Dr. Grace S. Thomson

Taxonomy of Business Ethics Theories

Grace S. Thomson — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:17:58 PST

An increasing interest on ethics in business has resulted in a fruitful production of scholarly research that provides business leaders and decision-makers with references to bridge theory and practice (Cherry, Lee, and Chien, 2003). For an effective application of business ethics theories, it is necessary to comprehend their domains, their external and internal logic, and the specific applications to the ethical issues under analysis (Wempe, 2008).

This document presents a taxonomy of 11 ethical theories applied to business ethics that incorporate grounded theory and conceptual frameworks. As a basis for the construction of this taxonomy, the selection of the theories was based on the presence of a relationship with business ethics. Five domains represented by five major families of theories were used as organizing criteria, as recommended in the literature (Baron, 2006; Wempe, 2008). The taxonomy includes 2 theories of Political Authority, 2 theories of Right and Justice, 3 Cognitive theories, 1 Social contract theory, 3 theories of corporate morality.

As a second-order criterion, each selected theory was evaluated in its assumptions and classified within either a Deontological or Teleological ethical system, based on the classification of ethical theories by Baron (2006). The taxonomy resulted in 7 deontological and 4 teleological-based theories. Additionally, an identification of seminal and contemporary authors was included along with the description, criticism, examples and additional attributes of the theory.

An exploration of the works of seminal ethics theorists includes: Aristotle, Emile Durkheim, Jürgen Habermas, Friedrich Hayek, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, Lawrence Kohlberg, Robert Merton, Jean Piaget, John Rawls, James Rest, Peter Ulrich. Contributions by contemporary theorists and Supreme Court Justices are also integrated in the analysis. A total of 65 references accompany this work combining original treaties, scholarly journals, and Supreme Court rulings and opinions.

Global Risks in Higher Education: Emergence of a Risk-Based Leadership Model

Grace S. Thomson — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:27:14 PDT

This document presents an analysis of the challenges of globalization facing American higher education as the incursion in international localization intensifies. Institutions face the dilemma of preserving the legitimacy of the national culture while entering global environments with diverse beliefs and behaviors. The emerging “Risk-Based Leadership Model for Global Higher Education (RLM)” proposes the development of distinctive macro-level competencies (i.e. risk-management models, GLOBE leadership dimensions) and micro-level competencies (emotional intelligence and life-work balance).

High-Performance Organizations (HPOs): The Wal-Mart Stores Case Study

Grace S. Thomson — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:04:30 PDT

Organizational effectiveness is the goal of organizations competing in the changing landscape of global business (Colquitt, LePine, Wesson, 2009). While profitability sustains a firm financially, the well-being of the human capital of the organization is equally important to ensure competitiveness (Carpenter & Sanders, 2008). Collins (2001) posited that effective strategic leaders are those with the capabilities to drive the transformations of the firm into new and profitable models. Firms that are able to transition from good to great companies (Collins, 2001) have leaders who demonstrate to be (1) capable individuals, (2) contributing team members, (3) competent managers, (4) effective leaders, and (5) humble executives. According to Blanchard (2006) leaders in high performing organizations prioritized the triple-bottom line of being “the provider of choice, the employer of choice, and the investment of choice” (in Watson, 2007, p. 46). Leaders in high-performance organizations strive to keep their customers, employees, and investors satisfied, emphasizing that people are always first (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008, p. 22). This study will address the components of the culture and organizational behavior of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in the U.S. to determine if the characteristics of the firm qualify it as a high-performance organization.

Organizational Values, Social Responsibility, and Corporate Citizenship: The case of Nevada State College

Grace S. Thomson — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:34:09 PST

Organizational Values, Social Responsibility, and Corporate Citizenship Organizations contribute more than products and services to the society. The generation of jobs, creation of wealth and satisfaction of needs are only a portion of the influence that organizations have in a community. Likewise, organizations are increasingly engaging in social responsible initiatives to respond to the concerns of their various stakeholders (Aguilera, Rupp, Williams, & Ganapathi, 2007). Organizations with a genuine interest for social responsibility and citizenship possess value systems that articulate and integrate these social motives into their corporate strategy (Graber & Kilpatrick, 2008). Higher education institutions in the United States face the challenge of aligning their value systems -deemed altruistic and oriented to the social-good- with those of their student body, faculty members, administrators, board members, and community. In an era of declining state and federal support (Weerts & Ronca, 2006) integrating values of accessibility and teaching excellence could be overwhelming (Rich, 2006). This document contains an analysis of the organizational values, social responsibility and corporate citizenship of Nevada State College, a state-funded public college located in Southern Nevada. The document is divided in six sections, starting with a brief background of the college. The second and third sections include the conceptual framework of value systems in general and in public higher education, respectively. The fourth section contains an analysis of the organizational value systems at NSC and their effect on performance, stakeholders’ relationships and competitive advantage. The document ends with an analysis of the agency problem and recommendations to articulate organizational values to enhance performance.

Responding to Stakeholders’ Critical Needs- The Integrative Model of Stakeholders’ Management (IMSM)

Grace S. Thomson — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:52:59 PST

Organizations are increasingly required to enhance their accountability to diverse internal and external stakeholders (Burrows, 1999). Knowing and understanding stakeholders’ expectations increases the ability of an organization to effectively respond to those expectations. Stakeholder relationship management is critical for corporate sustainability (Perrini & Tencati, 2006) or “capacity of a firm to continue operating over a long period of time” (p. 296). Organizations may benefit from developing collaborative interactions with their stakeholders, integrating their values and views into the formulation and implementation of organizational goals and objectives (Merrick, Parnell, Barnett & Garcia, 2005; Susniene & Vanagas, 2006).

This document contains a proposal of an Integrative Model of Stakeholders’ Needs Management (IMSM) that addresses the following components: (1) identification of organization’ stakeholders, (2) analysis of stakeholders’ needs, stakes and influence, (3) assessment and prioritization of stakeholders’ needs, (4) dialogical or consensus-building process, (5) Integration of stakeholders’ needs to organizational strategy, (6) integrated information and reporting system, and (7) continual organizational learning and growth. The conceptual framework underlying the discussion in this document was extracted from both seminal work (Argyris & Schon, 1978; Freeman, 1984; Burrows, 1999; Mitroff, 1983) and contemporary studies on stakeholders’ needs management (Friedman and Miles, 2002; Kaplan & Norton, 2001; Perrini & Tencati, 2006; Susniene & Vanagas, 2006).

Evaluation of the Customer Management and Relationship Marketing Plan for Southwest Airlines

Grace S. Thomson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:10:23 PST

Evaluation of the Customer Management and Relationship Marketing Plan for Southwest Airlines

Successful firms choose their strategic orientation using a trade-off process (Rust, Lemon & Zeithmal, 2004) to prioritize aspects of their marketing mix in the short and long-term. This marketing mix must balance customer needs and positioning in the market (Best, 2009). Southwest Airlines (SWA), one of the most profitable domestic airlines, has been studied by scholars and practitioners interested in their successful model of value delivery, employee commitment and sustainability. Its dedication to “warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit” (Southwest, 2008) makes SWA an exemplary case of customer management and relationship marketing in action.

This study will address the elements of the strategic orientation of Southwest Airlines through a scholarly approach to assess their choice of marketing strategy (Slater, Olson & Hult, 2006), assess its long-term sustainability, their segmentation and targeting strategies (Weinstein, 2007), value delivery (Parasuranam et al, 1988), their ethical behavior (Freeman, 1988); uses of marketing research (Boguslaski et al, 2004), and the effectiveness of customer relationship strategies (Lacey, 2007). A final section assess SWA theoretical matching and proposes recommendations for best practices for future businesses in the airline industry.

Global Marketing Strategy for the Internationalization of a U.S.-based University in Latin America

Grace S. Thomson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:53:58 PST

This document simulates a senior executive-level proposal of a methodology of global marketing decision-making to initiate the incursion of a U.S.-based higher education institution to the Ecuadorian higher education market. The theoretical framework of global marketing strategy (Cavusgil, Knight & Riesenberger, 2008) and the taxonomy of marketing research (Hair et al, 2006) is applied to evaluate the conditions of the Ecuadorian target market. The document also presents a general overview of segmentation; targeting and positioning strategies and a discussion of the adaptation of the marketing mix supported by globally acknowledged, peer-reviewed research.

Taxonomy of Selected Relationship Marketing Theories

Grace S. Thomson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:36:09 PST

Taxonomy of Relationship Marketing Theories

A customer-centric marketing strategy relies on the creation of value for the customer and the generation of value in return for the firm (Gupta & Lehmann, 2003). Seminal and contemporary philosophies of relationship marketing have populated scholarly journals and media for more than 50 years, addressing activities, strategies and behaviors of customer-centered firms.

This document presents a taxonomy of 20 relationship marketing theories and models that incorporate grounded theory and theoretical frameworks addressing different aspects of customer relationship marketing. An exploration of the works of Armstrong and Kotler (2008), Best (2009), Levitt (1960), King (1964), Reichheld et al (2000), Gupta & Lehmann (2003;2006); Peter & Donnelly (2006); Peppers & Rogers (2006), Remartz & Kumar (2002); Seidman (2008) and other practitioners and leaders in customer relationship is included.

The philosophies were organized in nine categories: Marketing concept, market segmentation, target marketing, value delivery, behavioral models, target marketing, pricing, communication, market research, and channel management. More than 30 references accompany this work combining original treaties, scholarly journals and meta-analyses.

A resource-based view of Diversity in the Business Administration Program- NSC

Grace S. Thomson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:20:33 PST

This document was presented to faculty members of Nevada State College in the context of Faculty development week in January 2009. It offers examples of best practices to imbed diversity and heritage in the business administration curriculum.

Diversity and heritage are integrated as resources for competitiveness in four dimensions: Employees and partners, technology and innovation, community outreach, and talent and culture.

A Taxonomy of Global Management Theories

Grace S. Thomson — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:57:47 PDT

This document presents a taxonomy of 14 management theories and models that incorporate grounded theory or theoretical frameworks addressing different aspects of leadership, organizational design, managerial roles, global business, change and innovation, e-commerce and e-business. More than 40 references accompany this work combining original treaties, empirical work and media reports. All the references were extracted from scholarly databases provided by UOP online Library.

The taxonomy is organized in four categories: Foundational, traditional, current and emerging global and emerging e-commerce theories. Each table includes a description of the theory, current examples of practitioner or empirical application and other significant attributes.

Paradigm Shift in Organizational Behavior: NSC case

Grace S. Thomson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:58:04 PST

A Taxonomy of Selected Organizational Theories

Grace S. Thomson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:56:13 PST

Abstract This research proposes a taxonomy of 16 organizational theories that represent both germinal and current approaches. The author has used methodologies used by Miner (2005; 2006) and Vibert (2004) for purposes of classification of theories in macro level and micro level categories. Macro level theories are aimed at describing the design, behavior and paradigms of the organizations, whereas Micro level theories are focused on the description of individual behaviors and interactions within the organization. This taxonomy has identified nine theories that represent Eurocentric and traditional thought; three theories that represent global approaches and four theories considered non-traditional, identifying their creators and developers and the year of publication.

Selected theories are organized in three tables, clearly identifying theories of organizational behavior, design and paradigms. Each table lists theories in no particular order.

Organizational Behavior Evaluation: Sears Holdings Co.

Grace S. Thomson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:54:35 PST

Organizational Design Strategy- A Case Study on a Public Baccalaureate College

Grace S. Thomson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:51:23 PST

This paper presents a proposal of re-design strategy for a higher education institution located in the Southwest. The first section of the document will provide the theoretical background about organizational design archetypes (Overholt, 2003), organizational structure (Galbraith, 1974) and strategic planning (Hambrick & Fredrickson, 2005). The second section presents a background of the organization and the rationale of selection of the archetype that best fits its organizational structure. The third and fourth sections elaborates on seven sub-systems that configure NSC characteristic of flexible organization (Overholt, 2003) addressing mission, genetic core, philosophy, organizational culture, internal and external environment, and people systems and rewards. This document attempts to bridge theory and practice with the application of models that are significant, valid, and useful for strategic design.

Financial Portfolio Strategy: Application to College of Southwest

Grace S. Thomson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:49:20 PST

Financial Portfolio Strategy Creating value in the organization is the cornerstone of business activity. Value-creation is a concept that has evolved for the past fifty years, stimulating the generation of theories, techniques, models and institutions (Slater and Zwirlein, 1996). Financial markets have developed in response to the dynamic corporate activity, providing different options of financing and investment. Financial decision-making at the executive level becomes critical in the creation of wealth in the organization, and the financial strategies designed by the Top Management Team (TMT) are expected to seek beyond profit maximization (Lankau et al, 2007; Myers, 2001). However, there are a large number of endogenous and exogenous factors that affect the performance of the firm that need to be taken into consideration when defining those strategies (Dagiliene, 2007). This document is based on the review of an extensive body of theory around value creation and financial strategies. This research uses the work of Bhalla (2004), Dagiliene (2007) and Slater and Zwirlein (1996) for the preparation of the portfolio; and the works of Jensen (2001), Myers (2004), Fama and French (1965), Miller and Modigliani (1958), and Merton (2004) for the pertinent theories. To set the background of the study, the researcher includes brief information about the institution at the beginning of the document, and an elaboration of the strategies and specific portfolio in the last section of this paper. The purpose of this research is to determine an optimal portfolio that responds to financial strategies defined by a higher-education institution for the upcoming year, based on assumptions that will be explained in the body of the document.

Financial Evaluation Strategy: Sears and Kmart Merger

Grace S. Thomson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:47:33 PST

Using Effective Online Assessments to Develop Competent Learners

Grace S. Thomson — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:36:59 PDT

The Open-Systems Approach to Organizational Design

Grace S. Thomson — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:17:49 PDT

The open-systems approach in organizational design is the most appealing perspective for most of organizational scholars, but how does it relate to practitioners? This article opens the discussions in this matter, by offering theoretical perspectives and an application to global businesses.

Deconstruction of Leadership Assumptions- A personal perspective

Grace S. Thomson — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:23:51 PDT

Critical Thinking: Applications to Leadership and Scholarship

Grace S. Thomson — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:22:28 PDT