Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Leaders In Implementing Effective Leadership Strategies Towards The Educational Barriers Of Us-Based Refugee Students: A Qualitative Case Study Of Congolese Refugee Students, Faustin Busane

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This qualitative research study explored the experiences of three families of refugee school students, two school officials (a Superintendent and a Principal), three teachers, and one humanitarian agent all living in a Southeastern U.S. city. The results of the study revealed that the language barrier is the main academic challenge that refugee students encounter when they enroll in U.S. schools. The study also found that educators conceptualize their responsibilities toward refugee children by emphasizing the importance of high-quality teaching, and establishing through establishing strong relationships between parents, school officials, and exercising patience in the process. This study poses important implications …

First-Generation Leaders: A Qualitative Examination Of Characteristics, Traits, And Identity Of First-Generation Graduates In Leadership, Jamie Woolery

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study looked at first-generation college graduates and their paths to successful leadership roles. First-generation college students are defined by the National Association of Personnel Administrators (NASPA) as students from families in which their biological parents did not complete a four-year college degree (NASPA, 2017). An investigation was conducted on demographics, access to education, opportunity, and other factors that lend themselves to successful first-generation leaders who changed the narrative for themselves and their communities. This study looked at the previously conducted literature to provide background support for the need of the research, along with further recommendations and interviews which added …

Black Women Vice Presidents Of Student Affairs At Community Colleges Leadership Pathways And Barriers, Danielle Sims Brooks

Dissertations

This study explored the lived experiences of five Black women Vice Presidents of Student Affairs (VPSAs) at community colleges through narrative inquiry to get a better understanding of the strategies Black women deploy to be successful as well as the challenges and barriers they must navigate. Data was analyzed from a purposeful sample of five Black women VPSAs to get a better understanding of the experiences of Black women executive leaders in higher education. Participants shared many similarities in their educational and professional backgrounds in higher education by their experiences with leading and developing essential areas in student affairs. Findings …

Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, And The Enneagram: A Study Of The Effects Of Enneagram Training On College Student Leaders, David Weafer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis investigates the impact of Enneagram training on perceived empathy and self-awareness in college student leaders. The EQ-i 2.0 was used to assess the emotional intelligence of 16 student leaders, before and after the Enneagram training intervention. Qualitative methods, specifically open-ended journal prompts and semistructured interviews, added a rich description of the participants’ perceptions of the Enneagram training’s usefulness. The quantitative data and qualitative data seemingly contradict each other with the former showing no statistical relationship between the Enneagram and self-awareness and empathy, while the latter is saturated with examples of positive effects. Participants felt they were able to …

Leadership Lessons From Christ And Clergy, Noah Edmonson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The purpose of this study is to develop effective pastoral leadership competencies based on the transformational and servant leadership theories and the life of Jesus. Christ’s life and ministry in the four Gospels was evaluated using Dr. Bernard Bass’s transformational leadership theory and Larry C. Spears’ servant leadership theory. Five competencies were identified by the interviewer to be further investigated for their effectiveness in the application of pastoral leadership. An interview process was conducted with the local Southern Baptist pastors to discuss the effectiveness of the competencies in their ministries. The results of this research indicated the affirmation of the …

Fostering Peace And Leadership: A Project For The Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, Tomo Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Black Mambas are members of a majority-female anti-poaching unit in South Africa that preserves wildlife in the world’s most targeted site for rhinoceros poaching. Despite the Black Mambas’ successes, the organization’s director has expressed concerns of a potential leadership issue in the unit, for which he seeks to identify the source and resolve accordingly. To assist in realizing these efforts, the researchers of this project traveled to South Africa and conducted work analysis interviews with 18 of the 34 members of the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data on participants’ perceptions of cultural …

Winning On And Off The Court: An Interpretive Case Study Of A Leader’S Effectual Power And Influence, Eugene Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to study the leadership profile of a leader’s effectual power and influence. A qualitative research design is preferred to capture rich, thick personal responses from the interview participants. Semi-structured interviews were utilized with open-ended questions, which enabled the respondents to provide unique insights and reflections of their direct and indirect experiences with the research subject. Additionally, document inquiry and direct observations were used and, as an outcome, triangulation was achieved.

Effective use of power is studied in the context of a leader’s ability to influence others to induce a desired outcome. The subject’s influence …

University College Connection Summer 2015, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley, Univeristy College

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Organizational Change In Volunteer-Based Organizations: Communication Change Strategies In Church Congregations, Daniela Viviana Fuentes Riffo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study fills a gap in the communication and management literature by providing additional insight regarding the effective communication strategies used by church leaders during organizational change. The researcher sought to find out how beliefs held by church members predicted their receptivity to change and their intent to leave their organization. Participants from diverse church denominations (N = 208) completed an online survey questionnaire asking them to think about a particular change they had experienced in their current or former church. The results of statistical analysis showed: (a) Church members´ beliefs regarding discrepancy, efficacy, principal support, and valence, positively …

Examining The Interaction Between Leadership Style And Organizational Justice And Its Effect On Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Work Stress, Gregory Lucas Kedenburg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines the constructs of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and work stress, and the extent to which they are affected by perceptions of organizational justice and leadership styles. Much of the literature related to these topics focuses on exploring the relationship between either justice and commitment or leadership and commitment, with very little research investigating the way that justice and leadership combine to affect outcome variables such as commitment, satisfaction, and stress. This study reviewed the literature that details these topics in order to facilitate the understanding necessary to then focus on the relationship between commitment, organizational justice, and …

University College Connection Summer 2014, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley, University College, Western Kentucky University

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Staff Perceptions Of Work-Environment Factors Affecting Morale In Southeastern Registrar's Offices, Rheanna Plemons

Dissertations

Studies on morale are prevalent in industry, healthcare, and public educational systems. However, morale studies are limited within higher education and focusing on the support staff at universities. This qualitative study used focus groups to identify themes among support staff in selected Registrar’s Offices in the Southeastern region of the United States. Institutions were chosen based on comparable enrollments and similar organizational structure. The researcher asked participants to discuss their perceptions on current morale levels in the office and how different work responsibilities affect morale. In addition, participants were asked to discuss motivators used by leaders and whether those motivators …

An Examination Of Civic Engagement Behaviors Among Members Of Social And Cultural Fraternities And Sororities, Gary Gribble Wiser Jr.

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Peer Leadership Among Honors Students, Christy M. Culbreth

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

My Capstone Experience/Thesis project seeks to explore and compare the perceptions of peer leadership among freshmen honors students who have received formal leadership training and freshmen honors students who have received no formal leadership training. Peer leadership plays an important role in all aspects of life. If students who have had formal leadership training have a more positive perception of their peer leaders, educators may want to put more peer leadership curriculum into their programs. This study tests the hypothesis that freshmen honors students who have received formal leadership training will have a more positive perception of their peer leaders. …

The Effect Of General Versus Specific Coworker In Directions On Fiedler's Least Preferred Coworker Scale, Derrick Lottes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explored the effect of directions on the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale; specifically, this study tested whether thinking of a generalized least preferred coworker (General LPC) would yield lower scores compared to thinking of a specific least preferred coworker (Specific LPC). The data supported this hypothesis as responses to the General LPC yielded more critical LPC scores than did responses to the Specific LPC. The hypothesis that thinking of a generalized least preferred coworker would yield more stable result than would thinking of a specific least preferred coworker was not supported. Finally, the hypothesis that LPC scores would …

Integrating Counselor Teambuilding And Leadership Training Into The Annual Honors Freshman Orientation Retreat, Alexandria L. Kerns

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Teamwork and appropriate leadership skills are essential to anyone aspiring to be an effective leader. For my Capstone Experience/Thesis project, I set out to analyze three defined problems that plague the counselor group of the Honors Freshman Orientation Retreat, and to create and implement a solution for the three problems as a whole. After analyzing each problem, I concluded that the source of the three problems relates specifically to the lack of training. Therefore, the desired situation or goal in approaching these problems was to create a solution that will encourage the counselors to overcome their prescribed ideals about the …