Congratulations to Mary Ellen Welsh, who Advanced to Candidacy in the Doctor of Management program. Mary’s dissertation study titled, “The Perceived Impact of Generational Attributes on Organizational Leadership Regarding Recruitment and Retention,” will examine the characteristics of four generations in the workplace and discern whether there is a relationship between generational attributes and organizational leadership, recruitment, and retention. Her quantitative study will survey the perceptions of human resources professionals in Southeastern Michigan.

Congratulations to Gary Labbe, who has Advanced to Candidacy in the Doctor of Management program. Gary’s dissertation study titled, “The Effects of Selected Elements of Organizational Structural Capital on Nursing Team Performance,” will examine nursing teams and their organizations in a hospital setting to identify the levels of selected elements of structural capital that are present in the teams to determine if there is a correlation between the individual elements and team performance. The secondary methodology will verify the effectiveness of selected elements of structural capital that facilitate highly skilled teams’ success. The identified elements of structural capital are leadership, collaboration, diversity, trust, empowerment, and goals.

Congratulations to Erin Leigh Hutton, who has Advanced to Candidacy in the Doctor of Management program. Erin’s dissertation study titled, “Perception of organizational openness to performing Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership,” will examine the individual’s perception of his or her organization’s acceptance of decisions that correspond with the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership as defined by noted leadership researchers James Kouzes and Barry Posner. The five practices of exemplary leadership include modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. Erin’s study could offer implications for organizational design changes to encourage advancement toward the organizational vision of success.

Congratulations to Rita Fields, who has Advanced to Candidacy in the Walsh College Doctor of Management program. Rita’s dissertation study titled, “An Examination of the Effect of the 1967 Riot on Leadership Development in Detroit,” will include a historical review and interviews with members of several Detroit organizations that came into being immediately after and as a result of the riot and still exist to this day. She began the doctoral program in fall 2007, took two years of intensive coursework and qualifying exams, and recently defended her dissertation proposal.

Congratulations to Kimberly M. Hurns, who has Advanced to Candidacy in the Doctor of Management program. Her dissertation study titled, “Business Professionals’ Reflective Practice in the Workplace,” will examine the relationship between workplace learning and reflective practice. She began the doctoral program in fall 2007, took two years of intensive coursework, and qualifying exams, and defended her dissertation proposal.  Kim was selected to present the rationale for her dissertation at the First International Conference on Engaged Management Scholarship at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland on June 2-5, 2011.

Congratulations to doctoral student Tracy Flaggs for presenting a paper titled, “W. Edwards Deming as an Innovative Thought Leader,” at the 17th Annual International Deming Research Seminar held March 21-22, 2011, in New York City. The seminar was sponsored by the Fordham University Graduate School of Business, The W. Edwards Deming Institute, and The Deming Cooperative.

Congratulations to Joyce L. Suber, who has Advanced to Candidacy in the Walsh College Doctor of Management program. The focus of Joyce’s research is workplace competition. Her dissertation study titled, “The Effect of Leadership Style on Negative Intra-Organizational Competition,” will explore whether leaders with a particular management style, in traditional business environments, have encouraged the proliferation of non-productive, negative competitive environments.