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1. An Examination of the "After-Effects" of a Leadership Training Program on University Students

   Tackie, David N; Findlay, Henry J; Jimmeh, Joe B; Gogo-Kumi, N (October 2024, International journal of economics commerce and management)

   Christopher, M; Sharma, P (Ed.)

   The purpose of the study was to examine the “after-effects” of a leadership training program on university students. Data were collected using both cross-sectional and case study methods, and by interviewing students. The data were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics and analyses. The participants included both male and female students; most of them were in their early twenties; juniors, and held department-wide, college-wide, or university-wide positions. Moreover, the majority of participants indicated that they participated in the workshops offered because they wanted to improve their leadership skills. They also indicated that they learned one new thing; for instance, leadership skills; teamwork; managing people, and grant writing. Furthermore, they all indicated that they have used, at least some of the information that they received from the workshops, such as information on voluntary organizations; leadership skills; financial management; grant writing; how to network; and dealing with different types of persons in organizations. Also, all the respondents mentioned that they were doing one thing differently, such as flexibility in leading; how to prioritize activities and tasks; using conflict resolution information; paying more attention to team members; sharing information with networks; and encouraging colleagues to provide or contribute ideas in team meetings. The students made suggestions for future workshops, such as including students from other colleges; more role-playing in the delivery of the workshops, and starting workshops early. The study has provided additional knowledge as to what university students think about the after-effects of a leadership training program. 

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2. Building a Leadership Toolkit: Underrepresented Students' Development of Leadership-Enabling Competencies through a Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Engineering Education

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--43054  

   Volpe, Elizabeth; Simmons, Denise; Rojas, Sara (June 2023, ASEE Conferences)

   The development of inclusive leaders is essential for the success of future engineering and our nation. Equipping students with vital leadership-enabling competencies is necessary to develop a workforce that is prepared to act ethically, and responsibly, and tackle unforeseen challenges in the future. Inclusive leaders, or leaders that are self-aware, empathetic, and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in their decision-making, are essential for the forward progress of engineering. A growing body of literature highlights the numerous ways in which students may develop leadership skills outside of the classroom through involvement in out-of-class activities (e.g., internships, clubs, sports, and research experiences). Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) may provide students with a unique opportunity to develop leadership-enabling competencies that will prepare them for leadership in graduate school, the engineering industry, or academia. The goal of this research was to identify how students’ engagement in an engineering education virtual REU site contributed to their development of essential leadership-enabling competencies. The research question guiding this study was ‘What inclusive leadership-enabling competencies and skills did engineering students learn and develop during an engineering education Summer REU program?’ Qualitative data was collected via weekly open-ended surveys from 9 students (7 women, 2 men) participating in an REU over 9 weeks. Participants in this study consisted of students from underrepresented groups in engineering (e.g., Black, Latinx, women, students from low SES backgrounds, or first-generation students), attending large public research universities across the United States. This study implemented mixed methods to understand what leadership competencies were occurring most frequently and how students were learning and developing these competencies. A combination of text mining for frequency (quantitative analysis) and deductive and inductive coding (qualitative analysis) was used to analyze the data. A codebook was developed based on the leadership-coupled professional competencies that engineering industry leaders identified as essential for engineers entering the workforce. Researchers also allowed for other competencies and leadership-enabling skills to emerge from the data. Findings from this work indicate that students were developing a vast amount of inclusive leadership knowledge and skills from participating in the virtual REU site. This paper highlights, through the use of word clouds and text mining software, the many leadership-enabling competencies that participants developed throughout the summer research experience (e.g., learning, communication, adaptability, self-awareness, balance, networking, etc.). Further, students were able to develop digital literacy, increased communication skills, knowledge of career pathways, intrapersonal growth, and interpersonal relations. This work offers a novel contribution to the literature in understanding how students can develop technical engineering and research skills as well as professional and leadership skills in the same space. Findings from this work help to illuminate the benefits of this virtual REU site focused on engineering education research resulting in terms of developing inclusive leadership skills. Implications for future REU programs, students interested in developing leadership skills, engineering graduate programs, academia, and industry employers are outlined. 

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3. Implementing Project Management Skills Training Through Thesis Research Within STEM Graduate Education

   Gansemer-Topf, Ann M; Jiang, Shan; Liang, Yiqi; Chen, Dong; Li, Qing; Reuel, Nigel; Okudan_Kremer, Gül E (June 2023, ASEE)

   Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduate education traditionally has focused on developing technical and research skills needed to be successful in academic and research settings. In the past decade, however, STEM graduate students increasingly have sought positions in the industry [1]; a recent study by Sherman et al. [2] found that non-academic industry jobs were the most preferred career choice for STEM doctoral students. Despite this preference, graduate education has yet to adapt to better prepare students for their industry positions; a significant portion of students need critical professional skills, such as project management (PM), needed to be effective leaders in these non-academic environments [3-9]. Although a required skill in the industry, these professional skills also can significantly enhance future careers within research and the academy. 

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4. Trucking in the Era of COVID-19

   https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642211066039  

   Sperry, Danielle; Schuster, Amy M.; Cotten, Shelia R.; Agrawal, Shubham; Mack, Elizabeth; Britt, Noah; Liberman, Jessica (February 2022, American Behavioral Scientist)

   COVID-19 resulted in health and logistical challenges for many sectors of the American economy, including the trucking industry. This study examined how the pandemic impacted the trucking industry, focused on the pandemic’s impacts on company operations, health, and stress of trucking industry employees. Data were collected from three sources: surveys, focus groups, and social media posts. Individuals at multiple organizational levels of trucking companies (i.e., supervisors, upper-level management, and drivers) completed an online survey and participated in online focus groups. Data from focus groups were coded using a thematic analysis approach. Publicly available social media posts from Twitter were analyzed using a sentiment analysis framework to assess changes in public sentiment about the trucking industry pre- and during-COVID-19. Two themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) trucking company business strategies and adaptations and (2) truck driver experiences and workplace safety. Participants reported supply chain disruptions and new consumer buying trends as having larger industry-wide impacts. Company adaptability emerged due to freight variability, leading organizations to pivot business models and create solutions to reduce operational costs. Companies responded to COVID-19 by accommodating employees’ concerns and implementing safety measures. Truck drivers noted an increase in positive public perception of truck drivers, but job quality factors worsened due to closed amenities and decreased social interaction. Social media sentiment analysis also illustrated an increase in positive public sentiment towards the trucking industry during COVID-19. The pandemic resulted in multi-level economic, health, and social impacts on the trucking industry, which included economic impacts on companies and economic, social and health impacts on employees within the industry levels. Further research can expand on this study to provide an understanding of the long-term impacts of the pandemic on the trucking industry companies within the industry and segments of the trucking industry workforce. 

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5. Hoshin Kanri X-matrix: Organizational management tool successfully implemented in an engineering leadership development program.

   DeRuntz, B. D.; Kowalchuk, R. K.; Narusis, J. D.; & Nicklow, J. W. (March 2017, Quality approaches in education)

   Elizabeth A. Cudney (Ed.)

   The Hoshin Kanri X-matrix has been used in quality management systems in engineering to improve the efficiency of manufacturing and business processes. The X-matrix was adapted from this field and used to effectively manage a large-scale leadership development program. In this unique application, the X-matrix was applied to improve the efficacy as well as the motivation of leadership development program participants. The implications of integrating the X-matrix into a technical leadership development program are many: (1) it becomes a motivational tool that helps participants relate their efforts to become a leader and its impact on their chosen student organization, (2) it develops their understanding of their responsibility to the larger organization, (3) it develops their leadership communication abilities, and (4) it develops their skill in using a valuable organizational management tool that can be applied throughout their professional career. 

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