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2017

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Articles 781 - 810 of 897

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

The Role Of An Ombudsman In Mitigating Conflict, Evelyn Addison-Laurie Jan 2017

The Role Of An Ombudsman In Mitigating Conflict, Evelyn Addison-Laurie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying behavior is a contributing factor to hostile work environments, and can cause human consequences that affect morale, performance, and productivity. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify the strategies that ombudsmen and human resource managers (HR) use in mitigating workplace conflict. Corporate social performance was the conceptual framework that guided this research. Nine HR managers, an ombudsman representative, and 8 ombudsmen located in New York City and in other states were interviewed based on their experience in conflict mitigation. Data extracted from the participants' shared stories along with position description documents were synthesized thematically and …

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Comparing The Effectiveness Of Masters-Prepared And Non-Masters-Prepared Nurse Leaders, Subha Narasimha Chari Jan 2017

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Masters-Prepared And Non-Masters-Prepared Nurse Leaders, Subha Narasimha Chari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The complex nature of healthcare requires nurse leaders to be skilled in professional practice, communication, teamwork, and problem solving to improve staff satisfaction and patient outcomes. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Institute of Medicine promotes graduate education for nurse leaders to enhance the delivery of quality care to the nation's diverse patient populations. Guided by the diffusion of innovation theory, this project explored the differences in nursing care hours, staff turnover, nurse quality indicators, as well as leadership characteristics on units lead by masters-prepared and non-masters-prepared nurses. Forty-eight nurse leaders completed the impact of graduate education among …

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Effective Strategies Of Military Veteran Small Business Owners, John F. Groves Jan 2017

Effective Strategies Of Military Veteran Small Business Owners, John F. Groves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses owned by military veterans represent a source of new jobs, yet more than half of these businesses fail to survive beyond 5 years. These failures could lead to efforts to identify strategies that owners can use to avoid failure. The conceptual framework applied in this case study was the triple-loop learning theory. The purposive sampling included 7 military veterans who were small business owners who had sustained their small businesses more than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and organization documents. Yin's 5-step process for data analysis compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding resulted in 4 …

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Stakeholder Influence In Promoting Environmental Sustainability In The Zambian Mining Industry, Helen Mbewe Jan 2017

Stakeholder Influence In Promoting Environmental Sustainability In The Zambian Mining Industry, Helen Mbewe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mining operations often cause environmental and social problems for communities. Efforts by major stakeholders in most developing countries to create and enforce an ethical framework for mining industry operations have been inconsistent. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study, which was based on stakeholder theory, was to explore stakeholders' perspectives on the implementation of environmental policies and mining operations in Zambia. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of 24 research participants from a copper mining company operating in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, the government ministry for mining, energy, and water development, the environmental protection agency, …

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Creating An Ethical Organizational Environment In Banking, Svenja Nitsche Jan 2017

Creating An Ethical Organizational Environment In Banking, Svenja Nitsche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An ethical organizational environment ensures a trustworthy organization. This case study explored strategies that banking managers in the United Arab Emirates used to create an ethical organizational environment, one that emphasized the inclusion of ethical values, moral principles, and commitment to society. The target population included senior managers who created and implemented strategies to ensure employees adopted the ethical values in pursuit of an ethical environment. Ethical climate theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. Interviews with 5 managers and company documentation contributed the data for this research. Data were analyzed following inductive investigation and case description. Connecting corporate …

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Strategies Used By Banking Managers To Reduce Employee Turnover, Amena Shahid Jan 2017

Strategies Used By Banking Managers To Reduce Employee Turnover, Amena Shahid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee retention of an organization's most talented and skilled employees is vital to success. A lack of managerial strategies for motivating teams and a lack of understanding employees' needs adds to an increased rate of employee turnover in banking organizations. Some bank managers do not possess the abilities and strategies required to reduce employee turnover. Grounded by the motivation-hygiene theory; the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore successful strategies some bank managers used to reduce employee turnover. The population consisted of 5 banking managers in 3 banking organizations located in Toronto GTA, Ontario Canada in which successful …

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An Exploratory Study On The Improvement Of The Army Rapid Acquisition Process, Jason F. Tate Jan 2017

An Exploratory Study On The Improvement Of The Army Rapid Acquisition Process, Jason F. Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2001, the Army has spent billions of dollars to develop, test, and procure equipment through the Army Rapid Acquisition Process (ARAP), a process at times used in place of the traditional Army Acquisition Process (AAP) when immediacy and customization are a priority. The ARAP was implemented to increase efficiency in delivering adequate equipment to soldiers. The ARAP has been criticized in the literature for its lack of efficiency and effectiveness in the field. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine ARAP deficiencies through the lens of a broad cross-section of Army acquisition functional area professionals. …

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Multiple Role Conflict And Coping Strategies Of Men In The Aerospace Industry, Lynette Bowden Jan 2017

Multiple Role Conflict And Coping Strategies Of Men In The Aerospace Industry, Lynette Bowden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work-life balance is a dilemma for both men and women. However, the perspective of men on this issue has not been previous addressed. Work intensification and societal pressures cause men to work longer, harder, and cope with the stressors of multiple role conflicts and work-life imbalance. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore men's lived experience in managing multiple roles regarding work-life conflicts, and identify coping strategies they used to achieve a work-life balance. The research questions were related to the lived experiences, perceived causes, and coping strategies of work-life imbalance for men in the aerospace industry. The …

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Exploring The Performance Of The Financial Service Cooperative Industry In Grenada, Rachael Annette Brown Jan 2017

Exploring The Performance Of The Financial Service Cooperative Industry In Grenada, Rachael Annette Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2008 financial crisis impacted the Caribbean financial sector with declining liquidity and profitability, and return on assets falling to 0.7% from 2.6%. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that credit union executives in Grenada used to consistently maintain profitability. The targeted study population consisted of four credit union executives responsible for operations, administration, and regulations in the financial service cooperative industry in Grenada. The social influence of power theory was the conceptual framework that grounded this study. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and document (annual reports and cooperative society laws) review. Data …

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Managers' Emotional Intelligence And Employee Turnover Rates In Quick Service, Dennis V. Burke Jan 2017

Managers' Emotional Intelligence And Employee Turnover Rates In Quick Service, Dennis V. Burke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Turnover rate is a benchmark economic measure and affects the customer service and profitability of organizations. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between general managers' emotional intelligence (EI), operations evaluation scores (OE), and employee turnover rates at Brand X quick service restaurant (QSR) companies using Salovey and Mayer's theoretical framework of EI. Data were collected from a sample of 69 QSR general managers, with at least 6 months of experience, in the Southeastern United States using the EQ-i 2.0 self-assessment instrument. The mean employee turnover rate for the sample (M = 161%), was 157% greater …

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Project Risk Management Strategies For It Project Managers, John Stephen Cabral Jan 2017

Project Risk Management Strategies For It Project Managers, John Stephen Cabral

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Utilizing information technology (IT) to enable new organizational capabilities to achieve near-term objectives and long-term sustainability is a top priority for many business leaders seeking to maintain or increase market share. However, organizational leaders face significant challenges to their strategy execution because the percentage of challenged IT projects has remained relatively static for decades. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore risk management strategies used by 7 purposely selected IT project managers (PMs) from a pharmaceutical company located in the northeastern United States who have effectively managed IT project performance by using risk management strategies, leading to …

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Dentists As Clinician Managers: Leadership Influences On Dental Team Empowerment And Engagement, Scott Hinckley Craven Jan 2017

Dentists As Clinician Managers: Leadership Influences On Dental Team Empowerment And Engagement, Scott Hinckley Craven

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership training is virtually nonexistent for dental students, and practicing dentists rarely engage in any form of leadership development, relying primarily on mentoring by senior colleagues and on-the-job experiences. Dentists serve in a hybrid role as clinicians and managers to provide quality dental care and establish a profitable business, respectively. This quantitative study investigated the ways in which the emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership styles of 16 dentist clinician managers (DCMs) affected their dental teams. Specifically, the effects of leadership style and EI of DCMs on individual psychological empowerment (PE), team PE, and employee engagement were explored. Team PE effects …

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Information Technology Training To Promote Collaboration Among Multiple Generations, Gregg Foster Jan 2017

Information Technology Training To Promote Collaboration Among Multiple Generations, Gregg Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decision to implement information technology (IT) initiatives to enhance collaboration among veterans, baby boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and Fifth Generation employees continues to challenge organizational leaders. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to identify how the implementation of information technology initiatives, coupled with the knowledge of learning styles, might enhance collaboration among generational cohort employees. The generational cohort theory, Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, and the technology acceptance model were the theoretical frameworks used to develop an understanding of the relationships among the cohorts and the acceptance of technology to enhance collaboration. Data were collected from a …

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Strategies For Minimizing Defects In Offshore-Outsourced Products, More Layen-Layeni Jan 2017

Strategies For Minimizing Defects In Offshore-Outsourced Products, More Layen-Layeni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders increasingly grapple with longer and more complex supply chain nodes wrought by the globalization of corporate manufacturing processes. The flow of outsourced materials is also more vulnerable to high-profile product-harm crises, sabotage, product defect, and recall problems. The purpose of this single case study was to explore manufacturing strategies used by business leaders of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the United States to minimize the defects in offshore-outsourced products. The sample was 2 OEM business leaders who have successfully reduced the defects in offshore-manufactured products in their Michigan facility. The conceptual framework was agency theory. Data were …

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Strategies In Outsourcing R&D Processes To Maintain Market Competitiveness, Berina Yerkic-Husejnovic Jan 2017

Strategies In Outsourcing R&D Processes To Maintain Market Competitiveness, Berina Yerkic-Husejnovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the 21st century, managing outsourced research and development (R&D) processes is critical to an organization's success. Guided by the logistic outsourcing theory developed by de Boer, Gaytan, and Arroyo, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies and processes organizational leaders used to manage outsourced R&D to maintain market competitiveness. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 5 purposefully selected business leaders who were responsible for outsourcing R&D in a single Fortune 500 corporation in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Company records were also gathered as data. Yin's 5-step process for a case study and key …

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Challenges Facing Organizational Leaders: A Phenomenological Study Of Nigerian Organizational Leaders, Adesina Olufemi Adegunle Jan 2017

Challenges Facing Organizational Leaders: A Phenomenological Study Of Nigerian Organizational Leaders, Adesina Olufemi Adegunle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the first decade of the 21st century, the number of functioning business organizations in Nigeria decreased by 45%. The high rate of business failures in Nigeria has left many questions about what is needed for creating business success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the influence of internal and external dynamics on leaders in Nigerian microfinance organizations. Twenty leaders from microfinance institutions participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. The data analysis process involved the use of Moustakas's modified van Kaam method, which resulted in the emergence of 12 themes. The themes that emerged included: (a) staff …

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Strategies For Improving Labor Productivity In Construction Companies, Lakew G. Buli Jan 2017

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 …

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Effective Strategies For Transformational Teams In The Danish Retail Banking Sector, Dorthe Hã¥Hr Dupont Jan 2017

Effective Strategies For Transformational Teams In The Danish Retail Banking Sector, Dorthe Hã¥Hr Dupont

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Successful transformation projects in the retail banking industry focusing on improving customer experiences have yielded a verified increase in earnings per employee. The purpose of this single case study was to reveal the strategies used by transformational team managers to ensure improved customer experiences. The stakeholder theory was used as the theoretical framework to analyze the interplay between the project team and the base organization during the process of improving customer experiences. The population consisted of 6 managers of transformational teams in the Danish retail banking sector who were successfully delivering on assigned goals of improving customer services. The data …

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Organizational Politics And Employee Behavior: A Comparison Between The U.S. And Lebanon, Yara A. Elkhalil Jan 2017

Organizational Politics And Employee Behavior: A Comparison Between The U.S. And Lebanon, Yara A. Elkhalil

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational politics (OP) is describe by many researchers as actions which affect activities, behaviors, and most importantly decision making through the use of power. Guided by Hofstede's cultural dimension theory and Mallol's, Holtom's and Lee's job embeddedness theory, the aim of this study was to examine employees' reactions toward OP regarding the substantially different cultures of the U.S. and Lebanon. These specific two countries were selected due to a gap in published research on culture and value differences. Research questions examined the extent to which cultural values differed and how employees respond differently facing OP. A survey-based research design included …

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The Effects Of Organizational Restructuring And Acceptance Of Change On Employees' Motivation, Eve Maria Fleming Jan 2017

The Effects Of Organizational Restructuring And Acceptance Of Change On Employees' Motivation, Eve Maria Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous internal and external factors drive decisions to undertake organizational restructuring; according to senior management, restructuring is part of a strategic change. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory, case study was to examine the effects of organizational restructuring on university employees' behavior towards restructuring and change in the effectiveness of the institution. The conceptual framework drew on the social change theory, a primary triad model, and a congruence model for organization problems to frame the guiding questions: how does restructuring impact employees' motivation and acceptance of change and how does the employees' acceptance of change affect the institution's effectiveness? From …

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Effective Leadership And Nonprofit Sustainability, Vaughn Orsborne Gleaves Jan 2017

Effective Leadership And Nonprofit Sustainability, Vaughn Orsborne Gleaves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A sustainability plan of an organization is useless without effective leadership in its design and execution. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies that church leaders having at least 7 continuous years of organizational fiscal sustainability and leadership used to ensure fiscal sustainability. The study included 8 face-to-face and 2 phone interviews with 4 senior pastors, 3 associate pastors, a treasurer, a finance committee chair, and a certified public accountant who lived in the Akron, Ohio area along with a review of documents including a leadership meeting agenda and financial committee meeting agenda, provided by study participants. …

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Strategies For Catalyzing Workforce Engagement In Warehouse Operations, Jeannette Jackson-Martin Jan 2017

Strategies For Catalyzing Workforce Engagement In Warehouse Operations, Jeannette Jackson-Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, approximately 30% of the global workers viewed experiences in the workplace as positive and fulfilling, which results in increased productivity in the workplace. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some warehouse service center managers used to engage employees to higher levels of productivity. The population comprised of 7 warehouse service center managers in 2 companies located in the Riverport area in Louisville, KY. The conceptual framework for this study encompassed Kahn's employee engagement theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, organizational procedure handbooks, and direct observation to prompt detailed information about participants' …

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Strategies For Retaining A Multigenerational Workforce, Laurita M. Jones Jan 2017

Strategies For Retaining A Multigenerational Workforce, Laurita M. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As organizations become more age diverse, some business leaders face challenges managing a multigenerational workforce. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that leaders at a university in Northwest Florida implemented to retain their age-diverse workforce. The targeted population was higher education business managers who had success with retaining an age-diverse staff. The conceptual framework of the study was Herzberg's 2-factor theory of motivation. A significant tenet of this theory is that employees explain satisfying and dissatisfying experiences based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to their job functions. The data collection process included face-to-face interviews …

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Knowledge Management Practice Strategies In Project-Based Organizations, Trenese Lashay Mcnealy Jan 2017

Knowledge Management Practice Strategies In Project-Based Organizations, Trenese Lashay Mcnealy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Companies globally have lost profit each year because of the lack of intra-organizational knowledge sharing. The purpose of this descriptive, multiple case study was to explore the knowledge management practice strategies that project management business leaders use to improve knowledge sharing in project-based organizations. Nine project management business leaders from 4 project-based organizations in metro Atlanta, Georgia completed individual Skype/phone semistructured interviews, and 5 project team members completed an in-person focus group discussion and an interview questionnaire. Knowledge management was the conceptual framework for this study, the basis for understanding the world around project management business leaders, and the implementation …

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Project Managers' Strategies For Megaproject Success, Nkenamchi Benedict Oputa Jan 2017

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 …

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The Core Competencies Necessary For Global Information Technology Project Management, Gregory Michael Von Schleh Jan 2017

The Core Competencies Necessary For Global Information Technology Project Management, Gregory Michael Von Schleh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global information technology (IT) project management organizations can create more value in their operations by presenting the core competencies possessed by global IT project managers (PMs) who are successful in their respective projects. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the core competencies and business strategies that IT PMs use to meet global IT project deadlines and budgets. This study involved 5 IT PMs from the Pacific Northwest (United States and Canada) who increased the quality of outsourced IT projects from 4 different companies. The data collection method included in-person semistructured interviews of participants and review of …

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Improving Employee Engagement Through Strategic Planning By Human Resources Professionals, Victoria L. Benson Jan 2017

Improving Employee Engagement Through Strategic Planning By Human Resources Professionals, Victoria L. Benson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Turnover rates are climbing every year, with a lack of engagement cited as a top reason, costing employers money in lost productivity. Slightly over one-third of workers worldwide consider themselves engaged. Employers are at risk of losing top talent due to a lack of engagement. Business leaders need to adapt to changing engagement practices invoking human resources (HR) as a strategic business partner. This study focused on strategic planning tools HR leaders in used to increase employee engagement. Interviews with leaders in a small-sized cloud-based data storage company in the Southeast region of the United States, were analyzed to identify …

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Examining The Relationship Between Communication Apprehension And Individual Innovativeness In Managers, Michelle Campagnola Jan 2017

Examining The Relationship Between Communication Apprehension And Individual Innovativeness In Managers, Michelle Campagnola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Communicative challenges that hinder managerial engagement in social networks can impede innovation adoption and thereby damage the financial performance and competitiveness of a firm. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between communication apprehension (CA) and individual innovativeness in managers. The focus of the research questions was determining if a relationship exists between these variables before and after controlling for demographic characteristics. With diffusion of innovation theory as the theoretical framework, this research involved an attempt to address how adoption categories relate to varying degrees of CA. One hundred and five American-based owner-executives, senior managers, and …

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Strategies Microbusiness Owners In Ghana Use For Managing Microloans, Stephen Ekow Edusah Jan 2017

Strategies Microbusiness Owners In Ghana Use For Managing Microloans, Stephen Ekow Edusah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High interest rates, many mortgage defaults, and availability of capital are challenges for microbusiness owners. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the strategies used by Ghana's microbusiness owners to manage microloans for sustainable businesses in Cape Coast, Ghana. Putnam's social capital theory was the conceptual framework for the study. A purposive and snowball sample of 10 participants completed semistructured interviews and described their perceptions and experiences of the phenomena. Data were analyzed using Moustakas' modified van Kaam method to catalog, group, and code information into themes. The study findings indicated there are high-interest rates and many mortgage …

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A Phenomenological Study Of Executive's Perspectives Of Hope Theory In Executive Coaching, Steven Hodlin Jan 2017

A Phenomenological Study Of Executive's Perspectives Of Hope Theory In Executive Coaching, Steven Hodlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The executive coaching and positive psychology fields are growing; however, minimal research exists regarding the coaching experiences of executive coachees with the various approaches a coach can utilize. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of research on consistent standards regarding how executive coaching should be conducted. The primary purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of executives who have been coached using approaches based on Snyder's hope theory, Buckingham and Clifton's theories of strength-based approaches to leadership, and the theories of positive psychology advanced by Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi. The participants in this …

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