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Political Styles And Strategies Used By Exemplary Suburban Unified District Superintendents With Board Members: A Mixed Methods Study, Tammy Blakely

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this thematic, explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to understand the political styles of superintendents and school board members as perceived by superintendents. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and explain the political strategies superintendents use to work with the different political styles of board members.

Methodology: This explanatory sequential mixed methods study research design used data collected from a quantitative survey followed by qualitative data collected using semistructured face-to-face interviews. The data in this study were obtained from 5 exemplary suburban unified superintendents using the 9 political styles framework from …

Exemplary Human Resources Administrators Leading Through Storytelling, Colleen Slattery

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe how exemplary human resources administrators use storytelling to lead organizations using Denning’s (2011) model. In addition, it was the purpose to understand how they use storytelling to create transformational change. Denning’s The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling highlights eight storytelling narrative patterns: to ignite action and implement new ideas, build trust, build your organizations’ brand, transmit organizational values, foster collaboration, share knowledge, neutralize rumor, and create and share vision.

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study described the lived experiences of exemplary human resources administrators in Northern California. The researcher was …

Strategies Exemplary High School District Superintendents Use To Work With The Political Styles Of School Board Members, Jeffrey Tooker

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand the political styles of high school district superintendents and school board members as perceived by superintendents. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify the political strategies high school district superintendents use to work with the different political styles of board members. Methodology: Through an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study design, an electronic survey was utilized to collect quantitative data. Following quantitative data collection, in-depth qualitative data was collected through one-on-one interviews with exemplary high school district superintendents in California. The results of the quantitative survey data …

Strategies Exemplary Unified School District Superintendents Use To Work With The Political Styles Of School Board Members, Bradley Tooker

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to identify the political styles of superintendents and school board members as perceived by unified school district superintendents. In addition, it was the purpose to identify and explain the political strategies unified school district superintendents use to work with the different political styles of school board members.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study analyzed quantitative surveys to identify the political styles of superintendents and school board members and qualitative interviews to identify political strategies using a political styles framework.

Findings: The major strategies exemplary unified district superintendents used to work …

Teacher Evaluation Practices And Policy Implications: Effective Strategies For Changing Instruction, Scott Grens

Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation of the effectiveness of teacher evaluation practices in a small suburban elementary school district in Illinois from 2017-2019. The primary research question explored in this program evaluation is whether and to what extent the teacher evaluation process is changing teacher practices in Washington School District 25. Employing a qualitative research methodology, with data gathered from teacher interviews, school administrator interviews, and document analysis, this study identified several key components to the improvement of instructional practices for teachers. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the importance of the following: a common instructional framework, staff involvement in …

A Systematic Literature Review Of School Leadership Intelligences For The Development Of Neuro-Educational Leadership, Sheria Nicole Pope

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to systematically examine primary research about the integration of school leadership intelligence and effective leadership practices. Neuroscience as it relates to school leadership is an emerging topic in the field of education. The conceptual framework for this study was focused on three areas of intelligences and their relationship to applied neuroscience. The theoretical foundations were derived from Goleman’s emotional intelligence, Glasser’s conversational intelligence, Ang and Van Dyne’s cultural intelligence, and Thorndike and Stein’s social intelligence. The theoretical underpinnings for each intelligence was aligned to Rock’s SCARF Model (status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, fairness). A systematic …

Exploring The Effects Of Policies On Military Readiness, Renard Dominique

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify factors of military policies that are counterproductive to III Marine Expeditionary Force’s (MEF) organizational readiness. The III MEF/Marine Corps Installation Pacific (MCIPAC) Liberty Regulations of Japan and Battalion Order (BnO) 11000.1C Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) Regulation are two governing policies to which Marines and Sailors attached to III MEF and MCIPAC commands are subjected. The following research questions were formulated utilizing the Zero-Defect Theory and the Theory of Humanism as a conceptual foundation: How does perception toward the III MEF/MCIPAC liberty and BEQ regulation influence personal acceptance and adherence to these policies; …

Leading For Excellence: Leadership Behaviors That Cultivate A High-Achieving School Environment, Kristen Belknap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to determine the degree of importance for the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K–12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school elementary principals. A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the leadership strategies for implementing the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. to create a K–12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school elementary principals.

Methodology: An explanatory mixed-methods study was completed to examine the degree of importance each of the 12 leadership …

California Expert Principals’ Identification Of The Best Strategies For The Implementation Of A Transition From A Traditional Grading And Reporting System To A Standards-Based Grading And Reporting System: A Delphi Study, Sean Redmond

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this policy Delphi study was to identify the strategies California K-12 expert principals deem necessary for the implementation of a transition from a traditional grading and reporting system to a standards-based grading and reporting system, utilizing a panel of expert principals to rate the importance of the identified strategies and to recommend the best methods of implementing the five most important strategies.

Methodology: The Delphi method was utilized in this study. An expert panel of California K-12 principals was assembled, and three rounds of electronic surveys were administered. The first-round results identified strategies for implementing a …

Undoing Reform: How And Why One School Leader Cleared A Shifting Path To Goal Attainment, Jennifer R. Karnopp

The Qualitative Report

Research on school reform highlights challenges school leaders face in implementing and sustaining reforms. While some efforts fade away, others are intentionally dismantled, or “undone” as schools revert back to their traditional model of schooling. Considering how often reforms fail to sustain, there is value in understanding why school leaders decide undo reforms, and how leaders support staff through the undoing process. Utilizing path-goal theory as a framework, this paper I examined the case of one elementary school principal who planned in this undoing of a competency-based reform she had previously championed. Analysis reveals that the shift back to a …

Exploring Barriers That Higher Education Women Presidents And Chancellors Experience During The Centralized Search Process, Lori Sussman

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined emergent barriers revealed by analyzing data from job advertisements, structured survey results, and interviews with past and present women presidents and chancellors of public and private not-for-profit higher education institutions about their selection journey for these jobs. The purpose of this research was to engage women who were past and present presidents or chancellors of public or private nonprofit colleges and universities to explore their experiences with gender-bias during the president/chancellor recruitment, selection, and transition enactment. The first question was to study how gender-bias appears during the recruitment of women candidates for a higher education …

The Role Of School Leadership In Teacher Retention In Title 1 Schools, Latonya Wright Bolden

All Theses And Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the ways in which teachers’ perceptions of school leadership, particularly principals, impact the attrition and the retention of highly qualified educators. The focus of this study was the analysis of teachers’ views of the various philosophies of leadership and how the practices which stem from those philosophies affect the efficacy of the teachers. Because of the correlation between teacher retention and leadership styles, the behavioral leadership model of principals developed by Urick and Bowers (2014) was used as a conceptual framework for the study.

The findings of this research indicated that …

Principal Retention: Why Leaders Stay, Carrie Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the problem of principal retention. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influenced elementary principals to remain in the position and the factors that influenced incumbent principals to leave the elementary principalship. This qualitative case study used data from one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions, and student demographic data from the campuses represented to determine the factors that best influence retention. The sample population was 10 principals from 3 districts in Central Texas; 6 elementary school principals that continued to serve for 5 or more years and 4 incumbent principals that left the elementary …

An Examination Of Efficacy And Resilience In College Students: Influences On Socially Responsible Leadership, Paula Berry Atkins

Doctoral Dissertations

My study explored socially responsible leadership and its relationship to leader efficacy and resilience in college students. The investigation also examined the role of gender and race in these relationships. The study employed the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL), which assesses student and educational outcomes relevant to the values underlying the Social Change Model of Student Leadership. The MSL utilizes the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale (Tyree, 1998) as a foundation but also includes measures of leader efficacy and resilience. Utilizing archival data from the 2015 administration of the MSL, my sample (N=840) included equal numbers of males and females equally …

A Phenomenological Study Into Niche Marketing In Higher Education, Scott W.H. Barton

All Theses And Dissertations

As higher education continues to face declining enrollment and financial pressures from decreased funding, colleges and universities must find innovative ways to differentiate themselves from competing institutions through niche marketing initiatives. This qualitative, phenomenological study developed existing research and addressed a gap in the literature as it relates to niche marketing in higher education. The research objective of this study was to illustrate the perceived value of niche marketing in light of the shifting trends in marketing, the increased competition colleges and universities face, and the need to isolate the uniqueness of a university. This study further identified individuals who …

Leading Organizational Change: A Qualitative Examination Of Experiences Of Traditional Public School Principals, Nikeshia Leatherwood

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The Every Student Succeeds Act has set the course for new accountability measures for school and system leaders. How principals lead organizational change might be key to the success their schools experience and the achievement results of their students. This phenomenological study examined the professional experiences, leadership trainings, and strategic initiatives of traditional public school principals who led organizational change efforts that resulted in two academic rating increases within a three-year period. Five principals, representing elementary and high school, were interviewed to collect data on their experiences of leading successful organizational change. Using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological method, rigor was established …

An Exploratory Study Of Private School Admission Policies For Students Of Same-Sex Parents, Homosexual, And Transgender Students, Karen Kay Caroe

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This mixed-methods, non-experimental, exploratory study investigated the private school admission policies related to the admission of students from same-sex families and homosexual or transgender students. The US Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) has had far-reaching consequences for Christian businesses, organizations and ministries. As the rapidly changing socio-political environment embraces LGBTQ concerns, private religious schools need to re-evaluate their admission policies and prepare to address new types of admission decisions. The theory base in this study was the evolutionary theory of social change. In this present study, the results of a nation-wide, anonymous on-line survey (n = 80) …

Happiness And Healthiness: A Replication Study, Kobena Osam, Brad Shuck, Jason Immekus

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Research coalescing around psychological climate, engagement, and well-being has been receiving considerable attention in management and human resource development (HRD) literature. However, research associated with these variables has generally been limited to for-profit businesses and organizations with little attention within the context of institutions of higher education. In response, this cross-sectional replication study examined the extent to which psychological climate, engagement, and well-being were associated with each other in higher educational institutions. Study data included a sample of 259 individuals employed by institutions of higher education in the United States. Using mediation analyses, the study found that psychological climate, engagement, …

Organizational Change Within Christian Higher Education Institutions And The Reactions Of Faculty, Dena Counts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Christian higher education in the United States is experiencing frequent transformational organizational change that is impacting faculty. Researchers have asserted that frequent, second-order organizational change correlates with interpersonal conflict, and conflict is associated with counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). These associations between change, conflict, and negative work behavior are important to understand as faculty actions could significantly impact change efforts. Because of the context of Christian higher education, this study was designed to determine if faculty organizational identification influenced the correlations of the variables. It specifically utilized a cross-sectional survey design to assess faculty (N = 267) perceptions of organizational change, …

Administrator Perceptions On Service Strengths And Challenges Regarding The Implementation Of Section 504 Services For Public Education Students In South Texas, Dora Diana Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

As part of their contemporary role as the campus instructional leader, administrators are currently managing special education matters previously managed by the school system’s directors of special education [(Boscardin, 2005; Patterson, Marshall, & Bowling, 2000) cited by Lynch, 2012]. School administrators must not only understand the legal requirements of Section 504, but they must understand how Section 504 services will influence their programs, decisions, facilities, and budgets (Trevino, 2001, p. 87). At a time of economic constriction and change, complying with the unfunded mandate of Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act presents a challenge to K-12 …

Examining The Relationship Between Research Climate And Faculty Productivity At An Emerging Academic Health Center In The Southeastern U.S., Hagan E. Walker

All Dissertations

Logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine the relationship between research productivity and the research climate, as measured by 155 clinical faculty survey responses, in an Academic Health System in the Southeastern U.S. Subscales addressing the institutional characteristics of goals, culture, mentoring, network, resources, time, communication, rewards, opportunities, and governance were used as independent variables. The dichotomous dependent variable was whether clinical faculty were productive in research as measured by IRB protocols.

Results indicated that a positive view of the research climate for networking and resources significantly improves the odds for clinical faculty showing increased research productivity. The study demonstrated …

The Impact Of Academic Leaders ‘Empowerment On Organizational Development In Northern Borders University, Yousif Mohamed Alnaser

International Journal for Research in Education

This study intends to measure the impact of academic leaders' empowerment according to the dimensions (Clarity of purpose, morale, fairness, recognition, teamwork, participation, communication, work environment) on organisational development according to the dimensions (Technology, Strategy and Structure, Services, Culture) in Northern Border University in 2016-2017. The study used descriptive statistics to analyze the data collected from 100 respondents within a population of 150 academic leaders. Regression analysis and tests of significance have been used. The results imply the existence of high degree effect of the academic leaders' empowerment on the organisational development. It shows also significantly statistics differences due to …

Leadership Behaviour And Worker Performance In The Nigerian Construction Industry, Abiodun Kolawole Oyetunji, John Adebiyi, Nathaniel Ayinde Olatunde

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Leadership is a dynamic process in which an individual influence other to contribute to the achievement of an assigned task. This paper investigates leadership behaviour and its impact on construction workers’ performance in Lagos, Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 50 site-supervisors and 250 construction-workers involved in simple construction works. An investigation was carried out using a questionnaire survey method. The leadership variables investigated were ranked, regressed and correlated to workers performance. From the primary data analysis, leadership behaviour exhibited by supervisors were found to influence the site workers commitment to achieving the goal of the construction projects. …

Strategically Engaging The Third Mission: A Comparative International Case Study Of Alternative Revenue Strategies Between The U.S. Flagship University And The European World Class University (Wcu), Harry Michael Clayton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The risk of financial sustainability for the university in the U.S. and Europe has been stressed by the reign of political authority in higher education disinvestment in the last four decades. The institution’s purpose has since been questioned, weighted by economics versus academics. Institutional priority and expanded centrality for strategic planning of societal engagement––the Third Mission––coupled with the Education and Research missions, promote clarity of the university’s purpose in this knowledge-based economy. Transparency of intended opportunities for regional economic engagement and societal development is then demonstrated to university communities. A comparative international case study of financial strategies between the …

An Evaluation Of Lead Turnaround Partners’ Services In Virginia, Tamara A. Sterling

All Theses And Dissertations

School reform in K–12 education has experienced a cycle of changes that requires the implementation of stringent mandates for increased student achievement and sanctions for school divisions not meeting the required benchmarks. The purpose of this study is to identify school-based services that Lead Turnaround Partners (LTPs) provided to priority elementary schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia relative to the improvement, if any, of third through fifth grade students’ Standard of Learning (SOL) reading assessment scores. The study utilized a systematic review approach to data collection that will analyze Lead Turnaround Partners’ Scope of Work, Quarterly Reports, and Standards of …

Generation Z, Employee Enagement And Leadership Communication Behaviors, Natalie Kompa

All Theses And Dissertations

As Generation Z enters the workforce, new and perplexing questions for leaders emerge. Members of Generation Z, the generational cohort following the Millennials, were born in 1995 and later and come with unique characteristics, including an ability to use technology and consume online data in accelerated ways. Much has been written about the Millennials but little can be found in the current literature about Generation Z and workplace behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine if there is a correlation between Generation Z’s levels of employee engagement (trust, control mutuality, commitment and job satisfaction) and leadership’s …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Integration Of Technology Into Pedagogy, Joe George Gerez

All Theses And Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the integration of technology into pedagogy. Data collection occurred from analyzing middle school teacher’s experiences, observations, and motivation following a technological implementation initiative into pedagogy. The evaluation of the study data included the analysis of surveys and interpretation of in-depth interviews of teachers. A pedagogical focus on teacher integration of technology supported by the self-determination theory as the research study’s theoretical framework examining human motivation was appropriated to the case study. As educational leaders face significant challenges in understanding the impact of teachers’ perceptions …

How Private International School Leaders Meet The National Education Transformation Agenda In Dubai, Marie-Pascale Addison

All Theses And Dissertations

In 2014, Dubai Government adopted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Agenda, a strategic plan for Vision 2021, whereas leaders are associated with improving the quality and accessibility to education, which represents a major priority in sustaining economic prosperity and achieving social development goals (Government of the UAE, 2016). Managing this seven-year transformation plan in the educational context has been reported in part by Litz and Scott (2016), in which their study revealed that Emirati school leaders needed to change their leadership practice in order to align with the National Agenda expectations. This study explores critical challenges and opportunities for …

The Impact Of Prior Communication About Organizational Turbulence On Members’ Perceptions During Institutional Change, Evelyn J. Thomas

All Theses And Dissertations

In this qualitative study, the researcher explored the perceptions of select faculty who were experiencing their university’s sale of their college to another academic entity, and to whom accurate levels organizational turbulence might not have been fully communicated prior to significant institutional change. Communicating levels of organizational turbulence is an important factor, and it is a necessary first step in transformational change. Members’ prior perceptions of organizational turbulence could affect their willingness to accept and progress through a substantive change plan. In this study, the researcher used turbulence theory as a conceptual framework to explore the level of foreknowledge of …

How School Leaders Shape School Culture: A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer L. Schreiber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify how school leaders shape school culture and specifically what behaviors contribute to a positive school culture. The central question framing this study was: How do school leaders influence a positive school culture? I conducted a multiple case study at two central Pennsylvania public middle schools, referred to by the pseudonyms of Montem Middle School and Silvan Middle School. These schools were identified by the 2018 Niche report as having a positive school culture, which was affirmed through the district’s own survey data. Through purposeful sampling, I identified school leaders to …