Bryant Mitchell | University of Maryland Eastern Shore (original) (raw)

Papers by Bryant Mitchell

Can a mindset intervention built into a freshmen development course and developed after years of ... more Can a mindset intervention built into a freshmen development course and developed after years of longitudinal research have a positive impact on the outlook, achievement, and persistence of first generation and under-prepared students attending a minority serving institution? For many new college students, freshman year can be an exciting and daunting experience. Freshmen development courses are designed to help excite, prepare, and orient students into the college experience predicated on enhancing student success. The concept of “grit’ as a set of traits that lead to the persistence and perseverance to complete longterm goals in the face of obstacles has been a focus in academia for the past 12 years. It’s often coupled with such concepts as Growth Mindset, Clarity of Purpose, and Self-Efficacy

Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, 2019

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce, describe, and document the methods involv... more Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce, describe, and document the methods involved in the preparation of a mindset intervention built into a freshmen development course, and established after years of longitudinal research, that is designed to have a positive impact on the outlook, achievement, and persistence of first generation and under-prepared students. Background: A number of studies conducted in the past fifteen years have concluded that grit, the persistence and perseverance to achieve goals, and growth mindset, the belief that skills and intelligence can be developed, are positive predictors of achievement; however, little focus has been placed on the implications at institutions purposed to educate minorities, first generation college students, and learners from diminished socio-economic backgrounds. Methodology: A series of models were created, custom self-assessment scales designed, and a lesson plan prepared purposed to deliver a mindset intervention to...

Avatars act as virtual agents that facilitate human communications in social networks. Taking a n... more Avatars act as virtual agents that facilitate human communications in social networks. Taking a number of forms, they continue to evolve with advancements in social networking technologies. This paper presents the findings of a research study that examined the perceptions of young adults with respect to the role of avatars in education and contemporary business practices through the use and exploration of Vokis, SitePal, and Second Life. According to the findings: Vokis are a great way to send people messages, enhance online discussions and communications, and make classes more interesting; while Site Pal avatars supporting branding and customer relationship management. Review of Business Technology Research. (2013). pages 440-450

Journal of Business & Leadership, Sep 28, 2006

Manufacturing, Planning, and Control (MPC) systems are commonly categorized as either push or pul... more Manufacturing, Planning, and Control (MPC) systems are commonly categorized as either push or pull production systems. The most common example of a push system ref erred to is a MRP system, while the example of a pull system most commonly ref erred to is JJT, or more specifically a Kanban system (Sawaya et al, 1992). We have found that the use of this terminology regarding different forms of M PC systems can be confusing to the novice as well as the more experienced management practitioner or researcher. In this paper, we make au argument for the importance of using more precise MPC terms and concepts to foster a more universally consistent understanding of MPC systems. In response to inconsistencies of definitions, explanations, and examples, we provide a framework for classifying MPC systems; a brief discussion of the types of performance measures to monitor or control for effective performance and continuous improvement in either a push or pull system.

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Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether grit was a contributing factor to s... more Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether grit was a contributing factor to student persistence and success at minority serving institutions. Background: A number of studies conducted in the past fifteen years have concluded that grit is a positive predictor of achievement across many domains. But, is grit really the ultimate panacea for student success? This longitudinal study sought to answer that question by specifically focusing on business students attending a mid-Atlantic minority-serving institution that primarily serves low-income and first generation learners. Methodology: The research study under consideration used quantitative methods for data collection and analysis. It was initiated in the Fall of 2014 with the administration of the standard 12-item Grit assessment to all freshmen students enrolled in a university business department. Students were then followed longitudinally over a five year period with GPA and persistence to graduation documented....

Journal of Business and Leadership, 2005

S tephen Cantrell is a profe sso r of manage ment and economi cs at C lemso n Uni ve rsity. He re... more S tephen Cantrell is a profe sso r of manage ment and economi cs at C lemso n Uni ve rsity. He recei ved hi s Ph.D. in eco nomi cs and stati sti cs from No rth Ca rolin a State Uni\ ersity. He ha s publi hed in Dec ision Sciences. Journ al of Forecast in g. I nt ern at ion a I Eco nomi c Rev ie''. Journ al of Indu stri al and Labor Re lati ons. Journ al of Economi cs and Busin ess. among oth ers.

IJELL, 2019

A number of studies conducted in the past fifteen years have concluded that grit, the persistence... more A number of studies conducted in the past fifteen years have concluded that grit, the persistence and perseverance to achieve goals, and growth mindset, the belief that skills and intelligence can be developed, are positive predictors of achievement; however, little focus has been placed on the implications at institutions purposed to educate minorities, first generation college students, and learners from diminished socio-economic backgrounds. The purpose of this paper is to introduce, describe, and document the methods involved in the preparation of a mindset intervention built into a freshmen development course, and established after years of longitudinal research, that is designed to have a positive impact on the outlook, achievement, and persistence of first generation and under-prepared students. A series of models were created, custom self-assessment scales designed, and a lesson plan prepared purposed to deliver a mindset intervention to edify students about and change perce...

In service firms performance is contingent upon the operations strategy being pursued. However, l... more In service firms performance is contingent upon the operations strategy being pursued. However, little research has been reported which empirically examines the implementation of operations strategy in service firms. We argue that implementing an operations strategy in services is primarily done through the use of human resources. We then test the proposition that in service firms the most effective operations managers are the ones that make the most effective use of their human resources.

As part of an ongoing mission to advancing and applying Enterprise computing curricula in the con... more As part of an ongoing mission to advancing and applying Enterprise computing curricula in the context of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), IBM has completed another milestone in a novel approach to software testing course content generation by partnering with a university. This effort is the continuation of a work first disclosed in April 2010 at the IEEE Transforming Engineering Education Conference in Dublin Ireland. It has culminated in a complete course ready for instruction and is being taught by both partners currently. After briefly describing the importance of the foundational attributes of the STEM curricula to Software Testers at IBM, this paper will discuss recent IBM academic partnership activity in the area of course creation, leading up to our most recent academic-industrial collaborative effort to create a full course on enterprise system testing. The paper will discuss the logistics of the partnership, as well as the logistics of collaborative content creation used in this model. We will present an analysis of the success of this phase of the project, and outline next steps, and longer-term future work, in this area. This paper should serve as a guide for future potential collaborations between university and industry on content creation. Throughout this paper we will include our proposed best practices to facilitate future endeavors of this type.

Computer simulations have implications across disciplines and with learners at all levels. By req... more Computer simulations have implications across disciplines and with learners at all levels. By requiring learners to develop and apply knowledge and skills in interactive changing environments, they encourage deeper levels of learning. Additionally, simulations have been shown to be particularly effective at teaching complicated concepts that depend on the ability to understand interrelationships, strategize, make predictions, analyze and evaluate, and engage in multi-faceted decision making.

Ethics & Behavior, 2008

Several academic authors in strategic management have adopted McKinsey's 7S Model as a useful way... more Several academic authors in strategic management have adopted McKinsey's 7S Model as a useful way of visualizing the key components managers must consider when diffusing a strategy throughout their organizations (DeKluyver, 2000, Pearce and Wheelen and Hunger, 1995; Glueck, 1988). However, no research has been reported which empirically examines the model's usefulness in explaining the operational performance of service firms.

Selected Journal Papers by Bryant Mitchell

Issues in Information Science and Information Technology, 2019

Aim/Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine whether grit was a contributing factor to st... more Aim/Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine whether grit was a contributing factor to student persistence and success at minority serving institutions.

Background A number of studies conducted in the past fifteen years have concluded that grit is a positive predictor of achievement across many domains. But, is grit really the ultimate panacea for student success? This longitudinal study sought to answer that question by specifically focusing on business students attending a mid-Atlantic minority-serving institution that primarily serves low-income and first generation learners.

Methodology
The research study under consideration used quantitative methods for data collection and analysis. It was initiated in the Fall of 2014 with the administration of the standard 12-item Grit assessment to all freshmen students enrolled in a university business department. Students were then followed longitudinally over a five year period with GPA and persistence to graduation documented. During the analyses, grit score was compared to participant first year GPA’s as well as retention and persistence to graduation via comparison tables and ANOVAs.

Contribution
A lack of substantive studies conducted at HBCUs and other minority serving institutions poses a major gap in the existing literature available on grit. A number of authors have put forth a call to action for faculty at minority serving institutions to conduct meaningful studies focused on grit and student persistence in order to better inform the HBCU community. This study is specifically purposed to help fill some of the gaps in the available literature. The results of the research presented in this paper hopefully shed light on the need to explore non-cognitive factors that may affect student performance. In particular, research should explore factors that may, or may not, contribute to the success of under prepared college students in particular those who are from low income, first generation, and minority groups. This form of exploration is part of a commitment to positive student outcomes.

Findings
According to the findings, there is a significant positive correlation between higher grit scores and both GPA and persistence to graduation. First year GPA, however, was not found to be a reliable predictor of academic success.

Future Research
The authors conclude that while building the grittiness of freshmen students may lead to positive student outcomes, grit alone might not be enough. In fact, they postulate that grittiness without clarity of purpose, positive self-efficacy, and growth mindset may mean that students who may be gritty may not be exerting their energies appropriately. During the next phase, a model that is currently under development will be used as part of a mindset intervention to edify students about grit, growth mindset, locus of control/self-efficacy, and clarity of purpose. A complimentary research study examining student performance and perceptions will also be conducted.