| The purpose of this study was to determine how participants perceived the effectiveness of their experience in the 2008 Global Institute for Leadership Development -- GILD as a provider of custom executive education. GILD is an intensive one-week institute sponsored by Linkage, Inc. GILD has been presented as an accelerated growth experience designed to differentiate superior leaders from average leaders. During its twelve-year history, the Global Institute for Leadership Development (GILD) has not yet been comprehensively evaluated.;GILD 2008 was held from October 12 -- 17 in Palm Desert, California. Two hundred eighty nine people from around the world participated in GILD 2008. Sixty-one percent, or one hundred seventy-nine people, completed the evaluation. Program participants included executives, general managers, directors and managers whose responsibilities include sales, marketing, finance, engineering, information technology and project management. Eighteen countries were represented at GILD 2008.;The research was based on the effectiveness of three central parts of GILD including executive coaching, learning teams and faculty presenters. The evaluation included 52 questions and was administered on the final day of the institute. Data was gathered using quantitative methods including Measures of Central Tendency -- Means, Measures of Variability -- Standard Deviation and Rank-Order Distribution. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and Post Hoc tests. Qualitative techniques were used to collect data through open-ended questions addressing areas for improvement of GILD 2008 as well as key take-always for the participants.;Study findings suggest leadership development based executive education remains a vital resource for professional development within many organizations around the world. The study supports GILD 2008 was a valuable education resource for the participants. Study participants reported GILD 2008 was valued for the depth of content expertise of the presenters and executive coaches. The study reflects the evolvement of executive education to an era of assessment, coaching and development of peer learning relationships. For Linkage, Inc. the provider of GILD, a slightly different business model may be needed to position GILD as an even more effective process. Those efforts may include the need to conduct organizational assessments of corporate strategy, leadership challenges and culture, with efforts resulting in an enhanced program design based upon client needs. |
