The Effectiveness of Leadership Professional Development Curriculum at the US Merchant Marine Academy - Dissertation Example

? Education Overview of United s Merchant Marine Academy According to Catalog p. 2) U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has a motto, which is based on procedures, policies, and Midshipmen Regiment on its most simple and truest way. The institution provides higher learning to both male and female students who receive education through practical application, design, instruction, and field experience. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has a distinction from traditional colleges since the institution has the potential to produce leaders of high integrity and honor through its rigorous academic and regimental structure, and shipboard and co-curricular programs (Moravian sinks merchant marine academy, 2010). Graduates from this institution succeed within the field of maritime industry and serving effectively as mature and experienced leaders in the Armed Forces or reserve commissioned officers. The education system is provided in time period of four years. The Program The location of the Academy is Kings Point in New York. The operation of the Academy is facilitated by the Maritime Administration of the Federal Government, which is a U.S. Department of Transportation agency. The program is carried out in four years, and uses a regimental system to ensure that midshipmen acquire the necessary knowledge and skills, which would grant them an opportunity of earning ashore maritime employment, developing discipline in careers, serving in U.S. Armed Forces, and becoming successful leaders in society. The Regiment of the Academy has an approximate value of 950 midshipmen who represent each Union state and U.S. Possessions and Trust Territories (Capt, 2006). The attained student body size enables the achievement of an effective ratio between students and teachers. Further, this student size depicts the real camaraderie that exists in all Regiment members. Every profession in the current society is dependent in the quality of education, which is attained from colleges. U.S Merchant Marine Academy adopts the same and ensures that the quality of education provided in the college is sound. The academic program of the Academy ensures that all midshipmen receive specialized and quality training in order to become merchant marine officers, in U.S. who are licensed. This occurs since the academy adheres to the International Convention on Training Standards and Watch keeping for Seafarers and Certification (STCW) of 1978 including the related amendments to STCW Code (Catalog, 2011, p. 6). The accrediting of the Academy’s curriculum is carried out by Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (Catalog, 2011, p. 6). This curriculum has the ability of ensuring that each midshipman receives the required college education necessary for the attainment of a bachelor’s degree in science. There are few colleges, which have the potential to provide a wide range of credentials to their education graduates. Midshipmen who are enrolled in the Academy end up being challenged both physically and intellectually. This occurs since the academic program for the Academy is demanding and the regimental system is rigorous. Students find freshman year strenuous as they undergo a transition from being graduates of high school to Academy midshipman (Kumar, 2008). The introduction of freshman year involves extensive learning of new terms, how to adopt effective means of time management, how to work while under pressure, and the endurance quality. As midshipmen enter the second and third year, they are prepared for practical training. This training occurs when the midshipmen go to the sea in order to gain practical training on shipboard. This training equips the shipmen with experience on mariner’s environment, as well as skills on how to undertake initiatives on their own and being self-reliant (Kumar, 2008). The final year involves ensuring that the midshipmen have the ability of fine-tuning the skills and experience learnt from class, as well as the practical exposure at the sea. This aids in preparing midshipmen in the professional world. Enrollment at the Academy is not an easy task since it demands personal sacrifices. Such sacrifices include stress, excessive time demand, and limitations on personal freedom. Nevertheless, the results obtained from the education are beneficial (Kumar, 2008). This is because the academy has the ability of developing successful leaders who can handle their careers effectively by following their desires and talents. Campus The campus of the Academy, as well as the facilities within accommodates successfully midshipmen regiment. The buildings of the academy are functional and are named after famous individuals. These individuals are renowned for being the main source of America’s merchant marine fame. This acts as a motivation factor for midshipmen to focus more on their studies in order to become successful in society. Features within the Academy including the World War II Academy casualties’ makes students to feel comfortable and appreciate their learning environment (Tassel, 2008). Other supporting facilities for the midshipmen learning include modern engineering and science laboratories, swimming pool, adequate classrooms, functional departments (for example, information technology department, humanities departments), administration block, functional library, clinic, social halls, and a religious building (the elegant interfaith chapel). These facilities serve to satisfy the education, social, health, physical, and religious needs of the midshipmen. Career Services The Academy has a career services department, which provides valuable information to midshipmen. This information includes the obligations of the midshipmen, resume preparation assistance, existing internship opportunities and employment opportunities for the graduates. Moreover, this department has adequate resources, which enables midshipmen to communicate effectively while in the organization, develop quality application letters for jobs, and enabling midshipmen realize the existing opportunities within their learning environment (Schuster, 2008). Writing across Program According to Worley (2009: 15), USMMA has a Writing-Across-the-Curriculum Program, which provides the midshipmen with skills and knowledge on workshops, critical reading activities, writing, speaking, and tutorial support. This program was established since USMMA recognized that good speaking and writing skills are essential in forming a solid and reliable academic graduate to serve in the maritime and nation industry. Worley (2009: 15) indicates that an alumni survey revealed that Kings Point did not develop the communication skills of its graduates effectively. This was one of the reasons, which steered the formation of this program. Further, report from industries indicated that USMMA graduates had higher technical skills, but their writing skills were weak. At international levels, federal service academies and engineering colleges have realized that good speaking and writing skills are necessary in order to attain professional success of graduates. As such, these institutions have focused on establishing writing centers that are integrated to curriculum programs of students in order to ensure that students acquire both technical and writing skills. USMMA established the writing-across-the-curriculum program to enhance the development of midshipmen writing and speaking skills. A survey on midshipmen indicated that the program facilitated in the improvement of writing skills. However, this program needs to receive adequate support from individual consultants and workshops in order to ensure that writing skills are impacted to the midshipmen effectively (Hannah, 2006). The program has established a location where the midshipmen would go to receive assistance on technical writing, as well as have seminars aimed at encouraging them to develop reliable and quality writing skills, which would develop them as successful leaders. Professional Development Department The professional development department is mandated with the task of coordinating the training program of the Academy midshipmen at the sea. The program ensures that professional and educational development, which the Academy graduates needs in order to be prepared, as well as qualified as merchant marine licensed officer is attained. The midshipmen have to engage collaboratively in the educational program during the sea training period. Outstanding skills gained from the sea training program include labor relations and operation, as well as performance of various vessels, which are required to have trade routes (Bugenhagen, 2006). Moreover, support functions are provided within this department. Leadership According to Buckley (2006, p. 33), organized societies are sustained effectively through adoption of strong leadership styles. As such, most individuals with or without profession tend try to be successful leaders so that they can meet the demands of the society. Unfortunately, leadership is a regarded as a complex concept, often subjective, which an individual needs to embrace. This creates a dilemma in associating leadership to either an art or a science. This is because leadership encompasses several elements, which include style, process, characteristics, and qualities, which needs to be evident in the environment or the society where an individual is operating (McAlearney, & Sinioris, 2010). According to Ryan (2008, p. 2) leadership an essential concept, which demands that individuals have a strong focus on strategy and vision creation. This indicates that leaders have to focus on the horizon and create values, as well as culture. This ensures that individuals who are been led have the capacity to attain the desired goals of the leadership. Moreover, the leader incurs less challenge when leading and has the opportunity to develop effective relationships among the team members. However, the leader has to focus more reducing the gap between him or her and the people who are being led (Dalakoura, 2010). This should also include helping other individuals to grow effectively. Leadership is focused at attaining organization success. In this, Ryan (2008, p. 2) asserts that leaders have to focus more on people. Through this, leaders have to motivate people and inspire these people so that they can improve at the individual level of performance. This aids the organization in attaining its desired level of success. USMMA has realized the need of instilling these traits among its graduates. As such, the Academy has focused extensively on developing personal power of students by making them persuaders, facilitators, and coaches who are able to attain the desired success within their careers. Furthermore, it is essential that leaders develop open minds (Olivares, 2008). This gives leaders a chance to solve social problems effectively without experiencing severe challenges. Strategic view is also an element of leadership, which USMMA focuses on instilling to its graduates. This is because this element enables leaders to develop effective strategies, which contributes towards achievement of organization goals and objectives. These strategies are also essential for personal development. Unfortunately, leaders are human beings and are prone to errors, as well as lack of knowhow. Therefore, leaders need to develop the element of asking questions so that they can be able to solve social problems, which they face (Ryan, 2008, p. 2). Innovation element builds a strong foundation for leadership. This gives leaders an opportunity to generate ideas, which other people are not able to generate easily. Such ideas demonstrate a strong leadership capability, which steers the organization towards attainment of its corporate goals and objectives. This depicts that leaders should be at the forefront in embracing change. This is because if leaders do not embrace change it is likely that the people who are being led will not embrace change. The ability of a leader to embrace change ensures that confidence is instilled among people and change takes effectively with minimal resistance. Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal skills play a significant role in binding people together (Ryan, 2008, p. 3). This occurs since interpersonal skills enable people to develop excellent relationships and manage their behavior. Successful leadership development should result in ensuring that a leader has the ability to embrace the desired leadership styles. These are attributes and behaviors, which a leader has to demonstrate when performing his or her activities and job responsibilities (Stelter-Flett, 2006). Some of these leadership styles include affiliative style (considers other people first), visionary style (come with me), coercive style (demands that people do what they are told), coaching style (try this), pace setting (do it faster and better), and democratic (express personal opinion). Among these styles, four styles (democratic, coaching, affiliative, and visionary) have a positive impact of enhancing improvement in the performance level of an organization while the other two styles (pace setting and coercive) in a decline in the motivation level of people, as well as the performance (Ryan, 2008, p. 6). Leaders Levels Leaders do not acquire the same skills at the same time (Ryan, 2008, p. 20). This illustrates why organizations and training institutions such as USMMA focus on leadership development. Leaders have a varying difference based on their levels, cultural types, and personality types. Significant levels of leaders include senior leaders, middle managers and potential leaders. Senior leader’s level is characterized of individuals who attain their technical competency levels and are assigned major assignments of delegating duties and requirements to teams. This grants them a chance to focus more on change, innovation, performance culture development, communication, direction, and strategy issues, as they affect the organization they lead (Hotho, & Dowling, 2010). Middle managers on their side have challenging job roles and expectations. In this, they have to be managers who demonstrate excellent leadership skills. On the other hand, potential leaders are individuals who have gained the necessary training on being leaders. These include graduate trainees from institution such as USMMA. This indicates that an effective analysis of USMMA leadership development curriculum has to focus extensively on these three levels of leaders. This may involve taking a case study of organizations where USMMA graduates are employed. Filling the Leadership Vacuum According to Shashi (2008), USMMA has recognized that a leadership vacuum exist in the traditional maritime education. This has the side effect of influencing the performance of the market conditions, as well as the economy of United States. This is because economic market players invest extensively on leadership. One or more well-trained generations of seafarers have been lost due to poor talent management and maritime leadership. In response to this, USMMA has focused on investing in maritime training and education in order to attain successful leaders. This includes adoption of effective strategies for talent management of the trained leaders. Unfortunately, the education career developed by USMMA has its own weakness in terms of providing quality guidance, leadership, and global coordination. Leadership vacuum is well filled if the skills needed for all organizations are availed (London, 2009, p. 18). This is the main focus of USMMA. Filling of these skills occurs through adoption of effective strategies and directions for a business organization. USMMA leadership development has to ensure that its curriculum is aligned with the skills requirement of the job market for its graduates. This is essential in order to ensure that talent development occurs effectively for all graduates. Furthermore, it is essential that individuals focus more on succession planning of an organization, as well as career planning. This contributes significantly towards filling of the gap, which exists in the need of leadership skills in society (United States merchant marine academy hosts book launching celebration, 2007). Evaluation of the same is essential in order to ensure that success is attained, and correction measures, which may be needed from time-to-time, are applied effectively. Moreover, a successful leadership curriculum has to indicate its commitment towards enabling leaders to envision the future, rallying support, communicating effectively, establishing goals, putting all the plans together, and conducting an implementation strategy. USMMA has embraced this concept since it ensures that its graduates have the capacity and power to integrate leadership skills and behavior with their environmental setting. This occurs by ensuring that graduates have the potential to develop the required technical competency levels for working in various organization settings. This includes exposing students into intensive technical practical’s, which contribute towards the development process of positive attitude and behavior towards leadership requirement in society. Of significant psychological processes, which students develop include self-insight, self-identity, and self-regulation (London, 2009, p. 20). Development Vision Ryan (2008, p. 25) claims that a development vision for individuals has to be developed such that individuals have the ability to comprehend the key purpose of the vision, as well as the main aim of the vision. This includes establishing the plan for the development curriculum, which has the ability to instill the desired vision and skills. USMMA is expected to have embraced this element in conducting its learning process for the students. This includes having a succession planning, and development planning for the strategy of leadership development. As such, an effective leadership development curriculum for USMMA is expected to have been developed by first analyzing the Academy’s strategy, then the formulation of the vision of the Academy, and then including the vision in the process of splitting the curriculum development plan to smaller strategies, which can easily be associated with measures, which need to be undertaken. Such a curriculum may be evaluated for its effectiveness by conducting a PESTLE analysis and SWOT analysis in order to identify the weakness, strengths, opportunities, and threats of the curriculum in attaining the desired success level (Sheri-Lynne Leskiw, & Singh, 2007). Leadership Development According to London (2009, 4), leadership development depicts a process, which systematic and begins from the organizational needs assessment, gaps development, and attainment of capabilities of leadership. Therefore, leadership development institutions such as USMMA have to identify the desired needs for various support programs and formulate effective development plans. However, these may not attain success if evaluation of the same does not occur and feedback established. This ensures that students develop effective skills of providing non-threatening, behaviorally focused and constructive feedback, which has the ability of attaining the desired success (McCallum, & OConnell, 2009). This feedback also enables the new-trained leaders to create effective relationships with their subordinate managers. One of the suitable feedback techniques, which leaders should acquire, is the 360-degree feedback (Rehbine Zentis, 2007). This ensures that it is possible to attain successful leaders in society who have the ability and potential to demonstrate higher levels of keeping a record of accomplishment, brilliancy level, commitment, ambition, and charisma. USMMA curriculum focuses on ensuring that its students have the ability and potential to develop these traits of a successful leader. Velsor et al. (2010, p. 1) argues that the process of leadership development should focus extensively in evaluating and examining fundamental questions of leadership. As such, leadership development curriculum should focus on answering these fundamental questions of leadership development. Some of these questions would include who should be considered as an effective leader? What are the most effective leadership practices? How can people learn and acquire effective leadership perspectives and skills? What should be done in order to ensure that leaders develop effectively? What are the effects of cultural and societal factors with respect to developing leaders? Which are the best strategies, which needs to be adopted in order to develop leaders effectively? Comprehension of the necessity of these questions contributes towards the development of a successful and strong curriculum, which has the potential to attain the desired goals (Anderson, 2005). According to Russell (2006, p. 1), there is a dire need for competent leaders in organizations. One of the factors, which has contributed towards the demand for leadership is the complexity of work, which leaders in organizations are constantly been exposed to handle. Moreover, cost and time constraints limit organizations from developing their own leadership competencies. As such, organizations have to rely on leadership development institutions such as USMMA to acquire the right professionals. This indicates that USMMA has to have a leadership development curriculum, which addresses the needs of organizations. On the same note, leaders are been overworked by handling multiple projects where they become leaders and project developers and implementers at the same time (Scott, & Webber, 2008). Further, organizations are been faced with a shortage of resources to run their activities. It is only competent leaders who have the ability to ensure that organization resources are utilized effectively. Furthermore, leadership becomes a vital competent of ensuring that employees are led towards positive returns and people investment in order to attain success (Feeney, 2006). On the same note, workers find themselves in stressful situations. This indicates a need for the development of professional leaders who have the capacity and ability to handle the quest of workers in both stressful and un-stressful situations. Successful Leadership Development Program According to Byrne and Rees (2006, p. 3) a successful leadership development program is comprised of an algorithm, which aids the organization in attaining the desired success. Such a program is characterized of having guiding principles, which are necessary for the leadership development program adopted by an organization or a training institution such as USMMA. This is normally followed by the definition and the formulation of the philosophy of leadership development. By default, leadership development is not a guess activity (Killian, 2010). This indicates that this activity demands to have a conceptual framework, which needs to be followed. This framework aids in evaluation of the leadership development curriculum, as well as acting as the road map for leadership development program to attain the desired success. All activities deemed to attain a certain level of success consume resources such as human resources and financial resources. This depicts that a leadership development program should operate within the budgetary limits of the organization and solicits the support of the administration. This ensures that such a curriculum does not become a burden to the individuals facilitating it, or have an element of limitation towards attaining the desired success. On the same note, the curriculum has to define the learning plans and levels, which have to be, utilized (Groves, 2007). This aids in defining the key objectives of the curriculum in order to attain the desired success level. This should also include having a mechanism for approval and feedback for each module. As such, evaluation of the curriculum becomes an easy task for key stakeholders of the program. Nevertheless, there is a need for a successful curriculum to have an effective implementation and evaluation strategy. The implementation strategy outlines the guidelines, which are to be adopted when such a curriculum begins to operate (Qiao, 2006). On the other hand, the evaluation strategy determines the success level of the curriculum. This includes determination of the performance of the curriculum while considering the main goals and the objectives of the curriculum. Byrne and Rees (2006, p. 9) claim that currently the demands of organizations with respect to leadership development are changing continuously. As such, leadership-training institutions like USMMA have to ensure that their curriculum is aligned to the global demands of the organization. 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United States of America: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Worley, A. (2009). United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, New York. Retrieved from: http://www.usmma.edu/NEEDSLIST.pdf Read More