The global purpose of this research is to further the study of leader-member exchange (LMX) by using a new, and primarily unused multidimensional measure. The large majority of prior work on LMX has examined the construct using unidimensional measures. However, investigations are needed that examine the four dimensions of LMX, affect, contribution, loyalty, and professional respect, using the new LMX-MDM measure (Liden & Maslyn, 1998). Role theory and social exchange theory were used to develop a conceptual model of antecedents and outcomes of the different LMX dimensions. Additionally, theory-based hypotheses were developed that examine interactions between different dimensions. Data were collected from 193 matched supervisor-subordinate pairs. Unfortunately, the results from both the leader's and member's perspectives were disappointing as few hypotheses were supported. A discussion of these findings and potential reasons for the lack of supported results are provided, as well as strengths, limitations, and directions for future research. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2004. / June 23, 2004. / Leader-member Exchange, Leadership, Multidimensional / Includes bibliographical references. / K. Michele Kacmar, Professor Directing Dissertation; Charles Kacmar, Outside Committee Member; Gerald R. Ferris, Committee Member; Pamela L. Perrewé, Committee Member.

Accountability is an important organizational phenomenon that has been recognized by both academicians and practitioners as a fundamental element in the successful operation of organizations (Tetlock, 1985; 1992; Ettore, 1992). However, the current state of accountability research is such that scholars understand certain aspects of accountability but lack a complete understanding of the accountability phenomenon overall (Frink & Klimoski, 1998). Using the phenomenological approach (Tetlock, 1985, 1992), Frink and Klimoski (1998) made a call for models of accountability that examine both external (to the person) and internal conditions, objective and subjective factors, and formal accountability mechanisms (e.g., accounting procedures) and informal accountability mechanisms (e.g., norms and culture). However, to date, scholars have yet to offer a comprehensive model of felt accountability in organizations. This dissertation seeks to address this void by proposing a comprehensive model, and testing a portion thereof, which addresses each of these fundamental components of the accountability process. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2005. / March 28, 2005. / Stress, Accountability, Ethics / Includes bibliographical references. / Gerald R. Ferris, Professor Directing Dissertation; Charles Hofacker, Outside Committee Member; Ceasar Douglas, Committee Member; Jack Fiorito, Committee Member; Wayne A. Hochwarter, Committee Member; Pamela L. Perrewé, Committee Member.

With a growing number of pension plans switching from defined benefit to defined contribution, it is becoming increasingly important that individuals understand the risk and rewards of investing and diversification. Educating plan participants and understanding how they influence one another is critical for furthering that goal. Understanding that not all participants view risk similarly, and that targeted education may be needed to address financial knowledge deficiencies will help plan administrators aid their participants in their investing process. This dissertation hopes to add to the knowledge by study the roles of race, gender and peers in investment preferences. This research should shed light on how differences among participants drive their investment choices and what role participant interaction plays in the process. Using a unique matched panel data set that combines detailed demographic information from the Florida Department of Education's annual survey of school districts with investment information from the Florida State Board of Administration for 2002 – 2008, this dissertation is able to examine the investment preferences of plan participants at a level of detail not available with many publically available data sets. Chapter 2 looks specifically at the roles of gender and race in investment preferences. The analysis shows that women and Blacks invest more conservatively than men and Whites, respectively. It is also shows that despite similar outcomes, the route which Black men and White women take differs. Black men, like men in general in this study, take a more active approach to their investments, while women tend to default into more conservative investments. Black women are shown to be the most conservative, with an expected return 5.5% lower than White men, which, assuming 30 year investment horizon, returns of 7.5% and steady real wages, yields a final portfolio value ratio of .919. This is a considerable difference in wealth which is yet to be justified through explanatory variables. Chapter 3 looks for the presence of peer effects in the panel data. The regression analysis uses both pooled and first differenced observations to study the effects. In general, the pooled regressions do not seem to adequately account for the peer effect, especially at the district level where measured coefficients lose magnitude and significance once district fixed effects are included. The first differenced regressions, however, measure how participants react to changes in their peer group. This method accounts for time-constant unobservables in both the participant and the peer group and better reflects the true peer effect. The analysis also concluded that choosing the appropriate peer group is critical to the results. The results of the analysis were strengthened with falsification tests to show that the results do not occur with random pairings. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Economics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2009. / August 13, 2009. / Risk Preferences, Defined Contribution, Participant Risk / Includes bibliographical references. / Tim R. Sass, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; David A. Macpherson, 1960-, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; G. Stacy Sirmans, Outside Committee Member; Patrick Mason, Committee Member.

Only in the last couple of decades have scientists begun to delineate the nomological web of constructs that relate to the entrepreneurial process. The task is far from complete. In fact, many of the most exciting individual-level linkages are only just being discovered (Baron, 2010; Baum & Bird, 2010; Grégoire, Corbett, & McMullen, 2011; Haynie, Shepherd, Mosakowski, & Earley, 2010; Lanivich, 2011; Vengrouskie, 2011; Zhao, Seibert, & Lumpkin, 2010a; Zhao, Li, Lee, & Chen, 2010b). Yet, to adequately measure the variables for generalizable results, the concept of entrepreneurial success is reviewed and an alternative, multi-dimensional approach to operationalizing the construct is offered and implemented in research design. Investigation results reveal evidence for additional viable constructs for inquiry in the context of entrepreneurship by validating relationships between cognitive factors and entrepreneurial success. Also, by exhibiting how the boundary conditions of the cognitive relationships in entrepreneurship function within, a clearer picture of what is affecting entrepreneurs is gained. Furthermore, it is especially important for a developing field of research to distinguish itself with distinct and testable theory and constructs (Kuhn, 1962; Mullen, Budeva, & Doney, 2009; Sutton & Staw, 1995). Results of incremental validity tests revealed the resource-induced coping heuristic (RICH) as a robust predictor of arguably the most important entrepreneurial outcome, success. This dissertation promotes the field of entrepreneurship as a remarkable, researchable division of organizational and psychological science by demonstrating predictive validity of newly developed constructs for use in the investigation of the entrepreneurial process. The implications of the contributions listed above, along with the strengths and limitations of the study, are discussed, and recommendations for future research are offered. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2011. / March 22, 2011. / Entrepreneurship RICH Entrepreneurial Success Resource Conservation COR Theory, Coping, Heuristic, Stress, Strain, Cognition, Entrepreneur / Includes bibliographical references. / Gerald R. Ferris, Professor Directing Dissertation; Larry Giunipero, University Representative; Annette L. Ranft, Committee Member; Chad H. Van Iddekinge, Committee Member; F. Randy Blass, Committee Member.

How do market and nonmarket environmental factors affect firm investment decisions and subsequent performance? Economic Institutional Change Theory is extended to the product market-firm level of analysis to develop a model of dynamic strategic fit to nonmarket and market factors. The co-evolution of market and institutional factors creates four basic opportunity sets comprised of low to high market opportunities and low to high political opportunities. Contingency models are estimated using generalized least squares regression for three of the four opportunity sets. Deviation from the contingency models is used to measure strategic fit and used to test the relationship between fit and economic performance. Empirical evidence did not support the assertion that fit is related to performance in the first two opportunity contexts. Empirical support was found in the third study for strategic fit to political factors. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Date Awarded: Spring Semester, 2008. / Date of Defense: February 8, 2008. / Strategic Fit, Corporate Political Activity, Nonmarket Strategy, Economic Institutional Change / Includes bibliographical references. / Bruce T. Lamont, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael D. Hartline, Outside Committee Member; Annette L. Ranft, Committee Member; Gerald R. Ferris, Committee Member.

Social power balances within supervisor-subordinate work relationships were investigated. Supervisor power, subordinate power, and supervisor-subordinate power differentials were shown to account for subordinate expectations regarding relationships with supervisors. Furthermore, relationship expectations were shown to relate to important subordinate outcomes (i.e., perceptions of relationship quality and job tension). Exploratory analyses also suggested that how supervisors were perceived to use their power (e.g., for good or evil) was a more influential predictor of subordinate relationship expectations than the perceived quantity of supervisor power. In addition, the perceived use of power moderated the relationships between the power variables and relationship expectations. Contributions of this study, practical implications, strengths and limitations, and directions for future research were discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2011. / January 7, 2011. / Power, Supervisor-Subordinate Dyad / Includes bibliographical references. / Gerald R. Ferris, Professor Directing Dissertation; Charles F. Hofacker, University Representative; Pamela L. Perrewé, Committee Member; Jack Fiorito, Committee Member.

The 1990s included a renewed emphasis on board independence. Allegedly, the greater the proportion of independent outside directors, the more effective the board is at monitoring CEOs. I assert in this dissertation that there are limits to board independence. Specifically, when a chief executive officer (CEO) is the only inside board member, which I call a lone-insider board, a critical source of information and mutual monitoring by other inside directors is lost. Increased information asymmetry and loss of mutual monitoring gives CEOs more freedom to influence organizational outcomes toward their personal preferences and in conflict with shareholders' interests. Contrary to expectations, results indicate lone-insider boards are fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities in the area of executive compensation. However, lone-insider boards need to limit CEO duality as well as encourage long-term strategies such as research and development investment. This study also found that blockholders are somewhat detrimental in lone-insider boards, because they increase total CEO compensation and compensation differentials on the top management team. Duality is also more common when blockholders are present. Finally, as lone-insider boards increase in size, they generally lose their effectiveness. Duality is more common in larger lone-insider boards, and two of the three measures of executive compensation are greater. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2008. / June 13, 2008. / Corporate Governance Financial Controls, Board Composition, Duality, Executive Compensation, Agency Theory / Includes bibliographical references. / James G. Combs, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael K. Brady, Outside Committee Member; Bruce T. Lamont, Committee Member; Jack T. Fiorito, Committee Member; Timothy R. Holcomb, Committee Member.

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to provide an empirical test of the proposed theoretical link between the construct of celebrity, in an organizational context, and firm performance. The model proposed in this dissertation tests this link at both the individual- and firm-levels. As an exploratory study, this research showed evidence of initial, direct linkages between the socially constructed resource of celebrity and firm performance. The results also found firm celebrity to mediate the relationship between CEO celebrity and firm performance. A secondary purpose of this dissertation was to advance work on celebrity, in the organizational sciences, by providing a means for preliminary measurement of the construct in this context. In this dissertation, celebrity at the CEO and firm levels were measured using both archival and survey methodology. The findings of this dissertation suggest that celebrity CEOs may aid in building firm celebrity, but that the firm, as a celebrity, carries the focal weight in the minds of media audiences. In turn, the focal weight on firm celebrity carries a greater impact on firm performance. Moreover, the findings provide support for future work to examine the "black box" between this specific strategic resource and firm performance. Lastly, this dissertation concludes with a discussion of the paper's limitations, contributions, and practical implications. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Management in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 26, 2008. / Celebrity, Firm Performance, Multi-Level / Includes bibliographical references. / Gerald R. Ferris, Professor Directing Dissertation; Annette L. Ranft, Committee Member; Susan Fiorito, Outside Committee Member; James G. Combs, Committee Member; Bruce T. Lamont, Committee Member.

The success of organizations rests largely on their ability to coordinate with the external environment. At the foundation of this external coordination are the interpersonal work relationships that enable organizations to gather critical information, resources, and engage in commerce with clients. Unfortunately, little research has been conducted on how firms may best leverage their employee-client relationships to enhance performance and other outcomes of interest. One factor influencing relationships is that of distance, which describes psychological and structural differences between two individuals in a dyad. Theory suggests that higher levels of distance may negatively influence both the quality of relationships and their outcomes. Yet, that same theory suggests that distance, like relationships, can be managed. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to better understand how distance and relationship quality influence employee and transaction outcomes. The successful management of employee-client relationships may also positively influence other interpersonal outcomes. For example, theory suggests that conflict between employees and clients may be reduced by lessening distance and enhancing the quality of work relationships. The successful management of dyadic work relationships should also reverberate to the employee's social network, enabling employees to experience higher levels of productivity and increasing the probability of retention. Finally, this dissertation tested how the interpersonal competency, political skill, acts as a boundary condition in mitigating the negative effects of distance on relationship quality. In particular, theory suggests that individuals who are politically skilled may more effectively accentuate similarities to others and reduce perceived differences, allowing these individuals to reduce the interpersonal distance that negatively affects relationship quality. These theoretical connections were quantified and explicated in this dissertation, with a complementary discussion of contributions, strengths and weaknesses, and directions for future research. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Management in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2009. / September 25, 2009. / Relationship Quality, Distance, Work Relationships / Includes bibliographical references. / Gerald R. Ferris, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael K. Brady, University Representative; Wayne A. Hochwarter, Committee Member; Mark J. Martinko, Committee Member; Pamela L. Perrewé, Committee Member.

Since its introduction by Williamson (1975), transaction cost theory (TCT) has become one of the most influential theoretical perspectives used for explaining how economic activity is governed. TCT asserts that the nature of a transaction drives governance decisions such that asset specificity, uncertainty, and frequent transactions give rise to the threat of opportunism, which increases transaction costs, and leads firms towards more integration. Although three decades have passed since its introduction and over 100 empirical journal articles have been published, more recent theoretical developments as well as contradictory findings have called TCT's empirical validity into question. By aggregating findings via meta-analysis, I take a step toward resolving these contradictory findings. Specifically, I found minimal evidence supporting the relationships between asset specificity or frequency and governance choice, and no relationship between environmental or behavioral uncertainty and governance choice. Further, there was evidence supporting the notion that matching transactions to the appropriate degree of integration impacts firm performance. Thus, I conclude by suggesting that although TCT helps explain governance choice decisions, the inclusion of other theoretical perspectives is also needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how firms govern economic activity. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2005. / June 14, 2005. / Governance Choice, Transaction Costs, Asset Specificity, Uncertainty, Frequency, Williamson / Includes bibliographical references. / David J. Ketchen, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; James G. Combs, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Larry C. Giunipero, Outside Committee Member; William Anthony, Committee Member.