The purpose of this non-experimental study was to investigate teacher empowerment and the participatory management within the schools’ cultures. Also, the study investigated the teachers’ expectations of their students’ social skill competency needs and classroom behavioral practices within the existing school culture. Pearson r coefficients were used to determine the degree of relationship between teachers’ perceived empowerment and school culture. Independent t-tests were run on the mean scores between middle school and high school teacher perception of autonomy and collaborative leadership. Responses to an open-ended questionnaire were analyzed as qualitative data on teacher expectations of student social skill competency. Descriptive profiles of the administrators’ strategies in the process of decision making and the formal structured participative management system were calculated. Cross tabulation of school, gender, and years of experience for the administrators’ participatory leadership was included. After data was analyzed, a positive correlation was determined for teacher empowerment and school culture from both the middle school and the high school. The independent t-tests indicated statistically significant differences between the two groups of teachers for autonomy and collaborative leadership. The data from the open-ended questionnaire indicated that teachers’ expectations of social skills in the classroom include cooperation and self-control, but not necessarily assertion. Administrators from both the middle school and the high school agreed that there exists a degree of participatory management. The male administrators with more years experience indicated that explicit procedures for participatory management are only used some of the time and exist infrequently at their schools. It was concluded that overall, the middle school fostered a school climate where teacher empowerment was facilitated by the administration and the teachers. Recommendations included a future study involving teacher empowerment in elementary schools and participatory leadership style in relationship to gender.

Innovation is crucial for the long-term survival of MNEs. Especially, in small nations like the Netherlands, innovation is important to be competitive in the international market. The innovative capacity of MNEs dependents on each employee’s ability to act in an innovative type of way, which makes it essential to enhance employee innovative behaviour. A participative leadership style is one way of enhancing employee innovative behaviour. This relationship could be strengthened by different work climates. This thesis investigates a pro-active and risk-taking work climate because those climates have similar characteristics as a participative leadership style. The purpose of this thesis is to explain the relationship between participative leadership and employee innovative behaviour, and how this relationship is contingent on a risk-taking and pro-active work climate in the context of Dutch MNEs. The research is done through a quantitative method by sending a survey to five Dutch MNEs, active in different branches. The results show a positive significant relationship between participative leadership and employee innovative behaviour, and a positive significant moderating effect of a pro-active work climate on this relationship. Besides, only when certain departments are selected, a positive significant moderating effect of a risk-taking work climate is found. This thesis contributes to the literature by showing a positive significant direct effect of participative leadership on employee innovative behaviour. Moreover, this thesis investigated a pro-active and risk- taking work climate as moderating variables on this relationship which has not been done before.

Abstract Title: The Relationship between Leadership and Organizational Culture Level: Master Degree in Business Administration  Authors: Al Hareere, Rafeh and Bekic, Kenan Supervisor: Maria Fregidou- Malama  Examiner: Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Date: 2018-10-10 Aim: The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between leadership and organizational culture in a financial organization. The study has been conducted in Handelsbanken, Sweden. Method: The study is based on ten qualitative interviews with managers and employees in Handelsbanken, Mid-Sweden offices. We used inductive approach by comparing findings with existing theory. Result & Conclusions: Leadership depends mostly on corporate values and individuals´ personalities within SHB.  We noticed predominantly notion of transformational leadership, consisting of democratic, empowering and participative leadership. SHB´s corporate culture is strong and cohesive, resembling mostly guided missile type of culture. We argue that leadership and corporate culture affect each other, in case of Swedish Handelsbanken through employee motivation and empowerment and internal recruitment and development of future managers. Suggestions for future research: We suggest a study where the possible existence of transactional and laissez faire leadership could be proven within a financial organization as well as studies on other types of corporate culture and conducting similar studies within financial organizations to make comparisons between the organizations. Contribution of the thesis: This study contributes to theoretical knowledge development about leadership and corporate culture and the interconnection between them within a financial organization, as presented in case of Handelsbanken, Mid-Sweden offices. Key words: Leadership, corporate culture, transformational leadership; democratic, empowering, participative leadership; guided missile corporate culture, financial organization

Background: At present, the level of globalisation in technological companies requires them to incorporate innovation to retain their position and move forward and grow. In this direction, a successful leader can prove beneficial in order to help the company evolve and flourish. A leader capable of boosting an innovative spirit among the employees and motivate them to strive for the welfare of the organisation can result in increased organisational performance. This terms are not separate from each other. Leadership, employee motivation, innovative spirit and organisational performance are interconnected and they constitute key elements for ensuring the positive future of every company.Objectives: The present study aims at investigating whether and how participative leadership and transactional leadership can affect the innovation and motivation of employees and by extension whether they can affect the organisational performance. Methodology: This thesis utilises a quantitative approach for data collection and data analysis. A structural equation model (SEM) has been created for the investigation. Employees of tech companies in Sweden and Belgium have been requested to answer an online questionnaire using Google forms. The employees of the companies hold different positions, educational backgrounds and professional experience. A total of 200 answers has been collected and analysed using STATA software both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: The results of the present study showed that there is a strong relationship with transactional leader with regards to stimulating the motivation of employees along with their innovative spirit. This can by extension result in improving organisational performance. Conclusions: The thesis showed that a common leadership style in tech companies, transactional leadership, can contribute in engaging employees to demonstrate a rather innovative attitude, be motivated and improve significantly organisational performance. The effect of transactional leadership needs to be directed through goals and rewards that increase motivation and innovation to have a positive impact on organisational performance, wrong goals and rewards can instead be seen as having a negative impact. Recommendations for future research: Future work could be focused on applying the present model in different sectors and industries. In addition, different leadership styles could be examined that are more fitting to the industry under investigation. Finally, applying the current model in different or broader sample or adding different constructs could be a rather interesting starting point for future research.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The greatest challenge facing the Head of Department is how to successfully manage change. Since 1994 a plethora of changes have taken place in Education. Increasingly schools are being held responsible for every aspect of education. The department is the most appropriate and most important unit for change to provide sustaining quality teaching to learners. The Head of Department is the key to the development of a department or phase at school level. The responsibility of the Head of Department is to develop staff members and to ensure that learners are exposed quality teaching and learning. The Head of Department finds himself/herself in a unique position in that he/she is both a manager of managers and a leader of leaders. The HOD is seen as the driving force of the improvement of the learning process at school. The need for distributed leadership is clear because of the complexity of the management of a school. More staff members are required to lead and the extension of leadership leads to the development of educators. The aim of the study was to analyse and describe what the role of the distributed leadership style of the HOD plays in the development educators and the provision of sustainable quality teaching to all learners. I wanted to determine how educators and the HOD experience the distributed leadership style and to determine if the it enables the HOD to carry out the expected duties using this leadership style. I wanted to determine the appropriateness of distributed leadership and to explore the challenges in the execution of this leadership style by the HOD. The roles and responsibilities of the HOD and the accompanying challenges with the implementation of a distributed leadership style were explored. The experiences, interpretation and the perspectives of the HOD and the educators of the Head of Department’s distributed leadership style were analysed and described. The problem was investigated on the basis of the Head of Department and teachers’ personal experiences and opinions. The result will be of a descriptive, interpretive and analytical nature. The study had a qualitative perspective in the research approach and the research methods were used within an interpretative framework. The research methods that I used in this study were conceptual analysis and interviews. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The research findings generally indicated that with more distributed leadership style educators within the department or phase are given an opportunity to make contributions, to develop and to grow in self-confidence. Staff development is visible in the department to deal with the complexity of the education profession. Distributed leadership offers growth and development opportunities for individuals and the department to provide sustainable quality teaching to all learners. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die grootste uitdaging vir die departementshoof is om verandering suksesvol te bestuur. Vele veranderinge in die onderwysberoep het sedert 1994 plaasgevind. Skole word al hoe meer verantwoordelik gehou vir elke aspek van opvoeding. Die departement is die belangrikste en gepaste eenheid vir verandering om volhoubare gehalte onderrig aan alle leerders te verskaf. Die departementshoof is die sleutel tot die ontwikkeling van ‘n suksesvolle departement en ‘n skool. Die departementshoof het die taak om die personeel te ontwikkel en kwaliteit onderrig en leer te verseker aan die leerders. Die departementshoof word blootgestel aan vele uitdagings om kwaliteit onderrig en leer te verseker. Die departementshoof bevind hom in ‘n unieke posisie dat hy ‘n bestuurder van bestuurders is en ‘n leier van leiers is. Die departementshoof word gesien as die dryfveer en dus die sleutel tot die verbetering van die leerproses by die skool. Die behoefte vir deelnemende leierskap is sigbaar weens die kompleksiteit van die bestuur van ‘n skool, meer personeellede word benodig en die verspreiding van leierskap lei tot die ontwikkeling van opvoeders. Die doel van die studie was om die rol wat die deelnemende leierskapstyl speel vir die departementshoof om opvoeders te ontwikkel om volhoubare gehalte onderrig te verskaf aan alle leerders te analiseer en beskryf. Ek wou vasstel hoe die opvoeders en die departementshoof die deelnemende leierskapstyl ervaar en die departementshoof instaat is om verwagte pligte uit te voer met ‘n deelnemende leierskapstyl. Ek wou die geskiktheid van die deelnemende leierskapstyl bepaal en die uitdagings in die uitvoering van die deelnemende leierskapstyl deur die departementshoof verken. Die pligte en rolle van die departementshoof en die gepaardgaande uitdagings met die uitleef van ‘n deelnemende leierskapstyl is verken. Die departementshoof en opvoeders se belewenisse, interpretasie en hul perspektief van die departementshoof se deelnemende leierskapstyl is geanaliseer en beskryf. Die probleem is ondersoek aan die hand van die departementshoof en opvoeders se persoonlike ervarings en opinies. Die resultaat sal beskrywend, interpreterend en ontledend van aard wees. Die navorsingstudie het ‘n kwalitatiewe perspektief beslaan in die navorsingsbenadering en navorsingsmetodes gebruik binne ‘n interpretatiewe raamwerk. Die navorsingsmetode wat ek in hierdie studie gebruik het, was konseptuele analise en onderhoude. Data is versamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die navorsingsbevindinge het in die algemeen daarop gedui dat met ‘n deelnemende leierskapstyl die opvoeders van die departement geleentheid gegee word om ‘n bydrae te maak, te ontwikkel en te groei in selfvertroue. Personeelontwikkeling is sigbaar in die departement om die kompleksiteit van die onderwys-professie te hanteer. Deelnemende leierskap bied groei en ontwikkelings-geleenthede vir die indiwidu en die departement om volhoubare gehalte onderrig aan alle leerders te verskaf.

Since North Africa is considered as one of the future hot spots for tourism development, western hotel chains increasingly expand to this region. Especially in the opening phase, these hotel groups tend to fill leading positions with male and female western managers. However, we assume that since the Arab culture is very male-dominated, the employment of women managers might cause cultural conflicts. Thus, our thesis aims to identify possible barriers for women to succeed in hotels in North Africa as well as to elaborate critical success factors for future female western leaders to overcome these barriers and to manage effectively. In order to find out about underlying attitudes towards foreigners and female superiors, we conducted a survey among Arabic hotel employees at an international five star hotel in Egypt. The results of our survey were topped up with insights from the literature and the remaining knowledge gaps were filled by holding conversations with industry experts. The findings of our study indicate a trend towards a more liberal Arabic society as well as certain openness towards foreigners and women, which could be ascribed to driving forces, such as globalization and a rise in information technology. However, there are still cases of gender inequality and religious intolerance, which shows that social practices have not yet completely changed. It is thus suggested that female western leaders still face barriers, such as chauvinistic behavior as well as suggestiveness. In order to be able to deal with these barriers, we developed critical success factors for future women managers, such as being cultural intelligent, being interested in the employees, being a coach and a team player, and trusting yourself. In addition, we provided general implications for women operating in other seemingly hostile environments, such as male-dominated industries or women-aversive surroundings.

Although the Task Team on leadership and development (DoE, 1996) has introduced the notion of shared (collaborative) leadership as embodied among others in school management teams, considerable doubt remains about its practical implementation (DoE, 1996). It seems that there may be widespread failure to implement the idea of collaborative (shared) leadership (DoE, 1996). The problem this research explores is whether, in the opinion of school management team members, the traditional approach to leadership has changed (DoE, 1996). According to Grant (2006 in Grant&Singh, 2009), despite an enabling democratic policy framework the leadership at many South African schools seems to remain firmly entrenched within the formal, hierarchical management structure. During the period of colonialism and apartheid in South Africa government legislation perpetuated a society of inequality based on race, class and gender (Grant 2006 in Grant & Singh, 2009). To control and maintain this inequality, government policies promoted centralised, authoritarian control of education at all levels within the system (Grant 2006 in Grant&Singh, 2009). Today, within a democratic South Africa, the South African Schools Act (1996), the Government Gazette of the Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) and the Task Team Report on Education Management Development (DoE, 1996) challenge schools to review their management policies, which have traditionally been top-down, and create a whole new approach to managing schools where management is seen as an activity in which all members of education engage and should not be seen as the task of a few (DoE, 1996:27). According to Moloi (2002 in Grant&Singh, 2009), although our education policies call for new ways of managing schools, many remain unresponsive and retain their rigid structures because educators are unable to make a shift away from patriarchal ways of thinking. It is against this backdrop that I explore whether leadership has indeed shifted to become more participatory and inclusive. One form of leadership that would reflect this shift is termed collaborative leadership (Grant&Singh, 2009). This form of leadership is based on the premise that leadership should be shared throughout an organisation such as a school (Grant&Singh, 2009). This alternate form of leadership allows for the emergence of teachers as one of the multiple sources of guidance and direction (Grant&Singh, 2009). According to Grant and Singh (2009), collaborative leadership offers a radical departure from the traditional understanding of leadership because it deconstructs the notion of leadership in relation to position in the school. It constructs leadership as a process which involves working with all stakeholders in a collegial and creative way to seek out the untapped leadership potential of people and develop this potential in a supportive environment for the betterment of the school (Grant&Singh, 2009). The general aim of this research is to investigate school management teams’ understanding of the implementation of collaborative leadership in primary schools in Gauteng District 4 in Pretoria. In this research I discuss important issues relating to collaborative leadership. My findings reveal that schools management teams indeed understand and implement collaborative leadership in their schools but also that collaborative leadership is much more than just working together as a team. My argument is that there must be a radical reconceptualisation of the concept of collaborative leadership as well as an attempt to move towards more dispersed and democratic forms of it. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Virtual-team professionals have reported experiencing low job satisfaction due to lack of face-to-face interaction leading to stress, miscommunication, and role-confusion. Dissatisfaction among virtual teams has increased turnover and management costs for organizations. Despite these known associations, there was a gap in the literature investigating efficient leadership practices to improve job satisfaction for highly skilled virtual teams. Participative leadership offers an effective approach to increase job satisfaction among face-to-face teams and innovative teams. This study explored the relationship between participative leadership and job satisfaction among highly skilled virtual teams within the global software industry. A quantitative study with a correlational design was utilized among 173 participants from the International Association for Software Architects. Participants took a voluntary online survey by responding to an invitation post on the group LinkedIn page. The questionnaire included participative leadership scale (Ismail, Zainuddin, & Ibrahim, 2010), job satisfaction scale (Wall, Cook, & Warr, 1979), and demographic questions. Correlation analysis indicated that there was a positive relationship between participative leadership and job satisfaction, r(172) = .67, p < .001. Regression analysis revealed that job position had a control effect on job satisfaction, F(2, 170) = 89.46, p < .001, R2 = .51. Higher-ranked professionals enjoyed higher job satisfaction when participative leadership was present. Study results are beneficial for global software organizations to streamline leadership practices for highly skilled virtual teams to ensure high levels of job satisfaction. Ensuring high job satisfaction among skilled global talent helps innovative organizations cut costs, increase competitive advantage, and ensure high work quality.

Numerous factors are likely to influence response patterns to situational judgment tests, including agreeableness, leadership style, impression management, and job and organizational experience. This research presents background information and research on situational judgment tests and several constructs hypothesized to influence situational judgment test responses. A situational judgment test and manipulations to influence response patterns were developed and piloted with a small sample of management professionals and undergraduate students. Larger samples of management professionals and undergraduate students participated in the experimental research. Participants were asked to imagine that they are applying for a job. Each participant was presented with background information about a fictitious company, describing a company as either highly Participative/Supportive or highly Directive/Achieving in its leadership culture. A third description provided no information about leadership culture to serve as a control. Participants responded to a situational judgment test consisting of some commercially developed items and some new items. Then participants responded to an inventory comprised of items that measure the factors hypothesized to influence response patterns, specifically Agreeableness and Experience. Significant differences in response patterns were determined to be attributable to the Agreeableness and Experience variables, and the Leadership Culture manipulations, as well as the interaction between Experience and the Leadership Culture manipulations. No significant differences were clearly attributable to the Agreeableness by Leadership Culture interaction. The ramifications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are presented.

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