Abstract:
A number of models of evaluation exist in the education and training domain, yet most are
rarely cited in studies of the effectiveness of management and leadership development.
Given the vast sums of money that continue to be invested by organisations in management
development, we must assume that organisations are perceiving value and that this is
identified, in the main, through processes other than formal evaluation. Relatively little
attention has been paid to how organisations use evaluation models and data, and a specific
challenge has been raised about the usefulness of evaluation models in informing decisionmaking.
To begin to address this challenge, this study set out to document the role of programme
evaluation in organisational decision-making about management and leadership development.
Eight customised programmes aimed at “high flyers” and middle to senior managers were
studied. In each case, the way in which decisions were made and the role played by
evaluation were explored from multiple stakeholder perspectives.
The study found that programme evaluation did contribute to decisions made about
management and leadership development, but only to a limited extent, and only to a subset of
decisions. Central to the organisational decision-making process were stakeholder
preferences and experience. This included anecdotal data and impressions gained informally
by key stakeholders who came into direct contact with a programme and its participants.
External influences, unrelated to the programme itself, were also important.
Given these findings, it is suggested that there may be value in re-framing evaluation as part
of an Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt) approach. EBMgt recognises the contribution
of four elements of evidence to effective decision-making. Currently, decision-making about
management and leadership development programmes does not draw fully on all four
elements. Evaluation, both context-specific and casting light on external evidence, is underutilised,
resulting in potentially sub-optimal decisions. Thus, future research to explore how
to better integrate these elements would be valuable.
