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Description
The purpose of the study is to explore the identity development and organizational culture of a student organization, the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations council (NALFO) by implementing a community of practice approach at a large, public university in southwestern United States. The objective is to construct a sustainable camaraderie among the existing Latino fraternal organizations at the university to influence leadership development, work toward a common vision, and a cohesive and systematic approach to collaboration, consequently transforming organizational culture. This study investigates the factors that contribute to and/or inhibit increased communication and collaboration and to describe the experiences of Latino fraternal members who are purposefully engaged in a community of practice. There are 57 fraternal organizations in five umbrella councils at the university, including predominately Caucasian, historically African American, Latino, and Multicultural groups, whose platforms are commonly leadership, scholarship, and philanthropy. This action research examines the experiences of six NALFO members individually and working as a community with the guidance of a mentor (the researcher). The researcher employs use of an anonymous initial and post electronic survey, a participant personal statement, an intentional and purposeful community of practice, a semi-structured individual interview, and focus groups to collect data. Findings suggest that length of membership and fraternal experience influence participant responses; however, the themes remain consistent. Building relationships, perception (by members and outsiders), identity development, organizational management, and challenging perspectives (from outside influences) are factors that influence the organizational culture of the organization. On the post electronic survey all participants indicate that the implementation of an intentional community of practice can benefit the organization by encouraging participation and increasing communication. While participants suggest activities for encouraging member engagement, they determine that actual participation would be dependent on individual motivation.
ContributorsHeredia, Anna-Maria (Author) / Rund, James (Thesis advisor) / Calleroz White, Mistalene (Thesis advisor) / Corey, Frederick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
In order to cope with the decreasing availability of symphony jobs and collegiate faculty positions, many musicians are starting to pursue less traditional career paths. Also, to combat declining audiences, musicians are exploring ways to cultivate new and enthusiastic listeners through relevant and engaging performances. Due to these challenges, many community-based chamber music ensembles have been formed throughout the United States. These groups not only focus on performing classical music, but serve the needs of their communities as well. The problem, however, is that many musicians have not learned the business skills necessary to create these career opportunities. In this document I discuss the steps ensembles must take to develop sustainable careers. I first analyze how groups build a strong foundation through getting to know their communities and creating core values. I then discuss branding and marketing so ensembles can develop a public image and learn how to publicize themselves. This is followed by an investigation of how ensembles make and organize their money. I then examine the ways groups ensure long-lasting relationships with their communities and within the ensemble. I end by presenting three case studies of professional ensembles to show how groups create and maintain successful careers. Ensembles must develop entrepreneurship skills in addition to cultivating their artistry. These business concepts are crucial to the longevity of chamber groups. Through interviews of successful ensemble members and my own personal experiences in the Tetra String Quartet, I provide a guide for musicians to use when creating a community-based ensemble.
ContributorsDalbey, Jenna (Author) / Landschoot, Thomas (Thesis advisor) / McLin, Katherine (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Solis, Theodore (Committee member) / Spring, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Despite the vast amount of research within the leadership and culture domains, a paucity of research has integrated the two literatures. This dissertation investigates leadership, organizational culture, and the dynamic interplay between them. It is composed of three papers with the objective to integrate leadership and culture research, theoretically and empirically, and generate novel insights about both phenomena. Paper 1 describes how leader-unit interactions foster culture emergence. I integrate insights from social learning theory, self-regulation theory, and event-structure theory to enumerate how leader-unit interactions create values, beliefs, and underlying assumptions that become shared among members in a nascent work unit. Paper 2 integrates team motivation theory with multilevel leadership theory to address CEO task leadership's paradoxical effect on firm performance through intervening social (i.e., organizational culture) and psychological (i.e., TMT engagement) mechanisms. Using data from 106 CEOs and 324 top management team members, structural equation modeling results revealed that CEO task leadership enhanced firm performance through its positive association with task culture, which in turn was positively related to TMT engagement, which positively contributed to firm performance. Conversely, CEO task leadership hindered firm performance through its negative, direct effect on TMT engagement. Paper 3 integrates various approaches to organizational culture bandwidth that have produced a fragmented view of culture and its effects on organizational outcomes. I draw upon organizational culture theory and bandwidth theory to examine the incremental predictive validity of culture configurations and culture dimensions on broad and narrow criteria. Hierarchical linear regression analyses, from data consisting of 567 employees in 130 bank branches, indicated that narrow culture dimensions predicted variance in narrow outcomes whereas configurations explained incremental variance in broad outcomes above and beyond culture dimensions. Through this dissertation, I take an initial step toward illuminating the interrelationship between leadership and culture by identifying mechanisms through which unit leaders foster culture emergence and by examining how organizational culture is a social normative lens through which followers filter leader behavior. Given culture's importance to leadership and organizational outcomes, the conditions in which culture should be examined as a broad or a narrow phenomenon are also enumerated.
ContributorsHartnell, Chad (Author) / Kinicki, Angelo J (Thesis advisor) / Walumbwa, Fred O (Committee member) / Hom, Peter W (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
This study examines how a commitment to service can impact and come to exemplify a company’s brand image, customer loyalty, and overall organizational success. It examines the history and evolution of customer service, as well as what commitment to service looks like in present-day businesses. It differentiates companies that have attained a reputation for superior service and companies that have struggled to overcome service failures. Trader Joe’s, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Chick-fil-A, Southwest Airlines, and The Walt Disney Company are identified as five companies that have attained a reputation for remarkable service. This study includes five analyses to understand each company’s mission, history, leadership, employee engagement, and organizational culture. This study synthesizes how an unwavering commitment to customers, emphasis on employee empowerment, and ability to embed service in culture are common themes that can significantly contribute to a company’s ability to develop a reputation for remarkable service.
ContributorsBarr, Chandler Wallace (Author) / Desch, Timothy (Thesis director) / Shick, Jennifer (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This work aims to provide a review of the literature on the concept of organizational culture, and apply that knowledge to four companies: Salesforce, Adobe, Facebook, and Twitter. Organizational culture is the shared learning any group goes through over time that guides future thoughts and behaviors. Culture can be influenced and created by leaders in specific ways, as well as by the members of the organization in how they communicate and behave with each other. The focus of this thesis is to analyze recent earnings calls for the values communicated by CEOs of the companies in question. The earnings calls were conducted by the companies, and in them, senior leaders inform shareholders and analysts on financial updates and other pertinent information about the performance of the company. Those four companies were chosen because they are popularly known to have effective and successful cultures. By understanding the foundation of organizational culture and how it might apply to such companies, people who are interested in the concept of organizational culture, and leaders in particular, may stand to learn of an aspect of business where an untapped advantage can be gained.
ContributorsLeviyev, Shalamo (Author) / Kassing, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Salerno, Jessica (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The first thought that comes to mind for most people when they hear of improvisation is most likely the memory of a funny performance seen on television shows such as Who’s Line is it Anyway? or perhaps the opportunity to be an audience member for a live improv troupe performance. In either of these settings, improvisation can be hilarious, dramatic and entertaining and it makes you wonder how people could possibly be making these scenes up on the spot. Unfortunately, not everyone has first-hand experience with the creative, team-building “magic” of improvisation games and exercises. Watching professional improvisation perform can be intimidating to an observer who hopes to one day be an improvisor themselves. Because of this, the immense benefits that improvisation can have within a professional workplace are often overlooked or ignored. I, myself, never had any experience with improvisation or being on stage until the second semester of my sophomore year when I made the choice to try out for ASU comedy.
ContributorsRussell, Anna (Author) / Soares, Rebecca (Thesis director) / Gneiting, Gary (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This research examines the relationship between the famed organizational culture of Disney as a company and the profitability of Walt Disney World itself. There are several factors of the organizational culture within the employees or “cast members” of Walt Disney World that have become the reason Disney itself is so profitable. Those factors have included the training that every cast member must go through, knowledge of the company and the park alike and the positive treatment and benefits given to the cast members by upper management. The training of the cast members is known to establish high levels of trust and respect among the Disney organization and its guests, which can lead to a positive relationship and a long-term customer. The research in this study is to determine whether the organizational culture and the quality of the employees are what causes a Walt Disney World guest to become a customer and that has kept the profitability so high. The research discovered that Walt Disney World leadership has put too much of a focus on making profits. This pressure to make sales has caused organizational culture to become negative and motivation for cast members to sell to drop, causing more pressure from leadership to make sales.
ContributorsPorter, Megan Margaret (Author) / Maday, Renee (Thesis director) / Gimbal, AShley (Committee member) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The reed quintet is an intriguing and innovative chamber ensemble that offers adistinctive soundscape to the genre of chamber music. Through significant efforts to
legitimize the ensemble, the reed quintet now exists as a viable option for chamber
musicians. However, a significant challenge remains in the limited accessibility of
repertoire suitable for developing musicians interested in reed quintets. REED
REVOLUTION: A Fundamental Approach to Reed Quintet represents a comprehensive
solution, offering aspiring student chamber musicians the essential pedagogical tools and
materials needed to excel in a reed quintet setting.
This method book encompasses a wide array of strategies aimed at fostering a
functional and collaborative ensemble, establishing foundational chamber music skills,
and introducing five original compositions commissioned specifically for this project.
With REED REVOLUTION, student reed quintets can begin their chamber music journey
equipped with tools to become a successful ensemble prepared to explore the existing
reed quintet repertoire. Additionally, the method book includes a collection of online
resources and recordings, performed by the Arcane Reed Quintet, produced by Dr.
Joshua Gardner, and recorded by Jin Studios, LLC. These resources include reference
recordings and practice tracks for each instrument and the ensemble, serving as
invaluable aids in the learning process.
ContributorsMacDonald, Benjamin Xavier (Author) / Creviston, Christopher (Thesis advisor) / Gardner, Joshua (Committee member) / Shea, Nicholas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Using two interviews with local Phoenix professional chamber musicians, this document aims to compare their experiences across musical styles to find common ground and understand the value of chamber music as a professional and educational tool.
ContributorsGrahmann, Robert (Author) / Libman, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Compitello, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Music, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
This thesis explores the relationship between military organizational culture and suicidality among service members. This study finds that poor leadership, the socialization of care avoidance, and a lack of support for spousal-related problems, job-related pressure, and life issues perceived to be caused by the military are among the biggest factors of suicidality. The heroization of the military contributes to disconnectedness among service members, and the perception of selflessness of service members is more common in the civilian population and families of service members. The Department of Defense recognizes quality of life as a major factor in suicide prevention, but efforts lack effectiveness due to a lack of leadership buy-in, incentives, and funding.
ContributorsBaldridge, Brock (Author) / Arce, Alma (Thesis director) / O'Keefe, Kelly (Committee member) / Sachdev, Nisha (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2024-05