Browsing by Author "Bailey, Catherine"
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Item Open Access Aligning business leadership development with business needs: the value of discrimination(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2008-09-01T00:00:00Z) Bailey, Catherine; Clarke, MartinAbstract Purpose – This paper is derived from a two-year study that sought to provide a critical understanding of the current state of business leadership development (BLD) and to identify directions for innovative future practice. The first of two companion papers, this contribution aims to examine the issue of achieving business relevance in BLD and the quality of HR/management development strategy formulation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses four organisation case studies of BLD strategy derived from interview data sourced from 103 senior line/HRD managers in 20 organisations. Findings – The findings highlight the need for HRD managers to take a discriminating approach to linking BLD strategy, development method, evaluation and the role of management development. In particular, the cases studied reflect the importance of informal activity and politics in the execution of BLD and the positive effect of individual leadership in moderating the effectiveness of the linkages between business context, BLD strategy and its implementation. Practical implications – The paper provides a conceptual framework to enable practitioners to discriminate between different bundles of development practices that can, over time, be translated into behaviours that suit the changing needs of an organisation. A list of useful starting points is provided for managers to review and improve BLD strategy and practice in their own organisation. Originality/value – The paper provides a framework that shows the importance of different development populations, different sponsors, interest groups and strategic timeframes in enabling more informed discussion about the strategic alignmeItem Open Access Contextual intelligence and chief executive strategic decision making in the NHS(Cranfield University, 2012-03) Koh, Yi Mien; Bailey, CatherineCEO competence and development is a continuing concern in the NHS. As a key feature of any CEO leadership role is responsibility for organisationally critical decisions, and there is an increasing recognition of the role context plays in effective leadership behaviour. This study examines the role of contextual intelligence in relation to PCT CEO decision making behaviour. To do this, the research addresses four questions: a) what does the literature say about CEO contextual intelligence? b) what factors do PCT CEOs say they take into account in different decision making contexts? c) what contextual factors do they actually take into account? and d) what impact do the contextual factors have on their decision making behaviour. A systematic literature review resulted in a model of CEO contextual intelligence for CEO decision making. Semi-structured interviews with 24 PCT CEOs in a NHS region about factors influencing their decisions on generic strategies, national policies, regional strategies and local plans revealed a hierarchy among contextual factors applying to different decision strata. Semi-structured interviews and analysis of CEO diaries two months later of the same focal decisions show the real critical factors to be:- national policies themselves, the Strategic Health Authority and the decision making process, for regional strategies; and Top Management Team and structure for local plans. Altogether, the research reveals that the PCT CEO’s decision making context is rationally bounded; the relevant contextual factors differed significantly from the literature derived model; the actual factors in practice differed from what were espoused; choice of factors vary depending on decision trigger strata which links to degrees of CEO autonomy; and macro level factors which were indicated as significant from the systematic review were in fact ignored in practice. A PCT CEO model of contextual intelligence is developed together with a two dimensional model of underlying structures guiding PCT CEO decision making behaviour. The findings have implications for governance structures in the NHS, CEO decision making and senior leader development in ii the NHS in the context of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act. Areas for further research in public sector, NHS and contextual intelligence are also identified.Item Open Access Developing an external perspective: An oversimplified and underdeveloped capability(2003-10-31T00:00:00Z) Bristow, Michael; Bailey, CatherineFinding revolutionary wealth-creating strategies in today's business conditions requires an External Perspective (EP) - an individual and organisational capability to generate and exploit truly innovative ideas that breach organisational and industry mindsets to create marketing leading propositions. This article draws on recent research conducted by the General Management Development Programmes Group at Cranfield. The study offers critical insight and practical recommendations for those seeking to develop the organisational capability to leapfrog competitors to get to the future first.Item Open Access An exploratory study of CEO practices in an emerging economy(Cranfield University, 2013-10) Johnson, Omobola; Bailey, CatherineThis study of CEOs in Nigeria sought to discover the practices that CEOs engaged in as relevant and effective in an emerging economy. Twenty eight CEOs of national and expatriate extraction running national and multi-national companies were interviewed to understand their experiences of the contextual influences of an emerging economy and how this impacted what they did, ie. their practices. In support of contingency theories that seek to explain how effective leadership is the result of appropriateness of fit between particular behaviours and particular situations , CEO practices in an emerging economy were found to be attributable to the macro influences of an emerging economy, discovered in the Nigerian environment to include: - undue government influence, unwholesome competitor practices, short supply of skills and talent, inadequate social and physical infrastructure, a large untapped market and poor government capacity to implement policies and laws. The inclusion of previously unresearched but potentially relevant meso and micro influences of company type and CEO nationality status led to the discovery of additional CEO practices that were perceived to be relevant in an emerging economy context and the attribution of differences in CEO practices to the individual or combined influence of these contexts. A conceptual model derived from the findings of this study provided a new understanding of the relationship between the macro influences of an emerging economy, the meso influence of company type and the micro influence of CEO nationality status on CEO practices and the intended outcomes of those practices. Practical knowledge about the development of business leaders in an emerging economy has been extended as a result of deeper insights into the contextually influenced and relevant CEO practices in an emerging economy.Item Open Access An exploratory study of global leaders' and Chinese managers' leadership constructs in multinational corporations in China(Cranfield University, 2012-03) Wang, Lake; Turnbull James, Kim; Denyer, David; Bailey, CatherineThis research explores the leadership constructs of global leaders and Chinese managers in multi-national corporations (MNCs) in order to understand whether their constructs are misaligned, and if so, in what ways. To address these questions, data was gathered via repertory grid test interviews with 31 global leaders and 59 Chinese managers in six MNCs’ China organizations. Analysis subsequently revealed that global leaders rely upon twelve key constructs to define global leadership capability and potential. These are: creative, drive to improve, communication skill, collaborative style, charisma, professional knowledge and experience, visionary, cross culture, flexibility, confidence, team development and emotional intelligence. Crucially however, half of the global leaders’ key constructs were not identified as important to Chinese managers; furthermore, most of the missing constructs resonate with charismatic and transformational leadership characteristics, indicating a gap between the two groups’ leadership concepts. Subsequently, both groups of leaders’ leadership constructs were compared with their respective companies’ Leadership Competency Frameworks. The results again revealed gaps, suggesting reliance upon headquarter-developed leadership frameworks to communicate leadership expectations and develop local leaders is either deficient, or inappropriate. The global leaders and Chinese managers’ perspectives on Chinese managers’ career barriers were also explored, with the evidence indicating that perceptions of both groups are influenced by their own cultural assumptions. As the global leaders’ perspectives aligned with their own leadership constructs but Chinese managers were not aware of the importance of those constructs, it seems to support the contention that a bias may exist when global leaders evaluate Chinese managers’ leadership capability and potential.Item Open Access Leadership development: making a difference in unfavourable circumstances(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2008-08-01T00:00:00Z) Clarke, Martin; Bailey, Catherine; Burr, JoannaAbstract Purpose – This paper is derived from a two-year study that sought to provide a critical understanding of the current state of business leadership development (BLD) and to identify directions for innovative future practice. The second of two companion papers, this contribution aims to investigate the influence of unfavourable competing agendas on BLD and how human resource development (HRD) professionals can work effectively within such circumstances. Design/methodological approach – The paper analyses three case studies of HRD managers who made significant contributions to their organisation's BLD despite unfavourable political circumstances. These individuals were selected from a population of 190 managers from the first phase of the overall study. Findings – The cases highlight the centrality of political activity to effective BLD design and implementation that is subject to unfavourable circumstances. In particular, the individuals demonstrated the importance of relationship management, challenge and critique and of building change from the bottom up, irrespective of direct senior management support. Practical implications – The cases shed light on the types of behaviour that may enable HRD professionals to make an effective contribution to BLD, even when there is little formal senior management support. Questions are provided to encourage personal learning and debate about the role and value of HR in the enactment of BLD. Originality/value – The findings indicate that much best practice advice on leadership development needs to be tempered with an acknowledgement of the degree to which it is subject to competing interests and postulates that constructive political action may be a legitimate activity for HRD managers despite mainstream unitariItem Open Access Why keeping your head down may damage your company's future(2010-03-31T00:00:00Z) Bailey, CatherineItem Open Access Working through the ZOUD(Cranfield University School of Management, 2011-03-31T00:00:00Z) Bailey, CatherineNever has it been more necessary for management teams to be able to work through the Zone of Uncomfortable Debate (ZOUD) - that unspoken process that prevents us from questioning too closely the things that are held dear in business.