Leadership Studies Commons^™

Breaking The Cycle: Self-Esteem And African American Youth, George B. Gill

Theses and Graduate Projects

Self-esteem has been cited as a primary factor in how well or how poorly an individual functions in society. African American youth may be among those particularly susceptible to feelings of low selfesteem. This study attempted to measure if participation in a African American Self-Esteem (AASE) course would have a positive effect on the self-esteem of participants. The AASE course is a ten week education,/support group that focuses on African American history and culture. Twenty-eight junior and senior high African American students from the Minneapolis metro area participated. Their self-esteem levels were measured, they then participated in the AASE course …

Women's Pathways: Identifying Access Points To Leadership, Jody A. Rosenbloom

Theses and Graduate Projects

This thesis explores women's access to leadership positions and how women's life choices affect their leadership options. The hypotheses of the study include: 1) the assumption that gender affects access to leadership positions, 2) the discovery of a balance in role juggling is crucial to maintaining a leadership role, and 3) the access points to recruit and retain women in leadership positions can be enhanced. Beginning with the premise that it is desirable to have women in leadership roles, r review of literature explores the leadership, history, and sociology that is specific to leadership access and the portrayal of gender …

The Effect Of Hospital Restructuring On Nurses' Perceptions Of Their Work Environment, Judy Reeve

Theses and Graduate Projects

Hospital restructuring has become commonplace in today’s competitive health care market. Often, such restructuring results in significant effects on the employees of the organization. Registered Nurses who continue to deliver patient care at the bedside may find themselves caught between duty to their patients and duty to their employer, yet there is Iittle research available which evaluates the effect of restructuring on either the nurse or the patient. This descriptive study analyzes staff Registered Nurses’ perceptions of their work environment following restructuring. Principles of restructuring, as delineated by Freeman & Cameron, served as the theoretical framework for this analysis. A …

The Nature And Authority Of Scripture : Historical Sources And Theological Engagement For Congregational Awareness And Reflection, Carson Reed

Doctor of Ministry Theses

For many Christians, biblical authority is rooted in the concept of inerrancy or in the historical veracity. But within a increasingly post-modern culture, the church faces a crisis in both of these foundations. The modern presuppositions that undergird the inerrancy doctrine and the historical-critical method are showing distinct cracks in the once seamless confidence placed in both approaches. Additionally, for Churches of Christ, understandings about the nature and authority of Scripture area just below the surface of a number of issues confronting congregations. This project/thesis seeks to address this growing dilemma within the context of the Westlake Church of Christ …

Women Leaders : Balancing Professional And Personal Lives, Meredith L. Schalick

Honors Theses

The concept for my Senior Project originated from concerns and questions about my future and observations I have made about women leaders. This project was designed for four purposes: (1) to meet a need for University of Richmond students, (2) examine a subject in which I have vested interest because of my career goals, (3) improve my research skills, and (4) address an issue dealing with women and leadership. The project attempts to illustrate that women, as a result of their role assignment by society to be the primary care-provider for children, face certain challenges when they seek to find …

The Impact Of Collaborative Writing Lessons On Individual Attitudes And Specific Writing Skills Of Mainstream High School Students In The English Classroom, Barbara B. Swenson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The impact of specific collaborative writing skill lessons on individual writing skills and attitudes of mainstream students in two Chaska High School English classrooms was the focus of this study. Students in the control class and the experimental class studied the same literary selections and skills; however, the process of the writing skill lessons was different. The experimental class received additional instruction in the collaborative process by learning group roles, writing collaboratively, and evaluating progress after each group skill lesson. In order to assess the impact of collaboration in the experimental class, a pretest and posttest were administered to both …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Hearing Conservation Program For Fourth Grade Students, Dianne R. Olson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This thesis documented the need for and effectiveness of an educational hearing conservation program, Play lt By Ear, which Was developed by the study's author to alert students to the dangers of loud sounds. This program was presented in four sessions of 60 minutes each to a class of fourth grade students in an elementary school in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. The program included information in the areas of anatomy of the ear, causes of hearing loss, measurement of hearing, types of hearing loss, safe and unsafe noise levels, and good hearing health care. Lecture, films, audio tapes, hearing screening demonstration, …

Orientations Toward Leadership--Youth Views On The Roles, Responsibilities, Characteristics, And Behaviors Of Service-Oriented Leadership, David Mcgill

Theses and Graduate Projects

Approximately 540 statements about youth leadership were collected through the use of focus group interviews. These statements were tape recorded and transcribed. From the transcriptions, 71 statements were selected on the basis of their relevance to the research questions. From these statements, 49 Leadership Expectations concerning service-oriented leadership were identified. These 49 Leadership Expectations were then categorized into 11 Role, 10 Responsibility, 15 Characteristic, and 13 Behavior Expectations. Then, each of the four sets of Leadership Expectations was condensed into central Leadership Themes, resulting in 5 Role Themes, 4 Responsibility Themes, 5 Characteristic Themes, and 3 Behavior Themes. A questionnaire …

Gender And Leadership: Men And Women's Stories, Barbara A. Karanian

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study investigates gender and leadership.

An Analysis Of The Ethical Climate Of An Army Reserve Command Using The Integrity Audit Survey, Cornelius K. Hetherington

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to measure the ethical climate of a major Army Reserve Command (ARCOU). This is a significant study in light of the recent changes the Army Reserve, and the military in greneral , has been reguired to make. The study looks to determine whether or not changes such as downsizing, unit inactivations and cutbacks in personnel and funding have influenced the ethical climate of the organization. The Integrity Audit Survey was the instrument used in the study. Nine subordinate companies of 382 soldiers were surveyed. The results were measured against the six factors of the …

Development Of A Participative Approach To Guide Organizational Change: Reviewing The Sawtooth Technique, Port Robert Martin Edd

Dissertations

In a world economy that bears scant resemblance to the one dominated by the United States following World War II, many American companies have found it increasingly difficult to keep pace with their foreign competitors. The public sector, too, has found itself under significant pressure to provide needed services but with significantly reduced resources. In each individual case leaders have been seeking new solutions to both old and new problems, and organizations have been faced with change and its impacts. The purpose of this study was to design a methodology that could be used to structure organizational changes in such …

The Impact Of Community Service-Learning On Student Development, As Perceived By Student Leaders, Judith Starr Rauner Edd

Dissertations

Since the mid-1980s, leaders in higher education have promoted the resurgence of student service linked with learning, but limited research exists on expectations or outcomes for these students or for the communities they serve. The literature review revealed that students' experiences of community service leadership had been a previously unexplored phenomenon. This study investigated the experiences of college students as community service leaders over a two-year period at two universities. According to data generated by four case studies, these leaders perceived significant personal changes in themselves as being different from changes they experienced when they volunteered. They grappled with their …

Effective Leadership Styles And Methods: A Survey Of Opinions Of Faculty And Management At Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, Judith A. Sanchez

Theses and Graduate Projects

The hierarchically structured Wisconsin lndianhead Technical College, New Richmond, Wisconsin, is considering implementing Total Quality Management/Continuous lmprovement Process (TQM/CIP) districtwide. The purpose of this study was to determine opinions held by faculty and management employed by that district regarding what constitutes effective leadership methods/styles and to assess whether differences existed between faculty and management groups regarding these opinions. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to all full-time district faculty and management. Two-hundred fourteen questionnaires were distributed, and 1 54 were returned for a return rate of 71 .9 percent. The questionnaire included 24 semantic differentiated items on a seven-point scale, …

Women And Men In Collaborative Working Partnerships: Connecting Two Disparate Modes Of Experience, Steven Blue Robbins Edd

Dissertations

This study provides an in-depth description of mixed gender working partnerships in a collaborative effort over a one year period. The research identified differences between men and women in mutually collaborative working partnerships at the undergraduate level in order to also discover what was productive or problematic between those women and men in the partnerships. The research studied twenty-two UCSD undergraduate women and men who worked together in partnerships with mutual goals. The research utilized phenomenological interviewing techniques. The focus was the perceptions and experiences of the participants. The interviews were designed to address two primary research questions: 1) What …

The Identification Of Behavioral Indicators Of A Superintendent's Leadership Success: A Delphi Study, Douglas George Player Edd

Dissertations

In British Columbia, as well as other Canadian provinces, an annual report is produced by every school district. The report informs the citizens using a variety of indicators that demonstrate the level of success of the district. These reports do not include specific indicators on the level of success of the superintendent or other administrators in the district. This study sought to identify and describe behaviors that could serve as indicators of a superintendent's leadership success. It also sought to ensure that the indicators were aligned with the leadership behaviors applicable to a Total Quality Management model. The research methodology …

The Phenomenon Of Flow As Experienced By Classroom Teachers: Implications For Leadership Practice, Alyson B. Caouette Edd

Dissertations

The purposes of this qualitative study were to investigate the phenomenon of flow as experienced by classroom teachers and to determine the implications of the understanding of flow for leadership practice. The phenomenon of flow, as described by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, is reported to be experienced when individuals are engaged in activities that have (a) a balance of challenge and skills that can be varied and controlled, (b) a structure with clear goals, and (c) a structure that provides immediate and relevant feedback. The questions addressed within the study involved determining the specific experiences of classroom teachers of the phenomenon of …

Awakening Intuition: A Delphi Study, Verna Veronica Schmidt Edd

Dissertations

This study was framed by three key questions: How is intuition characterized, how is intuition in adults best developed, and what influence might the development of intuition have on individuals, organizations, and society. The data for the study was collected using the Delphi method. The panel included twenty females and twenty-three males from three Canadian provinces and eighteen American states. Eighty-three percent of the panel had post secondary degrees in over twenty different disciplines. Twenty-three percent of the panel held doctorate level degrees. Thirty-one different occupations were represented. All forty-three participants who started the study completed all three rounds. Data …

Experiences Of Moral Commitment: A Phenomenological Study, Suzanne West Macrenato Edd

Dissertations

This study's purpose was to increase understanding and meaning of the lived experience of moral commitment as practiced by participants at the time of the study, not in retrospective. Phenomenology was the research methodology selected to elicit participants' understanding of moral commitment through in-depth interviews. Study participants were referred using selection criteria which included: demonstration of sustained selfless service to others outside of one's work life and a demonstrated tendency to inspire others to engage in similar service. The four women and six men in the study, ranging from 33 to 78 years of age, represented blue-collar and professional occupations. …

The Secondary School Assistant Principal, Victoria W. Halsey Edd

Dissertations

School leadership research typically centers around the high profile roles of the site level principal and the district superintendent. The resulting scarcity of information in regard to the role of the assistant principal is contributing to ineffective training, fewer initial guidelines and an overall lack of clear conceptualization of the position. The purpose of this study was to construct a realistic portrayal of the assistant principal's daily professional life in the educational arena. This qualitative, ethnographic study stressed depth, richness and accuracy to depict the singular and collective voices of the participants. Eight practicing Junior and Senior High School assistant …

A Decade Of Home Schooling In Saskatchewan, Canada (1984-1994): A Case Study, Sandra Christine Hill Edd

Dissertations

The efficacy of alternative education has had a significant impact on public education. The diversity of cultures, lifestyles, and needs of home-schooling families compelled the public educational sector to make available educational alternatives. The purpose of this study was to build upon previous research (Hill, 1988) by interviewing a sample of the same families and their children to investigate the longitudinal experiences for a follow-up study. The representative sample participated in a study entitled An Investigation of Home Schooling in Saskatchewan (Hill, 1988). Twenty families (18 parents and 25 children) were interviewed; 10 were selected as case studies. Home schoolers …

Historical Case Study: San Diego And Tijuana Border Region Relationship With The San Diego Police Department, 1957-1994, Adolfo Gonzales Edd

Dissertations

Large numbers of undocumented persons cross through the hills and canyons along the San Ysidro/Tijuana border region, on a nightly basis. As these helpless victims cross, border bandits and other criminals stalk these people and prey on them like predatory animals. The San Diego Police Department is charged with the responsibility of providing public safety along the United States/México international border. The purpose of this research was to investigate the circumstances which led to the establishment of the San Diego/Tijuana international border (1846-1848), the role and policy of the San Diego Police Department along the international border, and the relationship …

Making Richmond Greater : A Study Of The Greater Richmond Community Corps, Elizabeth A. Devoss

Honors Theses

The impetus or need for a study of the evolution of a group like the Greater Richmond Community Corps relates to the need for community leadership throughout the country. Many urban areas are facing the same crisis-like problems as Richmond. As a result, this study could provide them with a model in addressing these problems and an in-depth look at Richmond's response.

Greater Richmond Community Corps, Elizabeth Devoss

Honors Theses

The Richmond Community Corps was created by Mayor Leonidas B. Young in September 1994, in response to rising crime and violence in the Richmond community and in direct response to recommendations of the report of the Richmond Regional Crime Commission. Mayor Young, a second term council member, newly elected mayor and pastor in one of Richmond's most crime ridden areas, believes that crime and violence in our neighborhood's can be greatly affected if greater numbers of citizens get involved in making their communities safer places to live. As originally envisioned by Mayor Young, the Richmond Community Corps, would provide citizens …

Leading The Unpopular Cause : Legal Advocacy For Abused Women, Katarine L. Donahue

Honors Theses

I decided to compile research on legal advocacy, specifically representing abused women, and to create a training manual for court advocates. This guide will become a part of the task force's goal to serve the battered women within the community. I have analyzed the purpose and need for legal advocates, including a literature review and my own leadership reflections.

Political Leadership: A Study In The State Government, Chet Clark

Honors Theses

For this study, a member of the House of Delegates, who has been designated as a leader by his peers, has been selected for analysis. Delegate William Howell agreed to be observed during the legislative session of the House of Delegates. Three specific areas of leadership were observed during this time period. The decision making process, leader-constituent interaction, and the influence of values on leadership have been chosen as the three key areas of political leadership study.

Virginia Commonwealth University's Plan For A Diverse Community, Matthew T. Corkern

Honors Theses

Having always been intrigued by academic administration, it is only appropriate that I chose to study leadership perspectives within this traditional, yet ever changing context. Desiring the challenge of intellectual development as well as an opportunity to bring an effective change, I researched and assembled a pilot project. With use of this procedure, the Office of Academic Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), may now analyze the implementation of various directions and components of their Strategic Plan over the next months for the September 1995 deadline.

The Grotian Quest Revisited, Jeffrey Waggett

Honors Theses

In 1625, more than twenty years prior to the ending of the Thirty Years War with the Treaty of Westphalia, Hugo Grotius wrote De Jure Belli-ac Pacis, outlining his solutions for a troubled world. While the details and particularities of his ideas may not be compatible with today's unsettled and transitory world, what he strove and quested for is as applicable today as it was at the beginning of the modem state system. At the time of Grotius, feudalism was being replaced by statist concerns, centering around territory and a dual centralization of domestic authority and military power. The transitory …

Personal Leadership : A Course Proposal For The Jepson School Curriculum, Carrie S. Smith

Honors Theses

One growth area within the field of leadership studies is the concept of personal leadership. Personal leadership encourages identifying and living by one's own core values. It incorporates defining and adhering to a personal mission statement and vision. Teaching personal leadership means identifying specific practices, exercises, disciplines and habits that aid the individual in learning to lead a principle-centered life. Since the material is translatable into all realms of a leaders life, teaching personal leadership methods to Jepson students will aid them in gaining a better understanding of themselves and will prove to be a practical preparatory course for leadership …

The Entrepreneurial Leadership Puzzle : The Pieces You Need To Start A Business, Charles S. Ribaudo

Honors Theses

While having effective followers is critical, the leadership attributes of the entrepreneur is just as important. Gardner and several other leadership scholars have done significant research on the attributes of leaders. The entrepreneur is just one of many leaders that possess the necessary leadership attributes for success. Starting a company requires such a tremendous time commitment that the leaders within it must be able to handle the stress and ambiguity that goes along with it. This takes leadership to handle this ambiguity of whether they wilt meet the next paycheck. Employees, investors and customers will be looking to them to …

Art And Leadership, Bridgett Miller

Honors Theses

Art and leadership. Are there any connections? There has been very little research done on the relationship between art and leadership. However, it is about time that we become reflective practitioners and examine the context of art as a manifestation of leadership. Art and leadership are similar and primarily united along the lines of their ability to transcend time and use of the right brain hemisphere.

It should now seem quite apparent how the arts and leadership are connected. Both are multi-faceted fields which lack universal definitions. They pose similar questions to the scholars and practitioners within their respective disciplines. …