BBA, Kent State University, 2016, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Ambassador Crawford / Department of Management and Information Systems

Through an investigation of the six factors of Academic Intrinsic Motivation [AIM] as outlined by Shia (1998), namely the need to know, the need to achieve, peer acceptance, authority expectations, power motivation, and the fear of failure; this study sought to determine if any or all AIM factors influenced academic performance of students attending a 4-year public higher education institution in Ohio. A literature review was conducted with a focus on student motivation, and it was determined that few studies had focused on these six factors of academic intrinsic motivation. This study sought to determine what, if any, relationship existed among the factors of AIM and between academic performance and the factors of AIM for college students attending a public 4-year public higher education institution in Ohio. An online survey, the Revised Online AIM Survey (AIMS-R), was created from the original AIM questionnaire created by Shia (1998). A population of over 4,000 students was invited to participate in the AIMS-R survey and 664 responded, representing a response rate of 16.6%. Of those who responded, 528 completed all of the questions for the subscales of the AIMS-R survey, representing 13.2%, and were selected for inclusion in the data analysis. Four hundred and sixty two of the 528 participants completed the AIMS-R demographic questions, representing 11.6%, and these 462 complete responses were used to test the hypothesis statements for this study. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the results of the AIMS-R data.

Committee: Gregory Blundell (Advisor) Subjects: Educational Psychology

EDD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

This study aimed to identify athletic training student intrinsic motivation, with subscales of interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, effort/importance, pressure/tension, perceived choice, value/usefulness, and relatedness, based on the intrinsic motivation inventory (IMI). It also evaluated the effects of feedback as facilitators and barriers to intrinsic motivation in clinical education. Athletic training student feedback was obtained by asking open-ended journaling questions related to how their preceptor interacted with them and provided feedback in their clinical rotation. A mixed-methods approach was utilized for this study. There was a significant difference in pre-post IMI scores in subscales of interest/enjoyment, perceived choice, and value/usefulness. Qualitatively, athletic training students identified active communication, autonomous practice, theory to practice, culture and setting, and nature of feedback as key facilitators to motivation from preceptor feedback. Athletic training students identified key barriers to intrinsic motivation as excessive downtime at clinical sites, extrinsic factors, placement alignment, preceptor stress, and stagnant environment.

Committee: Kimberly Peer (Committee Chair); Hannah Harnar (Committee Co-Chair); Noelle Selkow (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Health Care; Health Education; Health Sciences; Sports Medicine

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Higher Education Administration

Online student enrollment has grown over the past 20 years and accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic (U.S. DOE, 1999, 2021c). For students to be successful in their courses, they must understand their self-regulation and motivation (Seli & Dembo, 2020). Self-regulation involves goal setting, metacognition, help-seeking, time management, and outcome strategies. Motivation involves intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. Self-regulated learning and motivation use two theoretical frameworks. Zimmerman's self-regulated learning theory concentrated on an online environment (Zimmerman & Moylan, 2009). Vygotsky's sociocultural theory centered on understanding students' learning experiences in a face-to-face environment (McCaslin & Hickey, 2001), but his theory can be applied to online learning (Tu & Yen, 2007). The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand students' perceptions of their self-regulation and motivation in online learning to help administrators and faculty know where students perceived they were when they began or continued throughout their programs to help foster students' future learning. Self-regulation and motivation were operationalized through my survey with six subscales across the two measures. The study found positive, strong, significant relationships between students' self-regulation and motivation with all, new, and continuing online students; continuing students had the strongest overall self-regulation and motivation relationship. The strongest intercorrelation relationships were between self-efficacy and outcome strategies for all, new, and continuing students, and the weakest intercorrelation relationships were between help-seeking and all subscales. The study found no overall group differences in self-regulation and motivation of online students, with two exceptions. Statistically significant differences between genders on the self-efficacy subscale were found (p = .04), with female students having greater se (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Julia Matuga Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Frederick Busselle Ph.D. (Other); Patrick Pauken J.D., Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Maureen Wilson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Anatomy

Neurophobia, defined as the fear of and lack of confidence with clinical neurology, is a well-documented phenomenon in medical students and junior doctors. Previous studies have identified low knowledge of basic neuroanatomy as one of the largest drivers of neurophobia, often stemming from ineffective pedagogical approaches. It is thought that neurophobia begins when students first encounter academic neuroscience; however, the prevalence and associated risk factors of neurophobia in undergraduate students is not known. Investigating these relationships in this population is relevant because they represent a pipeline for future neurologists and associated healthcare professionals. Furthermore, interventions for phobias are most effective when started early. The aim of the first study was to provide an in-depth analysis of the prevalence and factors contributing to neurophobia among undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory neuroanatomy course at The Ohio State University. The presence of neurophobia in this population was found to be comparable to that reported in medical students and junior doctors. Additionally, neurophobic students were found to have significantly higher cognitive load, assessment anxiety, and perceived difficulty, as well as lower intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and course grades compared to their non-neurophobic peers. This highlights the urgent need for early intervention, suggesting that techniques to manage cognitive load and enhance motivation could be beneficial. Based on the principles of cognitive load theory, self-determination theory, and social cognitive theory, 11 e-learning modules were developed for the two most difficult blocks in the undergraduate neuroanatomy curriculum. Featuring interactive slides with toggleable animations, practice questions with explanations, video content, and clinical scenarios, these modules aimed to manage cognitive load and enhance motivation of neuroanatomy learners. The aim of the sec (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eileen Kalmar (Advisor); James Cray Jr (Advisor); Claudia Mosley (Committee Member); Christopher Pierson (Committee Member) Subjects: Anatomy and Physiology; Neurology; Neurosciences

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2022, Business Administration

The problem facing organizations is that of high employee turnover and lack of employee engagement. The lack of employee commitment caused by skill shortages and economic growth undermines the organization's ability to survive and compete. Previous work ethic and job satisfaction research have established a statistically significant positive correlation between reduced employee turnover and employee commitment. This quantitative research study uses a purposeful sample of MBA students to examine if and to what extent a relationship exists between work ethic and job satisfaction in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This population was selected because they are both students and full-time employees across multiple industries. Rather than rely on religious or cultural values, the study is based on Self Determination Theory (SDT), which provides a universal base to explore a possible relationship between an individual's work ethic and job satisfaction. This theoretical perspective shifts the focus of traditional work ethic and job satisfaction values from cultural and religious to individual development as it interacts with the perceived opportunity. This research establishes a universal base that can apply across similar and dissimilar cultures. Finding from this data indicate a strong correlation between Employability Skills Assessment (work ethic) and job satisfaction A moderate correlation was established between the sub-factors of initiative, dependability, and interpersonal skills. Graduating students who master the necessary employability skills will be more successful according to the ESA scores and more likely to achieve job satisfaction.

Committee: Beverly Smith (Committee Chair); Charles Fenner (Committee Member); Daniel Dayton (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

The health care field continues to expand with an increasing need for health care professionals, however for allied health fields, this need is not being met, resulting in a shortage of professionals. This shortage is amplified in the underrepresented minority population. This issue partially stems from low enrollment into academic majors in the health sciences. To address these needs and investigate low enrollment rates, motivations of students choosing majors in the health sciences need to be understood. Motivation can be categorized as intrinsic (for the enjoyment of a decision) or extrinsic (for an outside goal). Studies have shown that students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to choose a career in health care and have improved retention and rates of satisfaction. 188 first year students in academic majors in the health sciences were surveyed to determine their dominant motivation mechanism and their self-perceived cognitive competence. These students were, on average, more intrinsically motivated and no significant difference was found between the motivation mechanisms of underrepresented minority and non-underrepresented minority students. It was found most of the participants were influenced by a current health care professional and their major deterrent from a career in health care was the education involved. These findings provide guidance to universities to improve their recruitment methods into the health sciences. Improved recruitment can lead to improved diversity and lessened health disparities.

Committee: Jill Clutter PhD (Advisor); Stefan Czerwinski PhD (Committee Member); Marcia Nahikian-Nelms PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Health Sciences; Rehabilitation

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Psychology

While effortful self-control can be useful in pursuing a goal to eat healthy, this is not the only path to self-regulatory success. By taking advantage of processes that can operate automatically and without effort, the process of self-regulation can be made easier (e.g., Fujita & Han, 2009). Past research has demonstrated that individuals high (vs. low) in want-to motivation toward the goal of eating healthy are more successful in self-regulation while putting in less effort (Milyavskaya et al., 2015), but the mechanisms underlying this easy success are not yet well understood. In two studies, we explore the role of taste perceptions of healthy foods as a potential mechanism through which want-to motivation could promote healthy eating. We also test the moderating role of imagery perspective (Libby & Eibach, 2011) on these processes. We found that high (vs. low) want-to individuals forecasted eating healthier foods, at least in part because they found healthy (vs. unhealthy) foods to be tasty. Results suggest that taste perceptions of healthy foods explain a considerable portion of the difference between individuals high and low in want-to motivation, and that learning to enjoy healthy foods—or seeking out enjoyable healthy foods—could be a route to success in pursuing a healthy eating goal. The moderating role of perspective on these processes was unclear but had no overall impact on the healthiness of eating forecasts made by high (vs. low) want-to individuals. We discuss how these results might generalize to other domains of self-regulation, and how finding enjoyment in pursuing a goal could have far-reaching implications in the processes of self-regulation.

Committee: Lisa K. Libby (Advisor); Kentaro Fujita (Committee Member); Russell H. Fazio (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2019, Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology

This study examined the effects of academic motivation on the use of academic support interventions by college students. Many higher education institutions offer academic support interventions, specifically peer-led learning assistance support programs such as tutoring appointments and Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions, with a goal of improving student outcomes including retention and graduation rates. However, most college students do not access the available interventions. The low participation in academic support interventions indicates that there may be a problem with the design of the interventions. Applying instructional design principles to the problem is an effective method to address the problem of low student participation. An important first step in the instructional design process is to determine the learner characteristics of students who do and do not use the academic support interventions. The Academic Motivation Survey for college students, AMS-C 28, survey instrument with 28 items was used to collect data from 400 undergraduate students at a mid-sized Midwestern public university. A MANOVA analysis revealed that there are differences in academic motivation between students who do and do not use academic support interventions. There are also differences between students who use the interventions frequently and those who do not. Additionally, female students have different academic motivation characteristics than male students. Furthermore, there are academic motivation differences between students with high and low self-reported grade point averages. Lastly, the study indicated that there is an opportunity to revise the design and messaging about the academic support interventions to be more relevant to specific student population groups with the goal of increasing student rates of usage.

Committee: Berhane Teclehaimanot PhD (Committee Chair); Judy Lambert PhD (Committee Member); Gregory Stone PhD (Committee Member); Tony Sanchez PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Technology; Higher Education

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2003, Sociology (Arts and Sciences)

This study aims to explore the types of motivation, social support, and self-talk involved in the social psychological nature of collegiate runners. An exploration of past research paired with a theoretical study will work to illustrate the areas of research that have already been touched on in this field of sport sociology, as well as work to illustrate the areas still untouched by scholarly work. A data analysis and discussion of results will give a new perspective on the role motivations as well as other factors play in the lives of the collegiate runner.

Committee: Debra Henderson (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Sociology of

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2007, Psychology

Self-determination theory (SDT) lacks a self-report instrument to assess its entire taxonomy of situational motivation. This poses several problems for SDT's measurement program, including its standardization of motivational indices and its ability to falsify finer predictions involving specific motivational constructs. We addressed these concerns, beginning by validating a complete measure of situational motivation, the Self-Determination Motivation Inventory (SDMI). The SDMI's subscales – amotivation, external, introjected, identified, integrated, intrinsic – evidenced high reliability, convergent validity with indicators of intrinsic regulation, and predictive validity for problem-solving performance. We used the SDMI subscales to generate a hierarchical regression model of self-determined motivation and problem-solving performance, identifying unprecedented interaction effects among regulatory states. We also demonstrate the utility of a standardized motivational profiling system, used here to predict problem-solving performance. We believe the SDMI reaffirms SDT's central thesis and contributes to SDT's theory-building pursuits by refining theorists' capacities to conceptualize and assess essential constructs.

Committee: Joseph Johnson (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology, Social

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2010, Leadership Studies

This study examined the relationships between undergraduate leaders' self-perceptions of their transformational and transactional leadership behaviors and their sources of work motivation. The sample was comprised of 145 elected and appointed leaders at a mid-west university. The survey included both the Motivation Sources Inventory and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Other survey items collected demographic and leadership-experience data. Participants overall scored higher for transformational self-perceived behaviors than for transactional, and higher for intrinsic motivation than extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation related positively to transformational self-perceived behaviors, and extrinsic motivation related positively to transactional self-perceived behaviors. By understanding undergraduates' self-perceptions of their leadership behaviors and motivation, models and methods can be developed to foster and strengthen perspectives that embrace situational application of transformational and transactional behaviors.

Committee: Mark Earley (Advisor); William Arnold (Committee Member); Judith Jackson May (Committee Member); Dafina Lazarus Stewart (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Theory; Gender; Higher Education; Organization Theory; Teaching

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2008, Leadership and Change

NASA is an organization known for pushing the envelope of engineering and scientific achievement. It can be argued that engineers working for NASA are intrinsically highly motivated due to the nature of the work and the mission of NASA. This study explores how supervisor behaviors, both intrinsic and extrinsic and demographic factors influence motivation of NASA Goddard engineers in their current environment. Recent Congressional and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policies, such as full cost accounting, levy strict oversight of project spending. As a result of these policies, NASA engineers must now focus their attention on getting assigned work on funded projects in addition to pursuing technical innovation and creativity. The literature is replete with previous studies on motivation of engineers and scientists. These studies investigated Maslow (1970), Vroom (1964), Herzberg (1971), and Deci's (1975) theories of motivation. Today, the workplace is much more diverse with regard to race, gender, and age. A web-based survey was used to collect data from a sample of engineers at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 260 out of 583 engineers responded to the survey. 238 cases provided useable data for analysis. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed the demographic categories of females and non-whites did not significantly predict the level of motivation of engineers. Age was a significant factor influencing motivation. The age group of 39 and under had less of an influence on motivation and the age group of 40 and over had more of an influence. The over 60 age group had a very significant positive influence on motivation. Other significant factors influencing motivation were: supervisor behaviors, intrinsic factors such as feedback and competence, and extrinsic factors such as benefits, rewards and promotions. The results support the argument that NASA engineers are motivated by getting feedback from their immediate project supervisor, that they feel competent (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jon Wergin PhD (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Holloway PhD (Committee Member); Carol Baron PhD (Committee Member); Charles Seashore PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Behaviorial Sciences; Engineering; Gender; Management; Organizational Behavior

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

Gamification is a promising method proposed to solve the motivational problems of online learners and enhance their performance. However, the evidence regarding why and how gamification might work and its effects on these outcomes is inconclusive. In order to provide more evidence to the ongoing discussion in the gamification field, the current study searched for the effectiveness of gamification on the intrinsic motivation, the psychological need satisfaction, and the performance of online learners. Applying the tenets of self-determination theory as a theoretical background, a gamified online learning environment with badges and freedom of choice was created in the TalentLMS. The results showed that badges have the potential to decrease the intrinsic motivation of learners and they do not fulfill the need for competence. However, freedom of choice indirectly increases the intrinsic motivation of learners through fulfilling the need for autonomy. Neither badges nor freedom of choice increased the performance of learners. In addition, it was found that different badge implementation designs (expected badges versus unexpected badges) yielded similar nonsignificant results. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.

Committee: Bradley J. Morris PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Educational Psychology; Educational Technology; Instructional Design

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Design

Reading is a complex web of intricately connected technical skills, comprehension strategies, and socio-emotional behaviors. Included in this process is willingness – willingness to pick up a book for leisure and engage with its characters, story, and themes merely because you find it satisfying and interesting to do so. But not everyone has such a positive relationship with literacy-related content; as children grow older, their perception of both themselves and the act of reading often tend to shift based on their experiences in the classroom, leading an increasing number of adolescents to lose the motivation to read. This phenomenon, known as aliteracy, can occur as a result of personal fear, disinterest and lack of relevancy, or feeling restrained in the modes and tools available to connect with others. Though several classroom initiatives – including teacher scaffolding, read aloud story time, and collage – have been shown to improve aliterate learners' relationship to text, such activities require a great deal of effort and training on the part of the teacher. Educational games stand out as a promising way to overcome the inconsistencies and demands of these initiatives while increasing intrinsic motivation in players. However, the success of games as reading interventions is dependent on their design and how well they foster feelings autonomy, competence, and social relatedness – the three key elements of motivation according to Self-Determination Theory. In my research, I'm interested in how interactivity can serve as the bridge between reading and gameplay to not only bring these two domains together but also to deepen their motivational impact on readers and players. The two games described in this thesis serve as experiments in fostering feelings of intrinsic motivation in students by integrating interactions that give players heightened control over the game's narrative, interface, and multimodality. Within this document, I expand on the development of t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Scott Swearingen (Advisor); Maria Palazzi (Committee Member); Sébastien Proulx PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2019, Education

Teacher-student relationships and classroom environment play a key role in student intrinsic motivation. This study occurred at a Northeast Ohio high school and aimed to determine how teachers could best establish teacher-student relationships and classroom environments in order to facilitate intrinsic motivation in their high school students. The Self-Determination Theory framework posits an individual must possess Relatedness, Autonomy, and Competency in order to be intrinsically motivated. Through a combination of student surveys, teacher surveys, and classroom observations, this study examined the connections between teacher-student relationships, classroom environments, Relatedness, Autonomy, and student intrinsic motivation. While the presented literature demonstrated students needed Relatedness and Autonomy to be intrinsically motivated, this research study's results indicated students and teachers place an emphasis on the aspects of Relatedness over Autonomy. The research analysis identified a significant correlation between liking the classroom environment and liking the teacher, as well as the teacher allowing the students to have choice in how they work and the student liking the classroom. However, there was not a significant correlation between students liking the teacher and feeling intrinsically motivated or students liking the classroom environment and feeling intrinsically motivated. When examining the results, above all other elements teachers could implement in their instructional practices, the students demonstrated a preference for a supportive and engaging classroom environment.

Committee: Christine Denecker (Committee Chair); Amanda Ochsner (Committee Member); Allison Baer (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2018, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Spanning over the course of two decades, educational leaders have invested government finances into the social-emotional needs of adolescents, validating the concern of these specific educational needs. Government programs provide student questionnaires to survey the scholastic climate from students' perception. Previous research discusses the correlation between students' perception and their success in school due to fulfillment of their transescent needs. This research study ventured to distinguish a possible correlation between urban middle school students' perspective of feeling “cared-for” and their intrinsic motivation. The study surveyed eleven hundred adolescents in grades six through eight from Austintown Middle School. The students completed a survey which inquired about their perceptions. The first part of the survey was acquired from the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and the second part of the survey to measure their intrinsic motivation was acquired from the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). The outcomes and interventions for school districts were discussed. There was statistical significance with students feeling cared for and having a similar or higher perception of their intelligence in comparison to their peers. There was also statistical significance within a positive correlation between how students perceive their academic environment and their intrinsic motivation. There was not statistical significance between socioeconomics and intrinsic motivation; student engagement leading to intrinsic motivation was a stronger factor.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Committee Chair); Patrick Spearman PhD (Committee Member); Megan List PhD (Committee Member); Sherri Harper Woods D.Min. (Committee Member) Subjects: Middle School Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

My dissertation joins a vibrant conversation with James G. Henderson and colleagues, curriculum workers involved with leadership envisioned and embodied in his Collegial Curriculum Leadership Process (CCLP). Their work, “embedded in dynamic, open-ended folding, is a recursive, multiphased process supporting educators with a particular vocational calling” (Henderson, 2017). The four key Deleuzian “folds” of the process explore “awakening” to become lead professionals for democratic ways of living, cultivating repertoires for a diversified, holistic pedagogy, engaging in critical self-examinations and critically appraising their professional artistry. In “reactivating” the lived experiences, scholarship, writing and vocational calling of a brilliant Greek and Latin scholar named Marya Barlowski, meanings will be constructed as engendered through biographical narrative and currere case study. Grounded in the curriculum leadership “map,” she represents an allegorical presence in the narrative. Allegory has always been connected to awakening, and awakening is a precursor for capacity-building. The research design (the precise way in which to study this `problem') will be a combination of historical narrative and currere. This collecting and constructing of Her story speaks to how the vision of leadership isn't completely new – threads of it are tied to the past. Her intrinsic motivational indicators as relevant to curriculum leadership will be described and analyzed through her lived experiences, scholarship and writing that all pointed towards her vocational calling.

Committee: James Henderson Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education History

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

Practitioner-scholars continue to search for effective approaches to improve sales performance. This is indicated by the fact that nearly 80% of U.S. companies make significant changes to their salesforce programs every two years or less (Zoltners, Sinha, & Lorimer, 2012). Additionally, the extant literature is limited in its ability to capture true antecedents to explain sales performance (Bolander, Satornino, Hughes, & Ferris, 2015; Plouffe, Sridharan, & Barclay, 2010). Significant variance remains unexplained in the understanding of sales performance, which suggests the behavioral determinants of sales performance are not straightforward nor sufficiently understood. This mixed-methods study provides empirical evidence regarding these gaps in the literature around measuring sales performance and its explanatory antecedents. This dissertation examines alternative explanations to account for sales performance variations. To this end, the salesperson's capability to relate, understand and generate genuine solutions for customers (what is called design attitude) is defined, and its antecedents and effects are explored across three empirical studies. Subsequent integration of these studies provides new insights into how to better explain sales performance grounded in the principle of design attitude. The first qualitative inquiry utilizes constructivist grounded theory to understand better what makes salespeople intrinsically motivated to pursue interpersonal relationships with customers. I find that they foster an identity of helping others by engaging in “systems-savvy selling.” Specifically, the study challenges the dominant logic by revealing that salespeople are not manipulating care and personal relationships to improve business outcomes. The system savvy-selling improves desired relational dynamics and fulfills psychological needs as salespeople view the selling process holistically and systematically. A quantitative study extends this line of inquiry by e (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen PhD (Committee Chair); Richard Jr. Boland PhD (Committee Member); Philip Cola PhD (Committee Member); Gary Hunter PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Marketing

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

This dissertation explores and describes the role of meaningful purpose, mission, and future aspiration in effective and sustainable organizing. It examines Purposing-as-a-process: A collective, creative, inclusive and dynamic process that continuously gives life to collective meaning and aspirations. An initial study of twelve organizations led to the conceptualization of Purposing as encompassing five factors: competence development and recognition; autonomy support; relatedness and caring connections; meaning-making; and ability to tolerate uncertainty (CARMA model). The second study examined these five factors of Purposing, showing direct positive effects from each of the factors on innovative behaviors, organizational commitment, and passion for learning in the workplace. The third single-case study put texture to Purposing. Using a prospective theory building and future approach, phenomenological interviews resulted in six propositions and future aspirations that were consensually validated with participants. This is the first study—with empirical data from the real world—that studies and advances the concept not of Purpose, but Purposing. Organizations as living systems always need to be anticipating the future and thinking beyond the possible. Findings move beyond reifying and objectifying purpose as a “thing,” a “tool,” or a static event, and construe that Purposing is a relational experience—one that nurtures collective calling. The central contribution of this dissertation is a series of propositions for Purposing as a vehicle to foster intrinsic motivation that enables self-organizing capacities. Purposing, as a generative factor, has the potential to foster innovative behavior, organizational commitment, and a passion for learning.

Committee: David Cooperrider (Committee Chair); Richard Boland Jr. (Committee Member); Ronald Fry (Committee Member); Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Member); Kim Cameron (Committee Member) Subjects: Entrepreneurship; Management; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Systems Design

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2017, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become a common diagnosis among children today. The numbers have grown exponentially in the last several decades and, despite extensive research and various treatment modalities, many children continue to struggle with its disruptive symptoms. Current research reports a poor prognosis for this population with difficulties continuing into adulthood. One of the difficulties noted is in their ability to develop intrinsic motivation when their behaviors have been managed by extrinsic rewards. Self Determination Theory (SDT) was used to conceptualize the difficulties around developing intrinsic motivation when an individual experiences symptoms of ADHD which impact several areas of functioning. SDT asserts that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are needed in order to develop intrinsic motivation. As such, it was hypothesized that ADHD symptoms and their treatment may be related to motivational difficulties in children with ADHD. The General Scale of the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was used to measure the intrinsic motivation of fourth and fifth graders, with and without ADHD, to explore possible differences in intrinsic motivation between groups. A total of 366 recruitment packets were sent home to families and resulted in 61 participants between the ages of 9-11. Test administration occurred within several elementary schools with the support of school principals and guidance counselors. The results of this research yielded only one statistically significant finding which illuminated a relationship of medium significance between age and intrinsic motivation. The lack of results in all other analyses indicate that there is no difference between the development of intrinsic motivation in children with ADHD when compared to their same-age peers. However, due to a small sample size, uneven diagnostic group distribution and the use of a subscale instead of a full measure, this study holds a low pow (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kathi Borden PhD (Committee Chair); Daniel LaFleur PhD (Committee Member); Barbara Belcher-Timme PsyD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology