<p> Women make up less than 5% of the highest levels of organizations in the United States (Branson, Chen, &amp; Redenbaugh, 2013; Zarya, 2016). The current study focuses and builds upon previous research on one significant contributor to the lack of gender parity at the top levels of management: discrimination due to stereotyping (Hoobler et al., 2011; Martell, Parker, Emrich, &amp; Crawford, 1998; Schein, 2001). Furthermore, the current study examines the role of a specific day-to-day interaction on a female subordinate&rsquo;s perceived promotability (i.e., pushing back on a task-related request from her superior). To that end, participants were recruited online, instructed to take on the supervisor role, were assigned to one of three experimental conditions (i.e., acquiescing, negotiating, and refusing), viewed illustrated video clips, and provided their assessments of a female subordinate&rsquo;s promotability. Results indicate that the female subordinate was perceived to be the most promotable when she acquiesced, followed by when she negotiated the task-related request. Refusing the request resulted in the lowest perceptions of promotability. These findings suggest that a female subordinate&rsquo;s perceived promotability is influenced by the extent to which her behavior aligns with the female stereotype.</p><p>

by Tsang Pik Lan. / Thesis submitted in: December 1997. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-99). / Abstract also in Chinese. / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.ii / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vi / ABSTRACT (English) --- p.vii / ABSTRACT (Chinese) --- p.ix / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- Organizational Socialization --- p.3 / Definition: Organizational socialization as a process --- p.3 / Organizational socialization studies - The stage approach --- p.5 / Organizational socialization studies - The contextual approach --- p.8 / Outcomes of organizational socialization --- p.15 / Conclusion --- p.15 / Chapter III. --- Proactive information seeking behaviour in organizational socialization --- p.18 / Individual factors affecting the information seeking behaviours --- p.18 / Types of information --- p.22 / Sources of information --- p.23 / Forms of information seeking --- p.23 / Past studies in proactive information seeking behaviours --- p.25 / Conclusion --- p.30 / Chapter IV. --- Personality dimensions and proactive information seeking behaviours --- p.33 / Research in personality --- p.33 / Five-factor model (FFM) in personality --- p.36 / FFM as personality measures --- p.39 / FFM and proactive information seeking behaviours --- p.42 / Conclusion --- p.46 / Chapter V. --- Research framework and hypotheses --- p.48 / Conceptualization for the proactive information seeking behaviours --- p.48 / Antecedents of proactive information seeking behaviours: Particular personality dimensions --- p.51 / Proactive information seeking and organizational socialization outcomes --- p.56 / Pilot study --- p.60 / Chapter VI. --- Methods and results --- p.65 / Samples --- p.65 / Measures --- p.67 / Data Collection --- p.69 / Statistical Analysis --- p.69 / Descriptive Statistics of the two samples --- p.70 / Dimensionality of the proactive information seeking behaviours scale --- p.71 / The measurement model and proposed relationships --- p.72 / Conclusion --- p.72 / Chapter VII. --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.74 / Conceptual implications --- p.74 / Managerial implications --- p.82 / Directions for future research --- p.83 / Conclusion --- p.87 / REFERENCES --- p.90

<p> The cooperative industry plays a significant role in the delivery of electricity and new technology to rural America. The impact of rural electric cooperatives on the American economy is significant through the employment of 72,000 workers and returning $800 million in margins to members annually. The absence of literature regarding performance management among rural electric cooperatives in the United States is evident. This quantitative study examined three aspects of performance management and whether or not they enhance the financial performance of a rural electric cooperative and reduce employee turnover. The sample included the entire National Rural Electric Cooperative Association&rsquo;s (NRECA) entire database of 831 rural electric cooperatives across America. Data from this sample revealed a surprisingly significant relationship between performance evaluations and increased employee turnover. Data analysis revealed no significant findings between the performance management system and pre-employment selection measures and financial performance. Research showing an increase in employee turnover related to employee evaluations among cooperatives may play a role in the decision to implement an employee evaluation process or not.</p><p>

<p> This phenomenological study seeks to explore the lived experiences that have led Millennials through a meaning-making process to discover their callings. The primary research question framing this study addresses what the relationship is between Millennials&rsquo; meaning-making process and the discovery of their calling. Secondary questions address how Millennials who have found their calling define and conceptualize the concept and sources of calling, what the lived experiences are that have led Millennials to discover their calling, and how Millennials make meaning of the experiences and influences that have led them to discover their calling. </p><p> Perceiving and living a calling is associated with various life and work outcomes such as life satisfaction/meaning, job satisfaction, and meaningful work. However, little is known about how callings develop. Furthermore, there remain conflicting views on the conceptualization and source of calling. In addition, the existing research on calling is focused primarily on previous generations, university students, and individuals of religious-based backgrounds. It is important for researchers and practitioners to understand how members of the Millennial generation develop a calling, because this generation is currently in the workforce and is reported to be the biggest U.S. generation yet. While there is significant research on the career expectations of Millennials and how they value meaning in their work, there is little known about what experiences lead them to develop their callings and how they make meaning of those experiences to discern their callings. Thus, this study extends the body of research beyond these groups to Millennials who are currently in the workforce and living their callings in order to ensure that their perspectives and experiences of calling are incorporated into the literature. </p><p> Eight Millennials who are currently living their calling were selected for participation in this interview-based study. The findings of the study are presented within the following three main themes: the conceptualization of calling, the lived experiences in developing a calling, and the meaning-making process as it pertains to developing a calling. Bases on these findings, conclusions were developed and implications and recommendations are suggested.</p><p>

<p> This study examines the relationship between the Enneagram profile of a lead pastor and the size of congregation. This study is motivated by the research question, &ldquo;Do lead pastors of Protestant megachurches in the United States tend to share commonalities in their Enneagram personality types?&rdquo; Previous research indicates that personality plays a role in the impact of a pastor, but to date, no systematic investigation has explored the connection between the Enneagram profile of the leader and the size of the congregation. Using a sample of 58 megachurch pastors and 56 non-megachurch pastors, the Enneagram type of each pastor was obtained through the Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales (WEPSS) inventory. The findings from the research indicate a significant relationship between Enneagram Type 3s (Achievers) and 8s (Challengers) as a common profile of the megachurch pastor (in 79% of the cases). The findings offer insights into potential benefits of self-discovery the Enneagram can provide pastors based on the unique roles of their leadership style. While these results do not speak to the quality of leadership in these pastors, or suggest a pastor is better suited for a church based on a personality style, these results may prompt further inquiry into the pastoral selection process to determine if the current structure favors a certain personality. Keywords: pastoral leadership, Enneagram, megachurch, personality profile, church size</p><p>

<p> This research study examined the relationship between entrepreneurial bricolage and environmental dynamism, contributing to the knowledge base of the resource-based theory. Specifically, this study examined the influence perceived environmental dynamism has on entrepreneurial bricolage while controlling for the firm&rsquo;s annual revenue, number of employees, age, industry and business experience, and educational level. Prior research has identified firms with higher levels of entrepreneurial bricolage overcome resource limitations through innovation, a primary component of competitive advantage. Prior research has also identified firms that function efficiently in rapidly changing environments demonstrate stronger dynamic capabilities and higher levels of innovation. In addition, previous research has identified entrepreneurial bricolage and environmental dynamism, separately, positively impact innovation; however, no identified research has examined these constructs together within the parameters of this research study. This research study utilized multiple linear regression to analyze the data used to test the hypotheses related to the research questions. The primary research question examined in this study was to what extent does Environmental Dynamism Index (IV) explain variations in the Entrepreneurial Bricolage Index (DV), controlling for Annual Revenue (CV), Number of Employees (CV), Firm Age (CV), Industry Experience (CV), Business Experience (CV), and Education Level (CV). The population for this study included businesses located in the United States in the business services sector (SIC 73) with fewer than 100 employees and annual revenue below $5 million. Results identified perceived environmental dynamism was a statistically significant predictor of entrepreneurial bricolage; no statistically significant relationship was identified between all control variables (annual revenue, number of employees, firm age, business experience, and education level) and entrepreneurial bricolage. Findings of this study suggested that firms operating in environments of greater perceived environmental dynamism demonstrated greater use of entrepreneurial bricolage. This research study was limited in population and did not include all constructs of the Environmental Dynamism Scale; further research is recommended examining the relationship between environmental dynamism and entrepreneurial bricolage in various industries and cultures. In addition, future research is recommended examining these constructs using all constructs included in the Environmental Dynamism Scale.</p><p>

As organizations continue to experience external pressures and uncertainties regarding their future viability, they are increasingly choosing to engage in some form of inter-organizational restructuring in order to survive (Burke, 2011; Campbell, 2009; Kohm & La Piana, 2003). Mergers, the combination of two separate organizations into a single new entity, are occurring more often, especially in the non-profit sector. A merger represents a radical, transformational change for each of the organizations involved and success requires careful planning and implementation, a significant amount of time and energy, and attention to the profound loss and emotional reactions experienced by organization members. The use of teams within organizations to address these requirements and accomplish the merger implementation has been recommended by organizational scholars (Marks & Mirvis, 2001), but the conditions necessary for teams to be successful in this type of situation are not clear. However, it is expected that the composition of merger teams and the ability of the leader to create conditions that support the team members and their work together are critical to the success of a merger as a radical change strategy. Based on adaption-innovation theory (Kirton, 1976) and the ability- based theory of emotional intelligence (Mayer, Salovey & Caruso, 1991), this study proposed that teams that are heterogeneous and innovative with respect to cognitive style will be most successful in accomplishing a merger implementation and that the emotional intelligence of the team leader has a direct effect on the team's success. Using data collected from 26 parish merger teams in a large Catholic diocese, support was found for hypotheses relating to the composition of the team with respect to cognitive style, but not for hypotheses related to leader emotional intelligence. Results of regression analyses testing the predicted relationships confirmed that teams that were more diverse and innovative were more effective in accomplishing a merger implementation; however, the predictions related to leader emotional intelligence were not supported. In contrast, analysis of qualitative data provided support for the critical influence of the team leader, specifically with respect to relationship-oriented leader behavior and its effect on team work processes and outcomes. Implications for the use of teams to accomplish mergers as well as future research are discussed.

Globalizing is a key dynamic that is both impacting and reshaping the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. Evolving with the twentieth century technological advances such as information technology, AEC firms are now capable of collaborating in a dispersed manner both on the projects and among participants. Because of the global outlook of firms, particularly to remain competitive and to reach new markets, project network participants, are becoming increasingly multi-cultural and multi-lingual. This participant diversity, both individually and organizationally, can lead to boundary formation. Though past research has explored the boundary spanning capabilities within organizations, little is known about the roles and impacts of boundary spanning, both as individuals and as objects, in global project networks. I investigate global project networks in order to assess the emergence, roles and impacts of various boundary spanning capabilities using both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Data was collected from three different global project networks: 1) two project networks collaborating face-to-face, one was comprised of Indians and Americans, the other was identical but also contained an Indian national who had studied and worked in the U.S.; 2) an experimental setting comparing multi-cultural, cultural-boundary spanned and mono-cultural project networks; and 3) three days of design review meetings within a project network of U.S. and Indian engineers. Firstly, network analysis and grounded theory are applied in order to observe the emergence and role of cultural boundary spanners. In the second, quantitative statistical analysis is applied in order to observe the impact of cultural boundary spanners on performance. Finally in the third, network analysis and grounded theory is used to observe the role of boundary objects in negotiating knowledge. The findings have significant implications in improving the effectiveness of global project network collaborations.

This study examined the impact of two interventions on goal attainment: Goal attainment scaling (GAS) and coaching. Participants identified a goal they were motivated to pursue over the course of approximately 4 weeks. Half the participants received coaching to support their goal attainment and half did not, while all participants were randomly assigned to either a GAS or No-GAS condition. GAS is an interview technique in which the researcher (1) discusses how the goal articulated connects to the participant's "big picture" objective and (2) identifies potential "micro" outcomes that are specific and behavioral. GAS is a recognized outcome assessment technique originally created for the mental health field (Kiresuk & Sherman, 1968) but has been applied in numerous contexts over the past forty two years, including educational settings (Schlosser, 2004). It has been suggested that the technique may facilitate the goal attainment of participants, and recently that GAS may work well with coaching (Spence, 2007). This study was the first to examine the intersection of the two techniques' influence on goal attainment. Results indicate that the effectiveness of the interventions depended on the type of goal articulated by participants (career versus personal), whether it was a "big picture" or "micro" goal, and the degree of conscientiousness of participants.

This dissertation investigates the efforts of a temporary organization, or a project, to assemble a set of diverse stakeholders to deliberate and chart a territorial plan for the Black Sea coastal region in Bulgaria. The project lasted two years and tried to apply the integrated method of regional planning developed in the area around the port of Rotterdam. It was led by a Dutch consultant and a team of Dutch and Bulgarian environmental experts. The main question the dissertation addresses is how a temporary organization operates in an environment that provides little support for its actions. All new organizations, but temporary ones in particular, have a high risk of failure due to limited time to set roles for their members, establish trust among them, and build a common identity. Temporary organizations have been shown to rely on role structures, identities, and sources of trust outside of the organization itself. Project ecologies comprised of personal and organizational ties built around industries and geographical areas facilitate their work. Usually the existence of such ecologies is assumed in research on organizations. There are few studies addressing the question how such ecologies might come into being or how an organization that lacks the support of ecologies might try to survive. Following one such case, this dissertation details the turning points in the project's strategy as its leader consecutively attempted to play the role of facilitator, recruiter, and finally, supporter of other organizations. In the process, he abandoned the associational governance model which relies on assembling "the public" through representative organizations. Instead, connections were made and mutual support was extended to organizations on the periphery - small entrepreneurial NGOs and municipalities lacking many investment opportunities. In this sense, the project leader acted as an institutional entrepreneur trying to carve institutional space for this and other similar projects and organizations. He tried to employ coalition building tactics based on common goals and current opportunities for exchange. The project's connection to previous similar projects even if they are in a geographically different region, as well as its efforts to link itself to ongoing and future similar projects, is what we call a projective path. It is through its temporal embeddedness in this chain of previous and future projects that a temporary organization can hope to achieve results and survive the slow and difficult process of organizing.