Current Research
Collective Planning and Leadership for the U.S. Army
With the Center for Applied Social Research at the University of Oklahoma, the Bass Center for Leadership Studies at Binghamton University is involved in a multi-year project funded by the U.S. Army Research Institute (ARI) to build and validate models of collective planning and collective leadership for the U.S. Army. The CLS expertise in multi-level and collective leadership approaches is a key part of this research and application to improve Army operations.
Diversity, Network Structure, and the Effectiveness of Collective Design and Innovation
Our Bass CLS faculty members are working with the Center for Collective Dynamics of Complex Systems on a three-year $441,000 National Science Foundation research grant (Award #: NSF SES-1734147). This research project aims to investigate, both theoretically and experimentally, how the diversity of knowledge, expertise, and behaviors of individual members and the topological properties of organizational network structures will affect the effectiveness of design and innovation processes at collective levels.
Effective Leadership and Communication Pattern for Multiteam System
Our Bass CLS faculty are part of a multi-agency collaboration with both the U.S. Army Research Institute (ARI) and the U.S. Army Research Lab (ARL) to investigate effective leadership and communication patterns for large-scale multiteam systems. As part of this broader collaboration, CLS faculty are also conducting research into the dynamics of team trust in large-scale collaborations (ARL) as well as uncovering effective team-based structures for supporting the collective spatial cognition of action teams (ARI).
Leadership Training and Development
In conjunction with Binghamton University Senior Staff and Human Resources, the Bass Center for Leadership Studies at Binghamton is also involved in a multi-year training/development and evaluation program, the BULDP (Binghamton University Leadership Development Program), to enhance the leadership skills and effectiveness of campus faculty, staff, and administrative leaders.
Past research
NASA
Working with the Center for Applied Social Research at the University of Oklahoma, the Bass Center for Leadership Studies conducted an extensive review of the leadership literature for dangerous and extreme contexts. Based on this effort, we then created the leadership models for the Mars Mission. These four models, involving individual skills, dyadic relationships, and team and collective processes, will be implemented and trained by NASA for Mission Control and astronauts after sufficient validation studies are completed in future work.
Teaching Social Complexity and Multidisciplinary Team Building: An Experimental Engineering Approach
Our Bass CLS faculty members cooperated with the Center for Collective Dynamics of Complex Systems on a three-year $149,955 National Science Foundation research grant (Award #: NSF DUE-0737313). The objective of this project is to develop a course to help engineers become comfortable in a variety of roles, not just as technology leaders, but those who can integrate innovative developments from non-engineering fields and find ways to focus the energies of the different disciplines to ensure the effectiveness of interdisciplinary teams. Due to increasing complexity and the scale of systems-based engineering problems, there is a growing need for engineers who have an understanding of the complexities associated with a global market and social context. To meet this need, this project is developing a course that actively teaches students structured methodologies and principles of emergence in social systems.
Evolutionary Perspective on Collective Decision Making
Our Bass CLS faculty members cooperated with the Center for Collective Dynamics of Complex Systems on a four-year $552,070 National Science Foundation research grant (Award #: NSF SES-0826711). In this project, we developed a novel conceptual/computational multi-level model of the dynamics of complex collective decision making by shifting the viewpoint from the dynamics of participants to the dynamics of ideas being discussed. We studied the effects of various model assumptions on collective decision making through computer simulations and evaluated their results through experiments of team decision making on complex collaborative tasks with human subjects. This project generates a novel perspective on human and social dynamics by introducing evolutionary principles and methodologies into the modeling of their complex behaviors, making a theoretical advancement from a traditional, individually-focused psychological or social science paradigm to a more dynamic, multilevel, evolutionary paradigm for collective social processes.
Job Skills for the Navy
In conjunction with SkillsNet, Inc., the Center for Applied Social Research at the University of Oklahoma, and the Institute for Simulation and Training at the University of Central Florida, the Bass Center for Leadership Studies at Binghamton is involved in a multi-year project to assess, redesign, and implement an enhanced human resources system for the U.S. Navy. The CLS expertise in teams, leadership, team leadership, and leadership development is a key part of this research and application to improve Fleet Operations.
Development of Officer Leadership for the Army
After NextIn 1999, with an $800,000 four-year grant from the Army Research Institute two true field experiments will be designed and implemented to test whether transformational leadership can be developed among Senior Army Officers.
Southern Tier Leadership Academy
In 1999, with a $300,000, three-year grant from the New York State Department of Education, a leadership development program was instituted to enhance the leadership skills of high potential teachers to assume administrative roles.
Individual and Team Leadership Predicting Platoon Effectiveness
In 1997, with a three-year grant from the Army Research Institute for $550,000, a study was undertaken to examine how individual and group-level leadership contributes to overall platoon effectiveness.
Effects of Transformational Leadership on R&D Groups
In 1992, with a one-year grant from the Center for Innovation in Management Studies for $37,000, the managers and project leaders of 40 R&D groups were described using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire.
Development of Transformational Leadership
Beginning in 1991, with a three-year grant from the Army Research Institute of $463,754, the entering class of 1991 of 400 cadets at the Virginia Military Institute was followed while at the Institute. In addition to a comprehensive assessment of the cadet's personality, competencies, and life history upon entry, their performance as followers and leaders was tracked over time. This study was extended to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Fitness and Promotion Recommendations for Transformational Naval Officers
In 1987, with a two-year grant from the Office of Naval Research of $181,810, a five percent random representative sample of junior grade officers in the fleet were described by their immediate followers using a military version of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). The MLQ predicted recommendations for early promotions and fitness ratings by superiors.
