Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2019, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study is to identify and explore teacher perceptions of the merit-pay plan after six years of implementation in the Innovative School District (ISD). This qualitative case study will add to the knowledge base and provide interested school leaders with information as they consider alternatives to traditional teacher compensation. This study will provide similar districts, administrators, and scholars with insight into teacher perceptions developed after a merit-pay system has first been put into place and then remained in place for six years. As other school district leadership teams work with their teachers and boards of education to consider and develop a merit-pay system, they may be able to avoid pitfalls in the process of implementation by knowing the perceptions teachers have about this approach. This knowledge can also be incorporated into the curriculum of applicable higher education programs. This study employed a single case study approach to gain an understanding of the perceptions held by elementary teachers in grades Pre-K, one through six through semi-structured interviews. This researcher recognizes that knowledge gained from this study is relative and not absolute, but it will use empirical evidence to generate plausible claims (Patton, 2002). This approach is aligned with Merriam's purpose for qualitative research, which is to achieve a deep understanding of how people perceive what they experience (Merriam, 2009). There were four major themes that emerged from this study. These included: A significant number of teachers in ISD do not have a solid understanding of the structure of the merit-pay program. Second, trust between the teachers and the principal are vital to the success of the merit-pay program. Third, ISD's merit-pay program has been successful with a majority of teachers stating that if they had the chance to return to a traditional salary schedule, they would remain on the merit-pay plan. The final and most su (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Dolph Ph.D. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education Finance; Education History; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2010, College of Education

This study investigated similarities and differences between teacher and superintendent views toward factors to be included as a component of a teacher compensation system. A survey instrument designed to gather quantitative and qualitative data was used. The study sought to answer the following research questions: First, between superintendents and teachers, Is there a difference in perceptions about teacher compensation between superintendents and teachers? Second, Compared to teachers, do superintendents report differences in what should be included as a component of a teacher compensation system? Third, Compared to teachers, do superintendents differ in their level of comfort with reference to the components of a teacher compensation system? The study revealed statistically significant differences between views of teachers from a previous study and superintendents in this study.

Committee: Harold Wilson PhD (Committee Chair); Glen Fincher Phd (Committee Co-Chair); James Van Keuren EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education History; Educational Evaluation; Educational Sociology; Higher Education; Labor Relations; Public Administration; School Administration; School Finance; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Labor and Human Resources

The strategic role of the compensation system has been increasingly important to business. However, there has been little knowledge or research about how the compensation system strategically impacts organizations (Gerhart, 2000; Heneman, Ledford, & Gresham, 2000). Therefore, research is needed to substantiate how to improve the effectiveness of the compensation strategy. In this study, a large-scale survey was conducted to examine the effect of compensation practices in a wide variety of organizations. A total of 130 firms responded to the survey; of these firms, six had multiple respondents. The empirical results revealed that long-term incentive, group-based pay, and merit-pay programs positively impact perceptual and financial performance. As well as identifying direct impact, this study examined the indirect impact of compensation programs and practices. In this process, OCB plays a mediating role in the effect of several compensation programs such as, merit pay, group-based pay, and long-term incentive on a firm's performance. The model developed in this study adds valuable insight to the existing strategic compensation literature by identifying the means through which the compensation strategy leads to a firm's success. The current study also makes a theoretical contribution. The use of several compensation programs may have the potential to improve “flexibility” by developing several characteristics of human resources, which in turn are integrated into a firm's success. This study supports the universal perspective by demonstrating positive effects of specific types of compensation programs across organizations and industries. Furthermore, unless human resource attributes achieve “fit” with the features of a compensation program, the strength in the relationship between the compensation program and a firm's performance becomes lower. The findings support the contingency perspective that compensation program characteristics must be consistent with human resou (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Heneman Robert (Advisor) Subjects: Business Administration, Management

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 1958, Educational Administration and Supervision

Committee: Charles W. Young (Advisor) Subjects: Education

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 1958, Educational Administration and Supervision

Committee: Charles W. Young (Advisor) Subjects: Education

Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, 2012, Psychology

Previous research has suggested that effort level - in the form of willingness to help - can be affected by the presence of a reward and type of reward being offered (Heyman & Ariely, 2004). Reward types generally fall into two primary categories: social exchanges, which are friendly and non-contractual, and economic exchanges, which are typically defined by monetary exchanges and are contractual in nature. Interpersonal citizenship behaviors (ICBs) are a proxy for effort in the current study, as they are defined by employees helping one another with work - or personal-related matters in the workplace (Williams & Anderson, 1991). The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of type of reward (social vs. monetary vs. mixed vs. no reward) on willingness to engage in ICBs within in-group supervisor-supervisee relationships. Results showed that there was an overall significant effect of reward type on willingness to engage in ICBs. Post-hoc tests revealed that the monetary condition was significantly higher than the control condition. Furthermore, the control condition yielded the lowest ICB score, and the three reward conditions had very similar means, suggesting that the presence of any type of reward may have been slightly more influential in eliciting effort than the absence of a reward. Moreover, in contrast to previous research that suggested that mixed rewards are perceived as monetary and not social (Heyman & Ariely, 2004), results showed that participants viewed social and mixed rewards similarly, but viewed monetary and mixed rewards significantly differently. Overall, the findings suggest that exchange marketplaces seem to be more complex when they occur in the workplace.

Committee: Dalia L. Diab Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Mark S. Nagy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Morell E. Mullins Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Occupational Psychology

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2008, College of Education

This study looked to see if there was a difference in perceptions between teachers who have had value added training and teachers who have not received such training regarding teacher compensation factors. Also, do teachers who have had value added training and teachers who have not received value added training report differences in what should be included in a teacher's salary schedule? Additionally, do teachers who have and have not received value added assessment training report different concerns with respect to the use of value added assessment? Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered through a survey instrument in pursuit of these questions. Five themes emerged from the teachers' concerns about value added assessment and teacher compensation. Those five themes were what the student brings to the classroom, trust in the system, not an accurate assessment of student achievement, factors a teacher can't control that affect achievement scores, and accountability for parents and students.

Committee: Harold E. Wilson PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Howard Walters EdD (Committee Co-Chair); James P. Van Keuren EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education