Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Change Management In The Success Of Architecture And Engineering Firms: Case Study Cairo, Manar M. Samy, Laila Khodeir, Mahmoud El Nably

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Today, we face multiple changes and crises on the environmental, social, and economic levels, such as climate change, limited resources, economic crises, pandemics and lockdowns, wars and conflicts, digitalization and technological evolution, and changing needs of clients and stakeholders. Consequently, embracing change has become a very important factor for business success, such as the architecture and engineering (A/E) industry, which has a big share in the global economy. Despite its importance, the A/E industry is the slowest to adopt changes due to various challenges. This paper aims to investigate the role of change management in the success of A/E firms, …

Crafting Connections: Stewardship, Leadership, And The Student Learning Lifecycle, Lara Miller Rivera, Leslie Sult, Jeremiah Paschke-Wood

Loex Conference Proceedings 2025

No abstract provided.

From Uncertainty To Alignment: The Role Of Internal Public Relations In Supporting Employee Adjustment During Leadership Transitions, Margaret Ny Asare

Theses and Dissertations

Frequent leadership transitions in today’s organizations present complex challenges that disrupt employee engagement, productivity, and overall organizational stability. This study explores how internal public relations (iPR) functions as a strategic communication mechanism to support employee adjustment during these pivotal transitions. Drawing on Lewin’s change management model (CMM) and uncertainty reduction theory (URT), the research examines three interrelated areas: the impact of early internal communication on employee attitudes, the role of informal employee networks in fostering readiness, and the adaptation of communication strategies to align with incoming leadership styles.

Using qualitative methods, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with internal communication professionals …

Change Is People: How Faculty, Staff, And Administrators Engage With And Shape A Substantive Organizational Change Process, Karen Bellnier

Open Access Dissertations

Creating substantive organizational change (SOC) in higher education can face numerous challenges including navigating complex sets of rules and relationships, negotiating potentially conflicting perspectives, and balancing the motivations and goals of peers (Engeström, 2018b; Kezar, 2018). Each SOC change agent brings a unique perspective, identity and motivation (Eteläpelto et al., 2013; Gess-Newsome et al., 2003) to their conception of and relationship to the planned change (Hay et al., 2021; Weick, 1995). This dynamic nature makes SOC difficult to conceptualize as a whole - either as a researcher or a change agent - and therefore difficult to understand how change processes …

Practitioner Perspectives On Barriers And Opportunities Shaping Contemporary Dei, Carlen Arima

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the lived experiences of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners to understand the barriers and opportunities shaping their work in the current landscape. The study identified conditions for success, including two organizational conditions (authentic leadership commitment and strategic business alignment), three practitioner-driven strategies (human resource operations and systemic integration, use of data and metrics, and adaptive framing to increase adoption), and three persistent barriers (leadership support without operational follow-through, funding and time constraints, and structural marginalization of DEI). A central finding revealed that leadership commitment was both the most cited enabler of success and, when lacking operational …

Leadership Communication And Symbolic Language In Organizational Change: A Study In Higher Education, Christine Fischer

Dissertations

Higher education institutions face growing pressures related to affordability, accessibility, and trust. In this environment, leadership communication, especially symbolic language that frames transformation as mission-aligned, plays a central role in shaping organizational change. This qualitative single-case study examined how leaders at a private Christian liberal arts college used metaphors, narratives, and values-based discourse to communicate an innovative tuition model and how this language influenced stakeholder perceptions, engagement, and resistance. Data included 26 leadership communication documents, a metaphor-based faculty and staff survey, and eight semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis and metaphorical analysis were used to interpret symbolic language, meaning-making processes, and …

Organizational Culture Formation In Early-Stage, Mission-Driven Ventures, Janezee Bond

Theses and Dissertations

This research seeks to understand how organization culture is formed in early-stage nonprofit, mission-driven, and purpose driven organizations. Growth stage was determined by looking at Flamholtz and Randl’s “Growing Pains” stages of organizational growth and Cameron & Quinn’s Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) was utilized to identify the current organizational culture type. The research focused on the insights and experiences of founders of early-stage companies (defined as having been founded in the past 15 years). The research revealed that founders are integral in culture creation through their roles and especially through role modeling in the early stages. Additionally, one significant …

Effective Onboarding For C-Suites, Ming Hwee Low

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research explored what constituted effective onboarding for C-suite leaders, particularly CEOs and their direct reports, to support their rapid integration and effectiveness within organizations. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 10 C-suite leaders across multiple sectors, the study aimed to contribute to the fields of organizational development and leadership development by identifying key onboarding practices that facilitate a new leader’s success. The research employed a grounded theory approach, coding and analyzing quotes from participants to derive central themes. Findings indicated that effective onboarding at the C-suite level extended beyond the initial weeks of orientation. Participants emphasized the need for …

The Inner Emotional Landscape Of Nascent Od Entrepreneurs: A Qualitative Study Of Women Founders, Jordan Alexandra Davies

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the inner emotional landscape of nascent female entrepreneurs in the field of Organization Development (OD), illuminating the paradoxes they encounter as they build values-based businesses in a field that socializes deep personal alignment. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 founders of boutique OD firms, the research surfaced tensions between authenticity and performance, empowerment and dependency, coherence, and emotional dissonance. The findings suggest that becoming an OD entrepreneur involves working through paradox, not erasing it. In doing so, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of emotional labor, legitimacy, and the quiet cost of performing congruence in a …

Ai For The Common Good: Exploring Global Nonprofit Framing Of Artificial Intelligence, Kathleen Teresa Scott

Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes nearly every sector, global nonprofits face a distinct challenge: embracing innovation without compromising their core missions. This study investigated how three leading nonprofit organizations--the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Brookings Institution, and the Center for Creative Leadership--publicly framed their AI implementation approaches between 2018 and 2025. These organizations span the fields of humanitarian aid, policy research, and leadership development, offering a cross-sector perspective on how mission-driven institutions navigate technological transformation.Using a mixed-methods document analysis, this research examined both internal implementation narratives and outward-facing thought leadership. Findings revealed that while all three organizations …

How Does Organization Growth Affect The Organization’S Culture, Megan Howe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how organization growth affects the organization’s culture. Culture was generally defined as the behavioral norms and ways of working at an organization. Following interviews with 28 people in an organization that had been growing and was expecting to grow further, the results of the study suggested that organization growth did not have a noticeable impact on culture. Instead, the data suggest that the longer a person is a part of a culture, the more opportunity there is to see evolution or how things like growth, the passing of time, generational differences, and …

Refining Albert O. Hirschman’S Model: High-Performance Employee Covert Behavior Toward Organizational Identity Change, Lisa Christine Bahar

Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory single case study revisited economist and philosopher Albert O. Hirschman’s (1970) exit, voice, and loyalty (EVL) model to explore two covert scenarios, which included how and why a high-performance employee stays silent and turns to apathy and neglect amid organizational identity change. A case study focused on Elon Musk’s Twitter, Inc. takeover was selected with a cross-case analysis procedure for validation and reliability. The unit of analysis was one high-performance employee and one organization that both served as an archetype for each unit. The study focused on occurrences before and during the takeover from June 2019 through July …

A Mixed Method Case Study Of Leadership For Change: Authentic Transformational Leadership In A Local Baptist Church, Hui Sun

Theses and Dissertations

This convergent parallel mixed methods case study explores how a local Baptist church navigated organizational change during and after the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of authentic and transformational leadership. Grounded in organizational leadership and open systems framework of organizational change, the study examined two primary hypotheses: (1) RBC demonstrated an authentic transformational leadership paradigm in its change processes since 2020, and (2) this paradigm significantly and positively influenced perceived leadership effectiveness.

Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six leaders (three pastors, one minister, one staff leader, and one deacon) and 11 raters (five lay leaders, five congregants, …

Estudio Fenomenológico Sobre La Relación Entre El Liderazgo Transformacional Y La Efectividad De Las Iniciativas De Gestión De Cambio En Las Organizaciones, Greilyn Soto-Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Esta Disertación Aplicada tuvo como propósito explorar la relación entre el liderazgo transformacional y la efectividad de las iniciativas de gestión del cambio en organizaciones de diversos sectores. Este estudio cualitativo se centró en comprender, desde el punto de vista de diferentes lideres transformacionales en distintas áreas e industrias, cómo los líderes y empleados experimentan y perciben el impacto del liderazgo transformacional en la implementación de cambios significativos organizacionales.

Este estudio de naturaleza cualitativa se enmarcó en un enfoque fenomenológico. Mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas en profundidad, se exploraron cuatro dimensiones del liderazgo transformacional: influencia idealizada, motivación inspiradora, estimulación intelectual y consideración …

From Pages To Pixels: Library Workers’ Perceptions Of Power In The Digital Era, Sean Gaffney

Dissertations

This work explores how library workers experience power during the era of digital transformation. As libraries transition from traditional knowledge repositories to dynamic, technology-driven information centers, power structures within these institutions are undergoing significant change. Despite the extensive implementation of digital transformation initiatives, there is a critical gap in understanding how digitalization is impacting employees’ experiences of power within the library context.

Drawing on French and Raven’s Bases of Social Power model, this study investigates how digital tools, platforms, and processes influence how power is perceived among library workers and its distribution and sources. A qualitative survey study was conducted …

Self Less: A Book Talk Featuring Dr. Len Jessup, Len Jessup

Lincy Institute Events

The Lincy Institute hosted a book talk with Len Jessup, Ph.D., author of Forbes and Amazon best-selling book, “Self Less: Lessons Learned from A Life Devoted to Servant Leadership, in Five Acts.”

Self Less follows Jessup’s story of emotional vulnerability. Blending personal narrative with research, Jessup argues selfless leaders can maximize impact by guiding teams, not controlling them. He stresses the power of constant learning, surrounding yourself with people far smarter than you, and service to others. For leaders seeking to create meaningful change through personal growth, Jessup provides inspiration along with practical advice on inclusive leadership and securing stakeholder …

Upending Tradition Through Strategic Change: The Evolution Of Archival Processing At The Byu Library, J. Gordon Daines Iii, Karen Glenn, Cory L. Nimer, Rebecca Wiederhold

Collaborative Librarianship

Organizational change is challenging. At the heart of this challenge is an attachment to the status quo. Both employees and managers tend to prefer the status quo because it is known and, unless shown otherwise, enables them to successfully accomplish their responsibilities. They often use tradition as a way to maintain the status quo. This case study provides an example of organizational change in the Brigham Young University (BYU) Library and discusses how tradition was used to both promote and resist change.

Artists On Creative Administration, Tonya Lockyer

University of Akron Press Publications

Brilliant artists share stories on artistic life and business, full of lessons we can all learn about living a creative life. Featuring the voices of thirty artists and arts workers, Artists on Creative Administration: A Workbook from the National Center for Choreography provides first-hand accounts of creative administration in action. The book pairs big topics with actionable tactics, addressing themes like equity, activism, design thinking, leadership, collaboration, family, ethics, and care. Provocative, candid essays and interviews expand our view of what creativity and leadership can be, as each chapter closes with experiments for the reader to try and adapt to …

The Individual’S Perception Of Ai And Its Effects On The Organization’S Ai Initiatives, Catherine Petersen

JWU Dissertations & Theses

Investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) does not result in returns for business despite improving technology (Ransbotham et al., 2020; Storm & Borgman, 2020). This study investigated one potential reason for the failure of AI when implemented within an organization with the intent to drive success with this technology. AI is unique amongst technologies due to its ability to inspire emotions from potential users and these emotions can affect the individual’s willingness to adopt the technology. The research questions were:

1. Does an individual’s perception of AI have a moderating effect on their behavioral intention to use a product that includes …

The Heart Of School Leadership: Supporting The Health & Well-Being Of Teachers In The Face Of Occupational Pressures, Lindsay Avramovic

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Dissertation-in-Practice (DiP) investigates the Problem of Practice (PoP) regarding the growing concern for teacher health and well-being within Prairie Land Catholic School (PLCS), a K-9 school in southern Alberta. Teachers at PLCS are facing increased demands, including implementing new curricula, addressing growing student complexities, and managing additional administrative duties, leading to feelings of fatigue, stress, and burnout. The persistent workload demands, compounded by limited resources and support, exacerbate feelings of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced self-efficacy. By imploring the Heart of Leadership, encompassing servant leadership, compassionate leadership, and transformative leadership principles, the intent is to analyze the interplay between …

Institutional Change And Employee Commitment In The United States Space Force, Daniel M. Dempsey

M.S. in Leadership

Change is desirable by organizations seeking to increase their competitive advantage and the United States Space Force is not immune to those same demands. As the United States’ newest military service, the Space Force initiated sweeping changes in an attempt to modernize how space operations are performed. Each of these changes imposed themselves upon stakeholders across the Space Force enterprise and my project sought understanding about their effects. With an increasing rate during the preceding decades, literary publications show linkages between the success or failure of an organization’s desired change outcomes and the level of commitment demonstrated by its employees. …

How Leaders Make Sense Of Esg To Lead Sustainable Businesses: Multiple Case Studies, Tiffany M. Crosby

PhD in Organizational Leadership

This multiple case qualitative research study involved an exploration of ESG leadership in four publicly-traded Midwestern U.S. sustainability-oriented companies to determine what the process of leading ESG looks like, how sustainability leaders integrate environmental, social, and economic goals, and how an organization’s internal and external affect sustainability leadership. Numerous quantitative studies have linked prevailing behavioral leadership theories to improved financial performance outcomes for sustainability-oriented companies, but qualitative research into ESG leadership practices has been limited, creating a gap that is addressed through this study. Using a conceptual framework grounded in upper-echelon and stakeholder theories, the ESG leadership practices of an …

Transformative Pathways: Implementing Intercultural Competence Development In Higher Education Using Kotter’S Change Model, Owura Kuffuor, Sakhi Aggrawal, Aparajita Jaiswal, Ronald J. Smith, Pamela V. Morris

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

This study explores the efficacy of Kotter’s eight-step change model in fostering intercultural competence among faculty and staff within a large Midwestern public university. Recognizing the need for intercultural development in higher education, this research applies a structured change framework coupled with the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment tool to guide the change process. The development of intercultural competence among faculty and staff is crucial for creating inclusive learning environments, as they play a pivotal role in modeling intercultural competence and fostering students’ skills necessary to navigate an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. This study employs an instrumental case study …

Embracing Change With Power And Love: Shifting Organizational Paradigms Leveraging Systems Thinking, Brandi R. Muñoz

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

This article delves into the complexities of organizational change, emphasizing the critical roles of power and love in facilitating successful transitions. It distinguishes between the generative and degenerative effects of power and love within organizational contexts and underscores the importance of balancing these elements to foster collaboration, innovation, and sustainable change. Furthermore, the principles of systems thinking are highlighted, advocating for a holistic approach to understanding and analyzing organizational systems. The interconnectedness of system components and the necessity of feedback loops for informed decision-making and strategic planning are examined. Additionally, the article discusses the detrimental impact of overconfidence bias on …

Personal Reflections From A Grassroots Peacebuilding Journey, Mark Clark

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article presents the author’s personal reflections from experiences over the past thirty years, working at the intersection of leadership development, complexity, and conflict: a journey from corporate law, the British Army, and armed conflict, through the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the US-led coalition’s intervention in Iraq, emergency humanitarian response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and violence reduction and post-conflict reconciliation in Papua New Guinea, to a Jordan-based international peacebuilding organization that supports grassroots peacebuilding efforts in fifty-two countries, and finally a return home to Scotland. It is a journey of naïveté, hubris, curiosity, and an …

The Bonneville Power Administration In A Transformative Decade: A Study Of Collibration In Public Administration, Christopher M. Frost

Dissertations and Theses

In 1987, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) celebrated its 50th year as a federal agency. It was created in 1937 to market power produced by federal dam operations on the Columbia River and provide electric transmission service in the Pacific Northwest region. A decade later, while its organizational mission had largely remained the same, BPA had undergone a major transformation both in its governance role with regional partners and as an institution of the Pacific Northwest. This study seeks to understand how this change occurred.

My research identifies three factors that enabled BPA to successfully respond to external challenges to …

An Exploratory Study Of An Executive Team Leading Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging (Deib), Tara Lashawn Cooper

Dissertations and Theses

With the increasing demographic diversity and critical focus on social justice in the United States, leaders are under significant pressure to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies into their core operations and organizational culture. Challenged to think more critically about how to better prepare and support leaders in DEIB efforts, minimal research exists to provide insights on how executives should prepare, what they might expect, or the proven practices in DEIB. Driven by this lack of literature, this qualitative study explored how an executive team experienced and navigated the complexities of integrating and advancing DEIB in their organization. …

The Characteristics Of Digital Transformation Leadership: Theorizing The Practitioner Voice, Pat Mccarthy, David Sammon, Ibrahim Alhassan

Department of Computer Science Publications

Digital Transformation (DT) is more than simply integrating a new digital technology into the organization. Despite a growing volume of research, however, there is little coverage of the characteristics of DT leadership. Using a grounded approach, where 16 practitioner voices are central to the theorizing output, we present 10 DT leadership characteristics. Each characteristic links what action a DT leader needs to take and how a DT leader enables that action. We also asked 30 DT leaders to evaluate the importance of each of the 10 DT leadership characteristics. Our approach strengthens the relevance for practitioners striving for the best …

A Study Of Followership In An Organizational-Wide Change Of The Ministry Of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Michelle M. Russell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The influence of Child Evangelism Fellowship saw a significant increase across the United States of America after an organizational change following a 2001 Supreme Court case ruling. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the role of followership on the change and followership principles that emerged during the change that was implemented following the ruling Good News Club v. Milford Central School on the Good News Club ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship. Organizational change was defined as intentional actions promoted by leadership and intentional actions taken by followers who took advantage of the rights guaranteed by the ruling. …

Intercultural Perspectives On Managing Organizational Change In Response To Government Policy Reform: A Case Study On The Leadership Of New Oriental Education, Yihe Yang

Dissertations

In 2021, a policy aimed at addressing educational inequality triggered a significant upheaval in the private tutoring sector of China by fundamentally transforming prevailing business models and financial viability within the industry. New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (New Oriental Education), one of the preeminent private tutoring enterprises in China, attracted considerable attention for its subsequent organizational change. This study explored the leadership dynamics and organizational change efforts implemented by New Oriental after the policy enactment.

The theoretical framework synthesized organizational change theory, organizational culture, and transformative leadership approaches from both Western and Chinese perspectives. It elucidated effective practices …