organizational leadership case study

• The LEGO Group leadership playground: Energizing everybody every day (A)

In 2018, the LEGO Group defined a new way of leading to enable the company to move more quickly, to make the right decisions, to deliver its mission and the commercial momentum that sustained it, and to shape the LEGO® culture in a positive way. This new way of leading would need to be modeled at the top of the organization. That was certain. But CEO, Niels Christiansen, and Chief People Officer, Loren Shuster, believed that the task of defining the new way of leading should not be done by the Executive Leadership Team or by HR. It should be developed bottom up. The LEGO Group was no longer the patriarchy it had once been under its founder, but Shuster saw that patriarchal assumptions about leadership lingered in its culture. If the LEGO Group was going to move towards a balanced system where leadership responsibility was more distributed and less hierarchical, it would be ironic to impose this top down. A better way to start would be to invite people from different levels and different functions of the organization to answer the question: What kind of leadership do we need in the LEGO Group and how can we embed the new way of leading into the fabric of the organization so that it can be self-generative? Case A describes the process that the LEGO Group used to create what they called The Leadership Playground and bring it to life in the company.

• How to create a leadership model to change the culture of the LEGO Group in a bottom-up way.

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• The LEGO Group leadership playground: Energizing everybody every day (B)

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Open Access Business Case Studies:

A number of universities and organizations provide access to free business case studies.  Below are some of the best known sources.

• Acadia Institute of Case Studies (archived link) The Acadia Institute of Case Studies is a non-profit centre in the School of Business Administration, Acadia University. The Institute's focus is on entrepreneurship and small business operations.
• Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics (Carnegie Mellon) From 1987-1994, Arthur Andersen funded a $5 million joint project with 525 universities to raise awareness of business ethics. This collection of 90 case studies is one product of that effort. All participating universities (includes BU) have license to use these materials and reproduce them as needed for instructional purposes.
• Case Centre Case Centre offers a wide range of free cases produced by many prominent schools and organizations across the globe. You must be registered and logged into the website to access free cases. Once logged in, you can use "show only items in the free case collection" tick box in the product search to search all free cases.
• Case Studies in Business, Industry and Government Statistics: CSBIGS High-quality case studies in modern data analysis ready to use for instruction, training or self-study. (Societe Francaise de Statistique, Toulouse School of Economics, France)
• Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative - Anderson School of Management Online library of simple, straightforward business cases focused on principle-based ethics.
• Enduring Legacies Native Cases: Business and Management Enduring Legacies Native Cases Initiative develop and widely disseminate culturally relevant curriculum and teaching resources in the form of case studies on key issues in Indian Country.
• Ethics Unwrapped - McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin More than 50 case studies match ethics concepts to real world situations. From journalism to performing arts to foreign policy to scientific research to social work, these cases explore a range of current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences. Each case includes discussion questions, related videos, and a bibliography for further reading.
• IBIMA Business Review Peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes publishing quality Case Studies in all business fields that significantly contribute to practice and support continuous learning efforts in organizations.
• INSEAD Publishing: Cases Currently provides access to 15 free case studies. Registration is required to access the cases.
• Internet Archive Access hundreds of digitized books that include business case studies on a wide variety of topics.
• Ivey Business School (UWO) free cases Ivey is well known for its case method of learning and is a top publisher of business cases worldwide. Approximately 20 free cases are available.
• Journal of Business Cases and Applications Goal is to share cases and exercises developed for classroom use in any area of business education. Subjects include Accounting, Business Administration, Business Law, E-Commerce, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Decision Sciences, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Real Estate, Teaching and Business Education, etc.
• Journal of Business Case Studies (JBCS) Publishes papers that significantly contribute to the understanding of teaching business courses using case studies.
• Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University: Ethics Cases Case studies and scenarios on a variety of fields in applied ethics (including business and leadership).
• MIT Sloan - Case Studies Collection of teaching case studies developed by MIT Sloan faculty and students. May be downloaded, copied, distributed free of charge by anyone through creative commons license. Topics include entrepreneurship, leadership and ethics, operations management, strategy, sustainability, and system dynamics.
• oikos International Cases Currently consists of over 80 peer-reviewed cases on sustainability in management and entrepreneurship.
• Portland State University: Social Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship Case studies from The School of Business at PSU about Social Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship.
• Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations From Rutgers' Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership Collection. Includes Free Case Studies of employee owned companies.
• Society of Human Resources Management Case studies are available for HR faculty and instructors to use in HR classrooms at universities, as expressed in the Terms of Use for Faculty. Teaching notes are often included with each.
• SSRN: Boston University Questrom School of Business Research Paper Series Includes research papers written by Questrom faculty. A small number of cases are included.
• SSRN: Management Educator: Courses, Cases & Teaching eJournal "Promotes innovative approaches to curricular development, course content and delivery systems, student learning, and other educational issues that are important to management faculty to meet the growing demand for discussions, research and analysis on teaching management."
• Stanford Graduate School of Business - free cases Click on "Narrow your results" and then under Availability select "Available to download at no charge."
• Sustainable Development Goals case series-Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University 17 open access cases are currently included.
• Ted Rogers Leadership Centre, Ryerson University: Case Study Collection Cases developed by Ted Rogers Leadership Centre for classroom use.
• University of British Columbia: Open Case Studies Many of the UBC case studies focus on topics in sustainability, but cases on other topics such as business and economics are also included.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development Case Studies WBCSD is a global, CEO-led organization of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world.
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Leadership Case Studies

Here is a sample of three case studies from the book, Leadership Case Studies, that are most instructive and impactful to developing leadership skills.

For the past 30 years, I have conducted seminars and workshops and taught college classes on leadership.

I used a variety of teaching aids including books, articles, case studies, role-plays, and videos.

I recently created a book, Leadership Case Studies that includes some of the case studies and role-plays that I found to be most instructive and impactful.

Here is a sample of three case studies.

Peter Weaver Case Study

Peter Weaver doesn’t like to follow the crowd. He thinks groupthink is a common problem in many organizations. This former director of marketing for a consumer products company believes differences of opinion should be heard and appreciated. As Weaver states, “I have always believed I should speak for what I believe to be true.”

He demonstrated his belief in being direct and candid throughout his career. On one occasion, he was assigned to market Paul’s spaghetti-sauce products. During the brand review, the company president said, “Our spaghetti sauce is losing out to price-cutting competitors. We need to cut our prices!”

Peter found the courage to say he disagreed with the president. He then explained the product line needed more variety and a larger advertising budget. Prices should not be cut. The president accepted Weaver’s reasoning. Later, his supervisor approached him and said, “I wanted to say that, but I just didn’t have the courage to challenge the president.”

On another occasion, the president sent Weaver and 16 other executives to a weeklong seminar on strategic planning. Weaver soon concluded the consultants were off base and going down the wrong path. Between sessions, most of the other executives indicated they didn’t think the consultants were on the right path. The consultants heard about the dissent and dramatically asked participants whether they were in or out. Those who said “Out” had to leave immediately.

As the consultants went around the room, every executive who privately grumbled about the session said “In.” Weaver was fourth from last. When it was his turn, he said “Out” and left the room.

All leaders spend time in reflection and self-examination to identify what they truly believe and value. Their beliefs are tested and fine-tuned over time. True leaders can tell you, without hesitation, what they believe and why. They don’t need a teleprompter to remind them of their core beliefs. And, they find the courage to speak up even when they know others will disagree.

• What leadership traits did Weaver exhibit?
• If you were in Weaver’s shoes, what would you have done?
• Where does courage come from?
• List your three most important values.

Dealing with a Crisis Case Study

Assume you are the VP of Sales and Marketing for a large insurance company. Once a year your company rewards and recognizes the top 100 sales agents by taking them to a luxury resort for a four-day conference. Business presentation meetings are held during the morning. Afternoons are free time. Agents and spouses can choose from an assortment of activities including golf, tennis, boating, fishing, shopping, swimming, etc.

On day 2 at 3:00 p.m., you are at the gym working out on the treadmill, when you see Sue your administrative assistant rushing towards you. She says, “I need to talk to you immediately.”

You get off the treadmill and say, “What’s up?” Sue states, “We’ve had a tragedy. Several agents went boating and swimming at the lake. Randy, our agent from California died while swimming.”

(Background information – Randy is 28 years old. His wife did not come on the trip. She is home in California with their three children).

• Explain what you would communicate to the following people.
• Your Human Resources Department
• The local police
• The attendees at the conference (Would you continue the conference?)
• How will you notify Randy’s wife?
• If Randy’s wife and a few family members want to visit the location of Randy’s death, what would you do?
• What are some “guiding principles” that leaders need to follow in a crisis situation?

 Arsenic and Old Lace Case Study

Review the YouTube video, “ I’ll show them who is boss Arsenic and Old Lace.”   

Background Information

The Vernon Road Bleaching and Dyeing Company is a British lace dyeing business. It was purchased in bankruptcy by the father/son team of Henry and Richard Chaplin. Richard has been acting as “Managing Director” which is the same as a general manager or president of a company.

The company has had 50-to-150 employees with 35-to-100 being shop floor, production employees. The company produces and sells various dyed fabrics to the garment industry.

Gerry Robinson is a consultant who was asked to help transform methods of conducting business to save the company.

Jeff is the factory manager.

• What are Richard’s strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
• What could Richard have done to make the problems of quality and unhappy customers more visible to the workforce?
• What do you think Richard’s top three priorities should be for the next 12 months?
• What could Richard have done to motivate the workforce?
• Evaluate Jeff’s approach and effectiveness as a leader.

The book contains 16 case studies, four role-plays, and six articles. I hope you find some of the content useful and helpful in your efforts to teach leadership.

Click for additional leadership case studies and resources .

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7.4 Case Study 4: A New Leadership Culture

It’s been 6 months since Kolab was hired to lead a large, nonprofit organization called, International Education Center (IEC), which provides international education and information to the citizens of a Midwestern state. The organization provides opportunities for individuals to learn about different cultures and to gain an understanding about their role as citizens of the world. It does this by connecting the people of the state with visitors from all over the world in order to meet and learn from one another.

Prior to the job at the IEC, Kolab directed national programming and services for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in Washington, D.C. Before her job at the ORR, she worked for an international relief agency and traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and Africa, working in the organization’s field offices, managing its daily operations.

Kolab, born in Cambodia, fled with her parents to the United States as refugees during the regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge (the followers of the Communist Party who ruled Cambodia from the 1975-1979). Her experiences growing up as a refugee fuel her motivation and passion for international work. It also shaped her expectations and working style. She is known to her colleagues as a “go-getter” and a “high performer.”

The board of trustees thought Kolab’s international experiences and goal-oriented, achievement-focused attitude was just what they needed to expand the organization on a national level. The previous president, Hanh, did not have the strategic thinking and vision to move IEC, even though she was very effective at building relationships throughout the state. After 10 years with IEC, Hanh decided to step down from her leadership role. This gave the board of directors an opportunity to hire someone like Kolab who can challenge employees and push the organization to reach its financial and fundraising goals.

Since Kolab’s hire, employee productivity and motivation has decreased. Staff used to enjoy coming to work, talking with one another, and planning programs and services for the community. Now they come to work because “we need a paycheck,” and they accomplish their tasks because “Kolab told me to do so.” There is no enthusiasm for the mission of the organization and the vision for the new work that Kolab and the directors created in a strategic planning meeting. A couple of times, when Kolab passed employee cubicles, she heard comments like, “She works us all like we don’t have a personal life,” “She’s so impersonable,” “I miss just chatting with people,” and “Hanh was never like this. She always made time to talk to us.”

Just last week, Kolab had a staff meeting, and the majority of staff sauntered in late. Throughout the meeting, they gave her blank stares, and, as soon as the meeting was over, they quickly left. Kolab is tired of the staff attitudes and behaviors. “The culture of this organization can’t operate the way it used to. I am determined to change it,” she thinks to herself.

• How does Kolab’s self-concept influence her ability to lead?
• What cultural value dimensions does the organization operate under? What about Kolab?
• What cultural intelligence strategies do you recommend for Kolab and her employees?

There are several issues here that Kolab needs to work through. First, Kolab has a specific leadership style that she likes to use. Her style is task- and goal-oriented, and is influenced by her upbringing. Her beliefs and her attitude is exactly what the board wants, but it is drastically different than the leadership style and organizational culture that is familiar to the employees. Second, Kolab wants the culture of the organization to move toward accountability, goals, and achievement; this is not to say that the organization was not goal-oriented before. Kolab’s vision for the organization’s goals, and how to get there, is a departure from what the cultural norm dictated in the past. Third, the staff has a self-concept that was developed as a result of Hanh’s leadership influence. They are feeling a dissonance between their self-concept and the new one that Kolab wants to enforce. Kolab would need to address all these areas and find strategies that help to keep her staff motivated during this time of change.

CI Model in Action

• Acquire: There are multiple levels of culture at work in this case study, particularly how individual cultural differences are expressed and interpreted. Kolab has an approach to work that differs from her employees; most of the approach is based on her personal experiences and history as a refugee. As a leader practicing cultural intelligence, Kolab will need to take a look at her self-concept and how it differs or corresponds with her staff. She can do this in two ways: first, by exploring her own personal history and second, by getting to know her staff as individuals. The knowledge she gains about herself and others will bridge her understanding of individual cultural differences and how they are expressed in an organization.
• Build: Kolab was hired because she is a “go-getter,” which typically means that she is achievement focused and oriented. Her staff interprets this as “impersonable.” To build an understanding of cultural differences, Kolab can build into her personal development plan ways to observe and listen to her staff. As an observer, she can pick up on verbal and nonverbal cues in her environment, thus helping her pay attention to her surroundings. By actively listening to her staff, she will learn how to adapt her behavior appropriately for the situation she is in.
• Contemplate: Kolab has a high ability to be resilient, which she developed as part of her personality and individual culture because of her experience as a refugee. This will be helpful to her in staying positive about the situation. However, one of the things she could improve on is her ability to gauge the emotions of her staff during their interactions. She is not accurately perceiving the thoughts and emotions, thus she is unable to handle the relationships in a way that is appropriate.
• Do: Kolab is trying to change the culture of the organization. As a leader, she needs to recognize that cultural shifts can be difficult, and it is her responsibility as a leader to help her employees make the changes successfully. She can help change cultural behavior through the use of stories. She can strategize this in different ways. She can set time for people to share the stories of the “old culture” and what they would like to see in the new culture. She can, using the power of words and language, share stories of herself, her vision, and where she would like the organization to be. She can combine her stories with the stories of her employees to create a unified story.

The Ethical Leadership Case Study Collection

The Ted Rogers Leadership Centre’s Case Collection, developed in collaboration with experienced teaching faculty, seasoned executives, and alumni, provides instructors with real-life decision-making scenarios to help hone students’ critical-thinking skills and their understanding of what good leaders do. They will be able to leverage the theories, models, and processes being advanced. Students come to understand that workplace dilemmas are rarely black and white, but require them to think through and address competing claims and circumstances. Crucially, they also appreciate how they can, as new leaders and middle managers, improve decisions by creating realistic action plans based on sound stakeholder analysis and communication principles. These case studies are offered free of charge to all instructors.

Cases come in both long and short forms. The long cases provide instructors with tools for delving deeply into subjects related to a variety of decision making and organizational development issues. The short cases, or “minis,” are quick in-class exercises in leadership.

For both the long cases and the minis, teaching-method notes are provided, which include not only recommended in-class facilitation methods, but also grading rubrics, references, and student feedback.

Testimonials

“I have been invited to judge the Leadership Centre’s Annual Ethical Leadership National Case Competition since its inception. Each year, competitors are given a Centre’s case to analyze and present. These cases are like nothing else. They bring the student into the heart of the situation. To excel, students must not only be able to cogently argue the options, but also demonstrate how to implement a decision based on a clear-eyed stakeholder analysis and an understanding of the dynamics of change.” Anne Fawcett, Special Advisor, Caldwell Partners

“I have worked with the Ted Rogers Leadership Centre to both develop and pilot test case materials. Feedback consistently shows that the Centre’s cases resonate with students, providing them with valuable learning experiences.” Chris Gibbs, BComm, MBA, PhD, Associate Professor

"As a judge in the recent national Ted Rogers Ethical Leadership Case Competition, I was very impressed with the quality of the case study prepared by the Leadership Centre. It was brief but well-composed. It exposed the students to ethical quandaries, of the sort they may well face in their business careers. It not only tested their reasoning, but it challenged them to develop a plan of action when faced with incomplete information and imminent deadlines.” Lorne Salzman, Lawyer

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Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

Two cases about Hertz claimed top spots in 2021's Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies

Two cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz claimed top spots in the CRDT’s (Case Research and Development Team) 2021 top 40 review of cases.

Hertz (A) took the top spot. The case details the financial structure of the rental car company through the end of 2019. Hertz (B), which ranked third in CRDT’s list, describes the company’s struggles during the early part of the COVID pandemic and its eventual need to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The success of the Hertz cases was unprecedented for the top 40 list. Usually, cases take a number of years to gain popularity, but the Hertz cases claimed top spots in their first year of release. Hertz (A) also became the first ‘cooked’ case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based ‘raw’ cases.

Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists. Kathyrn Marinello was the CEO of Hertz during this period and the CFO, Jamere Jackson is black.

Sandwiched between the two Hertz cases, Coffee 2016, a perennial best seller, finished second. “Glory, Glory, Man United!” a case about an English football team’s IPO made a surprise move to number four.  Cases on search fund boards, the future of malls,  Norway’s Sovereign Wealth fund, Prodigy Finance, the Mayo Clinic, and Cadbury rounded out the top ten.

Other year-end data for 2021 showed:

• Online “raw” case usage remained steady as compared to 2020 with over 35K users from 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacting with 196 cases.
• Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S..
• The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines.
• Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.
• A third of the cases feature a woman protagonist.
• Orders for Yale SOM case studies increased by almost 50% compared to 2020.
• The top 40 cases were supervised by 19 different Yale SOM faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

CRDT compiled the Top 40 list by combining data from its case store, Google Analytics, and other measures of interest and adoption.

All of this year’s Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases studies of 2021 are:

1.   Hertz Global Holdings (A): Uses of Debt and Equity

2.   Coffee 2016

3.   Hertz Global Holdings (B): Uses of Debt and Equity 2020

4.   Glory, Glory Man United!

5.   Search Fund Company Boards: How CEOs Can Build Boards to Help Them Thrive

6.   The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

7.   Strategy for Norway's Pension Fund Global

8.   Prodigy Finance

9.   Design at Mayo

10. Cadbury

11. City Hospital Emergency Room

13. Volkswagen

14. Marina Bay Sands

15. Shake Shack IPO

16. Mastercard

17. Netflix

18. Ant Financial

19. AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

20. IBM Corporate Service Corps

21. Business Leadership in South Africa's 1994 Reforms

22. Alternative Meat Industry

23. Children's Premier

24. Khalil Tawil and Umi (A)

25. Palm Oil 2016

26. Teach For All: Designing a Global Network

27. What's Next? Search Fund Entrepreneurs Reflect on Life After Exit

28. Searching for a Search Fund Structure: A Student Takes a Tour of Various Options

30. Project Sammaan

31. Commonfund ESG

32. Polaroid

33. Connecticut Green Bank 2018: After the Raid

34. FieldFresh Foods

35. The Alibaba Group

36. 360 State Street: Real Options

37. Herman Miller

38. AgBiome

39. Nathan Cummings Foundation

40. Toyota 2010

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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Executive leader perspectives of rural school district organizational resilience: a qualitative multiple-case study inquiry.

Todd S. Burke , Liberty University Follow

School of Education

Doctor of Philosophy

Meredith Park

Organizational Resilience, Organizational Grit, Grit, Rural Executive School District Leadership, Adversity, Student Achievement

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Recommended Citation

Burke, Todd S., "Executive Leader Perspectives of Rural School District Organizational Resilience: A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study Inquiry" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects . 5970. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5970

The purpose of this qualitative embedded multiple-case study was to explore and describe how rural executive school district leaders overcome significant organizational adversity (low-income student factors) and sustain high student achievement outcomes. Organizational resilience theory provided the basis for the qualitative embedded multiple-case study. The multiple-case study design explored the perspectives of rural school district executive leaders at three levels of qualitative meaning: a) individual-level executive leader perspectives, b) organization function-level (program and department) perspectives, and c) district-wide organizational perspectives. Three small Utah rural school districts with higher-than-average student achievement trends, all of which have student populations experiencing low-income factors, were the sites for the study. The analysis included data from 11 executive leader participants, and evidence was collected through interviews, surveys, organizational documents, and artifactual evidence. Precoding, deductive, exploratory, and pattern coding techniques were used to analyze the data. Two broad thematic patterns emerged with professional learning communities (PLC) and human resource management (HR) constructs. Executive leaders were highly committed to three entrenched sub-thematic core values and beliefs: 1) a continual improvement and a goal mindset, 2) collaboration, and 3) effective teachers who place a high priority on student achievement outcomes. Five essential sub-thematic strategies also emerged in the analysis: 1) instructional coaches, mentors, and support networks; 2) data-driven decisions; 3) training and professional development; 4) consistent and effective leadership meetings; and 5) employee compensation and hiring the right people.

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More From Forbes

Dei case study: how pwc measures the impact of inclusion.

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In times of political polarization and push back on inclusion work, it's important to measure the impact of that work. Measuring the impact of inclusion work can quiet the naysayers and connect people to the deeper purpose of the work.

In my interview with PwC’s chief people and inclusion officer, Yolanda Seals-Coffield, she shared how they measure inclusion work. “We have 12 inclusion networks that bring together allies and deal with issues of belonging. Forty percent of our employees are associated with at least one inclusion network. Allyship is about bringing intersectionality into the forefront—every[thing] from how decisions are made in the organization [to] how people’s careers are discussed when they are not in the room and how people feel about the value of their work.”

It's absolutely critical for inclusion networks or groups (think Employee Resource Groups) to be supported by senior leadership. “Inclusion networks are partner-led at the firm level, and each metro area has a partner lead that may identify as more of an ally. This shows the importance of allyship to the organization,” Seals-Coffield explained.

Inclusion groups must also be aligned to a bigger vision and purpose. Seals-Coffield adds, “Our goal is that every identity in the firm will be respected. That means everyone has to be committed to the culture of care and belonging. Inclusion is what it means to manage talent.”

For these inclusion groups to work, it is necessary to take a data-driven approach. That starts with how the organization designs programs and measures their impact to the business. It’s about the experience people are having at work and what people are self-reporting they feel. While it can be difficult to measure human feelings, to measure the impact of inclusion groups, consider these areas:

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• Feelings of connection and belonging at the organization
• Retention of members of diverse groups
• Investment in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) learning and development

Feelings of Connection and Belonging at the Organization

Measuring feelings of connection and belonging at work is crucial for assessing the impact of inclusion groups. One method is to conduct surveys that gauge employees' perceptions of their relationships with colleagues, managers and the organization as a whole. These surveys can include questions about how valued, respected and supported employees feel, as well as their sense of belonging and inclusion.

Additionally, focus groups and interviews can provide deeper insights into employees' experiences and perspectives, helping organizations understand the factors that contribute to or hinder feelings of connection and belonging. By collecting and analyzing this data, organizations can identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to foster a more inclusive and supportive work environment.

Organizations measure feelings of connection and belonging in different formats and frequencies. It often makes sense to measure more frequently at first to see what activities have the most impact and which do not create impact. Once leadership has piloted a few activities, and it is more intentional and consistent over time, it can be helpful to measure feelings on an annual basis (at a minimum) and conduct focus groups for listening sessions to learn more about what the results mean and gather ideas to continuously improve.

Retention of Diverse Group Members

Hiring more diverse talent (that often reflects the communities organizations hope to serve) is pointless if diverse talent is not retained. When the retention of diverse groups is measured over time compared to the dominant group (white, straight, male, etc.) there is usually a two-to-three times higher rate of turnover for employees belonging to diverse groups. This is a leading indicator of a lack of connection and, often, a lack of belonging.

For example, PwC conducted a connectivity partner pilot to see what impact partnering people early in their careers with senior leaders would have on retention. The hypothesis was that creating bridges to allies would help boost employees’ sense of connection. They found a link between partnership early in people’s careers and their career longevity.

Investment in DEI Learning and Development

Measurement of learning-and-development programs is crucial for organizations to assess the effectiveness of their initiatives and identify areas for improvement. In addition to measuring retention and attitudes, organizations can track the number of employees who participate in DEI learning programs and the level of engagement in these programs. By collecting and analyzing these data, organizations can gain valuable insights into the impact of their DEI learning-and-development programs.

“Allyship serves as a bridge that brings us together to create a stronger, more inclusive future. At PwC, we’re bringing this to life by creating spaces for our people to come together for cultural events and developmental opportunities that foster deeper connection and celebrate our diverse experiences. For example, in July, our Pan-Asian Community Inclusion Network (PACIN) launched the PACIN Connects series to further support our members. By cultivating allyship and providing spaces for open dialogue and learning, we can help challenge assumptions, increase our awareness of biases and continue to cultivate a world where everyone feels seen, heard and valued,” Nisha Sheth, PwC US Partner and PACIN Co-Partner Champion added in our interview.

However an organization decides to measure the impact of inclusion, the important part is the decision to measure it. Having an intentional set of consistent activities and measuring the impact to the business over time will ensure that the impact of inclusion work is undeniable .

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Identifying and selecting the next generation of nursing leaders through effective succession planning: a policy analysis

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• Published: 04 September 2024
• Volume 3 , article number  73 , ( 2024 )

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• Mutaz I. Othman 1 ,
• Islam Oweidat 2 ,
• Abdulqadir J. Nashwan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4845-4119 1 ,
• Hothaifah Hijazi 1 &
• Ahmed Abu jaber 1  

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Succession planning is a vital organizational process that facilitates the smooth transition of leadership and safeguarding organizational knowledge. This research paper seeks to determine the most efficient and effective method for identifying and selecting potential leaders within an organization by examining succession planning policies and their effectiveness in identifying and selecting potential leaders in diverse organizational contexts. This paper utilizes policy analysis methodology to analyze succession planning policies' components, objectives, and outcomes across various industries and sectors. The analysis is based on an extensive review of literature, policy documents, and case studies. This study addresses the methods and tools used to identify and select potential leaders using a scorecard structure. In conclusion, the nine-box grid is a valuable tool that assesses employees' performance and potential for leadership positions.

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1 Introduction

The healthcare environment is known as dynamic and unstable, and healthcare is intensely affected by the change. So, healthcare leadership is becoming more complex. The shortage of competent workers affects service recipients and long-term growth [ 1 , 2 ]. Several countries lack trained healthcare professionals, particularly nurses. The World Health Organization (2016) reports a global shortage of 14.5 million doctors, nurses, and midwives. This shortage could harm vital programs in the health sector by 2030.

A needs-based study by the World Health Organization (WHO) (2016) anticipates a 7.6 million nurse shortage by 2030 [ 1 ]. That requires healthcare leadership to understand and build strategies to improve staff retention and ensure a smooth transition when staff retires [ 3 ]. Establish workforce planning based on current and emerging health service and community needs. Those needs require a crucial and effective strategy or policy to maintain the best organizational performance, as recommendation seven calls for nurses to prepare and enable nurses to lead change to advance health [ 4 ].

Nurse leaders prepare and enable nurses to lead change to advance health. This recommendation insists that "nurses, nursing education programs, and nursing associations should prepare the nursing workforce to assume leadership positions across all levels, while public, private, and governmental health care decision-makers should ensure that leadership positions are available to and filled by nurses" [ 4 ]. So today, nursing leadership should adopt new strategies to improve the retention of the nursing workforce and prepare and enable nurses to lead change to advance health [ 5 ]. Succession planning can be utilized in every area of healthcare succession planning [ 6 ].

Developing a succession plan policy usually starts with developing a strategic plan, identifying and assessing the key positions, and then identifying the potential leaders [ 7 ]. These employees are assessed as having leadership ability, organizational commitment, and motivation to grow and succeed in more senior positions. A systematic method for candidate selection is one of the most crucial components in developing a solid succession plan [ 8 ]. Even if an employee is working well in their current position, that does not guarantee that they will be successful in a more senior role [ 9 ].

There are distinct between leadership potential and performance; the assessment of leadership potential includes an assessment of an individual's potential for assuming future leadership positions, typically focusing on characteristics such as adaptability and strategic thinking. In contrast, a performance assessment is a process that assesses an individual's present job-related accomplishments, with a particular focus on past and current achievements. Both variables are crucial when assessing an individual's preparedness for leadership roles, but with different objectives [ 10 ]. It's critical to have a strategy in place for accurately identifying high-performing employees. Therefore, we must consider this when selecting potential succession candidates. So, determine measurable criteria to evaluate each candidate's potential [ 11 ].

The identifying and selecting criteria on which a potential leader will be nominated were not addressed in the policy for succession planning. Identifying a high-potential leader is an ideal strategic objective for succession planning [ 12 ]. Additionally, it is an essential step in succession planning [ 7 , 12 ]. So, in our policy analysis Here, the question is, "What is the most effective and efficient method of identifying and selecting those potential leaders in the organization?".

2 Background

Organizations usually struggle to identify potential leaders for further development. As healthcare is a dynamic work environment, it is crucial to provide a solid leadership pool for the future [ 13 ]. Identifying and selecting the most successful potential leaders are crucial strategic objectives for maintaining an organization's viability and competitiveness [ 14 ].

The breakdown of leadership is crucial for any organization's survival and long-term sustainability [ 15 ]. The breakdown of leaders and managers can be a terrible occurrence with far-reaching effects within and beyond the organization. In other words, succession planning, strategy, leadership, and culture are interconnected and comprise many aspects of an organization's vision [ 7 ]. A significant aspect of an organization's long-term viability is how succession planning is integrated with organizational strategy and culture, future leader training and development, and change management to ensure business continuity [ 16 , 17 ]. Succession planning is used to identify, select, and develop future leaders; it must be planned, implemented, and measured to ensure a positive conclusion [ 18 ].

The literature shows that most organizations do not have formal or written succession plans [ 19 ]. According to the literature, succession planning, and an organization's future leader's selection, development, and growth should be a focused, clearly articulated approach to benefit the firm, including all stakeholders [ 20 ]. This kind of planning might be important for developing leaders in different stakeholders.

Creating an effective succession plan for healthcare leadership allows for the development and support of future leaders through training programs. On the other hand, the employee must demonstrate leadership interest and potential [ 16 ]. Incorporating methods established in other healthcare departments, the nursing industry may be able to serve as a model for other healthcare leaders' succession planning strategies [ 21 ]. Suppose organizations do not effectively select, develop, and retain future leaders. In that case, they will encounter an unpredictable future characterized by the breakdown of leadership, which is crucial for any organization's survival and long-term sustainability. By leadership vacancies, the loss of key individuals, and possibly unstable operations [ 22 ]. Even though there is a huge and varied body of knowledge on succession planning, there is still much to learn. The literature also reveals that nursing has a well-established succession process and that healthcare leaders, in general, can benefit from modeling how nursing prepares for leadership transitions. Nursing leaders are crucial in healthcare organizations as they link leadership and nurses [ 23 ]. A lack of succession planning can be expensive and raise hospital expenses when healthcare institutions seek senior positions [ 24 ].

The research literature argues that the process of identifying future leaders includes the utilization of a variety of criteria and methodologies. In accordance with the Knoll study from 2021, it is possible to assess global leadership potential (GLP) by considering a variety of traits, attitudes, and competencies. Identifying GLP entails three stages: nomination, assessment, and confirmation [ 25 ]. According to Norman (2020), the assessment of leadership potential can be achieved by utilizing a comprehensive approach that incorporates behavioral simulations, psychometrics, and processing tests [ 26 ].

In a study conducted by Panait in 2017, a self-assessment questionnaire was Created to identify and evaluate leadership abilities and characteristics [ 27 ]. According to Knaub (2018), the exclusive reliance on social network analysis may not be adequate for identifying leaders[ 28 ]. Therefore, overall, the reviews indicate that identifying and selecting future leaders requires a comprehensive strategy considering different criteria and methods. Still, the articles didn't identify which methods are recommended. The author shows that using different methods can result in inconsistencies and unsuccessful utilization. Therefore, it is important to identify and select the best approach to ensure its effectiveness in implementation.

This paper aims to identify the most effective method for identifying and selecting potential organizational leaders. The main objective is to assess different methods and measure their effectiveness and efficiency in this context. We aim to offer practical recommendations to improve the organization's leadership development and succession planning.

The creativity and motivation of a future leader will contribute to the success of the organization; recognizing these employees' abilities enables department heads to focus on strategic development and evaluation, which could happen based on pre-defined qualifying criteria and appraise the right candidate to determine their strengths and development requirements.

Identifying and selecting willing employees based on measurable abilities using a procedure that ensures every person with leadership potential is examined fairly and fully for potential leadership roles.

In our policy analysis plan, we selected the rational model approach due to its well-organized framework, supported by research, emphasizing evidence-based analysis and transparent decision-making [ 29 ]. We assumed that the various alternatives would be of interest to achieving the objectives and responding to our policy analysis question. This analysis revised the most encountered alternatives for identifying and selecting potential organizational leaders.

The evaluation criteria for each alternative must account for its capacity to achieve policy objectives and outcomes, reduce costs, be politically and administratively feasible, and be suitable for long-term goals. The criteria will determine how effective and fair the different options are to determine how well the goals and objectives are met.

3.1 Alternative 1: Nomination by supervisor

Some organizations approach internal recruitment more closely, asking managers to nominate high-performing employees for internal positions. When individuals are familiar with employees' work in different departments in smaller organizations, this informal approach can be quite effective. However, this technique may appear to reflect discriminatory practices [ 30 ]. Organizations often have a well-defined process for performance evaluation; however, many managers are confused about evaluating potential, resulting in incorrect potential assessments [ 10 ]. Unconscious biases could also affect how employees are judged if there aren't clear ways to pick team members with high potential.

3.2 Alternative 2: 360 Assessment Tool

A 360-degree assessment tool allows you to get input from others on an applicant's potential leadership skills. When used correctly, it will most likely assist you in identifying and selecting your potential leader. A 360-degree assessment tool is a game-changing approach to providing employees with consistent feedback, support, and possibilities for advancement. It is a significant improvement over traditional approaches to learning and development, as well as annual performance reviews [ 31 ].

3.3 Alternative 3: Interview

An interview is a sort of interaction sometimes used to identify the best applicant. This is essentially a conversation between two or more people seeking to know and understand more about one another. The interviewee will usually talk about their opinions, views, and background, while the interviewer will ask about their knowledge, skills, and abilities [ 32 ]. One of the most significant benefits of conducting interviews is gaining knowledge about your organization's potential leaders' skills and abilities. However, there are some disadvantages to this method [ 33 ]. The method also takes a very long time and requires a significant amount of stress response. It's important to remember that interviewing is a two-way street. Suppose you go out of your way to ensure the interviewee has a positive experience that benefits them. This might also assist you in selecting the best people for the position [ 34 ].

3.4 Alternative 4: 9-Box Grid

The 9-box grid is a typical method of identifying and classifying potential intended to assist organizations in understanding the kinds of potential they have and determining where to focus their future development and budget [ 35 ]. Anyone can utilize the 9-box Grid, but it is mostly used by HR professionals, managers, and other development professionals. The 9-box grid is frequently used in succession planning [ 36 ]. A complete succession plan, on the other hand, extends beyond identifying and selecting talent in an organization.

The results present a comparison between different alternatives. Six criteria make up the evaluation tool. Here, we used a Likert scale of 1 to 5 to rate each criterion. (A score of 1 indicates a very low likelihood; a score of 2 indicates a low likelihood; a score of 3 indicates a moderate likelihood; a score of 4 indicates a high likelihood, and a score of 5 indicates a very high likelihood.) The evaluation carried out by the group in this analysis paper uses a few different ways to determine the best alternative in selecting potential managers, including supervisor nomination, a 360 assessment tool, an interview, and a 9-Box Grid. Each group member was required to rate every alternative separately and submit their results to their team leader. The results show that the 9-box-grid tool receives the highest score when using the scorecard method, as illustrated in Table  1 , which happened after the group's team leader calculated the submitted comparisons by utilizing evaluation criteria shown in Table  2 and came up with the mean scores.

The 9-box grid is a useful performance management tool that managers use for several reasons. It is simple [ 37 ], and the 9-box grid has a straightforward structure, as shown in Table  3 . Also, it can be used in various organizations because it needs little background research or data collection, and it is possible to perform this task based on first-hand observation [ 38 ]. The 9-box grid produces a visual representation of a firm's talent pool. It's a tool that can be used to compare potential leaders and facilitate debate and decision-making [ 39 ]. The benefit of implementing a 9-box grid is that it saves both time and money [ 39 ].

Most other alternatives may initially seem attractive, but they have a high long-term cost [ 40 ]. Here are a few limitations when implementing the 9-box Grid. The distinction between performance and potential can be challenging, especially if neither idea has a clear definition or comprehension [ 41 ]. If you choose to be honest and transparent with your staff and reveal performance measurements, you risk negatively affecting them and decreasing their satisfaction. Having a "poor performance" or "low potential" can have a detrimental impact on lower-level employees, and with good reason [ 42 ].

There are three phases to constructing a 9-box grid for your organization's succession planning [ 37 ]:

4.1 Assess your employees' performance

The first phase is evaluating each employee's level of performance. The actual criteria for evaluating performance vary depending on an organization's needs. However, each employee must be assigned to one of three groups: Low performance: The individual does not meet the work criteria and does not meet the company's targets and objectives. They lack motivation and alignment with the company's vision [ 37 ]. Moderate performance: the employee's job requirements, personal targets, and ambitions are only partially met [ 37 ]. High performance: The employee meets all their job description and personal goals and performs consistently throughout all tasks [ 37 ].

4.2 Evaluate an employee's potential

The next step is to evaluate each employee's potential. Employees' potential is based on how much they are expected to grow in the future, how willing they are to learn new skills, and how well they can use what they know in everyday situations. One of the problems is that organizations aren't as good at judging employees' potential as they are at judging their performance. Performance refers to previous conduct, while potential refers to expected future behavior to simplify the distinction between the two concepts.

4.3 Create a 3 × 3 grid by integrating performance and potential.

The next stage is plotting all employees on a 3 × 3 grid, resulting in your 9-box grid, after assessing them as low, moderate, or high on both performance and potential. Managers can also see where each employee ranks according to the matrix.

5 Discussion

Those in leadership positions are responsible for challenging the status quo, innovating, and rallying their people to propel enterprises to new heights of success [ 43 ]; in contrast, in leadership positions, selection failures can cost an organization a large amount of money and disrupt its potential growth for several years. Therefore, organizations must carefully consider their leadership choices [ 44 ]. It is necessary to have a leadership selection procedure that identifies the abilities, qualities, and competencies of potential candidates and decides whether they are appropriate for these positions [ 45 ].

One of the greatest practices for filling leadership positions is to create an internal pool of potential leaders who can be accessed at any time. Our goals and objectives could include analyzing productivity, turnover, days to fill, cost per hire, and quality of hire, as well as measuring productivity, turnover, days to fill, recruitment costs, and quality of talent management. Various indicators in which management is polled regarding the recruitment and selection process, their staff, or patient experience. Collaboration and organizational success within their departments and throughout the organization.

The 9 Box Grid is a tool that provides a comprehensive view of an organization's intellectual equity. The research reveals that utilizing the 9-box grid is a practicable tool for succession planning and talent management. This tool helps organizations assess and categorize their workforce according to their performance and potential, enabling the identification of potential leaders and the development of strategies for developing an effective leadership succession plan [ 37 , 42 , 46 , 47 , 48 ]. However, despite having higher job performance assessments than males, one study indicated that women receive significantly lower "potential" ratings after reviewing 9-box grid data for close to 30,000 employees. The implementation of the 9-box tool has the potential to jeopardize an organization's efforts toward fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion by unintentionally impeding the progression of underrepresented individuals into leadership positions. As a result of these individuals' potential demotivation and departure from the organization in search of better possibilities, diversity levels may be reduced overall. Therefore, the subjectivity of the 9-box Grid can affect individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds [ 48 ].

5.1 Implications

This article can inspire further studies in succession planning since it relates to healthcare and nursing contexts. Nurses and healthcare organizations can utilize the findings of this study to optimize leadership development programs, therefore adapting strategies to address the needs of the healthcare professions. Nurses have the potential to enhance their comprehension of the avenues leading to leadership positions within healthcare organizations, influencing their professional paths and goals. Implementing a well-designed leadership succession plan can significantly impact the entire quality of patient care, offering advantages for both nurses and their patients. Leadership may acknowledge the significance of fostering a talent pipeline inside their organizations, ensuring smooth succession when leadership roles become vacant.

Healthcare education programs have the potential to incorporate succession planning aspects into their curriculum to adequately equip aspiring healthcare employees for positions of leadership in the future. Policymakers may consider the implications of the findings on healthcare policy, which could potentially impact policies related to succession planning within healthcare organizations. Also, policymakers may see a potential connection between implementing effective leadership succession planning and enhancing healthcare quality, which encourages them to allocate resources towards efforts to develop competence in leadership. A research study on succession planning in healthcare organizations can have significant consequences in various areas, including research, nursing practice, leadership development, education, and policymaking.

Incorporating that knowledge can effectively inform appropriate approaches, facilitate improvements in the development of leadership qualities, and ultimately result in enhanced patient care and improved healthcare outcomes.

5.2 Strength and limitations

The present policy analysis study has the potential to provide policymakers and stakeholders with carefully analyzed information and evidence, enabling them to make sensible and informed decisions. In addition to providing realistic policy recommendations or alternatives based on research findings, these conclusions can serve as valuable guidance for policymakers in formulating effective policies. As the availability of precise and Comprehensive data can be a limitation, especially when studying the implications of policy, there are many limitations in this policy analysis paper. Another limitation is our comprehensive evaluation to identify and select potential organizational leaders. We made an effort to consider a variety of alternatives, but we may have missed certain alternatives. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that our study did not proceed to the implementation phase. Therefore, the practical implications and effectiveness of the selected approach have yet to be tested.

6 Conclusion

Identifying potential by comparing performance to potential. The outcomes of this activity can successfully reveal the most appropriate succession, thereby identifying employees with high potential and performance. This term is used to describe employees who are most prepared to lead.

During the talent identification and selection phase, the 9-Box Grid is the primary instrument for assessing the potential and establishing organizational workforce strategic plans. Each department employee is carefully examined and assigned to the appropriate quadrant (box) in this task. By completing the 9 Box Grid tasks, accurate plans can be made for the development and retention of each staff member. To evaluate the successful operation for selecting potential leaders to achieve the aims of implementing it, we must determine which indications best represent the method defined and established within the organization.

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Mutaz I. Othman, Abdulqadir J. Nashwan, Hothaifah Hijazi & Ahmed Abu jaber

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Othman, M.I., Oweidat, I., Nashwan, A.J. et al. Identifying and selecting the next generation of nursing leaders through effective succession planning: a policy analysis. Discov Health Systems 3 , 73 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44250-024-00130-5

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s44250-024-00130-5

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