Global Leadership:
Effective Distance Education: Dual Perspectives
Richard A. Roof, School of Business and Leadership, Regent University, 2014
Online education has become the mainstream tool within higher education, yet there are still gaps in understanding what factors effect student satisfaction and success, and why dropout rates remain higher than for traditional pedagogical delivery methods. A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted with six student and six faculty participants using an online survey to answer the question; “What are the perceived antecedents to student satisfaction and success in online learning from the professor and student perspectives?” Analysis of the responses yielded themes describing the participants’ perceived antecedents to student satisfaction and success, and identified significant differences between faculty and students perceptions related to course length. Findings also indicated that a critical antecedent to student success and satisfaction remained the support and relationship between student and professor. The research advanced the understanding of factors impacting online learning student outcomes and suggested some future research opportunities to examine the critical student-faculty relationship. Read More…
From Perception to Strategy: How Followership Theories Influence Leaders’ Behaviors
Richard A. Roof, School of Business and Leadership, Regent University, 2014
Contemporary leadership research has focused on leader behaviors, follower perspectives, and the leader-follower relationship. Relatively little investigation has been conducted into how leaders’ preconceptions of desirable follower characteristics affect leadership behaviors, strategies, judgments, and effectiveness. Beginning with a review of the concept of leaders’ implicit followership theories (IFT), I examined the theoretical processes used by leaders to assess and classify followers. Methods for perceiving and comparing stimuli with implicit theories were explored to gather insight into the underlying process by which leaders’ strategies and behaviors are influenced by the perception and IFT framework. The effects of perceptions and interpretation within implicit theories are especially complex within the context of social networks, but my theoretical review was focused solely on the effects of leaders’ perceptions and IFTs as they translate into the leaders’ actions, styles, and strategies for leading.
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Assessing Creativity Potential: Do Judgments Vary with the Purpose of the Pitch?Richard A. Roof, School of Business and Leadership, Regent University, 2014
In researching the judging of creativity, Elsbach and Kramer (2003), suggested that creativity is a critical component of organizational success, but often tangible products are not available with which to assess creativity. Lacking hard evidence of creativity, judgments are formed on reputation, personality tests, or even more subjective assessments that can occur during personal interactions such as pitches. Creative endeavors where such subjective assessments are important include product design, business deals, entertainment production, and marketing, and each offers unique challenges in judging the critical creativity potential of the opportunities. Read More…
Advancing Leadership Research: The Pursuit of Fundamental Principles (R.A. Roof 2014) Future research needs are informed by recent theory developments, trends, and specific interests that promise to impact and advance knowledge, while benefiting both the research and practitioner communities. In this theoretical review of the state of leadership research, I review recent research trends to identify areas of interest across the research community, seeking to identify subjects that have receive significant attention from the research community, examine research subjects that have high potential for advancing leadership understanding and practice, and propose two particular research arenas for immediate further inquiry, authentic leadership and emotional intelligence. Read More…
The Eye of the Beholders: What Followers Want from their Leader (R.A. Roof 2013) The first requirement of a leader is to have followers (Hamedoglu, Kantor and Gulay 322), and consequently, people’s concepts and perceptions of leadership have a meaningful impact on leader effectiveness (Bryman 132). The implicit leadership theories formed by followers’ expectations not only define effective leadership, but taint the questionnaires and other measurement methods in leadership studies (Bryman). This qualitative research is intended to capture follower perspectives on leadership, their implicit leadership theories, and compare them with contemporary leadership theories to determine similarities and contrasts.
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Transform or Transfix: Charismatic Leadership of Jack Welch and Steven Jobs (R.A. Roof 2013) The study of leadership is often a study of successful leaders, of examining the characteristics and case studies of those who have accomplished leadership excellence defined either through empirical evidence, anecdotal suggestion, or cultural reputation. Two such successful leaders in recent history were Steven Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer, and Jack Welch, the legendary leader and transformer of General Electric (GE) who assumed leadership in 1981 and dramatically redirected the company over the following 20 years. Both Jobs and Welch are typically viewed as uniquely impactful leaders, and in terms of market indexes and financial measures, and both were quite successful. By considering similarities and differences, lessons in leadership are revealed. Read More…
Multicultural Teams – Unexpected Challenges in Diversity (R.A. Roof, 2012) There is a headlong global rush toward implementing teams in manufacturing, product development, and virtually every function in business. The trend resembles the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s and just like the Gold Rush, some companies have struck it rich but many have returned home to their more traditional structures, disappointed and penniless. Following claims of opportunity and convinced there is gold in the promise of teams, leaders in organizational development and human resources continue to pursue team based organizations. These organizational professionals are encouraged not only by anecdotes of success, but motivated to satisfy the craving for empowerment by Generation X and Millennials in the workplace. There are practical objectives to support teams of course. The ever increasing speed of business and the complexity of work make teams the natural structure for the new century. Read More…
Born or Made – A Model of Leadership Personality and Practice (R.A. Roof, 2012) As interest grows in understanding the complex interaction between traits, behaviors and outcomes, research has increasingly undertaking the personality, leadership behavior study. Using various tools, results have been encouraging but mixed. That is, there have been shown to be relationships between leadership personality characteristics and leader effectiveness with a variety of personality assessment instruments applied. This theoretical work proposes a model that relates DiSC characteristics to transformational leadership and follower extra effort with the intent of applying a personality instrument that may better correlate with those effective behaviors of the successful leader and advance the understanding of how the trait and behavior aspects of leadership interact. Understanding personality trait relationships to leadership has theoretical, practical leadership selection and development, and future research value. Read More…
Decisions in Context: How Culture Shapes the Decision Process (R.A.Roof, 2013 – A paper presented (Virtually) at the 13th International Conference on Knowledge, Culture and Change in Organisations, Vancouver, BC). Decision theory has been the focus of research for the last 70 years and a plethora of models have been proposed to describe the process under varying conditions. Recent rapid globalization has made understanding culturally-based effects on decision-making models of growing importance. This article discusses how cultural differences can be assessed in terms of decision-making using four common models; and the concepts are then illustrated using two dissimilar cultures, France and Japan. The importance of understanding cultural biases in decision-making and pertinent future trends are also explored. Watch More…
Spiritual Leadership:
Lessons on Leadership from a Shepherd Metaphor
(R.A. Roof, 2014)
Leadership in an ever increasingly complex, fast-moving, global environment is more challenging than ever. In response to the call for leadership solutions which also satisfy the desire for morality, avoid ethical failures, and offer meaning and purpose, contemporary follower-friendly leadership theories and popular writings have proliferated. Unfortunately, theoretical fundamentals are often difficult to grasp and even more difficult to practice. It is in simplifying and clarifying complex human or organizational constructs that metaphors can be especially effective. The shepherd metaphor is one such illustration that while used to depict leadership for thousands of years, has lost many of its powerful lessons within non-agrarian societies of today (Swalm, 2010). Read More…
Christ’s Hymn: A Divine Image of Leadership in Philippians 2:5-1
(R. A. Roof, 2013)
Christ’s Hymn in Philippians 2:5-11 offers one of the most poetic pictures of humility, suffering, and sacrifice in all of the New Testament, and the verses reveal a fresh perspective into the King of Kings. Paul’s letter to Philippi contains messages on fellowship and unity, but this study focused primarily on the ethical guidance and call for humility revealed to Christian leaders in the rich verses of the Hymn. Of particular focus was the application of socio-rhetorical interpretation of the sacred texture, the divinity perspectives within Paul’s letter (Robbins, 1996). Drawing insights from the pericope, the expositional lessons for Christian leaders were explored to assist leaders in understanding divine leadership lessons through the model of Christ and thereby being better equipped to navigate through an increasingly secular society. Using such Scriptural revelation to guide leadership theory provided unique and powerful direction for Christian leaders as they seek to fulfill their calling to be uniquely different types of leaders that witness for God and glorify him.
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Leadership in God’s Design (R. A. Roof, 2013) A seminar to explore leadership instructions and provisions from a Scriptural perspective. The presentation PowerPoint slides are attached and outline the survey of leadership:
- The call to leadership
- God’s provisioning of leaders through vision, knowledge/wisdom, strengthening and fruits of the Spirit
- Servant leadership as defined in Scripture
- The shepherd metaphor for leadership
- Drawing on God’s provision for empowerment through Spiritual practices.
The Shepherd Metaphor: Guidance for Contemporary Leadership from John 10 (R.A. Roof, 2013)
The introduction of follower-sensitive leadership theories has burgeoned as leaders seek ethical, effective methods for a new generation of employees. As research strives to uncover sound principles and distill leadership truths, the ageless wisdom of Scripture remains filled with guidance. One leadership lesson that appeared throughout Scripture and that remains relevant to contemporary leaders is the shepherd metaphor (Swalm, 2010). This paper considers one of the many shepherd references, the Good Shepherd pericope of John 10:1-18, through application of socio-rhetorical analysis (Robbins, 1996) with specific consideration of the ideological texture. Beginning with exegesis of John 10 and considering ideological perspectives of ancient and contemporary audiences, practical guidance for today’s leaders is developed. Rich lessons in leadership make the shepherd metaphor valuable in informing leaders in behaviors, styles, and leadership philosophies that are as effective now as when they were recorded over 2000 years ago.
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Divine Empowement a Foundation for Leadership – Acts 2
(R.A. Roof, 2012)
The application of Socio-rhetorical interpretation intertexture analysis (Robbins, 1996) to Acts 2 reveals rich lessons on divinely empowered leadership that can encourage, refine, and guide contemporary Christian leaders. The intertexture analysis of Acts 2 is not intended to simply reveal exegesis understandings from Scripture, but rather to disclose expositional lessons to guide Christian leaders as they navigate through the pressures of an increasingly secular society. Basing leadership lessons on Scriptural revelation, particularly the record of divinely empowered leaders such as Peter, offer direction for the Christian leader to fulfill their calling not only as leaders, but as uniquely different leaders that offer witness to the power of the Holy Spirit, the grace of the Father, and the promise of Jesus Christ. Read More…
Challenges and Opportunities in Online Instruction – Humility and Ministry (R.A. Roof, 2013)
The growing trend toward online and hybrid educational offerings presents both challenges and opportunities for higher education instructors. While many traditional professors initially approached this new media with skepticism, many have discovered that not only is online learning just as effective as traditional classroom learning (Bates & Watson, 2008), but there are some distinct advantages. This brief article will contrast traditional and online characteristics, identify some key principles in online effectiveness, and offer essential strategies for instructors new to the online learning environment. Read More…