Digital Commons Network^™

Winter 2008, School Of Information Studies

iSchool Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Leadership In Faith-Based Social Service Organizations, Veronica Esqueda

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to examine leadership in faith based social service organizations. The issue that this researcher addressed is leadership styles in faith-based social service organizations and character traits of spirit led servant leaders. This study addressed the issue of spiritual leadership because recent research implies that spirituality and leadership are important factors that contribute to the healthy human development of indviduals. Many social workers find the assumptions, beliefs, and values of the Christian faith helpful in providing a frame of reference for understanding and responding to both individual and societal problems. There were 35 self-assessment servant …

The Social Change Model Of Leadership Development: Differences In Leadership Development By Levels Of Student Involvement With Various University Student Groups, Chastity Beth Gerhardt

Theses and Dissertations

The development of students as leaders is a priority for most institutions of higher education and research suggests that students' leadership skills increase as a result of engagement in the collegiate environment. Given the scarcity of leadership models and instruments designed specifically for college students, research regarding leadership development among college students is lacking.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in leadership development among various levels of student involvement within several student groups as measured by self-reported scores on the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership instrument. The basic research question was: Were there significant differences between student …

Testing A Servant Leadership Theory Among United States Military Members, Matthew P. Earnhardt

Publications

Servant leadership, first proposed by Greenleaf (1970), is an emergent leadership theory postulating a leader must serve first. Patterson (2003), building on transformational and previous servant leadership research, developed a model of servant leading based on the following: (a) agapao love, (b) humility, (c) altruism, (d) vision, (e) trust, (f) empowerment, and (g) service. This study tests Patterson’s theory of servant leadership in a military context by investigating the relationship between the seven constructs in Patterson’s servant leadership model. Multi-rank and service military members’ perception of servant leaders was assessed using the servant leadership instrument developed by Dennis and Bocarnea …

Developing Collaborative Leadership: A Study Of Organizational Change Toward Greater Collaboration And Shared Leadership, Jonathan Tyler Clark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Implicit in leadership behavior is the ability to work with others, to be in relationship, and to collaborate. Contemporary theories about leadership have shifted from a focus on the individual “leader” toward the collective act of “leadership.” A concrete understanding of collaborative leadership remains somewhat underdeveloped in the literature and theoretically. This dissertation is a case study of organization's efforts to change from autocratic organizational leadership to a more collaborative working environment. Taking the form of a literary portrait, the study analyzes an example of action learning about collaborative leadership. The portrait will be of the agency's change, with special …

Servant-Leadership In The Context Of Sport, Kirk Westre

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. -Harvey Firestone The characteristics of a new style of leadership, servant-leadership, first described by Robert K. Greenleaf (1977), served as the framework for this study, with the specific focus being to determine the applicability of servant-leadership in the area of sport. Servant-leadership is an emerging leadership style that has gained momentum in a variety of organizational situations (Greenleaf, 1977). Leading authors on leadership and organizational management have discussed the positive effects of servant-leadership on employee satisfaction and organizational profits-authors such as Kenneth Blanchard, Peter Block, Steven Covey, Max …

Personality Predictors Of Motivation To Lead, Tracey Tafero

All Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in understanding the relationship between personality traits and leadership. Recent research suggests that some personality variables are related to leadership. However, research has rarely examined the process by which personality may impact leadership. This study explores the relationship between personality and motivation to lead, a proposed intervening variable between personality and leadership. In addition, this study looks at both broad and narrow measures of personality as predictors of motivation to lead. The current study both replicates and extends the findings of Chan & Drasgow (2001). Results reveal that facet-level personality scales …

Non-Linear Dynamics And Leadership Emergence, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The process by which leaders emerge from leaderless groups is well-documented, but not nearly as well understood. This article describes how non-linear dynamical systems concepts of attractors, bifurcations, and self-organization culminate in a swallowtail catastrophe model for the leadership emergence process, and presents the experimental results that the model has produced thus far for creative problem solving, production, and coordination-intensive groups. Several control variables have been identified that vary in their function depending on what type of group is involved, e.g. creative problem solving, production, and coordination-intensive groups. The exposition includes the relevant statistical strategies that are based on non-linear …

The Discourse Of Leadership And The Practice Of Administration, Frank Thomas Edward

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

A Communicative Theory Of Leadership Practice, Kathryn Ann Gaines

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Addressing three problems in the field of leadership studies - fragmentation across disciplines; emphasis on individual leaders in titled positions; failure to identify a coherent set of actions for performing leadership - this study develops a framework of core communicative leadership practices. It is premised on a philosophical analysis of leadership as a social strategy for securing action in service of interests claimed by or for a community - an action performed intentionally via symbolic behavior accessible to any and all members of a community. This definition serves as a heuristic for the development of a systematic theory of leadership …

Relational Leadership Theory: Exploring The Social Processes Of Leadership And Organizing, Mary Uhl-Bien

Leadership Institute: Faculty Publications

Relational leadership is a relatively new term in the leadership literature, and because of this, its meaning is open to interpretation. In the present article I describe two perspectives of relational leadership: an entity perspective that focuses on identifying attributes of individuals as they engage in interpersonal relationships, and a relational perspective that views leadership as a process of social construction through which certain understandings of leadership come about and are given privileged ontology. These approaches can be complementary, but their implications for study and practice are quite different. After reviewing leadership research relative to these two perspectives I offer …

Complexity Leadership Theory: An Interactive Perspective On Leading In Complex Adaptive Systems, Benyamin B. Lichtenstein, Mary Uhl-Bien, Russ Marion, Anson Seers, James Douglas Orton, Craig Schreiber

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of our modern world. Leadership theory must transition to new perspectives that account for the complex adaptive needs of organizations. In this paper, we propose that leadership (as opposed to leaders) can be seen as a complex dynamic process that emerges in the interactive “spaces between” people and ideas. That is, leadership is a dynamic that transcends the capabilities of individuals alone; it is the product of interaction, tension, and exchange rules governing changes in perceptions and understanding. We label this a dynamic of adaptive leadership, and …

Founder-Leader Transitions: The Role Of Succession Planning In Nonprofit Organizations, Joanne V. Kosciolek

Theses and Graduate Projects

There are both opportunities and challenges associated with executive transitions. Succession planning is becoming an increasingly significant topic for many nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities. The retirement of the large generation of baby-boom leaders during the next decade is likely to have a direct impact on the capacity of organizations to sustain their work. This is especially critical for smaller organizations and those with founders or long-term executive directors who leave. These leaders have shaped their organizations throughout their tenure and are seen as synonymous with their organizations. Founders and long-term executives have a strong presence and vision for …

Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual, Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo

HIV and AIDS

This training manual, developed by the Population Council in collaboration with Instituto PROMUNDO, CORO for Literacy, MAMTA, and DAUD promotes gender equity and addresses masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV. Adapted from the “Program H: Working with Young Men Series” developed in Brazil by Instituto PROMUNDO, it promotes the positive aspects of masculinity, encourages men’s participation in sexual and reproductive health, promotes respect for sexual diversity, and improves understanding of the body and sexuality. In this manual, HIV prevention is addressed within the larger framework of gender roles and relationships. Gender disparity, widely prevalent in Indian society …

Interprofessional Collaboration Between Criminal Justice And Mental Health Practitioners Regarding Mentally Ill Offenders: Perception Of Collaboration, Christopher Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The federal program of deinstitutionalizing psychiatric facilities has resulted in a well documented, ever-increasing mentally ill population in the nation's prisons and jails. Historically, the criminal justice system has maintained a laissez-faire attitude toward the mentally ill, and only became involved with the mentally ill when a crime had been committed. As such, the President's Mental Health and Criminal Justice Consensus Project was developed to explore ways that the two systems could work together to address the growing problem of the mentally ill offender. However, challenges arise because the criminal justice system has typically been viewed as a loosely coupled, …

William Jefferson Clinton, "Racism In The United States" (16 October 1995), Jill M. Weber

Communication Studies Faculty Scholarship

In "Racism in the United States," President Bill Clinton acknowledged racial differences and called upon Americans to "clean our house of racism." Maintaining that the discussion of differences was the first step in alleviating racial tension, Clinton made dialogue a centerpiece of his race initiative. Clinton's approach to civil rights and his emphasis on dialogue marked an important step in the ongoing debates over civil rights in America by illustrating a president's role in shaping such debates.

Author Biographies

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Gender-Linked Tasks On Female And Male Leaders, Ashley Pyle

Honors Theses

Because gender inequalities still exist, research is needed to better understand the differences in leadership perceptions and preference between genders. This research examines the role of gender, sex role orientation, and gender-linked tasks in shaping leadership efficacy, perceived preference, and leadership persistence. It was predicted that men and women will have higher levels of leadership efficacy, perceive themselves as better leaders, have a stronger desire to attain leadership roles in the future and be more likely to persist in the leadership role for the gender congruent task than the gender incongruent task. I also predicted that sex role orientation will …

Political Leadership In Africa: A Case Study Of Ghana's Presidents Kwame Nkrumah And Jerry John Rawlings, Johnson N. Gwaikolo

Theses and Graduate Projects

The effectiveness of a political leader depends on the leader's ability to formulate a vision, demonstrate genuine concern for the people, and create a constituency or following to translate the vision into concrete actions that produce change. In Ghana, these behavior patterns, which are characteristics of transformational leadership, have been demonstrated by Nkrumah and Rawlings, leading to independence for Ghana and later, the development of more stable and stronger institutions. Nkrumah rallied his colleagues and a majority of the Ghanaian citizens to seek independence. Unfortunately, Nkrumah could not maintain the commitment of his colleagues to remain focused on other aspects …

A Leadership Model For Roman Catholic Social Service Agencies, Richard A. Ketrow

Dissertations

U.S. federal and state governments involve faith-based agencies in public administration by contracting with them to implement social service programs. How can Catholic social service agencies effectively compete in procuring these social service contracts and securing the program funds? To answer this question,a leadership model applicable to Catholic social service agencies was proposed. Four strategy constructs, evolving from the literature review, comprised theleadership model. The constructs providing a framework for the study were: performing service process reviews, utilizing a commitment to religious faith, entering valuable collaborations, and adhering to a consistent mission. Data were collected using a mail survey to …

Exploring The Bermuda Triangle: Review Of Gender, Societal, Team And Individual Leadership Theories , Andrea J. Gage, Shelly Mumma, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

The relationship between an individual’s comprehension of his or her role in society, the gender expectations of society, and how these thoughts and stereotypes influence an individual’s behavior in particular settings seem to be separate, yet interrelated. It is for this reason that an analysis of four main theories of gender and leadership must be reviewed for contrasts and comparisons. This paper reviews and analyzes the research literature on Social Role Theory, Implicit Theory, Attribution Theory, and Leader Emergence Theory. Further it draws conclusions and comparisons that will provide recommendations and implications for future research and practice.

Toward The Civil Society: Finding Harmony Between Havel’S Vision And Learning-Organization Theory, Patsy Palmer

Peace and Conflict Studies

This theoretical paper derives inspiration from former Czech President Vaclav Havel and lessons from “learning organizations” to guide government executives in helping develop shared meaning among constituents, interest groups and public employees. Such shared meaning is seen as a framework for policy decisions and implementation. American civil society, like learning organizations, is understood as broadly interdependent and continuously changing, with conflict both latent and overt. Leadership is defined in contrast to management and administration; government leadership is compared and contrasted with learningorganization leadership. Strengths, weaknesses and political costs of various approaches are considered. It is argued that successful publicsector leaders …

The Relationship Between Leadership Styles And Labour Disputes In British Columbia's Public Schools, Yanping Wang Edd

Dissertations

For the last decade, adversarial relationships between teachers' associations and district administrators in the British Columbia public school system have been commonplace, frequently resulting in formal grievances and arbitration. Since dealing with these issues imposes enormous costs on both teachers' unions and school boards, this study used hierarchical regression analysis to explain why some schools have fewer grievances filed than other schools in the province. Specifically, this study used data gathered from 160 principals in the British Columbia public school system to examine the extent to which school demographics and principal leadership style helped explain variation in the rate of …

University Reporter - Vol. 08, No. 02 - October 2003, University Of Massachusetts Boston

1996-2009, University Reporter

No abstract provided.

Volunteers Of National Youth Service In Israel: A Study On Motivation For Service, Social Attitudes, And Volunteers' Satisfaction, Reuven Gal, Karin Amit, Nicole Fleischer, Nancy Strichman

Center for Social Development Research

Volunteers of National Youth Service in Israel: A Study on Motivation for Service, Social Attitudes, and Volunteers' Satisfaction

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, …

Resource Reviews, Phyllis Fox

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Leadership Preparedness Of U.S. Public University Chief Business Officers, Daniel J. Hurley

Dissertations

Despite the enormous role that Chief Business Officers (CBOs) play in administering the business and financial affairs of American public universities, little research has been conducted on their leadership preparedness. The primary objectives of this study were to assess the self-perceived preparedness of U.S. public university CBOs at the time they assumed their first position in the role, and to determine if specific factors could be associated with their overall preparedness.

With support from the National Association of College and University Business Officers, a survey was developed and mailed to the entire population of CBOs at four-year public universities in …

Using Complexity Theory To Select Between Leaders And Managers, Michael W. Jordan

Theses and Graduate Projects

Several authors have attempted recently to extend Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory to organizations and business management (Wheatley, 1992; Lind, 1994; Beccone, 1998; Zimmerman, Lindberg & Plsek, 1998, Eoyang & Olson, 2001). The theory might be useful for practitioners, but it cannot provide detailed scientific predictions. The following questions are posed for analysis: Could CAS theory be applied to hiring and promoting leaders and managers? Would it be possible, and would it make sense, for organizations to identify emergent leaders as management prospects given Beccone's analysis of the distinction between leaders and managers? How might the procedures and results likely …

This One's For The Children : Collaborative Leadership In A Rural Appalachian Community, Jennifer J. Scharf

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current research is an ethnographic case study of one collaborative community group that worked toward solving complex problems related to early care and education in their community. The methods used consisted of conducting in-depth interviews and observations, recording and transcribing group meetings, and collecting documents that furthered understanding of the group. The research questions addressed were related to the nature of the relationships among the members, leadership enactment in the group, and how they created positive outcomes and overcame obstacles they faced. Several themes emerged related to each question, confirming and extending current understanding of collaboration and collaborative leadership. …