Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Professional Learning Community Leadership Using A Modified Approach, Makayla Willis Needs

Theses and Dissertations

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an important vehicle for teacher reflection and collaboration. The team leader of the PLC plays a critical role in the effectiveness of a PLC in improving instruction and student learning. However, there is less research around how the team leader facilitates the work of the PLC to improve instruction. This paper reports on a self-study investigation conducted by the team leader who used a modified approach to the PLC process focused on student mathematical thinking. The self-study consisted of analyzing video conversations of three PLC meetings to understand the nature of the leadership and how …

Latter-Day Saint Women And Leadership In Higher Education: An Intrinsic Case Study, Elizabeth J. Darger

Theses and Dissertations

There are few women in the highest levels of leadership in most industries, including higher education. This intrinsic case study provides insight into the leadership journeys of 15 female leaders at Brigham Young University, which is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Four prevalent themes emerged about their leadership journeys. First, a leadership role was not part of the participant's life plan. The remaining three themes related to acceptance of a leadership role. Participants reported feeling nudged to consider a leadership role, feeling a sense of relational responsibility in accepting a leadership role, and receiving a …

The Enduring Influence Of Emerson's Ideas On American Management Literature From The Lens Of Dale Carnegie’S How To Win Friends And Influence People, Taylor M. Dalton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis considers how the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson may be seen as an important precursor to Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Through a side-by-side analysis of four key topics—creativity, intention, action, and the idea of a non-hierarchal society—it becomes clear that the independent and creative mindset envisioned by Emerson in essays like “Self-Reliance” and “The American Scholar” finds a full and practical expression in the pages of Carnegie’s famous book. A close reading of these texts will reveal how Carnegie’s application of the philosophical ideas put forth by Emerson served as the foundation …

Successful Impoverished Schools: What Are The Existing Conditions In High Poverty Schools That Have A Higher Than Average Proficiency Rate?, Mitchell Winn Nerdin

Theses and Dissertations

Proficiency levels in schools often correlate with the poverty levels of schools. However, in 2018 three schools in Utah beat the state average proficiency rate on all three of Utah's end of year summative English language arts, mathematics, and science exams. These high scores provide evidence that schools are not necessarily limited by poverty in helping students succeed academically. By examining the schools that beat the state average on at least one exam, this study describes the conditions that were in play, which contributed to their students' academic achievement. A description is given of the conditions in the schools that …

Understanding The Administrative Role Fo School Psychology District Leaders, Alivia Nicole Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Very few articles in the published research literature have considered the clinical supervision of school psychology and even fewer articles explore the administrative supervision of school psychologists. The purpose of this study is to describe the roles, and responsibilities, and challenges faced by district leaders who supervise school psychologists. Using a purposeful sample, participants met criteria for this study if they worked at the district level, supervised at least three school psychologists, and were responsible for hiring and firing school psychologists. Nineteen participants qualified for this study and completed a phone interview that included eight open-ended questions. Participants shared that …

Bridging The Gender Gap: A Journey Of Women And Men In Communications Leadership, Steven Bruce Pelham

Theses and Dissertations

"Throughout history, there have been various gaps: racial, gender, income, education, skills gaps...society today is not any different"(Andrews, 2017). Despite advances to close these gaps, a large gap still remains in communications leadership: the gender gap. Approximately 75 percent of practitioners are female and female practitioners only make up 20 percent of senior-level positions (Oakes & Hardwick, 2017). Existing research suggests there are several reasons why a gap exists: an unconscious bias that favors male leaders (Devillard, Hunt, & Yee, 2018), only 60 percent of women have the confidence they can advance into leadership positions (KPMG, 2018), lack of mentorship …

Dynamic Coalescence As A Mathematical Model Of Leadership And Empirical Evidence Of The Value Of Strategic Sacrifice, Jacob D. Valentine

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The topic of leadership belongs to a rich literature that is deep in historical documentation and broad by the many disciplines that have attempted to understand it. However, the contributions of quantitative theorists are scarce, which has resulted in theories of leadership that are primarily qualitative and often subjective. This paper begins building a bridge between the existing scholarship and a more quantitative approach to the study of leadership by rigorously defining leadership as a strategy of interpersonal investment and presenting a mathematical model of this leadership theory. This model provides a theoretical foundation to explain team dynamics, to study …

The Negative Impact Of Positive Stereotyping: Relationship Between Positive Stereotypes, Perceived Competence And Perceived Potential For Leadership, Megan Chan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

For many years, Asian Americans have been positively stereotyped as the most successful racial group in America. Yet, very few Asian Americans occupy top leadership positions. This research investigates how positive stereotyping affects managers’ perception towards Asian Americans’ level of competence and potential for leadership. I conducted a scenario study with a sample of 315 people working and residing in the United States. These participants assumed the role of decisions makers and were presented with information about job applicants where the variable data (i.e. race) was manipulated. Based on the differences in ratings on Asian Americans and non-Asian Americans, I …

"Our Leaders Were Mighty": Identifying Modern Leadership Philosophies In The Book Of Mormon, Christopher J. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides a multitude of leadership opportunities to its members. Although many valuable leadership training resources are available, the Book of Mormon is surprisingly absent as a source material on leadership. Written by and about leaders in the ancient Americas, it seems like the Book of Mormon should contain important principles on how to lead within the context of building God’s kingdom that could be instructive. The Book of Mormon was not preserved to teach modern leadership styles, nor does its usefulness depend on how it does or does not connect to these …

Developmental Stages Associated With Organizational Learning: An Instrument Development Study, Kalene Mears Ethington

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Previous research has identified four distinct developmental stages associated with organizational learning in high-performing hospital units: identity and ownership, team and respect, accountability and support, and reliability and sustainability. We designed a research instrument to measure these constructs. The purpose of this thesis was to establish the content and predictive validity of this instrument.Methods: The Organizational Learning Development Instrument (OLDI) consists of a total of 35 items in Likert-scale format. Item-level and instrument-level content validity were assessed using three cycles of cognitive interviewing with 28 nurses, and eight expert ratings. The OLDI was administered to nurses in Magnet® hospitals …

Principal Trust: Factors That Influence Faculty Trust In The Principal, A. Tyler Howe

Theses and Dissertations

Principals are held accountable for student achievement even though they only have an indirect influence on that achievement. Accountability raises the question about what should be the priority for the principal's attention. The literature supports the existence of a positive correlation between faculty trust in the principal and increased student achievement. Our study considered the appropriateness of representing trust as a two-factor model broken down into components related to how teachers view the skill and the will of the principal. Additionally, our study examined which demographic factors of the school and of the principal affect faculty trust in the principal.This …

The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Implementation Factors And Self-Reported Rti Implementation Efforts, Kim Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is an educational reform effort that is being implemented across the nation. Considering that the systematic implementation of the RTI process requires organizational change, teachers may be hesitant or resistant to engage in the change process. This study organizes the potential barriers of RTI implementation into the RTI implementation factors of vision, professional development, professional support, and time resources. This quantitative study explored the relationship between teachers' perceptions of these RTI implementation factors and teachers' self-reported RTI implementation in their classrooms. The survey results came from 553 elementary school teachers across the state of Utah (30% …

Identifying Patterns In The Crucial Educational Leadership Constructs Used By The Most Cited Authors And Published Works Of 1990-2010, Sitalaiti Lotulelei

Theses and Dissertations

This study conducted a bibliometric analysis for the purpose of identifying the crucial leadership constructs that best explain and/or define effective educational leadership in two decades (1990-2000 and 2001-2010). The study reviewed top authors in educational leadership and analyzed their top cited works to identify leadership constructs which were (a) unique to leadership works within the 1990-2000 decade, (b) unique to the 2001-2010 decade, and c) similar or different between the two decades. The study found that the leadership constructs did evolve and shift during the study period and addressed the changing demands of individuals, educational organizations, and the external …

An Investigation Of Current Practice In Management Rotations In Dietetic Internships, Emily K. Vaterlaus

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Leadership and management skills are critical to moving the dietetics profession forward; acquisition of those skills begins in the Dietetic Internship (DI). This study examined DI program components related to higher mean scores on the Foodservice and Management domain of the Registration Examination for Dietitians and compared Program Director and Preceptor perceptions of management rotation structure.

Methods: All 242 DI Program Directors (excluding sponsoring institution) received a 47-item electronic questionnaire. Directors provided contact information for up to three DI management rotation primary preceptors. Preceptors received a 35-item electronic questionnaire regarding their perception of interns' management skill development. …

Headteacher Visibility, Teacher Characteristics, And Headteacher Trustworthiness: Perceptions Of Secondary School Teachers In Mukono District, Uganda, David Mckay Boren

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that students perform better academically in schools with higher levels of trust than in schools with lower levels of trust. School leaders are primarily responsible for building cultures of trust but are often at a loss as to how to do so effectively. With the assumption that as perceptions of school leader trustworthiness improve, teachers will be more likely to place their trust in that school leader, this research seeks to clarify how Ugandan headteachers improve teachers' perceptions of headteacher trustworthiness. In particular, we examined how specific types of headteacher visibility related to teachers' perceptions of headteacher relational …

An Investigative Study Of The Difficulties Experienced By Engineers Transitioning Into Leadership/Management Positions, Joseph Alan Wilde

Theses and Dissertations

The traditional engineering career has been defined by two career paths: technical and managerial. An entry level engineer typically did not elect his/her career path until at least five years into a career. This meant that only a portion of engineers needed to learn management and leadership skills and then usually not until in the professional environment. Since this career distinction was not made until years into an engineer's professional life universities were not developing leadership/management skills in their students. Times have changed. With the globalization of the economy, and the increased competition in the marketplace, companies have realized that …

Manager Tools Podcast: A Study Of Podcasting's Effectiveness With Profit Potential, Quincy Frodesen Beal

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to understand further the effectiveness and profit potential of podcasting. The study combines the theories of uses and gratifications and subjective theory of value to create a model for podcasting's value. The model is put to the test using the Manager Tools podcast as the subject. Data suggest the three main drivers behind perceived podcast effectiveness are pleasure, habit, and information gathering. Relaxation proved to have a negative influence on perceived effectiveness. The audience's willingness to pay was determined by perceived effectiveness, scarcity, and habit. Though not a generalizable study, the conclusion discusses the findings' implications on …

A Qualitative Study Of Selected Quality Knowledge And Practices In Guangdong Province, China, Tyler R. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The manufacturing industry has become very competitive in today's global market environment. Many US companies are faced with the choice of keeping their manufacturing domestic or looking to low cost off-shore countries to take advantage of the labor costs differences. To gain an understanding of the state of manufacturing in China, a major focus in the manufacturing world today, this thesis was undertaken. This thesis presents the findings of research conducted in Guangdong Province, China in June - July, 2005. This research addressed customer focus, leadership and general manufacturing and quality knowledge and practices of small, medium and large sized …

An Evaluation Of Attributes And Competencies For Manufacturing Engineering Technology Graduates, Loni S. Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the required attributes and competencies required for a graduate from a manufacturing engineering technology baccalaureate program. A document called “Competencies of Manufacturing Engineering Technology Graduates” was compiled in October 2004. This document lists twelve attributes thought to be important for MET graduates: Leadership, Professionalism, Creativity and Problem Solving, Management, Materials, Processes, Quality, Systems, Design, Communication, Safety and Environmental Issues, and Global Awareness. Under each attribute is a list of five to seven competencies creating a total of seventy-three competencies for graduates of an MET baccalaureate program. This list of attributes and competencies …

Joseph Smith As An Administrator, Gary Dean Guthrie

Theses and Dissertations

From extensive research undertaken by Rensis Likert at the University of Michigan, a modified theory of administration has been developed which seeks to build upon all that worked best in previous approaches to administration.

Sufficient information from the writings of Joseph Smith, from diaries and journals of those who worked under his leadership have been used in this thesis and compared with the model of administration proposed by Likert. The results of this work were that Joseph Smith in his administration most often used a leadership approach described by Likert as Consultative and Participative.

This thesis also presents a model …