Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 1995-12 Navy definitions of leadership and LMET/NAVLEAD competency clusters compared to selected leadership theories Al Harbi, Toraiheeb Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/31268 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS «TIC QUALITY INSPECTED 4 NAVY DEFINITIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND LMET/NAVLEAD COMPETENCY CLUSTERS COMPARED TO SELECTED LEADERSHIP THEORIES by Toraiheeb Al Harbi December 1995 Co-Advisors: Roger Evered Susan Hocevar Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 19960328 016 Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMBNo. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE (Leave Blank) December 1995 Master's Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS NAVY DEFINITIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND LMET/NAVLEAD COMPENTENCY CLUSTERS COMPARED TO SELECTED LEADERSHIP THEORIES 6. AUTHOR(S) Toraiheeb Al Harbi 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAMES(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 13. ABSTRACT ( Maximum 200 words ) This study examines the leadership training model used in the US Navy and investigates the way the Navy looks at and defines leadership in general. The emphasis is placed on leadership training for commissioned officers. The objective is dual; first, to make explicit the Navy's concept and definition of leadership, and second, to examine and analyze the leadership training program LMET/NAVLEAD content, as designed by McBer. Then, both the Navy definition of leadership and the LMET/NAVLEAD content are compared to selected popular theories of leadership in order to find out how congruent they are with those theories. Findings from the study seem to support the conclusion that the core curriculum for officer training in the Navy, as represented by the LMET/NAVLEAD training courses, is not very congruent with the selected leaderhip theories. In contrast, findings regarding convergence between Navy definitions of leadership and leadership theories shows a strong tie between the definitions and the selected theories. Based upon the research results, it is recommended that a comprehensive evaulation of the leadership training be conducted to determine the overall effectiveness, in order to make a decision regarding the optimal material mix which should be included in such training that uniformly fits the Navy's present definition, needs and requirements. Finally, several suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the Navy leadership training are offered. 14. SUBJECT TERMS 16. PRICE CODE Leadership, LMET/NAVLEAD 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 155 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT OF REPORT OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) 11 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. NAVY DEFINITIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND LMET/NAVLEAD COMPETENCY CLUSTERS COMPARED TO SELECTED LEADERSHIP THEORIES Toraiheeb Al Harbi Lieutenant Commander, Royal Saudi Navy BA, Eastern Washington University, 1982 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 1995 Author: Approved by: Susan Hocevar, Co- Advisor Reuben T. Harris, Chairman Department of Systems Management m IV ABSTRACT This study examines the leadership training model used in the US Navy and investigates the way the Navy looks at and defines leadership in general. The emphasis is placed on leadership training for commissioned officers. The objective is dual; first, to make explicit the Navy's concept and definition of leadership, and second, to examine and analyze the leadership training program LMET/NAVLEAD content, as designed by McBer. Then, both the Navy definition of leadership and the LMET/NAVLEAD content are compared to selected popular theories of leadership in order to find out how congruent they are with those theories. Findings from the study seem to support the conclusion that the core curriculum for officer training in the Navy, as represented by the LMET/NAVLEAD training courses, is not very congruent with the selected leaderhip theories. In contrast, findings regarding convergence between Navy definitions of leadership and leadership theories shows a strong tie between the definitions and the selected theories. Based upon the research results, it is recommended that a comprehensive evaulation of the leadership training be conducted to determine the overall effectiveness, in order to make a decision regarding the optimal material mix which should be included in such training that uniformly fits the Navy's present definition, needs and requirements. Finally, several suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the Navy leadership training are offered. VI TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 3 B. SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 3 II. LEADERSHIP THEORIES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR 7 A. GREAT MAN AND TRAIT THEORIES 7 B. RENSIS LIKERT'S THEORY 9 C. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY 10 D. CONTINGENCY THEORY 13 E. PATH-GOAL THEORY 16 F. MULTIPLE LINKAGE FRAMEWORK 17 G. ROLE THEORY 18 H. TRANSACTIONAL THEORY 21 I. TRANSFORMATIONAL THEORY 22 J. THEORY X AND THEORY Y 23 K. BLADE 25 L. CONCLUSION 28 III. NAVAL LEADERSHIP 31 A. LEADERSHIP FACTORS AND TRAITS 38 B. THE NAVY OFFICER'S ROLE 40 C. DYNAMIC FEATURES OF LEADERSHIP 44 vn D. MORAL LEADERSHIP 46 E. LEADERSHIP TECHNIQUES : 46 F. SUMMARY 50 IV. NAVAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING 53 A. STRUCTURE OF THE LMET/NAVLEAD '. 57 B. THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE LMET/NAVLEAD 57 C. LMET/NAVLEAD PROGRAM CONTENT 60 D. LEADERSHIP TRAINING BY LEVEL OF RANK 65 1. Division Officers and Department Heads 65 2. Executive and Commanding Officers 68 E. PAST EVALUATIONS OF THE LMET/NAVLEAD 70 1. Minton, Saad and Grace 70 2. Vandover and Villarosa 71 3. Cissell and Polley 73 4. Parker : 73 5. Zero-Based Study 74 F. FUTURE LEADERSHIP TRENDS 76 G. SUMMARY 77 V. LEADERSHIP IN THE NAVY COMPARED WITH THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP 79 A. NAVY LEADERSHIP DEFINITIONS AND LEADERSHIP THEORY 81 1. Great Man and Trait Theories 84 viii 2. Rensis Likert's Theory 84 3. Situational Leadership Theory (Hersey and Blanchard) 85 4. Contingency Theory 86 5. Path-Goal Theory 87 6. Multiple Linkage Framework (Yukl) 87 7. Role Theory 88 8. Transactional Theory 89 9. Transformational Theory 89 10. Theory X and Theory Y 90 11. Blade 90 12. Summary 91 B. LMET/NAVLEAD COMPETENCY CLUSTERS AND LEADERSHIP THEORY 92 1. The Five Competency Clusters and the Command Excellence Model 93 2. Comparison of the Selected Leadership Theories with the Five Competency Clusters and the Command Excellence Model 95 VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 103 A. CONCLUSIONS 103 B. RECOMMENDATIONS 105 APPENDIX A. THE 16 COMPETENCIES Ill APPENDIX B. CHARACTERISTICS OF OUTSTANDING DIVISION OFFICERS 113 IX APPENDIX C. DIVISION OFFICER CONTENT AND TERMINAL OBJECTIVES 117 APPENDIX D. LMET/NAVLEAD DEPARTMENT HEAD CONTENT AND ENABLING OBJECTIVES 121 APPENDIXE. COMMAND EXCELLENCE CHARACTERISTICS '. 127 BIBLIOGRAPHY 131 LIST OF REFERENCES 135 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST 139 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Situational Leadership Model [Ref. 8] 12 Figure 2. Integrating Framework for Research on Leadership Effectiveness 18 Figure 3. Model for Command Excellence 60 Figure 4. Proposed Officer Leadership Continuum 75 Figure 5. Officers' Leadership Continuum 76 Figure 6. Report on the Fitness of Officers 108 XI Xll LIST OF TABLES TABLE I. YUKL'S BEHAVIORAL TAXONOMY 19 TABLE II. DEFINITION OF THE 23 BEHAVIORS 20 TABLE III. LMET/NAVLEAD COMPETENCIES 61 TABLE IV. CURRICULUM CLUSTERS 63 TABLE V. DEPARTMENT HEAD CHARACTERISTICS 65 TABLE VI. CHARACTERISTICS OF OUTSTANDING DIVISION OFFICERS 65 TABLE VII. THE ELEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF US NAVY SENIOR OFFICERS 69 TABLE VIII. SEVEN DEFINITIONS.. 80 TABLE IX. RESULT OF THE COMPARISON FOR THE SEVEN DEFINITIONS 92 TABLE X. RESULTS OF THE COMPETENCY COMPARISON 101 Xlll XIV I. INTRODUCTION Two hundred years ago, the Arabian Peninsula was inhabited by many different tribes. These tribes lived a very traditional existence that revolved around tribal law. Illiteracy predominated, thus the only means of maintaining a record of important events, meaningful ideas and values was via the oral tradition ~ poetry/stories ~ that members of the tribe could memorize