Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

Developing Public Service Leadership: Understanding The Field Immersion/Comparative Cases Model For Mid-Career Professional Education In Environment And Natural Resources Leadership, Erin M. Steinkruger

Dissertations and Theses

Public administrators in the United States face increasingly complex challenges and are called to leadership by position and in practice. In a hyper-pluralistic society, individuals must lead from where they sit, arbitrating value differences in day-to-day functions and taking on adversity and uncertainty in pursuit of the public good. These individuals are served by a variety of leadership training programs both internal and external to their organizations. This study characterizes the field immersion/comparative cases (FICC) model for public service leadership development and uses a grounded theory approach to build understanding about how individuals learn about leadership; what learning outcomes emerge …

Exemplary Senior Navy Female Leadership: A Study Of How Navy Female Leaders Use The Grit Characteristics Courage, Conscientiousness, Long-Term Goals, Resilience, And Excellence Versus Perfection To Create Extraordinary Results Within Their Organizations, Cache' Hapner

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary senior Navy female leaders used five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological method to describe how eight senior Navy female leaders use five characteristics of grit to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. Respondents were purposively chosen. The researcher collected data through interviews, transcripts, and artifacts that were triangulated and coded for themes using NVivo software.

Findings: Exemplary senior Navy female leaders use …

Elementary Principals’ Perceptions Regarding Implementing A District-Mandated Educational Equity Policy, Glen Patrick Messier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in the current basic qualitative study was that elementary principals were challenged to implement a district-mandated educational equity policy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore elementary principals’ experiences implementing a district-mandated educational equity policy. The conceptual framework for this study was transformational leadership theory. This leadership theory was often used by leaders who focused on a collective purpose and held themselves accountable for initiating and sustaining positive social change. Three research questions addressed principals’ experiences and perceptions in their attempt to implement a district-mandated educational equity policy, as well as principals’ suggestions for continuous improvement …

Leadership And Military Power – Can A Leadership Approach Provide A Competitive Advantage?, Lawrence E. Skelly Iii

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Leadership and Military Power – Can a Leadership Approach Provide a Competitive Advantage? When does a military commander's leadership approach give his or her unit a performance advantage? U.S. Army senior leaders have asserted that forces led using the mission command approach will have an edge in future combat. Mission command decentralizes decision-making to empower subordinates to react more successfully and seize battlefield opportunities. American forces have struggled to employ mission command partly because of a lack of understanding of the approach. This study applied two concepts from organizational psychology, empowering leadership and directive leadership, to better define and examine …

Marching Forward: A Qualitative Examination Of Adapting Enlisted Veteran Leadership Skills In The Corporate Environment, Casey W. Jensen

Dissertations

planning, resource utilization, and conforming to corporate policies all required adaptation. Veterans primarily adapt their leadership skills through internal and external networking, mentors, coaches, managing and resetting expectations, and understanding light and dark ambiguity. The theoretical contributions of this research are in paternalistic leadership and veteran enlisted research. The practical implications assist veterans in understanding how to adapt and strategies to adapt their skills. In addition, managers and peers may use this research to understand veterans' challenges better when leaving military service. Next, talent acquisition professionals can use this research to better identify military veteran candidates for specific roles and …

Experiences Of Women Of Color In Leadership Paths At Predominately White Institutions, Philomena Marie Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch shows that the experiences of women of color in leadership paths at predominately White institutions (PWIs) have impacted their advancements and route to the presidency. However, there is limited research on the positive aspects of their leadership contributions or on the intersection of race and gender and mentoring in their leadership roles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of women of color in leadership paths at PWIs. Black feminist thought and intersectionality were the conceptual framework used to understand those experiences. Thirteen women of color in leadership roles at PWIs in the United States …

Factors Of Employee Retention Within Youth-Serving Nonprofits In The Mid-Atlantic Region Of The United States, Meleny Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Factors of employee retention have been widely researched and examined. However, research on factors of retention in relation to youth-serving NPOs was limited. Turnover was an issue that many organizations face, but the impacts and implications of turnover for youth-serving nonprofits may be greater. Using Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, this study identified the factors that local and national NPO employees in the Mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States provided as to why they remained at or left NPOs. The aim of this study was to identify the motivator and/or hygiene factors that employees or former employees of NPOs …

The Effectiveness Of Strategy Execution In The Regulatory Management Of The Nigerian Downstream Petroleum Industry., Michael Chinedu Nwonu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNigeria is Africa’s largest oil and gas producer; however, its petroleum industry has experienced mismanagement and a lack of coherent regulations. The general problem addressed in this study was that leaders and managers of Nigeria’s public sector did not have a strong system in place to create and implement regulatory strategies that effectively controlled the management of the petroleum sector. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of managers in developing petroleum regulatory strategies defined by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, FMPR, in Abuja, Nigeria. The realization concept was applied as a conceptual …

The Role Of Women In Public Administration In Saint Lucia, Elizabeth Elicia Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women continue to face stereotypes and barriers with their advancement to leadership positions. Nonetheless, there is an increasing number of females in leadership roles partly due to programs and policies for the advancement of women, causing several women to aspire to and take up top leadership positions in the public sector. In Saint Lucia, women hold about 70% of the senior management positions that were once dominated primarily by men. However, little is known about the role of women in public administration in Saint Lucia. This qualitative study aimed to understand the perceptions of male and female leaders relating to …

Case Study: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities And Threats Analysis For My Brother’S Keeper Organization, Tyriek Bobby Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this case study, strategies to increase the impact of mentorship programs and academic success of African American high school students were examined through the use of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The purpose of this case study was to gather empirical data to identify opportunities for First Generation College Bound, Inc., an affiliate of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative to strategically improve and expand their program. The research question focused on identifying the programs’ current administrative practices as well as areas to better engage and support mentees. Using the conceptual framework of Hersey and Blanchard’s …

Urban Administrators Perspectives Of Exclusionary Discipline Techniques And The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Sabrina Enid Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an overrepresentation of elementary-age, Black boys being suspended across the United States. Researchers have found that if these boys are disconnected from school at an early age, they are at risk of becoming part of the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). Educators, particularly those in urban settings, need to understand more about the use of exclusionary discipline policies and practices. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand how urban educators consider the consequences of exclusionary discipline practices and the overrepresentation of elementary-age, Black boys who receive them compared to others. Critical race theory informed this study. Ten …

Impact Of Leadership Style On Moral Conduct In The Ghana Air Force, Kwabena Krampah Antwi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The conduct of personnel in the military is important in maintaining professionalism. The traditional hierarchical level of interactions in the military environment imposes on commanders a critical role to balance their authority in shaping the attitudes of subordinates to achieve objectives. This study was conducted to address the lack of awareness of how commanders’ leadership styles influence the moral conduct of personnel in the Ghana Air Force. The theoretical framework for this study was Bass and Avolio’s full range leadership model. The research question focused on subordinates’ perceptions of operational commanders’ leadership on subordinates’ moral conduct. This non-experimental correlational design …

Professional Dispositions And Perceptions Of Principals About Inclusion In Senior Secondary Schools, Desmond Prince, George Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractProviding inclusive education for children with special educational needs and disabilities entails educating these students in general education classrooms. There are no consistent practices or regulations for administering programs for such students in general education classrooms in Sierra Leone. This problem is supported by the lack of literature about administrative inclusive education practices. This basic qualitative study was conducted to explore the professional dispositions, perceptions, and rules or regulations that school principals hold for administering programs for students with special educational needs and disabilities in general education classrooms. The conceptual framework of the study was based on moral leadership and …

Lived Experiences Of Nurse Leaders, Catherine Jeannette Mohammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has called for more leadership, more accountability, and increased education and training of health care leaders. The NAM has demanded that nurses participate in health care policy making, increase their knowledge of research and data collection, advise leaders across the business world, train and educate seamlessly, and practice to the full extent of their licensure. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 12 influential nurse leaders from the state of Arizona. Transformational leadership theory provided the framework for the study. Semi-structured interview data were transcribed, coded, and …

Factors Contributing To The Success Of Rising Latino Leadership In Central California, A Qualitative Inquiry, Yammilette Rodriguez

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This research study is a qualitative inquiry into Latino public servants in Central California. Drawing from the knowledge of 60 Central Valley Latinos, the study provides details of their inside accounts of their public service paths and political journeys. The public servants shared personal stories of successes and barriers from their experiences and lessons learned through in-depth interviews and focus groups. The findings translated into recommendations for potential Latino leaders to seek public life as volunteers or to run for political office. The themes of political ambition and social networks and capital arose with subthemes of policies, gender politics, leadership …

Barriers To The Hiring Of Women For The Independent School Headship, Kelley King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite over a century of activism to increase gender equality, inequalities persist across U.S. employment sectors, including in independent K-12 schools, which are predominately staffed by women yet led by men. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to understand the perceptions of six female heads of school and six female search consultants regarding the barriers that women face in being hired for the head of school position in independent K-12 schools. Most researchers studying gender equality have focused solely on the perspectives of female leaders, although executive search consultants are important arbiters in the search and hiring …

Factors Inhibiting Implementation Of A Comprehensive Disaster Management Framework In Trinidad And Tobago, Julie Urslin Samaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIdentifying and exploring the factors inhibiting implementation of a comprehensive disaster management framework to guide the operations of disaster management is a public policy imperative for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Despite the increased frequency and severity of natural and human-made disasters during the past decade, challenges continue with ensuring effective levels of preparedness for responding agencies in Trinidad and Tobago. The current study explored the lived experiences of first responding agencies that operate without a comprehensive disaster management framework. Two theoretical frameworks served as the foundation for this study: the advocacy coalition framework and the multiple streams framework, …

Perceptions Of Emotional And Social Intelligence Competencies Among Leaders Within Collective Impact Initiatives In Puerto Rico, Geraldine Bayron-Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The complexity of global societies’ issues requires leaders whose competencies facilitate collective impact initiatives as strategies for coordinating multisector efforts to transform substantial social problems. In Puerto Rico, such endeavors are not producing expedient long-term impact. It is crucial to implement said collaborations relying on leaders' emotional strength and skills, enabling efficient processes to find solutions for subpar circumstances in communities. It was unknown whether senior managers in Puerto Rico understood the necessary emotional and social intelligence leadership competencies which must be developed to improve organizational processes in local cross-sector collaborations. This phenomenological study aimed to understand whether these leaders …

Catalysts To Transformational Leadership Between Managers And Analysts In Public Service, Eugene Davis Stevenson Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transformational leadership (TL) is the ability of a leader to convince a subordinate or follower to adopt organizational goals as their goals. Transformational leaders utilize intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence to engage and mold their employees. Within the sphere of public management, current leadership research acknowledges the effect of TL but is still incomplete or inconsistent on how to catalyze TL consistently. The focus of this study was how TL is used between managers and analysts within California state public service. The theoretical framework for this study is complexity theory. Complexity theory states that the world …

School Psychologists As Leaders In Professional Practice: An Examination Of Leadership Roles And Perceived Support, Jodi Lachance

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The professional role of a school psychologist leader is a topic of interest for those in the field. Since 1940, state or national associations have outlined recommendations and guidelines for school psychology leadership roles. School psychology leadership aligns with the NASP training and practice model and is critical in promoting best practice. However, we know very little about school psychology leadership in professional practice, and the school psychology leadership literature is relatively void of research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of school psychology leadership in professional practice, identify fundamental components (NASP competencies) perceived to …

Public Sector Leadership And The Implementation Of Corruption Mitigation Strategies In Ethiopia, Alem Zeray Reda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPublic sector leaders in less developed countries, like Ethiopia, experience challenges in implementing anticorruption strategies successfully. Ineffective strategy implementation exacerbates the adverse effects of corruption on organizations and the people at large. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to identify and report the lived experiences of public sector senior leaders regarding the implementation of corruption mitigation strategies in the Tigray region in Ethiopia. The research question focused on senior public sector officials' lived experiences with the execution of anti-corruption policies. The conceptual framework was the strategic leadership theory, focusing on strategy implementation processes and related challenges. The …

The Glass Ceiling: Effects Of Motivation And Morale On Women In Emergency Management, Becky Bernat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large emergency management organizations are organizations in which women are known to be hindered from becoming leaders. However, the effects that lack of opportunities for advancement has on women’s motivation and workplace attitude have not been thoroughly addressed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of women working at a large emergency management organization, specifically how perceptions of the glass ceiling affected their motivation and attitude in the workplace. The research questions were focused on gender limitations in career advancement, motivational factors, including extrinsic and intrinsic, and the morale of women who had experiences with gender …

Interpersonal Conflict And Work-Related Stress Among Correctional Officers, Katarzyna Sowa-Lapinskas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasingly, research has been conducted on the penal system, yet few researchers have focused on correctional staff. Due to the nature of their work, correctional officers (COs) experience a high degree of stress that is inmate related, occupational, organizational, and psycho–social. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the work experiences of COs in rural correctional facilities in Alaska and to learn how correctional staff perceive and mitigate work-related stress stemming from interpersonal conflict. The theoretical framework for this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress and coping. Data were collected using semistructured interviews conducted …

Exploration Of Effective Leadership Traits To Retain Millennials In Federal Service, Tony Augustin Damian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal government faces critical human capital management challenges because of workforce retirements. Millennial retention is key to addressing some of these challenges. However, job satisfaction surveys have indicated retention concerns for existing millennial federal employees. The federal sector is struggling to compete with the private sector in employee retention among the millennial generation. An intrinsic motivation approach was used in this study, focusing on leadership and its role in retention. Strauss and Howe’s generational theory, the trait-based approach to leadership, and three leadership styles—transformational, ethical, and authentic—comprised the conceptual framework. The purpose was to explore the preferred leadership traits …

Strategic Educational Leadership Within The Policy-Making Arena: The Promulgation, Passage, And Practice Of Tennessee's High Performing School Districts Flexibility Act Of 2013, Robert Lawrence Hullett Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

In 2010, Tennessee’s 106th General Assembly passed the First to the Top Act (2010), a companion legislation for the federal Race to the Top Act (2009) program launched by the Obama Administration. A provision of this state law required that half of teacher and principal evaluations be based upon student achievement, which included a component of required continuous academic growth. For school districts whose students scored at the highest academic performance levels, the continuous growth component would negatively impact their teachers’ and principals’ annual evaluations. In 2012, the Williamson County Schools (WCS) superintendent requested mitigation for relieve from the Tennessee …

Ally Or Enemy: The Impact Of Leadership On United States Army Combat Veterans’ Deployment Experiences Who Have Served In Iraq And Afghanistan, Derik Van Baale

Dissertations

Soldiers’ deployment experiences have been well-researched and studied, but the primary focus has been on enemy-induced trauma. Being a combat veteran who served in Iraq myself, and as someone who has counseled a plethora of combat veterans, I am keenly aware that there is more than exposure to enemy fire and the loss of comrades that can leave a lasting impression. Often, the actions by and interactions with leaders during deployments can also prove to be quite impactful to soldiers. However, very little research exists on the impact of leadership behavior as a factor during a soldier’s deployment experience and …

Examining Follower Perceptions Of The Relationships Between Public Sector Leadership Behavior And Personality Traits, Robert Perez

Theses & Dissertations

To fill a gap of leadership research in the public sector, conducted in a municipal government department, in a southwestern United States city of over 1,000,000 residents, this quantitative survey research examined the relationships between 66 observer ratings (response rate of 46.15% from a sample of 143 participants) of a department director’s level of the Big Five personality traits, measured by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3 (NEO-FFI-3), and transformational leadership as measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X (MLQ 5X). Demographic data was collected to examine potential relationships between the NEO-FFI-3 and MLQ 5x ratings. To compare the self-other ratings, the …

Examining Barriers Impacting Women’S Promotion Into C-Suite Positions In Higher Education, Lynette Johnson Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Department of Labor indicated that women represent 46.8% and men represent 53.2% of the United States’ 16 years and older civilian labor force. An estimated 52% of adult women compared to 48% of men participating in the civilian labor force held a bachelor’s degree or higher, and women represented 47% of the management and professional sector’s positions. Women occupy 25% of C-suite positions in the Standard & Poor 500 companies. In higher education, 30% of college presidents are women. Women continue to face several barriers as they try to move into senior executive leadership positions. The specific …

Key Ethical Leadership Characteristics Of State Police Promotional Candidates In The South, David Patrick Hay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public officials, researchers, and practitioners agree police organizations need the proper tools to foster a stronger sense of ethical leadership to more effectively conduct police operations and work with communities. However, few researchers have investigated ethical leadership characteristics for police supervisors, and no research has been conducted to identify desired ethical leadership characteristics for state police supervisors in the southern United States. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to determine the degrees of consensus and support of identified key ethical leadership characteristics for state police promotional candidates in the southern United States, using the theoretical framework of transformational …