Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploratory Comparative Study Of Experts And Generalists As Change Management Leaders In Non-Core Areas Of Organizations, Steven Glenn Burton

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Large-scale organizational change is a necessary undertaking critical to the ongoing success of most firms. Despite the necessity of such change, it is also an undertaking that fails at approximately twice the rate that it succeeds. Prior work on change leadership primarily looks at characteristics of the individual leader and does not differentiate on areas of the organization where change will be occurring. The work conducted in this research compares categories of change leaders and looks at change within a specific area of a firm, its non-core business area.

This exploratory research compared core-area technical experts to generalists as change …

Conflicts Of Interest And Law-Firm Structure, Cassandra Burke Robertson

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

Business and law are increasingly practiced on a transnational scale, and law firms are adopting new business structures in order to compete on this global playing field. Over the last decade, global law firms have merged into so-called “mega-brands” or “mega-firms”—that is, associations of national or regional law firms that join together under a single brand worldwide. For law firms, the most common mega-firm structure has been the Swiss verein, though the English “Company Limited by Guarantee” structure is growing in popularity as well, as is the similar “European Economic Interest Grouping.” All of these structures allow related entities to …

From Public Ideology To Socio-Material Reproduction Of Agile Principles: The Case Of Pivotal Labs, Erica L. Wagner, Sue Newell, Neil Ramiller, Jeanne Enders

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper focuses on how regular invocation of a public ideology helps sustain local work practices. Existing research acknowledges that there is a recursive relationship between the local practices and the public ideas, with local practices leading to the adaption of public ideas over time. There is little study of how public ideology sustains local practices over the longer term – seeing translation of the ideology as an ongoing process. Through a case study and web-based analysis of Pivotal Labs, an agile software development company, we contribute to socio-material translation studies demonstrating the manifestation of the public ideology in socio-material …

Organizational Innovations That Stick: Best Practices In Sustainable Organizational Change, Abdoulie Jammeh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational change is an essential ingredient of organizational growth/life and can be difficult to accomplish. Many researchers and practitioners have studied the challenges and opportunities surrounding effectuating change and innovation in organizations. However, there has been little practical analysis of the theoretical relationships among the key apparatuses that make change stick, institutionalizing innovation in big bureaucratic organizations. In order to develop practical insights that can inform best practices, this paper aims to provide a collection of successful organizational innovation examples based on responses to a critical incident analysis survey of 12 participants from a 2018 World Bank – USC Annenberg …

Essential Leadership Skills For Frontline Managers In A Multicultural Organization, Janelle Ward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory research examined the leadership skills essential for frontline managers to be effective in a multicultural organization. The purpose was to inform company management of vital skills to include in a new leadership development program (LDP) initiative. The literature review revealed that a list of commonly accepted leadership skills does not exist. This research gap is even greater for multicultural environments. In addition to developing a list of skills, I assessed the impact of situational factors, including the scenario and demographics of the people involved, on perceived critical leadership skills.

I conducted a survey within the company of interest …

Organizational Culture In Public Institutions And Its Effect Over The Implementation Of Total Quality Management Process- Kosovo Case, Ilir Rexhepi, Ermira Qosja

International Journal of Business and Technology

Total Quality management (TQM) is a philosophy management method, the importance of which continuously has been growing after '90. There is relatively short time since Kosovo Public Institutions are practically doing their activity as a part of an independent Country, and as such day by day they are facing with different management challenges which continuously are becoming more rough and tough towards the EU integration process.

Total Quality Management within Public Institutions, is leaded by the phase of establishment and implementation of Quality management Systems based on ISO 9001. In this process, through a deep empiric study in three Kosovo …

Critical Analysis Of The Attraction And Retention Of Seafarers : A Case Study Of South Africa, Lettah Mapule Mathebekase

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Organizational Design, Dyin Ogawa, Guilherme Esmael, Manoel Burg, Patricia Soares

Graduate Student Works

This study aims to present new techniques that airlines can use in order to gain efficiency through human resources allocation, to keep up on track with the challenging and constant-moving environment of aviation industry. As the classical hierarquical structure that dominates most of the airlines today is not a prone environment for the changes proposed, researchers will explore human resources optimization using the optimization software Lindo, mixed with concepts and techniques of Agile Methodology, such as evaluation score and talent mapping to develop a model for the best match between employees’ and tasks of Avianca Brasil Project Department, considering productivity …

Does Persistence Explain Esg Disclosure Decisions?, Garret A. Mcbrayer

Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Advocates of an increased focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives have argued that increased ESG disclosure is a necessary first step. Given the limited regulatory requirements on ESG disclosure, manager preferences serve as a primary determinant of ESG transparency. Using data on ESG disclosure from Bloomberg, I examine the extent to which disclosure persistence on the behalf of firm management, as proxied by managerial tenure, affects firms’ ESG disclosure strategies. Overall, I find that ESG disclosure quality and ESG disclosure variability are reduced as management tenure increases. Further, I find that the replacement of a firm’s CEO interrupts …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Project Management Training And Project Management Self-Efficacy Among Faculty/Staff In Higher Education, Alan W. Stanfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Project management techniques are common within a number of construction related industries, however, higher education is not a field to which the practices of project management are routinely applied. Although multiple factors could lead to the lack of project management application in higher education, this study focused on faculty/staff self-efficacy and project work experience. The purpose was to determine if self-efficacy and project work experience contribute to the lack of project management techniques applied in higher education. The study was based upon Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and how project work experience may affect faculty/staff venturing into applying project management techniques. …

Understanding Long-Standing Belief Systems In Business: A Qualitative Study Of The Equine Industry, Robyn Lord

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Change management is a highly researched topic. With industry changing at record speed, it is inevitable that corporations will engage in a change management endeavor. As humans innately resist change at first exposure, corporations strive to acquire knowledge in adoption. It may not be enough to understand status quo proponents, but rather their underlying long-standing belief systems which may be affecting how they view change. What makes an employee resist corporate change? Most studies conclude that humans will resist innately. This research dives into the unique environment of the equine industry to uncover how long-standing belief systems contribute to adoption …

The Impact Of Entrepreneurship And Strategic Management In Kosovo Sme Sector, Enver Krasniqi, Sehare Maliqi, Dea Krasniqi

UBT International Conference

This paper examines the impact of Entrepreneurship Activities and Strategic Management in SME sector in Kosovo. The subject was developed based on a broad literature and practices in the SME development sector, and the great importance of strategic activities in regards of firms’ growth.

While preparing the paper, various methods were utilized for researching and studying strategic economic development, with the focal points in SME development. It is well known that the purpose of strategic development for Entrepreneurship is to develop the capacity for local economic development, to strengthen the future of economy and life quality for all citizens. During …

Banking On Blockchain: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Innovation Evaluation Process, Priya D. Dozier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blockchain technology emerged as the underlying database structure for Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, in 2008. Interest in blockchain by the Financial Services industry grew because of its purported transparency, security, and trust elements which resulted in over $240 million in venture capital funds raised by blockchain firms mostly from banks in the first half of 2017.

The purpose of this study was to examine the underlying innovation evaluation process that Financial Services organizations employed as they evaluated blockchain technology. In this research study, blockchain was considered a technology innovation, which drove the research question: “How do financial services organizations evaluate blockchain …

Utilization Of Information Technology As Instructional Support In Higher Education – A Case Study, Linda C. Gordon, Erin Gratz, David Kung, Leeshawn Moore, Shelley G. Urbizagastegui

Communications of the IIMA

Despite significant increases in the growth of online education, a review of research reveals few studies of faculty perceptions of the use of technology in classrooms in higher education. Research can explore and illuminate how to bridge the gap between faculty perceptions and institutional goals and objectives for online programs. The study at hand presents the views of full-time and adjunct faculty across the colleges, both on- and off-campus, and the online community, at the University of La Verne, a private Tier II doctoral degree-granting institution located in Southern California.

Interpersonal Problems Of The Nonprofit Workforce: Evaluating The Wounded Healer As The Reason For High Turnover, Crystal A. Evans, Judy Thomas, Sharon Macdonnell

Journal of Ideology

The research goal was to identify a potential explanation for the high levels of turnover in nonprofit organizations. First, nonprofit employees’ levels of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were evaluated and found to be significantly higher than for for-profit and government employees. This phenomenon could speak to a self-selection bias whereas wounded healers are drawn into the helping fields because of some perceived personal benefit they gain or because they might feel they can offer something more given their experiences. Having higher ACEs has been linked to job instability, and could be a contributing factor in the sector's turnover rates. Nonprofit …

Global Learners – Local Adjustments: Examining The Impact Of Culture And Education Backgrounds On Academic Readiness, Adaptation And Success Of A Cohort Of Chinese Mba Students, Patrick Guilbaud, Duha Hamed

Winthrop Faculty and Staff Publications

Adult global learners (AGLs), particularly those with lack of knowledge or understanding of American culture, often have a difficult time adjusting to academic life in the US. We report on a study conducted to determine impacts of focused interventions to facilitate adaptation and resilience of a cohort of 28 Chinese MBA AGLs at Winthrop University, a Master’s Comprehensive Public University in the Southeastern region of the US. The AGLs were middle and senior managers from the city of Liuzhou, China. Targeted interventions were made to help the Liuzhou AGLs adapt to the rigors, challenge and demands both academically and socially …

Managerial Approaches To Telecommuting, Kristina P. Cheyne

Student Publications

The purpose of this theoretical paper is to synthesize the current knowledge on the topic of telecommuter managerial approaches by cross-analyzing certain commonalities and differences among relevant literature and scholarly sources. This paper will explore key themes such as trust management, performance-based reviews, communication, boundary management, work-life balance, and social and professional isolation. Additionally, this analysis will identify significant issues and contradictions amidst the research of flexible work arrangement management styles. Furthermore, it will outline the most significant disadvantages and repercussions of telecommuting and discuss them in relationship to the management styles best suited to alleviating these issues. Then, this …

Professional Development In Libraries: One Size Does Not Fit All, Patricia D. Sobczak, Kathy Bradshaw

Charleston Library Conference

With the constantly changing landscape in 21st-century libraries, it would seem that professional development would be more important than ever. However, research indicates that few libraries have formal professional development programs, and there are mixed messages from library leaders regarding the necessity and importance of professional development. It is no secret that libraries always seem to be facing budget cuts, and funding for professional development is often seen as a low priority. We were curious to understand how professional development is viewed and executed in other academic libraries.

Professional development means different things to different people. To some, professional development …

Strategic Leadership Newsletter: Volume 4, Number 3, Larry Starr, Phd

Leadership Doctorates Newsletter (Formerly Strategic Leadership Newsletter)

Jefferson Strategic Leadership Newsletter reports information relevant to the Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) Doctor of Management Program in Strategic Leadership (DSL) and its community including personal and professional events and accomplishments, new practices, research, opportunities, and suggestions.

An Organizational Communication Approach To Information Security, Kofi Arhin, Gamel O. Wiredu

The African Journal of Information Systems

Organizations thrive on efficient information management systems as they support activities. Hence, these systems need to be protected from attacks that threaten their existence and use. Although non-technical information security ideas have been espoused by researchers, they have excluded the role of organizational communication. As such, this study explains information security from an organizational communication perspective. Drawing upon a framework of discourse and organizational change, we analyze an empirical case of how information security in an organization is implicated by communicative actions, deep structures, and communication traits. The analysis reveals that (1) prevention of security breaches is achieved by structures …

From Social Marketing To Societal Perversion: History Of Hometown Tax In Japan, Yuichiro Hidaka, Kosuke Mizukoshi

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This paper considers social marketing from a critical perspective. The paper traces the history of the donation system named ‘hometown tax’ that the Japanese government introduced to promote local revitalization of relatively marginal communities. Owing to the lavish reciprocal gifts to “donors” by the administrators of these communities, the system resulted in a quasi-market that allowed donors to avoid paying taxes and to receive special benefits. Our analysis reveals the divergence of the intents and effects of this social marketing intervention. The findings indicate that during social marketing attempts to carry out effective and well-intentioned interventions, which social marketing research …

A Visionary Organization: From Donor Intent To New Horizons Of Race And Gender Equity, Carolyn Chernoff, V Varun Chaudhry

The Foundation Review

This article documents the unique trajectory of the Leeway Foundation and its transition from sole-director family foundation to an independent foundation. Over 25 years, Leeway shifted in structure and grantmaking, yet has remained in line with its founder’s original mission: to fund women artists in the Philadelphia region.

This article focuses on the shift from the founder’s initial intentions to what is now an organization informed by models of racial and gender equity, funding women, trans, and gender nonconforming artists working for social change. Leeway thus serves as a case study for examining transformational shifts in mission, vision, and constituency …

21st Century Desirable Leadership Characteristics For Professional Services Firms In North American Metropolises, Ralph Baeza

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Professional services firms (PSFs) in North American metropolises are facing challenges in doing business in a fast pace global society with environments which require them to cope with increasing size, complexity and conflict management, to shape and coordinate the right culture that meets their strategic goals, and creates sustainability with legacy. This requires to address retaining and developing leaders and emerging leaders, and pursue their commitment to a long and productive career, in their organizations. Thus, this case study is an exercise of depth that reflects the uniqueness in the lives of leaders in PSFs similar to the organization where …

A Quantitative Descriptive Case Study On The Alzheimer's Nonprofit Marketing Methods, Stephaine Buffaloe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem to be addressed was the deficiency of financial support, as a result of dwindling effectiveness of fundraising using traditional methods needed to meet the Alzheimer’s Association goal of finding a treatment by 2025. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive case study was to examine the current traditional marketing approaches of fundraising for the Alzheimer’s nonprofits. The significance of the study was finding that the survey participants preferred the traditional approach to the nontraditional approach. An entertainment event was the most favored approach. The implication on organizational change was that age, gender, and past donations to religious organizations were …

An Exploration Into The Efficacy Of Christian Servant Leadership In Facilitating Organizational Change In The Automotive Aftermarket, Christopher Shadrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Changing market dynamics is threatening the viability of stores in the automotive aftermarket. To provide business leaders strategies with strategies to implement organizational change and address shrinking revenue, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and perspectives of 20 front line, retail store managers in the automotive aftermarket. The information gathered during the interview process was analyzed using Moustakas’ modified van Kaam method. In addition, the researcher used NVivo 12, a qualitative analytic software, to group, reduce, validate, and organize the data into themes. Six themes emerged that demonstrate the applicability of Christian servant leadership to the automotive aftermarket. These …

Sustainable Leadership And The Relationship To Profitability In U.S. Banking Institutions, Kendra Harvey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined if sustainable leadership in U.S. banking institutions had a statistical correlation to profitability between the period of 2008 and 2017. The problem addressed was the impact of sustainable leadership on the profitability of banking institutions in the U.S. was not known. The study was significant because of the increased amount of pressure within the financial sector to increase long-term stability while maintaining profitability. The research applied a quantitative correlational study to conduct the research. The study found there was no statistically significant correlation between net income or market value but did find a positive correlation for return …

"We Just Treat Everyone The Same": Lgbtq Aquatic Management Strategies, Barriers And Implementation, Austin R. Anderson, Eric Knee, William D. Ramos, Tiffany Monique Quash

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This study examined the management of aquatic venues in a number of areas (facilities, programming, human resource management, marketing, policies) as it pertains to LGBTQ participants and participation. The study utilized in-depth semi-structured interviews with 16 aquatic managers to examine steps that are currently being taken (or lack thereof) when it comes to creating environments that are perceived to be open, or closed, to LGBTQ participants. A grounded theory-based process of data collection and analysis resulted in emergent themes. These themes included: (a) gendered spaces, (b) non-aquatic initiatives, (c) staff knowledgeability, (d) departmental and organizational mission, (e) aquatic-specific programming and …

Synergy Between Green Supply Chain Management And Green Information Systems On Corporate Sustainability: An Informal Alignment Perspective, Zhaojun Yang, Jun Sun, Yali Zhang, Ying Wang

Information Systems Faculty Publications

At the corporate level, green innovation is essential for environment protection and sustainable development. Green supply chain management (GSCM) and green information system (GIS) are two important pillars of green innovation. This study investigates the possible alignment between them in terms of the synergistic effect on corporate sustainability. Based on the task-technology fit model, GSCM and GIS can be viewed as the task- and technology-side endeavors. The extant conceptualization of the fit between a task and a technology assumes their interdependence, but efficiency-oriented GSCM and technology-driven GIS are relatively independent from each other as they can be carried out separately. …

Business Volatility And Employee Performance, Wen-Chyuan Chiang, Li Sun, Brian Walkup

Faculty Publications

This study examines the impact of business volatility on employee performance. We posit that employees work harder in a more volatile business environment as prior research links business volatility to increased use of performance-based compensation systems, which may result in better employee performance. Our results suggest that business volatility has a significant and positive impact on employee performance. Furthermore, we find that the relationship between business volatility and employee performance is stronger for larger firms and firms with higher labor intensity.

Bim And Project Management In Aec Industry, Nazanin Kamyab

Dissertations and Theses

Building Information Modeling has altered project managers’ role in architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. In theory Building Information Modeling (BIM) has promised the project managers to enhance communication and collaboration aspect of managing their projects, thus increasing the efficiency and success rate of the AEC industry projects. However, in real world application, project managers had challenges and barriers with BIM implementation into their processes. This study intends to highlight the main characteristics of the BIM, its benefits, barriers and risk management capabilities to elaborate on why BIM adoption has been slower than anticipated. Based on quantitative data collection through …