Business Commons^™

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 …

Audio-Technica Strategic Audit, Caleb Druckemiller

Honors Theses

Audio-Technica is a multinational audio equipment design and manufacturing company specializing in the production of headphones, microphones, and turntables. The company has been a gold standard for professional use since its inception and has recently ventured into consumer markets. Using both internal and external analysis tools, this audit aims to evaluate how Audio-Technica has established itself in the highly competitive audio equipment industry. Specific techniques include Porter’s Five Forces and PESTEL analyses. After conducting this examination of Audio-Techinca and its industry environment, strategic recommendations will be made to best position the company moving forward.

Vanmoof Strategic Audit, Chi-Chun Chang

Honors Theses

VanMoof is an e-bike brand originated in Amsterdam that has expanded to Western Europe, Eastern Asia, and North America. This paper will analyze the e-bike industry using PESTEL analysis. It will also analyze the industry’s competitive environment using the framework of Porter’s Five Forces, followed by an analysis of the strategy VanMoof’s currently employing. Based on the results, the paper will end with a recommendation for future strategies.

Airbnb Strategic Audit Overview, Andrea Curnes, Audrey Kreun, Tyler Royal, Jacob Zadalis, Cody Hohn, Jason Dirks

Honors Theses

This study provides an overview of Airbnb, an online marketplace for short-term rentals and experiences. It highlights the company's history, business strategies, value chain, acquisitions, code of ethical conduct, and organizational structure. With a Blue Ocean strategy combining differentiation and cost leadership, Airbnb has achieved remarkable success, boasting a valuation of over $67B and generating annual revenue exceeding $1.5B. The company's unique business model involves participating in all parts of the value chain, and it has expanded geographically through acquisitions and product market expansion. Airbnb's code of ethics reflects its core values, and its organizational structure fosters flexibility and remote …

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla Inc., Jayden Boesch

Honors Theses

This research paper examines Tesla's competitive advantages and challenges, as well as its strategy and objectives in the electric vehicle industry. The paper begins by providing an overview of the electric vehicle market and Tesla's position within it. It then discusses Tesla's business model, strategy, and objectives, as well as its competitive advantages over other firms in the industry. The paper also highlights key resources that Tesla needs to maintain its sustainable competitive advantage in the future, such as research and development, charging infrastructure, and top engineering talent. Finally, the paper identifies challenges that Tesla may face in the future, …

John Deere Construction Equipment - Strategic Audit, Michael Pallesen

Honors Theses

John Deere construction equipment is an operating segment of the equipment manufacturing giant John Deere Corporation. The company is considered the second largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world. This report seeks to understand the operating environment of John Deere’s construction equipment manufacturing segment, its resources, its competitive advantages, and its future challenges. This analysis uses both PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses to evaluate the external environment. Additionally, strategic recommendations and explanations are offered into how John Deere can effectively navigate the challenges facing the construction equipment manufacturing industry in the near future.

Nintendo Strategic Audit, Stephanie Herridge

Honors Theses

Nintendo is a Japanese-based multinational company that is one of the primary competitors in the video game industry. It has smaller headquarters located in North America and Europe and continues to pursue new markets and customers. Having remained successful for over a century, Nintendo pursues unique forms of strategy to maintain relevance for current generations of consumers. This strategic audit seeks to dissect Nintendo’s long-term profitability by analyzing the company’s history, competitive resources and advantages, and the current challenges and trends in the video game industry as a whole. The tools used to explore the industry include Porter’s Five Forces …

Nvidia Corporation: Pc Gaming Industry Strategic Audit, Charlie Peng

Honors Theses

Nvidia is a semiconductor company focusing on high-performance computer graphics technology. The company designs graphics processing units (GPUs), which are used in a variety of fields such as data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and gaming. This paper seeks to examine Nvidia’s position within the PC gaming industry. First, PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses are used to detail the overall PC gaming industry. The next section examines how Nvidia competes through its strategy, resources, and competitive advantages. Finally, future challenges and recommendations to position the company are explored.

Union Pacific Strategic Audit, Maureen O'Hara

Honors Theses

Union Pacific is the largest domestic railroad in the United States, responsible for nearly all of the rail-based shipping in the 23 states making up the Western two-thirds of the country. The company provides a crucial link in the global supply chain. By utilizing internal and external analysis tools, this report seeks to understand how Union Pacific’s business model and strategies have led them to create and sustain competitive advantages against other big competitors in the transportation industry. The analysis utilizes tools such as PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analyses. Following the application of the analysis, strategic recommendations are …

A Strategic Audit Of A Company In The Alcoholic Beverages Industry: Anheuser-Busch Inbev, Ava Dunne, Patrick Malec, Andrew Shank, Elizabeth Foral, Hannah Rethmeier

Honors Theses

This strategic audit provides a comprehensive analysis of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer. The audit examines the company's business model, competitive position, financial performance, and future growth prospects. It also assesses the impact of external factors such as changing consumer preferences, government regulations, and technological innovations on the company's operations. The audit identifies key strengths and weaknesses of Anheuser-Busch InBev, as well as potential opportunities and threats in the beer industry. Based on this analysis, the audit provides recommendations for strategic actions that the company can take to enhance its competitive position, achieve sustainable growth, and mitigate potential risks. …

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 …

Bnsf Strategic Analysis, Bella Tran

Honors Theses

Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC. (BNSF), is an American railroad that is concentrated in the western two-thirds of the U.S. This railroad has a history stretching back over a century that has led the company to now function as one of the leading Class I Railroad with over 30,000 employees and over 30,000 miles of laid track. Two methods of analysis were used to examine the competitive environment in which BNSF operates. The first is the PESTEL analysis which examines the macro-environment. The second is Porter’s Five Forces which analyzes the competitive environment of an industry. The analyses concluded that …

A Strategic Audit Of Seaworld, Jaden Capaldi, Rachel Jendro, Jacob Mir, Sophie Newman, Tommy Wolfe

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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 …

Nelnet Consulting Project, Ellie Hellman, Kennedy Johnston, Abe Stutzman, Emily Kist, Sam Stott, Tom Hermanek

Honors Theses

The purpose of this capstone engagement was to do a market analysis of two potential investment opportunities for Nelnet. Our group went through an extensive research process of current players in the market, regulations that exist, financial considerations, and risk analysis. Through the capstone course we were introduced to design thinking and the 10 types of innovation to use as methods of evaluation for the Nelnet consultation. Our team went through processes such as stakeholder analysis, PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and internal resources and capabilities. Our final project consisted of a formal presentation to Nelnet executives and final report …

Knowledge Management Model For Library In Indonesia (Study Case : Sunan Ampel State Islamic University Of Surabaya), Ilham M.Said, Merlin Apriliyanti

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The knowledge management is playing an increasingly important role in organizations across various industries. Through knowledge management, an organization seeks to acquire or create potentially useful knowledge and make it available to its members so that it can be used at the right time and in the right place to have a positive impact on the organization's activities. The library of the State Islamic University of Sunan Ampel Surabaya has not optimally managed the existing knowledge. Knowledge management at the library of the State Islamic University of Sunan Ampel Surabaya is still limited to explicit knowledge such as textbooks, journals, …

How To Attract The Library Visitors? The Role Of Csr At The Library, Library Image, Customer Value, And Loyalty To The Library: Evidence From Indonesia, Sri Hartini, Masmira Kurniawati, Jovi Sulistiawan, Muhammad Ihwanudin

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study focuses on the impact of CSR on the library’s performance in collaboration with CSR programs. Using the purposive sampling method, the sample was 350 library service users in Indonesia. Data was collected through a Google Form questionnaire distributed on social media. SEM-PLS was used to analyze five hypotheses, which were accepted. This study indicates that CSR in the library is significantly positively related to library image, customer value, and loyalty. In addition, library image and customer value are positively related to library visitor loyalty. Currently, the social responsibility literature is only limited to the customer perspective, and not …

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 …

Arbor Day Foundation Consulting Proposal, Katelyn Bonham, Grace Novak, Kayla Brumley, Amanda Purintun, Lauren Niesen, Sarah Rakes

Honors Theses

Over the course of one semester, our group has worked with the Arbor Day Foundation as part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business Honors Academy. The Arbor Day Foundation is a local nonprofit conservation organization with a focus on trees. As consultants for the Arbor Day Foundation, our team discussed and observed the current needs of the company. We then developed creative solutions to address these needs, concentrating on Arbor Day’s Tree City USA program. Our solutions can be described utilizing the acronym “S.A.P.” which stands for “Segmentation”, “Awareness”, and “Portal”. These three recommendations build on each other …

Allianz Life Strategic Audit, Evan Powell

Honors Theses

Allianz Life is a company that specializes in creating life insurance and annuity products to wholesale to financial professionals. The company is based out of Minneapolis, MN, and is a subsidiary of the parent company Allianz SE. Allianz SE is the 46th largest company in the world and ranks number one for assets managed by an insurance company. Allianz SE is based out of Munich, Germany. This report aims to learn more about Allianz Life through internal and external analysis. The following analytical tools will be included: PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analysis. These tools help to explain the …

Pacific Life Strategic Analysis, Jake Litel-Smith

Honors Theses

Pacific Life is one of the most recognizable names in life insurance. The company is known for its brand and consistent delivery on its promises for over 150 years. This study shows a comprehensive analysis of Pacific Life, including external and internal considerations. Porter’s Five Forces and PESTEL will provide a guide to understanding the environment outside of the company. A SWOT analysis will provide a better grasp on the company’s current market position. The analysis will conclude with an understanding of Pacific Life’s current strategy and recommendations for its future success.

The Effect Innovation Of Information Technology, Product, Work, And Service Toward Development Performance Academic Business Laboratory In Indonesia, Ilham M, Tanti Handriana, Fendy Suhariadi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study was conducted to compile a work plan and create an integrated laboratory information system and improve academic services at Uin Sunan Ampel Surabaya based on the implementation of work programs towards a world class university. The purpose of this research activity is to design and implement a system capable of providing work information for each manager of the integration laboratory and maximizing the utilization of the integration laboratory so that the use of the integration laboratory is better and more precise. The results of this research can form an integrated laboratory information system that can optimize the performance …

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 …

Psychometric Evaluation Of Knowledge Sharing Behavior Scale In Academic Environment, Ali Asghar, Muhammad Asif Naveed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Knowledge Sharing Behavior Scale (KSBS) using academicians at the University of Sargodha, Sargodha. The quantitative research design was adopted using a survey questionnaire to collect data from academicians. A 28-item KSBS was administered to 300 academicians, recruited through the convenient stratified process by visiting each department with permission. The researchers received 237 usable questionnaires indicating a response rate. The validity (e.g., construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity) and reliability (e.g., internal consistency measure Cronbach Alpha) of the instrument was examined using partial least square structural equation modeling with SmartPLS. The results …