Business Commons^™

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 …

Locus Of Control And Mindfulness As Moderators Of The Job Demand-Control Model: Effects On Burnout, Basia Andrejko-Gworek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractBurnout is considered a health hazard of contemporary workplaces and additional research is needed to identify protective factors against this phenomenon. The job demand-control model specifies job control as the key buffer against strains, but empirical support for its buffer hypothesis is limited. The present study accounted for both structural and person factors and tested a revised hindrance job demand-control model in prediction of burnout. By incorporating the challenge-hindrance stress framework with tenets of the transactional stress framework and the differential reactivity of personality theory, it was proposed that inclusion of hindrance stressors (i.e., interpersonal conflict, role conflict and organizational …

Strategies To Retain Skilled Assistant Project Managers In Construction Industries, Anastasia Persad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 160,000 assistant project managers in the construction industry willingly left the U.S. labor workforce in 2018. The cost of replacing an employee could amount up to 200% of the departing employee's annual salary for construction companies. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to investigate effective organizational strategies business leaders used to retain skilled assistant project managers. Six participants were senior project managers from construction companies in Manhattan, New York, with more than 10 years of experience in the commercial construction industry. Data came from semistructured interviews and a review of company …

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Style And Financial Sustainability, Tameika R. Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only 50% of the U.S. small businesses opened in 2011 were able to maintain financial sustainability. Small business owners struggle with identifying the type of leadership style needed to increase financial sustainability. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and financial sustainability. The participants consisted of 76 small business owners located in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia. The business owners completed a survey containing the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Financial Capability Scale. The data were analyzed using multiple …

Information Technology Strategies Automotive Retailers Use To Improve Customer Retention, Alexious Mulemba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business managers in the automotive retail industry face challenges in retaining customers in sales operations. Automotive business managers' failure to retain customers negatively affects sales, revenue, and sustainable business performance. Grounded in expectation-confirmation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the IT strategies some business managers use in the automotive retail industry to retain customers. The participants comprised 4 business managers from 2 automotive retail dealerships in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia, who used IT strategies to retain customers. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, interview notes, and company documents. Four themes emerged: customer …

Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation In Higher Education: Cost Containment Strategies, Tysha K. Tolefree

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective cost containment strategies to support enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementations within higher education institutions (HEIs) result in budget overruns 50% of the time. Grounded in Gartner’s IT cost containment techniques, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies HEI project directors use to support a successful ERP implementation on time and within budget. The participants comprised 5 project directors and managers from HEIs and another public organization in the state of Washington. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, archival data, and organization documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, and …

Strategies To Improve Employee Retention In The Small Retail Industry, Martin Anokwah Owusu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high turnover rates of entry-level employees adversely affect the profits of small retail businesses. Small business owners in Ghana may benefit by retaining entry-level employees and reducing replacement and training costs. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this descriptive, single-case study was to identify strategies some small retail business leaders in Accra, Ghana, used to reduce the high rate of entry-level employee turnover. The participants were 6 retail business leaders recommended by their director of human resources because of the participants’ experience implementing strategies to minimize entry-level employees’ high turnover rates. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews …

Probation And Parole Officers’ Experiences Addressing Criminogenic Needs Of Adult Felony Offenders, Maria L. Stephenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation and parole officers (PPOs) deviate from evidence-based practices implemented to reduce recidivism among adult felony offenders. PPOs fail to adhere to risk-need assessment results during case management, but prior research has not established the reasons for this deviation. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of PPOs implementing the risk needs responsivity (RNR) model by addressing the criminogenic needs of adult felony offenders. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory, Becker’s labeling theory, and Andrews and Bonta’s RNR theory. This study involved in-depth, individual, semistructured interviews with 6 participants. The data were …

Strategies For Business Management Innovations To Improve Competitiveness, Roger George Denousse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some African business leaders were, in 2019, less competitive because they continue to use traditional business management practices and have failed to incorporate advanced technology. Taking advantage of new management strategies and innovative technology to increase their global competitiveness will benefit African businesses. The purpose of this multiple case study, grounded in Burns’ transformational leadership theory, was to explore strategies that business leaders in Seychelles have used to implement management innovations to improve competitiveness. The participants consisted of 5 business leaders from 5 large innovative business organizations operating successfully and based in Mahe, Seychelles. The data were collected through semistructured …

Funding Sources And Marketing Strategies To Sustain Small-To-Midsized Nonprofit Businesses, Lynette Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective funding sources and marketing strategies can negatively impact business sustainability. Half of all leaders of small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) experience an inability to sustain their businesses for more than 5 years. Grounded in Greiner, Jablonski and Jablonski’s and Mella and Pellicelli’s sustainable growth models, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore how leaders of an SMB developed funding sources and marketing strategies to sustain their business for more than 5 years. The participants comprised 3 leaders from a nonprofit SMB in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, documents on …

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 …

Relationship Between Information Technology Integration, Senior Leadership Involvement In Postmerger Integration, And Merger Performance, Francis Tella

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIneffective post-merger performance places an organization at financial risk. Health care leaders are concerned with post-merger performance because of the high rate of post-merger failure and the significant economic and social impact that hospitals have on their communities. Grounded in Haspeslagh and Jemison's post acquisition integration framework, the goal of this quantitative ex post facto study was to evaluate the relationship between information technology integration, senior leadership involvement in post-merger integration, and post-merger performance. Secondary data were collected from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Hospital Compare and the American Hospital Association's annual survey databases for 2018. Data from Irving …

Relationship Between Risk Identification, Risk Response, And Project Success, Marsha Marinich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractProjects are used to implement the organization's strategic goals, but high failure rates reduce projects' effectiveness in successfully achieving goals. High failure rates reduce project managers’ effectiveness of projects in successfully achieving goals. Senior leaders and project managers are unable to deliver successful projects due to unmanaged risks. Grounded in expected utility theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between risk identification, risk responses, and project success. A survey was created in SurveyMonkey® and distributed on LinkedIn. Survey responses were analyzed from 71 project managers with at least five years of experience in Washington, …

Social Connectedness And Financial Independence Strategies Supporting Nonprofit Sustainability, Christopher Edmund Maylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) often lack strategies to ensure the sustainability of their organizations beyond initial funding, resulting in significant risk to program continuity. Grounded in social entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies used by 3 leaders of a small NPO in the southwest region of the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Through thematic analysis, 6 social themes emerged: optimization of business strategies, income and donor growth, program cost management, funding diversification, program licensing, and public awareness of NPO programs. The contributions to …

Perceptions Of The Value Of Financial Education In African American Creditworthiness, Melvin Thomas Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggests a disparity for African Americans within the banking system, as they are denied credit at a higher rate than other ethnic groups. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of African Americans financial training in regards to qualifying for consumer loans. The conceptual framework was based on seminal theories on credit risk assessment and critical race theory. The research questions were designed to address banking officials' perceptions of financial training and the effectiveness of training in improving African Americans' credit. A phenomenological design was employed with the purposeful sample of 9 banking officials within …

The Experience Of Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In The Workplace, Josephine Laverne Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with children for many decades, but it can continue into adulthood. However, little research has focused on adults with ADHD or the specific processes through which such adults mitigate the challenges they face, especially in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to provide a better understanding of the strategies and support systems adults with ADHD use to overcome workplace challenges. Self-efficacy theory grounded the study, allowing for an understanding of the lived experiences of adults with ADHD in the workplace. The researcher conducted 12 semistructured interviews with adults with …

Strategies For Managing Offshore Outsourcing For Business Sustainability, Idrissa Maiga Hamidou Issa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective offshore outsourcing strategies can contribute to unexpected and significant costs for businesses. Strategies to improve outsourcing outcomes are critical to business managers because often third parties contracted to implement offshore outsourcing fail to fulfil business managers’ expectations who can benefit from understanding how to manage outsourced operations and anticipate potential problems. Grounded in transaction cost theory, cultural and customs theory, and the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies and processes business managers use to maintain their organization after the implementation of offshore outsourcing. The participants consisted of 3 managers who …

Influence Of Collectivistic And Individualistic Values On Probation Officers' Retention, Audrene Janell Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation officers are departing their employment before retirement at a high rate depending on the agency, location, and type of position, which impacts society. The cost associated with training a new officer could consume a large portion of an agency's yearly budget, leaving many inexperienced officers to supervise dangerous offenders and defendants. Thus, it is important to examine factors influencing retention such as whether individualistic and collectivist values predict a relationship between retention intent of probation officers. The purpose of this quantitative research study, guided by Hofstede's cultural theory, was to determine whether family embeddedness influences retention intent of probation …

An Examination Of Corporate Financial Performance Within Corporate Socially Responsible Standard & Poor 500 Companies, Kevin J. Utzig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many managers are failing to predict and respond to the evolutionary changes within their firm’s business environment. Some experts believe that any company not utilizing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy will lose customers, which will have a direct impact on the firm’s financial performance. Managers lack a clear understanding of the impacts of CSR strategies on corporate financial performance. The purpose of this quantitative multiple regression-based study was to examine what relationship existed between an organization’s CSR strategy and its financial performance. The conceptual frameworks for this research were stakeholder and triple bottom line theories. These frameworks were selected …

Communication Strategies Used To Improve Employee Performance In A Diverse Workforce, Dr. Sharine Denise Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective communication strategies can negatively affect employee performance in a diverse workforce, which may hinder business growth. Top-level managers in the telecommunication sector who struggle to improve employee performance are at high risk of their businesses failing. Grounded in organizational information theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the communication strategies top-level managers in the communication sector use to improve employee performance in a diverse workforce. The participants were 5 top-level managers in 2 telecommunication companies in St. Maarten, who effectively used communication strategies to improve employee performance in a diverse workforce. Sources for data …

A Practitioner's Approach To Implementing Community Bank Internal Controls, Paul A. Dubrey Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some community bank compliance professionals lack strategies to comply with the 2013 Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) internal control framework statement, so they have been slow to adapt to the new COSO framework. However, they will be under increased regulatory pressure to do so. Grounded in Cressey's fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies community bank compliance professionals use to comply with the revised COSO internal control framework. Four compliance professionals at a community bank in the Boston, Massachusetts area who have successfully implemented strategies for internal control …

Workforce Agility Strategies For Improving The Success Rate Of Change Initiatives, Marvia Herfah Evangelist-Roach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to implement change initiatives is a direct result of low employee resilience and adaptability. Successful agility strategies are important to financial business leaders to remain competitive in financial markets. Grounded in the dynamic capabilities theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore workforce agility strategies used by financial business leaders to improve the success rate of change initiatives. The participants were 4 financial business leaders in Jamaica who successfully improved the success rate of change initiatives. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, organizational strategic plans, annual reports, and change management plans. Four themes emerged through …

Impact Of Sanctions And Awareness On Intention To Comply With Information Security, Kevin Fitzgerald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employees in higher education are likely to violate information security policies because of the open nature of academic institutions. Policy violations can lead to data breaches and identity theft that can cause harm to businesses and individuals. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional study based on general deterrence theory and neutralization theory was to analyze the relationships between the independent variables, severity of sanctions, vulnerability to sanctions, and awareness of consequences, and the dependent variable, intention to comply with information security policy. Participants (n=100) who work in a higher education institution with an information security policy completed an online …

Succession Of Power And Transferring Knowledge In A Small Family Business, Todd Alan Hanzes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thirty percent of small family businesses continue to the second generation, and 13% continue to the third generation. Small family business owners’ ability to find a replacement, for the succession of power, continues to challenge small family business owners. Small family business owners who do not incorporate successful succession strategies run a high risk of failure and closure. Grounded in the dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies 3 small family business owners in Hawaii used for the succession of power. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and supplemented …

The Effect Of Self-Control And Grit On Female Leader Emergence, Heather E. Mitterer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women account for 47% of the total workforce in the United States, but only 27% of women hold executive positions. The purpose of this study was to assess whether and to what extent a significant relationship exists between self-control and grit, as well as the effect that both have on female leader emergence within male-dominated industries of manufacturing, computer science, and engineering in the United States. The goal of this research was to show how gender stereotypes shape a woman’s journey to leadership, with a focus that does not characterize women as victims of discrimination, but rather empowers women to …

Financial Management Strategies For Sustaining Small Entertainment Businesses, Michael Nana Nitto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective financial management control strategies results in many small business entertainment owners (SBEOs) failing within their first 5 years of operations. Without strategies to develop and maintain adequate financial management controls, SBEOs may lose market share and potentially go bankrupt, which would result in the loss of jobs and income for employees. Grounded in the mental budgeting theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore financial management strategies successful SBEOs use to improve productivity and profitability to sustain business operations beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 4 successful SBEOs in Northern Virginia who effectively …

The Relationship Between Flexible Work Environments And The Engagement Of Healthcare Information Technology Employees, Mosella Andrea Rouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of employee engagement can adversely impact the profitability of businesses. Healthcare information technology leaders who lack information about the relationship between flexible work environments and employee engagement are at risk of decreased employee engagement, adversely impacting companies’ performance. Grounded in the social exchange theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between flexible work location, flexible work hours, and employee engagement among millennial healthcare information technology (HIT) workers. Data were collected from archival records of millennial employees (N = 2,184) who work at a HIT organization in the southeastern United States. The results of …

Employee Retention Strategies In U.S. College And Universities, Michael Louis Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover in U.S. colleges and universities negatively affects productivity, resources, employee morale, and job satisfaction. The failure of U.S. colleges and universities’ leaders to retain a viable and productive workforce negatively affects students’ educational success and learning opportunities. Grounded in the motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies college and university leaders used to retain employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 5 university leaders in 5 higher-education institutions in the Midwest region of the United States, and a review of publicly available organizational documents and university websites. Data were analyzed …

Mediating Effect Of Transformational And Servant Leadership On Perceptions Of Management Bullying, Wilsa Desir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying by workplace organizational leadership will continue to present challenges until organizations adopt tools to identify feasible policies, programs, and solutions that can bridge the gap between oppressed employees and their organizations. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the effects of transformational and servant leadership on organizational commitment and the mediating effect of management bullying in the workplace. The investigation was guided by the 3-component model (TCM) of organizational commitment, Burns's conceptual framework on transformational leadership, and Greenleaf's theory on servant leadership. Survey data were collected from 134 participants recruited via social media and snowball sampling. …

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 …