Macht und Führung

The article highlights the relation between leadership and power in organizations. Paradoxes and dilemmas related to the power endowment of the leadership role are analyzed from a systems-theory perspective. The article closes with recommendations for the shaping of the supervisor role.     

Aufstiegsf?rderliche Führung – gut für den Aufstieg, schlecht für die Gesundheit?

The present study introduces the concept of career-supportive leadership within the contradictory context of career success and psychological strain. We describe four dimensions of career-supportive leadership: delegation, feedback, trust and promotion. In addition to positive relationships with career success, we expected negative relationships with psychological strain and work-home-interference because career-supportive leadership provides resources which might buffer the effects of career-related demands. In a longitudinal questionnaire study with 581 participants of different organizations we found mainly delegation and promotion to be positively related to different indicators of career success. Referring to psychological strain and work-home-interference, feedback was found to be protective. We discuss research prospects as well as practical implications.     

Introvision in der Arbeitsvermittlung für Fallmanager und Arbeitslose

In the context of a pilot study the effects of the educational-psychological intervention Introvision were tested with older long-term unemployed people. The project was accomplished in the time by 1.4.2010 to 31.12.2010 in co-operation between ARGE Paderborn and the research group Introvision. In the context of the project 16 employees of ARGE Paderborn participated in an advanced training to Introvision, 31 customers of ARGE Paderborn began a coaching to get introduction in Introvision and 20 have also finished. Nine customers decided to participate five individual coachings. The results show, that the offers have a high individual use for the participants. To the central changes belong improved handling of stress, decrease of social isolation, improved (self-) perception as well as a higher self-confidence and a more open co-operation between customers and employees of ARGE Paderborn. Besides four participation began a job on the first labour market and two could be connected to a honorary activity.     

Grundrechtsschutz durch Verfahrensgestaltung: Verfassungs- und völkerrechtliche Vorgaben für die Durchführung kindschaftsrechtlicher Verfahren

Articles 6 II 2 and 2 I of the German Constitution require the Federal Republic of Germany to create procedural rules guaranteeing the fundamental rights of children. The same message may also be derived not only from Art. 6 I, but also from Art. 8 I of the European Convention on Human Rights. This is exemplified by judgements dealing with duration of proceedings, fair trial and execution of orders made by the Court.     

Nah der Wissenschaft und fern der Führung in einer Fach‑/Expertenlaufbahn?

In order to motivate and retain technical employees, representatives of strategic career management face the challenge of establishing alternative career paths in addition to the common leadership/management career. Surveying a sample of 629 doctorate holders from the STEM fields, we differentiated between five career paths within and beyond structured career models. Structured career ladders were predominantly present in major enterprises. Female participants less frequently reported to be part of a structured career path. Entering a leadership/management career seems to occur at a later stage compared to other paths. Generally, advancement on a leadership/management path was related to stronger increases in incentives than climbing up the technical/expert or project management ladders. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find members of a technical/expert career to work closer to basic research and their initial qualification than their colleagues on other career paths. Members of leadership/management paths reported to have significantly more leadership responsibility than those working on alternative paths.     

Die Balintgruppe als professioneller Stabilisierungsfaktor für BeraterInnen und Führungskräfte

The Balint groups named after Michael and Enid Balint exist since over 50 years as a well-established method to help general practitioners in understanding and analysing – with the emphasis on the patients - their doctor-patient relationships. Over the years other occupational groups from the psycho-social fields have used and are till this day still using and profiting in a lasting and sustainable manner from this method. In recent times Balint groups have made themselves available to professionals from the widespread and diverse fields of the advisory professions and for management. In the framework of this contribution I would like to discuss the aims of Balint groups as well as the possible benefits of the Balint group method for advisory professions and management. The author - who is himself a medical doctor and a Balint group leader, of doctors as well as from persons working in advisory profession and management - shows several parallels between these professional groups and illustrate the significances of the method for the one profession as well as for the other.     

Der regulatorische Fokus als Führungsinstrument für eine bedürfnisorientierte und effektive Mitarbeiterkommunikation

Interaction with employees is essential for organizational leaders. If executives do not communicate well, important processes like giving feedback, setting goals or guiding change processes can nevertheless lead to resistance from subordinates when communication is received as more threatening than challenging. Conveying messages in ways that provoke challenge instead of threat appraisals can be achieved via employee-oriented communication, but this may require taking peoples’ differing motivational orientations into account. This is because motivational orientations partially determine what kind of information is motivating to us, which goals and strategies we prefer, and how we deal with changes. In this regard, Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins 1997) compares the gain- and success-sensitive promoter with the loss- and failure-sensitive preventer. This article applies this theory to the organizational psychological context and outlines practical implications for managers. The goal of the piece is to provide managers a leadership tool that acknowledges the diversity of peoples’ motivational styles and by that revealing a need-oriented and more efficient way in communication with subordinates.     

Führung virtueller Teams

Thanks to an ever-advancing technology and the ensuing development of new media, the boundaries between private and professional life become rather blurred, with digital tools enabling affordable, easy and fast communication, cooperation, organization and production. Organizations everywhere are recognizing the possibilities and benefits to be derived, and are developing cross-border work models to accommodate the new “economic world order”, where nothing is bound to a stationary, existing location anymore. Prime targets are, in particular, virtual teams, whose team members predominantly communicate by information and communication technologies (ICT). There are, however, new challenges to face and solutions to be found. What exactly lies ahead of us? What factors are key to a successful virtual team? Where do present virtual teams stand, and what will future virtual teams look like? The global management consulting firm Hay Group in collaboration with FKI – Führungskräfte Institut have asked both experts and leadership in a survey to share their opinion (N = 289). The results of the survey have shown that virtual teams are a very common form of cross-border work and will gain importance in the future. Furthermore, those six factors determining the success of a virtual team in particular degree, could be identified by the survey. Worth mentioning here in particular are the development of trust and the team leader.     

Networking: aufstiegsf?rderliche Strategien für Frauen in Führungspositionen

The establishment of networks, selective networking and mentoring are fundamental elements for a future career in management. Women in executive positions are disadvantaged due to their minority position concerning their access to networks and their ability to build a mentoring relationship. In the following article examines, from the micro-political point of view, how this disadvantage reflects in organizations at the action level (like networking strategies or exclusion tactics) and which opportunities and barriers for women in leading positions might be derived from the findings. Firstly, the concept of micro-politics will be introduced then networking and coalitions building as career promoting strategies will be discussed. Based on qualitative expert interviews conducted with women and men in executive positions, the strategies of networking and mentoring as well as the opportunities of women to win access to men-dominated networks will be presented. The article will conclude with implications derived from the study results.