Developing Practices Within The Lord’S Supper That Develop Central Identity At Queen City Church Of Christ, Ryan Russell

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to meet a need at the Queen City Church of Christ (QCC) for developing intentional practices around the Lord’s Supper for forming a central identity in a diverse community. The scope of this project focuses on the project group’s ability to develop practices based on the theology of the Lord’s Supper, biblical teaching, engaging in practices of spiritual formation as a group, and their observations of Lord’s Supper practices in other Christian traditions. Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth provides the textual context for the discussion of the role the Lord’s Supper plays within …

Creating An Action Plan To Increase Diversity And Inclusion At Northwest Church Of Christ, Kenton Reeves Brown

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to meet a need at the Northwest Church of Christ in Oklahoma City to help the church transition from a church that values diversity to one that realizes its vision of being diverse and inclusive. The scope of this project was to create an action plan to increase diversity and inclusion to present to the church leaders for their consideration. The theological foundation for the project comes from Paul’s convictions, expressed in Gal 1–2, that any who are in Christ should not be excluded or treated as a lower-class member of the community based on their …

Incorporating Wisdom Christology Into The Phronesis Of Courtyard Church Of Christ, Tiffany A. Dahlman

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to address an identified problem Courtyard Church of Christ members were having with decision-making in a way that promoted shalom and reflected Christ to the world. I proposed that Wisdom Christology could assist in the decision-making process and formed an intervention team of five additional people from within the congregation to explore the situation through participatory action research. We met for six sessions in the early months of 2020. The team embarked on a thorough examination of Wisdom Christology through the Scriptures climaxing in the Wisdom Hymn of Col 1:15–20. Our subsequent collective understanding …

Innovative Behavior; Raising Awareness For Creative Behavior In Education To Cultivate An Innovative Approach In Vocational Education., Jeanette Janine Matser

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

_{Innovative Behavior; Raising Awareness for Creative Behavior in Education to Cultivate an Innovative Approach in Vocational Education.}

The development of a rubric for innovative behavior in teachers is related to encouraging the status of creativity in the innovation process. It is powerful to use feedback to create a more creative approach in schools, it helps teachers to think creatively and how to cultivate a more innovative approach in the classroom. It creates and structures conversations among teachers interested in teaching and assessing creativity.

This project presents a background and the development of a rubric and a complimentary booklet to self-test …

Exploring The Intersection Between Psychedelics And The 4 P’S Of Creativity, Laura M. Dawn

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Psychedelics are extremely multifaceted and complex hallucinogenic compounds that induce an altered state of consciousness and can have a wide range of effects. The outcomes of one’s psychedelic experience are largely dependent on what’s known as “set and setting.” The purpose of this project is to make an argument that the lens through which we look at and explore psychedelics matters. Currently the primary lens through which Western culture is exploring exploring psychedelics is through the lens of reducing mental illness. When we look at the existing scientific research that focuses on psychedelics as a treatment for mental illness, and …

Addressing Imposter Syndrome In First-Year College Students, Camille Mendoza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Some first-year students may have feelings of Imposter Syndrome, where they feel self-doubt and fear that they are not qualified and worthy enough. Students experiencing Imposter Syndrome may not recognize their capabilities and may suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, or depression. Given the potential impact of Imposter Syndrome on first-year students, colleges should provide training to those leaders on campus who work directly with first-year students so that Imposter Syndrome feelings can be minimized, and students can feel supported and included. To address Imposter Syndrome on college campuses, I developed a one-day training on Imposter Syndrome, symptoms of Imposter Syndrome, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Multi-Ethnic Churches That Have Effectively Managed Ethnocentric Biases And Cultivated Imago Dei-Centered Relationships, Shirley Ann Vazquez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Much research has been conducted in recent years concerning implicit bias. Banaji and Greenwald (2016) tell readers that even good people can have some form and level of implicit bias, including implicit ethnic bias (Banaji & Greenwald, 2016). While ethnically based implicit bias has been studied in education and business, the effects of ethnically based implicit bias in churches have only recently come to the forefront. Christian pastors need a good understanding of these implicit biases and how these phenomena may have been, and may still be, operating in their local multi-ethnic church body, preventing them from becoming a successful …

Servant Leadership Impact On Organizational Performance, John W. Wesevich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership matters because individuals desire to improve their personal, social, and professional lives; corporations seek individuals with specific leadership qualities to improve organizational and financial performance and gain a competitive advantage; and universities provide programs in leadership studies. Leadership encompasses influence over others to accomplish a specific or common goal (Northouse, 2019). This qualitative research study focused on a contemporary leadership approach, servant leadership, and its influence on organizational performance. Researchers have acknowledged a positive relationship between servant leadership and organizational performance (Chiniara & Bentein, 2016; Saleem et al., 2020; A. Wong et al., 2018). This qualitative case study corroborates …

The Worship Leader: Intentional Worship Equilibrium Of A Christ-Centered Perspective On College Campus And In The Community, Wayne Darrell Ravenell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Because of the diversity of collegiate cultures, Christ is depicted in various ways on campus; hence this study focuses on the gospel choir leadership influence. The impacts of Christ-centered gospel choir leadership are demonstrated in this qualitative study, as well as how it will lead to academic and community leadership influence. This study investigates the impact of collegiate gospel choir leadership on campus and local community worship. College and university gospel choirs from Charleston, South Carolina, provide the context for this qualitative study. This vital research takes a phenomenological approach to the impacts of mentorship and development of a collegiate …

Early Intervention And Prediction Of Risk Management Issues In Law Enforcement: A Phenomenological Study, Pamela Lynn Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to research the Early Intervention Systems (EIS) and prediction of risk management issues in law enforcement. The following questions guided the study:

1. How do law enforcement personnel describe their experience with EIS programs as an intervention for officers with behavioral or conduct issues?
2. How do EIS programs affect law enforcement agencies as a whole?
3. What indicators could law enforcement supervisors look for in officers to circumvent misconduct (on or off duty)?
4. What interventions have been observed personally or with other officers regarding discipline, counseling, additional training, etc.?

The setting for this study was …

A Strategic Plan To Grow A Healthy New Church Start, Andrea Bernadette Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the health and spiritual maturity of a new startup church, namely People of Destiny Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PODHDM) and identify ways in which PODHDM can grow spiritually and numerically, in the 21st century. The thesis will supply characteristics of a healthy church from the writer’s viewpoint, and from suggestions by notable scholars. The thesis will also explore hindrances to church growth, looking through the lenses of the church, as well as scholars, and provide insights and strategies to foster healthy church growth. This study will suggest that Sunday sermons are not …

Going Virtual: Addressing The Challenges Faced By Organizational Leaders When Employees Transition To Virtual Environments In Times Of Crisis, Mary Susan Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities across the world moved their operations online. While a great deal of focus was placed on the value of teaching and learning during a crisis period, very little attention was paid to the other side of higher education institutions—the business side. Suddenly these institutions and their operational staff were forced to discover new ways to perform tasks that had always been completed in person. The leaders of these organizations faced the added challenge of ensuring that their workforce remained engaged and motivated while working in the midst of stressful, even chaotic …

The Organizational Leadership Framework, John Robert Sparks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The field of leadership has evolved quite drastically over the years. Douglas McGregor showed us the evolution from a Theory X style belief that employees are unmotivated and dislike their work to his Theory Y style belief that employees are motivated and receive a sense of enjoyment from their work. Abraham Maslow expanded on this work with his Theory Z belief that optimal employee performance would prevail with the proper leadership approach. For years now, leadership has focused on various approaches or styles that produce the best performance resulting from the relationship between the leader and their follower. Organizations, research, …

Telework In Times Of Crisis, Samantha Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a digital transformation globally as office-based work shifted to telework. Low level positions within the office that were previously not permitted to telework had to during the pandemic. Clerical positions proved to be productive while teleworking. Managers may have had to adjust their management styles to fit their remote staff’s needs. Since clerical staff was so productive while teleworking, they may continue to telework after the pandemic as a new normal. Organizations can take the lessons learned from this digital transformation to apply to uncertainty management planning to prevent future business disruptions.

Nurses Leading In Bridging The Culture Gap: Communicating With The Deaf Community, Veronica C. Leftridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurses provide patient care in clinics, hospitals, homes, churches, schools, communities, and military, as well as on emergency medical helicopters. When a nurse is assigned to care for a patient, the patient expects the nurse to be culturally competent, communicate effectively, and provide safe quality care. However, cultural incompetence is observed when nurses provide care for Deaf patients, but they are unfamiliar with Deaf culture. In addition, communication is a fundamental skill nurses learn in nursing school, but course content in nursing programs rarely touches on how to communicate effectively with Deaf patients. Of the approximately 325 million people in …

Gay Male K-12 School Leaders' Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, John Mccarthy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-method explanatory study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by California gay male K-12 school leaders to explore the impact these behaviors have had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by California gay male K-12 school leaders to overcome these self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This mixed-method sequential explanatory study explored the lived experiences of eight gay male K-12 school leaders who self-identified that they have experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their career. Purposeful, convenience, snowball sampling was utilized to identify gay men who met …

Coercion Or Influence? Ethical Strategies Leaders Should Use To Increase Covid-19 Vaccination Uptake, Olivia Podber

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to millions of cases and deaths around the world, persists, in large part, due to vaccine hesitancy. Through interrogating the harm principle and exploring ethical justifications of influence, this thesis seeks to determine justifiable strategies leaders should use to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake. I will argue that lesser forms of coercion—such as vaccine mandates—are justifiable, in principle, but ought not to be used by agents due to concerns for liberty and trust, and the presence of less restrictive alternatives. Thus, leaders should use influence strategies to motivate behavior change from the vaccine hesitant.

Does Civic Engagement Predict Moral Behaviors? A Test Of Moral Theories, Ally Osterberg

Honors Theses

For various reasons, many students at institutions of higher education choose to partake in civic engagement. Evidence suggests that civic engagement may make students better people. This study tests that hypothesis under the competing frameworks of moral licensing and moral consistency through donation behavior and self-reported scores on various games. Additionally, this study seeks to understand if involvement in civic engagement impacts schemas of leadership. This study supports the theory of moral consistency and concludes that there is a correlation between involvement in civic engagement and perceptions on whether leaders should be civically engaged. We found that the amount of …

Calls To Action Impact: Consumer Behavior And Attitudes Regarding Factory Farming, Haley Huamani

Honors Theses

The average American eats roughly 143 pounds of meat each year. This amount of meat-eating is a record high, and over 20 more pounds than the average American ate in 1970. 1 To supply this increasing demand for meat, the United States pumps out around 52 billion pounds of meat, including 26 billion pounds of beef and 25 billion pounds of pork, each year The U.S. produces an additional 48 billion pounds of poultry each year.2 Yet, how often do we consider the impact of the meat we are eating?

The Effect Of Rhetoric On Progressive Health Care Reform Policies’ Public Perception, Megan Geher

Honors Theses

Health care is one of the most contentious issues in United States politics today, and there are a variety of reform plans on the table. In order for these reform plans to be politically feasible, it is fundamental that the rhetorical framing strategies utilized are done so with caution. In this paper, I seek to understand to what extent rhetorical framing plays a role in how Americans perceive progressive health care reform plans. While there are many factors that go into public support of policies, rhetoric is one factor that cannot be ignored, as it has shown to have significant …