"Gumboots and grassroots" : exploring leadership for social change at a grassroots level in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

The primary aim of this study was to explore the motivations underpinning three agri-women’s involvement in grassroots associations. The research investigated leadership processes within the groups and sought to understand the impact of three specific projects in the context of grassroots leadership for social change. Grassroots associations have been described as innovative networks of people sharing common goals and vision, that recognise and respond to local community needs, often motivated by a need to create societal and environmental change. Future climatic and sustainability challenges predicted for New Zealand’s agri-sector provide the impetus to support and increase this collective leadership capacity. Voluntary groups such as these have largely been ignored by leadership scholars, however their informal, decentralised structures and collective decision-making processes offer unique opportunities to view leadership in a different way, a way that may be essential in the complex world of the 21st century. Furthermore, the context of this research in rural and provincial New Zealand provides a fresh perspective relevant to rural and urban alike, for a country largely reliant on its primary sector for economic prosperity. A qualitative multiple case study design was chosen for its ability to achieve a holistic result, rich in content and meaning, through employing multiple data collection techniques in a naturalistic setting. Thematic analysis was used to draw out themes from the data, which combined with existing theory in an abductive approach adding new contributions to the current limited knowledge of grassroots leadership processes. Key findings were the participants’ voluntary altruistic principles and their passion, persistence and commitment to their causes. Leadership processes within the groups confirmed an outdated leader-follower influence paradigm and strong parallels with elements of Complexity Leadership Theory, especially in terms of enabling leadership to create adaptive space. However, the major contribution from this study was an adapted framework demonstrating how philosophical foundations, leadership practices and activities of grassroots associations can build community power in the creation of social capital contributing to community resilience for unknown and unknowable future events

Opinion leaders and complex sustainability issues

Identifying mechanisms to ensure appropriate and timely societal responses to complex global sustainability issues such as climate change presents a challenge to contemporary policy makers and researchers. Case studies of adaptive management of natural resources, sustainability studies, and research on social capital have cited leadership, in particular, as an important component of social change. This paper describes an innovative approach to understanding the role of informal leadership and its utility in influencing societal attitudes and practice. The approach builds on the Diffusion of Innovations Model in which learning about new ideas, practices or technologies occurs through interpersonal communication with informal opinion leaders. The approach also analyses linkages between the concepts of response capacity to climate change and the strategies of opinion leaders for influencing societal change through informal social networks

Clinical leadership in service redesign using Clinical Commissioning Groups: a mixed-methods study

Background: A core component of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (Great Britain. Health and Social Care Act 2012. London: HMSO; 2012) was the idea of devolving to general practitioners (GPs) a health service leadership role for service redesign. For this purpose, new Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) were formed in the English NHS.Objectives: This research examined the extent to which, and the methods by which, clinicians stepped forward to take up a leadership role in service redesign using CCGs as a platform.Design: The project proceeded in five phases: (1) a scoping study across 15 CCGs, (2) the design and administration of a national survey of all members of CCG governing bodies in 2014, (3) six main in-depth case studies, (4) a second national survey of governing body members in 2016, which allowed longitudinal comparisons, and (5) international comparisons.Participants: In addition to GPs serving in clinical lead roles for CCGs, the research included insights from accountable officers and other managers and perspectives from secondary care and other provider organisations (local authority councillors and staff, patients and the public, and other relevant bodies).Results: Instances of the exercise of clinical leadership utilising the mechanism of the CCGs were strikingly varied. Some CCG teams had made little of the opportunity. However, we found other examples of clinicians stepping forward to bring about meaningful improvements in services. The most notable cases involved the design of integrated care for frail elderly patients and others with long-term conditions. The leadership of these service redesigns required cross-boundary working with primary care, secondary care, community care and social work. The processes enabling such breakthroughs required interlocking processes of leadership across three arenas: (1) strategy-level work at CCG board level, (2) mid-range operational planning and negotiation at programme board level and (3) the arena of practical implementation leadership at the point of delivery. The arena of the CCG board provided the legitimacy for strategic change; the programme boards worked through the competing logics of markets, hierarchy and networks; and the practice arena allowed the exercise of clinical leadership in practical problemsolving, detailed learning and routinisation of new ways of working at a common-sense everyday level.Limitations: Although the research was conducted over a 3-year period, it could be argued that a much longer period is required for CCGs to mature and realise their potential.Conclusions: Despite the variation in practice, we found significant examples of clinical leaders forging new modes of service design and delivery. A great deal of the service redesign effort was directed at compensating for the fragmented nature of the NHS – part of which had been created by the 2012 reforms. This is the first study to reveal details of such work in a systematic way

Cultivating Systems Leadership in Cross-Sector Partnerships: Lessons from the Linked Learning Regional Hubs of Excellence

Investments in the social sector have become increasingly complex, with many foundations shifting from supports for single organizations toward more systemic strategies focused on improving outcomes for entire communities. As a result, the field has become awash in regional, or place-based, investments that rely on cross-sector partnerships and networks to drive change. These efforts require coordination among stakeholders across all levels of the practice and policy continuum – from direct service providers, to nonprofit intermediaries, funders, advocacy organizations, and policymakers.It is in this context, and in the spirit of continuous learning, that The James Irvine Foundation's Linked Learning Regional Hubs of Excellence investment serves as a systems change experiment, offering insights and critical lessons that can inform others undertaking similar work. The aim of this Issue Brief – authored by Equal Measure and Harder+Company – is to contribute to field dialogue and learning about the role of leadership in complex systems change strategies, particularly those focused on producing equitable impacts in college and career readiness.Equal Measure and Harder+Company serve as the evaluators of The James Irvine Foundation's Linked Learning Regional Hubs of Excellence. They work in partnership with Jobs for the Future, the intermediary and technical assistance provider for this initiative

Delivering and sustaining change through implementation of a lean management system : a journey towards health improvement : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

In this ever-changing world organisations seek to be adaptive and innovative and in response they are adopting new ways of working. Approaches to managing change have been well documented and have progressed as a deeper understanding of change and the associated study of human behaviours has developed. One such methodology that emerged from the well-studied area of Lean Thinking is the Lean Management System, which aims to align direction and distribute decision-making in an organisation in order to have greater sustainability of change. This study was conducted in the pharmacy department of a large New Zealand public hospital that sought to engage their team in change from a supply-driven pharmacy model, to a model focused on medicines optimisation. To enable the change, the pharmacy department developed work practices based on a Lean Management System that had been adopted in other areas of the hospital. There is very little literature on studies that discuss the impact of Lean Management Systems in healthcare organisations, in particular a pharmacy department. The primary aim for this study is to explore the impact that a Lean Management System has on the sustainability of change in a hospital pharmacy department. Participatory Action Research was selected as the methodology to explore the two main themes of ‘Relevance’ and ‘Reactivity’ before, during and after the introduction of a Lean Management System. The data for the study was collected through a combination of focus groups, interviews and researcher reflections. Given that the researcher worked with the participants of the study to facilitate the introduction of the Lean Management System, processes were established to ensure the study was conducted in an ethical manner. The findings from the study indicate that the introduction of a Lean Management System has a positive impact on sustainability of change, as observed through an increase in the Relevance individuals had with the wider pharmacy department and a reduction in the day-to-day Reactivity team members experienced. This improvement was not consistent across all teams in the pharmacy department, in particular a difference observed in the level of Relevance between the Pharmacy Leadership Team and the ‘front line’ teams. The findings also highlight the strong connection between leadership behaviours and effectiveness of the Lean Management System. The findings can be explained by a range of literature relating to behavioural characteristics, identity theory, alignment to purpose and leadership. Implications for policy and practice are provided with the aim of guiding organisations introducing Lean Management Systems to be successful. The research identifies a number of gaps in literature and recommends that, in order to achieve greater sustainability of change, the introduction of a Lean Management System be conducted in conjunction with the development of leadership behaviours. Finally, future research is recommended focusing on the development of Lean Management Systems aligned to social networks and the impact of Organisational Identity on Lean Management Systems

Healthy Organizations and the Link to Peaceful Societies: Strategies for Implementing Organizational Change

When designing and implementing an organizational change process, we are intentionally and oftentimes significantly impacting the lives of the human beings who make up the organization. Individuals who work in organizations spend a majority of their time, usually at least five days each week, in an organizational setting or framework. If the organization is structured in a way that recognizes the needs of the employees; has a code of behavior—oftentimes referred to as the organizational values— that is civil and caring; uses the code of behavior to give developmental feedback to employees; and, creates opportunities for a variety of networks between people, the environment is very likely to be conducive for things such as positive conflict resolution and healthy organizational growth. If people are expected to behave respectfully and in a civil fashion, and if the organization intentionally promotes such behavior, the continuous, daily reinforcement of “a respectful way of working together” will often spill out into behavior outside of the organization. If we hope to change the world, it means we have to consider how to positively impact the thinking and the behavior of people at all ages. Families, schools, religious organizations, social groups and business organizations all have the potential of contributing to a more peaceful society by creating “rules of the game” that require respectful, civil and peaceful behaviors of their members.organizational behavior, leadership, leadership development, management, human resources, organizational development, change, values