{"id":{"repo_id":"tamu","oai_identifier":"oai:oaktrust.library.tamu.edu:1969.1/1600375"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/tamu/oai:oaktrust.library.tamu.edu:1969.1/1600375","repository":{"repo_id":"tamu","name":"Texas A&M University","base_url":"https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Exploring Complexity Leadership Theory: A Single-Case Study of Leading and Developing Others in a Public Electric Utility","abstract":"This qualitative case study explores leadership emergence and adaptation within a complex organizational system embedded in the Texas electric power sector. Grounded in Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), this case study examines the leadership practices of a seasoned executive, referred to as \"Howard,\" who, at the time of the study, served as Director of Generation Operations in a municipal electric utility in Central Texas. With a four-decade career that spans engineering, mid-level management, and executive leadership, Howard's experience offers a compelling example of leadership in complex, dynamic environments. Using a qualitative single-case study design, data were collected through interviews, observations, and artifact review, then analyzed through an iterative, interpretive process informed by Creswell's Data Analysis Spiral and Stake's technique of Categorical Aggregation. Analysis was guided by the core propositions of CLT: adaptive leadership, emergence, interdependence, and shared leadership. Findings indicate that Howard engaged in ongoing sensemaking and adaptation, often blending structured organizational control with emergent, collaborative approaches. His leadership was marked by deep contextual awareness, responsiveness to system interdependencies, and a preference for informal mentoring over formalized training. These behaviors fostered distributed decision-making and enabled others in the system to recognize and navigate complexity more effectively. A central insight from the study is the persistent tension, for a leader in a complex system, between maintaining structure and enabling emergence. This tension in the current case study, rather than being resolved, was navigated as part of effective complexity leadership. The findings contribute to the fields of Human Resource Development and Adult Education by demonstrating how leaders in complex systems can cultivate adaptive capacity and support system-wide learning in the face of uncertainty and changing dynamics.","abstract_html":"This qualitative case study explores leadership emergence and adaptation within a complex organizational system embedded in the Texas electric power sector. Grounded in Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), this case study examines the leadership practices of a seasoned executive, referred to as "Howard," who, at the time of the study, served as Director of Generation Operations in a municipal electric utility in Central Texas. With a four-decade career that spans engineering, mid-level management, and executive leadership, Howard's experience offers a compelling example of leadership in complex, dynamic environments. Using a qualitative single-case study design, data were collected through interviews, observations, and artifact review, then analyzed through an iterative, interpretive process informed by Creswell's Data Analysis Spiral and Stake's technique of Categorical Aggregation. Analysis was guided by the core propositions of CLT: adaptive leadership, emergence, interdependence, and shared leadership. Findings indicate that Howard engaged in ongoing sensemaking and adaptation, often blending structured organizational control with emergent, collaborative approaches. His leadership was marked by deep contextual awareness, responsiveness to system interdependencies, and a preference for informal mentoring over formalized training. These behaviors fostered distributed decision-making and enabled others in the system to recognize and navigate complexity more effectively. A central insight from the study is the persistent tension, for a leader in a complex system, between maintaining structure and enabling emergence. This tension in the current case study, rather than being resolved, was navigated as part of effective complexity leadership. The findings contribute to the fields of Human Resource Development and Adult Education by demonstrating how leaders in complex systems can cultivate adaptive capacity and support system-wide learning in the face of uncertainty and changing dynamics.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sheppard, Liam 1962-"],"institution":"Texas A&M University","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Educational Human Resource Development","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Kim, Junghwan"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Megan Patterson","Khalil Dirani"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-12","date_published":"2025-12","updated_at":"2026-08-21T16:48:40Z","subjects":["Energy","Education, Philosophy of","Education, Industrial","Education, Adult and Continuing"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/1600375","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"source_record":{"url":"https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Aoaktrust.library.tamu.edu%3A1969.1%2F1600375","prefix":"dim"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Kim, Junghwan"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Megan Patterson","Khalil Dirani"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sheppard, Liam 1962-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-03-05T21:34:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-12"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Human Resource Development"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Texas A&M University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Energy","Education, Philosophy of","Education, Industrial","Education, Adult and Continuing"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/1600375"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative case study explores leadership emergence and adaptation within a complex organizational system embedded in the Texas electric power sector. Grounded in Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), this case study examines the leadership practices of a seasoned executive, referred to as \"Howard,\" who, at the time of the study, served as Director of Generation Operations in a municipal electric utility in Central Texas. With a four-decade career that spans engineering, mid-level management, and executive leadership, Howard's experience offers a compelling example of leadership in complex, dynamic environments. Using a qualitative single-case study design, data were collected through interviews, observations, and artifact review, then analyzed through an iterative, interpretive process informed by Creswell's Data Analysis Spiral and Stake's technique of Categorical Aggregation. Analysis was guided by the core propositions of CLT: adaptive leadership, emergence, interdependence, and shared leadership. Findings indicate that Howard engaged in ongoing sensemaking and adaptation, often blending structured organizational control with emergent, collaborative approaches. His leadership was marked by deep contextual awareness, responsiveness to system interdependencies, and a preference for informal mentoring over formalized training. These behaviors fostered distributed decision-making and enabled others in the system to recognize and navigate complexity more effectively. A central insight from the study is the persistent tension, for a leader in a complex system, between maintaining structure and enabling emergence. This tension in the current case study, rather than being resolved, was navigated as part of effective complexity leadership. The findings contribute to the fields of Human Resource Development and Adult Education by demonstrating how leaders in complex systems can cultivate adaptive capacity and support system-wide learning in the face of uncertainty and changing dynamics."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Exploring Complexity Leadership Theory: A Single-Case Study of Leading and Developing Others in a Public Electric Utility"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Kim, Junghwan"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Megan Patterson","Khalil Dirani"],"dc:creator":["Sheppard, Liam 1962-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-03-05T21:34:49Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-12"],"dc:description.abstract":["This qualitative case study explores leadership emergence and adaptation within a complex organizational system embedded in the Texas electric power sector. 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Findings indicate that Howard engaged in ongoing sensemaking and adaptation, often blending structured organizational control with emergent, collaborative approaches. His leadership was marked by deep contextual awareness, responsiveness to system interdependencies, and a preference for informal mentoring over formalized training. These behaviors fostered distributed decision-making and enabled others in the system to recognize and navigate complexity more effectively. A central insight from the study is the persistent tension, for a leader in a complex system, between maintaining structure and enabling emergence. This tension in the current case study, rather than being resolved, was navigated as part of effective complexity leadership. The findings contribute to the fields of Human Resource Development and Adult Education by demonstrating how leaders in complex systems can cultivate adaptive capacity and support system-wide learning in the face of uncertainty and changing dynamics."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/1600375"],"dc:language.iso":["English"],"dc:subject":["Energy","Education, Philosophy of","Education, Industrial","Education, Adult and Continuing"],"dc:title":["Exploring Complexity Leadership Theory: A Single-Case Study of Leading and Developing Others in a Public Electric Utility"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Human Resource Development"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Texas A&M University"]},"updated_at":"2026-08-21T16:48:40Z"}