Business Commons^™

Understanding Employee Engagement: A Mixed-Methods Study, Joren M. Scharn

Theses & Dissertations

For over 4 decades businesses around the world have been conducting employee satisfaction surveys at regular intervals and this surfaced a strong positive relationship between employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and overall company performance. In recent years however, academics and researchers have reopened the debate on whether employee or job satisfaction metrics are in fact reliable indicators of productivity, suggesting that employee engagement has a far stronger correlation to productivity. This study addresses two interrelated problems that are associated with a practice that is common in working environments all over the world. According to literature, it is generally accepted that (a) …

Relationship Between Self-Development, Mentorship, And Senior Military Officer Moral Judgment, Garry Thompson

Dissertations

Despite a renewed emphasis on ethics programs across the Department of Defense (DOD) since 2007, the number of senior officer ethical failures increased by 13% from 2015 to 2017 (Copp, 2017). If the trend of ethical failures and misconduct continue, the military faces a further decline in public confidence (DoDOIG, 2017). The 2017 DOD Inspector General report noted the trend of senior leader ethical failures might foster negative public perceptions regarding military leader’s overall dedication, sacrifice, ethics, and character (DoDOIG, 2017).

A review of military literature revealed the importance of mentorship and self-development in professional development; however, gaps between …

Female Student Perceptions Of Factors That Influence Persistence In Male-Dominated Community College Career And Technical Education Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Programs, Valeria Williams

Dissertations

The number of males enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs outnumber female counterparts (Wang & Degol, 2017). The disparity is even greater in persistence rates for STEM related fields (Glass, Sassler, Levitte & Michelmore, 2013). The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of females enrolled in traditionally male-dominated programs of study, specifically in the areas of STEM in community and junior colleges, to determine factors that influence persistence.

Although previous research exists focusing on women in STEM, most studies explore the barriers women face (Ong, Wright, Espinosa, & Orfield, 2011). The findings from previous …

The Relationship Between Employee Engagement And Work Performance For Individuals Working In Active Asset Management: Examining The Moderate Effect Of Age, Gender, And Job Function., Elizabeth Aubrey Brenner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The construct of employee engagement and its relationship to desirable organizational outcomes has received a great deal of attention within Human Resource Development (HRD) literature. However, little research has examined the influence of employee engagement on work performance in the active asset management industry, and no academic study has explored employee engagement in the active asset management industry using the lens of HRD. This study examined the relationship between employee engagement and work performance, and the moderating effect of age, gender, and job function on the relationship between employee engagement and work performance, for individuals employed within active asset management. …

The Effect Of Organizational Tenure, Bargaining Unit Status, And Union Membership On Local Government Employee Public Service Motivation, Ty Ryburn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two of the largest challenges public organizations face in motivating their workforces are the aging workforce and the strong union influence (Lavigna, 2014). On June 27, 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Janus vs. AFSCME to abolish agency fees, and gave public service employees in bargaining units the right to choose whether they want to pay union dues or pay no fees at all.

In examining the unique motivational factors of employees in the public sector, Perry and Wise (1990) developed a theory called Public Service Motivation (PSM). Later, Perry (1996) developed a survey instrument which despite criticism, …

Exploring Grief And Mourning In Work Teams: A Phenomenological Multi-Case Study, Ashley L. Kutach

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the experiences of team members when a fellow team member returns to work after the unexpected death of a loved one. The participants in the study gave accounts of their personal experiences, and the overall team experiences, following a team member’s return to work. The goal of the study was to investigate these experiences to provide insight that is not available in current literature.

This research was a phenomenological multi-case study based on six theoretical literature foundations: grief dual process model, social support model, team-member exchange theory, social network theory, group …

Leadership Development: A Senior Leader Case Study, Jason M. Newcomer

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

Brig Gen Thomas Sharpy, former director of the Air Force General Officer Management Office, identified the need for an internal assessment of the US Air Force’s leadership development process, also known as the developmental team (DT), to determine its effectiveness in creating excellent leaders to meet current and future needs. DTs are part of the Air Force’s overarching force-development program, a requirement-driven initiative to train and educate the service’s active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel through a purposeful, career-long process of personal and professional development.

Big-Data Talent Analytics In The Public Sector: A Promotion And Firing Model Of Employees At Federal Agencies, Rabih Neouchi

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

Talent analytics is a relatively new area of focus to researchers working in analytics and data science. Talent Analytics has the potential to help companies make many informed critical decisions around talent acquisition, promotion and retention. This work investigates data science to predict “shiny star” employees in the U.S. public sector, defined as top-notch performers over the years of a given time span. Its scope falls within talent analytics, also called people analytics, a relatively new research area.

We clean a data set made available by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and present two models to predict the …

Together Apart: Influences And Barriers To Engagement Among Remote Workers, Stacey-Robin H. Johnson

Student Theses and Dissertations

Organizations recognize the importance of having employees who do more than 'show up' for work. Rather, the goal is to have employees who will adapt to, embody, and promote the values, agenda, and strategic purposes of the organization beyond their work life. In the efforts around engagement, there are key influences in the organizational lifespan of an employee that can inspire or discourage engagement attitudes and behaviors.

Remote workers (defined here as those who work outside of a central, collective work setting) present unique challenges, the most pressing being maintaining a sense of connection and inclusion among the group in …

A Narrative Inquiry With Three Formerly Abrasive Leaders: Stories Of Disruption, Awakening, And Equipping, Lori J. Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychological aggression in the workplace is known to be destructive. Most commonly, knowledge of this workplace dynamic is through the literature of workplace bullying or abusive supervision and from the perspective of the accuser. Very little is known of the perspective of the accused. Moreover, unknown in the literature is the valued perspective of the leader who (a) acknowledged his or her behavior was inappropriate and (b) significantly improved his or her interpersonal behavior and management strategies. The purpose of this study was to inquire into the experience and meaning making of three formerly abrasive leaders who were positively influenced …

Promoting Workplace Health Using Wearable Technology: A Mixed Methods Study In A Nonprofit Organization, Mitchell Tarver

Dissertations

Despite efforts to improve the designs and benefits of workplace wellness programs (WWPs), there are two major problems preventing employers from optimizing the human capital of their employees: (a) many WWPs are limited and do not include an exercise component, which increases the potential for chronic health conditions; and (b) more than 50% of employees are reluctant to participate in WWPs due to the common barriers of time, convenience, and location. A lack of physical activity is a problem because studies have shown that chronic conditions increase rates of absenteeism and presenteeism, both of which increase productivity loss. Additionally, low …

Eyes In The Field, A Seat At The Table, A Voice At The Ranch : A Study On Optimal Farm Labor Conditions., Christine Wiggins-Romesburg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of human resource development has twin obligations to promote the performance of organizations and the satisfaction and welfare of all workers. Nevertheless, agriculture appears to be an understudied industry in the field, despite this obligation and the potential for suffering experienced by workers performing crop work. This case study sought to understand the process through which a single agricultural operation fosters optimal conditions for workers engaged in labor-intensive crop production. This study found employees experienced better treatment compared to other agricultural operations, and that conditions were rich in both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors were marked by …

Exploring The Perceptions Of Leaders In Investor-Owned Utilities In California On Managing Organizational Change Initiatives, Maria Liza Legaspi

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study employing in-depth interviews was to identify the strategies and practices executive leaders and midlevel managers of investor-owned utilities (IOUs) perceive are effective in creating employee acceptance and support of organizational change and to identify the supports and barriers executive leaders and midlevel managers perceive as affecting employee acceptance or resistance to organizational change in IOUs.

Methodology: A qualitative research design enabled the capture of deeper thoughts and insights of executive leaders and midlevel managers of 4 IOUs in California. The study delved into the strategies and practices used by IOUs that are perceived …

Innovative And Introverted: How Introverts Function In The Creative Workplace, Rose Needle

Senior Theses

Open office plans have become the dominant style for creative workplaces, designed to encourage constant collaboration and proximity. Little research assesses the validity of that conventional practice, or the impact of open environments on creativity, productivity or employee satisfaction for introverts, who require time alone for highest functioning. Though the “Extrovert Ideal” permeates these industries, nearly 50% of the general population is introverted—and introverted traits correlate positively with creativity. This thesis includes a survey of 143 people working in creative industries, assessing perceptions of productivity and satisfaction along with personality type. A majority of respondents yearned for solitude to complete …

Examining The Critical Success Factors Of Rapid Acquisition: A Human Capital Perspective, Christine J. Jestice

Theses and Dissertations

Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition programs continue to encounter schedule delays and cost overruns despite past reforms. Global threat uncertainties and high-velocity technological advances are also prevailing. Given the current rate at which program offices are fielding weapon systems, the United States (US) may be fighting with obsolete weapons and technology. Gaining superiority demands a new approach – to expedite the rate of capability delivery through rapid acquisition programs who have demonstrated success in delivering capabilities with speed. This research examines whether the attributes in the people dimension of an expedited framework contribute to success of rapid defense acquisition programs. …

Public Health Workforce Perceived Impact Of Emerging Issues In Public Health, Kristie C. Waterfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: In an era where public health has been viewed as a global, multi-disciplinary field, the public health workforce has remained united to unfailingly holding fast to the mission of protecting, promoting, and improving the health of the public. However, the practice of public health is consistently evolving, and the workforce is continually facing a mirage of challenges. In order to overcome these challenges, practitioners need to be up-to-date on the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively deliver the core public health services.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the perceived impact of emerging trends in public …

What Affects Do Managers Have On Employee Performance And Turnover?, Devan O'Donnell

Theses

This dissertation focused on whether managers affect employee performance and turnover. In particular, this research focused on multinational organisations in Ireland. The focal point was to gain an understanding of this topic from a manger and employee point of view. For the sake of this research the managers that were involved were only managers of employees and not other managers.

This research project adopts a mixed research method of data collections. It applies both face to face interviews with managers and online questionnaires with employees.

The findings revelled valuable insight into the relationship between managers and employee performance and turnover. …

Are Women Executives Hurting Firm Performance? An Examination Of Gender Diversity On Firm Risk, Performance, And Executive Compensation, Krystal Diane Sung

CMC Senior Theses

In order to assess the continuing imbalance of top executives between genders, I examine the effects of gender diversity within top management teams on firm risk, performance, and executive compensation. Capitalizing on previous analysis, I apply three unique differentiators. First, I utilize current data from 2012 to 2017 from Compustat, CRSP, and ExecuComp. Second, I provide a unique subset view on a firm and individual performance of female CEOs to examine executive compensation. Third, my scope of analysis expands to S&P Composite 1500 companies. I use separate models to estimate the effect of gender diversity on firm risk by examining …

Business Strategy For Potential Sustainability Organizations Of The Future, Randall Duffield

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The exponential acceleration of globalization in the modern economy has resulted in the creation of new, unexpected job positions. This article explores the possibility of merging strategic business practices with a potential sustainability effort in plastic removal from the world's oceans. Though the current paradigm of political involvement relegated research to focus on a governmental position, the research and organizational methods could, and should, be applied to future private market endeavors in the same field.

Análisis Del Efecto Histéresis En El Sector Agropecuario: Implicaciones En La Producción Y Empleo Rural En Colombia Después De La Apertura De Los Años Noventa, Héctor Felipe Chaves Garzón, Alison Angélica Garavito

Economía

La instauración del nuevo modelo económico en la década de los 90 para Colombia trajo una restructuración en todos los sectores económicos. Los cambios en el sector agrario se evidenciaron en la trasferencia de factores productivos hacia sectores no transables de la economía y en el cambio del uso del suelo, que trajo consigo una mayor concentración de la tierra y dependencia externa para la provisión de alimentos. La teoría ortodoxa sostiene que los sectores económicos fluctúan a través de una tendencia de largo plazo, tendiendo a un equilibrio; sin embargo, no tiene en cuenta que la historia trasciende del …

Análisis De Los Diferenciales Salariales En Las Actividades Económicas De Las 13 Áreas Metropolitanas Según Género 2010-2018, Lady Lizeth Zamora Díaz

Economía

El objetivo del presente estudio es realizar un análisis de los diferenciales salariales y capital humano en las actividades económicas en las 13 áreas metropolitanas según género en el periodo de 2010-2018 en base a la Gran Encuesta Integral de Hogares (GEIH). Para el procesamiento de datos se emplean técnicas de evaluación de estadística descriptiva y la estimación de funciones mincerianas para trabajadores asalariados y sus niveles de educación. Además, se establece el coeficiente de Oaxaca, con el fin de determinar si existe o no discriminación salarial por género. Se encuentra que durante el 2010 las mujeres ganaban en términos …

Trabajo De Grado En Proyección Social Fundación Construyendo Caminos De Esperanza “Funcades”, Viviana Andrea Prieto Vélez, David Leandro Albarracín Alvarado

Contaduría Pública

El trabajo de proyección social busca establecer en los estudiantes criterios estratégicos de análisis e investigación, en un espacio de aplicación real al interior de una fundación, donde se puedan identificar los puntos de mejora y dar una solución factible y aplicable con términos administrativos, contables y financieros.