Leadership Studies Commons^™

Political Discourse And Participation Utilizing Web 2.0 Technologies, Heather J. Kauffman

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The increasing use of Web 2.0 technologies in American society, specifically social networking sites, may have particular impacts on the democratic system. This thesis serves as a comprehensive exploratory study of political communication in social networking environments. The study examined whether political communication is taking place via interactive Web 2.0 technologies and if this discourse has an impact on citizen political participation. The research utilized existing qualitative theories and supplemented them with historical examples, including information from the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign and the 2009 U.S. Tea Party Movement. The data supported that Web 2.0 technologies are being used …

Social Networking: Is It Another Stage In The Evolution Of Communication And Does It Affect The Way We Think About Problem Solving And Communicating?, Sandy L. Robinson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores whether participants in online social networking sites differ from non-participants in their approach to problem solving or in their attitudes about their interactions with their own social networks. Walter Ong (1982) determined that people’s thinking changed with different media usage, particularly from oral to script, script to print, and print to electronic. This research examines problem solving and attitudes about interactions with social networks as two criteria for exploring how people think. In a review of the literature, the thesis explores the theory of media ecology, which expands on the work of McLuhan (1967) and Ong (1982), …

A Curriculum And Leader Guide For Linc (Leaders Impacting Nonprofit Communities); A Program Of The Hennepin County Bar Association, Lucinda Hruska-Claeys

Theses and Graduate Projects

Many people are called to serve on boards of directors for not for profit organizations. However, many of those who do serve in such roles have little idea of their responsibilities and no formal training to facilitate more knowledgeable participation and more effective boards. Many people find that some formal training can turn service on a Board of Directors into a more positive experience for both the volunteer and the organization. The purpose of this Leadership Application Project for the degree of Master of Arts in Leadership at Augsburg College is to evaluate the content of one particular nonprofit board …

Responsible Leadership - An Ethic Of Right Behavior, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A Simulation Based Leader Development Training Program On Transformational And Transactional Leadership Behavior, Robin Louise Mccoy Phd

Dissertations

Organizations devote considerable resources developing employees' capacity for leadership because they believe that "leaders" are essential in the operations of their organizations. Unfortunately, organizations do not have the time or resources to send their employees off for lengthy leader development training programs. This has contributed to the growing popularity of short-term training programs which are relatively inexpensive to conduct. However, researchers are increasingly requesting more empirical studies that examine the impact of these programs, yet these requests have remained largely disregarded. Additionally, there is a lack for developing methodologies to determine whether or not involvement in a short-term program facilitates …

An Analysis Of Mahatma Gandhi And His Leadership Style, Curt Fernandez

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper explains different leadership styles employed by Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi's life and how that influenced his leadership, examining the actions and behaviors which demonstrate the essence of his leadership style. This paper examines the ideals and values by which Gandhi lived his life and how, even today, they continue to inspire humanity. This paper discusses two different leadership styles, transformational and servant leadership, and shows how Mahatma Gandhi exemplified these qualities. This study was done using data from archives, autobiographies, media, and government reports, as well as my own experience as a native of India. What makes a person …

The Best Practices For Leadership Development In Medium-Sized Companies, Beth A. Hanzal

Theses and Graduate Projects

In the current business environment, leadership development is being recognized as an important strategic initiative for organizations faced with the challenge of filling critical leadership positions and ensuring their leaders have the capacity to lead their organizations' into the future. Most of the research on leadership development has focused on practices in large companies. The purpose of this research is to study the best practices for leadership development in medium-sized companies. Eleven leadership development professionals were interviewed. Those professionals worked for companies in a variety of industries, with annual revenues of between $300 million and $2 billion. During the interviews, …

Connecting Informal Workgroup Interactions And Organizational Creative Climate, Cheryl B. Nee-Gieringer

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Creative imagination is required to comprehend complex challenges, solve business problems and develop the solutions that organizations need to adapt, and prosper in a dynamic and increasingly global environment. Multiple factors influence an organization’s ability to tap that imagination. For more than a half of century, research in cognitive and organizational sciences has investigated those influences and identified dimensions of creative climate, characteristics of creative people and processes for improving innovation. However, research explicitly linking organizational communication and organizational creativity has been limited. With a theoretical framework based in small group theory, this study explores the connection between intra-workgroup communication …

Mentoring And Leadership: The Application Of Transformational And Transactional Leadership Theory To Youth Mentoring, Alicia R. Schwarz

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper presents a literature review of transactional and transformational leadership theories as well as a review of youth mentoring. Transactional and transformational leadership theories and concepts are then analyzed to doctrine how they could be applied to the field of youth mentoring. The analysis of these theories is then specifically used to provide recommended modifications of the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring model. The recommendations are intended to enhance the outcomes of the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program.

Culturally Competent: The Core Competency Of A Successful Small Business Owner/Manager, Shikita S. T Snelson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper presents results of a study that explored perceptions of salon owners who have become successful due largely to their knowledge and level of cultural competency. After review of the literature, an explanation of the study's design and analysis of its results are discussed. The following themes emerged from interviews with three salon managers: Education, location, cultural experiences, diversity training, staff diversity, client satisfaction, and client retention. The paper concludes with implications for business leadership and further research.

Learning Important Lessons Of Life And Work From Peter Drucker, C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this essay, Pollard reflects upon key lessons he has learned from management theorist Peter Drucker.

2009 Applied Projects Organizational Impact Report, Heather Carpenter, Paula Krist

USD Evaluation of Applied Learning Model in Nonprofit Leadership and Management Master's Program

Student learning outcomes and student satisfaction of nonprofit management graduate degree programs have received much attention recently from researchers. However, little research examines the community impact of such programs.

This paper reports findings from a community impact study of the Masters of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at the University of San Diego. An extensive qualitative study was conducted to determine whether student-led applied projects conducted for nonprofit organizations had an impact on those organizations, and if so, to assess the type and duration of that impact. A key finding was that all organizations that were interviewed for the …

Restoring Confidence: A Qualitative Study Of The Experience Of Interim Commanding Officers In U.S. Navy Operational Units, Shoshana S. Chatfield Edd

Dissertations

Commanding officers in the United States Navy are entrusted by law with absolute authority, responsibility, and accountability. Despite a rigorous selection process, some commanding officers are relieved of command every year. In many cases, these commanding officers are replaced by interim commanding officers, leaders selected to fill the job for short periods of time. There is a gap in leadership literature about the phenomenon of interim command leadership in the Navy. This study investigated interim commanding officers' experiences of taking command following the deliberate removal of the unit's previous commanding officer. A review of current literature on the subjects of …

More Power To You: Parental Experiences With The Public School Choice Option Provided By The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001, Roslyn Williams Woodard Edd

Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 was the federal government's commitment toward providing an equitable education for all students. Recognizing the impact parents had on the academic achievement of their children, provisions for increased parental involvement were emphasized, especially when children attended low achieving schools. One way parents could exercise their newfound power to improve their children's educational experience was to use the federal policy's public school choice option to enroll them into higher performing schools which met or exceeded NCLB standardized testing goals. This study examined the experiences parents and their middle school aged children had …

Adult Learning And School Leadership: Application And Learning From A Group Relations Conference, Heather Dierolf Edd

Dissertations

The role of the principal as a change agent is at the forefront of the conversation regarding the state of schools in public education, yet little is known about how group relations work can enhance a principal's ability to engage in this work. Using a qualitative grounded theory approach, this study examined the change in attitudes and behaviors of K-8 principals who participated in a Group Relations Conference. A grounded theory approach was employed to address the following research questions: How do principals understand and describe their learning after participating in a Group Relations Conference? How do they apply their …

Higher Purpose Leadership The Effect Of Higher Purpose In Organizational Mission: A Case Study Of The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, William P. Bengtson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This case study seeks to help leaders improve their organizations by better understanding the value of defining and communicating the higher purpose of their organizations, the benefit that their organization's products and services provide to humanity. This study introduces and explores higher purpose leadership and investigates the effect that higher purpose in organizational mission has on employees. Interview participants include workers at the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation where a project has been underway for over sixty years to create the world's largest sculpture, as well as a cultural center, university and medical center. This study also introduces the phrase higher …

Malcolm X, The Elegant Warrior: The Leadership Style Of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, Vincent P. Short

Theses and Graduate Projects

Malik El Shabazz, also known as Malcolm X, is as relevant to today's society as he was at the height of the civil rights era. As a leader, Malcolm X possessed and demonstrated the skills of a militarily trained general, motivational speaker, CEO, coach and religious visionary - a person spiritually enlightened with a battle-tested soul. Many have used his name in anger and misinterpreted him when they want to shift away from the civil rights era language of love and brotherhood. He has become the African American equivalent of Che Guevara. It is the goal of this research to …

Nelson Mandela The Transformational Leader: The Struggle For Social Justice, Equality And Democratic Change In South Africa, Bangalee A. Trawally

Theses and Graduate Projects

This case study focuses on the transformational leadership style used by Nelson Mandela. Transformation leadership is a theory championed by James MacGregor Burns, who originally coined the term, and Bernard M. Bass (1990). In addition to transformational leadership, the study includes theories from other prominent individuals who have contributed to the study of Mandela's leadership. This research underscores how Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist who became president of South Africa, played a leading role in bringing his country from a racially divided society to a free democratic society. He demonstrated high moral and ethical values, expressed genuine interest in his …

Key Curriculum For Developing World-Class Patient Centered Care Teams, Linda Bauermeister

Theses and Graduate Projects

According to the National Coalition on Health Care (2007), the health care industry is in a state of crisis. It is not as safe as it could be, it is not affordable for many people, and it is full of waste. There seems to be a consensus that reform is needed. One option for transforming health care is to focus on and develop the small units of people who actually do the work (Quinn, 1992 and Nelson et al, 2007). This Leadership Application Project addresses the question: what are the key curriculum elements needed to transform, develop, and sustain a …

The Virtue Of Profit (Wheaton, Il - Second Revision), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this second revision of a speech delivered at Wheaton College's Hastert Center (now the Center for Economy, Government, and Public Policy), Pollard contends that profit can be considered virtuous when it allows servant leaders to invest in employees, thereby contributing to the moral and spiritual formation of human beings.

Leadership As It Relates To Employee Performance, Shane Horihan

Theses and Graduate Projects

What employee issues impact performance? How should leaders attempt to impact these issues? Gallup’s human sigma model provides the primary theoretical framework for this exploration. The quantitative data used for discovery include: the Gallup Q12®️ employee engagement survey from 33 retail-banking stores and 522 employees, the individual store performance measurements, and the Gallup customer engagement survey CE11®️. Data for both surveys were gathered during the third quarters of 2006.

The results show the Q12 issues with high, positive correlations (those with a .425 or above Pearson Correlation) as they relate to performance measurements, such as daily average number of products …

Women And Happiness: A Personal Growth Retreat, Laura Marquette

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research examined the impact of using a servant-leader approach to facilitate a happiness retreat for women. Several self-report assessments were used in an attempt to measure three different aspects of the women’s lives. This research sampled four women, ranging in age from 29 to 30, that are all associates of the chief investigator, interested in attending a retreat. The full-day retreat took place during an annually scheduled trip to Dallas, Texas. The evidence to support the original hypothesis that the designed retreat will have a measurable impact on the levels of happiness of those who attended is inconclusive. While …

The Virtue Of Profit (Wheaton, Il - First Revision), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this speech -- a revised version of one delivered at Wheaton College's Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy -- Pollard contends that profit can be considered virtuous when it allows servant leaders to invest in employees, thereby contributing to the moral and spiritual formation of human beings.

China And The United States: A Balance Of Power, William Jeffery Stephens

Dissertations

Throughout world history states have banded together to form coalitions, alliances, and economic agreements with each other to protect and secure their borders, develop their economic prosperity, and grow their political relationships. Alliances, economic agreements, and political relationships have come and gone, decreased or increased, and continue to be at times as fluid as water. During the Cold War the international system had a bipolar structure, with the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies balancing against the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. What makes countries align themselves with other countries economically, politically and militarily? There …

Police Leadership And Servant Leadership: Determining The Connection, Karen K. Mueller

Theses and Graduate Projects

This investigation focuses on the question of whether the qualities and characteristics of Servant-Leadership have relevance with regard to the qualities and characteristics associated with effective leadership in law enforcement, particularly those of police chiefs. The research focuses on the literature and research associated with these two fields of leadership and their possible overlap.

Images Of Girls And Women In The Media: A Media Literacy Project To Mitigate The Influence Of Beauty Product Advertising For Girl Scouts, Christine Marie Anthony

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This project is intended to mitigate the influence of beauty product advertising on tween and teenage girls by teaching media literacy skills that allow a critical look at ads and the perfect women featured in them. Research has shown that repeated and frequent exposure to unrealistic beauty ideals through various media can render these images achievable and real, while having a negative impact on women’s self-esteem and body image. Achieving beauty has become a continuous and all-encompassing project for tween and teenage girls, and the media continually portrays and promotes it as not only a possibility, but also a necessity …

Totally Devoted: Developing A Holistic Spiritual Formation Course For Western Christian College, Stanley N. Helton

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports research results from a learning community composed of faculty, support staff, ministry leaders, and students who collaborated in a professor’s development of a new course proposal in Christian spiritual formation at Western Christian College in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The professor used qualitative research methods in the analysis and evaluation of the data produced by the group. The outcome of the project was ethnographic data that informed the creation of the course proposal that included new course application, course syllabus with course schedule, planned activities, bibliography, initial classroom assignments, and initial assessment tools.

From Strain To Success: A Phenomenological Study Of The Personal And Academic Pressures On African American Male Community College Students, John R. Mosby Phd

Dissertations

For many African American college students, the challenges to achieve academic success are overwhelming. The disproportionate number of African American male students enrolled in the community college system is of substantial concern because community colleges have not traditionally been successful in producing African American male graduates and transfers at the same rate as their counterparts from other racial and gender groups. Moreover, the pressure for African American male students to choose between academic success and their cultural frame of reference often jeopardizes their chances of successfully completing their undergraduate degree. Consequently, African American males who choose the community college system …

Campus Internationalization Initiatives: From Policy To Practice In Study Abroad Programming, Kira Mendez Espiritu Phd

Dissertations

As U.S. colleges and universities prepare students to enter an ever-increasing global society, the pressure on higher education institutions to graduate globally competent and culturally sensitive students is growing. To respond to this demand, many colleges and universities are participating in campus internationalization initiatives that are broad-based efforts that create diversity on campus and expose students and faculty to a more global perspective. The presence of campus internationalization initiatives is relatively new, therefore there is little research regarding best practices in the area of campus internationalization. The practice of internationalization initiatives continues to grow and higher-level administrators such as presidents, …

Congregation Activism In The Community: A Study Of Faith-Based Leadership, Jensen Harry Shirley Edd

Dissertations

Policymakers have acted as if the federal government was the prime mover in developing and supporting American communities with significant needs. That assumption is now being challenged not only by politicians who recommend funding faith-based initiatives, but also by scholars who make the case for giving the nation's churches a central role in tackling community problems, including problems associated with poverty (Boddie, 2003). These scholars point out that, with over 300,000 congregations in America, faith-based organizations are strategically located in the community to address community needs (Boddie, 2003). As government services devolve to the community level, these scholars argue, congregations …