Business Commons^™

On The Borders: Black Women’S Multiple And Competing Social Identities And Expectations, And The Impact On Their Intragroup Leadership And Relational Experiences, Clover Baker-Brown

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Black women in the United States are often portrayed as a monolithic and unified group—defined primarily by racial identity and expectations of a shared understanding of common experiences. However, while racial identity is frequently foregrounded in public discourse, this framing often overlooks the overlapping of Black women’s multiple identities and the influence on their sense of belonging in their various groups. This omission can be subtle yet misleading. How Black women choose to self-identify may result in competing expectations or intragroup mistrust, which can impact their overall leadership and relational experiences. Black women's social identities are diverse, vibrant, and transcend …

The Role Of Organizational Culture And Pastoral Leadership In Sustainable Church Outreach: A Multisite Mini-Ethnographic Case Study, Althea P. Gordon-Scott

PhD in Organizational Leadership

This study examined the role of organizational culture and pastoral leadership in sustainable church outreach programs. Two churches were chosen for this multisite mini-ethnographic case study because, for multiple years, they have participated in multiple outreaches each week to their non-Christian neighbors. These two churches differed in terms of geographical location, size, demographics, and budget. Data collection included field observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and document analysis. The themes that surfaced from the data were altruistic foundations, relational equity, organizational agility, organizational challenges, exemplary pastoral leadership, and the centrality of God. This research contributes to the theoretical and practical understanding …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Group Peer Mentoring And Leadership Development Program For Research Faculty In Academic Medicine, Linda H. Pololi, Janet T. Civian, Mark Brimhall-Vargas, Vasilia Vasiliou, Arthur T. Evans, Kacy Ninteau, Lisa A. Cooper, Brian T. Gibbs

School of Business

Introduction: Research faculty often experience poor mentoring, low vitality, and burnout. We report on our logic model inputs, activities, measurable outcomes, and impact of a novel mentoring intervention for biomedical research faculty: The C-Change Mentoring & Leadership Institute. We present a) a detailed description of the curriculum and process, b) evaluation of the program's mentoring effectiveness from the perspective of participants, and c) documentation of mentoring correlated with key positive outcomes. Methods: A yearlong facilitated group peer mentoring program that convened quarterly in person was conducted twice (2020-2022) as part of an NIH-funded randomized controlled study. The culture change intervention …

The Secret Ingredients Of Strategy Implementation, Robin Speculand

Asian Management Insights

Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things. Leaders need to develop the same discipline, passion, and tenacity for implementing strategy that they had when crafting it. There are seven key principles that can guide an organisation to succeed in strategy implementation. Implementation is about taking the right actions, so leaders need to support and guide employees to work differently.

Building Trust At A Distance: Finding New Ways To Manage In The Remote Workplace, Peggy Kendall, David Horsager

Day of Scholarship

The remote workplace is filled with all sorts of opportunities. It also brings with it unique challenges that require a very different type of management style. This project is based on a 2023 Edgren Scholarship study, followed by work with David Horsager, the Trust Edge Institute, and interviews with CEOs across the country. We propose a 6-step strategy to build trust at a distance. They include Amplify Communication, Clarify Direction, Establish Predictability, Redefine Accountability, Create Connection, and Equip your Workforce.

Impact Of Global Leadership In Leading To The Success Of A Project, Swaraj Pinepe

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This research explores the impact of leadership competencies on the success of global projects, focusing on key factors such as cultural intelligence (CQ), emotional intelligence (EI), communication, and adaptability. Through a survey of project leaders, the study investigates how cultural differences affect team performance, the competencies required for effective leadership in diverse environments, and the challenges of managing cross-cultural teams. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding and navigating cultural nuances, fostering positive team dynamics, and aligning team objectives with organizational goals. The research also highlights the necessity of flexibility in leadership approaches to accommodate diverse team needs and improve …

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.

Leadership Coaching And The “Mad Major”, Ray Forbes

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Interested in gaining some valuable lessons for leaders and leadership coaches to add to your repertoire? Want to further express your curiosity and explore the opportunity to learn more about leadership and leadership coaching from a very unusual, non-academic and very iconoclastic source? If so, this article may be for you. This commentary is essentially the abbreviated story of a single-minded, highly dedicated leader’s lifelong quest to bring needed change to a very large narrow-minded bureaucratic organization. It will briefly explore the strategy-infused approach of one of the most controversial and little known figures in modern military history. This individual …

2024 State Of Nonprofits And Philanthropy Annual Report, Tessa Tinkler, Cristina Sanchez-Kerr, Laura Deitrick, Bryan Cardenas, Eo Hanabusa, Richard Hurt, Timothy Nelson, Connelly Meschen, Jon Durnford, Daniela Olguin

State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego

The 2024 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape of the nonprofit sector in San Diego County. The broader purpose of this report is to inform and inspire nonprofit leaders, employees, funders, and policymakers as they work together to strengthen the sector and enhance its impact on the community. By highlighting key trends, challenges, and opportunities, the report aims to support strategic decision-making and foster collaboration across the sector. The findings underscore the strength of the nonprofit sector in San Diego County in the face of ongoing economic and social pressures, while also …

The Laughing Buddha: The Education Of Compassionate Leaders Through Improvisational Play, Belinda Chiu

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

With an urgency to build a generative future, educational systems do not have a choice but to pay attention to how and what we train our future leaders. Yet there is still a gap as leadership studies are often relegated as a “soft” skill, rather than integrated as technical knowledge critical to the holistic effectiveness of a tertiary education. As a result, there is often a disconnect between students immersed in the idealistic bubble of the academy and graduates navigating life outside. Inquiry- and reflective-based methods of contemplative practices may be critical for leaders to avoid short-term, short-sighted decisions that …

The Impact Of Quality Management Principles On Army Aircraft Maintenance Outcomes, Matthew S. Caporossi

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify and describe the perceptions of organizational managers on the impact of quality management principles on helicopter maintenance outcomes at the California Army National Guard’s Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot (AVCRAD). This study also explored the perceptions on the organizational culture as it pertained to leadership and employee engagement of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 quality management systems.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological research examined the perceptions of Army aviation managers regarding specific ISO principles of leadership and

improvement on AVCRAD maintenance outcomes. The researcher conducted open-ended qualitative interviews …

A Delphi Study On Strategic Behaviors From The Adaptive Leadership Framework Used By Successful Cxos For Business Agility In A Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, And Ambiguity Environment, Sevak Markarian

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the strategic leadership behaviors, as outlined in Heifetz et al.’s (2009) adaptive leadership framework, that CXOs use to develop agile and adaptive organizations that succeed in volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) change environments. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the effectiveness of these behaviors and determine specific actions that CXOs recommend for implementing them successfully.

Methodology: This mixed-method Delphi study collected data from 20 technology executives through surveys and interviews, using purposive, convenience, and expert sampling. In Round 1, participants identified strategic adaptive leadership behaviors from Heifetz et al.’s …

People Are First: A Qualitative Metasynthesis Of People First Leadership, Richard Allan Mcneal

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This study addresses the emerging leadership style of People First Leadership and the growing need for a commonly accepted definition and model of the concept. Traditional management and leadership styles have left a legacy of corporate fraud, low employee engagement, and work–life imbalance. People First Leadership offers a potential remedy, but sources on the subject are limited and isolated. A universal understanding of the leadership style is needed to galvanize research and further inform practice. As such, this study poses the questions: how is People First Leadership presently defined and modeled, and does synergy exist between current theories? An exhaustive …

Exploring Childcare Leaders’ Perspectives On Program Philosophies At The Intersection Of Care, Education, And Business: A Multi-Method (Qual + Qual) Study Using Simon Sinek’S Golden Circle, Megan Kybartas

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-method (QUAL + qual) study explores childcare leaders’ perspectives on program philosophies at the intersection of care, education, and business, which I call The Childcare Tripartite. Recognizing the significant dependency on high-quality childcare services and the foundational role of program philosophies in achieving this quality, this research addresses a notable gap in the literature regarding how early childhood leaders communicate and prioritize their program philosophies within the complex American childcare landscape. Employing semi-structured interviews, documentary materials, and demographic forms, and analyzed through both thematic and deductive content analysis, drawing on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, the study uncovers how philosophical …

Attracting Secondary Public School Teachers Through Servant Leadership In South Carolina, Chetara Lee

Dissertations

This study investigated the impact servant leader administrators have on the recruitment of secondary public-school teachers in South Carolina. The purpose of this study was to identify effective servant leadership behaviors that align with teacher recruitment. This research sought to enhance the existing body of knowledge on servant leadership in education by offering a comprehensive understanding of how school leaders can recruit career changers as teachers by aligning their servant leadership behaviors with the motivations of prospective educators for transitioning into teaching.

This research assessed 16 secondary public-school teachers and 3 school district HR personnel employed within various school districts …

Technology And Coding The Great Equalizer: A Case Study Of A Formerly Incarcerated Leader, Joni Schwartz

Publications and Research

Providing meaningful educational and employment opportunities for returning incarcerated citizens from marginalized communities contributes to a more sustainable future for all. This chapter examines the barriers faced by returning incarcerated citizens in employment and presents a case study of a Dario Peña, who is a formerly incarcerated citizen. Peña's lived experience, leadership preparation, vision, and bottom-up leadership made him a leader for the Justice through Code program, which aims to provide prisoners and returning citizens with professional skills to create a sustainable career in the tech industry. Anchored in Critical Race Theory (CRT), this chapter delves into structural inequalities like …

Positive Reinforcement In Leadership, Jen Lee Williams

M.S. in Leadership

This project examined whether leaders’ use of positive reinforcement
improves team retention, satisfaction, and performance across Generation
X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Jen Williams selected this topic due to the
rising turnover challenges and lack of consistent reinforcement training in
leadership practice. Using mixed-methods design, the study combined a
quantitative survey of 13 working professionals with a qualitative interview
from a Generation X leader participant. Results showed that over 92% of
the participants felt motivated by recognition, and 72% linked
reinforcement to increased satisfaction and desire to stay with their
organization. Generational differences appeared in frequency, authenticity,
and emotional sensitivity …

Rejected From Pastoral Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of The Voice And Lived Experiences Of African American Pentecostal Women In Clergy, Cynthia Ann Hurns

Dissertations

The study explored the lived experiences of 10 African American Holiness-Pentecostal clergywomen who faced rejection in a predominantly male-led church system. These women shared detailed stories of their experiences in leadership as pastors, apostles, and co-pastors. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was employed, using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) because it allows for in-depth exploration of how people make sense of their experiences, aligning with the study’s focus on leadership journeys. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through descriptive and iterative coding. Codes were grouped into broader categories, resulting in five emerging themes: voiceless calling, bound to tradition, call from …

“Remember, You Are Not A Superhuman”: The Lived Experience Of Rest, Unrest, And Leadership In Special Operations, Trey Zoda

Dissertations

U.S. special operations forces (SOF) operate in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments that demand cognitive clarity, emotional regulation, and relational presence. While previous research on SOF readiness has addressed physical fitness, resilience, and sleep, little attention has been given to the psychological dimensions of rest and their implications for leadership. The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of psychological rest and unrest in U.S. government SOF and the perceived influence of these states on their leadership. Guided by Moustakas’s transcendental method, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with SOF personnel. They were …

Motivación Y Su Efecto En La Eficiencia De Equipos De Trabajo Remoto En Una Organización Privada, Ysabel Quintana

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada con enfoque cualitativo y diseño fenomenológico fue diseñada para analizar cómo las estrategias motivacionales implementadas por líderes influyen en la eficiencia de equipos de trabajo remoto en una organización privada dedicada a la protección de niños y adolescentes. Se seleccionó una muestra de diez líderes de distintos departamentos que gestionan equipos remotos.

Para la recolección de los datos se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas para explorar sus experiencias, herramientas tecnológicas utilizadas y enfoques motivacionales. Los datos recopilados se analizaron mediante el método de análisis temático, permitiendo identificar patrones comunes relacionados con la motivación, la productividad y el estilo de …

Assessing The Role Of Leadership In Shaping Digital Transformation Capabilities In Uae Governance, Arif Alshamsi, Maytha Al Ali, Noura Metawa

All Works

The present study aims to investigate the impact of leadership on digital transformation in the UAE government, using a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) analytical framework. This study examines the effect of leaders’ familiarity with digital technologies, their attitudes towards innovation, and their practical tactics for execution on the process of digitalizing government services. Employing a mixed-methods methodology, this research uses surveys and interviews to gather data from influential policymakers while also conducting a comprehensive examination of case studies on digital projects. The findings suggest that considerable knowledge and favorable attitudes towards digital transformation exist. However, implementing digital transformation methods …

Leadership In The Digital Economy: An Investigation Into How Digitalisation Is Changing The Role And Practice Of Leadership In The Australian Defence Industry, Rhogan Aitken

Theses

Digitalisation is a phenomenon that is transforming society and is the process that moves an organisation to become digital. Research was conducted on senior leaders in the Australian defence industry with the purpose of investigating how the role and practice of leadership was changing because of digitalisation. A two-phased qualitative methodology was employed. An initial Delphi study on 13 experts in digital transformation was adopted to gain consensus on key issues, with the results informing a second stage of semi-structured interviews with 32 senior leaders in the Australian defence industry. The results identified factors that were influencing leadership, including increased …

The Leadership Pivot: How Labor Market Dynamics And The Ncaa Transfer Portal Impacts Leadership, Evan Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will cover a multitude of topics specific to my major, and also will use my in depth knowledge and connections within a collegiate sport to analyze how labor market changes effect the leadership styles of leaders within a given industry. This project is going to challenge me as a student because of the in depth research and data collection that will be necessary to not only educate myself about labor markets and leadership styles, but also educate myself enough to be able to present the information in a way that is digestible to readers. The other aspect of …

Taking The Temperature: What The Acd 2025 Survey Reveals, Mike Graham, Suzan Pitman

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The American College of Dentists surveyed its Fellows to help leadership better understand how our Fellows perceive and interact with the College. The results will be used to determine organizational priorities and help guide the continued implementation of the strategic plan. The key takeaways of the survey were that (1) the 2023 Strategic Plan implementation is on the right track, (2) Fellows value their connection to the ACD, (3) communication between the organization and Fellows has improved, and (4) leadership and staff must continue to develop a better-defined knowledge base to support local leaders.

Examining Love As A Central Ethic Of Leadership: A Kierkegaardian And Feminist Reading, Edward Wray-Bliss, Irene E. De Pater

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper examines love as a concept for advancing our understanding of the ethics of leadership. We draw upon writings that consider love to be at the heart of modern subjects’ search for meaning and affective attachment to organisation – necessitating, we argue, an exploration of leadership too in these terms. Existing works on leaders’ supposed love for those they lead are considered. These serve as a springboard from which to undertake a philosophical examination of two dominant formulations of an ethics of love in Western culture: neighbour and agapeic love. Neither of these conceptualisations, we argue, suffice as an …

Psychological Safety And Belonging In High-Risk Search And Rescue Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study, Sarah Seiler

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Wilderness search and rescue (SAR) volunteers and teams are essential for the safety of outdoor adventurers, and yet, organizational culture has not been studied closely within this population. While extensive research is available regarding psychological safety in corporate and healthcare environments, the role of psychological safety in high reliability teams, like wilderness SAR, is limited. Organizational belonging is a burgeoning research area that has yet to be explored in wilderness SAR. This mixed methods phenomenological study increased the understanding of the experience of psychological safety and organizational belonging in wilderness SAR volunteers. Initial quantitative statistical analysis that utilized t-tests, correlation …

Beyond Strong: A Phenomenology Of Women Executives And The Connection Between Leadership And Fitness, Nozomi Bullock

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Senior-level executive leaders’ work in a dynamic, competitive, 24/7 business environment can be physically rigorous, mentally demanding, and emotionally isolating. The same holds true for women pursuing senior-level leadership roles in corporate America. Women who achieve and succeed in such roles remain the minority: Outsiders in elite spaces who are held to higher standards and overly scrutinized. Among senior-level executive women leaders, those committed to a fitness and training regimen including weightlifting constitute an even smaller minority. Senior-level executive roles require stamina, resilience, and courage—qualities that make up the foundation of the mindset of fitness and strength training (Foyster et …

Passion For What? Key Considerations For Passion In The Sport Workplace, Steve Swanson

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The sporting world is replete with emotion. Intense feelings of many forms are experienced by a wide range of actors consuming sport, with passion receiving some of the greatest attention across a spectrum of emotions studied in sport management. The notion of passionate employees is ubiquitous in the sport environment, with research suggesting emotion from the sporting arena spills over to the workplace. This article highlights key considerations about sport employee passion that need addressing, including what it is that they are actually passionate about, the role that identity plays for these individuals, and whether sport employee passion is inherently …

Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Leadership, Sabrena Craft

M.S. in Leadership

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Ai [Artificial Intelligence] Fundamentals For Business Leaders, Eya Mahouachi

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals for Business Leaders: Up to Date with Generative AI (Byte-sized Learning Book 1) is a recent book in a series of four on Artificial Intelligence. It is authored by I. Almeida, the Chief Transformation Officer at Now Next Later AI, an AI advisory, training, and publishing business that supports organizations with their AI strategy, transformation, and governance.

This book is organized around understanding AI, Data and Data Management, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Model Selection and Evaluation, and Generative AI. The last chapter incorporates an assignment for leaders. This book employs an effective approach to help readers grasp …