This document provides an overview of a proposed mixed methods case study to explore the behaviors that exemplar automotive CEOs use to find meaning in their leadership. The study will use qualitative interviews with 3 CEOs in Southern California to identify behaviors related to character, relationships, inspiration, vision, and wisdom. It will also administer a quantitative survey to 36 of their followers to determine the degree to which these behaviors help create personal and organizational meaning. The proposal describes the research questions, most frequently cited scholars in the literature, methodology, population and sample, and statistical analysis tools to be used.

1. A MIXED METHODS CASE STUDY
TO EXPLORE BEHAVIORS EXEMPLAR AUTOMOTIVE
CEOS USE
TO DISCOVER MEANING IN THEIR LEADERSHIP—FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FOLLOWERS—THROUGH
CHARACTER, RELATIONSHIPS, INSPIRATION, VISION, AND WISDOM
a proposal defense by
________________________
ROBERT J. MANCUSO

2. DISSERTATION
COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE CHAIR
DR. PATRICIA WHITE, ED.D.
COMMITTEE MEMBER
DR. DOUGLAS DEVORE, ED.D.
COMMITTEE MEMBER
DR. JAMES COX. ED. D

3. TOPIC | FINDING MEANING IN LEADERSHIP
CHAPTER 1 | PROBLEM STATEMENT
CHAPTER 1 | PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
CHAPTER 1 | RESEARCH QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 2 | MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARS
CHAPTER 3 | MIXED-METHODS METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER 3 | STUDY INQUIRIES
CHAPTER 3 | POPULATION
CHAPTER 3 | SAMPLE
CHAPTER 3 | QUESTIONS
STUDY DELIMITATIONS
Agenda

4. TOPIC | FINDING MEANING IN LEADERSHIP
• DECADES OF CORPORATE AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCE HAS GIVEN ME
OPPORTUNITIES TO WITNESS FIRST-HAND THE
LEADERSHIP OF DOZENS OF INDIVIDUALS.
• THE ONE QUESTION THAT STANDS OUT IS WHAT
SEPARATES TRULY GREAT LEADERS FROM ALL
THE REST?
• HOW DO EXEMPLARY LEADERS DISCOVER
MEANING IN THEIR LEADERSHIP
• THIS STUDY MAY ILLUMINATE POSSIBLE
UNDERLYING ELEMENTS THAT EXPLAIN HOW
SOME EXEMPLARY LEADERS ACHIEVE SUCCESS.
DISCOVERING MEANING IN LEADERSHIP
Transformational leadership may be the most
critical skill needed to achieve success in the
future

5. CHAPTER 1
PROBLEM STATEMENT
THE HORIZON IS UNCLEAR
• Gallup Poll reports that seven out of ten American
workers are disengaged, emotionally disconnected,
and technologically disrupted from their workplace.
• Worker disconnect is echoed today by prominent
consulting firms, business leaders, political leaders,
and religious leaders.
• According to a recent study the most pressing issues
among automotive industry Board Members and
CEOs is their concern about identifying the next
generation of leaders.
Global leadership and leadership in the United States of America and in the
American workforce are at a crossroads as we progress through early the part
of the 21st Century.
KEY DISCOVERIES

6. CHAPTER 1
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
PURPOSE STATEMENT
• THE PURPOSE OF THIS MIXED METHODS CASE
STUDY IS:
• TO IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THE BEHAVIORS
THAT EXEMPLAR CEO AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
EXECUTIVE LEADERS USE TO CREATE PERSONAL
AND ORGANIZATIONAL MEANING
• FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FOLLOWERS
THROUGH CHARACTER, RELATIONSHIPS,
INSPIRATION, VISION AND WISDOM.
• ADDITIONALLY, IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS
STUDY TO:
• DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF IMPORTANCE TO
WHICH FOLLOWERS PERCEIVE THEIR CEO’S
BEHAVIORS RELATING TO CHARACTER, VISION,
RELATIONSHIPS, WISDOM AND INSPIRATION HELP
TO CREATE PERSONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL
MEANING.
WHERE ARE WE HEADED?

7. CHAPTER 1
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
WHAT QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• TWO RESEARCH QUESTIONS TO BE
ANSWERED BY THIS STUDY:
1) WHAT BEHAVIORS DO EXEMPLAR CEO AUTOMOTIVE
LEADERS USE TO CREATE PERSONAL AND
ORGANIZATIONAL MEANING FOR THEMSELVES AND
THEIR FOLLOWERS THROUGH CHARACTER,
RELATIONSHIPS, INSPIRATION, VISION, AND WISDOM?
(2) TO WHAT DEGREE DO FOLLOWERS PERCEIVE THE
BEHAVIORS RELATED TO CHARACTER, RELATIONSHIPS,
INSPIRATION, VISION, AND WISDOM HELP TO CREATE
PERSONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL MEANING?

8. CHAPTER 2
MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARS
Scholar/Author Number of Times
Cited
Kouzes & Posner 30
Heifetz, Grashow &
Linsky
19
Crowley 18
Ulrich & Ulrich 17
Sinek 13

9. CHAPTER 2
MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARS
JAMES KOUZES & BARRY POSNER
THESE AUTHORS FOCUS ON
TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE—ITS
IMPORTANCE AND HOW TO ACHIEVE IT
THEIR WORK COVERS MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF
RESEARCH INTO THE LEADERSHIP PROCESS AND
THE CHALLENGES FACED BY LEADERS
THESE AUTHORS COVER THE FIVE KEY
VARIABLES DISCUSSED IN THIS STUDY:
CHARACTER, RELATIONSHIPS, INSPIRATION,
VISION AND WISDOM

10. CHAPTER 2
MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARS
HEIFETZ, GRASHOW & LINSKY
HEIFETZ CAUTIONS THAT LEADERSHIP IS MORE THAN
GAINING POWER – IT ABOUT HOW THAT POWER IS USED
HE REMINDS LEADERS THAT FOLLOWERS ARE A SOURCE OF POWER: THEY HAVE ABILITY TO
PROVIDE, AS WELL AS TO WITHHOLD AND WITHDRAW POWER FROM LEADERS
THEY ECHO THE WISDOM OF MASLOW: “MEANING CONTRIBUTES TO THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION”.
MEANING IS A TWO-WAY ENGAGEMENT—FOR LEADERS AND
FOLLOWERS ALIKE "PEOPLE FIND MEANING [IN LIFE AND IN WORK] BY CONNECTING
WITH OTHERS, IN A WAY THAT MAKES [BOTH] LIVES BETTER"

11. CHAPTER 2
MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARS
MARK C. CROWLEY
CROWLEY’S TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE
OFFERS A NEW 21ST CENTURY MODEL THAT PLACES EMPHASIS ON
PEOPLE
HIS RECOGNITION OF MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
PROVIDES ARCHITECTURE FOR BUILDING MEANING
INTO LEADERSHIP THROUGH
PEOPLE’S DESIRE FOR SELF-ACTUALIZATION AND PERSONAL
ESTEEM
CROWLEY ENCOURAGES LEADERS TO INSPIRE FOLLOWERS BY
CONNECTING WITH THEIR EMOTIONAL STATE

12. CHAPTER 2
MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARS
DAVID & WENDY ULRICH
LEADERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL
WHEN THEY FIND DEEP-SEATED MEANING IN
THEIR WORK
A WORK SETTING IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS COORDINATE
THEIR ASPIRATION AND ACTIONS TO CREATE MEANING FOR
THEMSELVES, VALUE FOR STAKEHOLDERS, AND HOPE
FOR HUMANITY AT LARGE
THE EMPHASIS IS IN THE PEOPLE INVOLVED, NOT
NECESSARILY IN THE EVENT THEY ARE
INVOLVED WITH
WITH REGARD TO VISION, THEY SPEAK OF
IMMEDIACY, AND ABUNDANCE IN
ORGANIZATIONS
BEFORE LEADERS CAN RECEIVE POWER THERE MUST BE A
WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF FOLLOWERS TO
SURRENDER IT

13. CHAPTER 2
MOST FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARS
SIMON SINEK
KNOWING WHY CONSTITUENTS ARE ASKED TO
FOLLOW UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF
MEANING-MAKING TO THEM
SINEK TALKS ABOUT A LEADER’S LEGACY,
POWER, RELATIONSHIPS, AND TRUST IN A
VISION

14. CHAPTER 3
MIXED-METHODS METHODOLOGY
QUALITATIVE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS
WITH EXEMPLAR CEOS
QUANTITATIVE SELF-ADMINISTERED
SURVEY WITH THEIR FOLLOWERS

15. CHAPTER 3
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
ONE-ON-ONE DEPTH INTERVIEW—AREAS OF INQUIRY
• IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTER, RELATIONSHIPS, INSPIRATION, VISION
AND WISDOM IN LEADERSHIP
• WHAT WAS DONE TO ESTABLISH A VISION IN THEIR LEADERSHIP
• SPECIFIC THINGS DONE TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE
MEMBERS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION—INVOLVING LISTENING AND
TRUST AMONG MEMBERS
• THINGS DONE TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR CHARACTER AS THE LEADER
OF YOUR ORGANIZATION—INCLUDING
INTEGRITY…RELIABILITY…AUTHENTICITY
• THINGS DONE TO INSPIRE YOUR STAFF TO BE ALL THEY CAN BE—BY
EXUDING ENTHUSIASM, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND HOPE
• DESCRIBING A TIME WHEN YOUR ORGANIZATION FACED A VERY
COMPLEX OR UNCLEAR SITUATION—WHERE WISDOM PLAYED A ROLE
IN RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO UNCLEAR, AND COMPLEX ISSUES

16. CHAPTER 3
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
STRUCTURED SELF-ADMINISTERED COMPUTER ASSISTED SURVEY
AREAS OF INQUIRY
• THIRTY QUESTIONS AS THEY RELATE TO
THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR LEADER’S
BEHAVIOR IN DEVELOPING MEANING IN
THEIR ORGANIZATION
• TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:
• CHARACTER
• RELATIONSHIPS
• INSPIRATION
• VISION
• WISDOM

17. CHAPTER 3
STATISTICAL ANALYTIC TOOLS
STRUCTURED SELF-ADMINISTERED COMPUTER ASSISTED SURVEY
• MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCIES,
E.G., MEANS, MEDIANS, AND MODE
• MEASURES OF VARIABILITY, E.G., THE
RANGE, VARIANCE, AND STANDARD DEVIATION
• STANDARD SCORES, E.G., THE
DISTRIBUTION OF THE DATA, AND T-SCORES (Z-
SCORES—BASE SIZES PERMITTING)

18. CHAPTER 3
POPULATION (N)
2015 Population of CEOs at Automobile Manufacturers in the United States
_________________________________________________________________
Statistic Number____
Number of Automobile Original Equipment Manufacturers
(OEMs)* in the United States 17
Number of OEMs in the United States with a CEO 17
_________________________________________________________________
*SOURCE: Center for Automobile Research (CAR) 2015
There are 17 original automobile
equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
with a headquarters or division in
the United States.
Each of these headquartered
divisions has a Chief Executive
Officer (CEO).

19. CHAPTER 3
SAMPLE (N)
2015 Population of CEOs at Automobile Manufacturers in Southern California
__________________________________________________________________
Statistic Number
Number of Automobile Original Equipment Manufacturers
(OEMs)* in Southern California 8
Number of CEOs in Southern California Interviewed 3
Number of Followers in Southern California Surveyed 36
__________________________________________________________________
*SOURCE: Center for Automobile Research (CAR) 2015
Of the seventeen OEMs, 8 are located
in Southern California.
Three (3) of these will be represented
in this study by their CEO in the
Qualitative In-Depth Interviews.
For each CEO, twelve (12+) Followers
will take part in the Quantitative Survey
(n=36+).

20. CHAPTER 3
All studies are delimited.
Such limitations are not necessarily shortcomings
They represent the extent to which findings may
be interpreted as representing a sub-segment of
the whole, and
not the whole in its entirety.
This study is delimited by:
• The time it was conducted
• The researcher doing the interviewing
• Internal CEO selection of followers
• Sample size
• Sample type
• Geography
• Culture

21. Thank You