Business Commons^™

In Good Company: In The Future, Every Business Might Be Social, Christian Petroske

Social Space

It sounds like a riddle: why would Coca Cola, one of the biggest soft drinks companies in the world, be investing in a cause to empower fi ve million female entrepreneurs globally by 2020? It’s true:1 the Coca Cola Company’s initiative, called 5by20, is a forerunning example of a trend sweeping the corporate world. This trend is known by many names, the foremost of which are “shared value”, “inclusive business” or “sustainable business”. Their defi nitions can seem murky at fi rst, but these terms share a common thread. They sit at the intersection of economy and society, one that …

Professional Development In Libraries: One Size Does Not Fit All, Patricia D. Sobczak, Agnes K. Bradshaw

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

With the constantly changing landscape in 21st century libraries, it would seem that professional development would be more important than ever. However, research indicates that few libraries have formal professional development programs and there are mixed messages from library leaders regarding the necessity and importance of professional development. It is no secret that libraries always seem to be facing budget cuts and funding for professional development is often seen as a low priority. We were curious to understand how professional development is viewed and executed in other academic libraries.

Professional development means different things to different people. To some, professional …

In Defense Of The Broader Application Of Virtual Queues, Evan Rapone

Honors Program Theses

The broader application of virtual queues is proposed. A review of the current state of queuing theory is presented as well as an acknowledgment of the deficiencies in the practicality of queuing theory. It is suggested that the queuing process can be improved by implementing the option of pursuing a virtual line. Specifically, the potential utility of introducing virtual queues is discussed in the context of the FastPass system, highlighting the major features of the method as well as examining the disadvantages of the service. The implementation of a FastPass-style queuing process outside of theme parks is presented as a …

Virtual Leadership In Complex Multiorganizational Research And Development Programs, Gariann Marie Gelston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A 2002 congressional mandate initiated the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Centers of Excellence programs with a requirement to conduct cross-organizational research and development. The resulting complex multiorganizational programs required more effective virtual leadership and management strategies. Fifteen years later, the presidential budget showed that 61% of the DHS budget was targeted for such research and development. The complex management strategies and virtual leadership skills required to lead the programs were lacking, as top scientific researchers are drawn upon to manage programs. The purpose of this study was to understand followers' perspectives regarding virtual leadership and collaboration within complex …

Leader Self-Perceptions Of Ethics In And Out Of The Workplace And Personal Trustworthiness, Marcia W. Vanderwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ethical breaches in many organizations can be traced to failures in ethical leadership, which undermine trust. If a leader's ethical behavior in their private life and settings is perceived as influencing workplace ethics, it may in turn affect organizational trust levels and the development of trust. A quantitative study based on the social learning and moral theory was conducted to determine whether a difference exists between a leader's self-perceptions of their ethical behaviors inside and outside of the workplace, and whether it affects their perceived personal trustworthiness. Participants' (N = 94) scores on work and nonwork versions of the ethical …

Beliefs Influencing Hiring Agents' Selection Of Qualified Autistic Candidates, Angela Marie Mai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Qualified and capable working age autistics face an 83% unemployment rate, thus, straining the economy and deteriorating their quality of life. This research examines potential contributing factors by inquiring what hiring agents' beliefs may be influencing their selection of qualified autistic candidates. This quantitatively weighted, concurrent, mixed methods (QUAN > qual), multiple linear regression study measured the influence of hiring agents' control, normative, and behavioral beliefs upon their selection of qualified autistic candidates. Through the theoretical lens of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, conceptually crystallized with other validated theories; a representative, simple, random probability sample of hiring agents throughout the contiguous …

Relationship Between Servant Leadership Characteristics And Turnover In Fast-Casual Restaurants, Maria Rosetta Needham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, turnover threatens the economic status of the restaurant industry. In 2016, the turnover rate for the fast-casual restaurant dining industry was 1.8 million people with approximately 3 million people working in the industry. Restaurant leaders struggle with solutions to help reduce the problems of turnover. Guided by the servant leadership theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between empowerment, interpersonal support, and turnover in the fast-casual restaurant industry. A convenient sample of fast-casual restaurant supervisors (n =58) in the Midwestern region of the United States completed a survey with questions related …

Exploring Collaborative Learning Methods In Leadership Development Programs, Mary F. Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collaborative learning as it pertained to leadership development was an obscured method of learning. There was little research addressing the attributes contributing to collaborative learning for leadership development in leadership development programs. By completing this manuscript, scholarly learners may have additional information on knowledge-based practicing organizations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how collaborative learning influenced leadership development within leadership development programs within high performing organizations. Data collection included semistructured interview questions and a review of training documentation with a combination of dramaturgical coding and purposive sampling from 20 participants that attended leadership development programs within a …

Diversity Management Program Strategies To Support Competitive Advantage And Sustainable Growth, Alex Amegashie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study focuses on key characteristics that affect diversity management (DM) in the United States. Developing effective strategies to support and enhance workforce diversity is a competitive business advantage as diverse workforce economic and social contributions outpace homogeneous workgroups. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that service organization leaders (diversity practitioner-leaders) use to develop DM programs to support competitive business advantage and sustainable growth. The general systems theory and DM framework were the lens that guided the study. Five diversity practitioner-leaders from service organizations with business operations in the northwestern region of United States …

Relationship Between Airline Category, Geographical Region, And Safety Performance, Peter Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Passengers rank safety as a key factor in airline choice. Thus, safety performance impacts an airline's ability to attract customers. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship and difference between airline category low-cost carriers (LCCs) and full-service carriers (FSCs), geographical region, and safety performance measured by accident rates. The target population comprised all airlines in all countries that had an accident during the 14-year period 2004 to 2017. Data consisted of archival data of all global airline accidents and airline departure frequencies for the 14-year period. The theory of organizational accidents in complex sociotechnical systems explains …

Strategies Small Construction Business Managers Use To Reduce Safety Incidents In Their Organization, Peggy Ann Mcknight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally the construction industry struggles to prevent injurious and fatal safety incidents. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies used by construction business managers that had significantly reduced the occurance of safety incidents in a Northwest Ohio construction company. Data were collected from organizational records and interviews with 6 construction managers. The conceptual framework for this research was the concept of safety management systems. Data were compiled and organized, disassembled into fragments, grouped, and then interpreted for meaning. Methodological triangulation and member checking were used to enhance reliability and validity. Four themes emerged from the data: …

Can Four Generations Create Harmony Within A Public-Sector Environment?, Glenda B. Arrington, Rocky J. Dwyer

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between generational cohort and cohort perceptions of managerial effectiveness within the context of the federal public service. Data in this study were derived from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, which included 421,748 full-time, part-time, and nonseasonal federal government employees geographically dispersed across the United States and overseas. The results of the study indicated that ratings of managerial effectiveness by all four generational cohorts for all three levels of managers studied were relatively high with correlation coefficients ranging from .96 to .99. However, the only cohort association that consistently had …

Diversity And Inclusion In Art Museum Board Of Governance: Does The Boardroom Reflect The Community?, Margaret Farrell

MA Theses

The objective of this thesis is to examine the diversity and inclusivity of the art museum board of governance to see if the community accurately represents in the boardroom. This study finds a severe resistance to change along with the many obstacles corporate and nonprofit sectors face when incorporating diversity and inclusion in the boardroom. Based on population shifts affecting the cultural landscape of the workforce, this thesis focuses on the crucial need for art museums to strategize and implement diversity and inclusion in their board of directors. This study outlines comprehensive strategies from corporate and nonprofit sectors which are …

Understanding City Parks As New Common Pool Resources: A Case Study Of The Dakota Nature Park, Keahna Margeson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines public parks as New Common Pool Resources through a case study of the Dakota Nature Park in Brookings, South Dakota. I identify the formalization and bureaucratization processes experienced by the governing body of the park. These processes occurred as a capped landfill was repurposed and collaboratively managed to serve the community by providing native, natural space and affordable recreational opportunities. The governing structure is assessed using Elinor Ostrom’s (1990) Eight Principles of Common Pool Resource Management, Weber’s (1964) ideas of status and authority and Berger and Luckman's (1966) phenomenological theory. I use three major research strategies: (1) …

Arts Education: A Philanthropic Priority?, Clare Murray

Honors Theses

Through restricted donations, donors to private, independent not-for-profit US art museums are able to affect the prioritization of museum activities. Using annual data from museums’ Form 990s and AAMD survey responses, I test whether restricted giving affects a museum’s educational programming by analyzing the effect of restricted assets on education department performance indicators. I find that a percentage point increase in permanently restricted assets as a proportion of total assets is associated with a 0.1876 percentage point increase in education expenses as a share of total expenses. Through qualitative informational interviews, I recognize this impact as evidence that arts education …

Chaplaincy Inclusion In Hospital Interdisciplinary Teams And Its Impact On Chaplains' Well-Being, Chike Nzegwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare providers may impede the delivery of spiritual and emotional support to

patients and their families by healthcare professional chaplains if they misunderstand how to effectively use chaplains, who often prefer to be engaged sooner than they are. This issue prevents highly trained, board-certified professional chaplains from providing services, thereby impacting the quality of patient care. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine, through the lived experiences of professional chaplains, the extent to which chaplains feel that others perceive them as valued members of an interdisciplinary team (IDT), as well as to determine how team inclusion may impact …

Generational Differences In The Level Of Commitment In The U.S. Marine Corps, Nadya Yvonee Yassa-Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Generational differences directly impact the culture and discipline in the U.S. Marine Corps. Previous research suggests that Generation Y's characteristics do not align with traditional military service. The specific problem is that there is a gap in the research and scholarly literature on the level of commitment of Generation Y compared to Generation X Marines. The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to examine the influence on Marine Corps culture due to the level of commitment of active duty, enlisted Generation Y Marines compared to active duty, enlisted Generation X Marines. The theoretical frameworks for this study were the …

Leadership Satisfaction And Turnover Intention Among Public Sector Employees, Marcia Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The changing demographics of the federal workforce require managers to understand generational differences in experiences, values, and leadership preferences that can negatively impact an agency's ability to fulfill its mission. There is a gap in the literature regarding generational cohort perceptions of employee satisfaction with leadership and turnover intention in the Small Business Administration (SBA). The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to examine the generational perceptions of SBA employees regarding leadership satisfaction and intent to leave the organization within the next year. Strauss and Howe's generational theory served as the theoretical framework. This non-experimental quantitative study used the …

Impact Of Nongovernmental Organizations Promoting And Developing Women's Human Rights In Lebanon, Wissam Abdo El-Haybi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence is a global issue and is one of the most widespread violations to human rights. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine strategies applied by 3 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to sustain and develop women's human rights. The theoretical foundation for this study was based on Sabatier and Jerkins' advocacy coalition framework and Jones and McBeth's theory of narrative policy. The research question was focused on the influence Lebanese laws have on domestic violence in supporting NGOs in promoting women's human rights. A case study design was used to answer the research question and in-depth interviews …

Factors Influencing Emergency Registered Nurse Satisfaction And Engagement, Catherine Larock-Mcmahon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee satisfaction and engagement have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. Dissatisfaction and disengagement lead to an increased intent to leave a job, poor patient outcomes, and decreased productivity. The retention and recruitment of qualified staff becomes an urgent priority to ensure safe and prudent patient care. The purpose of the qualitative research study was to better understand the beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and reasons for emergency department registered nurses (ED RN) satisfaction and engagement in the workplace focusing on Herzberg's, Vroom's, Yetton's, Maslow's, Benner's, and Kahn's motivation and engagement theoretical frameworks. The qualitative case research study focused on satisfaction and …

A Grounded Theory Of Millennials Job-Hopping, Deborah L. Rivers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporations are finding it challenging to attract and retain the top talented Millennials. Their frequent job-hopping is costing the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually despite corporations' best efforts to retain them. The central research question concerns the decision-making process that Millennials use to decide whether to job-hop or stay with an organization. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a theory that explains the Millennials' process for deciding whether to job-hop or stay with an organization. The conceptual framework for this grounded theory research is generational theory, Herzberg's hygiene and motivational factors, and psychological contract theory. The data …

The Emotional Intelligence Of Successful African American Entrepreneurs, Breanna Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American entrepreneurs in Houston, TX, lack the emotional intelligence required

to be self-employed and remain in business. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to gain a robust understanding of what strategies African American entrepreneurs can adopt to increase emotional intelligence, which will aid them in remaining in business beyond the first 5 years. The central research question focused on common understandings of the strategies African-American entrepreneurs in Houston, TX, adopt to increase their emotional intelligence such that it contributes to them remaining in business beyond the initial 5 years. The conceptual framework that grounded the study was …

An Autoethnographic Examination Of Personal And Organizational Transformation In The U.S. Military, Marjon K. John

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large-scale transformational change, such as the integration and acceptance of gays in the U.S. military, necessitates a long-term effort by management to mitigate unanticipated consequences. Suboptimal implementation may not account for damaging consequences among individuals expected to live the change. The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to examine the individual experiences of a closeted gay personnel member living through a transformational change in identity, which paralleled an organizational change in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The conceptual framework included elements of general systems theory, Kotter's theory of change management, Ostroff's change management for government, and Maslow's self-actualization theory. …

A Theoretical Framework Of Sports Team’S Well-Being: An Integrative Perspective Of Emotional Intelligence And Equivocality On Trust And Happiness, Drew Sannes, Wooyang Kim

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Abstract – The purpose of this study is to develop and provide an integrative conceptual model of sports teams’ well-being to achieve a win-win situation of happiness for all stakeholders of sports teams, grounded in role theory and commitment-trust theory. We first conceptualized the well-being as an ultimate consequence by exploring sub-dimensions of happiness and provide relevant propositions linking with the respective antecedents. Second, we explored the effect of antecedents of sports team’s well-being in the spectrum of the anchor between positive and negative sides on the resultant outcomes – i.e., trust and happiness. Third, we examined the role of …

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 …

Senior Executives’ Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction And Psychological Well-Being: Is It Different At The Top?, Marcus B. Mueller, Geoff P. Lovell

WCBT Faculty Publications

Senior executives’ decisions can have a substantial impact on their own lives, their families, their organizations’ workers and employees, and society. This quantitative study (1) investigated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) at work and psychological well-being (PWB) in 142 senior executives as antecedent of their decision making and (2) compared the results to two other managerial level samples of 260 managers and 445 employees. The results have implications for theory and practice. Our findings contribute the new theoretical perspectives of differences in the relationship between BPNS at work and PWB by managerial level and senior executives’ gender …

Boundary Spanning And Leadership Perceptions In Creative Organizations: Evidence From Four Orchestras, Kiho Jun

Theses and Dissertations--Management

My research examines the importance of a particular form of cross-group brokerage in social networks wherein a person represents a bridge between his or her group and people belonging to a different group. Prior research on network brokerage and leadership emergence has failed to distinguish between brokerage in general and the kind of boundary-spanning between groups that is the focus of my research. Moreover, what we currently know about social network brokerage and leadership emergence comes either from highly abstracted laboratory-based work, or it comes research in relatively traditional work organizations with clear formal structures. It is unclear whether prior …

Conflict Resolution Strategies Used By Civilian Small Business Managers On Military Bases, Tavarus James Dunbar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unresolved conflict is responsible for at least 50% of resignations in the workplace, which negatively affects an organization's reputation and profitability. Although there has been ample research on the link between conflict resolution and leadership, there was limited research on conflict aboard military installations specifically. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore conflict resolution strategies of civilian small business managers who work on a military installation in Southern Arizona. The theory of realistic conflict, or realistic group conflict theory, was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The data collection process involved semistructured interviews of 11 …

Nature Of Regional Nongovernmental Organizations During The Post-Soviet Transformation In Georgia, Shota Shubladze

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the post-Soviet transformation process influenced the establishment of democratic institutions in the country of Georgia. Scholars and analysts from international organizations have revealed a gap in the development of the central and regional civil society organizations in Georgia. Using Morgan's organizational metaphors framework as a guide, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the nature, culture, and structure of regional nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Georgia. Research questions focused on the influence of the post-Soviet transformation on the development of Georgia's regional NGO sector and its perceived capacity as a democratic …

Strategies For Improving Energy Conservation On A Military Installation, Samuel Francis Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Energy is an essential component required to execute missions throughout military organizations. Failing to sustain energy efficiency in military units could cause mission failures throughout the Department of Defense. As a result, efficient energy management has become a major priority for Air National Guard units as well as other military organizations around the globe. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to gain an understanding of strategies used by front-line military supervisors to reduce energy consumption through behavioral change on a military installation located in Maryland. The central question explored strategies that front-line military supervisors use to change …