Personal trauma as a formative development experience

Many people suffer personal trauma in their lives, such as critical illness, bereavement or disability. These experiences may be personally life-changing, and as a result, they may fundamentally impact the way people view and approach work. However, if these experiences are not openly discussed at work, their developmental value both for the individual and their organisation is potentially missed. Consequently, this doctoral research project sits at the intersection between an individual’s personal and professional life and aims to improve our understanding of the impact of personal trauma on the way individuals think and behave at work. As importantly, this research also seeks to understand the role of the organisation in supporting or hindering individuals post-trauma in order to better understand the characteristics of compassionate workplaces.

This is an interdisciplinary research project which brings together scholarly work from the fields of positive psychology, narrative research and positive organisational behaviour and examines them through a management lens. Personal narratives are being gathered from a number of past Ashridge participants who have experienced personal trauma about how their experience may have impacted the way they view themselves and their work. These personal narratives are being enriched by accounts from  ’workplace witnesses’, that is to say, work-based individuals nominated by the participant, such as colleagues, subordinates or line managers, who can talk from a third party perspective about any changes they may have seen in the individual concerned at work post-trauma.

The outcomes of this research have the potential to impact leaders and HR professionals who are interested in fostering compassionate and positive workplaces. Equally, leaders and HR professionals who are concerned with the potential connections between levels of support for individuals post-trauma and their subsequent development and engagement at work.

To find out more about this doctoral research, contact Amy Armstrong amy.armstrong@ashridge.org.uk

Public management index published

The Public Management Index (PMI) is a sector-specific version of the Ashridge Management Index, which has been running since 1994.  The publication of the 2010 PMI comes at a time when the public sector is facing huge challenges as the implications of the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review become clear. 

The PMI – undertaken just before the Coalition government came to power – found that, despite all the pressures, management in the public sector is highly engaged, loyal, diligent, and hardworking. Contrary to stereotypes, public sector staff are prepared to take work home, go the extra mile, and work longer hours than they are contracted to do. They are hugely committed to helping public services change and succeed.

Over 50% of respondents expressed concern that top leaders spend insufficient time communicating with employees.  A high percentage of staff saw organisational change as not only important, but a main part of their job. However, staff indicated that less than 50% of their leaders had skills in change management. Less than half believed, too, that their leaders had been appropriately developed to lead change. Of major concern, too, was the low score for successful delivery of the benefits of change – only 41%.

Employee engagement and regular communication with their leaders and each other is the top rated factor for success in delivering change. Both top leaders and their immediate managers were rated as poor on their communication with staff and unfortunately, they particularly identified a lack of leadership, closely followed by resistance to change as the most significant factors blocking major change in their organisations.

Public sector staff scored their line managers consistently well for effectiveness, providing direction, support and being trustworthy. They also felt that their own managers made sufficient time for them: the picture painted is one of solid day-to-day management.

They were less convinced by their top leaders who rated more poorly and, although the trend over time has been one of improvement, the top leaders in the public sector continue to lag well behind the private sector. Top leaders scored low on spending time communicating with staff (46%) and only 42% felt communications from top leaders were clear.

Staff continue to feel snowed under by emails (70%) and are working longer hours to get the job done. At 98%, long hours were given the highest single score in the survey. This suggests work life balance is under pressure with the risk of overload, fatigue and ill-health as high risk areas as the cost savings programme proceeds.

The report’s findings suggest that top public sector leaders will need to communicate more frequently in an open and honest way, to build trust and engage staff through the difficult times ahead. www.ashridge.org.uk/pmi

Women in Leadership

We are researching the situation for women managers and leaders in organisations across the public and private sectors. As part of this work we are inviting women in management roles to contribute to a survey. The survey is an opportunity for women to share views about the organisational and career issues that they face. The survey includes questions on:

- Career challenges and critical incidents
- Leadership style
- Organisational culture
- Work/life balance and personal challenges.

We have already received over 600 responses to our survey, and are keen to build as big a databank as possible.  If you are a woman, and would like to take part, please complete the survey here.

Centre for Action Research ready for action!

Ashridge launched a new Research Centre in 2010 specialising in Action Research.  The Ashridge Centre for Action Research, directed by Dr. Gill Coleman, supports practitioners, students and staff to carry out research projects using Action Research methodologies; offers seminars and events; teaches the theory and practice of action research; and is building on existing links to strengthen relationships with other centres for Action Research around the world. 

Current work within the Centre includes initiatives on The Artful Organisation and Leading Complex Projects

Sustainability and Change Conference

Ashridge is hosting its second in a series of International Research Conferences in June 2011 on sustainability and change.  The title: “The Sustainability Challenge: Organisational Change and Transformational Vision“

The conference is aimed at scholars, executive leaders and policy makers.  Those presenting papers also have an opportunity to work their papers up for submission to special issues of the Journal of Change Management and the Journal of Public Affairs which are being produced in association with the conference.

The conference runs from Friday to Sunday lunchtime,10-12 June 2011, at Ashridge.  Further details available from the conference webpages at: www.ashridge.org.uk/airc2