Business Commons^™

Cross-Cultural Issues In The Management Of German-Owned Business Subsidiaries In Hampton Roads, Teja Ulrich

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

'Culture' can be described as patterns of thinking, feeling and acting that distinguish one cultural group from another. Cultural diversity is therefore likely to introduce variety to organizations in which individuals from different national backgrounds are working together. Although this variety bears the potential for an improvement of the cognitive development in the organizations, managers of multicultural business organizations tend to perceive cultural diversity as a disadvantage. This thesis attempts to identify the impact of cultural differences between Germans and Americans on organizations in which German managers work with American employees. German managers of eight business subsidiaries in the Hampton …

Job Attribute Preferences Of The Workforce In Polish High Technology Enterprises, Florian Michael Sisavic

Dissertations and Theses

A key precept in work place motivation theory is that management knows what job attributes are valued by the employee. Management can benefit by asking employees what they want from their work experience (i.e., job attribute preferences), rather than assume they know. This is particularly important to Polish high technology companies that are in transition to a free-market economy and to Polish workers who must be appropriately motivated to compete globally.

This study attempts to better understand the job attribute preferences of Polish managers and workers, the potential gaps between Polish managers' perception of their workers' preferences (system), and how …

Cross-Cultural Training Of Chinese Managers And Workers By U.S. Companies: A Comparative Cultural Analysis Of The Problems Reported By U.S. Trainers, Linda Vick

Dissertations and Theses

As Western business increases in China and China acquires more technology from the West, the need to effectively train the Chinese workforce becomes more important. Identifying and understanding the perceived problems that Western corporate trainers encounter when they train Chinese may lead to more effective and efficient training programs. This study examines the experiences of trainers, working for American companies, who have designed and implemented training programs for Chinese from the People's Republic of China. The purpose of the study is to identify perceived problems the trainers encounter and to determine whether differences between Chinese and American cultures may account …

Predicting The Productive Capacity Of Air Force Aerospace Ground Equipment Personnel Using Aptitude And Experience Measures, Robert S. Faneuff

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of mechanical aptitude and job experience on the job performance of 204 Air Force Aerospace Group Equipment (AGE) mechanics. Job performance was expressed as productive capacity (PC), which is derived from estimated performance times on job tasks. PC measures were derived for 50 tasks typically performed by airmen in the specialty. Aptitude measures took the form of Mechanical percentile composite scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). A second-order logistic model was used to regress PC on aptitude and experience at the task level and at the overall job, or aggregate, level. Model …

Scheduling Air Mobility Command's Channel Cargo Missions, Gregory S. Rau

Theses and Dissertations

Through the use of a linear programming model, this research revised the initial schedule for AMC's channel cargo missions to eliminate any excess delay enroute by minimizing the cumulative, weighted time-in-system for all cargo, according to a given cargo flow. In fact, the revised schedule minimizes any assigned nonnegative weighting of the time-in-system, due to the properties of equivalent measures of performance. When combined with Step One of a proposed two-step process for revising AMC's channel mission schedule, this research can be used to improve the current schedule based on Step One's cargo flow. By carefully defining the notation and …

Determining Cargo Flow For Air Mobility Command's Channel Cargo System, Michael Del Rosario

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated using a multiperiod multicommodity minimal cost flow (M2MCF) formulation to model the channel cargo system of the United States Air Force's Air Mobility Command (AMC). The objective of this research was to determine how cargo should flow in the channel cargo system in order to minimize the cargo's delay enroute from its origin to its destination. This research showed the size of an M2MCF model of the channel cargo system exceeds AMC's computational capabilities. Additionally, this research describes three approaches to reduce the problem size. Because of the problem size and other modeling limitations discovered during this …

Cost Constrained Improvements To The Military Retirement System, Cynthia A. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This research studies possible changes to the current military retirement system. The current military retirement system refers to the system provided under the Military Reform Act of 1986, A new system is proposed which would provide the retiree with four options. Option 1 would provide a pay annuity and medical benefits to the retiree (this is the current system). Option 2 would provide a pay lump sum in place of the, annuity and would offer medical benefits. Option 3 would offer the pay annuity but give a medical lump sum amount in place of the medical benefit. Finally, option 4 …

An Analysis Of Tactical Airlifter Characteristics And Their Impact On Theater Airlift System Performance, John J. Koger

Theses and Dissertations

This study used computer simulation and Response Surface Technology to determine what tactical airlifter characteristics most impact theater airlift system performance in a Southwest Asia (SWA) scenario. Some Aircraft characteristics were grouped into functional sets, while others were considered individually. After screening one characteristic, reliability, with a two-level factorial experiment, a Box-Behnken design was used to estimate second-order metamodels. A stepwise regression procedure indicated that, if attrition rates are ignored, airlift system performance is most impacted by the aircraft's size, survivability, cruise speed, and ability to operate on short fields. The SWA scenario used in this study covers a large …

Systems Integration In Pharmaceutical Industry Using Object-Oriented Expert System Technology, Korrapolu Reddy

Theses

SPHINX is an object-oriented expert system addressed to solve the burning problems of pharmaceutical industry. SPHINX stands for Systems integration in PHarmaceutical INdustry using object-oriented eXpert system technology.

Various problems that American pharmaceutical industries are facing have been explained. Using the revolutionary object-oriented concepts and the powerful expert systems technology, it has been shown how a prescription can be written to solve all the problems of pharmaceutical industries. A problem "Minimizing the wastage of Interferon" has been taken to demonstrate the power of Object-oriented Expert System technology.

Protocol Conformance Test Generation Using Circular Uio With Overlapping, Sesharao Patchipala

Theses

The purpose of the protocol conformance testing is to ensure that protocol implementations are consistent with their specifications. After the U-method was introduced, several test methods based on the Unique Input/Output (UI0) sequences which were the main concept in the U-method have been proposed, namely, the RCP-method, MUIO-method, MUIO with overlapping method, B-method, C-method. A good test sequence must be short and have wide fault coverage. By comparing the test sequences generated by the above test methods based on experimental results, reveals that the test sequences by the MUIO with overlapping method are the worst in quality but their lengths …

Computer Implementation Of Mason's Rule And Software Development Of Stochastic Petri Nets, Xiaoyong Zhao

Theses

A symbolic performance analysis approach for discrete event systems can be formulated based on the integration of Petri nets and Moment Generating Function concepts [1-3]. The key steps in the method include modeling a system with arbitrary stochastic Petri nets (ASPN), generation of state machine Petri nets with transfer functions, derivation of equivalent transfer functions, and symbolic derivation of transfer functions to obtain the performance measures. Since Mason's rule can be used to effectively derive the closed-form transfer function, its computer implementation plays a very important role in automating the above procedure. This thesis develops the computer implementation of Mason's …

The Rise And Fall Of New Bedford Whaling, As Documented By The Whalemen's Shipping List And Merchants' Transcript, Michael J. Tighe

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The purpose of this study is to document the rise and fall of the New Bedford whaling industry-which was, in effect, the American whaling industry-through the pages of the Whalemen's Shipping List and Merchants' Transcript. This analysis will proceed int he following ways. First, this study will detail the origins of the American whaling industry and it development up to the first issue of the Whalemen's Shipping List and Merchants' Transcript on March 17, 1843. Whaling developed in colonial American because many of thos first settlers previously worked in the English and Dutch whaling fleets. This section also will include …

A Study To Determine What Factors Influence Employee Sick Leave Usage In The Riverside County Department Of Mental Health Administration, Sally Aguilar Beavan

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Management Perceptions & Attitudes Towards Privatization In Egypt, Dalia El-Demellawy

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Self-Concept And Symbolic Consumption; Their Effect On Consumer Behavior, Cory L. Dobbs

Theses

A major issue confronting consumer researchers and other investigators of social-psychological phenomena is whether individuals are motivated to purchase products that symbolically are congruent with their self-concept.

This issue is of particular importance to consumer and marketing researchers, since much of their data and resulting actions depend on the decision processes leading up to the consumer's choice of product for consumption. Examining the relationship between the self and consumption through congruence of self-images and images of owned or desired products reveals that the consumer regards his or her consumed products as expressive of themselves.

Perception plays a critical role in …

An Investigation Into Some Of The Factors Having A Bearing On Interviewer Bias In The Western Australian Market Research Industry, Daniel N. Edwards

Theses : Honours

The market research industry, like most industries operating in a highly competitive environment, is faced with a myriad of challenges. One of the foremost challenges is to deliver sound recommendations to clientele based on quality data on the market. One factor having a bearing on data quality is the problem of interviewer bias; interviewers introducing their own source of error into the survey. This dissertation uses a mass-administered, selfreport technique in a study of the interviewing staff of four Western Australian market research firms in an attempt to investigate the factors that constitute interviewer bias. The three broad areas of …

An Arts-Employment Analysis : The Effect Of Government Funding On Employment At Deck Chair Theatre And Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Lance Bennett

Theses : Honours

It is important for governments to recognise employment generation resulting from public expenditure. Funding alternatives that are a cost effective way of generating employment are key objectives in public finance. One funding alternative is the arts. The arts have to compete with other economic activities for a share of government funding. As a result of increased competition, the economic contribution of the arts has become an important issue in arts advocacy. Therefore, it is important that the measure of employment generated by arts funding is accurate and reliable. Arts employment data is generated by cultural organisations applying for public funding …

The Effects Of Video-Based Sales Training Methods And Feedback On Field Sales Performance, Michael T. Simorka

Theses

This thesis focused on the effects of video-based sales training methods on field sales performance. The study also evaluated the effects of feedback systems on performance.

Research in the field of training methodology presents a positive review of "high technology" methods . Most of the studies focus on the benefits of easy administration , reduced cost or improved performance . However, most reviews are anecdotal . There is little empirical data which studies the use of these medium and their effects on field sales performance.

In reviewing the research on feedback systems, the studies have shown that feedback can have …

Cultural Transposition: Exploring Meanings Of And Strategies For Cross-Cultural Transfer Of Organizational Practices, Yongming Tang

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The research objective is to study the phenomenon of transferring organizational practices which are conceptualized in one culture to another different culture. The purpose of the study is (1) to understand how cultural values and beliefs are manifested in behavior; (2) to explore how the Western organizational practices are interpreted and assimilated into an organization in an Eastern culture; and (3) to explore strategies for the fit between local cultural orientations and imported organizational practices. A qualitative, interpretive, and reflexive research methodology was developed to conduct this study.

The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was designed …

Diffusion Of Total Quality Management: An Organizational Self-Production Perspective, Baizhong Zhao

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

American industries are in the process of a quality revolution. Most companies are busy implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) programs. However, the experience of both Japanese and American companies indicates that successful TQM implementation depends on an understanding of implementation processes, which itself relies on an understanding of organizational self-organizing, for it is through this process that TQM gets diffused and becomes a core component of an organization's culture. Self-organizing is a so-called process-oriented approach, based on theory from cybernetics (Ashby, 1962; Steier & Smith, 1985; von Foerster, 1960), dissipative structure theory (Prigogine & Stengers, 1984), and chaos theory (Gleick, …

Having It All - Fact Of Fiction?: The Effects Of Marriage And Motherhood On The Career Patterns And Earnings Of Women Accountants, Holly R. Mahan

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

This study evaluates the effects of marriage and children on the earnings and career patterns of women accountants. Data was obtained from 116 questionnaires completed by women accountants who were employees of a large public accounting firm. The analysis suggests that neither marriage nor children have an effect on current salary levels while having children appears to have a negative effect on average annual salary growth. Having tenure with the firm and possessing a master's degree are positively related to earnings levels. The data also indicate that more rapid promotions within the firm lead to higher average salary growth rates …

The Use Of High-Tech Sales Recruitment In The Data Communications Industry, John J. Speraneo

Theses

The purpose of this study is to conduct a research investigation of the use of executive recruitment. While corporate America automates and downsizes in order to compete in the worldwide market, workers try to find creative ways to market themselves and use the best means to locate jobs in this competitive environment.

The main focus of this study is to determine the primary means used to locate high-tech sales positions in the data communications industry. This could vary from executive recruiters, classified ads, personal referrals, and other miscellaneous methods.

The following paper is an empirical study, designed to provide an …

A Case Study Examining Factors Influencing Loan Pricing Within The R&I Bank, Yawar Zoeb

Theses : Honours

This paper sets out to examine the influence of variables that affect the pricing of commercial loans within the context of the R&I Bank. This will be achieved by collecting financial information on past business loan pricing decisions from a specific R&I Bank branch selected. The information so collected would be analysed from the viewpoint of understanding the pricing of risk. Of specific interest is the examination of loans in a branch to find out the distribution of loans across the spread of credit risk premiums. A credit risk premium, also referred to as the interest rate margin (IRM), is …

Workplace Drug And Alcohol Testing: A Blueprint For Employee Acceptance And Success, Charles Edward Martin

Theses

Drug and alcohol testing in the workplace is a highly emotional and complex issue. Society's drug and alcohol abuse problem has become so pervasive that employers are obligated to act to protect themselves, their businesses and their employees .

Business costs have risen dramatically due to lost productivity resulting from drug and alcohol abuse. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and rehabilitation efforts have been somewhat successful but are extremely expensive.

Many businesses have chosen to protect themselves by implementing pre-employment drug screening. Some businesses drug test current employees randomly and "for cause". "For cause" has generally been defined as reasonable suspicion …

Image Is Reality, Sarah Louise Meininger

Theses

How individuals perceive a business is reality. It doesn't matter if these perceptions are true or false. This paper explores aspects of corporate image and identity and the importance of shaping an image for a company.

We will focus on the importance of research and how initial research should determine how people perceive a company in and outside the organization itself. We will also discuss the CEO' s impact and his/her role. The CEO oversees current perceptions, shapes and molds an image for the company, guides the image for the future and should also be a communicator within the company. …

Management By Objectives: A Cost/Benefits Analysis Toward Achieving Organizational Goals, John J. Mueller

Theses

This thesis will focus on the management process commonly known as Management by Objectives in an attempt to determine if this type of management is a viable option for companies to employ.

In its simplest form management by objectives has been around for hundreds of years. The modern day version of this management technique developed in the early 1950's due in large part to the writings of Peter Drucker . MBO's popularity grew slowly at first, but by the late 1960's and early seventies this management technique took hold in the United States and spread to corporations both large and …

Time, Temperament, And Talent: The Dynamics Of Sustainable Organizational Commitment, Charlotte A. Sullentrup

Theses

Organizational commitment is one of many linkages between employees and employing organizations. It cannot be established as the cause of, or demonstrated to be caused by, other dependent or independent variable constructs, and it cannot be uniformly or conclusively correlated with them, singly or in combination.

Rather, organizational commitment exists in a dynamic and shifting matrix of other employee/organization linkages such as job satisfaction, job performance, work experiences, productivity, etc. The relative strengths, perceived priorities, and consequences of these variables in the matrix are, in turn, functions of the continuously changing characteristics of time, temperament, and talent of both the …

The Impact Of Decision Style On Decision Quality, William E. Niedringhaus

Theses

This thesis focuses on the study of decision style and the effects each styles characteristics has on decision quality.

Each personality style exhibits specific characteristics unique to t hat particular style . These characteristics in conjunction with the decision makers cognitive abilities form a unique problem solving or decision style. Characteristics of each style have been operationalized by the Myers-Biggs Type Indicator.

Decision quality is measured, for purposes of this paper, in terms of the impact the decision maker's style has on the decision outcome . Decision quality is measured separately from decision success since successful decisions require more than …

Research And Analysis Of A 19th Century Portrait Of George Washington, Marbeth A. Erickson

Theses

The subject of this research project is a half length portrait of George Washington, oil on canvas, 30" in length and 25" in width . The painting is owned by Mr. Maurice Silverman of Silverman Galleries, Alexandria, Virginia.

When Mr. Silverman acquired the painting in 1962, the canvas was damaged so a restorer cleaned it, relined it, and inpainted the bare spots . After the restoration, Mr. Silverman researched the painting to discover who painted the portrait . Mr. Silverman felt strongly that it might be an original painting by Gilbert Stuart as there was a painting very similar to …

The Examination And Identification Of A Valley Of Virginia Chest Of Drawers And Its Conservation And Restoration, William A. Fones Jr.

Theses

This thesis examines the appraiser's considerations as a consultant in exploring options for the conservation and restoration of a Valley of Virginia walnut chest of drawers. circa 1800-1810. The physical characteristics of the chest of drawers and its "backcountry" styling are explored , and the chest's approximate age and place of origin are determined. Emphasis is placed on combining the personal property valuator's broad understanding of connoisseurship with a knowledge of the physical characteristics present in a specific object.

Development of a monetary value for the chest of drawers under consideration is not a primary function of this project and …