership and key stakeholders for PWDs inclusivity in human resources for health. 2. Tangibly demonstrate women PWDs can contribute to community health systems community health volunteers and Promote the Integrated approach screening. 3. Improve access to breast and cervical cancer screening for and through PWDs. Methods: The Project is a multi-faceted advocacy approach, including political leadership engagement and stakeholder alignment. The political leadership engaged with local government officials to raise awareness of the issue and secure support for the initiative. The stakeholder alignment involved working with healthcare providers, community organizations, and PWDs to ensure that the initiative was inclusive and accessible. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate the impact of the advocacy efforts. Results: The project was successful in health management teams co-creating selecting and training 50 Women PWDs as community health volunteers, the first in Africa. The advocacy efforts led to an increase in screening rates for PWDs, with 30% more PWDs accessing screening services compared to the previous year. The PWDs involved in the initiative reported high levels of satisfaction with the program and appreciated the opportunity to play an active role in their own healthcare. Conclusions: The project demonstrated that it is possible to effectively implement inclusive healthcare for persons with disabilities (PWDs) through advocacy and partnerships. The successful adoption of advocacy to address disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening among PWDs highlights the potential for scaling up this work to reach a larger population. The alignment of political leadership and stakeholders, highlights the crucial role of creating a supportive environment to ensure the rights of PWDs to the highest attainable standard of health are upheld. Future efforts to address health disparities among PWDs should build on this approach, leveraging advocacy, partnerships, and cocreation of implementation to drive change at the community level.

Local government managers’ change-oriented leadership and employees’ change-supportive behaviour during COVID-19: utilizing the theory of planned behaviour

ABSTRACT Past research has provided important insights on the role of public leaders in fostering employees’ change-related behaviour, but the psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying this relationship remain unclear. This research relies on the theory of planned behaviour and the value-congruence model to shed light on when and how local government managers’ change-oriented leadership influences employees’ change-supportive behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on survey data collected from 758 local government employees in Thailand, our structural equation modelling analyses revealed that local government managers’ change-oriented leadership had a positive relationship with employees’ change-supportive behaviour via the mediating roles of employees’ attitude for change, perceived climate for change and self-efficacy for change. Furthermore, perceived value congruence between managers and employees was found to enhance the indirect relationship between change-oriented leadership and change-supportive behaviour. This research highlights the importance of change-oriented leadership and value alignment in fostering change-related behaviours among government employees.

La Revolución Rusa y América Latina: 1917 y más allá

La Revolución Rusa y América Latina: 1917 y más allá

Leadership Alignment

Many school administrators struggle to find a reliably efficient and effective way of stabilizing academic reform implementation within educational institutions. Questionnaire responses were collected from two administrators and six teachers across two schools in the same school district, with the intent of examining if teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of administrative leadership align within the same school. The findings of this research study conclude that educational leadership can be effectively implemented through the shared vision of the school, communication, collaboration, and supportive resources, along with humane characteristics utilized throughout those categories to create rapport and positive school culture. This study contributes to the greater understanding between the academic structures of top-down leadership and transformational leadership. Limitations include the small sample size, short time frame of the study, and only middle school representation. The concluding message is that by distributing responsibilities, schools have a greater change to cultivate academic and social change.

Validation of a Measure of District Systems Implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

District leadership teams perform key roles in building the systems to support schools in the implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). However, there is a lack of measures for assessment and progress monitoring specific to district PBIS systems. To address this gap, we evaluated the validity of a measure of implementation of district PBIS systems, the District Systems Fidelity Inventory (DSFI). Using 183 school districts and 760 schools implementing PBIS, we found the DSFI to have good evidence of structural validity for measuring nine aspects of district systems (Leadership Teaming, Stakeholder Engagement, Funding and Alignment, Policy, Workforce Capacity, Training, Coaching, Evaluation, and Local Implementation Demonstrations). We also found DSFI subscales to be moderately related to school-level PBIS implementation fidelity, providing evidence of convergent validity. We describe how leadership teams can use the DSFI to improve PBIS implementation and student outcomes.

Global value chains and digital platforms: Implications for strategy

AbstractThe emergence of global value chains (GVCs) appears due to the rise of international trade deregulation and market liberalization over the past decades. The rise of information and communication technologies, which supports knowledge‐intensive activities, has also radically transformed value capture across GVCs and raises the bar for value‐creating opportunities as a new generation of technologies emerges. Of particular relevance to GVCs is the rise of digital technologies, such as big data, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. These technologies promise to herald a new era of connectedness, collaboration, and innovation, affording significant growth opportunities for GVCs. Digital platforms will play a key role for GVCs in orchestrating such value‐creating opportunities. There remains a lack of empirical understanding of how digital platforms can enable GVC strategy. The study seeks to address this question by reviewing the digital platform literature to support key GVC strategy learnings. Specifically, 61 “digital platform”–titled articles across 38 Chartered Association of Business Schools (ABS)‐ranked journals were reviewed. The study adopts Mainardi and Kleiner's (Strategy + Business, 2010, 61, pp. 1–14) “strategy landscape” framework to organize emerging findings. Eight key themes emerged from the literature to reveal critical issues for digital platforms. Implications for strategy are then discussed, revealing four key learnings for GVCs, namely, (i) boundary management, (ii) definition of the unit of analysis, (iii) alignment of capabilities, and (iv) governance and leadership.