Tricia Vilkinas

The integrated competing values framework: its spatial configuration

Purpose – This study seeks to identify the spatial relationships between the managerial roles within the integrated competing values framework (ICVF). The study also aims to identify the central role the integrator performs with its critical observing and reflective learning function.Design/methodology/approach – The current study investigated the spatial configuration of Quinns original eight operational roles and Vilkinas and Cartans ninth role to each other. A total of 100 middle managers participated in a 360° feedback program that sought responses from 928 of their “significant others”. Multiple discriminate scaling (MDS) was used to determine the spatial representation of the ICVF.Findings – The results of the MDS found that the ICVF was a two‐dimensional, four‐quadrant model. However, one of the dimensions from the CVF, stability‐flexibility, was retitled to reflect more truly the roles that anchored this dimension. It was anchored by people‐task focus. The integrator, as predicted, was found to ...

The PhD process: the supervisor as manager

Argues that generic research on leadership and management has much to offer those responsible for the academic supervision of research students, particularly PhD students. The analogies between the two “supervisory” roles are clear and the qualities and benefits of good supervisory practice can easily be transferred from corporate to academic arenas. Uses a conceptual framework, the competing values framework modified for academic supervision purposes, to illustrate the capabilities required of the PhD supervisor in the current tertiary environment.

The behavioural control room for managers: the integrator role

The Competing Values Framework (CVF) has been used in numerous settings to explain the various roles that managers need to display if they are to be effective. However, the original model lacks a role that represents how managers develop and learn by critically observing their current managerial behaviour and by reflecting on their effectiveness with a view to developing into more effective managers. The authors have developed an additional role, the integrator, to explain how managers might enhance their effectiveness in this regard. A total of 100 middle managers participated in a 360˚ feedback program that sought responses from 530 of their significant others. The results indicated that the integrator was a pivotal role for managers. This role was also found to be a strong predictor of effectiveness. The implications for managers are that they need to develop their ability to observe critically their own behaviours and to reflect on their observations in order to develop and improve on their managerial effectiveness

The gender factor in management: how significant others perceive effectiveness

Robert Quinn’s competing values framework identified eight managerial roles that managers must display if they are to be effective. The eight roles are innovator, broker, producer, director, co‐ordinator, monitor, facilitator and mentor. In this study 509 managers, 127 of whom were females, responded to a survey exploring the extent to which they displayed each of Quinn’s managerial roles. Each managers’ staff were asked to respond to the questionnaire. When the gender of the managers and that of their significant others (staff, peers and boss) was taken into account there was no significant difference reported in the extent to which the eight roles were displayed nor the effectiveness level of male and female managers. The results of this study indicate that the gender of the manager does not impact on how they are perceived by their significant others. Rather it is how effective they are as managers that determines their significant others’ perceptions.

Leadership Behaviour and Effectiveness of Academic Program Directors in Australian Universities

This article focuses on leadership behaviour and effectiveness of university academic program directors who have responsibility for managing a program or course 1 of study. The leadership capabilities were assessed using the Integrated Competing Values Framework as its theoretical foundation. Data from 90 academic program directors and 710 significant others from four Australian universities were analysed. The results lead to the conclusions that these academic program directors were reasonably effective and had the ability to implement and further develop their leadership capabilities, even though they had no formal authority. In their role, these directors mainly focused on ‘getting the job done’ and ‘working with people’. At the same time, they placed less emphasis on monitoring their programs, maintaining networks and introducing changes, thereby putting their programs at risk.

Predictors of leadership effectiveness for Chinese managers

Purpose – This study sets out to investigate the leadership roles, the predictors of leadership effectiveness for Chinese managers, and the relative effects of gender and rater differences on perceived leadership roles. The study is important as it seeks to investigate whether a leadership model (the Integrated Competing Values Framework) developed for Western cultures explains the leadership behaviours of Chinese managers.Design/methodology/approach – Using a 360° feedback method, the data for the study were collected from 49 middle managers and 142 of their significant others (boss, peers and staff). The data were submitted to a repeated measures ANOVA, with role displayed and position as the within‐subjects factors and gender as the between‐subjects factor, to determine whether there were any significant main or interaction effects. A standard multiple regression was performed, between the effectiveness as the outcome and the leadership roles. This was followed by a forward regression analysis.Findings...

Characteristics associated with CEO success: perceptions of CEOs and their staff

Purpose – The paper seeks to identify the characteristics that successful CEOs possess and demonstrate, as perceived by both the CEOs and their staff.Design/methodology/approach – Twenty CEOs and 38 staff members who reported directly to them were involved. There were two parts to the research – questionnaire and interviews. The leadership questionnaire was completed by both groups, who were then interviewed to further explore the characteristics these successful CEOs did possess and demonstrated.Findings – Characteristics identified as important for success were a humanistic approach, achievement orientation, a positive outlook, a sense of integrity, inclusiveness and learning and self‐awareness. Both the CEOs and their staff agreed that the CEOs did possess all these characteristics, some to a greater extent than others. They also agreed that the six characteristics were effectively demonstrated by the CEOs.Research limitations/implications – To date, research on the characteristics that CEOs need to po...

How different are the roles displayed by female and male managers

Describes a 1988 study by Quinn which identified eight managerial roles that managers must display if they are to be effective. The eight roles are innovator, broker, producer, director, co‐ordinator, monitor, facilitator and mentor. Reports on the present study where 149 managers, of which 35 per cent were females, responded to a survey exploring the extent to which they displayed each of Quinn’s managerial roles. The self‐perceptions of all managers was that the female managers displayed co‐ordinator, monitor and mentor roles more than did male managers. For each manager, their staff, peers and boss were also asked to respond to the questionnaire. Their staff reported that their female managers displayed five roles (innovator, producer, director, co‐ordinator and mentor) more frequently than did the male managers. Peers reported a difference in two of the managerial roles: broker and mentor (females displaying each role more frequently). Bosses did not see the male and female managers differently. The managers and their peers reported that female managers were more effective than male managers. Concludes that these findings have significance for how managers need to interact with their staff and peers and the need for male managers to develop their managerial roles more if they are to be more effective.

Characteristics associated with success: CEOs' perspectives

Purpose – This exploratory study investigated the characteristics that chief executive officers (CEOs) associated with their success.Design/methodology/approach – Twenty CEOs were interviewed and asked to identify characteristics they possessed, and that they felt were related to their success.Findings – The two dominant characteristics identified were achievement orientation and humanistic approach, followed by positivism. Very little or no emphasis was placed on being inclusive, having integrity, having a balanced approach, learning and self‐awareness or having an external focus.Research limitations/implications – In order to further our understanding of effective leadership in organisations, future research needs to build on these findings by asking individuals who directly report to CEOs to comment on the characteristics they believe their CEOs possesses.Practical implications – There are important implications from these results for the selection and development of CEOs.Originality/value – This study...

Executive leadership roles in the Australian Public Service

Current and future public sector executive leadership role demands are explored from a competing values perspective, using roles previously identified with a private sector population. The roles identified were vision setter, motivator, analyser and task master. The results of a 4×2×4×2 MANOVA indicated that there were significant results for the main factors of leadership roles and time and also for the interaction of these two factors. There were no significant gender differences, with female and male Australian Public Service senior executives offering very similar assessments of current and future role demands. Both groups said that future role demands would be greater than is currently the case. Reasons for the differences in the current and future role demands are discussed, and the scope for future research is highlighted.