Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Leadership Studies Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Articles 211 - 240 of 328

Full-Text Articles in Leadership Studies

Specific Communication Choices Of A Transformational Leader That Followers Perceive As Necessary For Effective Leadership, Karen Creasy May 2012

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 May 2012

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 May 2012

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 May 2012

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 May 2012

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 …


Understanding The Role Of The Veteran Employee: How Organizational Communication May Bridge Gaps Between New And Veteran Employees, Jacqui L. Barker Apr 2012

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 Apr 2012

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 Apr 2012

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 Apr 2012

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 Apr 2012

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 …


Therapeutic Listening In Caring Relationships, Jennifer Mae Defoe Jan 2012

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 Jan 2012

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 …


Expectancy Violations: Their Impact On Organizational Change Messages, Kristie Ward Jan 2012

Expectancy Violations: Their Impact On Organizational Change Messages, Kristie Ward

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study looks at expectancy violation theory (Burgoon, 1978), the application of the theory in organizations, and foundational pieces of organizational communication to address how violations impact the reception of change messages among non-managers. Organizations grow and downsize for various reasons, including business performance and economic climate. Regardless of the reasons, downsizing is a hard message to deliver. It can matter little if it is to the employees who will be leaving the organization or to the „survivors‟ left behind. How the messages are delivered and understood are important for the organization to move their employees through change and move …


Endometriosis And Livejournal: How Women Use Social Media For Health Communication, Beena Gohil Jan 2012

Endometriosis And Livejournal: How Women Use Social Media For Health Communication, Beena Gohil

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examined how women who have or are affected by endometriosis use the social blogging site LiveJournal as a means of communicating about the disorder, and what gratifications they received in the process. The philosophical framework for this study stemmed from Martin Buber’s (1923/1958) work on “dialogic ethics.” The theory that grounded this study is a version of Uses and Gratifications theory that has been expanded so that it is applicable to social media. The data was gathered as part of a content analysis study in which blog posts and their comments were collected, coded, and analyzed. The results …


Does Social Media Usage Translate To Offline Voting And Civic Engagement?, Sara Cureton Jan 2012

Does Social Media Usage Translate To Offline Voting And Civic Engagement?, Sara Cureton

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

One of the most important objectives of media is to provide citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions. Based on the theory of technological determinism by scholars such as Marshall McLuhan, the innovations of a society are driven by its technology, so the widely-used medium of social media has been found to have a growing influence in civic matters. This thesis examined how social media usage impacted offline civic engagement. Through an analysis of a sample of 49 political candidates' Facebook and Twitter activity, this study questioned whether social media impacted the outcome of the 2012 General …


Multi-Generational Differences: Bridging The Gap, Leigh Mcmaster Bowes Jan 2012

Multi-Generational Differences: Bridging The Gap, Leigh Mcmaster Bowes

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Today's business market is experiencing several trends such as organizational restructuring, corporate takeovers, changes in technology, mid-life career changes becoming more common, older employees choosing partial retirement rather than full retirement and the aging oftoday's largest workforce. As a result, the business community is faced with a new dynamic environment comprised ofmulti-generational difference and it is imperative that managers understand the generational differences and use their knowledge as a tool to create more employee productivity, innovation and loyalty (Fogg. 2009). This thesis used Constructive-Development Theory and Generational Cohort Theory to guide this research. Survey results concluded that managers did observe …


Face, Speech, And Other Concerns Of Global Business Communication, Lynne Elaine Tarter Jan 2012

Face, Speech, And Other Concerns Of Global Business Communication, Lynne Elaine Tarter

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore global leadership communication competencies, as the communicative knowledge, skills and abilities of current business leaders do not meet the current sophisticated and fast-paced business demands of the interconnected global marketplace. Specifically, this study examines what attributes comprise communication competency for corporate leaders with global responsibilities, how those competencies are developed, and finally the impact the competencies have on organizations. A qualitative field study was conducted with two global leaders from two different regions of the world as they interacted with others from different cultures. A separate quantitative survey was administered to 95 …


"Nothing Sacred": Ignatian Principles Of Heroic Leadership In Entertainment Media, John Briand Levesque Jan 2012

"Nothing Sacred": Ignatian Principles Of Heroic Leadership In Entertainment Media, John Briand Levesque

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The series Nothing Sacred lasted less than one full season on broadcast network television. Critically acclaimed for its writing but also vigorously opposed for having an anti-Catholic agenda, it embraced a set of values consistent with Ignatian leadership philosophy. Scholars paid little attention to the show after its cancellation in 1998, but an examination of several episodes and the writing of its co-creator, a Jesuit priest, suggests that the series propagated the principles of Ignatian leadership in much the same way as Lowney (2003), who proposed that the 16th-century philosophy of leadership espoused by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit …


Print Media In The Digital Age: Creating Conversation And Community, Hilary E. Parker Jan 2012

Print Media In The Digital Age: Creating Conversation And Community, Hilary E. Parker

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

With the rise of the Internet, print media has been forced to reinvent itself. Now, with the growing acceptance of social media networks such as Facebook, the industry must once again find relevance within the new technology. As social networks have become widely accepted within the general population, it behooves print publications to be involved in the same milieu as its readers. Becoming part of the social networking community as well as a publication’s geographic community may reap rewards as publications begin to participate in and foster conversations around topics of interest in the community. This thesis discusses the link …


The Role Of Communication In Sustainable Development, Tracy Ging Jan 2012

The Role Of Communication In Sustainable Development, Tracy Ging

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

As population growth accelerates, there are new strains on agricultural production and a growing consideration for sustainable development. Within the field of sustainable development, collective action models or collaborative processes have been favored as a way to engage multiple stakeholders and address complex issues. Collective and collaborative action studies have emphasized communication, but little specifics have been offered about the role of communication. Using a qualitative interview process and ethnographic analysis, this case study explores the role of communication in collaboration. In addition to developing insights into specific communication practices, the research reveals a significant emphasis on mutually supportive relationships …


Etymology, Contemporary Usage And Intercultural Implications Of The Word: Gringo, Jaren Scott Jan 2012

Etymology, Contemporary Usage And Intercultural Implications Of The Word: Gringo, Jaren Scott

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines intercultural perceptions between Americans and Mexicans, and the etymology/implications of the term gringo. Whereas most investigations have focused on the Hispanic experience within the United States, this research asks participants to create a cultural casting of the typical gringo. Historical events combined with current academic literature in intercultural communication theory examine these stereotypes and their implications in a rapidly merging, or mutually integrating society, consisting of the United States and Mexico. The thesis surveys modern Mexican attitudes in regards to their North American neighbors with emphasis on Stella TingToomey’s identify negotiation and face theories. More importantly, the …


Employee Perceptions Of Productivity: Virtual Workplace Location Vs.Working In The Office, Stephen Patrick Guida Jan 2012

Employee Perceptions Of Productivity: Virtual Workplace Location Vs.Working In The Office, Stephen Patrick Guida

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study focused on perceived productivity. The key question answered explored how the perception of one’s productivity when working in a virtual workplace setting compared to working in the office. A 24 question survey was given to 100 employees within a financial organization resulting in 46 total useable surveys to analyze. Findings revealed that workplace setting does not significantly affect an employee’s perception of productivity. The result supports the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory of interpersonal communication as presented by Pearce and Cronen (1989) because communication required of an employee to be productive within an organization is learned and constantly …


Online Remedial Writing Classes: A Sense Of Presence, Pedagogy, And Digital Divide, Barbara Lorraine Stoutamore Jan 2012

Online Remedial Writing Classes: A Sense Of Presence, Pedagogy, And Digital Divide, Barbara Lorraine Stoutamore

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Remedial math and writing courses have become commonplace on two and four year college campuses. As many as 42 percent of incoming freshman enroll in some type of remedial class whether it be reading, writing, or math (Brock, 2010). More and more students are entering these institutions underprepared for college level work and must take remedial courses to increase their skills to college equivalency. Face to Face (FtF) courses have been developed to meet the needs of remedial students, but recently online courses have begun to be offered as well. Research shows that students who take online courses are less …


Perceived Expectations Of High School Students' Acceptance To College And The Effect It Has On Their Application To College, Aaron D. Cannistraci Jan 2012

Perceived Expectations Of High School Students' Acceptance To College And The Effect It Has On Their Application To College, Aaron D. Cannistraci

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study looks at leadership/ASE students of a private secondary school in central California, in an effort to measure their perceived expectations about their college application and correlate them with where these students actually apply to college. The research questions asked: RQl: Do the perceived expectations of high school students' acceptance to college have an effect on where they apply to college? RQ2: Do the perceived expectations of high school students' acceptance to college have an effect on their ambition to go to college? This study grounded in symbolic interaction theory collected data from 30 students in their junior …


Reality Television And Its Effect On The Academic Achievement Of Inner-City High School Students, Natifia Mullings Jan 2012

Reality Television And Its Effect On The Academic Achievement Of Inner-City High School Students, Natifia Mullings

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The impact of heavy television viewing and the effects it has on young viewers has been a dominant topic since the 1960s. With the ever-changing landscape of television programming, reality television has become increasingly popular, especially among the pre-teen and teen audiences. This study explores George Gerbner‘s Cultivation Theory (1998), which assumes that television has the ability to influence the attitudes and perceptions of its viewers, and uses it as a foundation to determine if there is an association between reality television consumption and the attitudes inner-city high school students have towards education. A total of 251 inner-city high school …


Communication Techniques: Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility, Laurie Beth Fried Jan 2012

Communication Techniques: Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility, Laurie Beth Fried

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly important for businesses and their stakeholders. Successful communication ofa companies' CSR program remains a huge challenge. It is important for business leaders to understand how to build customer awareness of CSR efforts, and identify the factors that positively impact customers' beliefs and purchasing behavior, and thus the bottom line. Research for this study was both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative analysis utilized data from a recent e-mail customer survey conducted by a national retailer. Top CSR Communicators were identified and then a qualitative analysis was applied with in-depth employee interviews. The results revealed that …


Source Credibility And How New Churchgoers Choose A Church, Stephanie Araujo Jan 2012

Source Credibility And How New Churchgoers Choose A Church, Stephanie Araujo

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The church as a faith community seeks to expand interpersonal and ethical communication by inviting new members. However, much of the effort to successfully communicate with non-attenders has fallen on deaf ears as the church in the United States has seen stagnant growth over the last few decades. This study considers the various tactics employed by the faith community to overcome this malaise and attract new people by asking how new churchgoers choose a church. Using source credibility as the theoretical basis, this study attempts to show that most churchgoers choose a faith community based on the pastor’s source credibility; …


Public Speaking: Breaking Down Barrier And Building Confidence, Cameron Scott Knauerhaze Jan 2012

Public Speaking: Breaking Down Barrier And Building Confidence, Cameron Scott Knauerhaze

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This paper is a consulting project for prospective public speakers. This project is intended to help break down barriers and build confidence of students when faced with public speaking situations. The project is designed for adult students. Students will be introduced to public speaking from a historical perspective with the hope they will build a foundation for accepting the remaining course material. The theory of Communication Apprehension (CA) is identified and discussed throughout the paper. As students start to recognize what barriers they possess in public speaking, they will learn simple methods in how to create and deliver a speech. …


Critical Analysis Of Hiv/Aids Communication Messages, Charli Marie Wilson Jan 2012

Critical Analysis Of Hiv/Aids Communication Messages, Charli Marie Wilson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

For the last thirty years HIV/AIDS has affected the lives of many people in the United States. Since the first introduction of the disease to America, healthcare officials have implemented several methods in various disciplines to prevent new cases. The information in this thesis examines how public health campaigns have contributed to the prevention of HIV. The research method in this thesis assumes a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of three HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns and how these media educate men who have sex with men (MSM) about prevention. The CDA method is useful in identifying consistent emerging themes in the campaigns …


"Dear Jane": An Examination Of Female Combat Warriors, The Communiaction Styles Used During War Vs. The Communication Used In The Home, Renee Humphrey Jan 2012

"Dear Jane": An Examination Of Female Combat Warriors, The Communiaction Styles Used During War Vs. The Communication Used In The Home, Renee Humphrey

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

War has been happening for centuries. Women have been in the United States Armed Forces since the War of Independence in 1775, with very little research done on how war affects these women once on the home front. The purpose of my research is to evaluate the role of communication because of being a female in a combat zone at a time of war, and how it has affected the female‘s life back home once returned. Specifically, I used Relational Dialectic Theory and Expectancy Violations Theory as a basis of ethnographic research and one on one interviews to research the …