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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of an experiential leader development course titled understanding group-and-leader (UGL). Design/methodology/approach The study sample consisted of 61 course participants (the... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of an experiential leader development course titled understanding group-and-leader (UGL). Design/methodology/approach The study sample consisted of 61 course participants (the managers) and 318 subordinate raters. The development leadership questionnaire (DLQ) was used to measure the results of the course. The measurements were made on three occasions: shortly before the course, one month after the course and six months after the course. Findings The managers’ self-evaluations did not change significantly after the course. However, the subordinate raters’ evaluations of their managers indicated a positive trend in the scales of developmental leadership and conventional-positive leadership one month and six months after the course. Research limitations/implications The study was based on a comparatively small sample with a number of drop-outs. The study lacked a control condition. Practical implications From an organizational point of view, it could be argued that it is justifiable to send managers to such a course, as there is a good chance for an improvement in their leadership style as rated by subordinates. Social implications The integration of group processes and leadership behavior in the context of experiential learning seems to be a fruitful path to leader development. Originality/value Longitudinal studies on the results of experiential learning for managers are sparse. This is the first quantitative evaluation of a course that more than 80,000 individuals have taken.
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The author of this excellent introduction to group psychology has had 30 years o f expe1·ience in the field and it shows. Clearly, the time he has spent in teaching and research has been put to good use. In 250 pages, he has succeeded in... more
The author of this excellent introduction to group psychology has had 30 years o f expe1·ience in the field and it shows. Clearly, the time he has spent in teaching and research has been put to good use. In 250 pages, he has succeeded in the difficult task of integrating modern litera ture in group psychology and a t the same time capturing the interes t o f the reader. This is no small feat. Eric Olsson uses salutary examples from his own experience as T-group leader, teacher, pa rticipant observer, andresearcher. H e refers to these at various points in the text to illustrate theoretical cons tructs from Freud, Lewin, Bion, and modern the ro rists such as Agazarian. H e successfully spans research on cohesiveness, power, leadership , role, group development, communicatio n, norms, gro up as a whole, au thority, group climate, etc. The autho r teaches social work and social psychology, which he covers ver-y well in the book. Group psychothe rapy is ha rdly men tioned at all and maybe rightly so. However, it is a bit disappointing to discover that, for example, neither Foulkes nor Moreno are referred to a t all. His own work on a model of group development is, I believe, of particular interes t and deserves to be mo re widely and inte rnationally known. At the heart of his thinking lies our basic need to relate . Human beings are par t of a social reality (i.e., have a social identity), which in this model is the foundation of the group. Avital stage in group development, according to Olsson, is the members' construction of a fantasy, for example, the idea of creating som ething together or being joined by something haYing symbolic value for the group members. Examples of this might be a task, a flag, membership of a society or team, a logotype, e tc. Initially, the group is characterized by insecul"ity, the wish [01social belonging, and the need for mutual affi.rmatio n. During this initial phase of group formation, the group is divided into those who are silent, passive, and waiting, and those who receive
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Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore rapid role shifts at work and to describe the factors that facilitate or inhibit such role shifts, and how these factors affect the employee. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study... more
Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore rapid role shifts at work and to describe the factors that facilitate or inhibit such role shifts, and how these factors affect the employee. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was conducted with 12 participants from four public sector organizations. The participants systematically documented their work role shifts over the course of three days. Based on these data, they were interviewed about their shifts in work roles. All data were analyzed thematically. Findings Rapid role shifts do not work without extensive mental preparation and commitment. The role changes were perceived as stimulating if there was clarity about purpose, context and the significance of one’s own role, and if there was time both to switch between different roles and to reflect. Research limitations/implications This study was only performed in public sector organizations, and with a relatively small sample of interviewees. To generalize the results...
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Research Interests: Nursing, Leadership, Medicine, Nursing Management, Humans, and 9 moreFemale, Male, Nurses, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Job Control, and Psychological Stress
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Investigated the personality structure in old age, focusing on sociability and loneliness, using the Zulliger Individual and Group Test among 32 noninstitutionalized elderly adults (aged 75–85 yrs) and 36 control adults (aged 31–60 yrs).... more
Investigated the personality structure in old age, focusing on sociability and loneliness, using the Zulliger Individual and Group Test among 32 noninstitutionalized elderly adults (aged 75–85 yrs) and 36 control adults (aged 31–60 yrs). 15 elderly Ss were considered to be sociable, and 17 were considered to be lonely. J. E. Exner's (1986) comprehensive Rorschach system was used to analyze the data. Sociable Ss were lively and independent, although slightly aggressive and hostile. They showed signs of helplessness and experienced feelings of uneasiness. These Ss retained more liveliness with respect to their basic personality structure compared with lonely Ss. Lonely Ss were more prone to withdraw and simplify their conception of the surrounding world.
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Research Interests: Psychology and Forum
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ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse leadership challenges in the organisation of strategic research centres, focusing on the relationship between organisation and the level of institutionalisation. Four main... more
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse leadership challenges in the organisation of strategic research centres, focusing on the relationship between organisation and the level of institutionalisation. Four main themes of leadership challenges were identified: (1) the changing university context, including relationships with top management and faculties; (2) research strategy, considering decisions about diversity or a focused perspective; (3) management, dealing with prioritising administrative work; (4) affiliation, the sense of belonging to a strategic research centre, comprising issues of leadership, trust, attitude towards recruitment and succession. We concluded that leadership and effective administration are vital for research collaboration, not only within small research groups as been shown in other studies, but also within large groups in university-based research centres.
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The project included 22 white-collar workers with occupational burnout on long-term sick leave who participated in three focused therapy groups. During therapy, the therapist met separately with each participant and representatives from... more
The project included 22 white-collar workers with occupational burnout on long-term sick leave who participated in three focused therapy groups. During therapy, the therapist met separately with each participant and representatives from their employer and social insurance provider to discuss the participant’s eventual return to work. At thefollow-up, 73% of participants were working (on a full-time basis or part-time basis), compared to 14% of participants who were working at the start of treatment. In conclusion, the participants appeared to benefit from the combination of the group intervention and therapist guided meetings with representatives of other stakeholders.
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Despite the reported success of Lean in health care settings, it is unclear why and how organizations adopt Lean and how Lean transforms work design and, in turn, affects... more
Despite the reported success of Lean in health care settings, it is unclear why and how organizations adopt Lean and how Lean transforms work design and, in turn, affects employees' work. This study investigated a cardiology department's journey to adopt and adapt Lean. The investigation was focused on the rationale and evolution of the Lean adoption to illuminate how a department with a long quality improvement history arrived at the decision to introduce Lean, and how Lean influenced employees' daily work. This is an explanatory single case study based on semistructured interviews, nonparticipant observations, and document studies. Guided by a Lean model, we undertook manifest content analysis of the data. We found that previous improvement efforts may facilitate the introduction of Lean but may be less important when forecasting whether Lean will be sustained over time. Contextual factors seemed to influence both what Lean tools were implemented and how well the changes were sustained. For example, adoption of Lean varied with the degree to which staff saw a need for change. Work redesign and teamwork were found helpful to improve patient care whereas problem solving was found helpful in keeping the staff engaged and sustaining the results over time.
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Some time ago, I was asked to review the manuscript: Four modalities of the experience of others in groups (Schermer, 2018). It is a standard procedure in scientific journals that this process is blind, that is, the reviewer does not know... more
Some time ago, I was asked to review the manuscript: Four modalities of the experience of others in groups (Schermer, 2018). It is a standard procedure in scientific journals that this process is blind, that is, the reviewer does not know the name of the author(s). Later, I was asked to comment on the now accepted article. I still do not know who the author is. My acceptance to take on the task as reviewer was only based on a sense of duty. In fact, I did not at all look forward to the reading. From the title, I had the impression that here was yet another example of those abstract incomprehensible and un-testable meta-psychological texts which have no meaning for anyone except the writer and a few likeminded individuals. I am allergic to that sort of theorizing. However, the text was not at all like that. I was pleasantly surprised and became increasingly interested. The style of writing helped, of course. It was easy to read and the message clearly delivered. Who said: If something is worth saying, it is worth saying simply? This does not imply that the message in the article is simple; on the contrary, it covers intricate phenomena and manages to make them accessible. In the process, one must out of necessity simplify and thereby lose some of the complexity in the service of the overall message. However, the sources are always there for those interested in deepening their understanding. The text is about experiencing others. I thought that it could be interesting to test whether the model also works in the context of reading an article. How do we experience others when an inner 764965 GAQ0010.1177/0533316418764965Group AnalysisSandahl: Response to Schermer research-article2018
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Artikeln beskriver vad som karaktariserade det goda arbetsklimatet vid en palliativ enhet och vilken betydelse ledarskapet hade. Slutsatserna bygger pa analyser av formella dokument, resultat fran en enkat och fran gruppintervjuer med... more
Artikeln beskriver vad som karaktariserade det goda arbetsklimatet vid en palliativ enhet och vilken betydelse ledarskapet hade. Slutsatserna bygger pa analyser av formella dokument, resultat fran en enkat och fran gruppintervjuer med sjukskoterskor och chefer. Datamaterialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehallsanalys. Det faktum att deltagarna upplevde att de lyckades na visionen om en god palliativ vard, det vill saga maluppfyllelsen i sig, var den faktor man ansag hade storst betydelse for den goda arbetsmiljon. Bidragande faktorer var kongruens i ledarskapet, en mogen och val fungerande grupp, adekvata organisatoriska strukturer och resurser samt en upplevelse av delad meningsfullhet.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible factors related to transfer of knowledge and skills from two leadership development courses to the work environment and its maintenance for two years post training.... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible factors related to transfer of knowledge and skills from two leadership development courses to the work environment and its maintenance for two years post training. Design/methodology/approach A total of 12 leaders in two different types of courses were interviewed at least two years after their participation. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns within the data that explained if, how and why these leaders used this knowledge and these skills in their leadership practice. Findings The most influential themes identified were personalized feedback in the courses, increased confidence in leadership roles after the courses, the opportunity to use new knowledge and skills at work, employee feedback, management facilitation and continual reflection. Practical implications Leadership development programs should include personalized feedback and reinforce continual reflection on the feedback and course content. The shor...
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Thirty-five alcohol dependent patients were followed-up one year after completion of treatment in relapse prevention groups. In terms of alcohol consumption this group had a statistically significant better outcome than a comparable group... more
Thirty-five alcohol dependent patients were followed-up one year after completion of treatment in relapse prevention groups. In terms of alcohol consumption this group had a statistically significant better outcome than a comparable group of patients given standard treatment. In a second study, 59 patients, of which a significantly larger proportion were women (63 percent), were treated in either psychodynamically- or behaviourally-oriented brief group-psychotherapy. Alcohol consumption measures showed a clear tendency in favor of the psychodynamic treatment at follow-up about 12 months after the groups ended. Both treatment types had a positive effect on the patients' alcohol consumption, but the behavioural content did not seem to be a necessary treatment ingredient for this patient group. The results indicated, however, that therapist style in terms of actively influencing the process and focussing on personal and emotionally loaded themes might be of more importance than the...