Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Organization Development

This grounded theory research explores how individuals nominated by followers and peers as demonstrating exemplary leadership during adversity, specifically the COVID19 pandemic, experienced their leadership as a process. Of particular interest was understanding enabling and inhibiting factors and supports that would be helpful in future adversity contexts. The ability to adapt, grow and thrive in difficult circumstances has been discussed in prior literature including Post Traumatic Growth, Crucible Moments, and Growth Mindset. However, there is a paucity of research that looks at leaders specifically and what combinations of factors are enabling and inhibiting. Additionally, there is a lack of research regarding how leadership manifests as a process. A total of 17 interviews were conducted across industries ranging from hospitals to manufacturing to media to professional services. The narratives from these interviews were analyzed to develop a theoretical framework of exemplary leadership in adversity which shows the importance of three elements coming together to enable this experience in the form of an interdependent and regenerative system. These elements are Pre-adversity Preparedness, Disruptive Change Process and Post Adversity Growth, Learning and Adaption. An emergent model is presented as a Regenerative System of leadership defined by the concept of “Taking Care” of both business concerns and people concerns. The system existed as both restorative and regenerative in that it produced outcomes that exceeded conditions prior to the crisis and was described as transformative. Enabling subthemes of the system included previous experiences of the leader, pre-existing trusting relationships, adaptive human-centric and business-focused leader behaviors, leader-endorsed experimentation, defining moments of service, purpose, and change, leader supports, and personal and organizational growth, learning, and adaptation. These sub-themes demonstrated interdepend (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Deborah O Neil Ph.D (Committee Chair); Jacob Shila Ph.D (Other); David Jamieson Ph.D (Committee Member); Kristina LaVenia Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2020, Leadership and Change

In the United States, we often refer to the social sector as one leg of a three-legged stool. The private and public sectors support the other two legs. The social sector made up of nonprofit, nongovernmental, and charity organizations, contributes to the development of American society by focusing on social good rather than the desire to make profit. For decades, the sector has functioned as the social conscience of our society. However, many iconic, legacy nonprofits have struggled to keep their relevance in today's world: their creation tied to a past societal problem, their mission and brand no longer germane to today's generations. This study examined top-level—Chief Executive Officer (CEO)—leaders of iconic, legacy nonprofit organizations who have worked to implement reform and change through rebranding for renewed relevance. The research looked particularly at these primary areas: (1) What drove the leader to innovate and rebrand their organization and what does it mean to them personally and professionally? (2) What leadership practices did the CEO incorporate to allow the changes and reforms to be successful and why does the CEO believe they worked? The research methodology utilized for this dissertation was qualitative portraiture; portraiture interviews were audio and video recorded for research purposes. This research adds to the body of knowledge about successful leaders of iconic nonprofit organizations and the best practices for achieving renewed relevance through nonprofit rebranding. This research could aid with building an awareness of the successes and challenges of nonprofit leaders and could increase the interest of potential organizational stakeholders in the future. Six supplemental Mp4 video files of participant interviews accompany this dissertation. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/.

Committee: Mitchell Kusy Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jon Wergin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kathy Kretman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American Studies; Business Administration; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Agricultural and Extension Education

Successfully managing and implementing change is a primary challenge all organizations face. Employee readiness for change plays a central role in effective organizational change. Understanding how employee-level variables influence, enable, support and promote organizational change is therefore a prerequisite for developing and implementing successful organizational change initiatives. Based upon Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995) and tenants of Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), this descriptive and correlational study explored relationships among factors that influence employee readiness for change in Ohio State University Extension, an organization experiencing significant, on-going transformation. The sample frame included all OSU Extension employees with a 25% or greater Extension-funded appointment. Variables of interest included quality of the employee-supervisor relationship, basic psychological needs satisfaction, dispositional resistant to change, readiness for change, and selected demographic characteristics. Data were gathered in two steps. First, demographics were obtained from personnel records. Second, perceptions were assessed through a web-based, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included four existing scales: the 7-item Leader-Member Exchange scale (LMX-7; Graen & Scandura, 1987); the 21-item Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction at Work Scale (Deci et al., 2001); the 16-item Resistance to Change Scale (Oreg, 2003); and the 14-item Readiness for Change Scale (Madsen et al., 2005). The overall response rate was 74%. After removing incomplete responses, the final data set included 483 responses, giving a 64% usable response rate. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and hierarchical multiple regression, all performed using SPSS version 21, were the primary data analysis techniques. As a group, the 483 OSU Extension employees (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Scott Scheer (Advisor); Garee Earnest (Committee Member); Keith Smith (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Education (EdD), Wright State University, 2025, Leadership Studies

This study examined how leadership styles (transformational and servant) influence change readiness within U.S. military support organizations, with a focus on whether leader-member exchange, or supervisor-employee relationship, and public service motivation of the employee mediate those leadership effects. By analyzing how these factors interact, this study sought to identify strategies for fostering higher levels of organizational change readiness in complex, bureaucratic settings. Using a quantitative survey design, data were collected from civilian and uniformed members (N = 366) of a military support organization. Validated scales measured transformational and servant leadership behaviors, supervisor-employee quality, public service motivation, and change readiness. Structural equation modeling was employed to assess both direct and indirect effects among these constructs, providing insight into the relationships and the overall model fit. Findings indicate that leadership style exhibits significant direct effects on change readiness. Moreover, the supervisor-employee relationship and public service motivation of the employee function as key mediators in this relationship, suggesting that strong public service values enhance employees' willingness and perceived capability to implement change. The final model accounted for nearly half of the variance in change readiness, highlighting the pivotal role of leadership style in shaping employee attitudes toward new initiatives. The study's results showed that the combined effect of supervisor leadership styles, supervisor-employee relationship, and public service motivation of the employee explained 49% of the variance in the change readiness of the employee. These results underscore the importance of cultivating transformational or servant leadership practices alongside high-quality supervisor-employee relationships and service-focused motivations. Organizations seeking to navigate frequent or large-scale cha (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Yoko Miura Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Grant Hambright Ed.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Cassie Barlow Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Greiner Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Military Studies; Organizational Behavior

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2022, Leadership and Change

Strategic business change in the 21st century has been fraught with issues, resulting in failure for more than half of all attempted efforts to transform companies. Frontline managers (FLMs) are key to successful corporate change, transforming a company's direction into action and results and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique business challenge for every Consumer Products Group (CPG) company and FLM by interrupting supply chains. The aim of this grounded theory study was to create theory by conducting open-ended interviews with 20 frontline managers to determine how they viewed themselves and their roles, teams, and bosses during change. Results demonstrated that the FLMs viewed themselves as protectors of their teams. The FLMs were competent, resilient leaders who loved the work of managing a team to deliver daily results. Unfortunately, many FLMs were required to navigate bosses that ranged from negligent to abusive. Even the FLMs who described having great bosses asked for something more, declaring a need for help. They called for bosses to provide four elements of leadership: Delivering clarity on the role, expectations, and escalation channels, quickly producing requested resources, hosting regular one-on-one meetings to discuss issues and career, and engaging with empathy and support while giving the FLM autonomy to do the role. When the boss delivers on the four requests, the frontline manager will likely have the autonomy, confidence, and partnership to fully engage in their challenging work. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu ) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Mitchell Kusy PhD (Committee Chair); Harriet L. Schwartz PhD (Committee Member); Ronald E. Riggio PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Business Community; Business Education; Management; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2018, Management

Who doesn't want an extraordinary leader working for them? Who doesn't want to work for an extraordinary leader? Chief executives to directors are constantly searching for the next generation of leaders and invest billions into those they perceive as “high potentials” only to lament later in board meetings about the dearth of talent. So, what's going on? This research looked at what senior leaders do to help the development process through the lens of emotional and social intelligence and relational climate. Our journey led to a new concept called the Professional Development Mindset which is focused on chief executives and their overt support and active participation in the development of the leaders in their companies. This research was based on a mixed-method approach combining findings from three studies: an initial qualitative study based on interviews with 32 senior leaders ranging from chief executives to directors from a cross section of industries; a survey-based quantitative study with 211 respondents consisting of chief executives to senior managers from a cross section of industries; and a third quantitative study which was an extension of the second which moved from self-report data to dyadic data gathered from 104 senior leaders ranging from chief executive to directors and one of the senior leader's direct reports. The overall findings suggest that senior leader's professional development mindset and the creation of a shared vision are key antecedents in their attempt to create a cadre of leaders able to help their companies flourish in the 21st century as measured by financial performance, work engagement and leader effectiveness. In particular, both shared vision and relational energy, subsets of relational climate proved to be key components which when coupled with professional development mindset drives improvement in key business outcomes. This new mindset focuses on what senior leaders do to create development opportunities for subord (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Boyatzis Dr. (Committee Chair); Phillip Cola Dr. (Committee Member); Shannon French Dr. (Committee Member); Melvin Smith dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Organizational Behavior

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Agricultural and Extension Education

Ohio State University Extension's administration implemented a restructuring plan in 2009, OSU Extension reorganized, maintaining a county presence in 88 counties, into nine multi-county areas organized with three areas in each of three regions. Within the new organizational model, nine Area Leaders and three Regional Directors were primarily responsible as change agents for ensuring Extension educational program services were provided to all counties despite a reduction in force and diminished public funding. The purpose of this case study was to describe implementation of an area structure in the OSU Extension organization, examining the processes used during restructuring and subsequent outcomes of that process over a period of approximately 20 months. Objectives were to describe, from the viewpoint of Area Leaders and Regional Directors with the organization, (a) how the Extension Education and Research Area (EERA) structure had been implemented within the nine areas outlined in Ohio State University Extension's 2009 restructuring model, (b) what worked or did not work well during the restructuring process, and (c) what was working or not working as a result of the restructuring process. Qualitative research methodology was used to develop a case study to answer research questions. All 12 Area Leaders and Regional Directors were invited and agreed to participate. A semi-structured interview guide was used to focus on answering the research questions. Data were analyzed using a coding system and organized by categories related to each research question. Significant findings from this study describe redefining staff roles in the new structure; creating structures for communication, program planning, and delivery; strategies, goals, and philosophies used in early stages; internal challenges and barriers to implementation, as well as external issues; working in the new structure; benefits to employees and programs; perceived challenges and barriers after 20 mont (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Graham R. Cochran (Committee Co-Chair); Theresa M. Ferrari (Committee Co-Chair); Jeff King (Committee Member) Subjects: Organizational Behavior

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2012, Leadership and Change

Given the rapid changes that 21st century museums must manage, flexible thinking about leadership forms and purposes is needed. Today's complex leadership landscape necessitates that staff engage in enacting leadership with positional leaders. Limited empirical literature exists that describes how the next generation of museum leaders is being nurtured and developed. The purpose of this study was to: describe museum professionals' perceptions of leadership practices; investigate museums as sites of organizational and leadership learning; and consider the experiences of museum professionals who have participated in leader development programs. The study involved an on-line survey with 310 professionals working in U.S. museums and follow-up interviews with a subset of 13 survey participants. Bolman and Deal's (1990) Leadership Orientations Inventory (BDLO) was used to assess museum leadership practices; Marsick and Watkins (1999) 21-item version Dimensions of a Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ-A) was used to assess supports for learning in the museum. Findings based on bivariate correlation and multiple regression analysis show a significant relationship between ratings for leadership effectiveness at the department and organization levels and scores on the BDLO and the DLOQ-A. While leadership effectiveness at both levels tended to be positive, over 60% of middle and non-managers did not perceive their museum's leadership as mastering any of the BDLO Leadership Orientations Inventory frames. Statistically significant differences in the perception of museums as learning organizations were found with decreasing support from senior managers to middle managers to non-managers. With regard to learning leadership, findings indicate that the DLOQ-A Strategic Leadership for Learning dimension, Organization Support, and Peer Support are important for facilitating continued learning and application of new knowledge and skills derived from leader development programs. (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carol Baron PhD (Committee Chair); Cynthia McCauley PhD (Committee Member); Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Member); Claudine K. Brown JD (Committee Member); Michelle C. Bligh PhD (Other) Subjects: Adult Education; Arts Management; Management; Museum Studies; Museums

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2011, Leadership and Change

The focus of this dissertation was on the changes in long-term external business coaching relationships (defined as more than 4 months). The current study intended to answer two questions: (a) how does the relationship between a coach and a coachee change in long-term coaching engagements? and (b) how do these changes impact the coaching process dynamics and results? The phenomenon that was discovered through this research is called the shift moment. It exemplifies the transition from skill or problem oriented issues, which often represent the original cause of the coaching relationship, to the holistic transformation of the coachee. A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach and semi-structured interviews of 8 participants was conducted. Multiple rounds of interviews were performed to allow increasing depth. The interview plan was developed based on a previous pilot study. The semi-structured interviews lasted 55 to 75 minutes, were conducted via phone or digital meeting software, and were recorded and transcribed. Detailed findings centered around 4 themes: trust and depth; shifting dynamics; the new, post shift moment coachee; and the impact for leadership and coaching. First, a significant level of in-depth trust between the coach and the coachee was fundamental to a successful long-term coaching relationship. Second, the indications in shifts from short-term to long-term relationships were diverse and, to be able to recognize them, the coach needed to be very sensitive and experienced. Third, while the coachee was initially interested in business-related issues, over the long-term coaching relationship, the shift moment opened the focus to the whole person. The various behaviors that identified the coachees in relationships with employees, bosses, and the organization as a whole, involved the way they expressed themselves when they encountered others, and often evolved into new behaviors. Fourth, the shift moment experience and resulting long-term co (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mitchell Kusy PhD (Committee Chair); Carolyn Kenny PhD (Committee Member); Louellen Essex PhD (Committee Member); Cynthia Roman PhD (Other) Subjects: Adult Education; Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Business Administration; Business Community; Communication; Economics; Entrepreneurship; Instructional Design; Management; Personal Relationships; Personality; Social Research; Vocational Education

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2010, Leadership and Change

The researcher developed the concept of an edge leader—that is, one who can mindfully turn around a troubled business to sustain it for the future. In an increasingly turbulent and competitive climate, more edge leaders must be developed to sustain their organizations for the benefit of shareholders, employees, communities, and society. The researcher's review of the classic and contemporary leadership and change literatures suggested that four elements are necessary to develop leaders capable of leading even basic beneficial change. They include: having broad, successful experience; being emotionally and socially aware; having the ability to think differently about priorities and paradoxes when progressing through organizational levels; and having the competencies to fill a role. However, the researcher asserted that those elements, while necessary, are not sufficient to develop edge leaders. Specifically, two additional elements are required to fill the gap between basic change leader development and turnaround leader development: instilling a zest for continuous learning and developing the ability to mindfully apply a balance of transactional and transformational leadership practices. The researcher's review of the classic, contemporary, and empirical leadership literature, along with several preparatory studies, suggested that the edge leadership concept merited further study. The dissertation research further substantiated the concept in three ways within a turnaround case study. The researcher used additional analysis of the literature along with Q methodology, a constructivist approach combining qualitative interview data gathering, researcher interpretation to define the range of participants' perspectives, and quantitative factor analysis to develop conclusions. Based on interview data from a company leader and eight cross-functional senior staff members, the researcher first found that the leader's development profile compared well to the six conceptual el (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mitchell Kusy PhD (Committee Chair); Jon Wergin PhD (Committee Member); Cynthia McCauley PhD (Committee Member); Kerry Bunker PhD (Other) Subjects: Adult Education; Business Community; Business Education; Continuing Education; Educational Theory; Higher Education; Management; Occupational Psychology; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Social Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2007, Leadership and Change

Storytelling is one of humanity's oldest art forms and an enduring educational method. Stories can spark social change. Although storytelling is tacitly recognized in diverse social science domains as a communication medium used to powerfully transmit leadership vision and ideas, little empirical research has been reported about how a teller constructs and tells a story. Through qualitative, arts-based methods, this heuristic study examines and describes the lived experience of a storyteller composing and performing a tale on issues of peace, justice, and social change. It reflects on the teller as leader and identifies a palette of arts-based skills for change leaders. As a professional storyteller, I phenomenologically explored the essence, or nature, of a storyteller's creative process by creating a storytelling work. The storytelling work I composed as a research vehicle is based on a travel diary written during a time of war in Israel in July, 2006. Utilizing art making as an inquiry method, I mindfully became an embodied research environment during this study. I gathered emic, or insider, information about the imaginal world of a storyteller. Through a literary, autoethnographic writing process, I observed, described, interpreted, and named the steps in my creative process as I designed, rehearsed, and performed an original storytelling work. The work interweaves personal memoir, history, folklore, and current events. Commonalities between the storyteller (composing and performing a complex tale) and a change leader (designing and communicating a change vision) emerged. Storytelling communication skills and creative thinking ability are core competencies in artfully leading change. Arts-based training in storytelling could provide change leaders with experiential knowledge about innovative thinking and an appreciation for the power of story and metaphor to convey ideas. Storytelling can be an illuminating art medium through which to inspire peace, justice, and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carolyn Kenny (Advisor) Subjects: