Digital Commons Network^™

Lighting Up The Black Box –Digital Transformation In German Lobbying, Kathrin Barabara Stürmer

Theses

Digital transformation, alongside social media channels, influences policymaking. The aim of this research is to build knowledge of the consequences of digital transformation on lobbying at German federal level. This analysis uncovers how digital lobbying works in Germany and how it changes classic communication within the political sphere. Taking a grounded theory approach, the study addresses both communicating sides: lobbyists, on the one hand, and members of the German Bundestag and their employees, on the other. A profound understanding of, and differentiation between, lobbying and digital lobbying is gained through a first data-gathering step of 15 interviews with representatives of …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Modern Marketers: Skills Gaps, Mindset, And The Role Of Career Stage, Tim Crowley

Theses

The digitalisation of marketing is the greatest change that the marketing profession has experienced (Kähler & Magnusson, 2018) and digital technologies now sit at the forefront of modern marketing (Thomas & Thomas, 2018). Digital marketing has numerous benefits (Kumar, 2015; Malar, 2016), however, digitalisation is disruptive (Mgiba, 2019) and has resulted in mismatched skills and an increased need for reskilling and upskilling (Bajpai & Biberman, 2019). Accordingly, skills gaps are evident (Crush, 2011; Day, 2011; Hege, 2020; Quinn et al., 2016; Royle & Laing, 2014; Wood, 2011). Notwithstanding, there is a scarcity of research in this area (Raghuraman, 2017; Royle …

An Exploratory Study Of Change Management In The Irish Defence Forces For Implementing New Technologies., Paul Dermot Hegarty

Theses

The aim of this research is to determine if the Irish Defence Forces would benefit from the introduction of change management processes when implementing new technological systems. The extant theory has neglected to examine the application of change management processes in military organisations, a shortcoming this thesis addresses. The research draws on semistructured interviews undertaken with military and civil servant professionals from the Irish Defence Forces and the Department of Defence. Analysis of the interviews resulted in a number of new findings. The research highlighted the current deficiency in long-term funding and long-term strategic planning at the political level, and …

Large-Scale Renewable Energy Penetration – A Quantitative Analysis Of Political Determinants Of Renewable Energy And Its Impact On Electricity Price Volatility Transmission And Corporate Financial Performance, Abdul Abban

Theses

This thesis presents four studies on renewable energy. In this thesis, we analyse the political determinants of renewable energy investment in Chapter 2, evaluate the interaction effect between government system and governance quality on renewable energy investment in Chapter 3, estimate the impact of renewable energy on electricity prices and volatility transmission across the Australian regional markets in Chapter 4 and finally investigate the bi-directional causation between environmental and financial performance in Chapter 5.

The findings from Chapter 2 show that both the left and central-orientated governments promote renewable energy investment more than the right-orientated government. Although the presidential system …

Building A Handmade Business, Jordan Khusnulgatin

Theses

The purpose of this project is to build a small scale handmade product and business from scratch with innovative ways to incorporate sustainable practices. There are many factors that make up a business. For this project in particular, the main concern will be centered around all aspects of the product and customer experience, including finding a niche, the aesthetic, branding, packaging, pricing, sustainable practices, conducting sales, marketing, and creating a business plan. This project will follow the steps described above to discover a niche and the basis upon which this handmade business will be 3 derived from, providing a physical …

An Exploration Of The Motivations And Behaviours Of Generation Z Festival-Goers In Ireland., Sinéad O'Mahony

Theses

The current study explores the motivations and behaviours of Generation Z festival-goers in Ireland. The goal of this research is to identify the motivations and behaviours of Generation Z festival-goers in Ireland. Generation Z comprises those who were born between the years of 1995 and 2009 (e.g., Goh and Lee, 2018). This area is largely under-researched, especially in Ireland. This study investigated early Generation Z, those aged between 18 and 23 years old at the time of the present study. A mixed method approach was utilised in the current study. A sample of early Generation Z festival-goers (n=131) completed an …

A V-Linc Analysis Of Agrifood And Tourism Specialisations In West Cork: Analysis, Impressions And Policies For Future Growth, Brigid Mary Walsh

Theses

In recent years industry clusters have become recognised as a common feature of economies across the globe (Pouder and St. John, 1996; Porter, 1998a, 1998b; DTI, 2004; Sölvell, 2008; Ketels and Memedovic, 2008). Advantages associated with clusters include regional economic growth, new firm formation, employment growth, increased innovation and increased prosperity. The advantages associated with clusters are so great that cluster initiatives have become a widely accepted policy tool for regional economic development. As a small open economy, reliant on exports for economic growth, clusters appear to represent an opportunity for Irish industry to increase competitiveness. Theory argues that clusters …

From Valuable Resource To Valued Person: Ontologies Of Human Resource Management, Gregory M. Latemore

Theses

This thesis examines the conceptualisations of those who do the work of organisations as evidenced in human resource management (HRM) scholarship. It contrasts three perspectives in the HRM discourse: strategic, humanistic and personalistic, and distinguishes the world-views and philosophies within them. The four papers in the thesis address these perspectives and indicate implications for HRM theory, research and practice.

The primary research question is ‘how is the person conceptualised in the HRM discourse?’ which is answered by affirming that such conceptualisation has varied throughout the HRM tradition wherein the ‘human’ in HRM is regarded as both a valuable resource and …

Theorising Leadership Authenticity: An Existentialist-Personalist Perspective, Anthony Howard

Theses

The purpose of this study is to describe authentic leadership theory (ALT), identify its philosophical limitations regarding the meaning of authenticity and what it is to be authentically human. The study also evaluates the contribution of three thinkers—the existentialists Søren Kierkegaard and Martin Heidegger, and the personalist Karol Wojtyła—towards overcoming those limitations.

This study straddles the fields of management and philosophy, combining management concepts regarding authentic leadership with the philosophical traditions of existentialism and personalism, to interrogate authenticity and authentic leadership. It finds that the existentialists Kierkegaard and Heidegger offer a more extensive understanding of authenticity than what the authentic …

Worker Psycho-Spiritual Self-Care Choices: Making Sense During Times Of Stress And Anxiety, Peter Devenish-Meares

Theses

This thesis explores and extends the use of psycho-spiritual self-care choices in support of sense-making and inner healing of workplace stress. The study was motivated by a lack of research about and the observation that, despite their usefulness in other disciplines, psycho-spiritual self-care choices are often poorly understood or ignored in the workplace. Yet, chronic stress, if left unaddressed, can lead to adverse mental health consequences. This is particularly so when harsh self-criticism, poor self-acceptance and lack of self-kindness stymie self-care and meaningful sense-making. Notably too, there is next to no research that shows how workers might detach from work …

Farm Financial Analysis For Small-Scale, Organic Mixed Vegetable Operation, Janet Ayobami Osawere

Theses

The small farmers in the United States face challenges from market uncertainties and climate variations. Many small farmers do not keep consistent financial records, thus making it difficult to analyze their profitability and make decisions in planning. This research is to use a real farm production stimulation from Goldsboro, North Carolina, to collect data from 2017 to 2018 for farm financial analysis that mimics a small-scale certified organic mixed vegetable production. The goal is to use the stimulating information from Goldsboro, North Carolina to help small-scale organic mixed vegetable farmers to identify the main strengths and weaknesses of farm operation; …

What Affects Do Managers Have On Employee Performance And Turnover?, Devan O'Donnell

Theses

This dissertation focused on whether managers affect employee performance and turnover. In particular, this research focused on multinational organisations in Ireland. The focal point was to gain an understanding of this topic from a manger and employee point of view. For the sake of this research the managers that were involved were only managers of employees and not other managers.

This research project adopts a mixed research method of data collections. It applies both face to face interviews with managers and online questionnaires with employees.

The findings revelled valuable insight into the relationship between managers and employee performance and turnover. …

Don’T Mention Dark Tourism: An Irish Perspective, Emilie-Kate O'Mahony

Theses

This study investigates dark tourism in the Irish context with international supporting research. Dark tourism is connected to sites of death, the macabre and suffering and there are many sites in Ireland that fit this description. Examples include prisons, famine sites, graveyards, sites of terrorist attacks and many more. In this document the term dark tourism is thoroughly researched via secondary sources to provide a foundation of understanding. By including this academic research from journals and books, the researcher is provided with the background information necessary to understand the importance of dark tourism and to identify gaps in knowledge suitable …

Decarbonising The Automotive Industry: The Future For Irish Motorists., Robert Maher

Theses

This research study is an examination of the current state of the Irish automotive industry, which is being reshaped by the imminent shift to electric vehicles. This transition is designed to assist in solving Ireland's air quality and environmental challenges in line with the worldwide move to combat climate change. The research topic of the decarbonisation of the automotive industry determined the research question: "Decarbonising the Automotive Industry: The Future for Irish Motorists". This inquiry focuses on private cars owned for social, pleasure and domestic use. Secondary research was completed to verify the most prevalent and current existing information. A …

An Investigation Into The Management Of Branding In Irish Artisan Food Businesses, Daniel David Hickey

Theses

A consumer’s lifestyle is busier now then in the past and is moving towards products that reduce preparation and cooking times (Bia, 2015). The demand for value added convenience products has created opportunity for the Artisan food sector. This has lead to the expansion of food Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in Ireland. There were 235 specialty food producers in Ireland in 2018, a 2.7% increase on the previous year. SME’s are growing in popularity among consumers but there is very little research been completed into Irish SME’s. A 2016 study by Kennedy and Wright identified that the area is scant …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Nursing Support And The Financial Implications Associated With Cpap Adherence, Christine Brunnick

Theses

The prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is increasing. As the prevalence of OSA increases, as does the need for the condition to be treated effectively to reduce several risk factors which increase both mortality and morbidity rates. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is easily recognised as the most effective treatment for OSA. Despite the recognised benefits of CPAP therapy, adherence rates reported worldwide remain suboptimal. A transitional change within the Irish healthcare system means that private medical device companies will provide CPAP devices in specific contractual regions throughout Ireland. This change presents challenges and opportunities for policymakers. This …

What Supports Are Needed To Encourage And Assist Community Festivals And Events To Succeed And Grow? An Empirical Study., Helen Mcdwyer

Theses

Abstract: Communities are motivated to host festivals and events for a myriad of reasons. They generate important economic and social benefits for an area with increased visitor numbers, increased local spending and greater community cohesion. Festival and event tourism is an important segment of the overall tourism product in Ireland, particularly in an area such as Kerry where there is a heavy reliance on tourism. Many festivals and events in Kerry are organised by community and voluntary groups and yet these groups are increasingly pressurised to increase the professionality of their offering to compete for regional funding and sponsorship. Changes …

A Research Study On The Impact Management Have On Employee Engagement In A Manufacturing Company, Alice Murphy

Theses

The purpose of this paper is to discover can management have an impact on employee engagement. Many companies put millions into creating the best fit policies for their organization without focusing on management behaviour and how it affects employees alone. Leadership theories have evolved over the years and will continue to change from generation to generation. The evolving term of the meaning of 'leadership' suggests to the researcher that there will never be enough studies done in this field. Despite the vast amount of research done, there seems to be a paucity in the area of leadership in the manufacturing …

Developing A Model Of Post Incubation Support For New And Growing Ventures, Miriam Adair

Theses

Business incubators offer physical and virtual services for their new and growing start up clients. In Ireland, once companies exit an incubator, they do not have access to services similar to an incubator. In other countries there are post incubation services available.

There is a limited literature on post incubation in Ireland, however there is literature focusing on different programmes available to companies once they have left an incubator.

This thesis explores the post incubation support needs of new' and growing ventures.

Specifically, the research focused on three primary objectives:

1. To gain a deeper understanding of the specific needs …

Impact Of Usmca On The U.S. Beef Industry, Theophilus Amoah

Theses

Policies implemented to govern trade between two or more countries have proved vital as it affects the economies of nations. Political inputs into trade certainly establish effects that impact the livelihood of people in the economy. Every sector in an economy faces its impacts when there are changes in trade agreements. The extent to which this impact is always significant to note as it helps to determine the sustainability of trade agreements, which in turn sets the path for sectorial and national developments. This study utilizes the Computable General Equilibrium modeling to predict the impact of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement …

Effects Of International Trade On Food Security Of Selected Low Income And Low-Middle Income Economies, Rose Anapoka Anaabah

Theses

Food security has been a challenge for most people all over the world, especially among people living in low income countries. Food security is considered a complex sustainable development issue and is linked to health through malnutrition due to poverty. Food security became a major challenge following the sharp increase in global food prices during the last decade. Several factors contribute to food security. One factor is international trade which plays a major role in shaping the economy in most countries of the world. Access to food which is supposed to be an entitlement, or a basic right can be …

Motivation In Knowledge Workers, Carmen Wong

Theses

Traditional theories that form the basis of workplace motivation may be inadequate to manage workers in the knowledge-based economy. Knowledge workers are a growing segment of the workforce, and their needs differ from previous generations of employees. How managers can best motivate knowledge workers towards greater performance and employee satisfaction may not have a definitive answer, however we will explore the effectiveness of some of the commonly used practices in the current workplace.

Knowledge workers add value to a company's products and services by applying their knowledge. The self-determination theory (SDT) is considered a more encompassing theory than the traditional …

University- Based Entrepreneurial Ecosystem And Entrepreneurial Intentions: Evidence From South India, Deepa Subhadrammal

Theses

This study seeks to understand the impact of University-Based Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (UBEE), particularly entrepreneurial support infrastructure within a university ecosystem on the entrepreneurial intentions of students in South India. A UBEE can directly affect the likelihood that students identify and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities, which, affects their entrepreneurial intentions. India is one of the top three countries globally in terms of the number of start-ups and is projected to host over 10,500 start-ups by 2020. However, there is a dearth of research investigating the impact of university entrepreneurial support initiatives on students’ entrepreneurial intentions and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. This is especially true …

Assignment Of E-Commerce Orders To Fulfillment Warehouses, Ahmad Basem Zamka

Theses

For large e-commerce companies such as Amazon, when an order comes, this order might be available at more than one fulfillment centers. Therefore, the question of which fulfillment center this order should be fulfilled from would arise.

In a typical situation, customer demand is fulfilled from the closest fulfillment center. However, this approach does not always provide the optimal solution since there are so many factors that could be involved in making such a decision. These factors might include inventory balance, product correlations, and future demand.

Our decision model focuses on putting future orders in consideration while assigning orders to …

Consumer Considerations Of Local Value-Added Dairy Products In North Carolina's Triangle, Gabriel Adjei Agyekum

Theses

The global and domestic dairy markets promise exciting opportunities for companies willing to adapt to a continuously evolving consumer market. However, local dairy farmers face a myriad of challenges as they navigate low milk prices, shrinking margins, increasing production cost, and a rising demand for plant-based varieties of milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy-based foods. The goal of this research was to investigate consumer behavior towards value-added local dairy products in North Carolina’s Triangle cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Data were used from an overarching project with collected data from food consumers in the triangle tri-city area using …

Family Business: Innovation And Tradition In A Global Economy, Francesca Fornasari

Theses

Eighty-five percent of Italian companies are run as a family business. They are considered vital for Italian economy. The purpose of this thesis is to study how these companies challenge the global market to understand if the globalization can cause them disadvantages or benefits. The study explains what a family business is and who are the components that can be part of it. Then it focuses on the structure of the firms, how the families run their businesses and organize the tasks between the family members. This thesis considers the strategies of innovation adopted by the family to remain competitive …

Start-Up And Open Innovation, Gonxhe Tali

Theses

Nowadays, in many industries the traditional research and development approach has become obsolete. For this reason, during the past two years companies started focusing on Startups and the Open Innovation. Firms should use internal and external relationships, ideas and paths in order to advance their organizational process and technology. Open Innovation combines all those ideas into a system and defines all the requirements for the new business model.

The purpose of this thesis is to illustrate how Startups successfully organize and manage open Innovation with large and small companies and to highlights the strengths, weaknesses, challenges and barriers faced by …

Halal Certification For An Industrial Machine Intended To Come In Contact With Food, Luca Caffarelli

Theses

Halal Certification is a worldwide recognition that the products are permissible under Islamic law. These products are thus edible, drinkable or usable by Muslims. It can be extended to industrial machinery and tools. This Certification must be issued by a Notified Body under the supervision of an IMAM. Focus of the Certification are GMPs and Food Contact Materials and Articles. Four main phases to achieve Certification (the scheme is the same of ISO 14001, ISO 18001 and ISO 9001):

• Pre-Audit - The activity is to evaluate the documentation describing our internal system.
• Audit - The activity is to evaluate how …

Development Of The Commodity Strategy: The Case Of Sidel, Giuseppe Celiberti

Theses

The thesis will address the development of the sourcing strategy in Sidel, a manufacturing company that provides packaging equipment for liquids such as water, carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, sensitive beverages like milk, and liquid dairy products.

It is developed the sourcing strategy structure that characterizes every commodity, with a particular focus on the commodity execution process. Then, it is discussed a concrete case: the one of Nitro Dozers. In order to achieve the goal, it is used a systematic approach that focuses on different steps, from the Product overview and Spend analysis to the supplier assessment and benchmarking.

After …

Knowledge Management In New Product Development (Npd), Luca Maria Mancinelli

Theses

This thesis analyses features that, in New Product Development process (NPD), foster knowledge, and their contribution to the creation and application of knowledge with the aim of increasing both global performance and organizational effectiveness. Since knowledge is becoming more important to achieve competitive advantage, companies have already started to focus on their ability to generate new competencies and create new opportunities for producing new knowledge.

One of the issues compelling knowledge management understands what aspects of the organization's work system and organizational design affect its ability to acquire, create and apply knowledge. In fact, the way that workers are organized …