Digital Commons Network^™

Ethics And Contemporary Leadership: Do Ethical Leadership Theories Align With Scripture?, Anthony Scott Poston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Morals, ethics, and values are instrumental for leaders to know and choose between right and wrong. Leadership theories regularly discuss ethics, but where do these ethics come from? Frequently, the source of leadership ethics is glossed over or left out entirely. This study sought to address this gap in contemporary leadership literature by answering the question: how do contemporary leadership theories, which contain morals, ethics, and/or or values components, align with similar themes found within the Hebrew and Christian scriptures? The researcher used a thematic analysis of contemporary leadership literature to identify ethical themes within the literature. Next, the themes …

Women In Organizations: Leadership And Overcoming Biases, Madison T. Witt

Honors Thesis

This thesis will work to describe the different experiences women have in the workplace compared to men. It will discuss the biases faced: prove-it-again bias, tightrope bias, and the maternal wall bias. These play a large role in why women act as they do in the workplace as well as why they tend to experience different barriers within the corporate ladder. This research notes both gender biases facing women and the additional bias women of color face. These different experiences change how women lead companies when placed in executive positions. These leadership styles of women tend to be more welcoming …

Leadership Development In Education For Sustainable Development: Evaluation Of Higher Education Students In Sustainable Development Programs, Michelle Dzurenda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) has been working decades towards reaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create peace and prosperity for people and the planet. The 2030 Agenda was created as an urgent call to action, a global partnership, and a comprehensive plan to work towards the 17 SDGs. For this study, the focus is on Goal 4- quality education and the impact of leadership on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Leadership on ESD has been a more recent topic and under researched. By making advancements in leadership on ESD there will be positive …

Investigating The Most Valued Components Of The South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program By Graduates Who Have Remained In The Education Profession, Amanda Jane Darden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The vision of every elementary, middle, and high school in the United States is to deliver an excellent educational setting to each and every student who enters their school building. Educational research overwhelmingly demonstrates that a primary factor contributing to an “excellent educational setting” is having highly qualified and effective teachers (Rice, 2003). However, the teacher supply and demand issues currently facing our nation is significantly compromising the ideal of providing excellent educational settings in our schools. Teacher attrition is a problem that faces schools throughout the United States. The number of teachers leaving their positions to pursue other careers …

A Narrative Inquiry Of Selected Women’S Career Pathways To State-Level Leadership In Agriculture, Timothy Keown

All Dissertations

In this study, I used a qualitative narrative inquiry to examine stories from three individually selected state-level agricultural sector women leaders as they described their career paths to leadership roles. This purpose of the study was to address the problem of a lack of practical understanding of women leaders’ experiences in pursuing, achieving, and keeping leadership roles within the agricultural industry. The existing literature shows that women are less likely to hold an agriculture leadership role in their career. To establish the research question, I used feminist educational theory. This theoretical framework and the associated epistemology of narrative inquiry served …

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Elon Musk, Agnieszka Miklaszewicz

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of Elon Musk's leadership style across all his companies. Elon Musk, known for his passion for innovation and helping humanity, has founded and led several successful companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, The Boring Company, and Twitter. The paper explores Musk's background, including his early entrepreneurial ventures and risk-taking attitude, highlighting his unique approach to leadership. The analysis focuses on Musk's leadership characteristics, drawing on the article "Decoding Leadership: What Really Matters," which identifies effective leadership traits such as being supportive, results-oriented, seeking different perspectives, and problem-solving. Furthermore, the paper examines Musk's leadership styles based …

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Steve Ballmer, Brendan White

Honors Scholar Theses

Understanding what makes a good leader is a topic of ongoing interest in the practice of business. Research to-date has distinguished between being a manager and being a leader and also has established a set of principles to consider in assessing leadership. In this thesis, I draw upon principles of leadership, including emotional intelligence; vision creation; inspiring others; leading in good and difficult times; fostering, developing, and recognizing others; and creating a winning culture to offer a critical assessment of Steve Ballmer as a leader within the business arena.

Perspectives Of Esl Teachers On Translanguaging Pedagogy In Supporting The Literacy Engagement Of Emergent Bilingual Students In A Texas Charter School, Gemma Olson

Theses and Dissertations

The interconnectedness of the world today through advanced technology and travel allows students exposure to a diverse cultural landscape. Combined with a fast-changing computer technology-driven education, and culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, there cannot be just one way to teach and learn. This study explored the perspective of ESL teachers on translanguaging pedagogy in supporting the literacy engagement of emergent bilingual (EB) students in an urban elementary charter school in Texas. Through Participatory Action Research (PAR), data was collected from three ESL teacher participants using the spiral-action cycle. Findings that emerged included (a) intrinsic motivation that translanguaging pedagogy support emergent …

Employee Perceptions Of Stressors At Work: An Attachment Perspective, Emma Josephine Naudet

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The current study applied an attachment perspective to elucidate how individuals appraise stressors at work. Attachment theory proposes that individuals’ interactions with a caregiver shape their expectations and beliefs about the world, themselves, and others and predict how individuals behave. Attachment at work is a budding research topic because it informs the social aspect of work relationships, such as the leader-subordinate dyad. However, few studies have explored the potential of attachment security as a job resource. Our findings demonstrated strong support for our predictions about the relationship between transformational leadership, employee perceptions of demands and resources, and the potential explanatory …

Human Capital Advantage From Fortitude, Resilience, And Perseverance Of Minority Ceos In Stem Organizations: A Phenomenological Study, Torin Mordel Malone

Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored how the inherent lived experiences of minorities can foster the attributes of strength and stamina, collectively referred to as the fortitude, resilience, and perseverance (FRP) of minority executive-level leadership. Specifically, this research considered the lived experiences of ten minority CEOs and assessed the influence of how they lead and communicate within their organizations. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover if and how the attributes of FRP could distinctively serve as a human capital advantage for organizations to consider with regard to utilizing minority executive-level leadership. The implication is that the greater understanding …

The Perceived Role Of School Counselors In Ramp And Non-Ramp Schools, Rob Rhodes

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceived roles of elementary and secondary school counselors within schools with comprehensive school counseling programs and those without such programs. Central to this study are questions of how school counselors’ roles are perceived differently within Recognized ASCA Models Program (RAMP) schools and non-RAMP schools. I this study, I examined the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Professional Mindsets and Behaviors (see Appendix 1), as outlined in the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2012), as well as school counselors’ professional practices and perceived roles in RAMP and non-RAMP schools.

Through interviews and comparative analysis, …

Teacher Attrition In Arkansas Public Schools: Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Career Choices, Kirstyn Salehi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on teacher attrition in Arkansas, with many educators facing unprecedented challenges and stressors in their work. However, public data does not give context to why teachers chose to leave. This study aimed to investigate teacher perceptions of the impact of the pandemic on attrition in Arkansas through a survey. To do this, the study set out to determine what factors influenced Arkansas teachers to leave or consider leaving, their positions and the impact that the pandemic had on those choices, and what factors influenced, or could influence, teachers to stay in their position. …

Campus-Level Teacher Turnover In Texas Public Elementary Schools: An Examination Of The Impact Of Leadership Factors And School Demographics Using Heirarchical Linear Modeling, Amy Welch Baskin

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The 2022 Texas Teacher Survey conducted by the Charles Butt Foundation reported that in the past year 77% of public school teachers in Texas considered leaving their positions or the teaching profession, an increase of 19% since 2020. A secondary finding was that the presence or absence of administrative support was a key factor in the decision making about whether to leave. Teachers are the backbone of the U.S. education system which exists to educate future generations of citizens and leaders, and the teacher–student relationship is one of the most important school-related factors to student learning and success (Ronfeldt et …

A Guide To The Advancement Of Leadership Post Covid, Kelly Grace Dolan

School of Professional Studies

No abstract provided.

Careers In Telestroke: Toward A Virtual And Tangible Purpose, Amanda L Jagolino-Cole, Alicia M Zha, Navdeep Sangha, Shlee S Song, Jennifer J Majersik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Project Emerald: Youth And Their Ability To Shine, Johnatan Portillo Ventura

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This Capstone project was implemented at Growing Greatness located in Watsonville, CA to address the lack of access to leadership programs for the underserved youth in Watsonville with purpose of empowering them to become effective communicators and advocate for them to inspire change through an in-person workshop about speaking to inspire them for action by and speaking with passion, empathy and purpose. The project was implemented using a focus group based approach that involved participants and youth leaders. The evaluation of the project revealed that it met most of the expected outcomes, and that the participants reported significant improvements in …

Project Emerald : Youth And Their Ability To Shine, Lupita Rocha-Fernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A lack of leadership opportunities available to at-risk youth has caused an increased likelihood of struggles in school, higher rates of juvenile delinquency & a lack of job readiness skills. Growing Greatness is a non-profit organization located in Watsonville, California that teaches leadership and health advocacy workshops for youth who attend local middle schools and high schools. The purpose of this project was to implement a new online confidence building workshop. One of the activities was titled, “Group Agreements” and it shed light on a way to build on confidence, by creating a safe space that can provide a break …

Exploring The Role Of Soft Skills Amongst African American Women Navigating Barriers To Achieving Corporate Leadership, Latoya Newell Burke

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to explore the role of soft skills in African American women's ascension to corporate leadership as they navigate and overcome barriers. The disparity of African American women in corporate leadership is longstanding. African American women's corporate American experience is distinct and often fraught with difficulties. In order to overcome the obstacles they encountered while pursuing executive leadership, this study investigated if soft skills were thought to be a crucial skill required. The study fills a gap in research that addresses African American women specifically. Previous studies have addressed the barriers that African American women face in corporate …

Organizational Culture During The Era Of A Black Swan: A Phenomenological Examination Of New Hire Sales Training Within A Medical Diagnostic Company, Maelyn Zweben Lessard

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional sales training in a medical diagnostic organization takes place in multiple locations over the period of many months. New hires attend classes with a set group of other new hire employees establishing a cohort. It is the responsibility of the sales training department and the new hire’s direct supervisor to incorporate training into the organizations culture. This is done by bringing the new hire into the corporate office and, through the months of training, exposing the new hire to leadership, support functions, manufacturing, and multiple departments that will support their job moving forward. COVID-19 created a rapid market increase …

Human Psychology Factors Influencing Agile Team Autonomy In Post-Pandemic Remote Software Organizations, Ravikiran Kalluri

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Agile project management methods are gaining in popularity in the software industry as software development teams are being asked to be adaptive to market needs and resilient to change and uncertainty. With increasing market uncertainty, global competition, and time-to-market pressure, it is becoming a challenge to develop an innovative product and deliver it on-time without the opportunity that comes from team autonomy to experiment and learn from failures in a remote workplace. To resolve this challenge, it is critical to understand the myriad human psychological factors in play that influence Agile team autonomy in a remote work environment.

The role …

The Phenomenon Of Leadership Among Middle Management Leaders In Public Schools In Bahrain: Aspects Of Performance, Personality Pattern Analysis, Impact Strategies, And Challenges, S. A. Ababneh

Information Sciences Letters

The concept of middle school management leadership refers to teachers who teach and have leadership roles. This study aimed to investigate the phenomenon of leadership among middle management leaders in the Kingdom of Bahrain who occupy the positions of heads or coordinators of school departments in public schools. The current study followed the qualitative methodology by analyzing the final projects of teachers who finished the Understanding Leadership" course for teachers in 2022. The study sample consisted of (21) projects (presented by 5 males and 16 females) who occupy middle leadership positions in public schools. The study instrument was an analysis …

A Necessary Evil: A Leadership Analysis Of Major League Baseball’S Best Managers, Samuel Shapiro

Honors Theses

This study aims to contribute to the literature assessing the success of baseball managers relative to the context that governed their roles. More specifically, it seeks to address the presence of universal leadership styles, traits, and characteristics that have persisted across different eras and contexts.

Storytelling At Board Meetings: A Case Study Of Co-Developing Recommendations, Dawn Richards, Kimberly Strain, Lisa Hawthornthwaite, Isabel Jordan, Carol Fancott

Patient Experience Journal

In healthcare, stories shared by patients often provide details and insights into experiences of illness and care. Stories are a way to educate healthcare providers and others to improve care and systems to become more patient and family centred and to better meet patients’ needs and priorities. Telling stories may bring benefits to both storytellers and audience members but also presents risks of harm. A reflective storytelling practice aims to honor stories and storytellers by ensuring there is time to prepare, reflect, learn, ask questions, and engage in dialogue with the storyteller to explore what went well and where there …

Lucky’S Legacy: Determining An Effective Relationship Between Music And Business Management Principles, Jacob Joseph

Honors Projects

The Recognition-Conversation-Reflection (hereafter “RCR”) framework is modeled after popular change management frameworks for accomplishing projects and goals, utilizing concepts found often in business management and strategy. While traditionally these ideas are found in the workplace, they also serve as complex practices that can be used in various contexts. The music industry is composed of a plethora of professions exploring vast genres and interpretations of melody around the world. Despite its diverse perspectives, music is rooted in performance involving ensembles of varying capacities. With the complexities of the RCR framework and the diversity of the music industry, the question I looked …

A Phenomenological Study Of Introverted Leaders, Sherita Dianne Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Society is comprised of individuals with different personality types who are frequently referred to as extraverted or introverted. Research has suggested individuals fall somewhere along the continuum of extraversion to introversion. Based on statistics, introverts are thought to comprise between 33% to 50% of the greater population, but introverts only comprise 4% of the management teams leading companies. The literature has vast amounts of information about leadership and extraversion but limited information about introversion and leadership. From the literature, what is not clear is how the introspective tendencies of introverted leaders may influence the strategic planning, decision making, or other …

Go Forth With Wisdom & Leadership, Kristen Montgomery

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

see attached pp

Songs As Theologizing: Annamma Mammen’S (1911–2002) Contribution In Shaping The Kerala Pentecostal Imagination, Allan Varghese Meloottu

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

In Indian Pentecostal theological and missiological literature, the role of Kerala Pentecostals is well documented. However, the pioneering voices that are highlighted are of men, sidelining women’s voices and contributions that shaped the grassroots Kerala Pentecostal imagination. The preacher-songwriter Annamma Mammen (1911–2002) is one such voice that impacted early Kerala Pentecostal growth. Therefore, this article, in addition to bringing forth the sidelined story of Annamma Mammen, emphasizes Mammen’s role as a songwriter and analyzes one of her early songs to highlight how her theology encapsulates early Kerala Pentecostal theological emphases (eschatological imagination, scriptural importance, contextual primacy, and Jesus-centeredness). Although Mammen’s …

Transforming Leadership Pathways For Humanities Professionals In Higher Education, Roze Hentschell, Catherine E. Thomas

Navigating Careers in Higher Education Series

Transforming Leadership Pathways for Humanities Professionals in Higher Education includes thirteen essays from a variety of contributors investigating how humanities professionals grapple with the opportunities and challenges of leadership positions. Written by insiders sharing their lived experience, this collection provides an authentic look at the multiple roles humanities specialists play, as well as offers strategies for professional growth, sustenance, and satisfaction. The collection also considers the relationship between disciplinary areas of study, academic training, and the valuable skill sets and habits of mind that serve higher education leaders.

While Transforming Leadership Pathways emphasizes that a leadership route in higher education …

The Lived Experience Of Hmong Women In Leadership Roles, Nou Vang

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of Hmong women who have achieved leadership positions.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of 12 Hmong women who have ascent to leadership roles through personal, face-to-face, in- depth, open-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emergent themes. Related artifacts from the participants, along with the participant interviews, were collected to triangulate data. Research findings were a result of the correlating themes based on the qualitative data analysis and research question.

Findings: The findings of the study indicated that …

Leading With Cultura Y Corazón: Culturally Responsive Leadership And Latina Mid-Level Leaders In The California Community Colleges, Gabriela Lopez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic study was to identify and describe how California community college Latina mid-level leaders are culturally responsive in their leadership strategies, based on Horsford, Grosland, and Gunn’s (2011) culturally relevant leadership framework.

Methodology: This ethnographic study identified and described how Latina mid-level leaders within the California community colleges utilize culturally responsive leadership strategies using Horsford et al.’s (2011) culturally relevant leadership framework. The researcher was part of a thematic team of 6 researchers who developed and vetted a semi-structured interview protocol aligned with the theoretical framework. Sixteen participants were identified and selected using purposeful criterion …