Business Commons^™

Observational Study Of Retail Wine Venues In San Luis Obispo In Relation To Shelf Space And The Amount Of Wine Sold, J. (James) Calvin Mead

Agribusiness

This study was conducted in order to gain valuable information related to the retail wine industry and find similarities and differences in wine shelf space from store to store. All the stores were unique to some degree, but they also shared several aspects of the wine display. For example, some stores were similar in relation to the number of wine brands they offered, structure of the wine displays, prices of wines, types of promotions, types of packaging, number of sections based on varietals or countries, and overall ratings. Averages, frequencies, one-way analyses, multiple comparisons, and descriptive statistics were all calculated …

Application Of Leadership Principles In Theatrical Direction, Rebecca L. Rizzio

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership Theses

This research explores the relationship between leadership principles widely believed to be effective and the behaviors demonstrated in art of theatrical direction by directors believed to be effective. The Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach was used to survey actors, designers, and stage managers. Directors from the Twin Cities theater community that the respondents deemed to be most effective were then interviewed. Parallels were drawn between the qualities cited in the surveys and the leadership behaviors theorists believe to be most effective. Findings will be shared with the theater community.

Structural Model Of Effects Of Cultural Factors On Escalation Of Commitment Through Antecedents, Agency, And Negative Framing Effects, Woo-Sik Danny Choi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the effects of Hofstede‟s cultural factors on escalation of commitment for hospitality managers among American and Chinese managers. Typical cultural factors include power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, and orientation. Escalation of commitment refers to making decisions in risky circumstances. First, the effect of cultural factors on escalation of commitment was measured through antecedents (mediator variables). Second, the first effect of antecedents on escalation of commitment was measured through agency and negative framing effects. Structural equation modeling (SEM) found significant relationships between cultural factors and mediator …

Object And Relations Uncertainty: Two Components Of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty, Anthony Francolini

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

I contend that perceived environmental uncertainty should be divided into a new pair of uncertainty components, which I label object and relations uncertainty. Object uncertainty is defined as an actor’s inability to predict the future accurately due to a lack of information about object items (i.e., tangible, reducible, asocial items). Relations uncertainty is defined as an actor’s inability to predict the future accurately due to a lack of information about relations items (abstract, reduction-resistant, social items).

I contend that the object-relations uncertainty component-set is supported by uncertainty research and categorization theory. First, these two components are supported by the works …

Re-Evaluating Happiness: Why The Quality Of Our Lives Depend Upon It, Suzanne Lang Baetz

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle proposed that the ultimate goal of life is happiness because "we choose it for itself and never for any other reason" (Thomson, 1953, p. 73). Today, happiness is still a fundamental concern for people all around the globe. I n an international survey with over 10,000 respondents from 48 nations, Oishi, Diener, & Lucas (2007) found that happiness ranked highest in importance of a group of 1 2 options, including success, intelligence/knowledge, and material wealth.

Influence Of Financial And Policy Environments On The Business Strategy Of Biotechnology Companies In India, Sumesh Mohan Arora

Dissertations

The biotechnology industry thrives on innovation and new knowledge creation, but is also capital intensive with a complex regulatory environment (Hine and Kapeleris 2007). It is seen as a sunrise industry by the Indian government (Natesh and Bhan 2009). Current literature on the business strategy of Indian biotechnology companies and the influence from external factors is very limited. The objective of this research was to qualitatively test the applicability of the Miles and Snow (1978) theory of organizational behavior which describes four strategy choices: prospector, analyzer, defender and reactor, in the context of the Indian biotechnology sector. Research on Western …

Impact Of Lean Practices On Printing Companies, Jenna Bodolay

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to bring understanding to what Lean and sustainable practices are most efficient and popular within printing companies. The information and data collected provides insight into what companies are doing to be Lean. The data exhibits what Lean and sustainable techniques that provide positive effects for companies and identifies potential pitfalls for why companies have not been able to be productive with Lean strategies.

This study collected and analyzed data on Lean and sustainability efficiency through historical case studies and descriptive research surveys. Case studies in the printing industry were studied and compared on the …

Identifying Types Of Teaching And Learning In An Informal Community Of Practice, Shalane Balfour Navorska

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify indicators of three different types of teaching and learning used within an informal community of practice. Peters and Armstrong’s (1998) article, Collaborative learning: People laboring together to construct knowledge, served as the basis for this case study, which expanded upon the types of teaching and learning as a framework for understanding practitioners’ interactions within communities of practice (CoP). No other research has comparatively examined these three types of teaching and learning, or examined the types of teaching and learning as a framework for understanding interactions within CoPs.

Eight members of a CoP …

Generational Perceptions Of Productive/Unproductive Information Received From Management Through Different Communication Channels, Eva Lynn Cowell

Doctoral Dissertations

This exploratory study identified generational preferences for receiving information from management through different communication channels and determined if age predicted productivity for productive and unproductive information received through different communication channels. This is the first study to empirically examine the relationship between age cohorts, communication channel preferences, information categories, and productivity. Sample participants worked as Extension agents at a major land-grant university. The four generations represented in the sample utilized multiple communication channels and were geographically dispersed throughout the state. The survey was administered electronically and completed by 204 (74%) of the eligible 275 employees in the organization. Independent Samples …

Museum Collections Management Systems: One Size Does Not Fit All, Elana C. Carpinone

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Collections management software companies claim their product can be used for any type of collection or museum. While this is true to some extent, in actuality, they are better suited for some types of collections and do not cover the others as well. Particular collections management databases have aspects that are better suited for certain types of collections and an individual museum's needs. Each system's particular combination of features and characteristics may make it a better fit for some museums' needs and not for others. Recommendations for collections databases are constantly sought after on the American Association of Museum's Registrar's …

Local Financial Services Innovation: Local Management, Strategy And Change; A Field Investigation, Ann Catherine Nave

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Service Undone: A Grounded Theory Of Strategically Constructed Silos And Their Impact On Customer-Company Interactions From The Perspective Of Retail Employees, Kelley A. O'Reilly

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This work elaborates the impacts of strategically constructed silos that are not byproducts of flagging cross-departmental cooperation or the cumulative effect of decades of decentralized command and control. Rather, these silos are strategically intended structures within organizations. Most significantly, the substantive theory of strategically constructed silos and their impact on customer service contributes to the field by illustrating the presence and consequence of silos occurring in suboptimal conditions. The existence of silos has implications that extend far beyond the retail area.

A key take-away from this research is that contrary to how most customer service processes are designed, not all …

Work Support, Work-Family Enrichment, Work Demand And Work Well-Being Among Chinese Employees : A Study Of Mediating And Moderating Processes, Shuwen Tang

Theses & Dissertations

Work and family are the central and salient domains in one’s life. Juggling work and family life has become a challenge for many employees and families (Hammer et al., 2005). This study proposed a theoretical model in which work to family enrichment functioned as the mediator between work support (support from supervisor, co-workers and organization) and work well-being (job satisfaction and psychological health), and also examined whether work demand buffered the impact of work support on work well-being. The inclusion of work to family enrichment extends prior research on Job Demands – Resources model (Demerouti & Bakker, 2007), and allows …

Protection-Motivated Behaviors Of Organizational Insiders, Michael C. Posey

Doctoral Dissertations

Protecting information from a wide variety of security threats is an important and sometimes daunting organizational activity. Instead of solely relying on technological advancements to help solve human problems, managers within firms must recognize and understand the roles that organizational insiders have in the protection of information. The systematic study of human influences on organizational information security is termed behavioral information security (Fagnot 2008; Stanton, Stam, Mastrangelo, and Jolton 2006), and it affirms that the protection of organizational information assets is best achieved when the detrimental behaviors of organizational insiders are effectively deterred and the beneficial activities of these individuals …

Utilizing Knowledge Transfer To Promote Management Of Countervailing Risks In Value Stream Analysis, Jeffery A. Temple

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Organizations are frequently faced with the challenges of modifying and streamlining their processes by utilizing the latest process improvement techniques such as Lean Thinking. They use these techniques to allow them to better perform their organizational purposes through the elimination of waste and non-value added steps. Personnel performing these modifications need to account for potential outcomes and risks when streamlining processes. An association of knowledge transfer and experience to the identification and handling of these countervailing or alternative risks when performing Lean Thinking value stream analysis is investigated. The elements of risk management, Lean Thinking and knowledge transfer are described. …

The Effects Of Opinion Leaders And Change Messages On Organization Member Change Attitudes: A Field Experiment, Ryan L. Leblanc

Theses and Dissertations

The extent to which three change introduction strategies (i.e., opinion leadership, edict, and change message) influenced readiness for change were tested at four locations as part of a quasi-field experiment with three groups receiving an enriched change message and one control group. Readiness was measured before and after change implementation where it was hypothesized that change readiness would be most improved within the groups that heard the most persuasive and rich change messages. These hypotheses were not supported and data indicated that the differing treatments were never received by the majority of the change recipients, rendering the results of the …

The Effect Of Initial Entry Training On The Moral And Character Development Of Military Police Soldiers, Kenneth R. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Army conducts extensive training on its core values beginning with initial entry training (IET), commonly referred to as basic training, in order to shape soldiers' behavior and decision making in combat and noncombat situations. This mixed methods study addressed the problem of limited empirical research on the effects of U.S. Army IET on soldiers' moral and character development. The purpose was to explore the effects of Military Police (MP) IET on soldiers in training through a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative model. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Rest's four component model (FCM) of moral …

Faculty Inside A Changing University: Constructing Roles, Making Spaces, Leslie D. Gonzales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The notion of a multiversity was stamped into the higher education literature by Clark Kerr in 1963 when he spoke about the numerous purposes tied to U.S. higher education. Kerr highlighted how the University is often pulled in many directions at once, asked to fulfill promises of the cultural, educational, national, societal, and now, of the global kind. Yet it is imperative to remember that these multiversities are not empty spaces. They are occupied and brought to life by the people who work inside them, especially the faculty, who Gregorian (2005) names as the "heart and soul, the bone marrow …

A Correlational Study Of Telework Frequency, Information Communication Technology, And Job Satisfaction Of Home-Based Teleworkers, Shana P. Webster-Trotman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2008, 33.7 million Americans teleworked from home. The Telework Enhancement Act (S. 707) and the Telework Improvements Act (H.R. 1722) of 2009 were designed to increase the number of teleworkers. The research problem addressed was the lack of understanding of factors that influence home-based teleworkers' job satisfaction. Job dissatisfaction has been found to have a significant impact on voluntary turnover. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship among telework frequency, information communication technology (ICT), and job satisfaction. The research questions were designed to answer whether correlational relationships exist among telework frequency, ICT, and job satisfaction and …

Job Satisfaction, Job Involvement, And Perceived Organizational Support As Predictors Of Organizational Commitment, Jennifer Parker Ayers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a significant relationship between job satisfaction, job involvement, perceived organizational support, and organizational commitment among educators. A review of the literature revealed there is limited research that examined organizational behaviors among educators. Organizational commitment has been identified as a leading factor impacting an employee's level of success in various organizations. There remains a gap in the current literature regarding specific attitudinal behaviors influencing organizational commitment across various levels of education. Organizational commitment among educators employed at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels was examined. The sample for …

Who Shares? Managerial Knowledge Transfer Practices In British Columbia's Ministry Of Health Services, Gwendolyn Elizabeth Lock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The British Columbia government's Ministry of Health Services will experience significant loss of operational knowledge from an aging managerial workforce, increased staff turnover, and difficulties in recruitment. The purpose of this study is to provide the ministry's Strategic Human Resources Planning branch staff with a map and description of knowledge transfer practices used by approximately 40 managers within the ministry's Health Sector Information Management/Information Technology division and its Vital Statistics Agency. The study is a mixed-methods case study of knowledge retention and transfer practices founded on a knowledge management and social network theoretical foundation. To understand the ministry's complex nature …

A Structural Equation Model Of The Factors Associated With Influence And Power Of It Departments And Their Relationship To Firm's It Orientation And Business Performance, Raghu V. Kowshik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although few firms can function without an information technology (IT) department, senior executives often consider IT as secondary. Historically, studies have found IT departments to have low influence and power status compared to other departments. Few, if any, studies have investigated what factors contribute to this subservient position. Three research questions that inspired this study regarding the IT department's influence and power included factors that shape the IT influence and power, the consequences for the firm's IT orientation and business performance, and how firm's IT orientation affects business performance. This quantitative study explored the notion that accountability, innovativeness, customer connectedness …

An Application Of Human Factors Analysis And Classificationi System To Identify Organizational Factors In Maritime Accidents, Wenzheng Wu

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Self-Directed Teams In An Automotive Manufacturing Environment, David Wayne Shall

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE EFFECTS OF SELF DIRECTED TEAMS IN AN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT

by

DAVID W. SHALL

December 2010

Advisor: James L. Moseley, EdD, LPC, CHES, CPT

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

This study compares self-directed work structures to more traditional supervised work structures in order to determine if the expenditures and efforts required to implement self-directed work teams are warranted. Multiple internal performance metrics are examined in comparing plant work structures in various degrees of implementation between traditional work structures and self-directed work teams. The researcher collected data from multiple organizations within Ford Motor Company and four participating …

Does Organizational Culture Affect Employee's Readiness To Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices?, Joseph Waller

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The emergent trend toward the use of evidence-based practices in children’s mental health services has been gaining recognition (Barwick et al., 2005). The motivation for implementing evidence-based practices is to build quality and accountability in the delivery of mental health services. Children with emotional and behavioral disorders should be able to rely on receiving services that can accommodate their personal needs based on the best scientific evidence available. Most children who receive evidence-based treatment display significant progress and do so much more quickly than children that receive other non evidence-based treatment or no treatment at all.

The importance of implementing …

How Management Level And Environmental Dynamism Are Related To Change Behavior And Unit Performance, Eric C. T. E. Larsen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A survey study was conducted to determine how management level and environmental dynamism affect change leadership by managers and its impact on work unit performance. An on-line survey was used to obtain data from subordinates of the managers in many different organizations. The results showed that change-oriented behavior was used more by high level managers than by low level managers, and when the environment was dynamic rather than relatively stable. Management level enhanced the effects of a manager's change behavior on unit performance, and the enhancing effect of dynamism was marginally significant. The results are consistent with theories about the …

A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis Identifying Antecedents Of Work Ethic Beliefs And The Relationship Between Work Ethic Beliefs And In-Role And Extra-Role Work Behavior : New Work Ethic Dimensions And Scale Introduced, Melissa Janine Mann

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study developed a comprehensive instrument for assessing contemporary work ethic and used the instrument to investigate antecedents of the formation of work ethic beliefs. In addition, the study investigated whether work ethic beliefs correlated with in-role and extra-role job performance. The study reviewed the literature on work ethic beginning with Weber's (1904-05) construal of the Protestant Work Ethic as the underpinning of early capitalism. The review traced the evolution of the Protestant Work Ethic construct to its contemporary, secular formulations. At issue is whether the dimensions of work ethic identified by Weber 100 years ago remain relevant for understanding …

Assessing Interventions For Reducing Gender-Based Occupational Stereotypes : A Multi-Method Study Comparing The Implicit Association Test To Indirect And Explicit Measures Of Stereotypes, And An Examination Of Sex Roles And Entity Versus Incremental Lay Theories Of Social Perception, Carolyn C. Matheus

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Certain occupations are often stereotyped as feminine (e.g., elementary school teacher) while others are stereotyped as masculine (e.g., engineer) (White, Kruczek, Brown, & White, 1989; White & White, 2006). This study proposed using multiple methods to assess stereotypical judgments about the masculinity and femininity of five occupations: engineer, law enforcement officer, accountant, fashion designer, and elementary school teacher. Implicit, indirect, and explicit assessments were used to measure gender based stereotypes of occupations to examine similarities or differences between the different methods. Implicit assessments involve measuring automatic evaluations to stimuli, while indirect assessments involve gender ratings of attributes associated with occupations. …

Organizational Slack, International Expansion And Firm Profitability, Anran Liu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

International expansion is a viable growth strategy for firms operating in an increasingly competitive business environment. Understanding the relationship between international expansion and firm performance has been a significant concern for theory development in the strategy and international business literature. The extant literature, however, has paid insufficient attention to the tradeoff between firm growth and profitability that may imply the existence of an optimal rate of growth. Drawing from the Penrosian perspective that emphasizes the role of resources in firm growth, this study investigates whether and how firm slack resources affect the tradeoff between international expansion and profitability. Specifically, this …

The Impact Of Employees' Perception Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Job Attitudes And Behaviors: A Study In China, Dan Zheng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is regarded as voluntary bahaviors that contribute to the soceity welfare. Based on the concept of sustainable development, corporations should not only stress on their economic and business outcomes, but also pay attention to their effect on the society and environment. Corporations are expected to engage in the improvement of their employees' quality of life, as well as the well-being of employees' families, local communities, and the overall society. With the acceleration of global integration, CSR has become a main concern by the public, and is considered as an essential part of the business strategy. It …