Business Commons^™

Reducing False Starts Among It Employees—A Study Of Hiring Professionals’ Perceptions, Swatee B. Kulkarni

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

One of the biggest challenges facing organizations is recruiting and retaining talented employees. A false start is an issue where an employee is hired for a certain position following the organization’s recruiting process; however, within the first year, the employee or the employer realizes that it is not a right fit, and the employment is terminated. The unexpected loss of employees is recognized as a global issue that affects overall business performance regardless of industry. The economic impact of false starts is estimated to be $1.28 billion per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This study examines …

Examining The Technology Acceptance Model And Its Influence On Individuals’ Willingness To Accept Commercial Wind Farms, Lester Mark St. Clair

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study involved exploration of the acceptance of proposed commercial wind farm construction in rural township areas in the Thumb area of Michigan. The primary objective of the study was to conduct an exploratory analysis to gain an understanding of how residents perceive proposed wind farms in their own communities. This involved examining the influence of perceived usefulness and intent to use on individuals’ acceptance of wind farms in their communities. It also involved exploration of the extent to which personality factors, technophobia, and age moderate these relationships. The study had a cross-sectional research design and relied on a survey …

An Historical Analysis Of Women’S Emergence Into Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership: Eastern Michigan University, A Case Study, Cheyenne Luzynski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The implementation of Title IX has increased women’s participation rates in intercollegiate athletics tenfold, yet women’s representation in athletic leadership remains marginal compared to men. As such, the purpose of this study was to understand the social construction of gender as it relates to intercollegiate athletic leadership at Eastern Michigan University. The study explored the history of sporting activities as a mechanism to shape and perpetuate masculine and feminine culture. These values (i.e, competitiveness and cooperativeness) were institutionalized in higher education as sex-segregated physical education and athletic functions. This historical case study applied organizational and institutional theory analyzing the institutional, …

Circuits Of Race: Consumption Of Colorism In Nivea’S “Natural Fairness”Campaign, Gabrielle Burgess-Smith

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Colorism is not a Black-White or dark issue; it is a global issue that has emerged into a dynamical power force dividing people from people and, in turn, people from self. It is not solely subjected as a battled issue in America, but it is a global phenomenon where support is gained from all corners of the world—resulting in a worldwide denigration. Psychological and physiological turmoil comes in forms of anxiety, depression, reduced wages, loss of self, and privilege. The blinding processes of colorism through the effects of social media advertisements is a two-way communication process. Through a systematic analyzation …

Assessing The Impact Of Transformational Leadership, Organizational Climate, And Personality On Individual Innovativeness At Work, Khalid M. Iskandarani

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Innovation is critical for any organization’s success in the twenty first century. Organizations are continuously seeking to create new products and services to differentiate themselves from their completion and to create a competitive advantage in the dynamic global business environment. In order for this to occur, the organization needs to encourage employee creativity. Furthermore, leaders in the organization also need to work with the employees to help guide and support them as they embark on the development of products and services. This study examined this organizational environment by assessing the impact that the organizational climate promotes innovation. It also assessed …

An Analysis Of Long-Term Effects Of Climate Change And Socioeconomic Activities On Grassland Productivity Of Inner Mongolia, Siyu Fan

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, researchers have recognized the complexity of the interactions between the ecological system and the economic development of human society. However, the complicated relationships overwhelm traditional statistical procedures and require an innovative approach to investigate their dynamics. We proposed this study to provide a unique perspective in analyzing the long-term causal relationships between the grassland productivity, climate change, and socioeconomic development of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) of China. Our attempt began with acquiring remotely sensed satellite imagery, climatic variations, and aggregated annual reports of the socio-economy of the IMAR in vegetation growing seasons for 15 years. The …

Examining The Impact That The Locus Of Control, Emotional Intelligence, And Narcissism Have On Internet Addiction And Information Disclosure Among College Students, Antonio Avant

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exploring Factors That Affect Adoption Of Computer Security Practices Among College Students, Amani Alqarni

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Cyber-attacks threaten the security of computer users’ information, networks, machines, and privacy. Studies of computer security education, awareness, and training among ordinary computer users, college students, non-IT-oriented user groups, and non-technically trained citizens are limited. Most research has focused on computer security standards and guidelines in organizational contexts. Few studies have analyzed the predictors of college students’ adoption of computer security practices. Based on a comprehensive literature review, researchers have relied heavily on well-established behavioral theories, such as the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and protection motivation theory (PMT) to explain the variation in adoption of …

Applying User Experience (Ux) Design In Interior Space For Art, Science Museums, And Learning Environments, Zainab Al-Hajji

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This research study explores the role of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) in educational spaces: museums, science centers, galleries, libraries, and classrooms. This study examines the effects of enhancing displays in learning spaces and focuses on users’ interactions and experiences. This project observes the effectiveness of learning modes and styles applied in different museums and focuses on the users’ experiences in an educational environment, which was measured through student users’ impressions, behaviors, and performance. It was hypothesized that students would retain more information through the experience. The concepts covered included using UX/UI on websites and small devices. Results …

A Study Of Positions Available In Additive Manufacturing/3d Printing And The Education And Skill Requirements For These Positions, Renee Christine Colletti

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Additive manufacturing is defined as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. Additive manufacturing positions are growing at an exponential rate, and the adoption of this disruptive technology is projected to have a significant impact on corporate strategies and culture. The purpose of this study was to identify the types of positions available in the additive manufacturing field and the skills and educational background required. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Two content analyses were conducted. The first was an analysis of 286 position descriptions obtained from five job …

A Study Of Information Security Awareness Program Effectiveness In Predicting End-User Security Behavior, James Michael Banfield

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As accessibility to data increases, so does the need to increase security. For organizations of all sizes, information security (IS) has become paramount due to the increased use of the Internet. Corporate data are transmitted ubiquitously over wireless networks and have increased exponentially with cloud computing and growing end-user demand. Both technological and human strategies must be employed in the development of an information security awareness (ISA) program. By creating a positive culture that promotes desired security behavior through appropriate technology, security policies, and an understanding of human motivations, ISA programs have been the norm for organizational end-user risk mitigation …

An Analysis Of The Factors Associated With Adoption Of Electronic Supply Chain Management (E-Scm) Procurement Systems Within The U.S. Automotive Industry, Joseph James Joyce

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The U.S. automotive industry is a vitally important industry to our nation; over 7,000,000 individuals directly rely on this industry for their livelihood (Hill, K. (2014). Just How High‐Tech is the Automotive Industry? Ann Arbor, MI: Center for Automotive Research (CAR)). This study investigated the use of electronic supply chain management (e-SCM) system usage within this industry and its influence on work-related procurement outcomes. An electronic questionnaire was used to gather perceptions consistent with the constructs of the technology acceptance model, or “TAM” (Davis, F. D. (1985). A technology acceptance model for empirically testing new end-user information systems: theory and …

Student Intent To Persist Relative To Perceptions Of Service Quality And Satisfaction With Selected Onboarding Services In Community Colleges, Matthew Robert Fall

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Low persistence rates have continued to plague community colleges. A framework linking perceived service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intent has been identified in the existing literature and found to be useful in various service sectors outside of higher education. Purpose: To explore the relationship between community college students’ perceptions of service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intent (intent to persist) regarding first interactions with their colleges. Setting: Three community colleges representing large, medium, and small enrollment headcount from a Midwestern state were selected to represent that state’s community college student population. Subjects: A proportional number of students were selected randomly …

The Effect Of Electronic Devices Self-Efficacy, Electronic Devices Usage And Information Security Awareness On Identity-Theft Anxiety Level, Sushma Sanga

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Identity-theft means stealing someone’s personal information and using it without his or her permission. Each year, millions of Americans are becoming the victims of identitytheft, and this is one of the seriously growing and widespread issues in the U.S. This study examines the effect of electronic devices self-efficacy, electronic devices usage, and information security awareness on anxiety levels of southeastern Michigan students in becoming victims of identity-theft and whether there is any significant relationship between these variables. This research study used the effect of electronic devices self-efficacy, electronic devices usage and information security awareness on identity-theft anxiety level among southeastern …

Effects Of Emotional Intelligence On Academic Achievement In The Alternative High School Classroom, Rhonda L. Marcum-Phillips

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the impact of emotional intelligence, academic self-efficacy in science and technology, and family background on academic achievement of alternative high school students. Gender, age, learning style, and ethnicity of the student are analyzed to determine any moderator effect on these relationships. Seventy-five students, ages 14 to19, who attend a public alternative high school were surveyed. Analysis of the data revealed a positive relationship for males between self-efficacy in STEM classes and family background (support) and their academic achievement in science class. A positive relationship was shown between self-efficacy in STEM classes and academic achievement, between self-efficacy in …

Factors That Influence The Implementation Of The Lean 5s Tool Within U.S. Automotive Suppliers, Randy R. Kazmierski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study identified a number of key factors influencing the implementation of each of the phases of the lean 5S tool in suppliers to the U.S. automotive industry and to determine if these factors vary according to selected demographic variables. This study was conceived to develop a better understanding as to why some organizations fail to implement all five of the 5S phases and become stagnant. The research questions that guided the study included:

RQ1: What factors were perceived by the respondents to have influenced the implementation of the lean 5S phases and elements in suppliers of manufacturing products to …

The Effect On Building Elements On Direct Dementia-Care Staff Job Satisfaction, Margaret E. Byal

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This interior design research study explores the experience of direct dementia-care staff member tasks in relation to the physical environment. The study asked the following questions: 1) Do building elements in dementia-specific long-term care units interact with staff job satisfaction? 2) What building elements of patient direct-care are identified by staff as being helpful on the job and what are identified as a hindrance? 3) What, if any, environmental elements demand more dementia-specific modification? Physical environment assessments were collected, and surveys assessing job satisfaction and tasks relating to the physical environment were administered. Focus groups captured more detailed responses. Results …

The Relationship Between Simulation Assessments And Standardized Written Examinations For Emergency Medicine Residents, Sheri Leigh Etapa Clarke

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Historically, the assessment of medical resident knowledge and skill has occurred through standardized written examinations and faculty observation during real patient encounters. The written examinations, including three levels of board qualifying examinations (USMLE and COMLEX-USA) and specialty specific annual in-training examinations, are used to identify each resident’s knowledge deficiencies. Research shows that faculty evaluations are unable to predict how residents will perform on emergency medicine in-training examinations, and that practicing skills on real patients puts patients’ lives at risk. To improve patient care and enhance the learning environment, medical educators have created simulation tools for medical residents to practice procedures …

The Impact Of Technophobia On Technology Acceptance And The Moderating Influence Of Transformational Leadership, Organizational Climate, And Emotional Intelligence, Odai Khasawneh

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study sought to investigate the relationship between technophobia and technology acceptance. In addition, this study examined the moderating influence of variables such as transformational leadership, organizational climate, and emotional intelligence has any influence on that relationship. This study determined that there is a significant negative relationship between technophobia and technology acceptance. Furthermore, all moderating variable were found to have a strong moderating influence on the relationship between technophobia and technology acceptance. In other words, transformational leadership, organizational climate, and emotional intelligence lessen the strength of the negative correlation to the point that technophobia and technology acceptance were no longer …

Technological, Organizational, And Environmental Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp) Systems, John Njenga Kinuthia

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between organizations that adopted Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (Cloud ERP) systems and organizations that did not adopt Cloud ERP systems based on the Technological, Organizational, and Environmental (TOE) factors. Relevant technological factors were identified as relative advantage of Cloud ERP systems, compatibility of Cloud ERP systems, and security concern of Cloud ERP system environment. Organizational factors included top management support, organizational readiness, size of the organization, centralization, and formalization. External environment factors were identified as competitive pressure and vendor support.

A survey was developed using constructs from existing studies of …

An Extensive Analysis And Testing Of Wedding Dress Fabric, Margaret Krdu

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This material analysis explores polyester satin, polyester chiffon, nylon tulle, silk organza, and silk taffeta that are utilized in the wedding gown industry today. Each of the five fabrics are extensively tested in the laboratory to determine cover factor, drape, abrasion, crocking (wet & dry), stiffness, tensile strength, and seam strength. These fabric properties are usually considered to have significant effects on the garment performance. The results from these tests are analyzed, giving a better understanding of each fabric’s individual characteristics to help dressmaking designers further their knowledge and better construct their wedding dress garments.

Towards Successful Implementation Of 5ss In A U.S. Manufacturing Company With Indian Sub-Continent Workers, Syed Shahzad Naqvi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

XYZ is a manufacturing organization located in Michigan, in the Eastern North Central U.S., and it has a diverse workforce consisting of immigrants from Asia, Europe, and South America. The majority of the workers are immigrants from the Indian Sub-Continent. XYZ has been in the process of implementing 5Ss; however, it has been unable to sustain 5S standards. This study was conducted to identify the role of the Indian Sub-Continent workers’ culture and religion on 5S implementation and to suggest how this company can work with this group in successfully implementing the 5Ss.

The researcher is employed in this organization …

Spatial Design Thinking In The Age Of Multimedia, Chuan Gao

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There are several emerging design methods and design thoughts, such as Evidence-Based design, Universal design, and so on, that have been utilized in spatial design. Further, the space design has been changed in the wake of invention of new materials, building technologies, and users' functional needs. Designers need to collect and reorganize a new spectrum of information in order to conduct design. Designer's thinking power plays an important role in creating space. Base on the research results in the realm of human cognitive faculty, synesthesia may hold the key to understanding a mechanism for thinking, cross-sensory perception and association involved …

An Investigation Of Employee Engagement And Business Outcomes At An Engineering Services Firm, Preetinder Singh Gill

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This research study investigated the constructs and dimensions of employee engagement and their relationship with business outcome data from 2009 to 2011 at a mid-sized engineering services firm and two of its business units. Employee engagement ratios, as defined by Crabtree (2004), for all entities studied were below that associated with world-class organizations. Survey items related to salary and compensation received low scores from both engaged and disengaged employees. Kruskal-Wallis’s median comparison tests revealed that many survey items varied over the period of three years for each entity studied. A factor analysis of companywide survey data yielded 5 dimensions of …

Measuring Faculty Satisfaction And Motivation To Use Podcasts: A Pilot Study, Thomas Augustine Mitchell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Modern society is constantly evolving, affecting the creation and use of technology. Concurrently, technology is relentlessly developing and expanding, influencing the very society to which it is introduced. In a rapid-paced, globally influenced educational community, podcasts are among the latest and promising innovations being introduced into the educational arena to reach technology-savvy students. Information in various technological formats is not new, nor is their application to the educational process unique. Many past technologies such as the record player, tape player, radio, television, and computers were all believed to exhibit enormous potential to transform education. However, in almost every instance, they …

Exploring A Paperless Business Administrative System (Bas) Implementation In A K-12 School, Marwan M. Issa

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how a paperless BAS can affect the overall performance of a school’s administrative activities. The research included direct observation, survey questionnaires, document review, and both structured and unstructured interviews.

The selected school, a K-12 charter school, was an ideal candidate for this study as it allowed unrestricted access. The effects of the move to a paperless BAS were overwhelmingly positive. These effects included enabling employees to complete their resource requests more speedily and accurately. The implementation also incorporated “smart” forms that did not allow users to submit incomplete forms. Employees …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Radio Frequency Identification (Rfid) Technology And Lean Manufacturing, Abubaker Haddud

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research effort is to investigate the relationship between Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and reducing waste in a manufacturing setting where a lean manufacturing system has been implemented. This research identifies implementation areas where RFID can have the greatest impact on work-in-progress management, inventory management, manufacturing assets tracking and maintenance, and manufacturing control in lean manufacturing environments. The study specifically focuses on how RFID can help identify, reduce, and eliminate the seven common types of waste identified by Taiichi Ohno in the Toyota Production System. These seven include overproduction, waiting time, inefficient transportation, inappropriate processing, …

Creating Simulation-Based Training Tools For Customer Relationship Management With Service-Oriented Architecture, Jeffrey Guevin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Simulation-based training offers significant benefits for employee education, but many software packages do not offer tools that can easily accommodate this type of training. This paper argues that the use of Service-Oriented Architecture can make it possible to create software-assisted simulated business environments as a method of training employees. I present the advantages and challenges of simulation as a training paradigm. I then discuss the obstacles to the creation of simulations for CRM training and offer web services as a possible solution. I describe in detail a software application that makes use of the web services interface of a CRM …

Experiential Retailing: Extraordinary Store Environments And Purchase Behavior, Alana Nicole Garvin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how store atmospherics affect purchase behavior in experiential stores. It extended the Donovan et al. study, “Store Atmosphere and Purchasing Behavior” (1994), by determining the levels of pleasure and arousal in an experiential store and the affects on unplanned spending and unplanned time spent in the store. This was done by measuring customers’ emotions five minutes into the shopping experience and comparing planned amount of time and money spent to the actual amounts. The findings of this study showed that higher levels of pleasure and arousal did not affect unplanned time and …

A Workplace Design That Reduces Employee Stress And Increases Employee Productivity Using Environmentally Responsible Materials, Limor Gutnick

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In today’s competitive global environment, employee productivity is an essential element of a company’s success. Employee productivity can be significantly hindered by high levels of stress experienced in the work environment. In addition, poor indoor air quality contributes to deterioration of employee health and well-being, which further reduces productivity.

The object of this study was to explore interior design techniques that may reduce employee stress and enhance productivity while using environmentally responsible materials and furnishings. The design paradigm was qualitative, and the research method used was a case study. Specifically, this was an action-research project consisting of a design proposal …