Business Commons^™

Nonprofit Leader Experiences In Sector-Bending After Lean Six Sigma Training: Tension, Concepts, And Changed Behaviors, Beverly Codallos

Dissertations

Government, business, and nonprofit represent three distinct types of organizations governed by different legal frameworks designed to facilitate collective action (DiMaggio & Anheier, 1990). The emergence of hybrid forms and increasing isomorphic pressures in the nonprofit sector (Bromley & Meyer, 2017; McCambridge, 2014) have challenged the traditional separation of organizational forms. This study explored the phenomenon popularized as sector-bending, “a wide variety of approaches, activities, and relationships that are blurring the distinctions between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, either because they are behaving more similarly, operating in the same realms, or both” (Dees & Anderson, 2003, pg. 16). This qualitative study …

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

Leadership Behaviors, Practices, And Sytles In Mergers And Acquisitions In The U.S. Technology-Based Organizations: A Qualitative Study, Susan E. Glover

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Leaders guide and shape the success of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to meet an organization’s goals and objectives. In this study, I explored the role of leadership during M&A and the effect of different leadership behaviors, practices, and styles (BPS) on different organizational cultures during M&A. This study explored the contribution of leadership BPS on M&A outcomes within an organization with a robust and innovative culture. I focused on the human capital investment strategies of M&A integration concerning different leadership BPS utilized to improve the success rate of M&A goals and objectives. I concentrated on technology-based organizations because they are …

Does Athletic Participation Develop Followership Skills? A Case Study On The Development Of Followership Through Athletics, Sara M. Smith

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The role of athletes is to follow the lead of their coaches, captains, and other teammates while working towards the shared goal of team achievement. However, collegiate athletic participation is often attributed to the development of leadership skills. The purpose of this study was to advance the understanding of followership development within athletics. Further, I sought to understand better the perception of student-athletes and coaches on how athletic involvement contributed to the development of followership skills and leadership skills. The study was guided by research questions in which I asked if participants perceived athletic participation contributed to the development of …

The Dark Side Of Leadership: Mid-Level Managers And Their Experience With Hubristic Behaviors Of Executives, Leili Sadaghiani

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify the emotional reactions of mid-level managers to executives’ hubris behaviors in a corporate setting.

Methodology: This leadership study uses qualitative phenomenological methodology was executed to explore the lived experiences of mid-level managers with past executives who practiced hubristic behavior.

Findings: The findings of this research on the lived experiences of mid-level managers with hubristic behaviors of executives suggest that the lack of support lessens the mid-level manager’s confidence; with little support; the mid-level manager was either afraid to fight the executive or gave up trying; the mid-level manager faced stress even …

Strategies For Promoting Inclusion And Employee Engagement To Improve Remote Teams’ Performance, Bruce Edward Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

External factors such as the pandemic have forced organizational leaders to embrace flexible work structures. Differences in remote versus collocated workplaces escalate the importance for company leaders to uncover strategies to maintain employee engagement and performance. Grounded in the organizational support theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies leaders of remote, diverse teams with high engagement and inclusion use to achieve high team performance. Data were collected using semistructured interviews from a purposeful sampling of five nationally distributed managers. A thematic analysis uncovered three themes: flexible leadership behavior, fair execution of human resource policy and …

Cultural Humility As A Predictor Of Intention To Leave Moderated By Authentic Leadership, Dennis Whitfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this research was the inappropriate treatment of multicultural individuals by their immediate supervisors and the need for a thorough examination of cultural humility in organizational settings. This quantitative study used linear regression and moderation analyses to examine the relationship between cultural humility and intention to leave moderated by authentic leadership to determine how the participants’ perception of cultural humility in their immediate supervisor predicted their intention to leave. Another purpose was to examine whether authentic leadership moderated the relationship with intention to leave. The theoretical framework for this study included cultural humility, authentic leadership, and intention …

Strategies For Promoting Inclusion And Employee Engagement To Improve Remote Teams’ Performance, Bruce Edward Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

External factors such as the pandemic have forced organizational leaders to embrace flexible work structures. Differences in remote versus collocated workplaces escalate the importance for company leaders to uncover strategies to maintain employee engagement and performance. Grounded in the organizational support theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies leaders of remote, diverse teams with high engagement and inclusion use to achieve high team performance. Data were collected using semistructured interviews from a purposeful sampling of five nationally distributed managers. A thematic analysis uncovered three themes: flexible leadership behavior, fair execution of human resource policy and …

Career Progression: Narrative Study Of Impediments Affecting Army Female Officer Advancement From Major To Lieutenant Colonel, Jeremia M. Van

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractQualitative narrative inquiry was used to understand the accounts and experiences of female officers in the United States Army that were once stationed in South Korea, who did not advance to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In today’s military, female officers still face many challenges during their advancement from Major to Lieutenant Colonel, relative to their male counterparts. The specific problem is the underrepresentation of female majors in the Army who compete for promotion to the lieutenant colonel rank. The researcher explored the experiences of 14 female Army officers that served in South Korea and sought out promotions from the …

The Effectiveness Of The Ethics Officer’S Influence: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Exploration, Cheryl K. Douthitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The position of ethics officer was created to watch over corporate behavior. However, scandals have continued to demonstrate unethical leadership involving government officials, sports heroes, religious organizations, and corporate leaders. The research problem was that despite the adoption of corporate ethics programs and government oversight, there is a lack of understanding of ethics officers’ experiences, perceptions of effectiveness, and whether they effectively influence executive-level ethical conduct. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of ethics officers regarding their interactions with executives. Shaped by Brown and Treviño’s ethical leadership theory, the research question concerned the …

Racial Discrimination And Toxic Cultures At Work: Professional Black Employees And The Great Resignation, Annselmer Thomas Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWhite-collar Black employees were more likely to seek different jobs during the Great Resignation because of a lack of career advancement, employer failure to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, employer’s unethical behavior, feeling disrespected, and perceived toxic work culture. As the Great Resignation’s professional, social, and ethical consequences were only emerging, scholars identified a literature gap to position Black employees’ narratives of racial discrimination and perceived toxic work culture in the literature as mechanisms for joining the Great Resignation. The purpose of this qualitative, narrative inquiry study was to gain a deeper understanding of how professional Black employees’ daily experiences …

Lived Experiences Of Millennial Employees Engaged In Mentorship In Their Workplaces For Turnover Reduction, Shaundra Webb, Ph.D.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the Millennial generation is steadily taking over jobs that were previously assigned to Baby Boomers, it is unclear how the current job market and modern work environment are adjusting to accommodate this new and unique generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Millennial employees engaged in mentorship in their workplaces for turnover reduction. The research question was: What are the lived experiences of Millennial employees engaged in mentorship in their workplace’s turnover reduction. Employing a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach and purposive sampling technique, the researcher recruited 16 participants to complete semi structured interviews …

Cultural Humility As A Predictor Of Intention To Leave Moderated By Authentic Leadership, Dennis Whitfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this research was the inappropriate treatment of multicultural individuals by their immediate supervisors and the need for a thorough examination of cultural humility in organizational settings. This quantitative study used linear regression and moderation analyses to examine the relationship between cultural humility and intention to leave moderated by authentic leadership to determine how the participants’ perception of cultural humility in their immediate supervisor predicted their intention to leave. Another purpose was to examine whether authentic leadership moderated the relationship with intention to leave. The theoretical framework for this study included cultural humility, authentic leadership, and intention …

Career Progression: Narrative Study Of Impediments Affecting Army Female Officer Advancement From Major To Lieutenant Colonel, Jeremia M. Van

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractQualitative narrative inquiry was used to understand the accounts and experiences of female officers in the United States Army that were once stationed in South Korea, who did not advance to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In today’s military, female officers still face many challenges during their advancement from Major to Lieutenant Colonel, relative to their male counterparts. The specific problem is the underrepresentation of female majors in the Army who compete for promotion to the lieutenant colonel rank. The researcher explored the experiences of 14 female Army officers that served in South Korea and sought out promotions from the …

Adaptive And Maladaptive Coping As Mediators Of The Relationship Between Impostor Phenomenon And Help Seeking Intention, Victor Mosconi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The modern workplace and public media have reported on the influence of the impostor phenomenon (IP) on leadership mental health and workplace effectiveness. The choice of coping strategy may influence leaders’ intentions to seek psychological help. Guided by the impostor cycle model, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which adaptive and maladaptive coping mediates the relationship between IP and help-seeking intention in a convenience sample of 162 participants in leadership positions. The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale assessed strength of IP, the Brief COPE measure assessed adaptive and maladaptive coping, and the Beliefs About Psychological …

The Impact Of Racism: Experience Of Black Women Leaders In The Public Sector, Maisha Inaya Giles

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Despite the Civil Right Act and a myriad of DEI initiatives that claim to create an anti-discrimination and antiracism environment, Black women leaders still experience racism, discrimination, and disrespect in the workplace. Black women are less likely to be promoted than their White counterparts, and over 25% of Black women reported that their social identities led to a missed advancement opportunity (McKinsey & Lean In, 2022). Society is in the midst of a unique time in history where government institutions, willingly or forced, are having difficult conversations regarding institutional racism. The national movement that declares racism as a public health …

A Collaborative Autoethnography: Your Passport To Immigrant Women Of Color Leader's Stories Of Identity Exploration And Leadership Barriers And Possibilities, Fraylanie Adan Aglipay

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of the personal and career narratives of immigrant Women of Color can lead to more appropriate standards in mainstream work environments and to the expansion of professional leadership opportunities for immigrant Women of Color. The experiences of immigrant Women of Color leaders are varied and complex, with each leader’s experience offering unique perspectives on their leadership journey. Additionally, it is important to analyze their identities because they contain multiple layers, serving as the foundation that has shaped them into the authentic leaders they are today. As scholars, researchers, and activists, we have a duty to address the lack …

Clarifying And Measuring Inclusive Leadership, Kelly Mason Hamilton

Dissertations and Theses

Many organizations view diversity as a strategic business priority that provides important benefits such as increased creativity and innovation. Research indicates, however, that the potential benefits of diversity cannot be realized without employees feeling a sense of inclusion, which involves feeling like one belongs and can be themselves at work. Although scholars acknowledge the important role managers play in fostering inclusion, there remains limited research on specific behaviors they can enact to foster inclusion perceptions in their work groups. Additionally, there is a lack of agreement in the literature about the scope of "inclusive leadership." Historically, scholars viewed inclusive leadership …

The Relationship Between Leader Composure And Career Derailment Potential, And The Moderating Effect Of Race, James D. Krauss

Dissertations, 2020-current

African Americans are underrepresented in leadership positions in the United States. The relationship between leader composure and leader career derailment potential was assessed in the present study to determine if the relationship was stronger for African Americans than for Whites. Conservation of Resources Theory was utilized as a theoretical lens suggesting that composure is a resource for leaders that would be valuable in lessening career derailment potential. Assuming racial microaggressions are present in the workplace, and such microaggression could create added emotional labor for African Americans above that which Whites experience, it was hypothesized that leader race would moderate the …

Are All High-Potentials Successful Leaders? Exploring The Underlying Effect Of Impostor Syndrome And Evaluative Concerns On The Relationship Between Hipo Designation And Leadership Self-Efficacy., Anjishnu Chakrabarti, Lisa M. Finkelstein

Honors Capstones

The rising prevalence of high-potential (HiPo) employee programs in organizations has led academicians to begin to research this newly developing area under the realm of industrial/organizational psychology. High-potential programs are intended to find employees with the maximum potential to succeed in strategic leadership roles within the organization and provide those individuals with specialized training and related developmental opportunities. The term “HiPo” refers to such employees who are designated as having higher potential than the average. This study aimed to explore the relationship that exists between employees being designated as HiPo and their self-perception of being successful leaders (measured as leadership …

Factors Determining Attraction Of Neurodivergent Applicants To Organizations, Barri Levitt

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Neurodivergence is used to describe a broad range of neurodevelopmental differences that result in a distinct set of challenges for individuals in interacting with the world around them. Within Diversity, Equity and Inclusion campaigns, neurodiversity is the term used to describe the composition of a space to include neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals. The unique perspectives that come from workplace neurodiversity are a valuable tool, yet companies are routinely missing out on the addition of neurodivergent individuals because of current hiring practices. This study was developed using the theoretical bases of person-organization fit, which emphasizes value congruence between organizations and employees, …

When "First, Do No Harm" Fails: A Restorative Justice Approach To Workgroup Harms In Healthcare, Pedro L. Flores

Dissertations

In healthcare, workgroup mistreatment is a pervasive problem that begins during medical education (medical and nursing school) and becomes embedded in the “hidden curriculum of professionalism,” which dissuades and even punishes learners for talking about abuse they witness. Furthermore, the mistreatment of healthcare providers (HCPs) pervades all disciplines in the healthcare delivery chain due to a combination of cultural factors, systemic pressures, dysfunctional hierarchies, and leadership’s tolerance of intimidating and disruptive behaviors. Not surprisingly, 18% of U.S. HCPs have left the medical field since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and burnout, stress, anxiety, and increased workloads have been identified …

How Exemplary Black Women Leaders Use Influence To Achieve Extraordinary Results, Catrena Elliott

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe how exemplary Black women business leaders (BWBL) influence employees through personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability.

Methodology: This phenomenological study research design identified and explored how 10 exemplary BWBL who have achieved extraordinary results influence employees through personal motivation, social motivation, structural motivation, personal ability, social ability, and structural ability. Participants were selected from exemplary BWBL in Southern California and Northern California who fulfilled the study’s requirements. Interviews, observations, and artifacts were used to gather data. To identify study findings, data …

Employee Engagement, Brain-Based Psychological Safety, And The Sales Professional, Cheri Sherman

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this correlational study was to determine what relationship, if any, existed between employee engagement and psychological safety as measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Academy of Brain-based Leadership’s S.A.F.E.T.Y.™ Assessment and Pulse Survey domains of security, autonomy, fairness, esteem, and trust.

Methodology: A quantitative, correlational methodology was used for this study. The post-hoc sample comprised of 61 high-performing sales professionals working in California. Participants completed the three assessments online via SurveyMonkey. The data were analyzed using a Spearman correlation.

Findings: This study resulted in multiple findings, including a statistically significant relationship between …

A Text Analysis Of Meaning In Research On Gender, Language, And Leadership, Samantha Faith Weissrock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Focusing on gender and leadership research, the purpose of the study was to examine discursive messages used in research text regarding gendered leadership to explore the phenomenon of word usage and language structure. The study employed critical discourse analysis as the framework and methodology, a specific cross discipline approach to discourse analysis primarily concerned with language’s innate ability to change and take on new meaning over time. Leveraging texts available in scholarly, peer-reviewed publications dedicated to the intersection of gender and leadership in juxtaposition to the final issue of the same publication have previously focused on intersection of women in …

Strategies To Enhance Leadership Development Of Midlevel Managers, Elizabeth Wiebe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational executives annually invest more than $50 billion in leadership development worldwide. Nonetheless, human resources (HR) managers are concerned that leadership development initiatives prove inadequate in delivering learning outcomes equal to the investment, leaving midlevel managers ill-prepared to lead. Guided by experiential learning theory, this qualitative multiple-case study was conducted to explore strategies HR managers use to enhance the leadership development of midlevel managers. A purposeful sample included three HR managers from three organizations located in a west coast metropolitan area in Canada who successfully implemented leadership development strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and organizational documents. Informed by …

Case Study: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities And Threats Analysis For My Brother’S Keeper Organization, Tyriek Bobby Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this case study, strategies to increase the impact of mentorship programs and academic success of African American high school students were examined through the use of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The purpose of this case study was to gather empirical data to identify opportunities for First Generation College Bound, Inc., an affiliate of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative to strategically improve and expand their program. The research question focused on identifying the programs’ current administrative practices as well as areas to better engage and support mentees. Using the conceptual framework of Hersey and Blanchard’s …

Leadership Strategies That Reduce Voluntary Turnover Among Millennials, Yesenia Andrade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decreased performance from high employee turnover can result in lower organizational profitability. Business leaders of sales organizations who lack leadership strategies to reduce voluntary turnover experience high turnover rates among millennials and observe significantly lower organizational productivity and profitability. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore what strategies some business leaders in sales organizations used to reduce voluntary turnover among millennial employees. The participants comprised five leaders in sales organizations from Southern California who experienced a reduction in voluntary turnover among their millennial employees. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and …

Effective Strategies To Reduce Voluntary Employee Turnover Intentions In The Retail Sector, Connie Latoyia Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Voluntary employee turnover is a complex business problem that hurts organizations’ productivity and profits. High employee turnover rates require retail business leaders to implement strategies to help prevent employees from leaving their jobs. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore leadership strategies retail store managers use to reduce voluntary employee turnover. The participants included six retail managers from two mid-to-large retail food organizations in Chicago who successfully reduced voluntary employee turnover. Semistructured interviews and public company information were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step method. Four themes were …

Strategies To Reduce Nonconformance Of Parts In Aerospace Manufacturing, John Louis Lloyd Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cost of nonconformance of parts can impact the aerospace industry globally, resulting in revenue loss and consumer confidence degradation. Grounded in the eight disciplines of problem solving, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies aerospace manufacturing quality managers in the United States used to implement successful change initiatives to address the nonconformance of parts. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with four aerospace quality executives and supporting company documents. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation, coding, and thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) identify and implement a specific problem-solving strategy, (b) identify and mitigate employee …