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2022

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Full-Text Articles in Business

Exploring Reusable Takeout Packaging As An Alternative To Disposable Plastics In Maine's Restaurant Industry, Jared Wildwistle Dec 2022

Exploring Reusable Takeout Packaging As An Alternative To Disposable Plastics In Maine's Restaurant Industry, Jared Wildwistle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the emergence of plastic over 100 years ago, businesses have increasingly relied on them to protect products. While convenient, the proliferation of plastic packaging is a major contributor to pollutants in the soil, oceans, and bodies of humans and animals alike. Goals in states like Maine seek to reduce the amount of waste and alleviate these issues. However, the deeply embedded popularity of disposable packaging and lack of reliable waste processing capabilities has caused Maine to fall short of its goals. While solutions need to focus on reducing the amount of packaging entering the economy, most businesses rely on …


Deliberately Developmental Leadership In Organizational Settings, Glenn Allen Nixon Dec 2022

Deliberately Developmental Leadership In Organizational Settings, Glenn Allen Nixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate leadership development strategies in organizations in North Texas needed to create prepared, competent leaders who can become and help create deliberately developmental leaders. Open-ended and semistructured interviews were used to collect data, with questions centered on effective leadership development strategies for creating competent leaders and effective leadership strategies for creating deliberately developmental leaders. The idea was to understand if organization’s leadership focused on the need for leadership development, if organizational members were being identified for leadership, and if systems exist to address future organizational leadership needs. Three types of organizations were …


How An Abusive Supervision Climate Impacts Business-To-Business (B2b) Sales Performance, And The Roles Of Leader–Members Interdependence And Team Psychological Safety, Matthew J. Daniel Nov 2022

How An Abusive Supervision Climate Impacts Business-To-Business (B2b) Sales Performance, And The Roles Of Leader–Members Interdependence And Team Psychological Safety, Matthew J. Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sales supervisors can tremendously influence the sales teams they manage, and their behaviors can influence a team’s engagement and sales performance. Because of the supervisor’s influential role, their behavior, positive or negative, can ripple throughout the organization. As a result, a supervisor who role models abusive behavior within their organization also promotes a climate of abuse and incivility that can contribute to a toxic workplace. Abusive supervision (AS) is a significant problem in many business-to-business (B2B) sales organizations that negatively impacts the financial welfare and subjective well-being of organizations and their employees. This quantitative correlational study aimed to examine how …


The Correlation Between Transformational Leadership And Mental Health Clinician Burnout, Rebekah E. Shutter Nov 2022

The Correlation Between Transformational Leadership And Mental Health Clinician Burnout, Rebekah E. Shutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health clinicians working in a hospital setting are at a high risk of experiencing burnout due to the stressful demands of their caseloads, compassion fatigue, limited resources, and unsupportive leadership. While there is ample research regarding the cause and effect of burnout on clinicians there is a gap in the literature when it comes to the impact leadership has on mental heath clinician burnout. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to determine if and to what extent there is a correlation between Transformational Leadership and mental health clinician burnout. Participants for this study consisted of 200 mental …


Quantifying Spatial Heterogeneity Of Wild Blueberries And Crop Water Stress Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Technologies, Kallol Barai Aug 2022

Quantifying Spatial Heterogeneity Of Wild Blueberries And Crop Water Stress Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Technologies, Kallol Barai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The wild blueberry is one of the major crops of Maine, with significant economic value and potential health benefits. Due to global climate change, drought impacts have been increasing significantly in recent years in the northeast region of the USA, causing significant economic losses in the agricultural sectors. It has been predicted to increase further in the future. Changing patterns of the elevated atmospheric temperatures, increased rainfall variabilities, and more frequent drought events have made the wild blueberry industry of Maine vulnerable, suggesting the adoption of novel approaches to mitigate the negative impacts of global climate changes. Also, wild blueberry …


Female Motivation In Engineering, Manufacturing, And Stem-Related Trades, Leaann Nichole Manz, Leaann Nichole Manz-Young, Leaann Nichole Young Aug 2022

Female Motivation In Engineering, Manufacturing, And Stem-Related Trades, Leaann Nichole Manz, Leaann Nichole Manz-Young, Leaann Nichole Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, female representation in engineering and manufacturing trades has been underrepresented compared to their male counterparts. Given this trend, the scope of this paper is to analyze the motivational factors among females who are currently working in Engineering and Manufacturing related trades in the surrounding lower East Appalachian area. Literature research will support an analysis of the following focus: Females in Engineering and Manufacturing Trades. The study focuses on analyzing questionaries from thirty-two females based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory and its three components: “outcome expectations, career interest, and career self-efficacy”. The major findings of this study …


The Person Behind The Team: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Role Of The Sport Supervisor In Ncaa Division I Intercollegiate Athletics., Ehren R. Green Aug 2022

The Person Behind The Team: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Role Of The Sport Supervisor In Ncaa Division I Intercollegiate Athletics., Ehren R. Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As organizational connectors, athletic administrators who serve as sport supervisors, are integral to the success of intercollegiate athletic departments. However, little is known about the role of sport supervisor or the relationship between sport supervisors and head coaches. Thus, this study seeks to define and better understand the role of the sport supervisor in intercollegiate athletics and explore the relationship between the sport supervisor and the head coach. Through a descriptive phenomenological approach, 22 participants (11 sport supervisors and 11 head coaches) from NCAA Division I institutions were interviewed. Role theory guided the defining of the role while leader-member exchange …


The Influence Of Sponsorship Engagement On Brand Loyalty: An Analysis Of The On-Site And Social Media Activational Communications., Achyut Kulkarni Aug 2022

The Influence Of Sponsorship Engagement On Brand Loyalty: An Analysis Of The On-Site And Social Media Activational Communications., Achyut Kulkarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of sponsorship engagement (enacted via sponsorship activations) on consumers’ responses to sponsors’ activational communications. Specifically, this study aimed at examining if interaction and engagement with their team’s sponsors’ activational communication on-site, as well as on social media, influenced loyalty towards the sponsors. The study utilized service-dominant (S-D) logic as the theoretical framework. The S-D logic perspective recognizes that consumer behavior is centered on the interactive experiences between a consumer and an object, in this case the sponsor, and that a level of consumer interest and/or personal relevance with respect to …


Call Center Retention: A Correlational Study Of Work Attitudes And Satisfaction Of Training And Development For Customer Service Agents, Jacquelyn Holmes Birocci Aug 2022

Call Center Retention: A Correlational Study Of Work Attitudes And Satisfaction Of Training And Development For Customer Service Agents, Jacquelyn Holmes Birocci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study was the theoretical model of work attitudes that customer service representatives have about their jobs, the level of satisfaction they have with training and development, and the relationship of work attitudes and satisfaction with employee retention within U.S.-based software as a service inbound call centers. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research was to investigate if and to what extent work attitudes and satisfaction of training and development had a relationship with employee retention within U.S.-based inbound call centers. A quantitative methodology was used to explore if work attitudes and satisfaction of training and development …


For-Profit Business Leaders’ Perceptions Of Technology And Conflict Resolution In The Workplace, Sherry Hamilton Latten Jul 2022

For-Profit Business Leaders’ Perceptions Of Technology And Conflict Resolution In The Workplace, Sherry Hamilton Latten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored for-profit business leaders’ experiences with technology and conflict resolution. With the rise of technology in communications in the workplace and the risk of miscommunications leading to negative impacts on organizational and individual performance, understanding leader experiences is vital to organizational success. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand for-profit business leaders’ (1) perceptions of technology and conflict resolution in the virtual workplace and (2) perceptions of their leadership styles and the impact on conflict resolution in the virtual workplace. Prior literature regarding the impact of technology on communications revealed mixed results with some studies …


Abusive Supervision Within The Military Ranks: A Qualitative Examination Of Positive Emotion-Focused Coping Strategies, Demetrius Mcdew Jul 2022

Abusive Supervision Within The Military Ranks: A Qualitative Examination Of Positive Emotion-Focused Coping Strategies, Demetrius Mcdew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher examined abusive supervision coping by military members. Based on social exchange theory and the power and influence theory, the researcher investigated whether veterans perceived emotional coping (avoidance, support seeking, and reframing) as strategies that mitigated stress caused by abusive supervision while they were serving in their respective military departments. Past studies have not accounted for junior officers or enlisted members; therefore, the researcher studied this lower ranking tier of personnel and discovered that the hierarchy of the military system affected their reporting of and receiving assistance in dealing with abusive supervision. Therefore, affected service members …


Mission Drift And The Effectiveness Of Resource Dependence Theory In An Internally Resource-Constrained Environment., Kirsten Bullock May 2022

Mission Drift And The Effectiveness Of Resource Dependence Theory In An Internally Resource-Constrained Environment., Kirsten Bullock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why are some organizations able to maintain focus on their mission while others founder? This theoretical and empirical dissertation examines the relationships among funding sources, management practices, and organizational stigma within an internally resource-constrained environment. Using Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) as a basis to manage external resource dependencies, I build a theoretical model and empirically test a research model to understand how funding source affects mission drift, how management practices might help organizations manage that drift, and what effect organizational stigma might have on those relationships within an environment of internal resource constraints. Specifically, this study hypothesizes that nonprofits that …


The Role Of Organizational Culture And Relationship Marketing In Disability Sport Sponsorship: An Exemplar Case Study., Nina Siegfried May 2022

The Role Of Organizational Culture And Relationship Marketing In Disability Sport Sponsorship: An Exemplar Case Study., Nina Siegfried

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Worldwide, disability sport faces funding challenges. Sponsorship offers a viable alternative to combat the lack of sustainable funding in disability sport. Exploring how organizational culture can be leveraged to increase strategic partnerships, the purposes of this multiple manuscript dissertation were to (a) examine the elements of the organizational culture that make a successful international wheelchair basketball sport club attractive to external partners and (b) determine what role those organizational cultural elements play in leveraging relationship marketing (RM) for sponsorship acquisition and retention. Utilizing an exemplar case study methodology, the focus of this study was the RSV Lahn-Dill, an international wheelchair …


Finding The Silver Lining: The Role Of Affect And Adversity In Entrepreneurial Venturing., Lauren A. Zettel May 2022

Finding The Silver Lining: The Role Of Affect And Adversity In Entrepreneurial Venturing., Lauren A. Zettel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivated goal pursuit is a foundational concept in entrepreneurial venturing. Entrepreneurs set goals for their ventures, and their persistence in pursuing these goals ultimately impacts the success of their venture. Many of the explanations of motivation in goal pursuit have focused on the benefits of steady progress and positive emotions. However, entrepreneurs inevitably face adversity and setbacks which, in turn, beget negative emotions. It is yet unclear what role adversity and the ensuing negative emotions may have in motivating entrepreneurs. In order to extend our theoretical understanding of affect and adversity in entrepreneurial venturing, this dissertation draws on the existing …


Strength Of Weak Ties Theory And College-University Marketing: A Case Study Of Etsu's Clemmer College, Sarah Nobles May 2022

Strength Of Weak Ties Theory And College-University Marketing: A Case Study Of Etsu's Clemmer College, Sarah Nobles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As scholarly institutions enter a new era of hyper-competition, seeking innovative ways to engage with student populations has become central to social media marketing efforts. Developing strategies and tactics to interact with existing student populations presents new challenges for marketing departments, as well as the stakeholders who are often asked to provide user-generated content. Strong ties among stakeholder relationships can enhance communication with effective outcomes; however, it is the weak ties that may have the most impact. This study draws on existing literature regarding Strength of Weak Ties Theory and faculty and student surveys in East Tennessee State University’s Clemmer …


Millennial Employees In Contact Centers: Leadership Style Preferences Contribution To Job Satisfaction, Dana C. Martin Jr. Apr 2022

Millennial Employees In Contact Centers: Leadership Style Preferences Contribution To Job Satisfaction, Dana C. Martin Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millennials account for the largest generational cohort in the workforce. Their propensity for turnover is costly to organizations, not just monetary impact, but skill development and sustainability as well. This study attempted to understand if leadership and the preferred leadership style of Millennial employees contribute to job satisfaction. This mixed-methods sequential explanatory study examined how leadership and the preferred leadership style of Millennial employees, from the perspectives of Millennial employees and those who manage them, contribute to job satisfaction. The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) was used as the survey tool for the qualitative study (see Appendix A). A questionnaire was …


The Understanding Of Risk Culture Among Risk Management Practitioners, William L. Raab Apr 2022

The Understanding Of Risk Culture Among Risk Management Practitioners, William L. Raab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of risk culture is a recent phenomenon focusing on its impact on risk management programs after organizations continue to experience adverse events when implementing risk management programs. This interpretive phenomenological analysis aims to understand whether risk managers understand the impact of risk culture on their risk management programs through their lived experience. Semi-structured interviews of ten risk managers with at least ten years of experience in the risk management profession provided a rich context to support the findings of this study. Risk managers can identify aspects of risk culture, but they struggle to identify ways to change the …


The Impact Of Disruptive Physician Behavior On Support Staff And Patients: A Quantitative Secondary Analysis, Michael C. Marino Mar 2022

The Impact Of Disruptive Physician Behavior On Support Staff And Patients: A Quantitative Secondary Analysis, Michael C. Marino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative secondary analysis, the purpose was to examine the nature of disruptive physician behavior (DPB) from the support staff and patient perspectives. Healthcare staffing shortages existed prior to the global pandemic and have increased, creating importance for employee retention and recruitment. I wanted to understand the impact of physician behavior on staff turnover rates in a private oncology practice, its effect on patient satisfaction rates, and to compare these rates of physicians that display DPB with physicians that do not display this behavior in a private hematology oncology community outpatient setting in the Southwest United States. To answer …


Working Here, There, And Everyware: The Impact Of Virtual Work On Employee Belonging, Martha Davis Jan 2022

Working Here, There, And Everyware: The Impact Of Virtual Work On Employee Belonging, Martha Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globalization, improvements in information and communications technologies, and the COVID-19 outbreak have increased the prevalence of virtual work arrangements. This change in the workforce presents both opportunities and challenges to employees and their organizations, transforming how organizations operate and how workers interact with each other. This shift to more virtual work has a high likelihood of impacting other fundamental human motivations, such as the need to belong, which has significant implications for an employee’s well-being and the broader organization’s health. This study asks the question: How do collaborative technologies impact virtual employee belonging? The study proposes a conceptual framework of …


A Labor Of Love: Extensive Exploitation Of Contract Music Workers, Malia Odekirk Jan 2022

A Labor Of Love: Extensive Exploitation Of Contract Music Workers, Malia Odekirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Workers across the United States are reckoning with unfair labor conditions by unionizing and speaking out. Systemic undervaluing of many workers has created a climate of fear, hidden agendas, and pervasive labor misconduct. The pageantry/marching arts are no exception. As a cultural insider, I conducted interviews, had many informal conversations, and ran a large survey that uncovered how the marching arts exploit instructors extensively despite their experience, education, and efforts. A systematic proclivity toward late payments, abused contracts, egregiously low compensation, and free labor begs the question: how can programs continually mistreat instructors this way? I explore this question through …


Where Virtual Well-Being Becomes Reality, Colleen M. Reilly Jan 2022

Where Virtual Well-Being Becomes Reality, Colleen M. Reilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, specifically quarantine and social distancing protocols, have exposed a troubling paradox: mandated isolation meant to save lives has inadvertently contributed to a decline in America’s well-being. Prolonged isolation due to more remote work and decentralized workplaces has been associated with widespread loneliness and diminished physical and mental health, with effects compounded by limited face-to-face access to social support systems. While remote communication technologies (e.g., video chat) can connect individuals with colleagues and social networks, remote technologies might have limited effectiveness in business and social contexts. This study uses Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory …


Could Alexa Increase Your Social Worth?, Peter Tripp Jan 2022

Could Alexa Increase Your Social Worth?, Peter Tripp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People have historically used personal introductions to build social capital, which is the foundation of career networking and is perhaps the most effective way to advance a career (Lin, 2001). With societal changes, such as the pandemic (Venkatesh & Edirappuli, 2020), and the increasing capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI), new approaches may emerge that impact societal relationships. Social capital theory highlights the need for reciprocal agreements to establish the trust between parties (Gouldner, 1960). My theoretical prediction and focus of this research include two principles: The impact of reciprocity in evaluating trust of the source of the introduction and the …


Newcomer Adjustment And Affective Commitment: A Two-Wave Moderated Mediation Model, Shay Norris Jan 2022

Newcomer Adjustment And Affective Commitment: A Two-Wave Moderated Mediation Model, Shay Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As job and career changes continue to increase in the post-pandemic work environment, new employees are not staying in their roles long enough to identify with their organization, causing high turnover in the first few months of employment. To address these problems, there is increasing evidence that providing resources and support during the socialization process will increase employee commitment, retention, and organizational performance. I propose that an integrated theoretical framework combining Socialization Resources Theory (SRT) and Job Demands-Resources Theory (JD-R) is best suited to explain the relationship between newcomer adjustment and affective commitment. A moderated-mediation model is developed and tested …


Policymaker Discourse In Colorado Public Higher Education Appropriations, Nathan Willers Jan 2022

Policymaker Discourse In Colorado Public Higher Education Appropriations, Nathan Willers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State funding for higher education is one of the most pressing issues facing both institutions and policymakers in 2022. Colorado has seen significant declines in the amount of state funding per student over the past two decades, resulting in increases in student burdens for tuition. Policy discourse analysis through a poststructural and neoliberal lens provided insight towards the legislative process and the discursive themes utilized by Colorado policymakers during the 2021-22 legislative budgeting cycle. Twelve artifacts were analyzed, including a mix of policy briefs, hearings, and budget and appropriations reports, for discursive data related to the state’s appropriations for public …


Ceo Types And Firm Efficiency, Lok Chi Lam Jan 2022

Ceo Types And Firm Efficiency, Lok Chi Lam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the connection between CEO types and firm efficiency. I utilize the general ability index (GAI) as a proxy to examine and separate CEO types: generalist CEOs and specialist CEOs. Initially, I applied the pooled ordinary least square (OLS) and fixed effect regression on 26,830 firm-year observations to explore the GAI effect on firm efficiency. The finding shows that GAI has a negative impact on firm efficiency. It indicates that CEOs with lower GAI are better at improving firm efficiency; for instance, specialist CEOs are preferable to generalist CEOs. Further analysis of CEO types using the quadrant method …


The Ethicality And Political Skill Of Leaders And Subordinate Job Satisfaction: A Study Of Accounting Faculty, Donald L. Ariail Jan 2022

The Ethicality And Political Skill Of Leaders And Subordinate Job Satisfaction: A Study Of Accounting Faculty, Donald L. Ariail

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using a sample of 539 accounting faculty teaching in the United States, this study explored perceptions of the ethicality and political skill of their direct supervisors and self-reported levels of job satisfaction. Ethicality was measured with the Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS) and the Behavioral Integrity (BI) Scale. These measures, which were highly correlated, were proxy measures for accounting faculty perceptions of the tone-at-the-top (TATT)—the ethical leadership under which faculty teach and research. The results indicated that while the majority of accounting faculty perceived their direct supervisor as being ethical, about a third (28% BI, 34.8% ELS) of them did not …


Cloud-Based Machine Learning And Sentiment Analysis, Emmanuel C. Opara Jan 2022

Cloud-Based Machine Learning And Sentiment Analysis, Emmanuel C. Opara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of a Data Scientist is becoming increasingly ubiquitous as companies and institutions see the need to gain additional insights and information from data to make better decisions to improve the quality-of-service delivery to customers. This thesis document contains three aspects of data science projects aimed at improving tools and techniques used in analyzing and evaluating data. The first research study involved the use of a standard cybersecurity dataset and cloud-based auto-machine learning algorithms were applied to detect vulnerabilities in the network traffic data. The performance of the algorithms was measured and compared using standard evaluation metrics. The second …