Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The purpose of this research was to investigate the social and cultural
constructions of leadership and how search committee members evaluate candidates for
leadership positions. Moreover, how they conceptualize, measure, and evaluate
leadership potential of candidates. To explore this issue, the following research
questioned were answered: How do members of an executive search committee construct
their views of leadership?; In what ways do the individual, social, and cultural
constructions of leadership held by search committee members influence behaviors and
outcomes of a search committee?
In this study, I investigated how members of a search committee constructed their
views of leadership and in turn how this influenced the search process for an executive
leader. In order to explore this issue, this study is approached through the constructivism
paradigm and informed by critical inquiry, using case study methodology. I followed one
executive search process from the charge meeting until the committee made its
recommendation to the hiring authority. The unit analyzed in this search employed a
leadership competency model and tools which mapped to this model, in an effort to
mitigate the influence of bias. I used semi-structured interviews with committee members
to understand their views on leadership. I supplemented interviews with observations and
document analysis as means of collecting data for the study.
Three findings emerged through data analysis: the role of background and identity
on views of leadership, the influence of personal and societal constructions of leadership on individual behaviors and search outcomes, and the application or utility of using a
leadership competency model. Through my findings, I demonstrated how individual’s
background and identity shaped their perceptions of what it meant to be a leader.
Additionally, how they rated and talked about candidates matched their individual views
about leadership rather than the leadership competency model they were asked to use.
More specifically, analysis illuminated that minoritized search committee members had
drastically different beliefs about leadership and experiences serving on the search
committee. I concluded the study by outlining implications for policy, future practice,
and future research, including offering a conceptual framework and tools for an equity-minded
search process.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:IUPUI/oai:scholarworks.iupui.edu:1805/24790 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Wilson, Shawn M. |
| Contributors | Palmer, Megan, Hundley, Stephen, Flowers, Natasha, Scribner, Samantha |
| Source Sets | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
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