Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Balancing The Navigational Safety, Efficiency & Financial Aspects Of Oreis, Raza Ali Mehdi

MARENER 2017

The increasing number and sizes of offshore renewable energy installations (OREIs), combined with the ambitious plans for future developments in the sector, portray a bleak outlook for ‘traditional’ maritime and marine players: if the current plans for OREIs are realized, sea-space will become increasingly restricted for activities such as shipping.

Sustained growth of both OREIs and shipping may thus lead to situations where certain risk control options (RCOs) need to be adapted in order to maintain safety – despite the fact that such measures themselves may be counter-productive in terms of energy efficiency or financial sustainability. This leads to the …

Developing Innovation Capability In A Mass Production Organization, Mark Douglas Dolsen

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

DEVELOPING INNOVATION CAPABILITY IN A MASS PRODUCTION ORGANIZATION

by

MARK DOLSEN

May 2017

Advisor: Dr. Ratna Babu Chinnam

Major: Industrial Engineering

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Auto parts manufacturing is a key element of the North American automotive supply chain, and a significant component of the economy of Ontario, Canada. Employment in this sector declined 40% from 2003 to 2010 as the industry experienced a recession, and many firms relocated to lower wage jurisdictions as the Canadian currency strengthened against the US dollar. Experts contend that the solution for the industry lies in innovation; however, recommendations found in the current …

Assimilation Of Tracking Technology In The Supply Chain, Rahul Basole, Maciek Nowak

Information Systems and Operations Management: Faculty Publications & Other Works

While tracking technology has become increasingly accessible, firms still struggle with deploying these technologies into the supply chain. Using the complementary perspectives of transaction cost and institutional theory, we develop an understanding of how supply network, product, and environmental characteristics jointly impact tracking technology assimilation. We empirically test our model on a global dataset of 535 supply chain executives and decision makers. The results suggest that assimilation is frequently initiated by an external stakeholder in a firm's supply chain and that firms must develop strong collaborative ties with their partners in order to take full advantage of this technology.

Computer Science Technology Education: An Incredible Explosion, Iwasan D. Kejawa

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

This paper explore what computers are, their usages and their functionalities. Computers can be used to learn or comprehend the understanding of all subjects, be it physics aerobics, swimming, biology, mathematics, agriculture, chemistry, business administration or commerce, just to name a few. In education, computers are used to project information to individuals in the classrooms or anywhere education is taking place, in churches, homes, schools, conference halls and so on. It is also used to convey the logic of a subject or behind a topic. Computers play an important role in educating our mind. With the usage of computers, we …

The Impact Of Requirements Management Documentation On Software Project Outcomes In Health Care, Sujatha Alla, Pilar Pazos, Rolando Delaguila

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Despite considerable time and resources spent on the initiation phase of software projects, discrepancies often exist between formal project documentation, customer requirements, and final project specifications. Such discrepancies in the requirements management process can have a very negative impact on final project outcomes. The Business Requirements Document (BRD) constitutes the formal software requirements documentation, which typically includes stakeholders’ needs and expectations and project scope while providing a clear project roadmap and project plan. According to IEEE standards, a BRD should be a structured document that includes specific elements such as functional and technical requirements while incorporating certain traits such as …

The Technology Development And Commercialization Of 'Smart' Scientific Instrumentations, Tony Hoang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The technology development of two centrifuge-based instruments gave rise to an Internet-of-Things (IOT) biotech startup. The first instrument: the centrifuge force microscope (CFM) was recently introduced as a platform for massively parallel single-molecule manipulation and analysis. Here we developed a low-cost and self-contained CFM module that works directly within a commercial centrifuge, greatly improving accessibility and ease of use. Our instrument incorporates research grade video microscopy, a power source, a computer, and wireless transmission capability to simultaneously monitor many individually tethered microspheres. Building off of the first project, the second instrument we introduced was the “smart” centrifuge-test tube holder. The …

An Investigation Of Service Quality Within Irish Franchised Motor Dealerships, Clive Atkinson

Theses

This study investigates service quality within franchised motor dealerships from the perspective of thirty-eight persons working in the roles of Dealer Principal, After-Sales Manager or Service Manager in dealerships operating under the Volkswagen group of brands in Ireland (VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda). With approximately 2.3 million cars on Irish roads, more than two thirds of the Irish adult population encounter car service experiences on a regular basis. Regardless of brand or dealership type, the quality of vehicle service experience is paramount for customer retention. Despite this, however, service quality within Irish motor dealerships remains an under-explored area. Qualitative analysis …

Myomlab As An Enabling E-Learning Technology: Bridging The Gap Between Student- And Instructor-Centered Learning, Mahesh Gupta 8524783

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Technology is continually allowing educators to combine didactic and democratic approaches to facilitate learning and producing successful managers. This paper discusses how one such technology, myOMlab—integrated within a learning management system, Blackboard—can deliver core operations management course, catered primarily to working students i.e., interns and future managers. To confront the bias against online education and engage in serious research on online education, we share our experiences of teaching one semester-long online course. Although robust research evidence is yet to be gathered to convince educators about its benefits, we propose a set of successful myOMlab activities (including manual and Excel-based Dice …

Experiences Of Public Agency Managers When Making Outsourcing Decisions, Shakeel Baig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers in state transportation agencies in the United States must frequently choose between using the talents and abilities of in-house staff or outsourcing for road and bridge design projects. Budgetary crises have strongly affected funding for transportation infrastructure. Facing budgetary pressures to suppress costs, managers must frequently make the choice of outsourcing a project or performing it in-house. Yet, decision-making models for these decisions are inadequate. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of public agency managers when making decisions to outsource the core government functions such as road and bridge design projects. …

Scheduling Strategies For Construction Project Managers Toward On Time Delivery, Paul Shamp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Construction management projects involve complex, dynamic environments resulting in uncertainty and risk, compounded by demanding time constraints. Research indicated project managers have struggled to identify best practices for scheduling construction projects via critical path methodologies while searching for tools to increase timely job completions and budget profits. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that construction project managers used to manage scheduled construction project delivery on time. The constructivist philosophical worldview was used as the framework for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews from 7 project managers from 5 different construction companies selected …

Asset Management Support Tools To Assist Agencies In The Development Of Guardrail Preservation Programs, Sandra N. Gutierrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this Thesis is to develop a Guardrail Asset Management Framework and a Condition-Based Model to assist agencies in the development of guardrail preservation programs. Both of the guardrail asset management tools can be incorporated into an existing asset management program to assist agencies in utilizing guardrail inventory to forecast key asset management parameters such as the guardrail condition, funds necessary for maintenance and repair, backlogged funding, guardrail system value, and the guardrail sustainability ratio. Each of these parameters is described and determined for a case study involving six scenarios modeling funding and maintenance constraints that can arise …

Recruitment Strategies For Manufacturers In Northwest Louisiana, Markey W. Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Acquiring information about successful human resources strategies that help to effectively recruit skilled labor is critical for manufacturers. Manufacturing is the backbone of the United States, yet 6 of 10 skilled labor jobs are unfilled because traditional methods and strategies used by human resource leaders to recruit are inadequate. Guided through the lens of strategic human resource management and using the concepts and views of resource-based theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that manufacturing human resource professionals use to successfully recruit skilled labor in Northwest Louisiana. The data collection for this case study was …

Strategies For Improving Labor Productivity In Construction Companies, Lakew G. Buli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with advanced technology and new project management methodologies, construction company leaders continue to face challenges to improve labor productivity. This multiple case study was an exploration of the strategies that construction company leaders use to improve labor productivity in Doha, Qatar. The case population consisted of 6 construction company leaders operating in Doha, Qatar, who successfully identified and implemented strategies to improve labor productivity. The conceptual framework for this study was the expectancy theory. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and company documentation. Data were compiled and organized, disassembled into fragments, reassembled into a sequence of groups, and …

Project Managers' Strategies For Megaproject Success, Nkenamchi Benedict Oputa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Africa, most oil and gas megaprojects exceed their original budget and time deadlines despite advancement in project management processes and systems. This study explored strategies project managers used for megaprojects' success in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, from the perspectives of the owner and contractor organizations. Multiple case study design was utilized to collect data by asking open-ended questions in separate interviews with 4 project managers. Archival project data was also reviewed to eliminate information incongruences. The conceptual framework for the study is the contingency theory that there is no universal management structure for every project. The …

The Andacollo's Mining Community: Ethnographic Work-Based Approach To Corporate Social Responsibility Policies And Practices, Ubirata De Oliveira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This ethnographic study was designed to explore the phenomenon of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining industry. The research addressed the impacts of a problematic, systemic, and ethnocentric (top-down) CSR approach driven by a transnational mining company, and proposed a novel cultural relativist (bottom-up) CSR approach looking at the social needs of the community. Solving the problem stemming from the ethnocentric approach is important for both the mining company and the community affected by the CSR program, as it will alter dynamics between actors and mitigate social conflicts. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that improve …

The Visual And Performing Arts In The Technical Communication Classroom: Reinforcing The University's Internal Community Literacy Via Service-Learning, Richard L. Ward

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This report details a class taught that was an exploration into the value of STEAM or science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics within the confines of Technical Communication as it applies to the business and industry of theatre. It was an experiment in service learning as it could be tied into the Arts via differing technai, as described by John Wild in “Plato’s Theory of Texnh a Phenomenological Interpretation,” demonstrating a necessity for Arts as they pertain to STEM-centric universities. This report discusses a section of Technical and Professional Communication taught at Michigan technological University that consisted of twenty-five students …

A Traders Guide To The Predictive Universe- A Model For Predicting Oil Price Targets And Trading On Them, Jimmie Harold Lenz

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

At heart every trader loves volatility; this is where return on investment comes from, this is what drives the proverbial “positive alpha.” As a trader, understanding the probabilities related to the volatility of prices is key, however if you could also predict future prices with reliability the world would be your oyster. To this end, I have achieved three goals with this dissertation, to develop a model to predict future short term prices (direction and magnitude), to effectively test this by generating consistent profits utilizing a trading model developed for this purpose, and to write a paper that anyone with …

Levitating Libraries To The Clouds: A Strategy For Academic Libraries, Mark Dehmlow

Charleston Library Conference

The University of Notre Dame’s Office of Information Technology is in the process of implementing a “Cloud First” strategy through which it intends to move 80% of its core technical infrastructure into the cloud by the end of 2017. The strategy advocates a tiered prioritization structure that recommends the hosting (SaaS) model for most services, the AWS (IaaS) model for fewer services, and finally on premises for a handful of the remaining services. As a campus technology partner, the Hesburgh Libraries has begun planning for moving many of our services and infrastructure into the cloud. This initiative represents a radical …

A Study Of Positions Available In Additive Manufacturing/3d Printing And The Education And Skill Requirements For These Positions, Renee Christine Colletti

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Additive manufacturing is defined as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. Additive manufacturing positions are growing at an exponential rate, and the adoption of this disruptive technology is projected to have a significant impact on corporate strategies and culture. The purpose of this study was to identify the types of positions available in the additive manufacturing field and the skills and educational background required. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Two content analyses were conducted. The first was an analysis of 286 position descriptions obtained from five job …

An Outcome-Based Competency Model For Systems Engineering Trainees, Vanessa J. Pietrzyk

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Dominant theories relating to outcome-based learning and workforce competency were synthesized into a singular outcome-based competency model to evaluate systems engineering training. A baseline model was developed using leading theories from the academic literature pertaining to competencies for systems engineers across three categories: cognitive, skill-based, and behavioral. The model was further refined via qualitative and quantitative analysis of formal interviews of subject matter experts in the field of systems engineering workforce management. The refined model classifies 28 critical competencies for systems engineers into three tiers of workforce functionality: foundational, specialized, and leadership. The resultant theoretical model is both grounded in …

Construction Professional Service Firm Management: A Longitudinal Study Of Strategic Planning In Irish Quantity Surveying Practices, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

This paper reports on the ongoing investigation of strategic planning in Irish Quantity Surveying practices. The construction industry in Ireland has undergone a period of significant change in the last five years fuelling a shift in focus from tactical to strategic planning in professional service firms operating within the sector. A previous paper identified the type, scope and extent of strategic planning within Quantity Surveying (QS) practices in Ireland in the years up to and during the economic downturn. The current paper expands on the previous research by identifying changes in approach to strategic management within these professional service firms …

Extension Of The Gravity Model: A Risk Integrated Approach Towards The Impact Analysis Of Mega Sports Events On Inbound Tourist Arrivals, Abdul Sami Stanekzai

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Mega sports events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are highly attended and countries compete ferociously to host such events due to their perceived long term positive effects. Inbound tourist forecasting is an important aspect of the hosting decision both for the organizing committees and the hosting nations. As a precaution against letting the event fall into incapable hands, which can lead into chaos and mismanagement, measures needs to be taken. Capacity evaluation of interested parties is possible, only by knowing the number of people who may attend the event. However, due to the infrequent occurrence of …

Modeling Supply Chain Resiliency, Jeff A. Hazel

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Engineered Resilient Systems (ERS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) program focusing on the effective and efficient design and development of complex engineered systems throughout their life cycle. There is a growing literature with qualitative definitions of resilience and quantitative models for systems with one performance measure. This paper uses a quantitative resilience framework (the Framework for ERS) that includes system design options, reliability, threats, vulnerabilities, responses, and consequences assessed in multiple system performance measures. The framework assists in establishing a model for any system to evaluate resiliency. This paper applies this framework using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) to …

Financial Performance In Upstream, Downstream, And Integrated Oil Companies In Response To Oil Price Volatility, Jonathan P. Garcia

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates the relation between crude oil price volatility and stock returns among oil companies using a three-part methodology, by using the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) as oil price benchmark. I asses the various indicators that set signals for oil price volatility and the interpretation of each (PMI, S&P500, DJIA, and World Crude Oil Output). This research also focuses on the relation between different types of companies in the oil industry (integrated, upstream, and downstream) and how each type of company will be assessed in a particular way to predict abnormal returns, based on market data and statistical analyses …

The Impact Of Learning Curve Model Selection And Criteria For Cost Estimation Accuracy In The Dod, Candace Honious, Brandon Johnson, John J. Elshaw, A. B. Badiru

Faculty Publications

The first part of this manuscript examines the impact of configuration changes to the learning curve when implemented during production. This research is a study on the impact to the learning curve slope when production is continuous but a configuration change occurs. Analysis discovered the learning curve slope after a configuration change is different from the stable learning curve slope pre-configuration change. The newly configured units were statistically different from previous units. This supports that the new configuration should be estimated with a new learning curve equation. The research also discovered the post-configuration slope is always steeper than the stable …

Understanding Millennial, Generation X, And Baby Boomer Preferred Leadership Characteristics: Informing Today’S Leaders And Followers, Lee-Volker Cox

Dissertations

Purpose. This quantitative study’s purpose was to describe and determine the degree of difference and importance of leadership characteristics as perceived by Baby Boom, Generation X, and Millennial generational cohort followers in STEM-related U.S.-based or headquartered aerospace and computer organizations as measured by the Multigenerational Leadership Characteristics Questionnaire (MLCQ).

Methodology. This was a cross-sectional, nonexperimental, comparative and correlational quantitative, ex post facto study. A web-based MLCQ was developed after conducting an academic literature review. Participants used a 6-point Likert scale identifying the importance of 30 characteristics with 2 aggregation questions identifying the most and least important characteristics; 408 members of …

The Welfare Effects Of Nationalization In A Mixed Duopoly Public Transport Market, Feifei Qin, Xiaoning Zhang, Eoin Plant

Articles

Recently, many cities have launched new rail transit lines. Once these new rail transit lines start commercial operation, they will play important roles as competitors to conventional bus services. In this paper, the effects of nationalization on equilibria have been studied in a mixed duopoly public transport market, in which one publicly-owned rail transit operator competes with one private bus operator. Two numerical case studies show the nationalization of a rail transit company is always socially desirable both in Bertrand pricing game in the short run and in Nash non-cooperative game in the long run.

A Simulation Model For Decision Support In Business Continuity Planning, Marissa Anne Mosunich

Master's Theses

Enterprises with a global supply network are at risk of lost revenue as a result of disruptive disasters at supplier locations. Various strategies exist for addressing this risk, and a variety of types of research has been done regarding the identification, assessment and response to the risk of disruption in a supply chain network.

This thesis establishes a decision model to support Business Continuity Planning at the first-tier supplier level. The decision model incorporates discrete-event simulation of supply chain networks (through Simio software), Monte Carlo simulation, and risk index optimization. After modeling disruption vulnerability in a supply chain network, costs …

Project Risk Propagation Modeling Of Engineering, Procurement And Construction, Alireza Atin

Wayne State University Dissertations

The construction industry is complicated since it involves a variety of stakeholders, challenging environmental issues, huge investments, complex economic and political factors, and other features which may cause an uncertain and unpredictable environment for construction projects. Impacts of risk events can transfer from one phase (source) of a construction project to another phase (target) very quickly and can cause more damage in other phases. Thus, two surveys were conducted to understand the risk propagation phenomena among the engineering, procurement, and construction phases. We conducted two surveys and analyzed data acquired by using sensitive analysis and binary logistic regression modeling. Risk …

Life-Cycle Analysis Of A Cement Manufacturing Plant Co-Firing Hazardous Waste In The Usa, Stephen P. Holt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work was to determine the overall environmental impacts associated with the co-firing hazardous waste by burning in a cement kiln to replace the use of coal in the cement manufacturing process. This environmental assessment was conducted using LCA methodology. Understanding the environmental impacts associated with burning hazardous waste in a cement factory could help shape national environmental policy, regulations and the need for site specific human health risk assessments in the environmental regulatory permitting processes. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental impacts from the hazardous waste burning for energy recovery …