Abstract
Leadership development (LD) is a significant global business. However, much of the content of leadership development programmes (LDPs) is based on overly rational and individualistic approaches, which can be ineffective. There is a tendency in organisations to specify competency frameworks and strive to apply 'correct' formulas for best practice. Some concerns have been raised that these constructs cannot be successfully adapted to different cultures. This 'alternative format thesis' addresses these concerns by using a case study of Egypt's healthcare system. This thesis aims to comprehensively explore the challenges and opportunities in leadership development, focusing on the importance of context and the fundamental dynamics of receptiveness and defensiveness. The choice of Bollas' psychoanalytical perspective as the theoretical location provides a novel lens to understand the phenomenon of leadership development.The thesis develops an understanding of LD from Bollas' psychoanalytical perspective. It sets out to achieve several objectives: firstly, to explore the forms of LD taking place in the case study location; secondly, to understand the contextual factors that may influence LD and leadership practices; thirdly, to gain an understanding of the factors contributing to LD success or failure; fourthly, to understand the underlying dynamics associated with LD from Bollas' psychoanalytical perspective; and finally, to explore potential ways of improving leadership and LD in Egypt's healthcare services. A qualitative case study was conducted in four medical centres within the Egyptian healthcare context to achieve these aims.
The thesis adopts the ‘three paper’ format; that is, it has three interrelated papers plus four supporting chapters. It is structured into seven chapters: an introduction, research methodology, context, three interrelated papers, and the discussion and conclusion. The context chapter delves into the research case’s social, political, and historical context, offering nuanced insights into leadership development practices within Egyptian healthcare organisations by considering cultural, historical, and political factors. Additionally, the research methodology provides an overview of the study's design, methods, and limitations. It also incorporates the theoretical framework derived from Bollas' psychoanalytical work, which is applicable to all three papers.
The three structured papers are as follows: Paper one, entitled "All roads lead to Rome: Self-reinforcing leadership development in the Egyptian healthcare context", aims to explore the forms of LD taking place and assess their contributions to improving leadership practices. The findings reveal that leadership development in Egyptian healthcare operates in a circular manner. In other words, regardless of the type of learning opportunities provided, they tend to result in similar defensive, inactive, or self-reinforcing reactions and outcomes. This paper makes two key contributions. Firstly, it constructs a novel conceptual framework to comprehend the dynamics that lead organisations back to established ways of leading. Elements of Bollas' psychoanalytic 'meta-psychology' (1995) are used to explain why LD becomes stuck on the road to development. Secondly, it emphasises the importance of recognising the specific context in which LD is attempted in order to design effective leadership development and move beyond stagnation.
Paper two, entitled "Learning how to seek out paradoxes: the paradoxical role of paradox micro-dynamics in embracing paradoxes", delves deeper into the complexities embedded in leadership to understand the types of LD needed. It addresses how leaders can utilise unconscious dynamics to both defend against and embrace leadership paradoxes. By developing a conceptual framework for engaging with the emotionally charged, consistently turbulent, and politically complex experience of paradox, a better understanding of the paradoxical role of unconscious dynamics is achieved. These dynamics can foster individuals' growth and novelty in navigating leadership paradoxes.
Paper three, entitled "Obstacles as stepping-stones for creative engagement: The role of the receptive unconscious in the Egyptian healthcare context", examines how healthcare managers think and act in challenging situations and how they can break free from a restrictive context to overcome financial, regulatory, or workforce challenges. This paper builds upon Bollas' receptive theory of creativity to investigate the psychic and affective mechanisms that underpin creative engagement. It introduces a theory of creative engagement that offers an alternative view of the dynamics underlying creativity within a restrictive context. The concluding essay explores the broader ideas, contributions, and implications of Bollas' psychoanalytical thinking on leadership development.
| Date of Award | 26 Jun 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Katharina Chudzikowski (Supervisor) & Nancy Harding (Supervisor) |