LEADERS´ DEVELOPMENT AND CORPORATE CULTURE

Abstract

You are not born to be a leader but can develop into one. A number of developmental theories describe the way adults can develop towards more complex and differentiated ways of under-standing themselves and the world, measured e.g. by a research-based test, the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSC). A case study of a highly competitive bank in Sweden with a humanistic corporate culture was conducted through a multimethod study including the WUSC test. The aim was to investigate in which ways this kind of culture, where learning is considered as a part of everyday work and employees actively participate in the business planning process, is related to development. Results show that the vast majority of employees (including managers) represent a specific developmental level where people still are task- rather than goaloriented. The developmental level of managers were important for how their leadership was thought of by employees and for how successful they were in involving employees in the business planning process. Thus developmental aspects seem to be important for maintaining and further developing a culture that supports learning.

Keywords

• Leadership, Development, Adult Development, Corporate Culture, Banking,

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