Identifying and managing the impact of NeuroLeadership during organisational change

Abstract

Although management and leadership research in the past century has significantly enhanced our understanding of human workplace behaviour, recent developments in neuroscience with the potential to significantly advance that research remain largely untapped. Standing upon this rapidly developing body of neuroscience research, and particularly social cognitive neuroscience research, proposals to formalise a specific new field dedicated and committed to exploring the processes within the brain that underlie or influence human decisions, behaviours, and interactions in the workplace and beyond is being developed.

NeuroLeadership focuses on how individuals in a social environment make decisions and solve problems, regulate their emotions, collaborate with and influence others, and facilitate change; that is, NeuroLeadership engages the “people,” as opposed to the functional side of business (Ringleb & Rock, 2008). As a sub-discipline, NeuroLeadership is emerging in parallel with developments in research technologies which provide researchers with the ability to directly observe brain activity. Those technologies are providing researchers with both confirmation of and new insights into long-held theories and concepts, which to date have largely focused on social psychology theories. The adaptation of this research to other social sciences in general, and to leadership and leadership development more specifically, is moving much more slowly

During organisational change staff members are usually unsure about their job security. Job security is one of the stress factors that can have a negative effect on the organisation during these changes. During this period of change and uncertainty it is important to manage stress as an important factor. These stress factors have to be identified and addressed. By managing stress while providing a better work environment and support, effective leadership will provide support to staff to be able to perform more effectively in their respective roles.

The focus of this research is to explore the neural basis of leadership and management practices, effectively bringing about the interface between the tools of social cognitive and affective neuroscience and other domains within neuroscience, and questions and theories from the leadership and management social sciences.

One area of emerging research focuses on the preparation to change, which has a solid effect on numerous choices in a change process, for example, arranging, execution, correspondence and systematisation. Notwithstanding, the expression "preparation" still makes disarray as it is exhibited in a short-sighted manner. Throughout this research the researcher’s objective is to expand the understating of the preparation effect on change accomplishment by looking at different levels of this idea and their progress.

A quantitative research method approach will also facilitate in comparing similar studies easily with more accuracy and would help the researcher in measuring and managing the variables while providing assistance in the collection of descriptive data. As part of the research method, the descriptive evaluative research methodology was used for analysis where data was collected through surveys based on the assumption that this would help produce more accurate results. The primary data sources included 12 organisations including their management and administration staff that is based in different cities across New Zealand. A sample population was drawn from the sampling frame. A sampling frame includes the actual number of employees in each organisation which was approximately 100 staff members. The main data collection techniques used in this research study was the literature reviews and a 3 part questionnaire.

In conclusion key implications and contributions of the study are presented. The study’s key short coming is established. Recommendations with merit for both scholars and practitioners’ attention are presented