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2017

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Articles 5371 - 5400 of 5608

Full-Text Articles in Business

Small To Medium Enterprise Business Leaders Managing Change, Shahriar Nazari Jan 2017

Small To Medium Enterprise Business Leaders Managing Change, Shahriar Nazari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational change is necessary for businesses to survive and prosper. One of the main reasons organizational change is unsuccessful is the inadequate leadership style used by business leaders. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies business leaders used to manage change. The target population comprised a purposeful sample of 15 business leaders from various businesses located in the metropolitan area of Southern California. The conceptual framework for this study was the transformational leadership theory, which holds that leaders can use inspiration and motivation to inspire employees, especially during times of organizational change. A pilot study …

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The Impact Of Corporate Governance On Working Capital Management In Nigerian Organizations, George Chibuzo Njoku Jan 2017

The Impact Of Corporate Governance On Working Capital Management In Nigerian Organizations, George Chibuzo Njoku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Nigerian firms have faced working capital management (WCM) inconsistencies, which have remained a source of tremendous concern in the face of high competition. In this study, the research problem explored was how inefficient working capital policies are still negatively affecting shareholders' wealth several years after the economic crisis, constraining sustainable development. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine how corporate governance has affected WCM within Nigerian organizations. The research question was about how corporate governance practices expand WCM efficiency. A random sample of 89 Nigerian organizations was used, and publicly available ethical ratings and financial information …

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Relationship Between Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism, And Security Costs With Revenue Losses, Ijeoma Ogechi Nwachukwu Jan 2017

Relationship Between Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism, And Security Costs With Revenue Losses, Ijeoma Ogechi Nwachukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The oil and gas multinational companies (MNCs) in the Niger Delta continue to face numerous challenges operating in the region, especially concerning the loss of revenue. Based on the resource dependence theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between oil theft, pipeline vandalism, security costs, and revenue. Eighty-eight mid- to high-level managers of oil and gas completed the Factors That Affect Company Revenue instrument. The results of the multiple linear regression analyses indicated the model was able to significantly predict revenue, F(3,88) = 947,279.44, p < .001, R2 = 1.000. All 3 predictors contributed significantly to the model, with pipeline vandalism recording the highest beta value (Ã? = .553, p = .000), the oil theft predictor with the next highest beta weight (Ã? = .451, p = .000), and the security costs predictor with the next highest beta weight (Ã? = .387, p = .000). The leaders of the oil and gas MNCs could use the outcome of this study in creating strategies and policies that guide their operations in the region, which would improve the relationship with host communities and mitigate their efforts in reducing the loss of revenue. Improved relations would result in a reduction of oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and security costs, thereby reducing revenue losses. The implication of positive social change includes implementation of more corporate social responsibility strategies and improving the economy of the region and the livelihood of the host communities.

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Relationship Between Loan Product, Loan Amount, And Foreclosure After The Subprime Lending Crisis, Vonetta Allen Jan 2017

Relationship Between Loan Product, Loan Amount, And Foreclosure After The Subprime Lending Crisis, Vonetta Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following the collapse of property values and an increasing rate of default on high-risk mortgages, the United States experienced a subprime lending crisis that led to massive financial losses for holders of mortgage-backed securities. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine if loan product and loan amount predict the likelihood of loan foreclosure. The theoretical framework grounding the study was Minsky's financial instability hypothesis, which describes the basis of capitalism as economic expansionism followed by financial crises. The population consisted of 473 loan cases from archival data of the Atlanta Sixth Federal Reserve District in Georgia. The method …

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Ghanaian Bank Performance And Ownership, Size, Risk, And Efficiency, Rebecca Attah Jan 2017

Ghanaian Bank Performance And Ownership, Size, Risk, And Efficiency, Rebecca Attah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ghanaian banks struggle to maintain sufficient capital after the Bank of Ghana increased the minimum capital requirement as a buffer against the 2008 financial crisis. Grounded in the efficient structure theory (EST), the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships between efficiency, size, risk, and ownership structure on banks' performance when minimum capital requirement increases. Archival data were collected from PricewaterhouseCoopers website covering all Ghanaian banks with available data for the 5-year period ending 2013. Initial one tail paired sample t tests revealed significant increases over time for efficiency, t(21) = 3.849, p -?¤ .001, net interest …

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Reducing Risks From Workplace Discrimination, Shannon B. Creighton Jan 2017

Reducing Risks From Workplace Discrimination, Shannon B. Creighton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported multiple claims of workplace discrimination in the United States; the claims resulted in costly settlements. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple-case study—which used the theory of enterprise risk management as the conceptual framework—was to explore how 4 human resource managers in small-to-medium sized enterprises in the southeastern region of the United States successfully implemented proactive strategies to reduce the financial and legal risk resulting from workplace discrimination. Using Yin’s 5 steps of data analysis along with triangulation of findings from the semistructured interviews, company documents, and websites, the following 4 themes were …

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Collaborative Strategies Used To Reduce Billing Administrative Cost, Stella Fayomi-Olaleye Jan 2017

Collaborative Strategies Used To Reduce Billing Administrative Cost, Stella Fayomi-Olaleye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Billing inefficiencies represent 80% of wasteful healthcare administrative costs that are projected to reach $45 billion by 2018. Potentially, a reduced billing administrative cost is estimated to yield an annual savings of $60 billion that could fund other societal needs such as jobs, wage increases, and education. Through the conceptual framework of iceberg change management model, this single case study explored collaborative strategies 3 healthcare billing managers in Dallas, Texas successfully used to reduce billing administrative costs. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of company documents. Using Yin's procedure of examining, comparing, categorizing, and coding data, the …

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Influence Of Psychological Empowerment, Leadership, And Climate On Safety Outcomes, Christine Healy Jan 2017

Influence Of Psychological Empowerment, Leadership, And Climate On Safety Outcomes, Christine Healy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has demonstrated that safety outcomes are impacted by workplace risk factors, but also supervisory practices and employee actions. An area that has not been explored is the impact of employee cognitions on safety outcomes defined as work-related injuries. Based on the conceptual framework of psychological empowerment (PE), the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of employee cognitions as measured by PE as related to leadership and safety climate and the occurrence of work-related injury. The research examined the mediating effect of (PE) on the factors of leadership and safety climate and their relationship to work-related injury. …

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Developing Generation Z Fast Food Service Industry Leaders Through Training, Christa Hollis Jan 2017

Developing Generation Z Fast Food Service Industry Leaders Through Training, Christa Hollis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The labor force consists of 4 generations including Generation Z with an estimated 25 million Baby Boomers leaving the workforce between the year 2010 and 2020. Franchise fast food service managers desire competent leadership in the workplace inclusive of Generation Z. Yet, many franchise fast food service managers do not have training programs to develop Generation Z's leadership behaviors. Based on Vroom's expectancy theory and Blau's social theory, the purpose of this single-case study was to explore the training programs franchise fast food service managers could implement to develop Generation Z's leadership behaviors. Data collection consisted of direct observation and …

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Clergy Academic Management Training In Non-Denominational Faith-Based Organizations, Patricia Anne Jenks-Greene Jan 2017

Clergy Academic Management Training In Non-Denominational Faith-Based Organizations, Patricia Anne Jenks-Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research about how clerics manage and lead small to midsized non-denominational nonprofit organizations. The rate of clergy failures in non-denominational organizations has left many questions about what is needed to create organizational success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of clergy manager-leaders' management training in non-denominational organizations. Fourteen full-time clerics from Bloomingdale, Georgia, Rincon, Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data analysis process involved the use of Edward and Welch's extension of Colaizzi's data analysis procedures, which resulted in the emergence of 4 themes. …

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Strategies To Support Survivors Of Corporate Downsizing, Joseph Linton Jan 2017

Strategies To Support Survivors Of Corporate Downsizing, Joseph Linton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2003 and 2011, 1.2 million U.S. workers were laid off every year. Some organizational leaders of information technology/telecommunications organizations lack strategies to improve affective commitment to the organization after downsizing events. The strains of overwork, organizational changes, anxiety over job insecurity, and lack of choice often result in physical illness, emotional trauma, and extreme disengagement termed survivor syndrome. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies organizational leaders in the Midwest United States in information technology/telecommunications organizations used to improve affective commitment to the organization after downsizing. The conceptual framework was Herzberg's 2-factor theory. Data were …

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Aluminum Production Costs: A Comparative Case Study Of Production Strategy, Joseph Nloga Ndjebayi Jan 2017

Aluminum Production Costs: A Comparative Case Study Of Production Strategy, Joseph Nloga Ndjebayi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Slumping world aluminum prices have energized some aluminum producers to institute strategies to reduce product costs. This multiple comparative case study explored the strategies used by 4 aluminum producers in Western Europe: 2 companies that have successfully reduced production costs and 2 companies that have not. Wicksteed's economic theory of production and production costs was the conceptual framework for this research. Data from the companies' strategic and industry reports and from interviews with 32 senior managers were analyzed using pattern finding and clustering, a recursive approach to data gathering and analysis established by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana. Six themes emerged: …

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Strategies For Mitigating Low-Cost Airlines' Passenger Complaints, Michael Jay Price Jan 2017

Strategies For Mitigating Low-Cost Airlines' Passenger Complaints, Michael Jay Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Representatives of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that passenger complaints filed for the first quarter of 2015 were up 14.4% over the same period of the previous year. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies for mitigating low-cost airlines' passenger complaints. Porter's generic strategies provided the conceptual framework for this research study. Data were collected from 3 ground service managers employed by a low-cost airline in Florida using semistructured interview questions, direct observation, field notes, and review of the airline's website and public documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange …

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Social Responsibility Strategies To Improve Firm Performance, Dennis Vincent Reade Jan 2017

Social Responsibility Strategies To Improve Firm Performance, Dennis Vincent Reade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historical research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its influence on corporate financial and social results arrived at contradictory findings. Although 95% of the world's 250 largest corporations reported investing in CSR activities in 2011, some managers lack strategies to evaluate CSR effectiveness. This multiple case study explored strategies that 6 CSR managers with CSR oversight in privately owned companies in Brazil used to effectively enact CSR. The stakeholder theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through individual interviews and supplemented with company annual reports to explore the strategies managers employed to evaluate CSR effectiveness. Member …

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An Inquiry Into Factors Of Leadership And Cohesion In Complex Teams, Jeffrey White Jan 2017

An Inquiry Into Factors Of Leadership And Cohesion In Complex Teams, Jeffrey White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The external competitive environments and internal group dynamics of organizations are increasing in complexity resulting in new challenges for organizational leaders to improve performance in underperforming teams. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to address what factors led to high-innovation outcomes in complex adaptive systems using a framework constructed from elements of complexity leadership theory and group dynamics research. An in-depth interviewing approach was used to collect data on the lived experience and meaning the participants attributed to their experiences regarding improved team performance. A total of 21 participants were selected from multiple business settings where their team experienced …

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Strategies Used By Nonprofit Leaders To Motivate Volunteers, Michael C. Williams Jan 2017

Strategies Used By Nonprofit Leaders To Motivate Volunteers, Michael C. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A motivated volunteer workforce is essential to many nonprofit organizations and the success of the organizational leaders. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore motivational strategies used by 3 leaders of a nonprofit organization in Minnesota's Valley X through the conceptual lens of Maslow's theory of human motivation. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, organizational documents, and online databases. Using thematic analysis, 4 key themes emerged: process strengths, process opportunities, results strengths, and results opportunities. Open communication, appreciation events, building relationships, and recognition and rewards are strategies that nonprofit leaders can use to motivate their workforce, especially …

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Exploring Strategies Of American Small Business Owners In United Arab Emirates, Shelley D. Mosley Jan 2017

Exploring Strategies Of American Small Business Owners In United Arab Emirates, Shelley D. Mosley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The International Trade Administration reported that 70% of worldwide revenue for American businesses comes from consumers in emergent markets such as India, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. However, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country that many American small business owners are not operating in and capitalizing on the financial opportunities that are available. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies American small business owners use in successful international entrepreneurship for increased revenue and operational longevity. The study population consisted of 5 American small business entrepreneurs who had succeeded operating in the UAE for …

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Cyber-Security Policy Decisions In Small Businesses, Joanna Patterson Jan 2017

Cyber-Security Policy Decisions In Small Businesses, Joanna Patterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cyber-attacks against small businesses are on the rise yet small business owners often lack effective strategies to avoid these attacks. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies small business owners use to make cyber-security decisions. Bertalanffy's general systems theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. A purposive sample of 10 small business owners participated in the interview process and shared their decision-making methodologies and influencers. The small business owners were vetted to ensure their strategies were effective through a series of qualification questions. The intent of the research question and corresponding interview questions …

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Communication Strategies Used During Organizational Change In A Health Care Organization, Amber Rose Smith Jan 2017

Communication Strategies Used During Organizational Change In A Health Care Organization, Amber Rose Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 4.9 million businesses exist in the United States, and leaders within these businesses have to acclimate to change. Clear and effective communication is vital to the success of an organization. According to scholars and health care leaders focusing on strategies to communicate change during organizational change is a critical aspect of sustainability and profitability. The conceptual framework of this study was communication theory. The purpose of this single case study was to explore successful strategies that some health care leaders used to communicate during organizational change in a health care organization in El Paso, Texas. The data collection …

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Matching Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies To Organizational Goals, Jason P. Vitelli Jan 2017

Matching Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies To Organizational Goals, Jason P. Vitelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Fortune 500 organizations have policies about corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the leaders struggle to implement CSR policies that match corporate stated goals and objectives. The purpose of this case study was to explore whether leaders' CSR strategies matched the goals and objectives of the company. Twenty individuals located in New York, NY, United States, with various management-level positions, and who had experiences with CSR in a Fortune 500 organization with a CSR policy, participated in the current study. The conceptual framework was corporate social responsibility stakeholder theory. Data collection consisted of a semistructured interview with the leaders about …

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Sustainability Strategies For Small Business Restaurant Owners, Alisa Williams Jan 2017

Sustainability Strategies For Small Business Restaurant Owners, Alisa Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Half of new businesses in the United States cease to exist after the first 5 years of operations, and the failure rate continues to increase after the first 10 years. The study was grounded on von Bertalanffy's systems theory to explore business strategies that small business restaurant owners use to sustain their business beyond 5 years. Data were collected by engaging 3 small restaurant business owners in the Little Rock, Arkansas metropolis who sustained their business beyond 5 years. Information obtained from face-to-face interviews and data mining organizational document were analyzed with the support of qualitative software to generate themes. …

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Effective Stakeholder Management Strategies For Information Technology Projects, Andrew Stephen Williams Jan 2017

Effective Stakeholder Management Strategies For Information Technology Projects, Andrew Stephen Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information Technology (IT) projects have become critical to business strategy. However, one major issue is that, historically, IT projects have high failure rates, with scholars asserting that ineffective stakeholder management strategies were a major factor for project failure. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies IT executives use for managing IT project stakeholders by exploring the experiences of 2 CIOs and 4 IT directors in two multinational companies, based in Switzerland. Stakeholder theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documentation, and analyzed using Yin's 5-step data analysis …

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Exploring The Impact Of Shared Leadership Styles And Nonprofit Performance, Will Brown Jan 2017

Exploring The Impact Of Shared Leadership Styles And Nonprofit Performance, Will Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empirical data have not adequately revealed current methods of nonprofit leadership in a way that reflects shared leadership in the nonprofit sector leaving nonprofit organizations (NPOs) at a disadvantage in relation to understanding and describing leadership effectiveness. Using a conceptual framework that incorporated organizational theory, shared leadership theory, path goal theory, transformational theory, leader member exchange, and fund development theory, this mini ethnographic study was conducted to explore the effect of leadership styles in shared leadership situations and the impact of matched and unmatched leadership styles on NPO funding performance. With the use of purposeful sampling to conduct the study, …

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Racial Microaggressions, Faculty Motivation, And Job Satisfaction In Southeastern Universities, Saundra Elizabeth Carr Jan 2017

Racial Microaggressions, Faculty Motivation, And Job Satisfaction In Southeastern Universities, Saundra Elizabeth Carr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For racial minority faculty, racism is associated with adverse outcomes, including poor job satisfaction and less motivation, which may lead faculty to leave the teaching profession. It is unknown what relationships, if any, exist among perceived racial microaggression, job satisfaction, and employee motivation among African American (AA) faculty and other faculty of color in colleges and universities in the southeastern United States. Critical race theory provided a framework to investigate the relationship of perceived racial microaggressions toward AA faculty and other faculty of color with motivation and job satisfaction. This study involved a correlational design using multiple linear regressions to …

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Business Alignment Strategies For Middle East Real Estate Construction Projects, Ali Chiri Jan 2017

Business Alignment Strategies For Middle East Real Estate Construction Projects, Ali Chiri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the Middle East real estate industry, 46% of projects fail in terms of strategic dimensions. Based on the dynamic capabilities approach and contingency approach, the purpose of this exploratory multiple case study was to identify the successful strategies project leaders used to improve the alignment of projects with business strategy. Data were collected from 7 Skype semistructured interviews with real estate construction project leaders from 3 real estate organizations ranked among the top 10 in the Middle East. Public organizational documents were used for methodological triangulation. A thematic coding approach was adopted following a nonlinear sequential process that involved …

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The Impacts Of Credit On Small Business Financing In Florida, Ike Chukwuma Jan 2017

The Impacts Of Credit On Small Business Financing In Florida, Ike Chukwuma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, small businesses represent 99.7% of firms that provide employment and account for over 50% of all private sector employment. Nevertheless, the rationing of small business borrowing is an indicative of acute credit constraints emanating from poverty, lack of collateral, lack of cosigners for bank loans, high administrative fees associated with processing credit loans, and information asymmetry along with other socioeconomic factors. In a 4-year study from 2004-2008, it was determined that small businesses suffer tremendously from credit rationing. The purpose of this study was to determine the induced effect of loan guarantee scheme, collateral, and leverage …

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Amnesty As A Public Policy Tool For Countering Insurgence In Nigeria, Ayodeji A. Dada Jan 2017

Amnesty As A Public Policy Tool For Countering Insurgence In Nigeria, Ayodeji A. Dada

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although research has been done on amnesty, little is known about amnesty as a public policy tool toward countering insurgence in Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to examine the role of amnesty as a public policy tool. The research questions are: Is there a difference in people's view of amnesty that explain the relevance of infrastructural facilities to stimulate economic growth and development in Nigeria? And, are there specific citizen characteristics that explain the differences in the way citizens perceive amnesty as a public policy choice? The theoretical framework was based on Marx's ideology of conflict theory. This …

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An Evaluation Of Customer Satisfaction Dimensions In The Ghanaian Banking Industry, Joyce Esther Dadzie Jan 2017

An Evaluation Of Customer Satisfaction Dimensions In The Ghanaian Banking Industry, Joyce Esther Dadzie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The banking industry in Ghana has seen tremendous growth in recent times. This exponential growth has led to high levels of competition and necessitated that all banks devise strategies to improve customer satisfaction to gain competitive advantage. The growing demands of customers have a significant impact on bank management's ability to attract and retain them. The ability to retain customers depends on the strategy in place to exceed customer expectations and satisfaction. Grounded in relationship marketing theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies banking leaders use to increase customer satisfaction. Data were collected through …

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Strategic Leadership In Public Sector Administration In Nigeria, Joy Onyinye Eliogu-Anenih Jan 2017

Strategic Leadership In Public Sector Administration In Nigeria, Joy Onyinye Eliogu-Anenih

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inefficiency in the public sector as a result of leadership ineptitude is said to have contributed significantly to the underdevelopment of Nigeria. This has led to the mismanagement of human and financial resources as well as contributed extensively to poor service delivery to the citizens. The research considered the critical role of public sector administration to the functionality of a society, noting that the major determinant for public sector success is leadership effectiveness. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify how leadership ineffectiveness could be addressed in public sector administration in Nigeria and consider the implications of …

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Conflict, Knowledge, And Collective Bargaining In Public Education, Tre'shawn Hall-Baker Jan 2017

Conflict, Knowledge, And Collective Bargaining In Public Education, Tre'shawn Hall-Baker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Negative conflict in public school districts during collective bargaining impedes efforts towards creativity and student success. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of conflict for participants in collective bargaining in California public school districts. Complexity theory and social construction theory were used as the conceptual framework for the research, and ideas related to conflict, social interactions, knowledge management, and collective bargaining were examined to gain an understanding as they related to the central phenomenon. The specific research questions pondered in this study related to how conflict was experienced in California public schools during collective bargaining, …

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