Business Commons^™

Making Corporate Social Responsibility Work: Do Rural And Community Banks (Rcbs) In Ghana Care At All?, Henry Kofi Mensah Dr., Ahmed Agyapong Dr., Eric Fosu Oteng-Abayie Dr.

The Qualitative Report

Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) were set up to provide banking services by way of funds mobilization and offering of credit to cottage industry operators, farmers, fishermen, and regular salaried employees. These banks are not obliged to undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities but are expected by some stakeholders such as citizens in the community to devote part of their profits to meet social developmental activities. This study examines the CSR practices among RCBs in Ghana by adopting a mixed method approach. A combination of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and cross-sectional survey was employed to gather detailed information from 86 …

Overcoming Barriers To Implementing Electronic Health Records In Rural Primary Care Clinics, Patricia Mason, Roger Mayer, Wen-Wen Chien, Judith P. Monestime

The Qualitative Report

Medicare-eligible physicians at primary care practices (PCP) that did not implement an electronic health record (EHR) system by the end of 2015 face stiff penalties. One year prior to the 2015 deadline, approximately half of all primary clinics have not implemented a basic EHR system. The purpose of this phenomenology study was to explore rural primary care physicians and physician assistants’ experiences regarding overcoming barriers to implementing EHRs. Complex adaptive systems formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a purposeful sample of 21 physicians and physician assistants across 2 rural PCPs in the …

Urban Informal Economy In Bangladesh: A Case Study On Mobile Vegetable Vendor In Dhaka City, Md Sanaul Haque Mondal

The Qualitative Report

The informal economic sector is very important for the economy of any developing country. As a developing country, informal economy plays a significant role to Bangladesh’s labor market. But this sector is still undernourished. This research was conducted to understand the contribution of the urban informal sector at a micro scale. This paper aimed at revealing the contribution of vegetable selling to improve socioeconomic status of vegetable vendors and the obstacles they face to run their business. Research data was collected through in-depth interviews with vegetable vendors who engaged in vegetable selling by rickshaw vans in Dhaka city. Results from …

Nonprofit Governance As Succession Planning, James K. Agbodzakey, Felix Kumah-Abiwu, Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson

HCBE Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Qualitative Marketing Research: The State Of Journal Publications, Maria Petrescu, Brianna Lauer

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative methods in marketing have become essential not only for their classical advantage in consumer behavior, but also for their benefits in dealing with big data and data Qualitative methods in marketing have become essential not only for their classical advantage in consumer behavior, but also for their benefits in dealing with big data and data mining. Research from International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that when it comes to online data, unstructured content accounts for 90% of all digital information. Under these circumstances, this study provides a literature review and analysis on the role and relation of qualitative methods with …

Exhibiting Resistance During An Organisational Transformation: The Telecommunication Industry In Ghana, Cyracus Badinye Bapuuroh

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study is to explore how employees reacted by the manifestation of resistant behaviours and attitudes during an organizational transformation in the telecommunication industry of Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative multiple case study using two organizations. Data was obtained primarily through interviews from twenty employees. Seven (7) participants were interviewed from MTN Ghana and thirteen (13) participants from AIRTEL Ghana. Both managers and non-managers were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify relevant themes. The main theme determined from the analysis of data is: Manifestation of resistance and the accompanying sub-themes are …

Role Of Civil Society Organizations In Conflict Resolution And Peacebuilding In Ghana, Abdul Karim Issifu Mr

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

Ghana is both locally and internationally described as an oasis of peace and stability on a continent circumvented by conflicts. The country has not experienced any form of large-scale violence or civil war since independence in March 1957. Nevertheless, it is faced with pockets of relative violence, including chieftaincy conflict and land dispute, killing several people and destroying many properties. In an effort to help resolve these conflicts, the Ghanaian government ends up prolonging it due to its position in some of the conflicts. However, the review of secondary data revealed that many of the conflicts in Ghana have often …

An Intersubjective Perspective On The Role Of Communal Sharing In Synergistic Co-Mentoring: Implications For Human Resource Development, Bryan J. Deptula, Ethlyn A. Williams

HCBE Faculty Articles

he present qualitative research provides an in-depth study of synergistic co-mentoring (SCoM) to understand its features and implications for HRM. We examine dyadic synergistic qualities and processes, and dyadic co-mentoring developmental qualities and processes that complement each other to make possible the emergence of SCoM. Using NVivo qualitative software, we analyzed interviews from a diversified sample of 26 matched mentoring dyads. Results demonstrate that communal sharing in the endeavor toward combinative outcomes complemented by co-mentoring supports intra-relational conditions for the emergence of SCoM.

Leadership In An Australian Context: Highlighting A Qualitative Investigation With Construct Validity Support, Nezar Faris

The Qualitative Report

This paper highlights how criteria for validity that are usually utilized within quantitative research can be used to provide further validation to fully qualitative research. In this case, the qualitative research utilizes the grounded theory method. This research used the grounded theory to investigate leadership processes in the substantive setting of the Islamic organizations in Australia. The qualitative analysis of qualitative data generated a number of categories that were conceptually unique. Theoretical sampling directed the researcher toward data sources that provided further conceptual uniqueness. The similarity between some of these newly-generated categories and lower-order categories gave cause to claim convergent …

A Content Analysis Of The Leadership Styles Of Steve Waugh And Sourav Ganguly: Leadership Lesson From The Game Of Cricket, Pratyush Banerjee 21465, Shantanu Shankar Bagchi

The Qualitative Report

In this study, the researchers focus on the leadership styles of two of the game of Cricket’s most charismatic leaders of the twenty-first century – Steve Waugh of Australia and Sourav Ganguly of India in a bid to relate their styles with classic leadership theories. Both Waugh and Ganguly have been arguably recognized as the most successful cricket captains of their respective countries and have earned accolades from cricket pundits as brilliant leaders of men. In this study, a content analysis of the articles about these two legendary captains published in the highly-acclaimed Wisden almanac, electronic media such as Sportstar, …

Developing Competency Model Using Repertory Grid Technique: The Case Of Spinning Master, Praveen Kumar Srivastava, Bhavna Jaiswal

The Qualitative Report

This paper aims to develop the Competency Model using Repertory Grid Technique. 15 Spinning Master of a large textile company in India were interviewed using repertory grid technique. The study identified 9 competencies in 3 competency clusters that are Interpersonal Relationship, Operational Efficiency and Individual Traits. The study is the first attempt to develop competency model in any textile company and can be useful in implementing competency based HR practices in the organizations. The Repertory Grid Technique used in the study helps in developing competency model in a quick and comprehensive manner that may reduce the time, labor and cost …

How To Conduct A Mini-Ethnographic Case Study: A Guide For Novice Researchers, Patricia I. Fusch Ph.D., Gene E. Fusch, Lawrence R. Ness

The Qualitative Report

The authors present how to construct a mini-ethnographic case study design with the benefit of an ethnographic approach bounded within a case study protocol that is more feasible for a student researcher with limited time and finances. The novice researcher should choose a design that enables one to best answer the research question. Secondly, one should choose the design that assists the researcher in reaching data saturation. Finally, the novice researcher must choose the design in which one can complete the study within a reasonable time frame with minimal cost. This is particularly important for student researchers. One can blend …

Antecedents Of New Venture Creation Decision In Iranian High-Tech Industries: Conceptualizing By A Non-Teleological Approach, Mehdi Zivdar, Narges Imanipour

The Qualitative Report

Entrepreneurs’ decision-making process is one of the main research topics in entrepreneurship studies. This research aims to conceptualize the antecedents of new venture creation decision in Iranian high tech industries. The research utilizes an innovative non-teleological approach in order to take into account the specific regional context of Iran. Most research into entrepreneurial decision making utilizes teleological approaches; however, these models could not adequately explain the phenomena within the Iranian context. This qualitative study utilized event- based interviews with 20 nascent entrepreneurs. Results from coding, categorizing and validating the research findings, revealed 3 main categories as antecedents of new venture …

Improving Patient Safety Through High Reliability Organizations, Jared Padgett, Kenneth Gossett, Roger Mayer, Wen-Wen Chien, Freda Turner

The Qualitative Report

Preventable medical errors result in the loss of 200,000 lives per year with associated financial and operational burdens on organizations and society. Widespread preventable patient harm occurs despite increases in healthcare regulations. High reliability organization theory contributes to improved safety and may potentially reverse this trend. This single case study explored the introduction of a safety culture and subsequent improvements in patient safety in a reliability-seeking organization. Fourteen participants from a subacute nursing facility were selected using purposeful sampling criterion. Data were collected through participant interviews, document reviews, and group observation. Five themes emerged from an analysis of collected data …

Exploring The Alchemy Of Qualitative Management Research: Seeking Trustworthiness, Credibility And Rigor Through Crystallization, Heather Stewart, Rod Gapp, Ian Harwood

The Qualitative Report

In this paper we explore crystallization in terms of its contribution to qualitative management research. This exploration of crystallization is based on a postmodern view where we utilize triangulation as a point of departure. Currently, the use of crystallization is underdeveloped in the management discipline. Qualitative literature and metaphors are utilized to develop a focus on moving qualitative management research away from positivist terms. To do this we crystalize crystallization with an emphasis on the embodiment of the qualitative researcher as the primary tool in addition to the development of rigor through credibility and trustworthiness. This conceptual approach can benefit …

The Effect Of Auditing Standard No. 5 On Audit Delay And Audit Fees, Mark Washburn

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

Formed under the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) was charged with providing the interpretive guidance for auditors to use in carrying out their responsibilities under Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404. Auditing Standard No. 2 (AS2) provided the initial guidance to auditors beginning in 2004. Early research on audit delay and audit fees under these new requirements revealed significant increases in both. Although audit delay and audit fees decreased in subsequent years, they remained much higher than predicted. As a result of the concerns and complaints of the accounting profession and the public firms …

Personal Power And Trust As Mediators Of The Relationship Between Servant Leadership And Affective Organizational Commitment, George D. Bingham

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to investigate the potential mediating role of personal power and of trust in the relationship between servant leadership and affective organizational commitment. The research responds to calls for increased understanding of the mechanisms at work between leadership models and outcomes. Especially unique in the available literature is the quantitative study of the relationship between servant leadership and personal power. All of the constructs in the research model are based on existing instruments, including those developed for personal power (PP; Hinkin & Schriesheim, 1989; Raven, Schwarzwald, & Koslowsky, 1998), trust (T; Mayer & Gavin, 2005), servant leadership …

The Relationship Between High-Performance Human Resource Management, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, And Unit Performance And Voluntary Turnover In The Fast Food Franchise Industry, Martin C. Luytjes

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to advance knowledge and practitioner understanding of human resource dynamics of the U.S. fast food franchise (FFF) industry, one plagued by extraordinary voluntary turnover (VTO), estimated at 75% of total turnover, and its effects on unit productivity. Following the research of Sun, Aryee, and Law (2007), this study looks for the potential of improving the VTO problem through the practice of high-performance human resource management (HPHRM) and the potential benefits of service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (SOCB) that it offers. This study used primary research, namely the domestic operating units of a nationally franchised sub …

The Impact Of Social Disclosures Within Fixed Rate Peer-To-Peer Lending Markets, Robert A. Jordan

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

Financial journals have just begun to examine the implications of unsecured fixed-rate loans between lenders and borrowers administered over the internet. This study observes 31,550 loans issued between June 2007 and April 2013 with a 36-month term, that are fully paid or charged off, based on a data set from the largest P2P lending website. Initial findings within peer-to-peer (P2P) lending markets have identified that social disclosures may influence these markets. The result of this analysis unambiguously confirms social disclosures influence lenders and the factors significant for funding a loan are inconsistent with the factors significant to repayment of the …

Two Essays On Employee Brand Behavior, Jose R. Siqueira

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers two essays on the engendering and the consequences of employee brand behavior. The first essay addresses the impact of employee brand behavior on customer experience in the retail environment. Retailers, with some exceptions, paid relatively little attention to the role that employees play in the experience they provide to their customers. While there seems to be a general consensus regarding both the importance of customer experience and the role of employees in delivering it, there has been no study attempting to measure the impact front-line employees have on the overall customer experience process from the consumer point-of-view. …

The Relationship Between External Turbulence And New Product Development Practices, Michael W. Maxwell

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considered whether new product development practices employed resolved the uncertainty and equivocality in information processing created by external turbulence. With external turbulence coming from more sources and arriving with greater frequency, this wave of change must be addressed to achieve desired project outcomes. Healthcare was the target industry for this research and respondents were selected from members of HIMSS, the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society. Five hundred sixty-three survey responses were collected about completed new product development projects. The aspects of the projects reported included the external turbulence experienced, flexible new product development practices employed, the effectiveness of …

The Impact Of Local Economic Development Activities On Perceived Brand Equity In The Higher Education Sector – An Examination Of Three Stakeholder Segments, John R. Lax

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

Branding and brand equity, both as theoretical constructs and as a critical part of applied marketing, have received considerable attention in the academic and practitioner literature. Brand equity, generally considered to be the differential in positive brand image and loyalty enjoyed by one brand as compared to that of a lesser known brand, is often attributed to the activities the firm undertakes to promote the brand and communicate its value or benefits. Branding activities, and the resulting brand equity, have been successfully employed by both consumer and industrial firms and those activities may range from those as conventional as television …

"Attendee Basics: Survival Guide For Patrons, Customers, Guests, And Goers" From The Pop Culture Business Handbook For Cons And Festivals, Jon Garon

Faculty Scholarship

This article is part of a series of book excerpts The Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons andFestivals, which provides the business, strategy, and legal reference guide for fan conventions, filmfestivals, musical festivals, and cultural events.Cons use a range of labels for the people who attend the event as paid ticket holders. Whether thepeople are labeled attendees, patrons, guests, concert-goers, or customers, many of the chapters ofthis book identify how the Con organizers address these differing ticket holders and should plan andprepare to assure each group has a safe, fun, and memorable experience. This chapter focuses on theattendees and what …

"Gambling, Raffles, Door Prizes, And Competitions" From The Pop Culture Business Handbook For Cons And Festivals, Jon Garon

Faculty Scholarship

This article is part of a series of book excerpts from The Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons and Festivals, which provides the business, strategy, and legal reference guide for fan conventions, film festivals, musical festivals, and cultural events.Games of chance are highly regulated activities, whereas bona fide competitions are generally left unregulated. Both are big businesses. Competitions, drafts, and other events help support the popularity of trading card games. Many nonprofit organizations take advantage of their charitable status to raise funds through various indirect strategies, including raffles, bingo, games of chance, and competitions. For the games of chance, it …

"Revenues And Expenses For Cons And Festivals" From The Pop Culture Business Handbook For Cons And Festivals, Jon Garon

Faculty Scholarship

This article is part of a series of book excerpts from The Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons and Festivals, which provides the business, strategy, and legal reference guide for fan conventions, film festivals, musical festivals, and cultural events.When organizing a festival or Con, the economic model used to develop the event will drive many of the key decisions. If one accepts that the designing of the Con is a form of building a complex game for the attendees, then the Con economy will define many of the structural design choices which will come later in the planning. These chapters …

"The Theories Underlying The Con Environment" From The Pop Culture Business Handbook For Cons And Festivals, Jon Garon

Faculty Scholarship

This article is part of a series of book excerpts from The Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons and Festivals, which provides the business, strategy, and legal reference guide for fan conventions, film festivals, musical festivals, and cultural events.Content from Cons and festivals dominate U.S. pop culture. The conventions serve as launching pads for new artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators. The smaller versions of these events create space to develop fan fiction, allow new artists to expose their work to interested audiences, and provide an entry point for new creative enterprises. As a cultural event and platform for expression, these events …

Gendering Migration Determinants: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Professional Immigrant Women From India, Noreen Ohlrich

Theses and Dissertations

The economic contributions of highly qualified (HQ) labor migrants from developing countries fuel the global talent race. The problem is that little is known about the women in this sought out talent pool. This phenomenological study addressed this neglected gendered dimension by exploring how professional Asian Indian women experienced the following aspects of international migration: (a) gendering international mobility, (b) women and the race for global talent, (c) policies and the labor market, (d) cultural stigma, (e) brain drain versus diaspora networks, and (f) the Asian Indian woman paradox.

Professional Asian Indian women from greater Frankfurt am Main, Germany were …