Doctoral Thesis Summary
The current study is based on three topics: the Leadership and the Key
Results from the EFQM Excellence Model and the Competency Based Leadership. The
Leadership criteria have five definitions: Mission, Drive and Improvement, External
Stakeholders, Culture of Excellence and Flexible Management. The Key Results have two
definitions: Key Strategic Outcomes and Key Performance Indicators (EFQM, 2010).
The Competency Based Leadership establishes four competencies: Business,
Interpersonal, External Personal and Internal Personal (Cardona & Wilkinson, 2009 and
Cardona & García Lombardía, 2009).
The purpose of this research was to know the leader´s characteristics with the
Leadership and Key Results criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model and the Competency
Based Model. The study focused on Tourism enterprises with the aim of determining
certain relations between those aspects. An amply sample was done and 149
entrepreneurs’ leaders from the Tourism Sector participated. Only owners and
managers of the Travel Agencies, Hotels and Restaurants were included.
The results confirmed that there is equilibrium between the Leadership and Key
Results definitions and the Leadership Competencies. There is also evidence that the
majority of the definitions and competencies are related, some with more significance.
Besides, both models can complete aspects that are not raised by the other such as the
External Stakeholders’ aspect of the EFQM and Cardona´s Personal Interpersonal,
External Personal and Internal Personal Competencies.
However, the main contribution seems to be the evidence of the relation
between the Quality through the Leadership Criteria with the Leadership Competencies
and the Key Results Criteria. These relationships give evidence of an aspect that has
been barely studied empirically, even though in theory enough.