Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2001, Department of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

This research was designed to (1) identify obstacles in the principal's environment that inhibit the successful discharge of duties; (2) identify demographic, experiential, or educational factors that may serve as indicators to barriers; (3) identify correlations between demographic factors and indicators of effectiveness; (4) identify tasks considered essential to the day-to-day operation of schools; and (5) determine the principal's level of satisfaction with her or his university-based preparation programs. Survey research was the methodology used and the research design was a blend of descriptive and correlational studies. A three-part survey instrument was used to elicit the perceptions of Pennsylvania high school principals concerning the existence of barriers and to gather information on the emphasis placed on the eight job dimensions of the principalship identified by Smith and Andrew (1989). Leithwood and Montgomery's 1984 research was used as the basis for development of survey items dealing with barriers. The study was limited to Pennsylvania school districts with one high school. Results of the study indicated that the demographic factors used in the survey do not serve as indicators of barriers and that barriers exist in the principal's environment regardless of setting, educational, or experiential background. A principal's attitude toward specific items does appear to serve as an indicator of barriers. Pennsylvania high school principals indicated that pre-service expectations of the principalship match their current duties and that university-based preparation programs did not adequately prepare them for the principalship. Further study is needed to determine the extent of the relationship between barriers and attitude.

Committee: Reene Alley (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 1998, Department of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

This doctoral study was designed to examine the conflict management style preferences of Pennsylvania superintendents and the congruency between the superintendents' conflict management style preferences and their school board presidents' perceptions of the superintendents' conflict management style preferences. The principal instrument used was the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (Thomas & Kilmann, 1974). This instrument is based on the work of Robert Blake and Jane Mouton who delineate two basic dimensions of behavior: 1) assertiveness and 2) cooperativeness. Based on the results of this study, school board presidents and superintendents perceived different perspectives regarding the superintendents' conflict management styles. There was also incongruency with regard to the superintendents' styles and those perceived by the school board presidents in varied conflict situations. Demographic data indicated that conflict management styles were influenced by size, type, and wealth of district but not by age of superintendents. A knowledge of conflict management styles and how decisions made during conflict episodes influence perceptions can lead to a better understanding of conflict management techniques, enhance team management concepts, and improved training of both superintendents and school board members. The results of this research indicate the need for effective training which addresses perceptions, communication, attributions, and power relationships of school board presidents and superintendents.

Committee: Linda Wesson (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 1998, Department of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

This post hoc, descriptive case study sought to determine the utility of Tom Peters' excellence model (Peters & Austin, 1985) for and educational organization. The study attempted to refine Peters' theory by analyzing and evaluating the experience of the Canfield (OH) Local Schools in implementing this model during the period 1986-1993. Questions addressed were these: (a) Which components of Peters' excellence model, as implemented in this school district, proved useful to an educational organization—particularly, regarding the implementation of specific innovations? and (b) What were the limitations of Peters' model, as implemented in Canfield? Factors considered included the model's four components, as operationalized in Canfield, and four specific innovations implemented by the school district. This study indicated that Canfield Local had, in fact, implemented Peters' model's four components; however, the effectiveness of strategies employed to implement Peters' model varied. Further, the utility of each model component was not equal for this school district and varied according to the innovation implemented.

Committee: Robert Beebe (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 1995, Department of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of teachers and supervisors toward the principal leadership behaviors of female secondary principals in Ohio. Principal self-perceptions were also included to complete the study. The literature shows that women continue to be underrepresented in a field in which the majority of professionals are women, therefore the reasons for underrepresentation warrant investigation. Although women are beginning to move into such ranks more frequently, line administrative positions continue to be dominated by males, and few women hold the positions of high school principal and school district superintendent, positions which continue to be particularly resistant to the advancement of females. Randomly selected school districts in Ohio were involved in this investigation, the participants of which completed a copy of Philip Hallinger's Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS), a scale which afforded the opportunity to compare the perceptions of superordinates, principals, and subordinates. The results indicated significant differences between principal gender and the responses of others on most of the subscales of the PIMRS. The mean subscale results were much higher for female principals than for male principals as well. The conclusions of this study indicate that there is significant difference in perceptions of principal leadership behavior regarding gender. Principals also judge their own leadership behavior significantly differently based on gender.

Committee: Robert Beebe (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 1995, Department of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

This study examines the place of women in the culture of the high school principal. I used feminist analysis as a critique of the positivist paradigm of educational bureaucracy and the masculinist discourse that forms the culture of the high school principal. I used this culture as a microcosm of the larger culture. Through semi-structured interviews with five female high school principals from northern Ohio, I provided an opportunity for them to give voice to their discourses regarding their places in the culture of the high school principal. Through an examination of their discourses, I looked for expression of resistance and acceptance of the masculinized discourse of the culture that they inhabit. I proposed that an interpretation of their discourses can be used to make visible the link between gender and power relations. This visibility will further enable people to re-evaluate their own processes and situations and may provide a forum for mulitvoiced negotiation of difference and possible emancipatory constructions.

Committee: Robert Beebe (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Education : Urban Educational Leadership

This quantitative study was designed to exam leadership styles of school principals and student effectiveness in selected urban elementary schools in the State of Ohio. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X) assessed school principals' leadership styles as transformational, transactional or laissez-faire. The purpose of this study was to identify leadership styles of school principals in emerging, urban schools and to determine if certain leadership styles had a relationship to school effectiveness as defined by growth in the Performance Index. Emerging schools were defined as schools that showed a growth in their Performance Index over a three-year period. This study included both high performing schools as well as low performing schools; more importantly, the study examined schools that have shown growth over a three-year period. The primary goal of this study was to examine the predictive relationship between measures of leadership styles and school effectiveness. “Is there a relationship between leadership styles and school effectiveness or growth as measured by the Performance Index in elementary schools in the State of Ohio?” The researcher hypothesized that specific leadership styles will have a relationship on the school performance index as measured by differences in performance index scores from year one to year three. Eighty-one participants volunteered for the study. This included nineteen principals and sixty-two teachers. Multiple Regression was used to examine the relationship between the principal's leadership styles (Independent Variable) and growth in the Performance Index (Dependent Variable). The 19 principals' dominant leadership style was transformational leadership. The regression model failed to be significant; therefore, based on the data, leadership as measured by the MLQ-5X is not a good predictor for growth. The relationship on school leadership and growth was not significantly substantial. Although there was no predictive rela (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Lanthan Camblin (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Education : Urban Educational Leadership

This study ascertains why there are so few African-American male superintendents; and it determines factors that led those African-Americans males who are in the superintendency to seek positions in the urban superintendency. The population studied was African-American male superintendents in the Mid-Western states. The study was limited by the small number of superintendents in Mid-Western states as well as in the study. The review of the literature has a three-part focus:(a) to examine Critical Race Theory and its implications for the educational attainment of African-Americans in America; (b) to examine Social Reproduction Theory as a mechanism to eliminate African-American males from the superintendency; and (c) to utilize the review of the literature in order to redefine the urban superintendency. The present study is a qualitative study and a phenomenological study supported by grounded research theory. A phenomenological study describes and interprets the self-reported experiences of participants who are selected because they have lived the experiences being investigated and were willing to discuss their experiences.

Committee: Dr. Mary Brydon-Miller (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Education : Urban Educational Leadership

Several studies have dug into the secrets of Catholic education, the mission of Catholic schools, and the relationship between parents and Catholic schools (Warren, Young & Hanifin, 2003; McLaughlin, 2002; Wojcicki, 2001; Archer, 2000; Bryk, Lee & Holland, 1993; Convey, 1992). Other studies have examined recently the disturbances of urban Catholic schools closings (O'Keefe, 2005; Coday, 2005; Greeley, 2005; Zehr, 2005; Zimmerman, 2005; O'Keefe & Evans, 2004; Cattaro, 2002b). However, very few looked at parents' expectations of and experiences with Catholic schools in urban settings. Little information was provided as well about how administrators in urban Catholic schools use parents' input to make needed change. This study used qualitative methods to explore the stories of parents in three urban elementary Catholic schools that serve children coming mostly from low-income families – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – in the American Midwest. To understand parents' expectations, this study used field observations, school archival data, and the transcripts of structured interviews with 30 parents, 5 teachers, and 3 principals. This research attempted to answer three questions: What do parents expect of their urban Catholic schools? Are urban Catholic schools meeting parents' expectations? How are urban Catholic schools changing to address parents' expectations or concerns? It was brought to light that parents expected urban Catholic schools to provide well-rounded education, strong discipline, sound religion classes, and a safe environment. They expected the Catholic school to reinforce the moral teaching that they provided to their children at home, and to communicate with them through conferences, calls, and notes about their children's academic, behavioral, and spiritual development. Parents also expected teachers to be patient and understanding, fair and firm, dedicated and interested in their job. Parents who said that they were involved with their children's edu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Nancy Evers (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

The objective of this study was to systematically examine the impact of the Advanced Leadership Training course on a Midwest urban school district. Interviews with 29 of approximately 70 participating principals were the primary data source for the study. Each of these professionals participated in 11 half-day training sessions that occurred over a five-month period at the Academy. During this training, principals studied best practices in five domains of leadership: establishing a clear and positive direction, ensuring accountability, selecting and developing outstanding people, providing instructional leadership, and establishing positive relationships. Data included a focused interview during which principals discussed their perceptions of each of the topics covered and any impact on their professional practice or thinking as a result of participation in the course. Principals were also invited during the interview to discuss their perceptions of the training itself and how their own needs were met through the course. Data obtained during these interviews and subsequent analysis may inform those at the Academy about the principal's activities, the impact of their activities, and impediments to greater impact. The following research will guide this investigation. The research shows that principals believed themselves to have improved their professional practice in three of the five domains of leadership covered in the course. Specific practices that were altered or initiated are reported as well as the contextual realities that inhibited and supported principal growth.

Committee: Dr. Lawrence Johnson (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Education : Educational Administration

School systems across the state of Ohio, as well as across the country, are continually investigating ways to improve student achievement and student outcomes on standardized tests. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship between school culture and student outcomes on the 6th grade reading section of the Ohio Proficiency Test. More specifically, this study examined the presence of a specific type of school culture based on resiliency theory. This study examined the presence of a resilient culture as perceived by the teachers within the school and the relationship to student outcomes on the 6th grade reading section of the Ohio Proficiency Test. The following conclusions were drawn: 1.This study indicates that school culture should be one variable considered when examining student outcomes and how to improve student success on high stakes tests. Furthermore, two sub-scales (Teaching of Life Skills and High Expectations) of a specific type of school culture known as a resilient school culture have been found to significantly impact proficiency scores in this exploratory study. 2.Even though one participating school had greater than 50% of its students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, it was able to get more than 50% of its students to pass the 6th grade Reading Proficiency Test. This same school had the highest average response rate on 14 of the 36 items administered on the “Assessing School Resiliency Building” survey. The information discussed and the findings of this study have implications for school administrators, teachers, superintendents, state agencies, intervention specialists, researchers, parents, and most of all students.

Committee: Dr. Nancy Evers (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Education : Educational Leadership

Urban high school women principals are a very unique and small group of administrators who may bring a different perspective to how schools may be more effective. Throughout the public education system in the United States, women have become a very viable force in providing leadership to urban secondary schools. Many popular and professional writers argue that males and females lead differently and even the way women lead, that is, more nurturing, democratic and empowering, is the way organizations should be led. The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership styles of women high school principals and how these particular traits and characteristics translate into effective models of education. The research sought to answer one question. How do women principals in urban high schools lead schools to success? Through the use of personal narrative and analysis of archival data, women high school principals were given the unique opportunity to tell their stories of their journeys to the role of high school principal as well as the road they travel daily in their present role. The study design was qualitative in nature and involved the analysis of personal interviews, archival documentation and field observation. The three women high school principals interviewed had traveled different paths as they ascended to the role of principal. They had served in many varied roles from program directors, assistant principals, field supervisors, and central office positions. Although each woman told a very different story, these women utilized several common practices. It is hoped that through the study of these very personal stories that a better understanding of the way women lead emerges. If any change toward advancement for women in educational leadership is to take place, the very basis for change, the research, must also change.

Committee: Dr. Mark Gooden (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Education : Educational Leadership

This exploratory research study sought to describe the work of three women secondary principals in relation to the ISLLC Standards and measures of their school performance. A survey was adapted from the Kentucky State of Education to provide a 360° descriptive analysis from key individuals working directly working with each of these three women. Furthermore, a descriptive analysis was conducted on student performance outcomes to see how well achievement is supported in each of these three school settings. In addition, the study integrated school performance outcome data, comparative mean, Chi-Square, and factor analyses on open- and closed-questions from the survey to see similarities and differences as well as comparisons against present research of women in educational leadership to describe how women leaders are affecting their schools. The following conclusions were made: 1. The 6 ISLLC Standards are strongly correlated to one another and are a viable measurement of principal performance. The organization of the 6 ISLLC Standards and their 97 performance outcomes are not generalized to school community stakeholders in the way they were designed. Ohio's State Report Card Indicators and this study's School Performance Profiles give a strong indication to how these principals lead their schools. 2.In the study's three schools, the School's Performance Profile is supported by the strong leadership of these three women principals. 3.The general population of teachers at these three schools perceives that “Ethics, Fairness, and Integrity” is the most important quality of their principal's performance is related to 4.Similar to the responses of the teachers, principals placed the importance of “Ethics, Integrity, and Fairness” as their most important quality of leadership. The principals in this study tended to be more critical of themselves than the other key individuals working with them. This was not the case in the “Continuous Improvement” school (as rated by the S (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Kent Seidel (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2002, Education : Educational Administration

This qualitative photo-ethnography was designed to determine if visual documentation of an innovative, introductory pre-service program for educational administrators, which emphasizes reflective journaling and interpersonal relationships, can produce a rich, accurate depiction of the products, processes, activities, content, and interactions that participants believe are important to growth of their interpersonal communication, collegiality, and team-building in an organization. The study assumes a cultural perspective of the participants (Spradley, 1980) to collect and discover that data. Ethnographic field data collection methods were used to collect field notes and visual documentation of the actions and interactions of participants and instructional staff. Documents related to the program's content were collected throughout field observation for review and analysis. Forty-three members of a pre-service administrative leadership-training program were visually documented using digital/traditional photography to record/analyze the products, processes, activities, content, and interactions that participants believe are important to growth of their interpersonal communication, collegiality, and team-building in an organization. Temporally recorded insider images are utilized to validate journal entries/personal reflections, and enable outsiders to viscerally enter the leadership academy training experience in the pre-service administrator training program. Analysis of this data suggests that this preparation program builds upon best practice preparation programs for school leaders. Participant journals and contemporaneous photo production were found to be an authentic way to document a shared experience, expanding methodology technique in educational research. The data suggests that the program's success may be linked to its emphasis on practical application and collegial relationships in a shared immersion experience.

Committee: Dr. John Hill (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2001, Educational Administration and Supervision

Workplace humor has not been extensively explored in naturalistic settings to provide insight into organizational culture. The purpose of this study was to explore the role that humor plays in shaping organizational culture. A qualitative study using focus groups and participant observation was conducted to develop an analytic description of humorous interplay as it relates to such topics as identification and cohesion; influence, power and control; and conflict management. During the participant observation activities, workers of every hierarchical level were surreptitiously observed in small and large groups and their humorous interactions were documented. Focus group participants were randomly selected into one of five groups based on hierarchical level and job function. Participants were asked to share their perceptions, beliefs, and experiences related to workplace humor. The use of humor is purposeful and serves a number of psychological and social functions. Workers reported that they use humor mostly to reduce tension and stress; to entertain; to build rapport; to share positive feelings; and to illustrate a point. This was in contrast to what was observed: humor is often used to demean or insult others; to express superiority over others; and to transmit verbally aggressive messages. In some ways humor was created and experienced similarly by workers in all hierarchical levels, however, most of the time humor is perceived and experienced differently by workers in the various levels of the organization. Likewise, humor was often used to meet different goals depending on the rank of the worker. Many benefits to humor use were identified and few negative consequences. Humor serves to socialize workers to the beliefs, values, and rules of agency behavior, and once they have been socialized, it functions to maintain these norms. Humor is both a cultural artifact and a culture-encoder that is affected by and effects organizational structure and practices. Observi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jack Maynard (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Educational Policy and Leadership

Although much has been written about such important topics as teacher quality and professionalism, few discussions of these concepts draw upon theoretically integrated and empirically grounded formulations of professionalism in teaching. Most considerations of professionalism focus on individual-level characteristics rather than on properties of the organizations that contextualize the actual work of teaching. This exploratory study seeks to establish a theoretically grounded construct of teacher professionalism that can be validly and reliably measured. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from two dissimilar Midwestern high schools for the purposes of this exploration. Findings validated an individual level measure of teacher professionalism, and established its usability in future research of the construct at the organizational level.

Committee: Wayne Hoy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Educational Policy and Leadership

While its importance and impact on students and schools has been the focus of much research, as a construct unto itself, parent volunteerism has received very little attention. In fact, there is no clear agreement as to what constitutes parent volunteerism or even an understanding as to what types of jobs are generally considered to be parent volunteer activities. Moving toward a definition, this study presents an ontology of four different subgroups of parents and how they elect to participate in either high risk or low risk volunteer activities for educational organizations. High risk activities include those tasks or jobs in which parent volunteers have access to sensitive student information, or assume responsibility for school-aged children, school-owned equipment, or government property. Low risk activities include those that typically do not place children, the school, or the volunteer in legal jeopardy. Each ontology contains three coefficients representing the relationship between the attributes for personal time availability, socio-economic status, and social and cultural capital and either High Risk volunteer tasks or Low Risk activities. Using Structural Equation Modeling of data taken from the Special Volunteer Supplement of the Current Population Survey of 2005 reveals that parent's time availability and socio-economic status are not significant predictors of their self-determinations of the activities they performed as volunteers. On the other hand, social and cultural capital is a very strong predictor, especially for minority mothers. Other findings show that parents consider their volunteer activities as being strongly task-oriented, that fathers engage in more activities dealing directly with children, while mothers engage in more social activities such as serving on committees.

Committee: William Loadman (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Educational Policy and Leadership

This study examined the ways in which students in an urban school district responded to being educated in substandard facilities. The purpose of this study was to arrive at an understanding with respect to students' attitudes, perceptions and beliefs regarding the environment(s) in which they are educated. The questions which guided this research were: 1.) To what extent do students perceive their achievement, motivation and/or personal conduct is affected by facility condition? 2.) In what ways does facility condition affect students' perceptions of the overall quality of teaching and administrative staffing within their building? 3.) In what ways does facility condition affect students' perceptions of the degree to which their school district values their education and personal safety? Data consisted of surveys, interviews and observations which were conducted during the district's 2006 traditional Summer School session. Data were collected from fourteen middle school and twenty-five high school students over a period of six weeks. Each participant was enrolled in Summer School courses and completed one fourteen item survey and one interview with the researcher. The researcher also conducted observations within the various Summer School settings. Analysis involved coding responses from surveys and interviews into categories along emergent themes, followed by an item analysis concerning the frequency with which each code surfaced in the study. Analysis revealed students perceived there to be a connection between the condition of the school they attended and their motivation, conduct and achievement. The study also showed students regarded the quality of staffing in their educational environments as being contingent upon the condition of the school itself. Students held the point of view that teachers and principals of higher quality were employed elsewhere and were more effective in well-maintained schools. The study revealed a connection between students' percepti (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Philip Daniel (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Educational Policy and Leadership

This study examines the efforts of the large, urban Midwestern School District to provide socially productive community-based learning experiences for all of its high school students through community service and work-based internships. Many argue that student participation in community service and work-based learning addresses many occupational and citizenship disengagement risks faced by high school students today especially in higher poverty and traditionally low academically-achieving urban contexts. The principal hypothesis, informed by ecological systems theory, is that social support from adult supervisors and mentors will positively affect students' occupational and citizenship engagement orientations over and above the influence that programmatic experiences provide. The researcher conceptualizes social support as having a mentor, receiving information about future plans, encouragement, and written and verbal performance feedback in the course of their program activities. Occupational and citizenship engagement orientations are those attitudes or intentions demonstrated by students at the end of their senior year to pursue a career pathway and to engage in future political and civic behaviors. Findings from this study suggest that programmatic experiences alone are insufficient to produce the desired outcomes unless social support for student efforts accompanies them. The Internship Program of the Midwestern District exemplifies the phenomenon of a well-intended educational reform policy that faltered without the necessary formal structures, planning, and knowledge to adequately accomplish their objectives. Increasing capacity for implementing a mandatory community-based learning policy requires adequate systems of social support.

Committee: Helen Marks (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Educational Policy and Leadership

Contemporary studies in business management purport significant relationships among emotional intelligence, leadership style, and organizational climate and how each contribute to the overall performance of organizational outcomes. Likewise, education research has established significant relationships between specific leadership behaviors and openness of education organizations and the effects of both on student achievement. This exploratory study considers distinctions between two competing emotional intelligence constructs, attempts to refine and extend a more focused leadership model, and probes theoretical, empirical, and structural relationships among teachers' perceptions of principal emotional intelligence, principal leadership behavior, and principal openness in elementary schools throughout Ohio. Further, this work offers tentative findings that suggest self and social awareness of principals as well as principals' competencies in managing self and others are critical to the development of enabling structure and open interpersonal processes in schools and reveals important questions that guide more extensive research related to principal emotional intelligence, leadership style, openness, and other variables presumed related, either directly or indirectly, to student achievement.

Committee: Wayne Hoy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Educational Policy and Leadership

The primary focus of this research was to understand a high-performance university development organization. This was done by examining organizational performance and leadership characteristics as conceptualized and measured by Robert Quinn's Competing Values Framework (CVF) and by using qualitative methods to identify “best practices” in the organization. Fifteen organizational managers were selected from twelve “high-performance” development sub-units to participate. (CVF) surveys were completed by and profiles generated for the participants as well as members of the Leadership Prospect Group and individuals that comprised functional layers of management. “Best practices” were studied using qualitative methodologies such as participant observation, document analysis, semi-structured and unstructured interviews. These methodologies were also used to further understand the leadership characteristics of the participants. The findings identify leadership of the Vice President for Development as the most important and influential characteristic of effectiveness for The Ohio State University Department of Development. Upon arrival to the University the Vice President was largely responsible for establishing four “process” and nine “substantive” best practices that shaped the direction, performance, and culture of the Development Organization. The most prominent and guiding “best practices” were: dedication to major-gift cultivation, emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, and commitment to alignment of development objectives to academic priorities of the University. These best practices were identified in each development sub-unit studied in this research. The magnitude of these guiding best practices was enhanced when combined with unit-specific innovations and best practices addressing specific characteristics unique to the culture, environment, staffing, budget, and development goals for each of the “high-performance” development sub-units studied. Cameron (1986), Qu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robert Rodgers (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration