Business Commons^™

System Of Systems Engineering: A Literature Review And Research Frontiers, Charles B. Keating, Polinpapilinho F. Katina, James C. Pyne

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) has existed and been developing for well over 2 decades. The time is appropriate to take a reflective look at the past and examine the future evolution of this nascent field. To address this challenge, this paper is focused on two primary objectives. First, a literature review of the SoSE field is conducted. This literature review (1) organizes the SoSE body of knowledge and provides a synthesis of major crosscutting themes, and (2) provides a scholarly critique and identifies gaps in the current state of the SoSE field. The second objective is focused on providing …

Risk Management Practices In The Aviation Industry: Lessons Learned And Effective Tools… A Mixed Method Approach, Jim W. Marion Jr. Phd, Tracey M. Richardson, Valerie Denney, Carlos Chaves

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This paper provides a data-driven approach to apply lessons learned from Project Risk Management in the aviation industry. This is accomplished by performing a qualitative analysis to inform a second-pass quantitative analysis using tools like surveys, word clods and analysis through NVivo and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). The results of this analysis show that the most important lessons are elements of early identification, rigorous risk identification and analysis and a focus on reducing risks inherent within the aviation history. Furthermore, the analysis yielded the following top tools for risks management within their phases of the project life-cycle: document review, checklists …

Exploring Artificial Intelligence Tools And Their Potential Impact To Instructional Design Workflows And Organizational Systems, Alexis Danielle Bolick, Rafael Leonardo Da Silva

Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article explores the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on Instructional Design (ID) workflows and organizations from a systems thinking perspective (Meadows, 2008). We provide an in-depth analysis of how three AI tools, ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Descript, can enhance efficiency in instructional design content creation processes. We also consider, in our analysis, challenges and ethical considerations associated with the integration of AI in instructional design workflows. Our explorations and findings suggest that AI holds significant potential for improving content creation processes for instructional design, allowing instructional designers more time for higher order thinking tasks and ensuring content quality. …

Time And Change: A Meta-Analysis Of Temporal Decisions In Longitudinal Studies, Helen Hailin Zhao, Abbie J. Shipp, Kameron Carter, Erik Gonzalez-Mulé, Erica Xu

Management Faculty Publications

Longitudinal research has grown in popularity in the field of management and organizations. However, the literature has neglected to consider the important ways in which researchers' temporal decisions can influence observed change in longitudinal studies. Researchers must make a set of temporal decisions to capture change, such as the temporal precision of the hypothesized form of change, the selection of a sample that is expected to exhibit the change, the choice of variables to be measured repeatedly, the frequency of measurements, and the time interval between measurements. However, these decisions typically are based on "educated guesses," which makes their effects …

Understanding Neurodiversity And Executive Disfunction To Discover More Effective Accommodations And Create A More Inclusive Workforce For Neurodivergent Individuals, Carley Dahlstrom

Honors Theses and Capstones

The goal of this paper is twofold. One: understand executive disfunction to gain a broader understanding of neurodiversity and the challenges those with neurodiversity face in the workforce. And two: research different accommodations to combat executive disfunction and evaluate their effectiveness. To accomplish these goals, an extensive literature review was conducted to understand neurodiversity, executive disfunction, government requirements relating to accommodations, and an exploration of current accommodations available. Additionally, research was conducted in the form of interviews and a survey to expand and add to the overall understanding of this research area.

Results of the survey indicate an overall lack …

Healthcare Workers With Attitude: Covid-19 Pandemic Affects Their Work-Related Attitudes, Quinn M. Sybert

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The COVID-19 pandemic left an unforgettable mark on the world, affecting individuals and societies on an unprecedented scale in this modern era. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the attitudes of healthcare professionals, specifically doctors and nurses working in a hospital in the southwestern United States. My research question is: did the COVID-19 pandemic change healthcare professionals’ work-related attitudes, specifically sense of calling, work meaningfulness, strength of workplace friendships, and organizational identification? Data collected from two cohorts of healthcare professionals both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in the months of February 2019, January and February 2020, …

Optimizing Organizational Growth: Exploring The Integration Of Business Development, Leadership And Project Management, Nathalia Romao

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This quantitative study investigates the integration of business development, leadership, and project management practices to optimize organizational growth. Despite the extensive literature on business management, organizations continue to face challenges such as communication gaps, monitoring inefficiencies and discrepancies in the division of tasks, which undermine performance and stakeholder satisfaction. This research aims to identify effective strategies for aligning these critical areas, focusing on agile, waterfall methodologies and a hybrid project management suggestion. Opinion research and correlational analysis will be carried out to collect and analyze data from professionals from various sectors. Cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys provide information on current integration …

“I’M Especially Sorry To Those Impacted”: Conventional Visions Of Leadership In The 2022/2023 Tech Layoffs, Jared J. Watkins

Student Theses and Dissertations

In 2022 and 2023, over 400,000 employees in the technology sector were laid off. This study conducted a thematic analysis using coding on memos announcing layoffs sent by leaders at Meta, Google, and Microsoft in late 2022 and early 2023. This study also conducted an analysis of layoff memos sent by leaders of Google and Microsoft in 2009 for comparison. Key findings include that writing to multiple stakeholders in the 2022/2023 memos produced novel contradictions and paradoxes that may impede employee sensemaking, that 2022/2023 memos used more passive and distancing language that disconnected the leader from the layoff decision and …

Midwest Midlevel Professionals' Perspective On Their Entry-Level Experience: Supervisor Leadership And Its Effect On Employee Retention, Joseph Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

For the past three decades, new professionals have been leaving the student affairs field at alarming rates, with around 50% departing within five years of completing their master’s degrees. While numerous studies have explored the reasons behind this exodus, few have examined why the other 50% remain. Moreover, limited research has investigated how servant leadership impacts the retention of these professionals. This basic interpretive qualitative study aimed to understand how leadership’s focus on employee needs influences retention, using the lived experiences of eight mid-level student affairs professionals from large public institutions in the Midwest, each 5-7 years post-master’s degree. Thematic …

Sticks And Stones: A Look At The Effects Of Microinsults And Stereotype Threat On Sustainable Career Outcomes, Shona G. Smith

Management Dissertations - Archive

Subtle forms of workplace discrimination have many adverse consequences for employees and organizations (Jones et al., 2016). Microinsults – a type of microaggression “characterized by interpersonal or environmental communications that convey stereotypes, rudeness, and insensitivity and that demean a person’s racial, gender, or sexual orientation, heritage, or identity” (Sue, 2010, p. 31) – are one form of subtle discrimination that may be pervasive in organizations. As they are invisible and ambiguous (Sue et al., 2008), some research suggests that microinsults are more taxing than overt forms of discrimination because they involve guesswork and sensemaking for the target to process their …

Why Do My Coworkers Share Their Work-Related Good News With Me? Coworker Capitalization, Motive Attribution, And Implications, Chenduo Du

Theses and Dissertations--Management

While research on close relationships suggests that individuals can benefit from capitalization or sharing positive events, it is unclear whether similar benefits hold for coworker capitalization or sharing work-related positive events with coworkers. Given that coworkers typically possess less intimate knowledge of one another compared to those in close relationships, it is plausible that they may interpret each other’s actions in diverse ways. Thus, I introduce attribution theory as a novel framework for understanding the effects of coworker capitalization. I suggest that when a coworker shares a positive event, recipients may attribute one of three motives to the discloser: a …

A New Hope? Restoring Self-Compassion In Response To Abusive Supervision, James P. Burton, Brittany C. Buis, Larissa K. Barber

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Given the persistent financial and psychological costs of abusive supervision in organizations, a greater understanding of the mechanisms that employees can use to cope with abuse is warranted. In the present study, abusive supervision is expected to be negatively related to a key employee coping mechanism – self-compassion – and this hindered mechanism would lead to higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of hope. However, a written meditation targeting self-compassion could break the link between abuse and employee anxiety or hope. The hypotheses and the written self-compassion meditation were tested across two studies incorporating both a highly controlled laboratory …

Assessing Past Airworthiness Directives And How Safety Management Systems May Benefit Aviation Product Design And Manufacturing, Damon Lercel, Manoj Patankar, Richard Steckel

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) continues to promulgate Safety Management Systems (SMS) across aviation organizations when it recently issued SMS requirements for EASA certificated Part 145 maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organizations and Part 21 Design & Manufacturing (D&M) organizations. Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has no such rule in place for these U.S.-based organizations, which may challenge those doing business in countries where EASA policies apply. Given that a majority of the United States’ D&M and MRO population is made up of smaller organizations, it is likely a U.S. SMS regulation will require justification of the …

Career Choice Motivation For Professional Pilots, Brett Watts, Tamilla Curtis, Scott Ambrose

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study identified key motivational factors of current flight training students to better understand how individuals are motivated to pursue a career in aviation. The theoretical framework used in this study was based upon self-determination theory, as originally introduced by Deci and Ryan (2000).The research approach for this study was a semi-structured interview process where students were asked eight foundational career motivation source questions and their responses were organized into career choice motivation categories. Results showed most participants became motivated to pursue a piloting career at a very young age. This early motivation was largely due to influence from third …

Developmental Pathways From Player To Coach For Volunteers In An American Football Organization In Germany, Gary Cramer

Dissertations

The leadership style of organizational leaders is a key factor affecting volunteer coach recruitment and retention; yet the examination of developmental pathways from player to coach is lacking in the literature, especially as viewed from the perspective of those who are followers. The study addressed the following research question: How do volunteer coaches in an American football organization in Germany, who once played for the same head coach in the organization they currently coach, describe their pathway of development from player to coach? The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to inductively investigate the developmental pathways of volunteer sport …

Answering The “Now What?”: The Development Of A Transdisciplinary Breast Cancer Survivorship Nonprofit Organization, Vir-Iaesta Maniquiz Vergel De Dios

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Although patients are living longer or are surviving breast cancer, the side effects of treatment still leave patients struggling with quality-of-life issues. The lack of whole-person care leaves patients unequipped after treatment is complete, searching for answers and a way to survive on their own. The unintended consequence becomes a dramatic shift from the weekly/daily medical appointments during active treatment to a silence that can be daunting for many to navigate. Living Your Truth Empowered, shortened to LYTE Foundation, is an antiauthoritarian minded and anti-hierarchal nonprofit created to address the needs of the growing breast cancer survivor population. LYTE is …

How Communities Of Practice Can Mitigate School Leader Burnout, Jason E. Saltmarsh

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This qualitative study expands our knowledge about school leader communities of practice (CoP) by examining the role they play in mitigating symptoms of burnout. Drawing primarily on in-depth interviews with school leaders in an urban California school district, this analysis applies Leiter and Maslach’s Structured Approach to Organizational Predictors of Job Burnout as a lens to understand school leaders’ experiences in a CoP focused on instructional leadership. Findings reveal dimensions of engagement known to reduce aspects of burnout, namely social closeness, a range of supports, and the perception of doing meaningful work that aligns with one’s values. This study extends …

Diversifying The Workforce: Women In Plumbing, Aviva Maxon

Scripps Senior Theses

Exploring the benefits and challenges of being women in plumbing through first person narratives.

Ai Fairness In Action: A Human-Computer Perspective On Ai Fairness In Organizations And Society, David De Cremer, Jack Mcguire, Jack Mcguire

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are being increasingly adopted by society, governments, and organizations in various decision-making contexts. For example, organizations use AI systems to decide whether applicants can be considered for a job, whether bonuses and other rewards should be allocated, or whether promotions and further training need to be invested in. In fact, as AI is seen as an important catalyst of economic growth, organizations today seem to know no boundaries in their AI adoption efforts, making employees and society more dependent on and thus also more vulnerable to the decisions made by or in partnership with AI (De …

Emotional Expression Between Ceo And Chairperson As A Micro-Foundation Of Organizational Capabilities: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study, John Paul Stephens

Faculty Scholarship

The work relationships between CEOs and Chairpersons are key to the functioning of the firm. This study uses survey and interview data to explore how these work relationships serve as a micro-foundation for an organization's communication climate. Survey data suggested that CEO-Chairperson relationships can be characterized by emotional carrying capacity (ECC; constructively expressing more positive and negative emotions). The survey-based model further demonstrated that CEOs and Chairpersons perceive their ECC to positively predict organizational communication climate and, in turn, knowledge creation capabilities. The latter, in turn, are positively associated with firm performance. CEO-Chairperson dyadic interview data supplemented the associations identified …

Supervisor Integrity Empowers Employees To Advocate For Diversity In Problematic Climates, Timothy G. Kundro, Brett H. Neely Jr., Cindy P. Muir (Zapata)

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Supervisors struggle to encourage employees to engage in diversity advocacy—key behaviors that help promote more equitable workplaces. Research hints that one reason for this struggle may be that employees lack the empowerment to engage in such behaviors. Drawing on perspectives that conceptualize diversity advocacy as a moral and virtuous behavior, we integrate research on leadership and empowerment to suggest that supervisor integrity can empower observers to engage in diversity advocacy. In exploring boundary conditions, we draw on performance models to counterintuitively suggest that this effect is strongest when employees perceive a negative diversity climate, as employees see the greatest need …

The Effects Of Leader Member Exchange Differentiation On Task Performance And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Junhui Gan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study delves into the intricate dynamics of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) within working teams, with a specific focus on Leader-Member Exchange Differentiation (LMXD) and its subsequent impact on task performance and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCB). Utilizing a comprehensive, multisource dataset comprising 394 employees across 120 store teams in three furnishing shopping malls in Zhejiang Province, China, this research employs a two-wave data collection methodology to examine the proposed theoretical model.

Contrary to prevailing assumptions in the LMX literature, this study reveals that LMXD does not significantly influence anticipated team conflict, nor does it exert indirect effects on task performance and …

Leadership In Startups: How Founder Personality And Leadership Behaviors Impact Startup Success And Psychological Safety, Ria Passi, Ronald Riggio

CMC Senior Theses

New ventures created by entrepreneurs are crucial to the economy and to the diffusion of innovative technologies. However, startups often operate in highly uncertain environments characterized by constrained resources, lack of established processes, and complex market dynamics. Despite surges in startup investment, the failure rate for new ventures remains high, making it crucial to understand the factors that can contribute to their success. This thesis explores how founder personalities, leadership styles, and cultivating psychological safety impact startup performance and growth trajectories. Founder personality traits like openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are positively associated with securing funding, achieving exit opportunities, and overall …

The Pacesetter Style Of Leadership, Michelle C. Dziurgot Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial explores the pacesetter leadership style, likening it to a marathon "rabbit" setting a fast pace. Pacesetters, exemplified by figures like Jack Welch and James Cameron, set ambitious goals, driving themselves and their teams relentlessly. While effective in achieving short-term goals and maximizing team potential, drawbacks include employee stress, lack of feedback, and a "rat race" atmosphere. The author, a self-identified pacesetter with a compassionate approach, emphasizes the importance of balancing high standards with employee well-being for sustained success.

Elevating Inclusion: Understanding The Employee Experience Of Latinx Immigrants In The Technology Industry, Angelica Coronel

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In a time characterized by an increasingly diverse U.S. labor force, immigrants have emerged as a vital yet often overlooked segment. As the workforce landscape evolves and employers seek to expand their Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) initiatives, understanding the unique challenges and perspectives of immigrant employees becomes crucial for fostering equity and inclusion in the workplace. The existing literature reveals a significant gap on workplace experiences of immigrant employees, particularly Latinx immigrants employed in the technology industry. Grounded in social identity theory, systems theory, and equity theory, this study adopts a phenomenological approach to understand how Latinx immigrant employees …

Evaluating Conflict Resolution Training For Effectiveness: Developing Knowledge And Skills For Multiple Perspectives, Jessica Arriola

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Managers and leadership teams invest time in resolving workplace conflicts, but the key question is whether professional learning effectively delivers lasting outcomes for individuals and organizations. This study created an eight-hour conflict resolution training on Bolman and Deal’s Four Leadership Frames to educate Central Florida professionals on using multiple perspectives in conflict resolution, evaluating effectiveness through the Kirkpatrick Model. Directed qualitative content analysis (DQCA) was used to gauge the effectiveness of the training, therefore answering the overarching research question: Is conflict resolution training of the Four Frames of Leadership by Bolman and Deal perceived as effective training by human resource …

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

Turnover Intention Of Women Leaders: The Role Of Leader Identity Development, Haleigh Broucher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Women’s turnover rate within leadership positions exceed that of men, but the literature fails to outline the specific contexts and antecedents of such gender differences in turnover. Drawing from the leader identity literature, I outline how gender differences in leader identity strength can help illuminate why we see higher turnover intention of women in leadership positions. Given that a strong leader identity has shown to lower turnover intention, I investigate how the leader identity development process unfolds differently for women (compared to men). Leader identity development occurs through the exchange of leader behavior asserting authority (i.e., leader claims) and follower …

Understanding The Effects Of Organizational And Individual Level Motivations On Impression Formation For Persons With Disabilities In The Workplace, Lauren Francesca Luchetti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, organizations have begun paying more attention to hiring people with disabilities because of evidence supporting direct and indirect benefits to the organization. The business case for disability outlines the economic benefits for hiring those with disabilities, such as lower rates of turnover and absenteeism. Despite the motivations to hire those with disabilities, this population continues to suffer from higher rates of unemployment and underemployment. The current project attempts to shed light on the mechanisms that can improve the effectiveness of hiring motivations and disability hiring rates. In two experimental studies, the effect of the business case on …

Just Culture In Aviation: A Metaphorical Study On Aircraft Maintenance Students, Ramazan Çoban, Cengiz Mesut Bükeç

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years. Just culture signifies a work environment where employees are motivated to provide essential safety-related information, but a clear distinction must be made between acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. The aim of this study is to examine the fundamental characteristics of just culture in the aviation sector. The phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research designs, has been adopted in the study. Purposeful sampling was used in the selection of participants, with the sample consisting of 78 students studying in the aircraft …