Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2023, Organizational Behavior

“What is the process by which individuals transcend their lifeworld to create transformative change in their field?” This dissertation proposes a dynamic model outlining the phenomenological pathways that enabled nineteen individuals to transcend their lifeworld, step away from the status quo, and socially construct a new paradigm within their field. To isolate the phenomenon, I explore in detail the distinctions between excellence – doing what everyone else does, but doing it better, and extraordinary (my phenomenon of interest) – deviating from the norm and creating new paradigms which change the way we view the world or what we think is possible. In doing so, I contribute a new level of conceptual precision about excellence and the extraordinary to bring to Positive Organizational Scholarship, and research on positive deviance. I applied a descriptive phenomenological lens to a grounded theory approach, with an additional iterative layer of thematic narrative analysis. My participants' stories revealed a dynamic model, beginning with a generative ground of outsider independence, alienation and/or a prospective mindset, usually passing through some kind of dissonance, whether intellectual, emotional or existential, which triggered them to enter discovery mode – openness to discovery, releasing assumptions, transformational learning, and seeing new possibilities, at which point they were compelled to find a new way. They got on with it, pathfinding, slogging it out, resisting naysayers, and attracted others, sharing the exploration, and co-creating to establish a new paradigm in their field. This model contributes to our understanding of the outer edge of radical innovation: paradigm creation. The turn into the 21st century has seen an upsurge of scholarship of the positive and the good. The field of organizational scholarship is ripe for the next surge – In Search of Extraordinary. This dissertation aims to operationalize what a new Science of the Extraordin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Cooperrider (Committee Chair); Melvin Smith (Committee Member); John Paul Stephens (Committee Member); Youngjin Yoo (Committee Member) Subjects: Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2019, Sociology

On any given day there are approximately 31 million youth under the supervision of the U.S. court system (Hockenberry and Puzzanchera 2018). In 2015 alone there were nearly 900,000 juvenile delinquency cases brought before the court. Currently, there are approximately 70 million juveniles in the United States, with this number expecting to continually rise based on projections into 2060. These numbers demonstrate the necessity of research to determine which factors and circumstances contribute to juvenile delinquency. This research aims to predict juvenile delinquency by extending the understandings of Hirschi's (1969) social control theory. There is an extensive amount of research on social control theory which indicates the importance of social bonds with regards to deviance. However, despite the abundance of previous studies, there remain substantial gaps among the literature. First, previous literature has significantly relied upon cross-sectional data– measuring specific bonds and/or specific forms of deviance at one point in time. Second, the majority of research focuses only on one or two of Hirschi's (1969) social controls. Utilizing Hirschi's (1969) social control theory, this research will do three things. First, it will predict juvenile delinquency in adolescence by measuring all four types of social bonds (i.e. attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief). Second, it will examine the impacts of social controls on deviance in young adulthood. Third, it will assess whether early bonds have a lasting effect beyond adolescence into young adulthood. Results indicate that early social bonds are significant in adolescence and in young adulthood. Moreover, findings show that bonds formed in adolescence have, at least, marginal lasting effects on deviance into young adulthood. This research demonstrates the importance and longevity of early social bonds in the crucial transition from adolescence to young adulthood. These findings could be essential to (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stacey Nofziger (Committee Chair); Kathryn Feltey (Committee Member); Robert Peralta (Committee Member); Shannon Zentall (Committee Member); John Zipp (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Engineering Education

Formal incorporation of engineering education into K-12 education has been a new focus in the last decade to answer national calls for increased diversity and talent within the discipline. Although national level efforts to integrate engineering standards into K-12 curricula are an important step toward early exposure to engineering and an increase in student interest, teachers are becoming engineering teachers without formal engineering education training, especially at the elementary level. This manuscript-style dissertation seeks to provide insights into engineering teacher professional identity development through the study of positive deviant, or superstar, K-5 engineering teachers' engineering teaching journey. Participants for this dissertation were recruited through a national survey that asked K-5 engineering teachers to self-identify as superstars. From that survey, nine participants completed narrative-style, one-on-one interviews. One participant's data was used to perform a qualitative analysis methods comparison of the Listening Guide and Critical Incident Technique (CIT). This comparison showcased what each analysis method afforded with respect to teacher identity development, specifically that both methods can be used to answer research questions regarding identity development. These results informed the research design of the larger study of engineering teacher professional identity development in superstars. The larger study of engineering teacher professional identity leveraged the experiences of superstar K-5 engineering educators and the Listening Guide analysis method. Data analysis indicated that each superstar had unique experiences and dispositions that were integral to their individual engineering teacher professional identity development. While superstars had unique narratives around their engineering teaching journey, themes across the narratives were also found related to the effect of personal experiences, professional contexts, and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rachel Kajfez (Advisor); Theodore Chao (Committee Member); Emily Dringenberg (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Sociology

A lack of consensus about how cannabis policies may influence demographic changes and social problems has had life-altering consequences for the U.S. populous as cannabis-related offenses continue to result in punitive sanctions for many. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore cannabis policy changes over a 15-year period, spanning 2006 to 2020, alongside a variety of measures capturing population change, social-structural disadvantage, and arrest rates for a national sample of U.S. counties. The data used include the American Community Survey, National Incident Based Reporting System, U.S. Census, and a primary collection of state- and county-level efforts to legalize and/or decriminalize cannabis over time. Overall, I find that the influence of cannabis legalization on arrest rates seems to vary depending on the level of legalization and the type of arrest—with significant conditioning effects contingent on the proportion of Black residents in a county. I also find that sanctions associated with first-time possession offenses exert an independent—and often interrelated—effect on arrest rates over time. This dissertation offers keen insight for the continued development of what Wheeldon and Heidt (2023) refer to as “cannabis criminology,” while offering a critical, policy-focused perspective on drug reform policy.

Committee: Danielle Kuhl Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kristen Rudisill Ph.D. (Other); Eric Cooke Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stephen Demuth Ph.D. (Committee Member); Monica Longmore Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Public Policy; Sociology

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Organization Development

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) professionals often serve as change agents tasked with leading university-wide EDI efforts. Charged with advancing EDI initiatives as part of the University mission, the Vice President of Equity Diversity and Inclusion (VPEDI) must navigate campus organizational and cultural barriers in order to effect change. In this study, 116 VPEDIs and campus community members working in EDI roles responded to a survey designed to investigate if EDI professionals believe they use constructive deviant behavior while engaged in University EDI roles. Constructive Deviance is defined as voluntary risk-taking behaviors that violate perceived organization or group norms with the intent of improving the well-being of the organization, its members, or both. The survey utilized the Constructive Deviance Behavioral Scale (CDBS), the Affective Commitment Scale (AC), and the Job Security Satisfaction (JSS) scale to test for an emotional component to constructive deviance use and measure affective reactions to perceptions of job security. Demographic variables of race or ethnicity and gender identity were tested for differences in perceptions of constructive deviance use. Data analysis found no significant difference in constructive deviance for racial or gender identity groups. Additionally, the results indicated no significant relationship between constructive deviance and affective commitment or constructive deviance and job security satisfaction. A negative relationship was found between affective commitment and interpersonal constructive deviance. Two open-ended responses allowed participants to share their views regarding the risks and benefits of constructive deviance and its use for change.

Committee: Michelle Brodke Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Angela Nelson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Carol Gorelick Ed.D. (Committee Member); Theodore Bach Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Higher Education Administration; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Sociology

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, raves were engulfed in a moral panic about ecstasy use. As a result, they were the subject of some of the harshest criminal legislation in U.S. history and were fully stigmatized as a drug subculture. Since then, however, literature — like the broader moral panic — about raves has decreased significantly. And yet, in the last 10 years, electronic dance music (EDM), raves primary cultural product (Anderson 2009a), has become incredibly popular. Raves and EDM events have garnered hundreds of thousands of attendees and billions of dollars. EDM DJs, once marginalized, are now part of mainstream popular culture. Using both original and secondary datasets that draw on different populations, I explore six research questions: 1) Do ravers still experience stigma?, 2) what predicts experiencing rave-related stigma?, 3) are raves considered normal among the public?, 4) does rave-related stigma still exist?, 5) what is associated with perceptions of raves as normalized and destigmatized?, and 6) how have the predictors of rave attendance changed year to year from 2005-2019? Overall, this project finds evidence that rave-related stigma has decreased over the years, though it still exists to an extent. Further, experiencing rave-related stigma and having destigmatized and normalized perceptions of ravers varies by certain characteristics. For instance, ravers who mostly go to non-mainstream events have higher odds of experiencing rave-related stigma. Respondents in the public sample have more stigmatized views of ravers if they have confidence in the press and if they report more agreement with stigmatizing statements about the LGBTQIA+ community. Respondents report stronger agreement with statements describing raves/ravers as normal if they also report stronger disagreement with stigmatizing statements about the LGBTQIA+ community, if they more strongly agree with statements describing club drugs as acceptable, and if they have ever gone to (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Boman IV, Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Danielle Kuhl Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeffrey Miner Ph.D. (Committee Member); Bryan Miller Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stephen Demuth Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Sociology

A recent report released by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication found that only 61% of Americans believe that “global warming is mostly human-caused.” Moreover, a recent analysis from the Center for American Progress (2021) uncovered that 139 elected officials in the 117th Congress do not endorse or express concerns about the scientific validity of anthropogenic climate change. However, Powell (2017) examined 11,602 peer-reviewed articles examining anthropogenic climate change and found 100% consensus from the world's leading scientists. Few studies have applied a theoretical perspective rooted in criminology to quantitatively analyze why individuals deny anthropogenic climate change. To address this gap in the research, I apply Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) theory of self-control to anthropogenic climate change beliefs (ACCB). Additionally, I test whether education moderates the relationship between self-control and ACCB. This exploratory research employed original data collection by sampling respondents from CloudResearch's Connect platform in 2023 (n = 648). Results from the multivariate analyses show that self-control is not significantly associated with ACCB, nor does education moderate the relationship between self-control and ACCB. However, a significant association (p < .001) between Akers' (1998) social learning theory and ACCB was uncovered. Further research should analyze the four core elements (i.e., differential association, definitions, differential reinforcement, and imitation) of Akers' (1998) social learning theory to better understand the intricacies and drivers of these learned beliefs.

Committee: Thomas Mowen Ph.D. (Committee Chair); John Boman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stephen Demuth Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Poly-victimization refers to the experience of multiple victimizations of different kinds, such as bullying, sexual or physical assault, physically abusive punishment, and intimate partner violence, among others. Much attention has been given to the relationship between poly-victimization and adolescent outcomes, especially substance use, but little research attention has been given to the relationship between poly-victimization and adult substance use. This relationship, along with social support as a potential moderator, is important to explore for the sake of implementing non-punitive interventions and reducing our reliance on incarceration. The present study examines the relationship between adolescent poly-victimization and subsequent substance use in adulthood, as well as the potential moderating effect of social support. Publicly available data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) are used to assess the impact of multiple measures of violent victimization, as well as multiple measures of social support, such as religiosity and school and parental support, on adult substance use. Past-year marijuana and hard drug use are assessed as outcome variables. Findings suggest that adolescent poly-victimization is positively associated with the odds of using marijuana and hard drugs during adulthood, while higher levels of social support are negatively associated with the odds of using these substances during adulthood. Avenues for future research and policy implications are discussed.

Committee: Starr Solomon (Advisor); Katrina Bloch (Committee Member); Christopher Dum (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Psychology/Clinical

In light of research identifying high prevalence rates of both externalizing and internalizing disorders in juvenile justice populations (e.g., Teplin et al., 2002), increasing attention has been paid to the role of mental health in juvenile delinquency. Researchers have offered and produced evidence in support of several different theories regarding the relations between internalizing disorders and delinquency, leading some to suggest that future research efforts may be best directed at identifying factors that moderate this relationship (Fontaine et al., 2019; Ozkan, 2017). Given that social support has often been observed as a protective factor against maladaptive outcomes in adolescence, the present study sought to examine the relations between peer social support and both internalizing symptoms and delinquency, as well as whether peer deviance moderates these associations in a sample of court-involved youth. The final sample included 79 court-involved youth between ages 11 and 19 (70.7% male) who completed self-report surveys about their internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress), delinquent behavior, friends' delinquent behavior, and the amount of social support they perceive receiving from their friends, among other variables. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to examine relations between peer social support, internalizing symptoms, and delinquency, as well as to test for any moderating effects of peer deviance. A moderated-moderation regression model was additionally conducted to examine whether a) peer social support moderates the association between internalizing symptoms and delinquency and b) whether peer deviance may additionally moderate the effect of peer social support on this relation. No significant associations were observed between peer social support, peer deviance, and internalizing symptoms in the present sample. Although peer deviance was significantly associated with delinquency, peer (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carolyn Tompsett Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Eric Dubow Ph.D. (Committee Member); Meagan Docherty Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Sociology

Midlife is a stage where individuals' sense of control may be challenged by inevitable physical changes, cognitive declines, and shifts in social roles. To maintain feelings of control, midlife adults may desire to have a final say over household decisions. The power dynamics under which these decisions are made may set the stage for life satisfaction in late life. Thus, it is imperative to uncover the correlates of perceived power among midlife women and men. Using the 2014 and 2016 Health and Retirement Study, I employed two prevailing frameworks, resource theory and the gender-deviance neutralization hypothesis, to investigate how women's relative income contribution links to whether she, or her partner, perceives whether they have the final say on four distinct decision-making domains in the household. Resource theory was supported in three of the four domains. When women contributed 0-39% of the household income (vs. 40-59% of the household income), men were more likely to say they had the final say on family issues and women were more likely to say men had the final say on financial decisions. When women outearned men (60-100% vs. 40-59% of the household income), men were more likely to say women had the final say on family issues, financial decisions, and vacation destination decisions, but women were more likely to say they had the final say on financial decisions only. No evidence in support of the gender-deviance neutralization hypothesis emerged. These findings suggest that resources influence men's power perceptions more than women's, and that women's greater income contribution appears to be a factor that can advance egalitarian decision-making patterns in midlife, but mostly from men's perspectives.

Committee: I-Fen Lin Ph.D (Committee Chair); Susan Brown Ph.D (Committee Member); Kei Nomaguchi Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Families and Family Life; Gender; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Higher Education (Education)

Rural students, especially rural Appalachian students, remain underrepresented in higher education (ARC, n.d.). Enrollment declines continue to exist at a majority of institution types across the country as traditional sources of students continue to dry up. Universities and colleges are rediscovering rural areas in order to try to bridge gaps in enrollment goals (Gettinger, 2019). Increasing the number of college graduates from rural Appalachia can be important to the prosperity of the region and the nation. Research suggests that individuals from rural areas are twice more likely to feel marginalized and powerless than those in suburbs and cities, and lower levels of education in the area correlates to higher levels of alienation (Hunter & Bowman, 2016). As more students from rural Appalachia gain access to higher education, it will be important for universities and colleges to understand what Appalachian assets and institutional factors Appalachian students rely on to successfully navigate college so they can create structures and programs to fully support Appalachian student success. This study utilized Shaun Harper's (2012) anti-deficit achievement framework to study Appalachian student success. This framework is appropriate since like other marginalized groups, Appalachians continue to fall below general society on a number of key performance indicators and are “othered” by mainstream media. The findings of this study show that participants from rural Appalachia relied on the Appalachian assets of familyism, self-reliance, community, independence, hard work, and neighborliness to successfully access and graduate from college. All participants were able to identify interpersonal relationships they formed on campus that were important to their ability to successfully navigate the culture of higher education. A number of institution types in higher education have disinvested in human capital as they have faced budget challenges associated with enrollment (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Laura Harrison (Advisor); Andy Szolosi (Committee Member); Dave Nguyen (Committee Member); Pete Mather (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Theory; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Gender scholars contend that accountability for "doing" gender within interactions between individuals is how the gender structure can be challenged or "redone" (Connell 2010; Hollander 2013, 2018; Risman and Davis 2013; West and Zimmerman 1987). Some scholars point to consent culture practiced by the BDSM (Bondage/Discipline, Domination/Submission, Sadism/masochism) community, as a model to teach consent and accountability (Buchwald, Fletcher, and Roth 2005; Cagwin 2018; Dixie 2017; Harding 2015; Pitagora 2013; Stryker, Queen, and Penny 2017). Other research indicates that the BDSM community might "undo" gender, but more likely simultaneously challenges and reproduces gender inequality (Banerjee, Merchant, and Sharma 2018; Deutsch 2007; Simula and Sumerau 2017). However, little literature focuses on how consent is socially constructed to include interactional accountability that might challenge gender inequality within BDSM. In this research, I consider how interactional consent scripts socially construct consent culture, how "doing" consent in the kink community provides an empirical example of "redoing" gender across the gender spectrum, and how BDSM identifying individuals and communities experience the conflict between consent culture and the hegemonic gender structure. I found that socially constructed interactional consent scripts guide interactions in BDSM through stringent rules that aim to maintain agency and bodily autonomy through enthusiastic consent, boundaries, and limits. The BDSM community reinforces consent scripts with strict social control and accountability through formal and informal methods including social sanctions and reputations. I found that interactional consent scripts form the basis of "doing" consent, where individuals enact consent scripts in their interactions to uphold consent culture much like "doing" gender upholds the gender structure. Individuals in BDSM across the gender spectrum shared how “doing" consent allowed them to "r (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tiffany Taylor (Advisor); Kathryn Feltey (Committee Member); Clare Stacey (Committee Member); Katrina Bloch (Committee Member); Suzanne Holt (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

Capacity building for globally competent educators is a 21st Century imperative to address contemporary complex and constantly changing challenges. This action research project is grounded in positive psychology, positive organizational scholarship, relational cultural theory, and relational leadership practices. It sought to identify adaptive challenges educators face as they try to integrate globally competent teaching practices into their curricula, demonstrate learning and growth experienced by the educators in this project, and provide guidance and solutions to the challenges globally competent educators face. Six educators participated in this three-phase project, which included focus groups, reflective journal entries, and an exit interview. Data were collected, grouped into emergent themes, and organized into cohesive categories. The data from this project supported the creation of two foundational models for educating for global competence. The first is pedagogical and the other, coaching. Both models are in developing stages and are grounded in key theoretical frameworks and the data shared by the participants. Globally competent and globally responsive pedagogy tasks educators with examining their practice through a global and cultural prism to gain clarity of perspective, build social capital, improve relationships, and meet ever-changing local and global challenges. The approaches honor and respect diversity so as to dismantle systems of oppression and fight policies and social norms rooted in cognitive biases. The model integrates theory and key findings from this study to support educators to integrate and implement global competence. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Chair); Jon Wergin PhD (Committee Member); Emily Schell EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Bilingual Education; Black Studies; Community College Education; Continuing Education; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; English As A Second Language; Environmental Education; Ethnic Studies; Families and Family Life; Foreign Language; Gender Studies; Higher Education; Hispanic American Studies; Instructional Design; International Relations; Language; Language Arts; Middle Eastern History; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Modern Language; Multicultural Education; Multilingual Education; Native American Studies; Pedagogy; Psychology; Social Psychology; Social Structure; Social Studies Education; Sustainability; Teacher Education; Teaching

PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Prevalence of nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) has risen dramatically during the past two decades. Studies meeting the demand for empirical research on this phenomenon have mainly identified individual-level drivers of NMUPD. While such identification assists in understanding these trends, few studies have considered the social drivers of NMUPD. This is surprising given 1) prevalence varies according to neighborhood type (i.e., rural, urban, suburban) and 2) the wealth of empirical and theoretical literature connecting social factors to health behaviors, deviant behavior, and use of other illicit substances. The goal of this dissertation is to situate the NMUPD as a social problem by investigating its structural sources and social determinants. I use social disorganization theory (Sampson and Groves 1989; Shaw and McKay 1942) and associated “neighborhood effects” frameworks (Brooks-Gunn et al. 1993; Gephart 1997; Leventhal and Brooks-Gunn 2000), to frame the NMUPD epidemic as a product of social-structural (i.e., macro) forces that are mitigated by community-level mechanisms. Using two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), I generate logistic regression models testing the effects of macro-level predictors on individual odds of NMUPD, as well as the intervening roles of collective efficacy (Fagan, Wright, and Pinchevsky 2014; Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls 1997; Theall et al. 2009), depressive symptoms (Aneshensel and Sucoff 1996; Ross 2000), and access to healthcare (Browning and Cagney 2002; Ross and Mirowsky 2001) in this relationship. Findings highlight the neighborhood context as a source of variation in NMUPD. Results indicate that living in a disorganized neighborhood is associated with increased odds of engaging in NMUPD and highlight neighborhood residential instability as an important risk factor. Further analyses reveal that this association is stratified, with female residents bearing the most su (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robert L. Peralta Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Richard E. Adams Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kele Ding Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stacey Nofziger Ph.D. (Committee Member); Starr Solomon Ph.D. (Committee Member); Peggy C. Stephens Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

Purpose: Juvenile deviance and its surrounding social factors are the bedrock of criminology's historic, fundamental theoretical perspectives. Research involving this topic has spanned nearly a century. However, one concept that might lend insight to these perspectives has not been fully considered. That concept is the social centrality of youth inside their peer networks. By incorporating research from social networking analysis, this work seeks to more thoroughly explain adolescents' prominence in their peer network and how that prominence relates to deviance. Additionally, this dissertation assesses how one's level of centrality in a peer network during adolescence can affect one's well-being into adulthood. Specifically, the well-being outcomes measured are alcohol use, depression, anxiety, aggression, and socioeconomic status. Methods: This dissertation uses data from the Add Health Survey to conduct the analyses. Using a sample composing of 6,796 11–18-year-olds, multivariate regression analyses are conducted to test the effects of deviant behaviors on adolescents' social centrality. The type of centrality selected for this study is proximity prestige — an in-degree, global measure of position within a network using friendship nominations. Well-being outcomes during adulthood were taken from both Waves 3 and 4 of the Add-Health Survey. Results: Findings show that younger adolescents' (ages 11–14) social centrality is increased by adhering to prosocial behavioral expectations. Older adolescents (aged 15–18) see an increase in their centrality by exhibiting both prosocial and antisocial behaviors — specifically using alcohol and tobacco, having sex, and having trouble with teachers. Furthermore, analyses report that individuals who are central to their peer network in adolescence have higher educational success, higher incomes, and fewer feelings of depression. Conclusion: The analyses' findings show measures of social centrality are related to both (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: J.C. Barnes Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Benson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dylan Jackson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joseph Nedelec Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology

Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 2010, Weatherhead School of Management

When tough issues, defined as problems that remain uncomfortably unspoken, are championed at the board or in the executive suite, the question is: who does it, why and with what results? Three separate studies were carried out to investigate the championing phenomenon. First, an initial conceptual framework was built using grounded theory from five senior female director interviews and a review of the literature. I learned that certain conditions prompted the championing and determined the positive outcomes for the team and the champion. These initial findings supported the design of the next qualitative study involving 22 directors - 11 men and 11 women. The study identified similarities and differences among men and women relating to the preconditions to champion and the engagement tactics employed by each group. Consistent with the literature, women championed twice the tough issues as the men, but both men and women championed very tough issues, mostly relating to problems with the CEO. The benefits to the board and the champion did outweigh the difficulties of the championing process. The third study included a quantitative study involving over 400 senior executives and it investigated tough issues from the opposite side of the board table – the senior management team. The study identified the effects of six key antecedents increasing the propensity to tackle the tough issue and four mediating tactics that were used to engage the team on the issue. The results confirm some qualitative findings – women were the more likely champion and used different championing tactics. Payoffs from the championing process were consistent with previous findings.

Committee: Diana Bilimoria, Ph.D. (Advisor); Paul Salipante, Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Management; Womens Studies

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

Traditionally, clandestine non-compliance with headquarters instructions (as included in strategic plans, procedures, policies, ways of working and delegation of authority) by subsidiary managers has been viewed as undesirable and destructively deviant. It was frowned upon as being inspired by motives such as self-interest, dissatisfaction and low commitment among others; however, this is not always true. This dissertation demonstrates that subsidiary managers sometimes have honorable intentions when they covertly engage in non-compliance with headquarters instructions. It thus contributes to the embryonic research stream of constructive or positive deviance at the individual unit of analysis level by elucidating the factors influencing such initiatives. Being able to identify which factors influence constructive deviant behaviors helps us predict its manifestation and possibly nurture the potential benefits of such actions. This study adopts a sequential exploratory mixed methods approach and focuses on the feedback of subsidiary managers to investigate the phenomenon. Initially, the qualitative study examined how and why subsidiary managers responded to headquarters' instructions. Employing semi-structured opened-ended interviews, I asked subsidiary managers in Guyana to share their experiences with these instructions—instances of compliance and non-compliance. Forty-six percent (46%) of the experiences shared by subsidiary managers were non-compliant in nature but had honorable intentions and were influence by relaxed headquarters control, information asymmetry and a feeling of being constrained. Using the findings of this research, I developed a model which I sought to validate using a cross-sectional quantitative method. This research was extended to subsidiary managers of English-speaking countries which were part of the British Empire. I found that independent subsidiary initiatives (an example of constructive deviance) were positively and directly im (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Chair); Richard Boland (Committee Member); Florian Becker-Ritterspach (Committee Chair); Adrian Wolfberg (Committee Member) Subjects: Entrepreneurship; Management; Organizational Behavior

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2017, Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology MS

Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) harm organizations and their members (Bennett & Robinson, 2000; Niehoff & Paul, 2000). CWBs, however, often go unnoticed by management. Peer reporting, which refers to employees notifying organizational authorities of their peers' CWBs, can help the organization detect CWBs. Employees, however, are generally hesitant to peer report (Bowling & Lyons, 2015; Trevino & Victor, 1992). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the mechanisms by which the organization, supervisor, and the workgroup might each facilitate employees' peer reporting of CWBs. Drawing from situational strength theory, I argue that the organizational peer reporting policies, supervisors' encouragement to peer report, and workgroup norms regarding peer reporting each create a “strong” peer reporting situation in which employees are more likely to peer report. Furthermore, I argue that commitment to the organization, supervisor, and workgroup moderates the respective relationships of organizational policies, supervisors' encouragement, and workgroup norms with employees' peer reporting of CWBs. Using a sample of workers from Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk; N = 450), I found that organizational commitment moderates the relationship between organizational peer reporting policies and peer reporting of CWBs targeted at the organization. My findings have important practical and theoretical implications for the peer reporting literature.

Committee: Nathan Bowling Ph.D. (Advisor); Gary Burns Ph.D. (Committee Member); David Lahuis Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Leadership and Change

Climate change is one of the most significant dynamics of our time. The predominant contributor to climate change is combustion of fossil fuels by humans. This study deepened understanding of organizational leaders' role in enacting one approach to addressing climate change: institutional fossil fuel divestment. The study used a qualitative research design to explore U.S.-based foundation leaders' readiness to pursue fossil fuel divestment by their institutions. The study examined leaders' motivations and actions in pursuing divestment, while simultaneously exercising their fiduciary duty to steward institutional assets. Research questions focused on the divestment behavior change process and the outcomes of divestment on leaders and their organizations. Data collection and analysis were derived from two datasets: 34 foundation divestment commitment statements and semi-structured interviews with 18 foundation leaders. The study highlighted leaders' intentional actions, outside the norms of the philanthropic sector and corporate governance, to enact their values and beliefs through divestment, as a form of socially responsible investing. Leaders' pursuit of divestment constituted mission-aligned positive deviance. Findings suggested that leaders of mission-driven institutions can benefit by taking more direct responsibility for institutional investing in ways that are consistent with institutional mission. Doing so, they may unleash new energy that enhances the well-being of the organization and its members and sparks innovation in the financial services sector. They may also experience higher levels of satisfaction, pride, happiness, and engagement with their organizational roles. This study extends scholarship on divestment, foundations as change agents, leadership and positive deviance, psychology of climate change, pro-environmental behavior (PEB), socially responsible investing, and the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM). Implications fo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Laura Morgan Roberts Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carol Baron Ph.D. (Committee Member); Niki Harre Ph.D. (Committee Member); James Prochaska Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Alternative Energy; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Climate Change; Environmental Studies; Ethics; Petroleum Production; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2015, Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology PhD

Most research has lumped counterproductive work behaviors into a single or a few categories. The present study, however, used dominance analysis to examine whether aggression, industriousness, dishonesty and self-control had differential predictive relationships with the Gruys and Sacket (2003) 11-Factor CWB model. I hypothesized that various CWBs would be differentially predicted by various personality traits, and that those predictive relationships would be moderated by self-control. The results indicated all CWBs are not created equal and should not be lumped into a single all-inclusive category. Counterproductive work behaviors are multidimensional, with unique predictors and covariates, and are best understood and predicted when split into categorical types. Self-Control and Aggression best predicted nine of 11 CWB categories. I also found limited support for the moderating effects of self-control.

Committee: Nathan Bowling Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gary Burns Ph.D. (Committee Member); Melissa Gruys Ph.D. (Committee Member); David LaHuis Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology