Staff management in developmental disabilities has long been the subject of behavioral researchers. An important deficiency in this area of investigation has been the study of treatment staff use of objective systems of measurement that serve as the basis of evaluating the treatment of resident maladaptive behavior. The present research examined the effects of common staff management interventions, a behavioral inservice, monitoring and verbal feedback, and supervisor presence, on direct care staff's accuracy and reliability in recording resident maladaptive behavior events. / The behavioral inservice resulted in improvements in percentage of maladaptive behavior events recorded for only one of four of the treatment staff groups studied. Significant improvements were demonstrated with the introduction of a brief monitoring period (10% of the observation period) followed by immediate presentation of verbal feedback regarding staff performance. These improvements were maintained when the verbal feedback was removed, in the supervisor presence condition. Performance improvements were also seen in generalization observation sessions where the latter two sets of experimental stimuli were not applied. / The validity of the interventions studied was demonstrated by extremely high and consistent levels of "correct" performance on a feedback process evaluation instrument. No detrimental effects were seen in staff performance of other important duties. In fact, enhanced performance in other work areas occurred concomitant with improvement in event data recording, suggesting another type of generalization. Finally, in a consumer satisfaction survey, all participating staff indicated that the interventions were "helpful" and "likable." / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-03, Section: B, page: 1652. / Major Professor: Jon S. Bailey. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.

The purpose of this study was to investigate perceived managerial communication behavioral differences between male and female managers employed by the State of Florida. The subjects were male and female senior-level managers from the Senior Management System (SMS) of state government. These managers represented each of the four administrative levels in the SMS (i.e., bureaus, departments, divisions, and agencies). Members of this class are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. / The subjects responded to a 40-item survey describing various task-oriented and social-emotional oriented communication behaviors. The respondents indicated how important they perceived these behaviors to be to them as managers and also how frequently they perceived that they used each behavior. Comparisons were made between the subjects according to sex and managerial level. / The study addressed the following objectives: (1) To identify managerial communication behaviors as perceived by male and female managers, and what differences, if any, existed because of gender or managerial level. (2) To discover the perception of the importance of task-oriented and social-emotional oriented behaviors, and what differences, if any, existed because of gender or managerial level. (3) To discover the perception of frequency of use of task-oriented and social-emotional oriented behaviors, and what differences, if any, existed because of gender and managerial level. / The objectives of this study led to several test hypotheses. The findings of this study are as follows: (1) On task-oriented behaviors, no difference existed between the sexes on their perception of the importance of task-oriented behaviors nor in their use of them. Also, when comparing the differences between the managerial levels, no statistical differences were revealed. (2) On socio-emotional behaviors, no difference was found between the sexes on their perception of the importance of nor in their use of socio-emotional behaviors. Similarly, no statistical difference was found when comparing managerial levels. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-02, Section: A, page: 0250. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

It is generally recognized that an organization's information technology (IT) infrastructure can facilitate organizational change, particularly when the information needs of the business process are clearly defined and the capabilities of the IT infrastructure fully explored. Unfortunately, firms engaged in business process redesign (BPR) often struggle to meet these two conditions as outmoded design principles are being discarded for new patterns of activity (Hammer, 1990). / Prior research indicates that IT infrastructure decisions should be made in conjunction with a firm's business-thrust strategies (Boynton and Zmud, 1987) and vice versa (Lederer and Mendelow, 1989). An inadequate assessment of goals, capabilities and limitations tends to result in the adoption of incompatible BPR and IT strategies, inhibiting project rollout (MacDonald, 1991). Frequently these project delays are indicative of an IT gap, in which BPR information resource needs exceed the capabilities of an IT infrastructure. Changes to either the intended process design or the IT infrastructure may be necessary for gap resolution. / This study focuses on the strategies driving BPR projects and IT infrastructure development, the nature of IT-related project delays and the degree to which the redesign project or the IT infrastructure were altered to facilitate project implementation. A multi-phase research design strategy used comprehensive phone interviews, sets of three matched surveys and archival data to collect information on forty-three BPR projects and associated IT infrastructures. / Principal components analysis provided discriminant validity for the BPR and IT strategy constructs, and a cluster analysis revealed three basic strategic orientations. Hierarchical log-linear models were used to assess the most likely outcomes associated with different strategy combinations. The results suggest that a reactive BPR strategy coupled with a reactive IT strategy is least risky as IT-related project delays tend to be short, though unanticipated, with incremental changes to the intended business process and no change to the IT infrastructure. For all strategy combinations, changes to the IT infrastructure were likely to be less drastic than changes to the intended business process. Most IT-related project delays were unanticipated and relatively short. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-09, Section: A, page: 3514. / Major Professor: Robert W. Zmud. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.

This study examined problem recognition ability and its importance to strategic managers. Few studies have empirically investigated problem recognition as a separate activity preceding strategic problem solving. The overall goal of this research was to develop a measure of problem recognition ability and to explore the relationship of a manager's ability to identify strategic problems with his/her personal and organizational characteristics. / The problem identification instrument developed was pilot tested among a student sample. Managers were then surveyed in a two-phase study to collect demographic information, the sensing-intuition scale of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), managerial style, and scores on the ability of managers to identify problems from written case scenarios. / Analysis of covariance tests yielded support that problem recognition ability is related to the personality type of the manager, as measured by the MBTI, with intuitive (N) managers have significantly higher skill at recognizing problems than managers with a sensing (S) preference. Conclusions of other tests for differences on managerial style, structure, and size variables did not lead to significant results. / Further research into this area should be conducted in an attempt to overcome some of this study's limitations. The findings suggest that individual personality preferences are related to problem recognition ability, yet organizational variables such as span of control, line vs. staff position, level in the hierarchy and size of the organization do not influence the ability to identify strategic problems. Other personal or organizational variables may need to be examined to provide firms with more valuable predictors of skill at recognizing strategic problems, a critical first step to successful strategic management. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-10, Section: A, page: 3083. / Major Professor: William A. Shrode. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

Previous research on charismatic leadership has demonstrated that leaders exhibiting charismatic behaviors can have a significant impact on followers' attitudes, behaviors, and performance. This study attempted to extend charismatic leadership theory by investigating the relationship between charismatic leadership and group level concerns such as perceptions of group drive, group cohesiveness, and group performance within interacting workgroups. / In a laboratory setting with manipulated independent variables, a total of 199 college students were randomized into approximately 34 six member groups to complete a simulated group decision making task. Each of the 34 workgroups were "charge" with completing a group decision making task by an organizational leader portraying either charismatic behaviors or noncharismatic behaviors. The role of the organizational leader was portrayed by two male actors trained to deliver a group charge in both a charismatic and noncharismatic manner. / Results indicated that subjects exposed to a charismatically communicated group charge did not report significantly higher levels of group drive, group cohesiveness, or group performance than those subjects exposed to a noncharismatically communicated group charge. Contrary to what was expected, noncharismatically charged subjects reported significantly higher levels of cohesiveness and performed better as a workgroup than those subjects exposed to a charismatically communicated charge. Exploratory analysis also reveals that while charismatically charged subjects did not report significantly greater levels of group drive, cohesiveness, or perform better, they did report significantly more positive attitudes and perceptions toward the leader. This suggests that while charismatic leaders may have individual level effects as predicted by charismatic leadership theory, the strength of that effect may not be strong enough to overcome the interaction patterns and norms that develop within interacting workgroups. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-04, Section: A, page: 1392. / Major Professor: C. E. Wotring. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1996.

A study in work-force scheduling was conducted of the impact on labor utilization of six types of scheduling flexibility: shifts of fewer than eight hours (shift length); weekly tours shorter than five days (tour length); non-consecutive days-off pattern (days-off pattern); shift starts in any hour of the day (shift starts); shift starts in different hours of the day on subsequent days of a tour (start-time float); and meal breaks taken in any of a number of periods within a day (meal-break window). Four types of labor requirement variability were included: day length; labor requirement mean; amplitude; and pattern. / An integer linear programming formulation was developed to model the scheduling flexibility types. The formulation implicitly represents employee schedules that contain meal-break window and start-time float flexibility. The implicit formulation is more compact than traditional set covering approaches which explicitly represent employee schedules. / The results of the study showed meal-break windows and shift length effective in improving labor utilization without regard to the shape of the labor requirement pattern. Shift length, tour length, and shift starts were found to be important to labor utilization where the labor requirement pattern exhibited hourly and daily variation in the level of demand. Days-off pattern and start-time float provided virtually no improvement in labor utilization for any of the labor requirement patterns. Longer day length was associated with improved labor utilization for all labor requirement patterns. Mean labor requirement showed no relationship to labor utilization for any labor requirement pattern. High labor requirement amplitude was shown to have a strong adverse effect on labor utilization. In addition, many interaction effects were found significant. / The study concludes with a list of numerous suggested research extensions in the use of the compact formulation in labor scheduling applications and flexibility analyses. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-08, Section: A, page: 2565. / Major Professor: Stephen E. Bechtold. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

This research reports the results of a systems analysis study in which a system dynamics simulation model of the commercialization of information technology by information technology producing industries was developed. This study focused on the system structures that give rise to complex dynamics involved with an industry's firms (a) recognizing the value of technical changes in information technology, (b) assimilating those changes, and (c) rapidly exploiting their potential to commercial ends. The system dynamics model was developed in two phases. In the first phase, a conceptual model was derived from an extensive review of the referent literatures. This review provided the theoretical bases for the system dynamics model. The second phase involved translating the conceptual model into a quantitative or parametric model. The quantitative model was parameterized and validated through an extensive case study analysis of the Micro-Winchester disk drive industry. The purpose of the model is to provide a platform or policy analysis tool for formulating and implementing national level institutional interventions designed to enhance the IT commercialization process. The validation process and a sample policy experimentation using the simulation model is presented. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-03, Section: A, page: 0906. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1996.

Causal maps are diagrammatical representations of the cause-effect relationships perceived to exist among the elements of a given phenomenon. Given this, these maps would seem to possess qualities that could help information systems analysts in determining information requirements in ill-structured, complex problem situations. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of causal maps is often undermined in real world situations because the maps grow so complex that participants become cognitively overloaded. This study addresses the issue of complexity in causal maps, and attempts to determine whether physical attributes such as signs, diagrammatic aids, and model symmetry can enable participants to more easily understand maps. A series of four laboratory experiments utilizing a total of 162 subjects is used to investigate these issues. These experiments result in four main findings. First, the major finding of the study is that understanding of a causal map can be significantly facilitated through the use of model symmetry. Second, subjects' perceptions of complexity increase when either the number of constructs or the number of causal interconnections between constructs in the map increases. Third, using signs to indicate relationship direction does not significantly influence understanding nor perceptions of complexity. Finally, the addition of diagrammatic aids to a causal map results in higher perceptions of complexity. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-10, Section: A, page: 3655. / Major Professor: Robert W. Zmud. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

This investigation critically reviews current perspectives in turnover research and suggests attitude change as a better way to measure affective responses to the work situation. A competitive test of attitude change and attitude level was conducted. Results indicate that the attitude change approach predicted both changes in attitudes relevant to the turnover process and subsequent voluntary turnover behavior. Based on the results of this investigation, attitude change is proposed as a valid measure of affective response. Theoretical modifications and implications for further research in employee turnover are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-12, Section: A, page: 4191. / Major Professor: Lee P. Stepina. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.

The literature is replete with articles extolling the benefits or the drawbacks associated with the implementation of quality management programs. The divergent levels of performance associated with these programs may be associated with the breadth and depth to which the characteristics of quality management become ingrained within organizational structures and systems. / This study employed large sample questionnaire administration to gather measures of the key characteristics of quality management programs in ISO-9000 registered organizations. Use of data reduction techniques on the questionnaire data suggest that there are eleven key, statistically significant and statistically reliable, characteristics associated with quality management programs in ISO-9000 registered organizations. Prediction of profitability and liquidity measures with these eleven factors, across three levels of performance, suggested differential usage of these factors within above-average, average, and below-average performing firms that responded to the questionnaire. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-03, Section: A, page: 1217. / Major Professors: Thomas D. Clark, Jr.; Ralph M. Stair, Jr. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1996.