Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons^™

Diversity Programs: Learning And Effectiveness As Viewed Through The Eyes Of The Diverse, S Michelle Cox

Theses & Dissertations

This research examines corporate diversity programs and initiatives from the perspective of the self-described diverse employee because they are intended to be the recipient of the benefits of diversity programs and initiatives. The research question is: In what ways have self-described diverse employees found that the diversity programs in their workplaces helped or hindered others in relating to them in ways that recognize their knowledge, skills, and abilities and allow them to be treated with respect and civility. To obtain information about the research question, a qualitative study using basic interpretive methodology was used which included face to face personal …

A Movement Tool Kit For The Divergent And Convergent Cps Guidelines: Instruction Cards And Activity Floor Mats, Adela Vangelisti

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

A Movement Tool Kit for the Divergent and Convergent CPS Guidelines:

Instruction Cards and Activity Floor Mats

Movement is as natural to humans as breathing is, and, yet, passivity starts early in schools. We are taught to sit still and in silence for long periods of time. By the time we reach adulthood and enter the workforce, we have almost forgotten our sense of embodiment. This lack of movement is counter-productive, not only to learning but to the development of creativity as well. For this project, I designed a tool to recapture the joy and playfulness of movement. Furthermore, the …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

The Importance Of Community Resilience: Developing The American Red Cross International Services Department In The New Hampshire Region, Sarah Romac

Capstone Collection

Disaster management and humanitarian aid organizations have had to reevaluate how communities and individuals can better adapt and prepare for future disaster events. One concept organizations are incorporating into their overall framework is strengthening community resilience. Increasing a community’s resilience level increases its ability to cope with the changes that affect it. Creating awareness of the vulnerabilities in an area, addressing these vulnerabilities with preparedness training, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and sustainable changes made over the long-term can develop a community’s adaptive capacity to be more resilient.

For my practicum, I was given the opportunity to be the International Services …

Employee Voice And Recipients' Appraisals/Reactions: The Effects Of Speech Style, Voice Type, And Voicer Status, Yongsuhk Jung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this research was to investigate the consequences of employee voice (i.e., the expression of information, ideas, or concerns for organizational development), primarily focusing on voice assertiveness (i.e., the extent of voicing individuals’ assertive expressions) and its influences on perceptual appraisals and reactions of voice recipients. Based on a literature review, I proposed a process model that described the influential mechanisms of voice assertiveness. I also defined moderating conditions that may guide the nature of the influence processes, such as voice type (promotive voice vs. prohibitive voice), voicer status (subordinate vs. peer), and recipient core self-evaluations. From two …

Patient Safety Culture And High Reliability Organizations, Jared D. Padgett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A 1999 evaluation of case studies performed by staff from the Institute of Medicine found that between 40,000 and 98,000 patients died from preventable errors, while 43,598 individuals died in car accidents that year. A 2011 report increased that estimate nearly 10 times. Widespread preventable patient harm still occurs despite an increase in healthcare regulations. High-reliability organization theory has contributed to improved safety and may potentially reverse this trend. This explorative single case study explored how the perceptions and experiences of nursing and respiratory staff affected the successful transition of a healthcare organization into a reliability-seeking organization. Fourteen participants from …

Understanding The Role Of Workplace Relationships In Employee Commitment And Engagement: A Complementary Fit Perspective, Kyle Ehrhardt

Theses and Dissertations

For most of us, work is an inherently social experience. We depend on our relationships to accomplish our work tasks. Emerging theory also suggests that work relationships play a role in meeting our social and developmental needs, and in so doing, affect our attitudes toward our jobs and organizations. Specifically, relational systems theory holds that employees have five different `relational needs,' and are more likely to become committed to their organization and engaged in their work when they are embedded in a set of workplace relationships that meet these needs. According to the theory, employees' experiences of need fulfillment create …

Theory And Practice: A Historical Examination Of The Assumptions And Philosophy Of Human Resource Development, Matthew Wayne Gosney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The history of Human Resource Development (HRD) is the history of human organizational growth and development. A review of the history of western civilization, with particular focus on the Industrial Revolution to the modern era, demonstrates a distinct interaction between the predominant philosophy of the time, theory, and practice. A better understanding of seminal events in HRD's history thus provides insight into informing philosophies of HRD and the assumptions upon which current HRD theory and practice rest. Research was conducted to explore this interplay between philosophy, theory, and practice. The research was thematic and historical in nature, including the evaluation …

The Multilingual Reality In American Business, Zachary Z. Lim

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Wellness Behavior Traits And Organizational Citizenship Behavior Traits, Vicki Yeager Brumfield

Dissertations

In difficult economic times a healthy employee that has consistently low absenteeism rates and who volunteers or takes on extra responsibilities at the workplace could be an asset for any business or organization. The personnel component is a significant area of expense for most businesses that includes costs related to salaries, insurance, and training. An effective and efficient employee impacts the morale, productivity, and the fiscal health of a workplace. The aim of the present study was to examine the pattern of relationships between organizational citizenship behavior and employee wellness behaviors. Data sets that consist of a combination of a …

Analyzing Organizational Consulting As A Professional Practice: An Exploration Of The Theoretical And Attitudinal Assumptions, Kristina Rose Cosgrave

Communication Studies

This project (with both theoretical and applied portions) serves to enrich understanding about the vicissitudes of organizational consulting while simultaneously serving as preparation for working in this field. With such a wide spectrum of approaches and disciplines among professional consulting occupations, an important objective of this project is to explore underlying theoretical principles that generally influence the field of organizational consulting. In this project, theoretical insights from many pertinent organizational communication and persuasion concepts, especially Edgar Schein’s (1969, 1988, 2009) behavioral models of organizational consultation (purchase-of-expertise, doctor-patient, and process), are offered to accompany the professional correspondences with which they correspond. …

Identifying The Factors That Influence Conflict Management Behavior Of Human Resource Professionals In The Workplace: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Personality And Conflict Management Behavior, Gail Joyce Shapiro

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Effective conflict management in the workplace can reduce the negative consequences of conflict. These negative outcomes can include low productivity, health-related stress, increased employee turnover, or litigation. A Human Resource (HR) professional can help mitigate these negative outcomes in the workplace when using effective conflict management behavior with employees. However, there is a void in research pertaining to HR professionals’ use of conflict management behavior.

This quantitative, correlational research study examined whether personality has an impact on assertive or cooperative conflict management behavior of HR professionals in the workplace. Statistical testing found a significant relationship between the harmonious, people-person (a …

Follow Me! Followership, Leadership And The Multigenerational Workforce, Ronald M. Johnson

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to develop an understanding of today's multigenerational workforce with respect to a preferred styles or characteristics of followership and leadership. Specifically this research sought to determine if there was a relationship between an individual's generational cohort and the preferred styles of leadership and followership, as measured by implicit theories of leadership and followership. Therefore, this study draws upon generational theory (Mannheim, 1952), implicit theories of leadership (Epitropaki & Martin, 2004) and implicit theories of followership (Sy, 2010). The changes in the composition of the US workforce which have occurred, and which will continue to occur in …

Pay Communication: An Overview, Scale Development, And Analysis Of Its Influence On Workplace Deviance, Shelly A. Marasi

Doctoral Dissertations

Pay communication is an important yet complex organizational practice that assists organizations in achieving their compensation systems' goals and objectives (Gely and Bierman 2003). However, the management literature has neglected the pay communication concept, resulting in a scarce and undeveloped knowledge base on pay secrecy and pay openness. Given this opportunity, this dissertation focuses on pay communication and its influence on employee behaviors.

Chapter 2 presents an overview of the pay communication literature in the management discipline. A broader analysis of pay secrecy practices is provided since it is the practice primarily focused on in the pay communication literature, including …

Whites And The Active Representation Of Racial Minority Interests, Maykao Y. Hang

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explored personal and organizational factors that contribute to White public administrators actively representing the interests of racial minority minorities. Data collection comprised of 15 semi-structured interviews. The average age was 54, and the length of service was 3-33 years. Subjects were asked about their personal background, what it means to be White, and work experiences in local county government.

Personal factors found were racial consciousness, major life events, and significant relationships with people of color. Organizational factors included a diverse and inclusive work environment, bureaucracy, legal and compliance issues, and supervisor support. Findings included that Whites did not …

Organizational Development Consulting: A Study Of Expert Consultants' Key Strategies, Mona Vosoughi

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study was conducted to capture the collective voice of expert organizational development consultants. Until now, very few studies have been conducted that take into account the collective voices of organizational development consultants. More specifically, the purpose of the present study is to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the approaches expert organizational development consultants use throughout their engagement with their clients in an attempt to add value to and enhance organizational capacity. To understand the process used by this distinct group of leaders, phenomenological qualitative inquiry was the methodology used to conduct this study. Data were collected …