Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Parliamentary Procedure Interactive Notebook: Newly Revised, P. Troy White, Amie Carter

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

An interactive notebook for teaching fundamentals of parliamentary procedure. Over 120 pages of content to help teach correct principles of this critical organizational management skill. P. Troy White is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian and a Certified Parliamentarian, ensuring that the content included follows the 12th Edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

Ua21 What's New, Wku Institutional Equity

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the Office of Institutional Equity.

• Demir, Ena. A Message from the Executive Director
• Training Opportunities: Stay Informed & Engaged
• Understanding Title VI
• Student Accessibility Center Joins the Office of Institutional Equity
• Need Workplace Accommodations?
• Web Accessibility Regulations
• Relevant Information
• Stop Campus Hazing Act
• Meet the Team

Polymathy: The Foundational Source Of Creativity And Innovation., Michael Araki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an era of mounting complexity and a growing need to transcend siloed thinking, this dissertation advances polymathy as a critical yet underexplored construct in the management and behavioral sciences. Polymathy is framed as an expansive approach to the pursuit, development, and application of knowledge, marked by the conjunction of breadth, depth, and integration. Building on a thought lineage that stretches from Ancient Greece through the Renaissance to the present day, this work shows that polymathy is neither a relic of the past nor an achievement reserved for a few—but a mode of being, thinking, and acting in the world …

The Impact Of Culture And Language On Internal Communication And Patient Care In Small To Medium-Sized Black Immigrant-Owned Healthcare Practices In Texas., Chisom Nwosu

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how cultural competency in small to medium-sized Black immigrant-owned healthcare practices in Texas affects internal communication and patient care. Through semi-structured interviews with nine clinical and administrative leaders in Dallas and Houston, five themes emerged: culturally competent leadership, intentional communication structures, language and interpretation practices, patient-centered cultural sensitivity, and the use of technology for adaptation. Findings suggest that culturally aware leadership and inclusive communication strategies foster team cohesion and improve patient trust and care. Participants reported adapting workflows to meet religious, language, and communication needs through human and technological tools. The study underscores embedding cultural …

Autonomous, Yet Anchored: Exploring The Interplay Of Self-Reliance And Personal Spirituality On Employee Outcomes, Alexander Schad

All Dissertations

The modern workplace increasingly requires employees to function autonomously while managing limited psychological resources, presenting a tension between the benefits of self-reliance and its potential costs to well-being. This dissertation examined how self-reliance simultaneously influences task persistence and emotional exhaustion, and explores whether personal spirituality moderates these relationships. Drawing on the Strength Model of Self-Control (SMSC), I develop and test a theoretical framework investigating the relationships between self-reliance, work overload, task persistence, emotional exhaustion, and workplace spirituality.

Through a time-lagged field study with 453 working professionals across three measurement waves, I found that self-reliance positively predicted task persistence, supporting the …

Between Two Worlds: A Case Study Of Third Culture Identity And Reentry For Unl International Students, John S. Tessalee

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and international students share many commonalities, such as their globalized nature, adaptability, and the adoption of cultural components from their host country versus their home country. However, they contain enough differences to be considered separate groups. Traditionally, people need to be immersed in a culture different from their parents’ culture between the ages of 0 and 18 to be considered a TCK, whereas international students are typically between 18 and 24 years old by the time they attend universities overseas. The cultural absorption of TCKs in their formative years is usually greater than that of international …

What The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Means For Dentists, John Looby Cpa, Theodore C. Schumann Ii Mba, Msf, Cfp, Aif

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Executive Summary: The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed July 4, 2025, significantly impacts dentists by extending and making permanent many 2017 tax policies. Key tax changes include permanent tax rates, an increased state and local income tax (SALT) cap, and new deductions for seniors, qualified tips, overtime wages, charitable donations, and auto loan interest. The qualified business income deduction is now permanent, and first-year bonus depreciation is restored. New "Trump Accounts" are established for children. Crucially, the OBBB introduces $50,000 annual and $200,000 lifetime caps on professional degree student loans, effective July 2026, and establishes the Repayment Assistance Plan …

Mda At Your Service: What’S The Mda Doing To Help The Hygienist Shortage?, Rachel Sinacola Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article details the MDA's efforts to address Michigan's dental hygienist shortage, which saw about 3,000 licensed RDHs leave the workforce since 2020. Initiatives include paid social media campaigns targeting potential and former RDHs, although enrollment impacts have been minimal. The MDA is also collaborating with hygiene schools, helping Ferris State University secure funding to double its size and working with North Central Michigan College to establish a new school. Discussions are underway to explore allowing internationally trained dentists to perform hygiene duties. Additionally, the MDA endorses MEDVA for virtual assistant staffing, promoting HIPAA-compliant human professionals who handle remote administrative …

Dentistry And The Law: Length Of Covenants Not To Compete, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article clarifies the distinct legal standards for covenants not to compete in Michigan, particularly relevant for dentists selling their practice and remaining employed. A covenant in an employment agreement is enforceable if "reasonable," typically limited to two to three years and the employer's patient draw area. In contrast, a covenant within a purchase agreement, considered a commercial contract, is judged under a more lenient "rule of reason" standard. This standard is easier to satisfy, requiring only that the covenant does not adversely impact the relevant market. Consequently, purchasers often use the purchase agreement to impose harsher, longer-term restrictive covenants.

The New Professional: Tracking Success: Essential Kpis For Owners And Associates, Amrita Patel Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article underscores the importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for data-driven success in modern dental practices. For new practice owners, essential KPIs include production, collections, and overhead ratio to ensure financial stability and operational efficiency. Patient flow metrics, such as new patient numbers and retention rates, are vital for growth. For both owners and associates, case acceptance rate reflects treatment plan conversion, and chair time utilization measures clinical efficiency. Other critical KPIs encompass hygiene production, patient satisfaction scores, online reviews, and accounts receivable aging. Associates can also track personal production and referral patterns for career development.

Staff Matters: Adding Background Checks And Drug Testing To The Hiring Process, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article advises dental practices on legally and carefully implementing pre-employment background checks and drug testing. It emphasizes ensuring non-discriminatory practices by consistently applying policies and clearly defining screening criteria. Practices must obtain written applicant authorization and provide notification of Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) rights before conducting checks. When evaluating results, relevance to the job and timing of convictions should be considered, avoiding blanket bans. For drug testing, transparency is key. Given Michigan's recreational marijuana legality, a positive THC test does not automatically indicate impairment, requiring practices to define their approach. Using a reputable third-party provider for both screenings …

Mda Insurance: How Offering Great Benefits Makes Your Practice Attractive To Employees, Craig Start Mba

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article highlights the critical role of employee benefits in attracting and retaining staff in dental practices, particularly given the low unemployment rates for hygienists and assistants. Beyond competitive pay and flexible hours, a robust benefit package, including both employer-paid and voluntary options, is increasingly vital. The MDA Health Plan offers flexible group health insurance options for members. Voluntary benefits such as vision, life, disability, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance are attractive, with Section 125 (cafeteria) plans allowing pre-tax premium payments and offering payroll tax reductions for employers. These benefits provide essential financial security and enhance overall compensation.

Mda Services: Endorsed Programs News

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Throughh MDA Services, the Michigan Dental Association (MDA) has announced several endorsed programs aimed at supporting dental practices across Michigan: Compass Dental Gas Service is now endorsed by the MDA for its expertise in installing, maintaining, and repairing dental gas systems. Members benefit from exclusive discounts and safety compliance support. MEDVA Virtual Staffing offers HIPAA-compliant, human virtual assistants to handle administrative tasks remotely. This service helps reduce labor costs and allows in-office staff to focus on patient care. MDA Health Plan sponsors are reminded to submit overdue eligibility verification documents, which are essential for compliance and 2026 renewal preparations. DBS …

From Pencil To Pixel: How Leadership Shapes Organizational Responses To Competence-Destroying Technological Change, Jennifer Underwood

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines how managerial leadership enables organizations to overcome inertia during competence-destroying technological change through a historical comparative case analysis of the animation industry's transition from hand-drawn to computer-generated imagery (CGI) between 1980-2000. Drawing on archival data from Disney, Pixar, and Don Bluth Studios, I identify three distinct leadership approaches—pioneering, bridging, and preserving—that differently influenced how workforces adjusted their views of identity, process, and change. These adjustments led to three different outcomes: transformative integration, constrained adoption, and entrenched resistance. This research makes three theoretical contributions and develops a novel framework that explains how leadership can constrain or enable transformation, …

Transforming Childhood Adversity Into Executive Excellence: Impact On Firm Performance, Kimberly Byars

All Dissertations

Many successful business leaders have overcome difficult childhoods, yet little research has examined how early hardships might actually contribute to leadership effectiveness. This study investigated whether CEOs who experienced childhood adversity can transform these difficult experiences into strengths that improve their companies' performance.

The research surveyed 165 business owners across two groups: general business owners and automotive dealership owners. Participants answered questions about their childhood experiences, their ability to grow from trauma, and various psychological traits like grit, mental toughness, resilience, and growth mindset. Company performance data was also collected.

The findings challenge conventional wisdom that difficult childhoods necessarily harm …

Organizational Metamorphosis: When Artificial Intelligence Transforms Companies Into New Economic Life Forms, Allan M. Glass

All Dissertations

Traditional theories of organizational change fall short in explaining how artificial intelligence (AI) transforms organizations. This grounded theory study, based on interviews with 34 organizational leaders, identifies a novel phenomenon: organizational metamorphosis - the irreversible transformation of organizations into fundamentally new entities through deep integration with AI as a cognitive partner.

The metamorphosis process unfolds in three phases. Individual Awakening occurs when leaders experience powerful interactions with AI, prompting a rapid shift from skepticism to advocacy. Once a critical mass of leaders undergo this shift, it initiates Organizational Restructuring, characterized by reimagined work design, boundary dissolution, and altered temporal rhythms. …

Guest Editorial: Who’S Special Now?, Michael Maihofer Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial discusses a controversial change in Michigan's dental specialty advertising law, which occurred in 2020. Previously, only state-recognized specialists, undergoing rigorous advanced training, could advertise their specialty status. However, a new rule, resulting from an out-of-court settlement, paradoxically allows general dentists not recognized as specialists to advertise as such without following advertising rules. This change is criticized for undermining public protection and creating unethical, misleading situations where general dentists advertise as pediatric dentists, for instance. The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) is actively working to revert this law by supporting House Bills 4593 and 4594 to ensure only recognized specialists …

The Role Of Microfinance In Improving Global Economy, Khamphou Milayome

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

This study investigates microfinance’s role in enhancing the global economy by examining its impact on economic growth, unemployment, and political stability. Secondary data from MIX Market and WDI were used in this study to assess these relationships. Multiple regression was conducted with EViews software to test regression models with the independent variables related to microfinance and microfinance institutions (MFIs). Using the data from South Asia and Southeast Asian countries, this study finds that microfinance significantly improves economic growth, reduces the unemployment rate, and strengthens political stability. Microeconomic variables used in the study are borrowing amounts and the cost per borrower. …

Gender And Entrepreneurial Success: Examining The Relationships Among Risk Aversion, Loss Aversion, Risk Propensity, And Venture Performance, Kara Mcalister

All Dissertations

Gender disparities in entrepreneurship persist despite increased participation by women entrepreneurs. Traditional research has attributed these disparities to gender differences in risk-taking behavior, with women entrepreneurs typically characterized as more risk-averse. However, recent evidence suggests this oversimplifies a complex phenomenon and may reinforce harmful stereotypes. This study examined the relationships among risk aversion, loss aversion, risk propensity, and venture performance for male and female entrepreneurs, while considering moderating effects of industry gender-type and previous experience.

A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed with 157 entrepreneurs (93 female, 64 male) recruited from entrepreneurial organizations. Risk aversion was measured using the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking …

Like Footprints In The Sand: How Founders Imprint Organizational Culture Through Nonverbal Cue Signaling, Dirk M. Roskam

All Dissertations

Despite growing recognition of the significance of founders’ behaviors in shaping organizational culture, limited research has explored how founders’ non-verbal cues (NVCs) imprint culture during a venture’s formative stages. This qualitative case study examines how a founder’s NVCs, ranging from physical environment design to gestures and demeanor, are interpreted by employees and contribute to the imprinting of organizational culture. Drawing on imprinting theory, signaling theory, and the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP), the study triangulates data from semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a literature review. Findings reveal that employees interpret 24 salient NVCs, grouped into themes of environmental values, people-centric …

Regulatory Tension In Highly Structured Organizations, David Elliott Sr.

All Dissertations

This study examines the psychological mechanisms by which employees with a pronounced propensity for risk-taking navigate highly formalized organizational environments. Utilizing a longitudinal, three-wave cross-sectional design with temporal separation, the research surveyed 220 employees with psychometrically validated instruments to assess personality traits, role conflict, and organizational identification. Anchored in an integrative framework that combines regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) and identity theory (Burke & Stets, 2009), the study hypothesized that self-verification striving and a growth mindset mediate the relationships between risk-seeking tendencies and the outcomes of role conflict and organizational identification, with organizational structure serving as a moderating variable. Structural …

The Dark Side Of Great Lmx Relationships: Why Your Best Employees Might Be Burning Out, Ryan Toole

All Dissertations

While workplace relationships are widely considered beneficial for employee well-being, a paradox emerges when employees with the strongest leader relationships experience burnout despite receiving excellent support. This contradiction suggests that these very same relationships may create psychological pressure to reciprocate support and result in employee burnout. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and Conservation of Resources theory, I examine whether felt obligation resulting from Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationships contributes to employee burnout across the full spectrum of LMX quality relationships. I argue that LMX quality creates felt obligation to reciprocate leader support. This obligation, in turn, depletes emotional resources and leads …

Engaging In Movement At Work: Exploring Engagement And Physical Activity., Spencer A. Cavan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High levels of employee engagement provide organizations competitive advantages such as increased customer satisfaction, profits, and employee productivity. Despite potential benefits, the number of engaged employees is declining and organizations need to find innovative ways to enhance engagement. Emerging evidence suggests workplace physical activity may generate organizational benefits extending beyond health improvement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of engagement among employees participating in a physical activity intervention at work. A qualitative design, guided by phenomenology, examined perceptions of workplace physical activity and perceived levels of engagement, as well as constraints related to involvement among university …

Service With A Smile Or Salesperson Mirroring? Understanding The Flow Of Emotional Contagion In Sales Encounters, Vinh Quoc Trong Luong

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This study examines the directionality of emotional contagion in sales interactions, addressing a critical gap in understanding whether emotions flow primarily from the salesperson to the customer, from the customer to the salesperson, or bidirectionally. While prior research emphasizes customer-driven emotional flow or bidirectional alignment, this study challenges these assumptions by employing categorical Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis (CRQA) to assess temporal emotional synchronization in sales dialogues. Leveraging automated sentiment analysis and multi-agent AI evaluation for performance metrics, the research analyzes 166 sales interactions to quantify emotional influence dynamics. Results reveal that salespeople predominantly lead emotional exchanges, exhibiting stronger and more stable …

The Effects Of The Chief Information Officer’S Presence And Tenure On Financial Performance, Xuemei Li

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

CIOs should be at the core of the organization. They play more and more critical roles in organizations. However, CIOs have not been paid enough attention in many firms. This can be partially observed in a lack of studies about CIOs, for instance, how CIOs influence the organizations, and how organizations' settings influence the CIOs. Technical initiatives or innovations may be the bridge between CIOs and firm performance. Different theories have been employed concerning CIOs, innovations, and firm performance. For instance, the resource-based view (RBV) has served as a theoretical foundation in related studies.

Drawing on RBV, attention-based view (ABV), …

Two Essays On Lottery-Like Stocks, Reihaneh Haghighi Zadeh

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Essay 1: Momentum and Investors' Lottery-like Preference

Previous empirical studies have consistently shown that lottery-like stocks exhibit unconditionally low average returns due to investor overreaction to extreme short-term gains. However, the results show when the momentum strategy is jointly conditioned on stocks with high maximum daily returns (MAX), high-MAX stocks yield significantly higher future returns than their low-MAX counterparts. For value-weighted portfolios, a momentum strategy applied within the high-MAX category generates an average monthly return of 2.5%, compared to only 0.25% in the low-MAX category. This return premium exceeds that of the standard momentum strategy proposed by Jegadeesh and Titman …

Two Essays On Firms’ Reactions To Major Events In Rival Companies, Alireza Askarzadeh

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The first essay of this dissertation examines the influence of peer credit rating downgrades on firms’ financial decisions. The results show that firms respond to a rival’s downgrade by increasing excess debt capacity, excess cash holdings, excess net working capital, and the excess cash conversion cycle. They also accelerate their speed of adjustment (SOA) toward target capital structures. These adjustments are motivated by a desire to mitigate the higher costs and risks associated with financial distress and to preserve competitive advantage. Moreover, firms with more capable managers, and those operating in environments with greater market competition, higher information asymmetry, and …

Two Essays On The Role Of Anthropomorphism In Consumer Behavior, Faegheh (Faa) Taheran

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The first essay of this dissertation investigates the contradictory findings on the relationship between anthropomorphism and self-control by focusing on how everyday anthropomorphized objects, rather than the products being used for consumption, influence consumer behavior. While previous studies have shown that using anthropomorphized products may decrease consumers’ self-control, this paper examines how unrelated [to consumption] anthropomorphized objects in a consumer’s environment—such as a water bottle with a humanlike face—can evoke a sense of social presence, increasing consumers’ perceptions that they are being negatively evaluated. Drawing on mind perception theory, I propose that this fear of negative evaluation can enhance self-control. …

The Cost Of Strength: Navigating Systemic Racism And The Strong Black Woman Stereotype In The Workplace, Krystle M. Davis

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This research defined and explored the lived experiences of Black women in leadership and the role of systemic racism on the performance of the strong Black woman stereotype in the workplace. Grounded in Black feminist thought, epistemology, and phenomenology, this qualitative study seeks to deepen understanding the lived experiences of Black women. This manuscript-style dissertation comprises two studies: Study 1 consisted of nine participants who contributed through Sista Circle focus groups and Study 2 consisted of fourteen participants who engaged in semi-structured interviews to defined and examined their workplace experiences. Situated at the intersection of race and gender, this research …

Perceived Leadership Behaviors And Workplace Motivation: The Predictive Role Of Generational Cohorts In The U.S. Construction Industry, Leslie D. Klinegardner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which perceived leadership behaviors predicted workplace motivation among construction workers across generational cohorts in the Greater Houston, Texas area. Grounded in self-determination theory, the research explored how transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership behaviors predicted the satisfaction and frustration of psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The analysis also considered whether leadership behaviors and generational cohort served as significant predictors of workplace motivation outcomes. The study followed a quantitative, predictive, cross-sectional design using survey methodology. Data were collected using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Basic Psychological Need …