Digital Commons Network^™

The Nature Of Organizational Learning In A State Extension Organization, Mary Simon Leuci

Journal of Extension

Our complex and rapidly changing world demands a more nimble, responsive, and flexible Extension organization. The findings from a study involving interviews across a state Cooperative Extension Service paint a picture of organizational learning in Extension. Four key dimensions of learning surfaced. Of particular importance are the application of a model for organizational knowledge creation and the characteristics of transformational organizational learning for innovation. Recommendations focus on actively supporting organizational learning, developing ways to tap the vast knowledge and skills of Extension professionals, and institutionalizing means to transfer learning.

The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Black Women Leaders In Fortune 500 Companies, Latonya R. Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black women are underrepresented in leadership positions within organizations. The extent to which self-efficacy influences the advancement potential of Black females is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy beliefs of black women in leadership positions and to determine how Black women leaders' careers are influenced by their self-efficacy beliefs. Participants for the study were determined using convenient random sampling. The objectives of this study were to determine the profile and level of self-efficacy, and leadership practices of participants based on tenure (length of time in a leadership position), age comparison and work experience (total number …

Leadership Practice In Elementary School Dual Language Programs: A Collective Case Study, Joanie K. Monroy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research in effective programming for English language learners has demonstrated the efficacy of dual language education as a model for closing persistent achievement gaps for this growing population of students. With goals of high academic achievement, linguistic proficiency in two languages, and cross-cultural proficiency, dual language education is an enrichment model of education that eschews the deficit thinking often associated with language-minority students. Based on the promise of enriched education for all participants, the number of dual language programs is increasing nationwide. As districts across the United States plan for the implementation of dual language programs, identifying effective leadership practices …

Nurse Manager Transformational Leadership Practices And Patient Outcomes Among Magnet And Non-Magnet Hospitals, Bridgett Byrd Sellars Phd, Msn, Ma, Rn

Dissertations

In 2004 the Institute Of Medicine called for healthcare leaders to embrace and adopt transformational leadership practices to promote quality of care and favorable patient outcomes. Nurse managers are accountable for 24-hour operations of their departments and influence patient outcomes. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among nurse manager transformational leadership practices, patient outcomes and hospital types (Magnet, On The Journey, and Non-Magnet). A correlational study examined relationships between self-reported transformational leadership practices of nurse managers and patient outcomes by hospital types. The study was conducted using a purposive sample of Association of California Nurse Leader …

Leadership, Complex Adaptive Systems, And Equivocality: The Role Of Managers In Emergent Change, Robert J. Blomme

Organization Management Journal

When managers are confronted with the necessity to change their organization owing to a turbulent and unpredictable environment, their change efforts are often not very successful. As managers are part of the change context itself, they have to act in a way that is different from the traditional role of the administrative leader to become successful change leaders. This article attempts to redefine organizational change using complexity theory and the work of Karl Weick and Ralph Stacey as a basis. Organizational change can be defined as emergent change in complex adaptive systems and is based on self-organizational principles. One important …

Factors Contributing To Successful Transitions Into The Role Of A New Superintendency In Texas: A Mixed Methods Triangulation Convergence Inquiry, Nancy B. Jones

Administrative Issues Journal

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors contributing to a successful transition into the role of a new superintendency in Texas. A triangular designed mixed methodology with a convergence model was employed. The setting was urban, suburban, and rural school districts in Texas. The participants were superintendents of public school districts in Texas. Quantitative data were collected through the use of an electronic survey, while a focus group was conducted to collect the qualitative data. Participating superintendents indicated that the training and education they received had adequately prepared them for the role of a new superintendent and …

Learning About Organizational Capabilities, Structures And Strategies From Virtual Gaming Teams, Hari Suman Naik, Amit Gupta

Working Papers

The second generation of web development and design commonly referred to as Web 2.0 focuses primarily on user generated content and inter-human connections. The effectiveness of the applications and services increases with the number of people and the type of people making using of them. This concept has now extended to online computer games with the evolution of the Massively Multiplayer Online Games genre. These games are based on continuous real interactions with real people although in a virtual environment. Furthermore the game play promotes team building with complex game goals that necessitate large strong teams. Such teams often slowly …

Creating A Hospitality Leadership Development Training Program For A Country Club, Joan Ho

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to design a hospitality leadership development training program for a medium sized country club.

Statement of Objective: This paper will present a set of guidelines for creating and implementing an effective hospitality leadership development program for the country club and subsequently implemented for other hospitality and tourism organizations. The leadership development training program aims to attract the employees to retain in this trade. Therefore there is clearly a need for the hospitality and tourism industries to understand what constitutes effective leadership and how it can be achieved. Different definitions of leadership and important …

Identifying The Factors Influencing Professional Volunteer Leadership In The National Association Of Extension 4-H Agents, Alexa Lamm, Debbie Nistler, Nicole Stedman

Journal of Extension

Many Extension professional associations have had trouble getting members to participate in national leadership opportunities. The study reported here examined the perception of members of a national Extension professional organization (NAE4-HA) regarding specific leadership actions. It found the single act of taking on a leadership position alters individuals' perceptions of leadership, directly driving their desires to be involved or not. Creating a sense of belonging and inclusiveness with the general membership can greatly improve the quality of the leadership experiences these individuals have, reinforcing their desire to affiliate and identify with being part of an association at the national level.

Identifying Patterns In The Crucial Educational Leadership Constructs Used By The Most Cited Authors And Published Works Of 1990-2010, Sitalaiti Lotulelei

Theses and Dissertations

This study conducted a bibliometric analysis for the purpose of identifying the crucial leadership constructs that best explain and/or define effective educational leadership in two decades (1990-2000 and 2001-2010). The study reviewed top authors in educational leadership and analyzed their top cited works to identify leadership constructs which were (a) unique to leadership works within the 1990-2000 decade, (b) unique to the 2001-2010 decade, and c) similar or different between the two decades. The study found that the leadership constructs did evolve and shift during the study period and addressed the changing demands of individuals, educational organizations, and the external …

The Heart And Soul Of Change Management, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Beyond Leadership, Kees Rietsema, Daryl Watkins

Publications

Organizational leadership must evolve beyond a focus on those occupying the positions of organizational leadership. Complex systems provide the opportunity to rethink the leadership function in terms which are holistic and comprehensive. Applying the principles of complexity may provide the basis for a more collaborative, distributed and productive “way of being” for today’s organizations.

Leading In Times Of Change: Principals' Perspectives Of Their Role In A New Pay-For-Performance System, Amanda Lela Ortiz-Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore principals' perspectives on how they make sense of their leadership roles in a new pay-for-performance system. The study describes the perceptions of six principals, two each from elementary, middle, and high school levels, regarding leadership in a recently changed system. Principals were asked about their leadership roles in implementing a pay-for-performance system, and responses focused on leadership styles, actions, beliefs, preparation, and experience of leading in a time of change. Four themes emerged from the data as significant aspects of leading change in a pay-for-performance system: (a) supporting a culture of …

Secondary School Science Department Chairs Leading Change, Julie Ann Gaubatz

Dissertations

Secondary school department chairs are content area specialists in their schools and are responsible for providing students with the most appropriate curricula. However, most secondary school department chairs have limited authority to institute change unilaterally (Gmelch, 1993; Hannay & Erb, 1999). To explore how these educational leaders navigate the change process within their departments, this study examined the change stories of six secondary school science department chairs who had led change attempts. In total, these department chairs shared six stories of successful change attempts and four unsuccessful change attempts. The topics of leadership and change were accessed through department chair …

Influence Tactics And Leadership Effectiveness In Turkey And Usa : Mediating Role Of Subordinate Commitment, Cuneyt Gozu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of the present research was to investigate managerial influence processes in Turkey and the USA. Two survey studies were conducted to explore three objectives. First, the role of core tactics (rational persuasion, consultation, collaboration, and inspirational appeals) in target commitment was examined. Second, the impact of target commitment on the relationship between influence tactics and leadership effectiveness was investigated. Third, whether previous findings of earlier cross-cultural research with scenarios can be verified with a stronger research method was explored.

A Study Of The Louisiana Community And Technical College System's Leadership Development Institute And The Impact Of Participation, Peggy Leonard Hohensee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Begun in 2001, the Leadership Development Institute (LDI) was created by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) as a means of improving the leadership abilities of faculty, staff, and administrative personnel throughout the system, a “grow your own” leadership program (Leadership Development, 2006). LDI has evolved into a nine-month program of presentations, lectures, mentoring, self-exploration activities, and internships. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the impact of participation in LDI on the career and educational goals of former cohort members. Phase One of this research project, the qualitative portion of the study, was composed …

Telling The Story: Teaching Leaders The Art Of Storytelling And Its Impact On Individuals And The Organization, Julie Jones O’Leary

Theses and Dissertations

There are many different approaches to communicating a story which engages and inspires the audience. The opportunity comes in teaching employees a framework to tell a story that influences outcomes. This study analyzed the effects of a storytelling class delivered to employees of a Fortune 500 organization. Data for the study was sourced from a mixed-method approach: archival interviews, class evaluations, and face-to-face interviews. These methods measured the participants' reaction to the training, evaluated the relevance to the job, and determined the impact of learning the art of telling a story. The findings showed participants reported improved confidence, strengthened relationships, …

Museums, Leadership, And Transfer: An Inquiry Into Organizational Supports For Learning Leadership, Julie I. Johnson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Given the rapid changes that 21st century museums must manage, flexible thinking about leadership forms and purposes is needed. Today's complex leadership landscape necessitates that staff engage in enacting leadership with positional leaders. Limited empirical literature exists that describes how the next generation of museum leaders is being nurtured and developed. The purpose of this study was to: describe museum professionals' perceptions of leadership practices; investigate museums as sites of organizational and leadership learning; and consider the experiences of museum professionals who have participated in leader development programs. The study involved an on-line survey with 310 professionals working in U.S. …

Through The Eyes Of The Family: A Collective Case Study Of Family Business Consulting, Cynthia L. Waisner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Interest in family businesses has increased over the last 50 years. Little empirical research, however, has been devoted specifically to the study of family business consulting. Various practitioners have offered their insights regarding approaches and tools, and a few empirical studies have offered the practitioners’ viewpoints regarding the practice area. The purpose of this study was to add to this small body of research by providing a view of family business consulting through the lens of the family business member. The chosen method of inquiry was collective case study, to allow for both contextual understanding and cross-case comparison. A total …

Facilitating Emergence: Complex, Adaptive Systems Theory And The Shape Of Change, Peter Martin Dickens

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study used Principal Component Analysis to examine factors that facilitate emergent change in an organization. As organizational life becomes more complex, today’s dominant management paradigms no longer suffice. This is particularly true in a health care setting where multiple sources of disease interacting with each other meet with often-competing organizational priorities and accountabilities in a highly complex world. This study identifies new ways of approaching complexity by embracing the capacity of complex systems to find their own form of order and coherence. Based on a review of the literature, interviews with hospital CEOs, and my organization development practice experience …

Leading Deeply: A Heroic Journey Toward Wisdom And Transformation, Richard Warm

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation will explore leadership as a mytho-poetic transformational journey toward self-knowledge, authenticity, and ultimately wisdom; the power to make meaning and give something back to the world in which we live; and the necessity of transformation. I view leadership as a transformative process and a transformational responsibility. As leaders we must undergo our own transformation in order to lead change on a larger scale. The dissertation will be both philosophical and theoretical, exploring how the threads of the hero’s journey, transformation, wisdom, and leadership intertwine. It will also examine the role of education in this process. Education does not …

Getting Back To My Life: Exploring Adaptation To Change Through The Experiences Of Breast Cancer Survivors, Charles A. Foster

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The holding environment concept, developed by Donald Winnicott, has been used to represent the type of support that encourages adaptive change during psychosocial transitions. The leadership and change literature posited that the holding environment had the ability to shape the trajectory of the transition, yet did not test this empirically. The psychosocial breast cancer literature empirically researched support during and after treatments ended, but did not incorporate the holding environment concept. This presented the opportunity to inform both the leadership and breast cancer fields by studying holding environments in the breast cancer setting. This study had a twofold purpose: 1) …

Novice Principals’ Perceptions Of Effective Leadership Practices And Their Principal Preparation Programs, Melissa Y. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine novice principals’ perceptions of effective leadership practices and the elements of their principal preparation program that prepared them for the role of school leader. A mixed-methods study was utilized by the researcher to gather quantitative data through the use of an online survey and to gather qualitative data through subsequent focus-group interviews to address the proposal’s three research questions: (a) What are the differences (if any) between the perceptions of novice elementary, middle, and high school principals regarding the five instructional leadership practices identified by Kouzes and Posner (2003; i.e., challenging the …

Mentoring As A Tool For Leadership Development In The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, Nigeria, Oladimeji Babatunde

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Corporate Leadership And Management Practices On A Public School District, Randall Paul Napier Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The purpose of this case study is to understand how management and leadership ideas that were present in Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky influenced management and leadership practices adopted by Scott County Public Schools during 2002-2011. Data for the study were collected during the summer of 2011, using individual and focus group interviews including teachers, administrators, community and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky employees; on-site participant observations, and documents.

This study examined Scott County Public Schools implementation of the Quest for Useful Employment Skills for Tomorrow, the formation of The Center for Quality People and Organizations, changes in Science Technology Engineering Math …

An Assessment Of Principals' Technology Leadership: A Statewide Survey, Jeffrey Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to collect data about engagement and involvement around technology issues by principals in Virginia. Virginia public school administrators were surveyed using the Principals Technology Leadership Assessment (PTLA) instrument and results compared to the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A) (ISTE, 2002). This study, though limited in scope, provided meaningful data for research. The study reflects that despite 10 years of having NETS-A in place, Virginia public school administrators are barely meeting minimum standards in five out of the six dimensions. The study correctly looked at the old NETS-A standards but resulted in a …

Leadership Rounding: Improving Frontline Nurse Satisfaction, Erin Bashaw

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

The amount of time nurse managers and senior leadership spend with frontline or bedside staff impacts their ability to empower, engage and retain staff. Improving nurse satisfaction in relationship to teamwork, perception of senior leadership and attitude about direct management should be a priority of all organizations. Leaders that recognize the power of an intergenerational and interdisciplinary workforce will be influential for dynamic change and visionary development. Advancing overall teamwork as a nursing department, developing a better rapport with senior leadership and improving the relationship between direct management and front-line nurses is in the best interest of patient care.

Making Sense When It Matters Most: Leadership In Extremis, Deirdre Dixon

Student Scholarship

Leading during in extremis situations when lives are in peril remains one of the least addressed areas of leadership research. In particular, although lives may depend on it, little is known about how leaders in in extremis situations make sense of their situation and communicate that sense to others. Because most of the literature on sensemaking and sensegiving in in extremis situations is theoretical, we sought empirical evidence of how it proceeds in actual practice. To address this gap in the literature, a qualitative study was conducted based on semi-structured interviews with thirty U.S. Army leaders at West Point who …

Investments In Leadership And Management Succession Planning At A Department Of Defense Organization In The Southeastern United States: A Review Of Strategic Implications, Richard Allen Jeffries

Dissertations

With the impending aging workforce retirement tidal wave, targeted investments are needed in leadership and management skills for new leader growth. Some organizations currently invest in leadership and management skill development. However, the impacts of the investments remain unknown in the organizations. A Department of Defense Organization in the Southeast United States (DODSE) serves as a scientific knowledge generating organization that supports the Department of Defense. At the DODSE, investments in leadership and management skills training began in 2007 with little understanding of how an increased investment in leadership and management training would be utilized within the organization. To create …

The Relationship Between Staff Nurse Perception Of Nurse Manager Leadership Behavior And Staff Nurse Job Satisfaction In A Hospital Applying For Magnet Recognition Status., Lorraine B. Bormann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hospitals are challenged to understand factors related to staff nurse retention in the context of the nursing shortage slowdown (Huselid, 1995; Mancino, 2008; Mancino, 2009). Leadership is a major factor in organizational success (Gandossy & Guarnieri, 2008; Gettler, 2003; Wooten & Crane, 2003) and nurse managers are the direct link between the executive nurse leaders and the registered nurses (RN) in the staff position (Taunton, Boyle, Woods, Hansen, & Bott, 1997). Studies show that nurse manager leader behaviors influence staff nurse job satisfaction (Blegen, 1993; Irvine & Evans, 1995; Lashinger & Finegan, 2005). A primary role of the nurse leader …