Education Commons^™

How Leaders And Employees Experience, Make Sense Of, And Find Meaning In Humility, David Perryman

Theses & Dissertations

By just about any measure, organizations today are more dynamic, diverse, and interdependent than at any other time in history. This environment puts unprecedented pressure on the human capacity to lead. And still, we demand more from our leaders—even as employees experience rising stress levels, declining loyalty, and deteriorating trust in their employers, and organizations face historically high rates of employee turnover along with the resulting financial and emotional costs. Clinging to romanticized notions of the larger-than-life leader blinds us to the paradoxical promise of humility; namely, that a leader’s greatest strength may lie, ironically, in the ability …

Disrupting Education: High School Principals’ Efforts To Lead Disruptive Innovation And The Influence Of Isomorphic Mechanisms, Katie Cummings Catania

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Students today require skills and dispositions different from those of the past. Despite ongoing efforts to initiate change in schools through reform efforts, little has changed within educational institutions. Current reform efforts do, however, create conditions for principals to lead disruptive innovation within their schools. Research is limited on innovation implementation in education and the various ways isomorphic forces may hinder or contribute to the design and adoption of disruptive innovations. The purpose of this study was to examine how high school principals lead disruptive innovation. Additionally, this study sought to understand how the mechanisms of isomorphism influence the adoption …

Critical Followership: Faculty And Leader Relations Impact On Leadership Turnover At A California Community College, Erik William Christianson

Doctoral Dissertations

Community colleges are experiencing higher levels of executive leader (chancellor, vice chancellor, and dean) turnover than four-year universities. Many different factors account for the high turnover and low retention: the need for dynamic leaders, the leadership succession process, the lack of professional training and development, as well as stakeholders and outside forces. The relationship dynamic between faculty and leaders as a contributing factor has not been previously studied. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine leaders’ misperceptions of faculty’s needs. Surveys and interviews were utilized to cross-examine data and perceptions from faculty and leaders. Through the lens …

Organizational Stressors As Predictors Of Burnout, Kristen Albritton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if organizational stress, measured by role conflict and role ambiguity, predicts burnout among employees. A review of the related literature identified variables that demonstrate a relationship with burnout, supported by the Maslach (1998) theory of burnout and Katz and Kahn’s (1966) organizational role theory. The researcher also examined whether organizational level and demographic variables (gender, education level, and job tenure) moderate the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout.

The study follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using data collected from a survey. Results of linear regression analyses reveal role conflict and …

A Cross National Comparison Of Family Friendly Work Policies: The Potential Influence Of Cultural Values, Adeline Grace Hardten

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Around the world people must work for a living, but also must raise their families. To balance these obligations, parents need high levels of support. But the existence of family friendly work policies, defined as paid parental leave and affordable, high-quality childcare, vary significantly across nations, making it difficult for many to obtain the necessary support. Research indicates that countries providing supportive family friendly policies see economic benefits, increases in profitability, and stronger overall youth development. Even though research reveals strong positive outcomes, there is a deficiency of exploration into why more countries still lack comprehensive policies that support working …

Is Responsible Leadership Possible? Exploring The Experiences Of Business Leaders, Educators, And Scholars, Kanina Blanchard

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study addresses a simple yet complex question: How can leaders come to make more responsible decisions within today’s highly economized context? Using narrative inquiry, I explore the stories which leaders in academia, business, and education tell about their experiences at what I call the point of impingement—the point where, as leaders, they must make decisions while facing conflicting and opposing norms and values. Underpinning the inquiry is Kempster and Carroll’s (2016) conceptualization of responsibility in leadership, and their argument that transformation toward a future in which responsible leaders address societal, ecological, and humanitarian challenges requires exploration of lived experience. …

Trust Issues: A Case Study Of The Relationship Between Trust And Reform Implementation, Courtney R. Wilson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Reform creation and implementation tends to focus on the mechanics needed to ensure intended outcomes are achieved. School relationships are affected by the tension caused by reform implementation. Research suggests trust among teachers and between teachers and their administrator affects the way teachers make sense of, implement, and use new reform efforts. Given the demands reforms place on schools, trust has the potential to impact and encourage the implementation of reform and the maintenance of relationships. A qualitative case study method was used to decipher the impact trust plays in the implementation of reform. The concept of trust is used …

Student-Run Agencies: A Guideline For Agency Survival, Brooke Borgognoni

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to study 110 student-run agencies (including advertising, public relations, integrated/digital marketing, communications, and graphics and/or design) in the U.S. by analyzing how they currently operate, what practices exist in the agencies for learning, growth, and continuation and how leadership roles of students and advisors influence the agency. This project built upon past studies of student-run agencies and expanded on the topic using the evolutionary theory of a firm by analyzing factors that determine whether it appears that a student-run agency might dissolve or last. This was determined by measuring the faculty advisor involvement level, …

Perceptions And Challenges Of Female Workplace Mediators And How They Overcome Them, Gaedria B. Goodwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This holistic case study with embedded units was conducted to understand and describe the perceptions of female workplace mediators and if they encounter stereotypes, bias, and other challenges as mediators in the state of Texas. Ten female workplace mediators in Texas participated with in-depth, semistructured interviews and an open-ended survey response describing a unique experience they had while mediating workplace disputes. A cross-case synthesis analysis of the results was then conducted with journal notes, literature on gender inequality, mediation, alternative dispute resolution, and Goffman’s theory of stigma. The results of this qualitative research can provide additional alternative dispute resolution techniques …

Getting To The Heart Of Professional Development And Employee Engagement Among Non-Teaching Personnel In Higher Education: An Appreciative Inquiry Into The Influential Role Of A Staff Development Center, Rowena Casis-Woidyla

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite the importance and incorporation of staff development in higher education, there is limited research on the availability and use of learning opportunities for non-teaching personnel (NTP) in the form of professional development. Work performed by NTP in higher education is critical to university operations. Without professional development and engagement opportunities, NTP lack visibility, disengage and ultimately may separate from institutions of higher education. Deliberate organizational efforts to provide access to new learning opportunities and promote personal growth among NTP is the development and institutionalization of centers for professional development, also called staff development centers and staff training and professional …

Examining The Mediating Effect Of Job Crafting On The Relationship Between Managerial Coaching And Job Engagement In The Skilled Trades, Jennifer H. Duplessis

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Employee engagement continues to gain considerable attention owing to its positive correlation with numerous desired work-related outcomes (Saks, 2019; Shuck et al., 2017). Engagement in one’s job has become of particular interest in industry sectors experiencing shortages, such as the skilled trades (Bilginsoy, 2003). The skilled trades have reportedly been the most difficult segment of the employee market to staff globally year over year (Schwartz, 2015; Wright, 2013).

As organizations wish to improve engagement in one’s job, they have looked to developmental antecedents of engagement (Ellinger, Musgrove, & Ellinger, 2012). Managerial coaching has been supported as having a significant direct …

The Effect Of Faculty Leadership Style On The Results Of Student Evaluation Of Teachers, Sadeq Sohrabie

Theses & Dissertations

Higher education administrations use Student Evaluation of Teacher (SET) frequently as a performance metric for instructors and professors. Many decisions are being at least partially made based on SET results such as recruiting, retention, and promotion decisions. SET has been subject of many studies but just recently leadership style is being studied as a factor affecting SET. Research shows instructors’ transformational leadership in classrooms can lead to more effective and efficient classrooms, which in turn yields higher student satisfaction and academic gains. In this Study, the relationship between SET and transformational/transactional leadership style has been examined using structural equation modeling. …

Perception Of County Extension Agents’ Organizational Fit After Participating In The Mentoring Component Of The Cooperative Extension Service Onboarding Program, Angela Blacklaw-Freel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the perception employees of the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (CES) after participating in a mentoring program. The CES implemented an onboarding program in 2010 which included a yearlong mentoring component for county extension agents because they were resigning at an alarming rate. The study aimed to illuminate if the mentoring program increased the county extension agents’ perception of fit after completing the program by determining if they felt they possessed characteristics that were compatible with the organization.

This study was founded on the mentees’ viewpoints of their perceptions of person-organization (PO) fit, …

Painting The World Crimson: The Global Spread Of Graduate Management Education As Facilitated By Harvard Business School, Keshav Krishnamurty

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The growth and spread of business education worldwide is a phenomenon of contemporary interest, because it has enabled the expansion of a global managerial class that operates as social and economic elites worldwide in a time of growing inequality. I take a historic approach to this contemporary phenomenon by examining the role that Harvard Business School (HBS) played in the 1950s and 1960s in the conceptualization and launch of the now very prominent Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad. Using the archival materials at the Special Collections of the Baker Library at Harvard Business School, my research uncovers which …

The Relationship Between The Perceived Value Of Professional Development, Job Satisfaction, And Intent To Leave, Wendy Marie Wells

Dissertations

Organizations striving to remain competitive compete in the war for talent in order to recruit and retain employees. Studies assessing intent to leave and turnover suggest numerous strategies to mitigate the revolving door of employees quitting jobs (Allen, 2008; Allen, Bryant, & Vardaman 2010; Lee, Hom, Eberly, & Li, 2018). This study assesses the relationship between the perceived value of professional development, job satisfaction, and intent to leave. Results of the study reveal as one finds professional development, valuable job satisfaction increases. In assessing the relationship between professional development and intent to leave, the results of the study suggest that …

Enhancing Knowledge Worker Creativity In Bureaucratic Organizations: A Grounded Theory Study, Jaime Macias

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Through a grounded theory qualitative study consisting of interviews, observations, and document reviews, this study examined a mid-sized military organization to answer two questions: (1) How does the military organizational design (i.e., bureaucracy) influence the creative process? and (2) How do leaders amplify (mitigate) the positive (negative) effects of bureaucracy on the creative process? The data suggest that the perceived tension between organizational hierarchy and creativity is mitigated by the immediate supervisor’s behavior and ability to navigate the bureaucratic landscape. This study added to the existing body of research on creativity in the workplace in two ways. First, the researcher …

Do We All Agree? A Mixed-Methods Study Of The Impact Of Climate Strength On Psychological Safety, Team Learning, And Team Performance, Taylor Harrell

Dissertations

The majority of today’s organizations rely on teamwork to drive innovation and achieve success. Evidence suggests that two constructs—psychological safety and team learning behavior—demonstrate significant predictive power on performance. Existing research posits that the more psychologically safe a team feels, the more it can learn, which enhances its performance. While organizational literature has established links among psychological safety, team learning, and team performance, the conditions under which these relationships are enhanced or diminished are less clear.

Recent studies indicate that climate strength is a factor that significantly influences the relationship between climate variables and outcomes. Climate strength refers to the …

Career Funneling, Perceptions Of Success, And Their Impact On College Students At Scripps, Pitzer, And Claremont Mckenna Colleges, Carina A. Schick

Scripps Senior Theses

The U.S. News top college ranking lists have created a narrowing definition of collegiate and career success. Students are told an elite education is the ticket to a successful life, one filled with a high achieving career, meaning, and happiness. Through peer, familial, and media interfaces students are inundated with societal definitions of success such as fame, wealth, and status. Socialization primes adolescents to work towards these goals. This idealized type of success is only accessible to a select few, leading to dissatisfaction and creating pressures on students to work towards their college admission at early ages. This thesis examines …

Organizational Readiness, Resistance And Race: Examining Faculty Attitudes Toward Faculty Diversification In Higher Education, Krystal Denise Miguel Rawls

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The national demographic is changing, and institutions of higher education must prepare to change if they are to meet the needs of their new population. Identifying change readiness and potential resistance factors are primary steps in motivating organizational change. This study will investigate the academy’s organizational readiness for change using historical analysis to ascertain: 1) does the demographic mismatch require a change? 2) is faculty diversification the best solution to the demographic mismatch? And statistical analyses to determine: 3) the extent to which faculty feel they benefit or are harmed by faculty diversification? 4) does administration tangibly support development of …

Rising Above The Adobe Ceiling: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Mentoring And Social Capital Influences Among California Latina Nonprofit Leaders, Belinda Hernandez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Empirical research studies that focus on the experiences of Latinas in executive leadership are limited. In its entirety, workforce research has overlooked how social and cultural experiences influence this group’s leadership development. This gap in research has failed to uplift the Latina executive voice and their achievements. Addressing this gap has the potential to influence distinctive workforce practices and future scholarship. Utilizing an asset-based perspective, this study presents counter narratives that intentionally focus on exploring Latina leaders’ voices. The importance of intersectional experience and social identities illustrate non-monolithic, yet aligned, experiences among study participants.

This foundational dissertation explored mentoring phenomena …

The Sustainability Knowledge, Attitude, And Behavior Differences Between Green And Non-Green University Students, Rebekah Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that green schools and sustainability education (SE) can improve learning, health, attitudes, and behaviors. They can also model the necessary community, societal, and global changes needed for sustainable living. However, most students do not attend green schools or receive adequate SE. Limited peer-reviewed studies have also examined the sustainability knowledge, attitude, and behavior differences between green and non-green university student populations. The theoretical foundation of the study was based on the theories of planned behavior and social identity theory. In order to fill the research gap, 606 undergraduates and graduates from 265 U.S. accredited green and non-green …

Social Influences, Decision-Making, And Career Retention Of Novice Teachers, Kerstin Anna Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers bring hope, optimism, and excitement for teaching and learning from their individual preparatory programs to their classrooms at the start of every new school year. However, research indicates a large number of those teachers leave the field of teaching within a 5-year timeframe. The consequence of this loss of professionals has a deep-rooted impact on student achievement and learning. This loss also has considerable career and financial implications for the field of education. The reasons for this exodus are varied and somewhat broad in nature and scope. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived …

Corporate Trainers’ Intent To Adjust Training Programs For Fostering Employee Self-Efficacy, Peter Cronrath

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To stay current on technology trends, trainers are tasked with providing cost-effective training to meet the needs of the organization. It is not known if to develop employee self-efficacy, organizational trainers should consider making changes to their programs in accordance with (a) generational needs of employees, (b) methodology of training, and (c) position levels of employees in an organization. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to determine whether there is a correlation between organizational training professionals’ intent to make changes to training programs and if self-efficacy development is considered in generationally different individuals at different position levels …

Integration Workplace Practices For Generation Z- An E-Delphi Study, Unnatti Jain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective integration of new generations of employees has been a problem for organizations for decades, resulting in high turnover, increased costs, and lowered revenue. Generation Z (Gen Z) has recently entered the workforce and is experiencing the same ineffective integration practices as prior generations, with characteristics and expectations that conflict with current work climates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the level of consensus among 15 midlevel organizational managers over the age of 30, employed at a mid-level managers’ position with a direct reporting line of 20 or more employees for a minimum of 2 years, possessing …

Stability Vs. Change In Catholic Schools, Susan Theresa Diverio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an investigation of innovative practices based upon organizational learning and the life cycle in Catholic elementary and high schools. Limited research exists in the role that these factors play in Catholic school sustainability. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of organizational learning, as measured by the Organizational Learning Scale, and life cycle, as measured by Organizational Life Cycle 5-Scale on organizational innovation, as measured by the Organizational Innovation Scale. Organizational design framework, life cycle theory, and transtheoretical model of behavior provided the theoretical framework to investigate the relationship between organizational learning, life cycle …

Servant Leadership And Job Satisfaction As Moderated By Workplace Spirituality, Shellie Kae Mcnabb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction has been the focus of scholars for decades. Employers must create a workplace where the employee receives more than a paycheck. Servant leaders speak directly to the decisive leader-follower relationship. Workplace spirituality is a place where the employee is a valued part of the membership. Combining the three elements may answer the current problem of the aligning of business goals with employee needs. Existing research supports that servant leadership enhances job satisfaction. Researchers have demonstrated that the employee lead by example is more content. Missing are the contexts where these workers excel. The purpose of this study was …

How Adult Learners Participate In Collaborative Learning Within A University Environment, Dennis Keechul Awen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Innovation and creativity are the “competitive edges” needed for businesses, government agencies, universities, communities, and private individuals to “stay and feel alive” and compete in our global world. Collaborative learning allows the birth of new kinds of thinking and new perspectives. Regardless of age, gender, race, and academic background, innovation and creativity through collaborative learning allows any individual, group, and organization to “jump start their batteries” and create something new. For this research study, I discovered what collaborative learning is, how it works, and what allows collaborative learning to occur.

In this qualitative study, I explored how a group of …

Innovation Within Regulations: Gaining Insight On Cultivating Employee-Led Innovation In California Public-Sector Organizations, Rebecca N. Franklin

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The inquiry concerned gaining insights into environmental elements needed within California public-sector organizations to increase employees’ willingness to share innovative ideas. Although research exists regarding the need for service innovation and employees as fruitful sources of innovative ideas, there have been limited studies concerning public-sector organizations and the best method to solicit employee ideas. The data collection for this qualitative research study consisted of a series of interviews with front-line, non-supervisory civil servants. The results provide insights and information on how public-sector organizations may foster a culture that promotes and encourages employee-led innovation. The themes that emerged were (a) transparency …