Leadership development program (LDP): A review of contextual and cultural factors and how they impact LDP effectiveness
RIS ID
103227
Additional Publication Information
ISBN: 9781909507982
Abstract
Leadership development is identified as a critical element for an organization's long term success (Collins & Horton, 2004).The impetus for this study comes from the United Arab Emirates context wherein substantial investments are being made to provide Leadership Development Programs (LDPs) to develop leadership skills of Emiratis working in the public sector, in accordance with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 (Dubai Strategic Plan, 2015).However, these programs predominantly utilize Western leadership development approaches, and tend not to consider the influence of national culture in their utilization ‐ particularly in the selection, training, and professional development of leaders.Cultural influences are particularly important considerations in leadership development in the UAE, since the country is characterized by unique cultural dimensions, and the development of leaders is a national priority.There is also evidence to indicate that contextual factors, particularly culture, might play an important role in the conceptualization of effective leadership, and would therefore have important implications for the design and content of LDPs.This paper reviews existing literature on LDP effectiveness and presents a conceptual framework, which identifies key contextual factors including national culture that might influence the design of LDPs and their impact on the effectiveness of LDPs.The conceptualization draws on the stream of literature relating to national culture and leadership, including the work of Hofstede (1980) and the Globe study (House 2004), as well as other contextual factors, including the unique context of governmental organizations.The study proposes theoretical and practical insights into the impact of contextual factors, particularly national culture, on the effectiveness of LDPs in a research context that has been little studied to date.This conceptual framework takes into account the cultural dimensions of a high‐context country (UAE), as well as a public sector setting, extending LDP theory and providing a unique and significant contextual contribution.Implications arising from the conceptualization, as well as opportunities for application of the framework in an empirical study, are discussed.
Publication Details
Kamali, A., Jayashree, P. & Lindsay, V. J. 2014, 'Leadership development program (LDP): A review of contextual and cultural factors and how they impact LDP effectiveness', in P. Dover, S. Hariharan & M. Cummings (eds), Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance - ICMLG 2014, Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited, United States, pp. 343-349.