A public sector that adequately makes use of information technology can provide improved government services that not only stimulates business development it also intensifies citizen participation and economic growth. However, the effectiveness of IT and its governance at both national as well as on municipality level leaves much to be desired. It is often stated that this is due to a lack of digital skills needed to manage the IT function and alignment with business. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the effect that digital leadership competences and IT capabilities have on digital transformation readiness within Dutch municipalities. Based on an analyses of survey data from 178 respondents we recommend municipalities to implement a range of activities that all are related to realize the ability to constantly apply strategic thinking and organizational leadership to exploit the capability of Information Technology to improve the business.
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In my view, organisations are playing an ever-larger role with and in these changes. This is why we need organisations that are not afraid to express and give concrete meaning to their innovative views on economic and social themes. These are organisations that dare to break out of the old thought and behavioural patterns in order to create room for change and renewal. They are guided by an innovative philosophy and mode of thinking, and show this leadership by translating this body of thought into concrete actions and results. This is why, in the professorship, we call these organisations ‘thought leaders in a society of change’.
Purpose – Against the background of current leadership theory, this research paper analyses and compares the leadership approaches of two outstanding leaders: Daniel Vasella, chairman of the leading Swiss pharmaceutical organization Novartis and Ricardo Semler, owner of the Brazilian conglomerate Semco. In contrast to many rather abstract, unpractical and pointlessly theoretical papers on leadership this analysis provides a more applied view of leadership by means of the life history approach delivering insight into both leaders’ development and leader personality. Methodology/approach – First, this paper locates the ideas and practices associated with the term “leadership” as a concept through theories that have developed over time and shows how the practices of leading can be derived and understood through chosen theories. Based on this, the specific characteristics and career paths of both leaders are presented and compared so that a final analysis of their leadership approach can be done. The paper is based on secondary sources such as peer-reviewed business journals and literature on leadership. Information about both leaders and their approach to leadership is gathered mainly from published interviews with them. Additional information on Semler is taken from his autobiography. Conclusions – It is difficult to identify an “essence” of leadership, whether that takes the form of personality characteristics or traits, charisma, the ability to transform people or organizations or a brain function. All presented theories of leadership seem to have their raison d’être. Both Vasella and Semler apply a combination of different attitudes and behaviours that characterize their leadership style containing elements of transformational, charismatic, ethical, servant and authentic leadership.
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The IMPULS-2020 project DIGIREAL (BUas, 2021) aims to significantly strengthen BUAS’ Research and Development (R&D) on Digital Realities for the benefit of innovation in our sectoral industries. The project will furthermore help BUas to position itself in the emerging innovation ecosystems on Human Interaction, AI and Interactive Technologies. The pandemic has had a tremendous negative impact on BUas industrial sectors of research: Tourism, Leisure and Events, Hospitality and Facility, Built Environment and Logistics. Our partner industries are in great need of innovative responses to the crises. Data, AI combined with Interactive and Immersive Technologies (Games, VR/AR) can provide a partial solution, in line with the key-enabling technologies of the Smart Industry agenda. DIGIREAL builds upon our well-established expertise and capacity in entertainment and serious games and digital media (VR/AR). It furthermore strengthens our initial plans to venture into Data and Applied AI. Digital Realities offer great opportunities for sectoral industry research and innovation, such as experience measurement in Leisure and Hospitality, data-driven decision-making for (sustainable) tourism, geo-data simulations for Logistics and Digital Twins for Spatial Planning. Although BUas already has successful R&D projects in these areas, the synergy can and should significantly be improved. We propose a coherent one-year Impuls funded package to develop (in 2021): 1. A multi-year R&D program on Digital Realities, that leads to, 2. Strategic R&D proposals, in particular a SPRONG/sleuteltechnologie proposal; 3. Partnerships in the regional and national innovation ecosystem, in particular Mind Labs and Data Development Lab (DDL); 4. A shared Digital Realities Lab infrastructure, in particular hardware/software/peopleware for Augmented and Mixed Reality; 5. Leadership, support and operational capacity to achieve and support the above. The proposal presents a work program and management structure, with external partners in an advisory role.
Ontwikkelingssamenwerking is een gebied dat sterk in beweging is. Veranderingen in financiering door de Nederlandse overheid van ontwikkelingssamenwerking (Schulpen et al., 2018) en de opkomst van digitale digitale technologieën en daarmee de toename van mobiele telefonie, sociale media, internetgebruik in ‘de landen van de ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsprojecten, big data, fintech, online surveillance en censuur hebben de ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsorganisaties opgeschud en zelfs in een stroomversnelling gebracht. Maatschappelijke organisaties actief in ontwikkelingssamenwerking onderkennen de mogelijkheden die digitalisering hen biedt maar ervaren de gevolgen van deze digitale transformatie tegelijkertijd als complex, onzeker en onduidelijk in impact in ontwikkelingssamenwerking (Haikin & Flatters, 2017; Partos & The Spindle, 2018; Mitchell et al., 2020). In afstemming met mantelorganisaties actief in ontwikkelingssamenwerking beoogt dit project een antwoord te geven op de vraag hoe maatschappelijke organisaties digitale transformatie kunnen managen in de context van ontwikkelingssamenwerking met als doel om diverse Sustainable Development Goals te behalen De onderzoeksopzet is ingebed in de reeds opgedane theoretische kennis en onderzoekslijnen van het lectoraat Procesinnovatie en Informatiesystemen over de relatie van e-Leadership, IT Capabilities met Digitale Transformatie (Ravesteijn & Ongena, 2019), en breidt de kennis uit op het vlak van maatschappelijke organisaties actief in ontwikkelingssamenwerking, waar de dynamiek van geografisch wijd verspreide stakeholders en verschillende niveaus van digitale ontwikkelingen van organisaties zowel vanuit de praktijk als vanuit een academisch perspectief een interessante onderzoekdimensie opleveren. Voortbordurend op inzichten vanuit het promotieonderzoek van de kandidaat over hoe de organisaties sociale media inzetten voor ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsdoelen (Sheombar, 2019b; Sheombar et al., 2021), alsmede het onderzoekslijnen van het lectoraat is op basis van de systeembenadering van een socio-technische lens op digitale transformatie de onderzoeksvraag als volgt geformuleerd. hoe managen maatschappelijke organisaties digitale transformatie door socio-technische systemen in de context van meervoudige waardecreatie in ontwikkelingssamenwerking? Het project resulteert in ontwikkelde instrumenten en trainingsmateriaal voor de ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsorganisaties voor omgaan met digital transformatie.
