Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

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 …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Servant Leadership Characteristics For Developing High-Performing Teams As Perceived By Public School District Early Childhood Leaders, Reggi'e Faye Webster

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe how exemplary public school district early childhood leaders apply four key characteristics of servant leadership (listening, stewardship, building community, and commitment to people’s growth), as defined by Spears (2010), to develop high-performing to support early learning programs.

Methodology: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was selected to explore participants’ experiences and perceptions of how they use four servant leadership characteristics to develop and sustain high-performing teams within early childhood programs on public school elementary and secondary school campuses. Participants were purposefully chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations from an …

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 …

Exploring Leadership Through The Lenses Of Psychological Safety: Experiences From The Warehousing Industry, Francis V. Manigault

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how psychological safety is experienced and sustained in warehouse environments, particularly through leadership practices. The research focused on five central questions regarding how psychological safety is defined, the barriers to sustaining it, and the specific leadership behaviors that influence employee voice and workplace culture. Seven participants from warehousing operations across the southeastern United States were selected through purposive sampling. These individuals held leadership positions and had firsthand experience with efforts to promote psychological safety. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed thematically using Colaizzi’s method. The study found that psychological safety in warehouse settings …

A Phenomenological Study Of Success Despite Barriers: How Leaders With Disabilities Experience Supervisory Leadership Through The Lens Of Adaptive Leadership, Ashley Oberlander Townsend

Dissertations

People with disabilities experience unemployment and underemployment more frequently than those without disabilities and encounter obstacles to becoming supervisory leaders (Harlan & Robert, 1998; Krzeminska et al., 2019; Roberson et al., 2021). The American workforce is significantly impacted by this problem, as more than one in four people have a disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). This hermeneutic phenomenological research utilized interviews to collect data from three participants to answer the research question to explore the problem: what are leaders with disabilities’ lived experiences in overcoming barriers to achieving supervisory roles using an adaptive leadership lens? The research …

Skip-Level Meetings: Perspectives Of Skipped First-Tier U.S. Tech Leaders, Samuel Blacher

Dissertations

Although significant research exists on numerous intersecting theories, such as adaptive leadership, leadership communication, and employee voice, and although they are discussed in business publications and widely yet inconsistently implemented in industry, skip-level meetings are little scholarly studied. Such meetings offer benefits for employees, direct (skipped) managers, and skip-level leaders, and through them, to organizations, yet they also hold risks and pitfalls, and are influenced by various contextual factors, such as stakeholders’ national culture and age. This exploratory qualitative study employed elements of interpretive phenomenology, followed by thematic analysis, to examine the experiences, perceptions, and emotions of a diverse set …

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 …

Becoming A Leader “On The Job”: An Exploratory Study Examining How Internal Interim Leaders Build Their Leadership Capacity While Nonprofit Executive Directors Are On Sabbatical, Michelle Schneider

Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations have long underinvested in leadership development, potentially hindering their ability to fulfill their missions effectively. This study examined the use of nonprofit organization sabbaticals that give executive directors time away while building the leadership capabilities of the interim leader. This research explored the on-the-job leadership development of six individuals who served as interim leaders in southern California nonprofit organizations during their executive directors' participation in a 3-month, foundation-funded sabbatical program.

In this study, data were collected through in-depth interviews with interim leaders. A formative influences timeline technique was employed to center the participant's voice rather than the interviewer's …

Ensemble Learning Models For Large-Scale Time Series Forecasting In Supply Chain, Minjuan Zhang

Dissertations

Machine learning and AI techniques are transforming supply chain forecasting, driven by the expanding availability of data assets. These advanced methods offer powerful opportunities to optimize management processes, reduce operational costs, and enhance strategic decision-making, which is crucial for enterprise success. However, conventional statistical approaches, such as Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Models (ARIMA), dynamic regression, and Unobserved Component Models (UCMs)—which have long dominated time series forecasting—often fall short in accuracy and scalability. These traditional models face limitations in batch processing, handling large-scale data, addressing uncertainty-induced disruptions, and synchronizing demand-supply scenarios.

To address these challenges, a novel class of AI-powered ensemble …

Navigating The Landscape: Perceptions, Motivations, And The Journey Of Data Professionals In Implementing Data Processes And Procedures, Willie Rivers

Dissertations

This explanatory study investigates the motivations behind data professionals' willingness or resistance to implementing data policies and procedures, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior and Psychological Ownership as frameworks. Through interviews with 21 data professionals, the research explains how factors such as perceived control, ownership, and attitudes towards data processes influence their motivation. The study tests key propositions, including the impact of perceived time burdens, bureaucratic procedures, and organizational expectations on data governance engagement. The findings underscore the critical role of control and access to information in motivating the adoption of data policies, providing insights for organizations aiming to enhance …

Organizational Characteristics As Drivers Of Employer Attraction, Naomi L. Akins-Osuma

Dissertations

This research study examined perceptions of attraction to different organizational characteristics based on an individual’s Career Stage in Super’s (1980) life-span model. Using a diverse sample of 230 participants in the U.S. workforce 18 years or older, the study manipulated the opposing Reputation and flexible working arrangement (FWA) conditions of a hypothetical hiring organization in the technology industry. The results indicated that the main effects of Reputation and FWAs on general attraction, intention to pursue, perceived economic citizenship, and perceived ethical citizenship were significant. Although the high levels of Reputation and FWA yielded the highest mean scores among the dependent …

The Effect Of Work-Life Responsibilities On The Well-Being Of Female Employees: A Uae Case Study, Mouza Mohamed Alqubaisi

Dissertations

This study examines the possible conflict between work commitments and family obligations and its implications for working women's well-being. In this respect, in-depth interviews were held with a sample of twenty female employees working in different departments of the Abu Dhabi Government. The collected qualitative data have been analyzed through frameworks drawn from the concepts of the Work-Life Balance (WLB) and the Work-Family Conflict (WFC), specifically considering the Job Demands- Resources (JD-R) and the Conservation of Resources (COR) theories. The findings probably indicate that working women encounter substantial challenges in their daily work, such as long working hours, lack of …

Factors Influencing Innovative Behavior Of Higher Education Students In The United Arab Emirates: An Exploratory Study, Saleha Omer Alseiari

Dissertations

Innovation in the higher education sector is globally recognized as a driving power behind a country's socioeconomic and technological development. This quantitative study explores the primary influences on the innovation of college students in the UAE. Four research goals were proposed: (I) exploring potential input from innovative faculties; (ii) assessing the impact of curriculum excellence; (iii) examining the consequences of students' social abilities; and (iv) researching the moderating impact of supportive leadership. The research also seeks to create a theoretical model connecting various key elements that promote an environment of innovation in the higher education sector of the UAE based …

Human Resource Practices And Employee Outcomes: An Examination Of Performance, Satisfaction And Diversity Climate In The Hospitality Sector Of Saudi Arabia, Tareq Abdullah Al-Jammaz

Dissertations

Tourism and related industries have become essential economic activities that play a significant role in the development, prosperity, and well-being of a country. The tourism and hotel sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is currently undergoing significant development to diversify the national economy in line with the KSA Economic Vision 2030 Initiative. To align this sector with international standards in terms of job satisfaction and performance, human resource management practices (HRMPs) play a key role in determining the job satisfaction of employees in their various work environments. HRMPs include various job-related activities, training and development (T+D) programs, rewards, …

How Do Lgbt Employees Assess Their Firm’S Organizational Culture Regarding Lgbt Leadership?, Philippe Honore

Dissertations

This study explored Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) employees’ perceptions and assessments of their firms’ organizational cultures and, in particular, the opportunities within the culture that can lead to upper management positions for those who identify as LGBT. The research sought to understand the extent to which inclusivity efforts are reflected in real career progression opportunities for openly LGBT employees working in San Diego County. Employing a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design, the study incorporated quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to achieve a comprehensive understanding of participant’s perspectives and experiences. The decision to use both methods allowed the research …

The Meaning-Making Of African American Leaders In Technology Organizations, James Hooks

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to identify and describe behaviors that reflect the character, inspiration, relationships, vision, and wisdom that African American technology leaders use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers. It was also the purpose to rate how followers perceive their leader’s behaviors related to character, inspiration, relationships, vision, and wisdom in creating personal and organizational meaning.

Methodology: The qualitative portion of this mixed-method study involved face-to-face interviews with African American technology leaders, while the quantitative segment consisted of electronic surveys completed by their followers. The quantitative survey assessed followers’ perceptions …

Under The Surface Of Perfectionism: A Qualitative Examination Of Perfectionism In Women Leaders, Rachelle Martin

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the manifestations and management of perfectionism among women leaders, framed through the lens of conservation of resources (COR) theory. By examining the experiences of women across various industries, the research highlights how perfectionism can act both as a strength and a challenge, depending on resource availability and self-awareness. The findings emphasize the compounded pressures faced by women, particularly women of color, and the significant role of self-awareness, coping mechanisms and mitigation techniques. Participants revealed how resource depletion may contribute to heightened perfectionistic tendencies, which subsequently may impact career outcomes. Self-awareness emerged as a moderating factor that, …

Shelf Space Strategy In Alcoholic Beverage Retail: Analyzing The Impact Of Shelf Facings On Sales Performance And Consumer Behavior, Jesse Core

Dissertations

The alcoholic beverage industry faces intense competition and regulatory constraints, making strategic shelf space management critical. This study investigates the impact of shelf facings on sales performance in the alcoholic beverage sector, focusing on how brand size moderates this relationship.

The study collected data from a regional supermarket chain in Arkansas using a quantitative pretest-posttest control group design. It found that increasing shelf facings for smaller brands significantly enhances overall modular sales, with small brand sales persisting even after reverting to their original facings. Moreover, the analysis reveals that brand size significantly moderates the impact of shelf facings on brand …

It Can Be Lonely At The Top, But It Doesn’T Have To Be: Workplace Loneliness As Experienced By Senior Leaders And Potential Coping Strategies, Kristen Prince

Dissertations

Workplace loneliness is a topic of growing interest among scholars and practitioners, in part because of the known impacts of loneliness on individuals’ well-being and performance. Recent literature has suggested that senior leaders may be vulnerable to feelings of workplace loneliness but lacks a thorough depiction of how leaders experience and cope with the feelings. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences and perspectives of senior leaders through interviews with 26 leaders and seven close confidants who provide a nuanced understanding of how senior leaders experience workplace loneliness and offer insight on mitigating these feelings. The findings suggest that the …

Radiating Excellence: Leadership Styles In Nuclear Power That Influence Operators Towards Industry Best Practices, Joshua Copeland

Dissertations

Poor leadership is the root cause for the three most significant accidents in the nuclear industry. The purpose of this research was to determine the best leadership characteristics of operating supervisors at nuclear plants that could help prevent future accidents from happening. Operating supervisors are the leaders that have the greatest impact on how safe the nuclear plant is operating. A mixed method approach was used, where the quantitative study surveyed 77 supervisors about their leadership style and how well they influence standards adherence, and the qualitative study interviewed 11 subordinates of supervisors to determine how supervision helps them follow …

Sales Professional Preservation: Examining The Impact Of Incongruent Ideological Belief Systems On Intentions To Quit Among Sales Professionals, Brian Lee Morgan

Dissertations

Organizations that lead with ideologies of moral tradition, politics, and social economics are playing a losing game. The ideological belief system congruence within the organization between leaders and members creates a better atmosphere with less turnover and better recruitment. Sales professionals want an environment free of ideological incongruence. Without ideological alignment, they will defect from the organization. Leaders are miscalculating the negative impact on members’ intentions to quit when they are faced with leaders acting upon ideology changes that affect the member-customer ecosystem. In addition, leaders should be aware of the personal attributes that can exacerbate turnover and work to …

Organizational Control And Technological Capabilities: The Moderating Role Of Family Influence On The Firm, Sean Leahy

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the influence of organizational controls on technological capabilities in privately owned U.S. corporations, with a specific focus on family-owned businesses. The primary objective of the study was to investigate how formal controls (process and outcome) and clan controls (informal practices) impact technological innovation and competence. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 177 individuals and analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) path analysis. The findings indicate a significant relationship between formal controls and technological capabilities. However, the interaction of family influence on this dynamic was not supported. Results also revealed a robust association …

A Phenomenological Study On The Perceived Impact Of Bass's Four I'S Of Transformational Leadership, Yarissa Marn

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe World of Warcraft game leaders’ perceptions of the impact on their guilds regarding Bass’s 4 I’s of transformational leadership.

Methodology: This qualitative study interviewed 13 World of Warcraft game leaders who have led their guild members for at least one year. The main source of data collection was semi-structured open-ended interview questions with other resources to include artifacts. The researcher coded and analyzed data for themes and patterns.

Findings: Several domains of Bass’s Four I’s Transformational Leadership framework were found to have an impact on World of Warcraft …

Examining The Career Path Of Certified Public Accountants In Audit And Tax Services: Perceptions Of Accounting Graduates' Competencies, Steven Mulhollen

Dissertations

Accounting professionals claim there is a deficiency of individuals with the appropriate competencies to enter the accounting workforce (Pasewark, 2021; Richardson, 2020; Sandifer, 2018; Thomson, 2017). Also, recent trends indicate a need to increase the number of qualified accounting professionals who can pass the Certified Public Accounting Exam (CPA Exam) and enter the public accounting workforce (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA], 2021a; Dawkins, 2023). This quantitative, causal-comparative study expands existing studies by analyzing the impact of CPA's chosen career path of audit or tax on their perception of the required and attained accounting competencies. This study contributes to …

Onboarding To Retention: First Year Experiences Of Faculty And Staff Of Color At A Predominantly White Institution, Paige Jones

Dissertations

Proactive onboarding is essential to a long-term retention strategy. Past research has highlighted the challenge of retaining diverse faculty and staff and how an unwelcoming climate affects the decisions of leaving or staying for faculty and staff of color differently than their White coworkers. Using Bauer’s Four Cs framework, this study explores the role of first-year onboarding experiences in the retention of faculty and staff of color at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in higher education. Purposive sampling was used to select participants, and semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with nine faculty and staff of color at a PWI in Southern …

The Relationship Between Inclusive Leadership, Psychological Safety, And Job Embeddedness On Employees' Turnover Intent In A Post Crisis Environment, Jan Sims

Dissertations

Large-scale adverse events such as natural disasters and pandemics interrupt business services, initiating defining moments for organizations. The trend of people exiting the workforce compels organizations to examine turnover risk and search for factors that mitigate the impact of resignations. In response to the increase in voluntary turnover and retirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examines four elements that have impacted the workplace since 2020–turnover intent, job embeddedness, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership.

This quantitative study examined the relationship between inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and job embeddedness on employees’ turnover intent. Professional and supervisory level employees of public sector …

Adaptive Leadership: Nurse Executives Building Organizational Adaptive Capacity During Times Of Crisis, Challenge, And Change, Kristian Poitier

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by nurse executives in acute care hospitals to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership identified by Heifetz et al. (2009).

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study identified and described the perceived impact of adaptive leadership on building an organization’s adaptive capacity as perceived by nurse executives in acute care hospitals, for-profit and not-for-profit, with the title of chief nursing officer (CNO) or chief nurse executive (CNE) in Southeast, West, and North Florida. The researcher was part of a …

"There Is Power In Being Out": A Three Article Approach Celebrating The Experiences Of Queer University Leaders, Andrew R. E. Lorenzana

Dissertations

Institutions of higher education were historically built to serve a wealthy, White, straight male student population and the leaders of these institutions still largely reflect these demographics. This project specifically aims to celebrate and amplify the life and career of university administrators who identify within the LGBTQ community. Mainly through the use of a portraiture methodology, this three-article study attempts to examine the ways in which LGBTQ identity and career influence one another.

Worldmaking and narrative will be used as a theoretical frame to help analyze the ways in which the telling of a queer individual’s story makes the world …

Perception Of Emotional Intelligence And Self Efficacy For School Business Officials At K-12 Districts, Agha Mirza

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and self-efficacy in Chief Business Officials (CBOs) working in School Districts in the state of California.

Methodology: The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and self-efficacy characteristics, employing a quantitative, correlational research design. The study involved a non-experimental approach to establish correlations between the identified variables and an explanatory design to elucidate the relationship between variables. Correlational research has been established as the most effective approach for examining correlations between phenomena and distinct population samples, which made …

How Transformational Leadership Improves Instructional Practices: The Mediating Role Of Teachers’ Change-Oriented Organizational Citizenship And Appreciation, Mariam Mohamed Alhammadi

Dissertations

Enhancing educational outcomes in the education system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hinges on improving teaching and learning practices. This study investigates the influence of transformational leadership approaches on instructional practices within science classrooms while examining the potential mediating effects of enhanced change-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors and heightened organizational appreciation, in the cultural context of the UAE public school system. Data are gathered from 297 teachers in UAE government schools through survey instruments featuring modified existing organizational context scales and scales inspired by the PISA, 2015 cycle’s teacher and student questionnaires. The collected data are analyzed using SmartPLS software …