This doctoral-level analysis examines the systematic methodology for researching and evaluating leadership conferences for academic and professional development. The study outlines a comprehensive four-step process including objective identification, credibility assessment, proposal evaluation, and due diligence practices. Key findings emphasize the importance of thorough research beyond marketing materials, with particular focus on trust and innovation themes emerging in post-COVID conference programming.
. What were the steps you used to narrow your focus in finding a conference associated with the study of leadership and/or organizational leadership?
The first step I utilized in finding a conference related to leadership was to properly identify my objectives. Here, I was looking for an organization with strong connections within a broad array of industries and geographies. For one, although my primary study is leadership, the over discipline takes many forms. As a result, I was looking to attend a conference that could properly leverage these different elements to improve my understanding of the overall discipline. Here, a primary step is to research the product offering of conferences to ensure that they comply with my objectives. Next, I researched conference reviews and even called conference administrators to confirm product offerings. This step was critical to ensuring that the value proposition offering by the conference satisfied my objectives and was compelling (Albritton, 1990).
2. Did the website or conference homepage include enough detail for you to make a decision about the credibility of the conference, why or why not?
No, the website conference homepage was not enough to detail the credibility of the conference. For one, sales forces often are used to as a means to obfuscate the overall quality of the conference. Likewise, other sales and marketing techniques can be used to mislead market participants in a manner that can be adversarial. As a result, it is critical to conduct proper due diligence to ensure that the conference meets that standards outline on its website. This can occur by checking testimonials, reviewing the history of the conference, and talking with those who have attended prior conferences. This is important as it provides a much more comprehensive view of the opportunity presented by the conference (Bellman, 2001)
3. Did the Call for Proposals (CFP) have various threads, tracks, or themes? What was unique about the CFP?
The call for proposal utilized theme related to “Trust” and “Innovation.” From the website, this appears to be in response to COVID-19 and its impact on the ability of leaders to adjust properly in a much more uncertain world. Here, the ideas related to trust and innovation are a direct result of change occurring the discipline overall. Here, change management is now becoming much more of a focal point, thus requiring proper trust. Likewise, innovation is required to help improve these CFP proposals and ultimately help move the discipline forward (Bennis, 2003).
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