Perceived challenges of shared leadership in teamwork : The case of Glaxo Smith Klein (GSK)
Woldu, Diana Elsa (2020)
Woldu, Diana Elsa
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202004215565
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202004215565
Tiivistelmä
The focus of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of the challenges of shared leadership (SL) from the corporative employee and teamwork perspective. Based on prior literature, SL in teamwork is defined as systematic and planned sharing of team leadership roles, responsibilities, and tasks, between two or more leaders. The main goal of the thesis is to examine the following two research questions: (RQ1) What are the potential challenges of SL for team members and team leaders? (RQ2) Through what kind of means and ways can challenges in SL be overcome or resolved?
The research embarks with a literature review of SL, discussing its benefits and preliminarily identifying a set of related challenges. The research then moves on to empirically investigate the preliminary challenges of SL – including task division, decision-making authority, responsibilities of the members in the team, and clear communication – from the viewpoint of GSK employees. Specifically, empirical research is conducted by using a qualitative research approach with semi-structured interviews. Five interviews were conducted with employees of GSK Finland, all having experience working in a shared leadership team, acting either as a team leader or a team member. The interviews, conducted both face-to-face and virtually, lasted approximately one hour each and were transcribed afterward, leading to 16 pages of material.
The results of the research are line with the prior literature, yet also extend the prior literature by identifying a set of practical manifestations of the preliminary SL challenges, two additional challenges, and ways to overcome the challenges. Based on the results, communication seems like the most substantial challenge of SL, and clearer communication as the most prominent way to overcome the challenges. Micromanagement and egocentric leading were two additional challenges emerging through the interviews with informants.
This thesis was commissioned by GSK, and the results of the research are to serve as a tool for the managerial implementations of SL.
The research embarks with a literature review of SL, discussing its benefits and preliminarily identifying a set of related challenges. The research then moves on to empirically investigate the preliminary challenges of SL – including task division, decision-making authority, responsibilities of the members in the team, and clear communication – from the viewpoint of GSK employees. Specifically, empirical research is conducted by using a qualitative research approach with semi-structured interviews. Five interviews were conducted with employees of GSK Finland, all having experience working in a shared leadership team, acting either as a team leader or a team member. The interviews, conducted both face-to-face and virtually, lasted approximately one hour each and were transcribed afterward, leading to 16 pages of material.
The results of the research are line with the prior literature, yet also extend the prior literature by identifying a set of practical manifestations of the preliminary SL challenges, two additional challenges, and ways to overcome the challenges. Based on the results, communication seems like the most substantial challenge of SL, and clearer communication as the most prominent way to overcome the challenges. Micromanagement and egocentric leading were two additional challenges emerging through the interviews with informants.
This thesis was commissioned by GSK, and the results of the research are to serve as a tool for the managerial implementations of SL.