Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Initiative to Develop Leadership among Women in Africa: A Case Study.

摘要

This qualitative case study assesses the impact of a three-year Hilton Foundation-supported, Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) in five African nations. The goal was to evaluate the SLDI program for increasing leadership capacities of 340 women in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to determine the program effectiveness, by observing the changes it effected in trainees and their communities. Another purpose was to assess the pedagogical practices used by both international (USA) and local (African) instructors to deliver instruction that directly applied to the trainees' workplaces. Also, the study evaluated the sustainability strategies in place to support trainee projects and future leadership programs. The design of evaluation is drawn from the theoretical perspectives elucidated by transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985), diffusion of innovation theory (Rogers, 2003) and "culture software of the mind" (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). The methodology consisted on-site, data collection in Africa through in-depth interviews, site-visits observations, field notes, program document analysis, and informal conversations with subjects. The sample consisted of 45 interviewees, including 32 trainees drawn from the five sub-Saharan countries, ten instructors - four from East Africa, three from West Africa and the United States respectively, and three regional administrators. Results indicate that the program goals were attained, significant impact was evident in the trainees' adaptation of new leadership styles and models in their workplaces, innovative projects they implemented and measurable economic benefits realized Utilizing local and international instructors enhanced instruction by affording intercultural cross-fertilization. This study illustrates how the design of leadership programs can confirm the creation of innovative practice for effective organizational management in the developing nations.