Leadership & Organization Development Journal

Ronald J. Burke; Debra L. Nelson

1997 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437739710190639

Notes that organizations throughout the industrialized world continue to downsize and restructure in response to global competitive pressures. Some firms downsize more than once, and indications are that downsizing and restructuring efforts will continue over the next decade at least. States that, unfortunately, many, perhaps half of these initiatives are unsuccessful. Outlines a three‐stage model designed to improve downsizing and restructuring efforts. The first stage, initiation, involves planning the revitalization efforts. The second stage, implementation, outlines the ways of smoothing the transition. The final stage, institutionalization, comes to grips with healing and refocusing the organization.

Ron Cacioppe

1997 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437739710190648

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.

Harrie van Tuijl

1997 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437739710190657

States that ProMES (Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System) can be interpreted as a method for the development of control loops for self‐management: “accepted control loops”. Whether practical applications of the ProMES method will lead to “accepted control loops” is believed to depend on the course of the development process. Describes the stages of this process, together with possible sources of resistance that may arise during each phase. Formulates the hypothesis that behind these sources could be a common factor, viz. that the people involved in the development process adhere to diverging patterns of values. Notes that the ProMES method requires the explication of values. At the same time, the development process offers possibilities to test to what extent actual behaviours reflect these values in a consistent way. Depending on the results of these tests, one of three reactions to the ProMES method is more likely to occur: “acceptance”, “compliance”, or “rejection”.

Jay Klagge

1997 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437739710190666

Reveals that the need to develop leadership capacity among organizational managers has been on the increase since the early 1990s. Two of the major factors generating this need are the advent of the quality movement with its dependence on teams, and the widespread incidence of organizational flattening that has eliminated many middle management positions. Today’s organizational managers need leadership skills to develop high performing teams and to cover the wider spans of control left in the wake of downsizing. Presents the experience of one quality‐conscious, downsized, team‐based organization as a case study on leadership development needs among today’s beleaguered managers. Notes that there are two primary outputs: first, presents the process by which the case study organization identified its leadership development needs. Second, provides the findings from the identification process within the case study organization. These findings, while not universally applicable, present an initial list of potential leadership development needs among today’s organizational managers.