Playing to Win: a Case Study of a Fortune 100 Corporation's Actors
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CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by University of St. Thomas, Minnesota University of St. Thomas, Minnesota UST Research Online Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership School of Education 2019 Playing to Win: A Case Study of a Fortune 100 Corporation’s Actors’ Workshop in Leadership Development Caroline M. Woitas Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss Part of the Education Commons Playing to win i University of St. Thomas, Minnesota UST Research Online Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership Winter 2019 Playing to Win: A Case Study of a Fortune 100 Corporation’s Actors’ Workshop in Leadership Development Caroline M. Woitas University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, [email protected] Playing to win ii Playing to Win: A Case Study of a Fortune 100 Corporation’s Actors’ Workshop in Leadership Development A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, AND COUNSELING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA By Caroline M. Woitas IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION 2019 Playing to win iii UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS, MINNESOTA Playing to Win: A Case Study of a Fortune 100 Corporation’s Actors’ Workshop in Leadership Development We certify that we have read this dissertation and approved it as adequate in scope and quality. We have round that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the final examining committee have been made. Dissertation Committee ________________________________________ Donald R. LaMagdeleine, Ph.D., Committee Chair Diane Fittipaldi Diane Fittipaldi, Ed.D., Committee Member _____________________________________ Michael C. Porter, Ed.D., Committee Member November 19, 2019 _________________________________________ Final Approval Date Playing to win iv ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to understand how a Fortune 100 health care organization’s leadership development program prepares promising leaders for executive level positions. The primary research questions were: 1) What are the recruiting practices for attracting high potential candidates into the organization’s leadership development program? 2) What is the curriculum that guides the development of the program’s participants? 3) Does the program’s pedagogy align with the curriculum and practice for developing leaders? 4) How should an organization evaluate the success of their program? The collection of qualitative data involved semi-structured, one-to-one, in-depth interviews totaling 23 program associates, graduates, directors, and steering committee members. This study required a complex integration of sociological and anthropological theories using a normative case study and grounded theory tactics to uncover how executive leaders establish, grow, and sustain their power in order to survive the competitive world of organizational leadership. Further, this study produced meaningful findings showing how leaders acquire and monetize their social and cultural capital through information, influence, and innovation. There are no comparable studies involving organizational leadership development programs offering detailed analysis and critical findings illuminated by the data collected, coded, and analyzed. Participants revealed a strategic pattern of professional development, years in advance of leadership development program auditions. While the program structure is consistent with Talent Management research for developing high potentials, such as mentoring, coaching, assessments, formal and experiential learning, special events, and access to high-ranking executives, the data demonstrates that the program’s structure does not consistently produce the caliber of leadership required for the organization’s talent pipeline. Further examination of the data revealed a set of leadership markers common amongst executive leaders and necessary to maintain power, missing from the program’s pedagogy. These markers are ambiguously defined by executive leaders and undetected by the program’s director and participants. Other contributing factors include the curious and transitional role of the program director, along with a Playing to win v spoiled rite of passage resulting from missing graduation criteria, the lack of program elders and adepts, and other distractions that extend the participants’ liminal period. While the health care industry is complex due to the broad range of stakeholders, the required leadership markers remain consistent with other industries. In this study, leaders acquire power through hierarchical status and their aptitude for influencing other leaders, generating social and cultural capital necessary to reinforce organizational power. The objective of these leadership programs is to produce viable leaders, capable of competing for the limited number of executive roles that requires organizational power yet is critically missing from this program. Playing to win vi Acknowledgements It is my pleasure to acknowledge the help and support of an amazing network of family and friends who enabled completion of my personal milestone. I sincerely appreciate the following individuals and other influences that inspired me to undertake and complete this journey. First, to my parents Marty and Stella Rossbach, for their commitment to education and confidence that I could accomplish anything I chose to pursue. My parents taught me that education is one of the greatest gifts we give to ourselves and pass along to others in order to enrich our social fabric. It is telling that I began and end my doctoral journey recognizing their influence. To my husband Gary, always standing by my side through every endeavor, never questioning or challenging my dreams and consistently offering support and assistance. Whether it was luck or fate that brought us together at 26th and 26th, I know that I am fortunate to experience adulthood with a life partner who shares my curiosity and interests. To our children Brooks and Mallory, I am grateful to witness your transformation into amazing and accomplished adults. Brooks, thank you for your role as guidance counselor when you sensed my waning confidence. Your logical approach and pragmatic views helped keep me grounded, focused on important matters in order to let go of the trivial. Mallory, thank you for your inspirational role, pushing me forward to finish this journey. Your sense of humor and constant support provided the meaningful sparks to re-ignite my curiosity, laugh off frustrations, and complete this study. To my siblings, Patty, Kathie, and Marty, thank you for leading me through my developmental years by role modeling what it means to be a caring, compassionate, and valued citizen. For my friends, Jean and Cindy, through thick and thin, I know that I can count on your friendship and support. To my in-laws, thank you for welcoming me into the family, for which I consider myself fortunate. I need to acknowledge another cadre of influences while a student at St. Thomas. First, to Dr. LaMagdeleine, thank you for agreeing to work with me and continuously challenging me to dig deep and surface meaningful findings. To my fellow C-26 cohort members, thank you for inspiring, guiding, Playing to win vii challenging, and bringing so much joy to my life during our weekend classes and rousing discussions. I count our time together as a very special experience. In closing, a sincere thank you to all. Playing to win viii Table of Contents Abstract i Acknowledgements iii Table of Contents v Table of Tables x Table of Figures xi Introduction 1 Reflexive Statement 1 Definition of Terms 6 Chapter One: Review of Literature and Analytic Theory 9 Introduction 9 Review of Literature 10 Generational, Birth, and Life-Cycle Cohorts 10 Educational Trends 11 Birth Year Socialization Trends and Experiences 12 Global Affects 12 Technology Impacts 12 Workforce Experience 13 Millennial Workplace Characteristics 14 Technology and Information Experts 14 Integration Expectations 15 Professional and Team Relationships 15 Adding Organizational Value 15 Common Millennial Values 16 Formal High Potential Development Programs 17 Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programs 18 Structure of MBA Programs 18 Formal Leadership Development 19 Evolving Business Practices 19 High Potential Leadership Development Programs 20 Talent Management Strategies 20 Identification of High Potential Employees 21 Development of “High Potentials” 22 Ratings Transparency in High Potential Programs 22 Review of Analytical Theories 23 Goffman’s Dramaturgy, Total Institution, and Moral Career 24 Dramaturgy 24 Total Institution with Strong Cultural Systems 25 Moral Career 26 Summary 27 Bourdieu’s Social Structuration Theory 27 Habitus 27 Forms of Capital 28 Symbolic Violence 29 Role of Educational Institution 30 Summary 31 Turner’s Liminality Theory 31 Liminality 32 Communitas 33 Playing to win ix The Role of Elders and Adepts 34 Summary 34 Jackall’s Corporate Moral Leadership 35 Looking Up and Looking Around 36 Modeling Bureaucratic Ethic 37 Powerful Social Networks 37 Luck 39 Summary 39 Chapter Summary 39 Chapter Two: Normative Case Study Methodology 42 Introduction 42 Interpretive Framework 42 Normative case study 43 Grounded Theory 43 Data Collection 44 Data Analysis 47 Ethical Considerations 51 Data Integrity and Limitations 53 HC’s Leadership Development Program 54 HC Career Architecture 58 HC LDP Program Structure 60 Rotations 60 Enablers