<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> Although researchers have discovered many of the beneficial and positive consequences of employee engagement, little is known about the multitude of antecedent factors that lead to employee engagement. Previous research has demonstrated that an individual&rsquo;s gender is a factor in engagement, and that an employee&rsquo;s racioethnic similarity with a supervisor, job characteristics, and perceived organizational support, are all antecedents of engagement. The present study focused on individual personality, the perceived quality of employees&rsquo; working relationships with their supervisors, and their work roles as either managers or subordinates, to identify whether those variables contribute to employee engagement. This study&rsquo;s survey, administered to 96 respondents in the work force, using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, found that the personality sub-domain of conscientiousness, based on the Big Five model of personality, and the perceived quality of relationship with one&rsquo;s supervisor, based on Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, were positively related to, and predicted employee engagement.</p>

No description available.

<p> In 2012 about 30% of the American workers were engaged at work and 70% of workers were either not engaged or fully disengaged. There have been numerous studies on determining employment factors that create engagement and the organizational benefits received from a highly engaged workforce. It has been shown that companies with highly engaged employees experience many organizational benefits including higher employee productivity, lower attrition, better quality, and superior financial results. However, there has been little research conducted on creating a direct linkage between a specific engagement driver and a specific organizational benefit. The purpose of this study is to identify drivers of engagement that positively impact productivity in highly engaged teams at CHG Healthcare Services. CHG Healthcare Services is a healthcare staffing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 2014, it was estimated that 93% of its 1750 employee were engaged. Quantitative data was collected through a written survey from a random sampling of 98 employees from highly engaged sales and business partner teams. 46 employees completed the survey that asked them to choose the top factors that most positively impacted their individual and team productivity from a list of 23 established engagement drivers. In addition, 9 qualitative focus groups were held with survey participants to gain qualitative understanding into why participant&rsquo;s felt the chosen engagement factors impacted productivity. The findings demonstrated that for employees with over 1 year of experience, 4 engagement drivers made the most meaningful impact on individual and team productivity. These results were similar across all demographic groups reviewed. The engagement drivers most impacting employee productivity were having access to work-life balance, having a positive relationship with their team and leader, having work that is meaningful, and having the authority and autonomy of make decisions affecting their work. The research also showed that one group, first year employees, provided a different set of results. The study demonstrated that first-year employees value employment factors that help support them during the time they are establishing effective relationships in a new environment and building necessary job skills to contribute to the team and company.</p>

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Jobsite management functions and organization structure play an integral role in achieving project goals of safety, quality, target budget and target schedule. Over the past several decades there has been a dramatic change in trends in the construction industry regarding the growth of project size and project complexity. In order to accommodate these changes, jobsite management staffs have had to increase in size of staff, and in the complexity of the organization structure. Varying contracting strategies are believed to influence the size and structure of the site project management team. Traditionally, project staffs have been formed based on staffing experience on previous projects, rather than systematically customizing the staffing process to respond uniquely to the conditions of the project at hand. With larger, more complex, and more expensive projects, there is more at stake, and therefore greater need for an effective jobsite organization that is appropriate for the project characteristics. This thesis will reflect the research of CII Research Team 261: “Optimizing Jobsite Organizations”, addressing the question of how to best staff and structure the organization of the jobsite team in order to effectively respond to the unique project characteristics. / text

The process of restructuring a junior high school into a middle school is the central focus of the study. The study investigated the relationship between junior high school and middle school. It emphasizes that the change process can occur successfully when approached methodically. It was hypothesized that a middle school with a grade configuration of grades 6-8 would be more effective than a junior high school with grades 7-8. The review of the literature incorporated a history of middle level education studies, a review of major reports on middle education and a review of middle level change processes. Affective and cognitive domains of education at the middle level were examined. Selected variables were analyzed to determine their effect. Subjects included students and staff members randomly selected from Safford Junior High School and Safford Middle School in Safford, Arizona. A survey was also sent to every registered voter of Graham County. Seventy-five percent of the teaching staff in the school was selected to complete the additional survey instruments describing the educational environment at the school before and after the change. Because the population was limited to the citizens and students of Graham County in Arizona, results are generalizable only to the extent that another population is similar. Further research into the relationship of these constructs, including observational studies and studies providing for external verification of both the junior high school and the middle school would be beneficial.

This dissertation analyzed the "no pass/no play" (np/np) policy and examined its impact on minorities and at-risk students. Philosophies, goals, objectives, and activities associated with the planning and implementation of the np/np rule were also reviewed. Using the parallel pairs model to evaluate data germane to the np/np rule allowed this researcher to study, sort, compare, and evaluate the data associated with the planning and implementation of the no pass/no play policy. Examination of this policy revealed differences between the anticipated results and the actual impact that the policy had on minority and at-risk students. The results of the study indicated that the np/np rule was implemented long before there was a clear understanding of its potential problems. While there continues to be a lack of consensus among educators and administrators as to the effectiveness of the np/np rule, most educators are aware of the negative impact on minorities and at-risk students.

The purpose of this study was to find out under what conditions people would be willing to donate money to public education; and to find out if foundations as an alternative for financial support, are an option for the schools. The study researched two primary questions dealing with individual's willingness to give, a voice factor, and the conditions under which people will philanthropically support public education, a choice factor rooted in exchange theory. The data was collected by structured, open-ended interviews with a selected sample of thirty residents of the subject school district. The sample included fifteen residents who supported a recent, failed budget override effort in the subject district, and fifteen residents who did not support the override. The data was qualitatively evaluated to derive answers to the study's research questions. Analysis of the data found that eighty-three percent of the respondents would conditionally donate money to public education through a foundation. One of the findings was the respondents' desire to have a voice in the functioning of the system through controlling their donations by manner of giving, or through designation of monies by earmarking for specific areas. Among the variables that affected the willingness to allocate private money to public education, perception of quality was the primary factor that was directly responsible for the decisions of the respondents. Conceptually this study looked at voice as an indicia of involvement, and as a way to reverse organizational exit. The ultimate goal of involvement becomes commitment or loyalty. Foundations may precipitate a process of increased community involvement in public schools.