Business Commons^™

Delta Air Lines Strategic Audit, Victoria Diersen, Rebecca Koppelman, Nicholas Lauver, Aaryan Naik, Drake Vorderstrasse

Honors Theses

This case study focuses on Delta Air Lines, a prominent company in the airline industry. We conducted a strategic audit utilizing theories and principles central to strategic management to complete the case study. Our research used publicly available information that included the company’s website, SEC filings, news articles, and industry analysis. The goal of this case study is to collect and analyze data, apply strategic management concepts to a contemporary organization, and evaluate the firm’s potential for competitive advantage.

We looked at many factors for Delta Air Lines, including firm analysis, industry analysis, external analysis, internal analysis, performance analysis, competitive …

Lockheed Martin Strategic Audit, Trevor Deboer, Gunnar Lombard, Sam Nelson, Tj Taylor, Paul Wynegar

Honors Theses

Abstract

This case study explores Lockheed Martin, a global leader in defense contracting. Our team performed a strategic audit using the theories of strategic management. Our research was pulled from various sources, including Lockheed Martin’s website, SEC filings, related news articles, and relevant industry analysis. The goals of this case study revolved around collecting data and performing analysis to evaluate Lockheed Martin’s potential for competitive advantage in the airplane and parts manufacturing industry.

Some of the various analyses performed on Lockheed Martin include firm analysis, industry analysis, internal analysis, external analysis, competitive dynamics, business-level strategy, corporate-level strategy, and exploring their …

Stronger Together: Building Nonprofit Resilience Through A Network With A Shared Mission And Organizational Humility, Haley M. Woznyj, Oscar J. Stewart, Tammy E. Beck

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Nonprofit organizations increasingly face surprising and disruptive shocks, beyond financial setbacks, that challenge an organization's operations, long-term survival, and success. To continue to execute their mission, nonprofits must be resilient. Despite the importance of resilience in nonprofits, more research is needed to understand the factors that build organizational resilience and how leaders can help promote resilience. We conducted a qualitative case study, consisting of 23 interviews with organizational members and key partners, fieldwork, and archival information, of a documented resilient nonprofit organization. Our findings suggest that leaders can enhance resilience by gaining access to resources through collaboration, which is in …

Mattel Strategic Audit, Ellie Anderson, Samuel Gertner, Logan Connealy, Julia Michner, Chris Payant

Honors Theses

This case study focuses on Mattel, Inc., a prominent company in the toy industry. To complete the case study, we conducted a strategic audit utilizing different theories and principles used in management. We conducted significant research using publicly available information, including the company’s website, SEC filings, news articles, industry analysis, and more. The goal of the report is to analyze data and use a real-world company to apply management concepts.

We looked at many factors for Mattel, including industry analysis, external analysis, internal analysis, performance analysis, competitive dynamics, business level strategy, and corporate level strategy to complete the case study. …

Better To Be Loved By Some? Firm Flaunting As An Impression Management Strategy, A. Erin Bass, Michael D. Pfarrer, Ivana Milosevic, Varkey K. Titus Jr.

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Firms can use a range of proactive impression management behaviors to reduce the impact of a negative event on firmoutcomes. When a negative event is unpredictable, we theorize that firms can engage in ostentatious behaviors that display the firm’s affluence and robust resource base. We term these behaviors “flaunting,” and we present a twopart model that investigates how flaunting can reduce the impact of an unpredictable negative event on firm outcomes and why it is effective at doing so. In part one, we theorize how flaunting can generate net positive stakeholder group evaluations by enhancing distinctiveness among stakeholder groups. In …

Gender-Based Impacts Of Covid-19 In Sub- Saharan Africa, Helen Onyeaka, Phemelo Tamasiga, Ifeanyi Michael Mazi, Hope Akegbe, John K. Osiri

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The lasting educational and economic impacts of COVID-19 have disproportionally disadvantaged girls on the fringes of society, extending beyond the period of imposed lockdowns. This study delves deeper into the education, socio-economic, and gender-specific effects of the COVID-19 pandemic within the context of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The research illuminates how the pandemic has influenced economic activities and the roles of teachers, parents, and students in the educational process. Furthermore, the paper examines the efficacy of distance learning across diverse media in SSA. The findings suggest that children from rural settings might have limited resources to adapt and continue their education …

Effective Medical Waste Management For Sustainable Green Healthcare, Sang M. Lee, Donhee Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study examines the importance of medical waste management activities for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. This study applied a multiple methodological approach as follows. A thorough review of the literature was performed to delineate the factors that have been explored for reducing medical waste; hospital staff who handle medical waste were surveyed to obtain their opinions on these factors; the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the priorities among the identified key factors; and experts’ opinions were consulted to assess the actual applicability of the results derived by the AHP. The study identified the following factors …

Does Performance Breed Slack? Ownership As A Contingency To The Performance Feedback And Slack Relationship, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Jonathan P. O'Brien, Jaya Dixit

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Although organizational slack is a prominent construct in strategic management, it is often treated as an antecedent or enabler of other organizational outcomes, and thus our understanding of where slack comes from is underdeveloped. We draw on the behavioral theory of the firm to develop a better understanding about the antecedents of organizational slack. In so doing, we address a gap in the literature on the antecedents of slack by developing base models showing how and why performance feedback influences the three most common types of slack studied in the literature. Moreover, we contend that ownership is an important contingency …

Covid‑19 Vaccine Distribution: Exploring Strategic Alternatives For The Greater Good, Arben Asllani, Silvana Trimi

Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics: Faculty and Staff Publications

The dire state of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis symbolized the urgency for efficient distribution and administration of vaccines to combat the virus as the most urgent public health service. This paper presents a prototype multi-criteria decision support model based on goal programming that can effectively support vaccination plans for the greater good of society. The optimization goals of the model include minimizing the number of fatalities and risk of spreading the disease, while complying with government health agency’s priority guidelines for vaccination. This study applied the model to a real-world dataset to demonstrate how it can be effectively applied as …

Society Dilemma Of Computer Technology Management In Today's World, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Abstract - Is it true that some of the inhabitants of the world’s today are still hesitant in using computers? Research has shown that today many people are still against the use of computers. Computer technology management can be said to be obliterated by security problems. Research shows that some people in society feel reluctant or afraid to use computers because of errors and exposure of their privacy and their sophistication, which sometimes are caused by computer hackers and malfunction of the computers. The dilemma of not utilizing computer technology at all or, to its utmost, by certain people in …

Positive Psychological Capital To Help Combat The Mental Health Fallout From The Pandemic And Vuca Environment, Fred Luthans, Julie Dyrdek Broad

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The major purpose of this article is to provide valuable insights and specific guidelines into how the now established “Positive Psychological Capital” or simply PsyCap can help prevent, treat, and sustainably recover from the current mental health global challenges. Specifically, we propose and demonstrate how PsyCap can play a realistic alternative, supplementary, non-stigma role in fighting the dramatically increasing mental illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment. Moreover, our hope is the evidence based PsyCap perspective and approach presented in this article will have a spillover effect on improving performance and especially well-being …

Merit Versus Maleness: How Strategic Positioning Can Mitigate External Gender Bias, Rachel Mui, Owen Parker, Varkey K. Titus Jr.

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Despite the proactive efforts of many firms to combat gender bias within their organizations, societal prejudices still disadvantage women leaders and the firms who employ them. This external gender bias shapes outside stakeholder evaluations of women leaders’ efforts in various ways, and firms need strategies to cope with this external gender bias. We examine the conditions that might alleviate this burden of external bias and what women leaders and top executives can do to leverage these conditions—from a strategic positioning perspective—that will effectively allow female leaders to differentiate their work. To do this, we synthesize and build upon evidence that …

Librarian Love And Positive Change In Student Personality Development: A Library Management Perspective, Shahbaz Sharif Mr., Muhammad Akram Mr., Korakod Tongachok Mr., Samuel Kwabla Segbefia Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Librarian behavior has brought a positive change in the students' lives. Librarian love encourages the students' stay in the public libraries of high schools. A decade ago, the world paid a high price for corporal punishment; in turn, the students faced a high level of stress and anxiety. However, UNESCO has launched a slogan, 'No punishment but love' all over the world. Therefore, this study measures the impact of librarian love on students' personality development, e.g., discipline, emotional behavior, and perceived respect. Additionally, this study sees whether the high school librarians perceive a positive impact on their discipline, emotional behavior, …

Mathematical Modeling On Islamic Economics And Finance: A Scientometric, Aam Slamet Rusydiana, Yulizar Djamaluddin Sanrego, Wahyu Ario Pratomo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study aims to determine the development map of mathematic model in islamic economics and finance research that is indexed by Dimensions with the keyword "Mathematical in Islamic economics finance". The data analyzed were 76 selected publications. The development map of mathematic model in islamic economics and finance research analyzed using the Biblioshiny-R and VOSviewer application program to find out the bibliometric map. The results showed that the number of publications on the development of mathematic model in islamic economics and finance research from 1980-2020 experienced a significant increase and the highest impact …

A Systematic Literature Review : The Influence Of Information Technology And Organizational Learning On Performance, Merlin Apriliyanti, Ilham M, Dian Ekowati, Tanti Handriana

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This Study is to discuss about literature review of Information technology enabler is a strategic asset in creating competitive advantage. The contribution of information technology investment to company performance does not appear immediately, but is independent in supporting business activities. The ability and mastery of information technology is not necessarily effective in contributing to company performance. Organizational learning plays a role in mediating the relationship between Information Technology enablers and company performance. This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review of research in the field of Information Technology Enabler and learning organization and performance with data from all international …

Exploring Growth And Impact Of Research Productivity For Prince Of Songkla University (Psu) On Scopus Database: A Bibliometric Analysis, Pachisa Kulkanjanapiban, Tipawan Silwattananusarn

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper presents a Bibliometric analysis of Prince of Songkla University (PSU) based on the Scopus database for 1978-2021. The study aimed to explore the current state, the trends, characteristics of Prince of Songkla University (PSU), i.e., growth of research output, collaboration trends, authorship pattern, citation patterns, contributing countries, and organizations. A total of 14,644 publications consulted of PSU published during the year 1978-2021 retrieved from the Scopus database, and these articles had a total of 10,257 cited items. The method used to display the research pattern and research activity on a particular topic is the bibliometric analysis commonly used …

Identify The Impact Of Different Parameters On National Institutional Ranking Framework (Nirf) Score In The Top 50 Ranking Management Institutes In India, Abhishek Kumar Dr., Santosh Kumar Dr., Ashish Kumar Chauhan Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study identifies the relationship and impact between the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Score in the top 50 management institutes and their different parameters like the number of student placement; research publication score and the amount used in the library development. Correlation and Simple Regression Analysis techniques are used for the data of analysis. In the year 2018-19, we found that significant positive impact of research publication score and the amount used in the library development on the NIRF Score in the top 50 management institutes. We also found a positive relationship between the NIRF Score and the …

Supply Chain Governance Mechanisms, Green Supply Chain Management, And Organizational Performance, Sang M. Lee, Donghyun Choi

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

While firms understand that implementing green supply chain management (GSCM) is important, they seem uncertain about how to manage their green initiatives by looking beyond their own facilities. Building a green supply chain requires the participation of all partner firms across the supply chain. However, partner firms are different in size, situation, capabilities, and even industries. Thus, encouraging them to participate in green initiatives is difficult. Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) hesitate to comply with green initiatives as they require a substantial amount of investment. This study empirically examines the causal relationship between the partnership governance mechanism and the …

Making Nice Or Faking Nice? Exploring Supervisors’ Two-Faced Response To Their Past Abusive Behavior, Shawn T. Mcclean, Stephen H. Courtright, Junhyok Yim, Troy A. Smith

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Although extant research has shown that abusive supervision is a destructive and immoral form of leader behavior, theory provides conflicting perspectives on how supervisors respond to their own abusive behavior. We therefore draw upon and integrate moral cleansing theory and impression management and construction theory to explore whether and when supervisors engage in genuine reparations or impression management following episodes of abusive behavior. Results taken from a 3-week, experience sampling study of supervisors suggest support for the impression management path; following episodes of abusive behavior, supervisors higher on symbolized moral identity become more concerned with their image, and thus engage …

Order Matters: How Altering The Sequence Of Performance Events Shapes Perceived Quality Formation, Owen Parker, Ke Gong, Rachel Mui, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Jiancheng Du, Gyebi Kwarteng

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Reputation research often employs rankings which combine both the prominence and perceived quality dimensions of reputation. Though this approach has merit, it neglects nuances in the formation of perceived firm quality – i.e., how stakeholders perceive a firm’s capabilities. Since perceptions are influenced by how information is presented, we posit that the patterns of a firm’s performances – their order and interval – explain variance in perceived quality beyond valence (absolute performance level), alone. We employ two experiments and an archival study to manipulate product ratings and collect perceived quality scores (experimentally), and use trajectory of performance outcomes to predict …

Amazon.Com, Inc Strategic Audit, Ningzhi Luo

Honors Theses

Amazon.com, Inc (Amazon) was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 as an online marketplace for books but later expanded to e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. This large variety of products and innovations has contributed to Amazon as one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world (Eugene Kim, 2018). This study would specifically focus on the e-commerce area and analyze Amazon's position in this market from an external and internal perspective by using three models: Porter's Five Forces, PESTEL, and the SWOT model. The report would identify Amazon's competitive advantages and the challenges it …

Human Flourishing And The Subjective Dimension Of Work, Geoffrey Friesen

Department of Finance: Faculty Publications

This essay considers the Christian understanding of the subjective dimension of human work and the implications for economics, finance, and the modern firm. The biblical account of people profoundly captures the fullness of human nature and the role of work and economy in developing the full person. People’s reality is both individual and collective, encompassing their subjective interior and objective exterior dimensions of reality. This issue is important because economic models affect economic decisions, and these decisions help shape social reality. Current economic and financial models are problematic because they are self-limiting: They close off certain outcomes by assuming they …

Metacritiques Of Upper Echelons Theory: Verdicts And Recommendations For Future Research, Brett H. Neely Jr., Jeffrey B. Lovelace, Amanda P. Cowen, Nathan J. Hiller

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

After more than 35 years, Hambrick and Mason’s upper echelons theory (UET) stands as one of the most influential perspectives in management research. However, as the literature and its attendant reviews have become more numerous and specialized, discussion of the fundamental conceptual and methodological critiques leveled against research utilizing the UET perspective has grown fragmented. As such, the first aim of the present review is to identify and synthesize a set of common critiques levied against UET research. In doing so, we unpack important nuance within each critique while establishing a common vocabulary to facilitate greater consistency in how these …

How Does Your Garden Grow? The Interface Of Employee And Sales Growth Post Ipo, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Jenna R. Pieper, Matthew Josefy, Theresa M. Welbourne

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Research Summary: Firms often succumb to a growth imperative, yet little is known about how congruence between various forms of growth affects firm value. We argue that the (in)congruence between net hiring rates (e.g., growth in the number of employees) and sales growth has significant implications for firm value, assessed via Tobin's Q. We further contend that R&D expenditures and industry dynamism—factors that influence a firm's ability to realize value creation—moderate the relationship between growth pattern and firm value. We use a sample of 1,181 firms that conducted their initial public offerings from 1996 to 2006 to test our conceptual …

Do First Impressions Last? The Impact Of Initial Assessments And Subsequent Performance On Promotion Decisions, Dirk Black, Marshall Vance

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This paper examines whether and for how long managers’ initial assessments of employee ability influence promotion decisions. Using archival data from minor league professional baseball, we find that, controlling for performance, initial assessments are associated with promotion decisions for at least six years after the initial assessment was made. We also find that initial assessments are positively associated with future performance at the outset of a player’s career, but the association becomes insignificant after a player accumulates on-the-job experience. We show that the weight on initial assessments for promotion decisions declines as additional on-the-job performance signals are observed, reflecting the …

Inventory Sharing And Demand-Side Underweighting, Hui Zhao, Liang Xu, Enno Siemsen

Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics: Faculty and Staff Publications

Problem definition: Transshipment/inventory sharing has been used in practice because of its risk-pooling potential. However, human decision makers play a critical role in making inventory decisions in an inventory sharing system, which may affect its benefits. We investigate whether the opportunity to transship inventory influences decision makers’ inventory decisions and whether, as a result, the intended risk-pooling benefits materialize.

Academic/practical relevance: Previous research in transshipment, which is focused on finding optimal stocking and sharing decisions, assumes rational decision making without any systematic bias. As one of the first to study inventory sharing from a behavioral perspective, …

Inducing Compliance With Post-Market Studies For Drugs Under Fda’S Accelerated Approval Pathway, Liang Xu, Hui Zhao, Nicholas C. Petruzzi

Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics: Faculty and Staff Publications

Problem definition: In 1992, FDA instituted the accelerated approval pathway (AP) to allow promising drugs to enter the market based on limited evidence of efficacy, thereby permitting manufacturers to verify true clinical benefits through post-market studies. However, most postmarket studies have not been completed as promised. We address this non-compliance problem.

Academic/Practical Relevance: The prevalence of this non-compliance problem poses considerable public health risk, thus compromising the original purpose of a well-intentioned AP initiative. We provide an internally consistent and implementable solution to the problem through a comprehensive analysis of the myriad complicating factors and tradeoffs facing FDA.

Methodology: We …

Unwelcome Voices: The Gender Bias-Mitigating Potential Of Unconventionality, Owen Parker, Rachel Mui, Varkey K. Titus Jr.

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Research Summary: Substantial evidence indicates that leaders are perceived through a lens of gender bias, but what mitigates such bias remains underexplored. Examining men and women in creative, project-based leadership roles, we integrate insights from role congruity and gender bias literatures to predict how project unconventionality and leader gender affect external perceptions of project quality. We argue that prejudice against female leaders is strongest for conventional projects due to the established presence of male-centric prototypical projects which induce bias, but that project unconventionality weakens this bias by distancing the project from these male-centric prototypes. We find support for this …

Ceo Scanning Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, And Sme Innovation And Performance: An Examination Within A Declining Industry, Rajiv Nag, François Neville, Nikolaos Dimotakis

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Studying the CEOs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the US metalcasting industry—an industry that has been steadily declining for several years—we develop a theoretical model to examine how CEO scanning behaviors in the form of scanning intensity and proactiveness influence self-efficacy, which in turn influences firm innovation and performance. We extend theory and research by (a) demonstrating of the role and influence of SME CEOs over firm innovation and performance in declining industries, (b) illustrating how scanning provides social learning opportunities for CEOs that enhance their levels of self-efficacy, and (c) showing that self-efficacy mediates the effects of …

Lessons Learned From Battling Covid-19: The Korean Experience, Sang M. Lee, Donhee Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world like a gigantic tsunami, turning social and economic activities upside down. Methods: This paper presents some of the innovative response strategies implemented by the public health system, healthcare facilities, and government in South Korea, which has been hailed as the model country for its success in containing COVID-19. Korea reinvented its public health infrastructure with a sense of urgency. Results: Korea’s success rests on its readiness, with the capacity for massive testing and obtaining prompt test results, eective contact tracing based on its world-leading mobile technologies, timely provision of personal protective equipment …