Business Commons^™

Voices Unheard, Stories Untold: An In-Depth Phenomenological Exploration Of Workplace Bullying Among Indian Primary School Teachers, Mridul M, Aditi Sharma

The Qualitative Report

Workplace bullying adds significantly to toxicity in workplaces. The present phenomenological study aims to unravel the experiences of primary school teachers who have faced bullying at work. Such studies in India are still sparse, and in-depth qualitative examination of the target’s experiences provides deeper insight into their view regarding anomalous behaviours and bullies. Semi-structured interviews of seven teachers were conducted and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The analysis resulted in three themes: “Workplace dynamics,” “I can tell what their problem is,” and “Coping with the problem.” The identified acts were linked to the extant model (Duluth model) describing the …

Understanding Expatriates' Cultural Adjustment And Performance In International Assignments, Iskra Reic

The Qualitative Report

The aim of this research is to explore the experience of expatriates about cultural differences between home and host countries through a narrative inquiry. There is not enough information in the literature about expatriates’ experiences and how they see the role of cultural differences, cultural distance and cultural competences in adapting to international assignments. Therefore, main research question was how expatriates working in a large multinational pharmaceutical company perceive the role of cultural differences and cultural competencies in their adjustment and performance. A total of 12 expatriates from different home countries on assignment in different host countries participated in the …

Times Of Uncertainties Require Embracing Leadership And Feedback, Alexander Lapshun, Gene E. Fusch

The Qualitative Report

Mid-level managers of multinational corporations often struggle to find a leadership style that helps build a high-performance organizational culture. This paper discusses the research question of what strategies some mid-level managers in a multinational corporation in Asia employ to create a high-performance organizational culture. The authors chose six mid-level managers of a multinational Fortune 500 IT corporation in Singapore to participate in this case study research blended with techniques of miniethnography. The authors looked for qualities and approaches required for leaders to build and lead their teams to high-performance standards in times of uncertainty. The study concluded that successful leaders …

Medical Imaging Professionals Experiencing Workplace Interprofessional Conflict: A Phenomenological Study, Robert Carroll Moody

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Workplace interprofessional conflict in hospitals presented serious concerns regardingpatient care delivery and hospital efficiency at the systemic level. Literature evaluating conflict in hospitals inconsistently defined interprofessional conflict and oversampled nurses and physicians in research studies. An unknown systemic factor was likely influencing interprofessional conflict between healthcare professionals. Complex systems theory, the theory of professions, and social conflict theories were utilized to organize the literature review and guide research design targeting allied health professionals and their lived experiences with interprofessional conflict. Medical imaging professionals were selected as a purposeful sample within the larger population of allied health. Interpretive phenomenology was used …

When Speaking Up Fails: Experiences Of Unsubstantiated Equal Employment Opportunity Allegations On The Workforce, Scottie Visser

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Many organizations have long encouraged employees to speak up about wrongdoing, promoting cultures of open communication to ensure just environments; however, each year a significant proportion of workplace allegations are deemed unsubstantiated as a result of various factors, such as lack of evidence, subjectivity, false claims, and investigative limitations. Because researchers have focused on substantiated claims and reasons for reporting, they have discovered little about either the experiences of employees who speak up and have their claims deemed unsubstantiated or the potential impacts of such outcomes. This interpretative phenomenological study involved exploration of the lived experiences of 10 employees who …

Beyond Human Error: Seafarers’ Perceptions About Their Interpersonal Conflicts In A Multicultural Workplace A Typology Of Seafarers’ Conflicts Contributing To Maritime Accidents, Eugenio Moreno

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Marine incidences and casualties result in occurrences like loss of lives, personal injuries, collisions, allisions, hull and machinery damages, and environmental damages. Therefore, this study’s purpose was to examine seafarers’ perceptions of their interpersonal conflicts on board the vessels in a multicultural workplace and to examine whether they perceive that those interpersonal conflicts may contribute to the human errors that lead to marine casualties and incidences. A two-method approach (quantitative and qualitative) was used. The theoretical framework guiding this study consisted of four theories, which were culture and interpersonal relationship conflict, social identity theory, organizational interpersonal and task conflicts theory …

Assessing Organizational Policy: Preferred Practices For Regulating Vaping In The Work Environment, Ayesha Temeka Kirk

Theses and Dissertations

Employee vaping negatively affects organizations in terms of costs, productivity, employee health, and workplace safety. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation study was to assess organizational policies to determine preferred practices to regulate vaping in the work environment. Open-ended questionnaires with 18 human resources administrators, combined with a literature review, yielded data on best practices for organizational policies regulating vaping in the work environment.The data collected in this qualitative dissertation study were extracted from a structured survey questionnaire comprising 16 questions about vaping and tobacco usage in the workplace. The findings demonstrated that vaping and the use of tobacco products …

Dimensions And Strategies Of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: An Explorative-Mixed Research Study, Mehdi Zivdar, Hadi Sanaeepour

The Qualitative Report

With regards to the concept of sustainability, the dimensions and strategies of the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem have not been identified in most of valid literature of entrepreneurship discipline yet. The aim of this study is to conceptualize dimensions and strategies of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (SREE) phenomenon for clarifying its dimensions and proposing regarding strategies for development of SREE. This study was conducted in two stages using an explorative mixed research design. In the first step, using a qualitative design, SREE was conceptualized, and its dimensions and strategies were developed. Therefore 6 dimensions and 36 strategies were conceptualized based on …

The Impact Of Food Justice Advocates In Creating And Influencing Public Policy, Michael Joseph Chadukiewicz

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the impact that food justice advocates had on creating and implementing public policy to provide access to adequate, healthy, and culturally appropriate food for the residents of New Haven, Connecticut. The problem the case study explored is in 2020 food insecurity affected 22% of the residents of New Haven, more than twice the national average. This qualitative case study used grounded theory to analyze the experiences of 31 food justice advocates that were members of a coalition of researchers, food service providers, non-profit agencies, grassroot organizations, and residents tasked with improving the city’s emergency food system. …

Police Officer Attitudes About The Importance Of External Procedural Justice, David Borchardt

Theses and Dissertations

External procedural justice has been found to have a relationship with cooperation, compliance, and police legitimacy. Extant methods to increase external procedural justice during police-citizen interactions have been met with mixed results. Fair policing from the inside out proposes that organizationally just treatment of officers will lead to external procedural justice during encounters between officers and citizens. Police organizational justice, comprised of the dimensions of distributive justice, procedural justice, interpersonal justice, and informational justice, has been found to have a relationship with external procedural justice, however, the majority of research has been conducted using overseas samples. The minority of work …

Recognizing And Addressing Conflict That Emerges From Sociotechnical Change In Higher Education, Kathleen Ann Watkins-Richardson

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Today’s unprecedented technology growth impacts at many levels—from individuals to groups to society. This study aims to characterize how exponential digital technology growth and organizational change is explained and experienced in a university setting deploying new instructional technologies—and how or where conflict emerges. Organizational conflict is a phenomenon that takes many forms and may not be fully recognized. This dissertation highlights theories of technology invention and disruption, the dynamics of sociotechnical change (defined as the interdependencies between people, technology, and the environment) and response in organizations, complex adaptive systems, and practice theory of change. It considers current technological forces at …

The Implementation Of Conversation-Help-Activity-Movement-Participation-Success Procedures To Improve Behavior And Academic Performance, Henreta Jarrett

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to examine the fidelity level of implementation of Conversation-Help-Activity-Movement-Participation-Success (CHAMPS) classroom management strategies designed to reduce students’ behavior problems and boost academic performance at a large Title I elementary school in the southeastern United States. The participants included 10 teachers with experience teaching Grades 3 to 5 who had 3 years of experience implementing the CHAMPS classroom-management plan.

The researcher implemented bracketing, intuition, open-ended coding, and Axial coding to examine the implementation of the CHAMPS classroom-management plan in reducing behavior problems and boosting academic performance. The evaluation intended to address the central research question: How is …

Self-Actualized Leaders’ Relationships With Dynamic Teams, Joseph Walter Pieri

Theses and Dissertations

A recent study of 831 companies around the world found that employees on average tend to spend 54% of their time working within teams (Frey et al., 2013). Today, this number is estimated to be an additional four to six percent higher (Gallup, 2020). Despite the upward trend of increased reliance on team-based structures in effort to improve productivity and boost morale, research reveals approximately two-thirds of U.S. employees are not engaged in their workplace (Gallup, 2020). More than half (51%) of workers merely go through the motions of their job, barely meeting minimum position responsibilities. However, leadership is essential …

Emotional Labour In The Lifeworld Of Indian Hospitality Employees: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Hirak Dasgupta

The Qualitative Report

In this study we explore the lived experience of emotional labour of ten hospitality employees and tries to get a deeper understanding of how they interpret it in their life world. In-depth interviews were conducted with the front-line employees 4,5-star hotels and high-end restaurants in the city of Pune in Western Indian state of Maharashtra. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data, the findings threw up some convergent as well as divergent themes about how the employees interpret the experience in their life world and how they feel about it. Emotional maneuverability, ambivalent disposition, spillover of emotions emerged …

An Empirical Examination Of The Impact Of Organizational Injustice And Negative Affect On Attitude And Non-Compliance With Information Security Policy, Celestine Kemah

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Employees’ non-compliance with Information Security (IS) policies is an important socio-organizational issue that represents a serious threat to the effective management of information security programs in organizations. Prior studies have demonstrated that information security policy (ISP) violation in the workplace is a common significant problem in organizations. Some of these studies have earmarked the importance of this problem by drawing upon cognitive processes to explain compliance with information security policies, while others have focused solely on factors related to non-compliance behavior, one of which is affect. Despite the findings from these studies, there is a dearth of extant literature that …

Employee Perceptions Related To Specific Work Processes Within The Crime Control Model Known As The Stratified Model, Robert William Steinkraus

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure employee perceptions of satisfaction as they relate to specific work processes and products within the Stratified Model. The Stratified Model is a crime-reduction model that was developed and gradually implemented first within the Port St. Lucie Police Department between 2004-2011. The full implementation of this crime-reduction model occurred in 2012. The Port St. Lucie Police department has since achieved greater reductions of the overall crime rate than other cities in Florida consisting of similar populations. In 2019, Port St. Lucie had the 7th largest population in Florida.

Currently, it is unknown how …

Navigating The Human Side Of Workplace Conflict: A Comparative Study Of Organizational Ombuds' Similarities And Differences, Linda Kovack

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Navigating the human side of workplace conflict poses challenges. A gap in knowledgeexists within an alternative dispute resolution option known as the organizational ombuds. Prior research referenced the ombuds' perception of his/her own role and functionality yet did not explore ombuds in differing organizational sectors. The research I explored was: What are the similarities and differences among and between ombuds in employment environments of higher education, the public or private sector, and the federal government? To address this question, I presented comprehensive case study profiles on a total of 8 organizations: 3 in higher education, 3 in the federal government, …

The Relationship Of Authentic Leadership And Growth, Retention, And Productivity, Michael B. Horwitz

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership has been heralded a critical component for the achievement of successful organizational outcomes. Recent financial, social, psychological, and environmental challenges that are being faced on a global scale have raised the call for new and effective leadership. Researchers and practitioners have expressed the need for the development of good leaders. Authentic leadership (AL) has been described as the root theory of all other forms of positive leadership and offers a way to describe and develop more effective leadership and drive veritable sustained superior performance.

Authentic leaders are proposed to have greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors, seeking to develop …

Exploring Academic Leadership In Higher Education Through The Lens Of Leader-To-Member Exchange (Lmx) Theory, Dequies A. Lanier

Theses and Dissertations

A phenomenological study focused on Exploring Academic Leadership in Higher Education Through The Lens of Leader-to-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, Dequies A. Lanier, 2020: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: communication, leadership development, higher education, leader-member exchange, organizational leadership This applied dissertation was designed to explore the communication between higher education leaders and faculty at the department level in the United States at a southeastern higher education institution. The study sought to explore (a) the communication relationship between leaders and followers; (b) commitment to the organization; and (c) suggested communication …

Linkedin For Searching Better Job Opportunity: Passive Jobseekers’ Perceived Experience, Md Sajjad Hosain, Ping Liu

The Qualitative Report

LinkedIn is a famous online social networking platform for the jobholders, jobseekers and employers although their purposes vary. Passive jobseekers are those who already have jobs but are searching for better alternatives. In this paper, we tried to identify the passive jobseekers’ perceived experience towards LinkedIn as a job searching platform. We used Focused Group Discussion (FGD) method to unmask the perception of 150 respondents from Bangladesh and India who use LinkedIn as professional social networking site frequently. After summarizing the FGD results, it was revealed that LinkedIn is the most preferred source of job search tool among the passive …

Strategic, Tactical And Operational Decisions In Family Businesses: A Qualitative Case Study, Ravindra Hewa Kuruppuge, Ales Gregar

The Qualitative Report

Previous studies of family businesses have no common agreement on what should be the most effective and efficient approach for making decisions at different managerial levels to solve business issues. Accordingly, the main objective of this study was to understand the nature of decision-making by family members who are involved in a business in different capacities such as owners, owner managers, and managers. Locating the research in the interpretivist paradigm, and utilizing qualitative case study methods (Yin, 1994), we interviewed 24 respondents from 12 well-known family firms from different districts in Sri Lanka. Thematic analysis indicated that the consultative approach …

Conflict Style Is Not A Label: The Relationship Of Age, Education Level, Work Level, Reason For Assessment, And Time Between Assessments To Conflict Style Change, Michael P. Kelly

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Organizations and research that are only measuring conflict style one time, are treating conflict style as a trait or label. However, conflict style can change over time, and with context. Even the circumstances around the conflict itself may impact how individuals handle conflict. This means that individuals may demonstrate different conflict styles in different circumstances. There is little research that explores the implications of individual conflict style change if measured at different times and in different circumstances. Nor is there much research that explores what factors may have an influence on conflict style change. This study explores whether conflict style …

The Allied Health Work Readiness Study: Identifying Personal Characteristics Signalling Work Readiness In Allied Health Students, Maxine O'Brien, Kelli Troy, Jayne Kirkpatrick

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Clinical placements associated with university degrees for the allied health professions aim to support the preparation of students for post graduate employment through the practical application of theoretical constructs. However, employers recognise that a range of generic skills and attributes outside of technical and academic achievement impact of work readiness. Allied health clinical educators within Darling Downs Health (DDH) sought to identify these generic characteristics, and their relative importance, with a view to further supporting the work readiness of students completing placements in the district. Method: The study utilised the knowledge and experience of allied health clinical educators, experienced …

“Square Peg In A Round Hole” An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Workers’ Experiences With Workplace Conflict, Katherine Joanna Sosa

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Conflict is a predictable aspect of organizational life. Research indicates that workers spend the majority of their lifetime at work and that unresolved conflict is one of the largest reducible costs in organizations. However, the majority of employee conflicts are not accurately addressed by rights-and-power based conflict management systems. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the experiences and perceptions of workers who had been involved in an unresolved or escalated workplace conflict that was of consequence in their lives. The study sought to learn how it impacted them and how they made sense of the conflict, their organizations, and …

Exploring Factors Related To Customer Service Representatives’ (Csrs) Performance In Call Centers., Ruth R. Jayson-Polk

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides critical research on individual change and its impact on individual performance using the ADKAR change management model. This applied dissertation was designed to research improvement in call monitoring performance scores between two groups of customer service representatives’ (CSRs): the experimental group receiving the ADKAR change management intervention, and the control group, who did not receive the ADKAR change management intervention. The ADKAR change management model (Hiatt, 2006) provided the theoretical framework for the study.

The literature review revealed that change management is a critical component of organizational change but is driven by individual change. The literature informs …

A Qualitative Study Exploring Motivation And Engagement Among Millennial Volunteers In Nonprofit Organizations, Joanne Quinones

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation focused on capturing the lived experiences of Millennials and explore their motivation and engagement for volunteering in a nonprofit organization. This study illustrates the importance of civic and social engagement in our society. The Millennials have been labeled as “Genme or the me generation” (Twenge, Campbell, Hoffman, & Lance, 2010, p. 1117; Twenge, 2006, p. 1), as they have been criticized for focusing on their own self-interest. While millennials have been considered as being technologically savvy, since they grew up with the internet. The millennials, have a social interest in offering support to a cause versus an …

The Relationship Between Recidivism Rates And Post Release Employment, Richard Louis

Theses and Dissertations

The Relationship Between Recidivism Rates and Post Release Employment. Richard Louis 2018: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: Ban the Box; Conviction, Incarceration, and Recidivism; Disparate Impact; Human Resources and Negligent Hiring; Parole, Probation, and Ex-Offenders

This applied dissertation was designed to study the relationship between recidivism rates and post release employment. This study utilized three survey instruments with human resource or hiring officers, probation or parole officers, and direct service providers as the respective participants. The survey instruments were distributed anonymously to each of the populations via Survey Monkey. The research study and …

Handling Spiritual Resources At Work: An Autoethnographic Inquiry, Anselmo Ferreira Vasconcelos

The Qualitative Report

This study draws upon some particular dimensions of spirituality in the workplace such as insight, intuition, wisdom, respect, love, humility, courage, ethics, optimism, the other, and sense of purpose. Through an autoethnographic inquiry it describes my personal spiritual journey at work, that is, my own experiences, reflections, understanding, viewpoints, and memories regarding those constructs as a framework. In hindsight, I explore a certain period of my professional life when I was very young and working for a multinational company, which was under permanent change in order to adapt and survive in the hypercompetitive and turbulent Brazilian market. By drawing on …

Identification Of Individuals For Directorship Roles: Evaluation Of A University’S Succession Management, Nana Yaw Oppong, Nancy Oduro-Asabere

The Qualitative Report

Identification of potential individuals for leadership roles is a critical aspect of a succession management programme, as other aspects of the programme depend on an effective identification. This study evaluates how the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana identifies potential non-academic senior members for directorship roles. We collected qualitative data through in-depth interviewing of nine directors at the university. We analysed the data using constant comparison analysis by developing three themes, under each of which we presented similar categories of data. We found that the criteria for identification of potential directors include seniority; both internal and external sources; and …

Evaluation Of An Adaptive Reading Program At A Title I Public Elementary School, Monica M. Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the I-station adaptive reading program and determine its impact on reading proficiency of third-grade students. The school of study was a Title I school with proficiency rates for third-grade students of about 40% annually. The district recommendation for student usage mirrored the recommended minutes per week established by Imagination Station, the I-station parent company.

The program evaluation utilized the context-input-process-product model components, measuring process and product. There were two research questions underpinning the study: 1. Process: Is the I-station program being used with fidelity at the school of study to achieve program intended …