Business Commons^™

Applying Agile Project Management To Art Museums: A Proposal For Implementing A Generalist Scrum Master, Vincent Sulit

Master's Projects and Capstones

This capstone project examines organizational change, along with its challenges, through case studies in museums and businesses in the private sector, subsequently providing a possible solution for museums to adapt to the current global market economy through the use of Agile Project Management (Agile). I cite recent case studies of art museums implementing Agile for digital product development. This project proposal aims to introduce Agile outside of digital departments, including Exhibitions and Education, with the goal of developing better visitor-centered offerings from museums. This may be achieved through the proposal of a job description for a new museum position of …

Community Development Projects In Moldova, Berkend Pura

Capstone Collection

This Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) aims to provide relevant information, from a Peace Corps (PC) Volunteer (PCV) standpoint, on a renovation project that was implemented in the village of Vorniceni, Republic of Moldova. At its core, this was a community development project that involved the active participation of the community of Vorniceni, providing local resources and knowledge towards the goal of building a healthier sanitation facility on the second floor of the local kindergarten.

The results of this effort indicate that the involvement of the client (people) is crucial to sucess in implementing projects, and it also shows that …

Mindfulness And Individual Error Orientation In High Reliability Organizations, Ellen Choi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mindfulness is a concept drawn from the contemplative traditions that refers to present-moment, non-judgmental awareness. Exactly how applicable mindfulness is in the workplace requires further empirical validation, particularly on outcomes immediately relevant to organizations. This study contributes to literature examining the effects of mindfulness in organizational settings by considering the effects of an 8-week workplace mindfulness training program in a high-reliability organization (hospital) on individual error orientation, an individual’s propensity to learn from error, worry about error, or hide error. This study adds to the current state of knowledge by providing further insight into why one holds a particular error …

An Analysis Of Scholarship Distribution By Division I Softball Coaches, Donovan James Nelson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore fairness factors used by NCAA Division I head softball coaches in scholarship distribution. Research by Hums & Chelladurai introduced Distributive Justice principles to intercollegiate athletics; indicating need was a popular distribution principle. Continued research by Mahony, Hums, & Riemer determined need as a common distribution principle in athletics. Prior to this study, no research has been done to examine distribution principles by NCAA Division I softball coaches based on distributive justice principles. This study used a single scenario of grant-in-aid distribution with six possible decisions coaches make to determine fairness of grant-in-aid …

The Development Of Organizational Training: Identifying Generational Differences And Perceptions In Computerized Learning Systems In Government Organizations, Gregory Negron

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the degree of effectiveness and preferences as it related to various computer-based training (CBT) and instructor-based training (IBT) types as perceived by baby boomer, Generation X, and millennial generational Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) employees based in San Diego, California, as measured by the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) Extended Learning Institute Survey.

Methodology: The study used a descriptive, causal-comparative research design. A survey was administered to collect demographic data and responses that described and determined the degree of difference and effectiveness for various CBT types …

Rethinking Person-Organization Fit: Operationalization And Measurement Of Perceived Organizational Fit, Ben Bulmash

Doctoral Dissertations

Person-environment (PE) fit research embodies the premise that attitudes and behaviors result not from the person or environment separately, rather, from the relationship between the two. Person-organization (P-O) fit is a key facet of PE fit, which pertains to the similarity or match between individuals and their organizations. A major area of P-O fit research studies the employees’ perception of fit. This line of work asks people to report their fit with the organization, and then correlates this measurement with outcomes of interest such as job satisfaction, intention to leave, and organizational commitment. While fit researchers tend to pay little …

Infusing Complex Problem-Solving And Systems Thinking In College Leadership Development Programs, Dionicia Mahler-Rogers

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Present day leaders grapple with a dynamic environment of evolving challenges. Prior leadership studies have afforded revisions of leadership theories in an attempt to remain relevant with the prominently shifting environment. The leadership models that underscore college leadership development programs should reflect the updated theories and practices which expose student leaders to solving complex problems they will experience. This study explores the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for college students to be able to conceptualize and address system’s level leadership challenges. Foremost, the study examined instructional tools and methods that students found impactful for improving conceptualization and achievement of systems-level …

Work Ethic, Turnover, And Performance: An Examination Of Predictive Validity For Entry-Level Employees, Christina Banister

Dissertations

Work ethic is continually cited as a top factor in hiring new employees (Flynn, 1994; Shimko, 1990; VanNess, Melinsky, Buff, & Seifert, 2010). Research on the relationship between work ethic and job performance has typically shown positive results in a variety of contexts (Meriac & Gorman, 2017; Miller et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine dimensions of work ethic and its relationship with turnover and contextual performance in an often-neglected segment of the workforce: entry-level employees. Data were collected from a large fast food franchise, including work ethic, turnover data, and supervisor-rated job performance. In Study …

A Context And Stakeholder Focused Exploration Of The Sustainability Of Local Organizations In Development, Brad Tucker

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The design and development of this study emerged as the result of the investigator’s work with local nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the Global South – particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through experience and study, the investigator observed: 1) The conceptualization and the study of organizational sustainability and effectiveness (OS/OE) – both in scholarship and in practice – are fragmented and, while emphasizing the critical importance of context, do not explain how context impacts sustainability. 2) Existing conceptualizations of OS/OE lack the perspectives of key stakeholders – namely the management and staff of the local NPOs themselves. 3) There is a considerable …

Sea Turtles’ Home Coming: Chinese Returnees’ Returning Experiences, Longzhu Dong

Theses and Dissertations

Since China’s open door policy enacted in 1978, massive numbers of Chinese people have gone overseas for education or professional development. Such “brain drain” triggered China’s state level policy reform to harness these talents back home, and consequently both numbers and return rate of these returnees have been increasing over the past decade. These returnees are usually called “sea turtle” (a homonym for “returnee” in Chinese). Sea turtles are generally viewed as an asset, and even the rise of the Chinese economy has been attributed partly to their repatriation (Zweig & Han, 2011). Previous research on this special group of …

Creating Sustainable Supply Chains: Influencing Sustainable Practices In The Supply Chain, Saif Mir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizations worldwide are reporting their commitment to create sustainable supply chains. Ultimately, supply chain professionals are the drivers of change within their respective organizations, so this dissertation examines the role of communication as a tool to persuade supply chain professionals to create sustainable supply chains. The three studies within this dissertation employ different methodologies to examine the role of communication in the development and implementation of sustainability initiatives. The first study, a grounded theory investigation, highlights the network, communication, and structural factors that provide a strong business case for the development of sustainability initiatives. A strong business case influences the …

Perceived Influence Of The Ferguson Effect On Law Enforcement Officer Turnover Intentions, William P. Markopoulos Jr

Dissertations

Law enforcement officer turnover lacks the support of empirical research (Monk-Turner, O’Leary, & Sumter, 2010; Wareham, Smith, & Lambert, 2013), despite being costly in terms of both human and monetary capital (Peña, 2013; Reaves, 2012; Wilson & Sheer, 2013). What literature is available describes factors such as job dissatisfaction and monetary issues as reasons to leave an agency (Cyprian, 2009; Hubbard, 2008; McIntyre, 1990). A new phenomenon, known as the “Ferguson Effect” has been examined in terms of community involvement (Nix & Wolfe, 2016; Wolfe & Nix, 2016) and violent crime rates (Rosenfeld, 2015), but there is no research that …

Merging Cultures: Organizational Behavior, Leadership, And Differentiation In A Health System Merger, Colin G. Chesley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Health system mergers and acquisitions (M&As) have increased exponentially in recent years as a result of the Affordable Care Act (Brown, Werling, Walker, Burgdorfer & Shields, 2012). M&As are consummated as a way to control for interdependencies within the market, control costs and leverage debt, and negotiate better rates among health insurers (Bolman & Deal, 2013; Cooper & Finkelstein, 2010; Mirc, 2013). Regardless of the impetus for a merger, the largest predictor of the success or failure of a M&A lies within the organizational culture (Brown, et al., 2012; Cooper & Finkelstein, 2010; Kastor, 2010; Ovseiko, Melham, Fowler & Buchan, …

Succession Planning In The Religious Non-Profit Sector: Understanding Associate Pastors’ Experiences Of Serving As Internal Interims, Darius Mason Chapman

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

SUCCESSION PLANNING IN THE RELIGIOUS NON-PROFIT SECTOR: UNDERSTANDING ASSOCIATE PASTORS’ EXPERIENCES OF SERVING AS INTERNAL INTERIMS

Darius Chapman

Committee Co-Chair: Andrea D. Ellinger, Ph.D.

Committee Co-Chair: Rochell McWhorter, Ph.D.

The University of Texas at Tyler

May 2017

The concept of succession planning is not new for organizations, as most will experience the loss of key personnel for a variety of reasons including retirement, termination, death, and unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, having a deliberate and systematic process for identifying, developing, and retaining key personnel makes succession planning critical to the long term viability of organizations.

However, challenges in the global marketplace, …

Finding Common Ground: Learning From Leaders Who Have Utilized Conflict Transformation Behaviors In The Mental Health Field In The United States, Tamarah E. Tilos

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover and describe how exemplary leaders establish common ground and produce breakthrough results in the mental health field by utilizing the 6 domains of conflict transformation: collaboration, communication, problem solving, process, emotional intelligence, and ethics.

Methodology: This thematic, phenomenological study was accomplished through examination of the lived experiences of exemplary leaders with firsthand experience transforming conflict and finding common ground. The target population for this study included executive-level leaders of nonprofit organizations, governmental institutions, state and national associations, and private businesses serving adults and children with mental illness, developmental or behavioral disabilities, …

The Link Between Job Satisfaction And The Intention To Leave Among Casino Employees, Oliver Wayne Aho

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Job turnover has long plagued the hospitality and tourism industry. The casino segment of this industry is particularly vulnerable to excessive staff turnover due to the face-toface interaction between gamblers and gaming company employees. The relationship between job satisfaction and job turnover has been explored in numerous industries. This research study used correlational research, linear regression, and descriptive statistics to examine the intrinsic, extrinsic, and general factors of job satisfaction and its influence on the intent to leave for all employees and the employees of the security, housekeeping, and beverage departments of a major casino operation. Additionally, the variables of …

Sustainability In The Apparel Industry: A Study Of Self-Regulatory Institutions And Logic Hybridization Processes, Yoojung Ahn

Doctoral Dissertations

Scholars have sought to understand the relationship between organizations and institutions, and research to date has generated findings that speak to both the top down effects of institutions on organizations as enabling and constraining, and the bottom up influence of organizations shaping institutions. This dissertation explores the context of sustainability in the apparel industry and inquires how organizations participate in self-regulation to influence institutional change, using a mixed methods approach to understand this question. In particular, I observe the process of building a specific self-regulatory institution – the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). First, I study the impact of a reputation …

"More Free Time, More Overtime?" An Examination Of The Overtime Paradox For Part-Time Employees Through The Lens Of Non-Working Time, Hsin Ning Yong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Why do part-time employees with reduced workload and remuneration work longer hours than contracted? Existing research attributes this phenomenon to organisational culture. design of the part-time work. relationship with others at work and one's personality traits. However, there are at least two major gaps in the existing research. Firstly. there is no integrated framework which links these factors influencing part-time employees to work longer hours. This impacts the ability for individuals and companies to systematically apply these findings to improve part-time arrangements; Secondly. most studies to date use self-report methods such:15 interviews and surveys. which limit the findings to what …

Diversity Team Building: Impact On Virtual Team Performance, Nina C. Magpili-Smith

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Although organizations have addressed diversity issues at the organizational-level with resulting positive employee outcomes, lack of scholarly attention to team-level interventions remain. Team-level interventions would benefit organizations more directly as they address issues directly related to task accomplishment. Since diversity may lead to negative performance results for teams, a team building intervention based on the latest empirical research was developed and tested to address the potential performance losses associated to diversity in decision-making teams. The team building intervention provides six crucial elements, namely (1) direct experience of how deep-level team diversity affect team dynamics, (2) diversity education, (3) cultivation of …

Threat Or Challenge? Intensified Job Demands And The Moderating Effect Of Differentiated Transformational Leadership, Benjamin Bass

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Over the past 30 years, industrialized democracies have experienced major economic change due to globalization, economic instability, and rapid technological innovation. To remain viable, organizations maximize flexibility through strategies like downsizing, just-in-time inventory, and temporary labor. Consequently, employees face heightened responsibility, variable workloads, and rising job insecurity. While these demands are stressful, at times, some may represent an exciting challenge. Recently, researchers started studying how the long-term intensification of work affects employees via intensified job demands. This dissertation builds on their efforts by exploring short-term job demand intensification. Specifically, the transactional model of stress and the job demands-resources model were …

Breach: Understanding The Mandatory Reporting Of Title Ix Violations As Pedagogy And Performance, Jacob G. Abraham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how institutions generate, teach, and authorize normative performances through texts and/as pedagogical practices. Through an analysis of the University of South Florida’s mandatory reporting policy, training, and Title IX Incident Report Form, this project examines how institutions construct and privilege certain values, performances, and individuals as means of generating the legal compliance of the institution independent. These practices are valued independent of how such compliance enables and limits the relationship between students and teachers. I argue the University’s texts and pedagogical practices serve to substantiate, authorize, and perform the materialization of certain privileges and the normative standards …

Cyber Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Measurement, Prediction, And Means For Reduction, Brittany K. Mercado

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) have received intense attention by both researchers and practitioners over the past few decades, this body of literature has yet to address the many novel avenues for employee counterproductivity resulting from modern technologies. For example, with the current ubiquity of electronic devices and Internet access, employees can conveniently engage in personal tasks while they should be working or even damage organizational data with unprecedented ease. Beyond reputational concerns and productivity losses, firms’ reliance on electronic storage of critical information also produces novel security risks. Measures of CWB and, therefore, investigations into the construct do not …

Emotional Labor And Discretionary Behaviors: Exploring The Mediating And Moderating Effects Of Felt Inauthenticity And Emotional Exhaustion, Yang Ting Ang

Dissertations and Theses Collection

The service industry is a growing sector in most countries and emotional labor is a major component of service employees’ jobs. As such, it is important to understand how emotional labor influences employee discretionary behaviors such as counter-productive workplace behaviors (CWBs) and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), both of which affect the well-being of employees and organizations. This dissertation presents two studies that examined the mechanisms underlying, and boundary conditions surrounding, emotional labor and employee discretionary behaviors. Drawing on theories and research regarding ego depletion, inauthenticity, and behavior consistency, this paper proposed a theoretical model that hypothesized how two potential mechanisms …

The Differential Identity Activation & Integration Mechanism (Diaim): A Model Linking Female Businesspersons’ Identity Integration And Identity Activation To Negotiation, Yi Wen Tan

Dissertations and Theses Collection

Women play an important role in business management (female businesspersons) but yet they face constraints in the workplace, such as in negotiations. As female businesspersons seem to be facing seemingly conflicting gender and business identities, the level of the integration between these identities, as captured by the construct gender-professional identity integration (G-PII), can be a critical factor that influences female businesspersons in negotiations. It is expected that the level of G-PII influences female businesspersons’ negotiation behaviors when their different identities (i.e., female identity, business identity or dual identities) are activated. Hence, a DIAIM model that depicts how female businesspersons with …

Influences On University Staff Members Responsible For Implementation Of Alcohol-Control Policies, Glenn A. Cochran

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Excessive college student drinking is a complex problem associated with a range of consequences including deaths, injuries, damage, health risks, legal difficulties, and academic problems. State governing boards, trustees and executives have enacted policies aimed at reducing the negative effects of excessive drinking. This study examined influences on university staff members responsible for implementation of alcohol-control policies. Deeper understanding of factors influencing alcohol-control policy implementation may help leaders improve policy making, implementation and attainment of policy objectives.

This mixed methods study utilized a sequential transformative mixed methods strategy with a quantitative survey, sequenced first, informing the prioritized qualitative multiple case …

How To Restructure And Optimize A Mid-Market It Department For Aqilitv, Kelly Kleinfelder

Mathematics and Computer Science Capstones

Mid-market IT departments must operate in a lean manner while providing top-notch support and administration to the business units, all while being agile to keep up with new technologies. Too often, these IT departments are under-staffed or staffed in a manner that is mis-aligned with business needs. Therefore, customer service suffers in the form of lengthy wait times, a loss of trust and respect for the IT organization and the emergence of shadow IT.

This paper will detail how one mid-size enterprise restructured its IT department to provide better service and alignment to business units, while keeping staffing levels the …

A Phenomenological Case Study Of Transformative Learning In A Non-Traditional Diversity Training Program, Ame Lambert

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Rapidly changing demographics and globalization has spurred a plurality of organizations to invest millions of dollars annually in diversity training, with the primary aim of improving the experiences of underrepresented employees. However, the results of diversity training to date have not proven encouraging. Positive outcomes of diversity training have generally been confined to increased awareness and improved attitudes towards diversity, with implicit and explicit prejudice and behavior remaining unchanged. The aim of this study was to understand the transformational learning experiences of participants in a non-traditional diversity training program and the impact of their transformational learning on their behavior.

A …

Comparing Two Organizational Structures In Professional Ultimate, Jack Dowling

Senior Theses

Leaders of business organizations have always strived to find the most efficient method of organizing and conducting their business. New strategies are constantly being developed and adapted to new situations. The business of Sport is no different. Over the past century, the sport industry in America has experienced an explosive level of growth, with the largest major sport leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) earning multibillion dollar revenues in recent years.[1-4] In addition to these “Big Four,” there are numerous minor-league and semi-professional sport leagues. Each of these leagues must operate in a way to consider geographic, economic, and other important …

Building Trust Through The Dynamics Of Emotions And Moods: A Conceptual Framework And Empirical Investigations On The Role Of Affect In Interpersonal Trust Development, Changhong Serena Lu

Dissertations and Theses Collection

In this dissertation, I strived to understand the role of individuals’ affect in the development processes of interpersonal trust within organizations. To achieve the goal, I conducted two studies, one conceptual framework and one empirical investigation. Trust scholars have long recognized the affective component of trust experience. However, previous theoretical arguments and empirical findings are not well integrated to provide a cohesive understanding on various dynamic roles that emotions and moods can play in the trust development. Recognizing that the trustor and trustee may face diverse relational problems at various stages of their trust relationship, I first suggested a Phase …

Residential Summer Camp Counselor Retention Rates Implications And Recommendations For Boys & Girls Clubs Of Metro-Denver’S Gates Camp, Molly J. Mcphee

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver’s Gates Camp is a residential summer camp in Ward, Colorado. There has been an observed and verified trend of a lack of returning staff, despite staff members’ expressed positive experiences as a camp counselor. Returning staff improve the quality of programming for youth, by building upon their skills gained the previous summer and sharing their knowledge of the camp environment, culture and traditions with new staff. Through the use of a survey, completed by counselors who worked at Gates Camp between the summers of 2011 and 2016, trends as to why individuals choose …