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On The Road For Change: An In-Depth Analysis And Future Recommendations, Amy Lebrecht

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In the 2016-2017 school year, James Madison University's Dux Leadership Center in collaboration with the Madison Collaborative: Ethical Reasoning In Action program created the On the Road for Change Alternative Spring Break Program. This innovative experience focused on growing ethical leadership skills within 15 student participants through six workshops, an alternative break and a re-orientation session. In order to understand if this program was successful in helping students become better ethical leaders, an in-depth assessment program was implemented including learning objectives, pre and post tests, journal entries and interviews.

This thesis expands upon the creation, content included, results of and …

The Role Of Leadership In Student Organizations, Samantha Mcanallen

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which the leaders of the Eta Delta chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) and the JMU Women’s Rugby club embody the characteristics of the leaders of successful organizations by examining these two organizations in the context of the characteristics of successful organizational cultures. In order to conduct an appropriate examination of the cultures of these two organizations, I chose to compare them to the characteristics of successful group cultures presented in Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. Throughout his book, Coyle highlights the …

An Analysis Of The Initial Response To The Mers-Cov Epidemic From Leadership And Management Perspectives: A Case Study Covering The Period From April 2012 To July 2017, Hassan Altamimi

Leadership Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Building Community Among Distance Learning Graduate Students​, Erin Meyer

Leadership Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Character Education In High School Athletics: Activities Director’S Role, Andrew P. Weiers

Leadership Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Promoting Empowerment And Innovation: A Technology Initiative, Theresa Marcotte

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Improving empowerment through a supportive organizational culture can lead to innovation in practice and promote positive outcomes. Supporting employee empowerment, through a supportive organizational culture and environment, provides opportunities to innovate and creatively meet desired outcomes. Using these concepts, an Associate Degree Nursing Program empowered faculty to address a strategic planning opportunity to improve practice. The innovation, a Technology Initiative, provides opportunities for evidence-based testing practices, leading to improved, first-time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). Technology use in the classroom can improve dissemination of nursing knowledge and retention strategies and therefore improve program retention. The utilization …

2018 Great Expectations Spring Faculty Conference: Otterbein University And The Public Good, Academic Affairs

Spring Great Expectation Faculty Conference

The 2018 Great Expectations Spring Faculty Conference featured a talk by John C. Burkhardt, drawing on his work to talk about how faculties can be more inspired and effective.

John C. Burkhardt is a professor of clinical practice in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. He was the founding director and currently leads the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good, which was established in 2000 to better understand and influence the changing role of higher education within a diverse, dynamic, democratic society. For three years, 2013-2016, John directed …

A Phenomenological Study On Leading Transformational Change And Building School Culture In Elementary Schools, Tamera Jones

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This study followed a phenomenological qualitative approach to understand the complexity surrounding the experiences of the elementary school principals, build understanding around how they describe their daily life of school, and how they lead transformational change and build school culture. I sought to understand the associated skills, knowledge, and behaviors that elementary school principals employed and how the relational and collegial theories of transformational, instructional, and servant leadership were applied by elementary principals in leading transformational change and building school culture. Five key themes provided insight into the experiences of these elementary principals, the associated skills, knowledge, and behaviors that …

Establishing A Protocol To Observe Leadership Behaviors In Engineering Design Teams, Douglas James Chickarello

All Theses

The primary purpose of this work is to establish a protocol capable of identifying functional leadership behaviors in engineering design teams. The protocol is grounded in general leadership theory and research performed on collaborative design teams. A pilot study is used to evaluate the protocol applied to design team meetings. Three different raters applied the leadership protocol to a video recording of a graduate student team performing a collaborative function structure modeling activity. The results of the pilot study highlighted a need to identify the design space and activities that correspond to each leadership function observation to establish a relationship …

Transformational Leadership In Club Sports: An Instrument For Evaluation And Assessment, Nathan Shelby Hutchens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campus Recreation and its programs can be used as a way to combat the national trends of decreasing enrollment and retention (Weaver, Forte, & McFadden, 2017; Kampf & Teske, 2013). In fact, 62% of students indicate that Campus Recreation programs are a factor when choosing an institution and 67% indicate that recreation programs were a factor when deciding to stay at a particular institution (Forrester, 2014). As a program within Campus Recreation, Club Sports specifically is perceived to have the greatest health and wellbeing benefits out of all Campus Recreation programming (Lower, Turner, & Petersen, 2013). Due to the voluntary …

Developing A Strategic Model For Deacons As Servant Leaders Within New Church Plants, Christopher Webb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The office of deacon is vital within the local church and often varies from one congregation to another. There are many misconceptions concerning the role and responsibilities of deacons. The Bible clearly defines deacons as those who function as servant leaders. The purpose of this project is to address the biblical, theoretical, practical and personal observations that will assist new church plants in equipping potential candidates for the office of deacon, as servant leaders. The project will address vital areas of deacon ministry that will include; discovering the history of deacon ministry, the biblical qualifications for a deacon, the relationship …

Superintendents Reclaiming Instructional Leadership: Shared Patterns And Practices, Valerie James-Kemp

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand and investigate the shared patterns among current superintendents who wish to reclaim their role as instructional leaders. The role of the superintendent has evolved since its inception two centuries ago. Originally intended to be a teacher of teachers, the role of the superintendent has developed and changed over time due to school reform movements and varying political climates. Using the Delphi method, a consensus was reached and shared patterns and practices were found. In summary, superintendents in this study shared their opinions about their role as chief administrators of a school …

Exploring Scholar--Practitioner Leadership: Superintendents' Application Of Theory To Practice In Texas Public School Districts, Michael D. Jones 6674845

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study was designed to investigate the methods of practice employed by Texas school superintendents who have completed a doctoral program centered on scholar–practitioner leadership. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how serving superintendents apply their prior learning and knowledge to the articulation and translation of their district’s mission/vision. The study described how six serving superintendents translate theory to practice by inquiring how each participant articulates the district’s mission/vision. Through the analysis of face-to-face interviews, phone conversations, emails, and informal observations recorded in a researcher’s journal, four common elements of scholar–practitioner leadership practice were …

An Autoethnographic Exploration Of The Professional And The Person: A Life's Journey Of A Hispanic Superintendent In South Texas, Gonzalo Salazar

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership effectiveness is often defined in terms of, a leader’s ability to motivate followers towards a collective goal, mission or vision (Knippenberg, Knippenberg, Cremer & Hogg, 2004). However, a leaders’ understanding of their own identity; how education, culture, upbringing, values and morals helped shape the self (Leary, & Tangney, 2002; Anzaldua, 2015; and Guajardo & Guajardo, 2017) and how the leader functions as a contributing member of the organization (Knippenberg & Hogg, 2003) is critically important.

Demographers have long held that by the year 2050, our nation will be increasingly more diverse and that there will be no racial or …

Improvisation And Leadership Development: Understanding Improvisational Theater Arts As Leadership Skills, Jack Skalican

Doctoral Dissertations

Leadership development is immersed in a philosophical struggle. Past efforts at developing leaders have missed a set of skills important to the role of today’s leaders. Since Frederick Taylor invented the practice of scientific management, the study of management and leadership has largely focused on traits, practices, and behaviors that conform to this model such as planning, analysis, control, and monitoring. Missing in this focus, however, are less transactional leadership skills like intuition, improvisation, and creativity. As a result, organizations have begun drawing on improvisational theater skills as one answer to fill this leadership development gap.

This case study focuses …

Examining The Labor Shortage In The Construction Industry And Possible Solutions Presented By Industry Members, Jeremy Suryadi

Construction Management

This paper attempts to examine what factors have caused the sustained labor shortage in the construction industry. Whether it be through the lens of general contractors, trade partners, or suppliers, all parties associated with the built-environment have experienced a form of labor shortage or an increase in older employees with few replacements readily available. The main purpose of this paper is to gather enough data and opinions from construction industry members to formalize the few key factors of the diminished labor force, primarily in California’s commercial construction sector. The lack of skilled workers has negatively impacted the quality and quantity …

From Policy To Practice: Exploring Principals’ Experiences In Facilitating The Implementation Of Cross Curricular Literacy Standards To Early Adolescents, Sherri Betton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that early adolescents continue to need literacy development in middle school. Furthermore, states that adopted the current comprehensive school reform policy must implement literacy instruction across content areas in grades six through twelve. This study will explore principals’ experiences as they facilitate the implementation of cross-curricular literacy standards. Qualitative case study methodology will be used to examine the perceptions of seven middle school principals as they act as change agents in the implementation process.

The Relationship Of The Transformational Leadership Process And Group Mood Among Musicians And Their Effects On Artistic Quality Within The American Orchestral Organization, Mary Katherine Engels

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The desire to understand the American classical music experience and its relationship to transformational leadership is the foundational reason for this study. The experience of listening to the same orchestra under the direction of nine different conductors throughout the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s conductor search, led to an interest in further understanding the processes involved in the classical musical experience. There is minimal research focused on the American symphony orchestra and an acute lack of research on leadership processes within the American symphony orchestra. Examination and study of the leadership process between conductor and musician, musician group mood, and artistic …

Improving Students' Interpersonal Communications, Leadership, And Decision-Making Skills Through Integration Of Cockpit Resource Management: A Grounded Theory Study Of K-8 Educators' Perspectives, Tammy Scholder

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The dissertation in education administration represents innovative and relative research that provides administrators with a process that students may use to enhance their academic, social, and emotional development. This study gathered the perspective and experiences of recruited educators from a K-8 school who had recently engaged and interacted with kindergarten through second-grade students. The primary goal of this study was to generate theory based on the participating educators’ perspectives on expanding an aviation training model, Cockpit Resource Management (CRM), into education to improve students’ interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision-making skills. This study is a contribution to the study of education …

First Generation College Parents: Bridging The Gap Between The American Higher Education System And Latino Families, Georgina Pérez

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

This paper explores the gap that exists between the American higher education system and the families of Latino first-generation college students. Research conducted for this paper details the many barriers immigrant Latino families encounter when navigating the American education system, as well as how parent involvement is key to student success no matter where the student is in their educational career. Furthermore, this paper offers a possible solution to closing that gap by implementing a program that would mentor and support the parents of first-generation college students through the transition from high school and up until students graduate from college. …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Cultural Expectations And Family Obligations On Latina Women Attending College, Valeria Bielma

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

This paper explores the existing research involving the cultural roles, expectations and family obligations that may be affecting Latina college students. Latina higher education attainment rates are significantly lower compared to their female counterparts and this paper seeks to explore how strong collectivist orientations may be contributing to this achievement disparity. Familismo is a cultural value that emphasizes loyalty, reciprocity and solidarity, involves strong identification and attachment to the family, and requires members to prioritize family. Latinas may be prioritizing family obligations or fulfilling cultural expectations over school responsibilities, which could lead to the decision to stop pursuing a higher …

Segregation Of Student Financial Aid In Higher Education: The Effects On Low-Income Students When Ebt Is Not Accepted At University Campuses In San Diego, Ca., Tanisha-Jean Martin

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The student bodies of universities are made up of a diverse financial class of students which utilize various methods to cover financial obligations on campus, even with the use of welfare governmental assistance. Low-income students that are involved in government welfare programs are given an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to support them while they are pursuing an education; however, every university in San Diego, CA (and nearly the entire United States), segregate EBT into an unacceptable category and refuse to accept the card at any venues on campus. The EBT card is a plastic card that can be used …

Exploring Workforce Confidence And Patient Experiences: A Quantitative Analysis, Katie M. Owens, Stephanie Keller

Patient Experience Journal

Confidence is recognized as one of the most influential factors to affect performance. Individual, leader, and team confidence play essential roles in achieving success and the absence of confidence has been connected with failure. While confidence is not a substitute for competency, it creates trusting relationships, empowerment, and resiliency to persevere when challenges arise. Objective: In this study, we examined workforce confidence in the patient experience and patient perceptions of their experience of care. Methods: We compared responses to the Patient-Centered Excellence Survey (PCES) from 41 United States hospitals, measuring workforce confidence in the patient experience provided, to patient’s ratings …

Positive Organizational Leadership: Some Recent Findings In Positive Organizational Scholarship, Lawrence Chan

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The study of positivity is multifaceted, with roots across psychology, philosophy, and more recently organizational behavior (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997; 2014). This review article highlights the framework from which the study of positivity originates, and then explores positive behaviors in the workplace that have correlated to increases in fulfillment, productivity, engagement, and leadership capacity (Cameron & Dutton, 2003). This essay reveals core components of positive organizational scholarship (POS), notably the interaction of positivity within job demands and job resources, positive employee engagement, and positive deviance, and uncovers some recent findings of these POS components in empirical research and application within human resource …

The Question Of Power In African Pentecostalism, Alex R. Mayfield

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Should the charismatic theology of anointing be considered a democratizing influence in Africa or a reiteration of mediatorial forms of power? Th is article seeks to answer this question by analyzing African traditional religious power structures in comparison to modern African theologies and practices of Pentecostal anointing. Th is comparison, however, highlights the problem of drawing direct lines from Africa’s past to its present; Pentecostal rupture from a traditional past is paradoxically both a break from and connection to pre-colonial conceptions of the self and community. Ultimately, this article argues that while both traditional religions and modern Pentecostal anointing favor …

Re-Imagining Business Enterprise As A Force For Social Good: Exploring Shared Values And The Future Of A Sustainable World, Regina Bernal

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The world is at a crossroads when it comes to understanding business models and their impact on the world and the environment. Business enterprise fuels the economy and plays a key role in society. However, business enterprise has also been in the spotlight recently due to the damages it has inflicted on society and the environment. We have finite resources on this earth and “business as usual” will no longer suffice for 21st century business models. Companies and leaders are called to re-imagine different business models that integrate a more holistic view of profit, humanity, and the potential for business …

Conversational Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Exemplary High School Principals And The Behaviors They Practice In Leading Their Organizations, Robert Harris

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe behaviors exemplary high school principals practiced to lead their organization through conversation using Groysberg and Slind’s (2012c) four elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study described the lived experiences of exemplary high school principals. A sample of 10 participants was selected from the target population that was narrowed to high school principals in Los Angeles County. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in accordance to a protocol developed by a team of 12 peer researchers with the guidance of faculty. In addition, data from …

The Evidence-Based Practice Fulcrum: Balancing Leadership And Emotional Intelligence In Nursing And Interprofessional Education, Pamela Allyn Di Vito-Thomas, Lori Beth Wagner, Terence Hodges, Sheri S. Streitmatter

Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC)

Leadership and emotional intelligence are emerging within nursing and inter-professional education. And, a strategic revolution has awakened throughout healthcare organizations as evidenced based, patient-centered care has received new prominence that requires effective leadership concomitant with the essential attribute of emotional intelligence (Edbor & Singh, 2016; Paren, 2015; & Tyler, 2015).

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Leadership Style And Lean Expressed Through Respect, Proactivity, And Innovative Work Behavior, Reiner Martens

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

This dissertation is based on the idea that a leadership style is necessary to implement a lean culture within an organization. This research study employed a systematic literature review, from which a lean leadership model was developed. Based on the two principles of a lean organizational culture, 1. respect for people and 2. continuous improvement, three measurable variables were identified, respect, proactivity, and innovative work behavior. These three variables were connected to the lean leadership model. Leadership styles based on the full range model of leadership were used as independent variable(s). The overarching results of this study were: (1) transformational …

Set And Drift: Leadership And Strategy, Carnes Lord

Naval War College Review

Winston Churchill once said that most strategic failures in war are due to the “total absence of one directing mind and commanding willpower.” During World War II, Churchill was determined to be that one directing mind, taking for himself a new cabinet portfolio for defense as well as the office of prime min- ister. Difficult as it may be to resist the ideas of one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century, there are many today who will be skeptical of such a claim.