Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons^™

Can Positive Employees Help Positive Organizational Change? Impact Of Psychological Capital And Emotions On Relevant Attitudes And Behaviors, James Avey, Tara S. Wernsing, Fred Luthans

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Although much attention has been devoted to understanding employee resistance to change, relatively little research examines the impact that positive employees can have on organizational change. To help fill this need, the authors investigate whether a process of employees’ positivity will have an impact on relevant attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, this study surveyed 132 employees from a broad cross-section of organizations and jobs and found: (a) Their psychological capital (a core factor consisting of hope, efficacy, optimism, and resilience) was related to their positive emotions that in turn were related to their attitudes (engagement and cynicism) and behaviors (organizational citizenship …

Authentic Leadership: Development And Validation Of A Theory-Based Measure, Fred Walumbwa, Bruce Avolio, William Gardner, Tara Wernsing, Suzanne Peterson

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study developed and tested a theory-based measure of authentic leadership using five separate samples obtained from China, Kenya, and the United States. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a higher order, multidimensional model of the authentic leadership construct (the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire [ALQ]) comprising leader self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective, and balanced processing. Structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated the predictive validity for the ALQ measure for important work-related attitudes and behaviors, beyond what ethical and transformational leadership offered. Finally, results revealed a positive relationship between authentic leadership and supervisor-rated performance. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

A Primer On Spreadsheet Analytics, Thomas A. Grossman Jr.

Business Analytics and Information Systems

This paper provides guidance to an analyst who wants to extract insight from a spreadsheet model. It discusses the terminology of spreadsheet analytics, how to prepare a spreadsheet model for analysis, and a hierarchy of analytical techniques. These techniques include sensitivity analysis, tornado charts, and backsolving (or goal-seeking). This paper presents native-Excel approaches for automating these techniques, and discusses add-ins that are even more efficient. Spreadsheet optimization and spreadsheet Monte Carlo simulation are briefly discussed. The paper concludes by calling for empirical research, and describing desired features spreadsheet sensitivity analysis and spreadsheet optimization add-ins.

Leadership Efficacy: Review And Future Directions, Sean T. Hannah, Bruce Avolio, Fred Luthans, Peter D. Harms

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The concept of leader efficacy has received relatively little attention in the leadership literature. This is somewhat surprising given that effective leadership requires high levels of agency (i.e., deliberately or intentionally exerting positive influence) and confidence. This review uses existing theory and research on leader efficacy as a point of departure for proposing an expanded and multi-level framework for understanding the domain of leadership efficacy that includes eader, follower, and collective efficacies. The primary goals are to provide a conceptual framework to stimulate future theory and research on building efficacious leadership and to understand how such leadership develops and …

The Association Between Ethnic Congruence In The Supervisor–Subordinate Dyad And Subordinate Organizational Position And Salary, James B. Avey, Bradley J. West, Craig Crossley

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

We used a large field sample (N = 32,854) to test popular press claims and propositions from relational demography theory that the ethnic congruence of the supervisor–subordinate dyad is associated with positive employee outcomes. Results indicate that ethnic congruence was positively associated with subordinates’ level in the organization and salary. These relationships were moderated by type of compensation system, such that the effects were stronger in merit-based than in tenure-based systems. In addition, the ex¬tent of the relationship between supervisor–subordinate congruence differed by ethnic group, supporting previous research that suggests examining unique outcomes by ethnicity. However, although statistically significant, effect …

Organizational Narcissism, Dennis Duchon, Michael Burns

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

In order to protect their identities, organizations can become self-obsessed and display extreme narcissistic behaviors, which will, in the long run, lead to decline. Extreme narcissism can take two forms. The high self-esteem narcissistic organization institutionalizes an exalted sense of self-worth and becomes blind to its weaknesses. The low self-esteem narcissistic organization institutionalizes a profound sense of unworthiness and becomes blind to its own strengths. In between the extremes an organization can remain reality-based and institutionalize a healthy sense of self-worth and value. Enron exhibited many characteristics of the high self-esteem narcissistic organization, while Salomon Brothers exhibited characteristics of the …

Technology-Aided Participative Methods In Environmental Assessment: An International Perspective, Ainhoa Gonzalez, Alan Gilmer, Ronan Foley, John Sweeney, John Fry

Articles

Provisions for citizen involvement in the assessment of potential environmental effects of certain plans, programmes and projects are present in current legislation. An international survey revealed that public participation is common practice in European and some other countries worldwide. However, a number of issues are observed to affect public involvement in EIA/SEA processes and expert opinion differs when evaluating the effectiveness of existing participative methods. Results suggest that technology-aided methods can improve traditional participation processes. In particular, GIS has the potential to increase community knowledge and enhance involvement by communicating information more effectively. Variable accessibility to technology and data quality …

Examining Career-Related Mentoring And Managerial Performance Across Cultures: A Multilevel Analysis, William A. Gentry, Todd J. Weber, Golnaz Sadri

Leadership Institute: Faculty Publications

The benefits of the mentoring relationship for protégés have been a primary focus in the mentoring literature. Researchers have recently begun to examine how mentoring can benefit the mentor. The purpose of the present study is to examine whether direct report-ratings of a manager’s career-related mentoring behaviors are related to boss-ratings of that manager’s performance. In addition, this study assesses whether the cultural background of the manager moderates the career-related mentoring–performance relationship via multilevel methodology. Results reveal that managers who are rated by their direct reports as engaging in career-related mentoring behaviors are perceived as better performers by their bosses. …

Differences In The Performance Of Knowledge Transfer Across Projects: A Study Of Gender And Role Of Key Project Stakeholders, Rafael E. Landaeta, Catherine Vergopia, Rey N. Diaz

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This investigation contributes empirical results of differences identified in key project stakeholders with respect to their use of knowledge transferred across projects. Gender and role were the two individual characteristics investigated. Project managers and members of project teams were the key stakeholders analyzed. Data was collected from 71 closed projects using a survey composed of closed-ended questions. The data collected was cross tabulated and statistically analyzed using Friedman's test and Spearman's correlation. The results provide evidence of the association of the performance of knowledge transfer across projects with (a) the individual factors of gender and role of key project stakeholders …

Mullewa Research Annexe Spring Field Day Future Farming Systems For North-Eastern Districts 21 August 2008, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Grain and other field crops research reports

Papers:

• Mullewa Research Annexe activities 2008

• Wheat for today and the future

• Consequences of strongly acidic and alkaline soils

• Break crop influence on low rainfall heavy soil

• Chemical fallow options for the north-east agricultural region

• Herbicide tolerance of new wheat varieties

• Lowrainfall oilseed crops for food and biofuel

• Utilising stock to reduce business risk in Binnu! A case study

Capability Ratios: Comparison And Interpretation Of Short-Term And Overall Indices, Frank Rudisill, Lewis A. Litteral

Management Faculty Publications

The ability of a process to satisfy customer requirements is frequently measured by capability indices. The use and interpretation of these capability indices are often times misguided and or misunderstood by those involved in this aspect of statistical process control. Those who monitor and control processes and/or make decisions based on the reported values of these indices need to have a clear understanding of indices that are reported by or to them. This paper addresses the particular indices of C_p and P_p which indicate the capability of the process based only on its variability and C_pk and …

Hybrid Data Envelopment Analysis And Simulation Methodology For Measuring Capacity Utilisation And Throughput Efficiency Of Container Terminals, Hokey Min, Byung-In Park

Management Faculty Publications

As growth in international trade slowed down in the recent years, inter-modal traffic volume declined and subsequently led to reduction in demand for container services. The reduced demand in container services and the ongoing glut of container port facilities throughout the world have sparked fierce competition among international container terminals. In an effort to help the port authorities to develop a winning strategy in the increasingly competitive container market, this paper develops a meaningful set of benchmarks that will set the standard for best practices. In particular, we propose a hybrid Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)/simulation model that is designed to …

Volume And Cost Implications Of Product Portfolio Complexity, Mark A. Jacobs

MIS/OM/DS Faculty Publications

Business leaders are concerned about the impacts of increasing levels of product portfolio complexity since many sense that complexity related costs such as order management, procurement, and inventory threaten to undermine operational efficiencies and consume profits. Even so, managers do not fully understand the extent and breadth of the impacts of product portfolio complexity. A more complete understanding of the operational effects of product portfolio complexity is lacking partially because researchers have not yet offered a robust theoretical perspective or studied it in a focused controlled way; until now. Herein, measures of product portfolio complexity are developed and related to …

Can Leaders Step Outside Of The Gender Box? An Examination Of Leadership And Gender Role Stereotypes, Margaret Y. Padgett, Craig B. Caldwell, Andrew Embry

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

This study examined gender stereotypes for leaders using a more indirect method than is typical in stereotype research. Rather than reveal the leader's gender, this study used vignettes in which the leader's gender was unknown. Consistent with their hypothesis, the authors found that participants were more likely to infer a male (female) gender identity than a female (male) gender identity when presented with a leader using a masculine (feminine) style. They also hypothesized that a leader using a gender-consistent leadership style would be viewed more positively than a leader using a gender-inconsistent style. Contrary to this hypothesis, results revealed that …

Dublin Visitor Survey 2008 Report, Sheila Flanagan, John Carty, Gerard Dunne

Reports

This report represents a joint research initiative by the Tourism Research Centre and the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism at the Technological University Dublin with the support of Dublin Tourism. The study has been conducted annually since 1999 and has amassed a wealth of rich data over the years. This report highlights the principal 2008 findings from the annual visitor survey including the characteristics and attitudes of out of state tourists visiting Dublin city. The key objectives of the survey are to improve the quality of urban tourism information within a Dublin city context and to provide those engaged …

Retail Internationalization: Jc Penney’S Global Expansion, Wai Kwan (Elaine) Lau

Management Faculty Research

In apparel industry, as domestic markets become overstored and/or mature, retailers consider international market involvement as a strategy for growth. Retailers have been successful in expansions to some countries, but not in others. This paper analyzes and evaluates JC Penney’s positioning and retailing strategies in domestic market, international expansion strategies, and factors such as culture influences on its international expansion strategies. This study presents a prototype for other retailers to follow when looking inside and outside national borders for expansion opportunities.

The Additive Value Of Positive Psychological Capital In Predicting Work Attitudes And Behaviors, James B. Avey, Fred Luthans, Carolyn M. Youssef

Leadership Institute: Faculty Publications

Conventional wisdom over the years and recent research findings have supported the importance of positivity in the workplace. However, to date, empirical analysis has not demonstrated potential added value of recently emerging positive state-like constructs such as psychological capital over the more established positive traits in predicting work attitudes and behaviors. This study of a sample of employees (N=336) from a broad cross section of organizations and jobs found that their state-like psychological capital is positively related to desired extra-role organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and negatively with undesired organizational cynicism, intentions to quit and counterproductive workplace behaviors. Except for individual …

A Call For Longitudinal Research In Positive Organizational Behavior, James B. Avey, Fred Luthans, Ketan H. Mhatre

Leadership Institute: Faculty Publications

After defining and providing the current status of psychological capital (PsyCap), we address the need to better understand its stability (i.e., state vs. trait). Specifically, we issue a call for longitudinal research. The balance of this ‘‘incubator’’ article examines the relevance, potential obstacles, and advantages of this design in meeting PsyCap’s future research needs.

Factors Influence On Success Mass Customization, Wai Kwan (Elaine) Lau

Accounting Faculty Research

This paper summarizes the common elements of mass customization (MC). It argues that MC should be viewed as a manufacturing management system that synergizes and integrates all the elements. Then, three factors, customer, technology, and organizational factors are identified. The moderating effects between implemented MC and improved performance are discussed.

Parental Payment Abuse Within The Supplemental Security Income Program, Darlean Taylor-King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Management of Social Security Administration (SSA) has been challenged by the phenomena of overpayments with its Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Oversight authorities of SSA had expressed concerns about the overpayment abuse caused by parents as representative payees for disabled minor children. It was important to address this problem because the amount of overpayments prior to 1998 had caused integrity issues for management of SSA and increased federal debt from SSI claimants. The purpose of this study was to examine how management of SSA and the SSI program had responded to the concerns of the oversight authorities. Theoretical foundations for …

Portfolio Construction: The Efficient Diversification Of Marketing Investments, Michael P. Haydock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efforts in the marketing sciences can be distinguished between the analysis of individual customers and the examination of portfolios of customers, giving scarce theoretical guidance concerning the strategic allocation of promotional investments. Yet, strategic asset allocation is considered in financial economics theory to be the most important set of investment decisions. The problem addressed in this study was the application of strategic asset allocation theory from financial economics to marketing science with the aim of improving the financial results of investment in direct marketing promotions. This research investigated the components of efficient marketing portfolio construction which include multiattribute numerical optimization, …

Mentoring Women Of Color For Leadership: Do Barriers Exist?, Sandra Yvonne Jeffcoat

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The number of women in the workforce is increasing, but they continue to hold few corporate leadership positions. Women are running into the glass ceiling, a ceiling that is thicker for Women of Color. The under-representation of women and minorities in leadership positions and the recognition of the business value of Diversity in this global economy have driven organizations to launch diversity programs and use mentoring as support for aspiring women leaders. Ragins and Cotton's 1991 research found that there were barriers for women who were looking to use mentoring as a tool for leadership development, but her participants were …

Fostering Sustainability In Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Transformative Leadership And Change Strategies, Kim H. Mcnamara

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As evidence of the earth’s limited capacity to sustain human life mounts, institutions of higher education are being looked to for leadership in the effort to educate students about environmental concerns and support the development of sustainable innovations. Colleges and universities are responding to this call for leadership by starting and/or expanding environmental research programs, integrating sustainability issues throughout the curriculum, adopting sustainable operations, and building green facilities. Reflecting upon the sustainability efforts of these institutions, this research study explores the following questions: What factors are essential for initiating and leading a successful change effort to foster sustainability in higher …

On Being A Nonprofit Executive Director, Janet Elizabeth Rechtman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In describing the course of change in a dynamic field such as the nonprofit sector, neo-institutional theorists argue that isomorphic forces such as replication of best practices tend to increase the homogeneity of actors. This interplay of structure and agency creates what is known as the structuration of an institutional field. These theorists have little to say about the people who influence and are influenced by these dynamics. This study explores this personal experience at the micro level of the nonprofit field executive leadership. It focuses on their challenges related to the isomorphic pressures resulting from: (1) socio-economic roles, (2) …

The Influence Of The Servicescape On Post-Consumption Processes, Daire Hooper

Doctoral

The physical and atmospheric cues in service environments have long been accepted as potent contributors to consumers’ overall evaluations of their service experiences. Theoretical frameworks conceptualising how these environmental cues impact on both emotional and cognitive processes have been put forward, yet the empirical work supporting these theories has become highly disjointed with a great deal of confusion regarding what should be classified as an environmental stimulus. By integrating the extant literature, this dissertation attempts to overcome theoretical ambiguities and proposes a second order factor model of service environments, also known as the servicescape, which is subsequently tested using a …

Getting Past Conflict Resolution: A Complexity View Of Conflict, Leticia Andrade, Donde Ashmos Plowman, Dennis Duchon

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The traditional view of conflict, as a problematic condition always requiring reduction or elimination and whose conditions or outcomes can be predicted, is incompatible with a complex adaptive systems view of organizations. Thus, conventional approaches to reducing conflict are often futile because the fundamental properties of complex adaptive systems are the source of much organizational ‘conflict.’ In this paper we offer an alternative view of conflict as pattern fluctuations in complex adaptive systems. Rather than needing reduction or elimination, conflict is the fuel that drives system growth and enables learning and adaptive behaviors, making innovation possible. Instead of focusing on …

On The Same Page: The Value Of Paid And Volunteer Leaders Sharing Mental Models In Churches, Stephanie T. Solansky, Dennis Duchon, Donde Ashmos Plowman, Patricia G. Martínez

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

We examine the idea that mental models shared among paid and volunteer leaders are associated with improved financial performance in nonprofit organizations. Our empirical analysis of thirty-seven churches yields evidence that organizations are more effective if paid and volunteer leaders have a shared task mental model—that is, if they report similar conceptualizations of organizational goals and decision-making processes. These findings suggest that the extent of leaders’ agreement on organizational goals and the processes of how decisions are made matter for organizational performance. We argue that it is as important to ensure that everyone is on the same page with regard …

The Utility Of Transactional And Transformational Leadership For Predicting Performance And Satisfaction Within A Path-Goal Theory Framework, Robert P. Vecchio, Joseph E. Justin, Craig L. Pearce

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

In a test of hypotheses derived from the integration of principles of path-goal theory (House, 1996) and transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985), data collected from 179 high school teachers and their principals were examined with hierarchical regression analysis. Augmentation analysis indicated that transactional leadership had a stronger role in explaining unique criterion variance beyond the contribution of transformational leadership, than did transformational leadership relative to transactional leadership. In addition, both the transactional and transformational leadership had a negative interactive relationship for predicting the outcome of performance, such that leader vision and leader intellectual stimulation were more positively correlated with employee …

The Mediating Role Of Psychological Capital In The Supportive Organizational Climate–Employee Performance Relationship, Fred Luthans, Steven M. Norman, Bruce J. Avolio, James B. Avey

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Although the value of a supportive organizational climate has been recognized over the years, there is a need for better understanding of its relationship with employee outcomes. This study investigates whether the recently emerging core construct of positive psychological capital (consisting of hope, resilience, optimism, and efficacy) plays a role in mediating the effects of a supportive organizational climate with employee outcomes. Utilizing three diverse samples, results show that employees’ psychological capital is positively related to their performance, satisfaction, and commitment and a supportive climate is related to employees’ satisfaction and commitment. The study’s major hypothesis that employees’ psychological capital …

“A Noble Endeavor”: Comments From The Yearly Review Editor, Mary Uhl-Bien

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This issue comprises The Leadership Quarterly Yearly Review of Leadership (LQYR) for 2008, a series that was started by Jerry Hunt in 2000. With this series, Jerry displayed his tremendous talent as a visionary and leading edge thinker in bringing us a series of articles from top and emerging scholars not only in leadership, but in other areas Jerry saw that could inform leadership. The series has become a cornerstone of LQ, and the impact is demonstrated by the fact that, since its inception, LQYR articles have been regular recipients of the Best Paper Award in LQ. We …