<p> Educational leaders across the United States face changes affecting the educational system related to federal and state mandates. The stress of those changes may be related to superintendents&rsquo; longevity. The superintendent position has a mobility rate that is quite high. Every superintendent is different and may have a different leadership style than their predecessor. The district culture, goals, and expectations may change depending on the superintendents&rsquo; leadership style. If superintendents&rsquo; leadership style affects principals&rsquo; performance, it may affect the principals&rsquo; success or failure. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to identify if correlations existed linking 126 principals&rsquo; perception of superintendents&rsquo; leadership style and principals&rsquo; performance as reflected by student achievement data. The goal was to obtain principals&rsquo; perception of the superintendents&rsquo; leadership style as measured by the MLQ and principals&rsquo; performance as measured by AIMS reading and math data from the 2011- 2012 to 2012-2013 school years. The results indicated that superintendents&rsquo; transformational, passive avoidant and transactional leadership styles did not correlate positively to math difference scores. However, the results indicated that the passive avoidant leadership style was positively, correlated to reading difference scores. The results also indicated that there was a positive correlation between reading and math difference scores. Educational leaders should be aware that the analysis of data indicates that it is plausible that passive avoidant leadership may be more complex than nonleadership as labeled in previous research.</p>

<p> An organization's ability to achieve its goals depends on the quality of its leaders and their ability to produce a highly engaged workforce. High levels of employee and managerial turnover and burnout can impede an organization's workforce engagement and ability to grow and be successful. To minimize the impact of these 2 constructs (turnover and burnout), this study examined the link between leadership behavior practice patterns' and employee work engagement in a nonprofit that supports the homeless. Responses from 48 non-managerial employees were used for this study. To investigate this study data were collected using 2 survey instruments: the Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Both surveys were completed by the same population on the same day. The combination of cross-sectional survey designs using quantitative and descriptive correlational research methods helped the researcher analyze the data to identify relationships between the variables under investigation. According to the respondents' ratings, a positive correlation was found to exist between leaders' behavior practice patterns and employee work engagement. Moreover, the results found no negative correlations between the LPI scores and the UWES scores. High employee engagement in a nonprofit organization leads to better economic outcomes for the community and a better workplace for employees who feel their organization cares about their health and well-being, which leads to a more tenured workforce and effective group of leaders. Future directions for research include exploring other variables (leader responses and gender) to potentially predict different work engagement levels and leadership behaviors that could impede employee burnout and turnover.</p>

<p> As we continue to work towards a better understanding of intercultural competence, leaders must identify areas where they can facilitate change in themselves and in the organizations they lead. This quantitative study incorporates the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to measure orientations towards cultural differences of leaders in substance abuse treatment facilities. This study also incorporates the Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) to measure how the followers' perceive the organizational culture. Data was analyzed using statistical software program (SPSS) and statistical correlations and multivariate analysis of variance were computed. This study is unique in that it breaks new ground in the measurement of the level of intercultural competence of leaders in substance abuse treatment facilities and how their followers' perceive the organizational culture according to the OCI scores. </p><p> Results revealed a statistical significance with leaders that scored in the denial orientation of the IDI and their followers that scored the organizational culture as passive/defensive on the OCI. This study points to recommendations for change, from a developmental training perspective and to encourage leaders to become aware of their intercultural competence orientation. Use of the IDI, OCI and interventions to assist in finding ways to increase awareness will strengthen leaders and organizations.</p>

<p> Since the late 1980s, a different way to do business began to achieve more widespread support. The intention of this form of business&mdash;sustainable business&mdash;is to conduct itself in a way that does not jeopardize the basic needs of present and future generations by unnecessarily sacrificing environmental, social, and economic resources. This is in contrast to traditional Western business practices that focus on maximizing short-term financial profit without much consideration of the impact on environmental and social resources. It appears that any change in business from the single bottom line of monetary profit to a triple bottom line of "people, planet, and profit" requires a different type of leadership. Research indicates that some practices that are meant to cultivate attention (e.g., meditation) contribute positively to leadership behavior, yet there is very little empirical evidence on the specific impact of attention cultivation practices on leadership capacities that may enhance sustainability in business. </p><p> This study uses the qualitative method of narrative inquiry in which six co-participants and I explore the role of attention cultivation in furthering sustainability in business. The six co-participants were clients in my leadership attention coaching practice who had received at least nine months of attention coaching, were employed at the time they received coaching, and were alumni of or currently enrolled in an MBA program geared towards sustainable business. Through a narrative analysis of interviews, narrative excerpts, and images of artwork, this study reveals three behavior patterns: Acquiring Equanimity, Nonjudgmental Attention, and Letting Go. Further examination of these patterns reveals that the impact of this specific attentional practice may support a leader's capacities for mindfulness, adaptive and authentic leadership, postconventional stages of mental complexity, and systems thinking, all of which have been suggested in the literature as capacities that contribute to furthering sustainability in business. </p><p> This study suggests that the primal faculty of the deployment of attention is foundational in a leader's capacity for movement that advances sustainability in business. Recommendations are offered for programs that train leaders in sustainable business, for leaders who are interested in advancing sustainability in business, and for further research.</p>

<p> The overall purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how one's motivation influences the relationship between work satisfaction and utilization of certain attributes associated with virtual team effectiveness. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to measure and analyze correlations between individual work satisfaction and utilization of virtual team effectiveness attributes dependent upon participant motivation patterns and characteristics. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, the Motivation Sources Inventory (^&copy; Future Leadership) was utilized in collecting data globally from employed virtual team members via an online survey to measure participant work motivation for the five sources, as defined by Leonard, Beauvais, and Scholl (1999): Intrinsic Process, Self-concept Internal, Self-concept External, Instrumental, and Goal Internalization. A modified version of The Virtual Teams Survey instrument developed by Lurey (1998) was employed concurrently to measure perceptions about the levels of utilization of various virtual team effectiveness attributes and the level of work satisfaction. </p><p> In the second qualitative phase, follow-up interviews were conducted to confirm and help explain the quantitative results. Insight into how an individual's motivation influences the relationship between work satisfaction and utilization of virtual team effectiveness attributes suggests that individuals possessing moderate or higher levels of goal internalization relative to other types of work motivation may find virtual team work satisfying. However, findings suggest that work satisfaction, regardless of motivation pattern, may be improved by strengthening team leadership, aligning rewards with goals, and enhancing the communications technology utilized by virtual teams. More importantly, this knowledge may aid virtual team leaders in integrating, leading, and empowering diverse teams so that they function cohesively and effectively in achieving their missions.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2549. Adviser: James A. Leach. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-167) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems Technology, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1301. Adviser: Thomas M. Schwen. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 14, 2007)."

<p> Studies show that improvisation in leadership decision making is on the rise, and it transpires in organizations 75-90% of the time, yet very little research has explored this skillset. No other leadership skillset that is applied two thirds of the time has ever been so underdeveloped. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a pilot workshop applying a Holistic Improvisational Leadership Model as developed by the researcher and based on the latest improvisation research. The study employed a mixed methods design to gather qualitative and quantitative data for a descriptive evaluation of the pilot training workshop. Nonproportional quota sampling and triangulation were used to maximize cross verification and validity of the data. This study explored the skills leaders acquired and applied during, immediately after, 1 month after the workshop, and in 3 months. The study was pilot-tested on 6 different groups and a total of 67 leaders from various regions, industries and organizations. </p><p> Primary findings revealed that participants gained the highest benefits in working with others and their ability to lead. Executive and educational leaders gained the awareness that 79% of their decisions at work were made spontaneously as opposed to 71% for all leaders. 100% of executives and senior leaders indicated acquiring more effective listening skills. Moreover, the concept of competent risks and celebrating failure appeared to have the most transformational impact on the participants' sense of self, willingness to take risks, and acquire new skills. The workshop seemed to bring participants' stress level down to an optimal level and enhance mindfulness. Ultimately, it was concluded the study's workshop was most effective as a continuous 3.5 hours. </p><p> Learning to improvise experientially includes a process of unlearning old routines of decision making and re-learning more effective skills. Hence, the researcher recommends follow-up learning sessions to complete the cycle of learning. Utilizing grounded theory, the findings from the study led to the revision of Tabaee's Holistic Improvisational Leadership Model. The researcher recommends following the model by teaching the competencies not only to leaders but to all employees for achieving OPTIMAL strategy and performance for the organization.</p>

<p> This quantitative corrleational descriptive study was to investigate if a correlation existed between the emotional intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership attributes of African American men and women. The study used 23 African American men and women in management or leadership positions throughout the United States. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership skills of African American men and women. The research questions guiding the study were (a) is there a significant difference between EI components of African American men compared to African American women? (b) Is there a significant difference between the EI components and transformational leadership skills of African American men compared to African American women? The EQ-i by Reuven Bar-On (2006) and the MLQ5x by Avolio and Bass (2004) were used as the instruments to assess emotional intelligence and transformational skills. Overall, results from the data revealed that a positive correlation existed for the emotional intelligence attributes for African American men and women. The results also indicated there is no significant correlation with emotional intelligence and transformational leadership skills of African American men and women. Further studies should be initiated to explore this research with a larger sample size and across ethnic groups.</p>

<p> The purpose of this descriptive, case study was to explore how servant leadership influenced employee engagement within the United States offices of an international engineering consulting firm. An additional purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which the factors of race, gender, or tenure were related to employee engagement. Leaders in the firm completed the Revised Servant Leadership Profile (RSLP). The Revised Servant Leadership Profile (RSLP) 360&deg; was then administered to the staff of self-identified servant leaders. Once identified, servant leaders were then compared against the engagement scores of divisions and units within the firm under investigation, based on results from their biannual employee engagement survey. The second part of this research involved structured, survey interviews with self-identified servant leaders and their staff. Results showed partial support for servant leadership effect on employee engagement and no support for matching perceptions of servant leadership between leaders and their employees. Structured survey interviews revealed that both leaders and followers were unfamiliar with the term, servant leadership. However, both groups reported employee empowerment, employee development and a strong sense of teamwork in the organization, indicating some similarities in the perceptions of the two groups. There was partial support for claims that gender and ethnicity were relevant to servant leadership and employee engagement. Conclusions drawn from this research were that servant leadership was not conclusively linked to employee engagement. Further research is recommended.</p><p> <i>Keywords</i>: Employee Engagement, Servant Leadership, RSLP. </p>