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Developing competencies for environmental leadership

You have been invited to take part in a research study. Before you agree to take part it is important to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Below is information about the project, which can help you decide if you would like to take part or not.

What is the project about?
The focus of this project is on understanding the nature of environmental leadership and the kinds of experiences and conditions that can help leadership capacity to be developed. Results from this project will help develop the MSc in Environmental Leadership and Management at the University of Nottingham.

What are the aims of the research?
This project aims to answer three key questions:
(1) How do environmental leaders conceptualise leadership?
(2) What factors do environmental leaders perceive to have enabled development of their leadership capacity?
(3) What elements of a graduate programme might enable students to cultivate their personal capacity to be effective environmental leaders?

Who else is and can be involved?
I am contacting people in leadership who work with environmental issues. This can be people in formal leadership positions or those working more informally in a variety of organisational and workplace settings. If you would like to suggest someone who may be interested in participating in this research, please email me at chris.ives@nottingham.ac.uk

What are you being asked to do?
You are invited to fill out an online survey. It contains a number of questions about your views on leadership and how you developed leadership skills in your own life. It should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete.

Why have I been chosen?
You have been selected to participate because you are someone I have identified as working in the environmental field and having influence in some way. Don’t worry if you do not consider yourself to be in a formal leadership position – I am interested in all different types and expressions of leadership.

Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?
The data I collect will be treated confidentially, and only I will have access to the raw data. All information collected while carrying out the study will be stored on a database which is password protected and strictly confidential. Your name will not appear on any database or any information which is then published. Instead, a number will be used as an identifier on all data associated with you. The master copy of the names associated with each number will be kept in a secure and confidential location. I will report the results anonymously.

I am committed to carrying out our research according to The University of Nottingham Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics (2019) and the ethical guidelines provided by the British Educational Research Association.
Storage and treatment of your personal information will also adhere to standards outlined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). More information about privacy standards for University of Nottingham research participants can be found here.

What will happen to the results of the research study?
Results will be reported on as a component of my Post-Graduate Certificate in Higher Education qualification. Results may also be used in a published academic journal article.

Do you have to take part?
Your participation is entirely voluntary, and even if you decide to begin the survey you are still free to stop at any time and without giving a reason. You are free to request that any information you have provided be destroyed, even if you have completed only part of the survey.

What are the possible disadvantages of taking part?
The survey will ask you questions about how you have developed in your own personal leadership capacity. There is a chance that in answering these questions you may recall past difficult or painful experiences which could cause distress. Such sensitive topics will not, however, be intentionally raised in the survey. Other than this, we do not believe there are any risks or disadvantages to you in taking part.

What are the possible benefits to me of taking part?
It is hoped that findings from this study will be used to inform teaching activities and benefit students studying on the MSc Environmental Leadership and Management at the University of Nottingham.

Who is paying for this research and who is carrying it out?
This research project is unfunded, and is part of my University of Nottingham post-graduate teaching qualification

Dr Christopher Ives
Assistant Professor
The University of Nottingham
School of Geography
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD
e: chris.ives@nottingham.ac.uk
t: +44(0)115 82 32536

You can also raise issues with the School of Education Research Ethics Coordinator for Taught Courses: educationtaughtcourseethics@nottingham.ac.uk