<p> This is an empirical study of ecological worldviews and action logics of global sustainability leaders. Although a body of research has emerged in recent years focused on corporate sustainability practices at the organizational level, the literature has paid less attention to corporate sustainability at the individual level. As a result, little is known about the deeper psychological motivations of sustainability leaders and how these motivations may influence their behavior and effectiveness as change agents. </p><p> This study was based on theoretical insights from several social science disciplines including ecopsychology, integral ecology, environmental sociology, and developmental psychology. Drawing on interviews with 65 leaders in more than 50 multinational corporations, NGOs, and consultancies, the study presents three major propositions that illuminate specific ways that ecological worldviews and action logics are developed and expressed by sustainability leaders. Specific findings include five experiences that shape ecological worldviews over the lifespan and six ways that post-conventional action logics are expressed by sustainability leaders. Findings also include how the complexity of sustainability is driving highly collaborative approaches to leadership. Insights from this research can be integrated into leadership development programs in a wide range of public and private institutions and will be of interest to a range of sustainability scholars, social science researchers, sustainability executives, and social entrepreneurs. </p><p> Key Words: Sustainability leader, ecological worldviews, action logics, ecopsychology, developmental theory, new ecological paradigm, ecological self, corporate sustainability.</p>

<p> Organizational leaders are increasingly implementing distance training for employees (McGuire &amp; Gubbins, 2010) and it is not clear if employees perceive this training delivery approach to be an effective means of acquiring new skills. No current qualitative studies address the perceptions and experiences of employees in a distance training format. As a result of ten individual interviews seven themes and 17 sub-themes emerged during data analysis. The themes and sub themes represent the experiences of employees attending distance training including: (a) use of distance training, (b) benefits of training, (c) perceptions of training, (d) expectations of training, (e) training delivery format, (f) training techniques, and (g) technology. This qualitative case study confirmed there are a variety of perceptions among employees attending training in a distance training format. While this study contributes to the body of knowledge by increasing awareness of the common themes experienced by employees attending distance training more research is needed to further address the themes that emerged.</p>

<p> Previous scholars have found that organizational members use various tactics to encourage their peer coworkers to voluntarily exit their organizations. These tactics are known as peer-influence exit tactics. What has been missing from the literature is clarity about the factors that influence organizational members' use of peer-influence exit tactics. This dissertation explored the construct of peer-influenced exit to develop greater clarity about the motives for encouraging peer coworkers to leave, the characteristics of the peer-influence exit tactic source and receiver, and the organizational influences on peer-influenced exit. Study 1 used an open-ended survey design to explore the motives, process, and means through which peer-influenced exit occurs and the success of using peer-influence exit tactics. Results indicated that organizational members use eight peer-influence exit tactics and have four overarching motives for using them. Organizational members also reported that they consciously planned their tactics and the tactics were used with some success. Study 2 used an experimental design to explore how certain tactic source and receiver characteristics and organizational characteristics affect the use of peer-influence exit tactics. Results of an exploratory factor analysis revealed that organizational members use affirmation, unprofessional, depersonalization, and professional peer-influence exit tactics. Results of the experiment indicated that organizational members use affirmation, unprofessional, depersonalization tactics more frequently with low performing peer coworkers than with high performing peer coworkers. No differences emerged regarding the use of peer-influence exit tactics based on the cohesiveness of the organizational culture. The results also revealed relationships between competitiveness, agreeableness, and self-esteem of the source and peer-influence exit tactics. Study 3 incorporated a correlational design in which working adults were surveyed about their personal experiences with peer-influenced exit. Results revealed that personal gain, altruistic, organizational enhancement, and climate improvement motives predicted the use of peer-influence exit tactics, as did the competitiveness, agreeableness, and self-esteem of the source, perceived similarity, work performance, liking, and organizational influence of the target, and the organizational climate, supervisor complicity, and coworker regard. The results provide greater insight into the antecedents and outcomes of organizational exit that are valuable for both organizational communication scholars and organizational practitioners. </p>

<p> The colloquial phrases "choke artist" and "clutch performer" are used to refer to individuals who have a tendency to falter or excel, respectively, when performing under pressure conditions. The objective of this study was to conduct a broad survey of the extant literature on the topic of performance under pressure and to offer a Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) of that literature. The output of this project was multi-faceted and included an organized exposition and coarse-grained critical analysis of the literature on performance under pressure, an interpretive synthesis containing multiple suggestions for improving the literature base, and a reflexive account of the experimental use of the CIS methodology.</p><p> The critical analysis centered on a critique of the field's predominantly positivistic approach, which has produced a fragmented and ambiguous literature pervaded by enduring difficulties across the domains of conceptualization, research, theory, and practice. The interpretive synthesis was subsequently organized around the theme of advocating for a more balanced and integrative approach to both inquiry and intervention that honors the inevitable role of subjectivity in the pressure-performance relationship.</p><p> Specific suggestions for improving the literature base included incorporating a subjective self-assessment component into the operational definition of choking, complementing experimental studies with more qualitative and mixed-methods research, constructing interactional theories of choking that consider the important role of context and meaning-making, and treating athletes and performers more holistically by focusing on personal development and overall well-being in addition to teaching psychological skills.</p><p> Perhaps the most provocative suggestion to emerge from the present synthesis is that, as part of a more integrative and holistic approach to psychological training for sport and performance, the Western academic and applied sport psychology communities should begin to look beyond the relaxation and concentration benefits of Eastern mindfulness practices in order to bring into view the potentially broader benefits of the ego-transcendent functions of the spiritual traditions from which these practices derive.</p>

<p> There are currently 4 different generations in the workplace, and the newest generation, Generation Y, has caused leaders within organizations to rethink their management and workplace cultural approach to leading this emerging generation. This qualitative phenomenological dissertation examines the work environment preferences of Generation Y contract managers who work in the Los Angeles area in the defense and aerospace industry by interviewing 11 participants from both the public and private sectors. The research indicates that this new generation, Generation Y or Millennials, prefer to have autonomy over their workload and schedule, but prefer to have their direct manager active in a mentoring and coaching role, rather than acting as a task-master. In addition, the participants in this study preferred a healthy amount of pressure, but not too much of a workload that would cause them to fail. Lastly, this dissertation found that Millennials have a high preference for innovation and using innovative technology in the workplace to increase efficiency.</p>

<p> This study examined the propensity to engage in Organizational Retaliation Behaviors (ORBs) when perceiving organizational injustices in a group context. Situational scenarios were developed that incorporated distributive, procedural, and interactional justice and were administered to 211 individuals, along with a measure of the propensity to engage in ORBs directed towards group members and group leaders distinctly. Moreover, an individual's degree of narcissism was also assessed to explore its relationship to one's propensity to engage in ORBs. Analysis of Variance revealed a strong relationship between the condition exemplifying injustice and ORBs, in addition to a higher tendency of expressing ORBs towards group members when compared to group leaders. Furthermore, narcissism did not significantly impact the degree to which individuals expressed their propensity to engage in ORBs.</p>

<p>Unmanaged stress produces both negative physical and psychological health effects on Emergency Department Healthcare Professionals (ED HPs) as well as having effects on workplace health and safety. In this descriptive study, the researcher analyzed Survey Monkey&trade; results to identity effective and ineffective stress management methods utilized by ED HPs. There were 16 ED HP participants and the survey was distributed via e-mail invitations over a one-month period during the summer of2013. California State University Long Beach Internal Review Board (CSULB IRB) approval for the study was obtained. </p><p> The data were collected using snowball sampling and included demographic data about the participant's work experience and multiple-choice data regarding current experiences with workplace stress coping. Descriptive data regarding the participant's ideas of effective stress management methods within the workplace were also obtained. Null hypotheses involved the reported beliefs of ED HPs regarding coping mechanisms present at the workplace and their general effectiveness. </p>

<p> In the United States, since 1980, excess weight reached epidemic levels and labeled a public health crisis. Obesity rates correlated with chronic disease drive health care expenditures, absenteeism, worker compensation claims, co-morbidities, mortality rates, and more. </p><p> Many organizations offer employee wellness programs but are difficult to measure benefits and determine the most effective strategies. Wellness program effectiveness was seldom linked to organizational variables. Research questions were: (1) What organizational variable effects, such as organizational size, engagement in policies that encourage participation, and median income of the school district, determined by zip code income census data, have on school employee health outcomes, perceived health and wellness participation rates; and (2) Will the employee's residence effect health outcomes, perceived health and wellness participation rates, determined by employee's residence zip code and median income zip code census data. </p><p> Research generally focused on one organizational variable or health outcome in a variety of organizations, whereas this study examined multiple organizational variables and health outcomes within many school districts. The hypotheses were: (1) Mid-sized districts have better employee health outcomes, perceived health and participation rates than larger-sized districts; (2) Districts with better developed wellness policies using best practices have a positive effect on employee health outcomes, perceived health and participation rates; and (3) Organizational effects on employee health outcomes, perceived and participation rates vary by where the employees' resides and works, as it links to median income zip code census data, with employees residing and working in lower/medium income areas having the worst health outcomes, perceived health and participation rates, and best results with the highest income. </p><p> This longitudinal study had several layers of organizational effects on employee wellness in Southern California School Districts. The program impacted almost 10,000 employees, self-selecting a variety wellness options, such as wellness challenges, health screenings, coaching, incentives, and staff development workshops. Data collected yearly included: (a) objective health measurements, such as body mass index and systolic/diastolic blood pressure; (b) self-reported perceived health measurements, such as health, stress, energy, confidence, self-esteem, and body image; and (c) the type of interventions. The data was archival and collected from 2005 to 2012.</p>

<p> This study represented an initial effort to systematically examine the effects of the perception of servant-leadership attributes in union leaders on the commitment and participation levels of union members. Using Barbuto and Wheeler's (2006) Servant Leadership Questionnaire, and Gordon, Philpot, Burt, Thompson and Spiller's (1980) Commitment to the Union Scale, 535 members of a U.S.-based, national healthcare union rated their union leaders on servant-leadership attributes, and answered a series of questions designed to assess their level of union commitment. Additionally, demographic and participation information was collected. A combination of descriptive statistics, and Baron and Kenny's (1986) mediation methodology was used to determine the relationship between servant-leadership attributes, union commitment attributes, and an overall participation score. Demographic information was used to determine generalizability. The results of this study indicate that each attribute of servant-leadership showed a relationship with overall union member participation and with each attribute of union commitment. The only instance in which an attribute of union commitment consistently mediated the relationship between servant-leadership and overall union member participation was union loyalty. While the respondents in this study reported lower scores on those attributes of servant-leadership and union commitment that emphasize the personal over the collective, this does not negate the statistical significance of the impact on servant-leadership on union commitment. The results of this study confirms that, in the case of the sponsoring organization, servant-leadership is a viable leadership paradigm with the potential to increase both commitment to the union-as-organization, as well as increasing overall union member participation.</p>

<p>U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier&rsquo;s self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness Test, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Stress Management Questionnaire, the Lifestyle Assessment Inventory, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if personal (intellectual capabilities and physical fitness), behavioral (lifestyle and stress management), and/or environmental (supervisor leadership) factors predict self-efficacy and body mass index in a convenience sample of battalion personnel. The analysis showed that lifestyle and stress management behavioral factors predict self-efficacy, whereas physical fitness predicts body mass index. In addition, there were significant correlations between self-efficacy, personal factors, and behavioral factors; between personal factors, behavioral factors, and body mass index; and between behavioral and environmental factors. Positive social change implications include the U.S. Army using these findings to promote healthy lifestyles, reduce stress, and increase physical fitness among soldiers to achieve higher self-efficacy and a lower body mass index. These findings also suggest that the military services would see better physical readiness by considering personal, behavioral, and environmental factors to meet standards. </p>