Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Functional And Dysfunctional Themes In Successful Peace Agreements Arising From Intractable Conflicts, Sharon Ryan Ryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An important challenge facing humanity today is to determine how to resolve intractable conflicts. Intractable conflicts are intensely violent conflicts that are difficult to resolve and last at least one generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the themes leaders used in resolving intractable conflicts by writing peace agreements, which achieved at least a ninety percent implementation rating by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The research questions focused on the distribution of societal themes defined by Bar-Tal as present within societies experiencing an intractable conflict. This study used a multicase …

Strategies For Exploring: Acat Iii Requirement Approval Process, Donald E. Schlomer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Congress mandated the Secretary of Defense develop a strategy to streamline the joint capabilities integrated development system (JCIDS). The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that senior U.S. Army Commanders might use to reduce the approval time for an acquisition category (ACAT) III need document in the JCIDS. Data came from historical documents and semistructured interviews of 30 ACAT III requirement writers and senior U.S. Army commanders with expertise in JCIDS. The conceptual framework was Goldratt's theory of constraints. Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's data analysis method was used to identify themes. Six …

Exploring The Performance Of The Financial Service Cooperative Industry In Grenada, Rachael Annette Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2008 financial crisis impacted the Caribbean financial sector with declining liquidity and profitability, and return on assets falling to 0.7% from 2.6%. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that credit union executives in Grenada used to consistently maintain profitability. The targeted study population consisted of four credit union executives responsible for operations, administration, and regulations in the financial service cooperative industry in Grenada. The social influence of power theory was the conceptual framework that grounded this study. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and document (annual reports and cooperative society laws) review. Data …

Dentists As Clinician Managers: Leadership Influences On Dental Team Empowerment And Engagement, Scott Hinckley Craven

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership training is virtually nonexistent for dental students, and practicing dentists rarely engage in any form of leadership development, relying primarily on mentoring by senior colleagues and on-the-job experiences. Dentists serve in a hybrid role as clinicians and managers to provide quality dental care and establish a profitable business, respectively. This quantitative study investigated the ways in which the emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership styles of 16 dentist clinician managers (DCMs) affected their dental teams. Specifically, the effects of leadership style and EI of DCMs on individual psychological empowerment (PE), team PE, and employee engagement were explored. Team PE effects …

Effective Leadership And Nonprofit Sustainability, Vaughn Orsborne Gleaves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A sustainability plan of an organization is useless without effective leadership in its design and execution. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies that church leaders having at least 7 continuous years of organizational fiscal sustainability and leadership used to ensure fiscal sustainability. The study included 8 face-to-face and 2 phone interviews with 4 senior pastors, 3 associate pastors, a treasurer, a finance committee chair, and a certified public accountant who lived in the Akron, Ohio area along with a review of documents including a leadership meeting agenda and financial committee meeting agenda, provided by study participants. …

Strategies For Catalyzing Workforce Engagement In Warehouse Operations, Jeannette Jackson-Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, approximately 30% of the global workers viewed experiences in the workplace as positive and fulfilling, which results in increased productivity in the workplace. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some warehouse service center managers used to engage employees to higher levels of productivity. The population comprised of 7 warehouse service center managers in 2 companies located in the Riverport area in Louisville, KY. The conceptual framework for this study encompassed Kahn's employee engagement theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, organizational procedure handbooks, and direct observation to prompt detailed information about participants' …

Improving Employee Engagement Through Strategic Planning By Human Resources Professionals, Victoria L. Benson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Turnover rates are climbing every year, with a lack of engagement cited as a top reason, costing employers money in lost productivity. Slightly over one-third of workers worldwide consider themselves engaged. Employers are at risk of losing top talent due to a lack of engagement. Business leaders need to adapt to changing engagement practices invoking human resources (HR) as a strategic business partner. This study focused on strategic planning tools HR leaders in used to increase employee engagement. Interviews with leaders in a small-sized cloud-based data storage company in the Southeast region of the United States, were analyzed to identify …

Small To Medium Enterprise Business Leaders Managing Change, Shahriar Nazari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational change is necessary for businesses to survive and prosper. One of the main reasons organizational change is unsuccessful is the inadequate leadership style used by business leaders. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies business leaders used to manage change. The target population comprised a purposeful sample of 15 business leaders from various businesses located in the metropolitan area of Southern California. The conceptual framework for this study was the transformational leadership theory, which holds that leaders can use inspiration and motivation to inspire employees, especially during times of organizational change. A pilot study …

E-Leadership And Leader-Member Exchange Strategies For Increasing Nonprofit Virtual Team Productivity, Nichole Guerra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders often place new employees with little experience in challenging virtual team settings, where they are expected to meet increased service demands. Productivity failures reported in the 2015 State of the Nonprofit Sector survey revealed that 76% of U.S. nonprofit agencies experienced increased demand for services in 2014, while 52% were unable to meet those demands. Based on the e-leadership and leader-member exchange (LMX) theories, the purpose of this descriptive, single case study was to identify the leadership strategies used by nonprofit midlevel supervisors to increase productivity of virtual teams containing new employees in Colorado. A purposeful sampling method …

Perceptions Of Women Of Color On Career Advancement In High Technology Management, Angela Michelle Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In information technology, few women of color hold senior level executive leadership positions in the United States. Currently, in the high-tech industry, Asian and Black women hold 1.7% of executive/senior-level positions, and only 0.2% are in CEO positions. The purpose of this research was to understand professional executive women of color experiences in career advancement in the high technology fields. The study's conceptual framework included organizational culture theory, Krumboltz's theory of career counseling, and the leadership pipeline model. The overarching research question and subquestions addressed the lived experiences of 15 professional senior executive women of color in relation to career …

Information & Communications Technologies Investment Decisions And Organizational Performance In Major Nonprofits In Kenya, Sylvester Musyoki Kisonzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The levels of organizational performance (OP) achievable from a dollar investment in information and communications technologies (ICT) remains elusive. A consensus exits among scholars and organizational leaders that effective use of ICT improves OP yet managers continue to struggle to justify investments in ICT. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore and explain how investments in ICT related with OP. The study built on the resource-based view of the firm theoretical framework. A key question in the study was whether there existed a consistent, positive correlation between ICT investments, decision-making performance, and OP, and if so, explain the …

A Survey Comparison Of Virtual And In Situ Leadership Competencies, Christopher Wesley Wells

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders support many workplace configurations that do not rely on the collocation of leaders and followers and may exhibit different interaction competencies with employees. There was limited understanding about these leadership competencies required in virtual work environments. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between the percentages of time spent weekly as a virtual leader (IV) and 6 leadership competencies (DVs), such as a leader's vision and values. The theoretical framework was based on Sandstrom and Smith's legacy leadership model. Study participants were randomly selected from LinkedIn.com forums (N = 93). Data were collected using the …

Effect Of Emotional Experiences On Emotional Intelligence Among U.S. Military Leaders, Robert S. Crosby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military veterans may have constructive skills and abilities in emotional intelligence (EI) that assist in managing emergencies, crises, and relationships. However, according to U.S. government-employment statistics, the joblessness rate of military veterans is up to 400% higher than that of nonveterans. The paucity of research conducted on the relationship between EI and prolonged intense emotional experiences, such as those experienced during military deployments, lessens the abilities of these veterans to market their EI skills in the pursuit of employment. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental survey study was to observe, evaluate, and compare the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale …

A Grounded Theory Of The Factors Affecting Employee Vision Inspiration, Luis Luarca

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inspired, motivated employees are essential to organizational success. Research findings indicate a strong relationship between vision, leader charisma, organizational factors, and the extent to which employees feel motivated to achieve organizational goals based on the vision, known as employee vision inspiration (EVI). However, little is known about how employees personalize organizational visions and why this affects their performance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore in-depth the organizational and employee-related factors that affect EVI using the constant comparative method and grounded theory methodology, and how EVI manifests itself in employee behaviors directed toward the achievement of a company's …

Leadership Practices That Improve The Workplace Safety Environment, Nathan Nomore Chikono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate leadership is the reason workplace accidents in the mining industry remain high, making the industry one of the most hazardous operational activities in the world. Unsafe leadership practices may result in death or injury to workers. A group of 30 mining company leaders from 3 gold mines in Zimbabwe revealed an exception to these hazardous practices, however, notable through their outstanding safety improvement records. To better understand what these practitioners were doing, this multicase study research design explored their strategies to improve the workplace safety environment in the mines. Data were collected using audio-recorded semistructured interviews and document analyses. …

How Does Organizational Culture Impact Rn Engagement, Veronica Anntionette Ruffin-Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of RN engagement in the acute care setting can result in poor staffing, nursing shortages, increased stress levels for nurses and decreased morale. When nurses are not engaged in their work setting, quality of care suffers. A wide range of literature focuses on the importance of RN engagement; however, few health care organizations have taken the initiative to implement programs that foster RN engagement, demonstrating a gap in practice. This study examined the relationship between the levels of RN engagement and their perceptions of their organizational culture. Kolcaba's humanistic approach to meeting the needs of RN staff was used …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Ethical Leadership: Implications For Organizational Success, Adejobi Sunday Odeneye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders focus on the attainment of personal and organizational goals without consideration for the needs of stakeholders, especially those of followers. Ethical leadership (EL) studies' focus on leaders' perspectives represented a research gap that necessitated this study. Followers are the least researched among stakeholders; thus, this study explored EL from their viewpoints. Stakeholder theory, social learning theory, eudaimonia, and utilitarianism were the conceptual frameworks that guided this study. Twenty participants drawn from followers in a public organization in New Jersey were questioned about their experiences and expectations of EL using open-ended interview questions. Participants with shared experiences were selected based …

Exploring Which Leadership Styles Are Effective With Millennial Employees, Samuel Long

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers struggle with how to motivate the Millennial generation employee. Research that explores which leadership styles are effective with Millennial generation employees is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore what leadership styles are effective with Millennial employees, which led to a key research question: Which leadership styles facilitate employee motivation for the Millennial generation? The theoretical framework was based on the social learning, transformational leadership, and servant leadership theories, which were used to identify effective leadership styles. In the theoretical framework, different motivation theories were presented to establish the context in which motivation was discussed. This quantitative …

Mentoring Black Males: Discovering Leadership Strategies That Improve Their Future, Jessie Small

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the last 25 years, Black males have experienced systematically devastating results in social, educational, and economic outcomes at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group; devastation that has led to Black males experiencing failure on educational, economic, and freedom levels. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the leadership strategies used in a selected mentoring program in the southeastern United States to determine why these strategies have been effective in improving Black males' ability to navigate life's challenges. The conceptual framework for the study was House's path-goal theory of leadership. The research questions …

Servant Leadership And Its Effect On Employee Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intent, Dennis M. Mitterer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experts expect a shortage of more than 900,000 nurses by 2022, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections. Turnover in nursing contributes significantly to the shortage and often results from poor leadership of nurse managers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate how servant leadership behaviors affected the psychological state and behavioral response of staff nurses as reflected by job satisfaction and turnover intention. Specifically, the research question addressed whether servant leadership positively contributes to the psychological states and the behaviors of staff nurses leading to greater job satisfaction. The study design was correlational, …

Leadership Development For The Formal Nurse Leader, Lori Neu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse leaders are essential to the advancement of healthcare because of their ability to bridge the gap of knowledge between clinical practice and the business of healthcare. Developing nurse managers is imperative to the future of nursing given their influential role in healthcare. The central topic of exploration in the project was how nurse managers use the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) Nurse Manger Inventory Tool to assess their management skills after exposure to the leadership development program currently available to them. In this project, the novice to expert theory was used to evaluate the existing leadership development program …

Influence Of Leadership Style On Leaders' Transition From Private To Public Sector, Lorinda Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership can improve the quality of work through motivation or degrade work through pressure. Leadership effectiveness depends on style and work environment. Differences in work environment may create challenges for leaders transitioning from private to public organizations. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between leadership styles and ease of transition from private to public organizations. The study included the full-range leadership model as the theoretical foundation. Seventy-seven public sector employees in Ontario, Canada, participated in a survey to measure leadership style and effectiveness of transition from private to public sector. Results of multiple linear …

A Phenomenological Study On The Leadership Experience Of Teleworking Leaders, Patrice Ann Louie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technological advances and the desire for employees to improve work-life balance have contributed to the growth of telework. Finding and retaining effective leadership talent are critical needs of organizations. Recruitment and retention of leadership talent can be supported by access to perquisites such as the ability to telework. Although research on teleworking employees in general, and virtual team leaders, can inform the industry, few leadership models exist that specifically help understand what it takes to be a teleworking leader. The purpose of this phenomenological study of teleworking leaders filled this gap by examining the experiences of 12 teleworking leaders with …

Nonprofit Sustainability: How Does Departure Of A Founding Leader Impact Outcomes?, Lauren Mcindoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high failure rate among local community-based nonprofit human service organizations in New York State, which may lead to service gaps in communities. Increasing sustainability may reduce these gaps and allow nonprofits to continue following the first leadership transition. Using McGregor's human resource theory as the guide, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the relationship between leadership succession planning and how departure of founding leaders impacts the sustainability of nonprofits. Data were collected through interviews with 16 leaders that included departing founding leaders, successors, and 2 board members in 4 local community-based nonprofit human service …

Strategies To Improve Job Satisfaction And Reduce Voluntary Employee Turnover Of Nurses, Stewart Proctor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction and employee turnover affect the health care industry in the form of overworked staff, inadequate health care, and loss of profits. In 2015, the United States health care industry had a shortage of over 923,000 registered nurses. Health care organizations lose an estimated $1.4 to $2.1 billion each year because of registered nurse (RN) turnover. These factors indicate that some managers lack the strategies to increase job satisfaction and reduce RN turnover. The purpose of this single case study was to use the Herzberg 2-factor theory to explore strategies 5 health care leaders use to improve nurses' job …

The Impact Of Authentic Leadership Behavior On Employee Engagement And Organizational Ethical Culture In Nigeria, Adayehi B. Peter

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Authenticity in leadership is an old phenomenon that has recently sparked a new research interest in management and the human resource development (HRD) literature (Peus, Wesche, Streicher, Braun, & Frey, 2012). An upswing in highly publicized corporate scandals, management malfeasance, and broader societal challenges facing public and private organizations has contributed to the recent attention placed on authenticity and authentic leadership (Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, & Peterson, 2008). Authentic leadership behavior allows leaders and organizations meet the raised expectations of fairness, morality, and social responsibility held by employees and organizational stakeholders (Kiersch, 2012).

The primary purpose of this study was …

Understanding The Concept Of "Inspiring Professors" In Mexico, Ivone Juárez Barco

Student Scholarship

There is only 14% of graduates that have had professors who cared for them as persons, made them excited about learning and encouraged them to pursue their dreams, reported a study from Gallup and Purdue University (2015). The purpose of this qualitative research was to generate a grounded theory to comprehend the concept of “inspiring professor” in Mexico. The question to be answered which originated this research was “what are the characteristics of professors who inspire students?”. Thirty- nine professors were interviewed, 19 of them were identified as “truly inspiring” by students. The findings that distinguish inspiring professors are: they …

Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Servant Leadership In The United States And Latin America, Ismael Merino

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, the subject matter evaluated is the difference between the United States and Latin America concerning the practice and acceptance of servant leadership. This research compares the practice and the acceptance of servant leadership between the United States of America and Latin America. In order to do this, a cross-cultural comparison was conducted between these two groups. The objective was to find the differences in the leadership styles of these two groups and subsequently analyze the results. The Hofstede’s cultural dimensions were used to be able to compare cultural differences, and understand why these differences appear in the …

Leading Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In A Difficult Period: What Differentiates Success From Failure, Emmanuel Quansah

Student Scholarship

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the largest engines of job creation and innovation in the U.S. and many parts of the world--yet most of them fail within the first five years of being opened. While the factors that contribute to their failures have been well studied, there is little empirical research about how they survive difficult economic periods. How can SMEs compete and grow in the face of today's complex, turbulent, and fiercely competitive business environment? The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of how leaders of successful SMEs enable their businesses to survive and …

Mid-Level Procurement Manager Leader Development: A Collective Case Study, Douglas Veatch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The development of high-performing employees with the potential to assume leadership roles remains a vital exercise for organizations. Public and private sector organizations of all sizes have implemented programs focused on developing the next generation of leaders. The researcher explored the issue of how a national service industry organization is experiencing varied levels of success of leader development in the case of geographically dispersed mid-level procurement managers in the trucking logistics group. Guided by elements of successful leader development programs, the purpose of this collective qualitative case study was to discover the common issues and factors that lead to success …