New technologies are continuously emerging, and as technology advances new applications are explored. One such application is in leadership development, an extension of leader development with a key differentiation being an inclusion of the collective as a dimension. Currently, organizations as well as their environment are increasing in complexity, emphasizing a requirement for better equipped leaders able to collectively face the consequential challenges incurred. Virtual reality is an emerging technology that has existed for some time, allowing both the hardware and software to become refined. This thesis explores the potential of this technology, i.e. virtual reality in a leadership development context, mapping out current uses and identifying potential areas for application. Furthermore, the thesis explores how virtual reality could be applied to enhance leadership development in organizations and what enablers and barriers this would entail. This was done by conducting a literature review and by gathering qualitative data, interviewing 6 researchers in the field and 5 practitioners from companies related to virtual reality and leadership development regarding their views and uses of this technology. The data was then utilized in two frameworks, the Dialogue map, categorizing methods of leadership development into 5 distinct categories, and the Multi-level perspective, defining three levels of a socio-technical system and the interactions between them. The findings of the thesis suggest that the technology indeed has potential in a leadership development context, with education and developmental relationships being the two most apparent areas of application of the technology. Furthermore, implementation of virtual reality in an organization should not replace existing leadership development methods such as instructor-led sessions or e-learning, but instead exist as a complement. Lastly, factors such as culture, demographics and the specific leadership development application should be considered. / Genom uppkomsten av ny teknologi uppstår även nya möjligheter för appliceringar av den. En sådan applicering är inom ledarskapsutveckling, vilket är en utökning av ledarutveckling som även inkluderar en kollektiv dimension. I nuläget genomgår både organisationer och det yttre landskapet en ökning i komplexitet, vilket har belyst ett ökat behov på mer kompetenta ledare som kollektivt kan hantera utmaningarna till följd av den ökade komplexiteten. Virtuell verklighet är en framväxande teknologi som har utvecklats både inom hårdvaran och mjukvaran den senaste tiden. Denna uppsats utforskar potentialen av denna teknologi inom ledarskapsutveckling genom att kartlägga nuvarande användningsområden och identifiera framtida områden lämpade för applicering av teknologin. Vidare utforskar studien hur virtuell verklighet kan appliceras i en organisation genom att se på vilka möjliggörare och barriärer detta skulle medföra. Detta gjordes genom utförandet av en litteraturanalys, samt genom att intervjua 6 forskare inom fältet och 5 utövare från företag relaterade till virtuell verklighet och ledarskapsutveckling angående deras uppfattning och användning av teknologin. Empirin var sedan utnyttjad inom två ramverk, nämligen Dialogue map för att kategorisera ledarskapsutveckling i 5 kategorier av processer, samt Multi-level perspective som definierar tre nivåer av ett socio-tekniska system, och beskriver interaktionen mellan nivåerna. Resultatet från uppsatsen föreslår att teknologin besitter potential inom ledarskapsutveckling, med kategorierna “education” och “developmental relationships” som de mest uppenbara appliceringarna av teknologin. Vidare borde inte implementeringen av virtuell verklighet ersätta nuvarande metoder för ledarskapsutveckling såsom lärarledda sessioner och e-lärande, utan komplettera dessa. Slutligen bör faktorer som kultur, demografi och specifik tillämpning övervägas.

Text in English / The field of neuroscience is increasingly gaining exposure in the leadership domain, where it is now beginning to contribute to research and development. In this study an exploratory investigation of leadership development was undertaken with four primary aims. Firstly, to find out whether exposing participants in managerial positions to cognitive neuroscience knowledge contributes to their development as leaders. Secondly, to explore and illuminate the underlying processes that support such behavioural change. Thirdly, to investigate how behaviour changes in leaders exposed to social cognitive neuroscience knowledge are manifested within an organisational setting. Fourthly, to determine what the perceived impact on the leaders and others are regarding such behaviour changes in a specific organisational context, namely a retail environment. In the study, leaders were exposed to a social cognitive neuroscience workshop over a 5-month period. They were provided with foundational knowledge of social cognitive neuroscience in workshops with two objectives. Firstly, the workshops were intended to enhance their understanding of the brain and cognitive systems underlying thinking and behaviour of the self and others. Secondly, in the workshops the complex interaction between brain systems and subsystems such as the executive and emotional systems were shown to mirror, in a metaphorical way, some of the complex interactions between structures in business organisations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 participants, as well as with some their line managers and direct reports. Data were qualitatively analysed by means of content analysis. Findings support the view that gaining social cognitive neuroscience knowledge led to increased self-awareness and an understanding of others. Implicit behavioural change resulted from cognitive and affective changes. Explicit behaviour changes were the result of conscious choice and were supported by both personal and organisational motivational drives. Leaders made behaviour changes at both personal and interactive levels based on their understanding of social cognitive neuroscience. Behaviour changes related to increased emotional regulation, a change in leadership style, an inclusive communication style, cultivating relationships, recognition strategies and strengthening trust. The implemented behaviour changes had a positive impact on participants and their direct reports and related mostly to positive affective changes, growth and development, improved relationships, personal effectiveness and team dynamics. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

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Studiens syfte är att undersöka och skapa förståelse kring processerna för hur ledare lär sig vara ledare. Studien har som ambition att undersöka vad ledarna har lärt sig och hur dessa lärprocesser skett i ledarnas vardag. Nio stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med etablerade ledare inom olika branscher. En tematisk analys skildrade hur erfarenheter genom handlande i vardagen tillsammans med reflektion var de främsta processerna som ansetts avgörande för hur ledarna lärt sig vara ledare. Dessutom har villkor som viljan att leda och viljan att lära haft en central roll. Resultatet visade att förmågor som studien tolkar som mer mjuka värden har utvecklats över tid hos ledarna. Ledarna indikerar att personlig mognad, erfarenhet, reflektion och en vilja att lära varit bidragande till deras lärande och utveckling. / The purpose of the study is to investigate and create an understanding of the processes by which leaders learn to be leaders. The study also aims to examine what the leaders have learned and how these learning processes have occurred in the leaders' everyday lives. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with established leaders in various industries. A thematic analysis depicted how experiences through actions in everyday life together with reflection were the main processes considered decisive for how the leaders learned to be leaders. In addition, conditions such as the will to lead and the will to learn have played a central role. The result showed that abilities that the study interprets as softer values have developed over time in the leaders. The leaders indicate that personal maturity, experience, reflection and a willingness to learn contributed to their learning and development.

The factors that hinder or help the development of emotionally competent behaviour in leaders appear to be varied and complex. The role of personality variables such as personality preferences and self-esteem in influencing the development and demonstration of emotional competent behaviour has not yet been well researched. The general aim of this research was to investigate whether a relationship exists between personality preferences, self-esteem and emotional competence, and to determine whether the variables personality preferences and self-esteem can predict the demonstration of emotional competence. Personality preferences were studied from the Analytical Psychology paradigm. Jung's Psychological Types and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator theory of Personality Types provided a theoretical understanding of individual differences in emotional response behaviour. Based on the Humanistic and Social Psychology paradigms, the construct self-esteem was explored from a multi-dimensional perspective with particular emphasis on individuals' self-evaluative views and feelings of self-worth, self-acceptance, sense of belonging and sense of psychological well-being within the particular socio-cultural domain in which these aspects manifest themselves. Emotional competence was studied from the paradigmatic perspectives of the Cognitive Social Learning theories. Emotional competence was viewed as the workplace application of emotional intelligence abilities, which are developable and can be learned. In this regard, emotional competence was described as the demonstration of self-efficacious behaviour in emotion-eliciting social transactions. Emotional competence implies a sense of psychological well-being (a positive inner state of being) and an ability to skillfully, creatively and confidently adapt in an uncertain, unstructured and changing socio-cultural environment. An empirical investigation was conducted to analyse the responses of a randomly selected sample of 107 South African leaders in the manufacturing industry to measures of these three constructs. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Culture-free Self-esteem Inventories for Adults (CFSEI-AD), and the 360° Emotional Competency Profiler (ECP) were administered. The MBTI extraverted-thinking and extraverted-intuitive personality preferences were associated with the CFSEI-AD social, general and total self-esteem scales. In terms of the ECP emotional competence self-evaluations, self-motivation was associated with the MBTI extraverted-judging, extraverted-thinking and extraverted-intuitive preferences, while interpersonal relations was associated with the extraverted-intuitive and extraverted-feeling preferences. The MBTI introverted-sensing, introverted-judging and introverted-thinking preferences were associated with the ECP emotional literacy scale, and the introverted-judging, introverted-sensing and introverted-thinking preferences were associated with interpersonal relations in terms of the emotional competence other evaluations. The MBTI introverted-thinking preference was associated with the ECP self-esteem/self-regard other evaluations and the CFSEI-AD personal self-esteem scale. The ECP total emotional competence scale was associated with the MBTI extraverted-intuitive preference (in terms of the self-evaluations) and the introverted-judging and introverted-thinking preferences in terms of total emotional competence other evaluations. The CFSEI-AD general, personal and total self-esteem scales were associated with the ECP change resilience, self-motivation, self-esteem/self-regard, interpersonal relations and total emotional competence scales. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the ECP emotional competence construct is closely related to the affective component of the CFSEI-AD self-esteem construct, particularly one's sense of psychological well-being which is related to feelings of self-worth. The empirical results confirmed the effect of self-esteem on the self-evaluations of raters exposed to multi-rater assessments such as the 360° Emotional Competency Profiler, namely that self-raters with very high self-esteem may tend to over-inflate their self-evaluations. The CFSEI-AD total self-esteem scale also appears to be a more reliable predictor of emotional competence than the MBTI personality preferences. The results contributed new knowledge about the relationship between individuals' self-esteem, personality preferences and emotional competence and added perspective on the interpretation of individuals' self-ratings, particularly with regard to 360° emotional competence assessments. Recommendations for Industrial and Organisational Psychology practices regarding leader development are formulated, as well as recommendations for future research in the field. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

There have been relatively few studies examining the leadership of Black men, and even fewer studies examining the leadership of Black men from the phenomenology of Black men, themselves. The purpose of this Q Methodology study was to examine Black male perspectives of the role race plays with Black male leader/leadership development in the world of work. The study was designed as an exploratory attempt to surface and understand how 40 emerging African American male leaders in a large, urban city in the SE United States viewed their own leadership development. Elements of socio-analytic theory and leader-member exchange theories were the basis for the conceptual framework. The 40 participants sorted 41 statements reflecting distinct perspectives on the role race plays with Black male leader/leadership development within the world of work. Participants sorted these 41 statements within a forced distribution response grid based on what best reflected their perspectives. These 40 sorts were then correlated and the correlations were factor analyzed and rotated, leading to the extraction of five factors, each representing five distinct, shared perspectives. Following examination and analysis of these five factors, or shared perspectives, the researcher named them: 1) Faithful, Familial, and Resilient, 2) Creative, Faithful, and Independent, 3) Attentive, Connected, and Woke, and 4) Knowledgeable, Congruent, and Unapologetically Black, and 5) Responsible, Faithful, and Supportive. The results of this study suggest there is rich diversity among Black male perspectives regarding their leadership development, and demonstrates important functions outside the workplace. These diverse perspectives and those elements characterizing them should be considered as educators prepare to work with Black males and those preparing to support their development, leadership and otherwise. Finally, the researcher suggests that future research into the experiences and perceptions of Black men continue to seek methodologies that honor and magnify their voices.

The factors that hinder or help the development of emotionally competent behaviour in leaders appear to be varied and complex. The role of personality variables such as personality preferences and self-esteem in influencing the development and demonstration of emotional competent behaviour has not yet been well researched. The general aim of this research was to investigate whether a relationship exists between personality preferences, self-esteem and emotional competence, and to determine whether the variables personality preferences and self-esteem can predict the demonstration of emotional competence. Personality preferences were studied from the Analytical Psychology paradigm. Jung's Psychological Types and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator theory of Personality Types provided a theoretical understanding of individual differences in emotional response behaviour. Based on the Humanistic and Social Psychology paradigms, the construct self-esteem was explored from a multi-dimensional perspective with particular emphasis on individuals' self-evaluative views and feelings of self-worth, self-acceptance, sense of belonging and sense of psychological well-being within the particular socio-cultural domain in which these aspects manifest themselves. Emotional competence was studied from the paradigmatic perspectives of the Cognitive Social Learning theories. Emotional competence was viewed as the workplace application of emotional intelligence abilities, which are developable and can be learned. In this regard, emotional competence was described as the demonstration of self-efficacious behaviour in emotion-eliciting social transactions. Emotional competence implies a sense of psychological well-being (a positive inner state of being) and an ability to skillfully, creatively and confidently adapt in an uncertain, unstructured and changing socio-cultural environment. An empirical investigation was conducted to analyse the responses of a randomly selected sample of 107 South African leaders in the manufacturing industry to measures of these three constructs. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Culture-free Self-esteem Inventories for Adults (CFSEI-AD), and the 360° Emotional Competency Profiler (ECP) were administered. The MBTI extraverted-thinking and extraverted-intuitive personality preferences were associated with the CFSEI-AD social, general and total self-esteem scales. In terms of the ECP emotional competence self-evaluations, self-motivation was associated with the MBTI extraverted-judging, extraverted-thinking and extraverted-intuitive preferences, while interpersonal relations was associated with the extraverted-intuitive and extraverted-feeling preferences. The MBTI introverted-sensing, introverted-judging and introverted-thinking preferences were associated with the ECP emotional literacy scale, and the introverted-judging, introverted-sensing and introverted-thinking preferences were associated with interpersonal relations in terms of the emotional competence other evaluations. The MBTI introverted-thinking preference was associated with the ECP self-esteem/self-regard other evaluations and the CFSEI-AD personal self-esteem scale. The ECP total emotional competence scale was associated with the MBTI extraverted-intuitive preference (in terms of the self-evaluations) and the introverted-judging and introverted-thinking preferences in terms of total emotional competence other evaluations. The CFSEI-AD general, personal and total self-esteem scales were associated with the ECP change resilience, self-motivation, self-esteem/self-regard, interpersonal relations and total emotional competence scales. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the ECP emotional competence construct is closely related to the affective component of the CFSEI-AD self-esteem construct, particularly one's sense of psychological well-being which is related to feelings of self-worth. The empirical results confirmed the effect of self-esteem on the self-evaluations of raters exposed to multi-rater assessments such as the 360° Emotional Competency Profiler, namely that self-raters with very high self-esteem may tend to over-inflate their self-evaluations. The CFSEI-AD total self-esteem scale also appears to be a more reliable predictor of emotional competence than the MBTI personality preferences. The results contributed new knowledge about the relationship between individuals' self-esteem, personality preferences and emotional competence and added perspective on the interpretation of individuals' self-ratings, particularly with regard to 360° emotional competence assessments. Recommendations for Industrial and Organisational Psychology practices regarding leader development are formulated, as well as recommendations for future research in the field. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

No description available.