Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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

School of Professional Studies

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Study Of The Underrepresentation Of Blacks In Leadership Roles In Professional Services Organizations, Marcia E. Stokes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Blacks in professional services organizations who were promoted into leadership positions. The theories which guided this study were Spence’s theory on signaling and the Critical Race Theory (CRT). They provided lenses that were used to view the problem of access to advancements and promotions for Blacks in professional services organizations. The research design used for this study was qualitative, and the approach was hermeneutical phenomenological. The qualitative design provided an opportunity to gather the data by hearing the lived experiences of the participants and by capturing …

A Phenomenological Study Of Pastors Leaving Employment Due To Experienced Poor Person-Organization Fit, Stephen T. Buys

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe pastors’ experiences who have served full-time in a lead/senior pastor role in evangelical churches after having lost or left their employment as a result of experiencing poor person-organization fit. For this study, pastoral staff turnover was defined as the employment of full-time pastoral staff employed for at least one year who have resulted in voluntary or involuntary resignation from their place of employment because of value incongruence. In this phenomenology, the church is viewed as an educational institution, including similarities between pastoral roles and educator and administrator roles. As …

Student Inclusion In The Least Restrictive Environment, Jennifer Grossman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement project explores student inclusion in the general education environment. Inclusion is an important topic in schools and is important to discuss. Inclusion is defined and explained. This school improvement project will explore the problem, leadership assistance, differentiated instruction, and implementation of inclusion in the least restrictive environment. Inclusion is imperative to student success in the inclusive environment. An analysis of inclusion suggests students with varying abilities be included in as much of the general education environment in order to succeed in social and academic domains. Results of inclusion in the general education environment indicate that students with …

Nurturing Creativity Using Intentional Event Design, Tahira Endean

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

ABSTRACT OF PROJECT

Nurturing Creativity Using Intentional Event Design

The purpose of this project is to continue the research and strengthen the academic foundation that underlies the intersection where creativity and creative leadership are supported by intentional event design. This project will explore the tools that can help determine if an organization encourages bold creativity or limits the time or energy allowed for creative problem solving, and the many ways we can design experiences with the intention to allow creativity to enter the room. This will extend the practical applications and explore stories where leadership, creativity and experience design intersect …

Leadership And Job Performance Of Library Personnel In University Of Abuja, Nigeria, Oluwatola Kolawole, Solomon Oluwatise Abomoge, Odion Evans Kakulu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examined the level of leadership and job performance of library personnel in University of Abuja, Nigeria. Survey research methodology was used with a total sample size of 202 library personnel in University of Abuja library using simple random sampling techniques. Data was collected mainly through questionnaire and analyzed using frequency distribution and descriptive statistics. The result revealed that the leadership of the University of Abuja library consulted his staff in taking decision at the same time a team player, friendly and provided mentorship to his subordinate. It was also revealed that respondents were of the opinion that leadership …

A Cross-Disciplinary Examination Of Institutional Diversity: How University Programs Advance A Diverse Workforce, Joseph Trendowski, Matthew R. Trendowski, Thomas N. Trendowski, Stephanie D. Trendowski, Michael J. Trendowski

Journal of the North American Management Society

Diversity in higher education is encouraged and celebrated throughout many predominant universities across the United States. Institutions of higher learning benefit from diversity in all aspects of campus life; from classes, organizations, or extracurricular activities. Institutional theory is applied to this study to examine how diversity programs are implemented in various university types (national research, private, and state) as well as different settings (educational opportunities, leadership, and accessibility) to develop a qualified and diverse workforce. To achieve this objective, we suggest universities implement a multifaceted approach focusing on initiatives at the university, faculty, and student level.

Examining Strategic Antecedents Of The Appointment Of Women To Top Management Teams, Robert L. Bonner, Steven J. Hyde, Kristen Faile

Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the organizational and environmental antecedents to the appointment of a woman to a non-CEO top management team (TMT) position.

Design/methodology/approach – This study uses a conditional fixed effects logistic regression model to analyze non-CEO TMT appointment data collected from the S&P 500 between 2008 and 2016.

Findings – Women were more likely to be appointed to non-CEO TMT positions when a firm was undergoing strategic change, had slack resources, and was in a less munificent environment.

Originality/value – This article contributes to the literature concerning the antecedents of the selection …

Grit And Leadership: How Exemplary Middle School Principals Use The Principles Of Grit To Accomplish Extraordinary Results, Gabriela Aldana

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe how exemplary middle school principals use the five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organization.

Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of exemplary middle school principals in Los Angeles and Orange County. The participants were selected through nonprobability purposeful sampling and met the criteria for exemplary middle school principals. As a member of a thematic research team of nine peer researchers and three faculty advisors, we developed a semistructured interview protocol for data …

Overcoming The Impostor Phenomenon: Exploring The Strategies Special Education Charter School Leaders Used To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Damaris Ocasio Owens

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive mixed method study was to explore and describe the coping skills used to overcome the nine behavioral characteristics by special education charter school leaders who identified as experiencing impostor phenomenon (IP) by the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance,1985), while leading the transition to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This descriptive mixed-methods research design used quantitative and qualitative data to identify special education leaders with IP and explore the coping skills they used during distance learning. The first phase of the study was a quantitative 20-question survey, the CIPS, used to …

Advancing Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Developmental Disabilities: The Essential Role Of Leadership For Cultural And Linguistic Competence, Tawara D. Goode, Oluwatosin Ajisope, Sharonlyn Harrison, Betelhem Eshetu Yimer, Deborah Perry, Wendy Jones

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

ABSTRACT

There is a clear and compelling need to approach equity, diversity, and inclusion not as problems to be solved,but rather as opportunities to be realized. The Developmental Disabilities Bill of Rights and Assistance Act of 2000,states the need for cultural competence, specifically to ensure that supports and services “are provided in a manner that assure maximum participation and benefit for persons with IDD.” Cultural and linguistic competence (CLC) are evidence-based or proven practices that reduce disparities, advance diversity, and promote equity. Achieving CLC requires strong and informed leadership to spark the necessary changes within systems, organizations, and practice. …

Care And Accountability In Library Leadership, Annie Bélanger, Kat Bell, Maisha Carey, Jon Jeffryes, Meghan Musolff

Presentations

Leaders and managers have an outsized impact on workers’ wellbeing. In facing the reality of constant and unpredictable change, leaders and managers need to consider the humanity of their employees as part of their commitment to equity. We suggest that library leaders and managers need to consider human-centered approaches as part of their leadership toolkit. Human-centered leaders have a strong focus on people and the organizational culture. They layer compassion and empathy in taking actions to fulfill the organization's mission.

We acknowledge that there are situations when taking a human-centered approach to the needs of library employees can feel in …

Transforming Organizational Culture And Enacting Social Justice In Praxis Through Decolonization Of Cultural Artifacts At A U.S. University, Antonio Jimenez-Luque, Sarina Chugani Molina, Rachelle Ann Martinez

School of Leadership and Education Sciences: Faculty Scholarship

Organizational cultures and the resulting manifestations of cultural artifacts on many campuses continue to contribute to the perpetuation of elitism and ideologies deeply entrenched in the undercurrent of colonial legacies. This study presents an analysis of an initiative at one university in the United States for decolonizing practices through the transformation of cultural artifacts that reproduce colonial ideologies and the alignment of them with values of diversity, community, social justice, and scholarly excellence. Data were gathered through a qualitative survey submitted to faculty, students, and staff, and 4 months of ethnographic work seeking to understand how stakeholders interpret the cultural …

Employee Engagement And Leadership In The Federal Sector, Quanekqua Tequila Russell Pringle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While levels of engagement have slightly increased, employee engagement in the U.S. federal government sector still significantly lags when compared to the private sector. When asked if organizational leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the workforce, only 48% of U.S. federal government employees indicated a positive response. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study and primary research question was to determine to what extent, if any, does a relationship exist between perceptions of leadership communication and effectiveness and employee engagement in the U.S. federal government sector. The theoretical framework of this quantitative correlational study was informed by …

Speaking To The Head And The Heart: Prioritizing Empathetic Communication In The Post-Covid Workplace, Kevin T. Caffrey

Administrative / Professional Faculty Articles

As of August 2022, COVID-19 continues to affect our daily lives in physical, psychological, and financial ways. Many vulnerable individuals are struggling to adapt to returning to work and as a result, employee morale is at risk. In times of crises, empathy is needed in the workplace to support one another, but many leaders and employees may not have a firm grasp of the concept. This article seeks to define empathetic communication and explore the need for prioritizing empathy amid the current post-COVID-19 workplace. Through a literature review of empathy, psychological safety in the workplace, and crisis leadership, the author …

A Leadership Perspective On Preventing Counselor Burnout In A Behavioral Health Setting During Covid-19, Claudia P. De La Torre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high need for mental health services, which resulted in a shortage of mental health clinicians. This shortage of mental health clinicians then resulted in a high burnout rate due to client intake. This doctoral case study was grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework and focused on how a behavioral health organization in South Texas managed burnout in clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to help behavioral health leaders find a solution to preventing burnout during a high demand pandemic. This doctoral study had several data sources, including semistructured interviews with three …

Strategies Used By Small Traditional Retail Business Owners For Sustainability, Linda Ogbah Faas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses fail at an alarming rate, negatively affecting job creation because small business owners create a major portion of jobs in the United States. In March of 2020, 274,000 businesses failed in the United States, resulting in 76,000 lost jobs. Owners of small traditional retail stores are significantly challenged to avoid financial failure. Grounded in Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies owners of small traditional retail stores used to survive beyond the first 5 years of operations. Participants included five owners of small traditional retail stores in Missouri whose businesses survived …

Community-Based Organization Leaders’ Communication Effectiveness And Effects On Performance Outcomes, Troy N. Nicholas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine if effective leader communication builds employee relationships that improves organizational performance. Organizational communication is a prominent factor that impacts the outcome of an organization’s goals and assists in executing its mission. There remain some gaps in the current literature considering the work environment and the attitudes of employees as they relate to organizational communication. To address the gap, the constructive grounded theory model was used to construct and analyze a theory of organizational communication. The sample for the study included 12 participants who were leaders or employees in a community-based organizations in …

Building And Sustaining Trust During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons In P-12 Educational Leadership, C. Fred Engelhardt Jr.

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Trust has been called the “lubricant for social and interpersonal interactions” and “vital for individuals working together to create effective systems.” Organizations were challenged with considering how to adapt and innovate practices during COVID-19 in order to achieve their purpose and mission, continue their effectiveness towards that end, all while being cognizant of the health and safety of their members. Educational institutions were concurrently required to adopt remote instructional practices, adhere to strict safety and health measures, consider the effects of social-emotional health, while encouraging the ongoing learning of students. Courageous building principals and district leaders encouraged new practices, supported …

Give And You May Receive: Examining Transparent Leadership Through The Lens Of Leader-Follower Relationships, Edward J. Piecek

Theses and Dissertations

Transparency is a term often used to describe a solution to many organizational problems and a fundamental quality that employees seek from their leaders, yet its definition and application to leadership theory remain unclear. This study adopted a grounded theory approach to examining transparent leadership, using semi-structured interviews to explore transparent leader behaviors across multiple contexts. The sample included 25 mid-level leaders working for six non-profit healthcare organizations in the western US. Based on analysis of interview responses, the results revealed a dynamic, reciprocal transparent leader-follower relationship distinct from existing leadership theories. As the first known empirical study of transparent …

Effective Leadership Styles To Ensure Organizational Success, Nicholas Collishaw

M.S. in Leadership

A look into the different leadership styles that can ensure organizational success within the law enforcement field. Each generation that comprises of the law enforcement field have different preferred leadership styles and traits that keep an organization running effectively. Finally, an analysis of the different theories revolving around leadership and the benefits of each theory if implemented effectively.

The Impact Of Racism: Experience Of Black Women Leaders In The Public Sector, Maisha Inaya Giles

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Despite the Civil Right Act and a myriad of DEI initiatives that claim to create an anti-discrimination and antiracism environment, Black women leaders still experience racism, discrimination, and disrespect in the workplace. Black women are less likely to be promoted than their White counterparts, and over 25% of Black women reported that their social identities led to a missed advancement opportunity (McKinsey & Lean In, 2022). Society is in the midst of a unique time in history where government institutions, willingly or forced, are having difficult conversations regarding institutional racism. The national movement that declares racism as a public health …

Strategies To Increase Volunteer Retention In Protestant Churches, Anthony David Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Church leaders utilize volunteers as the primary human capital to accomplish organizational goals. However, volunteer retention is an ongoing global challenge for church leaders, and unless addressed, leaders will be hindered in achieving church goals. Grounded in the job embeddedness conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative, multiple-case study was to explore strategies some church leaders used to retain volunteers to accomplish organizational goals. Three leaders from different Protestant churches in the Southwest United States participated in the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, internal church documents, and publicly accessible information. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and six …

Strategies Automotive Manufacturing Managers Use To Deliver Work In Alignment With Project Milestones, Sashidhar Mr. Sankaranarayanan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project managers working in manufacturing firms in the automotive industry frequently face challenges such as cost overruns, schedule delays, and scope changes. Project managers often lack effective strategies to ensure that different departments deliver their work in alignment with project milestones, which can negatively affect project success rates. Grounded in the balanced scorecard framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies managers in the automotive manufacturing industry used in their different departments to deliver their work in alignment with project milestones. The participants were three project managers who had successfully implemented strategies that reduced the …

Law Enforcement Leaders’ Perceptions Of The Attributes Of Emotional Intelligence, Gordon A. Broussard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAlthough there have been numerous studies conducted on emotional intelligence and effective leadership, there is a need for increased emotional intelligence among law enforcement leaders. This study aimed at determining how law enforcement leaders perceive the importance of emotional intelligence attributes when leading their organization. A phenomenological qualitative study was used with purposive and snowball sampling of 12 participants who held senior leadership positions for over five years as chiefs and sheriffs throughout the United States. Semistructured interviews were conducted to determine participants’ perceptions of the importance of the four attributes of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Community Based-Organizations: A Case Study Of Jewish Organizations, Orit Zigmanlador

Theses and Dissertations

When COVID-19 started to spread in March 2020, no one could anticipate the impact it would have on the world. Social behavior is one key aspect that has changed dramatically as a result of the pandemic. Through restrictions that imposed social distancing, masks, and quarantines, feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation increased. At the same time, there was also evidence of prosocial behavior, with the emergence of people helping those in need. As the pandemic turns endemic with restrictions lifting, the longstanding impact of the pandemic on people’s behavior is still unclear. One way to explore this phenomenon is through …

An Examination Of Leading Through Change Using Snyder’S Hope Theory And Lewin’S 3-Step Model, Scott E. Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

Never has the world experienced such rapid change, and the environment in which organizations operate necessitates increased change capability and organizational agility (Argyris, 1991). Strebel (1996) found success rates for change initiatives in Fortune 1000 companies ranged from a low of 20% to a high of 50%. Later studies would substantiate Strebel’s (1996) findings, claiming that, on average, failure rates of transformational change initiatives approach 70% (Beer & Nohria, 2000; Sirkin et al., 2005). Suppose this is so, and companies wish to thrive in such a dynamic environment. A fundamental understanding of why change efforts fail and how to drive …

Against All Odds: The Successful Leadership Journey Of A Saudi Woman In A Male-Dominated Stem Corporation, Maha Aldaajani

Theses and Dissertations

Huda Al-Ghoson became the first Saudi woman in an executive leadership position at Saudi Aramco, defying gender discrimination in a male-dominated corporate. This dissertation examined Al-Ghoson's groundbreaking journey and its implications for Saudi women, addressing the scarcity of information on successful Saudi female leaders' strategies and experiences. The literature review explored gender-related theories, Transformational leadership theory, and Full-Range leadership theory. A qualitative exploratory single-case study design was employed, with Huda Al-Ghoson as the focal point. The research questions were: (a) as a Saudi woman in a top leadership role, how does Al-Ghoson perceive her ascension to leadership in a male-dominated …

How Gender-Biased Oral Argument Interruptions Opened The Door For Chief Justice Roberts To Be A Transformational Leader, Christina L. Boyd, Sidney E. Shank

Scholarship@WashULaw

In a 2021 NYU Law School conversation with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the Justice was asked whether she observed higher levels of interruptions of female Justices, relative to their male colleagues, during the Supreme Court’s oral arguments. Justice Sotomayor responded in the affirmative:

“Did I notice it as a dynamic? Without question . . . but I don’t know of a woman who hasn’t. Meaning, regrettably, that is a dynamic that exists not just on the court but in our society in general. Most of the time, women say things, and they’re not heard in the same way [as] men [who] …