Is it all tough talking at the top? A post-structuralist analysis of the construction of gendered speaker identities of British business leaders within interview narratives

This paper uses a feminist post-structuralist approach to examine the gendered identities of a sample of British business leaders in Britain. While recent national surveys offer many material reasons why women are acutely under-represented as business leaders, the role of language is rarely addressed. This paper explores the ways in which ten senior women and men construct their sense of leadership identities through the medium of interview narratives. Drawing upon two poststructuralist models of analysis (Derrida’s 1987 theory of deconstruction and Bakhtin’s 1927/1981 concept of double-voiced discourse), the paper shows how both females and males are able to shift pragmatically between interwoven corporate discourses, which demand competing cultural allegiances from one moment to the next, allegiances constantly tested by the rapid change and uncertainty that characterise global business. While male leaders experience a relative freedom of movement between different cultural discourses, female leaders are circumscribed by negative and reductive representations of female speech and behaviour. In sum, senior women are required constantly to observe, review, police and repair their use of leadership language, which potentially undermines their confidence and authority as leaders.

Opinion leaders' role in innovation diffusion:a simulation study

This study investigates the critical role that opinion leaders (or influentials) play in the adoption process of new products. Recent existing reseach evidence indicates a limited effect of opinion leaders on diffusion processes, yet these studies take into account merely the network position of opinion leaders without addressing their influential power. Empirical findings of our study show that opinion leaders, in addition to having a more central network position, possess more accurate knowledge about a product and tend to be less susceptible to norms and more innovative. Experiments that address these attributes, using an agent-based model, demonstrate that opinion leaders increase the speed of the information stream and the adoption process itself. Furthermore, they increase the maximum adoption percentage. These results indicate that targeting opinion leaders remains a valuable marketing strategy.

Survival or success? A critical exploration of the use of 'double-voiced discourse' by women business leaders in the UK

This article considers whether using leadership language may be one under-explored reason why there continues to be a significant lack of women at executive level. Do women make less of a linguistic impact in the boardroom than men? By analysing linguistic data from senior management meetings and follow-up interviews in seven multinational UK companies, we suggest that senior women and men use a very similar range of linguistic strategies to lead their teams except in one key respect. Women appear to monitor and regulate their use of language more than men, adjusting what they say in the light of their colleagues’ concerns and agendas. This use of ‘double-voiced discourse’ (Bakhtin, 1994/1963) enables women to survive in a male-dominated business world, but this can sometimes make their voice ‘harder to hear’. However, double-voiced discourse is also a form of linguistic expertise and potentially might offer women leaders a strategy for success.

Experiential learning:inspiring the business leaders of tomorrow

Purpose: The complex challenges of sustainable development and the need to embed these issues effectively into the education of future business leaders has never been more urgent. The purpose of this paper is to discuss different approaches taken by two UK signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). Design/methodology/approach: The two approaches examined are: MSc Entrepreneurship students opting for placements with social enterprises; and MBA students undertaking workshops using "live" case studies. A content analysis of the experiences of students from their written reflective narratives is presented. This is supplemented by reflections of the facilitators and tutors. Findings: The analysis reveals that the opportunity to work with social entrepreneurs and/or "responsible" business professionals provides the business students with inspirational role models and positive social learning opportunities. Research limitations/implications: This paper suggests that experiential learning is an effective way of integrating ethics, responsibility and sustainability into the curriculum but the research draws on the experience of two schools. Further research is important to explore these findings in other contexts. Practical implications: The authors argue that direct exposure to a business culture (and/or behaviour) that is predicated upon ethical/social responsibility and sustainability is an effective means to embed these values in the curriculum. Originality/value: This paper contributes by drawing on social psychological research related to behaviour change to examine how experiential learning on traditional Business Masters programmes can provide students with the knowledge, motivation and skills to contribute positively to society, in a way that more traditional pedagogies cannot. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

The role of self-regulation in developing leaders:a longitudinal field experiment

A longitudinal field experiment examined a leader self-regulation intervention in teams engaged in a Business Strategy Module (BSM) of a University course. The BSM, which is an integral part of the degree programme, involved teams of four or five individuals, under the direction of a leader, working on a (simulated) car manufacturing task over a period of 24. weeks. Various aspects of team performance contributed towards module assessment. All leaders received multi-source feedback of leader task-relevant capabilities (from the leader, followers and module tutor). Leaders were randomly allocated into a self-regulation intervention (15 leaders, 46 followers) or control (25 leaders, 109 followers) conditions. The intervention, which was run by an independent coach, was designed to improve leaders' use of self-regulatory processes to aid the development of task-relevant leadership competencies. Survey data was collected from the leaders and followers (on three occasions: pre- and two post-test intervention), team financial performance (three occasions: post-test) and a final team report (post-test). The leader self-regulation intervention led to increased followers' ratings of leader's effectiveness, higher team financial performance and higher final team grade compared to the control (non-intervention) condition. Furthermore, the benefits of the self-regulation intervention were mediated by leaders' attaining task-relevant competencies. © 2013.

On the Weight Distribution of the Coset Leaders of Constacyclic Codes

Constacyclic codes with one and the same generator polynomial and distinct length are considered. We give a generalization of the previous result of the first author [4] for constacyclic codes. Suitable maps between vector spaces determined by the lengths of the codes are applied. It is proven that the weight distributions of the coset leaders don’t depend on the word length, but on generator polynomials only. In particular, we prove that every constacyclic code has the same weight distribution of the coset leaders as a suitable cyclic code.

Leaders' sensemaking under crises:emerging cognitive consensus over time within management teams

When facing a crisis, leaders' sensemaking can take a considerable amount of time due to the need to develop consensus in how to deal with it so that vision formation and sensegiving can take place. However, research into emerging cognitive consensus when leaders deal with a crisis over time is lacking. This is limiting a detailed understanding of how organizations respond to crises. The findings, based on a longitudinal analysis of cognitive maps within three management teams at a single organization, highlight considerable individual differences in cognitive content when starting to make sense of a crisis. Evidence for an emerging viable prescriptive mental model for the future was found, but not so much in the management as a whole. Instead, the findings highlight increasing cognitive consensus based on similarities in objectives and cause-effect beliefs within well-defined management teams over time.

Modelling the Functionality of the Multimedia Digital Library for Fashion Objects

This paper describes a project of a multimedia digital library for fashion objects. The presented work aims to provide an environment for the National Art Academy students works, showing in front a professional and nonprofessional public the significant values of the fashion domain.

Professionalism within pharmacy – the thoughts of Professional Leaders

To ascertain the thoughts of selected professional leaders on matters relating to pharmacist professionalism. These views will help build a picture of the professional status of pharmacy. Methods - Semi-structured interviews were conducted between July and November 2013 with representatives from eight UK pharmacy leadership bodies. The bodies were selected for their roles in pharmacy policy development, regulation and professional representation. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis by constant comparison identified a number of emerging themes. Results - The following emerging themes were identified from the interview data: Influence of the Pharmacy Landscape: Participants highlighted the role that pharmacy plays within the National Health Service and wider society and how future developments may affect the professional status currently afforded to pharmacists. Vocalising Pharmacy: Communication within the profession and also with those external to the profession, including other healthcare professionals and the general public, is important to ensure a high professional standing. The Impact of Commercialism: Professionalism and commercialism were generally seen to be antithetical and a rise in commercialism may adversely impact on external perceptions of the professionalism of pharmacy. Responsibility for Professionalism: The professional image of pharmacy is maintained by the individuals operating within it regardless of their scope of practice. It is the responsibility of all those individuals to ensure that they actively demonstrate ‘professional’ behaviours. The Journey to Professionalism: Acquiring a professional ethos is a continual process but there are stages in a pharmacist’s development that are considered particularly important. These include upbringing, undergraduate education and pre-registration training. Conclusions - Pharmacy’s professional status in the UK remains open to challenge and vital to retaining that status is the public perception of pharmacists. Future research examining pharmacy’s claims to professional status should focus on exploring the attitudes of the general public in addition to the views of pharmacists.

Contesting gender stereotypes stimulates generalized fairness in the selection of leaders

Exposure to counter-stereotypic gender role models (e.g., a woman engineer) has been shown to successfully reduce the application of biased gender stereotypes. We tested the hypothesis that such efforts may more generally lessen the application of stereotypic knowledge in other (non-gendered) domains. Specifically, based on the notion that counter-stereotypes can stimulate a lesser reliance on heuristic thinking, we predicted that contesting gender stereotypes would eliminate a more general group prototypicality bias in the selection of leaders. Three studies supported this hypothesis. After exposing participants to a counter-stereotypic gender role model, group prototypicality no longer predicted leadership evaluation and selection. We discuss the implications of these findings for groups and organizations seeking to capitalize on the benefits of an increasingly diverse workforce.

Women political leaders and the media

Book review: Donatella Campus, Women Political Leaders and the Media. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. vii + 147pp. £55.00. ISBN 978-0-230-028528-6

A comparison of the leadership styles of the leaders at New World School of the Arts

The purpose of this study was to determine if the perceived leadership styles of the leaders at New World School of the Arts were different according to their roles in the organization. The study focused on the top leaders of the organization: the Provost who heads the college program, and the Principal who heads the high school program.^ The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Self and Observer developed by Kouzes and Posner (1990) was used to examine and compare the perceived differences between the leaders and the programs. The LPI measures five practices of exemplary leadership. The LPI Self and Observer was administered to the leaders, administrative subordinates, and faculty. In addition to the LPI a Demographic Inventory was used to collect data about the respondents.^ This study used a causal-comparative design to determine if differences existed between the leaders at NWSA as perceived by the leaders themselves and their respective administrative subordinates and faculty. T tests were conducted on the mean differences between the five leadership practices measured by the LPI. All tests were declared significant if exceeding the 5% level $(p={<}.05).$^ Significant differences were found within the college program across all five practice areas. To a lesser degree, significant differences were found within the high school in three practice areas: Inspiring, Enabling, and Modeling. Three significant differences were found between the college and high school in two practice areas, Enabling and Encouraging.^ There is little consensus of opinion within the college regarding the operative leadership style. Within the high school there is substantial similarity of perception regarding the operative leadership style. There is substantial similarity of perception between the programs regarding the operative leadership style. ^

A study of leadership behaviors for Breaking Ranks leaders in public secondary schools

This research will investigate what it will take to develop principals who will embrace the recommendations of reform as proposed by National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP, 1996) in the Breaking Ranks document. Breaking Ranks is based on the belief that it is within the dynamics of the school culture that principals must gain insight into strategies for improving the schools for which they are held responsible. Given this context, it is important to examine perspectives that are held by principals who lead schools that embrace the concepts of reform as proposed by NASSP, thereby, could be deemed “Breaking Ranks” schools. It is within these schools that the new role of the principal develops. NASSP has identified seven key recommendations for leadership development; “attributes that need nourishing” (p. 12) for the success of school reform. The seven recommendations are included in Breaking Ranks. ^ The purpose of this study is to identify and describe how principals put the seven recommendations into practice as they function in their schools. In addition, this study will gather information on the characteristics, support, skills, and training these principals identify as critical aspects and components of their success. This is a study of principal leadership at four high school sites where “Breaking Ranks” principals have been identified. ^ This research plan will be designed to utilize an inquiry-based process with a panel of experts and four “Breaking Ranks” principals. This study will describe: (1) how a panel of experts identify what they believe needs to be done in order to put the recommendations of the Breaking Ranks document into practice and their identification of principals who are breaking ranks; (2) how identified principals say they have been able to put the recommendations of the Breaking Ranks document into practice; (3) How both groups identify and describe: (a) the characteristics and behaviors of a “Breaking Ranks” principal; (b) the new leadership skills as described by the seven recommendations identified in the Breaking Ranks document; (c) the support necessary in order to meet the recommendations in the Breaking Ranks document; and (d) The training needed in order to become “Breaking Ranks” principals; and (4) how the process of creating “Breaking Ranks” principals can be described by experts who have studied it theoretically and principals who have demonstrated it in their schools. ^