LEKINDRACY GROUP,LLC
HERO: Workforce Development Framework through a Lens of Collegiate
Concerted Cultivation
(In Progress, 2023)
Job Shadowing within an University System: A Faculty and Administration Partnership (2022) Conference Proceeding
There is little research on job shadowing that combines college coursework and internal partnerships. The extant research focuses on the private sector. This paper shares the experience of a public university system partnering with faculty teaching business courses and provides a case study of how a partnership with one campus and one department, human resources, expanded to include finance and informational technology departments and three different campuses. This program survived a pivot to an entirely virtual job shadowing program during the pandemic. Currently, the collaboration is expanding to include more campuses and departments in the coming academic year.
As faculty, we often hear conversations on student performance and perception from our colleagues. The topic of student success, or lack of it, is generally framed with the assumptions that students today are too entitled (wanting high grades for substandard work), do not want to do the work required (always looking for shortcuts), cannot be trusted (and therefore must be monitored), and are not well positioned to provide reliable and valid evaluations of faculty teaching (they are not our customers). It is a common set of refrains, many of us have heard too often in our discussions with colleagues. But what if the problem is not our students but us! What if it is our own lack of self-awareness, consideration of others, relationship building, and influence orientation that results in an increase in dysfunctional conflicts and a reduction of meaningful communication with our students? This chapter looks to provide a constructive lens to better unpack our assumptions about our students and shift the focus to what we can control, us.
WHAT DO BUSINESS FACULTY MEMBERS THINK ABOUT DISCRIMINATION IN THEIR COLLEGE? (2022) Conference Proceeding
Even though affirmative action regulations were introduced in the United States more than 60 years ago, women and people of color continue to be underrepresented in higher education (Trower & Chait, 2002; Turner & Myers, 2000). Studies have pointed to a limited pipeline or a leaking pipeline as explanations for these low numbers (Burke, 2022, Eisenkraft, 2010).
Discrimination and microaggressions have also been shown to have an impact on both faculty and student recruitment and retention (Harnois and Ifatunji 2011; Sewell 2015). Researchers such as Bichsel and McChesney (2017) indicated that salary disparities widen when female faculty members advance to senior positions. Costello’s (2004) and Mountz (2016)’s publications focused on the disproportionate demand
Court Appointed Special Advocates (C.A.S.A.):Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic (2022)
Cesar Navarrete is the Executive Director of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (C.A.S.A.) of San Bernardino County, a small, non-profit in southern California that recruits, screens and trains volunteers to serve as court appointed special advocates for youth living in foster care. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020), Cesar had to decide whether to move the organization fully online, develop a hybrid model, or establish that employees are essential workers who will need to continue to work face-to-face during the crisis.
In addition, regardless of the primary work modality, a consideration of the potential adoption of flexible work arrangements (including flextime and flex location) is important. The decisions (about employee work modality and adoption of flexible work arrangements) should involve micro and macro level analysis, to gain buy-in from the employees, approval of the Board of Directors, and the continued success of the organization during the crisis
ARE UNIVERSITIES READY FOR CHANGE? IMPROVING FACULTY DIVERSIFICATION (2021)
The faculty demographic in the American academy has been slow to change even as the student demographic has shifted drastically. The barriers and benefits of faculty diversification are of critical concern to the academy in terms of outcomes for students, for faculty and for the sustainability of the organization itself. Successful faculty diversification is facilitated by the readiness model and the identification of the change factors presented in foundational change management theory.
Addressing these factors is critical in preventing some of the resistance to diversifying the faculty within institutions, in combating hiring biases and addressing the demographic shift in the student constituency. This article shows how this model can be adapted to universities seeking to diversify their faculty.
Flexible work arrangements and employee work attitudes: A case-based inquiry of a small non-profit response to crisis (2021)
We conducted an exploratory case-based study to examine the impact of adopting flexible work arrangements strategies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic on employee work attitudes for a small, regional non-profit. Our findings indicated support for the importance of managerial support and organizational commitment to moderate the impact of flexible work arrangements on job satisfaction. We also examined the potential impact of technology efficacy and work-life balance on the model. Our paper provides support for the prior empirical and theoretical assumptions of the positive impact of flexible work arrangements on employee work attitudes and provides a key strategy for managers in adapting to a crisis.
Organizational Readiness, Resistance and Race:
Examining Faculty Attitudes Toward Faculty Diversification in Higher Education (2020)
The national demographic is changing, and institutions of higher education must prepare to change if they are to meet the needs of their new population. Identifying change readiness and potential resistance factors are primary steps in motivating organizational change. This study was a means to investigate the academy’s organizational readiness for change using historical analysis to ascertain: (a) does the demographic mismatch require a change? and (b) is faculty diversification the best solution to the demographic mismatch? as well as statistical analyses to determine (c) the extent to which faculty feel they benefit or are harmed by faculty diversification, (d) does administration tangibly support the development of a diverse faculty? and (e) do faculty stakeholders believe faculty diversification is possible?
An examination of historical data yielded a partial picture of organizational readiness; however, to understand how stakeholders perceive harm or benefit, a survey of institutional actors/gatekeepers was necessary to investigate potential areas of resistance toward successful faculty diversification efforts. Analysis revealed that more non-White faculty perceived a benefit to faculty diversification than did White faculty members, and more non-White faculty believe the academy can diversify than White faculty members.
Early research focused on what social and emotional competencies looked like in undergraduate students and what it would mean to develop their capacity for building those competencies. Occasionally, projects with other populations would help the research to grow, investigating personal and interpersonal capacity of leaders, faculty, and staff.
Personal interpersonal capacity: A moderated-mediation model for student success (2017)
The purpose of this paper is to assess the internal consistency of a revised instrument, the Personal-Interpersonal Competence Assessment (PICA); derived from the earlier Social Emotional Development Instrument (SED-I). There were three primary rationales for the revision. First, and most importantly, to better align the operational factors with the conceptual definitions. Second, was to clearly position the construct within the broader context of personal and interpersonal competence, rather than the emotional intelligence literature. Third, to provide a developmental, rather than a diagnostic assessment for personal-interpersonal competence. As with the earlier SED-I model and measure, the intent of the research is to consider the gap in the literature between social emotional learning (targeted at K-12 populations) and subsequent professionalism models (targeted at post-college careers). Although many models and measures use college age populations to assess validity, few directly target models of professional development that higher education students may use to enhance their own development. The intent of this paper, therefore, is to contribute to student development by bridging the gap between social emotional learning and professional skills. Results indicate support for the internal consistency of the instrument. Future studies may examine the validity of the PICA tool as well as the theoretical and practical implications of the PICA model.
Personal-interpersonal competence assessment: A Self-Report Instrument for Student Development (2015)
The purpose of this paper is to assess the internal consistency of a revised instrument, the Personal-Interpersonal Competence Assessment (PICA); derived from the earlier Social Emotional Development Instrument (SED-I). There were three primary rationales for the revision. First, and most importantly, to better align the operational factors with the conceptual definitions. Second, was to clearly position the construct within the broader context of personal and interpersonal competence, rather than the emotional intelligence literature. Third, to provide a developmental, rather than a diagnostic assessment for personal-interpersonal competence. As with the earlier SED-I model and measure, the intent of the research is to consider the gap in the literature between social emotional learning (targeted at K-12 populations) and subsequent professionalism models (targeted at post-college careers). Although many models and measures use college age populations to assess validity, few directly target models of professional development that higher education students may use to enhance their own development. The intent of this paper, therefore, is to contribute to student development by bridging the gap between social emotional learning and professional skills. Results indicate support for the internal consistency of the instrument. Future studies may examine the validity of the PICA tool as well as the theoretical and practical implications of the PICA model.
The focus of this chapter is to propose an integrative model of student leadership, called responsible leadership development, which builds on the interdisciplinary work of leadership identity development and social emotional competence. The model is in response to increased pressure for college accountability and the need for an understanding of leadership that addresses limitations of current leadership models and programs in higher education. In particular, existing concepts of leadership generally fail to account for the unique developmental context of college students. In addition, programs of leadership often view leadership as a position for a select few students, rather than as a process for all students. In this chapter, we highlight the push for greater accountability in higher education and the limitations of current approaches to leadership development, and present our integrated model of responsible leadership development.
Women in Student Affairs: Past, Present, and Future Leaders (2013)
I'm a paragrapIn 2010, three women from the University of the Pacific came together for a panel presentation at the annual National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) conference to discuss their diverse experiences in student affairs. All recognized leaders in NASPA, these women reflected the rich history and promising future of student affairs. The initial stories they shared were later supplemented by additional conversations and narratives from two other women in student affairs at the university. Together, these five women, from senior student affairs officers to up-and-coming new professionals, represent different generations, ethnicities, and cultures. The stories shared in this article represent the experiences of women from different generations, providing insight into common ground and emerging perspectives on leadership.h. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
Facilitating Social and Emotional Competence Development through a Peer Coaching Training Program (2013)
Scholars and practitioners of emotional intelligence (EI) have advocated the use of executive and peer coaching models as a mechanism to develop social and emotional competence; however, there are few readily available frameworks. The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual model for student social emotional competence development; propose a peer coaching training process as a classroom intervention; and evaluate student reactions to the program. Preliminary results indicate high levels of satisfaction with the program, although additional studies are needed regarding transferability of skills.
Emotional Labor: The Role of Employee Acting Strategies on Customer Emotional Experience and Subsequent Buying Decisions (2013)
Prior research has demonstrated the impact of employee emotional labor strategies (deep and surface acting) on customer behavioral intentions. However, there is limited data on the impact of emotional labor strategy on potential intervening variables and on actual buying decisions. This study extends the prior research by examining the effect of employee emotional labor strategies on customers’ emotional experiences and actual customer purchasing decisions. Data were collected from 294 employee-customer pairs from retail cell phone stores in China. Results indicated that choice of strategy (deep or surface) does significantly impact purchase decisions. In addition, the relationship between strategy and purchase is mediated by the customer's emotional experience.
Development of a Self-Report Instrument to Assess Social and Emotional Development (2011)
The authors present a revised model and a new measure of social and emotional development in higher education. They describe the psychometric properties of the measure, using a sample of 632 freshman students at a small private university. Social emotional development is defined as the enhancement of individual capacity to recognize and regulate emotional information and behaviors to facilitate desirable social outcomes. The analysis of the Social Emotional Development Inventory indicates the current instrument has an appropriate factor structure and adequate internal consistency. Recommendations for future versions of the instrument are included.
Validation of a Self-Report Instrument to Assess Social and Emotional Development (2011)
The current study, using a factor level validity of the Social Emotional Development education. Although there are a multitude of m of emotional intelligence (EI), very few curre developmental path of social emotional comp prior validity studies with these measures fail and discriminant analyses assessed at the facto SED-I is a reliable, robust and comprehensive emotional competency changes. Limitation discussed.