“I Have A Voice”: Bridging The Communication And Sensemaking Gap Between Restorative Justice Practice And Program Implementation, Stefan Cocorelis

Dissertations

Restorative justice (RJ), a philosophy, practice, and movement inspired by local, largely Indigenous traditions, has increasingly been introduced in modern criminal justice systems as an alternative process to more comprehensively address harmful incidents, heal harms, and meet victim’s needs. While RJ implementation growth is encouraging for its advocates, there remain significant questions around formalized RJ practice. Specifically, little is known about the decision-making process in implementing and administering RJ programming within criminal justice. This dissertation aimed to contribute to the understanding of RJ practice and implementation efforts within criminal justice systems by putting emphasis on practitioners already working directly in …

Embodied Leadership And Conditional Legitimacy: Critically Conscious Male Leaders Navigating Systems Of Power, Luis A. Legaspi

Dissertations

Leadership is not a neutral concept; it is shaped by overlapping systems of power, including empire, whiteness, neoliberal capitalism, and cisheteropatriarchy. These interlocking systems influence how leadership is defined, recognized, and legitimized, often privileging particular identities and forms of authority. The persistent underrepresentation of people of color, women, and queer individuals in positions of leadership reflects how dominant conceptions of leadership remain closely aligned with historically entrenched structures of power.

This critical narrative inquiry study examines how men, who disproportionately occupy positions of social and institutional authority, make meaning of masculinity, power, and leadership within these systems. Drawing on relational …

Burning Out: A Narrative Exploration Of The Adaptive Challenge And Scaffolds Built Toward Sustenance Among Immigrant Rights Activists In San Diego County, Anna C. Runion

Dissertations

Activist burnout has been identified as one of the greatest threats to social movement sustainability, and the lived experience of paid immigrant rights activists remains undertheorized. This narrative inquiry explored activist burnout among 10 San Diego County immigrant rights activists, revealing how this community understands burnout, what factors contribute to its production, and how activists sustain themselves within it. Using Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) narrative inquiry methodology, the researcher conducted in-depth individual interviews with ten activists representing a range of intersectional identities and roles. Narrative profiles were analyzed through holistic narrative reading, narrative reporting, structural and emergent coding, and cross-narrative …

Investigating The Impact Of Employment And Demographic Factors On Health Among Bereaved Adults: A Quantitative Approach, Dorothy L. O'Hagan

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Although the death of a loved one is a universal experience, grief and bereavement may affect employees in the workplace. Prior research on grief and bereavement in the workplace has been largely qualitative. Little attention has been given to how bereavement, employment-related factors, and demographic characteristics are associated with health among working-age adults. The Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) offered a large dataset for examining these relationships.

This retrospective, exploratory, correlational quantitative study used the 2019 and 2022 Georgia BRFSS datasets to examine self-reported health among bereaved and non-bereaved adults ages 18 to 64. Analytic samples included …

A Quantitative Critical Analysis Of Comprehensive Education Plan Effects As Implemented Under Title 5 In California Community Colleges, Nicole Jones

Dissertations

California Code of Regulations, Title 5, is the policy and regulatory guide of the California Community Colleges. Sections of Title 5 policy govern the implementation of programs and services at these colleges. It provides protection for colleges and specifies student entitlements under the law. The mission of the California Community Colleges is to serve as an open-access point, providing students with services and instruction. Access barriers to services like counseling can delay goal attainment, increase cost of attendance and time to completion, and result in lower successful retention or persistence rates. Additionally, resource allocation, Title 5 Section 59200 regulations (the …

Generations At Work: Examining Differences In The Nonprofit Sector, Cory J. Bergeron

Dissertations

This non-experimental quantitative dissertation examined generational differences among non-management employees in the United States nonprofit sector, where multiple generational cohorts work side by side. The problem addressed is that nonprofit leaders’ limited understanding of how distinct generational experiences shape employees’ work-related attitudes and preferences can contribute to conflict, reduced engagement, and costly turnover in already resource-constrained organizations. Grounded in Mannheim’s generational theory and Becker’s human capital theory, the study conceptualized generational cohorts as groups whose shared formative experiences influence what they value in their work context and how those values translate into human capital that affects organizational outcomes.

Using a …

Organizing To Engage: A Framework For Conflict Strategy, Paul Mason Carpenter

Dissertations

Conflict strategy can be exceedingly complex. While many of the basics are simple, even the simple can be highly complicated to execute. The Schlieffen Plan in World War I appeared straight forward, but execution was a great deal more complex. It failed and the result was years of trench warfare.  In addition, leaders entering conflict may not fully appreciate the full context, its effect, and the need for a long term result--a better state of peace.

Strategy and tactics may be challenging to transform as an engagement evolves. In addition, strategists must often commit to courses of action within very …

Percy Green: A Legacy Of Tactical Innovation And Leadership In St. Louis' Black Freedom Movement, Christopher M. Fletcher

Dissertations

Abstract

            This study explored Percy Green’s efforts against systemic racism, his innovative protest tactics, leadership qualities and principles, and his lasting impact within the Black Freedom Movement in St. Louis, Missouri, throughout the 1960s and 1970s. A qualitative single-case approach was utilized, analyzing archival records, interviews, a documentary about Green’s activism, newspaper articles, and Green’s own documentation of his work in the movement—all examined through thematic analysis. This process revealed key themes related to Green’s activism. The findings showed that Green employed non-violent, creative, and provocative protest tactics, including civil disobedience and direct action. These strategies revealed hidden racial inequalities, …

Associating Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, And Inclusive Leadership: A Correlational Study Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors And Church Leaders In Canada, Damson Anim Oppong

Dissertations

Problem

In an increasingly polarized world, church leaders are expected to foster inclusion, belonging, and unity within diverse congregations. Inclusive leadership (IL), supported by emotional intelligence (EQ) and cultural intelligence (CQ), may offer a relational leadership posture well-suited to this challenge. Growing evidence suggests that relational qualities such as EQ and CQ help leaders develop inclusive communities, foster belonging, and bridge differences (Thomas & Inkson, 2017; Wise, 2022). Emotional and cultural intelligence are studied increasingly in organizational settings, but little is known about how they affect inclusive leadership in faith-based institutions, such as among pastors and church leaders in the …

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 …

Constructing Effectiveness: Culture, Legitimacy, And Strategic Planning In Zoos And Aquariums, Robin Keith

Dissertations

Zoos and aquariums are complex organizations operating with multiple mandates—saving species, providing exceptional care to animals, connecting communities with nature, and inspiring environmental action—making “effectiveness” difficult to define. What counts as success depends on who is asked and which goals are foregrounded. This study investigated how stakeholders in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)–accredited organizations conceptualize and operationalize effectiveness within strategic planning processes. Prior research on nonprofit and mission-driven organizations has shown effectiveness is multidimensional and often defined differently by various stakeholders. However, little has been known about how these definitions are negotiated through the practice of strategic planning, …

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, …

Emotional Intelligence And Self-Efficacy In Relation To Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role Of Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment In Faith-Based K–12 Education, Nestor Osorio

Dissertations

Problem

Leadership turnover remains a significant challenge within faith-based K–12 educational systems, affecting organizational stability, school culture, and long-term institutional effectiveness. Although previous studies have examined turnover intention in educational leadership, limited research has explored how emotional intelligence and principal self-efficacy relate to turnover intention through organizational attitudes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment within faith-based educational settings. Additionally, little empirical research has focused specifically on educational leaders serving within the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventist schools. This study examined the extent to which emotional intelligence, principal self- efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment are associated with …

Called To Lead: Leadership Journeys And Workplace Experiences Of Women Presidents In Seventh-Day Adventist Institutions, Gary Thurber

Dissertations

Problem

Although women constitute more than half of Seventh-day Adventist Church membership, they remain substantially underrepresented in senior leadership roles across North America. This disparity raises important questions about the historical, theological, organizational, and gender-related factors that shape women’s access to institutional leadership within the denomination. A growing body of scholarship has examined the life experiences of women clergy in the church; however, limited research has explored the experiences of women serving in presidential leadership roles within Seventh-day Adventist institutions.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the experiences of women serving in presidential leadership roles …

Impact Of Community College Size And Meeting Types On Leader-Member Conversation Quality In Career And Technical Education (Cte) Leaders: A Mixed Methods Study, Kenneth Wayne Kirkland Jr.

Dissertations

Community colleges are complex institutions with the primary mission of workforce preparation and academic transfer. In many cases, community colleges produce the majority of their local workforces. Political influences upon workforce priorities, increased national calls for transparency in higher education training, complicated infrastructure, and technical expertise requirements for faculty have created substantial challenges for career and technical education (CTE) leaders. These complexities require the 21st-century CTE leader to be as externally focused as their presidents, highlighting the importance of communication effectiveness in both leaders.

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the influence of community college enrollment levels …

2+2 Doesn't Always Equal 4: A Mixed Methods Approach To U.S.-Born Children Of Immigrants' Cultural Identities And Belonging, Teriin Lee

Dissertations

Within the next generation, one in five adults born in the United States will be a child of immigrants. Despite this, research on children of immigrants is limited. Specifically, the scholarship on this growing demographic limited their experiences to cultural identity, as it pertains to belonging. Simply put, the literature supposes that children of immigrants’ cultural identities define their sense of belonging. Moreover, the literature lacks insight into the lived experiences of children of immigrants, despite the increasing prevalence of this population.

This study aimed to address how children of immigrants experience cultural identity and belonging. A mixed methods research …

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 …

Toward Culturally Responsive Interpretation: Native American Histories, Lifeways, And Ways Of Knowing At The High Desert Museum, Carol Fitzsimmons, Ajena Cason Rogers

Dissertations

Many public museums and historic institutions reflect settler colonial culture and are primarily non-Native led. Although these institutions are trusted, many have perpetuated cultural harm through the theft of belongings, the misrepresentation of stories and histories, and the inaccurate portrayals of cultural content. When interpreting Native American experiences, many non-Native institutions struggle to co-create culturally responsive interpretation. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to apply the four-truth framework, developed by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to better understand how the High Desert Museum approached the interpretation of Native American content and stories and to explore how …

Belonging Is Resistance: Illuminating The Power Of Women Of Color Mid-Level Administrators In Higher Education, Rachelle Ann Martinez

Dissertations

Resistance has long been a mechanism through which the dominant norms of society are challenged in the name of social justice. White supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and neoliberalism make it difficult for institutions of higher education to increase diversity, advance equity, and prioritize inclusion. Although these systems of domination adversely impact the belonging of all campus stakeholders, the experiences of mid-level administrators are relatively overlooked, and feeling undervalued and underappreciated is a top reason for many, especially women and people of color, who leave the profession altogether. This qualitative study utilized narrative inquiry to understand how dominant societal norms adversely impact the …

Becoming A Beloved Community: A Restorative Reckoning For A Radical Conversion To Transform Discourse In Higher Education, Latasha Tomay Varlack-Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the misappropriation of Restorative Justice Discourse (RJD) within three predominantly white institutions (PWIs), analyzing 59 institutional documents through Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, and Rhetorical Criticism (Fairclough, 1995; Vaandering, 2021; van Dijk, 2008). Tribal Colleges and Universities and South African institutions have emerged as exemplars of authentic RJD, countering co-optation within PWIs. The findings demonstrate that RJD as applied in PWIs is framed in ways that attenuate its transformative potential, perpetuating color-evasiveness (Bonilla-Silva, 2017) and obscuring the intersectional experiences of Black, Indigenous, and disabled communities (Crenshaw, 1991; Million, 2009).

Grounded in decolonial praxis (Smith, …

The Integration Struggles Of Myanmar/Burmese-Catholic Youth Refugees In The United States, Nant Thazin Shwe

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Myanmar, previously known as Burma, generates a significant yearly refugee exodus stemming from ongoing ethnic conflicts, political instability, human rights violations, and the targeted persecution of Christian minority groups. Individuals seek shelter and improved opportunities in other nations. From 2011 to 2023, for example, Burmese refugees represented the largest group among U.S. refugee arrivals, accounting for 18 per cent.

Presently, there is a lack of knowledge about what the Burmese-Catholic youth refugees experiences during their integration journey into the US society. This qualitative study aimed to shed light on how the larger socio-cultural and religious environment intersects with Burmese-Catholic …

Exploring The Experience Of Embodiment Of Diverse Leaders, Susan Lynn Flaming Yeats

Dissertations

The experience of embodiment is a complex phenomenon that spans a range of feelings: a sense of connection to one's physical body, a sense of capability to accomplish certain physical acts, an attunement to self-care behaviors, a connection to desire, and inhabiting the body as a subjective site (Piran, 2016). This can be a complicated experience for leaders who hold multiple intersecting identities (Hill et al., 2016). As new medical therapies promise radical weight loss possibilities, the experience of embodiment has taken on a new layer of complexity (Giorgis, 2024). For fat leaders who are also women of color, sexual …

Latinas In Higher Education: Paving & Weaving Wholeheartedly, Ariela M. Canizal

Dissertations

The deficit model in research has often framed Latinas in higher education through a lens of barriers and challenges, reinforcing stereotypes that depict them as unlikely to succeed in academic spaces. However, Latinas are actively resisting these narratives, weaving their resilience into their stories as they navigate the complexities of higher education, culture, and identity. This study examines how Latina students incorporate cultural background, familial support, and personal agency to thrive academically while challenging systemic obstacles and societal expectations. The research question that guided this study is: In what ways do undergraduate Latina students navigate identity as they experience leadership …

The Digital Incorporated Worker Narrative: A Mixed Methods Study Of Digital Capital, Work Selection, And Outcomes In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Tracie King

Dissertations

Digital technology permeates society and industry, making digital-ready workers necessary for firms of all sizes as a firm seeks competitiveness in the market (Bergson-Shilcock et al., 2023; de Ruyter et al., 2018; Gorski et al., 2022; Karaboğa, 2023; Kim et al., 2017; Qureshi Zia, 2019). Firms seeking digital-ready workers face a complex digital divide that creates a worker shortage (Bergson-Shilcock et al., 2023; Karaboğa, 2023; Qureshi Zia, 2019). This study aims to describe workers' work selection, work experience, and outcomes in a complex digital society.

Most digital divide research focuses on the individuals excluded from owning, accessing, and having skills …

Federal Telework Intensity, Perceived Organizational Support, And Perceived Supervisor Support As Predictors Of Affective Commitment In A Post-Pandemic Environment, Jamaris Moore

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many governments to transition to non-traditional work such as telework (Lunde et al., 2022). However, in a post-pandemic environment, federal agencies required their employees to return to the offices (Office of Management and Budget, 2021), which led employees to agency hop, looking for more accommodating work arrangements (The Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 2022). Therefore, the researcher sought to determine if telework intensity (TI), perceived organizational support (POS), and perceived supervisor support (PSS) predicted employee organizational commitment (OC). The researcher used a quantitative correlational cross-sectional survey to assess 202 federal employees from two Department of Defense …

Coming Back To Life: Inner Work, Intentional Containers And Feminine Leadership For Social Change — A Phenomenological Case Study Of A Social Change-Oriented Organization And The Self, Maria Trias Arraut

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the phenomenon of inner work within social change organizations through an in-depth case study of a nonprofit organization dedicated to women’s empowerment and transformation. Using a phenomenological approach and ethnographic methods, the research combines intensive 7-month fieldwork in 2016 with reflective analysis years later, shaped by my own evolving relationship with inner work practices, providing a unique perspective on how inner work lived experience shapes individuals, organizational culture, and social change efforts.

The findings reveal that the social change organization (SCO) operated through three distinct yet interconnected levels of inner work practice: tending to the personal …