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Examining The Cross-Cultural Competence Of United States Christian Missionaries Engaged In Developing Indigenous Leaders: A Mixed Methods Study, Craig W. Goodman

Dissertations

For the past two millennia, missionaries have crossed from one culture to another to bring the Christian message to all cultures of the world. Questions about the effectiveness of these mission efforts have been asked and researched by many; however, one key question remains unanswered: what personal attributes help a person to be more competent at crossing cultures as they interact with people from other cultures? Although cross-cultural competence has been studied in a variety of fields over the past 50 years, the models and assessments used have never been applied to Christian missionaries.

To address this deficiency, this parallel …

Becoming A More Empathetic Leader And Person, Rachel Shellstrom

Undergraduate Honors Theses

When defining empathy, the most common definition is “stepping into someone else’s shoes.” Along with this definition, many also share that it is important to have empathy and be an empathetic person. Yet, when thinking about its importance and this definition, a few questions arise: can we actually step into someone else’s shoes? Can we truly understand what someone else is feeling and experiencing if we are not them or do not hold the same identities that they do? Through a deeper exploration of existing empathy building certificate programs and empathy research, this thesis project explores these exact questions and …

Walk The Talk: Value Congruence For Social Change In Panhellenic Sororities, Anjelica Cespedes

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

As a result of the ongoing wave of civil unrest in the United States, many university organizations have re-evaluated their current structures and policies to increase emphasis on social justice principles. In particular, the leaders of the University of San Diego Panhellenic Council have verbally expressed an interest in creating a more socially just Panhellenic experience. However, feedback from community members via anonymous reports and social media posts, coupled with observations of the Council reveal leadership has yet to take tangible and sustained action. This project investigated the value congruence of USD Panhellenic leadership to better understand the process between …

Wellbeing @ Work: The Holistic Development Of On-Campus Student Employees, Matthew Mciver

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In this action research project, I sought to learn how on-campus student employment affects students’ academic success, their leadership development, and their mental health. This project worked with current student employees in the Campus Recreation department at the University of San Diego (USD) to learn both how day-to-day responsibilities and commitments affect a students’ ability to succeed academically, and how it relates to their mental health. The project also sought to help depict whether the department’s student development system successfully or unsuccessfully develops students’ transferable and leadership skills. Participants completed a survey and participated in a one-on-one interview to share …

Exploring The Impact Of An Online Leadership Course On Japanese Undergraduates' Conceptions Of Leadership, Ryosuke Watanabe

Dissertations

Today’s complex problems transcend borders and require a collective and adaptive learning response. Literature suggests that, because the traditional hierarchical or positional style of leadership cannot effectively address problems we face today, leadership should take a more collaborative and systemic form. Rost (1991) characterized this new approach as the postindustrial paradigm of leadership. Unfortunately, changing the existing conception of leadership is not easy. Furthermore, assessing people’s leadership perceptions is challenging because leadership is often a tacit and latent construct. Because formal leadership education is still in its infancy in Japan, little is known about the impact of leadership education in …