Business Commons^™

Beyond The Pixelated Mirror: Understanding Avatar Identity And Its Impact On In-Game Advertising And Consumer Behavior, Kyle Coble, Jay Ratican, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the complex dynamics between avatars and in-game advertising, probing how virtual representations influence consumer behavior within digital environments. It delves into the psychological interplay between self-perception and avatar embodiment, suggesting that while younger users may treat avatars as accessories showcasing personal interests, adults tend to opt for idealized selves, affecting their interaction with and responsiveness to virtual marketing. The study contemplates the avatar’s function as both a consumer and influencer in the expanding metaverse, considering the escalating integration of branded items in games. It also highlights potential shifts in consumption patterns as digital and physical realities converge. …

Virtual Reality At Workplace For Autistic Employees: Preliminary Results Of Physiological-Based Well-Being Experience, M. A. Reyes-Consuelo, D. Michaud, J. Proulx-Guimond, Jocelyne Kiss, C. Vincent, G. Edwards, James Hutson, J. Ruel, S. Letscher, V. Psyche, C. Papi, M. Caouette, Piper Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Emotional health problems in the workplace often hinder the integration and retention of autistic employees (AE), a challenge identified in many sectors. Recent literature highlights the consequences of these problems, such as burnout leading to reduced productivity and resignation. Previous research supports the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) for training a variety of specific skills (e.g. riding a bus or plane travel), as well as more complex social skills, such as emotion recognition and functional communication. In addition, existing studies on using physiological self-monitoring in AE training offer a promising approach to promoting improved emotional health. The present paper reports …

Utilizing Neurodiverse Workplace Strategies To Support The Growing Population Of Long Covid Cases In A Neuroinclusive Workplace: A Paradigm Shift For Neuroacquired Employees, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of long COVID, a condition in which patients report persistent symptoms after recovering from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. A review conducted by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) suggests that long COVID may actually consist of four different syndromes: post-intensive care syndrome, post-viral fatigue syndrome, and long-term COVID syndrome. The absence of a clear definition for this condition may lead to under-recognition and under-treatment of the symptoms experienced by those affected. Moreover, existing programs designed for neuro diverse individuals may be adapted to support the growing neuro acquired population. Communication strategies, such …

Is Growth In Outstate Missouri Tied To Growth In The St. Louis And Kansas City Metro Areas?, Howard J. Wall

Faculty Scholarship

In a 2016 Show-Me Institute essay, Michael Podgursky and Nick Pretnar demonstrated the proportional importance to the state economy of Missouri’s two dominant metro areas.1 As they report, the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas together account for well over half of Missouri’s economic output (64 percent of gross state product in 2013), indicating that the aggregate performance of the state economy is largely determined by the performance of the two metro areas’ economies. In this essay I take this idea a step further and examine whether there is more than simply a proportional relationship.

Specifically, I look at …

Sticky Doors And Crusty Floors: Zooming In On Messiness And Parenthood In Virtual Work Meetings, Katherine A. Karl, Joy V. Peluchette, Andrea R. Neely

Faculty Scholarship

This study examines how the condition of an employee’s home background setting (messy vs. tidy) and the presence of a child on screen (present vs. not present) impact observer judgments of the target’s professionalism, competence, and career success. Participants (N=711) were randomly assigned to one of 16 experimental conditions with two levels for performance (high or low), target gender (male or female), background (messy or tidy), and child (present or not present). The results show that messiness alone results in less favorable perceptions of the target employee’s professionalism and career outcomes, but not competence. Having a child present did not …

Tech Work In St. Louis: Past, Present, And Future, Howard Wall

Faculty Scholarship

In Summary, the findings in this report confirm the necessity and urgency for improved data collection and advocacy for the St. Louis data economy. In order for the MSA to become a nationally recognized tech hub to attract and retain competitive tech talent, the St. Louis Metro will need to aggressively address the industry disparities in diverse representation, pay gaps, and occupational growth. Additional data collection and ongoing research will allow the region to report more comprehensively on these metrics, as well as expand into more targeted industry analyses like the Big 15 Emerging Technologies identified by TechSTL.

Effects Of Financial Statement And Macroeconomic Factors On Risk Measures Of Banks In India: Panel And Decision Tree Analysis Approach, Guarango Banerjee, Abhimanyu Gupta, Abhiman Das

Faculty Scholarship

This paper aims to analyze the effects of financial statement indicators and off-balance sheet items affecting risk measures among Indian banks employing both panel data regression and a non-parametric decision tree approach. We explore the effects of bank size, leverage, exposure to contingent liabilities including off-balance sheet derivatives usage and macroeconomic factors on risk measures for banks. In this paper, it is also aimed to examine the effects of the major financial liberalization policy period in the domestic market in India that started in the mid-1990s and ended around 2004 as well as impacts of the 2008 global financial crisis …

Virtual Work Meetings During The Covid-19 Pandemic: The Good, Bad, And Ugly, Katherine A. Karl, Joy V. Peluchette, Navid Aghakhani

Faculty Scholarship

This study focuses on the good, the bad and the ugly of using videoconferencing for work-related meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a text mining process and qualitative content analysis of 549 comments posted to a LinkedIn online discussion board, we identified six key themes; three were tied to camera and microphone issues, two involved eating and meeting management issues, and one dealt with work-from-home issues. These themes are discussed in relationship to media naturalness theory and meeting science. Because widespread use of videoconferencing will likely continue, we provide guidance for workplace policies/practices and suggest directions for future research.