Business Commons^™

Measuring The Value Of Internal Corporate Events From Attendees’ Perspective: Multidimensional Scale Development, Inna Soifer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose – Business events is a trillion-dollar sector of the meetings and events industry that supports millions of jobs. Despite the social and economic impact of the meetings, expositions, events, and conventions, only a few studies have examined perceived value in the business events context. This study addresses this research gap by developing a multi-item, multidimensional scale assessing attendee perception of corporate event value.Design/methodology/approach – This study utilized a mixed-method approach and followed widely accepted psychometric scale development procedures. The scale was developed using a multistep process: item generation, expert review, development sample 1 of 506 respondents via Qualtrics Online …

Turnover Intentions Of Self-Initiated Expatriates: The Role Of Servant Leadership And Organizational Embeddedness, Caleb W. Lugar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this dissertation is turnover of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). The significance of the SIE domain is evidenced by the exponential growth in SIE literature since the publication of the seminal research article authored by Inkson, Arthur, Pringle, and Barry (1997). Research in the SIE domain is also of interest to practitioners employed in multinational organizations who increasingly recognize that SIEs are an untapped source of global talent. To contribute to the SIE literature, in Essay One, of my three-essay dissertation, I first provide a systematic SIE literature review. Second, my unique contribution is a systematic review of the …

The Effect Of Servant Leadership On Nonprofit Workplace Conflict, Lorena M. Freeborough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Workplace conflict depletes nonprofit organizations of valuable time and energy. Organizations spend millions of dollars because of the financial and human cost of unresolved interpersonal conflict in the workplace that stem from ineffective leadership behaviors. A leader’s ineffective behaviors have been linked to the organizational pressures that can cause and spread counterproductive workplace behavior, which results in interpersonal conflict and great financial cost. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the relationship between servant leadership behaviors and interpersonal workplace conflict in nonprofit organizational settings in the United States. Specifically, the intended goal of this research was to …

Perceptions And Challenges Of Female Workplace Mediators And How They Overcome Them, Gaedria B. Goodwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This holistic case study with embedded units was conducted to understand and describe the perceptions of female workplace mediators and if they encounter stereotypes, bias, and other challenges as mediators in the state of Texas. Ten female workplace mediators in Texas participated with in-depth, semistructured interviews and an open-ended survey response describing a unique experience they had while mediating workplace disputes. A cross-case synthesis analysis of the results was then conducted with journal notes, literature on gender inequality, mediation, alternative dispute resolution, and Goffman’s theory of stigma. The results of this qualitative research can provide additional alternative dispute resolution techniques …

Web Analytics: Best Practices For An Organization’S Successful Performance; A Preliminary Analysis, Salma Dahbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research presents an exploratory study concerning organizations’ best practices of Web analytics for a successful performance and the factors influencing the companies’ successful adoption of Web analytics.

A qualitative research methodology was used engaging a comprehension of Web analytics adoption using the Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 1995) and the theory building approach (Eisenhardt, 1989). Interviews with five companies from different industries were conducted.

Findings suggest that for a successful performance, companies should consider:

• Data for better decision making.

• Web analytics barriers

• Selecting the right KPIs and metrics based on the company’s goals.

• Web analytics …

"It's Personal": A Case Study Analysis Of The Strategic Management Of Resources In A Historically Black University Athletic Department., Brigitte M. Burpo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative case study examination of the strategic management of critical resources in an HBCU athletic program. It begins with a historical overview of HBCUs and HBCU athletic departments focusing on the systemic and societal influences that contributed to the current state of HBCU athletic programs. This dissertation later discusses the influence of a lack of financial resources on HBCU athletic departments further depletes the ability to operate with a competitive advantage. Chapter One focuses on the historic background of HBCUs and their formation as well as the societal influences that depleted critical resources. Chapter Two covers …

In Search Of Work-Life Balance: Organizational And Economic Challenges Confronting Women In Banking And Management Consulting Firms In Southwest Nigeria, Oluwafisayo Ogundoro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Married women in the banking and management consulting firms in Nigeria encounter challenges that affect their commitment to their families while working long hours in demanding jobs. This study explores the challenges married women encounter and the impacts they have on women’s family lives, social lives, and health. I analyze primary and secondary sources to understand how organizational work culture such as long working hours, work competitiveness, and Nigeria’s unstable economy negatively affect the work-life balance of married women in banking and management consulting firms. Although participants shared the belief that their workplaces practiced “equality,” their descriptions of daily life …

Balancing Exploration, Exploitation, And Efficiency : A Framework Of Entrepreneurial Learning., Shaun Paul Digan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entrepreneurial learning (EL), defined as “learning in the entrepreneurial process through which individuals acquire new knowledge, either vicariously or from direct experience, which has the potential to change the range of entrepreneurial actions”, is a key construct in the pursuit and development of entrepreneurial opportunities. However, the field of entrepreneurship has yet to produce a theory of learning explaining under what conditions individuals engage in differing types of entrepreneurial learning. Further, the limited research within this line of inquiry is diverse and disconnected. In this research, I attempt to advance the literature on organizational and entrepreneurial learning through the examination …

Evaluating The Impact Of Training Employees To Identify Victims Of Human Trafficking, Emily Roman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a global epidemic that steals the freedoms away from those who have been oppressed by it. Providing victims with resources begins with identifying them. Unfortunately, identifying victims is not an easy task. Trafficked victims are controlled and protected by their traffickers, and recipients may not even realize that they are victims of human trafficking. Also, the vague nature of trafficking makes it difficult for service providers, such as those in law enforcement, healthcare, and social services, to identify victims readily. Furthermore, research efforts imply a general lack of training provided for employees to know how to identify …

Ownership Conversion As A Solution For Ex Post Agency Problems: The Case Of Franchising, Erik Tristan Markin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the strategic decision of franchising firms to convert company-owned outlets to franchise contracts in response to persistent agency problems. Moreover, this study investigates how franchisor-level, market-level, and outlet-level characteristics interact with this relationship. Using a longitudinal sample of company-owned fast-food restaurants, I find that increased agency problems at focal restaurants increases the likelihood of being converted to a franchise and that this relationship is moderated by both franchisor- and outlet-level characteristics but not market-level characteristics. Limitations and future research opportunities are discussed.

You Can Sit With Us: An Investigation Of Organizational Rationale For Diversity And Inclusion Climate, Stephanie Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate for inclusion has captured the attention of management scholars as well as practitioners due to the positive effects inclusive climates have on organizations. Prior research has shown that a strong climate for inclusion leads to desirable outcomes such as increased organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and creativity, as well as a decrease in intent to turnover (e.g., Acquavita et al., 2009; Groeneveld, 2011; Choi & Rainey, 2010; Pitts, 2009). However, the field is lacking understanding of the factors that impact inclusion climate (Guillaume et al., 2014). To answer this call for inclusion climate formation research, this dissertation considers the relationship …

Consumer Well-Being: A Typology And Examination Of Voluntary Simplicity, Derek Ezell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the search for ways to positively influence their well-being, some consumers are turning to acts of voluntary simplicity. Ranging in magnitude, these acts involve intentional reduction of their consumption and dependency in some form. The examination of such activities on one’s well-being begins with the analysis of formal interviews with tiny home owners, who take a holistic approach to voluntary simplicity, towards a framework of typical tiny home owners and discover the motivating factors for such a lifestyle choice. The second step is analyzing how these motivating factors may lead to less holistic activities surrounding voluntary simplicity and their …

Social Cognitive Theory As A Framework For Understanding The Relationships Between Competition And Cooperation: A Three Essay Story Of Emerging Coopetition And Entrepreneurial Team Outcomes, Rebekah Gabrielle Swab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three essays explore the role social cognitive theory (SCT) plays in the interactions between competitive and cooperative traits, goal structures, and behaviors on simultaneous competition and cooperation, termed coopetition. Though the concept is advantageous and popular both in theoretical and practical terms, there are large gaps in the study of the phenomenon at the individual and collective level. In Essay One, I present a theoretical model for the emergence of collective competition, cooperation, and coopetition. Specifically, I propose collective coopetition as a meso level, compilation construct based on the individual characteristics of team members, their interactions, and the situational and …

Hitting The Bullseye: The Influence Of Technical Debt On The Accuracy Of Effort Estimation In Agile Projects, James Ball

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As firms rapidly develop solutions in order to increase revenue and market share, software development decisions considered to be temporary shortcuts and/or compromises may be implemented. These shortcuts represent “technical debt,” a metaphor which succinctly describes a software solution that should be “paid in full” or remediated in the future. Software architects and developers intend to resolve the “debt” in future product releases, but practitioners recognize that the challenge of always innovating may indefinitely postpone this remediation effort. Further, the accumulation of technical debt may have long term impact on the product’s maintainability by the software development teams and, consequently, …

Paving The Way For Merleau-Ponty’S Eye And Mind In Organizational Communication Studies, Johan Bodaski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The body is a sense-based medium that creates and interprets organizations. Bodies create organization. An aesthetic theory of organizational communication reveals the significance of the body to the organization. Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of aesthetics offers a theory of aesthetic organizational communication that is yet to be developed. Merleau-Ponty’s aesthetic essay on painting, Eye and Mind, describes the body as the medium through which painters turn the world into painting. His philosophy of painting builds bridges between aesthetics, the body, and organizational communication.

In chapter one, four theories of organizational communication are described: communication constitutes organization (CCO), text/interpreter, ventriloquism, and …

A Multi-Period Facility Location Model For Service Organizations Operating In A Competitive Environment., Sven W. Brose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops a multi-period, mathematical programming location model for facilities operating in a competitive environment. The objective is to maximize the profit in a variable demand environment. The solution of the problem can either be done in a robust or in a dynamic manner. A robust solution methodology forecasts the demand for all the periods in the planning horizon and provides a robust solution that may be suboptimal for any given period, but optimal when all the periods are taken into consideration. A problem with this approach is that it requires accurate forecast of demand for multiple periods into …

Driven To Dishonesty: The Effects Of Commuting On Self-Regulatory Depletion And Unethical Behavior, Matthew Griffith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most people must commute to and from work each day, yet little research has examined this critical time between home and work and the potential spillover effects of commuting on employees' subsequent workplace behavior. Drawing on self-regulation theory and the commuting stress literature, I propose that stressful driving conditions on the way to work (e.g., bad weather, traffic congestion, long routes) can cause employees to subsequently behave unethically at work. Specifically, I suggest this occurs through a depletion of self-regulation as resources are consumed while driving under stress and thus unavailable for deterring tempting, unethical behavior. I test this mediation …

Entrepreneurship Inside And Out: Three Essays Exploring The Interplay Between Hybrid Entrepreneurs And Their Organizational Employee Roles, David Ross Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research focuses on undertaking new venture creation while remaining employed in existing organizations. Known as hybrid/part-time entrepreneurship, scholars suggest most entrepreneurs engage in entrepreneurship in a part-time capacity. As such, there exists an interesting space for the study of a new form of interrole dynamics: employee and entrepreneurial role interactions. Through three essays, I conceptually and empirically explore the effects of engaging in hybrid entrepreneurship on outcomes associated with employee and entrepreneurial roles. In Essay One I present a theoretical model of role enrichment from entrepreneurial to employee roles. Specifically, I propose that individuals engaged in …

Are You Ready? A Proposed Framework For The Assessment Of Digital Forensic Readiness, Andres Felipe Diaz Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops a framework to assess Digital Forensic Readiness (DFR) in organizations. DFR is the state of preparedness to obtain, understand, and present digital evidence when needed. This research collects indicators of digital forensic readiness from a systematic literature review. More than one thousand indicators were found and semantically analyzed to identify the dimensions to where they belong. These dimensions were subjected to a q-sort test and validated using association rules, producing a preliminary framework of DFR for practitioners. By classifying these indicators into dimensions, it was possible to distill them into 71 variables further classified into either extant …

Measuring Organizational Climate At The Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District, Sarah Floyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to answer the question, according to the Competing Values Framework, what is the organizational climate of the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District (ATCPHD)? Organizational climate for this study refers to the collective perceptions of employees on their interactions with their peers, management, and the organization. This study surveyed the 64 employees at the ATCPHD with the Organizational Climate Measure (OCM). Forty employees participated in the study. The study determined that the climate of the ATCPHD, according to Competing Values Framework (CVF), was the Human Relations organizational climate with a secondary climate of Relational Goals. …

Newsvendor Models With Monte Carlo Sampling, Ijeoma W. Ekwegh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Newsvendor Models with Monte Carlo Sampling by Ijeoma Winifred Ekwegh The newsvendor model is used in solving inventory problems in which demand is random. In this thesis, we will focus on a method of using Monte Carlo sampling to estimate the order quantity that will either maximizes revenue or minimizes cost given that demand is uncertain. Given data, the Monte Carlo approach will be used in sampling data over scenarios and also estimating the probability density function. A bootstrapping process yields an empirical distribution for the order quantity that will maximize the expected profit. Finally, this method will be used …

What's Your Focus? The Impact Of Regulatory Focus On Resource Acquisition., Regan Stevenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entrepreneurs need resources. Previous research has established that entrepreneurs send signals of "quality" to potential resource providers in order to obtain resources. However, a behavioral research approach would contend that resource acquisition depends on much more than venture quality signals. In this dissertation, I extend beyond the signaling paradigm and investigate the resource acquisition process using a framework contingent on entrepreneur signals, resource provider dispositional differences, and their interactive effects. Specifically, I leverage regulatory focus theory and regulatory fit theory to augment and move beyond the signaling theory approach. Methodologically, I undertake two studies. The first study uses archival field …

An Examination Of Ceo Reputation Decline And Repair In Response To Deviant Actions, Jennifer Marie Palar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite increasing interest in managerial reputation, little research in the management field has attempted to theorize and empirically examine reputation as a dynamic construct. This paper synthesizes prior reputation literature across disciplines to develop a model of reputation change. Using the context of executive termination it is hypothesized that the same managerial outcome (i.e. termination) carries varied meaning to stakeholders depending on the actions leading to and reason for termination and such meaning impacts the level of executive reputation decline and repair. Additionally, drawing on four established theoretical mechanisms in the reputation literature it is hypothesized that various traits, relationships, …

Spare Parts On Demand Using Additive Manufacturing : A Simulation Model For Cost Evaluation., Stefan Jedeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the impact of additive manufacturing in the spare part supply chain. A few studies are available, but they focus on specific parts and their applications only. A general model, which can be adapted to different applications, is nonexistent. This dissertation proposes a decision making framework that enables an interested practitioner/manager to decide whether using additive manufacturing to make spare parts on demand is economical when compared to conventional warehousing strategy. The framework consists of two major components: a general discrete event simulation model and a process of designing a wide range of simulation scenarios. The goal …

Judged By The Bottom-Line But Expected To Lead Ethically: A Leader's Catch 22, Darryl Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the presented research is to explain the importance of integrating the literatures on leader bottom-line mentality (BLM) and behavioral ethics and to demonstrate that leader BLM can adversely impact followers' perceptions of ethical leadership. By doing so, several contributions can be made. First, I identify an antecedent of ethical leadership. Predominantly, most ethical leadership research has focused on identifying its outcomes (Brown & Mitchell, 2010). Second, I will offer new theoretical insights regarding the antecedents of ethical leadership. Past ethical leadership research has primarily relied on social exchange (Blau, 1964; Gouldner, 1960) and social cognitive (Bandura, 1977, …

Compassion In Organizations, Regina Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research on compassion in organizations has grown over the last decade, however, there is still a need for empirical work on the topic before we truly understand compassion and the various factors that influence it in everyday organizational life (Atkins & Parker, 2012; Dutton, Workman & Hardin, 2014). The purpose of this dissertation is to review the current literature on compassion in organizations and extend research on compassion by exploring potential moderators of the relationship between compassionate feelings and compassionate responses from potential compassion givers. The moderators under investigation are in the form of individual (i.e., moral identity, moral disengagement), …

Thinking Fast And Missing The Opportunity: An Investigation Into Cognitive Processing Style And Opportunity Recognition, Chaim Letwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research on opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial cognition suggests that entrepreneurs are likely to use and potentially benefit from heuristics (Baron, 1998, 2004; Busenitz & Barney, 1997). Some heuristics, particularly well-refined and accurate prototypes, may be valuable to entrepreneurs in recognizing opportunities (Baron, 2004). I seek, however, to consider how other types of heuristics that lead to irrational, biased, and inaccurate judgments (e.g., the betrayal heuristic) relate to opportunity recognition (Baron, 2004; Kahneman & Lovallo, 1993). I specifically consider the underlying causal process through which the use of these types of heuristics diminishes the ability to recognize opportunities. I posit that …

Trickle-In Effects: How Customer Deviance Behavior Influences Employee Deviance Behavior, Xuhui Wo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has established trickle-down effects (including trickle-out effects) in organizations, that is, perceptions, attitudes, and behavior may flow downward from an individual at a higher level of the organizational hierarchy (e.g., a supervisor) to another individual at a lower hierarchical level (e.g., a frontline employee), or from a frontline employee to an external member (e.g., a customer). Complementing the extant literature, this dissertation examines trickle-in effects, specifically, I examine whether customers' interpersonal and organizational deviance behavior will trickle-in through organizational boundary to influence a frontline employee's interpersonal and organizational deviance behavior. Specifically, I propose customers' interpersonal and organizational deviance …

The Interactive Effects Of Citizenship Pressure And Job Embeddedness On Positive And Negative Outcomes Of Engagement, Jeremy Logan Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A more comprehensive understanding of the positive and negative outcomes of engagement could allow for a better conceptualization of the construct. The three goals of this study were: (1) to examine, based on the job demands and resources framework, potential negative antecedent and outcome relationships (i.e., role conflict, role ambiguity, and counterproductive work behaviors); (2) to identify interactions that could negatively impact engagement’s positive outcomes (i.e. citizenship pressure); and (3) to identify interactions that could positively impact engagement’s negative outcomes (i.e. job embeddedness). To accomplish these goals, the study collected data from both employees and their direct supervisors. An employee …

The Impact Of Cloud Computing In Supply Chain Collaborative Relationships, Collaborative Advantage And Relational Outcomes, Maria E. Aviles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the collaborative advantages and relational outcomes that organizations obtain from having strong collaborative relationships. With business competing as supply chains of multiple relationships, the reliance on inter-firm relationships has increased and become central strategy for organizations. Logistics computing technologies in the cloud may facilitate collaboration in the supply chain, although there are conflicting viewpoints regarding cloud viability. This study also evaluates the effect that cloud computing technology has on collaborative advantage and relational outcomes in small and large organizations. The model developed here is based on a cross-disciplinary theoretical perspective, which combines …