| Description |
Decentralized leadership has become a key facet in the development of a learning culture within organizations and industries that sustain successful operations amid high levels of risk. Lessons from the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan indicate the demand for fluidity to adapt and adjust to complex environments. This in turn has required a deviation from the military's rigid centralized leadership structure, established over the last couple of centuries, allowing personnel on the ground and within enemy lines the authority to make mission-imperative decisions. The mining industry as a whole is faced with similar demands, requiring companies to become fluid and establish a learning culture, for success in an era defined by increased production, increased environmental responsibility, and lower levels of acceptable risk. This thesis investigates the intervention effectiveness of a variant of distributive leadership in an underground mining section. Using leadership traits established in a competency model for small unit leaders in the military, section miners underwent leadership training and coaching and were then charged with taking over decision making processes traditionally performed by the section foreman and fire boss. A conclusion of the intervention was difficult to render based on the hypothesis, but valuable insights were attained on the application of leadership in underground section mining, and for research design improvements in a replication of this study or similar studies. |
