Digital Commons Network^™

Leading Organizational Learning Through Stories In U.S. “Big Technology” Companies, Stephanie R. Voss

Theses and Dissertations

Storytelling is becoming increasingly influential across various domains, particularly in executive education and leadership development, where it plays a crucial role in the concept of leadership as performance (Gonzalez & Chakraborty, 2012). Storytelling in the classroom setting provides an opportunity for learners to embed elements of narrative and identity in classroom pedagogy (Edwards et al., 2013). In the professional context, employees construct meaning in their workplace by hearing and/or participating in stories (Echeverria et al., 2017).

This qualitative exploratory study investigates the influence of storytelling in driving organizational learning. The research focuses on the U.S. Big Technology (Tech) sector, home …

Cultivating Ethical Leadership In Middle Management: A Qualitative Study Of Formative Experience And Organizational Support, Cha Vang

Theses and Dissertations

Why is ethical leadership foundational for middle managers, especially in complex organizational settings? This study investigates the foundational factors that shape how ethical leadership emerges among middle managers. Through a qualitative phenomenological approach, cross-sector interviews revealed that ethical leadership is not defined by position but is shaped by identity, relational support, and experiential growth. Middle managers act as ethical interpreters, translating organizational values into action where ambiguity and pressure are highest. It is imperative that middle-management leadership cultivation is grounded in identity awareness, relational accountability, and intentional development, minimizing dysfunction and strengthening ethical resilience in complex organizational systems.

The Impact Of Decision-Making Autonomy, Sense Of Shared Identity, And Communications Strategy On Resource Retention Post-Merger And Acquisition, Randeep Rajwant Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the impact of decision-making autonomy, a sense of shared identity, and communication strategy on resource retention following mergers and acquisitions. Grounded in organizational development literature, the study examines employee experiences during post-integration periods. Using a qualitative methodology, ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees who remained with their organizations for at least twelve months following a merger or acquisition. The research utilizes thematic analysis to explore how autonomy constraints, leadership engagement, transparent communication, and cultural alignment influence retention decisions. The participant sample spans diverse industries such as software, healthcare, financial services, and others, with roles ranging from …

Experiential Learning In A Hybrid Principal Certification Cohort Degree Program, Kevin F. Hub, Ann H. Burns

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) offers principal certification through a specialized Hybrid Principal Certification Cohort Degree (HPCCD) Program. Invited candidates are offered the opportunity to dive deeper into the curriculum, complete a broader range of field and clinical experiences, and develop their leadership skills through a series of experiential learning assignments.

What Factors Improve Police Legitimacy?, Nyomi Powers

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Legitimacy in law enforcement can be defined as the perception of the police as an appropriate and respected source of power and authority. United States law enforcement is facing a legitimacy crisis stemming from a growing distrust in the police and decreased police community relationships. In order to address this problem, solutions are being sought in both police agencies and by researchers in the field. This systematic review aims to compile all relevant experiments and analyze the findings to create a comprehensive list of policy implications that most effectively improve police legitimacy. For experiments to be included in this review, …

Trauma-Informed Beliefs And Our Child Welfare System, Gabriela Ana Aisenberg

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of trauma-informed care (TIC) into behavioral health and child welfare systems has garnered increasing attention, reflecting a growing acknowledgment of the pervasive and multifaceted impacts of trauma on individuals, families, and service delivery structures (Barnett et al., 2019; Bartlett et al., 2018; Bassuk et al., 2017; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2014). Legislation such as the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) has led to increased adoption of trauma-informed practices through increased funding for training and services (Bowen & Murshid, 2016; Brown et al., 2023). Research shows that providers’ understanding and implementation of TIC is …

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, …

Rise Or Retreat: The Role Of Appraisal And Goal Orientations In Leader Engagement, Haleigh Broucher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines how leaders psychologically interpret developmental challenges as threats or challenges, and how these interpretations shape engagement. Furthermore, I propose that these processes are shaped by mastery-approach and mastery avoidance orientations. Study 1 manipulated the presence of developmental challenges to test causal pathways. Results indicated that developmental challenges increased threat appraisal but not challenge appraisal, and threat was negatively associated with absorption. Study 2 found the opposite pattern: challenge appraisal, not threat appraisal, explained engagement. Relative importance analysis showed that challenge appraisal accounted for nearly all explained variance in engagement (97.6%). There was no significant moderation of mastery …

Mechanisms For Including Publics In Administrative Governance, Nina-Simone Edwards

Library Scholarship

This project’s fourth concept paper rethinks public participation in administrative processes. Although participation mechanisms are theoretically designed to enable those affected by regulations to influence their development, it is often extremely difficult for members of the public to meaningfully engage with agencies. After discussing institutional failures of current participation mechanisms, this report develops a set of principles to guide the redesign of public participation mechanisms. These include involving publics earlier in the process, building both public and regulatory capacity for meaningful, two-way communication, and reframing expertise as a public good.

The paper then proposes specific mechanisms to optimize communication between …

The Dual Dynamics Of Succession: Unveiling The Interplay Among The Former Leader, The New Leader, And Followers' Implicit Theories Of Leadership On Subsequent Leader Evaluations, Emily Hill

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Leader succession is the planned or unplanned change in formal leadership at an organization. Ample research has investigated the effects of leader succession at higher levels of leadership on team and organizational performance, yet little is known about the effects of leadership changes at lower levels of management on followers’ reactions to their new leader. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and contrast effect theory (Markman & McMullen, 2003), this dissertation empirically tested a model in which the congruence of followers’ implicit theories of leadership with characteristics of the new leader were expected to influence three leader-related …

Burnout In The Workplace- Organizational Influences On Counselor Burnout, Serene Hasan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study is a two-part manuscript dissertation that examined the impact of the six organizational influencers of burnout: Workload, Control, Reward, Community, Fairness, and Values on mental health counselors’ (MHCs) burnout, using Maslach’s three subscales of burnout: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. Additionally, Work Setting and Age were assessed for their influence on MHC burnout, when the six organizational influencers were accounted for. The focus on this topic is crucial as burnout has a detrimental effect on counselors, clients, and organizations. The growing population in need of support surpasses the amount of MHCs that our nation has to offer. …

Situation Assessment Of Wildland Fire Preparedness Efforts In Missoula County: A Communities Of Practice Approach, Sylvia K. Coston

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Due to the multi-jurisdictional nature and increased risk of wildland fire, collaboratives play an important role in creating long-term solutions for building prepared and resilient wildfire landscapes and communities. Drawing from Communities of Practice (CoP) theory, mutual engagement, shared repertoire, and negotiation of a joint enterprise are critical elements of establishing natural resource multi-stakeholder collaboratives or partnerships. This professional paper uses CoP theory to conduct and analyze a situation assessment of Missoula County Fire Protection Association (MCFPA). With the support of MCFPA, three focus groups (working meetings) and two interviews were conducted to identify the association’s successes, challenges, and needs. …

Burnout And Job Satisfaction Among Behavior Technicians In Applied Behavior Analysis: Implications For Practice And Workforce Sustainability, Faryna V. Navar

Research Papers

Burnout is a significant concern for behavior technicians in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA), where high emotional demands and turnover rates pose challenges to workforce sustainability. This paper explores existing research on burnout in ABA and related fields, with a focus on strategies to mitigate its impact. Drawing on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the literature suggests that components such as values clarification and committed action may serve as effective tools to reduce burnout and improve job satisfaction among behavior technicians. This paper reviews various studies that examine the role of supervisor support, emotional resilience, …

Design Thinking As A Theoretical Framework To Spark Innovation In Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Projects, Jessica D. Asiello, Sunny R. Winstead

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Contemporary occupational therapy (OT) practice is situated within healthcare, education, and community-based systems faced with increasingly complex problems. There is therefore a need to develop OT practitioners’ capacity for innovation to influence change. Post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD) students are seasoned clinicians with an understanding of the challenges of everyday practice, combined with an intrinsic motivation for professional growth that led to their return to higher education. Thus, PPOTD students are a sub-population of OT practitioners who are uniquely primed for development as innovators. Despite the prevalence of PPOTD programs in the United States, there is limited literature on …

Increasing Professional Interpreter Use To Improve Patient Outcomes On The Inpatient Oncology Unit, Kimberly Medina

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Language barriers in healthcare contribute to significant disparities including delays in diagnosis and treatment, patient confusion, and increased mortality (Kwan et al., 2023). Approximately 21.5% of the people in the United States speak a language other than English at home and 8.2% of that population subset report speaking English less than very well (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). Furthermore, in 2023 8% of Medicare beneficiaries have limited English proficiency (LEP) speaking and 7% have LEP reading (Centers for Medicare &Medicaid, 2024). Ensuring meaningful language access to LEP patients is essential for improving clinical outcomes and maintaining compliance to federal anti-discrimination policies. …

Developing A Standardized Workplace Violence Prevention Program For Healthcare Leaders To Enhance Safety, Kaleena Soorma

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Abstract

Developing a Standardized Workplace Violence Prevention Program for Healthcare Leaders to Enhance Safety

The increasing threat of Type 2 workplace violence (client on staff) in healthcare disproportionately impacts employees such as Nurses. Desensitization to this growing trend in healthcare has contributed to perceptions that WPV has become an unavoidable risk, especially for those delivering care in high-risk areas such as the emergency department (ED).

The critical need to reevaluate WPV prevention strategies in healthcare, while highlighting systemic failures such as underreporting, is integral to driving a culture of safety. This project aimed to provide a post-incident Type 2 WPV …

Disrupting Public Defense: A Transitions Theory Approach, Matt Bender

Lewis & Clark Law Review

Public defense problems are well known, but a solution has been elusive. This Article analyzes public defense’s adaptive features using the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) for the first time. The MLP is a theoretical framework that is often employed to study institutional and societal barriers to innovative ideas, like climate change responses and clean energy transitions. This Article describes the MLP’s theoretical model and uses it to examine why public defense reform consistently fails.

This Article then goes beyond the MLP framework to explore how transition management tools can be used to design and nurture new approaches to public defense. I …

Quantum-Resilient Architectures For Enterprise And Cloud Information Systems, Implications Of Quantum Computing For Enterprise Cybersecurity And Data Integrity, Manikantha Varaprasad Inakollu

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

The emergence of quantum computing presents unprecedented challenges to contemporary enterprise cybersecurity frameworks. Current cryptographic systems that protect sensitive data and secure communications will become vulnerable to quantum attacks within the next decade. This research examines the implications of quantum computing advancement for enterprise and cloud information systems, proposing quantum-resilient architectural frameworks that can withstand both classical and quantum threats. We analyze the timeline of quantum computing development, assess vulnerabilities in existing enterprise security infrastructures, and evaluate post-quantum cryptographic approaches suitable for organizational implementation. Through comparative analysis of quantum-resistant algorithms and architectural patterns, this study demonstrates that enterprises must begin …

Blockchain-Enabled Trust Frameworks For Enterprise Information Systems, Establishing Verifiable Trust In Distributed Organizational Environments, Manikantha Varaprasad Inakollu

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Enterprise information systems increasingly operate in distributed environments where traditional trust mechanisms based on centralized authority prove insufficient. This research develops a comprehensive blockchain-enabled trust framework that establishes verifiable, decentralized trust mechanisms for enterprise systems operating across organizational boundaries. The study addresses critical gaps in current enterprise architectures where trust depends on centralized intermediaries, creating single points of failure and limiting inter-organizational collaboration. Through examination of existing trust models and blockchain capabilities, we propose an integrated framework that combines cryptographic verification, distributed consensus, and smart contract automation to establish trust without centralized control. Our framework enables organizations to verify data …

Investigating Trauma-Informed Practices Impact On Teacher Well-Being And Burnout, Philip Walter Schonebaum

Dissertations and Theses

Trauma-informed practices are a way to reduce the negative impacts of trauma without retraumatizing trauma victims (SAMHSA, 2014). Using trauma-informed training for staff, this study herein sought out to examine the overall impacts on utilizing trauma-informed care strategies on teacher well-being and burnout. The action research project, relying on qualitative data collection techniques, was an immersive approach to impact change in the educational landscape of a small, rural school district. Findings showed implementing trauma-informed practices in the school district led to a greater job satisfaction, reduced stress, and a sense of camaraderie with the students within the school. This study …

A Systematic Literature Review Of Ai, Education, And Change In Radiology Practice, Cherie Noteboom, Vahini Atluri, Sai Mounika Chintalapudi

Research & Publications

Radiology is undergoing a role change as Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in clinical workflows, reshaping the roles, responsibilities, and educational needs of radiologists. As professionals known for their autonomy and expertise, radiologists face significant transitions that require effective change management and educational support. The systematic literature review is guided by the PRISMA methodology and synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed research between 2019 and 2024 to explore how AI integration influences radiology practice and training. Anchored in the GrandFusion Framework—a novel theoretical synthesis of Dewey’s Experiential Learning, Simon’s Bounded Rationality, Lewin’s Change Management, Davis’s Technology Acceptance Model, and Rogers’s Diffusion …

Adapting Project Management Life Cycles For Blockchain Implementation: A Thematic Pilot Study., Cherie Noteboom, Aravindh Sekar, Deb Tech

Research & Publications

Blockchain implementation challenges traditional project management practices due to its decentralized, cross-organizational nature. This exploratory study examines how project management life cycle processes must adapt to support successful blockchain adoption. Using open coding and thematic analysis of five expert interviews, key themes were identified and mapped to the five PMBOK process groups. The findings reveal that blockchain projects demand broader stakeholder engagement, iterative planning, human-centered execution, decentralized monitoring, and long-term sustainability planning. By aligning emergent themes with established project management phases, this study highlights the need for a flexible, ecosystem-focused approach to managing blockchain initiatives. The results offer practical insights …

Empowered Margins: Women, Work, And Justice In Educational Labor, Erin Woodford

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examines economic justice and employment precarity faced by educators in both K-12 and post-secondary education systems. While literature explores themes of changing demographics in union membership, collective bargaining, labor activism, and gendered and intersectional inequities in academia, and women in leadership in unions, a critical gap of disabled women’s voices and solutions to the inequities remains. This study highlights how job insecurity, unequal pay, hiring biases, limited recognition of prior learning, and inadequate institutional support exacerbates mental health challenges, professional invisibility, and economic instability. In the K-12 unionized system, systemic barriers such include disregard for substitute teaching as …

Instructional Design And Technology Professionals: Why Are Some Laggards?, Hayley Mendelson Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Laggards are often thought of as aloof and uninformed late adopters, as traditionalists living in the past (Rogers,2003). Laggards represent the last 16% of a population to adopt an innovation, and, as a result, they are often depicted for their resistance to adopt an innovation much later than the rest of the population, if ever (Jahanmir et al., 2020; Rogers, 2003). The present study attempted to expand the research on laggards, specifically laggard Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) professionals.

IDT professionals were the target group because of their perceived innovativeness as a result of their high exposure to instructional technology …

Spirituality, Social Work Practice, And Sustainable Development, Chathapuram Ramanathan, Srilatha Juvva, Nathan Stephens, Anna M. Scheyett, Subhabrata Dutta

Faculty Publications - Social Work

Based on human experience and history we know faith and culture are distinct and different. Cultural expression is a fundamental aspect of one’s identity and a human right that must be protected. Culture is a universal phenomenon, that is shaped primarily by one’s socialization. All people have a culture and may belong to a particular faith/spiritual tradition. They may also relate to others who belong to a cultural group or identify with a particular faith/spiritual tradition. To live peacefully we must strive to understand each other’s cultural, faith-based, spiritual realities as well as methods of conflict resolution and survival stories. …

Journey To Well-Being: An Exploration Of Thrivership Post-Domestic Violence, Kader Gumus

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Domestic violence profoundly affects multiple facets of a survivor’s life. While most existing literature on survivorship addresses the immediate aftermath of domestic violence, this study delves into the extended process following the trauma of abuse to attain “thrivership,” a new concept in the scholarly and practice literature that emphasizes enduring well-being and flourishing. This dissertation examines the journeys from surviving to thriving for 13 women who transformed themselves and their lives to achieve well-being after traumatic domestic violence. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was applied to examine the multiple layers of environmental influences on an individual’s development, including the micro, meso, …

Restorative Leadership: A Generative Exploration With Women School Leaders, Camille Rénée Pauline Tyson Jacobs

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As schools increasingly adopt restorative practices, a parallel shift in leadership is occurring, challenging traditional leadership models like servant and transformational leadership. While research has largely focused on student outcomes, there is a critical gap in understanding how restorative practices influence school principals’ leadership. Given their central role in sustaining and expanding restorative initiatives, this study aimed to address that gap by developing a definitional framework for restorative leadership, grounded in the experiences of women school leaders in grades 5 to 12. Using sensemaking theory, the research examined how leaders conceptualize and apply restorative values in practice. Key questions included …

Heart-Thinking Leadership: A Transformative Approach To Binary Hierarchies In Waldorf Schools, Chiaki Uchiyama

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores heart-thinking leadership as a transformative approach to dismantling elitism, hierarchy, and binary structures in education, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Grounded in insights from Damásio, Spinoza, Emerson, Hegelian dialectics, and wisdom traditions such as Manichaeism, African spirituality, and Indigenous feminism, it examines how third space thinking fosters inclusivity and dynamic leadership. By integrating intuition, intellect, and relational awareness, heart-thinking leadership moves beyond rigid dualisms—mind and body, self and other, power and subjugation—to cultivate a holistic way of knowing. This perspective critiques conventional DEI models that reinforce binaries of oppressor and oppressed, advocating instead for an …

Twelve Tips To Afford Students Agency In Programmatic Assessment, Janica Jamieson, Dario Torre

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Programmatic assessment is gaining traction in health professions education, emphasizing continuous, integrated appraisal to support holistic student development. Despite its adoption, effectively affording student agency within programmatic assessment remains challenging due to longstanding educational practices, entrenched power dynamics and cultural norms favoring educator and institutional control. This article aims to provide strategies to promote student agency in programmatic assessments, essential for modernizing educational practices and preparing self-regulated, lifelong learners. The tips include establishing student–educator partnerships, making power dynamics transparent, designing purposeful and inclusive assessments, and normalizing bidirectional feedback conversations. The strategies emphasize the importance of a growth mindset, effective communication, …

Hot Management Trends, Vanessa Ratten, Marthin G. Nanere, Miguel Pina E Cunha, Yuka Fujimoto, Ali Intezari, Jerónimo García-Fernández, Subas Dhakal, Waleed Omri, Jose Ramon Saura, Andrei Lux, Aymen Sajjad, Ana Lisboa, Clare D’Souza

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.