Dr. Pauline B. Elwin, a native of the Commonwealth of Dominica in the eastern Caribbean, past student of the Convent Prep and Convent High School graduated from Northern University on May 7, 2022. Dr. Elwin, is the first woman, first woman of colour and first Caribbean woman at Northwest University to successfully defend her doctoral dissertation defense for a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership.
Dr. Elwin conducted an original mixed methods grounded theory research study, (Exploring the Relationship of Transformational Leadership on the Effects of Employee Job Satisfaction since the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic Era) in a government organization which suggests theoretical and practical implications for organizations and leadership, used for improving leadership and employee development in any organization in meeting their work functions and desired outcomes successfully regardless of disruptive change. Dr. Elwin’s sample which consisted of local employees in a government organizations utilized two validated surveys and open-ended interviews which she conducted with the same participants thus enabling triangulation of the study. Dr. Elwin used a nonparametric measure of Somers’d in the analysis of her data; which concluded that in general transformational leadership is indeed a leadership style used to respond to change, the imputation of such leadership styles of adaptive and situational leadership can leverage the direction and structure in sustaining the workforce through unprecedented change.
Dr. Elwin holds an EdD. in Organizational Leadership/Business and Consulting as well as a Master of Applied Leadership Theory degree from Northwest University. Dr. Elwin also holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology with a political science background from Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and a certificate in Dispute Resolution.
As a global thought leader and practitioner, her original research on women in leadership mitigating global crises took her as a doctoral candidate to the Global International Leadership Association Conference in Geneva, Switzerland where she presented with peers on the traits of successful women leaders. Dr. Elwin has also presented on such platforms as Healthcare and Leadership in 2021 and will be presenting at the 6th Annual Women in Leadership Conference in June 2022. Dr. Elwin will also be one of the main presenters at an inaugural Leadership series, ‘Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Leadership Stories of Wise Women also in June, 2022.
As a government employee with past roles as a senior grants and contracts manager, regional contracts manager who has worked for both city and state government in different states, she is an advocate for employees’ rights in her role as a union steward. Dr. Elwin is a member of the Leadership Management Committee in her government entity and well as a strategic communication consultant, researcher, leadership coach and transformational leadership powerhouse. She is a member of the executive leadership board for Leadership and Peace at the International Leadership Association.
“This journey has been nothing short of pure sacrifice through unprecedented change for me. I thank God for holding me and giving me the opportunity to achieve greatness. I am thankful to my committee members at Northwest University for guiding me through this doctoral journey and my family and friends who have been cheering me on and supporting me throughout”.
As Dr. Elwin notes, “ I have observed and learned from standing on the shoulders of giants. With change, leaders need to step back and evaluate their leadership praxis and be apt with the most appropriate leadership styles to achieve desired outcomes when leading regardless of change. I look forward to assisting organizations in navigating and strategically executing plans that drive successful outcomes while teaching others leadership theory and practice. Leadership is a significant component when leading others. Kouzes and Posner (2017) postulated, leadership is indeed an affair of the heart”.
Picture: Dr. Elwin with the President and Dean of the Center for Leadership Studies getting hooded at graduation.
