The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership styles and outcomes among Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) middle managers, using quantitative method. It has been theorised that the style of middle management leadership is important for effectively transferring and expanding knowledge, and for obtaining effective leadership outcomes. / Bass' (1985) theoretical approach was used to analyse the perceived style of leadership in TNB, measuring the effectiveness of the perceived style, determining whether there are style differences, and analysing any differences in the perceived traits of middle management. Based on works by Bass, this study seeks to address the relationship between the independent variables of leadership styles, i.e. contingent reward, management-by-exception (active), management-by -exception (passive), laissez-faire, idealized influence (attributed), idealized influence (behaviour), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualised consideration, and the dependent outcome variables of effectiveness, extra effort and satisfaction. / A moderator, consisting of demographic elements, has been used to analyse the significance of demographic factors in relation to the perceived leadership styles and outcomes. A self-administered questionnaire, based on the modified Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used to gather data. Subsequent descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques of multiple regression and product-moment correlation determined that most of the leadership styles were statistically significant and correlated positively with the outcome factors, excluding laissez faire. The best regression model is represented by effectiveness as a function of individual consideration, idealized influence (attributed), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and management-by-exception (active) with a coefficient of determination value of 0.669. / Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for determining differences in perceptions of leadership styles and outcomes based on the demographic background of the TNB middle managers. These comparisons of the means of groups provided little support for accepting there was a difference in the perception of leadership styles and outcomes based on their background. Major implications include the applicability of the Leadership Styles and Outcomes Model, a questionnaire that was content validated by an expert panel of academicians and practitioners and statistically reliable policy and practical implications as well as professional development implications. Further research is recommended to explore the areas that are not discussed in the present study. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2007.

This thesis documents an investigation into the role that tacit knowledge takes in the mental life of senior managers. The research resulted from the author???s work in New South Wales in facilitating assessment and development centres over a five year period, carried out in collaboration with senior managers from several organizations. A frequent comment made by senior managers was that there seemed to be a gulf between the data obtained objectively from behaviourally measured managerial competencies and the senior managers??? own perceptions of their managerial behaviour. Having earlier researched the role of thought processes out of awareness, the author developed the overall aim of the present study ??? to develop some form of training procedures for senior managers that would enhance the use of tacit processes in their managerial behaviours. The present dissertation begins with a literature review related to the development of understanding of the role of tacit processes in the mental life of senior managers. First a review is presented of investigations of organisational behaviour reported in the literature on tacit knowledge, including issues such as learning, teams, leadership, distributed cognition and culture. Study of the role of tacit knowledge was found to be present in the study of management behaviours and during the process of the present research, related publications increased in frequency. Finally a review is presented of psychological research into the nature of tacit knowledge. This focuses on a range of historical and current views and on the author???s own earlier study of implicit learning carried out in the early 1990???s. Study One is focused on examination of the process of coding tacit assumptions. This begins with documentation of the ontology, epistemology and methodology underpinning this research. Grounded theory, a well-recognised method of qualitative analysis, was selected as most appropriate for this study and its philosophy, rationale and methods are presented. The aim of Study One was to examine the effect of repeated interviews on the codifying of tacit assumptions of senior managers. The initial research was with 13 senior managers, who were interviewed either once or on multiple occasions. The initial interviews of two of these senior managers were analysed as pilot studies, and these analyses are presented in the present dissertation. The main body of this research comprises multiple interviews (five each) carried out with two of the original thirteen senior managers. The results confirmed the importance of the method of investigation but failed to provide any depth of understanding. Apart from consolidating cognitive closure on a set of managerial competencies, attempting to render tacit knowledge explicit (making the tacit conscious) provided no other significant benefit to the senior managers. The extension of some of these previously tacit assumptions into current cognitive functioning, when coded, assisted in the retention of organisational knowledge but offered no real benefit to the senior managers themselves, no depth of self-knowledge. Study Two arose from a more realistic understanding of tacit processes. The aim of Study Two was to find a way of harnessing the influences of tacit assumptions without trying to surface them ??? to make them ???conscious.??? This is consistent with the writings of such researchers as Nonaka (1991), Baumard (1999) and Spender (2005). By adapting an existing method focusing on subtle mental processes (developed by Norm Kagan in the context of teaching counselling skills and developed further for research first by Diment, Walker and Hammer and then by Sheehan and McConkey ), the author has further developed a technique (The Explicit/Tacit Interface Technique ??? ET~IT) that accesses the tacit processes in the service of the senior manager???s aims. A multiperspective analysis was applied to the feedback interviews of six subjects. This generated a set of characteristics of the ET~IT that hold promise for it to become a useful management development tool. Cohen and Levinthal???s (1990) concept of ???absorptive capacity??? is discussed as a possible starting point for indicating individual differences in successful interfacing with tacit processes. Finally recommendations for further improvement, consideration of constraints and their minimization and methods for evaluating future research into the tacit assumptions of senior managers are presented. Study Two concludes with discussion of how the results can be used as part of senior management development.

Thesis (M.Ed. Mgt.)--Unitec New Zealand, 2007. / Coda (electronic version) title page has 2008 date. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-99).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-147). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis--Munich. / In Periodical Room.

Thesis (M.Ed. Mgt.)--Unitec New Zealand, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-101).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Pennsylvania State University, 2006. / Adviser: William J. Rothwell. Includes bibliographical references (p. [96]-108)

This thesis uses narrative methods within a social constructivist paradigm to investigate the identity work of managers in a North West England Housing Association, in the context of being ‘in-between’ those whom they directly manage, and those whom they are managed by. Within the complex field of identity studies it draws on a narrative conceptualisation of identity and utilises methods based on narrative structural analysis and the work of Propp (1968), and on a Levi-Straussian (1963, 1983) concept of mythical thought. The thesis is based on an embedded case study strategy in which managers are regarded as individual units of analysis within the bounded system of the case organisation. Data was collected primarily by eliciting stories from managers through interviews, and from observation and document collection over a fifteen month period. The case study organisation is a registered provider of social housing in the North West of England. Management in social housing is an under-studied area, and the complex environment, which makes multiple demands on managers to be both business and socially focused makes it an ideal context in which to investigate manager identity work. The thesis proposes the concept of the ‘medial manager’ as any organisational actor who is both managed themselves and who manages others. Its focus therefore extends from first level supervisors or team leaders through middle managers to senior managers reporting to Executive Board level. It makes a number of contributions to knowledge. First, a conceptual model of medial manager identity is developed through reflexive abductive iteration between primary data and extant literature which allows underlying processes of identity work to be identified, and understanding of identity work to be developed in several ways. These include identifying three distinct but inter-dependent phases of identity work, identifying key affording and constraining factors which help to explain different responses to subject positions by managers, and a more detailed understanding of the role of narrative in identity work. Second, the thesis adds to our understanding of managers. It reveals that the tensions between different interests commonly attributed to the middle manager role are also part of the daily experience of managers at other levels, and perhaps especially at team leader level. Third, the thesis makes a methodological contribution by developing a method of story elicitation and narrative analysis which is shown to be capable of revealing rich and granular detail into the workplace identities and processes of identity work accomplished by medial managers.

The primary purpose of the research is data generation relating to management perceptions of staff development provision in Welsh FE institutions, with the subsidiary aim of identifying weaknesses and omissions in provision and suggesting methods for effecting improvements. After presenting an overview of factors contributing to the growth of staff development provision in FE (chapter 1), the current 'state of the art' is determined by an examination of relevant literature,(chapter 2). Four major themes are identified and employed as research guides and parameters - staff development policies, methods of needs analysis, approaches to provision and evaluation. The research methodology generates data of both a nomothetic and ideographic nature by means of pilot studies, questionnaire survey, case studies involving interviews and repertory grids and the design and testing of a staff development model, (Chapter 3). The investigation proceeds in four stages - a preliminary survey which assesses the accuracy of perceptions derived from the literature survey; a general survey of Welsh FE colleges by means of questionnaire analysis; the conducting of case studies in which college managers' perceptions are examined by interview and completion of repertory grids; the design and testing of a practical effective staff development model which focuses on specific weaknesses and omissions identified by the research, (Chapters 4,5,6,7 and 8). It is found, (Chapter 9), that current provision shows only modest advances when compared with staff development theory and practice highlighted in the literature. In particular college policies, needs analysis systems, approaches to provision are quite rudimentary and inappropriate, with systematic evaluation of provision non-existent. It is also found that deficiencies in practice are matched by similar deficiences in the manner in which current staff development provision is perceived by managers, as indicated by the interviews and repertory grid analyses. It is further found that a staff development model can be a useful tool for improving the understanding and planning of staff development and that it is possible to conduct a meaningful and productive evaluation of a college's provision by means of a practical effective model, having as its focus the principle of holistic evaluation.

The merger of higher institutions in South Africa after 1994 was an important change seen by the ANC-led government to break the shackles of the apartheid era. Notwithstanding the many positives that resulted from these mergers a lot of problems were experienced. This research study sets out to investigate the impact of mergers on managers and educators in the Buffalo City Public FET College (BCC) in East London in the Eastern Cape Province. The purpose of the study was to establish whether the working conditions of managers and educators at BCC had improved and whether managers and educators of the Public FET Colleges were able to interpret the FET Act, No. 16 of 2006 properly in order to improve the operational functions of the BCC. It tried to establish what measures were taken to assist managers and educators to improve the participatory decision-making within the structure of management of the college and whether the merger had any influence on the existing human relationship between staff members from different colleges. To this end an exhaustive literature review was conducted looking at an international perspective as well as a national perspective. The empirical design was a case study which made use of structured interviews to collect data from the three satellite campuses of BCC, using managers and educators. Emerging from the case study was that the merger policies within the FET sector have not properly addressed what might be the issues which would be expected to be achieved. The FET Act, Act No. 16 of 2006 affects the operational functions of the college in such a manner that some educators decided not to transfer their services to the College Council. There was a contradiction in terms of accountability, in the sense that when the employees had grievances the Provincial Department of Education referred the matter to the College Council and the College Council referred back to the Provincial Department of Education. It seemed that nobody would like to deal with the challenges of the college. Most of the participants expressed their dissatisfaction that principals and senior managers were remained employees of the Department of Education, while they, the educators, were classified as employees of the College Council. As far as the conditions of service were concerned, the participants mentioned that the qualified educators were not interested to join the FET College sector because of the salary structure; instead they opted to join the industrial sector where they received better salaries and conditions of service than at the college. Based on the findings emerging from the literature and case study it was recommended that the college must formulate credible policies for effective and efficient operations. A committee should be established to deal with fund-raising. The college must be given a chance to govern their affairs (autonomous status) as the FET Act, Act No. 16 of 2006 stipulates very clearly. Transparency in operational issues was seen as an important prerequisite. Transparency in Public FET Colleges means handling matters in such a manner that such as done openly either in the presence of all affected parties or allowing such parties to demand explanations or documentation or both.