scholarly journals Episodic memories of wilderness experiences foster sustainable leadership style transformation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Boy van Droffelaar
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Peer Counseling ◽  
Sustainable Leadership ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Episodic Memories ◽  
Wilderness Experiences

PurposeThis research evaluates (1) work situations prompting participants to recall memories of a wilderness-based leadership training program, (2) the content of such memories, and (3) the leadership attitudes and behaviors inspired by those memories.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews was performed with 36 leaders who had participated in a wilderness leadership transformation program in the past (on average six years before).FindingsThe findings suggest that, at moments with emotional pressure and psychological stress, episodic memories of wilderness experiences have a positive influence on actual leadership style. Memories involved moments of solitude, a deep connection with nature, and peer-to-peer counseling. The interviewees regularly relived their emotion-laden wilderness experiences, acquiring direction and guidance. Simultaneously, episodic memories of nature immersion promoted an enduring transformation of their leadership styles.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings cannot be blindly generalized as referring to all leaders. The leaders in this study are a subset of leaders who are inclined towards personal growth and leadership development. It is challenging to motivate leaders unkeen on changing to achieve better leadership.Practical implicationsThis study indicates that the inclusion of emotional concepts to address the root causes of learning among leaders might be the most promising way to innovate leadership development.Originality/valueThe present study makes a novel contribution to relevant literature by examining leadership transformation through episodic remembrance of leaders' experiences in nature.

The role of wilderness experiences in leaders’ development toward authentic leadership

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1144-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boy van Droffelaar ◽  
Maarten Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Leadership Behaviors ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Peak Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Wilderness Experiences

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of leaders’ wilderness experiences on intentions to transform leadership behaviors toward authentic leadership. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis was used on trail reports made by participants of a wilderness-based leadership program. Participants (n=97) were leaders working in business and institutional settings, both males and females. Participants were asked to write personal reports within two weeks after the training program about their wilderness experiences, and related behavioral intentions. Findings The analyses revealed four categories of leaders’ peak experiences: heightened sense of self, awareness of one’s core values, deep connected attention, and being in full presence. These peak experiences triggered intentions to change future leadership behaviors: to be more aware of self, to live by the inner compass, to improve careful listening, and to become more transparent. These intentions closely resonate with the core components of authentic leadership. Research limitations/implications The authors’ sample is characterized by developmental readiness: people who are already willing to change. However, developmental ready leaders are the subset of leaders that is particularly relevant studying change toward authentic leadership. Another limitation is intentions are assessed, and hence knowledge about actual changes in leadership style requires additional research. Practical implications The attributes of the transformation program that foster change as revealed here – being in another world, facing unfamiliar challenges, peer-to-peer learning – can be flexibly adopted and implemented in a wide range of leadership transformation programs. Originality/value By demonstrating that being immersed in nature can act as a significant life event that has the potential to foster authentic leadership, this study provides an original contribution to the literature on strategies for intra-personal leadership development.

Public libraries digital services and sustainability issues

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Michnik
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Digital Services ◽  
Local Politicians ◽  
Physical Spaces ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how Swedish local politicians perceive the impact of public library digital services on public libraries and to discuss how this can affect the sustainable development of public libraries. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with local politicians from 19 different Swedish municipalities. Data were treated to qualitative content analysis and discussed based on the concept of sustainable organization. Findings – According to local politicians, public library digital services may affect public libraries through changes to libraries’ physical spaces, librarians’ tasks and competencies and libraries’ economic situations. Based on these findings, public library digital services can both strengthen and weaken public library sustainability through, for example, increased access and expenditures, the latter of which may threaten public library sustainability. Research limitations/implications – Interviews did not focus specifically on the politicians’ views on public library digital services but dealt generally with their views on public libraries. To identify reasons for variations in views on this topic, follow-up interviews should be done. Data on views from public library managers would also be of use to determine the degree to which they are shared with local politicians. Originality/value – When sustainability and public libraries are discussed, the focus is generally on the library’s contribution to a sustainable society. Here, the focus is instead on the sustainability of the public library itself.

The Last-Planner-System’s impact on project culture

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar Jürgen Lühr ◽  
Marian Bosch-Rekveldt ◽  
Mladen Radujković
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Mutual Understanding ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Last Planner System ◽  
Project Culture ◽  
Last Planner

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Last-Planner-System’s impact on project cultures in terms of partnering. Design/methodology/approach A case study was performed using multiple data gathering approaches. The project cultures of three projects not applying the Last-Planner-System were compared with three projects that apply the Last-Planner-System. In total, 30 participants were involved in the study. Semi-structured interviews were held and analysed by applying qualitative content analysis. Also, the “organizational culture assessment instrument”, which belongs to the “competing values framework”, was used by means of an online survey. Findings The Last-Planner-System leads to increased levels of mutual understanding and control about the tasks and issues of the other parties. This detailed overview leads towards a more distinguished evaluation of the trustworthiness of individuals. This does not necessarily lead to a partnering project culture. Originality/value The contribution to research is that higher levels of transparency and mutual understanding do not necessarily lead to a high level of trust. Rather, transparency could be seen as a controlling mechanism that leads to better-founded estimations about the trustworthiness of others in the project.

Trigger events and crucibles in authentic leaders' development

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 324-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Shannon ◽  
Maurice Buford ◽  
Bruce E. Winston ◽  
James Andy Wood
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Leadership Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moral Perspective ◽  
Authentic Leadership Theory ◽  
Authentic Leadership Development ◽  
Trigger Events

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the role of trigger events and leadership crucibles in the lives of authentic leaders. The study was based on two theories: authentic leadership theory and born versus made theory.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were included in the study if they scored between 64 and 80 on the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ). The qualified leaders were then asked to participate in a qualitative interview utilizing an interview guide born out of the relevant literature. The interview followed the guidelines of the Critical Incident Technique (CIT).FindingsThe data indicated that trigger events and leadership crucibles play a significant role in authentic leadership development.Practical implicationsPractitioners should emphasize the prominent themes of self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing and moral perspective and the connection with other themes that emerged from the current study when developing or training leaders. Furthermore, practitioners concerned with creating an authentic leadership culture may consider the findings of the current study to develop and employ hiring and promotion strategies that increase the probabilities of hiring and promoting leaders that exhibit authentic leadership behaviors.Originality/valueThe findings of the research indicate that trigger events and crucibles both affect authentic leadership development. The research findings confirm characteristics associated with authentic leadership theory were predominant in the participants. However, one theme that prevailed was that of spirituality, which may or may not be considered to be part of an authentic leader's moral perspective

Knowledge management practices and systems in county governments in developing countries

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Rumo Arongo Ndiege ◽  
Patrick Kanyi Wamuyu
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Economic Resource ◽  
County Governments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices

Purpose While several studies have indicated the critical role played by the ability of countries to exploit knowledge as an economic resource, it would appear that there have been very few studies conducted on understanding the practices adopted by governments in relation to exploring knowledge, particularly in Africa. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevailing knowledge management practices and technological solutions used by governments to support knowledge management. Design/methodology/approach To address the research objective of this study, semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used. The interviews were conducted with both senior and junior county officials from five counties in Kenya, with a total of 31 county officials participating. Further, various county documents were analysed both to seek convergence and corroborate the interview findings. Findings The study findings revealed that no systematic knowledge management practices existed in the county governments in Kenya, which were investigated. On the few occasions that the study did find evidence of knowledge management practices, these practices were isolated, informal, uncoordinated and rarely documented and/or communicated. Furthermore, the study found that there were inadequate policy frameworks in place to support knowledge management practices. The study also revealed a scarcity of relevant technological solutions tailored to support knowledge management practices. Research limitations/implications It was, thus, hoped that this research would promote an understanding of the prevailing local circumstances that hinder the effective utilisation of knowledge management practices and systems. The study recommends that county governments develop the capabilities required for creating and sustaining an enabling knowledge management environment through frameworks and policies that foster knowledge management practices and systems. The findings have practical implications for the way in which county governments in Kenya and other developing countries may improve their knowledge management practices and adopt appropriate technological solutions to support such practices. Originality/value Much of the existing literature on knowledge management is focussed on exploring such practices in large businesses. Studies centred specifically on the analysis of knowledge management practices in county governments in Africa, and how technological solutions may be used to build such practices are conspicuously lacking in the relevant literature.

Skills and knowledge management in higher education: how service learning can contribute to social entrepreneurial competence development

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1925-1948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jantje Halberstadt ◽  
Jana-Michaela Timm ◽  
Sascha Kraus ◽  
Katherine Gundolf
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Data ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on how service learning approaches are able to foster social entrepreneurship competences. The aim of the paper is to formulate a framework of key competences for social entrepreneurship and to give first insights in how service learning actually has an impact on change in students’ set of competences. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative data collectionmethods of learning diaries of the students and semi-structured interviews, including 40 master’s students studying at a German university in interdisciplinary learning settings and five instructors from the same universities. Analysis was carried out by means of qualitative content analysis. Findings This paper provides empirical insights about the competences that are being fostered by service learning. From these, a framework for social entrepreneurship competences is being derived. Research limitations/implications The set of competences should be further investigated, as it was derived out of a small data set. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to use the set of competences for social entrepreneurship as a basis for future research and on a longer-term perspective, which lead to substantial implications for educational practice. Practical implications This paper includes implications for new perspectives on service learning in the light of the development of a relevant framework for social entrepreneurship competence, having significant implications for educational practice in social entrepreneurship education. Originality/value With this paper, the authors fulfill the need of a framework of social entrepreneurship competences that serves as a foundation for educational practice and further research in the context of service learning and beyond.

scholarly journals Evaluating the audio-diary method in qualitative research

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain Williamson ◽  
Dawn Leeming ◽  
Steven Lyttle ◽  
Sally Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Diary Method ◽  
Diary Methods ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Data Length

Purpose – Audio-diary methods are under-utilised in contemporary qualitative research. The purpose of this paper is to discuss participants and researchers’ experiences of using audio-diaries alongside semi-structured interviews to explore breastfeeding experiences in a short-term longitudinal study with 22 first-time mothers. Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide a qualitative content analysis of the participants’ feedback about their experiences of the audio-diary method and supplement this with the perspectives of the research team based on fieldwork notes, memos and team discussions. The authors pay particular attention to the ways in which the data attained from diaries compared with those from the interviews. Findings – The diaries produced were highly heterogeneous in terms of data length and quality. Participants’ experiences with the method were varied. Some found the process therapeutic and useful for reflecting upon the development of breastfeeding skills whilst negative aspects related to lack of mobility, self-consciousness and concerns about confidentiality. Researchers were positive about the audio-diary method but raised certain ethical, epistemological and methodological concerns. These include debates around the use of prompts, appropriate support for participants and the potential of the method to influence the behaviour under scrutiny. Interview and diary accounts contrasted and complemented in ways which typically enriched data analysis. Practical implications – The authors conclude that audio-diaries are a flexible and useful tool for qualitative research especially within critical realist and phenomenological paradigms. Originality/value – This appears to be the first paper to evaluate both participants and researchers’ experiences of using audio-diaries in a detailed and systematic fashion.

Health care managers learning by listening to subordinates’ dialogue training

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Grill ◽  
G. Ahlborg Jr ◽  
E. Wikström
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Care Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Managers

Purpose – Middle managers in health care today are expected to continuously and efficiently decide and act in administration, finance, care quality, and work environment, and strategic communication has become paramount. Since dialogical communication is considered to promote a healthy work environment, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the ways in which health care managers experienced observing subordinates’ dialogue training. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and documents from eight middle managers in a dialogue programme intervention conducted by dialogue trainers. Focus was on fostering and assisting workplace dialogue. Conventional qualitative content analysis was used. Findings – Managers’ experiences were both enriching and demanding, and consisted of becoming aware of communication, meaning perceiving interaction between subordinates as well as own silent interaction with subordinates and trainer; Discovering communicative actions for leadership, by gaining self-knowledge and recognizing relational leadership models from trainers – such as acting democratically and pedagogically – and converting theory into practice, signifying practising dialogue-promoting conversation behaviour with subordinates, peers, and superiors. Research limitations/implications – Only eight managers participated in the intervention, but data afforded a basis for further research. Practical implications – Findings stressed the importance of listening, and of support from superiors, for well-functioning leadership communication at work. Originality/value – Studies focusing on health care managers’ communication and dialogue are few. This study contributes to knowledge about these activities in managerial leadership.

Situational leadership theory: a test from a leader-follower congruence approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 574-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir Thompson ◽  
Lars Glasø
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Situational Leadership ◽  
Leadership Theory ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Leadership Development Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Rating ◽  
Situational Leadership Theory

Purpose Empirical tests of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory (SLT) have demonstrated that the assessment of follower competence and commitment, critical contextual features dictating optimal leadership style, poses several problems in testing the validity of this theory. As well, most previous studies have used leader rating as the only information source in making these assessments. The purpose of this paper is to use the degree of agreement between leader rating and follower self-rating to determine follower competence and commitment, and consequently an optimal leadership style. Design/methodology/approach Survey data collected from both supervisors and employees in business organizations in Norway were analyzed to test the predictions put forward in SLT. Findings The results show that SLT principles are supported when leader rating and follower self-rating are congruent. However, no support was obtained for Blanchard’s suggestion to apply followers’ self-ratings of competence and commitment in the case of discrepant ratings of follower development level. But data do support the contention that leader assessment would be a better basis for providing followers with appropriate direction and support. Originality/value So far SLT has been a very popular but as yet under-researched theory. An important contribution of the present study is by making SLT an evidence-based theory, as opposed to just being intuitively sound. As such, the authors think SLT in an updated “convergent” version should be applied in organizations and taught in leadership development programs.

Local development through rural entrepreneurship, from the Triple Helix perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 698-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete Sá ◽  
Beatriz Casais ◽  
Joaquim Silva
Keyword(s):  
Triple Helix ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Effects ◽  
Triple Helix Model ◽  
Rural Entrepreneurship ◽  
University Industry

PurposeBy using the Triple Helix model, the purpose of this paper is to uncover the perceptions of nascent entrepreneurs about a university–industry–government collaboration program, in particular about the role of each agent to foster rural entrepreneurship; the value and effect of this collaboration; and their own contributions to local development.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study method is adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs and secondary data. The text is analyzed using qualitative content analysis.FindingsThe interaction of the Triple Helix partners is perceived as valuable both at the personal and the business levels. One of the most salient results is the value ascribed to the knowledge-rich environment created. Entrepreneurs are aware of their contribution to local development, identifying economic, social and cultural effects.Practical implicationsThe research strengthens the importance of the joint efforts of the Triple Helix partners by uncovering a number of outputs from their collaboration, which affect both the entrepreneurs and local development through entrepreneurship.Originality/valuePrevious studies assume that the Triple Helix fosters technological innovation that favors regional development, mainly by adopting a macro-level perspective. This study makes a contribution by furthering the knowledge on the micro-level dynamics of the Triple Helix, through the view of low tech, rural entrepreneurs, considering their context.

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