Ph.D., Antioch University, 2013, Leadership and Change

Robert Greenleaf (1977) took a follower's, rather than a leader-centric, point of view of leadership by describing a leader as one who leads by serving. He identified a leader as one who sets other people's needs above his or her own. He argued that motivation of leaders must begin with the conscious choice to serve others. Greenleaf's concept provides the basis for a theoretical model of servant leadership. This dissertation examines the extent to which African American pastors exhibit servant leadership characteristics, using the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (Barbuto & Wheeler, 2006). A sample of 358 African American pastors from 11 denominations across the United States was included in this study. This study uses a non-experimental quantitative approach to examine the behaviors and attitudes of African American pastors through Barbuto and Wheeler's (2006) Servant Leadership Questionnaire, which has five factors (altruistic calling, emotional healing, organizational stewardship, persuasive mapping, and wisdom). The results of this study showed that African American pastors sometimes see themselves as servant leaders: that is, they fall into the middle range of the scale. Among various demographic variables, including age, gender, denomination, and years in service, a statistically significant difference in SLQ score was found only in size of church. Contrary to the study's initial expectations, African American pastors reported highest subscale scores on persuasive mapping and not altruistic calling. This finding invites further qualitative research. The electronic version of this dissertation is available through the OhioLink ETD Center at http://ohiolink.edu/etd.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2018, Educational Leadership

Little research exists that centers the experiences of African American women student affairs administrators in higher education. The challenges and barriers that exist for African American women student affairs administrators are complex and directly connected to the history of slavery, race and racism in the United States. Concepts such as mentorship, success, and leadership are situated in normative practices informed by White narratives and privileged vantage points. The aim of this qualitative study is to illuminate how the experiences of African American women student affairs administrators at predominantly White institutions support or contradict leadership models often used as frameworks for development and strategy. The research questions are as follows: What are the experiences of African American women student affairs administrators at predominantly White institutions in higher education as they relate to race and gender? How do participants describe reflecting on, considering, or implementing leadership models in their work as student affairs administrators? And how do the experiences of African American women within student affairs at predominantly White institutions reflect or problematize the Servant Leadership model? The research questions were answered using critical narrative to provide voice to a marginalized population. My dissertation challenges colleges and Universities to consider the impact of using White narratives to standardize behaviors and strategies across all social identities. The findings also urges universities to address environments that continue the oppression and exploitation of Black women student affairs administrators in higher education.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Leadership Studies

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore, understand, and profile the leadership experiences of Black male leaders residing in Northwest Ohio. The guiding question was “In what way do the racialized and spiritual experiences of Black men influence their leadership?” This study was an exploration of how these men navigated through personal and professional obstacles by relying heavily on spiritual relationships with others and/or a higher power as they lead through service. Portraiture was the biographical method utilized in this study. Portraiture is a qualitative method that blends art, science, and social critique with intent of storying as well as learning from the lives of the Black men in this study. Leadership is the influential relationship among leaders and followers directed through the communication process toward the attainment of goals by influencing through vision, values, and relationships. In this study, these men illustrate their leadership by employing spirituality, servant hood, and their identity as Black men. I presented in depth portraits that expand and illustrate elements of the conceptual framework. This study contributes to the understanding of leadership experiences from a Black male perspective. The overarching themes in this study were: (a) spirituality, (b) servant leadership, and (c) Black identity. The data illustrate these themes in addition to a reconfiguration and combination of the themes that produce what I have coined critical servant leadership. As critical servant leaders, these men merge spirituality, servant leadership, and Black identity into a visionary, empowering, prophetic soul force in an effort to lead and benefit those in their communities whose voice is muted. Lastly, this dissertation provides a framework and serves as a catalyst for future studies on leadership.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2019, Leadership and Change

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which servant leadership characteristics are exhibited in medical group practices, and the degree to which servant leadership characteristics correlated with measures of empathic care. This study featured an explanatory mixed methods research design embedded in appreciative inquiry. A total of 189 mid-level practitioners consisting of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and practice mangers responded to a 32-item scale survey that featured a six-point Likert scale to measure servant leadership items and a 10-point continuous scale to assess measures of empathic care. The servant leadership items were based on the seven pillars of servant leadership. Data analyses included assessing means, standard deviations, and percentage distributions for servant leadership statements and empathic care statements. Additionally, bivariate correlation analysis and standard multiple regression analysis were conducted to assess the degree of influence of servant leadership characteristics on measures of empathic care. Findings from this study identified Pillar 1 (Persons of Character) as the servant leadership pillar most strongly exhibited in the medical group practices. Furthermore, Pillar 5 (Has Foresight) was the strongest correlate of reported empathic care within medical group practices as well as team members' proclivity to practice servant leadership behaviors with patients more than with each other. The study also found that clinicians and non-clinicians significantly differed in their endorsement of all of the servant leadership pillars except Pillar 1 (Persons of Character). The findings of this dissertation point to strategies for promoting an environment of empathic care, and team building and organizational development and training in the medical group practices. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, h (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2013, Leadership and Change

Franciscan education has a long tradition of educating the whole student—educating to make better citizens. The focus of this research was to examine the success of that tradition, namely, whether a positive correlation exists between servant leadership of faculty members and higher levels of engagement with their students. Full-time professors at three Franciscan institutions of higher education completed the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), which measures participants' level of servant leadership, and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), which measures the engagement of the students with faculty. The results of the SLQ and FSSE were organized to answer two research questions: (1) To what extent do faculty in these institutions exhibit the qualities of servant leadership? (2) Among full-time professors teaching at Franciscan institutions of higher education, what is the relationship between servant leadership and deep approaches to learning? This study captured the effects of self-identified faculty “servant ” leaders and their potential to encourage deeper approaches to learning for students, with the hope of creating an environment more squarely within the Franciscan tradition of this learning community. The study's results indicated a link between servant leadership and deep approaches to learning with a strong correlation to emotional healing. The electronic version of this Dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

Exploring how school leaders address underrepresented student voices, meaning those of marginalized experiences along the continuum of social identity including though not limited to race, class, gender, immigration, and LGBTQ issues in schools is more essential than ever following the novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19). Principals' social identities (i.e., race, class, and gender), and their connected social locations and personal histories reveal how their leadership styles can contribute to the support of marginalized communities. Hence, this qualitative research study employed a case study methodology to investigate whether and how the social identities and lived experiences of principals in the Brooklyn and Bronx school districts of New York City inform their school leadership practices and help them navigate the policies in place to address social constructions of difference and other critical issues in highly diverse schools. Guided by the critical case sampling method, a total of five principals native to four different countries were selected for their diversity and years of experience in NYC school leadership were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. Both the research questions and study protocol drew on multiple leadership theories and applied a social justice leadership lens to reveal if and how urban public-school leaders support their school communities by advocating for equity, inclusion, and diversity. Six themes intersected by immigrant narratives emerged from the data, creating a shared social identity and connected purpose among the participating principals. Each principal expressed their social identities metaphorically through their respective immigrant experiences in a sense-making process that explained their leadership styles and understanding of complex issues that occurred in their schools, pre- and post-pandemic. The leadership narratives explored may serve as resources and catalysts for school transformation (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

In today's mainline Protestant churches, young women clergy navigate a precarious leadership space. While women's ordination is well-established in American Protestantism (Burnett, 2017), Gen-X/Millennial clergy women find themselves at the crosshairs of conflicting gender narratives and unsustainable expectations of what it means to be both a woman and an ordained pastoral leader. Through the use of feminist constructivist grounded theory methodology, this study explored the lived experiences of Gen-X/Millennial clergy women who have left active ministry or a specific pastoral position due to concerns over their own interpersonal boundaries and psychological safety. Through dimensional analysis of in-depth interviews with 20 clergy women representing eight mainline Protestant denominations, this study identified the co-core dimensions of experiencing feminized servanthood as dehumanizing and experiencing feminized servanthood as abusive. The social processes within these co-core dimensions severely compromised the clergy women's physical and psychological safety and informed their decisions to leave their respective ministry contexts. Extending from these co-core dimensions were five primary dimensions: 1) developing a sense of call; 2) differentiating self from system; 3) exposing vs. protecting toxic leaders and harmful systems; 4) nail in the coffin; and 5) reconstituting self. As a result of these findings, this study presents five theoretical propositions that address 1) the shadow side of servant leadership in the context of feminized servanthood; 2) reclaiming Gen-X/Millennial women's leadership strengths; 3) perceptions of self-differentiated women leaders as a “dissident daughter” and an “emasculating disruptor”; 4) gendered scapegoating and the disappearance of Gen-X/Millennial clergy women; and 5) reconstituting self beyond “reckoning” and “resilience.” This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD cent (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2024, Educational Administration (Education)

This study seeks to investigate and illuminate what Superintendents perceive to be their democratic ethos and how they maintain their orientation in the context of school board interactions and/or relationships. A democratic ethos is seen by this study as the intrapersonal convictions needed to enable Superintendents to continually drive forward with their practices, even when policy, school-boards, and the community seem to falter. The schoolboard-Superintendent relationship represents a microcosm of American society and overarching democratic values. The research is concerned with the relational synthesis of two concepts by Superintendents as a mechanism for sustaining a system of governance and ensuring the longitudinal growth and progress of the educational systems they work in. Approached as a multiple-case analyses, this study presents the narratives of a group of 10 Superintendents who self-identify democratically. This research sees the concepts of political literacy and social democracy as intertwined. The study has implications for informing the leadership of practicing Superintendents as well as leadership preparation programs, both for K-12 settings as well as post-secondary institutions and can extend to inform the practice of any individual who is charged with organizational leadership throughout the course of their daily demands.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2024, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

This research sought to define pastoral leaders' leadership characteristics in congregational settings that create collaborative and distributive ministry leadership through team engagement. The purpose of this research was to examine leadership characteristics resulting in collaboration and distributive ministry leadership with team engagement. The research aimed to help pastoral leaders with the responsibilities of 21st-century congregational ministry and lessen the experiences of burnout. Study participants were pastoral leaders and at least two council members from congregations affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the Southern Ohio Synod (SOS). The mixed methods concurrent QUAN-qual study utilized the Leadership Practices Inventory and the Shared Professional Leadership Inventory to measure various leadership characteristics and team engagement in the quantitative strand. The qualitative strand used three open-ended questions to assess further the presence of team engagement and pastoral leaders' leadership characteristics. The research question encompassed several components, including the leadership characteristics of pastoral leaders and the relationship between specific leadership characteristics of Transformational, Servant, and Shared leadership models and team engagement. The study findings found relationships between several leadership behaviors and team engagement in congregations. The research into leadership characteristics and team engagement assisted in the development of a best practices profile and training outline for congregational pastoral leaders to share and distribute ministry responsibilities with members to reduce feelings of burnout.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2023, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact that peer feedback can have on the leadership styles and methods of adolescents. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews with a sample of 19 volunteer students from a Midwestern boarding school. The adolescents were asked to share their feelings on leadership, peer feedback, and whether these two categories impacted one another. Saturation was met after the 19th interview and data analysis indicated several themes. Adolescents strongly desire feedback from their peers related to leadership, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. There is also a strong belief that adults provide the foundation for leadership learning, but most meaningful leadership lessons come from interactions with other adolescents. The results of this study provided opportunities for additional research possibilities. One of these would be to conduct a longitudinal study to assess how leadership definitions change over time. There could also be studies implemented to assess the impact of prolonged negative feedback on leadership efficacy, the long-term effect peer feedback has on leadership, and the impact that giving feedback has on individuals.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

The goal is to shine light theologically on the role of transformational leadership in the missional church. What concepts about pneumatological discipleship, influence, power, authority, and transformational leadership suit a radically missional church? Radical missional challenges demand new notions about servant and transformational leadership. Pneumatological discipleship, as well as transformational leadership, must reflect the identity, calling, life, and order of the church. This autoethnographic action research project, therefore, addresses life in the Trinity and participation in the Missio Dei and outlines the radically missional church as the point of entry to develop transformational leadership insights and pneumatological discipleship practices. It contributes towards creating an appropriate model of pneumatological discipleship and transformational leadership for radically missional churches. Recent developments in the theology of mission seem to address the area of missional ecclesiology comprehensively. However, there is a gap in the development of pneumatological discipleship and transformational leadership models based on the concept of authority in the radically missional church.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2023, Education

Background: Equine facilitated learning (EFL) leadership programs have recently gained recognition as a novel approach to teaching leadership but are not widely known or researched. Methods: A study was conducted from the text of 13 selected EFL leadership program websites using qualitative thematic content analysis. Program characteristics, missions, values, and program goals and objectives were researched. Also investigated were program leadership themes listed on the 13 websites, their relationship to authentic, servant, situational, and transformational leadership theories, evaluation tools used by those theories, and how leadership incorporates into programs. Results: Program characteristics were inconsistent and may be confusing to potential participants. Programs do not specifically tie to leadership theories when teaching their classes, do not appear to be training leadership in specific ways, and lack evidence regarding how they, and their evaluations, relate to authentic, servant, situational, and transformational leadership theories. Conclusions: More consistency among programs and further research is recommended.

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2022, College of Education

This dissertation researches the lived experience of Black males ages 18-39 and their level of participation with the Baptist church in Columbus, Ohio. Recent researchers have identified specifically the mass exodus of Black men leaving the church (Lampley, 2017). The PEW Research Center reported in a 2014 Religion Landscape Study that the decline in the presence and engagement of the young adult population within Christian religious communities has become a worldwide issue, not limited to a single denomination, race, or location. Recent studies suggest that the church has always satisfied the spiritual need to help Black men in providing leadership to their families and community (Collins et al., 2015). However, this study will identify and understand the mitigating factors absent in past research that motivate this group of Black men's commitment to attending and participating in church. This dissertation uses Ryan and Deci's (1985) self-determination theory and Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory (1943) as frameworks within which to understand this phenomenon.

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

The purpose of this concurrent mixed-methods study is to explore the use of student engagement and cocurricular student philanthropy education as an approach to awareness raising and as a mechanism for creating a culture of philanthropy among college students. This dissertation is a synthesis of the review with a consensus that student engagement and cocurricular student philanthropy education create greater awareness, learning, and intentions around philanthropy and prosocial behavior, as well as increased instances of making charitable contributions and civic engagement. The study concludes that student engagement and cocurricular philanthropy education are effective mechanisms for creating a culture of giving. Therefore, emerging from this study is a call for college and universities to consider the use of cocurricular student philanthropy education as an approach to life-long engagement and giving. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center, (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Master of Science (M.S.), Xavier University, 2022, Psychology

This study examined the relationships among servant leadership, team cohesion, service culture, and procedural justice. It was hypothesized that service culture and procedural justice would correlate with servant leadership and team cohesion. It was also hypothesized that service culture and procedural justice would mediate the relationship between servant leadership and team cohesion. A total of 125 participants were recruited using Prolific, and after data cleaning, 120 participants' responses were retained. Results supported all the hypotheses, such that service culture and procedural justice positively correlated with servant leadership and team cohesion, and more importantly, they both fully mediated the servant leadership-team cohesion relationship. These findings imply that the positive correlation between servant leadership and team cohesion is mediated by a culture that promotes procedural justice and service. By treating employees similarly, distributing resources fairly, communicating that process fairly, and modeling serving behaviors, servant leaders can make an impact on how well their team members work together.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

Organizations including institutions of higher education recognize the importance of increasing gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership ranks among women, especially if they want to be top competitors in their industries. Gender diversity increases collaboration, innovation, varied perspectives, increased staff retention and buy-in for new employees determining if they want to work for an organization in question, and a more comprehensive talent pool (People Management, 2021). Previous strategies used to increase gender diversity in leadership have included providing professional development or mentorship opportunities for all women; however, these strategies fail to take into account an intersectional lens and the various ways in which non-white women are affected by discrimination and inequity. “White women have it both ways, they may be may victimized by sexism, but racism enables them to act as exploiters to Black people” (bell hooks,1984 as cited in Kilpatrick, 2020, para. 2). Race and gender in particular create additional barriers to Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) and their advancement. “White female racism undermines the feminist struggle (bell hooks, 1984 as cited in Kilpatrick, 2020, para. 2)”, further alienating or distancing BIWOC in organizations. Given the additional barriers BIWOC confront, what can organizations and institutions of higher education do to further support opportunities for advancement, that may thereby increase their sense of trust, belonging, and organizational commitment? This Critical Hermeneutic Phenomenological Action Research study explored the lived experiences of current and former Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) higher education leaders, defined as director and above, and their perceptions of and access to opportunities that support positional advancement, including formal or informal mentorship and sponsorship. The frameworks used to inform the study include Critical/Critical Ra (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2022, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This study assessed a linkage between father-nurture or lack thereof and the development of leadership capacities through the lens of Bowlby's (1969, 1988) Attachment Theory. The constructs of father-nurture or lack thereof, which was theoretically grounded in Bowlby's key parental attachments of Secure, Anxious-Resistant, and Anxious-Avoidant, were measured by the five constructs of Safe, Fearful, Parentified, Distant, and Dependent relationship with fathers or father-figures during childhood and adolescence, delineated from Michael and Snow's (2019) Adult Scale of Parental Attachment. The leadership capacities were measured by the aspects of cognitive, moral, and social-emotional development that have been emphasized from well-established leadership theories—Authentic, Charismatic, Servant-Leadership, and Transformational/Transactional. In a sample of 38 adult participants, multiple linear regression models provide evidence that 1) those with a lower level of feeling Safe with fathers or father-figures exhibit a significantly lower level of leadership capacities from the aspects of cognitive and moral development, and 2) those with a higher level of feeling a Distant relationship with fathers or father-figures are significantly more likely to show a lower level of leadership capacities from the aspect of cognitive development. This study signifies the roles of fathers or father-figures during childhood and adolescence in the development process of leadership capacities from the aspects of cognitive and moral development.

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)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Kinesiology

Modern leadership styles such as transformational and transactional leadership are well documented and practiced within the intercollegiate athletic industry. Although the case, inequities and historic scandals have continued to negatively impact the industry. As a result, practitioners and scholars alike have advocated for a reexamination of various leadership styles and practices. Various scholars have proposed that servant leadership may be a solution to the inequities and scandals faced in the industry. While the benefits of servant leadership have been well documented in literature, no study has examined the antecedents within the context of intercollegiate athletics. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics, experiences, and practices of servant leadership among Athletic Directors and other senior level administrators. A two-part, mixed method approach was utilized in this study. The first phase included the utilization of the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), and multiple regression analysis. The second phase include semi-structure interviewing of athletic directors and other senior level administrators. The results of this study indicated three main findings: First, senior level administrators exhibit servant leadership characteristics—people oriented, humility, authenticity, commitment to ethical behavior, providing direction, and wisdom. Secondly, childhood experiences, role models, religious experiences and professional development experiences influenced servant leadership behavior among senior level administrators. Thirdly, senior level administrators who exhibit servant leadership characteristics, implement various people-centric practices that demonstrate servant leadership behaviors. The results, practical implications and potential for future studies were also discussed in this study.

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Business Administration

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to understand the experiences of dual leadership for African American women. The research question for the study is: What are the lived experiences of African American women leaders in ministry and the workplace? The homogenous sample consisted of nine study participants from the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States of America. The participants represented four generations ranging in age from 21-76. The participants had an average of 16 years in ministry leadership and 20 years in the workplace. Data collection involved face-to-face interviews using a video conferencing platform with an average interview time of 55 minutes guiding the data collection process. Eight principal themes containing subthemes relating to codes materialized from the data: leadership styles, experiences of microaggressions, systemic sexism, health impact, culture, perception of religiosity and faith, business and leadership relationship, and dual leadership. The study utilized the software instrument ATLAS.ti to organize systematically, code, identify and link research themes, and assist with data analysis.