Leadership training and just-in-time nudges: A field experiment on the transfer of learning into action

TY - JOUR

T1 - Leadership training and just-in-time nudges

T2 - A field experiment on the transfer of learning into action

AU - Haunstrup, Jørgen Skovhus

AU - Jensen, Ulrich Thy

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Government agencies use leadership training programs to improve human capital and public service provision. However, existing research ignores how limited cognitive capacity and task overload in the aftermath of leadership training programs can reduce the transfer of learning into action. Integrating insights from behavioral science on choice architecture with research on leadership development, we propose a leadership development model with “just-in-time” implementation nudges. In a field experiment involving 226 Danish public managers and their 4,442 employees, we found that employees perceived their managers as exhibiting more transformational leadership behaviors following our leadership development intervention. The intervention combined classroom training with just-in-time implementation nudges that targeted goal-oriented development dialogues. We also found that these dialogues mediated the treatment effect on transformational leadership behavior. Our results highlight the need to consider choice architectural approaches in designing leadership development efforts in the public sector.

AB - Government agencies use leadership training programs to improve human capital and public service provision. However, existing research ignores how limited cognitive capacity and task overload in the aftermath of leadership training programs can reduce the transfer of learning into action. Integrating insights from behavioral science on choice architecture with research on leadership development, we propose a leadership development model with “just-in-time” implementation nudges. In a field experiment involving 226 Danish public managers and their 4,442 employees, we found that employees perceived their managers as exhibiting more transformational leadership behaviors following our leadership development intervention. The intervention combined classroom training with just-in-time implementation nudges that targeted goal-oriented development dialogues. We also found that these dialogues mediated the treatment effect on transformational leadership behavior. Our results highlight the need to consider choice architectural approaches in designing leadership development efforts in the public sector.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85188062541&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/10967494.2024.2314055

DO - 10.1080/10967494.2024.2314055

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85188062541

SN - 1096-7494

VL - 27

SP - 684

EP - 708

JO - International Public Management Journal

JF - International Public Management Journal

IS - 5

ER -