Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / More and more frequently firms are finding it necessary to terminate chief executive officers (CEOs) due to poor organizational performance. This is happening despite the fact that executive development spending is increasing significantly during the same era. These simultaneous situations would suggest that there is a need for a theory to bring clarity and direction to the process of executive development while aligning it with firms' business strategies. A comprehensive review of the literature reveals that there are no well-understood theories that relate executive development strategy to business strategy. The lack of a theoretical foundation makes it necessary to derive the linkage between business strategy and executive development strategy empirically. This study was designed to determine how and to what extent the participating firms achieve alignment between executive development and business strategies. It is founded upon the premise that for a firm's success to be sustainable, its environment, its business strategies, its executive development strategies, and its executive development activities should all be aligned. This study provides both a theoretical and a practical analysis of the alignment between business strategy and executive development strategy. The theoretical analysis is grounded in a review of the twentieth-century history of organizational theory as well as the theories pertaining to business strategy and executive development strategy. The practical analysis was drawn from the experiences of senior-level managers employed by twenty-one commercial firms to design and guide executive development. This research utilized interviews of executive development specialists as the primary means of collecting data from the subject firms. The analysis revealed four key concepts: aligning executive development and business strategies, linking executive development to the business environment, integration of executive development with other corporate systems, and the utility of top-level executive support for executive development programs. The study resulted in a conceptual model of the focus firms' approaches to achieving alignment between executive development and business strategies. These findings imply opportunities for policy makers and practitioners as well as future researchers. / 2031-01-01

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 188-195). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-59). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

This study examined the standing of the internal audit function in 30 of South Africa’s large listed companies as perceived by the chairs of their audit committees, their chief executive officers, chief financial officers, and chief operating officers, as well as the chief audit executives. The standing of the internal audit function in these 30 companies was based on the academic and professional qualifications profiles of the chief audit executives, the composition and qualifications of the internal audit staff complement, the independence of the function and the expectations that various stakeholders have of the function. The study reveals that the overall standing of the internal audit function in these 30 companies was perceived to be high. However, there are a number of concerning aspects that include the fact that most of the chief audit executives are qualified and registered South African Chartered Accountants (CA(SA)) and not holders of the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) qualification. Additional concerns are that the chief audit executives’ reporting lines are not necessarily in line with currently perceived best practices; the stakeholders surveyed for this study held diverse views of the internal audit function; and in-house internal audit functions were viewed to be of a higher standing than those of outsourced functions. This study provides the internal audit profession with a scientifically researched benchmark of their status or standing in the eyes of their stakeholders and will enable them to measure changes to their status and effectiveness within their companies.

Prior research reveals that today’s students must develop a respect for diversity to function effectively in a global environment; otherwise they will be unlikely to succeed in the 21st century (Bikson & Law, 1994; University of Michigan Fortune 500 Amicus Brief, 1999; Abraham Lincoln Commission on Study Abroad, 2005). Unfortunately, many see diversity as having a mandatory acceptance policy attached to it. This view places the concept of diversity into a negative category. To help shift that negative slant a strategic effort is required to assist with redefining what diversity means and why acceptance of diversity adds value to an institution of higher education. Universities and colleges are comprised of staff, faculty, and students from differing backgrounds. Therefore it is important to maintain an environment that is conducive of respect, openness, and inclusion for all constituents served. By advancing that vision an institution can remain competitive and viable in today’s economy. As a commitment to promoting awareness of and appreciation for different types of diversity, many post-secondary Boards of Trustees and senior administrators are incorporating campus-wide diversity initiatives into every aspect of the campus framework (Ward, 2009). Specifically, senior-level positions referred to as Chief Diversity Officers are being created to oversee that diversity is incorporated as a core institutional value. The purpose of this study is to look at five similar public universities in Texas to see how the current demographic changes and projections are impacting both strategic plans and policies relating to diversity initiatives. Four research questions will guide this study: (1) What institutional and societal factors contributed to the establishment of the chief diversity office and the position of the chief diversity officer? (2) What is the difference between the role of the Chief Diversity Office and the role of a Multicultural Affairs Student Services Office? (3) How is diversity being made into a core value at an institution of higher education? and (4) How does the chief diversity officer assess that diversity is an institutional value? To gain insight into the research topic a qualitative methodology was used to collect and analyze the data. More specifically, the questionnaire and interview questions used in this study are a replication of David’s (1998) study of The Roles and Functions of Diversity Affairs Centers’ Chief Personnel Officers at Public Universities in Texas. The survey instruments were originally developed in 1992 by Ruth Moyer at Kent State University. The findings will be used to ascertain the extent to which institutions are making diversity a value. / text

An inquiry into the perceptions of chief executive officers: What exactly needs to be known about chief executives and information technology in the organisation to gain this understanding? Clearly, it is not related to an expectation that chief executives do, or should, participate in the daily or departmental micro-management of information technology. Neither is it dependent on an expectation that CEOs should have a grasp of all the technical and philosophical issues relating to information systems or technology management and development. Rather it stems from a view that technology, as an enabler of change, should receive the attention of the chief executive in order to best harness its power to achieve corporate goals. / What is it that chief executives actually do when considering information technology issues in their organisations? If they are not computer literate and have limited understanding of the technological possibilities for the organisation, what are their sources for such information? If they are comfortable with technological concepts and terminology, how much does this affect their relationship with the senior information officer? How do chief executives communicate with their senior technologists? What are the CEOs' perceptions and assumptions about technology and the future? How is their decision-making affected? Do CEOs' use criteria or processes for technology projects other than those normally applied? Does the educational level, qualifications, years of experience as chief executive, or domain expertise, affect their approach to aligning the strategic direction with technology? Will different leadership styles map consistently with different ways of influencing the corporate technology function? Are there other factors that affect what strategies they choose? / Summary: The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the perceptions of chief executive officers relative to the actions they take when faced with leadership of organisational change using information technology as the enabler. To that end, the literature is reviewed, the research methods for the project are described, and the research findings are presented. Relationships and relevant theories are discussed, a new theory is proposed, conclusions are drawn, and further research is suggested. / Thesis (MBusiness-Research)--University of South Australia, 2001.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisors: William Latham, III, Dept. of Economics; and Helen M. Bowers, Dept. of Finance. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2008. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.