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Schooling With Racial Equity At The Center: A Case Study Exploration Of One Elementary School-Based Leadership Team, Michael L. Baulier

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Pre-K–12 schooling in the United States has historically and systemically promoted ideas of Black inferiority while safeguarding the characteristics of white supremacy culture embedded in all aspects of the education system. The notion of white dominance is evident throughout studies, policies, and reports from district, state, and federal officials who have been tasked with closing the achievement gap but instead have assigned blame to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and families. An analysis of the history of U.S. public education reveals not a single achievement gap but multiple opportunity gaps that perpetuate the subjugation of Black students …

The Heart And Soul Of Engagement In The Float Pool Team, Kymberly Dexter

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The assistant nurse manager (ANM) role is considered an entry-level management position and is not intended as a permanent career role. The unintended consequence is that there is a high rate of organizational turnover, making it challenging to build and retain a solid, cohesive, and productive team.

Context: A new manager of a float pool team in a 166-bed community hospital found that with little financial investment, a significant impact is made by holding a safe space for listening to the ANM team and designing education and training around what is most important to frontline managers.

Interventions: A baseline …

Thirdspace Leadership: Depicting Fbcoai Leaders’ Transitional Identities And Expe- Riences Of Breaking “Fbcoai Bamboo Ceiling” In Chinese Immersion Programs, Shengnan Yue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how the transitional identities and experiences of Foreign Born Chinese Origin Asian Immigrant (FBCOAI) leaders influence their leadership practices in American Immersive Chinese Language Program. In the Chinese immersion programs, FBCOAI leaders are those with ethnicity Chinese who entered the United States during adulthood, and immigrated during their adulthood. This study is to explore the Thirdspace leadership, an actual-and-virtual place, where the FBCOAI leaders reconcile their professional development and leadership into practice. FBCOAI leaders are bilingual, experiencing a transitional stage of immigration status, and geographical/cultural/occupational changes. This study stands on “an-Other” perspective to know the FBCOAI …

A Study To Determine The Most Important Leadership Skills For Entry-Level Public Health Practitioners, Taelyr Weekly

Theses & Dissertations

Objective: This study 1) identifies the top leadership skills needed for entry-level local public health department employees, 2) provides employee self-assessment ratings in importance, preparation, and proficiency of select leadership skills, and 3) compares the self-assessment and supervisor ratings of select leadership skills to assess how prepared and proficient employees are. Participants: A sample of positional leaders (n=15) from Nebraska’s local health departments provided results for the top leadership skills for entry-level local public health department employees. Employee self-assessment ratings (n=18) and paired samples of employees and supervisors (n=12) produced results on the importance, preparation, and proficiency of …

Examining Teaching Practices That Increase Student Mathematical Achievement, Jonah P. Zimmerman

Culminating Experience Projects

The current data in the United States surrounding mathematics shows that there are issues that must be addressed with teaching and learning math in the K-12 setting. In the perfect world, all students would meet grade level expectations in math prior to moving to another grade; however, this is not what is taking place. Students are not meeting proficiency, and as a result teachers and students alike are not gaining confidence in teaching/learning mathematics. This project looks at the Math Workshop Model as being one alternative to the more traditional teaching practices that are used today in the ABC School …

The Effect Administrators Have On Employee Morale Within The University Of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Sherry L. Beaty-Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between Arkansas County Extension County staff morale and their perceived relationship county staff had with their County Staff Chair. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (UAEX) can utilize the results from this research to identify individuals who have the capacity to build high-quality relationships with staff members, thereby promoting higher levels of morale within the organization. Administrators can use this study to identify current or future leaders within the organization by identifying those who can promote high-quality relationships with county-level staff. Results from this study may also be used …

Principal In Name Only: A Mixed Methods Study Of How Catholic School Governance Models Affect Leadership, Davis H. Bodie

Doctoral Dissertations

Catholic school principal effectiveness has been studied for years, along with the retention and attrition rates of Catholic school principals. Throughout the long history of Catholic education in the United States and around the world, there has not been a meaningful study of how the different governance models available to Catholic schools affect these school leaders. Through this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study, connections between different governance models and interactions with religious authority figures and offices and principal job satisfaction, retention, and attrition were evaluated. Results will allow current and future principals to be more informed concerning the best …

To Prevent Or To Deceive: The Effects Of Organizational Justice On Malingering And Workplace Injury Via Psychological Contract Breach And Safety Climate, Abraham Rico

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

We examined organizational factors (e.g., leadership styles, operating with a bottom-line mentality, and management based on inclusion) and their relationship with workplace injuries and malingering in this thesis. One of the goals for this study was to examine the extent to which these organizational factors influence justice perceptions, which in turn affected the outcomes of interest. It was hypothesized that the relationship between the organizational factors and malingering/injuries occurred through the formation of psychological contract breach or through the development of a safety climate. It was hypothesized that the pathways from Transformational Leadership and management based on inclusion will result …

A Case Study Examining Women In Leadership At A College Of Osteopathic Medicine, Sloane Gibson Kelley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, actively promoted gender parity in the field from its inception, at a time when few medical schools accepted women into their programs, and even fewer all-female medical schools existed (Quinn, 2017; Simpson & Weiser, 1996). Although an almost equal number of male and female students are enrolled in osteopathic medical schools, men far outnumber women in positions of leadership. While the data for the number of women deans and department chairs at osteopathic medical schools does not exist, research by the Association of American Medical Colleges (2021) showed that 24% of …

Evaluating Post-Training Engagement, Alyssa B. Trinity, Caitlyn D. Gonzalez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Impact Launch (IL) is a collective of social impact professionals dedicated to creating sustainable and equitable change. IL provides strategic planning, project design, collaborative capacity building, coaching, and leadership intensives. Similar to those who’ve undergone other training programs, alumni of IL’s leadership training are prone to becoming disengaged with the tools and stagnant in their learning. The purpose of this project was to begin efforts to increase alumni engagement with the tools and each other through conducting a series of interviews. Six alumni were interviewed to collect feedback on how IL can better support engagement. The major expected outcome for …

Leadership Competencies For Instructional Designers: Identifying Critical Incidents Used To Lead Design Projects That Improve Performance, Heidi Elaine Kirby

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Even though an instructional designer may not have formal authority or direct reports, to be successful, they need leadership skills. Although the literature calls for instructional designers to possess several critical leadership skills, it does not consistently present the same important skills and often defines them very broadly. Further, authors who have argued that leadership skills are not taught to instructional designers in a sufficient way often call for more education on leadership competencies in graduate school, but the literature does not state where these skills are currently being learned and fostered.

This qualitative research study used methods of grounded …

Higher Education Professional Involved In Or Aspiring To Careers In Strategic Enrollment Management: Competency Development And Career Pathways, Jodi Ward

Dissertations

Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) is an emergent and evolving field in higher education (HE). While the concept has often been researched as a system or process implemented by an institution of HE to optimize enrollment, this study examined the professionals that currently lead or aspire to lead those systems. The HE competencies areas that current SEM professionals are most engaged with, the activities they participate in to gain and cultivate competency development, as well as their educational backgrounds and career pathways was the focus of this study. Additionally, this study investigated the competency development opportunities available to individuals working in …

Deliberately Developmental Leadership In Organizational Settings, Glenn Allen Nixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate leadership development strategies in organizations in North Texas needed to create prepared, competent leaders who can become and help create deliberately developmental leaders. Open-ended and semistructured interviews were used to collect data, with questions centered on effective leadership development strategies for creating competent leaders and effective leadership strategies for creating deliberately developmental leaders. The idea was to understand if organization’s leadership focused on the need for leadership development, if organizational members were being identified for leadership, and if systems exist to address future organizational leadership needs. Three types of organizations were …

A Collaborative Autoethnography: Your Passport To Immigrant Women Of Color Leader's Stories Of Identity Exploration And Leadership Barriers And Possibilities, Fraylanie Adan Aglipay

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of the personal and career narratives of immigrant Women of Color can lead to more appropriate standards in mainstream work environments and to the expansion of professional leadership opportunities for immigrant Women of Color. The experiences of immigrant Women of Color leaders are varied and complex, with each leader’s experience offering unique perspectives on their leadership journey. Additionally, it is important to analyze their identities because they contain multiple layers, serving as the foundation that has shaped them into the authentic leaders they are today. As scholars, researchers, and activists, we have a duty to address the lack …

Hearing Impaired And Leadership: Struggles Of Individuals With Hearing Loss In The Workplace, John Cleese Relihan

Doctoral Dissertations

With the passing of federal legislations such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Americans believe all issues relating to disability have been addressed. While Americans with disabilities gained civil rights under these two federal laws and educational opportunities have expanded, they are still struggling against the stigma of disability. They encounter many barriers as they enter the workplace and navigate toward leadership roles in their organizations. This narrative phenomenological qualitative study seeks to understand the experiences of individuals with hearing loss as they enter and navigate through their careers. Its purpose is …

Understanding The Aspirations And Challenges Of Michigan’S Black School Superintendents: A Toolkit For Building Equity In The Superintendency, Kevin Simmons

Dissertations

Black superintendents are significantly underrepresented in our nation’s schools. Despite a slight increase in representation of female Black superintendents, minorities of all races continue to be underrepresented (Tienken & Domenech, 2020). In this study, I examined the experiences of Black superintendents in Michigan who currently hold superintendent roles, along with the obstacles they faced and their personal characteristics and associated factors that attributed to their resilience and longevity in their role as superintendent. Using a phenomenological qualitative study approach of personal and confidential interviews and survey questions of 12 Black superintendents, data was collected to formulate a toolkit for aspiring …

Addressing The Teacher Shortage: A Study Of Local School Human Resource Efforts In Illinois, Sean C. Potts

Dissertations

Shortages of highly qualified teachers may be one of the greatest challenges school districts face today. This study is an exploration of how eight school districts in Illinois, ranging from rural to suburban and encompassing elementary, high school, and unit organizations, experienced the effects of a teacher shortage in 2021. The three primary research questions of this study included: (1) To what degree were local districts feeling the impact of the teacher shortage in Illinois, and how did those shortages manifest themselves?; (2) What factors did local human resource directors believe to be contributing most to any obstacles they may …

Operations, Compliance, & Leadership In Dme At Dasco, Andrew Caddas

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The practicum experience was completed with DASCO H.M.E., LLC primarily in their corporate office from August through November 2022. I worked with Ann Cornelius, VP of Operations, to learn more about the industry and the role of home medical equipment in patient care. The areas of focus included Sales & Business Development, Compliance, Branch Operations, and Supply Chain.

The Impact Of Transformational Leadership On Postsecondary Student Affairs Division Employee Job Satisfaction, Commitment, And Engagement, Valerie Edwards Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is a transformational process that moves followers to achieve more than is usually expected of them. Research has shown that transformational leadership positively impacts and inspires job satisfaction, organizational commitment and employee engagement among academic lecturers and student populations. But little research has explored the impact of these constructs within the context of non-academic, lower level support staff in higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Transformational Leadership characteristics on the perceptions of lower level, support staff’s job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work engagement in a technical college in Southwest Georgia. The target …

Understanding Servant Leadership Through The Lived Experiences Of Higher Education Administrative Leaders, Michael Roberts

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

In a global society steeped in increasingly complex environments, immediate modes of communication, flexible work arrangements, rapid advances in technology, and greater competition, the need for sound leadership has never been more important. Progressive, innovative, stronger leaders have the potential to provide organizations with a competitive advantage. A plethora of contemporary leadership frameworks exist, included among them situational leadership, transformational leadership, authentic leadership, relational leadership, and servant leadership. Each framework has its own unique set of characteristics which are embraced by the leaders who identify with them. This qualitative study used narrative inquiry through a postmodern lens to investigate the …

Designation, Stagnation, And Representation: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Self-Perception Of Power Among Ncaa Division I Senior Woman Administrators, Tayler M. Onion

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite significant growth and advancement for women and girls participating in sports, we have not seen the same trend for women in leadership roles in athletics – even with the introduction of the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) designation. The SWA designation was implemented in 1989 to ensure that at least one woman would be involved with the leadership of athletic departments following the NCAA’s takeover of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in 1981. Confusion and misperceptions have surrounded the role, and, as a result, impacted the women who serve in it. This study’s phenomenological design aimed to …

Designing A Messaging Strategy To Improve Information Security Policy Compliance, Federico Giovannetti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lack of employee compliance with information security policies is a key factor driving security incidents. Information security practitioners struggle to enforce policy compliance while employees try to curtail safeguards in favor of expediency and other perceived business goals. Several studies have shown individual and organizational factors influencing this type of employee behavior. However, few have recommended management-level interventions that can be used as a solution framework by information security practitioners.

This research utilized the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to develop a management-level intervention based on a messaging strategy that aims to help information security practitioners improve the information security …

Engaging And Mobilizing Baby Boomers For Effective Ministry, Paul D. Russell

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

In the 21st-century church in America, can Baby Boomers, who presently range from 57 to 76 years of age, be envisioned and commissioned to make a difference through effective and meaningful ministry? The intent of the research was to discover relevant information and present considerations to help those entering the last third of life make an informed contribution to the church and community. Evidence will be presented to show that Boomers need the church and that the church needs the presence and resourceful productivity of the Boomer cohort. This reality does not circumvent the essential mission of reaching other generations …

Healing The Burn: Assuaging Burnout And Increasing Work Engagement In University Admissions Counselors, Michael K. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tuition-driven universities depend heavily on net tuition revenue to operate. However, the individuals responsible for delivering the type of enrollment that meets university goals, known as the university admissions counselors, tend to be underpaid, burnt out, and likely to depart their institutions before meaningful recruiting relationships can be formed. The implications of this issue lead to high costs of turnover and training of new staff, a recruiting territory in flux due to the turnstile nature of the profession and an office culture that lacks any genuine consistency. Many studies in the past have focused on the specific reasons that frontline …

The Salvation Of The Africana Child: Via The Role Of The Black Woman In Educational Leadership, Tamara S. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Black Women principals have unique experiences that they have lived that influence the way they lead schools. Strong and committed leadership creates school environments where children can thrive.

This study illuminated the connectivity of race, class, and gender to the lived experiences of Black Women principals according to the Africana Womanism paradigm set forth by Dr. Clenora Hudson-Weems (2020). The question my research sought to answer was: How do the lived experiences, as they relate to race, class, and gender, of Black Women principals impact the way they lead? The sub-question for the study was: How do the lived experiences …

The "Find Your Why" Program For Seniors In High School, Deanna E. Vanklaveren

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

The Find Your WHY program is focused on giving seniors in high school tools that will help them outside of their formal education. The hope is that the Program will continue to spread so that more students can gain these tools. The other hope is that having people gain personal introspection through their MBTI will allow them to grow with thoughtfulness and understanding as leadership opportunities arise and life situations come before them. This Program has many opportunities to grow and expand, hopefully the support and guidance of those committed will help it to do so.

The Perceived Impact Of The Five Areas Of Spiritual Intelligence Of California Community College Administrators On The Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale And Their Ability To Lead, Senorina Saldivar

Dissertations

The Perceived Impact of the Five Domains of Spiritual Intelligence on the California Community College Administrators on the Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale and Their Ability to Lead by Senorina S. Saldivar Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore and describe the perceived impact and use of the five areas (consciousness, grace, meaning, transcendence and truth) of Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale (ISIS) on California Community College CalWORKs Directors/Coordinators’ leadership. Methodology: This mixed-method study explored and described the perceived impact that the five areas of ISIS (consciousness, grace, meaning, transcendence and truth) have on eight California Community College …

The Bodhichitta Way: Igniting Mindful Leadership From Within - An 8-Week Online Program, Paula Ledbetter

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This paper investigates ways in which the practice of mindfulness can positively influence workplace leadership. Mindfulness-based approaches, when woven together with compassion, self-awareness, and meditation, cultivate qualities of effective mindful leadership that are essential in today’s workforce. Within this creative thesis, I developed an eight-week online training program for leaders to build foundational mindfulness practices necessary for optimizing meaningful connections in their daily work-life. The online training is based in experiential learning, self-reflection, and meditation practice. Research shows that there is significant benefit to incorporating mindfulness in the workplace. The purpose of this paper and online training is to provide …

An Investigation Of The Unintended Consequences Of Florida’S Stand Your Ground Law And Leadership’S Role In Both Implementing The Law And Revising It, Anthony Keel

Dissertations

The State of Florida has become a negative representation of the Stand Your Ground Law due to the three unintended consequences which developed since that law was passed in 2005. They are the disparity of African American incarceration rates when the law is applied, the increase in justifiable homicides, and the exponential increase in concealed carry permits. The intent of this qualitative research study was to inspire the leadership of the state of Florida to actively support and participate in reexamining, reassessing, and revising the Stand Your Ground Law. The literature review suggested that the law is ambiguous because it …

The Relationship Between Leadership Preference Of County Level Personnel Within University Of Missouri Extension And Their Level Of Employee Engagement, Jason C. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived leadership style of the University of Missouri Extension Service county staff and their level of engagement and study the relationship between variables. Administrators with University of Missouri Extension Service can utilize this information to better serve Extension Staff and ultimately people throughout the state of Missouri.

The Vannsimpco Leadership Survey was used to measure the perceived leadership style of county level staff. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was used to measure work engagement on three constructs: vigor, absorption, and dedication engagement. Demographic characterizes of county level staff was also …