Catholic schools in the United States have grappled with how to serve students with disabilities without the funding sources available to public schools. This mixed methods case study examines the driving forces, restraining forces, and social justice issues that influenced the development of an inclusion program at one Catholic elementary school. The case analyzed is the inclusion program at “St. Ignatius” Elementary School. Fourteen interviews with individuals heavily involved in the program were triangulated with qualitative analyses of the content of artifacts from the inclusion program and quantitative data from a rating scale on ideal inclusive practices completed by ten teachers at the school site. Themes from the literature on Catholic inclusive education were also used to illuminate the findings. The study identified the driving forces of leadership, teacher buy-in, the partnership between the school and parents, and the concept of the parish as “one big family.” Restraining forces included negative parent perceptions and deficits in capacity and resources. Current practices included increased professional development and resources, honest assessment, and the concept that inclusion serves all students. Interview participants felt that Catholic beliefs and teachings provided the social justice framework. The school site and archdiocese can further examine the paradigm shift required to implement Catholic school inclusion, increasing teacher professional development, the role of charismatic leadership, and serving gifted students. Further studies could explore socioeconomic variables, how inclusion affects other students, and whether the Catholic school environment provides advantages in implementing inclusion.

The expansion of workplace demographics in response to globalization and intersectionality has resulted in the workplace becoming increasingly diverse. Research indicates that there are both positive and negative consequences for having diverse workplaces, and the positively inclined studies emphasize how workplace diversity can provide a strategic advantage to organizations when managed effectively. Thus, scholars and organizational decision-makers have diverted their efforts towards understanding leadership and the ways that leaders manage diversity and inclusion to facilitate a climate for inclusion in the workplace. The present study aimed to identify the differences in expectations and perceptions of workplace fairness, effective leadership, and the management of diversity and inclusion between different sociocultural groups to see if they led to the applicability of various leadership behaviors in diversity-related situations. Using a multi-method design, this research assessed the perceptions and expectations of leadership and the management of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Study One utilized an online survey design to measure the extent to which a leader was expected to be culturally responsive, a manager of diversity and inclusion, and effective. Study Two utilized a quasi-experimental design that exposed participants to DEI-related leadership scenarios where they assessed the leader’s behavior. Both studies collected the sociodemographic information of the participants. Results for Study One (N = 290) suggested that sociodemographic differences play a role in expectations of effectiveness and social justice and equity for managers, leadership effectiveness expectations for managers increase as social justice and equity expectations for managers increase, and culturally responsive leadership expectations for managers play a role in the extent that employees expect leaders to manage diversity and inclusion. Study Two (N = 448) results determined that cultural humility positively influences the relationship between leadership styles (i.e., transformational leadership, Daoist leadership, transactional leadership, and Machiavellian leadership) and the perception of leadership effectiveness. Machiavellian leadership was perceived as less socially just, culturally humble, and effective than the other leadership styles (i.e., transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and Daoist leadership); sociodemographic information was found to be mostly related to perceived leadership effectiveness; and perceived cultural humility and social justice are positively associated with leadership effectiveness. Ultimately, this study revealed the empirical significance of culturally responsive leadership behaviors in the workplace, provided evidence to show the distinct contributions of positive leadership in DEI-related situations, and emphasized the importance of considering the expectations and the demographic distribution of employees when leading to ensure organizational compliance among followers.

No description available.

Research on the topics of procedural justice and participative decision making (PDM) has been extensive over the last four decades. Procedural justice provides a framework for predicting the perceived fairness of procedures in an organization. PDM is concerned with shared decision making in the workplace. Only recently has the concept of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) gained the attention of business leaders and organizational psychologists. OCB is discretionary behavior by an individual that is not recognized by his/her organization's formal reward system, but that does contribute positively to the organization. All three of these concepts have been identified as having value in an organization, as well as value to organization members. The purpose of this research is to evaluate if PDM and procedural justice are positively related to OCB. The following research reveals findings from a study conducted on a college campus using vignettes and questionnaires to assess participants' willingness to engage in OCBs. Results from this study indicate that there were no significant findings when evaluating if there are main effects or interactive effects of participation decision making and procedural justice on organizational citizenship behavior.

This research examines leadership exchange relationships within the social framework of interpersonal work values. The three major purposes of this effort are: (1) to determine whether the dyad is the appropriate level of analysis at which to study leader-member relationships; (2) to determine if traditional measures of leader-member exchanges (leadership attention and quality of exchange) are less important as predictors of relevant outcomes than competence, loyalty, and liking (dimensions reported to be better representations of the exchange relationship); and (3) whether convergence by the leader and the member on a common set of work values makes a difference in the exchange relationship. Multi-source data (matching superior-subordinate reports) for 110 dyads indicate that the leader-member exchange relationship is best described at the dyad level when Within and Between Analysis (WABA) is employed to test the relationship. These results also reveal that traditional measures of the leader-member exchange relationship cannot be totally discounted when examining the dimensionality of the exchange. Quality of exchange and leader attention continue to explain important variance over and above that which can be explained by the newer affective dimensions. However, competence, liking, and loyalty alone are better predictors of subordinate performance, commitment, and turnover intentions. Convergence on leader-member interpersonal work values is not only a direct predictor of organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and job satisfaction, but also contributes significantly to additional explained variance over and above the effects shown by the leader-member exchange. Future research should continue to examine these important social/psychological processes which occur between the leader and his or her subordinates at the dyad level of analysis utilizing multi-source data analytic techniques. / Ph. D.

In this study, DiMaggio and Powell's (1983) institutional model of isomorphic change is hypothesized to explain the changes witnessed in educational organizations with regard to the acceptance, implementation and institutionalization of distance learning. In order to show the power of institutional theory in explaining organizational change over time, a comparative qualitative case study methodology is utilized. Document analysis and interviews are used to explore the utility of this isomorphic change model. Each research question seeks to explore different influences of institutional isomorphism, coercive, normative, and mimetic. DiMaggio and Powell (1983) suggest organizations converge on similar practices and behaviors and appear similar to like organizations over time. The appearance of change toward homogeneity is explored through the isomorphic change theory which indentifies three forces, coercive, normative and mimetic, influential in determining how adopted behaviors and pr actices become isomorphically accepted by the organizational field. Coercive isomorphism stems from political influence and organizational legitimacy, often conveyed through laws, regulations, and accreditation processes (or outside agency requirements); normative isomorphism is associated with professional values; and mimetic isomorphism is copying or mimicking behaviors that is a result of organizational response to uncertainty. By examining the organizational field for the presence of these forces and measuring the extent of these forces at various points in time one is able to explain convergence on regularized practices and institutionalized behaviors, or how an organizational field becomes institutionalized, around a particular idea or practice. / The coercive, mimetic, and normative forces present in the field dictate institutionalization and theoretically produce an environment that induces organizational conformity, or homogeneity, through pressure to appear legitimate, competition, mandates associated with funding, and influential professional group and network values. / by Kristi D. Caravella. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

A theory is developed on the basis of need paradigm and psychological contract to explain why employees identify with their work organization. It suggests three motives of organizational identification: Transactional, relational and developmental. The model includes compensation loss, relationship conflict and promotability drop to represent each of the three motives of organizational identification, and it also links with procedural justice and gender as moderators. Contrary to the traditional view that organizational identification is solely varied with social factors, the survey data from a Chinese factory demonstrated that organizational identification was negatively related to compensation loss and promotability drop. A three-way interaction was also found significant gender difference in response to procedural justice under motives unfulfillment. Unlike Chinese men, Chinese women would retain their organizational identification under compensation loss as long as they perceived procedural justice. The present study also recorded that Chinese employees with higher organizational identification had better in-role performance but not extra-role performance, the finding of which was opposite to that of the past studies. Further, the data supported that organizational identification might play a central role in mediating the relationship between in-role performance and the interaction of procedural justice, gender, and compensation loss together with that of procedural justice, gender, and promotability drop. / Tso Sek Kwong. / "Aug 2005." / Adviser: Chun Hui. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: A, page: 0265. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-110). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Collective efficacy, group helping behaviors, and group cohesion are group outcomes that have demonstrated pervasive effects on group performance. These group outcomes are important because of the strong relationships that have been established among these variables. Transformational leadership has shown to greatly foster these outcomes. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership styles and organizational group outcomes in the workplace.

More than 90 of every 100 new businesses fail within 5 years. The need to explore ongoing strategies that provide low-cost alternatives can prove invaluable to cash-strapped new business owners. Exploration of relationships among a group of stakeholders essential to business success provided data in this case study. Those stakeholders include the owner, the customer service personnel and the consumer. Without the consumer, all other business activities would cease to be necessary. Five business owners and five employees from Redding, California participated in 2 separate focus group interviews. The conceptual framework for this case study was to explore the specific business problem, the lack of low-cost strategic resources, and initiatives to facilitate continued existence of new small businesses. The focus group interviews were conducted in 2 separate settings using notes and Audacity voice recordings. Through personal notes and the use of NVivo 11 data was disseminated and provided rich information on at least four themes. Major themes were customer retention, creating teamwork, building relationships, and communication to create business sustainability. Having communities in which businesses thrive allows for greater job opportunities and increased community revenue. The impact of empty storefronts in cities throughout America and the loss of community identity necessitate the need for the strategist to continue to attempt to provide resources and strategies to business owners everywhere. The social change impact occurs when SBOs who recognize their business provides structure to the community seek out ways to increase sustainability.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a significant relationship between job satisfaction, job involvement, perceived organizational support, and organizational commitment among educators. A review of the literature revealed there is limited research that examined organizational behaviors among educators. Organizational commitment has been identified as a leading factor impacting an employee's level of success in various organizations. There remains a gap in the current literature regarding specific attitudinal behaviors influencing organizational commitment across various levels of education. Organizational commitment among educators employed at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels was examined. The sample for this study included 900 educators in a southern U.S. state. Based on the social exchange and leader member Exchange theories, this study used a nonexperimental quantitative design. The data were analyzed using three hierarchical multiple regressions. The findings of this study revealed a significant relationship between job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. Given the significance of these findings, promotion of dialogue within education could enhance social exchange relations, employee involvement, and educator commitment. Social change implications include the improvement of the educational services and student success outcomes and promotion of the importance of quality workplace exchanges, personal growth, leadership, scholarship, collaboration, and the benefits of a highly committed workforce.