Business Commons^™

Empowerment Of A Uaw Workforce, Paula L. Hughel

Theses

This thesis will investigate whether empowerment of a workforce has a positive correlation on employee job satisfaction.

Research supports that the automotive industry is continuously focusing on the reduction of structural costs. One area that is commonly focused on is the reduction of manpower, specifically management. As the number of managers are reduced some of the work is being redistributed to the employees. Along with the additional work comes decision making responsibilities.

Although research supports that empowerment has a positive correlation on business results and working environments, it is inconclusive that empowerment has a positive correlation relative to job satisfaction. …

An Understanding And A Quest For Excellence In Human Resources At An Urban Public School District, Juliette E. Douglas

Theses

This thesis will focus on how to transition the Human Resource Division at St. Louis Public Schools into a customer focused, responsive service organization. Like many other industries, urban education has some uniqueness but there are also some common issues. To better understand the management style traditionally used in urban education, this project started with conducting extensive research on the history of management in education.

History is only important in understanding the past. Good management must focus on the present and create the future. To better plan to create a changed human resource function, two basic management concepts were also …

An Evaluation Of The Competency Modeling Method Used By A Major Telecommunications Company, Sharon K. Kramer

Theses

This thesis focuses on competency model development methods and evaluating an actual competency model development method used by a consulting company on behalf of its client.

As HRD professionals get down to actually measuring human performance against the model they set forth to specify competency and its associated behaviors, they often find behavioral measurements to be subjective and relative, rather than objective and criterion-based.

The purpose of this study is to review competency model definitions and development methods, as well as the implications for using competency models to improve human performance, business results and competitive advantage.

The competency model development …

Employee Motivation: What Works, What Doesn't, Michelle A. Koenig

Theses

Corporate America has seen a multitude of changes in the last century, but the change with the greatest impact is that of the employees. In the 'old' days, it was an employer's market. Employees felt lucky just to have a job. Companies did not spend time or money worrying about whether or not their employees were happy or motivated. The majority of jobs required manual labor and little or no education. This made replacing an unhappy or unmotivated worker much easier. In addition, there weren't as many U.S. or foreign companies competing for employees.

In today's competitive market, hiring and …

The New American Family, And A New Generation Of Young Americans Entering The Workforce, Flo A. Kistner

Theses

This thesis focuses on the dysfunction of a significant proportion of America's youth and shows how it can be attributed directly to lack of parental presence or parental control. Today's youth are in total chaos. Research shows there is a definite lack of quality time with today's children from their parents. This lack of parental involvement plays a crucial role in the development or lack of development of today's youth and tomorrow's workers.

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the structure of the American family, and the resulting need for management to assume a more …

Strategic Planning For Downsizing And The Human Resource Factor, Kathleen M. Kaiser

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of downsizing , the importance of a strategic plan for downsizing and the effect the on human resource factor .

Businesses experienced unprecedented growth throughout the 1960 1 s and early 1970 ' s ; in the 1980 1 s the recession slowed this growth and downsizing became a necessary economic device for businesses to remain competitive . Some of the reasons stated for downsizing are : to safeguard profit mar gins , stagnant growth , poor earnings , market driven cuts , foreign competition , advancing technology , and a last ditch …

The Building Of A Diversified Work Force, Kirstie K. Hickman

Theses

This thesis will discuss the trend toward a diversified labor force, as we move toward Workforce 2000. Many statistics show that the upcoming workforce will have fewer white males. Significant increases in the numbers of minorities , women, and immigrants will have a serious effect on how Human Resource Departments operate within companies. These demographical changes in the face of the labor market will require new methods of managing and training in all sectors of the corporate structure.

Moving forward t o manage and train individuals for the challenges of the year 2000 and beyond will require corporations to address …

Rational Bias And Its Relationship To The Glass Ceiling, Kelly A. Levengood

Theses

This thesis will focus on the affect of rational bias to the "glass ceiling." Research has suggested that a "glass ceiling" exists in corporate America . It attributes the lack of women in middle and upper management to the "glass ceiling."

Some theorists acknowledge that not all women want to be at the top in management due to the "mommy track" or general lack of interest for that position. However, for those women who desire a position in upper management, some theorists believe women are blocked from upper management positions by the "old boys network" . . . the "glass …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Settlement Process In The Securities Industry, Woody D. Johnson

Theses

This thesis will focus on the settlement process in the securities industry and the different methods and frequencies by which securities firms disburse payments to their customers.

Many brokerage firms have realized the value of technological advancements in cash management services and have invested large dollars in their systems capabilities to remain competitive . Other firms do not have the resources to invest in such systems. To stay competitive, many firms are now looking at customer service, focusing on customer payments as a marketing tool.

Historically, securities firms exploited the financial success in their customers' accounts to offset the lack …

Investigation Of A Program That Manages Cultural Diversity To Determine Its Relationship To A Profitable And Efficient Business Operation, Joan M. Hubbard

Theses

This thesis begins with the purpose of investigating a program that recognizes, accepts, values and manages cultural diversity in the workplace to determine its relationship to a profitable and efficient business operation.

Significant demographic changes are expected to occur by the year 2000 resulting in a more culturally diverse labor force. In addition to a labor force wherein "white males" become the minority, this labor force will be more resistant to shedding ethnic and sexual distinctions.

In the past, managers have achieved high-level mastery over physical production . However, as labor constitutes the greatest single cost component of output, the …

The Relationship Of Life-Script Decisions To Occupational Interests, Jacqueline Holler

Theses

This study considered the relationship of life-script decisions to an individual's occupational interests. A variety of definitions and functions of work were discussed, and the influences or early family parenting styles and mode-ling were explored.

The theory of Transactional Analysis was used as the basis tor explaining emotional and psychological needs of individuals. The origins of the three ego states, Parent, Adult, and Child, were described and defined The life script, or life plan, of individuals, developed from decisions: which are based on messages and modeling from parental figures, was used to determine the executive ego states of the subjects. …

The Environmental Impact On Management Decisions, Daniel C. Ingham

Theses

This thesis will focus on how the environment will impact management decisions. The impact is measured in dollars when possible,

Management needs to have a working knowledge of how their decisions can impact the environment and ultimately the bottom line. The environmental impact ranges from depletion of the ozone to contamination of groundwater. The potential business changes due to the environment cover the range from the planning to the disposal stages of a product and to include shifts in marketing and advertising strategies.

The environment is getting more attention today from the public than at any other time. The public …

Sexual Harassment Of Unskilled Working Women, Jane Marie Goebert

Theses

This study was done to develop an understanding of what determines a sexual harassment victim. The purpose was to determine if women, who are unskilled and lower paid, have a higher risk of being sexually harassed.

The survey was conducted in the St. Louis area. The sample consisted of both men and women working at various skill levels and incomes. There were 201 respondents, consisting of 132 women and 69 men.

The survey results were analyzed and compared to surveys taken in other geographical areas. This was to determine if there were any differences based on demographics.

The findings of …

A Review Of Personnel Policies And Procedures Developed For St. Charles County In 1984, Richard L. Balicki

Theses

This paper will discuss the development, design and formulation of personnel policies and procedures for St. Charles County in 1984. At the time the process of development started, the county was without an approved personnel policies and procedures system and was concerned about a possible federal audit that could result in their losing federal funds because of the lack of formal policies.

In order to develop a system that would be used by the various county offices, input was sought from elected and appointed officials as well as other levels of county employees. The success and failure of this method …

Motivation, Management Motivation, And Its Perceived Decline In American Bureaucratic Organizations In The Context Of Changing Attitudes And Values, Jon Lawrence Johnson

Theses

This Culminating Project represents an inquiry into the existence, applications, and parameters of human motivation and its impact on perceived management attitudes, values, and motivation to manage.

The topic is examined from three vantage points. Part I embodies a selective indoctrination in human motivation concepts and suggests relevant organizational applications and examples in illustration. The term "motivation" has evolved into a popular but often misapplied catch phrase. Therefore, a foundation in prominent human motivation theory is provided as precedent to issues subsequently discussed in the Project, to offer the reader an accurate base of subject knowledge.

Part II addresses the …