Business Commons^™

Capitalism, Global Militarism, And Canada’S Investment In The Caribbean, Tamanisha J. John

Class, Race and Corporate Power

At the end of the 1990s, there existed a belief that a growing Canadian military involvement in the Caribbean region was unlikely if it was not associated with Canada’s interest in Latin America (Klepak 1996). This view had such a large impact that today there is a dearth of information on Canada’s military involvement in the Caribbean region. Lacking systematic investigation, two myths have perpetuated: first that Canada has no stake or interest in Caribbean security, insofar as those interests cannot be tied to Canada’s interests in Latin America; and second, that all expressions of Canada’s involvement in Caribbean security …

Apple “Porn” 2.0: Apple’S Vision (Pro), Suzanne E. Ferriss

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article extends the argument made in “Apple ‘Porn’: Design Videos as Seduction and Exploitation” (Ferriss 2018) to consider the corporation’s filmed representation of its newest device: an augmented reality headset dubbed Vision Pro. It argues that Apple’s latest narratives further relegate human work and community to the margins by presenting human experience as thoroughly mediated by computer-enhanced simulation, its pinnacle achieved through its Apple Vision Pro headset that turns the home and workspace into one immersive audiovisual world. Rather than its devices and software becoming an inseparable part of our personal and shared spaces, they become the spaces. We …

Marriott Short-Term Rentals For Digital Nomads - A Campaign Aimed At Advertising Marriott Homes To Nomads And Remote Workers, Guethshina Valexia Altena

Global Strategic Communications Student Work

Marriott International is one of the most renowned travel companies in the world. They consider themselves a travel program with hotel brands and experiences. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Marriott suffered a great loss of revenue similar to other companies in the hospitality industry. Fortunately, the pandemic also brought along some changes to the American way of life and opportunities for people to travel and work remotely. The number of people who reported being digital nomads nearly doubled in the United States from 2018 to 2021, one year after the pandemic (Patterson, 2022). This new demographic of …

Strategic Communication In The Feminine Hygiene And Beauty: A Comprehensive Plan For Effective Engagement And Influence, Mikhailia A. Williams

Global Strategic Communications Student Work

The beauty and health industry is a multi-billion dollar market that includes companies that produce feminine hygiene products (Petruzzi, 22). These brands are looking for new ways to connect with their consumers and increase consumer loyalty. The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based and organic feminine hygiene brand, has an opportunity to increase its online brand sentiment by implementing a strategic communications plan for female consumers aged 15 to 50. The objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the company's communication, marketing and brand strategies, as well as create a strategic communications plan to develop a positive …

The Implications Of Corporate Political Activism And Governance, Marcos Velazquez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three essays that study corporate political activism through the lens of corporate governance. The first essay examines how CEO overconfidence, moderated by CEO power, drives lobbying expenditures. The findings suggest that neither variable by itself affects lobbying outlays. However, it is the interaction between such characteristics that increases lobbying activity. Executives exhibiting above-average overconfidence who also chair the board tend to spend 36% more in lobbying. Ensuing firm performance is examined to establish whether the surge is in line with stewardship or agency conflict paradigms. There is limited evidence of improved valuations due to lobbying …

Exploring The Effects Of Persuasive Designs Of Intelligent Advice-Giving Systems On Users’ Trust Perceptions, Advice Acceptance, And Reuse Intentions, Tian Yu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With artificial intelligence (AI) penetrating into a broad range of industries in the current age, it has an impact on our daily living in a more and more profound way. Interacting with AI-based systems for advice has become a common practice as well. As advice-giving systems (AGS) become more cognitive and human-like, they can influence users’ decision-making to a new level. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to explore this new type of intelligent system and examine how users perceive and react to the system’s persuasive influence. Based on the persuasion knowledge model, this paper identifies various persuasive designs (anthropomorphic features, …

Corporate Response To The 2020 Police Killings - Effects On Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment, Selena N. Seabrooks

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study sought to investigate the relationships between corporate response to the 2020 police killings and job satisfaction, corporate response and organizational commitment, and the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The study also tested how those relationships were moderated by race, gender, and political affiliation.

A structural equation model was used to test the relationships. Three structural models with differing items were used to measure the corporate response construct. The baseline model used a mix of items from the internal corporate response and the brand activism scales. Two other structural models, one with only the internal corporate response …

A Look At Contributing Factors That Affect Female Underrepresentation In Management, In The United States, Nushine W. Hosseini

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines contributing factors that affect female underrepresentation in management, in the United States (U.S.), within the U.S. workforce. The primary variables of interest are intrinsic motivation, work life balance and organizational climate support, which have typically not been reviewed in depth, in prior research.

Using a framework of varied theoretical approaches, this research studies the relationship between the above-mentioned constructs and gender effect, as related to interest in career advancement opportunities and female leadership underrepresentation within organizations.

The results of this study further validate existing research and highlights the importance of establishing programs, geared towards shifting mindsets and …

The Effect Of Participation In Production Ideation Crowdsourcing On Affective Commitment As A Driver Of Customer Loyalty In The United States Lodging Industry, Clay Dickinson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crowdsourcing and customer loyalty are two salient issues that offer tremendous opportunities and challenges in the U.S. lodging industry. Crowdsourcing has been empirically demonstrated to deliver substantial benefits at a reduced cost while retaining and enhancing the value of loyal customers has been the elusive “Holy Grail” of lodging companies for at least the past four decades. Moreover, the cost of today’s loyalty programs in the lodging industry is high and growing, while the true loyalty they ostensibly engender is dubious. Extant literature on crowdsourcing and customer loyalty suggests that the two constructs share a number of base theories and …

Increasing Institutional Asset Owner Capital Into Mixed Income Housing In The Us, Frederick White

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this Dissertation manuscript, I present a framework that assesses certain characteristics considered by an Institutional Asset Owner (IAO) when considering allocating capital into Mixed-Income Rental Multifamily (MIH) Housing in the United States (US). An Institutional Asset Owner (IAO) firm, as defined by this manuscript include Life Insurance Companies, Pension Funds, Endowments, Registered Investment Advisors, and Real Estate Fund Operators. US Institutional Asset Owners (IAOs) account for trillions in investable cash that must be deployed on an annual basis into various investment opportunities including stocks, bonds, real estate, and other asset classes for the benefit of its participants and clients. …

Hiring People With Disabilities From An Employer’S Perspective And Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Claude B. Kershner Iv

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When employers hire people with disabilities, collective behavioral change occurs within organizations. Specifically, attitudes towards people with disabilities improve through professional interventions and encourage organizational citizenship behavior. Previous studies have demonstrated the economic and client-focused impact of hiring people with disabilities — resulting in a tested model of competitive integrated employment. This study indicates that — when organizations employ best practices when integrating people with disabilities into the workplace — there is a performance-based behavioral change in non-disabled employees.

This study uses intergroup contact theory and social exchange theory to develop a model and a corresponding survey instrument that measures …

Psychological And Agentic Effects Of Human-Bot Delegation In Open-Source Software Development (Ossd) Communities: An Empirical Investigation Of Information Systems Delegation Framework, Spurthy Dharanikota

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bots are agentic AI that automatically interact with software developers, also known as contributors, to coordinate work in open-source software development (OSSD). The proliferation of bots in OSSD communities like Kubernetes led them to become the disruptive new teammates central to the coordinating mechanisms for implementing source code changes using pull requests. These bots provide procedural rationality and enhance predictability in OSSD communities akin to clerks and managers in traditional organizations. However, despite acknowledging the criticality of the bots’ agentic role in coordinating the OSSD, research on the OSSD dynamics in the Information Systems literature has failed to reveal …

Studying The Executive Perception Of Investment In Intelligent Systems And The Effect On Firm Performance, Noel Romesh Wijesinha

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to examine the relationship between investment in intelligent systems resources and capabilities (based on artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms) and the effect on company performance. Despite existing research on the benefits of adopting intelligent systems, companies have been slow to adopt as there is lack of research on intelligent systems use cases that will increase firm performance. This research study used resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities (DCF) theory to investigate firms’ investment in intelligent systems resources that build intelligent systems capabilities and the association to organization performance dimensions, revenue and profits. To answer this …

An Examination Of Job Resources And Self-Determination In Employees' Job Involvement, Hernan Morales

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As employees and organizations continually strive to do more with less, the employer must remain an active partner in understanding the nature of their employee’s job involvement for its competitive advantage. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the influence of several work characteristics and motivational forces on job involvement. The study used a quantitative methodology. The sample of the current study was composed of 214 subjects. The reliability and factor structure of the scales used were evaluated and validated. The main results showed that intrinsic and prosocial motivations significantly influenced individual job involvement. Moreover, the results show …

Assessment Of Factors Affecting Dropout Intentions During The First Year In A Modeling School, Mauro Echeverri

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, there has been little research done on student dropout rates in modeling schools. This quantitative study utilizes applied research methods to analyze 138 female students in STAGE, a modeling school, where most students are between the ages of 11 and 18 years old. This study aims to examine why students drop out during their first year of study. The model utilized in this research integrates variables derived from Vincent Tito’s theory of departure, in addition to other variables not included in this theory like the parental support impact on extracurricular activities. Correlations analyses were used to assess the …

Closing The Gap In Career Selection Pathways: Factors That Influence Career Indecision Of High School Students In The Us., Juan Carlos Rey

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on Donald Super’s Developmental Self-Concept theory, Osipow’s theory of career development, Crite’s career maturity theory, and Bandura’s social cognitive theory; this study observes the impact of Self-Efficacy (specifically Career Decision Self-Efficacy) on Career Indecision in high school students of the United States by applying the Career Decision Self Efficacy scale (CDSE) (Taylor and Betz, 1983), and the Career Decision Scale (CDS) (Osipow, 1987) to a sample 250 high school students. A comprehensive study of the major theories related to career development is performed as well as an analysis of relevant factors that impact career decision. When applied in educational …

Support For Workfare And Labor Programs In The Bahamas: The Role Of Subjective Poverty, Insecurity, Conservatism, And Empathy., Utha Butler

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research extends the literature on individual-level determinants of workfare and labor programs support (WLPs) using a mixed factors model to explain individual behavior. Extant research focused on institutional factors, which did not sufficiently explain much of the variance. This study, conducted primarily online and through mobile applications in The Bahamas, focused on the individual-level determinants that may explain support for such programs. This research revealed that conservatism, empathy, and government spending efficacy contextualized as goal achievement are significant predictors. We found that support for social spending in this context was affected by whether the respondent was a direct beneficiary …

What Factors Influence The Consumer Use Of Fully Autonomous Vehicles Within The U.S.?, Michael Russell

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inclusion of autonomous vehicle technology in modern cars is causing both consumer familiarity and consternation amidst a growing interest in the future of fully autonomous vehicles (FAVs). This study’s contributions are the key research constructs and interrelationships that positively influence consumers’ behavioral intention to use FAVs. The research study concludes and advances a better understanding of perceptions and opinions from consumers about their behavioral intentions to use FAVs and the level of favorability toward self-driving vehicular technology.

As full vehicular autonomy does not yet exist, few extensive studies and experts exist within the automotive industry. Nevertheless, the number of …

Near Field Communication Payment Technology Usage: A Jamaican Consumer Perspective, Tamiko Sadler

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the effect of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust, security concern, and social influence on Jamaican consumers’ willingness to use near field communication enabled credit/debit cards. The study builds on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) theory framework (Venkatesh et al., 2003).

A quantitative method was used, and the model tested via a survey that had 408 completed survey responses from a local online crowd-sourcing market. Statistical analysis of the data confirms perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust, security concern, and social influence had significant impact on consumer’s intention to use …

A Study To Investigate How Transformational Leadership Relates To Frontline Employees' Behavior In The Hotel Tourism Industry Of The Bahamas, Tyrone G. Sawyer Ii

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of the tourism industry of The Bahamas is important as it is the prevailing industry in this growing country. According to The Bahamas Ministry of Statistics, in 2018 the country had approximately 1.6 million stopover visitors and 5 million cruise visitors that year, which would make it the largest industry in the country by a far margin. Most of the tourists who visit The Bahamas originate from the USA due to its closeness with the country. The Bahamas, which is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean is 50 miles southeast of Florida.

Transformational leadership, a theory of leadership …

Degree Of Technology, Adequacy Of Infrastructure, And Stimulus Rainy-Day-Fund As Determinants Of A Firm’S Performance During A Pandemic, Palpouguini G. Idani

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to use a quantitative research method to measure the degree of technology, adequacy of infrastructure, and stimulus/rainy day fund as determinants of a firm’s performance during a pandemic. The paper draws from the contingency theory, which focuses on situational variables and leadership styles for effective leadership in managing events. The theory describes that “there is no single right method of doing things and it’s the context which decides the best approach” (Kureshi, 2013). Leaders guide every innovation and change in an organization for the purpose of self-enhancement (Özkan, et al., 2017). Although abundant research exists on managing …

Exploring Factors That Influence U.S. Consumer Intention To Covet Loose Change, Carlos Emilio Bared

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to assess U.S. consumer intention to save, store, and account for the coins received as change from a cash transaction. Using a behavioral economics framework and applying Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (1985), this research provides a template to capture, observe, and analyze consumer perceptions about and behavior towards loose change or other similar byproduct decisions. Following procedures prescribed by Icek Ajzen (2006) and (2013), a questionnaire was developed for the critical constructs used to predict consumer intention to covet loose change. A sample population (n= 490) of adults residing in the United States participated …

The Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support, Perceived Career Mobility, Job Satisfaction, And Organizational Commitment On Job Performance, And Turnover Intentions, Everod A. Davis

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was intended to develop and test a model that examines the influence of perceived organizational support, perceived career mobility, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment on contextual job performance and turnover intentions. To do so, the study integrates three major theories to help explain the hypothesized relationships. For example, drawing on the concept of organizational equilibrium (March & Simon, 1958), which provides the foundational literature on turnover intentions, we use social exchange theory (Blau, 1964; Homans, 1961; Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) to explain the influence of perceived organizational support. Theories of human capital and economic opportunity are used …

Three Essays On Managerial Decision-Making In The Pursuit Of Internationalization Strategies, Le Xu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the important role top managers, especially chief executive officers (CEOs), play in the internationalization process of multinational enterprises (MNEs). Particularly, this dissertation highlights how managerial risk propensity shapes the choices of internationalization strategy. The first essay examines how CEOs of acquiring firms react differently to the adverse impact of negative media coverage on acquisition premiums paid to foreign target firms from the theoretical lens of agency theory. The results indicate that CEOs react less strongly to negative media coverage over their acquisitions by lowering acquisition premiums if they are granted with stock options and protected by takeover …

Impact Of Students’ Satisfaction With Their Internship Experience On Their Career Decision Intention To Stay In The Chinese Hospitality Industry: Moderating Role Of Organizational Climate And Organizational Culture, Lan Lu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This nonexperimental, quantitative study (N = 318) examined the hypothesized model of the relationship between Chinese interns' level of satisfaction, perceptions of organizational climate, perceptions of organizational culture, and career decision intention to stay in the hospitality industry when they graduate. An internet-based self-report battery of four scales was administered to students with an internship experience from the Marriott Tianjin China Program, a branch of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU). Hypotheses were tested through correlational analyses and hierarchical regression analytic procedures.

The results show that the variables interns' satisfaction, perceived organizational climate, …

Demographic Variables That Influence The Purchase Decision, Rafael Antonio Lugioyo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative correlations study is to investigate factors influencing consumer purchase decision for tires for new entrants’ decision-making. This research serves three purposes. The focus will be the role of demographic influences that interact consumer with ethnocentrism and the factors at the actual point of purchase. The author analyzes the direct effect on actual purchase from five (5) factors of gender, age, educational level, income level, and political leaning. The moderating factors of warranty and free tire services are also noted in the model. The sample included 2945 respondents who participated in a survey conducted from …

Technology Assisted Choice In Medicare Part D Plan Selection, John H. Schmidt Jr.

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2006, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a new benefit for Medicare enrollees that was under schedule Part D of Medicare. This new benefit, known as Medicare Part D, covered prescription medications for enrollees in the Medicare programs. Medicare beneficiaries had to enroll in this new benefit to access this coverage. A new website, the Medicare Part D Plan Finder, was developed as part of this rollout to allow Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to view available plan in their area and enroll in those plans. Several years after the original enrollment, several studies were conducted to …

Social Media And Public Discourse Participation In Restrictive Environments, Jobany J. Rico

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates citizens' use of social media to participate in public discourse (i.e., access, share, and comment on socio-political content) in restrictive environments: societies ruled by a hegemonic government where users face economic and infrastructure barriers to using digital technologies. Theoretical propositions are built inductively from an interpretive case study of how Cuban citizens use Twitter to participate in socio-political conversations. The case study resulted in the identification of nine affordances (i.e., action potentials) for participating in public discourse that Cubans perceive on Twitter. The findings also showed that the identified affordances enabled Cubans to achieve citizen goals: positive …

The Impact Of Governance Structure On Performance Of U.S. Performing Arts Centers, Karen S. Fuller

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an analysis of the governance structures and functioning of performing arts centers (PACs) in the United States. PACs provide important public services to local communities by exposing the public to arts and culture. There are two research objectives in the analysis. The first objective is to delineate the forms of PAC governance structures. The second objective is to assess how these governance structures affect PACs’ functioning. The dissertation contributes to understanding of management of PACs. Overall, the study identified 187 PACs in the country, with at least one PAC in every state.

With respect to the first …

Individual Investors’ Response Around Earnings Announcements, Their Preferred Trading Time, And The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, E. Jin Lee

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recent remarkable rise in the number of individual (retail) investors using new electronic trading applications increases the growing demand for research on individual investors’ trading activities. This dissertation consists of two essays focused on the trading activities of individual investors on the Robinhood (electronic trading) apps. The first essay examines individual investors’ trading activities related to scheduled accounting disclosures (i.e., earnings announcements). Findings suggest that individual investors trade significantly both before and after earnings announcements (EA), but this pattern becomes weaker during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, I find a significant increase in trading during the after-hours on an …