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Articles 361 - 390 of 1196

Full-Text Articles in Business Administration, Management, and Operations

Language Of Change: Dynamics Of Push-Pull Communication, Humayun Rashid Feb 2007

Language Of Change: Dynamics Of Push-Pull Communication, Humayun Rashid

Student Scholarship

Changing organizational culture is a challenging undertaking, especially when it is attempted through a global change in systems and processes, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementations. During these transformations, organizations desire alignment between people at different levels and across various parts of the organization; and communication is considered a critical factor to developed shared meaning leading towards alignment. This research redefines alignment as a dynamic push-pull communication model for change in which the traditional top-down "push" communication frames the overall purpose and objectives of a change while the deeper-level "pull" communication helps employees make sense of the change--what the …

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Isolating Institution Based Personal And Contextual Determinants Of Entrepreneurial Intentions Among Kenyan College Graduates, Rosemary Kamau-Maina Jan 2007

Isolating Institution Based Personal And Contextual Determinants Of Entrepreneurial Intentions Among Kenyan College Graduates, Rosemary Kamau-Maina

Student Scholarship

Kenya has a population of approximately 34 million with those aged 35 years and below making up over 75% of the population. In 2003 and 2005, when the national unemployment stood at 40%, the youth accounted for about 78% and 67% of the national unemployment in the two years respectively. This encompasses all youth including recent college and university graduates. Taking into account that these numbers include recent university and college graduates, the resulting waste of resources is enormous. It therefore makes economic sense to have more youth engage in entrepreneurship to combat unemployment and stem the resource waste. For …

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They're Making All The Wrong Decisions - Unintended Consequences Of Empowerment Resulting From Individual Situated Cognition, Jonathan Coleman Jan 2007

They're Making All The Wrong Decisions - Unintended Consequences Of Empowerment Resulting From Individual Situated Cognition, Jonathan Coleman

Student Scholarship

This paper describes how organizational culture affects individual level decision­ making processes in large organizations. This is particularly notable in the effect on the relative communication of qualitative versus quantitative information. Different levels of success in communicating these two kinds of information affect the development of the situated cognition prior to making a particular decision. We present the findings of a qualitative research study of thirteen executive level decision makers representing four Fortune 100 companies from four diverse industries. These executives were involved in strategic decisions in the normal course of business and also had particular experience in decisions involving …

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An Examination Of Self Identity And Learning Styles: A Qualitative Study Within The Home Health Care Setting, Margo Kraft Dec 2006

An Examination Of Self Identity And Learning Styles: A Qualitative Study Within The Home Health Care Setting, Margo Kraft

Student Scholarship

Home health care practitioners interact with patients via a learning process. Research has proven that reciprocal learning and expert learning styles are the primary methods of knowledge sharing in these home health care settings. The research conducted uncovered three major themes regarding knowledge sharing in home health care--self-identity, learning orientation, and resilience. A conceptual model was developed using these learning concepts in relationship to effective patient outcomes. Our research demonstrated that these home health care practitioners predominately uses two types of learning styles. One of these styles, reciprocal learning, transfers the education responsibility to the patient. The process of a …

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The Impact Of The Internet On Airline Fares: How The Customer Viewed The Transition To Internet Distribution, William J. Brunger Dec 2006

The Impact Of The Internet On Airline Fares: How The Customer Viewed The Transition To Internet Distribution, William J. Brunger

Student Scholarship

Customers who use Internet websites find and buy lower fares than do those who use travel agents for similar trips, even though for most large U.S. airlines the fares and availability offered through both channels are the same (because of contractual obligations). Economic and marketing theory offers "transparency" and "lowered search costs" as primary explanations. In an effort to understand, describe and corroborate those explanations, we studied the behavioral changes implied by the Internet, asking customers how they have understood the transition to Internet travel purchase and how they believe they have changed their behavior, specifically about the impact of …

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The Social Construction Of The Interactive Practices Of Multicultural Professionals, Alvin E. Hall Dec 2006

The Social Construction Of The Interactive Practices Of Multicultural Professionals, Alvin E. Hall

Student Scholarship

This inquiry was a search for knowledge that could become a guide to improved corporate practices. The aim of the research is to increase the effectiveness of relationships of decision makers, both of racial majorities and racioethnic miniorities. This study details the social construction of the ineractive practices of multicultural professionals. Using a qualitative method, the study looks at the experiences of racial majority and racioethnic minority professionals in the technology-service industry. The research design ofthis study used interviews, surveys and contextual analysis of individual cases. Through this grounded theory approach, the study found evidence of influence of organizational paradigms …

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Change Leader Retention: Social Capital\, Organizational Commitment And Balancing Change Career Commitment, Zara F. Larsen Dec 2006

Change Leader Retention: Social Capital\, Organizational Commitment And Balancing Change Career Commitment, Zara F. Larsen

Student Scholarship

Organizations are challenged to attract and retain executives who can lead successful and sustainable organizational change. This study aims to: (1) explore the role of bonding social capital in affecting the turnover intention of executive leaders of large scale radical and continuous improvement change projects in organizations\, and (2) identify mechanisms which may influence whether change leaders can balance the potentially competing commitment to a career of leading change with a commitment to an organization\, therein affecting the organization’s ability to retain them longer term. This study of over 600 change leaders from for-profit\, non-profit and civil service organizations draws …

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Inter-Sector Decision Making: Governance, Social Learning, Negotiated Order And Emergent Leadership As Adaptive Responses To System Complexity, Bruce C. Gockerman Dec 2006

Inter-Sector Decision Making: Governance, Social Learning, Negotiated Order And Emergent Leadership As Adaptive Responses To System Complexity, Bruce C. Gockerman

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the work of the Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG) from an organizational effectiveness frame of reference as the CGLG sought to develop an enforceable regional water management regime for the water resources of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. It seeks to find both the theoretical and applied framings that tie the pieces of the applicable descriptive literature on social learning and negotiated order as decision making models together, and to draw generalized lessons about organizational effectiveness from the particular geo-politically complex venue under study. This will advance the study of collective action, collaboration, …

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Social Change - Making The Improbable Possible Through Collaboration: A Framework For Examining The Influence Of Funders On Collaboration Performance, Jane Cooke-Lauder Dec 2006

Social Change - Making The Improbable Possible Through Collaboration: A Framework For Examining The Influence Of Funders On Collaboration Performance, Jane Cooke-Lauder

Student Scholarship

What are the critical elements contributing to successful collaboration among non- government organizations working together to tackle wicked social problems in super stressed environments? What role does the funder play in aiding the success of such collaborative endeavours? We used a combination of collaborative theory gathered primarily from research conducted in the developed world among both for profit and not for profit entities, together with practitioner observations to examine two different possible sets of influencers on the performance of collaborative projects: the dynamic among the collaborating partners expressed in terms of role clarity, conflict management and interorganizational trust – as …

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The Duplicity Effect: Professional Investment Decisions For Others Versus Self, Timothy Joseph Timura Dec 2006

The Duplicity Effect: Professional Investment Decisions For Others Versus Self, Timothy Joseph Timura

Student Scholarship

A global retirement crisis looms--particularly here in the States. Americans are increasingly finding themselves responsible for securing their own financial futures. Many, however, do not feel comfortable with the myriad challenges it entails. Seeking help, they are turning to professionals. But are professionals up to this task? If professionals exhibit sub-optimal investment decision making behavior for themselves, can they be expected to exhibit better behavior when working on behalf of others? Exploring strategic asset allocation decisions for clients, this study discovered an analytical foundation similar to that used for the self as well as the existence of the Duplicity Effect--defined …

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Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton Dec 2006

Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton

Student Scholarship

The role that leaders perform in governing nonprofit organizations has confounded practitioners and scholars since the time of the early settlers, when the functions of governance were first separated. Is governance the role of the board, management, or both? Today, little has changed. Public and private nonprofit organizations, almost all of which are governed by boards of lay citizens and by professional executives, continue to define the gap between what the board's role is and what the chief executive officer's (CEO) role is. Organizations such as BoardSource (formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards), The Aspen Institute, the Independent Sector, …

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Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton Dec 2006

Board/Ceo Engagement: Bridging The Governance Gap, Brian L. Newton

Student Scholarship

The role that leaders perform in governing nonprofit organizations has confounded practitioners and scholars since the time of the early settlers, when the functions of governance were first separated. Is governance the role of the board, management, or both? Today, little has changed. Public and private nonprofit organizations, almost all of which are governed by boards of lay citizens and by professional executives, continue to define the gap between what the board's role is and what the chief executive officer's (CEO) role is. Organizations such as BoardSource (formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards), The Aspen Institute, the Independent Sector, …

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"I Think We Never Looked At A Financial Analysis" : Making Sense Of Resource Allocation Decisions In Technical Innovation In The Durable Consumer Goods Industry, Martin Zummersch Dec 2006

"I Think We Never Looked At A Financial Analysis" : Making Sense Of Resource Allocation Decisions In Technical Innovation In The Durable Consumer Goods Industry, Martin Zummersch

Student Scholarship

The purpose of this research study was to investigate how practitioners' of the durable consumer goods industry make resource allocation decisions in technical innovation, in an industry shaped by high uncertainty and low barriers to entry. Few studies have been conducted that generated qualitative data that allowed for comparisons between prescriptive models and the actual lived-world experiences of practitioners. During the investigation we conducted interviews with executives of the industry that allowed us to better understand how practitioners derived at decisions and why certain organizations were able to innovate more successfully than others. This analysis leveraged the theories of the …

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Investment Consumer Satisfaction: Identifying Factors Of Influence In Financial Advisory Relationships, Betty Moon Dec 2006

Investment Consumer Satisfaction: Identifying Factors Of Influence In Financial Advisory Relationships, Betty Moon

Student Scholarship

The search for key factors that influence consumer satisfaction and loyalty in financial advisory relationships, originating in consumer behavior theory, suggests that consumer/financial advisor similarity and superior investment portfolio performance may be key drivers of client satisfaction. Conversely 70% of respondents in this study indicated that similarity played no role at all in their satisfaction with advisors, and 20% of respondents asserted that they specifically selected advisors for their dissimilarity. Our results suggest three discrete, potentially important, drivers of consumer satisfaction- client self-efficacy, client financial self-worth and financial advisor interpersonal performance. In conclusion, we discuss how these findings may enhance …

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The Impact Of Organization Destruction On Social Capital Value, R. Drew Sellers Dec 2006

The Impact Of Organization Destruction On Social Capital Value, R. Drew Sellers

Student Scholarship

This paper links social capital dynamics and value with organization destruction. It produces the finding that organizational destruction may in some cases increase the value of social capital. A key theoretical contribution of this study is extending the metaphor of social capital to encompass asset recoverability. Based upon cases studies of 15 individuals who lived through the destruction of Arthur Andersen, this paper examines the persistence and value of an individual's social capital when an organization destructs. It explores the question, "Is the value of an individual's investment in organization-specific social capital a recoverable asset post-destruction?" Interviews with Andersen alumni …

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Enabling Trust And Performance In Distributed Collaborative Teams, Eugene A. Pierce Dec 2006

Enabling Trust And Performance In Distributed Collaborative Teams, Eugene A. Pierce

Student Scholarship

Virtual teams allow organizations to bring together critical contributors who might not otherwise be able to work together due to time, travel and cost restrictions. In addition, virtual teams can enhance the available pool of resources by including people from outside the sponsoring organization, such as consultants, or members of partner organizations. Virtual teams also allow organizations to hire and retain the best people, who may be either unable or unwilling to relocate, and to facilitate dynamic membership changes as a result of changes in project requirements or the unexpected loss of team members. As such they are sometimes unable …

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Sponsorship By Executive Leaders: Perceptions And Influences On Engagement Among U.S. Air Force General Officers, Kevin Roots Nov 2006

Sponsorship By Executive Leaders: Perceptions And Influences On Engagement Among U.S. Air Force General Officers, Kevin Roots

Student Scholarship

Sponsorship is one of several factors that may influence career advancement into the executive level of an organization; but the concept of sponsorship is not well understood. This proposal presents an overview of the literature about sponsorship. The proposal makes distinctions between mentorship and sponsorship. It describes a qualitative research study that asks how U.S. Air Force general officers perceive and engage in sponsorship. The aim of this study is to understand how Air Force generals understand sponsorship, and whether (and how) they engage in it. A conceptual model is proposed that considers sponsors’ perceptions based on their own experiences, …

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Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa Nov 2006

Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the emotional, social and cognitive competencies that predict performance of a financial sales branch and its Financial Advisors. The focus--the unit of analysis--of this study is the Branch Manager. It is hypothesized that the Branch Manager, through a set of emotional, social and cognitive competencies, can, as a leader, influence better overall results. The research presented in this paper is a qualitative study that compares and contrasts both Outstanding Branch managers and Typical Branch Managers. It does this in two ways: by identifying those competencies that differentiate Outstanding from Typical Branch Managers; and by identifying the effects …

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Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa Nov 2006

Building And Sustaining Success: Emotional, Social And Cognitive Competencies That Predict Management Performance In A Financial Sales Setting. A Qualitative Study, Raymond Massa

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the emotional, social and cognitive competencies that predict performance of a financial sales branch and its Financial Advisors. The focus--the unit of analysis--of this study is the Branch Manager. It is hypothesized that the Branch Manager, through a set of emotional, social and cognitive competencies, can, as a leader, influence better overall results. The research presented in this paper is a qualitative study that compares and contrasts both Outstanding Branch managers and Typical Branch Managers. It does this in two ways: by identifying those competencies that differentiate Outstanding from Typical Branch Managers; and by identifying the effects …

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Language Of Innovation: Alignment Of Boundary Objects, Humayun Rashid Aug 2006

Language Of Innovation: Alignment Of Boundary Objects, Humayun Rashid

Student Scholarship

The role of language in communication has been part of most social science and management disciplines for decades; but in the world of practice, large organizations still struggle with implementing major innovations or changes due to communication barriers between the diverse participants. The lack of acceptance and the challenges of change are especially characteristic of information technology-enabled business transformations that typically involve intense interactions between business executive/managers and information technology (IT) staff. When these diverse groups interact to achieve an over-arching company objective, communication becomes a major organizational challenge. During my discussions with executives over the years in the world …

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An Uncertain Future: Economic And Behavioral Influences That Motivate Small Business Owners In The Decision To Adopt An Employee Retirement Plan, Jill B. Mccullough Jun 2006

An Uncertain Future: Economic And Behavioral Influences That Motivate Small Business Owners In The Decision To Adopt An Employee Retirement Plan, Jill B. Mccullough

Student Scholarship

While much recent national public attention has focused on the widespread replacement of large corporations' defined-benefit pension plans with defined-contribution plans, far less attention has been given to the deficiencies concerning retirement plans for employees of small businesses. As almost 50% of United States workers are employed in these small businesses, the future ramifications of an aging workforce with no retirement savings could have serious economic consequences. The objective of this study is to advance the understanding of the factors influencing small business owners in their decision to offer or not offer a retirement plan for the benefit of themselves …

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Stimulating Youth Entrepreneurship In Kenya, Rosemary Kamau-Maina Jun 2006

Stimulating Youth Entrepreneurship In Kenya, Rosemary Kamau-Maina

Student Scholarship

A preliminary survey among the Kenyan youth shows that a small but growing number of college graduates are choosing to venture into small-scale businesses on graduation. The researchers interviewed some youth entrepreneurs and found that their experiences in college may have positively influenced their attitudes towards entrepreneurship. This research aims at exploring the link between the experience in colleges and the intentions towards entrepreneurship among college graduates. Institutions that operate in competitive environments are more likely to be innovative and to be more risk-oriented than institutions that do not face competition. In Kenya, privately owned institutions of higher learning do …

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The Private Provision Of Public Goods: Terrorism Protection In The Critical Infrastructure Industries, James K. Hayes Jun 2006

The Private Provision Of Public Goods: Terrorism Protection In The Critical Infrastructure Industries, James K. Hayes

Student Scholarship

My research interest is to understand the business plan for industries to invest in security against terrorism, if and why this investment is likely to be less than socially optimal and what government's role is in promoting the appropriate level of investment in security in a free market economy. I believe that an industry's ability to pay for such protection is an important factor but have also relied heavily on the economic literature regarding the theoretical circumstances in which a private actor will willingly contribute to the provision of a public good. Unfortunately, the literature is ambiguous in its prediction …

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The Role Of Cognitive Biases And Framing In Strategic Decision-Making Processes Regarding Socially Responsible Actions, Jonathan Coleman Jun 2006

The Role Of Cognitive Biases And Framing In Strategic Decision-Making Processes Regarding Socially Responsible Actions, Jonathan Coleman

Student Scholarship

This paper is intended to provide a conceptual framework about the importance of cognitive biases and framing in the strategic decisionmaking (SDM) processes used by corporations when addressing socially responsible actions. Through crises, regulation, activism and attempts to gain competitive advantage, companies are facing a dynamic environment requiring increased incorporation of social actions into corporate strategy. However, the nebulous nature of social actions and the inertia of bureaucracies have led to inefficient implementation of those actions. The conceptual framework developed in this paper sheds light on SDM processes involving corporate social responsibility (CSR), and lays a foundation for research in …

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Risk Transference And Risk Perception Analysis Of Serial Entrepreneurs And Venture Capitalists, Francis A. Papay Jun 2006

Risk Transference And Risk Perception Analysis Of Serial Entrepreneurs And Venture Capitalists, Francis A. Papay

Student Scholarship

Risk is inherent in decision­making when uncertain parameters and outcomes are involved. In the creation of a new venture, both entrepreneurs and their subsequent investors assume and share a variety of risks emanating from a multitude of such uncertain parameters of the early developing venture. One such mid­stage investor, the venture capitalist, attempts to mitigate the risks of investing in a new venture by incorporating detailed market, intellectual property strategy, financial and managerial elements into his or her investment decision­making analysis. Since venture capitalists are historically successful less than 20 percent of their investments in nascent companies, it appears that …

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Managing Perplexing Congregations: The Case Of Chinese Protestant Church In North America, Siu-Hang P. Chan Jun 2006

Managing Perplexing Congregations: The Case Of Chinese Protestant Church In North America, Siu-Hang P. Chan

Student Scholarship

How religious congregations adapt to change determines whether they will continue to thrive (Ammerman, 1997). Chinese immigrant religious organizations in America face a built-in clash between the generations of Overseas-Born Chinese (OBC) and American-Born Chinese (ABC) that is most visible in their religious congregations (Ling & Cheuk, 1999). This study identifies how Chinese congregations develop interpretive schemes (Bartunek, 1984) that help bridge the generational transition and lead to successful adaptation or its hindrance.

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Social Network Destruction And Effective Practices For The Recovery Of Social Capital Assets, R. Drew Sellers Jun 2006

Social Network Destruction And Effective Practices For The Recovery Of Social Capital Assets, R. Drew Sellers

Student Scholarship

The workplace is ripe for establishing and growing professionally useful social networks. Social networks evolve as organizations change and individuals come and go. But, what happens when an organization destructs? Does the collapse of the organization which gave rise to the formation of these relationships claim the social networks as collateral damage? Or, do portions of social networks persist, expand to incorporate new members, and influence post collapse outcomes? This paper provides a set of concepts for understanding the recoverability of an individual’s social capital and social network assets when an organization destructs. It seeks to determine effective practices individuals …

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Resource Allocation Problem In Research And Development In The Consumer Goods Industry: How Do Economic Actors Make Decisions In Technological Innovation As To When To Rely On Markets Versus Hierarchies?, Martin Zummersch Jun 2006

Resource Allocation Problem In Research And Development In The Consumer Goods Industry: How Do Economic Actors Make Decisions In Technological Innovation As To When To Rely On Markets Versus Hierarchies?, Martin Zummersch

Student Scholarship

In today’s global business environment, companies in the durable consumer goods industry are engaged in a very competitive environment, in that they are facing continuously increasing consumer demands for lower cost products with the expectation of increasing feature sets. This competitive pressure is felt not only on the demand side but also on the supply side. An increasing number of suppliers from low cost countries offer products at significantly lower cost positions, whereas the concentration process in the retail channel forces manufacturers to maximize efficiency and productivity gains in order to maintain pricing and margins. Therefore, companies invest in Research …

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Technology And Process Enabling Trust And Performance In Distributed Collaborative Teams, Eugene A. Pierce Jun 2006

Technology And Process Enabling Trust And Performance In Distributed Collaborative Teams, Eugene A. Pierce

Student Scholarship

A changing business environment with urgency in delivering more products faster and cheaper is imposing new demands on teams where old ways of doing business are becoming obsolete. Much of the resulting interdependence of business activity in the global environment is a key driver in trying to establish effective distributed collaborative teams, also known as virtual teams. As such they are unable to always operate optimally or produce optimal solutions--forcing organizations to reexamine their project team strategies both at the individual and group level. Organizations have applied electronic mediating solutions of various types to support such virtual teams but this …

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Factors That Facilitate Intention To Venture Creation Among Nascent Entrepreneurs - Kenyan Case, Daniel Musungu Oruoch May 2006

Factors That Facilitate Intention To Venture Creation Among Nascent Entrepreneurs - Kenyan Case, Daniel Musungu Oruoch

Student Scholarship

This study was conceived after the realization that there was inadequate literature linking intention to venture creation and psychosocial factors in Kenya. The critical question of the study was; how do psychosocial factors impact on an individual's intention to venture creation? The data was sourced from college students and nascent entrepreneurs in Nairobi. This paper explores the relationship between perceived desirability and feasibility, and intention to venture creation. Further, the paper seeks to establish the relationship between perceived social norms, social support network and entrepreneurial experience on perceived feasibility and desirability. It also seeks to establish the relationship between these …

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