Leadership Studies Commons^™

Listen . . . . To Your Heart, Lori K. Sebastian

Theses and Graduate Projects

This thesis takes a rather unusual approach to leadership. lt may be the only MAL thesis that contains abstract colored drawings instead of charts or graphs. lt focuses on the internal development and experience perspective of my leadership journey which begins in my inner soul and spirit. I have openly shared the methods I have used and my experiences, as well as my findings, results and conclusions.

Moreover, this was definitely a journey of listening to my heart and allowing what was in my heart to come forth. Sometimes what came out was in words, but sometimes it was an …

Habilitation: To Educate Or Train, To Function In Society : Vs Rehabilitattion: To Restore To Normal State, Maurice Henderson

Honors Theses

My time at School X taught me the value of my freedom and the importance of my education. Given, I have never been a good student but after this experience i do wish to continue my academic pursuits. The institution itself is structured like a prison but with the interest of habilitating the inhabitants. The days are very regimented with a emphasis on group work. There is very little time for the juveniles to be by themselves unless it is in their rooms to sleep or being placed in solitary for some type of punishment. There are valiant attempts made …

The Integration Of Women's Studies Into Leadership Studies, Olivia J. Wilkinson

Honors Theses

The purpose of my project was to study the inclusion of gender in leadership and to offer the Jepson School a critical evaluation that could be used to initiate change. The agreement and support I previously received, has led me to realize that there was room for growth. Still such a large merger of disciplines needs research and assessment before action can be taken. I know my project will provide the building block for Jepson to address this problem.

International Review Of Women And Leadership: Volume 2 Number 2, Leonie V. Still (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

This issue represents the culmination of two years of publishing. In that time we have had a special issue on Women and Politics, and have published contributions from Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Each issue has had its own distinct flavour. Each issue has also had a diverse range of contributions. A number of ground-breaking articles have been published, while several reviews have handled different aspects of the status of women in a number of fields. The diversity and depth of the contributions illustrates that the field of women and leadership is …

Women And Leadership Working Paper Series: Paper No. 6: Women In International Assignments: The Australian Experience, Catherine R. Smith, Leonie V. Still

Research outputs pre 2011

Businesses are increasingly operating within an international environment, where the human and financial costs of failure are more serious than the domestic arena, and expatriate failure is reported to be a persistent and recurring problem for multinational corporations (Scullion, 1994). The successful implementation of global strategies depends heavily upon the existence of an adequate pool of nationally and internationally experienced managers with a diversity of talent. Adler ( 1993a, p55) has argued that "the option of limiting international management to one gender is an arm-chair 'luxury' that no company can afford". Given the need to develop global teams with a …

International Review Of Women And Leadership: Special Issue, Volume 2 Number 1: Women And Politics, Marian Sawer

Research outputs pre 2011

This year is the 75th anniversary of the election of Edith Cowan to the Western Australian parliament, the first woman to be elected to an Australian parliament. It is highly appropriate that the International Review of Women and Leadership should commemorate this anniversary with a special issue dedicated to women and politics. This has enabled us to use Edith Cowan's experience of parliamentary politics as a prism through which to examine continuing dilemmas of women's representation in public life - including concepts of women's interests, equality and difference, separatism versus integration and independence versus partisanship...

The Study Of Leadership In Experiential/Adventure Programs, Gabriel Demola

Honors Theses

Very simply, an experiential/adventure program consists of assigning a designated group to complete a series of challenging tasks in an outdoor setting. The following research will explore the ways in which experiential/adventure education serves as an effective tool for teaching leadership. The paper will describe the attributes which make it an effective tool and delve into the distinctions of the experimental/adventure program. It will also study and analyze the results of tests used to determine its effectiveness and long term retainability of the skills developed by students in these programs. Furthermore, this paper will demonstrate how this unique style of …

Citizen Leadership And Housing : A Study Of How Citizens Are Leading Efforts To Revitalize Neighborhoods In The City Of Richmond, Gregory J. Czika

Honors Theses

This paper is going to focus on areas on the city of Richmond outside of Carytown and Shockoe Bottom. All of them are residential and are not known by tourists and typically not familiar to suburban Richmond residents. The average UR student would never voluntarily tour these neighborhoods on foot or in a car. But out of ignorance, such individuals do not acknowledge the richness that does exist in these areas they choose to ignore. The richness is not found in bright paint, smooth sidewalks, or neon signs but found in the many people who make these areas their homes-- …

Catalyst For A New Order : The Role Of Internet Technology In Today's Leadership, Morgan Benton

Honors Theses

A crucial element of leadership is decision-making. Decision-making itself is a widely researched topic, especially as it pertains to the management of formal organizations and political organizations. Almost all researchers have in their decision-making process a specific step that involves information gathering. From the amount of attention it receives it can be concluded that information-gathering is crucial to decision-making.

Theater : The Training Ground For Creative Leadership, Will Peters

Honors Theses

As our world races toward the twenty-first century, the demand for capable leaders has risen dramatically. Our new environment, saturated with futuristic technology, rapid change, and ethical failure is bellowing for a new type of guidance, one that will successfully match the needs of a new frontier. This fresh leadership will have many of its important roots within the dynamic realm of the arts. No other medium has the ability to maintain such a visceral connection with the public at large, nor the capacity to furnish such a vivid personal awareness and compassion for our fellow humans. Theater, in particular, …

Leadership In Christian Organizations : A Study Of Christian Leadership As It Attempts To Implement Vision And Change, Bartholomew Irwin

Honors Theses

God does call certain people to be leaders in the church and grants them the skills necessary to fill their position. However, there are also examples where the Lord used specific leadership training, in the form of letters and mentorship, in order to better equip leaders to use the gifts given to them. This paper will look at the need for leadership training in the church today. Leadership training will be studied as it related to the Leaders ability to deal with changes and crisis, specifically pertaining the problem arising from membership drops in the main line denominational churches. A …

The Importance Of Multi-Sourced Leadership In A Post-International Global Order, Elizabeth Mackenzie

Honors Theses

We have come to a point in time when the problems in the world such as environmental degradation, human rights, overpopulation, and ethnic strife seem more difficult to solve than ever before. While it is possible that this is because the problems are more complex and require solutions beyond current human comprehension, it is more likely that we have been looking to the wrong institutions to solve our problems. However, we are in the midst of change. A paradigm may be shifting. Human beings around the world are gradually moving away from completely relying on sovereign state actors to address …

"We Shall Overcome" And Gangsta Rap : An Investigation Of The Role Of Music In The Civil Rights Movement And In Contemporary Urban Society, Christopher Yurchuck

Honors Theses

The non-violent protestors of the Civil Rights Movement found in their music, a sense of healing and of cohesion within their group, a group of blacks and whites alike, fighting the injustices of a supposedly just society. They used the Freedom Songs to express dissention with the system, to disseminate information to other movement participants, and to bind the group together. The black militants of the '60s in the Civil Rights Movement did not use music as a form of their expression; rather, their silence, an absence of music, said it all. Today, gangsta rappers are a fusion of the …

Philanthropic Leadership : Comparing Historical And Contemporary Methods Of Philanthropic Giving, Patrick Rucker

Honors Theses

America has a unique tradition of philanthropy. Wealthy benefactors have created some of our most notable institutions for health, education and the arts. The level of philanthropic giving has been consistently high yet the tradition of giving has taken many shapes and assumes several forms today. One of the most interesting and currently debated forms of charitable giving is money directed towards social change or the achievement of a certain social agenda. Money is given today to support or stall legal abortions, racial integration, and a host of other social issues. This paper will examine the tradition of giving in …

Children And Guns : A Lethal Combination, Jennifer Dunlap

Honors Theses

An unacceptable number of children die each year in the United States and Virginia as the result of abuse, neglect, and preventable injuries. Through my participation as a member of the Virginia State Child Fatality Review Team, I hope to observe and influence leadership in the process of making the state safer.

Uncharted Leadership : A Study Of Leadership In The Judicial Branch, Kevin Donnelly

Honors Theses

This paper is the final product of a research oriented project in which I studied leadership within the federal judicial system, specifically the Supreme Court of the United States. This project was an in depth study of the amount, style, and effect of Leadership in the Judicial branch. Through this study I hoped to explore a major component of government which has somehow been ignored when studying leadership at the national level.

Entrepreneurial Leadership, Gregory Devine

Honors Theses

I intend to provide a resource which Jepson students, faculty, staff, and alumni can use when thinking about starting their own business based on information from a number of sources, the most important of which is current entrepreneurs.

The Presence Of Leadership In The Homeless Environment : A Study Of Leader Traits, Perceptions Of Leadership And Difficulties Facing Potential Leaders In The Homeless Environment, Maria C. Chavez

Honors Theses

This study examines the existence of leadership in this context of the homeless. More specifically, the study looks at the leadership traits and the potential for leadership among homeless women finding temporary refuge in an emergency shelter in Richmond, VA. It will also give more legitimacy to the notion that leadership can exist in any context. And finally, this study will look at the difficulties potential leaders in the homeless context face, and what the possible ways are to alleviate them.

The Christian Children's Fund, Gretchen Wherry

Honors Theses

The Christian Children's Fund (CCF) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization created to serve children and their families by providing education, medical care, food, clothing and shelter. This organization is the largest independent child care and development organization in existence today. It has served approximately two and a half million children and their families in over 40 countries worldwide, and it continues to serve more and more everyday. 2

In 1938, due to famine, bombings, and suffering of children in China from the Japanese invasion, J. Catvitt Clarke founded the China's Children Fund (CCF). He created this organization to send relief …

Special Olympics : A Study Of Potential Opportunities To Foster Leadership And Personal Development Within Participants, Adam Ward

Honors Theses

The idea for my senior project was born out of a struggle. I had tinkered with several thoughts regarding potential projects, hut I was not eager to dedicate myself to something toward which I felt little passion. When Dr. Hickman mentioned the possibility of examining the opportunities for leadership among Special Olympics athletes, I was intrigued. In high school I donated time with The Miriam School, which catered to special-needs students. For my service learning project in the spring of my junior year I had the opportunity to work in the Special Education classroom of Three Chopt Elementary School - …

Leadership From The Bench : Are Morals Irrelevant?, John Unice

Honors Theses

Morality, understood as the underlying beliefs and values that guide our choices, permeates our personal and professional lives. The Jepson School places a great deal of emphasis on moral leadership, for the importance of leading with a core set of values is discussed in nearly every class. Via my Jepson School experience, I have become sensitive to the issues surrounding the ethical decision-making process, and believe that this area is worthy of study. As a student leader, I have been faced with many situations that required moral or ethical decisions. As I hopefully join the legal profession, the need for …

Music As A Cultural Context For Change : A Study Of Rock Music Of The 1950s And 60s, Sarah Toraason

Honors Theses

Art is important because it sensitizes people and makes them aware of important issues and events. '[M]usic can reveal the nature of feelings with a detail and truth that language cannot approach." (Pielke 1986) It has the capacity to reach a huge audience. It is a "language understood by all without instruction ... Music is a way of holding off time, making the present fill all space. It joins us with others yet defends our privacy. It lifts the spirit, assuages grief, and sometimes teaches as well. Above all, music creates values, along with a social structure that nurtures, defends, …

Student Change Leadership, A Renewal Process For Organizations : A Case Study Of The 1995 Panhellenic Rush Revision, Melanie Sandukas

Honors Theses

Greek organizations experienced a national revival in the late eighties. According to Mrs. Scott's figures, rush participation increased on sixty percent of campuses in 1995. However, in these times of negative publicity and litigation, nervous university administrators question the merit of the Greek system. In "The Survival of Greek Life: Concerns and Solutions" Robert Ackerman states, "The fact that change is necessary suggests that some fraternities and sororities are falling short of the ideals upon which they were founded." He observes, "Change, when it does occur, all too often appears to result from an attempt to avoid problems or from …

Corporate Ethics, Elizabeth Milligan

Honors Theses

This paper explores leadership, social responsibility and business ethics. Business ethics have become a contradiction of terms due to the lack of accountability inherent in corporate structure. An exploration of ethical theory is an attempt to demonstrate that corporations can be seen as leaders. If a corporation can be an actor and a leader it can be held morally accountable for the changes that it makes on the environment and society.

Corporations make decisions, influence society, structure jobs, produce, innovate and change. Corporations act as leaders. As a leader it is essential that a corporation be socially responsible. The individuals …

Student Development In Residence Life Systems: A Framework For Understanding Intentional Education/Outputs, Jason Jacoby

Honors Theses

The residence life strategic planning committee consists of the staff of the Richmond College Dean's Office. They are primarily Area Coordinators and are headed by the Assistant Dean of Richmond College. I am the only student on this committee and am using this opportunity to participate in their activity of creating a strategic plan to be implemented in next year's residence life activities. The plan must work within the parameters of the University's strategic plan, Engagement in Learning. This committee divided the process into four areas: Intentional Education/Outputs, Staff Support and Development, Students and Their Community, Publicity/Awareness. Each of these …

Women's Rights In China : A Paradigm Shift In Progress, Jennifer Hoag

Honors Theses

Chinese women have been historically oppressed. Female children have been killed. Women's feet have been bound. They have denied access to education. Female oppression is part of Chinese tradition which is the most powerful influence in China. Economic independence and increased education have lead women to mobilize. This paper asserts that this mobilization has created a feminist movement which in turn is causing a paradigm shift in the way Chinese view women.

Great change has taken place in China in the last century. The image of women has changed from that of a commodity that is not to be seen …

Academic Versus Popular Press Perspectives In Sport Leadership : A Comparative Analysis, Frank Spina

Honors Theses

Athletic competition has been an increasingly integral part of society for the better part of three millennia. Beginning with the dawn of the ancient Olympics, sports have remained a highly valued component of all cultures in forms as different as the Medieval Tournament and the World Series. The role such competition plays has also taken on varying forms including sanctioned violence, alternative entertainment, spectatorism, and exercise, and has ultimately evolved into the current status of sports as a multi-billion dollar industry. Surely this popularity of professional competition is indicative of the powerful impact of sports on modem life: "few phenomena …

A Development Model For The Human Resources Department Of The Reynolds Metals Company, Elizabeth A. Crowe

Honors Theses

The benefits of having done this type of action/research/process-oriented project are two-fold. First, there is the situational knowledge that we have gained from incorporating an internship into our project; second is the actual product (the development tool) which will actually be used by Human Resources employees at the Reynolds Metals Company. These results reflect exactly the type of experience that we had hoped to have.

The incorporation of an experiential aspect is something that we both sought out in coordinating our senior project. Our enormous personal growth can be measured by comparing our initial confusion and bewilderment with our current …

Eleanor And Hillary : First Lady Leadership In The Contexts Of History And Contemporary Culture, Beth Allen

Honors Theses

The work of this paper is important to leadership studies for two reasons. First of all, such examination furthers the exploration of first lady leadership and interprets the lives and works of ER and HRC in a new way. Also, this paper will help test the validity of a new model of contingency theory. Wren and Swatez explain that leadership studies needs such a model, one "that identifies and affirms the various levels of historical and cultural forces that act upon the leadership process" (247).

Contingency theories of leadership examine the relationship between leaders, followers, and the situation, and often …

Disney World--Leadership?, Laurie Kopp

Honors Theses

I began my study of Disney by writing down all of my personal impressions and memories of Disney. Before I read any articles, texts, publications, conducted interviews, and made observations, I wanted to understand where my perspective came from and consequently, the biases that I may run into during my research. Like many, I have visited the theme park as a child. Returning to Disney, this time over Christmas break as a Jepson student attuned to the leadership process, I was reminded of my youth but also struck by the ingenuity and the plentitude of leadership practice. I left the …