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A Grain Of Hope: Analysis Of The Economic Potential For An Association Of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Rice Futures Market, Richard Nyarko Aug 2024

A Grain Of Hope: Analysis Of The Economic Potential For An Association Of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Rice Futures Market, Richard Nyarko

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations) region is the world's leading rice producer, yet the region lacks a dedicated rice futures market. In contrast other world grain markets are served by liquid futures contracts, which aid producers through price discovery and risk management. This glaring gap raises a critical question: Can an ASEAN rice futures market be established to unlock the potential economic benefits for the region's rice sector? By predicting ASEAN rice pricing features and analyzing the efficacy of hedging for regional rice market players, this study explores the viability of an ASEAN rice futures contract to service the …


How Supply Chains Respond To Disruptions: Three Essays On Responses To Operational, Geopolitical, And Natural Disaster Disruptions, Travis Kulpa Aug 2024

How Supply Chains Respond To Disruptions: Three Essays On Responses To Operational, Geopolitical, And Natural Disaster Disruptions, Travis Kulpa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ability to respond to supply chain disruptions efficiently and effectively is a highly sought after capability, particularly in light of recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and major natural disasters. These events have led researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to ask: how can we better use our resources to respond to supply chain disruptions? This dissertation examines responses to the three main types of supply chain disruptions: operational disruptions, geopolitical disruptions, and natural disasters. The first study examines how US importers adjust between air and containerized transportation in response to shipment delays and abnormally high demand from …


Determinants And Consequences Of Engaging With Multiple Auditors In The Mutual Fund Industry, Chelsea Mae Anderson Aug 2024

Determinants And Consequences Of Engaging With Multiple Auditors In The Mutual Fund Industry, Chelsea Mae Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mutual funds are an important industry and component of capital markets, with $34 trillion in assets under management that hold 32 percent of exchange-traded common equities. In this industry, there are often multiple auditors serving the same client concurrently, which could impact auditor behavior. I examine the determinants of engaging with multiple auditors, finding that it is driven by fund complex size, recent merger activity, and having multiple locations. I also examine the consequences of this dynamic, finding that funds in multiple auditor complexes pay lower audit fees and have higher audit quality, as proxied by audit adjustments. I find …


Exploring Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy In The Lived Experiences Of African-American Male Former Division I Basketball Players: A Phenomenological Study, James Jameel Pugh Aug 2024

Exploring Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy In The Lived Experiences Of African-American Male Former Division I Basketball Players: A Phenomenological Study, James Jameel Pugh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the self-perceived career goal achievement capabilities of African-American former Division I basketball players through the lens of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE) and its impact on their post-athletic career decisions. Through a phenomenological approach, this study aims to contribute a nuanced understanding of the experiences, behaviors, and perceptions of these athletes' post-collegiate sports career transitions. Embedded within the literature review framework, this study illuminates likely factors influencing CDMSE by examining Self-Efficacy, Athlete Identity, Identity Foreclosure, and Career Maturity. Additionally presented is an overview of the unique culture within revenue-generating collegiate sports and, specifically, previous research on the experiences …


The Impact Of Algorithmic Control And Algorithmic Management In Online Labor Platforms, Yaping Zhu Aug 2024

The Impact Of Algorithmic Control And Algorithmic Management In Online Labor Platforms, Yaping Zhu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Online labor platforms (OLPs) are transforming the way organizations operate and how people work. Platform work has been characterized as promoting autonomy and flexibility. Workers interact with a platform rather than human managers to accomplish tasks and they have the freedom to decide when, where, and how much to work. Yet, platform workers increasingly bemoan working conditions, revealing that the expected autonomy and flexibility benefits of platform work have not materialized. Current IS research sheds light on this phenomenon by explaining that platform organizations use algorithms to manage and control workers (i.e., algorithmic control). Yet, our understanding of how algorithmic …


Breaking The Silence: Exploring The Impact Of Supervisor Vulnerability On Menstrual Disclosures At Work, Marilla Hayman Aug 2024

Breaking The Silence: Exploring The Impact Of Supervisor Vulnerability On Menstrual Disclosures At Work, Marilla Hayman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Management research has traditionally overlooked the significance of the human body in the workplace. However, recent recognition of organizational body work has prompted the examination of biological processes such as pregnancy and breastfeeding. Menstruation, however, has received little attention, despite the challenges faced by menstruating employees. The invisibility and silence around menstruation at work hinders managers' understanding of employee needs and prevents employees from accessing needed accommodations. An important first step in remedying this problem is understanding the factors influencing employees to disclose their menstrual symptoms and seek support. Bringing together theories of organizational body work and concealable stigmas, this …


Automatic Appraisals Of Houses, Robert Sloan Scroggin May 2024

Automatic Appraisals Of Houses, Robert Sloan Scroggin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multiple hedonic models and an automatic appraiser model were used to create a residential house’s estimated sales price. The goal is to use the limited data available to a REALTOR® to estimate the future sales price of a residential home without the aid of pictures of the property or viewing the physical property. The first model automates some of the actions of an appraiser by finding comparable sales based on proximity, based both on distance between houses and characteristics of the houses, and then calculating a weighted average price for an estimated sales price of future sales. If the model …


Instagram And Influencer Marketing: An Empirical Study Of The Parasocial Interaction Theory And Its Effects On Purchase Intention, Caroline Marie Chumley May 2024

Instagram And Influencer Marketing: An Empirical Study Of The Parasocial Interaction Theory And Its Effects On Purchase Intention, Caroline Marie Chumley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have studied different factors that contribute to a parasocial interaction theory, and how this relates to purchase intention in the marketing industry. Previous research concentrates on parasocial interactions between television personalities and consumers, rather than influencers on social media. It is important to determine exactly what factors lead consumers to create a parasocial interaction with influencers in the media and determine how that parasocial interaction mediates purchase intention. Influencer marketing on Instagram is included in this study, as it contains brand-sponsored posts and allows users to interact with each other. This study utilizes the parasocial interaction model to determine …


Cultivating Atmosphere In Independent Coffee Shops: Reflections On How Atmospheres Are Created Through Sensory Experiences, Brooke Bierhaus Sutton May 2024

Cultivating Atmosphere In Independent Coffee Shops: Reflections On How Atmospheres Are Created Through Sensory Experiences, Brooke Bierhaus Sutton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Affective atmosphere is a fundamental component to the allure of coffee shops that is cultivated through sensory experience. In this thesis I examine how the sensory experience of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, create atmospheres in coffee shops. I ask, “how do coffee shops cultivate an affective atmosphere?” Through an exploration of material culture, design, affect, and the intentional production of third places, I illustrate the ways in which independent coffee shops have their own unique identities and atmospheres. By using memoir and reflexive analysis of my decade in global coffee culture, as well as an extensive literary review, …


Gym Sexual Harassment And Bystander Intervention: An Application Of The Reasoned Action Approach, Eric Schisler May 2024

Gym Sexual Harassment And Bystander Intervention: An Application Of The Reasoned Action Approach, Eric Schisler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The purpose of this study was to modify and validate an instrument to examine factors associated with being an active bystander when witnessing sexual harassment at a gym or fitness center. Using Fishbein and Ajzen’s Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), this study aimed to better understand the influence of a person’s attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) on their intention to be an active bystander when witness to someone being sexually harassed at the gym in the next 30 days. Methodology. This study utilized an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, with phase one taking place between June and …


Co-Creating A Process Of Tacit Knowledge Seeking Using Appreciative Inquiry: An Exploratory Case Study, Kristina Lewis May 2024

Co-Creating A Process Of Tacit Knowledge Seeking Using Appreciative Inquiry: An Exploratory Case Study, Kristina Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In today’s dynamic workplaces, knowledge exchange among employees is vital for organizational innovation and competitive advantage. However, existing literature on knowledge management has primarily focused on knowledge sharing, neglecting the proactive process of knowledge seeking, particularly regarding tacit knowledge. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring the social process of tacit knowledge seeking in the workplace. Using appreciative inquiry as a method for collecting data, this qualitative exploratory single case study examines how employees seek tacit knowledge in an international consumer products organization. Guided by a social constructionist framework and appreciative perspective, the study seeks to understand the …


Evaluating The Effects Of A Noninvasive, Commercial-Grade Neurofeedback Technology And Mindfulness On Sleep Quality In Elite Athletes, Sydney Anne Hammit May 2024

Evaluating The Effects Of A Noninvasive, Commercial-Grade Neurofeedback Technology And Mindfulness On Sleep Quality In Elite Athletes, Sydney Anne Hammit

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Proper sleep is a vital element in the lives of elite athletes due to its effects on recovery, performance, and mental and emotional health. However, despite the importance of sleep quality, elite athletes are experiencing notable difficulties with both sleep quantity and quality. While sleep is necessary for all individuals, it is specifically essential for elite athletes. Sleep quality issues can be accompanied by both physical and psychological struggles, which is concerning for the population of elite athletes who are struggling with sleep quality at higher rates than the general population. Despite the increasing awareness of sleep quality struggles …


Systemic Effect Of Organizational Capitals On Parent Commitment In Youth Soccer, Paul Kimbrough May 2024

Systemic Effect Of Organizational Capitals On Parent Commitment In Youth Soccer, Paul Kimbrough

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates how soccer parents perceive the offerings of the soccer team on which their child plays. The study uses the systems perspective of Flora & Flora’s Community Capitals Framework to analyze family commitment to the team. The study subjects were parents of soccer players ages 12 and older who play for teams and participate in competitive travel soccer teams. Parents are classified based on their geographic location and team level. Questionnaires were administered at a series of travel soccer tournaments in March 2024. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis. Parents were found to value the total …


Understanding Young Adult Consumers’ Attitudes And Intentions Towards Showrooming Behavior, Juliana Catherine Marconi May 2024

Understanding Young Adult Consumers’ Attitudes And Intentions Towards Showrooming Behavior, Juliana Catherine Marconi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid advancement in information technologies, retailers integrate omnichannel marketing strategies to provide consumers with low prices, good products, and unique shopping experiences. Omnichannel retailing brings changes to consumer decision-making processes. Consumers use all channels (online and offline) simultaneously at the same time during the product search, purchase, and aftersales stages. Some consumers prefer to check out a product in a brick-and-mortar store, but purchase it online. This is referred to as showrooming. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the use of mobile devices and smartphones in shopping, consumers search e-commerce sites using mobile devices while they shop in …


Mental Health In College Journalists: Recognizing Causes Of Trauma And Recommendations For Training In College Programs, Sydney Ruth Mulvenon May 2024

Mental Health In College Journalists: Recognizing Causes Of Trauma And Recommendations For Training In College Programs, Sydney Ruth Mulvenon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

News reporting serves as an important vehicle for sharing breaking news across diverse communities, yet it often entails significant stressors. Some news reporters may experience trauma while covering challenging stories or navigating negative experiences within the newsroom. Many professionals in journalism have expressed concerns about the lack of awareness of mental health in the field. Addressing this need, this research using a documentary format, explores the need for integrating trauma training and awareness initiative into college-level journalism programs. Drawing on stories from former journalists and other professionals connected to journalism, this documentary highlights the pressing need for trauma-focused coursework to …


Airbnb Valuation: A Machine Learning Approach, Katherine Wyatt Dec 2023

Airbnb Valuation: A Machine Learning Approach, Katherine Wyatt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses a geospatially-enhanced, machine learning approach to investigate variations in rental success on the peer-to-peer property sharing website Airbnb.com. Geographic factors, listing attributes and amenities, customer response metrics, and host attributes are included in decision tree modeling to predict the short-term probability of receiving a review. The most important variables in increasing model accuracy are assessed and variations in the importance of these variables investigated using Shapley values.


The Intersection Of Employee Engagement And Employee Health: A Quantitative Evaluation Of The Use Of Engagement Tactics In Improving The Health Of A Workforce, Andrew Buffenbarger Dec 2023

The Intersection Of Employee Engagement And Employee Health: A Quantitative Evaluation Of The Use Of Engagement Tactics In Improving The Health Of A Workforce, Andrew Buffenbarger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Employers have a vested interest in the health of employees, but employee wellness programs have not proven themselves an effective tactic for employers to motivate employees to live healthier lives. Employees who suffer from chronic disease are less productive than healthier peers, are more expensive to insure, have higher rates of absenteeism, and are more prone to suffer from performance-reducing levels of stress and burnout (Shuck et al., 2021; Jones et al., 2019; Mattke et al., 2013). The problem is that employee wellness programs are often not effective at improving the health of employee populations (Song & Baicker, 2019; Jones …


The Alumni Base Holds The Institution In Their Heart: Alumni Decision Making And Communication Strategies During University Leadership Change, Brandy Cox Jackson Dec 2023

The Alumni Base Holds The Institution In Their Heart: Alumni Decision Making And Communication Strategies During University Leadership Change, Brandy Cox Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to understand how alumni executives make decisions and formulate communication strategies during university leadership change. The research was based on the trends found by the American Council on Education that the tenure of the college president has been on the decline since 2006 and is currently 5.9 years. Multiple factors have been identified in the literature that have led to this decline. The research focused on the largest constituency of most universities, its alumni base, and provides context and a description of decision making and communication strategies for alumni executives navigating leadership change. The …


Exploring Success Factors Of Women Senior Leaders In The United States Paper Manufacturing Operations Industry: A Phenomenological Study, Ericka Eggleston Dec 2023

Exploring Success Factors Of Women Senior Leaders In The United States Paper Manufacturing Operations Industry: A Phenomenological Study, Ericka Eggleston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand how women describe their journey to becoming senior leaders within the operations sector of the Paper Manufacturing Industry. This study will provide insights about how women in the male-dominated Paper Manufacturing Industry (PMI) assumed leadership positions. This pre-registered study will offer the framework for this study to be carried out at the University of Arkansas. The researcher will apply a descriptive phenomenological approach that will use semi-structured questions to understand the strategies they used to navigate their career path. Snowball sampling will be used to select 5-15 participants who provide their perceptions …


Evaluating Garment Fit Perception For Pregnant Women During 1st, 2nd, Or 3rd Trimesters, Nelima Zipporah Barasa Dec 2023

Evaluating Garment Fit Perception For Pregnant Women During 1st, 2nd, Or 3rd Trimesters, Nelima Zipporah Barasa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During pregnancy, women experience diverse physical body changes as the pregnancy progresses through different periods. It has been noted that anthropometric changes occur during pregnancy in a non-linear manner and can be measured using 3D body scanners at various stages of pregnancy. The changes are diverse, and impact pregnant women's garment fit differently as the pregnancy progresses through each trimester. Pregnant women have experience in dressing their pre-pregnant bodies in stylish garments and would similarly want to dress fashionably when pregnant. This has led to the need for garments that can accommodate body changes comfortably and fashionably without losing the …


Social Media Impacts On Arkansas Consumer Perceptions Of Gmos, Elizabeth R. Berner Dec 2023

Social Media Impacts On Arkansas Consumer Perceptions Of Gmos, Elizabeth R. Berner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study builds upon previous consumer perceptions of GMOs studies. A need existed to determine what, if any, effects social media messages about GMOs had on consumer perceptions in Arkansas. The study utilized a qualitative approach with three focus groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive code. Participants were found to have a general understanding of GMOs, though discussion about what a GMO product was took an uncertain tone. Most participants did not consider GMOs as a factor when purchasing products. Rather participants considered characteristics such as price, quality, and convenience. Participants did not believe the infographics had changed their opinions …


Do Fas Large Export Sales Reports Move Commodity Futures Markets?, William Johnson Aug 2023

Do Fas Large Export Sales Reports Move Commodity Futures Markets?, William Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to determine if the Large Export Reports from the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service have any discernible market-moving impact on particular commodity futures markets. The effect of the reports on futures markets is investigated using four different methods: the average return event study approach, the multiple regression with binary variables model, the autoregressive time series model, and the event spline model. The average returns showed that the FAS's Large Export Sales Reports had no influence on the pricing of wheat futures, but did have a considerable impact on the returns from days before and after the release of …


Index Fund Ownership And Stock Price Efficiency: Evidence From Quarterly Earnings Seasons, Joe López Vilaró Aug 2023

Index Fund Ownership And Stock Price Efficiency: Evidence From Quarterly Earnings Seasons, Joe López Vilaró

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While prior research argues that individual investors benefit from a switch to passive investment in index funds (French 2008, Bond and García 2022), higher levels of index fund ownership of firm shares lead to competing factors that influence a firm’s price efficiency (i.e., the speed and accuracy with which a firm’s stock price reflects investor consensus on the information provided about a firm). If relative investor sophistication increases as index fund ownership increases, there is a benefit to the firm’s price efficiency. Yet, more shares held passively limit the shares available for investors to actively incorporate firm news, adversely impacting …


Essays Examining Humanitarian Supply Chains: Investigating Operational Characteristics, Activities, And Performance, Llord Brooks Aug 2023

Essays Examining Humanitarian Supply Chains: Investigating Operational Characteristics, Activities, And Performance, Llord Brooks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the frequency and severity of disasters continue to increase, the need for collaboration amongst all humanitarian stakeholders in humanitarian supply chain activities during all aspects of the disaster cycle has become more critical to the success of relief operations. Humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are voluntary organizations operating in highly dynamic and chaotic environments to provide aid to people in need. But as the impact of disaster increases and the funding becomes more limited and competitive, they face mounting pressures from stakeholders to improve the quality of their operations. Similarly, private organizations are also under higher levels of scrutiny to …


Non-Physical Abuse In Sports: Organizational Culture’S Role, Ian O'Rourke Aug 2023

Non-Physical Abuse In Sports: Organizational Culture’S Role, Ian O'Rourke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of sport professionals who worked in organizations that tolerated non-physical abuse. This qualitative study used active interviewing and grounded-theory design to guide the data collection and coding efforts. The data identified emerging themes to generate essential theory. The research collected data through interviews with 10 sport professionals. This phenomenological study looked at sport professionals’ experiences who worked at private sport organizations and those that worked within a university athletic department. Interview responses illustrated that all participants experienced comparable treatment and felt similarly to the non-physical abuse taking place. An interesting …


Sharing Economy Last Mile Delivery: Three Essays Addressing Operational Challenges, Customer Expectations, And Supply Uncertainty, Nicolò Masorgo Aug 2023

Sharing Economy Last Mile Delivery: Three Essays Addressing Operational Challenges, Customer Expectations, And Supply Uncertainty, Nicolò Masorgo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Last mile delivery has become a critical competitive dimension facing retail supply chains. At the same time, the emergence of sharing economy platforms has introduced unique operational challenges and benefits that enable and inhibit retailers’ last mile delivery goals. This dissertation investigates key challenges faced by crowdshipping platforms used in last mile delivery related to crowdsourced delivery drivers, driver-customer interaction, and customer expectations. We investigate the research questions of this dissertation through a multi-method design approach, complementing a rich archival dataset comprised of several million orders retrieved from a Fortune 100 retail crowdshipping platform, with scenario-based experiments. Specifically, the first …


Beef And Dairy Substitution Effects Associated With Carbon Labeling And An Information Intervention, Sara Gardner Hedgecock Aug 2023

Beef And Dairy Substitution Effects Associated With Carbon Labeling And An Information Intervention, Sara Gardner Hedgecock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding consumer perceptions of carbon emissions in agriculture is a critical step to help increase the sustainability of food consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 14.5 percent of all global anthropogenic GHG emissions are estimated to be represented by livestock (FAO), and cattle, raised for beef and milk, are the largest animal species responsible for emissions, comprising over 60 percent of the livestock sector’s emissions. This motivates this study’s analysis of beef and dairy milk products and alternatives. To better understand how consumers may substitute meat and milk products when provided with information about …


Live Music Venue Marketing In A Post-Covid Northwest Arkansas, Griffen Walden Aug 2023

Live Music Venue Marketing In A Post-Covid Northwest Arkansas, Griffen Walden

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

What does a medium sized music venue, nearing its centennial in a college town, do when its doors have closed for the first time since a short 2004 renovation, due to the novel Coronavirus Pandemic? George’s Majestic Lounge, the historic live music venue located in the heart of downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas, ceased operation for 134 days, its longest ever closure, and emerged into a climate massively different from what it had entered the pandemic in (Drury, et al. 2021). This venue has stood the test of time; opened in 1927 by George Pappas, it has remained in its railroad-adjacent position …


Crafting The Brand: Characterizing Consumer Perspective Of Brand Equity Among Microbreweries In Northwest Arkansas, Alyssa Johnson May 2023

Crafting The Brand: Characterizing Consumer Perspective Of Brand Equity Among Microbreweries In Northwest Arkansas, Alyssa Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Craft beer and craft breweries are on the rise across the United States and more importantly, in Arkansas. Throughout the past two decades, craft beer has gained popularity in the state of Arkansas as the number of craft breweries have risen across the state. However, there is currently little literature on how branding in craft breweries in Northwest Arkansas is used to gain and retain loyal consumers. This study aimed to add to the academic literature and provide practical recommendations to practitioners on how brand equity is built among craft breweries in Northwest Arkansas, using qualitative interviews. Marketing strategies of …


The Cost Of Organizational Change For Rural Community Colleges, Randy Clayton Scaggs May 2023

The Cost Of Organizational Change For Rural Community Colleges, Randy Clayton Scaggs

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study will investigate the unintended consequences of implementing structural change in a rural community college in the mid-South region of the United States. Specifically, this study will examine the unanticipated outcomes of merging student affairs and academic affairs into one division. Scant empirical evidence exists about the benefits of this structural change or literature reviewing assessments of the unanticipated financial and nonfinancial costs to the institution. This critical case study is situated in a rural community college that recently changed its organizational structure by combining the academic and student affairs divisions. A purposeful sample, from different levels of …