Succession planning is perhaps one of the hottest topics today as a result of ethical issues, compensation, development and implementation. Global organizations faced with fast-paced change can no longer afford long, lengthy internal development of an heir apparent. However, those organizations who seek faster, external executive hires have found it no panacea as organizational culture often trumps talent and industry experience. Recent research points to those who do internal succession well, with little disruption and ready change depend on their ability to execute plans (Charan & Colvin, 1999, 2001). A qualitative study was conducted with 30 participants of executive and mid-level managers from a large, Fortune 500 company to investigate the influence of organizational culture on the succession planning process. The results indicate that the founder has tremendous influence on organizational processes (i.e., succession planning) via the culture which he or she created early on. According to Schein (1992), succession planning processes serve as secondary embedding mechanisms to perpetuate existing cultural values; as a result they are difficult to change. The vast majority of research to date has utilized quantitative, positivistic methods in the study of succession planning resulting in a multiplicity of variables furthering functionalist pursuits of predictability and generalizability rather than furthering our understanding of the process itself, situated in its natural environment. This study contributes significantly to current research in that it reveals organizational values, purpose, roles, decision-making criteria, selection, development and promotion of potential heir-apparents and how these variables play out in the implementation of a succession plan. Furthermore, previous research suggests that the CEO has primary control over the succession planning process and its results. Although their role is indeed important, this study suggests that it is the trust, identification and commitment of an organization’s members (i.e., employees) and the cultural alignment of organizational processes which ensure that the execution of the succession plan results in a “successful” successor. Human Resource Development is therefore poised to make a bigger impact than ever before as a strategic partner to executive levels of organizations today. Exemplary development and implementation initiatives will need to be managed throughout the ranks.

Assessment centers, although useful for assessing behaviors and competencies associated with a targeted construct, can be low in economic utility. The current study sought to validate a situational judgment test (SJT) that was developed as an alternate form of assessment for a leadership development program. The first study examined the content validity of the SJT by performing retranslation on item stems and calibration of the item responses. The second study examined alternate forms reliability between the two forms of the leadership SJT that were developed. The third and final study evaluated the relationship between assessment center performance scores and SJT scores by demonstrating their convergent validities. Results from Study 1 demonstrated that the SALSA© test was a content valid measure of leadership ability. Results from Study 2 demonstrated that all available items from SALSA© could be used to make two forms of the test that demonstrate good alternate forms reliability. Finally, Study 3 suggests a moderate correlation between the assessment center and situational judgment test. Future research should focus on the underlying issues pertaining to significant group differences between English as primary language and English as second language students. Alternate developmental procedures, especially with alternate form assignment, should also be considered.

Some school divisions find themselves with a limited number of qualified applicants for administration positions. Aspirants require suggestions of and guidance toward effective leadership training programs and supports. A clear understanding of essential leadership skills may create an incentive for classroom teachers to apply for administration positions and potentially decrease the strain on school divisions. Selection and suitability of qualified candidates applying for vacancies will diminish school boards struggles to fill administrative vacancies. <p>The purpose of this case study was to describe what administrative personnel superintendents, principals, and vice principals in one Saskatchewan urban school division consider essential skills for classroom teachers to develop as a means to position themselves as future school administrators. Furthermore, the case study set out to identify appropriate leadership development programs and supports to assist aspiring administrators in leadership development. This study aspired to isolate programs that practicing administrators in the school division posited as most useful in their own skill acquisition and development.<p>A mixed-methods survey questionnaire was administered to 117 administrators of one Saskatchewan urban school division. The administrators insights and expertise as to the essential skills required to be an effective administrator will assist classroom teachers prepare for the potential of becoming formal leaders. Forty percent of this group responded to the survey. Data from this case study were compared to a similar case study conducted by John Daresh (1994) in the United States.<p>Participants believed aspiring administrators must develop self-awareness skills to be effective educational leaders and must be offered appropriate leadership programs and supports through which aspirants could develop essential leadership skills. Even though the majority of respondents suggested self-awareness skills were essential to develop for effective leadership, they posited the importance of also developing technical and social skills. This case study found that while a commonality of skills were identified by participants as essential, it was extremely important for aspiring administrators, with the assistance of their school board, to build on their own personal leadership strengths.

An adoption model was proposed to examine the influence of four types of organizational factors- organizational capacity, organizational structure, operating environment and grantmaking orientation- on the adoption of four effectiveness best practices, formal evaluation, knowledge management, leadership development and operating grants in philanthropic foundations. Data were collected from a national survey of foundations and the Foundation Center database. The results indicate that the grantmaking orientation of a foundation is the greatest indicator of adoptive behavior. Furthermore, capacity constraints are most relevant to the adoption decision when the adopting practice requires significant investments of time, money and expertise. Given the social and political context in which the effectiveness best practices are associated, this dissertation research has broad relevance for the ways in which foundation behavior is perceived and the means by which that behavior is shaped through policy and practice.

The purpose of this research is to see if the peer mentors make a difference in the leadership development of students, their feelings about peer mentors, the Leadership Living Learning Community, and their acclimation to Texas A&M University. Leadership is defined as an interaction between members of a group in which individuals, in the name of the group, act as agents of change, persons whose acts affect other people more than other peoples’ actions affect them. The five leadership skills studied were working in groups, positional leadership, communication, decision-making, and understanding self. A post-then methodology was utilized with self-reporting as the process by which data was collected following completion of an academic leadership learning community. The findings from years one and two participants were computed individually and then compared to see if the addition of peer mentors during the second year yielded any significant findings. The major findings for this study were as follows: Year one participants in the learning community indicated improved leadership skills after participation in the learning community for the first semester, as measured by the Leadership Skills Inventory. In addition, year two participants in the learning community indicated a similar increase of leadership skills after the first semester. Year one participants indicated a more statistically significant increase when compared to year two on their leadership skills on the individual questions, while year two participants were found to have more statistically significant findings relating to the five leadership skills or Leadership Skills Inventory scales. Responses by year two participants indicated that the peer mentors who helped them were supportive, gave positive feedback, were good role models, were knowledgeable about Texas A&M University, were easy to communicate with, and did not use peer pressure to persuade them to do anything negative.

This mixed model approach research explored what are the perceived essential components of an ideal organization. The data were collected from 150 leadership development seminars from 2000 to 2006 hosted by a Fortune 500 company with participants from over 239 organizations producing 5396 responses. The qualitative primary data were unitized and statistically analyzed and synthesized to reveal significant categories and their relationships. The statistically significant categories represent the essential components of an ideal organization. The original qualitative responses manifesting the significant categories are presented in alignment with the emerging complex systems leadership perspective. / text

This qualitative study explores the life history of four immigrants from diverse cultures, who have effectively navigated cultural differences and attained high-level leadership positions in Canada. The leaders’ life stories highlight key experiences that have influenced their identities, that is, the distinctive characteristics that are the source of their individual self definition and self-respect. The purpose of the study is to understand how social identity influences immigrants’ sense of personal agency and their capacity to shape individual potentialities into personal abilities. The study is situated in the leadership field within the multicultural Canadian context. It is grounded in my personal experiences as an Iranian-Canadian immigrant and guided by multidisciplinary literature on leadership, culture, identity, and motivation. Globalization, economic interdependence, and growing cross-national mobility have changed the face of the Canadian multicultural society. The clash of world-views, values, and life styles have become unavoidable, with arguably all Canadians experiencing the feeling of being “other” in their interactions with members of other cultures. Within the new Canadian mosaic, cultural consciousness is on the rise leading to increasing ethnic distinctiveness. It has become a factor distinguishing individuals by their differences as well as grouping them together by their similarities. Living in a multicultural environment as an immigrant has implications on issues of identity, but these implications have not yet been thoroughly explored. Much of existing cultural research is based on national orientation and contentious dualism (e.g., individualism and collectivism). But, cultures are dynamic and diverse. Understanding cultural constructs at the individual rather than the national level demonstrates the complexity and variability of individuals in the exercise of personal agency and the construction of identity. Through sharing and understanding the experience of four immigrants in leadership positions across diverse organizations, researchers may learn about immigrant challenges and ways these four individuals reconcile differences and conflicting cultural values. The resulting practical implication is (a) increased self and social awareness for immigrants with high potential for leadership, (b) enhanced multicultural knowledge for current organizational leaders, and (c) improved interpersonal relationships within a broad multicultural community.

Although school leaders receive coursework and some practicum experience, there are gaps in their preparation that can only be filled on the job. Because the decisions made by new educational leaders are of great consequence to themselves and their school communities, an important goal should be the sharing of knowledge and support amongst a community of peers. This work reviews the challenges facing new administrators, critically reviews the training of educational administrators in Ontario, and recommends an in-service community method to supplement the support received by new administrators in their first several years. This document begins with an examination of relevant research literature in leadership development, online communities, the nature of expertise, and technology-enhanced learning with technology. One outcome of this review is a set of “knowledge dimensions” that are important to the development of leadership expertise. The dissertation then examines a three year journey of an online community of educational administrators who share in their journey toward expertise. The e-mails from the community were analyzed according to their function within the community and their relevant domain content. Of particular interest was the question of how such e-mail exchanges allowed members to develop in all five dimensions of school leadership knowledge. A coding of e-mail threads revealed that all dimensions of leadership knowledge were represented in the content, and that the quality of e-mails improved in both content as well as knowledge building practices over the three years. The growth of the community as a whole and of individual members is examined through a set of individual case studies. Finally, the dissertation closes with a discussion of the future of this community, as well as the prospects that such an approach could be applied more widely in support of new school leaders.

Although school leaders receive coursework and some practicum experience, there are gaps in their preparation that can only be filled on the job. Because the decisions made by new educational leaders are of great consequence to themselves and their school communities, an important goal should be the sharing of knowledge and support amongst a community of peers. This work reviews the challenges facing new administrators, critically reviews the training of educational administrators in Ontario, and recommends an in-service community method to supplement the support received by new administrators in their first several years. This document begins with an examination of relevant research literature in leadership development, online communities, the nature of expertise, and technology-enhanced learning with technology. One outcome of this review is a set of “knowledge dimensions” that are important to the development of leadership expertise. The dissertation then examines a three year journey of an online community of educational administrators who share in their journey toward expertise. The e-mails from the community were analyzed according to their function within the community and their relevant domain content. Of particular interest was the question of how such e-mail exchanges allowed members to develop in all five dimensions of school leadership knowledge. A coding of e-mail threads revealed that all dimensions of leadership knowledge were represented in the content, and that the quality of e-mails improved in both content as well as knowledge building practices over the three years. The growth of the community as a whole and of individual members is examined through a set of individual case studies. Finally, the dissertation closes with a discussion of the future of this community, as well as the prospects that such an approach could be applied more widely in support of new school leaders.

This dissertation explored the perceived association between scenario planning and the development of leadership capability and capacity. Furthermore, this study explored sophisticated virtual environments seeking instances of adult learning and the conduciveness of these environments for innovative developmental activities to build leadership capability and capacity. Data sources included 1) fifty semi-structured interviews with five expert-practitioners purposively selected for their experience in both scenario planning and leadership development, 2) descriptive process and outcome data from scenario planning programs in university business schools, and 3) fifteen published scenario planning reports, 4) observations of the scenario planning process, and 5) a survey of forty-five individuals who participated in the study of sophisticated virtual environments. The first stream of inquiry that investigated the perceived association between scenario planning and the development of leadership capability and capacity revealed the development of a synthesis model integrated from three informing theoretical frameworks. The model was used for subsequent data collection, analysis, and organization. Each data source supported and further described the associative relationship between scenario planning and the development of leadership capability and capacity; leading to increased confidence in the synthesis model. This study is unique because it links scenario planning explicitly through empirical evidence with the development of leadership capability and capacity. Findings from the second stream of inquiry into sophisticated virtual environments included formal and informal learning in the 3D virtual world of Second Life (SL). Respondents in the study completed forty-five open-ended surveys and follow-up interviews that revealed six enablers of adult learning in SL: 1) a variety of educational topics for life-long learning; 2) opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration; 3) collaboration across geographical boundaries; 4) immersive environment creates social; 5) health and emotional benefits; and, 6) cost savings over face-to-face experiences. Four barriers included: glitches in technology reduced effectiveness, addictiveness of SL, learning curve for "newbies" and funding issues for small businesses and nonprofits. Also, sophisticated technologies are creating media-rich environments found to be integrative spaces conducive for developmental activities in the field of human resource development (HRD). Scenario planning and leadership development were found to be reasonable developmental activities suited to these digital spaces. Virtual human resource development (VHRD) was identified as a new area of inquiry for HRD.