scholarly journals An empirical study on changing leadership in agile teams

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone V. Spiegler ◽  
Christoph Heinecke ◽  
Stefan Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Role ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Role Conflicts ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Support Teams ◽  
Development Teams ◽  
Leadership Changes ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Agile Teams ◽  
Practical Implications

AbstractAn increasing number of companies aim to enable their development teams to work in an agile manner. When introducing agile teams, companies face several challenges. This paper explores the kind of leadership needed to support teams to work in an agile way. One theoretical agile leadership concept describes a Scrum Master who is supposed to empower the team to lead itself. Empirical findings on such a leadership role are controversial. We still have not understood how leadership unfolds in a team that is by definition self-organizing. Further exploration is needed to better understand leadership in agile teams. Our goal is to explore how leadership changes while the team matures using the example of the Scrum Master. Through a grounded theory study containing 75 practitioners from 11 divisions at the Robert Bosch GmbH we identified a set of nine leadership roles that are transferred from the Scrum Master to the Development Team while it matures. We uncovered that a leadership gap and a supportive internal team climate are enablers of the role transfer process, whereas role conflicts may diminish the role transfer. To make the Scrum Master change in a mature team, team members need to receive trust and freedom to take on a leadership role which was previously filled by the Scrum Master. We conclude with practical implications for managers, Product Owners, Development Teams and Scrum Masters which they can apply in real settings.

Gender and leadership stereotypes theory: is it reaching the boundaries?

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
pp. 1336-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anselmo Ferreira Vasconcelos
Keyword(s):  
Gender Bias ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Gender And Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Traits ◽  
Efficiency And Productivity ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Traditional Understanding

PurposeThis paper aims to answer whether the notion of the gender and leadership stereotypes theory has already reached its boundaries.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish such a goal, it relies on the extant literature looking for more robust findings, problems, disruptions and pathways toward building a better understanding of this problematic.FindingsThe evidence gleaned throughout this paper suggests that the interplay between gender and leadership stereotypes theory has reached its boundaries. Moreover, the traditional sex stereotype or gender traits approach within companies seems to be highly limited taking into account that it tends to nurture rivalry and prejudice among people of different genders. Rather than focusing on leader sex approach or egalitarian quotas, in terms of leadership role and despite the fair argument of diversity, the author proposes that it is wiser to concentrate on a meritocratic view.Practical implicationsIt suggests that an androgyny leadership style appears to be welcomed in organizations, yet some shift about this understanding may be occurring. At present, however, female aspirants of leadership roles should work increasingly toward adapting themselves to this profile. In doing so, it is likely that they may be benefited from organizational evaluations in which the merit issue constitutes an imperative.Originality/valueOverall, it is expected to contribute to theory by arguing that the traditional understanding of gender and leadership stereotypes theory is not suitable anymore to deal with the uncertainties and complexities that shape today’s business arenas. On the contrary, it argues that such approach tends only to encourage gender bias and to nurture a somewhat sex war game in detriment of organizations efficiency and productivity.

Perceptions of Facilitators and Barriers to Measuring and Improving Quality in Palliative Care Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 1022-1028
Author(s):  
Kamini Kuchinad ◽  
Ritu Sharma ◽  
Sarina R. Isenberg ◽  
Nebras Abu Al Hamayel ◽  
Sallie J. Weaver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Quality Measurement ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Educational Support ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers

Objective: To examine perceptions of facilitators and barriers to quality measurement and improvement in palliative care programs and differences by professional and leadership roles. Methods: We surveyed team members in diverse US and Canadian palliative care programs using a validated survey addressing teamwork and communication and constructs for educational support and training, leadership, infrastructure, and prioritization for quality measurement and improvement. We defined key facilitators as constructs rated ≥4 (agree) and key barriers as those ≤3 (disagree) on 1 to 5 scales. We conducted multivariable linear regressions for associations between key facilitators and barriers and (1) professional and (2) leadership roles, controlling for key program and respondent factors and clustering by program. Results: We surveyed 103 respondents in 11 programs; 45.6% were physicians and 50% had leadership roles. Key facilitators across sites included teamwork, communication, the implementation climate (or environment), and program focus on quality improvement. Key barriers included educational support and incentives, particularly for quality measurement, and quality improvement infrastructure such as strategies, systems, and skilled staff. In multivariable analyses, perceptions did not differ by leadership role, but physicians and nurse practitioners/nurses/physician assistants rated most constructs statistically significantly more negatively than other team members, especially for quality improvement (6 of the 7 key constructs). Conclusions: Although participants rated quality improvement focus and environment highly, key barriers included lack of infrastructure, especially for quality measurement. Building on these facilitators and measuring and addressing these barriers might help programs enhance palliative care quality initiatives’ acceptability, particularly for physicians and nurses.

scholarly journals THE ASSESSMENT OF LEADERSHIP OUTCOMES IN CAPSTONE PROJECTS USING ANONYMOUS PEER FEEDBACK

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Peer Feedback ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Capstone Project ◽  
Capstone Projects

Assessing the leadership abilities of engineering students for the purposes of accreditation and outcomes assessment is a particularly challenging task. For a few students, clear evidence of leadership will exist. These students naturally take on leadership roles within their teams. They have the complete confidence and support of their teammates. The team functions as a cohesive unit. In such a situation, an instructor can easily recognize the quality of leadership provided but may struggle with quantitatively assessing the leadership abilities exhibited. In other cases, students arguably possess leadership abilities yet fail to demonstrate their abilities in a way that can be assessed by an instructor. Such students might demonstrate leadership within their team by taking on an undesirable task or by taking on a disproportionate share of the workload. If a student perceives that leadership is not required, a student might demonstrate great leadership by not taking on an obvious leadership role. Peer feedback can help an instructor identify such examples of leadership.To enable proper assessment of leadership abilities,a suitable environment must be created such that all students have a natural opportunity to demonstrate their leadership skills in their own way. Such an environment is often created by a capstone project. Given the scope of a capstone project, all team members typically have several opportunities to take on a leadership role and/or demonstrate leadership.The challenge is to assess leadership quantitatively without forcing a change in the behaviour ofthe students. This paper examines the design and implementation of an anonymous peer feedback survey for the purpose of quantitatively assessing different measures of teamwork and leadership abilities in engineering students. This paper describes the challenges that are associated with such an assessment process. This paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed assessment technique.

The Relationship Between Leader–Member Exchange and Employees’ Proactive Behaviors

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-111
Author(s):  
Fong-Yi Lai ◽  
Szu-Chi Lu ◽  
Cheng-Chen Lin ◽  
Yu-Chin Lee
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Leader Member Exchange ◽  
Voice Behavior ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Member Exchange ◽  
Multi Temporal ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Abstract. The present study proposed that, unlike prior leader–member exchange (LMX) research which often implicitly assumed that each leader develops equal-quality relationships with their supervisors (leader’s LMX; LLX), every leader develops different relationships with their supervisors and, in turn, receive different amounts of resources. Moreover, these differentiated relationships with superiors will influence how leader–member relationship quality affects team members’ voice and creativity. We adopted a multi-temporal (three wave) and multi-source (leaders and employees) research design. Hypotheses were tested on a sample of 227 bank employees working in 52 departments. Results of the hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis showed that LLX moderates the relationship between LMX and team members’ voice behavior and creative performance. Strengths, limitations, practical implications, and directions for future research are discussed.

From whom do we learn group norms? Low-ranking group members are perceived as the best sources

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E Dannals ◽  
Emily Reit ◽  
Dale T. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Correlation Study ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Norm Perception ◽  
Lower Ranking ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Groups And Teams ◽  
Or Team ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
To Receive

Social norm perception is ubiquitous in small groups and teams, but how individuals approach this process is not well understood. When individuals wish to perceive descriptive social norms in a group or team, whose ad- vice and behavior do they prefer to rely on? Four lab studies and one Teld survey demonstrate that when in- dividuals seek information about a team’s social norms they prefer to receive advice from lower-ranking indi- viduals (Studies 1–4) and give greater weight to the observed behavior of lower-ranking individuals (Study 5). Results from correlation (Study 3) and moderation (Study 4) approaches suggest this preference stems from the assumption that lower-ranking team members are more attentive to and aware of the descriptive social norms of their team. Alternative mechanisms (e.g., perceived similarity to lower-ranking team members, greater honesty of lower-ranking team members) were also examined, but no support for these was found.

Corporate acceleration process: a systems psychodynamics perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163-1180
Author(s):  
Piotr Wójcik ◽  
Krzysztof Obłój ◽  
Aleksandra Wąsowska ◽  
Szymon Wierciński
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Acceleration Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Social Defenses ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the emotional dynamics of the corporate acceleration process, using the systems psychodynamics perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies inductive multiple case study of embedded 10 cases of corporate acceleration, covering both incumbent and startup perspectives, occurring in the context of a corporate accelerator.FindingsWe find that (1) the process of corporate acceleration involves three phases, each of them is dominated by a different emotional state (hope, anxiety and acceptance), triggering different behavioral responses; (2) as a means to deal with negative emotions, entrepreneurs and corporate acceleration program's team members develop different mechanisms of dealing with contradictories in subsequent acceleration phases (defense and copying mechanisms), which are reflected in their behaviors. Coping mechanisms with goal reformulation (i.e. refocus from the officially declared “open innovation” goals toward mainly symbolic ones) is an effective strategy to manage negative emotions in third phase of the acceleration.Research limitations/implicationsOur sample is limited to two relatively similar accelerators established by telecom companies, and therefore, our theoretical and practical conclusions cannot be generalized.Practical implicationsWe supplement the studies of corporate accelerators that imply how to design them better and improve decision-making rules with recommendation that in order to improve their effectiveness in terms of learning and innovations, their managers need not only to learn how to manage structural and procedural differences but also how to overcome social defenses triggered by corporate–startups cooperation.Originality/valueBy documenting a multidimensional impact of acceleration process, and especially shedding light on psychodynamic aspects behind such liaisons, this paper contributes to richer understanding of corporate–startup relationships, typically examined through a rationalistic lens of strategy literature. The study contributes to interorganizational research and open innovation literature, by showing that corporate acceleration process is marked by phases based on the type of emotions intertwined with the nature and dynamism of its life cycle. It indicates how these emotions are managed depending on their type.

Mobile Collaboration Support for Virtual Teams

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 48-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keng Siau ◽  
Min Ling
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Development Teams ◽  
Geographically Distributed ◽  
Qualitative Technique ◽  
Sophisticated Technology

Organizations increasingly depend on virtual teams in which geographically distributed individuals use sophisticated technology to interact and collaborate. With the advancement of mobile and wireless technology, mobile support for collaboration among virtual team members is becoming increasingly important and popular. In this research, we study the values of mobile support for virtual team members. Using the qualitative technique, Value-Focused Thinking approach, proposed by Keeney, we interviewed 30 subjects who were involved in information systems development teams and asked them the values of mobile support for virtual collaboration. This study uses Alter's Work Systems Theory as the conceptual foundation.

The deputy principal instructional leadership role and professional learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Leaf ◽  
George Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a study examining the perceptions of secondary principals, deputies and teachers, of deputy principal (DP) instructional leadership (IL), as well as deputies’ professional learning (PL) needs. Framed within an interpretivist approach, the specific objectives of this study were: to explore the extent to which DPs are perceived as leaders of learning, to examine the actual responsibilities of these DPs and to explore the PL that support DP roles. Design/methodology/approach The researchers used multiple perspective case studies which included semi-structured interviews and key school document analysis. A thematic content analysis facilitated qualitative descriptions and insights from the perspectives of the principals, DPs and teachers of four high-performing secondary schools in Sydney, Australia. Findings The data revealed that deputies performed a huge range of tasks; all the principals were distributing leadership to their deputies to build leadership capacity and supported their PL in a variety of ways. Across three of the case study schools, most deputies were frequently performing as instructional leaders, improving their school’s performance through distributing leadership, team building and goal setting. Deputy PL was largely dependent on principal mentoring and self-initiated but was often ad hoc. Findings add more validity to the importance of principals building the educational leadership of their deputies. Research limitations/implications This study relied upon responses from four case study schools. Further insight into the key issues discussed may require a longitudinal data that describe perceptions from a substantial number of schools in Australia over time. However, studying only four schools allowed for an in-depth investigation. Practical implications The findings from this study have practical implications for system leaders with responsibilities of framing the deputies’ role as emergent educational leaders rather than as administrators and the need for coherent, integrated, consequential and systematic approaches to DP professional development. Further research is required on the effect of deputy IL on school performance. Originality/value There is a dearth of research-based evidence exploring the range of responsibilities of deputies and perceptions of staff about deputies’ IL role and their PL needs. This is the first published New South Wales, Australian DP study and adds to the growing evidence around perceptions of DPs as instructional leaders by providing an Australian perspective on the phenomenon. The paper raises important concerns about the complexity of the DP’s role on the one hand, and on the other hand, the PL that is perceived to be most appropriate for dealing with this complexity.

Workplace-based clinical leadership training increases willingness to lead

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleece MacPhail ◽  
Carmel Young ◽  
Joseph Elias Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Leadership Training ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Senior Executive ◽  
Clinical Leadership ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon a workplace-based, interdisciplinary clinical leadership training programme (CLP) to increase willingness to take on leadership roles in a large regional health-care centre in Victoria, Australia. Strengthening the leadership capacity of clinical staff is an advocated strategy for improving patient safety and quality of care. An interdisciplinary approach to leadership is increasingly emphasised in the literature; however, externally sourced training programmes are expensive and tend to target a single discipline. Design/methodology/approach – Appraisal of the first two years of CLP using multiple sourced feedback. A structured survey questionnaire with closed-ended questions graded using a five-point Likert scale was completed by participants of the 2012 programme. Participants from the 2011 programme were followed up for 18 months after completion of the programme to identify the uptake of new leadership roles. A reflective session was also completed by a senior executive staff that supported the implementation of the programme. Findings – Workplace-based CLP is a low-cost and multidisciplinary alternative to externally sourced leadership courses. The CLP significantly increased willingness to take on leadership roles. Most participants (93 per cent) reported that they were more willing to take on a leadership role within their team. Fewer were willing to lead at the level of department (79 per cent) or organisation (64 per cent). Five of the 11 participants from the 2011 programme had taken on a new leadership role 18 months later. Senior executive feedback was positive especially around the engagement and building of staff confidence. They considered that the CLP had sufficient merit to support continuation for at least another two years. Originality/value – Integrating health-care professionals into formal and informal leadership roles is essential to implement organisational change as part of the drive to improve the safety and quality of care for patients and service users. This is the first interdisciplinary, workplace-based leadership programme to be described in the literature, and demonstrates that it is possible to deliver low-cost, sustainable and productive training that increases the willingness to take on leadership roles.

Managers’ silent whisper innovation involvement and role-modeling in service firms

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingela Sölvell
Keyword(s):  
Role Model ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Role Modeling ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The task of leading innovation is predominantly pictured as a supportive role vis-à-vis employees. Motivation is a crucial aspect of this task. To better understand the practice of this change-oriented leadership task, the actual behavior and activities of managers are investigated. The purpose of this paper is to reflect through practice and self-reports how this leadership challenge is executed. Design/methodology/approach In this longitudinal multi-method investigation, the service innovation literature constitutes the main theoretical framework. The investigation draws additionally on leadership literature about how to understand leadership through practice. The methodological design facilitated the drawing of causal inferences in the dynamics of service innovation. Findings The investigation enhances our understanding of managers’ particular context of innovation, and particularly the initiation context. It provides empirically grounded descriptions of what managers identify as potential opportunities, and how they take them further in the ideation stage. The results develop the suggestion that leadership roles, and specifically change-oriented roles, are not restricted to initiating or enabling activities related to the employees. Instead the much downplayed leadership role, i.e. the active practice-based involvement in innovation, is theorized as a role that is continuously activated, but tends to be set aside for contingency reasons. Research limitations/implications Further research is needed to assess the importance of managers’ involvement in the practice of innovation, both through systematic mapping of ideas on a larger scale, and through the employee perspective. This paper provides useful insights on managers’ cognition and involvement in innovation for further investigations of innovation management. Practical implications The results provide awareness for managers regarding their diverse leadership roles related to innovation. First, the study embraces heterogeneous ideas that are useful to evaluate and constitute role-modeling. Second, it highlights how managers’ execution of innovation creates awareness about the challenges involved. Finally, but maybe most important, the results alert managers of the discontinuity, even in strategically anchored intentional innovation. Social implications In a changing innovation landscape, individual firms need to draw on other firms to achieve their innovation strategies. In pursuit of this goal, this paper enhances the understanding of the role-modeling leadership task. It is a novel way of guiding individuals that are exposed to new and uncertain innovation contexts, and rethinking how innovation eventually can be achieved. Originality/value While earlier research has identified the multifaceted leadership behavior to support innovation, this paper outlines the contextual conditions and the practice of executing the suggested powerful role of being a role-model for others.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document