Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of School Psychologists Regarding The Implementation Of The Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Act, John Kowalcyk

Theses and Dissertations

Current school psychologists in New Jersey were contacted in order to determine the attitudes, roles, and approaches of different school psychologists in relation to the new HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) legislation for all New Jersey Public Schools. This study gauged school psychologists' level of involvement in implementing the new legislation and their overall roles with regard to maintaining a safe and positive school climate. The survey, which was sent via email to school psychologists across the state, asked questions about their perceived roles in schools, the time they spent on various obligations during the workday, their involvement with the …

Writing Across The Curriculum: A Study Of Possibilities For Ualr, Mia Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to determine the feasibility of implementing writing across the curriculum (WAC) at UALR. For the purposes of this study, WAC will be defined as a methodology of instruction for undergraduate students attending a college or university that emphasizes writing in any discipline or major offered at that university. In other words, writing assignments and activities occur in classes that typically do not focus on writing like English and writing courses typically do. By utilizing a survey of best practices at four other universities, as well as a survey of attitudes of UALR faculty, this paper will provide …

Supporting African American Involvement In A Doctoral Program At A Regional Comprehensive University: A Research Study Of The Experiences And Perceptions Of African American Current Doctoral Candidates And African American Doctorates, Frankie Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

Education has been the path to battle moral injustice and to encourage self-governing dialogue about doing the "right thing" (Freire, 1998; Fullan, 2007; Hurtado et al., 1999; Tatum, 1992). Fullan (2007) claims that education is the "vehicle" to diminish inequities for the academically disadvantaged. Through interviews and conversations regarding their experiences and perceptions, this research study "gives voice" to African American doctorates, current doctoral students, and doctoral students who chose not to complete the doctoral educational leadership program at a regional comprehensive university in a Mid-Atlantic State (Allen, 1992, 2000; Delgado, 1995; Freeman, 1997; Soloranzo & Yosso, 2000, 2001). Using …

The Impact Of Strategic Planning On Mission Achievement In Egyptian Nonprofit Organizations: An Assessment Using The Balanced Scorecard Approach, Nashwa Ghoneim

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between strategic planning and organizational performance has rarely been examined in the public and nonprofit sectors. Moreover, most of the existing research has been confined to examining the nonprofit sector in the western society and very little has been conducted about strategic planning in nonprofits in developing countries like Egypt. This study empirically examines the effect of strategic planning on Egyptian nonprofit organization's performance effectiveness. An assessment of performance effectiveness was made using the multiple perspectives of the balanced scorecard. A fifth dimension was added to the balanced scorecard, developed originally by Niven (2008), which is volunteers' development. …

Adopting A Citizen-Centered Approach In Consular Services Provision By The Egyptian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Nevine Mohamed El-Saeed

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates whether the necessary preconditions for applying a citizen-centered approach exist in the relationship between Egyptian citizens abroad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (represented by diplomatic missions abroad). It also explores ways of making the bureaucracy more prepared for applying this new approach in an attempt to enhance consular service provision, and to rebuild the lost trust between Egyptians abroad and the Egyptian government. The study showed that even though there are continuous interactions between citizens abroad and diplomatic missions, the communication pattern between the two sides is still in the information stage, and has not moved …

Promoting The Integration Of Vocational And Academic Skills Using The Principles Of The Let Me Learn Model: A Case Study Of Transformational Leadership, Debra Ihunnah

Theses and Dissertations

Two educational models, the Let Me Learn Model (TM) and the Integration of Academic and Vocational Skills Model IV were implemented at the Cumberland County Technical School in New Jersey. The purposes of the study were (a) to introduce and enhance the teachers' knowledge about the two educational models (b) to assist teachers in using that knowledge gained from implementation of the models as a catalyst to change their teaching practices and (c) to enhance student learning. This was an action research study that examined the implementation of the two models and examined my transformational leadership skills. The Let Me …

A Benchmarking Study Of Air Force Program Manager Competencies, Kristy N. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade, the Department of Defense (DOD) has redesigned its acquisition process and the allocation of funding which in turned has had a major effect on the Air Force Acquisition program management workforce. The current acquisition workforce continues to face serious shortages of highly skilled program managers resulting in programs and projects overrun, undermanaged, and unexplained increased cost. Highly skilled talent with the necessary technology competencies is in high demand. These skills are critical to the success of programs and mission accomplishments.

The purpose of this benchmarking study is to determine if the Air Force are developing and …

Predictors And Predictive Effects Of Attitudinal Inconsistency Towards Organizational Change, Scott T. Drylie

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have largely portrayed individual resistance as a pervasive, irrational, and problematic response to organizational change initiatives. The current study confronts this interpretation with a model of attitudinal inconsistency that provides a more holistic perspective of the individual during times of change. Inconsistency reveals the degree to which the mental evaluations of a change initiative may conflict and produce weak attitudinal foundations to govern behavior. Measuring affective-cognitive consistency, the tests in this study demonstrate that employees may form inconsistent attitudes towards a change initiative. Inconsistency relates negatively to the perceived quality of management transition techniques such as participation, communication, structured …

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 …

A Qualitative Analysis Of A Corporate Adventure Program, Kimberly Molyneux

Theses and Dissertations

Outdoor adventure learning (OAL) provides a unique environment to teach organizational change. Therefore, there is an implication these programs can be used to foster necessary specific skills such as leading change, innovation, and thriving in hostile environments to lead in the ever-changing corporate world. Little research, however, supports the efficacy of adventure learning in achieving specific outcomes. Skeptics suggested the benefits of OAL programs do not always generalize effectively from the outdoor experience to the workplace. This paper outlines how utilizing strategic skills and theory to conduct OAL programs are effective and impactful in the corporate world. The purpose of …

500 Million Frenemies: A Phenomenological Study Of The Prevalence And Perceptions Of Female Students And Male Students As It Relates To Cyber Bullying On Social Networking Websites, Dana Manzi-Schaed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover the lived experiences of male and female high school students regarding cyber bullying on social networking websites. Previous research has shown that male and female students have very different experiences with traditional bullying; the current phenomenon of cyber bullying has yet to be widely researched. In addition, this research sought to better understand what, if any, the gender differences were in how students perceive adult prevention of cyber bullying as well as how both genders behave in informing adults of instances of cyber bullying. The goal of this research was …

A Case Study Of The Perceived Effects Of Change In Principal Leadership In An Upper Midwest Middle School, Theresa Ann Meyers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived problems that precipitated principal leadership change at the end of the 2008-2009 school year at an upper Midwest middle school and to describe the effects from the perspective of system participants. Using a case study approach, the research focused on the perceived effects of principal leadership change and its' impact on the perception of the school's culture and student success.

Three sources of data were triangulated and used to answer the research questions: pre-existing data from focus groups facilitated by an external consultant, open-ended interviews with eight participants from within …

Leadership And Management In Second Generation Medium-Size Family Businesses: A Comparative Study, Gonzalo Gonzalez-Serna

Theses and Dissertations

A research study was conducted among 10 second generation owners of medium-size family businesses in Mexico to gain a better understanding of how their firms were founded and of how these business owners have succeeded in growing their companies and keeping their business alive for more than 40 years. Literature from leadership, management, and family business was reviewed to analyze the existing research on the topic. The literature review revealed that many authors have addressed similar issues, but from different perspectives. This study presents the experiences of a group of second generation business owners in great detail, focusing on their …

Romancing Organizational Leadership: A Study Of The Relationship Between Personality, Maturity, National Culture, And Romance Of Leadership In A Multinational Organization, Vu Nguyen Tran

Theses and Dissertations

Romance of Leadership is a disposition to over-attribute organizational and societal outcomes to the actions of senior level leaders. The greater the magnitude of the outcome, the stronger the belief that leadership is the most significant driving force behind that outcome. Strong believers are found to be more susceptible to the emergence of transformational and despotic leadership. The tendency to romanticize leadership cannot be eliminated but needs to be understood, accounted for, and hopefully managed, by aspiring leaders. This study found that romance of leadership is a pervasive and durable phenomenon that is rooted in human personality, and shaped by …

A Good Story Changes Everything, Daraunda Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

Although applied in organizational settings, storytelling is not commonly used or understood in change efforts. Furthermore, storytelling's impact on changing organizational culture has not been widely examined. This study therefore sought to answer the question: What is the effect of stories on culture change? Twenty-five participants (4 managers and 21 associates) completed one-on-one, in-person interviews prior to a storytelling workshop. All associates attended the storytelling workshop, followed by interviews of all four managers and four randomly selected associates regarding culture change. This study found that storytelling, in particular the storytelling workshop, influenced the behaviors and attitudes of organizational members and, …

Using Appreciative Inquiry In The 360-Degree Survey Feedback Process For Leaders, Aaron C. Herbert

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified how an appreciative 360-degree leader survey enhanced the feedback process for leaders. The qualitative study was conducted at a 1500-member Protestant church in Virginia. The two senior-most leaders (pastor and executive associate pastor) were evaluated by 10 subordinates. Examination of the impact of the appreciative process on the implementation and use of survey results identified risks, benefits, and suggested interventions. The study found that the appreciative process generally enhanced subordinates' willingness to participate, although some concerns did arise. Pastors and subordinates stated they did not have sufficient time to absorb the feedback or to identify deliberate action …

Understanding And Developing Use Of Self After Graduation, Hanina L. Stettin

Theses and Dissertations

After graduation from a master's program, organization development (OD) practitioners are responsible for their own continued growth and learning. This research was conducted in order to provide the diverse, and relatively young, field of OD with some sense of (a) what methods practitioners are employing to develop and improve their Use of Self and (b) how they feel it helps them be better practitioners. The research was conducted in two stages. Firstly, alumni participated in an online survey gathering information about personal and professional practices. The data collected in the survey was enriched through second-stage research consisting of interviews with …

Attributes Of Asian American Senior Leaders Who Have Retained Their Cultural Identity And Been Successful In American Corporations, Maria Odiamar Racho

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the stories of Asian American senior leaders of Fortune 600 companies. The intent was to identify common attributes and experiences that could be used to help emerging leaders along their journeys and American corporations improve workplace environment and retention of top Asian American talent. Thirty-two Asian American senior leaders of Fortune 600 companies participated in an online questionnaire which included the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation (SL-ASIA) Scale. In addition, nine of those leaders were interviewed for stories and insights on the quantitative data. The findings uncovered that these leaders found a way …

An Exploratory Study Of Work-Related Imagined Interactions With Real-Life Coworkers, Paula Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Communication between individuals in social systems includes not only interpersonal, external acts of discourse, but also intrapersonal communications within each person's interior cognitive space. One type of intrapersonal communication, imagined interactions, involves mentally imagining communication encounters with others in an internal dialogue symbolic of real-life conversations. This research project explored the phenomenon of imagined interactions with real-life coworkers as a component of the interior work lives of working adults. The research question was: How do supervisors utilize imagined interactions to make sense of and manage workplace relationships? An existing survey instrument, the Survey of Imagined Interactions, was modified to limit …

A Phenomenological Study Of Selected California Small Business Founders' Motivational Paradigms, Jennifer M. Darling

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational vision has become an increasingly important tool in many professions. A founder's vision may permeate an organization's culture and have a lasting impact on how the organization is later run. Organizational vision is a tool that helps leaders create alignment within their organizations and provides flexibility for adaptation to the ever-changing marketplace. In order to facilitate this alignment, leaders often use various motivational techniques. Ideally, the motivational technique the leader selects best motivates his or her employees to act in alignment with the vision. How effective the founder is in selecting the most appropriate motivational technique may be contingent …

The Picture Memory Interference Test With Iranian Americans: Does First Language Impact Performance?, Shereen Kianmahd

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of first language on one's performance on the Picture Memory Interference Test (PMIT). This casual-comparative study examined if Iranian American students whose 1st language is Farsi performed differently from 1st language English-speaking Iranian American and monolingual English-speaking Caucasian students, after controlling for age and gender. To conduct this investigation, 103 Iranian American students who endorsed Farsi as their 1st language and English as their 2nd language were compared to a matched group of 103 monolingual English-speaking Caucasian students. Forty-four Iranian American students who endorsed 1st and 2nd language as English …

Developing Situation Awareness Capacity To Improve Executive Judgment And Decision Making Under Stress, Martha M. Batorski

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined multiple factors that underlie a key component of leadership resilience, situation awareness (SA), and its role in executive judgment and decision making under stress. SA, researched for over 30 years in military and critical incident professions by researchers from the field of Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM), has increasing relevance to leaders in organizations, particularly those who are challenged by high uncertainty and accelerating change, traditionally addressed by the field of organization development (OD). The study specifically examines the Transcendental Meditation^TM technique within the context of a 10-week intervention for developing SA capacity in emerging leaders (N …

Response To Instruction And Intervention: Teachers' Perceptions Of The Implementation In The Beaumont Unified School District As Measured By The Concerned [Sic] Based Adoption Model, Rebecca M. Salato

Theses and Dissertations

A school district in southern California mandated the implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) in order to better meet the needs of all district students. RtI is a proven approach to ameliorating academic and behavioral difficulties. It provides a logical structure for allocating instructional resources to utilize research-based effective instructional practices, identify students with learning disabilities, and collaborate between general and special education to benefit all students. In order to continue to provide effective professional development for teachers and thus improve the chances of successful implementation, district administrators needed feedback about the process of implementation and concerns of teachers. The …

A Study Of Health Care Payment Organizations' Culture And Adaptability To Revolutionary Change, Susan Andree Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. health care system is in the midst of revolutionary change. Health care costs continue to rise, significant portions of the population remain uninsured, and government regulation is increasing. The culture of organizations influences their ability to change, and research demonstrates that those with the characteristics of learning organizations are most adaptable. This study sought to establish the characteristics of health care payment organizations and to determine how well these align with the characteristics of learning organizations. A survey was sent to 138 individuals employed by 79 organizations in multiple segments of the industry to obtain their perception of …

The Effect Of Middle School Athletic Participation On California Common Assessment Tests, Stephen M. Hawn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between participation in middle school athletics and academic achievement and how this relationship may be impacted by gender and ethnicity. Scores from the cumulative California Standards Tests of 6th thru 8th graders were gathered and evaluated. The data used were from past years' scores that the school district provided for the researcher. The hypotheses formed were that a positive relationship could be found between middle school athletics participation and academic success. The participants in the study were students in 1 California middle schools located in Southern California. A literature review …

An Examination Of Talent Management Strategies For A Large Investor-Owned Utility Company: Facing The Market Pressures Of The 21st Century, Jeffrey Thrift

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study focuses on the talent management strategies being administered by a large investor-owned utility company based out of Southern California. Talent management is linked to a host of activities involving planning for key leadership transitions within an organization. Talent is the force that drives business success and brings value to an organization. This study examines the workforce challenges facing this large investor-owned utility company, to determine how talent management strategies are being developed and deployed, in the wake of new market forces, shifting demographics, and the anticipated loss of institutional knowledge from the baby-boomer generation, the largest segment …

Exploring Cultural Intelligence: An Exploratory Study Of The Impact Of Cultural Intelligence On Team Effectiveness In A Multinational, Organization Development Graduate Program, Jack P. Schlafer

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study focused on the impact of cultural intelligence (CQ) on team effectiveness (TE) in a multinational, organization development graduate program. This field study included preliminary measures of both CQ and TE, an educational and focus group intervention for enhanced CQ skills, and post-CQ and TE reassessment. The results suggest that CQ skills, specifically Metacognitive CQ and Behavioral CQ, had a positive relationship on a team's ability to meet objectives and satisfy customers' needs in cross-cultural engagements. Curiously, Metacognitive CQ seemed to have diminished a team's ability to deliver results in a timely manner. Demographics such as age negatively …

Telling The Story: Teaching Leaders The Art Of Storytelling And Its Impact On Individuals And The Organization, Julie Jones O’Leary

Theses and Dissertations

There are many different approaches to communicating a story which engages and inspires the audience. The opportunity comes in teaching employees a framework to tell a story that influences outcomes. This study analyzed the effects of a storytelling class delivered to employees of a Fortune 500 organization. Data for the study was sourced from a mixed-method approach: archival interviews, class evaluations, and face-to-face interviews. These methods measured the participants' reaction to the training, evaluated the relevance to the job, and determined the impact of learning the art of telling a story. The findings showed participants reported improved confidence, strengthened relationships, …

Human And Relationship Capabilities In A Global Change Program, Elena Tran

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined human and relationship capabilities developed through a change program at an oil/gas exploration and production multinational organization. A convenience sample of 10 leaders and members of the change program were interviewed for the study. Although study participants were mixed in the assessment of the program's priority and the company's ability to deliver it successfully, the study found that the program most strongly developed capabilities related to leading and managing transformation and change, building infrastructure and process excellence, and developing critical skills and experience. Key program impacts reported were reducing risk, managing complexity, and better utilizing resources. Participants …

The Implementation Of An Appreciative Inquiry-Focused Strategic Planning In A Baptist Church, Akpene Ama Atiedu

Theses and Dissertations

Strategic planning has become a viable process for many organizations over the last 60 years and is quickly becoming a common practice in faith-based organizations. Appreciative Inquiry as an approach to strategic planning has been found to be useful in organization development and change (Stavros, Cooperrider, & Kelley, 2003). However, few studies have looked at the application of an Appreciative Inquiry-focused strategic planning process in faith-based organizations. The purpose of this action research project was to design and implement a strategic planning process in a church using an Appreciative Inquiry approach. A triangulation of research methods (survey, direct observations, and …