<p> Globalization has had a tremendous impact on society. While creating opportunity for corporations to expand into new markets, globalization has also created significant negative repercussions to the environment, human rights, health, and education (Reece, 2001). In the past twenty-five years Cross-Sector Social Partnerships (CSSPs) have emerged as a possible solution to the negative impacts from globalization with mixed results (Nidumolu, Ellison, Whalen, &amp; Billman, 2014) Although there are inherent challenges, the case for corporations and the public sector to continue to work together is compelling. By contributing their technical expertise and financial resources, companies can leverage the public sector&rsquo;s experience, knowledge networks, know-how and legitimacy to begin addressing large-scale global issues that directly impact society as well as their businesses. This study gathered data from interviewing nine participants. Interview questions were designed to answer the primary research question: Are there consistent best practices in CSSP governance? Findings from the study identified three best practices: formal governance, strategy, and stakeholder management. Additionally a CSSP Governance Framework was defined consisting of three categories: structure and processes, relationships, and governance dynamics. The result of the study is a flexible and adaptable framework for CSSPs that integrate the use of governance as one tool that increases the likelihood of positive partnership outcomes.</p>

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The role of ecological factors and phylogenetic constraints in determining the mating system were examined for three species of chaenopsid blennies from the Gulf of California, Mexico. The mating system does not vary from resource defense polygyny, because of two phylogenetic constraints. First, the presence of demersal eggs and male defense of a spawning site preadapts males to parental care. Second, the microhabitat of vacant invertebrate tests, which serve as refuges and egg deposition sites, prohibits alternative male reproductive strategies, and ensures a role for epigamic selection. Factors determining the reproductive success of male were examined for three species. Females of Coralliozetus angelica, Acanthemblemaria crockeri, and Emblemaria hypacanthus exhibited a preference for large males in laboratory mate-choice experiments, which was reflected in the field where male body size was positively correlated with male reproductive success. The elevated dorsal fin of male E. hypacanthus was shown to be positively allometric, and may have evolved as a signal of body size. Both sexes of E. hypacanthus exhibited risk averse behaviors in an area of high predator density. Females of A. crockeri and C. angelica avoided spawning with males defending heavily fouled shelters. Some of the largest males of C. angelica may realize no reproductive success, because they are forced to defend heavily fouled shelters. The intensities of male courtship coloration and displays were negatively correlated with male reproductive success in A. crockeri and may have resulted from female preference for mated males. Female mate choice appears to be based on factors that are reliably correlated with the quality of male parental care. A number of factors impact the intensity of sexual selection on males. First, intrasexual selection is important, since field experiments demonstrated that shelter availability limits local population densities of male C. angelica, and shelter quality is a criterion of female choice. Second, epigamic selection plays an important role, because males are typically unable to usurp multiple shelters. Third, sex ratios are frequently male-biased, because males defending shelters gain an indirect survival benefit. Finally, egg-laying surface area may be limited, restricting female preferences.

<p> Today&rsquo;s workgroups need to be flexible, creative, and innovative to react swiftly to changing internal and external business environments. This is a real challenge when corporate cultures promote speed and cost-cutting measures. Yet a possible remedy exists to facilitate the cultivation of creativity within groups and that is through the use of mindfulness. This research sought to answer the question: <i>In what way, if any, does mindfulness contribute to creativity within a workgroup?</i> To explore this question, it was necessary to review three distinct areas within literature: creativity, mindfulness, and group process.</p><p> A 15-week, multi-methods study was developed based on existing research, most of which has been done within laboratory constructed designs. This study adapted the existing designs and applied them in a real world organizational setting. The research participants included members of an intact workgroup divided into a Treatment Group and Comparison Group. Individual and group creativity was assessed before and after a 5-week series of mindfulness training. The results indicated that the mindfulness training impacted creativity both in the moment and over time in most measures. Practical implications are offered for organizations to develop creative and innovative responses to business challenges.</p>

<p> Saudi Arabia faces many challenges, including the political instability of the Middle East as well as currently decreased oil prices. However, Saudi is ranked 83^rd in the global creativity index. Thus, Saudi has developed Vision 2013 to promote innovation that includes increasing tourism. The Mecca Region is a center of tourism and the police directors will need to demonstrate creative ways to maintain safety of an increasing influx of international tourists.</p><p> The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceptions of leadership behaviors by directors of police force in Mecca as measured by Leaders Behavior Descriptive Questionnaire (LBDQ) and their perceptions on innovative behaviors as measured by Magley and Birdi&rsquo;s instrument. These two instruments in Arabic were personally distributed to 120 directors; 103 (86%) completed survey sets were returned. Of these, 95 were sufficiently complete for data analysis.</p><p> Demographic findings indicated that the median age of these directors was 30.5 years, median years of experience was 11, and median educational experience was Bachelors&rsquo; degree. Correlational and multiple regression analyses revealed that these leaders had moderate leadership scores and similar perceptions of innovation. The three largest correlations were between the total leadership on LBDQ and total innovation score, creativity self-efficacy, and team support for innovation. The fourth largest correction was between team support and innovation. Thus, the alternative hypotheses were accepted that these leaders&rsquo; perceptions of their leadership skills would predict their perception of innovations.</p><p> From the study, we concluded that the participating leaders believe they possess good leadership skills and have creative ideas, which are supported by their supervisors. Out of the 4 subscales of LBDQ, consideration has the strongest correlations with innovation. Thus, these leaders feel safe to try something new without fear of negative repercussions or others criticizing them if their idea or product. In addition, these leaders expressed that they work well in teams. A four-step model to promote innovation in any organization was developed from the finding. Saudi support of education for these young leaders should assist in their realization of innovation in police work in the Mecca Region.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to identify differences in perceived organizational justice between employees in different categories of overall performance appraisal ratings. This study was also concerned with the level of distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice individually dependent upon the overall performance appraisal rating. Performance appraisals can impact procedural and distributional justice, but few studies have been conducted illustrating the influence of the multifocal model of justice following a performance appraisal and the specific influence on each of the four dimensions has been inconsistent creating a gap in the literature. This study incorporated the fairness theory, OJS, and the multifocal four-dimensional model of organizational justice to address discrepancies in the literature and refrained from including the appraisal satisfaction measurement so interpersonal and informational justice could be investigated individually further supporting the multifocal model. A quantitative, quasi-experimental ex post facto design was applied by recruiting employees of organizations following a performance appraisal and collecting overall performance review ratings for comparison. The target population for this study was white collar workers within the U.S. who had been employed at the same company for at least six months and received scheduled traditional performance appraisals. The sample consisted of 167 employees, 29.3% were male (<i>n</i> = 49) and 70.7% were female (<i> n</i> = 118). The results of the one-way MANOVA suggested that at least one of the combined linear variates differed significantly on one or some combination of outcome variables. The planned analyses using univariate ANOVAs illustrated that the level of distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice changed depending upon the overall performance appraisal rating illustrating that each dimension of justice changes independent of one another and employees can decipher all four dimensions separately.</p>

<p> This study examined the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), job satisfaction, and stress. Specifically, job satisfaction was hypothesized to act as a mediator between CSR and stress. For the purpose of this study, corporate volunteerism was used as the specific type of CSR assessed. To complete this study, 178 participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Each participant filled out a satisfaction, stress, and volunteerism questionnaire. Support for the hypotheses was mixed. Volunteerism and stress did not have a significant relationship with each other, which meant that job satisfaction did not act as a mediator between the two. However, job satisfaction did have a significant, positive relationship with volunteerism. Job satisfaction and stress were also found to be positively related. Although some hypotheses were not supported, the findings of this study do provide valuable insight into the relationship between volunteerism, satisfaction, and stress. Important implications for practitioners are also discussed.</p>

M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Most behavioral, physiological and cellular effects of theneurotransmitter dopamine require concomitant activation of both D1 and D2 receptors, a phenomenon referred to as D1/D2 synergism. Since D1 and D2 receptors are located mostly on separate neurons, and since D1/D2 synergism occurs in the absence of action potentials, we have suggested that electrotonic coupling via gap junctions plays an important role in this phenomenon. A major constituent of gap junctions is connexin36 (Cx36), a protein that is abundant in neurons. The role Cx36 in D1/D2 synergism, as manifested behaviorally, was studied here in mice genetically engineered to express normal, reduced, or undetectable amounts of this protein. The results show that D1/D2 synergism and its breakdown were not affected by the presence or absence of Cx36. Unexpectedly, it was observed that the absence of Cx36 leads to resistance to the cataleptic effects of reserpine in a gene dosage-dependent manner.

<p> <u>Problem.</u> With the high level of importance placed on service quality, and a lack of studies on the service behaviors of frontline service employees, this study was conducted to explore the influences of organizational identity (OI) on the service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors (SOCB) of frontline service providers. Few studies of OI have explored its influence on organizational behaviors; in addition, most OI studies have been conducted from a positivist framework in the not-for-profit sector. Similarly, service studies reside more prominently in positivist methodologies conducted in the retail and marketing sectors or in fast food restaurants, hospitals, and hotels. </p><p> <u>Procedures.</u> This qualitative case study involved a luxury-level restaurant. Data were gathered through 12 on-site individual semi-structured interviews with service staff of varied roles and tenure, as well as through direct observation, field notes and journaling, and document analysis. The data were recorded, transcribed, analyzed, and interpreted while iteratively triangulated by the sole researcher. </p><p> <u>Findings.</u> The site&rsquo;s OI claims influenced SOCB characteristics aligned with the construct attributes of <i>participation, loyalty,</i> and <i>service delivery.</i> The three OI claims were that the organization is <i>guest focused,</i> focuses on and maintains <i>a gold standard of quality,</i> and is <i>employee focused.</i> Additionally, it was found that a present and highly engaged founder was instrumental to leading, inspiring, and developing staff using a congruent organizational philosophy and core values supported through a rigidly defined formal structure while paradoxically balanced by an informal structuring of employee empowerment facilitated through communications and collaboration. </p><p> <u>Conclusions.</u> The OI claims that surfaced in the study were congruent with and influenced SOCB attributes in a dynamic and iterative manner. In addition to the OI claims and SOCB characteristics identified, the chef/founder&rsquo;s image, organizational philosophy and core values, and organizational structure were important groundings for both OI claims and SOCB. The Hatch and Schultz (2002) OI dynamics model facilitated analysis and interpretation of the iterative cycling between organizational culture and external image. This study contributes to OI, SOCB, and OI dynamics research, particularly in offering a better understanding of the influences of OI on the SOCB of a group of employees. In practice, this study is relevant for hospitality operators and practitioners seeking to better understand influences on the extra-role behaviors of frontline service employees and to enhance service quality.</p><p>