Distributed Leadership: Theorizing a Mindful Engagement Component

The distributive leader cannot influence organizational performance without taking into consideration the capabilities of team members to achieve a common goal (McIntyre, 2003; Harris, 2003). To leverage the capabilities of teams, distributive leaders need to be mindfully attentive in establishing a collective interpretation of the current organizational situation. However, establishing a collective interpretation may not be effective if distributive leaders do not initially consider the importance of creating group learning environments to engage diverse group members (Ashford & DeRue, 2012). The purpose of this integrative literature review is to explore theoretical and empirical research examining the potential of mindful engagement as a prospective component of distributed leadership. It considers the existing knowledge base on distributed leadership at the group level, addresses some assumptions and misconceptions associated with leadership practices across diverse groups, and highlights a few areas for further attention, including diverse groups in the workplace and leadership practices in group settings. The review concludes by proposing mindful engagement as a potential component of distributed leadership that could significantly enhance the future development of leadership practices in organizations

Brain Science and Parent-School Relationships in a Title 1 Elementary School in Massachusetts: A Basic Qualitative Study

Bandura\u27s (1977) social cognitive theory contends that people think, learn, and perform based upon a sum of personal (e.g., beliefs, emotions, behaviors), social (home-school relationships), and environmental (school culture). Also, research has already determined that collaboration between home and school leads to better children\u27s social-emotional learning (SEL) (August, Anderson, & Bloomquist, 1992; Cooper & Redfern, 2016; Grant & Ray, 2018). Thus, a basic qualitative research tradition was used to better understand elementary public-school parents\u27 perceptions of the impact of parent-school relationships on children SEL development in a Title 1 school in Massachusetts (MA). Thru the lenses of brain science, a broad research question guided the inquiry: What social and cultural factors, if any, may impact parent-school relationships in a Title 1 school in MA from a brain science perspective? The researchers used two forms of data collection: (a) open-ended interviews with five parents, and (b) field notes. The data was collected, transcribed, member checked, coded and thematically analyzed. Results indicated that all parents have a genuine interest and desire to support the social and emotional growth of their kids and establish good relationships with the school. The overreaching themes derived from the analysis indicated that the following may impact parent-school relationships: 1) lack of culturally sensitive information, 2) teachers\u27 attitudes and beliefs, and 3) rhetoric utilized in school communications (e.g., language and tone of school policies). Interestingly, the reflective process did not only allow parents to gain more expansive understandings of the major social and cultural challenges that hinder strong rapports with teachers, but also provided them with insightful suggestions for possible partnerships efforts such as, creating a communication effort, and creating a welcoming environment