Date of Conferral
8-27-2024
Date of Award
August 2024
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Management
Advisor
Jean Gordon
Abstract
Faith leaders [FLs] have launched interventions and partnerships to improve health care in rural communities in the United States, yet these areas still experience unfavorable health outcomes in comparison to other areas. The purpose of this study was to explore how a sample of nine FLs perceive and experience their roles as agents for social change in collaborative healthcare partnerships that focus on community health in the rural Delmarva region of the United States. The conceptual framework that informed the work was based on the social-ecological model [SEM] and transformational leadership theory. A qualitative, interpretative description research design was employed, and a constant comparative analysis of data was performed. Findings revealed that participating FLs were social agents for addressing personal and community health issues; they did so by collaborating with other institutional partners, identifying and using organizational environments to appropriate resources to aid positive healthcare outcomes, and guiding and moving others to action. Specific transformational FL actions, along with collaborative partnerships, contributed to positive health outcomes within specific subsystems of the SEM. The findings suggest that transformational FLs, as community-as-system leaders, can positively affect community ills and help reduce shortages of health resources and improve health outcomes in rural areas, thus contributing to positive social change.
Recommended Citation
Trotter Jr, Paul Stephen, "Faith Leaders' Perceptions and Experiences of Advancing Collaborative Health Care Partnerships Focused on Community Health" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16308.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16308
