Date
2-28-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)
Chair
Ellen Ziegler
Keywords
Transformational leadership, transcendental, phenomenological, staff leadership, higher education
Disciplines
Higher Education
Recommended Citation
Alston, LaStarsha, "The Lived Experiences of Higher Education Staff Leaders in a Four-Week Transformational Leadership Program: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6513.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6513
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of higher education staff who have completed a four-week transformational leadership program at a higher education institution in a mid-Atlantic state. The phenomenon was generally defined as exploring staff leadership and the influence on the leadership staff derived from the program. The theory guiding this study was Bass' transformational leadership theory. The central research question was as follows: What are the lived experiences of staff leaders who participated in the four-week transformational leadership program in a Mid-Atlantic state higher education? The methodology used for the research study was qualitative, with the research design of transcendental phenomenological research. The implementation of the data collection process started with ten participants in one-on-one interviews, then proceeded with document analysis, and concluded with a focus group discussion. The data analysis utilized simplified version structured methods of analysis approaches. For this study, the staff included directors, assistant directors, deans, associate deans, department chairs, and a leading higher education coach. Data collection included individual interviews, a focus group, and document analysis to ensure horizontalization. The data analysis involved transcribing, and identifying patterns and themes through coding, bracketing, textural and structural descriptions, and composite descriptions. The thematic findings of this study were leadership development, assessment and feedback, and networking. Results concluded that the majority of the participants stated the program was impactful and that continual learning is essential to their leadership role.
