This study investigates certain organizational, managerial and strategic planning factors to determine their effect on strategic problem finding/identification in organizations. The overall goal was to explore what factors in an organization dominate problem recognition. The factors examined were some demographic data; certain managerial preferences as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Lyles-Sochats problem solving preference indicator and Marginality; some organizational structural variables such as the hierarchial level, linestaff and span of control; some strategic planning variables such as the formality, attitude toward strategic planning and perception of the time element between identification of the problem(s) and the actions taken to solve the problem(s). / The sample used for this study came from a major state agency and an energy firm. The number of participants was 56. The data were collected using a questionnaire composed of five major sections: (1) Demographic Information; (2) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; (3) Marginality; (4) Problem Solving Activity; and (5) Strategic Planning Activity. The data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical tests with the Chi Square statistic and the Kendall Tau correlation coefficient. Many of the statistical tests were not significant. The major variables found to statistically dominate problem recognition activity were demographic and organizational. These variables were years in the organization, current managerial position and managerial job, the degree level attained, and the hierarchial level in the organization. / The findings suggest the following: (1) that there are organizational processes which inhibit problem recognition activity; (2) that the cognitive style of the manager is related to the organizational level; (3) that problem finding managers do not progress through the hierarchy of an organization; (4) that problem recognition activity may be enhanced by higher levels of formal education; (5) that efforts are needed to streamline strategic planning processes in organizations; and (6) that problem recognition activity is not influenced by individual personality preferences. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-09, Section: A, page: 3053. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

An index of management information system user satisfaction was developed and tested. A questionnaire was developed by identifying the attributes of user-report interface and user-system interface. The respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with each attribute. The questionnaire was administered to management information system users in a large state agency. / The results were analyzed using conjoint analysis, and the relative importance of each attribute was determined. The weighted satisfaction with each attribute was used to predict overall satisfaction with the management information system. Satisfaction with both the attributes and the overall systems was examined in the context of sociotechnical factors. These factors include human inputs (e.g., age, sex, race), technological inputs (e.g., type of system use), social inputs (e.g., organizational longevity), and organizational inputs (e.g., organizational districts). / Analysis showed that the model of user satisfaction explained a statistically significant proportion of variance in overall user satisfaction using weighted attribute satisfaction as the independent variables. The respondents' age and organizational longevity accounted for variance in satisfaction with the overall system and some specific attributes. The type of system use (batch, on-line or both) also explained variance in overall satisfaction. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, Section: A, page: 0807. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

This study measured the determinants of men's labor supply behavior by integrating the use of high quality labor market data with the best of both empirical and theoretical labor supply modeling. The ten year histories of men's labor market behavior associated with the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Men permitted the use of the random coefficients regression (RCR) model which relaxed the usual assumption of homogeneity of individuals' labor supply behavior. This innovation was combined with the best econometric and theoretical features from previous empirical research in order to assess men's labor supply behavior more accurately. / There were several important findings of this study. First, when individuals' coefficients were different, a Monte Carlo experiment proved that the RCR estimator was substantially more accurate than both the OLSP and OLSA estimators. Second, the degree of heterogeneity in individuals' labor supply coefficients and variances was found to be so large as to require recognition. This indicated that the OLSP, OLSA, and GLSH estimators were not efficient. Third, the final results were sensitive to: (1) the omission of education from the labor supply equation; (2) the use of a non-random sample; and (3) not adjusting the estimation method to account for the endogenous explanatory variables in the labor supply equation. Fourth, the coefficient and elasticity estimates indicated individuals' responsiveness to changes in both the wage rate and income was extremely low. This estimated inelasticity was even more pronounced than the inelastic labor supply estimates obtained in previous empirical research. Finally, it was found that the variations in individuals' labor supply coefficient responses were significantly explained by a number of background variables. / The emphasis upon individuals' heterogeneity in labor supply behavior was an important contribution of this study for empirical modeling in this area. Since the theory of labor supply begins at the individual level, empirically modeling individual differences represents a coalescence of theory with the econometric application which heretofore has not been attempted. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-06, Section: A, page: 1855. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

This dissertation examines the impact of the increase in oil prices in l973 and thereafter on economic development in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in general, and in Iraq and Algeria in particular. It attempts to investigate the extent to which these countries have succeeded in utilizing oil revenues to achieve their projected goals: Diversification of their economies in order to reduce dependence on exporting crude oil which is an exhaustible resource; Acceleration of the rate of growth of the non-oil sector in order to increase its contribution to GDP and foreign exchange earnings as well as to maintain the growth of the economy in the post-oil age. / While the increase in oil revenues greatly reduced the capital constraint to growth, it did not remove all other constraints at the same time. Thus, bottlenecks in transportation, institutions, skilled labor, raw and construction materials remained important obstacles to anticipated growth. / This study developed various criteria to judge the performance of OPEC economies after 1973, in general, and applied these criteria to two OPEC countries--Iraq and Algeria. / The increased expenditures by OPEC governments, owing to the increase in oil revenues, led to an expansion in social welfare programs, an increase in real per capita income, and more equal access to educational and health services. However, policies adopted also led to some inconvenient results, such as an increase in the rate of inflation, migration of population from rural to urban areas, a decline in agricultural production, and low productivity and inefficiency especially in the industrial sector. / According to the criteria used by this study to judge the performance of the Iraqi and the Algerian economies after 1973, both countries did quite well. However, one of the findings about Iraq is that while the rate of growth of real per capita GDP accelerated after 1973, the rate of growth of real per capita non-oil GDP did not. Algeria succeeded in diversifying her economy, since the rate of growth of non-oil GDP accelerated after l973, compared to the earlier period. But, Algeria borrowed heavily from abroad to finance the industrilization process. The most serious problem facing both countries during the '70s, was the unsatisfactory performance of food production. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, Section: A, page: 0193. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

Fatigue is a major factor in limiting production through a decrease in efficiency. Resulting from a given sustained level of activity, fatigue depends in part upon the number, location, and length of rest breaks. Eilon and Gentzler et al. have developed models aimed at productivity improvement through the determination of optimal rest break policy. However, Eilon's model is limited to one rest break with an unbounded recovery function and Gentzler's et al. models assumed that full recovery during a rest break was an optimal policy and that full recovery could always be achieved with a rest break of some fixed length. / This paper presents two multi-rest break models that have improved upon the validity of these previous models through proof, rather than presumption of the optimality of full recovery for linear functions, the inclusion of a specific, bounded recovery function, and the addition of rest break penalities. Moreover, the unique closed form optimal solution is produced in the k-rest break penalty-free case, and an efficient optimal solution algorithm is produced in the k-rest break penalty case. The model for the latter case is referred to as the VKP Model (Variable-k Model with penalty). In addition, these solution procedures avoid the complications inherent in quadratic programming. / The VKP Model was then applied to the task of riding a bicycle ergometer. During the process of implementing the model a technique for determining recovery was developed. The application of the model demonstrated that when subjects used the rest break policies prescribed by the model, their level of output was higher than when they used their own policy. Further, the rest breaks prescribed by the VKP Model tended to be front-loaded; i.e., they tended to occur early in the time horizon thus keeping the work rate at a high level. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-07, Section: A, page: 2395. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The U. S. labor force currently receives 80% of National Income through a variety of cash and inkind compensation forms. Employers use more than 80 different forms of compensation, herein called payment medium, to deliver employee wages. How firms select the set of payment medium offered to their employees is the focus of this study. / Some firms recognize that flexible compensation, i.e., giving employees a choice among alternatives, may allocate compensation more effectively. This view underscores the belief that labor's need satisfaction may be complementary to the firm's interest and goals. This belief is not new, but its recent recognition in "cafeteria type" programs revives an interest in how to match individual employee need satisfaction with a firm's objectives. / Given that firm and employee relationships are complex and dynamic, is compensation planning possible? This question addresses the problem of integrating firm goals, employee needs, and available resources into a dynamic planning method. Corporate financial and human resource policies in this program are inextricably related. / This study develops a method for planning corporate compensation policy. The planning model allocates corporate wage dollars to payment media in a manner which recognizes firm compensation policies, payment medium characteristics, employee requirements, and multiple time periods. Corporate compensation policies are identified to direct the decision process. Payment medium characteristics are estimated to identify the potential of selected media to satisfy employee requirements. Employee requirements are defined based on empirical household expenditure profiles for demographic classes and are assumed a proxy for preferences. Multiple time periods define a planning horizon sufficient to recognize shifts in the employee group demographic structure. / The planning model incorporates multiple conflicting goals and diverse sets of decision variables in a methodical, systematic analytical procedure. The integrated concept of compensation planning in this study offers an alternative to ad hoc decision processes. / Study hypotheses are stated as criteria to evaluate the planning method. Computer model results are used to evaluate primary hypotheses related to operational aspects of the study. Secondary hypotheses concern key methodological concepts underlying the planning process and are evaluated by general reference to existing theory and practice. / Model results are summarized for (a) wage fund allocation solutions under alternative priority structures for single and multiple time periods, (b) the effect of policy priority changes on goal achievement, and (c) payment medium attribute influence on the model. The results of the study support the premise that the model discriminates between different policy formulations, so that decision-makers can identify desirable and undesirable formulations and that the model differentiates plan design requirements as a function of changing employee demographics over time. / The methodological concepts used in the study are broadly based on economic and operations research literature. The application of empirical preference criteria, medium estimation, and goal programming are discussed in terms of reliability, practicality, and theoretical value. The results here support these applications for compensation planning but empirical tests and further research are needed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 1124. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

A study was conducted to determine whether there are any differences in the rationality with which the various Federal natural resource agencies conduct their resource allocation processes and whether any differences can be explained. The study also investigates which criteria are used by the agencies in choosing among programs and projects. The study methodology included literature research, personal interviews with agency planning staffs, mailed questionnaires to agency managers, and analysis of data. / The study has researched the decision environment in the agencies, collected background information on the decision-makers and the decision processes and has collected considerable expert opinion on descriptive and prescriptive aspects of resource allocation practices. / The study has shown that each of the seven agencies studied try to conduct a rational, benefit-maximizing process in allocating their available funds. The study also has demonstrated that the level of rationality obtained by the agencies is quite variable and that there are statistically significant differences. / The differences in rationality are found to be best explained by the existence and effectiveness of management systems staff. Also of importance in explaining differences are: (1) centralization of policy decisions and planning and implementation of programs--a negative correlation, and (2) agency size. Other factors that may contribute to explaining different rationality levels are: (1) attitudes towards the importance of goal and objective setting, planning, and correctly choosing among projects, (2) the turnover of staffing, (3) the availability of time for resource allocation decision-making, and (4) the quality of information for supporting decision-making. / The agencies were found to use resource allocation criteria in formal or informal processes during decision-making. The criteria have a high commonality of level of importance in the agencies. The importance attached to the criteria is closely linked to the quality of information about the criteria. / The study has been able to support the development of several normative statements which can be used by Federal natural resource agencies in improving their resource allocation processes. The study has made important contributions to descriptive and prescriptive resource allocation theory and to the agencies participating in this study. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-01, Section: A, page: 0286. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 5106. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

A comparative study of managers employed by business and state government organizations was carried out using Miner's role-motivation theory. Miner's motivation theory focuses specifically on those motives appropriate to generalized role requirements of managerial positions in large, highly structured, hierarchic organizations. Those managers having individual motives paralleling the role requirements of these positions are theorized to be more effective in the performance of their jobs. The degree to which individuals possess these motives is determined by the Miner Sentence Completion Scale (MSCS) and is referred to as their "motivation to manage". The rationale in choosing this construct was that (a) it focuses on managerial motivation, (b) its domain is limited to large, bureaucratic organizations, and (c) it has been validated against measures of performance. / This study was designed to empirically determine first, what differences exist between government and business managers in terms of their motivation to manage, and second, to what extent are government motivation levels characteristic of those attracted to government organizations as opposed to being organizationally stimulated. MSCS scores were collected from lower- and middle-level state government managers and compared with scores of business managers of similar rank. The MSCS scores of government middle- and lower-level managers were also compared, and each were compared with service time in state government agencies. In addition, MSCS scores from business and public administration graduate students were compared. MSCS scores collected for the study were also checked against respondent demographic variables. / Tests of the data show lower- and middle-level state government managers as having overall less motivation to manage. In terms of MSCS subscale scores, the state government profile is one of significantly less desire to compete, less inclination to be assertive and less desire to carry out routine administrative tasks. The lack of significant differences on the remaining subscales suggests that government and business managers are comparable as to their attitude toward those in authority, their desire to direct others and exercise power, and their desire to stand out and be at the center of attention. / Tests between lower- and middle-level state government managers failed to yield significant findings eventhough middle-level scores were consistently higher. Similarly, results of tests of the relationship between MSCS scores and service time in state goverment, and between MBA and MSPA students were not significant although MBA scores were consistently higher than MSPA scores. / Significant relationships were found between MSCS scores and respondent place of upbringing and/or residence. Here, metro-area scores were consistently highest, and rural lowest. / From these tests, it was concluded that (a) the motivation to manage of state government managers is lower than that of business managers, (b) these differences reflect characters of those attracted to government organizations as opposed to being organizationally stimulated, (c) graduate business and public administration students serving as surrogates of future managers reflect the same differences, and (d) motivation to manage levels are related to cultural variables. / In addition, implications of these conclusions and recommendations/suggestions for further research are provided. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-05, Section: A, page: 2209. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 5109. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1979.