Leadership Studies Commons^™

Black Women Leaders: The Value Of Being In A Mentoring Relationship, Sara B. Masters

Theses and Graduate Projects

The intent of this research is to find out more about black women leaders and mentoring. It is clear that black women are underrepresented in leadership positions in this country and in the Twin Cities metro area. To increase the number of black women in leadership roles, it is important to find out from those who have succeeded, how they did it. Mentoring has been identified as an effective means of leadership development in organizations. There has been very little research done specifically on black women who have been mentored and how these relationships have contributed to their career success. …

A Case Study Of Women And Their Philanthropic Roles At The Girl Scout Council Of St. Croix Valley, Stephanie Mary Lauinger Pommier

Theses and Graduate Projects

Increasingly, women of every race and ethnicity are moving into professional roles as business owners, doctors and leaders in the community. Women's philanthropy is important and the need to understand women as leaders in philanthropy in the decades ahead will intensify.

To understand the nature of women's philanthropy, it is essential to answer the following questions. What motivates women to give of their time and money to non-profit organizations? Why is philanthropy important to women? What makes Girl Scout philanthropy unique?

This study explores what motivates women to be involved in a philanthropic role at the Girl Scout Council of …

Service Projects: Developing Shared Servant Leadership Within A Group And The Community, Colleen Anita Healy

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research application project provides guidelines for how a leader would plan a service project using two leadership models: shared leadership and servant leadership. These two leadership models complement each other; a service project using only one would lack the depth of the models used simultaneously.

Shared leadership develops skills and deepens engagement among group members as well as utilizes the expertise within the organization receiving the service. Service that incorporates an educational component enriches the experience for participants. Asset-based community development emphasizes the gifts and resources of the people in a community, not the deficiencies. An examination of the …

Mobilizing The Masses: The Need For Vision And Charisma, Christi R. Calvano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the significance of vision and charisma as the two pertinent characteristics that explain the difference in the degree of commitment of followers. The following hypotheses were proposed: (1) Leaders who espouse a more inclusive vision are more likely to mobilize highly committed followers; and (2) Leaders who are more charismatic are more likely to mobilize highly committed followers. ' Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the Independence Movement in India, specifically, Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, Stokely Carmichael, Mohandas Gandhi, Abul Kalam Azad, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah were assessed. Two orations …

Job Satisfaction, Leadership Styles, And Teaching Practices Among Cnmi Public Elementary School Teachers, Charles J. Algaier Edd

Dissertations

This study investigated whether teacher leadership styles and teaching practices influenced teacher job satisfaction among public elementary school teachers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The study answered the following questions: (1) what is the level of job satisfaction among public elementary school teachers in the CNMI; (2) to what extent do CNMI teachers fall into the personal leadership style categories of transactional or transformational; (3) to what extent do CNMI public school teachers prefer either didactic or constructivist teaching practices; (4) to what extent do demographic factors, preferred leadership styles, and preferred teaching practices affect the degree …

Goddesses In The Union: A Qualitative Study Of Women In Leadership Positions In College And University Union Settings, Susan H. Payment Edd

Dissertations

The student union facilities found on the majority of college and university campuses within the United States serve a variety of functions. Commonly referred to as the “living room” of the campus community, student unions provide space for co-curricular educational experiences, study and reflection, organizational meetings/business, retail operations, dining and entertainment. The field of university union management attracts individuals that enjoy working in complex, high-energy environments where learning and student development are encouraged. Despite the overwhelming presence of women in today's workforce, the realm of university union management remains dominated by men. A “glass ceiling” appears to exist in this …

The Relationship Between Decision-Making And Accountability: A Case Study Of Two State Community College Systems, Bonnie Ann Dowd Edd, Mba, Bba

Dissertations

Inherent to college governance in many community colleges throughout the nation is the expectation that a collegial or participatory model of decision-making is the appropriate mode of governance. This type of model structures an organization to allow the opportunity for all constituencies to participate in decision-making. Some states, such as California, have mandated a participatory decision-making process, commonly referred to as “shared governance” (AB1725) while others operate in a similar manner but not by legislative mandate. Regardless of the model of decision-making used to govern community colleges, most states are being asked to address educational accountability with regard to student …

An Evaluation Study Of A Community College Administrative Leadership Development Program, Cristina Chiriboga-Hahn Edd

Dissertations

The general purpose of this study was to examine a model for professional development designed to meet the needs of administrators who work within the community college segment of higher education. Specifically, the research project was structured as a formative evaluation of the California community college administrative development program entitled Administration 101 offered through the state's primary professional association for administrators, the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA). The study employed a mixed research methodology that included qualitative approaches to assess: 1. The usefulness of the concepts presented in Administration 101 based on the perceptions of participants and presenters, …

Influential Factors Contributing To Exercise Compliance Following A Structured Lifestyle Change Program, Wayne E. Borin Edd

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States, with five hundred thousand people diagnosed annually. Even though regular exercise has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, few hospitals offer programs that focus on the requisite lifestyle changes for participants to maintain long-term exercise programs. In an effort to determine what factors contribute to long-term exercise compliance, this study surveyed 279 participants of the Scripps Ornish/Healing Hearts program, a comprehensive lifestyle change program, to identify the factors that helped explain variation in exercise compliance among program completers. Results of the hierarchical multiple …

Instructional Leadership In Guam's Public Elementary Schools, Evangeline Quitugua San Nicolas Edd

Dissertations

This study explored the current instructional leadership behaviors of elementary principals in Guam as perceived by the principals and teachers, and examined their perceptions on which instructional leadership functions should be shared or delegated in schools. The Principals' Instructional Management Rating Scale, developed by Dr. Phillip Hallinger and modified by the researcher, was used to gather data for this study. Four hundred eighty teachers (53%) and eighteen principals (81%) in Guam's public elementary schools participated, and there was no evidence of non-response bias. From this study, findings revealed that both principals and teachers shared the same perceptions regarding their principals' …

Employee Receptivity To Three Hundred Sixty Degree Feedback Systems As A Function Of Employee Trust And Employee Commitment: An Exploratory Study, Gregory G. Stump Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative exploratory study was to determine what affect, if any, employee trust, employee commitment, psychological androgyny (an employee sex-role inventory), and various demographic variables have on employee receptivity to 360-degree feedback (R360). Two organizations participated in the study. The first is a large university located in New York; the second is a small consulting firm located in California. A total of 62 participants responded to the 77-item Internet-based survey. The survey was composed of psychometrically adequate constructs developed in earlier studies. Employee trust, a 12-item construct, consisted of 8 items that measured trust in supervisor and …

Political Leadership Perceptions On The College Of Micronesia System In The Federated States Of Micronesia, Elizabeth Diaz Rechebei Edd

Dissertations

Political leaders who establish policies and priorities for the nation have influence on how the FSM's sole postsecondary education institution, the College of Micronesia, Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM) sets its goals and priorities. During this critical juncture of the FSM nation's growth and its effort to be self-reliant, COM-FSM's purposes and priorities are intricately related to the ongoing processes toward self-reliance. Using a case study methodology, this study examined the perceptions of political leaders in the Federated States of Micronesia relating to the purposes and priorities of the College of Micronesia-Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM), and the four campuses …

Utility Assessment Of Specificity In Upward Feedback Instruments For Leadership Development, Theresa M. Wardak

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, organizations have been modifying performance appraisal systems to collect data from multiple sources to guide the development of supervisors. Upward feedback programs focus on development rather than appraisal by supplementing traditional downward feedback with subordinate feedback. The utility of two upward feedback instruments was assessed in this study; one is a commercially available instrument, the Leadership Practices Inventory (Posner & Kouzes, 1988) and the other is the recently developed, non-proprietary Upward Feedback Instrument (2002). The Upward Feedback Instrument was designed to measure leadership behaviors at a more specific level. It was thought that greater feedback specificity world lead to …

Developing A Leadership Commitments Inventory, Abigail L. White

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations have been modifying performance appraisal systems to collect data from multiple source to guide supervisor development. Multiple rater programs provide leaders with more than one source of feedback, and give them a more complete, and possibly more accurate picture of their performance, which can facilitate meaningful behavioral change. The purpose of this thesis was to develop and validate a Leadership Commitments Inventory (LCI) from a 360-degree feedback approach that reflected a six-factor leadership taxonomy composed of twelve distinct indices, Using successive content adequacy tests, 48 items were validated and the web-based LCI was administered to 278 participants. Internal consistency …

Strategies Leaders Should Use To Respond To Hostile Questions Regarding Organizational Changes: An Empirical Investigation, Michael S. Gore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a tool, using Speech Act Theory, which will help leaders better handle hostile questions they face during organizational change. Specifically, speech act theory, which outlines five question-response strategies, was used to test the effectiveness of question responses to hostile questions encountered during organizational change.

Looking Forward, Looking Back, Looking Inward: Lessons From Vital Women Leaders In Old Age, Shelly Marks Valdez Edd

Dissertations

Current social paradigms, based on established theory about the aged, consider old age as a time of drastic decline and deterioration and view the aged as nonproductive takers of society's resources. Far from using the wisdom and resources of the aged population, our society marginalizes old adults and treats them as obsolete. This study looks into the lives of nine women over the age of 65 who have found within themselves the strength, courage and determination to overcome the stereotypes of aging in order to become leaders in their old age. Life stories were obtained through personal interviews. Data from …

“You Are With Someone Who Is A Fighter”: Constructing A Model Of Transformation Which Can Occur In Surviving Breast Cancer, Helen Hays Eckmann Edd

Dissertations

The American Cancer Society estimated a quarter of a million women would be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. For each of those, another ten women are living with or have survived this disease. At diagnosis, most women view their futures with dread. As with other extreme traumas, the diagnosis of breast cancer can bring profound transformation (Jackson, 1983; LeShan, 1994; O'Brien, 1995). In this study, seven survivors of breast cancer articulate their journeys through this disease and detail how they were able construct transformed lives. The women described how they turned tragedy into triumph. Individual interviews were conducted and …

Enabling Performance Skills: Assessment In Engineering Education, Jenny K. Ferrone Edd

Dissertations

Current reform in engineering education is part of a national trend emphasizing student learning as well as accountability in instruction. Assessing student performance to demonstrate accountability has become a necessity in academia. In newly adopted criterion proposed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), undergraduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in outcomes considered essential for graduating engineers. The case study was designed as a formative evaluation of freshman engineering students to assess the perceived effectiveness of performance skills in a design laboratory environment. The mixed methodology used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess students' performance skills and …

A Study Of Technology Implementation In Two School Districts: The Dynamics Of Leadership And Change, Rebecca D. Gillespie Edd, Ma, Ba

Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated the role administrative leadership plays in organizational change related to the infusion of technology into district programs and pedagogical practices. School districts have been engaged in a struggle to incorporate new generations of technological advancements in meaningful ways for their students. Instructional reform and measurable performance-based outcomes are frequently conflated with the pressure to implement effective technology programs that ensure the No Child Left Behind federal mandates are met while ensuring judicious use of district funds. While technology has the potential to transform the educational process, it must align with the cultural uniqueness of the …

Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd

Dissertations

Public education is undergoing a process of reculturation prompted by standards-based reform initiatives. Student content standards suggest fundamental changes in the way teachers, schools, and districts think about and do their work. These substantive reform efforts require a parallel reorganization in professional development processes. Traditional models that rely on episodic, large-scale workshops are insufficient to support teachers to meet the demands of a standards-driven system. San Diego City Schools has developed an innovative approach to teacher training that is context and situation specific. The observation-based model of professional development utilizes a unique training environment and process. A fully functioning classroom …

Leadership Development: Continuous Improvement Through Character Assessment, Robert Scott Clark Edd

Dissertations

One of the keys to personal development is self-awareness as assessed by instruments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the NEO PI-R, both of which are widely accepted reliable and valid indicators and measures of personality type. However, assessing the part of personality known as character presents challenges that are not adequately addressed by today's popular instruments leaving information needed for development incomplete or unavailable. An instrument that provides a reliable and valid assessment of character for leadership and personal development purposes could be very valuable. Qualitative methods were used for this study to investigate leaders' perceptions of …

Career Paths To Navy Admiral, Lilly "Ericka" A. Jordan Edd

Dissertations

A significant disparity exists between the numbers of male and female personnel among high-ranking officers serving in the U.S. Navy. The general perception is that women have not been part of the Navy long enough to be in the flag officer's ranks. However, it has been over 30 years since the Navy first placed women in the ranks of flag officers. The purpose of the study is to trace the most common professional career paths followed by male and female flag officers in the U.S. Navy and to examine how certain aspects of a military career might have influenced selection …

Leadership Behaviors And Communication Satisfaction: Community Colleges In Micronesia, Julie M. Ulloa-Heath Edd

Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to examine the satisfaction of Micronesian community college faculty with communication and their perception of their department chair's leadership style. Specifically, this study examined (a) the relationship of communication satisfaction with leadership and demographic data; (b) the relationship between the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) subset and the scales of the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ); (c) the difference between institutions in terms of satisfaction with communication or perception of leadership style; and (d) suggestions for improving communication. Significant relationship was found between the overall communication satisfaction with leadership quality and ethnicity. The data revealed …

Higher Education Administrators And Students With Disabilities: A Survey Of Administrator Knowledge And Training Needs, Maribel S. Guillermo Edd

Dissertations

Students with disabilities enroll in two-year institutions at a higher rate than in four-year institutions. The California community college system, which is the largest system of higher education in the world, enrolled 2,609,365 students with disabilities during the 2000–2001 academic year. The purpose of this study was to focus on California college administrators and their role in: (a) setting a climate that supports students with disabilities and (b) serving as a resource to faculty and staff. Administrators were surveyed regarding their (a) current knowledge and training needs; (b) personal and professional experience with individuals with disabilities; and (c) utilization of …

A Qualitative Study Examining The Leadership Of The Executive Board Of The Black Ministerial Alliance Of Greater Boston, Joanne Lynn Allen-Willoughby

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine leadership in the faith-based community from the perspective of six members of the Executive Board of the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston. Using portraiture methodology the research qualitatively examined leadership through the lived experiences of four male, and two female members of the board by: • defining leadership. • examining the role of the Black Church as an institution. • investigating the personal and professional influences that affect leadership. • examining the role the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston as an organization has on ones leadership. • determining what, in …

Meaning Making And Positive Development With Adolescent Girls: Using The Arts, Community, Reflections, And Service, J. Eva Nagel

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study explores the essential factors needed in adolescent youth programs, which intend to promote resilience, well being, and meaning making as a part of the healthy development of adolescent girls. The research explores the role of the arts, community building, mentoring, service, and reflection on this development. The context is Side by Side, a summer leadership development program. In a qualitative case study approach, the data is organized primarily from the written and spoken words of seven young women who participated in the program .

Perceptions Of Principal Effectiveness And Teacher Morale: A Study Of Public Secondary School Teachers On Guam, Michelle M.S. Santos Edd

Dissertations

For more than a decade, the public schools on Guam have suffered from low student test scores, high turnover rates and low levels of teacher morale. Although there may be many explanations for this persistent problem, an important part of any solution is improving the overall level of teacher morale, which of course, can be influenced in many ways by the actions of the principal. In an effort to determine both the level of teacher morale among secondary school teachers on Guam as well as the factors that may help explain it, including the perceived level of principal effectiveness, this …

An Analysis Of The Benefits Of An Mba Degree As Reported By A Diverse Graduate Population Of A Southwestern University, Stephani Richards-Wilson Edd

Dissertations

Although numerous studies have attempted to measure the value of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, most of these studies have concentrated on the extrinsic benefits of the degree, such as compensation and career progression. Furthermore, the majority of these studies have focused on students at elite MBA programs, which have traditionally served a different class of individuals than most MBA programs throughout the country. In an effort to broaden the literature in this area, this study examined both the extrinsic and intrinsic benefits of an MBA degree as self-reported by 638 MBA graduates from the University of San …

Exploring Teachers' Experiences With The Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute, Emily M. Schell Edd

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of ten teachers who participated in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute (CWTI) during an 11-year period. The researcher used in-depth interviewing to identify why these teachers participated in this institute, what they experienced and learned during the institute, and how the institute influenced their teaching as well as student learning of early American history. The participants in this study identified similar reasons for applying to the institute, which included a desire to gain more knowledge and skills to improve their teaching of early American history. Seven themes emerged as participants described their experiences during …

W. E. B. Du Bois's “Talented Tenth”: A Pioneering Conception Of Transformational Leadership, Ella F. Sloan Edd

Dissertations

In 1903, W. E. B. Du Bois presented a radical leadership proposal for the transformation of African American life in the United States. His theoretical concept of the “Talented Tenth” emphasized the education and training in leadership of ten percent of the African-American population. This selective group would transform the larger, uneducated segment of the population and lead them to higher levels of social acceptance and independence. This study is a historical investigation into the educational ideas of W. E. B. Du Bois's “Talented Tenth.” It describes the historical factors that led to and influenced Du Bois's development of the …