Business Commons^™

Writing Reflective Case Studies For The Engineering Management Journal (Emj), Timothy Kotnour, Rafael Landaeta

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper's intent is to help authors write reflective case studies for the Engineering Management Journal (EMJ). We offer a process to convert an applied research project with an organization to an EMJ manuscript. Writing a reflective case study is a process of abstracting experiences into approaches, processes, tools, challenges, and "lessons" for a broad audience of engineering managers. This paper serves as a guide for authors to write reflective case studies.

Organizational Forming In Amodern Times: Reinserting The Dynamic Into The Organizational, Paul Donnelly

Conference papers

While there is an obvious concern that “new organizational forms” are appearing, and despite the topic receiving increased attention, scholars, as yet, have been unable to theorize, grasp or account for these new forms adequately. In continuing to look for the ‘new’ with ‘old’ lenses, we are seeing neither real departure from Weberian conceptualizations other than oppositional approaches still in search of an essential entity, nor much consideration given to the possibility that the paradigmatic approach to form is also part of the problem. In light of this, I posit that thinking within a modernist epistemological framework has served to …

Gender Bias In Internet Employment: A Study Of The Effects Of Career Advancement Opportunities For Women In The Field Of Itc, Andra Gumbus, Frances Grodzinsky

WCBT Faculty Publications

Women as individuals experience subtle discrimination regarding career development opportunities as evidenced by research on the Glass Ceiling. This paper looks at the ramifications of technology, specifically the Internet, and how it affects women's career opportunities.

Emotional Intelligence And Negotiation: The Tension Between Creating And Claiming Value, Maw Der Foo, Hillary Anger Elfenbein, Hwee Hoon Tan, Voon Chuan Aik

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

As a departure from past research on emotional intelligence (EI), which generally examines the influence of an individual's level of EI on that individual's consequences, we examined relationships between the emotional intelligence (EI) of both members of dyads involved in a negotiation in order to explain objective and subjective outcomes. As expected, individuals high in EI reported a more positive experience. However, surprisingly, such individuals also achieved significantly lower objective scores than their counterparts. By contrast, having a partner high in El predicted greater objective gain, and a more positive negotiating experience. Thus, high EI individuals appeared to benefit in …

From Dramaturgy To Theatre As Technology: The Case Of Corporate Theatre, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark, Iain Mangham

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This article examines a piece of corporate theatre. Although theatre has entered organization studies through the dramatistic writing of Kenneth Burke and the dramaturgical writings of Erving Goffman, this article is concerned with an approach variously described as organizational, radical, situation or corporate theatre that treats theatre not primarily as a resource, an ontology or a metaphor but as a technology. This approach involves the deployment by an organization of dramatists, actors, directors, set designers, lighting specialists, and musicians to put on performances in front of audiences. Using frameworks derived from studies of theatre a particular piece of corporate theatre …

Notes From An ‘Intelligent Island’: Towards Strategic Knowledge Management In Singapore’S Small Business Sector, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay, Benjamin Loh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This essay outlines some of the benefits and challenges of implementing strategic knowledge management systems in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with reference to respective initiatives in the Republic of Singapore. The article addresses following research questions: What is knowledge management (KM) and why has it become an issue? How can SMEs benefit from strategic KM? What are the potential pitfalls of KM applications in small firms? What are the strategic imperatives of using KM in SMEs? Do small and large firms require different KM systems? What are the critical success factors which have to be considered during implementation? How …

Expert Knowledge And The Role Of Consultants In An Emerging Knowledge-Based Economy, Hans-Dieter Evers, Thomas Menkhoff

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In the emerging globalised knowledge society/economy, a group of professionals, namely experts and consultants gain in importance. The paper discusses the following issues: Who are these experts and consultants? Why is this group of knowledge workers strategically important and why is their importance - socially in terms of number of persons and economically in terms of output or turnover - growing? How can we explain the increasing professionalisation of consultants? How do they gain their expertise and which role does academic knowledge play in professional attainment? How do consultants package and apply expert knowledge? What are the challenges experts and …

Procedural Priming Effects On Spontaneous Inference Formation, Kirmani Amma, Michelle P. Lee, Carolyn Yoon

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Procedural priming refers to how the frequent or recent use of certain cognitive procedures on one task can lead to a greater propensity to use the same procedures on a subsequent task. In this paper, we demonstrate how procedural priming may be used to assess spontaneous inference formation in situations where the inference involves a relationship or rule. We do so in the context of the advertising cost–product quality rule, i.e., that higher advertising expense implies higher product quality. Prior research suggests that underlying the advertising cost–quality rule is a basic human attribution (the effort investment rule) that says, if …

Bias In The Correlated Uniqueness Model For Mtmm Data, James M. Conway, Filip Lievens, Steven E. Scullen, Charles E. Lance

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This simulation investigates bias in trait factor loadings and intercorrelations when analyzing multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) data using the correlated uniqueness (CU) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model. A theoretical weakness of the CU model is the assumption of uncorrelated methods. However, previous simulation studies have shown little bias in trait estimates even when true method correlations are large. We hypothesized that there would be substantial bias when both method factor correlations and method factor loadings were large. We generated simulated sample data using population parameters based on our review of actual MTMM results. Results confirmed the prediction; substantial bias occurred in trait …

The Structure Of Affect: Reconsidering The Relationship Between Negative And Positive Affectivity, Russell Cropanzano, Howard M. Weiss, Jeff M. S. Hale, Jochen Reb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

During the past decade organizational scientists have devoted considerable research attention to the topic of workplace affect. Despite important advances, continued progress depends on a better understanding of the structure of affective experience. The goal of this paper is to review progress to date. In particular, we review evidence pertaining to four constructs that have been widely used to organize research on affect: positive affectivity, negative affectivity, hedonic tone, and affect intensity. We review various structural models pertaining to these four constructs, devoting special attention to integrative frameworks and future research needs. Corresponding au

Displaying Group Cohesiveness: Humour And Laughter In The Public Lectures Of Management Gurus, David Greatbatch, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

As perhaps the highest profile group of management speakers in the world, so-called management gurus use their appearances on the international management lecture circuit todisseminate their ideas and to build their personal reputations with audiences of managers. This article examines the use of humour by management gurus during these public performances. Focusing on video recordings of lectures conducted by four leading management gurus (Tom Peters, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Peter Senge and Gary Hamel), the article explicates the verbal and nonverbal practices that the gurus use when they evoke audience laughter. These practices allow the gurus to project clear message completion …

Measuring Attraction To Organizations, Scott Highhouse, Filip Lievens, Evan F. Sinar

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Organizational attraction measures are commonly used as surrogate assessments of organizational pursuit. Despite the range in content often encompassed by such instruments, no research has systematically examined the assumptions underlying their use. The authors address this issue by empirically distinguishing items assessing attractiveness, prestige, and behavioral intentions and by modeling their effects on organization pursuit. Undergraduates (N = 305) were randomly assigned to recruitment literature from one of five well-known companies and were asked to respond to a series of items commonly used in past research. Analyses of the item responses suggested that three components of organizational attraction can be …

The Effects Of Sexual Orientation On Hirability Ratings: An Experimental Study, Greet Van Hoye, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Despite its rising importance, empirical research about sexual orientation in the workplace is still scarce. This experimental study examined if gay candidates, with the same work-related qualities as heterosexual candidates, would be judged less favorably in a personnel selection context. Written candidate profiles were varied in a 3 x 3 between-subjects factorial design, with candidate quality and sexual orientation as experimental variables. Our results indicated that the hirability ratings of 135 selection professionals were based on candidate quality and that no discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation occurred. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Higher Education And The Public, Private And Non-Profit Sectors: Equal Partners In Promoting Regional Economic Development, Aaron W. Hughey

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

Institutions of higher education throughout the world are increasingly aware of the importance of working more systematically and productively with community and business leaders in order to create better local economies and, ultimately, better societies. This article presents an overview of how colleges and universities can assist with the identification and implementation of specific strategies for enhancing the economic development of the regions in which they are located. Also included is a discussion of the emerging advantages associated with developing these kinds of collaborative partnerships, as well as a brief overview of the major approaches to regional economic development.

The Characteristics Of Successful Superintendents, Terry Mcdaniel

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what technical-managerial skills, human relation skills, and personal characteristics made superintendents in Indiana successful and to determine whether these skills and characteristics were innate or could be taught. Four universities and three educational organizations were surveyed to identify successful superintendents in Indiana based on the superintendents' technical managerial skills, human relation skills, and personal characteristics. The theoretical framework of the study was based on the eight professional standards for the superintendency as developed by the American Association of School Administrators. The identified superintendents were asked to participate in the study using the …

Corporate And Individual Influences On Managers' Social Orientation, Joachim W. Marz, Thomas L. Powers, Thomas Queisser

WCBT Faculty Publications

This paper reports research on the influence of corporate and individual characteristics on managers' social orientation in Germany. The results indicate that mid-level managers expressed a significantly lower social orientation than low-level managers, and that job activity did not impact social orientation. Female respondents expressed a higher social orientation than male respondents. No impact of the political system origin (former East Germany versus former West Germany) on social orientation was shown. Overall, corporate position had a significantly higher impact on social orientation than did the characteristics of the individuals surveyed.

Omission Bias In Vaccination Decision: Where's The "Omission"? Where's The "Bias"?, Terry Connolly, Jochen Reb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Several studies have reported that parents are often reluctant to vaccinate their own or other people's children, even when the balance of health risks and benefits clearly favors vaccination. This reluctance has been interpreted as a manifestation of omission bias, a general tendency to prefer inactive to active options even when inaction leads to worse outcomes or greater risks. The research raises significant public health concerns as well as worries about human decision biases in general. In this paper we argue that existing research on vaccination decisions has not convincingly demonstrated any general reluctance to vaccinate nor has it made …

Reactions To Perceived Inequity In U.S. And Dutch Interorganizational Relationships, Lisa K. Scheer, Nirmalya Kumar, Jan-Benedict E. M. Steenkamp

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In an empirical examination of inequity in interorganizational relationships, we found similarities and differences in Dutch and U.S. automobile dealers' reactions to inequity in their relationships with their automobile suppliers. As predicted by equity theory, both positive and negative inequity have detrimental effects on the reactions of Dutch firms. In contrast, U.S. firms do not react negatively to positive inequity; only negative inequity has deleterious effects.

Privacy And Attitudes Towards Internet-Based Selection Systems: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, Michael M. Harris, Greet Van Hoye, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper examines perceptions of privacy and how they relate to reluctance to submit employment-related information over the Internet. In addition, possible cross-cultural differences between the US and Belgium regarding these constructs and the role of Internet knowledge are investigated. Based on theories of privacy and cross-cultural differences, a survey methodology was applied to test several hypotheses. Results suggest that privacy considerations may affect reluctance to use an Internet-based selection system. Moreover, as expected, some differences were observed between US and Belgian respondents. Respondents possessing a higher self-rated knowledge of the Internet were less concerned that employment-related data submitted over …

Predicting Cross-Cultural Training Performance: The Validity Of Personality, Cognitive Ability, And Dimensions Measured By An Assessment Center And A Behavior Description Interview, Filip Lievens, Michael M. Harris, Etienne Van Keer, Claire Bisqueret

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examined the validity of a broad set of predictors for selecting European managers for a cross-cultural training program in Japan. The selection procedure assessed cognitive ability, personality, and dimensions measured by assessment center exercises and a behavior description interview. Results show that the factor Openness was significantly related to cross-cultural training performance, whereas. cognitive ability was significantly correlated with language acquisition. The dimensions of adaptability, teamwork, and communication as measured by a group discussion exercise provided incremental variance in both criteria, beyond cognitive ability and personality. In general, these results are consistent with the literature on domestic selection, …

The Implications Of Mentoring Programs On Employee Career Development And Retention In Selected Manufacturing Industries In Central Indiana, Frederick B. Asay

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring programs and determine the extent that mentoring programs facilitate employee career development and retention. This study was focused specifically on manufacturing industries of selected standard industrial codes (SIC) in Central Indiana. By identifying the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring programs the researcher was able to recommend that manufacturing industries consider implementing a mentoring program if one is not currently in place. A questionnaire and interviews were used to collect the data for the study. The sample population for the study consisted of 100 randomly selected manufacturing …

Leadership Preparation Experiences Of Chief Academic Officers In Two-Year Public Colleges, Delores Rogers Haklin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore whether leadership preparation experiences for the position of chief academic officers at two-year public colleges contribute to their perceived level of competency for specific tasks in the first year of their careers as chief academic officer. The instrument used in this study was developed by the researcher and was composed of three sections: the preparation experiences section, the self-perceived competency rating for tasks section, and the demographic section. Data were collected via a survey, which had a total of 46 questions in the three sections. The surveys were sent to chief academic …

The Impact Of Increasing User Expectations On Machine Replacement, Robert F. Marsh, Seong-Hyun Nam

WCBT Faculty Publications

This study explores the traditional equipment maintain or replace decision under scenarios of increasing customer expectations, loss due to process deviation, and process drift. Customer expectations are operationalized by tighter product specifications. The Taguchi loss function is employed to estimate the loss due to target deviation. In this paper we characterize the machine drift, uncertainty about future technological change, and the learn-and-break-in process by a generalized Brownian-Motion-Ito-Process. The photolithography process is analyzed in numerous scenarios varying demand, rejection levels, and quality losses.

Cultural Diversity's Impact On Firm Performance: The Moderating Influence Of Diversity Initiatives And Socialization Tactics, Amy Mcmillan-Capehart

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to test the hypothesized relationships between cultural diversity and firm performance. Specifically, this dissertation examines whether or not socialization tactics and diversity initiatives moderate the relationship between diversity and firm performance. This dissertation uses ROA, ROE, and employee productivity in order to capture an accurate picture of firm performance.

My second purpose is to test competing hypotheses that are based on different theories. Theories relating to diversity suggest that there may be both positive and negative effects of a heterogeneous workforce. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate those instances in which diversity can …

The Effects Of Transformational And Transactional Leadership On Job Satisfaction Affective Commitment And Turnover Intentions Among Teleworkers, Janet L. Bryant

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study is among the first to examine the influence of leadership among teleworkers. Effects of transformational and transactional leadership on job satisfaction, affective commitment, and turnover intentions were examined in a secondary data analysis of 128 teleworkers. Hierarchical linear regression results support the influence of both forms of leadership on these outcomes, although an augmentation effect for transformational leadership was observed only for affective commitment and turnover intentions. Findings from moderated regression analyses indicate that the effect of transformational leadership degrades with increasing telework frequency. This study shows that leadership is important in telework arrangements, although the manner in …

Assessing Organization Culture Readiness For Knowledge Management Implementation: The Case Of Aeronautical Systems Center Directorate Of Contracting, Martin R. Trent

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD is currently pursuing a wholesale transformation that impacts all facets of DoD operations and responsibilities. At the same time, the commercial sector has been experiencing significant changes that drive them to look for new ways of remaining competitive and profitable. Leveraging knowledge (intellectual capital) to increase efficiency and effectiveness within the organization has become a popular management technique that has been successful in many commercial firms. The DoD has noted the commercial sector successes and initiatives to better manage knowledge are being developed and implemented on an enterprise-wide basis as well as on a local- organizational basis. Previous …

Participation's Effect On Organizational Readiness For Change: An Empirical Study, Jonathon F. Flanders

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational change management is a principal issue in virtually every organization. This cross sectional correlation study examined an array of variables (i.e., process, personality, and context -specific) that influence organizational readiness for change. Participation (process variable) was related to higher mean scores in each of the four distinct readiness for change scales and explained a significant amount of incremental variance in appropriateness, valence, and efficacy.

A Practical Procedure To Estimate The Quality And The Adverse Impact Of Single-Stage Selection Decisions, Wilfried De Corte, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The quandary posed by the conflicting goals of valid selection and a diverse workforce is one of the most perplexing problems facing the practice of personnel selection today. To help address the issue, the article presents a comprehensive method and a related computer program to estimate the expected adverse impact and the expected quality of the majority, the minority and the total selected work force. Compared to previous related procedures, the present method is much more general as it can address situations with both multiple predictor and multiple criterion dimensions. In addition, the expected effects can be computed given the …

Applicant Perceptions Of Selection Procedures: The Role Of Selection Information, Belief In Tests, And Comparative Anxiety, Filip Lievens, Wilfried De Corte, Katrien Brysse

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study addresses the effects of the provision of information on the reliability and validity of selection procedures and the effects of test-taker attitudes (i.e., belief in tests and comparative anxiety) on fairness perceptions. Prior to an actual selection process, applicants (N = 118) were given either information about the reliability and validity of various selection procedures or no information. Next, they evaluated the fairness of eight selection procedures. No significant effect of selection information was found. Belief in tests had significant effects, with applicants high on test belief giving higher fairness ratings than applicants low on test belief. In …

The Relation Of Instrumental And Symbolic Attributes To A Company's Attractiveness As An Employer, Filip Lievens, Scott Highhouse

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study adds a new marketing-based angle to the study of the attractiveness of organizations in the early stages of the recruitment process. Drawing on the instrumental-symbolic framework from the marketing literature, we expected that the meanings (in terms of inferred traits) that prospective applicants associate with employing organizations would play an important role in applicants' attractiveness to these organizations. Two groups of prospective applicants (275 final-year students and 124 bank employees) were drawn from the applicant population targeted by the bank industry. These applicants were asked to rate a randomly assigned bank in terms of job/organizational factors and to …