Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1951. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [542]-551).

Thesis (D. Bus. Adm.)--University of Oklahoma, 1971. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 418-441).

Project report (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 104). Also available via the Internet.

Originally presented as the author's Thesis (M.B.A.)--Harvard School of Business Administration, 1921.

No description available.

The aim of the thesis is to identify current trends in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The theoretical part of the paper deals with the evolution of CSR, the basic conceptual approaches, motivation of companies to adopt responsibile business pracitices, and the dominant global trends. The practical part assesses the relevance of CSR trends for one of the world's largest companies - General Electric.

Every year, the Chief Executive Group compiles a list of "Best Companies for Leadership Development" that measures corporations against a variety of leadership criteria. Though some organizations move on or off the list from year to year, a handful has consistently ranked in the top 10 for several consecutive years. Coincidentally, these companies also happen to be among the most respected and most profitable. Research has shown that workforce commitment, innovation, and engagement are driving factors in productivity and profitability. More recent research has shown that effective management and strong leaders are the driving factors in an engaged and productive workforce. In light of this, the purpose of this literature review is to draw connections between leadership, an effective workforce, and profitability. General Electric and Procter & Gamble are two organizations that have consistently ranked in the top of a wide variety of lists. As giants of leadership development, these two corporations are analyzed in order to better understand the specific, innovative practices employed to foster a strong leadership pool. Furthermore, this review investigates how the effective leaders build a culture of worker engagement and commitment.

The thesis aims at contributing to clarify broad conjectures on growth, such as, (i) the extent to which growth constitutes an imperative for the firm, and (ii) what leads some firms to enjoy continuing growth and a continued existence, while others, after experiencing continuing growth, end up contracting and decaying. As a result, the thesis seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms fostering and precluding growth, while also identifying challenges and opportunities in managing growth. / The thesis comprises four interrelated essays: (i) Chandler on the growth of the firm---this essay scrutinizes The Visible Hand (Chandler, 1977) seeking to answer the question "What is Chandler's theory on how and why did the modern business enterprise (MBE) appear and grow?" Four processes are identified---MBE formation, MBE development, industry formation, industry development. Their analysis within a process-oriented view (Mohr, 1982) discloses chains of necessary conditions in growth-related processes. Moreover, two growth-related dilemmas are advanced and the firm-industry co-evolution is explored. (ii) Identifying the building blocks of growth dynamics---this essay addresses the question "Which are the basic processes of change that form the dynamics of growth?" Drawing on Mario Bunge's philosophy (1973--1989; 1979), a framework of qualitatively different modes of change is derived. The framework allows the identification of elementary units of the growth dynamics. These comprise the following types: quantitative, qualitative (dialectical), goal-directed, interactional, causal, structural, random. In addition, complex units of growth dynamics made up of combinations of elementary units are also advanced: evolutionary motor of firm growth, co-evolutionary motor of growth relating firm and industry, and different instances of continuing growth motors. (iii) Describing growth trajectories of firms---the question "How can growth trajectories be represented?" is addressed in this essay. An indicator of size, which automatically adjusts for inflationary and deflationary changes in currency value is proposed. This indicator enables the drawing of growth trajectories of firms in the economy over long periods of time. (iv) Growth trajectories of General Electric and Westinghouse: a comparative study---this essay addresses the question "Why do some firms experience continuing growth and continued existence while others decay and disappear?" The growth trajectories of

This diploma thesis looks at employee benefits, the legal point of view of these advantages and the presentation of new trends in this area. The aim of this thesis is also the introduction of the whole General Electric Company and the assessment of a survey conducted at GE Aviation Czech s.r.o., which focused on employee benefits.