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Exploring The Importance Of Soft Skills Training For Accountants, Tonja Annette Gardner 2017 Walden University

Exploring The Importance Of Soft Skills Training For Accountants, Tonja Annette Gardner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Regional accounting firm leaders face challenges with employees who possess strong technical skills, but lack nontechnical communicating and teamwork skills. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies regional accounting firm leaders use to train technical staff on soft skills. The human capital theory was the conceptual framework supporting the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with partners, leaders, managers, and human resource personnel with 5 years or more of experience who participated in the hiring, training, and professional development process at 3 regional CPA firms. The review of company documents and company website postings triangulated …


Acquisition And Retention Of Skilled Employees For Industries In Giles County, Tennessee, James Irvine Greene Jr. 2017 Walden University

Acquisition And Retention Of Skilled Employees For Industries In Giles County, Tennessee, James Irvine Greene Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. manufacturing industry produces products that ship all over the world. Because of the shortage of skilled labor, some manufacturing human resource professionals lack the strategies and processes necessary to acquire and retain skilled employees. Guided by Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the strategies and processes that manufacturing human resource professionals use to acquire and retain skilled employees. Data were gathered from a population of manufacturing human resource professionals in Giles County, Tennessee from individual interviews; focus group; and participants' internal documents, public documents, and …


A Phenomenological Study Of Cross Gender Mentoring Among U.S. Army Officers, Scott Randolph Johnson 2017 Walden University

A Phenomenological Study Of Cross Gender Mentoring Among U.S. Army Officers, Scott Randolph Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leader mentoring in the military has not been well researched, especially that involving cross-gender pairings. A phenomenological study was conducted to gain insight into the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of military officers regarding their decision to engage in mentoring, to include with members of the opposite gender. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 male and 20 female U.S. Army senior commissioned officers to collect information regarding mentoring selection perspectives and decisions and to examine emerging themes, concepts, and patterns, using NVivo 11 Pro Plus. Negative themes that emerged among both male and female participants concerned adverse perceptions of members within …


Assessing The Implementation Of Internal Branding Training In The Hotel Industry, Peter Juskiw 2017 Walden University

Assessing The Implementation Of Internal Branding Training In The Hotel Industry, Peter Juskiw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Internal branding (IB) evolved from marketing to engage employees in a company's strategic planning. IB has been studied extensively in the hospitality industry, but not with human resource (HR) departments. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to assess the effectiveness of corporate training designs in instilling IB corporate values in global employees of a multinational hotel chain to determine whether European core values could be transferred across different cultural backgrounds. Structured interviews on IB were conducted with 22 HR practitioners of a luxury hotel chain to capture essential information through the lived experiences of the participants, all of whom …


Tariffs Eliminations And Exchange Rate Fluctuations Relationships To Trade Elasticity, Folly Kuevey Kuevey 2017 Walden University

Tariffs Eliminations And Exchange Rate Fluctuations Relationships To Trade Elasticity, Folly Kuevey Kuevey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The enactment of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was intended to reduce tariffs on most goods by 2008 among Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and to create the largest regional market outside the European Union. Early research conducted to investigate the relationships between tariffs elimination and trade volume focused mainly on macrolevel effects with mixed results, without acknowledging the possible influence from exchange rate fluctuations. After 20 years, NAFTA has provided the opportunity to observe a significant reduction in tariffs between 1994 and 2013. Skepticism regarding the relationship between trade liberalization and the regional economy, and the …


Process Capability Calculations With Nonnormal Data In The Medical Device Manufacturing Industry, James Walter Kwiecien 2017 Walden University

Process Capability Calculations With Nonnormal Data In The Medical Device Manufacturing Industry, James Walter Kwiecien

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls of medical devices are at historically high levels despite efforts by manufacturers to meet stringent agency requirements to ensure quality and patient safety. A factor in the release of potentially dangerous devices might be the interpretations of nonnormal test data by statistically unsophisticated engineers. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that testing by lot provides a better indicator of true process behavior than process capability indices (PCIs) calculated from the mixed lots that often occur in a typical production situation. The foundations of this research were in the prior …


Strategies For Minimizing Defects In Offshore-Outsourced Products, More Layen-Layeni 2017 Walden University

Strategies For Minimizing Defects In Offshore-Outsourced Products, More Layen-Layeni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders increasingly grapple with longer and more complex supply chain nodes wrought by the globalization of corporate manufacturing processes. The flow of outsourced materials is also more vulnerable to high-profile product-harm crises, sabotage, product defect, and recall problems. The purpose of this single case study was to explore manufacturing strategies used by business leaders of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the United States to minimize the defects in offshore-outsourced products. The sample was 2 OEM business leaders who have successfully reduced the defects in offshore-manufactured products in their Michigan facility. The conceptual framework was agency theory. Data were …


Managerial Intervention Strategies To Reduce Patient No-Show Rates, Charl Mattheus 2017 Walden University

Managerial Intervention Strategies To Reduce Patient No-Show Rates, Charl Mattheus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High patient no-show rates increase health care costs, decrease healthcare access, and reduce the clinical efficiency and productivity of health care facilities. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative single case study was to explore and analyze the managerial intervention strategies healthcare administrators use to reduce patient no-show rates. The targeted research population was active American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Hawaii-Pacific Chapter healthcare administrative members with operational and supervisory experience addressing administrative patient no-show interventions. The conceptual framework was the theory of planned behavior. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 4 healthcare administrators, and appointment cancellation policy documents were reviewed. Interpretations …


Retaining Employees After Downsizing, Chizoba C. Nwoye 2017 Walden University

Retaining Employees After Downsizing, Chizoba C. Nwoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oil and gas industry business leaders who fail to implement adequate talent retention strategies experience reduced profits and sustainability challenges. During the first 2 years following downsizing, 67% of organizations using excuse-based downsizing reflected reduced sales and profitability, and 11% of such organizations experienced financial losses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that successful Calgary medium size oil and gas businesses implemented to retain talented employees after downsizing. The population for the study included business leaders of 3 medium oil and gas businesses in Calgary, Canada, who had successfully implemented talented employee retention strategies. …


Succession Planning For Next Generation Business Leaders, Yetta Toliver 2017 Walden University

Succession Planning For Next Generation Business Leaders, Yetta Toliver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The ability to backfill leadership positions has become a key focus of business leaders since 2005 when the baby boom workforce started to age. An aging workforce threatens the capability of business leaders to develop leadership pipelines to ensure business success. Grounded by the social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful strategies that technology services managers used to align core business objectives to improve succession planning at a technology services organization located in Dallas, Texas. Data collection and triangulation included semi structured telephone interviews with 12 technology services managers, company documents, and …


Successful Ethical Decision-Making Practices From The Professional Accountants' Perspective, Tammy Tanner Webster 2017 Walden University

Successful Ethical Decision-Making Practices From The Professional Accountants' Perspective, Tammy Tanner Webster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unethical behavior includes all decisions and actions counterproductive to an organization's mission and can cause irrevocable damage to the organization's professional reputation. The Securities and Exchange Commission reported 807 ethical violations in 2015. This study was underpinned by the ethical leadership theory, which emphasizes leadership decision making based on fair and just practices, for all involved parties. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the ethical decision-making best practices that not-for-profit accounting managers in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area needed to strengthen the ethical decision-making process in their organizations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 5 …


Strategies In Outsourcing R&D Processes To Maintain Market Competitiveness, Berina Yerkic-Husejnovic 2017 Walden University

Strategies In Outsourcing R&D Processes To Maintain Market Competitiveness, Berina Yerkic-Husejnovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the 21st century, managing outsourced research and development (R&D) processes is critical to an organization's success. Guided by the logistic outsourcing theory developed by de Boer, Gaytan, and Arroyo, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies and processes organizational leaders used to manage outsourced R&D to maintain market competitiveness. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 5 purposefully selected business leaders who were responsible for outsourcing R&D in a single Fortune 500 corporation in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Company records were also gathered as data. Yin's 5-step process for a case study and key …


Challenges Facing Organizational Leaders: A Phenomenological Study Of Nigerian Organizational Leaders, Adesina Olufemi Adegunle 2017 Walden University

Challenges Facing Organizational Leaders: A Phenomenological Study Of Nigerian Organizational Leaders, Adesina Olufemi Adegunle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the first decade of the 21st century, the number of functioning business organizations in Nigeria decreased by 45%. The high rate of business failures in Nigeria has left many questions about what is needed for creating business success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the influence of internal and external dynamics on leaders in Nigerian microfinance organizations. Twenty leaders from microfinance institutions participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. The data analysis process involved the use of Moustakas's modified van Kaam method, which resulted in the emergence of 12 themes. The themes that emerged included: (a) staff …


Strategies In Mitigating Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Risk, Godfred Adomako 2017 Walden University

Strategies In Mitigating Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Risk, Godfred Adomako

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the fiscal year 2014, approximately 1,337 health care providers lost their provider license to Medicare/Medicaid fraud. Out of the 1,318 criminal convictions reported by the U.S. Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCU), 395 (30%) were home health care aides who claimed to have rendered services not provided. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore licensed and certified home health care business managers' strategies to mitigate Medicare/Medicaid fraud risk. A purposive sampling of 9 business managers and chief executive officers from 3 licensed and certified home health care businesses in Franklin County, Ohio participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews. …


A Phenomenological Study: Coping Skills Of Gay Men In Amateur Sports, Jesuel Alamo 2017 Walden University

A Phenomenological Study: Coping Skills Of Gay Men In Amateur Sports, Jesuel Alamo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The world of sports has traditionally been known for promoting masculine behaviors, including a resistance to homosexuality. Research supports that gay men in sports have historically encountered prejudice and discrimination. Although the social climate has experienced change regarding homophobic discrimination and prejudice, research shows that challenges still exist for gay men who participate in sports; furthermore, to date, research could not be located that addresses the coping skills of gay men in amateur sports. This research addressed the lack of qualitative studies on the experiences of gay men who participate in amateur sports and on their use of coping skills. …


Employee Perceptions Of Emotional Intelligence Among Managers, Afraa Al-Bahrani 2017 Walden University

Employee Perceptions Of Emotional Intelligence Among Managers, Afraa Al-Bahrani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efficient managers influence the success and performance of organizations, in contrast to inefficient managers who may negatively affect employee motivation, productivity, stress levels, job satisfaction, and performance. Managers' ability to recognize emotions can positively affect employee motivation, job satisfaction, and performance, which is likely to decrease employee turnover. The purpose of this phenomenological research was to explore the perceptions among employees regarding their managers' EI in relation to employee motivation, job satisfaction, and performance in the Northern Virginia (NOVA) area. The presence of managers' EI skills was explored based on the emotional abilities to facilitate, understand, perceive, and manage emotions. …


Strategies For Improving Labor Productivity In Construction Companies, Lakew G. Buli 2017 Walden University

Strategies For Improving Labor Productivity In Construction Companies, Lakew G. Buli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with advanced technology and new project management methodologies, construction company leaders continue to face challenges to improve labor productivity. This multiple case study was an exploration of the strategies that construction company leaders use to improve labor productivity in Doha, Qatar. The case population consisted of 6 construction company leaders operating in Doha, Qatar, who successfully identified and implemented strategies to improve labor productivity. The conceptual framework for this study was the expectancy theory. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and company documentation. Data were compiled and organized, disassembled into fragments, reassembled into a sequence of groups, and …


Corporate Governance And The Shareholder: Asymmetry, Confidence, And Decision-Making, John Buchanan 2017 Walden University

Corporate Governance And The Shareholder: Asymmetry, Confidence, And Decision-Making, John Buchanan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the decade following the ten-plus percent stockmarket collapse of 2000, regulators enacted a myriad of regulations in response to increasing angst experienced by U.S. capital market retail investors. Systemic asymmetric disclosures have fractured investor confidence prompting many commentators to characterize the relationship between Wall Street and the investment community on main street as dire. Though copious works exist on the phenomenon of corporate behaviors, especially matters of shareholder welfare, weak boards, pervious governance mechanisms, and managerial excess, current literature has revealed a dearth in corporate governance praxis specific to the question and effects of asymmetric disseminations and its principal …


Strategies To Expand The U.S. Automated External Defibrillator Market, Arturo Cervantes 2017 Walden University

Strategies To Expand The U.S. Automated External Defibrillator Market, Arturo Cervantes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite defibrillation as the only effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), less than 15% of homes and public facilities have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED). In the United States, ineffective response to SCA cases occurring each year classifies it as a business problem for medical device manufacturing leaders, emergency responders, and bystanders. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore the marketing strategies AED manufacturing leaders use to expand their consumer customer base. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of participants from 2 U.S. AED manufacturers on the east coast, 2 AED …


Crowdfunding As A Financing Resource For Small Businesses, Melissa Cohen 2017 Walden University

Crowdfunding As A Financing Resource For Small Businesses, Melissa Cohen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although small businesses borrowed $1 trillion in 2013 from traditional lenders, 35% of small business owners were unable to obtain adequate financing and subsequently sought alternative sources such as crowdfunding. Guided by the pecking order theory, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore how 6 small business owners in Tennessee successfully used crowdfunding to start, grow, or sustain their businesses. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of crowdfunding project data on the internet platform including the project description, target goal, amount achieved, number of backers, and locations of the funders. Data were inductively analyzed, …


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