Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / This study is an investigation into the significance of transformational leadership and its effect in pursuing gender parity in organisations. The study looked into the processes that are in place and which are aimed at pursuing gender parity at Capricorn District Municipality. It further contended that issues pertaining to gender parity cannot be studied outside the confines of transformation in the organisations. Tyson (2015) argues that transformation in relation to gender parity will take several decades before its fruits are evident in organisations. Therefore, this implies that processes and practices related to transformation, have to be carefully monitored so as to achieve the desired gender parity results. Gender parity and transformational processes will have to be incorporated into policies of various organisations. Transformation has to be owned by the leadership of the organisations; it should not be perceived as a compliance mechanisms. Gender parity in many organisations continues to be one of the issues that everyone knows about, but does little to implement. Key findings in this research suggest that Capricorn District Municipality is faced with some challenges that stems from inadequate communication, mentorship programme as well as training and development with regard to processes and policies pertaining to gender parity. Majority of respondent cited no knowledge of such processes and policies within the organization. The following recommendations were drawn from the study: Strategies that will alleviate the challenges includes, change management, HR management, communication plan and leadership commitment, will have to be put in place to address some of the challenges Key words; gender parity, equality, equity, leadership, transformation, empowerment.

Cooperative extension is one of three components, along with teaching and research that form the mission of land grant universities. The focus of extension work is to take knowledge gained through research conducted at the university, and disseminate the information, in a practical manner to the end user. In most instances, extension work revolves around agriculture. Within the extension system are personnel that help to foster this program of educating clientele who work in the agricultural industry. County level agents are in place to teach and address the needs of local constituents, specialists are generally housed at the university campus and are hired for their expertise in a specific field of agriculture, and administrators help to keep the system functioning. Many studies have been conducted on the leadership characteristics of county agents and extension administrators, however the current knowledge base concerning leadership behaviors of extension specialists is lacking. Traditionally, specialists were strictly used as a resource for subject matter information; however, changes overtime to cooperative extension have seen specialists move to a leadership position that involves leading agents groups and conducting programing that directly serves the clientele. With newly acquired expectations to perform in a leadership capacity, yet without training or educational background to ensure these skills, there is potential for complications to arise. Using a mixed methodological approach, this sequential explanatory study was conducted using Burn’s (1978) transformational leadership as a theoretical framework, with the purpose of examining current transformational leadership characteristics among extension specialists in addition to gaining information concerning demographic and professional information pertaining to this group. The sample group consisted of equine extension specialists, an initial survey was sent which contained questions relating to educational background, make-up and tenure of their position, as well as the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to analyze self-perceived transformational leadership characteristics. This survey was followed by a voluntary individual interview with the researcher. The purpose of the semi-structured interview was to gain a broader example of the leadership perspectives of this particular group. Although no significant connections could be made concerning demographic information and MLQ leadership scores, the group as a whole registered below average for displaying transformational leadership characteristics, ranking in the 40th percentile for composite MLQ scores compared to the general population. The interview data showed that as a whole there was agreement with the concepts of transformational leadership, however MLQ scores and anecdotal evidence show that practical application of transformational leadership is lacking. Most participants indicated they did not feel prepared for their job, and many indicated that interpersonal relationship skills were used more often than their degree specialization. The findings from this study may help to encourage leadership training focused towards extension specialists, and to emphasize the need for leadership skills within this position.

Physical therapy as an emerging profession is committed to establishing its identity and solidifying its role as a leader in health care. With expertise in human movement, wellness, and disease prevention, physical therapists possess invaluable knowledge and skill to influence public health and enhance patient recovery without increasing cost. Physical therapists have the opportunity to transform the delivery of public health services to meet current and future needs. A major challenge, however, is a dearth of leadership development in preparation programs. Because most physical therapists have not received formal education or explicit training in leadership, a problem of practice exists. This dissertation is a report of a mixed-methods action-research study that explores leadership development among aspiring and practicing physical therapists. It describes a series of professional development (PD) activities designed to foster transformational leadership and a community of practice among a group of clinicians in a privately-owned clinic in north Florida. Qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis indicate positive changes were made in understanding transformational leadership, engagement in community service, relationship building among coworkers, communication, and community of practice after participation in the PD activities. Analysis of results also identified the need for continued relationship development, conflict resolution, and building strong teams. Because a paucity of literature related to leadership development in physical therapy exists, findings from this study may prove useful to the field. The results describe a feasible method of leadership development and sustainability of a community of practice to inspire transformative practitioners who lead in the clinic and the community.

Although the benefits of school leader emotional intelligence are well-known, leadership preparation programs lack training in emotional intelligence, thus calling for reform (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007; Johnson, Aiken, & Steggerada, 2005; Guerra & Pazet, 2016; Mills, 2009; Wallace, 2010). Emotional intelligence competencies, such as empathy, self-awareness and motivation, are closely aligned with components of transformational leadership theory, including idealized influence, individualized consideration, and inspirational motivation (Kumar, 2014). Highlighting these connections can provide guidance in identifying significant components of emotional intelligence. This study examined teachers’ perceptions of school leaders’ emotional intelligence in order to identify critical components of emotional intelligence. This research utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach to address the research problem, and questions. A purposeful sampling technique was used to recruit teachers employed in public school districts in Louisiana. Consistent with phenomenological designs, semi-structured individual interviews were the primary method of data collection, along with document analysis. Transformational leadership theory and emotional intelligence provided a framework to guide the construction of methodological approaches, including: participants, data collection, data analysis and limitations. Four major themes emerged as a result of this study: 1) school leader social skills, 2) leadership styles, 3) authentic leader-teacher relationships, and 4) perceived benefits of school leader emotional skills.

Baby boomer employees who leave the workplace without sharing tacit knowledge create a knowledge gap within the organization. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies local government leaders use to retain tacit knowledge of baby boomer employees. Six government leaders who worked in the Midwest United States participated in the study and shared their experiences and perceptions. Building upon systems theory, transformational leadership theory, and knowledge management theory, research was conducted to identify strategies to retain tacit knowledge from retiring baby boomers. Physical artifacts and participant interview data were collected and analyzed using traditional text analysis. Adjoining terms were highlighted and clusters of repeated and related words were coded into themes. Three themes emerged: (a) mentoring, (b) generational differences, and (c) lack of structured systems. Mentoring was the most critical strategy leaders used to retain tacit knowledge from baby boomer employees. Acquiring collaborative leaders who foster a knowledge-sharing environment, create a structured system for retaining knowledge, and encourage communication between multigenerational teams remained imperative to retain tacit knowledge. Implications for positive social change include taking advantage of the human capital and resources the baby boomer population characterized, and educating other government leaders to improve performance within government agencies. Other social change implications include the potential of leaders to train older workers to share tacit knowledge with new workers, and of managers to incorporate strategies to mentor new workers replacing the older workforce.

Retailers lost 5.1 million employees in 2016, which resulted in a loss of profitability. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies retail managers used to reduce turnover at one retail company in the southeastern United States. The conceptual framework for the study was transformational leadership. The target population consisted of 6 store managers who reduced employee turnover in the retail industry. Data collection methods included face-€to-€face, semistructured interviews and a review of the company documents. Yin's 5-step analysis was used to analyze data. Three themes emerged from data analysis: supportive management leadership style, competitive compensations, and provision of efficient and effective communications to employees. The results of the study indicated store managers' strategies that are essential to reducing employee turnover. The implications of this study for social change include the potential to generate new opportunities for employment and encourage prosperity for local families and the community by improving profitability and sustainability and promoting organizational growth in retail companies.

Correctional leadership, especially by women, has been under examined by researchers and scholars. Some researchers have suggested that women may be more likely to exhibit transformational leadership styles, which may be effective for addressing the uniquely stressful corrections work environment and improving working conditions, yet women in corrections have remained relatively excluded from correctional leadership. Increasing women's participation in correctional leadership may involve transformational leadership and training in leadership skills, as well as gender bias relating to the correctional profession. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, leadership training, and traditional gender biases and the position held by women. Interpreted through gender bias and gender-leadership theory, the central research questions involved the relationships among transformational leadership, leadership training, and traditional gender biases and the position held by women in corrections. Utilizing an online survey, a random sample was collected of 71 female members of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice and the Federal Prisons Retiree Association. A multinomial logistic regression was used to determine that transformational leadership (p = .001) was a significant predictor of job positions held by women in corrections, but leadership training (p = .065) and gender biases (p = .087) were not significant predictors. This study may lead to positive social change by providing women in corrections an avenue for increasing their job positions in corrections through cultivation of transformational leadership style.

Employee turnover disrupts organizational functioning, service delivery, and administration. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that some college administrators used to reduce employee turnover in the workplace to increase profitability. The population for the study included 3 administrators in a senior (4-year) college in the southeastern region of the United States who developed and implemented successful strategies to reduce employee turnover. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with college administrators and from publicly available organizational documents. Transformational leadership was the conceptual framework for this study. Data analysis included inductive analysis guided by transformational leadership theory and member checking. Five themes emerged from data analysis including transformational leadership, incentives and rewards, training/career development, establishing trust/employee empowerment, and effective communication. The implications of these findings for social change may benefit students, faculty, and administrators of educational institutions. The findings may enhance consistent and superior educational course delivery to students, improve collaboration between educators and administrators through effective hiring practices to raise the caliber of educator skillsets, and reduce the percent of unemployed as a result of students succeeding in higher education and gaining meaningful employment. The findings may help reduce financial insecurity and improve the living standards of people in the community, while encouraging prospective learners to attain a postsecondary education.

The declines in oil and gas prices in 2014 by 50% or more led governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to decrease healthcare budgets correspondingly by more than 30%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the marketing strategies that managers of international pharmaceutical companies have successfully implemented in the MENA region to ensure profitability after the 2014 decreases in the healthcare budgets, which followed the decline in oil and gas prices. The study involved data collection through semistructured interviews of 6 middle and executive managers working in 2 international pharmaceutical companies located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The cultural intelligence and strategic flexibility theories constituted the conceptual framework for this study and exploration of challenges associated with implementing marketing strategies for international pharmaceutical companies in the MENA region. Participants had a minimum of 5 years of experience in planning and implementing marketing strategies in the MENA region. The findings from the thematic data analysis led to the identification of major marketing strategies, which have helped to maintain business sustainability of pharmaceutical companies, despite difficulties with the reduction in healthcare budgets in the MENA region. The important themes emerging from this study included: (a) product launch strategy and operating model, (b) transformation of leaders by vision and guidance, (c) recognition of culture and diversity, and (d) the importance of training and learning agility. The results of the study may contribute to positive social change because pharmaceutical and healthcare knowledge benefits human health and may serve to influence positive job creation and enrichment of the economies of the region.

Volatile crude oil prices significantly affect the profitability of crude oil firms. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies some crude oil and gas business leaders used to remain profitable during periods of crude oil price volatility. The target population comprised 8 crude oil and gas business leaders located in Calgary, Canada, whose company remained profitable despite crude oil price volatility. The transformational leadership theory formed the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through the use of semistructured face-to-face interviews, company reports, and field notes. Data analysis involved a modified Van Kamm method, which included descriptive coding, a sequential review of the interview transcripts, and member checking. Based on methodological triangulation and thematic analysis, 5 themes emerged from the study, including communication and engagement; motivation and empowerment; measurement, monitoring, and control; self-awareness and humility; and efficiency and optimization. The implications for social change include the potential for crude oil and gas companies in Calgary, Canada to manage production costs, ensure earnings and profitability, and thus improve the socioeconomic well-being of Calgary indigenes through improved employment opportunities.