Leadership team performance management: the case of BELRON

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to present a case study around an approach to team performance management being deployed within the BELRON group of companies. The device being deployed is the climate measure (OCSII), which is being used within the organisation as an indicator of leadership capability. Although the results of climate surveys may be reported at both team and individual levels, this paper seeks to focus on team climate and how this may be linked to changes in business performance. Design/methodology/approach -The performance management approach has been aligned to a strategic intent, as championed by the CEO, to focus on leadership development as a key enabler of BELRON's future success. The paper considers the deployment of the climate tool within the Top Teams of three different business units and this is linked to available information relating to performance. Findings -The paper finds that, within BELRON, there is a belief that the emphasis on climate has been a major contributor to its enhanced business performance over recent years. The paper presents information from three BELRON contexts where changes in climate would appear to precede improvements in business performance. However, despite these examples, i.e. where "high performing climates" appear to be linked with profitability, or other measures of business performance, this is not seen to be universal within the company.Research limitations/implications -The work reported has limitations in that it focuses on only three positive examples of a possible climate/performance link at BELRON. Practical implications -The paper makes a key contribution for practitioners, particularly HR, OD professionals and consultants as well as any senior manager concerned with managing performance. The climate survey being deployed in this context (the OCSII) is a tool which has been in use since the 1960s, with many claims made about its links to performance. However, the vast majority of the work has been conducted in a consultancy setting without much coverage in academic literatures. Originality/value -The paper describes for the reader how the OSCII tool may be deployed to support team performance management. It then describes how the instrument has been deployed within the Top Teams of three business units within BELRON.

Agency relations and managed performance in public universities in Uganda

“…This study's findings were also in agreement with Litwin andStringer (1968, as cited in Houldsworth andMachin, 2007), who claimed that climate has an impact on performance. Hence, if all other factors were equal (in terms of competition, staff, service or product), then climate (i.e.…”

“…• employee involvement in the development of the mission statement, business plan and the enhancement of communication • the clarification of individual responsibilities and accountabilities through job descriptions and role definitions • the implementation of appropriate reward strategies (Houldsworth & Jirasinghe, 2007).…”

“…Denison found that several dimensions of climate were significantly and positively correlated with subsequent financial performance (Houldsworth & Jirasinghe, 2007). From the reviewed literature a proposition is drawn that: Organisational climate is associated with managed performance.…”

“…According to Houldsworth and Jirasinghe (2007), teamwork requires that employees exercise flexibility as they focus on new ways of performing functions and being innovative. A respondent observed: '… I would say, really, a strategy is team spirit.…”