Leadership and Decision-Making Comprehensive Assessment

In the Leadership and Decision-Making Doctoral Program, the Comprehensive Assessment represents the blueprint for the evaluation of progress in and completion of the doctoral program. The Digital Portfolio is a work-in-progress that culminates in the documentation of demonstrated competence in specific areas along with a detailed Critical Synthesis Paper (CSP). The Digital Portfolio will serve as the documentation for the comprehensive assessment in the program, prior to moving on to the Dissertation. Consequently, it is imperative that each participant’s Digital Portfolio demonstrate evidence of competency that weaves theoretical understanding and fluency together with knowledge of and reflection on the seminal works (primary literature associated with the competency), specific experiential learning, best practices, and practical application in each of the competency areas. Upon completion of the coursework, participants are expected to exhibit demonstrable competence in each area, as well as the ability to synthesize the connections between the domains.

Competency Areas

As aspiring scholar-practitioners of Leadership and Learning, participants will:

• Differentiate and articulate leadership and learning theoretical constructs and how they interconnect and contribute to organizational performance and process
• Describe and articulate leadership and learning styles as well as be able to demonstrate how they fit into the leadership and learning processes as relate to the cultural and organizational environment of professional practice

As aspiring scholar-practitioners of Research and Measurement, participants will:

• Inquire and apply specific methodology and data to investigate and examine meaningful research questions related to organizational leadership, learning, and decision-making
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of individual and group performance measurement, to include cultural-legal-ethical-technical criticisms of measurement and research practices
• Discriminate between and apply the existing and evolving alternatives in research and measurement and be able to align and conduct appropriate methodology to demonstrate required outcomes

As aspiring scholar-practitioners of Organizational Effectiveness and Innovation, participants will:

• Analyze and evaluate the role of leadership in planning and guiding an organizational transformation process, including innovative and change processes related to decision-making
• Investigate, diagnose, and analyze organizational structure, resources, and processes to determine innovative and sustainable approaches

As aspiring scholar-practitioners of Decision-Making, participants will:

• Assess and apply various cognitive and ethical constructs as they relate to decision making concepts, practices, perspectives, and models
• Identify and articulate appropriate types of data-informed analyses (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods), apply, and critically evaluate all data generated as they relate to the decision-making process.
• Develop and demonstrate organizational strategies used in decision-making from cognitive, ethical, and data-informed perspectives

As aspiring scholar-practitioners of Communication, participants will:

• Construct, articulate, present, and defend academic work using both verbal and written communication including appropriate use of technology
• Demonstrate civil, active, and effective communication reflecting the use of humble inquiry and emotional intelligence concepts in interpersonal, academic, and organizational settings