Advances in Developing Human Resources

Ardichvili, Alexandre; Natt och Dag, Kristina; Manderscheid, Steven

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645506pmid: N/A

The ProblemLeadership development (LD) is the largest expense item in the overall training and development budget of the majority of business organizations in the United States and many other countries of the world. However, industry reports and academic articles alike suggest that, in many cases, organizations are dissatisfied with the outcomes and impact of their LD efforts and are experimenting with new approaches to LD in search for better solutions. At the same time, the academic literature on LD practices struggle to keep up with the fast pace of the emergence of new trends and equally rapid changes in established practices. Therefore, there is a need for periodic updates and reviews of current and emerging trends and models in LD theory and practice.The SolutionThis article provides a brief overview of current and emerging theoretical models and frameworks in leadership and further discusses emerging LD practices.The StakeholdersThis article will be of relevance to HRD academics, scholar-practitioners, and students, studying HRD and LD, and HRD practitioners in charge of LD in a variety of organizations.

Yeager, Katherine L.; Callahan, Jamie L.

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645510pmid: N/A

The ProblemOrganizations face several challenges that stand poised to place a significant strain on the availability of qualified leaders. Flatter organization structures, the use of more teams, and impending retirements of the Baby Boomer generation mean that the field of human resource development (HRD) must be prepared to help organizations develop the next generation of leaders. Scholars and practitioners must ensure that leader development initiatives will effectively prepare the forthcoming leaders from among young adults.The SolutionThe focus of this study was to develop an understanding of how leadership experiences shape leader identity development. We offer a model that explains the dynamic, interactive process of leader identity development. Specifically, this model identifies the importance of relationships, leading by example, authenticity, and the motivation to lead for young adults.The StakeholdersHRD scholars and practitioners may use the findings in this study to target developmental initiatives for future leaders.

Cumberland, Denise M.; Herd, Ann; Alagaraja, Meera; Kerrick, Sharon A.

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645883pmid: N/A

The ProblemIn the 21st century, globalization is key. Therefore, assessing and developing global leadership competencies is an important topic in human resource development (HRD). Global leadership competencies encompass personality traits, knowledge, and skills, as well as behaviors. While there has been a plethora of scholar-practitioner literature identifying global leadership competencies, there has been far less focus on assessing global leadership competencies and how these competencies are developed.The SolutionWe attempt to address this gap by examining the state-of-the-art literature on global leadership assessment and development from several disciplines, including HRD, management, and leadership. With regard to global leadership competency assessment, our goal is to synthesize the literature and provide HRD professionals with a systematic method for identifying instruments that measure core global competencies. With regard to global leadership development, our aim is to provide a framework for understanding how global leadership competencies can be developed.The StakeholdersThe identification and categorization of various instruments that measure global competencies, as well as a framework that outlines methods to develop these competencies, will benefit human resource (HR) professionals and HRD practitioners.

Volz-Peacock, Mary; Carson, Bea; Marquardt, Michael

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645884pmid: N/A

The ProblemToday organizations worldwide are faced with the growing challenge of increasing the capabilities of their leaders with less time and fewer financial resources. However, most leadership development programs are ineffective and expensive and provide little focus on the social, interpersonal, and strategic aspects of leadership. This research seeks to answer the following questions:How are leadership skills developed through action learning?How are these skills embodied and consequently transferred to the workplace?The SolutionAction learning with a trained coach is a cost-effective approach that enables leaders to develop capabilities while working to solve urgent organizational or social problems. In essence, leaders are learning while working. This article reports on a model of action learning that was used with hundreds of organizations throughout the world for over a decade. It presents a number of action learning procedures to develop key leadership skills as identified by the individual and emphasizes the use of a trained coach.The StakeholdersThis article provides researchers and scholarly practitioners in the field of human resource development (HRD), organizational development trainers and coaches, and organizational teams, leaders, and managers with findings that support the growing importance of action learning in the field of leadership development. Other interested parties may include people who want to solve complex social problems in our world today in efforts to really make a difference.

Barnett, Robert C.; Weidenfeller, Nancy K.

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645885pmid: N/A

The ProblemShared leadership in teams has been the topic of substantial research in the last several years fueled, at least in part, by Pearce and Conger’s helpful volume. The published literature is fragmented, complex, and difficult to navigate, making it challenging to quickly or easily gain a clear understanding of the progress that has been made and the findings that are relevant to shared leadership in teams.The SolutionThis article describes and discusses recently published empirical evidence in an effort to summarize what is known about shared leadership in teams. Questions of shared leadership’s effectiveness, what is shared, with whom, and how leadership is shared are addressed. The article concludes with a summary of what we now know about shared leadership and recommendations for Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals who are involved with or responsible for developing shared leadership in teams.The StakeholdersThis article is relevant to the interests of team leaders and members, organization managers, HRD professionals, and others who may be involved in promoting shared leadership and team effectiveness in their organizations.

Hart, Rama Kaye

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645886pmid: N/A

The ProblemLeaders and members of virtual teams do not always have the opportunity to seek training and development to overcome the challenges of being culturally and geographically distant, nor the serendipitous exchanges afforded by proximity to work associates who might provide mentoring for personal or professional guidance. How then might organizations and human resource development (HRD) professionals foster relationships that are supportive in nature, considered critical for many outcomes associated with individual and leadership development and virtual team success?The SolutionDrawing on the theoretical perspective that communication is constitutive of social, psychological and organizational realities, a conceptual model was developed through an interpretive study. The model highlights how informal developmental relationships emerge, what type of communication constitutes these relationships, and the impact they have on leaders and members of virtual work teams.The StakeholdersThe results of this study have implications for leaders and members who work virtually and for HRD professionals seeking strategies to create and improve informal developmental relationships through the medium of virtual work team communication. Opportunities exist for researchers to explore the effectiveness and outcomes of building developmental relationships in virtual contexts.

Hezlett, Sarah A.

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645887pmid: N/A

The ProblemThe notion that a high proportion of leadership development should be the result of learning from experience has become popular, increasing the need for human resource development (HRD) professionals to understand experience-driven leadership development in order to design systems and processes that facilitate it. Relevant research on the topic has been increasing. Although this has improved the opportunity to build evidence-based practice, it also has created the challenge of identifying and digesting key concepts and findings. In addition, there are important misunderstandings regarding experience-driven development and core areas where additional information is needed.The SolutionThis article synthesizes recent research related to the emerging practice of experience-driven leadership development, using a question and answer format. As a result, key concepts and relevant research results about experience-driven leadership development are summarized in an action-oriented framework. Gaps in knowledge are highlighted and recommendations for future research are offered.The StakeholdersThis article will be of particular relevance to scientists pursuing research on experience-driven development and HRD practitioners responsible for improving leadership development, particularly those interested in driving learning through experience.

Manderscheid, Steven; Harrower, Nancy L.

doi: 10.1177/1523422316645888pmid: N/A

The ProblemLeaders frequently transition from one organization into another. Leader transitions can be fraught with challenges as new leaders try to adapt to a new culture, team, and work processes. At no time during their career are leaders more vulnerable to failure as when they are in transition.The SolutionThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore leader transition and polarity. The researchers identified whether polarities existed during a leader’s transition from one leadership role into another and identified strategies leaders use to manage such polarities. Five polarities were identified: (a) Drive Change/Maintain Status Quo, (b) Work/Family, (c) Tradition/Innovation, (d) Action/Reflection, and (e) Task/Relationships. Furthermore, five strategies were used to manage polarities: (a) Collaborating, (b) Learning, (c) Developing Talent, (d) Reflecting (on Self), and (e) Decision-Making. By understanding the concepts and ramifications of polarities, it is hoped that newly transitioning leaders will be able to recognize and adjust to situations in which polarities may arise.StakeholdersThe stakeholders include leaders in transition, leadership development professionals, executive coaches, and human resource management. These professionals should consider this research when they work to develop the capacity of their leadership talent.

Brendel, William; Bennett, Carmela

doi: 10.1177/1523422316646068pmid: N/A

The ProblemGiven the unpredictable nature of organizational life, leadership development programs that rely primarily on cognitive processing and critical reflection are no longer sufficient. What is required is an integrated pedagogy that enables individuals to access and embody a “way of being,” an aligned presence and purpose that spans all contexts so that the individual and leader are not separate entities but rather a fully cohesive self. To develop this capacity, reputable organizations are experimenting with holistic learning methodologies, including mindfulness and somatics practices. However, these methodologies have yet to be fully grounded in adult learning and leadership best practices, empirical research, mind–body principles, and leadership performance.The SolutionThrough a critical review of relevant theory, practice, and empirical research, this article conceptualizes a constructive developmental learning methodology, which integrates mindfulness and somatics practices that transform a leader’s relationship with behavior from the automatic to the consciously chosen realm. The article presents a practical model of embodied leadership where individuals learn ways to deepen awareness to include both the mind and body as an interdependent system to remain open, grounded, and engaged in a way that builds resilience, and resourcefulness, and improves relationships in complex environments.The StakeholdersHuman resource development professionals, executive coaches, and aspiring leaders seek a holistic and practical leadership development approach, which is conceptually and empirically linked to leadership and organizational performance.