Leadership transition for first-time managers.

• Main Authors: Cheong, Wen Ting., Megha Khare., Pang, Ruo Yi., Tan, Jenny.
• Other Authors: Soh Star
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business::Management::Leadership
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44113
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This exploratory study seeks to explore the leadership transition experiences of first-time managers by examining the common challenges faced and resources used to handle these challenges. It also aims to understand the recommendations that current first-time managers would give to future first-time managers and what can be done to facilitate the transition experiences of future first-time managers. In addition, the study also incorporates direct reports‟ views on their managers‟ leadership transition. Data for the study was collected through structured face-to-face interviews with eleven first-time managers and two of their direct reports from two client organisations. The responses to specific questions were then coded using the frameworks by researchers Linda A. Hill and Michael Watkins. The study found that learning what it means to be a manager is a common challenge for the first-time managers and received a similar response from the direct reports‟ perspectives. The most cited resource used by first-time managers is network of relationships and one of the most commonly cited recommendation includes building the team. The generalisability of the findings is however limited by the number of interviewees. In spite of this, this study generates valuable insights as it is one of the first to report perspectives of the direct reports regarding the leadership transition experiences of first-time managers.