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Full-Text Articles in Business

The Effect Of Operational Control And Experience On Joint Venture Performance, Arun K. Sharma May 2007

The Effect Of Operational Control And Experience On Joint Venture Performance, Arun K. Sharma

Student Scholarship

This study investigates the nature of control rights and experience among oil company competitors as they collaborate to develop mutually owned oil and gas development projects. Using fundamental pinciples derived from Transaction Cost Economics and Property Rights theories in conjunction with archival joint venture data, I attempt to empirically explain Joint Venture performance with respect to operational control. The typical oil-field Joint Venture governance model (the Joint Operating Agreement -- or JOA) is designed to minimize transaction costs and equitably distribute benefits in accordance with Transaction Cost Economics Theory Property Rights Theory, however, may more accurately descirbe JOA partner behavior …


Accountability And Accreditation In The Nonprofit Sector: Examining The Louisiana Standards For Excellence Model, Lise Anne D. Slatten May 2007

Accountability And Accreditation In The Nonprofit Sector: Examining The Louisiana Standards For Excellence Model, Lise Anne D. Slatten

Student Scholarship

The nonprofit sector of our economy is a special class of entities with an expansive array of organizations and activities dedicated to the common good and well-being of others. Even though this sector has constructed creative and forward thinking initiatives, obstacles remain which interfere with their accomplishment of significant achievements. The struggle to maintain their respected position, unique character and role in society remains prevalent. In order to stay competitive, organizations are constantly assessing their current capacity to deliver needed services. Today, a number of umbrella associations of nonprofits have implemented assessment and certification programs intended to produce organizational improvement …


Where Was The Board? A "Moves"-Based Approach To Improving Npo Accountability, Frederick O. Udochi May 2007

Where Was The Board? A "Moves"-Based Approach To Improving Npo Accountability, Frederick O. Udochi

Student Scholarship

Strong arguments have been made that traditional definitions of accountability – financial health, internal controls and regulatory compliance – do not fully capture an organization’s performance (Ospina et al, 2002; Behn, 2001; Kearns, 1996). Failures evidenced by multiple breakdowns of accountability in nonprofit organizations have resulted in calls for boards to pursue a broadened level of accountability. There is little or no corresponding guidance in the literature to show how that could be accomplished. This research paper proposes to explore the “how” by adopting the notion of “moves” (Pentland, 1992), which are the verbal and/or nonverbal actions, routines or accomplishments …


Employee Level Dynamics Within A Merger Or Acquisition. The "Me-I" Theory Of Organization Consolidations; Avoiding Merger-Encouraged-Individualism, Todd Creasy May 2007

Employee Level Dynamics Within A Merger Or Acquisition. The "Me-I" Theory Of Organization Consolidations; Avoiding Merger-Encouraged-Individualism, Todd Creasy

Student Scholarship

With the employee as the unit of analysis while studying mergers and acquisitions, our results suggested for merger consolidations, perceived organization support (POS) and identification with the new merged organization partially mediated the relationship between procedural justice and job satisfaction. Identity with the new organization fully mediated the relationship between cultural discontinuity and job satisfaction. For acquisition consolidations, we suggest identification with the new organization partially mediated the relationship between procedural justice and organization citizenship behavior (OCB). Further, POS fully mediated the relationships between procedural justice and job satisfaction and between trust in management and job satisfaction. Lastly, identification with …


Sales Opportunity Crafting: Explaining Diverse Selling Approaches, Ganesh Kumar May 2007

Sales Opportunity Crafting: Explaining Diverse Selling Approaches, Ganesh Kumar

Student Scholarship

Salespeople play a critical boundary-spanning role in establishing productive relationships with their buyers. In doing so, they employ diverse selling approaches that resulting in a wide range of customer experiences—some that align well with the overall marketing strategies and some that conflict with the intent of the organization. Several theoretical explanations for the variations in selling approaches, but no singular theory provide us a lens to understand how salespeople approach various selling opportunities. The primary goal of this inquiry is to compile the extant theoretical knowledge from various disciplines in order to develop a conceptual framework for future empirical research …


Developing Expanded Conceptions Of Governance In Community Foundations, Michael Wolfe Apr 2007

Developing Expanded Conceptions Of Governance In Community Foundations, Michael Wolfe

Student Scholarship

Community foundations administer over $44 billion and distribute $3.5 billion annually to improve the quality of life throughout the United States. In 2000, a series of "National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations" was developed. Are changes currently promoted by the field of community foundations truly propelling community foundations to a more advanced role? Present research posits the value to community foundations of engaged proactive behavior by the board of directors and CEO. By examining the developmental responses of boards during times of institutional pressure, we can inform research and practice that seeks to improve nonprofit governance.


Disconnected: A Study Of Mobile Telephone Rejection, Nina Aversano Apr 2007

Disconnected: A Study Of Mobile Telephone Rejection, Nina Aversano

Student Scholarship

If rejection was the simple inverse of adoption, we would expect people to reject mobile telephony based on negative evaluations of usefulness and ease of use, dominant constructs in technology acceptance models. This research suggests, however, that the reasons for mobile phone rejection transcend those traditionally explained in the vast literature focused on adoption. Using an information systems-communications technology innovation diffusion framework, this study proposes a causal model of mobile telephony rejection that is tested against data collected from a survey of 1585 respondents. Logistic regression modeling was used to test the significance and independence of associations of relevant factors …


Managing The Transition From Staff Nurse To Nurse Manager--Change In Clinical Nurse Identity, Pamela C. Hudson Apr 2007

Managing The Transition From Staff Nurse To Nurse Manager--Change In Clinical Nurse Identity, Pamela C. Hudson

Student Scholarship

The career progression from staff nurse to nurse manager is a common promotional pathway. Yet, seldom are staff nurses who are promoted to managers prepared, either practically or psychologically, for the new role. This quantitative study tests data from 100 Nurse Managers using the Theory of Planned Behavior in combination with Maternal Role Attainment Theory as the theoretical framework for the study. The purpose of this descriptive study is to better understand the staff nurse to nurse manager transition process from the perspective of nurse managers themselves and to discover key barriers to, and enablers of, professional success. The findings …


Entrepreneurial Social Sector Organizations: Factors That Facilitate Growth And Performance, David A. Sherman Mar 2007

Entrepreneurial Social Sector Organizations: Factors That Facilitate Growth And Performance, David A. Sherman

Student Scholarship

Survey data from 228 entrepreneurial social sector organizations was used to examine the factors that facilitate growth and organizational performance in the social sector. The study was designed to address the following core question: How are some entrepreneurial social sector organizations better able to grow and perform than others despite environmental challenges such as resource scarcity? Hypotheses were developed using resource-based theory, resource dependence theory, network theories, and goal theory. Structural equation modeling was used to test these hypotheses. The study adds to our understanding of the organization-level drivers of growth and organizational performance in the social sector. It introduces …


Use Of Interpretive Schemes And Successful Adaptation: The Case Of Chinese Protestant Immigrant Churches In North America, Siu-Hang P. Chan Mar 2007

Use Of Interpretive Schemes And Successful Adaptation: The Case Of Chinese Protestant Immigrant Churches In North America, Siu-Hang P. Chan

Student Scholarship

How religious congregations adapt to change determines whether they will continue to thrive (Ammerman, 1997). Chinese immigrant religious organizations in America face a built-in clash between overseas-born and American-born generations that is usually visible in their religious congregations (Ling & Cheuk, 1999). This study identifies interpretive schemes (Bartunek, 1984) used by Chinese congregations that help ease the generational transition and lead to or hinder successful adaptation.


How Do Leaders' Values Influence Employees' Commitment To Their Organizations? A Qualitative Study, Barbara Clemenson Mar 2007

How Do Leaders' Values Influence Employees' Commitment To Their Organizations? A Qualitative Study, Barbara Clemenson

Student Scholarship

In the worlds of both practice and scholarship, people are focusing on the importance of leaders' values and authentic actions to the ethical operations of their organizations. At the same time, enterprises are struggling to attract and retain talented employees. Our qualitative research analyzed the values of leaders in seven different organizations--for profit, nonprofit, and public institutions--and compared their self-proclaimed values with their employees' perceptions of them and of their values. We focused specifically on leaders' values concerning their followers, and examined the impact that leaders' value content and integrity had on employees' commitment to their establishment, and to their …


Language Of Change: Dynamics Of Push-Pull Communication, Humayun Rashid Feb 2007

Language Of Change: Dynamics Of Push-Pull Communication, Humayun Rashid

Student Scholarship

Changing organizational culture is a challenging undertaking, especially when it is attempted through a global change in systems and processes, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementations. During these transformations, organizations desire alignment between people at different levels and across various parts of the organization; and communication is considered a critical factor to developed shared meaning leading towards alignment. This research redefines alignment as a dynamic push-pull communication model for change in which the traditional top-down "push" communication frames the overall purpose and objectives of a change while the deeper-level "pull" communication helps employees make sense of the change--what the …


Isolating Institution Based Personal And Contextual Determinants Of Entrepreneurial Intentions Among Kenyan College Graduates, Rosemary Kamau-Maina Jan 2007

Isolating Institution Based Personal And Contextual Determinants Of Entrepreneurial Intentions Among Kenyan College Graduates, Rosemary Kamau-Maina

Student Scholarship

Kenya has a population of approximately 34 million with those aged 35 years and below making up over 75% of the population. In 2003 and 2005, when the national unemployment stood at 40%, the youth accounted for about 78% and 67% of the national unemployment in the two years respectively. This encompasses all youth including recent college and university graduates. Taking into account that these numbers include recent university and college graduates, the resulting waste of resources is enormous. It therefore makes economic sense to have more youth engage in entrepreneurship to combat unemployment and stem the resource waste. For …


They're Making All The Wrong Decisions - Unintended Consequences Of Empowerment Resulting From Individual Situated Cognition, Jonathan Coleman Jan 2007

They're Making All The Wrong Decisions - Unintended Consequences Of Empowerment Resulting From Individual Situated Cognition, Jonathan Coleman

Student Scholarship

This paper describes how organizational culture affects individual level decision­ making processes in large organizations. This is particularly notable in the effect on the relative communication of qualitative versus quantitative information. Different levels of success in communicating these two kinds of information affect the development of the situated cognition prior to making a particular decision. We present the findings of a qualitative research study of thirteen executive level decision makers representing four Fortune 100 companies from four diverse industries. These executives were involved in strategic decisions in the normal course of business and also had particular experience in decisions involving …


An Examination Of Self Identity And Learning Styles: A Qualitative Study Within The Home Health Care Setting, Margo Kraft Dec 2006

An Examination Of Self Identity And Learning Styles: A Qualitative Study Within The Home Health Care Setting, Margo Kraft

Student Scholarship

Home health care practitioners interact with patients via a learning process. Research has proven that reciprocal learning and expert learning styles are the primary methods of knowledge sharing in these home health care settings. The research conducted uncovered three major themes regarding knowledge sharing in home health care--self-identity, learning orientation, and resilience. A conceptual model was developed using these learning concepts in relationship to effective patient outcomes. Our research demonstrated that these home health care practitioners predominately uses two types of learning styles. One of these styles, reciprocal learning, transfers the education responsibility to the patient. The process of a …


The Social Construction Of The Interactive Practices Of Multicultural Professionals, Alvin E. Hall Dec 2006

The Social Construction Of The Interactive Practices Of Multicultural Professionals, Alvin E. Hall

Student Scholarship

This inquiry was a search for knowledge that could become a guide to improved corporate practices. The aim of the research is to increase the effectiveness of relationships of decision makers, both of racial majorities and racioethnic miniorities. This study details the social construction of the ineractive practices of multicultural professionals. Using a qualitative method, the study looks at the experiences of racial majority and racioethnic minority professionals in the technology-service industry. The research design ofthis study used interviews, surveys and contextual analysis of individual cases. Through this grounded theory approach, the study found evidence of influence of organizational paradigms …


Change Leader Retention: Social Capital\, Organizational Commitment And Balancing Change Career Commitment, Zara F. Larsen Dec 2006

Change Leader Retention: Social Capital\, Organizational Commitment And Balancing Change Career Commitment, Zara F. Larsen

Student Scholarship

Organizations are challenged to attract and retain executives who can lead successful and sustainable organizational change. This study aims to: (1) explore the role of bonding social capital in affecting the turnover intention of executive leaders of large scale radical and continuous improvement change projects in organizations\, and (2) identify mechanisms which may influence whether change leaders can balance the potentially competing commitment to a career of leading change with a commitment to an organization\, therein affecting the organization’s ability to retain them longer term. This study of over 600 change leaders from for-profit\, non-profit and civil service organizations draws …


Enabling Trust And Performance In Distributed Collaborative Teams, Eugene A. Pierce Dec 2006

Enabling Trust And Performance In Distributed Collaborative Teams, Eugene A. Pierce

Student Scholarship

Virtual teams allow organizations to bring together critical contributors who might not otherwise be able to work together due to time, travel and cost restrictions. In addition, virtual teams can enhance the available pool of resources by including people from outside the sponsoring organization, such as consultants, or members of partner organizations. Virtual teams also allow organizations to hire and retain the best people, who may be either unable or unwilling to relocate, and to facilitate dynamic membership changes as a result of changes in project requirements or the unexpected loss of team members. As such they are sometimes unable …


Inter-Sector Decision Making: Governance, Social Learning, Negotiated Order And Emergent Leadership As Adaptive Responses To System Complexity, Bruce C. Gockerman Dec 2006

Inter-Sector Decision Making: Governance, Social Learning, Negotiated Order And Emergent Leadership As Adaptive Responses To System Complexity, Bruce C. Gockerman

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the work of the Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG) from an organizational effectiveness frame of reference as the CGLG sought to develop an enforceable regional water management regime for the water resources of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. It seeks to find both the theoretical and applied framings that tie the pieces of the applicable descriptive literature on social learning and negotiated order as decision making models together, and to draw generalized lessons about organizational effectiveness from the particular geo-politically complex venue under study. This will advance the study of collective action, collaboration, …


Investment Consumer Satisfaction: Identifying Factors Of Influence In Financial Advisory Relationships, Betty Moon Dec 2006

Investment Consumer Satisfaction: Identifying Factors Of Influence In Financial Advisory Relationships, Betty Moon

Student Scholarship

The search for key factors that influence consumer satisfaction and loyalty in financial advisory relationships, originating in consumer behavior theory, suggests that consumer/financial advisor similarity and superior investment portfolio performance may be key drivers of client satisfaction. Conversely 70% of respondents in this study indicated that similarity played no role at all in their satisfaction with advisors, and 20% of respondents asserted that they specifically selected advisors for their dissimilarity. Our results suggest three discrete, potentially important, drivers of consumer satisfaction- client self-efficacy, client financial self-worth and financial advisor interpersonal performance. In conclusion, we discuss how these findings may enhance …


Social Change - Making The Improbable Possible Through Collaboration: A Framework For Examining The Influence Of Funders On Collaboration Performance, Jane Cooke-Lauder Dec 2006

Social Change - Making The Improbable Possible Through Collaboration: A Framework For Examining The Influence Of Funders On Collaboration Performance, Jane Cooke-Lauder

Student Scholarship

What are the critical elements contributing to successful collaboration among non- government organizations working together to tackle wicked social problems in super stressed environments? What role does the funder play in aiding the success of such collaborative endeavours? We used a combination of collaborative theory gathered primarily from research conducted in the developed world among both for profit and not for profit entities, together with practitioner observations to examine two different possible sets of influencers on the performance of collaborative projects: the dynamic among the collaborating partners expressed in terms of role clarity, conflict management and interorganizational trust – as …


"I Think We Never Looked At A Financial Analysis" : Making Sense Of Resource Allocation Decisions In Technical Innovation In The Durable Consumer Goods Industry, Martin Zummersch Dec 2006

"I Think We Never Looked At A Financial Analysis" : Making Sense Of Resource Allocation Decisions In Technical Innovation In The Durable Consumer Goods Industry, Martin Zummersch

Student Scholarship

The purpose of this research study was to investigate how practitioners' of the durable consumer goods industry make resource allocation decisions in technical innovation, in an industry shaped by high uncertainty and low barriers to entry. Few studies have been conducted that generated qualitative data that allowed for comparisons between prescriptive models and the actual lived-world experiences of practitioners. During the investigation we conducted interviews with executives of the industry that allowed us to better understand how practitioners derived at decisions and why certain organizations were able to innovate more successfully than others. This analysis leveraged the theories of the …


The Duplicity Effect: Professional Investment Decisions For Others Versus Self, Timothy Joseph Timura Dec 2006

The Duplicity Effect: Professional Investment Decisions For Others Versus Self, Timothy Joseph Timura

Student Scholarship

A global retirement crisis looms--particularly here in the States. Americans are increasingly finding themselves responsible for securing their own financial futures. Many, however, do not feel comfortable with the myriad challenges it entails. Seeking help, they are turning to professionals. But are professionals up to this task? If professionals exhibit sub-optimal investment decision making behavior for themselves, can they be expected to exhibit better behavior when working on behalf of others? Exploring strategic asset allocation decisions for clients, this study discovered an analytical foundation similar to that used for the self as well as the existence of the Duplicity Effect--defined …


Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton Dec 2006

Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton

Student Scholarship

The role that leaders perform in governing nonprofit organizations has confounded practitioners and scholars since the time of the early settlers, when the functions of governance were first separated. Is governance the role of the board, management, or both? Today, little has changed. Public and private nonprofit organizations, almost all of which are governed by boards of lay citizens and by professional executives, continue to define the gap between what the board's role is and what the chief executive officer's (CEO) role is. Organizations such as BoardSource (formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards), The Aspen Institute, the Independent Sector, …


The Impact Of The Internet On Airline Fares: How The Customer Viewed The Transition To Internet Distribution, William J. Brunger Dec 2006

The Impact Of The Internet On Airline Fares: How The Customer Viewed The Transition To Internet Distribution, William J. Brunger

Student Scholarship

Customers who use Internet websites find and buy lower fares than do those who use travel agents for similar trips, even though for most large U.S. airlines the fares and availability offered through both channels are the same (because of contractual obligations). Economic and marketing theory offers "transparency" and "lowered search costs" as primary explanations. In an effort to understand, describe and corroborate those explanations, we studied the behavioral changes implied by the Internet, asking customers how they have understood the transition to Internet travel purchase and how they believe they have changed their behavior, specifically about the impact of …


The Impact Of Organization Destruction On Social Capital Value, R. Drew Sellers Dec 2006

The Impact Of Organization Destruction On Social Capital Value, R. Drew Sellers

Student Scholarship

This paper links social capital dynamics and value with organization destruction. It produces the finding that organizational destruction may in some cases increase the value of social capital. A key theoretical contribution of this study is extending the metaphor of social capital to encompass asset recoverability. Based upon cases studies of 15 individuals who lived through the destruction of Arthur Andersen, this paper examines the persistence and value of an individual's social capital when an organization destructs. It explores the question, "Is the value of an individual's investment in organization-specific social capital a recoverable asset post-destruction?" Interviews with Andersen alumni …


Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton Dec 2006

Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton

Student Scholarship

The role that leaders perform in governing nonprofit organizations has confounded practitioners and scholars since the time of the early settlers, when the functions of governance were first separated. Is governance the role of the board, management, or both? Today, little has changed. Public and private nonprofit organizations, almost all of which are governed by boards of lay citizens and by professional executives, continue to define the gap between what the board's role is and what the chief executive officer's (CEO) role is. Organizations such as BoardSource (formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards), The Aspen Institute, the Independent Sector, …


Sponsorship By Executive Leaders: Perceptions And Influences On Engagement Among U.S. Air Force General Officers, Kevin Roots Nov 2006

Sponsorship By Executive Leaders: Perceptions And Influences On Engagement Among U.S. Air Force General Officers, Kevin Roots

Student Scholarship

Sponsorship is one of several factors that may influence career advancement into the executive level of an organization; but the concept of sponsorship is not well understood. This proposal presents an overview of the literature about sponsorship. The proposal makes distinctions between mentorship and sponsorship. It describes a qualitative research study that asks how U.S. Air Force general officers perceive and engage in sponsorship. The aim of this study is to understand how Air Force generals understand sponsorship, and whether (and how) they engage in it. A conceptual model is proposed that considers sponsors’ perceptions based on their own experiences, …


Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa Nov 2006

Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the emotional, social and cognitive competencies that predict performance of a financial sales branch and its Financial Advisors. The focus--the unit of analysis--of this study is the Branch Manager. It is hypothesized that the Branch Manager, through a set of emotional, social and cognitive competencies, can, as a leader, influence better overall results. The research presented in this paper is a qualitative study that compares and contrasts both Outstanding Branch managers and Typical Branch Managers. It does this in two ways: by identifying those competencies that differentiate Outstanding from Typical Branch Managers; and by identifying the effects …


Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa Nov 2006

Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the emotional, social and cognitive competencies that predict performance of a financial sales branch and its Financial Advisors. The focus--the unit of analysis--of this study is the Branch Manager. It is hypothesized that the Branch Manager, through a set of emotional, social and cognitive competencies, can, as a leader, influence better overall results. The research presented in this paper is a qualitative study that compares and contrasts both Outstanding Branch managers and Typical Branch Managers. It does this in two ways: by identifying those competencies that differentiate Outstanding from Typical Branch Managers; and by identifying the effects …