Gifted Education Commons^™

Airbnb Strategic Audit, Payton Hanson

Honors Theses

Airbnb is the global leader in online vacation rental marketplaces. The company works as an intermediary to connect travelers to property hosts for short-term stays. This strategic audit serves to evaluate the company’s internal and external environment, its recent financial performance, and its current strategy to understand its sustainable competitive advantages in the Bed and Breakfast and Hostel Accommodations industry and as a substitute to traditional hotels. This evaluation is conducted using the Porter’s Five Forces and PESTE analyses. Using the information from these tools, strategic recommendations are given for Airbnb.

Workiva Strategic Audit, Rose Pilakowski

Honors Theses

Workiva is a software development company that simplifies complex reports for companies in over 180 countries around the world. Within a controlled, secure, audit-ready platform, Workiva customers connect critical business data directly with their source systems. This paper will analyze Workiva to help understand how it utilizes its platform to gain and sustain competitive advantages in the software and accounting environments. After completing an analysis of Workiva and its industry, I found that Workiva currently sits at an advantageous position in relation to its competitors, but still has room to grow in holding the lead above them.

Fedex Ground Strategic Audit, Samantha Gates

Honors Theses

FedEx Ground is an operating segment of the parcel carrier giant FedEx Inc. The company, known for shipping products via delivery truck, has remained one of the largest parcel carriers in the country, despite drastic changes in its environment. This report seeks to understand the changing operating environment of FedEx Ground, its competitive advantages, and the future challenges it may face. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry FedEx Ground operates in. Additionally, challenges and recommendations are offered to navigate the future of this company.

Northwestern Mutual Strategic Audit, Eleazar Oceguera

Honors Theses

Northwestern Mutual is one of the largest financial advising firms in the US. It provides holistic financial advising, which includes life insurance, investments, and retirement planning. It is the largest life insurance provider and is top ten in investment planning. This report investigates the internal and external analysis of Northwestern Mutual business models and the strategies it has incorporated to sustain a competitive advantage in the constantly evolving wealth management sector. This report explicitly focuses on the life insurance sector of the business. There are two main tools used to analyze the external environment are Porter's Five Forces and the …

Exploring Mortgage Loan Opportunities For Native 360, Donald Nam, Brooks Douglass, Michael Buehre Stackpole, Broderick Diez

Honors Theses

Native 360 is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that aims to provide affordable capital, credit, and assistance to develop strong and self-sufficient Native Americans. Native 360 currently accomplishes this by specializing in providing personal and business loans. However, Native 360 would like to expand into home mortgages as an additional offering. Native 360 has reached out to us to have us develop a strategy to raise capital for their ambitious new business line in an attempt to strengthen the Native American community through home ownership.

Launching An Online Boutique And Analyzing Digital Marketing Strategies Used, Kayla Weyers

Honors Theses

Digital marketing is becoming more relevant and widely used in the marketing industry. In order to use the marketing skills that I have learned through my marketing major in a real-world scenario, I launched an online women’s clothing store called Ash + Grae. This paper examines the start-up process and legal obstacles of opening a small business. It also analyzes the different marketing techniques by comparing digital marketing strategies such as social media, influencer, email, and SEO marketing.

Northern Natural Gas Company Strategic Audit, Morgan Reinecke

Honors Theses

Northern Natural Gas Company is a natural gas interstate pipeline company owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. A strategic audit of the company was conducted by analyzing external and internal factors affecting the future of the company. The transportation industry macro environment was assessed using PESTEL analysis. The competitive environment of the industry was evaluated using Porter’s Five Forces. Northern Natural Gas Company differentiates itself from competitors by its position in the market and its competitive advantages of having an extensive pipeline network, a reputation for reliability, and high-quality customer service. To maintain a sustainable competitive advantage, Northern Natural Gas Company …

Takeda Pharmaceutical Rare Hematology Strategic Audit, Brian Duval

Honors Theses

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company is a large Japanese-based multinational pharmaceutical company that manufactures treatments for many different diseases. It is the largest pharmaceutical company in Asia and has a significant share in markets across the world. This report focuses specifically on Takeda’s treatments for rare bleeding disorders under its Rare Diseases & Hematology division. Using internal and external analysis tools, this report seeks to understand how Takeda has created and sustained competitive advantages in the complex environment of the pharmaceutical industry. Specific tools used to highlight this include Porter’s Five Forces and PESTEL analyses. This report also examines the environment surrounding …

Who Fears Strangers And Spiders: Political Ideology And Feeling Threatened, Thomas Lukaszewicz

Honors Theses

In this study, I evaluated the correlations between threat sensitivities and political ideology. Two hypotheses were tested. First, I hypothesized that conservatives would have higher social threat sensitivity than liberals, with social threat defined as a threat dependent on outgroup or social actions (Barclay & Benard, 2020). Second, I hypothesized that conservatives would have higher disgust sensitivity than liberals. To test these and related hypotheses I used a 2018 Qualtrics national demographically representative sample that included 1031 participants. To operationalize threat sensitivity, I used items asking participants to rate how threatened they felt by various fears. These individual items were …

Safety In Policy: An Assessment Of The Utilization And Perceived Efficacy Of Sex Offender Legislation, Morgan Graham

Honors Theses

Current sex offender legislation in the United States is the result of a number of laws passed during the 1980-1990s. This study evaluates the efficacy and perception of these laws in Nebraska, including registration, community notification, and housing restriction policies. Using data from the Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS), 1,814 people from 2008 and 1,232 people from 2017 were examined to determine the efficacy and popularity of sex offender legislation and how the data has changed over time. Results showed that only a minority of Nebraskans have accessed the registry. Of those who checked, women and individuals with children …

The Impact Of The Inclusion Of Grains In A Canine Diet On The Animal's Overall Health, Rachel Bruner

Honors Theses

The objective of this senior project was to examine the impacts that grains in a canine diet have on the overall health of the animal. Specifically, there was a focus on the nutritional attributes of grains, potential concerns regarding their inclusion in foods, misconceptions from consumers about grains in pet food, and alternatives to grains used in some diet formulations. The method of research for this project was a literature review. Scholarly articles focused on the various subtopics which helped to answer the research question were reviewed and included throughout the following discussion. Ultimately, the review of various literature resulted …

Stress Arising From The Covid-19 Pandemic: Impacts On Coparenting Quality And Child Internalizing And Externalizing Problems, Michelle R. Ebrahim

Honors Theses

Since emerging in late 2019, the highly contagious coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused worldwide disruptions, with major shutdowns in school, work, and other aspects of life. These stressors uniquely impacted families with young children. The present study investigated the impact of the pandemic on family functioning and risk for child internalizing and externalizing problems during the first year after the pandemic. The study included three waves of data collection from a larger longitudinal study aimed at understanding how couples navigate the prenatal-postpartum transition and the impacts of the family on early child development. We found that family pandemic-related stress was …

A Strategic Audit Of Hasbro, William Weiner, Amanda Fuechtmann, Avery Smith, Michaela Webb, Zach Buhman

Honors Theses

This strategic audit dives into ten components of Hasbro’s strategic management. The first component discusses Hasbro’s history and current strategic leadership. This is followed by an analysis of the impacts of its external and internal environment. Next, the audit examines Hasbro’s recent performance and competition it faces in the Toy Wholesaling industry. The sixth, seventh, and eighth components consider different levels of strategy that Hasbro pursues. Lastly, the strategic audit considers Hasbro’s corporate governance and its organizational structure and controls.

Overall, we conclude that Hasbro is a mature company in a slow-growing industry. Its ability to translate its iconic and …

Intestinal Parasite Prevalence In Fecal Samples In Nebraska Dog Parks, Kristianna Muller

Honors Theses

From February to April 2022, fecal samples were collected from eight dog parks in the Omaha and Lincoln, NE areas. A total of 160 samples were collected and assessed for the presence of intestinal parasites. The zinc sulfate double centrifugal flotation technique was used to determine infection. Out of the 160 samples, ten were positive for parasite contamination (6.25% prevalence). The most observed parasites were hookworms, found in 3.75% of all samples (6/160). Cystoisospora, Giardia, Toxocara canis, and Toxascaris leonina were all found only once, for a prevalence of 0.625% each. Compared to other studies, our infection …

Executive Functioning In Language Learning Disabilities: Defining Executive Functioning, Executive Functioning Deficits, And Clinical Intervention Strategies To Support Children, Kaylie Trumble

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to select a working definition of executive functioning (EF) to identify possible EF deficits and clinical interventions strategies to support children. Included are EF deficits, ways of assessing EF components, and intervention strategies for executive dysfunction in LLD. Scenarios are provided to demonstrate both matching strategies to a child and strength/deficit in EF, along with a sample intervention script.

Real Time Call-Flagging System To Respond To Suicidal Ideation In Call Centers, Vishnu Menon, Joseph Carrigan, Charles Floeder, Thomas Walton, Devin Mcguire

Honors Theses

The 2021-2022 Signature Performance Design Studio team developed a live audio call-flagging system that enables faster responses and new response pathways to veteran crises by call service representatives and their management team. Using a custom made deep learning model, live audio streaming server, and Teams broadcasting add-on, the system empowers Signature Performance call service representatives to make quicker and more well informed decisions to provide veteran’s the best care possible.

Evaluation Of Selected Computer Software For Concussion Recovery And Diagnosis, J.P. Jensen

Honors Theses

Acquired traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, impact many athletes participating in sports, particularly at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. The risks posed by concussions – particularly when an athlete suffers repeated injuries – demands that protocols and tools be developed to maximize athlete health and safety. Computer technology can perform critical roles in the analysis and management of concussions. While specialized devices in the areas of imaging and impact sensing, are most associated with concussion management, researchers within the last two decades have increasingly explored the incorporation of various consumer technologies into the identification and treatment of …

Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Different Techniques For Creating Cross-Platform Compatible Software, Michael Westberg

Honors Theses

Creating cross-platform compatible software is a major issue in a world where users utilize a variety of devices and platforms. To ensure that a piece of software is accessible to as many users as possible, software must be cross-platform compatible. There are four main approaches that can be done to achieve this state of being cross-platform compatible, each with both advantages and disadvantages. These methods are: creating the software as separate binaries, using a scripting language with a cross-platform interpreter, compiling to an intermediate language, and creating the software as a web application. This paper will discuss how each of …

A Strategic Audit Of Seaworld, Jaden Capaldi, Rachel Jendro, Jacob Mir, Sophie Newman, Tommy Wolfe

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Nelnet: Potential Entrance Into An Emerging Market Nelnet: Potential Entrance Into An Emerging Market, Gage Randall, Landon Kennedy, Marcus Kennedy, Alex Botkin, Ben Samway

Honors Theses

Nelnet, Inc. (Nelnet) approached the Nebraska Business Honors Academy seeking assistance researching a potential new business venture. Our group explored opportunities in the market Nelnet is considering entering, examined various types of innovation, and engaged in the creative design thinking process. To form the basis of our recommendation, we met with professionals in the related industry, Nelnet employees, and faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Our final task involved recording a presentation on our recommendation to Nelnet concerning this new business opportunity, accompanied by a final report summarizing our proposal. Through this project, we learned how to develop innovative ideas …

The Impact Of China's Environmental And Trade Policies On U.S. Plastic And Paper Waste Exports, Savant Nzayiramya, John C. Beghin

Honors Theses

This article documents major environmental and trade policy changes in China and their impact on plastic and paper waste trade between the U.S. and China and other trade partners. The article explains how U.S. plastic waste exports have been nearly annihilated by these policies. Paper waste trade is more resilient and has survived the policy shifts in China, although quite diminished.

Redfin Strategic Analysis, Steffanie Hitz

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Developing Indie Games With Agile, Camden Obertop

Honors Theses

Agile software development has ushered in major improvements to the development of software in the 21st century. Video game development is a form of development that is unique from other types of software engineering, as it can involve work from artists, musicians, voice actors, and others. This paper explores the question whether agile software development as Scrum is an effective tool for creating video games. Ultimately, it can be seen that agile is a very important asset to game developers.

Relationship Between Gender And Symptom Severity For Youth Who Have Been Sexually Abused, Zoe Erickson

Honors Theses

Childhood sexual abuse is a recurring problem which negatively affects thousands of children and adolescents every year. This is a traumatic event which can cause distress for individuals post sexual abuse well into adulthood. Because of this, it is important for practitioners to understand what symptoms could be present post abuse, as well as factors that may impact the presence and severity of these symptoms. Using data from the Project SAFE group treatment program including 126 adolescents aged 12-19, this study aims to further examine how factors such as gender of the individual will affect their symptoms post sexual abuse. …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Athletes Sprinting With Varying Degrees Of Resistance, Michaela Ott

Honors Theses

Utilizing resistance methods for sprinters is a common approach to their training. In this study, six athletes from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Women’s Track and Field Team ran a series of sprints using a resistance machine to collect data regarding the change in power output, stride length, level of trunk tilt with respect to the ground, and acceleration throughout a distance of ten meters when different amounts of resistant forces were applied to the athlete. It was hypothesized that as resistance increased, power output would increase, stride length would decrease, the runners would become more horizontal resulting in a larger …

Sex Differences In Lateral Hypothalamic Extracellular Glucose Concentrations During Cumulative Dosing Of Methamphetamine In Rats, Joshua A. Jolton

Honors Theses

The present study experimentally investigated sex differences in lateral hypothalamic glucose concentrations following cumulative dosing of methamphetamine. Male (n=17) and female (n=11) rats were surgically implanted with enzyme-based glucose biosensors in the lateral hypothalamus. Rats then received a saline injection followed by four methamphetamine doses (0.025 mg/kg, 0.05 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg, and 0.2 mg/kg) spaced 55 minutes apart. We found that while there was a general decrease in glucose baseline throughout the study for both sexes, the magnitude of the decrease was significantly greater in females compared to males. On a rapid timescale, fixed sex effects existed at the lower …

Understanding Boundary Turbulence And Privacy Rules From The Receiver’S Perspective In Mental Illness Disclosures, Ian Maltas

Honors Theses

The present study aims to address a gap in current research focusing on relational outcomes of mental illness disclosures by studying the perspective of people who listen to the disclosures (called “receivers”). This study uses Communication Privacy Management Theory to analyze the process of disclosure, and its main research focus is on motivations for disseminating private information, and how that impacts relationships and privacy rules between co-owners of information. A thematic analysis was conducted to answer this inquiry, and a data conference was held to determine relevant themes in the data. The present study finds that people chose to tell …

Remotely Close: An Investigation Of The Student Experience In First-Year Mathematics Courses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sawyer Smith

Honors Theses

The realm of education was shaken by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It had drastic effects on the way that courses were delivered to students, and the way that students were getting their education at the collegiate level. At the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, the pandemic dramatically changed the way that first-year mathematics courses looked for students. By Spring 2021, students had the opportunity to take their first-year math courses either in-person or virtually. This project sought to identify differences between the two methods of course delivery during the Spring 2021 semester, regarding interaction with peers …

Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Consumer Behavior And Attitudes Towards A Brand’S Image, Abbey Haymond

Honors Theses

This research seeks to understand more about the effects of socioeconomic background on consumer behavior and its impact on the perception of brand images. Data from people of different SES were compared to understand how they view advertisements intended for different audiences and their corresponding effects. It was conducted by sending out a confidential, voluntary survey to a convenience sample targeting 100 consumers. Consumers were asked to rate statements, on a scale of one to five, for each of the research questions to assess specific aspects of their consumer attitudes and behaviors. The high SES group has a higher average …

The Public’S Preferences In Supreme Court Rationale, William Svob

Honors Theses

Public approval of the Supreme Court has been decreasing in recent years. Given the literature’s consensus that Supreme Court rulings coincide with popular opinion more often than not, the decrease in popularity cannot be explained away by assuming the justices have made a series of widely despised rulings. This raises questions about what exactly the public wants the Supreme Court to do. There is an abundance of research covering the many factors that influence a justice to rule in a particular manner, but there is little written about what the average American believes should influence the Court. This study is …