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Full-Text Articles in Business

South Carolina State Government: Organizational Succession Plans, Angela West-Barnett Jan 2017

South Carolina State Government: Organizational Succession Plans, Angela West-Barnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the South Carolina state government, 43.4% of all full-time equivalent employees will be eligible to retire by the mid- to late-2020s. The potential loss of core organizational knowledge may occur as a result of the retirement of seasoned employees. Grounded by the transformational leadership theory, this qualitative case study explored the successful succession strategies of 8 Certified Public Managers (CPMs) in South Carolina state government organizations. Purposeful sampling led to selecting the 8 CPMs who each had more than 11 years of experience managing employees and each directly influenced the programmatic operations for their respective state government organizations. Data …

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Leadership Strategies To Create Success In Virtual Teams, Catherine Muir Freeman Jan 2017

Leadership Strategies To Create Success In Virtual Teams, Catherine Muir Freeman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a rise in remote and virtual employees over the last 10 years with roughly 20-30 million Americans working remotely at least 1 day each week. This growth in virtual employees increases business and organizations' dependency on technology and on effective strategies to lead virtual teams. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this explanatory case study was to explore strategies e-leaders use in leading virtual teams effectively. The study population comprised a virtual company headquartered in the United States. The data included semistructured interviews with e-leaders with at least 1 year of experience in leading successful …

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New Teacher Mentees' Perceptions Of Mentorship As An Assimilation Strategy, Konstance Laverne Grimble Jan 2017

New Teacher Mentees' Perceptions Of Mentorship As An Assimilation Strategy, Konstance Laverne Grimble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition among new teachers with fewer than 5 years of experience was high in an urban high school in Texas. The high attrition rate is a problem for students, because high teacher turnover can result in teachers with low expertise. In this study, the conceptual framework used was Hord's professional learning community (PLC) model, which emphasizes trust and a utilization of a cycle of inquiry among colleagues to prepare lessons and assessments that affect student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine new high school teachers' perceptions of assimilation techniques used by their mentors in the new teacher …

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Exploring The Impact Of Collective Bargaining Agreements On Employee Performance Management, Nana Gyesie Jan 2017

Exploring The Impact Of Collective Bargaining Agreements On Employee Performance Management, Nana Gyesie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of 2014, union density in the United States had dropped compared to union density during the 1950s. Collective bargaining agreements are the foundational agreement for all issues related to salary, benefits, and working conditions. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how collective bargaining agreements hindered or enabled managers from creating and sustaining high performance work practices. The conceptual framework included Walton and McKersie's work on behavioral theories for labor negotiations, human capital, and collective bargaining, and Huselid's work on high performance work practices. Fifteen respondents across 5 labor unions in Washington DC were selected through …

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Exploring Business Planning Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses In The Construction Trades, Diana Fay-Spina Jan 2017

Exploring Business Planning Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses In The Construction Trades, Diana Fay-Spina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small businesses fail to survive past 5 years, listing the primary reason given for failure as inadequate business planning strategies. The construction industry provides the building and upkeep of physical infrastructure (buildings and roadways) in developed societies and is a major contributor to the gross domestic product for many nations. In the United States, the construction trades primarily consist of small businesses, with a smaller portion of the sector classified as women-owned. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the business planning strategies that successful women-owned small business (WOSB) construction leaders in New Jersey use …

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Reducing Technology Costs For Small Real Estate Businesses Using Cloud And Mobility, Linda Anne-Marie Mcintosh Jan 2017

Reducing Technology Costs For Small Real Estate Businesses Using Cloud And Mobility, Linda Anne-Marie Mcintosh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased client accessibility strategies, awareness of technology cost, and factors of third-party data security capabilities are elements small real estate business (SREB) owners need to know before adopting cloud and mobility technology. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies SREB owners use to implement cloud and mobility products to reduce their technology costs. The target population consisted of 3 SREB owners who had experience implementing cloud and mobility products in their businesses in the state of Texas. The conceptual framework of this research study was the technology acceptance model theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted and …

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Mentoring, Networking, And Role Modeling Opportunities Between Men And Women In Management Positions, Annette Moultrie-Ohens Jan 2017

Mentoring, Networking, And Role Modeling Opportunities Between Men And Women In Management Positions, Annette Moultrie-Ohens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although women represent more than half of the U.S. population, in 2015 women held less than 25% of senior-level positions, and less than 5% of executive positions in corporate America. The underrepresentation of women in leadership position is partially attributable to a lack of role models, mentoring, and networking programs needed to develop women executives and senior-managers. The purpose of this quantitative, comparative, field survey study was to examine the differences in the availability of mentoring, networking, and role modeling opportunities between men and women in management positions, and to explore causes of such differences. The attribution theory was used …

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Functional And Dysfunctional Themes In Successful Peace Agreements Arising From Intractable Conflicts, Sharon Ryan Ryan Jan 2017

Functional And Dysfunctional Themes In Successful Peace Agreements Arising From Intractable Conflicts, Sharon Ryan Ryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An important challenge facing humanity today is to determine how to resolve intractable conflicts. Intractable conflicts are intensely violent conflicts that are difficult to resolve and last at least one generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the themes leaders used in resolving intractable conflicts by writing peace agreements, which achieved at least a ninety percent implementation rating by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The research questions focused on the distribution of societal themes defined by Bar-Tal as present within societies experiencing an intractable conflict. This study used a multicase …

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The Relationship Of Moral Reasoning And Ethical Decision Making Among It Employees, Karen J. Stockton-Tillman Jan 2017

The Relationship Of Moral Reasoning And Ethical Decision Making Among It Employees, Karen J. Stockton-Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a rise in the last decade of documented unethical business behavior by information technology (IT) employees. Over the last several years, business managers have tried to address this area of concern to find a solution to this growing problem, but they have struggled with the metrics to identify unethical behavior in IT employees. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of 3 employee constructs-ethics training (ET), education level (EL), and employee's perception of their organizations' ethical leadership (EP)-on whether an IT employee would behave in an unethical manner. The theoretical framework for the study …

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Minimizing Nepotistic Practices In Family Owned And Operated Businesses: The Private Sector, Darlene Thomas Thomas Jan 2017

Minimizing Nepotistic Practices In Family Owned And Operated Businesses: The Private Sector, Darlene Thomas Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of family businesses in the private sector must be cognizant of nepotism to reduce skilled employee turnover. Guided by Herzberg two-factor theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by family owned and operated business leaders to minimize nepotistic practices that reduce skilled nonfamily employees' voluntary turnover. The population for this study included 3 family owned and operated funeral establishments in the Midwest region of St. Louis, Missouri. These participants had sustained their family businesses longer than 5 years while minimizing skilled nonfamily employees' voluntary turnover. Data were collected from …

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Impact Of Change Management On Employee Behavior In A University Administrative Office, Kendra M. Turner Jan 2017

Impact Of Change Management On Employee Behavior In A University Administrative Office, Kendra M. Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study focused on the effect of a system implementation upgrade on employees' job performance within a central administration department of a major research university in the Southern United States. Review of literature revealed a lack of a specific model or process for system implementation upgrades and its impact on employees' performance in a university administrative office. Guided by Kotter's research on change management models, the research questions examined the attitudes and behaviors of employees involved with the business process project. Data collection was through purposeful sampling and face-to-face interviews with 11 employees. Data were analyzed through pattern-matching …

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Evaluating Sociotechnical Factors Associated With Telecom Service Provisioning: A Case Study, Fahad Iqbal Jan 2017

Evaluating Sociotechnical Factors Associated With Telecom Service Provisioning: A Case Study, Fahad Iqbal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Provisioning Internet services remains an area of concern for Internet service providers. Despite investments to improve resources and technology, the understanding of sociotechnical factors that influence the service-provisioning life cycle remains limited. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the influence of sociotechnical factors associated with telecom service provisioning and to explore the critical success and failure factors, specifically in the telecommunication industry of Kuwait. Guided by sociotechnical systems theory, this qualitative exploratory case study approach examined a purposeful sample of 19 participants comprising of managers, engineers, and technicians who had the knowledge and experience of the service-provisioning …

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Discovering Opportunities To Improve Profitability At A Federally Qualified Health Center, Robert Jackson Jackson Jan 2017

Discovering Opportunities To Improve Profitability At A Federally Qualified Health Center, Robert Jackson Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) organizations, which provide health care services to low-income, underserved patients, are underfunded. From 2000 to 2007, the cost of treating an FQHC patient increased by $146, while federal compensation to FQHCs increased by only $44 per patient. One FQHC organization in rural Alabama experienced financial losses from the fiscal year 2011 through 2014, jeopardizing services to approximately 6,000 low-income patients. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to analyze the subject organization and discover opportunities to improve financial performance. The research question pertained to the opportunities for improving profitability at the subject organization. The …

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The Sustainability Management Control System: Factors To Consider In Metric Conceptualization, Corne Mouton Jan 2017

The Sustainability Management Control System: Factors To Consider In Metric Conceptualization, Corne Mouton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The performance metrics embedded in sustainability management control systems (SMCS) provide organizational leaders the ability to affect the implementation and continual improvement of sustainability strategies. Leaders in oil sands companies lacking adequate information on the efficacy of the sustainability performance metrics and their use to enhance their SMCS could be at a competitive disadvantage. Guided by stakeholder theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies Alberta-based oil sands company leaders use for critical planning, developing, and implementing SMCS performance metrics. The target population comprised of 20 oil sands company leaders from an Alberta, Canada, organization who …

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Strategies Mortgage Loan Executives Need To Prequalify Mortgage Loan Applicants, Clement Olutayo Ogunyemi Jan 2017

Strategies Mortgage Loan Executives Need To Prequalify Mortgage Loan Applicants, Clement Olutayo Ogunyemi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mortgage industry played a major role in the recession faced by the U.S. economy in 2008, with approximately 8.8 million borrowers, or 10.8% of all homeowners, with negative equity in their homes. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies mortgage loan executives use to prequalify mortgage loan applicants. The target population consisted of 8 mortgage executives at 5 mortgage lending firms located in northwest Arkansas who demonstrated strategies to enhance the prequalification of mortgage loan applicants. The conceptual framework for the study was the theory of asymmetric information. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted and the …

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Strategies For Exploring: Acat Iii Requirement Approval Process, Donald E. Schlomer Jan 2017

Strategies For Exploring: Acat Iii Requirement Approval Process, Donald E. Schlomer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Congress mandated the Secretary of Defense develop a strategy to streamline the joint capabilities integrated development system (JCIDS). The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that senior U.S. Army Commanders might use to reduce the approval time for an acquisition category (ACAT) III need document in the JCIDS. Data came from historical documents and semistructured interviews of 30 ACAT III requirement writers and senior U.S. Army commanders with expertise in JCIDS. The conceptual framework was Goldratt's theory of constraints. Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's data analysis method was used to identify themes. Six …

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The Role Of Gender In Hiring Officials' Perceptions Of Chief Information Officer Candidates, Shanna Van Ness Jan 2017

The Role Of Gender In Hiring Officials' Perceptions Of Chief Information Officer Candidates, Shanna Van Ness

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Few women in academia occupy the leadership role of chief information officer (CIO), yet little is known about the underlying causes for gender disparity in this role. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to investigate whether gender stereotypes may impact perceptions about managerial characteristics of CIO candidates in academic settings. The theoretical foundation for this study was Schein's 'Think Manager, Think Male' paradigm and Acker's gendered organization theory. Data were acquired from 48 hiring officials from four-year public, private, and nonprofit colleges, universities, and research institutions in the Northeastern region of the United States who completed the Schein …

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The Role Of An Ombudsman In Mitigating Conflict, Evelyn Addison-Laurie Jan 2017

The Role Of An Ombudsman In Mitigating Conflict, Evelyn Addison-Laurie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying behavior is a contributing factor to hostile work environments, and can cause human consequences that affect morale, performance, and productivity. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify the strategies that ombudsmen and human resource managers (HR) use in mitigating workplace conflict. Corporate social performance was the conceptual framework that guided this research. Nine HR managers, an ombudsman representative, and 8 ombudsmen located in New York City and in other states were interviewed based on their experience in conflict mitigation. Data extracted from the participants' shared stories along with position description documents were synthesized thematically and …

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Effective Strategies Employed By Retail Store Leaders To Reduce Employee Turnover, Alexandro Beato Jan 2017

Effective Strategies Employed By Retail Store Leaders To Reduce Employee Turnover, Alexandro Beato

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover affects retail organizations in the form of lower productivity, decreased profitability, and reduced sustainability. In 2014, organizations lost over $11 billion in tangible and intangible assets as the result of employee turnover. High employee turnover rates have an adverse effect on productivity, which lead to unsustainable business practices. The number of retail employees who quit their jobs each month increased from 432,000 in December 2016 to 464,000 in January 2017, which indicates that some managers lack strategies to reduce employee turnover. Using the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore effective strategies …

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Strategies Used By Manufacturing Hiring Managers To Recruit Skilled Workers, Cheryl Founchious Brown Jan 2017

Strategies Used By Manufacturing Hiring Managers To Recruit Skilled Workers, Cheryl Founchious Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders in manufacturing industries are increasingly concerned with the lack of skills among applicants, emphasizing the gap that exists between employer expectations and skills of employees entering the workforce. Developing successful recruitment strategies is critical for hiring managers seeking to hire skilled workers. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful strategies hiring managers used to recruit skilled production workers at a manufacturing company in Southeastern South Carolina. The human capital theory, which represents the knowledge individuals provide to enhance productivity, was the conceptual framework. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 3 hiring managers and …

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Comparing The Effectiveness Of Masters-Prepared And Non-Masters-Prepared Nurse Leaders, Subha Narasimha Chari Jan 2017

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Masters-Prepared And Non-Masters-Prepared Nurse Leaders, Subha Narasimha Chari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The complex nature of healthcare requires nurse leaders to be skilled in professional practice, communication, teamwork, and problem solving to improve staff satisfaction and patient outcomes. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Institute of Medicine promotes graduate education for nurse leaders to enhance the delivery of quality care to the nation's diverse patient populations. Guided by the diffusion of innovation theory, this project explored the differences in nursing care hours, staff turnover, nurse quality indicators, as well as leadership characteristics on units lead by masters-prepared and non-masters-prepared nurses. Forty-eight nurse leaders completed the impact of graduate education among …

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Work-Family Conflict: Does Romance Matter?, Christie Marie Charles Jan 2017

Work-Family Conflict: Does Romance Matter?, Christie Marie Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that being in a romantic relationship has related negatively with work-family conflict. Using social exchange theory, the investment model, and role theory, this study examined the relationships among the dimensions of perceived partner support, romantic relationship interdependence, and work-family conflict. A sample of 192 adults in paid employment, currently involved in a romantic relationship, were recruited from SurveyMonkey Contribute. Study participants completed online a demographic survey, the revised Support in Intimate Relationships Rating Scale (SIRRS), the Investment Model Scale, and work-family conflict scales. Correlation analyses showed that work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict correlated negatively with commitment and …

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Workplace Antidiscrimination Policy Effect On Transgender Employee Job Satisfaction, Stacie Christian Jan 2017

Workplace Antidiscrimination Policy Effect On Transgender Employee Job Satisfaction, Stacie Christian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Not all organizations in Wisconsin have transgender inclusive antidiscrimination policies. Leadership can use the results of this study to understand the effect of antidiscrimination policies on transgender employee job satisfaction. Quantitative data were collected from transgender employees aged 18 years or older who were employed but not self-employed in the state of Wisconsin. The relationship between the presence and absence of transgender inclusive antidiscrimination policy and job satisfaction was addressed by creating an anonymous online survey that contained demographic questions, the 1997 Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and the Job in General (JIG). Participants were notified of the study using fliers …

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Effective Strategies Of Military Veteran Small Business Owners, John F. Groves Jan 2017

Effective Strategies Of Military Veteran Small Business Owners, John F. Groves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses owned by military veterans represent a source of new jobs, yet more than half of these businesses fail to survive beyond 5 years. These failures could lead to efforts to identify strategies that owners can use to avoid failure. The conceptual framework applied in this case study was the triple-loop learning theory. The purposive sampling included 7 military veterans who were small business owners who had sustained their small businesses more than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and organization documents. Yin's 5-step process for data analysis compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding resulted in 4 …

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Stakeholder Influence In Promoting Environmental Sustainability In The Zambian Mining Industry, Helen Mbewe Jan 2017

Stakeholder Influence In Promoting Environmental Sustainability In The Zambian Mining Industry, Helen Mbewe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mining operations often cause environmental and social problems for communities. Efforts by major stakeholders in most developing countries to create and enforce an ethical framework for mining industry operations have been inconsistent. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study, which was based on stakeholder theory, was to explore stakeholders' perspectives on the implementation of environmental policies and mining operations in Zambia. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of 24 research participants from a copper mining company operating in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, the government ministry for mining, energy, and water development, the environmental protection agency, …

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Creating An Ethical Organizational Environment In Banking, Svenja Nitsche Jan 2017

Creating An Ethical Organizational Environment In Banking, Svenja Nitsche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An ethical organizational environment ensures a trustworthy organization. This case study explored strategies that banking managers in the United Arab Emirates used to create an ethical organizational environment, one that emphasized the inclusion of ethical values, moral principles, and commitment to society. The target population included senior managers who created and implemented strategies to ensure employees adopted the ethical values in pursuit of an ethical environment. Ethical climate theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. Interviews with 5 managers and company documentation contributed the data for this research. Data were analyzed following inductive investigation and case description. Connecting corporate …

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Strategies Used By Banking Managers To Reduce Employee Turnover, Amena Shahid Jan 2017

Strategies Used By Banking Managers To Reduce Employee Turnover, Amena Shahid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee retention of an organization's most talented and skilled employees is vital to success. A lack of managerial strategies for motivating teams and a lack of understanding employees' needs adds to an increased rate of employee turnover in banking organizations. Some bank managers do not possess the abilities and strategies required to reduce employee turnover. Grounded by the motivation-hygiene theory; the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore successful strategies some bank managers used to reduce employee turnover. The population consisted of 5 banking managers in 3 banking organizations located in Toronto GTA, Ontario Canada in which successful …

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An Exploratory Study On The Improvement Of The Army Rapid Acquisition Process, Jason F. Tate Jan 2017

An Exploratory Study On The Improvement Of The Army Rapid Acquisition Process, Jason F. Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2001, the Army has spent billions of dollars to develop, test, and procure equipment through the Army Rapid Acquisition Process (ARAP), a process at times used in place of the traditional Army Acquisition Process (AAP) when immediacy and customization are a priority. The ARAP was implemented to increase efficiency in delivering adequate equipment to soldiers. The ARAP has been criticized in the literature for its lack of efficiency and effectiveness in the field. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine ARAP deficiencies through the lens of a broad cross-section of Army acquisition functional area professionals. …

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The Effectiveness Of Funding Sources On Agricultural Projects In Yobe State, Nigeria, Umaru Galadima Tela Jan 2017

The Effectiveness Of Funding Sources On Agricultural Projects In Yobe State, Nigeria, Umaru Galadima Tela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the effectiveness of the Fadama III, National Program for Food Security and International Fund for Agricultural Development programs in reducing poverty and income inequality in Yobe State, Nigeria. Agricultural funding in the state has increased by 670.7% between 2004 and 2013. Despite this trajectory, the state ranks among the worst in Nigeria in terms of poverty and income inequality according to UNDP report, reinforcing the need to investigate the impact of agricultural funding on the state's welfare. Previous studies in this area have been on a country-wide basis and have not disaggregated the funding sources. This study …

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Competitive Strategies Of Microfinance Owners In Ghana, Eric Kojo Asante Jan 2017

Competitive Strategies Of Microfinance Owners In Ghana, Eric Kojo Asante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ghanaian microfinance banks (MFB) experience a high collapse rate, with more than 100 MFBs failing between 2015 and 2016. Grounded on Porter's competitive strategy theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore successful strategies used by selected participants to achieve business sustainability. Fourteen participants from 6 successful MFBs in the Greater Accra Region, including managers and MFB owners with more than 5 years of professional and industry experience, participated in semistructured interviews. Observations and company documents served as a secondary source of data collection. Through thematic analysis, 5 themes emerged: cash and liquidity management, capacity building, monitoring, compliance, …

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