Leadership & Organization Development Journal

Anthony J. Berry

2000 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437730010310686

The "risk society" presents a considerable challenge to current understanding of the question of risk and the task of organisational leadership. Beck has proposed that we, in late modernity, are moving from an industrial society to a risk society, which requires a corresponding shift from modernism to reflexive modernism. A brief discussion of the risk compensation ideas of Adams will be used to bridge to some observation about how humans approach and understand risk in our society. Four stances towards risk are used as a basis for considering the modes of leadership associated with each of them. It is argued that this provides a starting point from which leadership theory may be extended from its mainly intra organisation perspective to include critical reflexiveness in an inter- and extra-organisational framing. This goes beyond social responsibility to include a critical attention to how a risk society requires leadership to be construed in institutional terms.

Chris Watkin

2000 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437730010310695

Education, education, education!That was New Labour's priority when it came to government in the UK. How has it fared since? This article provides some information on how such statements were translated into action. It is written from both practitioner and academic perspectives, highlighting the impact psychology-based research findings have had on educational attainment.

Alon Peled

2000 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437730010310703

Argues that leaders with extensive backgrounds in organizational politics are more likely than technology-focused leaders to complete their information technology projects successfully. Describes how successful technological leaders in the public sector manage their projects, mainly upwards and outwards, and tailor their technical visions to the day-to-day reality of their organizations. Compares the evolution and fate of two information technology projects, one managed by a technology-oriented scientist (success) and the other by a politics-driven bureaucrat (failure). Proposes that senior decision makers can hone the political skills of their technological leaders by training them on the "soft" skills of management and helping them balance the skill sets of their teams. Suggests how to change current incentive systems in order to encourage technological leaders to politick their projects to success.

Robert W. Rowden

2000 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437730010310712

This article reports on a study to measure the relationship between the six leadership behaviors identified by Conger and Kanunago and the two organizational commitment components identified by Porter and Smith. A total of 245 respondents from six organizations in south-eastern USA participated in the study. Pearson correlations of the factors from the two scales were computed and revealed that five of the six C-K factors were significantly correlated with the two commitment factors. These findings indicate leader's sensitivity to member's needs is related to organizational commitment, having a clear vision and articulating it seems related to commitment, and managers need to be clear about the goals and values of the organization. This study has implications for the strategic role of managers as change agents in organizations.

Michael Harker; Bishnu Sharma

2000 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437730010310721

Three firms engaged in the heavy engineering industry undergoing the transition from organisational decline to recovery were studied in‐depth in a period of significant change for the industry. The purpose of the study was to explore the way in which leaders manage the company turnaround process. The turnaround performance and processes of recovering firms were compared to those of a less successful rival. Effective turnaround management involved making a series of holistic changes to strategies, structures and practices throughout the organisation; changes which were orchestrated by leaders at different levels in the firms. This study of leaders at work presents a model linking leadership and the turnaround process which challenges conventional prescriptions for company revival in a mature industry and identifies three core dimensions which mediate the effectiveness of relationship between leadership and company turnarounds.

Ron Cacioppe

2000 Leadership & Organization Development Journal

doi: 10.1108/01437730010310730

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.