College of Doctoral Studies
Center for听Leadership听and Entrepreneurial Research
Calibrating research through the lens of business and entrepreneurial insight
About the center
The Center for Leadership听and Entrepreneurial Research (CLER) regards the spectrum of business, entrepreneurism, and organization as all-encompassing, where the potentials of scholar-practitioner engagement intersect with industry dynamics to uncover the possibilities that emerge when research is applied.
Research Chair
Dr. Rodney Luster has been with the University since 2012. Rodney Luster is the Senior Director of Research Strategy, Innovation and Development for the Research Center Enterprise (RSE) within the College of Doctoral Studies
Assoc Research Chair
Dr. McCaslin has provided leadership within the 爱污传媒 network since the inception of the Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) first began in 2013, having started the Center for听Leadership and Entrepreneurial Research (CLER), and then promoted to the role of Dean of the RSE for several years. He now serves dual roles within the university and is now the Associate Chair for CLER.
Contact Dr. McCaslin-mlmccasl@email.phoenix.edu
To be recognized through the pursuits and outcomes of scholarly research in leadership and organization as the most trusted provider of career-relevant research concerning the practitioner doctorate degree in higher education for advancing the professional life of working adults.
Scholarly leadership is defined as a transformative relationship among experienced and aspiring Scholar/Practitioner/Leaders who intend, through the production and application of research, to advance their professional life and the community of scholarship.
- We believe that planning, preparing, and producing effective and efficient research studies are demonstrations of scholarly leadership.
- We believe in modeling the way towards creating and disseminating educational and leadership research for the purposes of professional development.
- We exist to inspire, support, and guide the professional development of 爱污传媒 faculty through scholarly leadership.
- Potentiating the development of research and its dissemination with 爱污传媒 faculty.
- Professional development through scholarly leadership.
The Center for听Leadership and Entrepreneurial Research [CLER] welcomes all interested parties to join our center via the following
Affiliating with CLER offers tremendous benefits for those interested in learning more about the research we engage in, as well as opportunities for collaboration on research endeavors [projects], publishing potentials, conferences, quarterly meeting invites to see what the center is offering, and simply being able to become part of a community of researchers.
We welcome your interest in the Center for听Leadership and Entrepreneurial Research led by Dr. Rodney Luster [Chair] and Dr. Mark McCaslin [Associate Chair]. Registering for the center means you will receive updates related to the CLER regarding upcoming conference events, workshops you might be interested in, and ways you might wish to engage the center further. Please fill out this form in its entirety. Below is also contact information for CLER leaders, which you may contact anytime.
Being engaged with a center like CLER can also be career-impacting! We offer opportunities for faculty, staff, and alumni to publish, engage in experiments, drive impactful research, publish in the 爱污传媒 Scholar periodical, maintain a blog, build conference acumen by attending our annual Research Summit as either presenters or guests, get involved in planning a national conference, develop and publish whitepapers around thought-leadership, conduct workshops, attend workshops on everything from new survey technology to rigorous research methodologies, just to name a few things.
For students especially, you can engage the center for a variety of research-related content,听 volunteer to be an assistant researcher, publish in the 爱污传媒 Scholar periodical during special issues focused on students, or get involved with our annual conference, and become a student presenter at the annual "Research Summit." For alumni, we also invite you to stay on and continue the journey by becoming a Fellow in Residence [You can use that title as a CV builder], engage in our publishing projects, join us as we apply for international conferences, and more! Much awaits!
Your Center contacts:
Dr. Rodney Luster- Chair for the Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Research-contact info- rodney.luster@phoenix.edu
Dr. Mark McCaslin-Associate Chair for the Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Research-mlmccasl@email.phoenix.edu
Call for 2025 Principal Research Investigators and Co-PI's听 for Suggested Projects
The following solicitation for researchers is open for 2025. What this means? CLER is looking for a lead principal investigators and co-investigators to research and publish based on conducted research within the center. The following projects have a brief description but require research studies to advance inquiry and outcomes on these topics.
Projects described below are modifiable and are only initial proposals.
Proposed Research Project # 1 [AI focused]
The Use of AI in Driving Leader Transformation
Objective:
To investigate how AI tools can support and accelerate the transformation of leaders by enhancing their skills, decision-making, and overall effectiveness.
笔谤辞辫辞蝉别诲听惭别迟丑辞诲辞濒辞驳测:
- Participants: Select a small group of leaders (e.g., 5-10) from various industries who are open to using AI tools for personal and professional development.
- Proposed听听Use an AI-based leadership development platform that offers personalized coaching, feedback, and analytics on leadership performance.
- Study Design:
- Pre-Assessment: Conduct an initial assessment of each leader鈥檚 skills, strengths, and areas for improvement using surveys, interviews, and performance metrics.
- Intervention: Leaders use the AI tool for a period of 8 weeks, receiving personalized coaching, feedback, and actionable insights.
- Post-Assessment: Conduct a follow-up assessment to measure changes in leadership skills, decision-making quality, and overall effectiveness.
- Data Collection:
- Quantitative Data: Measure changes in performance metrics such as team productivity, project success rates, and leader decision-making accuracy.
- Qualitative Data: Conduct surveys and interviews to gather feedback from leaders and their teams on the perceived impact of the AI tool.
Hypotheses:
- Leaders using the AI tool will show significant improvement in their leadership skills and decision-making abilities.
- Teams led by AI-supported leaders will report higher satisfaction and better performance outcomes.
Analysis:
- Compare the pre- and post-assessment data to identify any significant improvements in leadership skills and effectiveness.
- Analyze feedback from leaders and their teams to understand the impact of the AI tool on leader transformation.
Expected Outcomes:
- Insights into how AI can support and accelerate leader transformation.
- Identification of best practices for integrating AI tools into leadership development programs.
- Recommendations for future research and development of AI-driven leadership tools.
This pilot study can provide valuable insights into the potential of AI to transform leadership practices and enhance leader effectiveness.听
Potential journals/conferences- ILA, Journal of Leadership Studies, Emerald publications, IGI Global, APA.
Please contact Dr. Rodney Luster for details.
听
Proposed Research Project # 2 [AI focus]
An innovative research experiment combining AI and leadership could explore how AI can enhance leadership decision-making and team dynamics.
AI-Enhanced Leadership Decision-Making听
Objective:
To investigate how AI tools can support leaders in making more informed and effective decisions, and how this impacts team performance and satisfaction.
Proposed听 Methodology: [Modifiable design/methodology]
- Participants: Selection of a diverse group of leaders from various industries and or their respective teams.
- AI Tool: Develop or use an existing AI tool that provides data analysis, predictive insights, and decision-making support.
- Experiment Design:
- Control Group: Leaders make decisions using traditional methods without AI support.
- Experimental Group: Leaders use the AI tool to assist in their decision-making process.
- Duration: Conduct the experiment over a period of 6 months to gather sufficient data.
- Data Collection:
- Quantitative Data: Measure team performance metrics such as productivity, project completion rates, and error rates.
- Qualitative Data: Conduct surveys and interviews to assess team satisfaction, leader confidence, and perceived effectiveness of decisions.
Hypotheses:
- Leaders using AI tools will make more informed and effective decisions compared to those using traditional methods.
- Teams led by AI-supported leaders will show higher performance and satisfaction levels.
Analysis:
- Compare the performance metrics and satisfaction levels between the control and experimental groups.
- Analyze the feedback from leaders and team members to understand the impact of AI on leadership dynamics.
Expected Outcomes:
- Insights into how AI can enhance leadership decision-making.
- Identification of best practices for integrating AI tools into leadership roles.
- Recommendations for future research and development of AI tools for leadership.
This experiment may provide valuable insight into the value of AI to transform leadership practices and improve organizational outcomes.
Potential journals/conferences- ILA, Journal of Leadership Studies, Emerald publications, IGI Global, APA.
听
Proposed Research Project # 3 [AI focus]
The Prospects of AI-Assisted Potentials for Leaders in Team Meetings
Objective:
To explore the impact of AI tools with leaders, and their implementation and effectiveness within team meetings and decision-making processes.
Proposed Methodology:听[Modifiable design/methodology]
- Participants: Select a small group of leaders (e.g., 5-10) and their respective teams from a single organization or department.
- AI Tool: Use an AI meeting assistant tool that can transcribe meetings, provide real-time insights, and suggest action items.
- Study Design:
- Control Group: Teams conduct meetings without the AI tool.
- Experimental Group: Teams use the AI meeting assistant during their meetings.
- Duration: Conduct the study over a period of 4 weeks.
- Data Collection:
- Quantitative Data: Measure the number of action items completed, meeting duration, and frequency of follow-up meetings.
- Qualitative Data: Conduct surveys and interviews to assess team members鈥 satisfaction with meetings, perceived efficiency, and the quality of decisions made.
Hypotheses:
- Teams using the AI meeting assistant will have more efficient and productive meetings compared to those without it.
- Team members will report higher satisfaction with the meeting process and outcomes when using the AI tool.
Analysis:
- Compare the metrics and feedback between the control and experimental groups.
- Analyze the data to identify any significant differences in meeting efficiency and decision quality.
Expected Outcomes:
- Preliminary insights into the benefits and challenges of using AI tools in team meetings.
- Recommendations for improving the integration of AI in leadership practices.
- Identification of potential areas for further research.
This pilot study can provide valuable initial insights into the role of AI in enhancing leadership and team dynamics.听
Potential journals/conferences- ILA, Journal of Leadership Studies, Emerald publications, IGI Global, APA.
Zombie Leadership--When dead leadership ideas walk among us-Details and PI contact information for this project provided herein [Only designated team members may access the Google worksheet]. Principal Investigator- Research Fellow TaMika Fuller
Managing Fear While Leading: A Narrative Inquiry- Principal Investigator- Alfreda Goods,听Co-Investigators-Scott McCalla, Lisa Langford, Mark McCaslin
Generating Healthy Leadership Among Individuals in Leader Roles-Principal Investigator-Mark McCaslin,听Co-Investigators-Rodney Luster
ImpactNexus Group, recently established as a professional working group in CLER, will be conducting an AI study on the following: Leadership, AI and Scenario-based Decision brokering
The Use of AI in Increasing Empathic Understanding: Exploratory Study-Principal Investigator-Rodney Luster
CLER provides a lens through which leadership and organization may be examined from all vantage points, utilizing the conduits of research and reporting out through major conferences, publications and innovative projects.
From the International Leadership Association听(ILA) and the Qualitative Report (TQR)听 to the American Psychological Association (APA), CLSOR members can be found at these and many other top tiered conferences working together with other researchers to bring to the table the latest in research concerning the wide prospects of topical matter within the field of leadership and organizational research. We welcome you to the many possibilities the center can offer.
Fellows in Residence
The Fellows in Residence role has been designed to usher in the potential of like-minded researchers who desire to become part of the research enterprise. The Research Centers implemented the voluntary role in 2020 and has since grown the cadre of fellows who work within each center. We continue to invite those interested in becoming fellows to reach out for more information. An elite group of researchers, the fellows are important constituents of the centers, often taking part in research endeavors from publishing to presenting and helping with our large-scale conference. For those interested in becoming a Fellow in Residence, please reach out to Dr. Mark McCaslin, Associate Chair for CLER for more information. Below is our current assembly of fellows.
