Business Commons^™

Leaders’ Strategies For Motivating The Millennial Generation To Sustain High Levels Of Performance, Juan Alvarez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to identify and implement strategies to address the needs of the Millennial workforce can lead to a decrease in productivity in the organization. The increasing number of Millennials in the workforce creates a challenge for many business leaders in maintaining or surpassing the productivity levels found in organizations where the baby boomer employees are the majority. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies that warehouse supervisors use to enable Millennial employees to maintain or surpass productivity levels in organizations. Interviews were conducted with six warehouse supervisors who had …

Impact Of Electricity On Industrial Output In Nigeria: A Systems Perspective, Chidi Vincent Ike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of access to electricity, both in quantity and quality, has been a recurring problem in Nigeria. Scholars have investigated the relationship between electricity consumption and economic development with diverse outcomes, but they have not considered the subsystems that constitute the electricity delivery system. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between monthly industrial output in Nigeria and available monthly power generation capacity, available monthly power transmission capacity, and monthly power distribution capability. Systems theory was the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected on the monthly industrial output and operational data on electric …

Enhancing Employee Engagement To Improve Financial Performance, Christine Lamacchia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders are negatively affected when many employees are not engaged in their jobs. Business leaders who struggle to achieve employee engagement suffer decreased profitability, sales, employee retention, and customer satisfaction. Grounded in employee engagement theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies IT business leaders use to engage employees. The participants were five IT business leaders who successfully developed strategies to engage employees. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and artifacts. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Two themes emerged: creating a company culture conducive to employee engagement and using …

Strategy Management For Guyana’S Public Investment Projects Fulfillment, Rosco Horace Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The public sector investment program (PSIP) hinges on the proper alignment of government strategies with project outcomes. The contingency theory offers insights for alignment in adopting the best project management approach. Yet, some of Guyana’s PSIP managers struggle with alignment for the success of their projects. Using the contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies PSIP managers used to align project outcomes with government strategies. Data collection was through the reviewed documentation and semistructured interviews with five successful managers who work for four project-based organizations in Demerara/Mahaica, Guyana. Yin’s 5-step process was used …

Relationship Between Employee Perception Of Work Experience, Employee Perception Of Supervisors, And Intent To Leave, Kathryn F. Denning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover can be costly; estimates for recruiting and training new hires are between 90% and 200% of the employee's annual salary. Understanding employee intent to leave is critical for managers to reduce turnover rates. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between federal government agency employees' perception of their work experience, employee perception of supervisors, and employee intent to leave. Secondary data from 359,120 completed surveys from the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) were analyzed. The results of the binary logistic regression were significant, X2 (359,120) = 17609.539, …

Exploring 4-Year Business School Curriculum’S Relation To Graduates’ Hiring And Earnings, Richard A. Gayle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2013, roughly 7% of college graduates under 25 could not find employment, and about 37% were underemployed. Public university tuition costs increased by 42% between 1999 and 2012, and 71% of college graduates have an average of $29,400 in outstanding student debt. Employers for several decades have complained about how higher educational institutions have failed to deliver graduates with developed nontechnical skills comprising (a) work ethic, (b) communication, (c) organization, (d) problem solving, and (e) teamwork. The purpose of this qualitative archival study was to assess and explore integrating the nontechnical skills that businesses require to hire graduates immediately …

Strategies To Successfully Sustain Operations For Rural Micro And Small Enterprises, Katrina S. Chance

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only 50% of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) survive beyond the first 5 years. As a result, it is important rural MSE managers have successful strategies to sustain their business. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies rural MSE managers use to sustain operations successfully beyond 5 years. Participants included five rural MSE managers in the southeastern United States who integrated sustainability strategies to avoid premature business failure. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and organizational documents, such as company reports, event flyers, image files, and social media platforms. …

Duration, Control, And Success Factors Of Nigerian Public Infrastructure Projects, Gloria Chinwe Ezeoke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, many infrastructural projects are abandoned before completion, representing a failure on the part of the federal, state, and local governments. There is currently an incomplete understanding of the interwoven causes of Nigerian public project failures. The purpose of this quantitative correlation research was to evaluate the relationships between project duration, control, and success. Project and control theories were the theoretical underpinnings of the study. The two predictor variables were project duration and project control, with the criterion variable being project success. A survey was administered to 74 project management professionals, construction workers, and other stakeholders in the Nigerian …

Leader Strategies That Increase Employee Performance In The Nigerian Public Sector, Oluwashola Martha Elias-Fatile

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low employee performance can hinder productivity in the Nigerian public sector. Leaders of public sector organizations in Nigeria who lack strategies to increase employees’ performance experience decreased productivity. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies leaders in the Nigerian public sector used to increase employee performance. Participants were four public sector leaders in Nigeria who successfully developed and implemented strategies to increase employee performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and internal and external documents, such as training programs, training calendars, meeting agendas, staff letters of recommendation, and staff handbooks. …

Strategies To Justify Resource Allocation To Corporate-Sponsored Volunteer Programs, Jolene Cantrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increased interest in how perceptions of stakeholders and customers can affect the performance of an organization has led some scholars to study the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance. Some business leaders attempt to allocate significant time and resources towards CSR, specifically corporate-sponsored volunteer (CSV) programs, but have yet to develop the business rationale and lack strategies. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies central Florida executive level business leaders used to establish or maintain CSV programs. Participants comprised three business leaders from central Florida firms …

Evidence-Based Hospice Care Education For Healthcare Clinicians, Nonie E. Weir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vulnerable populations with a terminal illness, who reside in a nursing home setting, continue to experience psychological, physical, and emotional effects that lead to end-of- life (EOL) suffering and discomfort. Globally, millions of individuals receive care from a hospice provider. By 2030, this figure will triple due to the increased lifespan of the geriatric population. The literature review has revealed that the practical problem is the lack of hospice care education received by healthcare clinicians. It is, therefore, important to prepare and educate healthcare clinicians about a peaceful death through an individualized plan-of-care (POC) from a holistic approach. The purpose …

Financial Strategies To Sustain Small Businesses Beyond 5 Years, Sandra Elizabeth Siddons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate financial knowledge and planning have frequently led to small business failures. Small business owners (SBOs) who lack financial strategies to sustain their organizations may contribute to the estimated closure of 50% of new small businesses, found frequently occurring within the first 5 years of formation. Grounded in the human capital theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore financial knowledge and skills SBOs successfully used in support of long-term sustainability. The participants were five SBOs who used financial decision-making strategies to sustain their small business beyond 5 years in Northern Illinois. Upon completion of data …

Electric Cooperative Managers’ Strategies To Enhance Organizational Commitment To Increase Employee Productivity, Michael Edward White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective leadership strategies contributes to a reduction in employee engagement and productivity. Managers are concerned about the lack of effective leadership strategies because it negatively affects employee engagement and productivity, reducing organizational growth. Grounded in Bass’s transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore effective leadership strategies used to enhance employee engagement and increase productivity. Five managers from an electric cooperative in Northwest Florida who implemented effective leadership strategies participated in the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step approach. …

Strategies For Implementing A Successful Customer Relationship Management System, Samuel Adebayo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Customer relationship management (CRM) software implementation fails in thepackaging industry because of ineffective CRM implementation strategies. Effective strategies for CRM software implementation are essential to CRM managers for improving CRM project success rates. Grounded in Kano’s customer satisfaction theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies CRM managers in the packaging industry used to operate a profitable business. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and documents of CRM strategies. Participants were four CRM managers located in Illinois who had a minimum of 10 years of successfully managing CRM systems with high success rates. Data …

Leadership Strategies Of Successful Women-Owned Businesses In Cameroon, Henry Ntoko Ajieh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of leadership skills in women-led businesses can result in high business failure rates. Women business owners who do not know how to improve their leadership skills could face difficulties succeeding in business. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that women business owners in the events planning business use to improve leadership skills to succeed in business beyond 5 years. The participants included five women in the events planning business in Cameroon, Central Africa, who successfully developed strategies to improve leadership skills to succeed in business beyond 5 years. …

Health Care Leader Strategies For Cultural Diversity In The Workplace, Michael H. Le

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care leaders who lack strategies to manage workers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds face high employee turnover. High employee turnover can jeopardize the health of patients and the financial stability of their organization. Grounded in the cognitive diversity theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies eight health care leaders in Iowa use to manage diverse employees. Data sources were semistructured interviews, researcher notes, and a review of the diversity policies of each facility. Five themes identified through thematic analysis included leaders using recruitment strategies to promote diversity, leaders encouraging and using communication/feedback, …

Complexity Thinking And Broadband Internet Penetration In Lagos, Nigeria, James Hyacinth Akpoja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Considering the speed at which information and knowledge can transverse nations and organizations, the importance of broadband Internet connectivity cannot be overstated. The general problem is that the Nigerian broadband Internet penetration is considerably low, at 33% compared to other parts of the world. The specific problem is that community members and leaders have the behavioral intention to allow broadband Internet infrastructure deployment (BIID) at the local community level in Lagos. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between perceived usefulness (PU), perceived benefits (PB), perceived ease of use (PEoU), and perceive security (PS), and …

Trust-Building Strategies Laboratory Managers Use To Cultivate The Engagement Of Laboratory Employees, Jessica Treadway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee engagement significantly impacts organizational outcomes; however, it is also a significant issue for leaders since employees who are not engaged impact organizational performance and profitability. Through the perspective of the social exchange theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore trust-building strategies laboratory managers use to cultivate the engagement of laboratory employees. The population comprised five laboratory managers across various industries and geographical locations in the United States who successfully implemented trust-building strategies that cultivated employee engagement. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and public organizational documents such as annual reports, employee testimonials, and media/news articles. …

Workplace Psychosocial Factors, Perception Of Organizational Support, And Congregate Workers’ Quality Of Life, Claudine Alicia Cousins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congregate care organizations employ workers across various environments from shelters, group homes, long-term care homes, and correctional facilities. Congregate care workers in the developmental services sector face numerous risks that affect their quality of life due to workplace stress from daily interactions with individuals with intellectual disabilities and organizational demands. Workers’ perception of the support received from their organization may further impact their quality of life. The purpose of this quantitative study, guided by organizational support theory, was to examine the relationship among the independent variables of workplace psychosocial factors (defined as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, mental stress, or burnout), …

Talent Management Practices Of Small And Medium-Size Businesses In The Cayman Islands, Annette Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Talent management strategies to acquire, develop, and retain employees are essential, as 73% of business leaders in the United States identified that good human resources practices favorably impact the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations. Based on the people capability maturity model and transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that small and medium-size business (SMB) leaders used to acquire, develop, and retain employees in the Cayman Islands. The participants comprised five SMB leaders in the Cayman Islands who successfully used talent management strategies to acquire, develop, and retain employees for …

Measuring Transformational Leadership, Employee Engagement, And Employee Productivity: Retail Stores, Shamika Schumane Desilva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail stores are less profitable because of poor productivity from disengaged employees. Retail store leaders must prioritize employee productivity, as low productivity can negatively impact business performance with financial consequences. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and the theory of work engagement, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, employee engagement, and employee productivity in retail stores. Survey responses were collected from 119 nonmanagerial employees in the retail sector in the eastern United States. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicated the model was statistically significant, F(7, 112) = 35.149, p < .01, R2 = .69. The only two significant individual predictors were individual consideration (t = 4.10, p < .01) and vigor (t = 5.36, p < .01). A key recommendation is for retail store leaders to enact strategies promoting vigor- employees who work with high energy and effort levels, and to employ a transformational leadership style, particularly showing employees individualized consideration. Creating such a positive working environment for employees will improve their productivity. Implications for positive social change include the potential for retail managers to increase competitiveness for retail stores. The success of retail businesses, driven by improved worker productivity, may ensure financial stability for workers, families, and communities.

Strategies For Implementing A Successful Customer Relationship Management System, Samuel Adebayo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Customer relationship management (CRM) software implementation fails in thepackaging industry because of ineffective CRM implementation strategies. Effective strategies for CRM software implementation are essential to CRM managers for improving CRM project success rates. Grounded in Kano’s customer satisfaction theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies CRM managers in the packaging industry used to operate a profitable business. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and documents of CRM strategies. Participants were four CRM managers located in Illinois who had a minimum of 10 years of successfully managing CRM systems with high success rates. Data …

Leaders’ Strategies For Motivating The Millennial Generation To Sustain High Levels Of Performance, Juan M. Alvarez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to identify and implement strategies to address the needs of the Millennial workforce can lead to a decrease in productivity in the organization. The increasing number of Millennials in the workforce creates a challenge for many business leaders in maintaining or surpassing the productivity levels found in organizations where the baby boomer employees are the majority. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies that warehouse supervisors use to enable Millennial employees to maintain or surpass productivity levels in organizations. Interviews were conducted with six warehouse supervisors who had …

Management Of Virtual Offices, Cheryl Donaldson Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many organizational leaders manage virtual employees without the specific training and experience required for leading a virtual organization, which can lead to billions of dollars in lost productivity. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies managers used to manage a virtual office. The target population consisted of 4 managers located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States who had a minimum of 2 years of experience managing virtual offices. The conceptual framework for this study was social exchange theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using …

Employee Perceptions Of Fairness In Performance Appraisals And Job Satisfaction, Simon-Davies Amenyenu Nutakor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business and management researchers have shown that performance appraisals have continued to remain a standard component of the human resource management (HRM) function and play an integral role in contributing to employee performance and job satisfaction levels. Recent researchers indicated that employees have continued to hold negative views about the degree of fairness and accuracy of appraisals, thus rendering the process a mere routine and periodic ritual detrimental to organizational efficiency and growth. The purpose of this study was to add to what is a paucity of data on perceptions of fairness of employees and examine the employee perceptions of …

Employee Resistance To Disruptive Technological Change In Higher Education, Barbara Ann Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employees can be resistant to work-based change, specifically when the change is due to disruptive or new technology. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 20 Swiss-based educational employees adapting to online technologies introduced in their workplaces. Disruptive innovation theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 20 purposely selected participants from 3 Swiss-based higher education campuses. The modified Van Kaam method was used to organize and analyze the data. Four themes from participants' responses were identified: educational employees are not resistant to technology-based change, educational …

Sustainable Supply Chain Management In The Nigerian Consumer Goods Manufacturing Sector, Ekpen Theophilus Owie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain practitioners in developing economies, like Nigeria, experience challenges in implementing sustainable supply chain management practices. Poor sustainability implementation engenders the negative effects of supply chain operations on people, the environment, and business continuity. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe the experiences of supply chain practitioners in the consumer goods manufacturing industry in Nigeria about sustainable supply chain management based on the theoretical foundations of stakeholder and general systems theories. The focus of the research question was to examine the experiences of supply chain practitioners to understand the challenges in implementing sustainable …

Relationship Between Employee Development, Employee Burnout, And Employee Turnover Intentions, Marvin D. Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a concern for the highway maintenance leaders in the construction

industry because employees with turnover intentions may exhibit decreased commitment and increased cynicism towards the organization, which may affect business profits. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee development, employee burnout, and employee turnover intentions in highway maintenance organizations in the United States. Hobfoll's conservation of resources theory was the framework for this study. A convenience sampling of participants, which included a target audience who accessed the paper-based surveys from 6 field offices and the central office building within the northwestern …

Strategies To Mitigate Supply Chain Disruption Risks, Daniel G. Haloukas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Businesses with global supply chains typically have a minimum of 1 interruption to their supply chain annually, which can decrease profitability and affect overall company performance. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies personal care business supply chain managers used to mitigate supply chain disruption risk. The targeted population was 9 supply chain managers working in 5 different Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods personal care companies in the northeastern United States who have successfully used strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions. Corporate risk management was used as the conceptual framework of the study to determine how …

Managers' Views On Path-Breaking Interventions To Support Effective New Public Management In Nigeria, Chika Raymond Odimara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementing public sector reform in Nigeria is complex. Although government effectiveness is important for citizens' welfare, little evidence links management practices for effective public service delivery for low-income populations in developing countries. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore views of public agency managers in Nigeria on putting progressive interventions into practice to improve public services and change social outcomes for this population. The conceptual framework of the proposed study was path dependency, defined as increasing returns, positive feedback, or self-reinforcing processes, which are significant in understanding the challenges of formal and intentional reform programs. Seven …