The Low Participation Of Women In The Truck Driving Industry, Aurora Floodine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women remain underrepresented in the United States trucking industry, particularly in leadership roles, despite ongoing efforts to increase workforce diversity and address persistent driver shortages. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of female trucking professionals who began their careers as truck drivers and later advanced into leadership positions. The study examined the strategies that facilitated women’s progression into leadership and the systemic barriers that may limit their advancement within the trucking industry. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 female trucking professionals, and the resulting data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six themes emerged from the findings: (a) independence, …

Understanding Superintendent Retention In Ohio Public School Districts: Motivational Influences On Superintendents' Decisions To Remain Or Depart., Thomas P. Perkins

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Superintendent turnover continues to challenge school districts across the United States.  Frequent leadership changes can disrupt district initiatives, create uncertainty within organizations, and affect long-term improvement efforts.  While previous research has focused primarily on external conditions associated with superintendent turnover, less attention has been given to the interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influencing superintendent retention.

The purpose of this study was to examine how intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence Ohio public school superintendents’ decisions to remain in or leave their current positions.  Guided by Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the study explored the relationship between internal factors …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Black Students In Criminal Justice Programs And Its Implications On Social Justice, Demetrius C. Dacres

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the experiences of Black students who graduated with degrees in criminal justice within the last five years, as well as professors serving criminal justice programs. In this study, Black students are defined as those who identify as Black or African American, and the research focused on a criminal justice higher education institution’s educational program in the Northeast. This qualitative phenomenological study drew on Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory and Tinto’s Student Integration Model to investigate how Black students experienced criminal justice programs and the resources and strategies they utilized to navigate and adapt. The study addressed a …

Navigating The Dark Side: Emotional Labor's Impact On Hr Professionals' Wellness, Esmeralda Amelia Rendón

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to document and describe how female-identifying human resource (HR) generalist practitioners serving as sole or primary employee relations practitioners in small- to medium-sized organizations across the United States experience and manage emotional labor in their roles, cope with its demands, and how these experiences impact their wellness and perceptions of organizational support. Despite the centrality of emotional labor (EL) in human resource professionals’ (HRPs) roles, little was known about how HRPs in these underresourced environments cope with these demands. Data were collected through semistructured virtual interviews with eight participants and analyzed using Braun and …

Balancing Our Capacity To Serve: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black Women Navigating Personal, Professional, And Community Leadership Roles, Shemeka K. Brathwaite

Student Theses

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Black women community leaders as they navigate a balance between their professional, personal, and community leadership roles. The research design uses the theoretical frameworks of Black Feminist Intersectionality and Role Theory, specifically addressing the cultural burdens imposed by the Strong Black Woman archetype, which adds additional role strain. The study began with a questionnaire completed by 54 Black women community leaders, followed by 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews selected from this pool. The study’s key findings are illustrated in a Black Women’s Sustainable Community Leadership Framework. Black women community leaders exude high self-efficacy, …

Negotiating Complementary Pathways In Europe: Faith-Based Actors And Humanitarian Corridors In Italy And Belgium, 2015-2017, David J. Sulewski

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

For decades, migration has ranked among the most pressing issues in European domestic and regional politics as the number of forcibly displaced persons seeking protection continues to rise. Complementary Pathways, developed as an alternative to the retrenchment of state-led refugee resettlement and restricted access to asylum, have gained increasing prominence in policy discourse and practice. Existing scholarship often explains their emergence through transnational policy transfer or government-led initiatives. Less attention, however, has been given to cases in which civil society actors initiate and negotiate such policies with the state. This dissertation examines the development of one such model—Humanitarian Corridors—focusing on …

“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 …

The Moderating Role Of Psychological Power Distance On The Relationship Between Moral Disengagement And Submissiveness To Authority In Senior Healthcare Executives, Carl Kirton

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: Understanding how senior healthcare executives respond to authority is critical in complex health systems where ethical decision-making, hierarchy, and organizational culture intersect. This study explored the relationships among moral disengagement, submissiveness to authority, and psychological power distance (PPD) in U.S. healthcare executives, as well as the influence of selected demographic and professional covariates.

Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used with a non-probability sample of senior healthcare executives (N = 98). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and three validated instruments: the Submissiveness to Authority Scale (SOAS), the Moral Disengagement through Displacement of Responsibility Questionnaire (MDDR), and the Psychological Power …

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 …

Age And Congressional Leader Success: Are They Getting Too Old, Edward N. Drinkwine, Scot Schraufnagel

Honors Capstones

Congressional leaders play a central role in shaping legislative agendas, maintaining party cohesion, and negotiating policy outcomes. Despite the important roles they play, our nation's congressional leaders continue to grow older, and research has rarely examined how age influences their effectiveness in these roles. This study asks whether older congressional leaders are less effective at advancing legislation than their younger counterparts. Using data on leaders serving in the U.S. House and Senate from the 93rd through the 118th Congress, the analysis compares leaders’ ages with their Legislative Effectiveness Score Ratios, controlling for legal experience, state legislative experience, elite education, ideology, …

A Place At The Table: Lessons In Hospitality For Women Elders In The Churches Of Christ, Karen Cooke

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project concerns women who serve as elders in Church of Christ congregations. In the fall of 2023, a survey found that these women desire training to better serve their congregations. In response to that expressed need, a group of collaborators engaged in Participatory Action Research (PAR) to create the plan for a conference to provide training to women serving as elders in Churches of Christ. The conference will provide training in the theology and practice of hospitality to support these women in guiding their churches to be places of welcome. This dissertation presents a theology of hospitality drawn from …

Barriers To Effective Parent-Teacher Communication In K-5 Settings, Dylan Sawicki

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine barriers that influence parent-teacher communication in K-5 educational settings, with a focus on cultural background, communication methods, and parents’ prior experiences with educators. This study employed a quantitative research design and collected data through a nationwide Qualtrics survey distributed via email and social media platforms. Participants included parents of K-5 students. Findings suggest that most parents feel comfortable communicating with teachers and perceive cultural background and prior experiences as having minimal influence on communication. However, the data also indicate areas for improvement, particularly in the consistency, frequency, and clarity of communication methods …

Examining Organizational Factors Contributing To Burnout In Community College Employees: An Anthropological Perspective, Jesse N. Blue

Leadership Education Capstones

Organizational culture and systemic inequities remain under-researched factors driving the mental and physical deterioration of community college employees. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and interpret the lived experiences of job-related burnout among community college employees. This qualitative short-term ethnography was conducted at Big Rock College, a rural community college in central Arkansas. The sample consisted of six volunteer participants across administrative, faculty, and staff roles. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom®. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and triangulated with institutional document analysis. Findings indicated that 84% of participants experienced varying degrees of burnout, driven by …

Burnout Among Wisconsin Career Firefighters: An Examination Of Shift Schedules, Sleep Disturbances, And Organizational Factors, Nickolas R. Pridgeon

Leadership Education Capstones

Occupational burnout among career firefighters represents a growing crisis with serious consequences for individual health, public safety, and fire department sustainability. This study investigates the factors contributing to burnout among career firefighters in Wisconsin, with a focus on three primary areas: shift schedules, sleep disturbances, and organizational culture. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, the research combines an online quantitative survey with semi-structured qualitative interviews to examine how these factors interact to produce burnout in the fire service context.

The quantitative component employs the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index alongside measures of organizational factors, targeting a sample …

A Comparative Look At The Training Objectives Of The United States Marine Corps And Corporate America, Davis M. Johnson

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis investigates how divergent institutional objectives influence leader development in two organizational contexts: U.S. Marine Corps officer training and corporate leadership development programs. The study draws on organizational socialization theory, institutional theory, and stress inoculation research. It contends that leadership formation is shaped by the missions, values, and structural demands unique to each institution. The research uses comparative analysis of selection practices, socialization tactics, identity construction, and adaptability development, explicitly contrasting how each institution develops leaders. The Marine Corps uses divestiture socialization, collective identity formation, and structured stress exposure to embed group loyalty and prepare officers for decisive action …

Enhancing Corporate Prayer Of The Clearwater Church Of Christ, Lyle Hinsdale

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to enhance corporate prayer in the Clearwater Church of Christ. The dissertation explores the formative role of corporate prayer in congregational life and how intentional engagement with the Psalms can deepen the theological and spiritual practice of prayer within a local church. Corporate prayer can slip into habitual practice with limited theological range or emotional depth. This project investigates whether structured use of the Psalms as a model for prayer can expand the language, theological imagination, and engagement in the prayers of a worshiping community. The study used participatory action research methodology and was conducted within …

The Journey Of Accompaniment: Pastoral Care Education For The Laity At The University Church Of Christ In Abilene, Tx, Alejandro Ezquerra

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This Doctor of Ministry project addresses the need for intentional pastoral care formation among lay members at the University Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas, with particular attention to its bilingual ministry context. Grounded in the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers as articulated in 1 Pet 2:9, the project argues that pastoral care is not the exclusive responsibility of ordained clergy but a shared calling within the body of Christ. In response to congregational interest in chaplaincy and caregiving, a five-session curriculum titled The Journey of Accompaniment: Forming Hearts for the Ministry of Care was developed to equip …

Exploring The Transformative Effects Of Executive Coaching On Leaders: A Qualitative Study, Dwayne Norman

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation examines the transformative effects of executive coaching on leaders’ development, personal growth, decision-making, and overall effectiveness across varied organizational contexts. Grounded in authentic leadership theory and employing a generic qualitative inquiry design, the study investigated how leaders who completed executive coaching describe changes in their behavior and mindset. Eleven experienced leaders participated in semi-structured interviews selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis, guided by the cyclical and inductive coding methods of Saldana (2021), generated 187 initial codes, which were distilled into 72 final codes. These final codes were then further refined into twelve categories and four overarching themes: …

A Curriculum To Empower And Equip Women For Leadership In The Monash City Church Of Christ In Melbourne, Australia, Devni Yasindra Attygalle

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses women in Christian leadership in the Monash City Church of Christ Melbourne, Australia. The problem identified within this ministry context was a lack of appropriate theological teaching around women in leadership, especially in the areas of preaching, teaching, and leading, which has led to misconceptions and prejudices in the minds of church members, negatively impacting the congregation’s mission. The purpose of the project was to develop a curriculum specific to MCCOC that provides a theological foundation for advocating for future senior leadership roles for women. The curriculum provides biblical teaching on women in leadership that will equip …

An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Theorists and advocates of air power argued that aircraft, not ground forces, would become the dominant platform for victory in war. They promoted the concept of strategic bombing, using aircraft to bypass ground forces and directly attack a nation's industrial capacity to wage war, hoping to ensure quick victory and avoid a repeat of the prolonged slaughter in the trenches of WWI. In 1947, led by advocates of strategic bombing, the United States Air Force (USAF) became an independent and equal branch of the U.S. military. The USAF developed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to meet the requirements of 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 …

Nonprofit Youth Sports Governance Structures As Contexts For Positive Youth Development: How Usa Swimming's Local Swimming Committee Boards Provide The "Big Three" Of Positive Youth Development Settings, Emily B. Swett

All Dissertations

This study examines positive youth development (PYD) within youth sports governance, specifically USA Swimming's Local Swimming Committee (LSC) boards of directors, a context largely overlooked in PYD research, which typically focuses on on-field experiences.

Using the "Big Three" PYD framework (positive youth-adult relationships, life skill-building opportunities, and youth leadership and contribution), the study employed an explanatory mixed methods design. A quantitative survey was distributed to LSC athlete and non-athlete board members, followed by semi-structured interviews.

Survey data from 27 athletes and 157 non-athletes revealed strong levels of all "Big Three" components across both groups. Statistical analyses found no significant differences …

The 5i’S Framework Of Creative Self-Leadership, Maggie Cubbler

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of this Master of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership project is to establish a framework for Creative Self-Leadership (CSL) development. Viewed through a gendered lens, the framework addresses how women's intrapersonal processes—the 5I's of introspection, interoception, intuition, imagination, and intrinsic motivation—are often compromised by sustained environmental and systemic pressure, and proposes practices designed to restore and strengthen these internal guides.

By recalibrating these intrapersonal processes toward accurate self-knowledge, CSL employs the science of creativity to lead women in their own quest for change, agency, and resilience while remaining cognizant of the dynamic between her and her environment.

Techno-Imagination: Elevating Creativity Through Xr And Ai, Christopher Spitzer

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Techno-Imagination: Elevating Creativity Through XR and AI explores the history of creativity and computing technology, supported by research and academic literature, and looks at the possibilities of a convergence between the two. In parallel, a brief biographical story of the author shares how a passion for creativity emerged, along with a growing interest in science and technology—specifically extended reality—which ultimately came together in the creation of this master’s project. The project also highlights how the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process was used alongside AI bots and twenty research-based creative thinking skills in developing the business model canvas. Finally, the outcome …

Cultivating Well-Being & Vibrant Futures Through Creativity: A Community-Based Library Initiative In Rural America, Alyssa M. Bump

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Cultivating Well-Being & Vibrant Futures Through Creativity: A Community-Based Library Initiative in Rural America presents the development and design of a creativity-based community program for public libraries in Allegany County, New York. Developed in partnership with the Allegany County Area Foundation (ACAF), this project aims to foster creativity as a tool for well-being, connection, and future-oriented thinking for adults in a rural context.

The program consists of a three-session series that integrate elements of Creative Problem-Solving (CPS), mindfulness, and creative well-being practices to support creative self-efficacy. Designed utilizing the Torrance Incubation Model of Teaching and Learning (TIM), each session aims …

Impacts And Perceptions Of Holistic Education Practices, Kaitlyn Mj Calabrese

Leadership Education Capstones

This study examined educators' perceptions of holistic education and its impact on students. It

addressed the problem of the limited emphasis on developing the whole student within

traditional education systems, despite its importance for long-term success. Developing students

holistically involves not only focusing on academic skills but also on non-academic skills such as

social-emotional development, community building, communication, and collaboration. This

mixed-methods study used an online survey administered through Qualtrics consisting of 24

questions, including Likert scale and open-ended items. The survey was completed by 12

educators from a school that has grades 1 through 4. in Southeast Minnesota. Qualitative …

Exploring Mental Health Counseling Programs For Student-Athletes: A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Stigma Preventing Treatment-Seeking Behaviors., Conner Haggerty

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the mental health counseling treatment-seeking behaviors of male football player student-athletes and the effects of stigma on those behaviors. Despite growing awareness of mental health challenges in collegiate athletics, male student-athletes continue to underutilize available mental health services at alarming rates. This study sought to address two research questions: what methods of mental health counseling most positively impact football player student-athletes, and what are the effects of stigma towards mental health counseling for football player student-athletes. A quantitative designed survey with supplementary qualitative questions was utilized, collecting data from 44 male football …