How Leadership Transitions Are Coordinated in Practice: A Comparative Multiple-Case Study of Large Private Companies in Norway

Abstract

This study explored an expected gap between Dale’s (2014; 2015) framework and how leadership transitions are coordinated in a Norwegian context. The aim was to test Dale’s framework against existing practice and clarify the extent to which there is a gap between Dale’s framework and practice. This aim was operationalized by three objectives, to compare and contrast Dale’s prescribed: (1) practices, (2) roles, and (3) capabilities related to leadership transitions. To accomplish the research objectives a comparative multiple-case study design was used to compare large private companies in Norway that have operated for more than 10 years. Maximum variation case selection was used to select 11 such cases and data was collected using semi-structured interviews with one HR professional per case studied. The key findings from the analysis indicated that approaches to coordinating leadership transitions varied greatly, coordination efforts depended on circumstance, coordination efforts lacked balance, and coordination efforts were largely focused on talent. These findings are discussed in relation to what leadership transitions are like from the perspective of human resources and what role Dale’s (2014) framework plays in human resources’ leadership transitions. The conclusion drawn from the discussion were that there is quite a large gap between Dale’s framework and participants’ descriptions of what leadership transitions are like.