Leadership in an Electronic Age: Towards a Regional Ontology : Towards a Socio-Technical View
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Transcript of Leadership in an Electronic Age: Towards a Regional Ontology : Towards a Socio-Technical View
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Leadership in an Electronic Age: Towards a Regional Ontology:Towards a Socio-Technical View
Nixon Muganda, Ph.D
School of Information Technology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
E-Mail: [email protected]
07/10/2013
Overview
• What is the Issue?
• Complex Environment of Leadership
• Organizing Vision of E-Leadership
• Towards a Regional Ontology for E-
Leadership
• Questions
Current Dilemma in Leadership Research & Practice• Richard Hackman and Ruth Wageman concluded is “curiously
unformed” (Hackman & Wageman, 2007, p.43). • Warren Bennis as early as 1959, stated that “[…] probably more has
been written and less is known about leadership than any other topic in the behavioral sciences” (Bennis, 1959, p.260).
• A fiercely behavioral school that claim ownership of the field, individual focus
• The narrow conceptualization of leadership disadvantaged leadership practice, and a decade ago, (Zaccaro & Horn, 2003, p. 776) recognized the problematic and limited conceptualization of leadership theory which tended to lead to a “limited attention to the conceptual dynamics of leadership practice”.
• Yet global advances in information and communications technologies (ICTs) may have tipped the scales towards reifying a more integrative view of leadership
• We seek to elevate the socio-technical school within leadership theory, given inevitable advances in global information systems (IS).
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Complex Environment of Leadership
• We are in a complex knowledge-based society:
– characterized by a competitive landscape driven by globalization, technology, deregulation, and democratization (Uhl-Bien, Marion, & McKelvey, 2007; Halal & Taylor, 1999).
• Unlike Ducker's 1999 prediction that developing countries would focus largely on manufacturing, on the contrary, African countries are participants in the knowledge economy e.g. m-pesa, e-fare, etc.
• Organizational and societal success and sustainability in the current knowledge – economy is premised:
– On accumulation and sharing of knowledge assets and leadership being emergent as an interactive dynamic (Uhl-Bien, Marion, & McKelvey, 2007);
– “distributed” form of leadership within a collective interactive dynamic (Gronn, 2002);
– Reducing the influence of individuals as leaders while focusing attention on activities and events for organizational transformation (Lichtenstein, Uhl-Bien, Marion, Seers, & Douglas, 2006);
– and leadership outcomes based on shared direction, alignment and mutual commitment (Drath, et al., 2008)
• Thus: In effect, a leadership that moves beyond leaders as individuals towards distributed forms of action, recognizing the influence of the knowledge-based context as playing a critical mediating role on leadership outcomes.
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Organizing Vision for E-Leadership: A Thematic Analysis
Country Locus Defining LogicSouth Sudan(MTPS, 2010)
ICT as a reform instrument for Citizen Empowerment; Enhanced Democracy; Socio-Economic Development; E-Enabled Society
Socio-Economic Development; E-Participation
Kenya (2013 – 2017)(GOK-MOICT, 2012)
Enhanced Public Value: Connected Health; Education; Agriculture; Youth, Gender and Vulnerable GroupsDevelopment of ICT Businesses: Technology Innovation; BPO/ITES; Digital Economy Development; Strengthen ICT as Driver of ICT Industry: Driving Real Economic Growth; Open and Efficient Governance; E-Participation
Socio-economic rationality, e-participation
Financial Services; Tourism & Hospitality; Manufacturing; Transport & Logistics; Energy; Creative Industry; Integration ICT infrastructure & info-structure; Enhanced Citizen Capacity
Nigeria(FMCT, 2012)
Convergence of ICT Services; Institutional Strengthening; ICT Act; Universal Access; Capacity Building; ICT Development; Liberalization of Sector; ICT Investment
Transformation to a Knowledge Economy; Legal Rationality for ICT; Economic Development
Botswana(IST Africa, 2013)
Capacity Building; E-Government; Digital Content; Universal Access; E-Health; ICT Increased ICT Investments; E-
Infrastructure and Legal Framework Participation; Regional Hub for Economic
DevelopmentEgypt (2012 – 2017)(ARE - MCIT, 2013)
Local Digital Content; Cloud Computing; Digital Identity Management; Access to information and Data; E-Commerce; Mobile Applications Development; Tablet Computer Industry; Open-Source Software; Empowering People with Disabilities
Economic Progress and Development; E-Participation
Rwanda(RDB, 2011)
Skills Development; Private Sector Development; Community Development; E-Government and Cyber Security
Socio-Economic Development; Professional Development and E-Participation
Zimbabwe (2012) Enhancement of Public Value; Infrastructure for Economic Growth Socio-Economic Rationality; E-Particpation
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1. Objectification of E-Leadership through Interpretation and legitimation
2. Legitimization and Mobilization: Reinforcing Western Thought or Afro-Centrism?
Innovation Focus Aspect of Leadership
M-PesaMobile financial services application dubbed the "future of banking"
Economic relevance of applications indicative of responsible citizenry
SliceBiz - Ghana Venture capital funding for startupsDiscovering hitherto unexplored niches providing economic relevance
PriceCheck South Africa Retail price comparison applicationAfrica is leading in coming up with "useful, elegant and technically sophisticated mobile application development" -Link to
economic rationality
MedAfrica - KenyaHelp Africans seeking medical assistance. A medical alert system
Strong social relevance motivated by economic rationality.
mPedigree - GhanaAn SMS application for authenticating medical supplies by consumers
Tough Jungle - Kenya A web-based and mobile gaming applicationRouted in a unique social reality that is unique to Africa.
MafutaGo - UgandaA mobile application that directs car drivers to petrol stations that offers the best price.
Economic rationality, but still unique to Africa. Every dollar counts
iROKOtv - NigeriaAn application that allows users to stream African movies
Online and web-based gaming leadership
M-Farm - Kenya; iCow-KenyaAn application that provides farmers up-to-date information about the agricultural market and trends.
Recognition that the country is still hugely dependent on agriculture as the backbone of the economy.
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3. Legitimization and Mobilization Reported in Research: Academic Agenda
Key Theme Focus Locus Authors
Moral Disengagement versus Moral Engagement
Employing Systematic and Moral Disengagement Strategies for dubious public sector projects
A biased rationality, which is predominantly economic in nature
Naidoo (2013)
Visibility of Online KnowledgeSocial Inequality, Poverty, Knowledge as a Public good
Inaccessible knowledge about Africa
Czerniewicz ( 2013)
Electronic Compliance Monitoring Good corporate governance Minimizing over-regulation using ITHenk, Leonard & Strydom (2013)
ICT Policy ProcessHow policy networks influence outcomes
Political interests and foreign intervention
Metfula & Chigona (2013)
Internet Diffusion Re-orienting diffusion Policy and Regulatory effectivenessMlay et al (2013)
Access to Internet for Socially Excluded Groups
Ease of Access Relevance of Technology-Based Solutions to the Elderly
Von Solms & De Lange (2013)
Rational Choice Related to Privacy Issues
Risk – Utility Tradeoffs in Mobile Banking
Security risk is less of a deterrent in adoption
Ndlovu & Njenga (2013)
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Towards a Regional Ontology for E-Leadership
LOCUS ASPECTS
Ethical & Moral Leadership Entrepreneurial Leadership
Leadership Institutionalization
National System of Innovation
What Ethical & Moral Engagement Netrepreneurship African Values; Aspects of Western Civilization
Research & Development of “local” knowledge systems
How E-Particpation & E-Democracy Mobile Innovations; Training; Incubation
Mainstreaming Formal and Informal Organizing Forms; Accepting counter-power; Technocratic Governance
Research and Development; Education
Where National Government; Local Government
Local Levels Formal Organizing Structures; Local Organizing Forms
Universities; R & D Centers; Leadership Centers
Who National and Local Government/Business leaders; Individuals
Individuals and Communities
National, Regional, Local Structures and Individuals
National For a of Political, Business, Educational and Civil Society Leadership; Presidency; Line Ministry
When Continuous and Evolutionary Transformative and Disruptive
Continuous and Evolving Disruptive and Continuous
Why Social Sustainability Socio-Economic Rationality
Legal & Professional Rationality Global focus on knowledge flows
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The “Big” Questions arising?From a Moral Engagement Perspective:•How can ethical and moral engagement be realized in the 21st century e-leadership practices? •How can leaders be developed / trained to operate in operate in a digitally transformed environment? •How can ICT leadership and business leadership work together in the current electronic era? •How can the current demand for e-leaders be matched with the current supply?
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The “Big” Questions arising?From a Entrepreneurial Leadership Perspective:•How can entrepreneurial leadership be a foundation for resolving Africa’s unique problems? •What forms and practices of entrepreneurial leadership can evolve from Africa to inform the international discourse? •How can we better understand leadership through acts of entrepreneurship?
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The “Big” Questions arising?From a Leadership Institutionalization Perspective:•How can African values be embedded in leadership practices to ensure quality and relevance in bureacratic governance? •How can Africa’s traditional authority structures be reconciled with practices enabled by social media, open data tools, and web 2-0? •In what ways can professional and legal rationality be realized in the age of technocratic governance without threatening the independence of democratic institutions?
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The “Big” Questions arising?From a National Systems of Innovation Perspective:•What forms of leadership can enable systems of innovation for Africa’s global competitiveness? •What competencies are required? What are the implications of open government (data) for e-leadership?
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Questions?
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