Leadership Studies Commons^™

Racialized Lived Experience And Equitable Decision-Making Among Philanthropic Leaders: A Narrative Inquiry, Janae Asali Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the influence of racialized lived experiences (RLEs) on equitable decision-making among philanthropic leaders, employing a narrative inquiry approach. It examined how diversity within philanthropy, beyond tokenistic representation, can introduce a wide range of perspectives that enhance equitable decision-making processes. The study emphasized the significance of RLEs in philanthropic leadership and decision-making, despite potential institutional constraints on grant processes. Twenty philanthropic leaders from various backgrounds, including private and family foundations, community foundations, and corporate social responsibility initiatives, participated in the study. Utilizing a critical race conceptual and theoretical framework, the researcher analyzed philanthropic leader’s narratives of race, …

From Virtual Gaming To Virtual Teams: Best Practices For Leading Diverse Virtual Teams In A Global Organization, Tianshi Hao

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates virtual leadership within video game environments and its transferability to real-world virtual team management. Employing quantitative ethnography and epistemic network analysis, the study explores the leadership behaviors observed in MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) and OFPS (Online First Person Shooting) game genres, drawing parallels with global virtual team management in corporate settings. The findings reveal that Squad-Based Game Leaders (SGLs) and Organizational-based Game Leaders (OGLs) employ a mix of authoritarian and democratic leadership styles to navigate both the tactical and strategic demands of their teams. SGLs focus on tactical decisions utilizing real-time data and player feedback …

Putting The “Proof” In The Pudding: Ingredients To Consider In Executing An Effective And Sustainable Diversity Management Strategy Within Esg Conscious Organizations, Diamond D. Dubose

Theses and Dissertations

ESG exchange-trade fund inflows increased to a total of 22 billion dollars in 2020; three times their amount as compared to 2019, reflecting increasing capital market prominence (Wagner & Ballentine, 2020). Many organizations have since engaged in DEI practices because of the appeal Environment, Social, and Governance (also known as ESG) investment ratings provide (Henisz et al., 2019). However, companies must go beyond publishing organizational commitments to diversity to ‘check the box’ if they want to remain in the good graces of their internal and external stakeholders, ultimately validating their financial performance (S. J. Singh, 2021). An obstacle also emerged …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Empathy Trait As A Moderator Of Leadership Behavior, Barbara N. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

There are indications that empathic concern for others has been declining around the world (Konrath et al., 2014). Empathy has long been recognized as a component of social functioning that significantly influences behavior that impacts relationships with others on both personal and societal levels (Batson, 2009; Davis, 2017; M. L. Hoffman, 2000; Stilwell, 2001). Leaders who apply empathy in their leadership can promote stronger connections with others (Gentry & Sadri, 2007), and foster social closeness and well-being (Morelli et al., 2015). While traits and behaviors are helpful predictors of effective leadership (Judge & Piccolo, 2004; Mumford et al., 2000), there …

Building Resilience, Navigating Crises Since 2019: A Phenomenological Study Of Leadership Factors Influencing Retail Business Owners In Lebanon, Mira Fadel

Theses and Dissertations

The Lebanese population and culture are recognized for their resilience when facing adversity withstanding events such as the Lebanese Civil War, and multiple country invasions. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of retail business owners from different geographical regions and retail types in Lebanon and to identify the leadership factors that kept them resilient while navigating the compounding crises since 2019. The leadership factors included leadership styles, strategies, and agility. The conceptual framework encompassed all leadership factors, the retail industry, cultural context, and resilience. Data for this hermeneutic phenomenology was collected through semi-structured interviews followed …

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 …

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 …

The Impact Of Generational Intelligence And Its Relationship With Team Cohesion And Team Performance In A Jamaican Multi-Generational Workforce, Omar Z. D. Oliphant

Dissertations

Problem

The Jamaica Union Conference (JAMU) currently faces a phenomenon of having a multi-generational workforce that includes four generations working alongside each other across its five fields for the first time in its history. This intersection of generations brings challenges concerning the adequacy of leaders’ generational intelligence and its relationship to team outcomes and perceptions of performance. The potential concerns for leaders center around employee recruitment, retention and engagement, conflict resolution, workplace culture, and productivity, among others (Tapscott, 2009). Any potential misunderstanding resulting from inadequate cross-generational intelligence among members of the generations currently represented may result in these Jamaican generationally …

Pastoral Leadership Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Sub-Saharan Africa And Congregational Giving During 2020-2021: A Grounded Theory Study, Eric Jean-Bruno Aniel Barbe

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model that describes how the behavioral strategies of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) pastors in Sub-Saharan Africa may have positively influenced congregational giving during the years 2020-2021 of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

A qualitative grounded theory research design was used (Corbin & Strauss, 2015). In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from a purposive sample of SDA pastoral leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa. The collected data were analyzed using an iterative process consisting of open, axial, and selective coding, thereby facilitating the construction of subcategories and a core category. This analytical process …

The Processes, Events And Characteristics Associated With The Leadership Emergence Of New Believers In The Contemporary Movement Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In The United States, Cleveland Hobdy Iii

Dissertations

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is confronting an unsettling reality in the 21st century. A considerable body of literature has highlighted an escalating attrition rate, with the 'Ministry journal reporting in April 2019 that almost 50% of new converts eventually abandon their commitment (Thomas, 2019). Other data collected by the World Church through its Office of Research include statistics and archive information that confirm the losses (Knott, 2016; Trimm, 2023). After all the baptisms, membership transfers, professions of faith, and accessions, the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church is netting one new member per church per year. Since 1965, roughly 4 out …

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 …

Leadership Challenges With Mental Health Literacy And Cultural Stigma In The Hmong Community, Yeng J. Vang

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

It has been nearly 50 years since Hmong refugees started arriving here in the United States, as a result of the Vietnam War. Currently, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is home to the largest concentration of Hmong Americans here in the states, approximately 81,000 (Pew Research, 2019). Because of the war atrocities that many Hmong refugees experienced, scholars and researchers conducted diagnostic assessments during early resettlement, but the data was disaggregated and combined all Southeast Asian refugees together. This made it difficult to determine mental health needs among the different Southeast Asian ethnicities, specifically Hmong Americans. Many years later, the Wilder …

When Ballots Are Blank: Write-In’S Serving Local Government And The Implications For A Healthy And Vibrant Democracy, Thomas J. Ruter

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Our democracy depends on having a supply of candidates running for elected office, but in some instances, no one wants to run. This phenomenological study asks what the effects on a healthy and vibrant democracy are if ballots are blank and the seat is filled through write-in or appointment. Rooted in democratic theory, this study explores small, rural city elections where write-ins won election. Understudied, local governments are responsible for decisions affecting the lives of millions of people each day. Workforce scarcity, the alienation of young Americans from politics, government bashing, nasty campaigns, threats of physical harm, and other barriers …

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.

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 …

Desarrollo, Implementacion Y Evaluacion De Un Seminario De Liberazgo Para Lideres De La Iglesia Central De Cojupeque, El Salvador, Alvaro Rafael Linero Vargas

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in the ministry of all believers, and at its base, the local church is not only led by pastors but also by members who take on leadership roles. In order for these members to excel in their ministries, their training and education must be intentional. The Central Cojutepeque Seventh-day Adventist Church of the Paracentral El Salvador Conference did not have an intentional leadership instruction program that can help said leaders assist in the leading of the church.

Methodology

This project is a research initiative in the field of practical theology. It was applied within …

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 …

Why Leadership Needs History, Paul W. Sanders, Martin Gutmann

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

What contribution can a leadership focus make to arbitrating the catch-22s and wicked problems of the ongoing polycrisis? Not much, if you were to turn for advice to mainstream leadership studies (LS), a field of enquiry that continues to see itself, above all, as a tool for optimizing corporate performance and effectiveness. One way in which LS can escape its current tunnel vision and lack of relevancy is to return to its own roots and rehabilitate the historical approach. Historical LS can add value in several areas: it has the ability to deliver insightful case studies that provide useful analogies, …