Business Commons^™

A Framework For Retaining A Multigenerational Workforce, Steev Usungu

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Voluntary employee turnover has become a prevalent concern in the modern global labor market. The exodus of competent talent makes it harder for organizations to meet their business objectives. Excessive turnover affects organizations' day-to-day operations, including their ability to compete in a global market (Allen al., 2010). The voluntary departure of highly skilled individuals can have significant organizational implications (Brown et al., 2015). The departure of highly skilled personnel can result in direct and indirect adverse expenses. Employee separation, recruiting, and onboarding are direct expenditures associated with worker turnover (Jannet et al., 2020). Indirect turnover costs include decreased group productivity, …

Does Athletic Participation Develop Followership Skills? A Case Study On The Development Of Followership Through Athletics, Sara M. Smith

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The role of athletes is to follow the lead of their coaches, captains, and other teammates while working towards the shared goal of team achievement. However, collegiate athletic participation is often attributed to the development of leadership skills. The purpose of this study was to advance the understanding of followership development within athletics. Further, I sought to understand better the perception of student-athletes and coaches on how athletic involvement contributed to the development of followership skills and leadership skills. The study was guided by research questions in which I asked if participants perceived athletic participation contributed to the development of …

The Role Of Intercultural Communication In Recruiting And Retaining Student-Athletes: A Phenomenological Study On Understanding The Sociocultural Aspects Of Building Non-Revenue Teams In Intercollegiate Sport, Eva Rouser

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Recruiting and retaining student-athletes at NCAA Division I and II member institutions is difficult. However, the coaches of non-revenue-producing sport have developed communication measures to assist in successfully fielding teams of culturally unique individuals that build an ingroup culture to compete despite limiting factors. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experience of non-revenue-producing sporting coaches’ intercultural communication methodical variations in interactions with student-athletes as each coach adapts exchanges to serve as relationship-building elements to balance cultural norms with the acceptance of unfamiliar cultural behaviors. Relevant themes emerged from the data gathered during participant interviews, …

Exploring Implicit Belief Alignment In Leaders And Followers, Candice F. Fast

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Through quantitative, nonexperimental research, this study focused on follower schemas among leaders and followers. The sample included 203 leaders and followers from Canada and the United States. The research addressed a literature gap through comparing leaders and followers’ implicit beliefs. In followership literature, two prominent areas of study regarding followers’ implicit beliefs are the implicit followership theory (IFT) and follower role orientation. Although many scholars have considered IFT and role orientation as the same construct, no scholar has ever compared the theories for correlation. Thus, the study addressed another literature gap through correlation and predictive analysis tests to compare between …

Evaluation Of The Hispanic Paradox: Conceptualized Through The Lens Of Generational Decision-Making Styles Of First-, Second-, And Third-Plus-Generation Hispanic Leaders, Daniel De Leon Jr

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The primary objective of this dissertation was first to ascertain whether there is a statistically significant effect of generation on decision-making styles and secondarily to ascertain whether there would be a statistically significant interaction effect for study participant gender and generation upon decision-making styles. The researcher hypothesized that there are quantifiable differences among Hispanic generations: first-generation Hispanic immigrants to the second and third-plus generations (Kiang et al., 2011; Pan & Pierre Lu, 2015). Decision-making styles create a framework to understand an individual's decision-making process, problem-solving matrix, and interactions with other organizations and team members (Rowe & Boulgarides, 1983). The population …

Towards A Model Of Follower Development: Exploring The Success Differentials In Leader And Follower Development Outcomes As Experienced By Bankers In Nigeria., Chris O. Chukwuma

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the leader and follower development experiences of middle-level managers in the Nigerian banking industry regarding developing followers into leaders. I used two research questions to explore the perception and treatment of followers and the levels of leader and follower development as influences on the development of followers into leaders. The research was set in Nigeria, with a purposive sample of middle-level managers in the Nigerian banking industry. I used a descriptive phenomenological technique to conduct long, deep interviews with 12 middle-level managers via Zoom video and then transcribed them with Otter.ai …

The Accounting Profession From The Collegiate Perspective: An Analysis Of Gender Equality Perceptions, Samantha Kalinka

Honors Capstones

This study investigates whether incoming female accountants expect to have the same career opportunities within the accounting profession as do males. For purposes of this study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 accounting students. These students were either undergraduate seniors majoring in accounting or graduate students enrolled in a Master of Accounting Science program. The results of the interviews were such that both male and female accounting students exhibited high expectations for their careers and their lives outside of it. Students recognized the impact of family and the difficulty of the profession on their career. They also noted that the …

Exploring The Application Of Compassionate Leadership Behaviors In The Workplace, Tracy L. Laurie

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This qualitative case study answers the central research question “How are compassionate leadership behaviors encouraged and/or discouraged in the workplace?” Interviews with five individuals from one work team in an Am Law 100 law firm revealed how the compassionate leadership behaviors of integrity, accountability, presence, empathy, authenticity, and dignity (Shuck et al., 2019) were applied at work. This research explored four themes: leadership courage, growth mindset, empowerment, and coaching performance. Each theme has four subthemes further describing the data: Leadership courage: managing consistently and fairly, being transparent, communicating honestly, and taking risks; Growth mindset: working intentionally, developing others, learning continuously, …

Towards Agile Academia: An Approach To Scientific Paper Writing Inspired By Software Engineering, Tyler Procko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The construction of scientific papers is performed in service of the greater scientific community. This iterative process is, in effect, an academic economy, where all members benefit from well-written papers. However, many published scientific papers are poorly written; they often lack sufficient detail to allow replication, there is improper usage of citations or a lack of regard to relevant work, reporting is vague or without linked empirical data to allow verification, figures do not correspond to text or are non-sensical, literary elements, e.g., bulleted lists, are used ineffectively, formatting renders certain sections unreadable, and grammatical errors abound. The issues of …

Motivations And Barriers In College Students For Coffee Consumption From Coffee Shops: A Podcast, Khushi Dave

Senior Theses

The book, Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World, highlights the globalization of coffee; it was first discovered in the mountainsides of modern—day Ethiopia and has since swept the globe. Historically used for religious, medicinal, and recreational purposes, people flocked to coffee houses for the taste of the brew. Now, this beloved bean is ever prevalent on college campuses, especially through foodservice locations. This paper explores the role of foodservice locations, specifically coffee shops, in coffee consumption among college students. Specifically, it will survey the reasons that college students want to buy coffee from …

Third-Party Reactions To Performance Feedback, Daroon Mohammed Jalil

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Although the provision of feedback has traditionally been treated as a dyadic event, I argue for the existence of a neglected third-party - the witness. Drawing from the dual process model of vicarious mistreatment and feedback intervention theory, I hypothesize that 1) third parties experience negative [positive] affect when witnessing an unjust [just] feedback event, 2) negative [positive] affect is stronger when feedback cues are self-referenced [task-referenced], and 3) negative [positive] affect is related to a subsequent decrease [increase] in feedback seeking intentions. Results from a 2x2 between-subjects experiment with 470 participants provide partial support for the hypotheses. Third-parties experienced …

Dealing With The Effects Of Covid-19 Job Demands On Public Sector Employees’ Work Engagement And Job Burnout: The Role Of Public Service Motivation, Servant Leadership, And Mission Valence, Phillip Joseph Dillulio

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The global recession stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the public sector of the U.S. economy. Specifically, reduced tax revenues from a dramatic decline in economic activity and increased demand for public services resulted in new and increased job demands for public sector employees (Eggers et al., 2020). However, limited research has examined the effects of COVID-19-related demands on job burnout and work engagement among public sector employees, and the role of personal, social, and organizational resources to protect their well-being (Demerouti & Bakker, 2023). The current study addressed this gap by employing the Job Demands …

Strategies That Contribute To The Sustainability And Success Of Community College Non-Credit Workforce Development Programs, Amy Lovin Henecke

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Several factors contribute to the challenges community college leaders face in maintaining and sustaining noncredit workforce development programming. For example, these factors include funding reductions from state legislators and corporations using internal training departments for workforce development. There are community colleges that do overcome these challenges and achieve sustainability, provide revenue to the college, and increase and expand programming. The purpose of this case study was to identify strategies that contribute to the sustainability and success of community college noncredit workforce development programs.

The research focused on two community colleges in the United States that are nationally recognized for achieving …

Exploring Cross-Border Business Model Adaptation, Kurt Norder

Theses and Dissertations

A business model is defined as the way a firm organizes its available resources to deliver and capture value. It can be simplified using the RCOV framework which splits the model into resources and competences, organization, and value propositions. However, the interactive nature of the components still creates internal complexity that must be managed without undermining the competitive advantage. This internal system is also subject to a multiplicity of contextual pressures, particularly as it crosses national borders. A cross-border business model has at least one of its components in multiple country environments, thus it faces variation in economic, competitive, technological, …

Effects Of Ai Voice Assistants’ Messages On Pro-Environmnetal Consumer Behavior: Message Content And Voice Attributes, Somang Min

Theses and Dissertations

The hospitality and tourism industry has increasingly prioritized environmental concerns, driving the adoption of green practices and communication strategies. This dissertation investigates the role of AI voice assistants in hotel rooms in promoting pro-environmental behavior, recognizing the importance of fostering environmental mindfulness through technology and behavioral interventions. This research explores the influence of voice attributes and message content on consumers' pro-environmental behavior when conveyed through AI voice assistants. It specifically focuses on the marketing cue of Kindchenschema cuteness by examining how a baby-like voice in AI voice assistants may enhance pro-environmental communication, a topic rarely addressed in the hospitality and …

Decoding Trustworthiness And Helpfulness Of Online Reviews In Hospitality: A Reader-Centric Perspective, Xiaonan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Online review is an ongoing popular topic for both researchers and practitioners. Consumers’ decision-making is largely influenced by the online reviews, especially those that are perceived as trustworthy and helpful given the information overload issue and existence of fake reviews. This dissertation consists of three independent but closely related studies focusing on trustworthiness and helpfulness of online reviews in hospitality industry. The objectives of this dissertation are to explore the factors affecting review trustworthiness and helpfulness as identified in previous research and determine their relevance to consumers' real-world reading and decision-making experiences, as well as the impact of message framing …

Evaluating The Effectiveness And Efficiency Of U.S. Foreign Aid, Rebecca Baley

Selected Honors Theses

The U.S. is the top spender in the world when it comes to foreign aid, sending billions of dollars around the world each year. There are many different goals and objectives that the U.S. government hopes to accomplish with their spending. This paper is structured as an extended literature review analyzing previous literature on the topic of U.S. foreign aid spending and the results of these funds around the world to test the effectiveness and efficiency. The process of how the foreign aid budget is set will also be discussed as well as the history of why the U.S. started …

Shades Of Housing: Real Estate Urbanism And State Planning In Egypt, Zeinab Nadeem

Theses and Dissertations

The housing crisis is a global dilemma, especially in the context of urban cities in developing countries. Housing affordability has become more challenging in the recent global and national turbulent economic conditions of rising inflation rates and construction costs, where Egypt is witnessing a surplus of vacant housing units that are either unsold or unoccupied with citizens involuntarily relocating to remote new cities. The government has also significantly engaged in real estate market speculation by offering public land for profits to private investors in the market since the 1990s. The shades of housing found in Egypt are the works of …

Communicating For Success: The Importance Of Fairness In Pre-Merger Communication, Correy Retzloff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores the complexities and influences of pre-merger communication on M&A outcomes from a stakeholder perspective, using the Fair Process Theoretical Framework. The study identified the following six key themes related to pre-merger communication broken down into two distinct categories: important aspects to employees, which include Open and Honest Communication, Engagement and Clarity, Participation and Collaboration, and best practices managers can implement, such as Undertake Fair and Engaging Communication, Prioritize Strategic and Cultural Communication, Ensure Effective and Compliant Communication. The study also found that effective pre-merger communication can positively influence perceptions of fairness in the merging process. These …

Risky Business: Ceo Risk Tolerance And Non-Gaap Earnings, Johnna Murray

Dissertations

CEO influence on non-GAAP earnings is a growing area of research. Risk-taking by CEOs is one way to gauge the extent of CEO influence on firm outcomes, especially non-GAAP earnings. This research examines the association between CEO sports hobbies, a proxy for CEO risk-taking, and their company’s non-GAAP earnings. In addition to the risk-proclivity of the CEO, non-GAAP earnings are the result of firm size, equity, return on assets, and changes in revenue. The extent of CEO influence was evaluated by a regression analysis of non-GAAP earnings using firm characteristics with CEO risk-taking measures and control variables such as CEO …

With A Little Help At Home: The Impact Of Romantic Partner Support On Daily Burnout And Workplace Incivility, Matthew Aplin-Houtz

Dissertations

With rude and discourteous encounters in the workplace becoming more common, Workplace incivility (WI) is at an all-time high. As such, workers experience levels of burnout from these negative social interactions. The literature concedes that the results of these interactions lead to mounting burnout, causing negative physical and emotional outcomes at the individual and organizational levels. Considering that the literature also supports that employees have the potential to recover from burnout symptoms through rest, obtaining the perception of control of their circumstances, and cognitive reframing, the time and activities a worker spends at home carry the potential for minimizing burnout …

Not On The Menu: Customer Sexual Harassment In The Restaurant Industry, Fernanda Wolburg Martinez

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the high prevalence of customer sexual harassment (CSH) paired with a high turnover in the restaurant industry, there have been few suggestions on resources that may attenuate the effect that bystander and direct CSH might have on strain--anxiety and depressive symptoms--and turnover intentions among restaurant workers. Based on the stipulations of the job-demands resources theory and the empowerment framework, the current study frames direct and bystander CSH as job demands that may be linked to employee strain and turnover intentions. Moreover, CSH preventive supervisor behaviors and organizational intolerance towards CSH are introduced as job resources that may weaken the …

Personal Life Security, Nonmonetary Benefits And Executive Compensation : Evidence From Stand Your Ground Laws, Zixuan Zeng

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

People prefer an amenable location and companies have to pay a higher level of salary to their executives in a less livable place. Focusing on a particular aspect of livability, i.e. life security, we investigate whether life security condition in a region has an impact on CEOs’ compensation using the enactment of Stand Your Ground (SYG) laws in U.S. 26 states from 2003 to 2020 as an exogenous shock. SYG laws, which grant individuals the legal right to use lethal force in self-defense without the duty to retreat, have the potential to affect executives' perception of personal security and consequently, …

For Love Or Money: Investor Motivations In Equity-Based Crowdfunding, Jason C. Cherubini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular method for entrepreneurial ventures to raise financing from a large number of small supporters (the “crowd”) instead of raising it through a small number of larger supporters. Crowdfunding is normally conducted through online platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, where the entrepreneurial venture runs a campaign directly seeking support from individual funders. Most of the research into crowdfunding to date has been focused on what elements of the crowdfunding campaign lead to eventual successful funding, especially in the rewards-based crowdfunding space. The comparatively new equity-based crowdfunding has not been as heavily researched and is technically …

Phenomenological Study Of African American Female Partners In Top U.S. Corporate Law Firms, Tony Kelly

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This doctoral dissertation delved into the intricate experiences of African American female law partners, seeking to unravel the diverse array of factors that shaped their ascension to the pinnacle of their legal careers. Employing a rigorous qualitative research methodology, this study undertook an extensive exploration of narrative data derived from in-depth interviews, with the overarching aim of addressing the research questions articulated at the outset. These questions revolved around understanding how African American female law partners perceived the factors influencing their professional promotion and how race and gender impacted their leadership journeys and broader careers within the legal profession. The …

The Role Of Cross-Cultural Adaptation In The Work Performance Of Chinese Expatriates In Japan, Xinxin Kong

Fordham Dissertations and Theses

The continuous development of the Chinese economy has made "going global" in overseas operations and cross-border collaborations a key internationalization strategy for many Chinese enterprises. Executives working abroad are required to adapt to new cultures and business practices while also addressing challenges such as the lack of international management talents, high employee turnover rates, and suboptimal expatriate performance. In the realm of international human resources selection and talent retention practices, how can decision-makers in multinational enterprises improve expatriate performance? How can they select employees who can better adapt to different cultures, enhance employee loyalty in cross-border situations, and …

Mentor Holding Behaviours: The Role Of Supervisors And Effects On Protégés, Menzhong Gao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The concept of holding behaviours has emerged as a response to the paradox that arises when employees require support but organisations face challenges in providing it. In today’s workplaces, job demands and organisational uncertainty have escalated, rendering traditional, hierarchical support systems inadequate to alleviate anxiety. Holding environments offer a temporary safe space for employees to express emotions and cope with uncertainty and insecurity.

Despite the importance of holding behaviours in addressing self-reliance and support dilemmas, limited research has been conducted on their antecedents, consequences, mechanisms, and boundary conditions. To fill this gap, this study proposes a trickle-down model that integrates …

Refining Contract Management: Essays On Relational Contracting, Transaction Costs, And Text Analysis, Timothy E. Landucci

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation refines defense contracting by addressing aspects of managing contractual relationships. While the setting and data relate to defense contracts, the lessons can be expanded to nonprofit contracting beyond defense and even to contract management in general. First it presents a game theoretic model of a relational contract between a for-profit supplier and a non-profit buyer and explores how the model could be used to promote stability, manage costs, enhance cooperation, and encourage long-term capacity. The dissertation then explores governance alignment using transaction cost economics (TCE) and Department of the Air Force contracting data. One analysis uses data from …

Network Vulnerability Identification For The Material Routing Problem, Carson G. Long

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers the importance of identifying spatiotemporal vulnerabilities in ground distribution networks and uses operations research methods to formulate models that allow military logistic planners to implement prevention and mitigation measures regarding the routing of personnel, equipment, and supplies in contested Areas of Responsibility (AOR). For optimization models relating to identifying spatiotemporal network vulnerabilities in distribution networks, this work leverages game theory, mixed-integer programming, multi-objective optimization, and metaheuristics to inform mitigation measures for shipment routing. This research has three related components: the first component develops a multi-objective mathematical program to identify spatiotemporal vulnerabilities via myopic heuristic identification, in combination …

Navigating The Unprecedented: A Behavioral Theory Of The Firm's Perspective On Covid-19'S Impact On Workplace Practices, Jeffrey Augugliaro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigates the influence of COVID-19 induced uncertainty on the implementation and effectiveness of workplace practices, using the behavioral theory of the firm as the theoretical lens. Employing the Cube One framework as the set of practices to test, it hypothesizes that pandemic-induced uncertainty would reduce the frequency of management practices enacted, decrease variability across organizations, and diminish the relationship between enacted practices and organizational performance. Furthermore, the study posits that these relationships will be moderated by industry, given their variable levels of exposure to pandemic disruptions.

Contrary to expectations, the initial results revealed no overarching reduction or convergence …