Digital Commons Network^™

A Case Study On How School Leaders Foster A Safety Culture In Secondary School, Breck Laster Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this embedded single case study was to describe how school leaders foster a culture of safety in a secondary school in central Atlantic State. The central research question guiding this study was: How do school leaders foster a culture of safety in a secondary school? I conducted a single embedded case study at a top-rated high school that demonstrated a safety culture under the pseudonym of Chatantown High School. The conceptual framework undergirding this study was the Avolio and Bass full range of leadership model. Purposeful sampling was used to interview educators and educational leaders on-site, while …

Enhancing Success Through Leadership, Wendy T. Jewell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to obtain a better understanding of how leaders influence the culture of the organization to enhance performance. A post-positive qualitative research case study was conducted at a state agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia. During this study, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with agency employees who participated on a project to implement a smart phone fuel application. This fuel application automated specific manual processes related to their fuel management program. While the fuel application project implementation was finishing, the interviews were conducted. During these interviews, participants provided their perspectives on leadership, communication, empowerment, project outcomes, lessons learned, …

The Effects Of Leadership On Faculty And Staff Job Satisfaction And Affective Commitment In Health-Related Professional Programs, Vitasha Ali

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership is an essential component of higher education institutions as it influences the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission and achieve its goals. Leadership is vital as it affects employees in various areas that may influence their ability to perform their professional duties. Leadership is aligned with the success of an organization and impacts the motivation of employees on their achievement to successfully accomplish the institution’s goal. Transformational leaders encourage individuals to support each other and the organization as a whole and creates an environment of trust, loyalty and respect for the leader by the followers. This leadership style may …

Employee Engagement, Brain-Based Psychological Safety, And The Sales Professional, Cheri Sherman

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this correlational study was to determine what relationship, if any, existed between employee engagement and psychological safety as measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Academy of Brain-based Leadership’s S.A.F.E.T.Y.™ Assessment and Pulse Survey domains of security, autonomy, fairness, esteem, and trust.

Methodology: A quantitative, correlational methodology was used for this study. The post-hoc sample comprised of 61 high-performing sales professionals working in California. Participants completed the three assessments online via SurveyMonkey. The data were analyzed using a Spearman correlation.

Findings: This study resulted in multiple findings, including a statistically significant relationship between …

A Phenomenological Study Of Exemplary Corporate Learning And Development Leaders Leading From The Heart, Randa Jad-Moussa

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how corporate learning and development leaders lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s (2011) 4 principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This study followed a qualitative phenomenological research study to describe the lived experiences of exemplary corporate learning and development leaders. Eight corporate learning and development leaders were selected from the target population in publicly traded technology companies in the state of California. Each of the corporate learning and …

School Climate And Teacher Self- Efficacy: Teacher's Perspectives, Jennifer Prado

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Teacher self-efficacy is used to describe how a teacher feels about their ability to perform the tasks related to teaching. This qualitative study focused on how teachers’ perceptions of their school climate affect teacher self-efficacy in eight middle school teachers in Arkansas. Participants were Arkansas middle school teachers with three or more years of experience. The typical participant was a 43-year-old female with an undergraduate degree in education, a master’s degree, and 16 years of classroom experience. A request for participants was sent to the superintendent of every district in Arkansas that had at least one middle school with the …

Women’S Political Capabilities As Mediators Of Leadership And People Satisfaction, Nicos Antoniades, Iris Mohr, Anna Koukkides-Procopiou

Journal of International Women's Studies

Despite a much lower proportion than men, in both business and politics, a 2018 Pew Research Center survey shows that majorities in the U.S.A. say women leaders in comparison to men are more compassionate and empathetic in working out compromises and in standing up for their beliefs. Via the resource-based view tool, the researchers examine these specific capabilities (i.e., political proposals that benefit society, humanitarian causes, and political ideas) of U.S. women politicians and men politicians, while separately attempting to validate public perceptions of leadership. Using correlation analysis, the study tests the effect of each capability on leadership and people …

Holding Space For Voice: Using Powerful Questions And Appreciative Inquiry Conversations To Understand Values And Needs, Annie Bélanger, Preethi Gorecki

Presentations

Change management is often process-centered instead of people-centered. People are centered when we focus on what is good. Appreciative Inquiry’s strengths-based, positive approach to organizational change allows leaders and facilitators to re-center individuals’ voices.

Appreciative Inquiry helps people move toward a shared vision for the future by engaging others in considering what is good, what could be, what should be, and how to co-create the future. It can foster equitable processes that decenter whiteness and deficit-mindset. Powerful conversations connect thoughts and feelings, result in new ideas, develop new perspectives and understandings, and have an increased potential for action. Developing conversations …

The Essential Characteristics Of Coaching That Secondary Principals Perceive Support Effective Leadership At School Sites, Bryanna Norton

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the essential characteristics of coaching that secondary principals perceive to support effective leadership at school sites. An additional purpose of this study was to determine what strategies secondary principals recommend for improving coaching that supports effective leadership at school sites.

Methodology: This study adopted a phenomenological approach. The researcher analyzed the lived experiences of 11 secondary principals and identified any commonalities that existed among their interviews based on their perceived truths and perceptions of their lived experiences.

Findings: Analysis of interviews, observations, and artifacts from 11 high school …

The Impact Of A Formal Leadership Development Program On Charge Nurse Leadership Competencies: An Integrative Review, Ellen Mae Hudson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This integrative review focuses on the current body of evidence for charge nurse leadership development (CNLD). It identifies common skills and competencies, provides a synthesis of existing training practices, and identifies gaps in the evidence. A thorough literature search of electronic databases and reference lists was completed, resulting in the identification of 22 studies published between 2011 and 2020. Data from the selected studies were evaluated and categorized into common themes; virtually all reported positive outcomes for the charge nurse development program implemented. Two of the studies reviewed were integrative reviews that compared identified themes and methodologies. Four studies were …

A New Era For Psychologist-Leaders: Introduction To The Society Of Psychologists In Leadership And The Psychology Of Leaders And Leadership, Christina M. Frederick, Jennifer P. Wisdom, Robin Stacia, Bradley Brummel

Publications

This article introduces the name change of the Society for Psychologists in Leadership (SPL), from the Society of Psychologists in Management (SPIM). SPL seeks to become the premier home for psychologists who are also executives, managers, leaders, and consultants, and for psychologists who aspire to leadership positions in their organization, locally, nationally, or globally. In this article, we first discuss the founding and early years of SPIM as critical development in the recognition of psychologists as managers and leaders. Then we discuss societal and cultural changes that led to consideration of SPL rebranding and name change, including discussions of cultural …

Impact Of Emotional Intelligence On Interprofessional Teamwork, Interprofessional Communication, And Interprofessional Leadership, Kathleen M. Cox

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this body of work was to explore relationships among emotional intelligence (EI) and interprofessional (IP) competency domains to enhance IP team dynamics and communication.

Background: Decentralization of healthcare delivery may hinder effective handoffs creating opportunity for miscommunication of vital information and subsequent medical errors. Fostering effective communication is paramount for IP teams; however, differing communication styles can promote misunderstanding and conflict. Behavioral aspects of team dynamics and communication that comprise EI may be a solution but are rarely addressed in educational and safety programs.

Methods: Included in this portfolio are three manuscripts that help elucidate …

School Innovation: A Phenomenological Study Of Leadership, Kevin H. Storch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to gain an understanding of what school innovation looks like as well as how school and district leaders address the concept. Technology has forever changed society. We must be careful not to confuse school innovation as the implementation of technology in the classroom. Educational leaders face the challenge of engaging students in meaningful learning opportunities that go beyond rote memorization and performance on standardized assessments following NCLB and Common Core. This study identifies characteristics of school culture that are necessary for innovation to take place. Principal and district leaders have to be knowledgeable …

Hickory Nut Gap Farm Culture Change, Stacia Harris

Education Projects

Organizational culture is crucial to success yet incredibly difficult to thoroughly understand and, when needed, change. This mixed methods study examined the specific culture at Hickory Nut Gap Farm to better define challenges and opportunities for growth and improvement. Using data and published research on organizational culture, this consultancy yielded custom strategies to help Hickory Nut Gap Farm create a consistent culture and also address other specific challenges revealed through research.

Jepson School Of Leadership Studies Dean's Report 2021 - 2022, Sandra J. Peart

Jepson School of Leadership Studies Dean's Reports

University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies Dean's Report for 2021 - 2022.

Giving A Lot Of Ourselves: How Mother Leaders In Higher Education Experienced Parenting And Leading During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Laura E Boche

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis explored the lived experience of mother executive administrators in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing the philosophical underpinnings of the Heideggerian phenomenological approach, the following research question guided this study: What are the lived experiences of mother executive administrators in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic? Participants included nine self-identified mother executive administrators from one Midwest state at a variety of institution types and locations within the state. Data collection involved two focus groups and individual interviews with all nine participants. After data analysis, three recurrent themes emerged from the data: (1) Burnout and …

A Framework Of Leadership Cultural Dimensions In Outsourced Projects, Donnette Noble Ph.D., Ganesh Vaidyanathan

Leadership Faculty Publications

Outsourced projects are implemented often in environments that are impacted by factors that are internal and external to a firm. One key factor that impacts the success of outsourced projects is corporate culture. This paper explores how corporate culture impacts outsourced projects and what factors of corporate culture influence outsourced projects. We formulate a framework of key cultural dimensions in outsourced projects to help business and Information Technology leaders understand and mitigate cultural issues in outsourced projects.

A Comparison Study Of Leadership Self-Efficacy And Leadership Experiences Of Physician Assistant Students, Cynthia Gail Goetz

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leadership for any medical profession is important for ongoing success and developing a succession of leaders for a profession is vital, including the Physician Assistant (PA) profession. Developing leadership self-efficacy (LSE) in PA students requires participation in leadership experiences such as educational or experiential leadership development. Knowing that individuals with higher levels of LSE take on leadership roles more frequently than those with lower levels of LSE, developing LSE in PA students will help to produce more leaders for the profession. The purpose of this study was to examine what potential differences exist between male and female PA students in …

Understanding How Higher Education Leaders Manage Their Personal Self In A Changing Environment, Brittany Kay Nielsen

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research looked at how higher education leaders identified and managed their emotions in times of institutional change. Interviews were conducted with higher education leaders who were above the level of director and were not chancellors or presidents. The researcher sought to (1) discover the emotions of higher education leaders in times of change, (2) gain an understanding of how leaders managed their emotions, and (3) discover how leaders can build an understanding of emotional awareness in the workplace. Data collected from this study provides opportunities to understand the impact of emotions in the workplace and can benefit current and …

Principals’ Perspectives Of Trust And Vulnerability In Leadership: A Grounded Theory Study, Megan Ostedgaard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is a challenging task and leading well requires interpersonal skills that inspire those they lead to follow them. The aim of this grounded theory study is to explore the experiences of educational leaders who thoughtfully engage in trust-building and express vulnerability in their leadership practices. This study explored how six principals at kindergarten through 12th grade schools experience trust and vulnerability as building leaders. Three research questions guided this study: how do leaders experience trust, how do leaders generate trust, and how do leaders experience vulnerability.

In this study, we begin by understanding the background to the problem and …

Turning Teams Of Champions Into Championship Teams: A Thematic Analysis Of Identity Entrepreneurship In College Football, Marlee Johnson

Honors Program Theses

Identity entrepreneurship, a leader’s active construction of a shared team identity, has become a pertinent research topic in sports leadership (Slater et al., 2015; Steffens et al., 2018) In line with social identity theory and the social identity approach to sports, recent research suggests that identity entrepreneurship is how leaders have the capacity to turn “teams of champions into championship teams” (Fransen, et al., 2015b, p. 98; Rees et al. 2015). This study was conducted to examine the difference in how the head coach of a championship team and the head coach of a non-championship team constructed social identity over …

Emotional Intelligence: Using Relationship Management In Leadership, Lauren Odette

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The professional world is evolving, and business leaders are required to operate in sometimes difficult situations for which they might feel unprepared. While in recent years, research on emotional intelligence has shown to be an important leadership component, it is not always translated successfully to business leadership nor contextualized to young leaders. This project aims to present a workshop to help people in leadership communicate effectively with their employees using skills stemming from increased emotional intelligence. The workshop draws on a range of literature and experiences in leadership training and emotional intelligence. Key concepts that serve as the focal points …

Stress, Resiliency, And Burnout Among Leaders In The Counseling Profession, Adriana Bovee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders in the counseling profession face many demands. The purpose of this quantitative regression analysis study was to determine if there was a predictive relationship between the independent variables of stress and resiliency and dependent variables of burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among leaders in the counseling profession. Transformational leadership theory and resilience theory were applied as the theoretical framework of this study. A cross-sectional data collection method was used, and data were collected through anonymous online surveys from a purposive sample of 75 counseling leaders. Data analyses methods included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions. Results indicated …

The Impact Of Behavioral Health Leaders On Psychiatrist Job Satisfaction And Retention, Lanae Ampersand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction and retention of psychiatrists are essential for behavioral health organizations. As the recruitment of psychiatrists becomes more challenging, there is value for organizations to retain psychiatrists to remain competitive in the behavioral health field. Leadership plays a vital role in organizational culture and can impact turnover and retention of the organization’s workforce. This case study utilized the Baldrige Framework of Excellence to guide an organizational assessment for senior leadership of an urban health care facility in the United States. The assessment allowed the organization to understand leadership impact, areas where they can take personal ownership, factors contributing to …

Physician Authentic Leadership As Health Care Managers And Its Impact On Subordinates’ Ethical Strength, Eddie M. Christian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physicians exercising the characteristics of authentic leaders may be better equipped to affect the ethical strength of health care staff and provide a vehicle for reducing corruption in the health care industry. This position suggests that physicians practicing with these particular qualities are more effective than those who are not genuine, transparent, or committed to maintaining emotional balance in their work relations. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine whether physician authentic leadership (AL) moderated the relationship between physician emotional intelligence (EI) and the moral potency of their billing and codes managers. Survey data were collected from …

Strategies Retail Managers Use To Retain High-Performing Salespeople, Eric M. Packer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some retail managers lack strategies to improve the retention of high-performing salespeople. Losing high-performing salespeople leads to capital losses that threaten organizational and community sustainability. Grounded in leader-member exchange leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies used by four retail managers to retain high-performing salespeople in Atlanta, Georgia. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and three themes emerged: interpersonal relationships, recognition, and operational programs. A key recommendation for retail industry leaders is to develop a culture of trust by demonstrating transparency …

Leadership Experiences With Organizational Infrastructure In Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Programs, Latia Greer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of buy-in is a critical factor when initiating organizational change. Although changes are necessary for growth and sustainability, leadership can be met with resistance. Early childhood mental health consultation is a solution-focused intervention to support early childcare providers and educators to improve child outcomes. The implementation of the program requires a well-defined operational model to have greater effectiveness and efficiency. The present case study explored the leadership experience of buy-in to change during the implementation of an early childhood mental health consultation school-based program in a nonprofit organization in the Midwest region of the United States. The Baldrige Excellence …

The Development And Validation Of Implicit Measures For Power Motivation, Timothy Luke T. Amadore

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Power motivation has been operationalized and explicitly measured both as a global and a multi-dimensional construct. However, implicit measures have focused on evaluating power motivation as a unidimensional construct. Thus, it is worth evaluating whether an implicit measure of power motivation can also measure power motivation as three distinct constructs – Dominance, Prestige, and Leadership (Social) motivation. This study used Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures to develop implicit measures for power motivation both as a global and multi-dimensional construct. A multitrait-multimethod design was used to examine the construct validity evidence for the new measures. Confirmatory Factor Analyses provided moderate evidence …

Native American Women Superintendents’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs During The Covid 19 Pandemic, Janet Jeannine Metzger

Dissertations and Theses

This multiple case study focused on three Native American women superintendents’ self-efficacy beliefs and the impact of the Indigenous culture on their decision making as they led their school district through the Covid 19 pandemic. Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory served as the underpinning theory of this study. The qualitative research design for the study relied on data gathered from individual interviews and written responses to journal prompts. All participants had at least two years of superintendent experience in public school districts during the time of the pandemic. The researcher analyzed the data through open coding/In Vivo coding. The data were …

The Relationship Between Mentoring And Leadership, Amanda Pickett

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This study is a mixed-method research project designed to assess and understand the relationship between mentoring and leadership, specifically in regard to the acquired benefits, skills, and methods that are gained through this work. Moreover, this study also explores the overlap between mentoring and leadership developmental programs. The results suggest that mentoring is a leadership role which yields significant personal and professional outcomes, transferable skills, and learning opportunities for both mentors and the students that they work with. The results also demonstrate a relationship between mentoring and leadership development within the West Chester University Writing Peer Mentor Program through the …