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Although there are some key qualities that all good leaders employ, variations in effective leadership approaches are evident across different cultures. This project sought to compare and analyze the differences and similarities in leadership principles between Chinese and American business cultures, with emphasis on the divergence caused by the influences

Although there are some key qualities that all good leaders employ, variations in effective leadership approaches are evident across different cultures. This project sought to compare and analyze the differences and similarities in leadership principles between Chinese and American business cultures, with emphasis on the divergence caused by the influences of history, culture and politics.
ContributorsLe Tourneur, Maxine Archondakis (Author) / McKinnon, David (Thesis director) / LePine, Marcie (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
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Description
Many companies recognize the need of soft skill improvement and utilize leadership development programs. As the program states, the company uses the curriculum to focus on developing and cultivating leadership skills for their employees. While perfecting the aptitudes, it is vital that these curriculums focus primarily on developing soft skills

Many companies recognize the need of soft skill improvement and utilize leadership development programs. As the program states, the company uses the curriculum to focus on developing and cultivating leadership skills for their employees. While perfecting the aptitudes, it is vital that these curriculums focus primarily on developing soft skills rather than hard skills. Not stating that hard skills are not significant; just that leaders require to apply soft skills abundantly in their day to day duties. Within this thesis, the discussion is on the gap of soft skills and why the need to improve and narrow the breach is imperative in today's workforce. About 67% of HR managers will hire a candidate with strong soft skills, even if their hard skills are lacking; since HR managers value and recognize the proficiency gap of soft skills in the workforce today. Because of the necessity for soft skills, it is vital for employers to identify how to assess for soft skills. In order to do so, the companies should focus on the competencies that are required for the needed position. For the competencies that are utilized in leadership positions, soft skills are emphasized and assesses for more. Salt River Project is utilized, in the thesis, as a company example on assessing competencies that are desired when hiring for leadership positions, varying from a supervisor level position to a director level position. Due to the findings stated in the thesis, soft skills are weighed heavily and are recognized as required skills for most leadership positions. Therefore, soft skills are paramount in leadership development programs.
ContributorsRodriquez, Alisa (Author) / Macafee, Lisa (Thesis director) / Knott, Eric (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Teacher preparation programs and how they function and educate future teachers can have large-scale impacts within the classroom, yet in the United States we see these processes operating drastically differently in various states, cities, and universities. In order to understand some of the differences in teacher preparation programs and how

Teacher preparation programs and how they function and educate future teachers can have large-scale impacts within the classroom, yet in the United States we see these processes operating drastically differently in various states, cities, and universities. In order to understand some of the differences in teacher preparation programs and how they differ from other programs, this study reviews the literature and shares the experiences of current students in teacher preparation programs both in the United States and Finland. Finland's education system has risen to international notoriety with the use and reporting of the country's strong ranking on the Programme for International Student Achievement or PISA. In 2001 during the inaugural publication of the PISA results, Finland was ranked in the top three of all three subject areas (science, reading, and mathematics literacy) amongst other nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The small Nordic nation exceeded anyone's expectations of their performance on the PISA and gained worldwide recognition for the high caliber of their students and their education system. One of the biggest components of a strong education system is the strength and caliber of its teachers. As a part of the Finnish reforms in the 1970's, policies and oversight were put in place regarding the preparation of teachers for Finnish schools. The level of preparation and the qualifications of teachers were increased as a part of these reform efforts and as such Finnish teachers are required to hold at minimum, a Master's degree. Teacher preparation programs in Finland have been consolidated into just eight universities nationwide with rigorous programs and a research emphasis. Teaching in Finland is also a highly sought after and well-regarded career path. According to the Finnish Teacher Training Schools, "[i]n 2016, over 6600 applicants competed for the 660 available slots in primary school preparation programmes" (About us, 2017). With an admission rate of only ten percent, teacher preparation programs are extremely competitive, oftentimes rivaling admission rates of medical or law schools. As the United States seeks to strengthen its education system, it is vital that we learn from the success of other nations. Making changes to the policies and processes of teacher training has been highly successful in strengthening the Finnish education system and contains insights relevant to improving the education system here in the US. Experiences, insights, and observations of the Finnish teacher training process can be impactful in evaluating ways in which the United States could seek to improve its own teacher training. Based on the available literature and experiences shared by both Finnish and American teacher preparation students and program graduates, I will compare some of the differences between the two systems and provide recommendations as to how the United States could incorporate some of the successful components of Finnish teacher training programs into its own offerings as it works to better prepare teachers for the classroom.
ContributorsEtz, Shannon Faye (Author) / LePore, Paul (Thesis director) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The Barrett, the Honors College Internships and Research Department provides information regarding internship and research position availabilities, generates greater exposure to various companies and organizations seeking student help, and offers students assistance in applying for employment. The office's current objectives are to increase student engagement and escalate student success in

The Barrett, the Honors College Internships and Research Department provides information regarding internship and research position availabilities, generates greater exposure to various companies and organizations seeking student help, and offers students assistance in applying for employment. The office's current objectives are to increase student engagement and escalate student success in internship and research involvement. The application of marketing resources requires evaluation and improvement in order to increase attendance at the events held by the office each semester, which have consistently received disappointing turnouts. This study examines the marketing communication channels currently used in order to productively correlate these channels with event attendance.
ContributorsVillemez, Hallie Katherine (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Olsen, Doug (Committee member) / Russo, Lianne (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2013-12
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Description
This honors project was born out of a desire to understand individuals who abandoned political glory in favor of serving other leaders. I wanted to study and know who can go head-to-head with \u2014 and command the respect of \u2014 the U.S. President on a daily basis. I limited my

This honors project was born out of a desire to understand individuals who abandoned political glory in favor of serving other leaders. I wanted to study and know who can go head-to-head with \u2014 and command the respect of \u2014 the U.S. President on a daily basis. I limited my search to friends of the presidents who held powerful positions: I identified Harry Hopkins, Robert McNamara, and Condoleezza Rice. This thesis is broken into the following sections. To begin, we follow each official in their rise to prominence and discover how they captured the attention of their respective presidents. Next, we delve into their relationships with the Oval Office -- what is similar or different about each of their connections with the presidents. The bulk of the work focuses on pivotal moments in our country's history \u2014 events that shaped the United States of today. Specifically, we look at the New Deal, World War II, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Middle East, and nuclear weapons proliferation. Then, we dissect similarities and differences between their relationships with their presidents, and wrap up with some takeaways about how one could go about becoming a presidential advisor. Their distinctive styles can be grouped into doers or planners. Hopkins and McNamara were proud and self-proclaimed doers. Rice stands alone as a fantastic planner. If one seeks to emulate any of these three, there are three things to commit to. First, skills both matter and don't matter. Second, there are two paths to getting presidential attention and becoming close enough for them to seek one out for advice. The first is to understand which wheels need greasing, and grease them. The other is to have a potential solution to an unsolved problem -- that is powerful. Be great, a maverick, and public, or look to create your own role from scratch and hope that you are an expert when a time of great need comes. Third, once you are friends with and have the political ear of the president, know that loyalty is the only thing that truly matters. This thesis is an attempt to better understand leadership through the lens of powerful followers. This project strives to inform the reader of the context within which these actors played, the actions that they took, and the consequences that were incurred, all while being personally close to the most powerful position on the planet. I have tried to give context and understanding for pivotal moments in American history while shining a spotlight on a few underappreciated historical actors.
ContributorsAnhoury, Mitchell Alden (Author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Dysfunctional organizations and toxic leader behavior has been increasingly examined over the past few years. Scholars, consultants and the media have analyzed and considered a variety of causes underlying destructive company practices and the bad behavior of bosses. Much is at stake as both individual and company is at risk

Dysfunctional organizations and toxic leader behavior has been increasingly examined over the past few years. Scholars, consultants and the media have analyzed and considered a variety of causes underlying destructive company practices and the bad behavior of bosses. Much is at stake as both individual and company is at risk along with shareholders. In this study I identify some dysfunctions in organizations, dimensions of destructive leaders and the impact in the workplace and the community. Moreover, I provide ideas for preventative measures and how dysfunctional practices can be identified and dealt with. I begin with a brief background introduction to the subject matter and proceed with an examination of some signs and behaviors displayed in the dysfunctional workplace. How does departmental, divisional and companywide dysfunction impact employee levels of trust, emotional intelligence and performance? What is the cost of company dysfunction on leaders? Following an exhaustive examination of relevant research, I have decided to focus on two specific sources due to their impact on corporate, consulting and academic communities. I utilize Babiak and Hare's, Snakes in Suits and Stanford Professor Robert Sutton's book, The No Asshole Rule. Building upon these works and the composite of research reviewed by these key scholars I move forward to a real- world case of a dysfunctional organizational and toxic CEO via an examination of Uber Technologies Inc. I will be revealing dimensions of both Uber's wide-reaching dysfunction and the workings of a CEO who has been identified as a psychopath. I provide ideas for identifying the dysfunctional organization (with Uber as a prototype) and look at possible means of generating solutions and actions for combatting excessively negative and destructive organizational and leader behavior. Finally, I am concerned with takeaways and pragmatic implications offered by my research.
ContributorsMolina, Alissa Ruth (Author) / Goldman, Alan (Thesis director) / Trujillo, Rhett (Committee member) / Dean, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
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Description
This paper focuses on the various types of Theories and Models that are designed to help managers and leaders influence others. Specifically, for this paper I will be exploring these Theories and Models to determine the most promising method of influence. Then I will conduct an experiment to measure the

This paper focuses on the various types of Theories and Models that are designed to help managers and leaders influence others. Specifically, for this paper I will be exploring these Theories and Models to determine the most promising method of influence. Then I will conduct an experiment to measure the effectiveness of a methods ability to influence within Phi Kappa Theta. I will then compare the increase or decrease of service hours to the Inter Fraternal Council (IFC) at Arizona State University to judge our performance and determine whether the chosen method is effective or not.
ContributorsPetersen, Charles Casper (Author) / Baer, Michael (Thesis director) / Wynn, Bridgette (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
The purpose of this research is to define significant explanatory factors behind differences in work preferences across country of origin, gender, and generation. We conducted a survey through Qualtrics, which consisted of 45 questions. The survey was administered to men and women who were U.S. citizens and non-US citizens and

The purpose of this research is to define significant explanatory factors behind differences in work preferences across country of origin, gender, and generation. We conducted a survey through Qualtrics, which consisted of 45 questions. The survey was administered to men and women who were U.S. citizens and non-US citizens and who were from two pre-defined generational groups: Generation X and Generation Z. Furthermore, the questions were intended to determine different work preferences in Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions (Power Distance, Masculinity/Femininity, Individualism/Collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance), McClelland's Motivational Theory, Alpha/Beta Work Values, and Leadership Traits from the GLOBE study. We also had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo, Japan in December 2016 to gather qualitative research data regarding individuals' opinions and experiences in cultural and gender differences in the workplace. We were able to support hypotheses regarding Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions, Alpha and Beta Values, and Leadership Traits specifically across our gender and generational cohorts. Findings from the study indicate significant variations between all three cohorts. Our literature and hypotheses review, methodology, limitations, practical implications in addition to future research to expand our study will be discussed within this text. We hope to provide context and insight into how businesses of the twenty-first century can be inclusive, fair, and profitable amidst a changing workforce and a host of global factors that are constantly refining the multinational company.
ContributorsJirak, Matthew (Co-author) / Vogliotti-Simental, Hector (Co-author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Lee, Peggy (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description

The academic environment has historically been somewhat slow to implement and adopt new technologies. However, developments in video games have created an opportunity for students to learn new skills and topics through nontraditional mediums of education. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for flexible learning

The academic environment has historically been somewhat slow to implement and adopt new technologies. However, developments in video games have created an opportunity for students to learn new skills and topics through nontraditional mediums of education. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for flexible learning opportunities. Joystick Education is our approach to addressing this need. Through online, game-based tutoring and a database of video games with high educational value, Joystick Education creates a learning environment that is effective, fun, and engaging for students. We analyzed popular, mainstream video games for educational content and selected nine games that teach concepts like history, biology, or physics while playing the game. Through promotion on social media, we generated buzz around our website which led to 103 unique visitors over our first month online and two customers requesting to book our tutoring service. We are confident that given more time to grow, Joystick Education can generate profit and become a successful business.

ContributorsVanlue, Aleczander Bryce (Co-author) / Bartels, Parker (Co-author) / Barrong, Tanner (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Pierce, John (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor, Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description

The academic environment has historically been somewhat slow to implement and adopt new technologies. However, developments in video games have created an opportunity for students to learn new skills and topics through nontraditional mediums of education. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for flexible learning

The academic environment has historically been somewhat slow to implement and adopt new technologies. However, developments in video games have created an opportunity for students to learn new skills and topics through nontraditional mediums of education. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for flexible learning opportunities. Joystick Education is our approach to addressing this need. Through online, game-based tutoring and a database of video games with high educational value, Joystick Education creates a learning environment that is effective, fun, and engaging for students. We analyzed popular, mainstream video games for educational content and selected nine games that teach concepts like history, biology, or physics while playing the game. Through promotion on social media, we generated buzz around our website which led to 103 unique visitors over our first month online and two customers requesting to book our tutoring service. We are confident that given more time to grow, Joystick Education can generate profit and become a successful business.

ContributorsBartels, Parker Stephen (Co-author) / Barrong, Tanner (Co-author) / VanLue, Aleczander (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Pierce, John (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05