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College of Doctoral Studies

Center for
Leadership Studies &
Organizational Research

Research through the lens of business and organization

Dr. Rodney Luster, Chair
Dr. Erik Bean, Assoc. Chair

About the center

The Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research (CLSOR) regards the spectrum of business and organization as all encompassing, where the potentials of scholar practitioner engagement intersect with industry dynamics to uncover the possibilities that emerge with research applied.

Rodney Luster, Ph.D., LPC

Research Chair

Dr. Rodney Luster has been with the University since 2012. Rodney Luster is the Senior Director of Research Strategy, Innovation and Development for the Research Center Enterprise (RSE) within the College of Doctoral Studies

Dr. Erik Bean

Assoc Research Chair

Dr. Erik Bean has provided leadership within the University of Phoenix network for more than 20 years serving various roles from associate faculty to department chair to chairing dissertations. 

To be recognized through the pursuits and outcomes of scholarly research in leadership and organization as the most trusted provider of career-relevant research concerning the practitioner doctorate degree in higher education for advancing the professional life of working adults.

Scholarly leadership is defined as a transformative relationship among experienced and aspiring Scholar/Practitioner/Leaders who intend, through the production and application of research, to advance their professional life and the community of scholarship.

  • We believe that planning, preparing, and producing effective and efficient research studies are demonstrations of scholarly leadership.
  • We believe in modeling the way towards creating and disseminating educational and leadership research for the purposes of professional development.
  • We exist to inspire, support, and guide the professional development of University of Phoenix faculty through scholarly leadership.
    • Potentiating the development of research and its dissemination with University of Phoenix faculty.
    • Professional development through scholarly leadership.

The Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research [CLSOR] welcomes all interested parties to join our center via the following registration form.

Affiliating with CLSOR offers tremendous benefits for those interested in learning more about the research we engage in, as well as opportunities for collaboration on research endeavors [projects], publishing potentials, conferences, quarterly meeting invites to see what the center is offering, and simply being able to become part of a community of researchers.

We welcome your interest in the Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research led by Dr. Rodney Luster [Chair] and Dr. Erik Bean [Associate Chair]. Registering for the center means you will receive updates related to the CLSOR regarding upcoming conference events, workshops you might be interested in, and ways you might wish to engage the center further. Please fill out this form in its entirety. Below is also contact information for CLSOR leaders, which you may reach out to at any time.

Being engaged with a center like CLSOR can also be career-impacting! We offer opportunities for faculty, staff, and alumni to publish, engage in experiments, drive impactful research, publish in the Phoenix Scholar periodical, maintain a blog, build conference acumen by attending our annual Research Summit as either presenters or guests, get involved in planning a national conference, develop and publish whitepapers around thought-leadership, conduct workshops, attend workshops on everything from new survey technology to rigorous research methodologies, just to name a few things.

For students especially, you can engage the center for a variety of research-related content,  volunteer to be an assistant researcher, publish in the Phoenix Scholar periodical during special issues focused on students, or get involved with our annual conference, and become a student presenter at the annual "Research Summit." For alumni, we also invite you to stay on and continue the journey by becoming a Fellow in Residence [You can use that title as a CV builder], engage in our publishing projects, and join us as we apply for international conferences, and more! Much awaits!

Your Center contacts:

Dr. Rodney Luster- Chair for the Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research-contact info- rodney.luster@gmail.com

Dr. Erik Bean-Associate Chair- profbean@gmail.com

The following are open writing/publishing projects for 2024.

University of Phoenix Opportunities

Paper submissions

Phoenix Scholar-Spring 2024 edition [Theme to be posted soon]-Contact-Dr. Erik Bean to find out additional information and submit an article proposal. You can also find out more here on the Phoenix Scholar page under Current Calls.

Phoenix Scholar-Call for editors for the Spring upcoming issue. Please contact Dr. Rodney Luster for details at rodney.luster@phoenix.edu [subject line-Guest Editor interest].

Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research Project Open

Whitepapers-The University, in coordination with the Career Institute, seeks and CLSOR, seek authors for the following professional whitepaper topics:

  • Zombie Leadership-How some outdated leadership practices may still persist
  • Technology Integration in Educational Leadership: Examines the role of technology in enhancing educational leadership practices, including the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and virtual collaboration tools.
  • Investigate the challenges and opportunities associated with the digital transformation of educational leadership
  • Career Change-The emerging shift in PhD holders and their need in Industry R&D.
  • How adopting a disposition of optimism can change perceptions of work.
  • Career switching: How macroeconomic events have altered career orientations.
  • "The Great Betrayal"-Why collective trust in full-time employment is faltering.
  • Employer's imperative in designing jobs incorporating" skill variety" to enhance employee motivation in the next decade.
  • Employee Sustainability: Moving from traditional job grading to enhanced skills development using untapped "skill data."

Whitepapers may be used for publication and our media team or the Career Institute and offer the chance for faculty to gain scholarship credits towards their faculty requirements. For Alumni and others, it is the chance to begin publishing or add to your CV. If you are interested, please reach out to Dr. Rodney Luster at rodney.luster@phoenix.edu [subject line-Whitepaper interests].

Academic Blogging-We are always looking for solid evidenced-based blogs and blogging offers the chance to get your name out, stamp current research and tease it through a blog, develop a network of followers, and more. If you are interested, please reach out to Dr. Rodney Luster at rodney.luster@phoenix.edu [subject line-Interests in Blogging].

External Opportunities

American Psychological Association-Journal of Diversity in Higher Education-Practice briefs- link

IGI Global Publishers- review here the various calls-link for other calls

American Psychological Association -Psychology of Leaders and Leadership- Link

Sage Journals-Trust in Uncertain Times- Link.

If interested in publishing with other fellows, please let me know at rodney.luster@phoenix.edu [subject line-[Interest in external publishing with others]

CLSOR provides a lens through which leadership and organization may be examined from all vantage points, utilizing the conduits of research and reporting out through major conferences, publications and innovative projects.

From the International Leadership Association (ILA) and the Qualitative Report (TQR)  to the American Psychological Association (APA), CLSOR members can be found at these and many other top tiered conferences working together with other researchers to bring to the table the latest in research concerning the wide prospects of topical matter within the field of leadership and organizational research. We welcome you to the many possibilities the center can offer.

Fellows in Residence

The Fellows in Residence role has been designed to usher in the potentials of like-minded researchers who desire to become part of the research enterprise. The Research Centers implemented the voluntary role in 2020, and has since grown the cadre of fellows who work within each center. We continue to invite those who are interested in becoming fellows to reach out to each center for more information.

Meet the fellows

Need a little help with your research project?

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