Research Interests

  • Mental model development for expert performance

  • Leadership development in organizational settings

  • Team cognition and shared mental models

  • Enterprise learning technology for skill development

Select Publications

Mangusheva, K. & Martinez, S.A. (2024). How can we design to positively impact individual decision making? Chapter in West, R. E., Kopcha, T. J., Stefaniak, J. E., & Dennen, V. P. (Eds.), Psychology of Design (1st ed.). EdTech Books. 

Martinez, S. A., Harrington, S., Achilles, C., Mohammed, H., & Tjan, P. (2023). Applying Gibbons’ architectural instructional design approach to evaluate non-profit training. Performance Improvement Journal, 62(6), 205-212.

Martinez, S.A. & Leija, N. (2023). Distinguishing servant leadership from transactional and transformational leadership. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 25(3).

Martinez, S.A. & Kim, E. (2023). Careers in corporate learning and development. In R.E. West & H. Leary (Eds.), Becoming an LIDT Professional (2nd ed.). EdTech Books.

Bharwaney, R., Martinez, S.A., Panathula, M., Dalto, J., Maya, A., & Kopasz, L. (2022). Virtual reality in workplace learning: Affordances, limitations, and future directions. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 11(4).

Martinez, S.A. (2022). Developing servant leaders in non-profit settings.  Journal of Nonprofit Innovation, 2(2).

Martinez, S.A. & Whiting, J. (2020). Designing informal learning environments. In J. K. McDonald & R. E. West (Eds.), Design for Learning: Principles, Processes, and Praxis. EdTech Books.

Martinez, S.A. (2016). From novice to expert: The development of a servant leader (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University). (PDF 1.9MB)

Martinez, S.A. (2010). The faith-intellect relationship in higher education: Spiritually strengthening learning environments (Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University).

My Research

The development of expertise plays a critical role in enhancing individual and organizational performance. In my work, I seek to understand how expertise is developed through the lens of leadership. Specifically, my goal is to discover the conditions that both promote and undermine the mental model development of leaders. I also seek to understand the technologies that enhance or accelerate the learning process from novice to expert in organizations. To accomplish these aims, I draw on the literatures of adult learning, expertise, leadership development, and performance improvement. In this manner, my work is interdisciplinary.

In the Spring of 2022 I launched my research lab with an overarching focus on expertise development. Specifically, my research centers on exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and socio-emotional dimensions of expertise development. In my lab we are currently pursuing three specific research threads with associated projects for each: (1) mental model development behind expert performance; (2) servant leader development; and (3) learning technology.

Dissertation Summary

In completing a systematic review of the literature pertaining to the servant leadership (SL) construct I identified several underexplored areas of SL theory. Of note, Parris and Peachey (2013), Hunter, Neubert, Perry, Witt, Penney, and Weinberger (2013), and Liden, Wayne, Liao, and Meuser (2014) argued for more research to understand the antecedents of servant leadership or how one becomes a servant leader. To address this space, and to understand how to develop conscientiousness and ethical leaders, for my dissertation I sought to explore how individuals develop into servant leaders.

My dissertation, titled From Novice to Expert: The Development of a Servant Leader, examined how a collection of identified servant leaders develop their behavioral style and attitudinal approach over time, highlighting the importance of understanding the cumulative effect that training (micro and macro) and trigger experiences have on a servant leader’s development. I include the abstract of my dissertation below:

This study borrows from Avolio and Gibbons’ (1988) life span work, Aviolio’s (2005) work on the life stream of a leader, Murphy and Johnson’s (2011) work of life lessons in leadership development, and Shamir and Eilam’s (2005) life stories research to explore how servant leaders develop the attributes and behaviors associated with servant leadership. Fourteen servant leaders representing multiple congregational units at various hierarchical levels from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organization were used to research the phenomenon.

This research utilized a grounded, inductive, and interpretive case study approach to collect and analyze data. To identify the presence and practice of servant leadership the SL-7 instrument was used (Liden, Wayne, Meuser, Hu, Wu, & Liao, 2015). Once the servant leaders were identified, in order to produce thick, rich descriptions, I employed a case study method to collect data through three principle activities: (1) conducting semi-structured interviews with the identified pool of servant leaders; (2) reviewing a target sample of training activities and documents; and (3) observing relevant training meetings. In total, this yielded over 500 pages of single-spaced text data from which to analyze.

The data was analyzed following the procedures established for inductive research aimed at building theory, found in the work of Creswell (2009), Van Maanen (1979), Gioia, Corley, & Hamilton (2013), Corley and Gioia (2004), and Corbin and Strauss (2014). This approach guided the completion of four steps of analysis from establishing first-order codes, to creating theoretical sub-categories and categories, which then converged into aggregate theoretical dimensions. The five aggregate theoretical dimensions I discovered were: (1) exposure to models of servant leader behavior; (2) intra-organizational leadership experience; (3) leader training; (4) spiritual learning; and (5) extra-organizational factors.

From the resulting aggregate theoretical dimensions I formed and proposed a conceptual model of servant leader development. Implications of the model are also discussed through the lens of instructional design, leader development, and performance improvement. This study highlights the need for additional research on training design decisions that are optimal for developing servant leaders, the specific mechanisms involved in an effective proto-servant leadership experiences (like the LDS Mission), the role of peer and follower (i.e., 360 degree) feedback in servant leader development, and servant leader development in different contexts.

I defended my dissertation and officially graduated with distinction in May 2016. My committee included the following members:

References

Avolio, B. J., & Gibbons, T. C. (1988). Developing transformational leaders: A life span approach.

Burton, L., & Peachey, J. (2013). The call for servant leadership in intercollegiate athletics. Quest, 65(3), 354-371.

Corbin, J., & Streuss, J. (2007). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and processes for developing grounded theory (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Corley, K. G., & Gioia, D. A. (2004). Identity ambiguity and change in the wake of a corporate spin-off. Administrative Science Quarterly, 49(2), 173-208.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Gioia, D. A., Corley, K. G., & Hamilton, A. L. (2013). Seeking qualitative rigor in inductive research notes on the Gioia methodology. Organizational Research Methods, 16(1), 15-31.

Jenkins, M., & Stewart, A. C. (2010). The importance of a servant leader orientation. Health Care Management Review, 35(1), 46-54.

Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Liao, C., & Meuser, J. D. (2014). Servant leadership and serving culture: Influence on individual and unit performance. Academy of Management Journal, 57(5), 1434-1452.

Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Meuser, J. D., Hu, J., Wu, J., & Liao, C. (2015). Servant leadership: Validation of a short form of the SL-28. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(2), 254-269.

Murphy, S. E., & Johnson, S. K. (2011). The benefits of a long-lens approach to leader development: Understanding the seeds of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(3), 459-470.

Parris, D. L., & Peachey, J. W. (2013). A systematic literature review of servant leadership theory in organizational contexts. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(3), 377-393.

Shamir, B., & Eilam, G. (2005). “What’s your story?” A life-stories approach to authentic leadership development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 395-417.

Van Maanen, J. (1979). The fact of fiction in organizational ethnography. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(4), 539-550.