Date of Conferral
2-20-2024
Date of Award
February 2024
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Tim Truitt
Abstract
Organizational leaders within the Department of the Army in the Military District of Washington frequently experience turnover that necessitates a new leader's transition into a position. These new leaders sometimes experience challenges in successfully transitioning into the organization to maintain the continuity of operations. Grounded in the upper echelon theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies senior leaders use to transition new subordinate leaders into their organization successfully. The participants included eight military and civilian leaders with more than eight years of knowledge and experience in employing effective strategies for developing midlevel managers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and information in the public domain. Through thematic analysis, five themes emerged: (a) being knowledgeable of the organization during change, (b) employing effective communication skills, (c) being a flexible and adaptive leader, (d) employing measures of performance, and (e) formal and informal leader development. A key recommendation is for senior leaders to assess the performance of midlevel managers experiencing challenges with leading to identify areas needing tailored development. The implications for positive social change have the potential to enhance the organization's internal culture and extend a positive influence on the broader society.
Recommended Citation
McCants, Marjorie, "Leadership Development Strategies for Sustaining Organization Performance Through the Upper Echelon Theory" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 15381.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/15381
