Veteran as Leader: the Lived Experience with Army Leader Development

193 Pages·2016·1.78 MB·English

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
UWM Digital Commons
Teses and Dissertations
May 2016
Veteran as Leader: the Lived Experience with Army
Leader Development
Michael James Kirchner
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Kirchner, Michael James, "Veteran as Leader: the Lived Experience with Army Leader Development" (2016).Teses and Dissertations.
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VETERAN AS LEADER: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE
WITH ARMY LEADER DEVELOPMENT

by

Michael J. Kirchner

A Dissertation Submitted in
Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
in Urban Education

at
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
May 2016
ABSTRACT
VETERAN AS LEADER: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE
WITH ARMY LEADER DEVELOPMENT

by
Michael J. Kirchner

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2016
Under the Supervision of Barbara J. Daley, Ph.D.

This phenomenological study examined the lived leader development experience of Post
9/11 Army veterans while serving in the armed forces. At least $10-$15 billion is spent annually
on leadership development in the United States and human resource executives claim developing
leaders is their number one priority over the next five years. Simultaneously, companies actively
hiring veterans claim the former service member's leadership abilities are their most desired
quality. Inspection of the Army’s leader development program offers an opportunity for
employers to integrate revised approaches in their own leadership development initiatives.
A purposive sample of ten Army veterans—six males and four females—ranging in age
from 18 to over 21 upon enlistment completed a leadership autobiography about their pre-
military leadership experience. The former service members were subsequently interviewed
about their leader development experience while serving in the Army. Four primary themes
emerged and outlined the lived Army leader development experience: (a) consistent first Army
experiences, (b) impact of observing, (c) performing is essential, and (d) we are all leaders
despite not understanding the process. A discussion about the study’s purpose, review of
pertinent literature, data collection and analysis process, and findings are presented. The paper
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concludes with an examination of the findings; offers implications for the Army, veterans, and
employers; and proposes future research.

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© Copyright by Michael J. Kirchner, 2016
All Rights Reserved

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Dedication
From high school coaches and teachers to the office managers, program directors, and C-
level executives, great leadership is not an inherent trait or behavior. This study is for those who
intentionally develop their capacity to lead.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………ii
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………..x
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………..xi
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………xii
CHAPTER
I. Introduction……………..……………………………………………………………..1
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………4
Research Question………………..……………………………………….5
Need for Study……………………………………………………….…....5
Significance of the Study………………………………………………...10
Participants……………………………………………………………….15
Return on Investment…………………………………………………….17
Intent……………………………………………………………………..17
Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………..18
Leadership Definitions…………………………………………………...20
Limitations………………………………………………………….........22
Assumptions……………………………………………………………...23
Conclusion……………………………………………………………….25
II. Literature Review……………………...……………………………………………27
Method………………………………………………………………...…27
Leaders and Leadership………………………………………………….29
Leadership Development………………………………………………...33
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Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities………………………………………...36
Leadership Development in Human Resource Development……………38
Army Leader Development………………………………………………41
History of Leader Development………………………………………….41
Defining Army Leaders and Army Leader Development………………..44
Types of Leadership……………………………………………………...46
Levels of Leadership……………………………………………………..47
Roles of Leaders…………………………………………………………48
Attributes and Competencies……………….……………………………49
Army Leadership Traits, Knowledge, and Skills………………….….….53
Leader Development Model……………………………………………..54
Domains of Learning…………………………………………………….55
Methodologies…………………………………………………………...57
Contradictions and Considerations………………………………………59
Significance………………………………………………………………61
Conclusion……………………………………………………………….64
III. Methodology……….……………………………..………………………………….65
Philosophical Framework………………………………………………..65
Research Question Restated……………………………………………...68
Sampling Strategy and Rational………………………………………….69
Data Collection Methods………………………………………………...72
Data Storage and Confidentiality………………………………………...78
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………….79
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Data Quality Control……………………………………………………..84
Conclusion……………………………………………………………….87
IV. Findings……………………………………………………………………………...89
Participant Profiles……………………………………………………….89
Themes…………………………………………………………………...96
Theme One……………………………………………………………….96
Theme Two……………………………………………………………..103
Theme Three……………………………………………………………110
Theme Four……………………………………………………………..120
Summary………………………………………………………………..127
V. Conclusion…...……………………………………………………………………..128
Discussion of Findings………………………………………………….128
Theme One……………………………………………………………...129
Theme Two……………………………………………………………..130
Theme Three……………………………………………………………132
Theme Four……………………………………………………………..134
Conclusions……………………………………………………………..136
Implications for Traditional Workforce………………………………...138
Implications for Army Leader Development…………………………...139
Implications for Veterans……………………………………………….141
Mutual Benefit for Employers and Veterans…………………………...141
Future Research………………………………………………………...144
Summary...……………………………………………………………...146
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VI. References…....……………………………………………………………………..148
VII. Appendices……………….…………………………………………………………167
Appendix A: Request to Participate…………….....................................167
Appendix B: Consent to Participate………………………………….…169
Appendix C: Data Collection for Leadership Autobiography………….171
Appendix D: Interview Guide…………………………………………..172
VIII. Curriculum Vitae……………………….......….…………………………………...176

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