Business Commons^™

Empowerment As An Organizational Tool For Increasing Competitiveness: A Case Study, Carl D. Sweet

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the use of employee empowerment as a means of improving organizational competitiveness in the marketplace. The methodology used is a case study of a small, private-sector company that used this strategy to improve its productivity, product quality and profitability. The results of this research were then examined to determine whether the successful practices identified in this organization can be applied to Air Force attempts to adopt employee empowerment. The paper summarizes the organizational characteristics generally present where employee empowerment has been successfully implemented, as reported in current management literature, including the following: (1) company culture conducive to …

A Model For Successful Reutilization Of A Military Installation: A Case Study Of Gentile Air Force Station, Maria L. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research concerning base closure and reutilization focused on the roles of government agencies and the assistance they provided. This study looks at the community and the impact of installation closure. The process of planning for reuse of an installation is difficult and confusing. The guidance provided by the government has changed drastically since the first closures announced in the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Committee recommendations. This study focuses on the strategy employed by Kettering, OH to successfully reuse Gentile AFS upon closure. As the final part in a longitudinal study, the research focus was lessons learned and implementation …

Consolidation And Realignment Of Base-Level Support Equipment Maintenance, James C. Katrenak

Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of the 'Objective Wing' organization in the U.S. Air Force has realigned many base-level maintenance functions. Support equipment is currently maintained and accounted for by several units under the Logistics Group Commander. This research determined the feasibility and consequences of consolidating or realigning maintenance of powered and non-powered AGE, MMHE, engine trailers, and vehicles into one consolidated maintenance shop or unit per base. This study consulted many sources, ranging from occupational survey reports and career field education and training plans to actual field observations of maintenance processes and unstructured interviews of personnel and supervisors. This study determined that …

Evaluation Of The Goal System™ Version 2.2 Solution Method For Interactive Constraint Scheduling Situations, Michael D. Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

THE GOAL SYSTEM™ version 2.2 is the latest in a lineage that includes Optimized Production Technology (OPT) and DISASTER™. Earlier work with DISASTER™ revealed potential shortcomings with sequential schedule building algorithms when multiple interactive constraints exist. Since THE GOAL SYSTEM™ version 2.2 has a capacity for simultaneous schedule building, this study evaluated differences between the two algorithms. Using benchmark scheduling problems developed during the earlier evaluation of DISASTER™, a set of THE GOAL SYSTEM™ solutions was created and compared quantitatively to both DISASTER™ solutions and solutions which optimally minimize maximum tardiness. A broad set of performance measurement criteria were also …

A Statistical Analysis Of Variables Related To Officer Retention, Gerald A. Scheuchner

Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this research effort was to statistically analyze survey responses which indicate the extent to which exiting officers say different variables affected their decision to separate. Two surveys were utilized for this analysis. These surveys were administered by the Air Force Personnel and Survey Branch in 1991 and 1993. The first analysis tested whether significant differences existed between rated and non-rated officers with regard to how strongly they feel about each of the variables with respect to their separation decision. The second analysis tested whether significant differences existed between the rated and the non-rated officers respectively, with …

Privatization-In-Place And The Impact On The Department Of Defense Depots: A Case Study At Newark Afb, Mark Luttschwager

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to document the change in organizational structure when military jobs and production are transferred to civilian corporations under privatization in place (PIP). Privatization-in-place is a new concept that is being implemented, at Newark AFB, as a result of base closure and the desire to maintain as many jobs as possible in the local community. In the course of this research, it is shown how the new civilian management structure compares to the existing military structure and functions. The purpose was to provide insight into what changes would occur under private management as opposed to …

Implementing Total Quality Management In Business And Academe: A Case Study, Nancy O. Bartell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total quality management (TQM) is a philosophy and process that has been successfully implemented in many business firms. Other organizations, including institutions of higher education, have become increasingly interested in adopting it. It is likely that facilitators need to be cognizant of organizational differences and adjust facilitation methods and strategies accordingly. This dissertation is an exploratory study designed to examine the role of the TQM facilitator in diverse settings. Specifically, the study is an in-depth two-case research study of TQM implementation in an international manufacturing firm and a regional institution of higher education. The primary foci of this dissertation are …

An Assessment Of The Role Of Irrigation Water In Egypt, Tarek Aly El-Badawy

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cross-Cultural Differences And Intercultural Cooperation In The Context Of Change And Uncertainty: Americans And Finns In The Workplace, Maija Llisa Herweg

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

American and Finnish workers in financial institutions in the United States and in Finland were interviewed in their respective languages to explore cross-cultural differences in response to change and uncertainty in the work place. Changes were explored in the domains of organizational, process, procedure and work content, and technological changes in the work place. As a point of departure for this study, Hofstede's IBM study, as it pertains to Uncertainty Avoidance--a measure he used to evaluate culture-based resistance to change--was used for this study.

Differences in the kinds of change considered difficult to adjust to were found in the cross-cultural …

The Corporate Effects Of R&D And Patent-Grants: Evidence From Intra-Industry Analysis, Steven Alan Lifland

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This study examines the intra-industry effect of announcements of technological advancement on the market valuation of both the announcing firm and the announcing firm's relative industry competitors. This paper consists of two parts. Essay I discusses firm specific and intra-industry valuation effects of a firm's Research and Development (R&D) expenditures, while Essay II concentrates on the firm-specific and intra-industry valuation effects of a firm's patent-grant announcement. Specifically, this study examines the validity of the competitive and free-rider hypotheses to explain the market response to announcements of R&D spending and the granting of patents.

While the evidence shows that the market …

The Noaa Corps -- A Participant Action Research Of A Uniformed Service Facing Termination, Richard Eugene Marriner Ii

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The NOAA Corps is a uniformed service of the Federal Government. It is composed of officers commissioned by the President of the United States as are the officers of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, and Public Health Service. "NOAA" is the acronym for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce.

On January 24, 1996 the Clinton administration formally proposed that the NOAA Corps be terminated on October 1, 1996. If this were to become reality it would be the first time in U.S. History that a uniformed service has been …

An Analysis Of Structure, Organization, And Activities Of Community Dispute Resolution Centers In Virginia, Terri Colby Barr

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study is a comparative analysis of the structure, organization and activities of the nine non-profit (501 (c)(3)) mediation centers for the resolution of dispute (CDRC) in Virginia. Data for the analysis was collected through on-site interviews, in-depth case studies, and discussions with the leadership of the centers.

The CDRCs suffer from funding shortfalls which pressure them to shift their attention away from their mission. They are dependent upon the state's court contracts for mediation services in order to financially supplement their pro bono mediations and to generate operating capital. The large-budget CDRCs provide a considerable number of pro bono …

Determinants Of Ceo Pay: A Critical Assessment, W. Otto Carroll

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This research expands the study of determinants of CEO pay. Previous studies have found conflicting results regarding the importance of firm size and firm performance in influencing the amount of CEO compensation. Other studies are incomplete with respect to the measurement of both executive pay and its determinants. Traditional theories of executive compensation such as equity theory, expectancy theory, human capital and labor market theory provide the starting point for determinants of CEO pay. However, to more fully understand these determinants, the model includes a test of agency theory showing the relationship between board control and pay. It tests the …

Las Vegas Flamigo Hilton/Unlv Environmental Studies Program Environmental Resource Analysis & Optimization Plan, Dennis Nowlin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

From 1987 through 1992 the Las Vegas Flamingo Hilton instituted resource efficiency improvements in electrical, natural gas, water and materials consumption. In 1992, the Flamingo Hilton commissioned the University of Nevada Las Vegas Environmental Studies Department to analyze and quantify the improvements made by The Flamingo Hilton and investigate the potential for further improvements.

Historical billing data from the periods 1987 - 1992 were used to analyze past and present (1992) electric, natural gas and water consumption. Materials disposal data was only available for a ten month period in 1992. Pollutant emissions data were supplied by Nevada Power Company.

The …

Business Interest Groups In Egypt, Salma Mostafa El Bakry

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Framework For Developing Marketing Plans For Military To Civilian Technology Transfer, Kenneth R. Hirlinger Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The Government of the United States, in particular the Department of Defense, invests a significant amount of funding into the development of technology. This technology, as a critical component of its weaponry, allows the United States to maintain a world-wide qualitative superiority over potential adversaries who may have a quantitative advantage. As industry and government continue to downsize, the transfer of technology from the federal government to the private sector becomes important to ensure the industrial base can continue supporting the military. In addition, transferring technology allows the industrial base to gain international competitive advantages and increase the breadth of …

Towards Designing A Knowledge-Based Tutoring System : Sql-Tutor As An Example, Gang Zhou

Dissertations

A Knowledge-Based Tutoring System, also sometimes called an Intelligent Tutoring System, is a computer based instructional system that uses artificial intelligence techniques to help people learn some subject. The goal of the system is to provide private tutoring to its students based on their different backgrounds, requests, and interests. The system knows what subject materials it should teach, when and how to teach them, and can diagnose the mistakes made by the students and help them correct the mistakes.

The major objective of this dissertation is to investigate and develop a generic framework upon which we can build a Knowledge-Based …

Pattern Discovery In Sequence Databases : Algorithms And Applications To Dna/Protein Classification, Gung-Wei Chirn

Dissertations

Sequence databases comprise sequence data, which are linear structural descriptions of many natural entities. Approximate pattern discovery in a sequence database can lead to important conclusions or prediction of new phenomena. Traditional database technology is not suitable for accomplishing the task, and new techniques need to be developed.

In this dissertation, we propose several new techniques for discovering patterns in sequence databases. Our techniques incorporate pattern matching algorithms and novel heuristics for discovery and optimization. Experimental results of applying the techniques to both generated data and DNA/proteins show the effectiveness of the proposed techniques.

We then develop several classifiers using …

A Theoretical And Empirical Analysis On Efficiency Of The Foreign Exchange Markets : An Empirical Evaluation Of The British Pound, French Franc And Canadian Dollar Testing For Cointegration And Unbiasedness, Panagiotis Paleologos

Theses

This paper discusses the important aspects of efficiency, expectations, and risk in the foreign exchange market. First, a brief presentation of the existing single-equation structural models of exchange-rate determination is given. A mathematical efficiency specification model is defined which employs of a system of interrelated equations testing the random walk and unbiasedness hypothesis. The model is validated by analyzing fluctuations in the spot and forward foreign exchange rates. Utilizing a regression estimation and many different specification and diagnostic tests for the series and the error terms (residuals), this study addresses the efficiency of the English, Canadian and French foreign exchange …

Thailand's Investment And Economy, Vichai Hanvivatpong

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Thailand's economy seems generally strong but faces some important challenges in the medium to long term. The Thai way has produced a confident and dynamic private sector, despite numerous coup and government transitions, but the lack of central planning may cause the problems such as traffic, income distribution.

This research project examined the structure of Thai economy from the past which has helped Thailand in the global economy. The research also discussed the future of Thailand by interviewing the business people, professors, columnists, and Thai people about their opinion on Thai economy.

The (Social And Economic Paradigm Of Racism And Its Impact On The Educational And Professional Experiences Of Seven African-American Attorneys In Oklahoma City, Tynan D. Anderson

McCabe Thesis Collection

Through the years Blacks have struggled for equality from the right to sit anywhere they chose on a bus to the right to eat in any restaurant. One of the most significant areas of struggle has been equal employment opportunities for Black professionals. The number of Black professionals has increased through the years; however, this increase is minimal when compared to the overall number of professionals in the United States. For example, "the number of Black attorneys has increased by 600% over the past seventeen years... [yet] they only constitute four percent of the total number of lawyers in the …

Why Invest In The Venezuelan Petroleum And Petrochemical Industries In 1996?, Emilio Jose Abouhamad

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

OBJECTIVES: This research examines the question "Why Invest in the Venezuelan Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries in 1996?" It has been prepared for the assistance of investors interested in participating with or assisting Petroleos de Venezuela in the creation of opportunities for expansion, both domestically and internationally, for the Venezuelan petroleum industry.

METHODS: A literature review on "Why Invest in the Venezuelan Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries in 1996?" is done to cover Venezuela's vast petroleum and mineral resources, recent actions by the government to eliminate restrictions on and promoting foreign investments, and the bidding process (1995 - 1996). There will also …

Job Satisfaction In Supported And Sheltered Employment, Dana S. Rowland

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Dilemma For American Business Regarding Health Care Reform, Joseph A. Cernik

Theses

Businesses of all sizes will have to work together to adequately address controlling their health care costs. At the present time, large corporations have options available to them to control their health care costs, but these options will not be sufficient in the long-term. Since smaller businesses are increasingly declining to provide health insurance to their employees, the result is the growth of the working uninsured who will become a problem that cannot easily be contained and will affect the ability of large corporations to address their health care costs. The dilemma that American business faces is the need to …

Small Business Advising Highpoint Roofing, Llc., Angie Newman Hull

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Highpoint Roofing is a new sub-contracting business that specializes in roofing new homes and re-roofing older homes. During the short time they have been in business there has been evident success. The owners would like to continue the success of the company and plan to do so through improving their financial status, being aware of market fluctuations, cutting-costs, expanding, and creating and following a budget.

Work Role Vs. Familial Roles: Management Of Work And Family Responsibilities Among Blue-Collar Chicana And Mexican Immigrant Women In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Apparel Industry, Maria Olivia Villarreal-Solano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This qualitative study examined how a select group of forty Chicana and Mexican immigrant women employed as apparel production workers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley manage work and family responsibilities. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews. The interviews were conducted over a one year period in the county of Hidalgo, Texas. This study identified two processes used by women in managing work and family. Age and the timing of life events were found to have the greatest influence on the process of managing work and family responsibilities among the studied women. Ethnicity, contrary to existing explanatory models, was not …

Recreation, At A Glance, Michelle A. Wilkins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As Utah prepares to showcase its majestic landscapes worldwide during the 2002 Olympic Games, countless travelers continue to explore the state's splendor. Utah is famous for its land of many faces. From the red rock of Canyonland National Park to the snow-capped mountains along the Wasatch front, the state is rich in natural diversity. This diversity translates into a broad spectrum of recreational opportunities the state can offer. For instance, Utah's alpine and cross-country ski conditions are among the best in the world. In warm months, rigorous alpine and rock trails have earned Utah the reputation as the "bicycling capital …

The Relationships Among Leadership Behaviors Of Leaders In Training Organizations, Training Methods, And Organization Profitability, Joseph D. Keith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Business organizations are decreasing funding for training. The problem investigated in this study was to determine if there was a relationship among the leadership behavior of training leaders, the use of newer methods of training, and organizational profitability. A sample of 57 organizations from the Fortune 500 was surveyed to determine leadership behavior and the use of newer methods of training. The Leadership Practices Inventory was used to measure leadership and the Affective Communication Test was used to measure charisma. Profitability data were obtained from the literature. Return on assets, return on equity, the Moody's Corporate Bond Rating, and the …

Is The Caribbean Losing Its Advantage As The Leader In Drawing International Tourists To The Western Hemisphere?, Ronald G. Schwartz

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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A Review Of Defensive Strategies Used In Hostile Takeovers, Chirag Shah

Honors Theses

Nineteen Ninety Five smashed all records for mergers and acquisitions at home and abroad. An unprecedented $458 billion in deals were announced by U.S. companies, up 32% from the old record of $347 billion reached in 1994, according to the Securities Data Co. Similarly, deal count, which last year came in with 7,565 announced transactions, registered a new record as 8,954 transactions were announced in 1995. Globally, a record $866 billion in transactions were struck, up 51% from the $572 billion announced in 1994. The big highlights were banking, financial services, pharmaceuticals and big transactions in media and telecommunications. From …