Creating space to Co-create management and leadership development conversations in the workplace an action research study

• Main Author: Williams, Lyn
• Published: Birmingham City University 2015
• Subjects: 658
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.669667

This thesis is a written account of a qualitiative action research learning study with a group of managers undertaken in a charity that delivered drug and alcohol services in the midlands over a period of 12 months. The charitable trust had experienced unprecedented growth after winning large scale contracts to deliver services in the substance misuse sector. As a result the charity had grown to twice its size in the number of staff that were in the organisation. Whilst there was an emphasis on training and development for practitioner the same did not exists for managers. Neither as it emerged were managers and leaders of the organisation receiving support or supervision. The Cranfield University Training Needs Analysis (2003) in the substance misuse sector undertaken prior to this case study confirmed this nationally. Managers were being driven externally by multiple demands for assurance and data on performance from the NTA and from the commissioners. There was a sense that everyone was working at a fast pace without much time to reflect on what this meant in terms of the development of the charity. Manager’s were also talking about experiencing tensions from within the charity with a lot of confusion as to how to improve their people management practices which was key to a growing workforce within the charitable trust (Parry et al, 2005). A review of the organisational management infrastructure was also underway.