Taking charge in a short-term limited tenure position

The transition that occurs at the top of the organization is pivotal for both the executive taking on the position, as well as the organization enduring the evolution. A combination of background, education, skills, and personality all lead to the individual style of the executive and his or her actions when taking charge. This dissertation explores whether the original theory of taking charge as laid out by Gabarro (1987) applies when an executive is given a short-term limited-tenure. Earlier research has shown that as executives take charge of their respective organizations, they pass through phases of action and learning. This research will explore if these short-term limited-tenure executives pass through similar stages found in earlier research, if they implement their changes earlier or later in their tenure, and if they indeed do have enough time to take charge. Five case studies were conducted involving Commanding Officers of Naval Medical Centers located along the East Coast of the United States. A two-and-a-half day site visit was conducted at each hospital. In-depth interviews with each Commanding Officer, candid interviews with five members from each Executive Steering Committee (ESC), minutes from the ESC weekly meetings and summaries of Navy Medical Inspector General reports serve as the primary data sources. All five Commanding Officers reported that they were not able to take charge given a short-term limited-tenure. Taking charge of an organization takes time and the early stages of learning and action are essential tools for a new executive to use when taking over an organization. An exploratory model is proposed to help explain ways in which these executives are different and why they are unable, or perhaps unwilling, to engage in longer-term strategic activities. This research concludes that a twenty-four month tenure may not be optimal for an executive to fully take charge of the organization.