Fire and Rescue Leadership - Research Proposal Example

Running Header: Fire and Rescue Leadership Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission: Fire and Rescue Leadership Introduction This research proposal looks at various leadership methods used and developed in Fire and Rescue Services. This proposal intends to look at various leadership ways used in fire and rescue services. Various challenges currently face fire and rescue services due to lack of improvement of leadership skills and capabilities by fire and rescue management. Leadership is a critical concern in the current service based environment. A new leadership development focus is required in order to improve service delivery in fire and service. Natalie (2008) maintains that transformational leadership is required as it is most appropriate than transactional model for Fire and rescue services in modern times. The scope and nature of fire agenda modernization requires positive and even response from fire services so as to meet demands of improving standards. New leaders with flexible blend abilities as well as experience are required in order to increase accountability. In order for fire and rescue services to achieve and attain their expected goals or objectives, they must have be a new focus on leadership development. This proposal is intended to find out the best leadership ways and the ways to carry them out in order to ensure services are delivered as per the demands with high quality and effective methods. This proposal will also assist in knowing the leadership contexts within the fire and rescue service. The proposal will also assist me in knowing whether leadership model should be based on behavior. The proposal is meant to investigate the hindrances towards effective management in achievement of efficient and effective services delivery in fire and rescue service. Aims/Objectives The aim of the proposal will be achieved by answering the questions outlined below. Is transformational leadership model appropriate than transactional for a fire and rescue service in modern fire and rescue services organization? Which leadership contexts are necessary in ensuring efficient delivery of services? Do you agree with professional reference proposal for strategic leadership development in fire and rescue services? Should leadership models be based on behavior? Executive summary According to Mitchell and International Association of Fire Chiefs (2007), Leadership is an important aspect that is required in fire and rescue services in order to enhance service delivery. Development of Transformational leadership is extremely significant in providing motivation, encouragement and inspiration in order to promote change through effective communication. It is important to embrace and introduce good management and leadership programs in order to deliver changes that are positive in fire and rescue services organizations. Transformational leadership is extremely vital in fire and rescue services in ensuring delivery of efficient services in those organizations. Transformational leadership creates valuable and positive change in its supporters. Transformational leader notes the required change and creates a vision to guide that change through inspiration. The change is executed by leader with group members’ commitment. Modern Fire and Rescue service requires leadership and development structure that develops leaders and managers who are highly capable of improving their organizations. All leaders across all fire and rescue services should aim at fostering effective leadership development in their organizational structures. Leaders in fire and rescue service should nurture and develop the talents in order to prepare effective leadership in future as well as achieving leadership standards of high quality with opportunity equality across fire and rescue services. Effective leadership can be achieved through development and training of leaders and improving leadership models and skills. Leadership approaches that are formulaic and prescriptive cannot be effective ways towards achieving reduction in any form of risk in fire and rescue services in modern times. Leadership development requires an approach that is flexible, modern and risk-based. In order to achieve competent achievements, fire and rescue services require a more focused outcome through ensuring people have required skills, knowledge and understanding. Effective training as well as developments are essential in efficient management and reduced risks. All efforts should be put in place to ensure that those people with potential of becoming leaders and succeed at all levels of strategic management gets an opportunity of becoming leaders. Through can as well be achieved through putting in place strategic leadership development programme. Such programs and systems include integrated Personal development system (IPDS). This represents a change of approach in development of workforce for authorities in Fire and Rescue Authorities. This is also possible through high potential management development scheme which provide a progress towards developing those individuals identified to have potential of becoming managers or leaders. Scotland. Scottish Executive (2006) argues that Fire and rescue service management require transformation as well as the how staff are managed. This can be achieved through incorporating leaders with exceptional quality in order to ensure that is achieved and it is possible. Fire service leaders operate in different levels or different environments whereby achievement will be needed. Transformational leadership put a lot of emphasizes on the leadership behaviors importance to motivating staff towards improving their performance. Leadership model in fire and rescue services should be based on behaviors. The elements of the four behaviors include core values, personal qualities and attributes, leadership capacity, and leadership context. Leadership context has three model contexts that include critical incident management that is operational, local government leadership that is political and team work which is personal. Leadership capabilities of existing and aspiring leaders require to be strengthened because it is vital for modernized fire and recue services success in future. Managers require developing their skills at all levels of management when setting realistic objectives, taking action to improve individuals’ and teams’ performance, motivating workers or staff, analyzing data, considering other ways towards achievement, and performance monitoring. There are also changes required in order to ensure new skills demands and better working methods as well as better management are effectively acquired. New emerging demands in fire and rescue services will require managers capable of analyzing what is required while identifying available options to meet the needs while organizing their workers and other resources in order to achieve effectively. Competence is of great importance in ensuring expected activities are performed effectively and at the required time. A competent leader or manager performs activities as expected by National Occupation Standards. This is through demonstrating and assessing against the criteria of performance as well as knowledge. Methodology Quantitative type of methodology will be used to answer the question in dissertation questions. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2005) argues that in trying to investigate whether transformational model of leadership is appropriate than transactional model in a modern fire and rescue services, responses will be required from people and then analyzed to determine whether they accept or not. This will be possible through a questionnaire that will ask for responses from the respondents. Survey is another effective method that shall be utilized in this process to collect relevant data and people’s opinions or views. The expected response will be strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree or nil response. The percentage of the people who will reply will be recorded and analyzed to determine whether the respondents agree or disagree with appropriateness of the leadership. Another type of question in questionnaire type will be on whether one agrees with three types of leadership context that includes critical incident management, local leadership, and team leadership. The expected response in this section or question is either yes or no. The number of those who agree or disagree will then be analyzed. The percentage of responses to the three leadership context will be analyzed to determine the most preferred leadership context in the number who accept or reject each context. Views of the correspondents are collected through the questionnaires that will ask about their views and opinions. The data collected will assist in a greater extent to determine which leadership strategies and developments are required. The collected data will be evaluated by determining the percentage of responses reflected on the questionnaire. The number of those who strongly agree, agree, those who will be neutral, those who will disagree, and strongly disagree will be determined adding up on the number of those who agree at various levels and comparing to the number of people who will disagree and as well as disagree. If the number of those who disagree is less than that of those who agree, then the interpretation shall be that the overall opinion is on agreement with the question. The preference of people’s opinion will be determined through the percentage size. Timeline The activity of carrying out this proposal and overall data collection will take several days as follows. Day Activity 1, 2 & 3 Writing a proposal 4 Setting up questions 5 Questionnaire preparation 6 Plan on areas and people to survey 7 8& 9 Carrying out survey 10 Analyzing the data 11 Interpreting the data 12 Discussing the collected data in proposal 13,14 & 15 Writing dissertation References Mitchell, R & International Association of Fire Chiefs 2007, Fire Service Leadership: Theories and Practices, London, Jones & Bartlett Learning. Natalie, L 2008, ‘Stafford Fire and Rescue values strong leadership culture’, Human Resource Management International Digest, vol. 16, no. 7, pp. 27-29. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 2005, Leadership & Development in the Fire and Rescue Service, viewed 23 May 2010, . Scotland. Scottish Executive 2006, Leadership & development in the fire and recue service: consultation paper, Scottish Executive, Scotland. Read More