Formative Educational Experiences of Leaders As Factors Influencing Innovation in Organizations
FORMATIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF LEADERS AS FACTORS INFLUENCING INNOVATION IN ORGANIZATIONS by Thomas A. Bloomer B.A., University of Illinois, 1972 M.A., Wheaton College Graduate School, 1987 A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Educational Studies at Trinity International University Deerfield, Illinois December 1999 Copyright 1999 by Thomas A. Bloomer All rights reserved Accepted: ______________________________ Dissertation Director ______________________________ Second Reader ______________________________ Ex Officio iii ABSTRACT The inquiry explored the emergence of experientially-qualified leaders; if they are not qualified for their responsibilities by formal education or certification, how then were they prepared for leadership? Since business, politics and the Church are becoming less concerned with formal qualifications and more and more with results, the research problem has implications for preparing the leaders needed for the future. A descriptive study was done through a qualitative content analysis of ethnographic interviews of thirty-five experientially-qualified leaders. These leaders form the main leadership group of a young, multicultural, entrepreneurial, fast-growing mission, which represents in some ways the types of businesses and non-profit organizations which have come into being in recent decades. Domain, taxonomic, and componential analysis revealed themes of leadership development enhancers, more formalized leadership training structures, nonformal leadership release strategies, positive tendencies favoring leadership emergence in the organization, traditionalizing trends hindering leadership development, and rationales for relative ease or difficulty of leadership emergence. The findings of the inquiry confirmed a central tenet of leadership theory, that is, that leaders are formed in situations that demand leadership.
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