About

Curtis R. Friedel is an Associate Professor and the Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Cooperative Problem Solving (CCPS) at Virginia Tech. His current research program focuses on problem solving and critical thinking as they relate to leadership and managing change. Specific attention is given to the examination of adaption-innovation theory and the use of Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI). His research populations include community leaders, organizations, businesses, adults, and youth. Dr. Friedel is engaged in identifying ways to help organizations solve problems collaboratively through application of adaption-innovation theory, emphasizing how individuals' problem-solving styles—either more adaptive or more innovative—are innate, stable, and measurable, and how these styles can be used to form effective teams. He is also a co-instructor of the KAI Accreditation Course, contributing to the development of leadership and problem-solving skills through this framework.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Operations research
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Economics
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Economic growth
• Business
• Media studies
• Ecology
• Social psychology
• Art history
• History
• Applied psychology
• Mathematics
• Management
• Environmental planning
• Geography
• Library science
• Environmental health
• Statistics
• Law

Selected publications

• From Concept to Classroom: Developing Digital Workforce Readiness Badges

  NACTA Journal · 2025-10-02

  articleOpen access

  The evolving demands of the agricultural workforce require skills beyond traditional technical expertise, including communication, teamwork, adaptability, and self-management. These employability skills are critical for fostering innovation and addressing the complexities of modern agriculture. In support of helping community college faculty to address these needs, the AgricultureWorkforce Training for Collaborative Leadership (AWT4CL) project developed digital badges for workforce readiness. The project emphasizes the importance of prior knowledge activation and engaging tools to support skill development, drawing from frameworks like collaborative leadership, experiential learning, and gamification. As part of the formative evaluation process, community college faculty members described their experiences and observations of their students. Early discussions with stakeholders noted aneed to help students understand the link between classroom content, co-curricular experiences, and employability skills. The AWT4CL team created digital badges focused on specific employability skills to help students recognize, develop, and demonstrate critical workforce competencies. This paper documents the development process, including stakeholder engagement and formative program evaluation methods that informed the iterative design of the badges.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Building effective student project teams: what has problem-solving styles got to do with it?

  Journal of Leadership Education · 2024-09-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine if team composition based on adaption-innovation (A-I) problem-solving styles is related to the teamwork quality and team effectiveness (TE) of student project teams participating in a [state-gifted program (SGP)]. Design/methodology/approach A correlational design was conducted with a sample of 72 (SGP) participants, consisting of 15 project teams (n = 15), which formed three groups: (1) the homogeneous adaptive group, which consists of five homogeneous adaptive teams (n = 5); (2) the homogeneous innovative group, which consists of five homogeneous innovative teams (n = 5), and (3) the heterogeneous group (i.e. a mix of innovative and adaptive individuals), which consists of five heterogeneous teams (n = 5). Findings A one-way ANOVA and post-hoc test revealed that team composition based on problem-solving styles is related to teamwork quality and TE. Regarding TE, both homogeneous groups (i.e. all adaptive or all innovative individuals) were more effective than the heterogeneous group. However, regarding teamwork quality, only the adaptive group had significantly higher teamwork quality than the heterogeneous group. Practical implications We recommend that leadership educators utilize Kirton’s adaption-innovation inventory (KAI) as a tool for building effective student project teams. KAI can be used by leadership educators in two major ways: to assign students to groups (as done in the current study) or for team building, where team members share their KAI scores to better understand their problem-solving preferences. Originality/value The findings add to the literature by specifying the type of homogeneous groups (i.e. homogeneous adaptive), which may offer an advantage over heterogeneous groups regarding teamwork quality.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring the Intersectionality of Problem-Solving Preferences, Expressed Behaviors, and Identity Upon Academic Degree Matriculation, Through the Cognitive Socio-Behavioral Perspective Lens

  Journal of STEM leadership and broadening participation. · 2024-06-12

  articleOpen access

  This manuscript introduces the Cognitive Socio-Behavioral Perspective (CSBP) to analyze cognitive and psycho-social dynamics in African American males pursuing STEM and agriculturally-related degrees. While motivation, problem-solving, critical race theory, and identity are common research themes, their integration into student retention remains limited. Drawing from adaption-innovation theory, critical race theory and the organismic socio-behavioral perspective, the CSBP model explores the reciprocal nature of these processes and addresses African American underrepresentation in STEM. The study delineates four key themes: motivational factors and retention challenges, belonging experiences, mentorship as coping, and navigating multiple identities in STEM. These themes emphasize the need for tailored retention strategies and culturally competent mentorship to support African American males in STEM education and workforce participation, offering insights for policy and practice.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Problem‐Solving Theory to Enhance Understanding and Practice of Leadership

  Journal of Leadership Studies · 2023-04-17

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The focus of the symposium is adaption‐innovation (A‐I) theory, as it relates to solving problems with cognitive diversity. The intent of the current article is to introduce adaption‐innovation theory; its beginning and key elements. The symposium specifically focuses on implications for adaptive leadership, inclusion, wicked problems, and business.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 2022 National AAAE Poster Session Proceedings

  VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2022-05-17

  article

  Published version

  Publisher

• Problem-solving style and resiliency of navy seals: how are the more adaptive and the more innovative different

  Thinking Skills and Creativity · 2022 · 1 citations

  • Psychology
  • Applied psychology
  • Social psychology
  PublisherDOI

• NACTA Journal

  VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2022-01-03

  articleSenior author

  The COVID-19 pandemic has created a need for a better understanding of hybrid learning. This study explored the system of hybrid learning at a southern land grant university in an agricultural communications course via a qualitative methodology with a case study approach. Data was collected via four measures: cognitive maps, cognitive map narrations, fieldnotes, and a survey; these provided evidence in defining roles of the teacher, student, and technology within the course. Findings indicated that the student experience of learning was affected by noteworthy course content and face-to-face interactions. Further, students connected the course content and interactions to future implications of the coursework, appreciating how differentiation of learning affected the overall experience. Intentional course design was found to be critical in hybrid learning, noting the key factors of value in face-to-face interactions, online learning, and the blend of online and face-to-face learning. Further, the importance of teacher relationships and feedback were also salient. Finally, the dynamics between the teacher and student were found to be influential to student growth, the learning process, and face-to-face interactions.

  Publisher

• ADAPTION-INNOVATION THEORY: A TRIBUTE TO DR. MICHAEL J. KIRTON

  International Journal of Innovation Management · 2022 · 1 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Computer Science
  • Political Science
  PublisherDOI

• Public food forest opportunities and challenges in small municipalities

  Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · 2021 · 9 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Political Science
  • Geography
  • Business

  Abstract The opportunities and challenges associated with public food forest initiatives in small municipalities are understudied compared with large metropolitan counterparts. Research in small population centers is needed to identify and understand factors affecting the growth of public food forests where resources more commonly available in cities often are lacking. To study these factors, we surveyed mayors in Virginia, United States, serving communities with populations under 25,000. Out of 176 mayors who received a paper survey through the mail, 68 (39%) responded. Mayors perceived long‐term maintenance as the greatest barrier to public food forests and education, recreation, and spiritual experience as the most desirable benefits. Nearly 70% noted that their town has some form of food production on public land but only one‐fifth include food‐producing trees and shrubs. Most municipalities (78%) do not have food‐producing trees and shrubs land use codes. Summated variables representing mayoral ratings of public support and physical space for food forests in their municipalities were used in a k ‐means cluster analysis to group towns into four types: (a) ambivalent and resource‐poor, (b) optimistic and capable, (c) doubtful and unsupported, and (d) unsure with potential. Each community has unique challenges and opportunities, but mayors stressed that providing sociocultural programs and education rather than food access is the most compelling aspect of a public food forest.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Perceived Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Across the US Agriculture Industry: From the Lived Experiences of Gay Men

  VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2021-09-12

  dissertationOpen access

  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 22 million people work in the agriculture industry and in 2018, this figure represented roughly 11% of the total American workforce. Of these 22 million people, it is indisputable that some unknown percentage of them are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Asexual+ people. With an exponentially growing population, now more so than ever before, the importance of a robust and socially sustainable workforce responsible for the food we eat is undeniable. In order for the agriculture industry to excel today while meeting the demands of tomorrow, it will require the best talent available and will require all agriculturalists to work collaboratively together. This phenomenological study tells the career stories thus far of ten white, gay, cisgender male agriculturalists. A keystone of Social Identity Theory is that the entire world around us can be divided into two groups, groups that we belong to and groups that we do not. By utilizing Social Identity Theory, we can see that gay men who work in agriculture have not always felt a part of the ingroup, and by default have been placed in the excluded outgroup, or the “them”. Social Identity Theory tells us that our group membership greatly impacts not only our pride, but our self-esteem (McLeod, 2019) which both can impact long-term talent retention and turnover rates for employers. The objective of this study was to explore the perceived levels of diversity, equity, and inclusion from the perspective of gay males who work within the industry through semi-structured interviews. This research concludes that the agriculture industry is not found to be diverse or inclusive based on the lived experiences of study participants. Additionally, this study offers recommendations for those in leadership roles within the industry to help create a more equitable environment for all agriculturalists.

  Publisher

Frequent coauthors

• Eric K. Kaufman

  Virginia Tech

  4 shared

• Rick D. Rudd

  Virginia Tech

  3 shared

• Nicholas Clegorne

  American Society For Engineering Education

  3 shared

• Tracy Irani

  3 shared

• James C. Anderson

  3 shared

• Ibukun Alegbeleye

  University of Southern Maine

  3 shared

• Emily Rhoades

  2 shared

• Megan Seibel

  Virginia Tech

  2 shared

Education

• Ph.D. Agricultural Education and Communication

  University of Florida

  2006

• BS Agricultural Education

  Northwest Missouri State University

  1999