732 research outputs found
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A Correlation Study of Perceived Servant Leadership Practices and Job Satisfaction Among Teachers in a Military Foreign Language Center
No full textPurpose: This correlation study determined the relationship between the level of servant-leadership practices of department chairs perceived by their foreign language teachers and the level of those same teachers’ job satisfaction within the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, CA.
Methodology: The study employed a quantitative method using descriptive and inferential statistical tests to answer the research questions. The sample population included 165 foreign language classroom teachers within the undergraduate basic language training at the DLIFLC. The data were collected through the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (Barbuto and Wheeler, 2006) and the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (Lester, 1982). The bivariate correlations, using a two-tailed Pearson test of correlation coefficients, were computed to assess the degree of relationship.
Findings: Although all aspects of servant leadership are important to teacher job satisfaction, the degree to which department chairs practice servant leadership skills does not relate identically to all factors of teacher job satisfaction. Teachers demonstrated that the most satisfying factor was the opportunity to be accountable for their own work and the opportunity to take part in policy and decision-making activities
Conclusions: The results of the study demonstrate the benefits of applying the servant leadership model to teachers’ job satisfaction. Teachers need first to experience the feeling of being satisfied with their jobs in order to fully contribute to the overall well-being of the DLIFLC. Building a strong culture and practice of servant leadership at all levels would help the Institute to prosper.
Recommendations: Provide continuing professional growth opportunities in the area of servant leadership with a focus on active listening, reflection, and empathy. Conduct a study that compares servant leadership with other leadership styles to determine which leadership style teachers respond to with a higher degree of satisfaction. Some future studies should look at leadership correlated to teacher productivity and/or student results
Meaning Makers: A Mixed-Methods Case Study of Exemplary K-12 Superintendents and the Behaviors They Use to Create Personal and Organizational Meaning
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this thematic, mixed-methods case study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary K-12 superintendents use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers through character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. Further, this study surveyed followers to assess the degree to which followers believe a leader uses character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration to create personal and organizational meaning.
Methodology: This research was achieved by interviewing exemplary K-12 superintendents regarding their perceptions of utilizing the behaviors associated with the five domains—character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration.
Findings: Overall, the participants indicated that effective leaders need a balance of all five behaviors with a collective experience. Based on the interviews with the three exemplary K-12 superintendents, it is noted that the participants use the five domains on a daily basis to be exemplary leaders. Leaders depend on each one of the domains throughout their lives to make decisions for the greater good. Results from the surveys indicated leaders promote organizational development through developing character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration.
Recommendations: Further research is suggested by presenting this study to K-12 superintendents who received coaching from current or retired K-12 superintendents who were identified as exemplary meaning-makers. In addition, this same study could be replicated with leaders from Generation X or the Millennial generation to see if there are differences in the behaviors those leaders use to create organizational meaning using the five domains. Finally, superintendents should participate in 360-degree surveys twice a year including the five domains of meaning-making
Transition from Military Service to Entrepreneurship: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Hispanic Veterans
No full textPurpose: Entrepreneurship is essential to the sustainability of our nation provided in part by individuals who seek opportunities for developing profitable businesses that generate jobs and cash flow. Despite these benefits, there is limited research about Hispanic veteran entrepreneurship. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and explore the lived experiences of Hispanic veteran’s transition from military service to entrepreneurship positions in business. A secondary purpose to the study was to describe what factors aided or detracted from the transition as perceived by the Hispanic veteran.
Methodology: The data collection process of this phenomenological qualitative study was achieved through in-depth interviews with Hispanic vetaran entrepreneurs from San Diego, California. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview protocol designed using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory. Participants were audio recorded to help create transcriptions and for further analysis.
Findings: Five common themes emerged from the data collected from 12 participants: (a) factors that detract from entrepreneurship, (b) effective entrepreneurship strategies, (c) entrepreneur leadership characteristics, (d) prior experiences that lead to entrepreneurship, and (e) support network resources. All of these common themes explain how Hispanic veterans describe their transition from military service to entrepreneurship and the factors aided or detracted from their transition.
Conclusions: Based on the literature review and the research findings, the following was concluded: (a) Hispanic veterans overcome barriers in their journey to entrepreneurship, (b) Hispanic veteran entrepreneurs experience both positive and negative factors when starting a business, (c) Hispanic veteran entrepreneurship is a relatively new phenomenon, and (d) Hispanic veteran entrepreneurs use a supportive network of resources.
Recommendations: Additional research is recommended that includes the transitional experiences of veterans from other locations in the country, entrepreneurs outside of the military, those from other cultures, and entrepreneurs who live abroad. A quantitative method replicated from this study should be conducted. Studies should also focus on the individual variables of Schlossberg’s 4 S System. Finally, researchers should replicate this study from participants within the same industry
An Exploration of the Perceptions of Teachers and Administrators on the Relationship Between Professional Learning Community Practices and School Success
No full textPurpose: Professional learning communities (PLCs) have provided a popular means by which schools have used structured collaboration to improve student outcomes. For this reason, the PLC model for collaboration has a strong reputation for helping schools achieve success. However, teachers and administrators regard the PLC efficacy differently. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how high school teachers and administrators in Basic Aid funded school districts define success in relation to Professional Learning Community practices. A secondary purpose of this study was to explore the differences in perception between teachers and administrators in regard to defining success in relation to Professional Learning Community practices.
Methodology: This study used the qualitative methodology of phenomenology to gather data via semi-structured interviews of eight teachers and eight administrators who work in Basic Aid School Districts in Coastal California that utilize PLC systems. Interview subjects were asked questions influenced by DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker’s (2008) PLC framework. Interview responses were recorded, transcribed, and reviewed along with other documents and artifacts to achieve triangulation.
Findings: This study arrived at six major findings: 1) teachers perceive that administrators are image oriented, 2) administrators think results are the most important part of PLC work, 3) results are difficult to measure, 4) depression rates are high in high performance schools, 5) there is a need for more teacher leaders, and 6) there is an attitude of complacency in high performance schools.
Conclusions: The study’s findings led to the following conclusions: 1) teachers are distrustful of administrative motives around issues of student learning, 2) administrators prioritize student test performance over other learning related factors, 3) teachers and administrators are unclear about the link between actions and results, 4) Students in high performance schools face more pressure to succeed, 5) there is a need to grow leadership capacity among teaching staff, and 6) reform in high performance schools lacks a sense of urgenc
Toward an Emerging Theory of Leadership Competencies for Early Care and Education Systems Leaders
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the competencies that early care and education systems leaders should possess as perceived by a panel of early childhood systems leadership experts. This study also identified which leadership competencies experts perceive will have the most impact on transformation of the field into an organized system of practice.
Methodology: This study used a mixed-methods Delphi approach consisting of three electronic surveys to identify competencies needed by early care and education systems leaders as perceived by a panel of national experts. Round 1 consisted of open-ended questions. Round 2 asked the panelists to rate each competency’s importance using a 6-point Likert scale. In Round 3 panelists were requested to choose which competencies were most important for systems leaders to impact the transformation of the field into an organized system of practice.
Major Findings: A quantitative analysis of Round 2 found that the expert panelists agreed on 65 competencies as important or very important for systems leaders to acquire. Some of the most highly rated competencies identified were developing relationships and partnerships, valuing diversity, collaborative leadership skills, and commitment to equity. In Round 3, 14 competencies were selected as necessary for systems leaders to impact transformation of the field, including systems thinking, big picture perspective, commitment to equity, and knowledge of policy and legislation. Through a qualitative literature analysis, the themes systems thinking, and collaborative and inclusive leadership were found to be most aligned with the research literature. A surprising finding was that the expert panelists did not rate knowledge of child development as important for systems leaders, which contrasted with the research literature.
Recommendations for Future Research: Include (a) replication of this study with representation from additional systems leaders throughout the country; (b) perceptions of stakeholders throughout the ECE workforce regarding leadership competencies, including diverse and marginalized populations and those in a variety of leadership roles; (c) tasks and objectives of systems leaders and a clear definition of their roles; and (d) impact of the absence or presence of knowledge of child development on the decisions of ECE systems leaders
A Case Study of Strategic Governance in the Implementation of Guided Pathways at Scale at California Community Colleges
No full textPurpose: Community colleges across the United States are implementing systemic change models such as guided pathways to increase student success. The purpose of this multiple case study was to describe the role of strategic governance in the implementation of guided pathways at scale at California community colleges.
Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study used a multiple-case embedded case study methodology to collect data aligned with the four imperatives of strategic governance theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with campus leaders involved in guided pathways implementation at three California community colleges. Archival records and documentation were used to triangulate the data.
Findings: Colleges balance the imperatives of involvement, efficiency, environment, and leadership across the domains of strategic planning and governance when implementing guided pathways. Inclusiveness, intentional alignment, interdependent leadership, and internal/external synergy emerged as essential elements of strategic governance during pathways efforts.
Conclusions: Community colleges leverage inclusive and credible strategic planning and governance systems to create a stable foundation for institutional redesign. A networked system that relies on interdependent leadership and interfaces informal elements with formal structures promotes and accelerates efficiency. A proactive, reflective, student-centered approach to managing environmental demands helps maintain focus.
Recommendations: Community college leaders should deliberately increase engagement in decision-making processes and strengthen the integrity of strategic planning and governance systems. Leaders should define the parameters of pathways teams, establish logical connections between informal and formal structures, and encourage mutual reliance in pathways leadership. Leaders should cultivate a systems mindset and use embedded reflective practices to guide implementation
Merger and Acquisition Integration: Exploring Uncertainty from the Perspective of the Middle Manager
No full textPurpose. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore middle managers’ perceptions about how organizations managed job-related, structural, and strategic uncertainty during a merger and acquisition (M&A) integration process. Furthermore, this research investigated what strategies middle managers perceived effective and ineffective for managing uncertainty and recommendations for managing uncertainty during future integrations.
Methodology. This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological research design that collected data through open-ended interviews. Fifteen middle managers participated in the study and were asked 12 questions that explored their perceptions about managing uncertainty during an M&A integration.
Findings. Overall, participants perceived strategic uncertainty was managed well, structural uncertainty was managed poorly, and job-related uncertainty was mixed. Effective strategies for managing job-related uncertainty focused on communication, whereas effective strategies for managing strategic and structural uncertainty included clear visions, defined roles and responsibilities, and opportunities to collaborate. Recommendations for managing all types of uncertainty were related to communicating, planning, interacting as a team, and valuing employees.
Conclusions. Most organizations are not managing M&A processes well. Companies need to adequately manage information from the onset of the M&A until full integration is achieved to avoid adverse effects and reduce uncertainty. Communication through in-person roadshows, websites, and newsletters helped employees gain a better understanding of why the change was occurring, which reduced uncertainty. Organizations could better use middle managers during M&A processes to create structure, build trust, disseminate information, and reduce uncertainty, which could lead to a more successful integration process.
Recommendations. The success of an M&A often pivots on the integration process. Additional academic and applied research is needed to build on the body of knowledge about M&As, with specific emphasis given to the integration process. During an M&A, executives need to establish the direction for the integration process and prioritize intentional communication. A dedicated integration team should be appointed to develop a comprehensive integration plan, implement the plan, and monitor the integration process to ensure appropriate course corrections. Middle managers should be given additional training to best support the M&A integration process
The Role of Conversation in How Educational Services Assistant Superintendents Lead Change
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary educational services assistant superintendents practice to lead their organizations through conversation as depicted by Groysberg and Slind’s (2012b) 4 elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality. Methodology: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used in this study in order to describe the lived experiences and behaviors of exemplary leaders. The target population was educational services assistant superintendents in Southern California. Participants were selected using a purposeful, nonprobability, convenience sampling. Data gathering took the form of semistructured, in-depth interviews, observations, and artifact collection. Interviews were conducted using a protocol designed by the team of collaborative peer researchers in order to gain insight into leaders’ perceptions of their conversational leadership experiences. Triangulation with observational notes and artifacts served to increase the validity of interview data. All data were entered into NVivo software to assist in analyzing patterns and predicting themes for coding. Findings: Close analysis of interview notes and transcripts, observations, and artifacts resulted in total of 25 themes and 447 frequencies among the 4 elements of conversational leadership. Ten key findings were identified across the areas of intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.
Conclusions: The study supported the 4 elements of conversational leadership proposed by Groysberg and Slind (2012b) and identified specific behaviors that exemplary leaders practice within each. Four conclusions were drawn based on the data and findings. Educational services assistant superintendents who want to become transformational conversational leaders should (a) practice careful listening to create an environment of trust and support intimate communication structures within their organizations,
(b) facilitate a variety of collaborative groups using a process for the exchange of ideas to establish dynamically interactive organizations, (c) invite shared leadership opportunities to nurture a climate of inclusivity, and (d) continually focus conversation of the organization’s purpose to ensure collective understanding and clarity of direction. Recommendations: Further research of private sector leaders and assistant superintendents in regions outside of Southern California should be conducted. In addition, the element of intimacy in the workplace requires more attention in the field of conversational leadership
Community College Presidents and the Role of Conversational Leadership
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary community college presidents practice to lead their organizations through conversation as depicted by Groysberg and Slind’s (2012) four elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.
Methodology: This qualitative, phenomenological study described the lived experiences of exemplary community college presidents as they lead their organizations through the use of conversational leadership. The sample population for this study was community college presidents who met the criteria of exemplary from single-college districts in Southern California. Data were gathered and triangulated from semistructured, in-depth interviews, participant observations, and the collection of artifacts. Interview questions and protocols were established by a thematic dissertation team of peers and faculty experts. Data analysis was performed using NVivo software.
Findings: Thirty themes and 549 frequencies emerged from the data across the four elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality. Seventeen key findings resulted from the data relating to the lived experiences of exemplary community college presidents and their use of conversational leadership to lead their organizations.
Conclusions: Examination of the key findings resulted in 8 conclusions demonstrating the conversational leadership behaviors of the participants of this study. The top 4 conclusions revealed that community college presidents (a) who want to build intimate relationships with their constituents need to share stories to build trust and reveal commonalities; (b) who want to build strong, intimate relationships with their constituents need to commit to being genuine, authentic, and transparent in their conversations; (c) who want to increase trust and intimacy within the organization must actively listen to the members of their organization; and (d) who want to create an interactive organization must consistently encourage open dialogue across the organization and use their imbedded institutional processes to encourage further collaboration and dialogue among members.
Recommendations: The study of conversational leadership practices across populations is in its infancy, and there are recommendations to conduct further research to broaden the scope and add to the body of literature available