Digital Commons Network^™

Managing Summer Camps: A Study Of Culture And Practices At Environmentally Conscious Camps, Landis Wenger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Supporting private landowners as they manage their land is essential to sustainability because sixty-one percent of land in the United States is privately owned and managed; therefore, it is crucial that we better understand the management practices implemented by private landowners and continue to development best management strategies. A significant portion of these land holders are summer camps. There are over 14,000 summer camps in America. Many summer camps already have cultures where they value their land and the ecosystems on their property; many have also sought to improve their land management practices as well. However, there is a lack …

Organizational Change: Where Have All The Leaders Gone When Creating Anti-Harassment Cultures, Krystal Brue

Administrative Issues Journal

Media coverage of recent high-profile sexual harassment scandals and subsequent #MeToo publicity confirms that sexual harassment continues to plague corporate cultures. Organizations have previously relied on professional training and policy creations to address workplace misconduct. These initiativesare primarilypredicatedon legal and compliance efforts to reduce misconduct and maintain more harassment free environments. Even with calls from regulatory agencies and media coverage, corporate cultures do not appear to have changed. This exploratory investigation suggests that organizationscontinue to rely on established methods of addressing sexual harassment and shouldutilize behavioral modeling to improve corporate cultures. Ideas forwarded within thispaper will begin discussions regarding the …

Changing An Institutional Environment Through Appreciative Inquiry: Rochester Institute Of Technology’S College Of Liberal Arts, Corinna Schlombs, Ann Howard, Caroline Delong, Jessica Lieberman

The Seneca Falls Dialogues Journal

This article introduces readers to Appreciative Inquiry as a form of feminist engagement in higher education. Appreciative Inquiry is a strength-based approach to organizational change that builds on positive psychology as well as social construction of language. At Rochester Institute’s College of Liberal Arts, a group of women faculty currently pursues an Appreciative Inquiry process to change their institutional environment to make it more beneficial to the success of women (and colleagues of all genders) rather than changing themselves to better fit into the existing environment. At the 2014 Seneca Falls Dialogues, members of this group engaged conference participants in …

Kiss The Soul: Ways To Empower Creative Change Leadership And Intuition In Organizations Starting By Creating A Training Module For A Consultancy, Ernee C.P. Ten Anscher

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

One way to Kiss the Soul to empower Creative Change Leadership and Intuition in organizations is by training. This project is about the development and implementation of a new online training module in March 2021 to a small group of an Amsterdam consultancy. It consisted of four two and a half hour zoom sessions on Thursday evenings. The training is placed in a context of kissing the soul for new unexpected beautiful and meaningful organizational impact. This original concept of Kissing the Soul means: making loving contact with what matters deeply to yourself and sharing this with other people to …

Exploring The Effect Of Leader Emotional Intelligence On Follower Self-Efficacy During Change Management, Jay L. Phipps

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem under study was lack of scholarly research on the effect leader emotional intelligence (EI) has on follower self-efficacy during change management. This study provided findings on the three overarching themes of EI, organizational change, and self-efficacy. Each theme was examined individually and then how they are interrelated. The researcher provided a detailed overview of how the interviews were conducted then subsequently coded and analyzed. The researcher then provided an interpretation of the findings through visualization of the data. As a support to the research, a detailed explanation of the research questions was provided along with participant vignettes to …

Student Voice: From Token Participation To Engaged Partnership, Lisa A. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

The education system is under increased scrutiny, imposed accountability, and transparency while school leaders are expected to seek input from a range of external stakeholders including parents, community officials, organizations, politicians, and businesses to improve schools and increase student achievement (Fullan, 2000). Unfortunately, there is a wealth of untapped insight from key stakeholders and educational beneficiaries, students, who are excluded from sharing their perspectives and ideas in determining school policy and practice (Zion, 2009). Due to their positional lens and unique perspective, designating students as authentic stakeholders so that they have space to participate in the democratic decision-making of educational …

Exploring The Customization Of Lean Six Sigma For Adoption In Public Organizations, Jeffrey Allen Farrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lean Six Sigma is a hybrid process improvement strategy employed to increase quality, speed, and efficiency in business processes. However, over 60% of organizations that attempt to adopt Lean Six Sigma fail, leading to a loss of resources and reluctance to engage in future improvement efforts. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to understand how leaders customize Lean Six Sigma for organizational factors found in public agencies in the United States. This study was framed first by a definition of Lean Six Sigma that distinguished four separate elements and then the contingency theory of organizations. Semistructured …

Understanding The Perceptions Of Supervision And Supervisory Behavior Of Patrol Precinct Patrol Supervisors In A Goal-Oriented Police Department, Jerry L. Garcia

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This research was focused on understanding the perceptions of patrol precinct Patrol Supervisors, within the New York City Police Department, as they relate to supervision of Police Officers in a goal-oriented police department, and whether there is a connection between this perception and a supervisors behavior.

In 1994, policing in the New York City Police Department had shifted to a predictive approach to law enforcement. Police Officers were now given performance objectives to achieve. Patrol Supervisors were given the responsibility to ensure that Police Officers met those objectives, and were held strictly accountable for it. Since accountability was now placed …

Goals Of Care Conversations: Palliative Care Practice Change, Jeannine M. Haberman

DNP and Student Works

This project evaluated the effectiveness of AD completion rates after GOC conversations for PC patients in this selected setting. The PICOT question "In an acute care setting, how does the implementation of organizational goals of care (GOC) conversation with palliative care patients affect the number of completed advanced directives upon admission over a 10 week period?" was framed with the Chronic Care Model theory. Methods included a retrospective evaluation of AD documentation and analysis of the relationship of AD completion after the GOC conversations.

Exploration Of Ipass Reform At A Public, Comprehensive Four-Year University: An Intrinsic Case Study, Maria Domingo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Students enroll in universities to earn degrees as a way to improve social and economic competitiveness. However, many large, comprehensive universities are having difficulty in supporting students to ensure timely graduation and are seeing a large number of students stop out before a degree is earned. Academic advising is seen as an effective strategy to help improve retention and completion rates in universities. However, large comprehensive universities often lack the resources to ensure students receive the support needed to ensure completion. We know four-year graduation rates are rare, and there are numerous factors contributing to this issue. Thus, universities and …

Leadership Development Of Women In Panhellenic Organizations, Kristen Reynolds

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This study seeks to understand how women of Panhellenic sororities at the University of San Diego (USD) define and perform their meaning of leadership to create positive change in their organizations. My overarching research question was: How can I assist the members of Panhellenic sororities at USD to take up their authority as leaders to influence positive change in their chapter? This research reflects my experiences with Panhellenic sorority women at USD and intentional stakeholders throughout the 2019-2020 academic year. This study was influenced by Ira Chaleff's work on courageous followership, Baxter Magolda’s theory of self-authorship, and David Cooperrider, Diana …

From Bible College To University: Factors Related To Institutional Change During The Leadership Of Three University Presidents From 1979 To The Present, Rustin B. Lloyd

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Higher education is known for its slow rate of change, but as the 21st century continues institutions of higher education (IHEs) are feeling the pressure to adapt. In addition to the pressures faced by higher education at large, Christian IHEs faces increasing secularization. This qualitative case study examined the underlying history and rationale for transition and change during the administrations of three presidents. Using organization change theory, three administrators were interviewed to determine the factors that influenced change at a Christian IHE from 1979 to 2019. The institutional changes in Christian higher education provided rich areas for research on leadership …

Building Efficacy In Early-Career Teachers: An Applied Research Study On The Role Of Professional Development On Teacher Efficacy, Duncan Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher efficacy is closely connected to student achievement and teacher retention. The applied research explored how rethinking certain aspects of professional development would impact the efficacy of the teachers in an upper elementary building. The research program included two distinct components. School administrators redesigned after school professional development sessions in order to allow teachers to facilitate their own learning and lead sessions on areas of interest. The second component was a structural model that alloearly-career educators to visit other classrooms. Both of the components shosome promise for increasing teachers’ sense of efficacy, but the response from the after-school sessions was …

Sudden Leadership Loss And The Importance Of Succession Planning In Behavioral Health Care, Angela R. Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined sudden leadership loss and the importance of succession planning in behavioral health. The organization at the center of the study is located in the midwestern United States and is known for providing stellar services to its clients and fostering a quality workspace for its employees. The findings provided the organization with a clear and specific understanding of the value of succession planning for sustainability. The study was conducted using a qualitative research method. Semistructured interviews with 5 senior-level leaders from a single site location provided the primary source of data. Additional data were collected from the organization’s …

Information Security Ambassadors’ Perceptions Of Peer-Led Motivation In Phishing Detection, Kingkane Malmquist

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Phishing rates are increasing yearly and continue to compromise data integrity. The need to guard business information is vital for organizations to meet their business objectives and legal obligations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore security ambassadors’ perceptions of motivating their peers to adopt safe internet behaviors in a large medical campus in Minnesota. Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristic motivation theory was used to frame the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 20 security ambassadors. Data coding and analysis yielded 7 themes: rewarding, value, personal interest, limited information security knowledge, increased interest, communication, and topics …

Managerial Competencies Driving Successful Change Initiatives: A Multiple Case Study Of Healthcare Administrators, William King Selsor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare administrators’ competencies for driving successful strategic change initiatives in healthcare organizations remain outdated and limited in the management literature. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the perceptions of healthcare administrators on the specific nature of management competencies needed to drive successful strategic change initiatives within healthcare organizations. To address the research problem and purpose of the study, qualitative data were collected from multiple sources of evidence, including semi-structured interviews with seven healthcare administrators, archival data, and reflective journaling notes. This study was framed by Kash, Spaulding, Johnson, and Gamm’s conceptual framework, the comparison of …

Relationship Of Transformational Leadership And Organizational Change During Enterprise Agile And Devops Initiatives In Financial Service Firms, Christopher J. Kuiper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rate of organizations adopting Agile and DevOps methodologies has grown in recent years, with researchers observing the impact of leadership styles and methodology adoption, presenting challenges with sustaining and scaling change initiatives. Where organizations within the marketplace today reveal the significance of leadership in influencing change, while findings signal deficiencies with having leaders who are ready. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research examines the increased probability of failure organizations face when engaging in enterprise Agile and DevOps transformational change initiatives. Through investigating the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors, readiness for change, and organizational citizenship behavior exhibited by management …

Change In Organizations, What Do They Have To Say About It? Machine Learning Testing Of An Affective Behavioral Circumplex Model Of Reactions To Change, Tiffany N. Cooper

All Dissertations

The ability for organizations to effectively systematically change their culture is becoming increasingly necessary. These changes are often implemented through a strategic process to which employee reactions have a great impact on their success. This study tested a new affective behavioral circumplex model of reactions to change. Although that was not fully supported, the data clusters that did emerge held true across samples. Not only did this study test this new model but also used new methods in Machine learning to examine qualitative responses which were found to be accurate and reliable. Furthermore, this study examined how this model is …

Developing A Collection (Team): Adapting, Innovating, And Thriving In Organizational Change At Kennesaw State University, Ana Guimaraes

Collection Development Unit

In 2013, the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Library System hired its first Collection Development Librarian. Since then, the Library System has experienced remarkable changes and growth in many areas, including institutional consolidation, facility renovations, new staffing, and organizational restructuring. Of note is the establishment and extraordinary growth of the Collection Development Unit since 2015. With a good dose of creativity, these changes enabled us to grow into a flourishing team. By pulling together talent from other library units and creating positions from the ground up, we were able to generate something new.

Within four years of focused and dedicated effort …

Shaping The Leadership Practice Of Effective Principals, Katie Maxwell

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Principal leadership in schools is a critical factor in promoting student achievement and fostering a climate for continual professional learning among teachers. The principal sets the tone for the school and it is the principal’s leadership approach that affects the school’s culture, climate for professional learning, and impact on promoting deep student learning and critical thought. In Ontario, school principals are being tasked on a daily basis with the dual challenge of leading the professional learning of teachers while overseeing a multitude of managerial responsibilities for operating a school. Add to this a new era of accountability and a focus …

Developing Adaptive Leaders: An Initial Intervention For Transforming A Church Culture, Molly Schroeder

Master of Theology Theses

No abstract provided.

Leading A National School Of Character Through The Lens Of Organizational Change, Mark R. Chapin

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of the principal and the role of the change recipient in the organizational change process specific to the implementation of effective character education. The study utilized a constructivist grounded theory approach in conducting research and formulating a conclusion. Respondents included eight middle school principals from across the United States who led a National School of Character in the past three years. Transferability and credibility were enhanced through the participation of the researcher in a bracketing interview to identify potential biases, double coding by an outside analyst of the regular interviews, …

Critical Success Factors In Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation In U.S. Manufacturing, Justin Goldston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders have increasingly turned to enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, also known as decision-support systems, to make their firms' operational, tactical, and strategic processes more efficient and effective in the changing global marketplace. High failure rates in ERP systems implementations make these projects risky, however. Most prior research on critical success factors for conventional ERP implementation has been on large enterprises, resulting in a gap in knowledge on these factors in the small and medium enterprises that constitute the majority of U.S. employer firms. A qualitative modified Delphi study with an expert panel of U.S. manufacturing consultants and 3 …

Leadership Influence And Organizational Culture Influence In Private Schools: A Comparative Multiple Case Study On The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Strategic Leadership, Julia E. Tucker-Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

The top leader of an organization influences the organizational culture, and the organizational culture influences the leader. Strategic thinking on the part of the leader is a result of organizational culture and/or will impact organizational culture. This qualitative study is a comparative multiple-case study that examines the relationship between leaders and organizational culture and what the leader’s strategic decision-making and organizational changes indicate about the relationship between leadership and organizational culture. The organizational context of private schools is used to better understand the dynamics between leadership and organizational culture.

This study uses an interview protocol with CEOs of private schools, …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Higher Education, Yizhi Ma

Masters Theses

"A perfect storm is hitting higher education. Decreased funding from traditional funding sources, such as State Governments, and transformative changes caused by artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize higher education. Higher education needs to change and evolve quickly and continuously to prepare students for the upheavals in the job market caused by AI, machine learning, and automation.

As AI continues to make inroads into our world and our lives, its impact and effects can no longer be ignored. What kinds of organizational changes in higher education are necessary? How can higher education continue to prepare students for the AI evolution and …

An Oral History Exploration Of Change At The University Of Kentucky Following The Virginia Tech Shooting, Marianne R. L. Young

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Following the mass shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, institutions of higher education appeared to restructure themselves and change the way that they worked with students who may pose a risk to self or others. They formed committees, sometimes known as Communities of Concern, to help review these concerns and respond appropriately. The purpose of this study was to examine how the Community of Concern Committee at the University of Kentucky was developed following the incident at Virginia Tech. Particular attention was focused on the change and learning that took place. Using the frames of single-loop and double-loop …

The Relationship Between Social Desirability And Teacher Efficacy Among Public Schools Secondary Teachers In The United States, Douglas Scott Renfro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate factors that impact the implementation and successful adoption of blended learning instructional practices in secondary classrooms in public schools in the United States. This study examined the relationship between social desirability for the implementation and successful adoption of blended learning instruction and teacher efficacy in secondary teachers. The theories guiding the research were Projection Theory from Holmes as the theory relates to social desirability and Social Cognitive Theory from Bandura as the theory relates to teacher efficacy. Both theoretical frameworks relate to potential change in behavior. The data utilized in the …

Organizational Innovations That Stick: Best Practices In Sustainable Organizational Change, Abdoulie Jammeh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational change is an essential ingredient of organizational growth/life and can be difficult to accomplish. Many researchers and practitioners have studied the challenges and opportunities surrounding effectuating change and innovation in organizations. However, there has been little practical analysis of the theoretical relationships among the key apparatuses that make change stick, institutionalizing innovation in big bureaucratic organizations. In order to develop practical insights that can inform best practices, this paper aims to provide a collection of successful organizational innovation examples based on responses to a critical incident analysis survey of 12 participants from a 2018 World Bank – USC Annenberg …

Understanding Long-Standing Belief Systems In Business: A Qualitative Study Of The Equine Industry, Robyn Lord

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Change management is a highly researched topic. With industry changing at record speed, it is inevitable that corporations will engage in a change management endeavor. As humans innately resist change at first exposure, corporations strive to acquire knowledge in adoption. It may not be enough to understand status quo proponents, but rather their underlying long-standing belief systems which may be affecting how they view change. What makes an employee resist corporate change? Most studies conclude that humans will resist innately. This research dives into the unique environment of the equine industry to uncover how long-standing belief systems contribute to adoption …

An Exploration Into The Efficacy Of Christian Servant Leadership In Facilitating Organizational Change In The Automotive Aftermarket, Christopher Shadrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Changing market dynamics is threatening the viability of stores in the automotive aftermarket. To provide business leaders strategies with strategies to implement organizational change and address shrinking revenue, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and perspectives of 20 front line, retail store managers in the automotive aftermarket. The information gathered during the interview process was analyzed using Moustakas’ modified van Kaam method. In addition, the researcher used NVivo 12, a qualitative analytic software, to group, reduce, validate, and organize the data into themes. Six themes emerged that demonstrate the applicability of Christian servant leadership to the automotive aftermarket. These …