Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Four Performance Techniques For Paraprofessional Direct-Care Staff Working With Developmentally Disabled Adults In Group Homes, L. Martin Grabijas

Dissertations

The habilitation and training of the developmentally disabled has improved markedly in the last two decades. The creation of small, community-based living facilities has allowed these individuals to move from restrictive settings into the community where training in daily living skills can occur in a more natural fashion. While this movement has been positive for the consumer, the preparedness of the staff working in those facilities has not been adequately addressed. Many human service agencies use a generic training package to prepare their staff, yet current research indicates that such training is less than adequate, both in terms of preparing …

Faith And Leadership: The Spiritual Journeys Of Transformational Leaders, Rita M. Marinoble Edd

Dissertations

Transformational leadership, as it has come to be understood in the study of leadership, is a relationship among people that is characterized by mutual purposes that transcend daily concerns--purposes directed is some way toward the common good. Transformational leaders hold and articulate vision, shape values, and engage themselves and others in efforts that somehow benefit the human community. Faith development and the spiritual journey can be viewed as providing a context for transformational leadership because they involve an individual's search for self-transcendence and ultimate meaning in life. This search is a process that includes movement towards wholeness and integration by …

An Analysis Of Motivational Strategies Employed By Veteran Principals In Selected Elementary Schools In Suburban Cook County, Patricia M. Brown

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Planned Organizational Change At General Dynamics, Richard A. Barker Edd

Dissertations

A case study approach was used to evaluate organizational change that occurred between 1986 and 1989 at General Dynamics Corporation. The purpose of the study was to determine how persons in leading positions can realistically expect to plan and implement significant, planned organizational changes. The changes specifically studied were those which resulted from the planning and implementation of the Ethics Program. The Ethics Program at General Dynamics was examined not only as a case example of a planned, intended change, but as a vehicle for broad strategic goals pertaining to human resources management. Historic data from corporate documents and surveys, …

A Study Of Factors Contributing To Achieving And Sustaining School Effectiveness In Elementary Schools, Janet A. Hageman Chrispeels Edd

Dissertations

An effective school is one in which there are overall high levels of achievement sustained over time and in which students from the lower socioeconomic (SES) subgroups are performing at levels comparable to higher SES groups. Through a case study methodology, the author analyzed the degree of effectiveness in eight elementary schools and factors that contributed to attaining this level of effectiveness. Over a five year period, data were collected at each school through interviews, effective schools surveys, CAP test results, and other school records. The effectiveness of each school was determined by applying three criteria that evaluated the overall …

California Pioneers In Speech Pathology: 1915 Through 1951, Looking Back For The Future, Sandra L. Singleton Edd

Dissertations

Speech pathologists are the only professionals educated and trained to treat human communication disorders. They work in a variety of settings such as schools, hospitals, and private practice. Despite the essential and integrated role speech pathology holds in society, it is continually threatened by internal concerns and external pressures. Regardless of the issues, those who cannot find resolve often call for leadership. When current situations do not yield solutions readily, an historical perspective may serve to provide answers or guidance. Historical documentation was available in detail regarding the foundation of speech pathology in Iowa and Wisconsin, in addition to published …

A Study Of The Differences Between Classrooms Using A Meaning-Centered Approach And A Code-Centered Approach In The First Year Implementation Of The California English-Language Arts Framework, Carolyn F. Salerno Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine how a meaning-centered approach versus a code-centered approach affects student performance: (a) in the teaching of language arts; (b) in regular education classrooms containing low achieving, low socio-economic, multi-ethnic, and learning handicapped students; (c) in grades one, three and six; and (d) in the first year implementation of the California English-Language Arts Framework. This study focused on three interrelated dimensions of organizational change which are linked to student performance: curriculum materials, teacher behaviors, and organizational change processes. Eight research questions guided the examination of qualitative and quantitative data originating from teacher …

Conversion Of The Coldwater Regional Mental Health Center: The Impact On Employees, Connie Dunham Dykman

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine what effects the conversion of the Coldwater Regional Mental Health Center from a facility serving developmentally disabled residents to one serving mentally ill residents had on the lives of its employees.

Deinstitutionalization has been taking place nationwide at the same time prisons have been expanding. In Coldwater, Michigan, buildings that were left empty as a result of deinstitutionalizing mentally retarded individuals were taken over by the Department of Corrections to be used as prisons. This action inspired advocates for retarded citizens to call for the closure of the Coldwater Regional Center. Instead …

An Investigation Of Elementary Teachers' Self-Perception Of Burnout While Participating In A Professional Development Change Process, Lana L. Callihan

Dissertations

Teachers are experiencing pressures from the demands of educational change required in their profession. The quality of education is reflected by the competency of the teacher. The research suggests that efforts should be directed toward identifying a process for change that will reduce the feelings of burnout which block the energy and enthusiasm needed for change.

This study investigated the question, "Does involvement in a professional development process modify a teacher's perceived feelings of burnout?" The professional development models studied were the Collaborative Curriculum and Professional Development Process (CCPDP), Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP), and the Michigan School Improvement Process …

The Quest For Excellence: A Study Of The Improvement Of Student Achievement In Valley View Community Unit District 365u, 1960-1988, Patricia B. Smith

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Effective Fund-Raising Policies Used At Private, Church-Related Undergraduate Colleges, Albin H. Grohar

Dissertations

Problem. Much of what is known concerning fund-raising policies and practices at colleges in the United States is anecdotal. Few empirical studies have focused on any aspect of fund raising. No known empirical study has identified those fund-raising policies that might help church-related colleges to be more effective in generating gift income from private philanthropy. The purpose of this study was to bring to light those fund-raising policies that may be associated with effective fund-raising programs at church-related colleges.

Method. Typically, fund-raising productivity is associated with total funds raised. An alternative way of assessing fund-raising effectiveness is to compare what …

Think Globally, Act Locally: A Delphi Study Of Educational Leadership Through The Development Of International Resources In The Local Community, Stuart R. Grauer Edd

Dissertations

The probable future of international resource development in the local school community for the years leading up to 2000 was researched using the Delphi method--the best available tool for building consensus in emerging fields. A panel of 28 identified experts in elementary and secondary schools and districts from Southern California in the field of school-community relations with demonstrable experience in international education completed three rounds of surveys. The surveys served to identify (1) educational resource people who could bring constructive change communitywide, (2) program developments and school-community partnerships, (3) practical and philosophical goals for fusing international, national, community and academic …

The Schools Of The Future Commission Of San Diego City Schools: An Ethnographic Study, Bertha Ousley Pendleton Edd

Dissertations

Ethnographic research methods were used to analyze the culture of a large city commission appointed to make recommendations for the future of the school district. The study focused on the year-long deliberations of a panel of 17 community leaders. The objectives of the study were to (1) describe the culture of the Commission, (2) analyze the action of Commission members, and (3) develop guidelines for conducting successful commission studies. Major research questions that were the focus of the study were inquiries about (a) the social and cultural organization of the Commission, (b) how the Commission developed and proceeded to do …

Using A Cultural Change Intervention To Improve Organizational Effectiveness: An Evaluative Case Study, Terry M. Dearstone Edd

Dissertations

This study examines one organization in its attempt to improve organizational effectiveness by effecting a change to the organizational culture. In late 1984 the Rancho Bernardo division of Northern Telecom Electronics began a long term effort to change its culture. This study answers four research questions regarding this organization's attempt at culture change: 1) What were the strategies used by the Northern Telecom Electronics-Rancho Bernardo division to attempt to change organizational culture? 2) To what extent did the organization's culture change between 1984 and 1988? 3) In what ways did organizational effectiveness change between 1984 and 1988? and 4) What …

Organizational Change In Action: A Qualitative Case Study Of Usair's Acquisition Of Pacific Southwest Airlines, Joan A. Miszak Edd

Dissertations

Five dominant theories of organizational change have emerged from the literature. Each of these models expressly expand on a singular and specific paradigm of how change can be viewed within organizations. The models of change are the micro-personal-therapeutic, meso-rational-managerial, meso-systems-organic, macro-cultural-symbolic and macro-political-economic. While the contemporary literature on organizational change has done much to further our understanding about the future of organizational change, very few works provide us with case study examples of organizational change in action. Missing is an understanding of what facilitators of change actually do in the process of change. The present study sought to provide a …

Effectiveness Of Employee Participation Groups In A Manufacturing Company, John F. Blamy

Dissertations

This case study investigated the short term effectiveness of Quality of Work Life participation groups in a Midwest manufacturing division of a major worldwide automotive corporation. Six traditional procedural measures were used to evaluate performance. These measures of performance were: employee attendance, written grievances, scrap produced, quality audits, customer complaints, and productivity.

Six hypotheses were formulated for this study: (1) Employees in departments with employee participation groups will improve their attendance more than employees in departments that do not have employee participation groups. (2) Employees in departments with employee participation groups will decrease the number of formal grievances more than …

A Study Of State Mandated Educational Change, Kathleen Jensen

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Strategies Utilized By High School Department Heads In Initiating Or Implementing Change, John R. Wilkerson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Organizing For Change: An Assessment Of Organization Development Activities Of Training Consultants, Katherine Waller Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine and analyze the background and training of consultants involved in organization development activities, the client organizations served by these professionals, the types of organization development interventions most commonly employed by the training consultants, and the resources utilized by internal and external consultants conducting organization development activities. The data were collected from a review and analysis of organization development research literature and from a descriptive survey questionnaire utilized to obtain information from a sample of 102 practicing consultants from a variety of institutional settings throughout the United States. Both qualitative and quantitative information …

The Emergence Of The Middle School In Independent Education, Lawrence S. Sykoff Edd

Dissertations

Independent schools across the nation have adopted the middle school concept. The critical element in the evolution of the middle school in independent education is that the unique and marked changes in the overall intellectual and psycho-social development of adolescents have been systematically identified and integrated into a multi-divisional (K-12) structure. The literature and statistical information documenting the emergence of the middle school in independent education has been minimal. While contemporary research on public middle schools is extensive, very little data collection or theoretical models have been accumulated about the middle school movement in the private sector. The present study …

Effects Of Training On Measures Of Productivity: A Meta-Analysis Of The Findings Of Forty-Eight Experiments, Alice Susan Leddick

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of training on three employee productivity measures: output, withdrawal, and disruption.

A meta-analysis of forty-eight field experiments published in the United States between 1971 and 1981, inclusive, was conducted to explore differences in training effectiveness associated with eight substantive training variables (five design variables and three contextual variables) and two study design variables.

Across all studies, training programs contributed to overall improvement of experimental groups over control groups of 0.67 standard deviation. Training interventions were most successful applied to disruption; however, a shortage of data cast doubt on the reliability …

The Administrative Organization Structure Of The Chicago Public Schools, 1837-1949, Frank Lucente

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Administrative Organization Structure Of The Chicago Public Schools, 1837-1949, Frank Lucente

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Heart And Spirit Of Transformational Leadership A Qualitative Case Study Of Herb Kelleher’S Passion For Southwest Airlines, Kevin L. Freiberg Edd

Dissertations

The notion of transformational leadership as developed by James MacGregor Burns has contributed significantly to a new consensus in the literature regarding the nature of leadership. Burns introduced the concept of transformational leadership, suggesting that leaders are individuals who transform their institutions by embracing competition and conflict, meeting the mutual goals of both leader and followers, successfully articulating their values to followers and drawing them into a common purpose and a shared vision, using power resources and politics to satisfy their followers’ needs and wants, and raising the moral aspirations of both leaders and led. While the contemporary literature on …

The Counseling Center As A Healing Community : The Development Of A Model, Talitha Day Fair

Dissertations

In a pluralistic society alternative models for delivery of mental health services are needed to enhance theeffectiveness of professional therapy, to provide appropriate care for persons from various subcultures, and to increase job satisfaction and reduce the level of stress for therapists. This study proposes an alternative modelbased on the concept of a healing community.

Five alternative mental health programs qualifying as healing communities were observed to identify thetherapeutic dynamics in such settings. Communities observed were a self-contained village with mentally handicapped and normal adults, a church that functions as a community, a juvenile center, a self-help group, and a …

A Study Of Administrative Decisions Made In Response To Problems Governed By The Negotiated Teacher Contract, Ronald J. O'Brien

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Perceptual Differences And Congruities Between California Community College Chancellors And Presidents In Multi-College Districts Regarding The Decision-Making Role Of The Presidents, Jeanne Davis Atherton Edd

Dissertations

Purpose This study was designed to provide foundational information concerning the perceptions of California community college chancellors and presidents in multi-college districts, regarding the presidents' decision-making role, at both the college and districtwide levels. Factors pertaining to the chancellors and presidents' professional background, and to district characteristics were reviewed for possible relationships to perceptual congruities and differences. Methodology Survey research methodology provided the basis for the design of the study. Eleven district chancellors and 28 presidents responded to a 24 item, two level Likert-type instrument and a professional background questionnaire. Demographic information on each of the participating districts was obtained …

Leader Communication And Organizational Culture: A Field Study, Shay Sayre Edd

Dissertations

Corporate culture, the object of considerable media attention since 1980, has been identified as an important consideration for improving performance. While the literature points to vision as a key element for building a productive culture, it does not sufficiently address the communication process used by leaders to transmit their vision. This research looks at the leadership and communication aspects of culture, exploring the extent to which the leader's ideology influences the behaviors of organization members. Conducted in a $30 million Southern California company of 225 employees, the study focuses on a female general manager who, in the founder's absence, has …

Implementation And Meta-Evaluation Of An Experimental Method For Evaluating An Administrator Training Program, Nancy B. Larsen

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to operationalize, test, and assess the utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy of the "success case method." A review of the literature revealed that although evaluation is presently being conducted in educational training programs, it is often not practical nor cost-effective. The Kirkpatrick model for evaluation provided the conceptual framework for viewing evaluation of training. A training managers' interview questionnaire was developed to elicit perceived changes in trainees' performance after training. Nine success cases, selected from a group of 37 administrators, were interviewed by telephone 2 weeks after the training. Selection criteria and procedures were …

Contributions To The Career And Managerial Development Of Women: The Importance Of Selected Components As Perceived By A Group Of Community College Female Educators, Daniel A. Jaksen

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the perceived importance of factors which comprised the major components of a leadership training program developed exclusively for female community college managerial aspirants. The study was undertaken to determine if any differences existed among six components, perceived by the participants as contributing to their career development. Comparisons were also made to ascertain if a difference existed in the importance of each of the components between those who have advanced in their careers since participating in the leadership program and those who have not advanced.

Data were collected from 251 (82%) female participants …