Post-Implementation Evaluation of Enterprise  Resource Planning (ERP) Systems (open access)

Post-Implementation Evaluation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

The purposes of this dissertation were to define enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, assess the varying performance benefits flowing from different ERP system implementation statuses, and investigate the impact of critical success factors (CSFs) on the ERP system deployment process. A conceptual model was developed and a survey instrument constructed to gather data for testing the hypothesized model relationships. Data were collected through a cross-sectional field study of Indian production firms considered pioneers in understanding and implementing ERP systems. The sample data were drawn from a target population of 900 firms belonging to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The production firms in the CII member directory represent a well-balanced mix of firms of different sizes, production processes, and industries. The conceptual model was tested using factor analysis, multiple linear regression analysis and univariate Anova. The results indicate that the contributions of different ERP system modules vary with different measures of changes in performance and that a holistic ERP system contributes to performance changes. The results further indicate that the contributions of CSFs vary with different measures of changes in performance and that CSFs and the holistic ERP system influences the success achieved from deployments. Also, firms that emphasize CSFs …
Date: May 2008
Creator: Madapusi, ArunKumar
System: The UNT Digital Library
Understanding knowledge management and organizational adaptation and the influencing effects of trust and industrial cluster. (open access)

Understanding knowledge management and organizational adaptation and the influencing effects of trust and industrial cluster.

Due to rapid environmental change, today's business requires a more collaborative management to ensure positive performance. One of the important means that can help firms adapt successfully to a changing environment is knowledge management. The management of information and knowledge as key to retaining competitive advantage and has recently evolved into a more strategically focused research topic for both business and academic study. Managing knowledge, however, is deemed difficult because many companies recognize the importance of their proprietary knowledge and are not willing to share it freely. Recognizing this weakness, many countries have promoted the development of regional clusters where firms can co-develop their competences and competitive advantage against the world's best competitors by sharing knowledge, resources, and innovative capabilities. Other than industrial clusters, trust is also considered an important factor in knowledge management study. Trust reduces the need to monitor others' behaviors, formalize procedures, and it lowers transaction costs. At the macro level, trust can enhance organizations' core competencies and sustain their competitive advantages through co-evolution. This may occur through the development of group collaborations, cooperative relationships, and networks. The study adopted a field survey research method and used multiple regressions as the data analysis technique. The dependent variable …
Date: May 2008
Creator: Niu, Kuei-Hsien
System: The UNT Digital Library
Optimal design of Dutch auctions with discrete bid levels. (open access)

Optimal design of Dutch auctions with discrete bid levels.

The theory of auction has become an active research area spanning multiple disciplines such as economics, finance, marketing and management science. But a close examination of it reveals that most of the existing studies deal with ascending (i.e., English) auctions in which it is assumed that the bid increments are continuous. There is a clear lack of research on optimal descending (i.e., Dutch) auction design with discrete bid levels. This dissertation aims to fill this void by considering single-unit, open-bid, first price Dutch auctions in which the bid levels are restricted to a finite set of values, the number of bidders may be certain or uncertain, and a secret reserve price may be present or absent. These types of auctions are most attractive for selling products that are perishable (e.g., flowers) or whose value decreases with time (e.g., air flight seats and concert tickets) (Carare and Rothkopf, 2005). I began by conducting a comprehensive survey of the current literature to identify the key dimensions of an auction model. I then zeroed in on the particular combination of parameters that characterize the Dutch auctions of interest. As a significant departure from the traditional methods employed by applied economists and game theorists, …
Date: May 2010
Creator: Li, Zhen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Examining Curvilinearity and Moderation in the Relationship between the Degree of Relatedness of Individual Diversification Actions and Firm Performance (open access)

Examining Curvilinearity and Moderation in the Relationship between the Degree of Relatedness of Individual Diversification Actions and Firm Performance

Corporate diversification continues to be an important phenomenon in the modern business world. More than thirty years of research on diversification suggests that the degree of relatedness among a firm's business units is a factor that can affect firm performance, but the true effect of diversification relatedness on firm performance is still inconclusive. The purpose of this dissertation is to shed more light on this inconclusive association. However, attention is focused on the performance implications of individual diversification actions (e.g., acquisitions and joint ventures) rather than on the overall performance of firms with different levels of diversification. A non-experimental, longitudinal analysis of secondary data was conducted on over 450 unique acquisitions and on more than 210 joint ventures. Results suggest that even when individual diversification actions rather than entire business portfolios are examined, an inverted curvilinear association between diversification relatedness and performance is likely to emerge. This pattern is observed in both acquisitions and joint ventures. However, the association between diversification relatedness and performance in acquisitions is moderated by the level of industry adversity, though factors such as corporate coherence and heterogeneous experience do not moderate the association between diversification relatedness and performance. This study augments the body of knowledge …
Date: May 2011
Creator: Cernas Ortiz, Daniel Arturo
System: The UNT Digital Library
Absorptive Capacity:  An Empirical Examination of the Phenomenon and Relationships with Firm Capabilities (open access)

Absorptive Capacity: An Empirical Examination of the Phenomenon and Relationships with Firm Capabilities

The field of strategic management addresses challenges that firms encounter in an attempt to remain competitive. The ability to explain variation in firm success through examination of knowledge flows has become a prominent focus of research in the strategic management literature. Specifically, researchers have sought to further examine how firms convert knowledge, a phenomenon conceptualized as absorptive capacity. Absorptive capacity is the firm’s ability to acquire, assimilate, transform, and exploit knowledge. Few studies have captured the richness and multi-dimensionality of absorptive capacity, and it remains to be understood how the dimensions of the phenomenon convert knowledge. Furthermore, how absorptive capacity influences the firm remains to be understood. To address these research gaps, this dissertation seeks to (1) determine how absorptive capacity converts knowledge, and (2) determine how absorptive capacity influences firm capabilities. The research questions are investigated using structural modeling techniques to analyze data collected from software-industry firms. The findings offer contributions to the absorptive capacity and capability literatures. For example, absorptive capacity is hypothesized to consist of complex relationships among its internal dimensions. However, findings of this study suggest the relationships among the dimensions are linear in nature. This finding is in line with the theoretical foundations of and …
Date: May 2012
Creator: Daspit, Josh
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Emotional Business:  the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Entrepreneurial Success (open access)

An Emotional Business: the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Entrepreneurial Success

Successful entrepreneurial activity is important for a healthy economy and can be a major source of job creation. While the concept of entrepreneurship has been around for quite some time, researchers continue to explore the factors that underlie entrepreneurial performance. Specifically, researchers have sought to further examine why some entrepreneurial ventures are more successful than others. the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) has gained the attention of researchers and practitioners alike. Practitioners have realized that employees can no longer be perceived as biological machines that are capable of leaving their feelings, norms, and attitudes at home when they go to work. Researchers are embracing the concept of emotional intelligence because of its relationship with efficiency, productivity, sales, revenues, quality of service, customer loyalty, employee recruitment and retention, employee commitment, employee health and satisfaction, and morale. While there is considerable evidence documenting the effects of emotional intelligence on leadership performance, job performance in large firms, and educational performance, very little research has examined how emotional intelligence affects entrepreneurial performance and the variables that account for this relationship. Individuals in entrepreneurial occupations face business situations that necessitate unique skills and abilities in social interactions. Emotional intelligence has implications for entrepreneurial situations and …
Date: May 2012
Creator: McLaughlin, Erin B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Modern Problems and Practices of Management as Revealed in Selected Contemporary American Novels (open access)

Modern Problems and Practices of Management as Revealed in Selected Contemporary American Novels

This study is an examination of the hypothesis that selected contemporary American novels offer vivid illustrations of modern problems and practices of management as seen in business and industry. Too often, university management courses treat management processes as isolated cases in limited and static settings. Novelists, on the other hand, treat these same processes in a broader context and often deal quite subtly and perceptively with everything from the mammoth corporation to the single proprietorship. Students proposing to become businessmen, therefore, should benefit from this novelistic perspective so frequently overlooked.
Date: May 1972
Creator: Ashley, Janelle Coleman 1941-
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Systems Approach to Organization Design, Employing Minimum Required Coordination as a Design Parameter (open access)

A Systems Approach to Organization Design, Employing Minimum Required Coordination as a Design Parameter

The purpose of the research effort was to investigate the relationships that exist between managerial functions and organizational structure with the specific objective of employing the managerial function of coordination as a design parameter in designing organizations.
Date: May 1972
Creator: Goff, Wayne Hulen
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationship between Identifiable Attributes and Decision-Making Ability of Purchasing Personnel as Measured by the Results of a Management Game (open access)

The Relationship between Identifiable Attributes and Decision-Making Ability of Purchasing Personnel as Measured by the Results of a Management Game

This study investigated the relationship between certain biographical and personality characteristics and decision-making ability of purchasing personnel as measured by the results achieved in a complex management game.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Ellis, Norman Dean, 1933-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Introduction of Self-Manage Work Teams at a Brownfield Site: a Study of Organization-Based Self-Esteem and Performance (open access)

Introduction of Self-Manage Work Teams at a Brownfield Site: a Study of Organization-Based Self-Esteem and Performance

This empirical study is aimed at understanding the patterns of relationships among the organization structure of self-managed work teams in terms of three sets of constructs: 1. organization-based self-esteem; 2. consequent behaviors of intrinsic work motivation, general job satisfaction, organization citizenship, and organization commitment; and 3. performance. The primary significance of this study is that it adds to the pool of empirical knowledge in the field of self-managed work team research. The significance of this study to practicing managers is that it can help them make better-informed decisions on the use of the self-managed work team structure. This study was a sample survey composed of five standardized questionnaires using a five-point Likert-type scale, open-ended questions, and demographic questions. Unstructured interviews supplemented the structured survey and for means of triangulation of results. The variables were analyzed using regression analysis for the purpose of path analysis. The site was a manufacturing plant structured around self-managed work teams. The population was full-time, first-line production employees.
Date: May 1994
Creator: Borycki, Christine
System: The UNT Digital Library
Small Business Owner-Managers and Corporate Managers: a Comparative Study of Achievement Motivation, Risk Taking Propensity and Preference for Innovation (open access)

Small Business Owner-Managers and Corporate Managers: a Comparative Study of Achievement Motivation, Risk Taking Propensity and Preference for Innovation

Despite the economic significance of entrepreneurship, relatively little is known about the entrepreneur, particularly how the entrepreneur differs from the corporate manager. This problem is both cause and symptom of the discord regarding definitions of the entrepreneur, rendering sampling, research replication and generalizations about entrepreneurs problematic. As a result, inquiry has failed to adequately establish how entrepreneurs differ from managers, a problem partially stemming from a dearth of methodologically rigorous comparisons of entrepreneurs with managers. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of psychological constructs to predict a proclivity for entrepreneurship. Moreover, differences in types of small business owner-managers were also investigated. Included in the research model were three common themes in the entrepreneurship literature: achievement motivation, risk taking propensity and preference for innovation. Also incorporated were the interactions of the psychological constructs, as well as individual and firm demographic variables.
Date: May 1995
Creator: Stewart, Wayne H. (Wayne Howard)
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Investigation of the Relationship between Work Value Congruence in a Dyad and Organizational Commitment as Mediated by Organizational Influences (open access)

An Investigation of the Relationship between Work Value Congruence in a Dyad and Organizational Commitment as Mediated by Organizational Influences

Researchers suggest that value congruence in superior-subordinate dyads results in positive outcomes for an organization (Kemelgor, 1980; Meglino, Ravlin, & Adkins, 1989; 1990; Parkington & Schneider, 1979; Senger, 1971; Weeks, Chonko, Kahle, 1989). Further, evidence is presented which suggests that commitment at the organizational level is achieved, in part, through value congruence at the individual level of analysis. Analysis at the individual level reflects the effect of shared values on interpersonal relations. Work value congruence in a dyad enhances the development of a high quality dyadic relationship. The subordinate in such a relationship perceives being allowed more participation in decision making, more positive work experiences, and less role stress (Turban & Jones, 1988). These items have been found to be predictor variables of commitment from Steer's (1977) framework of antecedents. In this study, a research model was proposed which suggests that work value congruence in the subordinate-superior dyad leads to organizational commitment through its effect on subordinate perceptions of role stress characteristics, participation, and work experiences. The model integrates the organizational aspects of the Steer's (1977) framework for organizational commitment with the interpersonal effect of work value congruence. A field study design using a sample of 96 subordinate-superior dyads at …
Date: May 1997
Creator: Dale, Kathleen M. (Kathleen Marie)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Exchange Under Fire: Direct and Moderated Effects of Job Insecurity on Social Exchange (open access)

Social Exchange Under Fire: Direct and Moderated Effects of Job Insecurity on Social Exchange

This study is concerned with the impact of job insecurity on the vital social exchange relationship between employee and employer. Specifically, it explored the relationship between job insecurity and two important social exchange outcomes—organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, it assessed the moderating effects of individual factors (communal orientation and powerlessness) and situational factors (trust in management, procedural fairness, and organizational support) on these relationships.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Bultena, Charles D. (Charles Dean)
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Empirical Investigation of the Interaction Effects of Leader-Member Locus of Control on Participation in Strategic Decision Making (open access)

An Empirical Investigation of the Interaction Effects of Leader-Member Locus of Control on Participation in Strategic Decision Making

The purpose of this study was to test for a relationship between locus of control and participation in strategic decision making. The research model included the variables of gender, locus of control, job-work involvement and preference for participative environment as possible influences on team member participation in strategic decision making. Another feature of the model was the proposed three-way interaction effect on member participation. This interaction included member job-work involvement, member preference for participation and leader locus of control.
Date: May 1995
Creator: May, Ruth C. (Ruth Carolyn)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Organizational Commitment: A Cross-National Comparison of Arab and Non-Arab Employees in Saudi Petrochemical Companies (open access)

Organizational Commitment: A Cross-National Comparison of Arab and Non-Arab Employees in Saudi Petrochemical Companies

Individuals with different personal demographics and job-based factors have different attitudes and behaviors, which can influence their levels of commitment to their organizations. These differences in organizational commitment increase as their cultural backgrounds differ significantly. Personal demographics and job-related factors are reliable predictors of employees' commitment to their employing organizations. The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate if there is a difference in the level of employees' commitment to Saudi petrochemical companies on the basis of differences in their personal demographics and job-related factors.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Al-Kahtany, Abdulwahab Said
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental Scanning Practices of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria (open access)

Environmental Scanning Practices of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to examine scanning practices in a developing country by looking at the scanning behavior of executives of Nigerian manufacturing firms. Specifically, this study examined the decision maker's perception of environmental uncertainty (PEU), the frequency and degree of interest with which decision makers scan each sector of the environment, the frequency of use of various sources of information, the number of organizational adjustments made in response to actions of environmental groups, and the obstacles encountered in collecting information from the environment.
Date: May 1992
Creator: Sawyerr, Olukemi Olaitan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cultural Diversity and Team Performance: Testing for Social Loafing Effects (open access)

Cultural Diversity and Team Performance: Testing for Social Loafing Effects

The concept of social loafing is important with regard to organizational effectiveness particularly as organizations are relying on teams as a means to drive productivity. The composition of those teams is likely to reflect the current movement of racial and ethnic minorities in the work place. The primary purpose of this research was to determine the role cultural diversity plays in enhancing performance and thereby eliminating social loafing. The research study is significant because 1) it is among the first to use culturally diverse work groups while examining the social loafing phenomenon, and 2) the groups were intact project teams, rather than ad-hoc groups commonly found in social loafing experiments. It was anticipated that the members of culturally homogeneous groups would engage in social loafing when their individual efforts were "buried." However, subjects in both culturally diverse and culturally homogeneous groups resisted social loafing behaviors. Additional statistical analysis revealed that as group orientation increased, performance levels increased as well. Group orientation, then, appears to be a more powerful determinant of performance than group composition. It is expected that the time these groups had together and the performance feedback opportunities provided them, prior to the experiment, contributed significantly to these results. …
Date: May 1997
Creator: Heller, Deanna M. (Deanna Marcell)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Linkage of Business and Manufacturing Strategies as a Determinant of Enterprise Performance: an Empirical Study in the Textile Industry (open access)

Linkage of Business and Manufacturing Strategies as a Determinant of Enterprise Performance: an Empirical Study in the Textile Industry

The main question in this study was: do business units that exhibit a "linkage" or "fit" between their business strategy and manufacturing strategy variables, outperform competitors who lack such a fit? This exploratory research focused on two business strategies: cost leadership and differentiation. Based on existing literature, twenty-four hypotheses concerning the relationship between business strategy and selected manufacturing strategy variables were developed. The manufacturing executives of eighty-eight broadwoven cotton fabric mills (SIC 2211) were surveyed using a qualitative questionnaire. Two sets of comparisons were made between the manufacturing strategy variables of the sampled firms: first, high vs. low performers pursuing cost leadership strategy; and second, high vs. low performers focusing on differentiation strategy. Within each set of comparisons, high performers reported linkage between their business strategies and selected manufacturing strategy variables. This study re-affirms the importance of linking business strategy with manufacturing strategy variables as a forceful weapon for overcoming competition.
Date: May 1992
Creator: Kassaee, Massoud
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Relationships between Employee Stock Ownership Plans and Corporate Performance (open access)

A Study of the Relationships between Employee Stock Ownership Plans and Corporate Performance

This work collected four years of financial data from an employee-owned firm and a traditionally-owned firm from the same industry. The data were then organized to provide measures of three dimensions of corporate performance: (1) employee turnover, (2) productivity, and (3) profitability. Based upon a review of the literature, employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) are reported to enhance corporate performance after their adoption. Additionally, ESOPs are purported to perform better than traditionally-owned companies. This dissertation developed hypotheses to ascertain whether or not the particular ESOP used in this study conformed to these expectations. The first set of three hypotheses was tested using multiple regression techniques to determine if the ESOP experienced a reduction in turnover, an improvement in productivity, and an increase in profitability following its conversion to employee-ownership. The results of the regressions found that there was no incremental significance. There was no improvement noted in the performance of the ESOP firm. Another component of this investigation was to determine whether improvements in corporate performance were temporary or permanent phenomena. This portion of the research was rendered superfluous when no improvements were available for analysis. The final question that was examined was whether the ESOP would demonstrate better performance …
Date: May 1988
Creator: Robinson, Robert K. (Robert Kirkland)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Corporate Planning and Forecasting: An Analysis of the State of the Art in the Service Industry and Development of a Generalized Approach for the Needs of the 1970's and the 1980's (open access)

Corporate Planning and Forecasting: An Analysis of the State of the Art in the Service Industry and Development of a Generalized Approach for the Needs of the 1970's and the 1980's

This study has a twofold purpose. The first is to demonstrate the state of the art of corporate planning and forecasting activity, and the second is to determine the existence of any differences between the planning practices of the consumer service industry and the producer service industry. The study is organized into seven chapters. The introduction chapter contains background information, a description of the problem and opportunity followed by a definition of terms, the purpose of the research, hypothesis of the research. It also describes the scope of the research, methodology, significance and limitations of the study and provides a chapter bibliography. The study finds that though certain segments of the service industry have sophisticated planning capability, it is not generally widespread. The study concludes there is no significant difference in the planning methods between consumer services and producer services industries
Date: May 1977
Creator: Subramanian, Bala R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Value of Ties: Impact of Director Interlocks on Acquisition Premium and Post-acquisition Performance (open access)

The Value of Ties: Impact of Director Interlocks on Acquisition Premium and Post-acquisition Performance

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) evolved as alternative governance structures for firms seeking to combine resources with other firms, access larger markets, or acquire strategic assets. In spite of managers’ enthusiasm about the practice, studies show mixed results regarding post-acquisition performance of acquiring firms. The impact of acquisitions on the performance of acquiring firms has therefore remained inconclusive. A few reasons for this have been suggested and recent meta-analytic research efforts indicate that studies in M&A may have ignored variables that have significant effects on post-acquisition performance. In a bid to extend the literature on M&A and identify cogent variables that impact on acquisition performance, this dissertation draws on social network theory to advance a proposition for the value-of-ties. This was done by examining the impact of directorate interlocks on acquisitions specifically and organizational strategy in general. A non-experimental cross-sectional study of 98 interlocked directorate companies simultaneously involved in acquisitions was conducted. Several multiple regression analyses were conducted and the results obtained suggest that there is a positive linear relationship between director interlocks and post-acquisition performance and that to some extent this relationship is moderated by acquisition experience. The study also showed that director interlocks have a negative linear relationship with …
Date: May 2014
Creator: Lawani, Uyi
System: The UNT Digital Library
When and Where Does It Pay to Be Green: Intra- and Inter-organizational Factors Influencing the Environmental/Financial Performance Link (open access)

When and Where Does It Pay to Be Green: Intra- and Inter-organizational Factors Influencing the Environmental/Financial Performance Link

Managers are coming under increasing pressure from a wide array of stakeholders to improve the environmental performance of their firms while still achieving financial performance objectives. One of the most researched questions in the business and the natural environment (B&NE) literature is whether it pays to be green. Despite more than three decades of research, scholars have been unable to clearly answer this question. The purpose of this dissertation was to attempt to identify the antecedents that lead to increased, firm-level environmental performance and the conditions in which firms are then able to profit from enhanced environmental performance. First, I assessed three intra-organizational factors of top management teams (i.e. female representation, concern for non-financial stakeholders, and risk-seeking propensity) that theory indicated are associated with increased corporate environmental performance (CEP). Theory also leads us to believe that top management teams with these attributes should perform better in dynamic settings, so I tested to see if industry dynamism moderates these relationships. Second, I then examined industry-level forces that theory indicates would moderate the relationship between CEP and corporate financial performance (CFP). These moderating forces include industry profitability, industry dynamism, and the degree of industry environmental regulation. Hypotheses were tested using panel data …
Date: May 2014
Creator: Cox, Marcus Z.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Facilitating and Inhibiting Personality Dimensions in Occupational Identification (open access)

A Study of Facilitating and Inhibiting Personality Dimensions in Occupational Identification

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of examining the association between personality as measured by a standard scale and the extent of projection in a social perception role projection task. The investigation assumes that perceptions regarding environment are systematically related to choice behavior. In this regard, the research examines those specific dimensions of personality that facilitate or inhibit social perception. Chapter I presents an introduction to the problem. Additionally, the background of the problem, purpose of the study, the hypotheses, the limits of the study, and the assumptions are given. Chapter II is the methodology. The nature of the subjects, the procedure, the research instrument and the methodological steps used for analysis of data are explained. Results of the investigation are given in Chapter III, while Chapter IV presents a discussion of the results, including the conclusions, implications of the study, and suggestions for further research.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Chaney, Warren H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Conglomerate Performance as Influenced by Selected Management Practices (open access)

Conglomerate Performance as Influenced by Selected Management Practices

The latest surge of corporate mergers has been characterized by a steadily increasing rate of conglomerate combinations. It would appear that one of the prime motivating factors in conglomerate merger is a firm belief in the principle of "synergism," or the mutually cooperating action of separate substances taken together to produce an effect greater than that of any component taken alone. It would also appear that in such instances wherein there is no direct relationship in regard to raw material source, product development, production technology, or marketing channels, the principle of synergism is not automatic, but must be implemented by appropriate management action. The hypothesis of the study is that the goal of achieving synergism through centrality of management influence has not yet become a reality in conglomerate business organizations as a group. It is the purpose of the study to investigate the degree of centralized management development in a number of management functions and relate this development to success in selected performance areas.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Ablowich, Edgar Allen, 1913-
System: The UNT Digital Library