Business Commons^™

Getting An Internship In The Sport Industry: The Institutionalization Of Privilege, Nefertiti A. Walker, Kwame J.A. Agyemang, Marvin Washington, Lauren C. Hindman, Jeffrey Maccharles

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Unpaid internships are embedded in sport hegemony. These unpaid sport internships often offer fewer learning opportunities and foster an environment wherein interns feel like “second-class citizens” in their organization. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the world of unpaid internships in the sport industry by exploring students’ perspectives of them as an institutionalized practice, as well as how privilege impacts their internship experiences. Grounded in institutional theory, data from semistructured interviews with 17 sports management students were analyzed using the Gioia methodology. Three themes emerged from the findings: the idiosyncratic nature of sport internships, the legitimization of …

On Making Experimental Design Choices: Discussions On The Use And Challenges Of Demand Effects, Incentives, Deception, Samples, And Vignettes, Stephanie Eckerd, Scott Duhadway, Elliot Bendoly, Craig R. Carter, Lutz Kaufmann

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

In late 2018, the Journal of Operations Management published an invited methods article by Lonati et al. (2018) to provide guidance to authors on how to design behavioral experiments to achieve the rigor required for consideration in the journal. That article was written as a response to a number of behavioral research submissions to JOM, each dealing with interesting topics but viewed by the editors to possess poor design choices at inception. While the Lonati et al. (2018) piece provides experimental guidance fitting to certain research agendas, questions have arisen concerning whether and how exactly to implement some of the …

Challenges And Practices For Effective Knowledge Transfer For New Members In Ad Hoc Virtual Teams, Alekhya Penmasta, Gopichand Nandamuri, Mohamed Sheikh, Sobha Rani Chittila, Thanvi Vemulapally

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

For many organizations, knowledge transfer whether in a co-location setting or virtual setting is one of the most important and challenging aspects of overall knowledge management infrastructure. The purpose of this research report is to explore the challenges faced by ad hoc virtual teams for achieving effective knowledge transfer between the members. In the year 2020, due to a pandemic caused by COVID-19, many industries were forced to follow physical distancing guidelines for the health and safety of their employees. This required many co-location teams to become ad hoc virtual teams. As success of a new member(s) in a team …

Effective Leadership In Virtual Teams During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shivani Agarwal, Sara Ferdousi, Mareena John, Alison Nalven, Tyler Stahl

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an unprecedented economic and social crisis that has affected many businesses. Due to health concerns, many organizations are being managed virtually. This can be challenging, especially for employees and employers that are used to face-to-face interaction and for those who are not tech-savvy. Organizational leaders need to develop strategies and methods to maintain business, as well as maintain the productivity levels of employees. This research paper investigates the most effective ways to lead virtual teams during a pandemic. This is a semi-empirical study based on a short literature review and the survey responses of …

Initial Decision Framework For The Implementation Of Virtual Teams, Duane Murray, Jeffrey Pinkerton, Yaya Sirimongkarakorn, Mohammed Thawab, Mohammed Zaid

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Virtual teams have been used in varying degrees by organizations over the last several decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has required organizations to increase their use of virtual teams for survival. This increase has placed the positive and negative aspects of working within this virtual paradigm into the spotlight, requiring organizational management and employees to adapt abruptly. This has led to individuals adopting sets of technical tools for communicating and working together in a virtual environment. Identifying and examining the critical perspectives and components for virtual team success, this paper seeks to initiate a framework to help an organization decide if …

Policing Politics: Facebook And A Politician's Right To Free Speech, Adewunmi Adedji, Nisha Hemantha Raju, Jennifer Wagner, Alfonso Herrero, Matthew Johnson

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Advancements in technology are not without their own ethical concerns. Social media technology provides for platforms which allow users to interact and exchange ideas in virtual communities. Of these Facebook is among the leaders of the pack with an estimated 2.7 billion monthly active users globally as of the second quarter of 2020 and estimated 190 million users in the United States as of October 2020.

This wide reach, in combination with low cost for advertisement makes it one of the platforms of choice for Organization to promote their products, services or agenda. This accounts for why 98% of the …

Trailblazing Transformation: Pioneering Transformative Peacebuilding In Academic Labor Conflicts, Sam Frazier Hediger

Dissertations and Theses

Unionized contingent faculty in the United States face an increasingly difficult economic landscape in their labor-management conflicts with university administrations. These unions, comprised of graduate student employees and adjunct instructors, won significant victories for their members but have failed to shift the broader patterns of casualization, unsustainable compensation, and job precarity, stemming from the systemic debasement of higher education institutions and the American labor movement, both of which pose significant challenges to conventional conflict resolution strategies. To find a path forward, this thesis explores the nature and possibility of transforming of the academic labor conflict, using a transformative peacebuilding approach …

A New Perspective On Blue-Collar Work: Examining The Relevance Of Common Career Development Theories For Blue-Collar Workers In Manufacturing, Sarah J. Barber

University Honors Theses

Blue-collar career development has been overlooked in academia. This study investigates blue-collar career development based on four career development theories including: Holland's theory of vocational types, social cognitive career theory, Super's developmental self-concept theory, and crystallization of vocational self-concept.

Ronald E. Mcnair Scholars Program Profiles And Abstracts 2020, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This is the complete event program and provides presentation abstracts and biographies of McNair scholars and their mentors.

Exploring The Factors Influencing Big Data Technology Acceptance, Mohammad Nayemur Rahman

Dissertations and Theses

The success of new technology depends on user acceptance. Therefore, discovering the antecedents of technology use is pivotal to overcoming the lack of user acceptance in the field of technology adoption. Factors of critical technological capability, in particular, are overlooked and largely neglected in the literature. Accordingly, the body of literature on the field of technology adoption is inconclusive as to which technological capability factors influence technology acceptance.

Big Data has received great attention in academic literature and industry papers. Most of the experiments and studies focused on publishing results of big data technologies development, machine learning algorithms, and data …

A Market Diffusion Potential (Mdp) Assessment Model For Residential Energy Efficient (Ee) Technologies In The U.S., Momtaj Khanam

Dissertations and Theses

The Diffusion of Residential Energy Efficient (EE) Technologies has been studied for many years. Finding ways to bridge the energy efficiency gap and increase the diffusion of these technologies have been of much interest to researchers and practitioners alike. However, in most studies, diffusion is equated to adoption of EE technologies by consumers. The present study tries to break this mindset and develops a model to assess the diffusion of residential EE technologies from the market's perspective. The model assesses diffusion of an EE technology based on the market's ability to provide benefits to customers that are identified to be …

The Bridges At Beaverton Creek, Beaverton, Oregon, Alex Bullington, Angela Parada, Channa Kim, Wyatt Redfern, Monique Lum, Brandi Small

Real Estate Development Workshop Projects

Bridges at Beaverton Creek (BBC) is a six story, mixed-use development that seeks to meet the needs of varying demographics in the Beaverton community. At a cumulative 284,277 square feet BBC creates a strong sense of place in an otherwise banal part of Beaverton. The project takes to heart the idea that people want a place to call home, where they can live their best life at any age. As such, the key inspiration behind the concept of BBC is intergenerational living.

At BBC you'll find 191 market-rate apartments alongside a wing of 34 age-restricted apartments with integrated and restricted …

The Trailhead, Tigard, Oregon, Freddie Bulzan, Melvin Sharp, Aurora Charouhas, Alex Lovre, Zoe Johnson, Tyler Reeves

Real Estate Development Workshop Projects

The Trailhead Team (“Sponsor”) is pleased to present qualified individuals (or entities) the opportunity to invest $8,124,231 (“Equity”) in a Qualfied Opportunity Fund, which will purchase membership interests in Urban Flight LLC (“UFL”), a Qualfied Opportunity Zone Business, for the development of two speculative mixed-use buildings located in the industrial core of Tigard, Oregon (“The Trailhead” or “Project”).

Total Project costs will be $35,731,297 with the remainder of the Equity being contributed by the current property owner (“Property Owner”) in the amount of $3,381,723.1 The Sponsor will also invest $1,000,000 of Equity. UFL will secure $23,225,343 in construction debt, at …

Biggi Commons, Beaverton, Oregon, Adela Berrio, Dexter Parry, Hannah Radziewicz, Thomas Aquinas, Victoria Kirkland, Xiaofei Ren

Real Estate Development Workshop Projects

Biggi Commons is the next premier real estate development being delivered to the rapidly growing Beaverton, Oregon region, directly in front of the most trafficked transit center in the area.

The project consists of retail, medical office, food trucks and apartments, and hosts activities such as a farmer’s market and cooking classes. Biggi Commons caters to the suburban resident who prioritizes urban amenities, health, accessibility, and attractive design.

Local demand for apartments is strong, therefore the development team envisioned this 168,526 square foot apartment building, with light retail along the first floor. The unit mix varies from studios to three-bedroom, …

Center For Real Estate Quarterly, Volume 14, Number 3, Portland State University. Center For Real Estate

Center for Real Estate Quarterly

Table of Contents:
-- Impact of Slope on Housing Development Costs
-- Economic Analysis of Rent Control
-- The Impact of Covid-19 Regulations on Portland’s Small Landlords
-- Responding to Tenant Needs During Covid-19
-- Housing Production in a Covid-19 Economy
-- Economic Analysis
-- Single Family Home
-- Multi-family Residential Report
-- Office Market Analysis
-- Industrial Market Analysis
-- Retail Market Analysis

Social Media In Business-To-Business Marketing And Sales: Review Of Literature & Research Recommendations, Daniel Bello Manjarrez

University Honors Theses

Social media usage in business to business marketing and sales has been steadily rising since its advent in the late 2000s. Similarly, research surrounding social media in this context has increased, with specific focus on its usage, influence, and adoption from B2B marketers and salespeople. This focus has resulted in gaps in the literature, especially when regarding small and medium B2B enterprises. This review of literature provides a systemic understanding of the research landscape by identifying the theory, methods, context, and results of twenty-one peer-reviewed business marketing articles concerning social media. This review also proposes five key recommendations to inform …

An Assessment Of The Decision-Making Units' Efficiency In Service Systems, Maoloud Yakhlif Dabab

Dissertations and Theses

Most tools and models of performance and quality of service management are generic and do not solve complex technical systems. The critical components of the system need such tools to assess their efficiency to make a better decision about them. One of the primary objectives in the service systems is to improve the ability of efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of critical assets. One of the challenges with improving critical assets is the amount of major capital spending needed to upgrade a technology infrastructure with a high obsolescence rate. This along with usage and reliability issues, makes evaluating mobile cells to …

The Hidden Paths Of Category Research: Climbing New Heights And Slippery Slopes, Giusseppe Delmestri, Filippo Carlo Wezel, Elizabeth Goodrick, Marvin Washington

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Category research has flourished over the last decade. While this body of work has prioritized the behavioral and economic consequences of stable classification systems, the papers in this special issue challenge this orientation by highlighting the importance of category dynamics for improving our understanding of markets and fields. We show how these papers support the emergence of category maintenance, the recategorization of mature categories, and the consolidation of new categories as understudied phenomena and as the next research challenges to pursue. After connecting the main findings of the papers in this special issue into a unified process model, we discuss …

Exploring The Role Of Transformational Leaders In The Mentorship Of Top-Level Administrators: A Case Study Of The Veterans Health Administration (Vha) Visn Lead Program, Frederick Giovanni White Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the proliferation of studies focused on transformational leadership, there is a lack of clarity related to how transformational leaders are developed in public organizations and the impact of mentors in this process. This is particularly troubling given a 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate that over 44% of the current U.S. workforce is 45 years or older.

In public and private settings, organizations are challenged to develop the competencies critical at higher levels of management in their future leaders, specifically advanced human and conceptual skills. These skills are most useful for emerging leaders that will have the responsibilities to …

A Solution For Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Compostable Consumption Across Industries, Prithvi Chauhan

University Honors Theses

This thesis paper addresses the potentials of a business model for promoting compostable alternatives to single-use plastic products. This thesis paper also proposes a survey to collect data from businesses in Portland, OR to forecast the potential impacts of integrating such a business model. Impacts of this business model for compostable products are hypothesized as best-case, mid-case, and worst-case scenarios of integration within Portland’s total market potential. Impacts will also be assessed along the triple bottom line. The triple bottom line is an accounting framework used in sustainable entrepreneurship to measure impact along environmental, social, and economic standards. First, in …

21st Century Supply Chain Innovations In The Fast Food Industry, Saitoti Meekisho

University Honors Theses

In the last 20 years, attending to consumer demand for at-home delivery has been an area of concern for supply chain specialists in the restaurant industry. Applying logistically-sound processes for food delivery to its final destination (Also called last-mile delivery) has become a necessity for restaurants to gain and sustain competitive advantages. This research seeks to catalog the dynamic last-mile delivery innovations by restaurants per consumer demand, assess the competitive sustainability of four current food delivery methods (takeout, restaurant delivery, 3^rd party company delivery, & monthly meal delivery) using the VRIN framework, and suggest collaborative delivery strategies for future …

Workplace Motivation: Addressing Telework As A Mechanism For Maintaining Employee Productivity, Kaitlyn Fujii

University Honors Theses

This research seeks to identify social and psychological factors that affect satisfaction levels of employees. The thesis suggests teleworking as a renewed tool for communicating and executing work in organizations; and moreover, demonstrating how telework systems can motivate millennial and gen-z workers to be productive. The main factors identified for said analysis have been determined through the study of business and academic literature about workplace culture and how it is changing. Such research investigated the differences between baby boomers, millennials and gen-zs, and furthermore how providing employees with the option to participate in telework may enhance their output. To make …

An Analysis Of Fraud In The Context Of Depreciation Manipulation, Sydney G. Jackson

University Honors Theses

Accounting scandals such as Waste Management and Hertz Global Holding's shatter investor confidence, destroy employee retirement plans, and negatively impact the U.S. economy as a whole. By having a clear understanding of the internal and external forces that drive the motivation of fraud, accountants and businesses are better able to prep and set proper internal controls. As proper internal controls prevent fraud, this thesis will explore catching fraud through financial implications, by focusing specifically on the fraud committed through depreciation. In this paper, I will examine prior research related to fraud motivation and consequences. As an analysis of fraud in …

The Role Of Marketing Education In Reactions To Advocacy Advertising, Tobin Carlberg

University Honors Theses

The present research aims to explore whether marketing education creates a positive or negative reaction towards advocacy advertising in general. To test this, consumers with varying levels of marketing education were either interviewed or surveyed to gauge their level of persuasion knowledge, advertising appreciation, and overall reactions to advocacy advertising. Thus, a combination of qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods were employed. Interview results suggested that those with greater marketing education held more favorable attitudes toward advocacy advertising, and survey results illustrated a strong correlation between those with more marketing education and one’s appreciation for advocacy advertising, which influenced positive …

Tourism And Tradition In Chiang Mai, Jared Makana Kirkey

University Honors Theses

This paper is an attempt to delve deeper into the relationship between tourism and culture in Chiang Mai. The push and pull of these forces is of particular interest. On one side, tourism is beneficial for Chiang Mai's economy, and encourages the preservation of its unique culture. Tourist dollars support local businesses, and any further profits can be reinvested into the local economy. And because many of Chiang Mai's major tourist draws are its cultural attractions, their preservation seems commonsense. But this is not always the case. Oftentimes, tourist dollars are funnelled out of Chiang Mai as packaged tours, luxury …

Working Around Political Divides: A Multidisciplinary Examination Of Political Identity As A Factor Of Organizational Diversity, Blake D. Horner

University Honors Theses

In an age of targeted rhetoric and extreme polarization, the political has trespassed into the personal. As a result of this obtrusive integration, disagreements in the workplace are on the rise. Friction caused by inter-employee political diversity has been shown to cause several harmful organizational outcomes including job dissatisfaction, turnover, burnout, and psychological distress. Although this issue is common and harmful, few studies have been published on the subject. In this literature review, I attempt to contribute to the scholarly knowledge on this under-researched concept of workplace political diversity by employing a multidisciplinary approach. To illustrate the components of this …

Increasing Organizational Commitment: Empowering Employees In The Workplace, Kathryn Davidson

University Honors Theses

Attaining organizational commitment from employees plays a vital role in the success of a business. This is because commitment ensures loyalty and stability within an environment. Employee empowerment is also another critical element of business as it ensures motivation and engagement from the organization’s workforce. By using Natalie Allen and John Meyer’s three types of commitment as a major lens, this paper analyzes appropriate literature related to empowerment leadership. The correlation between organizational commitment and employee empowerment is discussed and it indicates that empowerment can positively impact an employee’s commitment to their work organization. Employees can experience burnout if their …

Center For Real Estate Quarterly, Volume 14, Number 2, Portland State University. Center For Real Estate

Center for Real Estate Quarterly

Table of Contents:
-- Impacts of Statewide Rent Control by Tyler Reeves
-- Portland's New Landlord Regulations by Tim Lawler
-- Best Practices for Landlords by Monique Lum
-- CRE Covid-19 Survey Results - May 2020 by Julia Freybote
-- CRE Covid-19 Survey Results - June 2020 by Julia Freybote
-- Rent Control in the Western States by Hannah Radziewicz
-- landlord-tenant Law in the Western States by Alexander Wallace
-- Housing Supply Constraints in the Western States by Trevor Wright
-- Economic Analysis by Jerry Johnson
-- Single Family Home by Victoria Kirkland
-- Multi-Family Residential Report by Channa …

The Moderating Effect Of Buying Impulsivity On The Dynamics Of Unplanned Purchasing Motivations, Jacob Suher, Wayne D. Hoyer

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Previous studies of in-store decision making have assumed that motivations for unplanned purchases are homogeneous throughout a shopping trip. In response to this assumption, the authors develop a conceptual framework to explain how consumers’ internal (i.e., intrinsic) and external (i.e., extrinsic) motivations for unplanned purchases actually vary during a shopping trip. Two field studies and five online experiments provide evidence that the personality trait of buying impulsivity predicts differences in whether a shopper initially focuses on internal motivations (e.g., “because I love it”) or external motivations (e.g., “because it is on sale”) for unplanned purchases at the beginning of a …

An Analysis Of The Competitive Advantages And Threats For Micro, Small & Medium-Sized Businesses (Msmes) In Mexico, Jose Luis Pool Sierra

University Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the Micro, Small & Medium-sized (MSMEs) businesses in Mexico, their current threats and competitive advantages. The research explores the major issues business owners face and potential strategies they could implement in order to thrive and promote growth for their organizations, using strategies in Supply Chain Management and Good Managerial planning practices, such as the application of the Supply Chain Operations Reference Model (SCOR). The thesis also analyzes a medium-sized business in Mexico and recommends strategies based on the SCOR framework that such an organization could apply to their business operations in order to avoid obstacles and potential …