Business Commons^™

Achieving Profitability In Global Small Business Supply Chain Management, Cheryl A. Mccloud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain managers of small and medium-sized enterprises face cost inefficiencies in meeting human, physical, and technology capital requirements. Small and medium-sized enterprise supply chain managers who fail to implement cost-efficiency strategies risk jeopardizing profitability. Grounded in the chaos theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the successful strategies SME supply chain managers used to create cost efficiencies to remain profitable. Participants were 3 corporate supply chain managers of a small and medium-sized international enterprise located in central Florida who were successful at creating cost efficiencies to remain profitable. The data collection process included face-to-face …

Social Influences, Decision-Making, And Career Retention Of Novice Teachers, Kerstin Anna Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers bring hope, optimism, and excitement for teaching and learning from their individual preparatory programs to their classrooms at the start of every new school year. However, research indicates a large number of those teachers leave the field of teaching within a 5-year timeframe. The consequence of this loss of professionals has a deep-rooted impact on student achievement and learning. This loss also has considerable career and financial implications for the field of education. The reasons for this exodus are varied and somewhat broad in nature and scope. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived …

Corporate Social Responsibility And Financial Performance Of U.S. Manufacturing And Service Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Revlon Orlando Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment strategies impact the business outcomes of firms of all sizes regardless of investment motives. But for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME), the consequences of CSR investment are more immediate when compared to larger firms due to the condensed lag time between decisions and their respective outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the management decisions of social or environmental CSR investments for U.S.-based service and manufacturing SMEs are effective as represented by financial performance in their respective business sectors. The theoretical framework of this study was stakeholder and social capital theories. Five …

Strategies For Improving Accounting Controls For Donations To Nonprofit Organizations, Heartwill Nana Serwah Doughan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many nonprofit organizations (NPOs) lack strategies to develop and maintain adequate accounting controls, thereby decreasing donations and organizational sustainability. Leaders of NPOs rely on donations to operate programs effectively and remain sustainable using adequate accounting controls. Grounded in the strategic management theory, the purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to identify strategies that NPO leaders used to improve their accounting controls to maintain and demonstrate financial stability. The participants comprised 4 leaders of an NPO located in Kansas and New Hampshire in the United States who had developed and maintained accounting controls to facilitate an increase in donations …

Green Innovative Strategies Construction Business Leaders Implement To Increase Organizational Performance, Janelle Sharee O'Mard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The construction industry lacks innovative green strategies to increase organizational performance. However, construction business leaders are hesitant to implement innovative green strategies due to the possibility of decreased organizational performance. Grounded in Fiedler’s contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the innovative green strategies implemented by construction business leaders to increase organizational performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents with 5 construction business leaders in Antigua who successfully used innovative green strategies to increase organizational performance. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5-step process. Five themes emerged: innovative research and design, collaboration, …

Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee Turnover In The Food Service Industry, Jerahn D. Hyman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of small food service businesses experience high levels of voluntary employee turnover causing loss of productivity and profit. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that foodservice business owners used to reduce voluntary employee turnover. A purposeful sample of 5 business owners of small food service businesses in the Midwest region of the United States participated in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews as well as reviewing internal company documents such as employee surveys, training materials, and documented procedures. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with …

Effective Strategies Nonprofit U.S. Leaders Use To Assess And Mitigate Occupational Fraud, Fahim Mazumdar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud can negatively impact nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizational leaders in the United States who lack the strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud are at high risk of incurring loss due to fraud. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit officers use to assess and mitigate occupational fraud in a nonprofit organization. The participants comprised 2 internal auditors in the northeast region of the United States who effectively used strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud in the …

Strategies To Reduce Absenteeism In The Public Sector Workplace, Dr. John G. Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When unplanned absences occur, employers incur lost productivity and additional costs. In the United States, missed work because of employee absence costs organizations about $202 billion dollars annually. Grounded in Burn’s transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore effective strategies public works department leaders use to reduce absenteeism in the workplace. The participants included 9 leaders who worked in a chosen department in the local government who successfully reduced absenteeism in the workplace. The data collection process included conducting semistructured interviews and reviewing organizational documents. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis …

Strategies To Mitigate The Effects Of Identity Theft In The Hospitality Industry, Patricia Lee Jirsa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders in the U.S. hospitality industry experience significant losses in profitability, increased mitigation cost, and reduced revenues because of business and consumer identity theft. Grounded in the fraud triangle theory and the fraud diamond theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies leaders in the hospitality industry use to mitigate identity theft. A purposeful sample of 5 leaders of 5 different hospitality businesses in Montana participated in the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, member checking, and a review of company documents. During data analysis using Yin’s 5-step process, 3 key themes emerged: a new …

Employee Engagement In The Federal Sector: An Exploration Of Communication, Respect, Motivation, And Encouragement, Jody Mcdaniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate and deepen the understanding of employee engagement in the multigenerational workforce of a federal agency. Organizational culture in combination with the dispersion of staff across multiple generations presented the opportunity to inform the case study through scientific management theory and the theory of generations as well as concepts regarding organizational change, employee satisfaction, and organizational leadership. Research questions involved investigating factors influencing the reduction in employee satisfaction and engagement, the impact of generational differences, and the role leadership plays in altering employee engagement. Survey questions were developed based on 4 …

Emotional Intelligence, Turnover Intention, And Commitment Among Nonprofit Employees, Tabitha Brewster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a persistent problem contributing to financial issues and declining

productivity in nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits cannot fulfill their core missions of

providing services to people in need when managing staffing disruptions. Measuring

employee turnover intention can determine the probability of employee turnover, and a

potential predictor of turnover intention is emotional intelligence, an area unstudied in the

nonprofit sector. This study was designed to explore this relationship, in addition to the

employee's commitment to the organization. The population consisted of 273 nonprofit

employees older than 18 years, working in a nonsupervisory capacity. They completed an

online survey consisting …

African American Women Bloggers’ Lived Experiences With Digital Entrepreneurship: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Melissa Mcdowell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The professionalization of blogs has elevated blogging to an organizational field whereby bloggers develop a legitimate career path. For many minority women bloggers, the transition from being traditionally employed to managing a one-person digital enterprise is often met with racial and gender imbalances created by nontraditional modes of work. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding of how African American women bloggers described their lived experiences with managing a one-person digital enterprise and the implications of their racial and gender identity within this nontraditional mode of work. To address this gap, a transcendental …

Disruptive Innovation Within The Legal Services Ecosystem, Donald G. Billings, Douglas G. Campbell

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Many law firms have done little to address the opportunities and threats presented by potentially disruptive technology (DT), such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some law firm leaders use to address the potentially detrimental influences of DT on their organizations. The systems approach to management was employed as the conceptual framework. Data were collected from 6 participants at 2 international law firms with offices in California, using semi-structured interviews and organizational artifacts. Data were analyzed using inductive and deductive coding and thematic analysis, resulting in …

Engaging External Stakeholders To Improve Public-Private Partnership Water Project Completion Rates, John Paul Kolman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public-private partnership (PPP) water projects may have competing external stakeholders, resulting in a disproportionately high project failure rate when compared to other types of infrastructure projects. Private companies and local governments use PPP projects as a means to bridge deficiencies in local government funding and knowledge to assist in bringing improved water to their communities. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to examine strategies leaders use to engage their external stakeholders in improving their PPP project completion rates. The study was grounded in Freeman's stakeholder theory. The participants consisted of 3 leaders who recently completed stakeholder activities …

Compensation Strategies That Support Commercial Banks’ Effective Risk Management Practices, Elias Kagumya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compensation structures with relatively high levels of contingent pay encouraged managers to engage in excessive risk-taking behavior at financial institutions, which contributed to the global financial crisis of 2008. The purpose of this study, guided by the theory of the firm, was to explore compensation strategies that some executives in Uganda used to support effective risk-management practices. This multiple case study was an in-depth inquiry into compensation strategies that encouraged prudent risk-taking behavior. The target population comprised 5 risk-management executives from 5 separate commercial banks who had successfully implemented compensation strategies that supported risk management practices. Data were collected through …

Leadership Strategies For Reducing Regulatory Citations To Maintain Tax-Exempt Statuses In Nonprofit Organizations, Emmanuel Kamara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Leaders of nonprofit organizations have challenging responsibilities of satisfying the

demands of all their stakeholders by obeying state and federal regulations.

Noncompliance of regulations can quickly cause a nonprofit organization to lose its tax

exempt status and become nonexistent; thus, it appears that most nonprofits are choosing

to prioritize compliance, while struggling to maintain focus on their mission and services.

Using the conceptual framework of transformational leadership and general system

theories, this case study was to explore strategies leaders of nonprofits organizations in

Pennsylvania that cater to the needs of people with disabilities use for decreasing

regulatory citations to …

Management Accounting Systems For Small Business's Competitive Advantage, Renato (Denver) Alcazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall businesses providing ancillary services to the motion picture industry fail at alarming rates due to leadership's lack of strategies for service diversification and business expansion. Grounded in the contingency theory of management accounting, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore management accounting systems (MAS) strategies leaders of ancillary service providers use for business diversification. The data collection included face-to-face semistructured interviews with 10 small business owners who successfully used MAS strategies for business diversification in California. The data analysis entailed using keyword frequency comparisons and coding techniques that facilitated the verification and triangulation of key …

Strategies To Identify And Implement Meaningful Measurements For Nonprofit Organizations, Michael Dillard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLeaders of nonprofit organizations lack strategies to identify and implement meaningful measurements to secure funding from their stakeholders. Nonprofit leaders who continue to face challenges with securing funding might fail to achieve their organization's missions. Grounded in the stakeholder theory and the Juran trilogy, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies three senior business leaders of a nonprofit organization in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States used to secure funding from their stakeholders. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, documents from the nonprofit organization, and public sources. Using Yin's 5-step thematic analysis process to …

Strategies For Small Businesses Negotiating Contracts With Hospitals, Patricia Gale Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to successfully negotiate contracts can have negative impacts on business survivability. Contract negotiations are ways medical suppliers and hospitals establish mutually beneficial relationships to increase profitability and longevity while innovating to improve patient care. Grounded in the resource dependency theory and the grand theory of negotiation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used by Texas physician preference item (PPI) suppliers to successfully negotiate contracts with hospitals to improve profits and sustain their small business beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 11 small business leaders in Texas who successfully negotiated contracts with hospitals to …

Strategies To Reduce Workplace Bullying In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Gina Julceus Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 60% of employees are affected by workplace bullying. Leaders who do not adequately address workplace bullying experience reduced productivity, increased attendance issues, or risk of losing skilled employees. Grounded in the behavior engineering model, the purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore strategies some leaders in the pharmaceutical industry use to reduce workplace bullying to improve organizational culture and employee performance. The population consisted of 4 leaders from 2 pharmaceutical organizations in Florida who have successfully implemented strategies to reduce workplace bullying to improve organizational culture and employee performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and document analysis …

Key Strategies For Successful Information Technology Projects, David Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe successful implementation of information technology (IT) projects globally depends on the increasing reliance of project managers on IT innovations. Some project managers and business leaders do not possess the strategies to effectively manage and successfully implement IT projects. Grounded in coordination theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used to successfully implement IT projects. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and from company documents. The participants comprised 6 IT project managers in Northeast Ohio who successfully implemented IT projects. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged: communication amongst all …

Marketing Strategies That Chinese Business Leaders Use To Increase Sales Of Smartphones, Byron Edward Johns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chinese smartphone manufacturing business leaders are experiencing difficulties associated with entering into the U.S. market, partly because of U.S. government concerns that the technology could be used by the Chinese government to gather intelligence. Grounded in Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore marketing strategies Chinese smartphone marketing business leaders used to increase their smartphone sales in the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents from 3 Chinese smartphone marketing business leaders with successful experience in using marketing strategies to increase their smartphone sales in the United …

Transfer Of Ownership Strategies For Small Businesses, Kim Leanne Karioja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of a country’s economic success. But some small business owners lack strategies to successfully transfer their business to a new owner, increasing the probability that the business will cease to exist. Because baby boomer small business owners are retiring at a high rate, long-term local economic sustainability may be affected. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners used to transfer their business to a new owner. The participants were 6 small business owners who successfully transferred their business to a …

Special Operations Forces Culture And Implications For Interagency Collaboration, Bradley Rhinelander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Horn of Africa exemplifies maritime instability due to regional climate, environmental, economic, food, and security issues. Future global challenges require collaborative approaches between U.S. government and military organizations to span organizational boundaries and leverage the strengths and insights of diverse organizations. The purpose of this research was to examine organizational culture and identity, as manifested in organizational literature, to identify opportunities and challenges to interagency networks and collaboration in the realm of confronting wicked problems around the globe. The research questions focus on the cultural and normative elements of organizational identity as manifest in the context of organizational literature. …

Using Employee-Development As A Solution To Employee Turnover, Jason Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure to retain key employees is an expense that can lead to decreased productivity, profits, and efficiency. The improvement of employee-development practices is integral for business leaders who are focused on reducing an employee’s likelihood of leaving the company. Grounded in job-embeddedness theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the employee-development strategies leaders use to improve employee retention and reduce cost resulting from turnover. The participants included 6 managers from 2 companies in Connecticut who had experience with employee-development policies to improve retention. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and public documents collected …

Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility And Social Performance Of Small Businesses, Melva Steps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business leaders affected by negative social performance may also experience a diminishing customer base and minimized profits. Grounded in the strategic success paradigm framework, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between four elements of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic posture (workplace, marketplace, community, and environment) and social performance. The participants consisted of retail trade small business owners in the United States. The Survey of CSR in Small Business was conducted via SurveyMonkey and provided the data for analysis (N = 85). Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the regression model significantly …

Impacting Nonprofit Financial Sustainability And Mission, Jarhal Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofits in the United States have been struggling to maintain financial sustainability and create new pathways to accomplish its mission. The research problem was that there was limited research on leadership strategies for nonprofits to facilitate the balance of achieving the organizational mission and financial sustainability. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of how current leaders of niche-based nonprofit organizations use strategies to impact financial sustainability and maintain the mission of the nonprofit organization. Building on this understanding can help address this issue. Theoretical frameworks such as Resource Dependence Theory and General Systems Theory help develop …

E-Commerce Strategies Small And Medium Enterprises Use To Market Products In Ghana, Joseph Kwaku Amaglo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium enterprise (SME) business owners face challenges in adopting e-commerce strategies to market products. By utilizing e-commerce technology and tools, SME business owners could reach more customers and improve their business performance. Grounded in the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies some SME business owners in the furniture industry used to adopt e-commerce to market products in Ghana. The participants comprised 5 SME business owners from 5 different furniture firms in Ghana who adopted e-commerce strategies to market products. Sources of data included semi-structured interviews, interview notes, and …

Relationship Between Intrinsic Job Satisfaction, Extrinsic Job Satisfaction, And Turnover Intentions In Luxury Hotels, Grayce Laverne James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The hotel industry makes significant contributions to U.S. economic growth, but many hotel managers have expressed concerns about high employee turnover intentions. In the context of career choices, leaders of the hotel industry in the United States face turnover intentions that are 70% higher than turnover intentions in other sectors. Grounded in Herzberg’s 2-factor theory, the purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between intrinsic job satisfaction, extrinsic job satisfaction, and employee turnover intentions of front desk customer service employees of luxury hotels. Participants included 75 front desk customer service employees with at least 1 year …

Strategies For Retaining Life Insurance Sales Agents, Jose Pablo Pescador

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The total number of life insurance sales agents has decreased from 535,000 in 1990 to 323,700 in 2014, averaging a total of 8,829 life insurance sales agents leaving the life insurance industry annually. Effective retention strategies of life insurance sales agents may provide a sustainable workforce in the life insurance industry. Guided by Ambler and Barrow’s employer branding theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies branch managers used to retain life insurance sales agents. The 6 participants in the study implemented effective retention strategies to retain life insurance sales agents within 2 life insurance …