Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons^™

The Mediating Role Of Payout In The Relationship Between Private Foundations And Grantee Organizations' Financial Health, Angie Kim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although private foundations are assumed to be beneficial, their impact on grantee organizations is not well understood. This quantitative research explored how private, nonoperating foundations influence grantees' financial capacity to pursue their missions. Principal-agent theory was applied to rationalize foundations' social good purpose, along with subsidy theory of public charities' need for capital accumulation, thus comprising a unique framework for identifying pathways of relationships amongst influencer variables of foundations' operating characteristics; the outcome of grantees' months of unrestricted, liquid net assets (MULNA); and the mediator of foundations' payout rate. Multiple regression and indirect effects analyses of data on 612 cases …

Transformational Leadership For Virtual Teams In An Information Technology Organization, Russell Thomas Hogue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that transformational leadership behavior impacts team performance in a traditional work environment; however, no research has evaluated the relationship between transformational leadership and team performance in a virtual setting. Building on the theoretical foundation of Bass' 1990 work, this study examined the relationship between transformational leadership behavior and 3 measures linked to team success: work effort, perceived leader effectiveness, and job satisfaction for virtual teams. The present research focused on the transformational leadership behaviors of 41 senior executives in an information technology (IT) organization and over 300 direct report employees. Employees used the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5x …

Emotional Labor And Employee Engagement Within A Pediatric Hospital, Michele Louise Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High levels of emotional work, staffing shortages, high turnover rates, low workforce engagement levels, and complex healthcare reforms are common problems in healthcare settings. Healthcare leaders are increasingly aware of the vital impact an engaged workforce can have on patient outcomes and an organization's ability to survive despite current challenges in the healthcare setting. It is important for leaders to understand what factors may influence the ability to engage with their organization, such as emotional labor. The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to test whether emotional labor is related to employee engagement within a large Midwestern pediatric hospital. …

The Triple Bottom Line And Social Responsibility Framework In Public Sector Management, Matthew Ajiake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of public sector agencies must incorporate the voices of diversified stakeholders into planning and decision-making processes. With aging infrastructures around the world, public agencies are challenged to move public benefit projects forward when citizens are not engaged or empowered to participate in the process. The purpose of this triple bottom line (social, ecological, and financial) and social responsibility study was to explore whether public sector organizations are socially responsible by law. A case study was developed using data from publicly available documents and interviews that explored how the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) implemented a social responsibility framework …

Succession Planning In A Global Electronics Company, Andrew Cook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of U.S. companies are unprepared to address a shortage of qualified leaders caused by changing workforce demographics. Despite organizational leaders realizing the importance of talent management to company strategy, there still exists a gap in knowledge regarding its application in practice. The purpose of this case study was to explore what succession planning organizational leaders use to adequately replace departing leaders with qualified new leaders. The findings demonstrated support for Shields' practical ideal type conceptual framework adapted to succession planning, which holds that succession planning requires various elements working together to achieve succession goals. Data were obtained through semistructured …

A Delphi Study Of The Potential Influence Of Women In Stem Careers, Sharyn Elizabeth Mlinar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American businesses are working with educational institutions to attract women into technical and scientific professions. However, less than one quarter of the people working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are women. The educational system as-a-pipeline model is not supplying business with skilled workers, specifically female STEM employees. Organizational change must occur and this process begins with the organization's leadership. Guided by the the conceptual frameworks of Kotter & Rathgeber and Kouzes & Posner, this Delphi study asked 54 female professionals, in various locations across the United States, about what influenced them in their education and career choices. Responses …

Employee Perception Of The Value Of Customer Focus Training In Public Transportation, Michael L. Dawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of service-oriented jobs has increased locally and nationally, and organizations are spending millions of dollars to train front-line employees to maintain customer satisfaction and compete in the service industry. Despite the financial investments of these training programs, little research has investigated the holistic effectiveness of customer-focused training (CFT) programs. Researchers found positive relationships between the constructs under investigation and reported that when CFT programs are delivered on a consistent basis with leadership support, they help build a service-oriented culture. The purpose of this case study was to investigate employee perceptions of CFT and relationships between performance, engagement, and …

Downsizing The United States Air Force Security Forces: A Phenomenological Investigation, Winell De Mesa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Air Force (USAF) has downsized an average of 10,000 active duty personnel each year from 1990 to 2010. Despite this downsizing, the mission remains the same, which increases the workload on the remaining airmen, lowers morale, decreases specialization, changes the mindset/culture, accelerates promotion rates, and shifts the dependence on technology in the Security Forces career field. The USAF needs adequately sized and proficient members to meet its mission. This phenomenological study examined the effects of USAF downsizing on the USAF Security Forces career field. The great man theory, social learning theory, theory of expertise, and Maslow's hierarchy …

Transformational Leadership And Safe Driving Performance In The U.S. Electric Utility Industry, Mackington Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transformational leadership (TL) has been found popular in many industries in the United States and abroad for the perceived transformational leaders' effectiveness in improving occupational safety. There is a lack of empirical evidence to confirm these claims for safe occupational driving. This phenomenological study attempted to fill this knowledge gap in the electric utility industry where employees must drive in all weather conditions to restore power to customers. The conceptual framework for the study was based on leadership and motivation theories of Burns and Maslow. The research questions explored the influence of (a) TL on safe driving performance improvement in …

Mental Health Therapists' Attitudes On Adoption Of Evidence-Based Practices And Organizational Culture, Jennifer Guerguis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evidence-based practice (EBP) in mental health was initiated in the United States due to state legislation. The EBP implementation process is complex due to multiple factors related to organizational culture. Mental health agencies implementing EBP processes can expect significant personnel changes due to higher turnover rates, which may have a negative effect on the quality of services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between providers' attitudes toward the adoption of EBPs and organizational culture. The theoretical framework for this study was organizational culture theory and the Denison organizational culture model. This correlational and predictive study examined …

Assessing Student Leadership Competencies And Adequacy Of Preparation In Seminary Training, Valerie Miles-Tribble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As more seminary student-practitioners seek non-pastoral leadership roles in faith-based

and secular organizations, the complexities of the roles demand leadership competencies beyond traditional religious study. Limited research assessing leadership competencies in seminary contexts raises uncertainty about whether leadership preparation needs are addressed adequately in seminary. This quantitative study focused on whether or not student self-assessed adequacy of preparation is related to, affected by, or influenced by self-assessed leadership competencies, individually or in the aggregate. The theoretical foundation joined Evers, Rush, and Berdrow's learner-centered theory that urges student input on competency development needs and Boyatzis's leadership competency theory that frames a …

Seducing Engagement: A Classic Grounded Theory Study Of Virtual Leadership, Linda Sue Schurch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leading at a distance has emerged concurrently with complex global changes, resulting in the diverse use of technology, virtual teams, and collaboration as a way of solving problems and growing innovative and successful organizations. Little research has been done to explore the perceptions of individuals who lead virtual organizations. In the absence of such research, little is known about effective leadership processes in virtual environments. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover an explanatory theory, derived from data, which facilitates an understanding of effective virtual leadership systems and processes. This study used classic grounded theory methodology involving …

Reducing Challenging Behaviors In Intellectually Disabled Individuals: A Comparison Of Organizational Culture And Treatment Approach, Frances Mascolo-Glosser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The deinstitutionalization of the intellectually disabled (ID) and their transition to community living in New York State necessitated training initiatives for staff to manage challenging behaviors safely and humanely. However, the use of physical interventions to control self-injury and physical aggression may have become organizationally habituated, and limited research has compared programs that use physical versus nonphysical interventions. This mixed-method, comparative case study compared a restraint-free day habilitation program with one that used physical interventions, examining the differences in reducing self-injury, aggression, and types of interventions applied. Qualitative differences in philosophical approach to behavior intervention strategies and staff training protocols …

Technological Change And Employee Motivation In A Telecom Operations Team, Samuel Ogbonnaya Ude

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some managers view innovative product development and convenient service delivery as necessary to business survival. However, unmotivated employees might negate any gains from the use of innovation. The purpose of this correlational study, grounded in diffusion of innovation theory, was to assess the relationship between creativity and support for innovation, resistance to change, and organizational commitment and employee motivation. A random sample of 81 information technology (IT) professionals from telecom service centers completed an online survey. Simultaneous multiple linear regression was the statistical technique used to analyze these data. The results indicated a poor model with low R2 to significantly …

The Relationship Of Managers' Power Motivations To Personality Pathology, Jewel Darlene Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that managerial leaders have a higher motivational need for power than those in other positions. A leader's personality traits have been shown to affect organizational performance. Leaders who score high in dark traits (undesirable personality attributes shown to predict career derailment across organizations, levels, and positions) could also be more likely to use company resources for personal gain. There is a paucity of research examining the correlation between managerial dark traits and the need for power. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between managers' dark trait scores as measured by the Hogan Development …

Relationships Between Job Design, Job Crafting, Idiosyncratic Deals, And Psychological Empowerment, Marsha Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although much is known about employee empowerment and work designs, numerous companies and management practitioners struggle to implement empowerment initiatives effectively because it is not known which approach best facilitates individual levels of psychological empowerment. Traditional job design theory focuses on the role of managers and portrays employees as passive grantees of empowerment. Employees may influence their own empowerment by taking an active role in work design. The primary purpose of this correlational study was to examine whether job crafting or idiosyncratic deals are more or less empowering than job design and how work locus of control influences these relationships. …

Identifying Functional Characteristics That Influence Team Outcomes, Eduardo Diego Diaz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Industry and research have shown that, in addition to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of individuals, other factors play an influential role in the efficiency of a team. The research questions for this study examined the influence of functional characteristics, defined as the cognitive and evaluative processes such as intentions, emotions, planning, and perception that influence decisions, on team outcomes and the time it takes to complete a task. Using a quantitative, experimental research design, the research questions were grounded in personality systems interactions as the theoretical framework. Analysis of variance was applied to evaluate the hypotheses with an independent …

Productivity Standards, Marriage And Family Therapist Job Satisfaction, And Turnover Intent, Gilbert Ernest Franco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Turnover among mental health professionals is high, which can have a direct impact on access to services and continuity of care. Informed by goal-setting theory, social-cognitive theory, and self-efficacy, this quantitative study investigated how California community mental health agency productivity standards were related to self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and marriage and family therapist (MFT) turnover intent among 141 MFTs. Participants completed a Demographic and Productivity Questionnaire, Job Self-Efficacy Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, and Turnover Intention Scale. The relationship between participant age, gender, experience, number of work hours, licensure status, and job site with job satisfaction and turnover intent were assessed using …

A Survey Of Probation Officers' Opinions: Risk Assessments, Kenika Kiante' Canty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U. S. criminal justice system has used risk assessment tools in an effort to reduce recidivism and risk assessment tools are now commonplace. Correctional organizations, however, have struggled with officers' resistance to these tools in spite of the evidence for their utility. There is limited research that explores the impact of resistance to organizational change within the context of correctional agencies. To address that gap, this correlational study used organizational change theory to examine officers' resistance to the use of risk assessment tools based on officers' opinions of the risk assessment tool being used in North Carolina. Data were …

The Role Of Information Technology Organizational Design In Firms' Ability To Innovate, Hassan S. Halimi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) organizations have become an integral part of many firms, with increasing strategic significance. Consequently, investments in IT represent a significant percentage of a firm's expenditure. Despite the investment, the business value of IT has been difficult to quantify, creating uncertainty about a firm's investments in IT innovation. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine relationships between a firm's innovativeness and 3 IT organizational design factors: knowledge creation, dynamic capabilities, and communication structures. The research questions addressed the relationships between a firm's ability to innovate and specific design elements of the IT organization. The study was …

Organizational Innovation's Moderation Of Culture Effects On Company Financial Performance, Christopher Lee Slaughter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite 40 years of research, little is known about what moderates the relationship between organizational culture and company financial performance. This quantitative study examined if innovation moderates the relationship between an organization's culture, as measured by the Denison Organizational Culture Survey, and a company's financial performance, as indicated by return on assets (ROA). Understanding if innovation moderates the relationship between organizational culture and ROA could help business leaders foster a culture that maximizes financial performance. Lewin's field theory was the theoretical foundation explaining organizational culture. Denison Consulting provided the archival dataset, which included organizational culture scores and ROA data for …

Self Efficacy Of African American Women In Leadership Roles, Varil Deloise Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little research has focused on developing female African American leaders. A mixed methods study examined the influence of conservation of resources (COR) and locus of control (LOC) on the self-efficacy (SE) of 26 female African American leaders. It also explored the role of mentoring and spirituality in leadership development for a subset of 5 participants. Data were obtained using a demographic questionnaire, the General SE Scale, the COR Evaluation Gain scale, and the LOC Assessment, along with transcribed responses to mentoring and spirituality interview questions. Pearson correlations run between age, education, and income, as well as COR, LOC, and SE …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Employee Commitment Among Perfusionists, Gilbert F. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Certified clinical perfusionists (CCPs) operate a variety of complex, invasive devices to provide heart-lung support. Job-related stress has been identified as having unfavorable influences on self-efficacy and commitment of employees in many domains, but this relationship has not been examined among CCPs. Guided by self-efficacy theory and organizational commitment model, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between self-efficacy and commitment among CCPs and the extent to which age, gender, workload, experience, or education impacted CCPs' commitment. Data were collected from 264 respondents via 2 established survey instruments: the organizational commitment questionnaire and the work …

Exploring Antecedents To Work Engagement And Psychological Well-Being Within A Canadian Provincial Ministry, Kris Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in organizational development strategies on why some individuals remain disengaged with their work. This study addressed whether a combination of specific contextual factors could support individuals, teams, and leaders to demonstrate the attitudes and behaviors consistent with work engagement. The theoretical frameworks of social constructivism, the conceptual framework of symbolic interactionism, and a hermeneutic inquiry approach were used to address how individual psychological traits/abilities of employees support work engagement. Nineteen employees of a Canadian provincial government ministry completed an engagement survey, MSCEIT, MBTI, and SDI assessments. They also participated in focus groups. Survey results showed high engagement …

Ethical Insights Of Early 21st-Century Corporate Leaders, Kevin B. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2001 to 2010, a lack of documented standards within ethics programs inhibited decision making, management practices, and corporate strategies for corporate leaders in the United States. Seminal theories in transformational, charismatic, servant, spiritual, and ethical leadership formed the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study, whose intent was to explore how senior leaders of Fortune 500 companies in Washington, DC integrated ethics into daily business decisions and the role in organizational performance. A convenience sample of 20 Fortune 500 leaders participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews to explore the assessment, definition, and documentation of various ethical standards in the company; the …

Leadership Strategies To Influence Employee Engagement In Health Care, John David Vizzuso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospitals are in a precarious financial position with declining reimbursement, eroding profit margins, and low patient satisfaction. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 reform may decrease hospital reimbursement by $500 billion from 2010 to 2020, while low patient satisfaction may decrease profitability for hospitals by 27%. Employee disengagement may decrease patient satisfaction and consumer loyalty. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of health care leaders as they worked to engage employees and provide better patient care. Improving patient care provides opportunities to capture new market shares, which increases sustainability of health …

Debt Collectors Exposed: A Phenomenological Study Of Job Requirements And Job Satisfaction, Christina Michelle Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to allow debt collectors to share their views about their work and to give more insight to collection leaders into lived experiences of debt collectors and the social stigma associated with collection work. This study explores potential reasons for the negative stereotypes, high turnover, performance outcomes, and stress experienced by the participants of this study. Additionally, this study adds new data to the limited amount of existing data on debt collectors by exploring emotional labor within the collections industry and determining collectors' levels of job satisfaction. Guided by Maslow's hierarchy of needs model, this …

Crisis Preparedness Of Leadership Behaviors Among Elected Leaders During Hurricanes, Fredric Marc Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Crisis preparedness is the responsibility of every person, business, and leader, and leadership behavioral skills are an essential characteristic of crisis preparedness. The purpose of this case study was to explore the decisions of elected leaders along the Gulf Coast during Hurricanes Katrina and Ike in order to understand their leadership behaviors in crisis preparedness. The conceptual framework was based on the emergency management theory presented by McEntire in 2004, which helped to define the necessary components for leaders' successful crisis preparedness. Data were collected through interviews with 5 members from the National Emergency Management Agency along with a document …

Assessing The Significance Of Modularizing Contract Manufacturing Organizations, Christian Sampson Yorgure

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations are under constant threat from global competition, socioeconomic factors,

and political forces that are often unforeseen and dynamic. Consequently, decision

makers adopt strategies, some including the principles of modularity, as a

countermeasure. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of knowledge about

the significance of modularizing contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). The

purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the significance of modularizing

CMOs by statistically analyzing capacity utilization, efficiency, and profit margin

between modular and nonmodular departments in a focal CMO. This study was grounded

in the theory of modularity and the research question addressed what …

Increasing Productivity Of Retained Employees After A Workforce Reduction, Jason Michael Matyus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an increased use of downsizing across telecommunications in the northeast United States, and organizational leaders are challenged to motivate the productivity of the retained employees. Guided by systems theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore successful downsizing strategies of a small group of organizational leaders and managers in the operations of telecommunications in the northeast United States. The study participants, chosen for their motivation success in motivation after downsizing, consisted of 2 purposefully selected business leaders who completed individual, face-to-face interviews and a focus group of 5 managers. The coding of data and word …