Seediscussions,stats,andauthorprofilesforthispublicati.docx

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for
this publication at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299831446
A Case Study of Global Leadership
Development
Best Practice
Article · April 2016
CITATIONS
0
READS
1,059
4 authors, including:
Some of the authors of this publication are
also working on theserelated projects:
Refreshing leadershipdevelopment for the 21st century
View project
Sebastian Salicru
University of Technology Sydney
13 PUBLICATIONS 4 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE
All content following this page was uploaded by
Sebastian Salicru on 07 April 2016.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded
file.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299831446_A_Case_S
tudy_of_Global_Leadership_Development_Best_Practice?enrich
Id=rgreq-605d143faf7dd6b0822af2ad7df3fbfc-
XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzI5OTgzMTQ0NjtBUzo
zNDgxMzIzODc5MDE0NDFAMTQ2MDAxMjYzNzU4Nw%3D
%3D&el=1_x_2&_esc=publicationCoverPdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299831446_A_Case_S
tudy_of_Global_Leadership_Development_Best_Practice?enrich
Id=rgreq-605d143faf7dd6b0822af2ad7df3fbfc-
https://www.researchgate.net/project/Refreshing-leadership-
development-for-the-21st-century?enrichId=rgreq-
605d143faf7dd6b0822af2ad7df3fbfc-
https://www.researchgate.net/?enrichId=rgreq-
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sebastian_Salicru2?enrichI
d=rgreq-605d143faf7dd6b0822af2ad7df3fbfc-

https://www.researchgate.net/institution/University_of_Technol
ogy_Sydney2?enrichId=rgreq-
A Case Study of Global
Leadership Development
Best Practice
“GLD is a challenging task that has become
more important than ever for international
companies. While thereis clear recognition of
the link between GLD initiatives and overall
business performance, most companies continually
fail to develop global leaders.”
We are operating in an entirely new global

business context, hurled up by dynamic
forces such as: rapid global economic
integration, accelerated growth of digital
technologies that are increasingly render-
ing traditional companies and their busi-
ness models obsolete, West-to-East shifts
in economic and political power, and new
generations’ changing social attitudes and
learning behaviors.
As a result, organi-
zations with global
interests need to oper-
ate across geographic
markets characterized
by increasing compet-
itiveness, complexity,
uncertainty, ambi-
guity, and inherent
cultural differences.
Effective global
leadership develop-
ment (GLD) is vital to
organizational effec-
tiveness and competitive advantage, but
the current shortage of global leaders has
become a major threat to the future growth
of international companies. The evidence is
compelling.
According to Deloitte’s Global Human
Capital Trends 2014: Engaging the 21st-century
workforce, organizations need to develop
leaders more quickly in all geographies and
across all functional areas.

Further, survey results in Develop-
ment Dimensions International’s (DDI)
Global Leadership Forecast 2014–15, of 13,124
global leaders and 1,528 human resource
executives within 2,031 organizations
representing 48 countries, only one in five
organizations emphasize GLD, and only
one-third of their leaders reported being
effective in leading across countries and
cultures – the lowest single skill effective-
ness rating in the survey. The same study
reported that out of 900 multinational
organizations surveyed, 52% were planning
to expand their operations within the next
few years, but only 16%
reported having enough
globally ready leaders to
fill their critical roles.
Similarly, the Bersin
by Deloitte’s WhatWorks
Awards 2015: Lessons from
Best report – the latest
research available on
Global Human Capital
Trends – indicates that
86% of HR and business
leaders mentioned leader-
ship as a critical issue, and
half of the respondents
admitted leadership deficiencies within
their organization were a very important
issue. With respect to developing tomor-

row’s leaders, the report indicates that only
6% of respondents believe their leader-
ship pipeline is ready. The report adds that
this capability gap represents a serious
threat to long-term organizational success
and places companies that have failed to
develop a strong pipeline of leaders in a
position of competitive disadvantage.
GLD is a challenging task that has
become more important than ever for
international companies. While there is
clear recognition of the link between GLD
By Sebastian Salicru,
Elly Wassenaar, Erika Suerz,
and Jonathan Spittle
Out of 900 multinational
organizations surveyed,
52% were planning to
expand their operations
within the next few years,
but only 16% reported
having enough globally
ready leaders to fill their
critical roles.
12 OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 48 No. 2 2016
initiatives and overall business perfor-
mance, most companies continually fail to
develop global leaders.

Proving Global Leadership Development
Best Practice
To help address the GLD gap, we pres-
ent the case of Wärtsilä, a global leader in
advanced technologies and complete life-
cycle solutions for the marine and energy
markets, with an unparalleled history of
over 180 years of organizational renewal
and a long-standing commitment to GLD.
Wärtsilä
» Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland,
since 1834.
» Listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
» Net sales totaled EUR 5 billion in 2015.
» 18,800 employees of 120 nationalities
in 70 countries.
Having installed 58 gigawatt of power plant
capacity in 175 countries using power from
mixed sources, providing innovative prod-
ucts and integrated solutions to marine and
oil & gas industries, and delivering services
to more than 12,000 customers every year,
Wärtsilä is at the frontier of engineering
innovation. It emphasizes technological
innovation and total efficiency, and is com-
mitted to sustainability and the provision
of environmentally sound products and
services, while ensuring responsible busi-
ness conduct.
LEAD

Wärtsilä also aims to create a culture of
high performance and world-class leader-
ship. Its company-wide GLD program,
LEAD, is a critical component of its people
strategy. LEAD is a one-week intensive
residential program that:
» Targets experienced managers company
wide.
» Aims to develop manager’s leadership
skills to lead, motivate, and engage
their employees to achieve business
targets.
» Is delivered globally (Americas; Middle
East and Asia; South Europe and Africa;
and North Central Europe) since 2003.
The consistent feedback received from over
a thousand LEAD participants who have
attended the program has been extremely
positive. As a result, LEAD’s reputation
throughout the company is well-known as
it has been passed from one generation to
another via word-of-mouth and attendants’
anecdotal evidence. Many of the com-
pany’s senior managers who attended the
program years ago, consistently nominate
their direct reports to attend this highly
regarded program. So, what makes it so
successful? This is precisely the aim of this
study.
The Challenge
Wärtsilä is critically challenged to generate

and maintain a healthy pipeline of leaders
with the strategic thinking, global business
acumen, and intercultural competence to
take the company into a successful future
in any location around the world. With
55% of its business currently in emerging
markets such as China, Wärtsilä must have
leaders able to adapt to local cultures and
market needs, and progressively shift to
decentralized and collaborative decision
making, while promoting and preserving
the company’s unique culture, values, and
behavior.
The Study
Why? – Purpose and Research Questions
The purpose of the study was threefold:
1. To investigate what evidence could
qualify LEAD as GLD best practice.
2. To explain how and why its components
made an impact on participants’ trans-
fer of learning and behavior, and on the
business.
3. To advance the theory and practice of
GLD by contributing to the limited
body of literature on this topic.
How? – Originality and Methodology
The study differed from previous stud-
ies investigating GLD because it used
the case study method as an evaluation,

employing a mixed-method triangulation
design at multiple levels (see Figure 1),
which included using Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick’s (2014) evaluation model (see
Figure 2). The triangulation used included:
external benchmarking through a review
of current industry GLD best practice and a
review of the literature; analysis of primary
data (interviews, direct observations, and
an online survey); and analysis of second-
ary data (documentary analysis, analysis
of archival records, and end-of-program
participant evaluations).
Having built around 5000
power plants in 175 countries
using power from mixed
sources, Wärtsilä is at the
frontier of engineering
innovation.
’
QUANTITATIVE
Data and
Results
Analysis of Secondary
Data
End-of-program
participants’ evaluations
Analysis of Primary Data
Online survey
Analysis of Primary Data

Interviews
Analysis of Secondary
Data
Documentary analysis
Direct observations
External benchmarking by
conducting a review of the
GLD best practice
currently in use by
industry, and a review of
the literature
QUALITATIVE
Data and
Results
Interpretation
Figure 1. Research Design
13A Case Study of Global Leadership
Development Best Practice
While 86% of organizations evaluate
at the level of participants’ reactions (sat-
isfaction), only 11% evaluate at the organi-
zational level, and only 3% assess the ROI
(return on investment).

Results –Findings
We identified 14 general principles of GLD
best practice embedded in LEAD. They
included formal processes and practices
comparable to those in place in the pro-
grams of 18 global companies: Ameritech,
BP, Boeing, Cisco, Citibank, Colgate-
Palmolive, Dell, Ericsson, FedEx, GE,
HP, IBM, Johnson’s, Motorola, Pepsico,
Prudential, Shell, and Vodafone.
Evidence for each of the four levels of
Kirkpatrick’s model was also found. Par-
ticipants reported satisfaction rates from
good to excellent, averaging 93.5% upon
completion of the program, and more than
two-thirds (68.61%) of respondents stated
that they believed they were able to have
a significant to high degree of impact on
the business as a result of having attended
LEAD.
Overall, LEAD was found to be based
on a comprehensive and well-integrated
design and delivery system that supports
the achievement of business outcomes and
results. Based on these findings, the study
concluded that Wärtsilä’s LEAD is a GLD
best practice program.
Defining Global Leadership Development
Best Practice
What constitutes best practice?
In formulating our research questions, we

used the following operational definition
of leadership development best practice:
“one that has resulted in positive outcomes
for the organization and is recognized by
independent analysis as contributing to
the organization’s performance” (Leskiw &
Singh, 2007, p. 446).
So what are these 14 principles, com-
mon to successful leadership programs
worldwide?
1. CEO’s commitment
LEAD places a strong emphasis on equip-
ping participants to acquire the necessary
leadership capability to achieve Wärtsilä’s
long-term aspirations. Based on obser-
vations, this strategic orientation was
During the Global Financial
Crisis, when many companies
cut their training budgets
to cut costs, Wärtsilä kept
rolling out LEAD. In doing so,
the company made clear its
commitment to developing
its people.
RESULTS
TRANSFER
LEARNING
REACTIONS

Level 1
Reactions
Level 1 – Satisfaction
Was the environment suitable
for learning?
Level 2 – Knowledge
What did they learn?
Level 3 – Behavior
KSA (knowledge, skills, and abilities)
being used on the job?
Level 4 – Business Impact
Was it worth it?
Chain of Evidence
Check Requirements,
Systems, and Processes
Check
Performance Environment
Check
Knowledge/Skill transfer
Check
Learning Environment
Level 2
Learning
Level 3
Transfer

Level 4
Results
Figure 2. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level
Training Evaluation Model
Significant
Moderate
Slightly
Low
1.16% 9.30%
20.93%
56.98%
11.63%
High
Figure 3. Impact on the Business
OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 48 No. 2 201614
supported with a strong commitment from
the CEO and other senior managers. This
feature of LEAD is consistent with the mes-
sage that top management needs to com-
municate clearly to make GLD programs
successful and to give people the opportu-
nities to tackle strategic challenges.

During the Global Financial Crisis,
when many companies cut their training
budgets to cut costs, Wärtsilä kept rolling
out LEAD. In doing so, the company made
clear its commitment to developing its
people. CEOs can demonstrate they value
investment in people as much as invest-
ment in assets or businesses.
2. Strategic orientation, alignment, and
scope (including strategic projects)
LEAD has a strong overall strategic ori-
entation, alignment, and scope. This was
demonstrated through the alignment and
integration of the program’s curriculum
with a subset of features and activities
aligned with Wärtsilä’s business goals, and
goals to develop leaders with competencies
to grow the business. These elements (e.g.,
senior leaders’ active involvement during
the presentation of strategic projects con-
ducted by participants, meta-competencies,
simulations, journaling, peer coaching),
were grounded in organizational develop-
ment theory and practice.
3. Senior managers’/leaders’ involvement
in the program
Senior leaders’ involvement in LEAD is a
practical application of LEAD’s strategic
orientation and scope, and it occurs dur-
ing strategic project presentations. This
active involvement of the senior leader-
ship usually entails a vice president, or
member of the senior management team,
attending LEAD as guest speaker during

the team-based strategic project presenta-
tions. Executives consider projects for
implementation that demonstrate they can
add value to the business.
Industry examples of other organi-
zations that used senior leaders in their
leadership development initiative include:
PepsiCo, whose former CEO, Roger Enrico,
spent 100 days a year engaged in running
development programs for top executives;
General Electric’s (GE) leadership center,
where executives at all levels were largely
responsible for running activities; and Dell,
where Mort Topfer, board vice chairman,
was involved as a sponsor and coach of the
leadership development program. Com-
paq, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson,
Shell, ServiceMaster and McKesson have
adopted similar initiatives.
4. Clear and relevant program goals and
objectives
LEAD’s goals are:
1. To contribute to creating the company’s
culture in developing a common under-
standing of the group’s values, vision,
strategy, and way of working;
2. To develop people and their leadership
abilities; and
3. To help participants be aware of the
influence of their actions and decisions

on the group results.
These goals are designed to support the
development of individual technical expert
contributors (predominantly engineers)
into leaders of teams, and strategy imple-
menters (middle/senior managers) into
strategic thinkers who can effectively
contribute to the business. The above goals
and objectives are in line with the best
practice principles in that they are tied to
specific business imperatives. Further, to
face complex global challenges, leaders
must acquire a global mindset, develop
the capacity to innovate and inspire oth-
ers, and acquire self-reliant leadership
development. This is also consistent with
the notion that a key competitive advantage
is gained by attracting and developing lead-
ers who not only operate effectively across
cultures but also influence and motivate
people at a global level.
5. Careful selection of participants
The criteria for selecting candidates attend-
ing LEAD comprise three key elements:
1. The managerial experience of the candi-
dates within Wärtsilä. To be considered
for the program, candidates need to
have a minimum of two years’ manage-
rial experience within the company.
2. Candidates are also required to have
completed the “Essentials of Leader-

ship” program or another comparable
leadership program.
3. In line with the talent management and
business decision policy of “whom to
invest in,” candidates can either self-
nominate (with the approval of their
line manager), or be nominated by their
line manager, division director, country
HR manager, or area HR director.
Selected candidates do not necessarily
come from the same organizational level,
type of role, or geographical region – this
is not a requirement. The aim is to seek
diversity among participants. Aiming for
this mix of participants is consistent with
best practice organizations.
6. Comprehensive and integrated
assessment (two components)
LEAD uses a comprehensive and inte-
grated pre-assessment process, completed
via an online survey and including the fol-
lowing two components:
1. A personality assessment; and
2. An integrated 360-degree feedback
assessment using Wärtsilä’s 7 leader-
ship competencies clustered in core
meta-competencies (leading people,
leading business, delivering results)
and other dimensions including the
overall level of pressure participants
are working under to deliver results;
the degree to which their teams have

the capabilities, resources, systems,
and processes in place to achieve their
objectives; and items related to the
“I now feel I lead the team, whereas before I was managing
the team. The team owns the product, where 12 months ago I
owned the product and the team followed my every decision/
command. Last year my team produced $6 million of product,
this year we are heading towards $17.5 million.”
degree and pace at which various types
of changes are taking place within their
teams and the organization.
The relatively simple competency model
used by Wärtsilä is not dissimilar from
other well-established competency models
that use adaptive or meta-competencies.
Many organizations use complex compe-
tency models of leadership development,
while others use simpler ones. Chase
Manhattan Bank’s leadership competency
model, for example, comprises 250 com-
petencies. The competency frameworks of
IBM and 3M comprise 11 and 12 competen-
cies respectively.
7. Thorough preparation process (three
components)
The preparation process included the fol-
lowing three components:

1. A goal-setting discussion with line
managers;
2. Initial development of a Personal
Action Plan (PAP); and
3. Strategic project preparations.
This last feature gives participants the
opportunity to get to know each other by
experiencing how to engage as a virtual
team. Virtual teams, although relatively
new to the global business landscape,
have been recognized as a critical issue for
global organizations and are an emergent
area of research.
Cisco’s C-LEAD model and Executive
Action Learning Forum is a good industry
example of a company that has successfully
used work projects to uncover strategic
opportunities.
8. Pre-entry feedback/coaching session
Typically, participants receive feedback on
their personality profile and 360-degree
competency assessment during a one-to-
one pre-entry feedback/coaching ses-
sion, which they attend the week before
their immersion in the one-week intense
residential program. This session is usu-
ally conducted by the assigned LEAD
facilitator/trainer and whenever possible,
it is conducted face-to-face. This is a good
opportunity for facilitator and participant
to get to know each other. The facilitator is

also able to coach participants in further
developing their PAPs based on their
report results. Further, the facilitator
becomes cognizant of each participant’s
specific issues and challenges, which gives
the facilitator an opportunity to provide
further individualized coaching or guid-
ance during and/or at the end of the
program.
9. Coaching and peer coaching
During and at the end of the LEAD pro-
gram, participants are offered individual-
ized coaching by the facilitator, who takes a
coaching role on a needs basis as outlined
above. Executive coaching is an effective
short-term leadership development activity
with a strong focus on goal setting, feed-
back, and performance, and is designed to
address knowledge gaps or skills. Coaching
is experiencing exponential growth, and
research suggests that it boosts organi-
zational productivity (Bartlett, Boylan, &
Hale, 2014; Ladyshewsky, 2010).
Further, on the first day of LEAD, par-
ticipants are paired with a coaching partner
and introduced to the GROW coaching
model. Peer coaching entails arranging
performance partnerships to achieve new
behavior, increased organizational effective-
ness, and improved personal productivity.
It can enhance personal and professional
development, and has been reported to
successfully accelerate learning and culture

change in organizations such as Vodafone,
Dell and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
10. A highly experiential approach
incorporating action and experiential
learning
One of LEAD’s strongest features iden-
tified via documentary analysis, direct
observations, and interviews, is its expe-
riential approach. The program is pre-
dominantly experiential in nature and
participants’ learnings derive mainly from
their experience while working collabora-
tively on a range of projects and challenges
that address each of the seven leadership
competencies identified by Wärtsilä, with
a progressive escalation in intensity and
complexity during the week. As a result,
participants acquire new knowledge
and perspectives from the combina-
tion of working together and collectively
debriefing their experiences. From this per-
spective, LEAD clearly incorporates Kolb’s
(1984) four modes of the experiential learn-
ing cycle (concrete experience, abstract
conceptualization, reflective observation,
and active experimentation).
Our study also found that LEAD incor-
porates action learning. This is a powerful
way to contextualize training and enhance
the transfer of new knowledge and learned
skills. It is the process of learning and
reflection, supported by a group of col-

leagues, working on real-time problems
with the intention of getting things done.
Further, action learning engages partici-
pants in emotionally intense, team-focused
experiences that directly address the
immediate needs that strategically impact
the organization. In this way, it encourages
participants to learn with and from each
other, while finding solutions to immediate
real problems. Action learning affords the
means of linking leadership development
with the solution of business problems,
and has been incorporated in the LDPs
programs of various global organizations
such as: GE; Prudential Assurance; Shell;
Citibank; Ameritech; Johnson & Johnson;
Cisco; Boeing; and Motorola.
11. Reflective learning, including
journaling
Another strong feature of LEAD is the use
of reflective learning, including journaling.
Firstly, this was demonstrated by par-
ticipants carefully debriefing each activity
“It was very useful getting a better picture of myself – a
critique, and to see and accept. I’m pacing myself more
now. I used to have a more confrontational style. During the
training, I became more cognizant of my own pushing style
with others in the room.”
in the program. During such sessions,

team members learn on different levels,
including the nature of the project, group
processes and dynamics, and personal
approaches and styles of the individual
members. The notion that reflection is cen-
tral to learning from experience is strongly
supported by the literature.
Further, at the beginning of each day,
participants were provided with the oppor-
tunity to do some journaling based on their
learnings of the previous day. The use of
reflective learning journals as a tool to aid
critical reflection, a process that medi-
ates between experience, knowledge, and
action, is also supported by the literature.
12. Building social capital through
networking
Networking is a strong feature of LEAD.
During the program, participants from dif-
ferent geographical regions, cultures, and
levels of the organization come together
and live a very intense experience. In turn,
this social networking creates strong emo-
tional bonding between the participants.
One program facilitator explained that it
is not uncommon for some participants to
declare at the end of the program that they
got to know some of the members of their
teams better than some of their closest
friends or family members.
The nature of these relationships can
be linked to the concept of “social capital”

– the informal relationships that promote
cooperation between two or more individu-
als, and the social networks and norms
of reciprocity and trustworthiness that
arise from them. Specifically linked to the
example above is a particular dimension
of social capital called “bonding capital,”
which denotes ties between people in
similar situations, such as immediate fam-
ily, close friends, and neighbors. Ericsson,
for example, makes extensive use of social
networks, as part of their Excellerate Global
Leadership Program.
13. Online and one-to-one follow-up
Upon completion of the one-week residen-
tial program, participants are required to
reinforce their learnings by engaging in
two activities:
1. A follow-up discussion with their line
manager to review how their PAP will
be implemented and how the expected
changes will be demonstrated in their
leadership behavior, and to ascertain
the support and resources they will
require to do so; and
2. Completion of two, one-hour e-learning
modules – “Motivating employees” and
“Communicating vision.”
In addition, participants are encouraged to:
1. Seek coaching from their line managers

over time on actions defined in their
PAPs so that the follow-up becomes a
continuous process rather than a one-
off review of the PAP;
2. Seek a mentor or become a mentor for
someone else within the company; and
3. Consider continuing the peer-coaching
relationships initiated during the
training.
14. Evaluation
After each LEAD program, Wärtsilä con-
ducts regular evaluation of Level 1 (partici-
pants’ reactions to the training) and Level
2 (participants’ learning or acquisition of
new knowledge) of Kirkpatrick’s four-level
training evaluation model. Links to access
end-of-program evaluations are sent elec-
tronically to participants a few days after
the one-week program and the evaluations
are completed online.
Further, by commissioning this study,
Wärtsilä demonstrated a commitment to
evaluating Level 3 (transfer of learning) and
Level 4 (impact on the business). This is
also consistent with best practice recom-
mendations of data collection when evalu-
ating leadership development programs,
and the methods used by companies such
as BP, Colgate-Palmolive, and IBM.
Practical Implications for

OD Practitioners
This study has various practical implica-
tions relevant to OD practitioners who
design, implement, or evaluate leadership
development programs (LDPs). These are
presented using the following five main
categories: design; implementation; social
networking; evaluation; and impact on the
business.
Design Implications
Program design is critical, as it is the
foundation that drives the whole program.
The fourteen design principles embed-
ded in LEAD were the key drivers of the
outcomes identified. This addressed the
question of how the program delivered
what it was intended to deliver. More
specifically, the progressive sequencing of
the program content enabled the delivery
of the intended results. From this perspec-
tive, practitioners who wish to achieve the
desired results from their LDPs should take
into account three critical elements:
1. Align learning outcomes to business
goals and translate outcomes into effec-
tive activities/experiences.
2. Carefully consider the amount and
type of experiences that progressively
build upon each other to create rich
developmental experiences, which in
“I had the opportunity to

work closely with a particular
colleague. Together, as well
as with other colleagues
outside the LEAD course,
we put together a unique
business deal and successfully
won this particular project.
LEAD definitely aided in this
success.”
“For me, the best takeaway
was learning a new negotiation
vendor strategy from a
European colleague. When I
got back home, I applied this
new negotiation approach and,
in less than a year, I was able
to generate savings of just over
$100,000.”
turn are likely to deliver the intended
learning outcomes while also providing
a balance of three key dimensions: self-
assessment/self-awareness, challenge,
and support. This includes consider-
ing the length, intensity (mental vs.
emotional labor), and facilitation style
required to debrief each experience.
In doing so, it is important to remem-
ber that the program starts during the
assessment and pre-entry phases –

before the one-week residential training
program begins – and continues after
that period (transfer of learning and
evaluation).
3. Integrate a balanced mix of experi-
ences, taking into account – and match-
ing – the various learning modes (e.g.,
experiential, imaginal, conceptual, and
practical learning), level of participant
involvement (e.g., individual, small
group, and plenary sessions), and the
facilitation style (e.g., directive vs. non-
directive styles).
Implementation Implications
Based on our findings, by using prin-
ciples that are grounded in OD theory and
practice while following this sequence, OD
practitioners are very likely to assist par-
ticipants to uncover their blind spots and
enhance their self-awareness, which were
the most important things participants
identified as their learning during the pro-
gram. Fostering participants’ understand-
ing and appreciation of group dynamics,
team building and team dynamics, and
how to better listen to others, were identi-
fied by participants as their main learnings.
OD practitioners would also benefit
from taking into account the findings relat-
ing to the second research question – why
the above mentioned sequence worked.
From this perspective, they should pay
attention to the chain of psychological

dimensions (namely, cognitive – mental,
emotional, and behavioral) that emerge
from the cohort, by carefully monitoring
participants’ reactions to each activity.
The overall implementation of the
program has three main stages: (1) entry,
(2) encounter – learning from experience,
and (3) integration and exit (see Figure 4).
Taking a participant – learner centered
perspective, this process can best be
described as taking the form of a U-shape,
through which participants navigated the
various psychological states described
above. To begin, during the entry stage,
participants went through an assessment
phase, which is cognitive – the starting
point of the U-shape. This stage included
conducting the 360-degree feedback, the
personality assessment, and the pre-entry
feedback/coaching session.
The encounter or learning from
experience stage followed. This stage is
characterized by exposing participants to
activities grounded in experiential methods
and action learning principles, including
the debriefing of these sessions. Dur-
ing this stage, participants progressively
transition from the surface – the cognitive/
mental labor stage, to a more reflective
and emotional state. This culminates at
the inflection point in the bottom of the
U-shaped curve.

Finally, during the integration and exit
stage, participants progressively emerge
on top of the end of the U-shape. In doing
so, psychologically they go back to a more
cognitive state where they integrate their
experiences and plan for action. This stage
includes the presentation of the strategic
projects, completion of their PAPs, the fol-
low-up discussions with their line manager,
and completion of the online modules.
Facilitating participants’ sense-making
during these three stages becomes critical
to enable their learning from experience.
From the trainer/facilitators’ perspective,
initially, it is important to notice partici-
pants’ learning mindsets – the attitude
that predisposes individuals to be open to
new experiences and to intentionally grow
and develop from their experiences. This
learning-oriented attitude is particularly rel-
evant when running LDPs, as they increase
participants’ ability to draw new insights,
gain greater awareness, and develop new
skills, behaviors, and attitudes directly from
their own experiences. Secondly, trainers/
facilitators should carefully observe, listen
to, and prompt participants, when appro-
priate, to enable them to:
1. Maximize learning opportunities dur-
ing plenary group interactions. This
includes facilitating the recognition of
communications patterns and factions
within the group, and their impact on

the group as a whole.
2. Carefully observe small group work,
and occasionally check participants’
observations and sense-making of
group processes and dynamics, by
encouraging them to listen to one
another; voice their unique experi-
ences; distinguish between the groups’
task and processes; recognize how the
group/team makes decisions and deals
with conflict; make connections on
what and how group processes lead to
specific outcomes; and links (transfer-
ability) of learning to their home work
teams.
3. Recognize parallel processes, and emer-
gence or replication of here-and-now
dynamics, communication patterns
or leadership styles that reflect their
unique organizational culture, and how
those are likely to impact the business
as a whole (e.g., teamwork, overall
execution of the company strategy, pro-
ductivity, customer service, adaptability
to change, capacity to innovate, degree
of shared leadership, etc.).
4. Ensure throughout the program there
are ample opportunities for participants
to debrief and reflect on each expe-
rience, and share those with their
peers. Each main experience should
be debriefed, and journaling should
be encouraged at the beginning of

each day.
Social Networking
Social networking happens spontaneously
during the implementation of a residen-
tial program. Naturally, this is an aspect
of the program in which facilitators have
less control over the desired outcomes, yet
according to our findings it can also be one
of the most effective.
One of the most compelling responses
provided by one of the participants in rela-
tion to the return on investment (ROI) of
the program to the company was this:
The program was a great opportunity
to meet people from different geo-
graphical locations and cultures. For
me, the best takeaway was learning a
new negotiation vendor strategy from
a European colleague. When I got
back home, I applied this new nego-
tiation approach with mobile phone
vendors and, in less than a year, I was
able to generate savings of just over
$100,000.
This valuable exchange of information
occurred during a casual pre-dinner drinks
conversation. A practical implication from

this finding is that program outcomes will
not necessarily occur as a result of deliber-
ate attempts by practitioners during the
program delivery phase. Hence, partici-
pants should be encouraged to network
with their peers, as this builds the firm’s
social and relational capital.
Evaluation as an Important Component
of the Program Itself
A further practical application that
emerged from this study was that conduct-
ing an evaluation is an important compo-
nent of leadership programs. This became
evident via the unsolicited feedback pro-
vided during the interviews. Some partici-
pants stated that conducting this evaluation
was a very good idea, as it assisted them to
reflect about the program and reinforced
what they had learned and how they had
applied it. This theme is represented in this
participant’s response, who attended the
program over 12 months ago:
This is how the evaluation should
be – like this interview. If you send
an email, nothing happens.
From this perspective, it can be reasonably
assumed that conducting an evaluation
extends the reflective dimension of the
program well beyond its implementa-
tion, while fostering transfer of learning,
employee engagement, and loyalty. Based
on these finding, we propose that while

conducting impact evaluations is the most
neglected aspect of LDPs, it is also one
of the most critical. This is because of
the reasons just mentioned, the fact that
evaluation results yield the data required to
assess the impact of the program, and also
provide valuable information on how to
improve the program being evaluated over
time. OD practitioners should take this into
account and always incorporate an evalua-
tion component in their LDPs.
Impact on the Business
The final practical application for OD prac-
titioners relates to assessing and evaluating
the impact of LDPs on the business/orga-
nization. Traditionally, assessing this type
of impact is associated with measuring the
ROI to the organization. This is often seen
as a contentious and challenging task.
There are different ways to demon-
strate the value of LDPs, or any other OD
intervention for that matter, which are not
necessarily expressed in financial returns
to the business nor easily captured on the
balance sheet – a case of “show me the
money” exercise, as many authors and
practitioners portray it to be. We subscribe
to the view that considering ROI alone is
an impoverished, unreliable, and insuf-
ficient measure of outcomes and success.
Hence, the alternative approach used in
this study that OD practitioners should
consider for evaluating the impact of LDPs
– and other OD interventions – is the more

holistic concept of return on expectations
(ROE). Initially developed by Kirkpatrick
Partners, ROE is a holistic measurement
and ultimate indicator of the value of all
the benefits (both qualitative and quantita-
tive) realized from a program or initiative,
which is delivered using a set of inter-
ventions, with formal training typically
being the foundation. From this perspec-
tive, practitioners can use wellbeing and
engagement as indicators of improvement
– outcomes that are not directly quantifi-
able but are nonetheless real and assess-
able. A qualitative response, as the example
provided above, can be a good indicator of
the value delivered by the program. This
may include indirect returns or financial
windfalls as a result of individuals applying
new competencies that result, for example,
in attracting new clients, building better
teams, coordinating actions/executing
more effectively, or positive changes in
management/leadership style, improved
quality of work, and higher productivity.
Using this broader perspective, OD
practitioners should keep evaluations as
simple as possible, and not be detracted
from efforts in attempting to evaluate pro-
grams because there is widespread belief
among some practitioners that to do so,
complex formulas and calculations must
be used. In fact, we recommend applying
the principle or law of parsimony (also
known as Ockham’s razor) – a fundamen-

tal aspect of scientific research that is often
overlooked, which refers to adopting the
simplest explanation of a complex phenom-
enon. The rule of “if you don’t ask because
you assume it’s too hard to measure, you
will never know,” applies here.
Further, OD practitioners would
benefit from identifying the key indica-
tors (from either an ROI or ROE perspec-
tive) that will be used to assess the impact
the strategic projects emerging from the
training will have on the business, and
follow-up such outcomes to track resulting
business improvements. This is something
that Wärtsilä intends to do more rigorously
as a result of conducting this evaluation.
A Systemic Perspective
Finally, the authors would like to highlight
that despite the reductionist approach
Figure 4. Program Implementation Sequence
taken in writing this case study, the prin-
ciples outlined above should not be con-
sidered as working in isolation. Leadership
development warrants taking a systemic
perspective in which the integrated whole
impacts the culture of organizations.

Conclusion
In conclusion, this case study evaluated
whether Wärtsilä’s LEAD GLD program
could be considered a GLD best practice
program. Results identified 14 principles
embedded in the program evaluated, which
included formal processes and practices
comparable to those in place in programs
of 18 global companies. Such principles are
likely to apply to organizations who aspire
to develop, implement, and evaluate GLD
best practices. Further, we found evidence
for each of the four levels of Kirkpatrick’s
model. This included program participants
reporting satisfaction rates averaging
93.5%, and more than two thirds (68.61%)
of respondents stating that they believed
they are able to have a significant to a
high degree of impact on the business as
a result of having attended LEAD. The
main limitation of the study was that it did
not use focus groups. This paper offers
practical applications to OD practitioners
who seek to identify evidence-based ways
of conducting GLD by offering practical
advice and real world examples, contributes
to the existing body of knowledge on GLD,
and advances both the theory and practice
of OD by adding to the scarce body of
literature on this topic.
References
Bartlett II, J.E., Boylan, R.V., & Hale, J.E.

(2014). Executive coaching: An integra-
tive literature review. Journal of Human
Resource and Sustainability Studies, 2(4),
188–199.
Bersin by Deloitte (2015). The WhatWorks®
Awards 2015: Lessons from the best.
Retrieved from https://www.bersin.com/
Practice/Detail.aspx?id=18617
DDI & The Conference Board. (2014).
Global leadership forecast 2014|2015.
Ready now leaders: 25 findings to
meet tomorrow’s business challenges.
Retrieved from http://www.ddiworld.
com/ddi/media/trend-research/global-
leadership-forecast-2014-2015_tr_ddi.
pdf?ext=.pdf
Deloitte Consulting LLP & Bersin. (2014).
Global human capital trends 2014:
Engaging the 21st-century workforce.
Retrieved from http://www2.deloitte.
com/sa/en/pages/human-capital/articles/
human-capital-trends-2014.html
Kirkpatrick, J. D., & Kirkpatrick, W. K.
(2014). The Kirkpatrick four levels: A
fresh look after 55 years (1959–2014).
Kirkpatrick Partners. Retrieved from
http://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com/
Resources/tabid/56/Default.aspx
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning:
Experience as the source of learning and

development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hall.
Ladyshewsky, R. K. (2010). The manager
as coach as a driver of organizational
development. Leadership & Organization
Development Journal, 31(4), 292–306.
Leskiw, S. L., & Singh, P. (2007). Leader-
ship development: learning from best
practices. Leadership & Organization
Development Journal, 28(5), 444–464.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank all those who partici-
pated in this research and the Learning and
Development Group HR as whole. We also
thank Päivi Castrén, Executive Group Vice
President, HR, for having made this study
possible.
Sebastian Salicru is a leadershipdevelopment expert,
executive coach,
facilitator, applied researcherand author. With over 20
years of experience
working across sectors and industries, Salicru
takesleaders and their teams
to new levels of performance and business results.
He has worked in Austra-
lia, USA, Europe, UAE, China, and Singapore,
assisting organizations to build
the leadershipcapacity required to thrive in an
increasingly demanding global
economy, where hyper-complexity and adaptive
challenges are the new nor-

mal. Salicru can be reached at [email protected]
Elly Wassenaaris Director of Learning and
Development for Wärtsilä and
with her team supports Wärtsilä’sstrategic targets by
providing effec-
tive learning solutions and services. Wassenaar has
more than 20 years of
experience within Wärtsilä with more than 10 years
in Learning and Develop-
ment with a specialty in leadershipdevelopment and
coaching. She can be
reached at [email protected]
Erika Suerz is a Learning and Development
Professional with a business
background in management consultancy, business
workshop facilitation, and
project management developed with over 12 years of
experience in the UK,
Germany, and Italy. She focuses on leadership
development in Wärtsilä at the
global level and previously managed the L&D
function for the Wärtsilä business
in South Europe and Africa. She can be reached
at [email protected]
Jonathan Spittle is the Managing Director of EQ
Road, a Sydney-based
consulting firm specializing in leadership
development and change manage-
ment strategy. Priorto EQ Road, he was a
Managing Director in Accenture’s
Strategy practice in Sydney, where he worked as
Accenture’s global Change
Tracking Delivery Lead. Spittle has more than 25
years of experience in
developing and conducting leadershipprograms and
measuringthe success

of change initiatives in over 20 countries around
the world. He can be reached
[email protected]
View publication statsView publication stats
https://www.bersin.com/Practice/Detail.aspx?id=18617
https://www.bersin.com/Practice/Detail.aspx?id=18617
http://www.ddiworld.com/ddi/media/trend-research/global-
leadership-forecast-2014-2015_tr_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf
http://www2.deloitte.com/sa/en/pages/human-
capital/articles/human-capital-trends-2014.html
http://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com/Resources/tabid/56/Default.
aspx
http://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com/Resources/tabid/56/Default.
aspx
mailto:[email protected]

1
Soccer players' mental health & Games required to play
Martin Beshara
DR. Kota & DR. Brown
Senior Project
APSM- 4315
2
Introduction
Football has been referred to as "more than just a game."
Footballers thus experience
psychological suffering despite having great athletic
performance. In support of this, more than
25% of professional footballers have signs of sadness and
anxiety (Gouttebarge, 2014). In the
extremely stressful atmosphere of football, where emotional
experiences are intertwined with
numerous performance-related factors, aggravating negative
emotions can have longer-lasting
negative effects. But when does mental discomfort start?
Although professional football is a common career goal for

young guys, there is little
chance that it will ever happen. Professional football teams sign
players as young as 8 years old,
and they terminate their contracts up to even when they become
12 years old. The fortunate
players are then offered two-year contracts, but between the
ages of 14 and 16, players must
persevere under pressure to secure a three-year deal. Because
professional sports contracts are so
hard to get and keep, the pressure that competitive athletes
experience may exacerbate their
psychological anguish. Although we don't know how common
psychological anguish is among
young football players, we do know that teenagers can also face
mental health problems.
One of FIFPRO's top priorities is raising awareness of the
mental health challenges that
players in today's game face. The ability to accurately diagnose
and treat mental health issues
with the same dedication and care as physical illnesses is
crucial. Although they are not usually
evident, mental health problems can show themselves in many
different ways, from anxiety and
depression to insomnia, and each of these can have a negative

effect on a player's personal and
professional life.
3
Playing too many games is one of the primary concerns with the
current soccer
environment. There are few opportunities for actual rest because
international competitions break
conflict with the club seasons of the players. For example,
players in the Premier League, La
Liga, and Bundesliga frequently do not have access to the same
breaks as those in more
privileged leagues. Clubs and international teams occasionally
require a player to aid them in
achieving their objectives.
FIFA proposed holding the World Cup every two years in an
effort to increase revenue
and "expand the game." In preparation for the 2026 World Cup,
FIFA recently increased the
number of participating teams to 48. The problem with every
two years World Cup might need
its own discussion. But with more games available, gamers
would be under a lot of stress. In

between World Cup years, the majority of players on top
European teams participate in
continental tournaments like the European Championship or
Copa América.
To prevent burnout, players and coaches are requesting a cap on
the number of
"back-to-back" games. Nearly 90% of athletes who participated
in a survey for the international
footballers' union Fifpro think the cap should be six games or
fewer. Additionally, according to
Fifpro, athletes should be limited to 55 matches in a season.
According to Grez (2021), Star
footballers are suffering from a variety of issues, not only
playing an excessive number of
minutes each week. Long-haul international flights that pass
through several time zones are
another issue, especially for individuals who are on official
business trips from Europe to South
America and Asia. The high number of games has also been
believed to affect the mental health
of the players due to the many flights and many minutes per
game.

4
Literature review
The major aim of this research is to investigate if the number of
games played by soccer
players affects their mental health and investigate if reducing
the number of games. According to
Bower (2018), In 2018, a record number of players are
anticipated to seek assistance from the
PFA for mental health issues. According to data provided to the
Guardian, more than 250 players
utilized the service in the first half of 2018, up from 160
incidents in 2016 to 403 in 2017.
A study conducted by Joo et al (2016) to assess the technical
elements and physical
demands made on young Korean soccer players during small-
sided games (SSGs) on
various-sized pitches. During a youth competition that was
organized around the nation,
participants were chosen at random. In smaller fields, it was
observed that there were more
touches and intensity, which generally increases intensity hence
fatigue levels of the players.
Pitch size therefore has an effect on the fatigue levels of the
footballers, and therefore the greater

the number of games, the more the intensity and this is
according to the research conducted
during small sided games in Korea.
Jensen et al (2018) conducted a study to investigate how
perfectionism and anxiety in
elite male football players from Denmark and Sweden relate to
depressive symptoms. 323
players from the A-squad and U-19 teams were polled (M age =
22.08 years, SD = 5.15) using a
cross-sectional design. The poll asked about personal details as
well as measures of social
anxiety, competitive anxiety, perfectionism (striving and
anxieties), and depressive symptoms.
According to the findings, 16.7% of the subjects had depressed
symptoms overall. Furthermore,
correlation studies provided evidence of links between
depression and competitive anxiety, social
phobia, and worries about perfectionism. Despite the fact that
the depression levels of elite junior
players were much greater than those of professional players
and that they also displayed higher
5

levels of competitive anxiety and social phobia, depression was
not significantly connected with
age.
The study's findings show that there is a need for greater
awareness of mental health
issues in elite football, and that the psychological factors that
were looked at could serve as a
foundation for developing preventive programs and supportive
interventions for footballers who
are experiencing depressive symptoms. Perfectionism generally
involves playing to the best and
putting up good performances with minimal errors to impress
people watching. A majority of
young players who want to play professional football face this
problem, since who wouldn't want
to be recruited by one of the best teams in the world? Due to
that pressure, they play to their best
and are ready to play as many games as they can to be recruited.
According to the study's results,
this affects their mental health, which is caused by anxiety and
depression. Putting up good
performances and not being recruited can be traumatizing, and
therefore this causes anxiety

among the players.
Another research conducted by Wood et al (2017), to investigate
experiences with mental
health issues and assistance sought by male professional
footballers. Soccer players who are
male and play professionally are at risk of experiencing mental
health issues and not getting the
help they need. Four out of every ten active football players say
they have mental health issues.
After retirement, a higher occurrence is noted. This qualitative
study intended to offer in-depth
insight into the lived experiences of mental health challenges
and help-seeking among male
professional footballers. According to the results of the study,
one overarching topic, "Survival,"
arose. This has to do with surviving in the world of professional
football, dealing with mental
health issues, and adjusting to life in the "real world." Shame,
fear, and mental health literacy
were stated as barriers to the male professional footballers
being unable to deal with and share
6

their mental issues. The study therefore shows that assistance
provided for professional
footballers' mental health has to be improved. The study also
suggested that future research,
mental health education, and support should be further
exploited.
A study was conducted by Sanders et al (2017), to investigate
associations between
former professional football players' reasons for retiring,
chronic pain, athletic identity, and
depressive symptoms. Recognized as a significant psychological
stressor, retirement from
professional sport calls for the identification of risk factors for
mental health issues following
career termination. The study therefore looked at relationships
among depressive symptoms,
chronic pain, athletic identity, and career-ending injuries in
former professional football players.
With 307 former male football players who have competed in a
professional United Kingdom
league, a cross-sectional study was conducted. In addition to
reporting their reasons for
retirement, participants completed assessments of depressive
symptoms (Short

Depression-Happiness Scale), chronic pain (Pain Intensity
Numerical Rating Scale), and athletic
identity (Athletic Identity Measurement Scale).
48 participants, or 16 percent, met the threshold for potential
clinically significant
depressive cases. Compared to individuals without depressive
symptoms, these participants had
more recent retirements and a stronger sense of athletic identity.
Former athletes who
experienced depressive symptoms were more likely to retire due
to injury and to still be in pain
from their injuries. According to multivariate logistic
regression, having depressed symptoms
was independently correlated with retiring due to injury, having
more discomfort, and having a
stronger sense of identity as an athlete. In conclusion, therefore,
the likelihood of developing
depressive symptoms after retirement is significantly increased
by career-ending injuries, while
persistent pain and a strong feeling of identity as an athlete are
additional risk factors. Injuries
7

are as a result of strains and fatigue, which might be caused by
playing too many games.
Therefore, from the study, we can also conclude that many
playing many games is associated
with mental issues.
The above past researches actually show that burnout of
professional footballers has an
effect on their mental health. One of the most well-liked sports
in the world is football. There are
millions of players, both amateur and professional. A player
must possess remarkable talents and
abilities that require a significant commitment of time, effort,
and attention in order to become an
elite performer. There are many distinct emotions associated
with football, some of which are
quite strongly felt by both players and viewers. As a result,
there has recently been interested in
learning how the game affects the players' and supporters'
physical and mental health. This is
especially crucial because playing football puts athletes under a
lot of mental stress, which could
make them more vulnerable to mental health issues. After a
game is lost, players may experience
pain, disappointment, and despair, which can lead to depressive

symptoms or even burnout. This,
therefore, playing many games can equal to losing many games
and therefore affecting the
mental health of the players and also leading to physical
burnout.
For footballers, there are several causes of depression which
may include the extreme
mental strain and pressure of this specific activity which is
football, the increased expectations
for performance, the accountability of being a team member, or
the fact that players typically
spend a lot of time away from their loved ones. Being away
from home can exacerbate feelings
of isolation and a lack of social interaction, which can
eventually be linked to depressed
symptoms. Elite athletes may experience injuries more
frequently, which can have a significant
impact on depression. The effects of unfavorable media content
must also be taken into account.
Understanding depression in athletes is vital not only because it
can lead to extreme measures
8

like suicide, but also because it is associated with higher rates
of non-adherence and dropouts
from sport and physical activity. Reducing the number of games
is therefore likely to reduce the
number of mental health illnesses witnessed within professional
footballers.
Methods Section
Participants
The best way to analyze whether players get distressed by
playing too many games. Creating
surveys to different kinds of levels in the profession of soccer.
I'll be surveying amateur level
soccer players, Semi-Pro and I'll try my best to get any
professional players. I will also like to
interview soccer coaches and get their point of view of the
amount of players required to play.
Players themselves will be huge participants to see the outcome
of the survey and how it serves
them. The measures of people for my survey were more males
than females. The reason for my
survey being more for men than females because by research
men play way more games than
females, so give me more accurate results. Also, I am aiming
for players between the age 18 to

30.
Measures Section
In the study, the results provided had great measurements for
the research. We looked at the
amount of games played during the season and the amount of
mental stress the player goes
through. These measurements were from amateur players to
Semi-Pro players between the ages
of 18 and 25. Another measurement we've done is on
professional players, so we can compare it
to the previous testers. I also did a calculation, seeing
professional players playing in different
leagues and how it can complicate their lives and their mental
stress. The amount of sleep was
also a factor of how players recover and improve their
performance on the pitch. In the survey,
we ask players if they like the way their coach teaches them. A
question that was very important
9
to get an idea was, “how do you feel about your teammates?”
An analytical measurement that

will determine the player's mental health is “do you believe
you're playing the time you
deserve?”.
Procedures
The procedures that were used in the research are quantitative
and qualitative. The reason is, we
did a measurement of how many games were played during the
season. We also calculated the
amount of time each player played during the season
quantitatively. The qualitative side of this
research was asking the players how they feel about playing in
the game how they feel about
their club, how they feel about their teammates and how they
feel about the coaches. The players
also spoke about their lifestyle and how sometimes they can't
spend time with their families and
that can cause issues in performance. The two procedures have
really strong correlations
because I do believe the amount of games results in how the
players feel on the pitch. The
amount of minutes played during the games is how the players
feel what they deserve.
Data Analysis

The data analytic in the findings show players that play all
season games cannot have family
time. Players who play consistently are more likely to get
injured and conflict on stats. The data
also shows a big gap of starters verse substitutes and how they
cannot trust each other on the
pitch due to lack of time played with the substitutes. The huge
gap of times played causes
division between the players and their friendships. They were
shown two examples and asked
whether they both called for the same approach. Cornelia Frank
draws the conclusion that "the
essential conclusion here is that the mental training helped the
players to better discriminate
between the various tactics than before." A control group of
futsal players who did not
participate in the mental training was used to evaluate the
effects. "Astonishingly, the athletes
10
who had participated in the mental training had more functional,
that is, accurate, mental
conceptions of the procedures than the control group. This
allowed them to develop their mental

strategy skills to a level comparable to those of professional
players."
11
References
Gouttebarge, V. (2014). Mental illness in professional football.
FIFpro Study.
Grez, M. C. (2021, October 7). Footballers are playing an
“obscene” amount of games. Will a
World Cup every two years make it worse? CNN. Retrieved
September 20, 2022, from
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/07/football/footballer-burnout-
biennial-world-cup-spt-intl/index.
html
Bower, A. (2018, October 10). Footballers seeking mental
health help in record numbers – but
it’s good news. The Guardian. Retrieved September 20, 2022,
from
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/09/football-
mental-health-record-numbers-pfa
Joo, C. H., Hwang-Bo, K., & Jee, H. (2016). Technical and
physical activities of small-sided

games in young Korean soccer players. Journal of strength and
conditioning research, 30(8),
2164-2173.
Jensen, S. N., Ivarsson, A., Fallby, J., Dankers, S., & Elbe, A.
M. (2018). Depression in Danish
and Swedish elite football players and its relation to
perfectionism and anxiety. Psychology of
Sport and Exercise, 36, 147-155.
Wood, S., Harrison, L. K., & Kucharska, J. (2017). Male
professional footballers’ experiences of
mental health difficulties and help-seeking. The Physician and
Sportsmedicine, 45(2), 120-128.
Sanders, G., & Stevinson, C. (2017). Associations between
retirement reasons, chronic pain,
athletic identity, and depressive symptoms among former
professional footballers. European
journal of sport science, 17(10), 1311-1318.
12
Kerr, Z. Y., Marshall, S. W., Harding Jr, H. P., & Guskiewicz,
K. M. (2012). Nine-year risk of
depression diagnosis increases with increasing self-reported
concussions in retired professional

football players. The American journal of sports medicine,
40(10),
See discussions, stats, and author profiles for
this publication at:
Designing global leadershipdevelopment
programmes that promote social capital and
knowledge sharing
Article in European Journal of International
Management · January 2015
DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2015.070229
CITATION
1
READS
73
2 authors:
Some of the authors of this publication are
also working on theserelated projects:
New Business Models in-the-Making in Extant MNCs:
Digital Transformationin a Telco. View
project

Inger Stensaker
NHHNorwegian School of Economics
34 PUBLICATIONS 508 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
Paul Gooderham
NHHNorwegian School of Economics
82 PUBLICATIONS 1,567 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
All content following this page was uploaded by Paul
Gooderham on 18 January 2016.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded
file.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281197008_Designing
_global_leadership_development_programmes_that_promote_so
cial_capital_and_knowledge_sharing?enrichId=rgreq-
6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-
XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzI4MTE5NzAwODtBUz
ozMTkxOTQ0NDc0NTAxMThAMTQ1MzExMzI5NDkzOQ%3D
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281197008_Designing
_global_leadership_development_programmes_that_promote_so
cial_capital_and_knowledge_sharing?enrichId=rgreq-
6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-

https://www.researchgate.net/project/New-Business-Models-in-
the-Making-in-Extant-MNCs-Digital-Transformation-in-a-
Telco?enrichId=rgreq-6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-
https://www.researchgate.net/?enrichId=rgreq-
6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Inger_Stensaker?enrichId=
rgreq-6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-
https://www.researchgate.net/institution/NHH_Norwegian_Scho
ol_of_Economics?enrichId=rgreq-
6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Gooderham?enrichId

=rgreq-6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-
https://www.researchgate.net/institution/NHH_Norwegian_Scho
ol_of_Economics?enrichId=rgreq-
6f71c447e410e82cd5c484133b1630ce-
442 European J. International Management, Vol. 9, No. 4,

2015
Copyright © 2015 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Designing global leadership development
programmes that promote social capital and
knowledge sharing
Inger G. Stensaker* and Paul N. Gooderham
NHH – the Norwegian School of Economics,
Helleveien 30,
5045 Bergen, Norway
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
*Corresponding author
Abstract: This paper explores the role of Global Leadership
Development
(GLD) programmes for developing the social capital of
multinational
enterprises and ultimately the enhancement of knowledge
sharing across
corporate divisions and national borders. Drawing on both
qualitative interview
and survey data, we find that GLD programmes can promote
cross-border

knowledge sharing. However, the effects of such programmes
depend on their
design. We identify two factors crucial for social capital
development and
knowledge sharing: first, a selection issue related to
participants’ previous
experience with leadership programmes and, secondly, a process
issue which
concerns the quality of the social interaction in the group work.
Keywords: social capital; knowledge sharing; multinational
enterprises; global
leadership; leadership development programmes; international
management;
cross-border collaboration; knowledge sharing capabilities;
geographically
dispersed organisations.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Stensaker,
I.G.
and Gooderham, P.N. (2015) ‘Designing global leadership
development
programmes that promote social capital and knowledge sharing’,
European J.
International Management, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp.442–462.
Biographical notes: Inger G. Stensaker is a Professor in
Strategic Change at
NHH – the Norwegian School of Economics. Her research
interests are
within strategic change and organisation development
processes. Her work has
been published in journals such as Human Relations, British
Journal of
Management, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science,
Organizational Dynamics

and Journal of Change Management. She has served on the
Executive Board of
the ODC division in the Academy of Management.
Paul N. Gooderham is a Professor of International Management
at NHH – the
Norwegian School of Economics. He has published articles in a
wide range of
journals including the Strategic Management Journal, Journal of
International
Business Studies, Journal of Management Studies and
Administrative Science
Quarterly. He has recently co-authored the book International
Management:
Theory and Practice (Edward Elgar).
This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled
‘Designing
global leadership development programmes that promote social
capital and
knowledge sharing’ presented at the ‘Academy of Management
Conference’,
Montréal, August 2010.

Designing global leadership development programmes 443
1 Introduction
Firms are increasingly investing abroad not only to exploit their
knowledge advantages
but also to augment their knowledge bases by ‘buying into’
foreign-created knowledge
assets (Dunning, 1997; Cantwell et al., 2010). However,
acquiring knowledge across
different locations within the Multinational Enterprise (MNE)
does not guarantee
competitive success. MNEs are dependent on possessing those
capabilities that enable
them to make use of their knowledge bases (Kogut and Zander,
1993; Szulanski, 1996).
Knowledge sharing across business units encompasses not only
transfer, but also
reciprocal development through exchange and combination
(Nahapiet and Ghoshal,
1998). However, the possession of knowledge sharing
capabilities among MNEs varies
(Gooderham et al., 2011).
In the discussion of knowledge sharing capabilities, it has been
argued that one
significant attribute is the degree of social capital the MNE has

developed. One way to
secure knowledge sharing among diverse and geographically
dispersed organisations is
by developing the firm’s social capital (Tsai and Ghoshal,
1998). Social capital refers to
“the assets that reside in networks of relationships and affect
the conditions necessary for
knowledge transfer to occur” (Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998,
p.243). In essence, it refers
to the breadth, the strength and the quality of the social
relations between people within
an organisation. While there is increasing interest in social
capital as a means for
securing knowledge sharing, and much of this literature
acknowledges the role of social
capital (e.g. Mäkelä et al., 2009; Taylor, 2007), little attention
has been directed to the
issue of how to build organisational social capital (Bolino et al.,
2002). On the basis of a
literature review, Gooderham (2007) identifies in-house Global
Leadership Development
(GLD) programmes as one means to develop the social capital
necessary for knowledge
sharing. However, what is unclear is which aspects of GLD
programmes are significant
for the development of social capital for knowledge sharing
purposes. The purpose of
this paper is to identify critical aspects to GLD programmes that
aim at enhancing social
capital and knowledge sharing across the MNE.
Our research is divided into two phases. Because of the lack of
both theorising and
previous empirical research related to our research issue, we
chose to initially pursue an
exploratory approach to the design of GLD programmes

(Bryman, 2006). The context of
our research is a Norwegian MNE, Conco, which has substantial
operations in Denmark
and Sweden. In both Norway and Denmark, Conco has
developed its operations through
acquisitions, whereas its operations in Sweden are ‘green-field’.
Although Scandinavian
cultures are relatively similar, extant research indicates that
there are significant
differences (Schramm-Nielsen et al., 2004), meaning Conco is a
valid research setting for
exploring GLD programmes. In designing its leadership
development programme, Conco
has specifically aimed at enhancing social capital across its
operations for knowledge
sharing purposes. This initial exploratory approach indicates
two aspects to the design of
such programmes that are critical for the development of social
capital and knowledge
sharing. The first concerns the selection of participants,
particularly in regard to their
previous experience of leadership development programmes.
The second design feature
that appears to influence the outcome of Conco’s leadership
development programme
concerns the composition of the groups that were formed in the
course of the programme.
On the basis of our qualitative data, we develop a research
model, which we then test
empirically. Prior to presenting our qualitative findings,
research model and quantitative
findings, we discuss the concept of social capital in relation to
knowledge sharing and
present our research setting.

444 I.G. Stensaker and P.N. Gooderham
2 A social capital approach to knowledge sharing
A substantial proportion of the research on knowledge
management focuses on putting in
place appropriate governance mechanisms for knowledge
transfer (e.g. Hansen, 1999;
Mahnke and Pedersen, 2004). The social capital perspective
represents an alternative
approach with its focus on the development of strong relations
and shared mindsets
among managers and employees working more through informal
networks rather than
hierarchical structures (Tsai, 2002). The perspective has its
roots in a number of studies
of intra-MNC knowledge transfer that indicate that inter-unit
transfer of knowledge,

particularly tacit knowledge, is possible only when social ties
have been established
between senders and receivers (Bresman et al., 1999; Gupta and
Govindarajan, 2000;
Lyles and Salk, 1996; Simonin, 1999). In their review,
Eisenhardt and Santos (2002)
highlight that while knowledge transfer is impaired by distance,
this barrier can be
overcome by integrative mechanisms such as inter-unit teams
and the development of
common norms. In short, MNEs that achieve superior levels of
knowledge transfer
do so because managers are able to “create a collaborative
context through culture and
organisational structure” (Eisenhardt and Santos, 2002, p.152).
In similar manner, Tsai
(2002) argues that informal lateral relations, as opposed to
hierarchical structures,
represent an effective means to achieving knowledge diffusion.
This focus on the significance of networks and relations infused
by “good will”
(Adler and Kwon, 2002, p.23) for facilitating knowledge
sharing is the basis of the
concept of social capital. The concept of social capital was
originally developed at the
individual level based on community studies (Coleman, 1988)
but has since been applied
as a more collective trait (Portes, 2000). Nahapiet and Ghoshal
(1998) introduced social
capital within the organisational context as consisting of three
dimensions: the relational,
the cognitive and the structural. The structural dimension refers
to the presence or
absence of specific network or social interaction ties between
units of the MNE and the

overall configuration of these ties. The relational dimension
encompasses such facets of
personal relationships as trust, obligations, respect and even
friendship, which together
increase the motivation to engage in knowledge exchange and
teamwork. Hence, this
dimension describes the quality or the nature of the connections
between individuals in
an organisation (Bolino et al., 2001). The cognitive dimension
refers to shared
interpretations and systems of meaning within a social network.
The mere existence of a
network, even with close and trustful relations, is not sufficient;
knowledge sharing
requires an ability to understand one another. Thus, the
cognitive dimension includes
the extent to which a shared language and codes has been
developed that provides the
foundation for communication. These three dimensions are
highly interrelated, so that in
practice it is problematic to differentiate them.
Social capital solves coordination challenges (Bolino et al.,
2002; Tsai, 2002) and
facilitates the flow and exchange of information and knowledge
(Nahapiet and Ghoshal,
1998), and social interaction enables individuals to work more
effectively and efficiently
together and provides easier access to network resources
(Bolino et al., 2002). However,
social capital may come at a cost as interpersonal networks can
produce strong norms
and in-group processes which limit the absorption of new
information, openness to
alternative views and act as a barrier to change (McFadyen and
Cannella, 2004).

In response to this, we may observe that within the social
capital literature, a
distinction is made between “bridging” and “bonding” social
capital (Burt, 1992;
Granovetter, 1973). The former refers to linkages between
groups and the latter to trust-
based within-group relationships (Coleman, 1988). While
bonding social capital is of
importance for within-group knowledge sharing, bridging social
capital (between for
example business units in an MNE) provides access to
alternative and therefore novel
information (Putnam, 2002).

Despite the increasing interest in social capital and the positive
effects it is argued to
have on knowledge sharing, we have only limited insight into
how bridging social capital
can be developed across an MNE. Gooderham (2007) has argued
that social capital
across MNEs is enhanced by socialisation and by motivation
mechanisms. Motivation
mechanisms refer to a mix of rewards and sanctions that both
establish and maintain
particular norms or ‘rule systems’ for knowledge development
and combination (Kostova
et al., 2008). Osterloh and Frey (2000) argue that it is intrinsic
rather than extrinsic
motivation mechanisms that are critical for knowledge sharing,
and empirical research by
Gooderham et al. (2011) supports this view. Socialisation, on
the other hand, refers to
such mechanisms as transnational project teams and GLD
programmes that promote the
internalisation of MNC-wide shared goals. Cross-border travel
(Bjørkman et al., 2004;
Bozkurt and Mohr, 2011) and pursuing global careers (Mäkelä
and Suutari, 2009)
can also contribute in developing social relationships.
According to Tsai (2002), social
interaction amongst corporate divisions will foster knowledge
sharing as long as the
divisions do not compete for internal resources.
GLD programmes can be designed as a means to developing not
only the individual
leader (i.e. leader development) but also the leadership of the
organisation (i.e. leadership
development) or both (Day, 2000). While leader development

refers to individual skills,
leadership development concerns the development of relational
and social skills, which is
the basis for the development of social capital (Day, 2000).
Thus, a GLD programme
may be perceived as a structured context within which social
capital potentially may be
developed (Gooderham, 2007). In bringing leaders together, an
MNE creates a basis for
potentially developing trusting relationships, a shared mindset
and inter-unit networks.
The format of a GLD programme will typically depend in part
on the specific goals of
the programme.
In the next section, we present the content and format of
Conco’s GLD programme
which had a specific aim of developing social capital. Conco’s
GLD programme is its
primary means for enhancing inter-unit social capital, as
‘global’ or inter-country careers
are rare and cross-border physical travel is limited. We then
present an overview of our
qualitative data, which were collected between the late 2007
and early 2009.
3 Research setting: Conco and the Scandinavian leadership
development programme
Conco ASA is a leading Scandinavian building contractor and
property developer
operating within construction, property development and
industrial operations. While the
construction industry is a highly cyclical industry, since its
foundation some 70 years
ago, Conco has continuously achieved high performance.

Headquartered in Oslo,
Norway, the company has since the 1990s expanded rapidly in
the Scandinavian
countries. According to the top management, its rapid expansion
has created a
pronounced need for consolidation and integration across its
operations and borders:
“The need for values became apparent when we were doing
acquisitions as we suddenly
had so many different cultures in Conco. Similar systems did
not make us similar. We
needed a shared history … We have since developed a series of
tools aimed at developing

our culture” (Corporate Top Manager).
In an interview conducted with the CEO, the aims of its
Scandinavian Leadership
Development (SLD) programme were further specified. He
defined SLD programme as
going beyond developing personal leadership skills to include
“… two additional effects
(to be achieved) through the leadership programme: (1)
agreement on values, goals and
culture and (2) the network” (CEO).
Thus, SLD has been designed with the specific purpose of
developing collegial
relations, trust and a shared mindset across corporate divisions.
Furthermore, the CEO
indicated that this combination of networks, common values and
trust, which we will
refer to as social capital, is regarded as critical to a
decentralised organisation, such as
Conco, if knowledge sharing across operations is to occur.
SLD was launched in 2004 and by the end of 2008, seven
cohorts of SLD participants
had completed the programme. The programme was designed in
a cascading fashion first
targeting leaders from the corporate level and later regional
leaders as well. Line
managers were then given the responsibility to nominate
candidates for the programme.
In addition, particularly talented managers could be nominated
even if they were not yet
at a regional or corporate level. Corporate HR followed up on
the nominations to ensure
participation from different divisions and countries. The
programme format was designed

as three three-day seminars focusing on (1) corporate values and
strategy, (2) leadership
role and organisation development and (3) communication and
presentation. Leadership
development lectures and reflections were typically conducted
by external consultants.
The CEO made a point of attending each seminar to
communicate his views on strategy
and values, as well as to share his own experiences on current
topics such as change
management. Group work ran parallel with the lectures and
discussions. Corporate
management nominated a current business issue for the group
work, thereby ensuring
‘earning while learning’. The group membership cut across
nations, divisions and
gender, and great care was taken to avoid putting people with
subordinate or supervisory
relations in the same group.
4 Phase 1: exploratory qualitative methods
In the first phase of our study, we adopted an exploratory
approach to studying SLD’s
impact on the development of social capital and the facilitation
of knowledge sharing.
We draw on three qualitative datasets collected within Conco
(see Table 1). Access was
provided by Conoco as part of its commitment to participating
in a Research Council of
Norway funded research programme that aimed at generating
new insights into
knowledge sharing within MNEs. As academic researchers,
while we presented our
analyses to the Conco, we did not engage in any form of
consulting or action research.

Our initial source of qualitative data comprised several
meetings as well as formal
interviews with three corporate managers and ten divisional top
managers. All of these
had participated in SLD. Our goal was to generate a better
understanding of the company
background and its GLD. Each interview lasted between 60 and
90 minutes.
The questions focused on the history of the company, its
internationalisation strategy,
main business challenges, the tools, techniques and processes it
applied to foster
knowledge sharing and, finally, what it viewed as the main
barriers to developing

dynamic capabilities based on such knowledge sharing. The
interviews were transcribed
verbatim. In our analysis, we probed top management’s
perspective on knowledge
sharing and the measures they used to enhance knowledge
sharing.
Table 1 Data overview
Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Late 2008 Early 2009
Interviews
10 divisional top
managers (5 NO,
3 SE, 2 DK)
3 (CEO, HR director,
strategy director)
6 2008 SLD
participants
(telephone interviews
upon completion
of programme)
Real-time
reports
6 × 3 = 18: Six
programme participants
report at three points in
time during the
programme
(2 NO, 2 SE, 2 DK)

Documents Corporate history, strategy, values statements,
CEO presentations, SLD programme description at different
points in time
Survey
103 (respondents
from all 7 SLD
cohorts)
Notes: NO = Norway; SE = Sweden; DK = Denmark.
Our second qualitative dataset comprised real-time feedback
reports from six SLD
participants who followed the programme during the fall of
2008. Our view was that in
order to assess whether social capital was developed, we needed
to access the
perspectives of programme participants. We targeted
participants within the leadership
programme that was being run at the time of our research and
asked the programme
leaders to select six participants based on the following criteria:
(1) there should be equal
representation from the three nations that took part in the SLD
programme, (2) we were
looking for individuals who were willing and able to articulate
their views and (3) we
further emphasised that it was important for our research to
interview participants who
had some degree of critical distance to SLD rather than
participants who would simply
laud the programme. Our first meeting with these participants
took place on-site in
Sweden at the first of three SLD sessions. We informed them
about the project and
instructed them on how to report to us by email within one week

after each of the three
SLD sessions. The reports we received were rather brief and we
therefore supplemented
these data with telephone interviews upon completion of the
programme. The telephone
interviews were tape recorded and the data were coded in terms
of programme results,
such as social capital outcomes in the form of any or all three
dimensions (of structural,
cognitive and relational dimensions) and personal leadership
development (such as
leadership skills, competences and tools for leadership).
Statements related to knowledge
sharing were coded as different perspectives on knowledge
sharing (for instance,
statements indicating that knowledge sharing was viewed as
positive and worthwhile vs.
statements suggesting that the respondent viewed knowledge
sharing as challenging and
time-consuming). We worked inductively searching for factors
that appeared important
for knowledge sharing and development of social capital. In
this, we probed the stories
and actual references to situations where knowledge sharing had
taken place. Through

this process, we observed that previous programme experience
and perceived gains from
group work appeared to be important for understanding whether
knowledge was shared
and social capital was developed. A research model was
developed illustrating the factors
that appeared to influence what each participant obtained from
the programme. In early
2009, we used our research model as a basis for a survey
submitted through quest-back to
all SLD participants who had taken part in the programme in the
course of its operation.
These quantitative data will be discussed in more detail in the
section covering Phase 2 of
our study.
The third set of qualitative data consists of corporate documents
and plans describing
the SLD programme from its inception and throughout its
history. This includes strategy
plans, CEO corporate presentations, SLD presentations and
company management and
governance models. These documents provide valuable
information on what was
emphasised in the formal communication within the company

and by the CEO, as well as
evidence of how the SLD programme focus had evolved over
time. The documentary
data were particularly useful in our preparations for our primary
data collection, while
various sources of data enabled data triangulation in our
analyses.
5 Findings from the exploratory phase
5.1 Corporate intentions with SLD
In our above presentation of Conco, we drew on our first
qualitative dataset as well as
our documentary data to show that although the terminology
that the top management
employs differs from ours, it is reasonable for us to construe its
aim as being one of
developing social capital. Thus, when these top managers
typically refer to the SLD
programme ‘as an arena for getting to know people from other
divisions’ and as ‘an
opportunity for networking’, we interpret this as attempts to
develop the structural
dimension of social capital. Similarly, when they refer to the
aim of ‘developing trusting
relationships among participants’, we identify the relational
dimension of social capital.
Equally, when they view SLD as aimed at contributing ‘to
developing a shared mindset’,
‘a shared set of values’ and ‘common norms’, we interpret this
as referring to the
cognitive dimension of social capital.
Although the divisions in Conco are continuously compared in
terms of their results

and they make use of incentive systems, such as performance-
related bonuses, top
management is very explicit in emphasising cooperative values.
Likewise, it articulates a
view that knowledge sharing is values driven. As such, top
management expresses a
strong belief in the significance of intrinsic motivation to share
knowledge, based on a
desire to share one’s own knowledge base and seek other
people’s expertise. This latter
aspect to Conco thinking is illustrated in the following remarks
by Conco’s CEO:
“All people are interested in sharing their knowledge … You
have pride in
telling others about something you are good at. I cannot stand
attitudes like
‘what’s in it for me?’ They make me frown. It’s all about
having an open
attitude and being generous … Then other people will want to
work with you …
Contributing even if you don’t get anything in exchange right
there and
then …”
“I tell the SLD participants that perhaps some networks will not
be as relevant,
but this is long-term. The networks have to be maintained and
taken care of. If
they are misused, they will be destroyed.”

5.2 Social capital outcomes
Drawing on our complete set of interview data, we observe that
SLD participants
emphasised outputs in terms of developing shared values, a
common understanding of
Conco, increased trust in colleagues and the opportunity to
develop a corporate network.
In general, our informants reported more modest outcomes in
terms of their own
leadership development and organisation development skills.
Thus, the primary outcomes
of SLD may be construed as comprising social capital
development. The quotes in
Table 2 contain typical statements regarding these primary
outcomes from SLD
participants. We have attempted to group these statements in
accordance with Nahapiet
and Ghoshal’s (1998) three-dimensional conceptualisation of
social capital, but we

readily concede that some of the statements span more than one
of the dimensions.
Table 2 Social capital outcomes
Outcomes Empirical evidence
Structural dimension:
creating new meeting
places
“Without SLD, we would not have met.” (SLD Participant 1)
“SLD functions as a meeting place.” (SLD Participant 2)
“SLD is excellent as a meeting place. We get a shared
understanding,
particularly from [the CEO’s] presentations.” (SLD Participant
3)
“SLD is really essential for knowledge sharing. You have to
meet and this
does not happen by coincidence. The first point of meeting must
be
created.” (SLD Participant 5)
“Some of my [countrymen] spent a whole evening talking about
concrete
moulding. Contact was established and this experience transfer
would not
have happened without SLD.” (SLD Participant 5)
“My group has planned to continue meeting. It’s easier to
contact people
who have been in the programme with me.” (SLD Participant 2)
“My group has booked another meeting [after SLD was
completed],
but I don’t know if I will be contacting anyone after that …”
(SLD
Participant 4)
Relational dimension:

developing trusting
relationships
“SLD has been very valuable. I have met many fine people who
have
shared their experiences and knowledge …” (SLD Participant 2)
“I have gotten to know other managers in a different way than I
would
had I not participated in SLD. I have established good relations
and some
really strong relations. If I need to I can contact the other
participants and
these are absolutely long-term relations.” (SLD Participant 3)
“There is bonding, not just across borders, but also within each
nation …
We are like old soldiers who have experienced something
together.”
(SLD Participant 5)
“I did not learn anything new [in terms of leadership
development], but I
developed an extremely good network and I learned the Conco
values.”
(Divisional top manager and previous SLD participant)
Cognitive dimension:
developing a shared
understanding and
culture
“The Conco values are lived out through SLD. We send people
here and
get ambassadors among the managers. We should do the same
for project
managers.” (SLD Participant 1)
“The cognitive part is developed and the person-to-person
relations are

developed, but this depends on whether or not the participants
see this as
an opportunity.” (Divisional top manager and previous SLD
participant)
“The value of SLD has emerged over time. Some people were
sceptical
after the first meeting. But participation triggers some attitudes
and
thoughts that sink in.” (SLD Participant 2)
Thus, SLD appears to create an initial meeting place for
managers who would otherwise
not meet. For some participants, additional meeting places have
been established based
on this initial point of contact within SLD. The relational

Seediscussions,stats,andauthorprofilesforthispublicati.docx

Seediscussions,stats,andauthorprofilesforthispublicati.docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Seediscussions,stats,andauthorprofilesforthispublicati.docx

Similar to Seediscussions,stats,andauthorprofilesforthispublicati.docx (20)

More from WilheminaRossi174

More from WilheminaRossi174 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Seediscussions,stats,andauthorprofilesforthispublicati.docx