Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2007. / Thesis advisor: Anthony Rigazio-DiGilio. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-69). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 225 p.; also includes graphics (some col.) Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-225). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Authentic leadership, its fundamental values, and its mediated effects on employee outcomes were studied. Past leadership studies have had different situational or environmental objectives, have concentrated mostly on the short or medium terms and have not focused on the core, fundamental values of leadership. Most of the existing leadership studies with different situational or environmental objectives have focused on the personality or behaviour of the leader and on the resulting psychological and financial outcomes, rather than on employee outcomes. Situations and environments have become increasingly complicated and their complexities cannot be explained by a single leadership style. As a result, concerns about the effectiveness of conventional leadership styles have been well noted. Both business practitioners and academic researchers are interested in finding a leadership style that works in different situations and environments, and has the potential to deliver the best, legitimate, ethical follower outcomes. Authentic leadership is the recent research focus. Harter (2002) described the fundamental concept of leader authenticity as to 'know thyself' and 'to thy own self be true'. Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner et al. (2008, p. 94) further defined authentic leadership as 'a pattern of leader behaviour that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalised moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency on the part of leaders working with followers, fostering positive self-development'. In this study, the authenticity of a leader and the mediated effects of authentic leadership on employee outcomes were studied. Possible boundary conditions and limitations of the work were also considered. Demographic information was included with tenure-related control variables. The mediated effects of authentic leadership on employee outcomes through the psychological capital, social exchange, and uncertainty management mediation processes were examined. Drawing on the well-established theoretical background of psychological capital theory and social exchange theory, the psychological capital and social exchange mediating processes were empirically tested. The uncertainty management process was also empirically tested, by considering how employees prioritise decisions when facing uncertainties during interactions between leaders and followers. A research model was developed to study the effects of authentic leadership on the follower attitude outcome of job satisfaction and the behavioural outcomes of helping behaviour and employee voice behaviour. The direct and mediated effects of authentic leadership on employee outcomes were investigated. Questionnaires were prepared based on past studies and data were collected to empirically test the research model. The data were collected in dyads, giving 409 pairs of validated questionnaires from leaders and followers. The 409 followers worked with 103 direct supervisors or leaders in 50 organisations in Hong Kong. The study achieved its aims. Authentic leadership was found to play a significant role in followers' perceptions and to affect the followers' helping behaviour and job satisfaction. Post-hoc testing indicated that authentic leadership can be a leader's core value, regardless of the situation or environment that the leader is in. The results reinforced that authentic leadership plays an important role with a transformational objective. The psychological capital process of the self-efficacy of the leader played a full mediating role in employee voice behaviour, but not in the other two processes using trust and psychological safety as mediators. All three mediating processes had partial mediation effects on job satisfaction, possibly due to the high authenticity of the leaders in the sample. The social exchange process of trust in leaders fully mediated helping behaviour, but the other two processes using self-efficacy and psychological safety as mediators did not. Using psychological capital theory and social exchange helped to explain and understand the mediating mechanisms by which authentic leadership affects employee outcomes. The results reinforced the construct validity of authentic leadership theory. The study achieved all four of its objectives. The contributions of the study, its implications for future studies and business practitioners, and its limitations are discussed. Recommendations for future research are also included.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Duquesne University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p.109-115) and index.

This study considered the effects of mentoring on protégés’ beliefs in their abilities to be leaders and on their development of interpersonal skills. This study explored, in 260 business graduate students, the relationship between (a) mentoring and leadership self-efficacy and (b) mentoring and political skill. Participants completed surveys including the Self-Efficacy for Leadership Scale, the Political Skill Inventory, and the Mentoring Functions Questionnaire. Comparisons between non-mentored and mentored individuals showed that having a mentor is associated with increased political skill (p < .05) but not increased leadership self-efficacy (p > .05). Among mentored individuals, higher quality mentoring relationships are associated with significantly higher leadership-self efficacy (p < .01) but not with significantly higher political skill (p > .05). The presence of a mentor is important for protégé development of political skill, but the quality of the mentoring relationship is important for protégé development of leadership self-efficacy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2007. / "May, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-131). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

No description available.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Although motivation to lead (MTL) was characterized as stable, recent research suggested otherwise. This study explored the malleability of MTL and its predictors. Individuals with high affective-identity MTL are motivated to lead because they enjoy leading. Individuals with high social normative MTL are motivated by an obligation to lead. Individuals with high noncalculative MTL are drawn to leadership because they avoid weighing the costs and benefits of leading. Applicants to a California college were sent a questionnaire on MTL and leadership self-efficacy (LSE) (Time 1 assessment, N = 2704). Four years later (Time 2), participants who responded at Time 1 were sent a survey on motivation to lead, leadership self-efficacy, college leadership experience, and leader identity (LID) (N = 96). Results showed that participants’ affective-identity and noncalculative MTL have decreased over time. Leadership self-efficacy at Time 2 and leader identity at Time 2 were related to the changes in all 3 categories of MTL. Only specific college leadership experiences related to changes in affective-identity MTL. Lastly, leader identity at Time 2 mediated the relationship between affective-identity MTL at Time 1 and Time 2. Most high school students applied to college aspiring to be leaders, but only students who cultivate their leader identity should continue to be motivated to lead. Implications are discussed in the context of the construct validity of MTL, specifically for student leadership development in higher education.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between pre-college activity participation and college leadership through motivation to lead and leadership self-efficacy, paying particular attention to gender differences. Undergraduate students from a liberal arts college were recruited two separate times via email before freshman year and during the spring semester of their senior year. The findings of this study reveal that relations between pre-college activity participation and college leadership are not mediated by motivation to lead or leadership self-efficacy. Furthermore, the study found no significant gender differences related to motivation to lead or leadership self-efficacy. However, the findings of this study support previous claims that gender plays a strong role in activity participation (Buser, 1980; Kezar & Moriarty, 2000; Medley, 1982; Morris & Starrfield, 1982). In this study, females participated in high school activities significantly more than males, but males participated in college activities significantly more than females. Participants had more motivation to lead before attending college but no differences were found in their leadership self-efficacy between pre-college activity participation and college activity participation. In summary, this information could be useful for high schools and universities to increase the quality, not quantity, of out-of-class activities and further student engagement and leadership for both males and females.