Digital Commons Network^™

Are Stock Prices Related To New York's Climatic Conditions?, Matthew M. Cullen

Honors Theses

The past five years has shown tremendous growth in a new wave and style of investing strategy. This new style, known as behavioral investing, attempts to analyze financial markets through the eye of a social scientist rather than a financial professional. Its followers try to see market movements as affected not necessarily by the business or economy but by the cognition and mood of buyers and seller. This paper analyzes the effect of climatic conditions on mood and the effect that has on market movements and volume. For the most part, it was found that there is no significant relationship …

Information Systems And Decision Sciences, Gitanjali Ayesha Appadu

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

New Media Technology: Oppression In The Modern World, Shauna Nefos

Honors Projects and Presentations: Undergraduate

New media technology is now present everywhere in our society. This technology has a large impact on individuals with and without access to it. In the following paper, I will discuss issues of access and new media technology from history to present day. This is an effort to combine both of my majors - Sociology and Communications - into a work which could easily be expanded upon for graduate studies. By briefly reviewing the history of new media technology as well as historically outlining minority group oppression in the United States, correlations will be suggested between the development of technology …

The Value-Relevance Of Nonfinancial Information: The Biotechnology Industry, Ya-Wen Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines whether nonfinancial patent information is useful to investors in assessing and valuing biotech firm’s long-term financial performance. The biotech industry requires large R&D investments with uncertain payoffs. Current accounting practice expenses (rather than capitalizes) R&D expenditures. As a result, financial variables are often negative or excessively depressed. Because accounting assets do not reflect biotech firms’ valuable intangible assets, this study examines whether nonfinancial patent information supplement the information content of financial information in market valuation. Using six patent variables measuring both quantity and quality aspects of patents, I found evidence consistent with the idea that nonfinancial patent …

Interfirm Demand Integration: The Role Of Marketing In Bridging The Gap Between Demand And Supply Chain Management, Teresa M. Mccarthy

Doctoral Dissertations

As firms increasingly outsource functions to focus on core competencies, access to resources from trading partners to accomplish goals becomes more important. As such, supply chain management is recognized as critical to creating and sustaining competitive advantage by integrating activities across trading partners that can produce a unique and valuable offering. This dissertation suggests the role of marketing is well positioned to oversee and manage integration of supply and demand activities that have traditionally been practiced separately both within and across firms in a supply chain. The research fills a gap in the literature by presenting a comprehensive model of …

Citizen Police Academy Alumni: Attitudes And Perceptions Related To Law Enforcement, Larry E. Grant

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of training on attitudes and perceptions about law enforcement by participants of a Citizen Police Academy. The first goal was to identify any significant differences between attitudes or perceptions and demographic factors such as age, working status, education, ethnicity, gender, military experience, victimization, and relationships with officers. The second goal was to ascertain the existence of any correlation between certain variables related to attitudes or perceptions. The researcher surveyed 554 members of the Knoxville Police Department Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association. The alumni members received a three-part survey containing general …

A Management Plan For The Imported Fire Ant (Ifa) Migration Into Gateway Communities In East Tennessee, Elizabeth Ann Long

Masters Theses

This thesis outlines a management plan for Gateway communities to use as a preparedness guide dealing with the establishment of the hybrid species of the Imported Fire Ant (IFA). The red species of IFA, Solenopsis invicta Buren, and the black species of IFA, Solenopsis richteri Forel, are located in southern Tennessee, but it appears that it is the hybrid species of their crossbreeding that is migrating into east Tennessee. The two species of IFA and their hybrid are moving north, both by natural migration and by being brought into the east Tennessee area on landscape plant materials and by the …

Three Essays On The Use Of Financial Derivatives By Latin American Banks In Brazil, Chile And Mexico, Andres E. Rivas-Chavez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

During the 1990s, Latin American countries implemented policies aimed at liberalizing their financial markets. Latin American countries deregulated the domestic financial and banking industries, removed controls on international capital flows, and promoted development of their domestic stock market. These countries implemented financial liberalization policies and programs in order to stimulate domestic savings and growth. Through financial liberalization they also attempted to reduce the direct intervention of the state in the economy and improve their financial infrastructure.

The implementation of such policies has led to an increase in capital flows to Latin America, an increase in the number of foreign banks, …

The Mediating Role Of Organizational Learning Between Absorptive Capacity And Performance In Companies Employing Enterprise Resource Planning Software, Edith Galy

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation focuses on the acquisition of information systems technology and how the acquisition of information systems (IS) can improve the performance of a firm. The central purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the literature that explains the success of IS projects. It addresses the organizational processes that contribute to the successful implementation of IS, and explains why some organizations achieve financial returns and strategic advantages from their IS efforts while others do not.

The population in this dissertation consists of top level IS executives in the US or Canada employed in firms who have implemented enterprise resource …

The Effect Of Web Interface Features On Consumer Online Shopping Intentions, Jeffrey Sam Siekpe

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Amid the storm of hype over Internet adoption, it is observed that during the past years, organizations have taken considerable interest in eagerly acquiring computer hardware and software to implement electronic commerce (e-commerce) applications mostly to the detriment of human aspects of the information technology (IT) solutions (Freemantle, 2002; Lockwood & Lamp, 2000). Various Internet technologies, mostly the Web, have been implemented to offer online goods and services. Many credible estimates suggest that Internet buying and selling will account for close to $2 trillion of annual economic activity by 2004 (Citrin et al., 2003; Fry, 2000). While the promise of …

The Drivers And Antecedents Of Satisfaction, Trust, Commitment, And Loyalty Among Chinese Customers, Yun Chu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation explores the relationship between satisfaction, trust, commitment, and loyalty among Chinese customers. The selection of China as the location for this study is due to a number of factors. China's economic expansion and recent ascension to full membership within the World Trade Association (WTO) has generated “excitement, uncertainty, and fear” (Ghoshal, 2003). In the recent past trade with China has grown at on average of 15 percent a year and foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country has grown even faster (Ghoshal, 2003). This growth may result in an interesting paradox. If China maintains just two thirds of …

The Effect Of Personal And Managerial Capitalism On Firms' Capabilities In Colombia's Grupos Económicos, Carmen Leonor Martinez-Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Researchers have investigated business groups or grupos económicos and personal and managerial capitalism as separate topics. This dissertation integrates these concepts in order to study the effect of personal and managerial capitalism on firms' performance in Colombia's grupos económicos. Colombian grupos económicos were selected as the sample for this study for a number of reasons. For example, Colombian is ranked first in Latin America in the overall ranking for world competitiveness for countries with a population greater than 20 million (The World Competitiveness Year book, 2003). Although small by international standards (Reinhardt and Peres, 2000), since at least the …

The Value-Relevance Of Asset Write-Down Regulations In China : The Roles Of Information Relevance And Measurement Reliability, Ziyun Yang

Lingnan Theses and Dissertations (MPhil & PhD)

At the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century, China implemented several new asset write-down regulations. This study addresses the claim that these regulations significantly enhanced the usefulness of financial statements for investors in China. The effect of the regulations on usefulness of financial statements has implications for financial accountants, standard-setters, educators, and auditors. This study derives and tests some of the empirical implications of the claim.

I operationalize usefulness of accounting information in terms of the valuerelevance framework, in which information usefulness is construed as a tradeoff between relevance and reliability. These two dimensions are …

Securing Online Commercial Transactions By Digital Signatures: A Comparative Analysis Of The U.S. E-Sign Act And Thai E-Transactions Act, Watchara Neitivanich

Theses and Dissertations

Main Objects and Purposes of Study: 1. To explore, analyze and identify characteristics of secure online commercial transactions concluded by digital signatures; 2. To study the technology used to create secure digital signatures as well as to harmonize the technical and operational criteria which set the technical standards of digital signatures; 3. To study various schools of thought concerning electronic signatures, which includes digital signatures; 4. To analyze the provisions of Thailand's Electronic Transactions Act; 5. To compare the differences in the Federal E-Sign Act and Thailand's ETransactions Act and to determine any prospective Royal Decree that may later be …

The Impact Of Cultural Values On Email Acceptance : Evidence From The Prc, Linjun Huang

Theses & Dissertations

Global deployment in information technology (IT) requires understandings of the cultural constraints in technology acceptance and usage behavior. Prior research indicates that the salient technology acceptance models may not be applicable to all cultures since empirical support was mainly obtained from North America. Cultural impact on user acceptance is still at the early stage of research. There has been little research done on technology acceptance and usage behavior in the context of China, which exhibits distinctive cultural differences from countries in North America. The purpose of this thesis is to test the cross-cultural applicability of Technology Acceptance Model in the …

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: The Dissolution Of Business Relationships In The Global Market Place, Jennifer A. Pope

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Richard Caves (1998) states that “dead business units tell no tales” (p. 8), and by extension one could argue that dead business relationships also tell no tales. However, it is the purpose of this dissertation to tell the tales of multiple dead business relationships in hope that other businesses can learn from their mistakes. Business relationships have been and continue to be a vital part of business. With the globalization of the economy, most, if not all, businesses will have some form of international contact. For businesses with limited resources or no experience often the most efficient means to expand …

Challenges And Responses : An Analysis Of Economic Development Among Some East Asian Newly Industrializing Countries (Nics) Or Areas; The Effect Of Their Using Tax Incentive Systems To Attract Foreign Investment With Lessons From Taiwan's Tax Incentive System As An Illustration, Li Pai Chia Kuo

Theses and Dissertations

Sustained economic development since World War II was the phenomenon of the "East Asian Miracle," although the glory was tainted by the impact of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong were among the East Asian Newly Industrializing Countries (NICs) who shared the phenomena but each had unique circumstances with which to deal. China, on the other hand, stagnated before the 1978 opening to the world but has improved spectacularly economically since, and retains its momentum going into the new millennium. The motive and dynamics of the East Asian economic phenomena have been studied thoroughly, …

Design And Evaluation Of A List Gathering Tool In A Web-Based Collaborative Environment, Yuanqiong Wang

Dissertations

This research focuses on how to build a "list" structure to combine individual items of information into some sort of structure that converts the individual items of information into a structure of knowledge relative to the problem. Software was designed to provide relationships among and comparisons of the contributions in a "list" structure, so that individual members of a group process will be able to understand the contributions of information made by the group as a whole.

A List Gathering Tool was designed and implemented, which is one component in a Web-based Social Decision Support System (SDSS) Toolkit. Then, a …

Design And Evaluation Of A Voting Tool In A Collaborative Environment, Zheng Li

Dissertations

This dissertation researchdesigned, implemented, and evaluated a Web-based Dynamic Voting Toolfor small group decision-making in a collaborative environment.

In this dissertation, theliterature on voting tools in current GDSS research is presented. Variousvoting theories and methods are analyzed, and the advantages and weaknessesare compared, so as to gain a better understanding of how to apply thesedifferent voting methods to diverse decision-making situations. A briefoverview of scaling theories is also given, with an emphasis on Thurstone'sLaw.

The basic features of someweb-based voting tool implementations are reviewed along with a discussionof the pros and cons of Intemet voting. A discussion of Human DynamicVoting …

Theory And Construction Methods For Large Regular Resolution Iv Designs, Robert M. Block

Doctoral Dissertations

We define 2k-p fractional factorial designs which use all of their degrees of freedom to estimate main effects and two-factor interactions as second order saturated (sos) designs. We prove that resolution IV sos designs project to every other resolution IV design, and show the details of these projections for every n = 32 and n = 64 run fraction. For k > (5/16)n, all resolution IV designs are a projection from the even sos design at k = n/2. For k ≤ (5/16)n the minimum aberration design resolution IV designs are projections of sos designs with both even and odd words …

The Effect Of Brand Equity In Supply Chain Relationships, Donna F. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

A systematic review of the marketing literature on brands reveals very few studies devoted to understanding brands in interorganizational exchange; however, the failure to successfully manage relationships with supply chain partners is now seen as a potentially fatal obstacle to the success of a brand (Shocker, Srivistava and Ruekert 1994). Focusing exclusively on managing the brand in consumer markets ignores the needs of important downstream customers such as distributors and retailers and fails to capitalize on the potential for leveraging brand equity to create added value with upstream suppliers.

A multiple method approach was used to explore the phenomenon of …

An Examination Of Interorganizational Relationship Magnitude And Its Role In Determining Relationship Value, Susan L. Golicic

Doctoral Dissertations

As the business environment becomes more complex, organizations within a supply chain realize that in many instances they can benefit from closer, long-term relationships. However, researchers in this area agree that there is no one relationship that is appropriate or necessary for all situations. Since there exists a wide range of relationships within a supply chain, businesses need to manage the development and maintenance of each relationship in their “portfolios.” This entails recognizing the motivating factors that drive companies to a particular relationship, determining the appropriate amount of resources that will be dedicated based on the targeted relationship, and measuring …

Bayesian Analysis Of Threshold Autoregressive Models, Yongjae Kwon

Doctoral Dissertations

Threshold Autoregression is a powerful statistical tool for modeling structural nonlinear relationships. This study presents a Bayesian modeling procedure for threshold autoregressions. To this end, the analytical framework of Bayesian analysis for a univariate SETAR and a threshold VAR were developed. For the estimation of parameters, a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation and an importance/rejection sampling are used to obtain posterior samples. In model determination, this study shows that Bayes factors are reliable testing procedures in model comparison, lag order selection, and threshold nonlinearity tests. However, it is difficult to get the exact figure of a Bayes factor because the …

Helping Cob Students Use Their Business Degree To Get Into Law School, Jon Jeffery Carlston

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Getting into law school these days has become ultra-competitive. GPA's and LSAT scores that worked just a few years ago will not get a law school applicant into the same schools they will today. The economy as well as the attractiveness of a law degree (J.D.) have lead to record increases in the number of students applying for law school. Law schools have been forced to "raise the bar" in order to deal with the demand. Because this is the case, undergraduate students must find ways to distinguish themselves among applicants, stay on top of the application process, and achieve …

An Examination Of Consumer Opinions Regarding Hotel Websites, Jeremy Burnett

Masters Theses

Internet reservations are a growing portion of the distribution channels in the hotel industry. With this growing area of marketing and sales of hotel rooms comes a need for clarification of the needs of both the hotel and the consumer. This study examines consumer preferences and opinions about the features and functions available on hotel websites with respect to the type of website used by the consumer. Two researcher developed survey instruments were used in this study. The first survey process identified and refined the features and functions to be examined through a series of interviews with users of online …

The Utilization Of Perceived Needs Importance In Explaining And Predicting Responsiveness To Organizational Inducements, Melissa N. Castillo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The concern over attraction and retention strategies in organizations has been widely acknowledged through the voluminous amount of research. As functions of human resources management (HRM), the emphasis in utilizing effective attraction and retention strategies cannot be ignored due to their importance to the firm's overall performance. In meeting this concern, inducements have been recently mentioned to be the missing link in providing more effective recruitment and retention strategies. Inducements are deliberate modifications of a job characteristic or the work environment, including benefits for the sole purpose of enhancing the attractiveness of a job to potential applicants and maintaining that …

Market Orientation And Export Performance In Thailand: A Moderating Effect Of International Marketing Strategy, Phattarawan Tantong

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

A lot of literature provides evidence of a positive relationship between market orientation (MO) and performance (e.g., Narver and Slater 1990; Jaworski and Kohli 1993). Some studies, however, found insignificant results of such a relationship (e.g., Selnes, Jaworski, and Kohli 1996; Pelham 1997), resulting in an open question of MO's predictive power on performance. Moreover, most of the research in this area has been conducted in the U.S. context, and the literature shows that there is a need to study MO in a non-U.S. context (e.g., Kohli, Jaworski, and Kumar 1993; Grewal and Tansuhaj 2001). Similarly, the standardization (adaptation) literature …

The Dimensions Of Customer Satisfaction In The Financial Services Industry, Jose Salvador Lopez-Alarcon

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The objective of this study was to collect and interpret data on the areas that influence customer satisfaction in the financial services industry. Specifically, the research defined and explored the ten dimensions that provide the customers with the product perceived value of the product or service. A survey of 230 customers in the Boca Raton area was conducted; data generated through the survey was analyzed descriptively, as well as subjected to regression analysis.

The study found congruence of customer satisfaction and the dimension: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, competence, courtesy, credibility, safety, access, communication, and empathy. The study also determined that the …

Antidumping Practices Under The Wto, Doaa Mohie Mahmoud

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Managing Information System Integration Technologies--A Study Of Text Mined Industry White Papers, Balaji Ravindran

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Industry white papers are increasingly being used to explain the philosophy and operation of a product in marketplace or technology context. This explanation is used by senior managers for strategic planning in an organization. This research explores the effectiveness of white papers and strategies for managers to learn about technologies using white papers. The research is conducted by collecting industry white papers in the area of Information System Integration and gleaned relevant information through text-mining tool, Vantage Point. The text mined information is analyzed to provide solutions for practical problems in systems integration market. The indirect findings of the research …