Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Effect Of Emotional Intelligence, Collaboration Technology, Team Climate, And Intrinsic Motivation On Virtual Team Effectiveness: A Study Of Team Member Perceptions, Brandy Lynn Kramer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The pervasiveness of technology has caused a paradigm shift from collocated teams working in the office 9–5 to virtual teams working anywhere, anytime. As such, there is a growing body of literature related to virtual teams; however, there is limited research specific to the relationship between virtual team effectiveness and emotional intelligence, collaboration technology, team climate, and intrinsic motivation. This study used a descriptive, correlational research design. The sample consisted of 119 virtual team members from information technology consulting organizations. The data were collected using a survey instrument containing demographic questions followed by five intact scales with proven reliability and …

Factors Affecting Faculty's Intent To Use E-Learning Systems At A University In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Razan I. Alsuwailem

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

E-learning systems provide instructors with a platform to create, deliver, and manage course content electronically. Faculty members' use of an e-learning system at Saudi universities concerns researchers, academics, and practitioners. Although most Saudi universities have an e-learning system, few faculty members are using an e-learning system. The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education has seen massive investment toward the educational improvement in e-learning systems through building and maintaining an advanced level of Information Technology infrastructure, improving the utilization and flexibility of Information Technology resources, and enhancing and developing the privacy and security of e-learning systems. While previous research has examined factors …

Assessing Patient And Caregiver Intent To Use Mobile Device Videoconferencing For Remote Mechanically-Ventilated Patient Management, Brian R. Smith

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Michigan Medicine adult Assisted Ventilation Clinic (AVC) supports patients with neuromuscular disorders and spinal cord injuries and their caregivers at home, helping them avoid expensive emergency department visits, hospitalization, and unnecessary or excessive treatments. Mobile device videoconferencing provides an effective capability for remote mechanically-ventilated patient management but must rely upon an unknown infrastructure comprising patient and caregiver mobile device ownership, connectivity, and experience—and intent to use the service if provided. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent of this infrastructure and the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intent to use this mobile device …

Personal Privacy: A Study To Determine Views On Privacy As It Relates To Technology Acceptance, Keith A. Wuotinen

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This descriptive correlation study sought to learn the relationships, if any, between a person’s concern for privacy and their acceptance of technology, in conjunction with the control factors of the Big Five personality factors. The study employed a modified Concern for Information Privacy (CFIP) scale and a modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach in conjunction with the Big Five personality factors using a 51-question survey.

The study surveyed students at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, who were enrolled in the College of Technology. The results indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between the CFIP and the TAM. …

How Nurses Perceive The Impact Of Health It Applications On Their Performance And Satisfaction: Examining The Organizational, Social, And Personal Factors, Sadaf Ashtari

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Applying information technology tools in the healthcare industry is an appropriate solution to integrate and record medical data and provide complete access of patients’ information. However, the effectiveness of these technologies depends on their successful implementation and adaptation. This study addresses the impact of result observability, autonomy, perceived barriers, task structure, privacy and security anxiety, and communication (social) patterns on the perception of the performance and satisfaction of nurses using IT applications in healthcare. Furthermore, the effects of nurses’ years of experience, age, different hospitals, different electronic medical records (EMR) applications, and personality factors are examined as a moderator factors …

A Study Of Information Security Awareness Program Effectiveness In Predicting End-User Security Behavior, James Michael Banfield

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As accessibility to data increases, so does the need to increase security. For organizations of all sizes, information security (IS) has become paramount due to the increased use of the Internet. Corporate data are transmitted ubiquitously over wireless networks and have increased exponentially with cloud computing and growing end-user demand. Both technological and human strategies must be employed in the development of an information security awareness (ISA) program. By creating a positive culture that promotes desired security behavior through appropriate technology, security policies, and an understanding of human motivations, ISA programs have been the norm for organizational end-user risk mitigation …

Understanding How Organizations Operate Their It Capacity-Management Processes, Joseph Frederick Bauer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is a lack of understanding of how organizations operate their IT capacity-management processes. Within the body of literature on IT capacity-management there is an abundance of advice for organizations on how to set up or run the processes for IT capacity-management, but very little in the way of describing the processes as performed and operated in organizations out in the field. Using qualitative methods this research sought to gain an understanding of how organizations are operating their IT capacity-management processes in the field. A dozen subjects from 10 organizations were interviewed and the data were analyzed with a grounded …

Users' Perspective On The Relationship Between Internal Controls And Key Constructs, Santosh Mutnuru

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study sought to understand a user's perspective on the level of influence that internal controls had on the levels of trust, employee engagement, employee performance, and organization performance. The relationship between the level of implementation of internal controls with the level of trust that employees have for their employer, employee engagement, employee performance, and organization performance has not been adequately explored. The study was conducted on users who worked in organizations that implemented Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) internal controls, and these organizations strictly maintain all of their information in digital format. About nine hundred …

Understanding The Relationship Between Technical And Managerial Factors And Product Innovation At A Tier 1 Engine Component Supplier, Carmo Ribeiro

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided an assessment of the technical and managerial factors on the development of successful innovative internal combustion engine (ICE) components at a XYZ Tier 1 supplier firm. Further, factors related to regulations, component application, and customer integration were identified and complement the study.

A deficiency has been identified in the literature in that most studies concentrate on inter-firm innovation from the customer’s perspective within the supply-chain relationship. While suppliers have increasingly become a source of innovation, very little is known about specific ways in which innovation occurs at Tier 1 suppliers. The mechanisms by which innovative ideas are …

Development And Study Of Waterproof Breathable Fabric Using Silicone Oil And Polyurethane Binder, Aditi S. Bakshi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this study is on determining the optimum combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in coating material to obtain high breathability and waterproof properties. Polyurethane binder and silicone oil were used in eight different combinations to coat the fabric along with one sample with 100% polyurethane binder for control. A knife-over-roll coating machine was used to coat the fabric. The coated samples were tested by using the Sweating Guarded Hot Plate method for breathability and the spray test and contact angle method for waterproof properties. Results obtained from the tests showed that fabric coated with an 80%-20% and …

The Impact Of Project Lead The Way Gateway To Technology Foundation Unit Completion On Students' Critical-Thinking Skills, Rula Odai Hashem

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Georgetown's Public Policy Institute (2013) reported that the fastest growing occupations and the highest demand for college education and training fields will be in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), healthcare, and community services. One of the K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs' purposes is to promote critical-thinking skills (Johnson, 1992). This study examined the impact of Project Lead The Way Gateway to Technology (PLTW-GTT) units, a middle school STEM program, on the critical-thinking skills of middle school students. Quasi experimental research methods were utilized to test the impact of the completion of two PLTW-GTT foundation units on students' …

Determining The Degree Of Collaboration Readiness For Regional Transportation Systems: The Formulation Of A Model, Carol Farver

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify factors, both governmental and universal, that indicate the degree of readiness and/or potential for success of a government collaborative project in the field of regional rapid mass transportation. The study is important because collaboration has been recognized as a tool that can help address such challenges as demonstrating the responsible use of limited resources, anticipating converging technologies, and reacting to rapidly changing technologies. There was very limited availability of tools to assist in ensuring successful collaborations. Although tools have been developed that gauge the degree of collaborative readiness of a project, such …

Investigating The Relationships Of Project Performance Measures With The Use Of Building Information Modeling (Bim) And Integrated Project Delivery (Ipd), David Kelly

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The relationships of project performance with the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in the construction industry have not been decisively investigated. The potential effect of the technology and strategy on industry operations underscores the need for reliable information about project outcomes associated with their use. The review of the literature has identified discrepancies between the qualitative and quantitative body of work concerning the relationships of key project performance measures and engagement of BIM and IPD. Grounded in structuration theory, which holds that altered outcomes may result from organizational change spurred by radical events (e.g., …

Assessment Of Users' Information Security Behavior In Smartphone Networks, Mohammadjafar Esmaeili

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With the exponential growth of smartphone usage, providing information security has become one of the main challenges that researchers and information-security specialists must consider. In contrast to traditional mobile phones that only enable people to talk and text, smartphone networks give users a variety of convenient functions such as connection to the Internet, online shopping, e-mail and social media, data storage, global positioning systems, and many other applications. Providing security in smartphone networks is critical for the overall information security of individuals and businesses. Smartphone networks could become vulnerable to security breaches if users do not practice safe behaviors such …

The Relationship Between The Perceived Level Of Contribution Of Virtual Team Members And Their Energization Source As Described By Jung's Typology, Edward Carl Bartone

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The increasing use of virtual teams as a result of advances in technology has altered the manner in which team members communicate and interact (Holton, 2001). The media-rich faceto- face team environment has frequently given way to asynchronous communication, using tools such as emails and discussion threads (Ohler, 2004). This study focused on the role of personality type in the emerging academic asynchronous environment; specifically, it explored the relationship between the Jungian dimension of energization (introversion vs. extroversion) of a team member and the perceived level of contribution of that team member to a team in an academic asynchronous virtual …

A Critical Examination Of The Construct Validity Of The Tti Performance DnaTm Survey For The Purpose Of Differentiating The Entrepreneurially-Minded Engineer, Sandra L. Dietrich

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The United States needs workers with more than technical skills to meet the demands of global competition; more specifically, a new breed of engineer is necessary, one who possesses leadership skills and business acumen in addition to the technical engineering skills. One Midwestern foundation has recognized this challenge and is working with engineering universities to enhance programs to create entrepreneurially-minded engineers (EMEs). To this end, the Target Training International, Ltd. (TTI) Performance DNATM survey has been developed to measure the behaviors, values, and professional skills of these EMEs. Currently, the Foundation has collected data using this survey with engineering students …

National Security Policy Constraints On Technological Innovation: A Case Study Of The Invention Secrecy Act Of 1951, Dorothy K. Mcallen

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Recent studies indicate that the United States is trailing other countries in technological innovation and competitiveness. This case study examined national security policy constraints on technological innovation, specifically the Invention Secrecy Act. It focused on the social constructs of collaboration and interdisciplinary knowledge in the aerospace industry. The methodology included historical research, data collection, and semi-structured interviews with experts from academia, general industry, government and public policy, aerospace/defense industry, and federal government. The results of the study suggested that since World War II, national security policies have not been clearly and consistently defined, interpreted, or implemented. This lack of clarity …

Student Loyalty Assessment With Online Master's Programs, Ali Dehghan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Relationship marketing is attracting, maintaining, and, in multi-service organizations, enhancing customer relationships. Educational programs and services, like those of businesses, depend highly on the repeated purchases of their loyal customers. The purpose of this descriptive research is to investigate the relationships between factors that may lead to student loyalty in online graduate educational programs. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the relationships between service quality, technology, trust, commitment and satisfaction, reputation and ultimately loyalty. A new model is presented, which includes the results of testing these variables.

The results of this study concluded that satisfaction with the program has the …

Beyond "Real Life": Activism And Harassment In The Social Justice Blogosphere, Maryann Kozlowski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis examines harassment that takes place online, specifically on websites that focus on issues of social justice from a feminist perspective. The content I examine is a form of activism in which writers and readers work together to form communities online. I also examine online protests as a form of activism. As a result of these Internet publications and protests, many writers face harassment and degradation as they attempt to express themselves in virtual spaces. This thesis grapples with the extent of the harassment and offers explanations as to why it takes place. I explore these topics from a …

Fashion: Hedonic Vs. Utilitarian: A Study Of Fit Issues Of Women’S Ready To Wear And An Examination Of The Technology Acceptance Model For Consumer Adoption Of 3d Body Scanning For Improved Fit Of Denim, Aimee Rzepka

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study exposes the problems women face in the ready to wear (RTW) apparel sizing system and also investigates the idea that 3D body scanning technology can be used to eliminate ill-fitting apparel for consumers, in this case denim pants (jeans). In order to investigate why consumers have not yet adopted this technology, a survey was conducted using principles from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to understand the motivations of females aged 18-35 towards adopting this new technology. Two hypotheses were formed: non-adoption is caused by hedonic motivation, or non-adoption is caused by utilitarian motivations. It can be concluded from …

Perceptions Of Medical Professionals Towards Sustainability Orientation And Acceptability Of Eco-Friendly Medical Scrubs, Siddharth S. Alashe

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the perceptions of medical professionals towards sustainability orientation and acceptability of eco-friendly medical scrubs. This study examines the correlation between sustainability orientation and scrub properties as a means of finding the perceptions of medical professionals on the mentioned topic. Also, gender, department of medical professional, their age and work experience, and the price of the eco-friendly scrubs were considered as factors affecting the correlation. This study included surveying the medical professionals who used scrubs as uniforms, by distributing questionnaires and analyzing responses using SPSS. Results showed that as sustainability orientation increases, medical professionals give less importance to …

Measuring The Perceived Attributes Of Innovation: A Study Of Capacitive Switch Technology In Industrially Designed User Interface Controls, Aaron B. Stachewicz

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to test the applicability of Rogers’ theory of innovation diffusion as it relates to measuring the perceived attributes of innovations of capacitive switch technology in user interface controls. This study used a Likert scale to collect data on the following perceived attributes of innovation including relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, demonstrability, visibility, ease of use, image, voluntariness, perceived risk, and perceived resources as outlined by Rogers (1995), Moore and Benbasat (1991), and Dupagne and Driscoll (2005). Results indicated whether a consumer is willing to accept capacitive switch innovation in industrially designed user interface controls.

Investigating Trait Attribution Through Gendered Avatar Play: An Analysis Of The Sims 3, Erika M. Behrmann

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates whether the life-simulation videogame, The Sims 3, enables the deconstruction of the gender binary. The Sims 3 permits its players the capability to attribute similar traits to male or female avatars. In doing so, players can experiment with taboo trait attributions and potentially defy a male-female binary. A group of 82 The Sims 3 players was surveyed to determine their overall male and female Sims trait selections during gameplay. Participants were questioned on how their trait selection related to their personal identities. Results indicated that players tend to select traits that maintain a gender binary. This …

A Quasi-Experimental Study On Students' Perceptions And Intended Use Of Digital Recording Technology In A College Technology Classroom, Zenia Bahorski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study employed a modified Technology Acceptance Model approach in conjunction with a Perceived Classroom Interaction Model. The study investigated the impact of digital audio recording of college classroom lectures on students' perceptions of interaction levels, usefulness, and use of the digital media.

The study surveyed six introductory computer science and technology classes. Previous computer knowledge was not assumed. The results found no significant differences of students' perceptions of interaction levels in traditional classroom lectures. However, gender was found to have a significant effect on speaking in class when a recorder was present. No significant differences were found when …

A Study Of Antimicrobial Properties Of Fabric Treated With Silane And N-Halamine Complex, Sangeeta Yadav

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Dimethyl hydantoin (DMH) – Isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane adduct was prepared and applied onto the fabric using pad – dry – pad – dry – cure method. The treated fabric is then chlorinated using NaOCl (6% and 10%) to impart the antimicrobial properties. The treated fabric surface and the chlorine percentage present at the surface of the fabric are evaluated using SEM- EDX and peak of NCO was determined using FTIR analysis. The fabrics were tested for antimicrobial properties using ATCC 2695 gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and ATCC 8739 gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The treated samples provided very good …