Project management has seen significant growth which has been beneficial to academics and practitioners in the field alike. However, the alarming trend of project underperformance continues. This points to an apparent relevance gap in Project Management. One of the areas that has been highlighted as an important area for further study to improve this situation is project front end management. Using Design Science as research methodology, the knowledge contribution of this research is an artefact called, the Project Conceptualisation Canvas. The Project Conceptualisation Canvas represents a process to be followed to ensure that the conceptualisation phases of potential projects are adequately performed. The Project Conceptualisation Canvas was developed using as input the results of the systematic review of literature on the typical challenges that occur during project conceptualisation. The Project Conceptualisation Canvas was evaluated through two sets of focus groups which confirmed that it contributes towards the improvement of project conceptualisation practice. The relevance of the contribution of the Project Conceptualisation Canvas is that it will improve decision making during the project conceptualisation and selection process which will ultimately result into improved project delivery and reduced opportunity cost that results from underperforming projects.

There is an increasing number of entrepreneurship initiatives that aim to address extreme poverty, but we know little about how they shape founder identity and how diverse identities shape behavior. Although founder identity is a burgeoning field of study, theory is based primarily on research in developed country contexts. We know little about how founder identities emerge and change, and this gap is pronounced with respect to contexts of extreme poverty. I therefore explore how founder identities emerge and change in contexts of extreme poverty with a longitudinal study in a pastoralist community in Northern Kenya, where business itself is nascent, and impoverished pastoralists are in the early stages of learning basic business concepts. I conduct an inductive, qualitative study of 51 pastoralists over three years. Applying both social identity theory and identity theory lenses, this study identifies extant social and role identities that shape what it means to be a founder, as well as new identities introduced through business education and exposure, which conflict with extant identities. I identify three types of founder identity and develop a model illustrating the process through which they emerge based on varied responses to the identity conflict. Founders either maintain emphasis on extant identities, balance emphasis between some extant identities and some new identities, or transform to emphasize new identities, thus shaping who they become as a founder. When founders deviate from external expectations associated with extant identities, they engage in various forms of external identity work to increase acceptance of new behaviors and expectations and change perceptions of who they are as a founder. I further demonstrate that who one becomes as a founder is regulated by the degree of internalization and importance of extant identities that become part of what it means to be a founder in addition to other social identities held by the founder. My findings contribute to the literature on entrepreneurship in contexts of extreme poverty by providing a more nuanced conceptualization of founder identity in these contexts, including identification of three types of founder identity. I also contribute to both the literature on entrepreneurship in contexts of extreme poverty and founder identity theory more broadly by explaining the process through which founder identities emerge, introducing regulating identities as an explanation for variance in founder identity change, and bringing external identity work to the fore as a key process in founder identity construction and change. My findings also highlight the importance of applying an identity lens to the study of entrepreneurship initiatives in contexts of extreme poverty. I outline future research directions, as well as practical implications for organizations that aim to stimulate and develop entrepreneurship in contexts of extreme poverty through education and access to resources.

Integrating social and environmental sustainability into the operations of a multinational mining company is increasingly important to its long term viability. Yet, the boundaries of what constitutes responsible social and environmental sustainability practices are contested with stakeholder governance expectations continuing to evolve, grow, and at times conflict. AngloGold Ashanti needs to navigate the complex terrain between its commitment to maximise returns delivered to shareholders, juxtaposed with those of respecting the environment, and communities being better off for the company having been there. The dissertation includes a meta-synthesis of primary research undertaken over some five years and examines AngloGold Ashanti's social and environmental sustainability integration efforts from the perspective of a head office role, a critical realist ontology and grounded theory epistemology. A mid-range grounded theory and CIMO design proposition argue for interventions that trigger mechanisms fostering mutual meaning between stakeholders regarding social and environmental sustainability and its integration, through a process of continual improvement, into company strategy, management structures (incorporating role clarity and functional capability), systems and processes. Out of which come locally rooted, internationally defensible operational practices with the intended outcomes of internalising costs and externalising benefits arising from exploration and mining, therein seeking to meet stakeholder governance expectations.

More than 21% of public sector fire chiefs lack effective succession plans for employees, and 45% of fire chiefs do not provide adequate succession plans. Grounded by Burns's transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that 2 fire chiefs from 2 firehouses in the southern United States used to improve succession planning for employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and review of organizational standard operating procedures. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-step approach, which included: compiling data, disassembling data, reassembling data, interpreting data, and concluding data. The 3 themes that emerged from data analysis were: identify monetary influences that improve employee performance, create a mentoring plan, and promote recognition incentives. Findings from this study may contribute to positive social change by providing fire chiefs with successful strategies to improve employee succession planning. Fire chiefs can use these strategies for succession planning and for improving employee performance. The results contribute to positive social change through identifying the demands that fire chiefs consider when filling critical leadership positions, which may improve organizational efficiency and safety education in the community.

Employee turnover costs an employer 21% of the employee's salary for replacement at all levels except for executives and physicians. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies to reduce high employee turnover in the retail grocery store, with the use of Maslow's motivational theory as the conceptual framework. Participants were selected based on their demonstrated use of successful strategies to reduce high employee turnover. Data were collected using semistructured interview with 3 managers in a retail grocery store chain in the south-central region of the United States. Observations were conducted company's documents such as policy handbooks, newsletters, financial statements, and annual reports were analyzed. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-phase elements of data analysis: compile, disassemble, reassemble, clarify, conclude. The themes identified in the study included environmental strategies, availabilities of employees, sources of hiring, and team building to improve work performance. Organizational leaders could improve positive social change through effective strategies to reduce high employee turnover in the retail grocery store and increase employment. Reducing employee turnover rate and increasing employment could help to change many family settings, decrease mortality rates, and increase community economy.

Nonprofit leaders face competition, rapid changes, increasing complexity in their operating environments, and diminishing financial support, all of which threaten achievement of their organizational missions. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit leaders used to develop plans for performance improvement based on strategic intelligence. The research sample was composed of 3 leaders of a nonprofit organization located in the midwestern region of the United States who implemented nonprofit strategic initiatives to improve their organization's performance. The conceptual framework used for this study was Maccoby and Scudder's strategic intelligence conceptual system for leading change. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of public and internal documentation and performance outcomes. Data were manually coded and thematically organized. The results of data analysis showed leadership and organizational philosophy, foresight effectiveness, systems thinking and knowledge centricity, and smart motivation as the key themes. Findings provide evidence that developing and implementing strategic intelligence-based plans can assist nonprofit leaders in improving organizational performance. The implications of this study for positive social change include providing strategies to nonprofit leaders for how to guide their organizations through rapidly changing environments, compete successfully, and sustain delivery of high-impact goods and services to the public and communities that they serve.

Immigrant entrepreneurs play a significant role in the economic development of the United States. However, some small business immigrant entrepreneurs are less successful than nonimmigrant entrepreneurs. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that immigrant small business owners use to grow and sustain their businesses longer than 4 years. Using a purposeful sampling technique, the population for this study consisted of 4 small business immigrant entrepreneurs who have sustained and grown businesses for a minimum of 4 years in Minnesota. The conceptual framework for this study was the bureaucratic management theory. Data collection consisted of interviews, field notes, and review of documentation related to business strategies. Data analysis involved a process of disassembling data into common codes, reassembling data into themes, interpreting meaning, and making conclusions. Member checking and transcript reviews were used to enhance the reliability and credibility of the data. Two themes emerged among immigrant small business owners whose businesses failed: inadequate financial posture, and poor business and managerial knowledge. Results showed that small business immigrant entrepreneurs concentrate on differentiation and cost control to sustain and grow their businesses profitably. The study findings can contribute to positive social change by emphasizing strategies that help immigrant entrepreneurs succeed; such strategies have benefits that extend beyond entrepreneurs' immediate family to the broader communities in which they operate by increasing job creation, wealth accumulation, and the development of society.

The lack of manager's effective business strategies contributes to the failure of fast food businesses in Nigeria. The size of the fast food industry in Nigeria grows at the rate of 4% annually with rapid rate of return on investment. The annual value of the fast food business in Nigeria was N250 billion in 2015, which is approximately US$700 million. However, approximately 80% of fast food restaurants launched in Nigeria in 2014 failed to persist for longer than 5 years because of lack of survival strategies. Using the human capital theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies managers of fast food business use to survive for longer than 5 years. Participants were purposely selected for their experiences implementing survival strategies in their fast food business that enabled them to persist longer than 5 years. Data were collected via face-to-face semistructured interviews with 5 managers of fast food restaurants and the review of organizational documents and online ratings of the fast food restaurants. Data were analyzed using inductive coding of phrases, word frequency searches, and theme interpretation. Three themes emerged: employee development and training improved customer service, effective management of resources and people lead to business survival, and healthy food choice attracted customers and increased revenue. The findings of this study might influence social change by providing strategies for fast food businesses in Nigeria to persist longer than 5 years. When businesses are growing and surviving, they become profitable and contribute to the prosperity of the owners, employees, communities, and the government. These findings may benefit businesses and individuals as they implement the findings from this study.

Many change initiatives fail because business leaders often lack the strategies for successful implementation. The inability of business leaders to successfully implement change initiatives can result in missing deadlines, increasing costs, and reduced employee productivity and morale. Grounded by Lewin's change management model and Kotter's 8-step change model, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies aerospace manufacturing managers in the Midwest Region of the United States used to implement successful change initiatives. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews with 3 aerospace manufacturing managers and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation, coding, and thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes. Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: well-defined and measurable goals improved the ability to track and measure the change implementation, teamwork improved employee involvement and collaboration, and communication improved transparency and employee support. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve aircraft safety by reducing aviation accidents and keeping communities safe from loss of life.

Voluntary employee turnover is damaging to the sustainability of child protective services (CPS) organizations, as 60% of social workers who contemplated leaving their organizations quit during the year of consideration. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to examine the strategies CPS leaders used to reduce voluntary employee turnover and motivate employees. The conceptual framework for this study included the motivational hygiene theory and the behavior engineering model. The target population consisted of 9 CPS leaders from a large metropolitan area in Southern California who had specific knowledge of voluntary employee turnover. Data collection involved face-to-face semistructured interviews, company memoranda, and statistical data reports. The data analysis process included inductive coding of specific word and phrases, word frequency searches, and organizing the data for theme interpretation. Based on the analysis of the data, 4 themes emerged: supportive leadership, effectual communication, teamwork, and training. These themes revealed that these were the necessary ingredients to reduce employee turnover. The findings from this study may contribute to positive social change through improved employee wellbeing from trusting relationships and open communication with managers understanding the factors that contribute to employee motivation, job satisfaction, and reduced employee turnover. Social change also extends from improved collaborative relationships between CPS, community-based organizations, and clientele to build supportive teams that can reduce the incidence of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation.