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Higher Education Administrator Perceptions And Experiences In Predicting And Tracking Retention, Judee Lynn Mulhollen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem guiding this study is that many administrators of 4-year colleges do not have efficacious application practices in terms of tracking and predicting student retention. This basic qualitative study was conducted to explore perceptions and experiences of administrators of U.S. 4-year colleges regarding tracking and predicting retention. The conceptual framework was based upon the Attaran analytics model and the three V model. Both involve decision-making perspectives seen frequently in higher education. The research question guided exploration of the perceptions and experiences of higher education administrators of 4-year U.S. colleges in terms of the application of student data for tracking …

Youth Soccer Coaching Methodologies’ Impact On Enjoyment Of The Game And Retention, John Diffley

Theses and Dissertations

According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA, 2018), at least 4,420,000 children between the ages of 6–12 and 2,454,000 children between the ages of 13–17 participate in outdoor soccer in the United States. Arguably, their coaches have a significant impact on these children’s development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate coaching methods in soccer and their relationship to youth players’ enjoyment of the game and retention rates. The sample consisted of youth soccer players from the New York metropolitan area. This study adds to the growing literature on youth sports and demonstrates that coaches have a …

Employee Perceptions Of Honesty And Integrity Within National Park Service Leadership, Christy Lea Strand

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focuses on employee perceptions of leadership honesty and integrity within the National Park Service in response to the 2018 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results. Answers to two questions on the survey returned highly negative reactions to employee perspectives on senior leaders’ honesty and integrity and low measures of employee motivation and commitment levels. The qualitative nature of the research presents a case study design that develops an understanding of negative employee perceptions of honesty and integrity within leadership and employee commitment and motivation. It addresses the general problem of negative employee perceptions of leadership honesty and integrity and …

Principals' Leadership Style As A Predictor Of School Climate In Urban High Schools In Baltimore, Kelly Alicia Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To improve student achievement in urban public schools with high poverty, it is important to address specific leadership styles (i.e., transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership styles) in relationship to their school climate. The purpose of this multivariate correlational study, framed by leadership theory, was to investigate the relationship between principals' leadership and school climate as perceived by high school teachers in an urban school district. The relationship between three predictor variables (average class size, years of experience of the teacher, and leadership style) and one criterion variable (school climate) was examined. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used to measure leadership …

Effective Decision-Making Strategies That Support Long-Term Sustainability In Nondenominational Churches, Andre Paul Davis Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective financial decision-making has frequently led to nondenominational church failures and contributes to 4,000 to 8,000 churches closing each year in North America. Grounded in stewardship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective financial decision-making strategies in nondenominational churches that support long term sustainability. Participants were 10 church leaders who successfully used financial decision-making strategies to support long-term sustainability in Central North Carolina was used for this study. Data were collected from semi structured interviews and internal church documents relating to church leadership's financial decision-making and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: budgeting …

Hotel Managers’ Motivational Strategies For Enhancing Employees’ Performance, Nickea Katherine Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 87% of United States hotel employees are not engaged. Hotel general managers who struggle to engage employees are at risk of damaging organizational effectiveness. Grounded in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies general managers of full-service hotels used for enhancing employees’ performance. The participants consisted of general managers from 3 full-service hotels in Hawaii who have successfully developed and deployed strategies to enhance employees’ performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company websites, advertisements, and observations. Yin’s 5-stage analysis was used to analyze the data, and 3 …

Empowerment, Personality, And Leader-Member Exchange Quality In Physicians, Tony S. Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly 100,000 people suffer injury or death each year due to errors in the United States healthcare system. Researchers have identified that empowerment by physicians can address this significant social issue. Despite this knowledge, qualifications to empowering behaviors in physicians have not been identified. A quantitative nonexperimental correlation approach was used to determine the role that personality type and high-quality leader-member exchange may play in the physician’s ability to create empowerment at academic medical centers in the United States. The theoretical framework of empowering leadership, Jung’s psychological types, and leader-member exchange quality informed the research design and contributed to the …

Instructional Leadership Practices Of Middle School Principals Regarding Students With Learning Disabilities, Sharon Dixson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA problem existed among middle school principals in that they appeared to inconsistently apply instructional leadership practices while supporting their teachers teaching students with learning disabilities. How the principals perceived these inconsistencies and the possible effects on practice was not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of middle school principals regarding their instructional leadership practices to consistently support teachers who teach students with learning disabilities. The conceptual framework comprised the instructional leadership theory of Murphy, Hallinger, Weil, and Mitman. The research question addressed the perceptions of middle school principals regarding their instructional leadership practices …

Principal Servant Leadership Effects On Relationships With Teachers In Underperforming Schools, Marta Georgina Vasquez-Mcnamara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that a leaders’ behavior can impact employee organizational outcomes and how employees engage at work. The primary purpose of this qualitative, interpretive, phenomenological study was to interview a purposeful sample of teachers and a principal at an underperforming school to examine and understand their lived experiences and the meaning of principal–teacher relationships in underperforming schools using a servant leadership framework. The goal was to describe principals/teachers’ experiences, perceptions, and meanings associated with servant leadership in building relationships. Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews. Following an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach, the data were transcribed and coded for …

Electric Cooperative Managers’ Strategies To Enhance Organizational Commitment To Increase Employee Productivity, Michael Edward White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective leadership strategies contributes to a reduction in employee engagement and productivity. Managers are concerned about the lack of effective leadership strategies because it negatively affects employee engagement and productivity, reducing organizational growth. Grounded in Bass’s transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore effective leadership strategies used to enhance employee engagement and increase productivity. Five managers from an electric cooperative in Northwest Florida who implemented effective leadership strategies participated in the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step approach. …

A Lebanese Health Care Organization’S Strategies To Secure Sustainable Funding, Dania Mahmoud Al Assadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fundraising and donations are the main sources of revenue for behavioral health care nonprofit organizations (NPOs) worldwide. Economic, political, social, or health crises impact fundraising and donation sources for behavioral health care NPOs. This qualitative case study addressed strategies that senior leaders of a Lebanese behavioral health care NPO could use in times of crisis. The study also addressed the behavioral health leaders’ experience managing a funding crisis. The Baldrige conceptual framework was used to assess the organization’s effectiveness in seven key areas. Interviews with the senior leaders and analysis of the organization’s archival data were used to inform the …

Public Sector Leadership And The Implementation Of Corruption Mitigation Strategies In Ethiopia, Alem Zeray Reda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPublic sector leaders in less developed countries, like Ethiopia, experience challenges in implementing anticorruption strategies successfully. Ineffective strategy implementation exacerbates the adverse effects of corruption on organizations and the people at large. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to identify and report the lived experiences of public sector senior leaders regarding the implementation of corruption mitigation strategies in the Tigray region in Ethiopia. The research question focused on senior public sector officials' lived experiences with the execution of anti-corruption policies. The conceptual framework was the strategic leadership theory, focusing on strategy implementation processes and related challenges. The …

Using Knowledge Management Practices In Small Business Organizations, Brandon Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses struggle to attain, retain, and transfer knowledge using knowledge management (KM). Small business enterprise (SBE) leaders who do not leverage core competencies of KM are at high risk of failure. Grounded in Nonaka’s dynamic theory of knowledge creation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the KM strategies small retail business leaders in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area use for sustainability. The participants comprised 4 small business enterprise leaders in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area who effectively used KM strategies to sustain business beyond 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and internal and external …

Perceptions Of Emotional And Social Intelligence Competencies Among Leaders Within Collective Impact Initiatives In Puerto Rico, Geraldine Bayron-Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The complexity of global societies’ issues requires leaders whose competencies facilitate collective impact initiatives as strategies for coordinating multisector efforts to transform substantial social problems. In Puerto Rico, such endeavors are not producing expedient long-term impact. It is crucial to implement said collaborations relying on leaders' emotional strength and skills, enabling efficient processes to find solutions for subpar circumstances in communities. It was unknown whether senior managers in Puerto Rico understood the necessary emotional and social intelligence leadership competencies which must be developed to improve organizational processes in local cross-sector collaborations. This phenomenological study aimed to understand whether these leaders …

Strategies To Resolve Toxic Leadership Styles Which Impede Employee Innovation, Lilly Abdulrohman Mohamed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Toxic leaders micromanage, threaten, and discourage employees from sharing their ideas,causing a decline in innovation. Export-based company executives need to understand how to resolve toxic leadership to enhance their companies’ performance. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies export-based company leaders use to resolve toxic leadership styles. The participants were four senior and frontline leaders from export-based companies in Ethiopia. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and document reviews and were analyzed with thematic data analysis. Four themes emerged: open and transparent communication, sustained counseling and training, teamwork and joint …

Relationship Between Organizational Trust, Communication, And Team Performance Within Virtual Teams, Cornelius Thomas Session

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Virtual teams have become a cost-saving strategy for global collaboration and training, but trust and communication failures decrease overall performance. Business leaders who fail to understand the relationship between organizational trust, communication, and team performance undermine global virtual teams’ full potential. Grounded in the life cycle of virtual teams’ theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between organizational trust, communication, and team performance within virtual teams in the information technology (IT) industry. Data were collected from survey responses of 48 virtual IT business leaders who work in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The results …

Leadership Influence On Dispatcher Access Of Trauma Recovery Resources, Ariel R. Place

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency dispatchers experience duty-related trauma exposure that can lead to reduced work engagement, compromised employee health, and increased organizational costs. Leadership is crucial in providing guidance and support to first responders following traumatic events. This study’s purpose was to understand how one public service organization’s (PSO) leaders influence emergency dispatchers’ access to trauma-recovery resources. The Baldrige Excellence Framework provided the framework for this qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews with the public service organization partner site (PSOPS) leaders were conducted and archival data and documents were reviewed and analyzed to gain a clearer picture of PSOPS leaders’ personal perspectives of and …

Voluntary Diversity Training Strategies For Alleviating Leadership Gender Bias, Jason Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers showed that mandatory diversity training programs in large U.S. corporations adversely increase unconscious gender bias of promotion selection. The problem is that workplace diversity experts disagree about a consistent set of strategies to implement voluntary diversity training programs, adversely affecting the efficiency and productivity in training related to alleviating unconscious gender bias in selecting women to management. The purpose of this qualitative classical Delphi study was to determine how a panel of eight workplace diversity experts viewed the desirability and feasibility of forward-looking strategies for implementing voluntary diversity training programs to alleviate unconscious gender bias in selecting women to …

Electric Cooperative Managers’ Strategies To Enhance Organizational Commitment To Increase Employee Productivity, Michael Edward White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective leadership strategies contributes to a reduction in employee engagement and productivity. Managers are concerned about the lack of effective leadership strategies because it negatively affects employee engagement and productivity, reducing organizational growth. Grounded in Bass’s transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore effective leadership strategies used to enhance employee engagement and increase productivity. Five managers from an electric cooperative in Northwest Florida who implemented effective leadership strategies participated in the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step approach. …

Relationship Between Project Manager’S Gender, Years Of Experience, And Age And Project Success, Michael Hijazi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) leaders lose billions of dollars and experience implementation delays because of failed projects. IT leaders must assign the right IT project manager to prevent project failure. Grounded in the critical success factor theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between project managers’ gender (PMG), project managers’ years of experience (PMY), project managers’ age (PMA), and project success (PS) in the IT industry. Data were collected from 105 project managers in the U.S. IT sector using an online survey distribution platform. The results of the multiple regression analysis were not statistically significant. …

When Culture And Change Collide In Higher Education: A Case Study At One University, Steven A. Petersen, Susan M. Bartel

Administrative Issues Journal

Leaders in higher education regularly find themselves at the intersection of change, torn between their institution’s history and culture, the intrinsic value of education, market needs, and the desires of alumni, current, and prospective students. Higher education is often labeled reluctant to change, and many believe any change initiative not aligned with the institution’s culture is almost certain to fail. This study provides evidence that leaders in higher education can implement change that is incongruent with organizational culture while maintaining harmony among the institution’s ideals and constituents. University X, a medium-sized, highly regarded public institution located in a rural area, …

Developing A Framework For Understanding The Personal Motivations Of Sustainability Leaders, Jennifer Licad Horn, Walter Wehrmeyer

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

This study explores the initial and sustaining motivations that drive leaders to pursue sustainability as a profession or vocation. Exploratory interviews were conducted with 16 sustainability leaders in the Philippines working in sectors ranging from corporate to social enterprise, NGO, and academia. Findings from thematic analysis reveal significant life experiences that drive initial motivation, how feedback sustains motivation, and the importance of self-awareness and positive psychological factors in starting and sustaining their work or advocacy. A framework for understanding motivations is developed therein, drawing on themes extracted from the interviews, Stern’s Value-Belief-Norm Theory, and Authentic and Transformational Leadership theories. Recommendations …

A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By High School Principals, Darrick Rice

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the perceived impact of Patterson’s (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs on high school principals in establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology: The qualitative phenomenological study described the lived experiences of high school principals who lead schools that have implemented Patterson's (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs for establishing a culture of high performance in Los Angeles County, California. The researcher was a part of 8 peer researchers and 2 faculty advisors. The data collection included virtual face-to-face semi structured interviews using a protocol developed by the thematic team. …

New Jersey Superintendents’ Perceptions Of The Psel Standards And Their Application To The Summative Evaluation Process Of School Principals, Kevin Hajduk

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

It is difficult to imagine a focus for research with greater social justification than research about successful educational leadership. Therefore, the purpose of this study is twofold. First, this study explores the “elements” of the Professional Standards of Educational Leaders (PSEL) from the perspective of New Jersey school superintendents to determine what they consider to be most important when formally evaluating New Jersey public school principals. Second, this study will also distinguish what are the essential, compared to important, leadership skills and responsibilities that a building principal must demonstrate as defined by the PSEL standards and determined by Chief School …

University Professors As “Transformative Leaders”, Cam Caldwell, Verl Anderson

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

University professors have a moral obligation to be ethical leaders in guiding their stewards. Transformative Leadership, a concept identified in both the educational and business leadership literature, provides a valuable model for university professors to consider as they interact with students and help them to learn and to prepare for the challenges of the modern world. This paper integrates the education and business leadership perspectives of Transformative Leadership and identifies the contributions that this leadership model can contribute to the effectiveness of university professors who adopt its principles.

Transformational Leadership For Frontline Leaders, Marta L. Hudson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Problem. Transformational leadership (TL) represents the gold standard of leadership styles in contemporary healthcare organizations. The transformational leader's ability to motivate, influence, stimulate, inspire, and attend to followers' individual needs is an antecedent to job satisfaction, quality, and patient safety. The project aimed to improve TL constructs among frontline leaders (managers and assistant nurse managers). Based on the results of a needs assessment, these frontline leaders were provided an opportunity to improve their TL style.

Context. Leadership development is a strategic priority for a medium-sized medical center in a healthcare system in Northern California. Frontline leaders within patient care …

Preceptor As Frontline Leader Utilizing Emotional Intelligence, Dwanette Judkins

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Problem - This paper describes a DNP project implemented in an acute care hospital in 2020. The hospital implemented a nurse residency program, with an evidence-based preceptor role development (PRD) component, which proved to be beneficial in growing the nursing workforce and building infrastructure; however, nurse turnover increased.

Context – Preceptors expressed feeling unsupported and not valued. The nurse executive team recommended the recognition committee expand its efforts to develop strategies to develop frontline leaders by building preceptor resiliency and increase retention. Preceptor development could positively impact the nursing workforce.

Intervention - The DNP student, was the executive sponsor …

Leadership Behaviors Needed By Executive Directors Of Nonprofit Victim Support Organizations, Timothy Hunt

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine how nonprofit victim support organization leaders rate the impact of the 10 Transformational Leadership Skills Inventory (TLSi) domains on their effectiveness. In addition, it was the purpose to discover how nonprofit victim support organization leaders describe the impact of each TLSi domain on their effectiveness.

Methodology: The participants in this study were executive directors of private, nonprofit victim support organizations across the Pacific Northwest region of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. All participated in an online quantitative survey where they rated their agreement with statements about the impact of the …

How Leaders And Employees Experience, Make Sense Of, And Find Meaning In Humility, David Perryman

Theses & Dissertations

By just about any measure, organizations today are more dynamic, diverse, and interdependent than at any other time in history. This environment puts unprecedented pressure on the human capacity to lead. And still, we demand more from our leaders—even as employees experience rising stress levels, declining loyalty, and deteriorating trust in their employers, and organizations face historically high rates of employee turnover along with the resulting financial and emotional costs. Clinging to romanticized notions of the larger-than-life leader blinds us to the paradoxical promise of humility; namely, that a leader’s greatest strength may lie, ironically, in the ability …

The Relationship Between Automation Threat And Employee Related Outcomes Using Support As A Buffer And Moderated By Transformational And Transactional Leadership, Monica Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The introduction of automation in the workforce has negative effects that go beyond technological job displacement. The process of introducing automated systems creates stress in employees, which may relate to lower performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between automation threat and employee-related outcomes such as self-efficacy, means efficacy, and employability and how social support, organizational support, and instrumental support can help buffer against this type of threat. Furthermore, transformational and transactional leadership styles of the manager/supervisor were examined, as they related to the various types of support. Two hundred sixty-nine working adults completed the study …