Business Commons^™

The Effects Of Ethnicity, Ethnic Salience And Ethnic Identification On Consumers' Sources Of Information And Purchase Behavior, Patricia Wooten Humphrey

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any significant differences in the search and purchase behavior between white and black consumers due to ethnicity, ethnic identification, ethnic salience and ethnic situation.

The sample was chosen from two universities, one predominately white, the other predominately black. Of the 360 questionnaires administered, 345 were usable. The sample was representative of the student population of each university with respect to age, gender, and ethnicity. Statistical techniques used were ANOVAs, t-tests and paired comparisons.

The findings indicate that ethnicity plays an important role in an individual's sources of information used …

The Long-Term Performance Of Initial Public Offerings (Ipos): Venture Capitalists, Reputation Of Investment Bankers, And Corporate Structure, Halit Gonenc

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) literature has uncovered the underpricing, hot issue markets, and long-term underperformance anomalies. The long-term underperformance of IPO firms has gained the focus of recent academic attention. Recent studies document that venture capitalists, and the reputation of investment bankers are associated with the long-term performance of firms going public. The lack of venture capitalists has been shown to relate with the long-term underperformance of IPO firms. On the other hand, IPO firms underwritten by less reputable underwriters have been found to experience more negative long-term market adjusted returns. Unlike previous studies, this study examines the interactive …

The Field Study Of A Training Transfer Enhancement Process And Its Effect On Transfer Of Training, Andrew W. Bowne

Dissertations

Transfer of training is defined as the degree to which trainees apply, in their jobs, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they gained in training. Research regarding transfer of training has called training effectiveness into question. For example, Baldwin and Ford (1988) reported average transfer rates typically in the 10% range.

The study tested the effectiveness of particular procedures and tools intended to enhance transfer of training. These transfer enhancing tools were employed by an experimental group of trainees’ supervisors (who received training from the researcher in the application of the tools) before a half-day problem-solving training workshop for their employees …

Relationships Between Leader Characteristics, Planned Change And Organizational Culture In A Dynamic Manufacturing Environment, Matthew Chodkowski

Dissertations

The new economic era has been marked by profound global change. In response, researchers and practitioners have called for a rethinking of the conventional concepts of leadership, change, and organizational culture to improve our competitiveness in this turbulent world market. This study investigated the relationships between leader style, leader behavior, leadership paradigm, leader knowledge of change, organizational culture potency, and planned change efficacy in a manufacturing company implementing a high performance work system change initiative. This study intended to contribute to the reconceptualization of the leadership construct and the explication of the leadership-culture-change linkage.

Six hundred and eighty-nine subjects representing …

Psychological Influencers Of A Consumer's Innovative Propensity: A Cross-Cultural Examination, Angela D' Auria Stanton

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The purpose of this effort was to focus on measuring the psychological characteristics (specifically perceived risk, dogmatism, fatalism, self esteem, empathy, and cognitive complexity) of the innovative consumer. In order to assess the various relationships and interrelationships that exist in the psychological determinants of innovativeness, a structural modeling approach was employed. The model was also tested in a two country setting in order to determine its robustness cross-culturally. The innovative behavior measure focused on a single domain, the Internet, since innovativeness does not typically overlap across product categories (e.g. Gatignon and Robertson 1985).

Overall, the results of the test of …

Organizational Change Theory And The Factors For Sustaining Change: A Case Study Of Three Public Sector Organizations Winners Of The Virginia Award For Continuing Excellence, Mary Redd-Clay

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors associated with organizational change and with sustaining change in public sector organizations recognized for their change efforts as recipients of the Virginia Award for Continuing Excellence.

This was a case study of three public sector organizations, located in and around urban settings in the state of Virginia. They include Air Combat Command located in Hampton; Hanover County Public Schools located outside Richmond; and Norfolk Naval Shipyard located in Portsmouth. Each of these organizations is notable as winners of the Virginia Senate Productivity and Quality Award for both the Medallion and …

Competitive Interaction: The Influence Of Strategic Group Structure, Sherry M. Burlingame

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The assertion that competitive interaction is a central focus of business strategy emerged from the Strategic Management Research Group (SMRG) at the University of Maryland. The premise of this perspective is that competition among firms can be modeled using communication theory to explain how firms in an industry interact. Competition, in this framework, is represented as the series of actions and counteractions, termed responses, that firms undertake to position themselves in their industry. Thus, in this model, interaction (actions and responses) equates with competition. Studies conducted by the members of the SMRG have outlined the relationship of key variables within …

An Empirical Investigation Into Significant Factors Of Moral Reasoning And Their Influences On Ethical Judgment And Intentions, Janet K. Mullen Marta

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This dissertation is a partial test of the Hunt-Vitell (1986, 1993) general theory of marketing ethics, which, along with previous tests of the model and other empirical and theoretical work, serves as the basis for this research. The dissertation model is the most comprehensive test of Hunt-Vitell to date, in the sense that it tests variables at almost every stage of the ethical decision making process described in the Hunt-Vitell theory.

The sample was obtained through a mail survey of American Marketing Association (AMA) practitioner members. Empirical testing was carried out through correlation and regression analysis. Of the seventeen hypotheses, …

The Effects Of A Combination Of Feedback, Goals, And Consequences On The Performance Of Four Small Businesses, Timothy V. Nolan

Dissertations

Performance measurement approaches such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) offer a format for attending to a few performance metrics rather than several different performance indicators. While the BSC approach offers a nice format for tracking performance, it does not provide a conceptual framework for improving performance. That framework can be found in Behavioral Systems Analysis. The Total Performance System emphasizes the importance of internal and external feedback in improving performance. Several studies have investigated feedback interventions in organizational settings. The intervention found to be most effective is a combination of feedback, goals, and consequences. The purpose of the current study …

The Application Of Role Theory To The Sexual Harassment Paradigm: A Policy Capturing Approach, Lora L. Jacobi

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research utilized policy capturing techniques to analyze the different factors individuals use when determining sexual harassment. The importance of level of power, verbal behavior, and invasiveness of touch were examined. Additionally, role theory was applied to the sexual harassment paradigm in order to understand how context factors within an organization affect the perception of sexual harassment. Profile analysis was used to determine how the perception of what constitutes harassing behavior is mitigated by one's role in the organization.

Participants were one hundred and five males and one hundred and fifteen females who were either currently employed or employed within …

A Methodology To Apply Business Process Reengineering Within The Brazilian Aeronautical Ministry, Ricardo F. G. Santos

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine Business Process Reengineering as a feasible methodology to be used to help reorganize the Brazilian Aeronautical Ministry. Using a qualitative approach, this research developed an analysis of BPR beginning with the concepts elaborated by Hammer and Champy. The research also investigated the laws and regulations used by the United States Government to apply BPR in all branches of its military. After establishing the framework, some methodologies and case studies were analyzed to obtain the big picture about the application of BPR as a managerial tool to reorganize organizations. The results of this …

Exploring The Management Of Outsourcing And The Determination Of Civil Engineering Minimum Manning Numbers In Order To Optimize Air Force Benefits, David J. Anason

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the relationship between peacetime and wartime tasks for Air Force Civil Engineering career fields in regard to outsourcing. Relevant literature in civilian sector outsourcing techniques is then studied to determine how they decide on what to outsource and what to keep insourced. Peacetime tasks performed by individual career fields are correlated with the wartime tasks to determine if there is any valuable wartime training gained from the completion of peacetime work orders. Several interviews completed with Air Force Civil Engineer readiness experts to evaluate an importance factor for each career field wartime mission. This importance factor and …

Acquisition Logistics Guidelines For Improving The Argentine Air Force Weapon System Acquisition Process, Guillermo A. Piuzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing costs, complexity and demanded endurance have been typical characteristics of new weapon systems during the last decades. Meanwhile, severe contraction of defense budgets makes cost effective and well-planned acquisition crucial to ensure weapon system whole life supportability. This qualitative research explores the role of acquisition logistics in the endeavor of purchasing effective, efficient, and supportable systems in four countries, namely the United States, Australia, Spain, and Portugal. Through a multiple case study, a set of concepts is extracted and adapted to be proposed as the basis of a prospective Argentine Air Force weapon system acquisition process review. Suggested improvements …

Organizational Dynamics: Issues And Implications From The Complexity Sciences, Kenneth Michael Mathews

Doctoral Dissertations

Organizational change, both developmental and transformational, is an issue of central and enduring concern in the organizational sciences. However, the processes, mechanisms and sequencing of events that describe how and why social systems change have not been satisfactorily explicated at a theoretical level and constitutes one of the major challenges facing the social sciences. This research examines issues and implications from an emerging perspective—the complexity sciences—developed to explain the mechanisms and processes of change in physical and natural systems. The purpose is to develop a theoretical approach to the study of change in social organization that integrates these implications, while …

Spatial Variation In Diffusion Of Technological Innovations At The State, Regional, And Cross-National Levels, Maxwell Kuohsuan Hsu

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to investigate and explain the differences in the adoption rates of several technological innovations at three levels of aggregation: (1) U.S. state level, (2) U.S. Bureau of Census regional level, and (3) cross-national level. A unique feature of this dissertation is that it focuses not only on the temporal (time-related) but also on the spatial (space-related) dimensions of the process of diffusion of innovations. The Mansfield-Blackman diffusion model (1974) is used to estimate the adoption rates of three technological innovations over the period 1960-90 across the 50 states of the U.S. The model is also used to …

Implementation Of The Ism Code To Agencia Maritima De Servicios, C.A. (Amarserca), Oswald Jose Vargas

World Maritime University M.Sc. Dissertations

This dissertation comprises a practical implementation of the International Safety

Management (ISM) Code to a Company which deals with vessel traffic services and

pilot boat services.

Day by day the shipping industry is pressed to raise their standards with respect to

the safety of life at sea, damage to property and environmental protection, especially

after a major accident occurs. However, it has been determined that in most of the

cases human elements and poor managerial decision have been the cause of the

accidents. Consequently, the ISM code was adopted with the same aim of

protecting life at sea, property and …

Ethical Work Climate, Covenantal Relations, And Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Elizabeth C. Schubert

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary focus of this study was to provide an empirical evaluation of the relationship between perceptions of ethical work climate and organizational citizenship behavior. The study also investigated covenantal relations as a mediator of that relationship.

The sample for this research was comprised of subordinates and supervisors representing two locations of a national retail sales organization. Data were collected using both subordinate and supervisor responses. Subordinates reported on their perceptions of ethical work climate, covenantal relations between themselves and the organization, and their organizational citizenship behavior. Supervisors reported their perceptions of the subordinates' organizational citizenship behavior. Scales used to …

The Design And Implementation Of A Business Plan For An Internet Service Company, Gia K. Reynolds

Theses

The lntrnet today consists of many networks that can transfer data via many routes over a vast network. Change in the telecommunication industry and the attractiveness of the lnternet as a distribution channel have resulted in an expansion of service furnished by content providers. This dynamic growth of services impacts the prices and profits of service providers and the customers' net benefit.

This project will focus on the study of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry. Information was gathered for the purpose of constructing a business plan for G-net.

Research has indicated that an entrepreneur is one who manages, organizes …

Self-Managed Work Teams: How Implementation Plans Affect Success Or Failure, Julia E. Meeker

Theses

This applied learning project will deal with the implementation of empowerment in an organization and the importance of an implementation plan.

Research shows that resistance to change by management or front line employees can lead to the failure of the change. Resistance to change is a normal human reaction but can be minimized through effective change management.

Effective change management includes clear, understandable, complete communication at the appropriate time. The development of a change implementation plan can reduce the resistance to change by providing information that addresses employees concerns regarding the proposed change.

The purpose of this project is to …

The Benefits Of Corporate Wellness Programs, Paul Lonigro

Theses

Cost containment of health care cost is an extremely significant issue to employers today. Many employers have used strategies such as cost shifting and managed care to control costs with limited success. Many are using wellness programs with the idea of promoting healthy lifestyles to decrease the risks and demand for health care services. Other benefits which employers look for are an increase in employee productivity and morale, and decreasing absenteeism and turnover. The purpose of this thesis is to determine how effective wellness programs have been at achieving these goals.

Some form of wellness program has widely been used …

Career Maturity: A Comparative Study Of Adults With Attention-Deficit Disorder And Adults Without Attention-Deficit Disorder, Christine L. Mason

Theses

A comparative study was conducted to explore the differences in career maturity in adults with a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and adults without a diagnosis of AD/HD. Thirty adults with AD/HD and thirty-three adults without AD/HD completed a personal data questionnaire and My Vocational Situation (MVS). The control group also completed a twelve question screening instrument for AD/HD. The data was statistically analyzed using independent sample t-test for equality of means.

Between Heaven And Hell: The Plight Of The Eastern Kentucky Coal Miner, Rebecca C. Norris

Theses

This thesis will focus on the dilemma of the present day coal miner in the eastern Kentucky mountains.

Historically, the coal mining profession has been one presenting extremely dangerous work conditions. From its roots in the 1880s, coal mining has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of miners, the majority of these deaths being caused by explosions. Working conditions were horrendous and there was no legislation in place to protect the miner. The life and living conditions of the miner were determined by coal operators who ran coal towns. These towns were the heart of the miners' lives. 'The …

How To Use Marketing Strategy And Communication For Rekindling A New Life Of The Old Street, Chao-Wang Wang

Theses

History is the record of a community or culture in its past life. It symbolizes the continuation of our lives. Different areas nurtured different cultures and these cultures represent different peoples' ways of life and particular values. Not only does history provide evidence for us to trace and explore our ancestors' footprints, it also gives a blueprint for us to learn lessons and experiences so that we may be able to avoid quarrels and wars, and to create a peaceful world. Therefore history and culture has the functionality of carrying on the heritage to provide a way for the future …

Droffice(Sm) A Physician Support Service Company For The Physician And Physician's Family (The Reengineered Physician's Practice), William K. Sullivan

Theses

This thesis is the culminating project of years of study, experience, and research focused upon a business plan to create a company which would provide physician support services not only for the physician's office but also for the physician's family.

The sudden emergence in the 1990's of several for-profit, publicly traded physician practice management companies (PPMCs) and local management services organizations (MSOs) highlighted the plight of the present physician's office as a small business overrun by regulation, managed care encroachment, financial stresses, and technological advancements. As Wall Street and Main Street eventually learned, PPMCs and MSOs were not the solutions …

An Investigation Into The Ingredients Necessary For A Successful Implementation Of Sap, Benjamin T. Wilson

Theses

This thesis will focus on the impact of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software applications, mainly SAP, and the impact they have on business functions and efficiency.

Businesses have been able to take advantage of improvements in computer technology to make improvements to their every-day processes and procedures. One category of software applications they can use are ERP applications. ERP's provide many advantages for companies - faster access to more reliable data with which to make better decisions, and more efficient use of company resources. These advantages can only be achieved though, if the application is produced and used correctly, which …

Crisis Communication Response For Field Offices Of The Airline Pilots Association, Gina L. Butikofer

Theses

This project-based thesis examines the issue of crisis management, focusing on communication as an integral part of an organization's response to crisis. It explores the benefits of a crisis communication plan to successfully respond to a crisis situation and explores the components, writing style and considerations of a manual that make such a plan useable. This research highlights these communication challenges in relation to the airline industry, and more specifically, to the branch offices of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), by applying the information gathered into a written crisis communication manual.

Chapter one of this thesis discusses the importance …

Building An Internet Recruiting Strategy For A Big Five Professional Services Firm, Jacqueline A. Rose

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

The Correlation Between Corporate Image, Identity And Reputation: Methods Of Creating Corporate Image And Reputation, David V. Hamilton

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Financial Management And Uni Students: A Proposal For Financial Education In The General Education Program At Uni, Carrie Schnieders

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

The survey results were compiled ( except where noted) as a whole sample, as no significant differences were found to exist between sex and major. Class standing (and therefore, age) did result in some notable differences in the credit card and student loan categories, which is specified. The first half of the research is to find out what basic financial management skills UNI students have or utilize. The second phase of the research focused on how students felt about their financial knowledge, and if they felt a personal financial management class would be beneficial both to themselves and other students …

A Method Of Teaching Oral Communications To Adults, John C. Bettag

Theses

This thesis addresses teaching public speaking to adult students. It takes into account the unique characteristics of adult learners in developing a ten-lesson course to teach confidence and proficiency in public speaking.

Chapters One through Three explore ideas found in literature relating to the rapid growth of adult education, adult learning processes, and the specific ways to teach public speaking to adults. The works of important pioneers in public speaking education such as Dale Carnegie and Dr. Ralph Smedley are discussed . Also included are successful modern- day advocates o f polished speaking skills such as Lilly Waters and Jack …