Leadership Studies Commons^™

Integrating Military-Acquired Iso Quality Management Principles Into Civilian Employment: A Phenomenological Study Of Post-9/11 Veterans, Paul Encinias

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study explored how post-9/11 U.S. military veterans describe their lived experiences of understanding and applying four ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Principles (leadership, engagement of people, process approach, and evidence-based decision making) during the transition to civilian employment. This study further sought to understand how veterans articulated these competencies across employment stages and how those competencies were recognized within civilian organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study used semistructured interviews with 10 post-9/11 U.S. military veterans residing in the United States who had separated from active duty and were engaged in the transition to civilian employment. Participants were …

How Political Intelligence Sets Exemplary Mid-Level Military Women Leaders Apart, Rita Y. Ovette

Dissertations

ABSTRACT How Political Intelligence Sets Exemplary Mid-level Military Women Leaders Apart by Rita Yvette Ovete Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the political intelligence strategies that mid-level military women use as they respond to leadership challenges based on Reffo and Wark’s (2014) five facets of political intelligence (futurity, power, empathy with purpose, trust, and versatility). A secondary purpose of the study was to explore how mid-level military women explain their use of political intelligence strategies to support their career success and tenure while navigating leadership challenges. Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived …

Walking On A Tightrope: Women And Managers Navigating Maternity Leave And Return-To-Work, Rachel R. Kalvert

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study explored how professional women experience maternity leave and return-to-work, focusing on how managerial communication shapes perceptions of career, competence, belonging, and career progression. The study involved professional women who returned to the same organization full-time from 6 months to 3 years after maternity leave.Methodology: Fourteen professional women were recruited via snowball sampling and listservs. Data were collected through Zoom interviews. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and received interview questions in advance. The interview guide aligned with the study's three questions. After the interview, participants reviewed AI-generated transcript summaries for accuracy; and participants were given a …

The Art Of Crisis Leadership By Exemplary Naval Frontline Leaders, Broadus Brooks

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative, multiple-case study held significant importance because it aimed to identify and describe the strategies used by exemplary naval frontline leaders to lead in crisis, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focused on the five critical tasks of strategic crisis leadership (sensemaking, decision making/coordination, meaning making, accounting, and learning), providing a unique insight into the experiences of these leaders during a crisis.Methodology: This qualitative, multiple-case study employed interviews to collect data from exemplary naval frontline leaders to identify and describe their leadership strategies during the unprecedented COVID-19 global health crisis.

Findings: Crisis leadership among U.S. naval frontline …

Delphi Study To Explore The Organizational Characteristics, Conditions, And Infrastructures Needed To Integrate Professional Development With A Career Advancement Framework In The Form Of Career Lattice, Shelly Yu-Tze Tze Shelly Wang

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this policy Delphi study was to identify, prioritize, and build expert consensus on the organizational characteristics, conditions, and infrastructures that support employee access to professional development (PD) opportunities embedded within a career advancement (CAd) framework. Specifically, this study aimed to: (a) identify key organizational components necessary to support professional development within a career lattice structure, (b) determine the relative importance of these components as rated by experts, and (c) establish expert-recommended strategies for implementation.

Methodology: This study used a Delphi method, consisting of three rounds, to collect data from experts with the titles of manager, directors, …

Grounded Leadership: A Look Into California Community College Mid-Level Leaders, Vicki Hou

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study was to identify and describe what exemplary California Community College mid-level leaders do to maintain their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health based on the six dimensions of Rosen’s healthy leader model.Methodology: This study employed a purposive sampling method to select 15 mid-level leaders from two California community college districts. Data collection involved two instruments: the Stay Grounded Survey, administered to all 15 participants, and semi-structured interviews conducted with a subset of five participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including mean scores, frequency distributions, and standard deviations. Qualitative …

Leveraging Cultural Agility In K-12 Public Educational Organizations: A Phenomenological Study Of How Superintendents Coach Other Leaders, Curt Eichperger

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological analysis was to identify and describe how California K-12 public school superintendents use culturally agile task management competencies while coaching other leaders in their organization.Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described the culturally agile task-management competencies that 12 California Central Coast Superintendents employ to navigate the complex and ever-evolving public educational landscape. Participants were purposively selected based on specific criteria. The researcher served as the primary instrument of data collection, conducting semi-structured interviews with participants. The data was analyzed and coded to identify themes and subsequent findings. Findings: This study identified eight key findings …

Emotional Intelligence And Effective Leadership In Times Of Global Crisis: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Managers At Multilateral Development Institutions During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bukola Ogunyemi

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and describe the perceptions of managers at multilateral development institutions regarding the impact of emotional intelligence methods in their approaches to leading during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary purpose was to examine how the experiences of leading during the COVID-19 crisis influenced managers' understanding, development, and application of emotional intelligence skills as part of their leadership practices.

Methodology: This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to examine the role of emotional intelligence in crisis leadership at multilateral development institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Goleman's emotional intelligence framework as …

Adaptive Leadership: Strategies Used By U.S. Navy Command Senior Enlisted Leaders To Build Adaptive Capacity In Times Of Great Change, Derek Wayne King

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe strategies used by U.S. Navy command senior enlisted leaders (CSELs) to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership identified by Heifetz et al. (2009).Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of U.S. Navy CSELs. Purposeful, convenience sampling was used to identify 10 participants who met the study’s criteria. The semistructured, open-ended interview protocol was developed by a thematic research team of nine peer researchers and three faculty advisors. Data collected from the interviews and artifacts were analyzed to identify themes related …

Primal Leadership In Healthcare: A Phenomenological Study Of Emergency Medicine Physicians And Their Perspective On Effective Leadership, Zoe Zaidi

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe how emergency medicine (EM) physicians in leadership roles use the six EI leadership competencies related to relationship management (inspiration, influence, developing others, change catalyst, conflict management, and teamwork and collaboration) to lead teams and accomplish effective results. Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of emergency medicine (EM) physician leaders in San Bernadino, Riverside, and Orange counties in Southern California. The participants were selected through nonprobability purposeful sampling and met the criteria “as leaders” for achieving effective results. Data were collected through semistructured interview questions and analysis …

Leadership Practices For High-Performing Teams: Insights From Senior Military General Officers And Flag Officers, Kimberly Mitchell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe how senior military general officers and flag officers (GOFOs) used the three competencies of high-performance teams (HPTs; clarity, connection, and communication) to achieve objectives in their organizations. The second purpose of this study was to determine the degree of importance that senior military GOFOs perceived the three high-performance team effect (HPTE) core competencies impacted their leadership for creating HPTs.

Methodology: This mixed methods study identified and described nine senior military officers’ perceptions of strategies to lead HPTs while focusing on the three core competencies: clarity, connection, and …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Superintendent’S Perceptions On Four Servant Leadership Characteristics For Developing High-Performing Teams, Katie Chin-Berry

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe public school superintendents’ perceived impact of four servant leadership characteristics established by Spears (2010) on developing and maintaining high-performing teams. Methodology: This phenomenological research study explored and detailed how superintendents perceived the influence of four servant leadership characteristics on developing and maintaining high-performing teams. Eight participants were chosen using nonprobability purposeful and convenience sampling based on specific criteria, which required at least 4 years of experience in their district, a minimum of 10 years of experience in the K–12 public school system, and employed in a K–12 district …

Adaptive Leadership: Strategies Used By U.S. Navy Command Senior Enlisted Leaders To Build Adaptive Capacity In Times Of Great Change, Derek Wayne King

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe strategies used by U.S. Navy command senior enlisted leaders (CSELs) to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership identified by Heifetz et al. (2009).Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of U.S. Navy CSELs. Purposeful, convenience sampling was used to identify 10 participants who met the study’s criteria. The semistructured, open-ended interview protocol was developed by a thematic research team of nine peer researchers and three faculty advisors. Data collected from the interviews and artifacts were analyzed to identify themes related …

How Supervisors Can Help Their Subordinates Manage Stress Post-Covid-19: A Phenomenological Qualitative Research Approach Focused On The Lived Experiences Of Police Sergeants And Their Role In Helping Mitigate Stress Among Police Officers, Elvis Nti

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research was to explore how police sergeants effectively lead their police officers in managing stress post-COVID-19 using the leadership traits of collective interest, moral purpose, personal temperament, and resilience (Fast, 2021).

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative research approach focused on the lived experiences of police sergeants and aimed to explain how they reduce stress among police officers. Participants were selected using purposive and convenience sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted with police sergeants from the Los Angeles Police Department. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Themes naturally emerged and were compared across participants to identify …

They Do Not See What I Carry: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Male Educational Leaders And The Quiet Weight Of Imposter Syndrome, Malik A. Richard

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how Black male educational leaders experience and cope with Impostor Syndrome (IS) as defined by Zorn’s (2005) nine elements—anxiety, lack of self-confidence, depression, perfectionism, procrastination, self-presentation, emotional exhaustion, fear of failure, and fear of success, within their organizational, social, and cultural contexts. Methodology: Guided by Moustakas’s (1994) phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals from Black male leaders in K–12 educational settings in the Boston region. Purposeful sampling (Patton, 2014) ensured participants had significant leadership experience. Data were thematically coded, aligned with Zorn’s nine elements, and …

A Phenomenological Study: Implicit Bias In The Hiring Practices Of Health Care Organizations (Perception, Impact On Workforce Diversity, Mitigation Methods, And Implementation Assessment), Mohamed Boubrik

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how implicit bias influences hiring practices within health care organizations. Specifically, it investigated the perceptions of hiring professionals regarding implicit bias, its impact on workforce diversity, the strategies used to mitigate it, and the effectiveness of those strategies in real-world implementation.

Methodology: This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach to capture the lived experiences of hiring professionals in Southern California health care organizations. A random sampling method was used to select participants across various health care facilities. Data collection was conducted through semistructured interviews, using a validated interview protocol as …

Breaking Barriers: A Delphi Study On Strategies Military Women Of Color Use To Advance Into Senior Leadership In The California Air National Guard, Michelle Leon Carrasco

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to determine what strategies military women of color (in ranks of E–8 and above or O–4 and above) used to overcome workplace barriers to advancement in the California Air National Guard (CAANG), to rate the importance of the strategies identified in Research Question 1, and to determine the methods by which they employed the top five most important strategies.Methodology: This study used a three-round Delphi method to collect data from women of color senior leaders in the CAANG. In Round 1, the expert panel identified strategies to overcome workplace barriers to advance …

Factors Influencing Teacher Retention In K-12 Public Schools In Rural Hawai’I As Perceived By K-12 Public School Teachers, Celeste Akiu

Dissertations

Purpose. This qualitative study aimed to identify and describe the factors influencing teacher retention in K-12 public schools in rural Hawai’i, as perceived by K-12 public school teachers examined within the framework of Mason and Matas’ (2015) conceptualization of four capital factors: human, social, structural, and positive psychological. Methodology. This qualitative study intended to identify factors that influenced teachers in rural Hawai’ian communities to remain in the profession. Convenience purposeful sampling was used to identify the nine teachers who participated in this study. The Four Capital Framework for Teacher Retention was used to guide the questions used in the interviews, …

Millennial Latina Non-Profit Leaders: Exploring Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power, Tatiana Mendoza-Larreynaga

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by Millennial Latina nonprofit C-Suite leaders and explore the impact of these behaviors on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by Millennial Latina nonprofit leaders to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: Employing a mixed method sequential explanatory design, the research involved eight Millennial Latina nonprofit leaders, utilizing convenience and snowball sampling. Data collection included electronic Likert scales to quantify self-sabotaging behaviors and interviews to explore lived experiences. Analysis sought to identify prevalent behaviors and strategies for overcoming …

Self-Sabotaging Behaviors Of Female Chief Executive Officers Of Behavioral Health Organizations And Power Tactics Used To Leadhership, Jennifer Salgado

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to identify and describe personal power tactics that female Chief Executive Officers of behavioral health nonprofit organizations employ to overcome four identified self-sabotaging behaviors from the Self-Sabotaging Framework adapted from Lerner (2012) and Ryder and Briles (2003).

Methodology: This sequential mixed methods research study deployed a phenomenological approach to identify and describe the lived experiences of six female Chief Executive Officers of behavioral health nonprofit organizations in California. Data collection included interviews consisting of eight semistructured questions and 28 survey questions. Interviews were recorded and transcribed to support data analysis …

Growth And Impact: The Dual Purpose Of Leadership Development For Professionals In Middle Management Roles, Joy Karavedas

Transform

Abstract

Growth and Impact: The Dual Purpose of Leadership Development for

Professionals in Middle Management Roles

Emerging leaders are aware of the skills needed for executive leadership but may not possess the knowledge of how to develop those skills, meaning they often enter higher levels of leadership with awareness of what is needed to lead but without the actual skills to do so. More than any time in history, it is critical that those placed in leadership positions develop skills prior to being elevated. On the job leadership development is no longer a reliable option and intentionality to developmental time …

Weakness Is The New Strength: How Vulnerability Makes Leaders Stronger, Scott Dick

Transform

Weakness is the new strength: How vulnerability makes leaders stronger is the result from the meta-analysis of five phenomenological studies designed to generate a theory that explains how exemplar leaders from five different fields used “soft-skills” and four domains of behavior to create mutual shared knowledge, resolve conflict and transform relationships to produce breakthrough results. The four domains of behavior are communication, collaboration, ethics, and emotional intelligence. The sample was composed of 75 exemplar leaders from five different professional fields and included an analysis of over 1,300 pages of interview transcripts as the main data source for the study. The …

The Mentoring Experiences Of Mid-Level Leaders In Higher Education As They Relate To Leadership Development, Adam Ek

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the mentoring experiences of mid-level leaders in private non-profit higher education as it relates to their leadership development.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described the mentoring experiences of 15 mid-level leaders in private non-profit higher education in California as they related to leadership development. Respondents were chosen based on specific criteria, snowball sampling, and finally convenience. The researcher collected data and coded the data for themes based upon frequency counts.

Findings: Examination of the qualitative data from the 15 mid-level leaders in Private, Non-Profit Higher Education yielded 10 …

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Attachment Theory Among Field Grade Officers In The U.S. Army, Rebecca Ochs

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine what relationship exists between U.S. Army field grade officers’ self-reported scores on the five domains of the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2002) and their self-reported scores on the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR) (Brennan et al., 1998). Methodology: This study used a correlational approach to collect quantitative data from U.S. Army field grade officers. Using the LPI, a self-report transformational leadership measurement tool developed by Kouzes and Posner (2002), that measures five domains that include: (a) model the way, (b) inspire a shared vision, (c) …

How Exemplary Chief Nurse Executives Utilize The Six Domains Of Conflict Transformational Strategies To Establish Common Ground And Produce Breakthrough Results, Michael Thompson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological method study was to identify and describe strategies that exemplary chief nurse executive leaders use to identify and establish common grounds to produce breakthrough results in healthcare by using the six domains of transformational conflict strategies: collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, ethical behaviors, problem solving, and shared interest.

Methodology: As a part of the thematic phenomenological study, the research identified and described the lived experiences of eight exemplary chief nurse executive leaders in health care who used conflict transformational strategies to find common ground to produce breakthrough results. The target population for the study included …

The Lived Experience Of Hmong Women In Leadership Roles, Nou Vang

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of Hmong women who have achieved leadership positions.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of 12 Hmong women who have ascent to leadership roles through personal, face-to-face, in- depth, open-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emergent themes. Related artifacts from the participants, along with the participant interviews, were collected to triangulate data. Research findings were a result of the correlating themes based on the qualitative data analysis and research question.

Findings: The findings of the study indicated that …

Phenomenological Study: The Perceived Impact Of The Intersectional Barriers Created By Gender And Race On African American Females’ Advancement To A Senior Executive Service Within The Federal Government, Nicole Oliver

Dissertations

Purpose. This phenomenological study aimed to investigate the perceived impact of intersectional barriers created by gender and ethnicity on the advancement of African American females to the Senior Executive Service (SES) corps of the United States federal civil service. Additionally, the study sought to identify strategies used by African American females to overcome these barriers because of intersectionality and advance to the SES corps of the United States federal civil service.

Methodology. This qualitative phenomenological study used a convenience sampling method to select eight African American females who have advanced to an SES position in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. …

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 …

We Don’T Have To Do All Of It Alone: A Phenomenological Study On How Mid-Level Leaders In Community Colleges Flourish Through Collaboration And Advocacy, Mackenzie Taylor Klinker Hutchins

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the formal and informal leadership development experiences of mid-level leaders promoted within Washington State Community Colleges.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described the formal and informal leadership development experiences of 17 mid-level leaders promoted within Washington State Community Colleges. Respondents were purposively chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations of two expert sponsors. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews, where the participants provided descriptive data that would aid in answering the study’s research questions.

Findings: Analysis of the qualitative data from 17 mid-level leaders promoted within …

The Dark Side Of Leadership: Mid-Level Managers And Their Experience With Hubristic Behaviors Of Executives, Leili Sadaghiani

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify the emotional reactions of mid-level managers to executives’ hubris behaviors in a corporate setting.

Methodology: This leadership study uses qualitative phenomenological methodology was executed to explore the lived experiences of mid-level managers with past executives who practiced hubristic behavior.

Findings: The findings of this research on the lived experiences of mid-level managers with hubristic behaviors of executives suggest that the lack of support lessens the mid-level manager’s confidence; with little support; the mid-level manager was either afraid to fight the executive or gave up trying; the mid-level manager faced stress even …