Digital Commons Network^™

Psychological Capital As A Mediator Between Team Cohesion And Productivity, Robert John Cesaro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations attempting to optimize productivity are seeking new ways to develop psychological capital in teams. The researcher conducted a quantitative study to determine whether team cohesion, as assessed by the Revised Group Environment Questionnaire (RGEQ), impacts team productivity, as assessed by the Performance Measurement Team (PMT) Manufacturing Resource System (MRS); whether this relationship can be attributed to a team's level of psychological capital, as assessed by the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12); and whether psychological capital mediates the relationship between team cohesion and team productivity. Forty-five PMTs in a large U.S. defense manufacturing organization were surveyed using the PCQ-12 and the …

Embera Drua: The Impact Of Tourism On Indigenous Village Life In Panama, Amy Lethbridge

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This case study examines the experience of residents of the Indigenous village of Embera Drua, Panama with 20 years of tourism. It addresses the lack of Indigenous voices in tourism literature by telling the story of Embera Drua through the lens of the villagers themselves. The study uses a mix of ethnographic observation and narrative inquiry and finds that the experience of Embera Drua mirrors the experience of other Indigenous villages offering tourism around the globe, particularly the impact of lack of community capacity on management and growth of such tourism initiatives. Findings of this study are relevant to the …

Lessons Jesuit Business Programs Can Learn From Chinese Mba Programs, Mary Bernice Mcgrath

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

North American Schools of Business have been “going global” by transplanting pedagogy and content to Asia and Africa for several centuries. From a teaching perspective, our western schools look to these regions as contexts to provide richness to our students’ educational experience, to prepare Americans for dealings in the global business marketplace, and often to increase our own enrollments and revenues. To date we have served as “exporters” of our own Western brand of MBA education.

Using an ethnographic approach of participant observation gained through two years of teaching and living in China supplemented with interviews with Chinese students studying …

Is Entrepreneurship A Discipline?, Cassidy L. Croci

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Culture Wars: Explaining Congressional Partisanship And Organizational Dysfunction Through Moral Foundations Theory, Jessica H. Wilson-Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was the organizational working environment and existing partisanship evident in the United States Congress. There has been a reduction in the number of laws passed over the last 30 years from a high of over 1,000 to a low of around 120, with a period of complete government shutdown in 2013. This qualitative research utilized qualitative content analysis to discover the nature of partisan conflict as demonstrated by 6 members of Congress. The conceptual framework for this study was moral foundations theory. Different moral principles held by Democrats and Republicans were studied as a possible …

Why Culture Matters In Business Research, Gene E. Fusch Ph.D., Christina J. Fusch, Janet M. Booker Dr., Patricia I. Fusch Ph.D.

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Organizations today are changing rapidly due to technology, globalization, and cutting-edge production, subsequently morphing into new structures and workflow processes. Organizations are becoming more diverse in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The business workplace is not the melting pot that many were taught about, but that of the ethnic salad, blended yet distinct. The core of organizational composition worldwide still remains within the human resource realm for a shared and cohesive culture is behind the success of every company. The study of workplace culture is important for business research to ascertain the construct of the successful …

The Agency Of Meetings As Systemic Process In The Constitution Of Organizations: Insights From A Longitudinal Study And Bifocal Analysis Of An Organizations Meetings, Martin Duffy

Doctoral

Guided by a systemic and processual perspective, this research considers meetings as a collective organizational phenomenon and analyses how they contribute to the constitution of organizations. Longitudinal immersion as a participant observer in one organization's 'river of discourse' prompted initial abductive theory development to conceptualize meetings as a collective phenomenon, rather than studying them as individual-centered events. Preliminary analysis conducted during data recording indicated collective agency that could not be attributed to individual meetings, nor to the intentionality of meeting participants. Subsequent bifocal analysis of the meetings' discourse data reveals modes of meeting connectivity that reflect and contribute to their …

Constructing A Postcolonial Feminist Ethnography, Jennifer Manning

Articles

Purpose – The paper details the construction of a postcolonial feminist approach to ethnography; providing insight into how the researcher developed her ethnographic approach based on her theoretical framework and demonstrating how she undertook this research. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to outline how the researcher identified positionality and representation as the primary challenges of undertaking a postcolonial feminist ethnography with marginalised Maya women in Guatemala, and how she addressed these complexities in the field.

Design/methodology/approach – This postcolonial feminist ethnography was conducted over a three-month period in the rural highlands of Sololá, Guatemala. This approach bridges the …

Understanding The Influence Of Human Emotions In Organizations: The Emotional Extent Effects, Lambert Ikechi Ofoegbu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional disengagement of employees may cause poor organizational performance, while emotional commitment of employees may enhance organizational performance. Informed by the theory of psychological ownership in organizations, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how employee emotional interactions in the workplace related to organizational performance within 3 multinational companies in Nigeria. The 3 selected companies represented the 3 industrial sectors in Nigeria were financial, construction, and oil and gas. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 24 participants with a minimum of 5 years' experience in their respective organizations. Data analysis included transcription, coding, and querying, which produced …

Implementation Of International Financial Reporting Standards By Listed Companies In Nigeria, Emmanuel Inalegwu Ogbenjuwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study is on implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by reporting entities in Nigeria. Since Nigeria adopted IFRS in 2010, managers of reporting entities have been confronted with organizational changes both in the structures and processes of financial reporting. Previous studies have not assessed the claims that adopting IFRS improves the quality of financial reports and managerial efficiency. This study evaluated the assertion that IFRS adoption impacts the quality of financial reports, operational costs, and operational efficiencies of management. The theoretical frameworks which undergirded the study were theories of organizational behaviors and attitudinal change. Data were collected via …

An Evaluation Of Individuals' Construction Of Personal Trust In Organizations, Colin Edward Armour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trust is in decline within organizations resulting from poor management and ethical indifference. Failing to address trust perceptions has led to stress between management and employees. Researchers have studied organizational trust as a constant quality within groups but have neglected the uniquely individual constructs of trust that inhibit trust-building efforts. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate how personal constructs of trust may affect outcomes at the organizational level among workers and managers in hierarchal structured organizations. The topics of the research questions addressed the extent which cultural values and the relative trust situation affected individuals' perceptions of …

Postmerger Strategies Healthcare Business Leaders Use To Influence Employee Engagement And Satisfaction, Angie Kovarik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are a growing phenomenon in the business world as companies are expanding their market share to compete globally. At some point, 1 out of 3 workers will be involved in an M&A. Guided by the social exchange theory, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore the satisfaction and engagement strategies of 8 health care leaders who had successfully implemented an M&A. The study population consisted of 4 leader and 4 nonleader employees employed at a healthcare facility in the North Central United States. All employees had been employed at the facility prior to …

Success Strategies Saudi Entrepreneurs Used To Navigate Through Regulations In Jeddah, Farah Mehar Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Saudi Arabian entrepreneurs face major difficulties with the country's complex regulatory system. Based on Schumpeter's theory of entrepreneurship, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to reveal the lived experiences of Saudi entrepreneurs in navigating regulatory procedures in Jeddah. Data were collected through prolonged, face-to-face phenomenological interviews with 22 Saudi businesspeople who started successful businesses. The van Kaam method and member checking helped validate the transcribed data, which were subsequently coded into 4 themes. Four themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) obstacles in regulatory processes, (b) lack of information, (c) cumbersome procedures and need for alternatives to stringent protocols, …

Meaningfulness Of Work As Perceived By Women From Diverse Social Classes: A Grounded Theory Exploration, Jennifer L. Hutmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite research connecting the meaningfulness of work with positive organizational outcomes, such as increased employee well-being, job satisfaction, engagement, and retention, there remains a lack of adequate, inclusive research explaining differences in women's perceptions of the meaningfulness of work. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to address this gap in the literature by developing a theory about the formation of perceptions of the meaningfulness of work and about the impact of those perceptions. Research questions explored perceptions that women from diverse social classes have of the meaningfulness of work, what influenced those perceptions, the impact of those …

Examining How Knowledge Managers Facilitate The Process Of Knowledge Creation In Organizations, Dean Allen Call

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was how knowledge managers facilitated the process of knowledge creation. Researchers identified this area as important because it begins to fill the literature gap in the dynamics surrounding knowledge creation. Using 4 research questions developed from the theory of dynamic organizational knowledge creation, the study investigated how knowledge managers facilitated and supported knowledge creation, promoted knowledge formation, and accounted for knowledge gaps. The theory was selected to provide a framework and an analytical perspective on the process of knowledge creation. A qualitative research design was used to learn from a sample of 12 Chief …

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, …

Comparative Analysis: Successes And Failures Of St. Louis, Stephen Anane-Boakye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The St. Louis School District (SLSD) provided its students with a virtual education program (VEP) but abandoned it following a cut in federal funding, omitting an alternative pathway for students to complete their education. The problem addressed in this study was the effect of technology and management's decision to discontinue the VEP. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine management's role and the effect of the technology in discontinuing the VEP. Dewey's theory of education and Koskela and Howell's theory of management established the theoretical foundation for the study. A purposeful sampling selection approach was used to recruit …

Work Breaks, Employee Morale, And Satisfaction In The Restaurant Industry, Laura A. Oliver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work breaks during an individual's shift can be a powerful motivational tool for management; however, not all individuals receive breaks during their shifts. The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to explore how work breaks affect employee morale and satisfaction in the casual and fine dining restaurant industry. The questions explored in this study were related to the breaks effect employee satisfaction and morale in the casual and fine dining restaurant industry. Thirteen participants with a minimum of 5 years' experience as wait staff who worked more than 6 hours per day were interviewed using semi structured interviews. The …

The Impact Of Organizational Culture On Corporate Performance, Tewodros Bayeh Tedla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective organizational culture and poor cultural integration in the corporate group affect organizational performance and decrease shareholders return. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore successful strategies that one corporate group used to establish an effective organizational culture to improve performance. The Denison organizational culture model served as the conceptual framework for the study. A purposive sample of 20 senior managers from a corporate group in Ethiopia participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews. The selected participant met the criteria of a minimum 5 years of experience with successful strategies in establishing an effective organizational culture in …

Developing Strategies Of Organizational Sustainability For Solo And Small Business Medical Practices, Gerald Lloyd Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent trends point toward a decline in solo and small business medical practices, yet, the need and demand still exists for this model of health care. The purpose of this case study was to explore effective approaches to help physicians in solo practice and small medical group primary care practitioners (PCPs) retain their small business medical practices. The study included purposive sampling and face-to-face interviews: 11 physicians, predominately primary care practitioners, in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan region, were interviewed until data saturation was reached. A component of systems theory (strategic thinking) and the dynamic capabilities concept were used to frame the …

Exploring Linguistic Challenges And Cultural Competency Development In A Small Multinational Corporation, Cindy J. Atchley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2016's global business landscape, the increase in workers moving across borders to find employment accentuates the language and cultural challenges for both employees and organizations. Employees working in a multinational environment need to have an understanding of language and culture to handle the complex nature of professional work in a multinational corporation (MNC). The purpose of this study was to explore what communication competencies employees in a small MNC needed to communicate across multicultural environments in the workplace. A dialectic approach of intercultural communication was used to explore these needs in one small MNC located in the Kingdom of …

Success Strategies Among Immigrant Small Business Owners In The Southeastern United States, Tony Nnabue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although considerable concern exists regarding immigrant businesses, few studies address immigrant small business owners' strategies for success and sustainability. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the strategies that immigrant small business owners in metro Atlanta, Georgia can use to sustain their business beyond 5 years. Cultural theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. A purposeful sample of 20 immigrant small business owners in metro Atlanta provided the data garnered from semistructured interviews for this research study. Using open coding, and modified van Kaam analysis of the interview data, 5 themes emerged for immigrant small businesses that …

Phenomenological Study Of Career Advancement Experiences Of Ethnic Female Migrant, Evelyn Oghogho Brisibe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the 2006 census, Statistics Canada recorded that 23% of immigrant women aged 15 and over had a university degree at the bachelor's level or above. These women could help sustain an organization's competitive advantage and respond to labor shortages posed by an aging population. This phenomenological study highlighted self-initiated migration journey and career advancement experiences of migrant women. Through LinkedIn and referrals from non-profit organizations, a sample of 20 women was recruited. All women had migrated to Canada between the ages 32 to 50, all had 5 to 10 years of residence in Canada and all had college degrees …

Strategies Independent Coffee Shop Owners Require To Survive Beyond Five Years, Bruce Higdon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Successful independent coffee shop owners in Washington struggle to compete with the larger coffee shop chains. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to investigate what strategies owners of independent coffee shops in Washington use to survive beyond the first 5 years. Five independent coffee shop owners in Washington participated in the study and shared their practices and observations. Systems theory directed the study exploring the perspectives of successful independent coffee shop owners in Washington. Using communication skills and personal availability to answer questions and remain in contact throughout the research process built a rapport with participants. Data …

Analysis Of The Prospect.3 Conference “Thirty Years Of Meaning And Influence - Flash Of The Spirit: African & Afro-American Art & Philosophy By Robert Farris Thompson”: An Internship Report, Sarah Elizabeth Story

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

In 2008, Prospect New Orleans (Prospect) launched the first internationally contemporary art biennial in the United States with a goal to articulate new discoveries in the world of art with historical and culturally significant surroundings. In its fourth iteration in 2014 and with a new staff borne of past successes and failures, which included near-dissolution from financial difficulty, Prospect.3: Notes for Now (Prospect.3) ambitiously expanded with additional artists, venues, and programs. “Thirty Years of Meaning and Influence - Flash of the Spirit: African & Afro-American Art & Philosophy by Robert Farris Thompson” was an international conference that was one of …

Consumer Assessment Of New Creative Products Across China And The United States, Eva Teruzzi

Creative Studies Graduate Student Master's Theses

This cross-cultural research investigates how consumers assess creativity in new products and if their assessment impacts desire to own. Implicit and explicit scale-based measures were tested in China and the U.S. in online consumer samples and were positively correlated. Novelty, affect and importance dimensions of creative products were tested through Horn and Salvendy’s (2006, 2009) Product Creativity Measurement (PCM) scale. Findings point to a different role of novelty in determining desirability of creative new products across-cultures.In fact, novelty and affect are key to explain desire to own in China, while affect and importance are the drivers in the U.S. Affect, …

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Of College Students: What Is The Role Of Food Culture?, Christiane Schroeter, Lisa A. House

Agribusiness

Our primary objective is to assess the role of culture by linking college students’ current consumption of fruits and vegetables with their produce consumption levels while with family. Using a Tobit model, we analyzed data from an online survey with college students. Family consumption of fruits was highly predictive of the individual’s consumption of fruits. For each unit increase in the reported consumption of fruits (vegetables) with the family, the respondents’ fruit (vegetable) consumption at school increased by 0.65 (0.30) units compared to the base consumption level of 1.95 (1.82) times of fruit intake per day.

Crucial Dimension In Organization Management Of Indonesian Islamic Almsgiving (Zakah) Institutions: Insights For Community Economic Empowerment, Sari Viciawati Machdum, Sri Daryanti, Johanna Debora Imelda, Isbandi Rukminto Adi

The South East Asian Journal of Management

This research analyzed the crucial management dimensions or key elements oforganizations that have been managed as Islamic almsgiving institutions (zakahfunds) in Indonesia. Zakah funds are traditionally managed for a limited number ofbeneficiaries. Zakah funds are now collected and managed by professional Islamicor faith-based organizations and institutions at the national or regional level toachieve a wider range of beneficiaries. This article examines how two Islamicor faith-based organizations, herein named CV (commanditaire vennootschap)“X” and “Y” Foundation, manage small enterprise programs based on zakah toreach a wider range of beneficiaries. Using qualitative methods, the researchidentifies crucial dimensions in the management of organizational dynamics …

2015 Program, Office Of Academic Affairs

Programs

A university is more than an amalgamation of several colleges. It also is an organization which celebrates the full richness of faculty contributions including those vital and exciting contributions in research, scholarship and creative activity within their disciplines. These contributions come in many forms: journal articles, book chapters, monographs, art works, music compositions, performances of many varieties and a host of others. Funded research contributions are similarly varied. Through such activities, faculty members stay at the growing edges of their fields, and in so doing, they enrich their intellectual lives as well as those of their students.

Once again, I …

2015-10-27-New Employees, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

Accent [newsletter]

No abstract provided.