Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing Division Ia Scholarship And Non-Scholarship Student-Athletes: A Discriminant Analysis Of Academic Performance, Lisa Melanie Rubin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many research studies have examined the academic performance and graduation rates of college student-athletes. The limited focus on scholarship student-athletes has overlooked the majority of NCAA student-athletes, those participating in collegiate athletic programs without athletic scholarships. Therefore, this study contributes to a gap in the literature about non-scholarship student-athletes. The following dissertation examined the academic performance, time-to-degree, and demographic and profile characteristics of Division IA scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes. The theoretical framework for this study was work motivation viewing athletic scholarships as extrinsic rewards. The researcher applied descriptive discriminant analysis utilizing secondary data to compare scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes across …

Division I Student-Athlete Degree Choice Assessment, Tony Terrell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Though the NCAA has established rules that require student-athletes to complete their college degree in an expeditious manner, the 40/60/80% rule may impinge on student-athlete academic decisions (i.e., degree choice).Yet limited empirical data exist regarding the nature and prevalence of student-athlete degree impingement. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Student-Athlete Degree Choice Questionnaire (SA-DCQ). The SA-DCQ assesses factors that influence Division I student-athletes' degree choice. An initial 40 item, 4 component SA-DCQ instrument was piloted with 170 Division I student-athletes. In order to develop scales, Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was conducted. PCA results yielded 13 …

Impact Of The 2003 Illinois Gaming Tax Rate Increase On Marketing Spending And Cross-State Substitution, Mikael Bengt Ahlgren

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this research was to investigate three potential consequences related to the 2003 Illinois Gaming Tax rate restructuring. The first section presents the assessment of whether a higher tax rate motivated an Illinois casino operator to reduce of marketing/promotional expenditures in an attempt to negatively influence revenues. The second establishes if the surrounding state gaming operators reacted to the increased Gaming Tax rate in Illinois, by raising their marketing spending. The last section clarifies whether the changes to the Illinois Gaming Tax Schedule impacted gaming volumes in the neighboring/competing states of Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri.

The analysis relied …

Room Service Principles And Practices: An Exploratory Study, Stanley Douglas Suboleski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Room service is the delivery of food and beverage products to a guest's sleeping room in a hotel. It is an important, distinguishing characteristic and a necessary service for first-class and luxury hotels. Very little academic research has been conducted on the operating procedures of room service. This was an exploratory study that aimed at identifying the key principles and practices of room service operations in first-class and luxury hotels. This study used a mixed-method approach. Using content analysis on operating audits for room service from a range of hospitality companies, expert panel review, field testing, and analysis of variance …

A Phenomenological Study On The Leadership Development Of African American Women Executives In Academia And Business, Deanna Rachelle Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the intersectionality of race and gender for African American women through their lived experiences of how they developed into leaders. This research study was designed to determine how the intersection of race and gender identities contributed to the elements of leadership development as perceived by eight African American female executives in academia and business. The researcher sought to explore strategies future leaders might utilize to address leadership development and career ascendency for African American females who aspire to leadership roles. A phenomenological research method was most appropriate for this research …

The Non-Gaming Business Of The Gaming Industry: Evaluating The Contribution Of Non-Gaming Amenities At A Casino-Resort Property, Elena Shampaner-Ghiassi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Previous studies on this topic show that all non-gaming amenities at a casino-resort property generate revenue in two ways. First, an amenity directly contributes to companies' overall profits when consumers spend on a particular amenity more than it costs the company to provide that amenity (Roehl, 2006). Second, these amenities can make an indirect contribution defined as the profit impact of an amenity on another profit center at the property (Dandurand & Ralenkotter, 1985); however, this contribution does not show directly on the amenity's financial statements (Roehl, 1996).

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the indirect gaming (both …

Self-Image Congruence With Communication Channels And Its Impact On Reward Program Loyalty, Orie Berezan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Loyalty programs have become products in and of themselves. They need to maintain member loyalty in order to survive. It is proposed that communication has a larger impact on program loyalty than previously thought. This study utilizes structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the influence of communication typologies and dimensions on hotel reward program loyalty via self-image congruence, service quality, satisfaction, and trust. Moreover, this dissertation presents a communication identity model, which focuses on promoting hotel reward program loyalty via self-congruence with communication channels.

Newly discovered significant paths were found between: communication style and self-congruence with communication channels; self-congruence with …

Evaluating The Impact Of A New Casino Loyalty Program On Gaming Volume, Ji Hye Min

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Using two years secondary data gathered from a Las Vegas hotel and casino, the effectiveness of a new casino loyalty program is examined on both daily slot coin-in and table game drop. Based on a theoretical model advanced to estimate the effects of a new loyalty program, simultaneous multiple regression analysis with Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) terms is used to analyze the data. The results indicate that the loyalty variable significantly increases slot coin-in at a rate of $302,455 per day, while table game drop is not significantly affected by the introduction of the new loyalty program. The coin-in increase …

A Social Media Plan For The Ultimate Fighting Championship, Matthew Radmanovich

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social media has revolutionized marketing and communication and has changed the way many organizations do business. In sports, it has facilitated fans getting closer to the action while allowing management to be strategic and more efficient with finite amount of resources. It has allowed sports to get in the business of “relationship marketing” (Gronroos, 2004). That is, when a game ends or a season comes to a close, social media allows for the fostering of long term relationships and continues to build a sense of community. The marriage of social media and relationship marketing cannot be overlooked. Whereas 30 years …

Sustainable Tourism Marketing Strategies At Unesco World Heritage Sites, Fouad A. Sadiki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Designation as a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site has a significant impact on the tourism development and sustainability of a site, city, region or country. World Heritage sites bring a certain level of prestige and international recognition, but they also have an impact on the local communities as they impact day to day life and rituals of the residents. Several paradigms exist in evaluating the success of a UNESCO World Heritage site. This paper specifically examines how marketing strategies bolster sustainable tourism efforts.

Training And Development Guide For A Culinary Department In A Private University, Kimberly Rosenbaum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In an online study of the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART), 53% of respondents reported their budgets for training were being carefully looked at. From this scrutiny, training budgets in the past 18 months have significantly decreased (Bertra, 2009, p. 1). Slashed training budgets have become another sign of the recessionary times, forcing operators to direct their funds to customer service, hoping to set them apart in the competitive environment known as hospitality (Bertra, 2009, p. 1).

Exploration Of Hotel Distribution Channels In China — Focus On Hotel Call Centers, Tao Yu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In a world of increasing global competition, choosing an effective distribution channel is crucial for hoteliers to deliver value for their products and services. As hotel rooms are perishable, if they are not sold each night no revenue will be generated. So, we always see the distribution channel as one of the most important parts in the selling process. With the explosion of Internet commerce and computer usage, online distribution is fast growing up to become one of the popular and effective distribution channels in use. However, will functions of traditional distribution channels die from the boom of the new …

Perfecting The Table Games Dealer: Improving Initial Table Games Dealer Training Curriculum To Create More Versatile Gaming Employees, Bama Varsanyi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Casinos are hospitality operations in which a gaming experience is offered to guests in addition to general hospitality services. To create stable, high-quality guest services while generating satisfactory guest experiences, casinos rely significantly on the skills of their front-line employees. The initial training before employees begin to work in a live-gaming casino environment is crucial. It gives them the basic knowledge to be able to perform their tasks proficiently and deliver the required guest-service standards to all patrons during live gaming sessions. Table games dealers are the primary front-line employees in a table game operation, they receive majority of their …

Recommendations For Online Training In Hospitality Organizations, Geoffrey L. Wellen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Delivering consistent customer experiences is often a key driver of customer satisfaction in the leisure and hospitality industry. However, consistency can be compromised if new and existing employees are not adequately prepared for their roles and duties. The leisure and hospitality industry hires many new staff each year due to general industry growth and employee turnover. Training and development is therefore important for the industry to meet staffing requirements and to deliver consistent customer experiences. The rapid and significant developments in online training and education since mid 1990 have increased the size and knowledge of the candidate pool available to …

A Positive Approach: Training Coaches To Build A Positive Motivational Climate, J. Spencer John

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to develop a training program for youth sport coaches focusing on a positive motivational climate, with an intended outcome to increase intrinsic motivation in youth sport participants. The coaching workshops that are available today tend to focus on teaching the fundamentals of the sport; while largely ignoring the motivational side of coaching. Pop Warner Football is the largest youth football league in the country, they have a large coach training program that focuses on drills and skill development, but fails to address positive motivation. Providing youth sport organizations with a training program that adds …

Medical Tourism: Trends And Opportunities, Krista Wendt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Medical tourism involves travel for the purpose of receiving medical, dental, or surgical care (Medical Tourism Association), and represents a rapidly growing niche market within the healthcare, tourism, and hospitality industries. Medical travelers are motivated to seek care outside of their area of residence by many factors, including more advanced technology, quicker access, higher quality of care, or lower costs for care in the destination locality (Ehrbeck, Guevara, & Mango, 2008). Multiple factors contribute to the growth of the medical tourism industry and suggest a continuing trend toward growth in the future. This nascent industry represents a significant market opportunity …

Capturing The Chinese Outbound Tourism Market: Lessons For Las Vegas Casino Operators, Wilson Wan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

China has become a fast rising economic power and its GDP is expected to overtake America's in about 6 years (How to get a date, 2011). As a result of the increase in wealth, the Chinese middle class has been expanding rapidly and now has access to more resources than ever before. With a higher disposable income, the Chinese now have an increased desire, and capability, to travel the world. In preparation for the increase in outbound Chinese travelers, it would be wise for tourist destinations to be prepared to attract this market and thus capture a part of this …

Search Engine Optimization: Best Practices For Google, Tucker Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The internet is a major delivery system of hotel reservations. Approximately 25% of all reservations made at a hotel come directly through the hotel’s website (Douglas, 2012). Another 11% of total reservations are booked online through online travel agent websites, or OTAs, such as Priceline.com or Expedia.com (Douglas, 2012). These additional reservations booked through the OTAs come at a cost to the hotel, however. Typical commissions for OTAs are approximately 25 % of a total booking (Sanders, 2012). In 2010, it was estimated that the commissions associated with these OTA bookings cost hoteliers 2.5 billion dollars (Douglas, 2012). Because of …

Casino Hosting: Back To The Basics, Jessica L. Hobbs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The heart and soul of Las Vegas has always been the casino industry. People from all over the world have traveled many miles to put their money on the line in the hopes of hitting the jackpot or just to see the “adult playground” so many have spoken of and viewed in multiple movies. In the 21st century the Las Vegas casino industry has competition popping up across the country and all over the world. These new casinos put intense pressure on Las Vegas to attract the “whales” and high rollers to the casinos on the Las Vegas strip. Many …

The Internet Gaming Industry For Newbies, Cory Nebel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States internet gaming industry is one which, while many people are aware of its existence, very few fully understand. There remains a tremendous amount of confusion amongst the American public regarding whether or not gambling online in the U.S. is a legal activity. While most would claim to have heard reports that U.S. internet gambling is against the law, just as many people are able to quickly reference both friends and family who regularly gamble online. Through the use of secondary research, this paper will explore a wide range of pre-existing literature on both the internet gaming industry …

An Introduction To Meeting And Event Management Course, Diana Spina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper focuses on the development of an undergraduate introductory course in meeting and event management and the rational for inclusion of this particular course in the curriculum at a university that offers a degree in Hospitality Management. The literature review explores the anticipated demand related to the field of meeting and event management, course offerings of some of the top ranked universities with Hospitality Management programs, and different teaching methodologies. The last part of the paper encompasses the actual course material for a meeting and event management course; including the syllabus and teaching methodology.

Sustainability Program For Rio Secco Golf Club And Cascata, Jay Chiders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, operational excellence, and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward to the environment. Sustainability at Caesars Entertainment integrates strategic direction with the energy, innovation, and passion of its 70,000 employees. These employees are what drive Caesars Entertainment’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, CodeGreen (CodeGreen factsheet, 2012).

Caesars Entertainment Corporation owns two golf courses in Nevada. Rio Secco Golf Club opened in 1997 in Henderson and Cascata opened in …

Leaving Tray Line Behind: A Proposal For Hybrid Hospital Foodservice, Christopher Connolly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

At Valley Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, the economic recession is as visible as anywhere else in the United States. A lack of paying patients equates to forced reductions in labor and increased productivity metric mandates. In the foodservice area, antiquated technology limits productivity in conducting tray line food service delivery. A new tray line system would need to be considerably faster while using less employees and moving parts to maximize efficiency, effectively doing much more with far less. There are two main systems of food service as part of the patient experience; tray line and room service. Both systems …

A Business Plan For A Successful Family-Run Restaurant In Heber City, Utah, Brittany M. Bringhurst

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Business plans are considered to be an important, “even crucial,” part of opening any business (Lange, Mollov, Pearlmutter, Singh, & Bygrave, 2007). Because of a gap in the literature directed toward successful business plan strategies specific to the family-run restaurant sector, this paper is going to consider the available information regarding family-run businesses in general and apply them to the restaurant industry.

Expatriate Guide To Beijing, China, William Z. Crump

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The hospitality industry spans the globe, employing millions of jobs worldwide. In recent years, many well-known hotel companies such as, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott, Fairmont, Four Seasons, and The Peninsula, have expanded their portfolios around the world. With this vast expansion hospitality companies look for leaders that want to have unique experiences, and are able to travel the world during their career. The Asian economic market has done extremely well, particularly Mainland China, the People’s Republic of China. In response to this, Americans have packed their bags and headed to China to live and work in the hospitality industry. According to …

American Generation Y And The Hotel Of 2030, Brian Kelley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Baby Boomer generation, once the largest, most important consumer base and leader in purchasing power, is entering retirement (Sherman, 2008). Now an aging generation, the Boomers, are slowly losing their hold on the attention of the hospitality industry. The Boomers are quickly being eclipsed by their children and grandchildren as the largest market population and the biggest spenders within America with over 73 million or 26% of the total US population belonging to this demographic (Nusair, Parsa, & Cobanoglu, 2011). Much like the Baby Boomers, this demographic, known as primarily as Generation Y (Gen Y) or “Echo-Boomers” due to …

The Shifting Of The Las Vegas Tourism Industry: A Historical Perspective On Management And Resort Revenues, Eden Mccallister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas has been internationally recognized as the entertainment capital of the world. Whether it is top dollar luxury, world class fine dining, or vibrant night life that one seeks, Las Vegas certainly has something for everyone. The latter half of the 20th century has shown the city unprecedented arenas of success, but with intense global competition on the rise, it is clear that Las Vegas is no longer the only major player in the game. The turn of the 21st century has brought a new wave of economic challenges, and though Las Vegas has adapted over the years with …

Social Media Helps Small Businesses, Nicholas J. Oxborrow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Beemer and Shook (2009) explain that developing customers one at a time is the only way. There are no short cuts to this. Traditionally, a small business would develop their relationships by going from door-to-door to raise awareness and grow their brand. How fast they achieved this depended on the budget and time available to their business. Traditionally, large businesses had the power of reaching their markets through huge advertising budget, which small companies could not match.

In today’s business environment, social media has become a new marketing tool that is available to all businesses, that instantly develops relationships with …

Business Plan For A U.S. Based Healthy And Organic Ethnic Korean Quick-Service Restaurant, Daniel W. Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The increased globalization of ethnic cuisine has become a reality in the past decade due to the rise in food and beverage popular culture. The celebrity chefs on such television networks such as the Food Network and the Travel Channel has led to many persons becoming more interested in a variety of ethnic, fusion, healthy and organic dining options. For the past few decades, the most popular ethnic cuisines in the U.S. have been and still are Italian, Chinese, and Mexican foods (Leahy, 2007). However, with the increased interest in food and beverage culture and desire for variety, there are …

The Pros And Cons Of Outsourcing, Angela Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Outsourcing has become increasingly popular to the public since the mid-20th century and has become more controversial in the last decade. The United States economy has been under the microscope for the last 4 years due to an economic recession. Outsourcing has been a subject of interest that has been brought up numerous times by economists. Offshore outsourcing is the main type of outsourcing that is of concern in relation to the United States economy. This topic is highly debated because of the unemployment rate in America.