Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Leadership In A Multicultural School, Sonia Amarisse Matthew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The educational problem addressed in this study was the lack of empirical research of the effects of how principal leadership characteristics and style influence the culture of multicultural schools. This qualitative case study identified and explored the leadership strategies used by a reputedly successful principal of a multicultural school. A successful principal was the case being studied. The conceptual framework was anchored in Burns' transformational leadership theory. Three research questions focused on the principal's leadership characteristics, the participants' perceptions of how the principal applied the leadership style, and the influence of the principal's leadership style on school culture. A principal, …

Identifying Leadership Potential In High School Students, Melody Lynn Baham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Leadership potential in regular students is not usually identified by organization advisors at the high school level. Teachers serving as advisors have academic workloads and they are trained to identify the gifted and honors students as leaders, but generally not those at the regular level. Although leadership potential exists in all students, organization advisors tend to seek out those at the top of the class. This study explored how organization advisors, who are also high school teachers, identify student leadership. A group of Student Council and 4-H advisors were interviewed to discover characteristics valued by organization advisors. The advisors were …

Colaboratory: Design Collaboration For The Greater Good, Stephanie Arends Neal

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A university campus is comprised of countless students enrolled in an array of degree programs that logistically creates a diverse population that can and should culminate into a dynamic professional network for graduates. How can higher education capitalize on this melting pot to provide experiences for students and fuse this network? A place, where students collectively solve problems by applying knowledge from their degree-specific areas, will foster interdisciplinary collaboration. By requiring working-relationships between students that benefit their community, a design center will provide students with experiences across disciplines that mirror a real-world, collaborative work environment while they identify opportunities and …

Family Leadership Through Submission., Beverly J. Sedlacek, David Sedlacek

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Managing To Clear The Air: Stereotype Threat, Women, And Leadership, Crystal L. Hoyt, Susan E. Murphy

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

In this article, we explore the process and implications of stereotype threat for women in leadership, broadly construed. First, we provide a brief background on the phenomenon of stereotype threat generally. Next, we explore stereotype threat for women in leadership by reviewing a model of stereotype threat in leadership contexts that includes cues to stereotype threat, consequences of stereotype threat, and moderators of stereotype threat appraisals and responses. In this review, in addition to considering research focused squarely on leadership, we include the broader categories of research examining stereotype threat effects in the workplace and in tasks and domains relevant …

A Study Of Followers Under Transformational Leadership, Song X. Zhang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in scholarship on how transformational leadership inspires healthcare workers in the eastern United States, which is important as healthcare costs are approximately 20% of the United States gross domestic product and rising. Improved healthcare performance may contribute to cost containment or even cost reductions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of employees working for a transformational leader in a healthcare facility in the eastern United States. The conceptual framework was Bass's transformational leadership theory and von Bertalanffy's general systems theory. The overreaching research question asked how transformational leadership affected …

Exploring Bank Managers' Strategies For Developing Millennials For Leadership Roles In Commercial Banks, Kenneth Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding strategies to prepare Millennials for leadership roles in commercial banks is critical to ensure organizational stability and success and to avoid knowledge gaps and leadership deficiencies created by large numbers of retiring Baby Boomers. Guided by learning network theory and generational theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that 3 bank managers in North Carolina and South Carolina used to prepare Millennials for leadership. These 3 bank managers had a minimum of 2 years of experience leading teams of employees which included Millennials. The study included semistructured interviews to elicit detailed narratives from …

The Leadership Experiences Of Immigrant Nigerian Women In New York City, Osinachi Muoka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigerian women face numerous cultural difficulties in their quest to attain leadership positions in Nigeria, a developing country. They are often overlooked in favor of men due to politics, religious beliefs, education, and bias in gender roles. When Nigerian women emigrate to a new country, the challenges are even greater. Although several United States policies impact the ability of a female immigrant to attain a leadership position 'the Equal Pay Act, Affirmative Action, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act' little research has examined the challenges that affect their quest to attain leadership positions in the United States. This study explored …

Leadership Advancement And Mentoring Of Women Into Chief Financial Officer Roles, Jenny Salkeld

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study investigated the personal descriptions and experiences of women in chief financial officer roles for Fortune 1000 companies, educational institutions, and private entities. Research on women in senior leadership roles is typically reflective of those in chief executive officer positions rather than chief financial officer positions. The literature is also limited on the ascension of women into chief financial officer roles and the influences of mentoring on career progression. The purpose of the study was to capture individual points of view from participants' lived experiences of leadership advancement, gender inequality, and mentoring in chief financial officer roles in …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Community Maturity In Catholic Schools, Jane-Marie Fetty Koelsch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Midwestern Catholic schools have implemented professional learning communities (PLCs) to enhance teacher quality and attain school goals. However, not all schools have aligned practices essential to increase maturity in the five PLC dimensions, as defined by Hord. Guided by Hord's framework, this research study investigated teachers' perceptions of PLC maturity in select Catholic schools. A convenience sample allowed an examination of schools engaged in an initiative that included PLCs. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the Professional Learning Communities Assessment - Revised was administered to 42 teachers in 4 schools. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data …

Practices And Perceptions Of Social Media Among Leaders In Higher Education: A Quantitative Study, Melissa Elizabeth Holmes

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This quantitative dissertation study explored the social media practices and perceptions of 452 leaders of 142 public and private non-profit four-year degree granting institutions in the western United States. Descriptive statistics were calculated for gender, position title, age, social media use, and attitudes regarding themes revealed in a review of current literature. Then, a Spearman Rho analysis was used to measure the strength of correlation between hours using social media and rank scores of social media attitudes. The study revealed that about 85% of leaders use social media for an average of 4.54 hours per week (SD=5.59, N=452). Social media …

Associations Between Leadership Style And Employee Resistance To Change In A Healthcare Setting, Tanisha Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

. Abstract

Health reform is forcing healthcare administrators to make rapid changes. A tendency to resist change can present problems for these organizations, including the large, not-for-profit Catholic healthcare systems. In order to make positive contributions towards healthcare, it's important to recognize the nature of the organization's involvement to change. The transformational leadership style has been shown to be positively correlated with change however, the relationship among leadership styles, employees' behaviors, and motivation to change are still not well understood and require further study. Further, although Oreg's Resistance to Change (RTC) approach has been researched in direct patient care areas, …

Exploring Barriers To Implementing A School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention And Support Program., Ronald L. Gay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined factors related to the implementation of a School Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) program at a large middle school in the United States. Parent Teacher Student Association volunteers at the school reported that teacher fidelity to implementation of SWPBIS activities was inconsistent, threatening the SWPBIS program's effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers that hindered teachers' fidelity in implementing SWPBIS. Teacher resistance to change, change leadership framework, and the model for effective professional development were used in this case study to explore the perceptions of 16 participants. The research questions focused on …

Closing The Innovation Gap For Business Sustainability, Wayne Philip Stamler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior business leaders may deliberately impede innovation or inadvertently fail at creating a culture of innovation to foster new product development. The gap between desired and achieved levels of innovation is cause for concern. Addressing the innovation gap may require new ways of thinking from senior executives and a departure from a locked-in mindset to make the linkage between innovation, branding, and financial performance. In this quantitative research study, multiple regression analyses were used to examine and analyze the relationship between innovation rankings, brand valuation, and economic sustainability to address possible reasons for an innovation gap. The theoretical framework of …

The Relationship Between Nigerian Local Government Administrative Leadership Styles And Organization Outcomes, Adebayo A. Adanri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the multitude of existing studies of leadership and organizational outcome, there are few empirical studies of these phenomena in Africa. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between Nigerian local government administrative leadership and organizational outcome and between perceived leadership effectiveness and transformational leadership factors, based on Bass's full range leadership theory (FRLT). Data were collected through the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaires administered to a randomly selected sample of 240 department heads in 30 local governments in Osun State, Nigeria. Regression result shows a statistically significant correlation between the local public administrators' leadership practices and organizational …

Professional Development To Enhance Instructional Leadership And Practice Of Central Office Administrators, Cheryl A. R. Mccue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional Development to Enhance Instructional Leadership and Practice of

Central Office Administrators

by

Cheryl A. R. McCue

M. Ed., Lehigh University, 1990

BS, Kutztown University, 1987

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

June 2016

Decades of research and practice suggest that educational administrators need to experience opportunities for professional development and continuous learning. This project study addressed the problem regarding the lack of a formal or systemic plan for professional development of central office administrators in a large suburban school district in northeastern United States. Supported by Lave …

Transformational Leadership Skills Needed By Private Basic School Proprietors In Ghana, Moses Adu-Gyimah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Survival of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) is a critical issue for business leaders. The Ghana Statistical Service reported that over 60% of SMEs, including Ghanaian small and medium scale private basic schools, fail during their first 5 years of operation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the transformational leadership skills that proprietors of Ghanaian small and medium scale private basic schools have used to enhance employee performance for sustainability beyond 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was Bass and Avolio's transformational leadership theory. Data collection included semistructured interviews to elicit narratives from …

Developing Sustainable Leadership Strategies To Increase Corporate Revenue, Linda Goulet Crosby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The business environment is in constant flux where stakeholders encourage organizational leaders to consider sustainable business tactics alongside corporate profits. While most business leaders recognize the importance of including sustainability into corporate goals, evidence suggested that only 10% have sustainable action plans in place. Using the honeybee leadership model as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the sustainable leadership strategies that business leaders from small- and medium- sized companies integrated to increase corporate revenue. These companies were B Corp certified which ensures a third party endorsement of sustainable practices. The data were collected …

Psychological Empowerment And Customer Orientation In The Grocery Industry, Christopher Nestico

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations incur $83 billion per year in losses because of negative consumer experiences. Leadership behaviors and the various aspects of organizational life affect employee-customer interactions. With psychological empowerment theory as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this correlational study was to investigate the relationship between the independent variables of psychological empowerment (PE), dimensions of PE (e.g., meaning, self-efficacy, influence), tenure, education, and the dependent variable of customer orientation (CO). Employees of a regional grocery retailer in the northeastern United States comprised the population of the study. Data collection involved the use of paper surveys to measure individual worker levels of …

An Evaluation Of Individuals' Construction Of Personal Trust In Organizations, Colin Edward Armour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trust is in decline within organizations resulting from poor management and ethical indifference. Failing to address trust perceptions has led to stress between management and employees. Researchers have studied organizational trust as a constant quality within groups but have neglected the uniquely individual constructs of trust that inhibit trust-building efforts. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate how personal constructs of trust may affect outcomes at the organizational level among workers and managers in hierarchal structured organizations. The topics of the research questions addressed the extent which cultural values and the relative trust situation affected individuals' perceptions of …

The Merits Of Trust In Transformational Leadership, Yonnette Hyman-Shurland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trust in transformational leadership is related to motivation, self-enhancement, and positive job outcomes. Trust in the leader-follower relationship, from the perspective of subordinates, has yet to be examined. Trust is considered an important factor when seeking to improve the chances for organizational success and positive job outcomes. The merits of trust in transformational leadership were addressed in this qualitative case study for the purpose of understanding the value of trust in leader-follower relationships viewed from the experiences of subordinates. Interviews were conducted with 30 participants from 2 organizations within the Newton and Rockdale counties located in the state of Georgia; …

Improving The Charge Nurse's Leadership Role: A Collaborative Learning Forum, Felicia Katherine Pryby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Staff nurses are frequently placed in charge nurse positions without the necessary formal training. The long-term goal of this project was to develop a curriculum for a formal institutional leadership workshop for the charge nurses at the practicum site. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice model and Lewin's change theory were used to guide the development and implementation of the workshop. Data were collected using a focus group approach with 4 novice and 5 expert medical-surgical charge nurses. The short-term goal of the project was to understand the charge nurses' perceptions of leadership and the challenges as a front-line leader. …

Transformational Leadership As A Means Of Improving Patient Care And Nursing Retention, Carla D. Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Joint Commission (TJC) sets standards to assist healthcare organizations in improving performance. The hospital for which this project was developed did not meet national TJC benchmarks for patient satisfaction and nurse retention. Based on direct observation, discussion with staff, and results of the Multifactorial Leadership Questionnaire given to 39 staff nurses before this project was chosen, evidence suggested that the leadership style of the charge nurses was transactional, which is less effective than transformational leadership (TFL). Framed within the Plan, Do, Study, Act model, the purpose of this quality improvement project was to design an educational curriculum including didactic …

Perceived Best Practices Of Small Business Executives In War Zones, Eric Wayne Barton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The ability to sustain small businesses operating in war-torn areas is important not only to the business owners, but also to foreign communities receiving United States contract services for recovery from widespread decimation. While all small businesses address a wide range of issues, businesses operating in war-torn areas also face cultural diversity, local regulations, and potential threats to employee safety. The conceptual framework for this exploratory multiple case study was transformational-transactional leadership theory, guiding the research to discover traits and strategies of successful leaders in the population of small businesses that were profitable beyond 5 years while operating in the …

Globalization, Mobile Technology, And Social Media's Influence On Leadership Communication Involving Millennials, Rasheedah Dunston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current research identifies effective leadership communication, which includes frequent direct conversational communication from company leaders, influences worker performance during organizational change. Social media, mobile technology, and the Millennial workforce have shifted leader communication style from purely top-down, town hall style communication to incorporate more collaborative and engaging forums. The case study addressed how globalization, social media, and mobile technology affects leadership communication and then subsequently effects worker performance as Millennials join the workforce. Qualitative data were collected from observations and interviews from a purposeful selection of 9 Millennial employees, including 2 Millennial leaders, and 8 non-Millennial leaders of a Fortune …

The Correlation Of Leader Traits And Learning Organizational Culture, Mark Reginald Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers in numerous studies have focused on leadership style and organizational cultures, but there is an absence of research regarding leader personality traits and productive work cultures in Alberta's oil and gas industry. The purpose of this correlational study was to assess the relationship between leader traits and preestablished learning organization culture benchmarks within Alberta's oil and gas industry. Learning organization culture is an extension of Senge's learning organization theory. Simple random sampling was used to attain a population comprised of 52 employees in Alberta's oil and gas industry who were accountable to an organizational supervisor. Data were collected …

Frontline And Middle-Level Nursing Leader Transition Within The Military Health System, Rudolph George Newman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare delivery within the military requires a multifaceted approach to achieve the desired outcomes of safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable health care. The prospect of maintaining a cycle of continuous process improvements within military clinical settings hinge on frontline leaders and middle-level managers who must be prepared to execute the mission and motivate, supervise, coach and mentor the staff. This project showcases a review of current literature translated into the development of an evidence-based Transformational Leadership Induction Program (TLIP) module that consisted of 4 subsections: the environment of care, clinical decision support systems, human resources management, and change …

An Exploration Of Leadership Styles And Motivation In Egyptian Business Organizations, Nady Ahmed El-Zayaty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership styles can have a profound impact on employee motivation and performance. The changing global business landscape has drawn much attention to transformational leadership as an approach that addresses the demands of organizations in this complex environment. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to understand the nature of employee motivation with regard to leadership styles and the role of transformational leadership in Egyptian business organizations. Seventeen Egyptian professionals were recruited through a combination of e-mail and telephone procedures and were interviewed regarding their experiences with organizational leaders; their perception of the ideal organizational leader; their feelings about …

Leader Strategies To Reduce Sales Personnel Attrition, Nicole Lea Hawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because sales are the primary revenue generators for insurance companies, reducing attrition of sales agents is essential to organizational success. The purpose of this single descriptive case study was to explore strategies that 6 Nebraskan sales leaders within the insurance industry used to reduce attrition. Participants had experience in sales leadership and the attrition of sales personnel and were able to provide insight into the unique perspectives on attrition in the insurance industry. Participants met the following criteria: (a) manage an insurance sales office or organization or (b) held an insurance sales leadership position for at least 1 year and …

Intercultural And Career Experiences Of African American Women Midlevel Leaders At Predominately White Institutions, Rabekah Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women leaders positively influence the college experiences of students at predominately White institutions (PWI), but the retention of those women leaders remains an issue. At the time of this study, limited research informed race and gender issues that intersect the career advancement of African American women serving in midlevel leadership positions at PWIs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the intercultural and career advancement experiences of these women. Critical race theory, critical race feminist theory, and intercultural communications theory were used as a framework to understand the participants' intercultural and career advancement experiences, perceived influences, …