Capturing sociality in the movement between frames: An illustration from leadership development

Abstract

In this article we offer a dynamic relational perspective in which frames and framing work together in the practice of leadership development. Mead's (1932) notion of sociality is introduced as a way of engaging with movements within and between frames, where it is these framing movements that we argue hold the potentiality of emergent practice. The article responds to a growing interest in the delineation, conceptualization and practice of leadership as opposed to leader development, where we understand leadership development in terms of the creation of social capital, relational capacity and collaboration. However, there is little, if any, research into how these dimensions may be developed intentionally in practice. Using online forum data from an 18-monthlong leadership development programme, we demonstrate three different sociality movements, which we have labelled kindling, stretching and spanning. Our analysis positions sociality at the core of leadership development interventions, and practice more generally.

Organizational discourse analysis (ODA): Examining leadership as a relational process

“…Without the binds of an a priori scheme, there is more freedom to let the data "speak" for itself in critical conversations, turning points, or altered trajectories based on one's theoretical interests to derive a workable coding scheme. We saw this with Wodak and colleagues' (2011) interest in a durable consensus versus those that failed to hold, and Carroll and Simpson's (2012) framing movements in on-line conversations.…”

“…Analyses can be performed on audio-or videotape transcriptions of actual dialogue (e.g., routine work conversations, talk at meetings, etc. ; Fairhurst, 2004a), on-line conversations (Carroll & Simpson, 2012), or real-time observations of organizational practices (Komaki, Zlotnick, & Jensen, 1986). Oftentimes, multiple methods such as those gained through ethnography (Van Maanen, 1998) are also present.…”

“…Another study of emergent interaction coding by Carroll and Simpson (2012) examined 93 online forum postings (paired with ethnographic observations) by 20 participants conversing about the contents of a leadership development seminar in which they participated. Framing episodes were constructed through "gesture and response" (i.e., interacts that are ordered, not necessarily contiguous moves) patterns that simultaneously addressed each other and the ongoing conversation.…”

Leadership Formation: Interpreting Experience

“…In particular, Carroll & Simpson (2012) Dialogic openness to learning from (interpreting) diverse experiences as they arise is less programmatic and structured than formal learning in conventional programs. Dialogical openness also favors diversity, not just in terms of individuals but also in terms of disciplinary breadth.…”

“…relational connection may open up new ways of understanding (Carroll and Simpson, 2012;Drath et al, 2008). In addition, there are strong arguments that situating experiential learning relationships in a broader relational context -a caring community -can favor the development of altruistic leadership tendencies (see, for example: Bono, Shen & Snyder, 2010;Fry & Kriger, 2009;Militello and Benham, 2010).…”