Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Empowerment Of Minorities Focusing On Trans-Border Communities, Lizbet Carrillo

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The purpose of this research is to study how migrants could experience self-empowerment having no representation as they are segregated by the communities they live in. Examining current literature regrading empowerment and how to reach self-empowerment, belongingness and the importance of it in everyone’s’ life including minorities focusing on trans-border communities and migrants. Is it possible for unrepresented minorities to reach self-empowerment? How to successfully cross established boundaries, expectations and stereotypes?

Fostering Peace And Leadership: A Project For The Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, Tomo Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Black Mambas are members of a majority-female anti-poaching unit in South Africa that preserves wildlife in the world’s most targeted site for rhinoceros poaching. Despite the Black Mambas’ successes, the organization’s director has expressed concerns of a potential leadership issue in the unit, for which he seeks to identify the source and resolve accordingly. To assist in realizing these efforts, the researchers of this project traveled to South Africa and conducted work analysis interviews with 18 of the 34 members of the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data on participants’ perceptions of cultural …

Law School Leadership And Leadership Development For Developing Lawyers, Louis D. Bilionis

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

A growing number of legal educators are calling for greater attention to leadership development as an element of legal education at American law schools. Some make the case directly in the name of leadership education. Others see leadership development as part of a broader law school responsibility to provide purposeful support for students in the formation of their professional identity. For yet others, development of leadership skills figures in a law school’s appropriate commitment to the professionalism, professional development, or wellness of its students. These educators, though employing different locutions, constitute a “coalition of the willing” – law school faculty …

Teens Implementing A Childhood Obesity Prevention Program In The Community: Feasibility And Perceptions Of A Partnership With Hsta And Icook 4-H., Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Jade A. White, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Sarah E. Colby, Kendra Kattelmann, Adrienne A. White, Melissa D. Olfert

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

High school student researchers and teen leaders from the Health Science Technology Academy (HSTA), under the supervision of HSTA teachers, led a childhood obesity prevention (COP) program (iCook 4-H). The objective was to evaluate the feasibility and perceptions of having teen leaders implement a COP program for dyads of youth (9⁻10 years old) and their primary adult food preparer. Behavior change and perceptions were assessed through surveys and open-ended interviews. Across eight HSTA organizations, 43 teen leaders participated in teaching the iCook 4-H program to 24 dyads. Increased frequency of culinary skills, physical activity and mealtime behavior were reported by …

The Role Of Leadership In Student Organizations, Samantha Mcanallen

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

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

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

Leadership Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Promoting Empowerment And Innovation: A Technology Initiative, Theresa Marcotte

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

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

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

Spring Great Expectation Faculty Conference

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

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

Unlocking Creative Potential: Catholic Elementary School Principal Perceptions Of Creativity, Kellie Scherer

Doctoral Dissertations

Church documents and scholars affirm that traditional pedagogies are ineffective in preparing students for the demands of the 21st century (CCE, 2014, p. 13, Darling-Hammond, 2010; Hartley, 2003; Kampylis, 2010; Skiba, Tan, Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2010). A review of the literature revealed that a gap in research on the Catholic elementary school principal’s understanding of and commitment to creativity exists. Even teachers who value creativity cannot fully support its development in the classroom without proper training. Continuing education coordinated by principals is one of the few opportunities for teachers to identify and confront their creativity misconceptions. The purpose of this …

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

All Theses

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

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

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

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

Doctoral Dissertations

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

This case study focuses …

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

Construction Management

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

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

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

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

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

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

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

Religious Leadership And Political Affiliation On A Secular Midwestern Campus, Kristy Atanasov

Honors Projects

This qualitative study explores the connection between religion and political affiliation in campus organizations from the perspective of the leaders of religious organizations on a secular Midwestern university. Interviews with ten leaders of Christian, Jewish, or Muslim organizations were utilized in gathering data. The current literature on campus religion is rarely qualitative, and fails to address specific campus religious organizations and their leaders. The results of the study found that religious affiliation is not a highly contributing factor in political affiliation, as previous quantitative studies have indicated. Ethnic, religious, and racial marginalization emerged as more significant indicators of political affiliation …

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

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

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

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

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

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

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

Patient Experience Journal

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

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

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

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

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

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

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

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

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

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

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

Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC)

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

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

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

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

Set And Drift: Leadership And Strategy, Carnes Lord

Naval War College Review

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

Exemplary Middle School Principals Leading Through Conversation, John Ashby

Dissertations

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

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study described the lived experiences of exemplary middle school principals in Orange County, California. The researcher was part of a thematic research team of 12 peer researchers and 4 faculty advisors. Through purposeful sampling, the researcher selected 10 exemplary middle school principals who met at least 4 of 6 criteria identifying someone as exemplary. Data collection …

A Descriptive Case Study Of The Impact Of Leadership Style On Teacher Retention In A Title I School Campus In Texas, Twanna L. Mead

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This dissertation is intended to complement the conversation in the social sciences about the challenging role of campus principals and the influence they have on teacher retention and job satisfaction. School principals are held accountable for creating positive change within the campus, therefore they supervise the operational and instructional supervision of the faculty and staff.

This study explores the distinct role of principal leadership and its requirements. Leadership in a Title I school, involves demands that related to the school’s success. Leadership style has the power to arouse or impede teacher success. School leaders must know how to operate the …

Informal Leadership In The Clinical Setting: Occupational Therapist Perspectives, Clark Patrick Heard, Jared Scott, Tanisha Mcginn, Emily Van Der Kamp, Amjad Yahia

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Leadership is vital to clinical, organizational, and professional success. This has compelled a high volume of research primarily related to formal leadership concepts. However, as organizations flatten, eliminate departmental structures, or decentralize leadership structures the relevance of informal leaders has markedly enhanced.

Methods: Using a qualitative phenomenological methodology consistent with interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examines the impact of informal leadership in the clinical setting for occupational therapists. Data was collected through the completion of semi-structured interviews with 10 peer-identified informal occupational therapy leaders in Ontario, Canada. Collected data was transcribed verbatim and coded for themes by …

Yes! And ... I'M So Tired Of Experiential Learning, Scott J. Allen

2018 Faculty Bibliography

For more than a decade, I have been experimenting with curricular and cocurricular approaches to leadership education. In the classroom, my focus is teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in leadership, and in 2015, l cofounded a nonprofit, Collegiate Leadership Competition, which is an organization dedicated to creating a practice field for leadership learning and education. l read the work of Byrne, Crossan, and Seijts (20I8) and truly appreciate their approach and thinking when it comes to developing leader character. In a nutshell, l could not agree more with their thinking, and like them, I have been experimenting with new and …