Date of Award

Spring 4-5-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Cindy Peteresen Ed.D

Second Advisor

Keith Larick Ed.D

Third Advisor

Jim Cox Ph.D

Abstract

ABSTRACT Meaning-Centered Leadership: How Exemplary Technology Leaders Create Organizational Meaning by Ed Jackson Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary technology leaders use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers through character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. It was also the purpose of this research to identify how followers perceive that the behaviors related to character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration help to create personal and organizational meaning. Methodology: This research looked at leadership through the lens of meaning making. Current leadership trends, which are driven by technological advancement and the need for constant innovation, require workplaces that foster meaning. This call for meaning-centered leadership is widely agreed upon and is often referred to as an urgent need. In order for American technology companies to compete in the global marketplace, retain and inspire followers, build and sustain their organizations, they must build organizations with high levels of trust that are purpose driven and willing to take risks. Through the identification and description of how exemplary technology leaders create organizational meaning for themselves and their followers, this research furthered the nascent research on the topic of meaning-centered leadership and its potential to impact the workplace through the creation of personal and organizational meaning. Findings: The three exemplary technology leaders interviewed for this research described using behaviors related to character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration to guide their organizations. Each leader identified vision as the most important of the five leadership elements; however, the leaders also described a complex interaction of all five of the elements. They described a clear linkage between vision and inspiration. On the other hand, the followers surveyed for this study identified all five leadership elements as impactful. Conclusions: By combining the five leadership elements of character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration, this study constructed a leadership framework for viewing how leaders and followers experience organizational meaning. The findings of this research support the need for technology leaders to behave in ways that actively communicate all five leadership elements to their followers. Recommendations: Additional research should be conducted to further elucidate how leaders and followers experience the creation of organizational meaning through character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration.

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