Leadership report scoops top prize at student awards

A dissertation on the theme of “multi-rater feedback and leadership behaviour” has beaten stiff competition to win the CIPD 2010 Management Research Report prize. Its author, Gonda Winternitz, received a framed certificate and cheque for £500 at the CIPD student awards, held during the institute’s annual conference in Manchester. The awards were presented by Mike Kelly, CIPD vice-president, membership and education. It was also another success for London South Bank University, where both this year’s report prize winner and last year’s (Laura Luisis-Lynd) studied for their CIPD qualifications. Winternitz fitted her studies around her full-time role as HR business partner at Aon.Julie Beardwell, CIPD chief moderator, standards, described the winning report as “clear and effective, well-presented and with realistic and appropriate recommendations”. Winternitz’s topic choice illustrates how students’ studies and interests often have a practical application within their own organisations. “I was interested in choosing something on leadership and culture,” she says. “My organisation had just launched a 360-degree feedback tool for leaders to aid leadership development and help embed a new leadership model.” Once she started reviewing the literature, Winternitz found several avenues worth exploring.Producing a winning report requires considerable dedication. Trying to fit a dissertation in with a full-time job was in itself a challenge, says Winternitz, Conducting the research, including interviews, participant observations, analysis of secondary data and extracting meaning was complex but rewarding.