R&D Characteristics and Organizational Structure: Case Studies of University-Industry Research Centers

Hart, Maureen McArthur The George Washington University 2013 해외박사(DDOD)

Within the past few decades, university-industry research centers have been developed in large numbers and emphasized as a valuable policy tool for innovation. Yet little is known about the heterogeneity of organizational structure within these centers, which has implications regarding policy for and management of these centers. This dissertation focuses on organizational structure heterogeneity and how it varies with characteristics of the research and development (R&D) performed in university-industry research centers using a framework based on prior research in organization theory, economics of innovation studies, and strategic and knowledge management. This is addressed through 10 case studies of National Science Foundation (NSF) university-industry research centers in two research fields which are expected to vary along the examined characteristics of the research – seven centers in nanotechnology and three centers in information, communications, and computing (ICC). Prior research has demonstrated that radical R&D - that is R&D that is divergent from existing practice - requires organizational forms with greater hierarchy and with more codified rules and procedures (e.g., for data use, knowledge dissemination) to ensure coordination and control among diverse actors (e.g., scientists and engineers with different backgrounds and training) when compared to incremental R&D, or R&D that is reliant on existing practice. The predominance of cooperative research centers engage in R&D aimed at radical scientific and technical innovation and bring together diverse actors from industry, academia, and government labs for coordinated problem solving. However, there is still much to learn about organizational heterogeneity in organizations engaged in radical R&D. Therefore the purposive sample of university-industry research centers addressed in this dissertation help to further theoretical understanding of organizational diversity across R&D organizations. For R&D management practice and policy, the dissertation findings support that university-industry research centers can or should use differing organizational structures depending on the characteristics of the R&D conducted by the center. Specifically, the findings of this dissertation arrive at four organizational structure approaches for R&D managers working in university-industry cooperative research centers. 1. Centers are more likely to be organized with an increased number of hierarchical levels, or increased vertical differentiation, and increased codification of rules and procedures, or increased formalization, when conducting research that cannot be readily replicated without prior hands-on experience, or R&D characterized as having high tacitness, and when conducting research that does not draw on a commonly agreed core of knowledge and prior research, or R&D characterized as having low cumulativeness. 2. Centers are more likely to be organized with increased vertical differentiation, increased formalization, and increased concentration of decision-making, i.e., centralization, when engaging in R&D projects that are planned to be dependent on the inputs or outputs of other R&D projects conducted simultaneously, or R&D characterized as having high interdependence. 3. Centers are more likely to be organized with increased structural complexity – i.e., a combination of increased number of hierarchical levels, increased role specialization of center participants, or increased number and/or distance of separate locations - when conducting R&D designed to involve researchers from a number of different research fields, or R&D characterized as having high R&D complexity. 4. Centers are more likely to be organized with increased vertical differentiation and increased centralization when conducting research that is intended to be restricted from unauthorized use, or R&D characterized as having high appropriability. With high appropriability, centers are also more likely to experience goal conflicts among the center actors (e.g., industry and faculty researchers). Because in management science, practice and theory are closely linked, some of these recommendations also suggest theoretical propositions to address in future research on cooperative research centers and comparable R&D organizations.

Cosmopolitan Folk: The Cultural Politics of the North American Folk Music Revival in Washington, D.C

Lorenz, Stephen Fox The George Washington University 2014 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation looks at the popular American folksong revival in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region during the Cold War and Civil Rights era. Examination of folk revival scholarship, local media reports and cultural geography, and the collected interviews and oral histories of Washington area participants, reveals the folk and blues revival was a mass mediated phenomenon with contentious factions. The D.C. revival shows how restorative cultural projects and issues of authenticity are central to modernity, and how the function of folksong transformed from the populist, labor oriented Old Left to the personalized politics of the New Left. This study also significantly disrupts often romantic scholarship and political narratives about the folk revival and redirects the intellectual attention on New York, Chicago, and San Francisco towards the nation's capital as an overlooked site of cultural production. Washington's "folk world" of music clubs, coffeehouses, record collectors, disc jockeys, performers, folklorists, and folk music aficionados drove folk music studies towards context and cultural democracy, but the local insistence on apolitical, traditional, and rural forms of folksong as the most genuine reinscribed racial and class hierarchies even as they enhanced Washington's status. Washington, D.C., shifted the loose folk revival "movement" into permanent cultural institutions and organizations, and the city gained a cosmopolitan reputation for authentic folk music that intermingled with its regional culture and identity as the nation's capital and site of public protest.

Congressional influence on National Defense University (Washington, D.C.)

Yaeger, John William The George Washington University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

This study examines the influence Congressional interjections had on the development of National Defense University (NDU). Over the life of the University Congress intervened several times, affecting the historical development of NDU as a joint professional military education institution. The cumulative effect was a Congressionally mandated transformation reflected in the mission, curricula and students at the University. In chronological order, this study documents the Congressional interjections and the factors that made Congressional involvement necessary. The historical analysis ends with September 11, 2001. By that time, NDU had become a graduate-level, accredited, degree-granting institution with a mission of educating selected military and civilian officials in complex political, information, military and economic issues. Joint professional military education at NDU realized significant improvement as a result of Congressional interjections. The military Services, as well as the components of NDU, continuously demonstrated a reluctance to embrace change. In the face of this reluctance, Congressional involvement was necessary. Analysis of these interjections shows that each time Congress interposed, the University responded in ways that directly contributed to quality education. From students to faculty to infrastructure, every aspect of NDU was affected by Congressional interjections. This study finds that Congress had a profound influence on NDU.

Teacher quality accountability measures: Perceptions of degree and direction of influence on university-based teacher education programs

Owsiak, Nelda Kimrey The George Washington University 2008 해외박사(DDOD)

This follow-up study analyzed accountability requirements through the perceptions of university-based teacher preparation leaders. A 2003 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) survey requested that school, college or department of education (SCDE) designated unit heads give their perceptions about 2000-2002 state and national teacher quality accountability policies. A secondary dataset analysis focused on accountability system configurations: internal accountability measures (oversight policies formulated from within the education profession) and external accountability policies (generated from legislation). Of approximately 600 AACTE members, 200 were randomly sampled. The survey's 61% response rate yielded perceived degree and direction of influence of four post-secondary accountability measures on teacher preparation program changes. Institutional size was shown to affect its leaders' perceptions of an accountability measure's influence. Usually the leadership at smaller SCDEs, department chairs perceived a greater negative influence from the four accountability measures. Smaller private institutions, with fewer than 64 annual initial program completers, were predicted to perceive that national accreditation standards had a lower degree of influence on certain curriculum and instruction program changes. However, among all respondents for all four accountability measures, national accreditation standards ranked first as having the highest degree and most positive influence. Also, an SCDE's NCATE-status showed a statistically significant difference, a perceived positive influence of state program approval accountability. The national specialty professional association standards were found to be the least influential of the study's accountability measures. These standards had low ranking comparative mean scores and only one program change showed a perceived difference between SCDEs' leadership. State program approval standards had high-ranking comparative mean scores among the accountability measures; they were the only measure to yield a perceived greater degree and more positive direction of influence for department chairs. As a hybrid accountability configuration, they interact and reinforce the national accreditation accountability measure. The Higher Education Act of 1998, Title II reporting requirement was also included in the study and this secondary dataset analysis may provide information for education stakeholders' current debates on teacher quality accountability requirements.

The extent to which equal opportunity has been provided to eligible students with disabilities by colleges and universities

Chinnery, Debra Foster The George Washington University 2003 해외박사(DDOD)

The purpose of this study is to determine if the extent to which equal opportunities provided to eligible students with disabilities by colleges and universities has improved over the last eighteen to twenty years. The original study revealed that four-year colleges and universities in many service areas provided better opportunities to eligible students with disabilities than most public 2-year colleges and universities. The results of that study revealed that colleges and universities nationwide were adhering to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Whereas ramps, elevators, and parking spaces were among the most visible gains for the students with disabilities, the treatment and enforcement of those laws in colleges and universities in the United States have been multifaceted. This researcher again investigates if the provisions for all reasonable accommodations and services have been made by 2- and 4-year colleges and universities in the United States receiving federal funding. The following questions were asked: (1) What academic program modifications have been made to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities for program accessibility? (2) What auxiliary aids have been provided or increased to assure total program accessibility? (3) What changes have been made to make programs physically accessible to students with disabilities?. The approach for this study was a descriptive survey design. The frame of reference for the research was based on Gary S. Becker's human capital theory. Dr. George W. Davis, author of the original research in 1983, designed the questionnaire used in this research. The methodology was a tailored mixed-method design, whereby traditional methods were combined with technology innovations and the information superhighway. The questionnaire was placed at a web site with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address. A four-digit identification code (ID) was assigned to each college and university chosen to participate in this study. After the consent form was electronically signed by participants and returned electronically to the investigator, a four-digit ID code and the web address were electronically sent to all Directors/Coordinators or Administrators of students with disabilities programs at the prospective institutions. The sample of 314 colleges and universities were 2- and 4-year institutions in the United States participating in federal financial aid programs. Results revealed to the investigator the need for continued evaluation of administrative policies, documentation, curriculum development and student service programs in post-secondary institutions regarding the adherence to laws governing students with disabilities. An evaluation of equal opportunities in federal funded institutions in the United States is also needed.

Leadership characteristics needed by presidents of historically Black colleges and universities as perceived by academic vice presidents

Wilson, Mary Walton The George Washington University 2002 해외박사(DDOD)

The purpose of this study was to determine leadership characteristics needed by Presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities as Perceived by Academic Vice-Presidents. The research was conducted during the Fall of 2000 and Spring of 2001 school year. Two questions guided this research: (1) What leadership characteristics should Historically Black College and University Presidents possess to be successful in the 21<super>st</super> Century? and (2) What are the emerging issues that Historically Black College and University Presidents will face at the beginning of the Century and how far in the Century?. An Open-Ended Questionnaire, a Telephone Interview, and a daily log sheet were designed to collect data for the study. A Field Test was administered to 30 randomly selected Academic Vice-Presidents from the population of 103 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A log of responses was maintained and resulted in 14 respondents to validate the Open-Ended Questionnaire. An Open-Ended Questionnaire was revised and mailed to each academic Vice-President not participating in the Field Test. There were a total of 73 questionnaires mailed to the Academic Vice-Presidents. Data was collected from 44 questionnaires, and 22 telephone interviews. The data collected was analyzed using Ronata Tesch's (1990) eight steps to qualitative data analysis. All data was compiled, read carefully, and transcribed verbatim. Results indicated that some Academic Vice-Presidents hold specific perceptions of leadership. These perceptions seem to have been as a result of their observations, experience in current positions, the manner in which the presidents performed, the kinds of goals set, and knowledge of higher education. Respondents perceived the role of president in the higher education settings as that of providing a vision for the institution, preparing for future issues and establishing how these functions would be performed.

What factors do low-income first-generation black South African students perceive affect their persistence and completion of higher education degrees at Vista University's Soweto Campus

Norfles, Nicole Suzette The George Washington University 2002 해외박사(DDOD)

South Africa is a country that has begun to build a collective participatory society (Mandela, 1994). Tertiary (higher) educational completion is sorely needed to provide South Africa with a skilled and educated population able to implement transformative change. However, many students are not completing university degrees. The problem is students are not completing higher education and why they do not complete is unknown. Before recommending solutions, the reasons students state they do not complete higher education degrees should be known. The purpose of this study was to conduct a case study soliciting responses from low-income and first-generation “disadvantaged” black South African students on concerns and factors that they perceive to affect their completion of a higher education degree at Vista Soweto University. This study is needed to give voice to students and identify the factors students identify as negatively impacting their educational completion. Specifically, the overarching question asks what factors do low-income, first-generation black South African students perceive to affect their persistence and completion of higher education degrees at Vista University's Soweto Campus. The orienting framework comes from readings by Ogbu, and Tinto. This study sought to understand South African students within the context of the historical social and political conditions in South Africa. Data collection consisted of student focus groups, with faculty interviews, observations and historical documents employed as part of the triangulation strategy. Photographs were taken and all focus group interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The study found the factors that affect students can be grouped into four categories: (1) “traditional” habits and environmental conditions; (2) students' sense of isolation and lack of non-academic supports; (3) students' perceived lack of academic support including “administrative inefficiency”; and (4) the reminders of “the old system” of apartheid. Although these factors impact completion, and concur with ideas articulated by Ogbu and Tinto, the most interesting finding is how students' commitment to education and student activism impact completion. In particular, student activism and political activity was identified to negatively impact student completion at Vista Soweto. This finding was contrary to the positive impact of student political and anti-apartheid activity prior to 1990.

Cognitive development in introductory physics: A research-based approach to curriculum reform

Teodorescu, Raluca Elena The George Washington University 2009 해외공개박사

This project describes the research on a classification of physics problems in the context of introductory physics courses. This classification, called the Taxonomy of Introductory Physics Problems (TIPP), relates physics problems to the cognitive processes required to solve them. TIPP was created for designing and clarifying educational objectives, for developing assessments that can evaluate individual component processes of the problem-solving process, and for guiding curriculum design in introductory physics courses, specifically within the context of a "thinking-skills" curriculum. TIPP relies on the following resources: (1) cognitive research findings adopted by physics education research, (2) expert-novice research discoveries acknowledged by physics education research, (3) an educational psychology taxonomy for educational objectives, and (4) various collections of physics problems created by physics education researchers or developed by textbook authors. TIPP was used in the years 2006--2008 to reform the first semester of the introductory algebra-based physics course (called Phys 11) at The George Washington University. The reform sought to transform our curriculum into a "thinking-skills" curriculum that trades "breadth for depth" by focusing on fewer topics while targeting the students' cognitive development. We employed existing research on the physics problem-solving expert-novice behavior, cognitive science and behavioral science findings, and educational psychology recommendations. Our pedagogy relies on didactic constructs such as the GW-ACCESS problem-solving protocol, learning progressions and concept maps that we have developed and implemented in our introductory physics course. These tools were designed based on TIPP. Their purpose is: (1) to help students build local and global coherent knowledge structures, (2) to develop more context-independent problem-solving abilities, (3) to gain confidence in problem solving, and (4) to establish connections between everyday phenomena and underlying physics concepts. We organize traditional and research-based physics problems such that students experience a gradual increase in complexity related to problem context, problem features and cognitive processes needed to solve the problem. The instructional environment that we designed allows for explicit monitoring, control and measurement of the cognitive processes exercised during the instruction period. It is easily adaptable to any kind of curriculum and can be readily adjusted throughout the semester. To assess the development of students' problem-solving abilities, we created rubrics that measure specific aspects of the thinking involved in physics problem solving. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' shift in dispositions towards learning physics. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' level of conceptual understanding. The results feature improvements in students' problem-solving abilities and in their attitudes towards learning physics.

Implications of national culture on knowledge management: A cross-cultural analysis of Italian and American perceptions

de Leo, Francesco The George Washington University 2009 해외공개박사

Knowledge management (KM) has become an increasingly important aspect for achieving and maintaining competitive advantage across all types of organizations and businesses worldwide. However only limited research is available to understand how KM may be influenced by national culture. This research focuses on the differences and similarities between Italian and American workers' beliefs, expectations, and practices of knowledge management and how these relate to Hofstede's national culture dimensions. This study is part of a multi-country set of research studies, undertaken by The George Washington University's Institute for Knowledge and Innovation, aimed at understanding how KM may be influenced by national culture. For continuity and comparative purposes we replicate a previous study, which compared KM perceptions between American and Taiwanese knowledge workers (Wang 2004). The subjects of our study are Italian and American employees and managers expected to be involved in KM activities at all levels. Statistical comparisons on the 474 study participants (237 from each country) do not show statistically significant differences between Italian and American perceptions of knowledge management beliefs, expectations and practices. Both countries gave a relatively high importance score to all factors believed to contribute to successful knowledge management initiatives. Similarly consensus was found on the expected benefits such initiatives bring to an organization. Comparably lower scores were recorded on the actual implementation of KM best-practices by the participants' organizations. For individual variables within our constructs where differences are observed between the two countries, we propose empirical evidence that high uncertainty avoidance traits of the Italian society may explain such differences. This research provides insights which will help companies or units within a company select KM tools and practices that are more likely to succeed in the national culture setting in which these are to be implemented.

The open innovation imperative: Perspectives on success from faculty entrepreneurs

Hayter, Christopher Scott The George Washington University 2010 해외공개박사

The Open Innovation Imperative: Perspectives on Success From Faculty Entrepreneurs University spinoffs are an important vehicle for the dissemination of new knowledge -- and have the potential to generate jobs and economic growth. Despite their importance, little research exists on how, from the perspective of faculty entrepreneurs, spinoff success is defined -- and the factors responsible for that success. Given the nascent nature of the literature and lack of data regarding university spinoffs, this dissertation employs a sequential exploratory strategy to understand and determine success factors for university spinoffs. The findings indicate that commercialization is a distinguishing characteristic of initial spinoff success and that a multitude of factors such as financial resources and the technology licensing process are responsible for that success. Using logit regression, the quantitative phase yields several significant predictors of commercialization including venture capital, multiple and external licenses, outside management, joint ventures with other companies, previous faculty consulting experience, and -- surprisingly -- a negative relationship to post-spinoff services provided by universities. These results strongly support an open innovation approach for spinoff success and have important implications for public policy. The results will be of especial interest to university leaders seeking to enhance the role of their institutions in economic development and for state and federal policymakers when developing new policies and programs to improve economic growth and entrepreneurship. Finally, the dissertation makes a modest but important contribution to the evolving Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship (KSTE).