archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/56093 2021-2025. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:15:57 GMT 2026-04-27T14:15:57Z archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/82937 Authentic Leadership Practices, Organizational Culture, and Dysfunctional Voluntary Employee Turnover in a Multilevel marketing Organization Crew-Noble, Coral This dissertation examines the relationship between authentic leadership, organizational culture, and dysfunctional voluntary employee turnover (DVET), defined as the unplanned departure of high-performing employees whom organizations would prefer to retain. As global organizations confront mounting talent challenges, understanding how leadership and culture influence retention is essential for long-term resilience.; A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, incorporating survey data from 97 current and former employees of a global multilevel marketing organization operating in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. Quantitative data collected using the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation and the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Statistically significant relationships were found between authentic leadership and organizational culture and between organizational culture and DVET—but not between authentic leadership and DVET directly.; The qualitative component comprised 10 semistructured interviews. Findings revealed that current employees remained due to strong, authentic leadership, personal development opportunities, supportive mentoring, team celebration, accountability, and an inclusive, growth-oriented culture. In contrast, former employees cited leadership deficiencies, transactional or profit-driven practices, a high-pressure, divisive sales culture, and a lack of mentorship as reasons for leaving; leadership quality and cultural alignment emerged as decisive factors influencing retention outcomes across both groups. Future research should explore potential mediators (e.g., trust, psychological safety, engagement) to examine the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire subscales and assess how identity variables (e.g., race, gender, tenure, nationality) shape leadership and culture perceptions. To reduce DVET, practitioners should integrate leadership development with cultural diagnostics and retention strategies, tailoring approaches to the workforce context. A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Center for Leadership Studies at Northwest University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership. Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/82937 2025-05-01T00:00:00Z archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/67712 Employee Perceptions of Authentic Leadership and its Effect on Employee Job Satisfaction Li, Siqi Prominent leaders play a crucial role in fostering constructive relationships with their team members in professional environments. This study aimed to explore the impact of authentic leadership on employee job satisfaction within the technology sector. The primary objective was to determine the correlation between the authentic leadership styles displayed by managers in the technology industry and their effect on staff job satisfaction. Data for this quantitative study were gathered and analyzed from nine technology companies, comprising a sample of eighty-nine participants. The Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) was utilized to assess the independent variable of authentic leadership, which evaluates the presence and quality of authentic leadership behaviors. Job satisfaction, the dependent variable, was measured using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), a well-established instrument for gauging employee contentment across various aspects of their job. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS to investigate the relationship between the two variables. The results indicated a nonsignificant correlation between authentic leadership and job satisfaction. Based on these findings, managers must identify practical approaches to employee engagement to improve satisfaction. Managers can leverage other efficient leadership styles to shape employee attitudes and enhance performance. A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Center for Leadership Studies at Northwest University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership. Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/67712 2025-04-01T00:00:00Z archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/67711 A Qualitative Study of Servant Leaders Attaining Positions of Authority in the Nonprofit Sector in Pierce County, Washington Humphreys, Brian This study researched how servant leaders attained positions of executive-level authority in nonprofit organizations in Tacoma-Pierce County, Washington (WA). Nonprofit organizations increasingly need help to maximize impact in their respective communities as the socioeconomic contexts in which they work become more complex. The issues these organizations aspire to address are intertwined, which increases the demand for collaboration across sectors. Research shows that servant leaders are highly effective in these contexts. When servant leaders become executive directors of nonprofit organizations, those organizations adapt and collaborate for better outcomes in the community. However, given their effectiveness, servant leaders are less well-represented in executive-level positions than one might expect. The characteristics or competencies that lead to servant leaders attaining executive-level positions may be related to an appreciation of their servant leadership characteristics by those who make hiring recommendations, or they may be unrelated to their servant leadership characteristics and competencies. This qualitative research studied how 15 servant leaders attained their executive-level positions. A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Center for Leadership Studies at Northwest University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership. Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/67711 2025-03-01T00:00:00Z archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/82936 The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Leadership Styles Baklund, Kyrin Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly impact the lives of individuals. Statistics revealed that ACEs are common and have long-lasting effects. While research has explored the influence of ACEs on many aspects of a person’s life, the topic of leadership is overlooked. Leaders (i.e., in charge of leading other people and organizations to success) could very well be impacted by ACEs, which highlights the need for further exploration. This quantitative research study explored the relationship between a leader’s level of adverse childhood experiences and their transformational and/or transactional leadership styles.; A total of 29 leaders from the Pacific Northwest participated in the study. All participants completed the ACE Questionnaire, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Overall, the results indicated leaders were transformational. Additionally, the findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between the level of ACEs and the following: transactional leadership management-by-exception active subscale, passive-aggressive leadership behaviors, and the laissez-faire subscale. The conclusions drawn from the study provide valuable insight into how people will lead and operate based on their childhood experiences and gives leaders the opportunity to better understand how these experiences influence the effectiveness and success of their organizations. Overall, this study expands the field of research on leadership studies and creates opportunities to improve leadership in organizations. A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Center for Leadership Studies at Northwest University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership. Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/82936 2025-03-01T00:00:00Z