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Does Athletic Participation Develop Followership Skills? A Case Study on the Development of Followership Through Athletics
Get PDFThe role of athletes is to follow the lead of their coaches, captains, and other teammates while working towards the shared goal of team achievement. However, collegiate athletic participation is often attributed to the development of leadership skills. The purpose of this study was to advance the understanding of followership development within athletics. Further, I sought to understand better the perception of student-athletes and coaches on how athletic involvement contributed to the development of followership skills and leadership skills. The study was guided by research questions in which I asked if participants perceived athletic participation contributed to the development of followership skills, what the perceived relationship between leadership and followership skills was, and how coaches and student-athletes perceive the role of athletics on the development of followership skills differently. With the use of qualitative methods, I conducted interviews with collegiate student-athletes and coaches while also reviewing institutional documents. Data analysis revealed six emergent themes relating to followership development through athletic participation: (1) formation of followership, (2) followership skills formed through sport, (3) followership skills enhance life skills, (4) effective followers enable team success, (5) leadership and followership skills are transferable, (6) leaders should promote followership. This study expands and further develops the understanding of followership development. Further, I discussed opportunities for continued followership discussion within the realm of athletics as well as ways to enhance student-athlete experience with intentional followership development
THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE BECOMING THE CHURCH: MULTIPLYING DISCIPLES, LEADERS, AND CAMPUSES IN A POST-CHRISTIAN, DE-CHURCHED, AND UNCHURCHED REGION OF THE UNITED STATES
Get PDFThe church is losing influence in America. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the decline in the American church. Polarized on issues of race, politics, masks, and vaccines, church leaders struggled to unite the people of God. Post-pandemic, how do churches and church leaders make more disciples, develop more leaders, and plant more churches in a post-Christian, de-churched, and unchurched culture? The focus of this doctoral dissertation is to present the philosophy of people becoming the church as a solution to the decline of the American church. I discovered the philosophy of people becoming the church over twenty years ago when I planted newlife – a church in the Greater Seattle area. This dissertation is an in-depth study of people becoming the church at newlife and the findings from qualitative research to make people becoming the church more effective in the future. The project concludes with people-becoming-the-church principles that can be adapted and applied to other churches in other contexts. The five people-becoming-the-church principles are as follows: blur the line between people and pastors, creativity sparks evangelism, dive into the community to solve problems, the church can gather anywhere and at any time, and church buildings are assets to the community and are used all week
Leadership Prototypes and Cultural Variations Amongst Hmong Men and Women Working Professionals in Minnesota
Get PDFSince arriving in the United States in 1975 as immigrants, the Hmong have faced many cultural challenges and were forced to adapt quickly. In 2011, the Hmong lost their last officially recognized leader, General Vang Pao. With the Hmong assimilating to the American culture, it is unclear whether their leadership prototype has changed due to cultural variation. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to examine leadership prototypes and cultural variation amongst working professional Hmong men and women in Minnesota. Minnesota was chosen because it is home to the largest Hmong population in the United States. This study targeted understanding the lived experiences of four Hmong male and four Hmong female participants between the age of 28 and 45 years. In-person interviews were conducted to collect data. The results indicated that cultural variation impacted the leadership prototypes of Hmong men and women working professionals in Minnesota. Many participants stated a change in leadership prototype as they learned to balance Hmong and American values. The results support being more aware of Hmong household challenges, cultural variation, gender differences, and how this may affect their leadership prototypes. In addition, the results indicated that the leadership prototypes of Hmong men and women working professionals in Minnesota are leaders who are empathetic, are compassionate, lead by example, and keep their word
RESILIENCE IN ADOLESCENT AMERICAN STUDENTS
Get PDFThe current study sought to determine if any meaningful relationship existed between perceived mental, emotional/behavioral, and academic resilience and overall resilience in adolescent American students. The current quantitative study was conducting using convenience sampling though a national school counselors’ website. Respondents were asked to respond to a modified version of the ARS-30 resiliency questionnaire as well as respond to a few demographic questions. The findings of the study demonstrated that each aspect of adolescent student resilience (mental, emotional/behavioral, and academic) were statistically significant predictors of overall student resilience; with academic resilience being the most statistically significant predictor of perceived overall resilience in adolescent American students. The findings of the current study give a starting point in measuring American adolescent resilience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the findings of the current study support previous research about the positive outcomes of resilience in students in academic settings
COLLEGE-AGED WOMEN’S PERCEPTIONS ON HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY ROMANTIC BEHAVIORS AND HOW REALITY TV INFLUENCED THEIR VIEWS ON RELATIONSHIPS: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY
Get PDFWomen between the ages of 18-24 experience intimate partner violence at a higher rate than any other group. Physical violence can be easily identified as an unacceptable practice. However, recognizing different aspects of abusive behavior is not as easy to identify. The purpose of the case study was to examine how college-aged women perceive which behaviors were healthy and unhealthy in a romantic relationship and how reality TV influenced their views. The two central themes of the study were healthy relationship behaviors and unhealthy relationship behaviors. The subcategories for healthy relationship behaviors were communication, love, and support. The subcategories for unhealthy relationship behaviors were aggression, lying/dishonesty, and manipulation/gaslighting. Results of the study indicated that college-aged women take social cues from the reality TV programming they watch. Findings suggested that consistent exposure to relationship-based reality TV shows directly influenced college-aged women’s perceptions of romantic relationship behaviors
Credit Union Servant Leadership Encourages Financial Literacy
Get PDFProject Type
Organizational Change Initiative
Project Overview
January 1, 2023, Midflorida Credit Union rolled out an online financial literacy platform to 1300 employees. April 1, 2023, as part of Financial Literacy month, it will be rolled out to over 400,000 members. This project supports Midflorida’s mission statement, “To improve the well-being of our members.”
Project Themes
The financial literacy project consisted of a three-phase rollout of planning, implementation, and future phases. Phase one established the teams, product review, and contract negotiations. Phase two was content review, modifications, security review, training, and employee surveys. Phase three is the servant leadership training to roll out to our members on April 1, 2023.
Contributions to the Field of Leadership
The credit union industry was built upon the fact that some people needed help accessing traditional banking services. The credit union industry began with people helping others gain access to these services. Servant leaders were key in developing the credit union industry as they sought to help people that could not help themselves. Servant leadership continues today as we seek to secure equity and inclusion for all people.
Real-world Implications
Financial literacy programs provide people with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively manage their finances by making sound financial decisions. Sound financial decisions allow people to spend wisely, manage debt, and plan for their future, such as paying for their children’s education and planning for retirement.
Online financial education programs provide a cost-effective, comprehensive education to people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Financial stress from financial insecurity and excessive debt permeates all areas of a person’s life, including their relationship, health, lifespan, and career. 64% of Americans reported being stressed about money, by the American Psychological Association. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common effects of financial stress. Financial stress can lead to physical as well as mental health issues. By improving the financial well-being of people, we improve their entire lives
INVESTIGATING THE LINK BETWEEN O-GLCNACYLATION AND PARKIN IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Get PDFParkinson’s Disease (PD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease (ND) that is believed to impact around 1 million Americans, from both reported and nonreported cases. It is characterized by impaired motor and cognitive functioning resulting from a host of proposed causes, including the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the more debated aggregation of proteins. The role of proteins in PD is the focus of the following proposed research, which aims to evaluate the link between O-GlcNAcylation and the phosphorylation states of protein in NDs. This link has been investigated in other NDs such as Alzheimer’s as well as in PD with the protein alpha-synuclein. The relationship observed a possible protective effect of O-GlcNAcylation, which will be evaluated in this research with PD and the protein parkin. By increasing global levels of O-GlcNAcylation, the phosphorylation state and activity of parkin will be evaluated in order to understand the effect of O-GlcNAc on this protein and shed light on possible therapeutic treatments for PD
CALLED TO SERVE: DEVELOPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF PENTECOSTAL PASTORAL AND PRACTICE FROM PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGY AND TRADITION
Get PDFAlongside Pentecostalism’s continued growth in both adherents and influence, there has also been an effort amongst contemporary Pentecostal scholarship to crystalize the ways in which Pentecostal theology and tradition finds its expression in practical theology. At present, too little effort has been dedicated to clearly articulating a theological vision for the role of the pastor in a Pentecostal church in a way that aligns with the movement’s unique contours. The aim of this research was to discover the impact of a presentation of Pentecostal theology and tradition on the development of the pastoral identity and practice of Assemblies of God ministers in Ohio. The project gathered the perspectives of a group of Assemblies of God ministers who had previously participated in focus groups in November 2020. The 2020 focus groups were conducted to organically capture the implicit perspectives of the participants related to Pentecostal pastoral ministry. The 2023 research project utilized participants from the 2020 focus groups and included a presentation on Pentecostal theology and tradition, followed by a discussion session amongst the participants. In the discussion, the participants used the presentation materials as a constructive framework to define Pentecostal pastoral identity and practice. The results of the two studies were then compared to evaluate the impact of the presentation on the views of the participants related to Pentecostal pastoral theology
The Career Experiences of Noninstructional Itinerant Staff in K–12 Public Schools with Demonstrated Longevity
Get PDFShortages in noninstructional itinerant staff (school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers) have been especially difficult for K–12 public school districts, as these individuals have critical responsibilities within the school setting that they are uniquely qualified to complete. Noninstructional itinerant employees face challenges such as isolation, role confusion, and high workloads that professionals who work in other settings or instructional colleagues may not encounter. They may also be impacted by their responsibilities related to meeting the increasing mental health needs of the students they support. The aim of this qualitative research study was to consider the experiences of 14 noninstructional itinerant professionals - five school nurses, five school psychologists, and four school social workers - who have been employed in the same K-12 public school setting for at least 10 years. Several themes emerged as the findings of the study: passion/purpose, expertise, working conditions, connections, and personal characteristics. A majority of the noninstitutional itinerants in this study reported finding deep purpose in their work and having a long-term impact on the lives of students. For most professionals, this factor may mitigate adverse working conditions such as lower pay and higher caseloads. In the area of working conditions, the school schedule emerged as a leading motivator, as it provided for a better work-life balance. Another dominant factor was connections with administration, which influenced the level of inclusion, provision of adequate workspace, and professional input. The personal factors that impacted longevity were the noninstructional itinerants’ level of flexibility and resiliency
Empire at Play: The United States’ Cultural Influence on Nicaragua’s National Sports’ Identity
Get PDF‘Empire at Play’ seeks to contextualize the inception of a Nicaraguan surfing subculture in the first decade of the twenty-first century by situating it within the broader scope of the United States’ influence on Nicaragua’s sporting history. By weaving together primary and secondary sources, as well as oral histories from expatriate surfers, Nicaraguan nationals, and members from the local indigenous communities, this article shows how international actors from the United States introduced Nicaragua to three of their major sports: baseball, boxing, and surfing—all of which became part of Nicaragua’s cultural identity. As these three sports grew in popularity domestically, so too did the infrastructure capable of hosting major international events, subsequently garnering international recognition as authentically Nicaraguan sports. While these activities are merely extracurricular in and of themselves, examining their proliferation as part of the expansion of American empire in the twentieth century helps to underscore the varying forms of American imperialism that facilitated each sport’s introduction and popularization—surfing being the most recent of the three