Electronic Dissertations & Theses
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Item The Relation Between Physics and Mathematics in Thomas Aquinas's Division and Methods of the Sciences(2014-05-01T00:00:00-07:00) Thurau, John II; Dr. Christopher Mirus; Dr. Matthew D. WalzThis thesis addresses the question â How can mathematics provide knowledge of physical objects?â which was provoked by Thomas Aquinasâ s inclusion of â intermediateâ (i.e., physicomathematical) sciences in his Division and Methods of the Sciences. In examining Aquinasâ s process of division, I paid special attention to the way he distinguishes the sciences according to the formal ratio of their objects, an important development upon Boethiusâ s framework. This led me to discuss the modes of abstraction proper to each science and, in turn, how their distinct epistemic foundations seem to prevent one science from being meaningfully applied to the study of another. However, in the case of physics, the accident quantity is implicitly included in the definition of its objects, suggesting that mathematics can, in some way, inform their study (even though mathematical propositions themselves are neither true nor false from the standpoint of extramental reality). I concluded that the knowledge obtained through physico-mathematical sciences is conditional in an ontological sense, for the mathematical systems that these sciences employ cannot be more than hypothetical depictions of observed phenomena. Nevertheless, insofar as the conclusions of a given mathematical model are corroborated by physical data, the hypothesis of the model is validated. In fact, mathematicsâ indifference to the material world is of remarkable value to the physicist. As an ordered system of the imagination, mathematics enables the physicist to reinterpret the material world according to its quantitative aspects in an idealized setting. In this way, mathematics can become an indispensable tool in the physicistâ s quest to locate and abstract the universal natures of physical bodies.Item The Causes of Tyranny as a Guide to Political Reform: St. Thomas More's History of King Richard III of England(2017-04-01T00:00:00-07:00) Mock, Carle; Dr. Gerard Wegemer; Dr. Richard Dougherty; Dr. Daniel BurnsPart One of this dissertation establishes a basis for interpreting Moreâ s History of King Richard III. Chapter One inquires into its genre, concluding it is a â rhetorical historyâ like the histories composed by Thucydides, Livy, Sallust, and Tacitus, a genre similar to drama which aims to reveal fundamental moral and political truths by following classical rhetorical principles. Chapter Two investigates the relationship between the nine textually significant extant versions of this work, and concludes that they derive from a series of revised drafts. The English versions are shown to be preliminary drafts, with the Paris manuscript being the Latin version based on the latest draft. Chapter Three analyzes the changes between drafts and finds that More carefully revised his work and paid particular attention to concepts important in political philosophy. The four chapters of Part Two interpret the work's political teaching. Chapter Four introduces the major themeâ the causes of tyranny in the England depictedâ by contrasting tyranny with a good political order, â republic.â This chapter defines tyranny, distinguishes the tyrant Richard from the merely bad king Edward, notes the relationship between tyranny and faction, and describes the attributes of a republic and its members, â citizens.â It also discusses aligning public and private interests and avoiding conflicts of interest as principles of political reform. Chapter Five inquires into institutional causes of tyranny, discussing sanctuary and the dangers of imprudent rational critique, the strengths and weaknesses of England's criminal, civil, and constitutional law, and the weaknesses of hereditary kingship. Chapter Six inquires into moral causes, concentrating on individual failures of the virtue fides, including persons who are too trusting and those who are not trustworthy, discusses when it is appropriate to trust, and notes the importance of trustworthiness in political teaching. Chapter Seven inquires into nonhuman causesâ Divine Providence, fate, and fortuneâ and concludes that despite the limits these place on human power, a significant arena for choice and action remains. Humans have free will, and should choose to work for the real, but limited possibility of political reform. The Appendix includes a new literal translation of Richard III from Latin.Item Heidegger, Lonergan, and the Modern Philosophic Tradition(2017-07-01T00:00:00-07:00) Arioli, Daniel; Dr. Robert E. Wood; Fr. James Lehrberger; Dr. Michael SharkeyThis dissertation begins from the guiding notion that Bernard Lonergan and Martin Heidegger, by virtue of their dialogue with the Western philosophic tradition and their attempt to overcome the modern paradigm of knowing and of the human person, and when read together, offer a unique and broad horizon wherein to situate a robust philosophical anthropology, taking the human person as both an intellectual being and as fully situated in a history and culture. The basic thesis is that, taken together, Lonergan and Heidegger offer a framework for getting beyond or sublating the impasses of modern thought. The dissertation first lays out the basis of the claim that Lonergan and Heidegger can be read as responding specifically to the problematic set by modern philosophy. It then presents each thinkerâ s formulation of that problem. The bulk of the dissertation lays out, as running parallel, some of the central features of each thinkerâ s master worksâ Insight and Being and Timeâ with an eye to allowing their complementarity stand forth. As regards Lonergan, we treat first the notion of insight, followed by the patterns of experience as pre-reflective organizing principles of experience; then we move on to a treatment of history and the place of fully-human knowing in that history, with a discussion of the self-affirmation of the knower. With Heidegger, we begin with a discussion of Being-in-the-world, move through a treatment of historicity and facticityâ Daseinâ s â thrownnessâ â and then proceed to a discussion of judgment and the ways in which knowing must be regarded as a founded (or non-primary) mode of access to reality. Finally, we compare both thinkersâ understandings of being in a final chapter, and suggest that these understandings of being are an essential part of both thinkersâ understandings of the human person. The dissertation concludes with a brief assessment of the possible avenues of further investigation, with a special emphasis on the possible development of a philosophical anthropology taking its bearings from the insights of Lonergan and Heidegger.Item An Investigation of the Relationship Among Honesty-Humility, Authentic Leadership and Employee Engagement(2017-10-01T00:00:00-07:00) Meskelis, Simone; Dr. J. Lee Whittington; Dr. Timothy GalpinDespite managementâ s growing awareness of the issue, low levels of engagement remain a critical problem for organizations around the world. Addressing employee engagement requires a comprehensive approach that acknowledges both individual and organizational factors as antecedents. This dissertation examines the positive impact of personality traits (individual factors) and leadership style (organizational factor), on employee engagement. This study extends the understanding of the role of individual differences beyond the established Big Five model. Specifically, this study investigates the impact of trait honesty-humility on employee engagement and the moderating effects of authentic leadership. The research was conducted through a field study involving participants from Brazil and U.S. Findings show that honesty-humility impacts employee engagement and that authentic leadership functions as a substitute for honesty-humility. Results also suggest that a combination of high levels of honesty-humility, extraversion, and conscientiousness may represent an engaged personality.Item Work-Related Attributes and Retention: Comparing Millennials and Other Generations(2017-10-27T00:00:00-07:00) Pasko, Raymond; Rosemary Maellaro, PhD; Michael Stodnick, PhDSupervising Professor: Rosemary Maellaro, Ph.D. Employers need to fill a widening gap within the U.S. workforce as a result of older generations aging out and retiring. Millennial employees, the fastest growing generational cohort, are the primary worker group that employers must rely upon to close this gap. However, Millennialsâ expectations regarding work-related attributes are different from previous generations. Therefore, companies need to understand what Millennials expect from their employers and become proactive in meeting those expectations, so they can retain millennial workers. This study surveyed three generations of workers currently employed by a health care company headquartered in the southwestern part of the U.S. to identify which combination of work-related attributes is most effective in influencing them to stay. The results indicate that job security, having a say, career advancement, and work/life balance were the most significant work-related attributes to influenceItem Promoting Employee Engagement Through Enhanced Performance Management: A Field Study of Accountants(2018-02-08T00:00:00-08:00) Asare, Enoch; Dr. J. Lee Whittington; Dr. Robert Walsh; Dr. Tim GalpinAccounting work is characterized by high job demands, tight-deadlines, and job-rotational career paths. At the task level, the work of an accountant may be routine, even mundane, yet the stringency of reporting standards leaves little room for variety, task revision, job crafting, or other expressions of autonomy that are available in other jobs. These attributes of accounting work make accounting work more susceptible to employee disengagement (lack of full presence at work). Yet, performance outcome expectancies require accountants to be engaged (fully present at work). Although there is a great deal of research on employee engagement in general, there is a scarcity of research that investigates the engagement levels of accountants and the impact of engagement levels on performance. The present research proposes and empirically tests enhanced performance management practices as the solution to the disengagement of accountants.Item Siri, Alexa, and Other Digital Assistants: A Study of Customer Satisfaction With Artificial Intelligence Applications(2018-02-26T00:00:00-08:00) Brill, Thomas; Laura Munoz, Ph.D; Rich Miller, DBASiri, Alexa, and other digital assistants are rapidly becoming embraced by consumers and the adoption is projected to grow from 390 million to 1.8 billion for the period of 2015 to 2021. Digital assistants are offering benefits to consumers while also proving to be a disruptive technology for businesses. Coupling digital assistants with other artificial intelligence technologies offers the potential to transform companies by creating more efficient business processes, automating complex tasks, and improving the customer service experience. Businesses have begun integrating this technology into their operations with the expectation of achieving significant productivity gains. Customer satisfaction has been discussed extensively throughout marketing literature. Yet, there is little empirical evidence of customer satisfaction with digital assistants. This study used PLS-SEM to analyze 244 survey responses obtained from a cross-section of consumers. Using the Expectations Confirmation Theory as its foundation, the study identified that expectations and confirmation of expectations substantially explained customer satisfaction with digital assistants. For practice, the study provides guidance which allows firms to prioritize marketing and managerial activities. Firms should focus priorities on assisting digital assistant users to become aware of new skill capabilities while also providing relevant examples of how these skills can be used to meet user needs. In addition, priorities should be focused on assisting users with understanding how the average person can use digital assistants to perform more than just mundane tasks with relative ease. These priorities were identified as areas of high importance for customer satisfaction and require performance improvements.Item A Field Study of an Employee Fit-Centered Approach to Understanding Employee Engagement Across a Generation-Diverse Workforce(2018-04-03T00:00:00-07:00) Brightenburg, Mark; J. Lee Whittington; Greg BellA primary concern of organizations is the development of an engaged workforce. This concern stems in part from recurring reports that approximately two-thirds of U.S. employees are not highly engaged. This problem is exacerbated as the workforce becomes increasingly generation diverse. Generation diversity has always been present in the U.S. labor force, but in recent years it has become more prevalent. It is not uncommon to see individuals from each of the three main generations in todayâ s workforce working side by side, and, there is evidence that the levels of engagement experienced by each generation vary. Drawing from person-environment (P-E) fit and engagement theories, this study presents an employee fit-centered approach to better understand employee engagement across a generation-diverse workforce. A field study research design was employed to test an expanded model of employee engagement. Self-report data were collected from three subsamples (N = 196) and analyzed using quantitative methods. Hypothesis testing was performed using correlation and regression applications. Specifically, this study examined (a) the relationships between employee fit, engagement, and employee attitudes, (b) the mediating effect engagement has on the relationship between employee fit and employee attitudes, (c) generational v differences in work values, and (d) the conditional impact different generations had on the relationship between employee fit and employee engagement. In sum, the results from this study offer strong support for organizations to be more intentional in leveraging the fit -engagement connection. The study findings were used to develop actionable solutions to facilitate high levels of employee engagement.Item An Exploration of the Reciprocal Relationship Between Job Crafting Techniques and Job Demands-Resources Job Crafting(2018-04-05T00:00:00-07:00) Morrow, Donna; Sue Conger, Ph.D; Heather Kissack, Ph.D; Blake Frank, Ph.DBased on extant literature, job crafting research had two schools of thought, not yet related â one was that job demands and job resources are balanced through job crafting and the other was that individuals seek physical, cognitive, and relational improvements through job crafting. This research sought to relate the two types of job crafting to determine if both methods were not mutually exclusive, but rather reciprocally related. Therefore, the research for this dissertation filled a research gap by conducting a cross-sectional field survey to explore to what extent there was a reciprocal relationship between job crafting techniques and job demands-resourcesâ job crafting. Data were collected and split into two data sets to conduct exploratory (n=146) and confirmatory (n=147) analyses. Hypotheses were tested and supported by using partial least squares structural equation modeling. This research adds value to businesses by showing that the two approaches actually overlap a great deal and can be thought of together in the conduct of job crafting. Future research is required to determine how best to combine the two approaches most effectively to conduct job crafting.Item Organizational Turnover: The Effects of Leader Servant Leadership Behaviors and Leader Emotional Intelligence on Follower Turnover Intentions(2018-04-13T00:00:00-07:00) Dalavai, Emmanuel; Rosemary Maellaro, PhD; Scott Wysong, PhD; Jim Dunn, PhDThe costs of organizational turnover have significant economic consequences. Thus, scholars and practitioners often strategize how to reduce followersâ turnover intentions, potentially saving organizations countless dollars on the direct, indirect, and opportunity costs of turnover. Studies found in the literature provide evidence that the behavior of leaders directly impacts followersâ turnover intentions. Therefore, this research focused on followers from a healthcare institution based in the Southwest U.S., and their perceptions of their managersâ leadership behaviors. It specifically examined the effects of leader servant leadership behaviors and leader emotional intelligence on their subordinatesâ turnover intentions. The results indicated that higher levels of servant leader behaviors and increased levels of leader emotional intelligence had an inverse effect on follower turnover intentions, thereby reducing followersâ propensities to leave the organization. This study was unique in that it combined the constructs of servant leadership and emotional intelligence in a turnover intentions-based model. The findings are significant in that they can be incorporated into programs that could help leaders across disparate industries develop a more holistic style of leadership in an effort to positively impact the reduction of organizational turnover.Item The Importance of Delayed Gratification in B2B Sales(2018-10-01T00:00:00-07:00) Robledo, Sergio; Dr. Laura Munoz; Dr. Rich MillerSalespeople play a pivotal role in organizations as they are responsible for revenue streams. Finding the qualities that increase salespeopleâ s probability to perform at high levels when selling in a business to business environment, and how such qualities influence them to want to remain in the organization, are very important questions for companies. Delayed gratification is an important self-regulation construct that provides salespeople with the ability to develop long-term relationships with buyers that will increase business opportunities for both organizations. Establishing the relationships between delayed gratification, performance, and intentions to leave is the main objective of this research. Additionally, finding how two of the Big Five personality traits, consciousness and neuroticism, influence the individualâ s propensity to exercise delayed gratification is a secondary objective of this study. While sales performance and salespeople intentions to leave have been analyzed from several perspectives, to date, no research has been done to relate delayed gratification ability to these two constructs for salespeople. A similar endeavor for this research is how personal traits relate to salespeopleâ s delayed gratification. A field study will be employed to empirically test the four hypotheses that support the relationship between delayed gratification and performance, intentions to leave, conscientiousness, and neuroticism for salespeople.Item Property and Privacy of Conscience in Montesquieuâ s Spirit of the Laws(2018-10-01T00:00:00-07:00) Peterson, John; Joshua Parens; David Upham; Stuart WarnerMontesquieuâ s Spirit of the Laws is a sprawling work with six untitled and seemingly unconnected parts. How are these parts related, and how, especially, does the sixth part, on the history of Roman, French, and Feudal laws, relate to the other parts? In particular, why does Montesquieu pay special attention to the evolving understanding of property in these different legal environments, and what might his treatment of this subject have to do with his more well-known treatments of liberty, commerce, and religion? This dissertation offers answers to these questions through a close reading of the text of Spirit of the Laws, paying particular attention to Montesquieuâ s use of the figure of the barbarian in parts 6, 2, and 3, and connecting these passages to books 11â 12, on political liberty, and portions of book 26 on political and civil law. It connects Montesquieuâ s arguments in support of political libertyâ in which he implicitly makes common cause with thinkers like Hobbes and Lockeâ with the more determinist, historicist, and even sociological portions of his work, which have inspired a different strand of political philosophy. Finally, it gives an account of how parts 4 and 5, on commerce and religion, are based upon the first half of the book. This investigation yields the following conclusions: Montesquieu reinterprets the history of law in Europe in order to separate out the barbarian spirit from its Christian and Roman admixtures and translate it into the modern context. He takes from the barbarian the grounding of property rights in the individual conscience in order to make psychological security central to the social contract. His teachings on commerce and religion are, in his order of presentation, manifestations of the barbarian use of property as a sacred and inviolable space of security for the individual. Religious liberty and commercial republicanism are, for Montesquieu, adaptations of the barbarian spirit to the Christian world, meant not to usurp religious authority or undermine virtue, but to make concessions to human weakness. This teaching, however, effectively transforms religion into privacy of conscience, and makes property into the palladium that protects that most sacred of possessions.Item Repairing Legitimacy after Organizational Misconduct: Signaling Remediation via Corporate Governance Change Following Disclosures of Potential Criminal Liability(2019-04) Bogie, Rebecca A.Organizational misconduct, which suggests ineffective monitoring and oversight, focuses attention on top‐level management and may damage organizational legitimacy. Under the legal reforms following corporate scandals in the early 2000s, the board of directors and executives bear direct responsibility for monitoring and oversight. As such, it is reasonable to examine whether disclosures of potential misconduct result in increased board director and CEO turnover and whether such corporate governance changes are appropriate mechanisms for organizational legitimacy repair. This study, using a sample of U.S. publicly traded companies with matched controls, investigated organizational legitimacy damage and repair in the context of disclosures of potential, federal‐level criminal liability; such disclosures are mandated in the U.S. by generally accepted accounting principles. The study builds on the body of research known as ex post settling up, where limited empirical evidence exists around the presumed legitimacy repair benefits of board and executive turnover following organizational misconduct. Regarding practice, the findings may aid organizational management in planning for the consequences of these types of disclosures. Additionally, the findings lend support to issues previously identified by regulators in relation to credit agencies and the lack of influence of non‐financial factors such as misconduct and corporate governance in their ratings.Item A Tale of Two Tragedies: Catharsis of Hero and City in Miltonâ s Samson Agonistes and Shakespeareâ s Coriolanus(2019-10-01T00:00:00-07:00) Szczesny, Stanley; Dr. Scott Crider; Dr. Joshua Parens; Dr. David SweetIn his prologue to Samson Agonistes, Milton champions the conventions of Greek tragedy over those followed by Elizabethan dramatists. Great tragedy, he contends, purges fear and pity out of audiences, facilitating a more sober, moral, rational life. Based on his argument and on the content of the poem, the most important difference between classical and Elizabethan tragedy is the Chorus. The Chorus represents a poetic, monolithic, communal voice that interacts dialectically with a strong, independent hero. The Elizabethans eschewed the unified Chorus in favor of realistic and comedic imitation of the various members of the British masses, which, according to Milton, dilutes the dialectical conflict of heroic independence with community morals and weakens the potential of tragedy to produce a cathartic synthesis in the audience. In order to further understand and test Miltonâ s conception of the Chorus, this dissertation compares Samson Agonistes with Shakespeareâ s Coriolanus. Coriolanus was selected because many critics have contended that it is the closest Shakespearean tragedy comes to imitating the unified structure and aims of classical tragedy while still retaining many Elizabethan conventions. Coriolanus is a model of the Aristotelian tragic hero who is superior in virtue but falls because of an error. His aristocratic, military values are depicted in sharp contrast with the increasingly republican values of the Roman citizens. Those citizens are depicted in typical, Elizabethan fashion, making their conflict with Coriolanus an ideal contrast with the Chorusâ s conflict with Samson. Further, there are many fascinating parallels between the experiences of Samson and Coriolanus and in the structure of both plays. This dissertation will argue that while Shakespeareâ s more realistic and entertaining imitation of complex political interactions does produce tragic emotions, especially in the final confrontation between Coriolanus, Volumnia, and Virgilia, Coriolanus dies rejected by Romans, Volscians, and often by audiences. On the other hand, Miltonâ s tightly constructed dialectic between Samson and the Chorus, including the conflicts with Manoa and Dalila, tends to produce a more meditative experience and to mediate a clearer cathartic resolution. Samson dies celebrated by the Danite Chorus, and audiences, with some important exceptions, have accepted him as a hero.Item Assessing the Impact of Career Experience on Leadership Effectiveness in a Large Equipment Rental Company(2019-10-01T00:00:00-07:00) Cedillos, Cesar Jr.; Dr. Rosemary Maellaro; Dr. Scott WysongMany organizations face the challenge of selecting competent individuals to fill leadership positions. The consequences of placing individuals who are not appropriately qualified into leadership positions can negatively impact organizational and employee outcomes, yielding lower sales, decreased quality of customer service, higher employee turnover, diminished performance levels, or low employee engagement. Thus, it is imperative that organizations carefully consider the selection criteria used to make leader hiring and promotion decisions. The target of this study was a large equipment-rental company that strongly prefers to fill branch-leader positions with individuals who possess prior sales experience. The study examined the impact of leadersâ prior career experience, specifically, sales experience, on employeesâ perceptions of leader effectiveness, sustainable engagement, and, ultimately, the overall effectiveness of location leaders based on financial performance. Results showed that marginally better employee outcomes emerged in locations led by individuals with prior sales experience, and slightly better financial performance emerged in locations led by individuals without prior sales experience. However, an analysis of variance revealed these differences were not statistically significant. Hence, these mixed results suggest that prior sales experience is not the singular determinant of branch-leader success in this organization.Item Mothers' Awareness of Their Breastfeeding Rights: A Factor Influencing Breastfeeding Rates(2020-04-01T00:00:00-07:00) Smith, Russell; Dr. Scott Wysong; Dr. Sri Beldona; Dr. Blake FrankBreast milk has been well established as superior to formula for infants. However, while exclusive breastfeeding initiation rates of 83.2% are relatively high in the U.S. (CDC, 2018), breastfeeding rates drop off considerably after three months, with an average rate of 46.9%, and only 24.9% at six months (CDC, 2018). To improve these rates, federal and state governments have passed laws to promote breastfeeding, educate parents, and protect mothersâ rights while breastfeeding. However, new mothers do not appear be aware of the rights that have been granted by these new laws. This study was designed as a field study to examine whether mothersâ level of awareness of the breastfeeding centric laws and of their rights thereunder are an additional factor in breastfeeding rates. The study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey, collecting data from 118 mothers from six states with high, median, and low breastfeeding duration rates as reported by the CDC. The results indicate that age, household income, education, and employment status do influence breastfeeding duration. There is no statistically significant indication that race, age, household income, education, state of residence, fathersâ feeding preferences, number of children, or employment status influence mothersâ awareness of breastfeeding laws. There is also no statistically significant evidence that mothersâ awareness of breastfeeding legislation influences breastfeeding duration rates.Item "Charity Itself": Virtue, Happiness, and Christian Love in Pride and Prejudice(2020-06-01T00:00:00-07:00) Hardy, Augusta; Theresa Kenney, Ph.D.; Steven Stryer, Ph.d.; David O. Davies, Ph.D.Despite the historical evidence that Jane Austen was a devout Anglican, many readers have nonetheless contended that her Christian faith does not truly inform her fiction. Even those who do identify Christian themes in her works tend to argue that her early three novels, of which Pride and Prejudice is one, have a lightness of theme and tone that Austen abandoned in favor of more serious and explicitly religious subjects for her final three novels. While critics have described Christian elements in Pride and Prejudiceâ such as the importance of repentance, humility, and forgivenessâ none have yet made a prolonged study of the way these Christian ideas pervade, not simply punctuate, the narrative. In my dissertation, I argue that Pride and Prejudice is a fully Christian work because Austenâ s moral concerns in the novel are fundamentally, if not explicitly, Christian. The novel is governed from beginning to end by several essential Christian virtues, the chief of which is charity, the queen of the theological virtues. In their different ways, both Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy must improve in Christian charity as a preparation for romantic love: she must learn to judge with charity, and he must learn to consider othersâ needs ahead of his own. Charity is also key to Austenâ s understanding of the happy ending which rewards her characters; she suggests that her characters can hope to achieve real happiness in proportion to their ability to love others unselfishly. Indeed, her idea that happiness consists in generous love is a reflection of her belief that the Christianâ s ultimate happiness and reward is loving communion with God and the saints in heaven. Following charity, humility is also central to the novelâ s Christian vision. Austen shows that this quintessentially Christian virtue must inform justice: only through the humble recognition of their own faults are the hero and heroine able to treat each other justly. Their humility also prepares them for gratitude and forgiveness, attitudes which are themselves the precursors to love.Item Listen With Your Heart: Building Job Satisfaction Through Emotional Intelligence(2020-07-01T00:00:00-07:00) Winton, Bradley; Dr. Scott Wysong; Dr. Benjamin DillaThe changing environment of todayâ s organizations creates an atmosphere ripe for emotions. This ebb and flow of emotions need to be managed in order to facilitate positive outcomes such as job satisfaction. The literature provides evidence that emotional intelligence directly impacts oneâ s satisfaction at work. This research attempts to go beyond these higher-order findings to examine the dimensional aspects of emotional intelligence and the impact each one has on job satisfaction in U.S.-based workers. Further, the research adds to the conversation about emotions and job satisfaction by examining the leader-follower relationship and its enhancement of follower job satisfaction. The results confirmed previous findings of higher levels of emotional intelligence increasing levels of job satisfaction, whether that emotional intelligence is found in the leader or the follower. However, results could not confirm that all four emotional intelligence dimensions significantly and positively related to job satisfaction. Analysis of the leader-follower dyad indicated that the congruence between the leadersâ and followersâ emotional intelligence led to an enhancement of job satisfaction in followers, enhancing the effect both leader and follower emotional intelligence had on job satisfaction. These findings are significant in that they are among the first to elaborate on the dimensions of emotional intelligence and appear to be the first to indicate the importance of leader and follower emotional intelligence similarity in the improvement of oneâ s satisfaction at work.Item Gabriel Marcel's Metaphysics of Hospitality(2020-10-01T00:00:00-07:00) Schwarz, Mary Francesca; Dr. Chad Engelland; Dr. Jonathan Sanford; Dr. Robert KugelmannThis project emerges at the intersection of Gabriel Marcelâ s metaphysics and philosophical anthropology. I present a phenomenological inquiry of Marcelâ s notion of the metaphysics of hospitality and how he believes it heals the broken world. To illustrate this notion of the broken world, I place Marcel in dialogue with the social philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre which is characterized by alienation and despair and show how antithetical it is to Marcelâ s healing notion of hospitality. I also explore the concept of hospitality from a sociological and historical perspective and as it is considered in the philosophies of Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida. The thesis explores the ontological framework of these two recent thinkers in order to show that their accounts of absolute alterity and unconditionality have problematic implications for their claims regarding hospitality. By presenting Marcelâ s ontological framework and his belief that alterity is relative, I show how his metaphysics of hospitality offers an attitude of reverence for the human person. The Marcelian concepts of disponibilité, presence, participation, sacredness and human dignity enrich the understanding of a metaphysics of hospitality, which both respects the value of otherness and fosters genuine communion.Item Human Capital and Connectedness in a Municipal Innovation Ecosystem(2021-01-01T00:00:00-08:00) Sabol, Misty; Dr. Dale Fodness; Dr. Sue CongerOpen innovation ecosystems have been found to contribute to the success of economic development at the municipal level, yet there is little research on the factors driving innovative behavior within a municipal innovation ecosystem (MIE). Drawing upon the diverse literature of endogenous growth theory, complexity, and innovation, this study explores how the interpersonal and intrapersonal resources of the individuals involved contribute to innovative behavior within a cityâ s economy. This mixed-methods case study collects a mix of interview, observational, and survey data. After qualitative insights from MIE participants were gathered, the resulting data was used to develop and test hypotheses about the relationships between the constructs of social capital, human capital, well-being, institution engagement, and innovative behavior. This study focused on building a novel framework that examined innovative behavior in a city-region. The moderated mediation model was tested using PLS-SEM. The results of this study highlight the importance of individual well-being in an MIE and raises awareness that idea sharing via social capital and institution engagement leads to innovative behavior in a city region. This study contributes to innovation research by suggesting that innovative behavior is impacted by more than the typical factors of affect, trait, personality, and environment, which have been the focus of research on individual level innovation.
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