Organizational commitment patterns in higher education: A study of selected midlevel student services professionals

Baker-Tate, Ixchel M University of Maryland University College 2010 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The student services profession was designed to create a commitment to the 'whole student' and as such, the professionals who serve in this profession recognize the importance of this complex relationship. A review of the literature revealed that student services professionals are unsung professionals who generally feel a sense of calling to their work and see this calling as a way of promoting student development in diverse forms; however, their reported attrition statistics suggest that a significant cost is associated with this calling and that there is an inconsistency between their commitment and job satisfaction. Midlevel student services professionals typically find themselves in positions that are at the low end of the pay scale and require a total professional life commitment, often at the expense of a personal life. In addition, these professionals often lack professional development and mentoring opportunities and available career advancement opportunities often require at least regional mobility. These factors, along with a few others, often contribute to a decision, by these professionals, to leave an organization or the profession. This qualitative study explores factors that affect organizational commitment among midlevel student services professionals and influence their decision to stay in or leave the profession. Eleven midlevel student services professionals employed at colleges and universities, the Department of Education, and other entities participated in the study. Intrinsic variables, such as the work itself (task variety), working with students, and a sense of duty based on achievement and responsibility were examined, along with extrinsic variables, such as salary, institutional policies and practices, and working conditions. The study participants provided a representative profile of committed student services professionals who enjoyed their job, were able to balance competing constituents, and understood not only the big picture of student services work, but of the institution where they worked. Using phenomenological analysis it was found that midlevel student services professionals are committed to the profession when their job satisfaction level is high from the enjoyment of the work itself, working conditions and level of recognition they receive. They attrite when their job dissatisfaction level is high from the implementation of institutional policies and practices that affect them and their jobs and when there is a dissonance with values of their employer. The study findings revealed a need for open dialogue between these professionals and university administrators. It is recommended that university leaders work to increase commitment of midlevel student services professionals by: (a) providing adequate resources in the form of money, personnel, and equipment to remain effective and focus on students; (b) having open communication to express their concerns and needs; (c) providing professional development opportunities for enhancing their skill sets; (d) providing compensation commensurate with their position and responsibilities; and (e) serving as an advocate, supporter and provider of meaningful recognition of the student services profession. KEYWORDS: student services, organizational commitment, midlevel professional, higher education.

Cybersecurity in Electronic Commerce: Effect of Safeguarding Personal Data on Identity Theft

Pannah, Em University of Maryland University College 2010 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

Cybersecurity plays important roles in electronic commerce (e-commerce). The President of the United States declared that the U.S. economic prosperity in 21st century depends on cybersecurity. In the face of severe exigencies of threat, several nations and organizations are addressing the issue independently as well as jointly. In this dissertation I examine the effect of exercising certain information security practices among e-commerce subscribers on identity theft. I conducted a cross-sectional survey of 623 adult respondents from 12 purposively selected groups. The analysis of data from 572 eligible respondents found that 14% of the respondents had been victims of identity theft. Relatively more victims (20%) were in the older age group (55 years and older) than in the younger age group (13% are 21 to 29 years old). Also, male respondents experienced 70% more identity theft than the females; 17% male vs. 10%female. Among all the risk factors studied, social engineering and phishing/Nigerian scams were the major methods of identity theft. Although 94% of the young respondents (80% overall) watch movies online, watching movies online did not increase their risk of identity theft. Similarly, the study found no adverse effect on identity theft related to respondents' accessing adult sites online. Almost none of the identity theft victims register the incident with the Identity Theft Clearing House and 66% of the victims did not even report it to the local police. Clearly, we need more awareness for and training on cybersecurity and identity theft. This dissertation also provides recommendations on how to safeguard personal data from cyber criminals and what victims should do once identity theft happens to them.

The Role of Leadership and Organizational Culture in Influencing Employee Silence: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Flanagan-Benedict, Geneva University of Maryland University College ProQuest 2019 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

Employee silence is a silent killer of organizations, stripping them of lost revenue, productivity, and divergent thought. If organizations wish to reduce employee silence behaviors, they need to understand the factors in their organizational culture and leadership that have an influence on employee silence. This research uses a systematic review to find these organizational culture and leadership factors. Systematic review identifies, analyzes and synthesizes existing research relevant to a research question. Sixty-nine research articles were analyzed after excluding research that was duplicative, not relevant, and did not meet the defined quality criteria. The evidence suggested organizational cultures that are ethical, open, supportive, and provide a participative climate led to reduced employee silence behaviors. The evidence also suggested that the leadership factors influencing reduction in employee silence are high levels of honesty, inclusivity, two-way communication, role clarity, accountability, and solicitation of feedback. These results imply that to reduce employee silence organizations should design and maintain organizational cultures that provide many ways for employees to participate in the decision-making process, are open to hearing feedback, fair to employees, and are supportive. The results indicate that a reduction in employee silence behaviors can also be achieved through leadership. The leaders who want to reduce employee silence need to have high ethical standards for themselves and others, encourage and ask for employee participation in decision-making, provide clear direction to employees of their role, and act when given feedback.

Collaborate to Innovate: Innovative Capacity Index for Effective Open Innovation

Greenwood, Dorothea G University of Maryland University College 2010 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

In today's economy, enlightened firms collaborate to innovate openly across the entire innovation chain. To sustain competitive advantage in today's fast moving open innovation ecosystem, the executive leadership of a firm should create and sustain a new business model for open innovation. The four building blocks of an open innovation business model are capacities that allow it to accumulate social capital, organically build network ties, span boundaries of firms to access knowledge, and maintain absorptive capacity crucial for organizational learning and knowledge transfer. This paper develops the Innovative Capacity Index (ICI), based on these four building blocks, to provide executive leadership with a dashboard mechanism to track and cultivate the innovative behaviors and actions of the firm for competitive advantage. The ICI measures provide visibility into a portrayal of "who is talking to whom about what" and give leaders the insights needed to reinforce and redirect priorities, resources, recognition and rewards to influence desired activities and behaviors. Executive leadership can then adapt and refine the corporate strategy, investments, practices and culture to achieve and sustain enduring competitive advantage.

Institutional renewal and adaptation (IRA): Creating and managing sustainable competitive advantage (SCA)

Alfadda, Bashir University of Maryland University College 2010 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The primary purpose of this study is to propose and explore a theoretical framework linking the construct of Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA) to the firm's ability to build and sustain its competitive advantage, which determines its ability to generate returns on capital for its shareholders and increase long-term value. The proposed framework builds upon the sources of competitive advantage foundations established by the prevailing theories on the subject, including the resource-based view, the market-based view, institutional theory, the dynamic capabilities framework, and the eclectic paradigm. The framework underscores the important roles a firm's resources, capabilities, market-based strategies, and institutional context play as key contributors to competitive advantage. The study argues that IRA is a mechanism that effectively fosters institutional learning, development, and sustainability. Relevant practices include innovation; organizational learning and competence-building; firms' management, organizational, and strategy development; flexibility of cultural values; global aptness and cultural intelligence; and a keen sense to detect shifts in markets and business environments. The current study also links IRA to sustainable competitive advantages using the Competitive Advantage Index (CAI), an operational metric defined and developed by the author, specifically for this purpose. Finally, this study seeks to contribute to the theoretical work that is needed to help understand how firms achieve and sustain above-average market returns as well as what would cause these returns to dissipate over time. The ultimate goal of the study is to advance the knowledge of how to build a better theory of firm performance and to expand knowledge related to the possible sources of sustainable competitive advantage. Keywords: Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA); Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA); Competitive Advantage Index (CAI); High Performance/Competitive Advantage Enablers.

Telework as Part of a Business Continuity Strategy: A Path toward Organizational Resilience

Colbert, Carrie J University of Maryland University College 2011 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This paper explores the impact an established telework program included in a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) has on the resiliency of an organization during and after an unexpected event. Two important realities are beginning to force old management traditions to evolve and transform. First, distance-spanning technologies challenge "same time, same place" models of work. Second, and most important, business interruptions and work stoppages are crucial to an organization's productivity. A changing world demands new ways of using our digital infrastructure to survive in business. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and unexpected business crises have the capacity to change the way businesses and societies function. This study utilizes literature from to the areas of telework, business continuity, and resilience, along with real-world business cases relating to the three areas of focus. The literature chosen provides insight into the impact a telework strategy integrated into an organizations BCP has on an organization's ability to maintain business functions during and after an unexpected event. The paper defines telework and discusses the benefits and issues related to a telework program, and defines the concept of business continuity, making the argument that an established telework program is a critical component of a BCP in continuing business operations during a crisis: keeping an organization's reputation and assets intact. The review of literature and supporting real-world business cases resulted in four findings: (1) management resistance in telework adoption exists, (2) a BCP ensures essential functions during an unexpected event and it is crucial for organizations to be prepared for all types of disasters, (3) telework as part of a BCP is a proactive management approach to disaster planning, and (4) resilient organizations are prepared to continue operations during and after an unexpected event. The study also presents a conceptual model that shows that when needed, executing telework within a BCP will decrease downtime and minimize the impact of a business interruption during a crisis, which leads to less lost revenue, less disruption of operations and improved responsiveness to customers.

Intergenerational Mentoring: A Systematic Review of Facilitating Knowledge Transfer in a Multigenerational Workforce

Pruett, Candace Christine University of Maryland University College ProQuest 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The business problem addressed in this study is the failure of some organizations to adopt mentoring programs, which are necessary to transfer knowledge in a multigenerational workforce. The workforce is becoming generationally more diverse. Over 36.5 million employees will become eligible for retirement within the next 10 years, leaving many leadership positions vacant in the workplace. Due to the gap in both knowledge and experience within the remaining workforce, many organizations will struggle to fill vacant, senior-level positions. Mentoring is a tool to enact knowledge transfer throughout the workforce. This qualitative study synthesizes the literature on how mentoring programs influence knowledge transfer throughout a multigenerational environment. In addition, this study examines the best strategies regarding implementing mentoring programs. The theoretical framework for this study includes knowledge-based theory, social exchange theory, and generational cohort theory. The systematic review identifies 699 articles, and the snowballing method is implemented to locate five additional articles. Duplicates are removed, leaving 487 articles for abstract review, of which 209 move to the full-text review stage. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are applied, and 43 articles meet the requirements and critical quality assessment for coding key themes. The general findings of the study are that mentoring influences knowledge transfer through the formation of collaborative relationships, mitigates negative stereotypes, builds larger social networks, enhances tactic and explicit knowledge for both mentor and mentee, and increases technological adaptability. Findings for best strategies to consider when implementing mentoring programs include management support, the creation of a knowledge-sharing organizational culture, and intergenerational mentoring. This study contributes to the development and replacement of leadership positions and comprises a valuable tool for organizational succession planning. The development of intergenerational mentoring programs can lead to increased knowledge sharing across organizations.

Optimizing Performance through Leadership Decision-Making

Sims, Naomi DeShields University of Maryland University College ProQuest 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

Pressures to remain agile and flexible while struggling with costly operations and sustaining competitiveness in the global market have forced leadership to make complex, organizational decisions quickly. This study explores best practices in decision-making for senior leaders to improve organizational performance by re-engaging middle management, the hidden gem in strategic decisions. Ludwig Von Bertalanffy's general system theory and Herbert Simon’s decision-making theory guide the research. Combined, this theoretical framework views the organization as an entire system and effective decision-making as an integrated subsystem. Findings revealed five emerging themes: (1) Leadership styles influence decision making; (2) relevant information is necessary to make rational, quality decisions; (3) advantages and disadvantages exist for engaging middle managers in senior executive decision making; (4) adopted best practices lead to effective decision making and improved organizational performance; and, (5) internal and external factors impact organizational decisions and how they are made. Three recommendations are presented: Perform an assessment of individual leadership styles; create a standard decision-making process; and engage middle managers in senior leadership decision-making. A concept called “Middle Management Optimization” is introduced to management practice to help leaders optimize decisions that enhance organizational performance.

A System Dynamics Perspective of Finger Lakes Winery Capacity Utilization and Implications of the Wine Industry and Liquor Store Revitalization Act for Wine Distribution

Hamilton, Warren D University of Maryland University College 2011 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

As a consequence of the Wine Industry and Liquor Store Revitalization Act, proposed changes to New York State's wine distribution system will potentially increase the distribution of wine by allowing grocery stores to sell wine for the first time. The primary focus of this study is to explore the process of production efficiency in wineries by comparing the current distribution model with the new model that follows from systems changes as a result of this proposed legislation. The research examined Finger Lakes winery capacity to meet demand increases by applying an iterative five-step system dynamics modeling approach through a simulation exercise. The rationale for using such an approach is that it illustrates the predicted consequences of different percentage increases in demand on a winery's current production capacity. Outcomes from simulation are twofold: first, simulation provides and validates a workable model that will provide further application for industry research and winery use; and second, it determines that Finger Lakes wineries can meet the selected demand increases of between 10 and 50 percent with existing current capacity. The paper concludes with a recommendation for future research, considered in detail using Forrester's (1968) market growth model as adapted by Morecroft (1983).

Analysis of sex stereotyping on women's positive evaluation and promotion to executive leadership roles

Offor, Evelyn Enitan University of Maryland University College 2011 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The need to improve gender equality in leadership roles has necessitated a critical review of the factors that may account for the low levels of female executive occupancy. This paper explores gender-related differences in evaluation and promotion rates of women to executive roles by specifically examining sex-stereotyping and role congruity theory of prejudice as frameworks for empirical findings on the perceived incongruity between the gender role and the leadership role. The central question is whether sex stereotyping is responsible for the low percentage of female executives and whether eliminating related obstacles can potentially lead to gender equality in the workplace. To validate this proposition, this paper provides a thorough literature review that corroborates an organizational need to achieve an ethos of improving the gender disparity in the workplace. From the review of role congruity theory, it is determined that the perceived incongruity between female gender role and leadership role leads to prejudice. Therefore, social roles form the basis of norms that affect valued behavior for men and women. Evidence from varied research of both descriptive and prescriptive studies show prejudice that are associated with gender in evaluating leaders when women possess agentic qualities of dominance that are inconsistent with the leader role. The processes that cause these outcomes and the procedures that possibly encourage them is identified and explored. Research has shown that sex stereotyping is an attitudinal barrier and views towards women that is embedded in the culture that hinder women's equality. Future research should include the study of the different conditions that affect the perception of the effectiveness of leaders in respect to their gender; the settings in which leader characteristics are analyzed; and the analysis of more specific job-related qualifications and experiences of applicants to the leadership positions.