Leadership Studies Commons^™

Creating A Customer Centric Organization, Theresa Kiefer

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The objective of this research project is to demonstrate how organizations, and their employees, may benefit from following a customer centric business model to include having a better understanding of the organizational goals and roles of employees. The study is built on the philosophy that organizational culture--and messages that both frame and result from that culture—plays a vital role in the daily lives of employees, which can enhance or detract from the customer experience. The research also examines the implication that poor service has on customers, employees and the organization as a whole and investigates the negative, residual effects of …

Pung Chhiv Kek [Cambodia, Activist], Pung Chhiv Kek

Digital Narratives of Asia

Dr Pung Chhiv Kek is the Founder and President of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) and was nominated in 2005 for the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize project. Apart from her work to improve the rights and lives of Cambodians, she talks to DNA about her efforts to bring Hun Sen and Sihanouk together for talks, which later led to the Peace Accords of 1991.

The Virtual High School: Teaching Best Practices And Diversity, Demetrius Aquino Prado

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Statistics reveal that the enrollment in virtual schooling is ever-increasing in the United States. Current research of online teaching best practices, diversity and differences in post-secondary institutions is more prevalent than research that engages online teaching at high school institutions. This study unveils the experiences of online teachers at the Antelope Valley Union High School District’s (AVUHSD) Virtual Academy in the in Quartz Hill, California. The purpose for the research is two-fold. How cognizant are the AVUHSD’s Virtual Academy teachers in regards to online best practices and techniques (Kerr, 2011, Hlebowitsh, 2012, Pearcy, 2014)? To what extent are Virtual Academy …

Internal Social Media Networks And Team Environments, Tamyra Js Howser

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Internal social media networks have become an effective knowledge-sharing computermediated communication channel for employees within organizations. In a business environment that requires employees to do more with less resources, work in geographically diverse locations and come together quickly for organizational needs, online channels are an accessible and inexpensive way to accomplish goals. Employees are considered the most important audience for an organization and are considered equal in value to investors and external customers. But employees need meaning behind their work for long-term satisfaction. Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist, survived the Holocaust and experienced the responsibility of living a …

Discussing Race Online: A Study Of Video Conferencing As A Distance Learning Tool, Leland Gilbert

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Teaching tolerance and promotion of diversity is an increasingly important aspect of education programs in the United States (Allen, 2011). Student resistance to ideas related to Critical Race Theory has been documented by numerous scholars, and presents significant challenges to teachers of diversity courses (Alexander-Floyd, 2008, Cooks, 2003, Donadey, 2002, Davis & Steyn, 2012, Heinze, 2008, Johnson & Bhatt, 2003). The distance learning environment presents unique challenges to instructors when dealing with student resistance (Ouzts, 2006), and online diversity education programs may benefit from the utilization of a variety of technologies to facilitate dialogue, discussion, and self-reflection among students (Chang …

Washington Sycip [Philippines, Founder Of Sgv Group], Washington Sycip

Digital Narratives of Asia

Washington SyCip is the founder of SGV Group, a premier audit firm in the Philippines. He shares with DNA how he built up the firm despite tremendous odds, and what drives him to do good as a business leader.

Building The Capacity For Community Food Work: The Geographic Distribution Of Usda Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program Grantees, Keiko Tanaka, Erica Indiano, Graham T. Soley, Patrick H. Mooney

Community & Leadership Development Faculty Publications

Projects Competitive Grants Program, or USDA CFPCGP, supports community efforts to address food system issues. Over the last 15 years the program has funded diverse community-based projects across the nation, including youth education programs on healthy eating, farm-to-table initiatives, and community food assessments. In this initial study, we endeavor to understand the contribution of the CFPCGP in building a community's capacity to address its own challenges for food security. To analyze funding patterns of the CFPCGP program between 1996 and 2012, we used the websites of the CFPCGP and the WhyHunger Network to identify 420 competitive grant applications successfully funded …

Incorporating Situational Crisis Communication And Attribution Theories Into A Crisis Communication Plan For Xyz Organization, Linda Kay Gorman

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

A crisis can be defined as “an unexpected, non-routine event that creates uncertainty and threatens an organization’s priority goals” (Dean, 2004, p. 192). If not handled properly, it may have negative effects on the organization’s reputation and overall viability. Therefore, it is essential that organizations prepare an effective crisis response plan to implement once a crisis occurs. Situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) is a proven theory used in developing effective crisis response strategies. This theory asserts that organizations must select the crisis strategies most appropriate to the type of crisis (Coombs, 2006). Heider’s attribution theory asserts that how we react …

Textese As An Identifiable Genre, Christian Miemiec

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study is focused on determining if textese (the acronyms, shortcuts, emoticons, etc., used in texting) is a definable genre. The study uses communication theory centered on understanding how people interact in the computer mediated communication space to manage and foster strong relationships and understand each other when there are little or no visual and verbal cues. Defining textese as a genre helps support social information processing as the study supports the position that textese can be used for close relationships. Using textese is shown to support social interactionism as textese is an indicator of how well people know each …

Self-Presentation On Fan Sites On Social Media, Christopher Keough

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Sports fans can be emotional and loyal beings, living and dying by their teams’ performance. As people, however, even the most loyal sports fans are aware of how they are perceived by others. This thesis explored fan communication behavior on social media to determine whether sports fans would maintain a strong interest in self-image when surrounded by peers with the same perspective. Tajfel and Turner’s (1986) social identity theory states that individuals use group associations to project a positive self-image. Selective self-presentation states that when people meet online they can curate a positive perception (Walther, 2005). The literature review studied …

Leadership By Connecting, Jay Martin

Leadership Hour at Otterbein University

A look at how to get the most out of your teams.

Social Change Through Digital Communication: A Project Designed To Explore The Positive Impact That Advertising And The Media Have In Emplowering Change For Women Within Organizations, Katie Anne Albang

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This is a project that examines gender stereotypes, social perception, power and fear as factors as to why there are few women in leadership positions. It also explores how social change through digital communication strategies such as advertising are effective ways to empower women and help reach gender equality in the workplace. This project looks at how advertising campaigns have begun to focus on empowering women, gender equality and the attempt to eliminate stereotypes through digital media and communication initiatives. In addition, the interactive universalism philosophy and ethical assumptions along with the social identity theory are used to support the …

Front-Of-Package Food Labels: Consumer Knowledge And Purchase Decisions, Trisha Deanne Knebel

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study was conducted to determine if a relationship exists between front-of-package food labels and consumer purchase decisions, and whether there is a difference in purchase decisions between those who believed they did versus those who believed they did not understand the meanings of the labels. The philosophical assumption of this research was framed around Aristotle’s Golden Mean (Aristotle, trans. 2014), which guided the study based on the virtue of moderation. Through the theoretical basis of the uses and gratifications theory by Elihu Katz (Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch, 1973), this study also compared food purchase decisions of participants who did …

Suggestion, Perception, Reality: A Study Into The Relationship Between Suggestion And The Reality It May Produce, Perception, Reality: A Study Into The Relationship Between Suggestion And The Reality It May Produce., Scott Whippo

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Suggestion is a part of communication that cannot be stripped from or be considered separate from verbal and nonverbal communication. It is through the need to view the communication processes from a complete understanding that this study investigated the possible influence that suggestion may have on an individual’s perception of reality. The existing literature was reviewed with various results from different researchers, however, much of the literature supported previous research done by Spanos et al. (1984) and Bartels et al. (2006). Their research showed some indications that suggestion, and possibly priming may have an influence on an individual’s perception. Using …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between And Among Power, Trust And Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Managers In Acute Care Hospitals Using Rogers Science Of Unitary Human Beings, Maureen A. Schneider

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: Defined as control and freedom, power is often characterized as hierarchical. Power-as-freedom exists as a unitary manifestation of the whole and is acausal. Thus a worldview that emphasizes mutual process rather than a causal (control) view supports a culture of trust in the healthcare environment that generates a committed and a thriving work force. When nurse leaders support a climate of trust, managers develop a sense of commitment to the organization which may lead to job satisfaction. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting the relationship between power, trust and job satisfaction among nurse managers.

Purpose: The …

Acclimation Does Not Mean Equality: Muted Group Identity Management Of Women In The United States Navy, Richard Russell Langbein

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis focuses on identity management amongst women, as part of a muted-group, within the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. This study considers cultural and social conditions encountered prior to their entry into the program to assist in evaluating communication and identity management methods to regain voice. The research is grounded in muted-group theory and seeks to build on existing research that follows the repeal of the Combat Exclusion Law. Existing research following the repeal centers on women in direct combatant roles. This study examines women in a high-paced academic and technical field. Ten women volunteered to participate to include narrative …

Parlance, Perception, And Power: An Inquiry Into Non-Standard Language Use In Digital Media, James Thomas Jarc

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the effects of Internet slang use (inclusive of slang, initialisms, abbreviations, emoji, and hashtags) on perceptions of source credibility among constituents of nonDrit organizations. The author hypothesized that a user’s level of comfort/fluency with digital media would impact how they perceive organizations that use non-standard language online. This study used a content analysis of social media posts from 2 national organizations to analyze patterns of non-standard language use, and applied the engagement index (EI) to quantify constituent engagement actions with those posts on 3 social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). An accompanying survey revealed correlations between …

Somsavat Lengsavad [Laos, Deputy Prime Minister], Somsavat Lengsavad

Digital Narratives of Asia

Somsavat Lengsavad is Deputy Prime Minister of Laos. He joined the People's Revolutionary Movement as a combatant in 1961 and his efforts to liberate and unite Laos found him in government decades later. He speaks to DNA about his time in combat, as well as the lessons he learnt from his role model, former President Kaysone Phomvihane.

Names Are Words: A Study Of Age, Gender, Class And Race, Alexandria Michelle Baker

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Just over 4 million babies are born in the United States each year, and as many people know each baby eventually gets a name. In an extension of research demonstrating both Symbolic Interaction Theory and the Coordinated Management of Meaning, through the use of semantics and pragmatics, the present study examined what names communicate about age, race, gender and class. Using data obtained from the first group of participants in Survey 1(i.e. names of each individual and their demographics), Survey 2 participants, a random sampling of Americans, were asked to look at 14 names and determine what those names communicated. …

Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honors Society (Lab): Bridging The Gap Between Coursework And Career, Adriana Stein, Stefanie Berganini

Student Research Symposium

Many anthropology majors gain an academic familiarity with the subject through coursework, but lack an understanding of how to utilize their anthropological skills outside of academia in future careers. To remedy this issue, the Lambda Alpha Beta Honor Society (LAB), a student-led anthropology organization at Portland State University, provides opportunities for participation in events that get students involved with our local community, such as non-profit organizations and local cultural institutions. Some of these organizations include the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Clark Public Utilities, The Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, Potluck in the Park, and Habitat for Humanity. As an …

Leadership Cultural Values Of United Arab Emirates-The Case Of United Arab Emirates University, Ebtesam Ali Alteneiji

Theses

UAE is a young country with a young population that has witnessed tremendous changes over the past decades. There has not been much research about the cultural values of the UAE in generational perspectives, and there have been rapid changes. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring systematic changes in leadership cultural values among the older and the younger generations of the United Arab Emirates. The author utilized Hofstede’s (VSM08) instrument to survey undergraduate students, administrators and faculty at UAE University.

The study found no significant differences between the younger and older generations’ tolerance to unequal distribution of power (power distance), …

Exploring Nonprofits In The Social Economy: The Social Enterprise Phenomena, Kofi S. Adimado

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Social enterprises in the United States is experiencing a healthy growth evident in the growing literature. However, there have been debates as to whether these organizational types are nonprofits, private, quasi-public or hybrid organizations. Thus no new policies have been created to accommodate the business activities of social enterprises. This study attempts to provide a context for the debate by arguing that if indeed social enterprises are distinct organizational types then SBDCs who are the first point of call for most small and medium scale businesses would be better placed to help provide empirical evidence for this ensuing debate.

Nonprofit Leadership: A Study Of Governance Changes Over Time, Daisha M. Merritt

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This is a leadership study understood through board governance in nonprofit organizations. The study sought to discover if there were indicators of coercive institutional isomorphism occurring in human service nonprofit organizations in the United States. IRS 990 tax forms were compiled from 2008- 2012 to determine if there were increasing levels of reported governance practices. Methodology included factor analysis, comparison of means, trend analysis, and regression models. Results indicated that there is an overall trend of increasing reported practices of governance in human service nonprofit organizations. Board size is the most significant indicator associated with changes in reported governance practices. …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Head Start Family Service Worker Qualifications And Family Services Utilization: Implications For Policy And Leadership, Laura H. Trull

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This mixed-methods research study utilized Shared Leadership and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) design and looked at the relationship between qualities of Family Service Workers (FSWs) in Head Start and family outcomes. Head Start is a federally funded comprehensive early child development program serving families of low income children ages birth to five. Fifty Head Start FSW participants from a convenience sample in Virginia provided complete responses to a survey instrument distributed at the Virginia Head Start Association Health and Family Conference in November 2014. FSWs from Culpeper Head Start served as CBPR participants and contributed to the selection of variables, …

7 Tips To Grow Your Rural Business With Purpose And Meaning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this article is to help rural entrepreneurs discover ways to grow their businesses with Living with Purpose and Meaning Megatrend.

Mochtar Riady [Indonesia, Banker], Mochtar Riady

Digital Narratives of Asia

Founder and Chairman of Lippo Group, Mochtar Riady gained the moniker "Magic Man of Banking" because of his ability to turn around and grow several of Indonesia's private banks, the most notable being Bank Central Asia (BCA). But his 15 years in BCA wasn't all smooth sailing. He speaks to DNA about his challenges in BCA, which saw him dealing with sensitive relationships with the Suharto government, as well as the firing of his own son for Forex speculation.

Ua3/9/7 Budget Summary, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff regarding budget.

How To Grow Your Rural Business With Purpose And Meaning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this article is to help rural entrepreneurs discover ways to grow their businesses with Living with Purpose and Meaning Megatrend.

An Assessment Of The Relationship Between The Hospital Chief Executive Officer’S Leadership Behaviors And Hospital Success, Newton J. Courtney

Theses & Dissertations

The health care delivery system in the United States has received increased attention over the last 2 decades. Concerns of access, choice, cost, and quality have been in the forefront. This study was conducted to assess the leadership behaviors of hospitals’ chief executive officers and how they impact the performance of hospitals. Two instruments were used to collect the data for the study: the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X; Avolio & Bass, 2004) and a demographics questionnaire. A correlational research design was used to measure the degree of association between variables related to hospital CEOs, the hospitals they represented and hospital …

The Truth Of God's Way, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this speech at John Brown University's 2015 commencement exercises, Pollard encourages graduating students to build their future vocational endeavors upon God's truth as well as a commitment to servant leadership.