Leadership Structure Research Articles

CEO as board chair in listed family firms: A test of the performance effects during an economic crisis

AbstractFamily firms often opt for a combined CEO and board chair positions, yet the implications of such leadership structure on firm performance remain a subject of scholarly debate. We introduce the socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective as a unifying framework that bridges the divergent views of stewardship and agency theories. We argue that the effects of CEO duality on performance are contingent upon the balance between extended and restricted SEW priorities. Drawing on a sample of listed companies on the Milan Stock Exchange between 2003 and 2015, our empirical analysis reveals that listed family firms derive greater benefits from CEO duality compared to their non‐family counterparts. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that such leadership structure renders the highest performance benefits in listed family firms when the CEO–chair is not a family member, particularly during periods of economic crisis.

Uncovering the complex relationships among distributed leadership, departmental teacher leadership, and professional learning community in Chinese schools

AbstractProfessional learning community (PLC) has been widely recognized as an effective approach for promoting both student learning and teacher development. Existing research on PLC mainly focuses on the school‐level, and less attention has been given to the departmental‐level PLC. Given the complex nature of school structures, departmental PLC may be influenced by multiple leadership factors, including principal and teacher leadership (TL). This study investigates how the distributed leadership (DL) of principals and TL influence departmental PLC and individual teacher self‐efficacy. Drawing on a sample of 602 teachers in China, the results showed that TL had a direct impact on teacher self‐efficacy and had an indirect effect through PLC. Additionally, the DL of principals indirectly affects individual teachers through TL and PLC. The results indicate the complex leadership structure in schools with various levels of leadership exerting distinct influences on teachers and departments. It highlights the roles of principal leadership and TL in facilitating PLC and teacher development. Implications for school leadership and PLC development are discussed.

Women-led organisations leading from the front: Coordinating responses to gender-based violence in Somalia and South Sudan

abstract Responding to gender-based violence (GBV) in fragile and conflict affected states is highly complex and coordination is critical. Both South Sudan and Somalia have unique challenges in providing services. Despite women being disproportionately affected by GBV, there are many barriers to women-led organisations (WLOs) taking leadership roles. Through a feminist participatory action research project with Women for Change (WFC) in South Sudan and Active in Development Aid (ADA) in Somalia (supported by Trócaire, United Nations Population Fund and the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance), barriers to the participation of WLOs in leadership structures coordinating responses to GBV were identified and addressed, and a resource package was produced. WFC and ADA both went on a unique journey in asserting their leadership roles, developing their leadership skills, and raising the voices of WLOs. The impact of their leadership positions through the project had a knock-on effect, and both organisations have increased visibility and been able to insert women’s realities — including GBV — into other interventions. This article discusses the importance of women-led solutions addressing GBV in fragile and conflict-ridden states, and provides recommendations for increasing women’s voice, leadership and action.

AMCP's new election process: Designed for organizational effectiveness.

The AMCP Board of Directors appointed a Task Force on Leadership Development in 2021 with the charge to recommend a volunteer leadership structure that aligns with AMCP's contemporary needs and fosters the development of future Board members. Based on the Task Force's recommendations and with input from AMCP members, the AMCP Board of Directors amended AMCP's governance model in early 2023. The most notable changes involve the process for electing AMCP Board members and officers, which will be implemented for the 2024-25 election. The goal of the new election process is to assemble an effective Board with diverse experiences and complementary skills and attributes that will continue to lead AMCP into the future. In this viewpoint article, we share insights into the steps that led to these governance changes.

An evidence-based primary health care intervention to address domestic violence against women in Brazil: a mixed method evaluation

BackgroundHealth systems have a critical role in a multi-sectoral response to domestic violence against women (DVAW). However, the evidence on interventions is skewed towards high income countries, and evidence based interventions are not easily transferred to low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) where significant social, cultural and economic differences exist. We evaluated feasibility and acceptability of implementation of an intervention (HERA—Healthcare Responding to Violence and Abuse) to improve the response to DVAW in two primary health care clinics (PHC) in Brazil.MethodsThe study design is a mixed method process and outcome evaluation, based on training attendance records, semi-structured interviews (with 13 Primary Health Care (PHC) providers, two clinic directors and two women who disclosed domestic violence), and identification and referral data from the Brazilian Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAN).ResultsHERA was feasible and acceptable to women and PHC providers, increased providers’ readiness to identify DVAW and diversified referrals outside the health system. The training enhanced the confidence and skills of PHC providers to ask directly about violence and respond to women’s disclosures using a women centred, gender and human rights perspective. PHC providers felt safe and supported when dealing with DVAW because HERA emphasised clear roles and collective action within the clinical team. A number of challenges affected implementation including: differential managerial support for the Núcleo de Prevenção da Violência (Violence Prevention Nucleus—NPV) relating to the allocation of resources, monitoring progress and giving feedback; a lack of higher level institutional endorsement prioritising DVAW work; staff turnover; a lack of feedback from external support services to PHC clinics regarding DVAW cases; and inconsistent practices regarding documentation of DVAW.ConclusionTraining should be accompanied by system-wide institutional change including active (as opposed to passive) management support, allocation of resources to support roles within the NPV, locally adapted protocols and guidelines, monitoring progress and feedback. Communication and coordination with external support services and documentation systems are crucial and need improvement. DVAW should be prioritised within leadership and governance structures, for example, by including DVAW work as a specific commissioning goal.

Organization of Diving Sports Branches at the Indonesian Diving Sports Association in Central Java Province

This study aims to determine the Organization of Diving Sports Branches at the Indonesian Diving Sports Association in Central Java Province. This research is a qualitative interpretative research. Data collection techniques using interviews and document analysis. In this study, the chairpersons, administrators and athletes of POSSI Central Java were used as samples. Data analysis in this study has 4 stages, namely: data collection stage, data reduction stage, data presentation stage, conclusion drawing stage. Based on the results of the research that In addition, POSSI Central Java's efforts and commitment in developing diving can also be linked to sport development theory. They organize various activities and trainings to improve the skills of athletes and coaches, as well as actively holding championships and recreational events for the community. A holistic approach that includes coaching young athletes and underwater environment conservation campaigns also reflects the organization's efforts to develop diving sports sustainably. Research on sports development strategies and the role of organizations in encouraging community participation in sports can also be a reference to discuss the success of POSSI Central Java in developing diving sports in the region. Based on the results of the research and the results of the data analysis conducted, it shows that the Organization of Diving Sport Branch POSSI Central Java Province: POSSI Central Java Province shows a well-organized management structure, with experienced and competent leaders. This leadership structure provides a strong foundation for the development of diving in the region. The history of the development of diving and the innovation of scuba equipment are important parts in developing modern diving. POSSI Central Java also shows effort and commitment in developing diving sports with a holistic approach that includes the development of young athletes and underwater environmental conservation campaigns.

Documenting fisheries co-management in action: Case of the Grand Cape Mount County Co-Management Association, Liberia

In a world of increasing uncertainties associated with the overexploitation of natural resources, collaborative (or co-) management regimes have been touted as a promising mechanism to build resilience and provide positive and equitable outcomes to the communities that rely on these social-ecological systems. Assessments of co-management associations (CMAs), particularly in fisheries in West Africa, is still nascent and show mixed results. Here, using archival research and stakeholder interviews, we document the experience of the Grand Cape Mount County Co-Management Association, the first of its kind in Liberia. The CMA has gained a number of achievements including: consolidation and reconciliation between resource user groups; addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; establishing rescue missions; and conflict resolution. However, ongoing challenges regarding lack of political will from central government, financing, decision-making practices, and leadership structures persist. Based on the lessons learned from these experiences, we offer several recommendations for the expansion of CMAs in Liberia, and in similar contexts elsewhere.

Deputy heads—leadership and power in change?

ABSTRACT Much current research emphasizes the importance of leadership as an interactive activity in leading school change and improvement. In the Norwegian context, there is growing interest in redesigning the historical hierarchical leadership structure, with a single school leader at the top to a more distributed leadership model that includes several middle leader levels, including deputy heads. While research has been conducted on middle leaders and distributed leadership as an interactive activity, few empirical studies to date have investigated how changing leadership structures affect the relation between leadership and power and how this situation can influence deputy heads’ room for maneuvering. In this article we use data from a Norwegian case to investigate deputy heads’ increased responsibility toward leading school change and improvement and how these changes influence questions of power. The analysis indicates that different forms of power influence deputy heads’ room for maneuvering.

Advancing Legal Research on Gender Diversity in Chinese Corporate Leadership

At present, with the development of economic globalization, in order to create a better business environment and improve the efficiency of enterprises, the optimization of the gender structure of enterprise leaders has increasingly become our new focus of attention. The leadership composition of Chinese enterprises, whether state-owned or private, is still predominantly male, with significantly fewer female leaders than male. With relatively balanced education levels, women still seem to be excluded from the core power of management for some implicit reasons, making it difficult for them to participate in major decisions in an equal capacity. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the obstacles to women's access to leadership positions in enterprises and to propose legal regulation ideas for gender equality in China's workplace and the optimization of the gender structure of corporate leadership.

THE IMPACT OF TOP MANAGEMENT FEATURES ON SOUTH ALABAMA CONSTRICTIONS COMPANIES' FIRM PERFORMANCE: THE ROLE OF BOARD SIZE AS A MODERATOR

Understanding the impact of top management on South Alabama's construction firms is vital. This study investigates the relationship between specific top management traits, with a focus on gender diversity, and the financial performance of these businesses from 2018 to 2021. Using regression analysis, we assess top management's influence and explore whether board size moderates this relationship. Preliminary findings suggest that larger top management teams have a statistically significant, though negative, effect on corporate performance. The research also underscores the significance of top management's financial background and the presence of women in managerial roles on company performance. This study's uniqueness lies in its exclusive focus on South Alabama's construction industry, providing valuable insights. It assists businesses in making informed decisions about leadership and governance structures for long-term success. Policymakers can benefit by understanding how top management traits and gender diversity affect business success, informing diversity and inclusion initiatives in corporate leadership. Shareholders and investors can gain a deeper understanding of top management's role in performance, aiding investment decisions. Identifying key success factors supports strategic planning to maximize shareholder value. This study offers valuable insights into South Alabama's construction industry, enhancing our understanding of top management's impact on performance. By examining the interplay between top management traits, board dynamics, and company performance, it provides practical insights for improved decision-making, diversity, and long-term industry development.

The Public Perception of the Existence of Coal Mines in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Background and Objectives: The coal mining business is a source of foreign exchange for the country, but it is also thought to have a negative impact on the environment, therefore its continued existence can lead to a variety of public perceptions, both positive and negative. The purpose of this study is to ascertain public perceptions of the coal mining industry's existence and operational implications.
 Methods: The survey approach was used in this study to obtain information from respondents. Questions were posed using interviews, questionnaires, and secondary data.
 Results: The community leadership structure in the study area is that 35 respondents (48%) follow non-formal leadership, while 38 respondents (52%) follow formal leadership. Most community conflicts are usually triggered by land boundary disputes (38%), and complaints are not responded to (38%), and are resolved by consensus deliberation. Community responses to the impact of coal transportation are health problems (52%), the impact of the presence of coal mines is an increase in the economy (54%), disruption to public roads (66%), noise (66%), and air quality (72%). Coal hauling activities also have an impact on improving business prospects, namely 10% of respondents stated significant (high), 66% moderate, and 24% none. while for the criteria for increasing income, 16% of respondents stated an increase of 62%, a small increase, and 22% did not report. The environmental disturbance parameter stated that 60% of respondents felt disturbed and 40% did not. Environmental management activities on the impact of coal mining operations are 20% of respondents stating good, 34% abstaining and 22% not good.
 Conclusion: Community development and empowerment programs around the mine site must be implemented properly, and mine exploration permit holders must strictly adhere to the environmental impact analysis document and environmental management monitoring plan approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

Leading through Tumultuous Events in Public Sector Organizations

Public sector organizations (PSOs) are subject to turbulence and constant change. A PSO’s ability to lead a coherent response to this rapidly changing environment is crucial to ensuring the continuity of public service delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for dynamic leadership strategies to address turbulent events and promote resilience in PSOs. This study utilized focus groups and interview data from one large Australian PSO to examine leadership practices that were implemented to respond to a series of turbulent events. Specifically, the study adapted six robust governance strategies (i.e., scalability, prototyping, modularization, bounded autonomy, bricolage, and strategic polyvalence) to explore their pragmatic application in the context of the case PSO in responding to two turbulent events (i.e., relocation and COVID-19 pandemic). Findings show that while deploying all the strategies is beneficial, the power of polyvalent knowledge together with dynamic leadership and governance structures within PSOs is one way that PSOs can continue to respond to ever increasing environmental uncertainty and resource constraints. Practical implications are discussed.

Who Runs the AEA?

The leadership structure of the American Economic Association is documented using a biographical database covering every officer and losing candidate for AEA offices from 1950 to 2019. The analysis focuses on institutional affiliations by education and employment. The structure is strongly hierarchical. A few institutions dominate the leadership, and their dominance has become markedly stronger over time. Broadly two types of explanations are explored: that institutional dominance is based on academic merit or that it is based on self-perpetuating privilege. Network effects that might explain the dynamic of increasing concentration are also investigated. (JEL A11, B29, B30, Z13)

Board leadership structure and human capital disclosure: Role of independent directors

This study investigates board characteristics, including board leadership structure, which explain the human capital disclosure (HCD) provided by companies. It uses a self-constructed disclosure index to quantify the level of human capital information using content analysis. Generalized method of moment is employed to estimate a dynamic model of the relationship between HCD and the characteristics of boards of directors. The results show that companies are adapting to the new European Union (EU) Regulation Directive 2014/95/EU by increasing their HCD. There has been a change in the topics disclosed by companies that signal a commitment to social responsibility toward their employees and stakeholders. The level of HCD is significantly associated with board leadership structure, and independent directors play a moderating role when a chief executive officer (CEO) duality exists. Additionally, factors such as gender diversity, board size, board activity, company size and age, and the EU Directive approved in 2014 are all associated with HCD. This study enriches the debate on the role of independent directors in HCD because they can exercise a moderating role when CEO duality is present.

Organizational Culture Among Religious Founded Schools in Enhancing Teachers’ Performance: A Case Study of Bishop Willigers Secondary School in Bugweri District, Eastern Uganda

The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of organizational culture on teachers’ performance in Bishop Willigers Secondary School in Bugweri District, Eastern Uganda. The study objectives were to; “determine the type of organizational structure in enhancing performance, to examine the contribution of organizational culture on teachers’ performance and to explore other factors that influence teachers’ performance other than organizational culture”. The study employed a qualitative paradigm where interview guide and focus group discussion guide as data collection instruments and the results “were analyzed thematically and presented adversatively adversatively”. The study employed Organizational Culture Theory of Edgar H Schein (1992) to examine the contribution of organizational culture on the performance of teachers. Study findings revealed that, “there was a strong relationship between organizational structure and teachers’ performance, and also revealed that other than organizational culture, other factors such as teacher motivation, parental involvement in the student’s learning, qualification of the teachers, influence teacher’s performance”. The study concludes that: The school has a positive organizational culture which is traditionally structured with a top-down communication system. In a school setting, organizational culture determines how things are done, employees’ work ethic, values, beliefs and attitudes and their commitment towards work. The organizational structure of the school was in line with the Catholic School leadership structure. Therefore, it’s recommended that all schools develop a well-organized, defined and standard organizational structure, develop a strong organizational culture, should hire competent qualified staff, and motivated teachers. Also, parents should encourage and get involved in their children’s education to be able to improve teachers’ performance in schools.

Qualitative Assessment of Key Implementation Factors in a Faith-Based Response to Intimate Partner Violence.

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have a scant history in the literature of implementing intimate partner violence (IPV) initiatives, though many members of faith communities consider it an important issue. Furthermore, the limited studies on this topic have not explored organizational factors that are important in the implementation of such efforts. To investigate factors that influence the implementation of IPV prevention and response by one Catholic organization at both diocesan and parish levels. We conducted sixteen semi-structured interviews with members of Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Violence Outreach (ACDVO) leadership. Using deductive content analysis, we drew on all 14 constructs and sub-constructs from the inner setting domain of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) for coding transcripts and characterizing factors influencing implementation success. Seven CFIR constructs were useful in identifying factors that influenced implementation success of ACDVO. At the diocesan level, the organization's leadership structure, their driven culture, and in-kind available resources propelled their work. At the level of parish ministries, successful implementation was facilitated by networking and communication among parishes. At the diocesan-level, access to knowledge and information through ACDVO's Parish Support Committee, compatibility with parish values, leadership engagement, and available resources from parishes supported implementation. We identified modifiable and reproducible inner setting factors that influence implementation of a Catholic IPV initiative at the diocesan-level and support parish ministries in their local activities. Future work should validate these findings in other dioceses and examine non-Catholic FBO settings.

Teamwork valorisation in Serbian textile organizations of different lengths and levels of operations

he need of various textile organizations operating for different periods and at different levels for studying the values of teamwork as a significant performance of a successful operation expansion grows with the spreading of their business in the international environment and the strengthening of competition. The paper’s subject matter is research on the attitudes of the owners and higher-level managers of different Serbian textile organizations whose focus is on the valorisation of the performance of teamwork in an organization. The research intends to assess the defined characteristics interacting with teamwork as a crucial concept of human resource management that has to be consistent and explicit, frequently also being the decisive organizational success factor. The paper starts from the premise that member selection is the most significant for the success of a team striving to rotate the leadership structure to make the members do key organizational tasks. All the more so because those making relevant decisions and the leadership style differ depending on the business operations level, the length of business operations and the special attributes of each organization. The results obtained in this research study show that the business operations level and the length of business operations significantly influence differences in organizational teamwork rates as observed through a collective influence of the defined variables. In the given study, comparative statistics methods, hypothetical-deductive methods, analytical-deductive and comparison methods, historical and statistical-descriptive methods are used.

Determining the Hierarchical Structure and Nature of Servant Leadership

Researchers have yet to adequately identify the hierarchical structure and nature of servant leadership, and there are an excessive number of models and measures that take varying perspectives. Although the servant leadership style has been shown to be non-redundant with the dominant transformational leadership style, the lack of an understanding of its structure hinders both theoretical work and the cumulation of research findings. This study identifies the hierarchical structure of servant leadership using Goldberg’s “bass ackwards” approach on data from a survey administered to 1248 respondents that included the four principal measures of servant leadership. Our results make a theoretical contribution by highlighting the distinction between a follower orientation and a community orientation among servant leaders. Furthermore, this follower orientation can be either task-oriented or person-oriented. By identifying the hierarchical structure of servant leadership, our analysis suggests new insights into what distinguishes and drives servant leaders, thereby, contributing to this important stream of leadership research.

Determinants of social innovation in hybrid organisations: The moderating role of technology readiness

AbstractA balance between economic, social, and ecological performance has emerged as a key concern for organisations around the world. The modern era emphasises achieving eco‐friendly business outcomes to drive social needs along with higher financial performance. However, hybrid organisations in developing countries frequently progress in ecological and economic terms but struggle with social innovation. Based on this backdrop, this study aimed to investigate whether or not technological readiness, organisational learning, transformational leadership, and sustainability orientation influence social innovation within hybrid organisations. Data from 447 hybrid organisations in Ghana are used in the study. Study findings reveal that transformational leadership promotes social innovation among hybrid enterprises, while sustainability orientation decreases it significantly. Technology readiness also reduced the social outcome associated with sustainability orientation by moderating their negative effects. To maximise social innovation outcomes, this study recommends managers of hybrid organisations to adopt policies regarding the efficient use of internal resources and processes through technological readiness. Furthermore, the organisation's future learning processes, leadership structures, and sustainability orientation policies should be aligned with its social innovation goals.

Board Leadership Structure and Firm Performance: Moderating Effects of Board Independence

Our study examines the impact of dual leadership on the company’s performance. We also investigate the moderating effects of board independence on duality and firm-performance relationship. The article uses a panel data framework, and the estimation has been carried out using system-generalized methods of moments. The results of our study postulate that dual leadership negatively influences firm performance; however, when the moderator, board independence, is introduced in the empirical model, it affects firm performance positively. We submit that the extensive and complete abolition of CEO duality by Indian regulators may require caution for Indian markets. JEL Codes: G34, L25, C33