Examining the Effect of Leadership Practices on Sustaining a Technology Innovation

Although a great deal of research has been conducted on sustainability, technology initiatives and practices and their individual connection with leadership, very little research has been conducted on identifying the leadership practices within a technology innovation and the effect those practices have on sustainability. Effective leadership practices can assist leaders in effectively sustaining innovations. This study examined leadership practices in four high schools that had implemented and sustained IMPACT as an innovation. The study utilized existing data gathered from IMPACT schools. Data were gathered in surveys, site visits and year end reports. The primary question of this study was: What set of leadership practices is important to the successful sustainability of an innovation? A complementary mixed method research design was used to inform this study (Yauch & Steudel, 2003). This method utilized quantitative and qualitative methods gathered concurrently. The analyses of the findings from this study identified leadership practices in the sustaining schools were the same leadership practices identified in the literature. Leadership practices were anchored in the culture of the school, which is supported by the fact that none of the three sustaining schools had exactly the same predominant leadership practices.