<p> This exploratory qualitative study was used to explore the perceptions of team leads and team members of globally dispersed virtual matrix cross-functional teams regarding the four constructs of interaction influence team performance as they work together to complete projects. The four constructs of interaction &ndash; technology, communication, trust, and understanding cultural diversity formed the basis for the research question and a series of interview questions that sought responses from globally dispersed virtual team leads and team members from around the world. Participants in this study came from Australia, Brazil, China, England, Greece, India, Ireland, Poland, Thailand, and the United States. The participants also represented individuals working in Information Technology, Sourcing, Consulting, Retail, Manufacturing, and a Religious organization who provided their perspective on their teams&rsquo; interactions. Using the responses from this cross-section of individuals from countries and industries the researcher found that the four constructs of interaction, when used correctly, are perceived to improve the performance of globally dispersed virtual teams. The strength of themes reported by team members through the interview process showed that the participants thought the four constructs improved team interaction. This study allowed the extension of a branch of non-goal organizational theory to include team level interactions to the performance of a globally dispersed virtual team.</p>

<p>This is a case study of the planning and building of a new IT education facility when thedepartment of Media Technologymoved its operation to Flemingsberg and the main campus, due tothe termination of Campus Haninge at Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden. The study isbased on a case study an on administrative material from the process such as emailscorrespondences, policy documents, contact reports etc. The material is analysed using qualitativecontent analysis and the different observations done are distilled into four recommendations,aimed at being able to contribute to a improved process in similar future situations, whereverneeded.</p>

This is a case study of the planning and building of a new IT education facility when thedepartment of Media Technologymoved its operation to Flemingsberg and the main campus, due tothe termination of Campus Haninge at Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden. The study isbased on a case study an on administrative material from the process such as emailscorrespondences, policy documents, contact reports etc. The material is analysed using qualitativecontent analysis and the different observations done are distilled into four recommendations,aimed at being able to contribute to a improved process in similar future situations, whereverneeded.

Thesis (M.S.)--Central Connecticut State University, 2000. / Thesis advisor: Elizabeth Aaronsohn. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Teacher Education." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-46).

<p> This research examines the relationship of leadership styles to career success using the Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). The objective of this research was to identify how the selection and practice of appropriate project leadership styles benefited the leader based on five assessed success criteria. Participants include 159 students from a Midwestern University in leadership programs with leadership experience. Transformational leaders were identified as being more beneficial to leaders as supported through the comparison of MLQ results to career success factors. Statistical significance in transformational leaders found a stronger preference to each of the five assessed success factors when compared to transactional or passive-avoidant leaders. Of worthy discussion is the instrument&rsquo;s standard utilization of parametric data treatment in the presentation of medians and p-values. Results using medians verses means to determine data relationships found a stronger preference when comparing transactional leadership to each success factor when compared to transformational or passive-avoidant leaders. </p>

<p> Elite US-Sino joint education ventures in the People&rsquo;s Republic of China (PRC) have brought together diverse stakeholders to create a learning environment that supports innovation in the context of China&rsquo;s transformation to a service-based economy. These diverse stakeholders include: university administration, faculty, and students; government agencies; and industry. Theories of strategical alliances are useful in understanding how these stakeholders interact and influence these institutions during their establishment. Important insights can be learned about how to build successful cross-border education partnerships in a complex social environment.</p><p> Three descriptive case studies were conducted through in-depth interviews, site visits, and official documentation. The first case is the Hopkins-Nanjing Center at Nanjing University&mdash;the first US-Sino venture established in 1986. The second case is Duke Kunshan University, and the third case is the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University, heralded as the Rhodes Scholarship of China.</p>

<p> Lean manufacturing was first introduced in the United States in Womack&rsquo;s 1990 book, <i>The machine that changed the world</i>. This 10-year study was published in response to an increase in global manufacturing competition and the demand for American manufacturing companies to increase efficiency and quality while removing process wastes as seen in sustainable continuous improvement environments. Despite widespread interest and research supporting the obstacles senior managers face when implementing lean processes, there is little understanding of how organization development (OD) and change theories relate directly to lean implementation. This qualitative case study mapped out key organizational players&rsquo; conceptions of lean manufacturing and how they implemented the lean management system into an organization by comparing their mental models to OD change management models and Lean management models. The researcher interviewed and observed senior managers and production employees involved with implementing lean management system within one manufacturing organization. The primary purpose was to identify if and how senior managers&rsquo;, lean consultants&rsquo;, and other designated change agents&rsquo; inherent mental models align with existing OD theories and determine if an understanding in organizational development (OD) theory is necessary for the success of lean implementation. Data collected from interviews, production documentation review, and personal observations revealed senior management did not fully understand OD principles and as a result the lean implementation was short lived. These findings will help future organizations who choose to pursue such implementations to understand the importance of OD and change models prior to executing a lean cultural transformation.</p>

<p> Employee retention in the Canadian gaming/casino industry is an important consideration that allows organizations to maintain stability in a highly competitive hospitality environment. The purpose of this quantitative research was to determine if there was a relationship between employability skills, in the form of customer service aptitude and essential skills numeracy, and employee retention in the gaming/casino industry. The literature review supports the notion that hiring people with the correct person-job fit (P-J fit) has a high probability of retention (Edwards 1991). The current study looked at 298 employees hired by Manitoba Lotteries casinos (data supplied by Manitoba Lotteries Corporation) and applied bivariate analyses and a binary logistic regression analysis to identify if the customer service aptitude and numeracy assessments are useful tools in predicting employee retention in the gaming/casino industry. This approach encompassed information that identified customer service and numeracy/math skills as being critical to the successful performance of duties for a large number of gaming/casino employee positions. The results of the analysis were unable to provide evidence that high levels of customer service aptitude and numeracy/math assessment results significantly contributed to short term employee retention. However, significant relationships were identified between casino department and retention and between gender and numeracy scores. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed.</p>

<p> Organization Development (OD) has been used in a variety of ways to improve organizations both large and small. Interestingly, the institutions that teach and conduct research on organizations have been slow to adopt or utilize OD approaches and practices in their own institutions. This dissertation will use a thematic meta-synthesis approach to examine the case studies that have been conducted in which OD initiatives have been used in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) between 2000 and 2015. It will look to synthesize the main themes of these case studies in an effort to create a new grounded theory of OD practice for HEIs. The study looked at 34 case studies (12 articles and 22 dissertations) that took place at a mixture of public and private universities and colleges in the United States from 2000 to 2015. Using a qualitative thematic meta-synthesis approach allowed the research to uncover the prevailing themes and discuss in a macro sense how OD has been applied to HEIs.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 341-353).