Digital Commons Network^™

Grant Us Wisdom, Grant Us Courage For The Facing Of Change Leadership: A Case Study Of The Change Leadership Of J. Gresham Machen, Peter Raymond Sniffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Ministry leaders are ill-prepared to execute the inevitable requirement of change leadership. As a result of this leadership shortcoming, necessary change efforts are either avoided or fail. During the Fundamentalist and Modernist Controversy of the early 20th Century, J. Gresham Machen provided change leadership in response to doctrinal error in the church that transformed his ministry context and Presbyterianism in the United States as it was then structured. In Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, Paul also exercised leadership to drive change away from doctrinal error in the church. A case study examining Machen’s change leadership in light of Paul’s example …

Examining Associations Between Servant Leadership, Job Burnout, And Job Satisfaction In The Iowa Probation And Parole Job Profession, Alfredo Rodriguez Ordaz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following research paper investigated the associations between servant leadership, job burnout, and job satisfaction in the Iowa probation and parole profession. There is extensive literature examining job burnout and job satisfaction in many disciplines, including the field of corrections. Leadership literature examining the servant leadership model remains limited. The leadership literature suggests that probation and parole agencies operate through a traditional paramilitary command and control hierarchy of strict adherence to rules, policies, and procedures. The importance and significance of this study are that it examined the extent to which probation and parole leaders practiced and engaged in servant leadership …

A Phenomenological Study Of Administrators' Perceptions Of College Mergers, Abigail Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experience of administrators who participated in mergers of technical colleges in a Southern state in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Lewin’s (1997) change theory. Lewin (1997) suggested that the critical factor of an organization’s tone lies in leadership before, during, and after a change. Therefore, the success of any significant organizational transition, such as a merger, relies on the skills of leaders. A central research question and three sub-questions were used to understand the lived experiences that impact administrators during a college merger. A qualitative …

Managing Risk: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology On The Experiences Of Corporate Instructors When Planning And Developing Disaster Driven Training Content, Seeke Diana Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to understand and interpret corporate trainers' perspectives when developing disaster or pandemic-driven training content for remote situations and suggest a baseline response to identified deficits. Using the disaster risk management theory by Kim and Sohn (2018), with specific emphasis on Petak's (1985) and McLoughlin's (1985) framework, data from the participants was collected using semi-structured individual interviews, document analysis, and observations. While corporate trainers have used years of experience and seasoned pedagogy to enhance learning for their participants to achieve corporate objectives, almost no content exists regarding the process. Due to increased remote learning resulting from the …

A Quantitative Study Examining Individual Employee Experiences Of Change Initiatives And The Impact On Employee Perceptions Of Change And Attitudes, Adrienne Marie Read

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current organizational change management models focus on information sharing as the primary mechanism for involving employees in change initiatives, but most change initiatives fail due to limited attention given to organizational members impacted by change. The current study provides empirical evidence for more tangible methods of employee involvement by examining individual experiences of organizational change and the influence of involvement factors (leadership communication and work contribution) on employee perception of change and job attitudes (organizational commitment and turnover intentions). A causal-comparative design was implemented using a 39-item survey administered to 344 participants who have experienced an organizational change. The nonparametric …

The Spiritual And Emotional Dynamics Of Pastoral Transitions: A Phenomenological Study, Carl Michael Mclaughlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the central phenomenon of how the spiritual and emotional dynamics of outgoing and incoming pastoral leadership impacted the pastoral transition and to discover common patterns in successful transitions. The central question addressed in this phenomenological research was, “How do pastoral teams consisting of the outgoing pastor and spouse and the incoming pastor and spouse process the spiritual and emotional dynamics of a pastoral transition?” The church is described as a family (Eph 3:15) with spiritual and emotional needs. The pastor should possess personal competence and social competence to lead the …

Distribution Center Erp Utilization, Andrew B. Davidson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Globalization has forced the supply chain industry into becoming more reliant on technology. Organizations invest large amounts of resources in remaining competitive in today's market. The primary tool distribution centers leverage in their general business practice is an enterprise resources planning (ERP) system. Unfortunately, this system is often underutilized after the initial implementation. This qualitative case study aimed to explore the benefits of advanced ERP training and knowledge management policies in order to provide recommendations to increase distribution centers ERP utilization. The recommendations, if implemented, will maximize corporate capabilities by influencing ERP efficiency. A manufacturing organization with distribution centers throughout …

Leadership Competencies For Christian Directors At International Schools In Saudi Arabia, Ayanna Saran Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As Christian leaders expand their influence into the Middle East, it is important for both leaders and institutions to know what competencies are essential for these leaders. Educational leadership in Saudi Arabia is under reformation as expats and nationals work in collaboration to lead international schools towards Vision 2030. To compile a list of essential competencies, this exploratory qualitative research explored which skills, behaviors, and knowledge were recommended by recruiters and Saudi principals for international directors. The exploratory research included interviews with three Saudi principals and three recruiters who shed light on the essential competencies for expatriate directors. Based on …

Interactive Textbooks: A Study On The Effects On Learning Gains And Course Grades Among Community College Minority Students, Victoria C. Brower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study is to examine whether the use of interactive e-textbooks by community college minority students makes a difference in academic outcomes (as measured by final course test grades) and if the use of interactive textbooks could lead to course completion and terminal degrees. This study adds to the existing literature insight into alternative methods of increasing learning and developing positive attitudes among minorities in the community college setting. The sample population included minority students enrolled in a government class attending a community college in an urban area in South Florida. There were N = …

Leadership Strategies And Behaviors That Support Career Advancement For Teleworkers, Glory Ann Sanders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research in telework has primarily focused on the study of teleworkers or on the comparison between teleworkers and non-teleworkers. For this reason, leader behaviors in the telework context has been a relatively neglected area of study. This study emphasizes the lack of career advancement within the telework arena that has contributed to higher turnover intentions and a reluctancy to participate in telework programs. This research specifically explores leader behaviors and strategies that support career advancement for teleworkers within Denver, Colorado. The findings indicate that leaders are more intentional about communication with teleworkers than with non-teleworkers. Physical distance creates many challenges …

Government Contract Re-Compete Impacts On Employees, John James Bergmann

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, case study research project was to examine the impacts of recurring contract re-competes on the defense contractor workforce. The primary focus was on how these every 5-year events affected morale, job satisfaction, productivity, and retention. The initial research effort explored factors which motivate and de-motivate employees, described common attributes of defense contractors, and discussed the vagaries of the contract re-compete process specifically and government contracting in general. This led to development of a conceptual framework, identification of several theories to assist in explaining and predicting employee behavior, and the design of semi-structured research questions to …

Leadership Qualities Needed For A School-Based Police Chief, Tridung Tran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although it has evolved over the years, school-based law enforcement remains vital in a school setting for safety and security. The dynamic of school-based law enforcement has been heavily researched through the popular crime prevention program called School Resource Officer. The introduction of police officers in schools’ thrusts law enforcement’s reputation, abilities, and authority into the spotlight. Limited studies have shown the unique leadership qualities needed to lead a school-based law enforcement agency. Police chief qualification is dependent on the law enforcement agency’s requirements and expectations and often requires years of experience and education. Further, there are excellent police chief …

Higher Education Student Perceptions And Experiences Of Creativity: A Case Study, Nancy Valeur Ellis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative single instrumental case study was to describe the perceptions and experiences of creativity by university students at a mid-size public university located in the Mid-Atlantic States of the U.S. The theory guiding this study was Amabile’s componential theory of creativity which views creativity as a complex interrelationship of creative disposition, process, product, and social environment. The question, “How do U.S. higher education students perceive and experience creativity within the university environment?”, was explored. Student interviews, documentation, and focus group responses were analyzed using member checks, linguistic and affective coding, and key quotes and themes. Findings …

Implementing And Sustaining A Lean Management System, Derek Albert Vandersteur

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Lean healthcare is a field of research that studies the use of effective goal setting and scientific thinking to drive improvements in the healthcare industry. Lean has been effectively applied in healthcare settings to improve efficiency, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and safety. There have been, however, varying degrees of success achieved in healthcare organizations effectively implementing a lean management system. The problem addressed in this research is that many healthcare organizations in the United States that seek to improve quality and reduce costs by implementing a lean management system are unable to sustain the lean management system thereby missing out …

Leadership Failures That Lead To Poor Organizational Performance, Brahaspattie Annie Singh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Our world continues to change rapidly because of globalization and internationalism thus has become more multicultural and diverse that strong and effective leadership was needed in the workforce. The real estate industry has changed as well and continues to change because of multiculturalism. The effects of COVID-19 placed burdensome restrictions and regulations both from the state and city levels that firms must follow in order to function internally and externally to market properties. The effects of COVID-19 will forever change the way business is done as usual, where the general business practice must include a constant of new critical change …

Going Virtual: Addressing The Challenges Faced By Organizational Leaders When Employees Transition To Virtual Environments In Times Of Crisis, Mary Susan Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities across the world moved their operations online. While a great deal of focus was placed on the value of teaching and learning during a crisis period, very little attention was paid to the other side of higher education institutions—the business side. Suddenly these institutions and their operational staff were forced to discover new ways to perform tasks that had always been completed in person. The leaders of these organizations faced the added challenge of ensuring that their workforce remained engaged and motivated while working in the midst of stressful, even chaotic …

The Organizational Leadership Framework, John Robert Sparks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The field of leadership has evolved quite drastically over the years. Douglas McGregor showed us the evolution from a Theory X style belief that employees are unmotivated and dislike their work to his Theory Y style belief that employees are motivated and receive a sense of enjoyment from their work. Abraham Maslow expanded on this work with his Theory Z belief that optimal employee performance would prevail with the proper leadership approach. For years now, leadership has focused on various approaches or styles that produce the best performance resulting from the relationship between the leader and their follower. Organizations, research, …

Human Resource Strategy In Times Of Disruption, April R. Kinchen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to obtain knowledge relating to human resources during crisis and disruption. To obtain a deeper understanding of the material, I conducted a qualitative case study using a structured interview process, an anonymous survey process for triangulation. The interview process comprised 15 interviews to achieve saturation, as well as 135 survey respondents. During the participant interview process, I obtained the data to attribute to the current body of research regarding human resources during times of crisis and disruption. Interview participants comprised of individual contributors, people leaders, and human resource professionals. Participants felt strongly that open communication, infrastructure, and …

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing: An Integrated Review, Mary M. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Healthcare providers, especially those working in emergency and intensive care settings, are frequently exposed to traumatic experiences. These experiences affect their emotional, physical, psychological, or spiritual well-being. This integrated review analyzed the effectiveness of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) as an intervention for emergency healthcare providers secondary to exposure of traumatic events in their clinical practice. Fifteen (15) articles and journals using the PRISMA model searching for evidence supporting the application of CISD in managing the effects of traumatic experiences by emergency healthcare providers were reviewed. The research showed that emergency healthcare workers mitigate stress in multiple ways. The non-mandatory …

Defelonization And Police Decision-Making: A Phenomenological Study Of Policing Behaviors In Los Angeles County Post-Proposition 47, Stephen William Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore how law enforcement officers in Los Angeles County described their lived experiences of engaging in discretionary enforcement behaviors when policing narcotics crimes. Rational choice theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The two research questions asked the following: 1) What does Proposition 47 mean to law enforcement officers in Los Angeles County in relation to their self-efficacy to police narcotic offenses? 2) What do law enforcement officers in Los Angeles County share as challenges when policing narcotic offenses in their communities after the ratification of Proposition 47? Purposeful sampling …

Enhancing Success Through Leadership, Wendy T. Jewell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to obtain a better understanding of how leaders influence the culture of the organization to enhance performance. A post-positive qualitative research case study was conducted at a state agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia. During this study, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with agency employees who participated on a project to implement a smart phone fuel application. This fuel application automated specific manual processes related to their fuel management program. While the fuel application project implementation was finishing, the interviews were conducted. During these interviews, participants provided their perspectives on leadership, communication, empowerment, project outcomes, lessons learned, …

A Case Study On How School Leaders Foster A Safety Culture In Secondary School, Breck Laster Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this embedded single case study was to describe how school leaders foster a culture of safety in a secondary school in central Atlantic State. The central research question guiding this study was: How do school leaders foster a culture of safety in a secondary school? I conducted a single embedded case study at a top-rated high school that demonstrated a safety culture under the pseudonym of Chatantown High School. The conceptual framework undergirding this study was the Avolio and Bass full range of leadership model. Purposeful sampling was used to interview educators and educational leaders on-site, while …

Exploring How Catholic School Leaders Use The National Standards And Benchmarks For Effective Catholic Schools As A Framework For Accreditation: A Single Case Study, Andrew Michael Kremer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore how Catholic school leaders in a Catholic diocese in the Midwestern United States use the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS) to inform their school improvement processes through accreditation. Through the theoretical lens of routinized action theory, the uses of the NSBECS for accreditation and the perceptions of the influence of the NSBECS on school improvement were studied. This study was guided by the central research question: How do Catholic school leaders in the Midwestern United States use the NSBECS to inform their school improvement processes …

Leadership Advancement: A Phenomenological Study Of Non-Faculty Black Male Leadership In Higher Education, Lerone Joseph

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of non-faculty Black male administrators and leadership advancement at predominantly White institutions (PWI) in Virginia. A transcendental phenomenological approach was used to address the central research question of what the leadership advancement experiences of non-faculty Black male administrators at predominately White institutions in Virginia. Critical race theory as it relates to education was used as the theoretical framework to guide the study. Purposeful and snowball sampling was used to select non-faculty Black male administrators from predominantly White institutions (PWI). Data collected through questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups revealed five major themes: cultural …

The Underrepresentation Of Women In Senior Leadership Positions Within The Healthcare Industry, Gloria I. Choquette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today’s business world the importance of bias, stereotyping, and prejudice, needs to be taken into account, as it leads to the underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions. A crucial leadership gap exists in the current healthcare system as theories, cases, and models have influenced the strategies used in the healthcare industry. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the causes behind the underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions within the healthcare industry in Winter Haven, Florida when compared to population demographics resulting in the organizations inability to leverage their skill-sets. Through participants responses the …

A Comparison Of Undergraduate Perceptions Of Institutional Quality At A Public Institution, Nancy M. Woodrow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Understanding the undergraduate student’s perception of institutional quality is important to university administrators. This understanding can assist the university administrator in adjusting and improving relevant areas that aid in retention of current students and increase their satisfaction with the educational experience. Furthermore, the undergraduate student’s perception of institutional quality could be useful in motivating future students to select the institution as their college choice. Unfortunately, perception of institutional quality is not among the factors of consideration when incoming undergraduate students make their college selection. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assist the educational administrator in understanding whether the …

Creating Collaborative Missional Communities To Enhance Church Revitalization, Bradford William Reaves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Paste or Type Your Abstract *

This project utilizes the revitalization efforts of Grace Community Church in Winchester, VA to examine the precedence of collaborative strategies for church revitalization. In this study contemporary literature, theological foundations, surveys of church leaders in the United States, and interviews with collaborative church and ministry leaders from around the United States are evaluated to determine the need for greater collaboration for the health and revitalization of church and ministries. The findings of this research argue that contemporary church growth strategies that emerged from the recent church growth movement may actually inhibit church revitalization efforts …

The Responsibility Of Christian Church Pastors To Include Homelessness Awareness In Ministry Outreach, Joy Nicole Hale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Christian church pastor has a significant role in addressing homelessness within their communities. They must be willing to defeat this giant. This responsibility is further highlighted by the opportunity of outreach ministries within Christian churches working with community resources to identify the physical, financial, social, and emotional needs of the homeless. Understanding the pastoral leadership shapes and influences the Christian church is a critical component to comprehending how the church illustrates hope and the image of God to the homeless population. Many American individuals are faced with the debilitating stresses of homelessness without adequate emotional resources to address their …

The Efficacy Of Emergency Management Certification Training In Georgia Through The Lived Experiences Of Local Emergency Managers, Jack Robby Westbrook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology qualitative inquiry was to understand the efficacy of the Basic Georgia Certified Emergency Manager Program curriculum on preparing local emergency managers in each of Georgia’s eight geographical regions for their role. Emergency managers are professionals tasked with helping communities and organizations to anticipate all hazards and undertake measures to deal with disasters (McEntire 200 7). Demands placed on local emergency managers have increased significantly since the turn of the century. Between 2002 and 2020, the number and frequency of disasters have dramatically increased, and Georgia's social and economic demographics have undergone significant changes, presenting …

The Traditional Student Myth: A Multiple Case Study On The Experiences Of Traditional Students With Nontraditional Student Characteristics, Stephani L. Greytak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to describe the perceptions of institutional support and services of traditional-age students with nontraditional characteristics at Kansas universities. The central research question for this study was “How do traditional students with nontraditional characteristics experience institutional support and services?” The study was guided by organizational learning theory (Argyris & Schön, 1974). Research was conducted at two four-year universities in the state of Kansas and involved 10 students ages 18 – 24 enrolled or recently enrolled in college, who identified with at least one nontraditional characteristic. Data were collected using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, focus …