Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Ralph S. Brower, Florida State University, College of Social Sciences, Dept. Public Administration and Policy. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 24, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

The primary goal of this study was to develop a theoretically based, parsimonious framework for the examination of the relationships between executive characteristics, strategy and performance. In order to achieve this goal, prior literature examining the linkages between executive characteristics and strategy and executive characteristics and performance was integrated to derive two broad theoretical propositions. The first proposition stated that different managerial profiles would be associated with different strategic postures. The rationale for this proposition was derived from previous empirical and theoretical evidence which suggests that since different strategies emphasize different organizational competences, they can be best implemented by managers who have skills compatible with these competences. Building on this logic, the second proposition suggested that a fit between managerial profiles and organizational strategy would enhance performance. This proposition stems from the behavioral literature which argues that the characteristics of managers influence their perception of the environment and consequently their decision-making. Thus, if managerial decisions are not compatible with the strategy and consequently the competences of the organization, performance will suffer. In order to test these propositions each of the three constructs were operationalized in a multidimensional manner. Strategy was conceptualized in terms of the Miles & Snow (1978) typology which delineates comprehensive and internally consistent postures of organizational behavior encompassing their structures and processes. The executive characteristics construct was operationalized through five demographic dimensions each of which had been found significant in previous research. Finally, performance was operationalized to include the separate market based and efficiency goals of the different strategies. The data used to perform the empirical test were obtained from objective, secondary sources to control for the effects of perceptual bias which plagues researchers who use self-report data. The measures of strategic orientation and performance were standardized through the use of ratios to limit the unwanted variation introduced by differences in organizational size. The research site was restricted to a single industry containing relatively homogeneous firms, to control for spurious results that can occur due to the different environmental factors that operate in different industries. The manuscript includes detailed descriptions of the theoretical literature from which the research was conceived, the results obtained and the conclusions derived. The primary contributions of this study were the integration of two distinct research streams, and the development of a broadly applicable model which is a useful platform for the future study of strategic leadership. / Ph. D.

Thesis(MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The determination of what the concept ‘sustainable competitive advantage’ means within a service environment and the consequent establishment of key resources within Pam Golding Properties and the role that leadership and the creation of a learning organisation play, formed the core of this study. The case study was therefore undertaken to glean relevant information from reality in order to determine which resources that can be described as intangible assets and competences contribute in a sustainable manner to the organisation’s competitive advantage in a dynamic and changing business environment. Existing and historical resources including leadership and learning within the organisation were identified by means of semi-structured interviews with a range of company executives. These resources were then assessed by means of questionnaires that were distributed to a wide range of stakeholders within the organisation in terms of value for the client, sustainability and transferability. These outcomes, in turn, provided the basis for conclusions and recommendations for future utility in order to maintain competitive advantage that would ultimately lead to sustained superior performance on all fronts. The findings that were made, culminated in a visual representation of leadership and organisational learning that form the core of the organisation and simultaneously illustrating their interdependence with the other key resources, namely organisational culture, the Pam Golding Properties brand, reputation, teamwork, relationships, systems and procedures, managers and agents. These resources form the essence of the organisation. The organisational culture within Pam Golding Properties that is representative of the core values of integrity, honesty, sincerity and service delivery was found to be the overall resource that provides the organisation with sustainable competitive advantage. This was closely followed by the value of the brand and reputation, teamwork and inter-personal relationships, the utilisation of efficient systems and procedures and the recruitment and retention of competent managers and agents. Organisational leadership was found to instil confidence in the organisation. A common, shared vision that is understood and underwritten by all employees is however lacking and change needs to be managed in such a way that the organisation’s core ideology is not compromised, but an envisioned future should be communicated throughout. The brand carries out the promise of the culture and core values, but can be tarnished if the reputation for service excellence is not upheld and it can lose credibility if expectations are not met. The brand thus needs protection from within and this can only happen if the people in the organisation share in the process of and toward an envisioned future. It was established that meaningful change presupposes continual improvement in a dynamic, yet sustainable organisation. It was therefore also recommended that a concerted effort be made to actively promote and strive towards the company becoming a true learning organisation in order to sustain its culture, brand, reputation and other intangible assets and competences. In the event that these and other recommendations in terms of resources are seriously considered and strived for by company leaders, this organisation should be an example to the rest of the world regarding sustainable competitive advantage. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bepaling van wat die konsep ‘volhoubare mededingende voordeel’ beteken binne ‘n diensomgewing en die daaropvolgende vasstelling van sleutelhulpbronne binne Pam Golding Eiendomme en die rol wat leierskap en die skep van ‘n leerorganisasie speel, het die kern van hierdie studie gevorm. Die gevallestudie is dus onderneem om toepaslike inligting vanuit realiteit te werf, om sodoende vas te stel watter hulpbronne wat as ontasbare bates en bevoegdhede beskryf kan word, op ‘n volhoubare wyse tot die organisasie se mededingende voordeel bydra in ‘n dinamiese en veranderende sake-omgewing. Bestaande en historiese hulpbronne insluitend leierskap en leer binne die organisasie is geïdentifiseer by wyse van semi-gestruktueerde onderhoude wat met ‘n aantal uitvoerende lede van die maatskappy gevoer is. Hierdie hulpbronne is daarna deur middel van vraelyste wat aan ‘n breë reeks insethouers binne die organisasie versprei is, geëvalueer in terme van waarde vir die kliënt, volhoubaarheid en oordraagbaarheid. Hierdie uitkomste het weer die basis verskaf vir afleidings en voorstelle wat gemaak is ten opsigte van toekomsbruikbaarheid om mededingende voordeel te behou wat uiteindelik tot volhoubare superieure verrigting op alle fronte sal lei. Die bevindings wat gemaak is, het in ‘n visuele voorstelling van leierskap en organisasieleer gekulmineer, wat die kern van die organisasie uitmaak en tegelykertyd hul interafhanklikheid illustreer ten opsigte van die ander sleutelhulpbronne, naamlik organisasie-kultuur, die Pam Golding Eiendomme handelsnaam, reputasie, spanwerk, verhoudings, stelsels en prosedures, bestuurders an agente. Hierdie hulpbronne maak die essensie van die organisasie uit. Die organisasie-kultuur binne Pam Golding Eiendomme wat verteenwoordigend is van die kernwaardes van integriteit, eerlikheid, opregtheid en dienslewering het as die oorhoofse hulpbron uitgestaan wat die organisasie van volhoubare mededingende voordeel verseker. Dis gevolg deur die waarde van die handelsnaam en reputasie, spanwerk en inter-persoonlike verhoudings, die benutting van doeltreffende stelsels en prosedures en die werwing en retensie van bekwame bestuurders en agente. Daar is bevind dat organisasie-leierskap vertroue in die organisasie skep. ‘n Gemeenskaplike, gedeelde visie wat deur al die werknemers verstaan en onderskryf word, kom egter kort en verandering behoort op só ‘n wyse bestuur te word, dat die organisasie se kern-ideologie nie onder verdenking gebring word nie, maar ‘n gevisioneerde toekoms behoort deurgaans gekommunikeer te word. Die handelsnaam dra die belofte van die kultuur en kernwaardes uit, maar kan skade opdoen as die reputasie vir diensuitnemendheid nie onderhou word nie en dan kan geloofwaardigheid ingeboet word indien daar nie aan verwagtinge voldoen word nie. Die handelsnaam moet dus van binne uit beskerm word en dit kan slegs gebeur indien die mense in die organisasie aan die proses van ‘n gevisioneerde toekoms deelneem. Dit is bevind dat betekenisvolle verandering aaneenlopende verbetering in ‘n dinamiese, dog volhoubare organisasie veronderstel. Daar is dus ook voorgestel dat ‘n doelbewuste poging aangewend word dat die wording van ‘n ware leerorganisasie aktief gepromoveer en nagestreef behoort te word om sodoende die kultuur, handelsnaam, reputasie en ander ontasbare bates en bevoegdhede vol te kan hou. Indien hierdie en ander voorstelle ten opsigte van hulpbronne ernstig deur die maatskappy se leiers bedink en nagestreef word, behoort hierdie organisasie vir die res van die wêreld ‘n voorbeeld van volhoubare mededingende voordeel te wees.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In order to help individuals feel more engaged within work organizations and more satisfied with their jobs, employers have started to administer stay interviews within organizations, with the end goal being to retain organizational members. Stay interviews have become a proactive solution to the retention problem and have been seen as an alternative to the exit interview. This study proposes that through the use of stay interviews, organizational members will feel more engaged, satisfied, and committed to an organization, which will ultimately result in the retention of organizational members.