Business Analytics Commons^™

Cultural Disparity And The Impact On Work Life Balance, Bryan Campbell

Senior Theses

This research examines the differences in work life balances between varying countries around the world. In order to do so, a proxy index was created by investigating a portion of questions from respondents of the World Values Survey. Comparing this to Hofstede's Insights on National Culture allowed for a unique perspective as to whether the country individualism ratings could then be used to assert a relationship between these metrics.

The Internal Effects Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Firm Performance, Lindsay Harris

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to identify the internal effects of corporate social responsibility on firm performance. It also examines the definition of corporate social responsibility and two varying theories about the topic. This thesis explores the human resource, quality and financial aspects of firm performance and how those aspects of a company are affected by adopting significant corporate social responsibility programs. This research seeks to answer the claim that corporate social responsibility programs do not have a positive effect on the actual performance of an organization. It will examine the effect of CSR on employee attitudes, moral and …

A Tale Of Two Airlines: A Comparative Case Study Of High-Road Versus Low-Road Strategies In Customer Service And Reputation Management, Donna L. Roberts, John C. Griffith

Publications

Customer surveys from Ryanair and Southwest Airline passengers were examined to determine their perceptions on customer service for the period of 2012-2013. Southwest Airlines (n=149) was rated significantly higher than Ryanair (n=165) in overall rating (p=.0228), seat comfort (p<.0001), cabin/staff service (p<.0001), and value (p=.0004). Additionally, passengers would recommend Southwest Airlines at a higher rate than Ryanair (p=.0006). Open area comments emphasized that customer service and policies had a large impact on the ratings. Specifically, 53% of Ryanair customers complained about inefficient or unwelcome processes and discourteous or unfriendly service compared to 29% for Southwest Airlines. Ryanair customers complained about check-in procedures, open seating policy, and fees ranging from oversized carry-on bags to fees for printing out boarding passes. The largest area of complaint for Southwest customers concerned how customers were treated for flight delays.

Evolution Of Insurance: A Telematics-Based Personal Auto Insurance Study, Yuanjing Yao

Honors Scholar Theses

Insurance has been constantly evolving since its inception; nowadays, insurance has become an indispensable part of people’s daily life. Nonetheless, very few individuals understand the mechanism behind their insurance coverage. This paper focuses on the evolution of personal auto insurances. The first part of the paper summarizes traditional pricing techniques for personal auto insurance and discusses their deficiencies. The second part of the paper introduces telematics insurance, an innovative form of auto insurance. This new kind of insurance integrates telematics as well as other technologies in the premium calculation process. The study proceeds to evaluate the pros and cons of …

Strategic Implications Of Blockchain, William R. Adams

Marriott Student Review

This thesis introduces blockchain, the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and discusses how best to conceptualize it relative to other technologies. Following an explanation of the fundamentals of blockchain, also known as the distributed ledger, I identify the characteristics of the technology. Building upon blockchain’s inherent strengths and limitations, I explore potential business applications of blockchain. Finally, I recommend that leaders continue to track the development and adoption of blockchain technology, even if they decide that implementing it does not align with their organization’s strategy at present.

Strategic Audit On Tesla, Zitong Li

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This paper evaluation the current situation that Tesla, Inc is in. Specifically, this paper provides a detailed analysis of the external and internal problems and strengths of Tesla and its current and past strategy that led to its success today. In conclusion, Tesla’s main advantages are its charging and battery technology and a strong brand name. The problem Tesla faces includes production bottlenecks, shortage of cash, high cost and competitions. Based on these analyses, the direction that Tesla should go for is to expand its market share and increase profitability. Several strategies are proposed to help achieve these goals. One …

Dynamic Logistics Enabled By Iot, Madeline K. Conner

Honors College Theses

The implementation of Internet of Things technology is becoming increasingly popular in the logistics industry due to its promise of valuable payoffs. The benefits will span across the entire logistics value chain, and benefits from IoT implementation will also impact areas such as operational efficiency, safety, security, and customer experience, while redesigning traditional business models. This report specifically focuses on creating a dynamic logistics system using the Internet of Things. The findings of this report focus on the associated cost savings between traditional logistics systems, and a daily dynamic model enabled by IoT technology. By applying IoT to logistics operations …

National Hockey League Team Values And Revenues Analysis, Max Mchugh

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Coincident Index For Us, Alabama And Huntsville Msa, Anton Derbes, Jared Janeway

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Economic Indices: An Analysis Of The Space Industry, Emily Sexton

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Application Of The Panzar-Rosse Model: An Analysis Of The Brewery Industry In The U.S., Matthew R. Bonner, Michael Davidsson

Paper Presentations

Waves of mergers and acquisitions has left the brewery industry in the United States considerably concentrated. The top two firms, Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors control more than 60% of the market share. It has become very important to assess the level of competition within the industry. The Panzar-Rosse model is an assessment of competitive conduct that has been widely used to study the competitiveness of the banking industry. The associated measure of competition, called the H-statistic, is obtained as the sum of elasticities of gross revenue with respect to input prices. For this study, the Panzar-Rosse model will be applied …

Delta Airlines: A Strategic Analysis, Erin Mckenna

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

Consisting of three parts, the first two reports provide an overview of Delta Airlines, their current strategy, their resources and capabilities, and the overall environment of the industry. In this final report I will be conducting a full SWOT analysis on Delta Airlines and look at their internal strengths and weaknesses as well as their external opportunities. After conducting this analysis I will be drafting some strategic questions that I feel Delta is facing as well as provide my recommendations to solve each question.

United Technologies Corporation: Pratt And Whitney Analysis, Emily Leclerc

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

This poster outlines various analyses tools and frameworks used to analyze the global technology company, Pratt & Whitney.

Risky Business: The Correlation Between Sensation Seekers And Entrepreneurs, Matthew D. Buck

Selected Honors Theses

This study attempts to determine if college students with sensation seeking tendencies are more likely to have entrepreneurial tendencies due to the risk involved in both entrepreneurship and thrill seeking activates. This study used a combination of the Sensation Seeking Scale and the Attitudes Towards Enterprise test to determine the correlation between physical risk taken in hobbies and taking risk in business. An online survey was sent to 350 business students at a university in Central Florida and 62 valid surveys were received and analyzed. Through calculating the correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, and t-tests, the author deducted that an …

Financial Literacy In South Carolina, Connor Pestovich, Matthew Travis

Senior Theses

Being wise with finances is a skill that many people tend to overlook as important. There are days when an individual can avoid using certain subjects learned in high school, but very rarely, if ever, is there a day when topics of finance are not used. This could be anything from purchasing food, driving to work, working on a computer, or receiving a paycheck. While most would agree that the ability to handle money wisely is very important, these concepts do not have a high priority of being taught in high schools in South Carolina. More than that, many parents …

Splitting The Bill: Estimating Personal Consumption In Case Of Wrongful Death, Kathleen Ellis, David I. Rosenbaum

UCARE: Research Products

In cases of wrongful death, the decedent’s survivors may sue alleged responsible parties for lost financial support. Forensic experts estimate a deceased individual’s personal consumption rate in order to separate the portion of the decedent’s income spent on him- or herself from the amount available as financial support for dependents. This paper enhances the prevailing estimation process by regressing consumption rates over individual households surveyed by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in its annual Consumer Expenditure Survey. We contend that this method improves the precision of estimates by accounting for the inherent heterogeneity in consumption among households with …

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla, Inc.: Electrifying Our Future Or About To Run Out Of Energy?, Chloe Dana

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Tesla, Inc.’s stock had reached its peak during September of 2017. However, due to manufacturing delays of its new Model 3 sport sedan, cash flow issues, and a recent fatal autopilot accident, investors and consumers are questioning the firm’s long-term stability. Although Tesla has created technology that makes it easier for consumers to harness and utilize electricity to power their homes and vehicles, many wonder if the company’s stock price is about to figuratively run out of energy. The following will be a strategic analysis, illustrating the firm’s Current Strategy & Background Information, Situational Analysis & Issue Summary, Strategy Recommendations …

Choosing The Best Software For Spec Review: An Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach, Bob Greenlee

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Every manufacturing company is faced with the problem of accurately converting customer requirements into products and deliverables, including a thorough review of customer specifications. Software can help facilitate this tedious and time consuming process, but choosing or designing the best solution is difficult due to conflicting and poorly prioritized criteria.

This paper illustrates the use of an analytic hierarchy process, specifically the hierarchical decision model (HDM) tool developed at Portland State University, to select the best software solution for facilitating customer spec review. In addition to resolving the primary question of which software to use, it shows how the HDM …

Airline Customer Satisfaction 2015-2017 Results, Michelle M. Bennett, Brent D. Bowen, Erin E. Bowen, Z. Bowen, Dean Headley, Timothy B. Holt, Jacqueline R. Luedtke

Publications

Previous research on perceptions, satisfaction, and attitudes regarding the major commercial air carriers in the United States has provided little more than an interesting descriptive representation of the average air traveler. This study moves beyond basic descriptive information of air travelers to identify attitudinal patterns and relationships in the way consumers at varying levels of travel frequency view the commercial air industry. The Airline Passenger Survey (APS) elements developed via the utilization of rigorous scientific methodology, with the intention of capturing the most important data from passengers while reducing confusion or variability in comprehension of questions. APS items are a …

A Comparison Of Machine Learning Algorithms For Prediction Of Past Due Service In Commercial Credit, Liyuan Liu M.A, M.S., Jennifer Lewis Priestley Ph.D.

Published and Grey Literature from PhD Candidates

Credit risk modeling has carried a variety of research interest in previous literature, and recent studies have shown that machine learning methods achieved better performance than conventional statistical ones. This study applies decision tree which is a robust advanced credit risk model to predict the commercial non-financial past-due problem with better critical power and accuracy. In addition, we examine the performance with logistic regression analysis, decision trees, and neural networks. The experimenting results confirm that decision trees improve upon other methods. Also, we find some interesting factors that impact the commercials’ non-financial past-due payment.