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Strategies For Catalyzing Workforce Engagement In Warehouse Operations, Jeannette Jackson-Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, approximately 30% of the global workers viewed experiences in the workplace as positive and fulfilling, which results in increased productivity in the workplace. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some warehouse service center managers used to engage employees to higher levels of productivity. The population comprised of 7 warehouse service center managers in 2 companies located in the Riverport area in Louisville, KY. The conceptual framework for this study encompassed Kahn's employee engagement theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, organizational procedure handbooks, and direct observation to prompt detailed information about participants' …

Perceived Leadership Style, Gender, And Job Satisfaction In County Jail Correctional Officers, Melissa Minardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a considerable amount of research demonstrating important gender differences in job satisfaction and perceived leadership style. These critical relationships have not been sufficiently explored in correctional institutions, particularly as more women are entering corrections officer positions, and low job satisfaction can lead to risky and sometimes life-threatening consequences. The purpose of this ex post facto study was to investigate the relationship between correctional officers' job satisfaction and their perception of transformational leadership style in their supervisor and to explore how the interaction between leadership style and gender affects job satisfaction. The theoretical framework of transformational leadership was used …

Improving Employee Engagement Through Strategic Planning By Human Resources Professionals, Victoria L. Benson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Turnover rates are climbing every year, with a lack of engagement cited as a top reason, costing employers money in lost productivity. Slightly over one-third of workers worldwide consider themselves engaged. Employers are at risk of losing top talent due to a lack of engagement. Business leaders need to adapt to changing engagement practices invoking human resources (HR) as a strategic business partner. This study focused on strategic planning tools HR leaders in used to increase employee engagement. Interviews with leaders in a small-sized cloud-based data storage company in the Southeast region of the United States, were analyzed to identify …

Small To Medium Enterprise Business Leaders Managing Change, Shahriar Nazari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational change is necessary for businesses to survive and prosper. One of the main reasons organizational change is unsuccessful is the inadequate leadership style used by business leaders. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies business leaders used to manage change. The target population comprised a purposeful sample of 15 business leaders from various businesses located in the metropolitan area of Southern California. The conceptual framework for this study was the transformational leadership theory, which holds that leaders can use inspiration and motivation to inspire employees, especially during times of organizational change. A pilot study …

E-Leadership And Leader-Member Exchange Strategies For Increasing Nonprofit Virtual Team Productivity, Nichole Guerra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders often place new employees with little experience in challenging virtual team settings, where they are expected to meet increased service demands. Productivity failures reported in the 2015 State of the Nonprofit Sector survey revealed that 76% of U.S. nonprofit agencies experienced increased demand for services in 2014, while 52% were unable to meet those demands. Based on the e-leadership and leader-member exchange (LMX) theories, the purpose of this descriptive, single case study was to identify the leadership strategies used by nonprofit midlevel supervisors to increase productivity of virtual teams containing new employees in Colorado. A purposeful sampling method …

Perceptions Of Women Of Color On Career Advancement In High Technology Management, Angela Michelle Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In information technology, few women of color hold senior level executive leadership positions in the United States. Currently, in the high-tech industry, Asian and Black women hold 1.7% of executive/senior-level positions, and only 0.2% are in CEO positions. The purpose of this research was to understand professional executive women of color experiences in career advancement in the high technology fields. The study's conceptual framework included organizational culture theory, Krumboltz's theory of career counseling, and the leadership pipeline model. The overarching research question and subquestions addressed the lived experiences of 15 professional senior executive women of color in relation to career …

Strategies Small Business Owners Use For Long-Term Existence, Sherman Eldridge Humphrey Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 90 of every 100 new businesses fail within 5 years. The need to explore ongoing strategies that provide low-cost alternatives can prove invaluable to cash-strapped new business owners. Exploration of relationships among a group of stakeholders essential to business success provided data in this case study. Those stakeholders include the owner, the customer service personnel and the consumer. Without the consumer, all other business activities would cease to be necessary. Five business owners and five employees from Redding, California participated in 2 separate focus group interviews. The conceptual framework for this case study was to explore the specific …

Exploring Leadership Pedagogy Among Louisiana Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Sarita James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing accreditation bodies have recommended that nursing education programs prepare graduates who display competence in leadership. However, the reality of how nursing leadership skillsets are acquired at the undergraduate level and transferred into practice remains debatable. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how nursing educators teach leadership in Louisiana baccalaureate programs contrasted with ideal policy expectations. The action learning and reflective practice theories provided the foundational theoretical influences for this study. Six face-to-face virtual interviews were conducted with nursing faculty who were currently teaching or had taught leadership in a baccalaureate nursing program for at least 1 …

Effect Of Emotional Experiences On Emotional Intelligence Among U.S. Military Leaders, Robert S. Crosby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military veterans may have constructive skills and abilities in emotional intelligence (EI) that assist in managing emergencies, crises, and relationships. However, according to U.S. government-employment statistics, the joblessness rate of military veterans is up to 400% higher than that of nonveterans. The paucity of research conducted on the relationship between EI and prolonged intense emotional experiences, such as those experienced during military deployments, lessens the abilities of these veterans to market their EI skills in the pursuit of employment. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental survey study was to observe, evaluate, and compare the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale …

Business-Oriented Leadership Competencies Of K-12 Educational Leaders, Kevin Alan Kaufman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Contemporary K-12 educational leaders must fulfill many roles and responsibilities similar to those fulfilled by traditional business leaders. There is, however, a lack of information about the business-oriented competencies of K12 educational leaders in comparison with business executive norms. This lack of information places K-12 institutions at risk of selecting leaders who are not capable of accomplishing institutional goals and objectives, improving the efficiency and sustainability of business operations, meeting stakeholder expectations, managing social responsibilities, and improving the educational foundation of the next-generation workforce. Grounded in leadership theory, this nonexperimental study included the California Psychological Inventory 260 assessment to capture …

A Grounded Theory Of The Factors Affecting Employee Vision Inspiration, Luis Luarca

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inspired, motivated employees are essential to organizational success. Research findings indicate a strong relationship between vision, leader charisma, organizational factors, and the extent to which employees feel motivated to achieve organizational goals based on the vision, known as employee vision inspiration (EVI). However, little is known about how employees personalize organizational visions and why this affects their performance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore in-depth the organizational and employee-related factors that affect EVI using the constant comparative method and grounded theory methodology, and how EVI manifests itself in employee behaviors directed toward the achievement of a company's …

Leadership Practices That Improve The Workplace Safety Environment, Nathan Nomore Chikono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate leadership is the reason workplace accidents in the mining industry remain high, making the industry one of the most hazardous operational activities in the world. Unsafe leadership practices may result in death or injury to workers. A group of 30 mining company leaders from 3 gold mines in Zimbabwe revealed an exception to these hazardous practices, however, notable through their outstanding safety improvement records. To better understand what these practitioners were doing, this multicase study research design explored their strategies to improve the workplace safety environment in the mines. Data were collected using audio-recorded semistructured interviews and document analyses. …

How Does Organizational Culture Impact Rn Engagement, Veronica Anntionette Ruffin-Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of RN engagement in the acute care setting can result in poor staffing, nursing shortages, increased stress levels for nurses and decreased morale. When nurses are not engaged in their work setting, quality of care suffers. A wide range of literature focuses on the importance of RN engagement; however, few health care organizations have taken the initiative to implement programs that foster RN engagement, demonstrating a gap in practice. This study examined the relationship between the levels of RN engagement and their perceptions of their organizational culture. Kolcaba's humanistic approach to meeting the needs of RN staff was used …

Servant Leadership And Humility In Police Promotional Practices, Kevin C. Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The improper promotion of police officers who lack effective police management skills results in poor supervisor/employee relationships and could have a further negative effect on the relationships between officers and citizens. Yet, few police departments utilize leadership testing in making promotional decisions. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study was to explore whether servant leadership, from the perspective of police officers, is viewed as an effective leadership strategy. In particular, the focus of this study was on the element of humility as part of servant leadership theory. Data were collected by distributing the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS) to 2,794 police …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Ethical Leadership: Implications For Organizational Success, Adejobi Sunday Odeneye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders focus on the attainment of personal and organizational goals without consideration for the needs of stakeholders, especially those of followers. Ethical leadership (EL) studies' focus on leaders' perspectives represented a research gap that necessitated this study. Followers are the least researched among stakeholders; thus, this study explored EL from their viewpoints. Stakeholder theory, social learning theory, eudaimonia, and utilitarianism were the conceptual frameworks that guided this study. Twenty participants drawn from followers in a public organization in New Jersey were questioned about their experiences and expectations of EL using open-ended interview questions. Participants with shared experiences were selected based …

Trust In Union Leaders And Decline In Union Membership, Seth Ellery Francois

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of 2015, public opinion of the ethical and honesty standards of labor union leaders was low, with 36% of the public reporting a low or very low rating, and only 18% reporting high or very high ratings. Grounded in leadership behavioral theory, the purpose of this correlation study was to examine the relationship between union members' perceptions of union leadership consideration, union members' perceptions of leadership initiation of structure, and union members' perceptions of leadership trust. Forty-four union members completed a brief demographic survey, the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire XII, and the Trust and Employee Satisfaction Survey. The results …

Exploring Which Leadership Styles Are Effective With Millennial Employees, Samuel Long

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers struggle with how to motivate the Millennial generation employee. Research that explores which leadership styles are effective with Millennial generation employees is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore what leadership styles are effective with Millennial employees, which led to a key research question: Which leadership styles facilitate employee motivation for the Millennial generation? The theoretical framework was based on the social learning, transformational leadership, and servant leadership theories, which were used to identify effective leadership styles. In the theoretical framework, different motivation theories were presented to establish the context in which motivation was discussed. This quantitative …

Leadership Strategies For Employee Retention In Small Lodging Establishments, Adi Raz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, turnover in the lodging accommodations and food services industry was 72.1%, accounting for 6.5 million incidents of voluntary quits. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between antecedent independent variables and employee turnover in bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) and inns. The independent variables were ethical leadership, organizational support, coworker support, work-family conflict, employee empowerment, employee voice, and work schedule. Organizational support theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 105 B&B and inn managers in California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, a correlation matrix, chi-square …

Effective Communication And Teamwork Improve Patient Safety, Helene M. Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work environment influences the effectiveness of care for patients in any healthcare setting. It is even more important in settings such as the neonatal ICU (NICU) where this project took place. When the environment is not healthy, communication may suffer and result in poor patient outcomes and, family, patient, and staff dissatisfaction. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to understand how the implementation of the TeamSTEPPS program, for nurses in the NICU, could impact the safety culture as measured by the AACN Healthy Work Environment (HWE) tool. Lewin's professional practice change theory and the AHRQ change model were …

Servant Leadership And Its Effect On Employee Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intent, Dennis M. Mitterer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experts expect a shortage of more than 900,000 nurses by 2022, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections. Turnover in nursing contributes significantly to the shortage and often results from poor leadership of nurse managers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate how servant leadership behaviors affected the psychological state and behavioral response of staff nurses as reflected by job satisfaction and turnover intention. Specifically, the research question addressed whether servant leadership positively contributes to the psychological states and the behaviors of staff nurses leading to greater job satisfaction. The study design was correlational, …

Leadership Development For The Formal Nurse Leader, Lori Neu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse leaders are essential to the advancement of healthcare because of their ability to bridge the gap of knowledge between clinical practice and the business of healthcare. Developing nurse managers is imperative to the future of nursing given their influential role in healthcare. The central topic of exploration in the project was how nurse managers use the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) Nurse Manger Inventory Tool to assess their management skills after exposure to the leadership development program currently available to them. In this project, the novice to expert theory was used to evaluate the existing leadership development program …

Strategies Used To Retain Talent In The Insurance Industry, Jamie Edward King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee engagement levels are critical to organizations that desire to retain a workforce

that innovates, produces positive results, and stays committed to the organization. The

purpose of this single case study was to explore employee engagement strategies used by

business leaders to retain talent. The conceptual framework that guided this study was

Deci's self-determination theory. Data collection occurred through semistructured

interviews with four participants within the insurance industry having three or more years

of management experience and having a positive reputation for engaging employees. The

participating company is located in central Indiana. Participants answered 10 open-ended

questions related to employee …

A Phenomenological Study On The Leadership Experience Of Teleworking Leaders, Patrice Ann Louie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technological advances and the desire for employees to improve work-life balance have contributed to the growth of telework. Finding and retaining effective leadership talent are critical needs of organizations. Recruitment and retention of leadership talent can be supported by access to perquisites such as the ability to telework. Although research on teleworking employees in general, and virtual team leaders, can inform the industry, few leadership models exist that specifically help understand what it takes to be a teleworking leader. The purpose of this phenomenological study of teleworking leaders filled this gap by examining the experiences of 12 teleworking leaders with …

Nonprofit Sustainability: How Does Departure Of A Founding Leader Impact Outcomes?, Lauren Mcindoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high failure rate among local community-based nonprofit human service organizations in New York State, which may lead to service gaps in communities. Increasing sustainability may reduce these gaps and allow nonprofits to continue following the first leadership transition. Using McGregor's human resource theory as the guide, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the relationship between leadership succession planning and how departure of founding leaders impacts the sustainability of nonprofits. Data were collected through interviews with 16 leaders that included departing founding leaders, successors, and 2 board members in 4 local community-based nonprofit human service …

The Impact Of Authentic Leadership Behavior On Employee Engagement And Organizational Ethical Culture In Nigeria, Adayehi B. Peter

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Authenticity in leadership is an old phenomenon that has recently sparked a new research interest in management and the human resource development (HRD) literature (Peus, Wesche, Streicher, Braun, & Frey, 2012). An upswing in highly publicized corporate scandals, management malfeasance, and broader societal challenges facing public and private organizations has contributed to the recent attention placed on authenticity and authentic leadership (Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, & Peterson, 2008). Authentic leadership behavior allows leaders and organizations meet the raised expectations of fairness, morality, and social responsibility held by employees and organizational stakeholders (Kiersch, 2012).

The primary purpose of this study was …

Doctoral Scholarship Examined: A Study Of Strategy Research In Education Settings Conducted By Students Seeking Degrees From Doctoral Programs In Education In The United States, Joseph M. Hearl Jr

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe strategy-related dissertations in education doctoral programs in the United States. Using content analysis, dissertations published from 2005 to 2014 were classified into two time periods. Time-period 1 ranged from 2005 through 2009. During this period, the EdD degree was differentiated from the PhD degree in doctoral programs in the field of education. Time-period 2 included the years from 2010 through 2014 and was marked by the awarding in 2014 of a grant to the Carnegie Project for Education Doctorate (CPED) Initiative to document the success of a four-year effort …

Pastoral Leadership Experiences And Organizational Outcomes In Contemporary Catholic Communities: The Clerical Perspective, Justin Mathias Udomah

Theses & Dissertations

This interpretive qualitative study explored pastoral leadership experiences of 8 Catholic priests serving in the Central Texas area of the United States. The purpose was to understand what their pastoral experiences meant for them as religious leaders and how their various perspectives would portray pastoral leadership in the 21st century Church. Participants were Catholic priests with 5 to 25 years’ experience in the ministry serving as fulltime pastors in parishes. Data collection was through open-ended interviews conducted in conducive locations. One general question was asked that enabled participants to tell their stories about their pastoral experiences since ordination. These were …

Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Servant Leadership In The United States And Latin America, Ismael Merino

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, the subject matter evaluated is the difference between the United States and Latin America concerning the practice and acceptance of servant leadership. This research compares the practice and the acceptance of servant leadership between the United States of America and Latin America. In order to do this, a cross-cultural comparison was conducted between these two groups. The objective was to find the differences in the leadership styles of these two groups and subsequently analyze the results. The Hofstede’s cultural dimensions were used to be able to compare cultural differences, and understand why these differences appear in the …

Understanding The Concept Of "Inspiring Professors" In Mexico, Ivone Juárez Barco

Student Scholarship

There is only 14% of graduates that have had professors who cared for them as persons, made them excited about learning and encouraged them to pursue their dreams, reported a study from Gallup and Purdue University (2015). The purpose of this qualitative research was to generate a grounded theory to comprehend the concept of “inspiring professor” in Mexico. The question to be answered which originated this research was “what are the characteristics of professors who inspire students?”. Thirty- nine professors were interviewed, 19 of them were identified as “truly inspiring” by students. The findings that distinguish inspiring professors are: they …

Principal Trust: Factors That Influence Faculty Trust In The Principal, A. Tyler Howe

Theses and Dissertations

Principals are held accountable for student achievement even though they only have an indirect influence on that achievement. Accountability raises the question about what should be the priority for the principal's attention. The literature supports the existence of a positive correlation between faculty trust in the principal and increased student achievement. Our study considered the appropriateness of representing trust as a two-factor model broken down into components related to how teachers view the skill and the will of the principal. Additionally, our study examined which demographic factors of the school and of the principal affect faculty trust in the principal.This …