John F. McCarthy, David J. O'Connell, Douglas T. Hall and Jan Eyvin Wang
Management scholars and researchers have long been concerned about the impact and relevance of their work. Here we chronicle the teaching, research, management, and personal…
Abstract
Management scholars and researchers have long been concerned about the impact and relevance of their work. Here we chronicle the teaching, research, management, and personal leadership development lessons that have arisen from a collaborative, decade-long relationship between three management faculty members and the senior management team of a major Norwegian-based global shipping and logistics company. This relationship grew from the creation of a teaching case in 1997 to many years of productive and meaningful work together, including the development and delivery of the all-conference Plenary Session at the 2006 Eastern Academy of Management Meeting, held concurrently with the annual CASE Association Conference. At the 2006 Plenary Session, each of the authors expressed powerful personal and professional development through their collaboration over the years, which is summarized in this article. Reflections, lessons and future research directions are provided.
Guorong Zhu, Lan Wang and Douglas T. Hall
This paper employs human resources (HR) analytics to investigate the pathways through which high-potential managers ascend to C-suite positions, and how different developmental…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper employs human resources (HR) analytics to investigate the pathways through which high-potential managers ascend to C-suite positions, and how different developmental paths influence turnover among executives.
Design/methodology/approach
By combining job analysis and competency assessment with sequence analysis, the authors utilize HR analytics to analyze the work experiences of 53 general managers spanning 57 years (n = 2,742), encompassing various roles, job requirements, and 20 executive competencies attached to over 1,000 positions.
Findings
This study's findings reveal three distinct developmental paths that lead to the C-suite, characterized by differences in the content, context, timing, and complexity of work experience. Furthermore, the authors identify that a more complex developmental path tends to reinforce executives' competency in self-awareness while inhibiting their development of technical competency, ultimately resulting in reduced executive turnover.
Originality/value
By employing HR analytics to analyze empirical data embedded in job and organizational contexts, this study sheds light on the critical role of timing and complexity of work experiences in executive development. It also offers practical implications for firms seeking to optimize their leadership pipeline and reduce executive turnover by leveraging HR analytics effectively.
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John F. McCarthy, David J. O'Connell and Douglas T. Hall
As a way to understand contemporary leadership, aims to examine an organization living through tragedy and study how its leader responded to extraordinary challenges over 12 years…
Abstract
Purpose
As a way to understand contemporary leadership, aims to examine an organization living through tragedy and study how its leader responded to extraordinary challenges over 12 years as chief executive officer. Proposes exploring leadership behavior through the lens of paradox, where leaders face conflicting choices in their decision‐making processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary case study research was conducted through on‐site interviews, participant observation, and archival research. Building from the careers and leadership literature, illustrates how one leader sorted through key paradoxical choices and studies how his sense of personal identity and adaptability served as bedrock metacompetencies in navigating complex change.
Findings
Two metacompetencies – personal identity and adaptability – help explain how effective leaders respond to situations requiring seemingly contradictory sets of behaviors. Here, leaders navigate traumatic situations and conflict by drawing on a deep awareness of self and high levels of adaptability, knowing how to respond appropriately to crisis, and invoke behaviorally complex responses to challenges. Frames this as being evidence of “identity/adaptability balanced leadership” to offer leadership development lessons and suggest directions for future leadership research.
Originality/value
This research examines leadership through the metacompetencies of identity and adaptability, emphasizing the critical mutuality across both dimensions. Draws direct linkages between the careers literature and the study of leadership and presents a meaningful way to understand the complexity of contemporary leadership, especially in times of great stress. These reflections offer broadly applicable lessons that will be useful to individuals seeking to grow as leaders and to development professionals who seek to foster growth in others.
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Guorong Zhu, Steve B. Wolff, Douglas T. (Tim) Hall, Mireia Las Heras, Betzaluz Gutierrez and Kathy Kram
In today's turbulent business environment leaders must be able to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. For this research the authors aim to focus on the issue of adaptability…
Abstract
Purpose
In today's turbulent business environment leaders must be able to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. For this research the authors aim to focus on the issue of adaptability defined as the ability to work effectively within a variety of changing situations, and with various individuals or groups. They also aimed to examine how variables of career complexity affect development of adaptability.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors draw on a unique database containing the career histories of 52 senior executives in a major global corporation. They use the term career complexity to represent the degree of variety in these individuals' career experiences, and they test the degree to which career complexity contributes to the development of adaptability later in their careers.
Findings
Findings from this study shed light on the relationship between specific career experiences and executive adaptability. Executives who had the experience to serve in an executive assistant role developed higher levels of adaptability. For executives without the executive assistant opportunity, job rotations through different types of roles provided a boost to their adaptability. Three role type changes (e.g. line, staff, or matrix) is optimal; 100 months is an optimal time to spend in each role type.
Originality/value
While the field of leadership development has generated substantial insight into the competencies required by executives, there are few models and empirical studies that describe the process of how specific competencies are developed. The authors' study highlighted the utility of the career complexity construct for both prospective understanding of career actions and processes and retrospective understanding of paths, patterns, and outcomes. The authors demonstrated the predictive value of the career complexity construct by presenting results of the statistical analyses of the hypothesized relationships between career complexity and career outcomes.
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This paper examines accelerated development and fast track managers. Using the example of Sears, Roebuck & Co, the progression of accelerated development managers was analysed. It…
Abstract
This paper examines accelerated development and fast track managers. Using the example of Sears, Roebuck & Co, the progression of accelerated development managers was analysed. It discovers that managers who progress quickly develop four problems that often lead to failure: no personal network; alienation of others; no resilience and no development of metacompetencies. Suggests that more attention should be paid to relational influences as well as formal training and development programmes to develop well rounded managers.
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Douglas T. Hall, Guorong Zhu and Aimin Yan
“It has become impossible for me — or for any one individual — to know everything that needs to be known about all the changes in market conditions, products, manufacturing, and…
Abstract
“It has become impossible for me — or for any one individual — to know everything that needs to be known about all the changes in market conditions, products, manufacturing, and distribution for each country or region. So, in the final analysis, you have to find the right people for the right problems — and then trust them to take the right actions.” Interview quote from Hay/McBer International CEO Leadership study (McBer & Company, 1995).
We confess that we get a little tired of the claims of originality put forward by librarians or their admirers, often for things that have been in use for a quarter of a century…
Abstract
We confess that we get a little tired of the claims of originality put forward by librarians or their admirers, often for things that have been in use for a quarter of a century. The public events diary, exhibitions of holiday literature, this or that form of reading list, library lessons, and what not, all of which have been familiar to us since the beginning of the century, have all been claimed recently by some library or other which is “showing the way.” Originality, alas, is very rare; and the claim might be avoided we think. At the same time, we much prefer the librarian who faces a problem himself, and shouts with delight at his solution, to one who faces nothing.
This is the second of two consecutive articles taken largely from a PhD thesis. As much as possible it uses the words of the women themselves. It reports respondents’ attitudes…
Abstract
This is the second of two consecutive articles taken largely from a PhD thesis. As much as possible it uses the words of the women themselves. It reports respondents’ attitudes and perceptions concerning working behaviour among a sample of UK women.
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Michael R. Bowers, Charles L. Martin and Alan Luker
Offers a fresh outlook for managing the delicate interactionbetween the customer and the contact employee in the serviceenvironment. Emphasizes that the quality of the…
Abstract
Offers a fresh outlook for managing the delicate interaction between the customer and the contact employee in the service environment. Emphasizes that the quality of the customer‐employee interfacehas a great effect on customers′ perceptions of the quality and value of the service, as well as on their satisfaction. Suggests a model of how companies can improve this interface by treating employees ascustomers and customers as employees, thus developing lower cost and higher quality services and also higher levels of satisfaction on the part of both customers and employees. Recommends various steps for management to take.