Leadership Studies Commons^™

The Leadership-Mentoring Connection: An Exploration, John W. Hurst

Theses and Graduate Projects

Mentoring is a process dating back to the times of the ancient Greeks. In modern times, key mentoring activities remain unchanged: mentors guide a proteges development. Today, this development encompasses many things, including leadership. This study began as an exploration of the mentoring-leadership link. This study sought to determine how mentor and leader roles overlap, and if mentoring was significant in leadership development. The study approach was two pronged: first, a limited leadership and mentoring literature review; and second, a survey of people with mentoring-leadership experiences.

Some literature sources confirmed limited mentoring-leadership links. A few reported specific mentoring benefits with …

Managers Are Appointed, Leaders Emerge: How New Scientific Paradigms Inform Organizationel Leadership, Lew Beccone

Theses and Graduate Projects

For most of the 20th century the mechanistic, linear world of Newtonian science has functioned both as metaphor for thinking about organizational dynamics and as the mental model around which organizations have developed. Recently, the postclassical sciences have yielded an alternate understanding of the world, one fundamentally different from that of the Newtonian model. This paper explores a world view emerging from complexity studies and quantum physics, contrasts it with the dominant image derived from classical physics, and draws implications for organizational leadership. The lens of postclassical science challenges our fundamental ontology and reframes our views of organizational life in …

Characteristics Of Leaders Of Effective Rehabilitation Teams In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Kirsten K. Ness

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of leaders who manage effective rehabilitation teams in skilled nursing facilities. The subjects were 51 rehabilitation professionals employed by a rehabilitation company in the Midwest. Subjects rated their self selected leaders on the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 1995), and made qualitative comments about their leader on an attached page. Data were analyzed to determine the organizational relationship between the leader and rater. Leadership characteristics were identified by the choices of the raters on the MLQ. The data show that the rehabilitation professionals in this sample population selected a leader …

Designing Organizations For Successful Corporate Brands, Kay Roberts

Theses and Graduate Projects

Organizational strategies for effective brand management programs result in an organizationrs ability to build brand equity. This study develops a conceptual model of brand and of the need for effective leadership and communication in estahlishing a clear connection between organizational effectiveness and the issue of hrand management. While brand programs have been primarily directed from the marketing and communication departments for the benefit of external audiences, this research shows that significant effort must be made to include other areas of the organization in branding efforts so as to leverage potential organizational strategies that will enhance brand-building organizational initiatives. Through strategies, …

Mr. S. And The Robert Greenleaf Servant Leadership Theory And The Effectiveness Of Mr. S.'S Leadership Skills With Volunteer Groups, Anita C. Walters

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this paper is to examine and evaluate the Servant Leadership Theory of Robert Greenleaf and to compare it to the leadership skills of Mr. S.

Mr. S. is a licensed minister who will be ordained in the near future. He volunteers as a lay counselor for at least four organizations including a chemical dependency program for young men and a program for juvenile offenders. He teaches bible classes and counsels young adults involved in these programs.

The research methodology used in this study included a personal interview and questionnaire for Mr. S. and a survey and questionnaire …

Leadership In School-Agency Collaboration: Parent Empowerment For Educational Involvement, Kathleen A. Backberg

Theses and Graduate Projects

No abstract provided.

Is Corporate America Walking The Talk Of Diversity Programs? The Impact Of Diversity Initiatives On Institutional And Cultural Discrimination, Vivian L. Tanniehill

Theses and Graduate Projects

This case study will review and evaluate recent management research on the effects of race and gender in groups at the executive, director, management and work group levels of organizations. It will also examine research and examples of diversity initiatives in organizations and the impact of external influences such as social conditioning, informal networks and groups. The analysis examines the challenges that managers from minority groups face, specifically black managers, in white dominated organizations and the unique skills they are developing to assist them in being effective. The study includes recommendations for additional areas of research along with a proposal …

Soulful Leadership, Arlene W. Mitchell

Theses and Graduate Projects

Soul is an old idea that has now become lost to our secular workplace. It does not have to be this way. By taking a spiritual rather than religious approach to soulfulness, we can find a place for it in our daily lives, including in the workplace. The goal of soulful leadership is to create a workplace that enables and supports each of us in our quest to grow into our calling and the depth of our potential. Soul is about creativity, adaptability, commitment, connection, energy, and passion-exactly what our workplaces are now asking of us. To become soulful leaders, …

Case Study Of Ethical Leadership And Abraham Lincoln, Jarrod Englebretson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper consists of a case study examining the question of Abraham Lincoln and ethical leadership. The definition used in the case study for ethical leadership was a combination of the research of two men, George Shapiro and Peter Kostenbaum. This definition for ethical leadership was then used while looking at certain events, speeches, and writings of Abraham Lincoln both before and during his presidency. The conclusion derived from this analysis is that Abraham Lincoln was an ethical leader and that his leadership should be used as an example of an ethical leader.

Positional Leaders In Minneapolis Neighborhood Groups, Stephanie Anne Anderson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Leaders in 72 neighborhood groups recognized by the Minneapolis Community Development Agency were surveyed to test four hypotheses. Neighborhood leaders were expected to be white, middle or upper-income, college graduate, homeowning, women and not representative of Minneapolis residents. This proved valid except the number of men and women was equal. Respondents were expected to have become and stayed involved in their group over concern for property values and safety, this was partially true, other reasons were given. Neighborhood leaders were expected to report concern over the time needed for their group and to list burnout as the main reason they …

Listen . . . . To Your Heart, Lori K. Sebastian

Theses and Graduate Projects

This thesis takes a rather unusual approach to leadership. lt may be the only MAL thesis that contains abstract colored drawings instead of charts or graphs. lt focuses on the internal development and experience perspective of my leadership journey which begins in my inner soul and spirit. I have openly shared the methods I have used and my experiences, as well as my findings, results and conclusions.

Moreover, this was definitely a journey of listening to my heart and allowing what was in my heart to come forth. Sometimes what came out was in words, but sometimes it was an …

Breaking The Cycle: Self-Esteem And African American Youth, George B. Gill

Theses and Graduate Projects

Self-esteem has been cited as a primary factor in how well or how poorly an individual functions in society. African American youth may be among those particularly susceptible to feelings of low selfesteem. This study attempted to measure if participation in a African American Self-Esteem (AASE) course would have a positive effect on the self-esteem of participants. The AASE course is a ten week education,/support group that focuses on African American history and culture. Twenty-eight junior and senior high African American students from the Minneapolis metro area participated. Their self-esteem levels were measured, they then participated in the AASE course …

Women's Pathways: Identifying Access Points To Leadership, Jody A. Rosenbloom

Theses and Graduate Projects

This thesis explores women's access to leadership positions and how women's life choices affect their leadership options. The hypotheses of the study include: 1) the assumption that gender affects access to leadership positions, 2) the discovery of a balance in role juggling is crucial to maintaining a leadership role, and 3) the access points to recruit and retain women in leadership positions can be enhanced. Beginning with the premise that it is desirable to have women in leadership roles, r review of literature explores the leadership, history, and sociology that is specific to leadership access and the portrayal of gender …

The Effect Of Hospital Restructuring On Nurses' Perceptions Of Their Work Environment, Judy Reeve

Theses and Graduate Projects

Hospital restructuring has become commonplace in today’s competitive health care market. Often, such restructuring results in significant effects on the employees of the organization. Registered Nurses who continue to deliver patient care at the bedside may find themselves caught between duty to their patients and duty to their employer, yet there is Iittle research available which evaluates the effect of restructuring on either the nurse or the patient. This descriptive study analyzes staff Registered Nurses’ perceptions of their work environment following restructuring. Principles of restructuring, as delineated by Freeman & Cameron, served as the theoretical framework for this analysis. A …

The Impact Of Collaborative Writing Lessons On Individual Attitudes And Specific Writing Skills Of Mainstream High School Students In The English Classroom, Barbara B. Swenson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The impact of specific collaborative writing skill lessons on individual writing skills and attitudes of mainstream students in two Chaska High School English classrooms was the focus of this study. Students in the control class and the experimental class studied the same literary selections and skills; however, the process of the writing skill lessons was different. The experimental class received additional instruction in the collaborative process by learning group roles, writing collaboratively, and evaluating progress after each group skill lesson. In order to assess the impact of collaboration in the experimental class, a pretest and posttest were administered to both …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Hearing Conservation Program For Fourth Grade Students, Dianne R. Olson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This thesis documented the need for and effectiveness of an educational hearing conservation program, Play lt By Ear, which Was developed by the study's author to alert students to the dangers of loud sounds. This program was presented in four sessions of 60 minutes each to a class of fourth grade students in an elementary school in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. The program included information in the areas of anatomy of the ear, causes of hearing loss, measurement of hearing, types of hearing loss, safe and unsafe noise levels, and good hearing health care. Lecture, films, audio tapes, hearing screening demonstration, …

Orientations Toward Leadership--Youth Views On The Roles, Responsibilities, Characteristics, And Behaviors Of Service-Oriented Leadership, David Mcgill

Theses and Graduate Projects

Approximately 540 statements about youth leadership were collected through the use of focus group interviews. These statements were tape recorded and transcribed. From the transcriptions, 71 statements were selected on the basis of their relevance to the research questions. From these statements, 49 Leadership Expectations concerning service-oriented leadership were identified. These 49 Leadership Expectations were then categorized into 11 Role, 10 Responsibility, 15 Characteristic, and 13 Behavior Expectations. Then, each of the four sets of Leadership Expectations was condensed into central Leadership Themes, resulting in 5 Role Themes, 4 Responsibility Themes, 5 Characteristic Themes, and 3 Behavior Themes. A questionnaire …

An Analysis Of The Ethical Climate Of An Army Reserve Command Using The Integrity Audit Survey, Cornelius K. Hetherington

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to measure the ethical climate of a major Army Reserve Command (ARCOU). This is a significant study in light of the recent changes the Army Reserve, and the military in greneral , has been reguired to make. The study looks to determine whether or not changes such as downsizing, unit inactivations and cutbacks in personnel and funding have influenced the ethical climate of the organization. The Integrity Audit Survey was the instrument used in the study. Nine subordinate companies of 382 soldiers were surveyed. The results were measured against the six factors of the …

Effective Leadership Styles And Methods: A Survey Of Opinions Of Faculty And Management At Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, Judith A. Sanchez

Theses and Graduate Projects

The hierarchically structured Wisconsin lndianhead Technical College, New Richmond, Wisconsin, is considering implementing Total Quality Management/Continuous lmprovement Process (TQM/CIP) districtwide. The purpose of this study was to determine opinions held by faculty and management employed by that district regarding what constitutes effective leadership methods/styles and to assess whether differences existed between faculty and management groups regarding these opinions. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to all full-time district faculty and management. Two-hundred fourteen questionnaires were distributed, and 1 54 were returned for a return rate of 71 .9 percent. The questionnaire included 24 semantic differentiated items on a seven-point scale, …

Leadership And Home Based Family Support Services, Nancy A. Moore Smith

Theses and Graduate Projects

Leadership and Home Based Family Support Services" focused on leadership in relation to o comprehensive program for families of children with special needs, This project hod as its goal the demonstration of leadership needed to sustain and promote these services. A study element of this project focused on the collection of data necessary to understand the services and develop information critical influencing policymakers about the future of home based family support services. A demonstration focus of the project identified critical steps in the development of program evaluation tools in the social service field, The tools themselves were used to determine …

Donald M. Fraser: Political Change Master, Diane P. Ondrey

Theses and Graduate Projects

The plan of this study is twofold. It reviews the leadership of Minneapolis Mayor Donald Fraser through the initiatives for children and their families he has proposed and implemented, and it attempts todetermine whether the corporate model of "change master" as formulated by Rosabeth l(anter is applicable to Fraser as a political leader seeking to effect institutional change. Can Kanter's corporate model be applied to entities outside the coqporate structure, paficularly in politics and goverrrment?

This case study involves an analysis of Kanter's "five forces"- departure from traditiory galvanizlng event, strategic decisions, prime movers and action vehicles--and the ways in …

Critical Factors In The Relationship Between Rural Recipients Of Afdc And Their Financial Workers, Donna L. Cannon

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study examines which personal and systemic factors precipitate a relatively productive or nonproductive relationship between a rural Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipient and her financial worker. Financial workers are the primary contact within county social services agencies for recipients of AFDC benefits. Recipients and workers are bound together hy a complex eligibility determination process that provides little incentive for recipient self-sufficiency, least of all in rural areas. This qualitative study is based on a triangular framework of focus groups and guided interviews with 23 recipients, four financial workers and two gatekeeper professionals. Interview questions were based …

The Environment And Change: Leadership And The Role Of Middle Management In A Correctional Agency, John M. Menke

Theses and Graduate Projects

Middle managers possess technical knowledge and awareness important to public policy formulation and environmental interaction, which is a predominant source of change for the organization. As an organization, Hill County Correction Departrnent's bureaucratic structure is ill-suited to respond to its complex and unstable environmen. Yet this structure is explained because HCCD is a public organization directly accountable to external bodies; its services are ambiguously defined and interpreted; and its environment hostile. This structure encourages a reactive rather than proactive position for the organization with the environment. Hierarchical structure, role obligation, and uncertainty promote risk-aversive activities by middle managers through remaining …

Creation Of Leadership Via The Theory Of Synergistically Formulated Leadership, Dennis L. Weir

Theses and Graduate Projects

No abstract provided.