Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2648. Adviser: John C. Ory. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-127) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1427. Adviser: Patricia P. McDougall. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed June 19, 2007)."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-06, Section: A, page: 2233. Adviser: Dean A. Shepherd. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed June 21, 2007)."

Although biotechnology is a relatively a new industry it is expected to have a major impact on our economy and society in the near future. The field of medicine will be affected dramatically. The spin-off phenomenon is also relatively new. Little information has been available on their effect, especially on a national basis. As a study of medical and biomedical companies created from technology developed in Canada's medical schools and affiliated research institutes, this thesis set out to answer five questions related to biotechnology and spin-offs. The five questions follow: (1) Which Canadian companies are biomedical spin-offs? (2) Who funded the founding technology of biomedical spin-off companies and the careers of the founding scientists? (3) What is the rate of spin-off creation? (4) How are these spin-off companies impacting the economy? (5) Which provinces have been "players" in this industry? (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

<p> Change management is a highly researched topic. With industry changing at record speed, it is inevitable that corporations will engage in a change management endeavor. As humans innately resist change at first exposure, corporations strive to acquire knowledge in adoption. It may not be enough to understand status quo proponents, but rather their underlying long-standing belief systems which may be affecting how they view change. What makes an employee resist corporate change? Most studies conclude that humans will resist innately. This research dives into the unique environment of the equine industry to uncover how long-standing belief systems contribute to adoption or resistance. </p><p> The motivation for this research began with a fascination with long-standing belief systems within the equine industry. The unique environment of the equine industry is steeped in centuries of tradition, and while housing long-standing belief systems that are time-tested and passed down from generation to generation, in most cases, without awareness. The industry is currently experiencing a phenomenon that has never taken place: a change is occurring that is positioning two equine factions, natural and traditional, against each other in opposing viewpoints. Some view this change as the start of a paradigm shift; others view it as a fad. The nature of natural horsemanship is now up for debate. </p><p> The study was conducted by using qualitative data collection in a semi-structured format. Forty-one (41) equine leaders in natural and traditional hoof care and horsemanship were recorded in over 30 hours of data. The interview model included not only the industry leaders proposing or resisting change but also the professionals in the industry working in the field, experiencing the conflict first hand. </p><p> The research presented revealed an interesting finding. Although 61 codes were identified, a specific area within the study revealed a &ldquo;hybrid&rdquo; group of codes amongst the traditional horsemen in hoof care and horsemanship. Leaders who are advocating for the status quo showed levels of natural adoption that was unexpected. The research pivoted to the areas of traditional resistors and traditional adopters. </p><p> The main objective is to decipher why some members of the industry are adopting while others are resisting. As adoption is the main objective for change management, uncovering the reasons for resisting seemed to dictate the data more prevalently. From this research, it can be deduced that there is significant evidence to support the findings that people who resist change may have these characteristics or traits in their belief system: Strong traditional beliefs such as culture and history, honor-driven, strong religious ties, defensive by nature, communicate well, believe safe, minimal adaptation (innovation), and consider themselves to be trustworthy and responsible, are people-oriented and outgoing. According to this research, people with those traits and characteristics are more apt to resist change and may be a potential problem when instituting change in an organization. This research points towards the significant evidence to support the findings that people who resist change may have these characteristics or traits in their belief system: Frustration in industry or a sense of apathy, open-mindedness or flexibility, vulnerability, communicate well, family ties, controlling and shows hero tendencies. </p><p> Not many other industries can report that it has remained unchanged over time, even in the face of industrial revolution, war, and domestication. However, in the past 20 years, the equine industry has been divided through a new belief system that is challenging these time-tested traditions and beliefs regarding hoof care and horsemanship. The natural horse viewpoint has created an opposing faction to the traditional belief system that governed horse care and welfare since the dawn of time. The qualitative data that was gathered for this research allows for the synthesis of the proposed paradigm shift and opposing force analysis. Although not a true paradigm shift to date, these two factions, natural and traditional, are dividing the industry in two. Not a more perfect scenario could be present to study long-standing belief systems in relation to adoption and resistance to change. The Hybrid Adaptation Model was formed from the qualitative data provided by 41 industry experts through the grounded theory method. This model can be used to navigate through the change management process. This research revealed a theory that adaptation must occur prior to adoption and partial adoption may cause a &ldquo;hybrid&rdquo; sector. </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the application of open innovation theory concepts and practices employed in private industry to the federal public sector, specifically the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Acquisition Management System (DAMS). This study considered using open innovation to improve the DoD&rsquo;s ability to move innovative products and services through the DAMS faster, at a lower cost, while continuing to meet performance requirements for the DoD&rsquo;s end-users. The theoretical lens was focused around the core concept of open innovation: collaboration with external parties, principally customers, and the acquisition, integration, and application of knowledge from external parties to improve innovation performance. The study also considered improved performance from the perspective of what the DoD, as the primary customer in the ecosystem, could do to raise the capacity of its supporting industrial base. Furthermore, the study considered the importance, use, and alignment of several secondary enablers that are needed to improve the probability of successfully implementing open innovation, including leadership and governance, culture, intellectual property and legal issues, funding, and technology. The study examined four propositions identified in the literature review and used realist synthesis in combination with the context, intervention, mechanism, and outcomes model to determine their validity. In the synthesis, the study identified four major findings that served to validate each of the propositions, essentially supporting the overall proposition that, as the primary customer in the ecosystem, the DoD&rsquo;s effective use of collaboration with industry throughout the process and its provision of the right type of information earlier in the process resulted in better innovation performance for everyone in the ecosystem.</p><p>

<p> Outsourcing provides organizations the opportunity for cost-saving and increased opportunities to build a competitive advantage, while better utilizing limited resources and focusing efforts on their strategic goals. There was a risk associated with deciding to outsource human resources (HR) functions in the federal government, which can influence management&rsquo;s ability to make informed decisions and affect an organization&rsquo;s effectiveness. Social groups inside an organization can influence knowledge, innovation, and productivity. Research has shown nothing emerges from a social group except individual behavior, and individual behavior can influence the organization&rsquo;s growth in a marketplace. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the perceived risk to the federal government associated with deciding to outsource HR functions. This research was conducted using a qualitative method with a multiple case study design. Data collection and analysis focused on those federal agencies in the Washington, DC geographical area having at least 2,000 employees and outsourcing at least 40% of their HR functions (e.g., compensation and benefits, employee relations, and compliance) and support services (e.g., payroll, recruitment, and benefit administration). Once these organizations were identified, a review of historical documents related to outsourced functions covering a period of at least five-years will be performed using at a selected federal agency. Additionally, an observational research approach using naturalistic observation as teams of HR practitioners within the targeted agency was done as the practitioners performed duties within their everyday environment (e.g., approximately 3-5 teams with approximately 25 personnel as target sample size). Finally, one-on-one semi-structured interviews with purposefully selected HR staff and management (e.g., approximately 10-12 participants from the target agencies) was conducted. These interviews drew a deeper understanding of the shared experiences of the participants and the perceived influence outsourcing HR functions has on knowledge retention needed to be retained in the federal government. Knowledge gained from this study could add value to the body of knowledge for future HR professionals and management to make informed outsourcing decisions in the federal government. The findings of this research added value to the body of knowledge for future HR professionals to influence outsourcing decisions in the federal government. Additionally, this study may inspire future researchers&rsquo; study of the desired competencies of HR practitioners in the federal government.</p><p>

<p> Small businesses represent 99.7% of all employers in the United States and account for 63% of new jobs; however, 50% of small businesses fail within 5 years of operation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small restaurant owners used to succeed in business for longer than 5 years. The sample population for the study was the owners of 3 small restaurants in the northeastern region of the United States who have a minimum of 5 years&rsquo; experience in operating a successful business. Chaos theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data collection methods were semistructured interviews and review of company documents and archival records. Member checking of interview transcripts was used to strengthen the credibility, reliability, and trustworthiness of the findings. Based on the methodological triangulation of the data sources and using the van Kaam process, themes emerged. The principal themes that emerged were networking, customer satisfaction, and leadership. The findings from this study may contribute to positive social change by providing strategies that small business owners need to be successful and possibly improve the prosperity of the community and local economy.</p><p>

<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.