Leadership Studies Commons^™

Leadership Experiences Of Gender-Diverse Managers In U.S. Libraries And Museums, Galen Jay Talis

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores how gender-diverse managers in U.S. libraries and museums experience leadership and perceive gender to influence leadership. In-depth interviews were conducted with five gender-diverse managers. Data were analyzed with inductive, semantic thematic analysis and a complementary, deductive analysis using Wharton’s multilevel gender framework. Participants described relational, pragmatic, point-person leadership—connecting and supporting people, coordinating work, and translating between units—while expressing ambivalence about formal and hierarchical roles. Most did not initially link leadership to gender; when prompted, they articulated gender’s influence at individual, interactional, and institutional levels. Gender discrimination and transphobia persist even in woman-dominated contexts, shaping decisions about visibility, …

There’S A Crisis Brewing In Higher Education, Caroline M. Graham

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation addresses the increasing need to enhance crisis preparedness among student affairs practitioners in higher education. With the growing frequency and complexity of campus crises—ranging from mental health emergencies to incidents of violence, the preparedness and self-efficacy of those in student support roles are paramount. This three-manuscript dissertation explores crisis intervention training, crisis self-efficacy, and the lived experiences of student affairs practitioners navigating campus crises. The first manuscript provides a conceptual overview of the gaps in current crisis intervention training within graduate programs, advocating for the integration of core competencies informed by accreditation standards and professional associations. The second …

The Impact Of Inclusive Leadership And Restorative Justice Practices On The Organizational Commitment Of Student Conduct Professionals, Cover Heishman

Dissertations, 2020-current

Within higher education, divisions of student affairs have struggled for years to retain employees, address burnout and stress, and find solutions to keep employees satisfied (e.g., Tull, 2006; Renn & Hodges, 2007; Marshall et al., 2016; Brown, 2022; Whitford, 2022; Bichsel et al., 2023). Central to campus safety are student conduct professionals, who work to provide education, restoration, and crisis support for students and their communities. Recent research (e.g., Davidson, 2009; Selznick & Heishman, 2023) has indicated increasing levels of stress and burnout in these professionals, and with a concern for attrition and job satisfaction that could negatively impact the …

Architecting A More Gender-Inclusive Curriculum For Graduate Leadership Education, Galen J. Talis

Libraries

Graduate leadership education is an important context for increasing gender-inclusivity. Incoming students are increasingly likely to support an all-gender approach; transgender and nonbinary graduate students report safety concerns on campus; and leadership scholars have identified serious discrimination against trans and nonbinary employees in the workplace as well as the need for greater gender-inclusivity in leadership education. Cis women and men are more widely recognized as gender-diverse, whether due to intersections with other identities or due to within-gender complexity. Yet researchers often fail to identify a gender theory when researching gender and leadership, most commonly assume a gender-binary frame, and do …

Renovation And Expansion Of Leadership For All Genders: Building Toward Inclusive Foundations, Galen J. Talis

Libraries

Some scholarship about leadership and gender has not defined gender or situated research questions within gender theory. Generally, scholarship has used a gender-binary, white, and Western-focused model of gender, assumed homogeneity among cisgender people, and excluded trans and gender-diverse people. Meanwhile, gender studies scholars have theorized gender as a social construction connected to power and to bodies, fluid, changing over time, and intersecting with other identities. This poster will survey foundational work in leadership studies that engages with contemporary gender theories and pose ideas for gender-inclusive explorations.

The Impact Of Transformational Leadership And Knowledge Sharing On Intention To Use Gamification In Teaching, Truong M. Vu

Dissertations, 2020-current

This paper investigates the impact of transformational leadership and knowledge sharing on university professors' intentions to use gamification in teaching, employing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework. Gamification, defined as the integration of game-based mechanics to promote learning and engagement, has shown significant potential in enhancing educational experiences but remains underutilized in higher education. This study suggests that knowledge sharing is a critical antecedent influencing the perceived ease of use, usefulness, and adoption of gamification by educators. Using a quantitative methodology, data are collected from 204 university professors in Vietnam, analyzing their perceptions of transformational leadership behaviors, …

Perceived Environmental Uncertainty Levels Of Ncaa Athletic Directors, Tiffany Brutus

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study explores predictors of perceived environmental uncertainty among college athletic directors (ADs) of National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions amidst the evolving dynamics of the intercollegiate athletics industry. This research specifically focuses on uncertainty associated with environmental forces outlined in the political, economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental, and legal (PESTEL)model, which captures recent industry disruptions such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation, social justice movements, the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in transfer rules, and conference realignments. Using a contingency theory perspective, the central inquiry of this study is how AD individual, departmental, and institutional characteristics relate to ADs' perceptions …

Leading With Joy: Lessons From The Literature, Jennifer A. Keach, Jenne M. Klotz, Galen J. Talis

Libraries

This article provides an introduction for library leaders at all levels to support equitable conditions for joy in the workplace, as well as for anyone who wants to develop their personal practice of joy through lessons discovered in popular, academic, and professional writing and multimedia. Joy has a place in contemporary libraries’ conversations about burnout, vocational awe, and care. The article begins with a guide to the annotated bibliography which explores five themes: defining joy, finding individual joy, work and organizational joy, empowering change with joy, and joy-adjacent emotions. The thematic guide may be read alone or used as an …

Small Business Recovery And Innovation After The Covid-19 Crisis: Moderated Mediation Involving Leadership Styles And Leader Data Usage, Jalal Maqableh

Dissertations, 2020-current

The small business sector is considered the backbone of the US economy. It is the largest source of new jobs and the main factor in stimulating economic growth. This study was performed to help provide a better understanding of the small business sector's performance during the COVID-19 crisis. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of crisis leadership and entrepreneurial leadership styles in the US small business sector during crisis times, and whether these styles would affect recovery and innovation. The retrospective, cross-sectional design of this study consisted of three phases, Pre-COVID, During-COVID, and Post-COVID. Each of …

Building Leader Self-Efficacy In Kenyan Teenage Girls, Maureen Malomba

Dissertations, 2020-current

Most social-cultural problems are wicked problems that require innovative and sustainable solutions. Gender equality is just one of them, and this study looked at the approach of leadership development in teenage girls as a strategy to make advances toward gender equality. I conducted this study in Kenya, in a small, rural girls’ primary school that incorporates a leadership development curriculum to assess the duration and the types of interventions in leadership development programs, and how they relate to self-efficacy. The school has 40 girls aged between 12 and 16 in their first and third years. This study incorporated a convergent …

Fostering Belonging In The Workplace: What Does Commitment Look Like At Interpersonal, Team, And Organizational Levels?, Jody Condit Fagan

Libraries

Researchers describe belonging as “an essential human need” that supports people’s abilities to share, create meaning, participate, and learn with others at work (Filstad et al., 2019, p117). Sense of belonging varies by culture (Cortina et al., 2017) and belonging-related stressors have been shown to be more intense for those who identify with outgroups (Walton & Brady, 2017). Given this context and the impossibility of directly creating belonging, how can people at all levels support an inclusive commitment to fostering belonging as an organizational value? This presentation will define belonging, outline relevant actions and behaviors, and illuminate potential pitfalls.

Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Leaders And Leadership: A Foundational And Integrative Review, Galen J. Talis

Libraries

Gender and leadership research has traditionally employed a binary framework, overlooking the experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) leaders and forcing leaders of all genders and intersectional identities into a dichotomous frame. This paper reviewed interdisciplinary literature using a robust search strategy in three academic databases and Google Scholar, as well as across eight leadership studies journals. Sixteen sources involving 440 leaders’ experiences were found. The author conducted a thematic analysis to explore how TGNC leaders’ experiences challenge and advance leadership theories, deepen understanding of discrimination, and offer ways to support their emergence and success. TGNC leaders’ experiences bring …

How Can Transformational Leadership Be Unbound From The Gender Binary Paradigm?, Jody Condit Fagan, Michelle Hamilton-Page

Libraries

Disrupting binary conceptions of gender could be one of the most needed paradigmatic shifts in leadership studies. Nonbinary leadership paradigms can liberate people of all genders from a framework that forces them to describe their leader behaviors as aligned with or transgressive of a binary gender. Academic leadership studies has generally focused on differences between men and women and discrimination against women, with trans and nonbinary gender identities notably absent. Traditional models of leadership need to be interrogated to see if they hold up under a nonbinary lens. In this presentation, we will examine two dimensions of the iconic model …

Searching For Nonbinary And Trans Inclusion: A Call To Action For Leadership Studies, Jody Condit Fagan, Ari Emilia Short

Libraries

Academic studies of leadership have historically taken a binary view of gender. A literature review was conducted to search for any scholarly work inclusive of trans and nonbinary identities. Across three academic databases and five leadership journals, only 11 such sources were found. These results were reviewed to explore themes across their findings as well as suggestions for future research. The analysis of the 11 sources’ findings and recommendations offer guidance for expanding conceptions of gender in leadership; for enhancing leadership education; and for developing a more complete research agenda for gender and leadership studies. Suggestions are also offered for …

Developing And Establishing Validity Evidence For A Measure Of Situational Leadership In An Outdoor Leadership Context, Guy B. Debrun

Dissertations, 2020-current

Discussions of what it means to be an effective outdoor leader are common in outdoor education literature (Smith & Penny, 2010). Research has identified core competencies, conceptual frameworks, and course curricula for effective leadership. However, the criteria upon which judgements are made about leaders lack clarity (Smith & Penny, 2010). Furthermore, very little is documented, and few evaluation instruments exist to evaluate outdoor leader effectiveness (Phipps et al., 2005). The lack of instruments is problematic for four reasons: (1) it hampers efforts to create recognized outdoor leader certifications, (2) it impedes efforts to demonstrate the value of outdoor leadership program …

Activist, Entrepreneur, Leader: The Influence Of Social Justice Advocacy And Entrepreneurial Orientation On Leader Self-Efficacy, Kathleen Q. Johnson

Dissertations, 2020-current

This quantitative study examined individual entrepreneurial orientation and social justice advocacy as antecedents to leader self-efficacy in the complex and dynamic context of the opioid epidemic. Throughout history, leaders have emerged in response to societal challenges; leadership is not restricted to the boundaries of hierarchical, administrative, bureaucratic organizational frameworks. Complexity leadership theory and its recognition of leadership in complex adaptive systems provides an overarching framing. Five characteristics of individual entrepreneurial orientation were incorporated: risk-taking, innovativeness, perseverance, passion and proactiveness (Santos et al., 2020). Social advocacy activity was measured using the social issues advocacy scale (Nilsson et al., 2011). The dependent …

Pandemic Reflections: Stories Of National Ffa Student Leaders During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Theresa Seibel

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt by most every individual in the world, and the effects of the pandemic will have implications for years to come. Even still, it becomes necessary to capture the work and impacts of this life experience of those who lived and led during such a time. The National FFA Organization, with its student leadership, continued to deliver its mission of the organization during the pandemic. This project aimed to develop a digital narrative to contribute to the historical record of FFA officers’ experiences in the National FFA Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The …

To The Shores Of Tripoli: A Barbary Retrospective, Kathleen J. Brett

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The First and Second Barbary Wars were incredibly influential in shaping the diplomatic and military tactics of the early United States. These wars were fought against the Barbary states of Tripoli, Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers, located on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. The First Barbary War lasted between the years of 1801 to 1805. The First Barbary War began due to the United States’ desire to no longer pay tribute sums to the Barbary states, along with an increase in the number American merchantmen captured and enslaved by the Barbary states. Tripoli served as the primary aggressor in the …

Promoting Attainment: Examining The Impact Of Institutional Expenditure Patterns On Graduation Rates, Matthew Lovesky

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study explored how university expenditures differently impact attainment of enrolled students at regional public universities in the United States. Research of this nature is vital with an increasing number of professions requiring a postsecondary education and the unmistakable personal, social, and economic benefits of postsecondary attainment. The purpose of this study was to add to the expenditure literature by focusing strictly on regional public universities, who tend to be more understudied and undervalued compared to the more affluent and prestigious 4-year institutions (McClure et al., 2020). Two separate hierarchical/sequential multiple regression analyses using block-wise entry were utilized to examine …

Developing Your Personal Leadership Philosophy, Rebecca B. French

Faculty Scholarship

Do you know who you are as a leader? Self-awareness has been described as the "most important capability for leaders to develop" (George et al., 2007), and research shows that it is positively correlated with leadership effectiveness and team performance (Carden et al., 2021). Developing a personal leadership philosophy that describes your unique strengths, beliefs, and behaviors as a leader can help you achieve clarity, consistency, and confidence in your role. In this presentation, you will discover how having a personal leadership philosophy can help you get clear on how you want to show up as a leader, focus on …

Making Decisions About Asynchronous And Synchronous Engagement Strategies: Access And Inclusion, Jessica Lantz, Eric M. Stauffer, Jamie Calcagno-Roach, Andrea H. Adams, Kristen S. Shuyler, Aaron Noland, Juhong Christie Liu

Libraries

This chapter conceptualizes an inclusive framework for decision-making in the selection of synchronous or asynchronous technologies to enhance engagement in online learning. Technologies are discussed in light of their utilization and value for course and curriculum design and development in online environments, with the considerations of providing sustained support, and optimizing technology and teaching efficacy. The content presented in the chapter will benefit those who develop and support synchronous and asynchronous learning environments to address challenges when transferring courses to online or hybrid modes.

Experiencing The Pull And Push: Influences On Independent Contractor Motivation And Job Satisfaction, Andrew D. Miller

Dissertations, 2020-current

Over the past few decades, the number of individuals engaging in non-standard employment has been increasing. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines the motivation and job satisfaction of independent contractors, the largest form of these alternative work arrangements. Specifically, I examine how the rationale for workers entering contracting work arrangements affect in-role contractor motivation and job satisfaction. Based on a sample of N = 241 adjunct instructors from two universities, I find that the positive relationship between those entering contracting because the work offers autonomy, flexibility and the ability to pursue personally interesting work (pull factors) and their …

Becoming A Part Of Your Community: The Personal Account Of A Student’S Journey Discovering The Impact Of Service Learning On Both Community And Personal Development At The University Level, Jacqueline M. Petras

VA Engage Journal

There is plenty of research surrounding the benefits that service learning brings to the community and students alike. But, it is far less common to break down individual experiences and greater effects service learning can have beyond the studies and statistics. Although this piece cannot speak for every service learning experience, it explores the changing mindset of my personal interaction with service learning. This autobiographical account identifies moments of personal and intellectual growth through a long form reflection of my three years as a service learning student at Virginia Commonwealth University. I wrestle with my thoughts and emotions of what …

Analysis Of Alumni Giving Based On Student Activity Involvement: Multivariate Logistic Regression Modeling, Michael Speight

Dissertations, 2020-current

Little research has uncovered clear results on why post-secondary alumni give or which alumni might be more inclined to give. The most significant predictor of future giving for alumni to their alma mater is past giving (Okunade and Justice, 1991). This creates an unfortunate situation for today’s post-secondary leader, where they need to be more reliant on fundraising results to overcome budget shortfalls while knowing their fundraising staffs only have the ability to determine the likelihood of an alumni to give through meeting with them. This problem is only more exacerbated for public post-secondary leader, who has dealt with dwindling …

Reflections On “To Study The Self Is To Forget The Self’: Zen Lessons On Ego And Leadership In Higher Education”, Jody Condit Fagan

Libraries

Stuart Lachs kindly wrote a response to my conference paper, “To study the self is to forget the self’: Zen lessons on ego and leadership in higher education” (Fagan, 2020), which led to a highly fruitful correspondence and an expansion on my thinking related to Zen, ego, and Zen practice in America today. Conversations with fellow practitioners and follow-up readings have also continued to shape my thinking. This response paper summarizes my reflections.

Making Work-Life Policies And Perceptions Public: An Examination Of Corporate Websites And Employee Ratings Of Work-Life Balance, Alyse S. Lehrke

Dissertations, 2020-current

Organizational leaders in high-performing companies strive to implement work-life policies and practices that contribute to the company’s competitive advantage in meaningful ways. In the United States, leaders often cite business case justifications for work-life benefits by tracing benefits to profit and loss in the form of higher retention, lower absenteeism, and greater productivity, for example. However, a corporate social responsibility case adds to the business case for work-life benefits by recognizing the potential to enhance the company’s reputation by demonstrating ethical business practices to public audiences. This study builds on both a business case and social responsibility case to examine …

Determining Faculty Capacity For Transdisciplinary Instruction, Dominic Swayne

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid survey instrument that would prove useful in identifying faculty with the capacity and inclination to succeed in team-taught, hands-on, transdisciplinary course programming. Using an exploratory, mixed-methods design, the qualitative component consisted of semi-structured interviews of nine experienced X-Labs faculty. The qualitative analysis process identified attributes that were vital to transdisciplinary teaching and demonstrated patterns that were consistent with complex leadership development. During the mixing process, these data were translated into a quantitative instrument. A panel of experts reviewed the prototype instrument and reduced the number of items included …

Examining The Corrosive Effects Of Government Corruption On Social Capital In Afghanistan: A Mixed Methods Study, Samiullah Nuristani

Dissertations, 2020-current

Afghanistan remains fragmented and disintegrated along ethnic and linguistic lines. This fragmentation has prevented the Afghan people from achieving its most important and immediate goal: nationhood. This failed quest for nationhood renders progress in other areas insignificant and irrelevant. Corruption is a major culprit that has contributed to disintegration and remains as a major impediment to the struggle of the Afghan people to achieve nationhood. Corruption corrodes some of the most valued features of a society. For instance, corruption is reported to undermine trust among people, erode trust in public institutions and the leaders who lead them, and impede …

An Integrated Developmental Model And Measure Of Intercultural Competence, Natasha S. Dumerville

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study presents a synthesized model of intercultural competence, the Integrated Developmental Model of Intercultural Competence (IDMIC), based on six existing constructs and models of intercultural competence commonly used in postsecondary education. The IDMIC Index is a scenario-based instrument designed to measure intercultural competence as depicted by the developmental model. Undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed during the Spring 2019 semester. Data was collected and analyzed using quantitative techniques. Results of data analyses did not provide evidence to support the hypothesized unidimensional structure of the IDMIC Index; however, there was evidence to support the measurement reliability and validity of the …

Confronting An Unprincipled America: Lessons In Leadership From Barack Obama, Chloe Harper

VA Engage Journal

Ethical leadership is a concept valued, and even inherently understood, by most Americans, but today, we are seeing fewer individuals committed to making ethical decisions in leadership roles. Moreover, we are often unable to recognize when an ethical decision-maker is before us. Drawing on the works of such scholars as Edgar Schein, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Jonathan Haidt, I evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States and the first African American to hold executive office, in order to determine what factors distinguish ethical leaders from simply respectable leaders. I focus on the role leaders …