Effective Multi-Unit Leadership

There is a growing recognition of the increasing importance of ’local leadership’ practice within multi-unit service contexts, given the threat to costly land-based retail infrastructures from smart technologies. Multi-site organizations are economically significant, but currently under-researched and poorly understood. In Effective Multi-Unit Leadership, Chris Edger looks at that key managerial cohort in the retail, hospitality and service sectors operating between the centre and unit - the Multi-Unit Leader (MUL). This district, area or regional manager, is tasked with maximising revenue and profit from a complex and ambiguous positional space, being sandwiched between the centre and unit, facing the MUL paradox: how do they motivate unit managers and team members to provide great service whilst simultaneously fulfilling the Centre's compliance agenda? Based on extensive case study research across a range of multi-unit service organisations, Edger advances an Integrated Model of MUL that elucidates how key activities (sales-led service, systems and standards - 3Ss) are driven through behavioural practices (commitment, control and change - 3Cs) underpinned by MUL personal characteristics (expertise, emotional intelligence and energy - 3Es). Central to this model is the notion of ’portfolio optimisation through social exchange’ (POSE) where MULs apply ’local leadership’, leveraging their portfolios through the deft application of exchange-based currencies. Replete with case studies, Effective Multi-Unit Leadership will appeal to high potential unit managers; existing multi-unit leaders who want to improve their performance levels; and retail/service directors wishing to train and coach their direct reports; as well as business educators and those with an academic interest in organisational studies.

Dr Chris Edger is Professor of Multi-Unit Leadership at the Academy of Multi-Unit Leadership (AMUL), Birmingham City Business School, Birmingham City University, UK. Concentrating exclusively on the art and science of effective ’local leadership’ within multi-unit contexts, Professor Edger’s teaching specialisms at AMUL are Service Leadership and Operational Improvement. He has a PhD from Warwick Business School (ESRC award), a DMS and MBA from Nottingham Business School, an MSc(econ) with distinction from the London School of Economics and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Professor Edger has held Area, Regional and Executive Director positions in UK, US and European-owned multi-site Corporations. Latterly he was Group HR, Service and Productivity Director of Mitchells and Butlers Plc., the UK's leading casual dining operator (22 brands, 2,000 sites and 44,000 employees). In 2010 he and his HR team won the Personnel Today 'HR Impact of the Year' Award.