Leadership research topics

Informal leadership more influential for academics says new research

A two year investigation into leadership in Higher Education (HE) by academics in the Business School has discovered that ‘informal’ leaders are consistently rated as more influential than ‘formal’ leaders in the sector. Dr Richard Bolden’s research team found  that much of what is identified as ‘academic leadership’ is not provided by people in formal managerial roles but rather by a peer group within their own academic discipline, especially those who play a pivotal role in helping their colleagues get used to academic life. The research was conducted on behalf of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE). A summary and full-length report is available for download from the LFHE website: www.lfhe.ac.uk/publications/lfresearch/

Leading FTSE companies: a continuing study of corporate directing

The need for sound corporate governance has been accentuated recently as the global economy has faced the most severe financial crisis since the 1930s. Who is at the helm of companies, what they do and how they do it, is therefore very important, not only for all company stakeholders but also for the economy as a whole. Professor Pye’s research team focuses on the ’upper echelons’ of companies – the board and top management team, as well as their interaction and exchange with shareholders, auditors, regulators, headhunters, for example – to find out more about how directors run companies. This project is funded by ESRC and is the third in a series of qualitative studies which first started in 1987-1989 (and was repeated in 1998-2000) with companies such as Hanson, Marks & Spencer and Prudential.

The gender pay gap in managerial positions

The gender pay gap can be found in many contexts, cultures, professions and at all levels of seniority. In managerial positions, it is especially wide. It not only exists, but, as Dr Clara Kulich’s research has shown, it also depends on many factors. For example, in the FTSE companies in the UK, male executive directors’ bonuses relate to company performance. In contrast, female executive directors’ bonuses do not and are much lower than those of their male counterparts. There are several social mechanisms that can explain these patterns. Dr Kulich’s aim is to find out more about these.

“Leadership is one of the most talked about yet misunderstood concepts in business and management”

Richard Bolden, Lecturer at our Centre for Leadership Studies, is an experienced researcher and educator in the fields of leadership, management and organisational psychology. Through his research, he aims to, “challenge deeply embedded assumptions to discover more effective and equitable ways of running organisations.” He is particularly interested in the interface and interplay between individual and collective approaches to leadership and leadership development, and how they contribute towards positive social change within organisations and communities.

How can we develop leadership and procurement skills for climate change?

Dr Fernando Correia is aiming to answer this question by developing an innovative model of leadership procurement skills for climate change, for implementation within Cornish business and the public sector. He is also developing and running a procurement leadership development programme for senior managers and directors in selected Cornish organisations.

Leadership – relating to ethics, innovation and change

Professor Jonathan Gosling, Director of the Centre for Leadership Studies, has been researching leadership, and related topics, for the past 10 years. In his words, “studying leadership allows you to delve into some of the most profound and interesting social questions – such as ‘why do people follow others?’, ‘what should we be leading to?’, and ‘what are the connections between purposes and the means we employ to achieve them?’.” Much of Professor Gosling’s work has focused on elucidating the contribution made by various interventions in organisations, ranging from formal management training to collective narrative processes.

Video: Lessons for Business School Research in Emerging Markets by Jonathan Gosling

How do teams ‘do teamwork’?

Dr Beverley Hawkins investigates this question in her PhD thesis. She examines the way team members ‘do teamwork’ by invoking certain ways of thinking, being and doing, which help them to become thought of as ‘good team members’. In this way, Dr Hawkins focuses on how ‘doing teamwork’ is intricately bound up with the way team members regulate their own, and each other’s identities. Her work has also explored how employees and leaders negotiate, identify with, and resist ‘corporate culture’, which uses metaphors, symbols and specific rituals to encourage identification with the corporate brand.