Master of Science (M.S.), Xavier University, 2023, Psychology

The current study sought to understand employee perceptions of organizational change and whether changes implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic would be interpreted differently based on employee mindset and their relationship with their leader. Variables of interest were types of organizational change, growth mindset, leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships, and satisfaction with change. Contrary to the hypothesis, employee growth mindset did not significantly correlate with satisfaction with change. Additionally, although a significant interaction was found between LMX and growth mindset on satisfaction with change, the plotted interaction revealed the observed form of the moderation to be inconsistent with the study's hypothesis. Instead of high LMX strengthening the relationship between growth mindset and satisfaction with change, growth mindset and satisfaction with change were more strongly related when LMX was low. The current study's results extend the theoretical application of mindset theory into the change management domain and provide guidance to organizations related to growth mindset within their workforce and generating leader-member relationships. Limitations and potential areas for future research are discussed.

Committee: Morrie Mullins Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Leann Caudill Ph.D. (Committee Member); Eric Barrett M.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Organizational Behavior; Psychology

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2021, College of Education

The growth of the nonprofit sector has tremendously increased competition for donor funding, and this has resulted in the development of programs whose focus is on increasing the quality and efficiency of the services provided, reducing costs and meeting customer needs. These programs were modeled in the private sector but have over the years been used in the public sector and large nonprofit organizations, and include, the Lean Six Sigma (LSS), which is a widely used methodology for managing businesses through the entire value stream. Unfortunately, there is limited research showing the effects of Lean Six Sigma on nonprofit organizations. Therefore, this study focused on investigating the impact of integrating LSS for nonprofits as a business enhancement and process improvement approach, and factors influencing the success of the programs in both small and medium-sized nonprofit organizations. This study utilized a qualitative multiple case study research design and included a total of four Midwest nonprofit organizations. Interviews were conducted with the head of the continuous improvement or operational excellence department. The study findings revealed that measuring organizational performance using a more balanced set of performance measures is appropriate with Lean Six Sigma. I found that leaders in an organization must support and participate in the program, and there must be a connection between the LSS department leadership and executive leadership to formulate a deployment roadmap. The current study demonstrates the need to implement Lean Six Sigma in nonprofits, the associated benefits, and how to prepare for the implementation of such programs to reduce the risks and costs.

Committee: Judy Alston Ph.D (Committee Chair); Robert Stoll Ph.D (Committee Member); Peter Ghazarian Ed.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Industrial Engineering; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2010, Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology

Numerous studies show that small business and entrepreneurism are vital to the health of our nation's economy. In fact, over the last decade, these types of ventures account for 70% of economic growth, 75% of new jobs, and represent 99% of all employers. However, there remains a high rate of failure in these ventures, with over 60% of them failing within 6 years. Studies show that one reason for this failure is that entrepreneurs fail to learn new knowledge/skills as their organizations grow.Unfortunately, only a limited number of studies have been conducted to investigate the learning process of entrepreneurs. The purpose of this descriptive ethnography was twofold: (1) explore the learning and development challenges experienced by entrepreneurs in the various phases of organizational growth, and (2) explore how entrepreneurs recognize the need to learn and develop plans to address the challenges. Once learning and development challenges, along with corresponding knowledge and skills, are identified, then learning solutions can be developed and offered to help entrepreneurs acquire them. This descriptive ethnography was conducted with nine entrepreneurs from Northwest Ohio and Southeastern Michigan. Results included primary themes of learning challenges and the knowledge/skills needed to overcome them. Means of recognizing the need to learn new knowledge/skills and learning tools to acquire them were identified. Finally, participants gave nine pieces of advice for fellow entrepreneurs. This study resulted in 14 findings regarding entrepreneurial learning. Recommendations were provided for entrepreneurs, learning solution providers, and lending institutions. Several additional recommendations for future research emerged from this study, which are noted.

Committee: Robert Sullivan PhD (Committee Chair); Clint Longenecker Phd (Committee Member); Sonny Ariss PhD (Committee Member); Robert Schultz PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Education; Management; Organization Theory