Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons^™

Experiential Insights From Managing Joint Ventures In Indonesia : Reflection On Past Lessons And Future Challenges, Teddy Pawitra

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Joint ventures as one of the many form of strategic alliance are now ubiquitous phenomena in most Asian countries such as Indonesia and others. The trend to establish joint ventures with foreign firms has been growing in popularity since the onset of 1980s. In 2007, the value of realized foreign direct investment in Indonesia had reached USD 9,076.6 million which represented 842 projects (Investment Coordinating Board, Oct. 2007). However, particular data regarding the magnitude of investment in joint ventures are not available because foreign direct investments are not further specified into joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries. The development of …

Evaluating Effectiveness Of Employee Attraction Strategies, Gregory Doane

Honors Projects in Management

This project deals with the effectiveness of attraction strategies, specifically those utilized by corporate accounting firms at Bryant University. The primary concern of the research was to identify various aspects that influence the recruitment of college students and ultimately share this knowledge with the companies, subsequently rendering the recruitment process more efficient for everyone involved. In order to accomplish this task, several methods of data collection were used including surveys of companies, surveys of students, interviews, and participant observation. This data was then organized and analyzed to determine the strategies each firm engaged in, the effect of those strategies, and …

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 Effect Of Values On System Development Project Outcomes, Daniel B. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

In order to understand why organizations make certain decisions and target certain outcomes, it is useful to understand their priorities and preferences, commonly referred to as “values.” This research explores the relationship between the technical values held by system development teams and the operational effectiveness of the systems those teams produce. Specifically, it examines the impact of a value set called FIST (Fast, Inexpensive, Simple, Tiny) on DoD and NASA system development projects, and investigates the correlation between the FIST values and operational outcomes. The findings show that the FIST value set enhances project stability, increases the project leader’s control …

Classification Of Schedule Management Barriers Through Concept Mapping, Gregory W. Voth

Theses and Dissertations

Barriers to adoption of schedule management processes are a matter of serious concern to the acquisition community. Schedule management has been widely accepted to contribute to the successful execution of complicated system development processes since the 1950s. However, studies of recent acquisition failures illustrate that over the last 15 years, there has been significant internal resistance to the adoption of schedule management processes. This exploratory effort used concept mapping to identify and classify the types of barriers existing in the Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC). A series of open-ended questions were posed to four experienced program managers in ASC. Units of …

Value-Driven Enterprise Architecture Score: Evaluation Applied To Joint Force Protection Future State Design, Larry D. Cotton, Gary A. Haase

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a methodology to evaluate the quality of a system's architecture using principles drawn from Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) and resulting in a Value-Driven Enterprise Architecture Score (VDEA-Score). This is an overall numerical architecture quality score useful to a system's management team to identify the advantages and disadvantages of a system design and associated architecture documentation or to track its quality across discrete evaluation epochs. This effort determined which aspects of the architecture are most valuable to the stakeholder in the areas of (1) the system effectiveness values (quality of the instantiated system being represented and its ability to …

Authentic Leadership And Positive Psychological Capital: The Mediating Role Of Trust At The Group Level Of Analysis, Rachel Clapp-Smith, Gretchen Vogelgesang, James Avey

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study investigates the relationship between authentic leadership, trust, positive psychological capital (PsyCap), and performance at the group level of analysis. Data were collected from a small Midwestern chain of retail clothing stores, a context in which the needs for both authentic leadership and a positive sales staff are integral to the firm’s performance. Constructs were aggregated to the store (group) level to test relationships between perceptions of authentic leadership, trust in management, positive psychological capital, and performance. Trust in management was found to mediate the relationship between PsyCap and performance and to partially mediate the relationship be¬tween authentic leadership …

Strategic Leadership And Innovation In High Technology Firms, Terri A. Scandura Phd

Management Faculty Articles and Papers

Did you ever wonder what the organizations that produce some of the high tech gadgets we marvel at such as the IPhone and the Blu-ray player are like? How do their leaders create and maintain a spirit of innovation that produces these hit products? High technology firms face unique challenges because of the fast paced and ever-changing landscape of their industry. Intellectual capital and innovation have become the key sources of competitive advantage in a wide range of industries and many have argued that the key to the future competitiveness of organizations in the U.S and abroad is the ability …

Mentoring – A Review Of The Science And The State Of The Art, Terri A. Scandura Phd

Management Faculty Articles and Papers

Mentoring is a relationship between a senior person and a junior person that enhances the junior person’s personal learning on the job and career development. Research on mentoring in organizations dates back to the late seventies to early eighties. In 1985, Kathy Kram at Boston University published a book entitled, “Mentoring at work: Developmental relationships in organizational life” that proved to be a catalyst for much research on mentoring in the management literature. In recent years, the emphasis on mentoring relationships at work has shifted to what mentee’s learn on the job – both jobrelated skills as well as political …

Demonstrating Sustainable Farm Management Systems. Final Report For Rcg05-Ord13, Tara Slaven, Francis Bright, Jodie Hawley, Joe Sherrard

Natural resources research reports

The Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) has a 'flow through' irrigation system. That is, irrigation water is diverted from Lake Kununurra and any waste water from the irrigation system and farms flows directly back into the river downstream. This means that any sediment, nutrient or chemicals in tailwater from farms flows straight into the river.

The Ord Land and Water Management Plan 2000 specifies goals to improve surface water quality. The goals are to reduce the load of chemical and nutrient contamination and sediment in tailwater by 40 per cent.

The aim of this project was to develop and demonstrate …

The Lookup Technique To Replace Nested-If Formulas In Spreadsheet Programming, Thomas A. Grossman Jr., O Ozluk, J Gustavson

Business Analytics and Information Systems

Spreadsheet programmers often implement contingent logic using a nested-IF formula even though this technique is difficult to test and audit and is believed to be risky. We interpret the programming of contingent logic in spreadsheets in the context of traditional computer programming. We investigate the “lookup technique” as an alternative to nested-IF formulas, describe its benefits for testing and auditing, and define its limitations. The lookup technique employs four distinct principles: 1) make logical tests visible; 2) make outcomes visible; 3) make logical structure visible; and 4) replace a multi-function nested-IF formula with a single-function lookup formula. It can be …

Food, Fibre And Flowers, Fuelling The Economy With Innovation And Science, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Horticulture published reports

The Department of Agriculture and Food is a world leader in the rapidly growing field of agri-food and fibre research and development, providing significant benefits for Westen Australian producers, the food industry sector and consumers.

The development of value-added products through innovation and science, which deliver real opportunities for the State's agri-food export capacity, is also important.

Seven examples of the Department's science and innovation.

A Framework For Examining Leadership In Extreme Contexts, Sean T. Hannah, Mary Uhl-Bien, Bruce Avolio, Fabrice L. Cavarretta

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

In this review, we develop a framework to guide future research and to examine the execution of leadership in extreme contexts. We start by defining and distinguishing extreme contexts from crisis and other contexts. A five component typology is developed comprised of magnitude of consequences, form of threat, probability of consequences, location in time and physical or psychological–social proximity. We discuss the unique influences these components have on leadership processes in extreme contexts examining the relevance of organization types such as critical action and high reliability organizations. Further, we present a set of factors that may attenuate or intensify the …

Religious Discrimination And Racial Harassment: What Ever Happened To Marshawn Demur? -- Student Workbook, Gwendolyn Combs

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The diversity of the domestic and global workforce is increasing due to the growing number of immigrants and the expansion of global operations. The management of religious differences and the interface of varying religious beliefs and management practices are profound concerns for many organizations and human resource professionals. Religious communities may be quite different in beliefs and practices, and this can influence employee interaction with formal and informal work practices and social norms. Additionally, response to religious differences can sometimes be intertwined with racial biases and attitude predispositions. This case will depict a particular organizational situation involving an employee’s religious …

A Scientific Basis For Rigor In Information Systems Research, Allen S. Lee, Geoffrey S. Hubona

Information Systems Publications

Qualitative research is just as able as quantitative research to follow certain fundamental principles of logic in general and scientific reasoning in particular. Two such principles are the logic of modus ponens and the logic of modus tollens. In this essay, we frame different research approaches— positivist research, interpretive research, action research, and design research—in the forms of modus ponens and modus tollens. Three issues emerge from this framing and call into question how research is now conducted in the discipline of information systems. They are the issue of a common scientific basis, the issue of the fallacy of …

Plan To Support Horticulture Industry Development 2009-2012, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Horticulture published reports

The Plan to Support Horticulture Industry Development ('the Plan') recognises that healthy and profitable Western Australian agricultural industries are integral to the economic wellbeing of regional and rural communities. The Plan promotes a progressive and productive horticultural industry through efficient use of natural resources, high standards of biosecurity, modern marketing, value-adding and research to enhance continuous improvement throughout the supply chain from producer to consumer.

Plan To Support Horticulture Industry Development 2009 - 2012 - For Discussion, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Horticulture published reports

The State Government's increased investment in agriculture and food recognises the integral contribution this sector makes to the economy of Western Australia.

It is a key industry which will support Western Australia's growth beyond periods of boom and through the economic rebuilding phase ahead. Ensuring the State remains highly competitive in both domestic and international markets is vital to the future of our economy

Public funds must be 'money well spent'. This means ensuring the right direction, efficiency and effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture and Food's programs. The department must focus its efforts on economic development - this is …

Can Non-State Certification Systems Bolster State-Centered Efforts To Promote Sustainable Development Through The Clean Development Mechanism, Jonathan G.S. Koppell, Kelly Levin, Benjamin Cashore

Publications from President Jonathan G.S. Koppell

Increasing economic globalization has coincided with the emergence and escalating influence of non-state actors and organizations in domestic and international policymaking, from shaping policy agendas to promoting private authority. The latter phenomenon has arisen, at least in part, from a critique of states' failures to adopt effective and enduring environmental policies. Rather than contest "command and control" institutions, non-state strategies embrace market approaches built around incentives and price mechanisms. Several forms of non-state authority have emerged, including corporate social responsibility, provision of information through labeling, and self-reporting.

The “Point” Of Positive Organizational Behavior, Fred Luthans, Bruce Avolio

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Perhaps the most important “Point” we would like to make in this “Point-Counterpoint” on positive organizational behavior is the role that research must play in this evolving area of study. We follow this point on the importance of research by drawing from recent findings that indicate in discussions such as this point and counterpoint, that taking a positive approach leads to more in-depth inquiry, whereas a negative perspective leads to advocacy and in our view less learning potential. Thus, the positive perspective we take in this “Point” piece is to identify and make a deep inquiry into the major issues …

Total Quality Management And Hoshin Kanri For Construction Organizations, Low Sui Pheng, Liu Jun Ying, Amos Cheong

Business Review

Quality trends in construction projects have advanced from quality assurance to quality management under the ISO 9000 standards. Having achieved ISO 9000 certification and established a systematic approach to operations, the journey towards Total Quality Management (TQM) seems to weigh significantly on the ability of an organization to translate, integrate and institutionalize TQM behaviour into its business culture. More importantly, there is a need for organizational-wide management and a need to provide alignment of processes and people in the TQM environment. The Japanese concept of Hoshin Kanri, a form of policy management which prescribes a participative way of quality management, …

Implementing A Functional Iso 9001 Quality Management System In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Andres Sousa-Poza, Mert Altinkilinc, Cory Searcy

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This conceptual paper provides guidance for the implementation of a functional ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To help a SME understand its starting point, four initial states for QMS implementation are defined. Five paths for moving the QMS from the initial state to the desired state are described. To support the transition from the initial to the desired state, some key considerations in implementing a QMS in SMEs are discussed. The paper is based on site visits and implementation assistance the authors have provided to several SMEs. It is anticipated the paper will …

Three Essays On Chinese Outward Investment, Yan Gao

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Empirical research and theory development have traditionally focused on Western MNEs. The rise of multinational firms from the emerging markets, particularly MNEs from China has attracted limited empirical research attention. In the current research, I attempt to fill this gap by exploring the entry modes strategies, motivation and government interference when Chinese MNEs go abroad. Early international business theories suggested that firms invest abroad on the basis of possessing certain-firm specific competitive advantages. By leveraging these existing firm-specific advantages overseas, firms are able to generate sufficient returns to overcome the "liability of foreignness". These early FDI theories were largely based …

Culture’S Influence On The Perceived Characteristics Of Employees: Comparing The Views Of U.S. And Chilean Workers, Chong W. Kim, Leopoldo Arias-Bolzmann, Harlan M. Smith Ii

Management Faculty Research

As noted in previous work (Kim & Sikula, 2005; Kim & Sikula, 2006; Kim, Sikula & Smith, 2006; Kim, Cho & Sikula, 2007), there are three types of people in the workplace: “Necessities,” “Commoners,” and “Parasites.” A person of Necessity is irreplaceable and crucial to the functioning of an organization. A Commoner is a person of normal ability and talent who has no significant impact on organizational success. Parasites are detrimental freeloaders who damage the functioning of an organization.

Kim & Sikula (2005) asked 25 students in an MBA Organizational Behavior class and 13 working managers (all of whom live …

Leadership: Current Theories, Research, And Future Directions, Bruce Avolio, Fred Walumbwa, Todd J. Weber

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This review examines recent theoretical and empirical developments in the leadership literature, beginning with topics that are currently receiving attention in terms of research, theory, and practice. We begin by examining authentic leadership and its development, followed by work that takes a cognitive science approach. We then examine new-genre leadership theories, complexity leadership, and leadership that is shared, collective, or distributed. We examine the role of relationships through our review of leader member exchange and the emerging work on followership. Finally, we examine work that has been done on substitutes for leadership, servant leadership, spirituality and leadership, cross-cultural leadership, and …

The Challenge Of Leading On Unstable Ground: Triggers That Activate Social Identity Faultlines, Donna Chrobot-Mason, Marian N. Ruderman, Todd J. Weber, Chris Ernst

Leadership Institute: Faculty Publications

Today’s leaders face unprecedented challenges in attempting to manage interactions between social identity group members with a history of tension in society at large. Research on faultlines suggests that social identity groups often polarize in response to events that make social identity salient, resulting in negative work outcomes. The current research extends the faultlines literature by examining precipitating events (triggers) that activate a faultline. Qualitative interview data were collected from two samples of employees working in multiple countries to identify events that had resulted in social identity conflicts. In the first study (35 events), an exploratory approach yielded a typology …

Not All Conscientiousness Scales Change Alike: A Multimethod, Multisample Study Of Age Differences In The Facets Of Conscientiousness, Joshua J. Jackson, Tim Bogg, Kate E. Walton, Dustin Wood, Peter D. Harms, Jennifer Lodi-Smith, Grant W. Edmonds, Brent W. Roberts

Leadership Institute: Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that traits from the domain of conscientiousness tend to increase with age. However, previous research has not tested whether all aspects of conscientiousness change with age. The present research tests age differences in multiple facets of conscientiousness (industriousness, orderliness, impulse control, reliability, and conventionality) using multiple methods and multiple samples. In a community sample (N = 274) and a representative statewide sample (N = 613) of 18- to 94-year-olds, self-reported industriousness, impulse control, and reliability showed age differences from early adulthood to middle age, whereas orderliness did not. The transition into late adulthood was …

Integrating Political And Social Issues In Operations And Supply Management, M. Maloni

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Religious Discrimination And Racial Harassment: What Ever Happened To Marshawn Demur? -- Instructor’S Manual, Gwendolyn Combs

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Case Learning Objectives:
Establish the basis for and recognition of potential d nn isparate treatment and disparate impact situations in the workplace.
Analyze the legal requirements for employers in considering and/or accommodating employee religious beliefs and preferences in the workplace.
Examine the interface of judicial precedent, legislative intent, Title VII and organizational policy/managerial decision-making.
Recognize the roles and responsibilities of human resource (HR) professionals in addressing these issues.

Target Audience: Undergraduate and graduate level students who have a basic background in HR management and equal employment/diversity issues.

This case works best in conjunction with the study of equal employment opportunity, …

Organizational Narcissism And Virtuous Behavior, Dennis Duchon, Brian Drake

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Extreme narcissistic organizations are unable to behave ethically because they lack a moral identity. While such organizations are not necessarily unethical intentionally, they become self-obsessed and use a sense of entitlement, self-aggrandizement, denial, and rationalizations to justify anything they do. Extreme narcissistic organizations might develop formal ethics programs, but such programs will have little effect on behavior.

Egypt's Information Society Strategy: A Critical Lexicography, Neil Mcbride, Bernd Carsten Stahl

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The development of ICT policies within developing countries in the past ten years has opened up a new area for study. These documents chart the ambitions of the countries for the use of ICT to promote rapid development. As such they are intercultural documents, developing at the interface between the culture of the country and western economic culture. This paper develops a critical approach to understanding these documents and studying their message. The approach involves the preparation of a critical dictionary which identifies relevant terms within the ICT policy document and reflects on their multiple meanings. The approach was applied …