<p> This research study examined the general business problem that ineffective communications caused project management outcomes that lead to increased business costs. The specific business problem was complexity experienced by virtual teams, due to the lack of physicality, contributed to environmental barriers and ineffective communications. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to capture the lived experiences of project leaders who managed the complexity associated with virtual communication environmental barriers. The research question was: What are the lived experiences and informed perceptions of project leaders who managed the complexity associated with virtual communication environmental barriers? The conceptual framework guiding this inquiry was comprised of complexity theory&rsquo;s complex adaptive systems framework to include project leadership, team dynamics, virtual communication environments, communication method selection, and the management organization as the integrating components that influenced complexity. Data was gathered through telephone interviews conducted with 14 certified project management professionals sourced from LinkedIn, all of whom experienced project complexity and communication challenges within the virtual environment. The resulting data transcripts were analyzed using NVivo 11. The research question was answered through the findings that revealed a central theme and sub-themes of managing complexity due to virtual environments and communication barriers. The research findings indicated sub-themes of five virtual environments experienced by the research participants, created by the type of communication tools&rsquo; attributes that were experienced. The virtual environments were established from the types of communication links by using specific tools, and not defined as the physical environments based on locations of the senders and receivers. Secondly, the research findings indicated sub-themes of internal environmental barriers that were created inside of the project teams by people, language, culture, training, and leadership. Thirdly, the research findings indicated sub-themes of external environmental barriers that were created outside of the project teams by executive leadership, organizational structure, and customer relationship. Fourth, the research findings indicated sub-themes of task and project outcomes included project failure, project success, and project recovery. The results of this study contributed to the business practice through the findings that indicated how the participants managed communication environments through implementing processes, leadership escalations, communication tool selection, reduced feedback delays of communication, and built relationships among the team members that were central to managing the complexity in virtual teams. In addition, this study contributed to research by providing a holistic description of the virtual environments, identification of communication environmental barriers, and consolidated understandings from other studies. </p><p>

Database design is a difficult problem for non-expert designers. It is desirable to assist such designers during the problem solving process by means of a knowledge based (KB) system. Although a number of prototype KB systems have been proposed, there are many shortcomings. Firstly, few have incorporated sufficient expertise in modeling relationships, particularly higher order relationships. Secondly, there does not seem to be any published empirical study that experimentally tested the effectiveness of any of these KB tools. Thirdly, problem solving behavior of non-experts, whom the systems were intended to assist, has not been one of the bases for system design. In this project, a consulting system, called CODA, for conceptual database design that addresses the above short comings was developed and empirically validated. More specifically, the CODA system incorporates (a) findings on why non-experts commit errors and (b) heuristics for modeling relationships. Two approaches to knowledge base implementation were used and compared in this project, namely system restrictiveness and decisional guidance (Silver 1990). The Restrictive system uses a proscriptive approach and limits the designer's choices at various design phases by forcing him/her to follow a specific design path. The Guidance system approach, which is less restrictive, involves providing context specific, informative and suggestive guidance throughout the design process. Both the approaches would prevent erroneous design decisions. The main objectives of the study are to evaluate (1) whether the knowledge-based system is more effective than the system without a knowledge-base and (2) which approach to knowledge implementation - whether Restrictive or Guidance - is more effective. To evaluate the effectiveness of the knowledge base itself, the systems were compared with a system that does not incorporate the expertise (Control). An experimental procedure using student subjects was used to test the effectiveness of the systems. The subjects solved a task without using the system (pre-treatment task) and another task using one of the three systems, viz. Control, Guidance or Restrictive (experimental task). Analysis of experimental task scores of those subjects who performed satisfactorily in the pre-treatment task revealed that the knowledge based approach to database design support lead to more accurate solutions than the control system. Among the two KB approaches, Guidance approach was found to lead to better performance when compared to the Control system. It was found that the subjects perceived the Restrictive system easier to use than the Guidance system.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational learning and expatriation in overseas subsidiaries as well as in organizations as a whole. In doing so, two issues were addressed - () the use of expatriation as firms internationalize, and (ii) the significance of various factors to expatriate success as firms gain international experience. The sample of companies for this study was drawn from U.S. Fortune 500 multinational corporations (MN1Cs) in two sets of related industries -- computers/ electronics and petroleum/chemicals. Based on the learning that takes place within organizations as they increase their involvement overseas, a positive relationship was expected between international experience and expatriation when internationalization was low, and a negative relationship was expected when internationalization was high. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between country experience and the proportion of expatriates in that subsidiary when subsidiaries were relatively young, and a negative relationship, however not significant, for more mature subsidiaries. The relationship between overall firm degree of internationalization (DOI) and the proportion of expatriates in the firm as a whole was negative regardless of stage of internationalization, but this relationship was significant only for highly internationalized firms. It was further suspected that individual, environmental, and family-related characteristics would have a significant effect on the success of expatriates whose firms were low on internationalization, and that organizational characteristics would play a significant role in highly internationalized firms. Support for these hypotheses was received with respect to certain outcomes and some determinants of success. The preponderance of support was found for those addressing the effects of both environmental and family-related characteristics on the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates in firms with little international experience. Considerable support was also found for those hypotheses addressing the impact of organizational characteristics on the job satisfaction levels of expatriates assigned to mature subsidiaries. The relevant literatures on organizational learning and expatriation are reviewed, and a model is developed underlying the logic of the hypotheses. Research methods are then described in full detail, results are reported, and implications for theory and for management are discussed.

The theories of orthogonal cultural identification and self-categorization are offered as links in examining the possible racioethnic differences in job satisfaction. It is posited that racioethnicity (Cox & Blake, 1991) is multidimensional with at least three conceptually distinct dimensions. Since there is a need for consistent terminology with respect to these distinct dimensions, the following new terms are offered to differentiate among them: " physioethnicity" refers to the physiological dimension of racioethnicity; "socioethnicity" refers to the sociocultural dimension; and "psychoethnicity" refers to the psychological dimension.

<p> The central question addressed was what motivates small business leaders to incorporate social responsibility in their companies' mission, vision, and culture. In particular, there is a knowledge gap about what motivates small business leaders to take both financial and non-financial actions to support their employees, their local economies, and their communities. Interviews with three small business owners in Michigan were coded to identify key emergent themes explaining why small business leaders contributed to their local communities. Theoretical or conceptual support for the study included Carroll's social performance model, Vroom's expectancy theory, and CCI strategies. The literature review included that of motivation and social responsibility. The interviews were coded, analyzed, and six themes emerged. The participants were concerned with being socially responsible and motivation comes from defining social responsibility and finding ways to fulfill a need. Employees play a key role in creating and continuing an environment set by the example of the owner and this is done through repetition, thus aligning business practices with being socially responsible. Lastly, connection to people helps build relationships, while being cognizant of initiatives to protect the environment, thus Going Green initiatives. After the research, the researcher developed the Small Business Community Involvement model (SBCI), based on the themes. This model can help small business leaders looking to partake in socially responsible activities. This study is significant because it will improve understanding of social responsibility in the small business sector.</p>

Previous WFC research offered mixed (significant and non-significant) findings on relationships involving control at work, problem-focused coping, and SGP. Inconsistent results in the past may be due to confounded measures, and the focus on main effects has failed to model likely interactions between variables. Using a sample of 223 participants from diverse job settings, this study investigated the potential interaction between control at work and use of SGP on WLC. This study also explored whether SGP moderates the extent that WIL mediates the positive relationship between control at work and employee life satisfaction, such that the mediated relationship will be more positive among employees who use SGP. Established measures were used: Control at work scale, SGP, Satisfaction with Life Scale, WIL and LIW. Results supported these hypotheses and were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. Implications regarding the interplay of employer and employee behaviours and actions were discussed.

<p> Project management is an organizational construct used to achieve business objectives. The field of project management assumes a positive relationship between the use of project management practices and project outcomes. Research that has examined this relationship suggested that there are additional factors that influence the outcome of a project. This research examined the model that proposes that project management practices mediate the relationship between project complexity and project outcomes. The study used a survey to collect data from project managers about recently completed projects. The questions asked about project complexity, the project management practices used, and the outcome of the project. The Qualtrics national survey panel collected 243 responses, and the data analysis used a hierarchical component partial least squares structural equation model. The survey and structural model used existing instruments and latent variables for project management practice, project complexity, and project outcomes to examine the relationships among the latent variables and constructs. Three structural models examined the relationships among the constructs, and the models yielded mixed support for the mediation hypotheses. The first structural model tested all dimension of project complexity, project management practices, and project outcomes. The results from the model for the first-tier research question does not support mediation. The second and third structural models isolated the latent variables for project complexity to address the second-tier research questions. The second and third structural models support project management practices mediating the relationship between project complexity and project outcomes. The mixed results found in this study suggested that further research was needed to develop project management theory.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this exploratory study was to attempt to discover the reasons people do not at first perform their task in the approved method while on the job. Hence, the research question was why do new employees initially find a different way or a better way for the task rather than using the method shown. The researcher created the term <i>Changing the learning</i> or (CL) for this study which describes this behavior.</p><p> The study looked at grounds maintenance operators from a golf course maintenance company. Self-administered surveys were sent to 31 locations in four regions of the United States and 205 operator surveys responses were tabulated to compute their CL tendency. The operators&rsquo; answers were compared to the answers given by 55 Supervisors along with the Company&rsquo;s Human Resource Department.</p><p> This study found that 42.2% of the respondents did change the method of performing given work tasks. The results also demonstrated a lack of significant differences between different education levels (F= 1.588, <i>p</i> > .05), age (F= .136, <i>p</i> >.05), race (F = .1.823, <i> p</i> > .06) and experience (F= 1.156, <i>p</i> >.05). The operators endorsed five work place learning theories in explaining why they changed the learning: Proactive employees (&fnof; =88.9%), Prosocial non-compliant behavior (&fnof; =87.8%), Workarounds (&fnof; =86.7%), LMX model (&fnof; =77.8%) and Non-compliant behavior (&fnof; =68.9%). Based on the findings, future research should further examine the reasons and prevalence of CL across different industries and consider behavioral characteristics that might be common among learning changers.</p><p>

<p> Ageism, or discrimination based on assumptions about abilities and cognitive understanding based on a worker&rsquo;s age, still prevails in the modern workplace, often disguised as business decisions, lack of advancement opportunities, and continuing mandatory retirement ages. Additionally, negative assumptions about younger workers also exist, some of which harm young workers in the workplace. All forms of ageism have negative effects on the workplace, such as disrupting morale, being dismissive of the experiences and value that older workers contribute, and in return set precedence for other forms of discrimination. Ageism can impact everyone in the workplace. Although the passage of anti-discrimination legislation has curtailed some of the more obvious forms of discrimination, the psychological underpinnings behind age- discriminatory behavior still exist and must be mitigated to ensure a fair playing field for all people. In this study, the researcher examined ways a worker can be discriminated against based on assumptions about age and explores ways discriminatory behavior can be mitigated. Furthermore, the full extent to which anti-discrimination legislation has provided a positive, and occasionally negative impact is also discussed. Discrimination never truly goes away; it only changes form. When the psychological motivators behind discrimination are not properly addressed, managers themselves might harbor discriminatory assumptions about their workers. A quantitative method was employed to identify factors and determine the best ways to combat factors that contribute to age discrimination. The findings indicated that some forms of ageism can be combatted by using certain forms of cognitive conditioning and self-assessment for hiring managers. All of the participants were hiring managers who took part in cognitive exercises designed to gain information about their opinions, but also induce a self-reflective means of evaluating their own prejudices. The evidence indicated that some factors, such as gender, do not play as large of a role as previously assumed, but that the age of the manager does play a small role in age discrimination in hiring. It was concluded that ageism does still exist, but that these assumptions can be countered effectively, which implies that better sensitivity and managerial training could be beneficial for hiring managers.</p><p>

La presente etude vise a essentiellement a tester le modele theorique propose par Barrette et Berard (1998) relativement au concept integre de gestion de la performance. En effet, la recherche tente de determiner le lien entre les trois niveaux d'integration presentes dans ce modele, soit l'integration au niveau strategique, l'integration au niveau des composantes de la gestion des ressources humaines et l'integration au niveau des pratiques operationnelles de gestion de la performance, et la performance organisationnelle telle que mesuree a l'aide d'indicateurs percus. L'echantillon a l'etude est forme de 177 entreprises canadiennes de domaines d'activites varies. Les resultats indiquent que plus les pratiques de gestion de la performance integrent les elements de la gestion strategique de l'organisation, plus la mesure de la performance percue est grande. La premiere hypothese de recherche est donc corroboree. Les resultats demontrent egalement que plus le niveau de coherence entre les pratiques operationnelles liees au systeme de gestion de la performance est grand, plus la performance organisationnelle percue est elevee. La troisieme hypothese de recherche est donc corroboree. Toutefois, la deuxieme hypothese posee dans le cadre de la presente etude n'a pu etre que partiellement corroboree. Nous ne pouvons donc pas conclure, comme nous l'avions suggere en se basant sur la litterature consultee, que plus les pratiques de gestion de la performance sont complementaires avec les autres composantes de la gestion des ressources humaines, plus la mesure de la performance percue est grande.