What are a person’s core beliefs? What do they hold dear and to be true? How does one go about examining their ideals and challenging them risking discovering there is a different way of living, thinking, or showing up? These questions and more are what drove me to enroll in the University of Vermont Graduate College and the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) program. I probably could have attended a few self-help seminars, paid a life coach or seen some type of counselor to help me explore these issues. Doing the exploring via higher education and the IDS program seemed much more meaningful, especially as the program progressed. Through Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) I have been able to closely examine myself, my life stories, with a different lens, even different then using the advantage of hindsight, in hopes of finding a path toward different self-realization. Important to note I said different, not better, as each person’s experience is valid, something you will see as you read the thesis. In so doing, you will be exposed to three basic explorations, my personal stories, my professional stories, and my political stories. All intertwine and relate to each other, but each have their own narrative to contribute to this journey. By the end, you, as the reader and consumer of these stories, may find similar paths to search for yourself in whatever place you currently find your life.

In a competitive retail environment, retail store managers (RSMs) need to retain retail customer service employees (RCSE) to maximize sales and reduce employee turnover costs. Servant leadership (SL) is a preferred leadership style within customer service organizations; however, there is disagreement regarding the usefulness of SL in the retail industry. The theoretical framework for this correlational study is Greenleaf's SL theory. Seventy-four of 109 contacted human resources managers (HRMs) from a Fortune 500 United States retailer, with responsibility for evaluating leadership competencies of the RSMs they support, completed Liden's Servant Leadership Questionnaire. RCSE turnover rates were available from company records. To analyze the correlation between the 3 SL constructs and RCSE turnover, multiple regression analysis with Pearson's r providing sample correlation coefficients were used. Individually the 3 constructs FIRST (beta = .083, p = .692), EMPOWER (beta = -.076, p = .685), and GROW (beta = -.018, p = .917) were not statistically significant to predict RCSE turnover. The study multiple regression model with F (3,74) = .071, p = .98, R2 = .003 failed to demonstrate a significant correlation between SL constructs and turnover. Considering these findings, the HRMs could hire or train for different leadership skills that may be more applicable to effectively lead a retail sales force. In doing so, the implications for positive social change may result in RCSE retention leading to economic stability and career growth.

Organizational change initiatives in the United States frequently fail with estimated failure rates as high as 90%. Change failure rates resulting from underused and poorly trained front-line managers (FLMs) remained high, with no signs of improvement in the past 2 decades. The purpose of the correlational study, grounded in servant leadership theory, was to examine the relationship between employee perceptions of their FLM's servant leadership dimensions and employee affective commitment to change. A purposive, nonprobability sample of 107 employees of a U.S. manufacturing organization that had recently undergone organizational change completed a questionnaire for the study. Results of the multiple linear regression analysis were not significant, F(7, 107) = .714, p = .660, R2 = 0.045. Though results were not statistically significant, the beta weights for creating value for the community (β = .165) and behaving ethically (β = .168) indicated that creating value for the community and behaving ethically were potentially the most important variables in accounting for variance in the model. The beta weights for emotional healing (β = -.048) and conceptual skills (β = -.047) indicated that emotional healing and conceptual skills were potentially the least important variables in accounting for variance in the model. The findings may be of value to manufacturing leaders developing initiatives to improve change initiative success rates. Support for servant leadership during periods of organizational change has positive social change implications for employees. The practice of servant leadership reduces employee uncertainty and anxiety incurred during periods of change by resolving uncertainties and sustaining employee motivation for supporting organizational change.

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This research falls within the field of normative business ethics. Its aim is to examine the moral nature of the employment relationship in western democracies by examining the liberal, democratic justifications that are normally advanced for its probity. Its concern is to challenge the notion that the employment relationship is in conformity with these liberal democratic values. Thus, the research is an exercise in the examination of the application of the liberal, democratic tradition to the social institution of employment. Thus research examines areas of dissonance between the political relationship of employee � employer and the dominant values of the liberal tradition found elsewhere in western democracies. The research firstly identifies the key moral characteristics of the employment relationship in private, capitalist organisations. This is derived from a consideration of the development historically, of the employment relationship, with acknowledgement of the combined influences of statute, common law, contract law and custom in forming the current employee relationship. Secondly, the research identifies the justificatory arguments from the liberal tradition that are normally advanced in support of the employment relationship�s moral probity. These include notions of rights deriving from private property, the separation of social life into public and private spheres and the application of contract law to employment. Thirdly, the research examines these arguments for their moral probity. Specifically, this involves an examination of the arguments regarding the private property status of employing organisations, the application of contract law to employment, the moral characteristics of the master and servant relationship as a basis for employment and the relevance of democratic values within employment. As an additional perspective, the literature on human needs is reviewed as a source, outside of the liberal tradition, for a basis upon which to outline the moral requirements of human relationships to work.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore conditions under which the human spirit flowers in modern organisations. The topic of the thesis was sparked by prolonged study at the Master’s level of the writings of Robert K. Greenleaf, modern servant leadership theorist. Greenleaf was concerned with the ways and the conditions in which the human spirit flowers. He wrote a number of essays on the topic (Greenleaf, 1996b). He often questioned what organisations as they currently stood were doing to help people grow as whole people. As workers spend increasing amounts of time in the workplace, organisations continue to seek ways in which to increase employee satisfaction and decrease the compartmentalising of human experience. The geographical context of study is that of Aotearoa/New Zealand with participants selected from the Church Educational System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Tāmaki-makau-rau/Auckland region. The Church Educational System, or CES, is a worldwide religious education provider headquartered in the Western United States. The context for study was chosen based on my perceived personal growth as a student for nine years in the CES programmes and my desire to understand how the programme was administered in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The project employs a qualitative methodology using as primary data gathering methods in-depth interviews with three CES directors, three focus groups made up of sixteen volunteer teachers, classroom observations, and document analysis. Using Greenleaf’s descriptions of the servant leader as a central focus, I attempt through this qualitative study to address the central research question: How does the Church Educational System (CES) nurture servant leaders? The central metaphor of the garden was used in processing and analysing data. The garden metaphor was intended to assist in the conceptualisation of relationships of service as they are at work in the lives of participants. Identified relationships of service from the findings were between participants co-workers (plants), love (life-force), Jesus Christ (sun), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (plot), purpose (strength), Aotearoa/New Zealand (soil), exemplars (canopy), experience (seasons), Church Educational System (gardener), positions, training, programmes (gardener tools), growth (colour/aroma/fruit), knowledge (water), and organisational care (pruning/transplanting). Findings indicated that nurturing in the Church Educational System is influenced by the ability of the organisation to bring people together in meaningful ways. Findings also show that understanding relationships of service that make up whole people may be an important step for organisations in the nurturing of servant leaders. Nurturing in the CES appears to be taking place in three primary areas: balancing, renewal, and regeneration. The findings of this study have significance for those inside and outside of the CES. A chapter is dedicated to exploring possible application of findings in variant organisational contexts. Providing consistent formal and informal opportunities for sharing in spirit and intellect at the organisational level appears to be a key in the nurturing of servant leaders in organisations.

由於社會急速變遷，政府職能及任務日益繁重，公務人員亟需隨時進 修、充電，始足嗣應。本研究遂以公務人員在職進修為主題，探討公務人 員進修之理論、研究，藉供實務上規劃公務人員進修措施、培育人才之參 考。本文主要的研究目的有六： 一、瞭解公務人員參加進修活動的現 況及對各項進修活動需求的情形。二、探討公務人員參加進修活動的動機 。三、探討公務人員所感受到的進修阻礙及其對公務員進修的影響。四、 比較不同自重感與人口統計特質的公務人員，其在進修動機、進修參與程 度、感受到的進修阻礙及對各項進修活動需求上的差異情形。五、瞭解自 重感、進修動機、進修阻礙對公務人員參加進修活動及對進修需求上的影 響。六、提出增進公務人員參加進修意願、激發進修動機、提昇進修風氣 之具體建議，俾供人事行政當局作為規劃公務人員進修措施之參考。 本研究係以問卷調查法為主，文獻法為輔。資料之分析，係由文獻研究所 得資料進行質的分析；再應用研究者自編的「公務人員在職進修意願調查 問卷」，搜集資料，進行量的分析。主要的研究變項包括：自重感、人口 統計變項、進修實況、進修需求、進修動機、進修阻礙。調查的資料係利 用「社會科學統計軟體程式」（SPSS/PC~F0;+~F0; 4.0）進行統計分析， 採用的統計方法包括：ヾ皮爾遜積差相關、ゝCronbach Alpha信度係數、 ゞ兩個平均數差異Ｔ檢定法、々單因子變異數分析、ぁScheffe 多重比較 等五種。研究結果主要發現如下： 一、公務人員參加進修的情況不理 想，公務人員參加較多、需求較多的進修活動均是研讀專書、學術演講、 專題研討等，參加較少、需求較少的進修活動均是實習、國外進修項目。 二、公務人員之進修動機多為求知或職業進展、社會服務等，而較少 受逃避或刺激、外界期望等動機影響而進修者。 三、公務人員感受到的 進修阻礙多屬情境阻礙與制度阻礙。 最後，綜合文獻資料分析、貫徹 研究結果，提出下列建議： 一、公務人員應建立終生進修的觀念，及 早作生涯規劃，積極參與符合自己能力、需求之進修活動，並尋求外界對 其進修之支持。 二、人事行政當局應廣泛調查公務人員之進修意願， 規劃多樣化、彈性化的進修活動以符合不同組群者之需求，尤應加強輔導 弱勢組群之進修，並竭力解決公務人員進修之阻礙。 三、後續研究可 針對不同層級、性質、地區之公務機關人員，瞭解其進修需求及阻礙因素 等情形，藉以規劃兼顧個人與組織發展之進修措施。

This study is exploring on the taxman¡¦s conception on the relationship between the perception on fairness of job promotion, political awareness of the job promotion and the promise of the organization when the organization conducts job promotion. The study is to achieve the purpose of providing a reference for the development and organizing of the human resources for the civil servant department. This study is based on analysis of documents and questionnaires from taxman of Kaoshiung Notional Tax Administration. Research changing facts include: Personal background, the perception on fairness of job promotion, political awareness of the job promotion and the promise of the organization. The number of questionnaire handed out is 541, and the number of questionnaire received is 448. After eliminating of 59 invalided questionnaires, the total number of the valid questionnaire is 389. Receiving rate is 72.46%. The questionnaire data is calculated and analyzed by statistic software of SPPSS.1 Chinese version and AMOS 5.0 version. The important findings are the following: 1¡BThe taxman¡¦s average rate on the perception on fairness of job promotion, political awareness of job promotion and the promise of the organization is above average level. 2¡BThe changing fact of Taxman¡¦s personnel background will affect their opinions on the perception on fairness of job promotion, political awareness of job promotion and the promise of the organization. 3¡BThe political awareness of job promotion has prominent negative influence on the perception on fairness of job promotion. 4¡BThe organizational fair conception has prominent positive influence on the promise of the organization. 5¡BThe political awareness of the job promotion has prominent negative influence on the promise of the organization.

Servant leadership focuses on stakeholder concern and follower development and empowerment. It has begun to emerge as a useful perspective of leadership within academic research, but theoretical development remains limited, and some of its key propositions have not been tested. In this dissertation I build and test a theory of how servant leadership works, why it works, and when it works. Drawing on the extant servant leadership literature, a social learning perspective, and research on gender roles and schemas, I propose a conceptual definition and theory of how servant leadership impacts two characteristics of followers (prosocial motivation and psychological capital) to affect distal outcomes including voice and performance. I also test servant leadership's impact on the spread of servant leadership behaviors to followers, a key proposition of servant leadership for nearly fifty years which has never been empirically tested. Further, I propose gender and gender schemas as potential moderators of servant leadership, arguing that the more communal emphasis of this approach may interact with sex role factors to impact its effectiveness, such that females may actually have an advantage in using servant leadership, as opposed to the implicit masculine advantage in other leadership behaviors. To answer these research questions, I conducted a temporally lagged multi-organizational study testing the mediators, moderators, and outcomes of servant leadership. Using a variance decomposition approach to clustered and cross-level interactions in an HLM framework, I find substantial support for my theoretical predictions. Results support the idea that exposure to servant leadership behaviors is associated with all three performance outcomes, including an employee's own enactment of servant leadership, both directly and through the mediating effects of positive psychological capital. These effects were contingent as hypothesized, such that servant leadership was more powerful when used by a female manager, and when experienced by individuals with high female gender schemas. Theoretical and practical implications of these conclusions, as well as future research suggested by these results, are discussed.

This is a story of a social movement's conception and the articulation of its meaning and meaningfulness. Gawad Kalinga, an ambitious Philippine community development cum nation building movement, initiated "GK777" to build 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities, in seven years. I assessed the national and global implications of this social movement's social networking model of nation-building through community development, poverty alleviation, and slum eradication. Using an ethnographic case study to conduct an inductive, grounded theory analysis, the study sought to explore if strategies and actions that go beyond traditional and conflict-centered social movement conceptions are enabling it to achieve their goals and to transfer its model to five other countries. The global implications and replicability of GK's nation-building model on the emergence and development of other forms of social movements, civil society-state governance, are compelling. The attempt at articulating and integrating political process and opportunity structure, resource/ structure mobilization, framing process, and new social movement theories in explaining another form of social movement and of civil society highlights the suitability for such kind of research, long-term monitoring and evaluation, and theorizing.