Theses supervised by Doç. Dr. Hayriye Senem Göl Beşer
10 theses · Yeditepe University
Uncertainty in futures studies concerning conceptual clarity
The concept of uncertainty is discussed in different disciplines as management, economics, engineering, sociology, psychology, and history, in futures studies, as well. Future-oriented assumptions generally encounter the lack of completeness, and additionally subjectivity of decision-makers. To minimize these problems in decision making, concepts, which are the main source of researchers, should be handled in a clear, formal, and good way. The purpose of this thesis is to review uncertainty in futures studies for conceptual clarity. The standpoint of this approach is the necessity of concept clearness as a condition for validity in theory construction (Wacker, 2004). The unknown character of the futures leads us to study the uncertainty in conceptual dimensions in terms of design-based foresight as one of the futures studies in the thesis for the Master Program in Business Administration. First, the theoretical and methodological background of uncertainty related to foresight is discussed. Then a conceptual framework is presented to the policymakers and corporations as well as the third sector for communicating the process leading to decision-making under uncertainty, Regarding formerly handled research, this study is helpful to deal with uncertainty via the broader perspective. Interdisciplinary point of view provides diverse choices for understanding and absorbing uncertainty. In addition to this, the historical analysis and discourse highlights the change in handling the uncertainty. Finally, this study models the methodology of the qualitative research perspective.
The mediating effect of psychological capital on the relationship between authentic leadership, burnout and work engagement: A study in the health sector
Employees in the health industry perform in a vibrant setting that demands a ceaseless ambition to deliver the most productive, dependable, and high-quality care for the health care consumers. The constant demands require a leadership style that acts as guidance for healthcare workers, leading to positive work outcomes. This dissertation aimed to identify the outcomes of Authentic Leadership in the health industry by focusing on three vital work outcomes: Psychological Capital, Work Engagement and Burnout. Moreover, throughout the dissertation, Psychological Capital is assumed to perform a role in developing the other constructs. Consequently, the first objective of this dissertation was to understand the relationship between Authentic Leadership, Work Engagement and Burnout. The second objective was to investigate the mediating effect of Psychological Capital on the relationship between Authentic Leadership, Work Engagement and Burnout. The data was collected from the public and private healthcare sectors in the Anatolian Side of İstanbul by utilising an online survey to explore the relationship. 371 responses were received and examined in the analyses. The results were analysed through statistical tools: SPSS and AMOS, and statistical methods: reliability and factor analysis, validity tests, regression analysis, and structural equational modelling. The findings showed that Authentic Leadership is a leadership type that directly affects employees' Work Engagement and Burnout levels in the healthcare sector. Moreover, Psychological Capital is positively affected by Authentic Leadership and thus leads to developing positive (work engagement) and reducing negative (Burnout) outcomes.
The relationship between perceived toxic leadership and work engagement
White-collar employees working in the textile industry work in a dynamic, intense and stressful environment that requires effort to present the most accurate and completed work outputs to their internal stakeholders, teams and company. The workload and pressure in this stressful environment require a positive and open-minded leadership style that can motivate and guide textile workers. Based on the stated assumption, the relationship between toxic leadership and work engagement was examined in this study. As a result of the research; it is expected that the toxic leadership behaviors of managers will negatively affect the work engagement of white-collar employees working in the textile industry. Based on this purpose, some hypotheses were developed to investigate the relationship, and data were obtained from 201 white-collar individuals working in the textile sector through an online survey. In order to collect data, the toxic leadership scale and work engagement scale were used together with demographic questions. All data analyzes were performed using the statistical program SPSS. As a result of the analysis of the data, it has been determined that toxic leadership is a type of leadership that negatively affects the work engagement levels of white-collar workers in the textile industry. Since the research was conducted specifically for the textile industry and white-collar workers, it contributes to the literature and is important.
Kültürel endoktrinasyonun hiper rekabet döneminde karar vermedeki etkisi
This research explores the connection between cultural indoctrination and its implications for rational decision making in the context of global firms in emerging markets and developing countries. As organizations are confronted with the need to engage with stakeholders and local managers from different cultural backgrounds, understanding cultural imperatives into individual and collective approaches to making a decision will help in anticipating decisions and their implications and also avoid flaws and deviations in the process. Based on an integrated literature review, this thesis examines the following factors included in cultural indoctrination: Religion, Nationalism, Cultural Institutionalization, Cultural Intelligence and the Values Orientation Theory on the decision-making process of global firms in emerging markets
A study on the classification and comparison of characteristics of project managers of a government research center and private sector r&d centers in Turkey
The purpose of this study is to classify and compare personal attributes of project managers of a government research center and private sector R&D centers in Turkey. Although most of the previous studies deal with selection criteria and performances of project managers in literature, this study aims to illustrate relationship between the characteristics of project managers in two different kinds of R&D centers; corporate and state.
User experience and user interface design on e-commerce and their relation to brand loyalty
E-commerce is a growing trend since the day internet became part of our daily life. The numbers of users and transactions are growing day by day. In this competitive online market, companies have to attract customers and more importantly keep them. To build an attachment between customers and brand, companies spend too much money on marketing tactics, this is way too much expensive and inefficient. This study aims to find out if UX/UI design can be a way to attract customers and build brand loyalty or not. The analysis will be carried out on 5 dynamics of UX/UI design with survey method.
The relationship of organizational ambidexterity with whistleblowing act and employees' intention to leave
Ambidexterity comprehensively explains an organization's ability to accomplish two unfamiliar things at the same time. Able to use both hands organizations exploit current or existing capabilities together with exploring new circumstances with equal dexterity. Ability to pursue mutual exploitive and exploratory activity relies on mixes contradictory organizational qualifications like decentralization, formalization and connectedness. In the recent period, increasing complexity of business life and performance pressure cause ethical/unethical behaviors and their impacts becoming apparent in the organizations. Whistleblowing is one of some of the responses that employees show in relation to organizational wrongdoings. These employees are those who inform illegal or unethical actions in an organization instead of keeping quiet. They are named as 'disclosers'; the disclosure act realized is named as whistleblowing. The study aims to describe organizational ambidexterity strategy; considered as one of the newest concepts in organization and management literature, and whistleblowing, as an ethical behavior, and its impacts on organizations that can manage the organizational ambidexterity strategy. Data was obtained from Academicians working on both public and private Universities in Turkey and the research also tries to find an answer to academicians' decisions' on whistleblowing and organizations attitude and the the dilemma of employees' intention to leave their careers. Keywords: Organizational Ambidexterity, Exploiting Ambidexterity, Exploring Ambidexterity, Whistle blowing, Internal Whistleblowing, Silent Act, Intention To Leave
How strategic decision making processes managed:Decision maker influence on processes
This study has been conducted to gain insight on relations among managerial characteristics, process structure, process characteristics, and how these all effect process speed in strategic decisions. Humane acts within process characteristics such as political behaviours and conflicts, had been investigated to understand what types of process structures they emerged from, how they escalated or resolved, and what characteristics, had been important in such situations putting key participants of decisions in focus. In order to understand this experiences and allow rich emergence of different aspects 8 unstructured interviews have been conducted with key participants about 16 cases (2 each), from 7 different sectors. Narrated cases for each participant covered, one case that had been mainly affected by issues within organization, and other by issues outside. This approach provided an initial point of view to see how certain concepts could occur both from issues internal and external issues (e.g., conflict of interest, power plays) or only belonging to one such as ambiguity. Furthermore, 3 competencies of participants had been measured prior to case narrations; social confidence and social astuteness, needed for interpersonal relations, and risk taking tolerance needed to make decisions faster. Field study provided rich data on competencies that have been perceived as important in different contingencies, setbacks occurred, dimensions of different conflict types, and political behaviours practiced in order to resist or improve processes. Lastly, conceptual model of inner relations had been generated in accordance to research findings, along with propositions generated from combination of literature and participant narrations
Descriptive modelling on the effects of cultural values on the assessment of economic development of countries
Economics has an important place in human life. It is guided by people's socio-cultural and political decisions, lives and hence economic decisions. However, the effects of sociological, cultural and political values on the economy are controversial. Economic factors and social elements are a whole. Economic activity has emerged in a community and is gaining sociability in a social order (Abrams & Lewis, 1995). Transitioning economic measures and policies from an abstract state to a concrete ground is possible by shifting the social and cultural realities into reality. The development is considered to be a departure from the usual trajectory of economic activity and to a new level of equilibrium. In order to prevent disruption in the new equilibrium, economic development and growth must be supported by social integration policies. In this study, the relations of the factors which have a great effect on social life and culture with the economy are examined.
Literature-based causal loop diagrams of patent management process in pharmaceutical industry
In competitive environment of the pharmaceutical industry new inventions and patents are the key points. In order to be one step further from their rivals, the companies invest to R&D efforts and try to find new inventions. At this moment, patents are an important point to recoup the investment. So the companies lobby for the more strict patent law to prevent imitation. Thus even in the developing countries, they have to invest R&D and invent new products to be able to survive in the market. All of these happenings increase the importance of the patents and patent management day by day. Also this situation can lead to Turkish pharmaceutical industry to invest R&D or have patent licenses of other firms' products increasingly. In scope of this study, it was concluded that in patent management, research capability, reaching knowledge, productivity of R&D efforts, strength of patent management in a country, drug prices and R&D expenses are important parameters which should be considered in decisions related with patents and choosing the strategies regarding them. Key Words: patent, patent management, R&D, innovation, drug price