Leadership Studies Commons^™

Leadership & Innovation: The Keys To Solving Wicked Social Problems, Kaye Mooney

DSW Capstone Projects

Social work leaders must utilize unique leadership styles and innovative activities to enhance human well-being and meet the basic needs of all people (NASW, 2008). Social work leaders must value and actively seek input from all people, strengthening the solutions' chance to work. Wicked social problems (WSP) plague our country, especially among marginalized groups. We must utilize a new combination of social work leadership styles to resolve WSP.

The capstone project presents significant social work leadership and social innovation findings. First, a systematic literature review synthesized how transformational, anti-oppressive, and ubuntu leadership styles impact social service organizations. The conceptual paper …

Applying Critical Grounded Theory To Community Intervention Development Methodology: Designing The Critical Difference Engagement Approach, Jason M. Sawyer, Shane R. Brady

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Multiple factors contribute to community practice’s ongoing challenge of developing effective, evidence-informed, and socially just practice interventions. Currently, rationally driven systematic reviews dominate intervention design and development in various interprofessional applied health and human service fields, including community practice. As a result, community interventions often undergo significant development outside complex community contexts in which social problems manifest. Drawing from a case example of one author’s participation in a community engaged intervention development study based on mobilizing across differences, this piece advances an inclusive approach to community-based participatory intervention development driven by critical grounded theory. Undergirded by critical research perspectives, the …

A Model For Identifying, Developing, And Installing Elders In The Church: The Path Family Church Has Taken, Stephen Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that Family Church does not identify, develop, and install their potential elders well. This intervention research project addressed this problem by establishing prerequisites for elder identification, a seven-week elder training workbook, and guidelines for installation after the research project. Current elders at Family Church completed a questionnaire, participated in case studies, and evaluated their intervention project in a focus group to establish an effective method of identifying, developing, and installing potential elders. This intervention research project produced a list of prerequisites for identifying potential elders, a seven-week elder training manual, and clear guidelines for ordaining elders at …

Effective Leadership In The Us Fire Service Requires Training Programs Geared Toward Ongoing Leader Development For All Personnel, Shelley Marie Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of 50 personnel from four Metro Washington D.C. area fire departments, 23 firefighters and 27 officers, at varying experience levels and ranks to determine if there was leadership training throughout a firefighter’s career that enhanced their leader development, improving teamwork needed to achieve operational objectives. Based on the analysis of the data retrieved from the participants, the proposed research problem does exist within all four departments: leadership training may not be provided at varying levels of a firefighter's career within Metro Washington D.C. area fire departments which could …

Understanding Integral Peace Leadership In Practice: Lessons And Learnings From Women Peacemaker Narratives, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Miznah Omair Alomair

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Integral peace leadership is an emergent framework that creates space for just change by challenging violence and aggression while building positive systems and structures. This article utilizes a deductive qualitative analysis strategy to critically examine the proposed concepts of integral peace leadership to determine their saliency for peacebuilding practice. Utilized to study these concepts are 10 Women PeaceMakers’ narratives. Results indicate that 25 of the 35 concepts studied across four quadrants were relevant in the women’s peace leadership work, with an additional six concepts revealed. The analysis demonstrates that the concepts of integral peace leadership are present in the work …

Post-Phenomenology, Transduction, And Speculative Fabulations, RóIsíN Lally

Leadership Studies Faculty Scholarship

This response briefly argues that post-phenomenology has always cut across the transcendental-empirical divide and is able to cultivate a deep respect for technologies in their otherness, without denying their relation to humanity. It does this by revisiting Don Ihde’s genetic phenomenological variations and tracing its relation to Gilbert Simondon’s ontogenesis. Having set up the historical nature of objects, the second part of this paper will take up Yoni Van Den Eede’s call for a more speculative approach.

Church Planting: Exploring The Actual Experiences And Stories Of Four Church Planters Of The Plant1000 Evangelism Initiative In The North American Division Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Hyveth Williams

Dissertations

Problem. Plant1000 was launched in 2016 by the North American Division (NAD), the fifth largest of 13 divisions of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. Since then, it has been reported that over 1000 new church plants have been started, but we do not really understand how healthy most of these are, or not. We also do not know what they are actually experiencing in their developing into viable congregations. The focus of this dissertation is the story of four selected church plants that may be able to help us understand those dynamics that, at the moment, are little understood. -- …

The Dynamic Negotiated Exchange Model Of Heroism And Heroic Leadership: Lessons From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Scott T. Allison, James K. Beggan

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

This article proposes a new model of heroism and heroic leadership that conceptualizes the exchange relationship between heroic leaders and the recipients of heroic action as dynamic and negotiated. Previous exchange models portraying heroic leadership exchange as static and passive are shown to be inadequate under conditions of major societal upheaval. Underlying the Dynamic Negotiated Exchange (DNE) model is the idea that equitable hero–recipient exchange during times of societal crises becomes strained and subject to negotiated revision. The terms of the negotiation are first manifest in media dialogue and then translate to individual or structural reforms offering more equitable exchange …

16th Annual Higher Ground Women's Leadership Conference, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Kiara S. Faulks, Sianna Westley, Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

"Seizing Tomorrow, Today," challenges participants to develop a practice of Prospective Reflection- a deliberate practice of strategic foresight to aid in facing the challenges and opportunities that exist beyond us. Prospective reflection is unique because it forces us to capitalize on this time of era-defining moments and to imagine what is possible. Today's conference will aid you in translating your values into actions, your dreams into reality, and your hopes into happens. Delivered through a high-impact combination of short, narrative-driven lectures, interactive panels, and individualized strategic reflection activities, the day will culminate in an action plan for moving your leadership …

Why T.R.I.P Matters?, Jumoke Akinrimsi, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Lamar Bates, Arrington Evans, Kelly Evans, Lawrence Green, Trina Louise, Melissa Mason, Freddy Mejia, Lachelle Waller

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

Through the work of the House and Senate chief patrons: Delegate Delores L McQuinn (HB 142) and Senator George L. Barker (SB 342) changes to the Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) intended to increase funding to reduce the impact on public transit fares on individuals with low-incomes were signed into law during Virginia’s 2022 legislative session. House Bill (HB 142) and Senate Bill (SB 342) builds on 2020 legislation establishing TRIP to promote improved transit service in urbanized areas 1 of the Commonwealth with a population of more than 100,000 and to reduce barriers to transit use for low-income individuals. …

Whistles Against Street Harassment (Wash), Rami Ammoun, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Amita Goyal Chin, Dwayne Cooper, Margaret Turman Kidd, Hannah Miller, Melyatta Powers, Angela Reynolds

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

As an urban university nestled in a bustling city, VCU is committed to having all members of the community feel safe in public spaces. The Whistles Against Street Harassment (WASH) initiative aims to improve the safety of our VCU community by (1) providing a whistle, a practical and easyto- use tool that the target or bystanders can use to disrupt street harassment, and (2) raising awareness and dialogue related to street harassment and public safety. RAINN defines street harassment as “unwanted comments, gestures, or acts directed at someone in a public space without their consent.”1 Street harassment is not …

Healthy Communities: Flooded With Injustice?, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Mel Borja, Krystle Dorsey, Tiffany Garner, Edgar Greer, Denise Harrington, Paula Robinson, Jalesha Smith, Dominique Thaxton, Jeffery Wilson Phd

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

"HB1276 Comprehensive plan; Healthy Communities Strategy" authorizes defined localities to incorporate a healthy communities strategy into the next iteration of their local comprehensive plan and to engage the public in the process. In the absence of a predetermined definition, this report adopts the American Planning Association (APA) guidance as a standard, that a healthy community is a place where “all individuals have access to healthy built, social, economic, and natural environments that give them the opportunity to live their fullest potential regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, income, age, abilities, or other socially defined circumstance.”1 This report will discuss how …

Vcu Research Festival: From Ideas To Impact, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Samsam Ali, Marlo Brown, Elizabeth Fredericksen-Trent, Catherine Ham, Carly Katz, Tiffany Murray-Robertson, John Quillin

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

Since its beginning, VCU has been inextricably intertwined with the Richmond community - physically, socially, and economically. That dynamic interdependence, if leveraged correctly, can help us achieve the vision of Quest 2028. VCU’s website notes, “...our past has made us who we are…” And that past has not always helped maintain our critical relationship with the surrounding community. It is telling that this year’s VCU Common Book is Organ Thieves — a book about VCU’s own Henrietta Lacks story. Research at VCU led to Virginia’s first organ transplants, but there are different stories we can tell about VCU’s historic roads …

Ensure Everyone Succeeds, Kayla Anderson, Jill Butler, Leigh Anne Hylton Gravatt, Parthasarathy Madurantakam, Ingrid Redway, Maria Teves, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

Students in the post-baccalaureate certificate and graduate programs on the Health Science Campus (MS, PhD, and first professional programs including DDS, PharmD, and MD) are highly motivated to succeed in their chosen career paths. Needless to say, these courses are very heavy on didactics and challenge the best of the students. Typically, these programs have rigid curricular designs and offer little to no flexibility to students in choosing the courses. It is fast-paced, high in curricular hours and the students cannot afford to have mishaps without jeopardizing their careers. While this stringent curriculum is necessary for VCU to maintain its …

Promoting Health By Strengthening Community Partnerships, Alexandria Brown, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Alberto Cano, Harmeet Chiang, Mazhar Kanak, Bridget Prince, Erin Wilson

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

Social inequities, such as employment, living conditions, and food insecurity, can adversely affect health. Our project explores the efficient integration of social determinants of health into patient care. Social determinants of health are the conditions in the environments in which people live, work, and play that impact overall wellbeing and quality of life. We propose leveraging the VCU Health system to support already existing community partnerships to improve housing access and social assistance for vulnerable populations, specifically targeting Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. We will connect patients to community resources to reduce health disparities, improve health outcomes, and lower costs.

Academic Library Succession Planning In The University Of California (Uc) System, Crystal Goldman

Dissertations

The Library and Information Science (LIS) literature has made clear that academic libraries in the U.S. have experienced decades of hiring freezes and budget cuts that reduced staffing overall and eliminated many middle management positions. Consequently, now that baby boomer library managers and administrators are beginning to retire, there are few qualified applicants to replace them. Thus, many in the LIS field have called for better succession planning by top-level library administrators (e.g., Deans, Directors, University Librarians). Few studies, however, have directly addressed this issue by examining these administrators’ perceptions or behavior regarding succession planning. This study begins to fill …

Impact Of College Extracurricular Involvement On Entrepreneurial Outcomes, Emily Malech

CMC Senior Theses

Despite extensive inquiry, relatively little is understood about the factors which shape entrepreneurs as young adults. This paper examines the impact of college extracurricular involvement on the entrepreneurial outcomes of alumni; it considers which extracurricular activities are most strongly associated with entrepreneurship. Additionally, it explores whether the number of extracurricular activities participated in by students impacts their proclivity for entrepreneurship. It observes 219 alumni of Claremont McKenna College and uses data from the institution’s public records as well as alumni’s LinkedIn profiles. This data contains information on entrepreneurship, indicated by job titles, and five extracurricular activities. Using a probit model …

A Seat At The Table: Visioning Social Work’S Leadership Future, Lucas Hall

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone focuses on the history of social work leadership, current trends in social work leadership, what is lacking and where we can go in the future. The systematic literature review was focuses on what is in the literature as it relates to social work leadership preparation. The conceptual paper proposes the creation of social work leadership fellowships and certification programs. Finally, the practice application paper is the full realization of the first two papers. A solution to the crisis of a lack of social work leadership preparation is proposed and fully fleshed out. The solution being the full-scale implementation …

The Role Of Organizational Leaders In Employee Self-Care: A Change Management Approach, Olivia Dawn Honaker

DSW Capstone Projects

Although literature demonstrates that helping professionals have had high levels of stress and burnout for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the issue. The already burdened healthcare workers, now facing increased workloads, long hours, and high-level exposure to trauma, have created an urgency to address this significant risk to helping professionals. The current capstone will bring awareness to organizational leaders regarding the importance of employee self-care and the benefits of implementing employee self-care programs. First, a systematic literature review will examine self-care in helping professions and explore how organizational leaders operationalize employee self-care programs. In addition, the capstone aims …

Preceptorship Practice In Healthcare Institutions In Ghana: A Situational Analysis, Ivy E. Sackey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Preceptors play a vital role in supporting nursing/midwifery students and new employees’ transition and assimilation into their new role. Furthermore, with the increasing focus on educating more qualified nurses and midwives to meet health-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, there is a need for a more standardized and coordinated approach to preceptorship training. As former Head of the Nursing/Midwifery Training Institution in Ghana, I observed first-hand that the system of preceptorship needs improvements. Published literature on preceptorship has shown that the practice plays a vital role in healthcare delivery. However, most of the existing literature preceptorship is from developed countries, …