Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

Bisk College of Business

First Advisor

Robert R. Schaller Sr.

Second Advisor

Edward Haberek Jr.

Third Advisor

James Glenn

Fourth Advisor

Radhika Krishnamurthy

Abstract

Traditional sales training in a medical diagnostic organization takes place in multiple locations over the period of many months. New hires attend classes with a set group of other new hire employees establishing a cohort. It is the responsibility of the sales training department and the new hire’s direct supervisor to incorporate training into the organizations culture. This is done by bringing the new hire into the corporate office and, through the months of training, exposing the new hire to leadership, support functions, manufacturing, and multiple departments that will support their job moving forward. COVID-19 created a rapid market increase in the medical diagnostic manufacturing community. The organizations were strained through the high demand from this exogenous improbable (black swan) event. This study explored the lived experiences of the employees responsible for teaching new hire sales professionals the organization's culture during the era of a black swan. The training professionals identified for the phenomenological interviews for this research were members of the sales training department, direct sales supervisors, and mentors to new hires that had responsibility for new hire training during the period designated as COVID-19. Additional supportive data using a quantitative survey provided the new hires’ perspective of their fit into the organization's culture. The findings indicate that COVID-19 influenced the organization’s culture which, in turn, may affect the organization’s strategic advantage. The participants’ discussions represent their lived experiences. This research presents models that illustrate the establishment of organizational culture within a medical diagnostic company. The research models demonstrate the sudden impact of a black swan on the organization’s culture though the lived experiences with tenured employees. The participants emphasis on their heightened emotions may have implications and application on the characteristics of a black swan classification. The researcher discusses implications of this research, study limitations, and possible future areas for investigation and practice.

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