04/10/23 RGC Study 452710 1

How Hong Kong School Leaders Think and Act?

Nicholas Pang, ProfessorDepartment of Ed Adm & Policy

Chinese University of Hong Kongnskpang@cuhk.edu.hk

• John Pisapia, ProfessorDepartment of Ed Leadership

Florida Atlantic Universityjpisapia@fau.edu

Public Research SeminarThe Chinese University of Hong Kong May 5, 2012

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong for the support of this research (RGC Ref. No.: 452710)

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Why do we need to Lead Differently?

The Power of the CurveThe Power of the Curve

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Disruptive Innovation

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The Lessons of the CurveLesson #1 Old maps do not work! Disruptive change and globalization

are challenging the legitimacy of legacy command and control models of leadership.

Lesson #2 These NEW conditions reward leaders who are:

Cognitively complex. They are able to use a wide array of thinking skills

Synthesis as well as AnalysisCreative Thinking as well as Critical ThinkingAbstractly as well as Concretely

Lesson #3 Use a multi-dimensional set of leader influence actions

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Study Aims

This study investigates how Leader thinking and actions is related with organizational learning capacity. The study was framed by four questions:

1. What is the level of school leader’s use of strategic thinking skills? (systems thinking, reframing, and reflection)

2. What is the level of school leader’s use of leader influence actions? (transforming, managing, bonding, bridging, and bartering)

3. Is there a link between school leaders strategic thinking skills and leader influence actions?

4. Is there a link between school leader influence actions and organizational learning capacity?

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“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still."

- Laozi-(Lao Tzu)

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Leaders must possess an Agile mind.

They use strategic thinking skills-systems thinking - reflection - reframing - which enable them to think strategically. These skills make it possible to recognize patterns, make sense out of seemingly unrelated information. They use them to switch from a strategic mindset -“Why and What” - to a tactical mindset -“How and When” - in a rapid and iterative processes when appropriate.

Competency #1

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The Strategic Thinking Skills

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Analytical

Creative

Divergent

Synthesis

Intuitive

Critical

Evaluative

Integrative

Pragmatic

Tactical

Reasoning

Practical

StrategicSolutions

Future

Forward

Convergent

Deductive

Inductive

Holistic

Linear Non Linear

Strategic Thinking Skills

Description

Systems Thinking

Systems thinking refers to the leader’s ability to see systems holistically by understanding the properties, forces, patterns and interrelationships that shape the behavior of the system, which hence provides options for action.

Reflecting

Reflecting refers to the leader’s ability to weave logical and rational thinking, through the use of perceptions, experience and information, to make judgments on what has happened, and creation of intuitive principles that guide future actions.

Reframing

Reframing refers to the leader’s ability to switch attention across multiple perspectives, frames, mental models, and paradigms to generate new insights and options for actions.

Table 1 Subscales of the Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQ)

Pisapia

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1.Leader Thinking is related to self reported, observer reported, and objective measures of leader effectiveness.

2.The use of systems thinking is the most used and explains the largest part of the variance in effectiveness

3.There is a cumulative impact - The strength of the relationship Thinking and Effectiveness increases as leaders use the three dimensions in tandem.

4.The younger, less experienced, and educated you are the less you use these skills. Strategic thinking skills can be developed through training.

The results from 15 studies using the STQ suggest

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Competency #2

Leaders use multiple actions.

They are able to create momentum by using managing - transforming - bonding - bridging - bartering - actions.

They use these actions in a generative way because they know that change will be fast if people are engaged - slow – if not!

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BondingARTISTRY

Bridging

Bartering

Transforming

Managing

Artistry The Mega Skill

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There are two There are two directional directional actionsactions

There are three There are three relational actions relational actions

Leader Actions

Description

ManagingManaging actions are taken to maintain consistency in order that current organizational goals are accomplished efficiently and effectively.

Transforming

Transforming actions are taken to influence direction, actions, and opinions in order to change organizational conditions and culture so that learning and change occur as a normal routine of the organization.

Bonding

Bonding actions are taken to ensure that trust is an attribute of the system and not just something developed among individuals in order that followers' exhibit emotional commitment to the organization's aspirations and values.

Bridging

Bridging actions are taken to develop alliances with people of power and influence from outside and inside the organization in order to gain insights, support, and resources.

BarteringBartering actions are taken to give something in exchange in order to strengthen the effectiveness of relationships and alliance building efforts.

Table 2 Subscales of the Strategic Action Questionnaire (SAQ)

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The results from 7 studies using the SAQ suggest

Leaders use of the Influence Actions is related to self reported, observer reported, and objective measures of leader effectiveness

Transforming, Bonding, and Bridging actions were associated with more cohesive culture in schools.

The use of Leader actions is influenced by leader role and school level.

As complexity of the context increases Leaders use more Bridging, Bartering, and Transforming actions.

Leader discretion is related to use of influence actionsMandated policies require managerial authority. Free choice policies Transforming, Bonding, Bartering, and Bridging actions are effective.

Figure 2. The Research Framework of the Current Study

The Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQ)Systems Thinking

ReflectingReframing

Change Capacity Questionnaire (CCQ)EmpowermentTeacher EfficacyOrganizational LearningLeaders Effectiveness

Leader Cognitive Complexity Organizational Change Capacity

Size Setting Level Staff working experience

Tradition

Contextual Variables

Leader Behavioral Complexity

The Strategic Action Questionnaire (SAQ)

TransformingManagingBridgingBonding

Bartering

Teacher Demography

School Demography

Research Stage I: Strategic Thinking and Leadership in Hong Kong Schools: A Leaders’ Self-reporting Study

Research Stage II: Strategic Thinking and Leadership in Hong Kong Schools: An Organizational Study from Teachers’ Perspective

Research Stage III: Strategic Thinking and Leadership: Case Studies of Hong Kong Schools

Pang

School Outcomes

Description

Teacher Empowerment

The extent to which the school develops teachers’ competence to achieve the school’s goals and missions through enhancing their personal capacity and professional growth, promoting a greater degree of participation as well as allowing a higher degree of autonomy in problem solving.

Teacher Self-Efficacy

The extent to which the teacher believes that he or she has the capacity in achieving the school’s goals and missions, to have a control of the reinforcement of their actions, and to make a difference in student outcomes.

Organizational Learning

The extent to which the school has the capacity to cope both internal and external changes by establishing a flexible organizational structure, incorporating effective policies and processes, and building teams that work collaboratively in achieving the school goals and missions.

Leader Effectiveness

The extent to which the school leader has effectively exercised his/her leadership in coping with the challenges of change and educational reforms and deriving strategies that sustains the school’s short-term and long-term development.

Table 3 Subscales of the Change Capacity Questionnaire (CCQ)

Pang

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Study Variables

Strategic thinking skills

• Systems Thinking• Reframing• Reflection

Strategic Influence Actions• Transforming• Managing• Bonding• Bridging• Bartering

Pang 16

Change Capacity

• Teacher Empowerment• Teacher Self-Efficacy • Organizational Learning • Leader Effectiveness

Moderators• Age• Experience• Gender• Position• School Level

• School Level• School Gender• School MOI• School Funding

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Method - Study Design Quantitative non-experimentalCriterion variable #1 – Leader Influence Actions (Managing, Transforming, Bonding, Bridging, Bartering).Criterion variables#2 - Org Change Capacity (Teacher empowerment, efficiency, learning capacity, leader effectiveness)Predictor variables – Leader Cognitive skills (systems thinking, reflection, reframing)

Hypotheses 1. Thinking would not be associated Influence

Actions2. Thinking and actions would not be

associated with Organizational Learning Capacity

3. Leader actions would not be associated with Org Learning Capacity

4. Contextual Factors would moderate Thinking -Influence Actions - and their relationship.

Sample - SelfSchools Elementary 258 – Secondary 325 – Special Schools 36.Principals 234 VP 280 Senior Masters 112

Sample - Observer•1647 Teachers = Elementary – 905 Secondary 570 Special Schools 46 [a total of 69 schools]Data CollectionInstruments: 1.SAQ© self measures the five leader actions of Bridging, Bartering, Bonding, Managing - Transforming - 35 questions - 5-point Likert scale. 2.STQ©self measures three thinking skills: systems thinking, reflecting, and reframing.3.CCQ observer measures teacher empowerment, efficiency, learning capacity, and leader effectiveness. Questionnaire (CCQ)– 25 questions – 6 point Likert scale.Reliability: All reliability alphas > .68.Validity: STQ/SAQ factor models exceeded 52% of the variance. Psychometrically validated in the USA (Reyes-Guerra 2009; Pisapia 2009), and in China (Pang & Pisapia, 2010; Pang & Pisapia, 2012). Features: Omission rate and inconsistency indexData AnalysisCorrelation and Regression

17Pang

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Systems Thinking

Reframing

Reflection

Transforming

Managing

Bonding

Figure 3. A path model of the relationship among strategic thinking and leader actions

(X Variables)

(Y Variables)

Bridging

0.27

0.35

0.11

0.26

0.49

0.480.23

0.15

Figures are given as standardized coefficients of beta and are significant at 0.00 level.

Bartering

Pisapia

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Transforming

Managing

Bridging

Teacher Empowerment

Teacher Self-Efficacy

Bonding Organizational Learning

Figure 4. A path model of the relationship among leader actions and the School’s Change Capacity

(X Variables)

(Y Variables)

Bartering

Leader Effectiveness

0.19

0.59

0.130.070.51

-0.10

0.480.29

-0.16

0.430.42

Figures are given as standardized coefficients of beta and are significant at 0.001 level.

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How leaders think relates to how they act!

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Preliminary Conclusions

How Hong School Leaders Think The Hong Kong school leaders thinking profile is

systems thinking, reframing, and reflection. The rank order remains the same from principal to senior masters but the

use of each thinking skills decreases at each level. Systems Thinking is used more often than reframing and reflection by

principals, vice principals, and senior masters at the secondary and primary levels.

Reflection is the least often thinking skill used by principals, vice principals, and senior masters at the secondary and primary levels.

How Hong School Leaders Act The Hong Kong school leader’s action profile is

Bonding, Transforming, and managing. Principals use bridging more often than vice principals or senior masters.

Pisapia 21

Preliminary Conclusions

How Hong Kong School Leaders Act Cognitive and Behavioral Complexity are linked.

Hong Kong school leaders, who demonstrated higher use of strategic thinking skills, also reported greater use of managing, transforming, bridging and bonding

Behavioral complexity and Organizational Learning Capacity are linked. School leaders, who demonstrated higher use of strategic thinking skills, also reported greater use of managing, transforming, bridging and bonding

Pang

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Preliminary Conclusions School leadership is a contextualized practice.

Position held was the most influential predictor of the use of the three strategic thinking skills and the five strategic actions. Local culture is a stronger influence on the way school leaders think and act than societal culture.

Societal and/or group culture does not influence the use of directional actions of managing and transforming.

Societal culture significantly influences the use of maneuvering actions of bonding, bridging, and bartering.

Group culture significantly influences the use of maneuvering variables of bonding, bridging and bartering.

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Recommendations For School Leaders, Cultivate strategic

thinking skills, leader influence actions.

For governing bodies, invest in training

For Universities, incorporate syntheses as well as analysis, and creative as well as critical thinking skills into their curricula.

Pang

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Thank you!

Q & A