Business Commons^™

Motivations And Barriers In College Students For Coffee Consumption From Coffee Shops: A Podcast, Khushi Dave

Senior Theses

The book, Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World, highlights the globalization of coffee; it was first discovered in the mountainsides of modern—day Ethiopia and has since swept the globe. Historically used for religious, medicinal, and recreational purposes, people flocked to coffee houses for the taste of the brew. Now, this beloved bean is ever prevalent on college campuses, especially through foodservice locations. This paper explores the role of foodservice locations, specifically coffee shops, in coffee consumption among college students. Specifically, it will survey the reasons that college students want to buy coffee from …

Southeastern Conference (Sec) International Student-Athlete (Isa) Career Transitions - A Cultural Intelligence (Cq) Perspective, Tsu-Lin Yeh

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated international student-athletes’ (ISAs’) transition experiences of being recruited for, matriculating in, and then leaving high-performance and commercialized Southeastern Conference (SEC) institutions. Adopting the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) theory, this dissertation specifically examined how the four CQ elements (metacognition CQ, cognition CQ, motivation CQ, and behavior CQ) existed in an ISA’s transition process. CQ explains a person’s capability for performing well in culturally diverse environments (Fang et al., 2018). Traditional CQ studies have been utilized to manage international organizations’ diversity and inclusion (Triandis, 2006), particularly regarding employee retention, career transition and development (Mangla, 2021). However, although sports management is …

Platform Of Growth: An Analysis Of Earnings And Social Media Engagement Among Esports Athletes, Colleen Marie Dibble

Theses and Dissertations

Esports consists of online gaming, cyber sport, and virtual sport in a highly competitive environment. The industry has grown tremendously over the last 30 years (Leroux-Parra, 2020). Professional esports competitions are often now contested with a large scale, global audience, and millions of dollars potentially at stake in some competitions. Hundreds of esports athletes earn a living from the multi-billion-dollar esports industry. In addition to players earning salaries and prize pool money in a professional setting, many colleges have offered scholarships to enrolled students and have begun to offer esports-related curriculums (Dominguez, 2022). Networks such as ABC, ESPN, and TBS …

Analyzing The Impact Of Salary Discrepancies Between Professional Sports Organizations, Benjamin R. Garner

Senior Theses

While it has long been theorized by sports fans that an organization’s salary influences the success of the team, this thesis will look to examine if the supposed correlation is accurate. This thesis compiles existing research regarding current salary cap systems in American professional sports leagues and examines league-wide methods employed to maintain competitive balance. The discussion then shifts to consider the additional governing factors that determine organizational success, such as team cohesion, the rise in international players, and the increased player movement via free agency. The research then shifts to examine two specific professional sports leagues: Major League Baseball …

Experiencing The Formalness: The Role Of Contextual Cues In Consumers’ Luxury Perception And Lifestyle Preference, Zhenyu Jin

Theses and Dissertations

Formalness, which refers to the sense of seriousness, importance, and significance, is a commonly-encountered experience in consumers’ daily lives and can influence consumer behavior in wide domains. Despite its ubiquitous nature, research on consumer experiences of formalness in marketing settings is limited. This dissertation investigates the sense of formalness in consumer behavior, exploring its antecedents and consequences in sensory marketing, luxury consumption, and consumer lifestyles.

Essay 1 identifies one of the antecedents and consequences of formalness sense by exploring how music used in marketing communications and retail environments can induce a sense of formalness in consumers, which in turn shapes …

Hard Seltzers In Europe: A Sparkling Opportunity? An Analysis Of The Market Potential For Hard Seltzers In Europe, Amanda R. Harper

Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to uncover the potential for the hard seltzer category in the European alcohol market. First, through secondary research, it establishes the conditions of entering the European alcohol market by looking at the challenges of entering markets abroad, the challenges of entering the European market, and the history and current state of alcohol in Europe. Second, this thesis will analyze the history and characteristics of the hard seltzer category. This will include profiles of seven key brands: White Claw, Truly, Bud Light Seltzer, Vizzy, Topo Chico, Mike’s Hard Seltzer, and Pure Piraña. Next, this thesis will analyze primary …

Understanding Gentrification Outside Of The Global Neoliberal Perspective In Hong Kong, Ivy Lu

Senior Theses

Globalization has impacted urban development in different parts of the world. In particular, the influence of neoliberalism has had a significant impact on gentrification. The academic hegemony of the English language further compounds the complexities of overextending the scope of this definition when applying it outside of its original Anglo-American contexts. East Asia, specifically Hong Kong, presents a unique case study due to its local context historically, politically and market-wise, as well as culturally; all of which make it valuable to study urban development phenomena in the region. However, identifying the indicators of neoliberalism and gentrification in Hong Kong is …

Balancing Conservation And Enjoyment: A Case Study Of Sustainable Tourism In Yellowstone National Park, Rachel E. Killen

Senior Theses

This paper explores the successes and challenges of integrating sustainable tourism in the US National Park System, focusing on the partnership between the National Park Service and the hospitality concessioner in Yellowstone National Park. Through a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, managers of the hospitality company in Yellowstone revealed that their successful collaboration with NPS has resulted in the integration of diverse perspectives and fulfillment of the dual mandate of a US National Park. Despite challenges such as conflicts with historical preservation and the park's remote location, Yellowstone has successfully implemented all three pillars of sustainability in its operations while …

Noodz: A Strategic Communication Plan For A Startup Restaurant Targeting The College Market, Payton M. Fronapfel

Senior Theses

Advertising has evolved significantly throughout the past decade, lending to the current usage of direct response, social media, and online methods of advertising. Considering how these tactics have changed in recent years and how restaurant marketing, specifically, changes in response to a college demographic, companies must consider more in-depth communication plans. This thesis will identify the most effective methods of marketing restaurants in the United States and determine how a college demographic changes the techniques utilized in marketing communication plans. Furthermore, this thesis will develop a comprehensive strategic communication plan for a new Asian restaurant, Noodz, located in Columbia, South …

Sustainability In South Carolina: A Case Study Analysis Of Publicly-Traded South Carolina Companies Using Sustainability Reports And Esg Scores, Gwyneth K. Waddington

Senior Theses

Sustainability is one of the issues at the forefront of society. Sustainability reports and ESG scores are used to help understand the performance of companies in relation to sustainability issues. The current literature on sustainability reporting makes it clear that there is not a uniform framework for metrics to include in sustainability reports and how those reports should appear. My project uses a case study analysis of nine publicly-traded companies headquartered in South Carolina to examine how companies are portraying their sustainability efforts and asks if there are certain indicators in sustainability reports that are good predictors of the ESG …

An Examination Of Celebrity Product Involvement And Endorsement Effectiveness, Eric Nichols

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate celebrity product involvement and its relationship with endorsement effectiveness. Due to the increased leverage in creating their own brands, celebrity athletes are increasingly engaging in entrepreneurial endeavors such as collaborations on product development, an investment relationship, and outright ownership and creation of a brand or product. This paper also studied the extent which parasocial interactions and athlete identification may moderate endorsement effectiveness in the form of brand attitudes as well as what role product congruence may play.

Participants were recruited to complete an online survey that exposed them to manipulations of narrative …

Essays On Consumer Returns And Environmental Sustainability In Operations Management, Aditya Balaram

Theses and Dissertations

Consumer returns and environmental sustainability greatly impact the operational decisions that firms make. Focusing on consumer returns, lenient return policies aid consumers with resolving uncertainty but impose additional reverse logistics costs on retailers. The current retail landscape has largely eliminated the possibility of offering more stringent return policies since consumers have come to expect such policies as a given. This has driven retailers to look for innovative solutions while still offering costly free return policies. With respect to environmental sustainability, a number of operational decisions have been examined in the academic literature. These have ranged all the way from examining …

From Shaq To Serena Williams: An Analysis Of Celebrity Spacs, John Boyar

Senior Theses

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) surged in popularity in 2020 and 2021. For the first time in U.S. history, more SPAC IPOs occurred in a particular year than traditional IPOs and direct listings. Amidst the increase in SPAC IPOs, an expanding number of celebrities became involved with these investment vehicles. This thesis investigates the trend of celebrity backed SPACs by examining how celebrity involvement or association with a SPAC may affect the performance of these equities in the market.

This study examines the SPAC period returns, deSPAC period returns, IPO sizes, deal lengths, and PIPE financing amounts of 339 SPAC …

When And Why Targeted Products For Underserved Consumers Backfire, Ruoou Li

Theses and Dissertations

As the demand for creating and embracing a diverse marketplace increases, marketing strategies that over-generalize the needs of different consumer groups are no longer viable. Thus, many brands and companies have begun offering inclusive products that accommodate the specific needs of historically underserved consumers (e.g., women, people of color). One important question for marketers to answer is how these inclusive products should be promoted to appeal to these previously undervalued consumers. While prior research suggests that consumers will favor products with more explicit descriptions of the target consumer (i.e., blatant targeting) because doing so makes the targeted identity salient, I …

Millennial Retention Through Wellness In The Automotive Manufacturing Industry, Caroline Patterson

Senior Theses

Wellness programs are known to be effective and beneficial to both companies and their employees, especially among millennials. Even more importance is now assigned to implementing new strategies for attracting and retaining millennials in the wake of the Great Resignation. This is imperative particularly for automotive manufacturing companies. Attracting and retaining millennials effectively can be done by considering and implementing holistic wellness programs that address all four of the following factors: physical health, mental and emotional health, community and family health, and financial health. Within these four pillars, a company should integrate incentives; accessibility and flexibility; diversity equity and inclusion; …

The Implications Of Fraud On Non-Shareholder Stakeholders, Chasen P. Spicer

Senior Theses

Popular news outlets such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal frequently release articles detailing the financial losses incurred by shareholders of a company that have recently been publicly exposed for their fraudulent activities (Shumsky, 2018; Whitmire, 2005). Given that shareholders are visibly impacted by fraud, it is also reasonable to believe that other stakeholders experience repercussions from the fraudulent activities carried out by the company (Velikonja, 2013). To provide more insight into the implications of fraud incurred by non-shareholder stakeholders, I conduct a case study analysis of HealthSouth’s various fraudulent activities between the years of 1997 …

“No Tits In The Pits!”: An Exploratory Analysis Of The Experiences Of Female Decision Makers In Motorsports In The United States, Alexia Pedo Lopes

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lived experiences of sixteen women who have decision-making roles in motorsports in the United States. The purpose was to shed light on the experiences of women who broke the glass ceiling in this unexplored male-dominated industry (Glass & Cook, 2016). The challenges these women encountered along with the mechanisms they employed to navigate those, and finally their motivation to continue pursuing a career in this industry, were assessed via in-depth semi-structured interviews and then the data was analyzed following a constant comparison thematic analysis. Challenges and coping mechanisms were classified according to the four levels, namely …

Affective Risk Perceptions Toward Travel In A Covid Era: Policy And State Political Influences, Chloe Riley

Theses and Dissertations

This paper aims to analyze the influence of state political affiliation and policy on affective risk perceptions, in the context of COVID-19. The study of risk perceptions in the travel literature is important because it can help industry leaders predict tourist decision-making and ensure feelings of safety for travelers. The relevance of risk perceptions has become even more apparent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyzes three policies put into place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19: mask mandate, cancellation of public events, and school closures. Affective risk perceptions were measured by the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative’s …

The Most Important Human Capital Resource: A Strategic Human Resources Perspective On Top Management Team Effectiveness, Spenser Michael Essman

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises two studies that theoretically and empirically examine a critical human capital resource, the top management team (TMT). In the first chapter, I propose a conceptual model that focuses on the context in which TMTs are embedded, by building on recent theory suggesting that the TMT is embedded within a multiteam system, referred to as a strategic leadership system. Specifically, I suggest that functional leadership teams – decision making groups responsible for managing firm functions and business units (e.g. finance; human resources) – are likely to be a part of the strategic leadership system, and develop theory regarding …

Reconceptualizing Informal Learning In An Online Learning Environment, Silvia Clark

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020, many organizations moved their formal training programs to an online learning context due to COVID-19. Informal learning, which refers to activities that are self-guided and occur independently outside of formal learning contexts has gained significant interest among researchers and practitioners in the past two decades as it has been identified as the primary type of learning in today's organizations. Despite the increasing interest in informal learning, no attempt has been made to examine and understand informal learning in an online learning environment.

This dissertation provides an integrative review of prior work on formal and informal learning in online …

Innovative Data-Driven Demand Estimation Strategies In Revenue Management, Sanghoon Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding customers’ choice behavior and decision-making process is crucial in many industries, including hotels, airlines, and retail, as it allows firms to offer the right product to the right customer. This has resulted in a growing focus on accurately estimating customer demand for a product or service in the revenue management space, which can serve as a valuable input to optimal pricing, inventory, and assortment decisions. However, much of the existing work in the literature has not been able to comprehensively address some common challenges that are observed in practice: unobservable no-purchases, heterogeneous customer preferences, and the impact of factors …

How Decision Makers’ Career Histories Impact The Gender Diversity Of The Ceo Successor Candidate Pool, Andre G. Havrylyshyn

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have explored when/why women are chosen as CEOs, and what factors explain the presence of women in the TMT, but little is known about when/why firms have women executives in their internal CEO successor candidate pool. This omission is consequential, since there are firm performance benefits to having a woman CEO who is an internal hire, and because being a CEO successor candidate helps ensure a woman executive has had skill-building opportunities that will help her thrive when she becomes CEO. To address this, my dissertation explores two research questions. First, when and why do women directors positively impact …

Dissecting Human Capital Resources: Unpacking The Structure And Activation Of Human Capital Resources Within Firms, Caitlin Ray

Theses and Dissertations

Human capital resources (HCR) are often identified by scholars and practitioners as a firm’s most crucial resource. However, the academic use of the HCR construct, which is relatively new addition to the research vernacular, is often described with vague and imprecise terms, challenging the ability for academics and practitioners to clearly understand HCR’s precise impact on firm outcomes. One of the challenges arises because much of the HCR research literature focuses on the processes surrounding HCR without clearly specifying the components that make-up the HCR. Such lack of specificity has resulted in theoretical and empirical work which is often too …

Esg Investing: From Fad To Force, Erin Cullen

Senior Theses

ESG Investing is the application of environmental, social, and governance factors to identify material investment risks and growth opportunities. Though traditionally viewed as non-financial factors, this paper asserts that ESG factors are indeed financially material. This work first surveys the current state of ESG Investing, its shortcomings, and its success despite these inherent issues. Section II adds a new perspective to ESG research by examining the applications of ESG scores in portfolio management. The study conducts t-tests to answer whether the typical holdings of an ESG mutual fund are more sustainable than those of traditional funds. The paper then focuses …

Nation Branding: The Case For Marketing Strategy In International Relations, Brooke Boan

Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to address the concept of nation branding and how states can use marketing strategies for international relations gains. Using a literature review of relevant concepts and trends in international relations, including soft power, public diplomacy, and cultural diffusion, the connection between marketing strategies and foreign policy trends become clear. An analysis of nation branding, its origins, applications, and challenges, provides insight into an up-and-coming area of international relations. Specific country case studies were chosen to examine the real-world results of nation branding including the shortcomings and future opportunities. The case of Japan shows how a country can …

Yield Generation Using Decentralized Financial (Defi) Applications, Nathan Walton

Senior Theses

Decentralized financial (DeFi) applications are a new generation of financial service applications, composed of coded smart contracts, and deployed on a blockchain network. These applications offer several methods of generating yield on deposited funds, much like a traditional bank. In this paper I provide a definition of several key terms and a breakdown of the primary mechanisms through which yield is generated. Additionally, I examine three of the main types of DeFi applications, the services they provide, and how they execute these services. I then provide an overview of four strategies involving cash and leverage and estimate the potential benefits …

The Legal And Social Challenges Involved In The Expansion Of Multinational Operations: A Case Study Of Exxonmobil Indonesia, Shashaank Rajaraman

Senior Theses

Within this paper, I will analyze the legal and social relations between multinational corporations and their host countries. This analysis will be conducted through viewing the circumstances surrounding Doe v. ExxonMobil within the District of Columbia Circuit Court, in which ExxonMobil has engaged in litigation regarding their human rights record within the country of Indonesia. Through secondary research conducted both within business and legal journals, information about the practices of ExxonMobil can be examined and utilized to make general conclusions upon the corporate diplomacy practiced by multinational corporations.

The Impact Of Cultural Perceptions Of Well-Being And Resulting Sustainable Local Development Initiatives, Atifah Jatoi

Senior Theses

Views on and approaches to sustainable economic development can differ vastly depending on country and location. Historically, in the United States, sustainable development is primarily based on the four pillars of sustainability: social, human, environmental, and economic. On the other hand, in communities in relatively collectivist societies, sustainable development policies and organizations are influenced by collective interest, cooperation, and the well-being of the community. Local development initiatives centered around promoting the well-being of the community are a way to have a more equitable approach to sustainable development and are necessary to address ecological, economic, and social challenges. I will discuss …

Three Essays On Banking And Other Financial Institutions, Xiaonan Ma

Theses and Dissertations

This paper shows that access to payday lending affects societal health outcomes such as opioid-related mortality. I find that states allowing payday lending experience 1.5 lives lost per 100,000 population every year, which amounts to one-third of its mean value. I interpret this result in line with the increased consumption of opioid pills after accessing to payday lending. Accordingly, the effects are more pronounced in areas with low socioeconomic status. Confounding events, time trends, or systematic differences between states allowing and prohibiting payday lending are unlikely to explain the association between payday lending access and opioid mortality. Overall, my findings …

Effects Of Firm Environmental And Sustainability Performance On Nonprofessional Investors’ Judgments: A Comparison Between The United States And Germany, Jackson M. Nietert

Senior Theses

Several studies find that environmental reporting is significant to investors’ decision-making. Here, the effect of German and US-American cultures on nonprofessional investors’ judgments when given positive or negative environmental reports is examined. Two experiments were conducted, one with US students recruited locally and German participants recruited online and the other with all participants recruited online to ensure more similar samples. In both experiments, in line with previous research, environmental reporting has a significant impact on nonprofessional investors’ decision-making process. In addition, the first experiment shows that German nonprofessional investors are more likely to penalize firms for poor environmental ratings however …