<p> The research study involved an investigation into the relationship between corporate culture and organizational efficiency in the Japanese securities industry as it adapts to survive in the competitive international market. Using the materialist conception of history, a case study approach was used to examine the roots of Nikko&rsquo;s corporate culture as it developed prior to the introduction of the modern management system. Working in compliance with a licensing system that served to preserve the status quo, Nikko officials experienced industry scandals, which encouraged Japanese securities executives to introduce American modern management systems. The purpose of the mixed method study was to understand the qualitative and quantitative changes in the management operations of Nikko Cordial affected by the corporate culture before and after the change in management. Insights into Nikko&rsquo;s situation were gained from analyzing the records of Nikko Cordial with those of the Nomura and Daiwa securities companies.</p><p> Using a system of dialectics, organizational inefficiency and low profitability were discovered as triggers for the corporate scandals, despite the introduction of the modern management system. Based upon the analysis of Nikko&rsquo;s case, an inductive conclusion was drawn that organizational efficiency and profitability were considered important factors to sustain a successful business model in the financial business field. The inevitability of regulation as one of the five cost factors necessary to enhance profitability for financial businesses was confirmed by the dialectical approach. The corporate culture is a key catalyst to reduce the costs involved in organizational efficiency and integrity.</p>

<p> This exploratory case study used a qualitative research method and explored how Project Management Offices (PMOs) and associated governance groups, such as project management, program management, portfolio management, and risk management, play an important role and are viewed as a positive contributing factor in the successful management of projects. The study also explored the perceived reduction of operational risk that would help prevent the likelihood of financial market collapse reoccurrences, and the perceived importance and impact of operational management structures of financial institutions in contributing to the prevention of another banking collapse. The following themes emerged in the study: Operational risk, regulatory groups, characteristics of PMO structures, optimal PMO structures, PMO effectiveness, and maturity levels of PMOs. A postulation to integrate PMO structures and associated governance groups in the accords (frameworks) of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) was proposed to help financial institutions reduce operational risks that affect consumers of financial services. A non-traditional survey-based case study was conducted with eight project management professionals with financial industry experience in the United States. The case study helped reveal that financial collapses were significantly related to the lack of PMO structures and integration of those structures into regulatory frameworks as mandates. This case study further found that to reduce the likelihood of another financial collapse, a change needs to be made to organizational structures by (a) implementing well-run PMOs and associated governance groups, and (b) integrating those structures into regulatory frameworks.</p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to test the full-range leadership theory and measure the relationship, if any, between team captains&rsquo; leadership styles and team outcome (by winning percentage). Analyzing the relationship between team captains&rsquo; leadership styles and performance would add knowledge to the existing research on leadership development in the area of sport. A review of literature yielded few studies of athlete leadership and performance compared to coach leadership. Discovering potential relationships between athlete leadership and performance may challenge beliefs that coach leadership is more important than other types of informal leadership. The study involved the surveying of student-athletes, team captains, and coaches of collegiate athletic programs from a single Division III College located in the Midwest. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x) was used to assess the four leadership constructs: transformational, transactional, passive-avoidant, and laissez-faire leadership of team captains. Results of the correlation indicated a significant relationship between transformational and transactional leadership mean scores and team performance via winning percentage. ANOVA regression results indicated that no significant differences existed between team captain&rsquo;s mean scores that could be attributed to the survey participant&rsquo;s role on their respective team. Recommendations for future research include replication with a larger sample, including more schools and various sports.</p>

<p> This purpose of this mixed model study was to ascertain the implicit leadership theory (ILT) content held by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I baseball teams. Data were collected during the 2012 baseball season from 34 Division I programs, and 1032 coaches and players participated in the research. </p><p> As an information-processing approach to understanding leadership, ILT is concerned with the knowledge structures persons maintain and utilize when identifying and interacting with leaders. Ample ILT research has examined such structures within the business context. This study, however, is believed to be the first in-depth exploration of ILT content within the sports domain. </p><p> Leadership categorization and connectionist architecture served as the theoretical bases for the study's four research questions, which addressed: the effect that the target cues <i>leader</i> and <i>coach </i> had on ILT (RQ1); the impact that team context (RQ2) and player tenure (RQ3) had on ILT; and whether a sports ILT existed&mdash;and if so, how it differed from a business ILT (RQ4). Research was conducted in four sequential steps using qualitative and quantitative methods. Importantly, no external or explicit measures were used to collect data, as such instruments can bias implicit perceptions. The primary tools for processing quantitative data were principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. </p><p> A 21-item, 5-factor ILT model for NCAA Division I baseball was derived from factor analysis processes and generalized across two separate data sets. This model demonstrated the existence of a sports ILT, as it differed noticeably from models that explain ILT content within the business domain. Data also indicated that team context had some correlation with ILT differences, whereas player tenure did not. Furthermore, results showed that players do delineate between the targets <i>leader</i> and <i>coach</i>; that is, being perceived as a leader within Division I baseball may not correspond with holding an official organizational/team position. </p><p> This study's findings strengthen the idea that leadership is social-cognitive phenomenon that differs according to context. Implications for applying these findings within Division I baseball are discussed. Additionally, this research might be cause for revisiting some of the previous models of leadership within sports studies.</p>

Project control systems often fail to support management in achieving their global project goals. This thesis proposes a Multidimensional Project Control System (MPCS) as an approach for quantifying deviations from the planning phase to the execution phase with respect to the global project control specification (GPCS). The projects' current state must be translated into yield terms, which are expressed as a gap vector that represents the multidimensional deviation from the global project control specification. The MPCS methodology allows the project manager to determine: integrated project status; where problems exist in the project; when and where to take corrective action; and how to measure improvement. However, implementing the MPCS methodology does not require extra data collation. MPCS deals with the control of a single project and defines the project performances in comparison with the plan. The progression of several projects in parallel is a common situation in organizations, therefore a comparison of the various project performances is required. It is proposed that a comparison process be performed using the data envelope analysis (DEA) approach. The reference points for examining the performances of different projects and the directions of improvement for the projects are not necessarily found on the efficiency frontier. An algorithm is developed for applying multi-project system control having a relatively large number of inputs and outputs while maintaining the validity of the DEA methodology. The DEA output allows the diagnosis of those found on the efficiency frontier and those that need improvement.

Thesis (M.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2008. / Major professor: Roya Javadpour, Ph.D. "Presented to the faculty of California Polytechnic State University." "In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree [of] Master of Science in Engineering with specialization in Integrated Technology Management." "June 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-55). Also available online. Also available on microfiche (1 sheet).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 30, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p.192-207). Also issued in print.

Thesis (doctoral)--Göteborgs universitet, 1997. / Extra t.p. with thesis statement and English abstract inserted. Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-362).

Thesis (MBus) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2005. / Also held in print (128 leaves, ill., some col., 30 cm.) in Wellesley Theses Collection. (T 338.47624 WAR)