Congratulations to the Class of 2005!

Join us in congratulating the following ILA members who completed their degree programs this spring. When available, thesis and dissertation abstracts are reprinted below. Learn more about the leading-edge work done by these graduating members!

Ismail Ahmed, Masters in Leadership Studies (M.A.) from the University of Southern Maine, Lewiston Auburn College; “Leadership & Social Capital Among the Somali Immigrants in Lewiston, Maine.”

Amy H. Amy, Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from
Regent University, School of Leadership Studies;

“Leaders as Facilitators of Organizational Learning.”

In a two-phase, sequential mixed methods case study, the first phase employed the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ©) Short Form (Watkins & Marsick, 1997) to determine whether the Fortune 500 telecommunications company being considered for the study was perceived as a learning organization by its employees. Deemed worthy of further study by the survey results, the second, primary phase of the research applied a case study methodology to conduct semistructured interviews with six leaders and three direct reports per leader. Using the critical incident approach to structure each interview yielded four learning leadership incidents per interview: individual-effective, individual-ineffective, organizational-effective, and organizational-ineffective. Following narrative descriptions of the 92 critical incidents, the analysis proceeded with a cross-case content analysis that yielded six general categories: triggers, beliefs, behaviors, outcomes, obstacles, and followers. Finally, cross-case coding was compared to both the existing literature and Ellinger’s research as the basis for implications and recommendations for future research. A grounded theory perspective prompted the development of a preliminary model of the learning process depicted by TeleCorp participants. While the findings revealed a multifaceted portrait of learning leaders, support for facilitative leadership emerged in an emphasis on leaders as emotionally intelligent communicators.

Evan Baum, M.A. in Education Policy & Leadership, Specialization in Higher Education Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park; “Looking into the Abyss: Exploring the Impact of U.S. News & World Report Rankings on the Organizational Behavior and Decision-Making of Individual Colleges and Universities.”

Janet Irene Brakebill, Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Seattle University;

“Alternative Leadership Strategies Based on Earth-centered Principles-- A Delphi Study.”

The purpose of this study was to explore alternative leadership strategies based on Earth-centered principles. Earth-centered principles are described as the natural principles in the evolution of our Universe and Earth. These are the foundational principles engaged by Nature in the evolution and creation of Earth.

Study findings indicate that Earth-centered principles are important to today’s leaders. From the findings, three conclusions emerge. A first conclusion is that today’s leaders do relate positively to Earth-centered principles. Ninety-six percent respondents rated Earth-centered principles as “important” or “essential to leadership.”

A second conclusion is that Earth-centered principles do have application potential into the organizational setting. Ninety-two percent of respondents see the application of Earth-centered principles into organizations as “often” or “always” necessary.

A third conclusion is that Earth-centered leadership, as embodying the values that emerged from this dissertation and as practicing the leadership strategies and practices that emerged from the study participants does offer a model, an alternative way of leading in the 21st century. Earth-centered leadership is “ecozoic” leadership offering values, strategies, and practices for life to be sustained in our home—Mother Earth.

Howard C. Fero, Doctor of Philosophy from Claremont Graduate University;

“Flow and Cynicism in the Workplace.”

The current research investigated the antecedent conditions, correlates, and negative consequences of high levels of cynicism in organizations. The intrinsically motivating state of flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975, 1990, 2003) was investigated as having a relationship with cynicism and also as moderating the relationship between levels of organizational cynicism and trust.   Respondents (n=252) were selected from three organizations which were included in a larger longitudinal study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago (Becker, Kenmore, Bateman & Lerner, 1997). 

Longitudinal and cross sectional analyses investigated the relationships between the state of flow and organizational cynicism, work related trust, and faith in managerial intentions.  Demographic indicators and respondent’s level of perceived challenge and skill towards tasks at work characterized by the intrinsically motivating state of flow were identified and shown to contribute to respondent’s level of organizational cynicism.

The channels of the flow condition were found to be significantly different when investigated in relation to the tasks respondent’s reported as being most enjoyable and least enjoyable at work. Consistent with Csikszentmihalyi (1990, 1997), when responding to the task they enjoyed most at work, respondents reported higher levels of skill, challenge, and a higher balance between the two more so than when responding to the task they enjoyed least at work.   

Managerial implications of the relationships between organizational cynicism and work related trust are discussed as is the need for future research investigating these concepts. Further recommendations are made suggesting an increase in job based training and educational counseling to increase skill level for entering and seasoned workers. 

Lucy Garrick, Masters Whole Systems Design in Organization Systems Renewal and Leadership from Antioch University, Seattle; “It is Possible to Create the Conditions that Allow Leadership to Emerge at All Levels of an Organization?.”

James K. Hazy, Ed.D. Human Resource Development from the George Washington University;

“A Leadership and Capabilities Framework for Organizational Change: Simulating the Emergence of Leadership as an Organizational Meta-Capability.”

The intent of this research was to explore explicitly how a leadership meta-capability might operate in a social system and how it might impact both performance and adaptation under various environmental conditions. To take a first step, this study considered the question of whether a computer simulation of organizational leadership and its impacts could be developed using system dynamics techniques (Forrester, 1987; Sterman, 2000).  The question was answered affirmatively. In a computational setting, it was shown that definable and differentiable leadership activity patterns—transactional on the one hand and transformational on the other—arise endogenously depending upon the environment. The nature of these patterns has an impact on decisions taken in an organization, in particular with regard to choices involving exploitation and exploration. Through the leadership activity and the capabilities that result, performance, adaptation and ultimately survival are determined.

The leadership and capabilities model (LCM) was validated by comparing its outputs with data from published case studies.  To demonstrate the possible usefulness of this approach, hypotheses about leadership in this framework were tested, and the hypothesized relationships were supported with computational evidence from four virtual experiments.

Eric K. Kaufman, Masters of Science in Agricultural Leadership from the University of Florida;

“Local Farm Bureau Leadership Needs Assessment: A Qualitative Study.”

The purpose of the qualitative study was to determine the leadership expectations, needs, and interests of local Florida Farm Bureau board members. Nine county boards were included in the study, with the chairperson and one other member being interviewed from each board. The focus of the interviews was identification of common leadership-related challenges and perceived development needs of the local Farm Bureau board.  Four significant theme areas emerged: organizational appreciation, grassroots involvement, board member training, and board member succession. Within these areas, twelve consistent sub-themes surfaced and are discussed in the paper. Based on these results, the researchers recommended that Florida Farm Bureau: (1) maintain quality field staff as liaisons between the local and state levels; (2) encourage and support district-level leadership programs; (3) develop and facilitate “short courses” on Farm Bureau board governance; (4) design and coordinate new board member orientation programs; (5) expand recognition programs for local board involvement; and (6) continue research efforts that guide local leadership development. Specific short courses being developed from the findings of this study include: Farm Bureau Foundations, Organization Management (including fiscal responsibility), Effective Meetings, Recruitment & Succession, and Advocacy Involvement & Leadership (including media relations). Other groups that desire improved local board leadership should consider research efforts similar to this study and the related research with Florida Farm Bureau.

Franklin T. Kudo, Executive Doctor of Management from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio;

“Adolescent leadership development: The role of authoritative parenting and the mediating effect of psychological autonomy and mastery orientation.”

This is an empirical research study exploring how adolescent youth can develop into transformational leaders. It investigates the question whether adolescent children through proper parenting practices develop specific leadership capabilities.  It is argued that certain parent-child interactions promote adolescent psychological autonomy and mastery-orientation, and that these interactions lead to the development of leadership qualities similar to those found in the literature of the adult transformational leader.

Through the use of specific measurement survey instruments, data from adolescent boys and a few girls was collected and analyzed. The results obtained help explain the possible interactions between parenting and leadership development in adolescents. We discovered that a positive relationship exists between authoritative parenting practices, psychological autonomy, mastery-orientation, and the development of specific behavioral and cognitive aspects of transformational leadership.  Research needs to be continued in this area, examining other potential factors that may influence adolescents to become leaders. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the development of effective adolescent leadership development programs, positive parenting practices, and advances the knowledge in the area of leadership studies, and applied and developmental psychology as it applies to children and adolescents. 

Kate Mulqueen, Ph.D. in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technology from the University of New Mexico;

“Learning from Failure: A Descriptive Analysis of Leader Behavior.”

Due to the increased cost of employee turnover, learning from failure becomes important as organizations seek to differentiate themselves in the economic marketplace. Leadership practitioners should be versed in the skills and behaviors necessary to address the development of learning from failure. Yet current literature does not clearly show the actual behaviors that leaders use to learn from failure in their organizational settings; nor how leaders transmit those skills to others in the organization. 

This study provides in-depth research into the behaviors of leaders through an examination of vignettes which detail the behaviors leaders use to learn from their own failures, behaviors they use to teach others to learn from failure and the organizational effects of that learning. The conceptual framework for this study is based on various levels of qualitative analysis using a phenomenological success case study approach. 

Nine findings frame the results of the research. First, leaders learn from their own failures through the behaviors of reflection, internal locus of control, continual learning and using failure as opportunity.  Leaders teach others to learn from failure by acting with an internal locus of control, modeling behavior and institutionalizing learning practices. Positive organizational effects resulting from this learning include: increased profit and productivity, enhanced communication and improved organizational climate.  Negative effects include: decreased profit, productivity, and communication, hindered organizational climate and in one case, death.

The recommendations for practical use of this research are in the areas of leadership development, employee training, adult and child education, coaching and consulting.

Dan Ouellette, M.A. in Organizational Management from the George Washington University.

Penny J. Rempfer, Doctorate in Education, Educational Leadership from Seattle University;

“A Phenomenological Study of Trainers in the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process Workshop.”

This phenomenological dissertation sought to discover and examine the psychological meanings of teachers, counselors and administrators who participated in the Dependable Strengths Training Workshop (DSTW). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of eight participants as they engaged in the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process (DSAP). The study also explored the experiences of the participants as they learned how to teach the DSAP to others. Dependable Strengths are self-reported strengths based on the perceptions of participants as they evaluate experiences that they feel they do well, are proud of and enjoy doing. A phenomenological research methodology was chosen because of the desire to study the perceptions of participants as they relate to their experiences during the DSTW. Qualitative data were gathered and analyzed from the eight participants’ concrete descriptions gathered in open-ended in-depth interviews, workshop observations, questionnaires administered after the first half of the workshop and at the conclusion of the workshop. Findings of this study indicate that the DSAP is a very effective experiential process for validating and affirming constructions of self-concepts. The sequential process of using Good Experiences as a basis for articulating Dependable Strengths works very well. All eight participants felt validated and affirmed by the articulation process which involved sharing in teams called Quads and also Project-for Excellence. Five participants expressed that they learned something new about themselves and three participants felt they already knew their strengths. All eight participants expressed that they believed everyone should go through this process. The findings of this study add credibility to the existing research on the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process. These findings have positive implications in the areas of career counseling, positive psychology, leadership development and organizational development.

Jill L. Robinson, Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the Claremont Graduate University;

“Individual Learning Styles and Their Relationship to Leadership Styles.”

While leadership is widely studied, there is much to ascertain about how leaders acquire their skills. Specifically, do the fundamentals of how individuals learn predict their leadership behaviors? By utilizing Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and Lipman-Blumen’s Connective Leadership theory, the learning and leadership styles of 3600 college students were analyzed; a large sample size rarely seen in leadership research.  The five experiential learning styles (Diverger, Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator, and Versatile learners) were matched with nine Connective leadership styles encompassing similar characteristics. The relationship between learning and leadership styles was analyzed to determine whether individuals who report learning in a certain way also lead using similar characteristics.

Overall, the study showed that the Direct leadership styles of Intrinsic and Power were engaged in more often regardless of the participants’ learning preferences. As predicted, the Assimilators’ and Convergers’ use of Direct leadership (Intrinsic and Power) over other leadership styles was supported. Assimilators reported lower scores for leadership behavior suggesting they may avoid leadership roles. The more social learning styles, however, of Divergers and Accommodators did not predict more social leadership patterns. Moreover, one group of Versatile learners reported utilizing a wider range of leadership styles, suggesting, for the first time, that flexibility in learning may transfer to flexibility in leadership behavior and a greater propensity for Connective Leadership. Gender was also found to be a moderating variable for the Intrinsic, Competitive, Social, Entrusting, Collaborative, and Vicarious leadership styles. 

Bonnie J. Straight, Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University School for Leadership Studies;

“A Case Study of the Development of Organizational Trust in a Multicultural University.”

This case study focused on how factors such as organizational context, cultural differences, and leadership approaches influence the process of developing trust between a multicultural organization and its various communities of stakeholders. Zucker's (1986) model of trust production (characteristic-based, process-based, and institutional-based) provided the framework for studying the organization's trust development. The case situation studied provided a unique opportunity to observe a multicultural organization (Lithuania Christian College (LCC)), the first of its kind in the context (post-soviet Lithuania), over a span of time from the development of its vision and concept through its recognition as a viable, stable organization. The primary culture groups represented in the organization include North Americans (from Canada and the United States) and Lithuanian citizens of Lithuanian and Russian ethnic backgrounds. Little information was found that described the Lithuanian culture in terms of comparable dimensions and less that described Russian immigrants to Lithuania. Data for the study included in-depth interviews, published first-person reflections of participants in the LCC story, archival documents, participant observation, and surveys of LCC members using Hofstede's Values Survey Module (1994). The turbulent environment provided an opportunity to implement a compelling, culturally relevant vision. Lithuanian perceptions of North Americans both impeded and facilitated trust development. Process-based trust between LCC and various stakeholders developed through personal relationships, particularly between LCC leaders and influential individuals in external stakeholder organizations and between faculty/staff and students. Institutional-based trust developed when appropriate institutional structures were present.

Randolph Wilt, Masters of Arts – Strategic Communications & Leadership at Seton Hall University; Future academic plans: University of Texas at Austin Ph.D. program in Communications studies starting fall of 2005.

Stephanie Wyatt, B.S. Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University.

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