Digital Commons Network^™

Sales Opportunity Crafting: Explaining Diverse Selling Approaches, Ganesh Kumar

Student Scholarship

Salespeople play a critical boundary-spanning role in establishing productive relationships with their buyers. In doing so, they employ diverse selling approaches that resulting in a wide range of customer experiences—some that align well with the overall marketing strategies and some that conflict with the intent of the organization. Several theoretical explanations for the variations in selling approaches, but no singular theory provide us a lens to understand how salespeople approach various selling opportunities. The primary goal of this inquiry is to compile the extant theoretical knowledge from various disciplines in order to develop a conceptual framework for future empirical research …

Where Was The Board? A "Moves"-Based Approach To Improving Npo Accountability, Frederick O. Udochi

Student Scholarship

Strong arguments have been made that traditional definitions of accountability – financial health, internal controls and regulatory compliance – do not fully capture an organization’s performance (Ospina et al, 2002; Behn, 2001; Kearns, 1996). Failures evidenced by multiple breakdowns of accountability in nonprofit organizations have resulted in calls for boards to pursue a broadened level of accountability. There is little or no corresponding guidance in the literature to show how that could be accomplished. This research paper proposes to explore the “how” by adopting the notion of “moves” (Pentland, 1992), which are the verbal and/or nonverbal actions, routines or accomplishments …

Developing Expanded Conceptions Of Governance In Community Foundations, Michael Wolfe

Student Scholarship

Community foundations administer over $44 billion and distribute $3.5 billion annually to improve the quality of life throughout the United States. In 2000, a series of "National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations" was developed. Are changes currently promoted by the field of community foundations truly propelling community foundations to a more advanced role? Present research posits the value to community foundations of engaged proactive behavior by the board of directors and CEO. By examining the developmental responses of boards during times of institutional pressure, we can inform research and practice that seeks to improve nonprofit governance.

Control Of The Electronic Management Of Information, A. Boone, R. Szatmary Jr.

Publications (YM)

This procedure establishes the responsibilities and provides direction for developing and evaluating the adequacy of process controls on specific uses of electronically stored information. These uses include, but are not limited to, information used in design input, developed as design output, or developed as input to or output from scientific investigation or performance assessment modeling and analysis. This pertains to information that resides in an electronic information management system or on electronic media.

“Go Live In ’05”—From Hierarchy To Shared Governance In Higher Education, Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

Higher education is in the midst of a major transformation evidenced by several factors: greater demands from stakeholders; pressure to increase student enrollment, financial uncertainty, limited resources, and a responsibility to contribute to the community’s civic and economic development. Faculty and staff in higher education are challenged to deliver education in innovative ways. This innovation requires an expedient method of governance and necessitates careful examination of the organization’s structural, cultural, and decision-making processes. To meet these demands, leaders in higher education must examine decision-making processes and design governance models that respond quickly and efficiently to their myriad of constituents.

Mapping Change Management: A Co-Citation Analysis, Brian R. Low

Theses and Dissertations

Today's organizations are continually undergoing changes to make improvements in their efficiency and effectiveness. The ability of organizations to effectively implement and sustain successful change, however, has been limited, with most change initiatives failing to attain the desired success. To counter this trend, researchers across several disciplines have worked to provide practitioners better insight into how to facilitate change within their organizations. This research has resulted in many theories as to what constitutes change and how best to implement it, but it lacks a unifying theory that encompasses all aspects of change research. This effort takes a step toward a …

Use Of Interpretive Schemes And Successful Adaptation: The Case Of Chinese Protestant Immigrant Churches In North America, Siu-Hang P. Chan

Student Scholarship

How religious congregations adapt to change determines whether they will continue to thrive (Ammerman, 1997). Chinese immigrant religious organizations in America face a built-in clash between overseas-born and American-born generations that is usually visible in their religious congregations (Ling & Cheuk, 1999). This study identifies interpretive schemes (Bartunek, 1984) used by Chinese congregations that help ease the generational transition and lead to or hinder successful adaptation.

Adult Retraining Programs And Reemployment For Dislocated Workers, Tony J. Perry

Faculty Dissertations

A variety of government sponsored programs provide retraining and income assistance to dislocated workers, yet it is unclear whether these initiatives are effective in providing workers the essential skills needed for new careers. Using Mezirow’s transformational learning theory, this study was designed to evaluate programs in selected counties in the states of Virginia and North Carolina. Using self-administered surveys, data were gathered from college instructors, dislocated workers, and local business owners. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and related to each research question. Results showed that instructors were effectively using adult training methods, the majority of students perceived their retraining …

Language Of Change: Dynamics Of Push-Pull Communication, Humayun Rashid

Student Scholarship

Changing organizational culture is a challenging undertaking, especially when it is attempted through a global change in systems and processes, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementations. During these transformations, organizations desire alignment between people at different levels and across various parts of the organization; and communication is considered a critical factor to developed shared meaning leading towards alignment. This research redefines alignment as a dynamic push-pull communication model for change in which the traditional top-down "push" communication frames the overall purpose and objectives of a change while the deeper-level "pull" communication helps employees make sense of the change--what the …

2006-2007 Financial Summary, Morehead State University. Budget & Financial Planning Office.

Morehead State University Financial Summaries Archive

2006-2007 Financial Summary of Morehead State University.

Relationship Among Supervisors' Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles, And Teachers' Job Satisfaction In Taiwan Higher Education, Chi-Ling Sung

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined the influence of supervisors' transformational and transactional leadership styles on job satisfaction of college and university in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between supervisors' transformational and transactional leadership styles, and the satisfaction of Taiwan's higher education instructors. The number of teachers at the university level in Taiwan rose 36.8% from 1951 to 2004; therefore faculty job satisfaction is an important issue. Schools want to keep their faculty and reputation to maintain a competitive edge. This non-experimental, quantitative, explanatory correlation and explanatory comparative survey research explores the relationship between supervisors' transformational and …

Organizational Alignment And Performance: Past, Present And Future, Ravi Kathuria, Maheshkumar P. Joshi, Stephen J. Porth

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and define the types of organizational alignment – vertical and horizontal; to examine the evidence for the alignment‐performance relationship, and propose research questions and practical implications to advance the theory and practice of managing alignment.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is a conceptual examination based on a thorough review of both theoretical and empirical research.

Findings

– The paper finds that vertical alignment has received considerably more attention in the literature. Studies of horizontal alignment within organizations are less common. When horizontal alignment is studied, the focus tends to be dyadic …

Radical Change Accidentally: The Emergence And Amplification Of Small Change, Donde Ashmos Plowman, Lakami T. Baker, Tammy E. Beck, Mukta Kulkarni, Stephanie Thomas Solansky, Deandra Villarreal Travis

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

A decision to offer breakfast to homeless people led to radical change in a church and its environment. Existing theories of change do not fully explain observations from our qualitative study; however, complexity theory constructs suggest how and why such change emerged. We offer four key findings. First, the radical change was unintended, emergent, and slow. Second, destabilizing conditions helped small changes to emerge and become radical. Third, subsequent actions amplified an initial small change and, though not intended to do so, promoted radical change. Finally, the dynamic interaction of amplifying actions, contextual conditions, and small changes led to continuous …

Is Support For Top Managers' Dynamic Capabilities, Environmental Dynamism, And Firm Performance: An Empirical Investigation, Michael J. Zhang

WCBT Faculty Publications

Despite a continual interest in developing information systems (IS) to support the work of top managers, assessing the impact of IS support for top managers and their capabilities on the bottom-line performance of firms has received little attention in existing literature. Drawing upon the resource based view of competitive advantage, this paper argues that firms that provide IS support for their top managers’ dynamic capabilities may enjoy competitive advantage and superior firm performance. The performance impact of IS support for two key dynamic capabilities of top managers (fast response and mental model building) under different (dynamic vs. stable) external environments …

Conflict Avoidance In Cooperative And Competitive Relationships : A Cross-Cultural Study Between Chinese Subordinates And Western Superiors, Chun Yan Peng

Lingnan Theses

Many international companies have entered China because of its expanding opportunities. However, for expatriate managers to innovate and implement their strategic plans in order to exploit these opportunities, they must know and work with their Chinese subordinates. But conflict is inevitable within organizations, especially when people with different cultural backgrounds work together. Culture not only affects people’s preferred ways of doing things but also influences their styles to deal with conflicts. Compared with Westerners, Chinese people have been found to employ indirect ways and prefer to avoid conflict. To facilitate effective communication, it is imperative for Western managers to understand …

Change Leader Retention: Social Capital\, Organizational Commitment And Balancing Change Career Commitment, Zara F. Larsen

Student Scholarship

Organizations are challenged to attract and retain executives who can lead successful and sustainable organizational change. This study aims to: (1) explore the role of bonding social capital in affecting the turnover intention of executive leaders of large scale radical and continuous improvement change projects in organizations\, and (2) identify mechanisms which may influence whether change leaders can balance the potentially competing commitment to a career of leading change with a commitment to an organization\, therein affecting the organization’s ability to retain them longer term. This study of over 600 change leaders from for-profit\, non-profit and civil service organizations draws …

Inter-Sector Decision Making: Governance, Social Learning, Negotiated Order And Emergent Leadership As Adaptive Responses To System Complexity, Bruce C. Gockerman

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the work of the Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG) from an organizational effectiveness frame of reference as the CGLG sought to develop an enforceable regional water management regime for the water resources of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. It seeks to find both the theoretical and applied framings that tie the pieces of the applicable descriptive literature on social learning and negotiated order as decision making models together, and to draw generalized lessons about organizational effectiveness from the particular geo-politically complex venue under study. This will advance the study of collective action, collaboration, …

The Impact Of Organization Destruction On Social Capital Value, R. Drew Sellers

Student Scholarship

This paper links social capital dynamics and value with organization destruction. It produces the finding that organizational destruction may in some cases increase the value of social capital. A key theoretical contribution of this study is extending the metaphor of social capital to encompass asset recoverability. Based upon cases studies of 15 individuals who lived through the destruction of Arthur Andersen, this paper examines the persistence and value of an individual's social capital when an organization destructs. It explores the question, "Is the value of an individual's investment in organization-specific social capital a recoverable asset post-destruction?" Interviews with Andersen alumni …

Enabling Trust And Performance In Distributed Collaborative Teams, Eugene A. Pierce

Student Scholarship

Virtual teams allow organizations to bring together critical contributors who might not otherwise be able to work together due to time, travel and cost restrictions. In addition, virtual teams can enhance the available pool of resources by including people from outside the sponsoring organization, such as consultants, or members of partner organizations. Virtual teams also allow organizations to hire and retain the best people, who may be either unable or unwilling to relocate, and to facilitate dynamic membership changes as a result of changes in project requirements or the unexpected loss of team members. As such they are sometimes unable …

Language Of Innovation: Alignment Of Boundary Objects, Humayun Rashid

Student Scholarship

The role of language in communication has been part of most social science and management disciplines for decades; but in the world of practice, large organizations still struggle with implementing major innovations or changes due to communication barriers between the diverse participants. The lack of acceptance and the challenges of change are especially characteristic of information technology-enabled business transformations that typically involve intense interactions between business executive/managers and information technology (IT) staff. When these diverse groups interact to achieve an over-arching company objective, communication becomes a major organizational challenge. During my discussions with executives over the years in the world …

2006-06-15, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Managing Perplexing Congregations: The Case Of Chinese Protestant Church In North America, Siu-Hang P. Chan

Student Scholarship

How religious congregations adapt to change determines whether they will continue to thrive (Ammerman, 1997). Chinese immigrant religious organizations in America face a built-in clash between the generations of Overseas-Born Chinese (OBC) and American-Born Chinese (ABC) that is most visible in their religious congregations (Ling & Cheuk, 1999). This study identifies how Chinese congregations develop interpretive schemes (Bartunek, 1984) that help bridge the generational transition and lead to successful adaptation or its hindrance.

Adaptational Proximity And The Innovation Process: An End-User Focus, Robert M. Krug

Student Scholarship

Organizations promote widely ranging workplace programs and initiatives with the goal of instituting change or maintaining previously adopted change. Often these programs and initiatives are designed to establish global standards through consistent member behavior. Using data from over 400 members of diverse organizations, this study examines several factors that affect program commitment and usage. Drawing upon innovation theory, I focus on the concept of end-user adaptation, or, as used herein, adaptation proximal activities. With regard to this mechanism, I propose and establish the mediating role that personal engagement plays in employee propensity to adopt adaptation proximal activities with regard to …

Corporate Governance In The Era Of Sarbanes-Oxley: Regulation, Governance, And Performance, Larry W. Ettner

Student Scholarship

The results of governance research are mixed concerning the financial consequences of externally induced regulations. The debate hinges on the assumption that adoption of regulation is an exogenous factor in determining performance. Drawing on basic insights from institutional theory and innovation studies, I argue that response to regulation is in fact a mediator of the relationship between 'quality of governance' and financial performance. Focusing on the adoption of Sarbanes-Oxley (Sarbox) regulation by publicly traded companies, I hypothesize that governance quality is likely to affect financial success by influencing organizational responses to Sarbox. Using multiple year data from two large datasets, …

2005-2006 Financial Summary, Morehead State University. Budget & Financial Planning Office.

Morehead State University Financial Summaries Archive

2005-2006 Financial Summary of Morehead State University.

Teams In Library Technical Services, Jack G. Montgomery Jr., Contributor, Rosann Bazirjian, Editor, Rebecca Mugridge, Editor

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Book Gallery

Whether because of budget and staffing concerns or issues with productivity and output, technical services teams have come into being in many organizations. In Teams in Library Technical Services, editors Rosann Bazirjian and Rebecca Mugridge present research and case studies demonstrating what these reasons are and how the use of teams has been and should be applied to libraries. Everything from describing the various types of teams and how to manage them—especially in academic libraries—to exploring recurring themes on the relationships between professional and support staff, the changing roles of librarians, and how managers and teams address issues such …

A New Theory And Measure Of Ethical Work Climate: The Psychological Process Model (Ppm) And The Ethical Climate Index (Eci), Anke Arnaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With this dissertation I developed a new theory and measure of ethical work climate (EWC). Currently, there exists one dominant theory and measure of EWC developed by Victor and Cullen (1988, 1987). Even though researchers have identified problems with this theory, such as inconsistencies with regard to its limited theoretical scope and troubling psychometric properties, it is the most widely utilized framework for conceptualizing and testing EWC. Therefore, I propose to develop an improved theory and measure of EWC, one capable of addressing some of the principle shortcomings of earlier efforts. Building on Rest's (1986, 1979) "Four-Component" model of individual-level …

A Double-Edged Sword: Organizational Culture In Multicultural Organizations, Mary G. Trefry

WCBT Faculty Publications

The primary premise explored in this paper is that organizational culture has the potentialfor even greater impact in multicultural organizations than mono-cultural ones because an organization's culture can intensify both the benefits and the challenges of employee cultural diversity, and thus indirectly, affect organizational performance, organizational learning and competitive advantage. The assumptions underlying this contention and relationships among variables that contribute to the impact are explored in this paper, along with practical organizational implications.

This study analyzes the dimensions of the 'vitality of development' of banking systems. Fuzzy synthetic decision analysis was used to construct and evaluate an index of …

A Qualitative Study Of Employee Self-Limiting Behaviors In Non-Dominant Culture Organizations, Monika L. Hudson

Student Scholarship

In this qualitative research paper, social/ethnic identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Berry, 1993) and relative deprivation theories (Dion, 2001) and their application to organizational identity are used to look at “self-limiting” behaviors – conscious or unconscious acts of non- cooperation and/or lower work effort (Metayer, 2003). The intent is to identify how management practice can be improved by better understanding the derivation and reasons for these behaviors in one type of non-dominant culture workplace – organizations where African Americans constitute the majority of the employee base. Among the major findings of this segment of the research is that while managers …

Change Leader Career Development: The Interplay Of Social Capital\, Sponsorship And Self Identity During Planned Organizational Change, Zara F. Larsen

Student Scholarship

This paper describes how in absence of strong sponsorship and often regardless of project outcome\, leaders of high impact corporate change initiatives must simultaneously develop bonding social capital to become sustainable members of the enterprise’s leadership team. This particularly holds for executives brought in from outside the firm to lead change. We present the findings of a qualitative research study of 42 projects led by 30 executive leaders from a diverse portfolio of primarily manufacturing companies\, leaders who were either Insiders (those established within their firms) or Outsiders (leaders brought in as fulltime employees from outside the firm specifically to …