Digital Commons Network^™

Revealing The Key Ingredient: Understanding How Teachers In Challenging School Environments Navigate School Culture To Enhance Learner Retention, Babalwa Kafu-Quvane Dr

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This paper explores teachers’ professional practices to gain a thorough grasp and a deep understanding of what it takes to retain learners in an environment where most schools fail to do so. I approach the study using a qualitative multiple case study design and position it within the interpretive paradigm. I purposively selected 50 post-level one teachers from five schools. Cavanagh and Dellar’s theory on culture of school improvement, which emphasizes the transformation of schools into learning communities through social interaction, interpersonal relationships, and support among various stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and learners, was used as theoretical lens for this …

What Makes Us "Good" Leaders?, Dante Rossini

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

What makes us good leaders? It’s a question that philosophers, politicians and business strategists alike have been asking for centuries. Generations of scholars have sought to pinpoint the various attributes and characteristics that define leadership beyond a formal organizational role. Going a step beyond, extensive research has also been devoted to deciphering what abilities make certain individuals successful as leaders in comparison to their peers, along with how aspiring leaders can practice these abilities to hone their own leadership performance. All of this research culminates in an intimidating amount of literature, riddled with a broad array of theories and conclusions …

Equifinality And The Key Role It Plays In Understanding The Future Of Leadership, Sam T. Hunter, Austin C. Doctor, Matthew Allen, Gina Scott Ligon

Reports, Projects, and Research

As organizations continue to increase in diversity across a range of demographic, value-based, and attitudinal variables, there can be a natural tension around differing styles and approaches to leading. We offer that these differences need not necessarily serve as a source of conflict if organizations are able to embrace the principle of equifinality. Equifinality, applied to leadership, represents the notion that there is more than one pathway to leading successfully. By focusing on equifinality as a core principle, stylistic differences can add to the fabric of organizational life rather than being a source of tension in it. We offer an …

Learning To Lead: Lessons Taken From The Wisest People We Know, Christine Kenney, Aviva Dorfman, Sapna V. Thwaite

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

How we engage and interact with young children and what we know about supporting them as they grow into the best versions of themselves is a window into what we also know about adults as they grow into the best leaders they can be. How we support and teach children has informative parallels for what leaders in education might learn and draw upon in their interactions and engagements with the people with whom they work. The goal of this paper is to introduce four principles of early childhood education (emotions and feelings are important, relationships are vital, process orientation is …

“Go Hard, Go Early”: Preliminary Lessons From New Zealand’S Response To Covid-19, Thomas Jamieson

Public Administration Faculty Publications

Although the full impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is yet to be realized, New Zealand has suffered comparatively less than other countries, and there were no active cases in the country by June 8, 2020. Building from best practices in emergency management research, several preliminary lessons emerge from the country’s response to the crisis that could be adapted for other settings. In particular, the government acted early and decisively, developed national unity to combat the virus, communicated effectively with the public, and adapted to changing circumstances, especially to address shortcomings in the response. These preliminary lessons provide some …

Analyzing Leadership Opportunities Through Participant Perspective, Cathryn Yaggie Heinen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The Anatomy Academic Assistant (AAA) practicum is a peer-mentoring program that helps participants further develop leadership skills. The goal of this research was to analyze leadership qualities through participant perspective and analyze the effectiveness of the AAA practicum in enhancing these leadership qualities. A 25-question survey, measuring participant perspective, was designed to include both rating-scale questions and free response questions. Rating-scale questions used a Likert scale with a corresponding assigned value. Free response questions also provided qualitative data that was grouped into overarching themes in a generated word cloud. The assigned value averages showed that participants largely agreed with the …

Group And Organizational Safety Norms Set The Stage For Good Post-Fall Huddles, Joseph A. Allen, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Victoria Kennel, Katherine J. Jones

Psychology Faculty Publications

We explored group and organizational safety norms as antecedents to meeting leader behaviors and achievement of desired outcomes in a special after-action review case—a post-fall huddle. A longitudinal survey design was used to investigate the relationship between organizational/group safety norms, huddle leader behavior, and huddle meeting effectiveness. The sample included health care workers in critical access hospitals (N = 206) who completed a baseline safety norm assessment and an assessment of post-fall huddle experiences 3 to 6 months later. Findings indicate that organizational and group safety norms relate to perceived huddle meeting effectiveness through appropriate huddle leader behavior in a …

Women Are Speaking Up At Sundance, Rubina Ramji

Journal of Religion & Film

Women speak up at Sundance 2018.

Leadership In Workplace Meetings: The Intersection Of Leadership Styles And Follower Gender, Joseph R. Mroz, Michael Yoerger, Joseph A. Allen

Psychology Faculty Publications

Meetings are ubiquitous across organizations, yet researchers have paid scant attention to the role of meeting leaders in affecting meeting outcomes. Because meetings are important discursive sites, the style of a meeting leader may influence subordinate views of the meeting and leader. Using a sample of working adults, we first demonstrated that meeting attendees who perceived their leader as participative viewed the leader as more warm and competent than meeting attendees who had a directive leader. We explain this finding through the framework of social exchange theory. In Study 2, we conducted an experiment to further probe the relation between …

Culturally Proficient Leadership May Not Be Efficient, Tami Williams

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This paper addresses the need for developing culturally proficient educational leaders. Our experiences influence our mental models. Our mental models inform our attitudes, expectations, and behavior. Leaders in education are expected to influence current and future educational practices in ways that disrupt conditions of oppression in order to foster equity and justice. It is essential that educational leadership graduate work addresses the awareness of mental models, dimensions of diversity, deliberative thinking with reflection, and the value of student voice in order to integrate standards of culturally proficient leadership into daily behavior.

Leveraging Positive Psychological Capital (Psycap) In Crisis: A Multiphase Framework, Ivana Milosevic, A. Erin Bass, Djordje Milosevic

Marketing and Management Faculty Publications

Despite recent advancements in understanding of leadership in context, there is surprisingly little insight into leadership in crisis – a context that is both pervasive and particularly challenging. To provide insight into how leaders navigate crisis, we utilize historical sources of Sir Winston Churchill’s leadership during World War II (WWII) to analyze 1) which resources may leaders use in crisis and 2) how they leverage these resources to lead through and out of the crisis. We discover that positive psychological capital (PsyCap) is a core strategic resource that leaders leverage in crisis. Our findings suggest that leaders leverage PsyCap as …

Regulating Emotions In Response To Power Distance In Meetings, Rebekka Erks, Erin Nyquist, Joseph A. Allen

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose – Meetings are a necessary part of work. This research focuses on how power distance in meetings affects emotional labour, including whether leader-member exchange (LMX) serves as a moderator for this relationship. It is hypothesized that power distance in meetings would lead to higher levels of emotional labour in meeting attendees, and that higher levels of LMX would make this relationship even stronger.

Design/methodology/approach - The authors used a panel sample of full-time working adults from a variety of industries who regularly attend meetings. Participants completed a survey with items related to power distance, emotional labour, and LMX. Hypotheses …

Student Service And Leadership Collaborative Progress Report June 2016, Uno Student Affairs

Student Support

The second year of the Student Service & Leadership Collaborative (The Collaborative) featured 6 Service Supervisors, 20 Program Managers and 1 Special Projects Manager. The service component was defined by the following six service issue areas: Economic Sufficiency, Educational Support, Environmental Stewardship, International Service, Health and Wellness and Social Justice.

Oasa Leadership Minutes 05/23/16, Uno Office Of Academic And Student Affairs

Mission/Vision/Leadership

The following topics were discussed: Academic Integrity Policy; C/D Workshop Update; Blackboard Migration Update; Video Content Management Update; Digital Measures Update; Reenrollment Dashboard; and Faculty Credentials Update.

Revisiting Weber’S Charismatic Leadership: Learning From The Past And Looking To The Future, Ivana Milosevic, A. Erin Bass

Marketing and Management Faculty Publications

Purpose – Weber emphasized the informal structure, followers' power, and time in charismatic leadership; yet the extant literature either overlooks or underplays the significance of each of these facets. The aim of this paper is to revisit Weber's conceptualizations of charisma and illuminate these facets, thus creating new avenues for the contemporary charismatic leadership research. Design/methodology/approach – The focus of this research is on analysis of Weber's conceptualization of charisma. The analysis of selected quotes is grounded within contemporary discourse in order to illustrate how three overlooked facets may propel future research on charismatic leadership. Findings – By revisiting Weber's …

Love That Tames: Anti-Heroes, Power And Islamic Reform Reflected In Two Iranian Films, David Sander

Journal of Religion & Film

This paper is an exploration of two Iranian films that draw upon spiritual, artistic and literary roots in Islamic history, while at the same time engaging in critiques of knowledge and power in contemporary Muslim societies. These films offer a chance to explore ways in which culture (as distinct from theological discourse) deals with problems of reform in Muslim societies. This article juxtaposes the films with the trickster archetype in folklore, Sufi thought about leadership, and beliefs about the figure of the Mahdi (“the guided one” mentioned in Prophetic hadith as preceding the second coming of Jesus).

Keep Relationships Positive Or Do Things Right: Bridging Women Leaders’ Conflict Management Strategies In Non-Profit Organizations In Taiwan And The Us, Chin-Chung Chao, Dexin Tian

Communication Faculty Publications

Purpose – The present study aims at contributing to the knowledge of organizational communication and cross-cultural female leadership by examining the conflict management strategies between Taiwanese female presidents and their American counterparts in Rotary Clubs.

Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through field observations and 25 in-depth interviews with 14 Taiwanese female presidents and 11 American female presidents in Rotary Clubs. Theme analysis of the interpretive method was used in this research.

Findings – This study revealed that the female presidents in both cultures applied obliging and integrating strategies to handle management conflicts. Yet, due to the interference of past presidents, …

Self-Awareness And The Evolution Of Leaders: The Need For A Better Measure Of Self-Awareness, Greg C. Ashley, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

A growing body of empirical research suggests that self-awareness is associated with successful leadership. Although self-awareness research has generated a number of scales to measure self-awareness, none have done so with the explicit focus of leadership. The present research is a summary of three studies designed to develop and begin validation for a scale to measure self-awareness in the context of leadership and leader development. The result of Study 1 and 2 was a 54-item self-awareness scale. A confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence for a marginal fit. Predictive validity was assessed in Study 3 by looking for associations between self-awareness …

Climbing The Himalayas: A Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Female Leadership And Glass Ceiling Effects In Non-Profit Organizations, Chin-Chung Chao

Communication Faculty Publications

Purpose – The present study aims at contributing to the knowledge of organizational communication and cross-cultural leadership by examining the relationship between cultural values and expected female leadership styles in non-profit organizations in Taiwan and the US. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 307 Rotarians in Taiwan and the US completed a survey meant to reveal their cultural values and expected female leadership styles. In addition, the method of semi-structured interviews was used to raise the participants’ consciousness of and critical reflections upon social practices regarding female leadership.

Findings – The research results are threefold. First, among the three major leadership styles, …

“The Practice Of Transformational Stewardship,” Review Of Transforming Public And Nonprofit Organizations, By James Kee And Kathryn Newcomer, Gary S. Marshall

Public Administration Faculty Publications

The concept of transformational stewardship as a force for change was explored in Transforming Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Stewardship for Leading Change by James Edwin Kee and Kathryn E. Newcomer. But how does a public manager become a transformational steward? How is the concept of stewardship related to public leadership?

Inclusive Leadership And Employee Involvement In Creative Tasks In The Workplace: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Safety, Abraham Carmeli, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Enbal Ziv

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examines how inclusive leadership (manifested by openness, accessibility, and availability of a leader) fosters employee creativity in the workplace. Using a sample of 150 employees, we investigated the relationship between inclusive leadership (measured at Time 1), psychological safety, and employee involvement in creative work tasks (measured at Time 2). The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicate that inclusive leadership is positively related to psychological safety, which, in turn, engenders employee involvement in creative work.

Telling Stories Of Libraries And Leadership, Audrey Defrank

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

A presentation outlining the four frames of leadership and storytelling as they relate to libraries. Leadership Orientation Questionnaire; Overview; Inspiration; Leadership; Reframing Leadership; Structural Frame; Human Resources Frame; Political Frame; Symbolic Frame; Where do you fit in the frame?; Native American Storytelling; Organizations as Cultures; Story Narrative; Telling the Story.

Going Up To The Balcony: The Organizational Danceand Creative Leadership, Audrey Defrank

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

This presentation features: Are You Okay; Leadership is Daunting; Leadership is Potent; Leadership Defined; Going Up to the Balcony: The Organizational Dance and Creative Leadership; Curtains and Tiebacks; Reframing Leadership; Structural Frame; Human Resources Frame; Political Frame; Symbolic Frame; The Frames in Action; What's Your Favorite Dance Step?; The Organizational Dance; Creative Leadership; and Ready to Dance?

Private Odyssey: Responsibilities, Challenges, And Needs Of The Beginning Catholic School Principal, Dorothy A. Ostrowski

Student Work

This dissertation describes a multi-case, qualitative study involving six participants from a Midwestern, Catholic diocese and explores the responsibilities, challenges, and needs of the beginning Catholic school principal. The dissertation contains an extensive review of the literature and describes the design and procedures of the study with a summary of the methods and analysis strategies. Job descriptions, interviews, and written responses to provided reflection questions are the primary data sources.

Leadership And Creativity: Understanding Leadership From A Creative Problem-Solving Perspective, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Jody J. Illies

Psychology Faculty Publications

Employees in many jobs encounter novel, ill-defined problems, and finding creative solutions to these problems may be the critical factor that allows their organization to maintain a competitive advantage. Solving problems creatively requires extensive and effortful cognitive processing. This requirement is magnified further by the complex, ambiguous situations in which most organizational problems occur. Employees must define and construct a problem, search and retrieve problem-relevant information, and generate and evaluate a diverse set of alternative solutions. Creativity necessitates that all these activities are completed effectively. It is unlikely, therefore, that creative outcomes will be realized without a large degree of …

Predicting Leadership Activities: The Role Of Flexibility, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper investigated the role of flexibility in predicting adolescent leadership activities among 186 undergraduate students. Two measures of flexibility, behavioral flexibility and cognitive flexibility, were developed and entered in a regression equation, after social skills and academic ability. The results suggest that behavioral and cognitive flexibility are distinct constructs and that both contribute uniquely to the prediction of leadership above and beyond social skills and academic ability.

Executive Summary - The Philadelphia Freedom Schools Junior Leader Project, Shelley H. Billig

Special Topics, General

The Philadelphia Freedom Schools Junior Leader Project is a bold initiative to foster leadership and civic engagement for young people in the Philadelphia School District. Beginning in 1999, the school district project was developed to help young African American and other high school students to become strong leaders in their schools and communities. The Junior Leader project recruited freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in high school to learn about their heritage; work with young children to help them gain academic skills; participate in meaningful dialogue about social justice; learn and engage in community action strategies; develop leadership skills; and create pathways …

A Comparative Study Of Leadership Behaviors Of Principals From High And Low Socio-Economic Elementary Public Schools In Nebraska, Marilou Niemeyer

Student Work

This study examined the differences, if any, between leadership behaviors of elementary principals from low and high socio-economic schools as defined by the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch schedule. A total of 80 principals with at least one year of experience were asked to participate in this study, a sampling of 40 principals from high socio-economic schools in Nebraska and a sampling of 40 principals from low socio-economic schools in Nebraska as measured by the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

Self-Reported Leadership Experiences In Relation To Inventoried Social And Emotional Intelligence, Lisa M. Kobe, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Jon D. Rickers

Psychology Faculty Publications

Leadership has both social and emotional components. Social intelligence appears to tap the social component found in leadership. Recently, emotional intelligence has surfaced as a stable individual difference variable and appears to tap the emotional component of leadership. Mayer and Salovey (1993) suggested that the emotional intelligence and social intelligence constructs overlap. This study examined the power of both emotional and social intelligence to account for variance in self-reported leadership experiences. One hundred ninety-two university students completed measures of social and emotional intelligence and a measure of leadership experiences. Regression analyses showed that both social intelligence and emotional intelligence accounted …

Taking The Lead: A Preliminary Proposal For A K-12 Service-Learning Leadership Organization, Academy For Educational Development

School K-12

Service-learning's advocates are passionate about its potential as an educational reform strategy benefiting students, schools, communities, and the nation. They know that integrating service into core academic curriculum is a powerful way of engaging students' hearts and minds. By combining highly effective teaching strategies with support for students' acquiring an ethic of caring and community responsibility, service-learning does what few other pedagogies can do: it boosts students' academic achievement while also strengthening their civic-mindedness and career preparation. The American public wants students to have this kind of education. According to a new poll conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide, Americans agree …