Diversity Management Program Strategies to Support Competitive Advantage and Sustainable Growth

The study focuses on key characteristics that affect diversity management (DM) in the United States. Developing effective strategies to support and enhance workforce diversity is a competitive business advantage as diverse workforce economic and social contributions outpace homogeneous workgroups. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that service organization leaders (diversity practitioner-leaders) use to develop DM programs to support competitive business advantage and sustainable growth. The general systems theory and DM framework were the lens that guided the study. Five diversity practitioner-leaders from service organizations with business operations in the northwestern region of United States were interviewed. Participants responded to open-ended interview questions. Data collection processes included validating and triangulating the information gathered from participants via transcript review and use of archival business documents and peer-reviewed sources. Following the thematic data analysis, major themes emerged that include linking diversity programs to business goals, educating and creating diversity awareness, and implementing diversity reporting and accountability. Findings revealed strategies that diversity practitioner-leaders could use to enhance workplace DM practices and support sustainable business growth. The study findings could help organizational leaders to affect positive social change by building diverse, welcoming, and all-inclusive workplace cultures, whereby all employees can strive to achieve their full potential, thus improving employee engagement and productivity. As workplace diversity improves, employees\u27 engagement and productivity increases as well as their socioeconomic contributions

Strategies for Achieving Profitability in the Music Streaming Service Business Model

Although the rapid growth of the music streaming industry has led to record levels of global music consumption, many leaders in the music streaming industry have not developed a financially sustainable business model for music streaming. This descriptive single case study focused on strategies that some global music streaming service leaders used to generate sustainable profits through their business models. Christensen\u27s theory of disruptive innovation served as the conceptual framework for this study. Semistructured interviews with the chief executive officer and 4 senior managers of a leading music streaming service in southeastern Asia were analyzed to identify themes. Secondary data collected for this research included practitioner reports, government reports, company documentation, and peer-reviewed journal articles. During data analysis, I used method triangulation to generate insights regarding the key themes identified in the literature review. Analysis of the data revealed strategies that global music streaming leaders used to generate profits: (a) optimization of the firm\u27s dynamic capabilities, (b) optimization of the subscription and freemium business models, and (c) a deliberate focus on the niche of local music. The findings of this study could be useful to music streaming service leaders who need to generate sustainable revenues and lack the strategies to do so on their own as well as to music streaming leaders who want their service to implement a disruptive innovation strategy. Additionally, the findings of this study might promote social change by generating awareness of proven strategies leading to sustainable profits for music streaming services and job security for artists who contribute to sustaining or increasing local economies cash flows and taxable incomes

Church Attendance, Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older African American Adults During COVID-19

As the number of older and aging adults continues to grow in the United States, it is important to understand the process of aging and the obstacles associated with growing in age. Two social factors linked with aging are social isolation and loneliness, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Since COVID-19, social isolation and loneliness have been of greater focus due to regulations. This qualitative research study analyzed the impacts of social isolation and loneliness on older African American adults’ overall health by using semi-structured interviews to explore their lived experiences. This study focused on the associations between social isolation, loneliness, and reported health-related issues in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that older African American adults’ who reported social isolation, also reported poorer perceived overall health and health practices. Stress and anxiety during COVID-19 were found to be consistently reported by all participants. The use of technology was found to be a buffer to loneliness, as all participants engaging in social connectedness, whether or in-person or virtually, report having valuable relationships. This study adds to existing research related to the lived experiences of older African Americans, during the COVID-19 pandemic. By understanding the significance of social comradeship and connectedness, individuals are anticipated to be more likely to make deliberate decisions and intentional strides to avoid social isolation. By identifying social isolation in older adults, interventions can be implemented by organizations such as medical offices and churches to reduce and/or eliminate social isolation by encouraging older adults to engage in social activities virtually or in person. Local and federal policymakers could also be influenced to create programs that allow older adults the capability to easily and affordably access or retain technological devices

A STUDY ON COMPETITIVENESS OF READY-MADE GARMENTS FOR EXPORT-LED ECONOMIC GROWTH IN BANGLADESH: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract: Bangladesh achieved remarkable economic development in the last few decades, and the ready-made garment (RMG) industry played a vital role in this regard. The future economic development of the country depends on the success and continuation of such industrial sectors for export-led growth of the country. Considering the importance of the export-led economic growth strategy, this study assessed the global competitiveness of this industry. Michael Porter’s Diamond model of national competitiveness is used as the main analytical framework to assess the sources of competitiveness. A SWOT analysis is also conducted to identify future challenges and critical success factor for the continuing contribution of the industry. The study followed a mixed method approach to investigate the research questions. Secondary literature, consisting mainly of reports and documents from government and the private sector, were collected to comprehend the contemporary industry. A survey of 199 respondents from 150 RMG factories was conducted to assess effects and relative weights of different factors included in the National Diamond model and to understand the basis of the competitiveness of the RMG industry of Bangladesh. A further 30 face-to-face interviews with representatives from five different stakeholder groups including international buyers were conducted to get further explanations and insights of different factors of importance for achieving and maintaining the competitiveness of the RMG industry of Bangladesh. The findings of the study reveal that not all the dimensions of Porter’s National Diamond model contributed to the competitiveness of the RMG industry. Among the four main National Diamond dimensions, the RMG industry of Bangladesh appeared to enjoy competitiveness without having a favorable demand condition in the domestic market. The other three main dimensions—i.e., the factor conditions, related and support industries, and industry strategy, structure and rivalry—mostly played conducive roles in the development of the RMG industry in Bangladesh and provided the impetus to achieve competitive advantage in the global market. However, within factor conditions, the availability of a large unskilled workforce, strategic locations and reasonable infrastructure acted as sources of competitive advantage despite some limitations including a lack of highly skilled mid-level RMG professionals, limited access to adequate financing, and deficiencies in R&D activities. Similarly, regarding related and support industries, a large number of backward-linkage knitwear industries positively contributed towards competitiveness, though industry respondents indicated an absence of well-developed clusters as a limitation compared to other countries. In the case of industry strategy, structure and rivalry, collaborative actions by the industry association regarding compliance issues, as well as collective responses to buyers’ needs, were identified as sources of competitive advantage, while sub-contracting to non-compliant factories and a lack of systematic R&D (e.g., an absence of a common e-platform) were considered as limitations. The findings indicate that the positive impact of favorable factors of those three dimensions (factor conditions, related and support industries, and industry strategy, structure and rivalry) were relatively stronger than the negative impacts, and contribute to the achievement of competitive advantage of the industry. Other than the four main factors, the study also found that government support has played a significant role in the development of the RMG industry in Bangladesh. The government provided these supports through various policy initiatives, financial incentives, and the negotiation of favorable trade agreements including tariff and import-quota free access to the European Union under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP) scheme. The study also recognized that three chance events greatly influenced the development of the RMG industry of Bangladesh and positively affected growth in the sector: a quota system levied against traditional RMG exporters (e.g. South Korea, Hong Kong) in the 1970s; the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) that governed world trade in textiles and garments from 1974 to 1994 and provided beneficial access for Bangladeshi exporters; and compliance issues raised after the 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory catastrophe. The findings further highlight the importance of Porter’s double, multiple and rough diamond propositions in maintaining the continuous growth and development of the RMG industry in Bangladesh. It also briefly points out the potential impact of current COVID -19 pandemic on the RMG industry of Bangladesh. Finally, it proposes further research avenues to advance knowledge on competitiveness from different perspectives along with policy implications for the RMG sector of Bangladesh

Manufacturing Companies\u27 Strategies to Mitigate Supply Chain Disruptions

Supply chains have become increasingly unstable due to unanticipated disruptive events, which undermines a firm\u27s capacity to achieve a competitive market advantage and increase profitability. The disruption of a supply chain is essential to supply chain managers, as the interruption can be expensive, and the goods and services lost can negatively affect the entire supply chain. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that manufacturing firm managers use to mitigate supply chain disruptions to remain profitable. The population consisted of 4 supply chain managers from 2 manufacturing firms located in the southern region of eastern Virginia. The conceptual framework for this study was the contingency theory of fit. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and publicly available information. Based on the thematic data analysis, 3 emergent themes developed as collaboration and information sharing, information technology and supply chain risk, and use of multiple suppliers. The implications for positive social change include potential increased employment opportunities and salaries, investments in community projects, and enhanced consumer spending in the local community, thereby raising the standard of living and social well-being of local community residents

Financing School-Based Health Centers: Sustaining Business Operational Services

School-based health centers (SBHCs) have faced challenges in securing adequate funding for operations and developing sound business systems for billing and reimbursement. Specifically, administrators often lack strategies to develop and sustain funding levels to support appropriate resources for business operations. The focus of this descriptive study was to explore best practice strategies to develop and sustain funding through the experiences of SBHC administrators. The conceptual framework included Elkington\u27s sustainability theory, which posits that corporate social responsibility, stakeholder involvement, and citizenship improve manager\u27s effect on the business system. Twenty full-time SBHC administrators working in separate locations throughout the state of Maryland participated in semistructured telephone interviews. The van Kaam process was used to cluster descriptive experiences in data analysis that resulted in the development of thematic strategies for implementing best practices relevant to developing and sustaining funding for SBHC business operations. Major themes provided by the participants were interagency communications, creating marketing plans, and disparities in the allocation of funding for programs and professional staff. Findings indicated SBHC administrators continue to face challenges in developing and sustaining adequate funding for operations in the state of Maryland. Suggestions for future research include how administrators can develop marketing plans and explore long-range funding for SBHC services. The findings in this study may contribute to positive social change by demonstrating to officials in the Maryland State Department of Education the significance of SBHCs, and the need to increase mental health services

Exploring Incivility Toward Employee Absenteeism, Productivity, and Effective Communication: Veterans Health Administration

Uncivil behavior in the workplace can cause absenteeism or low job performance among employees, yet little academic literature addresses this relationship, particularly in the public sector. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to use the transactional analysis of communication (TAC) model to explore the ramifications of incivility in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The central research questions focused on employee perceptions of incivility and effective communication within the VHA. Twelve VHA employees were recruited for participation through a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants along with some VHA archived video training. Data were inductively coded and analyzed for emergent themes. Key findings revealed that VHA lacked effective communication, and malingering occurred due to workplace incivility. It was concluded that TAC curtailed misunderstandings of social dysfunctions in communicating. Another theme that emerged is that although workplace relationships were highly esteemed by employees, they believed that communication issues hindered those professional relationships and suggested training could be a valuable tool to improve workplace communication and reduce incivility. It was recommended that similar studies of this phenomenon be conducted for greater understanding and knowledge to the discipline. TAC served to effect positive social change by educating VHA leadership and their employees on how to thwart incivility in the workplace

Managing post-merger corporate culture: A case study of two mergers in the United States transportation industry.

One company proactively sought to recognize and adopt the best cultural characteristics of both pre-merger partners. The other company chose to rapidly integrate two competitors with an expectation that the culture of the acquired organization would be assimilated into the culture of the new owner.The number and value of mergers and acquisitions involving a United States company continue to grow at record rates. The excitement about doing a merger or acquisition is driven by the anticipation of financial success due to reduced competition, operational synergies, and access to larger customer bases. The dark side of mergers and acquisitions, however, is that two-thirds of them either fail or under perform expectations. Although blame is often placed on financial considerations or unrealistic business plans, there has been a recent interest in how the human side of mergers and acquisitions may affect their ultimate success.The creation of these case studies has contributed to the body of knowledge by providing the rationale, results, and consequences that might be analogous to other organizations considering a post-merger culture change. The two mergers selected for this research represent the extreme ends of the change spectrum. The case studies were written based on 23 personal interviews with current and previous employees in a range of positions at both companies. The research also relies heavily on document examination, reference to published materials, and observations of the companies in their natural setting.Since no two mergers are alike, this case study research provides information that may be of value to those considering a merger or acquisition. Merger participants should take into account such factors as the workforce size, geographical distribution, strength of collective bargaining agreements, and tenure of employees when making post-merger culture change decisions of their own.In the second case, no underlying development strategy was used to guide the process. Operating problems attributable to the disregard of job skills developed within months. Many employees who resisted were given an exit opportunity causing a knowledge deficit in territories germane to the acquired company. Severe and costly service disruptions resulted which took years for the company to recover from.This dissertation examines and discusses---in case study format---the different approach the leadership of two organizations took to manage corporate culture in their transportation industry mergers.The second case studies the merger of two competitors that sought to build a larger end-to-end network. Using the Harrison and Stokes (1992) descriptors, the acquired company in this example had an achievement type culture while the acquiring company had and still has a role type culture. In this case the post-merger culture change (P. M. C. C.) methodology consisted simply of requiring that the acquired company adopt the rules and practices of the acquiring company.Using descriptors coined by Harrison and Stokes in 1992, the first case study examines a merger that featured the combination of a company with a power culture with a competitor that had a support culture. According to senior management, both cultures contributed to the financial success of the predecessor companies. With the approaching merger, however, the leadership team recognized that a clash of the different values, attitudes, and driving forces could be detrimental to the new company.One topic often disregarded when a merger is planned is how the corporate cultures of the two companies will react with each other when the companies are brought together. Since every organization has a unique culture, it is possible that the two cultures could clash and undermine the benefits of the merger by reducing productivity, disrupting operations, disturbing the supply chain, or alienating customers.The post-merger culture change (P.M.C.C.) at one company relied on the identification and adoption of best practices from both predecessor companies. That merger has been declared to be successful by senior management based on levels of employee satisfaction, profitability, and share price as indicators

Exploring Supervisory Experiences After the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana in Colorado

AbstractColorado became the first state to decriminalize recreational marijuana in 2014. This new public policy resulted in unproven regulatory changes in any population in the United States. The purpose of the study was to discover the core perspective and experiences of 12 supervisors who experienced this phenomenon in their professional occupations, through the lens of accountability. The risk perceptions of supervisors’ due to policy shifts regarding recreational marijuana in Colorado were analyzed using the Delve system and hand coding. Findings indicated employees’ use of marijuana had a direct impact on productivity, which decreased significantly over time. Employees displayed signs of reduced engagement with the organization, resulting in decreased morale among staff members. Supervisors also noticed changes in employee behavior, such as absenteeism and increased break time. Security was another concern for supervisors. Administrators may utilize the findings to their advantage in effecting good social change by better comprehending employee concerns and developing implementable solutions