During the first decade of the 21st Century, U.S. college enrollment rates increased, public funding fell by 30%, oversight structures changed, and funding algorithms switched to outcome-based metrics such as retention, progression, and graduation rates. Drawing from Vroom's expectancy theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to provide decision makers with information about the factors associated with an implemented strategic initiative at a Connecticut community college. The research question addressed the correlation between the strategic initiative, retention, and organizational financial sustainability using hierarchical, binary regression analysis of archival data for 2,558 first-time full-time students at a Connecticut community college. Hosmer and Lemeshow testing [Ï?2HL(8, N = 2558) = 2.964, p = 0.937] indicated that a relationship existed between completion of the initiative, grades, and retention while controlling for student demographic variables. Overlapping 95% CIs for participant and nonparticipant retention probabilities demonstrated that the participants and nonparticipants might have similar retention behavior. Educational business leaders may benefit from these findings by reevaluating the design, implementation, and assessment of the strategic initiative, eliminating conflicting initiative goals, and researching additional student attributes or environmental factors that correlate with student retention leading to improved institutional financial sustainability. The implications for social change include growing students' human capital to enhance the community's social welfare.

Slumping world aluminum prices have energized some aluminum producers to institute strategies to reduce product costs. This multiple comparative case study explored the strategies used by 4 aluminum producers in Western Europe: 2 companies that have successfully reduced production costs and 2 companies that have not. Wicksteed's economic theory of production and production costs was the conceptual framework for this research. Data from the companies' strategic and industry reports and from interviews with 32 senior managers were analyzed using pattern finding and clustering, a recursive approach to data gathering and analysis established by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana. Six themes emerged: (a) upstream integration, (b) energy and price efficiency, (c) carbon-manufacturing capability, (d) operational excellence and productivity, (e) technological and research developmental abilities, and (f) circular economy. The analysis of these themes indicated that the most significant opportunities for productivity improvement include (a) minimizing energy and material use, specifically alumina, cathodes, and carbon, (b) vertically integrating alumina production, (c) developing an efficient circular economic model that integrates the material properties to expand the recyclability of waste, and (d) increasing the electrolytic cell life cycle. Overall, vertical integration provides a competitive advantage and gives the producer ability to control costs. In-house carbon manufacturing capacity reduces a smelter's operating cost. Technological capabilities can minimize energy and material consumption rates. Increased productivity and reduced energy and material use can yield positive social changes, such as the preservation of natural resources, reduced emissions, and waste.

Numerous internal and external factors drive decisions to undertake organizational restructuring; according to senior management, restructuring is part of a strategic change. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory, case study was to examine the effects of organizational restructuring on university employees' behavior towards restructuring and change in the effectiveness of the institution. The conceptual framework drew on the social change theory, a primary triad model, and a congruence model for organization problems to frame the guiding questions: how does restructuring impact employees' motivation and acceptance of change and how does the employees' acceptance of change affect the institution's effectiveness? From a purposeful sample of 130 employees at a small land grant university who had experienced 2, 3, or 4 recent restructurings, 66 respondents answer the open-ended survey. The data also included historical documents and interviews with 6 employees. All data were coded and categorized. Four themes emerged. Employees were reluctant to embrace the change; employees not satisfied with the communication process; employees experienced low motivation, attitude change, and dwindling morale; and employees perceived that there were no significant changes in the effectiveness of the institution. These findings indicate that management should devise practical means by which to communicate, receive feedback, and encourage input from the employees. Cultivating a better understanding of the challenges of the restructuring process by management, can create an atmosphere whereby employees can see themselves involved in the change process as implications for social change.

Efforts in the marketing sciences can be distinguished between the analysis of individual customers and the examination of portfolios of customers, giving scarce theoretical guidance concerning the strategic allocation of promotional investments. Yet, strategic asset allocation is considered in financial economics theory to be the most important set of investment decisions. The problem addressed in this study was the application of strategic asset allocation theory from financial economics to marketing science with the aim of improving the financial results of investment in direct marketing promotions. This research investigated the components of efficient marketing portfolio construction which include multiattribute numerical optimization, stochastic Brownian motion, peer index tracking schemes, and data mining methods to formulate unique investable asset classes. Three outcomes resulted from this study on optimal diversification: (a) reduced saturative promotional activities balancing inefficient advertising cost and enterprise revenue objectives to achieve an investment equilibrium state; (b) the use of utility theory to assist in the lexicographic ordering of goal priorities; and (c) the solution approach to a multiperiod linear goal program with stochastic extensions. A performance test using a large archival set of customer data illustrated the benefits of efficient portfolio construction. The test asset allocation resulted in significantly more reward than that of the benchmark case. The results of this grounded theory study may be of interest to marketing researchers, operations research practitioners, and functional marketing executives. The social change implication is increased efficiency in allocation of large advertising budgets resulting in improved corporate performance.

Small businesses are vital to the health of the United States economy, as they account for approximately 50% of all jobs and 99% of all firms. Historically, there has been a problem with small businesses being able to sustain their operation beyond 10 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the business strategies some small business owners used to sustain their company beyond 10 years of operation. The sample consisted of 3 small business owners who have been in operation for 10 or more years in Birmingham, Alabama. The conceptual framework for this study was the general systems theory. The data were collected from semistructured interviews, profit and loss statements, and cash flow statements. Transcript review and member checking were completed to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness. Based on the methodological triangulation of the data sources collected, 3 emergent themes were identified after completing the 5 stages of data analysis: (a) great customer service, (b) building relationships, and (c) finding your passion. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing insights and strategies for small business owners in creating and operating a sustainable business. The data from this study may contribute to increased job creation, improved local communities through tax revenues, and decreased unemployment rates throughout the United States.

In the United States, more than 50% of managers offering services in the manufacturing industry report failed service initiatives. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that manufacturing managers used to sustain their business for longer than 5 years. The population consisted of 3 manufacturing organization managers offering business services to support petroleum and coal companies who have sustained their business operations in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States for longer than 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and organization documents were analyzed through the perspective of the strategic service innovation theory conceptual framework. Yin's 5-step process for data analysis: compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding was used to identify multiple themes through data saturation. Multiple themes emerged from data analysis, including service innovation strategies such as strategic innovation and competitive advantage, customer-focus strategies including customer's needs and providing solutions, resource strategies consisting of internal resources and knowledge resources, and external network strategies including external market and relationships. Managers in the manufacturing industry can use the findings of this study to improve business practices by implementing strategies to offer services through service innovation processes, developing customer focus, considering resources, and leveraging external networks. The findings of this study may be used to affect positive social change to improve socioeconomic conditions by increasing employment opportunities for residents of communities with petroleum and coal manufacturing companies in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

Some managers tend to resist virtual work and find it challenging to manage the productivity of subordinates working virtually. This phenomenological study examined managers' perceptions of subordinate productivity in virtual work arrangements. Adaptive structuration theory and McGregor's X and Y theory guided this study. The primary research questions focused on the managers' perceptions of worker productivity in virtual work arrangements and the related challenges. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 40 business managers responsible for overseeing the productivity of virtual workers. The study was conducted in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Utilizing the Stevick'Colaizzi'Keen method of data analysis, 3 primary themes emerged: (a) subordinate productivity was not negatively affected by the use of virtual work arrangements, (b) virtual work arrangements posed challenges for managers responsible for overseeing virtual worker productivity with the lack of face'to'face interaction identified as the most significant, and (c) there was managerial support for the use of virtual work arrangements. Social change implications, given the findings, include an increased awareness of worker productivity in virtual work arrangements, which could lead to increased opportunities for individuals to work in a virtual setting. The increase in virtual work arrangements benefits society by reducing fuel consumption, road congestion, and related pollutants. Organizational leaders can use the findings from the study to develop business strategies to sustain virtual worker productivity and address the related challenges to improve the quality of life for managers of virtual workers.

Change management (CM) and organizational development are mature industries with decades of research and development. Yet, failure rates stated for organizational change initiatives remain high at 70%. This failure rate suggests that 30% of change initiatives were successful, but no reports of these successes were found in the literature. The overarching question considered the experiences of change leaders of successful CM initiatives. The conceptual framework for this research consisted of change models defined by Burke, Kotter, Schein, and others. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the strategies used by successful change leaders. 10 phone interviews with senior employee change leaders in education, pharmaceuticals, and industrial manufacturing companies across the United States provided the data for this empirical phenomenological study. Data were collected using open, conversational interviews. A modified van Kaam method was used to analyze the data. The most important themes identified were collaborative leadership and open communication. The results indicated how these strategies were used without relying on the literature to guide them. Leaders relied on intuition and independently, aligned to aspects suggested by the framework authors, but differed in their applications. Using the results of this study may improve the implementation of change projects and success rates, thus reducing organizational costs and improving organizational performance. This may have a positive social change effect on the surrounding community, as project successes may lead to reduced employee job losses and reduced concomitant job losses and the associated economic decline.

Current research identifies effective leadership communication, which includes frequent direct conversational communication from company leaders, influences worker performance during organizational change. Social media, mobile technology, and the Millennial workforce have shifted leader communication style from purely top-down, town hall style communication to incorporate more collaborative and engaging forums. The case study addressed how globalization, social media, and mobile technology affects leadership communication and then subsequently effects worker performance as Millennials join the workforce. Qualitative data were collected from observations and interviews from a purposeful selection of 9 Millennial employees, including 2 Millennial leaders, and 8 non-Millennial leaders of a Fortune 100 company. The data were focused on leadership communication during the leaders' implementation of key company and organizational structural changes, which centered on the company's U.S. Location Strategy program. Data analysis involved the identification of themes relating to current leadership communication trends that included recognition that globalization requires updated technology and tools along with communication of best practices. Encouraging employees to share these tools and resources trend improvement in company performance. These findings contribute to social change by producing information about how globalization, Millennials, social media, and mobile technology use influenced leadership communication and effectiveness. The adaption and use of newer technology has influenced leadership communication effectiveness. Company leaders could use this information to implement changes that help employees communicate better within their workforce.

U.S. Coast Guard leaders have received feedback concerning gaps in performance management of the Marine Inspection Program (MIP) from maritime industry stakeholders, Department of Homeland Security representatives, and internal agents over the past decade. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies to improve performance in the U.S. Coast Guard MIP. Data were gathered through a review of documentation pertinent to marine inspection (i.e., policy, requirements, analyses, reports, and job aids) and 13 semistructured interviews with personnel from 3 distinct organizational levels. Study participants represented civilian and active duty personnel from all geographical U.S. Coast Guard districts, as well as tactical, strategic, and policy levels of the MIP. The conceptual framework of the study was Fusch and Gillespie's human competence model. Data analysis was based on coding of words, phrases, and sentences from multiple sources of data to identify recurring themes through methodological triangulation. The thematic analysis of the study data revealed themes that included lack of mission clarity, limited information management resources, differences in skills and knowledge management among inspectors, and unclear requirements for selecting a marine inspector. The study framework provided a basis for additional performance management research in government entities. The recommendations from this study may lead to social change through improved U.S. Coast Guard marine inspection services, which could result in greater safety, reduced pollution, and fewer security risks in the navigable waterways of the United States.