Digital Commons Network^™

Job Search: From Setting The Goal To Obtaining The Job, Nicholas Aaron Moon

Theses and Dissertations

Job searching is a nearly universal experience with important consequences. Although research on the job search process is extensive, few studies have examined the goals that individuals have during their job search (i.e., employment and job search goals) and the factors that influence these goals over time. However, these goal-related processes are likely to be key in this area given that job searching fundamentally involves goal pursuit and how these processes unfold may have important implications for job seekers. This research begins to fill this gap by examining self-efficacy as an antecedent of job search and employment goals; perceived progress …

Fostering Resilience: Leader Strategies And Practices For Overcoming Adversity In Military Organizations, Eugene Coughlin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to identify leadership strategies and practices for overcoming adversity in military organizations. This entailed determining what challenges military leaders face in implementing practices aimed at fostering resilience in their organizations. Also examined was how military leaders measure success at fostering resilience in their organizations. Finally, this study considered what recommendations military leaders would make to aspiring leaders wanting to foster resilience in their own organizations in the future. The researcher used a phenomenological approach that incorporated interviews and content analysis. The population for this study was United States Marine Corps infantry officers who …

The Impact Of A Peer-Teaching Instructional Approach On A Student’S Self-Confidence, John Corral

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a problem of practice stemming from students not given the same opportunities to use and develop self-confidence and take on higher levels of responsibility in the classroom as they prepare for the 21st century workforce in our society. Recognizing a problem of practice evident in our high school with low-selfesteem in students, this paper studies the effects of implementing a peer-teaching instructional approach to help develop students’ self-confidence and emerging leadership skills (Lockie & Van Lanen, 2008). The central research question addressed in this study is: what is the impact of implementing a peer-teaching instructional approach on …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Collaborating Teacher Leadership In Professional Development Schools (Pdss), Nedd James Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Professional Development Schools (PDSs) provide teachers with multiple new opportunities for leadership. As teachers are encouraged to assume new roles outside of the classroom and beyond the school, it is important to examine the concept of teacher leadership in practice--specifically, how it is perceived by those most closely associated with it. This study identifies a shared understanding of teacher leadership from collaborating teachers, using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design in PDSs within a large, diverse southern New Jersey school district-university partnership. The two-phase study examines perceptions about teacher leaders through data collected from the Teacher Leadership Inventory (TLI) (Angelle …

Leadership Traits Of Long Tenured Youth Ministers In Churches Of Christ, Gregory Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Although typically not responsible for leadership decision-making that impacts the spiritual growth of the entire organization, youth ministers play a vital leadership role in congregational health as leaders of smaller communities within greater communities of faith. This leadership role is threatened by numerous challenges facing youth ministers of all denominations. Specific to this study, the vital role of youth ministry in Churches of Christ is threatened by high turnover rates of those within the profession. The purpose of this study was to determine leadership practices and strategies that are employed by long tenured youth ministers in Churches of Christ, identify …

The Stereotypes And Biases That Plague Millennial Leaders: Best Practices And Strategies For Job Promotion, Linda M. Mckenzie

Theses and Dissertations

A dichotomy within U.S. organizations needs attention. Society has labeled millennials as a narcissistic people who have entitlement issues and lack the competencies necessary for globalization. Millennials are firing back with a desire for purposeful work. Meanwhile, the cohort is employed in the workforce with this stigma and experience challenges promoting into executive leadership roles. The purpose of this study is to understand the challenges that millennials face being promoted to executive leadership roles. The literature review explored the top U.S. organizations to discover what sets them apart in distinction. The findings determined that the most successful organizations followed three …

Improving Trauma Team Process And Performance Through Simulation, Melissa Regalado-Smith

Theses and Dissertations

According to the National Trauma Institute [NTI] (2014), trauma accounts for 41 million United States emergency department visits and 2.3 million hospital admissions. It is the leading cause of death in people age 1-46 years and is the third leading cause of death overall. Doumouras, Keshet, Nathens, Ahmed, and Hicks (2014) reported that errors in trauma resuscitation can be linked to deficiencies in trauma team processes and performance. These deficiencies were found in a level II trauma center in a small Midwestern city. This project was developed to provide evidence-based team training strategies to improve the care of the trauma …

Program, Partnership, And Resource Management: Success Principles For Churches That Have Programmatically And Financially Successful Nonprofit Organizations, Charles Dorsey

Theses and Dissertations

Church affiliated Human Service Organizations (CAHSOs) are drastically understudied. Consequently, the experience of their executive leaders is understudied. Information on CAHSOs and the experience of their executive leaders is often blended into general faith- based organizational research. Yet, CAHSOs play a vital role in the United States and abroad. CAHSOs are responsible for the social welfare of millions of indigent people in suffering communities. These organizations provide housing to the homeless, food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and educational programing to at-risk youth, among many other things. These organizations, however, only function because of the expertise and work …

Creating A Culture Of Completion In Two-Year Institutions: Examining The Influence Of Participation In The Community College Completion Corps On Institutional Stakeholders, Jennifer Blalock

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation assessed the effect of participation in Community College Completion Corps and associated activities on campus stakeholders’ perceptions of a culture of completion. The national initiative to increase completion rates at community colleges has resulted in a heightened awareness of this performance measurement. A number of community colleges have participated by hosting a C4 signing event, the hallmark activity associated with the movement. This inaugural event served as a public declaration of the two-year institution’s intention to provide an environment in which policy and practice, as well as theory and application, focus on supporting and increasing student completion. …

Success From The Sideline: How Communicative Processes Of Coaches' Decision-Making Styles Relate To Rugby Team Success, Kelley Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between communication processes collegiate rugby coaches utilize when making decisions and team success. Along with measuring coaches' collaborative decision-making levels, this study explored various communication opportunities coaches report offering to players during decision-making processes. The results show there is no linear relationship between collaborative decision-making levels and winning percentage, nor is there a linear relationship between offering communication opportunities and winning percentage. Analysis revealed no one specific communication opportunity was a significant predictor variable of team success. While the variables tested did not have any correlation with college rugby winning percentage, it was found that …

Training Needs Analysis For Women In Educational Leadership In Saudi Arabia, Faten Alsari

Theses and Dissertations

Education is finally embracing school leadership as an important component in reform schools. School leaders have become central for building schools that promote powerful teaching and learning for all students. Therefore, well-prepared principals help to change schools and improve instruction. In contrast, the shortage of qualified school leaders has intensified interest in leadership development as a major strategy for developing schools and education. The purpose of this research was to conduct a training needs analysis for women in educational leadership in Saudi Arabia by identifying the gap, if any, between the current skills and the desired skills for female school …

Individual Traits And Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role Of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy And Need For Cognition, Chao Miao

Theses and Dissertations

The field of entrepreneurship is rapidly advancing and matures as a discipline that receives substantial amount of attention. One popular area of research in the discipline of entrepreneurship is to investigate one’s intent to start a business, which is entrepreneurial intention. This is an important construct that warrants ongoing research because entrepreneurial intention is not only a great predictor of entrepreneurial behavior but also an important step in the process of becoming an entrepreneur. The present study, based on a sample of 321 subjects along with 264 observers, makes five contributions to the entrepreneurship literature. First, I examined the psychometric …

Considering Distributed Leadership And Its Effects On Teacher Leadership Practices And Student Achievement Leadership Practices And Student Achievement, Justin Finney

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the construct of distributed leadership in schools. This work presents the results of a theory building study investigating the following research questions: (a) In schools, is there a relationship between distributed leadership practices and increased student achievement? (b) How does distributed leadership shape and inform the experiences, practices, and agency of teachers and school administrators within a school that espouses a distributed paradigm with regard to its leadership and management practices? These questions were considered through a longitudinal mixed methods study of the leadership practices at Grantham Middle School and Bishop Elementary. The findings suggest that distributed …

Learning To Practice Leadership For Social Justice: An Autoethnography, David S. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Some students in schools are served well, whereas others are not. Students traditionally marginalized in schools are students of color, students whose native language is not English, students who receive free and reduced-price lunches, and students with an individualized education program. On nearly all measures in all schools, there exists a persistent achievement gap. The role of leadership in schools can be an important piece in addressing the achievement gap. Traditional leadership has focused on managerial skills such as efficiency, charisma, heroism, decisiveness, and confidence. Another form of leadership exists that can serve to lessen or eliminate the achievement gap: …

Inspirational Leadership: The Written Theory Versus The Theory-In-Action, David Dinn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe the leadership practices of Dr. Austin at Warren County Community College (WCCC), Washington, NJ versus the espoused leadership practices of inspirational leadership (Austin, 2009). The study also examined Dr. Austin's leadership qualities to determine ways they fit current effective practices as outlined by Kouzes and Posner (2001) and ways they deviate. A single case-study design was constructed and data were collected from interviews, observations, public announcements, and the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). Data analysis suggests that Dr. Austin performed a variety of leadership practices that had a positive impact on WCCC. Findings …

Making Leaders: Examining How Elementary School Students Develop An Understanding Of Leadership And Show Emerging Leadership Tendencies, Sarah E. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

MAKING LEADERS: EXAMINING HOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF LEADERSHIP AND SHOW EMERGING LEADERSHIP TENDENCIES

By Sarah E. Evans, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014

Director: Whitney Sherman Newcomb, Ph.D.

Professor, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to understand how young children develop skills and concepts of leadership, when nurtured in a developmentally appropriate manner. Leadership was defined as a process that people use to bring out the best in themselves and others, while working towards …

Overcoming The Threat Of Racial Stereotyping In The Workplace, Jeremy Lamar Gray

Theses and Dissertations

There is a distinct possibility there may be many people of color who are in leadership positions or applying for leadership positions that believe racial stereotyping creates barriers for opportunity and can hinder one's chances for success. The purpose of this research is to explore strategies used by leaders of color to overcome the threat of racial stereotyping in the Las Vegas hospitality and gaming industry, as it pertains to barriers, opportunities, and success. There are four research questions the researcher explored through leadership, strategies, assimilation and performance. The sample size consisted of twelve leaders of color in the Las …

Leadership Traits And Characteristics Of Elected California Women Political Leaders, Ennette Y. Morton

Theses and Dissertations

From the beginning of women's entry into government and politics, namely the suffrage movement, the male lead political system did not embrace women's involvement. While women have played an influential role in the political system, they were largely relegated to supporting roles. However, within the past century, women have become a stronger force in policy making and continue to shatter the stereotypes that have persisted through the years. The purpose of this study was to examine how specific leadership traits and characteristics have contributed to the career progress of 6 elected women who represent California constituents within the local, state, …

Registration, Attendance, And Reality: African-Americans Engaged In Sat Preparation, Don Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research into the persistence, participation, and efforts of African American students in their preparation for college admission exams (SAT, ACT). Registration, attendance, and the experienced reality of African American students who voluntarily enrolled in an SAT prep program as well as perceptions of African American instructors were the foci of this mixed methods action research. This study examined the development of a Saturday SAT preparation program over an 18 month period. Theoretical frameworks of Stereotype Threat (STT) (Steele, 1992; Steele & Aronson, 1995) and schooling effects (Diamond, 2007; Kao & Thompson, 2003; Ladson-Billings 1995, 1997; Starratt, 2003; …

Communication Patterns Among Members Of Engineering Global Virtual Teams, Holt Zaugg

Theses and Dissertations

Global virtual (GV) teams provide an opportunity for engineering students to participate in meaningful, cross-cultural learning projects without additional costs of time and money associated with study abroad programs. However, students must learn how to communicate effectively with international team members. Instruction to help students learn which virtual communication technologies to use and how to use them is needed. Training must include cross-cultural training that facilitates team communications and interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds. This study focused on how 10 specialized lessons, Principles of Global Virtual Teams (PGVT), facilitated the communications and interactions of students participating on GV …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

Transitioning Organizations For Sustainability: Exploring The Intersection Of Sustainability, Worldview, And Organization Development, Jessica Bartenhagen

Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning Organizations for Sustainability (TOS) is the practice of holistic organizational transformation in response to complex social, ecological, and economic challenges. This study examined the relationship between the worldview of organization development (OD) practitioners and their professional identity, particularly those practicing TOS. The study compared professional data with levels of agreement with the NEP Scale (Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig & Jones, 2000). Data were collected through a survey of Pepperdine University MSOD affiliates and interviews with TOS practitioners. Current TOS practice, a future desire for TOS practice, a Master's level education, and a future-oriented outlook were shown to have some …

Transitioning Organizations For Sustainability: Exploring The Intersection Of Sustainability, Worldview, And Organization Development, Jessica Bartenhagen

Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning Organizations for Sustainability (TOS) is the practice of holistic organizational transformation in response to complex social, ecological, and economic challenges. This study examined the relationship between the worldview of organization development (OD) practitioners and their professional identity, particularly those practicing TOS. The study compared professional data with levels of agreement with the NEP Scale (Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig & Jones, 2000). Data were collected through a survey of Pepperdine University MSOD affiliates and interviews with TOS practitioners. Current TOS practice, a future desire for TOS practice, a Master's level education, and a future-oriented outlook were shown to have some …

Leadership Development In Higher Education: Exploring Model Impact Among Students And Alumni, Michael Scot Bommarito

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of an institution-wide leadership development model on students at a private Christian university. The university being studied in this research made a significant commitment to the principles of servant-leadership as well as Kouzes and Posner's (2002) Leadership Challenge development model. In 2001 the university adopted the mission of ensuring that every student grows as a leader in his or her own field of study. All courses and programs are required to include servant leadership development opportunities and outcomes. Key to the model selected is the premise that leadership, as a …

Formative Assessment: The Implementation Of Learnia And The Impact On Students' Proficiency Of The New Jersey Mathematics Standards, Nicole Santora

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research project was to afford teachers with data regarding their eighth grade students' current levels of proficiency on the New Jersey's mathematics standard. Through professional development, teachers were provided with the opportunity to use these data to create an instructional plan in which they could focus their instruction on the specific standards in which their students were not demonstrating proficiency. The data were collected through a comparison of student performance on the pre-assessment and post-assessment of the standards, interviews, questionnaires, and a leadership attribute survey. The first conclusion was that a formative assessment program had …

The Role Of International Education In California Community Colleges: Perspectives Of College Leaders, Claudia M. Acosta

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years government and businesses have stressed the need of increasing the number of workers in the U.S. who can effectively interact with interests on an international level. As a result, various actions have been taken toward advancing international education in higher education in California. As stated by the California Education Code, established in 1999 ("California Community Colleges," n.d.), one of the primary missions of community colleges is to advance California's economic growth and global competitiveness through education. International education contributes to the state's economy and to a diverse college environment, and enhances both academic and curricular programs. However, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Competing Priorities And African American Women Striving To Achieve Work-Life Balance, Gayle Colston Barge

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations must address a myriad of issues from diversity initiatives to ensuring that work-life programs are responsive to the needs of its fastest growing segment--women of color of which African American women are the largest minority group. Despite the significance of their presence, research to date on the topic of work-life balance and family issues is based primarily on the experiences of middle-class white women. All women struggle with issues related to work-life conflict. Missing from this dialogue are the voices of African American women. Despite evidence that work is a significant domain in their lives, researchers have limited information …

Staff Nurse Leadership: Leading At The Point Of Care, Anne L. Heid

Theses and Dissertations

As health care undergoes pervasive transformation, the need has become acute to develop leadership at all levels of nursing. Decision-making by staff nurses at the point of care has significant impact on patient care outcomes and quality of health care in today's decentralized institutions. Little empirical research has been undertaken to understand the process of leadership at the staff nurse level. This study used the framework of symbolic interactionism and grounded theory research methodology to explore the process of staff nurse leadership. Descriptions of the process used to practice leadership at the staff nurse level were collected from staff nurse …

New Ceo's Personality And Leadership Styles As Measured By The Traits Of Age, Education, And Prior Experiences And Their Effect On The Firm's Performance, Stanley Wonkoo Cho

Theses and Dissertations

New technologies and increased competition require CEOs to assess and analyze vast amounts of information. They need cognitive ability and higher education and training. Moreover, CEOs are under more pressure to act quickly, to recognize potential problems or opportunities, and to take action immediately. They must be willing to take risks (Joos, Leone, & Zimmerman, 2003). Companies are turning to younger CEOs (Loomis, 2007) as they are more familiar with new technologies, better able to endure high stress environments, more open to new ideas, and less reluctant to take risks. This study examined the relationship between the financial performance of …

Religious Affiliation And Hiring Practice: A Case Study Of Concordia University Irvine, Marc Fawaz

Theses and Dissertations

In 1976, Christ College (CC), located in Irvine, California, began offering degrees leading to positions in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). The college comprises only 1 of several departments within Concordia University Irvine (CUI). Meanwhile, CUI is part of the Concordia University System (CUS), a nationwide network of LCMS 2- and 4-year colleges. Transformation of CC into a diverse university has been accompanied by challenges. Although enrollment is up, costs have risen. And although stakeholders prefer to hire full-time faculty with ties to the LCMS, few qualified candidates fulfill this stricture. These and other threats, coupled with the economic recession, …