Containment – lack & leadership in a Nepal firm (1): what it is, what it means and how it can be supported in leadership

Chaffer, Jo (2017) Containment – lack & leadership in a Nepal firm (1): what it is, what it means and how it can be supported in leadership. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Containment, problematisation in a psychologically safe space, is proposed as a practice of leadership and its development. I work from multiple perspectives, Western and non-Western to develop the concept of containment and better understand what, how and why it may be in practice. The aim is to draw on philosophies, practice and understanding from many cultures, an ‘and/both’ approach, to avoid being limited by the hegemony of Western epistemologies. It’s a reflexive journey. I explore the array of assumptions held in the practice and study of leadership, suggesting that the most helpful approach is to keep the question of what it is alight and energised. I use a P-Model, developed from Critical Leadership Studies scholars, to facilitate this. Development, specifically leadership development is critiqued, noting the paradox of spending vast sums on ‘transformative’ competency based programs that fail to create ‘supermen’ whilst showing a deep unwillingness to spend on inner growth. I apply the P-model to this to understand what might be happening aiming to shift the balance towards inner development e.g. negative capabilities and also impacts performance. Epistemological (and ontological) plurality both underpins the study and also directs the direction of the methodology. Starting with a Constructivist Grounded Theory Method (after Charmaz) the study works with a Nepalese Multi-National Enterprise (MNE) engaging with participants in a series of different interventions. The initial rounds of coding generated many dark themes around power flows, vulnerability i.e. lack of containment. Reflecting on the impact my own state had I recoded for positives, presenting both to the participants as a strength-lack dialectic. I am now engaging with different thinkers to keep re-grounding the emerging constructs anticipating that new perspectives will result in fewer biases. Initial themes highlight ‘Place’ (context), specifically transparent, fair structures, systems and enactment of these as a critical factor.

Item Type:	Report
Departments:	Research Centres > Institute for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS)
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	21 Dec 2017 12:07
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2024 16:46
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/3509

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