analysing the discourses of leadership as a basis for developing leadership communication skills ...

515 Pages·2015·10.56 MB·English

ANALYSING THE DISCOURSES OF LEADERSHIP AS A BASIS FOR
DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN A
SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Kevin Knight
Bachelor of Arts (English), Master of Pacific International Affairs,
Master of Business Administration

Macquarie University
Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Linguistics
October 2014

This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Linguistics.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................. 15
STATEMENT OF CANDIDATE........................................................................................... 17
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... 18
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 20
1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 20
1.2 Why did we conduct this research? .............................................................................. 21
1.3 What are our research questions? ................................................................................. 26
1.4 How are we going to address our research questions? ................................................. 27
1.5 What are our findings? .................................................................................................. 30
1.6 What are the parts of this thesis? .................................................................................. 41
2. LEADERSHIP .................................................................................................................... 44
2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 44
2.2 What is leadership? ....................................................................................................... 45
2.3 Partial success in defining leadership ........................................................................... 45
2.4 Conceptions of leadership............................................................................................. 46
2.5 State of academic research regarding organizational leadership – Harvard Business
School ................................................................................................................................. 49
2.6 Understanding business leadership through directed conversations with leadership
experts ................................................................................................................................. 51
2.7 Qualitative research on leadership ................................................................................ 63
2.8 Leadership as a discursive practice ............................................................................... 72
2.9 Discourse-oriented approaches to leadership research ................................................. 81
2.10 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 84
3. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 86
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3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 86
3.2 Background to the thesis: Contexts and sites.............................................................. 102
3.3 Selection of 20 leaders for Part 1 of thesis ................................................................. 105
3.4 Semi-structured research interviews for Part 1 of thesis ............................................ 114
3.5 Creation of questionnaire for Part 1 of thesis ............................................................. 121
3.6 Interview procedures ................................................................................................... 134
3.7 Collection of data for Part 2 of thesis ......................................................................... 135
3.8 Methods for analyzing the data ................................................................................... 137
3.9 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 145
4. CONTENT ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 146
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 146
4.2 The interview as opportunity to frame understandings of leadership ......................... 148
4.3 Data analysis ............................................................................................................... 152
4.4 Definitions of leadership provided by 20 leaders ....................................................... 154
4.5 Orientation to leadership ............................................................................................. 165
4.6 Leadership qualities and performance ........................................................................ 179
4.7 Interpersonal communication skills and communication challenges.......................... 188
4.8 Securing, performing, and shaping leadership roles ................................................... 194
4.9 Strategic communication stories about leadership ...................................................... 196
4.10 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 205
4.11 Summary ................................................................................................................... 213
5. NARRATIVE ANALYSIS ............................................................................................. 215
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 215
5.2 Narrative inquiry ......................................................................................................... 217
5.3 The S.T.A.R./C.A.R. methods..................................................................................... 220
5.4 S.T.A.R. summaries .................................................................................................... 226
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5.5 Alignment between S.T.A.R./C.A.R. narratives and original definitions of
leadership .......................................................................................................................... 237
5.6 Accounting for success in leadership .......................................................................... 254
5.7 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 267
6. METAPHOR ANALYSIS................................................................................................ 269
6.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 269
6.2 Defining and investigating metaphors ........................................................................ 270
6.3 Metaphor potential of leadership definitions in word clouds ..................................... 277
6.4 Metaphors in leadership definitions and in S.T.A.R./C.A.R. narratives ..................... 296
6.5 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 318
7. NEXUS ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................... 321
7.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 321
7.2 Scollon’s nexus of practice and its relevance ............................................................. 322
7.3 Course development at KUIS ..................................................................................... 329
7.4 Instructor’s conceptualization of leadership ............................................................... 354
7.5 Conceptualizations of leadership of the students ........................................................ 358
7.6 Leadership projects ..................................................................................................... 388
7.7 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 395
8. CONCEPTUALIZING LEADERSHP - REFLECTION AND CONCLUSIONS ..... 404
8.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 404
8.2 Q/A on the instructor/researcher’s conceptualization of leadership ........................... 412
8.3 Promotion of the instructor/researcher’s conceptualization of leadership.................. 429
8.4 Conclusions of this thesis ........................................................................................... 459
9. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 472
10. APPENDIX ...................................................................................................................... 507
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TABLES
1.1 KUIS courses listed in order of development ..................................................................... 25
1.2 Systematic metaphors and leadership roles in metaphor scenarios of the 11 leaders ....... 35
2.1 An overview of conceptions of leadership (after Jameson, 2006; Marshall, 2006) ............ 48
2.2 Global leadership experts interviewed in Liu (2010) ......................................................... 55
2.3 Studies of leadership based on qualitative research ............................................................ 66
3.1 Studies of leadership based on qualitative research ............................................................ 87
3.2 Discourse analytic methods and data according to researcher's interests
(replicated from Antaki, 2008, p. 32) ...................................................................................... 100
3.3 Twenty leaders interviewed in Part 1 of thesis ................................................................. 109
3.4 Leadership roles of leaders in Part 1 of the thesis ............................................................ 112
3.5 Contrasting conceptualizations of the research interview (Replicated from
Talmy, 2011, p. 27) ................................................................................................................. 115
3.6 Type of Discourse table replicated from Fairhurst (2011, pp. 38-39) ............................... 120
3.7 Instructions in the questionnaire ....................................................................................... 123
3.8 Questions in section 1 of the questionnaire ...................................................................... 123
3.9 Questions in section 2 of the questionnaire ...................................................................... 127
3.10 Commonly used language forms in framing from Fairhurst (2011, p. 93) ..................... 129
3.11 Questions in section 3 of the questionnaire .................................................................... 131
3.12 Interviews of leaders for part 1 of thesis ......................................................................... 134
4.1 Focus of interview questions ............................................................................................ 150
4.2 Actions in the original definitions of leadership of the 20 leaders ................................... 154
4.3 Roles of leaders given during interviews .......................................................................... 156
4.4 Lessons of leaders ............................................................................................................. 161
4.5 Dyad statements and responses of 20 leaders ................................................................... 165
4.6 Individual responses of 20 leaders to the dyad questions ................................................. 168
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4.7 Qualities of leaders ........................................................................................................... 179
4.8 Performances of leaders .................................................................................................... 182
4.9 Qualities and performances based on extracts from the transcripts ................................. 183
4.10 Interpersonal communication skills ................................................................................ 189
4.11 Top-three interpersonal communication skills ................................................................ 189
4.12 Communication challenges of leaders ............................................................................ 191
4.13 Examples of communication challenges of individual leaders ....................................... 192
4.14 Securing leadership roles ................................................................................................ 194
4.15 Performing and shaping leadership roles ........................................................................ 195
4.16 Strategic communication story ....................................................................................... 196
5.1 Final two questions in questionnaire used to interview 20 leaders .................................. 221
5.2 Tips for the Behavioral Interview from UC Davis Internship and Career Center
(Career Resource Manual, 2013, pp. 44-45) ........................................................................... 222
5.3 The C.A.R. Method........................................................................................................... 223
5.4 Behavioral questions in UCSD Career Guide (2013-2014) ............................................. 225
5.5 Leadership in narratives of 20 leaders .............................................................................. 226
5.6 Alignment of leaders’ definitions and narratives .............................................................. 239
5.7 Leadership roles in interview data that could match original definitions ......................... 253
6.1 Exact replication of explanation of Summary tab in NVivo 10 and also listing of
stop words ............................................................................................................................... 278
6.2 Examples of metaphor potential for selected word groups in word clouds for the topic
of leadership............................................................................................................................ 294
6.3 Systematic metaphors and leadership roles in metaphor scenarios of the 11 leaders ....... 319
7.1 Guiding questions in nexus analysis (Adapted from Scollon & Scollon, 2004, pp.
173-175) .................................................................................................................................. 328
7.2 KUIS Graduates’ (March 2011) Fields of Employment ................................................... 330
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7.3 KUIS courses listed in order of development ................................................................... 331
7.4 Global competencies experienced in simulated company in business internship program
................................................................................................................................................ 334
7.5 EBC courses ...................................................................................................................... 341
7.6 Organizational leadership seminars .................................................................................. 343
7.7 Boundary spanning leadership experiences ...................................................................... 345
7.8 Organizational leadership seminar syllabus...................................................................... 348
7.9 Online forums on leadership ............................................................................................. 350
7.10 Sample postings in first KUIS Leadership Discussion ................................................... 351
7.11 KUIS Leadership Discussion 2 ....................................................................................... 353
7.12 Sample leadership development scenario (Group 1) ...................................................... 354
7.13 Pairs of statements discussed in interviews and in leadership forums ........................... 359
7.14 Actions in the original definitions of leadership of Group 1 students ............................ 371
7.15 Actions in the original definitions of leadership of Group 2 students ............................ 372
7.16 Leadership development scenarios (Group 1) ................................................................ 376
7.17 Notes on leadership development activity (Group 1) ..................................................... 378
7.18 Leadership in student narratives ..................................................................................... 381
7.19 Behavioral questions in UCSD Career Guide (2013-2014)............................................ 383
7.20 Conceptualizations of leadership of 7 students in Group 1 ............................................ 384
7.21 Leadership projects ......................................................................................................... 390
7.22 Posting in KUIS leadership discussion (November 2013) ............................................. 391
7.23. Features of three approaches to curriculum design (Replicated from Richards, 2013a, p.
30) ........................................................................................................................................... 402
8.1 Invitation to participate in Reflective Practice Group competition .................................. 414
8.2 Extract from TESOL Blog post on leadership .................................................................. 424
8.3 Publications and conceptualizations of leadership of the instructor/researcher ............... 430
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8.4 Guiding questions in nexus analysis (Scollon & Scollon, 2004, pp. 173 - 175) .............. 431
8.5 Publications and presentations of researcher/instructor in KUIS faculty achievement
report page .............................................................................................................................. 433
8.6 Executive core qualifications (ECQs) and leadership competencies ............................... 436
8.7 Extract from TESOL Blog post on teaching business case studies from a leadership
perspective .............................................................................................................................. 442
8.8 Extract from EBC 2 examination on 20 May 2014 .......................................................... 445
8.9 Extract from TESOL Blog post on leadership .................................................................. 448
8.10 Extract from TESOL Blog post on leadership ................................................................ 450
8.11 Extract from TESOL Blog post on learning from ESP practitioners worldwide .......... 453
8.12 Extract from TESOL Blog on business discourse .......................................................... 454
8.13 Extract from TESOL Blog on risk taking and expertise in ESP ..................................... 455
8.14 Examples of the influence of U.S. culture on research design and implementation ...... 467

FIGURES
1.1 Reflective practice group contest submission at Macquarie University ............................. 37
1.2 Leadership development conceptualization of instructor ................................................... 38
1.3 Activities that increased awareness of instructor/researcher about leadership ................... 40
2.1 Dualities at the heart of leadership research ....................................................................... 51
2.2 “A sailing guide to the social construction of leadership” (Replicated from
Fairhurst and Grant, 2010, p. 177) ............................................................................................ 78
4.1 Leadership actions in original definition – Word cloud based on exact words ................ 158
4.2 Leadership actions in original definition – Word cloud based on similar words
including generalizations ........................................................................................................ 159
4.3 Lessons of Leaders (1 to 20) based on entire interview – Word cloud based on
exact words ............................................................................................................................. 162
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4.4 Lessons of Leaders (1 to 20) based on entire interview – Word cloud based
on similar words including generalizations ............................................................................ 163
4.5 Leadership orientation based on number of leaders ......................................................... 166
4.6 Leadership orientation based on number of references .................................................... 167
4.7 Leadership orientation based on number of items coded ................................................. 167
4.8 Leadership orientation for Leader 1 by number of words coded ...................................... 169
4.9 Leadership orientation for Leader 2 by number of words coded ...................................... 169
4.10 Leadership orientation for Leader 3 by number of words coded .................................... 170
4.11 Leadership orientation for Leader 4 by number of words coded .................................... 170
4.12 Leadership orientation for Leader 5 by number of words coded .................................... 170
4.13 Leadership orientation for Leader 6 by number of words coded .................................... 171
4.14 Leadership orientation for Leader 7 by number of words coded .................................... 171
4.15 Leadership orientation for Leader 8 by number of words coded .................................... 171
4.16 Leadership orientation for Leader 9 by number of words coded .................................... 172
4.17 Leadership orientation for Leader 10 by number of words coded .................................. 172
4.18 Leadership orientation for Leader 11 by number of words coded .................................. 172
4.19 Leadership orientation for Leader 12 by number of words coded .................................. 173
4.20 Leadership orientation for Leader 13 by number of words coded .................................. 173
4.21 Leadership orientation for Leader 14 by number of words coded .................................. 173
4.22 Leadership orientation for Leader 15 by number of words coded .................................. 174
4.23 Leadership orientation for Leader 16 by number of words coded .................................. 174
4.24 Leadership orientation for Leader 17 by number of words coded .................................. 174
4.25 Leadership orientation for Leader 18 by number of words coded .................................. 175
4.26 Leadership orientation for Leader 19 by number of words coded .................................. 175
4.27 Leadership orientation for Leader 20 by number of words coded .................................. 175
4.28 Sources clustered by word similarity (horizontal dendrogram) ...................................... 177
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4.29 Sources clustered by word similarity (circle graph) ....................................................... 177
4.30 Sources clustered by coding similarity (horizontal dendrogram) ................................... 178
4.31 Sources clustered by coding similarity (circle graph) .................................................... 178
4.32 Strategic communication story ....................................................................................... 197
4.33 Strategic communication story of Leader 1 .................................................................... 198
4.34 Strategic communication story of Leader 2 .................................................................... 198
4.35 Strategic communication story of Leader 3 .................................................................... 198
4.36 Strategic communication story of Leader 4 .................................................................... 199
4.37 Strategic communication story of Leader 5 .................................................................... 199
4.38 Strategic communication story of Leader 6 .................................................................... 199
4.39 Strategic communication story of Leader 7 .................................................................... 200
4.40 Strategic communication story of Leader 8 .................................................................... 200
4.41 Strategic communication story of Leader 9 .................................................................... 200
4.42 Strategic communication story of Leader 10 .................................................................. 201
4.43 Strategic communication story of Leader 11 .................................................................. 201
4.44 Strategic communication story of Leader 12 .................................................................. 201
4.45 Strategic communication story of Leader 13 .................................................................. 202
4.46 Strategic communication story of Leader 14 .................................................................. 202
4.47 Strategic communication story of Leader 15 .................................................................. 202
4.48 Strategic communication story of Leader 16 .................................................................. 203
4.49 Strategic communication story of Leader 17 .................................................................. 203
4.50 Strategic communication story of Leader 18 .................................................................. 203
4.51 Strategic communication story of Leader 19 .................................................................. 204
4.52 Strategic communication story of Leader 20 .................................................................. 204
4.53 Themes contributing to leadership conceptualizations of 20 leaders in interviews ....... 205
4.54 Interview of Leader 1 ...................................................................................................... 206
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