Digital Commons Network^™

Leadership Skill Development In A First-Year Honors Service-Learning Seminar, Paige Haber-Curran, Trae Stewart

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The authors examine undergraduate students’ self-assessed leadership skill development before and after participation in a first-year honors service-learning seminar. A one-group, pre-test/post-test study was conducted with 651 first-year students enrolled in a first-year honors semi-nar course with a service-learning component. Participants completed the Roets Rating Scale for Leadership (RRSL). A paired-samples t-test analysis of RRSL indicates a significant de-crease in participants’ leadership skills. Results, along with implications for program design and future research are discussed.

Identification Of Leadership And Managerial Roles Used By School Superintendents To Manage Rural School Districts, Bruce Allen Gillham

Student Theses and Dissertations

The role of rural superintendents is multifaceted, often requiring a balance of strategic leadership, operational management, and community involvement within school systems that face resource limitations and geographic challenges. However, existing job descriptions for rural superintendents frequently do not reflect the realities of their daily tasks, resulting in misunderstandings and misalignments between governing bodies and the superintendents. This study aims to enhance the understanding of rural superintendents' roles by examining the experiences of four superintendents from southeastern Oklahoma. Drawing on Mintzberg's managerial role framework and an interpretive phenomenological approach, this research highlights the importance of the researcher's self-reflection and the …

Strategies Human Resource Leaders Use To Increase Employee Retention In The Automotive Industry, Kendra Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Excess turnover of personnel threatens organizational viability and long-term success. Human resource leaders need to develop strategies to increase employee retention. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theories, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore and identify successful employee retention strategies employed by human resource leaders to mitigate employee turnover. Data were collected from human resources managers using semistructured interviews and public data from companies’ websites. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (a) job assignment, (b) employee feedback, (c) employee benefits, and (d) training, growth, and development. A key recommendation is for human resource …

An Exploration Of The Evolving Boundary-Spanning Leadership Role Of Architects, Rory Concannon, Roisin Murphy, Oluwasegun Seriki

Articles

Architects form part of multidisciplinary teams in the construction of the built environment. Traditionally they have played a leading role within the construction process, often managing entire projects to completion. In recent years the composition of construction teams have evolved, leading to a perception that the architects leadership role has been diminished. Little is known about the boundary-spanning leadership required by architects, particularly in the light of the evolving roles. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this research reduces this gap by exploring architect’s leadership practices in the context of changing boundaries within the construction team. Our findings reveal six specific competencies …

Defending Democracy: Women's Leadership In Preventing And Mitigating Election Violence, Briana Mawby, Arenne Taylor Flanders

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The annual Women Waging Peace report provides a resource for policymakers and funders, created directly from the recommendations and priorities of women peacebuilders around the world. These findings have been drawn from peacebuilders working in different conflict contexts and across a range of sectors of peacebuilding work. Each year, the survey provides an analysis of the work of women peacebuilders, the progress they have made, and the challenges and opportunities they are facing. These questions are repeated yearly, allowing for the collection of longitudinal data and analysis of trends over time. In addition to the repeated questions, the survey has …

Exploring The Impact Of Leadership On Encouraging Innovative Behaviours: An Employee’S Perspective, Fouzia Khan, Aysa Siddika, Abdullah Sarwar

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

Innovation is crucial in the current business environment amidst uncertainties and heightened competition. The study explored how employees perceive their leaders' behaviour regarding innovations in the service sector. An in-depth interview technique has been employed as part of a qualitative research approach to identifying leaders' behaviours likely to enhance or discourage employees' innovative behaviour. Eight participants with extensive experience in the service sector were selected from various sectors, including consultancy, financial services, and the telecommunications industry in Malaysia. Thematic analysis was used to identify leaders' behaviours that encourage or discourage employees' innovative behaviour at work. The study observed 15 different …

The Perceptions Of Senior International Officers On Internationalization Strategies At Research Universities, Iyonka M. Strawn-Valcy

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This dissertation utilized semi-structured interviews with 15 Senior International Officers at U.S. research universities to interrogate three institutional issues: 1) motivations for internationalization, 2) strategies for internationalization, and 3) leadership for internationalization. Through inductive data analysis, the first finding uses globalization theory to explore how SIOs navigate the tension between global collaboration and competition, serving as both mission stewards and strategic advisors within research universities. The second finding utilizes contingency theory to depict how internationalization is a driver of mobility, cross-cultural learning, and global integration, yet often disrupts institutional norms, introduces unfamiliar ideas, and challenges the status quo. The third …

Quality Improvement Project Increasing Job Satisfaction Among Nurses, Sarah Hines

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Ineffective nurse leadership has been attributed to low nurse satisfaction, a decrease in morale, and can increase nurse turnover rates. Patient care and safety can be affected when nurses are dissatisfied with their workplace. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase nurses’ satisfaction rates on three behavioral health units by providing leadership classes for nursing leaders to attend to help combat nurse dissatisfaction rates. The methods utilized a quantitative design with pre- and post-intervention measurements. Pre- and post-intervention Likert-scale questionnaire data collected from direct-patient care registered nurses who met inclusion criteria on three behavioral health units by …

Best Practices To Prevent Nurse Burnout And Reduce Turnover In The Hospital, Bernice Marie Yale

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem Nursing is facing a crisis in workforce well-being, and trends indicate signs and symptoms of burnout. Increasing turnover rates, emotional exhaustion, staff depersonalization, and team disengagement have resulted in a perceived toxic environment in a hospital-based microsystem.

Context A 4-month project was initiated to improve morale and communication. Several assessment tools were utilized to foster a high-performing team and reinforce principles of Watson’s theory of caring.

Interventions Optimization of required daily leader rounds to encourage patient participation, and monthly 1:1 “direct report” rounds (n=65) were conducted to assess well-being, workplace stressors, and promote job satisfaction.

Measures To improve …

Applying The Practical, Robust, Implementation And Sustainability Model (Prism) To A Community-Based Youth Participatory Action Research Program, Nicholas Szoko, Tyia K Wilson, Ebonie Slade, Ti'yanna Risher, Marquise Wheeler, Elizabeth Miller, Alison J Culyba

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Youth participatory action research (YPAR) represents an empowerment-based process in which youth identify and address issues in their schools and communities. YPAR has been applied in diverse settings, but evaluations of YPAR implementations using an implementation and dissemination science (IDS) framework are limited. Our goal was to use the Practical, Robust, Implementation & Sustainability Model (PRISM) to evaluate a multisite community-based YPAR program.

METHODS: We identified three community sites to implement Youth Leadership in Action (YLIA+), an eight session YPAR intervention. Any youth aged 13 and older was eligible to participate. Guided by PRISM, we collected data using: (1) …

Perceptions Of Nonclinical Healthcare Executives On Advancing Physical Therapists Into Executive Healthcare Leadership Positions, Lindsey Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare professionals often aspire to transition beyond clinical roles into organizational leadership. In particular, physical therapists may seek executive leadership opportunities beyond rehabilitation departments. However, there is limited understanding of how nonclinical healthcare executives perceive physical therapists advancing into these roles. This qualitative study aimed to understand nonclinical healthcare executives' perceptions regarding physical therapists’ advancement to executive healthcare leadership positions. The study was guided by new institutional theory and Level 5 leadership theory and addressed four research questions to explore these perceptions in depth. A general qualitative methodology was employed, with data collected through semistructured, virtual interviews with eight nonclinical …

Administrative Leadership Digital Hub To Expand Access To Occupational Therapy For Underserved Veterans ​, Bianca N. Haddock

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This capstone project aimed to address key administrative leadership functions within the Orlando Veterans Affairs Healthcare System through the development of a digital hub supporting interdisciplinary collaboration among allied health services— occupational therapy (OT), recreational therapy (RT), and whole health (WH). The project aimed to close communication gaps that limit Veteran access to rehabilitative services by enhancing administrative coordination, streamlining pre-service implementation documentation, facilitating therapeutic equipment acquisition and training, and promoting service integration.

Between Two Worlds: A Case Study Of Third Culture Identity And Reentry For Unl International Students, John S. Tessalee

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and international students share many commonalities, such as their globalized nature, adaptability, and the adoption of cultural components from their host country versus their home country. However, they contain enough differences to be considered separate groups. Traditionally, people need to be immersed in a culture different from their parents’ culture between the ages of 0 and 18 to be considered a TCK, whereas international students are typically between 18 and 24 years old by the time they attend universities overseas. The cultural absorption of TCKs in their formative years is usually greater than that of international …

The Impact Of Culture And Language On Internal Communication And Patient Care In Small To Medium-Sized Black Immigrant-Owned Healthcare Practices In Texas., Chisom Nwosu

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how cultural competency in small to medium-sized Black immigrant-owned healthcare practices in Texas affects internal communication and patient care. Through semi-structured interviews with nine clinical and administrative leaders in Dallas and Houston, five themes emerged: culturally competent leadership, intentional communication structures, language and interpretation practices, patient-centered cultural sensitivity, and the use of technology for adaptation. Findings suggest that culturally aware leadership and inclusive communication strategies foster team cohesion and improve patient trust and care. Participants reported adapting workflows to meet religious, language, and communication needs through human and technological tools. The study underscores embedding cultural …

Origin Of Purpose, Career Satisfaction, And Life Satisfaction: A Quantitative Study On Early Career Professionals, Anne K. Hocking

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 2000s, research has increased on purpose and how it correlates with fulfillment outcomes in life and career satisfaction. This research has been valuable in professional and academic fields and helped develop leadership practices and interventions for organizations to increase satisfaction levels among employees and students. This study focused on the general problem that research dedicated to purpose has not adequately addressed whether origin of purpose affect its outcomes on fulfillment levels, particularly those of life and career satisfaction. To address this consideration, the researcher conducted a quantitative associative correlation to measure if and to what extent origin …

Perceptions Of Air National Guard Students’ Transformative Technology Experiences During Their Professional Military Education Courses: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Tiffany Colburn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of Air National Guard students stationed in the United States about technology integration during their professional military education (PME) courses and its role in encouraging leadership perspective transformative learning in the United States. The theory guiding this study was the transformative learning theory. This study explored how technology could help students expand their views while completing their PME courses and enabled them to use their own experiences to add value to the course. The central research question was: What are the perceptions of Air National Guard students on …

Exploring Coaching Leadership Behaviours In Strength And Conditioning Coaching: Preferences Of Ncaa Division I And Ii Collegiate Student-Athletes Based On Task Variability, Severiano Tiberi, Jeremy Moody, Steve Cooper, George Jennings, Joseph I. Esformes

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

This study aimed to explore collegiate student-athletesˈ preferences of coaching leadership behaviours in strength and conditioning coaching and evaluate differences between the student-athletesˈ preferences of behaviours based on task variability. In total 145 National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes (closed sports athletes = 51, open sports athletes = 94) completed an electronic questionnaire involving the athletesˈ preference version of the Revised Leadership Scale for Strength and Conditioning. Results revealed that the most favoured behaviour was ˈtraining and instructionˈ, whilst the least favoured was ˈautocraticˈ. Similar results were observed for closed and open sports groups, though closed sports athletes preferred ˈtraining and …

Strategies Leaders In Affordable Housing Can Use To Decrease Property Management Turnover And Increase Professional Tenure, Marisa T. Baldwin-Woodhouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Executive leaders of rental housing in the affordable housing sector have a high turnover rate of property managers, resulting in wasted time, compliance concerns, loss of institutional knowledge, deterioration of operational costs, and lost revenue, negatively impacting employee commitment. Grounded in the job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective strategies that some executive leaders in affordable housing can use to decrease property manager turnover and increase professional tenure. The participants comprised eight executive leaders who oversaw property managers in affordable housing in the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, and thematic …

Factor Analysis Of The Cultivated Leadership Questionnaire (Clq) And Measurement Against The Short Dark Triad (Sd3), Christopher Ewing, Michael Epstein

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This study aimed to evaluate the Cultivated Leadership Questionnaire (CLQ), a self-report tool designed to assess leadership based on key constructs such as self-regulatory behaviors, emotional intelligence, prosocial actions, positive motivational strategies, and personal influence. An exploratory factor analysis identified two main components that together accounted for 65.44% of the variance, suggesting a general leadership factor and a secondary factor capturing more specific leadership attributes. The study also examined the relationship between Dark Triad traits—psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism—and the leadership behaviors measured by the CLQ. The results revealed negative correlations between both Machiavellianism and psychopathy with leadership behaviors, while narcissism …

The Interactive Effects Of Stereotype Activation And Minority Group Belonging On Identity Mobilization Tactics, Career Identity, And Leader Identity For Black Women In The Workplace, Corai E. Jackson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand when and how Black women can achieve positive identity outcomes in the workplace when they experience stereotype activation. Despite Black women's increasing presence in the workforce, they continue to face unique challenges at the intersection of race and gender, including negative stereotypes that undermine their credibility and limit career advancement opportunities. This research explored how Black women's sense of belongingness to their minority group influences their use of identity mobilization tactics when stereotypes are activated, and how these factors collectively influence their career and leader identities.

Using a 2 × 2 between-groups …

The Creation And Evaluation Of An Engineering Student Leadership Academy, Jean Mclaughlin, Thuy Vu, Seokmin Kang

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This article describes the creation and evaluation designed to support student success through their inclusion in a variety of professional and technical training programs. The opportunity to develop a leadership academy specifically for engineering students allowed faculty program coordinators to deliver content that was normally not available to students at this Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). We implemented and evaluated the leadership academy using a mixed-methods approach involving multimedia interviews and two traditional survey data collection techniques. Traditional online surveys gave quick feedback to coordinators on what the students found valuable, with the biggest change in programming being the spreading out of …

Town And Gown: Engagement And Collaboration Between Local Municipalities And Institutions Of Higher Education, Vivian González Cueto

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The role of the local government within the context of engagement and collaboration with universities has largely been understudied. Employing a cross-sectional design, this study of 67 universities and 78 municipalities from 29 states examines how collaborative capacity impacts university and local government perceptions of engagement and collaboration with each other. The findings indicate that local government trust is the primary catalyst for both engagement and collaboration between the parties.

Journey Of Patanjali From A Humble Beginning To A Market Maverick, Jeeta Sarkar

Management Dynamics

Case Overview/Synopsis - This case analysed how Patanjali Ayurveda Ltd disrupted the Indian FMCG sector. Big players like HUL, P&G, ITC, Dabur, Nestle etc., made the FMCG market in India competitive and dynamic. Patanjali Ayurveda Ltd (PAL), the brainchild of Yoga Guru Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, started penetrating the herbal FMCG market and recorded Rs.9346 in 2016-17 and became the second-largest FMCG Company in India within a short period. The case sincerely attempted to understand the timely decisions and mistakes that made Patanjali's journey from a humble beginning to disrupting the market.

Leadership Qualities Effect On Employee Performance And Organizational Culture, Ryan Pernell

Journal of Fundamental & Applied Business Research

Employee motivation is vital to employee productivity and retention rates. Business leaders can face challenges in motivating employees, which can negatively affect productivity and retention. In this case study, I explored the behaviors and actions of business leaders that may lead to challenges when attempting to motivate employees, resulting in decreased productivity and increased employee turnover. I aimed to uncover the effects of leadership on employee motivation and explore why some leaders face challenges motivating employees. I focused on the leaders and employees of a family automotive sales and repair shop, including 20 employees and four family leaders. I conducted …

المهارات القيادية ودورها في اتخاذ القرارات أثناء إدارة الأزمات, مفلح حامد السلمي

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على المهارات القيادية ودورها في اتخاذ القرارات أثناء إدارة الأزمات في المنظمات، واستخدم الباحث المنهج الوصفي المسحي، وقائمة الاستقصاء كأداة للدراسة، وتم اختيار عينة عشوائية بسيطة عددها (648) مفردة لتطبيق هذه الدراسة، وتوصلت الدراسة إلى عدة نتائج من أبرزها: أن أفراد عينة الدراسة موافقون بشدة على أبرز المهارات القيادية لإدارة الأزمات بمتوسط حسابي بلغ (4.48)، وأن أفراد عينة الدراسة موافقون على واقع اتخاذ القرارات أثناء إدارة الأزمات في المنظمات بمتوسط حسابي بلغ (3.91)، وأن أفراد عينة الدراسة موافقون بشدة على مدى تأثير المهارات القيادية في عملية اتخاذ القرارات أثناء إدارة الأزمات بمتوسط حسابي بلغ (4.49)، كما …

Introduction To Leadership Concepts Handbook, Seth D. Kastle, Lori E. Kniffin, Brett Whitaker, Justin Greenleaf, Brent Goertzen, Donnette Noble, Tamas Kowalik

Leadership Open Educational Resources

This handbook was developed through a collaborative effort between a team of faculty members and AI tools. While AI assisted in drafting and organizing content, faculty members provided the scholarly direction, curated all academic references, and shaped the narrative to meet the needs of introductory undergraduate learners. Every section has been carefully reviewed and vetted to ensure both accuracy and academic integrity. The purpose of this text is to offer a clear, concise, and accessible resource that summarizes essential concepts without requiring students to purchase a textbook.

Wooster Magazine: Summer 2025, Caitlin Paynich Stanowick

Wooster Magazine: 2021-2030

The summer 2025 issue of Wooster magazine celebrates the shared experience of Independent Study, showcasing stand-out projects from the Class of 2025 and how The College of Wooster community supported them along their journey. Students featured include history major Zach Perrier, biology major Lydia Crane, economics major Ignacia Méndez, and statistical and data sciences major Laurel Andrews. Inspired by an off-campus study and experiential learning opportunity in Guatemala, four archaeology seniors found I.S. topics connected to their shared research journey. Alumni Sarah Wilds ’97, CEO of augmentative and alternative device company PRC-Saltillo; Donald Dennis ’86, executive vice president and community …

The Other Side Of Trusting: The Implications Of Vulnerability As A Core Component Of Organizational Relationships, Sam Dylan Strizver

Theses and Dissertations

Trusting behavior—discretionary risk-taking with another party—is the primary means of facilitating productive workplace relationships (Zand, 1979; Mayer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995). Yet, little empirical evidence exists to explain what happens after employees engage in trusting behavior, but before outcomes materialize—otherwise termed the “vulnerability phase” (Ballinger, Schoorman, & Sharma, 2024: 2). To address this neglect, I develop a theoretical framework that positions vulnerability as a core psychological state within the trust process, shaped by trustors’ cognitive appraisals of risk severity and uncertainty. Drawing from research on stress and well-being, the framework also identifies coping as a key response to vulnerability, moderated …

Under The Legal Lens: Navigating Psychological Safety And Conflict For Black Women In Legal Support Roles, Chanel M. Bradden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intersectional challenges of Black women in legal support roles are an overlooked phenomenon in organizational research. Despite diversity efforts in the legal profession, Black women face challenges due to gender, race, and professional status that impact their career advancement, as well as their mental and psychological well-being. As a result of experiencing the effects of racialized workplace dynamics and destructive leadership behaviors, Black women in legal support roles find resilience through self-protection strategies while working through the effects of intersecting forms of oppression in legal workspaces. This study addressed the lack of knowledge of the lived experiences of Black …

Identifying And Exploring Successful Leadership Strategies To Improve Nurse Retention, Jennifer Triggs Rickerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse turnover has become a critical concern in healthcare, as low retention rates lead to decreased patient care quality and increased operational costs. A critical issue for hospital stakeholders is that many nursing leaders lack strategies to improve nursing retention. Grounded in the leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore successful leadership strategies used by nurse managers in the Pacific South region of the United States to improve nurse retention. The study included interviews with six nurse managers who successfully implemented retention strategies. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available …