Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Work Experience and Improvement Behavior: A Preliminary Study

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/cv43p517k

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  • Improvement behaviors, specifically double loop, have been linked to successful lean implementations. Although the lean literature supports individual cognitive transformation to double loop learning as an important element of lean success, there remains a strategic methodology to achieve sustainable double loop behavior. Perceptions toward behavior and employee satisfaction have been used to study behaviors in other fields of literature but have not been used to achieve improvement behavior. A case study at the registration department in a United States-based governmental service organization (Organization O) was conducted. To understand how perceptions affect improvement behavior, data for the study were gathered through interviews, field notes, and organizational documents before and twenty months after a conceptual change based training. The theory of planned behavior was used to organize the case study data. A qualitative analysis of perceptions, improvement behaviors, and mindsets was performed. Perceptions driving the predominant improvement behaviors and mindset were used to guide the conceptual change based training. A second research objective was to understand how employee satisfaction reflects changes in improvement behaviors. A qualitative analysis was completed, and a coding scheme based on the modified SERVPERF survey was used to identify change in employee satisfaction representing perceptions towards performing predominant improvement behaviors before and twenty months after training. Findings were then used to identify aspects of the work environment for the organization to prioritize to increase both employee satisfaction and double-loop behaviors. Supplemental analysis using quantitative analysis of the modified SERVPERF survey results along with the Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) was performed to study employee satisfaction before, eight months after, and twenty months after training. Employees and managers predominantly expressed performing single loop behavior before training and engaged in single loop expediting mindsets prior to training. Twenty months after training, both managers and employees mainly expressed engaging in double loop behaviors and primarily engaged in a single loop mindset. Perceptions before training mainly revolved around not being able to see the benefit and perceiving difficulty in performing double loop behaviors. However, despite double loop learning behavior being the dominant behavior twenty months after training, several indicators suggested that both managers and employees would eventually revert to single loop behavior without additional interventions. In relation to perceived outcomes from performing improvement behavior before and twenty months after training, employees and managers expressed an increase in satisfaction with the promotion of collaboration. Unlike the managers, employees expressed increase in dissatisfaction mostly with managers’ sincere interest in resolving problems. Differences in the roles and experiences of managers and employees were noted along with differences in dissatisfaction and perceptions on double loop behavior twenty months after training. This dissertation used the theory of planned behavior, the modified SERVPERF survey along with conceptual change model to provide a methodology for managers and academics to 1) identify key perceptions to change and maintain double loop behavior and 2) identify how satisfaction reflects change in improvement behavior. The findings were not generalizable since a case study was conducted to answer the research questions. Implementing this study in a larger organization or different industries is needed to see how perceptions and satisfaction differ in varying levels of management and different settings.
  • Keywords: satisfaction, improvement behavior, work experience, double loop, learning, lean, continuous improvement, perception
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