Thesis advisor: Joseph O'Keefe / This qualitative case study examined how, when faced with an externally driven policy, central office administrators worked as an internal team to interpret mandates, match mandates to current needs, and reorient the organization through professional learning opportunities. In order to comply with state mandates, in this case the Massachusetts Model System for Educator Evaluation (MMSEE), central office administrators had been called upon to interpret the requirements of the new system, thus impacting professional development, decision-making, relationships, and forcing COAs to consider how best to meet the needs of the mandate and constituents simultaneously. Through interviews with one district’s COAs and principals, in addition to a document review, findings revealed a district COA team committed to the full implementation of the MMSEE for teachers, but who were in the middle of figuring out how best to accomplish the mandate’s goals to support principal growth and development. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1987. / Abstract. Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 184-206.

The purpose of the study is to explore in what ways leadership qualities such as delegation in the Fintech sector is different to that of traditional financial sector in times of crisis. The study is conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The findings of this study may theoretically add to the discussion topic for further research on leadership and delegation in times of crisis. From a practical perspective the findings can give leaders insight on what a select group of entrepreneurs in the Fintech sector perceive as important leadership qualities and delegation in times of crisis. A qualitative study was conducted featuring semi-structured interviews with nine leaders in the Fintech sector. An abductive research method has been used, moving back and forth between theory and research and from the empirical evidence identify the common themes of the most important in leadership qualities. The analyses of the empirical evidence showed that there are a few points that support both theory and practice in this specific crisis being, leaders in crisis need to be authentic, trusting, and transparent and have the ability to communicate it to the stakeholders. Although the leadership qualities in crisis varied, there were a few common themes; the importance of trust and qualities such as the ability to take decisions, give clear direction and communication are all in line with theory. What specifically stands out in the Fintech sector, making it different from that of more traditional industries, is that the leadership includes an increased willingness and ability to delegate. Delegation in times of crisis is important as it empowers the team which could further add to a positive resolve of the situation. One of the prerequisites to be able to delegate is the team being experts in their specific area, the other was their mindset and attitude. Fintech leaders also have the notion that leadership in crisis should be the same as is in times of non-crisis and it is imperative to continue to be delegating. The difference compared to more traditional industries can be contributed to entrepreneurial mindset of leaders in the Fintech sector being used to uncertainty and day to adversity of business survival, always ready to adapt their business model. An area for further research could be to do a wider scope and how the crisis affects other sectors.

Könets relation till uppfattat ledarskap har studerats i decennier. Vissa studier framför motsättningen mellan den kvinnliga könsrollen och ett uppfattat effektivt ledarskap, andra studier menar att det inte föreligger skillnad beträffande hur ledarskap mellan könen uppfattas. Ålderns relation till uppfattat ledarskap har framförallt på senare tid studerats. Somliga studier framför att ålder har en effekt kring förväntningar på ledarens ledarbeteende, medan detta dementeras i andra studier. Syftet var att undersöka om kön och ålder samvarierar med hur ledarbeteenden uppfattas. Variablerna undersöktes med utgångspunkt ur en integrering av forskningsresultat där sex ledarbeteenden framstod som essentiella för ledarskap. Urvalet bestod av 123 universitetsstudenter som besvarade studiens enkät. Databearbetning skedde genom sex tvåvägs ANOVOR för oberoende mätningar. Resultatet visade att kön och ålder inte relaterar till hur ledarskap uppfattas, med undantaget att yngre ledare skattades inneha högre Inre kontrollokus. Studiens resultat beträffande könets relation till uppfattat ledarskap går i linje med nutida forskning.

Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur arbetstagarna vid en statlig organisation i Mellansverige upplevde ledarskap under distansarbete. Åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes och analyserades med en induktiv tematisk analysmetod för att uppnå syftet. Resultatet visade tre huvudteman som representerade respondenternas subjektiva upplevelse av distansledarskap. Enligt respondenterna krävdes en ledare med personlig mognad för att kunna leda på ett önskvärt sätt. Tydlighet i kommunikationen och förmågan att skapa förtroende ansågs också vara avgörande egenskaper, särskilt vid distansarbete för att upprätthålla medarbetarnas välbefinnande. Sammanfattningsvis framkom det att bra kommunikation och förtroende var nyckelfaktorer för att skapa ett positivt ledarskap. En kommunikativ och empatisk ledare inkluderade och engagerade sina anställda, särskilt vid distansarbete. / The purpose of the study was to examine how employees in a state organization in central Sweden experienced leadership during remote work. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis method to achieve the objective. The results revealed three main themes representing the respondents' subjective experience of remote leadership. According tothe respondents, a leader with personal maturity was required to effectively lead. Clarity in communication and the ability to build trust were also considered crucial qualities, especially in remote work, to maintain employee well-being. In summary, effective communication and trust were key factors in creating positive leadership. A communicative and empathetic leader included and engaged their employees, particularly in remote work settings.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of effective school leadership. The study was conducted in senior secondary schools in the southern region of Botswana. The southern region comprises of the south and south central regions which has twelve (12) senior secondary schools, out of which seven (07) schools were randomly sampled for the study. Both interviews and questionnaires were used as research tools. One hundred and eighty nine (189) questionnaires were distributed and only one hundred and four (104) were completed and returned. Eight interviews were conducted among school leaders. Results from the questionnaires were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and tables. Results from the interview were analyzed within a framework that was structured along the lines of the research questions. The study reveals that most of the teachers have a teaching qualification (PGDE), have adequate teaching experience, and are generally young (30-35 years). In terms of position of responsibility, most of them are clustered around senior teacher II (42.3%) and teacher/educator (36.5%). The study also reveals that schools performance is hampered largely by indiscipline and laziness towards schoolwork by both stakeholders. The school leaders must act as catalysts in creating a learning environment and be actively involved in implementing improvement strategies that help both students and teachers to enhance their learning and achievement (cf. 2. 16. 2). / Thesis (M.Ed)--North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of effective school leadership. The study was conducted in senior secondary schools in the southern region of Botswana. The southern region comprises of the south and south central regions which has twelve (12) senior secondary schools, out of which seven (07) schools were randomly sampled for the study. Both interviews and questionnaires were used as research tools. One hundred and eighty nine (189) questionnaires were distributed and only one hundred and four (104) were completed and returned. Eight interviews were conducted among school leaders. Results from the questionnaires were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and tables. Results from the interview were analyzed within a framework that was structured along the lines of the research questions. The study reveals that most of the teachers have a teaching qualification (PGDE), have adequate teaching experience, and are generally young (30-35 years). In terms of position of responsibility, most of them are clustered around senior teacher II (42.3%) and teacher/educator (36.5%). The study also reveals that schools performance is hampered largely by indiscipline and laziness towards schoolwork by both stakeholders. The school leaders must act as catalysts in creating a learning environment and be actively involved in implementing improvement strategies that help both students and teachers to enhance their learning and achievement (cf. 2. 16. 2). / Thesis (M.Ed)--North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2007

A review of the available research indicates that relatively little is known about how districts employ Academic Achievement Teams or similar mechanisms to reduce declines in student achievement and sustain increased student achievement at the elementary school level (Kutash, Nico, Gorin, Rahmatullah, & Tallant, 2010).   Turning around chronically low-performing schools is challenging work requiring a systemic rather than school-by-school approach (Robinson & Buntrock, 2011). The most successful turnaround efforts have both high-impact leaders and the district capacity to initiate, support, and enhance transformational change through the use of data. Educational leaders on all levels are realizing meaningful information can only be acquired through a proper analysis of data and good decisions are based on this thoughtful process of inquiry and analysis (Creighton, 2007).  The intent of this study was to identify practices of Academic Achievement Teams that facilitated student achievement.  Interviews were conducted with principals, directors of elementary education, a teacher, and district liaison representing the Virginia Department of Education\'s Office of School Improvement to gain insight into the operational and organizational structures of the Academic Achievement Teams. A qualitative design was selected to conduct this descriptive cross case study. In addition to the one-on-one interviews, observations of the Academic Achievement Team meetings and review of documents from each of the two study schools were examined to gain additional perspective regarding how the Academic Achievement Team operated to increase student achievement.  The interviews, observations, and document reviews were analyzed using the Constant Comparative Method to understand the specific practices employed by Academic Achievement Teams that increased student achievement at two elementary schools (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994). / Ed. D.

Exploring the Career Experiences and Leadership Perceptions of Nonprofit Executives in Central Florida: A Mixed-Methods Study. JahKiya S. Bell, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Key Words: nonprofit organizations, leadership effectiveness, leadership qualities, administrator characteristics. This applied dissertation was designed to explore the professional and leadership development thoughts and experiences of nonprofit administrators in the Central Florida region. Administrators play a significant role for in ensuring the sustainability and success of nonprofit organizations. Administrators must possess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will allow them to lead their organization to accomplish goals while securing necessary funding from diversified sources. In Central Florida—defined in this study as Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties—as of 2012 there were 1,485 health and human services nonprofit organizations in the region, which is 42% increase in the number of nonprofit organizations in the past ten years. An increase in the number of nonprofit organizations is indicative of an increase in competition for available funds. The problem addressed by this research was that while research is available about general leadership practices and the knowledge and skills necessary to become a leader, there was a lack of knowledge regarding the specific experiences of nonprofit administrators in Central Florida. This study collected and discussed the academic and professional credentials held by participating nonprofit administrators and leaders in the Central Florida, as well as reviewed these leaders’ perspectives on the knowledge, skills, and leadership practices required to lead a nonprofit organization.

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the business and leadership components of a Registered Nursing (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the university. The problem was that an evaluation of the present RN-to-BSN curriculum had not been conducted since 2006 to determine if the best practices in business and leadership were current, applicable, and relevant in the current RN-to-BSN curriculum. The researcher utilized an evaluation methodology to assess the business and leadership components of an RN-to-BSN nursing program. An evaluation tool was developed and used to compare expected outcomes (criteria) of current practices to expected outcomes (criteria) of best practices in the field of nursing. The expected outcomes (criteria) of current best practices were developed from a review of the literature, data collected from RN-to-BSN alumni students, and input from formative and summative committees. Thirteen specific procedures guided the study to assess the value, merit, and worth of the program and to answer six research questions. The final evaluation by the expert panel revealed that the current best practices in business and leadership taught in Nursing 4020 and Nursing 4030 courses were not current with preferred best practices. The final report recommended updating the courses with current best practices collected from the literature, formative and summative committee members, practicing RNs, and experts in the nursing profession.