Business Commons^™

Making The Leap To Management: Tips For The Aspiring And New Manager, Femi Cadmus

Faculty Scholarship

As the result of innate ability, a fortunate few are able to effortlessly transition from line positions. However, most of us need to plot the path to management astutely and with deliberation. Library professionals might also become "accidental" managers, finding themselves thrust into an unplanned and perhaps unwanted managerial position for which they were not prepared. This is particularly true in the current climate of constrained budgets characterized by restructuring, job freezes, and layoffs.

The Relationship Between Reproducing Ownership And Sustaining Non-Profit Collaboration, Nonie Brennan

Student Scholarship

Semi-structured interviews with 21 partners of three long-standing, non-profit collaborations in the health and human services sector emphasize the role of constituents’ sense of “ownership”– and their continuous reproduction of it − on collaboration sustainability. The data suggests that enduring collaborations are characterized, on the one hand, by employee behaviors typically considered aberrant – including rule breaking and rule making – and on the other, “appreciative” participant behaviors. Findings imply non-profit governance and leadership can purposefully foster environments in which collaboration ownership can reproduce.

Telling Stories Of Libraries And Leadership, Audrey Defrank

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

A presentation outlining the four frames of leadership and storytelling as they relate to libraries. Leadership Orientation Questionnaire; Overview; Inspiration; Leadership; Reframing Leadership; Structural Frame; Human Resources Frame; Political Frame; Symbolic Frame; Where do you fit in the frame?; Native American Storytelling; Organizations as Cultures; Story Narrative; Telling the Story.

Young Professionals And Philanthropy, Patricia Neilson

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

Seven teams of young professionals presented what they learned from their projects with 7 organizations from the nonprofit and donor sector over the past year. Their experiences and insights address two related questions:

• What is the role of philanthropy in retaining young professionals in the Boston region?

• How can young professionals leverage their leadership skills, and their organization’s resources, to create successful partnerships in philanthropy to serve the Boston region?

Research Project / Management As A Liberal Art / The Virtue Of Profit, C. William Pollard, Peter F. Drucker

C. William Pollard Papers

In this memo sent to his grandson, Pollard provides a summary of the concept of "Management as a Liberal Art" in addition to a letter from Peter Drucker and several documents with Drucker quotations. The latter are taking from the following sources:

Drucker, P. (1942) The Freedom of Industrial Man. Virginia Quarterly Review 18 (4),481-499. The citation comes from pp. 482-483.

Drucker, P.F. (1988). Teaching the Work of Management. New Management 6 (2), 2-5. The citation comes from p. 5. Drucker, P.F. (1989). The New Realities: In government and politics, in economics and business, in society and worldview. New York: …

Faith In The Workplace, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

Speaking at the Samaritan Interfaith Focus on Faith Breakfast (Cress Creek Country Club - Naperville, IL), Pollard addresses the question of faith in the workplace. In particular, he posits that servant leadership is the primary means by which one actualizes religious faith in everyday life.

The Leader As Coach: How To Coach A Winning Team (2nd Ed.) (Book Review), Dori Taylor Sullivan

Nursing Faculty Publications

Book review by Dorrie Taylor Sullivan:

Huseman, Richard. The Leader as Coach: How to Coach a Winning Team (2nd ed.) Oviedo, FL: Equity Press, 2007.

What Is Your Business? (Chicago), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this speech at the 2008 Chicago Executive Forum Breakfast (Naperville, IL), Pollard posits that Christian businesses (i.e., corporations in which, among other things, managers see themselves as servant leaders) should understand profit as a means for the development of human character.

The Virtue Of Profit (Washington, D.C.), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

Speaking at the 2008 PathNorth June Gathering (Washington, D.C.), Pollard contends that profit can be considered virtuous when it allows servant leaders to invest in employees, thereby contributing to the moral and spiritual formation of human beings.

2008 Alumni Perspectives: Evaluation Of The Nonprofit Leadership And Management Masters Program, Linda Seifert, Heather Carpenter

USD Evaluation of Applied Learning Model in Nonprofit Leadership and Management Master's Program

In Spring 2008 the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research, along with the SOLES Director of Assessment, completed an alumni survey. The survey focused on how well the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program learning outcomes prepared the alumni for their professional roles, how those roles may have changed as a result of their preparation, their level of satisfaction with the various components of the program, and their perspectives on their current involvement with the program. All 65 alumni of the program were invited to participate in the survey.

The Seeking And Knowing Of Truth, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this address to the graduating students of Aurora University (Aurora, IL), Pollard draws upon his time as CEO of ServiceMaster in order to explain how seeking after truth is the proper foundation of any vocation.

Be Leaders. Do Leadership., Barry Z. Posner

Management & Entrepreneurship

Too much of the time, business schools teach students about leadership, about leadership theories and concepts, about social psychological concepts as "applied" to leadership. Learning about leadership is not the same as learning to be a leader. We should be teaching our students to be leaders.

Decision Making In Complex Environments: The Role Of The Pathfinder Leader, Bruce C. Gockerman

Student Scholarship

In a world of increasingly complex environments decision making processes become ever more important. This research examines the role of the pathfinder leader in a specific collective action of a complex galaxy of actors seeking to develop an enforceable water resources regime and extends that examination to a more general population engaged in complex civic collective actions within the context of municipal governance. This work extends emergent leadership research within governance structures, with implications for research and practice. The research also develops quantitative measures for collective action costs, benefits and outcomes.

Sustaining Non-Profit Collaboration: The Relationship Between Governance And Leadership, Nonie Brennan

Student Scholarship

More and more, not-for-profit health and human service organizations are turning to collaboration to address serious community problems. Understanding the role of governance and leadership within a collaborative structure is critical. This research proposal focuses on governance and leadership within interorganizational collaboration addressing health and human service issues. We propose an examination of three collaborations sharing the same lead agency. The intention is to explore the governance structure and the elements of leadership that provide the infrastructure and lay the ground work for a sustained collaboration. The research question is: How do governance structures and leadership practices facilitate sustained collaboration …

Perceived Random Leader Selection In Work Groups, Daniel Marsh

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Different methods of selecting a leader for work groups have been shown to have significant effects on the group's overall performance (Henningsen, et al., 2004). It has been suggested that systematic selection of leadership is detrimental to a group's performance and cohesiveness in certain cases (Haslam et al., 1998). This has been supported by many studies (Haslam et al., 1998; Henningsen et. al., 2004). In such cases it may be more beneficial to pick a leader in a random fashion instead of picking one due to leadership abilities. It was hypothesized that it is even more beneficial in these cases …

Notes From A Herman Miller Company Board Meeting, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

These handwritten notes -- mainly including material concerning the topic of responsible leadership -- provide Pollard's perspective on a 2008 Herman Miller Company board meeting.

Authentic Leadership: Do Leader's Values Impact Their Authenticity In The Eyes Of Their Followers? A Quantitative Study, Barbara Clemenson

Student Scholarship

Leadership theory defines authentic leaders as those holding high moral values, and posits that authentic leaders, through their integrity and altruism, inspire followers to emulate them by also developing their own values, integrity and caring. If the authentic leadership construct is valid, then followers must perceive their leaders' integrity and altruism before they will desire to emulate them, and these perceptions should be influenced by leaders' value content. This empirical study addresses that fundamental question: Do leaders' values impact their perceived authenticity--their integrity and altruism--in the eyes of their followers?

Big Issues Resulting In Bold Decisions: How Boards Of High-Performing Professional Societies Engage, Mark T. Engle

Student Scholarship

According to Taylor, Chait, and Holland (1996) and Carver (1997), boards of nonprofit organizations spend too much of their limited available time pursuing trivial decisions. This paper examines how boards of high-performing professional societies tackle big issues. Using a decision theoretic approach, the paper conceptualizes bold decision making as involving a particular decision space (Papadakis, Lioukas, & Chambers, 1998), a set of decision steps (DeSanctis & Gallupe, 1987; Nutt, 1984), and group processes associated with bounded rationality (Boland & Pondy, 1986; Simon, 1991). This framework is measured against findings from fieldwork, resulting in a revised conceptual model and general support …

Big Issues Resulting In Bold Decisions: How Boards Of High-Performing Professional Societies Engage, Mark T. Engle

Student Scholarship

According to Taylor, Chait, and Holland (1996) and Carver (1997), boards of nonprofit organizations spend too much of their limited available time pursuing trivial decisions. This paper examines how boards of high-performing professional societies tackle big issues. Using a decision theoretic approach, the paper conceptualizes bold decision making as involving a particular decision space (Papadakis, Lioukas, & Chambers, 1998), a set of decision steps (DeSanctis & Gallupe, 1987; Nutt, 1984), and group processes associated with bounded rationality (Boland & Pondy, 1986; Simon, 1991). This framework is measured against findings from fieldwork, resulting in a revised conceptual model and general support …

Reflections For The Herman Miller Board, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this speech -- delivered at a Herman Miller Board Meeting in Buffalo Grove, IL -- Pollard reflects on what he has learned as a board member, noting in particular how the company was founded on a holistic view of the human person and the idea that the business leader is only a steward of God's property.

Leadership Efficacy: Review And Future Directions, Sean T. Hannah, Bruce Avolio, Fred Luthans, Peter D. Harms

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The concept of leader efficacy has received relatively little attention in the leadership literature. This is somewhat surprising given that effective leadership requires high levels of agency (i.e., deliberately or intentionally exerting positive influence) and confidence. This review uses existing theory and research on leader efficacy as a point of departure for proposing an expanded and multi-level framework for understanding the domain of leadership efficacy that includes eader, follower, and collective efficacies. The primary goals are to provide a conceptual framework to stimulate future theory and research on building efficacious leadership and to understand how such leadership develops and …

We Lead From The Inside Out, Barry Z. Posner, James M. Kouzes

Management & Entrepreneurship

This article makes the argument that becoming an effective leader is an inside-out process. Leaders, through self examination, realize their passions, values, and the legacy that gives meaning to their life. Leading a life that is congruent with one's personal believes and values gives leaders the authenticity and credibility that their constituents desire. Once leaders have identified their values, they have a greater sense of stability, confidence and peace. Without firm core beliefs, a leader is perceived as inconsistent and untrustworthy and unlikely to be willingly followed. Answering the internal question "Who am I?" is crucial for leaders.

Examining Career-Related Mentoring And Managerial Performance Across Cultures: A Multilevel Analysis, William A. Gentry, Todd J. Weber, Golnaz Sadri

Leadership Institute: Faculty Publications

The benefits of the mentoring relationship for protégés have been a primary focus in the mentoring literature. Researchers have recently begun to examine how mentoring can benefit the mentor. The purpose of the present study is to examine whether direct report-ratings of a manager’s career-related mentoring behaviors are related to boss-ratings of that manager’s performance. In addition, this study assesses whether the cultural background of the manager moderates the career-related mentoring–performance relationship via multilevel methodology. Results reveal that managers who are rated by their direct reports as engaging in career-related mentoring behaviors are perceived as better performers by their bosses. …

Separated At Birth: An Inquiry On The Conceptual Independence Of The Entrepreneurship And The Leadership Constructs, Richard C. Becherer, Mark Mendenhall, Karen Ford Eickhoff

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship and leadership may flow from the same genealogical source and the appearance of separation of the two constructs may be due to differences in the contexts through which the root phenomenon flows. Entrepreneurship and leadership are figuratively different manifestations of the need to create. To better understand the origin of entrepreneurship and leadership, research must first focus on the combinations or hierarchy of traits that are necessary, but perhaps not sufficient, to stimulate the two constructs. Factors that trigger a drive to create or take initiative within the individual in the context of a particular circumstance should be identified, …

Humility In Leadership: Abandoning The Pursuit Of Unattainable Perfection, Erik Hoekstra, Antony Bell, Scott R. Peterson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Chapter on humility and leadership by Hoekstra, Bell, and Peterson in S.A. Quatro & R. R. Sims (Eds.), Executive Ethics: Ethical Dilemmas and Challenges for the C-Suite. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing, 2008.

Dynamic Leadership: Toolbox For The Value-Based Entrepreneurship, Chun (Grace) Guo, Sinead G. Ruane, Alexandra Galli-Debicella, Phuong Anh Nguyen, Charles C. Manz

WCBT Faculty Publications

Four entrepreneurship models are proposed which lend guidance in the development of a business, from birth to exit, each examining ways to maintain the business founder’s initial vision and to continue to infuse values and ethical decision-making at each stage of development.

Life-Affirming Leadership: An Inquiry Into The Culture Of Social Justice, Raquel Delores Gutierrez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

A new paradigm for leading social change is emerging; a worldview acknowledging the importance of leadership that is life-affirming and lasts over time. The current inquiry explored the ways in which the social reality of Life-Affirming Leadership is created and the implications those realities have for the current and future generations of social justice workers, their organizations, and the communities in which they work. The dominant paradigm for social justice work needs to be radically renovated (see Horwitz, 2002; James, 2005; Ohlson, 2006; Polansky, 2005; Utne, 2006; Wheatley, 2005; Williamson, 1997; Yáhzí, 2005); as such, a re-evolution is in progress, …

How Scientist/Founders Lead Successful Biopharmaceutical Organizations: A Study Of Three Companies, Lynn Johnson Langer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how the leadership of scientist/founders of biopharmaceutical companies affects the success of their organization. Over half of all biotechnology firms are founded by scientists, yet for every start-up biotech firm that succeeds, 15-20 fail and eight out of 10 drugs fail in clinical trials (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 2007; Stanford Graduate School of Business, n.d.; Zhang & Patel, 2005). To bring a biopharmaceutical product from the research bench to the consumer costs more than $800 million (Tufts, 2007). This dissertation research explored the leadership practices of three successful scientist/founders and how …

Poetic Leadership, A Territory Of Aesthetic Consciousness And Change, R. Amrit Kasten-Daryanani

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Poetic leadership is a new theoretical construct that views leadership as an activity that unites a lyrical intellect with keenly felt emotion for the purpose of producing changes in the consciousness of self and others. This change begins within the interiority of self, moving surely to broader realms of one's surroundings and society, provoking movement that impacts the developing potential of the individual and the cultural milieu in which they exist. Emotion is the primary trace into consciousness used in this dissertation, which serves to unite experiences of the heart with experiences of the mind. The unification of these disparate …

Fostering Sustainability In Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Transformative Leadership And Change Strategies, Kim H. Mcnamara

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As evidence of the earth’s limited capacity to sustain human life mounts, institutions of higher education are being looked to for leadership in the effort to educate students about environmental concerns and support the development of sustainable innovations. Colleges and universities are responding to this call for leadership by starting and/or expanding environmental research programs, integrating sustainability issues throughout the curriculum, adopting sustainable operations, and building green facilities. Reflecting upon the sustainability efforts of these institutions, this research study explores the following questions: What factors are essential for initiating and leading a successful change effort to foster sustainability in higher …