Ron Cacioppe

An integrated model and approach for the design of effective leadership development programs

Leadership has been a major topic in management and business literature over the last few years. The rapid changes in business, technology, political and social factors has required the development of effective leadership skills. As a result leadership development programs have become an increasing priority for business and government organisations. This article puts forward an integrated model for leadership development. The major focus of this model is to develop leadership competencies which directly contribute to the strategic imperatives of the business. In addition, it describes the key elements that contribute to a successful leadership experience such as changing mindsets, a global focus, personal development and improved business and leadership skills. Finally, the most widely used leadership methods and processes are covered under three major themes; contributing to the strategic business direction, building leadership and team skills, and self‐development. The ideas put forward in this paper provide senior managers and human resource professionals with an integrated and comprehensive framework to plan and build a leadership development program in their organisation.

Creating spirit at work: re‐visioning organization development and leadership – Part I

Many recent authors have suggested it is time to move beyond the scientific, materialistic paradigm of the twentieth century toward a more holistic and spiritual view for the workplace of the twenty‐first century. The purpose of this article is to describe a new vision for leadership and the development of organizations which integrates emerging perspectives from the fields of science, transpersonal psychology, eastern philosophy and management. Spirituality is seen as important in helping human beings experience the fundamental meaning and purpose of their work. It is defined and described as distinctly different from organized religion. Practical examples are given of leaders and organizations that are facilitating spirituality in the workplace.

Leadership moment by moment

Aims to bring together some of the major perspectives and theories of leadership with some of the key practical components of eastern and western philosophy. Suggests that the current leadership theories are good foundations from which to move to a more practical and immediate experience of leadership. The major view put forward is that these concepts of leadership point to the need for “leadership wisdom”. First, covers theories of leadership to provide a summary of current thinking on what is good leadership. Discusses the recent concept of “emotional intelligence” as an appropriate way to extend the way we look at the personality and skills of a leader. Introduces leadership wisdom as a way of describing effective leadership applied to the immediate situation. This wisdom can be found in themes that have existed in western and eastern philosophy for centuries. Explores these themes using stories that have come from philosophical teachings and then relates them to the central points of leadership. Uses a summary figure to portray the integration of previous leadership concepts around leadership wisdom in practice. Makes a number of suggestions that are implemented in leadership development which contribute to the development of leadership wisdom.

Using team – individual reward and recognition strategies to drive organizational success

Discusses the value of team and individual reward strategies and how these can be used to contribute to organisational change and success. A review of team effectiveness and models of teamwork are first discussed so that team rewards are understood as important motivators to accomplishing organisational objectives. Four factors need to be considered in establishing team‐based rewards: the stages of a team life cycle, reward and recognition categories, the type of teams and the culture of the team and organisation. Forty‐four specific reward tools are described which can be used for individual or team incentives. Comprehensive matrices are put forward which can be used to determine which tool should be used at which stage in a team’s life cycle and with which type of team. Finally, the implementation cost, evaluation of team reward systems is considered.

Structured empowerment: an award‐winning program at the Burswood Resort Hotel

In recent years, organizations have identified the benefits of employee empowerment programs: empowered employees are able to solve customer and organizational problems promptly and professionally. The management at the Burswood Resort Hotel in Western Australia recognized that they wanted to develop these qualities in their employees and embarked on an empowerment program. Management acknowledged that achieving an empowered workplace was a long‐term initiative requiring continued management commitment. Their approach was based on management theory and practice, yet remained flexible to the needs of the hotel’s employees and customers. A program was designed and was tailored to the hotel’s culture and work environment. An empowerment survey was conducted prior to the program and again 18 months after its initiation. This article describes the organization’s experience of introducing empowerment into a traditionally‐structured workplace; explains its success; some of the problems encountered and the effect of a recent merger on the progress of the program.

Leader‐follower attachments: understanding parental images at work

This article examines how attachment styles may influence relationships with followers. Specifically, early family relationships result in three types of attachment styles that may impact current interpersonal dynamics between leaders and followers. We consider why attachments develop, how attachments may influence follower and leader behavior, and the dynamics of different attachment styles. Finally, we suggest that attachment theory can be an important addition to leadership theories that focus on understanding how followers and leaders interact based on interpersonal dynamics.

Leaders developing leaders: an effective way to enhance leadership development programs

The purpose of this article is to examine how senior leaders in organizations can play a greater role in the development of leadership within their organizations. Innovative “leaders developing leaders” programs in PepsiCo, General Electric and Shell are described as examples of tangible and effective ways that can be used for successful leadership development which can also contribute to strategic change and business profitability. Suggestions and various options to incorporate senior executive involvement in leadership development programs are put forward as well as factors that need to be considered when first implementing this approach. At a time when leadership development is recognised as a vital ingredient for organization success, the involvement of senior leaders in the teaching and learning of future leaders has been shown to be a powerful and effective tool.

Using 3608 feedback and the integral model to develop leadership and management skills

Leadership and management skills are increasingly required to navigate organisations through the complexities and changes of contemporary environments. Over the last decade, 3608 feedback is a process that has gained wide usage to help development of these skills. Summarises current research on 3608 feedback and the development of an integrated model of leadership and management based on the theories of Wilber. The article describes a comprehensive “integral” model and a questionnaire that uses elements of 3608 feedback to measure roles of leadership and management, as well as dimensions of self‐development and strategic change skills. This approach is applied to a sample of 304 managers and over 1,000 subordinates. The construction, validity and results of the questionnaire are discussed, as well as the major leadership strengths and weaknesses of the sample managers. Issues and experiences in the use of this model and the 3608 process are described.

Trends in Human Resource Development and Training

In the last ten years, the field of staff development and training has grown rapidly, internationally and also within Australia. In many organisations, the training and development of staff has become a major consideration, due to the greater demand for both technical and human skills. This paper reviews the recent and future trends in human resource development (HRD) and training within Australia, emphasising that there is significant room for improvement, with training tending to be conducted in a fragmented approach. It describes the external pressures that are forcing HRD to formulate a more structured approach to training and development and focuses on major areas such as career development, organisation development, and training methods. The final section of the paper emphasises the need for the professional education of the HRD practitioner. In conclusion, the author stresses that organisations need to develop comprehensive HRD plans, that there is a growing awareness of the need to integrate HRD plans within the strategic plans of an organisation, and that more training programs are becoming participative, using a variety of techniques and methods.

A Survey of Why Teachers Resigned from Government Secondary Schools in Western Australia.

This article describes a survey which investigated why teachers resigned from government secondary schools in Western Australia before they reached retirement age. All teachers who had resigned within a specific one-year period were invited to complete a survey which obtained information on demographic factors, work conditions, professional and career development, the effect of teaching on social and family lives, and relationships with parents, students, fellow teachers and administrative personnel. The findings suggested that male teachers who had resigned were more concerned with perceived discriminatory practices in the general management of the school than were the female teachers. On the other hand, female teachers were more concerned with the encroachment of teaching duties on their family and social lives, problems of classroom discipline and lack of administrative support. Both lack of administrative support with discipline problems and lack of effective school policies were cited by members of both sexes as contributing to their resignation, but to a greater extent with female teachers. The major causes of discipline problems were found to be the failure of students to do their homework and their general lack of motivation. One of the most significant findings was the perceived lack of competence of the principal in administrative skills such as decision making, staff support and general school management. For career-oriented teachers, the lack of promotional opportunities was given as the major reason for their resignation, while dissatisfaction with assessment procedures compounded this problem. Male teachers were concerned about perceived discriminatory practices by the subject superintendents. Constructive suggestions are put forward which point to ways of surmounting the perceived shortcomings within the government secondary school system.