Leadership Studies Commons^™

Exploring Human Resources Practices And Challenges To Retain And Develop Millennial Workers For Future Leadership Roles In The Transportation And Logistics Industry: A Phenomenological Perspective, Graciela Pineda-Blasco

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined Human Resources practices in place in the Transportation and Logistics industry aimed at the retention, and development of millennial talent into future corporate leaders in the industry. Despite extensive literature on millennials, there remains ambiguity regarding their specific traits, behaviors, and commitment within corporate settings.

Given the generationally diverse workforce, it is crucial to understand the unique needs and expectations of different cohorts. This study focuses on millennials' communication styles, technological adaptability, and expectations for training and advancement. The findings highlight significant issues in current corporate culture, particularly in HR retention and training strategies, which are …

Opioid Policy Solutions: Administrative Law, Legislation, And Constitutional Reform, Trevin Stevens

Honors Theses

I have written three separate policy briefs addressing issues in the pharmaceutical industry that allowed for the opioid epidemic to reach the magnitude that it has in the last three decades. I examined public policy regarding labeling, drug diversion, and misuse, as well as marketing. By studying existing policies, I was able to provide insight into possible reforms, while accounting for potential obstacles to systematic reform, such as constitutional concerns regarding free speech.

Exploring The Impact Of Public Health Messaging On Maternal Health Engagement In The Us: A Focus On Racial Disparities And Persuasive Evidence; By Shelby Mokricky; April 29, 2024, Shelby A. Mokricky

Honors Theses

With the current rise of maternal mortality rates in the United States, particularly among Black women, this project aimed to understand more about how the content of maternal health campaigns affects participants' desire to create action and change. We examined two factors, the type of persuasive evidence presented, anecdotal stories or statistical information, and whether the message discussed the racial disparities in maternal mortality or not. Using Cloud Research’s Connect Platform 500 survey participants were randomly assigned to read one of four public health campaigns, then asked to complete a series of questions relating to their support of combating maternal …

Catching Up To Yesterday: An Argument For A Practical Application Of Creativity For Inspiring Change From A Content-Based Course Delivery To A 21st-Century Skills-Based Delivery, Darren Chapman

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project is a creative vision for how college-level courses could be changed to deliver the most important skills students need in the 21st century—moving toward an essential employability skills-based delivery process while training vocational (content) skills. Technology is outpacing humans' ability to adapt and adopt to it, making it increasingly difficult to keep pace with technological change. This has wide-ranging effects on each of us – productively, emotionally, and perhaps physically. Colleges are at the forefront of educating citizens about the working world to improve their productivity, incomes and their sense of intrinsic motivation. However, these same colleges are …

Divided Discourse: Analyzing Abortion Rhetoric In The 2016 Presidential Debates, Ella Hayes

Honors Theses

How did the party affiliation of the speaker affect the rhetoric used to talk about abortion in the 2016 American presidential election? Using computer-assisted qualitative analysis and coding for instances of framing, metaphors, and bridging rhetoric, I look at debate transcripts during the election cycle from the American Presidency Project, tracing both Democratic and Republican primaries into the general election. I argue that across all debates and speeches, Democrats invoke the“morality as empathy metaphor and the Nurturant Parent model in their arguments more than Republicans. In contrast, I argue that Republicans invoke the“morality as strength" metaphor and the Strict Father …

A Growing Willow: The Six Rs Indigenous Research Framework—Stories Of The Native American Faculty Journey In Stem, Ranalda L. Tsosie, Ke Wu, Anne D. Grant, Jennifer Harrington, Stephan T. Chase, Aaron Thomas, Damian Chase-Begay, Selena Beaumont Hill, Annjeanette Belcourt, Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills

Leadership Studies Faculty Scholarship

Native American faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (NAF-STEM) disciplines are historically underrepresented. Creating inclusive academia for Indigenous people that typically live and thrive in rural communities requires insights into their personal, relational, and collective experiences. This study was guided by the Six Rs: relationship, respect, responsibility, relevance, representation, and reciprocity, and was informed by Indigenous Research Methodologies. Twelve NAF-STEM from tribal colleges and non-tribal institutions were asked to share their perspectives and experiences in seven Research Circles. NAF-STEM joined sequential hybrid workshops over seven weeks on how to conduct qualitative data analysis. Authors conducted analysis on the transcripts …

How Communities Of Practice Can Mitigate School Leader Burnout, Jason E. Saltmarsh

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This qualitative study expands our knowledge about school leader communities of practice (CoP) by examining the role they play in mitigating symptoms of burnout. Drawing primarily on in-depth interviews with school leaders in an urban California school district, this analysis applies Leiter and Maslach’s Structured Approach to Organizational Predictors of Job Burnout as a lens to understand school leaders’ experiences in a CoP focused on instructional leadership. Findings reveal dimensions of engagement known to reduce aspects of burnout, namely social closeness, a range of supports, and the perception of doing meaningful work that aligns with one’s values. This study extends …

Diversifying The Workforce: Women In Plumbing, Aviva Maxon

Scripps Senior Theses

Exploring the benefits and challenges of being women in plumbing through first person narratives.

Development Of Leader Voice And Leader Silence Scales: How And Why Leaders Choose To Remain Silent Or Speak Up During Situations Of Workplace Aggression, Katherine L. Dickins

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the factors that drive leaders to speak up or remain silent when witnessing workplace aggression and to develop scales to measure leader voice and leader silence. While research on employee voice and silence exists, leader voice and silence need more theoretical development. I used an exploratory sequential mixed-method design to address these gaps. Subjects: Study one included 26 graduate management students and 35 leaders across multiple industries in the United States who witnessed workplace aggression in their unit. Study 2 included 345 people who supervised others at work. Instruments: Seven open-ended questions asking respondents to …

Examining The Experiences Of Dei Practitioners: A Look At The Racial Disparity In Policing Of Black People And The Subsequent Need For Adaptive Leadership, Lashawn Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, Black people in the U.S. have had to navigate structural and institutional racism. This is especially true for the system of policing, which evolved from pre-emancipation slave patrols. Though law enforcement agencies have made strides in the past 160 years, Black people continue to be targeted and killed by police at a disproportionate rate. Evidence shows that DEI training initiatives within policing often fail to reduce this racial disparity that exists in policing. Yet, improved training outcomes surrounding racial relations continues to be a priority. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of …

Understanding Needs: Facilitating Faculty Support For Formal Assessment Processes In Higher Education, Terrance Cao

Theses and Dissertations

Prior literature discusses how conflicting beliefs regarding assessment, competing workloads, and a lack of formal assessment resources may contribute to faculty reluctance to engage with formal assessment processes. There is a gap in research on exploring assessment leader-faculty relationships through the lens of Leader-Member Exchange Theory and how that may affect participation in formal assessment processes. To address this gap, the researcher implemented a qualitative, phenomenological study to interview faculty about their lived experiences in working with formal assessment processes and interacting with assessment leaders. The goal was to discover emerging thematic categories regarding faculty perceptions of formal assessment processes …

Leadership Best Practices In Fostering Collaboration For Transformative Change In International Nongovernmental Organizations: A Phenomenological Study, Colton Manley

Theses and Dissertations

For nearly a century, International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) have spearheaded humanitarian relief and development efforts worldwide. However, the increasing complexity and interconnectivity of global challenges demand a fundamental shift in the operations of INGOs. Collaboration has emerged a key strategy in driving systemic change and addressing the root causes of complex issues. Leaders play a pivotal role in fostering these essential relationships and cultivating a collaborative ecosystem. While leadership remains paramount, there is a critical need to understand how INGO leaders can cultivate transformative collaboration, a collaborative approach aimed at addressing the root causes of complex issues and driving systemic …

A Phenomenological Study On Tokenism And Leadership Style Of Black Executives In Corporate Organizations, Alan Keith Caldwell

Theses and Dissertations

The demographic composition of the United States is changing. In relation to race, the minority is becoming the majority. This demographic shift creates a more diverse workforce, which increases executive-level opportunities for Black professionals at corporate organizations. However, data indicates that very few Black people are in corporate organizations’ executive-level (VP, SVP, and C-Suite) roles. This study investigated tokenism’s role in developing Black executives’ leadership styles at global corporate organizations. The aim of this investigation focused on uncovering the experiences of Black executives in a corporate environment, including their leadership style. Phenomenological Inquiry served as the method to collect data. …

Mastering The Void: The Secret Sauce Of Black Female Leadership In The Ivory Tower, Laschanda Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This scholarly inquiry delved into the enduring disparity of gender representation within leadership roles, a phenomenon persisting despite women's remarkable progress in education and professional realms in the last 50 years. Concentrating on tertiary education, this study examined the scant presence of females, with a particular emphasis on Black females, in elite leadership roles. Its primary objective is to discern and corroborate the leadership aptitudes that have been instrumental in propelling the careers of Black female administrators in tertiary educational institutions. Employing a refined Delphi methodology, this research shared insights from the career trajectories and developmental experiences of Black females …

Global Workforce Dynamics: A Quantitative Analysis Of Inclusion, Retention, And Performance Across United States And Japanese Cohorts In A Multinational Corporation, Cecil Wroton Johnson Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization has lowered geographic and cultural workforce boundaries by increasing global workforce diversity (Boitano et al., 2017; Ferdman et al., 2021; Güzel et al., 2021; Weiss & Wilkinson, 2018). Furthermore, societal revelations through health and social crises have called for multinational corporations to respond with representative workforce diversity (Banks & Harvey, 2020; Dixon-Fyle et al., 2020; Kim & Roberson, 2021). The convergence of globalization, global governance and public policy are factors of global workforce dynamics that reinforce the inevitability of workforce diversity and the necessity for the intentional creation of inclusive work environments (Mor Barak, 2022; Roberson, 2006). This quantitative, …

Black Women Leaders Bend But Don’T Break: A Qualitative Examination Of Coping With Workplace Inequity In Fortune 500 Companies, Quennette Standford Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Black women account for 7.1% of the United States (U.S.) population (U.S. Census Bureau,2023); however, they only comprise 2% of executive positions (EEOC, 2023), 1.4% of the Fortune 500 C-suite (Corbett, 2022), and .4% of Fortune 500 CEOs (Dawuni & Frazier, 2022). Typical advice regarding career growth and progression centers on hard work and dedication as facilitators of achievement. However, this is a broken model for Black women, whom studies show follow an inconsistent path and employ a variety of strategies to reach executive levels of leadership as they navigate inequitable systems, treatment, and behaviors in the workplace (Beckwith et …

The Long-Lasting Credibility: A Leadership Model For Building Trust In Multinational Companies, Suelen Schneider Demaría

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the strategies, challenges, and measures of trust-building between leaders and team members in multinational organizations. This topic is significant because (a) the deficit of trust in leadership has spread across industries and nations over the last decades (Edelman, 2023), imposing a high penalty on organizations and society (Covey & Merrill, 2018); (b) in contrast, in a trusting environment, happiness, cooperation, and results are enhanced (Zak, 2017); and (c) trust is also an issue in cross-cultural settings because the traditional notion of trust is binary and Western, leaving out cultural awareness necessary to …

The Sacred And The Secular: The Impact Of Gender And Religiosity On Leadership, Carol Lusk

Theses and Dissertations

Despite strides, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions, a disparity that invites a deeper understanding of underlying factors, including the unexamined influence of religiosity. An explanatory sequential mixed methodological approach revealed unique insights. Among a nationally representative sample of men and women (n = 1150), the quantitative analysis suggested that religiosity contributed to the leadership journey for men, but the relationships were more complex for women. Religious women of all ages were more motivated to lead than non-religious women. However, once age was considered, non-religious women attained higher leadership positions than religious women. The qualitative phase, consisting of 12 interviews …

Strategies And Best Practices For Career Advancement For Female Officers In The United States Military, Kayleigh Axtell

Theses and Dissertations

Although there have been significant policies in support of advancing women in the military, they still face many challenges in advancing their careers. Nonetheless, women still have the desire and propensity to serve and work toward higher-ranking leadership positions. Prior research has utilized both qualitative and quantitative research and data from veterans and a combination of officers and enlisted personnel. This paper adds to the literature by using a qualitative, phenomenological approach leveraging the lived experience of active-duty female military officers. Appreciative inquiry and best practices frameworks create the theoretical foundation for this research. Chapter 1 introduces the advancement of …

Physician Associate (Pa) Leaders In Executive, Academic, And Clinical Roles: Consensus Building For A Novel Leadership Framework, Bethany Grubb

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lived experience of Physician Associate (PA) leaders in healthcare executive, academic, and clinical roles. Chapter 1 introduces the research topic, outlines a statement of the problem, study’s purpose, assumptions, limitations and key definitions. The frameworks for this study are appreciative inquiry and critical constructivism. Chapter 2 presents a comprehensive review of the literature pertinent to PAs in leadership roles in the United States, including (a) challenges in the PA profession, (b) best practices of the PA profession, (c) leadership competencies in healthcare including leading teams, (d) leadership theory including coaching theory and change management, and (e) …