Richard H. G. Field

The Evolution of Leadership Theory

Leadership is one of the most complex and multifaceted phenomena to which organisational and psychological research has been applied. An evolutionary developmental perspective is used to create an evolutionary tree of leadership theory and reveal the path along which it has evolved. Nine evolutionary eras are identified, and requirements for a tenth era of leadership theory are discussed. These eras provide a broad framework for researchers and practising managers to categorise existing, and evaluate future, theories.

Effects of Social Context on Consensus and Majority Vote Decision Making

A laboratory study of group decision making found that social context (competitive or cooperative) and decision strategy (consensus or majority voting) affected decision acceptance, understanding, decision time, and affective reactions to the group, although decision quality was not affected.

Effect of Concurrence, Controversy, and Consensus on Group Decision Making

Managers can, by structuring the interpersonal interaction among group members, affect the processes and outcomes of decision making. Seventy-eight Canadian business administration undergraduates were divided into small groups and told to seek agreement (concurrence), to discuss opposing opinions openly (controversy), or to express their own personal views (consensus) as they made a decision about a promotion. Participants in the controversy condition were found to feel uncertain about their knowledge and the decision and were observed exploring the problem in depth. Participants in the concurrence condition felt confident about their understanding of the problem and the decision they made, though they did not explore the problem as fully as participants in the controversy condition. Concurrence-seeking participants indicated that they liked each other and felt their relationships were cooperative. Consensus decision making had effects distinct from controversy: Participants were more confident about their understanding and decision but actually did not explore the problem as thoroughly as participants in the controversy condition.

Regrounding the concept of leadership

Reports the initial exploratory studies in a programme of research that aims to investigate the role of mental models in leadership. Drawing from a cognitive approach, the studies use metaphors as tools to illustrate the models of the leadership construct that are prevalent in lay psychology in an atheoretical, decontextualised manner. The findings show that lay concepts of leadership are less complex and more robust than academic concepts. Implications for both research and the transfer of knowledge to industry are discussed.

Testing the incremental validity of the Vroom–Jago versus Vroom–Yetton models of participation in decision making

In three samples of manager-reported decisions the Vroom‐Jago model’s predictions were supported. Decisions that more closely fit the recommended decision method were rated as higher in eAectiveness. The model was also found to account for more variance in decision eAectiveness than the prior Vroom‐ Yetton model. It was also found that the Vroom‐Jago model’s greater precision in situational assessment and derived prescriptions allow for greater discrimination in choice of decision method across all situations. #1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Effects of Situation Attributes on Decision Method Choice in the Vroom-Jago Model of Participation in Decision Making

A new normative model of participation in decision making (Vroom & Jago, 1988) makes prescriptions for the amount of participation a manager should allow a group of subordinates in a given situation. This article examines the importance of the 12 situational attributes specified by the model in moving actual decision makers from an autocratic to either a consultative or a group decision method. It was found that 8 of the 12 attributes were of significant importance to decision makers in choosing a decision method. Further, all five attributes added to the older Vroom-Yetton model had a significant effect on the choices of decision makers.

Management by Expectations (MBE): The Power of Positive Prophecy

For over twenty years, executives have been using the Management by Objectives (MBO) approach. This strategy has proved very useful in providing organisational structure and planning direction for companies. It encourages managers and subordinates to jointly set integrated goals for personal development and work performance and use those goals as a yardstick by which to measure future performance [1]. But while the MBO approach incorporates some principles of human dynamics, it has been strongly criticized as placing too mnch emphasis on reward-punishment psychology, individual vs group goals, top-down control, win-lose performance reviews, and quantitative evaluations [2]. It docs not sufficiently address the critical issue: what actually motivates the individual? Generally speaking, the only reason that people are motivated to perform any activity is that they have an expectation that they will somehow be better off by having done so. All constructive plans, actions, and accomplishments are fuelled by expectations [3]. The most vital key in management, therefore, is to develop high expectations.

The Case of the Purloined Journal Article, or on Being at the Receiving End of Academic Dishonesty

This article deals with my personal experience with a case of academic dishonesty. The first sections focus on what happened when a paper I coauthored was published in another journal under another persons name and with my feelings and actions over the course of subsequent events. The last sections address issues raised by this process and what I would do if it were to happen again.

The MBA Program: Views From a Student and a Professor

In recent years there has been a growing concern about the actual versus perceived value of the MBA program. Numerous criticisms have arisen that MBA programs are churning out business graduates who are ill-equipped to face the rigors of this new business era. While virtually all articles on the subject have dealt only with the professor/administrator perspective, this article, which is presented in a dialogue format, includes the views of an MBA student. This article is not a comprehensive analysis encompassing all sides of the issue, but a debate which is intended to offer some fresh viewpoints and stimulate further discussion and reaction. We invite you to determine how closely the comments fit your academic institution and decide whether you feel strongly enough to take up the challenge to change.

Discontinuous Change in University Web Sites: The Relative Importance of Reasons for Change

An examination of prior Web pages shows that the typical university will sometimes make a dis-continuous change to its Web site (i.e., a sudden, major shift in a Web site between two points in time). This exploratory empirical study examines reasons for such discontinuous changes, survey-ing university Webmasters at a variety of institutions where discontinuous Web site changes had occurred. Universities varied by type (public, private), by level (Bachelors, Masters, PhD), and by nation (Canada, USA). Four reasons for discontinuous Web site change, identified in an earlier study of discontinuous Web site change in state governments, were compared: rational, market-ing, political, and institutional. According to the university Webmasters surveyed, rational reasons for change were most important, followed by marketing, institutional, and political reasons, in that order. The ordering of reasons reflects statistically significant differences among types of reasons. Results did not vary by type, level, or nation.