Business Commons^™

Developing A Measure Assessing Virtual Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Samuel Louis Galbraith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In a time when technology is an integral part of life, virtual workplaces are becoming more of a staple in organizations and will likely continue to do so as technology use increases (Cascio, 2000). Due to the rise in virtual workplaces, employees are interacting face-to-face less, and organizations are requiring more from them. Employees must perform behaviors that are outside of their formal job description. These positive behaviors are considered to be organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), which are employee behaviors that promote organizational effectiveness that are not part of an employee’s formal job description and are therefore not formally recognized …

The Perception Of Knowledge Management System Implementation To Employee Performance Is Measured With Balanced Scorecard At Pt Vale Indonesia Tbk, Yeni Febriyani

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Knowledge Management System (KMS) is a necessary concept as knowledge possessed by each individual employee is an intellectual property asset that will provide benefits for any organization. In a company, in terms of KMS, employees’ performance holds an important role in helping run the business of the company becoming sustainable and successful. Therefore, the measurement of employees’ performance based on a balanced scorecard is needed to understand the current business situation. This research helped focus on the perception between the KMS and employee’s performance based on a balanced scorecard (BSC) regarding a financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business process perspective, …

Application Of Goldratt’S Thinking Process To Constraints Within An Emergency Department—A Case Study, Augustine O. Amonge

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Emergency department (ED) acts as a feeder to many hospitals as it determines a large proportion of admissions. ED also acts as a buffer zone for many patients who cannot get care in other institutions due to insurance issues. Most hospitals are trying to invest heavily on their EDs, but cannot meet patients’ satisfaction in terms of cost and quality of care. There is great need for EDs to understand customers’ expectation given the rising cost of healthcare.

The focus of this study is at an ED center in Bowling Green Kentucky, using theory of constraints (TOC) thinking process application …

Implementation Of A New Enterprise Resource Planning System, Lacy Payne

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of this thesis was to upgrade an Enterprise Resource planning system that was outdated into a new age Enterprise resource planning system based centered on a scheduling algorithm. This was a key change that needed to be made to transform the company from old thinking to new. Primarily the testing of this implementation was done through mapping of processes, followed by trial and error, and finally improving and sustaining the processes it took to use the system correctly. The mapping of the processes was completed by the Process Manager as well as the Lead, Supervisor, or Manager of …

Improving Cocoa Production Through Lean: A Case Study Of The Ghanaian Cocoa Industry, Kwasi Boateng

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cocoa has been useful in several ways, especially to countries that produce it and consumers all over the world. Its benefits range from improving economies to satisfying millions all over the world who desire one cocoa product or the other. The production of cocoa however is not without its own attendant problems. Aging tree stock, spread of diseases, and production capacity problems are, but a few of many challenges that seed gardens that produce cocoa face. This study investigated the pollination process on selected seed gardens in Ghana, the second largest world producer of cocoa. The purpose of this study …

Physical Ability Testing: A Review Of Court Cases 1992-2014, Joseph Westlin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Selecting employees for hire and promotion is one of the most essential functions of an organization. Many companies that have positions which contain a physical component rely on physical ability testing as part of their selection procedure. The establishment of both the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had a profound impact on the manner in which selection testing may legally be conducted (Gutman, Koppes, & Vodanovich, 2011). The current study sought to analyze court cases involving physical ability testing. Results revealed that pure ability tests did not significantly differ from work sample tests with regard …

The Perceived Relevance Of Training In Industrial/Organizational Psychology At The Terminal Master's Level, Seth A. Kline

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to replicate and expand upon the survey research by Erffmeyer and Mendel (1990) on the perceived relevance of graduate training in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology at the terminal master’s level. A review of the literature discussed core competencies, as well as the advantages of internship experiences and thesis requirements. Results indicated that graduates view their training as well targeted towards knowledge and skills they regard as useful at their internship, first job, and current position. Results also indicated that graduates viewed their internship experiences as highly beneficial and worthwhile experiences, regardless of their supervisor. Results …

The Strategic Plan Of A Medium-Size Enterprise Compared To The Baldrige Criteria, Jordan Blacklock

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to provide a case example of one SME (small to medium-size enterprises) documented practices compared to the Baldrige Program’s Criteria for Performance Excellence (Criteria). This study evaluated the degree to which the case example organization practiced the philosophies and principles of the Criteria without direct knowledge of the Criteria. The researcher conducted evaluations by examining the case example organization’s strategic plan against the Criteria. Results of this study’s demonstrated that the Baldrige Program would not be a change in direction for the case example organization but a systematic approach to enhance the methods already …

A Problem Solving Approach To Enterprise Filevault 2 Management And Integration, Nicholas Cobb

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Consumer technology adoption into large enterprise environments is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Employees require the flexibility and efficiency of using operating systems, computers, and mobility products they are familiar with and that enable their productivity. Due to this industry phenomenon, one large shipping enterprise must work to create solutions to integrate Apple’s OS X operating system into its traditional Windows-based operating environment. This level of integration must take place carefully to enable usability and foster the continued data security of enterprise assets. This paper describes the steps and methodology taken, as well as the rationale used, to accomplish the …

How Kaizen Group Leader Selection Affects Group Participation, M. Joleen Byerline

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizational communication research indicates group member participation increases as the legitimate power differences among group members decreases. Lean principles and practices indicate Kaizen Event members will contribute regardless of legitimate power levels, due to member training, education, and the Lean team-oriented culture. Further study is needed to determine if Lean culture and training maximize group member contribution, or if legitimate power levels in Lean environments manipulate participation. The focus of this case study is a central Kentucky Lean manufacturing organization that practiced Lean principles for at least three years and completed a Kaizen Event within twelve months previous to the …

Ineffective Psychometric Testing: Gre Test Administration, Brittney Dawhn Perry

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The effectiveness of the GRE was measured through a mixed-methods study. Quantitative data was studied to determine a relationship between GRE scores and the completion of higher education. Students and employers were surveyed to clarify a link between the content the GRE measures and the skills that are needed in graduate school and the workforce. In addition, students were asked if test administration, time-constrained questions, and question bias had any effect of their GRE score. Together, these findings were inconclusive and do not suggest that the GRE is effective or ineffective in its measurement of potential graduate students in relation …

Deterministic And Stochastic Bellman's Optimality Principles On Isolated Time Domains And Their Applications In Finance, Nezihe Turhan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The concept of dynamic programming was originally used in late 1949, mostly during the 1950s, by Richard Bellman to describe decision making problems. By 1952, he refined this to the modern meaning, referring specifically to nesting smaller decision problems inside larger decisions. Also, the Bellman equation, one of the basic concepts in dynamic programming, is named after him. Dynamic programming has become an important argument which was used in various fields; such as, economics, finance, bioinformatics, aerospace, information theory, etc. Since Richard Bellman's invention of dynamic programming, economists and mathematicians have formulated and solved a huge variety of sequential decision …

Economic Impacts Of Drought On Kentucky Corn, Hay, And Soybeans, Kortney E. Craft

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Understanding climatic impacts is important if we are to comprehend the relationship between climate and society. Weather phenomena can have environmental, economical, and social impacts. Drought is the natural hazard that affects people the most. It is also the most complex and least understood. There is no one universally accepted definition for drought which makes its examination difficult. Droughts’ duration is also difficult to determine because it has no clearly defined onset and end. Also, drought varies both geographically and temporally making uniform drought monitoring difficult. Since drought is difficult to monitor and access, drought impacts are often poorly documented. …

Farmers' Markets In Kentucky: A Geospatial, Statistical, And Cultural Analysis, Elizabeth Ann Schmitz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

To assess what factors are driving the exponential growth of farmers’ markets in Kentucky, geospatial and statistical analysis of a database of 121 farmers’ markets was conducted. A statewide survey of market leaders and a case study of a single farmers’ market both identified reasons for growing support of farmers’ markets in Kentucky.

Market distribution, vendor levels, and gross sales were mapped against a backdrop of county urban classification, median household income, and education levels. Kruskal-Wallace analysis was used to identify if Kentucky’s rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan markets differ significantly in terms of their age, number of vendors, and market …

Intricacies Of Professional Certifications For Quality Management (Qm), Edmund R. Martelli

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The modern manufacturing marketplace is extremely complex and constantly changing. Career professionals often seek job placement, career advancement, and continuing education through professional certifications. Professional certifications in the United States (U.S.) have been evolving since 1911. In the 1950s, engineering groups established professional certifications and licenses. In the 1980s, administration of accreditation of certification programs proliferated, and by the 1990s, many government and professional organizations sought to standardize procedures for the industry. Currently, professional certifications are available for virtually every profession and issued by multitudes of organizations.

Quality management (QM) encompasses an extensive combination ofprofessional abilities. Providers of professional certifications …

Replacing Workplace Leadership With Political Expediency, Mark Daniel Leonhardt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The study examines the adherence to principled leadership styles by persons in position of authority and develops a method to determine the extent to which those people deviate from principled leadership practices for purpose of political expediency. Two fortune 500 companies, three smaller local companies and select Western Kentucky University faculty were surveyed using the MACH V Attitude Inventory for determining Machiavellian tendencies via an online survey site. An examination and evaluation of survey results yielded a surpirsingly consistent neutral score, but no indication of Machiavellian tendencies within the respondent group.

The Effect Of An Overall Rating Item On Halo Error In Performance Evaluations, S. Elizabeth Hogue

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study focuses on how the presence or absence of an overall rating item on a performance evaluation form affects levels of halo error and satisfaction with the form. Participants included undergraduate college students who were randomly assigned to groups receiving a form with or without an overall rating item at the beginning of the form. A satisfaction item was included on both forms. The analyses included a z-test for correlations from independent samples to determine the difference between the two evaluation forms and a t-test to determine the difference between the satisfaction scores of the two forms. The analyses …

Benevolent Vs. Hostile Sexism Impact On Work Performance For Women In Turkey, Crystal M. Bonneau-Kaya

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

All studies to date that have assessed the direct impact of benevolent vs. hostile sexism on performance outcomes have done so in the context of a Western society. Because of this void in the literature, it remained unknown how living in a low egalitarian and/or non-Western society may impact women's experiences of sexism. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature. This study investigates the impact of benevolent vs. hostile sexism on women in four Turkish textile factories. 210 Turkish female textile factory workers were randomly assigned to the benevolent sexism, hostile sexism, or control …

"All The Crises Reached A Concerted Crescendo" - The Arab Oil Embargo And Why The United States Was Unprepared For It, Jonathan D. Chilcote

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the 2008 spike in oil prices, oil companies and government officials were brought under close scrutiny as many Americans began to question why prices were able to rise so quickly. Americans had become accustomed to living in an economy where cheap oil was the norm, and demanded answers when that situation changed. What most of them did not know is that they were repeating history and mimicking the response to the 1973 oil embargo. Just as in 2008, the United States faced a crisis in 1973 with which it was unprepared to effectively cope. This thesis analyzes the reasons …

Do Companies Value Maintaining Iso 9000 Certification? 2009 Case Study Of 41 Us Companies First Certified In 2000, Sarah Joy Namara

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The costs of obtaining and maintaining ISO certification are high. Moreover, studies have shown mixed results on the benefits of the certification. Consequently, the objective of this research was to verify whether or not companies do value maintaining the ISO 9000 certification.

The empirical study was conducted on 41 U.S. companies that were first certified in 2000. The companies formed an existing database as they were used by Dr. Arbuckle in 2004 in his doctoral dissertation. Of the 41 companies, 12 were found to be out of business, leaving a final sample size of 29. Data were gathered from this …

Green Employees: Organizational Identification In An Environmentally Friendly Company, Jenna Haugen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Environmental sustainability is an issue facing our global society and one that must be addressed through communication in order to encourage change amongst individuals. The current research focuses on the organization, in this instance a “Green” printing company, and its role in building identification amongst employees. This study focuses on environmental sustainable practices initiated or continued by employees through the use of a directed mission statement and organizational rhetoric. Utilizing individual interviews, the findings suggest that by building organizational identification, more environmentally-friendly practices amongst organizational members may be achieved.

The Impact Of Westernization On Tongan Cultural Values Related To Business, Lucas Nelson Ross

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined the impact of Westernization on Tongan cultural values (Collectivism I, Collectivism II, Power Distance, Future Orientation, and Uncertainty Avoidance) related to business. A Tongan version of the Project GLOBE Beta Questionnaire measuring cultural dimensions at the societal level was completed by 222 Tongans from the island groups of Vava’u, Ha’apai, and Niuatoputapu. One-way ANOVA and planned comparison results indicated significant differences for Collectivism II and Uncertainty Avoidance. Scores from Vava’u showed significantly less Collectivism II than Ha’apai, but not Niuatoputapu. Furthermore, scores from Vava’u showed significantly less Uncertainty Avoidance than Ha’apai and Niuatoputapu. No significant differences were …

Finances, Social Capital, And College Organizational Membership, Jalandra Michelle Penick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There were three focal objectives of this research. The research aimed to determine whether an association exists between perception of financial strain and involvement in campus clubs and organizations, actual finances, and involvement in clubs and organizations, and the levels of social capital generated by involvement in campus clubs and organizations. Results indicate that the perception of financial strain has no significant effect on involvement in campus clubs and activities. The analysis also reveals that actual finances have an insignificant relationship with involvement in campus clubs and organizations. There were significant relationships revealed when social capital was measured. The research …

Justice In Health Care Access Measuring Attitudes Of Health Care Professionals, Sandra Blanton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

To measure attitudes toward justice in access to health care services in managed care plans in a convenience sample of medical professionals at Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Methods. A sixteen item, self-administered instrument based on Morreim's four concepts of justice in health care access was administered to 147 health care professionals, representing physicians, allied health, and hospital administration. SPSS was used to analyze the results. Results. The attitudes of the respondents were negative toward managed care. They did not feel that managed care had been a positive development in the United States or that managed care had improved …

New Communication Technologies, Organizational Culture, And The Creation Of Innovative Learning Environments, Denise Scott

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Today's organizations face an economic climate that is globalizing, increasing customer demands for products and services that meet their unique needs and the fast pace of technological developments. Organizations require the effective use of new communication technologies as a means of sharing information and expanding capacity for innovation. The main question for this research is: When new communication technologies are introduced into organizations, how do they work together with existing cultural assumptions to produce an innovative, learning environment within the organization? The research design involves conducting moderately structured interviews with organizational leaders in four diverse organizations: Ingram Book Company, Service …

The Effects Of Managed Care On The Quality Of Dental Hygiene Care, Marybeth Magner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Managed care has become a prominent mechanism for insuring dental care. Empirical research suggests that managed dental plans provide lower quality care to patients. However, few studies have specifically addressed the effects of managed care on the quality of dental hygiene care. Thus, in this study the researcher examines whether dental hygienists deliver a lower level of treatment to managed care patients than to those who are not subject to managed care. Questionnaire data were gathered from 193 members of the American Dental Hygienists' Association residing in the Chicago area. The primary independent variable, managed care, was measured with an …

African American In Televised Advertisements: A Content Analysis, Amy Anderson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze African American portrayals in televised advertisements over a sixday period in November 1995. A total of 799 advertisements were analyzed, including 205 that depicted at least one African American actor. Content analysis was used to describe the following, with respect to African American actors: age, gender, day and time of portrayal, occupational role, and products and services advertised. Comparisons were also made between frequencies of actors of different races and amount of time these actors appeared. When compared with previous studies of African American television portrayals, many improvements were observed as well …

Investigation And Identification Of Key Characteristics Of Successful Camps And Retreat Centers, Gregory S. Owens

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis was designed to investigate and identify key characteristics of successful camps, outdoor centers, and retreat centers. The study utilized a survey of selected camps and centers within the United States, in the Spring of 1996. The results were analyzed individually and as a whole. The findings indicated that certain key characteristics did exist and that these characteristics were major contributing factors to the success of the camps or centers. These findings were supported by the review of literature and the results of the survey, which highlighted these major areas of importance: Land and facilities, strategic planning and expansion, …

An Economic Study Of The Relative Profitability Of Alfalfa Production And Marketing Practices, David Claycomb

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The seasonality of the price of alfalfa hay in Kentucky was studied as well as the potential cost or profitability of storage of this hay. Economic comparison of alfalfa hay production to other farm enterprises was carried out. In addition, an estimate of the value of two qualities of alfalfa hay was calculated based on 1991 prices. The analysis of 41 years of marketing data demonstrated significant differences (P<.01) in price with seasonal lows in June/July and a steady increase in price to a high in March. In general (based on $100 per ton hay and 12% interest) the alfalfa hay producer could lose from $5 to $10 storing hay and selling at a later date. There were some specific conditions where he might have realized a return to storage of $0.16 to $1.48 per ton. A further evaluation of average (KY Feeder) and good (KY Pride) quality hays indicated that current prices of $70-$75 and $100 per ton respectively were the prices where a dairyman would be able to include this hay in the cow's total diet. Even with problems of quality and quantity of alfalfa hay, the economic returns to the production of alfalfa hay were favorable when compared to other crops in Kentucky with the additional benefit of alfalfa being a crop that can result in reduced soil erosion from sloping land. Returns above variable costs can be from $120 to $400 per acre depending upon yield and sale price. However, an understanding of seasonality of price as well as storage costs need to be considered by alfalfa hay producers to assure realizing the above returns.

Personnel Managers' Attitudes Towards Affirmative Action & Its Potential Correlates, Donna Dunville

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite the controversy surrounding Affirmative Action (AA), relatively little research has appeared about attitudes towards these programs. In this research, an exploratory approach is implemented to assess the support of personnel managers for the theory of AA as well as the mechanisms designed to carry it out. Also, the relationship to Supreme Court decisions, relevant legislation, and numerous demographic, attitudinal, and organizational variables are examined for their impact on Affirmative Action attitudes. A questionnaire was utilized to assess support for AA and its correlates. The majority of personnel managers indicate support for both AA in theory and the mechanisms required …