Designing global leadership development programmes that promote social capital and knowledge sharing

This paper explores the role of Global Leadership Development (GLD) programmes for developing the social capital of multinational enterprises and ultimately the enhancement of knowledge sharing across corporate divisions and national borders. Drawing on both qualitative interview and survey data, we find that GLD programmes can promote cross-border knowledge sharing. However, the effects of such programmes depend on their design. We identify two factors crucial for social capital development and knowledge sharing: first, a selection issue related to participants’ previous experience with leadership programmes and, secondly, a process issue which concerns the quality of the social interaction in the group work