The immense changes in the economic environment caused by globalization and technology have forced organizations from around the world to transform in order to adapt, survive, and succeed in the changing world of the new millennium. These changes are not only in the external elements of the organization – its products, activities, or structures – but also in its intrinsic way of operating – its values, mind-set, even its primary purpose. Organizations must learn faster and adapt to the rapid change in the new environment or they will not survive (De Vries, 2001; Ellis&Pennington, 2004). According to Senge (1990b), learning organizations demand a new view of leadership. In a learning organization, leaders are designers, stewards, and teachers. They are responsible for the building of organizations where employees continually expand their capabilities to understand complexity, clarify vision, and improve shared mental models – that is, the leaders are responsible for learning. Leaders in learning organizations must help employees see the big picture, with its underlying trends, forces, and potential surprises. They need to think systematically and be able to foresee how internal and external factors might benefit or destroy the organization (Senge 1990b). Autocratic leadership behaviour, focused on exercising top-down control is more successful in stable environments. Transformational leadership behaviour focused on giving inspiration through the marshalling of ideas, creativity, and the initiative of its employees, is more successful in competitive, changing environments (Cockerill, Schroder&Hunt, 1998). The focus of this research has been on the measurement of leadership behaviour as part of the implementation of a holistic model and process in an organization that has to function in a competitive, changing environment. A 360° leadership assessment questionnaire has been used to conduct the research. A set of fifteen transformational leadership competencies have been identified by the organization where the research was conducted as the leadership competencies that will enable the organizations’ leaders to be effective, successful leaders in a dynamic, changing and competitive business environment. Based on the identified set of leadership competencies, a 360° Leadership Assessment Questionnaire (LAQ) was developed and validated. The LAQ was used to measure leadership behaviour in the organization under research annually over a period of three years as part of the implementation of a holistic model and process for leadership development. The objectives of this research were the following: <ul><li>To measure leadership behaviour by means of a 360° leadership assessment questionnaire as part of the implementation of a holistic model for leadership development;</li> <li>To track the overall changes in leadership behaviour over a period of three years in order to determine if the implementation of a holistic model and process had a positive impact on leadership behaviour over a extended period of time;</li> <li>To analyse and describe the trends and patterns in leadership behaviour based on the results of the 360° leadership assessment questionnaire conducted over a period of three years;</li> <li>To describe the elements and implementation of a holistic model and process for leadership development.</li></ul> The quantitative statistical analysis of the 360° leadership assessment data indicated statistically significant differences in nine of the fifteen transformational leadership competencies that were measured in the 360° Leadership Assessment Questionnaire. All the ratings showing statistically significant differences were identified, interpreted and discussed. The following trends and patterns were identified, based on the statistical analysis of the research data: <ul> <li>Top Management (M2-3) received consistently higher ratings than the other management levels;</li> <li>Middle Managers (M5-6) received significantly lower ratings than the other management levels in terms of integrity, purpose building, information capacity, conceptual ability, business acumen and empowering;</li> <li>Female leaders received significantly lower ratings than male leaders in terms of information capacity, people development and empowering. Although females were rated higher than their male counterparts by their supervisors, all the other rater groups rated female leaders lower than male leaders on these competencies;</li> <li>Leaders in the age group 25-40 years received the highest ratings on business acumen and visionary thinking;</li> <li>Leaders in the age group 41 – 50 years were rated the highest by all the rater groups on conceptual ability;</li> <li>African (Black) leaders were rated significantly higher on visionary thinking in years 1, 2 and 3 than leaders from other race groups.</li></ul> The company overall results indicated an improvement in most of the competencies, except for integrity and self-responsibility which stayed the same. Motivational capacity is the only competency where there has been an improvement in year 2 and a decline in year 3. The competencies on which leaders received the lowest ratings are motivational capacity, people development, visionary thinking and empowerment. The overall trend on the overall 360° leadership assessment results over a period of three years clearly indicates an improvement in all the competencies, except for motivational capacity, integrity and self-responsibility. These trends and patterns were utilised to determine what type of development interventions and programmes are needed in the organization to facilitate leadership development in the context of the Holistic Model for Leadership Development. The improvement in the overall 360° leadership assessment results also indicates the implementation of a holistic model and process for leadership development has led to an improvement of the overall leadership capability of the organization where the research was conducted. / Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

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Leadership development has become a focal area for most organisations today in an attempt to ensure that leaders are able to take them into the future and achieve a competitive advantage. Literature reveals that, among others, one of the most popular initiatives in leadership development includes the use 360-degree feedback. Due to the sensitivity and challenge of giving and receiving 360 degree feedback, it is essential to understand the subjective experience of manager's who have recently undergone the process as well as the factors which influence and are influenced by the process. To achieve this, a grounded theory study was conducted in a large manufacturing organisation. The data was collected through focus group interviews with a voluntary sample of senior managers who had participated in a 360 degree feedback process. The outcomes of the study include a definition of "subjective experience" as well as a substantive theory on the subjective experience of 360-degree feedback as a tool in leadership development. Findings indicate that individual's reactions coupled with the perception of both the accuracy and utility of the process are key contributors which form the essence of "subjective experience". Past experience, present information and context were further identified to be key intervening variables of a manager's subjective experience of 360-degree feedback as a tool in leadership development. A number of limitations within this study are explained and recommendations for future research and organisations are provided. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The majority of the literature on executive coaching available today, gives evidence of the growth and success of executive coaching as an industry. The industry is, however, relatively young and immature and not regulated at all. The number of individuals who position themselves as executive coaches has more than doubled in the past 10 years and the industry is growing rapidly. The question then arises whether all coaching initiatives that are taking place are hundred percent successful in achieving the stated objectives. Very little is said and done about the less successful processes. This study allows us to have insight in an executive coaching process involving an executive team and to consider which factors contributed to the perceived failure of the process. By using a qualitative approach and through a case study of the intervention, in-depth interviews were done to enquire from all the participants how they experienced the coaching process. From these interviews, themes were identified to be used by companies, coaches, service providers and clients to understand what some of the elements are that need to be considered in a team-related coaching intervention to ensure a better chance for success. The literature review investigated the definition and history of executive coaching as well as the application and benefits of executive coaching. The study also explored the concept of team coaching, the importance of the related parties in the coaching process, as well as the fact that the industry is not regulated and still quite immature. The context and background of the case study and all relevant information related to the company, the team, the process and the service supplier were considered. The importance of the coaching triangle between the coach, client and the organisation was emphasised in the literature study, but it was also identified as a critical foundation for the success of the executive coaching process. Given the experience from the team that was part of the process, the following elements should be taken into consideration by all parties to ensure that the objectives of the coaching process are met. Firstly, the importance of leadership as the sponsor is critical and an element that should not be ignored. Secondly, the commitment of the entire team is emphasised as a critical success factor. Another important element identified is the ability to take into consideration the time pressures that executive teams experience. Further to that, the importance to keep the momentum of the process going, the selection of suitable coaches, the importance of taking individual needs of the clients into consideration, as well as the lack of buy-in from participants are all success factors that were identified as part of the analysis. Due to the very limited scope of the study, recommendations were made for future research and ongoing practice in the field.

Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The key objective of this research study is the development of junior leaders in the information, communication and technology (ICT) industry by means of formal leadership development programmes, complemented by the application of coaching principles as part of the facilitation and delivery process. In order to remain competitive in the local ICT sector, a leading listed company in South Africa identified the development of human capital as one of its key success criteria. As a knowledge-intensive industry, this organisation is predominantly reliant on the collective human capital of the company for survival, sustained growth and competitiveness. The objective of the programme evaluation is to establish whether the programme, in the form it has been presented during the past few years, has met the set organisational goals via the application of coaching principles, such as: providing insight into personal and business environments, as a voluntary process in a non-judgemental environment. Relationships are built on respect, ethics and trust. Time for reflection and providing feedback in a non-prescriptive manner are principles that a credible and knowledgeable coach will apply, thus ensuring that learning and development takes place. Coaching contracting must have measurable, set objectives and direct the individual toward a desired outcome. Coaching was not part of the original design and development of the programme, either as an enabler or as part of the content. The literature review positions business coaching as a collaborative partnership to develop the client’s performance and potential, personally and professionally, in accordance with the goals and values of the organisation. Furthermore, developing a coaching competency with line managers, will ensure that an internal coaching capability is established, which will assist delegates both during the programme and in their future career development. To eliminate any possibility of bias, triangulation was included in this programme evaluation study. The qualitative research included semi-structured interviews with all stakeholders, conducted via various means, such as focus groups, individual interviews and self-administered questionnaires. The programme evaluation study established that, although the objectives of this junior leadership programme were met and coaching principles were applied, sub-questions that surfaced during research, raised issues that need to be addressed. Improvements are required in order for the programme to be sustainable and support the growth strategy of the organisation. The recommendations are that development programmes should have an integrated organisational focus, involving all the stakeholders; and that the selection process, for individuals attending these programmes, should not only be more comprehensive, but line managers should be more involved.

Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2011. / This research study not only links three important business concepts, namely, leadership development, employee engagement and executive coaching, but is also an important body of research that contributes in a meaningful way to the debate around the role of executive coaching and its impact on leadership effectiveness. It outlines a transformative framework for executive coaching that shows a significant shift in managerial behaviour. This behaviour shift acts as a catalyst for the enhancement of key dimensions of employee engagement. This is an important finding, as the field of professional coaching is undergoing much scrutiny in terms of its return on effectiveness and its ability to accelerate the development of high-potential talent. The reseach findings in this report further serve to reinforce the importance of aligning leadership development, and specifically executive coaching practices, with organisational strategies. The global financial crisis has highlighted the need for organisations to adopt prudent leadership development strategies. The intelligent integration of transformative coaching into talent management practices such as retention, promotion, deployment and development of high-potential leadership, will create the necessary impetus for building sustainble leadership capacity and provide an outstanding return on investment for organisations wherever they might be in their maturity cycle.

In recent years the important of leadership in the organization has become an area of interest. Leadership has been noted to impact corporate culture, employee commitment and response and the overall performance of the organization. Given the fact that leadership is such an important part of organizational development and discourse, effective methods for developing effective leadership in the organization are needed. Without definitive methods for leadership development, organizations will not be able to optimize the outcomes of leadership in the organization. Thus, there is a clear impetus to delineate what works best in the context of leadership development. This study used concurrent qualitative and quantitative research to understand better the effect of cross-cultural influences on the leadership development programmes and leadership practices development in a study population consisting of managers and supervisors in the Kuwaiti banking industry. Although Kuwaiti organisations employ many international employees and operate foreign subsidiaries, they have not created leadership development programmes to improve cross-cultural leadership skills for managers. As a result, Kuwaiti managers often rely on traditional transactional methods and an authoritarian style of leadership that may be less effective with employees from different nations and cultural backgrounds. The qualitative phase of the research collected data from Kuwaiti bank managers through interviews while the quantitative phase of the research collected data with survey instrument. The quantitative phase of the study also tested the validity of a conceptual model and hypotheses using structural equation modelling and regression analysis. The research was guided by distributed leadership theory, which considers leadership as a series of interactions between leader and follower with the follower sometimes adopting an informal role as temporary leader. The theory also considers the context in which the leader operates as a critical factor for motivating leadership practise. The testing and validation of the theoretical model in the study led to the acceptance of a new 'Effective Cross Cultural Leadership' (ECL) model. This model describes the relationship between the exogenous or independent variables of cultural differences, training and development in traditional Kuwaiti leadership, cross cultural leadership development programmes and international leadership practises with the endogenous or dependent variables of leadership development programmes and leadership practises development. The testing of the hypotheses of the study showed a statistically significant relationship between the four independent variables and the two dependent variables with exception of the relationship between the independent variable of international leadership practises and the dependant variable of leadership programmes development. The quantitative findings also indicated that demographic variables do not have a moderating effect on the model. The qualitative findings of the study determined that cultural differences between employees and managers influence the managers' leadership behaviours and their understanding of the type of leadership development programmes to improve their cross-cultural leadership skills. Managers with greater experience or knowledge of foreign cultures adopt more flexible leadership practises when leading international teams. The qualitative findings also determined that front office managers are more willing to use participative leadership styles in leadership practises, while back office managers rely on authoritarian leadership styles focusing on tasks in their leadership practises, indicating that the context influences leadership styles and practise. The findings of the study including the development and validation of the Effective Cross-Cultural Leadership (ECL) model contribute to the theoretical and practical knowledge of cross-cultural leadership in Kuwait that can be extended to other Middle Eastern nations. In addition, the study finding extends cross-cultural theory by indicating that international influences both internal and external to the organisation affect leadership styles despite national norms and preferences. These findings implied that Kuwaiti organisations experience significant pressure to adopt some international leadership practises and styles to accommodate the expectations and needs of the many international workers employed in Kuwait. The practical implication of these findings showed that Kuwaiti managers would benefit from leadership training emphasising that no standard or correct approach to leadership exists and that it can be acceptable for leaders to use participative styles when warranted by the situation.

This study documented the psychometric development of the Adaptive Leadership Competency Profile (ALCP). The ALCP was derived from a qualitative database from the National Science Foundation project (NSF 9422368) and the academic body of literature. Test items were operationalized, and subject matter experts validated 11 macro-leadership competencies and 65 items. Rasch rating scale measurement models were applied to answer the following questions: (a) How well do the respective items of the ALCP fit the Rasch rating scale measurement model for the 11 scales of the ACLP? (b) How well do the person's abilities fit the Rasch rating scale measurement model, using the 11 scales of the ALCP? (c) What are the item separation and reliability coefficients for the 11 ALCP scales? (d) What are the person separation and reliability coefficients for the 11 ALCP scales? This study also sought to discern whether the ALCP could predict leader effectiveness as measured by the likelihood ratio index and frequency of correct predictions indices. The WINSTEPS and LIMDEP programs were used to obtain Rasch calibrations and probit estimates, respectively. The ALCP profiles the frequency and intensity of leadership behavior. Composite measures were calculated and used to predict leadership effectiveness. Results from this study validated 10 competencies and 55 items.

The purpose of this study was to determine if leadership training, given to informal leaders, had a positive effect on manufacturing productivity. The leadership attributes of informal leaders were assessed using the Leader Attributes Inventory (LAI). Furthermore, the performance of informal leaders was measured using the Leader Effectiveness Index (LEI). Non-management employees from various departments in a manufacturing facility were placed in one of four experimental groups. A Solomon four-group experimental design was employed. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to control threats to internal validity. The one-way analysis of variance procedure (ANOVA) was used to determine if there were statistically significant increases in manufacturing productivity of informal leaders. Findings suggested that training increased the manufacturing productivity of informal leaders. The increased productivity indicated that leadership training could help manufacturing facilities increase their productivity without capital expenditures. Findings did not indicate a statistically significant difference in leadership attributes. Findings also suggested there were no significant differences in the manufacturing productivity between employees with high leader attributes and low leader attributes. Based on this study, leadership training, given to non-management employees, may yield gains in manufacturing productivity.

Entering the labor force is noted as one of the most significant role transitions of young adulthood. Multiple studies find that a significant portion of the nation’s young adult population has not been able to make this critical role transition successfully. The purpose of this dissertation is to identify factors that help out-of-school youth make a successful transition to postsecondary education and employment. The study analyzes data collected from a cohort of out-of-school youth who participated in employment and training programs operated in the state under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) in Southside Virginia. The primary research question is why are some out-of-school youth with barriers to education and employment able to succeed in the job market, while others who face similar barriers are unable to obtain occupational skills credentials and/or employment? The findings of this study suggest that out-of-school youth with barriers to education and employment are able to succeed in postsecondary education as well as the job market when they have access to social capital in the form of personal support and connections to individuals who the youth perceive to be willing to offer assistance in times of crisis. The findings convey the idea that out-of-school youth who do manage to obtain education and employment success are those who have a higher propensity to seek out and utilize the resources available in the communities they live in. Study findings also lead to the conclusion that out-of-school youth who make good use of resources available to them are able to do so as a result of enhanced levels of leadership skills and abilities.