Browsing by Author "Seibel, Megan M."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 48
  • Thumbnail Image
    Administrators’ Perspectives on Organizational Environmental Factors Facing 4-H Youth Development
    Elliott-Engel, Jeremy; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M.; Seibel, Megan M.; Kaufman, Eric K.; Radhakrishna, Rama (Elsevier, 2024-01)
    4-H is the largest youth development organization in the United States and is the youth development program of the Land-Grant University’s Cooperative Extension system. A qualitative study of 13 4-H Program Leaders and seven Cooperative Extension Directors was conducted to explore the perspectives Extension Administrators hold about the organizational environmental factors facing the 4-H program. Data were analyzed using a qualitative open coding methodology. Five themes emerged from the study in response to the identified environmental factors: 1) key components of the traditional club model need to be ensured in all programming conducted; 2) the need to develop a club programming matrix to help county-level staff manage the impact and their workload; 3) good partners will expand the 4-H programs’ capacity; 4) increased involvement of first generation youth and families is needed; and 5) intentional marketing and raising awareness of the “new 4-H brand.” Adaptation poses important questions, challenges, and opportunities for the 4-H program. Because administrators represent a national population of Administrators, these insights can inform youth organizations in the United States and internationally.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Administrator’s Perspectives on the Environmental Factors Facing Cooperative Extension
    Elliott-Engel, Jeremy; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M.; Seibel, Megan M.; Kaufman, Eric K.; Radhakrishna, Rama (American Association for Agricultural Education, 2020-02-02)
    Extension is a complex organization with a mission to deliver research from the Land-Grant University to all U.S. communities. Extension administrator perspectives of the environmental factor changes that are facing the organization were investigated in this qualitative study to inform the direction for organization adaptation. Extension needs to respond to: shifts in funding and clientele demographics. Organization adaptation can cause long-term stakeholders to fear loss and therefore can act against the organization. Administrators need to be responsive to traditional stakeholder concerns to reduce shifting focus friction and achieve organization adaptation, and further survival.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Advancing Adaptive Leadership Through Adaption-Innovation Theory: Enhancements to the Holding Environment
    Seibel, Megan M.; Kaufman, Eric K.; Cletzer, D. Adam; Elliott-Engel, Jeremy (Wiley, 2023)
    While adaptive leadership is a useful framework for leadership practitioners, there is limited empirical research supporting its conceptual tools and tactics. Kirton’s adaption-innovation (A-I) theory contends individuals have innate problem-solving style preferences for more or less structure. In this conceptual paper, we examine the theoretical underpinnings of adaptive leadership and A-I theory within the context of complex problem solving. We connect A-I theory to concepts from adaptive leadership to connect a more rigorous and empirically supported theory to a popular practice. We go further to explore how a leaders’ A-I style informs a leader's maintenance of an adaptive leadership holding environment (HE), particularly with regard to facilitating a productive zone of disequilibrium (PZD).
  • Thumbnail Image
    Advancing Community College Instruction for Agriculture Workforce Preparedness: VCCS Professional Development Day 1
    Kaufman, Eric K.; White, Amy; Nelson, Dalton; Seibel, Megan M.; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M.; Friedel, Curtis R. (2021-06-15)
    This was the first meeting of the professional learning cohort of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) faculty engaged in the Agriculture Workforce Training for Collaborative Leadership project.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Advancing Community College Instruction for Agriculture Workforce Preparedness: VCCS Professional Development Day 3
    Kaufman, Eric K.; Ring, Bettina; Seibel, Megan M.; White, Amy; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M.; Friedel, Curtis R.; Nelson, Dalton (2021-07-14)
    This was the third meeting of the professional learning cohort of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) faculty engaged in the Agriculture Workforce Training for Collaborative Leadership project.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Agriculture Workforce Stakeholders Highlight Importance of Durable Skills and Networks
    Coartney, Jama S.; Kaufman, Eric K.; Nelson, Dalton; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M.; Seibel, Megan M.; Friedel, Curtis R.; White, Amy; Carmichael, Celeste J. (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, 2022-06-20)
    As America’s workforce changes, so does the nature of the work and skills necessary for success. Employers are increasingly in need of a workforce that effectively engages in collaborative leadership. Educational opportunities, such as community college and two-year degree programs, need to include collaborative leadership learning experiences to help build workforce readiness. Debuting findings at NACTA 2019, APLU researchers identified 11 employability skills that were most important to stakeholders and had the largest gaps in terms of readiness. Indeed, the Christensen Institute recently identified “investing in durable skills and durable networks,” as one of the “5 Education Innovation Trends Worth Watching in 2022.”Also, America Succeeds (2021) reports on “The High Demand for Durable Skills.” Findings from three years of action research reveal insights on employability and durable skills for collaborative leadership. Expanding beyond four-year degree programs, project stakeholders include agriculture faculty from nine community colleges and one two-year degree program. These agricultural educators are bridging the gap by refreshing existing workforce development curricula to meet 21st century agricultural industry needs; they are designing, developing, and evaluating leadership curricula for technical and community colleges to prepare the agriculture workforce for effective leadership in an increasingly diverse environment. The study used a semi-structured protocol with two focus groups. Participants, affiliated with agricultural workforce preparation programs, surfaced six key themes: (1) Agreeing with APLU employability skills report, (2) Finding positive benefits in completing internships, (3) Strategizing to build problem-solving skills, (4) Addressing ‘soft skills” assessment challenges, (5) Prioritizing verbal communication skill enhancements, and (6) Learning how to accept faults and mistakes. The relevance of this topic in today’s climate cannot be understated. This action research approach, with stakeholders from multiple institutions, can serve as a model for expanding educational networks to exchange knowledge and share leadership curricula.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Agroforestry Education: The Status and Progress of Agroforestry Courses in the U.S.
    Wright, Matt (Virginia Tech, 2017-04-24)
    Many agroforestry leaders today believe that an increase in agroforestry coursework, certifications, and institutional degree programs would help agroforestry professionals gain the proper education and training needed to better promote agroforestry implementation (Gold, 2015; USDA, 2011). In 1990, thirty-nine SAF forestry accredited institutions were surveyed throughout North America. The survey revealed that at least fourteen schools were offering a course in agroforestry (Warren & Bentley, 1990). In order to determine the current status of agroforestry course offerings today, we sent an electronic survey to one hundred and twenty seven institutions throughout the U.S. Focusing on land-grant and SAF forestry accredited institutions, the survey findings indicate growth in the number of institutions that are offering agroforestry coursework today. In addition, the number of temperate agroforestry course offerings has increased significantly and may now exceed tropical agroforestry course offerings by institutions in the U.S. The survey results also indicate a thorough adoption of interdisciplinary teaching methods by agroforestry educators. Nonetheless, there is still considerable room for improvement. While most institutions that are currently providing agroforestry courses would like to continue offering them, the number of institutions that have discontinued their offerings since the prior 1988 survey is concerning. In addition, while SAF and 1862 land grant institutions are the strongest proponents of agroforestry, most institutions still do not provide agroforestry courses and are not likely to offer them in the near future. Lack of resources, lack of student interest, and lack of faculty expertise were often cited to this end. A much needed contribution to agroforestry education, this project provides a clearer picture of institutional agroforestry offerings today.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Applying a Cognitive Lens to the Exploration of Social Mobility for African American Men: A Phenomenological Study
    Woods-Wells, Tinesha Marie (Virginia Tech, 2016-12-08)
    The American Dream which boasts equal opportunity, meritocracy, and prosperity in accordance with an individual's hard work and dedication continues to instill hope in upward social mobility. Understanding social mobility necessitates an examination of individuals' or groups' ability to move upward or downward in status based on wealth, occupation, education, or some other social variable ("Social mobility," n.d.). Accordingly, social mobility within a hierarchical status system like the United States parallels inequality and presents challenges for underrepresented populations. More specifically, there is a gap that exists in the perceptions, generalizations, and realizations of social mobility for Black men in America resulting in a dichotomous disparity that is perplexing and adds to some of the greatest challenges and barriers to social mobility facing Black men. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to employ a cognitive lens to examine factors affecting the social mobility experiences of Black men throughout their educational and occupational pursuits, and/or community involvement; ultimately giving voice to a traditionally marginalized group. Cognitive problem solving styles, decision making, performed behaviors, and diverse social interactions were explored within the context of negotiating overarching stereotypes, overcoming barriers, making good decisions, and persisting towards social mobility. The conceptual framework for the study took into account cognitive function, race, and resilience by way of Kirton's Adaption-Innovation Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Resilience Theory, respectively. The study findings offer counter-narratives to rebuff dominant ideology about Black men in society, facilitate an understanding of values and motivators, introduce characteristics that aid social mobility, and may inform strategies, policies, and programing that affect Black men. Recommendations for further research are also offered.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Appreciative Inquiry
    Priest, Kerry L.; Kaufman, Eric K.; Brunton, Kelsey; Seibel, Megan M. (Journal of Leadership Education, 2013-12-01)
    This practice paper describes how leadership education faculty and students at Virginia Tech have facilitated change through the use of appreciative inquiry (Ai) at the departmental level, program level, and project level. Appreciative inquiry has been found to be a useful tool for leadership educators, as its foundation in social constructionist philosophy aligns with contemporary leadership and learning theories. This paper outlines (a) the philosophy of Ai as it applies to organizational development (b) illustrates Ai practices associated with a five-stage model, and (c) highlights three examples that can be used as models for leading change in a variety of organizational situations. The authors suggest that leadership educators are uniquely positioned to serve academic communities as facilitators of change by bridging theory and practice in pursuit of new ways of knowing and working together.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Assessing the Role of Cyberbiosecurity in Agriculture: A Case Study
    Drape, Tiffany A.; Magerkorth, Noah; Sen, Anuradha; Simpson, Joseph; Seibel, Megan M.; Murch, Randall Steven; Duncan, Susan E. (Frontiers, 2021-08-19)
    Agriculture has adopted the use of smart technology to help meet growing food demands. This increased automation and associated connectivity increases the risk of farms being targeted by cyber-attacks. Increasing frequency of cybersecurity breaches in many industries illustrates the need for securing our food supply chain. The uniqueness of biological data, the complexity of integration across the food and agricultural system, and the importance of this system to the U.S. bioeconomy and public welfare suggests an urgency as well as unique challenges that are not common across all industries. To identify and address the gaps in awareness and knowledge as well as encourage collaborations, Virginia Tech hosted a virtual workshop consisting of professionals from agriculture, cybersecurity, government, and academia. During the workshop, thought leaders and influencers discussed 1) common food and agricultural system challenges, scenarios, outcomes and risks to various sectors of the system; 2) cyberbiosecurity strategies for the system, gaps in workforce and training, and research and policy needs. The meeting sessions were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative methodology. The most common themes that emerged were challenges, solutions, viewpoints, common vocabulary. From the results of the analysis, it is evident that none of the participating groups had available cybersecurity training and resources. Participants were uncertain about future pathways for training, implementation, and outreach related to cyberbiosecurity. Recommendations include creating training and education, continued interdisciplinary collaboration, and recruiting government involvement to speed up better security practices related to cyberbiosecurity.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Building Durable Skills and Networks: Leadership Educators' Contributions to Workforce Readiness
    Coartney, Jama S.; Kaufman, Eric K.; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M.; Seibel, Megan M.; Friedel, Curtis R.; White, Amy; Carmichael, Celeste (Association of Leadership Educators, 2022-06-26)
    As America’s workforce changes, so does the nature of the work and skills necessary for success. Employers are increasingly in need of a workforce that effectively engages in collaborative leadership. Educational opportunities should include collaborative leadership learning experiences to help build workforce readiness. Findings from action research reveal insights on durable skills and networks for collaborative leadership. Agricultural educators are bridging the gap by refreshing existing workforce development curricula to meet 21st century agricultural industry needs. Taking an activity-oriented approach, Leadership-as-Practice may assist in providing additional understanding of leadership practices or phenomena (Raelin, 2011, 2020). The purpose of this project was to reveal ideal approaches to integrating collaborative leadership education into existing curricula. The study used a semi-structured protocol with two focus groups. Participants, affiliated with agricultural workforce preparation programs, surfaced six key themes: (1) Agreeing with APLU employability skills report, (2) Finding positive benefits in completing internships, (3) Strategizing to build problem-solving skills, (4) Addressing “soft skills” assessment challenges, (5) Prioritizing verbal communication skill enhancements, and (6) Learning how to accept faults and mistakes. This action research approach, with stakeholders from multiple institutions, can serve as a model for expanding educational networks to exchange knowledge and share leadership curricula.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Building Professional Collaborations between Community College and Land Grant University Faculty
    Coartney, Jama S.; Kaufman, Eric K.; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M.; Seibel, Megan M.; Friedel, Curtis R.; White, Amy; Carmichael, Celeste (American Association for Agricultural Education, 2022-05-17)
  • Thumbnail Image
    Capacity Building for Fundraising Coordinators: A Model for Increasing Rural Community Engagement
    Atkins, Robin W. (Virginia Tech, 2017-09-15)
    The purpose of this project was to develop a how-to manual for coordination of fundraisers in rural communities using Newport, Virginia as a model case. In preparation for the development of the manual, 78 adults in the Newport community completed a three-part survey on trends in volunteer characteristics, reasons for volunteering, and volunteering outcomes. The results showed that the motivators were based on factors involving the volunteer as a person and others, and were not reported as impacted by any demographic differences. The volunteer outcomes were shown to be based on the participants making a worthy contribution, and thinking fundraising is necessary to a viable community. After the completion of the manual, a draft was sent to five panelists who have helped organize comparable fundraisers. Recommendations were made to conduct a follow-up survey or interview with participants from a specific fundraiser in Newport in three to six months after the how-to manual has been implemented into the community. This will assess whether or not the manual is a viable tool in organizing the fundraisers and assess how the manual is being used, expand volunteer opportunities to include more visibility and coordination with local high schools and community colleges who offer a tuition-waiver education in exchange for community service hours, and create a “Community Engagement” fund that would provide need-based funds to community members in exchange for community service.
  • Thumbnail Image
    A Case of Shifting Focus Friction: Extension Directors and State 4-H Program Leaders’ Perspectives on 4-H LGBT Inclusivity
    Contemporary Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) youth are identifying and communicating their identities earlier in childhood then generations before as a result of more awareness and more acceptance. A qualitative study of U.S. 4-H program leaders and Extension directors resulted in an emergent theme around serving LGBT youth. The administrators of 4-H, the largest youth serving organization in the country, recognize the presence and believe the organization to be inclusive. Challenges remain in ensuring youth experience inclusion at all levels of the organization and to manage political and societal pressures resulting from shifting focus friction.
  • Thumbnail Image
    A Case Study Exploring Lunchtimes: Implications for Equitable Access to the National School Lunch Program
    Smith, Jeanell (Virginia Tech, 2023-09-25)
    It is recommended that 20 minutes be provided for students to eat lunch at school. Research has shown that adequate seated lunchtime can ensure that children consume enough food, which may help address child food insecurity concerns. It may also improve dietary quality. The school that is the focus of this case study is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, in a community with relatively high rates of food insecurity. The school participates in CEP, with all students eligible for free school meals. The goal of this study was to assess the current school lunch environment in the cafeteria, using the Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results (SOAR) framework, to help inform strategies to increase seated lunch time and ultimately address food insecurity and dietary quality. The study involved 12 one-on-one interviews with cafeteria stakeholders, including cafeteria monitors, cafeteria staff, teachers, and administration. The interview results answered the four research questions and utilizing the asset-based SOAR framework, revealed what is going well in the cafeteria, what opportunities are available for improvement, the collective goals of the stakeholders, and how the stakeholders would define success. The strengths included mandatory quiet time at the start of each lunch period to focus on eating and verbal cues during lunch to provide structure and time management for the students. The opportunities included cafeteria staff providing quality images, detailed descriptions, and tastings of menu items for students and staff. The aspirations of the stakeholders include a deep passion for creating a safe and nurturing environment in the cafeteria. The goals are to increase the amount of time students have to eat lunch and build on the current strengths to continue to improve the cafeteria environment. Recommendations to achieve these goals are offered in a tiered approach and include uniform cafeteria monitor training, expanding nutrition education, and increasing time allotments for lunch.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Catalyzing organizational learning: Social, environmental, and cognitive factors promoting effective change management
    Hanks, Sarah (Virginia Tech, 2018-12-21)
    Diversity in the workplace remains a priority for leaders and managers as the dynamic nature of the global marketplace necessitates that organizations develop and maintain a competitive advantage in their field. Learning has long been touted as the key to leveraging limited resources to gain a corner in the market. However, organizations continue to struggle with the management of diversity, as well as systems and processes that promote learning at an organizational level. This study sought to explore a theorized relationship between individual problem-solving style, an aspect of cognitive diversity, and organizational learning capability. Two Midwestern companies participated in this sequential explanatory mixed methods study that aimed to: (a) examine the influence of cognitive style on organizational learning; (b) explore the differences between more adaptive and more innovative individuals, with respect to their organization's cognitive climate, in terms of their development and modification of learning frameworks and shared mental models; (c) determine what role more adaptive and more innovative individuals play in catalyzing organizational learning, namely double-loop and deutero-learning; and (d) identify inhibitors of double-loop and deutero-learning, distinguishing differences for more adaptive and more innovative problem solvers. Findings indicate that there was no relationship between problem-solving style, measured by KAI total scores, and organizational learning capability total scores in one organization and a small correlation between the scales of a second organization. This finding supports Kirton's (2011) assertions that problem-solving style is independent of learning, but some organizations may have small relationships between individual's problem-solving style and organizational learning based on various organizational dynamics. Five themes emerged as cultural mediators of cognitive diversity in the context of catalyzing organizational learning: 1) corporate expectations that create a clear, concise shared mental model for employee behavior and decision making (produced and promoted via an organizational guidebook); 2) the use of agreed-upon structures and methodologies for solving problems; 3) the employment of former military officers (due to the specific skills and experiences needed to successfully fulfill specific roles); 4) the development and nurturing of healthy teams; and, 5) an expectation of boundary-less collaboration. These themes, collectively, assert the importance of a culture that puts culture first. In practice, leaders and managers may find that a clearly defined culture that supports and promotes the use of systems and procedures to collaboratively solve problems and extend learning from individual to organizational is essential to mitigating the challenges that may result from exploiting cognitive diversity in the workplace.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Community-Based Education through a Paraprofessional Model: An Experiential Learning Perspective of Peer Education
    Seibel, Megan M. (Virginia Tech, 2012-03-16)
    In community-based peer education models, it is necessary to understand the relationship between learning, context and paraprofessional identity construction. Social relations are important in community education program implementation (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007); impacting power structure within communities and organizations (Cervero & Wilson, 1994, 2006; Forester, 1989). This study explored the conceptual and practical role of experience in a paraprofessional educator model and focused on the situated, contextual experiences of paraprofessionals in the communities they work and live as unique, challenging, and potentially positive for learning outcomes. Schön's narrative dialogue of reflection (1983) proved to be the essential missing piece in working with community educators toward successful development and autonomy. In-depth qualitative interviews with 19 paraprofessional community-based peer educators with a state level family nutrition program contributed to findings relevant to how social context, critical reflection, and identity development influence an understanding of experience and the ability to impact knowledge and behavior change in clients. Individual interviews and focus groups allowed narrative exploration of topics as they evolved throughout the study; giving voice to paraprofessional program assistants in a way not previously done. The findings of this study provide insight necessary for the assessment of new conceptualizations of practice for paraprofessional models in expanding community impact and highlight the need for assessment of contemporary program delivery in a way that fosters the continual development of lay educators through reflective practice. Recommendations are made for a reassessment of historically significant program models in order to embrace paraprofessionals as more broadly defined socially mediated and socially situated influential practitioners.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Conference Schedule and Proceedings of the 2021 KAI Symposium
    Friedel, Curtis R.; Seibel, Megan M.; Walz, Jerald H. (Virginia Tech, 2021-02-24)
  • Thumbnail Image
    Conference Schedule and Proceedings of the 2022 KAI Symposium
    Friedel, Curtis R.; Seibel, Megan M.; Walz, Jerald H. (Virginia Tech, 2022-02-23)
  • Thumbnail Image
    Conference Schedule and Proceedings of the 2023 Annual KAI Symposium
    Friedel, Curtis R.; Seibel, Megan M.; Walz, Jerald H. (Virginia Tech, 2023-02)
    A symposium on Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI).