Business Commons^™

Successful Human Resource Outsourcing Strategies, Michael L. Bullock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human resource outsourcing (HRO) is a strategic choice that managers implement because of a variety of anticipated benefits. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify HRO strategies managers used to reduce operating costs while maintaining human resource (HR) effectiveness. Data were collected from semistructured interviews using open-ended questions and a review of company documents. Study participants represented 3 midwestern firms with 50 or more employees. The participants drawn from the population consisted of a minimum of 2 participants per organization who had increased their organization's strategic value using HRO strategies. The transaction cost economics (TCE) theory was …

Strategies For Identifying And Selecting Performance Measures Of Effectiveness For Nonprofit Organizations, Suzanne Andrea Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing demand for accountability of nonprofit organizations, and nonprofit business leaders are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate operational effectiveness. The problem is that some business leaders of nonprofit organizations lack strategies for identifying and selecting actionable performance measures of operational effectiveness. Using the plan-do-study-act conceptual framework, this single case study of a nonprofit organization located in the mid-Atlantic region of United States was conducted to explore strategies that 3 of its business leaders used to identify and select actionable performance measures of operational effectiveness. Using thematic analysis of data collected from semistructured interviews, documents, and public sources, …

Strategies For Improving Correspondent Banking Cross-Border Remittances, Titilola Olufunke Falaiye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over $25 billion have been levied against banks annually in recent years for infractions and noncompliance with cross-border regulations. Huge costs affect banks' performance, and implementing working strategies that reduce significant costs is valuable. This single case study using systems theory was designed to explore strategies that bank leaders with correspondent banking relationships adapt to reduce costs from penalties and fines in cross-border remittances.Through the process of methodological triangulation, data collected from internal policy and procedural documents supplemented data collected from semistructured interviews. Yin's 5-step qualitative data analysis process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding was applied to collected …

Exploring Strategies Leaders Use To Engage Employees, Eric L. Gholz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to explore strategies that leaders used to engage employees. The conceptual framework for this study was Saks's multidimensional approach to employee engagement. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 5 leaders from an office design company in the midwestern region of the United States who had a minimum of 2 years of experience of engaging employees. Company archival documents related to employee engagement were also collected. Data analysis consisted of compiling the data, coding for emergent and a priori codes, disassembling the data into common codes, reassembling the data into themes, interpreting the …

Strategies For The Effective Management Of Human Resources Outsourcing And Performance, Dee Thi Thuy Boonyeun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human resources (HR) outsourcing has become a norm that organizational leaders leverage as a strategic tool to achieve various business objectives. However, the outsourcing of specific HR functions generates unintended consequences and impacts the performance of internal staff. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by HR managers to mitigate the negative effects outsourcing has on HR staff performance. The conceptual framework underpinning this research was transaction cost theory. Data were collected from 6 HR executives with experience leading HR outsourcing initiatives in the financial services industry in the United States. Primary …

Strategies Church Financial Leaders Use For Financial Sustainability During Economic Crises, Jessie Hyman Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Church financial leaders were affected by the economic crisis after the 2008 recession. In a 2009 group study conducted nationwide with church financial leaders, 57% stated that the economy had a negative effect on their church budgets. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that some church financial leaders used to ensure financial sustainability during economic crises. Resource dependence theory was the conceptual framework. Data were collected from 6 church financial leaders at 4 churches in the northeastern region in the United States; church financial leaders were selected through purposeful sampling to participate in …

An Autoethnographic Examination Of Personal And Organizational Transformation In The U.S. Military, Marjon K. John

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large-scale transformational change, such as the integration and acceptance of gays in the U.S. military, necessitates a long-term effort by management to mitigate unanticipated consequences. Suboptimal implementation may not account for damaging consequences among individuals expected to live the change. The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to examine the individual experiences of a closeted gay personnel member living through a transformational change in identity, which paralleled an organizational change in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The conceptual framework included elements of general systems theory, Kotter's theory of change management, Ostroff's change management for government, and Maslow's self-actualization theory. …

Women's Experiences Of The Glass Ceiling In U.S. Manufacturing And Service-Based Industries, Diane Michele Mastroguiseppe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fewer women occupy executive-level positions in U.S. companies compared to the number of men. Antidiscrimination laws have been in place for 30 years to combat the threat to gender equality. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of executive-level women employed in the manufacturing and service-based industries to explore the persistence of the glass ceiling. Social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 12 executive-level women in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Data analysis involved hand coding and software coding to identify six themes: discrimination, opportunities, support …

Strategies That Small Business Leaders Use To Motivate Millennial Employees, James Alvaro Nilo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millennial workers occupy the majority of employment positions worldwide, which is a concern to business leaders in the United States related to having knowledge and ability to train, motivate, and retain millennial employees. Using Gilbert's behavior engineering model as a conceptual framework, this multiple case study explored the strategies that business leaders used to motivate their millennial employees. The study population included 4 leaders of small restaurant businesses in eastern North Carolina. Data were collected from semistructured, face-to-face interviews using 7 open-ended questions and review of company documents, websites, and social media. Data were coded and analyzed following Morse's method …

Strategies To Mitigate Information Technology Discrepancies In Health Care Organizations, Oluwatosin Tolulope Oluokun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication errors increased 64.4% from 2015 to 2018 in the United States due to the use of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems and the inability to exchange information among health care facilities. Healthcare information exchange (HIE) and subsequent discrepancies resulted in significant medical errors due to the lack of exchangeable health care information using technology software. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies health care business managers used to manage computerized physician order entry systems within health care facilities to reduce medication errors and increase profitability. The population of the study was 8 …

Strategies For Natural Disaster Financial Recovery For Small Business, Gideon Ezekiel Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many owners of small business restaurants lack financial strategies for successful business recovery following a disaster. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the financial strategies 3 owners of small business restaurants used for successful business recovery following a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conceptual framework for this study included theories of reasoned action, planned behavior, and vested interest. Historical evidence of past practices supported semistructured interviews with 3 owners of small restaurant businesses. Yin's 5-step analysis guided transcribing and coding of the participants' responses. The major themes of this …

Strategies For The Successful Management Of Human Resource Planning In It Projects, Michael Pierorazio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) projects are often inadequately resourced with human talent. Researchers found that 70% of all IT projects worldwide fail. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the strategies used for the successful management of the human resource planning of IT projects. Using purposeful sampling, 5 IT project managers and 5 IT directors from organizations located in the northeastern region of United States were selected for this study. The resource-based theory provided the conceptual framework. Data were collected using semistructured interviews conducted face-to-face and by telephone. For this study, data triangulation included project documents to strengthen …

Leadership Strategies For Retaining Mariners Aboard State Maritime Academy Training Ships, Augusta D. Roth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shortage of qualified merchant marines in the United States requires State Maritime Academy (SMA) leaders to develop competitive retention strategies to retain merchant mariners aboard training vessels. The purpose of this single case study was to identify retention strategies that U.S. SMA leaders used to retain mariners aboard training ships. The conceptual framework of this study was Vroom's expectancy theory. The study participants consisted of 5 SMA leaders overseeing the mariners aboard a training vessel. Semistructured interviews and review of SMA documents pertaining to employment strategies provided the study data. The data analysis included collecting and coding data, and …

Relationship Between Software Development Team Structure, Ambiguity, Volatility, And Project Failure, Dominic Martinelli Saxton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Complex environments like the United States Air Force's advanced weapon systems are highly reliant on externally developed software, which is often delivered late, over budget, and with fewer benefits than expected. Grounded in Galbraith's organizational information processing theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between software development team structure, ambiguity, volatility and software project failure. Participants included 23 members of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association in the southeastern United States who completed 4 project management surveys. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated the model as a whole was able to predict software project …

Leadership Strategies To Retain Key Employees, Keith Reginald Stafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retention of key employees protects a firm's investment in its human resources. Employee retention is an issue in the insurance sector, particularly among sales employees. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore leadership strategies used by insurance sales managers to retain key employees. Herzberg's dual factor theory and Adams's equity theory were used to explore insurance sales managers' insights into leadership strategies. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 insurance sales managers in southern California to elicit the strategies they used to maintain their key salespeople. Data were analyzed using the modified Van Kaam method. Seven themes emerged from …

Mortgage Regulations And Compliance Strategies, Cheryl Travis-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, regulators established new rules for single-family mortgage services that tightened the loan amount consumers could qualify for, restricted fees lenders could charge, and placed numerous financial penalties for improper servicing of loans. Regulatory fee restrictions made it difficult for leaders to offset the compliance costs through the price of services provided. Leaders responsible for mortgage regulatory compliance experienced increased operating costs for single-family mortgage services due to the new regulations, and some leaders found it challenging to comply and remain competitive. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies leaders in the single-family mortgage services …

Stress Reduction Strategies For Improving Private Security Officer Performance, Khalil Ibrahim Al-Mulla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impact of occupational stress on employees' health and work performance costs U.S. companies $300 billion annually; work-related stress is an issue for private security organizations all over the world. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies private security organizational leaders used to mitigate private security officers' occupational stress. The study participants were 4 leaders of a private security organization in Bahrain who had a minimum of 5 years of experience in the private security field and had addressed occupational stress successfully. The human capital theory was the conceptual framework used for this study. Data were …

Moderating Effect Of Job Level On Work-To-Family Conflict And Job Attitudes, Shanu Loganathan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has shown the likelihood of work-to-family conflict in employees' struggle to manage work, family, and personal life, however, work-to-family conflict remained unexamined in employees' job attitudes at different job levels. Previous studies highlighted that employees at higher job level experience greater work-to-family conflict than employees at lower job level. The purpose of the study was to examine the moderating effects of job level (supervisory or managerial and nonsupervisory or nonmanagerial) on the relationships between work-to-family conflict and job attitudes (job satisfaction, work engagement, organizational commitment, and turnover intention). In this quantitative study, the theoretical framework included conflict theory …

Strategies To Sustain Small Retail Business More Than 5 Years, Jennifer Potts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business failures have a negative effect on the profitability of entrepreneurs. Many small businesses fail within the first 5 years after establishment. Profitable small businesses contribute to the stability of the local economy; however, when failure occurs the economy suffers. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by small retail business entrepreneurs to maintain profitability more than 5 years after business establishment. Using Cantillon's theory of entrepreneurship, with a focus on Miller's entrepreneurial orientation for the conceptual framework, this study included a purposeful sample of 3 small retail business entrepreneurs located in the Milwaukee, …

Social Entrepreneurial Ventures In Vietnam: An Ideographic Lens, Yolanda Sarason, Kristi Yuthas, Linh Nguyen

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social entrepreneurial ventures are viewed as valuable tools for generating social and economic wealth and alleviating poverty in emerging economies. While there are many success stories of social ventures, there is a growing focus on the challenges in launching and managing social ventures in these economies. Social ventures in Vietnam face cultural obstacles and advantages that differ greatly from those in the US, where much of the research on social entrepreneurial ventures has focused. One key under-researched difference is culture. We use Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory as an orienting framework for understanding cultural differences between the countries. We use this …

Toward A Bidirectional View Of Causality In Big Data Analytics: The Case Of Learning Analytics, Marta Stelmaszak Rosa, Aleksi Aaltonen

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Currently most of the managerial literature on big data analytics assumes a straightforward, unidirectional relationship between data and phenomena they describe. Drawing from critical perspectives on big data, this paper posits that a bidirectional view of causality in big data analytics is needed. Relying on the theory of reactivity by Espeland and Sauder, the authors designed a mixed-methods case study involving both interviewing and a computational analysis of a big data set to lay bare the mechanisms at play behind the intended and unintended consequences in a learning analytics system deployed at a major UK business school. The authors argue …

Balancing Internal Controls With Change Management In The Pacific Military Unit, Miriam Seveses Mefford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Federal government managers were advised to strengthen internal controls; the law dictates attestation of effective management controls, and the internal control program is used to detect risks. However, managers lacked preparatory training, with training being overlooked given the increased responsibilities. Managers are assigned the programmatic role regardless of the lack of program standards in knowledge, skill, and ability. The research questions addressed change management components, concepts, and core qualifications relative to program readiness. The purpose of this single case study was to identify and explore change management components contributing to the effectiveness of internal controls. The conceptual framework was based …

Three Essays On Risk Factor Disclosures, Abiodun Isiaka

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Beginning in 2005, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed changes to the disclosure of risk information in the annual 10-K reports. Based on these changes, large firms in the US are required to disclose risk factors in Item 1A of their 10-K. This study contains three essays that review the current literature on Risk Factor Disclosures (RFDs) and employ empirical methods to test the usefulness of this disclosure.

The first essay reviews the existing literature on RFDs and provides direction for future research. This review discusses the strengths and limitations of current research in the field and suggests …

Three Essays On Contagion Risk In Supply Chain, Alireza Azimian

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Firms often benefit when an unfavourable event befalls a rival, usually through a shift in demand. But sometimes negative events can adversely affect other firms in the industry, a phenomena referred to as contagion. While contagion can harm the supply chain by disrupting supply or demand, or increasing operating costs, it has not yet been studied in the area of supply chain risk management. Aiming to fill this gap, in the first essay I use real cases to conceptualize the process of contagion and apply related theories and literature to theorize the key factors contributing to contagion risk. The …

Projecting Lower Competence To Maintain Moral Warmth In The Avoidance Of Prosocial Requests, Peggy J. Liu, Stephanie C. Lin

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

When faced with prosocial requests, consumers face a difficult decision between taking on the request’s burden or appearing unwarm (unkind, uncaring). We propose that the desire to refuse such requests while protecting a morally warm image leads consumers to under-represent their competence. Although consumers care strongly about being viewed as competent, five studies showed that they downplayed their competence to sidestep a prosocial request. This effect occurred across both self-reported and behavioral displays of competence. Further, the downplaying competence effect only occurred when facing an undesirable prosocial request, not a similarly undesirable proself request. The final studies showed that people …

The Business Of Business Schools, Kai Peters, Howard Thomas, Richard Raymond Smith

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The authors suggest that while much has been written about business schools from historical and critical perspectives not enough has emerged from an additional viewpoint – the lens of the business of business schools.

The Illusion Of Transparency In Performance Appraisals: When And Why Accuracy Motivation Explains Unintentional Feedback Inflation, Michael Schaerer, Mary Kern, Gail Berger, Roderick I. Swaab

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The present research shows that managers communicate negative feedback ineffectively because they suffer from transparency illusions that cause them to overestimate how accurately employees perceive their feedback. We propose that these illusions emerge because managers are insufficiently motivated to engage in effortful thinking, which reduces the accuracy with which they communicate negative feedback to employees. Six studies (N = 1883) using actual performance appraisals within an organization and role plays with MBA students, undergraduates, and online participants show that transparency illusions are stronger when feedback is negative (Studies 1–2), that they are not driven by employee bias (Study 3), and …

New Approaches To Selection System Design In Healthcare: The Practical And Theoretical Relevance Of A Modular Approach, Filip Lievens, Jan Corstjens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This chapter presents a modular approach to healthcare selection system design. Contrary to the traditional holistic view on selection procedures, a modular approach highlights the components underlying selection procedures. Our framework identifies seven key design components of selection procedures (The stimulus format, contextualization, stimulus presentation consistency, the response format, response evaluation consistency, information source, and instructions) and reviews studies in the healthcare selection literature that compared the effect of these components on key selection outcomes. A modular approach allows (1) gaining insights into how the different components underlying selection procedures affect selection outcomes and (2) drawing conceptual similarities between components …

When Corporate Social Responsibility Motivates Employee Citizenship Behavior: The Sensitizing Role Of Task Significance, Madeline Ong, David M. Mayer, P. Tost Leigh, Ned Wellman

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Scholars have proposed that organizations’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are often positively associated with employees’ organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) and have invoked identity-based mechanisms to explain this relationship. Complementing these perspectives, we develop a CSR sensitivity framework that explains how task significance, a micro-level job characteristic, can sensitize employees to their organizations’ macro-level CSR efforts, thereby strengthening the association between CSR and OCB. Across three field studies, we find that CSR and task significance interact to predict OCB, such that an organization’s CSR is more positively associated with OCB among employees who report higher task significance than among those …

The Impact Of Knowledge Worker Mobility Through An Acquisition On Breakthrough Knowledge, Haemin Park, Michael D. Howard, David Gomulya

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Acquisitions enable firms to access new knowledge from target firms, along with the scientists who created the knowledge, to enhance their own knowledge creation outcomes. We explore how the retention of target firm scientists and acquired knowledge characteristics affect new knowledge creation outcomes for the acquiring firms. Using a sample of 111,227 patents following 301 high-tech acquisitions in 1990–2000, we find that acquiring firms that avoid the exodus of target firm scientists increase their likelihood of creating highly impactful knowledge. Moreover, the characteristics of acquired knowledge and organizational context of the acquiring firms moderate this relationship. The positive effect of …