732 research outputs found
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Safety Climate and the Use of Personal Protective Equipment by Petroleum Refinery Workers
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of peer and supervisor influences of task risks associated with refinery workers’ use of PPE while working in an industrial environment. The study focused on the safety climate model to discover the perceived value workers placed on safety and Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior’s roadmap for understanding their use of PPE.
Methodology: This study used phenomenological qualitative methodology to collect responses from 16 petroleum refinery contractor workers from Los Angeles, California, regarding the influences peers, supervisors, and task risk have on their use of PPE. Respondents were selected through purposeful sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted using an interview protocol based on Zohar’s safety climate model to capture their lived experiences.
Findings: Six major findings emerged from the data collection and analysis. Supervisors positively influenced refinery contractor workers’ use of PPE when they were present at the worksite and demonstrated concern for their safety. Peers support each other’s use of PPE by providing reminders when it is not used or exercising stop work authority for serious infractions of safety rules. Refinery task risk procedures such as Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) positively influenced refinery contractor workers’ use of PPE because of the potential for serious injury or disciplinary action for not using it.
Conclusions: The conclusions indicated that task risk to workers is decreased when supervisors provide direction at worksites and train their personnel on PPE use. Contractor workers, as a result of their shared hazardous workplace, expect that their peers will use PPE and will exercise stop work authority if they do not follow safety rules. Furthermore, refinery zero tolerance policies for violating safety rules improve worker commitment to use PPE.
Recommendations: Recommendations include the use of virtual tools to promote direct supervisor interaction when conducting JHA’s or safety meetings. It is also recommended that refineries and contractor companies develop training programs for supervisors to function as safety coaches along with recognition programs for workers to nominate their peers for positively influencing their use of PPE
Strategies Superintendents Use to Build Leadership Capacity with Executive Teams
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to describe how exemplary superintendents build leadership capacity with their executive teams using Kirtman’s (2014) Seven Competencies for School Leadership.
Methodology: This multiple case study used purposeful criterion sampling and recommendations from a panel of experts to identify seven superintendents throughout the United States to participate in the study. Each superintendent was interviewed with questions developed and field-tested by the researcher and provided artifacts. Collected data was coded using case-based, cross-case analysis to identify themes in how superintendents build leadership capacity with their executive teams.
Findings: The findings identified 21 practices and seven major findings superintendents used to build leadership with their executive teams. Specifically, superintendents challenged executive teams to diversify thinking, redefine roles and modify practices; created a safe culture to address conflict and agree on solutions; collaborated on mission, vision, values, and strategy to create commitment; developed the team individually and collectively through coaching, modeling, and learning; ensured productive action driven by results; increased self-reflection to be individually accountable to the team and the organization; and required executive teams to participate in professional associations.
Conclusions: It was concluded that superintendents build innovative executive teams by providing opportunities to diversify thinking; build a culture of trust with executive teams by modeling the use of interactive communication; convert conversations into action by requiring executive teams to use factual criteria to evaluate plans; increase shared leadership and decision-making by growing individual expertise in executive team members; increase productivity by developing thinking and managerial skills in executive teams; and advance internal and external accountability by building habits of self-reflection.
Recommendations: Additional research is recommended to include a replicative study with superintendents who have not worked with Kirtman previously, a study on superintendents building leadership with school principals using Kirtman’s framework, a study examining the most beneficial competencies of Kirtman’s framework, a comparative study of superintendents using Kirtman’s framework at different stages of career arc, and a replicative study comparing the similarities and differences of outcomes based upon superintendent gender
How Elementary Principals Use the Six Sources of Influence to Achieve Extraordinary Results
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and explore how elementary principals of organizations who have achieved extraordinary results influence employees through personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability.
Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and explored 12 Southern California public elementary school principals and how they used the 6 sources of influence with their stakeholders to achieve extraordinary results. An interview protocol aligned with the study’s theoretical framework was developed with a thematic team. The respondents were purposefully chosen from principals who have led their schools to attain National Blue Ribbon School status. The researcher collected qualitative data, transcribed the data, coded and created themes from the data.
Findings: Exemplary elementary school principals use the following influence strategies to produce extraordinary results: create positive and meaningful connections; create a positive culture; provide formal and informal feedback; empower their employees; use a variety of modalities to influence their employees towards the vision and mission of the school; and create a safe and visually appealing environment in which employees can feel free to immerse themselves to be engaged and productive.
Conclusions: This study concluded that elementary principals who wish to influence their employees to achieve extraordinary results must create a positive culture and meaningful connections with their employees through involvement in the decision making process, genuinely caring for their employees, sharing personal experiences, and providing opportunities for engagement and planning lessons. They also provided formal and informal feedback and empowered their employees by talking about school goals, doing walk-throughs, practicing learned new skills from trainings, and recognizing the strengths of their employees. Finally, elementary principals achieved extraordinary results by modeling expectations and including community members and employees in deciding school colors and appearance.
Recommendations: Further research is recommended on influence strategies for leaders in different positions, in and outside of education, to achieve extraordinary results. Additionally, it is recommended to conduct a quantitative study to identify and rate strategies other leaders use to achieve extraordinary results
The Challenges of Lesbian Senior Leaders in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of lesbian senior leaders and the types of challenges they experience while serving in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies lesbian senior leaders employ to overcome perceived challenges while serving in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense.
Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of seven lesbian senior leaders serving in the Army who were retired from service within the past five years. Convenience and snowball sampling were utilized to identify women who met the delimiting criteria for participant in the study. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews using a scripted interview guide. The interviews were transcribed and reviewed for emergent themes to ensure that the data collected were in alignment with answering the research questions.
Findings: The findings were identified through 11 themes and 178 frequencies among the lived experiences of Lesbian senior leaders in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense. Ten key findings and two unexpected finding were identified based on the frequency of references by study participants.
Conclusions: The ten key findings were summarized into conclusions which included; multiple variations of discrimination through sexual orientation and gender discrimination, living in fear, sexual identity, being “found out”, equality after DADT, pressure to compete with males, lack of support with military and families, looking out for each other, networking and mentorship and covert and over discrimination. Additional conclusions included; discrimination in the Chaplin Corp and lack of demographics for LGBT Soldiers.
Recommendations: Future research should include a study focused on lesbian women in all branches of service, include gay males and transgender soldiers, and utilizing entire female population in all branches of service
The Five Positive Stress-Inducing Categories Used by Higher Education Department Chairs to Lead Organizational Change
No full textPurpose. The purpose of this adaptation sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to determine the degree of importance that higher education department chairs ascribe to DeVore’s (1994) five stress-inducing behaviors of authoritative command, evaluation, norm discrepancy, sanction, and targeting when initiating change in the behaviors of individuals and/or groups. A second purpose was to explore and describe stress-inducing behaviors used by higher education department chairs to facilitate organizational change.
Methodology. This mixed-method research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the research questions regarding DeVore’s (1994) five stress-inducing behaviors. The study combined two methods, questionnaire and interviews, in a sequential manner. First, the quantitative component (questionnaire) was administered via a 25-question online questionnaire. The results of the quantitative questionnaire guided the qualitative component (interviews) by prioritizing data and themes. The population for the study included 15 higher education department chairpersons who met the criteria to participate in the study from DLIFLC schools.
Findings. Examination of quantitative and qualitative data from the department chairs indicated they used all of the stress-inducing strategies. The strategies of evaluation, targeting, authoritative command, and norm discrepancy was most likely to be used while the strategy of sanction was least likely to be used in all scenarios. In addition, there was a difference between the scenarios with individual or group change and site-based or mandated change.
Conclusions. The study data support the conclusion that higher education department chairs use the stress-inducing strategies of authoritative command, evaluation, norm discrepancy, sanction, and targeting as a positive tool to create change.
Recommendations for Action. Further research is advised to better describe the
demographic information of the department chairs in the study. Also, it is recommended that the study be replicated with a comparison of a different population which represents all segments of private and public educational institutions, and postsecondary levels. Finally, a similar study should be conducted using the framework established in this and DeVore’s study to determine if there are any other stress-inducing strategies being used by leaders to facilitate change
A Study on How Retired U.S. Army First Sergeants Led Their Troops Throughout Turbulent Times in Afghanistan During Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Freedom Sentinel
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover and describe behaviors that retired U.S. Army First Sergeants (1SG) applied to lead their troops through turbulent times using the leadership attributes of moral purpose, concern for the collective interest, resilience, and personal temperament during combat operations.
Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to capture data from 10 retired U.S. Army 1SGs in the South Puget Sound area in Washington State who led their companies in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Freedom Sentinel (OFS). Data were collected from 10 interviews and 71 artifacts of Disabled Americans Veterans (DAV) or Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) members. Participants were interviewed through an online video platform.
Findings: This study revealed 21 themes that retired U.S. Army 1SGs utilized to lead effectively through the turbulent time of OEF or OFS in Afghanistan using the attributes of moral purpose, concern for the collective interest, resilience, and personal temperament.
Conclusions: The study supported to lead effectively through a turbulent time of combat operations is placing mission accomplishment to succeed at all costs as critical to leading soldiers. Equally important, 1SGs’ character is unparalleled in demonstrating who they are, and living by the highest military standards within themselves is critical to lead their soldiers. A 1SG’s ultimate responsibility is to take care of their soldiers from training to discipline, and that mindset is not compromised through their passion and energy they exhibit daily.
Recommendations: Further research is recommended to replicate this study of leadership attributes and behaviors of other Department of Defense branches of service that have a position like the U.S. Army 1SG who is the pillar of leadership and is the conductor of training, discipline, and military experiences in combat operations when leading soldiers, airmen, Marines, and sailors. In addition, this study should be duplicated during the active duty tenure of a 1SG in combat operations at the time of the appointed position. Finally, the Army educational system should incorporate mindfulness training for 1SGs to ensure the mental capacity for a mission’s success, primarily if that mission is difficult or dangerous
Communication Technology Within Community Colleges
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and describe the communication technologies that community college students perceive are effective ways to receive information from their college. A secondary purpose was to explore and describe communication technology channels students perceive would be effective ways to receive information from their college that are not being used.
Methodology: This mixed methods research design used quantitative and qualitative data to inform the research questions in relation to community college students’ perception of communication technology effectiveness. The study was a sequential mixed methods study; the quantitative survey results helped to inform the semistructured questions for the qualitative focus groups. The survey link was sent to students attending the sample colleges. Students had the option to volunteer to participate in a virtual focus group, which followed the survey at both sample colleges. The sample included students who attended one of the study participant colleges and were 18 years of age or older.
Findings: The findings of this study indicate that community college students find communication channels currently in place to be effective overall. Students find email and text messages to be effective communication channels, but microblogs and social networking sites (SNS) are not effective. The research findings did not indicate students’ preference for a communication channel that was not already being used at their colleges.
Conclusions: The study offers insight into community college student perceptions. Specifically, community college students are not dissatisfied with the existing communication channels. Based on the literature and the findings of this study, email is still considered a standard for communication, but social media should be used for social purposes only.
Recommendations for Action: Colleges should not leave email behind any time soon, nor should they look for new communication technologies to solve communication challenges. Colleges need to create communication plans and should use social media wisely
Exploring Factors Influencing the Transition of Adult Students From Noncredit to Credit Community College Courses
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the factors that former Adult Basic Education (ABE) students perceived were important in their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework offered at 2 community colleges in San Bernardino County and Riverside County, California, using Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory and 4S system elements. A second purpose of this study was to determine which factors facilitated or hindered their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework.
Methodology: This qualitative research study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the transition experience of former ABE students. Semistructured interviews were used to discover the perceptions of former ABE students who successfully transitioned from noncredit to credit coursework.
Findings: Eight findings resulted from the analysis, including 5 elements that were important to ABE students’ successful transition in the areas of faculty, family, and financial support and the students’ desire for personal growth and fulfillment including advancement in their careers. Three findings were related to overcoming language and work barriers and learning coping strategies. An unexpected finding emerged related to the need to develop self-confidence.
Conclusion: Seven conclusions were presented related to the navigation of complicated institutional systems, the importance of support services, the importance of faculty and counselor support, student’s inexperience in dealing with unexpected challenges, the need to better support limited English learners, the vital importance of financial aid, and the applicability of Schlossberg’s (1984) theory to understanding the ABE students’ transition experiences.
Recommendations: Recommendations included increasing the collaboration among community colleges and adult education programs, developing a model ABE transition training program for staff, developing local policies to assist ABE student transitions, collecting and analyzing transition data to support ABE student transition programs, providing dedicated local funding for ABE transition, and including support for ABE student transition within the Cal Grant awards program
Leadership Engagement for Military Hospitals: A Case Study of the Effects of Executive Leader Engagement in Military Hospitals That Have Become High Reliability Organizations
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and explain the leadership strategies that military hospital executive leaders used to engage hospital staff in implementing the six principles of High Reliability Organizations (HROs).
Methodology: A qualitative case study approach was selected for this study. Interviews were conducted with three executive leaders describing their experiences with initiating and managing the change development of HRO. The participants in this study were executive leaders of military hospitals across the Puget Sound Military Health System. All participants had direct experience with the implementation of HRO. Interview transcripts were analyzed and reviewed for themes and trends.
Findings: Examination of the study data from military hospital executive leaders participating in this study indicated that executive leaders used similar strategies to implement the six HRO principles. Strategies that promoted the HRO principles of preoccupation with failure, commitment to resiliency, sensitivity to operations, deference to expertise, reluctance to accept simple explanations for problems, and creating a strong safety culture were identified as being helpful and engaging of staff with the implementation of HRO.
Conclusions: There were four conclusions drawn from this study based on the data. The results of this study support the conclusion that reveals executive leaders used strategies that helped them engage staff in implementing all six HRO principles, and finding the right strategies for leaders to use is certainly dependent on resources available.
Recommendations: Further research recommendations include (a) exploring how first line leaders implement and maintain an HRO within military hospitals, (b) exploring how executive leaders implement and maintain an HRO within a similar military healthcare system of hospitals, (c) exploring a comparison study between military hospitals and civilian hospitals, (d) examining the lived experiences and perceptions of leaders who have worked in both hospitals that have implemented HROs and hospitals that have not, (e) replicating this study focusing on only one of the military hospitals in the Puget Sound Military Health System, (f) examining the lived experiences and perceptions of leaders who have worked in both hospitals that have implemented HROs and other industries that have implemented HROs
Los Graduados; Factors affecting first-generation Hispanic males attainment of a terminal degree
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and explore factors that led to the attainment of a terminal degree as perceived by first generation Hispanic males in Southern California. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine, of the factors identified, which were perceived to have the greatest impact on attainment of a terminal degree by first generation Hispanic males in Southern California.
Methodology: This phenomenological study collected data via semi-structured interviews and review of artifacts. The study sample involved 13 First-Generation Hispanic Males in Southern California who have attained a terminal degree. Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory served as the theoretical framework of the study and guided the data collection and analysis. Participant interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, reviewed, and coded.
Findings: Three major themes emerged from the data to include (a) Verbal Persuasion, (B) Stress and stress management, and (c) career growth, all of which had a major impact on the participants attainment of their terminal degree.
Conclusions: The data and findings from this study concluded that: (a) Hispanic males established the need to attain a terminal degree for career advancement, (b) Hispanic males saw the terminal degree as a path to open senior leadership roles, (c) the relationship mentors and faculty had with Hispanic males guided to a positive academic outcome, (d) Hispanic males saw attaining the terminal degree as vessel to be able to give back and mentor the generation of Hispanic scholars, and lastly, (e) Hispanic males made connections with other peers which helped build their self-efficacy as they saw their peers succeed.
Recommendations: Further research is recommended to include expanding the study throughout all of California and the United States; replication of this study using a quantitative method; analyzing the return in investment of Hispanic males’ terminal degree attainment over a five-to-seven-year span; and investigating the struggle faced by LGTBQ+ Hispanic males in attaining their terminal degrees