Digital Commons Network^™

Dealing With Human Issues Throughout Systems Implementation: Guidelines From A Psychodynamic Perspective, A.M. Razavi, R. Ahamad

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

This study is devoted to study the nature and the effects of human issues throughout information systems (IS) implementation projects. These issues normally transcribed as resistance, i.e. negative reactions that impact the project success. Moreover the lack of acceptance can interpret as another type of negative reactions as well. Both have been considered here as reactions to the imposing changes, that attempt to revert to the previous stable state. This paper provides an adaptation of individuals and groups' identification processes from a psychodynamic view. The result is used to describe underlying dynamics of organizations (whether in individual or groups level) …

Factors Affecting School Administrators Decision To Join And Maintain Membership In A Professional Association, Kelly K. Coash-Johnson

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This paper explored factors that influence school administrator’s decision to join and maintain membership in a professional association. In addition, factors that influence school administrator’s decision not to join a professional association was also explored. The research showed the relationship between, age, gender, dues payment, attitude and importance of benefits. Results from this study will be significant to recruitment and retention for professional educational associations such as the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA). In addition, information gathered from open-ended questions as well as other survey questions from both members and non-members helped the researcher determine other challenges that have …

Action Learning—An Experiential Tool For Solving Organizational Issues, Sharon B. Kinsey

Journal of Extension

Action Learning can be effectively used in both large and small businesses and organizations by employees, stakeholders, or volunteers through this "learning by doing" approach to evaluate an issue or issues of importance to the organization. First developed in the 1940s, Action Learning has increasingly been used as a method to explore questions that often go unanswered in day-to-day organizational life through the use of reflective listening and insightful questioning.

A Phenomenological Study Of Millennial Generation Cooperative Extension Educators' Development Of Core Competencies, David L. Varner

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe the experiences that contribute to the development of core competencies among Millennial Generation, county-based Extension educators in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Division. Fourteen educators were randomly purposefully selected to participate in the study. Participants were born in 1977 or later as determined by Tapscott (2009). Educators’ tenure in Cooperative Extension ranged from two months to seven years. Three themes and associated sub-themes emerged from semi-structured interviews: (a) Blindfolded and Scared—educators were confused, overwhelmed and in need of support; (b) Developing the Big Skills: A Daunting Task—focused on discovering competencies …

Sergeants As Leaders: A Case Study Of Transformational Leadership Among First-Line Supervisors In The Police Department, Betty L. Campbell

Education Doctoral

This qualitative research examined the leadership styles and professional development practices of a police department, the reflective experiences of police sergeants as they transition from being patrol officers, and the perception of police sergeants of their career development. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following essential questions: (a) What are the self-reported and observed leadership styles and practices of police sergeants at the Echo Bay police department? (b) To what extent do police sergeants practice the tenants of transformational leadership, and (c) How do police departments develop the leadership competencies of their police sergeants. The researcher used four different …

Entrepreneurial Leadership And Activities Of Academic Deans In Independent Colleges And Universities: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Shannon Cleverley-Thompson

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to examine the role of academic deans in entrepreneurial activity in upstate New York independent colleges and universities. Higher education institutions are facing difficult economic times which can place financial pressure on leaders in colleges and universities to seek out alternate funding sources through entrepreneurial endeavors. Academic deans are in a vital leadership position to engage in revenue generating activities when faced with limited resources. The quantitative results of this study suggest that academic deans’ self-perceived entrepreneurial orientation decreased the longer they are in their position. The quantitative results also …

Bjc Today

BJC Today

No abstract provided.

The Experiences Of Senior Administrators In Creating Performance Excellence In Thailand's Private Universities, Sarun Saifah

Dissertations

Higher education in Thailand is challenged with increasing pressures. Like other kinds of organizations, universities have been challenged by external, uncontrollable forces. The increased challenges in Thailand's higher education have prompted senior institutional administrators to understand the nature of higher education institutional affairs, and to articulate new solutions and adapt the business world's operational paradigm in quality management to direct their institutions in allocating their limited resources. The purpose of the study was to discover and make meaning of institutional administrative affairs in private universities in Bangkok, Thailand, as perceived by senior level administrators. A case study methodology with constructivist …

Internship Experiences For Aspiring Principals: Student Perceptions And Effectiveness., Ginger R. Christian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate East Tennessee State University graduate student perceptions on the effectiveness of internship experiences as students explored the implementation of ISLLC Standards and the role of mentor support as they prepared for the principalship. The participating university for this study is located in Johnson City, Tennessee. Participants obtained their administrative license from 2005-2010 and worked in one of 19 northeast Tennessee, North Carolina, and southwest Virginia school districts. Specifically, this research assessed the perceived value of the 540 hour internship experience, implementation of ISLLC Standards, and the perceived value of the site …

A Transformational Change Program In It - The Case Of A Global Consumer Products Company, Barbara M. Tarasovich, Bridget Lyons

WCBT Faculty Publications

This paper presents a framework for development of a transformational change management program (Flamholtz and Randle, 2008) in an information technology (IT) organization of a global Fortune 200 consumer products company. The goal of the transformation was to build leading edge global IT service offerings, to internal and ultimately external customers. the program played a pivotal role in the company's "Path to Growth" Strategy. This strategy included very specific targets for sales, margins and earnings growth over a five year period. The case illustrates how a well conceived change program, integrated with an organization's overall strategic plan, is a competitive …

Assessment Of Readiness To Participate In Distance Learning Of The Certified Florida Behavioral Health Workforce, George Baston

All Dissertations

This research study explored perceptions of readiness to participate in distance learning among the certified behavioral workforce in Florida. The study sought to determine if there were significant differences in perception of readiness to participate in distance learning between certified behavioral health professionals at the administrator level and the individual counselor level. The total number of participants used in the study was 336 (Administrators 106 - Individual Counselors 230).
This investigation was designed as a qualitative analysis of categorical data pertaining to self-reported readiness to adopt distance learning in the certified behavioral workforce in Florida. Data collection and analysis were …

August 2011 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

The Organizational Design For Pricing And Its Consequences On Relative Firm Performance, Stephan M. Liozu

Student Scholarship

Despite strong evidence of substantial impact on the bottom line, most companies counter-intuitively neglect the pricing function--as do most scholars. Only 2% of all articles published in major marketing journals focus on pricing and scholars have long begged the question of how organizational and behavioral characteristics of firms affect the link between pricing practices and firm performance. To address these practical and theoretical deficits we surveyed 748 professionals involved in pricing at firms from around the world to measure the influence of five organizational factors on pricing orientation and firm performance identified in a prior qualitative phase of our research. …

The Culturally Adapted Public Administrator: How Accredited Mpa Programs Are Preparing Administrators With Cultural Competency, Nicholas Weimer

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the extent to which National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) accredited Public Administration terminal professional degree programs address cultural competency in their curriculum, the amount of institutional diversity of these programs, and the relations among these quantities. The sample includes 74 university self-study reports. Cultural competency is the dependent variable of this study and syllabi/abstracts of courses taught constitute the major explanatory variable. Descriptive analysis reveals that 15.4% of the total courses in the sample address elements of cultural competency. The use of frequency statistics further reveal that …

Transformational Leadership: A Contribution To The Effectiveness Of Congregationally Formed Faith-Based Community Development Corporations, Harry A. Dawkins Iii

Education Doctoral

This study explored transformational leadership theory, which is well documented and the subject of considerable research. Four components known as the four I ’ s make up transformational leadership: (a) charisma or idealized influence, (b) inspirational motivation, (c) intellectual stimulation, and (d) individual consideration. Most transformational leadership research has focused on leadership behavior related to these four components, but little has been done to gain a deeper understanding of the transformational leadership behaviors of senior pastors who oversee congregationally formed faith-based community development corporations (CDCs). This study used quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (narrative interviews) empirical research, carried out with senior …

Transfer Pricing And Business Restructurings — Intangibles, Synergies, And Shelters, Richard Thompson Ainsworth, Andrew Shact

Faculty Scholarship

Transfer pricing in business restructuring is attracting global attention. In the past two years two key policy-making groups have released three substantive documents on this topic. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued two position statements while the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) issued one. While restructurings are a very common commercial practice, until recently it has been uncommon to apply transfer pricing criteria when examining them in detail.

Essentially, the OECD has overlooked that a unique and valuable intangible is created during the restructuring process. By not acknowledging that this intangible in the mix, the OECD fails …

Redesigning Nebraska's Libraries Technical Services: Creating A Climate For Change, Debra J. Pearson, Nancy J. Busch

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This article explains the purpose and methodology of physically re-arranging a large work area used for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries Technical Services operations. The article also provides information and experience on utilizing Project Management for working through the process of relocation of staff, furniture and equipment. The authors also discuss the management theory that provided a framework for the Libraries administrative staff to investigate the future of the department. Changing formats, new technologies, staff reductions, and dwindling materials budgets were factors considered and integrated into the project. Finally, evaluation and follow up on the project provides insight into …

Best Management Practices For A Successful Transition Into An Administrative Role, Derek Godwin, Keith G. Diem, Deborah J. Maddy

Journal of Extension

Many successful county Extension educators aspire to "higher" positions in administration, such as a county director, regional director, etc. However, such administrative roles likely have more complex duties related to managing people and teams than faculty have experienced in their program assignment. This article provides essential management concepts and techniques to help faculty gain perspective and build a foundation for success in transitioning to an administrative assignment. Best management practices are shared that can significantly improve administrators' leadership skills and the likelihood of success in managing faculty and staff to maintain a productive, positive, and supportive office environment.

Technical Assistance For The Revision Of The Conservation Agreement For The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area: Final Closeout Report, Public Lands Institute

Public Lands Institute Publications

Technical Assistance for the revision of the Conservation Agreement for the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area was cooperative agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The cooperator was the Public Lands Institute (PLI) of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) working directly with staff of the USFWS Southern Nevada Field Office and the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The mechanism of cooperation was a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Task Agreement. The purpose of the project was to provide technical assistance to the …

Construct Validation Of Political Skill, Katie Thenhaus

Dissertations

Social effectiveness is critical to mastering social interactions and “office politics”, however there is ambiguity in defining these social effectiveness constructs, in particular, political skill. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the construct validity of political skill utilizing a partial multitrait multimethod approach. The participants were undergraduate students with substantial work experience. Discriminant validity was examined with measures of political skill, emotional intelligence, self-monitoring, and social skill. Convergent validity was assessed with independent interpersonal sensitivity and behavioral measures of political skill. The results indicated a lack of construct validity evidence for political skill, with significant overlap among …

Factors To Consider For Optimal Span Of Control In Community Supervision Evidence-Based Practice Environments, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

In the face of budgetary constraints, legislative discussions in Iowa have focused on fiscal savings through an increased probation/parole supervisor to officer ratio, resulting in a reduced number of supervisory staff. Ramifications of this change, given the concurrent implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP), are unknown, given the lack of existing research on rubric for span of control decisions within community corrections agencies. Interviews with stakeholders in both Iowa and a national convenience sample led to a development of factors that should be considered in the future, including an agency’s level of task complexity, the workforce skill level, and the work …

Psychological Net Worth: Finding The Balance Between Psychological Capital And Psychological Debt, Michele L. Millard

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This multi-level study examined a proposed framework of psychological net worth that builds on the current psychological capital conceptualization of positive psychological assets provided to an organization by articulating the construct of psychological debt or those psychological liabilities in an organization. By describing psychological debt as a collection of negative attributes that occur at the individual level for individuals that hamper productivity, morale, and effectiveness in organizations, this framework of psychological net worth proposes the need to create a psychological balance sheet of psychological capital and debt. Psychological debt is described using the dimension of emotional labor, job insecurity, job …

Survey On Pediatric Palliative Care Care For Healthcare Providers (Sppchp): Identifying Knowledge, Barriers, And Support Needs, Mary Elizabeth Grimley

Open Access Dissertations

Objective: A significant number of children suffer from life-limiting illnesses, with many dying each year in the U.S. Services, beyond standard medical care, aimed at increasing overall quality of life for children with life-limiting illnesses, are greatly needed within and outside of our hospitals. Palliative care is conceptualized as treatment provided to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Despite the empirically supported benefits of providing pediatric palliative care, only a small percentage of pediatric patients actually receive these services. Thus, there is a great need for the development and provision of these services. The first aim of the current …

American Accreditation: Why Do It?, Deborah Prince

Higher Learning Research Communications

A review of the history and purpose of accreditation followed by a brief case study of how a small specialist institution outside of the USA went through the process of becoming accredited. The changes needed inside the curriculum and inside the organization in order to make this significant organizational development are reviewed and discussed.The paper concludes with some discussion as to why a non-US based institution might decide to become accredited by an outside agency.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v2i3.71

Online Courses At A Community College: A Study Of Student Characteristics, Nancy Kegelman

Theses and Dissertations

Over five and a half million students in higher education were taking online classes in fall 2009. The annual growth rate (21%) in online enrollments from 2002 to 2009 far exceeded the enrollment growth (2%) in higher education for that seven year period (Allen & Seaman, 2010). Continued rapid growth in online enrollments is predicted despite students' significantly lower success rate in online classes than in face-to-face classes. This action research study was conducted to correlate student characteristics with online success in one community college. The researcher also examined the researcher's leadership growth and style through the design, development, and …

The Professional Learning Community: An Educational Construct To Improve Student Learning Through Effective Teacher Collaboration, Lynn Barberi

Theses and Dissertations

This limited practical action research study was designed to address a problem of practice at one Pre-K - third grade school located in a suburban community on the east coast of the United States, wherein teachers work the majority of the time in isolation from their peers and where collaboration is the exception, not the rule. Teachers have few opportunities to share teaching strategies and build on the strengths of their peers to improve the learning outcomes of their students as they practice the art of teaching in the classroom. The goal of this study was for the school principal …

Teachers, Teamwork, And Technology: An Introspective Look At Leadership And Change, Robert Rossi

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher convictions and doubts about the process of integrating technology into instruction have a major influence on the degree to which the teacher applies technology in the classroom. Teacher paradigms, in addition to federal, state, and local policies, can create barriers that inhibit the incorporation of technology-based initiatives. The purpose of this action research study was to create/design a process of technology integration that takes into account the needs of all stakeholders by identifying the pedagogical beliefs of elementary school teachers with regard to the implementation of technology in their classrooms. The research was conducted using a qualitative methodology approach …

Transformational Learning Experiences Among Latinas Who Have Attained A Tenure Status In Academia, Andrea Salazar

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

This qualitative research investigation was designed to understand the transformational learning experiences among Latinas in academia and how these experiences affect their academic experience and teaching styles. Specifically, the following research questions were addressed: (1) How do Latinas that reach a tenure status interpret their journey and experiences within academia? (2) How do they describe organizational culture in which they work and teach? (3) What types of leadership skills do they possess? (4) How do they describe their experiences in relation to their larger community? Latina women that have reached a tenure status are extremely committed to improving the plight …

Sustainable Leadership: Creating Foundations For Lasting Change, Matthew Lynch

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The change in the United States population and the pace of Internet technology-perhaps more dramatic than most universities may have forecasted-translates into more diverse prospective students with changing needs and interests in university education (Wilson & Meyer, 2009). Immigration and U.S. population growth patterns have converged into a new prospective student profile (Banks, 2008), such that between now and the year 2050, one in three U.S. residents will be Hispanic (U.S. Census, 2009). Similarly, African Americans and Black immigrants will increase to 15% of the U.S. population, and the Asian population will grow from 5.1% to 9.2%. People of two …

Apologies In The Healthcare System: From Clinical Medicine To Public Health, Michal Alberstein, Nadav Davidovitch

Law and Contemporary Problems

Alberstein and Davidovitch explore the role of apologies in healthcare systems from a broader perspective. The significance of apology in terms of social solidarity is addressed and the ways in which each apology situation entails a clash between cultural identities are demonstrated. The debate on apology is explored by presenting a public health perspective of apologies following collective traumatic events such as the application of sterilization laws or flawed human experimentations in various settings.