This dissertation focuses on the welfare implications of different government policies aimed to diminish the consumption of energy produced from fossil fuels in the United States. The first of these policies, taxation on gasoline consumption, diminishes consumption by increasing the cost per mile traveled. However, this policy measure has not been favored by policy-makers, and instead, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, CAFEs, were put in place since the seventies. This policy consists of a pre-established threshold of fuel-efficiency, measured in miles per gallon, that car manufacturers selling cars in the United States are subject to each year. For each manufacturer, the CAFE is calculated, which weights the fuel-efficiency of each car model by the number of units sold of that car model. If the CAFE for a given manufacturer lies below the pre-established standard for that year, the manufacturer is subject to a fine. I exploit the manufacturers' past behavior in setting prices for their car models to estimate structural demand and supply parameters that characterize the car industry facing these policies. With those parameters, I can estimate the welfare impacts of tightening the CAFE standard to the new threshold set by the Obama administration and compare those impacts to the ones from raising gasoline taxes to obtain the same gasoline reduction in consumption. The findings are that in the short run, taxation is a less costly policy than tightening the CAFE standard. The second and third essays study the consequences of adopting renewable sources for electricity production. These technologies bring reductions in emissions of pollutants to the atmosphere, but not at no cost. They are expensive and their introduction to already existing electricity systems requires modifications to the usual scheduling of power plants because of the intermittent nature of the renewable sources, such as solar. We compute the equilibrium effects of this policy finding that if the environmental benefits are not taken into account, these policies are welfare decreasing with the amount of renewable sources. Some lower levels of penetration are more cost efficient if we take into account dynamic considerations in the scheduling of the plants.

No / Gender based legislation in Taiwan and government expressed importance of gender equality are very forward thinking. Gender mainstreaming has provided the framework for the increased emphasis on gender equality which has happened along side an explosion of third sector organizations, those funded privately and by the government, and a new understanding of what the accountability of these organizations entails. Four government funded organizations, or “quango” were examined to determine the degree of their accountability to gender mainstreaming policy using these new criteria, and the degree of penetration of the gender mainstreaming efforts. The organizations were found to be lacking in methods to ensure accountability and devoid of gender sensitivity in their project areas.

<p> The purpose of this qualitative, basic interpretive study (Merriam, 2009) was to improve understanding of the role of transactive memory systems (TMS) in board groups as a way of leveraging their knowledge in the context of the chief executive officer (CEO) succession planning process. Sixteen participants were recruited who had served on a board of a $500 million-plus public company and had been involved in a CEO succession planning process within 5 years of the study. Within the participant group, a subset of six had all worked together, over the same time period, on the same CEO succession planning process from beginning to end. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participant follow-up.</p><p> The study findings confirmed a relationship between structures and processes of TMS and CEO succession planning in the context of board groups. The data supported the presence of some but not all of the characteristics of TMS presented in Ren and Argote's (2011) metaanalysis and categorization of antecedents, components, and consequences of TMS. Specifically, TMS antecedents present in board groups included team-level inputs of task interdependence, goal interdependence, team familiarity, shared experiences, and communication. Specific dimensions of TMS components present within board groups included team knowledge stock and knowledge of who knows what. Three TMS behavioral indicators were present: knowledge specialization, task credibility, and task coordination to support knowledge sharing and updating. Finally, key dimensions of TMS consequences included team performance behaviors of team learning, creativity, and reflexivity.</p><p> Five conclusions were drawn from the study. (1) The TMS dimension of reliance on others' specialization serves to meet the challenges of bounded rationality in board groups. (2) High familiarity can enhance trust, but if overemphasized negatively affects the reliability of specialized expertise. (3) Personal respect and trust in the expertise of others affects receptivity to defer to others' specialized expertise. (4) A director's publicly known resume is the primary determinant of specialization. (5) Board structures (the knowledge stock of the group) and processes (transactive processes of encoding, storing, and accessing knowledge) facilitate the continual refinement of member-expertise associations and conscious development of knowledge sharing. </p>

Organizacija - gyvas organizmas, kuris gali augti, klestėti arba nykti, nes čia susiduria skirtingi žmonės, turintys savus interesus, poreikius, norus ir vertybes. Čia yra skatinama konkurencijos atmosfera, tvyroja atleidimo iš darbo galimybė, egzistuoja nuolatinė darbuotojų kova dėl savo pozicijų, todėl organizaciją galima įvardinti, kaip „konfliktų kalvę“ ir visa tai dėl to, kad žmonės yra skirtingi, turintys tam tikras ydas ir tikslus. Konfliktai ne tik kuria neigiamą mikroklimatą, apsunkina vidinę komunikaciją, bet trukdo ir komandiniam darbui, nuo kurio priklauso organizacijos veiklos produktyvumas ir kokybė. Šiuolaikiniame pasaulyje komandinio darbo organizavimas suprantamas kaip efektyvesnės veiklos užtikrinimas, sėkmę lemiantis veiksnys. Organizacija, kuri darbą grindžia komandomis sudaro sąlygas sparčiau vystytis, efektyviau mokosi ir panaudoja išmoktas žinias, taupo laiką, ieško naujovių ir jas įgyvendina. Taip atliekamas darbas leidžia darbuotojams integruoti ir susieti informaciją tokiais būdais, kurių atskiras asmuo nepajėgtų įgyvendinti. Tinkamai surinktos ir efektyviai dirbančios komandos vertė akivaizdi ir neįkainojama. Deja, komandose taip pat kyla konfliktai, kurių priežastys gali būti tiek socialinės (skirtingos vertybės, įsitikinimai, išsilavinimai), tiek darbinės (kylančios dėl gautos užduoties įvykdymo). Akivaizdu, kad konfliktai įtakoja komandinį darbą. Dėl to reikia numatyti, kokia strategija kilus konfliktui yra tinkamiausia. Siekiant, kad... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Organization – is an alive system, which can grow, prosper and vanish, because different people meet in this system, which have their own interests, demands, wishes and valuables. Conflicts are not only the reason of a negative microclimate, conflicts are responsible for the internal communication, conflicts disturb the team work, and the team work is responsible for the organization activity’s productivity and quality. In the modern world the planning of the team work is understood as a factor which warrants the more effective activity and success. The organization which grounds its activity on team work creates conditions to develop more quickly, to learn more effectively, to use knowledge which is learned, to save time, to look for innovations and to implement them. Such manner of activity lets employees to integrate and to link the information by the means, which would be impracticable for the individual employee. The value of properly collected and effectively working team is obvious and invaluable. Unfortunately, conflicts arise in the teams too, and the reasons of these conflicts can be social (different valuables, creeds and education), and working (which appear because of the implementation of given task). It is obvious that conflicts have impact on team work. This is why it is necessary to foresee what strategy will be the most appropriate when the conflict will arise. It is necessary to solve arising conflicts quickly, effectively and correctly, seeking that... [to full text]

This thesis is a study of teacher professional learning and development. Concepts from research into professionalism and professional learning, and organizational, socio-­‐cultural and complexity theory are used to create a theoretical framework. This is then applied to the analysis of how teachers learn and develop professionally and how professional learning and development activities might best be planned and organized. The findings of empirical research involving 12 teachers and 9 Head Teachers and 40 semi-­‐structured interviews are presented and discussed. The research involved the participant teachers endeavouring to undertake a small scale, action research project into a self-­‐selected aspect of their practice. Significant support was expressed in the research for a form of action research being an aspect of teacher continuous professional development. Factors that enable and which prevent teachers engaging in Action Research are identified. Theories, concepts and empirical evidence are used to argue that teacher professional learning involves social and mediated interaction in complex, multiple environments and that this has significant implications for how we define, organise and undertake teacher professional learning. An approach is presented which is enquiry/evidence based, work-­‐based and expansive, and which takes account of teachers’ social situations, teacher, learner and school learning aims and needs, and socially mediated learning processes.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The objective of this thesis is to suggest a daily routine debriefing process for the maintenance sections of the Israeli Air Force fighter squadrons. It is argued that the debriefing process may serve as vehicle for higher level of personal and organizational effectiveness. Ongoing debriefing process in one squadron, has been assessed, opinion data have been collected, and relevant literature has been reviewed. The questions addressed in this study, are: (1) what is the role of debriefing process in the maintenance sections: (2) what is the debriefing structure, forums, frequency, and discussion subjects; (3) what are the attitudes of targeted sectors toward the suggested procedure, and (4) what are the organizational changes and concerns to be considered when implementing this change. Results have indicated strong positive attitudes, cost-beneficial appearance, and practicality of the proposed debriefing process. Guidelines for implementation are provided. / http://archive.org/details/debriefingproces00lapi / Lieutenant Colonel, Israeli Air Force

<p> The purpose of this quantitative survey research study was to test the ability of the Full Range Leadership Theory to explain a relationship between Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles (independent variables) and Organizational Performance (dependent variable), when Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles were moderated by Employee Job Satisfaction (moderating variable) for 119 full-time employees in government agencies within the United States (U.S.). Leadership styles have been positively linked to employee job satisfaction and various organizational outcomes; however, most studies on leadership styles, employee job satisfaction, and organizational performance had been focused on the private sector, with little focus on the public sector. The present study focused on public sector (government) agencies. The sample was made up of full-time, non-supervisory U.S. government employees who worked in agencies within the U.S. Qualtrics, Inc. was hired to draw the sample and three survey questionnaire instruments were used to collect the data. A linear multiple regression model was applied to the study and the data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple linear regression. Results of the study were statistically significant (<i>p</i> &lt; .05). Overall, the results lent support to theories that posit leadership styles and employee job satisfaction play a role in determining organizational performance. The results support arguments for adopting the transformational leadership style, and each of its dimensions, to reverse the decline of job satisfaction and enhance levels of organizational performance for U.S. government employees. Limitations of the study were discussed, as well as implications of the findings. Finally, recommendations for future research were offered.</p>

<p> <b>Purpose:</b> The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to identify transformational leadership skills exhibited by executives in mid-size companies, working in the fields of Marketing, Sales, HR, and IT. Additionally, this study also tried to identify top domains and skills for each group, and analyze the similarities and differences between groups. </p><p> <b>Methodology:</b> The study was structured around three research questions. As this was a quantitative study, self-rating data on 10 domains and 80 skills were collected using the Transformational Leadership Skills inventory instrument. These data were then analyzed using multiple statistical methods. </p><p> <b>Findings:</b> Analysis of data produced multiple findings in relation to top, middle, and bottom tier skills and domains for each group, thereby supporting the hypothesis that the situational context of job function is material for transformational leadership. </p><p> <b>Conclusions:</b> There were six conclusions that applied to all groups, thereby providing valuable insights in relation to similarities across job functions. Additionally, there were multiple differences found in the use of transformational leadership skills across Marketing, Sales, HR, and IT functions, leading to the creation of distinct transformational leadership skill portfolio for each group. </p><p> <b>Recommendations:</b> There were six implications for actions that were developed from the conclusions, ranging from hiring, to talent development, to succession planning. Additionally, eight recommendations for future research were also presented, ranging from logical extensions of this study into different verticals, to complementary new studies that would expand the body of knowledge, to longitudinal cross-sectional study that can be developed over time.</p>

<p> Owners of family businesses in the private sector must be cognizant of nepotism to reduce skilled employee turnover. Guided by Herzberg two-factor theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by family owned and operated business leaders to minimize nepotistic practices that reduce skilled nonfamily employees&rsquo; voluntary turnover. The population for this study included 3 family owned and operated funeral establishments in the Midwest region of St. Louis, Missouri. These participants had sustained their family businesses longer than 5 years while minimizing skilled nonfamily employees&rsquo; voluntary turnover. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews, the review of proprietary documents, and public information. Data analysis included a 5-step process: compiling the data, disassembling the data into common codes, reassembling the data into themes, interpreting their meaning, and then reporting the themes. Member checking and methodological triangulation increased the trustworthiness of interpretations. Five themes emerged from the data analysis: work environment, effective communication, education and training, promotion opportunities, and policies and procedures. The implications for social change include (a) reducing nepotistic employment practices in family owned and operated businesses; (b) increasing economic growth potential while simultaneously benefiting employees, families, and communities; and (c) decreasing the unemployment rate. Family owned and operated business leaders can use the results of this study to implement change and to motivate and retain their skilled nonfamily employees.</p>

<p> The management consulting profession in the United States is one of the fastest growing and most profitable industries in the world. Despite the industry&rsquo;s increasing popularity and growth, racial minorities remain disproportionately underrepresented in this industry.</p><p> This dissertation sought to shed light on the unique experiences of minorities in the management consulting industry by examining the experiences of Black management consultants and the relationships that exist between the centrality of race, authenticity at work, and the use of race-based impression management (RIM) strategies. This study also sought to contribute to theory by validating a conceptual model, which posits that the centrality of race moderates the relationship between RIM strategies and authenticity at work.</p><p> An online survey was developed using existing instruments designed to measure the centrality of race to one&rsquo;s identity, authenticity at work, and the use of RIM strategies. Quantitative data were gathered from management consultants who identified as Black and were currently or previously employed at a large multinational management consulting firm with 100,000 or more employees. Usable data were collected from 201 participants, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.</p><p> This study found that the RIM strategy social recategorization was significantly related to the ability to be authentic at work, and regardless of whether the centrality of race to one&rsquo;s identity was high or low, the relationship between social recategorization and participants&rsquo; ability to be authentic at work was negatively related. No significant relationship was found between RIM strategy of positive distinctiveness and the ability to be authentic at work, regardless of the degree of racial centrality. The conceptual model developed for this study could not be validated due to low levels of variance around the construct of racial centrality.</p><p> Findings from this study provide empirical insights into the experiences of Black management consultants and contribute to theory, practice, and research regarding the challenges associated with navigating cross-cultural interactions in the workplace.</p>