Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Reaching For The Moon: Expanding Transactive Memory's Reach With Wikis And Tagging, Terri L. Griffith, Mark B. Allan, Anthony A. Korolis

Management & Entrepreneurship

Transactive memory systems (TMS) support knowledge sharing and coordination in groups. TMS are enabled by the encoding, storage, retrieval, and communication of knowledge by domain experts-knowing who knows what. The NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group provides an example of how TMS theoretical boundaries are stretched in actual use. This group is characterized as being highly innovative as they routinely engage in field studies that are inherently difficult due to time and technology resource constraints. We provide an expanded view of TMS that includes the technology support system available to this group, and possible further extensions to NASA's or other such …

Imsa360: Spring 2009, Imsa Fund

IMSA Fund Reports

As a teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy enables students to pursue their own compelling questions and identify and solve real-world problems. In these pursuits, they learn to collaborate with each other and the best minds around the globe. This process fosters integrative learning and enhances critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and teamwork.

Our feature stories in this issue of IMSA360 take you on an amazing journey that demonstrates how IMSA students turn their passions, talents and knowledge into action. Under the guidance of inspiring faculty, staff and world experts, students have …

The Rationale For Mergers & Acquisitions In The U.S. Wireless Industry, Eric Pereira

Honors College Theses

The mergers between AT&T and Cingular, Sprint and Nextel, and Verizon and Alltel telecommunication companies have become the most fascinating transactions in the wireless industry. This paper provides a detailed summary of the two companies in each merger as separate entities before the merger, the actions they took while completing the merger, and the new look and strategies they put into place after the merger. The thesis provides a thorough view of how AT&T, Sprint Nextel, and Verizon successfully completed their merger plans and how they gained nationwide consumer satisfaction. The reader will examine the problems within the companies such …

The Relationships Among Gender, Work Experience, And Leadership Experience In Transformational Leadership, Jennifer Y. Mak, Chong W. Kim

Management Faculty Research

Transformational leadership is an organizational leadership theory centered around "the ability to inspire and motivate followers to achieve results greater than originally planned and for internal reward" The investigation into transformational leadership began in the mid-1980s with a number of influential publications by Bass (1985), Bennis and Nanus (1985), Kouzes and Posner (1987) and Tichy and Devanna (1986). In the 1980s, the study of transformational leadership was focused on case-based research (Conger, 1999). By late 1990s, a substantial body of empirical investigations on transformational leadership had been conducted.

When Practice And Theory Conflict: Do Financial Incentives Influence Championing Behaviors In Mergers And Acquisitions?, Byron C. Clayton

Student Scholarship

Successful mergers and acquisitions require its managers to achieve substantial performance improvements in order to sufficiently cover acquisition premiums, the expected return of debt and equity investors, and the additional resources needed to capture synergies and accelerate growth. Acquirers understand that achieving the performance improvements necessary to cover these costs and create value for investors will most likely require an incredible effort from M&A management teams. This understanding drives the common and longstanding practice of offering hefty performance incentive packages to key managers, assuming that incentives will induce behaviors that champion organizational change and growth. This practice is in direct …

Ethical Ideologies And Decision Making Among College Athletes, Mary-Beth A. Cooper

Student Scholarship

Ethical decision making is a complex, yet timely topic for managers and consumers alike. In a collegiate setting, student athletes are scrutinized on and off the field not only for their athletic success but also for the ethical decisions they make that could change the course of their lives and the reputation of their institution. This research includes a survey covering over one thousand collegiate student athlete from the northeast who participated in a study determining the impact of ethical ideologies and social norms on their decision making. Specific constructs in the analysis include locus of control, ethical ideologies (idealism/relativism) …

Product Market Competition And Corporate Mergers And Acquisitions, Yen-Chih Liu

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Conventional models assume competition improves corporate efficiency as firms strive to outperform competitors. In the context of agency models, the link between competition and managerial behavior becomes fuzzy. Hart (1983) and Schmidt (1997) posit that competition reduces managerial slack. Scharfstein (1988) argues that competition might increase managerial shirking. Recent studies on the relation between managerial compensation and competition further document conflicting evidence. In this study, I examine the effect of product market competition on corporate mergers and acquisitions. My initial results suggest that the definition of competition is critical in evaluating corporate mergers and acquisitions. Using three new dimensions (product …

Reconceptualizing Social Influence Mechanisms For Buyer-Seller Relationships, Stuart Strolin

Student Scholarship

Selling is a social activity in which bilateral influence is exchanged but ultimately where the seller seeks to influence the buyer. Previous work has investigated social influence in many forms and settings but has been of limited, practical use in B2B sales. This paper introduces new measures, derived from French and Ravens bases of power, which integrate ideas from social psychology and ideas grounded in business practice. These measures are tested in a theoretical model linking B2B social influence to trust and sales performance. This paper contributes to the existing understanding of B2B buyer-seller relationships in two ways. First, it …

Harnessing Opposing Forces To Achieve Organizational Ambidexterity, Radhashyam Giridharadas

Student Scholarship

Generating sustainable competitive advantage, a perennial challenge for managers, requires organizational ambidexterity--the ability to simultaneously align business units towards unified, corporate strategic goals and adapt to the challenges of the external environment. Prior research on the antecedents of ambidexterity has identified cohesive but distinct independent variables and posited inanimate organizational mediating mechanisms. This research contributes to the field in three ways. First, we examine how harnessing opposing forces can yield important synergistic benefits, by modeling the interaction of management practices of exploration and exploitation on the input side and of adapting and aligning on the output dimension. Second, we propose …

Deconstructing Discovery: Diversity And Knowledge Sharing In Research Teams, Rebecca Minnillo

Student Scholarship

The purpose of this research is to shed light on aspects of knowledge sharing that are productive in advancing innovation in scientific research. We report on a quantitative study of scientific research teams who presented their work at an international conference. We explore how internal and external knowledge sharing practices and structural diversity are associated with the production of innovative medical research. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a model for use by knowledge generating organizations that will help accelerate the process of innovative discoveries.

The Green Business Revolution, Jacob Martin, Penny Mcclendon, Brian Watson, Jimanna Watson

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Going Green Makes Cents!, Anthony Caldwell, Logan Fountain, Tiffany Snider

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

A 4-Step Process Evaluation Model To Assess The Success Of Performance Based Logistics Contracts, Ferit Buyukgural

Theses and Dissertations

Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) is DoD' s preferred product support approach in order to satisfy vitally-important war fighter needs. The elasticity of these needs makes it impossible to build a one-fits-all template PBL contract with the contractors. Thus, both economic metrics such as Cost per Unit Usage and non-economic metrics such as Availability, Reliability, Logistics Foot Print and Logistics Response Time can be defined and tailored according to each individual program. However, evaluation of the success of a PBL contract gets harder proportional to the increased number of different types of metrics. This research suggests an integrated model approach for combining …

Implementation Of Performance-Based Acquisition In Non-Western Countries, Fatih Cebeci

Theses and Dissertations

"Performance-based acquisition (PBA)" means an acquisition structured around the results to be achieved as opposed to the manner by which the work is to be performed. Performance-based acquisition is a results-oriented acquisition strategy used to achieve innovative solutions in agency programs. Most military systems have been used for decades, so future planning of defense procurement is critically important. Performance-based acquisition is a strategic method to manage business by promoting flexibility and innovation and creating win/win solutions through effective communication, organizational goal alignment, and clear accountability among the buyer, seller(s), and subcontractors. In this century, many governments are transitioning their acquisition …

Education And Training As Part Of An Expeditionary Combat Support System Implementation Strategy, Thomas M. Sprague

Theses and Dissertations

One current venture of the United States Air Force (USAF) is the implementation of the largest ever single-instance of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This project, dubbed Enterprise Combat Support System (ECSS), has the potential to integrate the USAF worldwide supply chain and make transparent the currently cloudy connections between parts, people and processes. Unfortunately, ERP implementations are rife with potential problems and there is no guarantee of successfully implementing ECSS unless the USAF properly manages these problems. One problem area the USAF must manage is ERP education and training. According to the literature, this area is consistently underestimated. …

2009-03-12, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Quantification Of Mandatory Sustainment Requirements, Joe M. Blackman

Theses and Dissertations

To emphasize the importance of sustainment, the DoD Joint Requirements Oversight Council addressed sustained Materiel readiness and established a mandatory Key Performance Parameter (KPP) for Materiel Availability; it also established supporting Key System Attributes (KSAs) for Materiel Reliability and Ownership Cost (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Manual (CJCSM) 3170.01C, 2007). Current guidance requires two numbers: a threshold value and an objective value (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Manual (CJCSM) 3170.01C, 2007). No distinction is made between the approaches in establishing these values for major system acquisitions, versus smaller, modification-focused efforts for existing systems. The Joint Staff …

The Influence Of Team Health On Business Outcomes, Alexander Eksir

Student Scholarship

This study provides quantitative evidence for the feasibility of predicting business results by measuring the concept of Team Health and establishing a relationship with measures of team performance and business outcomes. Dimensions of Team Health are identified and evidence from the research literature on organization behavior and performance is presented to support the validity of the constructs. Mediated relationships among the outcome variables, also derived from research in organizational behavior, are hypothesized and tested. The measurement of Team Health is based on the responses to eleven of fifteen statements collected quarterly in a multi-national defense industry firm from all members …

2009-03-05 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for March 5, 2009.

Dialogical Inquiry: An Extension Of Schein's Clinical Inquiry, Jean-François Coget

Management, HR and Information Systems

this article introduces dialogical inquiry, an extension of clinical inquiry. Following clinical inquiry’s main principles, dialogical inquiry adopts a dialogue over videotaped segments of behavior as its main tool. The goals of dialogical inquiry are (a) to raise participants’ awareness about how they interpret work situations in the moment, so that they can increase their effectiveness and (b) to allow the researcher to build actionable academic knowledge. The process of dialogical inquiry has four phases: (a) a life interview with the participant, (b) shadowing and filming the participant in action in the work environment, (c) selecting episodes from the videotaped …

Generative Characteristics As Antecedents Of Engagement, Thomas H. Carlson

Student Scholarship

Organizations and their members at all levels are increasingly expected to perform, adapt, and to do 'more with less'. Positive psychology and appreciative inquiry inform us that as organizations strive to become more productive, innovative, and agile their interests and objectives are well-served by understanding that they have at-hand greater capacity for performance and learning than perhaps they had realized. Positive psychology emphasizes the role of character strengths and virtues suggesting that individual characteristics, whether dispositional or acquired, differentiate between those who are better able to contribute to organizational performance and learning and those who are less so. Appreciative inquiry …

Ceo Compensation And Us High-Tech And Low-Tech Firms' Corporate Performance, Eunsup Daniel Shim, Jooh Lee, In Ki Joo

WCBT Faculty Publications

Many factors contribute to the determination of top executive compensation. This paper explores and examines the systematic difference of high-tech and low-tech CEO pays. It examines the relationship between top executive compensation and an Organizational factor, a Market factor and an Accounting factor. It tests CEO’s salary, bonus, and long-term compensation with respect to corporate reputation, ROE, Tobin’s Q, CEO shareholding and firm size.

The results show that CEOs’ Salaries at high-tech firms shows a significantly positive relationship with ROE, Tobin’s Q, and corporate reputation, while only corporate reputation shows a significant relationship with CEOs’ salaries at low-tech firms. In …

The Philosophy Of Total Quality Management For The Environment, Saad Ali Al-Anzi, Aisha Hamoudi Al-Obeid

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The Environmental Management System (EMS) is an important foundation for effective control of the organization's outstanding environmental performance. It applies standards for substantive review and provides a structure and a way to apply it in all aspects of the work, In order to ensure full compliance with environmental requirements, legislation and laws that are consistent with the wishes and aspirations of society. Industrial activities are one of the main sources affecting the surrounding environment through the generation of pollutants and industrial wastes on different types of gas, liquid and solid. Therefore, it can not be said that an industry is …

A Study Of The Impact Of Informational Complexity, Transparency And Stewardship On Decision Usefulness: The Users' Perspective, Chester H. Brearey

Student Scholarship

Calls for the reformation of financial reporting have exacerbated in recent years in light of a rapidly changing global investment climate and in the wake of a battered financial system. This study explored the interrelationships between informational complexity, transparency and stewardship on the usefulness of financial reporting. Empirical analyses was based on a survey of more than 650 executives to test hypotheses that informational complexity impairs judgment through decision-makers' strategy selection; that transparency captures the timeliness, interpretation, and dissemination of financial reporting that leads to a more informed market; and that there is a stewardship demand to report on the …

2009-02-19 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for February 19, 2009.

The Virtue Of Profit (Mclean, Va), C. William Pollard

C. William Pollard Papers

In this speech delivered to the Workforce Ministry Group of McLean Presbyterian Church (McLean, VA), Pollard contends that profit can be considered virtuous when it allows servant leaders to invest in employees, thereby contributing to the moral and spiritual formation of human beings.

Futility Of Stimulus Funds In The Middle Of Huge Trade Deficits, Narendra C. Bhandari

Faculty Working Papers and Articles

The U. S. is facing an unprecedented environment of increasing unemployment, declining income, disappearing middleclass, and mounting trade deficit (about $731 billion in 2007). The government is providing stimulus funds to a selected number of organizations to help solve these problems. However, as long as the country continues to have huge trade deficits, these stimulus efforts may not help much, if at all. They may even worsen the economic situation. This could happen if the banking, insurance, construction, transportation, and other companies—receiving the stimulus funds—would offshore part of their production activities. Several American firms send certain number of jobs abroad …

2009-02-05 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes February 5, 2009.

Project Management Use Second Life, Collaborative Project

Dyson College- Seidenberg School of CSIS : Collaborative Projects and Presentations

This entry adheres to the use of the quad chart template to provide a succint description only of the current research project undertaken by the participants. It provides for the following information:

1. Participants and Affiliations
2.Overall Project Goals
3. Illustrative Picture
4. Specific research/artistic/pedagogic foci

Pay Fairness: An Ethical Or A Legal Issue?, David J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

There is an interesting drama that has been playing in the United States for the past century called “Executive Pay, Starring Your Local CEO”. For many years this drama was a comedy as executive bonuses and stock options continued to rise at ridiculous rates compared to the pay of factory workers, teachers, and engineers. This drama didn’t get a lot of laughs; but people would smile and shake their heads as if the surprise was an amusing disclosure.