How Does Learning Agile Business Leadership Differ?

121 Pages·2015·1.36 MB·English

by  Smith, Bradford

How Does Learning Agile Business Leadership Differ?
Exploring a Revised Model of the Construct of Learning Agility in Relation to Executive
Performance

Bradford C. Smith

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
under the Executive Committee
of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
2015
© 2015
Bradford C. Smith
All rights reserved
ABSTRACT
How Does Learning Agile Business Leadership Differ?
Exploring a Revised Model of the Construct of Learning Agility in Relation to Executive
Performance

Bradford C. Smith

Learning agility is a recent topic that has garnered a lot of attention, but empirically
remains only partially understood. This is of particular concern, given that it is likely becoming
ever-more important in today’s dynamic world. Learning agile leaders are able to draw from a
variety of past circumstances to perform successfully in novel situations. They know what to do
when they don’t know what to do, and they understand that not taking risks is risky.
A revised theoretical model of the construct is presented in this body of work, with
Model I and Model II theories-of-action supplanting “openness to experience” as a critical
antecedent. Items related to defensive reactions as consequential outcomes were created and
evaluated both in terms of their reliability and predictive criterion validity.
Using performance assessment grades previously shown to predict executive
performance as a proxy criterion, a concurrent criterion validity study was conducted for both
this newly proposed antecedent, and for the LAAI itself. Results indicated a moderately positive
relationship for both measures and a suitable level of inter-factor and inter-item reliability,
giving evidence to both the establishment of a revised theoretical model of learning agility
which accounts for defensive reactions resulting from one’s theory-of-action, as well as
providing the field with another substantiation of the LAAI as a valid and reliable measure of
the construct of learning agility.
Finally, a predictive criterion validity study of the revised learning agility model with the
Model I v. Model II theory-of-action antecedent was conducted using the same executive
performance assessment grades as the criterion proxy, and results indicated that this new
model was indeed a better predictor of the criterion than the LAAI alone, providing further
evidence of the role of defensive reactions in a revised learning agility theoretical model.
Implications, including a broader interpretation of the value that learning agility may provide to
solving the more profound problems faced by our world in the 21st century beyond executive
performance, are discussed.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................ v
LIST OF CHARTS ............................................................................................................................................ vi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1
Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Learning Agility .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Contextual Factors Affecting Learning Agility ........................................................................................... 3
A Focused Conception of Learning Agility................................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER II: A REVIEW OF THE EXISTING LITERATURE ................................................................................. 7
Antecedents of Interest ............................................................................................................................ 7
Approaches to an Improved Conceptualization of Openness to Experience ........................................... 8
“Openness to Experience” Antecedent Contrasted with Defensive Reactions ...................................... 10
Theory-in-use and Espoused Theory ....................................................................................................... 14
Governing Variables, Action Strategies, and Consequences .................................................................. 16
Model I and Model II Theories-of-Action ................................................................................................ 19
Behavioral Features of Model I and Model II Theories-of-Action .......................................................... 23
A Concurrent Criterion Validity Study of the “Defensive Reactions” Subset .......................................... 25
A Concurrent Criterion Validity Study of the LAAI .................................................................................. 28
Internal Consistency Verification of the LAAI ......................................................................................... 29
Criterion Sampling of Executives ............................................................................................................ 30
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A Predictive Criterion Validity Study of the Revised Learning Agility Model with “Model I v. Model II
theory-of-action” Antecedent ................................................................................................................. 32
Proposed Hypotheses and Predicted Results ......................................................................................... 33
Hypothetical Category 1: .................................................................................................................... 33
Hypothetical Category 2: .................................................................................................................... 34
Hypothetical Category 3: .................................................................................................................... 35
Chapter III: Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 36
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 36
Researcher Perspectives ......................................................................................................................... 36
Review of Intended Approach ................................................................................................................ 38
Sampling and Descriptive Statistics ........................................................................................................ 39
Preliminary Examination of the Sample .................................................................................................. 44
Proper Consideration of Human Subjects ............................................................................................... 47
CHAPTER IV: RESULTS ................................................................................................................................. 49
Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 49
Testing Hypothesis #1 ............................................................................................................................. 50
Testing Hypothesis #2 ............................................................................................................................. 52
Testing Hypothesis #3 ............................................................................................................................. 54
Checks and Verifications of the Internal Consistency of Items and Factors ........................................... 57
LAAI ..................................................................................................................................................... 57
Inter-item reliability of Model I v. Model II “Defensive Reactions” subscale ..................................... 58
CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................ 59
Summary of study ................................................................................................................................... 59
Implications of findings ........................................................................................................................... 63
ii
Conceptualization of defensiveness as a “de-railer” of learning agility ................................................. 68
Limitations ............................................................................................................................................... 69
Final Remarks .......................................................................................................................................... 71
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 73
APPENDICIES ............................................................................................................................................... 83
Appendix A: Informed Consent & Participant’s Rights Script ................................................................. 83
Appendix B: LAAI Items ........................................................................................................................... 85
Appendix C: Letter of Intent and Express Permission from Green Peak Partners .................................. 97
Appendix D: Normal Distribution of Model I v. Model II Theories-of-Action “Defensiveness” Subset
with Slight Trimodal Appearance ............................................................................................................ 98
Appendix E: Linearity and Homoscedasticity by Studentized Residuals plotted against (unstandardized)
Predicted Values ..................................................................................................................................... 99
Appendix F: Assumption of Normality of Residuals .............................................................................. 101
Appendix G: Reliability of LAAI .............................................................................................................. 103

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Taxonomy of Model I v. Model II: Governing variables, action strategies, and consequences .... 24
Table 2: Model I v. Model II theory-of-action “defensive reactions” subset of items ............................... 28
Table 3: Regression coefficients and standard errors................................................................................. 54
Table 4. Reliability of Model I v. Model II theory-of-action “Defensiveness” subscale .............................. 58
Table 5. Inter-item reliability of LAAI factor: Feedback Seeking ............................................................... 103
Table 6. Inter-item reliability of LAAI factor: Information Seeking ........................................................... 104
Table 7. Inter-item reliability of LAAI factor: Reflecting ........................................................................... 105
Table 8. Inter-item reliability of LAAI factor: Experimenting .................................................................... 106
Table 9. Inter-item reliability of LAAI factor: Agility ................................................................................. 107
Table 10. Reliability of LAAI factors .......................................................................................................... 108

iv
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Single and double loop learning .................................................................................................. 17
Figure 2: Current learning agility model with “openness to experience” antecedent ............................... 21
Figure 3: Revised model with “Model I v. Model II theory-of-action” antecedent .................................... 22

v
LIST OF CHARTS
Chart 1: Distribution of the sample of executive performance assessment grades................................... 40
Chart 2: Executive performance assessments by candidate position ........................................................ 42
Chart 3: Dramatic gender differences within executive performance assessment grades ........................ 43
Chart 4: Executive role differences by learning agility factors ................................................................... 45
Chart 5: Extent of learning agility among business executive sample, by factor ....................................... 46
Chart 6: Collective extent of learning agility factors among executive sample .......................................... 47
Chart 7: Linearity between executive performance assessment grades and LAAI scores ......................... 51
Chart 8: Linearity of defensiveness subset and executive performance assessment grades..................... 52
Chart 9: Trimodal distribution of Model I v. Model II theories-of-action subset ....................................... 98
Chart 10: Studentized residuals plotted against unstandardized predicted values ................................. 100
Chart 11.a. Regression standardized residuals histogram ........................................................................ 101
Chart 11.b. Normal P-P plot of regression standardized residuals ........................................................... 102

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