Date of Award
Fall 2026
Document Type
Abstract
Degree Name
Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL)
Department
Organizational Leadership
First Advisor
Dr. Bethany Peters
Second Advisor
Dr. Jolene Erlacher
Abstract
Project Type Applied Leadership Development Intervention and Program Evaluation Project Overview This capstone project designed, implemented, and evaluated Consulting 101 for Early Career Professionals, a leadership development workshop addressing factors associated with affective organizational commitment. Conducted within a multidisciplinary engineering consulting firm, the intervention focused on career growth visibility, strengths awareness, role clarity, self-efficacy, and perceived organizational support. Eleven early-career professionals participated in a one-day workshop in September 2026. A descriptive program evaluation incorporated pre-workshop assessments, immediate post-workshop surveys, facilitator observations, and a three-week follow-up assessment. Post-workshop ratings were favorable across all five developmental constructs, with perceived organizational support receiving the highest mean (4.88 out of 5). All six valid follow-up respondents reported greater career development clarity, and five reported applying workshop concepts. Project Themes The project drew upon organizational commitment theory, organizational socialization, Self-Determination Theory, and strengths-based development. Central themes included professional confidence, career ownership, organizational support, mentoring, and workplace relationships. The intervention emphasized competence, autonomy, and relatedness as important foundations for professional development and organizational connection. Contributions to the Field of Leadership This project demonstrates how strategic leadership theories can inform practical approaches to early-career professional development. It emphasizes the responsibility of organizational leaders to support employees beyond technical training and performance expectations. The findings highlight the potential value of structured developmental experiences, leadership accessibility, and opportunities for professional connection. The evaluation also identifies the importance of supervisory reinforcement and continued developmental support beyond a single workshop. Real-world Implications Following the pilot, executive leadership directed broader implementation across organizational regions. Recommendations include incorporating more interactive instruction, considering generational and career-stage research, strengthening supervisor involvement, reinforcing individual development plans, and establishing continuing development opportunities. Refined assessment metrics and longitudinal evaluations are recommended to examine sustained learning, affective commitment, career progression, and employee retention. Although participants reported favorable experiences and preliminary application of learning, the pilot did not establish causal effects or measure long-term changes in organizational commitment or retention.
Recommended Citation
Lloyd, R. A. (2026). Consulting 101: Evaluating a Strategic Leadership Intervention to Strengthen Early-Career Engagement and Affective CommitmentAbstract. [Doctoral capstone abstract, Southeastern University]. FireScholars. https://firescholars.seu.edu/dsl-abstracts/42