Correctional institutions across the United States continue to experience prisoner sexual assault despite the enactment of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA). The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the association between jail administrators' difficulty complying with the PREA and their transformational leadership styles. The theories of punctuated equilibrium theory and general strain theory formed the theoretical framework of the study. The data were collected through an Internet-based survey from 22 local and regional jail administrators from the East Coast. Data analysis using Pearson's correlation coefficient was performed on leadership scores to test the hypotheses. There were results showed no statistically significant correlations between 5 attributes of transformational leadership styles and PREA compliance. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed; however, this question could not be answered because 2 fundamental assumptions of multiple linear regressions were not satisfied. Social change implications of this study include using the study results to expand leadership development programs that could influence a full range of leadership skills essential for addressing the present and future policies of PREA affecting correctional facilities in the United States.

Waste is a global composite of organic and inorganic derivatives from human activities. Municipal solid waste consists primarily of plastics from households and e-wastes, creating opportunities for waste management businesses. The purpose of this study was to explore leadership strategies for reducing operational costs in waste management businesses in Liberia. In this multiple case study, 6 business leaders from 6 waste management businesses in Liberia were recruited as participants. The conceptual framework guiding the study was the transformational leadership theory. Each business leader responded to open-ended questions in a semistructured interview. Data were analyzed by iteratively searching recurrent codes to elicit themes. Themes that emerged included education and training for customers and staff, as well as efficiency and effectiveness for value creation from waste. Based on the findings of this study, waste management business leaders might contribute to social change by employing marginalized population segments in local communities. The marginalized segments in communities could be empowered to communicate waste management messages about recycling, supplementing their skills and messages using waste management technological innovations. The results from this study might provide insight into how waste management leaders might use innovative solutions to reuse, recycle, and re-engineer wastes. The results from this study might help waste management business leaders envision opportunities for improvement on waste-to-energy products and services in the lives of customers and employees.

Small businesses in the United States experience a high rate of failure. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and explore consistent strategies small business owners in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania used to lead successful companies. Transformational leadership theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. A mixed purposive sample of 20 small business owners participated in semistructured face- to-face and telephone interviews. Each of the participants possessed a minimum of 3 years of successful business operation and employed fewer than 500 individuals. Using Moustakas' modified van Kaam analyses, 6 main themes emerged: characteristics and experiences, leadership behaviors, managing operations, managing employees, employee behaviors, and achieving success. The study findings highlighted the need for small business owners to nurture the leader-follower relationship to inspire and motivate employees. Further, the results indicated the importance of utilizing integrated business practices to influence employee and business performance. The findings in this study promote positive social change by identifying strategies to empower nascent and existing entrepreneurs. Small business owners can apply these results to improve the leader- follower relationship within their organizations, and boost overall business success.

Even though millions of Americans attend church, church worship practices have declined in recent years. Also, church leaders lack understanding of transformational, transactional, laissez-faire, and servant leadership styles and their potential to promote the growth of church membership. Gaps exist in the literature regarding the connection between development and efficacy, organizations and outcomes, and church leaders' styles and church membership growth. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perception of church leaders (pastors, deacons, ministers) and members of congregations regarding leadership styles and how the implementation of those styles influences the growth of church membership. The conceptual framework of this study was Bass's full-range leadership theory and Greenleaf's servant leadership theory. The data collection methods were semistructured, face-to-face interviews with 40 church leaders and members of 4 congregations, a focus group interview with 5 of those participants, and review of church documents. Transcript review and triangulation increased the credibility and trustworthiness of the data. Thematic analysis was used in data analysis. Data analysis yielded 12 themes: ideal church leadership styles, church leadership management, church leadership motivation, leadership that ensures church growth, effective leadership communication, leadership practices, developing leaders, perceptions of leadership, church attendance growth and decline rates, leaders' roles, church administrator's handbook, and vision and mission statements. The findings of this research may influence social change for leaders of Pentecostal churches who function as leadership mentors and believers within their church environment.

Ineffective strategies to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) to support global virtual teams (GVTs) have adversely affected organizations' performance. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the effective strategies participating GVT managers in 2 organizations in the United States used to integrate ICT to support teams' success. The population comprised managers in New York with at least 3 years of service integrating successful strategies in ICT to support GVT success. Transformational leadership theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The data collection process included asking 4 participants semistructured interview questions as well as reviewing archival data from the organizations. Data analysis using mind mapping analysis resulted in 5 major themes: forms of communication, redundancy, inclusion, accessibility, and infrastructure. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to create economic opportunities in developed and underdeveloped countries by incorporating or adapting some or all these strategies to improve efficiencies using ICT to support the success of GVTs. Improving GVT success rates could enable organizations to maintain and grow jobs benefiting employees, families, and communities.

Disengaged employees in the information technology industry lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, poor job performance, higher employee turnover, and reduced organizational effectiveness. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the leadership strategies that information technology leaders used to improve employee engagement. The transformational leadership theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 3 leaders of information technology companies in Illinois and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis and using Yin's 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding data. The 3 emergent themes from data analysis were compensation and benefits strategy, performance management strategy, and recognition strategy. The findings of this research study indicated that compensation and benefits, performance management, and recognition were critical strategies information technology leaders used to improve employee engagement. The findings and recommendations resulting from this study might be valuable to information technology leaders, human resources managers, and hiring managers for developing leadership strategies to increase productivity, lower absenteeism, improve organizational performance, and reduce employee turnover through improved employee engagement. The implications for positive social change include the potential for information technology leaders to enhance local economic stability, lower local unemployment rates, and increase community volunteerism through improved employee engagement.

Project success rate declined from 62% in 2012 to 60% in 2015 despite advances in methods and tools. Project managers need emotional intelligence and leadership style to reduce the risk of project failure. Successful projects are assets to the organization and to the whole community. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, transactional leadership, passive avoidance leadership, emotional intelligence, and project manager performance. Project managers from different industries in the states of Virginia and Maryland, and the District of Columbia were administered the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Self-Report of Emotional Intelligence, and Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales questionnaires. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicated the full model (nine predictors) significantly predict project manager performance, F(9, 92) = 8.330, p = .002, R2 = .449. The R2 value (.449) indicated approximately 45% of the variance in project manager performance was accounted for by the linear combination of the predictor variables. Inspirational motivation was the only significant contributor to the model (t = 3.213, Ã? = 3.959, p = .002). The result indicated that project manager performance tends to increase as inspirational motivation increases. The results of this study may have implications for positive social change include the potential for business leaders to enhance project manager performance through employing inspirational, motivational, and charismatic leadership techniques. Business leaders who improve project managers' performance increase the propensity of organizational success. Successful organizations are sources of economic growth which reduces poverty and improves the quality of life.

abstract: Harm to patients remains high in US hospitals despite significant progress to improve the quality of care in our health systems. Leadership, a culture of patient safety, and a climate conducive to innovation in patient care are necessary to advance positive patient safety outcomes. Yet, little is known about how leadership can impact patient safety within a climate of innovation. This study examines the effects of transformational and transactional leadership (singularly and with transactional augmenting transformational leadership) as related to nurses’ perception of patient safety, how communication elements of a culture of patient safety may strengthen that relationship, and how the mediating role of team innovation climate may help explain the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership and nurses’ perception of patient safety. The variables were measured using three validated and reliable survey instruments: The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X), the Team Climate Inventory-short (TCI), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. A convenience sample of all staff registered nurses (N=952) from the single academic medical center with direct patient care responsibility was surveyed via e-mail for this research. A total of 210 surveys were returned, 157 met inclusion criteria for a response rate of 16%. Transformational leadership had a statistically significant relationship with patient safety perception, while the relationship of transactional leadership with patient safety perceptions was not significant. The results of the regression analysis that tested the effect of communication elements of a culture of patient safety on the relationship between transactional and transformational leadership and patient safety perception were not significant. Transformational leadership was significantly related with team innovation climate after controlling the effect of transactional leadership supporting the augmentation effect. Mediation analysis showed that team innovation climate had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between transformational leadership and patient safety perception. Team innovation climate had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between managers’ transformational leadership and patient safety perception after controlling for transactional leadership supporting the augmentation effect. This is the first study known to test the augmentation of transformational leadership related to patient safety and the role of team innovation climate. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Nursing and Healthcare Innovation 2019

Organizational leaders often seek to hire and retain innovative employees as a source of competitive advantage. Both transformational leadership and effectively managed workplace diversity have been theorized and shown to lead to increased employee creative performance at work; however, a full model of the relationships between leadership and the multi-dimensional construct of workplace diversity has not yet been tested. Using a sample of 371 employees in three Chinese high-technology firms matched with 64 supervisors collected at three time points, this study theorized and tested a moderated mediation path model in which transformational leadership and diversity climate were predicted to significantly interact to influence the workplace diversity constructs of organizational justice and organizational identity, which in turn, influence individual creative performance. Based on major theories of leadership, diversity, and creativity, several partial mediation hypotheses are presented, including diversity climate as a mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and creative performance as well as organizational justice and organizational identity as mediators of the relationship between the interaction of transformational leadership and diversity climate and creative performance. Several single- and multilevel path analyses were conducted to test the model, using two measures of creative performance: self-ratings and supervisor ratings. The results showed that the interaction of transformational leadership and diversity climate significantly predicted self-rated creative performance, and organizational identity significantly predicted supervisor ratings of creative performance. In addition, transformational leadership was found to significantly predict diversity climate and organizational justice was a significant predictor of organizational identity. Finally, transformational leadership had a significant indirect effect on creative performance through diversity climate. The contributions of this study to three major bodies of literature, as well as the implications of the results for research and practice, are discussed.

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