Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Ethical Leadership In Intelligence: Themes In Accountability, Self-Development, And Communication Among Cia Leaders, Caroline Walsh

Dissertations

This dissertation elucidates the concept of ethical leadership within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Based on interviews with ten former senior-level officers from across different departments, the study analyzes how these leaders understand issues of accountability, self-development, and communication. The research also provides insights into their processes of sense-making and their methodologies for fostering ethical conduct amidst the complexities of intelligence operations.

Against the backdrop of the CIA's mission, structure, and norms, the study sheds light on the challenges and tensions inherent in the organization's operations. Through a thematic analysis of participant narratives, themes of moral cognition, personal values, and …

Intercultural Perspectives On Managing Organizational Change In Response To Government Policy Reform: A Case Study On The Leadership Of New Oriental Education, Yihe Yang

Dissertations

In 2021, a policy aimed at addressing educational inequality triggered a significant upheaval in the private tutoring sector of China by fundamentally transforming prevailing business models and financial viability within the industry. New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (New Oriental Education), one of the preeminent private tutoring enterprises in China, attracted considerable attention for its subsequent organizational change. This study explored the leadership dynamics and organizational change efforts implemented by New Oriental after the policy enactment.

The theoretical framework synthesized organizational change theory, organizational culture, and transformative leadership approaches from both Western and Chinese perspectives. It elucidated effective practices …

Ennobling Each Other Through Collaborative Inquiry: Exploring Music As A Provocation For Leadership Development, Ihan Ip

Dissertations

Amid the challenges in a global village, leadership education needs to surpass traditional methods, nurturing creativity, flexibility, and adaptability. This study is a collaborative action inquiry that considers music as an arts-based method in service of leadership development. The study unfolded over five cycles, in which 14 coinquirers collaborated in a process of exploration. The study illuminates the strong potential of music as a provocation for leadership development and reveals crucial realizations in the area of facilitation in collective processes.

This dissertation tells the story of the inquiry with the voices of its coinquirers and offers insights on facilitation through …

The Organizational Socialization Of K–12 Classified Employees, Steven Dunlap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify to what extent newly employed classified staff in K–12 school districts in Southern California experienced organizational tactics (content, context, and social) to support their socialization process during the 1st year of employment (G. R. Jones, 1986). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the degree to which newly employed classified staff saw these tactics as effective in supporting their socialization to their new role (role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery).

Methodology: This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to engage …

Nonprofit Leader Experiences In Sector-Bending After Lean Six Sigma Training: Tension, Concepts, And Changed Behaviors, Beverly Codallos

Dissertations

Government, business, and nonprofit represent three distinct types of organizations governed by different legal frameworks designed to facilitate collective action (DiMaggio & Anheier, 1990). The emergence of hybrid forms and increasing isomorphic pressures in the nonprofit sector (Bromley & Meyer, 2017; McCambridge, 2014) have challenged the traditional separation of organizational forms. This study explored the phenomenon popularized as sector-bending, “a wide variety of approaches, activities, and relationships that are blurring the distinctions between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, either because they are behaving more similarly, operating in the same realms, or both” (Dees & Anderson, 2003, pg. 16). This qualitative study …

Shepherds Leading The Flocks: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Church Leaders Managing Church Membership During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rbetrice Phillips

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe experiences of church leaders adapting the Scarneo (2019) intrapersonal and interpersonal socioecological influences while managing membership during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Methodology: This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach with a socioecological justification with open-ended interview questions investigating the lived experiences of the participants. This study aimed to gather data from sample size 10 church leaders in Los Angeles County, California plus a snowball sampling of referred church leaders who managed during COVID-19. In this study, the collection of narratives through semi-structured interviews provided the data which was analyzed …

Developing An Instrument To Measure Group Dynamics Awareness: A Mixed Methods Study, John Weng

Dissertations

In a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, adaptive leaders are needed more than ever. Based on group relations programs developed by the Tavistock Institute, a pedagogy known as case-in-point has recently been brought to prominence and incorporated into leadership development programs. These methods claim to develop systems thinking and individuals’ leadership capacity with little prior empirical research.

This mixed methods exploratory study explored individual awareness of group dynamics, a key outcome in case-in-point programs, and adaptive leadership theory. The goal was to create an instrument to measure awareness of group dynamics: the Group Dynamics Awareness Questionnaire …

Homeless Barriers: A Phenomenological Study Of Service Providers In Thurston County, Washington State, Michael Meredith

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aims to describe the perceptions of homeless service providers in Thurston County, Washington State, and describe barriers to the homeless seeking assistance. This study interviewed ten Thurston County service providers about their perception of the barriers preventing the unsheltered homeless from using available services. Identifying barriers and developing strategies to reduce or remove them is expected to reduce or eliminate homelessness.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study describes the homeless service providers' perceptions of the homeless and the barriers to the homeless seeking assistance. The researcher conducted interviews with a sample of ten service providers to …

Coworkers And Leaders: The Relationship Between Trustworthiness, Trust, And Employee Engagement, Lianne Young

Dissertations

A highly engaged workforce provides numerous organizational and individual benefits (Shuck et al., 2016), the culmination of which leads to a competitive advantage difficult to emulate (Burke et al., 2013). It remains challenging to understand how engagement develops, with little research available explaining the process (Shuck, 2020). High employee engagement levels provide a competitive advantage, but stagnant engagement levels remain a significant obstacle (Shuck, 2020).

Shuck (2020) recommends further research focusing on methods to increase engagement. Trustworthiness and trust are antecedents and drivers of engagement (Chughtai & Buckley, 2008; Federman, 2010; SHRM, 2017). A lack of trust has negative impacts …

With A Little Help At Home: The Impact Of Romantic Partner Support On Daily Burnout And Workplace Incivility, Matthew Aplin-Houtz

Dissertations

With rude and discourteous encounters in the workplace becoming more common, Workplace incivility (WI) is at an all-time high. As such, workers experience levels of burnout from these negative social interactions. The literature concedes that the results of these interactions lead to mounting burnout, causing negative physical and emotional outcomes at the individual and organizational levels. Considering that the literature also supports that employees have the potential to recover from burnout symptoms through rest, obtaining the perception of control of their circumstances, and cognitive reframing, the time and activities a worker spends at home carry the potential for minimizing burnout …

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Attachment Theory Among Field Grade Officers In The U.S. Army, Rebecca Ochs

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine what relationship exists between U.S. Army field grade officers’ self-reported scores on the five domains of the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2002) and their self-reported scores on the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR) (Brennan et al., 1998). Methodology: This study used a correlational approach to collect quantitative data from U.S. Army field grade officers. Using the LPI, a self-report transformational leadership measurement tool developed by Kouzes and Posner (2002), that measures five domains that include: (a) model the way, (b) inspire a shared vision, (c) …

Utilizing New Technologies To Measure Therapy Effectiveness For Mental And Physical Health, Jonathan Ossie

Dissertations

Mental health is quickly becoming a major policy concern, with recent data reporting increasing and disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, increased substance abuse, and elevated suicidal ideation. One specific population that is especially high risk for these issues is the military community because military conflict, deployment stressors, and combat exposure contribute to the risk of mental health problems.

Although several pharmacological approaches have been employed to combat this epidemic, their efficacy is mixed at best, which has led to novel nonpharmacological approaches. One such approach is Operation Surf, a nonprofit that provides nature-based programs advocating the restorative …

Affective Commitment, Mentoring, And Anticipated Turnover Among Millennials, Keiasha Hypolite

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Millennials comprise the largest group of individuals in the workforce, yet organizations struggle to keep millennials engaged in the workplace. Millennials move from job to job, with an average stay at one employer between 12 and 18 months (Hechl, 2017). Researchers have reported that millennials cause the majority of turnover in the workplace. Globally, human resources practitioners experience difficulties retaining millennials (Sahraee et al., 2021). Previous studies have researched millennials, affective commitment, mentoring, and turnover. However, no known research has used all four factors to solve a global problem. In their discussion of the highly competitive labor market, Ramírez …

We Don’T Have To Do All Of It Alone: A Phenomenological Study On How Mid-Level Leaders In Community Colleges Flourish Through Collaboration And Advocacy, Mackenzie Taylor Klinker Hutchins

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the formal and informal leadership development experiences of mid-level leaders promoted within Washington State Community Colleges.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described the formal and informal leadership development experiences of 17 mid-level leaders promoted within Washington State Community Colleges. Respondents were purposively chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations of two expert sponsors. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews, where the participants provided descriptive data that would aid in answering the study’s research questions.

Findings: Analysis of the qualitative data from 17 mid-level leaders promoted within …

The Dark Side Of Leadership: Mid-Level Managers And Their Experience With Hubristic Behaviors Of Executives, Leili Sadaghiani

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify the emotional reactions of mid-level managers to executives’ hubris behaviors in a corporate setting.

Methodology: This leadership study uses qualitative phenomenological methodology was executed to explore the lived experiences of mid-level managers with past executives who practiced hubristic behavior.

Findings: The findings of this research on the lived experiences of mid-level managers with hubristic behaviors of executives suggest that the lack of support lessens the mid-level manager’s confidence; with little support; the mid-level manager was either afraid to fight the executive or gave up trying; the mid-level manager faced stress even …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Conflict Transformational Strategies Used By Exemplar Student Support Service Leaders In K-12 Public Education To Achieve Common Ground And Breakthrough Results, Amber Ramirez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological conceptual replication study was to discover and describe how exemplary student support service leaders establish common ground and produce breakthrough results by using the six domains of conflict transformation.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological conceptual replication study discovered and described the use of conflict transformation domains to resolve conflict, establish common ground, and produce breakthrough results as perceived by student support service leaders in K-12 public schools in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. The research was part of a thematic team of six peer researchers and five faculty advisors who developed a semistructured …

A Phenomenological Study On The Informal Learning Experiences Of Female Mid-Level Administrators, Kathryn L. Curameng

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to identify and describe the informal leadership development experiences of female mid-level administrators in private nonprofit higher education.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identifies and describes the informal leadership development experiences of female mid-level administrators in private nonprofit higher education institutions in California. Respondents were selected based on specific criteria and recommendations of a sponsor. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews and observations of participants.

Findings: Examination of the qualitative data from interviews with 16 female mid-level administrators working in private nonprofit higher education yielded nine major findings. These included 2 unexpected …

Being Multicultural In The Workplace, Fiorella Morales

Dissertations

As the workforce becomes increasingly diverse and organizations elevate their efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), it is critical to engage in a deeper investigation of the experiences of multicultural individuals at work. In this qualitative study, nine multicultural individuals were interviewed using a sociological lens to gain their perspective on the relationship between their identity and their work experiences. The primary research questions that guided this study were: (a) how do multicultural individuals influence the workplace? In turn, (b) how do their workplace experiences affect their identity and sense of self? Data was coded and …

Marching Forward: A Qualitative Examination Of Adapting Enlisted Veteran Leadership Skills In The Corporate Environment, Casey W. Jensen

Dissertations

planning, resource utilization, and conforming to corporate policies all required adaptation. Veterans primarily adapt their leadership skills through internal and external networking, mentors, coaches, managing and resetting expectations, and understanding light and dark ambiguity. The theoretical contributions of this research are in paternalistic leadership and veteran enlisted research. The practical implications assist veterans in understanding how to adapt and strategies to adapt their skills. In addition, managers and peers may use this research to understand veterans' challenges better when leaving military service. Next, talent acquisition professionals can use this research to better identify military veteran candidates for specific roles and …

Unconscious Bias In United States Marine Corps Leadership Doctrine: Examining Microaggressions Through Document Analysis, Patrick Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation employed a document analysis format to examine Marine Corps leadership education doctrine for microaggressions. The United States Marine Corps (Marine Corps or USMC) is the military service with the least diverse officer cadre in terms of sex, gender identity, and race. The study results show a pattern of repeating unconscious bias-related content within the Marine Corps’ documents. Such patterns can negatively affect minority members in terms of their health, acceptance, and performance within the organization. The results also document an overriding bias-culture which puts Marine Corps leadership in a dilemma of trying to encourage conformity to traditional organizational …

Grounded Leadership: Exploring Health And Wellness Strategies Of Company Grade Officers In The California Army National Guard, Greg Montanio

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe what exemplary California Army National Guard (CA ARNG) company grade officers do to maintain their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health. Methodology: This study used a mixed methods approach relying on the collection of data to provide for a more flexible platform to triangulate multiple data sources and increase the validity of the study’s findings. The study used a quantitative survey to examine how exemplary company grade officers in the California Army National Guard rated their use of grounded leadership strategies along with follow-on …

Understanding The Relationship Between Black Chicago Youth And Chicago Drill Music Culture, Dan'iel Tamirra Kendricks

Dissertations

Chicago is most noted as a beautiful, Midwestern city, set to the backdrop of Lake Michigan, with skyscrapers and the bustling energy of the downtown Magnificent Mile. The “Tale of Two Cities,” Chicago is a city full of hope, opportunity, and potential for some, but a city plagued with poverty, violence, disinvestment, and hopelessness for others. There has been a significant increase in the awareness of the violence happening across Chicago. The emergence of social media has provided a direct and unfiltered view of the reality of violence the city has faced on an ongoing basis. Crimes such as shootings, …

Developing And Maintaining Resilience In Charter School Executive Directors, Erika Vanderspek

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by charter school executive directors to develop and maintain personal resiliency based on Everly, Strouse, and McCormack’s (2015) five factors of personal resilience (active optimism, decisive action, moral compass, relentless tenacity, and interpersonal support).

Methodology: This exploratory phenomenological study identified and described the lived experiences of exemplary charter school executive directors in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange counties. Based on recommendations from expert entities who worked with the target population, the researcher used purposeful sampling to select eight exemplary charter school executive directors. The …

Heart-Led Behaviors Of Exemplary Unified School District Superintendents, Sepideh Yeoh

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary K-12 school district superintendents lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological inquiry methodology to study the behaviors of eight exemplary K-12 school district superintendents in Southern California. Open-ended semistructured interviews were conducted utilizing a virtual platform. Responses from interviews in conjunction with observations and appropriate artifacts including, meeting agendas, memos, and newsletters provided …

A Phenomenological Study On How Exemplary Community College Chief Human Resource Officers Lead From The Heart To Accomplish Extraordinary Results, Angela Love

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe how exemplary community college chief human resource officers lead from the heart using Crowley’s (2011) four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological method to describe how eight exemplary community college chief human resource officers lead from the heart using Crowley’s (2011) four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish …

The Relationship Between Social Isolation, Telecommuting Intensity Levels, Autonomy, And Job Satisfaction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kristy Williams

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced workplaces to social distance, and millions of workers began telecommuting or working from home (Kniffin et al., 2021). Becker (2002) stated, “How well companies manage their human capital is a crucial factor in their success (p. 8).” The pandemic has profoundly affected human capital (Ballotpedia, 2021; Collings et al., 2021; Jesuthasan et al., 2020; Kniffin et al., 2021). This study examined the relationship between social isolation, telecommuting intensity levels, autonomy, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher attempted to answer the research question and objectives by conducting a quantitative correlation study using a survey …

Leadership Engagement For Military Hospitals: A Case Study Of The Effects Of Executive Leader Engagement In Military Hospitals That Have Become High Reliability Organizations, Russell Phillips

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and explain the leadership strategies that military hospital executive leaders used to engage hospital staff in implementing the six principles of High Reliability Organizations (HROs).

Methodology: A qualitative case study approach was selected for this study. Interviews were conducted with three executive leaders describing their experiences with initiating and managing the change development of HRO. The participants in this study were executive leaders of military hospitals across the Puget Sound Military Health System. All participants had direct experience with the implementation of HRO. Interview transcripts were analyzed and reviewed …

Espoused Versus Operationalized Organizational Values: A Case Study Of Values Integration, Erik Dees

Dissertations

At the start of the 21^st century, corporate America found itself confronted by a series of scandals about powerful business leaders unethically exploiting the system and their own organizations. Among the most familiar of these scandals is the one involving the former energy and commodities services corporation, Enron. Illegal accounting practices in that organization resulted both in the dissolution of that organization and in passage of the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which placed greater demands on corporate accounting practices.

Enron’s maleficence deeply affected its more than 20,000 employees through job loss and the evaporation of retirement benefits. Enron leaders’ widely …

How Elementary Principals Use The Six Sources Of Influence To Achieve Extraordinary Results, Monette Perez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and explore how elementary principals of organizations who have achieved extraordinary results influence employees through personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and explored 12 Southern California public elementary school principals and how they used the 6 sources of influence with their stakeholders to achieve extraordinary results. An interview protocol aligned with the study’s theoretical framework was developed with a thematic team. The respondents were purposefully chosen from principals who have led their schools to attain National …

A Study On How Retired U.S. Army First Sergeants Led Their Troops Throughout Turbulent Times In Afghanistan During Operation Enduring Freedom Or Operation Freedom Sentinel, Enrique Ortega

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover and describe behaviors that retired U.S. Army First Sergeants (1SG) applied to lead their troops through turbulent times using the leadership attributes of moral purpose, concern for the collective interest, resilience, and personal temperament during combat operations.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to capture data from 10 retired U.S. Army 1SGs in the South Puget Sound area in Washington State who led their companies in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Freedom Sentinel (OFS). Data were collected from 10 interviews and 71 artifacts of Disabled Americans Veterans …