Date of Submission
8-2-2021
Document Type
DiP
Degree
Doctor of Education
Department
Education
Keywords
VUCA, complexity leadership theory, adaptive leadership, postmodern, innovation, management style
Abstract
Organizations across the world are continuously undergoing change - some of which is by choice; the majority of this change is in response to the pressures the external environment. In today's world, organizations need to be agile. They need to be able to meet the challenges and develop creative ways to attract and retain talent as part of their business strategy. When organizations are strong, their process and procedures are working well in support of their business operations, and their employees are engaged as healthy and constructive components of a high-functioning, complex, adaptable system. Organizational adaptation is imperative in the modern, volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, as without it a firm can become obsolete. Organizations represent and operate as complex adaptive systems. Accordingly, all of their systemic parts are connected and employees within these systems have the ability to influence the organizational and relational dynamics that are needed to successfully meet the adaptive challenges they and their organizations receive from their surrounding environment. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) presents a possible solution by initializing leadership development through an engagement of complexity leadership theory and adaptive leadership within an organizational context unfamiliar with the value of investing in the leadership development of their employees as a form of competitive advantage. Utilizing a postmodern perspective, this OIP focuses on developing a theoretical framework through which a progressive, iterative solution can begin to gradually influence the evolution of largely transactional relationships between employees into increasingly collaborative exchanges through which adaptive work and innovative solutions can be enabled.
Recommended Citation
Kolga, M. (2021). Initiating Leadership Development In a VUCA Environment. The Dissertation in Practice at Western University, 197. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/oip/197