Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons^™

Effects Of Management Control Systems And Strategy On Performance Of Minority-Owned Businesses, Raymond Onyema Obinozie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the perceived relationships among management control systems, business strategy, and organizational performance in U.S. minority-owned manufacturing businesses. Hofer's contingency theory provided a framework for the study, which included a quantitative, survey-based correlational design. Research questions focused on the relationship between financial- and nonfinancial-based management control systems as well as low-cost leadership and differentiation strategies, and how these practices impacted organizational performance. A random sample of 1,000 participants was selected from a population of 2,583 minority-owned manufacturing businesses in the United States. Results of the principal component analysis, Pearson's zero order correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis indicated …

Exploring Knowledge Management Models On Information Technology Projects, Alan Richard Foote

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One way an organization manages the knowledge of its people is in information technology (IT) projects. Organizations develop IT projects for many socially responsible reasons, including improved health care services and better community services. IT projects do not always achieve the goals of the organization when the knowledge of the stakeholders is not managed for these objectives. For this study the purpose was to address the use of knowledge management (KM) in project management (PM) to improve the success of IT projects in achieving the organizational goals. The research questions were based on KM including its tools and techniques to …

Strategic Managerial Responses To Critical Service Events In Restaurants, Douglas Grant Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inappropriate managerial responses to critical service events (CSEs) in restaurants contribute to an increased rate of customer defection and restaurant failure. Some restaurant managers lack employee-training strategies that may enhance service recovery from CSEs. This case study explored what employee-training strategies participants deemed essential to enhance service recovery to CSEs. The population for this study was restaurant managers from a U.S. regional chain in South Carolina with at least 3 years of employee-training experience. Organizational learning theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews with restaurant managers and an exploration of company archival documents …

Marketing Strategies Of Small Traditional Travel Agencies In A Technology-Driven World, Charice Hayes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, there was a 70% increase in online travel booking, resulting in small traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies having serious difficulties with obtaining and retaining customers. The purpose of this case study was to explore online marketing strategies that leaders of small traditional travel agencies have used to successfully obtain and retain customers. Technology disruption theory was the conceptual framework of this study. Using criterion sampling, the population for this study consisted of 3 leaders of small traditional travel agencies located in the state of Maryland. Data collection consisted of interviews, observations, and review of documentation, such as displays, websites, …

Ethical Leadership In Social Enterprises : Multilevel Investigation Of Its Influence On Team And Individual Prosocial Voice, Pok Man Tang

Lingnan Theses

This research paper seeks to draw on social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) as an overarching framework to examine how unit managers’ ethical leadership style affects the team and individual prosocial voice behaviors in the context of social enterprises in Hong Kong.

Ethical leadership has been found to be conducive to both desirable team and individual employee behaviors. However, scholarly understanding of the multi-level effects of ethical leadership and the underlying mechanisms involved is rather limited. Moreover, previous research has directed attention almost exclusively to the influence of ethical leadership in the context of commercial organizations. This narrow stance has curiously …

The Relationship Between Cultural Intelligence And Work Outcomes Of Expatriates In China, Barbara Joanna Diemer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

International assignment failures cost an organization roughly 3 to 4 times an expatriate's annual salary with the most expatriate failures cited for work assignments in China. Previous scholarly research identified cultural intelligence (CQ) as being influential to expatriate work outcomes. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships among a subset of CQ predictor variables and work outcome related dependent variables. Quantitative analysis regarding the relationship between CQ and work outcomes for U.S. nationals working in China does not currently exist in the scholarly research. Improvement of expatriate work outcomes and reduction of failed assignment costs is …

Pharmacy Stores Profitability And Sustainability In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Augustine Khoza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Zimbabwe's catastrophic economic decline resulted in a high unemployment rate (95%), declining socioeconomic indicators, pharmacy stores' unprofitability and lower sustainability. Profitable pharmacy stores play a fundamental role in ensuring public access to medication. Lack of pharmacy profitability leads to poor healthcare delivery, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. A healthy population is panacea to economic growth and prosperity and enhances human dignity, social cohesion, and the quality of life. In this qualitative, descriptive multicase study design, using Porter's business strategies theory and the Deming process of quality assurance as conceptual frameworks, data from 11 pharmacy stores leaders in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe …

Extending Two-Dimensional Knowledge Management System Theory With Organizational Activity Systems' Workflow Dynamics, Dana Forrest Ladd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2005 and 2010 and across 48 countries, including the United States, an increasing positive correlation emerged between national intellectual capital and gross domestic product per capita. The problem remains organizations operating with increasingly complex knowledge networks often lose intellectual capital resulting from ineffective knowledge management practices. The purpose of this study was to provide management opportunities to reduce intellectual capital loss. The first research question addressed how an enhanced intelligent, complex, and adaptive system (ICAS) model could clarify management's understanding of organizational knowledge transfer. The second research question addressed how interdisciplinary theory could become more meaningfully infused to enhance …

The Impact Of Transportation Infrastructure On Nigeria's Economic Developmeny, William A. Agbigbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) described Nigeria's road networks as one of the poorest and deadliest transportation infrastructural systems in the world. Data from the UNDP and the World Bank (WB) show that Nigeria has suffered transportation infrastructure deficits; these data also illustrate Nigeria as one of the lowest indices in economic development in the last decade. This qualitative case study addressed the impact of a lack of investment in transportation infrastructure in the form of road networks on Nigeria's economic development. The purpose of the study was to understand the relationship between the investment in road networks and …

Exploring Barriers To Women Entrepreneurs In Enugu State, Nigeria, Ezenwayi Amaechi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women play an important role in the development of their families and communities economically; however, in comparison to men, they disproportionately experience barriers such as low income households, poverty, unemployment, lack of training, and discrimination. The purpose of this mini-ethnographic case study was to explore the perceptions of women entrepreneurs in Enugu State, Nigeria on what information they need to overcome possible barriers in their business and economic development. The 5M (market, money, management, motherhood, meso, and microenvironment) framework provided the theoretical lens for this investigation. The data gathering process involved face-to-face semistructured interviews with 15 women entrepreneurs in 3 …

Small Aviation Business Success Strategies For Profitability, Christina Hiers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ninety-five percent of all aviation businesses are small businesses; from 2009-2012, small aviation business operations decreased by 10.2% and resulted in a loss of $4.4 billion in revenue. The purpose for this multiunit case study was to explore what strategies small aviation businesses leaders used to reduce or control operating expenses for profitability. The sample comprised 3 small aviation businesses located in Middle Tennessee. The conceptual framework for this study built upon systems theory and sustainability theory. The data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. Member checking was completed to strengthen creditability and trustworthiness. Based on the methodological …

Leadership Styles And Learning For Performance Within Commercial Banks In Kenya, Teckie Michelle Karoki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literature indicates that leaders influence the establishment of organizational learning culture (OLC) by the application of transformational (TFO), transactional (TAC), and passive-avoidant (PAV) styles. Further, the literature links OLC to the financial performance of organizations by leadership involvement in establishing learning organizations. However, the manner in which the practice of OLC occurs and the relationship of OLC with TFO, TAC, and PAV is unclear, as is the link between OLC and financial performance (ROA); especially for growing economies outside North America. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature through a quantitative study of …

Exploration Of Practice Managers' Decision-Making Strategies In A Managed-Care Paradigm, Lawrence Randolph Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Practice managers are facing challenging expectations when deploying a managed-care paradigm. The problem addressed in this study was a gap in knowledge regarding practice managers' decision-making strategies that affect, or could be perceived to affect, a climate of excellence with business and client relationships, primary health care, physicians, and patients in a managed-care paradigm. The purpose of the qualitative exploratory study was to explore practice managers' decision-making strategies affecting primary health care, physicians, and patients. Guided by Simon's ideology of decision-making strategies in a management environment, the overarching research question and 3 subquestions centered on how practice managers delineate their …

Strategies To Implement Iso 9001 In A Government Organization In Jamaica, Yvette M. Castell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers of government organizations in Jamaica often have difficulty implementing the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 standard. Jamaica's Minister of Industry, Investment, and Commerce considered ISO 9001 certification as critical for international competitiveness as lacking the standard had the potential to become a barrier to trade. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that managers of a government organization in Jamaica used to implement ISO 9001 successfully. The conceptual framework was the total quality management concept encompassing Deming's plan-do-check-act cycle. Data collection entailed organizational document reviews and semistructured interviews of 4 managers in an …

The Role Of Corporate Governance In Preventing Bank Failures In Zimbabwe., Bernard Chidziva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2008-2009 global financial crisis resulting in some banks collapsing has raised questions about the corporate governance of financial institutions. Some bank managers lack an understanding of the role of corporate governance in preventing bank failures. In this multiple case study, data were collected through interviews and triangulated with annual reports to explore the strategies some bank managers need to improve their understanding of the role of corporate governance in preventing bank failures in Zimbabwe. The 7 study participants were purposefully recruited from a larger population of 19 bank managers responsible for corporate governance and compliance operating in Zimbabwe between …

Strategies To Sustain Small-And-Medium Sized Business Enterprises, Matthias Ikenna Chijioke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eighty-five percent of all firms operating in Nigeria are small-and medium-sized business enterprises (SMEs) and contribute almost 55% to the gross domestic product (GDP) in Nigeria. Capital flight and other growth inhibitors pose threats to the sustainability of SMEs in Nigeria. This exploratory multiple-case study was to determine strategies SME leaders use to sustain business operations in Nigeria. The study participants consisted of 15 SME leaders from 3 regional manufacturing firms who had successfully implemented strategies to sustain SMEs in Nigeria. Bertalanffy's general systems theory and Freeman's stakeholder theory were the conceptual frameworks used in the research. The data collection …

Strategies For Maintaining Credit Union Profitability In Grenada, Nadia Lisa-Adele Francis-Sandy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs), of which credit unions comprise, constitute an important part of the financial sector because of their contribution to economic development, particularly in developing economies. This multiple case study explored strategies for maintaining credit union profitability against the backdrop of numerous closures in the past decade. The conceptual framework for this study was agency theory. Data were collected from 6 purposefully selected managers or directors representing individual credit unions in Grenada. Data were also collected from publicly available sources and used to conduct methodological triangulation. The interview data were coded using a computer-aided software package, and the …

Unexpected Events In Nigerian Construction Projects: A Case Of Four Construction Companies, Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, 50% to 70% of construction projects are delayed due to unexpected events that are linked to lapses in performance, near misses, and surprises. While researchers have theorized on the impact of mindfulness and information systems management (ISM) on unexpected events, information is lacking on how project teams can combine ISM and mindfulness in response to unexpected events in construction projects. The purpose of this case study was to examine how project teams can combine mindfulness with ISM in response to unexpected events during the execution phase of Nigerian construction projects. The framework of High Reliability Theory revealed that …

Improving Machine Changeover/Setup Times By Increasing U.S. Manufacturers' Knowledge Of 5s, Nicole Schra-Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 5S process is one of the techniques born out of Japanese manufacturing. Ohno, the developer of 5S, found that when manufacturing waste is eliminated, costs are reduced and profits increase. This is the bases of 5S and this research. The cost of U.S. manufactured products is higher compared to the cost of products from other global manufacturers that use 5S. This study was conducted to determine if implementing 5S in U.S. manufacturing could change U.S. manufacturing cost and if using 5S could impact U.S. manufacturing. The research questions focused on the relationship between 5S and changeover/setup times on production …

An Exploration Of Bullied Nurses, Witnesses, And A Hospital's Bottom Lline, Brenda Kay Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses experiencing bullying or witnessing other nurses bullied may choose to vacate their hospital positions. Nurse attrition negatively impacts a hospital's bottom line, which can lead to insolvency and a lack of access to healthcare by patients. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the choices nurses made regarding their careers after experiencing or witnessing bullying and to calculate a hospital's cost of loss. Freire's oppressed group theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. The basis of the research questions was to understand how the nurse felt when bullied or observing a coworker bullied, the actions taken, …