Return on investment in healthcare leadership development programs

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya M. Jeyaraman ◽  
Sheikh Muhammad Zeeshan Qadar ◽  
Aleksandra Wierzbowski ◽  
Farnaz Farshidfar ◽  
Justin Lys ◽  
...  

Purpose Strong leadership has been shown to foster change, including loyalty, improved performance and decreased error rates, but there is a dearth of evidence on effectiveness of leadership development programs. To ensure a return on the huge investments made, evidence-based approaches are needed to assess the impact of leadership on health-care establishments. As a part of a pan-Canadian initiative to design an effective evaluative instrument, the purpose of this paper was to identify and summarize evidence on health-care outcomes/return on investment (ROI) indicators and metrics associated with leadership quality, leadership development programs and existing evaluative instruments. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed a scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, searching eight databases from 2006 through June 2016. Findings Of 11,868 citations screened, the authors included 223 studies reporting on health-care outcomes/ROI indicators and metrics associated with leadership quality (73 studies), leadership development programs (138 studies) and existing evaluative instruments (12 studies). The extracted ROI indicators and metrics have been summarized in detail. Originality/value This review provides a snapshot in time of the current evidence on ROI indicators and metrics associated with leadership. Summarized ROI indicators and metrics can be used to design an effective evaluative instrument to assess the impact of leadership on health-care organizations.

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-34

Purpose – The purpose of this article was to explore the wide variety of employee-development initiatives at an international manufacturer of lifting equipment. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the various programs, the form they take and the results they have achieved. Findings – Describes the company’s system of self-assessment questionnaires, its key leadership competencies, the measurement of leadership quality, the various leadership-development programs, the talent-management system, the employment of apprentices and the company’s new training center. Practical implications – Reveals the wide range of benefits that having a well-trained workforce brings to the company and its clients. Social implications – Highlights the benefits to individual workers, and so to society as a whole, of good employee development. Originality/value – Details the wide variety of ways in which a successful international manufacturing company develops its employees.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
Jack J. Phillips ◽  
Patti P. Phillips

Purpose In uncertain times, courageous leaders must be in place, stepping forward to take action to drive results. Because there is really no such thing as a natural-born leader, the organization must constantly develop current and new leaders. Leadership skills and leader behavior are shaped and molded over time, but also can be dramatically changed and improved with a variety of effective leadership development programs. The perplexing issue about leaders and leadership development is the negative press it often receives. The root cause of this problem is not necessarily the content of leadership development programs or even the way that they are delivered, it is the definition of leadership success and the success of leadership development. Design/methodology/approach The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the success of a courageous leader does not occur until impact is achieved in the organization. Findings The courageous leader is one who can deliver on all levels of outcomes in the face of many difficulties, challenges and uncertainties in ambiguous environments. Originality/value Great leaders deliver great results, including the impact they have on their organizations or spheres of influence. Without impact, leaders are ineffective. To achieve success in these turbulent times requires leaders to be effective in delivering on five levels of outcomes, including impact and ROI. The courageous leader is one who can deliver on all levels of outcomes in the face of many difficulties, challenges and uncertainties in ambiguous environments.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 511-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen F. Goldman ◽  
Marilyn Wesner ◽  
Margaret M. Plack ◽  
Nisha N. Manikoth ◽  
Yolanda Haywood

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the impact leadership development program graduates had on their workgroup, the nature of that impact and how that impact occurred. Design/methodology/approach – This research was conducted at three sites using a qualitative interview methodology with thematic data analysis. Techniques to ensure trustworthiness included purposive sampling, triangulation of researchers, member checks and code checking. Findings – Analysis of the data revealed secondhand learning as specific changes in practices, behaviors and attitudes, transferred by program graduates to their peers and supervisors. The transfer of learning was described as both intentional and informal learning during episodes of varying duration, and occurred through a variety of dyadic and group interactions in a manner generally consistent with the 4I framework of organizational learning. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to medical educators. Recommendations for supervisors and organizations to maximize training transfer are identified. These suggestions advocate for actively encouraging graduates in departmental leadership and faculty development; focusing transfer on specific practices, behaviors and attitudes; and considering both short- and long-term outcomes. Originality/value – This paper makes an original contribution to the literature by describing the process of secondhand learning from leadership development program graduates. The paper also expands our understanding of the nuances in transfer methods and associated learning episodes in the context of an educational environment. Finally, the research illustrates how qualitative methods can be used to expose secondhand learning.


2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kirchner ◽  
Mesut Akdere

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how branches of the USA military conduct leadership development of their members to build on existing knowledge of effective approaches. The military, often credited for its ability to develop leadership competencies, has been overlooked and offers a new context for consideration in training. Training strategies presented may offer organization leaders new insight into enhancing current leadership development programs. Design/methodology/approach A review of accessible military doctrine in recent decades was conducted to determine leadership development methodology for possible transferability into industry. Findings The military’s diverse perspectives on service member leadership development offered insightful methods for application in commercial training. Four development strategies were identified and are discussed. Research limitations/implications The purpose of the military is unique from non-military organizations and, as such, each of the leadership development training approaches may not be applicable or feasible for traditional employees. Further exploration of leadership development in the US military is required to better understand the impact of the training. Originality/value A review of existing literature revealed little evidence of examining the military’s approach to developing leaders, even though employers claim to hire veterans because of their leadership abilities. Each of the identified development components are distinguishable from traditional leadership programs and present readers a series of opportunities to consider.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth King ◽  
Paul Nesbit

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate ways to gain deeper understanding of the evaluation challenge by reporting on insights about the impact of a leadership development program. It focusses on participants’ reflective post-course analysis of their learning, comparing this to a traditional evaluative analysis. Recently there has been a greater focus on programs to develop leaders who have the requisite cognitive and behavioral complexity to lead in challenging environments. However models for the evaluation of such programs often rely on methodologies that assume learning of specific skills rather than assessment of how well participants are able to cognitively and behaviorally adapt to uncertain and complex environments. Design/methodology/approach – The leadership development program was evaluated in two stages and the findings compared. Stage 1 elicited responses to the program using a traditional evaluation approach. Stage 2 involved 30 semi-structured interviews with the participants exploring the connections made between their development experience, work environment and approach to challenge. Findings – Evaluation approaches which focus on assessing reflection about personal learning provide greater detail on learning experience than traditional approaches to evaluation and can increase our understanding of the broader impact of leadership development programs. Current evaluation practices are mostly traditional despite dissatisfaction with outcomes. There are functional and financial benefits flowing from this practice suggesting collusion with denial between the suppliers and purchasers of leadership development and posing a question of causation. Originality/value – This study supports the use of qualitative evaluation techniques and in particular a focus on post-learning reflection to increase understanding of the impact of leadership development programs. The increased understanding provided by this type of evaluation can play a significant role in both the design of leader development programs and the creation of strategic alignment between business strategy, the purpose of leadership development interventions, learning objectives, program design and program evaluation.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Leach ◽  
Bradley Hastings ◽  
Gavin Schwarz ◽  
Bernadette Watson ◽  
Dave Bouckenooghe ◽  
...  

Purpose This paper aims to extend the consideration of distributed leadership in health-care settings. Leadership is typically studied from the classical notion of the place of single leaders and continues to examine distributed leadership within small teams or horizontally. The purpose is to develop a practical understanding of how distributed leadership may occur vertically, between different layers of the health-care leadership hierarchy, examining its influence on health-care outcomes across two hospitals. Design/methodology/approach Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from 107 hospital employees (including executive leadership, clinical management and clinicians) from two hospitals in Australia and the USA. Using thematic content analysis, an iterative process was adopted characterized by alternating between social identity and distributed leadership literature and empirical themes to answer the question of how the practice of distributed leadership influences performance outcomes in hospitals? Findings The perceived social identities of leadership groups shaped communication and performance both positively and negatively. In one hospital a moderating structure emerged as a leadership dyad, where leadership was distributed vertically between hospital hierarchal layers, observed to overcome communication limitations. Findings suggest dyad creation is an effective mechanism to overcome hospital hierarchy-based communication issues and ameliorate health-care outcomes. Originality/value The study demonstrates how current leadership development practices that focus on leadership relational and social competencies can benefit from a structural approach to include leadership dyads that can foster these same competencies. This approach could help develop future hospital leaders and in doing so, improve hospital outcomes.


Author(s):  
Shilpa Kabra Maheshwari ◽  
Jaya Yadav

Purpose Current volatile environments, business complexity, and leadership gaps are compelling organizations to deploy effective leadership development strategies. Fueled by competitive growth and people challenges, efforts continue to scale up but fail to create the desired leaders. This paper aims to address the missing links and calls for new ways of deploying leadership development strategy. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data on experiential feedback have been collected from participants and stakeholders of leadership development programs in Indian organizations. Findings An integrated six-step approach to leadership development has been proposed for scholars and practitioners. Practical implications From the practitioner’s perspective, this study contributes to the field of leadership development by challenging the relevance of current approaches. It also adds to the scholarly literature on leadership development in the context of the organization and the individual. Originality/value Current studies in the area of leadership development in the Indian context are scarce.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 637-650
Author(s):  
Laura Paglis Dwyer

Purpose The purpose of this paper, on self-efficacy and leadership, has two objectives. First, it comprehensively reviews approximately 25 years of research on leadership self-efficacy (LSE), beginning with LSE measurement and related criticisms. Findings concerning LSE’s relationships with leader effectiveness criteria, as well as individual and contextual influences on LSE, are presented. Second, it examines the evidence on efficacy enhancement interventions and offers some preliminary recommendations for increasing LSE through leadership development programs. Design/methodology/approach The author conducted a comprehensive literature review of the existing research on LSE, covering the main contributors to this research stream and their findings. Findings The review revealed substantial diversity in LSE construct development and measurement approaches. Regarding LSE and leader effectiveness, many studies reported positive relationships with potential, performance and behavioral ratings of leaders. Collective (team) efficacy has emerged as a significant mediator between LSE and group performance. Influences on LSE include several of the Big Five personality traits, while contextual antecedents are under-researched, and potentially fruitful areas for further study. Executive coaching and mentoring, as well as cognitive modeling techniques and training in constructive thought patterns, received support for enhancing LSE in developing leaders. Originality/value This paper’s review and implications should be of substantial value to current and future LSE researchers, as it summarizes past research, synthesizes the findings to draw out common themes and consistent, corroborated findings, and identifies opportunities for future research. For practitioners, the reviewed research on interventions for increasing LSE through leadership development programs provides practical guidance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Hamidifar

Purpose – Over the past three decades, academic leaders at Islamic Azad University (IAU) have been facing different challenges for the success of the institutions. The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges confronting IAU academic leaders in managerial positions. Design/methodology/approach – In this qualitative study, questionnaires containing open-ended questions were sent to academic leaders in managerial positions at IAU branches in Iran and the collected data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings – The results revealed that the main challenges were categorized into two themes: internal and external environmental factors. Internal challenges were sub-categorized into administration and managerial affairs, financial issues, organizational culture, and students’ affairs. External challenges were sub-categorized into political, economic, social, and technological factors, and international and national competitions. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to Iran and IAU academic leaders who worked mainly in high-level and middle-level of managerial positions; therefore, the results cannot be generalized. The key implications are related to applying continuous professional growth through collaborative and qualified development programs. The implications could be appropriate for other higher education institutions in Iran. Originality/value – This is the first attempt to study the challenges confronting IAU academic leaders in Iran. The findings can help IAU academic leaders plan the most appropriate framework for professional academic leadership development programs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1262-1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Kotlyar ◽  
Julia Richardson ◽  
Len Karakowsky

Purpose – An increasingly popular method of facilitating employee and leadership development is via a career community (Parker et al., 2004), where individuals self-organize to obtain career support. This study was driven by the following research question: how do external peer coaching groups – which are a form of career community – impact leadership development? The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a research study that examined one such career community focussed on providing peer coaching for managers in business organizations. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with participants who attended a leadership development program that was based on harnessing a career community for the purpose of peer coaching. The authors report the results of the study and its implications for leadership development programs. Design/methodology/approach – The authors chose a qualitative methodology to conduct this exploratory examination, where the authors conducted in-depth interviews with participants in a unique leadership development program which involved peer group coaching supplemented by one-on-one personal coaching. A key reason for adopting a qualitative methodology was that the authors were looking for a deeper understanding of interviewees’ perceptions and experiences regarding peer coaching. The first component of the leadership program involved eight peer coaching sessions over a 12-month period. Participants met in small, exclusive groups – typically in cohorts of seven to eight peers, but as many as 12 peers – every six weeks to discuss a variety of topics relevant to their jobs and stage of career and to provide each other with peer coaching and advice. Each group was comprised of people from different organizations. Sessions were led by a facilitator and lasted three hours each. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 17 graduates of the program. The sample comprised 14 women and three men. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using thematic analysis (King, 2004) to identify the key themes in interviewees’ experiences of the respective program. Findings – Thematic interpretation of participants’ responses yielded the following four major themes: first, the value of a learning community; second, the utility of a formal approach to peer coaching; third, the value of diversity and “externality”; and fourth, the value of an open learning environment (each fully described in the manuscript). The study revealed that external peer coaching and personal coaching deliver distinct types of value as part of a complete leadership development program. Research limitations/implications – This was a case study and specific to one leadership development program. Consequently, the authors cannot necessarily generalize the findings. Practical implications – The findings draw critical attention to the major contribution that learning communities can make toward leadership development. Although many leadership development programs assume that “leadership” is best learned from top leaders (e.g. Presidents and CEOs), organizations can acquire unique benefits by leveraging the concept of peer coaching, which can produce substantial results by having managers at the same organizational level learn from each other. In addition, the study underscores the potential value of external sources of peer coaching and leader development. Organizations may further maximize such benefits by sending their mid and senior-level managers to external peer coaching programs, which can deliver unique value in addition to any internal leadership development initiatives. Social implications – This study underscores the need to better bridge the gap between two literatures – careers and leadership development. Career scholars explore the activities involved in developing careers (e.g. career communities) and leadership development scholars explore activities involved in developing leaders. This study demonstrates the value of integrating knowledge from both these literatures to suggest that learning communities can impact leadership development in significant and positive ways. Originality/value – This study makes a novel contribution to the literature addressing leadership development. It draws attention to the use of career communities for leadership development – an issue which has largely been ignored. In addition, while much of the extant research has focussed on either academic or student participants, the study focussed on business professionals. Few studies have examined the use of peers from outside organizations to serve as coaches for leadership development.


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