Den interne konsulents arbejde med strategisk ledelse

Abstract

Aim: Omdrejningspunktet i nærværende masterspeciale er den interne konsulents oplevelse af at bedrive strategisk ledelse i den offentlige sektor. Undersøgelsen tager udgangspunkt i en hypotese om, at interne konsulenter bedriver ledelse. Denne hypotese belyses og bekræftes på baggrund af koblinger mellem teoretiske definitioner af ledelse og perspektiver på, hvilke opgaver de interne konsulenter har. Formålet er derudover at give et forståelsesorienteret blik på, hvordan interne konsulenter selv oplever at bedrive strategisk ledelse og der anvendes teoretiske perspektiver med henblik på at forklare og forstå deres oplevelser og vilkår. Problemet der undersøges er således: Hvordan opleves det for den interne konsulent at bedrive strategisk ledelse? Method: Masterspecialet baserer sig på en hypotesedrevet tilgang, der har sit udgangspunkt i pragmatismen og et syn på, at mennesket, dets erfaringer og handlinger er centrale som grundlag for at lære og forstå. Dataskabelse har betydning for udforskningen af masterspecialets problemstilling. Således er metoden en måde, hvorpå der kan skabes ny viden sammen med interviewdeltagere. Der benyttes semistrukturerede kvalitative interviews og stilles forståelsesorienterede spørgsmål med henblik på at belyse og udforske dybere niveauer af forståelsen af den interne konsulents oplevelser af at bedrive strategisk ledelse. Contribution: Særligt to væsentlige elementer træder frem; at den interne konsulent bedriver strategisk ledelse, og at den interne konsulents inderside er svær, fordi der er en oplevelse af ensomhed og manglende mulighed for motivation og trivsel. Disse to elementer handler dels om ydre forhold og dels om nogle indre forhold. Masterspecialet bidrager med en forståelse af, at det synes at være et organisatorisk vilkår for den interne konsulent i at være i et krydspres, hvor man oplever at være spændt ud mellem strategiske beslutninger taget på et højere niveau og medarbejder på et sidestillet niveau eller på et praksisniveau i organisationen. Dette masterspeciale bidrager således med en belysning af, hvordan det opleves for interne konsulenter at bedrive strategisk ledelse og med en belysning af, hvad årsagerne til oplevelserne er. Ved at inddrage teoretiske perspektiver på deltagernes beskrivelser af og refleksioner over deres oplevelser med at bedrive strategisk ledelse gives en dybere forståelse og nuancering af deres vilkår og arbejdsfelt. Implication to practice: Masterspecialet belyser ikke blot, hvordan de interne konsulenter oplever at bedrive strategisk ledelse, men giver også en forståelse af ledelse som noget, der bedrives af flere og af andre end de formelle ledere. Endvidere bidrager masterspecialet med en forståelse af det organisatoriske landskab og de organisatoriske vilkår, som de interne konsulenter navigerer i. Det står frem i undersøgelsen, at de interne konsulenter spiller en særlig rolle på tværs, opad, nedad og ud af organisationen. Implication from research: Der er skrevet meget lidt forskningsbaseret litteratur om dette emne. Masterspecialet bidrager til feltet med en forståelsesorienteret og kvalitativ forskningsanalyse af, hvordan det opleves for den interne konsulent at bedrive strategisk ledelse og viser samtidig, at der stadig er et behov for yderligere forskning i emnet.

Aim The focal point of this master’s thesis is consultants working within organizations in the public sector, and their experiences with conducting strategic leadership in the public sector. The study has its point of departure in the hypothesis that consultants conduct leadership. This hypothesis is illuminated and confirmed on the basis of links between theoretical definitions of leadership, and perspectives on what types of tasks internal consultants maintain. Furthermore, the purpose is to give an understanding-oriented view of how the consultants themselves experience conducting strategic leadership and, explain and understand their experiences and terms using theoretical perspectives. The problem being researched is thus: How does the consultant experience conducting strategic leadership? Method This master’s thesis is based on a hypothesis driven approach, which has its starting point in pragmatism and in a view of the human, its experiences and actions as central for its basis of learning and understanding. Data creation has an importance in the exploration of the problem of the master’s thesis. Thus, the method is a way in which new knowledge can be created in collaboration with the interviewed participants. Semi structured qualitative interviews have been conducted, and understanding oriented questions have been asked, in order to explore deeper levels of the understanding of consultant’s experiences with conducting strategic leadership. Contribution Especially two substantial elements emerge: 1. That the consultant conducts strategic leadership, and 2. That the consultant’s inner side is difficult, because there is an experience of loneliness and missing opportunities of motivation and thriving. These two elements have both outer and inner factors. The master’s thesis contributes with the understanding that it seems to be an organizational condition for the consultant to be in a situation with conflicting demands leading to an experience of cross-pressure. She experiences to be stretched out between strategic decisions made on a higher level, and an employee equivalent level or at a practice level in the organization. This master’s thesis thus contributes with an illumination of how it is experienced by the consultants to conduct strategic leadership, and an illumination of what the causes of the experiences are. By involving theoretical perpectives on the participant’s descriptions of, and reflections about their experiences with conducting strategic leadership, a deeper understanding of the conditions and work field is given. Implication to practice The master’s thesis does not only illuminate how the internal consultants experience conducting strategic leadership but also gives an understanding of leadership as something that is conducted by more, and by others than the formal leadership team. Furthermore, the master’s thesis contributes to an understanding of the organizational landscape and the organizational conditions that the consultants navigate in. It emerges from the study, that the consultants play a significant role across, up and down the organization. Implication from research Very little literature based on research has been written on this subject. The master´s thesis contributes to the field with an understanding based and qualitative research analysis on how it is experienced for the consultant to conduct strategic leadership, and simultaneously demonstrates that there is still a requirement for further research on the topic

A master programme thesis from Aalborg University

Den interne konsulents arbejde med strategisk ledelse

[The consultant's work with strategic leadership]