The importance of good communications between team members has been well documented. Yet previous studies on communications between team members have neglected to focus on reasons for information withholding between people working on teams. The purpose of this case study of 16 engineers and 6 educators was to understand why team members withhold information when working together. A convenience sample was selected from a software engineering organization. Collective intelligence theory in a modern communications environment was used as the theoretical foundation. This theory posits that the synergy of full group collaboration results in enhanced performance and the spread of new ideas. The exploratory research questions addressed in this study were designed to understand how employees decide what information to withhold when participating on teams; how withholding information is influenced by critical thinking, creativity, positions on a team, and type of employee; and the effects of information withholding. Collected data from online interviews were transcribed and validated via member checks, coded using open and axial coding, and analyzed. Seven themes were found: insecurity, gate keeping, discrimination, personality, creativity, organizational structure, and team management. The results of this study may provide information that can help managers understand employees' experiences with, reactions to, and opinions about information withholding and provide strategies to create an environment in which team members do not withhold information from each other, thus improving or enhancing positive social change in organizations.

Knowledge loss, or organizational forgetting, is often overlooked in knowledge management frameworks, yet it costs organizations money, personnel, efficiency, and customer service. The purpose of this mixed model case study was to understand, using a model of forgetting as the conceptual framework, where and why loss occurred and to examine performance implications. An inbound telephone contact center was studied because of prolific changes in that industry regarding knowledge complexity and performance. The researcher interviewed 20 participants, observed 63 calls, and reviewed 3 months of performance data including average handle time, first call resolution percentages, and time spent on after call work. Key research questions addressed areas of loss, contributing factors, and operational impacts. Using theme-based coding and chi-square goodness of fit analyses for the qualitative data coupled with descriptive analyses and frequency distributions for the quantitative data, results showed that loss occurred because of attitudinal resistance to change, unlearning, and lack of organizational standards. Average handle time and first call resolution metrics were negatively impacted. Contributing factors included culture, leadership support, and limited follow-through from lessons learned. Recommendations include establishing a formal disposal process to remove outdated knowledge from knowledge management tools and establishing incentives to encourage employees to contribute knowledge, which can lead to higher staff engagement of those tools and improved customer service. The social change significance is that addressing knowledge loss can promote fiscal sustainability and revenue generation, thereby preventing layoffs or organizational closures.

The problem addressed in this study is that little action is taken to create the social aspects and social value of knowledge-sharing culture within organizations. There is a need for increased understanding of the behavioral side of knowledge management. The purpose of this study was to focus on knowledge sharing from a behavioral perspective. Knowledge management is defined as the accumulation, protection, and leverage of knowledge. This research study investigated the relationship between knowledge sharing and competitiveness and approached the field of knowledge management from the organizational, cultural, and behavioral perspectives. The research questions examined how knowledge workers described the parameters and conditions of knowledge sharing, as well as the relationship between knowledge sharing and competitiveness of professional service firms. The overall research design employed three focus groups and individual interviews of a selected professional service firm. Similarity and commonalities of data from interviews were color coded and labeled. Field notes, handouts, and a qualitative research computer program were used to triangulate data. Results of the study generated and established five specific categories. The categories of spiritual essence of business, believability and openness, and ethical responsibility present the mind and spiritual connection to enhance the value of knowledge sharing as a factor for competitiveness. In addition, the categories of whole brain learning and connectivity are context for creating a learning organization. The implications for social change include a clearer understanding of knowledge sharing which can increase organizational competitiveness. The effect of the added competitiveness of professional service firms can result in enhancing economic and social value of their key stakeholders.

Non acceptance of technology may result in serious damages to organizations. For example, non acceptance of simulation technology cost Merrill Lynch Bank over {dollar}50 billion in 2008, while statistics in 2 separate studies showed that non acceptance of technology was responsible for a 57% decrease in performance level for physicians practicing in public tertiary hospitals in Hong Kong, and a 39% decrease in productivity for hotel workers in Seoul, Korea. The problem addressed in this research was non acceptance of simulation technology by project managers. This research investigated the correlation among personal innovativeness, organizational innovativeness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and intention to use simulation techniques by members of the Project Management Institute (PMI). The theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the extended technology acceptance model (TAM) served as the theoretical foundations for the study. In this quantitative, correlational survey study, data were obtained from a random sample of the PMI membership. Simple regression analysis was used to address research questions. Results indicate significant correlations of moderate strength among usefulness, innovativeness, ease of use, and intention to use simulation technology. The study contributes to positive social change by identifying factors that help companies to improve their business processes, generate more profits, create jobs, and make positive contributions to the communities in which they are located.

Two dominant research views addressing disappointing success rates for information technology (IT) projects suggest project success may depend on the presence of a large number of critical success factors or advocate for agile project management as an alternative to traditional practice. However, after two decades of research, success rates remain low, and the role of critical success factors or project management approach remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to use views of experienced project managers to explore the contribution of success factors and management approach to project success. Applying organizational, coordination, and contingency theories, the research questions examined IT project manager perceptions about success factors, how those success factors interrelate, and the role of management approach in project success. A Q methodology mixed method design was used to analyze subjective insights of project managers about the important critical success factors for IT projects. Two critical success factors emerged as important: a sustained commitment from upper management to the project and clear, measurable project goals and objectives. Three composite factors also surfaced representing the importance of people-project interactions, user/client involvement, and traditional project management tasks. The analyses found no broad support for agile project management and could not confirm principles of organizational or coordination theories as critical for project success. However, a contingent relationship might exist between some critical success factors and merits further investigation. Helping the project management community understand IT project success factors could improve project execution and reduce failure rates leading to sizeable savings for project clients.

Previous research on leadership as archetype considered archetype as metaphor and not as it is understood in other literatures as a collectively accepted and defined role within and across cultures. Archetypical theories are posited as useful because they help us understand universal aspects of human behavior; however, empirical research demonstrating archetypical thinking and behavior remains rare. Accordingly, this phenomenological study investigated whether a leadership archetype exists as a shared cognitive template and if so, what characteristics define it. The theoretical framework used to examine the phenomenon of leadership combined leadership theory, philosophy of the mind, Jungian psychology, social constructionist theory, and neuro-linguistic programming. Data were collected in semi-structured interviews from a convenience sample of 10 Midwestern subjects belonging to professional and social organizations and having an expressed interest in leadership. Interviews were coded and sequentially analyzed using a semiotic--phenomenological method that included thematic descriptions, reduction, and interpretation. Results failed to identify an archetypical view of a leader, but identified choice and attribution as key elements in selecting leaders and accepting their leadership. These findings suggested an explanation of leadership as a group consensus that emerges through a dynamic process rather than solely from leader behavior. Implications for positive social change result from the study's contribution toward further understanding of the psychology of leader selection and follower behavior. Given the multiplicity of existing leadership models, the insights gained from this research contribute to the scholarly literature highlighting group-dynamic influences and can lead to improvements in leadership training and leadership development outcomes.

Mergers and acquisitions have historically experienced failure rates from 50% to more than 80%. Successful integration of information technology (IT) systems can be the difference between postmerger success or failure. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the entropy phenomenon during postmerger IT integration. To that end, a purposive sample of 14 midlevel and first-line managers in a manufacturing environment was interviewed to understand how the negative effects of entropy affect the ultimate success of the IT integration process. Using the theoretical framework of the process school of thought, interview data were iteratively examined by using keywords, phrases, and concepts; coded into groups and themes; and analyzed to yield results. The data indicated that negative entropy factors were associated with the postmerger integration process. Participants' perception of loss emerged as a central theme for employees from both sides of the merger. A majority of the participants perceived entropy in terms of loss similar to the loss of a family member. The findings may contribute to social change by providing a framework for merger integration managers to mitigate the negative effects of entropy and facilitate a successful IT integration outcome. Successful mergers increase shareholder value and customer satisfaction, which strengthen the company's financial condition. A financially stable company will be in a better position to provide a positive contribution to the surrounding community, offer stable employment opportunities, and sponsor corporate social responsibility programs.

Dominant firms enjoy economic strengths which enable them to compete effectively in relevant markets through the use of collaborative knowledge management (CKM). While the literature is replete with general guiding principles for companies to adopt successful business strategies, there is very limited empirical research on effectively using CKM to improve company performance and market domination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate strategies for information sharing by companies to achieve better operations management and control, a wider range of customers, and stronger competitive edge in the global economy. Epistemological foundation for the study was provided by the literature on knowledge management and organizational dynamics. Data were collected by an electronically self-administered questionnaire on a convenience sample of 80 employees of three small businesses in Memphis, Tennessee. A quantitative method using Poisson regression was applied to test the hypotheses about relationships between six independent variables of value proposition, culture building, responsibilities, information technology, approaches and assessment and the dependent variable, collaborative knowledge management. Results indicate that value proposition, information technology, and building an organizational culture of responsibilities and best practices play significant roles in effective CKM. Social change implications of the study suggest that high-intensity collaborative knowledge management would produce creative leaders and workers, improved leader-worker collaboration, and more effective use of information technologies in organizational intelligence and decision making.

Disengaged employees cost U.S. companies billions of dollars annually in lowered productivity, a cost which has been compounded by the difficult economic situations in the country. The potential for increasing productivity through increased employee engagement was examined in this study. Using personal engagement theory and the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the experiences of salaried aerospace employees affected productivity and the financial performance of an organization. Interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 20 aerospace employees whose responses were codified and analyzed to identify themes. The analysis indicated that (a) the lived experiences of employees influenced employee engagement, (b) employee engagement affects organizational commitment and performance, and (c) trust and respect and leadership are essential components to keep employees engaged. Eighty percent of the participants indicated that as employee engagement increases so too does organizational performance. The implications for positive social change include new insights for leaders seeking to increase productivity and financial performance, and to support employee engagement for maintaining sustainability, retaining talent, increasing profits, and improving the economy.

As global competition has increased and organizations have become more competitive, a reliance on knowledge workers for innovation, initiative, and commitment is necessary. Having the ability to predict personnel intent to leave (ITL) provides business leaders the opportunity to reduce turnover and retain institutional knowledge. In the current study, a structural equation model was used to examine the degree to which organizational trust and commitment, as correlated variables, predicted ITL. Organizational citizenship behavior, social exchange, and organizational commitment theories formed the theoretical basis for the study. Data were gathered using online surveys from 423 participants at 5 financial institutions located in the southeastern United States. The 3 merged surveys---organizational trust index, affective organizational commitment scale, and intent to leave survey---had strong psychometric properties. Results from the analysis produced a structural equation model and measurement model with strong fit indices that provided a significant means of estimating ITL. These results may have applicability for financial institutions to predict employee turnover (as measured by ITL). Early implementation of interventions by management will improve the retention of key talent through focus on organizational commitment and trust. Such interventions could, in turn, facilitate even broader social change through more open and honest human resource practices that exhibit enhanced concern for employee well-being.