Leadership Studies Commons^™

Enhancing Student-Athlete Well-Being Through Effective Leadership In College Athletics, Jake Peavey

All Student Scholarship

For many young adults, the transition from high school to college athletics can be a challenging and intimidating process. It is common knowledge that many student-athletes struggle with finding the balance between their mental health and their academic, athletic, and social responsibilities. In fact, many student-athletes feel that their commitments are greater than a full- time job when you factor in all that is expected of them (Cutler & Dwyer, 2020). Student-athlete life balance is affected by pressures such as demanding training schedules, strict dietary guidelines, expectations on performance, and many other factors that can contribute to commitments totaling over …

Leadership Development Through Athletic Experience, Antoine Grace

All Student Scholarship

This qualitative research aims to find the relationship between athletics and leadership development by examining athletes' and nonathletes' students, life, leadership experiences, and learned behaviors. The research utilized a purposive sampling to recruit a diverse group of participants from the university that classify as either student-athletes or non-sport-playing students. The collection of data from participants has been conducted using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis has been used to identify patterns and themes in the interview data, allowing for a meaningful understanding and interpretation based on aspects of athletes' and non-athletes' experiences. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature on …

The Benefits Of Teaching Young Adults Leadership Skills In The Early Stages Of Their Academics, April Marie Gura

All Student Scholarship

This study investigates the possibility of implementing leadership skills, at a younger age, specifically during high school, to enhance our future leaders. This quality is essential to our society. The interviews are conducted with a spectrum of teachers, who consider, through their experiences, what issues they view plague young people in today’s workforce. To better understand the problem, this study explores how leadership is viewed and displayed in their school systems. It addresses how leadership has formed into a needed life skill studying which should be infused into all high school curriculums. The finding of this study is that leadership …

Leadership In College Athletics, Owen Sullivan

Student Scholarship

This study was conducted with the purpose of better understanding what makes a good leader in the world of college athletics. Understanding the traits, characteristics, decision-making process, and sports involvement of leadership helps to provide scholars with the opportunity to gain a better insight into the minds of leaders. This study was conducted through a qualitative research method. The questionnaire was sent out to a small pool of student-athletes, coaches, and administration in the athletic department. The questions were framed in a way that provided open-ended responses which led to straightforward responses. The open-ended questions provided beneficial information, concerning what …

The Strategic Impact Of China's Artificial Islands In The South China Sea And Their Influence On U.S. And China Relations, Steven Roy Ma

All Student Scholarship

This is an integrative literature review of various perspectives of different authors of previous scholarly articles discussing the impact of China’s artificial Islands in the South China Sea and how it affects U.S. China relations in the region. This research covers a range of parameters surrounding how the artificial islands were made and how they affect the overall security of naval operations and will also discuss international waterway rights within the South China Sea, one of the World’s biggest trading routes. A review of current events in the region is discussed highlighting the potential powder keg that could explode and …

4-H Youth Leaders: Acquisition Of Leadership Skills Based On Perceived Influence, Cathy Bartlett Gray Ma

All Student Scholarship

This study focuses on youth perceptions of influence on others and leadership skills they may seek to acquire, particularly within the Maine 4-H program. Understanding the relationship between the youth perception of leadership influence and the skills they seek to acquire will enable 4-H club leaders and adult mentors to better facilitate acquisition of leadership skills. This study gains understanding from the perspective of current teen leaders in the Maine 4-H program through the use of personal interviews with active teen leaders. Findings indicate that Maine 4-H Teen Leaders do not necessarily recognize the influence they have with their peers …

Absentee Fathers' Intergenerational Impact On Developing Children, Neil Austin Ma

All Student Scholarship

This paper examines the crisis of single parent homes, specifically absentee fathers in America. It examines and attempts to explore how father-figure inclusion can mitigate the consequences experienced by the majority of children in absent father homes. Scholarly research to date indicates children of absentee fathers are susceptible to detrimental conditions including an increased likelihood of delinquent behavior, higher risk for teenage pregnancy, emotional instability and an increased propensity for substance abuse. Longitudinal effects can manifest as intergenerational absenteeism, arrested development, low wage employment, stunted education, recidivist incarceration and higher rates of suicide. The objective of this research is to …

Has Reading Harry Potter Affected The Millennial Generation As Leaders?, Amanda Giampetro Ma

All Student Scholarship

This research looks at how Harry Potter affected millennials. The research sought to learn if reading the series growing up influenced millennials as leaders and how they view leaders. Through personal interviews, the researcher was able to gain insight into the impact of the Harry Potter phenomenon on millennia ls. The series, through both books and films, created an entertaining environment for readers to learn the concept of leadership. This is because the story is presented in an easy to follow sequence of events which allows the reader to observe leadership theory and moral development. So, without realizing, the interviewees …

Exploring Antecedents Of Those Who Practice Servant Leadership, Maria Anne Kindelan Ma

All Student Scholarship

The purpose of the study was to explore the preceding essence of the individual who is a servant leader. In search of antecedents, the researcher used a qualitative method with a phenomenological design, exploring what brought the participants to utilize servant leadership. Furthermore, the researcher aimed to fill a gap by asking participants to provide their stories of what brought them to employ such a leadership style versus suggesting answers. This qualitative research study was conducted to answer the question: "What are the antecedents of the person who practices servant leadership?" A criterion sample was used to recruit servant leaders …

Workplace Incivility: A Quantitative Study Of Public University Staff Member Experiences In The Northeast, Tracy M. St. Pierre Ma

All Student Scholarship

Workplace incivility is a construct similar to sexual harassment or bullying in that it is unwanted behavior and can cause negative emotions for those who experience it. However, it lacks the clear definition and legal repercussions that have been established for sexual harassment and bullying.

Perceived Supervisor Accessibility And Its Effects On Authentic Leadership, Kasey Gallant Ma

All Student Scholarship

As technology develops, professionals will have a greater opportunity to work remotely; often using multiple modes of technology to attend meetings, workshops and communicate with colleagues and superiors. The present study explores leader accessibility as it is experienced by remotely located employees verses on-site employees, in relation to their direct supervisor’s perceived Authentic leadership.

Virtual International Leadership Within Organizations Overcoming Cultural, Language, And Physical Barriers, Jaye Mendros Goulet Ma

All Student Scholarship

Advances in technology are allowing members of a team to collaborate while being geographically and spatially apart. These new teams, known as virtual teams, have benefits for both the organizations to which they belong and to the individual members.

Post Millennial Generation In The Workforce, Tarynne N. Scott Ma

All Student Scholarship

The purpose of this study is to explore and gain a deeper understanding of what Post Millennials require for success in the workforce, and how they differ in their follower and cultural beliefs, as well as identify what specific leadership style(s) best fit this generation’s needs as followers.

Perceived Supervisor Accessibility And Its Effects On Authentic Leadership, Kasey Gallant

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

As technology develops, professionals will have a greater opportunity to work remotely; often using multiple modes of technology to attend meetings, workshops and communicate with colleagues and superiors. The present study explores Authentic Leadership as it is experienced by remotely located employees, and its relationship with Job Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, and Turnover Intention through the construct of perceived supervisor accessibility. Current research on Authentic Leadership fails to explore the quality of remotely located employee/supervisor interactions and whether there is a relationship between Job Satisfaction, leadership style, and intention to leave a position. The present study seeks to fill the gap …

Leadership Development In A Virtual Work Environment, Sylvia Dion

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The precise definition of "telecommuting" varies, but it is generally defined as the performance of work tasks from home (Glass and Noonan,2016, p. 6). More broadly, the Telework Enhancement Act (2010) defines telecommuting as “a work flexibility arrangement under which an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of such employee’s position, and other authorized activities, from an approved worksite other than the location from which the employee would otherwise work” (2010, p. 1). Leadership development in virtual work environments has been explored from the leader perspective, with much of the existing research focusing on the leader’s behaviors, skills, and interactions …

Generational Differences In Organizational Culture, Andrew Mcclement

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

As the Baby Boomers exit the workforce, newer and younger generations’ workers will need to be hired and trained to fill these positions. Millennials entering the workforce will require evolving methodologies of leadership to retain talent. Studies to-date have focused on leadership styles and organizational culture and how they affect employee engagement. However, the bulk of these studies use information that may not be relevant to current Gen Z and Millennial workers. To address existing gap in knowledge, this study explores the differences of the current generations in the modern-day workforce leadership and what Millennial and Gen Z leaders will …

Post Millennial Generations In The Workforce, Tarynne Scott

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Post Millennials, defined as individuals born between the years of 1997 to present day and whom are currently between the ages of zero and twenty-one years old, are one of the largest generational cohorts to enter the workforce thus far (Ozkan, Soulmaz, 2015). Without understanding the characteristics of this generation, leaders could find themselves with followers they do not know how to motivate or communicate with (Seemiller, 2017, pg. 8). The purpose of this study is to explore and gain a deeper understanding of what Post Millennials need to be successful in the workforce, and how they differ in their …

Virtual International Leadership Within Organizations: Overcoming Cultural, Language, And Physical Barriers, Jaye Goulet

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Advances in technology are allowing members of a team to collaborate while being geographically and spatially apart. These new teams, known as virtual teams, have benefits for both the organizations to which they belong and to the individual members. Organizations are able to utilize highly-skilled experts without the associated relocation costs. Team members are able to contribute to projects in their field of expertise without having to leave their homeland. These teams require a leader whose interactions build trust and loyalty without the benefit of face-to-face contact with other team members. Although virtual teams are rapidly growing, research is lacking …

Fake Service Dogs: Leading By Example, Joshua Ferguson

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

This qualitative research examines public awareness pertaining to the protocols surrounding service dogs and their handlers, known collectively as the service team. The use of service dogs has been on the increase as more people discover the benefits provided by service dogs. The increase in the number of service dogs fosters questions about safety, training, the dog’s purpose, and its legitimacy. Previous studies suggest that many individuals are falsely claiming their dogs as service dogs or “fake service dogs.” This research explores what trends are leading to increases in service dog use and how fake service dogs affect people involved. …

The Incidence And Impact Of Workplace Incivility: A Quantitative Study Comparing Public University Staff Member Experiences In The Northeast, Tracy St. Pierre

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Workplace Incivility (WI) is a construct similar to sexual harassment or bullying - it is unwanted behavior and can cause negative emotions for those who experience it. However, it lacks a clear definition or legal repercussions that have been established for sexual harassment and bullying. Thus, incivility is able to thrive in the workplace with little intervention and can create adverse consequences for employees and the organization. Several studies demonstrate that up to 96% of employees have experienced WI (Porath & Pearson, 2010, p.64). Employees who experience WI reduce their work effort and decrease productivity by “venting” to co-workers (Cortina …

Transformational Leadership: A Soldier's Need For Creativity In The Maine Army National Guard, Johnathon A. Mcgahey Ma

All Student Scholarship

Leadership creativity can inspire organizations to innovate and to compete in the global marketplace. There are many forms of leadership that can produce such passion, but transformational leadership is well suited for today's corporations. Transformational leadership creates a vision and cohesion that drives organizational culture. This quantitative study of the Army National Guard examines leadership creativity within its corporate culture. The Army National Guard is not known for its leadership creativity and there are few studies examining this phenomenon. This study collects quantitative data from active duty personnel to gain direct insight into leadership creativity and its effects on innovation. …

Motivating And Engaging Pulmonary Rehabilitation Patients, Shelly May Dubois Ma

All Student Scholarship

Lung disease compromises breathing and decreases quality of life for those who have it. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate innovative strategies used successfully by pulmonary rehabilitation leaders to keep patients motivated and engaged in completing pulmonary rehabilitation. An open-ended questionnaire asking participants questions pertaining to being a successful pulmonary rehabilitation. The results of this study may help pulmonary rehabilitation leaders to gain a better understanding of the full range of interventions taken by leaders to ensure patients complete pulmonary rehabilitation successfully. This study may help both pulmonary rehabilitation leaders as well as patients. It may help …

Community Driven Student Leadership: The Doce Approach, Courtney Caouette, Jordan O'Hearn, Stacy Henson-Drake, Michaela Stone, Gabrielle Lodge

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Universities and the communities in which they reside must maintain an interdependence to thrive. The USM LAC Druker Office of Community Engagement (DOCE) follows a unique model of student-faculty collaborative leadership to model how public universities can partner with their communities. Developing long-lasting community-university relationships holds mutual benefits. DOCE connects students, faculty and staff with over 90 community partners. As a synergetic cooperative team, we believe community engagement is essential in the growth and learning of the whole student, faculty and staff of USM.

Our recent Community-Based Participatory Research (CPBR) works in integrating the classes and curriculum of the Social …

Conflict Competence Among Undergraduates: Exploring The Impact Of Fear Of Negative Evaluation, Erica E. Leighton Ma

All Student Scholarship

According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace conflict costs employers up to $359 billion annually (as cited by CPP Global, 2008). Considering this cost, teaching the current generation of college students to effectively manage conflict is a charge for colleges and universities who aim to prepare students to successfully enter the workforce after graduation. Current methods of conflict resolution training, however, lack consistency and show varying levels of success. Developing effective tools depends on a clear understanding of barriers students face in learning to effectively resolve conflicts. In looking to examine these barriers, this study explored …

Collegiate Leadership Competition: Deliberate Practice Leading To Expertise, Courtney Randall, Mark Graham, Irene O'Leary, Katia Fonseca, Salina Mallory, Matt Norris

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Deliberate practice (Ericsson & Pool, 2016), the scientific process often attributed to developing expertise, requires a well-developed field and a teacher who can design, provide, and facilitate purposeful activities that target specific goals related to performance in that field. Components of purposeful practice include (a) well-defined goals, often related to skills that others have figured out how to do; (b) timely, continuous, and specific feedback; (c) deliberate practice outside of one’s comfort zone; and (d) developing previously acquired skills through continuous improvement. USM students’ participation in Collegiate Leadership Competition (CLC) practice sessions include components of deliberate practice aimed toward the …

Volunteer Recruitment And Retention In Maine Performing Arts Organizations, Adam P. Blais Ma

All Student Scholarship

Performing arts organizations across the country heavily rely on a combination of ticket sales, individual and organizational contributions, and grant money to fund their operations. As a direct result, performing arts organizations have become increasingly reliant on volunteers to occupy both commonplace and significant operational and managerial roles within their establishments.

Citizen Perceptions Of Minor Changes To The Police Patrol Uniform, Lucas J. Hallett Ma

All Student Scholarship

Trust and respect between law enforcement and the public has become a topic of increased controversy in the past few years. The rise of instantly available news, along with audio and video from a variety of modern sources, has brought new attention to every aspect of policing. This project was undertaken to study a ubiquitous portion of daily police life: the patrol uniform.

Leadership In A South African Context, Sara E. Brown, Elsbeth K. Paige-Jeffers

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The Montagu Project at its core is an inspiring example of cross-cultural leadership, community engagement, friendship, and sustainable partnership. The collective impact of the University of Southern Maine, the Rural Arts Development (RAD) Foundation, and the Red Zebra Foundation reaches far beyond the week they meet as The Montagu Project. Each one of these partners promotes global leadership, global awareness, leadership development, community engagement, and the empowerment of youth.

Animal Welfare: Measuring Strategies For Improving Lives, Elsbeth Paige-Jeffers Ma

All Student Scholarship

Animals are sentient creatures entitled to humane treatment and lives of dignity. There are many fields which address this notion, including animal welfare science, ethics, law, policy, and veterinary science. Such a multi-disciplinary approach to animal welfare reveals numerous best practices which can be used to improve the way animals are conceived of and treated by both specialists and the public. However, despite this faceted consideration of animal welfare, there is a dearth of quantitative means to assess entities’ adherence to best practices. As such, the purpose of present study is to develop and refine an instrument which could be …

An Examination Of Teacher Understandings Of Technology Integration At The Classroom Level, Shawn M. Carlson Phd

All Student Scholarship

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe and understand how teachers describe the changes in their practices as a result of ten years participation in a one-to-one environment. This research study focuses on one successful middle school’s adoption of laptops to support teaching and learning. A qualitative study using interviews of key participants was undertaken with teachers and administrators. The Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework was used in conjunction with Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation framework to understand from the participants’ perspective changes to their practice. The results indicate teachers underwent changes in their use of technology to …