Beverly Alimo‐Metcalfe

The development of a new transformational leadership questionnaire.

This study sought to investigate the characteristics of ‘nearby’ leaders by eliciting the constructs of male and female top, senior, and middle-level managers and professionals working in organizations in two large UK public sectors (local government and the National Health Service). An instrument, the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ-LGV), was developed and piloted on a national sample of 1464 managers working for local government organizations. Analysis of the data, presented here, revealed the existence of nine highly robust scales with high reliabilities (α≥.85) and with convergent validity (range r = .46 to .85). These findings are discussed, together with suggestions for subsequent research.

360 Degree Feedback and Leadership Development

If we had to identify the major areas of growth in relation to techniques for supporting leadership development, it would have to include use of 360 degree feedback. At two recent US conferences (The 24th International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods, May 1996, held in Washington, DC, and the First Annual Leadership Development Conference held in October 1996 in Boston), dedicated to presentations by researchers and practitioners on the subject of leadership assessment and development, the topic of multi-rater or multi-source feedback, as it is also known, formed a key component. This paper will outline some of the reasons why this is the case, and some of the research findings that have emerged in the last few years including issues relating to gender and perceptions of leadership. It will also describe how the author has been involved in introducing 360 degree feedback processes in several public sector organizations in the UK, together with lessons that have emerged.

Leadership: Time for a New Direction?

After reviewing the literature on leadership that culminated in what has been described as the ‘New Paradigm’, this article discusses the research which has led to the development of what might be regarded as a ‘New New Paradigm’ model. The research was based on a gender-inclusive and black and minority ethnic-inclusive sample of over 3,500 managers and professionals, at different levels (chief executives, top, senior and middle managers), working in the UK National Health Service and local government. The model that emerged, which led to the development of a diagnostic 360-degree feedback instrument, the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire, has been found to be sufficiently robust as to generalize to private sector and other public sector organizations. Apart from having been inclusive at all stages of its development, the model is new in that it is based on a ‘nearby’ rather than ‘distant’ or ‘heroic’ approach to leadership, using a Grounded Theory methodology. It leads to an understanding of leadership that goes beyond transformational models and, recognizing the significance of Greenleaf’s concept of ‘servant leadership’, focuses on the development of the individual, in an organizational context.

Leadership development in UK companies at the beginning of the twenty-first century: lessons for the NHS?

States that the development of leadership in the NHS is currently high on the agenda of the Department of Health, the government and local health sector organisations. Reports the findings of a study of public and private sector organisations, exploring the development of their in-house leadership skills. Outlines the findings in depth and discusses the implications for health organisations.

An Analysis of the Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire

This article sets out to provide evidence of the convergent and discriminant validity of a recently developed leadership questionnaire to support the assessment and development of leadership in organizations, the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ). The TLQ was developed on the basis of eliciting constructs of leadership from managers working at different levels (executive, top, senior, middle) in two large parts of the UK public sector, using a Grounded Theory approach. Evidence is presented that eight scales which measure different aspects of transformational leadership are significantly correlated with each of five criterion variables, even when the instrument is used in a public sector different from the one in which it was developed. Discriminant analysis indicated, however, that the relationship between the scales and the criterion variables is not consistent for the different groups and sub-groups of managers, divided by level, by sex, and by level x sex. These latter data were interpreted, in the light of the ‘range of convenience’ corollary of Kellys Personal Construct Theory, and of the concept of ‘substitutes for leadership’, as evidence that certain TLQ scales have particular relevance to certain groups and sub-groups of managers, and thus of the discriminant validity of the instrument, and further evidence of its construct validity.

The transformational leadership questionnaire (TLQ‐LGV): a convergent and discriminant validation study

This paper sets out to provide evidence of the convergent and discriminant validity of a recently developed leadership questionnaire, the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (Local Government Version) (TLQ‐LGV). Evidence is presented, from a random, stratified sample of 1,464 male and female managers, working in local government, that each of the scales was significantly correlated with each of five criterion variables, even when the sample was divided by level, sex, and level x sex. Multiple regression analyses suggested differential patterns of relationships between the scales and the criterion variables among different groups and sub‐groups of managers, divided by level, sex, and level x sex. These latter data were interpreted as evidence of the discriminant validity of the instrument.

Development of a private sector version of the (Engaging) Transformational Leadership Questionnaire

Purpose – Notions of leadership change over time. The last two decades have been dominated by US models of “heroic” leadership, based largely on predominately male‐biased samples, which have been focused on studies of “distant” leaders, but these are being challenged by the findings from more recent studies which question the potential dangers of adulating the few “gifted” “charismatic” individuals, not least of which because of the disasters they may cause. In addition, there is a growing interest by organisations of identifying how they can increase “engagement” amongst their employees, since this process appears to contribute significantly to organisational success. This study seeks to replicate an earlier study of “nearby” leadership in UK public sector organisations.Design/methodology/approach – The study gathers qualitative data from a sample of female and male managers at various levels in three UK FTSE100 companies, developing a pilot questionnaire, and then gathering quantitative data from 743 ma...

WHAT A WASTE! WOMEN IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

Although they represent an increasing proportion of the UK workforce, the number of women occupying senior positions is still very low, and nowhere more so than in the National Health Service. Particular occupational groups within the NHS are researched here: nursing, medicine, pharmacy, clinical chemistry laboratories, and management. The findings reveal that women suffer disproportionately compared with men in their aspirations for the top jobs. Prevalent attitudes militate against this, such as stereotyping, opposition by management to women workers taking career breaks (which is an absolute necessity for some career‐minded mothers but to management suggests lack of commitment) and male‐dominated social concepts (”one of the boys”). It is concluded that NHS management must show greater flexibility in addressing the problems of women, their most valuable resource, before much needed recognition of women′s right to be treated fairly can be achieved.