Dr. Cynthia "Cindy" Crowder
Education
- Ph.D. - Business Administration, University of Tennessee - 2007
Cindy L. Crowder, Ph.D. is Department Chair and Associate Professor of Human Resource Development of the Department of Human Resource Development & Performance Technologies at Indiana State University. She teaches courses in International and Cross-Cultural Training, Work-Life Integration, Characteristics of Human Resource Development, Career Development, and Evaluation. Prior to her career in academia, she worked in the hospitality industry for 10 years in the areas of event planning, employee development, training, and staffing. Her academic publications focus on work-life integration, teaching methods & strategies, career development, employee discrimination.
Ph.D., Business Administration – Human Resource Development, University of Tennessee
M.S., Human Resource Development, Indiana State University
B.S., English Teaching, Indiana State University
Peer-reviewed Publications
Crowder, C. L., & Clark, A. (2016). Career exploration model for students in human resource development. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Review, 2(1), 13-22.
Crowder, C. L. (2016, in review). Whole-person wellness: Sustaining human capital. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Wu, M., & Crowder, C.L. (2016, in review) Investigation in the effectiveness of women leadership. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Sizemore, E.M., Crowder, C.L., & Eversole, B. A. W. (2016, in review) Using the big five personality measures to determine leadership effectiveness in midwestern casinos. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Andersen, R., & Crowder, C.L. (2016, in review) Characteristics of motivational performance appraisals. Manuscript submitted for publication.
McCaskey, S. J., & Crowder, C. L. (2015). Reflection on one’s own teaching style and learning strategy can affect the CTE classroom. The CTE Journal, 3(2).
Eversole, B. A. W., Crowder, C. L., Lekchiri, S., Clark, A., Zimmerman, T.S. (2015). Mothering and professing in the ivory tower. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, 6(2), 65-80.
Eversole, B. A. W., Venneberg, D.L., & Crowder, C. L. (2012). Creating a flexible organizational culture to attract and retain talented workers across generations. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 14(4), 607-625.
Crowder, C. L. (2009). Avoiding discrimination against overweight workers. Employment Relations Today, 36(4).
Crowder, C. L., & Yaw, D.C. (2008). Innovative strategies for teaching HR to non-traditional students. Western Journal of Human Resource Management, II, 8-15.
Peer-reviewed Conference Proceedings
Graham, C. M., Eversole, B. A. W., Crowder, C.L., & Chuang, S.F. (2016). In Moats, J. & A. T. Amayah (Eds.), AHRD 2016 conference proceedings. Jascksonville, FL: Academy of Human Resource Development.
Sizemore, E., Crowder, C., & Eversole, B. A. W. (2011). Exploring Leadership Qualities in a Midwestern Casino: A Case Study. In K. M. Dirani & J. Wang (Eds.), AHRD 2011 conference proceedings. Schaumburg, IL: Academy of Human Resource Development.
Crowder, C., & Gilman, A. (2010). Self-Directed Search: An Effective Career Exploration Model for HRD Students. In C. M. Graham & K. Dirani (Eds.), AHRD 2010 conference proceedings. Knoxville, TN: Academy of Human Resource Development.
Crowder, C. (2010). Work, Family, and Community in a Triciprocal Relationship. In C. M. Graham & K. Dirani (Eds.), AHRD 2010 conference proceedings. Knoxville, TN: Academy of Human Resource Development.
Crowder, C., Hillsman, T., Balfour, S., & Morris, M.L. (2005). Telecommuting: Effective Evaluation Techniques for Human Resource Professionals. In M.L. Morris & F.M. Nafukho (Eds.), AHRD 2005 conference proceedings. Estes Park, CO: Academy of Human Resource Development.
Crowder, C., Kuchimanchi, N., Martin, A., & Stout, V.J. (2005). Positive Organizational Scholarship’s Import for Human Resource Development. In M.L. Morris & F.M. Nafukho (Eds.), AHRD 2005 conference proceedings. Estes Park, CO: Academy of Human Resource Development.
Abston, K., Crowder, C., & Stout, V. (2004). Lessons Learned in a Virtual Team: An Integrative Model for Graduate Student Research Skill Development. In T.M. Eagan & M.L. Morris (Eds.), AHRD 2004 conference proceedings. Austin, TX: Academy of Human Resource Development.
GRANTS
Co-Principal Investigator, Perkins Competitive Grant for Postsecondary CTE Programs (funded for $98,487). Crowder, C.L., Wilkinson, K.S., & Harris, K.S. (2015). Indiana Department of Education
Principal Investigator, Experiential Learning and Community Engagement Grant (funded for $2,100). Crowder, C.L. (2015). Center for Public Service and Community Engagement, Indiana State University
Principal Investigator, Hoosiers First Recruitment Grant (funded for $2,000). Crowder, C.L. (2015). College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Indiana State University
Co-Principal Investigator, Experiential Learning and Community Engagement Grant (funded for $8,000). Crowder, C.L., Mun, J. M., & Wittenmyer, E. (2014). Center for Public Service and Community Engagement, Indiana State University
Co-Principal Investigator, Experiential Learning and Community Engagement Grant (funded for $12,809). Crowder, C.L., Mun, J. M., & Wittenmyer, E. (2013). Center for Public Service and Community Engagement, Indiana State University
Principal Investigator, International Travel Grant (funded for $2,500). Crowder, C.L. (2013). Center for Global Engagement, Indiana State University
Principal Investigator, Focus Indiana Para-Professional Grant (funded for $1,000). Crowder, C.L. (2010). Indiana Campus Compact
Principal Investigator, Experiential Learning and Community Engagement Grant (funded for $1,775). Crowder, C.L. (2010). Center for Public Service and Community Engagement, Indiana State University
Principal Investigator, Diversity Mini-Grant (funded for $600). Crowder, C.L. (2010). Office of Diversity, Indiana State University
SERVICE IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Academy of Human Resource Development
- Reviewer for Knowles Dissertation Award, 2010-present
- Institutional representative for Program Excellence Network, 2013-present
- Reviewer for Conference of the Americas Proceedings, 2008-present
- Site Committee Chair for Conference of the Americas, 2007
New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development
- Manuscript Reviewer, 2015-present
International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management
- Manuscript Reviewer, 2010-present
Journal of Human Sciences and Extension
- Manuscript Reviewer, present
Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering
- Accreditation Site Team Member, 2013
Society for Human Resources Management
- Foundation Student Scholarship Judge, 2008-2012
- Site Committee Chair for State HR Games, 2010
Mid-America College Health Association
- Planning Committee for Annual Conference, 2010
Wabash Valley Human Resources Association
- Board Member, 2005-2008
- College Relations Officer, 2006
OTHER RESEARCH INTERESTS
I currently served as a Faculty Fellow in the Institute for Community Sustainability (ICS). Through my participation in the ICS, I have also been involved in the following conferences, research meetings, and planning sessions:
- Green Town Conference, in which work was started on a sustainability plan for the Wabash Valley
- Sustainability Speaker Series
- Earth Day Celebrations
- Sustainability in the Wabash Valley, meeting of industry leaders interested in establishing community partnerships
Organizations claim they are becoming socially and environmentally responsible by reducing their negative and enhancing their positive impacts on society and the environment. They claim to do this through sustainability efforts. Sustainability can be defined as the intention to provide for the world’s needs today while leaving behind sufficient resources for future generations to maintain our current standards of living. Many organizations maintain sustainability is a key focus of their corporate identity and operation, but they do little to develop and support their human capital. Their initiatives tend to focus on ecological sustainable production and consumption patterns.
Sustaining an organization takes time, planning, and cultivation. For an organization to achieve sustainability, it must balance the integration of social and environmental considerations into business decisions and operations. Sustainability then becomes an issue of corporate social responsibility. Few organizations have explored the connection between sustaining human capital and a successful sustainability plan. This is the primary goal of my current research project.
To learn more about the global efforts of organizational sustainability, I traveled to Europe to learn about sustainability academic programs at two universities and visited organizations whose sustainability initiatives are associated with those academic programs. Additionally, I conducted interviews with human resource professionals within Wabash Valley organizations that have an existing relationship with the ICS to explore the challenges of implementing a sustainability plan.
My research centers on these three areas:
- Sustaining human resources and improving the quality of life for employees
- Using sustainability initiatives to attract human capital through organizational branding
- The role Human Resource Departments play in sustainability initiatives and any organizational change that results from these initiatives
CONSULTING CONTRACTS
- Completed a task analysis project for two entrepreneurial organizations to clarify employee job descriptions, workload, and required supervision for appelDESIGN in Bloomington, IN
- Completed a staff development project that included writing position descriptions and conducting 360⁰ evaluations for First Christian Church in Brazil, IN