ESRC - Navigating Today’s Turbulence: Inclusive Leadership in Practice in a K-12 School District

• In Event: 9th Annual Emerging Scholars Research Consortium

Short Description

Recent research distinguishes inclusive leadership as having generative potential for organizations navigating turbulent times. Its collective, social processes stimulate relational dynamics and meaningful outcomes. This presentation unveils empirical research findings from a school district study with suggestions for practitioner application and an interactive component on how to foster inclusive leadership.

Detailed Abstract

Our dynamic, global landscape signals the need for heightened collaboration, yet, hierarchical power structures persist in organizations. Predominant leadership approaches continue to hinge on administering direction to workers within traditional “chain of command” frameworks (Pless & Maak, 2004). This provokes the question of how can organizations reshape relationships and practices to mobilize the collaboration necessary for overcoming turbulence and fostering progressive change. Recent research (Ferdman & Deane, 2014) suggests inclusive leadership may be the answer to this question.
Described as a collective, social process, inclusive leadership is hallmarked by rich relational, participative, and communicative practices. Scholars have identified this research as apt to advance values and practices of inclusion which enable an organization and its members to “fully connect with, engage, and utilize people across all types of differences” (Ferdman & Deane, 2014, p. xxiv). While inclusive leadership offers a promising alternative to traditional organizational practices, our understanding of the inclusion construct is limited as it has primarily been researched as an extension of diversity management (Ferdman & Deane, 2014).
An integrative multi-disciplinary literature review in the areas of diversity and inclusion (Booysen, 2014; Ferdman & Deane, 2014; Gallegos, 2014; Roberson, 2006; Pless & Maak, 2004; Sabharwal, 2014; Shore et al., 2011), positive organizational scholarship (Cameron, 2014; Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003; Cameron & Spreitzer, 2012), employee voice (Bashshur & Burak, 2015; Gorden, Infante, & Graham, 1988), and organizational culture and climate (Cameron & Quinn, 2011; Denison, 1996; de Poel, Stoker, & van der Zee, 2012; Ehrhart, Schneider, & Macey, 2014; Frontiera, 2010; Glisson & James, 2002; Kotter & Heskett, 1992; Lance, 2010; MacNeil, Prater, & Busch, 2009; Schein, 2010, 1992; Schneider, 1990) helped to frame the complex and fluid dimensions of the inclusion construct. Some of the key themes characterizing inclusive leadership include 1) flatter hierarchies 2) safe voice channels 3) participative and relational practices 4) values systems associated with caring and 5) a cycle of learning and development. The scholarship evidenced the enigmatic nature that delineates inclusive leadership necessitating a multiple method research design.
This two phase multi-method qualitative study leverages a single exploratory critical case study and grounded theory methods as this combination establishes strong fit and rigor for exploring 1) What is the context of an organization with inclusive leadership? and 2) How do members experience it? The case study provides a contained context within definitive and feasible parameters for research (Yin, 2014), and grounded theory method (GTM) imparts structured and systematic practices for examining the complex social processes associated with inclusion (Charmaz, 2014; Holloway & Schwartz, 2016). This approach allows for sequential data collection with an integrated approach to data analysis for understanding the social processes associated with inclusive leadership within a contained work environment.
The research site is a public-school district in a rural United States locale. The district administers five schools serving approximately 1500 students from the pre-school through high school levels. This is an agricultural region which is home to a diverse community (including several Native American Indian tribes) facing a range of social issues. This study is currently underway with the first phase of data collection completed, and phase two nearing completion. Completion of analyses and documentation of research is expected to be mid-April 2017. Phase one involved sampling four school district leaders to understand their perspectives and to learn about the case’s context. The results informed the research protocol for the second phase of data collection now in progress. Phase two employs GTM to delve deeper into understanding how inclusive leadership is experienced by individuals within this organization. The iterative nature of GTM’s coding, constant comparative method, and theoretical sampling practices will drive an integrated approach to data analysis.
Phase one of this study served as an avenue for contextualizing the case study. The case study analysis involved thematic categorical analysis and content analysis to establish an understanding of leader perspectives, which shaped the macro and meso level picture of this school district and its community. The preliminary findings suggest the case’s context is characterized by human connection, stakeholder involvement, and an evolving context. Relationships, involvement, and communication are core components to how the organization fosters human connection. This human connection serves as the impetus to how internal and external stakeholders are involved in initiatives to advance continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is focused on addressing the forces that impact the school district and its community. The district embraces a processual approach to continuous improvement which is advanced by stakeholders rather than leader-driven. The work setting is an evolving context which is stimulated by a collective focus on overcoming challenges presented by internal and external forces to benefit the organization, its members, and its community.
In this case study the leaders have demonstrated intentions and actions that are indicative of practices of inclusion. This served as the basis for my grounded theory inquiry: How do employees in the schools experience these practices of inclusion? To answer this question, and to explore the lived experiences of those in this district’s schools, my GTM sampling involves intensive interviewing with 20+ teachers from 5 schools within the district.
This study was designed to unearth what is happening when inclusive leadership shapes the context of an organization. I anticipate that the research findings will apprise how inclusive leadership advances dynamics at the individual, group and systems levels in organizations while sketching inclusion’s relevance to our turbulent, global society. This presentation will highlight findings on inclusive leadership and ways that we can better understand how inclusion is generative so we can foster healthier processes and practices to advance organizational capabilities against the backdrop of today’s turbulence. This presentation will 1) overview the conclusive findings of this research 2) offer recommendations for practitioner application and 3) engage participants in identifying real world circumstances of inclusion that reinforce this study’s findings.

Participant

• Maria E. Dezenberg, Richard Bland College