| This study sought to understand the relationship of Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational factors when assessing candidate qualifications for placement in open leadership positions. Clark and Estes' (2008) gap analysis served as the general conceptual and methodological framework for the study, supported by survey research of Human Resource stakeholders, business leaders and authors. Survey analysis of two distinct groups revealed significant differences between understanding organizational mission and values and use of employee engagement surveys. Both groups indicated that evaluation of internal and external candidates is inconsistent. The study was further supported by analysis of publicly available executive position descriptions and candidate self reported skills, which indicate that preference in stating Knowledge and Skills influences significantly outweigh stated Motivational influences. The researcher concludes that there is evidence that indicates that significant opportunities exist to enhance understanding and use of Motivational factors to improve Leadership. The study concludes with recommendations for context-specific solutions grounded in literature and the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Recommendations include enhanced understanding of the hiring client's organizational culture, consistent vetting for both internal and external applicants for the same position, and in influencing clients in equal assessment of motivational leadership characteristics in addition to knowledge and skills. The study concludes with a description of an integrated implementation and evaluation plan, which includes strengths and weaknesses of the study, limitations and delimitations, and recommendations for future study. |
