ERIC Number: ED664083
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 137
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3463-8540-0
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
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Cultivating Leaders within the University: Examining Effectiveness and Learning in Leadership Working Sessions
Nicholas L. Reffuge
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh
The goal of this work was to build the leadership aptitude of managers in the Enrollment Management Group (EMG) at Duquesne University and to study the efficacy of an intervention--two specific and intentional leadership working sessions. The project used an improvement science framework with survey and interview methods to determine to what extent the participant managers found the working sessions to have a positive effect on their practice and development. Many of the managers reported the sessions helped them to understand leadership development in new ways and brought them a greater awareness of themselves as leaders and their own leadership style. In engaging the managers as a group, the leadership working sessions generated discussions on pertinent issues facing the leadership team. Moreover, the discussions took on an atmosphere of problem solving and collaboration that the managers reported as being highly effective and something they had not engaged in previously. The sessions provided an avenue for the leaders to explore the organizational obstacles that prevented leadership development from taking root. Many staff in the office still felt the effects of previous leadership's lack of investment in development, leaving the current leadership to manage through a variety of cultural challenges. While the managers face challenges in changing the culture of the organization, and some uncertainty on how to proceed in their leadership development, the sessions reinforced the idea that intentional leadership development works for higher education managers and demonstrated the value of investing greater time and resources in building leadership development into an organization's culture. In drawing implications from these findings, it is evident that the EMG needs to take intentional actions--a mentorship program being one example--to begin instilling leadership development into its culture. If there is to be progress in leadership development, the project illustrated the need for it to be organization-wide. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Universities, College Administration, Instructional Leadership, Enrollment Management, Leadership Training, Leadership Styles, Problem Solving, Cooperation, Leadership Effectiveness, Transformational Leadership, Organizational Culture, Mentors, Systems Approach
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
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Language: English
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