Business Commons^™

Crowdsourcing Strategizing: A View From The Top, Priscilla L. Eddings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Crowdsourcing strategizing is the application of crowdsourcing for organizational strategy development. While crowdsourcing is experiencing popularity in application and discussion, the concept is not new. However, literature on the value of crowdsourcing strategizing is not widespread in academic or business works. This qualitative case study explored crowdsourcing strategizing in Richmond, Virginia metro area nonprofits. The study was conducted to explore the lack of understanding on the value of crowdsourcing strategizing, with a focus on leaderships perspective of value. The results showed that nonprofit leaders found value in the crowdsourced data gathered through crowdsourcing strategizing.

Improving Strategic Management Planning In Non-Profit Organizations: Federally Qualified Health Centers, Esther Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative multiple case study included the challenges non-profits, specifically Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) leaders face when utilizing ineffective methods for strategic planning and management. The researcher conducted 21 semistructured interviews with critical decision makers involving executive, senior, and middle managers at three health centers in Texas to obtain a better understanding of their perspective on strategic planning and management. The results of the findings revealed that FQHC leaders face many barriers that limit their success or expansion of the mission, organizational growth, financial stability, and strategic alliances. However, the results demonstrated that leaders from non-profits, particularly FQHCs can …

The Impact Of Strategic Planning In Small Business: Empirical Evidence From East Tennessee, Sara Howe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study explored the impact of strategic planning in small businesses within the service industry, specifically in East Tennessee. The focus was to gauge the level of importance small businesses placed on strategic planning, if any. The general problem to be addressed was the level of importance small businesses place on strategic planning that could affect organizational problems such as high turnover, low job satisfaction, poor engagement and performance, financial uncertainty, customer dissatisfaction, tarnished company reputation, and company closure. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to enhance the body of knowledge through magnifying the explanations behind …

The Organizational Leadership Framework, John Robert Sparks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The field of leadership has evolved quite drastically over the years. Douglas McGregor showed us the evolution from a Theory X style belief that employees are unmotivated and dislike their work to his Theory Y style belief that employees are motivated and receive a sense of enjoyment from their work. Abraham Maslow expanded on this work with his Theory Z belief that optimal employee performance would prevail with the proper leadership approach. For years now, leadership has focused on various approaches or styles that produce the best performance resulting from the relationship between the leader and their follower. Organizations, research, …

The Importance Of Strategic Communication For Building Employee Resource Groups In Aviation, Lynnette Darnell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this qualitative case study, the research explores the importance of strategic communication for building employee resource groups in aviation, specifically at a regional airline. To expand and develop knowledge regarding employee resource groups, the researcher looks at a widely distributed workforce to understand how the lack of strategically planned communication can impact employee resource group development and employee engagement. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a focus group of the employee resource group members, which provided insight on their experience engaging with the employee resource groups, preferred communication methods and tools, and their perception of leadership involvement. …

Project Management And Strategy Alignment In Academia, Kelly Atkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed the understanding of project and strategy alignment in higher education institutions. Literature revealed many projects fail because projects are not aligned to strategy. There is an abundance of project management literature in many industries; however, literature on project management in academia is deficient. This qualitative case study sought to close the gap of understanding project management and strategy alignment in academia. The researcher conducted a review of literature and interviews in order to gain insight in the understanding of project and strategy alignment in two higher education institutions. Three themes were developed based on these interviews: alignment, …

Examining Emergent Systems Management Strategies In Overseas Operations, Kristofer Hawbaker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stadler, Mayer, and Hautz (2015) believed that most global companies did not possess the right management capabilities to make overseas movement profitable. Businesses must manage a bevy of internal and external organizational and process interdependencies to achieve success globally (Dynes, 2008), and these organizational processes have become increasingly more complex and adaptive (Anderson, 1999; McKelvey, 2001; Stacey, 1992; Wheatley, 1999). Today’s business leaders still develop reductionist solutions to solve complex problems despite this type of thinking's practical limitations (Menkes, 2011). Comstock (2016) foresaw emergent management as a necessity in the current era, which requires organizations to unify around information flows …

Employee Perceptions Of Succession Planning Within Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Matthew Swanson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Higher education institutions provide programs and services in support of personal, professional, and community development. The positive impact of higher education is threatened by the imminent departures of experienced employees responsible for implementing institutional programs and services. Research suggests succession planning assists organizations in responding to the potential departures of experienced employees while successfully serving stakeholders, yet a majority of higher education institutions do not possess adequate succession planning programs. Employee perceptions are essential to developing and evaluating programs, however, there is currently a lack of available insight into employee perceptions pertaining to succession planning within the field of higher …

Disrupt, Deny, Dismantle: A Special Operations Forces (Sof) Model For Combatting New Terrorism, Will Gunzelman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Terrorism in the new millennium has morphed drastically since the 1970s. The terrorist organizations of today are a hybrid between the insurgent group models of the 1960s and modern terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda. This hybrid model has created what has become a transnational insurgency recruited, trained, and led by major terrorist networks such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Even smaller regional groups such as Boko Haram have surpassed merely conducting terrorist attacks. These smaller groups are also focused on controlling territory. Tan (2008) refers to this change as “New Terrorism”. To combat New …

The Balanced Scorecard: The Key To Effective Strategic Management, Josiah D. Grimm

Senior Honors Theses

The intent of this paper is to define the importance of the balanced scorecard in the strategic management process. The need for the balanced scorecard will be established by explaining the roles of demand shifters, traditional management accounting, Senge’s concept of a learning organization, and the strategic management process. This will involve detailing the stages of the strategic management process and connecting them to the various aspects of creating a balanced scorecard. Ultimately, the goal of the balanced scorecard is to translate the overarching strategy into specific actions that can be implemented throughout the organization. Lastly, other strategic applications of …

Building A Successful Publishing Company, Joshua M. Buechner

Senior Honors Theses

Abstract

In the present book publishing industry, it is becoming increasingly difficult for traditional book publishing companies to compete and adapt due to the changing structure of the industry. By examining the history and industry of book publishing and lessons from Disney, TOMS Shoes, and the film industry, a feasible business strategy will be formulated for a book publishing company. Trends such as the rise in self-publishers and the balance between print books and eBooks are dramatically changing the industry environment, shifting the power towards authors more than ever before. Where once the only way to publish was through a …

Marketing Strategy And Alliances Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation, Rebecca Lingley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Starbucks Corporation significantly utilizes alliances to expand market reach, improve product image, and develop greater company profitability. Starbucks, due to their market position and attributes, applies a Differentiation Focus strategy as defined by Porter’s Generic Market Theory. A review of Starbucks Corporation’s marketing strategies and alliance strategies proves that the company is being highly successful within this market scope.