Business Commons^™

An Analysis Of Reasonableness Models For Research Assessments, William D. Kight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who screen research grant applications often select candidates on the basis of a few key parameters; success or failure can be reduced to a series of peer-reviewed Likert scores on as little as four criteria: risk, relevance, return, and reasonableness. Despite the vital impact these assessments have upon the sponsors, researchers, and society in general as a benefactor of the research, there is little empirical research into the peer-review process. The purpose of this study was to investigate how reviewers evaluate reasonableness and how the process can be modeled in a decision support system. The research questions both address …

Job Satisfaction, Job Involvement, And Perceived Organizational Support As Predictors Of Organizational Commitment, Jennifer Parker Ayers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a significant relationship between job satisfaction, job involvement, perceived organizational support, and organizational commitment among educators. A review of the literature revealed there is limited research that examined organizational behaviors among educators. Organizational commitment has been identified as a leading factor impacting an employee's level of success in various organizations. There remains a gap in the current literature regarding specific attitudinal behaviors influencing organizational commitment across various levels of education. Organizational commitment among educators employed at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels was examined. The sample for …

The Effect Of Initial Entry Training On The Moral And Character Development Of Military Police Soldiers, Kenneth R. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Army conducts extensive training on its core values beginning with initial entry training (IET), commonly referred to as basic training, in order to shape soldiers' behavior and decision making in combat and noncombat situations. This mixed methods study addressed the problem of limited empirical research on the effects of U.S. Army IET on soldiers' moral and character development. The purpose was to explore the effects of Military Police (MP) IET on soldiers in training through a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative model. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Rest's four component model (FCM) of moral …

Defining The International Accounting Standard Board's Governance Network, Patricia A. Rossman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little empirical research identifying the structural forces influencing the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The purpose of this study was to analyze the structural forces underlying international accounting regulation to contribute insights useable by the public, politicians, and scholars to conceptualize the processes of international accounting regulation. Based on stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory, and social network theory it was posited that this network is rationally created to serve certain stakeholder groups in the face of divergent stakeholder interests. The research questions for this study addressed the organizations which constituted the IASB's governance network, the professional and geographic perspectives …

Perceptions Of Leadership Effectiveness In The Management Of Intergenerational Work-Values Conflict: An Antecedent Of Organizational Citizenship Behavior Of Perioperative Registered Nurses, Patricia G. Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies reveal a progressive net decrease in the nursing profession across four generations, creating a shortage that poses a critical threat to the health care delivery system and to the health and safety of patients within that system. Research also suggests that generational cohorts reflect social change in attitudes toward work-life balance, organizational commitment, personal-professional relationships, autonomy, focus on career advancement, and actions that represent organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Previous research grounded in theoretical frameworks of organizational behavior, leadership, and social capital indicates that leadership support of workforce diversity and effectiveness in conflict management influence OCB. However, little research explores …

Leadership As Role And Relationship In Social Dynamics: An Exploratory Study Seeking A Leadership Archetype, Brian W. Bridgeforth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research on leadership as archetype considered archetype as metaphor and not as it is understood in other literatures as a collectively accepted and defined role within and across cultures. Archetypical theories are posited as useful because they help us understand universal aspects of human behavior; however, empirical research demonstrating archetypical thinking and behavior remains rare. Accordingly, this phenomenological study investigated whether a leadership archetype exists as a shared cognitive template and if so, what characteristics define it. The theoretical framework used to examine the phenomenon of leadership combined leadership theory, philosophy of the mind, Jungian psychology, social constructionist theory, …

Assessing The Collaborative Knowledge Management Of The Market Dominant Organization, Jacob Olusola Ogunlade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dominant firms enjoy economic strengths which enable them to compete effectively in relevant markets through the use of collaborative knowledge management (CKM). While the literature is replete with general guiding principles for companies to adopt successful business strategies, there is very limited empirical research on effectively using CKM to improve company performance and market domination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate strategies for information sharing by companies to achieve better operations management and control, a wider range of customers, and stronger competitive edge in the global economy. Epistemological foundation for the study was provided by the literature on …

The Joint Impact Of Brand Value And Advertising On Corporate Financial Performance And On Stock Return: A Case Study Of The Computer Industry, Alladin O. Ukiwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Firm's advertising and marketing expenditures do not always translate to measurable financial returns. Understanding brand value appropriation and financial consequences of advertising is important for more focused investments in branding and marketing. This quantitative study sought to understand the joint effects of advertising expenditure and brand value (BV) on firms return on assets (ROA) and on stock return (SR) in the computer industry. The theoretical framework of the study was the resource-based view theory that proposes that the intangible assets of a corporation have a direct relationship to its ability to sustain its competitive advantage. The key research question involved …

Exploring Knowledge Loss In The Contact Center: Key Loss Areas, Contributing Factors, And Performance Metric Implications, Elizabeth M. Herman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Knowledge loss, or organizational forgetting, is often overlooked in knowledge management frameworks, yet it costs organizations money, personnel, efficiency, and customer service. The purpose of this mixed model case study was to understand, using a model of forgetting as the conceptual framework, where and why loss occurred and to examine performance implications. An inbound telephone contact center was studied because of prolific changes in that industry regarding knowledge complexity and performance. The researcher interviewed 20 participants, observed 63 calls, and reviewed 3 months of performance data including average handle time, first call resolution percentages, and time spent on after call …

The Responses Of Bamenda Disability Organizations To Hiv And Aids: A Multiple Case Study, Lynn Cockburn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Cameroon, many disabled people (an estimated 10-20% of the population) have inadequate access to education and health care, and disabled people's organizations (DPOs) are advocating for social change. Yet, there is a scarcity of information regarding how African DPOs address HIV and AIDS. The purpose of this study was to assess how DPOs in Cameroon have responded to AIDS in the disabled population and to identify strategies to enable DPOs to manage AIDS issues. This study was guided by the complex adaptive systems theory as the theoretical framework. The research questions focused on what DPOs have done to develop …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Information Systems On The Level Of Trust In The Construction Industry, Michael Wayne Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though the current level of communication and information sharing is greater than it has ever been throughout the history of the construction industry, the problem under investigation stems from the results of current research that indicate that many major projects have difficulty in achieving client expectations, resulting in a negative image of the construction industry. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact on the level of trust in the use of information systems between construction firms and their clients. The theoretical foundations of this research were based in interdependence and coordination theories. While information systems enable …

The Intersection Of Punctuated Equilibrium And Leadership Emergence Within The Framework Of Naturalistic Decision Making, Linda Moerschell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Punctuated equilibrium, a theory of unexpected and sudden change arising out of evolutionary biology and paleontology, has been applied to decision sciences, physics, organizational theory, and group behavior but never to leadership emergence theories. The purpose of the study was to discover how leadership emerges during a period of punctuated equilibrium, a sudden and unexpected change event, using a naturalistic decision making framework. Thus, the research question probed how leadership emergence could be theoretically modeled in a critical event. This grounded theory study was particularly unique because it drew from, and helped unify the four scientific foundations of complexity science, …

Evaluating Earnings Management With Derivatives And The Use Of Accounting Accruals: A Quasi Experimental Approach, Margot S. Geagon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most companies listed on the S&P 500 index have reported smoothed earnings since the 1990s inspiring questions from regulators about the accuracy of financial statements. In 1998, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued SFAS No. 133 (Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities) to establish accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments. In 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was issued to eradicate earnings management activities and improve transparency in financial reporting. Although many studies have been conducted to evaluate changes in reporting requirements, much less is known about the effectiveness of these regulations on earning smoothing with discretionary accruals (DA) …

Predicting Inter -Organizational Knowledge Satisfaction Through Knowledge Conversion And Task Characteristics In A Minority -Owned Business, Terrence L. Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Knowledge management has been extensively studied from the single organization (intra-organizational) perspective for many years. Although the literature on intra-organizational knowledge is extensive, there still exist gaps in the literature with regards to knowledge being shared by multiple organizations (inter-organizational knowledge). Inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction is gained when the organizations successfully embody the knowledge gained via the cooperation and crystallizes that knowledge within the organization. The problem addressed in this study is the lack of a model for predicting inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction utilizing task characteristics and the knowledge conversion process. The purpose of the study was to predict inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction …

Student Satisfaction With Online Learning Effectiveness At A Connecticut Community College, Alina R. Payne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, institutions of higher education have dramatically increased the number of online courses and degree programs offered to students, and yet it remains unclear what factors determine student satisfaction with online course and instructor effectiveness. Accordingly, the purpose of this exploratory correlation study was to examine how factors related to courses and instructors contributed to student perceptions of course quality (CQ) and instructor effectiveness (IE). Six stepwise regression procedures assessed the effects of specific course and instructor characteristics on perceptions of CQ and IE across one year of course evaluation data collected in a northeastern 2-year college. Results …

Parental Payment Abuse Within The Supplemental Security Income Program, Darlean Taylor-King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Management of Social Security Administration (SSA) has been challenged by the phenomena of overpayments with its Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Oversight authorities of SSA had expressed concerns about the overpayment abuse caused by parents as representative payees for disabled minor children. It was important to address this problem because the amount of overpayments prior to 1998 had caused integrity issues for management of SSA and increased federal debt from SSI claimants. The purpose of this study was to examine how management of SSA and the SSI program had responded to the concerns of the oversight authorities. Theoretical foundations for …

Portfolio Construction: The Efficient Diversification Of Marketing Investments, Michael P. Haydock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efforts in the marketing sciences can be distinguished between the analysis of individual customers and the examination of portfolios of customers, giving scarce theoretical guidance concerning the strategic allocation of promotional investments. Yet, strategic asset allocation is considered in financial economics theory to be the most important set of investment decisions. The problem addressed in this study was the application of strategic asset allocation theory from financial economics to marketing science with the aim of improving the financial results of investment in direct marketing promotions. This research investigated the components of efficient marketing portfolio construction which include multiattribute numerical optimization, …

Fund-Raising Systems In Children's Museums: An Analysis Of Fund-Raising Behavior And Philanthropic Income Trends, Elizabeth A. Potter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem under investigation. This dissertation analyzed philanthropic donations and fund-raising behavior in children's museums. The research embodies a descriptive, inductive, and deductive study which infers that philanthropic donations increase gradually and are influenced by an organization's fund-raising behavior.

The subjects. A stratified random sample of 15 small, 47 medium, and 20 large U.S. children's museums were surveyed; operating budgets determined museum size.

The methodology. Time-series statistical techniques and economic data measures calculated the change in children's museum philanthropic donations from 1990-1994. Correlation coefficients determined the relationships between the income variables. The fund-raising behavior variables, nominal data, were calculated in …

An Evaluative Study Of Financial Management For Institutions Of Higher Education As Related To Government Negotiated Research Contracting, Howard Haire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explores five elements pertaining to sound financial management in institutions of higher education as related to Government negotiated research contracting. The research tested the feasibility of five hypotheses presented as elements to be investigated in the study. Responses to a mail questionnaire were analyzed and final audit reports were examined. The data obtained were used as evidence to support the contention that sound financial management in universities as related to research negotiated contracting is important and can be improved through these five elements:

1. Financial management aids in developing the climate in which research can best be performed. …