Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons^™

Textbooks: Required, Alternatives, Hybrid, Or Disappearance, William Saunders, Carlton Perkins, Michara Delaney-Fields

Southwestern Business Administration Journal

The conversations around transformational changes in higher education are centered around a myriad of issues. Technology, the lasting effects of the pandemic, student satisfaction and readiness for future employment requirements are a few of the leading concerns. However, one subject that is not receiving enough attention is the growing resistance and hesitation among college students to purchase textbooks. Although the movement has not reached the status of a full-blown protest or outright refusal, there is enough attention being brought to the subject that educators may want to be prepared for an eventual change. The need and requirement for textbooks in …

Poundmaker – A Legacy Of Leadership, Love And Conciliation, Andrew J. Karesa

Indigenous Business & Public Administration

Chief Poundmaker was a foundational figure in early Canadian history. He was responsible for unifying warring nations into cohesive alliances that advocated for fundamental and inherent Indigenous rights. Throughout his life, his dedication was to his people and their overall well-being, even when it stood against his own personal well-being. This research expands on leadership theory through a case study of the life of Chief Poundmaker. His life exemplifies relational and servant leadership, which an individual can extrapolate into profound leadership lessons. By learning about Chief Poundmaker’s life and leadership journey, contemporary leaders can effectively learn how to lead through …

Implementing “Xinshimin” : Challenges In China’S Inclusive Financial Policy, Yongyi Zhao

Lingnan Theses (Doctoral degree)

This thesis investigates the implementation challenges of the “xinshimin” policy in China, focusing on its inclusive financial aspects. While previous reports have noted obstacles in its execution, this study delves into the underlying factors contributing to its inadequate implementation. Drawing insights from policy implementation theories, including Hill’s implementation study and Howlett, Tosum, and Qian’s policy process style theory, this research connects various aspects of policy implementation, such as the policy-making process, performance measurement and monitoring, inter-organizational relations, frontline workers’ behaviors, and dynamic implementation context.

The study employs a qualitative methodology, which took place in Guangzhou in the years 2022 and …

Polymathy: The Foundational Source Of Creativity And Innovation., Michael Araki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an era of mounting complexity and a growing need to transcend siloed thinking, this dissertation advances polymathy as a critical yet underexplored construct in the management and behavioral sciences. Polymathy is framed as an expansive approach to the pursuit, development, and application of knowledge, marked by the conjunction of breadth, depth, and integration. Building on a thought lineage that stretches from Ancient Greece through the Renaissance to the present day, this work shows that polymathy is neither a relic of the past nor an achievement reserved for a few—but a mode of being, thinking, and acting in the world …

The Effects Of The Chief Information Officer’S Presence And Tenure On Financial Performance, Xuemei Li

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

CIOs should be at the core of the organization. They play more and more critical roles in organizations. However, CIOs have not been paid enough attention in many firms. This can be partially observed in a lack of studies about CIOs, for instance, how CIOs influence the organizations, and how organizations' settings influence the CIOs. Technical initiatives or innovations may be the bridge between CIOs and firm performance. Different theories have been employed concerning CIOs, innovations, and firm performance. For instance, the resource-based view (RBV) has served as a theoretical foundation in related studies.

Drawing on RBV, attention-based view (ABV), …

The Impact Of Culture And Language On Internal Communication And Patient Care In Small To Medium-Sized Black Immigrant-Owned Healthcare Practices In Texas., Chisom Nwosu

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how cultural competency in small to medium-sized Black immigrant-owned healthcare practices in Texas affects internal communication and patient care. Through semi-structured interviews with nine clinical and administrative leaders in Dallas and Houston, five themes emerged: culturally competent leadership, intentional communication structures, language and interpretation practices, patient-centered cultural sensitivity, and the use of technology for adaptation. Findings suggest that culturally aware leadership and inclusive communication strategies foster team cohesion and improve patient trust and care. Participants reported adapting workflows to meet religious, language, and communication needs through human and technological tools. The study underscores embedding cultural …

Exploring The Effects Of Remote Work On Leadership Pipelines: With A Focus On Professional Women And Minorities, Mark S. Andrekovich

All Dissertations

I analyzed data from five U.S.-based companies to understand how remote work models affect leadership advancement. Using Role Congruity, Status Characteristics, and Intersectionality theories, I analyzed five hypotheses about the impact of remote work on leadership pipelines. Two of the five hypotheses were supported, revealing bias patterns rather than issues related to remote work. For instance, white employees had greater access to remote work opportunities than non-white employees, who had fewer promotions despite similar performance scores. Contrary to expectations, I found that remote work does not inherently affect promotional advancements. Via a post hoc analysis, I found that hybrid professionals …

Organizational Metamorphosis: When Artificial Intelligence Transforms Companies Into New Economic Life Forms, Allan M. Glass

All Dissertations

Traditional theories of organizational change fall short in explaining how artificial intelligence (AI) transforms organizations. This grounded theory study, based on interviews with 34 organizational leaders, identifies a novel phenomenon: organizational metamorphosis - the irreversible transformation of organizations into fundamentally new entities through deep integration with AI as a cognitive partner.

The metamorphosis process unfolds in three phases. Individual Awakening occurs when leaders experience powerful interactions with AI, prompting a rapid shift from skepticism to advocacy. Once a critical mass of leaders undergo this shift, it initiates Organizational Restructuring, characterized by reimagined work design, boundary dissolution, and altered temporal rhythms. …

Issues In Contrasting Conservative And Considered Estimation: A Reply To Bobko Et Al. (2024), Paul R. Sackett, Christopher M. Berry, Filip Lievens, Charlene Zhang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Bobko et al. (2024) responded to Sackett et al.'s (2022) compilation of meta-analytic evidence for the validity of a wide variety of measures used as predictors of overall job performance, offering a set of alternative methodological choices which they term “considered estimation” to counter the Sackett et al. approach of “conservative estimation.” Here we offer a rebuttal to Bobko et al. A primary concern is that Bobko et al. apply the label “conservative estimation” to the full range of methodological choices made by Sackett et al. Yet, we clarify the narrow and specific meaning of “conservative estimation,” and note that …

Like Footprints In The Sand: How Founders Imprint Organizational Culture Through Nonverbal Cue Signaling, Dirk M. Roskam

All Dissertations

Despite growing recognition of the significance of founders’ behaviors in shaping organizational culture, limited research has explored how founders’ non-verbal cues (NVCs) imprint culture during a venture’s formative stages. This qualitative case study examines how a founder’s NVCs, ranging from physical environment design to gestures and demeanor, are interpreted by employees and contribute to the imprinting of organizational culture. Drawing on imprinting theory, signaling theory, and the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP), the study triangulates data from semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a literature review. Findings reveal that employees interpret 24 salient NVCs, grouped into themes of environmental values, people-centric …

The Dark Side Of Great Lmx Relationships: Why Your Best Employees Might Be Burning Out, Ryan Toole

All Dissertations

While workplace relationships are widely considered beneficial for employee well-being, a paradox emerges when employees with the strongest leader relationships experience burnout despite receiving excellent support. This contradiction suggests that these very same relationships may create psychological pressure to reciprocate support and result in employee burnout. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and Conservation of Resources theory, I examine whether felt obligation resulting from Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationships contributes to employee burnout across the full spectrum of LMX quality relationships. I argue that LMX quality creates felt obligation to reciprocate leader support. This obligation, in turn, depletes emotional resources and leads …

Editorial Note, Heather S. Mcmillan

Journal of the North American Management Society

No abstract provided.

Engaging For A Sustainable Manufacturing: The Power Of Adaptive Leadership In Industry 5.0, Rizwana Rasheed, Aamir Rashid, Abdul Hafaz, Rashid Hashmi

Publications and Research

In today’s highly competitive and rapidly evolving business environment, organizations must continuously adapt to technological advancements and market volatility. This study examines how adaptive leadership influences sustainable manufacturing through employee engagement, with employee wellbeing as a mediator and mindfulness as a moderator. Using data from 1,388 U.S. manufacturers and PLS-SEM analysis, the research confirms that adaptive leadership positively impacts sustainable manufacturing through engaged employees and enhanced wellbeing. Additionally, employee mindfulness significantly strengthens the relationship between adaptive leadership and engagement. These findings highlight the importance of leadership styles that foster employee participation and mental wellbeing in achieving long-term manufacturing sustainability. The …

Development And Validation Of The Informal Safety Leadership Measure, Ashley L. Gill

Dissertations

This research develops and validates a measure of the emerging concept of informal safety leadership (ISL), which integrates elements of safety leadership and informal leadership to address a significant gap in organizational safety literature. Despite extensive research on formal safety leadership, there remains limited understanding of how non-managerial employees influence safety practices and culture within organizations. This dissertation develops and validates a comprehensive measure of informal safety leadership through a sequential mixed-methods approach incorporating a pilot study and two additional studies. First, a pilot study employed focus groups with health, safety, and environmental professionals to identify key dimensions of ISL. …

Impactful Programs And Initiatives For Employee Resource Groups That Promote And Sustain Positive Social Determinants Of Health, Lisa Kangas, Maureen Hall, Julie James, Gladys Peters

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders’ lack of interest in employee resource groups (ERGs) and related programs can negatively impact an organization’s culture, operational excellence, and employee retention and have detrimental implications for social determinants of health (SDOH). Prioritizing ERG programs and initiatives is essential for organizational success and can positively affect SDOH. This qualitative pragmatic inquiry study identified and explored ERG programs and initiatives that support organizational culture, operational excellence, and employee retention.The research question for this study was: What ERG programs and initiatives support organizational culture, operational excellence, and employee retention? The study included eight DEI leaders …

Book Review: Building A God, Carl Lee Tolbert

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

No abstract provided.

A Culture Of Accountability Through Ethical Leadership Drives Citizenship Behavior In Ghana’S Traditional System Of Leadership, Eric Yeboah-Asiamah

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This study seeks to investigate the influence of accountability on the community citizenship behavior of followers in Ghana's traditional system of leadership with the mediating role of ethical leadership behavior. A cross-sectional survey design was used to obtain quantitative data from 319 Ghanaians through questionnaires. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.1.0.3 was utilized to test the study’s hypotheses. The results showed that accountability (ACC) was a significant predictor of ethical leadership behavior but had no direct effect on community citizenship behavior (CCB). Additionally, the relationship between ACC and CCB was partially mediated by ethical leadership behavior. …

Crafting Ethical Problem-Solving Cultures: A Leader’S Role In Complex Adaptive Systems, Elizabeth A. Luckman

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

In today’s complex and interconnected world, leaders play a critical role in fostering ethical problem-solving cultures within organizations. To enable leaders to succeed in this evolving landscape, this paper advocates for a necessary paradigm shift: a transition in mental models about how organizations function. Historically, organizations have been viewed as mechanistic systems, but there is a substantial opportunity to improve our work by viewing organizations as complex adaptive systems. This shift alters fundamental assumptions about organizational operations and redefines leadership as the creation of conditions for effective and ethical problem-solving. In this paper, I examine the changing mental models that …

Organizational Culture In A Warehouse Environment, Charles A. Goff

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Title of Project: Organizational Culture in a Warehouse Environment

Defense Date: July 9, 2025

Candidate Name: C. Anthony Goff

Personal Email Address: [email protected]

First Advisor: Dr. Joshua Henson

Second Advisor: Dr. Debra Dean

DSL Final Project

Project Type: Workshop and Assessment

Project Overview: This capstone project focused on designing and delivering a workshop aimed at enhancing the organizational culture within the leadership team of a cross-dock warehouse in the Southeastern United States. The initiative specifically addressed how culture influences an operation's productivity and efficiency. The leadership team, consisting of supervisors, managers, and a facility leader, oversees roughly 125 diverse hourly …

Fostering Innovation At Work: Leadership Strategies For Motivating Innovative Work Behavior Across Generations Within The Christian Higher Education Environment, Sarah Clark

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Project Type

Organizational Consulting Project, Organizational Design or Change, Seminar or Workshop

Project Overview

This capstone project involved the design, facilitation, and evaluation of a strategic leadership workshop developed for mid to senior-level enrollment leaders at Southeastern University. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Innovative Work Behavior (IWB), and Transformational Leadership, the workshop offered a diagnostic and developmental experience designed to motivate innovation across generational teams within a Christian higher education setting. The workshop was structured to transition from research-based theory to data-informed strategy, helping leaders translate organizational insights into actionable plans.

Project Themes

Core themes included intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, …