Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

Black urban youth face many obstacles in their personal development and future pursuits. Many of these obstacles result from systemic challenges that exist within their communities and cultural norms that negatively shape their self-concept and possible selves, a concept which argues that future self-concepts are constructed through personal evaluation of a current and desired future state. Corporate-education partnerships have recently been introduced to urban communities as a way to introduce youth to alternative professional pathways, although there are few studies about the extent to which Black urban youth are impacted by such partnerships. Using the possible selves theory, this study explored how one corporate-education partnership influences the self-concept and possible selves of Black urban youth engaging in a mentoring program, and the extent to which engagement in the program affected their view of themselves and future aspirations. This study focused on the Infinity Mentoring program, which is a partnership program between the Ascension corporation, Woodsby High School, and community-based organization Cincinnati Youth Connection (all pseudonyms). Findings from this study showed that participants in the program had improved feelings or self-concept about themselves and that participants gained increased motivation toward college, career, and their future aspirations as a result of the Infinity Mentoring program. The study adds to the scholarship on corporate-education partnerships, demonstrating the intrinsic impact these partnerships can have on Black urban students.

Doctor of Professional Studies (D.P.S.) in Instructional Design Leadership, Franklin University, 2022, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

Over the years, the forms of communication have changed drastically due to always changing technology. Where face-to-face or phone interactions used to be the only way to communicate with one another, workplaces now can email, post communications on a company-wide portal, or hold virtual meetings. With four generations currently in the workplace, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z, research shows there are differences in the way all generations prefer to communicate. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a statistical difference in preferred communication methods, what the preferred channel is, if there is a difference in preference based on the context of what is being delivered, if there is a preference in the technology used for workplace trainings, and whether the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions caused a change in preferences among generations. A quantitative study was performed to analyze the research questions. All participants filled out a survey and questionnaire through SurveyMonkey. ANOVA analysis and comparisons of means and standard deviations were used to analyze the results. While differences were found among the means and standard deviations, only two statistically significant differences were found. This study found valuable information organizations can use to better the communication for all employees. Organizations can utilize this information to create effective communication and trainings across the workplace. Creating a more effective communication method will help keep employees motivated and engaged.

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2022, Business

Spirituality in the workplace focuses on creating space for meaning, purpose, and interconnectedness within community. Evidence and research suggest spiritual values (i.e., mindfulness, compassion, transcendence, and meaningful work), through an enhancement of the motivation of the workforce, contribute to increases in productivity. Spirituality can be implemented through including spiritual values in policies, procedures, and business decisions. When evaluating an organizational success with executing spirituality efforts in a business, three themes can be seen throughout the organization: inclusivity, leadership, and implementation practices. This study will analyze the aspects of spirituality in Ouimet-Tomasso Corporation, a Canadian frozen food manufacturing company. It will define and research spirituality as a whole within an organization, the importance of inclusivity in spirituality efforts, leadership's impact on spirituality, and implementation practices. The case analysis will include a background of the company's spirituality philosophies and evaluate its spirituality effectiveness within inclusion of all the employees' backgrounds, leadership of the organization, and practices implemented to represent the values expressed.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2022, Leadership and Change

Strategic business change in the 21st century has been fraught with issues, resulting in failure for more than half of all attempted efforts to transform companies. Frontline managers (FLMs) are key to successful corporate change, transforming a company's direction into action and results and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique business challenge for every Consumer Products Group (CPG) company and FLM by interrupting supply chains. The aim of this grounded theory study was to create theory by conducting open-ended interviews with 20 frontline managers to determine how they viewed themselves and their roles, teams, and bosses during change. Results demonstrated that the FLMs viewed themselves as protectors of their teams. The FLMs were competent, resilient leaders who loved the work of managing a team to deliver daily results. Unfortunately, many FLMs were required to navigate bosses that ranged from negligent to abusive. Even the FLMs who described having great bosses asked for something more, declaring a need for help. They called for bosses to provide four elements of leadership: Delivering clarity on the role, expectations, and escalation channels, quickly producing requested resources, hosting regular one-on-one meetings to discuss issues and career, and engaging with empathy and support while giving the FLM autonomy to do the role. When the boss delivers on the four requests, the frontline manager will likely have the autonomy, confidence, and partnership to fully engage in their challenging work. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu ) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2022, Business Administration

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine how entrepreneurs who start new businesses can mitigate business decision risk while exploring how their business experience plays a role in their decision-making process. Previous meta-analysis of Ultimatum Game bargaining has shown that student populations do not follow a Nash Equilibrium. Based on a review of literature, the author's study explored if entrepreneurs would make offers closer to the Nash Equilibrium, (risker) based on their business background. While entrepreneurs did not make statistically different offers than the student group, their unique background and experiences did play a significant role in how they approached the problem with several significant findings: 1) Entrepreneurs ($4.76, average offer) did not make different (p = .805) offers than those of the students ($4.86 average offer). 2) There was not a significant difference (p = 0.846) between the acceptance rates of the entrepreneurs (88%) and the students (91%). 3) There was a significant difference (p = <0.001) between how entrepreneurs (3.85 on a Likert scale) viewed their background's role in decision making, and that of the student group (2.90). 4) There was a significant (p=0.017) medium negative correlation (-0.348) between entrepreneurs' feelings of risk and the size of their offer amounts. The qualitative results found that the decision making of the entrepreneurs was influenced by key themes of: Responsible Risk Taking, A Sense of Fairness, Altruistic Outlook, Application of Business Experience, and A Nash Mindset.

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2022, Business Administration

The practical sense of business in female entrepreneurship as it relates to the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic creative behaviors of female entrepreneurs working in the United States is the main focus of this study. The field of female entrepreneurship is growing with the participation of women with or without full-time jobs in standard employment, with or without formal business education, and with or without equal access to financial resources compared to their male counterparts. This study aims to capture the definition of success and how female entrepreneurs perceive success. Utilizing convenience sampling, this qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 successful female entrepreneurs in a major Midwest metropolitan area. With dual roles in work and family, the female entrepreneurs engage in a role of chaotic business management and self-branding with a quest for work/life balance. Their pursuit of a lifestyle business brings about a direction of working within an area of great interest, commonly called a passion. This passion allows for exploring what the female entrepreneur enjoys and a quest to produce a profit from that inspiration. Emergent themes resulting from this study are definitions of success, pandemic challenges, entrepreneurial credibility, social networking, business investment, brand management, creativity, innovation, profit design, and authentic leadership. One core result of this qualitative study is a theory called female entrepreneurial design. The female entrepreneur creates an organizational life unique to her personal style and business brand through personal self-care and professional investment.

Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Weatherhead School of Management

Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States. The number of Latino-owned firms has grown from 2.3 million in 2007 to 3.3 million in 2012, highlighting a 46.3% growth rate. Reports from 2017 estimate that Latino-owned firms create nearly 3.2 million American jobs and drive more than $2 trillion in GDP in the U.S. Despite their strong growth rates and growing contribution to the U.S. economy, only 3% of Latino-owned firms exceed $1 million in annual gross revenues—less than half the rate of White, non-Latino-owned firms. Much of the literature on Latino and ethnic entrepreneurs focuses on the barriers to growth the individual entrepreneurs and their firm's experience or their lack of resources such as economic or social capital. Our mixed-methods study—integrating qualitative and quantitative research findings—highlights differences in how Latino entrepreneurs of large, scaled firms differ in their approach when compared to Latino business owners of smaller firms. Moreover, we find differences in how Latino entrepreneurs approach sense of community, belongingness, and humility when operating their businesses, which differs from non-Latino, Anglo entrepreneurs in the U.S. While our qualitative findings highlight the salient traits—sense of community, belongingness, and humility—with Latino business owners of scaled firms, our quantitative findings show trends that highlight clear differences between Latinos and Anglo business owners. Also noted in our findings is that Anglos continue to financially outperform minority entrepreneurs, including Latinos.

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Business Administration

The United States economy currently suffers a significant skills gap in its workforce, one that approaches crisis proportions. This skills gap (Christo-Baker et al., 2017; King et al., 2017; Laboissiere & Mourshed, 2017) will have profound effects on future U.S. economic growth and, by extension, on global economic growth. Researchers have highlighted the ineffective workforce development programs adopted by business organizations in the United States and recommended incorporating work-integrated learning (WIL) to address the skills gap, but their focus has been overwhelmingly on production/service-execution. This study focuses elsewhere – namely, exploring the effectiveness of a Transformational WIL (TWIL) to address procedural gaps in business development (i.e., pre-execution) through the lived experiences of senior executives and the issues they perceive as mandating a transformational application of WIL to address this “upstream” segment of business operations specifically for the small-business sector. The research employs a conceptual framework based on the work-integrated learning model developed by Sattler (2011). Three research questions guide this proposed study. This researcher used a qualitative phenomenological research design method. The research participants included fifteen senior executives from for-profit business organizations and higher education institutions that meet the recruiting criteria. The organization of workforce-development constructs here involved systematic training, structured work experience, and institutional partnerships. This research advances business knowledge and contributes scholarship to the field by re-targeting WIL on a business segment previously unaddressed by systematic workforce development. This research also results in highly practical practices and business strategies designed to immediately boost the procedural capabilities of small business in OH, benefiting that state's graduates, employees, employers, and the l (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Management

Information technology (IT) projects are getting more complex by the day. From piloting to deployment, through different project phases and cycles, the IT field is still experiencing catastrophic failure. Seventy-one percent (71%) of IT projects are either outright failures or remain significantly challenged during the project execution, and most are related to soft-skills inadequacies. The three studies in this dissertation provide empirical evidence through various theoretical lenses that help explain how to avoid such failures. In particular, I focus on IT project managers' influence in forming critical project alignment toward actualizing project benefits and shaping consequent project success. Study 1 researched factors that lead IT projects to fail. I intended to better understand what shapes project outcomes, that is, causes that contribute to failure. Findings revealed, the use/lack of power, authority, and influence shapes project outcome. Study 2 investigated the role of the IT project manager's influence toward actualizing project benefits realization. I developed a model of benefits realization at the project level and analyzed to what extent it is driven by the stakeholders' and business alignment induced by three types of influence (dimensions); behavioral, and informational, and power-based held associated with the project manager's role. Findings revealed information and behavioral-based influence are significant means of impacting stakeholder alignment to realize benefits. Also, my research suggested that power and behavioral-based influence are significant means of impacting business alignment to realize benefits. Study 3 aimed to uncover the influence tactics (success elements) IT project managers enact while creating stakeholders and business alignment. Results revealed that IT project managers use different tactics to achieve the desired results and/or actualize benefits while engaging with business and stakeholders. Nonetheless, this behavior i (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Business Administration

Organizations continue to strive for quality by looking for ways to retain and attract top talent. Shifting an organization's focus from production to human capital can be done, when the emphasis is placed on leadership and follower development (Wu, et al., 2018). This quantitative study examines the possible role of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and the relationship with follower contentment in a stratified sample of government contractors that operate in the administrative, non-clinical healthcare sector (N = 200) from the United States. The Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) is used to measure psychological capital (hope, efficacy, resilience, optimism). This is a non-experimental, correlational study. It is proposed that contentment levels may be correlated with increased PsyCap scores. There is no further segregation regarding age, gender, or marital status. The sample consists only of government contractors. Implications of the study, and suggestions for further research were discussed.

MFIS, Kent State University, 2021, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

Fashion businesses today are progressively challenged by consumers to provide value beyond the latest design trends. With a multitude of brand choices available to them, consumers seek a narrative that makes them feel satisfied about their purchase. Consumers are searching for brands that help them live out their own social purpose through purchases that share aligning values of sustainability. The three overarching dimensions of sustainability are social, environmental and economic viability. However, without a leading purpose-driven narrative within a business, there is sometimes an inconsistency in aligning all three of these dimensions of sustainability. Small businesses are often the most flexible and innovative. They tend to come up with creative solutions to problems via novel business products, services, and practices. This thesis aims to investigate the strategies that small businesses use to balance the tensions in achieving the three types of sustainability goals. Data was collected through a critical literature review followed by a website content analysis. This data allows common attributes of these narrative-driven businesses to be determined within the quadruple bottom line theory. Of particular interest are “American Made” companies which address environmental concerns with practices such as up-cycling or recycling, and social concerns such as veterans' health and well-being. The Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) businesses analyzed, which have incorporated purpose-driven strategies, are Anne Cate, Sword and Plough, Alabama Chanin, Zero Waste Daniel, and United by Blue. These businesses were selected because they are United States-based fashion companies that incorporate practices that drive sustainability in their business model. From this information, a list of common attributes, best practices and tools was determined from the companies reviewed. The outcome produced a suggested business model for narrative-driven small businesses.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

In the first quarter of 2020, societal upheavals related to the COVID-19 pandemic included employers' work-from-home mandates and an almost overnight adoption of video meetings to replace in-person meetings no longer possible due to contagion fears and social distancing requirements. This exploratory study aimed to address, in part, the scientific knowledge gap about video meetings as a source of emotional labor. The study used mixed methods to explore three hypotheses concerning how the contemporary use of video meetings related to emotional exhaustion, stressors, and coping. Data were gathered through an online survey questionnaire. Emotional exhaustion, the dependent variable in the study, was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Schaufeli et al., 1996) General Survey emotional exhaustion subset of items. Stressors measured included surface acting, which was measured using items adapted from Grandey's (2005) scale. Coping was measured by perceptions about coping resources and cognitive coping. Socio-demographic characteristics served as control variables. Open-ended items produced data pertaining to emotional exhaustion, stressors, and coping related to video meetings. After data cleaning, the sample comprised 345 (n = 345) cross-sector professionals working for U.S.-based organizations. Findings based on a series of linear regression analyses and qualitative data thematic analysis showed video meeting hours and surface acting significantly related to a higher level of emotional exhaustion. Extrovertism, nonwork video gatherings, and social support from another adult in the home were nonsignificant in their relationships with emotional exhaustion. Perceptions that video meetings were too many for participants to accomplish their overall job responsibilities were significantly related to a higher emotional exhaustion level. Perceptions that video meetings were useful to the participant significantly related to a lower emotional exhaustion level. Perceptio (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (M.S.), Xavier University, 2020, Psychology

The current study investigated perceptions of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in the context of volunteerism. This study considered individual differences including empathy, openness to experience, and neuroticism. It was proposed that there would be a positive correlation between empathy and reported hours of volunteer work. Findings indicated that there was no significant correlation between empathy and reported frequency of volunteering. Additionally, it was proposed that there would be a positive correlation between empathy and ratings of MBSR perceived attractiveness and helpfulness. Findings from this study provided evidence for a significant positive relationship between empathy and perceptions of MBSR attractiveness and helpfulness. Also hypothesized and detected was a significant positive correlation between openness to experience and perceptions of MBSR attractiveness and helpfulness. A hypothesized relationship between ratings of neuroticism and MBSR perceptions, however, did not emerge. Because MBSR can be an effective training (e.g., Brown & Ryan, 2003; Positive Psychology Program, 2019), understanding which individual differences, including empathy, openness to experience, and neuroticism, correlate with perceptions of MBSR helpfulness and attractiveness is useful for management in volunteer and non-profit organizations.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

The depletion of natural resources as a byproduct of widespread, global economic growth has urged several entrepreneurs to think about the environment when starting or conducting business. However, several entrepreneurs and smaller-sized firms struggle with implementing environmentally conscious business practices, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which represent more than 95% of all private sector firms, and are, thus, worth studying in the context of environmental impacts. This research uses survey methods to assess and better comprehend the key drivers and barriers of green business practices by SMEs in the State of Ohio specifically. Results from this study show that a majority of the respondents reported that they have implemented green practices within their business. The two main drivers for engaging in those practices are internal motivations and the opportunity to obtain a better public image. However, respondents also mentioned a lack of capital as the central barrier to implementing green business practices. These results can be used by government and business actors, especially in Ohio, as a benchmark to consider better strategies for implementing green business techniques. Overall, this work helps to better discern best practices and ways to develop more prosperous SMEs without undermining the quality of the environment.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, East Asian Languages and Literatures

The concept of a profitable online influencer economy has developed rapidly over the last five to ten years. From the first social media platforms, rise to `internet fame' isn't an uncommon phenomenon, but more and more people who have captured internet fame have started to turn into profitable avenues for businesses to take advantage of – they've become a great way to not only market products but also to grow the fan base for a company. Additionally, these influencers are able to make a profit for themselves, creating a whole new kind of business and economy – influencer economy. Internet culture isn't locked by geography, thus allowing many new opportunities for brands as they branch out into online markets. Both the West and the East have started to develop their influencer economies into what they are today. This thesis examines the current state of online influencer economy as well as various success stories of this growing economy. Focusing on the Chinese influencer economy, an extensive survey was conducted to gather data from average Chinese consumers. A close reading of the survey results provides us opportunities to have a more realistic understanding of the influencer economy model in China and to have a more informed prediction of its future trends. Using this survey method in addition to other research allows for the creation of a more in-depth analysis of various topics that fall under the umbrella of influencer economy. Finally, this paper examines the differences between the current Western influencer economy and the Eastern influencer economy set up and tries to propose methods for these markets to interact and grow. Although internet culture isn't locked by geography, there are instances in which understanding the cultures of another country greatly play a part in how successful a business can be.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Organizational Behavior

Firms are challenged to achieve organizational goals in an environment of increasingly decentralized information. Cross-functional project teams are employed widely as a strategy to facilitate better coordination, yet projects still fail at a rate of 31% per year. Communication is a leading cause of failure. While inter-team communication has been studied extensively, less is understood about the intra-team communication of a cross-functional project team. The main finding of our study is that the success of a cross-functional team is dependent on the team's ability to inquire across multiple knowledge boundaries in a way that develops an awareness of each other's functional identity. Functional identity is defined as the norms and practices of a functional team which represent how they think about and prioritize their work. Whether or not this functional-identity knowledge-sharing process occurs determines whether a cross-functional team is able to construct a shared reality with respect to the projects' goals and priorities. Achieving a shared reality is what enables a team to perform successfully. We call the understanding of another's functional identity, constructed through a process of inquiry by the project team's members, their achievement of interpretive symmetry. Our findings are from an integrated mixed-methods study. Qualitative results from Study 1 began with the consideration that cross-functional team members live in two social worlds, that of the project team and that of their own functional team. Boundaries on a project exist both from a knowledge and a social membership perspective. Therefore, team members must engage in a process of inquiry across these boundaries. We found that successful teams have a receptive awareness that the project team does not “know” and needs to learn. This receptivity supported the team members in their open inquiry with one another and the sharing of not only functional knowledge but functional identity. Exposing t (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2020, Business Administration

Ratings made by third parties of a firm's performance in the specific areas of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and overall governance, or ESG have become important criteria that investors consider in determining a firm's value. Based on stakeholder theory, the purpose of this empirical investigation is to examine the relationship between regulatory oversight and third-party ESG ratings. The methodology chosen for this research was quantitative, observational, and retrospective. Financial statistics were collected on 471 firms from four industry sectors, two heavily regulated sectors and two less regulated sectors. ESG metrics from two ESG rating services, MSCI and Sustainalytics, were collected from Fidelity.com and Yahoo Finance, respectively. The quantitative evaluation included multiple regression analysis followed by multiway frequency analysis to determine if a quantifiable relationship exists between regulatory oversight and ESG ratings. This study may provide information to help stakeholders recognize the influence of regulation on ESG ratings. The result of this study may also be beneficial in explaining to investors and company leaders why ESG ratings vary among different industry sectors. This quantitative study is limited to four specific sectors but may provide insights applicable to other sectors based on regulatory intensity.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2019, Latin American Studies (International Studies)

This thesis strives to analyze the fast casual food market in order to understand if Chipotle would be successful in Brazil and what the concerns would be if the American chain decides to internationalize its operation to Brazil. This thesis has developed as a prospective case study based mainly on business and cultural analysis. The study analyzed Brazil by using the theory of market assessment, and also analyzed the fast casual, fast food, and food service industries and products by applying other business theories such as PESTEL, Porter Five Forces and VRIO. Furthermore, the study interviewed one entrepreneur in the fast casual industry in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil to understand the local industry dynamics. Regarding all the information analyzed, this thesis creates a business model that consists on explaining how Chipotle would operate in the country. Brazil is an attractive market for Chipotle, there is room for rapid growth, and Chipotle could provide a positive impact for Brazilians.

Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 2019, Honors Theses

The pressure to produce results has increased, especially for organizations in the nonprofit world. Measuring effectiveness and outcomes is a growing practice; however, there is no standard model for organizations to use. This qualitative research project explores three practice models in similar fields to develop a new model for a grant-making organization to implement. A religious affiliated, not for profit, and charitable organization (RANPCO) in a Midwest city has indicated a need for this new model. With the support of research, a new model was created for a grant-making organization to measure effectiveness and outcomes. This new model is applicable to any grant-making organization seeking the following: program and areas of need identification, information to educate and inform current and potential donors, and meaningful outcome information about the awarded grants.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2019, Leadership and Change

Blind and visually impaired people in the United States face a dire employment situation within professional careers and corporate employment. The purpose of this research study was to gain insights into the phenomenon of employment of blind people through analyzing the lived experience of successfully employed blind adults through ethnographic interviews. Previous research has shown that seven out of ten blind adults are not in the workforce, that a large percentage of those who are employed consider themselves underemployed, and that these numbers have not improved over time. Missing from previous research were insights into the conditions leading to successful and meaningful employment for blind adults. My top research questions were: what experiences and relationships were most significant in the lives of successfully employed blind adults in U.S. corporations, and what the most significant factors were, from employers' perspectives, leading to these successes. Based on semi-structured interviews of 11 blind adults who self-identified as successfully and meaningfully employed in corporate America, I found successfully employed blind adults have largely forged their own paths, with family support, valuable knowledge, skills, and abilities, and a strong sense of agency playing crucial roles. Corporate inclusion of blind employees is in its infancy. The implications for social change revolve around changing societal perceptions of the capabilities of blind people, transforming corporate cultures to ones of integration rather than differentiation, and building family, school, community, and service provider mechanisms to instill a strong sense of agency in young blind people. My recommendations to others are to focus on a leveraging difference framework of diversity and inclusion, in which every individual is valued for their unique characteristics, and make sure that blind people are positioned to be part of this societal transformation. This dissertation is availa (open full item for complete abstract)