Business Commons^™

Addressing Challenges Faced By Small Business Immigrant Entrepreneurs In Houston, Texas, Yahya Alghafir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrant entrepreneurs play a significant role in the economic development of the United States. However, some small business immigrant entrepreneurs are less successful than small business nonimmigrant entrepreneurs. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore the strategies some small business immigrant entrepreneurs use to sustain and grow their businesses profitably. Using a purposeful sampling technique, the population for this study consisted of 5 small business immigrant entrepreneurs having sustained and grown businesses for a minimum of 5 years in Houston, Texas. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was a combination of Barney's resource-based theory and the Light's …

Qualitative Examination Of Strategies To Overcome Resistance To Change In Lean Manufacturing, Elizabeth Burmester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 80% of lean manufacturing program initiatives are abandoned in the first year of implementation. Only 2% of organizations that embark on the lean journey complete it with the results and the sustainability they expected. There is a gap in past research regarding, the leadership strategies organizations can use to overcome resistance to change during lean manufacturing program implementations. The problem in this study was that leaders have limited information to overcome resistance to change when implementing these programs. The purpose of this study was to explore how leaders within manufacturing organizations may overcome resistance to change through leadership strategy. …

Strategies To Improve Corporate Financial Investment In Care Coordination Programs, Shameka Coles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Key drivers for care coordination programs may include reducing inflated health care cost and improving the quality of care for high-risk populations. However, health care leaders lack methods to support financial investment in care coordination programs. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that health care leaders use to improve corporate financial investment in care coordination programs that include the triple aim of reducing cost, improving population health, and increasing patient satisfaction. The triple aim model provided the conceptual framework for the study in which 6 health care leaders from Southern California with experience garnering …

Trust In Union Leaders And Decline In Union Membership, Seth Ellery Francois

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of 2015, public opinion of the ethical and honesty standards of labor union leaders was low, with 36% of the public reporting a low or very low rating, and only 18% reporting high or very high ratings. Grounded in leadership behavioral theory, the purpose of this correlation study was to examine the relationship between union members' perceptions of union leadership consideration, union members' perceptions of leadership initiation of structure, and union members' perceptions of leadership trust. Forty-four union members completed a brief demographic survey, the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire XII, and the Trust and Employee Satisfaction Survey. The results …

Customer Relationship Management Strategies At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Johnny Balman Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically Black colleges and university managers lack sufficient understanding of customer-relationship management strategies to create high enrollment rates leading to increased financial stability. The focus of this qualitative single case study was to explore customer-relationship management strategies managers use to improve financial performance from historically Black colleges and universities located within the state of Georgia with a student enrollment that exceeds 2,000 students. The conceptual framework for this study was the general system theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and employee handbooks. The data analysis consisted of compiling the data, disassembling the data into common codes, reassembling the data …

Employee Perceptions Of Merit Pay And Its Influence On Work Performance, Michael John Mcknight, Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The work performance of employees remains a vital factor both in an organization's viability as well as in the prosperity of its employees. Merit pay can influence employee performance and is one of the most frequently used monetary reward incentives for motivating employees to achieve a higher level of performance. The problem is the limited knowledge on how state employees in a southern state perceive merit pay and how those perceptions may influence employee work performance. Using a conceptual framework built from elements of various motivational theories including Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's 2 factor theory, the purpose of …

Voluntary Employee Turnover: Retaining High-Performing Healthcare Employees, Jesse J. Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Voluntary employee turnover in the healthcare industry is one of the most expensive and disruptive business problems that healthcare organizations encounter. Healthcare organizations can expect employee replacement costs to represent up to 150% of a departing employee's annual salary in new employee acquisition and decreased productivity. Guided by the leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies healthcare managers used to retain high-performing healthcare employees. Using semistructured interviews, the targeted population encompassed 6 healthcare managers from a healthcare organization in Central Texas who have demonstrated successful strategies for retaining high-performing healthcare employees by …

Exploring Strategies Microenterprise Owners Use To Succeed In Business Beyond 2 Years, Dr. Tamika Ebony Haynes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, microenterprises, critical segment of the small business population, accounts for 110 million small businesses that source new jobs. Despite the increase in the number of created businesses in the U.S., more than 70% of microenterprise business owners are unsuccessful after 2 years. The multiple case study included 6 participants living in Houston, Texas, and intended to explore business strategies microenterprise event management owners used to succeed in business beyond 2 years. The conceptual framework that grounded the study was the 5-stage small business growth model and the 5-stage of the evolution of entrepreneurship theory. The data …

Exploring Strategies For Early Identification Of Risks In Information Technology Projects, Nina Michele Mack-Cain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project managers must ensure risk management and business justification for their projects. Approximately, 53% of IT projects failed due to project managers not identifying risks early in the projects' lifecycle. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies IT project managers utilize to identify risks early in the project's lifecycle. The study population consisted of 5 lead IT project managers from a telecom company located in the Midwest region of the United States who had managed IT projects. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was the general systems theory. The data collection process involved semistructured interviews, …

Internal Controls Possessed By Small Business Owners, Stephanie Weiss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

On average, a small business could lose $150,000 a year due to employee fraud schemes. For most of the small businesses affected by employee fraud schemes, the average $150,000 loss could be detrimental to the small business, causing the business to close. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the internal controls small business owners apply to detect and prevent fraud from occurring in the business. The population for the study consisted of 3 small business owners located in Hartsville, South Carolina who implemented effective internal fraud controls in their business. The conceptual framework guiding the study …

Manufacturing Managers' Leadership Efficacy In The Context Of Reduced Union Influence, James Richard Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore whether manufacturing managers had the skills needed to lead union members whose unions have less influence than in the past. Leaders of manufacturing firms can strengthen the relationship between manufacturing managers and union members through positive and effective leadership. Providing union members with leadership can improve cooperation, reduce problem-solving time, and increase productivity through efficiency. The conceptual framework for this study was transformational leadership theory. Data collection involved conducting 20 semi structured interviews with participants affiliated with the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the Toledo, Ohio, area. The participants (9 manufacturing …

Perceptions Of Leader Emotional Intelligence And Subordinate Turnover Intentions In Substance Abuse Treatment Centers, Suzanne L. Jafferian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance abuse is a persistent social problem contributing to family disruption; domestic abuse; school failure; and financial costs relating to criminal prosecution, incarceration, treatment, and lost productivity and wages. Substance abuse is amenable to treatment, including psychotherapy. A client-therapist relationship is broken if the therapist leaves the organization; therefore, employee retention is especially important in treatment centers. Employee retention has been studied, but how it is affected by supervisees' perceptions of their managers' emotional intelligence has been a neglected area. The purpose of this nonexperimental, correlational study was to determine the relationship between employee turnover intention and perceived emotional intelligence …

Effects Of Management Cultural Integration On Merger And Acquisition Failures, Horacio Shettlewood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fifty percent of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the United States fail, often resulting in a loss of stakeholder value. A questionnaire study design was used to explore managers' strategies for cultural integration during an M&A. Data were gathered from 94 managers and business leaders in M&A organizations in Texas. Managers' cultural integration strategies, communication, and leadership during M&As were investigated using transformational leadership as the conceptual framework. The study data were gathered from an online questionnaire, formatted into matrices using computer software, and then coded to identify themes. Themes that emerged from the study were that managers used effective …

Strategies For Implementing A Successful Enterprise Resource Planning System, Wanda A. Swanier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Defense executives consider enterprise resource planning systems as a critical technology because of increasingly global operations and audit compliance pressures, which may affect organizational performance and overall success. The estimated cost to implement enterprise resources systems to avoid failure and meet budget cost across the Department of Defense services and agencies has ranged from $530 million to $2.4 billion. Guided by the general systems theory, the purpose of this single-case study was to explore enterprise resource planning strategies developed and implemented by United States Marine Corps military leaders. Data collection consisted of a review of organizational …

Strategies To Improve Patient Satisfaction And Organizational Performance In Health Care, Leanne Fay Heppell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Management and Technology

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Leanne Heppell

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,

and that any and all revisions required by

the review committee have been made.

Review Committee

Dr. Carol-Anne Faint, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Rocky Dwyer, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Kenneth Gossett, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Chief Academic Officer

Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Walden University

2016

A Qualitative Evaluation Of Leader-To-Millennial Relationship Development, Tywana Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Generational conflicts affect socialization practices needed for knowledge transfer and Millennial retention. Because of failed socialization practices, organizations will face significant losses in knowledge capital as Boomers retire and Millennials began to take active roles within the workplace. This interpretative phenomenological study explored Millennials' perceptions of leader-to-employee relationship development that may influence organizational learning and retention practices. Millennial retention is a primary concern in that knowledge acquired is a result of longevity and work experience. The leader-to-member exchange theory was used to navigate this qualitative inquiry. The reflexive approach was implemented to explore 20 Millennial participants' experiences with their managers. …

Assessing The Level And Impact Of Financial Literacy On African Americans, Robert A. Amoah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals are faced with making important economic decisions regarding retirement, savings, investing, and insurance. Across the globe, developed and emerging economies are experiencing growth in the sophistication of financial markets and products. Individuals require a greater degree of financial literacy to understand and explore these sophisticated and emerging financial markets and products. A review of literature revealed African Americans, however, lack the decision-making tools to function in the financial world. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which African Americans have financial knowledge. The sample size was 382 African Americans residing in Columbus, Ohio. The study …

Strategies For Reducing High Turnover Among Information Technology Professionals, Lawrence Roy Arnold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations globally are spending millions of dollars replacing information technology (IT) professionals. IT professionals, who possess technical skills and competencies that interconnect business processes, are costly to replace. There are direct and indirect costs associated when an IT professional leaves, such as advertising fees, headhunting fees, and project delays. Lacking a firm understanding of the reasons why IT professionals leave their positions, many business leaders do not have strategies for reducing turnover rates. Building on Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and March and Simon's process model of turnover, this exploratory multiple case study sought to identify the strategies that business leaders view …

Job Satisfaction, Organizational Culture, And British Nurses' Intention To Leave Employment, Brendan Edward Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In spite of decades of research, concerning nurse's intention to leave their employer (ITL), in 2011, 31.2% of the British nurses surveyed indicated they had formed an ITL. Grounded in reasoned action theory as developed by Ajzen and Fishbein, the purpose of the correlational study was to provide hospital managers with information regarding the relationship among nurse's job satisfaction (JS), organizational culture (OC), and ITL. The archival data from the 2011 NHS Staff Survey included responses from nurses (n = 21,257) across the British National Health Service. The Spearman's rho correlates rs (21,257) indicated relationships among nurse's job satisfaction, organizational …

Strategies Affecting The Sustainability Of Small Businesses, Malissa A. Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners bolster the emergence and growth of local communities. However, many small businesses do not survive beyond 5 years. Based on systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business owners to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. Using a multiple case study design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 retail business owners in DeKalb County, Georgia who were able to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. These small business owners provided detailed information on strategies used to sustain their businesses. Semistructured interviews allowed for in-depth conversations …

Assessing Information Technology And Business Alignment In Local City Government, Leslie Milbourne D'Anjou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Top executives are interested in more transparent and formalized structures, applicable measurements, and clear justification of alignment. Limited or improper information technology governance (ITG) affects the business strategy that will ultimately influence the overall business alignment in local city government agencies (LCGAs). The problem addressed in this study was the lack of information regarding LCGAs IT/business strategic alignment maturity model (SAMM) level and the LCGAs' employment size. The purpose of this survey study was to evaluate 48 LCGA participants in the Southwestern part of the United States and compare their alignment perceptions with their cities' employment size. The theoretical framework …

Exporting After Trade Missions: A Qualitative Analysis Of Small And Medium Enterprises, Tongila M. Manly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some U.S. small and medium enterprises (SMEs) participate in trade missions but return with no results. Accordingly, some researchers question the effectiveness of these export promotion programs. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the experiences of SME representatives who had attended a trade mission to South Africa. The research question explored the strategies that SME leaders required to successfully export their goods and services after a trade mission using the conceptual framework of resource-based theory. Snowball sampling was used to recruit and gather interview data from 22 SMEs. Thematic analysis of interview data and document sources, …

Expatriate Retention: A Challenging Goal For Global Corporations, Lydia Eileen Nicks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Towers Watson Media stated that multinational organizations will grow by 45% in 2014 increasing expatriate assignments; however, global organizations lose billions of dollars yearly financing expatriate assignments due to unsuccessful retention efforts during the repatriation process. Fifty percent of expatriates consider leaving the organization within the first year of returning to their home country. The aim of this single descriptive case study was to explore the retention strategies organizational leaders need to retain expatriates employees during repatriation. Two managers from the compensation benefits department of a multinational organization in Tennessee participated in the study. Career self-management theory framed the study. …

Meaningfulness Of Work As Perceived By Women From Diverse Social Classes: A Grounded Theory Exploration, Jennifer L. Hutmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite research connecting the meaningfulness of work with positive organizational outcomes, such as increased employee well-being, job satisfaction, engagement, and retention, there remains a lack of adequate, inclusive research explaining differences in women's perceptions of the meaningfulness of work. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to address this gap in the literature by developing a theory about the formation of perceptions of the meaningfulness of work and about the impact of those perceptions. Research questions explored perceptions that women from diverse social classes have of the meaningfulness of work, what influenced those perceptions, the impact of those …

Influence Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act On Small Businesses, Sean Gallman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders lack strategies to implement the employer shared responsibility provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Small businesses pay approximately 18% more than larger companies for the same health coverage. Within a conceptual framework of management by objectives, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies small business leaders use to implement the employer shared responsibility provision of the ACA. Data were gathered from the review of company documents, observations, and semistructured interviews with 5 senior business leaders from small business organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data …

Relationship Between Working Capital Management, Policies, And Profitability Of Small Manufacturing Firms, Zelealem Tadesse Temtime

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Working capital optimization, as an act of balancing liquidity and profitability, presents significant challenges when small businesses lack managerial expertise and access to affordable capital and credit facilities. To remain successful through efficient utilization of working capital, small business leaders need to understand the association between working capital management (WCM), working capital policy (WCP), and business profitability (PFT). Anchored in the cash conversion cycle theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between WCM, WCP, and PFT. The study employed a retrospective secondary analysis of financial data from 2004 to 2013 from a random sample of …

Relationships Among Administrative Computerization, Hospital Size, And Administrative Expenses, Pamela J. Gallagher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The healthcare industry is computerizing administrative functions in an attempt to reduce expenses and remain competitive. This correlational study of 3,088 Medicare-certified, short-term, acute-care hospitals in the United States was based on a general systems theory framework; it sought to examine the relationships among the independent variables of hospital size and administrative computerization and the dependent variable of administrative expenses. Secondary data from Health Information Management Systems Society's surveys and cost reports from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services were used. Correlation analyses with an alpha of .05 were used to test 3 of the 4 hypotheses; regression analysis …

Valuing Commercial Finance Companies, David Earle Coit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stakeholders are increasingly insistent that companies increase firm value. The problem is that stakeholders of financial services firms are unable to accurately determine firm value. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the accuracy of 4 valuation models in predicting the market value of equity of commercial finance companies. Study participating companies were 8 listed U.S. or Canadian commercial finance companies. The theoretical constructs of the study included the accuracy of valuation models, modern portfolio theory, and the correlation of book value of equity to market value of equity. Financial information on participating companies obtained from public filings …

The Connection Between Wellness Programs And Employee Job Satisfaction In Higher Education, Donel J. Richemond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job dissatisfaction is becoming a fundamental concern for employers. Employee engagement makes an organization more productive and can reduce absenteeism. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between employer-sponsored wellness-program participation and job satisfaction among for-profit college and university leaders. Data collection involved an online survey of 400 faculty members' from for-profit universities in the United States contacted using the Job Satisfaction Survey; 103 participants completed the survey. The theoretical framework was the need-satisfaction theory, which includes the factors that promote job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction. The results came from a multiple regression analysis that indicated …

How Grant Recipients Can Satisfy Compliance Requirements For U.S. Federal Awards, Thomas Edward Drabczyk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improper grants payments stemming from weaknesses in business processes have been a focus of the U.S. president, Congress, and federal and state governments since 2009. Researchers have demonstrated that the internal control weakness at the federal, state, and local government level has contributed to the problem of compliance. The Office of Management and Budget issued federal rules effective in December 2014 to address the problem of federal award compliance. Despite these measures, there is a gap in the literature on strategies for recipients of federal grants to meet compliance requirements. The purpose of the qualitative descriptive study was to explore …