Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Barriers For Small Businesses To Adopt Sustainable Practices In The Sioux Falls Area, Meredith King

Honors Thesis

Sustainability is a broad concept that encompasses environmental, social, and economic factors to meet current and future needs. Many individuals and large businesses are becoming conscious of the effects they have on the planet and the people around them. However, despite the financial benefits and positive publicity of environmentalism, many businesses are not adopting sustainable practices. This study interviewed local business owners to answer the question “What are the main reasons that small businesses in the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota do or do not adopt sustainable practices that benefit the environment and the community?” Five business owners were ...

Monetizing Attention And Branding Strategy: Assessing The Effects Of Personal Branding On Amateur Athletic Compensation, Abby Christiansen

University Honors Theses

What role does branding play in the compensation issues faced by amateur athletes? How has the rise of influential online social personas legally impacted their case? This thesis explores the long-standing compensation issues that many amateur athletes have faced while under the control of the NCAA. It connects the social impact of online personal branding to some of the legal victories won by student athletes as they gain more freedom over their NIL (name, image, likeness) by detailing the importance of branding and its evolution into personal branding in a 21^st century economy. Many of the rules and regulations ...

Citizenship As A Social Determinant Of Health: Healthcare Access And Utilization In The Wake Of The Public Charge Policy Change, Errol Pierre

Student Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that many non-medical factors, called social determinants of health, impact health outcomes. These social determinants include both socioeconomic factors, such as income and education, and public policies, such as laws and regulations affecting access to healthcare. This study proposes that citizenship status is also a social determinant of health and supports this proposition by examining the impact of citizenship status on healthcare access and utilization in New York. The study data consist of enrollments, disenrollments, and paid medical expenses incurred by patients enrolled in Medicaid or the Essential plan, both of which are government-sponsored health plans. In addition ...

Development Of The Patient Propensity Indicator: Measuring And Predicting Antecedents Of Insights Into The Individual Management Of Healthcare, Julie Monroid

Student Theses and Dissertations

This research describes the development of the Patient Propensity Indicator (PPI), a reliable and valid measure, which is grounded in the rigorous conceptualization and operationalization of psychometric (ability, attitude, belief), health literacy, and learning preferences constructs and their effect on medication adherence. Adopting a well-established protocol for instrument development (DeVillis, 2017) the PPI’s multi-construct items were developed based on the findings from an extensive literature review both within and outside of healthcare.

An expert assessment of 130 items was conducted by a distinguished judging panel who provided validation of the constructs and item reduction (87). Refined constructs and items ...

Executive Peer Advisory Groups: Who They Are? What Are Their Benefits? Why Do Members Join And Stay?, Andrew Feghali

Dissertations

Executive peer advisory groups (EPAGs) are exclusive organizations in which chief executive officers (CEOs) and presidents of businesses can problem solve business challenges, discuss business strategies, share best practices, and solve critical growth and performance issues. Executive peer advisory groups are based on the premise that the collective experience and resources of peer groups empower like-minded executives to solve challenges more effectively and more rapidly than they could do on their own. A key component of EPAGs is the forum, in which six to 16 members meet, typically monthly, in small-group sessions to function as each other’s personal advisory ...

Spring/Summer 2022

Business Exchange

Business Education Reimagined; Scholarship Honors Legacy of Professor Sandra Shelton; Revised Bachelor’s in Business Degree Curriculum Debuts This Fall; School of Accountancy & MIS Names New Director; Sulin Ba Appointed Driehaus College of Business Dean; Real-World Consulting Projects Prepare Students for Careers; Alumnus Brian Ruben: “Paying It Forward Is the DePaul Way”

Living A More Sustainable Lifestyle: Brand Recommendations And Product Reviews, Alison L. Kramer

Honors Capstones

While current studies are done on individual products, there isn’t a consolidated paper for consumers to use when purchasing everyday items. Consumers don’t have time to do research on things they buy weekly or even monthly. To understand what products are truly sustainable and good for the environment, consumers would have to spend hours researching what products or materials are better than what they currently buy. This paper outlines a set of criteria that will help consumers make informed decisions when it comes to buying everyday products. Consumers can also find a list of product recommendations in this ...

Small Business Cybersecurity: A Loophole To Consumer Data, Matthew R. Espinosa

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Small businesses and small minority owned businesses are vital to our nation’s economy; therefore legislation, regulation, and policy has been created in order to assist them in overcoming their economic stability issues and ensure they continue to serve the communities that rely on them. However, there is not a focus on regulating nor assisting small businesses to ensure their cybersecurity standards are up to par despite them increasingly becoming a victim of cyberattacks that yield high consequences. The external oversight and assistance is necessary for small businesses due to their lack of knowledge in implementing effective cybersecurity policies, the ...

Creating A Healthy Rural Ecosystem For Community Vitality: Developing Rural Community Business Research, Karalyn Kutzer, Dr. Emily Newell

Thinking Matters Symposium

The objective of this project is to create a model of and mechanism for statewide, systematic data collection to support workforce development pathways for P-20 students in rural Maine to ensure the long-term vitality and success of these communities. Businesses, as sites of financial and social capital development, can be more thoughtfully calibrated to local workforce needs in these communities. However, data is not currently made available to businesses and community leaders that would allow them to make thoughtful decisions about how to use community resources and time in order to create these partnerships. Businesses and economic growth in rural ...

Improving Feedforward Controls To Improve Npd Portfolio Performance – An Empirical Study, Mark H. Baker, Mike Bourne

Engaged Management ReView

Managers making crucial project selections in large, fast-changing project portfolios face the challenge of balancing the tension between control (performance) and creativity (experimentation/innovation). To better manage this challenge and to improve performance, some practitioners and scholars have considered the application of more sophisticated feedforward controls in new product development portfolio project selections. However, empirical studies of changes in the sophistication of such controls and of their influence on performance are lacking. We use an engaged scholarship approach and an action research methodology in a large international organization with multiple business units to study the post-intervention changes in applied controls ...

Implementing A Micro-Business Internship Program In Dangriga, Belize, Shaadee Shojai

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the Summer, I was able to work with Peacework in Belize through the University of Arkansas. While I was unable to physically go to Belize due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I feel that I was still able to learn about the culture, in both the casual and business workplace, as well as help the people of Dangriga. The goal of my project was to help consult with the Tourism Department of Dangriga to help develop their small business into businesses that were more appealing to tourists. Unfortunately, most people who own small businesses in Dangriga can’t support themselves ...

The Many Sides Of Social Capital: How Social Capital Is Related To Entrepreneurship?, Vivian M. Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explores two questions about the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurship that have not received much attention. The first is, how different dimensions of social capital relate to entrepreneurship? The second is, to what extent community social capital is related to the level of entrepreneurship among marginal and dominant members of a community? Social capital is the benefits derived from social connections. We know about the positive aspects of the relationship between social capital but it is also important to examine if there are negative effects. Further, community social capital, which is the aggregate level of social capital ...

How Innovation Occurs In The Software Industry: A Qualitative Study On Innovation Management, Jihoon Rim

Student Theses and Dissertations

Research in innovation has been widely conducted by academics. However, many of them merely define associations among innovation factors, findings are often contradictory, and research that involves innovation leaders with rich experiences, both successes and failures, is rare. Thus, how to best innovate remains a question among practitioners. This qualitative research is aimed at filling this gap in the literature. To that end, 23 innovation leaders, most of whom founded software companies worth hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, were interviewed with a grounded theory approach using Peter Drucker’s innovation theory as a lens through which to view ...

Pay Negotiations Differences In Men And Women How Gender’S Effect On Self-Advocacy Contributes To Sex Discrimination In Corporations, Laurel Mccabe

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sex discrimination comes in many shapes and colors, such as not wanting to hire pregnant women, passing women up for promotions because of their status of motherhood, women being more likely to be removed from their upper management positions when things go wrong compared to their male counterparts, and economic differences in negotiated outcomes based on gender. Sex discrimination is something organizations should be concerned with their participation in and facilitation of and examine, internally, how to diminish its effect on female employees. Organizations need to clarify that wages are negotiable and increase visibility into compensation plans, hiring, and promotions ...

Impact Of Fear On Interpersonal And Economic Decision-Making, John Wilson

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fear is one of the most basic, intrinsic, and powerful emotions an individual may experience when faced with known or unknown threats, imminent pressures, or expectations of approaching doom. Fear may allow an individual to act quickly in a fight-or-flight response. Fear can alter both physiological and psychological frameworks to avoid certain calamity. Fear provides motivation to protect oneself or to effectuate altruistic behavior towards others for the greater good. One lesser explored area of research pertaining to fear and its implications is the influence of fear on interpersonal and economic decision-making. Economic volatility can produce both immediate consequences as ...

Accounting Internship Thesis - Koch Industries, Casey Rivero

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis outlines my accounting internship experience with Koch Industries during the summer of 2021. It describes the company's background, explains my role and responsibilities throughout the summer, and details the tools and technology I worked with. This thesis shows what is to be expected of the present day accountant and bridges the gap between university course material and real-life corporate application.

Leader-Member Exchange (Lxm) Differentiation And Organizational Outcomes: The Role Of Leader Integrity And Perceived Inclusion, Lipika Neshmin Arif

Theses and Dissertations

The leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship is dynamic and rewarding for organizational success. The exchange relationship between a leader and his/her followers can vary from high-quality to low-quality relationships and thus affect the benefits of the organization. Therefore, the main emphasis of this paper is to examine the influence of LMX differentiation, known as leaders' differential relationships quality with a set of followers, on organizational outcomes such as affective organizational commitment, innovative work behavior, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). This study proposes a moderated mediation model to explain how and when LMX differentiation impacts organizational outcomes. Drawing from the social ...

Exploring Inventory Management's Effects On A Company's Profitability, Mason Frye

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Effective inventory management policy is a recognizable critical driver for company success, but which techniques and tools are relevant today? This thesis explores the theory that a company's inventory management practices directly impact the firm's efficiency, responsiveness, and profitability. Research from previously published studies on inventory management is shared to develop a framework of understanding to answer the question of relevancy. Additionally, interviews with successful business professionals within the field provide additional insight into specific inventory management practices that affect profitability and performance. Moreover, these professionals discuss how the practices are effectively applied in the real world today ...

Leadership, Justice, And Inclusion: Assessing The Effect Of Values-Based Leadership Approaches O Fairness-Related Climates, Matthew T. Oglesby

Theses and Dissertations

Building on Banks et al.’s (2018) grouping of authentic, servant, ethical, and charismatic leadership as values-based or moral leadership approaches, this study explores the relationship of values-based leadership to communal outcomes via fairness-related organizational climates. I utilize social exchange theory to explain the reciprocal and rational relationships between leadership, climate, and outcomes. Additionally, I utilize congruence theory to explore the benefits of alignment between certain values-based leadership approaches and particular fairness-related climates. Specifically, I suggest that authentic and ethical leadership align more closely with distributive and procedural justice climate, while servant and charismatic leadership align more closely with interactional ...

Is Facebook Use Helping Or Hurting Your Healthcare Employees During Covid?, Melanie Boudreaux

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID pandemic has drastically impacted peoples’ lives and workplaces, especially those who work in healthcare and have been on the forefront battling this global health crisis. There has been great uncertainty regarding how to effectively mitigate health risks due to the pandemic, and many healthcare employees have turned to social media outlets, such as Facebook, to express their thoughts and concerns. However, social media can either play a positive or negative role depending on what type of information is transmitted and how it is perceived. Some employees are more affected by social media than others regarding the pandemic, and ...