Business Commons^™

"Lean"Ing Towards Improvement, Katie Wojciechowski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

According to Balzer (2010) and Liebtag (2014), Lean Six Sigma is ubiquitous in the workforce, including areas of higher education institutions and accounting firms. Lean Six Sigma is primarily prevalent in areas of healthcare and manufacturing. Having knowledge in Lean Six Sigma can drastically improve the way people think about implementing and evaluating projects and processes. This paper describes research conducted, applied, and executed to help departments within the Division of Student Success at The University of Akron. These departments have significantly reduced the amount of waste and are now producing more revenue due to the Lean Six Sigma processes …

Taxation On Morals, Alex J. Fulop

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper discusses five (5) tax topics and their relationship to the government attempting to influence taxpayer behavior. These topics include the charitable contribution deduction, excise taxes, §179 deductions, the first-time homebuyer credit, and soil, water, and endangered species conservation expense deductions. The above aspects of tax law are the government’s way of encouraging some behaviors and discouraging others. I believe that doing so is well within the government’s rights to do. However, I also think that encouraging moral actions is different from requiring them, and they certainly should not be required.

A Study Of Performance Based Budgeting Reforms In The National Park Service And Their Effects On Agency Management And Operations, Nichole Marie Fifer

Wayne State University Dissertations

This is a case study of performance-based and budgeting reforms in National Park Service (NPS). The study examines the effects of reform initiatives on the agency’s administration, budgeting, and management. Previous research suggests that current reform initiatives are more effective than those of the past. Further research on reforms suggests reform impacts, while small or non-existent at the agency level may be significant at the sub-agency level. The main reform studied here is performance based budgeting (PBB), under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Its purpose is to improve policy implementation at the “street level.” If working as intended, …

The Affect Of Employee Engagement Among Support Staff In Cork University Maternity Hospital, Marion Josephine Cottrell

Theses

In recent years the academic research relating to employee engagement has flourished. Despite the increase in engagement literature, there is a gap concerning employee engagement regarding support staff categories. This dissertation focuses of the minority grouping, support staff

The research methodology for this study is a quantitative method. In addition, questionnaires were administrated to ninety support staff working in Cork University Maternity Hospital, with seventy contributing to the data for this study. Analysis of questionnaires resulted in the identification of a number of findings.

One significant finding of this research study was the discovery of an extra dimension affecting employee …

Do Non Management Employees Value The Performance Management System, Especially The Performance Appraisal System Within A Cork Call Centre?, Caroline Mehigan

Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the topic of Performance Management, especially focusing on the non-management Performance Appraisal. The value associates place on the performance appraisal is assessed along with the views from both management and non management on performance appraisals. Organisations are very mindful of the important role employees can play in the success of their business and of course, in the reputation within the local market, therefore developing associate is vital for a number of reasons.

For this thesis, semi structured interviews took place with 23 associates, which consisted of management and non-management associates. The main …

Impact Of The Agency Worker Directive In Ireland, Laura Harney

Theses

The use of temporary agency workers in Ireland has increased consistently in Ireland over the last 20 years. They provide a readily available, flexible and skilled resource that can help businesses to meet market demands quickly and effectively.

On December 11th 2011 the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Worker) Act 2012 came into effect in Ireland. This Act transposed the Directive on Temporary Agency Work (2008/104/EC) and it stated that all temporary agency workers must have equal treatment, in relation to their basic working conditions, as if they had been directly recruited by the hirer to do the same job. …

Is It Feasible For The Port Of Cork Company To Integrate A Port-Centric Logistic Supply Chain For Its Container Traffic?, Kevin O'Callaghan

Theses

As a consequence of globalisation, port performance and integrated port logistics have become increasingly important. Ireland as an Island nation depends on ports for the import and export of 99% of its goods. The only way that Ireland can remain competitive with worldwide markets is to have an efficient logistics supply chain. This research has examined the feasibility of introducing a port-centric logistics supply chain for containers in the Port of Cork. A port-centric logistics supply chain is a futuristic logistics process whereby the port becomes a logistics hub rather than the traditional role as a simple gateway pier for …

An Exploratory Study Of Customer Services Focusing On Customer Engagement - An Irish Perspective, William Ryan

Theses

This research study is an exploratory examination of customer services, which traces its developments to the modern day, evaluates its impact on corporate strategy, and analyses its effect on organisations performance. This study also investigates customer engagement to ascertain if technological changes has impacted on it, causing it to evolve, and the effect if any, these changes have had on customer services. The research explores the loyalty status of a customer, the availability of best practice models to aid organisation employing these concepts, and to evaluate if components are transferrable from large organisations to small to medium enterprises.

A qualitative …

Adding Value For An Organisation Through Employee Engagement: A Case Study Of A Temporary Workforce, Hannah O'Shea

Theses

Over the last 10 years, the requirement for temporary workers has shown significant increases. Casual and part-time workers, on the live register, have increased during this period from 20,752 to 71,744. In March 2013 the numbers rose to 89,798, an all-time high in Ireland (Central Statistics Office, 2014). Consequently, it is becoming increasingly important to observe how organisations undertake engagement with temporary employees. This research study focusses on the employee engagement levels of a temporary agency workforce, working in an e-commerce organisation, on behalf of a third party agency. Questionnaires were completed by 55 temporary agency workers and three direct …

Generation Y Perceptions Of The Traditional Career Model, Aoife Kelliher

Theses

Generation Y will be expected to play the most significant role in the work place as their careers develop and older generations retire. Much of the research carried out on their work related values and career progression to date has relied on the viewpoints of Generation Y as undergraduates, prior to gaining substantial experience in the work place. This study responds to Ng and Gossett’s (2013) call for further research into the values, attitudes and expectations of young people as they will emerge as leaders of tomorrow. The purpose of the study is to examine if the traditional career model …

Generation Y Perceptions Of The Traditional Career Model, Aoife Kelliher

Masters

Generation Y will be expected to play the most significant role in the work place as their careers develop and older generations retire. Much of the research carried out on their work related values and career progression to date has relied on the viewpoints of Generation Y as undergraduates, prior to gaining substantial experience in the work place. This study responds to Ng and Gossett’s (2013) call for further research into the values, attitudes and expectations of young people as they will emerge as leaders of tomorrow. The purpose of the study is to examine if the traditional career model …

Flexible Working: What Does It Mean To The Worker And The Workplace?, Paul Kent

Masters

Separation of work and personal life is becoming more difficult. With the advances in technology, the use of personal devices for work, the mobility of work devices and the ability to remotely work for many, this research poses a question. What does Flexible Working mean to the worker and the workplace? Legislatively, Irish workers are protected by the Organisation of Working Time Act (1997). From the evidence in this study, however, this is often a law that is disregarded and has questionable applicability in modern working life. The study looks at how the current worker manages their time and contrasts …

Enhancing The Irish Adventure Tourism Product Through Networking, Philip Stallard

Theses

The adventure tourism industry is experiencing a period of accelerated growth (UNWTO, 2014) and is increasingly being recognised as a source of huge potential for Ireland (Failte Ireland, 2013). The adventure tourism industry in Ireland is highly fragmented, unregulated and mainly comprised of micro enterprises largely based in rural and isolated locations. These characteristics combine to enhance the uniqueness of the adventure product but also bring challenges for business development. Many challenges facing adventure tourism operators can be alleviated by strategic networking. The benefits of engaging in effective business networking range from aspects of learning and exchange, business activity and …

Behavior Based Safety And The Multi-Generational Workforce, Edward Paul Grzybowski

Online Theses and Dissertations

Generational differences of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials regarding their acceptance of feedback and observations were studied in order to determine if different approaches to each were needed in order to effectively implement a Behavior Based Safety program within a specific company. The study found that there was a greater difference between generations regarding observations than on other domains. The results suggest that additional research should be undertaken in order to extrapolate the findings to a larger population.

Effectiveness Of Mandatory Driver Training Programs For Fire Service Drivers, Ryan Neil Pietzsch

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research attempts to measure the effectiveness of mandatory driver training programs for fire service drivers. Effectiveness is defined by a decrease in the number of crashes per number of runs. Two states were identified for comparison, one with mandatory driver training requirements, Washington State (WA) and the other with no requirements, Pennsylvania (PA). Data was collected from state Department of Transportation (DOT) databases and state National Fire Incident Reporting Systems (NFIRS). A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare raw and adjusted crash rates calculated from state DOT crash numbers and NFPA run numbers. The WA effectiveness rate was then …

First Responder Training Transfer: Does Training Delivery Method Matter?, Brian Keith Simpkins

Online Theses and Dissertations

Technology-based training solutions are increasingly being utilized by organizations to achieve training objectives at lower costs as compared to traditional instructor-led training (ILT). This is especially true for the Nation’s first responder agencies that continue to face difficulties related to expanding training requirements that are pitted against limitations in agency financial and human resources. Despite the proliferation in the use of technology-based training solutions, such as web-based training (WBT), there is little research within the first responder community as to whether WBT is as effective as ILT in enabling trainees to transfer essential knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) from a training …

Affirmative Action Within The Fire Service: The Background On The Law And Its Effect On The Fire Service And How Fire Department Policies Reflect The Affirmative Action Legislation., Steven Michael Stecher

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research studied ten full time fire departments in the United States to develop a quantitative study showing demographic make-up of the fire department rosters and the citizens in which they serve. Affirmative action has been a polarizing issue since the day the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed. Many thoughts and feelings had been researched but no quantitative studies could be found. This study asked three main questions. Are the fire departments being studied meeting the number requirements set forth by the law in relation to equal representation of the community serviced by the department? Are the departments’ …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Firefighter Participation In Wellness Programs Within A Career Fire Department In Northern Ohio, Conner O'Halloran

Online Theses and Dissertations

Firefighters respond to dangerous emergencies every day. The physical and mental wellness of firefighters is very important to their overall job performance. To support this, fire departments must have established, comprehensive wellness programs (International Association of Firefighters, 2008). Even with national standard recommendation of wellness programs, one does not exist in a fire department located in Northern Ohio.

The focus of this research is to explore reasons why these highly recommended wellness programs are not established. Successful establishment of a wellness program requires understanding why this fire department is hesitant or unsuccessful in implementing and maintaining a wellness program.

This …

A Study Of Academic Performance In Police Basic Training, Robert Ramsey

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of formal education and the effect it has on academic performance of the police recruits that attended the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) for their basic training academy in Richmond, Ky. This study focused on the academic portion of recruit training only. This study assessed whether education level is a valid predictor of a recruit officers academic performance and will answer if higher education levels give a recruit officer an advantage academically while they are in basic training.

The sample chosen was from recruit classes that attended basic training …

Identifying Functional Characteristics That Influence Team Outcomes, Eduardo Diego Diaz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Industry and research have shown that, in addition to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of individuals, other factors play an influential role in the efficiency of a team. The research questions for this study examined the influence of functional characteristics, defined as the cognitive and evaluative processes such as intentions, emotions, planning, and perception that influence decisions, on team outcomes and the time it takes to complete a task. Using a quantitative, experimental research design, the research questions were grounded in personality systems interactions as the theoretical framework. Analysis of variance was applied to evaluate the hypotheses with an independent …

Impact Of Eu Medical Device Directive On Medical Device Software, Guy Foe Owono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Directive 2007/47/EC of the European Parliament amending Medical Device Directive (MDD) provides medical device manufacturers with a compliance framework. However, the effects of the amendments to the MDD on competition in the U.S. medical device software industry are unknown. This study examined the impact of this directive on the competitiveness of U.S. medical device software companies, the safety and efficacy of medical device software, employee training, and recruitment. The conceptual framework for this study included 3 dimensions of medical device regulations: safety, performance, and reliability. The overall research design was a concurrent mixed method study using both quantitative and qualitative …

Productivity Standards, Marriage And Family Therapist Job Satisfaction, And Turnover Intent, Gilbert Ernest Franco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Turnover among mental health professionals is high, which can have a direct impact on access to services and continuity of care. Informed by goal-setting theory, social-cognitive theory, and self-efficacy, this quantitative study investigated how California community mental health agency productivity standards were related to self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and marriage and family therapist (MFT) turnover intent among 141 MFTs. Participants completed a Demographic and Productivity Questionnaire, Job Self-Efficacy Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, and Turnover Intention Scale. The relationship between participant age, gender, experience, number of work hours, licensure status, and job site with job satisfaction and turnover intent were assessed using …

Effects Of Investor Sentiment Using Social Media On Corporate Financial Distress, Tarek Hoteit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mainstream quantitative models in the finance literature have been ineffective in detecting possible bankruptcies during the 2007 to 2009 financial crisis. Coinciding with the same period, various researchers suggested that sentiments in social media can predict future events. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between investor sentiment within the social media and the financial distress of firms Grounded on the social amplification of risk framework that shows the media as an amplified channel for risk events, the central hypothesis of the study was that investor sentiments in the social media could predict t he level …

The Correlation Between Virtual Communication And Employee Engagement, Ryan Nathaniel Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers' ability to engage virtual employees (those in different geographic locations) is a determining factor of employee productivity and commitment to an organization. Since 2005, the number of U.S.-based virtual employees increased; however, research regarding virtual communication and employee engagement is limited. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine if a significant correlation exists between employee engagement (the dependent variable) and the quantity and perceived quality of virtual management communication (the independent variables). The research question assessed the correlation among the quantity of time managers spend communicating with virtual employees, quality of virtual communication, and employee engagement. Homans's …

Small Business Strategies For Company Profitability And Sustainability, Denise Leigh Gandy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are critical to the health of the United States economy as they account for approximately 50% of all jobs and 99% of all firms. The purpose for this descriptive multiunit case study was to explore what strategies small business owners used to achieve profitability by the end of the first 5 years of opening their business. The sample comprised 4 small business owners who have been profitable by Year 5 of being in business in Denver, Colorado. The conceptual framework for this study was built upon the general systems theory. The data were collected through semistructured interviews and …

Ceo Duality And Performance Of Not-For-Profit Hospitals, Anh Ngoc Pham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depending on their needs for enhancing and sustaining their business and market values, some firms choose to operate with a corporate governance structure of CEO duality, in which an executive serves as the CEO and the chairperson of the board of directors. The problem addressed in this study is that past empirical and theoretical studies of the relationship between CEO duality and firm performance of organizations across different industries have generated ambiguous results, and no studies have focused specifically on the relationship between CEO duality and financial performance of not-for-profit hospitals. Based on agency and stewardship theories, and considering that …

Dynamically Hedging Oil And Currency Futures Using Receding Horizontal Control And Stochastic Programming, Paul Edward Cottrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of research in the area of hedging future contracts, especially in illiquid or very volatile market conditions. It is important to understand the volatility of the oil and currency markets because reduced fluctuations in these markets could lead to better hedging performance. This study compared different hedging methods by using a hedging error metric, supplementing the Receding Horizontal Control and Stochastic Programming (RHCSP) method by utilizing the London Interbank Offered Rate with the Levy process. The RHCSP hedging method was investigated to determine if improved hedging error was accomplished compared to the Black-Scholes, Leland, and Whalley …

Small Seasonal Business Strategies To Increase Profits Through Community Collaboration, Kevin B. Gibbons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seasonal small business owners (e.g., boating and golf industries), primarily within the upper and Midwestern United States, face challenges for profit and growth because of a brief business potential year and limited time to establish a reliable and committed customer base. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies that seasonal small business owners in Oakland County, Michigan may use to collaborate with local associations and charitable organizations to increase profits. Stakeholder theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. A purposive sample of 4 successful small seasonal business owners in Oakland County, Michigan participated in face-to-face …

Profitability And The Financial Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses, Kellie J. Emrich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The fastest growing segment of business development in the United States comes from small business start-ups, with 42% of these businesses being women owned. Women-owned businesses are annually 25% less profitable when compared to the average small business in the United States. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this single exploratory case study was to investigate how women small business owners and their employees use financial strategies to increase the profitability of their businesses. Data came from semistructured interviews with 1 woman business owner and 5 business consultants who work for the women-owned small business. The …

One Hospital's Patient Satisfaction Plans In Response, Valerie A. Smart Shoup

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent changes in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement programs resulted in $1 billion in payments to hospitals based on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. Approximately 50% of the 3,000 hospitals currently receiving Medicare supplements may receive increases in reimbursement payments while 50% will receive decreases in payments. This case study explored how one hospital team in North Texas achieved high HCAHPS scores. The primary provider theory, Deming's model of plan-do-study-act (PDSA), and disruptive innovation theory framed the study. The data collection process included administrator interviews (n = 7), hospital document analysis …