Effect of the Baldrige Award Process on Leadership Practices

Business    Managers/Executives/Administrators

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TITLE: Effect of the Baldrige Award Process on Leadership Practices
 
RESEARCHER: Julia A. Espe
Department of Educational Leadership
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Unpublished doctoral dissertation: June 2007

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to identify leadership indicators necessary to win the Baldrige National Quality Program award and how that program influenced those practices.

METHODOLOGY
A pilot study involving educational leaders “showed that participants employed beneficial leadership practices, as defined by Kouzes and Posner (2002). Results suggested that leadership practices changed from participating in the Baldrige processes” (p. 37). Interviews were held with leaders of organizations receiving the Baldrige award representing manufacturing (2), small business (2), education (2), service (1) and health care (1). They were asked a series of questions and completed the Leadership Practices Inventory.

KEY FINDINGS
The most frequently engaged in leadership practices were Inspiring and Challenging, followed by Enabling, Encouraging and Modeling. Participants indicated that participating in the Baldrige process had the most positive impact on Inspiring and Challenging. “In all cases but one, participants’ results on the LPI coincided with interview themes regarding leadership practices. Perhaps the constructs of leadership so closely align with the Baldrige processes that is was second nature for participants to give examples demonstrating that alignment. Or perhaps the Baldrige process itself improved and developed leadership behaviors” (pp. 110-111). “The researcher found a strong relationship between the LPI and the Baldrige process” (p. 111).