Digital Commons Network^™

Exemplary Senior Navy Female Leadership: A Study Of How Navy Female Leaders Use The Grit Characteristics Courage, Conscientiousness, Long-Term Goals, Resilience, And Excellence Versus Perfection To Create Extraordinary Results Within Their Organizations, Cache' Hapner

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary senior Navy female leaders used five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological method to describe how eight senior Navy female leaders use five characteristics of grit to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. Respondents were purposively chosen. The researcher collected data through interviews, transcripts, and artifacts that were triangulated and coded for themes using NVivo software.

Findings: Exemplary senior Navy female leaders use …

Marching Forward: A Qualitative Examination Of Adapting Enlisted Veteran Leadership Skills In The Corporate Environment, Casey W. Jensen

Dissertations

planning, resource utilization, and conforming to corporate policies all required adaptation. Veterans primarily adapt their leadership skills through internal and external networking, mentors, coaches, managing and resetting expectations, and understanding light and dark ambiguity. The theoretical contributions of this research are in paternalistic leadership and veteran enlisted research. The practical implications assist veterans in understanding how to adapt and strategies to adapt their skills. In addition, managers and peers may use this research to understand veterans' challenges better when leaving military service. Next, talent acquisition professionals can use this research to better identify military veteran candidates for specific roles and …

Ally Or Enemy: The Impact Of Leadership On United States Army Combat Veterans’ Deployment Experiences Who Have Served In Iraq And Afghanistan, Derik Van Baale

Dissertations

Soldiers’ deployment experiences have been well-researched and studied, but the primary focus has been on enemy-induced trauma. Being a combat veteran who served in Iraq myself, and as someone who has counseled a plethora of combat veterans, I am keenly aware that there is more than exposure to enemy fire and the loss of comrades that can leave a lasting impression. Often, the actions by and interactions with leaders during deployments can also prove to be quite impactful to soldiers. However, very little research exists on the impact of leadership behavior as a factor during a soldier’s deployment experience and …

Identifying The Leadership Skills Needed To Develop The Competencies To Lead In A Postcrisis Organization: A Delphi Study, Paul Turgeon

Dissertations

Purpose: Organizational leaders play a pivotal role in postcrisis activities. There is abundant research in the actions of leaders in a crisis; however, there is limited research regarding the leadership competencies required postcrisis, and a gap remains in knowing which leadership skills are needed postcrisis. The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the leadership skills needed to promote organizational resilience, to act with integrity, and to possess a learning orientation of organizational leaders in the postcrisis phase.

Methodology: This study used a 3-round Delphi technique to identify the leadership skills that support the possession of the competencies needed …

The Development Of Local Government Leaders: The Use Of Competencies And Methods In A City Context, Dominika Bukalova

Dissertations

How do local government leaders perceive the development of their leadership competencies and the methods they have used to acquire competencies to meet on-the-job challenges in a city context? There have been few attempts to document leaders’ perceptions of the competencies they need or how they get developed; however, the critical and ubiquitous role of city government demands that we increase understanding of these crucial issues. Not only does a majority of the world’s population already live in urban areas (i.e., areas in which competent local governmental activity is required), but this percentage is forecasted to increase from 55% to …

Command Climate And Ethical Behavior: Perspectives From The Commandant's Of The Marine Corps, Brian Kerl

Dissertations

Marine Corps commanding officers today face challenges aggravated by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, strategic uncertainty, and societal changes that carry over to the military such as women serving in infantry roles and the use of social media. These challenges are exacerbated by the stressors unique to the military such as lengthy separations from loved ones and multiple relocation moves, which underscore the significance of command climate and its influence on ethical behavior. Importantly, the consequences of a command climate not focused on ethics may negatively affect combat readiness and warfighting effectiveness. To date, however, little scholarly work, if …

Optimizing Workforce Performance: Perceived Differences Of Army Officer Critical Thinking Talent Across Level Of Education, Richard B. Ayers

Dissertations

The U.S. Army’s operating environment continues to become increasingly complex and unpredictable, where U.S. technological advantage continues to erode. The complexities stem from the Army’s doctrinal assumption that the future operating environment is unknown and constantly changing (Department of the Army [DA], 2014a). Diminishing technological advantage results in more reliance on soldiers’ cognitive capability, and less on high technology weapons systems (McMaster, 2015).

A review of military literature shows extensive research on the importance of Army leaders to be talented critical thinkers (Fischer, Spiker, & Riedel, 2008, 2009; Gerras, 2008; Thomas & Gentzler, 2013). Human capital literature reveals many college …

Leadership Loss Within Independently-Controlled Protestant Churches: Protecting Against Leadership Turmoil And Turnover, Daniel L. Rundhaug

Dissertations

Throughout leadership research, limited focus has been given to the highest levels within independently controlled Protestant churches. Specifically, what accounts for the quality of relationship that exists between the senior pastor (recognized as the CEO of the organization) and the governing board to which he or she is responsible? This study examines the leadership relationship issue through the lens of a complementary leadership approach using Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory with transformational leadership and transactional leadership theories. In addition, several other questions were asked to identify potential other independent variables that contribute to the quality of the relationship between the two …

An Evaluation Of Reserve Component Leaders' Attitudes And Motivation As They Relate To Situational Leadership Theory In A Peacekeeping Operational Environment, Clark C. Barrett

Dissertations

Program. This study investigated the relationships between Reservist leaders' attitudes and Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory (SLT), and Thomas's Integrative Model of Intrinsic Motivation during a 2004 Sinai, Egypt, peacekeeping mission.

Methodology. This descriptive study provided quantitative and qualitative results. Three instruments were used with a convenience sample of leaders within one forward-deployed National Guard infantry battalion. The LEADSelf instrument determined the SLT style of unit officers and non-commissioned officers. The Thomas Empowerment Survey profiled participants' intrinsic motivation. A researcher-developed survey determined preferences for intrinsic versus extrinsic motivator factors.

The study centered on the following issues: (1) Are the …

Leadership Requirements In The 21st Century : The Perceptions Of Canadian Public Sector Leaders, M. Ruth Dantzer

Dissertations

Problem. Since 1995, with the realization that by 2005 more than 61% of executives in the senior ranks of the Canadian Public Service would be eligible for retirement (La Releve, 1998), the need to recruit and develop competent leaders has become a matter of urgent attention.

Method. Public sector leaders were surveyed by mail-in questionnaires as to their ratings of a set of leadership competencies. Analogue research for privatesector leaders, conducted by a colleague, was incorporated for some analysis. A stratified sample of the general public was also surveyed by telephone regarding a subset of the same competencies.

Results. Public …