Meredith A. Atwood, Jordan W. Mora and Abram W. Kaplan
This paper aims to evaluate leadership diffusion in a federal agency within the context of organizational learning and culture change.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate leadership diffusion in a federal agency within the context of organizational learning and culture change.
Design/methodology/approach
Using an innovative 360 degree survey assessment method, the impact of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Leadership Program (LP) was examined. A series of statistical tests was performed to analyze the role of familiarity and exposure in predicting leadership behavior and to compare the level of leadership behavior among co‐workers based on exposure to the LP.
Findings
The findings indicate that familiarity is a critical predictor of behavior change across all co‐worker subgroups. Increased exposure to the LP results in stronger, more consistent predictive models. Finally, co‐workers with higher exposure to the LP have increased levels of leadership behavior.
Research limitations/implications
The results in the study suggest that, in order to promote leadership and organizational learning, familiarity with leadership skills is essential. Furthermore, the greater the familiarity with leadership through at‐work interaction, the more likely co‐workers are to learn and apply leadership techniques.
Originality/value
The study is especially unique and valuable due to the advanced 360 degree assessment which acts as a tool to measure the diffusion of leadership principles from LP participants to co‐workers, while also analyzing the role of participant interaction with co‐workers following their participation in a leadership class.
Details
Keywords
Claretha Hughes, Lionel Robert, Kristin Frady and Adam Arroyos
The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of a developmental learning view on implementation of quality management (QM) concepts. QM concepts are common in various…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of a developmental learning view on implementation of quality management (QM) concepts. QM concepts are common in various organizations; some implement them smoothly, others struggle and sometimes even abandon the initiatives. What is then a successful implementation – is it the use a specific QM method as a standard problem solving approach, or is it that learning has occurred during implementation?
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an illustrative case study carried out at a hospital in western Sweden. The data have been collected through about 130 hours of participation in project work by the first author and through seven face-to-face interviews of about one hour each.
Findings
It is shown that a Design for Six Sigma pilot project with a narrow view on implementation could be regarded as a failure, but it gave rise to much learning and new improved ways of working. Hence, it is argued that a developmental view on implementation can support learning by an emergent and experimental approach to implementation processes.
Originality/value
Much research has been done on how to increase the success rate of implementations of QM initiatives, e.g. procedures to follow to reach an outcome where the new way of working is standard procedure. Less research has problematized the implementation process, questioning what a successful outcome of an implementation is.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this study is to share quality process experience from a US comprehensive university to use both direct (participation rate and assessment quality) and indirect…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to share quality process experience from a US comprehensive university to use both direct (participation rate and assessment quality) and indirect assessment measures (assessment survey) to evaluate the quality process.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed method design was used to evaluate the quality process. The qualitative design used thematic analysis to find the common themes from the assessment survey. The quantitative design included reliability and internal consistency for the survey and inter-rater reliability for the peer review.
Findings
Findings indicated that participation rate and assessment quality improved over the years. Faculty provided positive feedback about assessment website, the peer review process and feedback but negative perspectives on the assessment management software and heavy workload on assessment activities. The researcher shared the actions made based on three-year assessment results, especially how leaders have used it to align with planning and budgeting to close the institutional effectiveness loop.
Research limitations/implications
This research had two limitations. The inter-rater reliability of the peer review was not high and the number of peer review reports in two years were so different, so the results could not be checked for statistical significance.
Practical implications
The meta-assessment results could have important implications for other universities to improve the quality process.
Originality/value
There have been limited studies on using both direct and indirect assessment measures to evaluate the quality process. This study uses multiple measures to provide accurate results for administrators’ decision-making in resource allocation.