{"id":{"repo_id":"utc","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2248"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/utc/oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2248","repository":{"repo_id":"utc","name":"University of Tennessee - Chattanooga","base_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"An examination of leadership approaches in Alcoholics Anonymous as perceived by its members","abstract":"This research analyzed leadership dynamics within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-step recovery group that operates without traditional organizational structures. Although AA's Ninth Tradition emphasizes minimal formal organization, it allows the formation of service boards and committees. This contradiction raises questions about how AA functions effectively without a clearly defined leadership model. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed to identify the type of leadership present within AA and explore its impact on maintaining sobriety. Additionally, the study examined AA members' perceptions of leadership and how leadership is reflected in the organization's practices. Applying the six-phase reflexive thematic analysis by (2006), this study identified themes such as Sponsorship as Leadership, Sobriety Length as Leadership, Community as Leadership, and Service as Leadership. The findings offer valuable insights into decentralized leadership in recovery organizations and its potential to support sustained sobriety and personal growth.","abstract_html":"This research analyzed leadership dynamics within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-step recovery group that operates without traditional organizational structures. Although AA's Ninth Tradition emphasizes minimal formal organization, it allows the formation of service boards and committees. This contradiction raises questions about how AA functions effectively without a clearly defined leadership model. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed to identify the type of leadership present within AA and explore its impact on maintaining sobriety. Additionally, the study examined AA members' perceptions of leadership and how leadership is reflected in the organization's practices. Applying the six-phase reflexive thematic analysis by (2006), this study identified themes such as Sponsorship as Leadership, Sobriety Length as Leadership, Community as Leadership, and Service as Leadership. The findings offer valuable insights into decentralized leadership in recovery organizations and its potential to support sustained sobriety and personal growth.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shaw, Kelly J"],"institution":"University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Rausch, David W.","Crawford, Elizabeth K.; Harbison, John W.; Pipes, Ashleigh","College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z","subjects":["Group psychotherapy--Methods","Leadership--Psychological aspects","Substance abuse--Relapse--Prevention","Self-help groups--Treatment"],"languages":["English","eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1066","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Rausch, David W.","Crawford, Elizabeth K.; Harbison, John W.; Pipes, Ashleigh","College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Shaw, Kelly J"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2026-08-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Doctoral dissertations","Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Group psychotherapy--Methods","Leadership--Psychological aspects","Substance abuse--Relapse--Prevention","Self-help groups--Treatment"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1066"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Dept. of Applied Leadership and Learning","Ed. D.; A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Education."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research analyzed leadership dynamics within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-step recovery group that operates without traditional organizational structures. Although AA's Ninth Tradition emphasizes minimal formal organization, it allows the formation of service boards and committees. This contradiction raises questions about how AA functions effectively without a clearly defined leadership model. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed to identify the type of leadership present within AA and explore its impact on maintaining sobriety. Additionally, the study examined AA members' perceptions of leadership and how leadership is reflected in the organization's practices. Applying the six-phase reflexive thematic analysis by (2006), this study identified themes such as Sponsorship as Leadership, Sobriety Length as Leadership, Community as Leadership, and Service as Leadership. The findings offer valuable insights into decentralized leadership in recovery organizations and its potential to support sustained sobriety and personal growth."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An examination of leadership approaches in Alcoholics Anonymous as perceived by its members"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Rausch, David W.","Crawford, Elizabeth K.; Harbison, John W.; Pipes, Ashleigh","College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies"],"dc:creator":["Shaw, Kelly J"],"dc:date":["2026-08-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Dept. of Applied Leadership and Learning","Ed. D.; A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Education."],"dc:description.abstract":["This research analyzed leadership dynamics within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-step recovery group that operates without traditional organizational structures. Although AA's Ninth Tradition emphasizes minimal formal organization, it allows the formation of service boards and committees. This contradiction raises questions about how AA functions effectively without a clearly defined leadership model. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed to identify the type of leadership present within AA and explore its impact on maintaining sobriety. Additionally, the study examined AA members' perceptions of leadership and how leadership is reflected in the organization's practices. Applying the six-phase reflexive thematic analysis by (2006), this study identified themes such as Sponsorship as Leadership, Sobriety Length as Leadership, Community as Leadership, and Service as Leadership. The findings offer valuable insights into decentralized leadership in recovery organizations and its potential to support sustained sobriety and personal growth."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1066"],"dc:language":["English","eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"],"dc:relation":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"],"dc:rights":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Group psychotherapy--Methods","Leadership--Psychological aspects","Substance abuse--Relapse--Prevention","Self-help groups--Treatment"],"dc:title":["An examination of leadership approaches in Alcoholics Anonymous as perceived by its members"],"dc:type":["Doctoral dissertations","Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z"}