Business Commons^™

Islamic Finance : A Study Of Malaysian Banks From 1999-2005, Tamer Elgindi

Archived Theses and Dissertations

Islamic finance has been developing rapidly in the last forty years with Islamic financial institutions expanding at enormous rates all over the world. Islamic finance offers both an equity based system dependent on profit-and-loss sharing modes along with other debt-based instruments that facilitate trade. Comparison between the performance of Islamic banks and conventional banks has been under study for several years with some studies suggesting that Islamic banks were able to outperform conventional banks in certain areas, other studies suggest the opposite. This study focuses on eight banks in Malaysia that are incorporated under the Islamic Banking Scheme and offer …

Perceived Impact Of Paramilitary Training On Police Recruit Performance, Lauren Carol Nobles

Master's Theses

The topic of paramilitary policing within a police academy has been an exceedingly controversial topic within the Henrico County Division of Police. This study was completed to answer this research question: What is the perceived impact of paramilitary training on police recruit performance?

The controversy lies between a paramilitary structure of police recruit training and the current style of academy provided by Henrico County Division of Police. This study sought the opinions of police officers assigned to Uniform Patrol. The author wanted to reveal the style of police recruit training desired by current police officers to the Chief of Police …

Valuation Effects Of Business Process Outsourcing: Making The Case For Selective Governance, Chaojie Duan

All Dissertations

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has grown in incidence and importance over the past few years. However, beyond some expository studies, academic research on this phenomenon is sparse. Further, studies on IT outsourcing have primarily used a transaction cost economics (TCE) lens, and largely neglected other key theoretical explanations of the outsourcing decision and performance. In this dissertation, we examine how process level variables (process value chain position, relational governance, and process maturity) affect the excess stock return of a company. Drawing on the value chain framework, TCE, the resource based view, and institutional perspectives, we present a research model and …

Use Of Psychological Skills Training By Ncaa Softball Teams, Angie Kenney

Graduate Theses

The purpose of the study was to determine if there were significant differences in the use, administration, frequency, and coaches’ perceived benefit of psychological skills training (PST) among NCAA Division I teams that qualified for a regional tournament, teams that did not qualify for a regional tournament with .500 or above wining percentage, and teams that did not qualify for a regional tournament with below .500 winning percentage. No significant differences were found between more and less successful NCAA Division I softball teams in the use, administration, frequency, and coaches’ perceived benefit of PST based on performance with the season …

Leadership And Longevity: A Study Of Presidential Selection In Higher Education, James O. Smith

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study's objective was to gain an understanding of presidential longevity by gathering archival data. This quantitative study collected data about eight predictor variables that included the Carnegie classification, gender, institutional status (public or private), institutional wealth, insider/outsider status, institutional quality, reporting line, and prior experience for two Carnegie classification groups that included doctoral and baccalaureate liberal arts institutions (N = 4 71 ). The assumption underlying this study was a belief that leadership stability is important to a particular institution. There exists in the current literature anecdotal belief that shorter tenures of college and university presidents diminish institutional effectiveness, …

A Communication-Centered Approach To Leadership: The Relationship Of Interpersonal Communication Competence To Transformational Leadership And Emotional Intelligence, Marilyn Macik-Frey

Management Dissertations - Archive

Communication is frequently cited as a critical component of leadership. This study takes a significant theoretical departure from that view and embraces the realm of communication as a lens through which we understand leadership. It proposes that leadership is inherently communicative. Communication is viewed as more than a technique or component of leadership, but rather the essence of leadership (Barge, 1994; Hackman & Johnson, 1991; Vickrey, 1995). Communication is almost universally included in the study of leadership (Capowski, 1994; McLean & Weitzel, 1992; Vickrey, 1995), but is not typically viewed as a foundational element or as the central process from …

Sociolinguistic Cues, Perceived Race, And Employment Selection Outcomes: An Exploration Of The Aversive Racism Framework, Faye K. Cocchiara

Management Dissertations - Archive

The limited number of available positions to job candidates has led to increased competitiveness among job seekers and the development of new and more efficient employment screening methods by human resources personnel. As a result, job candidates are likely to participate in a telephone interview at some point during the selection process. It is during these interviews that important perceptions about employment potential are made. A number of factors influence perceptions about the future potential of job candidates. In the absence of face-to-face interaction, decision makers may rely on how candidates sound over the telephone to make judgments about the …

The Pricing And Determinants Of The Discretionary Component Of Employee Stock Option Value, Chii Shyan Kuo

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

In this study, I first re-examine the pricing effect of employee stock option (ESO) value. I find a negative association between ESO value and share price, supporting the view that investors view ESO value as an expense of the firm. Further, I find a negative relation between the nondiscretionary component of ESO value (i.e., the expected ESO value) and stock price; this finding indicates that markets view the full ESO value as well as the nondiscretionary component of ESO value as an expense of the firm. Additionally, I find the discretionary component of ESO value (i.e., the unexpected ESO value) …

Improving Corporate Governance : Character Education As A Supplement To Corporate Ethics Training, Richard L. Muney

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This thesis explores the hypothesis that ethics training for corporate personnel will significantly increase ethical behavior and thereby significantly reduce the incidence of corporate malfeasance.

For over 100 years the federal government has been trying to curb malfeasance by managers of public corporations and their boards of directors. This thesis examines the history of that legislation and those regulatory efforts, concluding that these legislative and regulatory attempts have met with varying degrees of success, but, on balance, that success has been transitory at best. It also comes to the conclusion that corporate training programs in ethics, in the absence of …

Relationships Between Goal Setting, Innovation, Project Management, Quality, Speed To Market And New Product Success, Ying-Chieh (Andrew) Yang

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Successful new products and services are critical for business success in the global economy. Many companies, however, continue to find successful new product development (NPD) difficult. Few studies have investigated the impact of organizational culture on NPD. The literature suggests that environmental conditions intervene in NPD, but little research has been conducted on relationships between organizational culture, environmental conditions, and NPD success.

This dissertation develops a theoretical framework based on Nakata and Sivakumar's (1996) culture-NPD model which integrates four cultural values, environmental uncertainty, and firm size as keys to NPD success. Research questions and hypotheses originate from this theoretical framework. …

Omanization Of Oman's Private Sector: Implementation, Challenges, And Solutions, Mazid Al-Rawas

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the status of the implementation of the Omanization policy, challenges associated with the Omani government in implementing the Omanization policy, and the solutions appropriate to overcome these challenges in the implementation of Omanization. Data for this study was collected through a survey that included 13 Likert-type statements developed by the researcher. The population of this study consisted of 50 human resource managers in private companies; these companies were randomly selected from the list of all companies registered in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the Sultanate of Oman. The researcher received a total …

Assessment Of Manufacturing Performance Using Data Envelopment Analysis, Angela Janette Benbarka

Information Systems & Operations Management Theses - Archive

In today's global and highly competitive economy, organizations are constantly monitoring their performance and the performance of their competitors. With technological advancements and increased expectations from consumers, time becomes a critical factor in an organizations' ability to sustain their advantage over competitors. By understanding the multiple components which compose their performance and quickly identifying and addressing inefficiencies within the systems, an organization can maintain and possibly increase their share of the marketplace. This research will assess the feasibility of data envelopement analysis (DEA) as a tool for organizations to measure their performance over time. DEA has been widely used and …

Norfolk Fire Rescue Officers' Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Cell Phones And Email, Ronald A. Mann Jr.

Master's Theses

This study investigated Norfolk Fire-Rescue (NFR) officers' attitudes and perception toward cell phones/email. What are the attitudes of NFR towards email/cell phones? What negative aspects of email/cell phones are affecting NFR? Do the negative aspects of information technologies increase with rank? Do the officers of NFR feel that classes aimed at "technological stress or information overload," would be beneficial to the department? NFR officers responded to a forced-choice survey about negative impact of cell phones/email focusing on use patterns, perceptions of negative impact, and attitudes towards cell phones/email. NFR officers are very supportive of email/cell phones, despite the negative affects …

A Study Of On-Site Employee Health Care Clinics And Their Possible Return On Investment, Dale William Carter Jr.

Master's Theses

Health care costs have accelerated at alarming rates for the last decade, outpacing wage growth and inflation according to The Kaiser Family Foundation... These costs have an impact on everyone. Since 2000, premiums have grown by 73 percent, yet wages have only grown by 15 percent (The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005)... One alternative being evaluated by organizations is the on-site employee health clinic or OSHEC. The in-house doctor is not a new concept; however, the new approach is more comprehensive, delivering a myriad of services to employees beyond treatment of workplace injuries. The OSHEC has emerged as a more holistic …

Establishing Exit Interview Best Practices, Russell Granderson

Master's Theses

The looming retirement of the baby boom generation will increase recruiting cost and intensify the war for talent. Recent studies have shown that employee retention will be the primary business concern over the next five to ten years. The transformation of a perfunctory exit interview into a powerful recruiting and retention tool could supply a strategic advantage over competitors. Exit interviews provide an opportunity for organizations to glean valuable insight within their ranks. Prior research investigating the validity of the exit interview has shown that departing employees are uncomfortable and reluctant of revealing candid feedback during in-house interviews. The methodology …

The Evolution Of Law Enforcement : The Generational Differences Of The New Police Officer And How To Attract Them To Your Agency, Mark Anthony Banks

Master's Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to enhance the knowledge of the generational differences in the law enforcement profession. With this knowledge, it is hopeful that, agencies will change their current recruiting strategies and gear them towards today's new generation of law enforcement officer. The overall goal of this study was enlighten Henrico County and Chesterfield county administrators of concerns facing employee recruiting within law enforcement so proactive efforts can be taken to curb ineffective and outdated recruiting strategies and methods.

An Exploration Of Effective Recruitment Sources For Norfolk Fire-Rescue, Beth Bruner

Master's Theses

Public Safety applicants have declined nationwide over the last several years, including those individuals applying to Norfolk Fire-Rescue (NFR). Declining applicants can be attributed to change in generational births, effects of 9/11, and change from the 18 year old high school graduate to a midtwenty year old college student. An applicant pool decrease requires more effective recruitment efforts. This study examines the NFR 2006 hiring process from written exam through applicants' hiring. A nonrandomized survey design examined 245 surveys of all exam applicants. Measured constructs included recruitment sources and demographic data and were analyzed specifically with regard to those who …

An Anecdotal Examination Of Wellness Programs, Sean M. Greenway

Master's Theses

This research investigates the question whether or not Wellness Programs are available to police officers throughout Virginia. Research has shown these programs to be beneficial in reducing the health risks associated with police work. Police departments may also see a decrease in sick leave and work related injuries. In order to address the research question, a questionnaire was distributed to 150 police departments throughout Virginia. A total of 57.7 percent of the departments reported the availability of a voluntary Wellness Program. Based on a lack of data, the findings suggest that the departments are not evaluating the effectiveness of their …

A Case Study Of The Marital And Familial Relationships Of Fire-Rescue Personnel As They Relate To Marriage Survivability, Carolyn Morgan Henderson

Master's Theses

Marriage is considered the traditional and moral standard for all relationships. There are other relationship types that exist in the life of fire-rescue personnel, but this study explores only marital relationships. Marriage demands are many and not everyone is equipped to handle them. Marriage requires devoted energy and continuous negotiation and compromise. Firefighters and paramedics are subjected to rigorous training to obtain the skill for their respective jobs. Their training equips them for rescuing the sick, injured, and extinguishing fires. However, there is not a protocol or training manual for marriage. This study examines the probable cause and effect that …

Leadership Model For Fire Battalion Chief In The 21st Century, Douglas Alan Jessup

Master's Theses

This research investigation seeks to identify a leadership model for Fire Battalion Chief comprised of a set of theoretical dimensions of leadership that are required of a Fire Department Battalion Chief to successfully lead their personnel over the next 10 years. This paper also examines the roots of corporatism at national and local levels and demonstrates how the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) had significant levels of influence on policy making in the United States of America. However, at a local level longstanding corporatist partnerships between unions such as FMU and local associations like CACFOA began to break down as a …

Creating A Motivational Attendance Policy For The Henrico Division Of Fire, Cheryl A. Burns

Master's Theses

This study examines sick leave abuse within the Henrico County Division of Fire. The purpose of the study was to examine factors that might contribute to a willingness to abuse sick leave. In addition, the study reviews the literature regarding various aspects of sick leave abuse to include cost, motivational theory, and incentive programs. The research consisted of a survey administered to the Division of Fire personnel who work 24-hour shifts. The survey posed questions concerning general attitudes, awareness, and perceptions surrounding the topic of sick leave abuse. The resulting data provided some evidence that sick leave abuse was linked …

Competencies Of The Law Enforcement Special Operator : Implications For Law Enforcement Organizations And Police Special Operations, Geoffrey C. Greene

Master's Theses

The law enforcement special operations environment is changing. Officers are faced with challenges that are increasing in complexity as weapons availability and acts of terrorism force the tactical community to respond with better training and tactics. The purpose of this study is to identify a competency model needed to successfully perform as a law enforcement special operator over the next 5-10 years. In addition, the study identifies the core competencies that formulate the Law Enforcement Special Operator Competency Model. Implications for how police organizations can use the research for professional development are also discussed. This study utilizes three distinct phases …

Do Leadership Development Programs Work For Strategic Law Enforcement Executives?, Brent Burnette

Master's Theses

There is a proliferation of leadership development programs for members of the law enforcement community. This study examined whether various leadership development programs met the needs of strategic law enforcement executives. One hundred law enforcement leaders were asked to complete and return a multi-facet survey on which they ranked their perceptions of the leadership development programs attended using a Likert rating scale. Additionally, the participants were asked to rate responses regarding post-undergraduate education in leadership. Sixteen of the one hundred participated. Participants indicated an overall satisfaction with the individual programs and indicated that each program met their individual leadership needs. …

Police Perceptions : External Influences Affecting Work Satisfaction, Ryan Wayne Morgan

Master's Theses

There are many individuals that apply for police officer positions. Some of those hired find the job challenging and rewarding, others leave unexpectedly. The newly hired that separate from the organization early in their career can have a negative impact on the police department. It is believed many of newly hired officers that leave unexpectedly may have not had an accurate perception of what the job entailed from the beginning. To gauge where police applicants from their perceptions of police work, newly hired police officers in Fairfax County were surveyed. The study was designed to take into account common perceptions …

The Effect Of Technology In The Workplace : An Investigation Of The Impact Of Technology On The Personal And Work Life Of Mid Level Managers Of The Fairfax County Police Department, Paul G. Mitchell

Master's Theses

This study addressed the effects of technology on our work and personal lives. Focusing on communication tools the investigation sought to determine what issues are created by this constant ability to communicate. A survey was conducted of mid-level managers within the Fairfax County Police Department to determine the effects technology had on their work and personal lives. In addition to the survey, interviews and observations where used. The results revealed that technology doesn't have a negative affect on those surveyed. The majority of data collected shows a positive response toward communication devices. Technology allows for speed and ease of task …

Is Alternative Transport A Viable Option For Norfolk Fire-Rescue?, Nicholas Edward Nelson

Master's Theses

Emergency medical providers transport 911 patients who do not warrant emergency room (ER) transport via ambulance. This study's purpose was to determine if prehospital care providers, using established protocols, could identify patients accurately to be seen by a physician but require ambulance transportation. Fourteen agencies have initiated emergency medical service (EMS refusal). Alternative transport options would free paramedics to respond to life threatening emergencies, while allowing low acuity patients ER access. Ninety-three study patients were enrolled and transported to emergency departments (ED) via taxi. EMS determined eleven patients met enrollment criteria though refused participation in the study. Nine taxi transported …

Perceptions Of Performance And Behavior Of College Educated Police Officers, Paul Edmund Nagosky

Master's Theses

Good police applicants are becoming scarcer and many agencies have lowered their hiring standard to fill academy classes. In this labor pool environment is it worth having a college education requirement? Is the performance of college educated officers superior to that of non-college educated officers?

An opinion survey was issued to officers and sergeants of the Chesterfield County Police Department regarding how they felt toward college education and its effect, if any on several aspects of police performance.

In some aspects of performance or behavior, such as sensitivity to minorities, authoritarianism, and use of force, there were slight tendencies for …

Competencies Of High-Performing Correctional Officers Of Jails And Prisons : Developing Tomorrow's Officers, Douglas Woodfin Murphey Ii

Master's Theses

Correctional facilities continue to be built to hold an ever-growing inmate population that must be managed by competent correctional officers. This study utilized three subject-matter expert groups to create and validate the core competencies required to be a high-performing correctional officer. The first group of eight high-performing correctional officers from the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office created the initial list of competencies. The second group of eight expert correctional consultants rated the competency list. The third group of sixteen senior correctional administrators from outstanding sheriffs offices and correctional facilities in the United States also rated the competencies. The core competencies were …

Recruitment And Retention Challenges For Law Enforcement Agencies : Identifying The Reasons For High Turnover Rates Of New Recruits, Scott A. Kearns

Master's Theses

The problem addressed in this study is the challenge to police agencies to

recruit and retain police officers. The Prince William County Police Department

(PWCPD) has experienced the challenges of filling sworn positions as we

continue to sustain our fully authorized staffing levels. This is a phenomenon

many agencies across the nation are experiencing. A survey was used to identify

the reasons for selecting the PWCPD for employment and what can be done to

retain employees to ensure a positive return-on-investment. A multi-step process

was followed in creating, distributing and analyzing the survey. Results lead to

the following conclusions: knowing …

Stressors On The Detectives Of The Prince William County Police Department, William P. Mackay

Master's Theses

Law enforcement is a highly stressful occupation, with law enforcement officials facing critical incidents such as violent crime scenes and potential loss of life. These incidents, however, are not a daily occurrence. The most common daily stressors associated with law enforcement originate from the law enforcement organization itself, the daily interactions with coworkers, the usage or misusage of the assigned equipment, and the individual's perception of the work environment. This study collected survey data to analyze the prevalence and effects of the daily stressors perceived by the detectives of the Prince William County Police Department. This study identified three areas …