Strategic Management Policy Commons^™

A Strategic Audit Of Microsoft, Alexander Eitzman

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This paper provides an analysis of Microsoft’s current market placement and performance, based off external and internal factors, as well as tools such as SWOT analysis. The goal of this audit is to provide an understanding of Microsoft’s current positioning and strategy, as well as a look into possible paths going forward. Additionally, alternative strategies are discussed, and a recommendation is made to which Microsoft should pursue to continue its success. The recommendation reached is that Microsoft should focus on keeping numbers of active Windows users up, as well as pursue a subscription-based model for Windows updates and pricing. The …

Intuit, Inc. Strategic Audit, Bethany Wiles

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Intuit has experienced steady, continual growth for an extended time, an unusual feat in software. While it undergoes its leadership transition and the threat of tax simplification, it must consider how it will maintain its legacy of success. Intuit's history and current situation are examined and various strategic alternatives are identified.

Planting And Harvesting Innovation: An Analysis Of Samsung Electronics, Seung Hoon Jang, Sang M. Lee, Taewan Kim, Donghyun Choi

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study explores how firms manage the entire life cycle of innovation projects based on the framework of harvesting and planting innovation. While harvesting innovation seeks new products in the expectation of financial performance in the short term, planting innovation pursues creating value over a long time period. Without proper management of the process of planting and harvesting innovation, firms with limited resources may not be successful in launching innovative new products to seize a momentum in high tech industries. To examine this issue, the case of Samsung Electronics (SE), now an electronics giant originated from a former developing country, …

The Quality Management Ecosystem For Predictive Maintenance In The Industry 4.0 Era, Sang M. Lee, Donhee Lee, Youn Sung Kim

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The Industry 4.0 era requires new quality management systems due to the ever increasing complexity of the global business environment and the advent of advanced digital technologies. This study presents new ideas for predictive quality management based on an extensive review of the literature on quality management and five realworld cases of predictive quality management based on new technologies. The results of the study indicate that advanced technology enabled predictive maintenance can be applied in various industries by leveraging big data analytics, smart sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and platform construction. Such predictive quality management systems can become living ecosystems that …

Born To Take Risk? The Effect Of Ceo Birth Order On Strategic Risk Taking, Robert J. Campbell, Seung-Hwan Jeong, Scott D. Graffin

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The importance of birth order has been the subject of debate for centuries, and has captured the attention of the general public and researchers alike. Despite this interest, scholars have little understanding of the impact birth order has on CEOs and their strategic decisions. With this in mind, we develop theory that explains how CEO birth order may be associated with strategic risk taking. Drawing from evolutionary theory arguments related to birth order,we theorize that CEO birth order is positively associatedwith strategic risk taking; that is, earlier-born CEOswill take less risk than later-born CEOs. As evolutionary theory proposes that birth …

Employee Performance, Well‐Being, And Differential Effects Of Human Resource Management Subdimensions: Mutual Gains Or Conflicting Outcomes?, Chidiebere Ogbonnaya, Jake G. Messersmith

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The human resource management (HRM) literature supports the idea that coherent systems of HRM practices can induce attitudinal effects when perceived subjectively by employees. Recently, scholars have proposed that subdimensions of HRM systems exist and account for variance in outcomes. This study explores differential effects of three subdimensions of HRM systems (skill‐, motivation‐, and opportunity‐enhancing HRM practices) on employee innovative behaviors and well‐being. Our predictions are based on the mutual gains perspective, which specifies positive relationships between HRM practices and employee performance, and the conflicting outcomes perspective that links HRM practices to higher job demands and stress. Using data from …

Lincoln Area Skills Gap Report: Final Report, Eric Thompson

Bureau of Business Research Publications

In recent months, the Nebraska Departments of Labor and Economic Development have led efforts to conduct two surveys regarding the skills of workers and skill needs of employers in the Lincoln area. The surveys were conducted during late 2017 and early 2018. The Lincoln area includes the two counties of the Lincoln Metropolitan Area (Lancaster and Seward), all or most of five surrounding southeast Nebraska counties (Gage, Jefferson, Saline, Saunders, and York) and a portions of 4 other adjacent counties (Butler, Cass, Fillmore, and Otoe). The two surveys are the Lincoln Area Labor Availability Survey and the Lincoln Area Survey …

Firm Structure And Environment As Contingencies To The Corporate Venture Capital–Parent Firm Value Relationship, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Brian Anderson

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Corporate venture capital (CVC) is a valuable strategic tool associated with numerous innovative outcomes. However, less is known about whether CVC investing creates value for the investing (or parent) firm. Drawing from the attention-based view and contingency theory, we suggest that an increase in firm value from CVC investing is contingent on attentional mechanisms that discipline the selection of new investment opportunities. We posit that increases in firm value associated with CVC investing accrues to firms adopting specific operational structures and operating in particular environmental contexts. We find support for our research model in a sample of 95 companies between …

Strategic Business Audit Of Nelnet, Matthew Kachek

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis serves as a strategic audit for the company Nelnet. This covers Nelnet’s background, structure, and financial situation. Changes in Nelnet’s core student loan business has created uncertainty in their future. Multiple analyses, both internal and external, are performed and examined to determine Nelnet’s position as a company and within the marketplace. A strategic recommendation to continue growth in new technologies is presented in response to these analyses along with implementation details and alternatives.

Strategic Excellence In Post-Digital Ecosystems: A B2c Perspective, Edin Güçlü Sözer, Mustafa Emre Civelek, Murat Çemberci

Zea E-Books Collection

The basic production of the digital economy is knowledge. As it becomes more important, traditional factors like labor and capital become less so. As technological innovation changes the nature of employment, the conversion of labor to consumption becomes increasingly difficult. E-commerce is the most important driving force of the digital economy. Using technology and information networks effectively allows brands or companies to effect rapid changes in competitive markets. The emergence of neo-consumers calls for a higher order of information exchange and interaction. Companies must reasses their complete business processes in a holistic way to ensure market prominence in an economy …

On The Shoulders Of Giants: A Meta-Review Of Strategic Human Resource Management, Kaifeng Jiang, Jake G. Messersmith

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Recent years have witnessed significant growth in the field of strategic HRM. This article summarizes the literature in this field by conducting a meta-review, a review of the reviews that have covered various topics of strategic HRM. In doing so, the authors highlight theoretical frameworks and empirical findings of studies in the field over the past three decades, identify methodological issues and challenges in the previous research, and discuss recent trends in the field of strategic HRM. The author concludes by suggesting some interesting and important directions for future work.

Supplementary material attached below.

Entrepreneurship Everywhere: Across Campus, Across Communities, And Across Borders, Jeffrey S. Hornsby, Jake G. Messersmith, Matthew Rutherford, Sharon Simmons

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This paper introduces the theme of this special issue related to “Entrepreneurship Everywhere: Across Campus, Across Communities, and Across Borders.” We explore three critical points as we set up the accepted articles for the special issue. First, if we are everywhere are we anywhere? Second, we focus on the importance of collaboration. Third, we discuss the importance of strategically planning on how your efforts intervene or integrate into the wider ecosystem.

Entrepreneurship is everywhere. A search of the term “entrepreneurship” on Google yields 132 million results. By comparison a search on “strategic management” yields a mere 17.2 million results. Despite …

Innovation For Creating A Smart Future, Sang M. Lee, Silvana Trimi

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

tToday, we live in a dynamic and turbulent global community. The wave of mega-trends, including rapidchange in globalization and technological advances, is creating new market forces. For any organizationto survive and prosper in such an environment, innovation is imperative. However, innovation is nolonger just for creating value to benefit individuals, organizations, or societies. The ultimate purpose ofinnovation should be much more far reaching, helping create a smart future where people can enjoy thebest quality of life possible. Thus, innovation must search for intelligent solutions to tackle major socialills, seek more proactive approaches to predict the uncertain future, and pursue strategies …

Innovation: From Small “I” To Large “I”, Sang M. Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Innovation is the lifeline for every organization. The primary purpose of innovation is to apply new ideas or technologies to create new or added value for the organization. This narrow goal is for small “i”. In the dynamic digital age, however, the goal of innovation should be much more aspirational and noble: “doing well by doing good” for the society at large and humanity. This lofty goal of innovation is for large “I”. In this paper, we review the evolution process of innovation and propose how innovation can disrupt the barriers to creating a smart future, the aspirational goal of …

Strategic Audit Of Spreetail, Aryn Huck

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This report investigates the history and current situation of Spreetail, a local ecommerce company in Lincoln, Nebraska. The company faces several challenges going forward, including determining how to best compete with large companies in the same market such as Amazon. This report looks at Spreetail’s current standing using tools such as SWOT and PEST analyses and examines the company’s competitive analysis. Spreetail is recommended to speed up its rebranding process to maintain the benefits of the more fitting name and rebranding efforts already underway.

Adobe Systems Inc. Strategic Analysis And Recommendation, David Cao

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Adobe Systems Inc. is a dominant company in the software and creative industry. To provide a strategic recommendation for continued growth in the number of Creative Cloud subscribers, a strategic analysis was performed. This analysis comprised of looking at Adobe’s current market segments and market offerings, performing a SWOT analysis, performing a PEST analysis, examining Porter’s Five Forces regarding Adobe, and clarifying Adobe’s core competencies and competitive advantages. After this analysis, the strategic recommendation was made for Adobe to expand is Creative Cloud subscription options and increase its efforts in the education market. This plan if successful puts Adobe on …

Shared Team Experiences And Team Effectiveness: Unpacking The Contingent Effects Of Entrained Rhythms And Task Characteristics, Margaret M. Luciano, Amy L. Bartels, Lauren D'Innocenzo, M. Travis Maynard, John E. Mathieu

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study explores the conditions under which shared team task-specific (STTS) experiences in crew-based arrangements may negatively influence team effectiveness.We suggest that the entrained rhythms featured in social entrainment theory act as a dual-edged sword with the potential to generate complacency detriments in addition to the commonly cited synchronization benefits. We argue that the manifestation and influence of the countervailing forces (i.e., synchronization and complacency) on the STTS experience—team effectiveness relationship will depend on salient task characteristics (i.e., frequency and difficulty). More specifically, frequently performed tasks create conditions for complacency tomanifest (generating an inverted-U shaped relationship between STTS experience—team efficiency), …

“Optimizing The Performance Of Mean-Variance Portfolios In Various Markets: An “Old-School” Approach”, Roberto Stein, Orlando E. Contreras-Pacheco

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The authors study the performance of mean-variance optimized (MVO) equity portfolios for retail investors in various markets in the U.S. and around the world. Actively managed equity mutual funds have relatively high fees and tend to underperform their benchmark. Index funds such as exchange traded funds still charge appreciable fees, and only deliver the performance of the benchmark. The authors find that MVO portfolios are relatively easy to manage by a retail investor, and that they tend to outperform their benchmark or, at worst, equal its performance, even after adjusting for risk. Moreover, they show that the performance of these …

Ripping Off The Band-Aid: Scrutiny Bundling In The Wake Of Social Disapproval, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Owen Parker, A. Erin Bass

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Activities that hazard the possibility of increased scrutiny are an unavoidable reality for many firms. While managers may face the need to engage in these activities, there is little research on when managers decide to do so. Existing theoretical perspectives on status quo deviations have not sufficiently addressed how managers order the firm’s essential activities that differ primarily in terms of the scrutiny those activities engender. Drawing from concepts in the accounting and political science literatures, we advance a “scrutiny- bundling” perspective that suggests that firms engage in scrutiny-hazarding action in the wake of social disapproval, assessed in this study …

Examining Follower Responses To Transformational Leadership From A Dynamic, Person–Environment Fit Perspective, Bennett J. Tepper, Nikolaos Dimotakis, Lisa Schurer Lambert, Joel Koopman, Fadel K. Matta, Hee Man Park, Wongun Goo

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

We invoke the person–environment fit paradigm to examine on a daily basis follower affective, attitudinal, and behavioral responses to transformational leadership needed and received. Results from two experience sampling method (ESM) studies suggested that positive affect was higher on days when transformational leadership received fit follower needs (compared to days when the amount received was deficient or in excess of follower needs) and on days when absolute levels of fit was higher. We also found that positive affect mediated the within-person effects of transformational leadership needed and received on subordinates’ daily work attitudes (Studies 1 and 2) and organizational citizenship …

Bang For The Buck: Understanding Employee Benefit Allocations And New Venture Survival, Jake G. Messersmith, Pankaj C. Patel, Christopher Crawford

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Providing employee benefits is costly for new ventures, yet offering such inducements is often essential to developing human capital. While a broad combination of employee benefits could yield synergistic effects, adopting a large number of benefits may not be feasible for resource constrained ventures. To ensure survival, while limiting misallocation of scarce resources towards benefits that have lower returns, entrepreneurs must be selective in choosing the benefits that generate the most ‘bang for the buck’. Our study assesses the effects of employee benefit offerings on venture survival odds. Based on a longitudinal sample of 1012 US-based ventures from the Kauffman …

Voice Of A “Seasoned” Ob Professor, Fred Luthans

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

I will be making some highly personalized comments on the Aguinis et al. article* concerning rigor vs. relevance, renaming/rebranding I-O psychology, and I-O psychology vs. business school OB. Before commenting, however, I feel compelled to briefly frame my remarks from the perspective of my 50-year academic career. For example, I think it is important to note that I go back to the early 1960s at the University of Iowa, College of Business. I was studying for my Ph.D. in the just emerging field of management and organizations (nothing was offered called organizational behavior or strategic management). However, and very unusual …

Pulling In Different Directions? Exploring The Relationship Between Vertical Pay Dispersion And High-Performance Work Systems, Jake G. Messersmith, Kyoung Yong Kim, Pankaj C. Patel

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Vertical pay dispersion (VPD), a hierarchical pay structure used to motivate employees, has traditionally been studied separately from high-performance work systems (HPWSs). As a component of HPWSs, incentive-based compensation schemes focus on employee- or team-level incentives. However, the influence of the simultaneous utilization of VPD and HPWS on performance remains understudied. This study addresses the question of whether these approaches to managing human capital serve as complements or substitutes to one another. VPD and HPWS are argued to substitute for one another with respect to motivation- and skill-enhancing practices. The opposite notion is true in regard to opportunity-enhancing HPWSs, which …

Positive Projections And Health: An Initial Validation Of The Implicit Psychological Capital Health Measure, P. D. Harms, Adam J. Vanhove, Fred Luthans

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

In this set of studies, we conduct an initial validation of the Implicit Psychological Capital Questionnaire-Health (IPCQ-H), a short, easy to administer and score measure of psychological capital designed to reflect implicit schemas or cognitions surrounding one’s health. The results of two studies demonstrate that the implicit measure of IPCQ-H is correlated with an explicit PsyCap-Health measure (PCQ-H), but has very little construct overlap with measures of personality. Moreover, scores of the IPCQ-H were stable over time. Study 2 documents the predictive validity of the IPCQ-H with a number of physical and mental health outcomes. Implications for theory and practice …

Referral Hire Presence Implications For Referrer Turnover And Job Performance, Jenna R. Pieper, Charlie O. Trevor, Ingo Weller, Dennis Duchon

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

A great deal of research has been devoted to understanding the organizational returns of employee referral programs, particularly with respect to outcomes involving those hired through the referral process. Yet, no work has addressed whether the presence of a referral hire (i.e., the referred candidate who is hired and working in the firm) is related to behavioral outcomes for the referrer. Drawing on the social enrichment perspective, we theorize how referral hire presence (RHP), which is the time during which the referrer’s and the referral hire’s employment spells overlap, impacts referrer behavior. Using data from 265 referrers in a U.S. …

Graphic Novels: A Brief History, Their Use In Business Education, And The Potential For Negotiation Pedagogy, Mallory Wallace

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Over an extensive history, graphic novels have developed into a legitimate form of fiction and nonfiction for readers and students. Use of graphic novels in classrooms has proven effective in facilitating learning for students, as a conduit for lifelong reading, a tool for increased comprehension and critical literacy, and a stimulus for interest and comprehension. In applying this to teaching negotiation and conflict management, graphic novels may be effective in engaging students and increasing understanding when terms and concepts are confusing or vague, especially in their differences, and can help students understand the process and outcome of negotiation, both objective …

Developing An Innovative Entity Extraction Method For Unstructured Data, Waleed A. Zaghloul, Silvana Trimi

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The main goal of this study is to build high-precision extractors for entities such as Person and Organization as a good initial seed that can be used for training and learning in machine-learning systems, for the same categories, other categories, and across domains, languages, and applications. The improvement of entities extraction precision also increases the relationships extraction precision, which is particularly important in certain domains (such as intelligence systems, social networking, genetic studies, healthcare, etc.). These increases in precision improve the end users’ experience quality in using the extraction system because it lowers the time that users spend for training …

Environmental Policy Performances For Sustainable Development: From The Perspective Of Iso 14001 Certification, Sang M. Lee, Yonghwi Noh, Donghyun Choi, Jin Sung Rha

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the financial performances of environmental policy by using the long-term effect of ISO 14001 certification. Drawing on a natural-resource-based view of the firm, this study examined abnormal performances of ISO 14001 certified firms on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) in the USA during the period 1996–2010 employing a rigorous event study methodology. The results indicate that the profitability variables showed immediate positive abnormal effects after firms applied for the ISO 14001 certification, while the market benefit variable showed gradual improvements after obtaining the certification. However, ISO 14001 …

Psychological Capital: An Evidence-Based Positive Approach, Fred Luthans, Carolyn M. Youssef-Morgan

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The now recognized core construct of psychological capital, or simply PsyCap, draws from positive psychology in general and positive organizational behavior (POB) in particular. The first-order positive psychological resources that make up PsyCap include hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, or the HERO within. These four best meet the inclusion criteria of being theory- and research-based, positive, validly measurable, state-like, and having impact on attitudes, behaviors, performance and well-being. The article first provides the background and precise meaning of PsyCap and then comprehensively reviews its measures, theoretical mechanisms, antecedents and outcomes, levels of analysis, current status and needed research, and finally …

Review Of “Dreammakers: Innovating For The Greater Good” By Michele Hunt, Dreammakers (Dreammakers.Org), Sang M. Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This is an inspiring book about DreamMakers, those individuals and organizations that have the audacity to rethink, redesign, and co-create a new world view of doing well by doing good. These dream makers aspire to reset the workings of the world to alleviate major ills and problems that societies face today. To understand and appreciate this book fully, we need to know about the author.

Michele Hunt is an extraordinarily successful lady with colorful professional background. Upon graduation from college (BA in Sociology from Eastern Michigan University and MA in Sociology from University of Detroit), she worked for 9 years …