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HUMAN CENTEREDNESS; THE FOUNDATION FOR LEADERSHIP-AS-PRACTICE IN COMPLEX LOCAL/REGIONAL FOOD NETWORKS A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Graduate School of Leadership & Change Antioch University In partial fulfillment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by MaryAnn Martinez ORCID Scholar No. 0000-0003-3942-222X February 2021 HUMAN CENTEREDNESS; THE FOUNDATION FOR LEADERSHIP-AS-PRACTICE IN COMPLEX LOCAL/REGIONAL FOOD NETWORKS This dissertation, by MaryAnn Martinez, has been approved by the committee members signed below who recommend that it be accepted by the faculty of Graduate School of Leadership & Change Antioch University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Dissertation Committee: Donna Ladkin, PhD, Committee Chair Aqeel Tirmizi, PhD, Committee Member Claire Reinelt, PhD, Committee Member ii Copyright © 2021 MaryAnn Martinez All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT HUMAN CENTEREDNESS; THE FOUNDATION FOR LEADERSHIP-AS-PRACTICE IN COMPLEX LOCAL/REGIONAL FOOD NETWORKS MaryAnn Martinez Graduate School of Leadership & Change Yellow Springs, OH Our local and regional food systems are predominately modeled on a failed capitalist market- based economy. In the absence of corporate accountability, and/or support on the federal policy level, local and regional leadership and self-organized networks are critical to the scaling across and evolution of a moral and equitable food system. Networked food systems leaders are developing the capacity to solve wicked problems, and spark change. Understanding the values and practices of local food systems leadership, that initiate, influence, and support activities is essential to understanding how to foster conditions for local and regional food network growth. My dissertation research is designed to better understand the leadership practices, values and use of power which contribute to the flourishing of food system networks. In this mixed method study, I set out to answer the question, “What is the nature of leadership in emerging local and regional food networks that provides the foundation for a network to strengthen and scale?” The leadership practices, values, and use of power in three local/regional food networks are studied; synthesizing social network analysis data with semi structured interviews, using the results of an iterative thematic analysis as the foundation from which to consider a critical analysis. This dissertation establishes Human Centeredness as a foundation for Leadership as Practice to occur in self-organized food systems networks. Human Centeredness, for the purposes of my framework and model, is a recognition of the importance and contribution that relationships and iv connection, essentially a human centered way of being make to laying the foundation for leadership as practice to occur. The findings also reveal the need for a greater understanding of the importance of power and accessing various forms of power within and beyond the known boundaries of networks. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/. Keywords: Crisis, Food Systems, Leadership, Self-Organized Networks, Social Change v Acknowledgements First, I wish to thank my dissertation committee. Without their guidance, and patience I would not have made it, certainly not through a change in chairs and dissertation work during the pandemic. I am so grateful for Dr. Aqeel Tirmizi and Dr. Claire Reinelt who served as my committee members, and Dr. Donna Ladkin, my Chair, who all went above and beyond to help me reach my goal. Without you believing in me, I could not have gotten this done. I also want to acknowledge the many scholars and practitioners, who I have quoted and cited throughout my dissertation, for their prior work which provided immense inspiration to the ideas central to my research. A special thanks to June Holley, not only for her prior work, but her support and the many conversations. In addition, a big shout out to all the network weavers out there, in particular the folks from the Well-Being Equity and Bridging Community of Practice, and the Antioch Leadership and Change program C-16. I learned and practiced many of the concepts addressed in this dissertation in some way with all you. Our conversations helped me build the foundation for my work. It has been such a pleasure. Of course, a huge thank you to the individuals from the three food systems networks that generously agreed to share their stories with me. Without you and all you do these networks would not exist. Also, to my friends, especially my best friend Cheryl Lozano, and children Matthew, Jasmine, and Jonathan: you put up with me being distracted and missing many events the last 5 years. I am forever grateful for your patience and understanding. I hope to have time now to reconnect with each of you. vi Finally, to my dog Sid whose constant companionship and unconditional comfort helped me through the dark times of writing a dissertation, in isolation, during Covid-19. It is time to celebrate; Sid you earned this degree right along with me. vii Table of Contents Abstract iv Acknowledgements vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 The Backstory Behind the Problem 5 Inherited Wealth and Privilege 5 Capitalism and Commodification 6 Neo-liberalism and Globalization 6 The Climacteric 7 Failing Food Systems 9 Food Oppression 10 A New Leadership is Needed 14 Change is Necessary 17 From Food Oppression to Food Sovereignty 17 Evolutionary Reconstruction, Traditional or Radical Reform 19 Positionality 20 Overview/Researcher Background 20 Purpose of the Study 26 Rational and Significance of the Study 26 Delimitations, Assumptions and Limitations 28 Delimitations 28 Assumptions 29 Limitations 30 Organization of the Rest of the Study 30 Chapter II 30 Chapter III 30 Chapter IV 31 Chapter V 31 CHAPTER II: A REVIEW OF RELEVANT THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE 32 The Food Movement 33 Complexity in Food Systems Networks 41 viii Self-Organized Societal Shifting Network Praxis 43 Large Scale Transformative Change 44 A Networked Approach 46 The Role of Social Networks in Diffusion and Scaling Across 47 Hierarchy, Power and Control 48 A Networked Style of Leadership 49 Leadership Toward Systemic Change 50 The Prior Work on a Networked Style of Leadership 51 Network Mindset & Practices 54 Leadership-as-Practice 58 Network Leadership Through the Lens of Transformative Social Innovation Theory 62 Primary Research Question 64 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY/GUIDING QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH PROCEDURES 65 Purpose and Goals 65 Social Network Analysis 66 Why Understanding Networks is Important 66 What is Social Network Analysis 67 Technical Aspects of the Research Process 69 Description of my Design 70 The Background and Rationale for my Design 70 Phase I- Social Network Analysis of the Three Local/Regional Food Networks 71 Selection and Recruitment 73 Network Survey Question Design 75 Phase II - Interviews 77 Background and Reasoning for Semi-structured Interview 77 Interview Methodology 78 Selection Criteria for Interviews 78 The Interviews 79 Interview Questions 79 Analysis: Transcribing and Coding 80 ix Ethics 81 Research Limitations 83 CHAPTER IV: PRESENTATION OF THE FINDINGS 84 Review of Methods and Approach 84 The Research Process 85 Identifying Interview Candidates 85 Interviews 88 Further Context Regarding my Findings 89 Leadership Profiles 90 Helen 90 Joanne 95 Rachel 96 Jackie 98 Andrew 99 Review of My Initial Findings 102 Connecting (40) 104 Relational or Relational Ways of Leading (39) 104 Leadership in the Spaces Between 106 Jim, Will, and Rick 107 Cheryl, Addie, Helen, and Others 108 The Broader Network and Community Beyond the Network 109 Values Findings 112 Generosity, Trust, and Respect 114 Generosity 114 Trust 115 Respect 115 Community and Sense of Place 115 Power Findings 118 Findings as Applicable to the Research Questions 121 Connecting 122 Connecting and Cultivating 123 x Connecting and Collaborating 124 Connecting and Stepping Forward 125 Collaborative and Supportive 125 Another Co-occurrence Action Oriented/Circulates Ideas &Practices/Action Oriented & Boots on the Ground 126 The Findings in Light of Research Sub-Questions 128 The Values Sub-Question 128 Generosity 128 Trust 130 Respect 131 Themes Consistent with the Literature Sub-Question 132 Other Factors Sub-Question 134 Emergent Leadership Themes 135 Intentional 135 Passionate 136 Emergent Values Themes 137 Community and Sense of Place 137 Emergent Power Themes 140 Power and Influence 140 Answering My Primary Question 141 CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS 143 Discussion of Key Research Findings 144 Research Questions 145 Network Leadership Practices Do Not Occur in Isolation 146 Human Centeredness is the Foundation for Leadership as Practice in Networks 148 Human Centeredness as the Foundation for Practice is Relational 149 Human Centeredness as the Foundation for Practice is Intentional 151 Human Centered Practice is Passionate 152 Human Centeredness as the Foundation for Practice Leadership Beyond the Individual 153 Summary of Human Centeredness 156 The Work of the Network Guardian 157 xi Summary of my Findings Curating and Network Guardianship 158 Power and Networked Leadership 158 Summary on Power 161 Conclusion 163 Limitations of My Research 163 Implications for Network Leadership Practice 164 Recommendations for Local and Regional Food Systems Networks 165 Additional Recommendations for Future Research 166 Closing