July 21, 2000 UNT Inhouse publication: Researchers study teams, leadership

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Researchers study teams, leadership

How has the popularity of using a team approach in the workplace affected corporate leadership? UNT researchers are seeking to answer that question and to profile leadership effectiveness within individual companies.

UNT's Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Analysis is offering free feedback to companies across the nation with 100 or more employees. Researchers will collect data via a brief online questionnaire.

During the last decade, businesses have reduced bureaucratic oversight and encouraged workers to share opinions and set independent goals. UNT researchers want to know what impact this decentralization has had on leadership competency. As part of the research, they will develop tailored feedback reports for participating organizations.

"Organizations know that in order to keep growing their businesses in a highly competitive market, they need leaders who can stand up to the challenges of decentralized structures, virtual offices and instantaneous transactions," says Todd Sherron, manager of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Analysis. "These leaders also must press for customer service requirements while representing the best interests of their organizations and employees."

The leadership competency research will be conducted by Sherron; Margie Tieslau, associate professor of economics; and three members of the Department of Technology and Cognition, Jeff Allen, assistant professor, Roger Ditzenberger, professor, and Randy Schumacker, professor.

The project's goal is to determine benchmarks for 21st-century leader competencies and to validate the Adaptive Leadership Competency Profile, a tool that will be used to help organizations develop effective leaders.

UNT began collecting data July 3. Corporate leaders interested in participating can contact Todd Sherron, 565-4414, sherron@coefs.coe.unt, or Jeff Allen, 565-4918, jallen@unt.edu.