Leadership Studies Commons^™

Improving Student Learning In Third World Communities Through The Applications Of Transformational Leadership And Technology, Jan Michael Co Uy

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Students in third world communities often face many economic and educational challenges. The main setback that many kids face today is continued education. Overall, the purpose of this research is how transformational leadership and technology contribute to student learning in third world communities. A few key theories were used in this research, which include Transformational Leadership, Early Childhood, Social Penetration, and Media Richness Theories. From a research method standpoint, meta-analysis was used to determine how these theories relate to themes from various case studies done on improving student learning. The overall finding is that technology in tandem with transformational leadership …

Sharing Intimate Moments On Youtube: Women Who Vlog And Their Sense Of Community, Friendship And Privacy, Julie Smith

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

YouTube, a public video-sharing site, is attracting people who crave a sense of community, and is allowing individuals – specifically women – to maintain social relationships through its web-based system. Groups of these women vloggers document their efforts to conceive, their pregnancies and parenting challenges, which some critics argue are very personal experiences that should not be shared publicly with strangers. Using social penetration theory and elements of communication privacy management theory, this thesis analyzes how self-disclosure through computer-mediated communication converts superficial relationships with strangers into close, social connections by examining the extent to which breadth and depth of self-disclosure …

Leading Higher Education Organizations: The Role Of Humor, Peggy E. Collins

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The role of humor in life is an important one. Though important, few people can explain humor, and can only describe instances of humor. This qualitative study was based on three common communication theories relative to humor: incongruity, relief, and superiority. Senior academic leaders discussed their particular use of humor and their leadership styles through semi-structured interviews. Examination of humor theories and leadership styles revealed a mix of leadership styles (transformational and transactional), and a blending of humor styles, with an emphasis on self-deprecating humor. Humor is a potentially critical communication skill, and a leadership skill. It is also likely …

Identifying And Preventing Cyberbullying Among Adolescents, Matthew Michael Keller

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This project examines the ways adolescent children use the internet to pick on peers; look at ways this so-called “cyberbullying” mirrors traditional schoolyard bullying; and postulate ways to stop the violence. After reports of cyberbullying began appearing in the mainstream media from around the United States, it became imperative to find more detailed and scientific information about this phenomenon. Information from the Cyberbullying Research Center (2004) showed that more than 20 percent of children had been harassed online in 2010. With this type of growth, it is important to identify what makes a person become a cyberbully and more importantly, …

Using Interpersonal Communication And Social Penetration As A Means Of Strengthening Mentorships In High Schools, Jonathan Max Dashner

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Mentoring is an educational process wherein a more experienced person takes time and invests it in a less experienced person in guiding that person in areas of professional life, academic life, and personal life. In today’s high schools, students need teachers to guide them through both their academic lives and also their tumultuous personal lives. Through the Phenomenological Tradition, teachers can mentor students by sharing their stories and listening to the stories of their mentee students. By utilizing social penetration, teacher mentors, through the use of interpersonal communication skills, learn more about their students’ personal lives while divulging more of …

Rhetorical Analysis Of Successful Brands In Social Media Discourse, Maja Stevanovich

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The expression "content is king" is a sentiment those in the marketing and public relations industries live by. When it comes to social media, still considered a newer form of communication, not all brands are sure of what makes for successful utilization of the medium. This study performed a rhetorical analysis on three brands considered to be social media standouts in their respective industries, Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines and the U.S. Army and identified patterns on what makes these brands successful in their social media discourse. The study proved that social media discourse has much to do with sound communication principles …

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU alumni magazine. Contents:

• Ransdell, Gary. President’s Letter
• Hilltoppers Go for the Gold – Olympics, Claire Donahue, Gavin Smellie, Raigo Toompuu
• Instruments that Shaped American History – Kentucky Museum
• WKU Students Shine When It Comes to National Scholarships
• Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science
• Chuck Clark Named Director of WKU Student Publications
• Health Sciences Complex Will House Nursing, Physical Therapy Programs
• Paul Markham receives National Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement
• Todd Stewart Named WKU Director of Athletics
• All 19 WKU Athletic Teams Exceed NCAA-Required 925 APR Score
• 3 Students Receive Awards in Hearst Program’s National Championships
• WKU, USDA-ARS Open …

Extending Story Listening As A Practice Of Communal Formation At The Lake Orion Church Of Christ, Eric R. Magnusson

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project that explores the potential for extending a practice of story listening as a way of forming community across social circles at the Lake Orion Church of Christ in Lake Orion, Michigan. The intervention involved guiding a group of six participant-researchers, each of whom had previous experience in story listening, through six sessions in the fall of 2011. Each phase of the project was informed by a participatory social Trinitarian theology. The first three sessions were designed to empower participant-researcher pairs to facilitate story listening groups of four to five …

Communicating Ethics: Analysis Of Annual Letters To Stakeholders, Christopher Bryan

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This research examines how executives, leaders and managers communicate their sense of ethics. Literature from various disciplines is increasingly focusing on the strong ethical tone-at-the-top and strong ethical culture to prevent organizational wrongdoing. The literature suggests that leaders face unique challenges in communicating their ethics and that the communication of ethics is inhibited by a psychological bias and the work is grounded in the cultural communication theory of Geertz and Pacanowsky and the organizational culture work of Schein. The research focuses on CEO annual letters written to stakeholders. This form of communication is a high-profile channel of communication and written …

Reversing The Brain Drain, Milan Wall

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Reversing the Brain Drain, presentation slides.

Includes a summary of demographic research conducted by Ben Winchester of the University of Minnesota, including information about the "newcomer trend." Also covers Buffalo Commons research conducted by Randy Cantrell or the University of Nebraska.

Southwest Nebraska Community Builders, Graduate Reunion Meeting, May 1, 2012, Craig Schroeder

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Introduction:

2012 marks 20 years since Dr. Bob Manley brought Community Builder to Southwest Nebraska, as the region emerged from the devastation of the 1980's Ag Crisis. On May 1st, a group of former participants from communities through out the region came together to reflect on the impact Community Builders had on them personally, and on their communities and the region overall. Based upon this reflection it was unanimously determine that a new generation of emerging leaders would greatly benefit from Community Builders. The group then went through the process of evaluating what had been most valuable in the original …

The Initiation Of Growth-Focused Relationships Involving Healthy Accountability At The Carbondale Church Of Christ, Stephen Shaffer

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

After several years of transition, the Carbondale Church of Christ is in the early stages of becoming a spiritual growth-focused community. However, the emerging growth community appears to reflect the prevailing cultural assumptions that growth is a personal, private, and an individual task. To shape this emergent growth culture, this project initiated a group of congregational opinion leaders, organized in pairs, into the practice of growth-focused relationships involving healthy accountability. The initiation involved a theological orientation followed by a four-week healthy accountability praxis.

The theological framework of the project involved three main aspects. First, the project used the body image …

Specific Communication Choices Of A Transformational Leader That Followers Perceive As Necessary For Effective Leadership, Karen Creasy

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The basis of this research is to examine the transformational leader in regards to the way he or she communicates. The study will pursue a unique angle on this topic and examine leadership communication choices from the viewpoint of the follower. The rationale behind this focus is that the follower has insight into the effectiveness of the leader’s communication choices by process of affiliation. The thesis goal therefore, is to answer what the specific communication choices are of a transformational leader that followers perceive as necessary for effective leadership. This paper provides an overview of research and three theories that …

Out Of The Heart Springs The Communication Of Leadership, Jodi A. Kohut

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study is based on the philosophical and biblical notions that words are a sacred gift from God and should be used with care. This study is concerned with how a leader uses these words in the organizational context. Edification is presented as a performative speech act by connecting its intention, “to build” to the rhetorical functions of the locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts. Using Sullivan’s (1988) foundation for extending these language functions to the organizational context, the author proposes that edifying language has functions across three dimensions: 1.) Perlocutionary, subordinate building properties 2.) Illocutionary, relationship building properties and 3.) …

Law Enforcement In The Fog Of Mistrust: Solving The Problem Of Black Mistrust In Law Enforcement, Mark Wayne Whitson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

What is the relationship between educating police officers in African American history and culture and the development of empathy and accommodative communication during interactions? This question is important to study because history and culture define African-American mistrust in general and specific mistrust of law enforcement in the United States. “Studies consistently show minority group members are more distrustful and less confident in the police and courts” (Tyler, 2001, p. 217). African-American perceptions are shaped by historical experiences and as a result Blacks believe they are treated differently because of race. All police officers, regardless of their race or gender, because …

An Analysis Of Twitter Usage By Select Black Professional Athletes Presenting Their Online Identities, As Related To Black Hypermasculinity, Bryan Rinkus

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The mainstream media stereotypes Black professional athletes as overly aggressive and more masculine than athletes of other ethnicities. This study examines how three professional athletes, Reggie Bush, Chad Ochocinco, and Paul Pierce use the micro-blogging service, Twitter, to present their own identities through social media. The literature explores online identity formation, parasocial interaction, and masculinity in sports. Fifty Tweets from each athlete were collected, then coded using discourse analysis, and deconstructed through impression management theory with a focus on the dramaturgical perspective. Results reveal that athletes portrayed more individualized identities when their sport was in the offseason, while athletes currently …

An Examination Of Communication Preferences For Service Members Suffering From Combat Stress-Related Injuries: A Framework For Serving Those Who Serve Us, David J. Wray

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This grounded theory research study examines communication preferences among combat veterans suffering from combat stress-related injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, general anxiety, and substance abuse. The study employed personal interviews of a purposive sample of such veterans and constant comparative analysis of the data to derive grounded theory. The author suggests a path to find the most effective communication strategies and channels to reach other veterans who are suffering from combat stress experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 2.4 million service members have deployed to these combat theaters, with up to 90 per cent experiencing the …

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU's alumni magazine. Contents:

• Ransdell, Gary. President’s Letter
• Your Legacy – Frank Myers
• Gary Ransdell Attends Confucius Institute Conference, Visits Chinese Universities
• Talisman, WKU’s Yearbook, Receives 13^th National Pacemaker Award
• WKU, Elizabethtown Community & Technical College Expand Partnership
• Enrollment at WKU Passes 21,000 Sets Record for 14^th Consecutive Year
• Cheryl Stevens Named Dean of Ogden College of Science & Engineering
• WKYU-PBS Receives Grant for Digital Studio, Control Room Equipment
• WKU Public Relations Program Earns Renewal of International Certificate
• 5 Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science Students National Semifinalists in Siemens Competition
• Ray Harper Tapped as Full-Time WKU Head …

Understanding The Role Of The Veteran Employee: How Organizational Communication May Bridge Gaps Between New And Veteran Employees, Jacqui L. Barker

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Framed through evaluation of the Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT), Constructive-Development Theory (CDT), and the Rational-World Paradigm philosophy, this research focused on existing, or veteran, anxieties when a new employee joins an organization‟s group or team. This research surveyed United States Navy federal civil servants employed at two, geographically dispersed, Navy science and technology laboratories and discovered these employees do in fact experience anxieties, and seek various means to manage or reduce the emotion associated with a newly-hired employee by either avoiding, talking about, observing the new person, working with the person or taking a blended approach and incorporating one or …

Combining Social Media & Traditional Media In A Modern Communications Plan, Shannon Mortland

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study explored (a) how organizations can determine the best ways to reach consumers as social media and traditional media evolve, therefore changing the way people conduct their lives; and (b) how organizations can combine traditional media and social media to enhance conversations with consumers, given that changes in media have forced organizations to develop relationships and have conversations with consumers. The literature review investigated how traditional media and social media have evolved in recent years, how they currently are being used, and how their combined use differs from previous marketing tactics. This information was filtered through the theoretical belief …

Uw Impact: A Civic Engagement Initiative Case Study, Dana Robinson Slote

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In 2010 funding for higher education was negatively impacted by Washington’s economic environment. University of Washington executives launched UWImpact to encourage advocacy on behalf of the institution. This case study explores which aspects of UWImpact’s approach created a culture that influenced the State Legislature to allow UW to develop a funding mechanism. Methods used to construct the project include: Evaluation of UWImpact materials and website, plus five news articles, reviewed for recurrences of specific adjectives; data obtained from (Vocus) software, and augmented by participant-observations during informal interviews at three events. The data was gathered from December 2010 through April 2011. …

Gender Roles In Organizations In The Southeastern United States, Dianne Conlee

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is a study on gender roles in organizations in the southeastern United States as compared to the rest of the United States. The hypothesis was developed after a review of literature that included relevant research on traditional gender roles, gender roles in organizations, gender roles in the southeastern United States and gender roles over time. After reviewing the literature the hypothesis that gender role experiences in organizations located within the southeastern United States will reflect more traditional than gender role attitudes than experiences in the rest of the United States. The research study was conducted using egalitarianism as …

Student Satisfaction And Frustration With Online Education, Chris Alan Tohm

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Although online education is praised for convenience, a stigma still remains about its quality. Constant comparisons to traditional methods coupled with a popular belief that online education is ”easier” continue to denigrate online learning to an inferior alternative. Online education and the technology behind it are innovative but their relative immaturity has limited most of the research to an institutional perspective. This exploratory study examines the student perspective of online education in terms of personal satisfaction and frustration by interviewing eight students with online education experience and analyzing their perceptions using existing computer mediated communication theories. This study provides insight …

Beyond Leadership, Kees Rietsema, Daryl Watkins

Publications

Organizational leadership must evolve beyond a focus on those occupying the positions of organizational leadership. Complex systems provide the opportunity to rethink the leadership function in terms which are holistic and comprehensive. Applying the principles of complexity may provide the basis for a more collaborative, distributed and productive “way of being” for today’s organizations.

Ua42/3/2 Wku Glasgow, Wku Glasgow

WKU Administration Documents

Overview of WKU Glasgow.

Ua12/11/1 Downing University Center Board, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Downing University Center Board. Includes publications, governing documents, meeting minutes, reports and correspondence.

Ua77/1 Wku Spirit, Wku Alumni Relations

WKU Administration Documents

WKU's alumni magazine. Contents:

• The Spirit of Victory – Claire Donahue
• Ransdell, Gary. President’s Letter
• Your Legacy – Tom Redford
• Governor Steve Beshear Celebrates Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science
• Animated Work of WKU Professor Part of Secret World of Espionage Exhibit – Keith Sylvester
• Kelly Autism Program Receives 15-Passenger Van from General Motors
• Alex Downing to Leave College Heights Foundation for Franklin Bank & Trust
• 3 WKYU-PBS Producers Honored with Emmy Awards for MainStreet
• Kentucky Folklife Program Moves to New Home at WKU
• WKU, Somerset Community College Sign Joint Admissions Agreement
• Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science Students Top …

20 Clues To Community Survival: An Annotated List, Heartland Center For Leadership Development

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent, non-profit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future.

The 20 clues are taken from the Heartland Center’s Clues to Rural Community Survival, a landmark study profiling thriving small towns and reservations. The list of vital characteristics provides an “ideal” benchmark against which people can measure their own community. It moves people naturally from theory, to strategy, to action.

Therapeutic Listening In Caring Relationships, Jennifer Mae Defoe

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Therapeutic listening is a proven and highly valuable tool used in professional, semi-formal, and formal caregiving relationships. The following work is a pilot project intended for use as a continuing education tool in the training of formal, yet unpaid, caregivers in a spiritual ministry serving in long-term, one-to-one relationships with a single care receiver. Methods used were derived from adult learning theory, small group communication theory, humanistic psychology, behavioral learning theory, social learning theory, symbolic interactionism, and interpersonal communication theory to name a few. Active listening and active learning strategies designed for adults are explored and utilized. The final project …

Cross-Culture Communication: Linguistic And Nonverbal Accommodation Within An English As A Second Language Classroom, Patrick Snyder

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Immigration to the United States presents difficulties to culturally diverse communities because of various customs, beliefs and languages. Daily social interaction and differing behavioral norms in these communities harbor positive and negative interethnic interactions. English as a second language (ESL) classrooms are common places in which people of numerous nationalities meet and work. The goal of this ethnography study is to observe the students’ and teachers’ interactions within an ESL classroom aided by Howard Giles’s communication accommodation theory (CAT) as a lens through which to view these issues. The communication interaction patterns and themes are divided into groups based on …