Browsing by Author "Tony O'Driscoll, Committee Co-Chair"

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    Examination of the Interaction of Team Learning Variables Within a Systems Focus on Organizational Learning and the Learning Organization: A Study of a Nursing Team at a Large Southeastern Teaching Hospital
    (2003-09-03) Corpening, James L. Jr.; Conrad Glass, Committee Member; John Pettitt, Committee Co-Chair; Tony O'Driscoll, Committee Co-Chair; Diane Chapman, Committee Member
    The purpose of this study is twofold. First, this study takes an exploratory approach into examining the interaction of the team learning variables contained in the Team Learning Survey developed by Dechant and Marsick (1993). The interaction of the variables was examined to give further insight into whether the variables individually, or in combination, add to the empirical base of understanding team learning theory. Secondly, this study employs an already established work team and analyzes whether the team learning variables are applicable to work and demographic variables (ethnicity, gender, salary, age, professional degree, work status, and nursing longevity). The team selected for analysis is nurses at ABC Hospital (pseudonym). This team was chosen because teamwork is fundamental to their work product, and they rely upon the knowledge of one another to provide care for patients. A multiple regression procedure was used to examine the interaction of five team learning variables: 1) team learning processes, 2) team learning conditions, 3) team learning outcomes, 4) organizational learning conditions, and 5) organizational learning contributions. A regression model indicated team learning processes, team learning conditions, and organizational learning contributions predict team learning outcomes. The model was able to explain 73 percent of the sample variation in team learning outcomes. However, the team learning processes variable alone explains 70 percent of the 73 percent sample variation. Additional analysis was conducted with respect to the team learning variables. ANOVA and Tukey procedures were used to determine if the team learning variables differ by ethnicity, gender, full- vs. part-time work status, age and salary. At a .05 level of significance, Asians scored higher than Caucasians on team learning conditions and African-Americans scored higher than Caucasians on organizational learning contributions. Spearman correlation was used to determine if a relationship exists among the team learning variables and demographic variables (nursing longevity, salary, and age). At a .05 level of significance, the team learning variables showed no relationship with the demographic variables.
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    The Types of Problems Encountered by Small Business Owners that Receive Counseling from Small Business Centers and the Relationship Between these Problems and Selected Business Characteristics: A Regional Analysis
    (2004-05-12) Harris, Michael Lee; Ronald Shearon, Committee Member; George Vaughan, Committee Co-Chair; Tony O'Driscoll, Committee Co-Chair; Virginia Lee, Committee Member
    The purpose of this study was to determine the types of problems encountered by small business owners that receive counseling from Small Business Centers in the eastern region of North Carolina and the relationship between these problems and selected business characteristics. The three independent variables were industry sector (retail or service), business development status (startup or operating), and owner's gender (male or female). The type of problems encountered by small business owners was the dependent variable. Based on prior research by Ansoff (1965) and Chrisman and Leslie (1989), the classification system used to categorize business problems included administrative, operating, and strategic problems. The study was based on a survey research design and Pearson's chi-square and lambda tests were used to indicate significance between variables and strength of association. The data were taken from the administrative records of eight Small Business Centers in eastern North Carolina and featured a random sample of 300 small businesses. The findings of the study indicated that the majority of small business owners in the retail and service sectors in eastern North Carolina rely on counseling from Small Business Centers to help them resolve issues that are core to the development of a successful enterprise. The most common type of problems facing these business owners was strategic in nature (54%). The second most common type of problems experienced by these business owners was administrative (33.3%), followed by operating problems (12.7%). The only exception was with firms classified as operating. Administrative problems were more common in operating firms, regardless of industry sector or gender. In all other combinations of independent variables (retail, service, startup, female-owned, and male-owned), strategic problems were more prevalent. The types of problems encountered by small business owners in this study varied according to the developmental stage of their business, regardless of industry sector or gender. The results of the Pearson's chi-square and lambda tests supported this conclusion. The only independent variable found to have a significant (p<.001) relationship with the type of problems experienced by small businesses included in the study was business development status. Lambda indicated that the strength of the association between the type of problems and business development status was worth noting. While industry sector and owner's gender by themselves did not show a significant relationship with the type of problems, there was some evidence of significance when the variables were combined, and the significance level was changed to .10. A significant relationship (p<.10) existed between the type of problems and the industry sector and gender of clients that received counseling from Small Business Centers in eastern North Carolina, when controlling for male-owned firms (p<.064) and service firms (p<.053). There was also some evidence of significance between the type of problems and industry sector, business development status, and gender, when controlling for male-owned startup firms (p<.064) and startup retail firms (p<.078). However, lambda showed no strength in these associations.