The purpose of this quasi-experimental mixed-method study was to examine the impact of transformational ethics instruction methodologies on student moral judgment in a leadership development course. Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analyses were used to examine changes in moral judgment and moral thought processes, with particular emphasis on how those constructs influence leadership decisions. Eighty-eight students from the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University comprised the sample of this study. Over the course of the spring 2007 semester, these students received systematic ethics instruction in the context of a leadership development course. Treatment group participants received this instruction through largely transformational education strategies, while control group participants primarily received the instruction via traditional/ transactional methods. Over the course of the semester, participants completed pretest and posttest administrations of the Defining Issues Test, Version 2 (DIT2). Additional follow-up interviews were conducted with eight students, representing the treatment and control groups. Results indicated that transformational instructional methodology is a significant determinant regarding increases in student moral judgment. In contrast, students exposed to traditional/ transactional instructional methods did not demonstrate significant changes in moral judgment scores. Augmentative qualitative analyses identified three distinguishing themes that appear to be representative of shifts in moral or leadership perspectives: (1) deep personal application of moral concepts, (2) exposure to significant emotional events (or disorienting dilemmas), and (3) desire for personal change. Implications for ethics and leadership educators are presented, along with areas for future research.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental mixed-method study was to examine the impact of transformational ethics instruction methodologies on student moral judgment in a leadership development course. Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analyses were used to examine changes in moral judgment and moral thought processes, with particular emphasis on how those constructs influence leadership decisions. Eighty-eight students from the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University comprised the sample of this study. Over the course of the spring 2007 semester, these students received systematic ethics instruction in the context of a leadership development course. Treatment group participants received this instruction through largely transformational education strategies, while control group participants primarily received the instruction via traditional/ transactional methods. Over the course of the semester, participants completed pretest and posttest administrations of the Defining Issues Test, Version 2 (DIT2). Additional follow-up interviews were conducted with eight students, representing the treatment and control groups. Results indicated that transformational instructional methodology is a significant determinant regarding increases in student moral judgment. In contrast, students exposed to traditional/ transactional instructional methods did not demonstrate significant changes in moral judgment scores. Augmentative qualitative analyses identified three distinguishing themes that appear to be representative of shifts in moral or leadership perspectives: (1) deep personal application of moral concepts, (2) exposure to significant emotional events (or disorienting dilemmas), and (3) desire for personal change. Implications for ethics and leadership educators are presented, along with areas for future research.

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (D. Phil) In the Subject of Psychology. Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2006. / "Leaders are bom not made". This is a matter of nature versus nurture, in this case with regard to leadership development. The question therefore is whether leadership is a natural gift or an acquired skill. If leadership is an acquired skill, what then is the best way to accomplish this? These were core issues of investigation in this research. Literature review on leadership development revealed the following important issues on the topic, namely: 'r Leadership status is usually bestowed on an individual following the results or achievements, not before > The greater part of the journey towards leadership is a lonely endeavour. It requires perseverance and tenacity of the mind on the part of the leader > There is a difference between leader development and leadership development. Successful leadership result from development in both areas r Most leadership development programs focus on management tasks rather than on leader and leadership development. A pre-test, post-test, quasi-experimental design was adopted for this research. A pre-test was necessary for baseline establishment of skills that are expected of leaders. It served as a guide for change following program implementation. The post-test produced comparative data for any changes following 'treatment'. In addition to the experimental group, a control group was also introduced in order to limit, as much as possible, common threats to internal validity that are usually encountered in quasi-experimental research designs, as well as in developmental research projects; especially history and maturation. Both qualitative and quantitative data analytical methods were adopted for program evaluation. A 360-degree assessment and feedback approach was utilised for qualitative analysis of data whereas the statistical analysis of variance was the method for quantitative analysis of data. Overall results indicated a positive change in significant areas of growth that were targeted in this research; e.g. leadership conceptualisation by participants, learning to learn skill, self-management skills, communication skills as well as interpersonal skills. A major limitation in this study was the sample size, especially for statistical analysis of data. The reasons for a small sample size were that development programs such as this one are usually not highly effective when working with larger groups, and also the fact that such programs require a skilled individual who will be able to monitor progress during program implementation phase and adapt activities according to observed requirements. Closer personal attention needed in a smaller group may be impossible with a larger group. Looking at our society today, it is clearly evident that there is a dire need for skilled leaders. While it is known that anyone can occupy a leadership position, it is also acknowledged that it is not everybody that will do justice to that position. This therefore leaves us with no choice but to seek programs that will facilitate leadership development, as early as possible. Institutions of higher learning are a fertile ground for leadership development programs, as the majority of students are young adults. / The National Research Foundation (NRF)

This inquiry sought to answer the question: How can the University of Winnipeg (UW) design a learning and development strategy for its nonacademic leaders that will benefit both the leaders and the university? As higher education institutions experience increased competition and rising demands, senior leaders need to find new ways of developing one of their most important assets, their employees. Using an action research approach, this inquiry sought participants' perspectives through an online survey and a world café. This inquiry puts forward the following three recommendations: develop and communicate a formalized learning and development strategy that is supported by senior leadership, aligned with organizational goals, customized to the unique university environment, and values learner needs; provide diverse professional development opportunities for leaders; and create an environment that improves communication, fosters collaboration, develops competence, and values community. This inquiry adhered to all ethical requirements set by Royal Roads University and UW.

This study examined the leadership development experiences of adolescents participating in a school-based leadership program. A case study of ten Grade 8 students is described based on qualitative data from student response journals, field notes, and program documentation. Evidence from the study suggests that adolescents value and benefit from leadership development experiences and opportunities. Leadership development experiences that adolescents find meaningful are those where they are: (1) actively engaged in experiential learning opportunities; (2) granted freedom and increased responsibility; (3) able to work in educational groups; (4) given interesting learning experiences; (5) supported by positive role models; and (6) long-term participants. Leadership experiences benefit students by: (1) allowing adolescents to feel like they can make a positive impact on their world; (2) giving adolescents an improved sense of self; (3) teaching students essential skills; and (10) giving adolescents the opportunity to build relationships with like-minded individuals.

This study examined the leadership development experiences of adolescents participating in a school-based leadership program. A case study of ten Grade 8 students is described based on qualitative data from student response journals, field notes, and program documentation. Evidence from the study suggests that adolescents value and benefit from leadership development experiences and opportunities. Leadership development experiences that adolescents find meaningful are those where they are: (1) actively engaged in experiential learning opportunities; (2) granted freedom and increased responsibility; (3) able to work in educational groups; (4) given interesting learning experiences; (5) supported by positive role models; and (6) long-term participants. Leadership experiences benefit students by: (1) allowing adolescents to feel like they can make a positive impact on their world; (2) giving adolescents an improved sense of self; (3) teaching students essential skills; and (10) giving adolescents the opportunity to build relationships with like-minded individuals.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this research assignment was to determine the contribution coaching has made, as part of a blended leadership development programme, towards the development of individual leaders and leadership development at Transnet Freight Rail. This was aimed at identifying ways in which the coaching component may be improved. The research was undertaken with a group of high-potential leaders, at an operating division of the parastatal company Transnet, in South Africa. A qualitative research methodology was used and, within that framework, a phenomenological case study design. The research data was gathered, using semi-structured interviews, from 13 participants who received external coaching as part of the blended programme. The findings confirm that coaching, combined with blended leadership development activities, has a synergistic and positive impact on the individual and the organisation, enhancing both the human and social capital at Transnet Freight Rail. The participants expressed a multitude of benefits from receiving coaching: improvements in various aspects of their personal, social and cognitive competence, as well as assisting in their learning, retention and application of the other modules of the blended programme. The coaching intervention has assisted participants in enhancing and applying their own coaching skills within the organisation. This was accomplished by their experience of having been coached, by using the example from the sessions and through the coaching course attended as part of the blended programme. The findings in this research assignment suggest that coaching is making a positive contribution to leadership development at TFR by strengthening the leadership capacity, developing a coaching culture, improving strategic thinking when problem-solving, improving decision-making, improving productivity, increasing employee morale, and improving the individual's performance thereby benefiting the organisation. Coaching has also resulted in greater teamwork, broader understanding of the business, retention of talented employees and has demonstrated to employees that the organisation is committed to developing its staff and helping them to improve their skills.

The study aim was to investigate the perceptions of senior leaders within the sector to determine their views of the key challenges in contemporary academic leadership and to inform practice for the future. Academic leadership is a key component of the success or otherwise of an academic institution. There is significant literature around the issue of academic leadership the emphasis of which is based around the perceptions of academic staff and how they would wish to be led. The work was undertaken from an interpretivist perspective using a phenomenological research design to elicit an understanding of the views of senior managers through conducting semi-structured interviews and a focus group with senior university leaders. The interview process afforded the respondents the opportunity to recount their own experiences in their own terms with their own emphasis on what was important to them within the broad structure of the four core categories drawn from the literature: definitions of leadership; leadership in an HEI; academic leadership and leadership development. The findings from this study provides a contribution through considering senior leaders perceptions on how best to lead the academic staff to maximise their contribution to the institution and ultimately to better serve the needs of students. Practice implications include the forwarding of a framework for the consideration of the development of academic leaders within the Higher Education context.

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The purpose of this study was to identify the leadership skills students believe they learned in co-curricular activities, to determine how those skills are used in the classroom, and to discover whether those skills enhance the academic experience for students. The results of this study provide information which can aid student affairs practitioners who are seeking ways to help students make the connection between the co-curricular and curricular leadership experiences. This study used a combination of qualitative research techniques including document analysis and group interviews. The qualitative nature of this study was guided by the need to allow the subjects explore their own perceptions, beliefs, observations, and understanding about their behavior and learning. Thirty-one student leaders from programs and organizations sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) were interviewed over a period of one semester. Two cadres of three groups participated in four rounds each A round consisted of an e-journal, sent and responded to individually by the participants, followed by a group interview. E-journals and interviews were analyzed using a conceptually clustered matrix. This process produced a series of matrices correlating the various perspectives of the participants with either leadership practices, research questions, demographic data, or all three. The results of the study reveal that training programs for these student leaders tended to focus on three primary leadership practices and that the student leaders exhibited these same practices in their curricular experience. Reflection both during and after the study had a profound impact on the students' perceptions of whether or not they perceived their own behavior as leadership either in or out of the classroom. Additional results showed that the physical design of a classroom could have an impact on how leadership practices occur during class. It was also shown that while all the participants in this study were in DSA sponsored programs, there was no central leadership theory or comprehensive approach to leadership development to guide Division programs. Findings from this study provide evidence of the value of co-curricular leadership training and its impact on curricular experience. The study also adds to the body of research on student leadership, research on the impact of co-curricular activities on students, and the relationship between curricular and co-curricular learning, particularly as it relates to group assignments and the leadership of those projects. / Ph. D.