Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2008, Organizational Behavior

This study explores the relationship between self-integration, self-complexity, and integrative learning. Drawing from constructivist adult ego development theorists (Kegan, 1994; Loevinger, 1976; 1988; Lahey et al. 1988; Perry, 1999; Piaget, 1962; Rogers, 1951) the definition of self-integration emphasizes a person's transformation in epistemology and meaning making, underlying both psycho-social and cognitive maturation. Building on post-conventional constructivist adult ego development theory (Cook-Greuter, 1999; Johnson, 2000; Kegan, 1994; Lahey, 1986) this is one of the first empirical explorations of self-integration, operationally defined as two variables, capturing a conventional and a post-conventional component. Important work in this area has been theoretical. Self-integration is operationalized as (1) self-ideal congruence, as measured by Higgins (1985; 1987 ;) and as defined in intentional change theory (Boyatzis and Akrivou, 2006), and (2) self-integrating process, as captured by a newly developed direct response measure based on post-conventional constructivist theory. Self-complexity is operationally defined as the numbers of self-aspects that a person utilizes to represent his/her self internally (Linville, 1987). Integrative learning is measured as adaptive flexibility, the ability for systematic variability in a person's response to different environmental needs (Kolb, 1984). Based on quantitative research methods, overall findings from data collected from 198 adults in management and professional roles confirmed the hypotheses that self complexity is positively related to both measures of integration (self-ideal congruence and self-integrating process), and integrative learning is positively related to the second measure of integration. Age, a control, is positively related to the second measure of integration. Findings support operationalization of self-integration as two distinct variables, being – to my knowledge – the first empirical testing (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David A. Kolb Professor (Committee Co-Chair); Richard E. Boyatzis Professor (Committee Co-Chair); David A. Kolb Professor (Committee Co-Chair); Lee A. Thompson PhD (Committee Member); Smith L. Melvin Phd (Committee Member) Subjects: Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Business Administration, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Weatherhead School of Management

Leadership theories in Western literature articulate ideas on many traits and characteristics of successful leaders, such as being charismatic, transformational, emotionally and socially intelligent, and servant-like leaders. However, do these same ideas exist for leadership in the Arab world and Egypt? While there are abundant leadership theories in Western literature, few exist in the Arab world. Hence, there is a knowledge deficit that needs to be addressed. To address the deficit, we designed a mixed methods research framework that combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. First, we conducted qualitative interviews with 27 participants to study how leaders can capture the hearts and minds of their followers and why people would follow. We found glaring evidence from our participants, suggesting through their shared experiences that servant leader characteristics are most desirable. The quantitative stage of our investigation revealed that our independent variables and the moderating variable are significantly related to the dependent variable. We collected data from 524 participants. Surveys were gleaned for analysis (345 surveys for followers and 180 surveys for leaders), yielding 180 dyads for structural equation modeling (SEM). The primary findings suggest that the leader's ideal self has a positive direct significant relationship with leadership effectiveness (β = 0.368, p = 0.00), thus supporting our hypothesis. Emotional and social intelligence was found to have a positive direct significant relationship to leader/follower engagement (β = 0.405, p = 0.00), thus supporting another hypothesis. While some of the discovered relationships were never empirically examined in the past, particularly in the Arab world, which makes this study unique, they were largely expected based on the partitioner, work with copious leaders in the Arab world and Egypt. This research contributes to the nascent literature on leadership in t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen Ph.D. (Advisor); Richard Boyatzis Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Management

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2016, Organizational Behavior

While the ideal self has been used as a component of several motivation theories (Markus & Wurf, 1987; Higgins, 1987; Boyatzis & Akrivou, 2006), it has not received as much empirical research attention, and even less quantitative research. This study extends work on the measurement of the ideal self—defined as “an evolving, motivational core within the self, focusing a person's desires and hope, aspirations and dreams, purpose and calling” (Boyatzis & Akrivou, 2006: 625)—to explain how employees perform and feel about their jobs, as well as how they interact with and are viewed by other organizational members. Past theories have claimed that performance is more a function of the “fit” between the person's Real Self (i.e., their abilities, competencies and attitudes) and the task demands of the job and organization (Boyatzis, 1982; Fiedler, 1967). This study proposes that aspirations and dreams drive employee performance and behavior beyond the fit between role and an employee's demonstrable abilities. Therefore, it is proposed that employees who find opportunities for synergy between their job roles and their ideal self are more engaged and better organizational members, who also go out of their way to help their peers, and are perceived to better perform their jobs than employees who experience less of this synergy. Results from an SEM analysis provide evidence that the ideal self impacts how employees feel about their lives (i.e. well-being), how they behave at work (i.e. in-role task behavior, extra-role helping behaviors, and reputational effectiveness), and the quality of their work relationships (PNEA work climate). Furthermore, results provide support for the mediating role of the quality of work relationship in the relationship between the ideal self and employee engagement and well-being.

Committee: Richard Boyatzis (Committee Chair); Diana Bilimoria (Committee Member); Ron Fry (Committee Member); Chris Burant (Committee Member) Subjects: Organizational Behavior

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2014, Psychology, General

Male body image research focuses on deleterious effects of a muscular ideal on positive self-regard following self-ideal comparisons. Imbuing oneself with the masculine ideal may buffer against effects. Media self-assimilation (MSA) may attenuate differences in responses. MSA with the ideal could instill higher self-regard and provide impetus for achieving one's ideal self with respect to the collective ideal. Study 1 analyzed men's relationships with media role models. Results were not significant for the theoretical model but provided evidence of MSA's primacy to PSR. Study 2 was a manipulation of MSA as participants wrote narratives about themselves as their favorite (or a disliked) superhero. Participants' grip strength increased following MSA, but only with a favorite superhero. Confidence in performing a physical task was augmented by MSA. Results demonstrate how embodying personal and collective ideals bolsters physical strength and confidence in ability. Narratives served as a teleological proxy by creating a coherent view of the self as part of both a personal and cultural ideal.

Committee: Jack Bauer PhD (Committee Chair); Matthew Montoya PhD (Committee Member); Erin O'Mara PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2012, Management

Women remain underrepresented in the engineering profession comprising only 10% of the employed engineers in 2010 while in that same year women exceeded more than half of those employed in professional, managerial and related occupations according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. While others studies have identified the reasons women leave engineering, this study focuses on women who persist in the profession. A complex, three stage mixed methods study has been conducted. The first stage was a qualitative research study based on semi-structured interviews with 31 women engineers, ten of whom had left an engineering career and 21 persisting for on average 21 years leading to a conceptual model and the development of a new construct to measure the ideal self. Next, a field experiment was conducted which surveyed 495 women ages 21 to 70 with engineering degrees. A structural equation model has been developed showing that women's commitment to an engineering career is impacted by their levels of self efficacy, the interaction of age and number of children, and their ability to articulate a personal vision as operationalized by the ideal self. A woman's relationship with her manager and level of work engagement also impact career commitment. The final stage of this research compared the factors and relationships important to a woman's career commitment to engineering to a sample of 138 male engineers. Findings show that the factors important to persistence for women engineers have little or no impact on a man's commitment to an engineering career. Women engineers have lower levels of self efficacy than men, and for men self efficacy has no statistically significant relationship to career commitment to engineering. Further both the relationship with the manager, one's ideal self, and work engagement influence a woman's career commitment to engineering more than for a man. A conceptual model adapted from the intentional change theory (Boyatzis, 2008) is presented tha (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Boyatzis PhD (Committee Chair); Diana Bilimoria PhD (Committee Member); Toni Somers PhD (Committee Member); Gary Wnek PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Engineering; Management

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2013, Psychology/Clinical

Although the sexual objectification of women in the media is widespread, there are limited experimental studies that have examined the short-term effects of exposure to sexually objectifying television (e.g., reality shows like Jersey Shore) through the lens of Objectification Theory. Objectification of men in the media is increasing as well but there are few studies on how men are affected by witnessing their own gender's objectification. My dissertation filled these gaps by assessing levels of negative affect, state self-objectification, state self-surveillance, and state body concerns (shame and appearance anxiety) after exposure to a one-minute video clip of either men making sexually objectifying comments about women's bodies (the female experimental condition) or women making sexually objectifying comments about men's bodies (the male experimental condition). Analyses of variance were conducted to compare the levels of these dependent variables in the experimental condition to those of the same gender control condition (which also consisted of watching a video clip but without objectifying verbal commentary). Other dependent variables of interest included the participants' ratings of personality traits of the actors stating the objectifying comments. I also assessed for moderation of the relationship between condition and dependent variables by trait self-objectification and internalization of the thin-ideal or muscular-ideal using hierarchical multiple regression. To test the mediational pathways hypothesized in Objectification Theory, both state self-objectification and self-surveillance were examined as mediators of the condition effects. In support of my hypotheses, both men and women in the experimental conditions had higher levels of negative affect compared to men and women in the control conditions. The participants in the experimental conditions also rated the actors stating the verbal objectifying commentary as having lower positive personality tra (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Dubow PhD (Committee Chair); Robert Carels PhD (Committee Member); Anne Gordon PhD (Committee Member); Paul Johnson PhD (Other) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Gender Studies; Psychology; Social Psychology; Womens Studies