Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Algorithmic Nudging On Decision Quality: Evidence From Randomized Experiments In Online Recommendation Settings, Yuxiao Luo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Most recently, academic research has started to address the relationship between nudges and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) and found that personalized targeting algorithms can influence individual and collective behaviors in ways that may lead to undesired consequences for both end-users and firms. This dissertation investigates the effects of digital nudging, particularly algorithmic nudging, on user’s decision quality in online badge recommendations in the e-commerce context. Nudge is a choice architecture that alters individual’s behavior in a predictable way while preserving all available options and keeping the same economic incentives. In this dissertation, I conducted three independent and relevant studies and …

Coworkers And Leaders: The Relationship Between Trustworthiness, Trust, And Employee Engagement, Lianne Young

Dissertations

A highly engaged workforce provides numerous organizational and individual benefits (Shuck et al., 2016), the culmination of which leads to a competitive advantage difficult to emulate (Burke et al., 2013). It remains challenging to understand how engagement develops, with little research available explaining the process (Shuck, 2020). High employee engagement levels provide a competitive advantage, but stagnant engagement levels remain a significant obstacle (Shuck, 2020).

Shuck (2020) recommends further research focusing on methods to increase engagement. Trustworthiness and trust are antecedents and drivers of engagement (Chughtai & Buckley, 2008; Federman, 2010; SHRM, 2017). A lack of trust has negative impacts …

Motivations For Planning: Uncovering The Inhibitors To The Adoption Of Comprehensive Financial Planning For Business Owners, Daniel R. Gilham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Though comprehensive financial planning is well-known terminology, it is not a well-known or adopted concept. Broadly, financial planning is associated with investment management, but this approach is changing. Most research on financial planning is confined to the benefits, or process, behind planning. For business owners, coordinated, comprehensive financial planning should include the founder’s largest, most concentrated financial asset, the business they are running. The underlying motivations and bias that inhibit business owners from engaging in a comprehensive financial planning relationship has not been heavily researched. In this dissertation, I studied business owner inhibitors to the adoption of comprehensive financial planning …

Lead Self To Lead Others: Intersection Of Courage, Self-Awareness, & Leadership Communication For Self-Leadership & Development, Maribel Paulino

Student Theses and Dissertations

Toxic workplaces are recognized as the strongest predictor of attrition and turnover, contributing to global disengagement (70% of team engagement is attributed to managers who are also quietly quitting) particularly by way of workplace cultures, pay and benefits, and employee well-being. A recent workplace research study suggests that 59% of the global workforce is disengaged, 44% is experiencing record high stress levels, 21% is experiencing anger, 56% is struggling, and 24% feel cared for; meanwhile, global disengagement is costing the global economy a substantial $8.8 trillion dollars. As the world continues to evolve, leaders must forge ahead continuously shifting how …

Not Too Scared To Enter: Understanding The Uppsala Model’S Complexity As Sme Decision Makers Enter High-Risk Countries, Andrew Kindfuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Johanson and Vahlne’s Uppsala internationalization model is a framework for understanding sequential internationalization, experiential learning, and the commitment decision processes designed to answer the question: “Why and how do firms internationalize?” Each potential market is distinctive due to dissimilar languages, cultures, religions, ethics, political systems, laws, business norms, etc. – all these perceptual differences, which can potentially block the free flow of information between markets, are called “psychic distance.” By completing 34 detailed, semi-structured interviews with executives who have recently made significant financial or resource commitments to enter 28 different challenging countries, this is the first study to focus with …

Advising Communication In Finance, Jordan J. Schumann

Communication Studies

Communication is an important factor in relationships. When it comes to financial advising and the advisors’ relationship with their clients, it is no different. However, the driving factor of what makes a client choose one advisor over another remains in question. As such a question builds: what does an advisor do to maintain a client and promote gaining new ones? This study examines the experiences current advisors have had in their respective careers. To examine this topic, communication theories (Social Cognitive Theory, Source Credibility Theory, and Uncertainty Reduction Theory) are called upon to inform the outcomes of advisors' experiences. The …

An Imc Approach To Building Trust Among Nonprofit Donors, Catherine A. Romaine

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of a holistic Integrated Marketing Communications strategy within the nonprofit sector. The research aims to identify the effectiveness of different marketing communication tactics in soliciting donations for nonprofit organizations. It examines the influences and motivations of donors when choosing one organization over another for their monetary contributions. The thesis investigates the impact of specific integrated marketing strategies in building and maintaining relationships with different stakeholders such as donors, volunteers, and employees.

Through a literature review of successful nonprofits and missteps within the sector, this thesis identifies various factors that contribute to nonprofit marketing success, including …

Strategies Global Virtual Team Leaders Use To Improve Trust And Communication, Sarah Crandell Monday

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global virtual team (GVT) members’ inability to effectively build trust and communication has the potential to negatively impact organizational outcomes. Organizational leaders are concerned with team members’ inability to build trust and communication, as it is the leading cause of reduced productivity and efficiency levels within GVTs. Grounded in the social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies GVT leaders use to improve trust and communication among GVT members. The participants were 18 GVT business leaders from six organizations located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured …

Are Generational Attitudes Toward Digital Marketing Technology Exhibited In Automobile Purchase Behaviors?, Scott Whitaker

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

This dissertation was focused on the current digital purchasing trend in the used automotive industry in order to understand which factors impacted the growth of this trend through the lens of generational cohort theory. The growth of consumer informedness in the automotive sector has created drastic changes in how consumers are able, and willing, to purchase vehicles. Used car dealerships who adopt successful internet marketing techniques can capture and engage potential customers and then convert that engagement into sales. Companies like Carvana, Vroom, and CarMax have seized this opportunity and created a digital marketing phenomenon with major impacts on consumer …

Serving Behind The Screen: Practical Recommendations For Best Practices On Social Media For Government Practitioners, Livianette Cabrera

Student Theses and Dissertations

The usage and importance of social media continues to grow in our everyday life, however, governments lag on using the platforms to the fullest extent. This study aimed at learning what best practices should government practitioners exercise to meet constituents needs and provide services and information online. Through oral histories conducted with a small pool of participants, four themes emerged which helped to answer the research question. Findings illustrated four main traits/themes were essential if social media managers wanted to excel at their job: Competent Strategic Senior Management, Effective Community Management, Mission and Value Alignment, and Customized Curation. Through an …

Privacy In Online Communities: How Control And Assurances Influence Intention To Disclose Personal Information, Oscar E. Lopez Arizaga

Doctoral Dissertations

Online Health Communities provide a rich, context-specific scenario for the study of privacy, which promises to enhance our knowledge of this complex phenomena. Online communities are only successful to the extent that individuals join and participate in the communities, and privacy concerns are a barrier to this success. In this dissertation, the privacy calculus and the agentic perspective of social cognitive theory provide the theoretical foundation for studying privacy in online communities. The first study represents a comprehensive literature review of online privacy in IS. Several research opportunities are found in the literature including limited empirical work on the roles …

Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store (Bopis) Business Strategy: A Multivarite Study Of Bopis Influencing Factors On Customer Satisfaction, Addison G. Smith

Honors Thesis

Purpose- The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes consumers have towards buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) and its influence on customer satisfaction.

Design- Data were collected from 567 respondents and resulted in 476 usable responses. This paper uses multivariate regression and two separate multiple regression analyses to examine the differential effects of multiple constructs (i.e. perceived usefulness online, perceived ease of use online, trust online, hedonic values online, perceived usefulness pickup, perceived ease of use pickup, trust pickup and hedonic values pickup) on customer satisfaction within online ordering and physical pickup portions of BOPIS process.

Findings- The result of this …

Care To Walk In My Shoes? Repairing Trust After Violations Of Benevolence, Luke Aaron Langlinais

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation examines how perceived perspective taking relates to trust repair, specifically in the context of a benevolence-based violation. I draw on perspective taking theory, attribution theory, and the integrative model of organizational trust to explore a model of interpersonal trust repair. The extant literature on trust repair primarily focuses on violations of ability and integrity, leaving the third dimension of trustworthiness, benevolence, largely unexplored. Yet, research suggests as many as 96% of workplace employees have been victims of benevolence-based offenses, such as disrespect, condescension, or degradation. The present research expands the theoretical bounds of the extant trust repair literature …

Could Alexa Increase Your Social Worth?, Peter Tripp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People have historically used personal introductions to build social capital, which is the foundation of career networking and is perhaps the most effective way to advance a career (Lin, 2001). With societal changes, such as the pandemic (Venkatesh & Edirappuli, 2020), and the increasing capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI), new approaches may emerge that impact societal relationships. Social capital theory highlights the need for reciprocal agreements to establish the trust between parties (Gouldner, 1960). My theoretical prediction and focus of this research include two principles: The impact of reciprocity in evaluating trust of the source of the introduction and the …

Servant Leadership On Burnout Among Physicians In Residency Training, Karen Grant-Hewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physicians in residency training (PIRTs) in the United States are facing extreme burnout. The prevalence of burnout among physicians in residency training may cause adverse consequences such as medical malfeasance, alcoholism, or suicide due to physical and mental exhaustion. The purpose of this study was to analyze the servant leadership style of physician trainers and burnout among PIRTs in academic medical centers in the United States to ultimately increase wellness and thereby mitigate burnout. Servant leadership was the theoretical foundation for this study. This research investigated whether servant leadership characteristics of physician trainers played a statistically significant role in burnout …

Hazy Team Composition Processes: Shared Team Leadership, A Strategy To Team Excellence In Higher Education, Pervaiz Masih

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teamwork is an emergent property of efficacious organizations. Team-based and result-oriented organizational structures are gaining momentum, increasing 6% each year. Over 80% of organizations globally deploy teams by putting ordinary people to work together for extraordinary performance. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center is a unique institute that teaches foreign languages in an immersive and team-based environment. This mixed-methods research study investigated (a) the teaching team composition processes, (b) the applicability of trust and diversity in team composition, and (c) the impact of shared team leadership in the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Data were collected from 82 …

Trust And Bias In Peer-To-Peer Ratings: Why Peer-To-Peer Service Ratings Are Nearly Always Positive, And How They Can Be Fixed, Michael Moorhouse

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Transactions in the peer-to-peer sharing economy carry high risk and uncertainty. Consumers exchange with non-professional providers with whom they have no past history, and must rely on ratings and reviews for choice selection. However, there is a large positive bias in the ratings, making differentiation difficult, and causing some consumers to lose trust. Despite these concerns, little progress has been made to demonstrate the cause of the bias or how it can be fixed. I address this gap by demonstrating that consumers evaluate peer-peer experiences based on trust. This trust evaluation, in concert with network and social factors, contributes to …

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

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

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

How Positive Practices In Organizations Are Associated With Employee Engagement Via The Moderating Effects Of Generational Cohorts In U.S. Customer Service Organizations, Deborah A. Poole

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role that the respective workforce generational cohorts may have on the relationship between positive practices in organizations and levels of employee engagement of U.S. based adult customer service representatives of all races. Studies show that higher employee engagement positively affects employee motivation, satisfaction, productivity, and ultimately the financial success of the organization. However, the levels of engagement for front line customer service positions are some of the lowest of occupations measured by Gallup and have actually declined in recent years. The broaden and build theory of positive emotions shows that …

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

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

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

The Duality Of Reality: Perception Creation Using Symbolic Management, Christopher J. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People have historically used different types of symbols to signal an ideology, to create a sense of prestige, or to gain legitimacy. Examples of these types of symbols can be seen in displays ranging from marketing ads to presidential election materials. While these types of symbols tend to be socially constructed, and universally identifiable, the consequences of their use are less uniform in nature. This study explores the gap that currently exists between a symbol’s inherent value and the expected consequences of its use. My theoretical prediction includes two principles: The use of symbolic management to create symbolic environments and …

The Moderating Impact Of Yoga On The Relationship Between Employee Job Satisfaction And Trust In Management, Khalid George Darargeh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employees with low job satisfaction are less likely than employees with average or high job satisfaction to achieve organizational productivity objectives. Owners of U. S. companies lose an estimated $605 billion each year in productivity due to low employee job satisfaction. Grounded in the leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the moderating impact of yoga on the relationship between employee trust in leadership and employee job satisfaction. Using LinkedIn and Facebook, participants were 80 full-time professionals living in the Baltimore County or Baltimore City vicinities who varied in their participation in yoga as …

The Relationship Between Organizations' Response To Customer Complaints, Customer Trust, And Loyalty, Abimbola Ajibola

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between organizations’ responses to customer complaints and their effects on customer loyalty and trust. Four hypotheses were established for this study to help us gain a greater understanding of the dynamics of the responses to customer complaints and their relationship with trust and loyalty. Five independent variables (apology, timeliness, explanation, compensation, and dialogue/active listening) and two dependent variables (trust and brand loyalty) were used to test the hypotheses. An online survey was conducted through Qualtrics and data were collected from participants who were students at a Midwestern University. Facebook …

From Truth To Trust: The Impact Of Blockchain Traceability On Trust In Product Authenticity, Frank Betz

Theses and Dissertations

In the global marketplace, customers are increasingly unaware of the source, provenance, and authenticity of products. Early research has shown that the introduction of blockchain technology into the supply chain area can make it more transparent and trustworthy. As a platform that supports distributed, cryptographically secure, auditable transactions, blockchain has expanded from the domain of digital cryptocurrency into the domain of physical asset provenance and ownership tracking and tracing. This research examines blockchain support of trust in product authenticity adopting a two-paper dissertation format. In the first conceptual paper, I develop a conceptual framework on blockchain technology's unique features and …

The Role Of Employee Proactive Behaviors In Influencing Supervisors’ Trust In Employees, Ngai Meng Ho

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In organizations, proactive employees make things happen. They anticipate, initiate, and drive meaningful changes for a better future. Such proactive behaviors can be manifested in different forms. Initiating work improvements and voicing for changes are examples of the different proactive behaviors commonly demonstrated by employees.

Empirical studies have associated proactive behaviors at work with a range of positive workplace outcomes. However, only limited research has examined how proactive behaviors might be related to one particularly important outcome, trust, i.e., whether an employee’s proactive behaviors will influence the supervisor’s trust toward the employee. Accordingly, in this present research, I conducted two …

Improving Engagement: The Moderating Effect Of Leadership Style On The Relationship Between Psychological Capital And Employee Engagement, Scott Beatrice

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating effect that different leadership styles (Transformational, Transactional, and Passive-Avoidant) can have on the relationship between Psychological Capital and Employee Engagement. Additionally, it explores the direct positive relationship that Psychological Capital and Transformational Leadership have on Employee Engagement. This study examines 238 adults that work at least 20 hours a week. The results show that Psychological Capital and Transformational Leadership have strong, positive effects on Employee Engagement and Transformational Leadership positively moderates the direct relationship between Psychological Capital and Employee Engagement. The importance of Psychological Capital in its relationship to Employee …

Trust Issues: A Case Study Of The Relationship Between Trust And Reform Implementation, Courtney R. Wilson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Reform creation and implementation tends to focus on the mechanics needed to ensure intended outcomes are achieved. School relationships are affected by the tension caused by reform implementation. Research suggests trust among teachers and between teachers and their administrator affects the way teachers make sense of, implement, and use new reform efforts. Given the demands reforms place on schools, trust has the potential to impact and encourage the implementation of reform and the maintenance of relationships. A qualitative case study method was used to decipher the impact trust plays in the implementation of reform. The concept of trust is used …

Recognizing Potential Cyberspace Warriors Through The Use Of Suspicion Propensity Index, Meghan G. Strang

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force currently suffers from excessively high attrition rates in the cyberspace career. The field is currently aiming to develop an entrance examination for the career, striving to improve personnel selection and decrease these high attrition rates. The attribute of suspicion is a key focus of the preliminary examination development, theorizing that it is a potential indicator present among competent cyber operators. This research makes use of the Suspicion Propensity Index (SPI), a reliable measure of one’s tendency to be suspicious, along with the highly cited Mayer’s trust questionnaire in order to compare the attributes that appear in successful …

Why We Use A New Currency: The Role Of Trust And Control In Explaining The Perception And Usage Of Bitcoin, Joseph B. Walton

Theses and Dissertations

Social media, e-commerce, global peer-to-peer technologies, and the near ubiquity of computers and smartphones allow people to interact, trust, and exchange value across traditional socio-economic control boundaries and over significant distances. Since the creation in 2008 of a new cryptographic currency system called Bitcoin, a financial technology market sector of about 250 billion USD has rapidly emerged, raising questions about the nature of currency in society and whether new types of non-national money are warranted and viable. This debate has pitted heterodox economic interests against orthodox economic interests while it has rekindled interest in theories that view money as a …

Strategies For Small Businesses Negotiating Contracts With Hospitals, Patricia Gale Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to successfully negotiate contracts can have negative impacts on business survivability. Contract negotiations are ways medical suppliers and hospitals establish mutually beneficial relationships to increase profitability and longevity while innovating to improve patient care. Grounded in the resource dependency theory and the grand theory of negotiation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used by Texas physician preference item (PPI) suppliers to successfully negotiate contracts with hospitals to improve profits and sustain their small business beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 11 small business leaders in Texas who successfully negotiated contracts with hospitals to …