Leadership Studies Commons^™

Does Athletic Participation Develop Followership Skills? A Case Study On The Development Of Followership Through Athletics, Sara M. Smith

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The role of athletes is to follow the lead of their coaches, captains, and other teammates while working towards the shared goal of team achievement. However, collegiate athletic participation is often attributed to the development of leadership skills. The purpose of this study was to advance the understanding of followership development within athletics. Further, I sought to understand better the perception of student-athletes and coaches on how athletic involvement contributed to the development of followership skills and leadership skills. The study was guided by research questions in which I asked if participants perceived athletic participation contributed to the development of …

A Framework For Retaining A Multigenerational Workforce, Steev Usungu

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Voluntary employee turnover has become a prevalent concern in the modern global labor market. The exodus of competent talent makes it harder for organizations to meet their business objectives. Excessive turnover affects organizations' day-to-day operations, including their ability to compete in a global market (Allen al., 2010). The voluntary departure of highly skilled individuals can have significant organizational implications (Brown et al., 2015). The departure of highly skilled personnel can result in direct and indirect adverse expenses. Employee separation, recruiting, and onboarding are direct expenditures associated with worker turnover (Jannet et al., 2020). Indirect turnover costs include decreased group productivity, …

Get Off The Fence, Craig Kellogg

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Experiences are a powerful influence on future decisions. A person can learn from an experience and correct or change their behavior based on their experience. Others may not exercise insight from an experience and repeat behavior which may lead to more devastating experiences. Get Off the Fence is a book about a personal experience of surrendering to God through a journey of poor decisions and choices. The devious weapons of the enemy, such as pride, shame, and selfishness, penetrate a life rooted in Christ, and the results from these attacks lead to severe consequences threatening relationships, freedom, and life. GOF …

A Quantitative Study Of Authentic Leadership, Authentic Followership, And Organizational Commitment Within Christian Higher Education, Daniel E. Mcdonald

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Organizational commitment is an important component within Christian higher education, impacted by the words and actions of authentic leaders and followers. In a time when more people left their jobs or looked for new employment than ever before, it was necessary to identify contributing factors that built and detracted from organizational commitment within this context. In this study, the researcher explored the relationships between organizational commitment and authentic leadership and authentic followership from the perspective of followers within five institutions in the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The findings provided important context for current levels of connection between …

The Southern Baptist Convention’S Perception Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Compared To African American Pastors’ And Leaders’ Lived Experiences, Jeffrey J. Wallace

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The study of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is complex and multilayered. Similarly, the study of DEI within an ecclesiastical and ecumenical Christian movement like the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has its challenges. Challenges and tensions surrounding the SBC, relating to women's leadership issues, the infiltration of partisanship and politics in the pulpits, racial injustice flashpoint moments, and the lack of ethnic diversity in a crucial leadership position have impacted the overall lived experience of African American pastors and leaders. This phenomenological study explored the Southern Baptist Convention's perception of diversity, equity, and inclusion compared to African American pastors’ and …

Public Service Motivation, Years Of Public Service, And Distributed Leadership In Government: A Moderation Analysis, James Punchard

PhD in Organizational Leadership

This dissertation was an exploration of the effect that public service motivation (PSM) has on leaders’ distributive leadership style (DLS). Years of service as a leader in government for more than 5 years managing five or more employees was considered as a moderating variable, with the expectation that as years of service increased, the moderating affect it has on the relationship between PSM and DLS would also increase. This was a cross-sectional, quantitative research project employing a moderation model to address the extent to which years of public service moderate the potential statistical relationship between the distributed leadership style and …

Dimensions Of Transformational Leadership As Predictors Of Employee Creativity: The Moderating Role Of Job Satisfaction, Sarita R. Guillory

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The aim of this research was to determine whether the dimensions of transformational leadership predicted employee creativity, as well as whether job satisfaction strengthened this association through moderation. Findings in the existing literature exhibited mixed outcomes concerning TL’s impact on EC, requiring more empirical research. Many studies have employed moderating variables in search of potentializing a stronger relationship between TL and EC; however, no previous scholars have explored JS’s moderating capabilities between the variables. JS as a suitable strengthening variable between TL dimensions and EC is evidenced through unrelated research concerning TL’s impact on JS and JS’s impact on EC. …

Leadership Prototypes And Cultural Variations Amongst Hmong Men And Women Working Professionals In Minnesota, Ying K. Yang

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Since arriving in the United States in 1975 as immigrants, the Hmong have faced many cultural challenges and were forced to adapt quickly. In 2011, the Hmong lost their last officially recognized leader, General Vang Pao. With the Hmong assimilating to the American culture, it is unclear whether their leadership prototype has changed due to cultural variation. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to examine leadership prototypes and cultural variation amongst working professional Hmong men and women in Minnesota. Minnesota was chosen because it is home to the largest Hmong population in the United States. This study targeted understanding the lived …

Tearing Down And Building Up In The Contemporary Workplace: How Reflective Writing Inspires Workplace Learning And Well-Being, Gina R. Pell

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Continuous learning is critical for workers and organizations, but traditional learning strategies may be less effective as constantly changing business demands and individual needs among diverse and geographically dispersed workers may create barriers to performance and sustainability. Although alternative learning approaches such as experiential and double-loop learning may introduce risks by uncovering new challenges, they may also benefit workers and organizations when designed to bolster empathy and encourage a better understanding of pressures and stress. Reflective writing is an adaptable alternative learning approach that can be paired with existing workplace learning strategies or tailored to specific needs and learning outcomes. …

The Career Experiences Of Noninstructional Itinerant Staff In K–12 Public Schools With Demonstrated Longevity, Jessica Duncan

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Shortages in noninstructional itinerant staff (school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers) have been especially difficult for K–12 public school districts, as these individuals have critical responsibilities within the school setting that they are uniquely qualified to complete. Noninstructional itinerant employees face challenges such as isolation, role confusion, and high workloads that professionals who work in other settings or instructional colleagues may not encounter. They may also be impacted by their responsibilities related to meeting the increasing mental health needs of the students they support. The aim of this qualitative research study was to consider the experiences of 14 noninstructional …

Elevating Followers: Confirmatory Factor Analysis On The Revised Kelley Followership Questionnaire, Sherrie A. Lynn

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Every person is a follower, and followers and leaders are both equally important to the leadership process, yet followership literature pales in comparison to leadership literature. One problem was that followership did not have a valid and reliable selfassessment. The purpose of this study was to advance the theory of followership by conducting confirmatory factor analysis on the revised Kelley Followership Questionnaire (KFQ-R; Ligon, 2016) with data collected from employees at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The KFQ-R and three additional instruments to assess convergent validity were administered in December 2022. Data analysis included seven iterations of factor analysis conducted …

Credit Union Servant Leadership Encourages Financial Literacy, Darrell Jensen

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Project Type

Organizational Change Initiative

Project Overview

January 1, 2023, Midflorida Credit Union rolled out an online financial literacy platform to 1300 employees. April 1, 2023, as part of Financial Literacy month, it will be rolled out to over 400,000 members. This project supports Midflorida’s mission statement, “To improve the well-being of our members.”

Project Themes

The financial literacy project consisted of a three-phase rollout of planning, implementation, and future phases. Phase one established the teams, product review, and contract negotiations. Phase two was content review, modifications, security review, training, and employee surveys. Phase three is the servant leadership training …

Training Curriculum For Students With Disabilities (Ese), Carolynne P. Mather Mrs.

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Against All Odds Ministry, Inc. (AAOM) is a non-profit organization created by CEO and Founder Carolynne Mather. Carolynne's passion for serving the at-risk population dates to her years as a Preschool Owner providing moral and spiritual counseling to the young mothers of the children her facility provided care. Carolynne desired to mentor these women in a monthly meeting and guide them to see if they could move beyond their circumstances against the odds that faced them. The desire was to use the group meetings to write a book on women's success from this mentoring group. The group produced two parents …

Collegiate Team Sport Participation And Adult Leadership Development, Sarah Grai

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Collegiate sport requires significant investments of time and resources from universities, athletes, sponsors, and boosters; however, the leadership and leadership development benefits of collegiate sport remains relatively uncertain (Desrochers, 2013; Hardin, 2015; Wright & Côté, 2003). This study explored the impact of female collegiate team sport participation on self-perceived leadership development and leadership style. Research was conducted using qualitative methods, interviewing 12 former female collegiate rugby athletes, all no more than 3 years removed from their collegiate rugby experience. The aim was to understand how female collegiate athletes experience the process of leadership development, how participation influences an athlete’s perceived …

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors Of Bank Employees In The United States, Silas N. Reuben

PhD in Organizational Leadership

This study examined the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of bank employees in the United States. The study was necessary, as bank customers are urging banks to go the extra mile or engage in OCB to improve customer service given the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected customers' use of bank services. The study used the 20-item MLQ Form 5X-short for transformational leadership and the OCB instrument developed by Podsakoff et al. to collect data from bank employees in the National Capital Region (NCR) of the United States. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to …

Towards A Model Of Leadership Development: A Case Study Of A Large Evangelical Church In Virginia, Kyle W. Kramer

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Ministry leaders are leaving the vocation in record numbers, largely due to a lack of intentional leadership development or preparedness for the challenges they face. These leaders require a formalized process for developing both the cognitive and behavioral aspects of leading in the local church that authentic and spiritual leadership comprise. The exemplar examined in this case study, recognizing similar challenges, implemented a leadership development process derived from components of both authentic and spiritual leadership. Over the span of just 3 years, the church experienced a nearly 20-point increase in employee engagement, earning them the title of Best Christian Workplace. …

Generational Differences In Assemblies Of God Ministers Regarding Assemblies Of God Doctrinal Beliefs, Darin S. Poe

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Ministers with a strong belief in the Assemblies of God’s Statement of Fundamental Truths and doctrine are essential to the future success and proliferation of the Assemblies of God mission and churches. This study aimed to assess and compare ministers’ denominational and doctrinal beliefs in the AGUSA by generational groups. The researcher examined the history and current literature concerning generational differences, varied religious beliefs and practices among the generations, the early history of Pentecostalism and the Assemblies of God in America, and specific characteristics of the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. The aim was to provide insights …

House Church Leaders: A Multisite Case Study, Lance Croy

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine house church leaders in situ within three typologies of home gatherings. Billings (2011) identified three stages of house church formats: (a) Oikos, where the congregants assemble in the home for a complete meal, including the Eucharist; (b) Domus, where the curate renovates and dedicates rooms in their homes for Christian usage; and (c) Aula, where rented facilities house larger gatherings, the liturgy becomes more formalized, and the Eucharist is no longer a full meal (Billings, 2011). House church leaders and congregants sampled fit the three typologies while addressing a gap in …

Signet Leader Institute: A 12-Module, Web-Based Leader Development Program, Mark A. Bliss

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

This project established the groundwork for a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business to provide organizational and leadership consulting. The consulting business is called the Signet Leader Institute. To meet the program requirements, this project endeavored to develop the initial curriculum as a web-based leader development program with the business establishment occurring after the completion of the doctoral capstone project.

The mission of the Signet Leader Institute is to grow leaders and followers to leave a lasting mark on organizations just as a signet ring represents an empowered seal of a leader. The vision of the Signet Leader Institute is to …

Women In Stem: An Examination Of Career Commitment As A Moderator To Organizational Commitment, Patricia V. Rose

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Most research on women in STEM in the United States has revolved around retention, barriers, turnover intention, and underrepresentation in businesses, governments, and universities. This quantitative correlational study investigated whether career commitment moderated organizational commitment among women working in STEM careers based on independent variables of organizational justice and perceived organizational support. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2020), in 2019, women made up 34% of the STEM workforce, or 12 million workers, and 52% of the non-STEM workforce, or 62 million workers. In 2006, President George W. Bush released the American Competitiveness Initiative for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics …

Diversified Collaboration, Strategic Plan Design, And Strategic Planning Outcomes In Public Sector Aging Services, Jennifer B. Elmore

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Effective strategic planning in aging services is needed to help public sector agencies and their networks successfully meet the needs of a growing and aging U.S. population of older adults. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore public sector state strategic plans and the effect of diversified collaboration, strategic plan design, and regional and state characteristics on related outcomes and organizational performance. This study reviewed State Plans on Aging and the effect of the diversity of stakeholders contributing to developing the plans, the comprehensiveness of the plans’ design, and the states’ performance in areas related to long-term services …

An Exploration Of The Role Of Vulnerability In Ministerial Leadership: A Qualitative Examination Of John 13 As Lived Experience In Contemporary Ministry, Lance L. May

PhD in Organizational Leadership

When leaders experience personal failures, it often causes negative repercussions across an entire organization, and Burns (1978) noted that devastating leadership failures had become increasingly common at the close of the 20th century. Leadership failures have continued to be a prominent problem, and the failures of ministry leaders are just as prevalent and devastating (Shaw, 2006). Brown (2015) concluded that vulnerability is a powerful tool for maintaining trust and integrity for leaders, followers, and entire organizational cultures. This study centered on both the role of vulnerability exemplified by Jesus in John 13 and the lived experiences of Christian ministry leaders. …

An Exegetical And Phenomenological Study Of 1–3 John As A Model For Developing Biblical Community Through Spiritual Leadership Practices, Joseph Pastori

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Pastors and church leaders have been trusted with the New Testament responsibility of building biblical community characterized by koinonia. For contemporary pastors, this means developing this community while addressing internal conflicts and an increasing level of opposition from a post-Christian societal culture. The leadership approach of the Apostle John and the biblical principles in the epistles of 1–3 John serve as a model for building and maintaining biblical community while addressing internal and external challenges. Spiritual leadership theory (Fry, 2003) and organizational culture (Cameron & Quinn, 2011; Schein, 1986, 1990) provide valid theoretical constructs that are compatible with the Scriptural …

Owning My Scars: A Transformational Journey To Effective Leadership, Violet Taylor

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Experiences are powerful antecedents to perceptions and behaviors; their

consequences evident in self-leadership and leadership of others. Accordingly, authentic vulnerability and the courage to examine the sources of behavior, acknowledge the product of wounds, and pursue healing are paramount. Through healing, wounds that are conduits to ineffective leadership transform to scars of victory, propagating wholeness and effective leadership. Indeed, effective leadership requires a lifelong transformational journey to influence self and others positively.

Owning My Scars: A Transformational Journey to Effective Leadership authentically chronicles experiences of sexual assault, sexual abuse, homelessness, physical abuse, and emotional abuse. The captivating personal narrative is …

Retaining Your Healthcare Heros: A Healthcare Leader's Guide To Improving Perceptions Of Leader Support, Julie Kovencz

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Over the past decade, the healthcare industry has faced many changes including staff shortages which have been intensified by the global pandemic. As a result, healthcare leaders face a vast array of challenges every day. This guide is about bridging the gap between leaders and employees and showing leaders how critical it is to develop relationships with their staff and support them better. Leader support, and the different things that support means to employees, is discussed as key to employee retention. In light of the challenges that healthcare leaders face today, including a lack of candidates, staff shortages, communication, burnout, …

Leading Differently: A Manager’S Guide Recognizing, Embracing, And Empowering Soft Power Leadership, Sherrita Denson

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Even as early as elementary school, the expectation to be extroverted and verbally contributive is enforced and remains through to the workplace, a fact which represents a cultural bias to favor extroverts in leadership positions. People are drawn to charismatic voices, emotional speech, high energy, empathetic gestures, and engaging smiles. This image of extroversion is associated with positive career and organizational outcomes; in fact, psychology research identifies extroversion as the personality trait most closely associated with leadership emergence.

Unfortunately, it has been widely accepted by society that introverts are reticent people who refrain from contributing ideas and instead remain in …

Predictive Factors In Nurse Retention: The Association Of Authentic Leadership, Nurse Leader Caring Behaviors, And Burnout In Novice Nurse Retention, April M. Novotny

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The demand for healthcare services in the United States is expected to dramatically increase in the coming decades. To meet the growing demand, a healthy workforce of nurses is necessary. In response to the identified problem of novice nurse retention, the researcher examined the concepts of authentic leadership, leadership caring behaviors, and burnout to determine the impact of these factors on intent to stay within an organization for novice nurses with less than 1 year of experience at a large community hospital. The study findings demonstrate a statistically significant correlation between the factors of authentic leadership, leader caring behaviors, burnout, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Pastoral Accountability In Covenant Community, James L. Tegelhutter

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Most pastors and clergy minister from a place of a perceived divine calling and persist through the myriad of challenges of ministry, regardless of the personal toll that it takes on them. This tireless working can drive them to a place of poor emotional and mental health, which can ultimately affect themselves and their families in a negative way. The need for an effective peer support structure is imperative, and understanding the needs of local pastors can help build that support. Many ministers feel isolated in their efforts and could benefit greatly from a peer group where they could safely …

Exploring Commons Governance, Nonprofit Commons Governance, And Convening Leadership In Nonprofit Organizations To Solve Complex Societal And Global Issues: A Qualitative Study, Patricia A. Clary

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Nonprofit organizations that operate independently without knowledge of effective governance principles and convening leadership through collective-action collaboration have less shared resources and philanthropic value to fulfill their organization’s mission. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic accentuated awareness of the need for nonprofit organizations and voluntary action associations to collaborate, leading to increased shared resources and philanthropic value through governance and convening leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine four design principles of commons governance (Ostrom, 1990), five nonprofit commons governance principles and assumptions (Lohmann, 1992), and five convening leadership dimensions (Clary, 2021) to understand how governance and convening leadership contribute …

The Impact Of Burnout On Career Commitment Among Physicians, Clergy, And Law Enforcement During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Study, Christopher L. Clem

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis among helping professionals such as physicians, law enforcement officers, and clergy remain unknown. The strain and enormous stress encountered by these professionals are profound and concerning (Benham et al., 2020; Greene et al., 2020; Stogner et al., 2020). In this study, the researcher explored the effects of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) on career commitment among helping professionals including physicians, law enforcement officers, and clergy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the findings provided insight on the general causes and effects of burnout including possible solutions to counter its effects. Additionally, the …