Running head: EXAMINING LEADERSHIP AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE ORGANIZATION

Examining Leadership and its Influence on the Organization Logan Franklin, Erica Garnett, Jacob Mendez, Kathy Trantham Missouri State University

EXAMINING LEADERSHIP AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE ORGANIZATION

The Study Away office at Missouri State University (MSU) in Springfield, Missouri is responsible for coordinating and providing resources for current Missouri State University students to participate in week, semester, summer, or year-long academic opportunities outside the United States. The office has been in existence since the late 1970s/early 1980s, yet some faculty-led programs had been in place since the 1960s. During the 2012-2013 year, 455 Missouri State University students participated in study away programs in 42 different countries. Of these, 188 students participated in semester and year-long experiences in 28 countries. In addition, 287 MSU students joined in short-term faculty-led programs to 24 countries. The Study Away office exemplifies one of the three pillars of the MSU public affairs mission: cultural competence. As stated on the MSU website (http://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/About.htm), the goal of promoting cultural competence is to help students recognize and respect multiple perspectives and cultures. According to the Study Away: Transcending Barriers 2012/13 Annual Report (2013), the Study Away office supports MSUs mission of developing educated persons who are contributing citizens in an increasingly interconnected global society. [The Study Away] staff facilitates high quality academic programs to increase the cultural competence of the Missouri State community, while developing the global leaders of tomorrow (p. 5). Through Study Away, students have the opportunity to partake in academic programs in a different country. While they are there, participants are able to broaden their horizons and increase their cultural knowledge through interactions with international students and a complete immersion experience in the host country. The Study Away office also conducts an exchange program for international students interested in studying away at Missouri State.

EXAMINING LEADERSHIP AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE ORGANIZATION

Currently, the physical space of the Study Away office occupies two separate locations on the MSU campus. The director, accounting specialist, special projects coordinator, and one administrative assistant are located in downtown Springfield, inside of the Jim D. Morris Center building with International Programs. The downtown location is where the administrative aspects of the office take place and where students submit necessary paperwork. The Plaster Student Union (PSU), located in the center of the MSU campus, houses another office with the study away advisor and another administrative assistant. The study away advisor, two graduate assistants, and student workers travel between both office locations. From the centralized location of the office in the PSU, a highly visible and occupied location, students gather information and are advised regarding study away opportunities and processes. The Plaster Student Union is a highly coveted space. When a space became available last year, MSUs President Cliff Smart and the Vice-president of Research and Economic Development and International Programs, Dr. Jim Baker, pushed for the Study Away office to be housed in the PSU for higher visibility and accessibility among students. This type of administrative support correlates with the MSU Public Affairs mission statement encouraging cultural competence among students. The Study Away office is housed under the International Programs department, which is directed by Dr. Jim. Baker (who reports directly to MSU President, Cliff Smart). Elizabeth Strong serves as the director of the Study Away office. Her role as the director is to support MSUs international curriculum. She develops and refines education-abroad policies and procedures and coordinates implementation of liaison agreements with partner institutions. Elizabeth also collaborates with the faculty in planning short-term faculty-led programs (Study Away, 2013, p. 6).

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Miko McFarland, the Study Away Advisor, advises the semester and year-long MSU students through the study abroad process. She manages applications, academic credit transfer, programming, and the website. Miko also serves as the primary contact for all affiliate and reciprocal exchange partners (Study Away, 2013, p. 6). Allyson Handley, the Special Projects Coordinator, coordinates the admission, registration, and arrival of incoming international exchange students. She also assists with MSU student advising during the various phases of their study abroad plans. In addition, Allyson manages Study Away scholarships and other short-term faculty-led programs (Study Away, 2013, p. 6). Accounting specialist Denise Medforth manages all short-term faculty-led program finances and budgets. She oversees program billing, payments, and expenses, as well as assists faculty directors with expense reconciliation upon return. Catherine Holley serves as the main administrative assistant at the Jim D. Morris Center. She manages the direct billing and invoicing for the semester and year-long participants, and oversees course building and registration for study away participants. Marian Green, who has been part of the Study Away office for 13 years, is the main administrative contact at the PSU Study Away office, fielding all initial inquiries. Marian also manages the departmental operating budget, all exchange balances, staff scheduling, programming, and special event logistics (Study Away, 2013, p. 6). The Study Away office also coordinates special events to market and encourage Missouri State students to participate. At least seven campus information sessions were held in the fall of 2013 to give interested MSU students preliminary information about study away programs and options, as well as an opportunity to begin the application process. A Study Away fair was held in fall 2013, giving interested students the opportunity to gather and explore specific information

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about the study away programs and options designed to meet their academic and personal goals. The Study Away office also holds discussion panels for specific colleges within the university, as well as coordinating study away scholarship opportunities (http://international.missouristate.edu/studyaway/). The Study Away office is an active participant on Facebook, where they announce opportunities and invitations to special cultural events on campus, and highlight various international students and countries. The Study Away office also maintains an active presence on Twitter. Leadership Approach As stated before, Elizabeth Strong serves as the Director of the Study Away office, a position she has served in for the last four years. To gain a perspective on her leadership approach, we interviewed her along with various people who report to her. While evaluating the interviews, it became clear that the Servant Leadership approach is one that describes her leadership very well. Northouse (2013) lists ten characteristics of servant leaders. This section will outline the ten characteristics and provide evidence from the interviews that show how Elizabeth Strong exemplifies each of the characteristics. The first characteristic of a servant leader is listening. Servant leaders are great listeners and through this listening, they are able to acknowledge others views and validate them (Northouse, 2013). When asked to describe her leadership style, Elizabeth described it as: Participatory, I value so much the wisdom of all of our team membersI dont know that we have ever finalized a policy or program where I havent asked for input at the very least at the staff meeting, if I havent had even separate discussions about that. I really want the staffs input. Many times we will do focus groups with the students, as well (E. Strong, interview, November 14, 2013).

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This is an example of how Elizabeth views the importance of listening to her followers. Multiple followers also mentioned that she is always receptive to feedback and makes sure that everyone is part of the process. The second characteristic of servant leadership is empathy. Empathy is understanding what others are going through and how they feel. A servant leader showing empathy can be validating for the follower, in a similar fashion to listening (Northouse, 2013). Multiple followers mentioned that Elizabeth has an open door policy, and when staff have problems she pulls them aside to discuss issues they are having. This opportunity to feel heard and understood by their director really makes them feel like a great part of the organization. The impact this has on the staff is evident in the interviews. The third characteristic, healing, also goes well with this. Healing is taking care of the personal well-being of the followers, by helping them overcome personal problems (Northouse, 2013). When the staff have the opportunity to speak with their director one-on-one about any issues or conflicts they are having it helps to facilitate their healing process. The fourth characteristic is awareness. This characteristic means that the leader is aware of the environment as well as one selfs impact on that environment and others (Northouse, 2013). Servant leaders should be able to step back and see their place in the big picture (Northouse, 2013). A great example of this was when Elizabeth discussed her strengths and weaknesses as a leader. She noted that she tries to be a visionary for helping to build programs, and she can see her impact in her work by looking at how much the programs have grown under her leadership, both in her previous position as Director of Citizenship and Service Learning and in her current position . She is also aware of her weaknesses as a leader. She talked about the

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trouble she can have with ambiguity, which is something that she has to deal with a lot in her position, especially in implementing new policies (E. Strong, interview, November 14, 2013). The fifth characteristic of servant leadership is persuasion. A servant leader uses persuasion instead of coercion to affect change (Northouse, 2013). Miko McFarland, the Study Away Advisor, noted in her interview that Elizabeth does not use a top-down approach to leadership (M. McFarland, interview, November 18, 2013). She does not use her position of authority to change things in the way she sees fit, without consultation with her followers. As stated before, Elizabeth wants everyone to participate in the process. The sixth characteristic of a servant leader is conceptualization. Conceptualization means that the leader acts as a visionary for the organization and focuses on the big picture (Northouse, 2013). This is one of Elizabeths most evident strengths. Denise Medforth, the Accounting Specialist, mentioned in her interview that Elizabeth helps everyone set goals to be accomplished each year (D. Medforth, interview, November 15, 2013). Elizabeth also mentioned in her interview that even though everyone has different tasks, they all have the shared goal of increasing international education at Missouri State University (E. Strong, interview, November 14, 2013). The evidence of her role as a visionary for her organization is evidenced by the growth of both programs that she has led at Missouri State. Related to conceptualization is the seventh characteristic: foresight. This has to do with being able to predict the future. It is an ability to assess past and present occurrences and how those can hint at the future (Northouse, 2013). In Elizabeths interview, she mentioned the need to get her staff trained on a computer program, which she believes will be used extensively in their field in the future (E. Strong, interview, November 14, 2013). This shows some ability on her part to have foresight for her organization.

EXAMINING LEADERSHIP AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE ORGANIZATION

The eighth characteristic of servant leadership is stewardship. Stewardship is when a leader takes the responsibility of leadership of an organization very seriously and works to be worthy of that responsibility (Northouse, 2013). This is evident in what Elizabeth calls her participatory approach to leadership. She wants the input of everyone in her organization, because she takes her role as leader very seriously. She understands that she has been entrusted by her staff to be a leader so she gathers input to make sure she is leading them in a way that is consistent with what they expect of her. She also works to make her staff feel appreciated in the office and part of the team (E. Strong, interview, November 14, 2013). The ninth characteristic is commitment to the growth of people. This means that a leader helps their followers grow personally and professionally, making them feel like an integral part of the organization (Northouse, 2013). A great example of how Elizabeth exemplifies this is the professional development opportunities she provides and allows her staff to take part in. They have attended a diversity workshop about international students and the entire office attended the Race Exhibit at the Discovery Center. Through their practice, the students learn skills such as marketing and public speaking that they can take with them after they graduate. Through these many opportunities, it is clear that Elizabeth is dedicated to the professional development of her staff. The final characteristic of a servant leader is building community. As Northouse (2013) states, servant leaders build community to provide a place where people can feel safe and connected with others, but are still allowed to express their own individuality (p. 223). Elizabeth builds community in the office through some of her traditions, such as celebrating staff birthdays with cupcakes, yearly staff retreats at her house, incoming and outgoing student orientations, celebrations of a staff members anniversary of being with the office, and a

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Christmas luncheon at her home every year. Another important aspect of making everyone feel like a member of the community is that the staff meetings change every semester so that they can fit with the students schedules so that they remain an integral part of the office. (E. Strong, interview, November 14, 2013). Cultural Perspective Synthesis Several researchers have studied organizational culture in order to learn how it is created and manifested. Kathleen Manning (2013) determined that culture denotes an [sic] historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, [and] a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms (p. 91). She compared organizations to theaters, and described them as a conglomerate of rehearsals, performances and enactments. William Tierney (1988) stated that organizational culture is reflected in what is accomplished, how work is done, and who is involved in achieving the end goal. He described culture using a variety of factors, which included: environment, mission, socialization, information, strategy, and leadership (Tierney, 1988). Joanne Martin (2002) focused primarily on the manifestations of organizational culture. The sheer complexity and volume of theories used to describe organizational culture speaks to the complicated process of understanding the cultural approach. This paper will combine aspects from Manning, Tierney, and Martins writings in order to analyze the Study Away office through a cultural lens. Cultural Analysis Manning (2013) included values and assumptions as a major component of the cultural perspective. She declared that [they] pinpoint guidelines for everyday behavior, provide a common focus, and identify heroes and heroines (p. 94). The values exhibited by the Study Away office are teamwork and professionalism. Those values are manifested through every

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facet of the organization; from staff interactions and socialization, to symbols included in publications, to the office structure, and the way information is disseminated, the Study Away office exudes a culture of professionalism and teamwork. Socialization Tierney (1988) incorporated the idea of socialization into his definition of organizational culture. The rituals, traditions, language, and social customs of the organization play a major role in shaping and displaying the culture. According to Martin (2002), renewal rituals seek to strengthen group functioning, [whereas] integration rituals provide an opportunity for employees to solidify their interpersonal relationships in a context in which family members are (usually) welcome and the formality of hierarchical relationship can safely and temporarily be suspended (Martin, 2002, p. 68). Each of the staff interviewees from the Study Away Programs office emphasized the integration and renewal rituals of the office. Marian described the birthday celebration each staff member receives for his/her birthday; Elizabeth purchases special cupcakes from The Cup for everyone in the office (M. Green interview, November 18, 2013). The tradition exemplifies an integration ritual of the Study Away office. Staff members are able to get together and socialize without recognition of hierarchy or expectation of performance. The integration ritual demonstrates the teamwork culture of the Study Away office. Thomas (one of the student workers) discussed the student-staff retreat, held each year at Elizabeths home. He described the retreat as a way to energize the student staff and to encourage creativity and innovation for the office (T. Uthipratuma). This illustrated a renewal ritual discussed by Martin (2002). The retreats allow staff members to strengthen their operations as a team and unit. The renewal rituals portray the professional culture of the Study

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Away office. Team members gather for planning sessions during the student-staff retreats as a way to further develop the functions of the office. Jargon is also used as a tool in socializing individuals in an organization. Martin (2002) described two types of jargon: technical and emotional. Technical jargon is task oriented and appears to be emotionally neutralIn contrast; emotionally laden jargon is more overtly concerned with feelings (Martin, 2002, p. 77). The Study Away office utilizes technical jargon as the primary style of language within the office. Student workers are referred to as Global Ambassadors, a term used to identify them as experienced study away participants and recruiters for the program. The formal title is also used to substantiate them and allow them to portray a more professional persona. The Study Away office website also utilizes technical jargon. The descriptions of each staffer are concise and void of emotional language. The technical jargon is another example of the professional culture of the Study Away office. New staff members are socialized into the office through the use of a formal binder, which includes all of the necessary policies, procedures, and daily functions of the office. The formal binder as a socialization technique for new employees is yet another example of the professional culture of the Study Away office. The internal and external interactions indicate how the culture was created and how it is displayed to outsiders. Symbols Symbols play a major role in organizational culture. They can be used as informal sources of information to help outsiders understand the true focus of an organization. Manning (2013) stated that when used effectively, symbols can set expectations and provide messages that shape meaning (p. 98). In the Study Away offices one of the major symbols used is the globe.

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The globe is used as the exclamation of point on the Study Away symbol included in every piece of communication. It also can be vaguely seen in the background of most of the Study Away publications. In the downtown Study Away office (inside of the Jim Morris Center) there is either a globe or a map of the world in each cubicle. In the entrance way of the office, there is also vase filled with various colored globes. For the Study Away office, the globe symbolizes achievement. The focus of the office, as international and culturally engaged, is evident even in their mission: The Office of Study Away Programs facilitates high quality academic programs to increase the cultural competence of the Missouri State community, while developing the global leaders of tomorrow (Study Away Programs website). The office endeavors to increase the cultural competence and develop global leaders, and they utilize the globe as a symbol to embody that mission. Everything that is used within the organization, including the globe, is done with intentionality and purpose in order to further the work of the organization. Structure Manning (2013) expressed that physical space can enable and constrain an [organizations] values (p. 98). The physical layout of the Study Away office is unique. The office is split between two locations; one office is situated inside of the Plaster Student Union, while the other office is in the Jim D. Morris center in downtown Springfield, Missouri. According to staff members, the PSU office is used as the advising hub for students interested in Study Away programs, whereas the downtown office is used as the operations side for processing paperwork. In the entranceway of the PSU office there is a roundtable with chairs, which allows for more interaction between the staff and student visitors. The office Administrative Assistant is

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the first person who visitors encounter when they walk into the office. Her placement in the office helps to create a welcoming environment for guests. Furthermore, the location of the office inside the student uniondemonstrates its intentional function as an accessible hub for students to seek advising and get more information about Study Away programs. In front of the main desk in the Morris office are two chairs, which are not conducive for long meetings or informal discussions. The setup creates an environment where students are able to sign papers and drop-off documents. The placement of the office away from the main MSU campuscreates the semblance of a closed off environment to potential student visitors. However the layout of the Morris office is conducive to completing the operations and business side of the organization. The structures of the Study Away offices indicate the teamwork culture of the organization. The segmentation of the office into two areas with completely different functions further exhibits that aspect. Each team member has to work independently, but serves a vital role in the overall operation of the Study Away office. Leadership Impact on Culture Elizabeth Strong is an example of someone that can be a leader and a servant at the same time. Her leadership style is focused on implementing service and influence in order to ensure that her staff are being fully developed while maintaining a culture of high productivity. Elizabeth is closely aligned with Servant Leadership and her leadership style closely relates to the following definition of how a servant leader has an impact on an organization: Servant leadership emphasizes that leaders be attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them. Servant leaders put followers first, empower them, and help them

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develop their full personal capacities. Furthermore, servant leaders are ethical and lead in the ways that serve the greater good of the organization (Northouse, 219, p. 3). Elizabeth Strong maintains her attentiveness to her staffs needs by creating a culture that is focused on professional development through empowering and helping others grow and succeed which allows them to build their professional confidence. Northouse (2013) states that servant leaders make the subordinates career development a priority, including mentoring followers and providing them with support (p. 28). This is actively echoed in how some of the followers stated that Elizabeth will always recommend ways for them to get involved within the university and various professional organizations and will also actively search to find funding for these opportunities so that staff are not using personal funds for professional development. This emphasis allows the staff to feel empowered to find ways to further themselves because their leader is focused on helping her followers grow and succeed. Behaving ethically is a vital aspect in understanding and grasping the phenomena of servant leadership. Servant leaders are known to hold strong ethical standards, including being open, honest, and fair with followers (Northouse, 2013, p. 229). These ethical standards were all discussed throughout the interviews with student staff, administrative aides and with the study away advisor within the Study Away office when they were asked to describe the managerial style of Elizabeth Strong. Miko McFarland, Study Away Advisor, stated that issues are managed very professionally and they do not have a culture of talking negative and dwelling on drama and that Elizabeth is a person of high integrity who does not micromanage but treats staff like professionals and focuses on self-discipline and accountability (M. McFarland, interview, November 18, 2013) Student workers within the organization also stated that Elizabeth is extremely professional and calm and will never show negativity towards issues (T.

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Uthipratuma, interview, November 18, 2013). These two statements from followers within Study Away allows outsiders to see how the culture of the organization has been impacted by the leader. Organizational culture can be defined as the set of important understanding (often unstated) that members of a community share in common (Martin, 2002). Elizabeth Strongs emphasis on the behaving ethically behavior within servant leadership has led the Study Away organizational culture to be more professional in nature and thus any issues or concerns are handled professionally and fairly. Servant leadership fundamentally focuses on the leaders behaviors but it also vitally important to address the likely outcomes from having a servant leader in the organization. Study away has seen greater follower performance growth and organizational performance within Missouri State University. The proposed belief that when servant leaders are matched with subordinates they become more effective at accomplishing their jobs and fulfilling their job descriptions and are commonly more receptive to complete assigned tasks is modeled and evident within Study Away and how the staff view their work (Northouse, 2013, p. 230). Individual interviews discussed multiple facets of the department that validate that follower growth has been increasingly developed to reach a higher standard. Denise Medforth, Accounting Specialist described that her positional growth has been improving because of the efforts of Elizabeth Strong to evaluate strengths and weaknesses within their individual one on one meetings. Elizabeth has challenged Denise Medforth over the last three years to step outside her comfort zone to grow and become confident in her interactions with students and staff and with her positional responsibilities. Follower performance is an extensive aspect of Elizabeth Strongs leadership impact on the organization because Elizabeth is constantly challenging her followers to grow and succeed because Elizabeth holds her team to a high standard. However,

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this challenge has become a barrier for the organization at times because followers find themselves straining to complete tasks correctly and effectively in order to ensure that Elizabeth Strong is impressed with their work. The higher standard reinforced by Elizabeth is implemented because the leader wants to ensure that the staff is consistently growing but staff members oftentimes feel that this pressure is a predicament. However, staff members that cited this strain also stated that this focus from their leader is only because she has a vested interest in the growth of the follower and organizational growth. The Study Away organization has also had a gain in organizational performance and enhanced effectiveness by increasing the members shared confidence that they could be effective as a group (Northouse, 231, p. 3). The organization has grown and become more prevalent within the campus community because the leadership has allowed the organization to become a collective unit that has created change within the idea of studying away. The goals of Study Away have been clearly defined under Elizabeth Strong and this has allowed the team to understand the desired outcomes for the organization. The organizational performance also relates to the culture because the followers are all very passionate about their organization and their leader because of the welcoming, collaborative, and team-focused approach to her leadership that has allowed them all too individually and collectively grow.

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References

Manning, K. (2013). Organizational theory in higher education. New York: Routledge. Martin, J. (2002). Organizational culture: Mapping the terrain. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. (6th ed., Vol. 1). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Study Away Programs webpage. (2013). Retrieved from http://international.missouristate.edu

Study Away, Missouri State University. (2013). Study away transcending barriers: Annual report 2012/2013. Retrieved from Missouri State University, Study Abroad website: http://international.missouristate.edu/assets/studyaway/Annual_Report_20122013_compressed.pdf

Tierney, W.G. (1988). Organizational culture in higher education: Defining the essentials. Journal of Higher Education, 59(1), 2-21.