Leadership Studies Commons^™

The Development Of An Instrument To Measure Global-Mindedness, E. Jane Hett Edd

Dissertations

The leaders of the twenty-first century will need remarkable insight into other cultures and peoples and unprecedented concern for the well-being of the world community. The generally stated goal of global education in the United States is to foster a sense of global belonging through lessening ethnocentrism, increasing knowledge of other cultures, and promoting a concern for the global ecosystem. Despite the resources dedicated to this end, only limited research has been done to assess the effectiveness of programs designed to foster global-mindedness. Global-Mindedness, as the definition emerged through the qualitative component of this research, is a worldview in which …

Dimensions Of Anxiety And Their Effect On An Aspect Of The Performance Process: Commission Of Mental Errors, Ralph Richard Schoenfeld Edd

Dissertations

The pressure and anxiety of performing well will increase as the importance of winning continues to be stressed in competitive sports. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anxiety-performance relationship in an applied, field-tested manner by examining the relationship between competitive state anxiety and the incidence of mental errors committed under various levels of competition. Male and female elite athletes of the men's and women's basketball teams from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina (Saskatchewan, Canada) made up the subject population for this study. The study utilized the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT, Martens, 1977) …

A Framework Of Transformational Leadership Concepts Proposed For Undergraduate College And University Student Development And Student Affairs Leadership Programs, Stanley D. Fasci Edd

Dissertations

Educating undergraduate students in the area of leadership has long been part of the educational mission of many public and private institutions of higher education in the United States. At many of these colleges and universities, leadership education and training has been accomplished by programs directed by student development or student affairs divisions of the institution. The purpose of this study was to identify a framework of transformational leadership concepts that could be integrated into existing student development/affairs leadership programs. The study's objectives were: (1) to obtain expert opinion regarding transformational leadership concepts to be used; (2) to verify whether …

Bicultural Women In Monocultural Organizations: Professional Hispanic Women's Experiences Of Diversity And Their Recommendations For Organizations, Carmen Mestas Bárcena Edd

Dissertations

The composition of the work force in this country is changing from one in which the White male was dominant to one in which by the year 2000 women and ethnic minorities will be dominant. Work force diversity will impact organizations at all levels, including top management, which has been closed to women and minorities, and in particular, minority women. The diverse work force's expectation for advancement into top levels of management will present challenges to organizations. Some organizations have recognized that to remain competitive they need to manage a more diverse work force. The purpose of this study is …

Organizations Of The Future: An Analysis Of Current Literature And A New Model, Barbara E. Gilliss Edd

Dissertations

This study confronts the following problem: Western society and its organizations are experiencing the stresses of turbulent times about which there is little clear understanding. The study addresses the need for organizations, their leaders, and their members to understand these times and to determine how to engage themselves in moving toward more enlightened futures. The study questions whether current literature provides a basis for comprehending today's turmoil and its effect on organizations and whether the literature provides a theoretical basis for constructing a model of organizations of the future with which to help them proceed through a transition period. The …

Leadership Relationships And The Superintendency, Theresa M. Peterson Edd

Dissertations

Leadership in the 1990s is perceived as the primary solution to the political, social, economic and educational problems encountered today by our western society. The solutions that have worked in the industrialized society of the past are being re-evaluated and questioned by our technocratic society of today. The concept of leadership is undergoing a change. The old industrial view of leadership is making way for the emerging postindustrial view--a view that regards leadership as an inter-relational process among people who intend real, substantive changes berthed from a mutuality of purpose. This research focused on the leadership relationships forged in the …

Empowerment As A Dynamic Of The Leadership Relationship: A Study Of Two Local Governmental Organizations, Danell Scarborough Gavares Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of the empowerment processes operating within organizations and to theorize about the relationship between empowerment and leadership. The study focuses on empowerment in two local governmental organizations--the City of Carlsbad, California and the City of Scottsdale, Arizona. The research design combined the key characteristics of naturalistic inquiry with the analytical approach of grounded theory methodology. The researcher interviewed the members of both management teams and spent time as a participant observer. The data were synthesized into a conceptual model--a picture of the empowerment practices within these two organizations. The …

The Effect Of Reading And Discussing Literature With Strong Women Characters On Sixth Grade Students’ Sex Stereotype And Occupational Attitudes, Leslie Caspi Edd

Dissertations

There is considerable evidence that children develop stereotyped attitudes early in life and that these attitudes affect their futures. Many researchers agree that children's attitudes can be influenced by what they read and some studies have shown that attitudes can be changed by exposure to selected literature. This study focused on a group of sixth grade children reading selected short stories and novels with female main characters. Literature discussion groups and written journals were used to facilitate response. The clays was racially and socioeconomically mixed as a result of busing through the Voluntary Ethnic Enrollment and Magnet Programs. The class …

Perceived Leadership Style, Style Flexibility, And Style Effectiveness Of Government Hospital Administrators In Thailand, Pongsin Chuwattanakul

Dissertations

Problem. Many health care organizations have a great need for leaders who can handle the complex mix of health care facilities, legal and patient demands. Currently, hospital administrators of government-operated hospitals in Thailand are selected from physicians. These physicians are not directly trained to be professional hospital administrators. It was the purpose of this study to study and reveal their leadership styles.

Method. A descriptive design was used to study the leadership styles, style flexibility, and style effectiveness of hospital administrators in self-reports and as perceived by supervisors. The LBA II-Self (Leader Behavior Analysis II: Self Perceptions of Leadership Style) …

Leadership In Policy Issue Networks: The New Community College Of Baltimore, Helen H. Bishop Edd

Dissertations

The policy-making process is a complex human endeavor characterized by interactions among leaders and followers who do leadership by placing policy innovations on the political agenda and utilizing their resources to attempt change. If innovative change is accomplished, then the new policy must be implemented at the local level, in ways which may or may not reflect the intentions of those who desired the change, or those who created the new policy. This research focuses on an example of policy making in state government in the area of postsecondary education. The objectives of the study were to determine how coalitions …

The Impact Of The Accountability Movement On Principals In A Large Southern California School District, Dianette T. Mitchell Edd

Dissertations

Organizations achieve uniqueness in their functions despite similarities in their structure. This uniqueness is true of school districts as well. Though there are specific similarities which have been found in effective schools and districts who have joined the accountability movement, each has its own systematic method of modifying and controlling desired behavior and possible achievement. This research focuses on one unique group of people, the site administrators in a large school district, and seeks to ascertain the effects of the effective schools' accountability movement as seen from the perspective of school principals. The three major objectives of this study were …

Principals In Saskatchewan Rural Schools: Their Leadership Behaviors And School Effectiveness, Ronald W. Brice Edd

Dissertations

Recognizing the important role of the principal in Saskatchewan Rural school effectiveness, the study addressed the following four questions: 1. Are there significant differences in the behaviors of principals in schools that have been identified as effective compared to those principals in schools that have been identified as noneffective? 2. Are the leadership behaviors as identified by the Leadership Practices Inventory Self and Other (LPI-self and LPI-other) found in a set of Saskatchewan schools? 3. Are there differences in the principals' perceptions of their leadership behaviors as identified by the LPI-self and those perceptions of other staff members as indicated …

Leadership In A Different Voice: An Ethnographic Study Of A Latina Chief Executive Officer In A California Community College, Lois Margaret Knowlton Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic research was to discover the influence of President Judith Valles' gender and ethnicity on her leadership behavior at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, and to determine if similar influences existed among the other eight Hispanic women presidents of community colleges in the U.S. A composite profile of the nine presidents was developed. More than 100 interviews were conducted from a broad spectrum of participants, including seven of the nine Hispanic women presidents. The researcher became a participant observer at Golden West College for the fall of 1991. All the presidents were strongly influenced …

Constructing And Testing Practical Procedures For Describing A Corporate Culture: The Electric Troublemen, Timothy S. Vonder Edd

Dissertations

During the 1980s much attention was focused on trying to understand and apply the concept of corporate culture. Scholars and practitioners worked on clarifying the definition of culture as it applies to workplace settings. Scholars adapted the anthropological concepts of culture to fit within the framework of a business organization. Both scholars and practitioners attempted to investigate the cultures of many organizations throughout the business world. Scholars conducted lengthy case studies and used a mixture of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Business world practitioners conducted short studies and used mostly quantitative survey techniques. What was found was that the scholarly approach …

Valuing A Culturally Diverse Work Force: An Examination Of Intended Changes And Successes As Perceived By Upper And Middle Management, Supervisors, And Line Staff In A Health Care Organization, Cynthia L. Camberg Edd

Dissertations

The growing diversity of the work force is having and will continue to have a significant impact on organizations. The diversity of cultures, lifestyles, and household compositions compels managers and organizational leaders to make a variety of organizational changes. Additionally, the globalization of business, the integration of the world economy, and the rapid changes in corporate life require a reexamination of how organizations are thought of, and how employees are managed (Copeland, 1988; Betters-Reed & Moore, 1988-89; Goldstein, 1988). Since in the past organizations have been based on white male European traditions, a revolutionary response is needed from organizational leaders …

Entrepreneurial Leadership: A Delphi Study Of New Venture Success Factors, Alan J. Grant Edd

Dissertations

Over a million new U.S. enterprises are formed each year. Virtually all the country's net new jobs come from these and other new ventures. Yet 60% of new ventures still fail within two years. The purpose of this study was to isolate the most dominant leadership success characteristics of a typical early stage, high-growth potential venture. Thus discovered, these factors could properly focus the enterprise's tactics on improving its probability of fulfilling its original success related objectives as well as enhancing new job creation and in turn, economic wealth. A Delphi Technique research methodology was employed. The advice and counsel …

A Survey Of Teaching Strategies Used In California Community College Nursing Programs To Foster Critical Thinking, Nicki Harrington Edd

Dissertations

This study explicated critical thinking teaching strategies being utilized by California Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) faculty, and their perceived effectiveness, to serve as a model for faculties in nursing and other disciplines. Questions addressed by the study included not only teaching strategies in use and their perceived effectiveness, but also exploration of common threads among nursing educators in their definitions of critical thinking, and common themes of "especially effective" techniques. The study involved a pilot of the survey instrument, utilizing one sample school's nursing faculty, with subsequent distribution to all 69 other ADN program senior nursing course lead faculty. The …

An Evaluation Of Student Perceptions Of Academic Advising In A Rn/Bsn Distance Educational Nursing Program, Barbara A. Trent Edd

Dissertations

Over the past decade, RN/BSN programs have gained popularity across the nation with an emphasis upon structural flexibility and/or adult student learning principles. Research has shown a positive association between advisement and decreased attrition rates for this unique student body. The purpose of this research was to determine from the perception of students enrolled in a RN/BSN educational program, the importance of advisement in relation to three elements: functions, outcomes and advisor style. It was also the purpose to determine if these three elements had either been provided, achieved or employed, respectively, by their advisors. An evaluative design was used …

The Impact Of An Integrated Study Skills Program On University Of La Verne Adult Undergraduates At Vandenberg Air Force Base And Naval Air Station North Island, Pamela Priest Edd

Dissertations

The Problem: There have been a number of recent attempts to provide unique educational opportunities in learning strategies and study skills for adult students. A difficulty in removing the student from the classroom to provide this specialized training is that many students are unable to transfer the acquired skills back into a variety of different contexts. A second problem is removing faculty from the ongoing class and educating them in workshops that address learning strategies and study skills. Many faculty find it difficult to incorporate these skills while meeting the demands of fulfilling course content objectives. The Research: The purpose …

A Study Of Leadership: A Qualitative Case Study Of Intended Changes Within The County Government Of San Diego, Shelia Quinlan Williams Edd

Dissertations

This research addresses the nature of leadership. Reflecting a sound theoretical base, the researcher studied the people involved in a complex change process, and listened to their perceptions about change and leadership. The study goes beyond the idea of the individual leader into the notion of a leadership relationship. It is a study of the persons who were active in the relationship, a study of their behaviors and language as they changed how the county government served the public. One of the primary purposes of the study is to demonstrate how these insights regarding change and the nature of leadership …

The Leadership Process And Its Effects On Self-Managed Work Groups In American Manufacturing Companies, Stephen R. Wirkus Edd

Dissertations

Over the past 75 years, leadership has become a widely studied phenomenon, with many theories and models offered to assist the layman to become an effective leader. Most of these theories have been based on management models, that is, models that adapt management behaviors and goals into what the authors call leadership. These theories fall into several categories: great man, trait, contingency and situational among others. While these theories have provided practitioners some valid ideas on how to improve their managerial effectiveness, they have done little in the way of expanding the knowledge of the process of leadership. This study …

The Effect Of Sexual Harassment On Female Naval Officers: A Phenomenological Study, Kathleen Anne Krohne Edd

Dissertations

Sexual harassment has grown to epidemic proportions since being documented as a workplace problem. Court cases are rising along with costs to organizations from litigation, turnover, absenteeism and stress-related medical claims. Courts are continually refining the legal definition of sexual harassment, resulting in a steady expansion of employers' liability. Perceptions of men and women regarding what constitutes sexual harassment differ markedly as do their responses to sexually oriented behaviors at work. Development of a formula for effectively preventing sexual harassment is, therefore, a complex and perplexing exercise. Two of three women serving in the military report that they have been …

An Analysis Of Selected California Community College Faculty Members' Perceptions Of Challenges Experienced During The First Year Of Hire, Kristen M. Stonebreaker Edd, Ma, Ba

Dissertations

This study examined the challenges and sources of support encountered by new faculty the first year of hire. Nineteen participants were interviewed from three community colleges. Interview sites were chosen to include three institutions of different sizes. Site 1 was an urban-centered college and a part of a multi-college district. Sites 2 and 3 were both single-college districts. All participants were hired in the Fall of 1989, and were full-time, tenure-track, teaching faculty. Interviews were audiotaped and analyzed by the researcher. From participant comments, themes were generated and summarized in frequency response tables. Some of the major findings of the …

Memory Change And Cognitive Function Among The Elderly, Janet L. Conant Edd

Dissertations

The Problem: The deleterious effects of aging on various cognitive abilities are widely recognized, yet little is known regarding what constitutes "normal" memory test performance in individuals over the age of 74. In this study, forgetting rates for verbal and nonverbal material from the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) were examined in groups of older healthy individuals aged 50-74 and 75-95. Despite equivalent scores on measures of global cognitive status and attention/concentration, the older group demonstrated significantly poorer performance on the Delayed Memory Index. Preliminary normative data for normal elderly subjects on the WMS-R are presented, and the need for appropriate …

Ethnic Inclusion Strategies For The World Affairs Council: A Case Study, Adriana Cornelia Theresia Zylmans Edd

Dissertations

The inclusion of people of diverse ethnicities in voluntary organizations is a challenging endeavor. Cultural diversity, rich traditions, historical perspectives, ethnic celebrations, religion, and language are lenses through which leaders of organizations can view the many uniquenesses, differences, and similarities among ethnic groups. The World Affairs Council of San Diego, from January 1,1989 to July 1, 1990, undertook an ambitious community project entitled, "Community and Citizen Involvement in Foreign Policy," funded by the Ford Foundation, to increase the participation of ethnic groups, women, and youth in the Council. In this research study, the ethnic inclusion strategies used by the Council …

Profile Of A Transformational Leader: A Sacred Mission, Karen Louise Skalbeck Edd

Dissertations

There is widespread concern about the standards of our schools today. The colossal wave of educational reform, political rhetoric and hysteria created an avalanche of legislative debates and a proliferation of literary documents questioning the role of principals. The effective schools research highlighted the important role principals have as instructional leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine how transformational leadership, leadership as a process, and the critical aspects of leadership worked to revive and transform an inner city high school. Specific focus centered on the administrator of the school examining the leadership process within the context of where …

Leadership Development At A Training Center In The Philippines, Henry Heng-Lee Tan Edd

Dissertations

The great tragedy today is the dearth of leadership in many of our organizations. The cry for leadership, "Where are the leaders?" reverberates around the world without any active response. Consequently, many organizations have initiated steps to incorporate the process of developing leaders from within their organizations. One such organization is the Campus Crusade for Christ International. This researcher examined the leadership training program of Campus Crusade's Great Commission Training Center (GCTC) in Manila, Philippines by asking nine research questions arising from "How is training for leadership presently incorporated into the GCTC curricula?" A questionnaire was designed incorporating the characteristics …

An Evaluation Of The Program Of Theological Education By Extension At The Center For Christian Studies In Northwest Mexico, Joseph E. Mattox Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the program of theological education by extension (TEE) at the Center for Christian Studies of the Church of God in Northwest Mexico. This evaluation looked at the original sixteen courses in the basic curriculum and considered the impact which this program has had. This evaluation identified strengths and weaknesses in the Center's TEE curriculum and revealed the attitudes of participants toward the TEE program. It also provided information regarding how the TEE program was perceived as an agent of change, impacting or contributing to the work of the Church of God in …

An Investigation Of The Preferential Learning Strategies, Modality Preferences, And Academic Performance Among Eighth-Grade Students, Sally J. Bottroff-Hawes Edd

Dissertations

This study investigated differences among students' preferential learning styles and their academic achievement. The hypothesis was tested for the total sample population and the subgroups of: gender and ethnicity (Anglo, Hispanic, Asian). Two self-reporting assessment instruments were administered to 200 eighth graders to determine learning style and modality preferences: abstract-sequential (AS); concrete-sequential (CS); abstract-random (AR); concrete-random (CR); auditory (A); visual (V); kinesthetic-tactual (KT). Using GPA categories, the sample population was selected through by stratified-random and systematic sampling. Gifted, special education and ESL students were excluded. Academic performance was measured by GPA and CTBS standardized scores. One way ANOVA with Tukey-Kramer, …

An Exploration Of The Determinants Of Attitude Toward Computers In Middle School Students, Earl Wayne Connell Edd

Dissertations

The educational world is belatedly rushing into the world of technology with relatively limited factual information concerning students' attitude toward computers. While most students have a positive attitude, research has indicated that the male is more positive than the female for various reasons. The purpose of this study was to investigate a diverse set of possible determinants of attitude toward computers including sex, ethnic background, learning style, and computer literacy. The subjects were 284 coeducational students from four ethnic backgrounds that attended three middle schools in San Diego. A requirement that subjects have two years of experience with computer assisted …