Business Commons^™

Central Appalachia Severance Taxation And Policies For Future Economic Growth, Nathan Frisbie

Honors Theses

Central Appalachia is a region in the United States that has been referred to as a paradox by researchers who have studied it. The area is rich with natural resources, yet the region lacks economic development. The mineral extraction industry has been the center of the economy for over a hundred years. The reliance on the industry has caused Central Appalachia to fall behind in several categories. The region has unusually high concentrations of poverty and low high school graduation rates. The revenue from the taxation of coal is the primary source of income for many of the rural counties. …

Product Realization Capstone: Element Proof Safety Steps For Willie Price Lab School, Catherine Thomas, Allan Heuerman, Jared Mumme

Honors Theses

The purpose of this document is to describe the process we took to complete our capstone which paired the Center for Manufacturing Excellence with the Willie Price Lab School. The goal of the capstone was to remake step stools for the students of Willie Price, as the last stools failed to withstand weather damage. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, plans were hindered, shifting the goal from actually producing the steps to creating instructions so that a younger Center for Manufacturing class could complete the production at a later date. Standardized Work Instructions, a detailed production plan, and engineering drawings were …

Mpower: Thesis Project For Increased Financial Investment, Sustainability, And Growth For The Mpower: Lead Through The Creed Program, Annabella Sills

Honors Theses

MPower is a leadership and diversity conference hosted annually by the UM Student Union for incoming freshmen. I conducted a meeting with University officials including the Dean of students providing concrete evidence for why the University of Mississippi should increase financial investment for the program. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, our scheduled stakeholder meeting had to be pushed to the fall semester as many departments are unable to collaborate on this project at this time. Therefore, this thesis paper has been adjusted accordingly. My thesis work will be used to collaborate with multiple campus departments to increase the sustainability …

Young Adult Financial Literacy And Its Underlying Factors, Emily Meyers

Honors Theses

This thesis discusses the current state of financial education and young adult financial literacy in the United States. Financial literacy is the level of personal finance knowledge an individual requires to make beneficial financial decisions. The United States faces a financial literacy crisis in young adults evidenced by failing scores of assessments administered by the Jump$tart Coalition, a leader in researching financial literacy in young adults. This thesis presents research and analysis of personal finance assessment scores from students of Franklin High School, Massachusetts. Assessments were administered to personal finance, business, and history students. The majority of students failed the …

The Impact Of Generational Experiences On Anti-Immigration Sentiments, Pedram Malakian

Honors Theses

Immigration is one of the most important issues in our increasingly globalized world. Every year, millions of people relocate to Europe and United States in an effort to improve the quality of life for themselves and their family. With this increase in immigration, there has been an emergence of anti-immigration sentiments which have in turn allowed far right political parties to gain more power, evident in the British referendum to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States. While most works of literature look at the current work status, education level and income of …

The Relationship Between Leadership Style And Personality Type Among College Students, Samantha Easley

Honors Theses

A successful leader must evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each team member in order to ensure the most workplace success. Research has shown that an individual’s personality type is related to his or her personality style and contributes to how well someone responds to the leadership style. The goal of this study was to look at the personality types of undergraduate college students and assess the relationship to their preferred leadership styles. A positive relationship between both personality traits openness and extraversion with a more transformational leadership style. A positive relationship between both personality traits conscientiousness and neuroticism with …

Arts Education: A Philanthropic Priority?, Clare Murray

Honors Theses

Through restricted donations, donors to private, independent not-for-profit US art museums are able to affect the prioritization of museum activities. Using annual data from museums’ Form 990s and AAMD survey responses, I test whether restricted giving affects a museum’s educational programming by analyzing the effect of restricted assets on education department performance indicators. I find that a percentage point increase in permanently restricted assets as a proportion of total assets is associated with a 0.1876 percentage point increase in education expenses as a share of total expenses. Through qualitative informational interviews, I recognize this impact as evidence that arts education …

Market Expansion Challenge: Finnish School International, Shelby Reams

Honors Theses

The Finnish School International already operates in several countries and is ready to expand the Finnish education system to new locations around the world. Accordingly, the company is seeking your help with identifying new promising markets and developing a market entry strategy, including:

t. Identify the most promising new markets, analyze the market, and decide on the best market entry mode;

2. Develop a product promotion and marketing strategy for the proposed new market; 3. Work out the operations management strategy for the proposed new market.

Cultivating Cultural Exchange: Improving University Study Abroad Programs, Katherine Crawford

Honors Theses

My affinity for culture, both foreign and domestic, has greatly shaped my life and future career path. As I have been frequently reminded, I did not take the “typical” exchange route. However, I accredit this atypical experience to my passion towards the subject. My first immersive cultural experience occurred during a yearlong, high school, Rotary led exchange to Bourges, France. Simply put, it changed my life. I encountered the culture first hand, accepting a new normal: bisous greetings, daily baguettes, and a well-structured hierarchy. Within six months, I considered myself fluent in the language. I lived with French families, was …

The Effect Of Educational Debt On The Probability Of Homeownership For College Graduates: An Empirical Analysis, Cole Ikkala

Honors Theses

With the average tuition of both public and private institutions on the rise, students are graduating from college with a higher burden of debt than ever before. In turn this is adversely affecting their post-graduation decisions, specifically the purchasing of their first home. With the simultaneous increase of educational debt levels and tightening of lending constraints for mortgages, it is hypothesized that first-time homeownership is being delayed. The purpose of this study is to analyze what exactly is delaying graduates from purchasing a home, the outstanding total educational debt amount or the monthly educational debt repayment amounts. Both can hinder …