Review of Scandinavian leadership development programs: Open and closed customization. Issue 3 (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stage, Andreas Kjær; Meier, Frank
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of management. Volume 38:Issue 3(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: Leadership development -- Customization -- Experiential learning theory -- Management education -- Leadership training -- Scandinavian public sector; Industrial management -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Scandinavia -- Periodicals; Gestion d'entreprise -- Périodiques; Gestion d'entreprise -- Scandinavie -- Périodiques; 658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2022.101228
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-5221

Abstract

Abstract: Leadership development programs (LDPs) have proliferated and diversified but still usually share the ambition of involving the participants' on-the-job experiences. Yet, the dominant view hereof is crude, not acknowledging the variety of ways used to accomplish it. The Scandinavian context is illustrative for reviewing what we term 'customization devices' because of its tradition for LDPs with collective reflection, practice orientation, and broad participation. This review curates and synthesizes 31 studies evaluating empirical experiences with customization devices in Scandinavian university-based LDPs from no earlier than 2010. Such devices fall within three key categories, namely theories, cases, and relationships, and have three key effects: distancing from practice, dedicating to the program, and devising future action. Based on our findings, we challenge the dominant view that open enrollment programs cannot adequately mobilize participants' experiences by theorizing the distinction between open and closed customization. The review further serves as a resource for LDP designers and instructors to carefully choose and mix customization devices that are complementary in their effects. Highlights: Mobilizing participants' experiences is vital for leadership development programs (LDPs), and customization is key to do so. LDPs use a variety of customization devices to mobilize participant experiences with diverse effects. This review identifies three key types of customization devices: Theories, cases, and relationships. And identifies such devices' three key effects on participants: Distancing, dedicating, and devising. Theorizing 'open customization' challenges the view that open enrollment programs are destined to be off-the-shelf resources.