SBIR-STTR Award

Leaders must be able to solve the kind of complex, ambiguous problems that arise in organizational settings. Prior research on the determinants of leader performance indicates that metacognitive skills, such as problem construction and integration, have a marked impact on people's ability to solve complex, ambiguous problems. In the effort proposed herein, the literature on cognitive processes and cognitive development in adulthood will be used to construct a model describing how metacognitive skills influence (1) the development of viable knowledge structures and (2) effective processing of knowledge in problem solving. This model will then be used to identify potential measures of each of these metacognitive skills, and automated measures of certain crucial skills will be developed. The reliability and validity of these measures will then be established in a pilot study. Additionally, this model will be used to identify interventions that might accelerate skills development. A set of self-paced, computer-interactive training programs will then be constructed, and their influence on effective application of metacognitive skills in problem solving will be assessed. The validation evidence provided by these studies should provide the infrastructure for future efforts intended to enhance leaders' problem solving skills.

Effective leadership is an important, perhaps crucial, influence on organizational performance. A growing body of evidence indicates that leader performance depends on complex, high-order thinking skills. In Phase I of this research, a review of the leadership literature and studies of cognitive development in adulthood was used to identify the nature of these skills. Next, prototype measures of these skills and a series of skill development training programs were constructed and validated. This research also served to demonstrate the potential value of on-line, computer-assisted skill assessment and skill-development exercises. In the effort proposed herein for Phase II, an attempt will be made to extend this initial research by constructing a comprehensive battery for the on-line assessment of complex leadership skills which provides feedback consistent with students' developmental needs. The reliability and validity of these on-line measures and the feedback system will be established in the operational training environment. Additionally, self-paced, computer-assisted training exercises will be developed and validated in the context of an ongoing leadership development program. These skill-assessment exercises and instructional aids should provide the tools needed to facilitate the development of leaders' problem-solving skills.