UMass Global ScholarWorks
Not a member yet
910 research outputs found
Sort by
How Supervisors Can Help Their Subordinates Manage Stress Post-COVID-19: A Phenomenological Qualitative Research Approach Focused on the Lived Experiences of Police Sergeants and Their Role in Helping Mitigate Stress Among Police Officers
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research was to explore how police sergeants effectively lead their police officers in managing stress post-COVID-19 using the leadership traits of collective interest, moral purpose, personal temperament, and resilience (Fast, 2021).
Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative research approach focused on the lived experiences of police sergeants and aimed to explain how they reduce stress among police officers. Participants were selected using purposive and convenience sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted with police sergeants from the Los Angeles Police Department. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Themes naturally emerged and were compared across participants to identify patterns, similarities, and differences. Data triangulation was applied through analysis of organizational documents and artifacts.
Findings: Findings from the study indicated that supervisors play a critical role in reducing officer stress through supportive leadership rooted in collective interest, moral purpose, personal temperament, and resilience. Unexpected findings highlighted the importance of humor, calm demeanor, empathetic leadership, showing vulnerability, and the critical role of training as coping mechanisms and mitigating officer anxiety.
Conclusions: Police sergeants play significant roles in supporting officers’ stress management in a post-COVID-19 environment. Rooted in the key traits of collective interest, moral purpose, personal temperament, and resilience, the study explains why these elements shapes the supervisory approach to managing officers’ well-being.
Recommendations: Future research should investigate how to develop and incorporate resilience, emotional intelligence, empathy, and long-term tolerance in supervisors’ training. Research must be dedicated to understanding the stress levels of civilians working in a law enforcement environment. Future research must include urban and rural settings and large and small departments to gain variance and different perspectives on how police sergeants help subordinates manage stress in the post-COVID-19 environment. Future research should compare how police lieutenants, captains, commanders, deputy chiefs, assistant chiefs, police chiefs, and police commissioners effectively assist their subordinates in managing stress. Law enforcement organizations must incorporate mental illness awareness training for sworn officers at basic levels of training, like the police academy and probationary supervisor training. Future research should replicate this study in the fire service because firefighters respond to emergencies like police officers do
Adaptive Leadership: Strategies Used by U.S. Navy Command Senior Enlisted Leaders to Build Adaptive Capacity in Times of Great Change
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe strategies used by U.S. Navy command senior enlisted leaders (CSELs) to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership identified by Heifetz et al. (2009).Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of U.S. Navy CSELs. Purposeful, convenience sampling was used to identify 10 participants who met the study’s criteria. The semistructured, open-ended interview protocol was developed by a thematic research team of nine peer researchers and three faculty advisors. Data collected from the interviews and artifacts were analyzed to identify themes related to the study’s research questions.
Findings: In this quantitative phenomenological study, data derived from interviews were evaluated to identify major findings. These major findings were then analyzed to verify alignment with the reviewed literature and then summarized based off Heifetz et al.’s (2009) five key characteristics of adaptive leadership (making naming the elephant in the room the norm, nurturing a shared responsibility for the organization, encouraging independent judgment, developing leadership capacity, and institutionalizing reflection and continuous learning).
Conclusions: This exploratory phenomenological study aimed to identify and describe the strategies used by U.S. Navy CSELs to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership identified by Heifetz et al. (2009). The qualitative analysis of the data collected during interviews and literature review highlighted major findings that aligned with Heifetz et al.’s five key characteristics of making naming the elephant in the room the norm, nurturing a shared responsibility for the organization, encouraging independent judgement, developing leadership capacity and institutionalizing reflection and continuous learning.
Recommendations: Based on the significant findings of the qualitative phenomenological study, five recommendations have been made to expand the current literature and body of knowledge that exist for CSELs and their strategies to build adaptive leadership capacity. The subsequent recommendations have a positive outlook, assisting CSELs in building adaptive capacity within their organization. Personal and professional development for current and prospective CSELs must include tools and strategies for feedback and communication, teach the importance of presence and information sharing to facilitate team collaboration, and guide on fostering empowerment through decision-making and independent judgment. It must consist of training on building trust and respect through servant leadership, and finally, it must cultivate formal leadership training and education to build adaptive capacity
A Phenomenological Study Exploring Superintendent’s Perceptions on Four Servant Leadership Characteristics for Developing High-Performing Teams
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe public school superintendents’ perceived impact of four servant leadership characteristics established by Spears (2010) on developing and maintaining high-performing teams. Methodology: This phenomenological research study explored and detailed how superintendents perceived the influence of four servant leadership characteristics on developing and maintaining high-performing teams. Eight participants were chosen using nonprobability purposeful and convenience sampling based on specific criteria, which required at least 4 years of experience in their district, a minimum of 10 years of experience in the K–12 public school system, and employed in a K–12 district in California with a student population ranging from 10,000 to 40,000. Semistructured interviews were conducted by the researcher following an established interview protocol. Participant responses were analyzed, and the data were coded to identify recurring themes.
Findings: The findings revealed four key themes: trust-based leadership is essential for team success, collaborative culture drives organizational effectiveness, strategic leadership development enhances team capacity, and structured communication and engagement foster alignment and accountability. The study revealed that superintendents who prioritize trust building, foster collaborative environments, invest in leadership development, and maintain structured communication channels are more successful in developing high-performing teams.
Conclusions: Conclusions drawn from this research emphasize the importance of intentional relationship building, systematic approaches to collaboration, comprehensive professional development, and clear communication structures in educational leadership. It was concluded that superintendents who build trust through consistent communication, follow through on commitments, and maintain an open-door policy create environments in which team members feel safe to innovate and take risks. In addition, collaborative ownership and structured team-building initiatives significantly enhance organizational culture and team performance. The study revealed that investing in professional development, mentorship, and structured career pathways was essential for sustaining high-performing teams while systematic approaches to communication and stakeholder engagement were crucial for maintaining team alignment and accountability.
Recommendations for Action: The study provides practical implications for educational leaders and organizations seeking to enhance team performance through servant leadership practices. Recommendations include developing trust-centered leadership frameworks, establishing collaborative leadership models, implementing strategic leadership development programs, and creating comprehensive communication systems
Breaking Barriers: A Delphi Study on Strategies Military Women of Color Use to Advance Into Senior Leadership in the California Air National Guard
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to determine what strategies military women of color (in ranks of E–8 and above or O–4 and above) used to overcome workplace barriers to advancement in the California Air National Guard (CAANG), to rate the importance of the strategies identified in Research Question 1, and to determine the methods by which they employed the top five most important strategies.Methodology: This study used a three-round Delphi method to collect data from women of color senior leaders in the CAANG. In Round 1, the expert panel identified strategies to overcome workplace barriers to advance into senior leadership. In Round 2, the identified strategies were rated on a Likert-scale survey to determine the significance of each strategy. In Round 3, the expert panel explained how they employed the top five most significant strategies discovered in Round 2.
Findings: After input from the expert panel, 10 strategies were identified to overcome workplace barriers and advance to senior leadership. Those strategies were then ranked, and the five most significant were: (a) Resiliency, (b) Support Systems, (c) Self-Care, (d) Communication, and (e) Adaptability/Flexibility. The panel experts recommended various ways to apply the top five strategies in Round 3.
Conclusions: For women of color to advance to senior leadership in the CAANG, they had to build, sustain, and lean on a support system of family, peers, and mentors in and outside the military to remain resilient. They also focused on self-care in the form of seeking professional help, setting boundaries, emphasizing rest by taking leave, and prioritizing tasks when overburdened. Additionally, experts emphasized listening as the cornerstone of effective communication, including creating safe channels, and as a tool for advocacy for self and others. Lastly, participants viewed change as growth, sought information proactively, and learned from others who navigated similar challenges in the face of adversity to remain flexible.
Recommendations for Action: Based on the information collected in this Delphi study, 18 key recommendations were identified to support the implementation of strategies that aid women of color in overcoming workplace barriers and advance to senior leadership
Leadership Practices for High-Performing Teams: Insights From Senior Military General Officers and Flag Officers
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe how senior military general officers and flag officers (GOFOs) used the three competencies of high-performance teams (HPTs; clarity, connection, and communication) to achieve objectives in their organizations. The second purpose of this study was to determine the degree of importance that senior military GOFOs perceived the three high-performance team effect (HPTE) core competencies impacted their leadership for creating HPTs.
Methodology: This mixed methods study identified and described nine senior military officers’ perceptions of strategies to lead HPTs while focusing on the three core competencies: clarity, connection, and communication. The study participants were purposively and conveniently chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations from expert military personnel. I collected data, identified themes, and analyzed the data from the qualitative and quantitative data.
Findings: This mixed-methods study of nine senior military GOFOs highlights clarity, connection, and communication as critical for cultivating and sustaining HPTs in military contexts. Clarity, foundational to alignment, goes beyond removing ambiguity to ensure shared goals, roles, and visions. Connection fosters cohesion and innovation through cognitive diversity, trust, and shared purpose, with the human aspects of leadership—intentionality, care, and rapport—emphasized as vital to resilience. Communication, the linchpin, requires tailored, candid dialogue, repetition, mutual language use, and decisiveness to enhance cohesion and efficiency. The dynamic interplay of these competencies shifts with situational demands, and the absence of one undermines success, though compensatory strategies can mitigate gaps. These insights offer actionable strategies for leaders in complex environments.
Conclusions: The study’s findings underscore the critical independence of clarity, connection, and communication in fostering HPTs within complex, high-stakes environments. Leaders who strategically cultivate these core competencies, balancing accountability, interpersonal connection, and transparent communication, lay the foundation for cohesive, adaptable, and resilient teams, ensuring organizational success despite challenges.
Recommendations: The study recommends that leaders prioritize leadership accountability, collaborative engagement, and tailored communication strategies to foster clarity, connection, and communication within HPTs. By emphasizing diversity, interpersonal connection, situational awareness, and role flexibility, leaders can adapt to dynamic environments, mitigate challenges, and sustain resilient, cohesive, and effective HPTs
A Delphi Study of Effective Strategies for Addressing the Most Significant Barriers That Prevent the Successful Implementation of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices as They Relate to Alleviating the Achievement Gap for African American Students
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to determine how expert fifth- to eighth-grade teachers who have demonstrated competence in the implementation of culturally responsive teaching practices for African American students identify and describe barriers they have observed that prevent the successful implementation of culturally responsive teaching practices, to rate the difficulty of overcoming those barriers, and to identify and describe strategies for overcoming the five most difficult barriers.
Methodology: This study is characterized as a Delphi normative study. An expert panel received three rounds of online surveys. The first round open-ended question asked, “How do expert teachers identify and describe barriers they have observed that prevent the successful implementation of culturally responsive teaching practices?” The second round involved a Likert scale survey. Teachers were asked to rate the barriers identified in the first round. The third round featured open-ended questions about the strategies that received the highest ratings in the second round. The panel was asked to “Identify and describe strategies to overcome the five most difficult barriers they observed that prevent the successful implementation of culturally responsive teaching practices.”
Findings: Twenty barriers were identified by expert teachers. Seventeen strategies were recommended to address the five most significant barriers for implementing culturally responsive strategies in the classroom for African American students. These strategies included (a) resistance to change, (b) lack of self-reflection, (c) unconscious bias and stereotyping, (d) racial and cultural misunderstanding, and (e) deficit mindset. Several strategies were recommended for each barrier.
Conclusions: The expert panel determines implicit bias and cultural awareness training is needed to address each barrier. In addition, five of the barriers rated the most significant are related to mindset shifts, cultural bias, and racial understandings. Ongoing, intentional professional development in these areas is essential for enhancing teachers’ capacity to provide culturally responsive instruction needed to alter the achievement gap for African American students.
Recommendations for Action: After analyzing various suggested actions, the researcher recommends six of the 17 strategies identified by the expert panel, based on the frequency of references in the data
Administrator Leadership and Collective Efficacy: Enhancing Math Education in Public High Schools in California
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative, multicase study was to determine challenges that high school administrators experience when they establish the elements of collective teacher efficacy (CTE) based on the elements of common purpose, collective teacher accountability practices, protocols for collective practices, and interventions in their mathematics department and to determine the strategies that high school administrators use when they establish CTE in their mathematics department.Methodology: In this qualitative, multicase study, five interviews were conducted with public high school administrators in California. The researcher employed qualitative methods to explain the challenges that high school administrators experience when they establish the elements of CTE in their mathematics department and the strategies they use.
Findings: This multicase study found that high school principals faced challenges while establishing CTE in math departments. Progress toward CTE was a long-term process. First, teachers slowly and unevenly developed mastery of collective practices because of limited collaborative time and insufficient professional training. Second, they lacked the belief that all students can achieve grade-level standards. Principals used strategies to establish CTE by strengthening student support through school-wide systems, multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and response to intervention (RTI), multidisciplinary intervention teams, mastery-focused professional learning teams, and protocols that promoted psychological safety. However, limited mastery of collective practices led to resistance among teachers to implement in-class intervention practices.
Conclusions: The foundational conditions that develop CTE are (a) teachers master shared collective practices and (b) teachers believe all students can achieve grade-level standards. The foundational conditions cannot happen without the existence of structural and organizational conditions, specifically protected collaborative time and purposeful professional development. Without mastery of shared collective practices and belief, MTSS and RTI are not a guarantee of consistent in-class intervention. CTE is a developmental process that requires time to implement the foundational conditions provided that the districts and schools secure the existence of the structural conditions.
Recommendations: It is recommended that, first, more research be conducted to investigate how training principals, focused explicitly on Bandura’s (1997) four sources of efficacy, can speed up the development of CTE in high school. Second, it is recommended to conduct research by focusing on Donohoo’s (2020) most essential enabling conditions that move teachers from belief to action. Last, it is recommended to conduct research using DuFour’s (2004) professional learning community (PLC) centered on collective practices and their effects on the acceleration of the development of CTE among teachers in schools
Exploring Leadership in Physical Therapy: How Clarity, Connection, and Communication Influence Team Engagement, Burnout, and Achieving Organizational Objectives
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe how highly effective PT leaders use the three competencies of HPTs (clarity, connection, and communication) to increase engagement, prevent burnout, and achieve organizational objectives. The second purpose of this study was to determine the degree of importance that highly effective PT leaders perceive the three HPTE core competencies impact their leadership for creating HPTs.
Methodology: The mixed methods study identified and described eight PT leaders’ perceptions of how they use clarity, connection, and communication to build and sustain HPTs. PT leaders were selected through purposive and snowball sampling based on their experience and influence in the field. Data collection included quantitative scoring and qualitative analysis, capturing emerging themes of how leaders apply the HPTE framework to shape team performance.
Findings: The study revealed that clarity, connection, and communication are interdependent and collectively essential for building HPTs. Clarity, through well-defined shared vision and roles, aligns individual and team efforts to reduce uncertainty. Connection, rooted in psychological safety, fosters collaboration, mitigates burnout, and strengthens team cohesion. Communication catalyzes clarity and connection through consistency, transparency, and adaptability. These competencies work synergistically, combining their independent strengths and interdependent nature to create alignment and cohesion that enhance team performance and drive organizational success
Conclusions: The study underscores how effective PT leaders integrate clarity, connection, and communication to increase engagement, reduce burnout, and achieve organizational objectives. By cultivating clear directives, strong interpersonal relationships, and open communication, PT leaders enable their teams to sustain high performance in dynamic, high-pressure environments like healthcare.
Recommendations: It is recommended that PT leaders strategically apply the HPTE framework to boost engagement, mitigate burnout, and drive organizational success. Leaders should utilize the framework as a diagnostic tool to assess and identify performance gaps within existing teams, thereby establishing a baseline for targeted interventions. For newly formed teams, integrating the framework from inception ensures its principles are embedded within the team’s foundational culture. By cultivating environments where team members feel valued, empowered, and supported, leaders can enhance team performance and set a benchmark for effective and sustainable leadership
Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership in Times of Global Crisis: A Mixed-Methods Study of Managers at Multilateral Development Institutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and describe the perceptions of managers at multilateral development institutions regarding the impact of emotional intelligence methods in their approaches to leading during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary purpose was to examine how the experiences of leading during the COVID-19 crisis influenced managers\u27 understanding, development, and application of emotional intelligence skills as part of their leadership practices.
Methodology: This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to examine the role of emotional intelligence in crisis leadership at multilateral development institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Goleman\u27s emotional intelligence framework as a theoretical foundation, the study gathered data through a survey of managers across major multilateral development institutions and semi-structured interviews with 15 purposefully selected leaders. Quantitative data were collected through a 30-item survey completed by 87 managers, while qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews exploring leaders\u27 lived experiences in applying emotional intelligence methods during the crisis period.
Findings: The study found that majority of managers recognized emotional intelligence as crucial for effective crisis leadership, with empathy emerging as the most critical component. Virtual leadership required significant adaptation of social skills and communication approaches. The crisis experience catalyzed a fundamental shift in how managers conceptualized emotional intelligence, transforming it from a supplementary skill to a foundational leadership requirement. Managers developed specific practices to strengthen their emotional capabilities, though their development followed a non-linear trajectory with periods of advancement and regression.
Conclusions: Crisis conditions transform emotional intelligence from a leadership enhancement to a leadership foundation. Effective application during crisis requires deliberate practice systems rather than natural ability. Virtual environments necessitate reconstruction of emotional intelligence practices rather than simple translation. Empathy must be action-oriented rather than merely understanding-based. Crisis experiences accelerate emotional intelligence development through a non-linear trajectory requiring intentional reinforcement.
Recommendations: Multilateral development institutions should integrate emotional intelligence as a core component in leadership selection and development, establish structured practice systems for emotional intelligence sustainability, develop specialized training for virtual leadership, implement crisis simulation exercises, and design hybrid work models that support emotional connection across different interaction modalities
The Impact on General Education Preschool Teachers Mainstreaming Children With Special Needs: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study That Aims to Explore General Education Preschool Teacher Experiences Regarding Challenges and Strategies When Mainstreaming Students With Special Needs in the General Education Preschool Classroom
No full textPurpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore general education preschool teacher experiences regarding challenges and strategies faced in differentiating instruction while engaging and supporting all students in learning based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological methodology was conducted using semistructured interview questions with 12 general education preschool teachers. Results of interviews and an artifact collection and review were used to analyze how general education preschool teachers described their experiences regarding challenges and strategies faced in differentiating instruction, based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP).
Findings: The findings from the study indicate that general education preschool teachers experience multiple challenges when supporting students with special needs in their general education preschool classroom. Furthermore, the study’s findings identified the most useful strategies used by general education preschool teachers supporting students with special needs in their general education preschool classroom while dealing with these challenges. Four major findings and two unexpected findings emerged from the semistructured interviews and artifacts.
Conclusions: The study found that without sufficient time to individually support the needs, differentiate and incorporate curriculum-based activities, plan and develop scaffolded materials, connect the curriculum to the students’ understanding, communicate with parents and know the diverse background and experience of students with special needs and all the other students in their classrooms, the students’ needs will not be met. Recommendations: It is recommended to use a mixed method study, including a survey about general education preschool teachers’ challenges when mainstreaming preschool students with special needs in their general education preschool classroom and a rating of the strategies based on the based on the CSTP to add strength and information to the research findings and conclusions. Another recommendation is to conduct a multicase study that focuses on the challenges faced by general education preschool teachers while helping students with special needs and adopting strategies based on the CSTP practices to support children. These new data will assist school systems and general education preschool teachers to better serve the diverse preschool student population