Non-technical Skills and Personal Characteristics of frontline Leaders in Crisis Management : Master`s Degree Programme in Global Health
Marshalls, Tuula (2015)
Marshalls, Tuula
Yrkeshögskolan Arcada
2015
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015110916128
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015110916128
Tiivistelmä
Worldwide disasters impose an increasing burden on society. Multi-level leaders play a significant role in implementation of disaster response. Current disaster training emphasize little if at all in equipping disaster personnel in non-technical skills and development of personal characters.
This master’s thesis seeks to describe the nature and stressors of leadership in context of humanitarian crisis. The aim of the study is to illustrate from selected literature the essential non-technical skills and personal characteristics of frontline leaders that significantly support the comprehensive approach of leadership in crisis contexts and thus influence the outcomes of goal achievement.
The study was conducted by descriptive literature review and provides a qualitative answer for the research question.
The collected articles (n = 16) were analysed with inductive content analysis. The findings will serve the Finn Church Aid/ ACT Alliance in recruitment practices. Additionally it gives suggestions for individual leadership skill development as well as agencies readiness for responding to global humanitarian circumstances.
The review defined non-technical skills and personal characteristics of leaders under five leadership competence levels; 1) Team Facilitation, 2) Cultural and Emotional Competence, 3) Multi-Level Collaboration, 4) Operational Management and 5) Goal Achievement. The reviews further implies that personnel wellbeing and safety, culturally sensible behaviour and interaction, innovative solution and creative control, trust, increased individual motivational and organizational commitment were the most substantial and important outcomes of the frontline leaders` skill and behaviour.
The leaders` non-technical skills and personal characteristics that strongly impacted in leadership emergence were interest in others wellbeing and safety, cultural awareness and sense making, empathy, communication skills, self-confidence, reactiveness, innovativeness, motivation skills and willingness leading by exsample. A strong context-dependency in gender preference emerged favouring female attributes in times of crisis. Nevertheless, the most significant predictor for leadership outcome, especially in crisis situations, was execution of a transformal leadership style.
This master’s thesis seeks to describe the nature and stressors of leadership in context of humanitarian crisis. The aim of the study is to illustrate from selected literature the essential non-technical skills and personal characteristics of frontline leaders that significantly support the comprehensive approach of leadership in crisis contexts and thus influence the outcomes of goal achievement.
The study was conducted by descriptive literature review and provides a qualitative answer for the research question.
The collected articles (n = 16) were analysed with inductive content analysis. The findings will serve the Finn Church Aid/ ACT Alliance in recruitment practices. Additionally it gives suggestions for individual leadership skill development as well as agencies readiness for responding to global humanitarian circumstances.
The review defined non-technical skills and personal characteristics of leaders under five leadership competence levels; 1) Team Facilitation, 2) Cultural and Emotional Competence, 3) Multi-Level Collaboration, 4) Operational Management and 5) Goal Achievement. The reviews further implies that personnel wellbeing and safety, culturally sensible behaviour and interaction, innovative solution and creative control, trust, increased individual motivational and organizational commitment were the most substantial and important outcomes of the frontline leaders` skill and behaviour.
The leaders` non-technical skills and personal characteristics that strongly impacted in leadership emergence were interest in others wellbeing and safety, cultural awareness and sense making, empathy, communication skills, self-confidence, reactiveness, innovativeness, motivation skills and willingness leading by exsample. A strong context-dependency in gender preference emerged favouring female attributes in times of crisis. Nevertheless, the most significant predictor for leadership outcome, especially in crisis situations, was execution of a transformal leadership style.