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04/10/23 RGC Study 452710 1
How Hong Kong School Leaders Think and Act?
Nicholas Pang, ProfessorDepartment of Ed Adm & Policy
Chinese University of Hong [email protected]
• John Pisapia, ProfessorDepartment of Ed Leadership
Florida Atlantic [email protected]
Public Research SeminarThe Chinese University of Hong Kong May 5, 2012
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong for the support of this research (RGC Ref. No.: 452710)
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Why do we need to Lead Differently?
The Power of the CurveThe Power of the Curve
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Disruptive Innovation
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The Lessons of the CurveLesson #1 Old maps do not work! Disruptive change and globalization
are challenging the legitimacy of legacy command and control models of leadership.
Lesson #2 These NEW conditions reward leaders who are:
Cognitively complex. They are able to use a wide array of thinking skills
Synthesis as well as AnalysisCreative Thinking as well as Critical ThinkingAbstractly as well as Concretely
Lesson #3 Use a multi-dimensional set of leader influence actions
304/10/23 - Pisapia
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Study Aims
This study investigates how Leader thinking and actions is related with organizational learning capacity. The study was framed by four questions:
1. What is the level of school leader’s use of strategic thinking skills? (systems thinking, reframing, and reflection)
2. What is the level of school leader’s use of leader influence actions? (transforming, managing, bonding, bridging, and bartering)
3. Is there a link between school leaders strategic thinking skills and leader influence actions?
4. Is there a link between school leader influence actions and organizational learning capacity?
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“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still."
- Laozi-(Lao Tzu)
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Leaders must possess an Agile mind.
They use strategic thinking skills-systems thinking - reflection - reframing - which enable them to think strategically. These skills make it possible to recognize patterns, make sense out of seemingly unrelated information. They use them to switch from a strategic mindset -“Why and What” - to a tactical mindset -“How and When” - in a rapid and iterative processes when appropriate.
Competency #1
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The Strategic Thinking Skills
7
Analytical
Creative
Divergent
Synthesis
Intuitive
Critical
Evaluative
Integrative
Pragmatic
Tactical
Reasoning
Practical
StrategicSolutions
Future
Forward
Convergent
Deductive
Inductive
Holistic
Linear Non Linear
Strategic Thinking Skills
Description
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking refers to the leader’s ability to see systems holistically by understanding the properties, forces, patterns and interrelationships that shape the behavior of the system, which hence provides options for action.
Reflecting
Reflecting refers to the leader’s ability to weave logical and rational thinking, through the use of perceptions, experience and information, to make judgments on what has happened, and creation of intuitive principles that guide future actions.
Reframing
Reframing refers to the leader’s ability to switch attention across multiple perspectives, frames, mental models, and paradigms to generate new insights and options for actions.
Table 1 Subscales of the Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQ)
Pisapia
04/10/23 RGC Study 452710 9Pisapia
1.Leader Thinking is related to self reported, observer reported, and objective measures of leader effectiveness.
2.The use of systems thinking is the most used and explains the largest part of the variance in effectiveness
3.There is a cumulative impact - The strength of the relationship Thinking and Effectiveness increases as leaders use the three dimensions in tandem.
4.The younger, less experienced, and educated you are the less you use these skills. Strategic thinking skills can be developed through training.
The results from 15 studies using the STQ suggest
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Competency #2
Leaders use multiple actions.
They are able to create momentum by using managing - transforming - bonding - bridging - bartering - actions.
They use these actions in a generative way because they know that change will be fast if people are engaged - slow – if not!
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BondingARTISTRY
Bridging
Bartering
Transforming
Managing
Artistry The Mega Skill
11
There are two There are two directional directional actionsactions
There are three There are three relational actions relational actions
Leader Actions
Description
ManagingManaging actions are taken to maintain consistency in order that current organizational goals are accomplished efficiently and effectively.
Transforming
Transforming actions are taken to influence direction, actions, and opinions in order to change organizational conditions and culture so that learning and change occur as a normal routine of the organization.
Bonding
Bonding actions are taken to ensure that trust is an attribute of the system and not just something developed among individuals in order that followers' exhibit emotional commitment to the organization's aspirations and values.
Bridging
Bridging actions are taken to develop alliances with people of power and influence from outside and inside the organization in order to gain insights, support, and resources.
BarteringBartering actions are taken to give something in exchange in order to strengthen the effectiveness of relationships and alliance building efforts.
Table 2 Subscales of the Strategic Action Questionnaire (SAQ)
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The results from 7 studies using the SAQ suggest
Leaders use of the Influence Actions is related to self reported, observer reported, and objective measures of leader effectiveness
Transforming, Bonding, and Bridging actions were associated with more cohesive culture in schools.
The use of Leader actions is influenced by leader role and school level.
As complexity of the context increases Leaders use more Bridging, Bartering, and Transforming actions.
Leader discretion is related to use of influence actionsMandated policies require managerial authority. Free choice policies Transforming, Bonding, Bartering, and Bridging actions are effective.
Figure 2. The Research Framework of the Current Study
The Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQ)Systems Thinking
ReflectingReframing
Change Capacity Questionnaire (CCQ)EmpowermentTeacher EfficacyOrganizational LearningLeaders Effectiveness
Leader Cognitive Complexity Organizational Change Capacity
Size Setting Level Staff working experience
Tradition
Contextual Variables
Leader Behavioral Complexity
The Strategic Action Questionnaire (SAQ)
TransformingManagingBridgingBonding
Bartering
Teacher Demography
School Demography
Research Stage I: Strategic Thinking and Leadership in Hong Kong Schools: A Leaders’ Self-reporting Study
Research Stage II: Strategic Thinking and Leadership in Hong Kong Schools: An Organizational Study from Teachers’ Perspective
Research Stage III: Strategic Thinking and Leadership: Case Studies of Hong Kong Schools
Pang
School Outcomes
Description
Teacher Empowerment
The extent to which the school develops teachers’ competence to achieve the school’s goals and missions through enhancing their personal capacity and professional growth, promoting a greater degree of participation as well as allowing a higher degree of autonomy in problem solving.
Teacher Self-Efficacy
The extent to which the teacher believes that he or she has the capacity in achieving the school’s goals and missions, to have a control of the reinforcement of their actions, and to make a difference in student outcomes.
Organizational Learning
The extent to which the school has the capacity to cope both internal and external changes by establishing a flexible organizational structure, incorporating effective policies and processes, and building teams that work collaboratively in achieving the school goals and missions.
Leader Effectiveness
The extent to which the school leader has effectively exercised his/her leadership in coping with the challenges of change and educational reforms and deriving strategies that sustains the school’s short-term and long-term development.
Table 3 Subscales of the Change Capacity Questionnaire (CCQ)
Pang
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Study Variables
Strategic thinking skills
• Systems Thinking• Reframing• Reflection
Strategic Influence Actions• Transforming• Managing• Bonding• Bridging• Bartering
Pang 16
Change Capacity
• Teacher Empowerment• Teacher Self-Efficacy • Organizational Learning • Leader Effectiveness
Moderators• Age• Experience• Gender• Position• School Level
• School Level• School Gender• School MOI• School Funding
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Method - Study Design Quantitative non-experimentalCriterion variable #1 – Leader Influence Actions (Managing, Transforming, Bonding, Bridging, Bartering).Criterion variables#2 - Org Change Capacity (Teacher empowerment, efficiency, learning capacity, leader effectiveness)Predictor variables – Leader Cognitive skills (systems thinking, reflection, reframing)
Hypotheses 1. Thinking would not be associated Influence
Actions2. Thinking and actions would not be
associated with Organizational Learning Capacity
3. Leader actions would not be associated with Org Learning Capacity
4. Contextual Factors would moderate Thinking -Influence Actions - and their relationship.
Sample - SelfSchools Elementary 258 – Secondary 325 – Special Schools 36.Principals 234 VP 280 Senior Masters 112
Sample - Observer•1647 Teachers = Elementary – 905 Secondary 570 Special Schools 46 [a total of 69 schools]Data CollectionInstruments: 1.SAQ© self measures the five leader actions of Bridging, Bartering, Bonding, Managing - Transforming - 35 questions - 5-point Likert scale. 2.STQ©self measures three thinking skills: systems thinking, reflecting, and reframing.3.CCQ observer measures teacher empowerment, efficiency, learning capacity, and leader effectiveness. Questionnaire (CCQ)– 25 questions – 6 point Likert scale.Reliability: All reliability alphas > .68.Validity: STQ/SAQ factor models exceeded 52% of the variance. Psychometrically validated in the USA (Reyes-Guerra 2009; Pisapia 2009), and in China (Pang & Pisapia, 2010; Pang & Pisapia, 2012). Features: Omission rate and inconsistency indexData AnalysisCorrelation and Regression
17Pang
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Systems Thinking
Reframing
Reflection
Transforming
Managing
Bonding
Figure 3. A path model of the relationship among strategic thinking and leader actions
(X Variables)
(Y Variables)
Bridging
0.27
0.35
0.11
0.26
0.49
0.480.23
0.15
Figures are given as standardized coefficients of beta and are significant at 0.00 level.
Bartering
Pisapia
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Transforming
Managing
Bridging
Teacher Empowerment
Teacher Self-Efficacy
Bonding Organizational Learning
Figure 4. A path model of the relationship among leader actions and the School’s Change Capacity
(X Variables)
(Y Variables)
Bartering
Leader Effectiveness
0.19
0.59
0.130.070.51
-0.10
0.480.29
-0.16
0.430.42
Figures are given as standardized coefficients of beta and are significant at 0.001 level.
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How leaders think relates to how they act!
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Preliminary Conclusions
How Hong School Leaders Think The Hong Kong school leaders thinking profile is
systems thinking, reframing, and reflection. The rank order remains the same from principal to senior masters but the
use of each thinking skills decreases at each level. Systems Thinking is used more often than reframing and reflection by
principals, vice principals, and senior masters at the secondary and primary levels.
Reflection is the least often thinking skill used by principals, vice principals, and senior masters at the secondary and primary levels.
How Hong School Leaders Act The Hong Kong school leader’s action profile is
Bonding, Transforming, and managing. Principals use bridging more often than vice principals or senior masters.
Pisapia 21
Preliminary Conclusions
How Hong Kong School Leaders Act Cognitive and Behavioral Complexity are linked.
Hong Kong school leaders, who demonstrated higher use of strategic thinking skills, also reported greater use of managing, transforming, bridging and bonding
Behavioral complexity and Organizational Learning Capacity are linked. School leaders, who demonstrated higher use of strategic thinking skills, also reported greater use of managing, transforming, bridging and bonding
Pang
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Preliminary Conclusions School leadership is a contextualized practice.
Position held was the most influential predictor of the use of the three strategic thinking skills and the five strategic actions. Local culture is a stronger influence on the way school leaders think and act than societal culture.
Societal and/or group culture does not influence the use of directional actions of managing and transforming.
Societal culture significantly influences the use of maneuvering actions of bonding, bridging, and bartering.
Group culture significantly influences the use of maneuvering variables of bonding, bridging and bartering.
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Recommendations For School Leaders, Cultivate strategic
thinking skills, leader influence actions.
For governing bodies, invest in training
For Universities, incorporate syntheses as well as analysis, and creative as well as critical thinking skills into their curricula.
Pang
04/10/232011 15th ICOT RGC Study 452710Pang & Pisapia 25EAP Seminar Pang & Pisapia 25
Thank you!
Q & A