Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Consumers’ Responses To New Technologies In The Marketplace, Umair Usman

Theses and Dissertations--Marketing and Supply Chain

Chapter 1. This research examines whether the use of blockchain technology to back a brand’s claims (i.e., blockchain augmented claims) influences consumer preference for sustainable products. Consumers are demanding higher levels of transparency from brands and are also showing keen interest in consuming sustainable products, which includes products that promote social, environmental and economic sustainability. Recent advancement in digital technology, specifically blockchain, is offering an opportunity for brands to meet both these consumer demands. In five laboratory studies, I demonstrate that blockchain augmented claims, as compared to traditional industry practices (i.e., use of third-party labels and brand’s self-made claims), increases …

The Role Of Organizational Leaders In Employee Self-Care: A Change Management Approach, Olivia Dawn Honaker

DSW Capstone Projects

Although literature demonstrates that helping professionals have had high levels of stress and burnout for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the issue. The already burdened healthcare workers, now facing increased workloads, long hours, and high-level exposure to trauma, have created an urgency to address this significant risk to helping professionals. The current capstone will bring awareness to organizational leaders regarding the importance of employee self-care and the benefits of implementing employee self-care programs. First, a systematic literature review will examine self-care in helping professions and explore how organizational leaders operationalize employee self-care programs. In addition, the capstone aims …

What You Do Or What You Say? An Examination Of Analyst Reactions To Prototypical And Non-Prototypical Ceos Linguistic And Competitive Behaviors, Courtney Hart

Theses and Dissertations--Management

Non-prototypical CEOs are those that process different demographic characteristics from a target reference group. In the US, a non-prototypical CEO is both white and male. While the negative responses to non-prototypical leaders based on race and gender have been well documented, we know less on what these leaders do that may influence biased evaluations. In this dissertation I took an impression management view to examine analysts’ evaluative bias (AEB) on prototypical and non-prototypical CEOs hiding linguistic behaviors and competitive aggressiveness. Specifically, I examined hiding linguistic behaviors on quarterly conference calls and two attributes of competitive repertoire will be researched. Drawing …

Legacy Missions In Times Of Change: Defining And Shaping Collections In The 21st Century, Antje Mays, Oya Y. Rieger

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Despite the rapidly changing information and technology landscape, collections remain at the heart of academic libraries, signifying their enduring importance in providing access to our cultural heritage. Given broader trends in research and the current information ecology of an increasingly networked, distributed, and licensed environment, building collections and developing collection polices is increasingly ambiguous. These trends impact librarians in form of ever-expanding portfolios, diffusion of effort, weakened sense of focus, and a rising sense of persistent yet unmet needs for developing new skills. This paper outlines current research on collection trends and summarizes the interactive exchanges from the 2019 Charleston …

Legacy Missions In Times Of Change: Defining And Shaping Collections In The 21st Century, Antje Mays, Oya Y. Rieger

Library Presentations

Despite the rapidly changing information and technology landscape, collections remain at the heart of academic libraries, signifying their enduring importance in providing access to our cultural heritage. Given broader trends in research and the current information ecology of an increasingly networked, distributed, and licensed environment, building collections and developing collection polices is increasingly ambiguous. These trends impact librarians in form of ever-expanding portfolios, diffusion of effort, weakened sense of focus, and a rising sense of persistent yet unmet needs for developing new skills. This paper outlines current research on collection trends and summarizes the interactive exchanges from the 2019 Charleston …

Project Management In Libraries, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This issue's "New and Noteworthy" column focuses on several books, journal articles, and websites that will serve as an introduction to project management in library and information organization settings.

Practical Management Or Practical Magic: A Conversation With Lance Werner And Julene Jones. Managing Dysfunctional Environments, Julene L. Jones

Library Presentations

Presentation and discussion on the topic of working in or managing dysfunctional environments.

Municipal Responses To The Shifting Environment Of Shopping Mall Retail, Paul Kleier Iii

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Economic development is a vital local government responsibility because it guides the provision of jobs for residents, markets for the purchase of goods, and revenue for the government itself. Shopping malls have been key drivers of local economic activity for decades, but their viability going forward has become uncertain since the turn of the century. This paper considers both reasons for this uncertainty and strategies that have been or can be implemented to improve mall sustainability and profitability. While literature addressing this topic focuses almost exclusively on the role played by mall management, this paper places special emphasis on the …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Organizational Effectiveness Of Three Korea Land And Housing Corporation Construction Field Groups, Jachoon Koo

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to propose a performance evaluation method (organizational effectiveness value) that is most suitable for LH field organizations and to suggest an improvement plan by comparing and analyzing the results from organizational perspective.

I compared and contrasted three LH construction fields. The following is my research findings: First, the main factors which determine successful or unsuccessful field are organizational cohesion and inter-organizational communication. Mutual communication of field groups affects the quality more, if the field conditions are difficult. Second, if field groups fail to cohere and communicate, it is likely to lead to low performance …

An Evaluation Of Lfucg Economic Development: Making Strides Towards Strategic, Performance-Driven Partnerships, Sarah Ausmus Smith

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Like many other municipal governments, Lexington utilizes a web of partnerships to support economic development. These relationships take many forms; LFUCG employs grants, tax incentives for businesses, and contracts with other organizations. Unlike some of its peers, though, LFUCG does not have a strategic plan in place to drive decision-making processes and sharpen its focus on outcomes. This report sets the foundation for future strategic management efforts by identifying opportunities and weaknesses that might be addressed by LFUCG through an environmental scan and establishing a performance management framework for existing contractual economic development partners. The key findings are as follows: …

Book Review: Adding Value To Libraries, Archives, And Museums: Harnessing The Force That Drives Your Organization’S Future, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Value in libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural organizations has traditionally been centered on collections and services. Today’s libraries are looking at new ways to make their operations valuable to their patrons. Adding Value is geared toward library managers and administrators focusing on understanding, identifying, planning, and implementing services with an eye toward new definitions of value.

The Power Deep In Org Chart: Leading From The Middle, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This "New and Noteworthy" review column focuses on recent publications involving the recognition and development of leadership skills at all levels of the library organization, not only those positions at the top of the organizational chart.

Understanding The Management Factors That Contribute To Successful Electronic Tolling Systems, David L. Talley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

As states awaken to the realization that large, expensive surface transportation projects can no longer be undertaken given the constraints of current funding mechanisms, policy makers are beginning to rely more heavily on tolling as an alternate means of funding desperately needed infrastructure projects. Tolling technology has evolved considerably from the traditional cash collection that was prevalent fifty years ago to all electronic, high speed, open road tolling that allows vehicles to maintain highway speeds as they traverse tolling points. This relatively new technology has substantial benefits, but has inherent risks that left unaddressed could result in failure to collect …

Developing A Method For Measuring "Working Out Loud", Dennis E. Pearce

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

Enterprise social network software platforms (ESNs) are increasingly being deployed in firms across almost every industry as a means of fostering employee collaboration. Although benefits in increased productivity, innovation, and employee engagement are highly touted, there is a high failure rate of these deployments. This often occurs because (1) there is a misapplied focus on technology adoption rather than adoption of the employee behaviors that are ultimately required to obtain those benefits, and (2) it is unclear what those behaviors are and how to measure them.

“Working Out Loud” is one possible framework for understanding and measuring the behaviors necessary …

An Examination Of Compressed Natural Gas For Use In Municipal Fleets: Would Cng Work For Lexington, Ky?, Robert Kahne

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is an alternative fuel source which could replace diesel as a fuel for municipal fleets. This paper seeks to examine the viability of CNG and its potential to power Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s fleet of waste removal trucks. This paper takes into account financial and environmental factors in determining CNG’s potential, but gives priority to financial considerations. The results of this analysis are mixed—under some future scenarios, compressed natural gas would be a favorable option for the fleet, but given other future scenarios, CNG would not be viable. In terms of environmental benefits, a switch to …

Matching A Publishing Model To Board Values: A Decision Analysis For The American Society Of Missiology, Betsy A. Northrup

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem

Faced with declining revenue, increasing print costs, and an increasingly electronic world, The American Society of Missiology (ASM) has to make a decision and can choose between three alternatives: 1) Continue to publish its quarterly journal, Missiology: An International Review, using its current print-only model and contracting out on-line availability to the American Theological Library Association (ATLA); 2) Accept the offer of a commercial firm in the United Kingdom to manage, publish, and distribute Missiology in return for immediate on-line availability, increased exposure through marketing, and a guaranteed modest income for the Society; or 3) …

Landowners, Recreationists, And Government: Cooperation And Conflict In Red River Gorge, Eugenie C. Scott, Billie R. Dewalt, Elizabeth Adelski, Sara Alexander, Mary Beebe

KWRRI Research Reports

The research reported is based on a holistic sociocultural study of a popular regional recreation site in Eastern Kentucky, the Red River Gorge. Our research with over 3200 recreational visitors to the Gorge, 395 members of four recreation/conservation groups, 44 local landowners, and with a large number of management personnel from various governmental agencies permits us to provide an especially comprehensive overview of the problems and prospects of this popular area. Our general purpose is to provide descriptive and analytic information that will allow managers to more effectively understand and cope with their work in Red River Gorge.

In addition …