Digital Commons Network^™

Examination Of Cleveland State Community College's Employee Professional Development Program: Leveraging Employee Learning And Relationship Building Amidst Significant Institutional Change, Ashley T. Raburn

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Within the last decade, Cleveland State Community College has gone through many changes, including transitioning between five different administrations from 2021 to 2025. With this change in administration, there have been many different philosophies of how professional development should be handled at the college. The priority of professional development has shifted between very high and very low, and the ownership of active initiatives was unclear. Recently, college administrators have implemented a program intended to allow PD at the college to have more structure and visibility within the employee community. Literature in both Higher education and other industries discusses the importance …

Evaluating Complex Social Change: Lessons From Ford’S Climate Change Program, Subarna Mathes, Bess Rothenberg, Kelsey Simmons

The Foundation Review

This article offers a detailed account from within the Ford Foundation of what it takes to subject a complex social change strategy to genuine evaluative scrutiny. Drawing on the work of the Foundation’s Office of Strategy and Learning (OSL) and its evaluation of the Natural Resources and Climate Change program, it describes what shifts in strategy and learning were necessary, what was required organizationally, and what changed as a result.

The article delves into the evaluation process itself, including how OSL balanced the needs and perspectives of Ford leadership, program staff, and grantee partners. It shares how OSL centered equity …

Mentorship As A Catalyst For Change Readiness: A Qualitative Study Of How Effective Mentoring Mitigates Burnout And Turnover During Organizational Transformation, Jeffery M. Camp

Journal of Online Mentoring

This qualitative study examined how effective mentorship mitigates burnout and attenuates turnover intention during organizational change, foregrounding the perspectives of experienced mentors. Drawing on Biggs’s presage–process–product (PPP) model, data were collected through semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and two focus group discussions (n = 6 each), engaging 18 unique mentors employed in organizations with 1,000 or more employees. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase protocol yielded four themes: (1) mentorship as strategic facilitation of organizational change; (2) mentorship as provision of emotional and psychological support; (3) empowering mentees through relationship-building; and (4) applying adaptive and reflective strategies. …

From Readiness To Transformation: The Mediating Role Of Digital Maturity In Linking Ai Readiness To Organizational Change In Hospitals, Muhammad Ryan Adi Putra, Giovanni Reynaldo, Dewi Sri Surya Wuisan

Journal of Health Research

Background: Organizational readiness is essential for AI-enabled digital transformation as healthcare organizations increasingly integrate artificial intelligence (AI). However, empirical evidence regarding the relationship between AI readiness and organizational change, the mediating role of digital maturity, remains limited in healthcare settings. This study investigated the mediating role of digital maturity in the relationship between AI readiness and organizational change.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 300 healthcare professionals from two Indonesian hospitals: Persahabatan Hospital (n = 165) and St. Carolus Hospital (n = 135). Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess …

Leading The Change: Staff-Driven Ai Transformation In Smu Libraries’ Collection Team, Siew Khim Lim, Fion Goh

Research Collection Library

No abstract provided.

Philanthropic Grantmakers’ Roles In Transforming Higher Education: A Narrative Inquiry, Elizabeth Jean Larkin Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Philanthropic foundations have become influential actors in higher education reform, often supporting initiatives to improve student success, advance equity, and promote systemic change. Yet limited research has examined how philanthropic grantmakers understand and navigate their roles in shaping long-term change across the higher education field. This narrative inquiry explored the personal and professional experiences of eight philanthropic grantmakers working across different foundations, roles, and organizational contexts in the United States. Guided by organizational change theory, Strategic Action Fields theory, and sustainability planning in dynamic systems, the study examined how grantmakers made sense of their responsibilities, influence, and contributions to systemic …

The Organizational Experience Of Next Gen Learning Through Portrait Of A Graduate, Kathleen J. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative single-case study investigates the organizational journey of navigating the complexities of systemic transformation. In 2021, Silver Peak School District (SPSD; a pseudonym), a rural educational organization in the western United States, implemented a graduate competency framework known as Portrait of a Graduate. This study analyzed the experiences of teachers, instructional coaches, and principals with the explicit Portrait policies, practices, and resource flows of five learning structures—graduate competencies (in SPSD, this is analogous to Portrait), deeper learning, agency, performance assessment, and teaching culture—in a district in the messy middle of Portrait adoption. By focusing on a district situated in …

Organizational Change Model Modified For A Biblical Worldview, Mark Alan Van Dyke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The goal of this proposal was to implement the first six steps of Kotter’s eight-step organizational change model at Emmanuel Lutheran Church to help the leadership improve unity and cohesion within the congregation. A key part of this process was training a guiding coalition of important leaders in essential communication skills, team leadership, and intergenerational ministry concepts. Successfully completing this process and training positioned the congregation to serve its community as a family-oriented culture where disconnected and disillusioned people can find belonging. Using a well-known organizational change theory in a church setting presents its own challenges for pastoral leaders, who …

A Qualitative Case Study On Leadership And Organizational Dynamics In The Adoption Of A Learning Management System In Higher Education: A Post-Positivist Approach Using The Technology Acceptance Model (Tam), Ashley Hudson Tharpe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this flexible design, qualitative, single case study was to explore the process of a learning management system (LMS) transition and the perceptions of administrators, course designers, and faculty during that process at a higher education institution. The study focused on understanding perceptions of LMS adoption, using the technology acceptance model as a conceptual framework. Three research questions were used to address the problem by providing insights into the procedural, relational, and strategic elements of LMS adoption. Data was collected through 30 semi-structured one-on-one interviews, 33 reflective journal responses, and multiple institutional artifacts related to LMS migration. Six …

Human Resources Changed In The Automotive Manufacturing Company During The Covid-19 Pandemic Era, Jessica Letese Karim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant upheaval across global industries, particularly impacting the automotive sector. I investigated the evolution of human resources (HR) practices within an automotive manufacturing firm located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during the pandemic. I delved into crucial shifts in workforce management, such as the swift transition to remote work, heightened emphasis on employee health and safety, and the adaptation of hiring, recruitment, and training methods. The analysis underscores how HR department employees and leaders transformed to maintain business continuity while prioritizing employee welfare and operational effectiveness. Using a semistructured interview method, I gathered insights from 17 volunteer …

Book Review: The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America’S Cold War Army, Jason A. Yanda

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Robert F. Williams

Reviewed by: Jason A. Yanda, assistant professor, US Army Heritage and Education Center, US Army War College

In this gripping organizational history, Robert F. Williams reveals how a tight-knit group of World War II paratroopers rose to dominate the US Army’s leadership and reshape its doctrine during the Cold War. Through bold innovation and a fiercely held airborne culture, figures like Ridgway, Taylor, and Gavin transformed civil-military relations, atomic warfare planning, and airmobile strategy. The Airborne Mafia uncovers how subcultures can wield extraordinary influence, leaving a legacy that still echoes through today’s military institutions.

©2026 Jason …

Change Management With Ethical Leadership, Sophia Rudisill Holmes

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Ethical leadership ensures organizational environments are created and nurtured to support complex dilemmas that surface during change management. Leaders and followers in particular can navigate change management with intentional advance planning guided by the motives of their heart. The motives of a leader’s heart is observed by the ethical practices of their core values. Morally leaders and followers core values inform their ethical behaviors. Furthermore, Christian leaders have access to biblical scripture which provides a roadmap for leaders and followers in the mastery of adapting and not resisting during change management. Biblical scriptures also provide examples of practices that solve …

The Journey To Generative Conflict: An Action Research Study In A Community Action Agency, Maya Townsend

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Countries around the world face unprecedented levels of polarization and discontent, creating conditions that encourage organizational conflict as employees replicate patterns present within the environment. Organizational conflict can be a source of anxiety, a distraction from work, and an impediment to innovation, sound decision making, and quality outcomes. However, conflict need not be destructive. With that background, this dissertation is guided by the following primary research question: How can an organization develop a generative conflict culture that strengthens relationships and contributes to positive outcomes? The single-case study follows one community action agency as it seeks to develop and implement more …

El Liderazgo Estratégico En La Gestión De Cambio Para La Innovación En Una Universidad Privada De Puerto Rico, Luis Javier Bosques Rodríguez

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada buscó determinar la importancia del liderazgo estratégico en la gestión de cambio para la innovación, según la percepción de los administradores académicos (rectores, decanos y directores) en una universidad privada de Puerto Rico. Se planteó que, en el contexto de una educación superior que enfrenta retos como desastres naturales, pandemias y exigencias tecnológicas, los líderes deben tener una visión estratégica clara para guiar a sus instituciones hacia la innovación y la competitividad.

El investigador propuso examinar cómo estos líderes comprenden y aplican conceptos clave de liderazgo estratégico en la gestión de cambio e innovación. A través de …

The Human Toll Of Change: Reframing Fatigue As A Latent Risk In Aviation Human Factors, Stephanie Douglas

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Aviation organizations are operating in an era of rapid, overlapping transformation that places continuous cognitive and emotional demands on personnel. Traditional aviation fatigue frameworks emphasize physiological mechanisms such as sleep loss, circadian disruption, and extended duty hours driving fatigue risk management systems. This conceptual paper introduces change fatigue: a psychological form of fatigue arising from cumulative, frequent, or poorly sequenced organizational change that depletes cognitive and emotional resources and undermines safety-critical performance. Drawing on stress and coping theory, the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model, the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), and ICAO’s Human Performance Framework, it develops a multilevel …

Planes De Sucesión En Los Hospitales De La Región Metro De Puerto Rico, Eddie Correa Medina

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada ha sido diseñada con el propósito de conocer las percepciones, experiencias, vivencias y conocimientos de los líderes y gerentes en enfermería sobre la implementación de los planes de sucesión en los hospitales del área metropolitana de Puerto Rico. La utilidad de esta investigación parte del argumento que tienen estos planes para mejorar la retención de empleados, facilitar la transferencia de conocimientos, evitar la rotación excesiva en puestos críticos, entre otros elementos. En el primer capítulo se presentó la introducción de la disertación, lo que incluyó aspectos como el propósito, objetivos, audiencia, rol del investigador, contribuciones al campo …

Manejo De Oportunidades En Tiempos De Crisis: Liderazgo Y Cambios En Una Organización -Estudio De Caso, Maria Valente

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada para proporcionar informaciones relevantes sobre situaciones de crisis que amenazan la supervivencia de las organizaciones. Además, busca comprender los fenómenos que desarrollan las crisis y explorar los resultados significativos del liderazgo en tiempos de crisis.

Se empleó un diseño de investigación cualitativa. Los elementos descritos en esta investigación cualitativa evalúan el impacto de las situaciones de crisis, describiendo cada etapa y factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos que son responsables por la desestabilidad en la organización.

En este estudio se identificaron las prácticas de liderazgo y los proyectos estratégicos que permiten planificar oportunidades de cambio en el …

The Influence Of Servant Leadership On Team Adaptability During Organizational Change, Mark Lloyd L. Leyva

M.S. in Leadership

Organizational change, an inevitable element of modern workplaces, often introduces stress, uncertainty, and the need for resilience among employees. This study investigates the impact of servant leadership on team adaptability during such transitions. Servant leadership, characterized by empathy, empowerment, trust-building, and support, presents a human-centered alternative to traditional, authority-driven leadership models that prioritize compliance. This research explores how servant leadership behaviors foster resilience, engagement, and adaptability within teams experiencing organizational change. A mixed-methods approach will be utilized, combining quantitative surveys to measure employee adaptability and engagement with qualitative interviews to delve into perceptions of servant leadership behaviors. Existing literature suggests …

E-Governance In Public Institutions: A Systematic Review Of International Studies (2013–2024), Yazen Nahal Mahmood, Hussam Ali Mhaibes, Yousif Al-Dunainawi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This study aims to review and compare research related to E-governance in public institutions with the aim of identifying common denominators that increase or decrease its effectiveness and to evaluate the evaluation methods used. By highlighting the factors of success and failure, the study paves the way for future research and links theory to practice. The study question addresses how E-governance is applied differently and similarly in Arabic and foreign studies, in addition to the effects of variables and the methodology used. Our study follows PRISMA rules, ensures quality and transparency of selection, and conducts a comprehensive analysis of research …

Digital Leadership: Secondary Education Principals’ Perceptions And Change Competencies Toward Implementing Digital Citizenship Curricula, Waylon M. Randolph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Secondary education public schools are increasingly being confronted with student misuse of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Students are using these technologies to engage in disruptive and harmful behaviors like cyberbullying and sexting. As a result, some public school districts have responded by banning the use of ICTs in the classroom, while others have turned to teaching digital citizenship through a dedicated digital citizenship curriculum. However, effectively implementing such a curriculum remains a significant challenge. According to the literature, the best way to implement a digital citizenship curriculum is by fostering a positive school culture where stakeholders model and support …

Sport Employees And Resilience: An Examination Of Organizational Change With Ncaa Conference Realignment, Hailee Hernandez, Claire C. Zvosec, Brent D. Oja

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

NCAA conference membership is critically important to institutions as it is closely associated with revenue generation (i.e., conference-wide revenue distribution, ticket sales, fundraising, etc.) in addition to institutional visibility and prestige. Therefore, universities may pursue conference realignment opportunities based on higher potential revenue, institutional and athletics financial stability, and increased notoriety. Over the past 20 years, there have been at least 80 cases of schools moving conferences at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. As universities move conferences, employees within the athletics department are exposed to rapid change in organizational structure and are forced to adapt to new institutional, athletics …

Steering The Future, Shai Ganu

Asian Management Insights

Embracing the emergence of corporate stewardship.

Outgoing President Dr. Todd Christy Address To The Hod: “I’Ve Been Humbled And Honored To Serve”, Todd Christy D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Executive Summary: In his farewell address to the MDA House of Delegates, Dr. Todd Christy reflected on his year as the 161st president of the Michigan Dental Association, describing it as a humbling and honoring experience. He extended heartfelt thanks to his wife, the MDA staff, Executive Director John Tramontana, and the Board of Trustees for their support and hard work. Dr. Christy characterized the past year by the word "Change," outlining key Board activities such as an orientation with the new executive director, discussions on change management, approval of a Member Conduct Policy, and strategic planning for the House …

Implementation Outcomes And Associated Constructs From The Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research Among Churches Trained Online To Implement Faith, Activity, And Nutrition In A National Implementation Study, Sara Wilcox Phd, Ruth P. Saunders Phd, Andrew T. Kaczynski Ph.D., Caroline Rudisill Ph.D., Msc, Ye Sil Kim Phd, Jasmin Parker-Brown, Kelsey R. Day

Faculty Publications

Churches hold promise for reaching populations with high rates of chronic disease, yet few faith-based large-scale implementation studies exist. The study purpose was to examine 12-month implementation outcomes and associated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) constructs after converting in-person training to online for an evidence-based intervention designed to improve church organizational practices related to physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE). US churches recruited from 2020 to 2022 participated in eight online lessons prior to implementation. Each church’s coordinator completed an online baseline and 12-month survey assessing church practices for PA/HE components targeted in the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition …

“We Built Our Plane As We Flew It”: Communicative Resilience In Nonprofit Organizing During The Pandemic, Evgeniya Pyatovskaya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how nonprofit organizations cultivate resilience through communication and practice during periods of disruption, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a case study of Apex for Youth—a New York City-based nonprofit serving low-income Asian and immigrant youth—this research explores how organizational members co-constructed resilience in response to both the pandemic and rising anti-Asian hate. Guided by the Communicative Theory of Resilience (CTR) and practice theory, resilience is examined as a dynamic, relational process enacted through daily organizational life.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, Formative Influences Timelines (FIT), ethnographic observation, and organizational documents. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four …

Disrupting And Facilitating: The Dual Role Of Generative Ai In Reshaping Power, Engagement, And Collaboration Within Organizations, Zain Khalid Baz Haddadin

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping power, trust, engagement, and collaboration in communication-focused workplaces. Guided by a constructivist lens and informed by change management theory, it draws on eight semi-structured interviews and a survey of 40 professionals across agency, corporate, and academic roles. Findings reveal that GenAI does not fully flatten hierarchies, it subtly thins them, enabling junior staff to contribute to strategic conversations earlier while decision rights remain centralized. Trust is highly contextual, shaped by task sensitivity, prompt clarity, and user confidence. GenAI’s impact on engagement was mixed: some participants felt energized; others described increased …

Improving Herbage Seed Industry Productivity And Stability Through Action Research, R L. Ison, W.H C. Potts, G Beale

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Herbage seed industry productivity improvements derive tra­ditionally from better understanding the biology and effective management of seed production. These may then aggregate to enhance industry productivity. There are however situations when greater gains in industry productivity and stability may be achieved through the powerful tool of organisational or insti­tutional change (Kingma, 1985). Seed industries in Australia (Potts and Ison, 1987) and inter­nationally (McMullen, 1987) are changing rapidly ; future research cannot ignore the need to investigate organisational constraints given the frequent inability of organisations to change and adapt to rapidly changing business environments (Schwendiman, 1986). Traditional, reductionist research approaches which …

Mapping Organizational Theory With Scripts, Jose Eos R. Trinidad

Interdisciplinary Studies Faculty Publications

Organizational theory has developed in numerous directions that have been difficult to integrate. This review synthesizes them into seven perspectives, with theories focused within and beyond the organization (i.e., intra- and extra-organizational dynamics). It proposes the acronym SCRIPTS: structure, culture, relations, institutions, professions, transformation, and social conflict. Within organizations, structure focuses on theories of bureaucracy, management, routines, and decision-making while culture focuses on shared values, identity, climate, and sensemaking. Relations involve studies of interpersonal and interorganizational networks. Institutions focus on the macro-dynamics of fields and isomorphism, and micro-dynamics of entrepreneurship and inhabited institutions. Professions refer to psychological factors shaping individual …

Mapping Ideology, Nonprofit Leadership, And Organizational Change, Christopher S. Collins, Regan Harwell Schaffer

Journal of Ideology

This article underscores the distinction between management and change, with change being a primary task of nonprofit leaders. It delves into the literature, both research and theory, on organizational change and its implications for leading a nonprofit organization. The implications discussed include how ideology can either inhibit or foster change. By highlighting the pivotal role of nonprofit leaders in promoting change, we aim to draw meaningful connections between self-awareness, ideology, and organizational action.

A Multiple Case Study On Racial Equity Plan Implementation At Illinois Community Colleges, Jennifer Jennings

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT

A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY ON RACIAL EQUITY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AT ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Jennifer R. Jennings, Ed.D.

Department of Counseling and Higher Education

Northern Illinois University, 2025

Jacqueline Mac, Director

Implementing racial equity plans in institutions of higher education requires institutional commitment and a shift in the organization processes, policies, and practices. Implementing organizational change in institutions of higher education is complicated and rife with opportunities for missteps. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand two community colleges implemented Illinois Equity in Attainment (ILEA) racial equity plans. Findings revealed that the colleges practiced “racial reticence” …