Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Organizational Leadership
First Advisor
George Giokaris
Second Advisor
Lisbeth Johnson
Third Advisor
Margaret Moodian
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how executive directors of nonprofit organizations leading social justice initiatives implement leadership styles shaped by their unique personality traits, and how these styles influence employee attitudes, team functioning, and organizational performance.Methodology: Guided by Hogan and Kaiser’s (2005) leadership model, which asserts that “who we are determines how we lead,” this qualitative study used semistructured interviews with 10 executive directors of social justice-focused nonprofits in the Pioneer Valley. Participants reflected on their leadership development, the role of personality in decision-making, and its influence on organizational life. Data were collected through virtual interviews and analyzed using thematic coding to identify patterns in leadership behaviors.
Findings: Leadership styles were shaped through experience, mentorship, and organizational demands rather than being determined solely by fixed personality traits. Executive Directors influenced employee attitudes by fostering trust, psychological safety, and shared leadership; strengthened team functioning by cultivating accountability, collaboration, and adaptability; and impacted organizational performance by integrating accountability, adaptability, and governance structures aligned with social justice goals.
Conclusions: These findings underscore that nonprofit leadership is dynamic and relational, requiring adaptability and responsiveness over rigid reliance on personality traits. Executive Directors shaped attitudes, strengthened team functioning, and enhanced organizational performance through practices that reflected both flexibility and alignment with mission-driven work.
Recommendations: Future research should compare nonprofit and corporate leadership styles, expand studies across regions, and examine the role of governance boards in leadership effectiveness. Additional studies could explore employee perspectives, the use of strategic planning tools, and the impact of virtual leadership on nonprofit performance.
Recommended Citation
Molina-Brantley, Kelvin, "Phenomenological Study of Personality-Driven Leadership in Social Justice Nonprofits of the Pioneer Valley" (2025). Dissertations. 620.
https://digitalcommons.umassglobal.edu/edd_dissertations/620