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The Effect Of Gender And Leadership Styles On Employee Satisfaction, Brittany Williams Dec 2012

The Effect Of Gender And Leadership Styles On Employee Satisfaction, Brittany Williams

HIM 1990-2015

To ensure the success of a company, it is essential for supervisors to interact effectively with the employees they oversee. Effective interactions between supervisor and employee go hand-in-hand with employee satisfaction, which can impact firm performance. The purpose of this thesis is to examine key drivers of employee satisfaction. Specifically, this thesis tests whether or not employees with supervisors of the same sex as themselves are more satisfied than employees with supervisors of the opposite sex. It also compares and contrasts the level of satisfaction an employee has in correspondence with transformational and transactional leadership styles and whether this relationship …


The Effects Advertising Plays On College Students' Moral Intentions Beyond Purchase Behavior, William Crockett Aug 2012

The Effects Advertising Plays On College Students' Moral Intentions Beyond Purchase Behavior, William Crockett

HIM 1990-2015

Advertisements affect our daily lives and as technology and the practice of marketing has developed over the course of history, we have become exposed to greater amounts of product and service campaigns. The purpose of advertisements is to educate the consumer with the goal of ultimately selling the product, and many companies and organizations would not be able to survive without the use of advertisements. Ultimately, it is a necessity for a business to prosper in a competitive market, but there are possible side-effects for the consumer that are beyond the intentions to buy. The purpose of this thesis is …


Do The Right Thing The Role Of Public Service Advertisements On The Behaviors Of Contemporary College Students, Jessica Jones Aug 2012

Do The Right Thing The Role Of Public Service Advertisements On The Behaviors Of Contemporary College Students, Jessica Jones

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between public service advertising and the likelihood of Generation Y to react in the prescribed manner. Public service advertising can be paid or unpaid but is used to try and influence a particular audience to act in a prescribed manner. This research will be comparing two different types of message styles, argumentative and emotional, and two contemporary prominent issues, organ donation and prescription drug abuse. The two issues are classified as either altruistic, where there is no direct benefit, or self-help, where the results are personal. Four different messages will …


Rights Of Ownership In The United States As Identified Through Defined Benefit Plan Conversion, Richard Burke May 2012

Rights Of Ownership In The United States As Identified Through Defined Benefit Plan Conversion, Richard Burke

HIM 1990-2015

Employer provided Qualified Plans ("Qualified Plans") are the most efficient supplement to Social Security savings and benefits. Given the significance of the benefits provided as well as the short-term Revenue constraints upon the Federal government in the form of substantially protracted tax deferrals, Qualified Plan legislation should maintain a conservative disposition. Incremental legislative action in the right direction will steadily graduate ERISA to its intended purpose. Unfortunately ERISA is a convoluted maze of formalities, definitions, and regulation that are only substantially understood by an expert and have yet to be adequately explained to the public at large. Recent publications such …


Managing In Brazil A Guide For American Managers, Melanie Senosiain May 2012

Managing In Brazil A Guide For American Managers, Melanie Senosiain

HIM 1990-2015

As the Brazilian economy is growing, more and more companies are looking to open businesses in Brazil. This may require some managers to hire Brazilian employees. By using the Hofstede and GLOBE studies, as well as other cultural traits, I have gathered a significant amount of knowledge on the Brazilian culture. I compared these traits to the American culture to find what American managers should focus on changing to best manage Brazilian employees. This guide determined techniques that American managers should follow when traveling to Brazil. In addition I have added other traits that American managers should look into before …


A Comparative Analysis Of College Student Spring Break Destinations An Empirical Study Of Tourism Destination Attributes, Tricia Tang May 2012

A Comparative Analysis Of College Student Spring Break Destinations An Empirical Study Of Tourism Destination Attributes, Tricia Tang

HIM 1990-2015

The tourism industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the world's economy, contributing 9.1% of world GDP and more than 260 million jobs worldwide (World Travel & Tourism Council, 2011). The U.S college student market has emerged as major segment within this sector, generating approximately $15 billion on annual domestic and international travel. Among the various travel patterns of college students, they are most highly motivated for spring break travel, with more than two million students traveling per season (Bai et al., 2004; Borgerding, 2001; Reynolds, 2004). This research, through surveying college students majoring in hospitality and …


An Examination Of Issues Related To Professional Skepticism In Auditing, Erin Burrell Nickell Jan 2012

An Examination Of Issues Related To Professional Skepticism In Auditing, Erin Burrell Nickell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The third general standard of fieldwork requires auditors to maintain a skeptical mindset with regards to the collection and critical assessment of audit evidence. While professional skepticism is frequently referenced by professional standards, a lack of precision in defining the concept presumably leads to variation in how skepticism is exercised in practice. Drawing on theories from the fields of psychology, economics and organizational justice, this dissertation considers different perspectives of what constitutes sufficient professional skepticism and examines how those perspectives differ between audit practitioners and regulators. First, I consider competing perspectives of professional skepticism – neutral versus presumptive doubt – …


Three Essays On Investments: An Examination Of The Effects Of Diversification And Taxes, Matthew Hurst Jan 2012

Three Essays On Investments: An Examination Of The Effects Of Diversification And Taxes, Matthew Hurst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 examines the effect of property-type diversification in equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) from 1995 to 2006. A strong positive relationship is documented between property-type diversification and return on assets, return on equity, and Tobin’s Q. The diversification benefit comes from both the ability to select better performing property types in “hot” markets and the limited exposure to poorly performing property types in “cold” markets. Diversified REITs produce higher cash flows relative to equity as a result of a broader opportunity set; moreover, return on assets increases with the degree of diversification, which suggests significant shielding to property-type …


The Relationship Between Perceived Personal Fairness, Social Fairness, Hotel Cancellation Policies And Consumer Patronage, Scott J. Smith Jan 2012

The Relationship Between Perceived Personal Fairness, Social Fairness, Hotel Cancellation Policies And Consumer Patronage, Scott J. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the study was to examine the relationships between the concepts of personal fairness and social fairness and hotel cancellation policies. These relationships will be explored using the framework of Prospect Theory in terms of consumer patronage (willingnessto-purchase and word-of-mouth). This study begins with a brief history of the development of the lodging industry in the United States from inns and taverns to the modern hotel industry that is a critical sector of the hospitality and tourism economy. Current statistics are provided regarding the U.S. and Central Florida hotel industry in order to provide both a national and …


The Effects Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Service Recovery Evaluations In Casual Dining Restaurants., Heidi Albus Jan 2012

The Effects Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Service Recovery Evaluations In Casual Dining Restaurants., Heidi Albus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on service recovery in terms of customer satisfaction, repeat patronage, word of mouth, and consumer trust in casual dining restaurants. More specifically, this study proposed that CSR will have a halo effect on negative service recovery incidents and mitigate the adverse effects of the poor recovery. An experimental study consisting of a 3x2 between subjects factorial design was used. Three CSR conditions (positive, negative, and no CSR) were matched with two service recovery conditions (positive or negative). Four hundred and eighteen subjects were recruited by a reputed marketing research firm. …


International Worker Cultural Adaptation: A Qualitative Study, Luis Romero Valenzuela Jan 2012

International Worker Cultural Adaptation: A Qualitative Study, Luis Romero Valenzuela

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

International workers are a vulnerable population within the hospitality industry. Their challenges, and needs have an impact on productivity, loyalty and satisfaction of international workers towards the organizations that employ them. The social and cultural impacts of labor migration are felt in their new environment by both domestic and immigrant populations. It is important to understand international workers’ acculturation process in order to provide them with tools necessary to succeed; it is also important to create responsible practices that translate into positive migration outcomes for both domestic and foreign populations. This study collected data on the motivations, processes, challenges, and …


More Than Money: Corporate Social Performance And Reporting And The Effect On Economic Performance, Kimberly A. Zahller Jan 2012

More Than Money: Corporate Social Performance And Reporting And The Effect On Economic Performance, Kimberly A. Zahller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The three studies in this dissertation explore the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). CSR consists of social, ethical, and environmental performance dimensions that have not traditionally appeared in mandated financial reports and largely reflect societal expectations for corporate behavior beyond legal and regulatory constraints. CSR is reflected in both corporate actions (performance outcomes) and voluntary reporting (disclosure), and the two are not necessarily equivalent due to managerial discretion in disclosure. Although the mechanisms remain unclear, the general consensus is that there is a positive relationship between CSR and CFP. In considering the drivers and …


The Role Of Flow In Creating E-Loyalty: The Case Of Online Hotel Booking Websites, Anil Bilgihan Jan 2012

The Role Of Flow In Creating E-Loyalty: The Case Of Online Hotel Booking Websites, Anil Bilgihan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to examine the concept of ―online customer experience‖, ―flow‖, and its role in influencing online customers‘ loyalty to a hotel booking website. To achieve this aim, a model was developed, which proposed that online flow is generated by both hedonic and utilitarian website features. A model was developed based on literature review to measure the relationships between the constructs. To initiate this research, a survey approach was taken. After conducting a pilot study, a marketing company was contacted to distribute the link for the online questionnaire. Five hundred and eleven (511) questionnaires were completed by guests who …


Three Essays On Short-Selling, Margin Trading And Market Efficiency, Song Wang Jan 2012

Three Essays On Short-Selling, Margin Trading And Market Efficiency, Song Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation contains three essays on short-selling, margin trading, and market efficiency. The first essay uses a unique exogenous event, the introduction of short selling in the Chinese stock market, to examine the direct link between idiosyncratic risk and short selling. Based on Shleifer and Vishny (1997), I hypothesize that idiosyncratic risk deters arbitrageurs with negative information from taking short positions in overvalued stocks. Consequently, the stocks with high idiosyncratic risk are more overvalued at the onset of the introduction of short sale and perform worse in the subsequent period. The second essay examines the impact of the introduction of …


Three Studies Of Stakeholder Influence In The Formation And Management Of Tax Policies, Jason Chen Jan 2012

Three Studies Of Stakeholder Influence In The Formation And Management Of Tax Policies, Jason Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three separate but interrelated studies examining the formation and management of tax policies. The first study uses stakeholder theory (ST) to investigate the strategic management practices of the Transport for London (TfL) during discrete stages in the adoption, implementation, and amendments of the tax policy reform known as the London Congestion Charge (LCC). Results indicate that TfL has utilized power, legitimacy, and urgency as its main policy management tactics with a significant emphasis on legitimatizing the LCC and its subsequent policy amendments. The second study draws on social exchange theory (SET) to reexamine the relationship between …


Examining Gender In Pharmaceutical Rhetoric Through A Cultural Studies Lens: A Case Study On The Gardasil Vaccine, Jennifer Fickley-Baker Jan 2012

Examining Gender In Pharmaceutical Rhetoric Through A Cultural Studies Lens: A Case Study On The Gardasil Vaccine, Jennifer Fickley-Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On June 8, 2006, Merck announced the debut of Gardasil, the world's first vaccine found successful in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, a sexually transmitted infection that is one of the main causes of certain cancers in men and women, including cervical, vulvar, penile and anal cancers. To promote the vaccine's release, Merck launched Gardasil's "One Less" advertising campaign that included television commercials, print ads and a consumerfocused website (www.Gardasil.com), each promoting the message that "you" could now be "one less woman" affected by cervical cancer ("One Less" campaign). The vaccine, tested and approved only for females age 9-26, was …


Stand Up And Speak Up: Employees' Prosocial Reactions To Observed Abusive Supervision, Manuela Priesemuth Jan 2012

Stand Up And Speak Up: Employees' Prosocial Reactions To Observed Abusive Supervision, Manuela Priesemuth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines what happens when employees witness supervisory abuse in the workplace. In particular, it explores whether-and when-employees will respond to witnessing supervisory abuse of a coworker by engaging in prosocial actions aimed at benefitting the target of abuse. In doing so, it extends work on abusive supervision. Traditionally, abusive supervision research has focused on the impact of abuse on the victim him/herself. However, this work explores the impact of abusive supervision on third party observers. In addition, because abusive supervision represents a form of organizational injustice, this dissertation extends both work on abusive supervision and third party reactions …


Why Do Individuals Act Fairly Or Unfairly? An Examination Of Psychological And Situational Antecedents Of Organizational Justice, Deshani B. Ganegoda Jan 2012

Why Do Individuals Act Fairly Or Unfairly? An Examination Of Psychological And Situational Antecedents Of Organizational Justice, Deshani B. Ganegoda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most studies on organizational justice have focused on individuals’ reactions to justice. As such, a key question has been left largely unanswered: Why do individuals act fairly or unfairly? The present research adopted a person-situation interactionist approach (Trevino, 1986) to examine psychological and situational antecedents of individuals’ fair behavior. The social identity model of deindividuation (SIDE; Reicher, Spears, & Postmes, 1995) and side-bet theory of continuance commitment (Becker, 1960) was used to examine how organizational identification and continuance commitment might influence employees’ fair or unfair behavior depending on an organization’s justice climate. Based on SIDE, it was hypothesized that organizational …


Three Essays On The Marketing Strategies Of A Durable Goods Manufacturer, Ngan Ngoc Chau Jan 2012

Three Essays On The Marketing Strategies Of A Durable Goods Manufacturer, Ngan Ngoc Chau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When purchasing durable goods, consumers not only pay for current but also future consumption; consequently, forward looking behavior is an important consideration in durable goods markets. For example, anticipating that prices will go down in the future, consumers may delay the purchase today; such behavior has a significant impact on the firm’s marketing strategies. This dissertation investigates the impact of durability on two marketing strategies: new product introductions and supply chain design. The first part of this dissertation (Chapter 3) examines a durable goods manufacturer’s new product introduction strategy under different market environments where network effects and product compatibility are …


Real Estate Investment Trust Performance, Efficiency And Internationalization, Joshua A. Harris Jan 2012

Real Estate Investment Trust Performance, Efficiency And Internationalization, Joshua A. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are firms that own and manage income producing commercial real estate for the benefit of their shareholders. The three studies in this dissertation explore topics relating to best practices of REIT management and portfolio composition. Managers and investors can use the findings herein to aide in analyzing a REIT’s performance and determining optimal investment policies. Utilizing REIT from SNL Real Estate and CRSP, the first two studies examine the role of international diversification upon performance, technical efficiency, and scale efficiency. The third study utilizes REIT data to examine technical and scale efficiency over a 21 …


Essays On The Effect Of Excess Compensation And Governance Changes On Firm Value, Mustafa A. Dah Jan 2012

Essays On The Effect Of Excess Compensation And Governance Changes On Firm Value, Mustafa A. Dah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays on the effect of excess compensation and corporate governance changes on the firm’s performance. The first paper utilizes a cost minimization stochastic frontier approach to investigate the efficiency of director total compensation. Our findings suggest that board members are over compensated. We show that, on average, the director actual compensation level is above the efficient compensation level by around 63%. Our results suggest that an increase in director excess compensation decreases the likelihood of CEO turnover, reduces the turnover-performance sensitivity, and increases managerial entrenchment. Thus, the surplus in director compensation is directly associated with …


The Influence Of An Annual Meeting On The Sense Of Community Of Association Members, Their Satisfaction, And Future Intentions, Jee Yeon Hahm Jan 2012

The Influence Of An Annual Meeting On The Sense Of Community Of Association Members, Their Satisfaction, And Future Intentions, Jee Yeon Hahm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, many studies have provided some understanding on what influences association members‟ decision to attend a meeting; however, more systematic and theoretical research is necessary. The decision making process of attendees is a complicated human behavior practice. The major contribution of this study is adopting the sense of community (SOC) model from psychology to gain a better understanding of the attendee behavior. By doing so, this study will add a theoretical foundation to the existing research in the meeting industry. Also, this study will contribute to the SOC research in psychology by applying the concept to a …


How Does Jay-Customer Affect Employee Job Stress And Job Satisfaction?, Gawon Kim Jan 2012

How Does Jay-Customer Affect Employee Job Stress And Job Satisfaction?, Gawon Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Guest-contact employees interact with various types of customers, and they are often exposed to stressful conditions caused by the deviant, or jay-customers. The purpose of this study is to examine how jay-customer behaviors (customer incivility and customer aggression) affect employees’ job stress, and consequently, job satisfaction. Surveys of 210 participants, currently working as guest-contact employees in the hospitality industry, were analyzed for the study. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses show a positive relationship between the experience of customer incivility and employees’ job stress. Additionally, the results indicate a full mediation effect of employees’ job stress on the relationship …


Nutritionally Focused Drive-Thru Menus And The Impact On Consumer Preferences: A Study Of The Restaurant Industry, Meschelle M. Davis Jan 2012

Nutritionally Focused Drive-Thru Menus And The Impact On Consumer Preferences: A Study Of The Restaurant Industry, Meschelle M. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than one-third of the U.S. citizens (over 70 million people) and 16% of children are classified as obese and are at risk of many diseases including heart disease. Research indicates that 65% of Americans over the age of twenty years old are considered overweight. To address this public health issue, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has proposed new nutritional guidelines for restaurant menus. Thus, the current study investigated the preferences of quick service restaurant (QSR) industry consumers with reference to the newly proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. This study includes development and redesigning of drive thru …


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Pga's Professional Gold Management (Pgm) Program, David Lane Smiley Jan 2012

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Pga's Professional Gold Management (Pgm) Program, David Lane Smiley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationships between knowledge, skills, ability, self-efficacy, and experiential learning and performance expectations and satisfaction. The purpose of this study was threefold. First, the study attempted to understand the motivators for student motivation to recommend the program. Second, the study looked at the contribution of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for retention and positive word-of-mouth. Further, the research evaluated the relationship of the curriculum in influencing the student’s performance and satisfaction. The study sample consisted of 676 undergraduate students attending one of six PGA Professional Golf management programs in the spring of 2011. The survey instrument was …