Business Commons^™

Revisiting Strategy In A Time Of Crisis, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The season of upheaval brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is a critical occasion for libraries to revisit their organizational strategies. Strategy includes two complementary dimensions: alignment with the environment and the pursuit of competitive advantage. Rapid changes in the environment call for practicing strategic thinking iteratively rather than engaging in a fixed rhythm of multi-year planning. An effective library strategy displays four key attributes: (1) It responds to the concerns of diverse stakeholders. (2) It is flexible enough to adapt to emerging conditions. (3) It enacts organizational mission but can also help to reshape it. (4) It integrates with …

Relieving Library Anxiety: The Application Of Relationship Marketing To Libraries, Cynthia Schmidt, Joshua Waltman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Library marketing has traditionally been transactionally focused. Our library has chosen to embrace a relationship marketing (RM) approach by focusing on long-term relationships rather than isolated interactions. With the prevalence of library anxiety, there is a need to look outside of library literature for best practices. While libraries and businesses define success differently, the approaches used to achieve success can be based on the same theoretical framework. RM has been documented to positively impact a business’ profits, and libraries can potentially adapt these approaches to achieve organizational goals. Our library has implemented this approach in four areas of focus: customer …

Influence Of Mediation On Estate Planning Decisions: Evidence From Indian Survey Data, Amarjit Gill, Harvinder S. Mand, John D. Obradovich, Neil Mathur

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Intestate death can lead to the distribution of assets against the personal wishes of the deceased and is a problem in India, as 80% of Indians die without making a last will. Following the concepts of decision theory (i.e., the theory of choice), stewardship theory, agency theory, and signaling theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of meditation on estate planning decisions. This study also seeks to extend previous findings on the influence of religious beliefs on the estate planning decisions of Canadians to that of Indians.

Methods: Employed and self-employed individuals from India were …

Managing With Purpose: Integrating Assessment, Planning, And Budgeting, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Assessment, planning, and budgeting are interrelated disciplines that play an important role in accomplishing a library's mission. This conference session introduces tools and concepts that will equip attendees to manage library services strategically in response to evolving customer needs and environmental conditions. Four tools—the logic model, six dimensions of assessment, the balanced scorecard, and the business model canvas—will enable managers to evaluate, plan, and communicate progress in the pursuit of mission and vision. Additionally, two concepts—opportunity cost and the principal-agent problem—will provide context for planning and budgeting decisions.

Disrupt, Deny, Dismantle: A Special Operations Forces (Sof) Model For Combatting New Terrorism, Will Gunzelman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Terrorism in the new millennium has morphed drastically since the 1970s. The terrorist organizations of today are a hybrid between the insurgent group models of the 1960s and modern terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda. This hybrid model has created what has become a transnational insurgency recruited, trained, and led by major terrorist networks such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Even smaller regional groups such as Boko Haram have surpassed merely conducting terrorist attacks. These smaller groups are also focused on controlling territory. Tan (2008) refers to this change as “New Terrorism”. To combat New …

Promoter Ownership And Working Capital Management Efficiency Of Indian Manufacturing Firms, John D. Obradovich

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Poor cash flow leads to insolvency of the firm. One of the most important factors that lead to poor cash flow is the inefficiency of working capital management. This study investigates relationships between promoter ownership and working capital management efficiency of Indian manufacturing firms. A sample of 151 manufacturing firms was selected from Top 500 Companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for a period of five years (from 2010-2014). Results indicate that changes in promoter ownership play a role in changing working capital management efficiency of Indian manufacturing firms by reducing their cash conversion cycle and by improving …

Non-Resident Family Members And The Financial Performance Of Small Businesses In India, John D. Obradovich

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent literature in small business management suggests that small businesses are financially constrained. They also face challenges of poor financial performance, which leads to their failure. Literature also shows that family involvement improves small business performance. We asked research participants consisting of small business owners from India about their beliefs and perceptions regarding the relationship between non-resident Indian family members (NRIs), financial support from NRIs, internal financing sources, and the financial performance of small businesses. Results indicate that the involvement of NRIs as foreign directors, financial support from NRIs, and internal financing sources improve the financial performance of small businesses …

Factors Affecting Ethical Sources Of External Debt Financing For Indian Agribusiness Firms, John D. Obradovich, Amarjit Gill, Harvinder S. Mand, Neil Mathur

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Independent Directors On The Cash Conversion Cycle Of American Manufacturing Firms, John Obradovich, Amarjit Gill, Nahum Biger

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined the impact of independent directors on the cash conversion cycle of American manufacturing firms. A sample of 189 American manufacturing firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for a period of five years (from 2009–2013) was used. The findings indicate that the presence of independent directors on the board of directors shortens the inventory period and cash conversion cycle of manufacturing firms. The study contributes to the literature on the factors that shorten the cash conversion cycle of the firm. The results may be used by financial managers and operations managers.

Financial Advice For Professional Sportspeople, John Karaffa

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

User Experiences: Shared Services In Government Financial Management, Nauri D. Ahmed

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Building Social Media Through Teamwork: Dividing And Conquering When Budgets And Time Stand In The Way, Johannah Lowder, Joshua Waltman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Information Technology Governance Structures On Strategic Alignment, Fitzroy R. Gordon

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Financial Institutions And The Taxi-Cab Industry: An Exploratory Study In Canada, John D. Obradovich, Amarjit Gill, Nahum Biger, Leo-Paul Dana, Canadian Western Bank

Faculty Publications and Presentations

A current challenge taxicab owner/operators face in Canada is the lack of financing for taxicabs. This article examines business opportunities and lending risk; it also provides risk management strategies for financial institutions to manage the risk of lending to the taxi-cab industry. Members of the boards of directors and shareholders from the Canadian taxicab industry, and lenders from financial institutions that do not provide financing to taxicab owner/operators, were interviewed. Board members and shareholders were asked about their perceptions regarding business opportunity, risk, and their willingness to provide collateral for taxicab loans. Lenders of financial institutions were asked about their …

Patron-Driven Acquisition Optimization And Workflows At Liberty University Jerry Falwell Library, Erin Crane, Lori B. Snyder

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the Spring of 2010, the Liberty University Jerry Falwell Library began a pilot patron-driven acquisition program with the e-book aggregator ebrary. In the Fall of 2012, the program had been active for two years and the librarians sought to optimize the program in the form of selecting more titles which are used. This paper describes the formula that the librarians used to achieve optimization in the PDA program. Also described is the workflow involved with acquisitions and cataloging before and after the purchases are made.

Patron-Driven Acquisition Optimization At Liberty University, Erin Crane, Lori Snyder

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 2010 Liberty University began a Patron-Driven Acquisition pilot program with ebrary. Since then, the program has grown dramatically. The presenters describe how the library uses past usage data to create a predictive formula for ebook use. New ebook titles were added to the program based on formula selections. Success of the formula was evaluated, and overall the results are positive. The presenters also explain how the library handles the purchasing and cataloging of the ebooks.

Coporate Governance, Institutional Ownership, And The Decision To Pay The Amount Of Dividends: Evidence From Usa, John Obradovich, Amarjit Gill

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The decision to pay dividends is influenced by many financial factors. The purpose of this study is to find the relationships between corporate governance, institutional ownership, and the decision to pay dividends in American service firms. A sample of 296 American firms listed on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for a period of 3 years (from 2009-2011) was selected. This study applied a co-relational and non-experimental research design. The findings of this study indicate that the decision to pay dividends is a positive function of board size, CEO duality, and internationalization of the firm, and a negative function of institutional …

The Impact Of Corporate Governance And Financial Leverage On The Value Of American Firms, John Obradovich, Amarjit Gill

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examines the impact of corporate governance and financial leverage on the value of American firms. This study also seeks to extend the findings of Gill and Mathur (2011a). A sample of 333 firms listed on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for a period of 3 years from 2009-2011 was selected. The co-relational and non-experimental research design was used to conduct this study. Overall, findings show that larger board size negatively impacts the value of American firms, and CEO duality, audit committee, financial leverage, firm size, return on assets, and insider holdings positively impact the value of American firms. …

Intellectual Capital Disclosure And The Ipo Prospectus: An Exploratory Study, Keith Harman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

ICD (Intellectual Capital Disclosure) was studied via content analysis of IPO (Initial Public Offering) filings by retailers versus software companies. Data were obtained from 106 firms’ SEC S-1 filings between 2001 and 2011. Key findings were: (1) ICD increased over time, (2) significant differences in the type of IC disclosed, (3) Structural Capital was the type of IC most frequently disclosed, (4) consistency among firms regarding the frequency with which specific IC components (e.g. brands) were disclosed, and (5) no significant difference in ICD when comparing retailers and software companies.

Barriers To Successful Entrepreneurship For Women In Ukraine, John S. Johnson, Edward Garten, Svitlana Buko

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article focuses on the analysis of successful businesses in Ukraine started and operated by women-owners, focusing on personal experiences of women-entrepreneurs and their perceptions of drivers and barriers of their businesses.

Implications To The Traditional Higher Education Model In A Time Of New Economic And Demographic Realities, Phillip Imel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the world’s developed countries the tendency is to a decreasing or stagnant, aging population. Traditional higher education has occurred early in life with little retraining in adulthood. The current demographic and economic realities demand a change in the role of traditional higher education as it must be more flexible and portable. Higher education must play a central role in the lifelong learning process as new technologies become available. Changes will occur with or without the approval of the established higher education hierarchy as businesses and governments demand quicker, cheaper, and better delivery methods to the current system. Technology is …

The Russian Village, Urban Infrastructure Issues, And The Vertically Integrated Agriculture Model, Phillip Imel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Russia’s population total has been in decline since 1992 and this is most evident in the villages of Russia. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the large farm collectives, many villages’ raison d'être ceased to exist. Today people continue to leave the villages for what they consider to be the better economic promise of the larger cities. There are serious societal and infrastructure issues related to the village exodus to the larger municipalities. In this paper, a vertically integrated agriculture model is examined as one step towards a more vibrant village economy. A vertically integrated model based upon …

The Impact Of Switching To International Financial Reporting Standards On United States Businesses, Ashley Harper, Linda Leatherbury, Ana Machuca, Jodee Phillips

Faculty Publications and Presentations

There has been controversy brewing among accounting professionals regarding the impact of switching to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on United States corporations as deemed to converge in the near future (Deming, 2005). The viewpoint presented in this paper is that the United States should conform to the international standards primarily because a single set of standards creates uniformity and comparability for stakeholders regardless of their geographic location. This paper addresses the potential advantages and disadvantages of moving to a global set of standards as well as how the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) will need to work with the …

The Convergence Of Multinational Standards And Practices In International Financial Reporting, Ashley Harper, Linda Leatherbury, Ana Machuca, Jodee Phillips

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is pending a move to incorporate a single set of accounting standards across International borders. The definitive decision for uniting the standards appears to be stalemated. The pending move by the United States to adopt financial reporting practices set forth by the IFRS to encompass a single set of reporting standards bears both advantages and disadvantages for multinational corporations. This paper examines some of the difficulties that can arise by using a single set of standards and addresses two significant studies regarding converging reporting standards. The paper concludes by discussing issues that could potentially …

The American Debt Crisis And The Effect On World Capital Markets, Phillip Imel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is a research of the literature concerning American sovereign debt and possible effects on world capital markets. The American sovereign debt components were analyzed in the context of their present and future implications to worldwide capital markets. The American political situation was examined with possible outcomes of governmental service reduction and/or tax increases for debt reduction. The American political situation was also examined for possible outcomes of American business tax regulatory reforms that could entice businesses to inject capital into the economy spurring possible economic growth and capital formation. Together, these findings suggest that, in the short term, the …

Cost Efficiency Estimations And The Equity Returns For The Us Public Solar Energy Firms In 1990–2008, Chris Kuo

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper provides a direct estimate of the cost efficiencies of firms in the US solar energy industry. It suggests that the cost efficiency in the industry is associated with the risk-bearing behaviour of firms. Less efficient firms maintain low price-cost margins and high labour–capital ratios in order to compete with their efficient peers. The study then establishes the linkage between cost efficiency and stock returns. It shows that the change in cost efficiency, rather than cost efficiency itself, possesses a stronger explanatory power for stock returns. A buy-and-hold strategy for stock portfolios of different efficiency levels is then analysed. …

Virtue, Vice, And The Globalization Of World Economies, Stephen Preacher

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study postulates that the recent world financial crisis, symptomatically manifested in the financial markets, is more fundamentally the result of a systemic disregard for moral constraints. This has occurred at macroeconomic levels within the industrialized nations and has pervaded the global economy. Moral relativism has become the dominant ethical system in society and government, and has undermined the virtuous ideals and self-restraint that foster the benefits of capitalism. Coupled with advances in technology and globalization, the effect of vices such as avarice, irresponsibility, excessive risk tolerance and criminal activities have been exacerbated. Government manipulation and intervention has further served …

Tax Planning For Incoming Professional Team Athletes, John Karaffa

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Self-Directed Learning And The Impact Of Leadership: Analyzing Keys For Success From A Covenental Perspective, David Duby, Kahlib J. Fischer

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current state of education seems to beg for visionary changes to truly impact students and prepare them for the future. Self-directed learning models purport to do just that, by preparing students to be self-motivated, lifelong learners. While many educators seek to apply self-directed practices, research reveals that there are several obstacles that can hinder self-directed learning. Duby’s 2006 study of schools employing self-directed learning investigated how leaders successfully overcome these hindrances via specific leadership attitudes and behaviors that not only effectively overcame these obstacles, but are also reflected in the covenantal perspective of leadership. Using content analysis, this paper …

Build Your Niche Practice With Preparation, Introspection, And Opportunity, John Karaffa

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.