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Argues that covert activity determines the durability of the manager. Applying systems theory, dissects both organizations and managers to determine what makes them effective over time. Paralleling knowledge of organizational success with managerial success, uncovers similarities which have direct implications for understanding business effectiveness.

Diversity‐based intervention strategies require congruence with the culture of the client system. Achieving congruence demands the questioning of topic definition, method of implementation, programme content and the stated bottom‐line intent of the programme. Practitioners are advised to introduce the subject of managing differences in the workforce in a manner that initiates change in the client system without bringing about rejection. The preparation of the system for such an intervention and the strategic design of diversity‐based programmes can lead to a corporate environment that fosters benefits to both people and profit. Discusses the content of training for workshop facilitators and the role of process consultation skills when conducting managerial workshops on diversity. Practical guidelines address the importance of organizational readiness, co‐facilitation, client‐ownership, confrontation and management of small‐group dynamics. Suggests that consulting psychologists enhance organizational understanding of diversity by incorporating research on person perception, small‐group dynamics, managerial styles (and other individual differences), and work design – human differences interaction with issues of stereotyping in applied organizational settings.

This article examines the demands of emerging technologies, particularly electronic and mobile enterprises, for executives who are externally and internally expansive. Expansive leaders are people who are avid continuous learners. They may have an external focus (learning and developing technology, organizations, and work teams) and/or an internal focus (developing themselves and their relationships with others). The paper offers diagnostic questions for assessing situations and individuals, and offers recommendations for management development interventions to enhance individual expansiveness and facilitate the value of expansive leadership.

To succeed, organizations must adapt to environmental changes. Executives play a critical leadership role in this process of change. They must be aware of organizational nuances as well as external influences that may impair their interpersonal decision‐making ability. Organizations often provide a coach for executives who are having trouble with change and are in need of more effective leadership strategies. The process of coaching offers a fresh perspective for understanding and affecting organizational processes and individual behavior. A strategic position is taken when the coach gathers information, interacts with the environment, reframes information, and assists the executive in acting on pressing circumstances. The coaching process is a critical aspect of organizational development. Coaching helps the executive focus on objectives, develops resiliency, and builds interpersonal savvy. This article explores the key elements of effective coaching, a surprisingly overlooked aspect of organizational change. Steps are outlined in the coaching process and examples are given on how the process works. A case is made for executive coaching as important leverage for organizational transformation.

This study aims to investigate the promotion of workplace multiculturalism via the use of a participative and empowerment‐based diversity training and development method.

A two‐year long qualitative, multiple case‐study amongst 15 Finnish organizations was conducted by means of the focus group method. Altogether 20 group interviews were held with so‐called “working culture bridge groups” consisting of different stakeholders and their four coordinators to explore the approaches, modes of action, achievements and explanatory factors that contributed to the development of working cultures towards multiculturalism.

The development method was directed more at individual than organizational level change processes. More specifically, the attitudes of the majority were perceived as the main problem and the goal was to influence them by enhancing their knowledge and awareness of multicultural issues. The effectiveness of the method was recognized to depend on the clarity of set goals, adequate resources, systemic development work at both the individual and organizational level as well as on the commitment of management.

Despite being conducted in one country with low cultural diversity, an empowerment‐based method proved to be useful in directing the creation of inclusive working organizations.

The method helps in planning the content and delivery of different diversity training and development approaches.

The paper offers a powerful tool and an innovative way for practitioners to align both organisational and diversity goals to meet individual needs, to identify inequalities and to increase the effectiveness of diversity initiatives.

This chapter examines how the author, a teacher educator, uses self-study to reframe and reconceptualize her teaching of Emirati preservice teachers. The author describes how conducting self-study helped her shift from using monolingual approaches to teaching Emirati preservice teachers and a focus on improving their English language proficiency, to affirming their bilingual identities, and becoming more culturally responsive. Initially, the researcher posed the question, “how do I frame and reframe my teaching to support the English language learning of my Emirati preservice teachers?” then progressed to asking and answering the question “how can I affirm the bilingual identities of my Emirati preservice teachers and support their English language proficiency?”

The purpose of this paper is to show how school principals in France spend their work time and when and under what circumstances they deal with school improvement-related matters.

For the study presented in this paper, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Five French collèges (secondary schools) from one school district were visited for a week each. Each principal was shadowed, his/her actions and the context were recorded and categorized. The shadowing was conducted using a structured observation approach derived from Mintzberg. In addition semi-structured interviews were conducted with all principals. The data were analyzed following a grounded theory approach.

The results show how principals spend their work time and as well as possible areas of improvement. Among other things, they reveal very fragmented workdays. Most principals put a low emphasis on school improvement and struggle with conflicting expectations (preservation vs innovation). Shared leadership was only observed in one case.

The specificity of the sample limits the possible ranges of interpretation and generalization. Also, it remains unclear whether one week of observation per school is enough to get a reliable estimate of a principal's daily work. There is a need for further empirical studies of the matter.

This paper offers rare insights into the day-to-day work of French school principals. It contributes to the understanding of school leadership practice as well as to the transcultural understanding of school leadership.

This book offers theoretical frameworks and results of hundreds of empirical studies designed to investigate aspects of social identity dimensions of difference. Part I provides a foundation for examining social identity by defining it in terms of systems of power and hegemony, offering discussion of relationships between researchers and their participants (or, employees), and focusing on an ever-expanding literature which addresses the many ways that social identity dimensions overlap and intersect for individuals. Part II offers in-depth looks at specific social identity dimensions of culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical and psychological ability, and faith/spirituality. As the final installment, Chapter 12 summarizes the book’s major themes. The message speaks to human resources and diversity managers in organizations as well as researchers; encouraging them to actively disassemble homogeneity at the top of organizations and to support enabling of all humans to reach their full human potential across organizations and in all social realms. Promoting and enabling social identity difference throughout organizations is no easy task due to multiple challenges. Indeed, incremental gains and small wins mean moving forward; the right direction.

Compensation influences applicants' perceptions of a position's attractiveness, but there has been limited analysis of how different compensation systems might reflect organizational cultures and influence organizational attractiveness. This article seeks to explore these issues.

An experiment was conducted in which 288 undergraduates reacted to scenarios describing a company that distributed salaries and benefits based on either merit or on seniority. Individual differences were also measured and analyzed. Analysis of variance and moderated regression were used to test the hypotheses.

Relative to seniority‐based compensation systems, the cultures of organizations relying on merit were perceived to be more aggressive, reward‐oriented, and less decisive. Unexpectedly, the psychological contracts of organizations using merit systems were generally perceived to be more relational and less transactional than those using seniority‐based systems. Individual differences were not related to attraction to the organization regardless of its compensation systems. Finally, individuals were least attracted to organizations that distributed both salaries and benefits based on seniority relative to those using a mixed compensation distribution system or one based entirely on merit.

The sample was composed of undergraduates who responded to a hypothetical job scenario. The scenario only included information about how salary and benefits are allocated. Future research should use more experienced samples that are considering actual positions.

Findings indicate how information about compensation systems might be used in job descriptions to encourage applicants.

This study was the first to find that merit/seniority‐based compensation systems for determining salary and benefits reflect different organizational cultures to job applicants and influence job applicants' attraction to organizations.