<p> The onset or inception of organizational decline has been largely bypassed in management research over the past two decades, even though understanding this fundamental typology is key to mitigating organizational failure, while also providing important insight regarding how managers respond to phenomena that they may neither expect or understand. Understanding how managers observe, decide, and act in times of uncertainty, and how organizational culture and other factors may shape that environment, are important for scholars and practitioners alike to understand. This dissertation argues that corporate decline has largely been misunderstood from the perspective of onset or initiation; that the manager's decision-making process in times of decline must be considered in relation to the actual causes and factors associated with decline, and that the fundamental definition of organizational decline must be revised in light of advances in our understanding in management over the past three decades. This qualitative empirical descriptive study reviews literature regarding organizational decline with emphasis on the onset of decline, presents an equation for understanding a firm's propensity for decline, provides a revised definition of organizational decline, and examines the decision-making process of management when faced with decline based on symbolic interactionism theory.</p>

<p>High levels of unemployment have resulted from the recent economic downturn. Job search related research has been limited with respect to the impact of psychological capacities in relation to job search intensity. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to test the theory of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) that relates PsyCap to preparatory and active job search behaviors. This study focused on active job searchers receiving outplacement services at an international organization for outplacement services. Two research hypotheses were tested: the four subscales of the psychological capital assessment do predict preparatory job search behaviors and the four subscales of the psychological capital assessment do predict active job search behaviors. The findings from an analysis of the results from this study did not provide results that were statistically significant in support of the first hypothesis. The results from the second hypothesis, however, reflected statistical significance in support of the second hypothesis. This study expands the research on positivity as it relates to job search intensity and contributes to the field of Organization and Management by analyzing the impact of PsyCap on job search intensity. The identification of job searchers&rsquo; PsyCap provides an opportunity to expand on the theoretical framework of positive psychology as it relates to the reemployment process. PsyCap is also &ldquo;developable&rdquo; (Luthans &amp; Youssef, 2007), which provides a basis for unemployment consultants in strengthening job searchers&rsquo; overall PsyCap and increasing their intensity levels. This strengthening of job searcher PsyCap should facilitate faster return to employment. </p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative descriptive correlational research study using the Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) survey instrument was to examine to what extent a relationship exists between a project leader&rsquo;s emotional intelligence (EI) and project success (Hay Group, McClelland Center for Research and Innovation &amp; Wolff, 2006). Literature reviewed found a gap existed regarding relationships between emotional intelligence of a project leader and project success. The survey sample consisted of project managers, project leaders, or other project management designation. The survey sample contained 60 respondents self-identified within the project management profession and others providing multi-rater reviews of survey participants. The study, using the ECI, Spearman&rsquo;s correlation, chi-square statistical analysis, and other descriptive statistics was to examine relationships between the independent and dependent variables. Results suggested no correlation between emotional intelligence of project leaders and project success but do suggest emotional intelligence is a factor to consider within project leadership.</p>

<p> Emerging research has shown that, in the last twenty years, dramatic corporate and workforce changes have taken place in terms of when and where work is performed. Telework has emerged as a popular mode of work design, characteristic of a modernizing workforce. As a flexible work arrangement, telework options have been linked with improved work-life balance, feelings of autonomy, and intrinsic satisfaction for employees. However, concerns for employees' lack of presence and distance from the office and how individuals remain connected to the organization and its members continue to surface. More particularly, increasing time being physically away from the organization can impact employees' feelings of becoming invisible, isolated, and less able to identify with the organization. This is noteworthy because a sense of connectedness and feelings of belonging at work have been linked to engagement, productivity, and performance. To date, however, no studies have focused on what happens to individuals' sense of belonging when they engage in high-intensity telework, consistently working from home more than sixty percent of the time. The purpose of this phenomenological study, then, was to describe and understand the essence of the high-intensity teleworkers' experience of organizational belonging. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten individuals who were employed in full-time roles across different organizations, who worked from home at least three days a week, and had been doing so for at least six months. The findings reveal especially unique and important perspectives on the employee-supervisor relationship, how high-intensity teleworkers engage from a distance, and how a sense of belonging is realized. Notions of identity fulfillment surface as central to how organizational belonging is experienced by high-intensity teleworkers. An identity-based definition of organizational belonging is also offered. Recommendations for further research and practical suggestions for organizations employing high-intensity teleworkers are highlighted. </p>

<p> Workplace bullying has affected almost half (47%) of American working adults corresponding to approximately 71.5 million workers who either experienced bullying directly or witnessed it. This resulted in an alarming turnover of 21 to 28 million workers. This qualitative historical study explored, identified, and documented through historical records and documents, the patterns and trends of workplace bullying in organizations, characteristics and types of bullies, and types of mistreatment workplace bullies direct toward intended targets over the past 30 years. The data analysis yielded eight major themes of bullying styles and traits. These consisted of the four bully styles reinforced from the literature review of the snake, gatekeeper, screamer, and nitpicker. Additionally, the three new bully styles of the tyrant, joker, and discriminator, and one outlier bully style of the reverse bully. Themes of leadership skills associated with reducing or eliminating workplace bullying were also identified and analyzed. These themes coincided with the successful leadership traits and attributes of ethical leadership, social responsibility, and encouraging the heart, which led to the development of the GUARDIAN model. The GUARDIAN model presented recommendations to leaders of organization that would limit or prevent workplace bullying, which would provide significant financial savings for organizations because of less human resource issues.</p>

<p> We are facing an unprecedented level of interconnectedness that has engendered a level of complexity that defies our historical reasoning capacity. Building off of the literature on sensemaking, this action research study proposed and investigated a new concept in leadership to respond to the growing complexity: sensecrafting. Sensecrafting refers to deliberate, collective sensemaking, while sensemaking refers to "how [people] construct what they construct, why, and with what effects . . . " (Weick, 1995, p. 4). The study answered the research question: How can individuals develop their capacity for sensecrafting in order to cultivate a more generative relationship with the organizations to which they belong? Employing Herda's hermeneutic participatory research, the study consisted of three, 1-hour conversations with six research participants which were recorded via Skype and transcribed. The purpose of the study was to see how participants employed nine traits of sensecrafting (learning, tolerating ambiguity, discernment, openness, framing, mindfulness, envisioning, action and reflection) in the workplace. Additionally, the study investigated how participants worked with stories to create a generative working environment. In the study, participants worked with a set of 18 cards that presented techniques for enhancing their sensecrafting skills. A thematic analysis of the study found that participants made frequent use of the sensecrafting traits at a personal level, and less frequent use of the traits at a collective level. The findings suggest that participants' possessed a high degree of potential to further develop their skills. Participants' exhibition of the sensecrafting traits generated value both for the individuals in the study and for their organizations. Benefits that accrued to individuals included improved relationships with key personnel and insights into how to cope with changes in the workplace. Implications from the study included the observation that a useful way to work with the sensecrafting traits would be through an instrument that measures participants on each of the dimensions of sensecrafting and that provides feedback to individuals about how they can capitalize on strengths and develop areas of opportunity.</p>

<p> High staff turnover in private group homes decreases organizational stability. There are a large number of developmentally disabled individuals in group homes of the high risk disaster city of New Orleans, indicating the need for stability from high staff turnover indicated by job satisfaction. The problem investigated in this study was the recognized difficulty in maintaining job satisfaction in order to retain staff in group homes of the high risk disaster city of New Orleans. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors contribute to job satisfaction. The variables examined were hours worked per week, years of service, salary, and employee benefits. A quantitative research study was employed to determine what factors significantly contributed to job satisfaction using a multiple regression methodology. The population in this study included direct service workers compiled of caregivers, nurses, and managers within three organizations facilitating group homes in the New Orleans area. From this population of employees the sample size resulted in 163 direct service workers. Questionnaires were used to collect data using Spector&rsquo;s (1985) Job Satisfaction Survey as the instrument. A multiple regression design was used to analyze the factors influencing job satisfaction. Findings in the study determined that employee benefits significantly contributed to job satisfaction wherein hours worked per week, years of service, and salaries were not significant predictors of job satisfaction. Statistically significant results for benefits received resulted in t = 2.99 and p = .003. The results of the study provided insight into high risk disaster area group homes wherein managing staff turnover is specifically difficult.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Nov. 17, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-12, Section: A, page: 4612. Adviser: Alan R. Dennis.

Thèse (D.Ps.)--Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), 2007. / Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 1 février 2007). In ProQuest dissertations and theses. Publié aussi en version papier.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Michael Pratt. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-186) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.