<p> The purpose of this case study was to determine the nature of conversations that occur within an organizational microblog and compare them to traditional informal conversations. Since informal conversations are closely associated with reaction to change, this study explored how organizational microblog conversations may be understood to affect outcomes resulting from organizational change. </p><p> A sequential transformative design was used to collect four sources of evidence (Yin, 2009): microblog responses for 90 days; focus groups at the beginning, middle, and end of the 90-day period; pre and post organizational culture assessment surveys; and on-site participant observation. The site selected for this study was the healthcare innovation section of a nonprofit science, technology, and strategy organization located in Northern Virginia. </p><p> Overall, in HCD the rate of microblog messages was low, constrained by employee fear (Ford et al., 2008), in a working environment characterized by top-down leadership (Meyer &amp; Davis, 2003), organizational silence (Morrison &amp; Milliken, 2000), and resistance (Ford &amp; Ford, 1995; Ford et al., 2002, 2008; Marshak, 2006; Piderit, 2000; Weick &amp; Quinn, 1999) expressed often by ambivalence (Piderit, 2000). Eight conclusions emerged from the findings of this study: the suppressed and constrained nature of microblog conversations, the presence of resistance, the use of power, the expression of emotion, the limited impact of gender on microblog use, microblog participation and organizational controls, organizational change as continuous and multidimensional, and mixed views on power and the benefits of informal conversation in the workplace. The phenomenon of counter-resistance (Karreman &amp; Alvesson, 2009) served as an explanation for study findings associated with participants' compliance to power, their unwillingness to openly express resistance, and the inhibition of emotion and affect at work. </p><p> Given the security requirements associated with enterprise computer technology, the background conversations of "complacency, resignation and cynicism" (Ford et al., 2002) may never surface in a microblog. However, with employees' geographical dispersion and increased telecommuting options, the microblog may be a perfect tool for increased social interaction and self-disclosure within the organization while concurrently serving as an intraorganizational knowledge management system.</p>

<p> This phenomenological study examined how 10 leaders from one government agency described their experience in an action learning process that focused on the open-ended question and no group dialogue and how this experience resulted in transformational leadership behaviors. This study used Mezirow's (1991) transformative learning theory, transformational leadership theories (Bass, 1985; Kets de Vries, 1994; Sashkin, 1988; Yukl, 2010; Burns, 1978; Kouzes &amp; Posner, 1987; Tichy &amp; Devanna, 1986), and a modified action learning process modeled after Marquardt's (2004) framework as the context for the study. A phenomenological approach of interviews (Moustakas, 1994) was used to understand the participants' experience. The interviews were coded and analyzed using Atlas.ti analytic software. Two coresearchers coded and confirmed the findings. </p><p> The action learning process of open-ended questions and no group dialogue allowed each participant to present challenges and to hear different perspectives in the form of questions. The study revealed 12 findings in three broad areas. The action learning process findings revealed that organizational, individual, and program context created the conditions and influenced the degree to which participants experienced transformative learning; The learning findings revealed that all participants learned from the different perspectives; however, not all participants experienced transformative learning. The leadership findings indicated that participants who experienced all or some of the elements of transformative learning developed transformational leadership behaviors. </p><p> This study contributes to both theory and practice. First, it identifies the role of open-ended questions accompanied by limited dialogue in creating the conditions for self-awareness and transformative learning. Second, the study provides practical information on how to foster transformational leadership development and create interacting networks within an organization as a way to address leadership challenges through diverse perspectives. Third, this study highlights the use of peer-to-peer learning in fostering learning and leadership. Finally, it provides the basis for developing a framework of questions that address key transformative learning elements and transformational leadership behaviors.</p>

<p> This thesis presents an examination of the relationship between psychological safety and relational coordination within interdisciplinary health care teams. Based on previous research, a model is proposed in which psychological safety&mdash;the perceived safety of interpersonal interaction&mdash;partially mediates the link between the relational dimensions&mdash;shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect&mdash;and the communication dimensions&mdash;frequent, accurate, timely, and solution-oriented communication&mdash;of relational coordination. The proposed model was tested using multiple linear regression of survey data from 158 obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and nurses who work in the labor and delivery units at two large teaching hospitals. The findings do not support the proposed model; however, an alternative model in which psychological safety is an antecedent to rather than a consequence of relational quality is well supported. Building on these findings, the potential existence and nature of a new cluster of relationship-supporting communication dimensions is discussed. </p><p> This study also demonstrates the utility of role-level assessment of the psychological safety and relational coordination constructs. In most studies these constructs are assessed at the group level to facilitate comparisons between work groups. However, the role-based data collection and analysis applied in this study identified significant differences in the psychological safety, relational quality, and communication quality measurements with respect to various role-based subsets of the studied work groups. Additional differences were found when both the respondent's role and the role of the individual with whom the respondent was interacting were used as grouping variables. The revealed patterns of differences suggest that psychological safety and the dimensions of relational coordination are influenced by several role-oriented characteristics such as hierarchical status or control as well as a role's centrality or connectivity within an organization's social network. </p><p> The methods and findings presented in this thesis offer small steps toward the greater understanding of the dynamics of high-performance work groups. The practical application of this research includes the development of interventions designed to improve the communication, teamwork, and performance of groups in demanding environments such as hospital care units.</p>

<p> We are emerging from a decade plagued with headlines of crises that tell the narrative of the cost of organizational culture. Evolving before our eyes, the world is acutely focused on the actions of individual leaders and the organizational cultures that have cultivated low-trust and high-fear environments, dysfunctional and failing organizational cultures. Drawing from research in organizational theory, moral philosophy, psychology and sociology, the study focuses on organizational cultures, the role of leadership in enabling healthy cultures. This exploratory, qualitative study utilizing the grounded theory approach addressed the question of how organizations are establishing and reinforcing acceptable ethical leadership behaviors and principles and the factors critical in the role of leadership as an enabler of ethical cultures. The research explores how these leadership behaviors are manifested, and what is the impact and potential consequences these leadership behaviors have on creating healthy organizational cultures. The framework for this exploratory study was to research the questions and assess the phenomena from multiple perspectives. A process of data triangulation was performed, including an evaluation of multiple forms of primary and secondary sources. An analysis of the convergence and disparities of the data patterns resulted in the emergence of the key factors informing the grounded theory. The study points to the importance of leaders as visible and reflective models of organizational culture, especially at the middle layer of the organization. The study points to some emergent themes and effective practices that organizations can utilize to build and frame their ethical leadership development programs and initiatives. These themes include that rules and policies alone, do not provide a sustainable framework for mitigating leadership behavior. Other themes include social learning tools as channels for reinforcement and peer support of ethical decision making practices, evaluation of multiple perspectives of a situation, framing guidance with a tone set through the middle layer of an organization, and implementing diverse activities with a cadence of frequent contact over time. Implications and recommendations for leadership development in the areas of organizational development and business ethics are outlined. Suggestions for future study include organizational reputation management, phenomena of sensationalism and global transparency.</p>

<p> A quantitative, correlational was used to analyze seven dimensions of work values of Baby Boom and Generation X rural school principals in North Carolina to aid school district administrators in principal motivation and retention. The purpose of the current research study was to determine whether principals from different generational cohorts differ in their work values and was based on the generational characteristics and traits of employees in business organizations. The study was focused on Baby Boom and Generation X rural public school principals from two school districts. A Likert-type online survey based on seven dimensions of work values was administered to 50 principals and assistant principals within the two districts. Forty usable responses were received. The results of the study indicated that while there are not significant generational differences between Baby Boom and Generation X principals in collaboration, leadership, training, loyalty, commitment, or motivation, Baby Boomers scored lower in all areas except training. Baby Boomers scored significantly lower in technology and approached significance in motivation. Future research using a much larger sample size may find significant differences in other areas.</p>

<p> This dissertation is presented to provide an accurate presentation of the current rate of attrition of Salvation Army officers in the U.S.A. Eastern Territory and to examine and explore the influence and importance of a healthy and holy community upon retention. An increased attentiveness and an intentional emphasis upon calling and covenant within the context of a consecrated community, shaping that community at the College For Officer Training, and sustaining it throughout active ministry, may ameliorate the rate of attrition and assist in retention of officers. </p><p> Chapter one provides the context of the study and a description of the problem, the purpose, the research model, and the theological framework. </p><p> The literature review in chapter two examines clergy attrition, business attrition, and the attrition of Salvation Army officers. Special emphasis is given a review of the literature concerning community and its possible influence upon retention. </p><p> Chapter three presents the quantitative and qualitative data collected from an historical database, an active officer survey, a cadet survey, a former officer survey, and interviews with particular leaders. Population, data collection, and the limitations of the measures are provided per research question and the validity and reliability of the instruments are discussed. </p><p> The findings in chapter four support the hypothesis that healthy community encourages retention; a sense of a lack of community contributes to attrition. The interpretation of the data includes the identification of the rate, causes, trends, and implications of officer attrition. The presented perceptions of community among officers all contribute to a sense of urgency to focus more effort on healthy, holy community. </p><p> The recommendations in chapter five suggest concrete ways to strengthen the covenant community through education, spiritual formation, pastoral care, and networks of personal relationship. </p><p> An appendix (F) provides a comprehensive outline of an Integrative Curriculum for Spiritual Formation for the College for Officer Training. </p>

<p> Gender issues in aviation signify substantial areas of interest for aviation leaders. Gender issues relating to male and female attitudes and beliefs have influenced historically male and female interactions. Males and females must interact in flight, and gender stereotypes negatively could influence crew interactions. Aviation leaders introduced the concept of crew resource management to address pilot skills and reactions in flight. The present study used the phenomenological qualitative study to explore the experiences of pilots on mixed gender crews. The researcher conducted 12 interviews with commercial pilots, focusing on individual experiences of flying in a mixed crew. The results of the study produced five major themes including aviator attitudes, crew communication, differential treatment between genders, gender differences, and the belief there were no issues in mixed gender crews. The themes revealed differences between males and females have a direct impact on crew resource management while flying.</p>

<p> Employees' retaliatory behaviors in relation to perceptions of injustice have recently become a subject of interest. Findings have established that perceptions of injustice increase ones' propensity to engage in retaliation. The present study extends prior work by examining identity threat as a mediator and organizational retaliatory behaviors (ORBs) towards three distinct targets (i.e., organization, leader, and work group members). In contrast to previous studies, data are to be analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) as it allows greater insight and can determine whether retaliation is greater for certain targets over others. Responses collected from 220 individuals are used. Results from the present study may demonstrate that certain parties in an organization (i.e., group members) have a higher likelihood of being targets of retaliatory behaviors in comparison to others (i.e., the organization and group leader). Moreover, insight into the underlying mechanisms driving retaliation after experiencing injustice may be afforded.</p>

<p> As organizations become increasingly complex, research into the sources and effects of employee stress is increasingly warranted. The present study examined the relationship between personal life stress, work stress, and job performance. In addition, the role of conscientiousness as a possible moderating variable was analyzed. Several studies regarding the relationship between stress and work performance were reviewed. In the present study, participants completed measures of life stress, job stress, and personality. Supervisors rated the job performance of participants. A significant relationship was found between personal life stress and job stress such that each type of stress was higher when the other was present. Neither personal life stress nor job stress were related to job performance. Conscientiousness was not found to moderate the stress-job performance relationships. Implications of the study and future directions are explored.</p>

<p> Previously, a worker one set of skills for an occupational lifetime. In today's environment, the need for constant skill changes have created difficulties for individuals who must unlearn, store and use knowledge in new processes to update the old. Today's workers must keep pace with changes to maintain competency. The amount of wasted time, additional energy and resources required continues to increase when actions are not updated through unlearning. Confusion regarding unlearning remains a persistent problem because a clear definition does not exist. This study: 1) investigated and collected descriptive unlearning characteristics; 2) proposed a theory to define unlearning. Study results: Ninety-three interviews with 31 participants were conducted. The participants' responses were categorized into unlearning experiences and perceptions. One Hundred-Seven participant quotations referred to <i>Experimentation </i> in unlearning of their Windows-based system or application. <i> Experimentation</i> was divided into Subcategories: 1) <i>Unstructured Experimentation,</i> 2) <i>Structured Experimentation,</i> and, 3) <i>Resource-Based Experimentation.</i> Employee perceptions were identified as category with subcategories of <i>Incompetence and Competence.</i> The third category, <i>factors,</i> suggests participant unlearn with, <i>availability of support, time constraints </i> and <i>opportunities for experimentation.</i> This definition was proposed: <i>Unlearning is the process of using experimentation and available resources to promote the disuse of previous actions.</i> Additionally, to propose a new theory of the unlearning process, the force-field theory was used as a basis for this new unlearning theory. From the study results, organizations can develop effective employees to maintain a competitive advantage. </p>