2022 Pathway Nurse Of The Year Award™ Winners, Maggie Mccright

Group: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

When meaningful recognition occurs in organizations, nurses are acknowledged and appreciated for their contributions. It sends a powerful message that they're valued, which is a key component of a healthy and productive work environment, according to Kaufman and colleagues. Moreover, evidence has shown that recognition is the most significant driver of employee engagement. In addition, Lefton states that meaningful recognition involves "acknowledging one's behaviors and the impact these actions had on others, ensuring the feedback is relevant to the recognized situation, and is equal to the person's contribution." Meaningful recognition is highly personal, acknowledging how specific behaviors impact the practice …

Pathways To Success For Black Women Leaders In Online Higher Education: Intersectionality Of Gender, Race, And Personality Traits, Shanaya Kuykendahl Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has been used by researchers to suggest that Black women face challenges and obstacles seeking leadership roles at higher education institutions (HEIs). Many of these Black women have consistently and pervasively faced prevailing stereotypes, biases, and barriers as they seek career advancements at online HEIs (Nigar, 2020; Tarbutton, 2019). This qualitative phenomenological study was undertaken in order to examine the intersectionality of gender, race, and personality traits of Black women leaders who hold positions of department chair level or higher in HEIs. Using the theoretical framework of Black feminist thought, this research was conducted to understand better the …

Exploring The Barriers And Facilitators Of Puerto Rican Women Senior Leadership In New York City Nonprofit Social Service Organizations, Emily Lopez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Puerto Rican women in senior leadership positions within nonprofit organizations contribute to the direction and governance of many New York City agencies. The findings in this research bring attention to their experiences and grit in the sector. According to Smith and Nkomo (2022) grit gives women of color in leadership the ability to bounce back after being discouraged and sidelined in their careers or to survive in hypermasculine cultures. Grit is defined as women who lead with passion, perseverance and know who they are (Smith & Nkomo, 2022). This study explores barriers and facilitators encountered by Puerto Rican women who …

Impact Of Authentic Leadership On Team Psychological Safety As Mediated By Relationship Quality, Mechelle J. Plasse

Dissertations

Leadership is a dynamic process with a far-reaching impact. Leadership is the process of guiding a group of individuals towards the achievement of a common goal. Healthcare leaderships looks to guide staff towards the common goal of positive patient outcomes. The literature has demonstrated that staff outcomes related to the health of their work environment can impact patient outcomes. A contributor to the health of the work environment is the relational tone of the unit; this tone is partly shaped by the skill and philosophy of the leader. Relational dynamics can influence several processes, including psychological safety which is a …

A Phenomenological Study Of How Exemplary Elementary Principals Perceive The Five Practices Of The Infinite Mindset Inspire The Achievement Of Extraordinary Results, Jeff Heilig

Dissertations

Purpose. This phenomenological study aimed to explore and describe the perceived impact of the infinite mindset and its five essential practices on exemplary elementary principals to inspire the achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose was to understand the organizational supports and barriers exemplary leaders perceive affect the development of an infinite mindset.

Methodology. This study explored and described the perceived impact of the infinite mindset on inspiring extraordinary results as perceived by exemplary elementary principals in south Los Angeles County. A thematic team of eight peer researchers and four faculty advisors collaboratively developed the semistructured interview protocol used in …

Leadership And Its Impact On Supervision In The Hospitality Industry, Patricia Peprah, Williams Kwasi Peprah

Faculty Publications

The hospitality industry has a high human capital requirement that depends on leadership to provide supervision for the utmost customer satisfaction. Based on this, this research looks at the impact of leadership on supervision among hotels in Ghana. This research was a causal research design. It investigated the correlational effect of leadership on supervision in the hospitality industry in Ghana. Data obtained from Ghana Tourism Authority’s National Data 2020 on Tourism Human Resource put the employees of 3 to 5 stars hotels as the study population at 7,347. The researcher used a Raosoft sample size calculator to determine a sample …

How Exemplary Directors Of Special Education Use The Five Principles Associated With Grit To Accomplish Extraordinary Results: A Phenomenological Study, Maria L. Moore

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary directors of special education use the five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study was part of a larger thematic research study conducted by nine peer researchers under the guidance of three University of Massachusetts Global faculty chairs. The qualitative research design encompassed a phenomenological model. Data for this study were gathered through a combination of eight semistructured interviews of exemplary directors of special education who met the predetermined …

Grounded Roots Research Synthesis: A Meta-Analysis/Meta-Synthesis Of Strategies Used By Exemplary Leaders, Robert Allen

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative meta-synthesis was to conduct an analysis of five thematic research studies to aggregate and integrate findings to form new interpretations of the research field of grounded leadership.

Methodology: This quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted as a secondary analysis of five thematic research studies to aggregate and integrate findings to form new interpretations of the research field of grounded leadership. The sample was composed of 79 exemplary leaders from five different fields.

Findings: Examination of 79 participants found that that aggregated population of exemplary leaders maintain grounded leadership by (a) …

Exploring Grit In Exemplary School Superintendents, Denise Jaramillo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary superintendents use five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study was part of a larger thematic study conducted by nine doctoral candidates under the supervision of three University of Massachusetts Global faculty. The study used a phenomenological design to identify and describe how exemplary superintendents use five principles associated with grit to accomplish extraordinary results. Data were gathered through a combination of eight semistructured interviews, related observations, and a …

The Church Surviving Crisis An Examination Of Leaders' Disaster Response, Joel A. Tudman

Doctor of Ministry

In March of the year 2020, the church would change drastically and quickly. In-person gatherings shifted to online worship. The pandemic fostered change for the church and it had to adapt to a digital era overnight. Abrupt change of such for churches and other organizations called for business meetings and a change in the application of the vision. Some churches upgraded audio and video equipment to facilitate their vision effectively and some closed their doors. The world has seen many crises and the church has always long suffered right along with the world. When a crisis strikes the world like …

Understanding Leadership's Role In Recognizing And Navigating Secondary Trauma Exposure To Create A Positive, Supportive, And Healthy Workplace, Amanda Mace

M.S. in Leadership

Professionals in social services agencies play an essential role in assisting trauma victims. However, research shows that secondary exposure to trauma can have lasting effects on the professionals helping the victims. As a result, this exposure may result in negative psychological responses, including secondary traumatic stress (STS), vicarious trauma (VT), burnout, and compassion fatigue. A systematic search was used across relevant research databases (Granite State College Library, Google Scholar, PubMed) for studies regarding secondary trauma exposure in social services professions. In addition, a survey was distributed to fourteen leaders. The research and survey aimed to explore the prevalence and risk …

Virtual Reality Influence On Moral Reasoning Through Compassion, Dennis W. Dunivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates quantifiable links between virtual reality, moral reasoning, and compassion, contributing to the development of improved pedagogy for moral leadership development through experiential learning. It is the first empirical study to determine how specific virtual reality experiences potentially influence moral reasoning as measured by the DIT-2 (Rest et al., 1999), as well as the possible mediation effects of compassion on this relationship as measured by the Compassion Scale (Pommier et al., 2019). Although pedagogical implications are discussed, including the integration of virtual reality experiences into curriculum, the boundaries of this study are controlled to measure the direct influence …

Fostering A Sustainable Future Through Inclusive Design, Samara Omar, Kate Youmans, Aubrey Wigner, Henry Archer, Carrie Mcclelland

Practice Papers

Fostering a sustainable future requires a balance between human necessities, societal institutions, and environmental systems; and this delicate equilibrium is best attained through strategic and innovative design. With this, and the growing diversity of our communities, it is imperative to equip engineering students with inclusive perspectives that allow them to critically assess the socio-technical elements of sustainable design. Recent research within engineering education has elevated the importance of empathy as a design practice and inclusivity as a design principle; exploring topics of bias and exclusion are essential to this work. As part of a first-year design course, we introduced these …

Transforming Organizational Culture And Enacting Social Justice In Praxis Through Decolonization Of Cultural Artifacts At A U.S. University, Antonio Jimenez-Luque, Sarina Chugani Molina, Rachelle Ann Martinez

School of Leadership and Education Sciences: Faculty Scholarship

Organizational cultures and the resulting manifestations of cultural artifacts on many campuses continue to contribute to the perpetuation of elitism and ideologies deeply entrenched in the undercurrent of colonial legacies. This study presents an analysis of an initiative at one university in the United States for decolonizing practices through the transformation of cultural artifacts that reproduce colonial ideologies and the alignment of them with values of diversity, community, social justice, and scholarly excellence. Data were gathered through a qualitative survey submitted to faculty, students, and staff, and 4 months of ethnographic work seeking to understand how stakeholders interpret the cultural …

The Grateful Leader: Using Gratitude Mindset To See Victory, Serve In Love And Lead In Peace, Lexus Potts

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

The Grateful Leader is a book manuscript. Every leader experiences a particular adversity that tests them to their limits, and it is in that place that they learn who they are and who they want to become. A leader's mindset can help or hinder them as they face adversity. We don't have a choice in what challenges or hardships come to us in life, but we do have a choice in how we respond to them. Gratitude is a tool that can increase resilience to empower leaders to overcome challenges with grace, hope, and confidence.

In The Grateful Leader, I …

Leadership And Military Power – Can A Leadership Approach Provide A Competitive Advantage?, Lawrence E. Skelly Iii

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Leadership and Military Power – Can a Leadership Approach Provide a Competitive Advantage? When does a military commander's leadership approach give his or her unit a performance advantage? U.S. Army senior leaders have asserted that forces led using the mission command approach will have an edge in future combat. Mission command decentralizes decision-making to empower subordinates to react more successfully and seize battlefield opportunities. American forces have struggled to employ mission command partly because of a lack of understanding of the approach. This study applied two concepts from organizational psychology, empowering leadership and directive leadership, to better define and examine …

Cultural Humility As A Predictor Of Intention To Leave Moderated By Authentic Leadership, Dennis Whitfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this research was the inappropriate treatment of multicultural individuals by their immediate supervisors and the need for a thorough examination of cultural humility in organizational settings. This quantitative study used linear regression and moderation analyses to examine the relationship between cultural humility and intention to leave moderated by authentic leadership to determine how the participants’ perception of cultural humility in their immediate supervisor predicted their intention to leave. Another purpose was to examine whether authentic leadership moderated the relationship with intention to leave. The theoretical framework for this study included cultural humility, authentic leadership, and intention …

Exploring Employee Turnover In The Healthcare Industry, Gloria Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a challenging issue many organizations face resulting in lost productivity, profitability, and sustainability. Nursing leaders are concerned with employee turnover because patient quality of care and safety could suffer adversely. Grounded in the context emergent turnover theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies nursing leaders used to reduce employee turnover. The participants were six nursing leaders of healthcare organizations in New York State. Data were collected using semistructured virtual interviews conducted by telephone and Zoom, reviewing an organization document, and company public websites. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation to identify …

Transgenerational Wellness: Trauma Informed Christian Spiritual Formation, Winford Amos

Doctor of Ministry

Certain mindsets, processes, and practices produce health inequities and disparities including poor spiritual health. Young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five years old are experiencing challenges with mental health and substance use resulting in a high rate of suicides and overdose related deaths. Many are experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health challenges and have a history of trauma. There are limited options available for integrated treatment. Accessibility to services is very difficult due to limited providers and limited resources at this age. Church attendance has decreased significantly for young adults which limits the capacity of the church …

Differences In High School Student Athlete Perceptions Of Coach Leadership Behaviors, Clarissa Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The dynamics between athletic coaches and their players have been widely studied with leadership as the focus. The problem was that there is limited literature on the differences in perceptions of high school student athletes regarding their coach’s leadership behaviors. The purpose of this group comparison study was to examine the differences in student athletes’ perceptions of their coach’s leadership behavior as measured by the Revised Leadership Scale for Sports scores between freshman, junior varsity, and varsity high school student athletes. Chelladurai’s multidimensional model of leadership was the theoretical foundation for this study. The invitation to the study with a …

Employee Engagement And Leadership In The Federal Sector, Quanekqua Tequila Russell Pringle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While levels of engagement have slightly increased, employee engagement in the U.S. federal government sector still significantly lags when compared to the private sector. When asked if organizational leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the workforce, only 48% of U.S. federal government employees indicated a positive response. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study and primary research question was to determine to what extent, if any, does a relationship exist between perceptions of leadership communication and effectiveness and employee engagement in the U.S. federal government sector. The theoretical framework of this quantitative correlational study was informed by …

Call Center Managers’ Strategies To Address Employee Turnover, Kimberly Dickens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a threat to call center sustainability. Call center leaders who lack strategies to reduce employee turnover have an increased risk of business failure. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies call center leaders use to reduce employee turnover in insurance call centers. The three participants were call center leaders from three different call centers in Raleigh, North Carolina, who implemented strategies to reduce employee turnover. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and reviews of public documents from participants’ company websites and analyzed using thematic analysis. Two themes emerged: …

Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and self-leadership have been identified as important indicators of business sustainability. Business owners and investors are concerned about sustainability because most businesses fail within the first five years. Grounded in self-efficacy and self-leadership theories, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-leadership and startup sustainability. The participants were 156 entrepreneurs who completed the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale and the abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire delivered via email. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict startup sustainability, F(2, 129) = 432.47, p < .001, R2 = .87. Self-efficacy provided a significant contribution to the model (t = 8.424, p = < .001, β = .914). In contrast, the contribution of self-leadership was not significant (t = 0.185, p = .853, β = .20). A key recommendation is the utilization of mentoring programs and structured leadership internships that enhance self-efficacy by providing startup leaders with exposure to more seasoned corporate leaders, and successful peers who have had similar experiences to theirs. The implications for positive social change include the potential development of training and capacity-building programs that can be provided to entrepreneurs and other startup leaders to enhance their ability to sustain their startups, leading to more successful businesses, job creation, and economic growth.

Strategies To Improve Employee Motivation In Addiction Treatment, Dawn Marie Belamarich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Addiction treatment leaders are experiencing challenges in motivating qualified and committed professionals within their businesses. Without strategies to motivate and retain employees, addiction treatment businesses will fail, and patient outcomes can suffer. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies addiction treatment leaders used to improve employee motivation. The participants were 10 addiction treatment leaders with demonstrated experience in utilizing leadership strategies to improve employee motivation. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, a review of the literature on employee motivation in addiction treatment organizations, and a review of organizational archival …

Developing Consensus On The Use Of Emotional Intelligence Training In Small Utility Companies, Nathaniel E. Holloway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Park and Shaw shared the impact on organizations from unmotivated and unsatisfied employees link to higher turnover ratios. The use of emotional intelligence in manager training lowered employee turnover by 13%. The problem address in this Delphi study was that small utility companies do not have an emotional intelligence plan in place for managerial training. Goleman and Mayer’s framework was used as the theorical lens for examining response of participants to the Delphi study. A panel of experts submitted data in the form of responses to three rounds of questions regarding the use of emotional intelligence training in small businesses. …

On-Boarding Experienced Teachers In A New School, Emma Mecham, Joseph Kozlowski, Felicia Messervy, Cami Player, Joel Lopez, Laura Reina, Nathan Justis

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Each year school administrators find themselves in the position of hiring new teachers and onboarding them to the unique expectations and context of the school. Such work most often happens while these new teachers are actively doing the work of teaching, with few contracted hours of training available. Limited research has focused on the experience of onboarding for teachers who are experienced in the field, but new to a particular school. Recognizing this challenge, this team of researchers and participants set out to examine the flow of information in one school for four teachers in their first year of teaching …

Why Do Relationships Matter To Project Managers? 3 Elements To Integrate Into Every Project Manager Tool-Kit, Sarah M. Dyson, Joe Deklinski

Beyond the Project Horizon: Journal of the Center for Project Management Innovation

Abstract

Emotional intelligence is one of the essential attributes of success in the workplace and life. It is a skill that can be learned and developed. The ability to manage emotions is also a part of it. Emotional intelligence can be taught, practiced, and mastered by anyone who wants to become a better manager. It is not just about managing your emotions but being able to manage them effectively if you want to become a better leader. One of the hallmarks of effective project leadership is building constructive relationships. Relationship building is essential because project managers do not typically have …

When Leaders Use Self-Uncertainty Strategically: Consequences For Intergroup Leadership And Identity Confirmation Dynamics, Alison Young

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Framed by the social identity theory of leadership, one question that is beginning to receive attention is how intergroup leaders can lead across distinct subgroups and improve inter-subgroup relations without provoking social identity-related concerns (e.g., subgroup identity distinctiveness threat). Past studies have found that leaders can use their rhetoric and boundary spanning behavior to meet their members’ identity needs and garner support. In addition, the self-uncertainty literature has suggested that leaders can strategically elevate and resolve members’ self-uncertainty through their rhetoric. The current research proposed that members who felt uncertain about their subgroup’s identity would have more favorable evaluations of …

Speaking To The Head And The Heart: Prioritizing Empathetic Communication In The Post-Covid Workplace, Kevin T. Caffrey

Administrative / Professional Faculty Articles

As of August 2022, COVID-19 continues to affect our daily lives in physical, psychological, and financial ways. Many vulnerable individuals are struggling to adapt to returning to work and as a result, employee morale is at risk. In times of crises, empathy is needed in the workplace to support one another, but many leaders and employees may not have a firm grasp of the concept. This article seeks to define empathetic communication and explore the need for prioritizing empathy amid the current post-COVID-19 workplace. Through a literature review of empathy, psychological safety in the workplace, and crisis leadership, the author …

A Leadership Perspective On Preventing Counselor Burnout In A Behavioral Health Setting During Covid-19, Claudia P. De La Torre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high need for mental health services, which resulted in a shortage of mental health clinicians. This shortage of mental health clinicians then resulted in a high burnout rate due to client intake. This doctoral case study was grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework and focused on how a behavioral health organization in South Texas managed burnout in clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to help behavioral health leaders find a solution to preventing burnout during a high demand pandemic. This doctoral study had several data sources, including semistructured interviews with three …