Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Boomers Vs. Gen Y—The New Communication Gap, Sara Bennett

White Papers

A key issue between Baby Boomer managers and Generation Y employees is a difference of opinion on how often feedback regarding performance should be administered and the mode of feedback that is appropriate. Effective communication is essential for performance and productivity.

Autonomy In The California Disability Services System, Lisa Ann S. Carbone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Legislation concerning California residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) requires recipients of services to be treated as independent individuals while emphasizing self-determination. At the same time, under regulatory procedures, recipients are considered dependent on the delivered services and not self-determinant. Neither the California Department of Developmental Services nor the trade associations representing community service providers have established a unified, systematic practice to support self-determination. This phenomenological study explored the experience of adults with ID/DD working toward self-determination.

Specifically, it explored how medical and social models contribute to shaping and actualizing the independence of this population. Interviews with eight adults …

Human Resource Management: Managing People And Organizations, Jonathan Alvarez

Whittier Scholars Program

This paper is designed to acknowledge the different research trends and discoveries that have occurred over time, which have influence various changes in the models of Human Resource Management. Since the earliest forms of establishment of the human resource department within the organizations, there has been extensive growth in the roles of the department as it deals with the people who make up the organization. By recognizing the different trends and movements in the industry, we can evaluate the newer models that H.R. departments transitioned from the "regulatory enforcer" to the new "human development" position in organizations. To understand these …

Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Concerning Cardiovascular Profitability Under Health Care Reform, Gordon Brian Wesley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular (CV) patients receive one-third of the care and account for $444 billion of the health care costs in the United States. The cardiovascular service line (CVSL) in hospitals contributes to the profitability influenced by elements of resource dependence theory (RDT). The purpose of this study was to understand whether the regression model of hospital characteristics and outcomes would predict profitability in a CVSL through the cost-to-charge ratio (CCR). The use of a general linear model and multiple regression analysis to examine the 2012 National Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project allowed estimates from a weighted sample …

The Impact Of Relevant Work Experience On Third Level Accounting Students' View Of Learning, Terese Deehan

Theses

The benefits of work experience in accounting education have been examined extensively in the academic literature. Extant literature cites skills development, putting knowledge into action, improved academic results, increased focus on study and career path and enhanced employability as the main benefits to students. Other than research on the impact on academic results, there is a dearth of research on the impact of work experience on students’ view of learning. In research conducted in Ireland, Byrne and Flood (2004) concluded that the majority of third-level accounting students only have a surface-level view of learning and that this will not be …

Energy Access For The "Powerless": The Role Of Relational Connectivity Between Entrepreneurs And Private Capital Investors, Michael E. Desa

Student Scholarship

Although $1.6 trillion was invested in 2013 in global energy, of which $254 billion was in renewable energy, small power producer (SPP) entrepreneurs that focused their operations on the 1.4 billion powerless populations received a trifling $2.2 billion--less than $2 per person and 1.37% of overall investment. Prevailing research details policy methods, finance mechanisms, and business models intended to attract private capital and enlarge energy access; however, the nominal investment levels signify that private capital remains uninterested. This qualitative study used a grounded theory approach to discover the role of interaction experiences between SPP entrepreneurs and investors and the factors …

How Do They Do It? Legislators As Leaders: A Study Of Legislators' Values And Decision-Making, Alison J. Battaglia

Student Scholarship

Legislators as leaders have an immense effect on our lives, and for many, influence our ability to thrive and have equal opportunities for health and prosperity. Legislators are representatives elected by the people of the district in which they live. As a representative, they are the voice of that constituency group. They determine local, state and national policies that impact both our constitutional rights and government support as citizens of the United States. But little research is available about how they make decisions and if there are differences between male and female legislator decision-making approaches. These attributes include personal values …

Manufacturing Organizations During Sub-Acute Crises: An Examination Of Critical Interactions In Five Sub-Acute Crisis Cases, William A. Brake

Student Scholarship

Manufacturing organizations face a steady barrage of sub-acute crises. Sudden, often surprising events that seriously threaten critical objectives provide an environment of steady disruption and uncertainty. Viewing organizations as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), this qualitative study collects and analyses 29 interviews across five unique cases of small manufacturers recalling a recent sub-acute crisis and their responses. Interviews were conducted with a senior manager, a small group of key managers and then each of the managers individually. Our comparative analysis found that positive and negative thoughts, feelings and actions were predominate across a wide variety of cultures and crises. We propose …

Rating Determinants Factored In E-Commerce Decision-Making, Juheng Zhang, M. Riaz Khan, Dachuan Shih

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

The user-generated content (UGC) Web sites are gaining popularity for a wide range of media content, such as news, blogs, forums, and open-source software. Instead of relying on information on company Web sites, users benefit by reading reviews written on UGC Web sites by consumers. Online evaluations are usually informative and reduce the information asymmetry. This study examines the problem where UGC can be expedient for online hotel booking. It investigates the relationship between the ratings obtained from the TripAdvisor.com reviewers and the hotel price levels in the United States, outside the United States, and top 20 hotels and others, …

Leadership And Conflict Resolution On The Production Line, Patricia I. Fusch Ph.D., Gene E. Fusch Ph.D.

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Conflict between coworkers on the production line can be expensive as well as time consuming for companies. The business problem investigated in the study is the inability of supervisors on the production line to resolve conflict in nonunion companies, which, consequently, may lead to a drop in organizational productivity. Behaviors impacting shop floor productivity and performance were detected through miniethnographic and descriptive case study qualitative research methods through research of the production line leadership in a global company that manufactures kitchen and fireplace accessories. Results obtained from themes demonstrated that the production supervisor had some leader–member exchange leader characteristics including …

Un Estudio Comparado Del Valor Económico Y Social De Dos Universidades Adventistas, Gus Gregorutti

Faculty Publications

This study seeks to understand the key factors that contribute tothe successful continuation of the food industries of two Adventistuniversities in Colombia and Peru. These factories have been contributingsocially and economically through employment opportunitiesfor students from lower social strata. The study gathered data froma series of interviews with managers of both factories. The resultsshowed that the success of continuity and contribution is relatedto efficient administrative relations between universities and factoriesand a culture of innovation that seeks to have the best humanresources to adapt to markets. Respondents also expressed someconcerns for the future performance of the current model of university-industry. The …

The Eco-Sustainable Initiative: A Case Study In And Evaluation Of Eco-Labeling, Chiara Dorigo

Pomona Senior Theses

This paper reviews the significance of eco-labeling as a green consumption practice, and more broadly as a form of everyday environmentalism. It uses a random sample of 50 eco-labelers from an online database to analyze the current eco-labeling landscape and evaluate the business model of an emerging eco-labeling startup called the Eco-Sustainable Initiative (ESI). Conclusions include recommendations for ESI before its launch, and implications of ESI’s merits and shortcomings for the eco-labeling landscape at large.

Responsible Accounting For Stakeholders, Jeffrey S. Harrison, Joyce Van Der Laan Smith

Management Faculty Publications

Through a critique of existing financial theory underlying current accounting practices, and reapplication of this theory to a broad group of stakeholders, this paper lays a normative foundation for a revised perspective on the responsibility of the public accounting profession. Specifically, we argue that the profession should embrace the development of standards for reporting information important to a broader group of stakeholders than just investors and creditors. The FASB has recently moved in the opposite direction. Nonetheless, an institution around accounting for stakeholders continues to grow, backed by a groundswell of support from many sources. Based on institutional theory, we …

Mitigation Of Preventable Medical Errors Via The Use Of Human Resources And Human Factors, Callender Creel

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss historical and current rates of preventable medical errors (PMEs), their causes, and methods used to reduce them. I will also provide recommendations that I believe can help reduce the number of injuries and deaths that result from them. Data and information used in this thesis were drawn from a variety of sources. While the large majority was sourced from articles in academic journals, government health reports, Federal Flight Administration documents, phone interviews, and personal experiences in the medical field also provided invaluable information. To summarize, there are two major types of preventable …

Analysis Of Market Demand And Quality Of Infant Toddler Care Programs In Missoula, Montana, Jennifer A. Keller

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In order to test the hypothesis that there are not enough high quality infant toddler care programs in Missoula to meet the demand of the market, creating an opportunity for a local child care provider to open a high quality infant toddler program as part of the child care services that they offer, an observational study of the current infant toddler care programs in Missoula, Montana was conducted. Spirit at Play, a child care center in Missoula, Montana, is evaluating the current child care market in Missoula to see if, and how many, quality infant toddler programs are being offered …

The Interplay Among Software Volatility, Complexity And Development Outcomes: Evidence From Open Source Software, Jorge A. Colazo

School of Business Faculty Research

The study posits a mediating role of software complexity in the association between software volatility and different software development outcomes. Empirical tests using data from 326 open source software projects support such a partial mediating role of software complexity in the association between software volatility and development outcomes. Archival data is tested using an ordinary least squares mediated model. The paper uses productivity, defect count and development speed as dependent variables.

An Exploratory Study Of Customer Services Focusing On Customer Engagement - An Irish Perspective, William Ryan

Theses

This research study is an exploratory examination of customer services, which traces its developments to the modern day, evaluates its impact on corporate strategy, and analyses its effect on organisations performance. This study also investigates customer engagement to ascertain if technological changes has impacted on it, causing it to evolve, and the effect if any, these changes have had on customer services. The research explores the loyalty status of a customer, the availability of best practice models to aid organisation employing these concepts, and to evaluate if components are transferrable from large organisations to small to medium enterprises.

A qualitative …

Strategies To Overcome Barriers To A More Effective Leadership Style, David Barnwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disengaged employees and leaders lacking the skills to engage their employees account for an estimated $300 billion annual loss through lowered productivity. This study focused on a leader's understanding of employee engagement as a means of increasing productivity. Utilizing the theory of leadership styles and expectancy theory for the conceptual framework, this descriptive study explored strategies small business leaders have used to develop effective leadership styles to improve workplace engagement. Interviews with a purposive sample of 20 highest-ranking executives at small businesses with between 50 and 250 employees in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States were analyzed using the …

Strategies For Transitioning Workforces From Baby-Boomer To Millennial Majorities, Kimberly Gail Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transition of organizations' workforces from a baby-boomer to a millennial majority in the 21st century has created work-engagement strategy challenges for management. The purpose of this study was to explore the engagement strategies that business managers design and implement that effectively address the generational differences within the workforce. The case study design was appropriate for addressing this study's purpose of exploring the successful experiences of approximately 125 healthcare business managers within a business organization in Huntington, West Virginia. Transformational leadership theory constituted the conceptual framework for this study. Methodological triangulation was used to identify key themes from the participants' …

Ceo Characteristics And The Choice Of Using Non-Financial Performance Measures In Compensation Contracts, Melloney C. Simerly Ph.D.

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how CEO characteristics influence the decision to use non-financial performance measures (NFPM) in compensation contracts. Specifically, I examine the CEO characteristics: gender, age, tenure, risk-aversion, overconfidence, and sensitivity of wealth. Using trait theory and the extant literature examining NFPM, females, age, tenure, and risk-aversion are expected to be positively associated with the use of NFPM while competing hypotheses are presented for overconfidence and sensitivity of wealth. Employing a two-way fixed effects method, controlling for fixed effects at the firm and year level, I find that female CEOs are positively associated with the use of NFPM because of …