Digital Commons Network^™

Essential Entrepreneurial And Innovation Practices Of Executive Leaders In California Education Service Agencies, Karen M. Connaghan

Theses and Dissertations

The role of entrepreneurship and innovation in K-12 education continues to evolve. As more reform efforts come and go, it is clear that little has changed despite billions of dollars invested in these efforts. Education leaders are being asked to leverage entrepreneurial and innovative solutions to transform the K-12 education environment to meet the needs of a modern society and workplace. Consequently, there is an urgent need to expand the boundaries of possibilities for improving public education. Identifying the essential practices of executive education leaders is of particular importance to K-12 education which is under increasing pressure to provide better …

Global Leadership: Strategies And Practices To Develop Intercultural Skills, Edward Van Luinen

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization is a transformational change phenomenon that is significantly and rapidly impacting today’s organizations, leaders, and people. In turn, the role of the global business leader has become quite complex, and Fortune 500 organizations are facing a dearth of global leaders capable of addressing today’s business leadership challenges. In response to this challenge, one particular strategy for developing global leaders focuses on building intercultural skills. However, given the complexity of their roles, global leaders may face difficulties in developing these skills. By first acknowledging these obstacles global leaders can then, through their work, develop effective strategies and practices in the …

The Effect Of Change Capability, Learning Capability And Shared Leadership On Organizational Agility, Majed Najrani

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational agility represents a new field of organizational study that is not well examined. In the past organizations had an unmatched competitive advantage due to low competition and higher barriers to entry into their markets. As a result, many organizations dominated their industries. However, in the era of globalization, individuals with an internet connection and the right skills can start new organizations that can compete on a global level. Consequently, organizations now are facing more competition that they experienced in the past. Another reason for increase competition is new technology. Technology is improving increasingly faster than any time in history. …

Examining The Effects Of Activity Based Working On Employees' Work-Life Integration, Well-Being, And Productivity, Allison Tsao

Theses and Dissertations

Profound changes are happening in the globalized work environment, challenging the existing way individuals operate at work and the traditional role of the workplace. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the physical and social work environment through the lens of activity based working (ABW) to understand the effects ABW had on an individual’s ability to integrate their work and nonwork lives and how this contributed to wellbeing and productivity. Twenty qualitative interviews were conducted across three Australian-based organizations that had implemented ABW. By studying the pre and post change impacts through the lens of Person-Environment …

The Impact Of Organizational Culture On Individuals' Decisions To Join, Stay, Or Leave An Organization, Maryam Marzara

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational culture has been a topic of interest throughout all industries and has become a phrase studied in business and academic literature. With the Millennial generation now in the workforce, organizations employ workers of various age groups and generations. With increased scrutiny on organizational culture, the widely varying age ranges of employees, and a competitive workforce, it is not surprising that organizations are considering the role their organizational cultures play in both recruitment and retention. This case study examined the impact of organizational culture on workers’ decisions to join, stay, or leave an organization. This study included an examination of …

The Use Of Mindfulness In Dealing With Ambiguity During Transformational Organizational Change, Avonlie Wylson

Theses and Dissertations

The present mixed-methods study examined how 19 experienced change leaders cope with ambiguity during transformational organizational change and whether mindfulness helps them do that. Study findings indicated that practitioners react in varying ways to ambiguity and employees generally react negatively. Change leaders rely on personal coping and project initiation strategies, ongoing guidance and support, agile and action-oriented approaches, courageous and bold leadership, and trust in their process to manage ambiguity for themselves. To help others deal with ambiguity, change leaders repeatedly articulate the change vision and direction and demonstrate confident, strong change leadership. Mindfulness appears to enhance leaders’ abilities to …

The Structural Choice Of A Senior Marketing Executive In The Top Management Teams In Mncs In Usa, Uk And Germany: Antecedents And Impact On Firm Performance, Kurt John Gleichauf

Theses and Dissertations

The role of the Chief Marketing Officer (senior marketing executive) has received minimal attention in the literature. Only recently has academic research investigated the position of the senior marketing executive. This dissertation uses neo-institutional and contingency lenses to extend prior theory and add cross-national perspectives on marketing management structural choices. An analysis of secondary data sources is used to clarify the key antecedents involved in the organizational choice of a senior marketing executive as a structural response in both one-tier and two-tier board governance systems. Possible mechanisms for the hypothesized effects are presented. Further, gaps in the prior literature on …

Od Practitioner Values And The Impact On Environmental Behavior, Arielle Threlkeld-Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Organization Development has the potential to play an active role in supporting environmental change initiatives. This study explores the values of a group of OD practitioners who are working with environmental concerns as a consideration in their practice. Nine qualitative interviews were conducted to explore values and surface factors that have influenced those values. The Schwartz Value Questionnaire (SVQ) and the Nature Relatedness Scale were administered to better understand practitioner values. Elements of self-transcendent values were revealed amongst practitioners through both quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, these practitioners scored higher than the average population on Nature Relatedness. This study …

Measuring Effectiveness Of A Culture Change Through A Financial Model Perspective, Robert Lo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to quantify and measure the success of a culture transformation. Using the Organization Cultural Assessment Instrument (OCAI) to determine the current and desired culture state, 272 employees responded to the survey. An executive focus group provided in-depth understanding of the culture and worked to align the culture to the mission and strategy as they drove the change process throughout the organization to the preferred culture state. The study showed that bringing cultural awareness to an organization is important, and that organization design is a key component to successful organizations. The Human Capital Return on …

Accountability In Mixed-Generation Teams, Angela D. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

In 2014, more than 1.6 million patients received services across the U.S. from hospice care agencies. The teams within these agencies are supporting each other to play a vital role in assisting a person’s transition from this life to the next comfortably, as well as catering to the family. Hospice care companies are comprised of a variety of roles that are divided into teams. Staff members vary in age from 21 to 70 years, indicating the presence of mixed-generation teams. Generational diversity can create challenges in understanding different points of view, learning styles, and communication. Generational differences are one of …

Transformational Leadership Among Producers In The Entertainment Industry, Michael Weaver

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the use of transformational leadership among producers in one production company in the entertainment industry. A sample of 16 producers who led shows at the organization from 2012 to 2016 completed an interview about their self-described and ideal leadership styles, their current and desired use of transformational leadership, and attitudes and openness to executive coaching. Producers’ self-described current leadership style is empowering, and they want to become more results-oriented and highly respected in the future. Participants reported they are and want to continue to be transformational. Almost all participants expressed interest in coaching. Although additional research …

Change Management For Small Business Leaders, Lora Elizabeth Higdon

Theses and Dissertations

Small business owners face challenges associated with leading change, and many times lack the necessary resources to manage it properly. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine what challenges leaders of small businesses face in managing change, what strategies and practices those leaders employ, and how the leaders of small businesses measure success in managing change. This study also determined what advice leaders of small businesses would suggest for managing change. Four research questions were created to assist with this process, and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted in various cities throughout the state of Michigan. The participants …

Overcoming Resistance To Change In Saudi Arabian Organizations: A Correlation Study Between Resistance To Change And Organizational Justice, Sultan Aldossari

Theses and Dissertations

After 12 years of negotiation, Saudi Arabia joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2005. The impact of joining the WTO has caused many Saudi organizations to change some of their old ways to keep up with competition from all around the world. Foreign investments created a healthy competition that encouraged Saudi Arabian organizations to change, adapt, and thrive in the market. With the need for change, Saudi Arabian organizations are facing employees’ resistance for unknown reasons. The purpose of this study was to analyze the reasons behind resistance to change in Saudi Arabian organizations and suggest approaches to minimize …

Transforming Government: An Exploration Of Labor Management Partnership In The Government Sector, Lisa Marie Voight

Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the use of Labor Management Partnerships in the government sector through the Partnership to Achieve Comprehensive Equity (PACE), a partnership between Metro, a division of King County government and Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 587 (ATU). The study examined the partnership’s influence on organizational outcomes and the manner in which the partnership functioned and sustained itself, as well as the challenges and obstacles that threatened both the partnership and outcomes. Two key findings emerged from this study. First, partnerships are supported by flexible structures and practices that foster relationship-building through dialogue and co-learning. Second, partnerships must confront …

Organizational Strategy Under Institutional Pluralism: A Latent Variable Analysis Of Institutional Effects On Organizational Behavior In The United States Pharmaceutical Industry, Thomas Christopher Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

The United States pharmaceutical industry is a dynamic organizational system populated by organizations pursuing different strategies to reach different goals. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the organizational field of the pharmaceutical industry to determine if categories of pharmaceutical organizations exist based on organizational strategy. This project applies the theoretical constructs of organizational fields and institutional logics developed by institutional theorists to examine the institutional effects on organizational strategies. This is a mixed methods project using historical analysis, latent class analysis, and case studies to evaluate the drug development process. The findings of this study show field level …

Adopting Sustainability Innovations In Restaurants: An Evaluation Of The Factors Influencing Owner-Managers’ Decisions In Richmond, Virginia, Anna Salzberg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors influencing restaurant Owner-Managers’ decisions to adopt sustainability innovations in restaurants. A cross-sectional survey research design is used for this study, which entails distributing a survey to restaurants in the City of Richmond, Virginia, to gain an understanding of the factors influencing sustainability innovation adoption. Drawing from both the innovation adoption theory and the theory of planned behavior, the researcher contributes a baseline of the restaurants’ sustainability and the Owner-Managers’ intrinsic motivations. By integrating innovation adoption theory’s perceived innovation characteristics and measuring restaurants’ past sustainability behavior, this study increases the overall …

A Dual-Level Approach To Enrollment Management, Jason Trainer

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing institutional dependency on tuition revenue paired with rising political pressures towards student success outcomes has many institutions turning to enrollment management (EM) to improve their institution’s enrollment outcomes. EM is a comprehensive and inclusive process focused on achieving the optimum recruitment, retention, and graduation institutional outcomes. The academic community remains at the epicenter of this EM process. Chief enrollment officers failing to create an institutional partnership with the academic community will unlikely attain desired enrollment outcomes.

This study seeks to assist institutions by assessing how a “shared sense of responsibility” for enrollment outcomes is developed through the eyes of …

Creating A Culture Of Completion In Two-Year Institutions: Examining The Influence Of Participation In The Community College Completion Corps On Institutional Stakeholders, Jennifer Blalock

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation assessed the effect of participation in Community College Completion Corps and associated activities on campus stakeholders’ perceptions of a culture of completion. The national initiative to increase completion rates at community colleges has resulted in a heightened awareness of this performance measurement. A number of community colleges have participated by hosting a C4 signing event, the hallmark activity associated with the movement. This inaugural event served as a public declaration of the two-year institution’s intention to provide an environment in which policy and practice, as well as theory and application, focus on supporting and increasing student completion. …

Unexpected And Interrupted Transitions Among Newly Licensed Registered Nurses: Perspectives Of Nurse Managers And Preceptors, Sheri S. Webster

Theses and Dissertations

Successful retention of newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) into practice is critical to ensure the nursing workforce required to meet current and future health care demands. NLRN turnover rates result in loss of revenue due to high orientation costs and further hinder the development of a stable workforce. For nurse educators and administrators to effectively address early attrition among NLRNs, they must have a clear understanding of the factors that contribute to NLRNs leaving employment. The aim of this qualitative descriptive research was to explore NLRN transition to professional practice from the experiences and perspectives of nurse managers and preceptors …

Teacher Participation And Motivation Inprofessional Development, Krystal A. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Although professional development is accepted as important for making educational improvements, some have been unsuccessful due to how the teachers choose to participate, and the lack of motivation in teachers to attend or implement the suggested changes. A case study of secondary mathematics teachers in a required professional development is used to look at teachers' motivation and participation during the professional development. This study compared mathematics teachers' motivation to attend with ways of participating in order to determine how these influence a teacher's intent to change. It was found that certain aspects of motivation and participation does influence a teacher's …

The Nature And Function Of Professional Support Networks For Teachers Of English Language Learners, Betsy Lynn Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

The English learner (EL) population in the United States continues to grow. To improve their pedagogy in working with this population, many educators have received training in English as a Second Language (ESL), but the gap between ELs and their native English speaking peers persists. When teachers engage as members of professional support networks, they are more likely to successfully implement the strategies learned in their ESL professional development (Echevarria, Richards-Tutor, Chinn, & Ratleff, 2011). This study considered the nature and function of the professional support network of a district's ESL-endorsed teachers. Using network theory methods, 257 teachers and other …

Grabbing The Air Force By The Tail: Applying Strategic Cost Analytics To Understand And Manage Indirect Cost Behavior, Bradley C. Boehmke

Theses and Dissertations

Recent and projected reductions in defense spending are forcing the military services to develop systematic approaches to identify cost reduction opportunities and better manage financial resources. In response, the Air Force along with her sister services are developing strategic approaches to reduce front-line mission resources, commonly referred to as the Tooth . However, an underemphasized contributing source of costs are mission support activities, commonly referred to as the Tail . With the tail historically representing a sizable portion of the annual Air Force budget, strategically managing cost behavior of these indirect activities has the opportunity to generate significant cost reductions. …

Accreditation As An Organizational Response: Exploring The Influence Of Leadership And Institutional And Task Environments On The Accreditation Process In Communication Sciences And Disorders Programs, Jeffrey Charles Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Influences on the accreditation process in communication sciences and disorder (CSD) programs were examined using a cross case comparative qualitative analysis among four successfully accredited academic departments in the southern United States. Program chairs, CSD administrators, clinic directors and faculty were interviewed. Four institutional sites were selected for the case studies based upon the outcome of the program’s most recent accreditation site visit, the date of the accreditation site visit, number of available faculty, and institutional type. The four institutions included one master’s granting private institution, one master’s granting (larger) program, one doctoral/research medical university, and one doctoral/research university (very …

Executive Coaching As A Model Of Professional Development For School Superintendents, Timothy Brian Arnold Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a utilization-focused program evaluation that describes the impact of an executive coaching model on the professional learning of superintendents who participated in the IASA School for Advanced Leadership (ISAL). This program evaluation is a knowledge-focused, or lessons learned-oriented, formative evaluation of the ISAL cohort program. A qualitative approach is used to describe the lived experiences of superintendents who participated in the coaching model provided through the ISAL cohort program. The results were intended to inform general practice and to provide recommendations on the use of a coaching model in the professional development of superintendents for the ISAL …

Footprints In The Hallways: The Effects Of Mentoring On The Career Path Of Women Deans, Adrienne Marie Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

The study explores the career path of women deans in higher education. The mentoring of female senior level administrators in higher education regarding leadership opportunities is significant. The study’s purpose is to explore mentoring opportunities through definitions and various programs. The survey chosen was the Alleman Mentoring Activities Questionnaire (AMAQ). This questionnaire is pertinent because of its ability to measure mentoring processes and the impact it may have on mentoring relationships. To collect data, 155 women deans were distributed the survey and 76 were completed and returned. This study yielded a 49% response rate. The survey was distributed to women …

A Dynamic Capabilities View Of Technology Adoption Success: The Influence Of Micro-Politics, Kenneth W. Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Among ongoing concerns for firms is the need to remain relevant and competitive. To address these concerns, firms often turn to technology to meet rapidly changing consumer demands, to provide differentiated offerings and to increase firm efficiency and productivity. Thus, the decision-making process that leads to the adoption of new technology is of great importance to marketers. Grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, this dissertation examines absorptive capacity and technological opportunism as firm dynamic capabilities and their role in delivering successful, firm-level technology adoption decisions. This research also examines the moderating role of internal micro-politics on the technology …

The Influence Of Self-Determined Motivation On Security Education Training And Awareness (Seta) Programs, Philip Roy Menard

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the best efforts of many organizations, protection of information assets continues to be a major problem for a number of firms. A large portion of data breaches can be attributed to employees of the organization, who have been commonly identified as the weakest link in an organization’s overall security profile. Organizations implement security policies to give their employees guidelines for appropriate behavior related to information protection. For policies to be effective, employees must exhibit adequate comprehension of the secure behaviors described in the policy. Security Education, Training, and Awareness (SETA) programs have been utilized as an organizational mechanism for …

The Relationship Between Motivating Language And Servant Leadership, Sandra Gutierrez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to contribute to servant leadership’s empirical research. Specifically, this study aims to provide empirical validation of the relationship between servant leadership and selected organizational outcomes, such as employee performance, employee turnover, job satisfaction, and absenteeism. Additionally, it is of interest to investigate how leader oral communication affects these relationships. Communication plays an important role in servant leadership. Since it is not clear what kind of relationship exist between servant leadership and motivating language, four competing models were tested in this study to find the best fit and demonstrate what kind of role communication plays …

Stimulating Diversity Outcomes? A Multicase Study Exploring Entrepreneurial Architecture And Storytelling In Higher Education Institutions, Noel Criscione-Naylor

Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research that explores the relationship between entrepreneurial architecture and diversity and its significance to the university and in higher education (Morris, 2010; Nelles & Worley, 2011; Nelles & Worley, 2010). This qualitative, multicase study explored how entrepreneurial architecture and storytelling by administrators contributes to university diversity agendas by investigating the linkages between entrepreneurial structure, process, and strategies and institutional diversity outcomes at two, New Jersey, public, four-year institutions. Semi-structured interviews took place with 12 administrators in which the characteristics of entrepreneurial architecture and storytelling at the universities was evident. Three main themes were identified including diverse voices, …

The Implementation Of A Promotion/Retention Policy To Effect Change In Student Achievement In Third Grade Reading/Language Arts, Donna N. Shea

Theses and Dissertations

For decades there has been an ongoing push to increase student achievement through large-scale policy reform and yet far too many students in the United States still perform below proficiency levels with achievement gaps according to race and socio-economic status. Choctaw County School District (CCSD) was no different, as low performance, especially in reading/language arts, and achievement gaps according to race and SES were present. To address these issues, CCSD implemented a K-2 promotion/retention policy in 2008 to improve student achievement. The primary purpose of the study was to investigate how a school district’s implementation of a K-2 policy for …