CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PILOT RESEARCH AT A HUNGARIAN SME OPERATING IN THE ICT SECTOR
Judit TÖRÖK-KMOSKÓ1, Krisztina DAJNOKI2
1PhD student, University of Debrecen, Faculty of Economics and Business, Károly Ihrig Doctoral School of Management and Business, Debrecen, Hungary
2PhD, University Professor, University of Debrecen, Faculty of Economics and Business, Debrecen, Hungary
dajnoki.krisztina@econ.unideb.hu
Abstract: The current research reports on a pilot study that was conducted to test the feasibility of a larger study exploring a leadership development program at a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) in the ICT (Infocommunications) sector in Hungary. The study employed a mixed-methods approach to data collection, which included literature review, document analysis, and structured interviews with various participants involved in the leadership development program. The literature review focused on the history, current state, existing gaps and limitations, and theoretical frameworks and concepts related to the research topic. The document analysis aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the research topic and complement the findings from the literature review. The structured interviews were designed to be consistent and standardized, with a pre-determined set of questions asked to each participant. The interviews were conducted with a diverse group of participants, including the CEO, People Development Manager, Hiring managers, Domain Engineering Leads, the Human Resources team, and participants of the leadership development program.
The current research is a smaller-scale version of a full-scale study (also called a “feasibility” study), as well as the pre-testing of a particular research instrument, in our case, document analysis and interview schedule. Pilot researches are a crucial element of a good study design, as it does not guarantee success in the main study, but it does increase the likelihood of success. (Polit et al., 2001, Teijlingen et al., 2001)
The paper also discusses the importance of leadership in the ICT sector, citing a survey of Society for Information Management members that identified leadership as the most important soft skill for employees in the sector. The article notes that understanding the preferences of different generations at the workplace is essential to create an effective leadership development program. Out of the total number of employees, 52 currently work in the company’s software development division, and the preferences and motivations of these employees will be a critical factor in designing a successful program.
The paper concludes by stressing the importance of pilot studies in research and how they increase the likelihood of success in the main study. The study’s authors hope that the results of this pilot study will provide insight into the characteristics of a leadership development program and assist in developing a more extensive study on the topic.
Keywords: Pilot; Leadership development; SME; Generation Y, Generation Z, interview, document analysis
