scholarly journals An Evaluation of an Environmental Leadership Development Programme in New Zealand Today

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Stephen Philip Tully

<p>This study evaluated a leadership development programme for managers in the New Zealand Department of Conservation. The programme is one of several initiatives taken by the Department to adapt its leadership and management to best respond to a variety of challenges. Theories of leadership styles and the efficacy of leadership development are well established, however, little consensus has been researched on the construct of environmental leadership and what makes leadership development for environmental managers successful. This study, which involved a constructivist/interpretivist approach, used mixed methods of research to evaluate the leadership development programme from the experiences and views of the programme participants and some of their managers. Kraiger’s model of evaluation was used to design the evaluation which focused on the programme’s content and design and the changes in the participants. Data confirmed the programme is of high relevance to the participants in their roles as leaders. A number of emerging themes of environmental leadership behaviours resulting from the programme were identified and these are aligned with the literature on leadership and environmental leadership theories. Impacts for future research and practices are suggested such as improving the accessibility of action learning and clarifying the opportunities for incorporating systems thinking.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Stephen Philip Tully

<p>This study evaluated a leadership development programme for managers in the New Zealand Department of Conservation. The programme is one of several initiatives taken by the Department to adapt its leadership and management to best respond to a variety of challenges. Theories of leadership styles and the efficacy of leadership development are well established, however, little consensus has been researched on the construct of environmental leadership and what makes leadership development for environmental managers successful. This study, which involved a constructivist/interpretivist approach, used mixed methods of research to evaluate the leadership development programme from the experiences and views of the programme participants and some of their managers. Kraiger’s model of evaluation was used to design the evaluation which focused on the programme’s content and design and the changes in the participants. Data confirmed the programme is of high relevance to the participants in their roles as leaders. A number of emerging themes of environmental leadership behaviours resulting from the programme were identified and these are aligned with the literature on leadership and environmental leadership theories. Impacts for future research and practices are suggested such as improving the accessibility of action learning and clarifying the opportunities for incorporating systems thinking.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-124
Author(s):  
Majd Megheirkouni ◽  
Ammar Mejheirkouni

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand challenges facing organizations in the twenty-first century and address these challenges through suggesting future leadership development based on relevant leadership theories, which would motivate and guide future research directions in a streamlined manner. Design/methodology/approach The present study adopted the exploratory literature review, using the integrative method, to review the theoretical and empirical literature on leadership development published since the 2000s, primarily focusing on research published in the Journal of Management Development. Findings The findings of the current review confirmed that leadership theories are the base for leadership development theories, particularly if the purpose is to address and overcome the current challenges facing organizations. The authors suggest that leadership theories and leadership development theories do not exist in isolation from one another, nor do they exist in isolation from challenges facing organizations. Research limitations/implications This review does not cover all studies before the 2000s nor other journals in the field of leadership. Originality/value Given that most organizations are suffering from one or more of the following issues: sexual scandals, unethical behaviors, individualism, crises and a low level of performance or productivity, the development of particular leadership skills has become a priority. This study is one of few studies guiding both future leadership development research directions and leadership development initiatives.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mele Katea Paea

<p>This dissertation presents research focused on leadership processes among Pacific public servants at multiple levels in the New Zealand Public Service. The current study was guided by this research question: What are the leadership processes currently employed by Pacific public servants in the New Zealand Public Service? This study also explored participants' views on the effect of Pacific cultural backgrounds and organisational contexts on their current experience of leadership processes. The exploration of the topic was developed within a post-positivist research paradigm, using phenomenological methodology to examine the leadership processes of Pacific public servants. It employs qualitative case studies of two New Zealand Public Service organisations in the Wellington region. I employed two data collection tools in these case studies. The first was the use of in-depth interviews, and the second was an analysis of relevant organisational documents. A total of sixteen Pacific public servants participated in my study, eight from each case organisation. The findings indicated that the Pacific participants understood leadership as a social process of collective influence within a context. Participants perceived participating, networking and relationship building, learning about leadership from cultural contexts, and practising the Pacific value of va as important leadership processes for their performance in the organisations in which they were working. This study also found that the organisations' key roles and leadership values, which are embedded in Pacific cultures, shaped participants' experiences of the leadership processes. The findings also highlight some factors that contribute to and constrain the Pacific public servants' leadership processes. This emphasises the need for diverse policies to encompass leadership development. This study also highlights the need for leadership support for Pacific public servants at all levels in their New Zealand organisations. Practical and future research recommendations gained from the findings are discussed. The study contributes to the field of leadership research on Pacific public servants in New Zealand, and provides a different perspective on leadership processes in general leadership theory.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kathryn Ruth Thornton

<p>The purpose of this research study was to explore the use of information communication technology (ICT) to support leadership development in the New Zealand early childhood education (ECE) sector. There is currently a lack of policy and provision supporting leadership development in this sector. Previous research has identified the value of leadership development programmes that encourage reflective practice, peer collaboration, and a focus on problemsolving in reallife situations. ICT has the potential to support leadership learning using action learning, a process that involves groups of learners working on issues or problems that they face in their professional contexts with the support of a facilitator. Although action learning groups most often meet facetoface, ICT is increasingly being used to support or in some cases replace traditional meetings. This research study, which took the form of interpretive case research, involved the establishment of two blended action learning groups facilitated by the researcher. The participants in this study both met facetoface in facilitated workshops and interacted online while back at their respective workplaces for ongoing reflection, discussion and the sharing of knowledge and resources. The open source software Moodle was the enabling technology used in this study and the ICTs employed included email, online reflective journals, forum discussions and chat sessions. A model of leadership learning using ICT was developed through the analysis of data from this study. This model illustrates the leadership journeys taken by participants who increased their awareness of leadership through a process of recognising, reflecting, realising and responding. This led to increased confidence in their leadership practice and in some cases resulted in a greater distribution of leadership. Four key factors contributing to the leadership learning process were identified to be the blended action learning process, the blended action learning groups, the ICT tools used and the role of the blended action learning facilitator who acted as both an enabler of learning and a trusted inquisitor. This study contributes to our understanding of the process of leadership development using ICT, in particular the role of the blended action learning facilitator and the process of leadership learning.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Grace Faletutulu

<p>This thesis is an exploration of the way leadership is understood by young Pacific peoples. It looks at the possible relationship between leadership and education outcomes for young Pacific peoples. It is located in an interpretative paradigm, and uses qualitative methods and seeks phenomenological date. This is because individuals interpret experiences differently, therefore understanding how these young Pacific people interpret ideas can help answer the thesis question. As Pacific research it foregrounds Pacific concepts such as vā and Pacific methods such as talanoa. These features seek to alignment with the community participating in the study. The findings suggest that young Pacific peoples understand leadership as a negotiation between Pacific and Western ideas. This negotiation is performed contextually. However, young Pacific peoples are also redefining leadership for themselves and a way they are doing this is by combining their Pacific and Western understandings of leadership. From the research there were three implications found for young Pacific peoples. Firstly, too much focus on culture can become a problem. Secondly, the different contexts that young Pacific peoples are being raised in influences their leadership beliefs, especially compared to the older generation. Lastly, young Pacific peoples need to receive recognition for their ability to negotiate ideas between the Pacific and Western worlds. Therefore, recommendations for future research come under two main categories environment. This is focused on rethinking leadership, firstly for young Pacific peoples in New Zealand-Pacific context, then rethinking for young Pacific peoples in a Western context. The second recommendation discusses ways to improve leadership development programs for young Pacific peoples in New Zealand.</p>


Author(s):  
Balakrishnan Muniapan ◽  
Ee Yaw Seng

Transformational leadership has received a great significance in the leadership literature during the past two decades. However, this research is dominated by Western traditions and scant attention is paid to Asian traditions. Therefore, in this paper, the authors explore the relevance of Confucianism, an Asian tradition, and its significance in transformational leadership development. For this purpose, the authors have selected the Analects, which provide the essence of Confucianism to explore the relevant transformational leadership concepts. This paper is based on hermeneutics, a qualitative research methodology that involves study, understanding and interpretation of ancient text. Confucianism provides an inside-out approach to transformational leadership development, which is self leadership first, before leadership of others. This inside-out perspective is also similar to other Asian traditions, such as ancient Indian wisdom. The prospects of analysis of Confucianism in other areas of leadership and management can be considered for future research.


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 386-390
Author(s):  
Christine Healey ◽  
David Fearnley ◽  
Mandy Chivers ◽  
Ovais Wadoo ◽  
Peter Kinderman

Aims and methodNewly appointed consultant psychiatrists have reported that management and leadership is an area for which they are unprepared. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of a leadership development programme based on the principles of ‘action learning’ for higher trainees. A questionnaire survey was sent to 54 trainees and consultants who had attended the programme. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 participants using the concept of maximum variance sampling.ResultsThe relevance of the topics covered, the opportunity for free discussion and increased understanding of National Health Service policy were rated highest. At the end of a thematic analysis, themes were organised into four major categories: (a) lack of engagement with management during training; (b) the lasting impact of the leadership development programme; (c) understanding the larger organisational context; and (d) transition to consultant psychiatrist.Clinical implicationsThe findings suggest that programmes such as this can be successful in raising awareness and increasing engagement in medical leadership and management.


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