Evaluation of Different Concepts & Range of Approaches that are Available for Effective Leadership & Management Development

LEARNING THEORIES

Traditional learning theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and social learning theories are more psychology-based and contemporary theories such as adult learning, experiential learning and learning styles cover several disciplines (Stewart and Cureton, 2014).?

Insights from following theories and models help us in improving learning effectiveness leading to effective leadership and management development.

• Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory highlights the importance of observing, modelling, and imitating other’s behaviors and how environmental and cognitive factors interplay to influence human learning and proposed Observational Learning Model with following mediational processes (Mcleod, 2016)

o??Attention while observing a behaviour.

o??Retention of the observed behaviour by forming memory.

o??Reproduction of the observed and memorized behaviour.

o??Motivation of reproducing that behaviour based on rewards or punishments associated with it. Example, a manager might reproduce appreciative behaviors after observing his/her peers harvesting good team results by appreciating their team members.

Social learning theories provides a detailed explanation of human learning by recognizing the role of mediational processes but criticized for relying on environment as the main influence on behaviour.

• Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory works on two levels: a four-stage cycle of learning and four separate learning styles. Kolb states that learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations (Mcleod, 2017).

• Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) Theory states that the working memory, with its limited capacity can inhibit learning if overloaded (Vinney, 2020). This theory is useful in L&M development because often, managers and leaders are required to?attend learning programmes despite being overwhelmingly busy with work. They are unable to fully focus their cognitive efforts in learning resulting in ineffective transfer of learning. We mitigate this by activating their “Schema” (Stern, 2019) through sequencing learning with bitesize chunks.
• Andragogy by Knowles states that learners are self-directed and autonomous, and the role of educator is facilitator of learning rather than just presenter of content (Pratt, 1998). Learning should be close to learners’ reality.

LEARNING MODELS

• SCARF Model focuses on how the brain responds to threat and reward with following five factors affecting engagement in social, interactive, and collaborative settings (Rock, 2008)

o??Status: Motivated if learning leads to enhanced status, example promotion.

o??Certainty: Clear and logical bitesize learning chunks can increase certainty and transfer of learning.

o??Autonomy: Providing learners with control over their learning reduces stress and improves engagement.

o??Relatedness: Sense of trust, empathy, and social connection during learning triggers oxytocin release in the brain, which increases engagement.

o??Fairness: Fair access and opportunities to learning resources increases engagement.

• AGES model suggests that right amount of Attention, Generation, Emotion and Spacing activates learners’ hippocampus creating deep circuits of easy retrieval and L&D programmes should consider them (Davachi et.al, 2010). Hence, learning activities should be spread out for learners to reflect and consolidate learning.

Following are some useful approaches:

• Secondments aims at exposing leaders to different experiences and to create new relationships in the business. Cost-effective but disadvantageous with manpower gaps, resistance to move back.
• OJT provides job specific learnings relevant to functional and organisational needs but requires time from both trainer and trainee and may lack new ideas.
• Coaching and mentoring are very effective forms of management and leadership development interventions. Coaching is tailored one-to-one but time consuming and may fail without competent coaches. Mentoring shows new methods but may lack congruence.
• E-Learning supports self-directed learning which could be accessible anytime anywhere, cost-effective with many courses but may fail without intrinsic motivation and computer literacy.

Self-Reflective skills are critical for leaders and managers. Reflection is the deliberate, purposeful, metacognitive thinking of improving competence (Lindsay et. al, 2007). Gibbs reflective cycle (1988) helps creating overall awareness while experiencing an event but criticized as superficial with no referral to critical thinking/analysis/assumptions.