The latest findings of Seton Hall University Buccino Leadership Institute's Future of Leadership Survey discuss the impact of remote work on leadership development from the perspective of the newly emerging leaders of tomorrow—Generation Z.
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Almost daily, there are articles, some accompanied with data, which seek to provide firms the "sweet spot" on balancing remote work with productivity. With tight labor markets and more employees seeing to work from home, employers want to oblige their employees by offering flexible and remote work arrangements. At the same time, companies wonder about the degree to which remote work arrangements might impede overall work effectiveness. Up until now, however, no one has examined the lifeblood of organizations—that of leadership development—and the impact remote work might have on how the pipeline for tomorrow's leaders are developed now.
Recent research conducted by the award-winning Buccino Leadership Institute of Seton Hall University helps shed light on this critical question. What is especially novel about the Institute's research project, called the Future of Leadership Survey, is that researchers pose questions about, among other topics, leadership development for those now entering the workforce—Generation Z.
Has Gen Z seen a diminishment of leadership development at work because of remote work?
Unfortunately, the answer is "yes." Fortunately, this research also provides practical insights on how to mitigate the ill effects of remote work on this critical development. The respondents to the survey, those from 18 to 25 years old, agree that the pandemic and the shift this created in work habits has negatively impacted their own growth as leaders. These diminished growth opportunities included:
1) The inability to observe the role model impact leaders have on respondents' leadership development, including seeing the leaders in action and their communication style.
2) The inability to have access to all-important high-touch leadership development opportunities, as well as access to leading initiatives and learning informally about job progression opportunities.
"We know that the "one-minute manager" style of leadership works. Organizations are losing opportunities daily to give feedback, express gratitude, inspire excellence and more--these acts help advance leadership development, regardless of one's formal leadership role," said Steven Lorenzet, Ph.D., co-author for the survey.
The research also indicated that if firms manage to keep remote work to less than 50%, there is a slight positive uptick in certain leadership growth dimensions. If, however, employees experienced more than 50% of their work remotely, the negative impact on leadership development is observed.
Since the respondents value the role model impact of leaders on their own leadership development, there must be strategic consideration of the "who and when" in designing remote arrangements. In other words, if people's "50% in the office time" is coordinated to be at the same time, the chances are increased that today's younger generation will observe both the structured and more occasional instances of observing leaders. These observations include working with others, dealing with clients, working with peers, handling the many one-minute-manager interactions and all the other leadership glue that keeps a team growing. More specifically, "any 50%" of the time is not the same as a "coordinated 50%" of the time. For the latter, the entering workforce can observe the contact sport that is leadership, from the many upper-level team members with whom they work.
To learn more, view The Future of Leadership Survey.
ABOUT THE BUCCINO LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
The Buccino Leadership Institute at Seton Hall University is the first interdisciplinary undergraduate leadership program of its kind in the United States. The innovative four-year certificate program focuses on purposeful and strategic development of seven essential pillars of leadership development: character, civic engagement, change management, ceaselessness, collaboration, conflict management and courageous communication. Infused by Catholic ideals, the program develops students to become the next generation of effective leaders, responding to today's demand by many national and international organizations for employees who possess the necessary skills to succeed in a diverse multifaceted environment. Within the Institute there are established distinctive leadership centers in the University's College of Arts and Sciences, College of Communication and the Arts, College of Education and Human Services, College of Nursing, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and the Stillman School of Business. Each college or school is the thought leader for a specific pillar based on the philosophy and work of that academic discipline.
For more information, visit http://www.shu.edu/leadership.
ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
One of the country's leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 80 rigorous majors, Seton Hall's academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, US News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and caring global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car to New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. A new independent economic analysis of the University found that Seton Hall provides a significant impact on New Jersey's economy, totaling over $1.6 billion annually and creating and sustaining nearly 10,000 jobs. The university's nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark. The University's Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses Seton Hall's College of Nursing, its School of Health and Medical Sciences as well as Hackensack Meridian Health's Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
For more information, visit http://www.shu.edu.
Media Contact
Laurie Pine, Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall University, 9733782638, [email protected]
SOURCE Seton Hall University
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