Digital Commons Network^™

Post-Implementation Success Factors For Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp) Student Administration Systems In Higher Education In, Linda Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study investigated the post-implementation experiences of 6 higher education institutions following the initial implementation of a Student Administration ERP system and explored how these institutions used the post-implementation phase to maximize the benefits from the ERP system. A mixed-method approach consisting of an online survey and qualitative case study was utilized for data collection; within-case and cross-case analyses were performed to generate the research results and findings. The overall post-implementation experiences of the case study institutions were found to be similar in nature, regardless of institution size. Several post-implementation characteristics were also found to be shared in varying …

Dags: An Information System Design Research Framework Supporting The Design, Development And Delivery Of More Effective Informat, Lascelles Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many IT systems fail to realize their objectives because not enough attention has been paid to the business context in which the system functions. One reason expressed--an emphasized technical focus which tend to omit business and organizational issues germane to the organization's and the system's success. When an organization's information system is in line with, and provides support for its business strategy--strategic alignment--superior business performance is often the result. Within the Requirements Engineering (RE) community there has been several attempts to develop and utilize approaches which can illuminate business and organizational informational needs. In this dissertation, the DAGS framework is …

Factors Influencing Effectiveness Of Interorganizational Networks Among Crisis Management Organizations: A Comparative Perspective, Bahadir Sahin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crisis management has become one of the most important public policy areas in recent decades with greater numbers of manmade and natural disasters. History showed that well-implemented crisis management policies can save lives and reduce costs in a disaster. Literature offered various suggestions for more effective crisis management policies with different techniques utilizing different theoretical frameworks. Informal relationships among crisis management employees were suggested to have a positive impact on crisis management effectiveness. Yet it was not demonstrated with advanced statistical tools if there is such a relationship. This study considers crisis management effort as a network effort and employs …

A Comparison Of Faculty And Administrator Perceptions Of The Merger Of Kentucky's Community Colleges And Vocational/Technical Institutes., Jason Douglas Warren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most nationally-recognized, two-year legislative reform initiatives in the U.S. began in Kentucky with the passage of the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997 (HB1). This exploratory, cross-sectional, correlational study was administered at the 10-year anniversary of the HB1-legislated formation of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), which originally combined 13 community colleges formerly governed by the University of Kentucky and 25 vocational/technical institutes previously governed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development. This dissertation examined faculty and administrator perceptions of the merger of Kentucky's community colleges and vocational/technical institutes that resulted from HB1. Two …

Competency-Based Curriculum For A Master's Program In Service Science, Management And Engineering (Ssme): An Online Delphi Study, Rahul Choudaha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overarching purpose of this research was to provide theoretical and conceptual foundations for developing a competency-based curriculum for an interdisciplinary master's program in Service Science, Management and Engineering (SSME). Specifically, the objective was to ascertain the competencies and courses that are relevant for developing a competency model for a service scientist and a curriculum blueprint for SSME. The study employed three rounds of the online Delphi survey to achieve the research objectives. The three rounds were used to identify, prioritize, and define competencies and courses. A panel of industry professionals and university faculty were invited to participate as experts. …

Mentoring Dialogues: An Investigation Of The Dialectical Tensions And Management Strategies In Mentoring Relationships, Paul J. Kosempel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past 30 years, mentoring has gained perhaps the largest recognition of any phenomenon related to career success. Much of the current research that has explored mentoring relationships has been conducted in fields other than communication studies, although better communication is often the recommended solution to improve mentoring. The majority of research has focused on the outcomes of mentoring relationships, rather than the process of mentoring relationships. Mentoring has also not been studied through a relational dialectics perspective. This study explored the communication dynamics within mentoring relationships through a relational dialectics theoretical lens. The study utilized multiple methods including …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Empowerment In Their Work Environments As Measured By The Psychological Empowerment Instrument., Corey Ray Gardenhour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher perceptions of their empowerment. Six school systems in the Northeast Tennessee region were used in the study. Of the 600 teachers who were surveyed, 312 responded (52%). The Psychological Empowerment Instrument was used to survey the sample.

Research supported the notion that teacher empowerment could be influenced by organizational structure, relationships, communication, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, motivation, job satisfaction, and transformational leadership. Teacher empowerment also involved servant leadership.

One research question guided the study. From this question, 12 null hypotheses were generated. Means were compared for the 4 dimensions of the …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Costs And Benefits Of Sitting On A School-Based Decision-Making Committee., Jennefer Pollio Woods 1948-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify teachers' perceptions of the costs and benefits of participating in a school-based decision-making process. These costs to teachers are increased time demands, loss of autonomy, risk of collegial disfavor, subversion of collective bargaining, and threats to career advancement. The benefits include: feeling of self-efficacy, workplace democracy, and ownership. The study also determined the relationship between selected variables that were developed through a review of the literature, and teacher members' perceptions of the costs and benefits of participating on a decision-making council. Approximately 400 teacher members of SBDM councils Jefferson County Public Schools …

Organizational Conflict Within The Department Of Homeland Security, M. Katherine Manderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to explain why the Department of Homeland Security had difficulty fulfilling its roles when it was formed, specifically its role as grant administrator. Role theory surmises that conflict arises from unclear expectations, conflicting expectations, and too many roles. This study utilized various public testimonies, legislation, and other government documents to examine how the missions of the twenty-two agencies that were merged together to make up DHS changed. Even though DHS has changed continually over the five years since its existence most employees seem to be clear on the mission of the organization in which they work. However, …

Value Mapping Framework Involving Stakeholders For Supply Chain Improvement When Implementing Information Technology Projects, Karla Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Successful Supply Chain Management (SCM) depends on how well an organization performs internal and external communications with trading partners, executes the logistics component, and understands/monitors related costs of conducting its business. The use of information technology (IT) is considered a prerequisite for the effective control of today's complex supply chains. Increased communication technology has redefined how businesses work together, raised customer expectations, and placed new demands on supply chain performance. IT components with proven and rapid return-on-investment are favored to support critical supply chain processes such as leaner manufacturing processes, consumer-driven supply chains, and customer responsiveness. The use of IT …

Another Forgotten Army: The French Expeditionary Corps In Italy,1943-1944, Brook White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The French Expeditionary Corps that fought in Italy during World War II was a French army, but that description must be qualified. Therefore this thesis asks two questions: how did France manage to send the equivalent of an army to Italy if French military leadership in 1943 had no direct access to French manpower resources; and the most important question since it is unique to the historical debate, why were the troops that were sent to Italy so effective once there when compared to the 1940 French army? To answer the first question, it was a French colonial army - …

Entrepreneurial Organizational Characteristics In Hawaiian Elementary Schools: Its Relationship To School Characteristics And Student Achievement, J. Patrick Byrne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To determine the level of entrepreneurial organizational characteristics in Hawaiian public elementary schools, 3,816 teachers in 111 schools were surveyed using the Public School Entrepreneurial Inventory (PSEI). This survey was developed and used previously in Israel. This was the first application of the PSEI in the United States. Two domains of entrepreneurial organizational characteristics were measured: principal proactiveness and school innovativeness. Based on the levels of entrepreneurial characteristics, schools were grouped into four entrepreneurial profiles. A chi square goodness of fit was used to determine the variation in entrepreneurial profiles between the regions of Israel and Hawaii. Based on the …

Framing Strategies Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Advocacy Organizations: The Case Of Let California Ring's 'Garden Wedding' Commercial, Helena Mica

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Framing is the process of presenting a complicated argument by relying on the ideas and concepts that a person already has regarding a basic subject. The idea of same-sex marriage has traditionally been presented by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) advocacy organizations using a frame of equal rights, with same-sex couples seeking equal treatment under the law. However, due to a lack of support for this argument, the organization Let California Ring introduced the 'Garden Wedding' commercial in the fall of 2007 that presented same-sex marriage in a new, emotional frame. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the …

Essays In Outsourced Is Program Management, Neeraj Parolia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

IS vendor organizations are increasingly using program management practices to manage complex projects (Gierra 2004). The move to program teams is due to the realization that the management of many client projects and their underlying dependencies requires teamwork among project managers from different projects (Cooke-Davies 2002; Ferratt et al. 2006; Sanghera 2007). With two separate studies, first we extend the team competence framework and utilize organizational learning theory to understand the antecedents and outcomes of teamwork behaviors. Empirical results from the first study indicated that teamwork behaviors within the program team were significantly related to an increase in team competencies …

Leadership Behavior And Technology Activities:The Relationship Between Principals And Technology Use In Schools, Alexandra Page-Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of study was to investigate the use of technology in schools and the influence of the principal on technology use. The technology activities of principals along with the school technology outcomes perceived by their faculty were described and analyzed to discover if there was a relationship between and among them. This study investigated technology related leadership behavior exhibited by principals in terms of NETS-A technology standards for administrators, and how their leadership behavior affected or predicted the multiple ways that technology was used throughout a school.The population for this study was composed of principals and instructional faculty from …

Toward A New Social Contract: A Tripartite Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Social Sustainability At Three Land-Grant Universities, Lyndsay Josephine Agans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly, colleges and universities in the United States are adapting toward a model of behavior that incorporates issues of sustainability. This adaptation in universities and in society has implications on the organizational and nation-state level, the very core of which may serve to reshape the social contract between the two. In addition to supplying a strong counter-hegemonic argument that alters the competitive economic agenda-setting paradigm, this study serves as a tripartite comparative case study analysis of university adaptation toward social sustainability. By employing a social capital lens to understanding social sustainability in higher education, this study seeks to examine the …

Top Management's Perceptions Of Service Excellence And Hospitality: The Case Of Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, Taryn Aiello

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated service excellence and hospitality in a healthcare setting. It is unique from other hospitality research in that it considers hospitality and service excellence as separate concepts, applicable across industries. Part of the premise of this study explores how hospitality extends past service excellence to create a comfortable and welcoming environment to combat patient anxiety and stress. Furthermore, this is one of the first qualitative studies on the importance of service excellence and hospitality in the healthcare industry. This case study measured top management's perceptions of service excellence and hospitality within one community-based hospital located in Orlando, Florida. …

Examining The Effect Of Organizational Policy Changeon Taser Utilizations, Michael Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of organizational policy changes within the Use-of-Force Continuum on taser usage and officer's perceptions of taser effectiveness. Tasers have been used by police since the 1970s and their use is increasing as the technology has improved. Data reveals that tasers are beneficial for controlling non-compliant suspects while preventing serious injuries and rarely has their use resulted in death. Much of the public controversy surrounding tasers centers on when and how often officers deploy them. Use of force data from 890 police citizen encounters during a two-year period was analyzed to …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Community Engagement In A System-Wide Educational Change Effort: Implications For Building Partnerships., Lindsay K. Nickels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study should provide insight into stakeholders' perceptions of a system-wide educational partnership focused on a change effort to increase student achievement in a school system located in a large, metropolitan city in the southeastern United States. The importance of partnering to assure that all children are succeeding in school has never been more important to local communities and our nation. Not only are definitions of educational partnerships expanding, but so are the parameters, the players, and the structures. As educational improvement initiatives are put into effect by local, state, and national governments, schools across the country are realizing …

Globalization And Social Work Education : An Initial International Inquiry., Elaine Rushmore Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With an increasing awareness of a global-local reality, social work research and theorizing on globalization is limited but growing. From a multinational perspective, the purpose of this dissertation was to contribute to the emerging professional discourse through (a) an examination of definitions and dimensions of globalization and (b) and an exploration of the impact of globalization on social work education. Perspectives on globalization were collected on a newly designed and translated survey from 46 social work educators from schools and social work in China, Germany, Russia, and the United States of America. Descriptive analysis and the coding of themes were …

Discovering And Assessing Desired Student Financial Services At East Tennessee State University., Lois K. Sams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover and assess student financial services delivered to students enrolled at East Tennessee State University. The research was undertaken for institutional self-improvement. The research explored changes that have occurred in student financial services in the dynamic higher education market. The research revealed universities pursued best practices for the delivery of student financial services through expanded employee knowledge, restructured organizations, and integrated information technologies.

The research was conducted during October and November, 2006. The data were gathered from an online student survey of student financial services. The areas researched included: the Bursar office, the …

Assessing Perceptions Toward Implementation Of The Nutrition Care Process Among Registered Dietitians In Northeast Tennessee., Jessica Lee Gourley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to survey registered dietitians in Northeast Tennessee to determine attitudes toward implementation of the nutrition care process prior to and following education about the nutrition care process and/or implementation of the nutrition care process in their respective healthcare facilities. Approximately 100 registered dietitians were involved in the study. Data were collected through electronic submission and written inquiries. The findings of the study identified that there was a need for further research regarding implementation of the nutrition care process and that negative attitudes, opinions, and barriers were broken down by education, implementation, and exposure to …

Examining Fairness Perceptions Of Financial Resource Allocations In United States Olympic Sport., Stephen W. Dittmore 1968-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to measure U.S. National Governing Body (NGB) administrators' perceptions of fairness of financial resource allocation within the U.S. Olympic Movement. The study was grounded in the organizational justice literature, specifically in distributive justice, which focuses on the perceived fairness of outcome decisions within organizations. This study follows that pattern, but adds to it by examining a new setting and controlling for the construct of procedural justice, which focuses on perceived fairness of policies and procedures employed within organizations. The study examined the perceived fairness of seven Distribution Principles and also measured which Distribution Principle …

The Impact Of Service Delivery Models On Non-Disabled Peers Intent To Include Their Peers With Disabilities, Michael Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In much the same way as the racial integration movement, advocates for students with disabilities (SWD) have cultivated an active and vocal lobby seeking to establish and then implement legal mandates to integrate classrooms in the hope that social acceptance would follow. Through federal mandates such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), conceptually initiated in 1975 and revised in 2004 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) along with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, these students have a voice to cry out for access to the experiences of work, conversation and play with …

An Investigation Into The Predictors Of Adoption And Utilization Of Information-Sharing Networks By Local Law Enforcement In Three States, Joe Conrad Saviak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT A major change in longstanding police organizational behavior is increasingly evident in the recent emergence of computerized information-sharing networks in public safety. From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, a better understanding of the determinants that can explain and predict the rise and growth of this new and significant development in American policing is needed. A highly limited body of empirical studies has endeavored to validate effective predictors of adoption and utilization of electronic information-sharing networks by local law enforcement agencies. Utilizing an integrated theoretical framework largely built upon Rogers' diffusion of innovations theory, sixteen hypotheses were tested through logistic …

The Effects Of Eicu Technology On Clinical Outcomes Of Icu Patients: Analysis Of The Relationship Of Patient, Hospital, And Unit Characteristics To Proximal And Distal Outcomes, Michelle G. Chandler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year approximately five million people are treated in the nation's intensive care units making intensive care one of the most expensive components of the U.S. healthcare system. Of these patients, 400,000-500,000 will die annually giving the ICU the distinction of having the highest rate of mortality and complications in the hospital setting. Studies have demonstrated that one in ten patients who die each day in ICUs might survive if intensivists were present to manage clinical care and direct treatment plans (Randolph & Pronovost, 2002; Dimick, Pronovost, Heitmiller & Lipsett, 2001; Pronovost et al., 2002). The utilization of supplemental remote …

Mentoring Expatriate Employees: The Influence Of Multiple Mentors On Overseas Experiences, Lisa Littrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sending employees overseas for international work assignments has become a popular practice among today's multinational corporations, albeit one fraught with challenges. These expatriate employees, individuals who relocate internationally for work assignments, face many difficulties ranging from problematic adjustment to inadequate preparation. Mentoring has been proposed as one strategy for alleviating the challenges faced by expatriates and for providing the support expatriates need before, during, and after their assignments (Harvey & Wiese, 2002; Mezias & Scandura, 2005). In fact, expatriates that report having a mentor are more likely than expatriates without mentors to have positive career outcomes such as increased job …

Management Systems Fit For Organizational Performance, Rey Diaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study identifies the dimensions and variables using prior research within each of the constructs under the management systems, fit and, organizational strategy, structure, lifecycle and performance. The constructs from the research model were defined with a combination of direct, calculated and coded measures. Context analysis for each case categorized management systems design into either prescriptive or descriptive. The selected performance measures have been extensively investigated in the research fields associated with organizational management. The study uses the multiple case study design with cross-sectional data spanning from 1991 to 2005 and involving 19 aerospace companies in the United States. …

Factors That Influence Transfer Of Hazardous Material Training: The Perception Of Selected Fire-Fighter Trainees And Supervisors, Divya Bhati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of factors on transfer of training and was based on the work of Broad and Newstrom (1992). For the purpose of this study the Broad and Newstrom (1992) transfer of training barriers are rephrased into positive statements. The nine transfer of training factors are: (1) reinforcement on the job; (2) little interference from immediate (work) environment; (3) supportive organizational culture; (4) trainees' perception of training programs being practical; (5) trainees' perception of relevant training content; (6) trainees' being comfortable with change and associated effort; (7) trainer being supportive and inspiring; (8) trainees' perception of training …

Airport Security: Examining The Current State Of Acceptance Of Biometrics And The Propensity Of Adopting Biometric Technology Fo, Kristine Sumner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 propelled the issue of aviation security to the forefront of the U.S. domestic agenda. Although hundreds of individual airports exist in the U.S., the travel activities at each of these airports combine to holistically comprise an aviation system that represents a significant portion of the U.S. social and economic infrastructure. Disruption at one airport resulting from a criminal act, such as terrorism, could exert detrimental effects upon the aviation system and U.S national security (9/11 Commission, 2004). Each U.S. airport is individually responsible for various aspects of security including the control of physical …