Strategic Development: How Can Leadership Influence Change in Abu Dhabi Police - Essay Example

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT: HOW CAN LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE CHANGE IN ABU DHABI POLICE

Introduction

Leadership plays a significant role in influencing the implementation of change and performance of an institution. Though change is essential for an organization to survive, successful implementation of change is inhibited by factors such as lack of a clear plan, the natural resistance to change and uncertainty (Gill, 2006). As a consequence, the extent to which change is conceived is largely based on the ability of a leader to communicate and manage change. The rapid and dramatic changes witnessed in the Abu Dhabi Police since its inception in 1957 has led to a sharp focus on the management and leadership style employed by the Minister of Interior. The Lt. General, His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has spearheaded these strategic developments and organizational changes in the police service through adopting efficient leadership styles. This is despite the high rates of failure that has been observed in driving and sustaining change in organizations, the agency has managed to initiate successful change initiatives. The current study will thus aim to assess the impact leadership in law enforcement organizations, in particular, the Abu Dhabi Police.

Leadership and Change Management in the Current Academic Literature

As acknowledged by a multitude of scholars, a country’s developments in the social, political and economic dimensions highly impact on the implementation and management of change. Before investigating the type of leadership employed by the management of an organization, it is integral to begin by studying various theories and functions that leadership plays in implementing and propelling change. Despite the vast array of theories and frameworks for organizational change and leadership, McKinsey & Company (2008) report evidences that the rate of failure in projects is substantially high. Historically, studies of leadership have been built on stories of military, social, political and religious heroes, who are associated with important events in history (Anderson, 2012). The major types of Leadership Theory that have since emerged from these studies include Behaviour Approach Theory, Emergent Theory, Trait Theory and Contingency Theory. However, these models have been criticized due to their focus on the traits and behaviors associated with leaders and ignoring situational factors (Gill, 2006; House, Hanges & Javidan, 2012). Earliest frameworks to characterize leadership theories were principally focused on evaluating the core qualities that differentiated between followers and leaders.

This led to the emergence of the Trait Theory, which states that certain characteristics are linked with a person’s ability to lead. However, this theory was labeled as being inconsistent, leading to the emergence of Behavioural Approach, which reiterated that leadership behaviors could be taught (Rees, Althakhri & Mamman, 2011). It mainly focused on a leader’s behavioral traits like initiating structure and consideration. Further developments led to the emergence of the Contingency Approach Theory, which stated that effective leadership is contingent on multiple factors like personality, behavior and influence. It further influenced the emergence of the Situation Theory, which further expanded on the idea of task dimension and relationships to leadership. According to Tom, Curtis, and Colmar (2010), it is built on the premise that leaders ought to reduce their task behaviors and build more relationships with their subordinates. Certain scholars have however criticized it as logical flawed as it violates the themes of conformity, consistency, and continuity.

However, recent developments have been dominated by the Emergent Theory, which postulates that a leader must be innovative, proactive and open to new ideas by aligning employee objectives with those of the organization (Densten, 2003; Walker, Armenakis & Bernerth, 2007). The major frameworks under this theory include transformational and transactional theories. According to Gill (2006), its major themes can be summarized as charisma, vision, and transformation. Thus, leaders can be able to alter their organization’s orientation and incorporate change as a variable in their management system.

Leadership and Change Management from a non-Academic perspective

According to a report by the McKinsey & Company (2008), the success rate of initiating and managing change in organizations is very poor. The study indicated that on average, only 10 per cent of change management projects succeed, with the major reasons of failure being the lack of restricting organizations and adoption to technology. The Huffington Post article (2016), also noted that a leadership-driven strategy to change that completely ignores the elements of politics, power and distinct situations surrounding organizations is prone to failure. Therefore, organizations must put into consideration the impact of such external factors before initiating a change strategy. Such evidence demonstrates the wider relevance and potential benefits of the topic in contributing to the field of management.

Contemporary Nature of the Study

In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the strategic developments witnessed in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and wider UAE, it is paramount to study the types of leadership models adopted by organizations. According to Gregoire and Arendt (2014), the high rate of globalization and technology advances has allowed organizations to adjust their management strategies to ensure continuous improvements. Organizational culture has also been identified as an integral component in evaluating the overall success in implementing change (Nistelrooij, Van & Sminia, 2010). Being an organization in the public sector, evaluating its management method will also aid in evaluating how its national culture has impacted on the commander’s leadership styles to enhance change. Having been an employee of the Abu Dhabi Police Department, the research will be of significance in illuminating on the management style of the agency and how leadership can be enhanced for improved results.

Overview of the Abu Dhabi Police Agency

The Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) is the principal law enforcement organization in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, which is the administrative and political capital of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven emirates that comprise the UAE, in addition to being the most populated with a population of over 2.3 million people. The ADP is under the command of Lt. General, His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the Miniaster of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister. Its core functions include enhancing public safety, enforcing peace and criminal law in the entire Emirate and contributing to international peace through collaborating with global agencies. The agency is also comprised of numerous departments with distinct functions that include forensics, search and rescue, criminal investigations, social support, air wing and inspection sections, which further ensure efficiency in the administration. In a bid to enhance the efficiency and legitimacy of the agency, Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan has developed key strategies that advocate for adoption of technology, career development of police employees and restructuring of management to meet these goals. In the long run, strategies implemented by the Minister have contributed to improved quality of life, managerial efficiency in police departments and reduced crime.

Established in 1957 by Sheikh Shakbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Police has undergone tremendous changes in various contexts up to its present state. In 1971, the Ministry of Interior was established by the late Sheikh Zayed which further extended policing across the entire UAE. With the continued educational advancements in the UAE, employed policemen became the fourth category of Abu Dhabi Police, with education and scientific qualifications being the core qualifications for admission. It is evident that almost all aspects of life have undergone tremendous change in the UAE due to commitments and efficient policing strategies from the agency’s management.

This, therefore, underscores the potential role of leadership in the development of promoting organizational efficiency and reforming employees to enhance and institutionalize such efforts. Consequently, the UAE becomes an appropriate context for basing this research, justifying our choice to set it in this study. Therefore it is integral to study the Abu Dhabi Police agency in order to develop useful frameworks to aid practitioners model the most ideal intervention for the challenges facing effective leadership. My personal experience in the public sector has also equipped me with first-hand knowledge of the core problems facing management in the public sector and that introducing change to promote improvement is necessary

Research Questions, Aims and Objectives of the Study

The study is inspired by three core issues impacting Abu Dhabi Police agency. The first issue is on leadership in Abu Dhabi, led by The Lt. General, His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and how it has impacted on change of the organization. Another core issue is on the perceptions that the Abu Dhabi police agency have regarding the leadership models that have been adopted by the Minister. The third issue is on the role that management and leadership of the Abu Dhabi Police has played in contributing to organizational change (Moran, Alexander & Cronin, 2006). From studying these three elements, we will be able to develop a leadership framework that puts into consideration the unique culture of the Arab community and its influence on the leadership of the agency.

Thus, the research questions to be addressed in the study include:

• How has leadership in the Abu Dhabi Police impacted on the process of implementing change?
• What are the perceptions of Abu Dhabi Police employees in relation to the leadership styles that have adopted by their managers?
• What role has management and leadership strategies in the Abu Dhabi Police played in contributing to organizational change?

According to recent studies, change implementation has been identified to have a very high rate of failure in both developed and developing countries (McKinsey & Company, 2008). However, Abu Dhabi Police has been able to develop and implement an efficient management process that has transcended all barriers. As postulated by Gill (2006), it is paramount to study change from an interdisciplinary standpoint in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the complex process. In the discipline of leadership and change management, a rich set of theories and frameworks have been developed over the years. According to Anderson (2012), one of the major reasons for this is that the field of change management borrows heavily from other disciplines like social science, knowledge and psychology. The following section reviews the vast array of literature that is related to leadership and change management and investigates various strategies that managers have adopted in the implementation of change.