Digital Commons Network^™

Panel: Influencing Culture And Curriculum Via Revolution, Amit Jain

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of this panel session is to introduce audience members to the challenges and successes of significant cultural and curricular change as enacted by awardees in the NSF program Revolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments (RED). This panel will explore how organizations go about the process of cultural investigation and how they embark on culture change, using RED awardees of 2016 as the featured panelists (the second cohort). These teams are engaged in high-risk, high-trust-required activities focused on both the organizational and operational structure of their departments, and on re-envisioning engineering and computer science curricula to create professionals able …

Assessing Factors Influencing Employees' Voice Behavior In Organizations, Nikita Agnihotri

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of the present study was threefold: (1) to investigate the relationship between organizational based self- esteem and voice behavior, (2) to examine whether or not organizational identification interacts with organizational based self-esteem in significantly predicting voice behavior, and (3) to test another moderation effect, interaction of perceived organizational support and organizational based self-esteem in predicting voice behavior. Based on data from 482 undergraduate students, results suggested organization based self-esteem is strongly positively related to voice behavior. Additionally, the interaction of organization based self-esteem with both perceived organizational support and organizational identification in predicting voice behavior was not significant. …

Provider Organizational Transformation And Integrated Employment, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Wally Tablit, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This webinar was so popular, we decided to run it again! Provider agencies across the country are transitioning from segregated “sheltered” workshop options to supporting integrated community careers for people with disabilities. This process of organizational transformation can be both exciting and challenging for provider staff and the people they serve. In this webinar, ICI researcher Jaimie Timmons shared findings from the RRTC on Advancing Employment for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Jaimie shared the results of a Delphi panel of experts who examined 6 characteristics considered essential for provider transformation. Wally Tablit from AtWork in Washington state co-presented …

Managers' Network Change And Their Promotability During A Merger, Wookje Sung

Theses and Dissertations--Management

I investigate whether cross-functional or cross-organizational networking following a large corporate merger and acquisition improves managers’ career outcomes. Previous research on networks and career success has focused on stable organizational environments, finding that large, open networks with many structural holes are most advantageous because of superior information benefits and control power, while closed networks provide redundant information that is unhelpful career-wise. However, I suggest that while dense, closed networks formed within knowledge (functional) or identity (legacy organization) boundaries might be detrimental to executives’ future promotability, closed networks are helpful if they are created across those boundaries. These ties help to …

Importance Of Effective Leadership For The Success Of Mergers And Acquisitions, Ken Berkow

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the importance of effective leadership on the success of mergers and acquisitions for the organization and employees of merged companies. More precisely, this study addresses how the nature and influence of leadership and leadership styles impact the integration of merging companies and their employees during the post-merger integration process. Qualitative data from 10 interviews was used to provide a deeper examination of the study participants about their beliefs, responses, opinions, and points of view. This study supports much of the current research in that leadership style does have an effect on both merger and employee satisfaction. This …

The Impact Of Strategic Planning Involvement On Employee Engagement In A Federal Public Health Agency, Robert T. Ziegler

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of involvement in strategic planning initiatives on employee perceptions, change behaviors, and engagement within one federal public health agency. Forty-six staff completed a survey and 12 completed an interview. Both strategy participants and non-participants reported neutral to positive scores for perceived value and benefits of the strategic initiatives, discretionary change behaviors, and engagement factors, with few significant differences. All participants reported strong levels of engagement and that strategy participation would or did increase their levels of engagement. Public agencies should carefully consider when, how, and where to deploy employee-led strategy teams. Specifically, this research indicates …

Qualitative Examination Of Strategies To Overcome Resistance To Change In Lean Manufacturing, Elizabeth Burmester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 80% of lean manufacturing program initiatives are abandoned in the first year of implementation. Only 2% of organizations that embark on the lean journey complete it with the results and the sustainability they expected. There is a gap in past research regarding, the leadership strategies organizations can use to overcome resistance to change during lean manufacturing program implementations. The problem in this study was that leaders have limited information to overcome resistance to change when implementing these programs. The purpose of this study was to explore how leaders within manufacturing organizations may overcome resistance to change through leadership strategy. …

Leading Organizational Change: A Phenomenological Study Of The Nonlinear Strategies Used By Female Leaders In Global Companies, Rachel Faoutas Shafran

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of female leaders and their role in using nonlinear models of change to influence organizational change. This study was designed to determine how approaches to change leadership deployed by female leaders contribute new information and principles to the field of organizational change. A phenomenological research method was the best approach to capture the insights, perspectives, and experiences of female leaders. This study examined the nonlinear change approaches of fourteen senior female leaders in large corporations. While female leaders are increasing in the executive suite, research around their …

Perception Is Reality: Change Leadership And Work Engagement, Johnette (Jay) Caulfield, Anthony Senger

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how employee perceptions of change and leadership might impact work engagement following major organizational change.

Design/methodology/approach

Social media invited US workers recently experiencing major organizational change to anonymously complete a web-based survey requesting qualitative and quantitative responses. Values-based coding and thematic analysis were used to explore qualitative data. Hierarchical and linear regression, and bootstrapped mediation were used to analyze quantitative data.

Findings

Analysis of qualitative data identified employees’ perceptions of ideal change and ideal leadership were well supported in the change leadership literature. Analysis of quantitative data indicated that employee perceptions …

Efficacy Of Collaborative Consulting Training Module, Brenda Stone

Theses and Dissertations

Code for America Fellowships pair technologists with local city governments to develop digital tools that support how governments provide service to their communities. The lack of project sustainability following these Fellowships has been a source of dissatisfaction for both Fellows and clients. Code for America supports each Fellow with technical training, but provides no training on consulting techniques that help clients sustain the changes or new technology being introduced. The purpose of this action research study was to determine the efficacy of a collaborative consultation module for the Fellows at Code for America. To gather data, surveys, interviews and analysis …

Epistemology, Wisdom, And Social Transformation: Strategies At The Forefront Of The Contemplative Movement In Higher Education, Nicola Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

American society is currently experiencing a surging interest in contemplative practices. The secularization and professionalization of contemplative practices can be seen in the adoption of mindfulness-based approaches in sectors as wide-ranging as technology, nonprofit, and higher education. Amongst all these fields, institutions of higher education play a unique role within the contemplative movement in that the academy lays claim to the powerful social roles of producing and disseminating knowledge and, subsequently, of shaping societal values and behaviors.

In conducting this qualitative study, the researcher analyzed 1) what the academics in the contemplative movement expressed through their speech regarding the activities …

Evaluating A Chaplain Corps Change Initiative: Examining The Relationship Between Change Beliefs And Job Satisfaction, Steven Thomas Sill

Theses & Dissertations

The Air Force Chaplain Corps is experiencing a period of rapid change that challenges traditional approaches to providing ministry for Air Force personnel. The need for an effective chaplaincy has never been greater; the Air Force’s critical manning shortages and worldwide duty requirements are adding stress and uncertainty to the lives of Airmen (Losey, 2015). To better support these Airmen the Chief of Chaplains directed a change initiative aimed at increasing the effectiveness of unit-based ministry, including aggressive goals for the amount of time spent in direct unit engagement. This study utilized a survey to explore beliefs of Chaplain Corps …

A Case For Spiritual Change Readiness: A Correlational Study, Wanita Nicole Mercer

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate whether a relationship existed between spirit at work and attitudes towards organizational change among adults working in various industries. The Spirit at Work Scale (SAWS) measured the independent variable and the Attitudes Towards Organizational Change (ATOC) scale measured the dependent variable. Four factors (engaging work, sense of community, mystical experience, and spiritual connection) measured spirit at work. Three factors (cynical attitudes, fearful attitudes, and accepting attitudes) measured attitudes towards organizational change. Three hundred and ten responses were collected via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk online workforce and analyzed. A Pearson’s correlation test …

Misfit And Milestones: Structural Elaboration And Capability Reinforcement In The Evolution Of Entrepreneurial Top Management Teams, Amanda J. Ferguson, Cohen. Lisa E., M. Diane Burton, Christine M. Beckman

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

We examine how "top management team (TMT) misfit," or discrepancies between the TMT's functional roles and the qualifications of the managers who fill those roles, affects the evolution of TMT composition and structure in a longitudinal study of entrepreneurial ventures. We distinguish two types of misfit--overqualification and underqualification-- and study how each is associated with TMT changes. We further consider the moderating effect of firm development. Results reveal that underqualified TMTs hire new managers to reinforce existing capabilities whereas overqualified TMTs elaborate their role structures. However, achieving developmental milestones (i.e., obtaining venture capital funding and staging an initial public offering) …

Birth Of A Powerhouse: How One University Reimagined, Restructured, And Revived Outreach, Slone H. Cansler

Dissertations

Today’s modern higher education landscape presents myriad challenges to higher education leaders and administrators. Among those challenges is how universities respond to demands for accountability, growth of alternative models of postsecondary education delivery, the need to serve and increasingly diverse society, and reduced state and federal appropriations. Research suggests that the biggest changes for American higher education are imminent and will necessitate new business models, new forms of collaboration and partnerships, and innovative about the enterprise of higher education. This study sought to gain understanding about the development process and structural framework that allows a university’s outreach unit to be …

Examining Organizational Change Through A Socio-Cultural Lens: A Case Study Of Persistent Educational Inequity In A Rural, Mid-Sized School District In South Carolina, Deborah Hooks-Ward

Theses and Dissertations

This researcher in this study examined the dynamics of organizational change in a rural, mid-sized school district in South Carolina, with a focus on socio-cultural factors that hindered effective implementation of reforms aimed at reducing educational inequity. The research was conducted through a series of 15 interviews with board members and current and former superintendents from the school district and surrounding school districts. An analysis of the various responses led to the following findings: 1) a deep level of distrust seems to exist between board members and superintendents, 2) there is an ignorance of how income disparities may block educational …

Transforming Organizational Change Through Collaborative Digital Storytelling, William Tate Brendel, Chientzu Candace Chou

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Planned or unplanned, organizational change can be an arduous, confusing, and lonely endeavor, unless individuals are afforded a platform for making sense of their unique relationship with change. Through the lens of Transformative Learning Theory, which views adult learning as a process of meaning-making, this article demonstrates how contextual facets of digital (online) storytelling may assist individuals, departments, and the organization as-a-whole. Particular, in sharing their storied relationships with change, reflecting upon habits of mind, and coming to consensus on a creative and cohesive path forward.

Women As Transformational Leaders: Learning To Lead In The Community College, Jennifer R. Grove-Heuser

Dissertations and Theses

Community colleges face a growing crisis in leadership and a critical aspect of this crisis is a shortage of leaders. The representation of women leaders in community colleges has increased more than other sector of higher education. This upswing suggests that community colleges are the most likely place for women to achieve executive leadership status. Yet, community college history is grounded in male dominance and women leaders remain marginalized in the community college system. The purpose of my study was to examine some of the factors that contribute to women executive leaders' success specifically: (a) how women experience their leadership …

Planning And The Future Of The Academic Library: An Annotated Bibliography, Gregory Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Academic libraries have changed significantly in recent years. At least to some extent, their evolution has been the product of planning rather than passive acceptance of, or reactive response to, environmental conditions. This document introduces readers to nearly 20 sources—representing the fields of business, higher education, and library/information science—that convey important insights into library planning. Academic library planning increasingly reflects a context in which educational and other institutions are held accountable for the outcomes of their decisions. Planning presumes the existence of useful data streams. Successful implementation of a strategic plan entails attention to organizational development and budget planning. Library …

Coalescence Of Research: Urban Advantage As A Learning Organization Structured To Support A Culture Of Inquiry, Marianne Williams

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is a mixed methods study of the Urban Advantage Program- a Middle School Science Initiative formed by the New York City Department of Education and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in collaboration with New York City’s science culturally rich institutions – the Bronx Zoo, the Staten Island Zoo, the Hall of Science, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Queens Botanical Garden, the New York Botanical Garden, and the New York Aquarium. Unprecedented in size and scope, UA brings together the largest school system in the largest city in the United States in a partnership with eight large …

¿Es Su Escuela Nuestra Escuela? Latino Access To Catholic Schools, Father Joseph V. Corpora, Luis R. Fraga

Journal of Catholic Education

In this essay we use the framework of ideas, interests, and institutions to analyze the opportunities and challenges that confront Latino families and Catholic schools as they work to increase Latino enrollment. There are many ideas as to what to do to increase Latino enrollment. It is also apparent that it is in the interests of both Latino families and Catholic schools to have greater Latino enrollment. Despite the challenges of putting these ideas and interests into practice through institutional transformation, there is clear evidence that successful efforts continue to be made to increase Latino enrollment. Nonetheless, this progress seems …

Examination Of The Antecedents, Reactions, And Outcomes To A Major Technology-Driven Organizational Change, Ngoc Dinh Nguyen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The goal of this study was to test a multi-level model of organizational change that examined how various antecedents, employee reactions, and organizational and personal outcomes relate to one another. The research was conducted via online surveys and as a longitudinal study. Participants were employees at a large supply distribution company, and were a part of the Pilot implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Results from the study revealed that job stress was closely related to organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being, while change commitment was associated with higher organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Positive training …

Anything Can Happen In The Zone: Library And Departmental Change Driven By Migration To A Cloud-Based Library Management System, Josh Petrusa

Scholarship and Professional Work

Butler University Libraries had already made progressive changes in public services areas, but Technical Services remained unchanged and bound to legacy practices from decades past. For us, the best catalyst for change was a system migration to a cloud-based type of management system. This system migration was tied to organizational restructuring and a new strategic plan, each of which intertwined with the details of the migration project and was underpinned by thoughtful analysis of how to help employees through change. Details of the migration are discussed in relation to how they inspired departmental and organizational change through updated technology.

Determining The Relationship Among Change Fatigue, Resilience, And Job Satisfaction Of Hospital Staff Nurses, Robin Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a relationship among change fatigue, resilience, and job satisfaction of hospital staff nurses and if differences exist between novice and experienced staff nurses.

Background: Healthcare is typified by change. Organizational changes have a negative impact on nurses and the effects of organizational change are being overlooked and under researched. Change fatigue is a result of constant organizational change and has not been researched with nurses.

Methods: The study utilized a descriptive correlational design. Participants completed an online survey, using three tools: Change Fatigue Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), …

The Merits Of Trust In Transformational Leadership, Yonnette Hyman-Shurland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trust in transformational leadership is related to motivation, self-enhancement, and positive job outcomes. Trust in the leader-follower relationship, from the perspective of subordinates, has yet to be examined. Trust is considered an important factor when seeking to improve the chances for organizational success and positive job outcomes. The merits of trust in transformational leadership were addressed in this qualitative case study for the purpose of understanding the value of trust in leader-follower relationships viewed from the experiences of subordinates. Interviews were conducted with 30 participants from 2 organizations within the Newton and Rockdale counties located in the state of Georgia; …

Exemplary Change Management Practices Used During Corporate Outsourcing Specifically Related To Integrated Facility Management, Jay Higdon

Theses and Dissertations

Too many outsourcing models fail to deliver expected results in Integrated Facility Management (IFM) models. IFM is a type of outsourcing model that transfers in-house work to an outside company that performs it onsite as if it were part of the client’s organization. This process requires collaboration, coordination, and communication, merging 2 corporate cultures into 1 cohesive business model. Managing the change process related to an IFM outsourcing arrangement is crucial because changing an organizational culture can heighten risk and potentially produce unsatisfactory results. Creating, changing, and managing an IFM outsourcing model require acceptance, coordination, and a clear understanding of …

Strategic School Solutions: A Capacity Building Framework For Leaders Accelerating 21st Century Teaching And Learning, Alessaundra D. Mills

Theses and Dissertations

This grounded theory study sought to create a viable framework that may help school leaders accelerate the expansion of an authentic 21st century instructional model. The U.S. economy is now more dependent on knowledge work than manufacturing. Yet, many for-profit, non-profit, and public sectors perceive schools as not adequately preparing students for 21st century careers and colleges. However, customary principal-led change is challenging. Leaders face several complex organizational challenges, including a modern-day duty and role expansion that limits time, and the inherent difficulty of human-behavior and organizational change, observed in the fact that schools have deeply entrenched norms: an estimated …

Understanding The Impact Of Radical Innovation On Innovator Attitudes, Attributes, And Innovation-Decision Process: A Case Study Of The Pulaski Academy Football Program's Adoption Of Radical Innovations, Lyall J. Swim

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the attitudes and attributes of innovators is crucial given the gatekeeper roles these individuals or organizations play in enabling innovation diffusion to occur. But what do innovators look like, and are their characteristics the same regardless of the type of innovation being adopted? This case study of sought to understand the experience of the Pulaski Academy football program during the 2003 season as it acted as an innovator in adopting several radical innovations. The study provides a detailed case narrative that relies upon 25 existing text, audio, and video artifacts as well as 12 semi-structured interviews with program participants …

Exploration Of Mind Mapping As An Organizational Change Tool, Brenda G. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Mind mapping is a communication tool that has been around for decades though it is rarely discussed as a tool for facilitating organizational change. It is possible for this underutilized communication tool and the ever-present challenge of organizational change to work in harmony on a more consistent basis. This exploratory research asked Change Leaders and Change Participants about their current mind mapping usage or experience, and requested their input on the use of mind mapping for organizational change efforts. There were 76 Change Leaders and 11 others who self-described themselves as Change Participants who responded to a virtual data collection …

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. …