<p>This study describes algorithms for the solution of several single facility location problems with maximin or minimax objective functions. Interactive computer graphical algorithms are presented for maximizing the minimum rectilinear travel distance and for minimizing the maximum rectilinear travel distance to a number of point demands when there exist several right-angled polygonal barriers to travel. For the special case of unweighted rectilinear distances with barriers, a purely numerical algorithm for the maximin location problem is described. An interactive computer graphical algorithm for maximizing the minimum Euclidean, rectilinear, or general l$\sb{\rm p}$ distance to a number of polygonal areas is described. A modified version of this algorithm for location problems with the objective of minimizing the maximum cost when the costs are non-linear monotonically decreasing functions of distance is presented. Extension of this algorithm to problems involving the minimization of the maximum cost when the costs are functions of both distance and direction is discussed using asymmetric distances.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>This study is divided into two main parts. The first section deals with mathematical properties of distance functions. The ℓp norm is analyzed as a function of its parameter p, leading to useful insights for fitting this distance measure to a transportation network. Properties of round norms are derived, which allow us later to generalize some well-known results. The properties of a norm raised to a power are also investigated, and these prove useful in our subsequent analysis of location problems with economies or dis-economies of scale. A positive linear combination of the Euclidean and the rectangular distance measures, which we term the weighted one-two norm, is introduced. This distance function provides a linear regression model with interesting implications on the characterization of transportation networks. A directional bias function is defined, and examined in detail for the ℓp and weighted one-two norms. In the second part of this study, several properties are derived for various forms of the continuous minisum location model. The Weiszfeld iterative solution procedure for the standard Weber problem with ℓp distances is also examined, and global and local convergence results obtained. These results are extended to the mixed-norm problem. In addition, optimally criteria are derived at non-differentiable points of the objective function.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>Successful implementation of Information Systems requires user acceptance. The old approach of adapting users to the system is no longer acceptable as more middle and senior professionals and managers are becoming system users. Due to the increasing people cost component of systems implementation, there has been a recognition that the human-computer interface must be easier to learn to use and recall for the individual who is both a novice and discretionary computer user. From the cognitive psychology literature, various principles can be applied to the interface design to improve learning and recall. These principles can be used by interface designers to improve the usability of the human-computer interface. Models of human-computer interaction have been devised by other researchers. However, to date there has been little available in the way of satisfactory methodologies or tools to allow designers to measure practically how an interface implementation performs with respect to both learnability and subsequent recall. This thesis develops a framework for testing human-computer interface learning. The framework differs from previous attempts in that it defines a new criteria for quantifying human-computer learning and recall, as well as providing a simple and effective tool for use by designers to determine such learnability metrics during the design process. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of the framework, it is used to experimentally test an original prototype interface design which attempts to improve human learning speed and memory retention using elaborative learning techniques and the "generation effect". The framework was able to measure significant differences between interfaces with respect to recall performance, and has demonstrated its utility as a contribution to the field of interface usability evaluation.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Family businesses represent a key economical asset in the global economy. Leaders of family businesses have implemented internationalization as a key strategy to enhance sustainability and increase profitability in a hypercompetitive global marketplace. Guided by the Uppsala model, the purpose of this case study was to explore how Saudi family business leaders have planned and implemented internationalization. Three leaders from different international Saudi family businesses participated in semistructured interviews. The participants described their experience in achieving successful internationalization for their family businesses. After analyzing the interview data and validating through member checking, 3 main themes emerged: (a) the characteristics of the family business to compete internationally, (b) the characteristics of a suitable international market for family businesses to internationalize, and (c) the characteristics of a successful internationalization opportunity for a Saudi family business. In order to internationalize, Saudi family business leaders identified having a proper strategy, financial capability, qualified resources, well-structured policies, and globally-standardized products or services. Family business leaders should target the international market that is stable, that is secure with regulations, and that is welcoming to foreign investments. Each internationalization opportunity should have close psychic distance, available relationships in the international market, targeted family business motives, demonstrated existing market demand with the ability to satisfy, and proper timing. The findings may promote social change in Saudi family businesses by identifying essential characteristics to maintain the companies' existence and offer a roadmap to compete internationally.

Protection of personal information has become a critical issue in the digital world. Many companies and service provider websites have adopted privacy policies and practices to protect users’ personal information to some extent. In addition, various governments are adopting privacy protection legislation. System developers, service providers, and interface designers play an important role in determining how to make systems fulfill legal requirements and satisfy users. The human factor requirements for effective privacy interface design can be categorized into four groups: (1) comprehension, (2) consciousness, (3) control, and (4) consent (Patrick & Kenny, 2003). Moreover, the type of technology that people are engaged with has a crucial role in determining what type of practices should be adopted. As Weiser (1996) envisioned, we are now in an “ubiquitous computing” (Ubicomp) era in which technologies such as digital tabletops (what Weiser called LiveBoards) are emerging for use in public settings. The collaborative and open nature of this type of smart device introduces new privacy threats that have not yet been thoroughly investigated and as a result have not been addressed in companies’ and governmental privacy statements and legislation. In this thesis, I provide an analytical description of the privacy threats unique to tabletop display environments. I then present several design suggestions for a tabletop display interface that addresses and mitigates these threats, followed by a qualitative evaluation of these designs based on Patrick and Kenny’s (2003) model. Results show that most participants have often experienced being shoulder-surfed or had privacy issues when sharing information with someone in a collaborative environment. Therefore, they found most of the techniques designed in this thesis helpful in providing information privacy for them when they are engaged with online social activities on digital tabletops in public settings. Among all of the proposed tested designs, the first three have proven to be effective in providing the required privacy. However, designs 4 and 5 had some shortfalls that made them less helpful for participants. The main problem with these two designs was that participants had difficulty understanding what they had to do in order to complete the given tasks.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors involved in successful second-generation legacy perpetuation in independent insurance agencies. This study examined the role of parent and child throughout the process in an effort to thwart the current high failure rates. This research aims to promote healthy business activity, improve success and sustainability, and add positive social stewardship in communities. Education and preparation of successor, timing of transition, financial considerations, and processes of succession were addressed. Two frameworks guided this study: Bertalanffy's systems theory and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy. Nonrandom, purposeful samples of 3 profitable, second-generation agency owners of 10 years or more in Pennsylvania provided information rich, in-depth interviews. Interviews were transcribed for patterns and cross-case analysis helped reveal commonalities. Themes identified suggested that successful agencies hired professional consultants. A key finding was having a written plans detailing payoff considerations. The primary recommendation from the study is to hire a professional to guide the process. This study has implications for positive social change as it contributes to the education of legacy-perpetuated transition and prevention of failure. Helping to keep family businesses thriving can, in turn, promote positive social change within communities.

Organizations need to constantly innovate to be relevant in a highly competitive market. Intrapreneurship, defined as entrepreneurship within the organization, is one method to bring about this constant innovation. The purpose of this study was to explore intrapreneurship, through a multiple case study, to gain a better understanding of which business strategies can foster successful intrapreneurship initiatives. The theories of Pinchot and Porter on intrapreneurship and organizational competitiveness formed the theoretical lens for this study. The sample for this study consisted of 5 business leaders in Atlanta, Georgia who had demonstrated intrapreneurship in their organization by encouraging their employees to pursue this method of innovation. Interviews took place with the leaders, and their collected narratives were analyzed for recurring themes. Additional pertinent financial data analysis was included for triangulation purposes. Emergent themes included the need for transformational leadership, the need for innovation at all levels of the organization, acceptance of failure and risk, facilitating empowerment, the beneficial link between intrapreneurship and operations management, recognition and rewards for employees expressing their creativity, company culture versus multicultural employees, and the need for creativity and competitiveness. These findings could bring about social change for employees through employee engagement and self-satisfaction. Employees have an opportunity to express their creativity through intrapreneurship initiatives.

Lack of employee engagement in the workplace is one of the leading causes of lost productivity in the United States, estimated to cost organizations between $450 to $550 billion per year. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that some business managers in the chemical industry use to engage employees and increase productivity. The population for the study consisted of 5 small chemical business managers of a chemical company in the northeastern United States that demonstrated success in engaging employees. The conceptual framework for the study was social exchange theory. Data were collected from small business managers via semistructured interviews detailing participants' strategies in engaging employees in the workplace and from company physical artifacts such as website, posters, bulletins, and signage. The collected data were transcribed, and member checking was completed to validate the credibility and trustworthiness. Yin's 5-step data analysis process for a case study and the main words in context analysis were used to analyze data. Three themes discovered in the study were: leadership support, effective communication, and recognition and reward. The findings from this study revealed that chemical business managers used strategies to influence employee engagement in the workplace. The impact of positive social change includes providing insights for managers on strategy implementation for employee engagement in the workplace to increase organizational productivity and stability, which could lead to a healthy economy in the community and employees contributing positively to communities and supporting their families.

The public sector is the largest employer that requires a background check. When African-American male ex-offenders return to their communities, they are often unable to find work in local government because of their criminal record. The central research question for this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of African-American male ex-offenders regarding their employability in the local government sector. Guided by Sampson and Laub's life course perspective theory, a purposeful sample of 5 African-American male ex-offenders who applied for work or who currently work for local government entities in the state of Georgia was selected for this study. A three-interview approach was employed to include life history, details of experience, and reflection on the meaning of experiences. The Van Kaam method of analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Eleven central themes emerged that included the importance of employment, limited knowledge of employment, background and hiring process, stigma of a criminal record, lack of available resources, attitudes and biases of hiring managers, good support system, and limited opportunity for a second chance. It is recommended that local government agency officials use positions classified as 'hard to fill' as training opportunities in an apprenticeship program to help ex-offenders learn new skills to help them secure employment. The findings and recommendations have implications for positive social change in local government agencies. Local government entities may modify organizational policy and practices including recruitment strategies that eliminate discrimination against African-American ex-offenders to help improve their quality of life and become contributing citizens within the community.

The problem addressed in the study was that Georgia's economic development leadership faced obstacles that challenged the state's growth in attracting new business and developing existing business. The purpose of this case study was to explore the obstacles encountered by a specific agency to attract businesses to generate economic growth. Accessing obstacles that hinder leaders to promote the state of Georgia growth is pertinent, including exploring where the system may be constrained. The theory of constraints guided this study to investigate what obstacles state leaders face in economic development. An embedded case study was conducted using purposeful sampling to select 11 participants for interviews, including managers, directors, and a deputy commissioner from a state agency in Atlanta with significant experience in attracting and maintaining businesses for growth. Inductive coding using Attride-Stirling, Braun and Clark's 6-step approach resulted in 4 themes. Themes that emerged as findings were: low quality education, time delays deterred corporations to locate to Georgia, perception of limited public transportation and affiliated crime, and infrastructure and accessibility dilemmas. The implications for positive social change included needed improvements to education, elimination of traffic barriers, expansion of public transportation, and development of infrastructure to benefit and enhance a better life for Georgia residents.