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Leadership capacity building within a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization
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Leadership capacity building within a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization
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Content
Running head: LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
1
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING WITHIN A NATIVE HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
by
Shelly Tokunaga-May
_____________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
December 2016
Copyright 2016 Shelly Tokunaga-May
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Mahalo Ke Akua. Aloha Ke Akua.
Mahalo to my ‘ohana, my son and friends for all your love and support throughout this
journey. I am forever grateful.
Mahalo to my Dissertation Chair, Dr. Stowe and Committee, Dr. Picus and Dr. Malloy,
for your guidance and wisdom.
Mahalo to my Dissertation Group: Leialoha, April, Deb and Janice and Hawaiʻi 2013
Cohort for walking together on this journey.
Mahalo to my peer editors: Kehau and Melinda for your feedback and encouragement.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 2
List of Tables 5
List of Figures 6
Abstract 7
Chapter 1: Overview of the Study 8
Introduction 8
Background of the Problem 9
Statement of the Problem 12
Purpose of the Study 14
Research Questions 15
Significance of the Study 15
Limitations, Delimitations, Assumptions 16
Definition of Key Terms 17
Organization of the Study 18
Chapter 2: Literature Review 19
Overview 19
Leadership Historical Context 19
Native Hawaiians and Leadership 23
Theoretical Framework 26
Characteristics of Effective Leadership for Succession 30
Challenges to Leadership Succession 36
Summary 41
Chapter 3: Methodology 42
Research Questions 42
Research Design 43
Sample and Population 44
Overview of the Nonprofit Organization 45
Theoretical Framework 46
Conceptual Framework 47
Data Collection 49
Instrumentation 50
Data Analysis 52
Ethical Considerations 53
Summary 53
Chapter 4: Results 55
Participants 56
Overview of the Organization 57
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
4
Results For Research Question 1: Strategies Utilized to Build the Next 58
Generation of Leaders
Discussion of Research Question 1 76
Results For Research Question 2: Challenges that Inhibit Building Leadership 78
Capacity
Discussion of Research Question 2 83
Summary 84
Chapter 5: Summary 85
Purpose of the Study 86
Research Questions 86
Summary of the Findings 87
Implications for Practice 91
Recommendations for Future Study 95
Conclusion 96
References 98
Appendices 105
Appendix A: Participation Letter 105
Appendix B: Interview Protocol 106
Appendix C: Observation Protocol 108
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
5
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Participants in the Study 49
Table 2. Research Questions Instrumentation 51
Table 3. Participants’ Relevant Characteristics 56
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
6
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Conceptual framework 48
Figure 2. Creswell’s (2014) data analysis model in qualitative research 52
Figure 3. Leadership succession pipeline 62
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
7
ABSTRACT
The study applied Transformation Leadership theory and Kouzes and Posner’s exemplary
leadership practices as a framework to understand leadership behavioral practices that facilitate a
succession pipeline for nonprofit organizations. The purpose of the case study was to examine
promising practices of a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization in building leadership capacity
of emergent leaders to assume leadership positions in the organization and leadership roles in the
community. The first research question explored the strategies utilized by the organization to
build the next generation of leaders for the organization and community. The second research
question identified the challenges that inhibited the development of leadership capacity building.
Data collection included eight interviews, three observations, and multiple artifacts. The findings
from the study indicated that the organization utilized a social enterprise model, created a
succession pipeline, emphasized mentoring and networking opportunities to develop and retain
emergent leaders, and ensured the right fit to the organization’s vision and values. The
challenges included a high attrition rate, time constraints, and funding challenges. The
recommendations for further study focused on leadership capacity building through the lens of
Native Hawaiian culture, the impact of socio-economic status, benefits of utilizing a social
enterprise model and a longitudinal study to track former interns from the organization. The
study found that intentionally identifying, developing, and retaining emergent leaders were
necessary to building a pipeline of successor leaders for the future sustainability of the
organization and as future leaders in the community.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
8
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Introduction
The future of nonprofit leadership is in jeopardy as a significant number of Executive
Directors of nonprofits begin to retire as part of the baby-boomer generation. The United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that the labor force will slow in growth as many of the baby-
boomer generation reach retirement and leave their place of employment (Toossi, 2013). As
baby boomer executives leave nonprofit organizations en masse, these leaders leave a gap
without successors to take their place (Cornelius, Moyers, & Bell, 2011; Tierney, 2006). The
study identified a nonprofit organization that has developed promising leadership practices to
ensure the sustainability of the organization with a “pool” of emergent, successor leaders. This
case study focused on understanding the organization’s strategies of building the leadership
capacity of potential leaders for succession.
Leadership capacity building is a key component to developing future leaders for the
long-term sustainability of an organization. Deaton, Wilkes, and Douglas (2013) defined
leadership capacity building as developing effective leaders through structured leadership
knowledge and skill building within a supportive learning community. The process of
developing leaders is multipronged and includes learning new skills and being part of a
supportive environment. Tierney (2006) posited that leadership capacity building is critical to
the enduring effectiveness of an organization that allocates resources toward leadership
development. The organization has to be intentional about building leadership through providing
the resources of time and money, along with structured leadership development (Deaton et al.,
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
9
2013). The authors advocated for nonprofits to incorporate leadership development in order to
grow the capacity of potential leaders.
Background of the Problem
The background of the problem highlights the significance of effective leadership
succession through Transformational and exemplary leadership models, barriers to nonprofit
leadership, and effective Native Hawaiian leadership. Strong leadership is essential because the
leader guides the organization to best accomplish its mission and provides direction to others
toward fulfilling the mission. Northouse (2013) defined leadership as a leader influencing the
group toward a shared goal. The leader possesses certain qualities that attract others to follow
them. These qualities are examined in the two different leadership models.
The theoretical framework for leadership provides structure to the study that is looking to
understand the type of effective leaders needed for growth and continuity of the organization.
Two leadership models consisting of The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership model and
Transformational Leadership provide the theoretical framework for leadership capacity building.
In The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership model, Kouzes and Posner (2012) asserted that
leadership is about the leader’s values and behaviors demonstrated rather than a specific
personality type. Leaders became more effective by learning specific leadership practices such
as inspiring others to follow the vision, setting an example as role models, and creating an
atmosphere that supports collaboration with others to act (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). In the
second leadership model, Northouse (2013) described Transformational leaders as influential,
motivating, innovative, and supportive of followers. Transformational Leadership emphasized
role modeling and challenging followers to increase their potential. The two leadership models
demonstrated ways nonprofit organizations build effective leadership to ensure the sustainability
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
10
of the organization through following its mission, collaboration with others, and motivating
followers. Effective leadership is needed in the nonprofit sector that has a unique role in
providing social services that are essential ranging from religion, education, human services,
foundations, health, arts & culture to environmental causes (McKeever & Pettijohn, 2014).
Several challenges affect nonprofit organizations, which in turn impacts the
organizations’ ability to enact succession planning. In the 2015 State of the Nonprofit Sector
Survey, 76% of nonprofits reported an increase in demand for services, yet only half met the
demand which left 71% of clients without any services (Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2015). The
majority of nonprofits struggled to survive with limited funding and staff to operate programs,
while the demand for services increased. Therefore, the focus for nonprofits was on short-term
goals utilizing their finite resources of time and funding on service delivery, which left limited
time for long-term planning for leadership succession. Without leadership succession planning,
nonprofits are unable to continue providing much needed social services. Nonprofits grapple
with the dilemma of trying to provide daily services to clients while at the same time, prepare the
organization for leadership succession.
Nonprofits with an effective leadership succession pipeline contributes to the
development and growth of the organization (Cornelius, Corvington & Ruesga, 2008).
Nonprofit organizations have a typical life cycle of development from the start-up phase, growth
phase, maturity phase, and either decline and dissolve or renewal phase of the organization.
Nonprofits usually begin with a single leader or small group to fulfill an unmet need in the
community (Paynter & Berner, 2014). In the start-up phase, the founder as the leader has the
passion to drive the mission and provides a service (Wright, 2013). As nonprofit organizations
move into the growth phase, organizations begin to develop formal procedures and bureaucracy
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
11
to run the expanding operations (Wright, 2013). Organizations move into the mature phase as it
gains credibility in the community and is able to run a larger, structured organization (Wright,
2013). Overtime, some nonprofits can begin to decline due to a lack of leadership capacity
building, inability to expand the organization, and increased competition from other
organizations (Carman & Nesbit, 2012). Nonprofits can be renewed by creating value for
donors to provide financial contributions, focusing on a relevant mission to endure economic
changes, and effective management of the organization’s resources (Cullom & Cullom, 2011).
Organizations require effective leadership to move forward and continue to grow and mature.
Specific to Hawaiʻi is effective minority leaders for succession. Native Hawaiian
nonprofit organizations focus on leadership capacity building of Native Hawaiian and other
minority leaders. Native Hawaiian leadership has unique characteristics from other types of
leadership. The Native Hawaiian leader has the added responsibility of improving the Lāhui or
Hawaiian community, honoring ancestor wisdom, and embodying Hawaiian cultural values in
leadership (Kaulukukui & Naho’opi’i, 2008). The context for leadership from a Native
Hawaiian perspective incorporates and honors the language, cultural practices and values.
The next few years are critical for leadership capacity building specifically for nonprofits
as organizations face transitions in leadership with baby boomers retiring and organizational
changes. Successful nonprofits are able to integrate new leadership models and embrace
diversity by working together collaboratively with various stakeholders. Nonprofits that do not
address the external and internal changes could enter the final life cycle of an organization,
which is the decline and dissolving of the organization. Nonprofits which renew themselves
through a strong succession plan can grow and thrive.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
12
Statement of the Problem
Succession planning is a crucial component to developing leaders. In succession
planning, the organization has a steady stream of prospective leaders in the pipeline who can take
on a leadership role when a position is available. Many nonprofit organizations do not have a
succession plan for the next generation to sustain the organization. In 2015, the State of the
Nonprofit Sector Survey reported that only 19% of the nonprofits had taken action for leadership
succession planning (Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2015). Similarly, the Daring to Lead 2011 study
found that 67% of executives of nonprofits were planning to leave their jobs within 5 years while
only 33% of executives felt confident that the organization’s board would be able to hire a
successor (Cornelius et al., 2011). The study revealed a critical leadership gap as executive
leaders begin to retire, but did not have in place promising, emergent leaders to fill positions.
Similarly, Hawai’i nonprofits reported experiencing a leadership gap as long time executive
directors plan to retire without a new generation of leaders to take over the organizations
(Hawai’i Community Foundation, 2014). Nonprofits are faced with a leadership crisis if
organizations do not address the upcoming leadership gap.
The challenges to the leadership gap identified a lack of motivation by potential leaders,
no formal leadership succession plan, and financial difficulties. Fink (2011) summarized the
greatest challenge was potential leaders do not aspire to higher leadership roles because of the
perceived increased workload and lack of support or training. For the next generation of leaders,
there are few incentives to take on leadership roles and limited support from the organization
with the numerous tasks of managing a nonprofit.
Another daunting barrier for potential leaders was competing for funding with other
nonprofit organizations (Osula & Ng, 2014). Nonprofits survive with money generated by grant
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
13
writing, solicitation of donations, and fees for services. New leaders in a nonprofit are learning
to manage the organization, in addition to competing for continuous funding for their staff and
programs. The added task of fundraising for donations and grant writing can further deter
potential leaders to stay in the nonprofit sector.
The majority of nonprofits did not allocate the time or money to develop a formal
succession plan for the leadership development of emerging leaders. Cornelius et al. (2011)
discovered that only 17% of organizations had a written succession plan. The majority of
executive leaders and board members did not take the time to transition and train potential
leaders in order to continue the leadership pipeline of the organization. Board members who
hired new executives were unfamiliar with the demands of the position and provided little
support in orientating new leaders (Cornelius et al., 2011). Many former executives and board
members left the new leader to decipher the position without the benefit of a plan of action and
formal supports from within the organization.
Lastly, fiscal challenges greatly impacted nonprofit organizations and hindered leadership
succession. Osula and Ng (2014) identified several fiscal challenges that included cutbacks in
funding due to the past recession and increased fiscal accountability. Nonprofits are still
recovering from the recession with less funding from the government due to budget cuts and less
funding from other foundations (Hopkins, Meyer, Shera, & Peters; 2014, Nonprofit Finance
Fund, 2015). The lack of regular funding put a strain on new leaders to fulfill the mission of
service provision and programs for people in need. The other fiscal challenge was the increase
in fiscal accountability. Osula and Ng (2014) identified the pressure for organizations to provide
measureable outcomes and track funding expenditures to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
organizations’ programs. This added layer of fiscal accountability has put a strain on new
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
14
leaders to develop fiscal systems and financial skills that the emergent leader may not possess.
These multiple financial pressure was another barrier to attracting and retaining emergent
leaders.
Hawaii nonprofits experienced parallel challenges to the leadership gap. In a statewide
meeting, nonprofit leaders reported changing funding sources, more accountability measures,
and increasing needs of the community as challenging trends in the nonprofit sector (Hawai’i
Community Foundation, 2014). Nonprofit leaders identified that potential leaders were expected
to be knowledgeable in fundraising, business skills, documenting outcomes, and managing staff
to operate the nonprofit. The long list of responsibilities hinders potential leaders from taking on
leadership positions.
Organizations that do not address the leadership gap will be left with the hard choice of
either having no identified leader or selecting a less qualified leader and hoping it will succeed in
the end. The organization’s client population suffers as the nonprofit struggles to provide stable
leadership and service provision. In the extreme case, nonprofits without a qualified, successor
leader are at risk of having the organization dissolve as part of the final stage of the nonprofit life
cycle of development. In response to the leadership gap, some nonprofit organizations have
begun to incorporate leadership capacity building and succession planning for emergent leaders
to continue the growth and stability of the organization.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to examine how a nonprofit organization utilized successful
strategies to build the future generation of leaders for the organization and community along with
the challenges that hinder building leadership capacity. The research study addressed the
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
15
leadership gap by conducting qualitative research through a case study of a Native Hawaiian
nonprofit organization with promising practices of building leadership capacity for succession.
Research Questions
The research questions were developed collectively with the dissertation thematic group
concentrating on leadership capacity building of organizations. The study addressed the
following research questions:
1. In what ways does a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders for the organization and community?
2. What are the challenges that inhibit the development and implementation of strategies
designed to build leadership capacity?
Significance of the Study
The study aims to gain a better understanding of how to develop leaders for succession.
Many nonprofit organizations are unprepared to build a leadership pipeline due to the growing
leadership gap in the nonprofit sector coupled with the lack of succession planning (Cornelius et
al., 2011; Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2015). The information gathered from the study would be of
benefit to nonprofit organizations through obtaining valuable information about promising
strategies to build leadership capacity. Due to limited resources, the majority of nonprofits do
not have the dedicated resources to evaluate and build upon their leadership practices (Hannum
et al., 2011). Nonprofit organizations could utilize the study’s findings to enhance existing
strategies to make improvements on leadership development strategies within their organization
and to begin developing a succession plan. Additionally, the study’s results can create a
community dialogue among nonprofits to discuss how to incorporate minority leadership
development in their organization.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
16
The study’s findings would be useful to policymakers to support youth leadership
development in nonprofit organizations. Policymakers can assist in providing additional funding
for community nonprofit organizations that focus on youth leadership. Hastings, Barrett,
Barbuto & Bell (2011) found that youth that were involved in the community developed
leadership skills of being responsible, becoming empowered and gaining confidence. Youth
leadership development provides a community pipeline of leaders that make a positive
contribution. Policymakers can utilize the study to encourage youth development and to
incorporate ways to involve youth leaders in community engagement.
The study’s results would be beneficial to other researchers focusing on leadership
capacity building for succession. There is limited research on minority leadership in nonprofit
organizations, especially Native Hawaiian leadership in nonprofits. There is a need for quality
research to understand minority leadership’s similarities and differences and how it influences
leadership models. The case study’s findings would add to the body of research of nonprofit
leadership in general and specifically about leadership capacity building of minority leaders
within nonprofits.
Limitations, Delimitations, Assumptions
The main limitations to the study were the time factor, volunteer participants, and
researcher bias. The first limitation was the short time frame of four months to complete the
study, which constrained the amount of data collected. Also, the time factor limited the sample
size to only eight interview participants. The second limitation was the nature of volunteer
participants. The researcher only included participants who volunteered to be a part of the study.
Other participants may have valuable knowledge of the organization but chose not to volunteer
or were unaware of the study. The final limitation was the researcher’s bias. The researcher
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
17
brings known and unknown bias that can affect the interpretation of the data in the study. The
researcher understood that bias is inevitable but put in place protocols to mitigate bias through
the triangulation of data with several sources, memos for self-reflection, and consistent feedback
from the thematic dissertation team.
The study set several delimitations based on the following criteria factors:
• Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization that has promising practices of building
leadership capacity
• Nonprofit organization that services predominately Native Hawaiian young adults
• Nonprofit organization that has guiding Native Hawaiian cultural values and practices
• Nonprofit organization based in Hawai’i
Due to the small sample size and narrow focus of a case study of one Native Hawaiian
nonprofit organization, the study did not allow for generalizability from the findings. The study
was intended to focus on one particular organization for in-depth study.
Definition of Key Terms
The following definitions are provided to assist with key terms employed throughout the
study and contributed to the understanding of frequently used words and concepts.
Collaborative Leadership is the ability to work with diverse people from the organization
and community partners to collaboratively develop solutions to the organization and community
needs.
Leadership Capacity Building is developing effective leaders through structured
leadership knowledge and skill building within a supportive learning community.
Leadership Development is a formal program or activities that enhance the skills and
abilities of emergent leaders.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
18
Leadership Pipeline is having a steady supply of the right people with leadership talent to
provide an organization with a pipeline of successor leaders.
Nonprofit Organization is an organization that focuses on a greater social good and not
for the economic benefit of one individual.
Social Enterprise is an organization that combines pursuing social impact and profit-
making strategies.
Succession Planning is a systematic process of identifying, developing and retaining
emergent leaders to fill key leadership positions within an organization.
Organization of the Study
The study examined a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization’s promising leadership
practices to ensure the succession of the next generation of leaders. Chapter 1 presented an
overview of the study, statement of the problem and the study’s significance. Chapter 2 provides
a review of the literature focusing on leadership models, history of nonprofits and Native
Hawaiian leadership, characteristics of effective leadership, and challenges to effective
leadership. Chapter 3 discusses the research methodology utilizing a qualitative case study of a
nonprofit organization. Chapter 4 presents the findings based on the data collected through
interviews, observations, and artifacts. Chapter 5 concludes with implications from the findings
and recommendations for future study.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
19
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Overview
Leadership capacity building is important to growing emergent leaders within the
organization. A majority of nonprofits are unprepared for developing emergent leaders for
succession. Chapter 1 described the leadership gap, introduced the study and underlined the
importance of leadership development for nonprofit organizations to support emergent leaders.
Chapter 2 examines details of the historical context of nonprofits and Native Hawaiian
leadership. The chapter includes the theoretical framework of Kouzes and Posner’s The Five
Practices of Exemplary Leadership Model and Transformational Leadership. The next section
describes effective leadership in nonprofit organizations, and the last section examines the
challenges of effective leadership in nonprofit organizations.
Leadership Historical Context
The historical context provides background information of the key concepts related to
nonprofit and Native Hawaiian leadership. The first section describes the history of nonprofits,
structure of nonprofits and key stakeholders involved in the organization. The following section
discusses Native Hawaiian context and leadership.
Nonprofit History
Different generations impacted the progression of leadership in nonprofits. In the 1980s,
the influx of Baby Boomers in the workforce filled a multitude of leadership positions in the
nonprofit sector (Tierney, 2006; Toossi, 2013). During that time, nonprofit organizations grew
with increased government funding, private donations, and a large pool of Baby Boomer leaders.
Subsequently as Baby Boomers retire, they will leave a large gap in the workforce. The United
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
20
States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted in the coming years that the Baby Boomer generation
would begin to retire and leave the labor force in large numbers (Toossi, 2013). There are fewer
qualified leaders in the following generations to assume leadership positions left by Baby
Boomers, which researchers predict will result in a leadership gap (Cornelius et al., 2011; Toossi,
2013; Tierney, 2006). Several authors have shown the urgency of the leadership gap particularly
in the nonprofit sector.
Tierney was one of the first authors to highlight the leadership deficit in the nonprofit
sector. Tierney (2006) found that a majority of nonprofit leaders were planning to retire without
a successor to take over the organization. In the Daring to Lead 2006 study, Bell, Moyer and
Wolfred (2006) highlighted the transitioning out of leaders in nonprofits. The report was from a
National study of Executive Directors examining leadership practices of almost 2,000 EDs from
different States. The report revealed that 75% of Directors plan to leave their position within
five years (Bell et al., 2006). In addition, as the Baby Boomers began retirement planning, the
next generation of leaders had different work viewpoints on leadership based on the increase of
multiethnic leaders and an expectation of higher compensation (Bell et al., 2006). In the
following five years, the Daring to Lead 2011 study found similar results that nonprofit
organizations continued to be unprepared for the leadership gap (Cornelius et al., 2011). The
updated 2011 National study expanded to 3,000 Directors and found that 67% of Directors plan
to leave within 5 years (Cornelius et al., 2011). Cornelius et al. (2011) posited that the lower rate
of departure was due to the impact of the recession on retirement savings and lack of a trained
and competent successor. These studies recommend a to call to action for nonprofits by
identifying and developing the next generation of leaders to take over Directors’ leadership
positions (Bell et al., 2006; Tierney, 2006; Cornelius et al., 2011). The urgency for leadership
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
21
succession in the nonprofit sector behooves steps be taken to build leadership capacity from
within organizations. Yet, external conditions have hindered the ability of nonprofits to focus on
succession planning.
One of the largest barriers to succession planning was the recent recession. The United
States recession between 2007-2009 had an adverse impact on nonprofits (Cornelius et al., 2011;
Hopkins et al., 2014; Salamon, Sokolowski, & Geller, 2011). Cornelius et al. (2011) observed
that 84% of Directors reported the recession negatively impacted their organization. The
economic downturn forced many nonprofits to change the way they previously operated due to
large cuts in government funding, decreased donations and volunteers, and an increased need for
services in the community (Francis & Talansky, 2012; Hopkins et al., 2014; Nonprofit Finance
Fund, 2015). Since the recession, nonprofits have continued to provide the same services but
with a limited budget and less resources. The Nonprofit Finance Fund’s (2015) State of the
Nonprofit Sector survey found that 53% of nonprofits reported that their organization had three-
month or less cash reserves, which placed additional stress on Directors to maintain the
organization. Nonprofits continued to recover and adapted to the changes as a result of the
recession. The future financial stability of nonprofits calls for effective leadership and resource
management.
Nonprofit Structure and Leadership
Nonprofit organizations have a structure based on a life cycle of development from the
start-up phase, growth phase, maturity phase, and finally some organizations can either dissolve
or be renewed through new leadership. The majority of nonprofits begin with a Founder who
has the passion and creates the mission for the organization (Carman & Nesbit, 2012; Wright,
2013). The start-up phase of a nonprofit begins by meeting a need in the community by the
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
22
Founder and usually a small volunteer staff (Carman & Nesbit, 2012). In the growth or
adolescent phase, the organization starts to grow and become more structured by initiating
hierarchy system and formal procedures to manage the expanding organization (Wright, 2013).
In the mature phase, nonprofits have programs well established in the community, manage a
large staff, and require greater accountability (Cullom & Cullom, 2011). This stage is when the
“Founder’s Syndrome or Dilemma” may occur because the Founder holds a lot of the power but
is unable or unwilling to relinquish power over to others to manage and sustain the organization
for the future (Paynter & Berner, 2014; Ricke-Kiely & McMerty-Brummer, 2012). The Founder
is crucial to the initial start-up and visioning of the organization. As the organization matures
and expands, the Founder of the nonprofit can either assist or hinder the succession plan for the
organization. Petrescu (2013) reported that Founders have difficulty relinquishing their position
and selecting a successor to carry on the organization without them. In order for the organization
to grow, leadership shifts as the needs of the organization become more important than the needs
of the Founder. In the final phase, the organization either deteriorates and dissolves or renews
itself by refocusing on the mission and managing the organization’s resources effectively
(Cullom & Cullom, 2011; Wright, 2013). As the organization matures and renews itself, a new
generation of leadership helps to revive the organization with innovative ways of providing
services and allocating resources. The life cycle of development of nonprofits provides a
structure to understand nonprofits’ growth and progression. The leadership changes within the
nonprofit’s developmental phases are essential to the perpetuity of the organization.
Several stakeholders are directly affected by the structure of the nonprofit organization.
The Executive Director of a nonprofit is the leader of the organization and is responsible for the
daily functions and programs along with fulfilling the mission (Paynter & Berner, 2014). The
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
23
Director’s role includes managing and coordinating staff and volunteers, service delivery,
budgeting, and accountability of resources. Moreover, the Director leads the staff towards the
vision of the organization. Another key stakeholder is staff who are integral to the operations of
a nonprofit organization. Staff provide the direct services for the programs or administrative
support (McKeever & Pettijohn, 2014). Smaller nonprofit organizations have a limited paid or
volunteer staff. Staff play a significant role in a small nonprofit with a limited budget since they
provide the manpower to facilitate the programs and maintenance of the organization. Lastly,
funders and donors provide financial contributions to programs and services of the organization.
Funding sources range from government funding to individual private donations. Funders are
needed due to service provisions usually being free to the people that they service. Nonprofits
attract and retain funders and donors to generate enough income so that the organization can
operate programs (Hannum et al., 2011). In addition, many nonprofits received funding from
government grants or private foundations that had certain accountability measures in place for
reporting back to the different funding agencies (Lu, 2015). Funders and donors are the financial
lifeline for the nonprofit to provide needed social services to the community. The leader bridges
each stakeholder to fulfill a role within the organization for its continued success. In addition to
understanding nonprofit leadership, Native Hawaiian leadership begins with understanding the
historical context.
Native Hawaiians and Leadership
The historical context of Native Hawaiian Leadership and values are essential to
understanding this minority population and organization. The study focused on a Native
Hawaiian nonprofit that works predominately with Native Hawaiian young adults. This section
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
24
will specifically explore Native Hawaiian historical events that relate to Hawaiian leadership and
describe Hawaiian cultural values and practices of leadership.
Native Hawaiian Historical Context
Native Hawaiians have a long history of colonization from the first Western contact in
1778 to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 (Kaulukukui & Nahoʻopiʻi, 2008;
Liliʻuokalani, 1991; Osorio, 2002). Colonization brought new influences to land tenure,
immigration, political power, and cultures. Past historical and cultural events led to Native
Hawaiians becoming nationless in their own homeland. Osorio (2002) depicted colonization as a
gradual and pervasive break down of the social, cultural and political components of Hawaiians
way of life. The effects of colonization and past historical trauma persist as illustrated by Native
Hawaiians continued high rates of homelessness, poverty, incarceration, child abuse and neglect,
suicide, obesity, and drug use, when compared to other ethnicities in the State of Hawai’i
(Kamehameha Schools, 2014). These barriers become overwhelming with Native Hawaiians at
the low end of health and well-being.
Several events in the 1970s began to strengthen and build Native Hawaiian leaders within
the Hawaiian community. Native Hawaiians saw a resurgence of ethnic pride and culture called
the “Hawaiian Renaissance” (Kanahele, 1982). The term Renaissance was a parallel to the
European Renaissance that focused on a rebirth of the arts, creativity, and culture (Kanahele,
1982). Three key events shaped the beginning of the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s and
continue to progress today.
One fundamental event was the building and voyaging of the Hokuleʻa, a traditional
Hawaiian canoe. The Hokuleʻa represented a rebirth of Hawaiian’s pride in their ability to use
ancient techniques of star and ocean navigation to sail from Hawai’i to Tahiti (Polynesian
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Voyaging Society [PVS], 2015). Native Hawaiian leaders were able to demonstrate their re-
acquired skills by honoring ancient Hawaiian practices and demonstrated that ancestor wisdom
was valid and relevant to society today. Beginning in 2013, the Hokuleʻa is on a Mālama Honua
Worldwide Voyage to promote bringing people together for a sustainable future (PVS, 2015).
Through this process of training and sailing on the Hokuleʻa, Hawaiian leaders emerged from the
community.
Another significant event was when a group of young Hawaiians advocated for stopping
the bombing of Kahoʻolawe Island by the United States military through protest and political
advocacy (Protect Kahoʻolawe ‘Ohana, 2015). The concept of “aloha ‘aina” or love and care for
the land was the driving force behind saving Kahoʻolawe. The group of young Hawaiians
leaders went up against the United States and won the case to return the land to the people. This
movement showed that Native Hawaiian leaders when working together fought against powerful
forces for the good of the Hawaiian community. The concept of aloha ‘aina is perpetuated in
Native Hawaiian organizations and a core value for Hawaiian leaders (Trinidad, 2014).
The Hawaiian language revitalization was another turning point in Hawai’i’s history. In
1896, the Hawaiian language was banned in schools, and an English only policy was instituted
(Fields, 2013). Without the language, the culture could not thrive as Hawai’i became more
westernized. Namahoe and Barcarse (2007) reported in 1983 that there were less then 30 Native
Hawaiian speakers under 18 years old which led to Native Hawaiians advocating for ‘Aha
Pūnana Leo, Hawaiian immersion preschools to preserve the language. Since then, ‘Aha Pūnana
Leo has grown to 12 preschools with over 3,000 students enrolled since 1985 (Namahoe &
Barcarse, 2007). The valuing of the Hawaiian language helped revitalize the Hawaiian culture
and build Hawaiian Leadership for the future.
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Hawaiian Leadership Values and Practices
Many characteristics of leadership are universal regardless of race, gender or social-
economic background, but there are several Hawaiian Leadership characteristics and principles
that are specific to culture and place. Kaulukukui and Naho’opi’i (2008) determined distinct
Hawaiian Leadership characteristic. The first was an understanding of core cultural values such
as aloha or love and ‘ohana or family relationships. The second was acknowledging and asking
for ancestors’ wisdom. The third was active participation in Hawaiian cultural practices. The
last was a commitment to the betterment of the Lāhui, Hawaiian community. In Educational
Leadership, Benham and Murakami-Ramalho (2010) developed indigenous leadership principles
that include spirituality, relationships, sense of place and collectivism, which are similar to
Kaulukukui and Naho’opi’i’s Hawaiian Leadership characteristics. These Leadership
characteristics and principles are in alignment with Native Hawaiian values and practices.
Native Hawaiian leaders are a part of the larger trend of increasing minority leaders in nonprofit
organizations.
Minority leadership has grown with multiethnic emergent leaders in nonprofit
organizations (Bell et al., 2006). Phinney and Ong (2007) asserted that ethnic identity was
important to developing a sense of self through being an accepted member of a specific cultural
group. Understanding ethnic identity presented the study with a lens to see the strengths of
minority leadership and specifically Native Hawaiian leadership.
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework provided the foundation for the study on leadership capacity
building. The study proposed two models of leadership, which consisted of the Five Practices of
Exemplary Leadership Model and Transformational Leadership. Both Leadership models
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
27
described the essential characteristics and behaviors necessary to become an effective leader in
an organization.
The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership Model
The Five Practice of Exemplary Leadership Model presented five practices for effective
leadership that can be learned and emulated to improve the skills of nonprofit leaders. Kouzes
and Posner (2012) developed the Model after interviewing and examining multiple leaders from
different types of organizations. The first characteristic of a leader was being able to inspire a
shared vision. The leader must first know their personal values and inspire others to follow the
vision. The second characteristic was to model the way. The leader demonstrated the values and
principles through the leader’s behavior that others can follow. The third characteristic was to
enable others to act by knowing team members’ strengths and how to empower them to make
decisions while following the vision. The fourth characteristic was to challenge the process.
The leader supported people to not be afraid of innovation and risk taking to improve the
organization. The fifth characteristic was for the leader to encourage the heart. The leader
celebrated people’s accomplishments and the team reaped the rewards from their efforts. The
study focused on three characteristics of leadership, which include inspire a shared vision, model
the way, and enable others to act. These three practices were highlighted because they most
closely align with Transformational Leadership which is the other leadership model examined.
The Five Practices represented universal leadership qualities and behaviors for exemplary
leadership. Kouzes and Posner (2012) found that leaders who demonstrated more of the Five
Practices were more likely to be effective leaders for the organization. Leaders are not born with
innate qualitative so anyone can learn to incorporate these leadership practices and behaviors to
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
28
become better leaders within their organization. The second leadership model from the
Theoretical Framework was Transformational Leadership.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational Leadership was another model that nonprofit leadership utilized when
striving towards becoming a more effective leader. Northouse (2013) described the continuum
of leadership with Transformational Leadership at the top end of the spectrum, Transactional
Leadership in the middle, and Laissez-Faire Leadership at the low end. Osula and Ng (2014)
defined the four factors of Transformational Leadership as idealized influence, inspirational
motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. Idealized Influence
described a leader as a role model to followers who want to emulate them because of the strong
morals and vision of the leader. The Inspirational Motivation described a leader motivating
followers through high expectations and emotional persuasion to work together toward the
common vision. Intellectual Stimulation described a leader who encouraged followers to be
innovative in solving problems within the organization. Individualized Consideration described
a leader who created a culture of support where followers grew to their highest potential. The
four factors were guidelines nonprofit leaders pursued to reach the highest level of
Transformational Leadership.
Many articles have been written about Transformational Leadership being positively
related to followers’ satisfaction, motivation, and performance (Northouse, 2013; Guay, 2013;
Wang, Oh, Courtright, & Colbert, 2011). Wang et al. (2011) found in their meta-analysis study
that transformational leadership was positively related to followers’ job performance specifically
motivating followers to go beyond minimum job responsibilities. Transformational leaders
encouraged followers to do what was needed to achieve the shared vision. Additionally, leaders
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
29
who believe they possessed the necessary leadership knowledge and skills were more likely to
exhibit transformational behaviors of motivating others toward a common vision, role modeling
values, encouraging innovation and supporting growth in others (Guay, 2013). Transformational
leaders are motivated and equipped to effectively lead followers.
Transformational leaders are shaped by a combination of personal characteristics, the
environment and life experiences (Guay, 2013; Sosik & Cameron, 2010). Sosik and Cameron
(2010) identified six universal character strengths and virtues associated with Transformational
leaders which include wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence.
Transformational leaders demonstrate these virtues by utilizing knowledge, striving to achieve
the vision despite adversity, embodying compassion, seeking the greater good, leading with
humility and providing meaning for others to follow. Transformation Leadership is the ideal
framework for nonprofit leadership because it focuses on inspiring others to follow the mission
for the greater good through role modeling values and elevating the capacity of followers who
will become potential leaders in nonprofits.
The two models of leadership described the leadership qualities and behaviors of an
effective leader. The leadership qualities emphasized a leader with a vision that people want to
follow. The leader understood the strengths of the followers and encouraged innovation while
rewarding successes. The process of leadership becomes collaborative in nature as everyone
worked together to accomplish the mission of the organization. With the different aged
generations and diversity of people working together, the two models provide a framework for
developing a leadership pipeline of exemplary, potential leaders. Effective leadership is needed
to ensure the future sustainability of nonprofit organizations.
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Characteristics of Effective Leadership for Succession
Effective leadership was the greatest predictor of a strong organization (Cornelinus,
Corvington & Ruesga, 2008; Wang et al., 2011). Wang et. al. (2011) results showed that team
and organization performance was strongly related to Transformational leadership. Effective
leadership fosters collaboration, collective identity and commitment to the vision for the
productivity of the organization.
Several characteristics of effective leaders in nonprofits include communicating a
collective vision, modeling integrity and collaborating with others. Successful nonprofits have
leaders that display charismatic qualities that motivate others around a shared vision through
building trust and embodying the values of the organization (Mason, 2004; Kouzes & Posner,
2012). An effective leader understands the vision of the organization and is able to clearly
articulate and motivate others to embrace the vision.
Effective leaders model the values and demonstrates the integrity of the leader. Gini and
Green (2014) identified the character of a leader, comprising of personality traits and lived moral
values as essential to effective leadership. Transformational leadership exemplifies this
characteristic of integrity through leaders practicing personal values and morals for the
betterment of others and not for personal gain (Sosik & Cameron, 2010). The effective leader
holds themselves to a higher purpose that benefits others and the vision of the organization.
Effective leaders incorporate collaboration between the leader, followers and partners in
the community. Traditional leadership style has one leader directing workers of an organization
in a hierarchal system (Hannum et al., 2011). In general, the trend in organizations is to move to
a more collaborative and shared leadership style. Collaborative leadership incorporates many
people working together with diverse people within the organization and possibly other
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
31
community partners to develop solutions to problems (Hopkins et al., 2014, Osula & Ng, 2014).
Nonprofits are looking at a team approach to leadership rather than an authoritarian leadership
style (Hannum et al., 2011). Collaborative leadership helps the organizations accomplish the
mission by having everyone share leadership roles and responsibilities.
Nonprofit organizations build leadership succession through identify potential talent, then
developing effective leadership skills and knowledge, and utilizing mentoring and supportive
networking to retain emergent leaders. Sustainable nonprofits intentionally focused on
identifying, developing and retaining emergent leaders that demonstrate effective leadership
characteristics.
Identifying and Developing Emergent Leaders for Succession
Talent Identification. Leaders within the organization initially identified emergent
leaders for succession. Bjorkman, Ehrnrooth, Makela, Smale, and Sumelius, J. (2013) reported
that talent identification was largely based on a positive review of work performance that alerted
leadership to a person’s potential. The emergent leaders that stood out had a history of
exemplary work. Once staff were tapped as emergent leaders, their attitudes and behaviors
changed as a result of this classification. By being identified as promising leaders, staff attitudes
reflected a commitment to increased work demands, building competency skills, and supporting
the organization’s strategies (Bjorkman et al., 2013). Emergent leaders demonstrated their
leadership potential through their work, building their skills and aligning with the organization’s
goals.
Stretch assignments. Emergent leaders were given additional responsibilities to develop
their skills. Organizations utilized stretching assignments to assess and develop recently
identified leaders. Stretching assignments encouraged promising leaders to challenge themselves
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
32
with a new project that used different skill sets in order to grow (Fernández-Aráoz, 2012). The
best stretch assignments were short-term projects, enough of a challenge with a high rate for
success, and involved working collaboratively with other diverse people (Fernández-Aráoz,
2012). Promising leaders who succeeded in stretch assignment were targeted for leadership
succession in organizations. Once emergent leaders were identified, the organization continued
to develop leaders to stay and contribute to the organization through learning leadership skills
and knowledge.
Development of Leadership Skills and Knowledge
Effective leadership provided opportunities for emergent leaders to acquire leadership
skills and knowledge. Day (2010) advocated for developing expertise and practicing leadership
skills through on the job experiential learning. The process of learning leadership skills and
knowledge was deliberately practiced to ensure that the person had the opportunity to learn and
grow as a leader. Leadership development was most effective by incorporating different levels
of people in the organization so that a pool of emergent leaders was identified and nurtured
throughout the organization.
The main goal of leadership development was growing emergent leaders within the
organization. Collings (2014) described talent management as the development and management
of high achieving, potential leaders that have a vital role in the organization. The best way to
mange talent within the organization was to align the organizations goals and the potential
employees interest so that it was beneficial to both parties. The Ready to Lead study reported
that emergent leaders were willing to stay with a nonprofit because of the promise of their work
leading to social change (Cornelius et al., 2008). The organization developed and in turn
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
33
retained emergent leaders by connecting the organization’s mission to making personal,
meaningful impact for the betterment of society.
Several leadership development programs provide a template for training emergent
leaders. Deaton et al. (2013) provide an example of a successful leadership development
program through tracking a cohort leadership program called the Emerging Nonprofit Leaders
program in Virginia for four years. The leaders participated in seminars, discussion groups, team
building, coaching, leadership assessment and individual consultations within an 8-month period
and followed their progress several years later. The program was most effective in leaders
learning their strength and weaknesses, building relationships among peers, and understanding
different leadership styles (Deaton et al., 2013). In a follow-up survey, the gains made right after
completing the program were almost similar three years later. The important aspects of the
program were the peer relationships, developing self-awareness and reflection skills, and
learning from senior leaders’ experiences. Emergent leaders developed key leadership skills of
interpersonal relationship building and self-reflection through leadership development programs.
Locally, there are several free leadership programs for nonprofit leaders. One leadership
program is the Omidyar Fellows program “based on global best practices in leadership
development and a curriculum that’s been customized for emerging leaders in Hawaii” (Omidyar
Fellows, 2016, n.p.). Omidyar Fellows (2016) select a small cohort from an application pool of
Hawaiʻi leaders from all over the State. The program meets once a month with additional
intensive weekends for 15 months and consisted of mentoring, workshops, discussions, and
excursions (Omidyar Fellows, 2016).
Another leadership program is the Hawaiʻi Asia-Pacific Affairs Leadership Program
through the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The leadership program
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34
targets students and young professionals to participate in a nine-month, peer-centered learning
experience (CSIS, 2016). The program builds leadership capacity, teaches participants about
issues in the Asian-Pacific region, and develops a network of colleagues (CSIS, 2016). The two
leadership programs provide similar frameworks of effective leadership development programs
that offer an opportunity for emergent leaders to be trained within the nonprofit sector. Both
programs emphasize mentoring, peer support, and learning leadership skills and knowledge that
the emergent leader can practice in their organization.
Mentoring and Peer Networking
Effective leadership incorporated mentoring and peer networking to retain emergent
leaders in the leadership pipeline.
Mentoring. Effective leadership within an organization utilized mentoring to support
professional and personal growth (Chun, Sosik, & Yun, 2012; Reeves, 2010). Mentoring is
defined as a mutual relationship between a senior worker and a protégé for growth and
professional advancement (Chun et al., 2012). Mentoring and role modeling were included in
the leadership models as one of the most important components between the leader and
followers.
Chun et al. (2012) defined the three main roles of a mentor as career support,
psychosocial support, and role modeling. Career support was providing challenging
assignments, exposure to career advancement, and protecting against negative outcomes.
Psychosocial support was developing a friendship through sharing about personal triumphs and
problems. Role modeling was demonstrating the values of the mentor that are emulated by the
mentee. A successful mentor relationship incorporated these different roles to assist a potential
leader in learning effective leadership characteristics from a seasoned leader.
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35
A qualitative study of high achieving women’s pathway to leadership found that
mentoring was a critical factor with benefits and challenges (Tolar, 2012). The benefits of a
mentor included role modeling, counselor, coach, and door opener. The challenges to mentoring
were finding the right fit between the two and scheduling the necessary time to build the
relationship (Tolar, 2012). Mentoring provided a way for potential leaders to develop leadership
skills and build a support system with their mentor with the understanding of the investment in
the pairing relationship in order for it to be successful for both parties.
Peer support/networking. Another component to effective leadership was recognizing
the importance of peer support and networking for leaders in a nonprofit. Peer support and
networking is regular contact with peers in the field for resources and encouragement through
sharing personal and professional challenges and successes (Cornelius et al., 2011). The power
of peer support and networking was the realization that there are other people in the nonprofit
sector that can provide support and encouragement because they understand the demands of the
leadership position. Leadership development that incorporated peer-to-peer support across
organizations assisted with this type of isolation and prevented burn out of leaders (Cornelius et
al., 2011.).
The importance of peer relationship was highlighted in a study with participants from
Strengthening Community Funds project in Florida that provided support to small nonprofit
organizations (Kapucu & Dimiroz, 2015). The study found that past collaborations and trusting
friendships was key to current collaborations between nonprofit leaders. Organizations that built
upon existing relationships continued to work and support each other to alleviate the stress of a
leadership position.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
36
Also, leaders joined associations for professional networking. Networking enhanced the
profession and combined resources to build leadership capacity that may not be possible on a
smaller scale. The National Council of Nonprofits and Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofits
Organizations (HANO) were a few professional associations based in Hawaiʻi that provided
trainings and information to nonprofits that may not be otherwise available to a nonprofit
(HANO, 2015). The association offered workshops on a variety of topics, nonprofit
management services, and resources in the community. Ibarra (2015) expanded the concept of
networking in Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader as being critical to not only professional
advancement but also to becoming a better leader through developing a broad and diverse
network to generate new opportunities and avoid groupthink. In addition to peer support,
networking offered the ability for nonprofits leaders to pull together to expand their impact on
the communities they serve. Leaders with support from peers internally and externally from the
organization were more likely to commit to remaining with the organization.
Challenges to Leadership Succession
There are multiple challenges to leadership succession in nonprofits. A prominent
challenge was the difficulties in motivating emergent leaders to fill leadership positions (Fink,
2011; Hannum et al., 2011; Tierney, 2006;). Another challenge was fiscal issues of a nonprofit
based on varied funding sources and low compensation (Callanan, Gardner, Mendonca, & Scott,
2014; Cornelius et al., 2008; Osula & Ng, 2014). A third challenge was a lack of succession
planning by the organization (Cornelius et al., 2011; Tierney, 2006; Wright, 2013). The final
challenge was supporting a healthy work-life balance (Cornelius et. al., 2011 & Fink, 2011).
These challenges hinder the organization from developing and retaining potential leaders to
become successor leaders.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
37
Motivation of Emerging Leaders
A challenge for nonprofits was that emerging leaders were not motivated to fill
leadership positions in the nonprofit sector. Leadership positions were viewed as not worth the
time and energy due to juggling multiple roles with little compensation and lack of support from
the organization (Cornelius et al., 2008; Fink, 2011; Tierney, 2006). The leader was expected to
operate the organization, fundraise, and manage the staff. The multiple roles of the leader and
lack of organizational support made it difficult to attract potential leaders to nonprofits.
Nonprofits attracted and retained young leaders by understanding generational
differences. The younger generation tended to be more interested in the “cause” rather than the
specific organization (Cornelius et al., 2008; Hannum et al., 2011). Young leaders sought
employment where opportunities arose to make an impact rather than remain loyal to one
particular organization. Hannum et al. (2011) found that emergent leaders wanted a work
environment that allowed for innovation and development of opportunities. Emergent leaders
were more likely to stay in an organization if they felt they could make a meaningful impact.
Hannum et al. (2011) posited organizations that created a culture of risk taking and innovation
through hands on learning from successes and failures attracted more emergent leaders.
Nonprofits that built upon emergent leaders’ strengths and needs motivated them to stay and
become leaders.
Fiscal Challenges
Funding issues and low compensation are barriers to effective leadership. Beginning
with the recession in the late 2000s, nonprofits continued to face decreases in funding and
competition from other nonprofits for funding sources (Osula & Ng, 2014). Additionally,
Executive Directors are required to spend a large amount of time fundraising along with their
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
38
other responsibilities (Tierney, 2006). Emergent leaders were tasked with the additional burden
of fundraising and grant writing, while still learning how to manage the daily operations of the
organization. Emergent leaders were also expected to be financial managers with little to no
training. The fiscal responsibility was daunting for new leaders, which deterred them from even
applying for a leadership position. Cornelius et al. (2011) recommend that Directors and Board
Members be trained in financial management to alleviate the stress and lack of knowledge and
skills in this area. Organizations attracted potential leaders by providing the training and support
to be competent in all aspects of the leadership position.
Furthermore, emergent leaders expected better financial benefits to remain in a nonprofit.
Cornelius et al. (2008) reported that emergent leaders were deterred by the lack of retirement and
salary benefits of leaders in nonprofits. Emergent leaders were looking to start a family and
purchase a home yet the salary compensation was not adequate to attain these goals. The fiscal
challenges deterred potential leader from the nonprofit sector to look for more promising jobs
that have adequate financial benefits based on their high level of education and talents.
Nonprofits with limited funding focused the budget on first supporting programs and
were left with little to no funding designated for leadership development (Callanan et. al., 2014).
Many nonprofits are trying to survive and operate the organization which leaves virtually no time
or resources for leadership development. Additionally, leadership development is a long-term
commitment that is not easy to receive funding for by donors or the Board (Francis & Talansky,
2012). The upfront cost of succession planning in the present affects the long-term sustainability
of the organization with successor leaders in the future. Nonprofit leaders and Boards that
provided the funding and time resources for leadership development prepared the organization
for leadership succession planning.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
39
Lack of Succession Planning
Tierney (2006) advocated for leadership development and succession planning in the
nonprofit sector as a way to address the leadership deficit. Cornelius et al. (2011) found that the
majority of nonprofits do not have a succession plan and shifted the responsibility of succession
planning to each other so no one was directly responsible for the implementing of the plan. Many
Directors were already overburdened with their daily workload and succession planning became
low on the list of priorities. The result was that the majority of nonprofits have no plan or
possible successor in place when the time comes for the Director to leave the organization.
Additionally, the process of succession brought stress and conflict to organizations with
both the Director and Board having different ideas about potential, successor leaders (Wright,
2013). Each person had different ideas of what was needed in a potential, successor leader.
Therefore, the most effective succession plan included both the Board and Director working
together to support the plan (Hannum et al., 2011). The Director’s role identified and groomed
the emergent leader, while the Board’s role supported the emergent leader during the transition
period, especially after the Director leaves.
Moreover, nonprofits had to contend with the positives and negatives of hiring inside or
outside of the organization for succession. Gothard and Autstin (2013) described succession as
hiring from inside an organization through either being selected or through a competitive process
or hiring from outside the organization or when the organization brings back a former Director
(Gothard & Austin, 2013). The positives of hiring a person from inside is that the person already
has knowledge about the organization and staff. Whereas an outsider brings new skills and new
ideas to the organization that can reinvigorate the nonprofit. Whatever decision the organization
makes; the transition period is crucial to the success of the turnover. The training process
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
40
worked best when there was overlap between the old and new Director but waiting too long had
a negative effect because the outgoing Director hindered the transition process (Gothard &
Austin, 2013). Succession is a delicate process with many emotions from all stakeholders. A
majority of nonprofits do not have a succession plan in place, but several authors advocated for
succession planning to sustain the organization for the long-term future.
Work-Life Balance
The final challenge was finding the balance between professional and personal life for
leaders. Cornelius et al. (2008) reported that emergent leaders were dissuaded by watching
Directors struggle with balancing work and life especially for young leaders who wanted to start
a family. Emergent leaders observed nonprofit leaders’ poor work-life balance as a major
challenge to assuming leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Some nonprofits are utilizing technology was a way to enhance work-life balance.
Technology has changed the landscape of the nonprofit sector through increasing emergent
leaders’ creativity and work mobility. The next generation of leaders’ view technology as
interconnected with work and life (Hopkins et al., 2014). Some nonprofits embraced the
positives of technology to create new ways to manage their time and to make an impactful
change in their community. Technology saved nonprofits’ limited resources by creating low cost
ways to increase social awareness towards the mission, promote services to a broader audience
and attract diverse funders (Hopkins et al., 2014). The benefits of technology allowed emergent
leaders to be flexible with their time and resources. There are significant challenges to
leadership succession in nonprofit organizations, but some nonprofits have found creative ways
to identify, develop and retain emergent leaders to carry out the mission of the organization.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
41
Summary
Chapter 2 provided the literature review of nonprofit organizations and Native Hawaiian
leadership. The study was grounded in the theoretical framework of The Five Practices of
Exemplary Leadership Model and Transformational Leadership. The chapter presented the
characteristics of effective leadership and challenges to leadership succession. Chapter 3
describes the organization of study, and the methodology used for the qualitative research of a
Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization’s leadership practices.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
42
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of the study was to examine promising practices of leadership capacity
building for succession within a nonprofit organization and community. The study focused on a
case study of a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization to understand how the organization
builds long-term sustainability of their organization through developing emergent leaders.
Chapter 2 presented the literature review of the nonprofit sector, Native Hawaiian leadership,
and exemplary leadership models. Chapter 3 discusses the methodology utilized for the study.
In this chapter, the researcher describes the qualitative research design, sampling
techniques, data collection through interviews, observations, and artifacts, and data analysis
using Creswell’s model to answer the two research questions. Chapter 3 reviews the theoretical
framework and displays a visual image of the conceptual framework to organize the concepts of
the study. Lastly, the chapter presents the ethical consideration by describing the IRB process
and confidentiality of the participants in the study.
Research Questions
The study sought to understand the strategies utilized by a nonprofit Native Hawaiian
organization with promising leadership practices. The research questions were developed in
collaboration with the thematic dissertation group to address the following questions:
1. In what ways does a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders for the organization and community?
2. What are the challenges that inhibit the development and implementation of strategies
designed to build leadership capacity?
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43
Research Design
The research design was guided by answering the two research questions. For the
research design, the study applied qualitative research methods of a case study for data collection
and analysis. Merriam (2009) described qualitative research methods as providing rich, thick
descriptions to understand and make meaning of an experience. Qualitative research allowed the
researcher to understand the thoughts and behaviors of the participants through words and
pictures, which cannot be gained through quantitative methods. Merriam (2009) further
characterized qualitative research as the researcher being the primary instrument for data
collection and analysis of the data based upon first hand experience with the participants.
Creswell (2014) defined a case study as an in-depth analysis of a single unit using a variety of
data sources. This case study focused on a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization. The study
employed three different data sources, which were interviews, observations, and artifacts.
Interviews were a primary data source because the interview process allowed the
researcher to examine the participant’s thoughts and experiences face to face. Weiss (1994)
described it as understanding “people’s interior experiences” (p. 1). The interview was crafted to
dig deep into the participant’s understanding of their world. The researcher also observed the
non-verbal as well as the verbal responses in the interview to gain another layer of data.
Observations were another source of data used in the study. Bogdan and Biklen (2007)
explained that observations are when the researcher spends time with the participant in their
natural environment to see the participant’s behaviors and interactions. Observations gave the
researcher additional insight into the participant’s world by seeing them in their work
environment. Observations allowed the researcher to witness the behaviors of the participant as
it happens (Merriam, 2009). The interview was the participant’s thoughts and perception of
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44
events, while the observation was the first hand experience witnessed by the researcher.
Observations allowed the researcher to compare the responses from the participant’s interview
with what was actually observed to triangulate the data.
The third data source was analysis of artifacts such as policies and procedures, brochures,
and agendas from meetings. Creswell (2014) found the advantages to collecting artifacts was
that it was time convenient for the researcher to access the written documents of the participants.
The artifacts were collected from the website and from the administration to obtain internal
documents related to leadership development.
The three data sources provided a rigorous way to collect and make meaning of the data
in order to answer the research questions through triangulation of the data. Merriam (2009)
defined triangulation as utilizing multiple sources of data or measurements to increase credibility
and trustworthiness. The interviews obtained the participants’ thoughts and feelings, and the
observations captured first hand behaviors of the participants in a natural setting. The various
artifacts from the organization provided a third layer for data collection. The three data sources
together provided a rich picture of the organization’s leadership practices.
Sample and Population
The participants were selected based on snowball and convenience sampling. Snowball
sampling was based on initially selecting a participant for the study who then referred others to
the study (Maxwell, 2013). The researcher began with the Social Enterprise Director who
recruited two other core staff and they in kind recruited others for the study based on the criteria
of interviewing different leaders within the organization.
Additionally, the researcher used convenience sampling determined by time, location and
availability of participants (Merriam, 2009). The benefit of utilizing snowball and convenience
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
45
sampling was the ease in making contact and gaining participants’ permission to conduct the
interviews, observations, and obtain artifacts. The disadvantage of utilizing snowball and
convenience sampling was less credibility because the participants in the study may not represent
the organization as a whole. The research made every effort to sample from a variety of different
leaders and positions within the organization.
A participation letter was sent to participants at various levels of leadership in the
organization (see Appendix A). Based on the sampling population, 8 voluntary participants were
designated to complete the interviews. The researcher conducted an average of 50-minute long
interviews with each participant. In addition, the researcher conducted three observations of
meetings and field visits. The researcher also collected several artifacts from the organization
and participants during the interviews and observations. Examples of artifacts gathered include
the organization’s training materials, brochure, and review of its website.
Overview of the Nonprofit Organization
The Farm is a nonprofit, organic farm located in a rural community with a predominately,
under resourced Native Hawaiian population. The organization’s objective is to train youth “to
be culturally rooted and communally relevant social entrepreneurs and leaders.” The nonprofit
began in 2001 with two co-founders focused on youth leadership and food sustainability using a
social enterprise model. The organization was selected due to its unique social enterprise model
for leadership development. The social arm has an education component with all the youth
interns receiving a scholarship as full-time community college students. The enterprise arm
operates and sells organic produce by the youth interns to various supermarkets and restaurants.
Each arm of the social enterprise teaches the youth interns how to become effective leaders
within the organization and community.
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46
The organization currently has over 150 interns in their various programs. On average
the Farm enrolls 50 interns, between the ages of 17-24 years old, each year into the Youth
Leadership Training (YLT) program. The YLT program focuses on the community’s greatest
asset, the youth, and connects them to the ʻaina (land) while obtaining a college degree and
career pathway. The youth learn skills such as entrepreneurship, leadership, and food
sustainability in order to rise out of poverty and thrive.
The Farm has 15 employees consisting of the two co-founders, four core team staff, one
fiscal administrator, and 8 former interns who are leaders on the farm. The Farm has 23 co-
producers from different supermarkets and restaurants that they sell weekly produce along with
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription boxes.
Currently, the Farm receives two-thirds of its income from grants and donations and one-
third of its revenue from the farm’s sales. The nonprofit received several large grants, which
helped the organization purchase 24 acres of USDA certified organic farmland in 2008. The
Farm has been recognized with several local and national awards as an innovative and exemplary
nonprofit organization.
Theoretical Framework
Two leadership models provided the foundation for the theoretical framework utilized by
leaders in nonprofits. The two models are, Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary
Leadership, and Transformational Leadership. Kouzes and Posner (2012) developed the model
and found that there were five practices of an exceptional leader that can be learned to improve
leadership practices. The study emphasized three practices of a leader that consisted of inspire a
vision, model the way and enable others. Beginning by inspiring others to embrace the
collective vision, the exemplary leader then sets the example as a role model for the values and
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47
principles for others to follow. Finally, the leader worked collaboratively to encourage others to
succeed. These three practices most closely align with Transformational Leadership.
Another leadership model that nonprofits highlight was Transformational Leadership.
Osula and Ng (2014) asserted that nonprofits shift to Transformational Leadership because of the
organizations’ mission to meet social service needs in the community. Transformational
Leadership called others to follow higher moral values through the four factors consisting of
idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized
consideration (Northouse, 2013; Osula & Ng, 2014). Leaders reached this highest level of
leadership through focusing on the development of others and the overall good for society.
The two models of leadership provided the foundation for effective leadership. Both
models highlighted the leader influencing others towards the mission and values. The models
emphasized role modeling and encouraging others to reach their potential. Leadership was
collaborative in nature as leaders and followers work together to accomplish the shared mission
of the organization.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework provided a way to organize ideas and concepts to answer the
research questions (Shields & Rangarajan, 2013). The conceptual framework in Figure 1 was
developed and designed in collaboration with the thematic dissertation group based on emerging
themes from the literature review.
The framework depicted the visual representation of the key concepts in the study. The
very top underlined the Theoretical framework of Transformational Leadership and Exemplary
Leadership Practices. The conceptual framework illustrates the progressive flow of potential
leaders from the left to right as emergent leaders are funneled through the succession pipeline to
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48
achieve the goal of the organization’s succession plan for sustainable leadership. The first arrow
on the top left identifies emergent leaders within the organization, which is accomplished
through assessments and giving stretch assignments to observe leadership potential. Once
leaders are identified, the organization develops the person’s knowledge and skills through
experiential learning. Simultaneously the organization develops supportive practices such as
mentoring the potential leader and assisting with networking opportunities. The challenges to
sustainable leadership are the motivation of potential leaders and lack of resources that the
potential leaders must reconcile to become successor leaders. The process is cyclical in nature as
potential leaders continue to learn and mature and then became mentors to new, emergent
leaders. The process creates a “pool” of emergent leaders that will be ready to take on leadership
positions in the future.
Figure 1. Conceptual framework
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49
Data Collection
Data were collected through interviewing various participant leaders from the nonprofit
organization. The participants were recruited with the Participant Recruitment Letter with direct
follow-up through emails and phone calls by the researcher (see Appendix A). The participants
who volunteered for the study are described in Table 1. The characteristics of the participants
included their role in the organization, years in a leadership position, gender, ethnicity and length
of the interview.
Table 1
Participants in the Study
Participant
Relevant
Characteristic: Role
Relevant
Characteristic:
Years in Leadership
Position
Relevant
Characteristics:
Gender/ Ethnicity
Length of
Interview
(Minutes)
1 Administrator 15 F/Native Hawaiian 90
2 Administrator 7 M/Native Hawaiian 60
3 Lead Staff 4 F/Filipino 50
4 Lead Staff 5 F/ Caucasian 60
5 Youth Leader 3 F/Native Hawaiian 50
6 Youth Leader 3 F/Native Hawaiian 50
7 Community Partner 7 M/Caucasian 30
8 Community Partner 5 F/Native Hawaiian 60
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
50
The eight participants reflected a broad selection in each area within and connected to the
organization. The administrative participants provided the foundation of the organization’s
leadership capacity building. The leaders within the organization provided first-hand
information about the person’s perceptions and thoughts about the leadership capacity building
of the nonprofit. The community partners gave an outsider’s perspective of the organization.
The different participants’ perspectives provided a comprehensive understanding of the
organization’s leadership practices.
Instrumentation
The interview protocol used a semi-structured or a general interview guide approach
using a list of questions but allowing flexibility to adapt or ask probing question based on the
situation (Merriam, 2009; Patton, 2002). Merriam (2009) described the benefit of using semi-
structured interview as having predetermined questions but allowing for other relevant questions
to surface based on the conversation with the participants. The thematic dissertation team
generated a list of interview questions to provide a guide for the interviews with administration
and leaders within the organization (see Appendix B). The interview questions were open-ended
and non-leading to allow for in-depth answer rather than one-word responses. The interview
questions consisted of personal questions about the participants’ leadership journey and asked for
their thoughts on the leadership practices of the organization. The interview protocol acted as a
guide to ensure specific questions were asked and permitted for additional questions as the
natural conversation progressed.
The observation protocol was developed in collaboration with the thematic dissertation
team (see Appendix C). In each observation, the researcher paid attention to the setting by
drawing a map of the room and the people in the room especially noting the placement of the
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51
participants. The second part of the protocol observed interactions and behaviors between
participants by taking notes of exact words in the conversation, non-verbal communication of the
participants and the overall tone of the event. Another part of the protocol was keeping track of
the time optimally during five-ten minute intervals along with the start and end times.
The three different instruments of interviews, observations and artifacts are listed in
Table 2 and describe how each relates to the two research questions.
Table 2
Research Questions Instrumentation
Research Question Interviews Observations Artifacts
1. In what ways does a Native Hawaiian nonprofit
organization work to build the next generation of
leaders for the organization and community?
X X X
2. What are the challenges that inhibit the
development and implementation of strategies
designed to build leadership capacity?
X X X
The interviews addressed both of the research questions because the researcher was
directly asking participants about their opinions and perceptions regarding leadership capacity
building. Observations of the participants addressed both research questions based on what was
seen and heard by the researcher to match the participants’ interview responses. Lastly, artifacts
addressed both research questions by analyzing the written documents and videos collected from
the organization describing the leadership components and vision of the organization. Each
instrument was used to answer the research questions to strengthen the validity of the study
through the triangulation of the three different data sources.
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52
Data Analysis
After collecting the data from the interviews, observations, and artifacts, the next phase
was data analysis utilizing Creswell’s Data Analysis Model in Qualitative Research in Figure 2
to answer the research questions.
Figure 2. Creswell’s (2014) data analysis model in qualitative research
The first step was to organize the data by transcribing the audio recordings and notes
from the interviews, typing up notes from the observations, and sorting the artifacts (Creswell,
2014). The next step was to become immersed in the data through multiple reviews of the data,
and the following step was to begin coding the data to note similarities and to group them
together (Creswell, 2014). The fourth step narrowed the codes down to find the major themes or
categories in the data (Creswell, 2014). Creswell (2014) described the fifth step as determining
how to depict the descriptors and themes in the study in a narrative form, and the last step was
interpreting the data through asking questions to find meaning. Creswell’s model provided
Step 1
Organize and
prepare data
for analysis
Step 2 Read
through all
data
Step 3 Begin
analysis and
coding of
data
Step 4 Code
data to
identify
descriptions
of main
themes and
categories
Step 5
Decide how
to use themes
and
categories in
study
narrative
Step 6
Interpret and
make
meaning of
the data
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
53
structure and organization to gain insight through the data analysis process so the researcher can
have confidence in the validity of the findings.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations were utilized to ensure the safety and protection of the study
participants. The researcher followed the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process as dictated
by the University of Southern California. The IRB application began with the thematic
dissertation team working collaboratively to describe the participants, methods used,
confidentiality and protections in place for the participants in the study. After careful review, the
IRB was approved to conduct the study.
The main components for protecting the study participants was through confidentially of
the data by using pseudonyms and following a plan to secure the data. Each participant was
given an explanation of the purpose of the study and the researcher obtained the participant’s
voluntary, verbal consent. Each participant was aware of their right to not participate at anytime
during the interview process. Next, storing the data in a secure location ensured confidentiality.
In addition, using a pseudonym for additional confidentiality masked the participants’ personal
identity. After the conclusion of the study, all raw data will be erased. These protective
measures safeguarded the study participants.
Summary
Chapter 3 illustrated the qualitative research method to address the research questions.
The chapter explained the value of using a qualitative case study with multiple data sources.
Data collection was done with interviews and observations of the participants and gathering
organizational artifacts. The chapter described the sampling population and nonprofit
organization being studied. Chapter 3 reviewed the theoretical framework and presented the
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54
conceptual framework. Creswell’s Model was utilized for data analysis and lastly the ethical
considerations were disclosed. Chapter 4 will focus on analyzing the data and presenting the
findings.
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CHAPTER 4
RESULTS
Leadership capacity building is central to organizations preparing emerging leaders and
developing a succession plan. The purpose of this study was to understand how a Native
Hawaiian nonprofit organization employs promising strategies to build leadership and the
challenges that inhibit building leadership. This chapter presents the findings gathered from the
interviews, observations and artifacts with various levels of leaders within the organization and
key stakeholders. The three data sources were collected to triangulate the findings.
The dissertation thematic group worked collaboratively to compose two research
questions in order to understand leadership capacity building for succession planning of an
organization. The research questions are:
1. In what ways does a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders for the organization and community?
2. What are the challenges that inhibit the development and implementation of strategies
designed to build leadership capacity?
Data collection comprised of interviews with eight participants, three field observations,
and several artifacts to acquire multiple sources of data to increase the validity of the findings in
the study. After the data were collected, Creswell’s Data Analysis Model was utilized to
categorize the data and to develop overarching themes (Creswell, 2014). The findings for the
two research questions were analyzed and discussed to identify promising leadership building
strategies drawing upon the literature review in Chapter 2. This chapter describes the
participants in the study, followed by an overview of the organization, and presents the findings
for the two research questions.
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Participants
Eight participants were selected based on their levels of leadership within the
organization and community partners with the organization. The Executive Director and Social
Enterprise Director were initially identified because of their leadership position in the
organization. Through snowball sampling, three core team leaders were recruited to participate
in the study. Then the core team leaders recruited two emerging leaders and two community
partner stakeholders to be interviewed. Interviews ranged in length from 30 minutes to 90
minutes with the average length of 56 minutes.
Table 3 provides an overview of the interview participants based on their leadership role,
years in their leadership position, gender, and ethnicity. The relevant characteristics exemplified
the range of participants with perspectives of the organization.
Table 3
Participants’ Relevant Characteristics
Relevant Characteristic:
Leadership Role
Relevant
Characteristic: Yrs. in
Current Leadership
Relevant Characteristics:
Gender/ Ethnicity
1 Co-Founder & Executive Director 15 F/Native Hawaiian
2 Social Enterprise Director 7 M/Native Hawaiian
3 Education Coordinator 4 F/Filipino
4 Farm Education Coordinator 5 F/Caucasian
5 Youth Leader A 2 F/Native Hawaiian
6 Youth Leader B 3 F/Native Hawaiian
7 Community Partner C 7 M/Caucasian
8 Community Partner D 5 F/Native Hawaiian
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The Co-Founder and Executive Director began the organization fifteen years ago after
seeing a gap in leadership development for youth in the community. The core leadership team,
which currently includes the Social Enterprise Director, Education Coordinator, and Farm
Education Coordinator, was hired to build and operate the programs. Youth Leader A and B
started as interns and graduated from the Youth Leadership Training (YLT) Program. The
Youth Leaders continued to work for the organization in extended internships while obtaining
their Bachelor’s Degrees. Community College Partners C and D worked closely with the
organization through supporting the interns at the community college level. Community College
Partner D was also a former core leadership team member before moving to a position with the
community college.
Overview of the Organization
The Farm is located in a rural community with a predominately Native Hawaiian
population with low resources. Beginning in 2001, the Farm utilized a social enterprise model to
carry out it’s vision that connects the ‘aina (land) and ‘opio (youth) by empowering and
educating young adults to become leaders and community economic development through an
organic farm. The Farm’s vision is “training youth to be culturally rooted and communally
relevant social entrepreneurs and leaders.”
The Youth Leadership Training (YLT) is the organization’s primary, two-year program
teaching interns leadership skills through working part-time on the organic farm, attending
community college full-time, receiving an educational stipend, and participating in the organic
community food system. The YLT program connects youth to their community by instilling in
them the values of “kuleana” (responsibility) and “mālama ʻāina” (caring for the land). The
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organization was on their tenth cohort with 25 young adults, ages 17-24 in the YLT program,
when this study took place.
For a few outstanding interns, the next tier program is the Hoʻowaiwai Youth Leadership
Training (HYLT) program that places young adults with potential into internships to increase
their leadership capacity and pair them with a staff mentor. Interns in this program are working
toward completing their 4-year college degree and developing professional experience in their
chosen field.
Each year, the organization trains over 50 youth through various programs. Over the
course of fifteen years, the organization has trained over 700 youth in leadership to work in the
organization or in the community. In the following section, several significant themes on
leadership practices are presented from the findings for each research questions.
Results For Research Question 1:
Strategies Utilized to Build the Next Generation of Leaders
The first research question sought to understand the strategies utilized by the organization
to build the next generation of leaders for the organization and community. The data revealed
that the organization was able to develop leaders primarily for the community with a few
exceptional leaders taking on key leadership positions within the organization. Four main
themes emerged from the data: utilizing a social enterprise model to develop leaders for the
organization and community, creating a succession pipeline for the organization and community,
cultivating professional development through mentoring and networking opportunities, and
matching the right fit to the organization.
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Utilizing a Social Enterprise Model to Develop Leaders
The main strategy the organization employs is a social enterprise model to develop young
adult leaders for the organization and community. Young and Lecy (2014) established a
common definition of a social enterprise as “organizations or ventures that combine a social
purpose with the pursuit of financial success in the private marketplace” (p. 1309). The Farm
has the organic farm as the enterprise arm and the education, community engagement as the
social arm. The Farm utilizes both components of social enterprise to develop leaders who will
make a difference in the local community and for the organization to be sustainable with
successors leaders. The Founder shared the core components when the organization began,
which corresponds with the definition of social enterprise.
You had to work with your people in a way that the values and principles of “aloha
ʻāina” (love of the land) would manifest, and some kind of economic sustenance because
we deal in a world where money is an important tool to getting those impacts of people
and land in alignment.
The organization, from the beginning, embraced a social enterprise model with the social
arm of working with and educating young adults and the enterprise arm of providing economic
sustainability.
Leadership. The Farm is specifically developing a leader that will contribute towards
building a thriving community and a thriving organization in a Native Hawaiian context. The
Founder of the organization shared her perspective on building the next generation of leaders for
succession.
I don’t think we’re going to be working ourselves out of a job very soon so it’s really
important then to talk about successorship. And if I’m to look at the example of my
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60
parents’ generation and my grandparents’ generation, and then of the new, the future
generations, looking at developing the future ancestor is basically what we do.
Native Hawaiian concept of leadership included integrating and making connections with the
past, present, and future. Leadership was viewed as guidance from your elders with an
understanding of the responsibility for future generations. Kaulukukui and Naho’opi’i (2008)
ascertained several Hawaiian Leadership characteristics, which includes acknowledging and
asking for ancestors’ wisdom and guidance. The emerging leaders relied upon past role models
of parents, grandparents, and ancestors who helped shape their development into leaders who
would one-day pass on that knowledge and become a role model for the next generation.
The Social Enterprise Director further explained, “It’s not the ‘Youth Farm Training’, it’s
not the ‘Youth Academic Training’, it’s ‘Leadership.’” He continued to share how leadership is
core to the organization.
If we’re graduating college students that know how to farm, but they are not equipped to
be leaders, and real specific types of leaderships like they understand systems, they are
advocates, they really have the ability to be critical thinkers, engage and make necessary
changes in defense of what’s important to themselves, their families, their peers, their
community. And if they’re not getting that from this internship, and they just know how
to go to school and run a farm, and live a life where all they do is just that. I don’t think
we’re living into what we’re hoping to do.
The main focus of the organization is to produce leaders that can think critically, advocate for
themselves and others, and change the community for the better. The social enterprise model
assists the organization in realizing this vision of an effective leader.
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61
The Founder shared that the Farm taught interns “resiliency skills, or resiliency strategies
that we’re trying to inculcate into our next generation of leaders, is that ability to be flexible and
adaptable.” Interns from the community are faced with multiple challenges so resiliency skills
are needed to survive and thrive. Youth Leader A explained, “It’s really about building a better
community using the youth as a long line. So having them come in and work and get their
education to really lead us into a better future.” Through using a social enterprise strategy for
leadership, the combination of work experience, education, and leadership skills creates a leader
who has the ability to create change in any field of practice.
Creating a Succession Pipeline for the Community and Organization
To begin with, the organization recruited recent high school graduates from within the
community to become interns in the Youth Leadership Training program. Upon completion of
the YLT program, interns were equipped with leadership skills to one day become leaders in the
community. As interns progressed in the leadership multi-tier process, the Farm identified
emerging leaders who were committed to continuing the vision of the organization. A few
selected interns were motivated and committed to assume higher leadership roles and
responsibilities in the organization through more intensive internship experiences. This pool of
interns were being mentored to assume targeted leadership positions in the organization.
Community succession pipeline. The organization utilized the strategy of casting a
wide net to first identify and then develop emerging leaders from within to become community
leaders (Figure 3). The first leadership tier was as an intern in the YLT program. The Education
Coordinator actively recruited interns recently graduated for high school without a prospective of
attending a 4-year college. Based on their application documents, the criteria to be accepted into
the program were young adults, ages 17-24, from the community who were motivated to attend
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62
college and work on the Farm. All the interns began in the YLT program working part-time on
the Farm while enrolled as full-time community college students to obtain their A.A. degree in
two years. The interns learned basic work skills like planting, harvesting, and packaging the
produce to sell to vendors. Additionally, the Farm’s belief in higher education helped interns
learn skills that helped them in their chosen career pathway. The interns learned leadership skills
in college such as asking questions, critical thinking, and communication with others. The Farm
Education Coordinator elaborated on these leadership skills learned on the Farm and in college
which assisted in identifying emergent leaders.
I personally look at things like interpersonal skills. Are they talkative? Can they
approach people? Are they questioning? Are they asking questions, or are they always
in the background and really quiet and not saying anything? It’s not about being shy; it’s
about being inquisitive and about learning more . . . Do they volunteer for things that may
be a little a little out of their comfort zone? When you call on them to speak in circle, will
they say something without sort of shying back and laughing?
Figure 3. Leadership succession pipeline
S
U
C
C
E
S
S
I
O
N
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The interns are grounded in both employable skills and critical thinking skills from the
two different settings, which aid the interns in becoming well-rounded leaders. The organization
facilitated learning these leadership skills such as being inquisitive and being able to speak in
front of others through active participation in the program. The Farm Education Coordinator
further explained that leaders take the initiative to go above and beyond what is expected.
“Who’s going to stay late? Who’s going to volunteer for extra hours? Those kinds of extra things
that are unexpected is what moves me. I think that I start seeing that person is a leader.” The
core leadership team looked for these types of behaviors and attitudes of initiative, strong work
ethic, and volunteerism that signified a potential leader who is ready to take on additional
leadership roles and responsibilities.
Increase leadership roles and responsibilities. During the two years in the program, the
next leadership tier was as a Step Up Intern (SUI). Through intern’s positive attitudes and
behaviors, core leaders tapped emergent leaders for higher leadership positions. The Farm
Education Coordinator talked about encouraging emerging leaders to apply for the leadership
position. The Coordinator personally encouraged emerging leaders, “I think you’d be really
good at this, you should think about doing that.” The opportunity to apply was open to all
interns. The Coordinator stated, “the announcement is made for everybody to apply for SUI; it’s
made to the entire group. And it’s up to you to step into it.” Interns applied for the SUI position
based on a combination of core leaders tapping emergent leader interns and interns’ motivation
to increase leadership skills and responsibilities. Through a competitive process of reviewing
their work and college GPA, positive behaviors, and a favorable interview, interns were selected
to become SUI. The SUI is a peer mentor to a small group on the farm. The SUI were
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64
responsible for teaching and supervising a new group of interns to accomplish daily operating
tasks on the farm. Youth Leader B explained the greater leadership role of the SUI.
You have to wake up a little bit earlier, stay a little bit longer. And you’re actually
leading the group . . . When they ask you to do like harvesting something. The co-
managers will talk to the SUI and the SUI will organize their group to carry out whatever
we have to work on for the day.
Youth Leader B’s role included working extra hours as a role model to the new interns and
leading a small peer group on specific tasks to get the produce orders ready for market. Youth
Leader A shared her experience of being in her first leadership role as a SUI.
That’s an opportunity within itself to finally understand something you needed to teach it
in understandable ways so for me that was another opportunity to where I could push
myself and gain leadership experience . . . And as a SUI I had to take it in such baby
steps.
The Farm structured the SUI to take on manageable leadership tasks in a low risk setting
with a small peer group. Youth Leader A had to figure out how to communicate effectively with
the new cohort by breaking down the tasks on the farm into manageable parts as part of her new
responsibilities. Through teaching and leading, Youth Leader A also gained the trust and respect
of her peers so they would follow her lead. SUI interns learned leadership involved teaching
others on the job training and being responsible for their teams’ performance. Interns who
completed the YLT program are taught leadership skills essential to becoming leaders in the
community in general. After the two-years, the interns that did well in the YLT program were
identified as emerging leaders specifically for the organization and moved into the next tier,
which is the Hoʻowaiwai Youth Leadership Training (HYLT) program.
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65
Organization succession pipeline. Through the next two leadership tiers of HYLT and
Mohala, the organization intentionally created a pipeline for succession within the organization.
After graduating from the YLT program in two years with their A.A. degree, a handful of interns
applied for the six-month HYLT internship to gain additional leadership skills and
responsibilities in the organization. Again, the process was competitive and based on GPAs,
behaviors, and an interview. This tier level started to match core team leaders with interns based
on the interns’ career interest and aptitude for the core team leaders’ positions. The Farm’s
structure moved from general leadership skills related to work and school to begin grooming the
interns toward core leadership positions within the organization. Youth Leader B’s added
responsibilities included working with the Farm Education Coordinator to plan and conduct
education tours on the Farm. Youth Leader B helped “organize or run the Farm to Fork
program” by bringing “community members and students to the farm” to show them “how to run
an organic farm and eat healthy.” The Farm Education Coordinator saw Youth Leader B’s
potential and asked her to join her team. The Coordinator needed “to recruit, so I looked at
Youth Leader B really early on” and “gave her a couple volunteer opportunities to make sure she
liked it.” The Coordinator taught Youth Leader B the essential skills of planning and facilitating
different groups visiting the Farm. Trying out these skills helped Youth Leader B examined if
she liked the position and would potentially one day take over as the Farm Education
Coordinator. The next leadership tier is a year long position in the Mohala program where
interns are also placed in an external, community partner program to broaden the intern’s
leadership skills and knowledge in a different setting and with new mentors.
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Youth Leader A shared her perspective of how she was tapped as an emerging leader for
the position of counselor for the YLT program. “I work with Education Coordinator. The main
reason why they put me towards this type of work is because I want to be a Social Worker . . . I
want to get into working with the community members and the youth.” The organization
observed her leadership potential as she moved up the tiered system and matched her interest in
Social Work with a core team member, the Education Coordinator who is a Social Worker. The
Founders created a succession pipeline through developing and mentoring emerging leaders to
take over core leadership positions such as the Farm Manager, Farm Education Coordinator, and
Education Coordinator.
Growing leaders from within. Currently, seven out of the fifteen employees are former
interns who have become part of the leadership team. The Education Coordinator described the
succession pathway, “It’s a youth driven organization and the succession plan is to have the
graduates of the program be the leaders because who best to inform how program is coordinated,
curriculum is designed, students are reached out to.” The interns become the best resources to
grow and lead the organization because they have firsthand experience in successfully running
the farm and graduating with a college degree. The emerging leader has worked up the
leadership tier and invested time into learning about the core leadership positions.
The succession plan was evident on the farming component with the first transition of an
emerging leader to a core leader. Several former interns who performed well in the programs are
given Co-Farm Manager positions to oversee the farm operations of planting, harvesting,
marketing, and selling the produce. In addition, the interns provided all the labor force for the
Farm. Today, the Farm has a Farm Manager and several Co-Farm Managers who were former
interns. The Farm Education Coordinator described the Farm succession.
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If you’re a really great performer, they usually make room for you on the team. And then
they’ll hire you back. And even all of our co-managers had been YLT at one point, so
they’ve been through the program. And then our farm manager also has been through the
program. So the intent there is really to just be a youth run farm.
The Social Enterprise Director shared the succession story of the current Farm Manager.
She started as an intern in the YLT program and moved up the leadership tier to become the
Farm Manager in a few years. The Social Enterprise Director shared how she was “this young
woman who’s quiet but she’s actually kicking ass on the farm” and “we made her the boss at 26.
She got started with us in high school, got her A.A. and her B.A. And then we made her boss so
she’s been running the farm for two years.” The Farm Manager was given a significant
leadership role on the farm and exemplified the realization of the succession plan and future
sustainability of the organization. It took several years of investing and training her to know all
aspects of farming and leading people to be able to manage the Farm successfully.
The core leadership team understood that their job is to nurture emerging leaders to
assume their position. The Social Enterprise Director explained,
We tell them we’re doing this so they take our job. . . We are growing at the scale that
they grow . . . The reason why we created a bachelorette or a BA degree was because the
interns started graduating, and we needed to continue to follow them through . . . I think
that’s going to be really organically evolving conversation as they continue to progress
and get their masters and so forth.
The Farm purposefully facilitated the transfer of leadership positions. Because the Farm
emphasized an educated leader, the emergent leaders naturally gravitated towards obtaining
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higher degrees. In order to retain emergent leaders, the organization allowed space for the
emerging leaders to grow personally and professionally.
The organization has been moving toward youth taking over the majority of leadership
roles within the organization. The Social Enterprise Director believes, “It’s easily within a
decade. Hopefully if we continue this trajectory, that we’ll have a lot of these things in place”
and “enough core investments have been made that in some way, shape or form the work would
continue, and it would endure.” The Founders and core team leaders created the leadership
structure and succession pipeline through growing young leaders to take on leadership roles to
sustain the vision of the organization. Several challenges along the way hindered the interns
from successfully completing the programs. To increase the retention of interns, the Farm used
incentives throughout the programs.
Incentives for retention. The organization offered multiple incentives to retain emerging
leaders to persist through the leadership pipeline structure. The incentives include monetary
gains and new opportunities. Initially, the biggest incentive for interns entering the program was
full tuition payment for two years of community college. The Social Enterprise Director stated,
“farmers make between . . . I wanna say $12 and $15 . . . So they get a small stipend for working
on the farm. And then they also get their college paid.” The financial incentives are pretty
generous for recently graduated high school students. Youth Leader A shared the motivating
factor of a college degree.
In the beginning I actually hated the farm. I think everybody does a little bit. It was
really tough and I didn’t like it. I wanted to quit and each time I went home and I looked
at my family. I was like I can’t be like them because none of them have their degree.
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Many of the interns were from low-income households and could not afford college on their
own. Youth Leader A made a conscious choice to pursue higher education through the
scholarship incentive offered by the Farm to change her life path.
The Social Enterprise Director explained the Farm, “incentivized leadership. If they step
up . . . we build it into” the program. Any intern received incentives if they showed initiative
and took on more responsibilities. Community Partner C elaborated, “They start out small and
just work their way up. Those who show promise are rewarded with more responsibility and you
get higher pay, things like that.” All interns are paid a “living wage” and with each step up the
leadership tier the interns got a raise. Through the YLT program, interns received both a full
two-year scholarship and are paid for working on the Farm.
The second incentive was travel and speaking opportunities. The Education Coordinator
talked about, “Life experiences again and exposure to different opportunities is critical . . . And
so that’s our hope is that just by consistently offering opportunities for their own growth.” The
Farm continually offered different opportunities for interns to take advantage of. For some
interns, they offered travel experience to places like New Zealand to share the vision of the
Farm. Youth Leader B described, “events where there’s community leaders or there’s activists
who just come and sparks flames in you like you didn’t even know you were capable of being
interested in . . . they host so much community meetings or events or presentations.” The other
opportunities are events to hear different speakers and presentations that spark critical thinking
and exposure to new ideas.
The incentives motivated emerging leaders to stick with the program even with the
challenges of going to college and working for the first time. Each time interns increased their
leadership responsibilities the Farm founds ways to reward them. The incentives encouraged
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interns to become emerging leaders in the community with a few who will eventually
transitioned into permanent leaders for the organization.
Professional Development through Mentoring and Networking Opportunities
The organization’s third strategy was to cultivate an environment of professional
development to grow leadership in the organization and community. The primary focus was on
mentoring throughout the organization and facilitating networking opportunities.
Organizational culture of mentorship. Mentoring occurred formally and informally
across the organization from the Founding members, core leadership team, and peer mentor
interns. The Founding members are the force behind the organizational culture of mentorship by
encouraging support and guidance across all levels of leadership within the organization. Four
members of the core team past and present shared that their mentors were the Founders. The
Farm Education Coordinator explained the open access for mentoring, “Youth have access to the
entire team all the way through our Founders . . . They look to you to sort of guide them and help
them out.” From the top down, the Founding members are available for informal mentorship to
the core team leaders and interns.
As emerging leaders are identified in the HYLT and Mohala tier, they are partnered one-
on-one with core team leaders in different leadership roles. One mentorship relationship was
between the Farm Education Coordinator and Youth Leader B who worked directly under her.
Youth B described her experience of being mentored,
I feel like the staff here that they did give me that. That little push and that drive that I
need. Whether it’s in challenges. You know sometime you gotta hear something you
don’t wanna hear, but I feel like it was all for good intentions and to just better myself
and better my life.
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The mentor relationship in the organization included challenging her to do better in a supportive
environment by all the core team staff and especially her mentor in the program. The Farm
Education Coordinator described her experience of mentoring Youth Leader B.
The practice part is what we do, right? It’s all about your practice. And so developing her
interpersonal skills was huge. She’s gotten really great, like timing skills and being able
to committed and follow through. All of that was really great for her, so I think that will
really help her.
The Farm Education Coordinator was able to create a supportive relationship where Youth
Leader B could learn and practice leadership skills such as following through on tasks. Through
observing the relationship between the two, it was evident that the Farm Education Coordinator
cares for and nurtures Youth Leader B based on her encouraging words and non-verbal
communication such as smiling and direct eye contact.
Another mentoring relationship was between the Education Coordinator and Youth
Leader A. Youth Leader A shared a time where she was very depressed while in the program.
And that day for some reason I was super depressed and I was like I’m just done with
everything and then she came and she actually talked me out of whatever I was thinking
about that day. And really helped me towards just getting through that week and actually
getting through that month.
The Education Coordinator developed a supportive mentor relationship so that Youth Leader A
could turn to her when she needed help. The Education Coordinator was able to keep Youth
Leader A from hurting herself through building a trusting relationship. Chun et al. (2012)
described the mentoring relationships as providing support and encouraging the growth of the
protégé. The mentoring relationship between the core team leader and emerging leader was
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central to providing one-on-one support to the intern so that the intern was given the guidance to
take on greater leadership roles.
Another mentoring relationship is through peer mentorship as a critical way the
organization built leadership skills and encouraged active participation in the program within a
cohort. Youth Leader B shared how the peer support of working together created a family
atmosphere that promoted participation in the program. Youth B stated, “The Farm’s leadership
building program is all based on mentorship . . . You’re learning from your peers and from
maybe people that are slightly older than you. Which are still your peers and it’s just that kinda
like brother, sister, kinda ‘ohana.” The peer group learned to depend on each other and provided
peer role models through the slightly older mentors in the program.
The Education Coordinator described how peer mentorship encouraged leadership
development. “More of the students as a result of the peer mentorship model are stepping up into
those roles and they’re being influenced by their peers to step into those roles. So definitely it’s
growing and it’s getting stronger.” The older interns inspired the newer interns to take on higher
leadership roles within the organization. The program constantly fostered and promoted
professional development to cultivate interns’ leadership skills and knowledge.
Facilitated networking opportunities. The organization developed leaders through
facilitating networking opportunities. Community Partner D explained many of the interns never
venture outside of living in this rural community. “The joke in the community is pass Kahe
point. So you know when you drove in, that electric power plant. Most people don’t leave Kahe
point.” Since many of the interns come from a lower socio-economic background, the
organization used guest speakers and travel opportunities outside their community as a way to
expose interns to different people and different experiences. Community Partner D shared her
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insight, “They’re really good about bringing the outside world in. So they bring in working
professionals and just amazing people from the outside world.” The guest speakers served as
role models to the interns of career possibilities and successful leadership. Community Partner D
shared the importance of networking with guest speakers.
So they bring all these people in to professors that the students can interact with and I
guess they get this idea of social capital. That if I stay with the farm long enough look at
the amazing people and networks that I can be with and work with and share my story
with as an outcome of being in this kind of work.
The interns gained exposure to different people and experiences, which helped them develop
networks and connections beyond their inner circle that they could utilize to build their career.
Ibarra’s (2015) concept of networking to becoming a better leader incorporated developing new
opportunities that would not otherwise be possible in the same setting. The program
purposefully created these networking opportunities beyond their family and community to see
the larger world of possibilities.
Networking opportunities empowered interns to gain confidence and communication
skills with various people. The Farm Education Coordinator explained the importance of the
youth being able to speak in front of others in a meaningful way. “So that’s a huge part of
empowerment, and then getting them to be able to speak the narrative and speak up for
themselves and share what’s on their mind and hearts and stuff, that’s huge too.” Interns are able
to grow through learning how to effectively communicate in front of different audiences outside
of their community such as “New Mexico” and “Aotearoa.” The interns who exhibited
leadership skills are given multiple opportunities to speak about their life story and the vision of
the Farm to different groups that request them from schools to community groups.
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At first Youth Leader A was very shy, but given support she was able to gain confidence
in speaking up to get her point across. “I used to be the one always in the back who never spoke
a word unless spoken to . . . they put me in positions where I had to speak and voice my
opinion.” She was able “to speak the truth and not only speak the truth but have it be meaningful
and powerful to where people in the community, elders, the youth can take something back.”
Through the speaking engagements, she was able to grow by learning how to communicate her
thoughts and feelings to make a lasting impact on others.
Once interns felt confident, the organization provided opportunities to send youth out to
do presentations about the organization’s vision of youth leadership, food sustainability, and
higher education. Youth Leader A explained, “They actually sent me to a trip to New Mexico to
do a presentation so it was all those opportunities . . . they helped me see where I was going and
really showed me the opportunities that could lead me to building skills that put me in this
position now.” The experience opened her worldview through presenting in an unfamiliar
setting with different people. As emergent leaders, interns learn to be effective communicators
through speaking engagements and travel opportunities and gain support through mentoring
relationships.
Matching the Right Fit to the Organization’s Vision and Values
Lastly, the organization identified successor leaders who are a right fit for the
organization based on their alignment with the vision and values. Collins (2001) observed great
organizations have to find and keep the right people for the team. The Founders ensured a right
fit by promoted emerging leaders who shared the vision and values of the organization.
Model a shared vision. The Founders’ shared vision of growing youth leaders who are
culturally and community rooted permeate the organization. Emerging leaders who understand
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and believe in the vision have a strong commitment to the organization. Kouzes and Posner
(2012) described effective leadership in an organization as inspiring a shared vision and
modeling the way, which engendered commitment. The Founders and core leadership staff
model the vision for interns.
Through observing the Founders, each one reinforced the vision of growing youth leaders
especially with new interns who are learning about the organization. While observing closing
circle, one of the Founders talked about the importance of a hard working leader with the new
interns. He gave the example of an intern walking slowly across the field. He told this intern
that it was imperative on a job site to “hustle” and work hard every minute. The Founder
modeled the behavior by working alongside the interns on the Farm. The Founder utilized this
example as a lesson on leadership to potential leaders. Emerging leaders are able to learn about
the vision and begin to demonstrate it on the Farm and at school. The Founders and core
leadership team support the vision on a daily basis through mentoring and modeling to the
interns. Along with sharing the vision, the Farm has deep roots in Native Hawaiian culture and
values based on serving a predominately Hawaiian community.
Practice Hawaiian cultural values. All eight interview participants emphasized Native
Hawaiian culture as the foundation for the organization and its value system. The Farm
Education Coordinator recognized, “everything that we do is really based in the Hawaiian culture
. . . I think that they help to shape a lot of the ways that we do things. Just by looking at some of
their ancestral ways.” Culture provided the guiding values and behaviors through respecting
wisdom from ancestors and applying their teachings to everyday life. Watkins (2013) described
organizational culture as shaping the behaviors of people in the organization. Through
examining the data, the interns and staff demonstrated behaviors that embody the organization’s
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core values of kuleana (taking responsibility), mālama ‘aina (caring for the land), and pono
(doing what is right). The Founders recruited young professional leaders who exemplified these
values and taught these values to potential leaders. The leaders who practiced these values align
with the Farm and become committed to the vision of the organization.
Discussion of Research Question 1
The Farm developed strategies to build the next generation of leaders through
establishing a social enterprise model, creating a succession pipeline, cultivating professional
development through mentoring and networking opportunities, and matching the right fit.
Northouse (2013) defined leadership as a person’s ability to motivate and enable others to
contribute toward the organization’s vision and successful outcomes. The organization defined a
leader as being a critical thinker, taking on responsibilities, and communicating effectively with
others. The interns experienced mentoring, incentives and support to progress through the youth
leadership programs which emphasized higher education and sustainable agriculture.
The organization implemented a social enterprise leadership structure that works for
them. Deaton et al. (2013) advocated for organizations to intentionally built in structured
leadership development for professional growth and development. The Farm from the beginning
funnels all staff and interns through a leadership structure that increases their leadership skills
and knowledge. The structure ensures that emerging leaders are identified and nurtured to
remain on the Farm. The Founders are a key influencer and mentor for attracting talented people
into the organization. Additionally, the Founders are entrusted to mold a new generation of
young leaders for the community.
A majority of nonprofits do not have a succession plan in place to build the next
generation of leaders in their organization (Cornelius et al., 2011). The Farm was able to address
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the leadership gap through creating a succession plan within the structure of the organization so
every intern is given the opportunity and tools to become leaders. The program is very rigorous
with the farm work and college commitment so only a few are able to make the transition from
intern to core leadership staff. The succession pipeline has been realized on the farming,
enterprise arm, but the organization has yet to realize the succession plan on the education arm of
the organization. Through mentorship the core leadership team are working towards this goal in
the next few years.
The success of the Farm’s leadership capacity building was revealed from interview
participants’ stories of applied learning and growth. Based on the data and literature review, the
organization exemplified being able to grow leaders through their strategies that focused on
succession planning and mentoring. The interns that navigated through the leadership tier rose to
become outstanding leaders for the organization and community.
The Farm was also very aware of the community context. The Founders established the
organization because of the lack of resources in the community and limited supports in place by
the government which lead to a generations of youth being negatively impacted. All the
participants shared several traumatic hardships through living and working in this community.
Understanding the disparities and strengths, the organization utilized the resources and people in
the community to develop leaders that will effect change. The organization not only builds
leaders for their organization but also looks at the bigger picture of building a generation of
community leaders that will change the trajectory of the community from being under resourced
to thriving.
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Results For Research Question 2
Challenges that Inhibit Building Leadership Capacity
Research question 2 highlighted challenges that inhibit the organization’s ability to build
leadership capacity. The factors that inhibit the organization were high attrition rate of interns,
time constrains, and funding challenges.
High attrition rate of emerging leaders. A significant inhibiting factor was the high
turnover of emerging leaders. Based on the responses from the interview participants, many of
the interns are not motivated to follow through on the leadership succession plan because they
are developmentally still growing and not ready for the demands of the program. The Education
Coordinator explained “They’re young and I think that’s a lot of the challenge. They’re in a
transition stage.” The interns are transitioning from adolescence to adulthood in a short amount
of time while in the program. The Farm Education Coordinator expanded on the complexity
with this age group.
The challenge is you work with youth. And so they’re not always set in their pathway yet.
So even all those doors that are open and the positions that are kept open, you cannot
guarantee that those are always going to work out for every youth.
It is hard to predict the future because the demographic is so young and still trying to figure out
who they are and what they want to be. The Farm Education Coordinator tapped Youth Leader
B to take over as the next Coordinator, but it really depends on Youth Leader B’s future career
aspirations aligning with the organization. Succession planning becomes difficult because of the
uncertainty of emerging leaders remaining with the organization.
The staff cited a few emerging leaders that are being groomed for succession. The Farm
Education Director conveyed the dilemma, “So I’m always looking for somebody to take over…
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they’re really at the beginning of their journey. So it’s very hard to rope them into the farm and
say we want you here, we want you to come back.” The Farm Education Director nurtured and
mentored Youth Leader B, but there is no guarantee that she will stay with the organization
because she is so young and still in college. Youth Leader B shared, “there’s definitely
opportunities for me to stay and go through the five years at University of Hawaii . . . But
whether I stay on the farm to work that’s still up in the air.” The Farm provided the opportunity
to work and attend college, which is convenient for Youth Leader B at the moment. She shared
that she is majoring in “Environmental Design” with her goal of buying a run-down building in
the neighborhood. She wanted to, “buy that place and build it into a youth center that focuses on
the arts.” The Farm currently doesn’t have a position for an Architect so she would have to
change her career plans in order to stay at the Farm. Youth Leader B understood the Farm is
grooming her for the Farm Education position, but she hasn’t made a decision of where she
wants to go after graduating from college.
The second emerging leader shared similar concerns about staying with the organization
based on her career aspirations beyond the Farm. Youth Leader A explained, “maybe in the
future I might change my mind. But I think I wanna work in a wide range of organizations so I
can know what’s out there to really understand where I want to go.” Youth Leader A envisions
her future outside of the organization since all her work experience at this point has been
working at the Farm. Both emerging leaders have been tapped for leadership positions, but they
are still trying to find the right career paths for themselves.
Even with multiple incentives, many interns dropped out because they are not ready for
the high demands of the YLT program. The Education Coordinator stated, “We generally
experience a high attrition rate. I think that’s across the board for community colleges in the
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nation. But we graduate at least 10% of the students that come into our program.” The Farm
determined on average from each cohort 45 out of their 50 interns leave the program before
graduating in 2 years. The Coordinator gave the example of Cohort 10’s first semester. “We
started with 30. By the time we sent acceptances out, we received 10 resignations . . . Then we
started with 25 for cohort 10. We’re down to 15.” In just one semester, the Farm experienced
half the cohort dropping out of the program. The Founder explained this demographic, “they
tend to be the youth that everyone throws away. To show them, there’s a pathway that’ll get you
from high school to community college to a four-year degree.” The organization intentionally
recruited this youth population to provide them with an opportunity. The challenges of keeping
them engaged are higher, but the impact to grow leaders for the community is greater.
Time constraints due to limited staffing. The organization has a small staff of 15 who
wear multiple hats and contend with time constraints that affect the effectiveness of the programs
and well-being of the staff. The core leadership team is the primary role models and mentors for
the interns. Fewer staff resulted in less time devoted to mentoring and developing emerging
leaders. The Farm Education Coordinator elaborated on her responsibilities. “My job entails
cooking for a lot of people, so I'm always ordering vegetables and finding out what's new in the
field and sitting in on their meetings…we're responsible to coach and mentor all of the youth that
come through here.” The Farm Education Coordinator’s long list of job responsibilities impacts
being a mentor to interns. The staff’s limited time and vast responsibilities makes it difficult to
prioritize mentoring interns. As a result, the staff has the potential to experience burnout and not
effectively mentor interns.
Community Partner D shared the stressors of the Education Coordinator. “She’s dealt
with everything from kids that were suicidal to kids that were houseless to DV issue . . . So I
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think one is just staffing. They need more staff because the Farm is a rigorous program.” The
Education Coordinator worked with interns with high needs determined by the demographics of
the community. Through observing the Education Coordinator in closing circle, she was
reminding interns to register for next semester, requested grade check meetings, and announced
upcoming scholarship workshops. As the only Education Coordinator at the college, she tracked
over 50 interns in several different cohorts with numerous requirements for the program. The
Education Coordinator has to do more with a finite amount of time, which can lead to burnout.
Staff burnout was a factor when looking at the time and intensity of the intern’s needs.
The Founder stated that she was aware of the issue of burnout by her staff, “There’s such a
higher propensity in our sector for burnout and being overwhelmed and transition so we
recognize the problem . . . talk about sustainability constantly at the programmatic level, at the
operational level, at the organizational level.” The organization understood that burnout was a
big problem that the organization tried to address as a challenge when working in the social
service field. Both time and funding of staff affect the quality and scope of the programs to
build leadership capacity.
Funding challenges. The Farm operates programs through income from the farm, grants
and donations. On the education side of the Farm, the core leadership team’s positions are
funded by grants, which vary from year to year. Similar to other nonprofits, the organization is
always looking for funding to run its programs The Farm Education Coordinator described the
challenge of grant money.
I don’t think any of our positions are super secure. Especially if you’re working on a
grant or you know, that kind of funding. And until we become completely self-sufficient,
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which may be impossible on just this swath of land. This might be too small to support all
of our education programs.
The grants ensure the positions on the social/educational part of the enterprise. Due to the
unpredictability of funding, the programs and positions are constantly changing and in danger of
not getting funded. The Farm Education Coordinator clarified her change in positions. She
specified, “started off in that position at the school, and then when we were kinda running short
on resources . . . that’s when I moved up to the farm and decided to start the Farm to Fork
program.” The funding determined where positions and programs were created on the Farm.
Osula and Ng (2014) described funding issues exist due to decreases in grant giving and
competition from other nonprofits. The organization continues to write grants and seek funders
to ensure the core leadership team’s positions to administer the programs.
The Farm was actively negotiating ways to be less dependent on grant funding. The
Social Enterprise Director revealed expansion plans to reach more interns.
So we try to get more people on board to be farmers and expanding that cohort is where
the grants have to come in. And then the apparatus around maintaining that also has to be
grant funded . . . So that’s why we need to go to scale because it’ll allow us to be far less
dependent on grants.
The possible expansion affords the organization to grow in size and scope as it reaches more
youth leaders from other communities. In order to realize this dream, the organization created a
plan to increase farm production in another community to generate more income for long-term
sustainability. The Farm faces challenges of attrition, funding to secure positions and program,
and time to mentor emerging leaders.
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Discussion of Research Question 2
The literature review aligned with challenges that inhibit leadership capacity building.
The Farm’s inhibiting factors focused on high turnover of interns, time and funding challenges.
Cornelius et al. (2011) found that a majority of nonprofit organizations are not prepared to train
and retain emergent leaders due to a lack of resources. The Farm does its best to utilize its
resources to develop and retain emergent leaders for the organization and community.
The biggest challenge was the motivation of emergent leaders to persist in the leadership
program to gain the leadership skills and experiences to become effective community leaders and
successor leaders in the organization. Fink (2011) found that emergent leaders were discouraged
to assume leadership positions because of the high workload, lack of support and little financial
compensation. The Farm put in place several supports and incentives at the farm and community
college to encourage interns to remain in the programs. Even with these considerations, the
Farm could explore additional ways to support the interns as they navigate working and
attending school through understanding how to balance their schedules and to manage of the
stress of being first time college students.
The Farm explored the inhibiting factors that negatively impact the organization. The
organization had to constantly balance time and resources pursuing grants for programs with
mentoring and developing emerging leaders. The organization has found ways to mitigate the
inhibiting factors through working together as a team to address the systemic and funding issues
that hinder leadership development. The Farm has developed promising strategies to build a
pipeline of leaders who will assume leadership positions within the organization and in the
greater community.
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84
Summary
Chapter 4 presented the findings from the interviews, observations, and artifacts to
address the two research questions that illustrate the organization’s promising practices of
building leadership capacity. The Farm encouraged leadership capacity building through using a
social enterprise model, creating a leadership structure for succession planning, providing
mentoring and networking opportunities for growth and matching the right fit to the
organization. The Farm also faced challenges through high attrition rates, time constraints, and
funding challenges. Chapter 5 presents a summary of the study, implications for practice, and
recommendations for future study.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
85
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY
Many of the baby boomer generation are retiring from the workforce, which has incurred
a leadership gap in filling leadership positions for nonprofit organizations. The nonprofit sector
recognized the gap when leadership positions were not anticipated to be filled with qualified
successors (Cornelius et al., 2011; Tierney, 2006). Potential leaders are needed to ensure the
sustainability of nonprofit organizations through succession planning. In 2015, the State of the
Nonprofit Sector Survey found 76% of nonprofits reported an increase in demand for services,
yet 52% could not meet the demand (Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2015). These conditions applied
stress on nonprofits to focus on meeting the demands in service delivery with limited resources.
The importance of succession planning receded to the background as maintaining services
became paramount. Nonprofit organizations that employ a succession plan are investing in the
future leadership of the organization by identifying, developing, and retaining emerging leaders
to fill key leadership positions.
This study focused on understanding the promising leadership practices by a nonprofit
organization. Specifically, the study explored the organization’s strategies to build leadership
capacity of emerging leaders to create a succession pipeline in the organization and community.
The pipeline ensured that a steady stream of potential leaders is being groomed to become
leaders in the community, and for a few emerging leaders to carry out the mission of the
organization.
The theoretical framework of the study highlighted Kouzes and Posner’s exemplary
leadership practices that espoused inspiring a shared vision, modeling the way, and enabling
others to act (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Effective leaders exhibited these behaviors with
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
86
followers. Additionally, Transformational Leadership theory provided a lens to see leadership
behaviors as inspiring and encouraging others to reach their highest potential (Osula & Ng,
2014). The two leadership models provided a foundation to understand ways in which ideal
leadership is achieved.
Chapter 5 summarizes the purpose of the study, reviews the research questions, and
discusses the significant findings from the data gathered. Furthermore, the chapter presents
implications for practice for the organization, other nonprofit organizations and other
communities. Lastly, recommendations for future studies are shared.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to discover promising practices of leadership capacity
building in a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization. The qualitative case study examined the
organization’s strategies enlisted to develop future leaders for the organization and community.
Also, the study determined the challenges that hindered the organization’s strategies to cultivate
successor leaders.
Research Questions
The dissertation thematic group worked together to develop the research questions for the
study. The research questions addressed leadership capacity building via a qualitative case study
of a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization.
1. In what ways does a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders for the organization and community?
2. What are the challenges that inhibit the development and implementation of strategies
designed to build leadership capacity?
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
87
Data collection included eight interviews with various leaders within the organization,
three observations, and several artifacts such as program brochure, organization’s website and
leadership PowerPoint slides. The three data sources were used to triangulate the data to
increase the validity of the findings.
Summary of the Findings
Chapter 4 discussed the findings from the data gathered to answer the research questions.
The case study data found that the organization utilized a social enterprise strategy, created a
succession pipeline that embedded leadership capacity building within the programs, emphasized
mentor relationships and networking opportunities, and matched the vision and values of the
organization. The organization’s strategy developed all young adults in the organization to
become leaders in their community and potentially within the organization. Pivotal to the vision
of leadership development are the Founders, who exemplify leadership practices and behaviors.
The Founders play an essential role in the inception and implementation of the leadership
capacity building strategies. All participants talked about the influence of the Founders as
leaders and mentors. The Founders exemplified transformational leadership by their ability to
motivate and support others to their highest potential (Osula & Ng, 2014). From the beginning of
the organization, the Founders nurtured and guided interns through leadership skill building and
promoting higher education. The Founders intentionally selected interns who shared the vision
and values to ensure the right fit with the organization.
Through analyzing the data, potential leaders who shared the vision of the organization
were motivated to stay on as successors. Kouzes and Posner (2012) identified inspiring a shared
vision as a key leadership practice. The Founders and staff reinforced the vision to interns
through discussing and modeling the vision and values daily. The right fit occurs when potential
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
88
leaders and the organization’s vision and values align (Collings, 2014). The vision and values
also has to resonate with the potential leader so that they believe in the purpose of the
organization.
The Farm’s social enterprise model was used to build a leader that had the critical
thinking skills paired with hands-on work experience. Interns were groomed to become leaders
in their community through being recruited after graduating high school and given opportunities
to learn leadership skills in a supportive environment. The interview findings revealed that
interns grew through developing leadership skills and knowledge with stretching assignments
and mentoring from the Founders and core leadership team. Day (2010) endorsed developing
leadership through practicing leadership skills and receiving continuous feedback. The
environment at the Farm encouraged learning new skills in a supportive environment through
attending community college and working on the Farm. Additionally, professional development
via mentoring and networking opportunities were emphasized throughout the organization. Each
intern received mentoring from peers, staff and the Founders to create a learning environment.
Networking opportunities exposed interns to guest speakers and travel opportunities for speaking
engagements. Interns presented on the Farm’s vision of youth leadership, food sustainability,
and social enterprise. These networking opportunities provided a support system for growth that
was not readily available on their own.
The organization sifted through the initial influx of young interns to identify emerging
leaders based on their motivation to take on additional leadership responsibilities, ability to
complete tasks on the farm and in school, model the mission and values of the organization, and
take initiative to speaking in public. The interns who took the initiative to take on leadership
responsibilities, were rewarded with incentives such as higher pay, college tuition scholarship,
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
89
and travel opportunities. Collings (2014) defined talent management as the process of
identifying leadership positions and developing high performing, emerging leaders that are
committed to fulfilling key positions in the organization. The Farm has established a system of
identifying and developing emerging leaders with some success in retaining emerging leaders to
assume leadership roles on the Farm. Several challenging factors arose from the data that
hindered the organization’s leadership capacity building.
The challenges to building leadership capacity included high attrition rate of interns, time
and funding issues. An inhibiting factor was the high attrition rate of interns in the leadership
programs. While the organization identified a handful of outstanding emerging leaders, 90% of
interns dropped out or were asked to leave the program due to being unable to keep up with the
high demands of the programs. This represented a high number of interns who are either not
ready for leadership or do not want to assume leadership positions at the Farm. The Farm’s
leadership programs set high performance standards that are difficult to achieve by young interns
fresh out of high school. Even with the high drop out rate, the Farm made no apologies for its
strategy that gleans a few outstanding leaders that excel in the rigorous leadership programs.
Based on the interviews, time constraints were another inhibiting factor for staff wearing
multiple hats due to limited funded positions. Community participants observed staff were
overworked with a high needs population and vigorous work requirements. Participants
mentioned burnout as a legitimate concern for overtaxed staff at the Farm. Despite funding and
time challenges, staff believed in the vision and formed a support system with peers and the
Founders to prevent burnout.
Many nonprofits suffer from a lack of steady income from year to year. The Farm
depends on grants to cover a significant portion of the education budget. Nonprofit
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
90
organizations constantly seek and compete for grants in order to pay staff and run their programs
(Osula & Ng, 2014). The Farm also pursues grants and donations to cover the cost of staff and
programs on the education side. Conversely, the Farm enterprise is able to sustain itself through
selling produce to various vendors. The Farm hopes to expand the farming side to become more
economically self-sufficient.
Another hindering factor was the succession plan once the Founders step down from the
management of the organization. Many organizations are unable to survive when the Founder
leaves the organization. The test for the Farm is when the Founders transition out of the
organization, will they have prepared young leaders to sustain the life of the organization
(Paynter & Berner, 2014; Ricke-Kiely & McMerty-Brummer, 2012). The core leadership team
and Founder seemed positive that they are building a succession plan on both the Farm and
education side to address this dilemma. Through interviews with emerging leaders, they portray
a slightly different picture of the succession plan. From the emerging leaders’ responses, the
succession plan on the farm has been formalized, but the education side has not achieved
succession of positions. Emerging leaders are conflicted with the uncertainty of their future
career with the Farm, yet value the mentoring from core leadership staff. The Founder and core
team believe in the leadership structure that will produce the right leaders at the right time. The
core leadership team is actively grooming former interns to assume leadership positions on both
sides of the social enterprise within the next decade.
The Farm recognized early on the potential leadership gap and addressed it from the
inception of the organization. The Farm’s approach to leadership development consisted of a
formal youth leadership structure, strong cultural foundation, educated leaders, and employable
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
91
skills training. Young leaders that are motivated to persist and accept leadership roles and
responsibilities rise up as successor leaders within the organization and community.
Implications for Practice
The study provided implications for practice for the organization, nonprofits, and the
larger community context. The results from the study benefits the Hawaiian nonprofit
organization by providing information to understand what works and to develop new ways to
support their leadership capacity building. Consequently, other nonprofit organizations can learn
from the Farm’s strategies of leadership development. Through the findings, the community can
realize the value of leadership capacity building and support a new generation of young leaders
who will make a positive difference for people living in the community.
Organization Implications
Three recommendations surfaced as implications for practice for the organization. The
first recommendation addresses the high attrition rate of interns, especially during the first
semester of the YLT program. The succession pipeline is unforgiving of interns who are not
ready to accept the responsibilities of leadership. The organization can create a better integration
between work, school and personal life for interns who have no formal work or college
experience to retain interns and thereby increase the number of trained community leaders and
successor leaders for the organization. The leadership program expects interns to work part-time
on the Farm, to take a full-time college course load, and to attend leadership building activities.
Consequently, the program could retain more interns by intentionally teaching how to integrate
and balance personal and professional commitments. The participants shared that a majority of
interns leave the program because of the college requirements. Although the college provides
tutoring assistance, many of the interns do not access this support program. The Farm could
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
92
incorporate various college events such as scholarship workshops, tutoring, and life skills classes
located on the Farm to encourage active participation and address learning difficulties in a
comfortable setting. Staff could also model stress management techniques and host discussions
related to stress and time management. Additionally, the program could explore a part-time
college requirement for a select number of interns that need a more flexible schedule. By
implementing these recommendations, the program could retain interns to complete the programs
with skills to become community leaders and increase the pool of successor leaders for the
organization.
The second recommendation is moving forward with the organization’s expansion plan to
become more self-sufficient and increase the number of leaders in other career fields besides the
Farm. The organization attempted to expand to another similar community, but the plan did not
work out. Subsequently, the Farm could target other communities or other partners to realize the
expansion plan. The expansion would alleviate some of the funding challenges with more
revenue coming into the organization that can off-set the cost on the education side and expand
the organization to include more interns from different communities. Furthermore, two
emerging leaders spoke about different career paths and experiences that the Farm cannot
provide at this time. The expansion would incorporate different disciplines and different work
sites that can entice emerging leaders to move throughout the organization to achieve their
personal career goals. Moreover, other nonprofits gain insights from the study regarding
promising practices for building leadership capacity.
The third recommendation is to provide additional support and training for core
leadership staff. Because the organization has a small staff, they are expected to wear multiple
hats to operate the programs. Community partners shared that the staff worked long hours with
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
93
interns that have high needs. The organization can provide training opportunities for topics such
as time management and self-care to ensure staff are attending to their needs both professionally
and personally. A strong staff allows them to be fully present in mentoring interns and
successfully running the programs.
Nonprofit Implications
The organization serves as a role model to other community-based, non-profits working
with youth to build leadership capacity. Three recommendations can assist other nonprofit
organizations. The social enterprise model allows the organization to develop its vision of youth
leadership development in an economically disadvantaged community. Other organizations can
learn about the model through cross-training and shadowing leaders in the organization to
understand the mechanics of starting a social enterprise in their community. The organization
can begin with one nonprofit organization in a similar community that shares the vision of the
Farm. The organization can provide training workshops to staff on the model and provide
internships for leaders in the other nonprofit to observe and experience the Farm’s programs.
One of the most cost effective recommendations is implementing a mentoring program
throughout the organization. The Executive Director of the organization sets the tone by
mentoring staff and youth within the organization and engaging leaders through stretch
assignments while providing continuous feedback and support. Also, experienced staff can be
paired as mentors to newer staff to provide support and guidance. Perhaps, mentoring can be
formalized through an introductory mentor pairing at the beginning of the year and follow-ups at
least twice a month through emails, phone calls or meetings. Mentoring relationship should be
re-evaluated at the end of the year to determine if the mentor pair stays together or both parties
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
94
move on to other mentor relationships. Like mentoring, incentives are a low cost option and
easily implemented in a short amount of time.
Other nonprofits can offer incentives to entice potential leaders. The Farm offered
incentives through paying for college, work stipends, and travel opportunities. Nonprofits may
not be able to offer monetary incentives directly but could invest in other ways to develop
potential leaders. Nonprofits can offer youth, new opportunities such as job shadowing,
attending workshops, and traveling outside of their community. The Farm can share how they
were able to write for grants and solicit donations to fund their programs and incentives.
Community Implications
The Farm addressed the community challenges by focusing on the strengths of the
community which were youth leadership and the ‘aina. Directing youth towards leadership
development and investment in their future potentially changes the trajectory of the next
generation to be successful and productive citizens. The Farm’s leadership strategies could work
for similar communities in Hawai’i that want to focus on youth leadership through a social
enterprise model. The model utilized the enterprise side to teach work skills and generate
income, while the education side pays for higher education. The Farm can target several
communities for potential expansion based on land availability and a predominately low-income,
minority community.
The study can encourage community leaders to advocate for more youth leadership
programs through partnering with existing nonprofits to develop programs and working with
community businesses and donors to fund programs. Additionally, community leaders can
support youth leadership programs through inviting the Farm to share about their model.
Community leaders can take an active role by being available as volunteers, speakers, and
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
95
bridging the youth with organizations in the community. Youth could be paired with community
leaders and organizations in the community to learn leadership and job skills specific to their
career interests. The impact of the Farm can reach other communities that embrace this model
through investing in the next generation to lead positive changes in their communities.
Recommendations for Future Study
Based on the findings, four recommendations are provided for future study. Further
research on leadership capacity building through the lens of Hawaiian culture, impact of lower
social economic status, a social enterprise model and a longitudinal study to track former interns
could be explored. Although the study did not target how Native Hawaiian culture facilitated
leadership development, the interview responses and observations clearly demonstrated a strong
Native Hawaiian cultural component that drives the organization. The participants shared the
importance of Hawaiian culture and values that was the foundation of the programs. Due to the
organization situated in a predominately Native Hawaiian community and coming from Hawai’i,
the context dictates exploring culture in regards to promising leadership practices. The
recommendation will promote focusing on cultural factors that facilitate leadership capacity
building.
The next recommendation for future study is to examine socio-economic status and its
impact on leadership capacity building. The interviews revealed how the context of poverty
impacted the interns’ lives with all of the interview participants speaking about various life
trauma from domestic violence to murder. Another unforeseen finding was the lack of education
resources within the community resulting in interns being unprepared for college which
contributed towards the high attrition rate. Based on the findings, the recommendation could
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
96
promote understanding about how socio-economic status impacts leadership development and
what might support or hinder leadership capacity building.
The third recommendation for future study could further explore how a social enterprise
strategy can help to build potential leaders. From the interviews and observations, the
organization utilized a social enterprise model to run the Farm business and invest back in
emerging leaders’ education. Social enterprise attracts nonprofits because the organization can
generate their own funding rather than depend solely on grants and donations. The organization
has more autonomy to operate and staff programs based on the needs of the organization rather
than based on the ability to solicit funding. A future study can further explore how a social
enterprise model can facilitate leadership capacity building.
A final recommendation is to do a longitudinal study to track the interns that participated
in the program to examine if they gained the leadership skills needed to become leaders in the
community and organization. The interview participants shared at least one success story of an
intern who went through the leadership program and internships to assume a leadership position
in the organization. In addition, interviews with core leadership staff shared stories about past
interns who have become leaders in the community. A future study could continue to explore
which strategies worked best to build leaders in the community.
Conclusion
Leadership capacity building is crucial to forming a succession pipeline for organizations.
The study focused on a case study of a nonprofit organization’s strategies that build the next
generation of leaders. Nonprofits play a crucial role in providing valuable social services to
people in need. Successor leaders are vital to continuing the social services’ mission by filling
the leadership gap when Executive Directors retire from nonprofits, but potential leaders need
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
97
training and support. The Farm modeled promising practices of leadership capacity building by
mentoring and providing opportunities for emerging leaders to persist in the succession pipeline
for the enduring sustainability of the organization.
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98
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APPENDIX A
PARTICIPATION LETTER
Dear Participant,
You are cordially invited to participate in this study because of your position in an organization
with promising leadership practices. I am a doctoral candidate in the Rossier School of
Education at the University of Southern California completing my dissertation. The purpose of
the study is to examine your organization’s leadership capacity building that will contribute to
understanding best practices, and to assist other organizations looking to strengthen their
leadership development.
This study will address the following research questions:
1. In what ways does the organization work to build the next generation of leaders?
2. What are the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the influence of those practices?
3. What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit the development and implementation
of strategies designed to build leadership capacity?
Your participation is voluntary and at any time you may stop or withdraw from the study without
any consequences. Any identifiable information about you will be kept confidential at all times
during and after the study.
Your participation in this study will consist of the following during an 8-week period:
1. 30-45 minute interview
2. Observations in meetings, trainings, and field visits
If you have any questions or would like to participate, please contact me at ____.
Thank you for your consideration to participate in this study. Your input and contributions are
vital to the success of this study about promising leadership practices.
Shelly Tokunaga-May
Doctoral Candidate- Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
106
APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
Organization’s Name _______________________________________
Participant’s Name _______________________________________
Title of Participant _______________________________________
Location _______________________________________
Interviewer _______________________________________
Time Start_______ End_______ Total_____________
Administration:
I’d like to ask you some questions about your experience as a leader.
1. Tell me about your role in the organization.
2. What is your organization’s mission and vision?
3. Tell me about your experience as an administrator.
4. What or who influenced you the most to apply for a leadership role in this organization?
5. Tell me about how your organization prepared you for your administrative role.
Now, I’d like to ask you some questions about leadership succession planning.
6. What is your organization’s philosophy/belief about leadership capacity building?
7. What does a succession plan look like in your organization?
Probe: How is the succession plan implemented?
8. Are there any challenges to implementing your succession plan and what are they?
9. What kind of formal and informal leadership opportunities are available at your
organization?
10. How does your organization identify the next generation of leaders?
11. When you are thinking about tapping a leader what characteristics/qualities are you
looking for?
12. When you notice an individual who has those qualities, what do you do?
13. How do you support an individual who is not ready for a leadership position but is
interested?
14. Are there any individuals that have stepped into a leadership role in the last two years? If
so, how many?
15. Given the succession pipeline right now, what are some changes you might implement?
16. What do you envision those changes to look like?
17. As we finish up this interview, I want to ensure that I understand your experiences with
leadership succession. I would like to provide you an opportunity to share anything you
feel is important about building leadership capacity internally that I have not asked.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
107
Interview Protocol
Organization’s Name _______________________________________
Participant’s Name _______________________________________
Title of Participant _______________________________________
Location _______________________________________
Interviewer _______________________________________
Time Start_______ End_______ Total_____________
Teacher Leader/Community Member:
I’d like to ask you some questions about your experience as a leader.
1. Tell me about your role in the organization.
2. What is your organization’s mission and vision?
3. Tell me about your organization’s philosophy/belief about leadership capacity building.
4. How does your organization prepare leaders for administrative roles?
5. What opportunities of formal and informal leadership activities are available at your site?
6. How is it communicated to you?
7. What kind of support or opportunities have you received to pursue a leadership role or in
your current leadership position?
8. Who has been the most influential in helping you to develop in your role and how have
they assisted you in your development?
9. What traits and characteristics do you feel you possess in your leadership role?
10. Where do you see yourself in five years?
11. How do you plan to achieve these goals?
12. What changes do you feel should be implemented to build leadership capacity in your
organization?
13. What do you envision those changes to look like?
14. What do you feel are the challenges that hinder leadership opportunities in your
organization?
15. What are some barriers you faced when you transitioned into a leadership role?
16. What are some areas of growth you might want to focus on for your personal leadership
development?
17. As we finish up this interview, I want to ensure that I understand your experiences with
leadership. I would like to provide you an opportunity to share anything you feel is
important about building leadership capacity internally that I have not asked.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT
108
APPENDIX C
OBSERVATION PROTOCOL
Organization Name _______________________________________
Type of Observation _______________________________________
Location _______________________________________
Participants _______________________________________
Time Start_______ End_______ Total_____________
Observation Field Notes:
1. Describe the physical setting. Include the arrangement of the furniture and represent all
participants in the picture. Please describe the physical setting and description of
participants. Total number of participants:_________
What are you looking for? Researcher Notes
• What does the environment look like?
• Physical set up?
• How are the people grouped?
• Who is leading?
• What is the agenda?
• Time intervals on each topic?
• Diversity/ gender/ age/ ethnicities
• Attire of participants
2. Focus on the interaction between the leader and others. Write a narrative of the observed
interactions/behaviors and record verbatim of the conversations. Be sure to time stamp all
events, approximately every 10 minutes.
Time What are you looking for? Researcher Notes
• Context of interaction? (Hallway
conversation, informal/formal, etc.)
• Noteworthy interactions
• Engagement of Participants- How
actually engage are participants?
• Tone of the meeting (energy)
• Verbal/non-verbal communication
Abstract (if available)
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Tokunaga-May, Shelly
(author)
Core Title
Leadership capacity building within a Native Hawaiian nonprofit organization
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education (Leadership)
Publication Date
09/26/2016
Defense Date
09/07/2016
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
leadership capacity building,Native Hawaiian,OAI-PMH Harvest
Format
application/pdf
(imt)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Stowe, Kathy (
committee chair
), Malloy, Courtney (
committee member
), Picus, Lawrence (
committee member
)
Creator Email
shellzhi@yahoo.com,stokunag@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-305918
Unique identifier
UC11280516
Identifier
etd-TokunagaMa-4807.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-305918 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-TokunagaMa-4807.pdf
Dmrecord
305918
Document Type
Dissertation
Format
application/pdf (imt)
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Tokunaga-May, Shelly
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(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
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Tags
leadership capacity building
Native Hawaiian