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Organizational Alignment: A Tool For Obtaining Greater Organizational Efficiency And Effectiveness In A State Government Agency, Patricia A. Collins

Dissertations

This study focuses on the modem day use of TQM, reengineering and privatization initiatives to gain efficiency and effectiveness in government operations, and the impact of alignment on the successful implementation of these three initiatives. A large state government agency which is currently using TQM, reengineering and privatization was used as a case study. Two-hundred-and-twenty-four employees were voluntary participants. This study examined three research questions: 1. Could the level of alignment, as hypothesized by Labovitz and Rosansky, be replicated with a sample of public agency employees? 2. Is the agency aligned, based on the Labovitz and Rosansky model, to successfully …

Veteran Teacher Perceptions Of The Grossmont Model Of Peer Assistance And Review. Is It A Viable Alternative To Traditional Evaluation?, Edwin L. Basilio Edd

Dissertations

This study looked at factors that influenced veteran teacher perceptions of the newly implemented Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program in the Grossmont Union High School District. More specifically, the study explored (1) reasons why teachers with at least five years of successful teaching experience voluntarily chose to forfeit their regularly scheduled traditional evaluation and substitute it with a peer review, (2) factors that contributed to positive perceptions of the PAR program, (3) factors that contributed to negative perceptions of the PAR program, and (4) perceived differences between the traditional and PAR methods of teacher evaluation. This study incorporated multiple …

A Case Analysis Of Three Middle-School Boys Who Have Down Syndrome And Have Been In Regular Education Classes Since Preschool, Eileen Frances Luddy

Dissertations

This study investigated the experiences of three middle-school boys who have Down syndrome and have always attended regular education classes.

Despite the existence of policies and initiatives in support of inclusive education, research on the implementation of inclusive practices in middle schools is sparse.

This study is organized in nine chapters. A review of literature revealed that significant research conducted during the past decade supports the practice of including students with disabilities in regular education and the benefits of inclusion outweigh the benefits of separate instruction.

A case study approach investigated the phenomenon covering contextual conditions surrounding the experiences of …

The Design, Implementation, And Assessment Of Initial Change And Growth In A Local Voluntary Organization And Its Members, Tracy Ann Weber

Dissertations

Problem. During the past 30 years, Americans have steadily reduced their participation in the traditional forms of community involvement, such as clubs, associations, and organizations, that bring people together to effectively pursue a shared objective. In this postmodern society, leaders of community and nonprofit organizations find they are asking themselves difficult questions about the most effective methods of fulfilling their mission and simultaneously meeting members' changing needs. Participatory volunteer-run organizations, such as a local branch or chapter of a national organization, face many challenges, making it hard to establish and maintain there organizations. They demand great energy of leaders, …

The Roles And Attributes Of Human Resource Leaders During Organizational Restructuring, Alison Anne Brown

Dissertations

Problem. As the number of organizations involved in major restructuring increases, Human Resource (HR) leaders find themselves in a labyrinth of evolving roles. How might they facilitate the organization's desire to successfully wed human needs and experiences to profit expectations and strategies?

Purpose. This qualitative study seeks to increase understanding of the dual role played by human resource leadership, as they are both survivors and facilitators of organizational restructuring. It answers the overarching question: What are the unique contributions made by HR leaders to the organizational restructuring process?

Methodology. Through a purposive sampling process, 11 HR leaders were identified who …

Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction Of Repatriated Managers, Michael A. Duoto Edd

Dissertations

Turnover due to repatriation is an increasingly costly occurrence for multinational corporations. Understanding why repatriates decide to leave their companies upon being called back from abroad may help to devise ways in which organizations can mitigate such turnover and reduce cost in hiring and training new personnel. To that end, this study examines the impact of training and orientation programs on the job satisfaction of repatriated managers. In general the study looks at whether or not training, orientation, and family support programs have an impact on the job satisfaction of repatriated managers. The study puts forward the hypothesis that training …

Perception And Reality: An Empirical Assessment Of Navy Leadership Styles And Business Process Reengineering Outcomes, Andre D. Murphy Edd

Dissertations

Seeking to improve mission readiness and organizational effectiveness while reducing expenditures, the Department of the Navy (DoN) eliminated and reconstructed many of its business practices. Reconstruction of the military's business practices was accomplished through business process reengineering (BPR). Business process reengineering is a change strategy that provides organizations the opportunity to do “more with less.” Although doing more with less is not a new concept in military settings, the organizational change construct of business process reengineering is new. Most organizations in the private sector that attempt reengineering do not attain their intended results; the literature reveals that 50–70% of organizations …

Visionary Leadership: The Importance In The Public Sector From The Perspective Of City Managers, Nancy L. Quarles

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to apply Sashkin’s Visionary Leadership model to City Managers, with an emphasis on how the city manager puts the vision into action in local government. There is much talk that government leaders need to have a vision so that their organization will work more efficiently and effectively. More government agencies should seek to instill visionary leadership, much as a growing number of businesses have done. The City Manager must cope with sweeping changes in city government that have resulted from rapid growth, elected officials’ expectations, new technology, unions, citizen demands, and the need …

The Effects Of Reengineering On Hospital Performance Indicators, Linda Rutgers Albery

Dissertations

Reengineering was a management tactic designed to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in the work place. Although many hospitals reported reengineering efforts were a priority during the latter part of the 1990s, little research has been done to determine the effects of reengineering on cost and quality performance indicators.

This research studied a large regional medical center located in southwest Michigan, which implemented patient-focused care redesign. Within this medical center, ten separate and distinct patient care departments were studied over a 5-year period. These departments included critical care, medical, surgical, obstetric and pediatric areas. During the first year o f …

School-Based Management In Alberta: Perceptions Of Public School Leaders, 1994–1997, Robert James Wilson Edd

Dissertations

In 1994, the Government of Alberta, Canada, instituted major fiscal measures designed to reduce operating costs and a large provincial debt. In tandem, Alberta Education restructured public education by: reducing the number of school districts, redefining the role of school boards, increasing the involvement of parents, initiating Charter schools, expanding student testing, downsizing Alberta Education, improving delivery of services to children, and mandating the implementation of school-based management in all public schools (Alberta Education News Release, January 18, 1994). The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how the implementation of school-based management, through the first three …

Faculty Perceptions Of Dean Transitions: Does Trust Matter? An Interpretive Case Study Of Organizational Trust And Organizational Culture, Rebecca L. Woolston Edd

Dissertations

This study looked for factors that might have influenced faculty perceptions of new deans at a professional school in the western part of the United States. More specifically, the study explored the question of how organizational trust may have influenced perceptions of new deans and faculty willingness to trust new deans. A single case study used guided interviews as data for the interpretive analysis. The study sought to provide insight into the phenomenon of dean transitions. The study also endeavored to add new dimensions to current conceptualizations of organizational trust and culture by highlighting a previously underexplored but potentially relevant …

A Case Study Of The Effects Of The Strategic Planning Process On The Trust Level Of Administrative Staff In A K - 12 School District, Michael F. Paskewicz

Dissertations

Strategic planning is a process that has been used in the business world since the 1960s as a tool to build employee trust through the development of a shared vision and goals. Public education and other government agencies began to use the strategic planning process in the mid 1970s (Herman, 1994).

The study used data collected by a K-12 school district, two years into the strategic planning process. This study sought to determine if the trust level of administrators would be impacted by the level of participation in the strategic planning process. Trust level was defined by self rating by …

From Warriors To Wingtips: The Leadership Transition Of Retired Officers Into The Public Sector, Lynn M. Eldred Edd

Dissertations

For personal and financial reasons some retired military officers seek second careers in the public sector. In entering local government, they are leaving a unique organization, and encountering a very different organizational culture. This study used grounded theory methodology to identify the key military leadership strategies and behaviors learned by military officers and to examine their applicability to local government. It focused on eleven retired naval and marine officers who served twenty or more years, attained a rank of lieutenant commander or major and above, and had worked in local San Diego government at the mid-management or executive level less …

A Comparative Study Of Leadership Characteristics Of Principals In Charter Schools And Traditional Schools, Roger M. Mestinsek Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the similarities and differences in preferred leadership qualities among a random sample of principals of traditional elementary schools in California, traditional elementary schools in Alberta, Canada, and selected charter schools in the United States. The intent of the research was to identify the preferred leadership practices of each study group to determine and report significant differences and similarities. Seventy-five principals were randomly selected, 25 from each of the three study groups, to complete the survey. Forty-two principals (56%) returned surveys. Of the surveys returned, 40 were usable for the study. The theoretical …

Case Studies Of Organizational Evaluation In Community Foundations, Joyce Box Brown

Dissertations

Community foundations are classified as public charities (501(c) 3). They derive their funds from many donors rather than a single donor, and the board is made up of representatives from the community served. They are most often established to serve a specific geographic area. This study investigated and described how three different community foundations approach organizational evaluation— choosing proposals to fund, monitoring programs, improving programs, and assessing program impact.

The three community foundations approach evaluation not as a formal system of grant accountabilities, but as a way of systematically gathering information from various constituents for purposes of guiding important decisions. …

Implementing Organizational Change In A Public Agency, David E. Freed

Dissertations

A major challenge that faces most institutions is that of adapting to and managing change. The leadership of an organization is a key focal point for analyzing how change is accomplished.

This study examines both a theoretical and practical approach to the study of organizational and cultural change. The focus is a public agency and the actions and decision processes of the top leadership relating to organizational and cultural change during the period 1992 to 1995.

From the theoretical perspective, Karl Weick’s approach called sensemaking is examined and a model is created. Sensemaking is an activity that is an explanatory …

The Role Of Access In Evaluating Distance Learning Program Effectiveness, Carole A. Richardson

Dissertations

Distance learning technologies are increasingly used within public post-secondary institutions as a way to deliver courses to students remote from the home campus. Many proponents of distance learning argue that its use provides a method for reaching the educationally undeserved, i.e., those who lack access to higher education. If a distance learning program decreases access barriers, then it is congruent with traditional American values of providing universal access to education to all citizens. Distance learning program evaluation strategies, therefore, need to include a means of measuring the extent to which access goals are met.

The purpose of this study is …

Relationships Between Leader Characteristics, Planned Change And Organizational Culture In A Dynamic Manufacturing Environment, Matthew Chodkowski

Dissertations

The new economic era has been marked by profound global change. In response, researchers and practitioners have called for a rethinking of the conventional concepts of leadership, change, and organizational culture to improve our competitiveness in this turbulent world market. This study investigated the relationships between leader style, leader behavior, leadership paradigm, leader knowledge of change, organizational culture potency, and planned change efficacy in a manufacturing company implementing a high performance work system change initiative. This study intended to contribute to the reconceptualization of the leadership construct and the explication of the leadership-culture-change linkage.

Six hundred and eighty-nine subjects representing …

Diversity, Collaboration, Reflective Practice, And Technology In Professional Education Programs: Strategic Choices For Higher Education, Caren L. Sax Edd

Dissertations

Today's postsecondary students are entering American institutions of higher education (IHEs) with different experiences, expectations, and learning needs than students of previous generations. Calls for more diverse campuses, advanced technology, and lifelong learning are maintaining pressure on IHEs to adjust to new demands for a more encompassing vision as traditional approaches are no longer adequate. The challenges are tremendous; the responses must be extensive and reflective if higher education is to achieve its goals of preparing students for productive and meaningful lives. This study investigated student experiences in a yearlong professional education program that was focused by four strategic choices …

A Professional Competency Survey Of Organizational Consultants In San Diego County, Angie Mays Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the rapidly growing field of Organizational Consulting. Specifically, this research focuses on developing profiles of various types of organizational consultants in San Diego County. The types of profiles considered included: Executive Coaches, Feedback Specialists, Motivational Speakers, Trainers, Educators, and Consultants. The research topics examined included: background and professional preparation of consultants, professional resources utilized, interventions most commonly used, and level of job satisfaction. A descriptive survey was employed to aid in the investigation. The questionnaire consisted of questions revised from Waller's (1988) national survey of training consultants, and …

An Analysis Of Dialogue For Understanding Educators' Stress: Implications For Voice, Listening And Leadership, Joanna R. Doonan Edd

Dissertations

Research indicates that educator stress is a widespread phenomenon that not only impacts the educational community, but society at large. This being the case, there is an urgent need to consider this phenomenon within responsible school leadership. In particular, understanding what creates stress for educators, and learning more about leadership responses that would support educators under stress, are critical to more holistic school leadership, and for enabling teachers to envision a viable future for themselves. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how school principals and colleagues might respond to educators coping with professional stress, so that they …

Voices Against Discrimination And Exclusion: Latino School Leaders' Narratives For Change, Jaime J. Romo Edd

Dissertations

Many scholars, practitioners, and policy makers know very little about individual Latino administrators' cultural and professional experiences, responses to discrimination, and patterns or institutional conditions which relate to K-12 ethnic minority administrators' success. Moreover, many are also unaware that as ethnic diversity increases, the relative proportion of minority administrators, many of whom could be role models, shrinks. Once we can recognize this as seeds for inequity in society, we might be able to consider the ways in which our educational institution reinforces or counters societal inequities. By specifically exploring Latino administrators' experiences, because of the large Latino California presence, we …

Leadership Responses To Change In 21st Century California State University Physical Education/Kinesiology Departments, Paulette Wong Hopkins Edd

Dissertations

A number of driving and restraining forces seem to foretell of a paradigm shift in today's post-secondary physical education departments. While the majority might agree that some change is inevitable, of utmost importance and concern is the manner in which change occurs. Left to the vagaries of chance, change can be chaotic and destructive; conversely, when effectively managed by leadership, controlled change can result in immense benefits. This study details leadership perspectives and views on driving and restraining forces that may impact California State University (CSU) physical education departments into the 21st century. It is believed that an analysis of …

The Effect Of Managers' Clarification Of Business Linkage Of Training On Trainees' Transfer Of Training, Elizabeth J. Benanzer

Dissertations

This study investigated the hypotheses that if managers were engaged in specific activities aimed at increasing their understanding of the linkage of employee training to business goals, then they would in turn create a more positive transfer environment, resulting in greater transfer of training received by their employees. Some managers of trainees participated in a workshop in which they used an “impact mapping” procedure to clearly explain the relationship between training of their employees and strategic goals of the business; another group of managers did not receive this impact mapping training. Then, all managers’ employees participated in a supervisory training …

A Test Of A Rapid Developer Model: Workplace Factors Associated With Learning And Development, James A. Alexander

Dissertations

The speed at which individuals and organizations learn and develop is a vital contributor to organizational change and organizational effectiveness. This study postulated the notion of "rapid developers”, those persons who learn and acquire job competence more quickly than their peers. The purpose of this study was to identify, define, and differentiate the factors associated with "rapid development."

The author constructed a rapid developer model based upon the review of the disciplines of training, performance technology, total quality, organization learning, and organization culture. The model identified and defined the contextual factors that could be expected, based on an understanding of …

Perceived Support For Change And Implementation Of Title I Of The Ada In Michigan’S Public School Districts, Truman S. Forest

Dissertations

Data for this study were gathered by survey from public school districts in the state of Michigan that employed more than one central office administrator. The survey was sent to human resource administrators as well as assistant superintendents and other central office administrators in 339 school districts. A total of 188 valid responses were received for a response rate of 55.8 percent.

The study tested five relational hypotheses. Ha1 through Ha4 were tested to determine if a relationship existed between the category of school district readiness to implement Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Readiness) and such …

Correlates Of Staff Nurse Work Satisfaction In Hospitals With Shared Governance, Mary Kay Flynn Dnsc, Rn, Ccrn

Dissertations

Lack of staff nurse participation in hospital decision-making has been cited as a major reason for the dissatisfaction in nursing. Shared governance has been proposed as an organizational model that provides staff nurses with both the structure and the mechanism for having increased decision-making authority. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of organizational culture, perceived importance of involvement and actual involvement in decision-making, the discrepancy between importance and involvement, staff nurse years of involvement in shared governance, control over nursing practice, and work satisfaction among staff nurses working in hospitals with shared governance. A descriptive, correlational …

Total Quality Management: Bridging Theory To Practice, Richard Ross Brydges Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the practice of Total Quality Management (TQM) in an organizational culture using Deming's System of Profound Knowledge (1993) as a construct that combines the philosophical and methodological dimensions of TQM. As with TeleServices Resources (TSR), the evaluative case study subject for this research, organizations worldwide have adopted TQM to establish a culture that would make them more capable of producing quality products and services. Many of these efforts never realized their potential. My premise for this study is that the potential of their efforts are not fully realized, because organizations do not …

Leadership From The Perspectives Of Filipino-Americans: A Delphi Study, Pablo J. Mendoza Edd

Dissertations

The majority of the texts and other materials on leadership have been written from the perspective of people from Western culture. A number of scholars have called attention to this lack of a more diverse literature, inquiring as to the reasons why academicians primarily offer leadership literature that has a predominantly Western culture perspective. Since social and political contexts represent diverse cultural views, leadership literature should also reflect that diversity. This issue is particularly important in the San Diego area for Filipino-Americans because of their increasing numbers and active participation in social and political endeavors. The absence of culturally and …

A Measure Of Perceived Power In Influencing Change Among Selected Education Participants In Alberta, Frederick Arnold Preston Edd

Dissertations

The educational landscape in the province of Alberta is undergoing change. The government's agenda includes changes in funding, reducing the number of school jurisdictions and local school boards, the provincial appointment of superintendents, increasing school-based decision making and accountability, and increasing parent, community, and business involvement in the delivery of education. It is expected that these changes will be completed during 1997. Considering the climate of change in Alberta education, it is of paramount importance that in the implementation process, participants in the change recognize their personal power to operationalize what is proposed. Government legislation can demand compliance, but without …