The role of mental models in enhancing effective leadership behaviour
- Authors: Johnson, Andrew Joseph
- Date: 2013-05-01
- Subjects: Leadership , Organizational change , Management , Executive ability
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7504 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8361
- Description: Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology) , As a key on-going concern for modern organisations, effective leadership is the focus of this study. Effective leadership is probably the primary factor in how well organisations deal with on-going change. This creates successful organisational cultures that are conducive to employee engagement in order to achieve outcomes of great customer service, which in turn will have desired business results. Leadership effectiveness is defined as the extent to which a leader achieves the consequences intended. In other words, that which I as a leader envisaged as an outcome of my actions has been achieved. In reality, one finds big mismatches between what leaders intend and the outcomes of their actions. This has perplexed me, even in cases of well-meaning leaders who did aspire to making themselves and their organisations more effective. This ineffectiveness has remained, notwithstanding a myriad of leadership advice on what constitutes “good” leadership, and how to implement such advice. The advice and its implementation have a poor record. At a very minimum, this advice fails because it is not actionable, and simply represents that which somebody else espouses, but cannot enact. These mismatches between what leaders say and what they actually do in practice lead to leaders being ineffective. The study endeavours to assist the executives who participated in this study in becoming aware of the root causes of this ineffectiveness. In particular, this study proposes a theory of action (Action Science) approach to explain why there is a gap between the espoused values of leaders and their actions. A theory of action asserts that human action is not accidental, it is deliberately planned, i.e., all human beings have a particular picture, model or belief of how to view the world in their minds, and go about executing a particular task within the constraints of this model.
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- Authors: Johnson, Andrew Joseph
- Date: 2013-05-01
- Subjects: Leadership , Organizational change , Management , Executive ability
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7504 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8361
- Description: Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology) , As a key on-going concern for modern organisations, effective leadership is the focus of this study. Effective leadership is probably the primary factor in how well organisations deal with on-going change. This creates successful organisational cultures that are conducive to employee engagement in order to achieve outcomes of great customer service, which in turn will have desired business results. Leadership effectiveness is defined as the extent to which a leader achieves the consequences intended. In other words, that which I as a leader envisaged as an outcome of my actions has been achieved. In reality, one finds big mismatches between what leaders intend and the outcomes of their actions. This has perplexed me, even in cases of well-meaning leaders who did aspire to making themselves and their organisations more effective. This ineffectiveness has remained, notwithstanding a myriad of leadership advice on what constitutes “good” leadership, and how to implement such advice. The advice and its implementation have a poor record. At a very minimum, this advice fails because it is not actionable, and simply represents that which somebody else espouses, but cannot enact. These mismatches between what leaders say and what they actually do in practice lead to leaders being ineffective. The study endeavours to assist the executives who participated in this study in becoming aware of the root causes of this ineffectiveness. In particular, this study proposes a theory of action (Action Science) approach to explain why there is a gap between the espoused values of leaders and their actions. A theory of action asserts that human action is not accidental, it is deliberately planned, i.e., all human beings have a particular picture, model or belief of how to view the world in their minds, and go about executing a particular task within the constraints of this model.
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A comparative investigation into the management style and culture of a 2nd wave organisation and a 4th wave organisation
- Authors: Carneiro, H.
- Date: 2010-10-04T08:36:24Z
- Subjects: Organizational change , Management , Industrial management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6917 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3428
- Description: M.Comm. , The aim of this research is to determine the difference between Ericsson South Africa and Ericsson Sweden in terms of wave management, leadership and management style, culture and change management. The research proposes to determine what behaviours are exhibited in Ericsson South Africa versus the behaviours exhibited in Ericsson Sweden and how this affects the organisation. This will then be used to provide the management team of Ericsson South Africa with feedback in terms of what the current issues are in the organisation and the proposed changes. A thorough literature study of wave management, leadership and management style, culture and change management was undertaken. The study revealed that there is a distinct difference in 2nd wave and 4th wave organisations in relation to leadership and management, culture and change management. It emphasised that organisations in 4th wave are far more advanced in all the elements which allows the organisations to be very successful. The research was conducted by a using qualitative approach. The benefit of qualitative research is that it allows for a greater understanding of the concept as well as to learn more about the concept. A questionnaire was used which was sent out to employees in Ericsson South Africa and Ericsson Sweden. The data was then analysed which allowed for certain conclusions to be drawn. It raised some pertinent issues that the management team in Ericsson South Africa need to focus on. The research has indicated that currently Ericsson South Africa is a 2nd wave organisation and that the key focus areas for the organisation is the leadership and management style, culture and change management.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Carneiro, H.
- Date: 2010-10-04T08:36:24Z
- Subjects: Organizational change , Management , Industrial management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6917 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3428
- Description: M.Comm. , The aim of this research is to determine the difference between Ericsson South Africa and Ericsson Sweden in terms of wave management, leadership and management style, culture and change management. The research proposes to determine what behaviours are exhibited in Ericsson South Africa versus the behaviours exhibited in Ericsson Sweden and how this affects the organisation. This will then be used to provide the management team of Ericsson South Africa with feedback in terms of what the current issues are in the organisation and the proposed changes. A thorough literature study of wave management, leadership and management style, culture and change management was undertaken. The study revealed that there is a distinct difference in 2nd wave and 4th wave organisations in relation to leadership and management, culture and change management. It emphasised that organisations in 4th wave are far more advanced in all the elements which allows the organisations to be very successful. The research was conducted by a using qualitative approach. The benefit of qualitative research is that it allows for a greater understanding of the concept as well as to learn more about the concept. A questionnaire was used which was sent out to employees in Ericsson South Africa and Ericsson Sweden. The data was then analysed which allowed for certain conclusions to be drawn. It raised some pertinent issues that the management team in Ericsson South Africa need to focus on. The research has indicated that currently Ericsson South Africa is a 2nd wave organisation and that the key focus areas for the organisation is the leadership and management style, culture and change management.
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