Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Factors Influencing Senor Female United States Marine Corps Officer Retention Decisions, Angel Rae Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study showed factors that influenced senior female U.S. Marine Corps' (USMC) officer retention decisions. The qualitative study was based on the interpretivism research philosophy and Mobley's model of turnover and employed a phenomenological research design to identify themes regarding participants' perceptions of their lived experiences involving their professions and factors that affected their mandates to remain on active duty. The study included 11 women volunteers who had either earned membership in General Officer (GO) ranks or were competitive for within the USMC as a colonel (CV); they were recruited through purposive sampling, and data were collected through interviews. Data …

Exploring The Strategies For Sustaining Small- To Medium-Scale Enterprises, Kingsley Onochie Umadia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of development and the continued survival of small- to medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) poses a challenge to SME practices in Nigeria. Using sustainability theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that leaders use in sustaining SMEs in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. Ten SME leaders from the manufacturing sector, trading services, education, oil and gas service companies, and financial services sector provided comments during the interviews that addressed the research question. Data were analyzed by transcription, coding, categorizing and analysis of participants' responses using member checking. From the themes that emerged from the study, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Millennials' Different Lived Perspectives Of Employee Engagement, Delores Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee engagement is vital to the success of organizations. Employee disengagement continues to contribute to organizational failure. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and report millennials different perspectives of employee engagement by exploring the research question. The central research question dealt with the lived experiences of millennials about employee engagement in the United States. The study sample consisted of 25 participants with at least 3 years of working experience in the United States. The data collection process consisted of semistructured interviews with participants of the millennial generation. Data analysis included coding of descriptive words by means of …

Locus Of Control And Mindfulness As Moderators Of The Job Demand-Control Model: Effects On Burnout, Basia Andrejko-Gworek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractBurnout is considered a health hazard of contemporary workplaces and additional research is needed to identify protective factors against this phenomenon. The job demand-control model specifies job control as the key buffer against strains, but empirical support for its buffer hypothesis is limited. The present study accounted for both structural and person factors and tested a revised hindrance job demand-control model in prediction of burnout. By incorporating the challenge-hindrance stress framework with tenets of the transactional stress framework and the differential reactivity of personality theory, it was proposed that inclusion of hindrance stressors (i.e., interpersonal conflict, role conflict and organizational …

Differences In Turnover Intentions Between Nonmillennials And Millennials In Nonprofit Organizations, Kevin Allen Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The consequences of turnover in nonprofit organizations can be costly. Grounded in the person-organization fit theory, the purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to investigate turnover intentions among generational cohorts in nonprofit organizations. The research questions addressed whether differences in turnover intentions existed among generational cohorts and whether job satisfaction and organizational justice perceptions influenced turnover intentions in nonmillennials and millennials working in nonprofit organizations. Survey data were collected from 192 employees from nonprofit organizations. The survey included the Perceived Overall Justice scale, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Intent to Stay scale. Data were analyzed using t tests …

Therapeutic Communication Skills For Nurses Working With People Living With Hiv, Charaine Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Internalized stigma experienced by people living with HIV (PLWH) has been associated with numerous untoward health outcomes. Nurses' and healthcare professionals’ ability to effectively communicate can significantly affect the experience of stigma in PLWH. The practice-focused question was whether an interactive educational project could improve the knowledge and intent to use collective communication skills in nurses. This project uses concepts from Peplau's interpersonal relationship theory, principles of therapeutic communication, and unconscious bias. Online training content included patient testimonials related to stigma, discussions of unconscious bias by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Mayo Clinic professionals, review of Harvard University’s Implicit …

Effective Strategies To Reduce Employee Absenteeism Amongst Canadian Female Employees, Sue Haywood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High absenteeism in female employees costs Canadian hospitals millions of dollars annually. Leaders of Canadian hospitals who lack strategies to reduce absenteeism in female employees witness significant financial losses in their organizations. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies Canadian hospital leaders used to reduce absenteeism in female employees. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, annual reports, and publicly available datasets relating to hospital retention strategies and were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Four themes on strategies to reduce absenteeism emerged: creating a supportive stance towards absenteeism, investing in mental health …

The Relationship Between Program Leadership, Resident Physicians’ Wellbeing, And Quality Of Care, Fatima Msheik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research studies have shown that organizational leadership and support affect organizational outcomes in many sectors, including healthcare. However, less is known about how organizational leadership influences the quality of patient care by physicians. This study was guided by the perceived organizational support theory and leader-member exchange theory that provide general understanding of how supportive leadership influences staff wellbeing and productivity. Ninety-five resident physicians residing in Lebanon participated in this cross-sectional study and completed an online survey, which consisted of demographics and five tools, namely, the Leader-Member Exchange 7, Perceived Organization Support 8, Maslach Burnout Inventory 7, Utrecht Work Engagement 9, …

Transformational Leadership Effects On Employee Engagement And Counterproductive Work Behavior's Influence As A Moderating Variable, Cybil M. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many organizations have the daunting task of dealing with counterproductive work behavior (CWB) at various levels in the workplace. This study sought to examine if transformational leadership (TFL) has an impact on employee engagement (EE) and if CWB has a moderating influence on this relationship in the U.S. Postal Service. This study’s intent was to address a gap in the literature regarding CWB exhibited by employees and the positive intentions of TFL on EE. A quantitative study was conducted utilizing an anonymous online survey to assess the relationship among employees of the U.S. Postal Service. The study was conducted using …

Virtual Leadership In Organizations: Potential Competitive Advantage?, Thomas Kohntopp, J Mccann

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The present and future of virtual leadership is connected to the rise and direction of the digital economy, as new technologies and applications will change the way business connects internally and externally with stakeholders. Data are at the heart of the digital economy and its protection is critical. The digital economy is of great interest both domestically and internationally. Its development and future are at the heart of every country’s economic competitiveness (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2017).

Job Transitioning Experiences Of Blue-Collar Employees After Federal Downsizing, Eduardo Hurtado

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Downsizing, realignment, and closure of military bases have forced many low-skilled, blue-collar federal employees into involuntary job loss and job transition. The impact of involuntary job loss on blue-collar workers has been linked to stress and other adverse psychological effects. There is gap in the literature regarding the lived experiences of federal blue-collar employees following downsizing of military bases. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study was to examine lived experiences of job loss and job transition for federal blue-collar employees following downsizing of military bases. Schlossberg’s transition theory provided a conceptual framework for the study. Ten ex-federal blue-collar …

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Questioning Youth Services In Urban Homeless Shelters, Rajahm Sellers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeless shelter administrators provide shelter, food, and other basic needs to the homeless population. Because policies, environments, and services adhere to the general population, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth suffer when homeless shelter administrators do not address specific needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of homeless shelter administrators and bridge the gap in knowledge about the policies and environments that impact the homeless LGBTQ youth community. The theoretical framework for this study was Tajfel and Turner's theory of social identity. Research questions included significant differences between developed shelter policies and environments based …

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Perceived Meaning In Work, Denise Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted correlational studies on transformational leadership and perceived meaning in work; however, researchers have not used an experimental design to examine the relationship between transformational leadership and perceived meaning in work. The purpose of this study was to determine whether reading information on transformational leadership, which focused on charisma and individualized consideration, influenced participants' hypothetical judgment of perceived meaning in work. The quantitative study included a 2 x 2 between-subjects design in which information on the independent variables of charisma and individualized consideration was manipulated in a description of a hypothetical leader. The dependent variable was the hypothetical …

Bicultural Managers’ Competencies And Multicultural Team Effectiveness, Eric Tetteh Batsa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Biculturals are increasingly recognized as an important segment of managers, yet U.S.-based global organizations’ limited knowledge and recognition of this group’s distinctive experiences and related implications within their work environment limit the value placed on bicultural managers’ leadership of multicultural teams and the use of their competencies and skills to improve the effectiveness of multicultural teams. Notwithstanding, traditional leadership models are lacking in diversity and unanswered questions remain regarding the role of multiculturalism in global leadership and team effectiveness. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to gain deeper understanding of the management experiences of biculturals in …

Sharing Of Threat-Related Information Among Public Safety Agencies In Honolulu, Hawaii, Cortney M. Chambers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of knowledge regarding how public safety organizations communicate threat-related information at the local level. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the benefits and challenges of sharing threat-related information between public safety agencies (law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, and public health) in Honolulu, Hawaii. The conceptual framework for the study was general systems theory. The sample for this study was a subset of 13 individuals from the larger population of approximately 50 subject matter experts who worked within four public safety agencies and had extensive experience analyzing and sharing threat-related …

Symptoms Of Depression And Stressors In Law Enforcement, Parisa Tiana Mash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policing has long been recognized by experts in the field as a stressful, unpredictable, emotionally exhausting, and dangerous occupation. Stress and contributing risk factors have lasting and sometimes fatal results among police officers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between symptoms of depression and 3 constructs of the Personal Observation Wellness and Evaluation Report--Power Portfolio (PP) survey, specifically administrative and organizational pressures, emotional, physical, psychological threats, and lack of administrative support. Archival data from the National Police Suicide Foundation were used. The independent variable was symptoms of depression as measured by the …

Experiences Of Subtle Sexism Among Women Employees In The National Park Service, Audrey Marie Ashcraft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although blatant sexism persists in the workplace, there is a subtler type of sexism that is not often discussed. Some of the harmful outcomes that concern organization employees and leaders include decreased job satisfaction and morale, increased stress and turnover, damaged workplace relationships, barriers to career development for women, and decreased feelings of safety in law enforcement employees. Subtle sexism is often disguised as friendliness or chivalry, and therefore is difficult to detect, so it is often ignored or trivialized. The harms are cumulative and compound over time. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to gather data about …

African American Women Middle Managers’ Stories Of Stereotype Threat And Leadership Aspirations, Rockell Chandler Ashley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with the rise of racial diversity in the workplace, African American women remain underrepresented in upper management and organizational leadership positions, making up only 1% of U.S. corporate officers. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore the daily experiences of African American women middle managers in regard to stereotype threat and the effect of these experiences on their engagement with leadership aspirations. The narrative inquiry method was used to address this gap and answer the research question, through storytelling from African American women in middle-management positions. This study was framed by 2 key concepts that …

Self-Efficacy And Leadership Commitment During Lean Strategy Deployment, Angela Deloise Pearson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lean strategy deployment (LSD) provides a means to create lasting value at reduced cost; yet most LSD efforts fail to attain sustainable improvements. The current study sought to gain an understanding of how leaders in oral healthcare manufacturing setting in the northeastern region of the United States can apply self-efficacy and leadership commitment during an LSD. Using Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy this qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences and perceptions of 15 mid-to-senior level managers, concerning the use of self-efficacy and leadership commitment during a lean strategy deployment (LSD). The key findings resulted in 10 emergent themes. The top …

Improving Organizational Performance In Mixed Design Organizations Through Cultures Of Trust, Mary M. Rydesky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effect of trust on employees’ business processes and work outcomes is an important focus for managers because more businesses have combined centralized and remote work environments in mixed-design organizations (MDOs). A multiple case study was conducted to explore successful strategies that 9 business leaders and managers in 5 service sector MDOs in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States used to improve organizational performance by successfully building organizational cultures of trust. Leader–member exchange served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and documents as secondary sources. Thematic analysis was used …

Dynamics Of Trust And Faculty Involvement In Community College, Lenora Sotlar Clouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The complex dynamics of the phenomenon of trust, defined as a psychological state where one is willing to accept vulnerability based upon the positive expectations of a specific other or others, and the influence trust has on faculty involvement in institutional decision-making were explored in this case study. Faculty involvement is a key element of institutional success, yet many faculty at community colleges are not satisfied with their involvement or choose to remain uninvolved. Although researchers have established a substantial body of research on trust in organizations, a gap remains regarding the role trust plays in community college faculty involvement …

Examining The Utility Of The Hexaco-Pi-R For Predicting Positive And Negative Indicators Of Police Officer Performance, Angela Marie Ripley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Identifying behaviors that are either counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) or organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) may assist law enforcement agencies in selecting and aligning police officers for the various roles asked of them. The 6 dimensions of personality are not currently being used in law enforcement agencies to predict overall job performance of police officers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which the 6 personality dimensions as measured by the HEXACO Personality Inventory Revised (HEXACO-PI-R) predicted overall indicators (OCB and CWB) of police officer job performance. A sample of 51 police officers from a variety …

The Effect Of Mindfulness Techniques On Teacher Resilience As Moderated By Conscientiousness, Aundrea T. Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unmanaged stress in teachers often triggers burnout, which leads to a rise in healthcare costs and absenteeism. Therefore, teachers' resiliency needs improvement to lower the risk of burnout. The purpose of this cross-sectional design study was to examine the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience in high school teachers. An additional purpose of this study was to examine if the personality trait, conscientiousness, moderates the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience. The frameworks for this study were based on the self-awareness, -regulation, and -transcendence (S-ART) framework, theory of planned behavior, and the concepts of resilience and job burnout. Four surveys …

Financial Investment Advisor Professional Arrogance And Performance, Cranla Warren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Arrogance in the workplace is a growing area of interest within industrial-organizational psychology. Arrogant employees tend to lack positive interpersonal work relationships, act superior yet have a lower level of cognitive abilities, and have poorer job performance than their less arrogant counterparts, leading to challenging work relationships and overall impact on an organization's ability to meet its objectives. The present study examined professional arrogance measured by the Workplace Arrogance Scale (WARS), a 26 question survey, in relation to the objective outcome measure of a Financial Investment Advisor's (FIA) ranking on the firm's leader board based on total assets under management …

Workplace Toxicity, Leadership Behaviors, And Leadership Strategies, Titin S. Atmadja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace toxicity may negatively influence the well-being and work performance of employees. Best practices of successful leadership approaches and behaviors have been unidentified when addressing low-toxicity work environments. The purpose of this qualitative narrative case study was to develop a deeper understanding of how leaders selected and applied specific leadership strategies and behaviors in nontoxic workplace environments. Data were collected from 10 participants in New Hampshire using a purposive sampling technique and semistructured interviews based on Alvarado's triangular model of workplace toxicity. This study was structured using a narrative approach to explore ways positive leaders practically implemented styles and behaviors …

Physician Collaboration And Improving Health Care Team Patient Safety Culture: A Quantitative Approach, Jay J. Spitulnik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have found links between physician relationships with nurses, patient safety culture, and patient outcomes, but less is known about a similar link between physician relationships with allied health professionals (AHPs), patient safety culture, and patient outcomes. The purpose of this exploratory quantitative, survey study was to investigate whether physician interactions with AHPs contribute to improved patient-safety culture, AHP empowerment, and self-efficacy. Based on a theoretical framework consisting of structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, and self-efficacy, it was hypothesized that self-efficacy is predicted by structural and psychological empowerment and self-efficacy predicts a positive patient safety culture. The AHP Survey of Physician …

Multicase Historic Studies Of Innovative Work Behavior Among Intellectually Gifted Adults, Karen Denise Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

ABSTRACT

This qualitative research study was conducted to examine whether investing in innovation and gifted intelligence would improve America's economic well-being. The investment issue became a problem because educational researchers researched innovation as creativity rather than as productive behavior. Moreover, in the literature, adult giftedness was perceived as negative development rather than as alternate normative behavior. The purpose of this research study was to generate new knowledge about innovation and adult giftedness. WICS (wisdom, intelligence, creativity, synthesized) theory of intelligence provided the theoretical framework because intelligence is a measure of human productivity potential. The neuropsychological conceptual framework facilitated a cognitive …

Senior-Level African American Women, Underrepresentation, And Career Decision-Making, Marquita Barron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, 0.2% of African American women were in chief executive officer (CEO) roles and 1.2% were in executive or senior-level roles within a 500 Standard & Poor's (S&P) organization. African American women's lived experiences are underutilized by organizational and human resources (HR) leaders in the development and implementation of recruitment, talent development, diversity and inclusion, and succession planning strategies. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand lived experiences regarding career advancement decision-making strategies for senior-level African American women. The conceptual framework used was social cognitive career theory (SCCT), which addresses the 'what' and 'how' of career …

An Aging Workforce And The Technology Gap: An Exploratory Multiple Case Study, Julie Sulene Francis-Pettway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in the literature on the actual experiences of older workers with information and communication technology adoption in technology-infused workplaces. To inform organizations on how to more effectively support this employee group's adoption of technology, the purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was designed to gain a deeper understanding of the daily experiences of older workers when adopting and adapting to information and communication technologies in a technology-infused workplace. This study is framed by, first, the selection-optimization-compensation framework for successful aging and, second, the age-inclusive training design framework. Semistructured interviews with 8 participants, observational field notes, …

Causes And Prevention Of Electric Power Industry Accidents: A Delphi Study, Ganesh Narine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The electric power industry is very complex, dangerous, and challenging. The number of workplace accidents declined over the last decade, but worker injuries and fatalities continue to occur. The purpose of this Delphi study was to gain consensus regarding the most feasible and desirable methods to prevent accidents and deaths. The research question focused on gaining consensus from a panel of experts regarding the most desirable and feasible solutions to fatal and serious workplace accidents in the United States. The Bolman and Deal 4-frame model proved useful for understanding challenges within the electric industry and how workers and leaders can …