Business Commons^™

Nonparent-Friendly Work Climate & Parental Role Value: An Updated Approach To Understanding Nonparent Work Experiences, Andrew Lutz

Wayne State University Dissertations

First, the present study entails a theoretically guided examination of relationships between nonparent-friendly organizational climate (NPFC) and important outcomes among nonparent workers. Second, the present study explores the role of social-identity theory in understanding nonparent work experiences by examining and comparing the function (i.e., moderation effect sizes) of parental role values and parental expectations (i.e., childfree status) on relationships between NPFC and outcomes including affective commitment. Third, the present study compares the relevance of NPFC and singles-friendly culture in the prediction of outcomes among nonparent workers. Lastly, the present study examines the potential role of intersectionality of nonparental role and …

Exploring And Expanding The Utility Of Cultural Distance: A Multi-National Analysis, Daniel Wiegert

Wayne State University Dissertations

In the current study, I utilized multiple cultural constructs to create and compare the utility of various forms of cultural distance as a predictor of national-culture-level outcomes, aggregated across multiple countries (i.e., a novel term: “Aggregated Cultural Distance”, hereafter ACD). ACD was first conceptualized in the current study by utilizing the nine Global Leader and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (hereafter Project GLOBE) Societal Values dimensions in the calculation of ACD. I incrementally added and compared Project GLOBE’s Societal Practices and Tightness-Looseness scores (i.e., norms) to the Values ACD construct in predicting self-isolationist leadership behaviors (i.e., Project GLOBE’s Autonomous and Self-Protective leadership …

An Exploration Of Strategic Alignment In Higher Education, Linda Jimenez

Wayne State University Dissertations

The aim of this study is to explore the faculty’s experience and perspective of the alignment between their research, teaching, and service to the institutional priorities. Presently, higher education faces institutional issues that are unique with varying contexts and where strategic alignment has a vital influence on organizational performance. Although faculty’s core activities are service, teaching, and research, the enduring and prevailing challenges in higher education require faculty to expand their roles of core activities and engage in broader strategic initiatives of institutions. The need for this study is driven by a shortage of evidence about whether and how faculty …

Turning Passion Into Profit: When Leisure Becomes Work In Modern Roller Derby, Amanda Nicole Draft

Wayne State University Dissertations

Modern roller derby operates as a “by the skater, for the skater” business model, where participants are not paid but must devote a certain amount of time, effort, and money to sustaining their sport and respective organizations. At the same time, while derby is grounded in anti-corporate values, a growing industry has sprouted to support the sport, the larger share of which consists of small business retailers selling gear, apparel, and other accessories. I use the context of modern roller derby to examine the changing natures of work and leisure, specifically how they operate as greedy institutions and emphasizing the …

Research Before Teaching And Service? Performances, Perceptions, And Experiences Of Faculty At Teaching-Intensive Institutions, Megan Elizabeth Throm

Wayne State University Dissertations

The privileging of research over teaching is well documented in scholarship regarding the teaching-research nexus. In this dissertation I analyze the experiences and identities related to research, teaching, and service of sixteen faculty members at teaching-intensive institutions through intensive interviews. The focus on teaching-intensive institutions is driven by two goals. The first goal was to gain a better understanding of how the privileging of research over teaching and service is experienced, understood, and reified by faculty members at teaching-intensive institutions. Second, by giving voice to the experiences of those at teaching-intensive institutions I hope to increase the value placed on …

Competencies And Strategies Utilized By Higher Education Leaders During Planned Change, Dawn Aziz

Wayne State University Dissertations

In a mixed methods study designed to explore the competencies and strategies utilized by self-described successful leaders of public, four-year U. S. institutions, this study confirmed that there was little difference among academic and non-academic leaders in their approach to successful change beyond that found in terms of non-academic preference for resilience and an academic preference for personal learning. Both leaders (N=47) showed high agreement for the nine proposed competencies, five of which were statistically higher in perceived importance (personal learning, resilience, emotional engagement/creating a safe space, networking/coalition building, and project management). Adapting Bolman and Deal’s four frames (2013) as …

Are Transformational Leaders Sustainable? The Role Of Organizational Culture, Shan Ran

Wayne State University Dissertations

As the workplace becomes increasingly stressful, leaders’ well-being, a critical determinant for follower well-being and organizational effectiveness, rises as an important research direction. Under the theoretical framework of self-regulation and conservation of resources, the current study hypothesized that transformational leadership deters leaders’ affective and cognitive resources from long-term self-growth, resulting in a detrimental effect on leaders’ eudemonic well-being. In addition, organizational culture was hypothesized to moderate the overall negative relationship between transformational behaviors and well-being of the leaders. On the one hand, mastery-approach norms would facilitate restoration of resources, so the association between transformational leadership and well-being becomes positive under …

Colorism Bias In Hiring Decisions: Disentangling The Effects Of Hair Type And Skin Tone, Niambi Maia Childress Powell

Wayne State University Dissertations

Studies on colorism bias are prevalent, but there exists a gap in the literature regarding how this construct operates within organizational contexts (Marira & Mitra, 2013). The current research explores colorism bias in organizational hiring decisions, considering both hair type and skin tone as physical markers which influence the enactment of colorism biases; as well as investigating the mediating effect of racial identity strength and attractiveness of the applicant, and moderating effects of job type. In a quasi-experimental design, participants viewed a Black female job applicant being considered for either a blue or white collar job, with varying degrees of …

The Effect Of Intrateam And Interteam Trust On Organizational Outcomes: A Multilevel Study, Abere Kassa Kassa

Wayne State University Dissertations

The main objectives of this dissertation were to examine the main and interactive effects of intrateam and interteam trust on organizational outcomes at individual, team and organizational levels. Also, this dissertation sought to examine the mechanisms (team processes: team behavioral integration, team psychological safety, team reflexivity, and team learning) through which intrateam and interteam trust elicit organizational outcomes. Moreover, this dissertation also sought to uncover if value congruence and team feedback seeking behavior in teams moderate the effect of intrateam trust on the team processes.

Hypotheses were tested using data collected from a sample of 282 team members nested under …

Getting Old At The Top: The Role Of Affective Abilities And Leadership Role Characteristics In The Relationship Between Age And Leadership Behaviors, Greg Thrasher

Wayne State University Dissertations

Leadership behaviors and the outcomes they foster have historically been a central issue to organizational researchers and practitioners alike. Interestingly, though, as the workforce continues to age, research on leadership from a lifespan perspective has been surprisingly rare. The current dissertation aims to address this gap in the literature through two main contributions. First, the main effect of age on the dimensions of task, relational, and change-oriented leadership behaviors is examined. Second, I examine how characteristics of leadership roles interact with of age-related changes in affective abilities in the relationship between age and leadership behaviors. Results suggest that there is …

Toward A Better Understanding Of Psychological Contract Fulfillment (Pcf) At The Team Level, Lyonel Sebastián Laulié Cerda

Wayne State University Dissertations

Despite the fact that the literature on psychological contracts has flourished in the last 20 years (Rousseau, 2011; Zhao et al., 2007), prior research provides limited insight about what psychological contract fulfillment (PCF) represents at higher levels of analysis. A growing line of research has started to empirically assess the existence of PCF at the team level of analysis (e.g. De Vos & Tekleab, 2014) and new theoretical developments have been recently published (e.g., Laulié & Tekleab, 2016). However, several questions remain unanswered as the literature is still in a fledging state. In this dissertation, I develop and test a …

The Relationship Between Organizational Culture, Intrinsic Motivation, And Employee Performance: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Patricia S. Radakovich

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between specific organizational cultural factors (autonomy and meaningful work), intrinsic motivation, and employee performance through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Three separate studies were performed, one for each predictor variable: autonomy, meaningful work, and organizational culture/climate. The meta-analyses included only studies that contained correlations for all three variables and were set in a business environment. The first study concluded that autonomy is a predictor of performance; this relationship is partially mediated through intrinsic motivation. The second study concluded that meaningful work is a predictor of performance. The third study was …

The Impact Of Age On Workplace Motivation: A Person-Centered Perspective, Keith Lynn Zabel

Wayne State University Dissertations

The present study used the person-centered approach to examine how profiles based upon six different age conceptualizations differentially impact workplace motivation. In the first known study to examine all conceptualizations of age simultaneously, results suggested the age conceptualizations of subjective age and health significantly impact growth motives for older workers, but not social or security motives. Results suggest social motives are influenced more by chronological age as opposed to other conceptualizations of age. Implications for practitioners in designing and implementing HR activities (e.g., succession planning) and researchers in utilizing all the conceptualizations of age and studying workplace interventions are discussed.

Needs Assessment As A Process For Change Management: Aligning Organizational Performance And Human Capital Investment With Strategic Planning And Change Creation, Abdulaziz Alshgeri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research suggests that 70% of change management (CM) initiatives are considered unsuccessful. The most important reason for the dismal success rate of change initiatives is that they are driven by poor and invalid strategic decisions. Frameworks that businesses implement to secure sustainable long-term competitive advantages in the marketplace are often not effective. Therefore, decision-making related to improving results is critical, and must be based on an organization’s preset criteria. Creating and prioritizing key performance indicators direct leaders’ attention to effective change decisions. Prior research addresses several approaches to decide whether change is needed, such as statistical evidence, gut feelings, or …

Exploring Crossover Effects Among Working Spouses Through The Lens Of Social Cognitive Theory: Soc And Work-Family Conflict, Kevin Thomas Wynne

Wayne State University Dissertations

Managing competing demands from multiple life domains poses a significant challenge for today's workforce. In particular, employees who also have an active role at home often experience work-family conflict (WFC), which is associated with a number of negative outcomes. Research has shown that the selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) set of coping strategies includes behaviors that tend to reduce WFC. However, it remains unknown how working spouses' use of these effective strategies "crossover" to influence the partner’s outcomes. Do individuals' use of SOC coping strategies reduce their spouse's experience of WFC? Using an emergent data analytic method—the actor-partner interdependence model …

The Transformational Leadership Communication Of Socially Close And Distant Leaders On Vision Integration, Bethany Weaver

Wayne State University Dissertations

Applying the theories of transformational leadership and distributive leadership and drawing from diffusion of innovations, this work posits that transformational leaders are successful in transferring vision and subsequently transforming the organization by enacting their communication both systematically and interpersonally. From a system level perspective, transformational leaders in executive leadership roles direct their communicative attention to the key influencers in the organization. They expend their time and effort on an interpersonal level ensuring these individuals are infused with the vision of the organization, understand it, develop the skills necessary to contribute to its achievement, and are equipped and motivated to transfer …

Conflict About Conflict: Antecedents, Consequences, And Moderators Of Conflict Asymmetry In Teams, Ayse Karaca

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

CONFLICT ABOUT CONFLICT: ANTECEDENTS, CONSEQUENCES, AND MODERATORS OF CONFLICT ASYMMETRY IN TEAMS

by

AYSE KARACA

December 2016

Advisor: Dr. Amanuel G. Tekleab

Major: Business Administration

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The main objectives of this dissertation were to examine the antecedents and consequences of conflict asymmetry from a multilevel perspective and to explore the impact of a contextual factor, team emotional intelligence, on the conflict asymmetry-outcome relationship. In addition, this study also sought to discover if the asymmetry measure used has an impact on the relationships tested and if the effects of conflict asymmetry can be generalizable to other team …

Communication And Identity: The Paternity Leave Decision, Scott Sellnow-Richmond

Wayne State University Dissertations

Paternity leave has remained an under-studied phenomenon in the United States. The US stands in contrast to countries such as Sweden and Norway, which have a history of government-regulated paid time off for fathers of new children. Therefore new fathers in the US face a unique situation regarding their decision of whether or not to take whatever form of paternity leave may be available to them. This study explores what aspects of new fathers’ identities are salient regarding the paternity leave decision. The Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) is used as a theoretical framework to explore how these identities correspond …

A Study Of Performance Based Budgeting Reforms In The National Park Service And Their Effects On Agency Management And Operations, Nichole Marie Fifer

Wayne State University Dissertations

This is a case study of performance-based and budgeting reforms in National Park Service (NPS). The study examines the effects of reform initiatives on the agency’s administration, budgeting, and management. Previous research suggests that current reform initiatives are more effective than those of the past. Further research on reforms suggests reform impacts, while small or non-existent at the agency level may be significant at the sub-agency level. The main reform studied here is performance based budgeting (PBB), under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Its purpose is to improve policy implementation at the “street level.” If working as intended, …

The Road Taken: A Between And Within Subjects Study Of Intervention Selection Decisions By Performance Improvement Professionals, Hillary Leigh

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: In performance improvement, intervention selection is a complex decision that ought to be based on the best available evidence. Despite this, there is little research into what sources of evidence are used in intervention selection and what changes in belief occur during performance improvement professionals' decisions. Framed in decision theory, this study aims to resolve these problems. Methods: Sixty-one Certified Performance Technologists completed a dynamic, Web-delivered questionnaire where they provided a general assessment of intervention success (Pr₁), then responded to 12 performance improvement scenarios; by selecting an intervention, providing a prior probability (Pr₂), receiving additional …

Engineering Problem Solving And Sustained Learning: A Mixed Methods Study To Explore The Dynamics Of Engineering Knowledge Creation, Rachel Itabashi-Campbell

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation research explores processes by which engineering problem solving (EPS) results in sustained organizational learning. Approaching from a constructionist perspective, the study empirically examines the knowledge creation dynamics instigated by product-related problems using a mixed methods research approach. The research has identified the Japanese concept of ba, defined in this study as "shared experiential space," as a key construct that explains the phenomena of interest. A new framework that the study has developed, which interprets EPS as an epistemic journey to attain system-wide improvements, is highly complementary to the traditional structured routine based approaches to engineering operations and …

The Development And Validation Of A Conditional Reasoning Test Of Withdrawal, Levi Ryan Gust Nieminen

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study developed and evaluated a measure of implicit dispositional tendencies associated with lateness, absenteeism, and permanent withdrawal behaviors. The conditional reasoning framework developed by Lawrence James and colleagues was adopted. Novel cognitive biases or justification mechanisms associated with withdrawal were proposed, drawing on research and theory from the attribution (marginalization of withdrawal), commitment (revocable commitment), and fairness/equity (social injustice bias) domains. As part of the empirical validation design, college students enrolled in an Introductory Psychology course completed the conditional reasoning measure, and corresponding behavioral withdrawal criteria were collected unobtrusively throughout the 16-week course. Results of scale development analyses pointed …

Antecedents And Outcomes Of Workplace Engagement, Ariel Maya Lelchook

Wayne State University Dissertations

There has been a recent interest in positive organizational scholarship. Leadership stemming from a positive framework and employee engagement in the workplace have become of increasing interest to researchers and practitioners. Antecedents and outcomes of employee engagement were examined using a sample of 327 employees from retail organizations in the Midwest United States. The leadership styles of authentic, transformational, and transactional leadership were examined as antecedents of employee job engagement, beyond employees' psychological meaningfulness, safety, and availability. Engagement was examined as a mediator between the leadership constructs and employees' extra-role behaviors and work withdrawal behaviors. The results suggest employee job …

An Investigation Of Performance And Participation In Employee Resource Groups At A Global Technology Company, Glenda Ward

Wayne State University Dissertations

Much literature presents employee resource groups as beneficial to both the organizations and the employees who join these groups. Many large corporations have employee resource groups, and their presence is expanding. As companies continue to invest in employee resource groups, it is important to establish and review the business goals and expectations for the groups An environment where objectives and expectations are established and well understood creates less ambiguity for employees and allows them to focus on achieving the objectives. It is important to evaluate the objectives and expectations to see if the groups are achieving the expectations. Assessing the …

Social Movement Theory And Far Right Organizations, Frank Tridico

Wayne State University Dissertations

This research examines the organized far right movement and interviews members of four right wing organizations to understand their goals and operations. This study compares the utility of two social movement theories, Resource Mobilization Theory (RMT) and New Social Movement Theory (NSMT) to explain the functioning of the four organizations. Resource Mobilization Theory contends that change is done politically in the sphere of institutional power, while New Social Movement Theory argues that change occurs in civil society.

The study was qualitative in nature and involved in-depth interviews with 97 members of four far right organizations across two Midwest states. The …

The Effect Of Interactive Technology On Informal Learning And Performance In A Social Setting, Timothy Clay Boileau

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study is based on a qualitative multiple case study research design using a mixed methods approach to provide insight into the effect of interactive technology on informal learning and performance in a social business setting inhabited by knowledge workers. The central phenomenon examined is the variance in behavioral intention towards interactive Web 2.0 technologies in learning and performance-related activities, depending on social and cultural setting, observable in individual and group usage patterns.

The theoretical foundation for this study is drawn primarily from the activity theory model developed by Engeström (1987) and related research enabled by an ongoing review of …

The Effects Of Self-Directed Teams In An Automotive Manufacturing Environment, David Wayne Shall

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE EFFECTS OF SELF DIRECTED TEAMS IN AN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT

by

DAVID W. SHALL

December 2010

Advisor: James L. Moseley, EdD, LPC, CHES, CPT

Major: Instructional Technology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

This study compares self-directed work structures to more traditional supervised work structures in order to determine if the expenditures and efforts required to implement self-directed work teams are warranted. Multiple internal performance metrics are examined in comparing plant work structures in various degrees of implementation between traditional work structures and self-directed work teams. The researcher collected data from multiple organizations within Ford Motor Company and four participating …