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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
An Empirical Look At Recipient Benefits Associated With A University-Issued Student Leadership Award, Robyn L. Adams Phd
An Empirical Look At Recipient Benefits Associated With A University-Issued Student Leadership Award, Robyn L. Adams Phd
Dissertations
Within academia there is an elaborate and extensive system of awards for both students and faculty (Frey, 2006). Although the majority of student-based awards are for outstanding leadership and related accomplishments, there has been virtually no research on the impact of receiving such a leadership award (Frey, 2006). Due to the conspicuous absence of empirical studies in this area, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding the possible value or positive effects associated with winning a university-issued student leadership award. To begin to fill this knowledge gap, this study examined the San Diego State University (SDSU) Quest for the Best award …
A Study Of The Impact Of The Workplace Learning Function On Organizational Excellence By Examining The Workplace Learning Practices Of Six Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipients, Cynthia J. Lewis Edd
A Study Of The Impact Of The Workplace Learning Function On Organizational Excellence By Examining The Workplace Learning Practices Of Six Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipients, Cynthia J. Lewis Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role the learning function plays in the pursuit of organizational excellence with the goal of identifying key factors, models and descriptions of successful workplace learning practices. A total of six Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipients, one from each Baldrige sector participated in this study. Data was collected through in depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with the person responsible for workplace learning or their representative in each organization. The findings indicated that workplace learning professionals should be part of the strategic planning process within an organization and that workplace learning benefits strongly …
Perceptions Of Leadership: An Analysis Of College Students' Understandings Of The Concept Of Leadership, Paige Haber Phd
Perceptions Of Leadership: An Analysis Of College Students' Understandings Of The Concept Of Leadership, Paige Haber Phd
Dissertations
Colleges and universities increasingly have embraced the goal of developing students' leadership capacity. Diverse curricular and co-curricular leadership programs currently exist and continue to be developed to address leadership development outcomes. There is, however, limited understanding of how college students think about and define leadership. This study sought to fill this gap in the research by examining the ways in which college students understand the concept of leadership. In this mixed methods study the researcher analyzed data from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL) project, a national research study on college student leadership and the college experience. Data for the …
Experiential Education Approaches In Nonprofit Management And Leadership Education: An Examination Of Master's Degree Programs Associated With The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, Heather L. Carpenter Phd
Experiential Education Approaches In Nonprofit Management And Leadership Education: An Examination Of Master's Degree Programs Associated With The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, Heather L. Carpenter Phd
Dissertations
University programs that prepare students to assume professional positions must be concerned with helping students link their work in university classrooms to their work in organizations outside of the academy. This concern often translates into incorporating experiential education into application-oriented university programs. Professional preparation is a central concern of nonprofit leadership and management programs. Prior to this study, however, there was no systematic attempt to document the various experiential education strategies employed in nonprofit leadership and management master's-degree programs in the United States. Documentation was not even available for master's degree programs associated with the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC), …
Parental Support Of Latinos In Higher Education, Maria Lorena Meza Phd
Parental Support Of Latinos In Higher Education, Maria Lorena Meza Phd
Dissertations
Many universities grapple with Latino student retention issues. Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, yet they also are the group that has the least amount of formal education. The literature suggests that parental support helps Latinos succeed academically in elementary, middle, and high schools. However, there has been little research on how or even whether Latino parental support influences academic success at the postsecondary level. Consequently, there is a lack of knowledge about (a) Latino parental behavior and attitudes during the years their children attend college and (b) the relationship between parents' behavior and …
Exploration Of The Impostor Phenomenon In Law School Students, Owen Glenn Smith Phd
Exploration Of The Impostor Phenomenon In Law School Students, Owen Glenn Smith Phd
Dissertations
Law schools compel students to think like lawyers by using intensive Socratic dialogue built around voluminous case readings. This method sometimes pushes students to feel overwhelmed, to lose self-confidence, and even to wonder whether law school was the right choice for them. To some extent, such outcomes are intended because the articulated goal of law school pedagogy is to tear law students down so they can be rebuilt to think like lawyers. Unfortunately, this demanding and competitive atmosphere prompts some law students to develop the impostor phenomenon (IP). The IP hampers students' leadership abilities because the students persistently feel like …
How Working Mothers Negotiate Work-Family Conflict: An Exploration Of Work Satisfaction, Home Life Satisfaction, And Partner Supportiveness, Karen Kramer Horning Phd
How Working Mothers Negotiate Work-Family Conflict: An Exploration Of Work Satisfaction, Home Life Satisfaction, And Partner Supportiveness, Karen Kramer Horning Phd
Dissertations
The demographics of the American workforce and family structures have shifted dramatically over the past 60 years, but traditional work and domestic roles have evolved only slightly. Women are more impacted than men by fixed interpretations of gender roles due to their assumption of professional positions in the workplace without relief from domestic responsibilities. For many women who are engaged in the professional realm while raising a family, the result is often a work-family conflict. Despite significant research and some governmental policy and organizational policy changes, limited progress has been made in resolving the conflict. Some dimensions of work-family conflict …
What Do They Say? Students From A Private, Faith-Based, Four-Year University Share Their Perspectives On College As A Mentoring Environment, Jeffrey Andrew Bolster Edd
What Do They Say? Students From A Private, Faith-Based, Four-Year University Share Their Perspectives On College As A Mentoring Environment, Jeffrey Andrew Bolster Edd
Dissertations
Research indicates that the term mentor in the context of higher education currently has multiple definitions and is used to describe a variety of programs, efforts, and formal as well as informal activities. In recent years, interdisciplinary perspectives on traditional undergraduate students have been converging around the idea that the functions and characteristics of mentoring students could be shared across the institution, creating what Daloz Parks (2000) has called a mentoring environment. This sharing of responsibility has the possibility to address what Baxter Magolda (2009) has recently identified as missing in higher education, a "holistic, theoretical perspective to promote the …
Tapping The Hidden Job Market Through Informational Interviews: A Qualitative Examination Of Students' And Professionals' Perspectives, Kimberly S. Hogelucht Phd
Tapping The Hidden Job Market Through Informational Interviews: A Qualitative Examination Of Students' And Professionals' Perspectives, Kimberly S. Hogelucht Phd
Dissertations
A growing body of literature suggests that networking promotes not only learning about one's field of interest but also employment opportunities, without requiring a formal job search. Considering three-fourths of job openings are never advertised (Koss-Feder, 1999), it appears networking is a powerful strategy in successful job attainment. This study focuses on a less-than-obvious networking strategy, the informational interview. An informational interview is an interview with a professional that is conducted by a student or job seeker with the intention of finding out more about the professional's occupation or career field. In this study, informational interviews were examined, not only …
Leadership For Social Change: Learning From Latina/Chicana Activist Educators, Marcia Venegas-García Phd
Leadership For Social Change: Learning From Latina/Chicana Activist Educators, Marcia Venegas-García Phd
Dissertations
An examination of the literature in the field of Leadership Studies exposes a void in understanding activism as leadership among Latinas/Chicanas. The contemporary theories of scholars including James MacGregor Burns (1978) and Joseph C. Rost (1993) suggest there may be shared qualities between specific concepts of leadership and the everyday working practices of Latina/Chicana activist educators. Yet, academics within the field of Leadership Studies have little knowledge of this relationship or the unique ways in which Latina/Chicana educators engage as leaders, activists and agents for change, specifically in educational communities. Research into women's studies, ethnic studies, and Chicana feminist studies …
“Voluntary Sector-Rich” And “Voluntary Sector-Poor”: What Difference Does The Distinction Really Make?, Lindsey M. Mcdougle Phd
“Voluntary Sector-Rich” And “Voluntary Sector-Poor”: What Difference Does The Distinction Really Make?, Lindsey M. Mcdougle Phd
Dissertations
Nonprofit organizations serve a distinctive role within American society. Collectively, nonprofits are viewed as major sources of social capital, contributors to the public good, and the value guardians within communities. Nonprofits also have a sizeable (and quite positive) impact on the nation's economy. Despite the social and economic significance of nonprofits, though, research has shown that nonprofit organizations and resources are not always distributed evenly across communities. Indeed, Wolch (1990) has observed that some communities are voluntary sector-rich, while others are voluntary sector-poor. Therefore, many of the benefits often associated with the presence of nonprofits may not be actualized, or …
California Charter School Closures: Perspectives And Advice From Nine Former Charter School Directors, Jennifer Reiter-Cook Edd
California Charter School Closures: Perspectives And Advice From Nine Former Charter School Directors, Jennifer Reiter-Cook Edd
Dissertations
Charter schools have been categorized as "everyone's reform" (Bracey, 2004); they are a type of public school, first established in 1992, that normally has fewer restrictions than most public schools and that serves a student body that, in many circumstances, has consciously opted to attend the school. Charter schools have promised high student achievement and program options that would create healthy competition in the American educational market. Currently, in California alone, there are approximately 800 active charter schools that serve more than 340,000 pupils. As we close in on nearly twenty years of charter school reform, many charter schools could …
Revitalization, Reinvigoration And Motivation Of Survivors In Changed, Restructured And Downsized Organizations: A Study Of Leadership Challenges In Local Government, Ronald L. Baza Edd
Revitalization, Reinvigoration And Motivation Of Survivors In Changed, Restructured And Downsized Organizations: A Study Of Leadership Challenges In Local Government, Ronald L. Baza Edd
Dissertations
Over the past two-plus decades, corporate mergers, government consolidations, workforce downsizings and plant closures have increased dramatically; as a consequence, millions of workers around the nation have lost their jobs. Not surprisingly, researchers have begun to focus considerable attention on downsizing, restructuring and revitalization efforts as a means for understanding organizations undergoing major transformation. Although the studies that have been conducted have dealt with a wide range of issues associated with organizational downsizing and restructuring, there is an absence of research examining mid and upper level managers' perceptions of the efficacy of their efforts to revitalize their downsized organizations and, …
Understanding Charter School Governance: A Case Study Of A Conversion Charter School Board Of Directors, David Mark Silver Phd
Understanding Charter School Governance: A Case Study Of A Conversion Charter School Board Of Directors, David Mark Silver Phd
Dissertations
The charter school movement has been at the forefront of educational reform since the 1990s. The majority of charter school research has focused on academic achievement and issues of access, equity, and funding. Less attention has focused on charter school governance, yet evidence suggests that governance challenges represent a significant impediment to the long-term sustainability of this movement. This qualitative case study examined the operations of a board of directors in a conversion charter school. The study included observations of monthly board of directors meetings over a 16-month period (February 2008–June 2009), interviews with members of the board of directors …
Social Capital And Economic Empowerment: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Relationship Between Changes In The Value Of Accumulated Assets And Measures Of Social Capital Among Rural South African Women, Robert Charles Gailey Phd
Social Capital And Economic Empowerment: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Relationship Between Changes In The Value Of Accumulated Assets And Measures Of Social Capital Among Rural South African Women, Robert Charles Gailey Phd
Dissertations
This longitudinal study explored the relationship between household asset accumulation over time and measures of social capital among impoverished rural South African women. The study re-analyzed an existing data set from a 2001–2005 study done in eight villages in South Africa. The original study investigated the impact of a microfinance and education intervention on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and intimate partner violence. This study re-analyzed interview responses from 739 households in the original data set and used multiple regression analysis to explore the relationship between measures of cognitive social capital (CSC) and structural social capital (SSC) and household economic welfare …
Indigenous Leadership: A Talking-Circle Dialogue With Cree Leaders, Julia L. Buchanan Phd
Indigenous Leadership: A Talking-Circle Dialogue With Cree Leaders, Julia L. Buchanan Phd
Dissertations
The study of leadership is gaining popularity as evidenced by the increasing number of leadership development programs in both corporate and academic environments. Therefore, the way that leadership is defined becomes important. Unfortunately, the majority of literature on leadership emphasizes a Eurocentric or Western perspective. This study explored the leadership-related thinking and practices embraced by a First Nations population in Canada: nehiyawak or the Cree people. As the research evolved, the study also ended up exploring both cultural differences with respect to knowledge and knowing and the ethical issues involved with permitting non-native researchers to study native groups. The latter …
Strategic Planning: Contextual Factors That Facilitated And/Or Challenged The Implementation Of Strategic Planning In Two Nonprofit Organizations, Devadhasan Masilamony Phd
Strategic Planning: Contextual Factors That Facilitated And/Or Challenged The Implementation Of Strategic Planning In Two Nonprofit Organizations, Devadhasan Masilamony Phd
Dissertations
As the nonprofit sector continues to grow in size and importance in American society, successful organizations proactively initiate strategic planning so they can be more responsive to changing circumstances, underlying trends, and shifting demands. At times, however, organizations develop elaborate plans that are never implemented. Unfortunately, there is less systematic research about strategic planning in the nonprofit sector than in the for-profit sector and even less research documenting whether or not the plans that get developed in nonprofit organizations actually get implemented. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how strategic planning improves the effectiveness of two nonprofit …
The Role Of Higher Education In Advancing Nurse Practitioners: A Look At The Institutional Decision Calculus Of A Health Sciences University, Debra Jo Johnson Phd
The Role Of Higher Education In Advancing Nurse Practitioners: A Look At The Institutional Decision Calculus Of A Health Sciences University, Debra Jo Johnson Phd
Dissertations
In 2004, professional nursing joined the ranks of other health professions by altering accreditation standards for nurse practitioners, which now mandate that their terminal degree advance beyond the master's degree currently required for the doctor of nursing practice (DNP). This research examines the decision-making process involved in implementing a web-based DNP program in 2008 at a college of graduate nursing embedded in a health sciences university. Findings from two case studies, one of faculty and one of administrators, provide a narrative description of the institution, the decision process, and then describe how institutional and external factors influenced the process. Institutional …
Postconflict Community Development In Sierra Leone: Western, Cultural, And National Influences, Whitney Mclntyre Miller Phd
Postconflict Community Development In Sierra Leone: Western, Cultural, And National Influences, Whitney Mclntyre Miller Phd
Dissertations
Sierra Leone was torn apart by a terrible eleven-year civil war. Rebel forces raped and murdered civilians, burned down crops and villages, and looted homes and community structures in a quest to overturn the long-corrupt government. Since 2002 communities have begun the process of developing toward a sustainable peace. Using grounded theory and inductive analysis, this qualitative research study conducted during the summer of 2009 examines the development efforts of two communities in the Northern provinces of Sierra Leone, Lungi and Makeni. Findings reveal that there are three influences playing a role in their development: western, cultural, and national. This …
Balancing Act: A Study Of International School Heads' Efforts To Manage The Professional And Personal Aspects Of Their Lives, Christiane Pj Sorenson Edd
Balancing Act: A Study Of International School Heads' Efforts To Manage The Professional And Personal Aspects Of Their Lives, Christiane Pj Sorenson Edd
Dissertations
Interest in the topic of professional and personal life balance has increased exponentially over the past several decades. The topic even is listed by the current First Lady of the United States as a priority item to be addressed during her husband's first four years in office. While studies have been conducted about the professional/personal balance of corporate executives and other professionals, including government employees, there has been almost no direct study of balance in educational professionals' lives. This study investigated school heads' perceptions about the factors that impact their ability to achieve balance between their professional and personal lives. …
The Contributions Of The Unwanted, Claudia Estela Chavez Mckay Phd
The Contributions Of The Unwanted, Claudia Estela Chavez Mckay Phd
Dissertations
According to the U.S. Constitution as construed by the Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982) Supreme Court Case, all children in the United States - from kindergarten through grade twelve - have a right to a free public education regardless of citizenship; however, undocumented students seeking to continue their education beyond high school face multiple barriers. Little is known about the actual experiences of undocumented students who have acquired a university degree. The purpose of this study was to understand the collegiate experiences of undocumented students, specifically the process of persisting through college graduation and their contributions to society …
An Empirical Look At The Relationship Between Personality Type And The Challenges Of Telecommuting, Jacquelyn E. Brown Phd
An Empirical Look At The Relationship Between Personality Type And The Challenges Of Telecommuting, Jacquelyn E. Brown Phd
Dissertations
The concept of telecommuting dates to the early 1970s when Dr. Jack Nilles, who coined the phrase telecommuting, realized that many of the commuters contributing to rush-hour traffic congestion simply went to an office, sat at a desk and used a phone to conduct their business. Since then, telecommuting has become a viable alternative work arrangement for approximately 45 million individuals in the United States. Despite the popularity of this arrangement, there has been little empirical work done to investigate the advantages and challenges associated with telecommuters; to address this issue this dissertation used two survey instruments to electronically gather …
Women And Authority: Transitioning Into A Role Of Assigned Authority As A Graduate Teaching Assistant In A Leadership Class, Lorri L. Sulpizio Phd
Women And Authority: Transitioning Into A Role Of Assigned Authority As A Graduate Teaching Assistant In A Leadership Class, Lorri L. Sulpizio Phd
Dissertations
Women are assuming positions with significant formal authority, yet women still remain underrepresented in many areas of the public sector (Kellerman & Rhode, 2007). Additionally, women in formal positions of authority have increased opportunities to exercise leadership and address challenges while mobilizing people toward change. Formal positions of authority include the role of mother, schoolteacher, senator, or senior executive. It is rare for women to receive any practice for the authority roles they assume and as such may find the roles accompanied by interactions and processes that are unfamiliar to them. The role of Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) provides women …
The Impact Of A Simulation Based Leader Development Training Program On Transformational And Transactional Leadership Behavior, Robin Louise Mccoy Phd
The Impact Of A Simulation Based Leader Development Training Program On Transformational And Transactional Leadership Behavior, Robin Louise Mccoy Phd
Dissertations
Organizations devote considerable resources developing employees' capacity for leadership because they believe that "leaders" are essential in the operations of their organizations. Unfortunately, organizations do not have the time or resources to send their employees off for lengthy leader development training programs. This has contributed to the growing popularity of short-term training programs which are relatively inexpensive to conduct. However, researchers are increasingly requesting more empirical studies that examine the impact of these programs, yet these requests have remained largely disregarded. Additionally, there is a lack for developing methodologies to determine whether or not involvement in a short-term program facilitates …
Adult Learning And School Leadership: Application And Learning From A Group Relations Conference, Heather Dierolf Edd
Adult Learning And School Leadership: Application And Learning From A Group Relations Conference, Heather Dierolf Edd
Dissertations
The role of the principal as a change agent is at the forefront of the conversation regarding the state of schools in public education, yet little is known about how group relations work can enhance a principal's ability to engage in this work. Using a qualitative grounded theory approach, this study examined the change in attitudes and behaviors of K-8 principals who participated in a Group Relations Conference. A grounded theory approach was employed to address the following research questions: How do principals understand and describe their learning after participating in a Group Relations Conference? How do they apply their …
Restoring Confidence: A Qualitative Study Of The Experience Of Interim Commanding Officers In U.S. Navy Operational Units, Shoshana S. Chatfield Edd
Restoring Confidence: A Qualitative Study Of The Experience Of Interim Commanding Officers In U.S. Navy Operational Units, Shoshana S. Chatfield Edd
Dissertations
Commanding officers in the United States Navy are entrusted by law with absolute authority, responsibility, and accountability. Despite a rigorous selection process, some commanding officers are relieved of command every year. In many cases, these commanding officers are replaced by interim commanding officers, leaders selected to fill the job for short periods of time. There is a gap in leadership literature about the phenomenon of interim command leadership in the Navy. This study investigated interim commanding officers' experiences of taking command following the deliberate removal of the unit's previous commanding officer. A review of current literature on the subjects of …
Exploring Efforts On Two College Campuses To Cultivate A Culture Of Vocation, Mark Peters Phd
Exploring Efforts On Two College Campuses To Cultivate A Culture Of Vocation, Mark Peters Phd
Dissertations
Young adults today experience an extended adolescence, a period of time now commonly referred to as emerging adulthood, in which they delay undertaking the roles traditionally associated with becoming an adult in contemporary society. College has the potential to become the mentoring environment needed for emerging adults to consider their future life choices grounded in the context of their deepest beliefs, shared values, and personal passions. Since 2000, the Lilly Endowment, Inc. has invested over $2 million in 88 select religiously affiliated colleges to fund Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV). These Programs were designed to help students …
Congregation Activism In The Community: A Study Of Faith-Based Leadership, Jensen Harry Shirley Edd
Congregation Activism In The Community: A Study Of Faith-Based Leadership, Jensen Harry Shirley Edd
Dissertations
Policymakers have acted as if the federal government was the prime mover in developing and supporting American communities with significant needs. That assumption is now being challenged not only by politicians who recommend funding faith-based initiatives, but also by scholars who make the case for giving the nation's churches a central role in tackling community problems, including problems associated with poverty (Boddie, 2003). These scholars point out that, with over 300,000 congregations in America, faith-based organizations are strategically located in the community to address community needs (Boddie, 2003). As government services devolve to the community level, these scholars argue, congregations …
Campus Internationalization Initiatives: From Policy To Practice In Study Abroad Programming, Kira Mendez Espiritu Phd
Campus Internationalization Initiatives: From Policy To Practice In Study Abroad Programming, Kira Mendez Espiritu Phd
Dissertations
As U.S. colleges and universities prepare students to enter an ever-increasing global society, the pressure on higher education institutions to graduate globally competent and culturally sensitive students is growing. To respond to this demand, many colleges and universities are participating in campus internationalization initiatives that are broad-based efforts that create diversity on campus and expose students and faculty to a more global perspective. The presence of campus internationalization initiatives is relatively new, therefore there is little research regarding best practices in the area of campus internationalization. The practice of internationalization initiatives continues to grow and higher-level administrators such as presidents, …
The Impact Of Authentic Leadership And Ethical Organizational Culture On Auditor Behavior, Janice Taylor Morris Phd
The Impact Of Authentic Leadership And Ethical Organizational Culture On Auditor Behavior, Janice Taylor Morris Phd
Dissertations
Recently, unprofessional behavior resulted in several high-profile financial scandals and business failures. Many blamed external auditors of these companies' financial statements for failing to detect and/or report errors and fraud that led to the failures. Leaders within major audit firms have been urged to foster more ethical firm environments as a means of inhibiting dysfunctional auditor behavior (DAB) such as premature sign-off, gathering insufficient audit evidence, and the underreporting of time spent conducting an audit. This advice is based on two assumptions: (1) auditor behavior is one element of audit quality and (2) the behavior of employees is influenced by …