Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Tour Guides Take Technology: Mobilizing The Coverage Process, Cassie Jes Jacob

Senior Honors Projects

Technology has progressed more in the past decade than it has in the past century, and it has changed the way we live. To succeed in this society, innovation is a necessity. A recent phenomenon in technology is the use of mobile applications designed to make our lives and daily activities, such as note-taking and scheduling, more convenient.

This project explores the use of mobile applications in a business. At URI, the Tour Guide team acts as a business that manages over 100 employees as they lead visits around campus for prospective students.

These employees are college-age students raised in …

2017 Q2 Private Capital Access Index Report, Craig R. Everett

Pepperdine Private Capital Access Report

The Pepperdine Private Capital Access Index (PCA) is a quarterly indicator produced by the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University, and with the support of Dun & Bradstreet. The index is designed to measure the demand for, activity, and health of the private capital markets. The purpose of the PCA Index is to gauge the demand of small and medium sized businesses for financing needs, the level of accessibility of private capital, and the transparency and efficiency of private financing markets.

Asset Assessment For Women: A Case Study Of Imasayi Village In Ogun State, Nigeria & Ngo Development: A Strategic Plan, Olamide Adeyinka

Sustainability and Social Justice

This paper presents the findings of an asset assessment performed with women in a village southwest of Nigeria, Imasayi Ogun state. This paper not only describes the process and results of a qualitative study, but also presents the implementation plan for an NGO that will work with the women of Imasayi to implement community-wide development projects. The research upon which this paper is based used the framework of seven capital domains, which are then used in turn to structure findings, recommendations and NGO planning and analysis. For the purpose of this paper, the marketplace is identified as significant for Imasayi’s …

The Relationship Between The Human And Social Capital Characteristics Of Nascent Entrepreneurs And Expected Job Growth In The United States, William Dwight Burge

Dissertations

The global financial crisis (GFC) that began in 2007 negatively impacted new business creation (Davidsson & Gordon, 2015). Entrepreneurship has been identified as a viable way to generate jobs in the United States since the 1970s (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2014). However, the literature suggests that there has been a decline in entrepreneurship in the United States (Clifton, 2015; Singh & Ogbolu, 2015). Capital is important to those individuals involved in entrepreneurship (Cetindamar, Gupta, Karadeniz, & Egrican, 2012), specifically, human capital and the social network connections or social capital resources of the entrepreneur (Becker, 1993; Schutjens & Völker, 2010).

This …

Is Human Capital Development The Missing Element Of The Aerotropolis Model?, John Roosevelt Hubbard

Dissertations

Until the early 20th century, transportation by land or water served as the primary methods of trade. As competition in the global marketplace increased in the 21st century air transportation emerged as a new and faster method of trade. Convinced of the economic benefits of air transportation, many policymakers of airport communities were quick to make plans for growth such as building infrastructure around the airport. This aerotropolis model often ignored the human capital development required for success.

Central to this study is this question: Is human capital development the missing component of the aerotropolis model economic development strategy? The …

The Interaction Of Involvement, Message Framing, And Brand-Cause Fit In A Cause-Related Marketing Context, Jessica L. Kosak

Senior Honors Projects

Over the past few years, cause-related marketing has become a prevalent aspect of brand building in many businesses. Cause-related marketing (CRM) can be defined as “a strategic positioning and marketing tool which links a company or brand to a relevant social cause or issue, for mutual benefit” (Pringle & Thompson, 1999, pg.1). The key word in this definition is “strategic” because a brand must think strategically about which cause they want to associate with their brand in order to differentiate their brand and be relevant to consumers. In today’s world, consumers want to have a connection and feel confident in …

Practical Steps For The Utilization Of Action Research In Your Organization: A Qualitative Approach For Non-Academic Research, Paul J. Antonellis Jr., Gwendolyn Berry

Management Faculty Publications

Action research is different from traditional research. Action research is more practice based as it is implementing an intervention to improve a problem. Action research involves collaboration and communication between the researcher and the participants within the study. The purpose of this article is to explain the multi-step process for a non-academic researcher or novice researcher when employing qualitative action research in an organization that is looking to solve a complex issue. The article will explore the action research steps for conducting phone employment interviews within the organization and an example of the process to follow. The outlined steps can …

Water-Based Strategies For Making The Small Beverage Industry In New England More Sustainable And Climate-Change Resilient, Michelle Kozminski

Sustainability and Social Justice

Water is a vital resource to the ecosystem, human life, and the economy. However, it is a limited resource that is threatened by a changing climate. The small beverage industry relies on large amounts of high quality water and is therefore at risk due to the uncertainties of climate change. This paper explores how the small beverage industry in New England approaches water to ensure that the industry is sustainable in the long term. A water threatened brewery in California, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, is used to determine “best practices.” Three small beverage companies in New England are examined to …

Senior Business Seminar Proposal, Alex C. Mcgrainer

Senior Honors Projects

How could a single idea increase the value of a university’s college of business? My project aims to do this through the successful implementation of a single class. It addresses some of the most important factors that current and prospective students should consider while they undergo their college searches, such as the post-graduation employment rate and starting salary across majors of interest.

My inspiration for the topic came from students struggling to find a job. I realized that every year around March, they would begin to suffer due to the self-inflicted pressure of being unemployed after commencement. I immediately knew …

Short-Term Bias And Strategic Misalignment In Operational Solutions: Perceptions, Tendencies, And Traps, Rick Hardcopf, Paulo Gonçalves, Kevin Linderman, Elliot Bendoly

Management Faculty Publications

In this study, we use a multi-method approach to examine the following questions: when faced with explicit profit gaps, does a firm’s strategic orientation influence manager perceptions regarding the ability of various tactical options to resolve the gap, do managers feel pressure to pursue certain tactical options over others, and what implications do tactical mismatches with strategy have for long-term gap resolution? As part of the research process, we build a grounded systems model (using grounded theory and Systems Dynamics techniques) which attempts to capture how tactical changes, in combination with the firm’s competitive strategy, can ostensibly impact a firm’s …

Demographic Characteristics And The Bounds Of Occupational Choice, Cheryl K. Mcintosh

Business Administration Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships between race, gender, generation, perceptions of discrimination, and socioeconomic status (SES) of origin and the prestige level of occupational choice. This study finds that the prestige level of occupational choice is significantly related to background factors that are outside of the control of the individual. This suggests that the interaction between race, gender, generation, perceptions of discrimination, and SES of origin may shape the choices that people make, potentially calling into question the extent of control that people have over their occupational choices. This is an important addition to the …

Stellar Observations: Star Employee Productivity, Compensation, And Reputation, Ryan Patrick Terry

Management Dissertations - Archive

This three-essay dissertation focuses on star employees – most commonly defined as those individuals who are both disproportionately productive and externally visible relative to their colleagues (Kehoe, Lepak, & Bentley, 2016) – and their influence on organizations in terms of performance contributions, the compensation they command, and their ability to enhance firm reputation. The star employee is not a new phenomenon as one of the first and still influential studies within the literature was published over three decades ago (i.e., Rosen, 1981). The influence of star employees is evident across a diverse range of fields including business, academics, the arts, …

Ceo Narcissism, Prior Experience, Board Prior Experience, And Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr): An Integrated Framework Using Upper Echelons Theory, Stakeholders’ Theory, And A Decomposed Measure Of Csr, Marwan Ahmad Ibrahim Al-Shammari

Management Dissertations - Archive

This study examines the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) narcissism and the firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, the relationship between CEO prior CSR experiences and the focal firm’s CSR, the relationship between board prior CSR experiences and the focal firm’s CSR, and the relationship between CEO narcissism and corporate social responsibility decomposed into two main categories: internal CSR and external CSR. The study uses a sample of 295 fortune firm-CEO to test the hypothesized relationships. The study finds that CEO prior CSR and board prior CSR experiences are positively and significantly related to the focal firm’s CSR. The …

Demographic Characteristics And The Bounds Of Occupational Choice, Cheryl K. M. Mcintosh

Management Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships between race, gender, generation, perceptions of discrimination, and socioeconomic status (SES) of origin and the prestige level of occupational choice. This study finds that the prestige level of occupational choice is significantly related to background factors that are outside of the control of the individual. This suggests that the interaction between race, gender, generation, perceptions of discrimination, and SES of origin may shape the choices that people make, potentially calling into question the extent of control that people have over their occupational choices. This is an important addition to the …

Social Media Use At Work, Kriti Chauhan

Business Administration Dissertations - Archive

Social media use permeates everyday life, including work lives of employees. Banning social media use at work may is not entirely possible, therefore it is pertinent to question whether all social media use is detrimental for employees and their employing organization. Social media research to date has found conflicting results. This research provides unique insight into within-person social media use and its outcomes, and opens an avenue for investigating social media using a new technology-independent measure. The study is anchored in the concepts of role theory from social psychology. The theory of role accumulation suggests that social media can be …

Construction Ergonomic Risk And Productivity Assessment Using Mobile Technology And Machine Learning, Nipun Deb Nath

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The construction industry has one of the lowest productivity rates of all industries. To remedy this problem, project managers tend to increase personnel's workload (growing output), or assign more (often insufficiently trained) workers to certain tasks (reducing time). This, however, can expose personnel to work-related musculoskeletal disorders which if sustained over time, lead to health problems and financial loss. This Thesis presents a scientific methodology for collecting time-motion data via smartphone sensors, and analyzing the data for rigorous health and productivity assessment, thus creating new opportunities in research and development within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) domain. In particular, …

Implementation Of A Supply Chain Management "Intern For A Day" Program, Erin K. Mcconnell

Honors Projects

This program was developed to send students to local corporations to attain a better understanding of a business professional environment and the Supply Chain Management departments at those companies. Students were sent to Therma Tru Doors, in Maumee, Ohio to be "interns for a day". They received the chance to shadow employees in all aspects of the Supply Chain field and learn about what their day to day job responsibilities entail. There are many benefits to this externship program for both the students and Therma Tru. Students gain valuable experience and knowledge while Therma Tru gains access to some of …

The Impact Of Leadership Style On Middle Managers’ Motivation: A Study Of The Ministry Of Civil Aviation In Egypt., Safaa Shaaban

Business Administration

This paper examines the relationship between leadership styles, used by top management, to motivate middle management managers, which drives them in accomplishing their organisational goals. Leadership use two techniques to motivate employee that are extrinsic and intrinsic (Self-determination Theory (SDT)) in Civil Aviation Ministry in Egypt. The objective of this study is to search which leadership style is currently used, from the perspective of middle management, as subordinates for top management and which leadership style motivated managers, extrinsically and intrinsically. A survey-based descriptive research design was used. The study was conducted using middle managers working in the Civil Aviation Ministry …

Soul Simplicity: An Inquiry Into Dance, Women And Islam, Mariam T. Odetunde

Senior Honors Projects

Islam has guidelines and rules that its followers must abide by in order to fulfill the tenets of the religion. Lawful acts are labeled “al-halal” and the unlawful and prohibited are “al-haram.” Many al-haram activities affect Muslim women specifically – particularly some leisure activities, such as listening to music and dancing. For example, Islam does not permit activities that can be perceived as “erotic” or “arousing male passions.” Elder Muslim women guide and supervise younger women in order to pass along religious morals and values from generation to generation. I am the product of this tradition and my research is …

Leader Behaviors For Sustaining The Implementation Of Lean Methodologies In Multi-National Companies: A Qualitative Case Study, Gary Vance

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increasing global competition has led many business leaders to implement Lean methodologies to drive operational improvement and deliver increased customer satisfaction. However, not all business leaders have been successful in sustaining Lean implementation with the majority failing within the first three years. In addition, the challenge related to implementing Lean in multi-national companies is exacerbated by the cultural differences associated with the various business units involved. Recent research has suggested that business leaders who have sustained their Lean implementations have utilized specific behaviors to do so. Therefore, this study explored how leaders of multi-national companies utilized specific behaviors to sustain …