Business Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Of Entrepreneurial Intention Among Hispanic Entrepreneurs In Toronto, Jorge Perez Moreno

Dissertations

The Problem

Entrepreneurship scholars have claimed that immigrants are more likely to become self-employed due to limited job opportunities, access to social networks, cultural background, necessity, and education and skills. However, the entrepreneurial experience of Hispanic immigrants in Toronto has yet to be examined. This quantitative study examined the attitudes, norms, and perceptions influencing entrepreneurial intention and the factors that encourage self-employment continuation among immigrants in Canada.

Method

This study used a survey questionnaire of ninety-four Hispanic entrepreneurs in Toronto to comprehend their entrepreneurial intention. It examined their proficiencies, studied their business characteristics, and predicted their behavior toward self employment …

An Exploration Of Factors Contributing To Service Longevity At Asia-Pacific International University, Ritha Maidom

Dissertations

Problem

In educational institutions of higher learning, turnover is seen as a double-edged sword that brings both benefits and problems. While turnover allows the opportunity to bring in a new employee who may be able to benefit the institution more than the one being replaced, the process of finding a replacement tends to be costly in terms of time, energy, and financial resources. As a young institution, Asia-Pacific International University (AIU) found turnovers challenging in more than one way because of its lack of stability in areas such as finance and human power. It could benefit from a clearer understanding …

Microcredits, Use By Gender, Amounts, Second Credit And Return Status: A Comparative Study In Parana And Chajari City, Entre Rios, Argentina 2016-1918, Daniel Emanuel Stempelatto

Master's Theses

Problem

This research seeks to determine if the microcredits delivered in the city of Chajari present a significant difference compared to the city of Paraná during the period 2016 to 2018, in the use by gender, in the amount of the microcredits and re-credits delivered, their amount and the level of debt cancellation.

Method

Secondary data loaded in the Provincial System and database of the Microcredit Program of Entre Ríos, Argentina were used to analyzed 454 microcredit records of which 383 correspond to the city of Paraná and 71 to the city of Chajari during the 2016-2018 period. For data …

Business And Plurilingualism: The Advantage Of A Foreign Language, Anabelis E. Martinez

Honors Theses

Nowadays, global economy has implications that suggest the need for an adaptation to operate efficiently in this new environment. Is bilingualism a skill that professionals should be acquiring? To investigate this aspect, I am researching how many online job postings come out over the course of a week asking for language proficiency across three different business specialties (Accounting, Management and Marketing). My project will answer the following questions: How often do job openings require bilingualism within the sample? Which states have a higher demand for bilingual candidates? And which languages are the most sought after?

A Quantitative Study Of Employees' Perceptions Of The Relationship Between The Organizational Culture Of A Toronto-Based Technology Company, And Their Job Satisfaction And Engagement, Donn Whitehall

Dissertations

Problem

There are gaps in the literature related to organizational culture, job satisfaction, and employee engagement. Researchers have noted that these variables, and the relationships amongst them, have not been studied enough and there exists a need for further research. The purpose of this study was to examine employees’ perceptions of the relationship between the organizational culture of a Toronto-based technology company, and their job satisfaction and engagement.

Method

This study utilized a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational method, while employing a cross-sectional approach with secondary data. This study used data collected by a Toronto-based technology company in June of 2016. The …

Preparing For Retirement: An Intervention With The Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Brazil, Paulo Gonçalves Coelho

Master's Theses

Problem

The future of retirement is an issue that has attracted the attention of governments and private entities worldwide. The period for retirement requires preparation during active professional life so that the resources or assets accrued and added to the Instituto Naacional do Seguro Social and Instituto Adventista de Jubilação e Assistência can be sufficient to meet the costs of living in the period of retirement.

The objective of this work is to awaken the interest in this issue, bring enlightenment and information for those who wish to prepare for retirement and encourage choice a balanced financial position or strengthen …

The Factors That Affect The Capitalization Of Digital Currencies In Developing Countries: An Assessment Of Security Risks And Their Effects, Joshua Tinotenda Pazvakawambwa

Honors Theses

Digital currency platforms such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple are slowly but surely revolutionizing trade and commerce alongside their potential to impact people's economic lifestyles immensely. Digital currencies present a unique medium for humanitarian, mission, and more notoriosly arms and terrorism transactions around the globe. Various factors like security, legislature, and infrastructure affect the viability of adopting digital currencies in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. The research study assesses whether this technology's shortcomings outweigh the conventional means of exchange: hard cash, gold, and checks. Therefore, aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions concerning interfacing technology with economics in the developing world.

Investors' Reaction To The Passing Of The Indian Companies Act, 2013, Melisa Ann Ruhupatty

Honors Theses

This research seeks to determine whether mandated corporate social responsibilty (CSR) is value relevant to investors, specifically investors of Indian companies affected by the Companies Act, 2013 which requires companies meeting specific financial criteria to spend 2% of their three-year average net profits towards social initiatives. Recommended social initiatives include the development and implementation of environmentally sustainable businesss practices. Using the event study methodology, this study compares the cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) of companies recognized as CSR-active on the Bombay Stock Exccange (BSE) with those not recognized as CSR-active. Recognized CSR-active companies were determined through the use of the BSE …

An Examination Of Control Fraud In Non-Banking Industries, Kaylie Takahashi

Honors Theses

William Black’s (2005) control fraud theory suggests accounting fraud initiated by CEOs is more damaging than accounting fraud that is not. However, this theory has only been applied anecdotally to financial institutions. I test Black’s theory using a sample of manufacturing, merchandising, and service firms that engaged in accounting fraud from 2007-2014. I hypothesize that firms which commit CEO-led fraud will exhibit greater growth, leverage, and have higher CEO compensation. My findings do not show that there is any evidence that control frauds are more damaging than other accounting frauds that do not involve the CEO.

Diagnostic Study For The Internship Program For A Bachelor School Of Business, Francine Pacheco

Master's Theses

Purpose

This study sought to propose actions to improve the internship program in the curriculum plan in the Business course of a private higher educational institute (HEI) in the countryside of São Paulo, from the analysis of the expectations of students and organizations involved in the students’ admission to the Job Market.

Method

To serve this purpose, a research-action was performed in three steps: analysis, intervention and evaluation. In the first stage, conducting interviews with those involved enabled us to understand the needs of the students, identify their expectations for the HEI, and what they are looking for in this …

Contribuicao Do Bpm (Business Process Management) Nas Operacoes Da Cadeia De Suprimentos De Uma Organizacao Sem Fins Lucrativos, Claudio Valdir Knoener

Master's Theses

Purpose

There are many activities that depend on an organization in order to provide conditions for an excellent service. In the present study, there was deepening and exploiting processes and sub processes involving the sector's supply West Paulista Association of the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization, considering the importance of offering supply service to internal customers seeking continuity of work and scope the organization's objectives. The research objective was to present possibilities for improvement in the development of processes and sub processes mentioned by the interviewees' perceptions and their contributions.

Method

Through data collection through qualitative research aimed to identify the …

Effective Methods Of Communicating Organizational Values: A Case Study, Caralin B. Mchan

Master's Theses

Organizational values affect business success, and employee satisfaction and commitment. Value training begins during socialization. This qualitative case study of Adventist Frontier Missions explored effective methods the organization’s trainers used to communicate and motivate newcomers to assimilate organizational values during the2015 short-term missions training. Through observation, surveys, focus groups and interviews, I found that newcomers were motivated by seeing a connection between the organization’s values and its mission, and by seeing the values enacted by the trainers. I also found that newcomers perceived nonverbal communication of organizational values to be integral to their value-assimilation process. These findings should be useful …

An Evaluation Of The Bachelor Degree In Accounting Program In A Ghanaian Private University, Samuel Adaboh

Dissertations

Problem: There is the growing demand by all stakeholders (teachers, students, employers, governments, and society) for universities and colleges to be more accountable in preparing their products for the challenges of the 21 ^st century. Such demands have fueled interest in the evaluation of student learning in virtually all disciplines in college. There are calls for pedagogic innovations that will improve student learning in college. If any success can be achieved in addressing the challenge of improving the quality of products from higher education, then colleges and universitieshave need for reliable data. Such data can be obtained partly through an …

Use Of Funds In A Nonprofit Organization As Predictor Of Organizational Effectiveness And Efficiency, Throstur B. Thordarson

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to explore predictive relationships between how funds are used in a religious not-for-profit organization (NPO) and member recruitment. Financial data, from Seventh-day Adventist conferences at the organizational level, were correlated with data on membership recruitment from these same conferences.

Method. This study used a linear time-series analysis where relationships between variables and past values were explored over a 12-year period. Financial data were collected from year-end audited statements and financial activity statements. Published statistical records were used to collect data on membership and member donations.

Findings. This study concludes that Seventh-day Adventist …

Major Gifts To The Seed Company : Who Gives Them And Why, Michael E. Toupin

Dissertations

The Seed Company, a faith-based organization committed to Bible translation projects for hundreds of minority language communities, depends upon major donor support for its success and growth. There is a dearth of research available regarding philanthropic characteristics of major donors within The Seed Company resulting in a significant knowledge gap for healthy major donor programs based upon objective data. This study confirmed the value of several development approaches, particularly the importance of intentionally building a sense of community and relationship around the cause of the organization.

The study analyzed relationships between demographics, experiences related to the organization, and six independent …

The Influence Of The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People During A Merger Of A Fire Department And Emergency Medical Services In A Midwestern State : A Single Case Study From 2007 To 2013, Lisa Barnes Greco

Dissertations

Problem. Organizational mergers are difficult and often chaotic at best, fraught with unknowns that can derail the best of plans. In this study, two cultures, fire suppression and emergency medical services, were brought together in order to create a stronger fire department by consolidating resources and knowledge and to appease an ever-tightening municipal budget. How to save the best practices from each side and create a new culture was the conundrum the leadership team faced.

The purpose of this study was to understand how Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People influenced the change dynamics experienced during the …

An Exploratory, Correlational, Self-Rater Study On Authentic Leadership Values Of Adventist Local Conference Chief Financial Officers In The United States, Juan R. Prestol-Puesán

Dissertations

The Problem

Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) local conference treasurers, or Chief Financial Officers, are trusted by church members to manage the finances of the church and provide financial leadership, yet the denomination does not know how treasurers develop their values and leadership capacity as financial administrators. This study examined how treasurers compare with the leadership values of morality, integrity, and fairness prevalent today in positive forms of leadership theories. It explores SDA treasurer or financial officer self-assessment with the rating that their team members provide, allowing us to know the authenticity of their values as leaders.

Method

This is a census …

The Relationship Of Servant Leadership Attributes To Sales Performance Of Salespersons In The Healthcare Industry In 2011, William R. Auxier

Dissertations

Problem. Servant leadership scholars have claimed that servant-led business organizations are more financially viable, but these claims are based on anecdotal evidence. This quantitative study examines the relationship of servant leadership to revenue generation in business organizations by analyzing the predictability of servant leadership attributes on sales performance. This was accomplished by studying salespersons in the healthcare industry.

Method. One hundred ninety-four study participants completed questionnaires providing quantitative measurements of the seven factors of servant leadership: (a) developing and empowering others, (b) humility, (c) authentic leadership, (d) open participatory leadership, (e) inspiring leadership, (f) visionary leadership, and (g) courageous leadership, …

Structure And Mission Effectiveness: A Study Focused On Seventh-Day Adventist Mission To Unreached People Groups Between 1980 And 2010, Abraham Guerrero

Dissertations

The present study examines the impact of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's structure on mission effectiveness in taking the gospel to unreached people groups between 1980 and 2010. A historical descriptive study, this dissertation's theory base includes structure from an anthropological perspective; structure, mission, and effectiveness from an organizational perspective; and church structure and mission effectiveness in Christian history.

The impact of structure on mission effectivenessis evaluated in the present work by looking for patterns in history in which the structure has been either a facilitator or a hindrance for establishing churches among those who have not been reached with the …

Analysis And Application Of The Vector Marketing Corporation Business Model, Tyler Nabel Yasa

Honors Theses

Vector Marketing Corporation, an established direct sales company, has strong sales and recruiting programs. The goal of this research is first, to analyze the effectiveness of Vector's sales and recruiting programs and second, to assess variations of the application of the Vector business model to other businesses. For easier comparison and analysis, Vector's business model was divided into nine segments. This business model was then applied to the operations processes of Goodwill, Amway Global, and Andrews University School of Business Administration (SBA). While findings indicate useful applications for all three businesses, the strongest results pointed to Amway Global and Andrews …

Actions, Practices, And Workplace Conditions That Characterize High-Engagement Workgroups In A Hospital Environment, Barbette Weimer-Elder

Dissertations

In the United States a large number of people are not engaged at work. The lack of engagement affects the service outcomes as well as financial bottom line of organizations. The cost of actively disengaged employees in the U.S. is about $300 billion a year. Research cites the importance of examining business units that scored high on employee engagement to learn about actions and practices that drive business outcomes.

Between 2005-2010 The Community Hospital (TCH), part of a Healthcare Corporation in Valley Town, USA (pseudonym), assessed employee engagement using Gallup’s Q12 survey. Some groups scored in the top quartile and …

Anchoring Change In Higher Education : Narratives From Senior Executives At Malcolm Baldrige Award-Winning Institutions, Cheryl H. Kisunzu

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to explore Kotter’s (1996) eighth stage for leading change. Specifically, it is to identify strategies for anchoring planned change in institutions of higher education.

Design. This is a qualitative multiple case study. Each of the participating organizations is an institution of higher education uniquely distinguished as a recipient of the United State’s highest recognition for progressive excellence—the Malcolm Baldrige Award. A narrative design is used to conduct in-depth exploration of leading planned change, specifically anchoring this planned change into the culture of academic institutions of higher learning. Purposeful sampling was used to identify …

Organizational Leadership : A Study Of The Perceptions Of Servant Leadership Practices And Beliefs, And Its Implications For A Private Christian Institution Of Higher Education In Brazil, Jose Iran Miguel

Dissertations

Purpose. This study verified the perceptions of the workers of Brazil Adventist University (UNASP) regarding the beliefs and practices of servant leadership by using data collected online through the instrument called the Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA), focusing on six key areas of organizational health, according to three independent variables, which are leadership categories, campus, and gender.

Method. As a quantitative comparative study, the relationship between dependent and independent variables was determined by means of a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a 2 by 3 factorial design in order to observe significant differences and interactions between variables. …

An Investigation Of The Perceptions Of Clergy And Laity On Race-Based Organizational Segregation In The Southern Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, David K. Penno

Dissertations

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States maintains a racially segregated organization in a society that has intentionally dismantled segregation in most of its organizations. The church needs to evaluate its current conference organization in light of this reality. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of Seventh-day Adventist clergy and members in two conferences in the Southern Union concerning race-based organizational segregation in the church.

Method

This study used a mixed method and was descriptive in design. Four focus groups were conducted to explore the dimensions of the research problem. This step was followed …

Marketing Seventh-Day Adventist Higher Education : College-Choice Motivators And Barriers, Vinita Sauder

Dissertations

Purpose. Approximately 75% of Seventh-day Adventist college-bound youth do not attend the church's 15 colleges in North America. This study explored the views of Adventist college-bound participants regarding the factors (motivators and barriers) that influence college choice.

Method. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, qualitative and quantitative data were collected in a sequential two-phase design. Insights from focus groups conducted in Los Angeles and Nashville guided the development of a nationwide telephone survey of college-bound Adventists. Three groups sorted by type of high school were identified from a sample size of 226 and compared in terms of awareness and college-choice motivators …

Institutional Effectiveness : The Integration Of Program Review, Strategic Planning, And Budgeting Processes In Two California Community Colleges, Eileen Knight White

Dissertations

Problem. Effective institutional planning is vital to the ability of community colleges to deliberately respond to external and internal pressures to increase accountability and demonstrate institutional effectiveness. A significant indicator for assessing the effectiveness of a program review process is the use of the outcomes for other institutional purposes such as research, planning, and resource allocation—in other words, informed decision making. In the past, program review, planning, and budgeting processes for the most part have been independent functions or limited in their integration within an institution. The literature provides theories of integration, but little has been written about how …

Developing An Empirical Basis For Selecting A Strategic-Planning Team From Among Likely Candidates Based On Desired Emotional Intelligence Competencies, Robert Allen Reindel

Dissertations

Problem. Corporate teams are often established to complete assigned tasks as they would relate to planning, product development, process improvements, etc. There seems to be a lack of effective means for selecting team members based on objective criteria. Team-member selection is typically a process based only on the selector's judgment. While testing is a typical way to make hiring decisions, the same process is not used for creating teams.

Purpose of the Study. The purpose of this study was to explore a way of using identified competencies of emotional intelligence to objectively select team members for a strategic-planning initiative.

Method. …

Data Warehousing And Decision Making In Higher Education In The United States, David Lester Heise

Dissertations

Problem. Compared to the business world, higher education has a lower level of acceptance and a lower rate of adoption of data warehousing for decision making. Studies into the way data warehouses are used in higher education and the extent to which they are used are hard to find. Accordingly, this research examines the use of data warehousing in higher education and its role in decision making.

Method. Internet survey research method was used in this study. I asked college and university presidents to provide me with contact details of senior decision makers and technology managers from their institutions. …

Job Satisfaction And Its Relationship To Organizational And Religious Commitment Among Workers At Northern Caribbean University, Donna Brown

Dissertations

Problem. Recruiting teachers and motivating them to stay in their jobs present a challenge to educational institutions in Jamaica. Given the importance of workers' satisfaction to the health of an organization and the link between job satisfactionand turnover rate, then an examination of job satisfaction at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) is a priority. Based on this background, the primary focus of this study was to investigate job satisfaction and its relationship to organizational and religious commitment among workers at NCU.

Method. This study utilized a quantitative, descriptive research design. A survey questionnaire was sent to all full-time administrators …

An Examination Of Cross-Cultural Understanding In A Global Automotive Company, A. Dale Phillips

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study

Global Motors o f the United States and Baumgart AG of Germany came together to produce an automobile that was marketable in both countries. Since this project involved people from two cultures, the purpose of this study was to examine perceived cultural markers at work during this joint vehicle development project by identifying these markers and investigating their effects on the overall success of the joint-venture project.

Methodology

I chose to use a qualitative methodology, specifically focus groups. All engineers who worked on the project team received an email inviting them to participate and assuring them …