Leadership Style and Motivation - Research Proposal Example

Dissertation Proposal Chapter The Problem and Its Background 1 Chapter overview The first chapter introduces the research topic and the objective that the dissertation aims to accomplish. A backgrounder sets the context in which the research problem is to be viewed, from which the research questions shall be formulated and articulated. 1.2 Background of the study As globalisation and economic integration bring countries into closer working relationships, there have also arisen elements opposed to the growing interdependencies fo nations with one another, whether for religious, political, or cultural reasons. Increasingly, international political issues have gained a complexity and severity that has never before been encountered before, the more extreme incidences of which resulted in the spate of terrorist acts and atrocities on a scale that threatens large portions of the civilian population. The incidents of September 11, 2010 in New York alone are sufficient to prove that even in the most stable and secure environments, unexpected terrorist attacks are capable of wreaking large-scale destruction and loss of life without apparent provocation. Aside from politically-motivated incidences, there is likewise the threat of syndicated criminal activity engaged in the illegal trafficking of economic goods, narcotics, and even humans, again at a scale sufficient to threaten the safety and well-being of the country’s citizens and its institutions. Not only physical cross-border exchanges, but also electronic infiltrations through cyberspace that result in crimes such as identity theft and credit fraud, have provided criminal elements increasingly sophisticated avenues for unlawful activities. There is thus a growing need for a concerted effort to address such threats that are either politically destabilisers or felonious activities. While it is always useful to delve into the wealth of publicly available information to gain an understanding of the general state of affairs, seldom is generally published knowledge helpful in discovering the actions and intentions of organisations that may pose a threat to the country is to seek out and obtain secret intelligence concerning their activities, for purposes of analysis and forecasting. When the data seemingly does not immediately yield actionable information, they are databased and collated over time, in order to develop a detailed knowledge of target organisations, key individuals, the infrastructure and composition, and the capabilities, plans and intentions (Security Service website, 2010). Needless to say, there will be need for a structured and systematic means to address such a monumental and intricate task. The UK, as with all developed countries, has an institutionalised response to threats to national security and the general peace and order, both external and internal. The organisations and agencies that comprise these systems are as complex as the level of the dangers to which they are directed. To be anywhere close to effective, they require the bringing together of massive resources, a large and diversified manpower base, and highly specialised expertise in different fields. The management of such an organisation is not commonplace, nor is the type of leadership that is called to serve such a difficult objective. This study undertakes to examine the intricacies of the structure and operations of organisations that deal with intelligence gathering and analysis, to describe the type of personnel and their functions, and to draw a profile of the most desirable leadership traits and attributes that are best suited in the management of such an organisation. The basis for determining the desirability of leadership traits shall be the degree to which such leadership is capable of enhancing motivation through employee engagement in the agency. 1.3 Conceptual framework The study seeks to establish the relationship between the leadership style and the degree to which employees are motivated in their work, and the quality of work being accomplished. This relationship is appropriately depicted in the framework provided by Liang (2007). In this study, a leadership strategy was sought to be develop for the intelligence organization in Singapore. The study pursued the following paradigm. Fig X: Highly complex and nonlinear leadership environment in intelligence setting (Liang, 2007:115) The diagram depicts the interrelationship among leadership attributes, the types of problems posed in an intelligence setting, and the characteristics of the interacting agents. A set of complex and nonlinear dynamics depict the interactions among the three elements, leading to the impression that the salient data for the study shall be highly qualitative and situational. In conceptualising the type of leadership attributes to be measured, this dissertation shall utilise the framework in place in the UK civil service, as shown in the figure below. Fig. X: Leadership framework for Civil Service (Civil Service.uk. 2009) 1.4 Statement of aims and objectives The research aims to investigate the relationship between leadership management and intelligence analysis, whereby an effective model could be found to manage these two strategies together. To provide the setting and context of the study, the inquiry shall be conducted on the Security Service, otherwise known as MI5, the premiere intelligence agency of the UK government. 1.5 Main research question The question this dissertation seeks to answer is: What are the set of leadership attributes that would best apply to an intelligence analysis organisation? 1.6 Related sub-problems In order to resolve the main research question, answers to the following research sub-problems shall be sought: (1) What are the directions sought to be attained by the leadership in an intelligence organisation? (2) What are the qualities of agents performing the intelligence analysis function in the organisation? (3) What are the characteristics of the results required in the intelligence analysis organisation? (4) What leadership attributes would best address the directions, required results and employee characteristics in an intelligence analysis setting? (5) What recommendations may be made in the leadership management of the intelligence analysis organisation, such that organisational performance may be enhanced? 1.7 Significance of the study The outcome of the study is seen to be of benefit to the management of intelligence organisations, as well as all other organisations that deal with confidential and sensitive information such as banks and financial institutions. The effective motivation and engagement of employees are important to engender employee loyalty to the organisation, and minimise the chances that such employees betray their confidentiality commitments, or that good employees be enticed to leave the organisation for other employment opportunities. It is also important that highly qualified employees remain with the company in order to improve the performance in the organisation and provide the best possible service and results for the organisation’s various stakeholders. The study is also seen to provide a useful addition to the pool of academic literature on organisational leadership, since there have been few studies conducted on effective leadership management in the context of an intelligence analysis organisation. 1.8 Chapter summary The just concluded chapter presented the subject of research and its contextual setting, the framework through which the problem is conceptualised, and the statement of the research question and sub-problems. With the establishment of a firm background upon which the problem is situated, the dissertation shall proceed to a survey of academic literature in order to provide a theoretical foundation for the discussion to follow. Chapter 2 Review of Academic Literature 2.1 Chapter overview The second chapter presents information from various sources, including books, journal articles, and official websites of government and institutional organizations which deal with leadership in governmental organisations and the intelligence services of the UK. Theories shall be gleaned from the academic literature currently existing about the role and importance of leadership in various organisations, and what paradigms are in existence concerning this aspect of management. A profile of the intelligence gathering mechanism of the UK is presented, and likewise a detailed description of the organisational set-up, the activities of the staff and management, and the operation of the Security Service (MI5) as the organisation of choice for the analysis. Thereafter, a synthesis of the various literature surveyed is made, and a research gap identified which the dissertation will aim to address. 2.2 Scope of intelligence gathering and analysis in the UK The UK has established a National Intelligence Machinery, which is under the coordination of the Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience. The Secret Service is only one of the many organisations which operate under the government’s national intelligence machinery. Other intelligence agencies in the machinery include the Secret Intelligence Servie (SIS) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Close operational ties link these agencies and the Home Office, the Foreign Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet Office, the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Defence (Security Service website). The Secret Service, the SIS and the GCHQ are tasked to perform different but interrelated functions. There is close cooperation and mutual assistance among the three agencies, which enhances the chances that favourable results are achieved. Close cooperation includes the sharing of resources, particularly intelligence information, and expertise. Formally, the Security Service is one of several departments that request the SIS and the GCHQ, through the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), to gather certain categories of intelligence. Furthermore, links there are also operational links among the three agencies and the 56 police forces throughout the UK, their Special Branches in particular, and other specialized law enforcement agencies, two of which are the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the HM Revenue and Customs. Synergies existing among these forces are optimized through the sharing of gathered information and intelligence reports and assessments. Finally, the intelligence mechanism likewise includes foreign security and intelligence services in over 100 locations worldwide (Security Service website, 2010). 2.3 Secret Service: The MI5 Organisation The UK’s national security intelligence agency is the Security Service, often referred to as MI5. The agency has been in operation since 1909, and has been “responsible for countering covertly organised threats to national security” (Security Service website, 2010). The agency operates under the authority of the Secretary of State, pursuant to eh Security Services Act, and Under the Security Services Act 1989, the functions of the Security Service are the following (Security Service website, 2010): To protect national security against threats from espionage, terrorism and sabotage, from the activities of agents of foreign powers, and from actions intended to overthrow or undermine the parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means; To safeguard the economic well-being of the UK against threats posed by the actions or intentions of persons outside the British Isles; and (between 1996-2006), to act in support of the activities of police forces and other law enforcement agencies in the prevention and detection of serious crime. 2.3.1 The work of the Security Service The work of the Security Service is to collaborate with other agencies and organisations to counter threats to the nation’s security. The work focuses on the following (Security Service website, 2010): Investigating suspect individuals and organisations to obtain, collate, analyse, and assess secret intelligence relating to the threats to national security. This involves the effective gathering of intelligence and the management of information. Acting to counter the sources of threats, compiling evidence that will enable suspects to be brought to justice, Advising the Government and other organisations and agencies to keep them informed of the threats and on the appropriate response, as well as the protective security measures to undertake; and Assisting other agencies, organisations and Government departments in combating threats. 2.3.2 MI5 Organisation The following diagram shows the table of organisation of the Security Service. Figure X: Security Service Organisational Chart (Security Service website, 2010) The Service is headed by the Director General, who is supported by a Deputy Director General (DDG) responsible for the intelligence and security advice issued by the Service, counter-espionage, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, and matters concerning the Service’s operational capabilities. Seven branches comprise the service, each of which is led by a Director. Two of these branches are directly under the leadership of the DG: one is the branch that manages the Service’s personnel and security (i.e., People and Security), and the other takes charge of strategy, policy, finances and facilities (see upper right hand portion of the organizational table). The DDG, on the other hand, leads the five other branches: (1) International counter terrorism, counter espionage and counter proliferation (2) Domestic and Northern Ireland counter terrorism (3) Protective security measures to counter various threats (4) Operational capabilities (e.g. technical and surveillance operations) (5) Information services and technological capability. A new unit, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) is described as the Government authority in charge of providing protective security advice to organisations and businesses nationwide. The advisories issued by the CPNI are aimed at reducing the vulnerability of the national infrastructure to threats such as terrorism, thereby ensuring the safety of UK’s essential services (communications, energy, finance, food, government, health, transport, water, and emergency services). These vital services are known as the Critical National Infrastructure or CNI, and its important elements are the targets of CPNI advisories. Absent any of these vital services, the nation’s emergency response capability will be sorely crippled, potentially resulting in severe economic damage, grave social disruptions, and large-scale loss of life. The official CPNI website provides advice on threats, security planning, methods of attack, asset protection, products and services publications, and research and development. The CPNI is empowered to operate pursuant to the Security Service Act of 1989, and reports to the Director General of the Security Service (please see organisational table). 2.3.3 Management Board The Service’s Management Board is comprised of the Director General, the Deputy Director General, the Directors and the Legal Adviser. It regularly meets to make decisions on policy and strategic issues affecting the Service. Decisions of the Board are subject to external validation processes embodied in the code of governance of the Service. Furthermore, the Management Board has the support of two externally appointed Non-Executive Directors, who provide an external perspective to the discussions and final decisions. Both Non-Executive Directors are chosen for their expertise on private sector practice, and an innovative approach that tends to challenge existing assumptions and practices. Their role is purely advisory, with no accountability for any of the managerial work at the Service (Security Service Home website, 2010). 2.3.4 Security Service Staff Currently, of the 3.800 people employed by the Security Service, 41% are women, 56% are younger than 40 years, 8% are from black or ethnic minority backgrounds, and 3% are disabilities (Security Service Home website, 2010). A generalist staff accounting for two-thirds of the total staff comprise the main investigative, assessment, policy and management activities. Supporting the generalist staff are a team of specialists in language, technology, surveillance, IT, communications, protective security, administration, building services, and catering. The organisation is in constant flux, and the size and structure have altered considerably in recent years in response to changing threats, new working methods, available resources, and new information technology (Security Service Home website, 2010). 2.3.5 Management functions in the Security Service The overall leader of the Security Service is the Director General, who, by Security Service Act of 1989, is responsible for the following functions: (1) the operations and efficiency of the Service; (2) making an annual report on the Service’s work to the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister; (3) ensuring that the Service is politically impartial; and (4) ensuring that the Service obtains and discloses information solely in accordance with its statutory responsibilities. Information is disclosed for the purpose of the prevention or detection of serious crime, or for the purpose of any criminal proceedings. In the discharge of his responsibilities as head of the Security Service, the DG is committed to the principles that (1) the rule of law is paramount, and (2) methods of investigation must be proportionate to the threat and their use properly authorised. 2.4 The Nature of Intelligence Analysis Intelligence analysis is not exclusively applicable in politico-legal situations, as it finds application likewise in business, in the interpretation of markets, and in social forecasting, among many other things. In all these applications, intelligence analysis involves comprehending the nature and implications of information around us which we could accurately perceive. The circumstances under which this perception is conducted is, however, often highly ambiguous, particularly in the situations when that information is processed incrementally, under unpredictable situations, and under pressure for early interpretation and judgement (Heuer, 1999). Most intelligence analysis deals with such highly ambiguous situations, due to the clandestine activities employed to effect this data gathering; and the greater the amibiguity of the observed data, the more likely that prejudgements and expectations tend to colour the interpretation of such data. Often, therefore, the analyst whose job it is to observe data and analyse information early in the development of a situation is likely to commit errors in appraising the data than those who shall be observing it at a later stage in its development, or even with hindsight after the conclusion has been resolved, as better and more complete information would have then become available. Usually also, the perceptual bias that is formed as information is received incrementally is further reinforced by the organisational pressures that force analysts to constantly interpret and evaluate, and to not revise what has previously been arrived at and reporting (Heuer, 1999). These difficulties in the intelligence analysis activity has implications for management that oversees and plans for such activities. Heuer (1999) stressed that such a prudent management system must: Encourage results from analysts that clearly delineate their assumptions and chains of inference, and that qualify the degree and source of uncertainty that may have been incorporated in the conclusion; Support analyses that periodically re-examine key problems inductively, that is, from the ground up, so as to sidestep the pitfalls inherent in the incremental approach; Emphasize procedures that espouse and elaborate alternative points of view; Educate consumers about the limitations as well as the capabilities of intelligence analysis; define a set of realistic expectations as a standard against which analytical performance may be judged (Heuer, 1999). 2.5 Leadership in the Public Service Recent departmental capability review across the UK government indicated that the improvement of leadership within the civil service is the key to attaining a “world class” level of public services (Worrall, 2009:274). It has thus become important to determine what type of leadership produces the “world class’ quality of public service. There are three types of leadership, namely the directive leadership, the transactional leadership, and the transformational leadership (Liang, 2007). Transformational leadership is characterized by four unique and interrelated behaviour sub-dimension: inspirational sub-dimension, intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, and individualised considerations. Leaders of this type also empower their followers, resulting in less reliance on the power of the leader and greater reliance on the subordinates. On the other hand transational leadership behaviour includes contingent reward leadership, passive management by exception, and active management by exception (Park & Rainey, 2008). Figure X: General shift in leadership strategy (Liang, 2007, p. 119) Chapter 3 Methodology In the third chapter, the manner by which the dissertation proposes to arrive at the solution to the problem shall be described, describing therein the type of data to be gathered, the manner in which it shall be gathered, the manner by which such data shall be analysed, and the expected result of the analysis. 3.1 Research strategy The research intends to use an inductive research strategy. The data to be gathered shall comprise the specific elements from which relationships shall be observed and generalizations arrived at on the basis of the observation. Furthermore, the study is envisioned to be a qualitative study, inasmuch as it deals with qualitative variables that describe traits of individuals and circumstances surrounding situations. 3.2 Description of variables used in the study Three variable types are sought to be developed. The first deal with qualitative data on the intelligence analysis organisation, in this case the Security Service or MI5. The second set of variables describe the attributes of employees engaged in intelligence gathering and analysis, in terms of demographics, but moreseo in terms of expectations, aspirations, and sentiments about their jobs and their relationship with their superior. These preceding two sets of variables may be considered the independent variables which occur spontaneously in the organisational environment. The last set of variables pertain to the leadership attributes, encompassing the leader’s values, beliefs, and attitudes in his manner of relating to his subordinates, his work, and his peers. 3.3 Data gathering and analysis The data shall be collected by means of interviews and surveys. Questions will mostly be open-ended and interative, eliciting from the respondent the most thorough qualitative answer until sufficient information shall have been gathered. The qualitative data shall be analysed using the QDA, or the qualitative data analysis model, the illustrative depiction of which is reproduced below. Figure X: The Data Analysis Process (Seidel, 1998) The QDA process is not a linear procedure, but it is iterative and progressive (it is a cycle that keeps repeating), recursive (a subsequent part can refer back to a previous part), and holographic (each step in the process contains the entire process). The QDA method shall be used in light of the qualitative nature of the inquiry and the data needed to be retrieved. 3.4 Sampling method Pursuant to the QDA, the persons working in the intelligence analysis function in an intelligence organisation comprises the sample for the study, and the survey and interviews shall be repeated numerous times until such time as the researcher shall have arrived at a consensus and no further new information is being discovered. 3.5 Limitation of the methodology The methodology is limited as to time and place, since the interviews and surveys shall be done on a face-to-face basis. It is also done in one point in time, and therefore generalizations that may be arrived at may not be relevant to other times and in other situations. This will be addressed by other studies that may reprise this research, and thereby validate or debunk its findings. 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