CERES :: Browsing by Author "Vinnicombe, Susan"

Browsing by Author "Vinnicombe, Susan"

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Open Access
Accidental activists: headhunters as marginal diversity actors in institutional change towards more women on boards
(Wiley, 2016-05-06) Doldor, Elena; Sealy, Ruth; Vinnicombe, Susan
We present a qualitative study that examines the role of headhunters as actors in a broader institutional change process aiming to increase gender diversity on corporate boards. We draw on institutional and diversity management theories to conceptualise their change agency in the broader field of women on boards. We describe their role as ‘accidental activists’ and theorise two micro-processes that define their change agency in this field: voluntaristic framing of intentionality and role redefinition by drawing on competing logics. This conceptualisation does not match the heroic image of the institutional entrepreneur driving institutional change, or that of the tempered radical championing diversity, but rather casts light into a marginal and previously neglected change role. We demonstrate the opportunistic and precarious nature of this role with regard to both institutional change and diversity management and discuss its possibilities and perils.
Open Access
Assessing the impact of religion and family in shaping UAE national women’s choice of, and engagement with their careers
(Cranfield University, 2015-06) Hussain, Nazia; Vinnicombe, Susan; Anderson, Deirdre A.
National women in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries are highly educated yet their work participation remains low when compared to the rest of the world. This thesis aims to assess the impact of religion and family in the shaping of national women’s careers in the GCC workforce, in particular the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This aim is fulfilled by conducting three interlinked research projects; a systematic literature review, a qualitative study and finally, a quantitative study. The first research project comprises a systematic review of the literature that identifies the barriers and enablers to the participation and advancement of female national managers in the GCC workforce. The synthesis of articles reveals findings at the societal, organizational, family and individual levels. At the societal level, barriers and enablers are identified as those influenced by socio-cultural and religious norms and practices. These norms and practices influence how organizations (public and private) engage with their employees, and families engage with their individual members. In the second research project, I choose to narrow the scope of my research from six GCC countries to one country, the UAE. I explore the influence of family on the experiences of ten senior female UAE national managers at key work decision stages; I employ semi-structured interviews and, based on their experiences, the findings reveal that the family has influence at both the role entry and role participation stages. No data were available for the role exit stage. Furthermore, the experiences are different for women from extended versus nuclear families. In the third research project I choose to focus on the factors that support and impact on the experiences of UAE national women during their career life cycle. The findings indicate that overall there are no differences between the experiences of women from nuclear families versus extended; however, there are differences between the model and the UAE sample, both at the overall level and individual age stages. My second research project; a qualitative study provides three contributions to knowledge. Firstly, I extend the understanding of work related decisions, taking into account family influences. However, in the UAE, based on my research, the outcome will primarily be in favour of family due to the influence of socio-cultural and religious norms and practices. I propose that the conceptual framework be extended by adding the component of religion to it when considering the context of the UAE. Secondly, I propose a modification to the framework enabling it to be used in the UAE context. Thirdly, no previous empirical research has been conducted using this framework, with the result that the data from my research contribute empirically. With respect to contribution to practice, this qualitative study identifies the need for enhanced recruitment strategies for women and more gender friendly policies and practices to ensure the effectiveness of Emiratization within both the public and private sectors. The evidence from my third research project; a quantitative study contributes theoretically as my research demonstrates that the O’Neil and Bilimoria (2005) three phase women’s career development model does not fit in the UAE context. The research also contributes from a practical perspective as it identifies the need to improve the development of networking, communication and leadership skills for women and the implementation of comprehensive flexible working practices for women.
Open Access
Banking on a level playing field : the role of social capital in the promotion process to MD in a major investment bank : is it different for women?
(Cranfield University, 2013-09) Pryce, Patricia; Vinnicombe, Susan; Sealy, Ruth
This thesis analyses individual experiences of the promotion process to Managing Director within a global bank to identify the contribution made by social capital. Using Nahapiet and Ghoshal’s (1998) three-dimension framework as the theoretical lens, the thesis extends social capital research beyond its largely quantitative focus on network analysis (structural dimension) to understand more clearly the relative importance and impact of the relational and cognitive dimensions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 men and women in an investment bank and a template-based analysis of their accounts was made. The findings make visible, the invisible mechanisms which enable or constrain the creation, development and use of social capital and, therefore, its contribution to securing the position of Managing Director. The findings highlight the need to consider the importance of agency, relationship level and gender in this context. The study makes three key contributions. First, it extends Nahapiet and Ghoshal’s (1998) theory of social capital, in the context of career progression, by demonstrating how each social capital dimension is operationalized and interdependent. Second, the research explicitly demonstrates the crucial role social capital plays in an executive-level promotion process, thereby revealing a complex and multi-layered system. Third, the study extends our knowledge of the gendered nature of senior-level career progression by identifying the particular barriers women face, compared to men, in their efficacious use of social capital for promotion in a global bank.
Open Access
Boardroom Balance
(2010-03-01T00:00:00Z) Sealy, Ruth; Vinnicombe, Susan
Open Access
The career agency of indian managerial women: a culture-centred approach.
(2018-06) Prashar, Manjari; Anderson, Deirdre A.; Vinnicombe, Susan
The purpose of this study is to develop a culturally sensitive model of women’s career agency. Adopting a qualitative research method, analyzing semi structured interviews with 36 managerial women in India this study provides a culture' centred model of career agency and a culture' centred framework for the analysis of career agency. The model highlights how managerial women’s career agency interacts with the enabling and constraining aspects of the context in which their careers unfold. This study broadens our understanding of women’s career agency by revealing the dynamic relationship between the context and the individual as emergent ‘agentic bonds’ shifting over time and in relation to each other. Career agency is conceptualized as a process of emergent agentic bonds within a temporal relational context. This study identifies five agentic bonds fusion, communion, divergence, assertion and integration through which individual assert agency in their careers. The study makes three contributions. First, a theoretical contribution introducing a career centred model of career agency. This model identifies the construct of ‘agentic bonds’, to distinguish the ways in which individual’s bond with the collective to develop career intentions and actions. This new construct facilitates a culturally sensitive view of career agency as a contextually dependent process, extending Stage theories of careers beyond Individual agency. In addition, a sub contribution of a culture centred framework for the analysis of agency in women’s careers, operationalizing and is aggregating career agency permits a liminal/hybrid/fluid view of agency and extends the theory of culture centred approach to careers. Second, an empirical contribution reconciling and resolving the struggle to identify the career agency of Indian managerial women. Third, a practical contribution with a culturally sensitive approach to career coaching embedded in a temporal relational view of career agency, facilitated by the concept of ‘agentic bonds’. The study responds to the call for cultural sensitivity in careers research and practice.
Open Access
Career benefits of an MBA for British and Taiwanese woman managers : adopting a career-capital perspective
(Cranfield University, 2009-01) Chen, Aurora S.; Vinnicombe, Susan
This research aims to identify the career benefits which female graduates have acquired from taking an MBA programme in the UK and Taiwan. It builds on a stream of knowledge about male and female MBA graduates’ career competencies as a result of completing the MBA and adopts a career-capital perspective. The qualitative data emerging from the 36 interviews and the stratified sample of six business schools in the UK and Taiwan which make up the study offer a rich understanding of how women perceive their career benefits. It redresses the previous focus on quantitative data from a single sample and a concentration on objective career outcomes such as salary and promotions. The findings show that all female participants acquired career capital. Junior and middle managers (British women, aged between 30 and 34) focused on the acquisition of human and cultural capital and, in particular, on growth in confidence and salary as well as career advancement. Middle and senior managers (British and Taiwan women, aged between 35 and 40) concentrated more on the acquisition of social capital, in terms of networks, than the attainment of human and cultural capital. Senior managers (Taiwanese women, aged between 41 and 45) benefited from the acquisition of social capital in terms of networks with alumni, faculty, peers and friends. The differences in career benefits between the British and Taiwanese women are explained in terms of cultural backgrounds (British and Taiwanese) and the characteristics of each individual in terms of age and managerial experience. Gaining confidence and improved career status leading to salary increases, management promotions, career opportunities and personal reputation was seen as the most important to the British women. Networking with talented people (alumni, faculty, peers and friends) leading to gaining visibility in senior management, seeking career advice, career planning and career advancement, acquiring sponsors, sharing knowledge, exchanging information, extending contacts, acquiring professional support, a source of learning and other commercial benefits (for example, gaining a deeper understanding of customers) were critical to the Taiwanese women. The research has attempted to add to the knowledge about career capital by redefining the concepts of human, social and cultural capital and reorganizing the dimensions within each concept. Human capital is defined as educational attainment, consisting of knowledge, skills and confidence. Social capital is captured by networks with alumni, faculty, peers and friends. Cultural capital is developed through the valuewhich society places on symbols of prestige and is defined as improved career status. It has also attempted to offer empirical evidence to add to the existing literature on women’s career benefits from taking an MBA and how they relate to career stage (early and mid-career) and cultural background (British and Taiwanese). It has helped in shaping an understanding of how women leverage the MBA to develop managerial careers in their thirties and forties. It has also filled a gap in the research on female MBA graduates in Taiwan. Previous work does not devote much attention to the cultural factors in cross-cultural studies while this research has shown how collectivism in Taiwan and individualism in the UK have an impact on the career outcomes of female graduates. Future research is needed to extend the study of what career benefits graduates from different countries gain from MBA studies in order that global programmes run in the UK cater to the needs of all students.
Open Access
A conceptual framework for reputational capital development: An exploratory study of first-time FTSE 100 NED appointees.
(Cranfield University, 2013) Gaughan, Mary; Vinnicombe, Susan
This thesis seeks to explore and understand the appointment process of first-time FTSE 100 NEDs. It has been widely acknowledged for over three decades that the appointment process of NEDs is an opaque process involving a homogeneous group of people in an ‘old boys’ network. Corporate governance reforms recommend a formal and transparent appointment process which taps into a wider pool of talent. Companies comply with these recommendations yet there has been scant change in the composition of corporate boards. The pilot study consisted of nine interviews with the main stakeholders in the appointment process of a NED, namely Chairman, Executive Search Firms and NEDs. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed that reputational capital was the basis on which a first-time NED appointment was made after the Chairman had carried out an extensive vetting process to establish the fit of the individual. The main study, based on 15 first-time FTSE 100 NED interviews, sought to understand reputational capital, its constituent parts and how individuals developed it. Further, it sought to explore how an individual’s fit for a NED was established. The analysis revealed that the reputational capital of an appointed NED was a blend of sufficient levels of human, social and cultural capital which had been communicated to the Chairman and other members of the corporate elite. A first-time NED, in gaining a foothold on a corporate board was also entitled to membership of the corporate elite. As reputational capital drives success of directors in the corporate elite, new individuals needed to fit with the norms and values appropriate for membership and carry no reputational risk for existing members particularly the Chairman. This research offers three main contributions to the literature. Firstly, at a theoretical level it extends the concept of board capital to include cultural capital in addition to human and social capital. Secondly, it proposes a conceptual framework which demonstrates how an individual builds reputational capital over the course of a career to secure fit for a first- time NED, as a position in the corporate elite. The framework clarifies our understanding of reputational capital as a combination of human, social and cultural capital in a unique blend of board capital. This board capital is communicated through reputation building activities to members of the corporate elite. Thirdly, at an empirical level it provides an understanding of the FTSE 100 NED appointment process.
Open Access
Conceptualizing and investigating organizational politics: A systematic review of the literature
(Cranfield University, 2007-08) Doldor, Elena; Singh, Val; Vinnicombe, Susan
In the last decades, there has been a growing academic interest for the concept of organizational politics. Although this body of literature is expanding, the research remains fragmented in terms of theoretical and methodological approaches, and several conceptual ambiguities persist despite the accumulation of empirical data. Using a systematic review methodology, this paper analyses the existent literature in the field of organizational politics by exploring two main sources of information: journal articles and books. The process of searching and assessing the literature is described in detail and the decisions made with respect to the inclusion/exclusion of the sources are accounted for at every stage. Overall, fifty one journal articles and seven books were systematically reviewed. In the conceptual analysis of the core sources, the focus was on the way the concept of organizational politics is conceptualized and investigated in the existent literature. In a first part, the strengths and the shortfalls of various theoretical frameworks are discussed, in an attempt of conceptual integration. The findings are organized around three umbrella-concepts: organizational politics, political behaviours and political skill. In a second part, the research methods used in this field are carefully examined. Qualitative approaches were found to be less frequent than quantitative ones. Moreover, these last ones have been grouped into a methodological taxonomy. This in-depth analysis of the literature points out the implications that methodological choices have for the conceptual clarity of the field. Finally, several limitations of this systematic literature review are acknowledged. Opportunities for future research in the field of organizational politics are discussed, as related to the progress of the doctoral project.
Unknown
Constructing a professional identity: how young female managers use role models.
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z) Singh, Val; Vinnicombe, Susan; Turnbull James, Kim
Role models are often identified as important for aspiring managers as they seek insights into how to develop themselves in their careers. There are, however, still few female role models at the top of companies. This project explores how young careerminded women use role models. It draws on previous research into how professionals experimented with their identity projections to become partners in US professional service firms. In-depth interviews with ten young professional women revealed that they actively draw on role models from different domains. In some cases, the role models were personally known to the individual women, whilst in other cases, they were personally unknown to them. The women revealed that they preferred to use the learning from external role models rather than focus on individual women from the top of their own professions. This research adds richness to our understanding of young female managers’ use of role models, and contributes up-todate empirical evidence in a field which has been somewhat neglected in recent year
Open Access
Diversity management: Practices, strategy and measurement
(Cranfield School of Management, 2002) Singh, Val; Vinnicombe, Susan; Schiuma, Gianni; Kennerley, Mike; Neely, Andrew
Open Access
Entrepreneurs' transitions from corporate life to own ventures - leveraging human capital and social capital to establish new businesses
(Cranfield University, 2005-08) Terjesen, Siri; Vinnicombe, Susan; Svejenova, Silviya
This thesis explores the phenomenon of individuals leaving management careers in large corporations and establishing their own new ventures. Although the "corporate leaver" entrepreneur story enjoys frequent coverage in the popular press, there is little extant academic research on these individuals and their entrepreneurial process. Particularly lacking is an understanding of how the entrepreneurs make use of their past experiences. This study explores how entrepreneurs leverage human capital and social capital from previous work experiences when starting their own ventures. This dissertation is based on the results of an exploratory study and a main study, both of which were classified using Nvivo software. The exploratory study consists of interviews with six male/female entrepreneur pairs matched by management level and industry sector of previous employment. The exploratory study identifies the entrepreneurs' human capital and bridging and bonding social capital as well as feelings about previous work experience, motivations to start a new venture and family commitments. The main study is based on interviews with 24 entrepreneurs (twelve male, twelve female) who recently left management positions in financial services firms to establish their own businesses. The main study extends the exploratory study by unpacking the transfer of human capital in the form of knowledge creation and the transfer of bonding and bridging social capital. The research offers a number of theoretical, empirical, methodological and practical contributions to the field. At a theoretical level, this research confirms the usefulness of human capital and social capital for examining entrepreneurs' transfer from corporate. An analysis of the main study interviews reveals that the transfer of tacit and explicit knowledge from past work experience to the new venture can be mapped to Nonaka's knowledge creation framework. Third, the research highlights the application of structural, relational and cognitive dimensions of social capital to the former corporate entrepreneurs' social networks. A typology of the degree of transferability of human capital and social capital from previous work experiences is suggested, and eight case studies illustrate the four types: applicators, exploiters, networkers and re-inventors. The thesis offers empirical evidence in the form of entrepreneurs' self-reported human capital and social capital. Entrepreneurs' human capital is classified in terms of education, family background, and industry, management, business development and start-up experience. Entrepreneurs' social capital is organised by bonding (e. g. partners, mentors) and bridging relationships. The results indicate some differences between male and female entrepreneurs in terms of gender homophily of social networks. A framework for analysing the transfer of human capital and social capital from past experience is developed. There is empirical evidence both of knowledge and networks which the entrepreneurs report as transferring to the new venture, and those which do not. Entrepreneurs' creation of new knowledge from past work experience and transfer to the new venture can be classified by Nonaka's socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation types. In terms of social capital, entrepreneurs report transferring relationships from past work experiences which have structural, relational and cognitive embeddedness. At the methodological level, the rich, qualitative nature of this research enables new insights into the transition from corporate to own ventures. Entrepreneurs' language is used to measure relational, structural and cognitive embeddedness. The thesis offers knowledge of practice. The phenomenon of individuals leaving corporate management careers to start own ventures, particularly in the financial services industry, is examined and explored. Implications for managers interested in leaving corporate to start their own ventures are offered, as are suggestions for corporations interested in retaining these employees. A typology of former corporate entrepreneurs by human capital and social capital transfer is developed. Authenticity- seeking motives are uncovered in the rhetoric of individuals who start new ventures in new industries.
Open Access
An examination of senior Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women and men’s identity work following episodes of identity salience at work
(2011-12) Atewologun, Adedoyin Olukemi; Vinnicombe, Susan; Sealy, Ruth
This study addresses methodological critiques of ethnicity research in organisations by combining intersectionality and identity work frameworks. Additionally, it extends intersectionality beyond its traditional focus on multiple disadvantage and demonstrates contextual sensitivity to ethnicity. Taking an individual constructivist stance, I examined ethnicity and its intersection with gender and seniority through an identity work lens. The research question was: How do senior black, Asian and minority ethnic women and men make meaning of episodes that raise the salience of their intersecting identities at work? The study investigated how 24 senior black, Asian and minority ethnic (BME) women and men constructed an understanding of their multiple-identified selves in response to affirming, contradictory or ambiguous identity-heightening work experiences. Respondents kept journals about episodes that raised the salience of their intersecting identities. Then, in interviews, they described the sense they made of the episodes and their responses to them. Following a template-based analysis of 101 accounts, a typology emerged of Accommodating, Refuting, Reconciling, Affirming and Exploratory identity work modes, describing senior BME individuals’ identity construction in response to identity-heightening episodes. I introduce ‘intersectional identity work’ to illustrate how individual (e.g. cognitive effort to reconcile a paradox), relational (e.g. a sense of responsibility and affinity for subordinate minority colleagues) and contextual (e.g. visibility resulting from demographic distribution in one’s immediate environment) factors influence intersecting senior, ethnic and gender constructions at work. Integrating intersectional and identity work perspectives to examine ethnicity demonstrates the dynamic interplay of multiple identity dimensions during meaning-making, the range of modes adopted and the intensity of effort expended by senior BME women and men during personal meaning-making. This approach makes a methodological contribution to ethnicity and intersectionality research. It also makes an empirical contribution to UK ethnicity and identity work research through the suggestive model of identity work modes and rich insight into senior BME individuals’ experiences at the juxtaposition of disadvantage and privilege.
Open Access
An examination of the cognitive construction of fit among chief executives and senior elected members in Local Authorities in England and Wales: is it gendered?
(Cranfield University, 2004-10) Nelson, Dale; Vinnicombe, Susan
This research examines the cognitive construction of ‘Fit’ among male and female Chief Executives and Elected Members in Local Government. Using repertory grid technique, constructions of ‘Fit’ were elicited from 20 male and female Chief Executive and 20 male and female Elected Member pairs in England and Wales. Using a ‘grounded theory’ approach to content analysis, constructs were categorised into 16 categories. Results showed that the construction of ‘Fit’, among both Chief Executives and Elected Members contains elements of both P-J and P-O fit. Both Chief Executives’ and Elected Members’ notions of ‘Fit’ have some overlap with United Kingdom, public sector based constructs of Transformational Leadership. However, Elected Members’ construction of ‘Fit’ is qualitatively different, from that described by the Chief Executives in the sample. Male Elected Members lacked the relational and communal constructs expected in Transformational models. When the total sample was analysed by sex, male and female respondents also showed differences in their constructions of ‘Fit’. Males and females placed emphases on different sub-components of ‘Fit’ and these sex differences, although subdued, are broadly in line with previous repertory grid studies outlining perceived differences between male’s and female’s management and leadership styles. As a result it is concluded that ‘Fit’ is a gendered construct. This has important implications for (1) who is being appointed to senior positions in local government; (2) the assessment of leadership in more general terms; (3) the need for effective and close working relationships between Chief Executive and Leader of the Council; (4) the progress of the centrally driven modernising agenda in local government; and finally (5) the likelihood of significant culture change in local government in the near future.
Open Access
Examining Political Will, Political Skill and their Maturation among Male and Female Managers
(Cranfield University, 2011-08) Doldor, Elena; Vinnicombe, Susan; Anderson, Deirdre A.
This thesis explores engagement in organizational politics among managers. There is increasing recognition that organizational politics are ubiquitous in organizational life and critically important in managerial roles. Drawing on micro perspectives in extant literature on organizational politics, this research attempts to better understand managerial engagement in politics by focusing not only on managers’ ability to engage in politics, but also on their willingness to do so. As such, the research examines what managerial political will and political skill entail, as well as how political will and skill develop. In doing so, special consideration is paid to gender, an aspect largely ignored in extant research on organizational politics. Adopting a qualitative exploratory approach, the empirical study consisted of semi-structured interviews with 38 managers (20 women and 18 men) in two global companies. The thesis makes four key theoretical contributions. First, it conceptualizes and identifies three dimensions political will, a previously neglected factor pertaining to managerial political engagement. Second, the study reconciles and refines the dimensionality of political skill, as related to existing models in field. Third, the thesis introduces a novel developmental perspective on political will and skill, proposing an initial model of political maturation. This model outlines three stages of political maturation by mapping out developmental patterns in managers’ political will and skill. The model also identifies triggers of political maturation. Finally, the thesis unpacks the role of gender in managers’ political will, skill and their maturation, demonstrating the importance of making gender visible and voiced when investigating managers’ engagement in organizational politics. In articulating these contributions, the study thoroughly accounts for the impact of organizational context on the political will, skill and maturation journey of male and female managers.
Open Access
Expanding the notion of dialogic trading zones for impactful research: the case of women on boards research
(Wiley, 2017-01-19) Vinnicombe, Susan; Anderson, Deirdre A.
Debates about research impact highlight the importance of involving practitioners in research processes but are unclear as to how precisely to foster this dialogue. This paper considers how dialogic encounter can be encouraged through ‘trading zones’ where academics and practitioners collaborate. We draw on our experience of conducting research on women on boards for over 15 years to examine (a) how we established and evolved our role within trading zones in this field, achieving impact on policy and business practice, and (b) how we interfaced between trading zones and the academic field, thereby enabling cross-fertilization of ideas between academics and practitioners. We contribute to literature on research impact by empirically examining and critically evaluating the key characteristics of trading zones. First, trading zones are theorized to be action-oriented. Our analysis reveals how multiple stakeholders collectively redefine the action goals, illustrating the need to expand our understanding of relevant ‘practitioners’ beyond managers. Second, we find that durability of trading zones is crucial because it enables gestation of ideas and reframing problems. Third, we problematize the notion of psychological safety in trading zones, arguing that dialogic capability and the pursuit of impact require acceptance of trade-offs and political manoeuvrings.
Open Access
An exploration of male and female managers' perspectives on the meaning and assessment of commitment: Cases from leading British and Swedish engineering companies
(Cranfield University, 1999-07) Singh, Val; Vinnicombe, Susan
This thesis explores the issue of why female managers’ commitment is so often reported as being less of that of males, despite research evidence that there is no gender difference in levels of commitment. No previous research was found which reported managerial meanings of “commitment”, usually conceptualised with an affective component resulting in loyalty and effort, and a continuance component, the desire to stay in an organisation. Meanings of “commitment” in three major engineering companies were elicited through interviews with 37 engineering managers in the UK and Sweden. The sample included sixteen male/female pairs matched on age, qualifications and job position, from top, middle and junior levels of management. The meanings important to managers were the manifested behaviours of commitment at work. The most common of the 36 elicited meanings were task delivery, putting yourself out, involvement, and quality. Overall, male meanings were more similar to top managers’ meanings than female meanings. Top women’s meanings were similar to those of top men, sharing meanings of being proactive/using initiative, being ready for challenge, being creative/innovative, and being business aware. More women overall gave meanings oriented towards the organisation, particularly good citizen behaviours, which would be less visible to managers, whilst more men overall gave meanings, benefiting themselves as well as the organisation, which were very active and highly visible. Five types of commitment meanings were identified: Virtuous, Volunteer, Virtuoso, Vanguard and Gender-Shared. In a later questionnaire, the sample were asked to rate the importance of their 36 meanings of commitment in terms of their own view and their perceived view of how their organisation would rate them. Through gaps between individual and perceived organisational ratings, tensions were identified and mapped, providing a guide for an indepth analysis of meanings with the greatest tensions, particularly on hours over the norm perceived to be valued more by the organisation, and on getting balance, enjoying work, thinking of oneself as well as the organisation, and being people-concerned. Interviewees at all levels indicated the importance of getting work/nonwork balance, most rejecting the notion of commitment meaning working additional hours. Attitudes to managers seeking maternity/paternity leave were reported. Through the Swedish comparison, a trend was identified that where most male managers take extended paternity leave, the issue which is seen as a woman’s individual problem in the UK becomes an organisational planning issue in Sweden. Thus, perceived lesser commitment is transformed into less unplanned availability for a short period. The process of commitment assessment has also been explored and a number of dimensions drawn out, particularly the tacit nature of the evidence, the subjectivity of assessment, and the manager’s susceptibility to influence. These affect the way in which commitment behaviours are interpreted by the manager, as both males and females use impression management strategies to demonstrate their commitment. The contribution of this thesis is to the commitment field, in identifying managers’ meanings of commitment, and to the women in management field, where evidence is presented of the differences in male and female meanings of commitment, and the importance of visibility of commitment to managers. As women’s meanings are less visible than those of men in this sample, this suggests an explanation of why women’s commitment is still challenged.
Open Access
An exploration of chief executives' conceptions of successful leadership in the Scottish public sector
(Cranfield University, 2007-01) Collins, James; Singh, Val; Vinnicombe, Susan
This thesis explores leadership in context. In particular, through an analysis of texts and interviews, it explores the meanings of successful leadership for leaders of public bodies in post-devolution Scotland. In the first stage of the research, 140 documents were examined in order to inform the context in detail. Analysis of these documents found contrasting messages. The language emanating from pro-devolution interest groups, government departments and public bodies promoted a discourse consistent with the ideas of transformational leadership and new public management. These documents reflected the promise that devolution would herald "new ways different from the rituals of Westminster ". However, in media news stories referring to executive departure, a contrasting language reflecting far from transformational action was found. These sources suggest that Scottish public service CEOs are treated as scapegoats for failure. In the second stage of the research, in-depth interviews were employed to explore constructions of successful leadership held by leaders of Scottish public organisations. The 21 participants were all current or former chief executives of public bodies, appointed by ministers to lead organisations involved in the provision of a range of public services in Scotland. As indicated in the discourses of the media, the CEOs reported that a culture of blame and risk aversion dominates the Scottish public services. This culture is particularly prevalent in the political and civil service domains. The chief executives believed that transformational, visionary and charismatic approaches to leadership to be an idealistic form of leadership, incompatible with the leadership requirements of a Scottish public body. CEOs reported that, rather than having collective responsibility, they are individually blamed for failure or poor performance in the public services. To be successful leaders, CEOs stated that they required support or endorsement from important stakeholders in order to be able to take the leadership decisions crucial for success. They conceptualised this support in terms of "credit". Identifying a variety of stakeholders, CEOs stated that, through a process of exchange relationships with government ministers, the chair of their organisation and senior civil servants, credit had to be built with these important stakeholders. In their view this credit is the key to successful leadership. This thesis therefore explores this construct in depth. A model describing the processes which contribute to the development, and erosion, of credit is presented. This principally concerns the management of relationships, profile and performance in order to develop positive stakeholder perceptions about personal and organisational attributes and credibility. The transformational leadership paradigm has been dominant for over two decades. It is frequently presented in a way that depicts transformational action as morally superior to a transactional alternative. However, the findings show that, in an environment in which a risk-averse blame culture dominates, transactional social exchange, such as the appropriate use of political behaviour and impression management to raise personal and organisational visibility and profile, in order to build credit, is a more apposite paradigm for successful leadership. It is here that that this thesis makes its primary contribution. The consequences for public sector chief executives, and the implications for the public sector generally, are considered, and suggestions made for further research.
Open Access
An exploration of male and female managers' perspectives on the meaning and assessment of commitment: Cases from leading British and Swedish engineering companies
(Cranfield University, 1999-07) Singh, Val; Vinnicombe, Susan
This thesis explores the issue of why female managers’ commitment is so often reported as being less of that of males, despite research evidence that there is no gender difference in levels of commitment. No previous research was found which reported managerial meanings of “commitment”, usually conceptualised with an affective component resulting in loyalty and effort, and a continuance component, the desire to stay in an organisation. Meanings of “commitment” in three major engineering companies were elicited through interviews with 37 engineering managers in the UK and Sweden. The sample included sixteen male/female pairs matched on age, qualifications and job position, from top, middle and junior levels of management. The meanings important to managers were the manifested behaviours of commitment at work. The most common of the 36 elicited meanings were task delivery, putting yourself out, involvement, and quality. Overall, male meanings were more similar to top managers’ meanings than female meanings. Top women’s meanings were similar to those of top men, sharing meanings of being proactive/using initiative, being ready for challenge, being creative/innovative, and being business aware. More women overall gave meanings oriented towards the organisation, particularly good citizen behaviours, which would be less visible to managers, whilst more men overall gave meanings, benefiting themselves as well as the organisation, which were very active and highly visible. Five types of commitment meanings were identified: Virtuous, Volunteer, Virtuoso, Vanguard and Gender-Shared. In a later questionnaire, the sample were asked to rate the importance of their 36 meanings of commitment in terms of their own view and their perceived view of how their organisation would rate them. Through gaps between individual and perceived organisational ratings, tensions were identified and mapped, providing a guide for an indepth analysis of meanings with the greatest tensions, particularly on hours over the norm perceived to be valued more by the organisation, and on getting balance, enjoying work, thinking of oneself as well as the organisation, and being people-concerned. Interviewees at all levels indicated the importance of getting work/nonwork balance, most rejecting the notion of commitment meaning working additional hours. Attitudes to managers seeking maternity/paternity leave were reported. Through the Swedish comparison, a trend was identified that where most male managers take extended paternity leave, the issue which is seen as a woman’s individual problem in the UK becomes an organisational planning issue in Sweden. Thus, perceived lesser commitment is transformed into less unplanned availability for a short period. The process of commitment assessment has also been explored and a number of dimensions drawn out, particularly the tacit nature of the evidence, the subjectivity of assessment, and the manager’s susceptibility to influence. These affect the way in which commitment behaviours are interpreted by the manager, as both males and females use impression management strategies to demonstrate their commitment. The contribution of this thesis is to the commitment field, in identifying managers’ meanings of commitment, and to the women in management field, where evidence is presented of the differences in male and female meanings of commitment, and the importance of visibility of commitment to managers. As women’s meanings are less visible than those of men in this sample, this suggests an explanation of why women’s commitment is still challenged.
Open Access
The Female FTSE Board Report 2009: Norway and Spain join our census to benchmark corporate boards
(2009-01-01T00:00:00Z) Sealy, Ruth; Vinnicombe, Susan; Doldor, Elena
2009 marks our eleventh annual report with a small incremental increase in the percentage of women on boards. Overall, there are 12.2% women directors on the FTSE 100 boards. There is a discouraging decline in the number of companies with female executive directors to 15 (from 16). Also disappointing is a decline in the number of boards with multiple women directors to 37 (from 39). In addition there is a decline in the overall number of companies with women on boards, and once again one in four companies have exclusively male boards.
Open Access
The Female FTSE Board Report 2010: Opening up the Appointment Process
(Cranfield University School of Management, 2010-12) Vinnicombe, Susan; Sealy, Ruth; Graham, Jacey; Doldor, Elena
2010 saw another year of barely perceptible change in the representation of women in leadership positions of UK PLC’s top 100 companies. The incremental increases include three additional women on FTSE 100 boards taking the total to 116; one additional female executive director (ED); four more companies with women on their boards; and two more companies with more than one woman on the board, returning to 2008 levels. Overall, the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards is 12.5%, showing a three year plateau. The number of companies with no female directors has decreased to 21 and the number of companies with more than one woman on the board has returned to the 2008 figure of 39. Only 13% of new appointments went to women.

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