Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons^™

Containerization Of Seafarers In The International Shipping Industry: Contemporary Seamanship, Maritime Social Infrastructures, And Mobility Politics Of Global Logistics, Liang Wu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation discusses the mobility politics of container shipping and argues that technological development, political-economic order, and social infrastructure co-produce one another. Containerization, the use of standardized containers to carry cargo across modes of transportation that is said to have revolutionized and globalized international trade since the late 1950s, has served to expand and extend the power of international coalitions of states and corporations to control the movements of commodities (shipments) and labor (seafarers). The advent and development of containerization was driven by a sociotechnical imaginary and international social contract of seamless shipping and cargo flows. In practice, this liberal, …

Developing An Instrument To Measure Group Dynamics Awareness: A Mixed Methods Study, John Weng

Dissertations

In a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, adaptive leaders are needed more than ever. Based on group relations programs developed by the Tavistock Institute, a pedagogy known as case-in-point has recently been brought to prominence and incorporated into leadership development programs. These methods claim to develop systems thinking and individuals’ leadership capacity with little prior empirical research.

This mixed methods exploratory study explored individual awareness of group dynamics, a key outcome in case-in-point programs, and adaptive leadership theory. The goal was to create an instrument to measure awareness of group dynamics: the Group Dynamics Awareness Questionnaire …

“I’M Especially Sorry To Those Impacted”: Conventional Visions Of Leadership In The 2022/2023 Tech Layoffs, Jared J. Watkins

Student Theses and Dissertations

In 2022 and 2023, over 400,000 employees in the technology sector were laid off. This study conducted a thematic analysis using coding on memos announcing layoffs sent by leaders at Meta, Google, and Microsoft in late 2022 and early 2023. This study also conducted an analysis of layoff memos sent by leaders of Google and Microsoft in 2009 for comparison. Key findings include that writing to multiple stakeholders in the 2022/2023 memos produced novel contradictions and paradoxes that may impede employee sensemaking, that 2022/2023 memos used more passive and distancing language that disconnected the leader from the layoff decision and …

Time And Change: A Meta-Analysis Of Temporal Decisions In Longitudinal Studies, Helen Hailin Zhao, Abbie J. Shipp, Kameron Carter, Erik Gonzalez-Mulé, Erica Xu

Management Faculty Publications

Longitudinal research has grown in popularity in the field of management and organizations. However, the literature has neglected to consider the important ways in which researchers' temporal decisions can influence observed change in longitudinal studies. Researchers must make a set of temporal decisions to capture change, such as the temporal precision of the hypothesized form of change, the selection of a sample that is expected to exhibit the change, the choice of variables to be measured repeatedly, the frequency of measurements, and the time interval between measurements. However, these decisions typically are based on "educated guesses," which makes their effects …

Reeling In The Slack: An Integrative Review To Reinstate Slack As A Central Theoretical Construct For Management Research, Matthew P. Mount, Gokhan Ertug, Korcan Kavusan, Gerard George, Tengjian Zou

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Slack is a prominent construct in management research, shown to be relevant for a wide range of phenomena. Yet, despite slack’s prominence and breadth of application, our review reveals a lack of clarity and consistency in the categorization, theorizing, and measurement of various types and forms of slack. This has led to differences in the characterization and treatment of seemingly identical kinds of slack, which prevents the full exploitation of the conceptual depth of the slack construct and thus the creation of robust knowledge about slack resources. Based on a review of 229 studies which explicitly theorized about slack, we …

A New Hope? Restoring Self-Compassion In Response To Abusive Supervision, James P. Burton, Brittany C. Buis, Larissa K. Barber

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Given the persistent financial and psychological costs of abusive supervision in organizations, a greater understanding of the mechanisms that employees can use to cope with abuse is warranted. In the present study, abusive supervision is expected to be negatively related to a key employee coping mechanism – self-compassion – and this hindered mechanism would lead to higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of hope. However, a written meditation targeting self-compassion could break the link between abuse and employee anxiety or hope. The hypotheses and the written self-compassion meditation were tested across two studies incorporating both a highly controlled laboratory …

Healthcare Workers With Attitude: Covid-19 Pandemic Affects Their Work-Related Attitudes, Quinn M. Sybert

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The COVID-19 pandemic left an unforgettable mark on the world, affecting individuals and societies on an unprecedented scale in this modern era. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the attitudes of healthcare professionals, specifically doctors and nurses working in a hospital in the southwestern United States. My research question is: did the COVID-19 pandemic change healthcare professionals’ work-related attitudes, specifically sense of calling, work meaningfulness, strength of workplace friendships, and organizational identification? Data collected from two cohorts of healthcare professionals both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in the months of February 2019, January and February 2020, …

Personality Dynamics Turn Positive And Negative Mood Into Creativity, Ronald Bledow, Jana Kuhnel, Julius Kuhl

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Introduction: Research on the link between affect and creativity rests on the assumption that creativity unfolds as a stimulus-driven response to affective states. We challenge this assumption and examine whether personality dynamics moderate the relationship of positive and negative mood with creativity.Theoretical Model: According to our model, personality dynamics that generate and maintain positive affect and down-regulate negative affect energize creativity. Based on this model, we expect high creativity in response to negative mood if people engage in self-motivation and achieve a reduction in negative mood. We further derive that individual differences in action versus state orientation moderate the within-person …

Just Culture In Aviation: A Metaphorical Study On Aircraft Maintenance Students, Ramazan Çoban, Cengiz Mesut Bükeç

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years. Just culture signifies a work environment where employees are motivated to provide essential safety-related information, but a clear distinction must be made between acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. The aim of this study is to examine the fundamental characteristics of just culture in the aviation sector. The phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research designs, has been adopted in the study. Purposeful sampling was used in the selection of participants, with the sample consisting of 78 students studying in the aircraft …

Last-Minute Coordination: Adapting To Demand To Support Last-Mile Operations, Kedong Chen, Hung-Chung Su, Kevin Linderman, William Li

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

In the highly competitive e-commerce industry, customer-facing warehouses are crucial as the “order penetration points” for e-commerce last-mile operations. This research examines how warehouses use last-minute coordination, an unstructured mechanism, to ensure sufficient inventory at the order penetration points. Previous research has focused on structured mechanisms like contracts and inventory management systems to enhance warehouse performance. However, these mechanisms can be ineffective when faced with unforeseen local contingencies. To adjust inventory and adapt to changes in supply and/or demand, warehouses need to engage in unstructured, last-minute coordination with other warehouses. Using coordination and loose coupling theories, we find that coordinating …

The Pacesetter Style Of Leadership, Michelle C. Dziurgot Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial explores the pacesetter leadership style, likening it to a marathon "rabbit" setting a fast pace. Pacesetters, exemplified by figures like Jack Welch and James Cameron, set ambitious goals, driving themselves and their teams relentlessly. While effective in achieving short-term goals and maximizing team potential, drawbacks include employee stress, lack of feedback, and a "rat race" atmosphere. The author, a self-identified pacesetter with a compassionate approach, emphasizes the importance of balancing high standards with employee well-being for sustained success.

Career Choice Motivation For Professional Pilots, Brett Watts Ph.D., Tamilla Curtis Dba, Scott Ambrose Dba

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study identified key motivational factors of current flight training students to better understand how individuals are motivated to pursue a career in aviation. The theoretical framework used in this study was based upon self-determination theory, as originally introduced by Deci and Ryan (2000).The research approach for this study was a semi-structured interview process where students were asked eight foundational career motivation source questions and their responses were organized into career choice motivation categories. Results showed most participants became motivated to pursue a piloting career at a very young age. This early motivation was largely due to influence from third …

Assessing Past Airworthiness Directives And How Safety Management Systems May Benefit Aviation Product Design And Manufacturing, Damon Lercel Ph.D., Manoj Patankar Ph.D., Richard Steckel Ph.D.

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) continues to promulgate Safety Management Systems (SMS) across aviation organizations when it recently issued SMS requirements for EASA certificated Part 145 maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organizations and Part 21 Design & Manufacturing (D&M) organizations. Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has no such rule in place for these U.S.-based organizations, which may challenge those doing business in countries where EASA policies apply. Given that a majority of the United States’ D&M and MRO population is made up of smaller organizations, it is likely a U.S. SMS regulation will require justification of the …

Risk Management Practices In The Aviation Industry: Lessons Learned And Effective Tools… A Mixed Method Approach, Jim W. Marion Jr. Phd, Tracey M. Richardson, Valerie Denney, Carlos Chaves

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This paper provides a data-driven approach to apply lessons learned from Project Risk Management in the aviation industry. This is accomplished by performing a qualitative analysis to inform a second-pass quantitative analysis using tools like surveys, word clods and analysis through NVivo and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). The results of this analysis show that the most important lessons are elements of early identification, rigorous risk identification and analysis and a focus on reducing risks inherent within the aviation history. Furthermore, the analysis yielded the following top tools for risks management within their phases of the project life-cycle: document review, checklists …

Developing More Equitable And Critically Conscious Organizations: Testimonios And Critical Platicas With Black And Latino/X Lgbtq+ Male Chrd Leaders, Mario Burton

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation connects the recent DEIB movement within organizations to larger social justice movements, specifically those that impact workers and the workplace. Critical human resource development (CHRD) professionals, who serve as “insider activists”, are highlighted due to their work to continue movement objectives within organizations. Through testimonios and critical platicas, this study explores how Black and Latino/x LGBTQ+ CHRD professionals, in particular, are experiencing the workplace, especially as it relates to their engagement with how DEIB is practiced within organizations. Through this study, these professionals provide insights into the ways that workplaces can be redesigned and reimagined to be …

Language-Related Misunderstanding At Work: What It Is, Why It Occurs And What Organizations Can Do About It, John Fiset, Devasheesh P. Bhave

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Language is the foundation of human interaction. It plays a central role in facilitating effective communication by allowing people to express their thoughts, share essential information and establish connections with one another.

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Cheating In Online Classes And Technostress: Perceptions Of Business Faculty, Stacy Boyer-Davis, Kevin Berry, Amy Cooper

International Journal for Business Education

This research study investigated the relationship between technostress creators (techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, techno-invasion, techno-overload, and techno-uncertainty) and faculty perceptions of student cheating in online classes. Data were collected from faculty members of the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS), a member of the AACSB Business Education Alliance, the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences (ASBBS), an interdisciplinary professional organization comprised of faculty teaching in accounting, finance, management, marketing, organizational behavior, and computer information systems, and other research panels during 2021 (N = 94). Findings from regression analysis indicated that the techno-complexity subconstruct is positively related to a faculty’s perception …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Managing Diversity In A Culturally Fractional World: Review Of Diversity: A Key Idea For Business And Society (2023) By Mustafa F. Özbilgin, Cihat Erbil

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

Whither India’S Development: Toward Being A Super Power Or A Super Civilization?, Pradip Khandwalla

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This commentary was triggered by my reading a lecture delivered by Saurabh Kumar, a former student of mine at Indian Institute of Management, who later served as India’s ambassador in various countries and international bodies. He bemoaned that China had much greater status in global affairs than India. Many others in India hanker for a super power status for India. I find this concern to be somewhat misguided. India should be aiming to be a great civilization, rather than a domineering superpower. The record of all the superpowers till now has been quite spotty in humane terms. My vision for …

Boeing Co: Ethical Failures And Business Scandals, Bahia Benabbad Touirs

Journal of Global Awareness

Recent advances in technology have completely changed people’s outlook on the world. Instant access to limitless information has revamped consumer behavior and expectations from the companies they interact with; therefore, social responsibility has become a crucial talking point in the business world as customers increasingly monitor their actions. A recent study showed that 70% of consumers want to know how brands are addressing social and environmental issues, and 46% of consumers believe it plays a decisive factor in their purchasing decision process (Duan, Hofer, & Aloysius, 2021). Even though this has its effects in every industry, this paper will focus …

Three Conditions For Vertical Leadership Development: Impact Of Personal Experiences, Kevin Coopersmith

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Vertical leadership development, an emerging body of leadership research based around expanding an individual’s capacity to think, make decisions, and understand themselves and the world around them, stands as a unique solution to address the leadership skills gap at a time of global complexity and change. Petrie’s (2015) model of the three conditions for vertical leadership development to take place was analyzed through the lived experiences of eight leaders who had successfully completed personal development plans and shared their experiences through a narrative-based qualitative study. Of the eight participants, three participants filled all three conditions and demonstrated a higher level …

How Values And Value Clarity Still Matter: An Extended Study Of Global Managers, Barry Posner, Joongoo Han

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

The importance of values has been continuously studied, and the consensus is that values matter. However, the issue of just how much they matter remains open to various interpretations, including the importance of value clarity and congruency. This study examined the impact of personal and organizational values clarity on commitment, performance, and motivation. An online survey involving 8,442 managers was collected in the same way as previous studies on value clarity and consistency (Posner & Schmidt, 1993; Posner, 2010), but unlike previous studies, managers outside the United States were included. Both personal values congruency and organizational values clarity significantly impacted …

Enhancing Inclusion: Neurodiversity In The Workplace, Micah Cox

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Neurodiverse individuals have long been viewed negatively, particularly in the workplace. Many recruiters or hiring managers have never considered the benefits that hiring a neurodiverse candidate could bring to their organization, rather looking at the additional costs of accommodation. The results of analyzing several case studies show that companies who incorporate neurodiverse candidates into their labor pool have seen increased productivity, creativity, process innovation, and cost reductions. This paper reviews several case studies combined with data obtained from interviews with a neurodiverse individual and a direct support care professional to develop a list of methods to be used in the …

Growth And Impact: The Dual Purpose Of Leadership Development For Professionals In Middle Management Roles, Joy Karavedas

Transform

Abstract

Growth and Impact: The Dual Purpose of Leadership Development for

Professionals in Middle Management Roles

Emerging leaders are aware of the skills needed for executive leadership but may not possess the knowledge of how to develop those skills, meaning they often enter higher levels of leadership with awareness of what is needed to lead but without the actual skills to do so. More than any time in history, it is critical that those placed in leadership positions develop skills prior to being elevated. On the job leadership development is no longer a reliable option and intentionality to developmental time …

Weakness Is The New Strength: How Vulnerability Makes Leaders Stronger, Scott Dick

Transform

Weakness is the new strength: How vulnerability makes leaders stronger is the result from the meta-analysis of five phenomenological studies designed to generate a theory that explains how exemplar leaders from five different fields used “soft-skills” and four domains of behavior to create mutual shared knowledge, resolve conflict and transform relationships to produce breakthrough results. The four domains of behavior are communication, collaboration, ethics, and emotional intelligence. The sample was composed of 75 exemplar leaders from five different professional fields and included an analysis of over 1,300 pages of interview transcripts as the main data source for the study. The …

Coworkers And Leaders: The Relationship Between Trustworthiness, Trust, And Employee Engagement, Lianne Young

Dissertations

A highly engaged workforce provides numerous organizational and individual benefits (Shuck et al., 2016), the culmination of which leads to a competitive advantage difficult to emulate (Burke et al., 2013). It remains challenging to understand how engagement develops, with little research available explaining the process (Shuck, 2020). High employee engagement levels provide a competitive advantage, but stagnant engagement levels remain a significant obstacle (Shuck, 2020).

Shuck (2020) recommends further research focusing on methods to increase engagement. Trustworthiness and trust are antecedents and drivers of engagement (Chughtai & Buckley, 2008; Federman, 2010; SHRM, 2017). A lack of trust has negative impacts …

Looking In The Mirror: Including The Reflected Best Self Exercise In Management Curricula To Increase Students’ Interview Self-Efficacy, Jennifer Robertson, Noelle Baird, Mathew Mclarnon

Management and Organizational Studies Publications

Students often choose to pursue a business major during their post-secondary education to increase their chances of securing employment post-graduation. However, evidence suggests that many recent business degree graduates struggle with underemployment, highlighting the importance of examining how post-secondary institutions can better prepare students for the transition to work. In the current study, we investigated how including a personal strengths-driven intervention, the Reflected Best Self Exercise (RBSE), in management curricula may help better prepare students for securing employment by increasing students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in an employment interview (i.e., by enhancing interview self-efficacy). Using a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental …

"Here's What's Not Changing": Institutional Adaptations That Respond To A Crisis But Preserve The Core, Hozami A. Helwani

Graduate Masters Theses

An enduring tension in the study of institutions is between the micro level of agents’ activities that shape institutions and the macro level of institutions as enduring entities that tend to resist change. Institutions in crisis offer opportunities to look at urgent and adaptive changes. I study an Islamic organization that is representative of a religious institution, which has deep traditions and meaningfulness to its members. In a time of crisis, in the urban area in the United States where it is located, the organization is pressed by external parties, such as government, media, and leaders from other religions, to …

The Alumni Base Holds The Institution In Their Heart: Alumni Decision Making And Communication Strategies During University Leadership Change, Brandy Cox Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to understand how alumni executives make decisions and formulate communication strategies during university leadership change. The research was based on the trends found by the American Council on Education that the tenure of the college president has been on the decline since 2006 and is currently 5.9 years. Multiple factors have been identified in the literature that have led to this decline. The research focused on the largest constituency of most universities, its alumni base, and provides context and a description of decision making and communication strategies for alumni executives navigating leadership change. The …