Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons^™

Stringency Of Family Firms And Owner-Managers In The Transition To Low-Carbon Emissions, Morten Bennedsen, John Doukas, Halit Gonenc

Finance Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between carbon emissions and stock returns, with a focus on the role of family ownership and management. Using a sample of 435 publicly listed firms from 14 Western European countries over the period 2010–2020, we explore whether financial markets perceive family-controlled firms, particularly those led by family-member CEOs, differently in terms of their commitment to sustainable practices. Consistent with prior research, our results indicate that firms with higher emissions earn higher stock returns while simultaneously experiencing lower market valuations, consistent with the presence of a carbon risk premium driven by elevated carbon transition risk. Crucially, …

Towards Developing A Career Technology Fit Framework And Analyzing Its Influence On Work-Related Outcomes Among It Professionals, Gunjan Tomer

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

With growing attrition rate and significant demand for skilled IT professionals, the importance of studying their behaviour has become important for both academia and industry. Despite ample amount of research, there is still a gap between theory and practice. Based on our qualitative study conducted on Indian IT professionals we propose that technology allocation might contribute in understanding the behaviour of IT professionals. We found that IT professionals evaluate the technology allocated to them based on their individual career motives. This evaluation, either positive or negative, influences their job outcomes. Further, we explored the factors that make a technology preferable …

Project Learn Strategic Analysis Project, Isabel Ladaika, Kalpana Ghimire, Noah Johnson, Caleb Keiper

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project involves working in a team to conduct a comprehensive strategic analysis of Project Learn of Summit County. We will evaluate the organization’s external environment (such as industry trends, competition, and community factors) and internal operations (including strengths, weaknesses, resources, and capabilities). Using strategic management frameworks, as a team we will develop actionable recommendations to strengthen the organizations marketing, financial sustainability, and community outreach efforts. Throughout the semester, we will engage directly with the client organization to gather data and insights that inform our analysis. Final deliverables include a formal written strategic analysis paper and a professional presentation …

Design Thinking For Corporate Social Responsibility Program Proposal Creation, Michelle "Mindy" D. Danovaro

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used action research to explore how the use of design thinking engaged employees in the creation of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program proposal in a small- to medium-enterprises (SME) in the Sacramento region of California. The purpose of the study was to assess whether employee participation in a design thinking exercise could improve employee perception of engagement, inclusion, and reciprocity during the CSR program proposal creation. The study was grounded in social exchange theory, stakeholder theory, and design thinking methodologies. The iterative research process followed action research cycles (i.e., plan, act, observe, and reflect) integrated with …

Making Sense Of Membership: Organizational Socialization Of African Immigrant Employees In U.S. Workplaces, Ikeola J. Bodunde

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation examines how African immigrant employees make sense of organizational socialization in U.S. workplaces. As global mobility reshapes the labor force, nearly one in five U.S. workers is foreign-born, making organizational socialization an increasingly complex communicative process. Classic socialization models assume linear, uniform adjustment, yet international employees often face ambiguity, cultural mismatch, and racialized expectations that complicate early workplace experiences. Guided by sensemaking theory, this study conceptualizes socialization as an ongoing, nonlinear process through which newcomers notice cues, construct interpretations, act on provisional understandings, and revise meanings as contexts shift. Using a qualitative, interpretive design, I conducted semi-structured interviews …

Mistreatment As Instrumental Or Obstructive? How Appraisals Of Customer Mistreatment Impact Entrepreneurial Action, Nicholas A. Smith

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Theory on entrepreneurial action emphasizes the role of cognition in guiding when and how entrepreneurs act. Research in this area has accordingly focused on identifying antecedents of entrepreneurs’ cognitive processes, often emphasizing environmental or economic conditions that broadly influence how entrepreneurs evaluate opportunities. Yet, much less attention has been given to how everyday social interactions spark cognitive processes that influence venture-directed behavior. This dissertation integrates the transactional theory of stress to examine customer mistreatment, defined as low-quality interpersonal treatment from customers, as a social stressor that impacts entrepreneurs’ cognitive appraisals and resulting venture-directed behavior. Here, I argue that mistreatment from …

Can A "Good Jab" Lead To A "Good Job?": Teasing As An Organizational Performance Feedback Tool, Jared P. Wilson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Performance feedback is a valuable tool for bolstering workplace performance, but the prospect of receiving feedback is often aversive, leading to decreased acceptance, increased turnover intent, and increased recipient stress. One plausible explanation for why critical feedback can be aversive is that feedback is face-threatening. Politeness theory suggests that pro social agents can intentionally attenuate face-threat while still communicating intrinsically threatening information. Pro-social teasing, a humorous form of off-record communication, is one such method, offering a potentially less aversive mode of performance feedback. A sample of 133 participants read a vignette where they took on the role of a grocery …

Empowering Equity: Latinas In Leadership – Navigating Work-Life Balance In The Post-Pandemic Era, Teresa Excinia

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the lived experiences of Latina leaders as they navigated how cultural expectations influenced work–life balance in the post-pandemic era. The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped workplace dynamics, blurring boundaries between professional responsibilities and personal life. For Latinas, these challenges were compounded by cultural expectations that shaped their roles both at home and in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to understand how Latina leaders managed the dual pressures of balancing career demands with cultural and familial obligations. Using Testimonio as the methodological framework, this study captured the voices and narratives of Latina leaders across industries, offering an …

Developing A System Dynamics Framework For Sustained Digital Transformation, Quintal Battle

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Despite significant organizational investments, more than 70% (Ellmer et al., 2025) of digital transformation initiatives fail. The existing literature evaluates transformation mechanisms as separate factors rather than as interacting, evolving feedback systems. This dissertation addresses this gap by developing and validating a system dynamics framework for sustained digital transformation. Guided by three research questions, the study examined the mechanisms that enable or constrain transformation, identified mechanisms distinctive to digital transformation contexts, and evaluated how existing change management frameworks guide transformation efforts. The study followed a six-phase methodology that combined a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies, empirical cases, causal loop …

Cultivating Workplace Happiness In Technology Workers, Cherie A. Herrin

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Technology workers are central to the innovation and performance of modern organizations and retaining them is a persistent challenge for modern organizations. One important aspect of retention in many contexts is Workplace Happiness, which has been argued to improve worker performance and reduce turnover; however, there is little empirical evidence of the effectiveness of these interventions for technology workers. This dissertation develops a model in which two affective states, Workplace Happiness and Workplace Distress, mediate the relationships between six socio-technical work conditions and two behavioral outcomes: Turnover Intent and Work Execution (i.e., self-rated work performance and quality). A systematic literature …

Overcoming The Glass Wall: Self-Employment As A Career Strategy For Immigrant Professionals, Barbara Silva

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Skilled immigrant professionals frequently experience barriers that limit their ability to secure employment opportunities aligned with their qualifications in host-country labor markets. Although prior research has documented some of the challenges these professionals face, such as credential devaluation and discrimination, less is known about why recruiters perceive immigrant candidates with similar qualifications differently and why some immigrants navigate the labor market more successfully than others. Drawing on Status Characteristics Theory, this dissertation examines how the location and type of immigrant professionals’ prior work experience shape hiring-related outcomes by influencing recruiters’ perceptions of competence and acculturation. First, I review the literature …

Do Major Customers Affect Firms' Environmental, Social And Governance Activities?, Feng Dong, John A. Doukas, Stephanie Walton, Rongyao Gloria Zhang, Yiyang Zhang

Finance Faculty Publications

We examine the role of major customers in shaping firms' environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. We find that firms with major customer relationships undertake fewer ESG activities compared to those without such ties. The association is attenuated when institutional ownership is high, firms are less diversified, customers exhibit greater bankruptcy risk and lower switching costs and during periods of elevated equity market sentiment. Taken together, our findings highlight that reliance on a concentrated customer base can weaken firms’ incentives to engage in ESG practices, with important implications for supply chain sustainability.

Data Utilization In Facilities’ Performance Management Decision- Making At U.S. Four-Year Public Institutions: A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study, Tanaporn Supanichrattana

Theses and Dissertations

The growing complexity of higher education finance, aging infrastructure, and rising accountability expectations has intensified demands on facilities organizations to manage institutional assets strategically. As colleges and universities face sustained fiscal constraints and expanding operational pressures, the ability of facilities leaders to use data to inform performance management has become increasingly critical. Despite this importance, limited empirical research has examined how facilities leaders integrate data into decision-making within public higher education contexts.

The quantitative study employed a cross-sectional, exploratory survey design to investigate data utilization practices among facilities leaders at U.S. public four-year institutions. Guided by the Data–Information–Knowledge–Wisdom hierarchy and …

Can Corporations Be Trusted? Voluntary Compliance And The Limits Of Non-Coercive Business Regulation, Yuval Feldman

American University Business Law Review

This Article extends the voluntary compliance framework developed in Can the Public Be Trusted? The Promise and Perils of Voluntary Compliance, to the corporate context. While recent scholarship has explored when states can rely on non-coercive regulatory approaches with individual citizens, comparatively little attention has been paid to whether these insights translate to business entities. This Article argues that corporations present both greater challenges and greater opportunities for voluntary compliance regimes. On one hand, the instrumental orientation of corporate decision-making, amplified by fiduciary duties and competitive pressures, may systematically undermine the intrinsic motivations that voluntary compliance frameworks depend upon. Drawing …

Filipino Teachers’ Grit And Organizational Resilience During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jyro B. Triviño, Moses G. Manalang

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

This study explores the relationship between employee grit and organizational resilience, focusing on perceptions from Filipino teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a quantitative survey, data from 108 teaching faculty from a Southern Luzon university were analyzed using Spearman correlation to identify potential associations between these constructs. Findings reveal significant but weak to moderate correlations between dimensions of grit and facets of organizational resilience. Notably, adaptability to situations emerged as the most substantial grit component linked to organizational resilience, indicating its critical role in fostering organizational adaptability and planning strategies during uncertain times. The results suggest that individuals with high …

The Journey To Generative Conflict: An Action Research Study In A Community Action Agency, Maya Townsend

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Countries around the world face unprecedented levels of polarization and discontent, creating conditions that encourage organizational conflict as employees replicate patterns present within the environment. Organizational conflict can be a source of anxiety, a distraction from work, and an impediment to innovation, sound decision making, and quality outcomes. However, conflict need not be destructive. With that background, this dissertation is guided by the following primary research question: How can an organization develop a generative conflict culture that strengthens relationships and contributes to positive outcomes? The single-case study follows one community action agency as it seeks to develop and implement more …

Navigating An Uncharted Path: Chief Diversity Officer Challenges In Creating And Implementing A Dei Strategy Plan Within Major Hospital Systems, Diane Shines Mcdaniel

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the major challenges Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) face when creating and implementing DEI strategy plans within major hospital systems in the United States. The study was guided by one research question: What are the major challenges that Chief Diversity Officers face in creating and implementing a DEI strategy plan within major U.S. hospital systems? A phenomenological design was used to examine the challenges of six Chief Diversity Officers serving in major U.S. hospitals as they led DEI strategy planning and implementation. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews consisting of eight open-ended questions designed to elicit …

Understanding The Workplace Belonging Puzzle: An Ecosystem Approach To A Better Future Of Work, Surabhi Lal

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The need to belong is deeply human. Today’s workplaces advertise “cultures of belonging,” but what is workplace belonging? Could remote and hybrid workplaces provide an opportunity for connection and belonging? How are employees experiencing belonging at work, and what are the people around them doing to contribute to their experience of workplace belonging? Weaving together concepts from humanistic management, positive organizational scholarship, and critical theory, this phenomenological study examines how middle managers at B Corp organizations who are working in hybrid and remote arrangements experience belonging, and the actions and behaviors that contribute to workplace belonging. Belonging has been studied …

Bridging The Social Class Capital Gap: A Psychological Intervention In The Newcomer Adjustment Context, Grace J. H. Lim, Marko Pitesa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Motivated by observations that workers from lower social class backgrounds often experience lower career outcomes even after securing desirable jobs, we adopted an abductive approach—combining theory (the newcomer personal capital framework) with qualitative evidence from open‐ended accounts (Study 1)—to identify three challenges these workers face after joining organizations as newcomers: limited cultural capital (i.e., institutional knowledge), lower social capital (i.e., social self‐efficacy), and lower psychological capital (i.e., distress tolerance). Furthermore, in Study 1, we developed and tested a psychological intervention targeting these challenges and found that it effectively addressed them. In Studies 2 and 3, both preregistered field experiments, we …

Tuned Out Or Dialed In: How Attributions Shape Observer Reactions To Music Listeners At Work, Oguz Gencay, Trevor Foulk, Michael Schaerer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Music listening while working is prevalent in contemporary workplaces, with extensive research demonstrating its psychological and behavioral implications. Shifting focus from intra-individual outcomes, the present research examines the social implications of music listening at work. To do so, we adopt a novel third-party perspective to investigate how observers perceive and react to music listeners. Building on attribution theory, we argue that music listening is an ambiguous behavior that invites observers to make leisure or productivity attributions, thereby shaping how they perceive and treat music listeners. We hypothesize that observers perceive music listeners (vs. non-listeners) as less engaged if they attribute …

Maintaining Balance And Wellness In Remote Work, Michelle Bartlett

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In today's rapidly evolving work environments, remote work has become more than a trend; it is now a mainstay and rising (Ewers & Kangmennaang, 2023). This shift has necessitated a re-evaluation of traditional work paradigms, particularly in the realms of work-life balance and employee wellness. This chapter details the core strategies for thriving in remote work settings by setting boundaries, combating isolation, and fostering supportive corporate cultures. Transitioning from offices to remote work can blur the lines between personal and professional lives (Bella, 2023; Beňo, 2023). This section provides practical advice on how remote workers can effectively delineate these aspects. …

The Bleeding Edge Of Misogyny: How Gender-Based Harassment And Infrastructural Neglect Shape Menstrual Distress, Mackenzie J. Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite growing attention to menstrual health, organizational research has largely overlooked how workplace conditions shape menstrual experiences. Dominant perspectives frame menstruation as an individual issue that negatively affects work, neglecting how features of the work environment – such as gender-based harassment and access to menstrual-related infrastructure – contribute to menstrual distress. Addressing this gap, this dissertation adopts a bidirectional perspective, examining how social and material workplace conditions shape menstrual distress, defined as the extent to which menstrual symptoms interfere with daily functioning. Drawing on the transactional model of stress and objectification theory, I hypothesized that gender-based harassment would predict menstrual …

Enhancing Military Health System Organizational Efficiency And Quality Of Care Through A Social-Ecological Framework, Eric L. Peipelman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Timely and fair adjudication of incivility-related actions within the Department of Defense (DoD) and Military Health System (MHS) is increasingly crucial for maintaining accountability, mission readiness, and quality of care. Ongoing delays in resolving workplace complaints and inefficiencies in resource-heavy adjudications highlight the need to shift from reactive complaint handling toward proactive civility promotion and transparent decision-making. This Integrated Learning Experience (ILE) introduces the Peipelman Civility Discussion and Assessment Toolkit (PCDAT)—a comprehensive, evidence-based framework designed to improve civility, optimize resources, and enhance communication, even in the MHS. Based on the Social-Ecological Model (SEM) and adapted from the Workplace Power and …

Beyond The Brotherhood: Exploring Communal Leadership In Masculinity Contest Cultures, Scott A. Metzler

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of formal and informal leaders who exercise communal leadership, characterized by collaboration, inclusion, and relational focus, within the masculinity contest cultures of law enforcement and the fire service, where strength, competition, and hierarchical leadership often rule the day. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 19 participants across the United States, this research investigates how and why leaders choose to challenge organizational norms, how they perceive the effects of their decisions on themselves and others, and how they navigate the tensions and contradictions between communal leadership and hypermasculine cultural expectations. The findings reveal that leaders …

Feeling Seen By Being Heard: A Constructivist Critical Incident Study Of The Listening Experiences Of Ciswomen Of Color For The Development Of An Inclusive Listening Praxis For Leaders, Christina Zhong-Wen Chang

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines how listening shapes inclusive workplaces by exploring the listening experiences of 23 professional cisgender women of color working in predominantly white institutional spaces. Although listening is a fundamental part of communication, it is frequently undervalued and overlooked in leadership literature. Using the constructivist critical incident technique (CCIT) methodology, the research analyzed 88 significant moments when participants felt distinctly heard or unheard by leaders. Findings reveal that listening operated as a relational practice signaling respect, affirmation of voice, and anchoring leadership in accountability, while enabling leaders to engage perspectives beyond their own. Four listening types emerged: Listening Withheld, …

From Margin To Mandate: Examining Community Development Strategies That Support Black Lgbtq+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Martel Okonji

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Black LGBTQ+ transitional-aged youth (TAY) experiencing homelessness navigate intersecting systems of marginalization that shape their access to safety and stability. While community development organizations play a critical role in addressing these inequities, limited research examines how these strategies are implemented. This study explored how a community development organization supports Black LGBTQ+ TAY experiencing homelessness. Using a qualitative single case study design, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with leadership, staff, and youth, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Grounded in community development theory and ethical leadership, the study examined how organizational practices shape outcomes. Findings revealed an affirming, relational approach centered …