David W. Roach

The Theory of Logical Types: A Tool for Understanding Levels and types of Change in Organizations

In this article, we develop a framework for clarifying constructs based on Batesons (1972, 1979) theory of logical types and present an extended example to illustrate the use of the logical types framework. We then use the framework to (1) critically review descriptions and definitions of the types and levels of organizational change (Bartunek & Moch, 1987; Golembiewski, Billingsley, & Yeager, 1976; Miller, 1990; Senge, 1990), and (2) clarify the literature concerning organizational change.

Are consumers evaluating your products the way you think and hope they are

Examines the marketing problem of knowing what customers look for in a product. Claims that for some product groups, consumers may evaluate products and their characteristics differently from what is expected, and that consumers may distort or bias their evaluation of products in the marketplace. Reports on a study that suggests that consumers may distort their evaluations of products on the basis of beliefs about how certain product attributes should go together. Finally, offers implications and recommendations in terms of how marketers may address what is referred to as “systematic distortion” of products.

Attitudes and Influences toward Choosing a Business Major: The Case of Information Systems

Declining enrollment in MIS Departments in Colleges of Business has been the norm for many if not most universities since the dot.com bust of 2000. This has serious repercussions for the departments involved, students, and the companies that hire MIS graduates. In order to reverse this trend, an understanding of the important factors which influence students to choose a major is critical. Of crucial importance for MIS Departments is understanding the competition: the majors students choose instead of MIS. This study examines the influences of what is probably an MIS Department’s greatest competitor: other majors within the College of Business. What factors and influences propel students to major in a business discipline other than MIS? Using the Theory of Reasoned Action as a framework, this study examines the similarities and differences between two groups of business majors: MIS majors and non-MIS majors. Using a survey of 413 undergraduate business majors, this study examines the influences which shape attitudes toward choice of major and a student’s intention to work in his or her major field. Using structured equation modeling, the findings suggest some common influences across all majors (interest in the field, job availability, and job security), and many differences between the two groups (aptitude, social and personal image, workload of major, and influence of family, friends, other students, and professors). These similarities and differences suggest several ways to approach undecided students with the hope of gaining additional MIS majors. This also applies to students who may consider switching majors. The results of the study provide faculty with the information needed to better counsel and advise students, enhancing a fit between student and career, while simultaneously increasing technology majors.

Obstacles to computer integrated manufacturing success: A study of practitioner perceptions

This study investigated practitioner perceptions of obstacles to computer integrated manufacturing success. One hundred and one survey participants rated the importance of obstacles believed to influence CIM success. A comparison of obstacle importance, as measured in this study, with the importance of various obstacles as measured in other studies, suggests that the importance of obstacles may be temporal in nature. The survey responses were used to develop an empirically-based taxonomy of CIM obstacles. The importance ratings were factor analysed, and the result was four obstacle groups: Commitment of resources, strategic concerns, organizational receptivity, and human resistance to change. The relationships between CIM obstacles and perceived CIM success were also explored using regression analysis. Although the regression model was only marginally significant, the pattern of results suggests that the perceived importance of commitment of resources is positively related to perceived CIM success, while ...

SELECTING A BUSINESS MAJOR WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

This study employed a survey in examining the important influences that shape a student’s selection of a major in the Col-lege of Business (COB). In particular, it compared these influences, by major, to assess which items were most (and least) important to the students majoring in accounting, general business, finance, management, marketing, and MIS. The in-fluences, totaling 37, included internal influences (e.g., interest in the field), external influences (e.g., projected salary), and interpersonal influences (influence of significant others). Some of the findings were consistent with those of prior studies. For example, interesting work was highly important for all business majors, and specific interpersonal influences such as parents, high school teachers, and peers were relatively unimportant. The findings presented herein suggest that the over -all impact of interpersonal influence may have been underestimated in previous studies. Unlike many previous studies, this study showed that job availability and job security were more important to students than interest in the field. This study augments the extant literature in that the survey was conducted right after the 2009 recession, which allowed an analysis of student decision making during a period of high unemployment and lingering economic uncertainty. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed. Keywords: business, college major, careers, survey

Multidimensional Measures of Consumer Rating Accuracy

This paper investigates the multidimensional nature of consumer rating accuracy (CRA) and presents a methodology for examining these dimensions. University students, serving as experimental subjects were provided with either relevant or irrelevant brand performance information and later asked to rate brand performances. The accuracy of their brand attribute ratings as compared to true ratings were examined. At the .001 significance level, results indicate that information relevancy moderates consumer ability to identify overall brand performance as well as specific brand attribute. Also, the accuracy of consumers’ brand attribute strengths for a product category were found to be moderated by their involvement with the category. As marketers gain insight into the dimensions of CRA, promotional communications should improve.

CIM planning: An exploratory study of factors practitioners perceive important to CIM planning success

Our purpose in conducting this exploratory study was to identify the factors that practitioners perceived to be important to the success of CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) planning. We reviewed the CIM literature and conducted personal interviews with practitioners to develop a list of factors believed to influence the success of CIM planning. Next, we developed a survey to evaluate the importance of the factors that the practitioners perceived to influence CIM planning success. A factor analysis was conducted on the data obtained through the surveys. The factor analysis produced the following five factors: Planning and Preparing for Implementation; Top Management Support and Leadership; Team/Worker Planning and Involvement; Functional Manager Support and Involvement; and Organizational Changes. Further analysis suggested that practitioners perceived Top Management Support and Leadership to be the most important factor, Organizational Changes to be the least important, and the other three factors to be equally important. Our findings underscore the importance of top management in facilitating the planning process and the roles of functional managers and workers in developing the plans.