Business Commons^™

Experience, Effectuation, And Something Good : Does The Use Of Effectuation Lead To Positive Outcomes?, Thomas E. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The theory of effectuation is ascending in entrepreneurship education. Hundreds of articles have been written on the topic. Many textbooks mention the theory, and one college level textbook teaches entrepreneurship entirely from an effectual perspective. Given its acceptance, the natural assumption is that effectuation is somehow 'good.' That is, there is some unique benefit that an entrepreneur gains from using effectuation. This dissertation examines the concept of effectuation, and its value to entrepreneurship. It seeks to determine if entrepreneurs who use effectual logic outperform entrepreneurs who don't. Four hundred and fifty entrepreneurs across three states are surveyed to determine if …

Development Of A Measure Of Corporate Safety Culture For The Transportation Industry, David V. Colarossi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to develop the Corporate Safety Culture Scale, a unique measure of corporate safety culture that is supported by a strong theoretical foundation. Items were developed conceptually, discussed in cognitive interviews, and submitted to expert review. Survey items were administered to employees of a large public transportation organization. Principle components analysis reduced the data and identified an empirical model. The empirical model held two domains identified as: 1) "Values," and 2) "Behavior." Confirmatory factor analysis compared the fit of the empirical model with that of a modified empirical model, and the hypothesized model, which held the following …

Nonprofit Marketing Education In The United States: An Examination And Interpretation Of The Prevalance And Nature Of Curriculum, Theresa Meier Conley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nonprofit sector is a large, growing, and essential part of the United States economy. There is a history of inspired ideas and complex change in the nonprofit sector that marketing educators and business school administrators must understand if they are to be leaders in the continuing evolution of nonprofit marketing education.

This manuscript includes a summarized historical perspective, a selective review of literature from existing nonprofit management and marketing education, a discussion of relevant contemporary issues for consideration, and mixed-method research results regarding the prevalence and nature of nonprofit marketing education. The mixed-method research strategy includes three phases; the …

Creating An Entrepreneurial Frame Of Mind., Robert F. Sinclair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three essays that address the question: what specific cognitions lead to the formation of entrepreneurial intentions? Essay 1, "Explaining and Predicting Entrepreneurial Intentions," investigates currently theorized antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions to determine the degree to which they predict entrepreneurial intentions. Findings suggest that proximal cognitions such as feelings, desires, emotions, and attitudes predict intention formation, albeit limited to situations where entrepreneurial behavior is imminent. Additionally, distal cognitions, such as biases, heuristics, scripts and maps, although useful in explaining intentions, are of little predictive value except when predicting the distal intention to become an entrepreneur in …

An Examination Of Issues Related To Professional Skepticism In Auditing, Erin Burrell Nickell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The third general standard of fieldwork requires auditors to maintain a skeptical mindset with regards to the collection and critical assessment of audit evidence. While professional skepticism is frequently referenced by professional standards, a lack of precision in defining the concept presumably leads to variation in how skepticism is exercised in practice. Drawing on theories from the fields of psychology, economics and organizational justice, this dissertation considers different perspectives of what constitutes sufficient professional skepticism and examines how those perspectives differ between audit practitioners and regulators. First, I consider competing perspectives of professional skepticism – neutral versus presumptive doubt – …

Three Essays On Investments: An Examination Of The Effects Of Diversification And Taxes, Matthew Hurst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 examines the effect of property-type diversification in equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) from 1995 to 2006. A strong positive relationship is documented between property-type diversification and return on assets, return on equity, and Tobin’s Q. The diversification benefit comes from both the ability to select better performing property types in “hot” markets and the limited exposure to poorly performing property types in “cold” markets. Diversified REITs produce higher cash flows relative to equity as a result of a broader opportunity set; moreover, return on assets increases with the degree of diversification, which suggests significant shielding to property-type …

The Relationship Between Perceived Personal Fairness, Social Fairness, Hotel Cancellation Policies And Consumer Patronage, Scott J. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the study was to examine the relationships between the concepts of personal fairness and social fairness and hotel cancellation policies. These relationships will be explored using the framework of Prospect Theory in terms of consumer patronage (willingnessto-purchase and word-of-mouth). This study begins with a brief history of the development of the lodging industry in the United States from inns and taverns to the modern hotel industry that is a critical sector of the hospitality and tourism economy. Current statistics are provided regarding the U.S. and Central Florida hotel industry in order to provide both a national and …

The Effects Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Service Recovery Evaluations In Casual Dining Restaurants., Heidi Albus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on service recovery in terms of customer satisfaction, repeat patronage, word of mouth, and consumer trust in casual dining restaurants. More specifically, this study proposed that CSR will have a halo effect on negative service recovery incidents and mitigate the adverse effects of the poor recovery. An experimental study consisting of a 3x2 between subjects factorial design was used. Three CSR conditions (positive, negative, and no CSR) were matched with two service recovery conditions (positive or negative). Four hundred and eighteen subjects were recruited by a reputed marketing research firm. …

International Worker Cultural Adaptation: A Qualitative Study, Luis Romero Valenzuela

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

International workers are a vulnerable population within the hospitality industry. Their challenges, and needs have an impact on productivity, loyalty and satisfaction of international workers towards the organizations that employ them. The social and cultural impacts of labor migration are felt in their new environment by both domestic and immigrant populations. It is important to understand international workers’ acculturation process in order to provide them with tools necessary to succeed; it is also important to create responsible practices that translate into positive migration outcomes for both domestic and foreign populations. This study collected data on the motivations, processes, challenges, and …

More Than Money: Corporate Social Performance And Reporting And The Effect On Economic Performance, Kimberly A. Zahller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The three studies in this dissertation explore the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). CSR consists of social, ethical, and environmental performance dimensions that have not traditionally appeared in mandated financial reports and largely reflect societal expectations for corporate behavior beyond legal and regulatory constraints. CSR is reflected in both corporate actions (performance outcomes) and voluntary reporting (disclosure), and the two are not necessarily equivalent due to managerial discretion in disclosure. Although the mechanisms remain unclear, the general consensus is that there is a positive relationship between CSR and CFP. In considering the drivers and …

The Role Of Flow In Creating E-Loyalty: The Case Of Online Hotel Booking Websites, Anil Bilgihan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to examine the concept of ―online customer experience‖, ―flow‖, and its role in influencing online customers‘ loyalty to a hotel booking website. To achieve this aim, a model was developed, which proposed that online flow is generated by both hedonic and utilitarian website features. A model was developed based on literature review to measure the relationships between the constructs. To initiate this research, a survey approach was taken. After conducting a pilot study, a marketing company was contacted to distribute the link for the online questionnaire. Five hundred and eleven (511) questionnaires were completed by guests who …

Three Essays On Short-Selling, Margin Trading And Market Efficiency, Song Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation contains three essays on short-selling, margin trading, and market efficiency. The first essay uses a unique exogenous event, the introduction of short selling in the Chinese stock market, to examine the direct link between idiosyncratic risk and short selling. Based on Shleifer and Vishny (1997), I hypothesize that idiosyncratic risk deters arbitrageurs with negative information from taking short positions in overvalued stocks. Consequently, the stocks with high idiosyncratic risk are more overvalued at the onset of the introduction of short sale and perform worse in the subsequent period. The second essay examines the impact of the introduction of …

Three Studies Of Stakeholder Influence In The Formation And Management Of Tax Policies, Jason Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three separate but interrelated studies examining the formation and management of tax policies. The first study uses stakeholder theory (ST) to investigate the strategic management practices of the Transport for London (TfL) during discrete stages in the adoption, implementation, and amendments of the tax policy reform known as the London Congestion Charge (LCC). Results indicate that TfL has utilized power, legitimacy, and urgency as its main policy management tactics with a significant emphasis on legitimatizing the LCC and its subsequent policy amendments. The second study draws on social exchange theory (SET) to reexamine the relationship between …

Examining Gender In Pharmaceutical Rhetoric Through A Cultural Studies Lens: A Case Study On The Gardasil Vaccine, Jennifer Fickley-Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On June 8, 2006, Merck announced the debut of Gardasil, the world's first vaccine found successful in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, a sexually transmitted infection that is one of the main causes of certain cancers in men and women, including cervical, vulvar, penile and anal cancers. To promote the vaccine's release, Merck launched Gardasil's "One Less" advertising campaign that included television commercials, print ads and a consumerfocused website (www.Gardasil.com), each promoting the message that "you" could now be "one less woman" affected by cervical cancer ("One Less" campaign). The vaccine, tested and approved only for females age 9-26, was …

Stand Up And Speak Up: Employees' Prosocial Reactions To Observed Abusive Supervision, Manuela Priesemuth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines what happens when employees witness supervisory abuse in the workplace. In particular, it explores whether-and when-employees will respond to witnessing supervisory abuse of a coworker by engaging in prosocial actions aimed at benefitting the target of abuse. In doing so, it extends work on abusive supervision. Traditionally, abusive supervision research has focused on the impact of abuse on the victim him/herself. However, this work explores the impact of abusive supervision on third party observers. In addition, because abusive supervision represents a form of organizational injustice, this dissertation extends both work on abusive supervision and third party reactions …

A Longitudinal Analysis Of Changes In Accounting Curriculum Requirements Since The Perry Commission Report, William Homer Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops a consistent structure that documents the state of undergraduate and graduate accounting education in the United States and how it has changed from the 1960s to the present. It includes a literature review that summarizes major developments affecting accounting education to provide a historical context relevant to current efforts to accomplish educational change. The analysis identifies patterns in educational requirements and compiles information that may instruct educational policy discussions. It considers the recommendations of the Beamer Committee, policy statements of the AICPA, and the influences of accounting accreditation and the move to 150-hour educational requirements. In combination, …

Trust And Trustworthiness In The Executive Compensation Policy Required By The Dodd-Frank Act: An Experimental Study, Dana L. Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a result of failing financial markets, rampant managerial abuse of shareholder return through grossly unfair compensation packages and shareholder outrage at corporate governance apathy, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in July of 2010. Two major provisions contained within the Dodd-Frank legislation are say-on-pay and clawbacks of bonus compensation. This research utilizes a trust game and experimental economics methodologies to test the relative influence of say on pay and clawbacks of bonus compensation on shareholder trust and manager trustworthiness. Results show that shareholders are more likely to participate in the investment process if they …

Essays On The Strategic Implications Of Marketing Capabilities: Marketing Exploration And Exploitation, Joseph Mitchell Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation examines how exploitation and exploration capabilities impact organizational performance for competitive advantage. The first essay reviews previous empirical, simulation, and theoretical studies to provide a synopsis and quantitative assessment of previous empirical research. The organizational performance implications of both exploration, exploitation, and their interaction (i.e., an ambidexterity) are evaluated through the substantiation of previous findings. Exploration and exploitation focus are discrete options that require a cognitive choice and are constrained by firm resources. The results show exploitation as having the greater relative impact on performance folloby exploration and ambidexterity. Essay two conceptualizes marketing capabilities as exploitation and exploration. …

Reinventing The Wheel: Examining The Antecedents, Moderators, And Outcomes Of The Innovation Process, John Eli Smothers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study extends research on the innovation process at the individual-level by examining antecedents, moderators, and outcomes associated with the generation, promotion, and implementation of innovative ideas in the workplace. In a sample of 667 working adults, this study found that high leader-member exchange was positively related to cognitive and behavioral learning strategies focused towards generating innovative ideas. Employees with proactive personalities were more likely to engage in the innovation process, and a sense of psychological safety in regard to the climate for innovation facilitated the implementation of innovative ideas. This study indicates that the successful implementation of an innovative …

The Impact Of The User-It Artifact Interaction On Technology Implementation And Value: Mobile Social Networking And Mobile Social Capital, Donghyun Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite investment and cutting-edge features, the majority of new mobile phone subscribers have adopted low-cost handsets instead of the latest mobile devices (Karjaluoto et al., 2005). According to the U.S. Census Bureau report, only 37% of cell phone users selected a smartphone in 2007. The Census Bureau forecasted the figure would increase by less than 10% in 2008. However, only 24% of cell phone users owned a smartphone in 2010, 27 % in 2011 and 30% in 2012. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual model of the impact of mobile social capital on mobile networks …

Exploring Inter-Organizational Relationships Between Park And Recreation Agencies With Wounded Warrior Programs And Community Service Organizations, Morgan Alexander Mccreary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public recreation departments are funded primarily by tax dollars and over the past thirty years the percentage of funding needed to operate quality recreation programs has steadily decreased and threatened the quantity and quality of programs offered. Presently, park and recreation agencies partner with community entities to offset funding reductions and to offer new and/or ancillary programs. Importantly, partnerships must provide mutual benefits to be successful and the antecedents and factors of inter-organizational relations (IOR) are important to discover. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that might predict IOR between park and recreation agencies with Wounded Warrior …

The Impact Of Servant Leadership On Follower Outcomes: Testing The Mediating Roles Of Stewardship Climate And Trust, Wallace Alexander Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on the impact of servant leadership on follower citizenship behaviors (OCBs), both at the individual and organizational levels. The relationship was considered indirect, with trust, perceptions of fairness, and stewardship climate acting as mediators to the relationship between servant leadership and follower citizenship behaviors. The three major contributions are (1) the identification and empirical test of 'servant' and 'leader' components of servant leadership, and (2) the theoretical extension of servant leadership through stewardship theory, and (3) the evidence for its importance in explaining the role of stewardship climate in the relationship between servant leadership and follower OCBs. …

How Do The Perceived Barriers, Attitudes, And Knowledge Of Grocery Store Personnel Affect Availability Of Organic Food Products?, Rachel Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic food is one of the fastest-growing segments of food production and consumption in the U.S. Even though organic foods are becoming more widely available, some studies suggest they may not be equally available to all populations because people in some areas are being excluded from the organics market either geographically or financially. The purpose of this study was to examine how individual and local characteristics affect the attitudes of grocery store personnel toward organic food products and how these attitudes affect availability. Grocery store personnel were surveyed about their attitudes toward organic foods, their perceptions of the barriers to …

The Adoption Of Lean Operations And Lean Accounting On The Financial-Performance Measures Of Publicly Traded Companies, Daniel C. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For fiscal years 2008 through 2010, manufacturers and service providers that adopted lean operations outperformed companies that did not adopt lean operations. Using non-parametric tests and a matched-pairs design, lean companies had greater returns on both net operating assets (RNOA) and total assets (ROA). Lean companies also experienced better operating cash flows and cash adequacy than non-lean companies. The profit margins and financing-assets ratios were marginally better for lean companies than non-lean companies. Several working-capital measures, however, were not significantly different. Lean companies also experienced higher total-inventory turnover and raw-materials inventory turnover than non-lean companies. Although work-in-process inventory turnover did …

A Social-Cognitive Approach To Marketing Ethics: Institutionalization, Integrity, And Power, Ceri Nishihara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Presented for a dissertation, I report on a survey-designed study that empirically investigates the relationship between environmental and individual traits leading to the practice of ethical behavior within a marketing firm. Drawing upon extant ethical constructs, and using both the General Theory of Marketing Ethics and Social Cognitive Theory as guides, I find strong support for the potential synergy between individual tendencies and firm characteristics in order to facilitate ethical behavior on the part of marketing employees. In addition to shoring up earlier constructs, I discovered surprising relationships between the individual and firm dynamic, where the effects of certain characteristics …

Exploration And Validation Of The Camp Orientation And Experiences Scale, Mckenzie Lynn Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American summer camps have provided significant life experiences for camp counselors and staff for over 150 years. The purpose of this study was to identify and validate scale measures of philosophy, mission, and vision (PVM) with special regard to any differences in camp affiliation and camp counselor alumni (CCA) PVM manifestation. Preliminary assessment of 83 camp PVM revealed five general constructs in the scale and included: relationships formed, community involvement, environmental ethics, participation in healthful recreation, and religiosity. For the purpose of this study, camp affiliation was chosen as the main effect. This study used purposive sampling to recruit the …

Audit And Compilation Report Timeliness In Local Governments: An Empirical Investigation Of Mississippi Governmental Entities That Exceed State Reporting Deadlines, Corey S. Cagle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For governmental audit and compilation reports to be relevant, they must be prepared and made available to the public in a timely manner. The purpose of this study is to identify variables that have an influence on audit and compilation report delay in governments. This research utilizes ordinary-least-squares regression to estimate the effects of several variables of interest on the time it takes to file the audit or compilation report with the Office of the State Auditor. The research also utilizes logistic regression to estimate the effects of several variables of interest on the incidence of filing the audit or …

Why Do Individuals Act Fairly Or Unfairly? An Examination Of Psychological And Situational Antecedents Of Organizational Justice, Deshani B. Ganegoda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most studies on organizational justice have focused on individuals’ reactions to justice. As such, a key question has been left largely unanswered: Why do individuals act fairly or unfairly? The present research adopted a person-situation interactionist approach (Trevino, 1986) to examine psychological and situational antecedents of individuals’ fair behavior. The social identity model of deindividuation (SIDE; Reicher, Spears, & Postmes, 1995) and side-bet theory of continuance commitment (Becker, 1960) was used to examine how organizational identification and continuance commitment might influence employees’ fair or unfair behavior depending on an organization’s justice climate. Based on SIDE, it was hypothesized that organizational …

Three Essays On The Marketing Strategies Of A Durable Goods Manufacturer, Ngan Ngoc Chau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When purchasing durable goods, consumers not only pay for current but also future consumption; consequently, forward looking behavior is an important consideration in durable goods markets. For example, anticipating that prices will go down in the future, consumers may delay the purchase today; such behavior has a significant impact on the firm’s marketing strategies. This dissertation investigates the impact of durability on two marketing strategies: new product introductions and supply chain design. The first part of this dissertation (Chapter 3) examines a durable goods manufacturer’s new product introduction strategy under different market environments where network effects and product compatibility are …

Real Estate Investment Trust Performance, Efficiency And Internationalization, Joshua A. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are firms that own and manage income producing commercial real estate for the benefit of their shareholders. The three studies in this dissertation explore topics relating to best practices of REIT management and portfolio composition. Managers and investors can use the findings herein to aide in analyzing a REIT’s performance and determining optimal investment policies. Utilizing REIT from SNL Real Estate and CRSP, the first two studies examine the role of international diversification upon performance, technical efficiency, and scale efficiency. The third study utilizes REIT data to examine technical and scale efficiency over a 21 …