Business Commons^™

The Impact Of Strategic Planning In Small Business: Empirical Evidence From East Tennessee, Sara Howe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study explored the impact of strategic planning in small businesses within the service industry, specifically in East Tennessee. The focus was to gauge the level of importance small businesses placed on strategic planning, if any. The general problem to be addressed was the level of importance small businesses place on strategic planning that could affect organizational problems such as high turnover, low job satisfaction, poor engagement and performance, financial uncertainty, customer dissatisfaction, tarnished company reputation, and company closure. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to enhance the body of knowledge through magnifying the explanations behind …

Sole Sourcing Reliance, John Sidney Stammreich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research case study investigated the increasing reliance on sole-sourced critical defense components within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain network. This reliance has resulted in increased risks of operational units not achieving the agency’s minimum operational readiness requirements as presented in the DoD Inspector General’s Top 10 management challenges for the fiscal year 2020. The general problem to be addressed was the increasing reliance on sole-sourcing within the supply chain networks of government agencies and business organizations that have contributed to heightened risks of operational readiness reduction and manufacturing production delays. The purpose of this qualitative …

Mitigating Supply Chain Disruptions, Risks, And Vulnerabilities, John Jeong Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The global supply chain has made numerous incredible strides in improving processes to keep the supply chain functional. However, supply chain businesses suffer disruptions from many different factors, which impact the supply chain businesses and customers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the various ways the supply chain industry incurs disruption from the lack of enhanced security and the development of potential ideas on how disruptions receive mitigation. The background of the issue was researched, followed by the interview of eleven high-level supply chain managers and employees to obtain data for understanding the factors that contribute …

Diversity As An Influence On Talent Management And Competitive Advantage: The Absence Of Female African American Executive Leadership In The Insurance Industry, Lateisha Tamarra Rainey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative research case study was to examine the extent of which the significance of diversity has on the representation of African American females in top-executive leadership positions. Furthermore, to comprehend why African American females are unfairly represented and disparaged in C-suite level positions. The purpose of this research was to study the influence that diversity may have on the insurance industry’s talent management and competitive advantage. To what degree do biases whether conscious or unconscious affect promotional opportunities, recruitment, selection, and hiring practices of African American females pursuing elevation to higher level positions within the insurance …

The Lack Of Communication In Leadership, Wendy Webb Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study explored why there is a lack of communication in leadership within the financial services industry in federal agencies in the southeastern region of the United States. The general problem to be addressed is a lack of communication in leadership resulting in ineffective lower-level management. This case study finds solutions to what is causing the lack of communication and how ineffective management can improve. The research questions aid in exploring the existing gap in the existing problem and guide the investigation. The case study consisted of interviews from 12 participants employed in the financial services industry. Several …

Effect Of Supervisor Bias On Performance Motivation During Incentive-Based Performance Reviews, Jessica Lace Burrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The effectiveness of performance appraisals concerning employee motivation and organizational outcomes has had a prominent presence in research over the years due to concerns about how failed appraisal processes hinder performance improvement, human resource functions, and corporate objectives. How employees perceive the review process plays a significant role in whether or not the method will deliver the intended motivators, such as feedback and job satisfaction. This study will focus on how perceptions of bias influence an employee’s drive to perform in the future among Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) within three Promedica skilled nursing facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Disability And Employability: Challenging Stereotypes Through Information And Education, Claire Gallagher Mcelvaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals with disabilities (IWDs) have had an alarmingly low employment rate despite introduction of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other legislation meant to enable workplace inclusion. This low employment rate seemed illogical as employed IWDs have often demonstrated extremely high work engagement and organizational loyalty. Prior research indicated that organizations were willing to hire IWDs but were concerned regarding potential costs and training issues. Because lifelong unemployment has often resulted in segregation and depression for those with disabilities, this research sought to determine if educational intervention, i.e. a presentation designed to address some of the myths regarding costs and …

The Effects Of Leadership Organizational Culture On Employee Performance Resulting In High Turnover, Low Morale, And Decreased Productivity, Damon Brown-Crawford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The restaurant industry continues to lose billions of dollars in revenue due to the failure of leadership to develop and establish strong working cultures which has led to high employee turnover, low morale, and a decreased productivity. A major leadership problem exists in the restaurant industry in the Southeastern United States as strategies, theories, and cases have impacted the applications applied in the restaurant business world. The study has been purposed and influenced by a qualitative approach, utilizing a case study to gain knowledge of the reasons for the failure of leadership in establishing a strong working culture in restaurants …

The Organizational Leadership Framework, John Robert Sparks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The field of leadership has evolved quite drastically over the years. Douglas McGregor showed us the evolution from a Theory X style belief that employees are unmotivated and dislike their work to his Theory Y style belief that employees are motivated and receive a sense of enjoyment from their work. Abraham Maslow expanded on this work with his Theory Z belief that optimal employee performance would prevail with the proper leadership approach. For years now, leadership has focused on various approaches or styles that produce the best performance resulting from the relationship between the leader and their follower. Organizations, research, …

Just-In-Time/Just-In-Case Inventory Management As An Influence On Supply Chain Disruption In Medical Systems Based In The Southeastern United States During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brooke Gibson Coslett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to gain a deeper understanding on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the global supply chain, particularly in the southeastern region of the United States. The study involved a population comprised of professionals employed in medical systems who possessed a working knowledge of supply chain management. The researcher distributed online surveys via an online survey platform to a list of medical systems professionals in both the public and private sectors. The sample size was 396 professionals, and the number of respondents was 201, once the prospective research participants were properly vetted. …

Operational Structures Forming Complex Feedback Loops In Health System / Accountable Care Partnerships – A Multiple-Case Study Investigation To Enable System Dynamics Simulation, Richard J. Pro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 introduced accountable care organizations as a critical component in the transformation of the United States healthcare industry to a value-based care model. It also triggered an ongoing series of health system consolidations consistent with the theory of transaction cost economics. Consolidations included the alignment of health systems with accountable care organizations despite the assertions of some researchers that competing economic models rendered such partnerships financially unviable. The academic literature is silent on this issue, without any published studies of the effects of health system / accountable care organization interactions. The purpose …

Financial Indicators Of Bankruptcy Risk In Local Government Entities, Beth Parker Seymore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The efficiency and stability of a local government can impact the lifestyle of its citizens. While Chapter 9 bankruptcies are not common, when they do occur, they can be disruptive and extremely costly. Scholarly literature on bankruptcy prediction focuses primarily on corporate bankruptcies. Therefore, a gap exists regarding predictors specific to municipal bankruptcies. This non-experimental quantitative study examined the relationship between the financial indicators of those government entities that have declared bankruptcy as compared to financial indicators from similar government entities that have not declared bankruptcy in order to identify possible predictors of bankruptcy. The analysis established that two financial …

Big Bath Earnings Management In Accounting, Shannon Danysh-Hashemi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the potential use of big bath earnings management (BBEM) techniques in the leisure and travel industries during the pandemic of 2020. Data is collected through Compustat and Mergent Online databases and then merged for analysis using SPSS 27. First, the preliminary t-test shows the possibility of the firms in these industries to have conducted BBEM. After, modified Jone's model is used to distinguish discretionary from non-discretionary accruals. Using multiple regression analysis, three hypotheses are tested to discover whether the year of the pandemic, political costs, and executive compensation had any significant effect on the use of discretionary …

The Ems Deficit: A Study On The Excessive Staffing Shortages Of Paramedics And Its Impact On Ems Performance In The States Of South Carolina And North Carolina And Interventions For Organizational Improvements., James Boyd Eubanks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a qualitative multi-case study on emergency medical services (EMS) paramedic shortages, their effects on ambulance responses, and the quality of patient care in the prehospital environment. A qualitative multi-case study was selected for this study because the nature of the methods’ design aligned with a systematic approach of life experiences (Creswell, 2015). Paramedics who participated in this study provided insight, from life experiences, as to why one prematurely leaves EMS; thus, creating a staffing shortage. The foundation of this study is the high staffing shortages of paramedics specifically in South Carolina (SC) and North Carolina (NC). Drastically reducing …

Exploring Financial Literacy And Overconfident Investor Behavior, Ryan J. Drews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the factors predicting overconfidence in U.S. investors and the relationship between overconfidence and seeking financial advice. This study adopted a quantitative research method using the 2018 NFCS Investor Survey data to explore the relationship between financial literacy and investor behavior in the U.S. stock market. Theories in financial literacy and overconfident behavior are combined to identify factors that predict overconfident behavior in U.S. investors. A logistic regression model was utilized to understand the relationship between financial literacy, demographics, and overconfident investor behavior. The results show a positive relationship between overconfident behavior and portfolio value, seeking financial advice, …

Video Collaboration: Copresence And Performance, Thomas James Zito Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative narrative theory study on video collaboration platform use is to explain how an individual's on-screen performance and their interpersonal verbal and nonverbal communication contributes to engagement and copresence with their audience. The literature review analyzes critical interpersonal communication theories to explain how this affects engagement and copresence levels in mediated virtual environments. The research was conducted through interviews with thirty professional businesspeople about their video collaboration experiences during the COVID-19 2020 shutdown. The interview respondents told the stories of business communication successes and failures that correspond to the scholarly theories in the literature review. The …

Going Virtual: Addressing The Challenges Faced By Organizational Leaders When Employees Transition To Virtual Environments In Times Of Crisis, Mary Susan Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities across the world moved their operations online. While a great deal of focus was placed on the value of teaching and learning during a crisis period, very little attention was paid to the other side of higher education institutions—the business side. Suddenly these institutions and their operational staff were forced to discover new ways to perform tasks that had always been completed in person. The leaders of these organizations faced the added challenge of ensuring that their workforce remained engaged and motivated while working in the midst of stressful, even chaotic …

How Organizational Leaders Are Challenged As Their Organizations Move To More Virtual Or Digital Work Environments, Brian Anthony Ziroli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Organizations are moving toward more virtual and remote work environments. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for organizations to be able to operate and grow while some or all their employees work remotely. While this change to work environments has provided some opportunities, it has also presented several challenges to organizational leaders. Research has demonstrated that leaders and managers are challenged with communication issues, including miscommunication, issues with clarity, and issues with information and knowledge sharing; a reduction or loss of employee satisfaction and motivation; lack of employee engagement; issues with onboarding and training; and a reduction in performance …

Mental Health Experiences In The Workplace, Laura L. Goff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the real life experiences in the workplace related to employees with mental health issues. It examined these experiences to evaluate differences in perspective on issues arising from the mental health conditions among the employee, the manager, and coworkers. It explored organizational efforts to support employees with mental health issues and the capabilities of those involved in the process. This is a qualitative phenomenological study in which the author explored employer experiences through interviews with HR professionals and employee perspectives through interviews with mental health professionals. The questions asked in these interviews gathered information on one or more …

Telework In Times Of Crisis, Samantha Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a digital transformation globally as office-based work shifted to telework. Low level positions within the office that were previously not permitted to telework had to during the pandemic. Clerical positions proved to be productive while teleworking. Managers may have had to adjust their management styles to fit their remote staff’s needs. Since clerical staff was so productive while teleworking, they may continue to telework after the pandemic as a new normal. Organizations can take the lessons learned from this digital transformation to apply to uncertainty management planning to prevent future business disruptions.

Fraud Risk Management To Detect And Prevent Employee Fraud In Small Rural Businesses, Daphne Yuying Bishop

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This section provides discussion and research results of this study. The researcher used qualitative multiple case study to explore how small rural businesses establish Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) internal controls to deter and prevent employee fraud. A qualitative multiple case study was based on the fraud diamond theory. Thirty small business owners or managers located in rural areas were interviewed to gain a greater understanding of the effectiveness of internal control in small rural businesses. After thematic analysis, the researcher identified seven major themes: (a) management’s commitment to integrity and ethical value, (b) identifying high-risk …

The Impact Of Agile Project Management On Productivity In It Projects, Kristin A. Seeton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Agile project management is considered an enabler for increased productivity over traditional project management frameworks because Agile helps the team remain focused and transparent, fostering collaboration, communication, and accountability. The methodology relies on self-organized and frequently geographically disbursed teams. This approach encourages creativity and innovation, increases the pace of development, enables flexibility in response to changing requirements, and promotes customer satisfaction. However, implementing Agile methodologies requires a philosophical change in management’s approach. Adapting to an Agile organization requires understanding the differences in methods and the impact of the changes on the working culture. The engagement of remote team members by …

The Implementation Of Market Segmentation For Marketing Strategy, Amanda Condict

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Applied

Hr Analytics: Digging Deeper Into The Details, Kali Robinson

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

Dubai: What Is The Real Cost Behind Such Success?, Abigail Leisure

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

Kendall's Upside Down Lithography: Reynold's Metals Company, Starkist Tuna, And One Commercial Artist's Role In The Development Of Modern Marketing, Kevan D. Keane

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Textual or Investigative

A Meta-Analysis Of Common Metrics Used For Equity Selection, Bryce Jones, Alvin Marchena, Jeremiah Banish, Lucas Trotter, Nicholas Carlson, Tyler Funk, Wade Stinson

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

The Impact Of Disability Inclusion Programs On Organizational Culture And Strategy, Bianca Kristal Sofia Contreras Lopez

Liberty University Research Week

Graduate

Textual or Investigative

Disney’S Strategic Marketing Tactics For Children Ages 2-10, Sydney Geist

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

Stewards Of The World: America & China, Grant Fuller

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

No abstract provided.