Digital Commons Network^™

The Causes And Effects Of Toxic Leadership In Organizations, Patton Flannery

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Toxic leadership in organizations can negatively affect employee well-being, productivity, performance, motivation, and potentially the organization’s brand reputation. This flexible qualitative study, utilizing multiple case studies, explored the causes and effects of toxic leadership within the DJ Construction Company to identify how abusive supervision, emotional strain, dysfunctional leadership behaviors, and employee coping mechanisms collectively affect employees and the organization. This study employed semi-structured interviews with 25 participants and surveys completed by 31 participants representing diverse roles within the company. Data were analyzed using thematic coding, frequency counts, and cross-theme comparison to gain a better understanding of both the frequency and …

Exploring The Duality Of Intelligence Quotient And Emotional Intelligence In Leadership, Michael J. Shepherd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership effectiveness is a critical factor in organizational success, yet there is no clear consensus on what specific qualities and behaviors constitute effective leadership. Despite the litany of research studies on intelligence quotient and emotional intelligence, there has been limited, if any, research specifically focused on understanding the processes used by organizations to determine how these two characteristics work in conjunction with one another to create effective leadership. The following research study and literature review included exploring the fundamentals of the issue, and the methods and procedures used by organizations to determine leadership effectiveness or select new leaders. Understanding the …

Human Resources Changed In The Automotive Manufacturing Company During The Covid-19 Pandemic Era, Jessica Letese Karim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant upheaval across global industries, particularly impacting the automotive sector. I investigated the evolution of human resources (HR) practices within an automotive manufacturing firm located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during the pandemic. I delved into crucial shifts in workforce management, such as the swift transition to remote work, heightened emphasis on employee health and safety, and the adaptation of hiring, recruitment, and training methods. The analysis underscores how HR department employees and leaders transformed to maintain business continuity while prioritizing employee welfare and operational effectiveness. Using a semistructured interview method, I gathered insights from 17 volunteer …

Redesigning Online Graduate Orientation To Foster Academic Resilience And Prevent Underperformance, Stella Michael-Makri, David E. Rodriguez

Journal of Academic Underperformance

Graduate students in fully online programs often begin their academic journey without adequate preparation for the emotional, structural, and cultural challenges of graduate-level work. For students who are first-generation, racially marginalized, international, or returning to education after time away, this lack of scaffolding can lead to early disengagement, underperformance, or attrition. Orientation, often treated as a checklist of logistical tasks, represents a missed opportunity for meaningful academic intervention. This manuscript proposes a five-module conceptual model for online graduate orientation designed to proactively support online graduate students in the domains of emotional regulation and academic identity, time management and executive functioning, …

Building Competence And Confidence Through Experiential Learning: A Case Study Of The Bengal Triathlon, Caroline E. Faure Edd; Atc

The COSMA Journal

This descriptive case study examines the perceived effectiveness of the Bengal Triathlon, an experiential learning (EL) activity integrated into a sport management course at Idaho State University. Drawing on student reflections over three years, the study highlights how this experience enhanced students’ confidence and skills in planning and managing sport events, particularly in high-pressure areas such as risk management, event logistics, and customer service. Despite participation being a course requirement, a noticeable shift in student attitudes was observed. Students moved from seeing the event as a mandatory task to taking full ownership, driven by increased motivation and enjoyment. This case …

Candidate Generative Ai Use In Pre‐Hire Employment Assessments: Self‐Reported Incidence And The Impact Of Warnings, Chet Robie, Timothy G. Wingate, Nataliya Baytalskaya, Hilary Butera

Business Faculty Publications

The rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) poses new challenges for the validity and fairness of pre‐hire employment assessments. Across two applied studies using large applicant samples completing a standardized pre‐hire assessment (which includes both cognitive and non‐cognitive components), we examined the self‐reported incidence of GenAI assistance, and the impact of warning statements designed to deter such behavior. In Study 1 (N = 5675), conducted in Q3 2024, fewer than 3% of applicants reported using GenAI, though up to 19% reported using GenAI in combination with algorithmic resources (e.g., search engines). All three warning statements (consequences, educational, and reasoning) …

Human-Ai Collaboration In Marketing Brainstorming: A Meta-Analytic Investigation Of Implementation Approaches And Creative Outcomes, Michael Michaels

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marketing organizations face intensifying pressure to sustain creative output while managing constrained resources and accelerating digital content cycles. The integration of artificial intelligence into marketing brainstorming processes presents a promising response to this challenge; however, prior to this investigation, no comprehensive quantitative synthesis had established the overall effectiveness of human-AI collaboration in marketing creativity contexts or identified optimal implementation strategies.

This dissertation presents a systematic meta-analytic investigation of AI-enhanced brainstorming effectiveness in marketing contexts. Following PRISMA guidelines, 42 independent empirical studies (N = 2,166 participants) published between 2018 and 2025 were identified across four primary academic databases, coded for implementation …

Analysis Of Student Satisfaction With The Ppg Student Registration Process At Universitas Negeri Malang Using The Servqual And Delone & Mclean Models, Dedi Prestiadi, Darmawan Satyananda, Dedi Tiarno

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to analyze student satisfaction levels with the Teacher Professional Education (PPG) registration system at Universitas Negeri Malang using an integration of the SERVQUAL and DeLone & McLean models, as well as to develop a strategy for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) using Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. This study uses a descriptive quantitative approach with 10,701 student respondents from three registration stages (BGT 1, Kemenag, and BGT 2). The data collection instrument is a 1–5 Likert questionnaire covering three main aspects: requirements, process, and registration application. Data analysis was conducted through validity and reliability tests, multiple linear regression, and Principal …

Workplace Diversity In A Diverse World: Why Inclusion And Ethics Matter, Julianna Cutcher

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

As global populations grow and evolve, diversity becomes an increasingly prominent and complex characteristic of society and the workplace. Diversity encompasses the vast array of individual differences and similarities among people, affecting how organizations operate and interact. In the United States, the diversity index rose to 61.1% in 2020, reflecting a significant demographic shift. However, promoting diversity alone is insufficient; effective management also requires attention to equity and inclusion. Organizations must foster ethical workplace cultures that support diverse perspectives through comprehensive training, employee development, and inclusive policies. By embracing a holistic approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), businesses can …

Leadership Identity Formation As A Developmental Process Supported By Coaching: A Literature Review, Ann-Sofie Kruger

Organizational Leadership and Management Department Graduate Course Papers

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Pet-Parenting Attitudes In Shaping Consumer Behavior Toward Preventive And Wellness-Oriented Pet Care, Jin Hua Jian, Chee Vui Wong, Jiangwei Yang

Jesselton Journal of Educators and Scholars

The increasing tendency to view pets as family members has transformed consumer behaviour in contemporary pet care markets, particularly in relation to preventive and wellness-oriented consumption. This study examines how pet-parenting attitudes shape consumer decision-making and expenditure on preventive pet care in an emerging urban context. Grounded primarily in Consumer Culture Theory, with the Theory of Planned Behavior as a supporting lens, the study adopts a quantitative approach using survey data collected from 400 urban pet-owning households. The findings indicate that pet-parenting attitudes exert a significant positive influence on preventive and wellness-oriented pet care expenditure. This influence operates both directly …

Applying Means–End Chain Theory To Online Buying And Understanding Consumers' Motivation To Disclose Private Information, Brikena Berisha, Maja Konečnik Ruzzier

Economic and Business Review

The purpose of this study is to define and understand the motives that influence consumers’ decisions to disclose personal data online. Using means–end chain theory as the main theoretical framework, 10 in-depth interviews conducted through soft laddering revealed how both utilitarian and hedonic motivations jointly shape disclosure behavior. The findings show that these motivations interact, demonstrating that data disclosure is driven not only by functional considerations but also by emotional and experiential factors embedded in consumers’ value systems. The study concludes that motivation plays a central and multifaceted role in online data disclosure decisions.

Internal Quality Enhancement: Case Of A Uae Business School, Valentine Matthews

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

This paper presents a case study of a quality enhancement process of a small business school in the United Arab Emirates. The research explores this specific quality enhancement process with a focus on why it is implemented by the case institution and how it achieves quality improvement. The case quality enhancement process is an internal institutional approach that deviates from the Scottish Enhancement-Led Institutional Review approach. Articulation of the process is conducted from policy and practice. The articulation provides deeper and clearer understanding of the approach to quality enhancement, how it achieves quality improvements, and the leadership’s justifications for adopting …

Workforce Participation In Northeast Kentucky: A Qualitative Documentary Study, Timothy A. Gibbs

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University By Timothy A. Gibbs on March 2, 2026.

Leveraging Csr To Buffer Brand Challenges During Crises: A Saudi Arabian Perspective, Nouf Alrayes, Abdullah Alhidari

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Crises, such as economic downturns or global health pandemics, pose significant business challenges. Engaging in CSR initiatives that contribute to societal well-being can help mitigate the negative consequences of crises, reinforce customer gratitude, and minimize corporate hypocrisy. CSR is critical in shaping a company’s accountability and ethical responsibilities. Consequently, there is an opportunity for the firm to see the role of CSR and how it affects customers’ responses and attitudes during any difficult situation. Drawing upon attribution theory and the customer gratitude reciprocity cycle, a conceptual framework was developed to test the impact of CSR on the variables: corporate hypocrisy, …

Literature Review - Orgl 547: Coaching Methods, Assessments, And Research, Jeff Bailey

Organizational Leadership and Management Department Graduate Course Papers

No abstract provided.

Can’T Get Work Off My Mind: The Effect Of Nonwork Goal Reflection On After-Work Rumination And Well-Being, Trevor A. Foulk, Min-Hsuan Tu, Michael Schaerer, Amber Johnson

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Many employees lament that their inability to stop ruminating about work during nonwork time is one of their most significant work-related challenges, yet limited research has articulated actionable strategies to address this issue on a day-to-day basis. Integrating goal shielding theory with rumination theory, our model introduces nonwork goal reflection as a deliberate behavioral intervention employees can engage in to curtail work-related rumination, in a way that facilitates well-being during nonwork time. Specifically, we argue that engaging in nonwork goal reflection—where employees intentionally reflect on nonwork goals to be completed during their nonwork time—can curtail work-related rumination and is associated …

Does Ict Use As A Strategic Response To Globalization Matter For Sme Performance In Nigeria? Mediating Roles Of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Strategic Agility, And Organizational Resilience, Uzoma H. Ononye

Journal of Global Business Insights

This study examined the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) use on small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance with a focus on the mediating roles of entrepreneurial orientation, strategic agility, and organizational resilience. Cross-sectional data were collected from 298 SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria, using a questionnaire based on previously validated measurement scales. Partial least squares modelling was applied to test the hypothesized five-factor model. The results demonstrate that ICT use, in response to globalization, exerts a significant and positive effect on SME performance. However, this effect is fully mediated by entrepreneurial orientation, strategic agility, and organizational resilience. The analysis …

The Impact Of Employee Equity Incentives On Enterprise Innovation Efficiency: From The Perspective Of Granting Restricted Stocks To Employees, Zongjie Ji

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the dual backdrop of the in-depth implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and the continuous deepening of SOE reforms, restricted equity has emerged a mainstream instrument for medium- and long-term employee incentives in Chinese SOEs. However, the underlying mechanisms, effect characteristics, and boundary conditions through which employee restricted equity incentives influence innovation efficiency in SOEs remain to be systematically examined. Drawing on panel data of 4,880 firm-year observation from Chinese A-share SOMEs over the period of 2015-2024, this study develops a direct effect model of “Equity Incentives-Innovation Efficiency” from the perspective of employee restricted equity grants. It further introduces …

The Gospel Of Glamour: A Christian Woman's Style Blueprint, Osaromwenyeke Osemwota

Theses

The Gospel of Glamour: The Christian Woman’s Style Blueprint was a luxury-branded, sustainability-focused, faith-based style guide that addressed a gap in fashion, theology, and sustainability scholarship. Existing literature had either systematized fashion, explored the spiritual significance of dress, or examined sustainable and luxury practices—but none had integrated these dimensions into a prescriptive, actionable guide for Christian women. Drawing on Scripture as the foundational authority, including passages from Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, and Proverbs, the guide framed clothing as both practical provision and visible expression of covenantal identity. The style guide synthesized secular fashion methodology, modest-fashion scholarship, and sustainable luxury principles to …

The Hidden Cost Of Performative Culture In Learning Organizations Introduction, Coby Dillard

Human Resource Development Student Publications and Presentations

Purpose

The aim of this article is to present a viewpoint that performative culture disrupts organizational learning by eroding alignment between espoused values, system design, and lived experience. Design/methodology/approach

This article adopts a conceptual and practitioner-oriented approach, drawing on foundational theories of organizational culture and learning to examine how misalignment between values and systems shapes organizational behavior. The discussion integrates insights from organizational culture and learning frameworks to reinterpret performative culture as a system design issue. Findings

The article identifies that performative culture undermines organizational learning in three key ways: by eroding trust through inconsistent signals, fragmenting systems and reducing …

To Swear Or Not To Swear: Exploring The Role Of Profanity In Influencer Marketing, Mahdi Niknejad Moghadam, Vijay Mahajan

Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Influencers play a central role in promoting products and services on digital platforms. Understanding the impact of their linguistic choices, including the use of profanity, is therefore important for marketers seeking to engage target audiences. This study investigates how influencers’ profanity usage shapes user engagement. The authors analyze videos shared by influencers on a popular video-sharing platform and extract auditory, visual, and verbal features using a range of machinelearning tools. The findings indicate that profanity in focal content is associated with lower engagement, with a substantially larger effect in categories where profanity is less normatively expected. This negative effect is …

When Toxic Behaviors Sneak Into Practice, Amrita Patel, Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article addresses the challenge for new dentists in identifying and managing toxic workplace behaviors. It details common red flags such as chronic negativity, poor communication, "blame culture," and excessive production pressure that compromises ethics. The author explains how these environments can lead to burnout and practicing defensively rather than confidently. The source emphasizes the importance of developing self-awareness, seeking external mentorship, and establishing professional boundaries. It concludes that recognizing when to leave an unhealthy practice is an act of professional self-respect and essential for long-term career satisfaction.

What Are We Learning About The Research-Practice Gap From Hrd Scholars And Hrd Scholar-Practitioners?, Kelly Moore, Yonjoo Cho

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

The research-practice gap (the gap) in HRD remains a significant challenge, hindering the application of academic research to practice and the integration of workplace challenges into research efforts. It is critical for HRD research to address the gap to develop evidence-based solutions for learning and organizational performance. The purpose of this study was to explore how HRD scholars and scholar-practitioners define, motivate, address barriers to, and recommend strategies for bridging the gap in HRD. Building on the study by Moore and Cho (2024) from the perspective of HRD practitioners, we investigated the perspectives of HRD scholars and scholar-practitioners to examine …

Program Management And Building Partner Capacity: A Tangled Thicket, Phil W. Reynolds

Publications

This chapter explores how the U.S. Department of Defense plans and executes Building Partner Capacity projects in lower-middle and low-income partners. U.S. planners and practitioners rarely understand the effective pre-conditions that influence partner security apparatus and infrastructure. Consequently, security capabilities provided to the partner are rarely sustained and provide questionable security to the affected population. The U.S. Department of Defense uses a three-part approach to building security with partners: training and equipping, building institutional capacity, and monitoring and evaluating. U.S. security planners should manage all three parts concurrently to produce a security capability that the partner uses and sustains and …

Organizational Characteristics And Business Transformation: An Investigation On Corporate Transformation In The Construction Industry, Wei Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Draw on a structural decline in demand triggered by selective real estate industrial policies, this study explores how construction companies drive business transformation through organizational characteristics in environmental uncertainties. Extant research has largely focused on the independent impact of single organizational factors or capabilities on transformation, lacking a systematic exploration of the interactions between organizational characteristics and the external environment. Take a typical construction group as an example, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach, through interviews and questionnaires, to systematically examine the impact of organizational characteristics on business transformation. The key findings are: in environmental uncertainties, an organic organizational structure …

The Role Of Negotiable And Non Negotiable Dimensions In Brand Revitalization: The Case Of Whisky Packaging Design, Liang Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In consumer sectors such as digital appliances, apparel, cosmetics, and food and beverages, the number of brands has grown explosively, intensifying market competition. As the primary touchpoint between brands and consumers, product packaging design directly shapes consumer attitudes. Adjustments to packaging elements can catalyze brand growth but may also trigger trust crises. Although recent studies have explored the role of packaging design in brand revitalization, research remains insufficient regarding its “negotiable” and “non-negotiable” dimensions and the mechanisms through which it influences consumer attitudes.

Drawing on brand life cycle theory, brand image theory, and consumer behavior theory, this dissertation investigates how …

Dyadic Trust Congruence And Asymmetry: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Needs On Trust And Performance, Hongyin Cai

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This thesis examines how trust congruence and trust asymmetry shape leader-subordinate relationships and how these dynamics influence LTS and subordinate job performance. Trust congruence and trust asymmetry are defined by the degree of alignment between STL and SFT. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study investigates these processes from the subordinate’s perspective using a mixed-method design that integrates qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis.

Results show that subordinate trust in leader (STL), subordinate felt trust (SFT) and leader trust in subordinate (LTS) are three distinct constructs. Trust asymmetry is prevalent, with subordinate often trusting more than they feel trusted. Asymmetry meaningfully shapes …

Governance-By-Support: Non-Financial Incentive, Agency Costs, And Performance In Overseas Projects, Jixiang Lyu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As the Belt and Road Initiative continues to advance, multinational corporations from emerging economies have become increasingly reliant on expatriates to oversee overseas project execution, facilitate technology transfer, and manage on-site coordination. However, in contexts characterized by financial constraints, information opacity, and significant geographic and cultural distance, traditional Western models of expatriate management, which emphasize high compensation and tight monitoring, often prove difficult to sustain in practice. In reality, some firms are able to maintain high levels of expatriate commitment and stable overseas project performance even when expatriate compensation is below market levels. This seemingly anomalous phenomenon poses an interesting …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Cognitive And Affective Trust In Wealth Management: Impacts On Wealth Manager Selection And Asset Under Management (Aum) Growth, Ting Hsi Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Trust is key to wealth management decision-making; there is little empirical clarity on the relationships between different dimensions of trust and client behavior at each stage of the relationship. Previous works differentiated Cognitive trust, based on perceived competence, and Affective trust, based on relational and emotional connections. Nevertheless, the mechanisms under which these trust dimensions act during the pre- and post-account-opening phases have not yet been thoroughly studied. This research addresses this gap by exploring the stage-dependent influence of Cognitive and Affective trust on the central behavioral outcomes in wealth management.

The approach is a quantitative research based on a …