D.B.A.  Baker College (Michigan), 2017.
Specialization:  Business administration; Management; Organizational theory

Federal first-line supervisors: Perceived supervisor support and leader development of emerging leaders during supervisory transition
120 pages. UMI #: 10275783
Citation, Abstract & Full text in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database

Perceptions exist that new and emerging supervisors may be undersupported by management and may be unprepared to function in supervisory positions. Such support deficiencies may be directly related to deficiencies in coaching and mentoring of the supervisors and may adversely impact the supervisors’ leader development. Other contributing factors include recruitment and selection, training and development, and supervisory competencies versus technical skills. The problem is further exacerbated during the early years of employees’ supervisory careers when they transition from a nonsupervisory to a supervisory role where coaching and mentoring toward developing the leader was not a priority. Social exchange theory and social learning theory were used to explore the overarching research problem: What are the lived coaching and mentoring support experiences of contracting first-line supervisors that determine during a transition if they remain as 21st century leaders or instead revert to nonsupervisory positions where leadership skills are less needed? Convenience sampling was used in this phenomenological study that was based on 22 supervisors working in the 1102 series of Contracting in various federal defense agencies. The results may help managers to improve these experiences for existing and emerging first-line supervisors. The results were categorized into themes using Department of Defense instruction 1430.16 for Leader Development Framework. Core and fundamental competencies for both supervisor and manager were recommended.

10275783

• Donald McLellan, Ph.D., Chair
• James Stahley, Ph.D.
• Mary Dereshiwsky, Ph.D.