Leadership Development Training Research Articles

Innovations in Maternal and Child Health: Pairing Undergraduate and Graduate Maternal and Child Health Students in Summer Practica in State Title V Agencies.

Objective As part of the National MCH Workforce Development Center, an innovative internship program placed MCH undergraduate and graduate students in summer practica in state Title V agencies. Graduate student mentoring of undergraduates and leadership and professional development training and support are key features of the program. The objective of this paper is to report on the results of the evaluation of the MCH Paired Practica Program in its pilot years, 2014-2016. Methods Students completed pre and post internship questionnaires which included closed as well as open-ended questions. In addition, the Title V state health agency preceptors completed a questionnaire at the end of each summer. Results Over the 3-year pilot project, a total of 17 teams participated. Students were from 6 of the 13 graduate Centers of Excellence in MCH programs in Schools of Public Health and two undergraduate MCH Pipeline Programs. There were 11 participating states. After the practicum experience, there was a significant increase in students' confidence in a number of measures related to working in complex, dynamic environments and in their ability to contribute to improvements in MCH population health. Students reported having more confidence in their ability to function effectively as an informal/formal MCH leader (p = 0.02), more confidence in their ability to contribute to improvements in MCH population health (p = 0.04), and being more prepared to enter the workforce after the practicum experience (p = 0.07), although there was no significant change in students' (n = 22) interest in seeking a job in a Title V agency or a community based organization with a MCH focus. Nearly 60% of the students did state at the posttest that they would likely seek additional education in MCH. Overall, the Title V preceptors (n = 14) were very positive about the program although in some instances there was less confidence in the knowledge and skills of the undergraduate students. Conclusion The MCH Paired Practica Program is a unique effort to go beyond the academic training of undergraduate and graduate MCH students to provide them with direct exposure to the field, as well as leadership, mentorship, and professional development training. While some challenges emerged related to differences in skills between undergraduates and graduate MCH students, participating students demonstrated clear improvements in their leadership skills including increased confidence in their ability to take initiative, provide opinions and feedback, to function informally or formally as leaders, and to contribute to improvements in MCH population health.

Developing Collaborative Maternal and Child Health Leaders: A Descriptive Study of the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center.

Purpose An assessment of the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center (the Center) was conducted to describe (1) effects of the Center's training on the use of collaborative leadership practices by MCH leaders, and (2) perceived barriers to collaboration for MCH leaders. The Center provides services to strengthen MCH professionals' skills in three core areas: Change Management/Adaptive Leadership, Evidence-Based Decision Making, and Systems Integration. Description This descriptive qualitative study compares eight interview responses from a sample of the Center's participants and findings from a document review of the training curriculum against an existing framework of collaborative leadership themes. Assessment Systems thinking tools and related training were highly referenced, and the interviewees often related process-based leadership practices with their applied learning health transformation projects. Perceived barriers to sustaining collaborative work included: (1) a tendency for state agencies to have siloed priorities, (2) difficulty achieving a consensus to move a project forward without individual partners disengaging, (3) strained organizational partnerships when the individual representative leaves that partnering organization, and (4) difficulty in sustaining project-based partnerships past the short term. Conclusion The findings in this study suggest that investments in leadership development training for MCH professionals, such as the Center, can provide opportunities for participants to utilize collaborative leadership practices.

A stakeholder‐based approach to leadership development training: the case of medical education in Canada

This paper reports the use of a stakeholder‐based, bottom‐up approach to determining leadership training needs and designing leadership training programs which contrasts with the top‐down policy that is often applied. The context is a Canadian medical school. Leadership training in medicine is in its infancy. Discussed and outlined in this study are stakeholder opinions on the pillars and priorities upholding leadership development. Seventy‐seven semi‐structured interviews were conducted with stakeholder groups including Trainees, Mid‐Level University Leaders, Senior Medical Clinician Leaders, Senior University Leaders, Medical Scientists and Senior Executives and Directors external to the University. Conventional content analysis was used to group the text into common themes and then group the themes into more general categories. Five general categories emerged: formal programming, organizational support, program evaluation, skill development and participant selection. A successful training program starts with identifying the individuals most likely to benefit from such a program. It emphasizes early training, mentorship and experiential learning. Programs should focus on developing: self‐awareness, communication skills and team‐building capability. Formal training programs would be most successful if they were regularly evaluated and strongly supported by their parent organizations.

Capacity Building: A Phenomenological Study of the African Women Perceptions and Experiences in the Leadership Training Program

The promotion of leadership skills among women leaders in developing nations is essential in order for change and progress to occur in these countries. In this phenomenological study, we examined the perceptions and experiences of nine women religious of Africa who were engaged in a three-year leadership development initiative in three developing nations: Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. We described how, by subsequently practicing acquired leadership skills, these women brought about change in their educational, health care, social and pastoral ministries. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, observation of the changes in the participants' ministries, and field notes. The findings indicated that leadership development training enhanced participants' capacity for effective service delivery and allowed for the expansion of their ministries, thus improving life for their people. Participants engaged their communities constructively and positively transformed their projects

Transformational Learning in Women's Leadership Development Training

Recent years have seen a sharp increase in interest in women's leadership development. However, the nature of change for women in leadership development training and the processes within the training setting that produce change remain under-explored. This paper examines the learning processes within training settings in the context of the Women's Leadership Series (WLS), a leadership development initiative for scientists and managers within the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It documents this process within a multi-stage framework and concludes that transformational learning can indeed take place in the context of a classroom and in the specific setting of leadership development training.

Commentary: An Introduction to Leadership Self-Assessment at the Society of Neurological Surgeons Post-Graduate Year 1 Boot Camp: Observations and Commentary

Recent trends in graduate medical education have emphasized the mastery of nontechnical skills, especially leadership, for neurosurgical trainees. Accordingly, we introduced leadership development and self-awareness training to interns attending the Society of Neurological Surgeons Post-Graduate Year 1 Boot Camp in the Northeast (New England/New York/New Jersey) region in 2015. Feedback about the session was collected from interns. While neurosurgical interns conveyed a desire to receive more information on improving their leadership skills, most indicated that guidance seemed to be lacking in this critical area. We discuss some of the professional development needs uncovered during this process.

Physiotherapy managers’ perceptions of their leadership effectiveness: a multi-frame analysis

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership frames of physiotherapy managers in Ireland. To be effective leaders in today's challenging healthcare environment physiotherapy managers must employ a comprehensive, adaptable and balanced leadership style. DesignThis was a purposive, cross-sectional study. ParticipantsPhysiotherapy managers were surveyed using the Bolman and Deal Leadership Orientations Instrument. SettingThe survey was administered to members of the Chartered Physiotherapists in Management employment group (n=73) of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists via email. ResultsForty-five physiotherapy managers responded to the survey to give a response rate of 62%. The human resource frame was the most frequently used (61%) and the political frame was the least (9%). The majority of respondents reported using only one or no frames at all (65%). When asked about their effectiveness as a manager 33% of respondents (n=14) gave themselves the top rating of 5, whereas 19% of respondents (n=8) gave themselves the top rating for their leadership effectiveness. There was a statistically significant trend between the number of leadership frames a physiotherapy manager used and their perceived effectiveness as a manager (TJT=380, z=1.975, p=0.048) and as a leader (TJT=431, z=3.245, p=0.001). ConclusionsThe physiotherapy managers’ use of the human resource frame demonstrates that they see the building of relationships as key to effective leadership. Development of physiotherapy managers’ underused skills through appropriate leadership development training may enhance their leadership skill set and make them more confident as leaders.

Women’s Leadership Development Training for [Program

Hoyt and Kennedy (2008) asserted that women deal with messages related to appearance, behavior, and leadership identity that promote a loss of voice starting at a young age. More specifically, these societal messages and expectations convey constructs of effective leadership that are often associated with men (Eagly & Carli, 2003; Eagly & Karau, 2002; Koenig, Eagly, Mitchell, & Ristikari, 2011). In a meta-analysis on leadership perceptions, men were perceived as more agentic and women were perceived as more communal. Further, agentic qualities were perceived to be leadership qualities and communal qualities were not (Koenig et al., 2011). While these perceptions of “think manager, think male” (Schein, 2001) have evolved, women still hold only 29% of executive or senior level positions among private industry (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012), which is disproportional to the general population. What underlies the problem of disproportional representation among women leaders is that women are judged differently as leaders. Progress has been made, but overall discrimination for women leaders still exists (Duehr & Bono, 2006; Eagly, 2007; Schein, 2001).

The Perceived Importance of Youth Educator’s Confidence in Delivering Leadership Development Programming

A successful component of programs designed to deliver youth leadership develop programs are youth educators who understand the importance of utilizing research-based information and seeking professional development opportunities. The purpose of this study was to determine youth educator’s perceived confidence in leading youth leadership development programs. Study objectives included describing types of youth leadership development training received by youth educators, describing the number of hours of youth leadership development training received by youth educators, describing the perceived importance of youth leadership development training received by youth educators, describing youth leadership development training delivery mode preferences of youth educators, determining if the addition of hours of training received and the perception of the importance of youth leadership training improved the prediction of perceived confidence beyond that provided by differences in selected demographic variables (gender, age, years of service, education level, office location). The target population for this study was southern region 4-H youth development educators. Results of this study indicate that perceived importance of youth leadership development training is predictive of youth educator’s confidence level in teaching youth leadership development. Youth leadership development programs are a cornerstone of many youth serving organizations. The importance of youth leadership development to the core goals of programs is illustrated by its explicit inclusion in program logic models as well as its implicit presence when older youth serve in teaching and mentoring roles for younger youth. The success or failure of a youth leadership development program may be linked to many factors, one of which is the educator who leads the program. Youth educators influence program success in many ways. The focus of this study is to explore educators’ prior experiences as well as their perceived confidence in delivering youth leadership development programming. Given the strong connections between a person’s beliefs and behaviors, it is important to understand youth educators’ beliefs within the context of their prior experiences (Ajzen, Joyce, Sheikh, & Cote, 2011). This study seeks to expand the literature about youth educators’ youth leadership development training beliefs. It has practical implications for developing professional development trainings for youth educators as well as theoretical implications for advancing a deeper understanding of educators’ core beliefs about training specifically related to youth leadership development.

The Influence of Leadership Development Program on LeadersPerformance for Mid-level Administrators in ARAMCO-KSA

Organizations continually try to increase the level of leadership capability and increase the number of qualified applicants for leadership positions by supporting leadership development training program. This qualitative case study discovers whether participating in a leadership development program resulted in leader’s performance that can fill leadership gaps. The theoretical framework of this study is depend on expectancy theory, suggests that leaders who involved in leadership development expect to become leaders in future. This exploratory case study sought to learn whether, upon completion of a comprehensive leadership development program, participants applied for, and assumed, leadership positions. A purposeful sample of 32 participants was drawn from in structured interviews conducted by the researcher from Aramco Company. The results provided evidence that using leadership development programs to fill a leadership gap is productive, and that the effectiveness of this strategy is enhanced when organizations purposefully select and support participants through all stages of their leadership development. Participants who pursued leadership opportunities indicated the importance of institutional involvement in leadership development.

Improving organizational learning through leadership training

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate whether training of managers at workplaces can improve organizational learning. Managers play a crucial role in providing opportunities to employees for learning. Although scholars have called for intervention research on the effects of leadership development on organizational learning, no such research is currently available.Design/methodology/approachThe training program consisted of theoretical and practical elements aimed to improve line managers’ transformational leadership behaviors and, in turn, improve organizational learning. The study used a pre- and post-intervention evaluation survey. Line managers’ and their subordinates’ perceptions of organizational learning were measured with the Dimensions of Organizational Learning Questionnaire and with post-intervention single items on organizational learning.FindingsComparisons between pre- and post-intervention assessments revealed that managers’ ratings ofcontinuous learningand employees’ ratings ofempowermentandembedded systemsimproved significantly as a result of the training. The leadership training intervention had positive effects on managers’ perceptions of individual-level and on employees’ perceptions of organizational-level aspects of organizational learning.Originality/valueThe study provides empirical evidence that organizational learning can be improved through leadership training. Both line managers and their subordinates perceived that organizational learning had increased after the training intervention, albeit in different ways. Implications for developing leadership training programs and for evaluating these are discussed.

The Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Organizational Commitment in Nonprofit Long Term Care Organizations: The Direct Care Worker Perspective

<p>The United States population is rapidly aging, and retaining direct care workers (DCWs) will continue to be a workforce concern for the industry in addressing the demand for long term care services. To date, scant literature exists that addresses the DCW perspective of leadership behaviors and their influence on organizational commitment. To respond to this deficiency, this research studied leadership behaviors of direct importance for DCWs at the immediate supervisor level, and provided empirical insight into organizational commitment among workers closest to patient care. Research on leader behaviors has focused on managerial and executive levels, with scant consideration in long term care at the lower hierarchical levels. Transformational leadership was hypothesized to have a significant positive relationship with organizational commitment, specifically affective and normative commitments, and a significant inverse relationship with continuance commitment. The quantitative correlational study explored the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment among 322 direct care workers employed by nonprofit, multi-level long term care organizations located in the Midwest. Results revealed a statistically significant relationship between overall transformational leadership and organizational commitment as well as affective and normative commitment dimensions, with no significant relationship found between transformational leadership and continuance commitment. The study results are beneficial to industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers for addressing operational policies, leadership training, human resource practices, and workforce policy development. Operational policies should reflect the values of the organization and follow from a compelling, collective vision and mission. Human resources practices warrant review if not aligned with the vision, mission, and values. Leadership development training should considered for continuing education for supervisors at all levels as well as for potential policy alternatives.</p><div> </div>

Perceived managerial and leadership effectiveness within higher education in France

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in many countries are currently experiencing significant changes in how they are organized and managed. Consequently, exploring the kind of manager/leader behaviours that are perceived as effective and least effective/ineffective by peers, subordinates, collaborators, and team members in HEIs becomes important. Choosing a French HEI for our study and using the Critical Incident Technique, the authors conducted 37 interviews of academic/non-academic managerial/non-managerial staff to generate a total of 250 critical incidents (CIs) of observed managerial behaviour. Subjecting these CIs to open and axial coding resulted in the emergence of 17 positive and 21 negative behavioural indicators of perceived managerial and leadership effectiveness. Comparing these findings with those of extant studies of HEIs from Anglo countries revealed many similarities and considerable differences. Implications are offered for leadership and management development training programmes specifically designed for members of HEIs, along with suggestions for further research on this topic.

Developing the Theater of Leadership

The Problem Recent models of leadership emphasize the importance of adaptive, strategic, and socio-emotional capabilities for success. The development of leadership has transformed from teaching about the concept to an experiential learning of leadership, an approach that focuses on identity and problem solving. Over the past decade, improvisational theater and interactive drama based leadership development has received increasing attention; moreover, many advocate its use as a powerful and innovative experiential learning tool, to foster self-awareness and increase ability to deal with the unexpected and unpredictable. Through simulated, unscripted scenarios with actors, improvisation allows experimentation, discovery, and rehearsal of leadership behavior in a group context. It generates individual, relational learning that is immediate, emergent, and relevant to the emotional and cognitive complexities of real-world leadership. There is a paucity of literature on theater-based leadership. This makes it difficult for HRD professionals to justify giving theater-based leadership development (TBLD) techniques preference over other, less resource-intensive techniques. The Solution This article proposes a practical model for the systematic evaluation of TBLD techniques . A pathway mapping approach will be used. The model draws on recent social psychology research on social interaction and identity. Based on this, “micro” analytic techniques of discursive psychology and conversation analysis are proposed to examine patterns of leadership interaction behavior. The findings are to be used as a basis for building a “high fidelity,” evidence-based methodology for role-play and improvisation as development training for leaders. The approach offers a clear framework for HRD professionals. It will be used to analyze and inform the effective use of TBLD. This article is purely theoretical; it does not include empirical research. The Stakeholders Many can potentially benefit by using TBLD techniques, including human resource (HR) professionals and HRD practitioners, leadership development specialists and training providers, organization development practitioners, and professional actor trainers.

An investigation into leadership and leadership development within the profession of physiotherapy in Ireland

Background:Health service reform, physiotherapy graduate unemployment and the impending introduction of state regulation mean that physiotherapists in Ireland are facing many challenges in this period of transition and development. Leadership is needed to ensure that the professionwill be able to continue to adapt to the demands and inevitable changes ahead. This is the first investigation into leadership and leadership development within the profession of physiotherapy in Ireland. Purpose: To investigate the perceptions of physiotherapists in Ireland of leadership and to explore their participation in leadership development training. Methods: In this cross-sectional nationwide study, an internet-based survey was administered via e-mail to members of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (n= 2787). The original questionnaire was designed using information obtained through a literature review on leadership characteristics described in healthcare and business settings. Adaptations weremade to the original questionnaire to make it applicable to an Irish participant and additional questions were asked. The questionnaire asked participants to rate how important they perceive fifteen leadership qualities to be for physiotherapists in each of three settings–the workplace, the healthcare system and society, using a 5 point likert scale (1 = not at all important, 5 = extremely important). Participants were also asked to rate how important attaining a leadership position was to their overall sense of career success and if they had participated in any leadership development training. Chi-square analyses were performed to investigate factors associated with self-declaration as a leader and the importance placed on attaining a leadership position. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare the ratings of leadership characteristics across the three settings. Results: The response rate was 22% (n= 615) in keeping with other studies where physiotherapists have been surveyed. Over 74% of respondents perceived themselves to be a leader. Factors associated with self-declaration as a leader were time since graduation, highest qualification attained and leadership development training.Leadership trainingwas also associated with increased importance placed on achieving a leadership position. Some form of leadership training had been completed by 44% of respondents (24.2% formal training, 32.4% informal training). Communication and professionalism were the leadership characteristics most highly rated across the three settings. Leadership characteristics were consistently more highly rated in the workplace than in the healthcare system and society. Conclusion(s): The majority of respondents to this questionnaire perceived themselves to be leaders and rated attainment of a leadership position as important to their overall sense of career success. Physiotherapists who have had leadership development training weremore likely to perceive themselves to be leaders. Communication and professionalism were the leadership characteristic perceived to be most important to physiotherapists in Ireland. Development of communication skills and professional attributes should, therefore, be considered when designing leadership training initiatives appropriate to physiotherapists in Ireland. Implications: Leadership development opportunities should be offered to physiotherapists to aid them to demonstrate leadership both clinically and non-clinically. Further research is needed to explore the mode and content of leadership development training that would be most effective for physiotherapists.

The corporate family model of leadership development.

This article introduces the concept of the “corporate family,” and discusses the use of family systems theory in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of workplace pathology and dysfunction. As a leadership development company started by Steve Wilke, Ph.D., LEADon Inc. has been working with organizations for nearly two decades to increase their productivity and profitability. In these consultations, traditional leadership development methods proved not to be as effective as anticipated in relieving workplace dysfunction. Utilizing the Corporate Family Model, which blends traditional leadership development interventions with family systems theory to treat workplace pathology, Dr. Wilke has been able to significantly improve organization’s relational functioning, enhance emotional intelligence, and increase the productivity and profitability of his clientele. Using the Corporate Family Model in leadership development training, along with the core principles of family systems theory, has led to fundamental change and improvement in the culture of many organizations. Further explanation of the Corporate Family Model, its blend of family systems theory and traditional leadership development, and how it can positively impact workplace culture are discussed in this article.

How prepared are academic administrators? Leadership and job satisfaction within US research universities

A national sample of 1515 university administrators (academic deans, directors, associate deans, and department chairs) completed a survey of leadership skills, preparedness for administrative role, and job satisfaction. Overall, participants felt least well prepared in the areas of developing entrepreneurial revenue, developing metrics to document progress, and handling grievances and appeals. Leaders who had taken courses in business administration, human resources/leadership, industrial-organisational psychology, and behavioural psychology reported feeling more prepared for their administrative role than those who had not. Indications of role strain were evident. The majority of participants had become less interested and less enthusiastic about their work since beginning their administrative appointment. Approximately half reported that duties of the administrative role regularly interfered with well-being and quality of life. Only 20.5 per cent of participants reported feeling good at their job every day. Women reported feeling more overwhelmed and less well compensated than men – yet also more skilled in inspiring others and addressing poor performance. Our findings highlight the need for continued leadership development and management training, as well as mechanisms to support leaders in maintaining wellness behaviours. This study provides baseline measures on how academic administrators experience their roles and is part of an ongoing longitudinal investigation of leadership in higher education.

One Bioregion/One Health: An Integrative Narrative for Transboundary Planning along the US–Mexico Border

Global megatrends—including climate change, food and water insecurity, economic crisis, large-scale disasters and widespread increases in preventable diseases—are motivating a bioregionalisation of planning in city-regions around the world. Bioregionalisation is an emergent process. It is visible where societies have begun grappling with complex socio-ecological problems by establishing place-based (territorial) approaches to securing health and well-being. This article examines a bioregional effort to merge place-based health planning and ecological restoration along the US–Mexico border. The theoretical construct underpinning this effort is called One Bioregion/One Health (OBROH). OBROH frames health as a transborder phenomenon that involves human–animal–environment interactions. The OBROH approach aims to improve transborder knowledge networking, ecosystem resilience, community participation in science–society relations, leadership development and cross-disciplinary training. It is a theoretically informed narrative to guide action. OBROH is part of a paradigm shift evident worldwide; it is redefining human–ecological relationships in the quest for healthy place making. The article concludes on a forward-looking note about the promise of environmental epidemiology, telecoupling, ecological restoration, the engaged university and bioregional justice as concepts pertinent to reinventing place-based planning.

Leadership development to transform a library

Purpose – This case study aims to explain why one Canadian academic library chose to design and deliver in-house leadership development training for its employees, rather than taking a consortial approach, and seeks to highlight the impact of this decision on the library's organizational culture. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is presented in three parts: the benefits and challenges of in-house, external and consortial training; the impact of an in-house leadership development program at the University Library at the University of Saskatchewan; and considerations when deciding whether to collaborate on the provision of employee training. The author draws upon her own personal experiences as the Director of Human Resources for the library, and presents evidence acquired through surveys, observations, and conversations. Findings – The paper explains how a deliberate decision to provide in-house leadership training had a transformative effect on individual employees and the organization. Practical implications – When considering collaborating to provide leadership development training, library administrators should ensure the pros and cons of doing so are thoroughly explored; the pressure to collaborate can sometimes lead to participation in activities simply to be seen as a “good library citizen,” and often such activities are not necessarily contributing to the strategic goals of the library. In economically challenging times, library leaders and decision makers will need to be very aware of these implications. Originality/value – This paper discusses why a library chose an in-house approach to leadership development training rather than a consortial approach. This article has value to library administrators as they consider implementing leadership development training in their libraries.

English

EDGE denotes “Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable” and comes from a concept for youth leadership development training. Biotechnical and enzymatic micro-flow reactors are a young discipline. Here the enthusiasm level mirrors its technological growth and vice versa. Rather than being a linear function, enthusiasm first goes down after sudden realization of all bottlenecks and technological shortcomings which are to overcome in a Hercules task action. However, with increasing provision of technology and security in its performance, the enthusiasm level rises again. This “valley of death” needs to be crossed to bridge to a market. The enzymatic micro-flow reactors mirror the above depicted development of their counterparts – the chemical microreactors – which is already about 20 years old. This “Deja vu” forms a feature story which encompasses a review about enzymatic microreactors and their synthetic applications which are shown in all their facets. This compilation is structured in chapters about reactor and enzyme support technology, transport intensification, chemical intensification, process-design intensification, and finally first steps into the bio-based economy.