Digital Commons Network^™

Behavioral Indicators Of Poor Welfare In Shelter Dogs, Paige M. Adams, Suma Mallavarapu

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

We studied behavioral indicators of poor welfare in shelter dogs. Our research question was: How is the welfare of shelter dogs affected by length of stay at a shelter, age, sex, and breed. Data were collected on 18 dogs from October 2016 to March 2017 at a small private shelter in Marietta, GA. Data were collected in 15-minute sessions when the dogs were in their indoor enclosures. No significant differences were found in time spent in abnormal behaviors among dogs that were at the shelter for less than 1 month, 1-6 months, and longer than 6 months, between males and …

The Demographics Of The Modern American Senate And How It Reflects The Modern American Voter, Caitlin A. O'Kelley, April Johnson

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

As a body intended to accurately represent the people of the United States, the U.S. Senate is not a very diverse group. However, it is the people themselves who vote their representatives into office. In seeking to find what qualities American voters look for in a senator, senatorial longevity is an excellent gauge. Through the analysis of previous studies and literature and the gathering of original data on the senatorial longevity of the 115^th Congress, independent variables such as sex, education, and children can be analyzed to determine the demographic makeup of the successful American senator; thereby also analyzing …

Visual Odometry Using Convolutional Neural Networks, Alec Graves, Steffen Lim, Thomas Fagan, Kevin Mcfall Phd.

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Visual odometry is the process of tracking an agent's motion over time using a visual sensor. The visual odometry problem has only been recently solved using traditional, non-machine learning techniques. Despite the success of neural networks at many related problems such as object recognition, feature detection, and optical flow, visual odometry still has not been solved with a deep learning technique. This paper attempts to implement several Convolutional Neural Networks to solve the visual odometry problem and compare slight variations in data preprocessing. The work presented is a step toward reaching a legitimate neural network solution.

Prevalence And Incidence Of Health Risk Factors Among Adolescent Girls, Kylah Pollard, Mohammed Chowdhury, Sarai Bauguess

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Heart Disease has many different risk factors, including hypertension (high blood pressure) and high cholesterol. Research has shown that hypertension can be identified as early as adolescence, and preventative measures can be instilled in this age. However, the relationship between hypertension, high cholesterol, race, and income have not been studied in detail among adolescents. The present study analyzed the effects of different health factors on blood pressure and cholesterol levels in Caucasian and African-American girls ages 9-21 years old, the prime of adolescence. The dataset was part of a larger study completed by the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute …

Use Of An Alternative Natural Weed Suppressant: Effects Of Parboiled Rice Hull Mulch On The Growth Of Container Weeds, Amy R. Fields-Taylor, Vanessa Slinger-Friedman

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) is one of the leading educational centers in Georgia about the ecology of the Chattahoochee River. Due to lack of man power, keeping down the weeds in the CNC plant nursery is one of those tasks that often gets left undone. The nursery becomes overgrown with invasive weed species. Understandably, they must sometimes resort to the use of herbicides, such as Roundup®, to keep the hundreds of native and endangered species of plants housed at CNC from being choked out by invasive weeds. This study tests the ability to suppress weed growth by use of …

A Look At Minimizing Student Loan Debt, While Maximizing Advanced Educational Opportunities, Karla Bradford

The Siegel Institute Journal of Applied Ethics

Poverty is a reality for many who obtain a degree of higher education and enter the workforce immediately after graduation. Funding an education for many may lead to student loan debt that is often virtually impossible to repay. This often leads many to believe that the debt incurred from obtaining a degree of higher education may not be worth the gain. The purpose of this paper is explore several articles that report on higher education as it relates to poverty, student loan debt, and salary pay scales for degrees and professional trade certifications. While investigating those related themes, this paper …

From The Editors, Herbert J. Mattord, Michael E. Whitman, Carole L. Hollingsworth

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

A Developmental Study On Assessing The Cybersecurity Competency Of Organizational Information System Users, Richard K. Nilsen, Yair Levy, Steven R. Terrell Ph.D., Dawn Beyer

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Organizational information system users (OISUs) that are open to cyber threats vectors are contributing to major financial and information losses for individuals, businesses, and governments. Moreover, technical cybersecurity controls may be rendered useless due to a lack of cybersecurity competency of OISUs. The main goal of this research study was to propose and validate, using subject matter experts (SMEs), a reliable hands-on assessment prototype tool for measuring the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that comprise the cybersecurity competency of an OISU. Primarily using the Delphi methodology, this study implemented four phases of data collection using cybersecurity SMEs for proposing and …

Social Media Risk Perceptions Of Human Resource Professionals: Issues Undergraduate Students Should Consider, Julio C. Rivera, Jack Howard, Samuel Goh, James L. Worrell, Paul Di Gangi

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study contrasts the social media risk perceptions of undergraduate students, versus those of certified Human Resource professionals. Social media is widely used by most segments of the population, and particularly among the age group that includes most undergraduate students. Organizations hiring employees are increasingly examining job applicant's social media postings as part of the applicant screening process. In this study we examine how these groups differ in their perceptions of the risks inherent in using social media, and what these differences may mean for students seeking employment. Recommendations are made for raising undergraduate student awareness of these risks.

Synergistic Security: A Work System Case Study Of The Target Breach, Martha Nanette Harrell

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Recent publicized security breaches can be used to evaluate information security programs. The processes and procedures that allowed the event to occur can be examined in a case study and then be used to find methods for future mitigation of risk. The Target security breach is used in this study to examine the organization’s information security program using a macro-ergonomic model. This research posits that an information security program should consider the work system design, based in macro-ergonomics, to help mitigate information security risk to the organization and ensure an efficient and effective information security program. Based on a seminal …

A Toolkit Approach To Information Security Awareness And Education, Peter Korovessis, Steven Furnell, Maria Papadaki, Paul Haskell-Dowland

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

In today’s business environment where all operations are enabled by technology, information security has become an established discipline as more and more businesses realize its value. The human component has been recognized to have an important role in information security since the only way to reduce security risks is through making employees more information security aware. Towards this goal the research will appreciate the importance of information security awareness by illustrating the need for more effective user training. Further to that it proposes and develops an information security toolkit as a prototype awareness raising initiative. Apart from the elements of …

The Myths And Realities Of Generational Cohort Theory On Ict Integration In Education: A South African Perspective, Keshnee Padayachee

The African Journal of Information Systems

There is an assumption that the younger cohort of teachers who are considered to be digital natives will be able to integrate technology into their teaching spaces with ease. This study aims to determine if there is a difference between generational cohorts with respect to ICT (Information Communication Technology) integration in classrooms among South African teachers. There is a paucity of research on ICT integration in education with respect to generational cohorts. This study involved a secondary analysis of two primary data sets, which contained qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data revealed that there are few statistical differences between …

Reflections Of A Doctoral Research On Knowledge Management (Km) Through An Afrocentric Lens In A Nigerian Oil Corporation, Okeoma John-Paul Okeke

The African Journal of Information Systems

This paper focuses on the reflections of a doctoral research that evaluated the challenges of the adoption and implementation of a knowledge management (KM) initiative through the experiences of the knowledge champions. The African/Nigerian socio-cultural view was used to explore the narrative accounts of the knowledge champions. A case study research was carried out using qualitative approaches. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used in data analysis. The findings demonstrated the ability to ground KM adoption within a socio-cultural specific context helped in making sense of the organizational KM experience. The paper serves as an academic expression to the current generation …

Deriving Critical Success Factors For Implementation Of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems In Higher Education Institution, Robyn C. Thompson Mrs, Oludayo Olufolorunsho Olugbara Prof, Alveens Singh Dr.

The African Journal of Information Systems

This paper presents the findings of a study that uses the advanced impact analysis (ADVIAN®) method to derive critical success factors (CSFs) of enterprise resource planning implementation in higher education institution. Through analysis of CSFs, the paper contributes towards assisting higher education institution to reduce some of the plethora of challenges in this domain as highlighted in the literature. The ADVIAN® method classified 20 factors into categories of integration, criticality and stability as well as ranked them by measures of precarious, driving and driven. The results of the classification and ranking show 5 factors that are ideal for intervening activities …

Turnover Intentions Among South African It Professionals: Gender, Ethnicity And The Influence Of Pay Satisfaction, Rennie Naidoo

The African Journal of Information Systems

The South African ICT industry is struggling with high turnover despite the relatively high remuneration packages it offers to its gender and racially diverse IT professionals. This study explored pay satisfaction levels and its relationship with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Survey responses from 158 IT professionals were subjected to descriptive, correlation and regression analysis. The results show that, irrespective of gender or race, employees generally have low pay satisfaction, low organizational commitment, and only moderate job satisfaction levels. However, black ethnic groups did show a difference in their appraisals of pay satisfaction, expressing slightly lower pay satisfaction …

Cause-Related Marketing: The Effect Of Checkout Charity Requests On Consumer Donation Behavior, Brian R. Kinard, Minerva Lacal Pardo

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The aim of this research was to understand better consumer reactions to donation requests when making point of purchase decisions. A between-subjects full factorial design manipulated product type (goods/services), consumption experience (frivolous/practical), and product/cause fit (strong/weak). In line with prior research (e.g., Chang, 2008; Savary et al, 2015; Strahilevitz & Myers, 1998), a scenario-based approach was employed to assess responses to the CRM manipulations. A total of 241 subjects participated in the study. Our results mirror extant research evidence on the positive effects of pairing frivolous products with donation requests. In that, positive donation behavior largely results as consumers compensate …

Double Trouble: Commingled Effects Of Fast Food And Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption And The Intervening Role Of Physical Activity On Childhood Obesity, Christopher Berry, Scot Burton, Elizabeth Howlett

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Children are exposed to a great deal of food and beverage promotion. This is particularly concerning given that the prevalence of childhood obesity, a critical public health challenge, may be partially due to the increased consumption of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages. However, there are lingering questions about the complex relationships between fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, physical activity levels, and childhood obesity. To address these complex relationships, this research examines the interaction of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, along with the frequency of physical activity, in leading to the likelihood of a child being overweight or obese. …

Entrepreneurship Marketing In North Carolina’S Wine Industry, George D. Shows, Pia A. Albinsson, James E. Stoddard

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Entrepreneurial marketing seeks to create, communicate and deliver value to customers and manage customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization. This paper explores whether increased entrepreneurial marketing practices at North Carolina wineries can lead to enhanced winery performance. A web survey was delivered to N.C. wineries by email. The results suggest that winery customer intensity and innovation was positively related to winery satisfaction of winery performance. Also, innovation and value creation were found to be positively related to percentage sales change at wineries.

Couples Sleeping Apart--Separate Master Bedrooms And The Impact On The Real Estate And Related Markets, John E. Crawford

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Sleeping is a fundamental individual human need. However, most adults fulfill this need by sleeping with a partner, a behavior particularly true for married couples. A trend of couples choosing to sleep apart has emerged in recent years. For reasons practical and personally beneficial or preferred, a growing number of couples are choosing to have a home with two master bedrooms--one for him and one for her, each furnished according to the needs and tastes of the partners. Thus, some homes are being built with two master bedrooms, others are being modified to have two master bedrooms, and new empty …

Do Investors Value Comparative Ads? The Effects Of Comparative Advertising On Stock Returns, Tommy Hsu

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Comparative advertising has been more widely used in the United States. However, based on research that has been done in the past, the effectiveness of comparative advertising is still a controversial argument even though it is generally believed that comparative advertising is more effective than non-comparative advertising. Previous studies have been mainly focusing on the effects on consumer behavior. This study tries to fill the research gap to emphasize on the effects from investors’ perspectives. Therefore, the effect of comparative advertising on stock returns is investigated. Also, since many American firms are doing business in other countries and begin advertising …

The Narcissistic Salesperson: A Framework Of Their Relationships With Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Customer Orientation, J. Garry Smith

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Narcissistic salespersons can have detrimental effects on customer relationships and voluntary turnover. These impediments to organizational effectiveness occur through their relationships with customers, coworkers, supervisors, and the organization. Conversely, narcissistic salespersons also possess some attractive salesperson characteristics such as charm, resilience, confidence, competitiveness, and initial likeability. In this paper, I draw from the psychology, marketing, sales, and organizational literatures to develop a conceptual framework which illustrates the relationships of narcissistic salespersons with customers and critical job-related attitudes that affect their relationship with the organization. Specifically, this framework contains empirically testable proposed relationships between narcissism and the following specific outcomes of …

Technology, Power, And Leadership: Recommendations For Preserving Faculty Autonomy In The 21st Century, Leslie Pourreau

The Siegel Institute Journal of Applied Ethics

Today’s institutions of higher education dedicate significant time and effort to outfitting facilities with the latest technology equipment and packages and to providing faculty with training and support. Conversely, literature on technology implementation in higher educational settings typically focuses on procedures and timelines and makes little mention of how faculty perceive technology as a challenge or threat to their autonomy and professional identity. This literature review uses the terms “power”, “empowerment” and “technology” according to Foucault, Kanter, Rowlands, and others as the lens to examine connections between technology and faculty’s real or perceived loss of identity and autonomy. Instructional technology …

Introduction To The Ethics Of Physical Embodiment, Linda M. Johnston

Siegel Institute Ethics Research Scholars

Introduction to the Ethics of Physical Embodiment

Spectacular Spaces Of Consumption, Ellen G. Watkins

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Abstract:

Many pre-professional dance studios have become consumer driven in response to the growing economic practice of neoliberalism. Neoliberal values have become more prominent in today’s economy and inevitably seeped into the lives of dancers and instructors, creating consumer based pre-professional training schools. This paper argues that the current neoliberal state of the United States is negatively affecting dance education by reducing specialized and therapeutic training and as a result numbing the creative mind and the artist’s entrepreneurial abilities. This research begins with the basic definition of neoliberalism and discusses how the theory of homo politicus and homo economicus individuals …

The Influence Of Chimú Metalworks On Inca Metalworks, Maria Shah, Hannah Pelfrey, Jessica J. Stephenson

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

One of the cornerstones of art history is the attribution of art work to an artist, culture or time period. Art historians perform this work through a number of methods, including an analysis of medium, provenance, and object history, with the goal of placing a work within a chronological sequence. However, art historical attribution becomes a challenge when studying lesser known cultures or cultures of the past whose art works have been removed from archaeological contexts without rigorous study. As a result, attributions and classifications are sometimes based on minimal information. Once published this information is often uncritically perpetuated. One …

The Danger Of Unqualified Dance Instruction In Private Dance Studios And Social Media, Angelina M. Pellini

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

While dance classes have become a popular activity for children in the United States, most people are unaware of what constitutes “quality” dance instruction. This idea has been addressed at a collegiate level yet the lack of standards for dance instruction at the studio level has been overlooked. This research draws attention to this issue and the need for a potential solution to the problem. The project strives to answer these questions: Is there a trend between the lack of standards for dance education and the prevalence of injuries in young dancers? If so, is there a way to address …

Caitlin Keogh: Feminine Feminism, Madeline Beck

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The painter Caitlin Keogh (b. 1982) is a rising star in the Contemporary Art scene in the United States. Currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York, Keogh is one of countless emerging painters in the trendy arts hub, but her work is already receiving international attention and critical acclaim. Her refined use of flat figuration and bold but pastel colors combined with her striking subject matter has situated Keogh distinctly in the massive contemporary art scene today. Keogh’s insertion of feminist discourse, personal identity, and appropriated imagery into her paintings begs a thorough analysis of her work. She implements …

Mood And Mode: The Impressionistic Commonalities Of Claude Debussy And John Coltrane, Simon B. Needle, Edward Eanes

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

There are marked parallels in scale use, the use of modality and harmonic construction and movement in the music of John Coltrane as compared to impressionist composers like Claude Debussy. The modal harmonic exploration employed in the works of Coltrane is often attributed to the Indian raga and other music, but it can also be likened to Impressionist works by Debussy. A fascination with exoticism and a search for new veins in music to draw from propelled both of these artists forward musically. While Debussy learned medieval modality from the Russians, Coltrane looked further East to the Arab world and …

Mapwriting Fall 2017 Closing Page

MAPWriting

The last page from this issue featuring credits and editorial information

Resources For Writers

MAPWriting

A list of resources for writers, including the MAPW website and social media platforms, writer's associations, and others.