Digital Commons Network^™

Principal Trust: Factors That Influence Faculty Trust In The Principal, A. Tyler Howe

Theses and Dissertations

Principals are held accountable for student achievement even though they only have an indirect influence on that achievement. Accountability raises the question about what should be the priority for the principal's attention. The literature supports the existence of a positive correlation between faculty trust in the principal and increased student achievement. Our study considered the appropriateness of representing trust as a two-factor model broken down into components related to how teachers view the skill and the will of the principal. Additionally, our study examined which demographic factors of the school and of the principal affect faculty trust in the principal.This …

Leadership Development And Ethnic Identity Of Latina/O Students At Rowan University, Andrew Montanez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of leadership and ethnic identity among selected Rowan University Latina/o undergraduate students. More specifically, the study replicated Oldham’s (2008) research, which was based on Erikson's Identity Development Theory (1980) and the Leadership Identity Model of Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, and Mainella (2005). In addition, the study probed how Latina/o Rowan University undergraduate students viewed their ethnicity using Phinney’s (1992) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM).

Students were surveyed randomly via an electronic version of the instrument on Rowan’s Volvici survey software, and by convenience sampling through paper formatted surveys gathered at the …

Rn Perceptions Of Coworker Incivility And Collective Efficacy As Influential To Hospital Structures And Outcomes, Jessica Grace Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Background: An aging population and retiring workforce might affect United States health delivery care and could threaten the quality of care in hospitals. Nurses, as the largest profession in healthcare, can buffer these effects if supported in a safe nurse work environment. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how peer-to-peer registered nurse workplace incivility as a mediator, and collective efficacy as a moderator, influence relationships among hospital structures (i.e. nurse manager leadership and staffing) and hospital outcomes (i.e. missed nursing care and patient safety cultures).

Methods: Donabedian’s (1980) structure-process-outcomes conceptual framework was the theoretical basis for this study. …

The Rhetorical Ties That Bind (Or Divide): President Barack Obama's Attitude Of Tolerance In An Age Of Ultra-Partisanship, Thomas Archie Salek

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore how President Barack Obama’s rhetoric seeks to shift conversations away from traditional notions of the political and into more localized discussion and forms of civic engagement. Using three case studies from his second presidential term, I stress that Obama’s rhetoric illustrates how a leader can use speech as the incipient act for fomenting a new attitude toward civic engagement. For Obama, this involved shifting the locus for political change away from Washington and lawmakers and onto the American electorate themselves. To empower individuals, Obama’s rhetoric stressed that ultra-partisanship was a contagion facing America in the …

Veteran As Leader: The Lived Experience With Army Leader Development, Michael James Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived leader development experience of Post 9/11 Army veterans while serving in the armed forces. At least $10-$15 billion is spent annually on leadership development in the United States and human resource executives claim developing leaders is their number one priority over the next five years. Simultaneously, companies actively hiring veterans claim the former service member's leadership abilities are their most desired quality. Inspection of the Army’s leader development program offers an opportunity for employers to integrate revised approaches in their own leadership development initiatives.

A purposive sample of ten Army veterans—six males and four …

The Implementation Of A New Teacher Evaluation Model: A Qualitative Case Study Of How Teachers Make Sense Of The Marzano Evaluation Model, Brian P. Donahue

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how teachers understood and changed their instructional practice in response to imposed teacher evaluation requirements. The strategy of inquiry was a single case study, representative of a large suburban high school adapting to the changes required under the provisions of Achieve NJ, the policy mandating new teacher evaluation (Yin, 2009). The theoretical framework of sensemaking and sensegiving guided the analysis of how teachers processed the changes to their evaluation system and the role the context played in the implementation of the MTEM (Weick, 1995, Gioia & Chittipeddi, 1991). Data was …

Enhancing Virtual Team Dynamics, Freddie L. Stephens Ii

Theses and Dissertations

With the activation of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center in 2012, the United States Air Force initiated an effort to centralize installation and mission support management throughout the Air Force, while decentralizing the execution at the base level. The measurement of success for such a decision extends beyond the reduction of overhead costs. The goal was to build a responsive, mission-focused organization. This research evaluated specific factors associated with the characteristics of virtual team dynamics to improve the perceived responsiveness of a centralized organization. Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory is a relationship-based approach to leadership that focuses on the quality …

The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Implementation Factors And Self-Reported Rti Implementation Efforts, Kim Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is an educational reform effort that is being implemented across the nation. Considering that the systematic implementation of the RTI process requires organizational change, teachers may be hesitant or resistant to engage in the change process. This study organizes the potential barriers of RTI implementation into the RTI implementation factors of vision, professional development, professional support, and time resources. This quantitative study explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of these RTI implementation factors and teachers' self-reported RTI implementation in their classrooms. The survey results came from 553 elementary school teachers across the state of Utah (30% …

Analyzing The Leadership Skills Of Nurses Through Mentoring Relationships, Barbara Jean Siwula

Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring relationships have the ability to create healthier working environments for nurses by encouraging better communication, teaching necessary leadership skills, and creating unity among nurses. In the same respect, mentoring relationships can instill negative habits, creating a cycle of ineffective leadership. Therefore, it is vital mentoring relationships be analyzed to ensure that nurses are being taught effective leadership skills that will lead to a healthy workplace environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze the leadership skills of nurses though mentoring relationships. Data collection consisted of a mixed methods study completed by student, certified and registered nurses from various …

The Relationship Between Leader-Member Exchange And Organizational Citizenship Behavior In A Federal Government Organization, Shawn Boockoff

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was a study of the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in a federal government organization in Washington, DC. As a result of the organization’s business and leadership challenges, understanding the relationship between a leader and a follower and extra-role behaviors may help to understand how high-quality relationships are developed with staff members that are productive and motivate staff to extend their efforts beyond normal expectations. Productive high-quality relationships demonstrate loyalty, consideration, and affect towards the organization and its leaders. Understanding the relationship between LMX and OCB in a federal government organization may …

Exemplary Change Management Practices Used During Corporate Outsourcing Specifically Related To Integrated Facility Management, Jay Higdon

Theses and Dissertations

Too many outsourcing models fail to deliver expected results in Integrated Facility Management (IFM) models. IFM is a type of outsourcing model that transfers in-house work to an outside company that performs it onsite as if it were part of the client’s organization. This process requires collaboration, coordination, and communication, merging 2 corporate cultures into 1 cohesive business model. Managing the change process related to an IFM outsourcing arrangement is crucial because changing an organizational culture can heighten risk and potentially produce unsatisfactory results. Creating, changing, and managing an IFM outsourcing model require acceptance, coordination, and a clear understanding of …

The Use Of Mindfulness In Dealing With Ambiguity During Transformational Organizational Change, Avonlie Wylson

Theses and Dissertations

The present mixed-methods study examined how 19 experienced change leaders cope with ambiguity during transformational organizational change and whether mindfulness helps them do that. Study findings indicated that practitioners react in varying ways to ambiguity and employees generally react negatively. Change leaders rely on personal coping and project initiation strategies, ongoing guidance and support, agile and action-oriented approaches, courageous and bold leadership, and trust in their process to manage ambiguity for themselves. To help others deal with ambiguity, change leaders repeatedly articulate the change vision and direction and demonstrate confident, strong change leadership. Mindfulness appears to enhance leaders’ abilities to …

The Major Supporting Mechanisms For Successful Single Working Mothers, Toia Thompson Mengesha

Theses and Dissertations

Single mothers are commonly characterized as low-income welfare recipients. In 2010, close to 30% of single mother households were below the poverty line (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a) conversely leaving 70% of single mothers above the poverty line. Being a married working mother is challenging and comes with the need of several supports. With the growing divorce rate and the introduction of women choosing to become single mothers, the numbers of single working mothers are growing rapidly. In order to be a successful single mother certain factors need to be accounted for. This study focused on single mothers who are in …

Engaging Diversity: Best Practices To Create An Inclusive Work Environment, Britta M. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

It is believed that the commitment to diversity in the workplace is rooted in the civil rights movement. Six decades later, many companies have achieved a demographically diverse workforce, while others have not. Some organizations assumed that diversity would automatically result in inclusion. Seemingly, it has been more elusive to create and sustain an inclusive workplace. Within large global organizations, the task of creating such a workplace rests with the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). Inclusion, as related to engaging diverse employees in the workplace, is an emerging concept. This study explored the perceptions and experiences of Chief Diversity Officers in …

Evaluating A New Plant Startup In The Rigid Plastics Packaging Industry, Carmen Lehner

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the startup phase of a new manufacturing facility in the rigid plastics packaging industry. Thirteen personnel were interviewed for their impressions of the startup experience, and were asked for their recommendations for the type of leadership, training and knowledge sharing, and organizational systems and support needed for a new plant startup to succeed. Participants noted both successes and challenges related to the plant manager, training and support delivered, and communication and other organizational systems in place. Participants offered several recommendations, including improving leader selection and preparation; optimizing training resources, schedules, and materials for each area; improving …

How Female Social Studies Department Chairs Navigate Their Roles As Leaders, Jeffrey C. Eargle

Theses and Dissertations

During the past four decades, state and federal education policy in the United States has focused on standardization and increased accountability. In contrast, education researchers advocate elevating the status of teachers through the professionalization of education. Teacher leadership is a concept that is used to reform schools and increase student achievement. The high school department chair is a formal teacher leadership role in the school hierarchy. Because research indicates that a majority of social studies teachers are male, female social studies department chairs are in a position to lead predominantly men.

A gap exists in the research on social studies …

Change Management For Small Business Leaders, Lora Elizabeth Higdon

Theses and Dissertations

Small business owners face challenges associated with leading change, and many times lack the necessary resources to manage it properly. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine what challenges leaders of small businesses face in managing change, what strategies and practices those leaders employ, and how the leaders of small businesses measure success in managing change. This study also determined what advice leaders of small businesses would suggest for managing change. Four research questions were created to assist with this process, and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted in various cities throughout the state of Michigan. The participants …

Understanding The Impact Of Radical Innovation On Innovator Attitudes, Attributes, And Innovation-Decision Process: A Case Study Of The Pulaski Academy Football Program's Adoption Of Radical Innovations, Lyall J. Swim

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the attitudes and attributes of innovators is crucial given the gatekeeper roles these individuals or organizations play in enabling innovation diffusion to occur. But what do innovators look like, and are their characteristics the same regardless of the type of innovation being adopted? This case study of sought to understand the experience of the Pulaski Academy football program during the 2003 season as it acted as an innovator in adopting several radical innovations. The study provides a detailed case narrative that relies upon 25 existing text, audio, and video artifacts as well as 12 semi-structured interviews with program participants …

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And The Ability To Influence, Tammy Hong

Theses and Dissertations

Much attention has been paid to the study of leaders and their ability to influence followers. A comprehensive study by Humphrey (2002) found that leadership is a process of social interaction by which the leader’s ability to influence the behavior of his or her employees can strongly influence the employees’ performance outcome. Mayer, Caruso, and Salovey (2000) hypothesized that leaders who rate high in the ability to accurately perceive, understand, and appraise others’ emotions were better able to influence and motivate their employees. Taking the lead of prior research, this dissertation investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and the …

Leaders' Roles In Creating And Sustaining Collective Genius, Tanya L. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined leaders’ roles in fostering collective genius innovation within one private elementary school, including managing the paradoxes of innovation. Based on content analysis of eleven participants, this study found that teamwork, clear student learning outcomes emphasizing individualized learning, design thinking, and a growth mindset, all impacted willingness to innovate. To develop conditions for collective genius, leaders again focus on teamwork as well as being relational. In terms of their management of the six innovative paradoxes, the school leaders tend to balance their affirmation of the individual and the group, support staff and parents, focus on experimentation and learning, …

Forty-Three African American Women Executives' Perceptions Of Challenges And Required Capabilities To Become A Leader, Lysa Liggins-Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The percentage of African American women in leadership roles has not increased as significantly as women in general. This exploratory qualitative study examined African American leaders’ perceptions of their common challenges as they advance to executive leadership and their personal capabilities required to attain leadership. The intent was to understand the factors that contribute to their rise to executive leadership. Forty-three African American leaders secured through universities, sorority, church, and work in greater Los Angeles met the study’s criteria to be at the senior management level for more than two years, have over five direct reports, and born in the …

Active Engagement In Professional Trade Associations And Career Outcomes: An Exploratory Study Of Latina Career Women, Elena Einstein

Theses and Dissertations

Of the research on work-life balance and on the challenges facing women in the workplace, few studies have focused on the impacts of professional business trade associations on career outcomes and the development of work-life balance strategies with a Latina population. This phenomenological study explores the life experiences of Latinas to understand the challenges they encounter in their careers and in their aspirations for career advancement. The study applied the life-story framework (Giele, 2008), which offered questions from the four life course dimensions: identify, relational style, motivation and adaptive style. A question was added to this framework for this study …