Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Smartphone Retail Shopping Apps Through The Lens Of Customer Value, Satisfaction, And Loyalty, Jean B. Ntahontuye

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Retail e-commerce revenue was $904.9 billion in 2022; of this amount, $431.4 billion was realized via smartphone retail shopping apps, which is a 95% increase from 2019, and retail e- commerce is projected to exceed $1.7 trillion by 2027 (Statista, 2023a). Given the increasing popularity of these apps among consumers, management and marketing literature continues to debate what makes consumers accept and adopt retail shopping apps as their preferred online shopping method. Failure to understand what motivates consumers to repeatedly buy household goods via smartphone retail shopping apps may cause retailers to mistarget their customers by allocating scarce resources to …

A Time Series Geometric Term Structure Model: Indications For U.S. Treasury Yield Curve Interpretation And U.S. Federal Funds Target Rate Forecasting, Danny L. White

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This quantitative experiment executed an extensive study of the theoretical and exploratory development of a discrete step Federal Funds Target Rate (FFTR) forecast model expressed as the time series geometric average of an applied transform conversion of the U.S. Treasury Yield Curve (USTC). The novel approach, introduced as the Geometric Yield Curve (GYC) model, used USTC data taken directly from the U.S. Treasury Department website as its only input for term structure of interest rate modeling specific to the FFTR. A transform process, presented as term framing, introduced conversion of USTC embedded macroeconomic and macro-finance trend information into a daily …

Moral Virtues: A Quantitative Study On The Impact Of National Culture On Integrity, Andrew I. Ellestad

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Multinational corporations encounter numerous challenges in making ethical decisions as they navigate diverse factors in every country where they conduct business. Building on the theoretical work of Ellestad and Winton, this study tested a main component of their argument. This quantitative analysis looked at the relationship between the national culture an individual resides in and that individual’s level of integrity. Hofstede’s original four dimensions are used in conjunction with Schlenker’s Integrity Scale to explain and quantify those measures. This study examined 160 working and retired individuals in the United States. The findings demonstrate that national power distance and masculinity are …

Emotional Intelligence, Self-Efficacy, And The Perceived Employability Of Traditional Undergraduate Business Students In A Private Midwest Educational Institution, Michele Ryan

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Emotional intelligence has gained increasing popularity since its definition and subsequent research 30 years ago. Numerous studies have focused on emotional intelligence and undergraduate students, and studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between a student with higher emotional intelligence and their academic and mental abilities. Undergraduate students have also been the focus of research related to self-efficacy and perceived employability, but those two facets have not been tied together with emotional intelligence. Additionally, managers have noted a skills gap for graduating students entering the workforce as students seem to be lacking emotional intelligence while thinking they have a sufficient amount. …

Phenomenological Study Of African American Female Partners In Top U.S. Corporate Law Firms, Tony Kelly

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This doctoral dissertation delved into the intricate experiences of African American female law partners, seeking to unravel the diverse array of factors that shaped their ascension to the pinnacle of their legal careers. Employing a rigorous qualitative research methodology, this study undertook an extensive exploration of narrative data derived from in-depth interviews, with the overarching aim of addressing the research questions articulated at the outset. These questions revolved around understanding how African American female law partners perceived the factors influencing their professional promotion and how race and gender impacted their leadership journeys and broader careers within the legal profession. The …

The Barriers To Active And Experiential Learning In Accounting Education, Elizabeth Holbrook

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the barriers accounting faculty face to incorporating more active and experiential learning into accounting education. Twelve accounting faculty from a variety of universities throughout the United States were interviewed, including those who are part of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and whose business schools are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). These interviews revealed six significant barriers and 23 sub-barriers that prevent accounting faculty from incorporating more active and experiential learning into their classes. The significant barriers …

Career Shock And Voluntary Turnover Intention Among Current Employees In The Public Sector, Charlena Miller

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Attracting and retaining talent was identified as the most critical growth driver for 77% of U.S. executives in 2022, and they plan to increase investment in talent attraction and retention in the coming years (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2022). The problem in supporting and guiding leaders’ investments in retention through existing turnover research and findings is two-fold. First, past research has primarily used data collection with “leavers” who have already left the organization, sometimes long after the turnover was experienced. Secondly, studies have focused on attitudes, satisfaction levels, employee attributes, and job features, which have shown poor predictive ability for voluntary turnover (Hom …

Effect Of Black- Or White-Sounding Name And Impact Of Intergroup Contact With Black Individuals On Auditor Judgments, Vanessa J. Tijerina

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The accounting profession in the United States continues to reflect a gap in racial diversity, with the majority of accountants being white. Implicit racial bias results in discrimination in the U.S. today, specifically against Black individuals. Within accounting, the auditing specialty requires exercising professional judgment that could present opportunities for implicit racial bias to affect the financial statements. This study aims to fill gaps in the existing research by answering the following questions: 1) How does the race of the CFO affect the accounting judgments of auditors? 2) How does intergroup contact with Black individuals impact auditors’ accounting judgments when …

Analyzing The Effect Of Sponsorship Disclosure On Social Media Influencer Contribution To Engagement In The Test And Measurement Industry, Todd B. Baker

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Audiences are consuming digital content at an increasing rate, and they use social media as a substantial source of information on products and services. Businesses are leveraging influencer marketing to reach their audiences and create a pre-disposition to buy from their brands represented by these social media influencers. Marketers are likely to increase their investments in social media by 53.6% in the coming five years, placing greater attention on this topic for many business executives (Moorman, 2021). This quantitative study explored the varying forms of sponsorship disclosure cues and their effect on engagement rates for different influencer types in the …

How Do People Justify Not Paying Their Taxes? A Study On Moral Disengagement And Tax Evasion, Grace M. Hufff

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Early studies on the reasons for tax evasion focused on economics. When economic reasons were deemed insufficient to explain all decisions, researchers added psychological and sociological constructs to their explorations. These studies focused on whether taxpayers see their tax compliance decisions as ethical ones. For those who believe their choice is ethical, they must come to grips with their own internal ethical standards and feelings of guilt when they make an unethical decision. They must then employ some mechanism to disconnect these feelings of guilt from their unethical decision. Researchers have characterized this mechanism of disconnection as neutralization, rationalization, and/or …

Financial Literacy And Behavior In Credit Unions: An Exploration Of Member Financial Literacy And Financial Behavior In The Credit Union Model, Peter R. Fisher

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Financial literacy is economically essential and plays a critical role in an individual’s overall financial capability, yet financial literacy is declining. Financial knowledge has been linked to financial behavior, with financially literate individuals displaying positive financial behaviors while those with lower financial knowledge exhibit poor financial behavior. Credit unions are member-owned financial cooperatives whose purpose is to support their membership’s social and economic goals. Credit unions are well-positioned to deliver financial literacy to members (McKillop & Wilson, 2015). This study examined financial literacy and behavior among credit union members and compared the financial literacy of credit union members with results …

Onboarding Autism Employees In Technology Industry, Heung-For Cheng

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population experiences high unemployment, underemployment, and job turnover. Many people with autism have exceptional skills in areas, such as science, mathematics, and art. Companies in the technology industry are interested in tapping into the ASD talent pool because the industry cannot find enough qualified job applicants to meet the hiring demand. Few studies have focused on understanding how to help onboard ASD employees. Understanding the onboarding process can help technology firms retain ASD employees. In return, retaining this talent pool in the technology industry can continue to bring innovation. This research examined how a workplace …

Impact Of Corporate Social Responsibility And Sustainability Practices On Brand Trust And Purchase Intention In The Wine Industry, Sarah L. Cooley

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The wine industry continues to grow and is expected to reach 429 billion U.S. dollars by 2023 (Oloruntoba, 2020) and is a major contributor to environmental degradation. The wine industry plays a role in soil degradation, water pollution, waste disposal, and land/vegetation damage. The wine-making process creates emissions and depletes oxygen in the environment, which is linked with increased death rates of aquatic organisms. The wine industry impacts crop growth, the solubility of metals in soil, increases toxicity of water, and generates destructive algal bloom. The industry has been slow to adopt sustainable practices and has been subject to less …

Predicting The Financial Vulnerability Of U.S. Public Charities: A Test Of The Tuckman-Chang Model, Alesha L. Graves

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Charitable organizations are significant contributors to the U.S. economy, and Americans invest billions of dollars into these organizations through their donations. Without these organizations, additional pressure would be placed on governmental agencies to provide certain services or those services would not be provided at all, indicating that these organizations’ long-term survival is necessary. In 1991, Tuckman and Chang published the seminal work on the financial vulnerability of nonprofit organizations and presented a model that describes a financially vulnerable organization. Subsequent studies of this model indicate that the model is predictive; however, those studies did not utilize an actual financial shock. …

Rural Coopetition: A Consumer Perspective Of Marketing Activities Involving Smes, Cassandra A. Ritzen

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are central to global and domestic economies and are a significant factor in rural economic development. Rural SMEs face unique challenges of geographical location and limited resources requiring strategies that can create an enduring competitive advantage. This study explores market-oriented coopetition as a competitive strategy that forms collaborative relationships between competitors to create value for consumers. Through the analysis of a small cluster of rural SMEs, the focus of this study addresses the underexplored consumer perspective of coopetition events based on quantitative analyses of customer satisfaction and market share.

An Analysis Of The Impact Of An Influencer's Perceived Trustworthiness And Content Quality On Their Follower's Travel Intent, Josh C. Mcnair

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Influencer marketing is quickly becoming an essential aspect of a company's online and social media strategy. This research examines the field of influencer marketing by conducting a quantitative study that researches the impact of two influencer attributes, trust and content quality, and how they affect the travel intentions of a follower. The study was conducted directly by an influencer on their followers, and the analysis showed that trust and content quality impact the travel intentions of followers. This work is important as the travel industry is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. It provides a better understanding of how companies, …

Factors Motivating Leaders To Volunteer: An Examination Of Volunteer Leadership In Long-Term Post-Acute Care, Christian Allen Mason

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Volunteer literature presents distinct insights into the motives, individual personalities, and socio demographic characteristics of volunteers. Numerous studies exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and functional approaches to volunteerism populate the literature. However, comparatively little research has been conducted focusing on the specific motives leading association members to volunteer in nonprofit health care trade associations. Yet, non-profit health care trade associations offer some of the highest volunteer rates. Using the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), this study examines the functional motivations of professional long-term post-acute care (LTPAC) leaders volunteering in a member-driven trade association. This research examines intrinsic and extrinsic motivations using a …

A Narrative Analysis Of Virtue Ethics Among Accounting Professors, Gibran N. Zogbi

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore the vision that accounting professors had of teaching virtue ethics in their courses. The study sample consisted of eight professors who have taught accounting and related finance courses full time for at least 2 years at an institution that grants four-year (bachelor) degrees in Accounting. Participants included professors from two public and one private university. The methodology allowed for the discernment of meanings that emerged from participants’ lived experiences of virtue ethics and ethics in general. Analysis of resulting themes and constructionist perceptions created a narrative conclusion that was a …

Happiness At Work: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Clinic Managers, Jorge Melendez

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This study seeks to understand, through a qualitative phenomenological design, the meaning of happiness at work for clinic managers who work for a mission-driven healthcare organization. There exists many organizational dynamics that can influence happiness at work; nevertheless, for the scope of this investigation, this paper converged on three theoretical premises: (1) Positive Psychology: Happiness at work which is divided into eudemonic and hedonic happiness, (2) Intrinsic Motivation Theory: Self-determination, and (3) Extrinsic Motivation Theory: Self-determination. The evidence discovered in this study demonstrates the importance of understanding the context for what happiness at work means for management-level caregivers/employees. The clinic …

Job Satisfaction Among Faculty Members At Cccu Institutions, Heather C. Vaccaro

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether any significant differences existed between generational cohorts, gender and employment status, and reported levels of job satisfaction among faculty at institutions within the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). This study aimed to influence institutional objectives and values to make any necessary adjustments in the attraction and retention of faculty members. The Academic Setting Evaluation Questionnaire (ASEQ) was used to survey participants. The data suggested factors that impact job satisfaction among faculty members within CCCU institutions are not those related to generational cohort, gender, or employment status. This study …

A Cord Of Three: A Phenomenological Study Of Linkages In Interdenominational Interactions In Northwest Wyoming As Informed Through Network And Social Exchange Theories, Timothy N. Gray

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This study explores pastors’ interactions in a rural regional network through Network and Social Exchange Theories. With the increasing need to understand the life experiences of network actors, a qualitative based approach is utilized. The results provide in-depth and contextually sensitive results that traditional quantitative-based techniques cannot. Open-ended interviewing allowed the participants to share their lived experiences, identifying the rhythms of boundary spanning behaviors. This offers hope for those seeking to understand the intricacies that orchestrate groups of people coming together in synergistic relationships. From a biblical understanding, a Cord of Three is not easily broken, and this study reveals …

Millennial Students’ Awareness Of Retirement Issues, Their Retirement Preparedness And Future Expectations, Krzysztof P. Bryniuk

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Sandwiched between the "Gen-Xers" and the "Baby Boomers," the Millennials are now the largest generation in the workforce. They also have a (mostly undeserved) reputation of being pampered, over-protected, lazy, spoiled, failures. Millennials often shun grownup responsibilities for which the term "adulting" was coined. Primary adulting responsibility is planning for retirement. This study addressed that issue and had its origins in the author's practice as an Accountant and Income Tax Preparer, as well as his profession as a Business and Accounting Professor/Instructor at various colleges and universities.

It became apparent to the researcher that clients and students, particularly those in …

Assessing The Impact Of Transition From Rules-Based To Principles-Based Accounting In The Recognition Of Revenue: A Study Of Public Companies Listed In The Russell 3000 Index That Elected The Full Retrospective Method Of Accounting, Foday Y. Deen-Conteh

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This research empirically assesses the impact on the financial statements for businesses listed on the Russell 3000 Index after the transition to FASB ASC Topic 606: Revenue from Contract with Customers. The study was focused on the 272 companies that elected the Full Retrospective Method of accounting after transition from rules-based accounting to principles-based accounting. The research applied Gray Comparability Index and Student t-Test to determine the significance of the difference between the ex ante and ex post revenues reported in the Form 10K filed with the Securities Exchange Commission. The companies were divided into all adopters, early-adopters, and non-early …

Electronic Health Records: Influencing Performance At Critical Access Hospitals, John Bennett

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This study examines the effectiveness of management decisions with implementing electronic health record’s initiatives through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009. Specifically, this research explores attested stages of Meaningful Use with impacts on profitability, costs, and financial liquidity in Washington State Critical Access Hospitals through an analysis of ratios and financial measures. These facilities are often anchors supporting local economic growth, and a closure can bring financial hardship throughout the community. There is a need in critical access hospital markets to establish a relationship between management decisions investing in new technologies coordinating patient care …

The Relationship Among Generational Cohorts, Tenure, Job Categories, And Employee Readiness For Organizational Change In A Healthcare Environment: A Quantitative Study, Jerry S. K. Adatsi

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Internal and external factors constantly influence and pressure healthcare organizations to adapt, change, or respond to changes in the modern global business environment. When facing the challenge of change initiatives, healthcare organizations depend on the flexibility of employees to successfully navigate the change process as there is the expectation that their employees will be ready for a change. Extant literature, however, suggests that more than 70% of change initiatives undertaken by businesses fail, and the high cost of failure is due to the resistance of employees to change and their lack of change readiness. With continued interest by healthcare organizations …

The Impact Of Buyer Needs On Perceived Trade Show Effectiveness, Rj Fryan

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The personal needs of professionals within the steel industry have the potential to influence sales and marketing activities. In a business-to-business setting, trade shows stand out as industry-accepted sales and marketing activities. While previous research has explored trade show strategies by examining various aspects of operational functions, a gap exists in the literature surrounding the attendees and their needs. Using three of Maslow’s needs classifications, this study seeks to explore the relationship between trade show attendees’ needs and their perceptions of trade show effectiveness and post-show purchase intention.

Can Trait Emotional Intelligence Variables Of Well-Being, Self-Control, Emotionality, And Sociability Individually Or Collectively Predict A Software Development Engineer's Creativity?, Mwoyondishe Jonathan Mvududu

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This quantitative research study was carried out as a partial requirement for earning a Doctor of Business Administration degree from George Fox University. The main goal of the research study was to investigate whether trait emotional intelligence variables of well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability can individually or collectively predict a software development engineer’s creativity or creativeness potential. Employee innovativeness is the primary focus of many organizations in today’s turbulent business environment whereby employees are increasingly gaining autonomy in self-managed teams. The study discusses the theoretical frameworks of creativity and trait emotional intelligence (Trait EI), an extension of the emotional intelligence …

Self-Determination Theory And Pharmaceutical Salespeople: Does Motivational Orientation Of U.S.-Based Pharmaceutical Salespeople Influence Sales Performance?, Brandon Gilbert

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Utilizing self-determination theory as the foundational theory for this research, this study analyzes the potential relationship that exists between a U.S.-Based Pharmaceutical salesperson’s motivational orientation (intrinsic or extrinsic) and their sales performance. Sales performance in this study is defined by sales awards (President’s Club, sales rankings, 100% to goal, etc.). To build a foundation of understanding of motivational theory, various theories in addition to self-determination theory are explored in the literature review. The four motivational categories explored are: a) hedonic motivational theories, b) cognitive motivational theories, c) personal growth or actualization motivation theories, and d) self-determination theory. Self-determination theory is …

Sticker Price Elasticity As Predictor Of Tuition Reset Success: A Quantitative Approach, Robert F. Van Cleef

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Few quantitative studies exist on tuition outcomes resets despite increasing frequency and interest among industry practitioners. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between sticker price elasticity and changes in first-year student enrollment, net tuition and fee revenue from first-year students, percent of first-year students who are Pell-eligible, and changes in transfer student enrollment using multivariate logistic and linear regression models. The independent variable is the sticker price elasticity of demand from two years preceding the announcement of a reset.

This study contributes to the literature by adding to evidence regarding the signaling role of sticker price …

Management Succession In A Two-Family-Owned Business: A Case Study, Dwight D. Ham

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The purpose of this paper was to examine the impact in a two-family-owned business of the management succession process to the second generation. The research explored the use and makeup of a management team in transferring the leadership of the company. The study looked at the preparation and determination of which members of the family would assume positions formerly held by the two patriarchs and who would assume executive responsibilities as president. The research endeavored to answer the following question: How is succession planning for multiple senior executive positions in a two-family-owned business accomplished in a second-generation family-executive team? The …