Business Commons^™

Consolidating And Implementing An Employee Handbook At Souza’S Dairy, Inc., Adrianna Souza

Dairy Science

The objective of this senior project was to create a more useful handbook that employees will read, condensing the existing but still retaining the important information. Along with updating the handbook, I plan to implement the use of the employee handbooks. An employee handbook is an important solution to help employers and employees have consistent information. An outdated employee handbook can create problems in the workplace. New and changed laws occur every year and the firm will want to ensure that the employee handbook and policy handbook are up to date with the most recent laws and policies to mitigate …

Is Portfolio Performance Related To Whether A Manager Has An Ivy League Education?, Jonathan Janos

Business/Business Administration

No abstract provided.

Performance Attribution: Are Sector Fund Managers Superior Stock Selectors?, Nicholas Scala

Business/Business Administration

Abstract:

Do equity sector fund managers outperform diversified equity fund managers? This paper examines this question during 2000-2009 by formulating simulated portfolios of Fidelity Select Sector Funds with weights similar to the sector weightings of actual multi-sector equity fund portfolios. The returns of the simulated portfolios were then netted against the actual portfolios to determine which outperforms. The results indicate that Sector Fund managers have superior stock selection ability, with one notable exception: the small-cap value investment style. Small-cap value multi-sector equity fund managers outperformed the simulated portfolios, indicating superior stock selection ability by fund managers in that category. Although …

The Essential Structure Of Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Letty Workman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While many jokes and sales of specialty merchandise have been made that make light of consumers who frequently shop and buy (e.g., "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping," or "I am a shopaholic"), for 18 million Americans suffering from compulsive buying, the process of shopping and buying has caused their lives to literally go out of control. The outcomes of this disease for individuals, families, and business are all negative. In a marketing era of social responsibility, if marketers either knowingly or unknowingly encourage increased consumption among compulsive buyers, potential negative outcomes stand to impact others well …

Army Supply Chain Management: Trends And Parellels With Industry, Matthew C. Olson

Honors Theses

Documents assembled as part of a supply chain management study to compare the tools and concepts used by private industry with the public sector, specifically the Department of Defense and the United States Army.

Diversity Strengthening Companies In The Economic Downturn, Shandrea Daniel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to provide examples of companies using diversified strategies to advance in a competitive market and withstand the economic downturn. This paper will explain the benefits of the strategies and how one can implement them in their own business. The variety of strategies and examples will be presented in a literature review and a case study about the Los Angeles Clipper franchise. The goal is to present diversified strategies as an alternate response to the decline, so companies will gain ideas about how to develop cost saving initiatives that will increase long term revenue. Furthermore …

Management Research In The Hospitality And Tourism Industry, Xu Cheng

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the current research trends and clarify the changing direction of scholarly studies on knowledge management. The context of this study is hospitality and tourism research with a focus on research publications between 2006 and 2010. Published scholarly studies within this period are examined through content analysis, using such keywords as knowledge management, organizational learning, hospitality, tourism, tourist destinations, travel industry, hotels, lodging, motels, hotel industry, gaming, casino hotel and convention to search scholarly research journals. All contributions found are then screened for a hospitality and tourism theme and KM as the main …

Object And Relations Uncertainty: Two Components Of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty, Anthony Francolini

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

I contend that perceived environmental uncertainty should be divided into a new pair of uncertainty components, which I label object and relations uncertainty. Object uncertainty is defined as an actor’s inability to predict the future accurately due to a lack of information about object items (i.e., tangible, reducible, asocial items). Relations uncertainty is defined as an actor’s inability to predict the future accurately due to a lack of information about relations items (abstract, reduction-resistant, social items).

I contend that the object-relations uncertainty component-set is supported by uncertainty research and categorization theory. First, these two components are supported by the works …

Information Technology Capability Within Small-Medium Enterprises, Aurelio Ravarini

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study presented in this thesis investigates the influence of IT capability on the relationship between IT expenditures and long term business performance. To do so, the Resource Based View (RBV) has been used as the theoretical framework, and, within such a framework, the concept of sustainable competitive advantage has been used as a point of reference. IT capability, a term often mentioned in the scientific literature dealing with the applications of RBV in the IS field, has been the subject of this study. Within the IS discipline, IT capability is perceived to have considerable influence on the effect of …

Emotional Intelligence And Its Potential In Engineering Management, Jesse Ray Toepfer

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Assuming that the modern connotation of Emotional Intelligence (El) took shape with Wayne Leon Payne's 1986 dissertation, A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence, Self-Integration, Relating to Fear, Pain, and Desire, EI is nearing its thirtieth birthday. Relatively speaking, EI is still very young, and there are a handful of researchers who are still trying to explore and define El. Significant efforts have been made to develop the concept of EI, and the ramifications of EI on an individual's professional performance.

Often more technical and exacting in nature, the field of engineering management exhibits many aspects that are unique relative …

An Investigation Into Pcaob Reporting Deficiencies, James Samuel Wainberg

Open Access Dissertations

The PCAOB inspection reports for large audit firms are primarily anecdotal in nature, providing only a list of deficiencies found without any statistical context (e.g., the inspection sample size). This is problematic when trying to determine the extent of a firm's audit weaknesses. However, simply adding statistical data to the reports, as currently provided in the PCAOB reports of small firms, may not solve the problem. Prior research suggests that statistical data are often ignored or underweighted when anecdotal data are present. This study investigates whether a bias for anecdotal data overwhelms the statistical data as currently presented in small …

Centennial Hills Active Adult Center Business Plan, K. C. Brekken, Jeff Buchanan, David Gordon, Doug Guild

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The economic indicators for the state of Nevada indicate a bleak financial future. The foreclosure rate of the Las Vegas Valley is five times the national average and the highest rate in the country (Hoak, 2010). Sales tax revenues continue spiraling down and fell by 6.6 percent in December 2009 from December 2008 (Garcia, 2010). State politicians face an estimated budget deficit of $3.5 billion. Local conditions are equally dire. The City of Las Vegas faces a budget shortfall of nearly $69 million for this fiscal year (Choate, 2010). City administrators struggle to find creative solutions to fill financial gaps …

The Effect Of The Governance Environment On International Business: Three Essays, Jun Wu

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

We examine how governance environment affects business activities across countries. Using an updated framework of governance environments, we classify countries into three groups based on their dominant modes of governance: (1) rule-based (strong rule of law), (2) relation-based (weak rule of law and strong informal network based on private relations), and (3) neither-based (absence of both public rules and private network). We then examine how different governance types affect trade patterns and foreign investment flows. Chapter 2 theoretically proposes that the governance environment of a society plays a significant role in influencing international trade and foreign investment across countries. Chapter …

Cost Analysis Of Single And Multiple Use Drip Irrigation Tape Used For Strawberries, Alexander (Alex) Walker

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project evaluates and compares the cost analysis of both single and multiple use irrigation drip tape used for strawberries in the Santa Maria Valley.

Organic Grower And Distributor Business Plan, Nicholas Thorp

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The main objective for this project was to design a business plan that can meet the consumer’s needs and those of the evolving produce market. Creating a business that offers a variety of produce to the consumer following the roles of a CSA while offering more choices with orders for the customer. By offering the consumer the control of their own purchases, allowing them to customize their own packages. By offering such an incentive the company hopes to gain the confidence of the customer and ease them to feel as comfortable as possible.

Design, Plant And Manage 20 Acres Of Almonds In Modesto, Ca, Louie Ott

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

To develop the most efficient method to plant a 20 acre block almonds. Taking into account all matters and deciding how to earn the most profit. The project includes: removal of old almond field, preparation of field, planting the correct varieties of trees that meet the requirements, decide and install a correct irrigation system, how to manage the field, harvest, pruning, and more. The result will be how much it costs to plant a field of 20 acres, how to correctly mange it, and how long until a profit may be seen. It will take into account current prices and …

A Case Study On Contracted Seasonal Workers And Farm Labor Contractors In The Stockton Area, Cristal Verduzco

Agribusiness

This study was conducted to define the current situation between contracted seasonal workers and farm labor contractors in the Stockton area. Specifically, this study focuses on the perception workers have of farm labor contracted employment. It also addresses the perception farm labor contractors have on the contracting business.

To gather the information needed to compare perceptions, interviews with twelve contracted seasonal workers and two farm labor contractors were conducted in Stockton. The analysis process consists of a detailed account of the problems workers and farm labor contractors encounter in the farm labor contracting business.

The results of these interviews concluded …

Firm Impact Of Cal Pacific Specialty Foods Establishing A Diverse Customer Base, Anthony Luis De Alcuaz

Agribusiness

When Cal Pacific was established it was imperative to establish a diverse customer base. This study proved through empirical evidence that Cal Pacific's establishment of a new and diverse customer base, after being founded, paved the way for the vast success of the company in past years. The sales reports, balance sheets, income statements, and depth interview responses exemplify the correlation of Cal Pacific's success to its customer base. As a result of the Company having many customers, sales increases were recorded and exemplified in the sales reports. Sales increases occurred over multiple one year periods. Overall firm value has …

Is Virtualization An Appropriate Method Of Disaster Recovery For The Hospitality Industry?, Manognya Murukutla

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Organizations across all business sectors are making increasing use of IT today. While other industries have understood the consequences of this dependence in the event of IT disasters and placed a large emphasis on disaster recovery plans and technology, the hospitality industry is lagging behind. One of the reasons why the hospitality industry does not place as much of an importance to disaster recovery is the cost. However, IT disaster is a very damaging occurrence, and measures should be taken to mitigate the event. Loss of a property's information technology (IT) functions can cause chaos in a hotel’s operations leading …

Project Dynamics: An Analysis Of The Purpose And Value Of System Dynamics Applied To Information Technology Project Management, Timothy Charles Delobe

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Project failure in the Information Technology (IT) sector is well documented in the literature; project managers miss their target budgets and schedules more than twice as often as they meet them. Traditional project management methodologies initially developed for the large-scale engineering projects of the 1950’s, while still relevant and useful, are reductionist in nature and are therefore missing a systems approach that concentrates on knowledge creation before, during and after a project. The research presented herein will demonstrate the role of system dynamics in augmenting a project’s control processes, as well as the skill set used by the project manager. …

A Test Of The Cwb-Ocb Emotion-Centered Model, Ernest O'Boyle

Theses and Dissertations

Discretionary behaviors such as counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) exist outside of the job description, but these behaviors nevertheless have profound influence on the organization and its members. Using Spector and Fox’s (2002) General OCB-CWB emotion centered model as the conceptual framework, I tested a specific model with personality, perceptions of the workplace, and emotional processes as antecedents of both OCB and CWB. The proposed model fit the data well and the results indicated that the emotional processes of burnout and engagement partially mediate the individual and organizational antecedents.

Generational Perceptions Of Productive/Unproductive Information Received From Management Through Different Communication Channels, Eva Lynn Cowell

Doctoral Dissertations

This exploratory study identified generational preferences for receiving information from management through different communication channels and determined if age predicted productivity for productive and unproductive information received through different communication channels. This is the first study to empirically examine the relationship between age cohorts, communication channel preferences, information categories, and productivity. Sample participants worked as Extension agents at a major land-grant university. The four generations represented in the sample utilized multiple communication channels and were geographically dispersed throughout the state. The survey was administered electronically and completed by 204 (74%) of the eligible 275 employees in the organization. Independent Samples …

Do Hedged Mutual Funds Hedge?, Steven Newton

Business/Business Administration

Mutual funds using hedge fund strategies, known as “hedged mutual funds,” have experienced rapid growth in recent years. In theory, these funds should provide a source of diversification for retail investors however the 2008 credit crisis negated the expected benefits of many equity diversifiers. Between 2004 and 2009, hedged mutual funds underperform hedge funds using similar strategies. In contrast, hedged mutual funds outperform the S&P 500 although funds with a market neutral strategy underperform the risk-free rate. These findings suggest that, when compared to a long-only equity strategy, hedged mutual funds offer retail investors improved performance in bear markets.

Investigating Efficiencies Of Long And Inverse Etf Pairs, Daren Pon

Business/Business Administration

No abstract provided.

The Financial Crisis 2010: The Role Of The Shadow Banking System, John Grogan

Business/Business Administration

The financial crisis of 2008 was the result of a number of factors affecting the global economy. Although the problems originated with subprime borrowers and the fear of loan defaults, several other factors contributed to the crisis. The Federal Reserve, rating agencies and the shadow banking system played significant roles in the 2008 collapse. The shadow banking in particular affected the financial crisis in unprecedented ways that magnified the problem and created a global credit crisis. The government sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made loan guarantees and involved themselves in other questionable practices that the American taxpayers have …

Towards A Deeper Understanding Of The Use And Effectiveness Of Human Resource Dashboards, Roopa Shashikant Bhopale

Business/Business Administration

The goal of this thesis is to examine the factors which influence the effectiveness of human resource (HR) dashboards and the antecedents which motivate employees to use them. To do this, I have examined research on executive information systems (EIS) and dashboards and have developed models of the factors which lead to HR dashboard use and success. Looking to this idea that a dashboard is a relative of executive information systems, EIS literature was used to provide the factors in the models of dashboard use and success. In hopes of being able to develop more used and more effective dashboards, …

Bank Liquidity Management, Brendan Van Der Vossen

Business/Business Administration

No abstract provided.

Family-Owned Businesses: Determinants Of Business Success And Profitability, Jeffrey S. Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine many factors associated with family-owned businesses that lead to business success and profitability. The panel data used in this study came from the 1997 and 2000 waves of the National Family Business Study (NFBS). Many independent variables from the 1997 wave (e.g., age, gender, managerial activities, business size, home-based, business problems) were tested to predict business success and profitability (dependent variables), which were variables from the 2000 wave.

Some of the descriptive analyses indicated that, compared to female managers, male managers perceived less business success, participated more in managerial activities, managed older …

An Examination Of Integrated Rural Tourism Development In The Goris Region Of Armenia, Luke Alan Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rural tourism is a popular development tool in both developed and developing countries. However, rural economic development can be problematic when considering the diversity of resources and stakeholder groups. In the Republic of Armenia the current system of tourism development is not benefiting rural communities in the regions. This study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of community dynamics in the rural region of Goris through the study of tourism integration. A novel assessment tool is implemented which provides a systematic qualitative evaluation of stakeholder perceptions through which strengths and weaknesses of the local tourism sector are derived. Data extracted …

Service Undone: A Grounded Theory Of Strategically Constructed Silos And Their Impact On Customer-Company Interactions From The Perspective Of Retail Employees, Kelley A. O'Reilly

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This work elaborates the impacts of strategically constructed silos that are not byproducts of flagging cross-departmental cooperation or the cumulative effect of decades of decentralized command and control. Rather, these silos are strategically intended structures within organizations. Most significantly, the substantive theory of strategically constructed silos and their impact on customer service contributes to the field by illustrating the presence and consequence of silos occurring in suboptimal conditions. The existence of silos has implications that extend far beyond the retail area.

A key take-away from this research is that contrary to how most customer service processes are designed, not all …