Business Commons^™

Minerva 2009, The Honors College

Minerva

This issue of Minerva includes a story on alumna Betsy Leitch and her husband Bill Leitch, Betsy's connection to Colvin Hall, and their ongoing support of Honors; an article about Colvin Hall renovations and the opening of the Margaret Chase Smith Visiting Faculty Suite; and an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning Honors graduate, Bettina Boxall. Other highlights include the story of Honors graduate Adam Jones and his involvement in saving the USS Alabama.

Introduction To Current Empirical Research, Donald E. Gibson

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

A Bevy Of Hot Button Issues, William P. Ferris

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Introduction To The Teaching & Learning Section, Steven I. Meisel

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Integrating The Emotional Intelligence Construct: The Relationship Between Emotional Ability And Emotional Competence, Craig R. Seal, Mary D. Sass, James R. Bailey, Matthew Liao-Troth

Organization Management Journal

This paper posits that the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) has not advanced as quickly and adroitly as it could have because of a lack of validity studies that combine the two most prevalent models, emotionality ability (EA) and emotional competency (EC). Although prior EI validations studies exist, none have examined the relationship between the primary EA and EC measurement tools – the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test and the Emotional Competency Inventory – University Edition, respectively – at the sub-trait levels with a population of undergraduate and MBA students. Findings indicate that there is no direct relationship between the total …

Evidence-Based Instruction: A Classroom Experiment Comparing Nominal And Brainstorming Groups, Lynn E. Miller

Organization Management Journal

Interactive brainstorming groups consistently produce fewer ideas, and fewer high quality ideas, than nominal groups, whose members work alone before pooling their ideas. Yet, brainstorming continues to be regarded as an effective method for enhancing creativity. This paper describes an engaging classroom ‘‘experiment’’ that reliably demonstrates the superiority of nominal over brainstorming groups for generating more ideas. Analyses of data from 105 student groups, collected from 12 classes, show that typical differences between the two group methods are sizable. Beyond lessons about group techniques, this exercise shows students the limits of intuition and the value of evidence-based management practices.

Dynamic Dialogue: A Multi-Perspective Approach Towards Cultural Competence, Daria C. Crawley, Rex L. Crawley

Organization Management Journal

Interculturalism and race relations are becoming more complex as America becomes more diverse. Recent attention focused on universities’ admissions programs aimed at diversifying the student body only convey a segment of campus efforts addressing diversity. Curriculum development initiatives speak to diversity concerns through course topics centered on issues such as race and gender by stimulating conversations among students and the instructor. This article presents two models for integrating dynamic dialogues/conversations about race across academic curricula. These perspectives shed insight into the challenges of communicating in an intercultural environment. One model highlights attempts at integrating dynamic dialogue programmatically and the other …

Linking Theory & Practice – Articles On Telework And On Social Media In Management Education, William P. Ferris

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

2009 Annual Meeting, Eastern Academy Of Management, Hartford, Ct – Facing The Future With Heart And Mind, Dilip Mirchandani

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Applying Technology To Work: Toward A Better Understanding Of Telework, Timothy D. Golden

Organization Management Journal

Technology is enabling employees to work away from the office as teleworkers, where they experience increased flexibility to manage their work and personal lives. The last several decades have seen telework rapidly expand as a work mode, which offers both new opportunities and challenges for employees and corporations alike. This paper covers a brief overview of telework research and practice, in the hopes of providing a better understanding of this rapidly emerging form of virtual work. The paper first describes its growing popularity and the types of telework being practiced, and then reviews some key findings in prior research by …

Management Education Using Social Media, Charles Wankel

Organization Management Journal

The millennial generation of students are digital natives coming to higher education with extensive experience in social media. Business and other organizations are expecting their recruits to have high proficiency in these technologies, too. This article is an overview of the use of the main social media in teaching. Facebook, blogs, YouTube, Twitter, MySpace, and Second Life are discussed with examples of how they can be used to foster robust collaboration among learners in management education. The movement to richer media such as video blogs (vlogs) is assessed. Caveats for implementing the social media in higher educational settings are noted.

Ict Usage In Microfinance Institutions In Uganda, Joseph Kaumba Ssewanyana

The African Journal of Information Systems

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are always often faced with high operating costs to provide financial services to the poor people and Small and Medium Enterprises. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been found to promote the dual objective of microfinance - sustainability and outreach to the poor people. Using a quantitative survey and descriptive research approach, this paper has established the extent to which ICT has been used in the microfinance institutions in Uganda. Despite the barriers, ICT usage in MFIs has been on the rise; and different applications and technologies have been adopted by some MFIs to control costs, create …

The Impact Of Computerisation On Productivity: The Case Of Two State Utility Corporations In Botswana, Ayoku A. Ojedokun, Kgomotso H. Moahi

The African Journal of Information Systems

The study investigated the impact of computer technology on productivity improvement as reflected in the billing process and total quality bills invoiced per month in the Gaborone headquarters of Botswana Power Corporation and Water Utilities Corporation. It examined the input-output relationship with computers as one of the inputs. The other input is labour represented by the Meter Reading Hours and the Supervisory Hours. The study drew on the economic production theory and time series approach to determine the contributions of the inputs to output. The study relied on unpublished information and interviews rather than the use of publicly or commercially …

Reviving The United States' Commitment To Pakistan And Afghanistan, Steve A. Young, Imdad Hussain Sahito

Journal of Strategic Security

As President Obama is in the midst of deciding whether additional U.S.combat forces are needed in Afghanistan in addition to the 21,000 troops recently committed, he must realize that additional armed forces are only a stopgap measure in Afghanistan's downward spiral into an 'undergoverned' failed state. Similarly, as Pakistan's fragile and fractured civilian government continues to appease the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization of Pakistani Pashtun tribesmen with Taliban cultural values led by Baitullah Mehsud and others, it comes closer to the concept of a "misgoverned" failed state, possessing a small arsenal of nuclear arms. The problem for the …

The Tangled Web Of Taliban And Associated Movements, Greg Smith

Journal of Strategic Security

Following the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,worldwide attention became focused on the Taliban and al-Qaida forcesin Afghanistan. Prior to the attacks, many people had never heard of the Taliban or their shar'ia-law style of government. Since 2001, manysplinter groups have formed in response to the continual United Statespresence in the region. Today, the term Taliban has been used to envelop several groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Haqqani Network (HQN) and the Tehrik-eNifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi(TNSM). These groups make up the majority of fighters along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Many of these groups have been historicrivals for control of the …

Extinguishing The Torch Of Terror: The Threat Of Terrorism And The 2010 Olympics, Serge E. Vidalis

Journal of Strategic Security

With the change in seasons comes the expected change of insurgency operations in Afghanistan as Taliban and al-Qaida fighters mount their spring and summer offensives against both NATO forces and Afghanis sympathetic to foreign troops. As insurgents curtail their seasonal operations with the arrival of fall and winter, is it likely that a threat may arise from Afghanistan to affect the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia? As will be illustrated herein, the threat to the games will not be borne directly from the insurgency in Afghanistan but rather by the universal jihadist ideology of al-Qaida rather than the nationalist …

Book Reviews, Christine E. Williamson, Ed Urie, Michael Savasta, Robin L. Thompson, D.M., Edward M. Roche

Journal of Strategic Security

Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis. By David T.Moore.

At The Center Of The Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis. By George Tenet with Bill Harlow.

Female Suicide Bombers. By Rosemarie Skaine.

Information Operations: Doctrine and Practice. By Christopher Paul.

The Secret Sentry: The Untold History of the National Security Agency. By Matthew M. Aid.

The Blood of Lambs: A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption. By Kamal Saleem with Lynn Vincent.

Attaché Extraordinaire: Vernon A. Walters in Brazil. By Frank Márcio De Oliveira.

Cover & Front Matter

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Revisiting Downs' Issue-Attention Cycle: International Terrorism And U.S. Public Opinion, Karen K. Petersen

Journal of Strategic Security

Lamenting the lack of public awareness of international events and U.S. foreign policy is not a particularly novel exercise; yet, explaining the process by which issues enter and exit the public realm remains a challenging endeavor. Despite contributions from researchers working in international relations and mass communication, explaining public inattentiveness continues to vex scholars. However, in his article, "Up and Down with Ecology: The 'Issue-Attention Cycle,'" Anthony Downs provides a parsimonious and tractable model of public opinion that can be applied to foreign policy issues.1 While Downs concerns himself exclusively with domestic issues, particularly environmental issues, his model has thepotential …

Guerilla Warfare & Law Enforcement: Combating The 21st Century Terrorist Cell Within The U.S., Richard J. Hughbank

Journal of Strategic Security

Both domestic and international terrorist organizations employ guerrilla warfare tactics, techniques, and procedures. Thus, the ability to identify and defeat the members of these organizations, cripple their infrastructures, and disrupt their financial resources lies in the understanding of modern guerrilla warfare as it develops in the twenty-first century within the United States.3 The forms of asymmetric warfare4 adopted by domestic and international terrorist groups alike is no longer intended to gain simple media exposure or governmental manipulation; they want to make an overpowering impact by causing massive loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure and are often motivated by …

Islamist Distortions: Hizb Ut- Tahrir A Breeding Ground For Al- Qaida Recruitment, Krishna Mungur

Journal of Strategic Security

In 1953, a radical splinter organization from the Muslim Brotherhood,Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), was founded by the Al-Azhar University (Cairo,Egypt) educated jurist Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani who criticized theMuslim Brotherhood for collaborating with Egyptian secularists, such as Gamal Abdel Nasser. A sizable portion of the more radical members of the Muslim Brotherhood broke away, to join Nabhani's budding movement. Today, HuT is known to operate in more than forty countries, calling for the restoration of the Islamic Caliphate, with a history of violence and links to violent terrorist organizations. Given increasing tensions in the region over the presence of coalition troops, Predator …

Private Warehouse Investment Strategies In Small Versus Large Manufacturing Firms, John E. Spillan, Michael A. Mcginnis, Jonathan W. Kohn

Journal of Transportation Management

The research reported in this manuscript empirically compares the private warehouse investment strategies of small and large manufacturing firms. Mail surveys were administered to independent samples of small and large United States manufacturing firms. This research is based on a series of identically worded questions administered to both samples. Data was factor analyzed and cluster analyzed to identify three private warehouse investment strategies for small and large firms and two strategies for large firms. Analyses of three independent variables further evaluated differences in private warehouse investment strategies. Finally, the warehouse mix of small and of large firms was compared. This …

Roles And Capabilities Of The Retail Supply Chain Organization, C. Clifford Defee, Wesley S. Randall, Brian J. Gibson

Journal of Transportation Management

Supply chain management (SCM) has become a critical strategic function in recent years. Research in the discipline has been focused toward the upstream side of the supply chain on functions such as warehousing, transportation, procurement and production. As power has shifted downstream toward retailers and their customers, SCM research has been slow to respond. This represents a significant gap, and a significant opportunity. Retailers face challenges that differ from those found in upstream suppliers and manufacturers. We present findings from a study of senior supply chain executives in the retail industry that focuses on the supply chain challenges of greatest …

Avoiding Shipper/Consignee Double Payment Liability, Roger F. Huff

Journal of Transportation Management

The purpose of this article is neither to engage in an overly technical legal analysis nor to disparage motor carriers who bring “double liability” claims against financially viable shippers/consignees; after all the trucking company has performed a valuable service and is simply trying to be paid “once” for that service - even though the financially viable shipper or consignee may have to pay twice with the bankrupt/insolvent third party absconding. The purpose of this article is generally to provide some “front-end” practical suggestions to shippers/ consignees in how to avoid being in court on one of these claims in the …

The Impact Of Hours-Of-Service Regulations On Transportation Productivity And Safety: A Summary Of Findings From The Literature, Hokey Min

Journal of Transportation Management

Since driver fatigue has known to be the primary cause of serious truck crashes, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has attempted to implement new hours-of-service (HOS) regulations that aimed to promote safer driving environments. The new HOS regulations effective on October T‘ of2005, however, may lead to substantial cost increases for the trucking industry which will in turn hurt shippers and ultimately customers. For instance, motor carriers may need to hire additional drivers to comply with new HOS regulations requiring that drivers be placed out of service until they accumulated enough off-duty time. In particular, off-duty breaks required …

A Longitudial Study Of Private Warehouse Investment Strategies, Jonathan W. Kohn, Michael A. Mcginnis, John E. Spillan

Journal of Transportation Management

This article revisits private warehouse investment decision making, a topic previously examined in 1989 by McGinnis, Kohn, and Myers (1990). Since then there has been a substantial amount of discussion regarding the scope and nature of logistics /supply chain management. In particular the roles of private, contract, and public warehousing has been discussed, increased emphasis on financial performance and strategic decision making may have altered the criteria for investment decisions in private warehousing, increased coordination of supply chains may have altered the relative importance of private, contract, and private warehousing, and increasing emphasis on controlling inventory investment may have shifted …

A Triadic View Of Truck Driver Satisfaction, Stephen A. Lemay, Zachary Williams, Michael Carver

Journal of Transportation Management

In this research, the authors surveyed three groups concerning job satisfaction: experienced drivers, new drivers, and managers. Statistical tests were conducted using a sample of 196 new drivers, 145 experienced drivers, and 59 managers from a large TL firm based in the U.S. The results suggest that many discrepancies exist on driver satisfaction among the three perspectives. In particular, new drivers provide managers with opportunities and challenges for satisfaction. Given the current state of the trucking industry, managers will likely benefit from approaching this segment of drivers differently to meet their expectations and keep them from leaving their firms.

Introduction To Current Empirical Research Section, Veronique Ambrosini

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

On-Campus Service Projects: An Experiment In Education For Liberation, Michael J. Gent

Organization Management Journal

This article describes an approach to service-learning based on Paulo Freire’s model of education for liberation. On-campus Service Projects (OCSPs) differ markedly from typical service-learning assignments in two ways: (1) they take place in the students’ own college setting rather than out in the community; and (2) in my version, they challenge students to engage in critical thinking and acting (praxis) to transform ‘‘oppressive’’ situations within their institution. The article reviews Freire’s pedagogical approach and details how it is implemented in OCSPs. Like all service-learning, the OCSP experience enables students to practice course-related skills (e.g., team building, project planning). More …

Introduction To The 2009 Fall Issue – New Articles And New Co-Editors, William P. Ferris

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.