Digital Commons Network^™

Qualitative Study Of Current And Prospective Student Perceptions Of A University Website, Sheila J. Henderson, Jennifer Coloma

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Building a sustainable system that goes beyond myopic interests and short-term policies is an arduous task for any school leader. In the U.S., our education system has been criticized for being too shallow in curriculum and unsustainable in the long run. In fact, a 2007 report by UNICEF concerning children’s well-being in 22 countries ranked the U.K. and the U.S. at the bottom of the industrialized nations in the survey. Hargreaves (2007) laments that these two countries, in their single-minded pursuit of economic competitiveness and development at all costs, are destroying the planet, while “eating their young.”

Development Of A Proposed Community Action Plan For The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Alicia Milla, Alexis Rodriguez

Community Engagement and Collaboration

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is a national organization that was started back in 1970 by two mothers of sons with type 1 diabetes. Since its founding, JDRF has awarded more than $1.5 billion to diabetes research around the world, including $9.9 million of research in San Diego. JDRF is a volunteer-driven organization with thousands of volunteers in locations worldwide. While JDRF is working hard to find a cure and improve the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes, it also has a goal of providing volunteer-led support programs to people with type 1 diabetes and their families. …

Capacity Building Through Integration And Transformational Leadership - A Case Study, Sacha Michael Stocklin

Higher Learning Research Communications

This article suggests that educational managers can have an influence through leadership by establishing certain moderators that integrate and shape the faculty into a solid team working towards a high performing organisation. The study looks at a case in China and draws suggestions that could be used in other similar settings. The conclusion is to make integration a crucial part of capacity building.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v1i1.28

Images Of Leadership: A New Exercise To Teach Leadership From A Social Constructionist Perspective, Christopher I. Maxwell, Anne M. Greenhalgh

Organization Management Journal

Adopting a social constructionist approach to the teaching of leadership, we asked students in a required course in management to find or create and submit a digital image that captures leadership as they see it. Our intention was to help students understand their own perceptions of leadership and to see how their perceptions compare to those of others. We have run this exercise for the last 10 years (2000–2009), and to date we have collected 5037 digital images. These images are used throughout the course to demonstrate the relevance of the subject, to enrich the discussion of leadership theories, to …

Gender Stereotypes Of Leaders: Do They Influence Leadership In Higher Education?, Margaret Madden

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

This article reviews social psychological and organizational development literature on gender stereotypes and leadership style and effectiveness and explores its relevance for leadership in higher education. Implications of the dichotomous stereotypes of “friendly vs. competent” and “agentic vs. communal” frame a discussion of social psychological research on how stereotypes affect perceptions of leaders. Ways to overcome stereotypes and the application of feminist values to leadership strategies are also discussed.

Community College Presidential Transitions: Enhancing The Process By Understanding Stakeholder Perceptions, Jeffery Clay Bradford

Dissertations

A leadership crisis is pending at America’s community colleges. Presidents are serving shorter terms (Stanley & Betts, 2004) and retiring rapidly (Duree, Ebbers, Santos-Laanan, Curtis, & Ferlazzo, 2008). Weisman and Vaughan (2006) project that 84% of current community college leaders will retire by 2016. New chief executives need to be effective at implementing the goals set by the board of trustees in a timely manner. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify stakeholder perceptions during a community college presidential transition and strategies for assisting in a smooth transition.

In-person semi-structured interviews were conducted at three medium-sized Midwestern …

The Organizational Creativity Actualization Model: A Book Proposal, Russell Schneck

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project consists of a book proposal, including two sample chapters, that provides a vision for how organizations can effectively use creativity and creative thinking to address the rapid escalation of complexity. The working title for the book is: The Creativity Organization: Responding to the Challenges and Opportunities of Complexity. The book will explore the organizational development requirements and programs necessary to transform an organizational culture so that it will consistently and sustainably develop and support creativity. At the foundation of this discussion is the Organizational Creativity Actualization Model (OCAM). This model considers organizational creativity as a system of …

Allowing A Lie: A Study Of The Impact Of Soft Lies On The Leader-Follower Relationship, Kashmere Alicia-Ann Fitch

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Soft lies—including white lies, creative rephrasing, and withholding information—are common in personal life but also affect workplace relationships. Drawing on uncertainty reduction theory and cognitive dissonance, this thesis examines how soft lies influence trust and the leader-follower relationship, including when followers may consider them acceptable. Survey results from students in Gonzaga University's Organizational Leadership and Communication and Leadership master's programs indicate that soft lies generally damage leader-follower relationships, although followers were more accepting when the lie did not affect them personally or when they understood the leader's reasoning. Leaders who used soft lies to encourage, protect, or preserve a follower's …

How Communication And Leadership Affect Collaboration In A Partnership: An Exploratory Study, Joseph Carrasco

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Homelessness is a persistent and pervasive issue in the United States. The complexity of the problem has produced federal policies that make collaboration a requirement for homeless advocacy organizations to receive federal funding. In turn, cities, towns, and other entities have created partnerships in order to receive funding as well as combine resources and share information to help reduce if not remedy the homeless problem in their areas. This thesis explores how communication and leadership affect collaboration in a partnership. The study is grounded in the theories of dialogical ethics and transformational leadership to examine two collaborative partnerships serving the …

“A Place Of Becoming” Leadership Educators’ Experience Teaching Leadership: A Phenomenological Approach, Heath E. Harding

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

This phenomenological study describes the experiences of twelve leadership educators who were teaching leadership in undergraduate leadership development programs in the Midwest.  The central research question was: What are the experiences of educators who are teaching leadership to undergraduate students at academic institutions?  Teaching leadership was defined as providing developmental opportunities (e.g. formal education, in class instruction, one-on-one, coaching, service learning, individual reflection) to increase both leader and leadership capacity.  Educators were defined as individuals who provide developmental opportunities for undergraduates.  Participants had at least three years teaching leadership at the undergraduate level and were currently teaching a course with …

A Relational Study Of Elementary Principals' Leadership Traits, Teacher Morale, And School Performance, Carla Jean Raines Evers

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if a significant relationship existed between elementary principals' leadership traits and teacher morale. The study sought to identify the impact of the principal-teacher relationship on school achievement as it relates to student performance on state standards as outlined in the Mississippi state academic frameworks and as measured using the Quality of the Distribution Index (QDI) on the Mississippi state end-of-grade test, Mississippi Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2). The end-of-year assessments, collectively known as MCT2: Reading-Language Arts and Mathematics, administered to students in grades 3 through 8 in the spring of each school …

The Relationship Between Situational Leadership And Student Achievement, Hope Owens Beaver

Dissertations

The study of leadership has been one of great interest for many years and many leadership theories have since surfaced. Bolman and Deal’s (1991) situational leadership theory places leadership styles into four unique frames and suggests that the most effective leaders are able to utilize the most appropriate leadership frame that a situation might require. This study investigates these situational leadership frames which are structural, political, human resource, and symbolic and the relationship they may have with student achievement based on school performance labels given by the Mississippi State Department of Education.

The study was conducted in two months and …

Authentic Leadership In Sports Teams, Greg Houchin

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Authentic leadership includes a positive moral perspective characterized by high ethical standards that guide decision making and behavior. The measurement of authentic leadership is aimed at a leader’s ability to be genuine. This study identified and analyzed authentic leaders on sports teams. Group cohesion was also assessed. The purpose was to determine whether authentic leadership would lead to performance when mediated by team cohesion and trust. Survey analyses were used to assess several teams. Results indicated that sports teams may benefit from training in authentic leadership. Authentic leadership predicts higher levels of trust, team cohesion, and group performance.

Ethics Instruction In Community College Leadership Programs: Southern Perspectives, Nikisha Green Ware

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover which southern universities have graduate preparatory programs in community college leadership and how, if at all, ethics is addressed in their curricula and in instruction. Surveys were mailed to 38 southern universities located in the Southern Regional Education Board member states. Of the 21 responses received, there were 16 usable responses from universities in these states. Through an examination of databases of Council for the Study of Community Colleges Graduate Studies and the American Association of Community Colleges Leadership Programs for Community College Professionals databases, 38 senior universities were found to have …

The Perspectives Of Practicing African American Female Superintendents In The Commonwealth Of Virginia Regarding The Impact Of Spirituality On Their Leadership Practices, Shannon Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological approach to discover how African American female superintendents in Virginia integrated spirituality into their leadership practices. The struggles and experiences of these women as a population have been uniquely marginalized by both race and gender. These distinct influences have resulted in the development of generations of women who freely proclaim to be grounded in the spiritual. To investigate this topic, data were collected in face-to-face interviews conducted on site in the school division where each superintendent was employed. The data were analyzed using a modified version of Moustakas as proposed by Creswell (2007). Once …

The Effect Of Leadership Orientations On Student Achievement, Rhonda Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between and impact of principals' leadership styles on student achievement as determined by school performance scores (SPS). Bolman and Deal's (1984; 2003) four leadership frames model (structural, human, political, and symbolic) were utilized to identify principals' leadership styles. The sample for this study consisted of 15 principals from low socioeconomic status (SES) schools and 17 principals from high SES schools located in north and middle Louisiana.

Schools were chosen by searching the Louisiana School Directory, which is based on grade configuration, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. All schools in selected parishes …

Selecting Learning Agility And Leadership Context: An Initial Survey Development Phase, Phillip Emerick

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

In our modern Internet age, the rate of information is steadily increasing accompanied by increasing rates of access. There is a need to process huge volumes of information, quickly and appropriate for specific goals. Educational institutions have the opportunity to lead many in developing the skills for acquiring and applying relevant information under such rapidly changing conditions. Accordingly, educators, administrators and students might benefit from an assessment of their learning agility and leadership style. Discussion for selecting a context set for learning agility precedes discussion for leadership styles. A brief analysis of how the context might be used for a …

Gender Inequalities In The Training Of Teachers At Tai Solarin University Of Education In Ogun State Of Nigeria, K.O. Odunaike, M.B. Amoda, A. Arigbabu

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The presence of women in leadership roles at the secondary school level and above contributes to sensitivity within schools for the well-being of adolescent girls and provides girls beginning to consider career choices with role models of women decision-makers and leaders. It is also imperative that women be actively involved in leading educational change given the vital role that the educational system of a country plays in both national development and the development of a gender equal society for women to be active participants in the change and development process. They must be equipped and be provided with necessary skills …

The “Glass-Ceiling” In The Church Organization: Can E-Mentoring Be A Panacea To Women Desiring Leadership Positions?, John Ekukndayo

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

In leadership studies, mentoring has been in practice for a long time be it in local and national governance, organizational development (especially as part of a systematic leadership succession plan) or even for personal/professional development of individuals or groups. It seems that in organizations today many desire to be mentored but unfortunately not all are finding appropriate mentors that will cater for their personal and professional needs especially in meeting with their psychosocial needs (Kram, 1983). This is the case with many women in many male-dominated workplaces known for the preserving of “male prejudices, male values and creations” (Woodd, 1997), …

Toward A Functional Followers’ Model In The Organizational Leadership Process, John Ekundayo

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

There are many researchers and practitioners who have at various times and situations defined the term leadership to suit their whims and caprices. A popular scholar in the field of management and leadership opined that “there are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept” (Bass, 1981, p. 11). There is no gainsaying the fact that in organizations, leadership plays a vital role almost on a daily basis. It is perhaps based on this premise that makes many practitioners and scholars to focus more on leaders when discussing or writing …

The Leadership Practice Of Museum Educators, Tina R. Nolan

Dissertations

This grounded theory study is an examination of the culture, context, conditions and competencies of a set of six museum educators from a large city in the United States. Participants were education department leaders from a variety of museum types, including: A science museum, an ethnic arts museum, a settlement house museum, a children‘s museum, an aquarium, and a zoo. An analysis of data points to an emerging framework that codifies particular leadership settings and domains of practice for leaders of museum educators. An array of data collections were employed in the study, including: Semi-structured interviews, unstructured observations, written reflections …

Shared Leadership As A Function Of Role Assignment And Task Difficulty In A Distributed Computer Game, Alexandra Proaps

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The use of computer game based architectures may help provide a safe, controlled environment in which geographically dispersed military units can develop leadership skills while rehearsing a specific task such as search and rescue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among task difficulty, team task performance, role assignment and emergent leadership within a shared leadership model using a modified version of the popular video game, Half Life 2 ™. The researcher assessed leadership emergence through verbal content analysis methods that have only been employed in email and message boards media formats. Across levels of task difficulty …

A Cultural Approach To Understanding Professional Experiences Of Foreign-Born Faculty In U.S. Educational Leadership Preparation Programs, Iryna M. Khrabrova

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate professional experiences of foreign-born faculty members serving in U.S. educational leadership preparation programs utilizing a cultural approach to discern their lived experiences related to professional life. Cultural values reflected in professional life experiences were explored. The information gathered through phenomenological approach was used to analyze the influence of national background on the professional experiences of foreign-born faculty in educational leadership preparation programs.

The Positive Impact Of Negative Feedback, Mark B. Richey

Theses and Dissertations

While feedback is an essential element of performance, there is little theory explaining the effects of negative feedback. Disagreement exists as to whether negative feedback is good or bad and this impacts its use. Fortunately, control theory provides scholars with an opportunity to better understand negative feedback and the conditions necessary to support its intended function. This study examined the relationship between negative feedback and task performance in a leadership development environment. This work asserts that performance is contingent on perceived feedback usefulness, such that the relationship is stronger when feedback usefulness is high and weaker when it is low. …

Revisiting The Behavioral Matrix For Leadership And Team Development, Kathleen Kane

Organization Management Journal

The Behavioral Matrix functions on a variety of levels, as: an introduction to self-awareness; a team building exercise; an ice breaker; an introduction to individual differences; or an opening exercise to a course or leadership development program. This exercise can be adapted for a variety of participants in college courses: undergraduate and graduate, as well as for executive and corporate training. Behavioral styles are categorized on a matrix with two axis. The four quadrants created by the intersection of the axis yield four different categories: Controller (formal/dominant), Supporter (informal/flow-with), Analyzer (formal/flow-with), and Promoter (informal/dominant). Specific guidelines for using the exercise …

Female Leaders: Injurious Or Inspiring Role Models For Women?, Crystal L. Hoyt, Stefanie Simon

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

The impact of female role models on women’s leadership aspirations and self-perceptions after a leadership task were assessed across two laboratory studies. These studies tested the prediction that upward social comparisons to high-level female leaders will have a relatively detrimental impact on women’s self-perceptions and leadership aspirations compared to male and less elite female leaders. In Study 1 (N = 60), women were presented with both female and male leaders before serving as leaders of ostensible three-person groups in an immersive virtual environment. This study established the relatively deflating impact of high-level female leaders, compared to high-level male leaders and …

A Connection Between Moral Imperative And Women’S Leadership?, Sarah W. Nelson, Patricia L. Guerra, B. Genise Henry

Administrative Issues Journal

This paper describes a qualitative study of two school districts’ efforts to support school leaders in developing the knowledge and skills to analyze, understand, and transform system inequities. The results suggest that, despite being armed with knowledge and skills, leaders may be reluctant to act even when doing so is within the scope of their authority. This work draws from Fullan’s (2003) concept of moral imperative and examines the connection between moral imperative and women’s ways of leading. The findings have implications for educational leadership programs that seek to prepare school leaders capable of challenging and changing inequitable systems.

Closing Comments On ‘Leading For Innovation’: We’Ve Only Just Begun, Paul Shelton

Faculty Publications - College of Business

The Problem: Insights and recommendations on developing leaders of creative efforts have been offered from various scholars and practitioners in this issue. However, we felt it would best serve the overall effort of this issue to provide several specific linkages between the overall themes presented. The Solution: In this closing piece, we briefly summarize the articles within this issue of Advances in Developing Human Resources. Stakeholders: This synthesis is intended to integrate key aspects of each article within the issue in order to stimulate further thought, and eventually action, for scholars and practitioners in Human Resource Development (HRD) and other …

Developmental Leadership: A New Perspective For Human Resource Development, Paul Shelton

Faculty Publications - College of Business

Research indicates that numerous variables influence an organization’s ability to change and innovate. There is a need to understand a leadership model that focuses on the aspects of human resource development (HRD). Furthermore, it is important for the HRD model of leadership to foster and support creativity and innovation in organizations. In response to this need, this article identifies and explains a developmental leadership model rooted within the HRD framework of organized learning, change, interventions, and development. The focus of this work is to discuss how a developmental leadership style can generate new perspectives in HRD that translate to innovation …

A Relationship Among Public School Leadership, Ethics, And Student Achievement, Don Jones, Christopher Hughes

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

ABSTRACT

Historically, it has always been important for school leaders to possess and adhere to high ethical standards. Ethical standards, when demonstrated by school leaders, inspire trust within students, parents and the community in general. This in turn builds support for the school and establishes an environment that is conducive to success.

However, with the advent of NCLB and high stakes testing, the pressure on schools to demonstrate improved student achievement has accelerated. Hence, the need for ethical leadership practices within public schools has never been greater. Yet, while much has been done to examine the relationship of various instructional …