Digital Commons Network^™

Continuum Of Academic Collaboration: Issues Of Inconsistent Terminology In Multilingual Context, Cristo Leon Ph.D., James Lipuma Ph.D., Marcos O. Cabobianco, Maria B. Daizo

STEM for Success Resources

Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
1690-4524 (Online)

Marketing Management Of Cemetery-Based Religious Sites To Improve The Economic Level Of Society, Dian Mohammad Hakim, Imam Wahyudi Karimullah, Winarto Winarto, Maskuri Maskuri

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study discussed the potential of cemetery-based religious tourism as an economic development strategy, with the Sunan Ampel Cemetery in Surabaya, Indonesia, as a case in point. By analysing its marketing management strategies, the study demonstrates that successful tourism development requires more than just pulling in tourists; it requires an integrated approach that includes infrastructure and technology development, stakeholder collaboration, and local community involvement. With close to two million visitors each year, Sunan Ampel is an excellent example of the huge economic gains from successful religious tourism efforts. This paper emphasises the need to convert historical religious sites from passive …

Startup Accelerator Returns: J Curve Or L Curve? A Comparative Performance Analysis Between A Venture Accelerator And Early-Stage Venture Capital, Aleš Pustovrh

Economic and Business Review

This document analyses the profitability of investments in venture accelerators compared to early-stage venture capital funds. Using a case study of a single fund manager operating both investment types, it tracks the Total Value to Paid-In (TVPI) ratio over 6 years. The early-stage venture capital investments showed a positive trend, exceeding a TVPI of 1, indicating profitability driven by company survival rates, external funding attraction, and growth. Conversely, the accelerator investments underperformed, with a TVPI consistently below 1, suggesting a loss for investors. This raises questions about the long-term viability of the accelerator model, potentially resulting in an L curve …

Lindenwood Faculty Awards Recognize Connection And Academic Passion, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Combating Forced Labor: Innovative Data Solutions For Risk Assessments, Jill Dewitt, Valerie Cho

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

Today’s global market demands that businesses ensure their supply chains are free from human rights violations, especially forced labor. Due to the increasing regulatory, commercial, and reputational stakes, it is crucial to identify and address these risks. However, firms must manage forced labor risks for compliance purposes while navigating a lack of data visibility and compliance complexities. Moody’s and The Rights Lab are leveraging data and technology to assist businesses in identifying and mitigating the risk of forced labor within their supply chains. By utilizing technology for data collection, they can pinpoint risks in three key areas: industry, geography, and …

Project Managers, The Heart Of Every Football Club., Khaled Hamshari

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Project managers have become central to the success of modern football clubs, managing both the sporting and business aspects of operations. This paper examines how the role of project managers has evolved over the last 20 years, expanding from football-related duties to encompass broader responsibilities, including financial management, recruitment strategies, and long-term planning. With football clubs now functioning as multi-billion-dollar organizations, the influence of project managers has grown significantly, as they are tasked with balancing on-pitch success with off-pitch business objectives. The study highlights how project managers have become indispensable, often holding more power than some stakeholders, making their role …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Unlocking Private Equity Investing: A Primer, Yin Wang, Steve Balaban

Asian Management Insights

Private equity might provide higher returns, but investors should be aware of the associated risks.

Discovering Sri Lanka: Examining The Marketing Strategies Behind Successful Tourist Destinations, Victoria Powell

University Honors Theses

Building on the observation that Sri Lanka is emerging as a tourist destination, this thesis compares the national destination marketing campaigns of Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to identify how their strengths have contributed to their success. Using a comparative analysis, the research examines each destination’s brand positioning, distribution channels, campaign messaging, visual identity, and brand consistency. A deeper analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) is conducted on Sri Lanka's destination marketing campaign to present the study's findings and communicate recommendations. Ultimately, the analysis is used to recommend strategies for Sri Lanka's destination marketing efforts to …

The Industrial Hemp Supply Chain Solution, Honovi C. Trudell Sir

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Realistically solving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals utilizing an Industrial Hemp supply chain with economy to scale to replace petroleum based plastics and permanently offset carbon emissions produced from other continuously produced hazardous waste.

The Prospect Of Geospatial Analysis In The Prediction Of Surface Quality In Machining, Prithbey Raj Dey, David Lee Enke

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This research underscores the prospect of geospatial analysis in machining operations to enhance precise prediction and robustness, offering a comprehensive framework of spatial modeling for advanced manufacturing processes. Geospatial analysis not only provides accurate predictions but also estimates the uncertainty associated with these predictions, offering valuable insights for process optimization. The surface quality in the machining processes is expressed by the estimation of the average surface roughness. While machining parameters are extensively analyzed for their influence on surface quality, the roughness profile parameters are inadequately explored. This work integrates these underexplored parameters into geospatial predictive models and evaluates their impact …

Letter From The Editor, Jay Nathan

Journal of Global Awareness

No abstract provided.

Tax Trends, Nicholas J. Fiore

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

How Certain Is The Continuity Of The Panama Canal And How Will It Affect The Global Supply Chain Industry?, Enmanuel Rodriguez Correa

Honors Theses

The Panama Canal, a critical artery of global trade, is under mounting threat from prolonged droughts, water scarcity, and evolving geopolitical dynamics, casting doubt on its long-term viability. This thesis investigates the continuity of the Panama Canal’s operations amid intensifying climate change, and assesses the broader implications for the global supply chain. As the canal facilitates approximately 5% of global maritime trade and provides billions in annual cost savings to shipping companies, any disruption poses severe consequences for global commerce, economic stability, and trade logistics.

The analysis begins by situating the canal within its historical and geopolitical context, emphasizing its …

Exploring The Gender Pay Gap And Impacts On Retention Of C-Suite Women Executives, Organizational Performance And Profitability, Shelbie Webster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Gender pay inequity and the lack of representation of women in senior C-suite level roles remain pervasive issues. This behavior results in workers receiving unequal wages and being underrepresented in senior-level C-suite positions, ultimately affecting the organization's bottom line. The purpose of this qualitative, flexible design, single case study was to explore the failure of some organizations to pay senior-level C-suite women comparable to males holding the same title and experience. The location is from the southeast region of the U.S., where employees work for organizations with 1,000 plus employees, resulting in a potential decrease in organizational performance and profitability. …

Explaining The Satisfaction Of The Religious Tourist: The Case Of Maimonides In The City Of Cordoba, César Mora Márquez, Angelo Puccia

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism was one of the most severely affected sectors by the Covid-19 pandemic. Even religious tourism, traditionally less susceptible to market fluctuations, is now compelled to adopt innovative strategies in response to these effects. This article analyses the satisfaction of religious tourism, specifically its relationship with the figure of Maimonides, who is considered to be an important religious thinker and is included within the Pantheon database of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A questionnaire was distributed and completed by 720 tourists in the city of Cordoba, Spain, which has close links to Maimonides. The findings indicated that the spirituality …

Spirituality And The Quest For Transcendence On The Portuguese Way Of St. James, José Luís Braga, Miguel Pazos Otón, Isabel Borges

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a kind of proto tourism in a world where the number of pilgrimages has increased considerably. In the past the only motivation for such pilgrimages was religious, today we are witnessing the emergence of new motivations, such as cultural and even sporting ones. The research questions that guide this study are the following: Are faith and religion still strong enough motivations to justify pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela? Are there points of convergence between religious and secular pilgrims? Can the Camino be a means of awakening religious vocations? In short, what is the …

A Study Of Push And Pull Motivational Factors Of Religious Tourism In India, Niharika Singh, Somesh Dhamija, Aruna Dhamija

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study investigates the motivational factors that drive both foreign and domestic religious tourists to visit Vrindavan, one of India’s most famous Hindu religious sites. Using an established push and pull framework, the research explores why tourists choose Vrindavan as a destination for religious tourism. Based on existing theoretical and empirical studies, the researchers developed a quantitative approach, employing a three-part questionnaire to collect data from 598 visitors. Through Principal Component Factor Analysis, the study identified five key push factors and four pull factors, with religious beliefs and cultural enjoyment being the most prominent. The findings confirm the relevance of …

Visitor Experience Model At The Marian Shrine Of La Vang, Younghee Lee, Hyo Dan Cho

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This research explores tourists’ experiences at La Vang in Vietnam. La Vang as a place of Catholic Marian apparition, is a sacred pilgrimage site that holds great religious significance for Catholics. This study employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to develop a model of the visitor’s experiences at La Vang. The initial qualitative study involved in-depth interviews and participant observation. Subsequently, the findings of the qualitative study were validated in the second quantitative study, which involved 75 surveys with residents of Macau who visited La Vang. This study proposes seven key scales measuring tourists’ experiential aspects at the sacred place. …

Crafting Myths In Modern Times: Essentialising Duty, Obligation And Exchange In Religious Tourism, Anuja Jose, Vinita Chandra, Uday Pratap Singh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper aims to study the factors that contribute to the success of present-day myths in religious tourism. It also seeks to investigate the factors that compel modern pilgrims to accept a certain myth and the role played by stakeholders of religious tourism in the creation of a myth. In order to explore these research questions, Kauḍī Mātā temple in Varanasi, a popular religious tourist spot for Southern Indians, was chosen for Case Study. Qualitative data have been generated through in-depth interviewing. Simultaneously, several myths of goddess Kauḍī Mātā were recovered from textual and digital sources in addition to the …

Harnessing Eco-Friendly Practices And Transforming Communities Through Social Entrepreneurship: Exploring The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Mode, Iqra Sajad Khan Scholar, Ashaq Hussain Najar Dr, Manik Arora Dr

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study examines the influence of religious tourism on regional development, with a specific focus on eco-friendly practices and social entrepreneurship. Religious pilgrimages play a significant role in stimulating the tourism sector, hence, creating economic prospects on a global scale. Nevertheless, the extent of scholarly investigation about the impact of implementing eco-friendly practices on nearby communities, particularly within the context of religious pilgrimage destinations, remains minimal. The primary objective of this research centres on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine located in Jammu and Kashmir renowned for its widespread praise and profound cultural importance. A qualitative methodology was employed to …

Confucian Virtue Ethics And Tourists’ Response To Spiritual Destinations: Ho Chi Minh City, An Sor Model Approach, Nguyen Van Si, Vo Duy Minh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study aims to identify key factors that impact tourists’ responses, such as electronic word of mouth, and revisit intention to spiritual destinations. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study introduces ritual propriety in Confucian Virtue Ethics as a new ‘stimulus’, along with destination image and tourism facilities. In addition, this study introduces spiritual belief and gratitude as two new ‘organisms’ together with destination attachment. The quantitative analysis of 470 spiritual tourists’ responses in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed that ritual propriety, destination image, and tourism facilities as ‘stimuli’, impact gratitude, spiritual belief, and destination attachment as ‘organisms’, resulting …

Pilgrimage In The 12th Century: From The Ancient Travel Practices To Religious Tourism Routing Practices, Mafalda Martins Nascimento, Luís Mota Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimages assumed a crucial importance in the Middle Ages and in religious history in general, having always mobilised thousands of people worldwide. Travel in general and movements for religious reasons still assume an extraordinary relevance in the tourist sector, providing an important contribution to regional and local development involving sacred places, creating value and benefiting local populations. Thematic tourism routing is a component of the offer (endogenous resources transformed into attractions), planned from the local (local circuit) to the global (international route).

In this medieval context some religious-military orders assumed a relevant role at a socioeconomic level, whose legacy is …

The Eyes Of Csr: Creating A Consulting Methodology To Bring Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Into Established Organizations, Raven V. Brookes-Mcdougall

Student Theses and Dissertations

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a crucial aspect of the corporate mindset, driven by the increasing demand for ethical and sustainable practices. Despite the strong business case for its implementation, CSR deployment often lacks strategic direction. This capstone project, titled "The Eyes of CSR: Creating a Consulting Methodology to Bring Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility into Established Organizations," aims to develop a universally applicable framework for integrating CSR into established organizations. This will be achieved through an extensive literature review that explores the multifaceted nature of CSR, including its history, benefits, challenges, criticisms, and various approaches.

The resulting framework emphasizes …

Invited Paper: Augmenting Pilgrimage With Ai: Walking The Kumano Kodō Iseji With A Digital Companion, Wayne E. Arnold, John A. Shultz

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Can a pilgrimage feel sacred when walking it alongside an artificial intelligence? In early 2025, we set out with a custom-built AI companion to walk the 170km Kumano Kodō Iseji route, exploring how digital tools might reshape one of Japan’s oldest pilgrimage paths. Rather than replacing the traditional experience, the AI deepened it by providing real-time translations, historical context, and even companionship during long stretches of remote trail. This field reflection explores how AI, when thoughtfully programmed and intentionally used, can augment sacred travel without diminishing its meaning. Walking with AI allowed us to engage more fully with the layered …

Religious Festivals: A Niche Celebration To Foster Economic And Socio-Cultural Sustainability, Pooja R, Sathiyabamavathy K Dr

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Festivals are a distinct type of celebration and have the potential to boost the economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism. This case study analysis focuses on the Chithirai festival, a well-known and recognised religious festival in South India that attracts many visitors yearly. The festival is celebrated in Madurai, southern Tamil Nadu, popularly known as India’s cultural capital. The unique Chithirai festival commemorates various narratives from Hindu scriptures, the most notable of which is the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswaran. This article delves into the festival’s economic and socio-cultural contributions and its historical and religious implications. The …

Examination Of The Interaction Of Tourism Seasonality, Hospitality Enterprise Size, And Patronage Rate In Visitor Flow Dynamics In Kisumu Region, Kenya., Destaings N. Nyongesa, Mathias M. Amata, Samuel Irungu

ICHRIE Research Reports

Tourism seasonality has significantly impacted hospitality enterprises' financial stability and operational efficiency. However, its interaction with enterprise size and patronage rate remains underexplored, particularly in urban destinations such as Kisumu Region, Kenya. This study examines how tourism seasonality, hospitality enterprise size, and patronage rate influence visitor flow dynamics. A mixed-methods research design was adopted; the study integrated quantitative analysis of visitor numbers with qualitative insights from key industry stakeholders. Results indicate that Seasonality significantly affects visitor numbers, with larger enterprises exhibiting more pronounced seasonal fluctuations than smaller ones. However, patronage rates do not significantly moderate these trends, suggesting that customer …

Be Ready For What's Next: A Reflection On My Internship With Kpmg, Megan L. Bundren

Honors Theses

During my audit internship with KPMG in Dallas, I had the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge from the Patterson School of Accountancy to real-world client engagements across a variety of industries. I participated in substantive testing, financial statement tie-outs, depreciation analysis, and internal control evaluations, which deepened my understanding of audit standards and procedures. My training at KPMG’s Lakehouse in Orlando and use of tools like KPMG Clara Workflow and Microsoft Excel’s DataSnipper enhanced my technical skills and audit efficiency. I also gained insight into global collaboration through KPMG’s Global Delivery Center in India. Through engagements such as Seaport Entertainment …

From Privilege To Purpose: The Role Of Entrepreneurial Educators In Building Good Lives Within Planetary Boundaries For All, Lucia Walsh, Olivia Freeman

Conference papers

Questions We Care About: The question we care about is: How can we recognise and leverage our privilege and relational power to drive efforts in entrepreneurship education responsibly to foster a systemic change that will support a good life within planetary boundaries for all? Entrepreneurship is about creating value and by reframing what ‘value’ means, we can begin to shift our own mindsets and those of our students. Adopting regenerative approaches that focus on achieving good lives for all within planetary boundaries (Raworth, 2017) can transform business-as-usual. We posit that a crucial first step is to turn inward, developing awareness …

Exploring Contemporary Issues Through Accounting Case Studies, Emaline Myers

Honors Theses

This thesis was completed as part of the course “Accounting 420- Independent Study” under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson and includes a collection of five case studies exploring the role of accounting, ethics, and policy in today’s world. Each case investigates how financial information, government decisions, and business strategy intersect, and what that means for professionals entering the accounting field. The topics covered in this thesis range from international financial fraud to environmental disclosures, military spending, public education, and small business development. Several key takeaways emerged from the completion of these cases. Case Study I highlights issues in global …