Business Commons^™

Causal Models Of Work-Family Conflict From Family And Organizational Perspectives, Lyse Guttau Wells

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

More women are entering the workforce and the number of dual career couples has increased and will probably continue to do so. As women's tasks and responsibilities outside of the home have increased, those within the home have not diminished resulting in higher work-family conflict (Greenglass, Pantony, & Burke, 1988). This research examined a woman's work-family conflict from both work and family perspectives. Two models were described and tested. One model included individual and family antecedents and consequences of work-family conflict. The antecedents included sex-role attitudes, role salience, and perfectionism in the wife. The consequences were quality of family life …

Issues Of Power And Centrality In United Methodist Ministers' Occupational Activities: Implications For Professional Education, Richard Bruce Osmann

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this interview based qualitative study was to explore the influence that a plurality of social contexts, represented through United Methodist congregations in the Virginia Conference, have on the formation of ministers' occupational activities.;The study used a typology developed by Larry Blazer (1987) to identify the occupational activities practiced by parish ministers. The investigation weighted clergy's professional practice using Judith Hackman's (1985) concepts of power and centrality in her study institutions of higher education's budgeting process. Congregational representatives identified occupational activities that were central and peripheral to their congregation's mission. Clergy identified the occupational activities that received more …

Subliminal Advertising: The Commercial Appropriation Of The Unconscious, Brian D. Williams

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Subliminal advertising refers to the use of subliminal techniques by mass media and what these media messages are doing to society. A secret technology has existed and been in widespread use for decades which modifies consumer's behavior invisibly, channels basic value systems, and manages to drive much bigger segments of the population into certain pathological behaviors.

The Tacit Dimension Of Organizational Learning, Thomas Reeder Robinson

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research was conducted to observe the self-reflections of an organizational participant group to further understand the organizational learning phenomenon. The participant group consisted of the 15 managers, spanning three levels of management, of a large engineering group in the southeastern United States.

The intent of the research was to generate theory, rather than to test theory. To accomplish this objective, a qualitative research methodology in a participatory action framework was modeled from Keating's (1993) Organizational Learning Process (OLP) to co-construct participants' organizational reflections. The methodology included individual interviews designed to elicit spontaneity that co-generated organizational perspectives. These perspectives were …

An Air Force Guide To Team Building, Roy M. Gozum

Theses and Dissertations

Team structures are used extensively in civilian, government, and military organizations to accomplish modem task demands that almost always exceed the capabilities of single individuals. As team structures became larger and more complex, managers realized the need for formal team building education. Team building programs serve to facilitate an environment for productive teamwork. However, despite the apparent importance of teams, most organizations overlook the implementation of formal team building programs. Therefore, the purpose of this research is two-fold. First, this thesis examines the evolution and importance of teams, and the subsequent need for the development of formal team building programs. …

The Relationship Between Machiavellianism, Self-Monitoring, And Adaptiveness To The Performance Of Real Estate Sales Professionals, Dianne Broman Eppler

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The focus of sales management is on insuring the success of the corporation by selling its goods or services. The most significant impact on the firm's success is the ability of the sales force to perform. Research to determine what makes a successful salesperson is extensive; however, the results are inconsistent and disappointing. In light of the significant financial impact the sales force has on the firm, additional research that identifies determinants of sales success is necessary.

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relationships between personal characteristics and sales performance. Specifically, Machiavellianism, self-monitoring, and adaptiveness were hypothesized …

Measuring The Mentoring Functions Performed By Female Mentors To Female Protegees, Angela P. Ricketts

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Air Force Acquisition Engineering Officer's Perceptions Of The Adequacy Of Their Preparation For Management, Steven E. Woodruff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how much time Air Force acquisition engineers spend in performing management functions, how those engineers spend in performing management functions, how those engineers perceive their management training, and which types of training contribute the most to managerial competency. The results from surveys of 215 acquisition engineers assigned to ASCEN, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH and their supervisors revealed that engineers do indeed spend substantial amounts of time performing management functions. Slightly more than half the engineers reported spending at least 50 of an average workday performing management functions. Over 53 of engineers responding to …

Materialism And The Self, Kathleen Shirley Micken

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Materialism has been called the most significant macro development in modern consumer behavior. Despite its importance, research about the construct is rather new. Two scales have been developed to measure materialism, one proposed by Belk, the other by Richins and Dawson.

The purpose of this dissertation is threefold. First, it extends the materialism research program by investigating the relationship between materialism and one's self concept. Hypotheses which drive the research posit that people who are more materialistic have lower self-esteem, are less likely to be self-actualized, are extrinsically rather than intrinsically motivated, and are likely to be high self-monitors. The …

Organizational Culture: How Changes Impact Attitudes Toward Job Satisfaction, R. M. Browder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine how a shift in elements of organizational culture impacted attitudes toward job satisfaction in a medium-sized, consumer-owned electric utility over a period of 13 years. The unit of analysis was a municipal utility distributing electrical energy to approximately 27,000 customers. Data collection included the Science Research Associate Employee Inventory, a review of the organization's documents, and a subjective Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. A one-tailed z-test was performed to test whether or not the proportion of employees answering favorable in one survey was greater than the proportion answering favorable in the other survey. It …

A Preliminary Study Of A Job Analytic Inventory Derived From A Behavioral Consistency Method For Assessing Intrinsic Motivation, William John Banis

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

The research question for this study asked if the Job Specifications Inventory (JSI) had acceptable internal reliability and an ability to differentiate among occupational groups. The JSI was designed to have subject matter experts rate the importance of skill, content, context, relationship and work focus requirements of jobs or occupations. The JSI used a taxonomy of 268 behavioral elements derived from the content analyses of satisfying achievements reported by a large, diverse clientele. A clinical-type behavioral consistency method was used to extract performance dimensions from clients' achievements to build the taxonomy. The achievement-based taxonomy was seen as potentially enhancing productivity …

Diffusion Of Total Quality Management: An Organizational Self-Production Perspective, Baizhong Zhao

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

American industries are in the process of a quality revolution. Most companies are busy implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) programs. However, the experience of both Japanese and American companies indicates that successful TQM implementation depends on an understanding of implementation processes, which itself relies on an understanding of organizational self-organizing, for it is through this process that TQM gets diffused and becomes a core component of an organization's culture. Self-organizing is a so-called process-oriented approach, based on theory from cybernetics (Ashby, 1962; Steier & Smith, 1985; von Foerster, 1960), dissipative structure theory (Prigogine & Stengers, 1984), and chaos theory (Gleick, …

The Relationship Between Recruitment Source And Employee Performance, Colleen Marie Derenia

Theses Digitization Project

Relationships between recruitment referral sources and performance, work skills, inter-personal skills, attendance, retention, gender, ethnicity, age, etc. -- Formal recruiting (radio, tv, newspaper, employment/placement office) -- Informal recruiting (employee referrals, walk-ins, etc.).

Sex Discrimination As Influenced By Upper Management And Organizational Climate: A Rational Bias Theory Of Discrimination, Lisa Jennifer Gallo

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Two Individual Monetary Incentive Systems On Work Productivity: Piece-Work Pay Versus Base Pay Plus Incentives, Kirk L. Gillette

Masters Theses

This study compared the effectiveness of a piece-rate pay system in which 100% of the subject's pay was incentive-based with a base pay plus incentive system in which approximately 30% of the subject's pay was incentive-based. Two experiments were conducted. In each experiment, six subjects were exposed to both pay systems using a within-subject reversal design. Subjects participated in 6 to 9 three-hour sessions (Experiment 1) or 9 to 14 four-hour sessions (Experiment 2). Simulated bank checks with differing cash values were presented on a computer screen, and subjects entered the cash values using the computer keyboard. The dependent variable …

Computer Use In The Scientific Office, Douglas L. Miller

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Over the past two decades computers in research and development organizations have become a complex and integral part of the work process. Yet to date only a handful of systematic investigations have addressed issues involving scientists' or other professionals' use of computers, and very little is known about factors influencing use (Bikson and Gutek, 1983; Blacker and Brown, 1986; Collopy, 1988; Gasser, 1986; Helander, 1985; Nickolson, 1985; Pope, 1985). As a result, this research was designed to address four objectives. The first was to develop and evaluate a descriptive model of variables influencing scientists' computer use. The second objective was …

The Effects Of Training And Feedback Format On Reactions To In-Basket Feedback And On In-Basket Performance, Michael G. Fedorko

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of training and feedback format on reactions to in-basket feedback and on in-basket performance. Performance was evaluated with a 2 (Training) x 3 (Feedback) x 2 (In-Basket) x 5 (Dimension) repeated measures factorial design. Reactions were evaluated with a 2 (Training) x 3 (Feedback) x 2 (Questionnaire) repeated measures factorial design. The Training factor was comprised of frame-of-reference training (designed to prepare the recipient to receive the feedback) and a control condition (a lecture on Mintzberg's managerial role classification system). The Feedback factor was comprised of written feedback, oral feedback, …

The Effect Of Different Approaches To Goal Setting On Goal Commitment, Eileen Mary Piersa

All Master's Theses

This study assesses the goal commitment generated by different approaches to goal setting. The participants were the directors, board presidents, staff, board members and volunteers of two non-profit organizations. One group explored their history as an organization, significant events and the impact of those events before carrying out the same goal setting process as the other group. Self-efficacy was measured before the exercise began. Goal commitment was measured after participants prioritized goals and selected subgoals on which to take action. The hypothesis that cognitively reviewing past history would lead to greater commitment was rejected. A second hypothesis that the self-efficacy …

Involvement And Information: How Do They Affect The Price Consumers Are Prepared To Pay?, Corinne Ann Symes

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Attention To Irrelevant Information On Personnel Selection, Travis Ralph Gibbs

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Realistic Job Previews On Turnover, Susan Janet Hartshorn Black

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

New Dimensions Of Organizational Commitment: Effects Of Perceived On-The-Job Support And Exchange Ideology On Absenteeism, Clare Elizabeth Sharafinski

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of A Death, Dying And Grieving Seminar On Nicu Nurses' Levels Of Anxiety, Depression And Hostility, Bonnie Kugel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

[Abstract Not Included]

A Perception Based Integrative Theory Of Individual Behavior In Organizations, John Edward Mathieu

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an integrative theoretical approach to the study of individuals' behavior in organizations, and to present an application of the approach to understanding the performance of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. Individuals' perceptions of the environment were proposed to exist at three levels of analysis: (1) psychological climate (i.e., individual); (2) group climate; and organizational climate. Further, climate perceptions were proposed to result from the simultaneous influence of objective (i.e., actual) situational characteristics, and individuals' needs and characteristics. The underlying dimensions that linked climate perceptions operationalized at the three levels of analysis …

The Effects Of Person-Job Environment Congruency On Individual And Organizational Outcomes, Eileen J. Mcdonald

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to ascertain the effects of person-job environment congruency on outcomes important to individuals and organizations, so that new personnel decision making strategies can be developed. To accomplish these aims, the research had two objectives: (1) to develop an operational model of person-job environment congruency based on an integration of available research evidence and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of the concepts and methods proposed by the model on individual and organizational criteria of success.

Within a person-job environment congruency model framework, there are essentially two matching systems. In the first, the work experiences of …

Television Advertising And Children, Vince Delange

Honors Theses

Thesis begins by examining the learning and cognitive processes and development of children, followed by a history of advertising to children, then explores the traditional concerns with advertising to children. The author discusses research findings and makes recommendations regarding advertising to children.

A Hands-On Museum For Children, Stephanie Townsend

Graduate Theses

This paper concerns itself with the preparation for the development of a children's hands-on museum. Included is a definition of such a museum, a rationale for this type of museum, organizational considerations of a community museum, four exhibits intended to stimulate and guide children's cognitive processes, and a brief summation. The rationale for this children's museum is derived primarily from Piaget's theory of cognitive developmental psychology. Thus, the exhibits are exemplars of Piagetian curriculum. The organization section emphasizes Guthe's philosophy concerning museum organization.

Employment Qualifications For Community Service Agencies And Organizations In Midland And Odessa, Susan Garfield Edwards

Graduate Theses

The terms "social work," "casework," and "counseling" signify similar but separate professions, occupations, and techniques. Their places within the spectrum of community or helping services are clarified by a discussion of relevant literature. Based on these perspectives, a survey of 104 local helping service agencies and organizations was under taken to establish employment qualifications (educational, experiential, professional) for the helping professions. Follow-up was done in 10 situations where Master's Degrees in Social Work, Counseling, and Psychology were required for employment—to determine the particular value of the degree for the specific position. Indications from this study are: that, most positions available …

Evaluating Human Resources In Commercial Loan Analysis, Coy Darrell Jones

Theses and Dissertations

A significant problem in analyzing bank loan requests exists because of difficulty in evaluating the human component in a firm’s resource structure. This research investigates a new accounting technique, human resource accounting, and identifies certain specific personality traits for correlation to a successful loan relationship. These techniques, coupled with the use of a suggested model for scoring personality tests of loan applicants, should enable a better analysis of bank loan risks.

Psychological tests were employed to measure certain personality traits of selected successful loan customers. One test used, the FIRO-B, provides indicators of certain “expressed” behavior traits and of certain …

Management Morale And Performance In Education: A Case Study In Organizational Behavior, Triangulating Theory, Methodology And Social Reality, John W. Means

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.