Digital Commons Network^™

Utah Women And Skilled Trades, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Currently more than 8 million people in the US work in the construction and skilled trades industries, which have historically been referred to as “blue-collar” jobs.¹ The numbers will likely increase as there is a growing demand for skilled labor across the US because of the retirements of experienced tradespeople and the fact that fewer young people are pursuing these fields. Estimates show that by 2030, more than 40.0% of the current skilled trades and construction workforce will retire, leaving these industries with a critical worker shortage.² Projections suggest that in the US by 2030, the skilled trades …

Mitigating Renewal Risk In Banks: An Analysis Of Ai Adoption, Customer Loyalty And Macroeconomic Conditions, Mackenzie M. Cauthorn

ASPIRE 2026

Renewal risk, the uncertainty surrounding whether customers will continue existing financial relationships such as loans, deposits, credit lines, or insurance products, poses a growing challenge for modern banks because customer retention is critical for revenue stability, cross-selling opportunities, and long-term profitability. This study examines how the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in banking interacts with macroeconomic conditions to influence renewal risk and customer attrition. Specifically, the research addresses three primary questions: (1) whether macroeconomic conditions, such as perceived economic health, inflation concerns, unemployment expectations, and personal financial confidence, affect the likelihood and timing of banking product renewal; (2) how AI …

The Robin Hood Effect In Transgressions Against Firms: How Political Ideology Shapes Consumer Justifications, Jason D. Lin, Anat Keinan, Hannah H. Chang, Donald R. Lehmann

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Consumer transgressions against firms involve moral violations in which consumers take advantage of loopholes in companies’ return and satisfaction-guaranteed policies or the lack of strict enforcement against password sharing, piracy, shoplifting, wardrobing, coupon stacking, promotion abuse, and fraud. Drawing on the timeless tale of Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw who stands up against injustice, the authors demonstrate that consumers use a Robin Hood justification to legitimize their transgressions against firms. Building on moral foundations theory, this research demonstrates that political ideology impacts consumers’ transgression behavior and the perceived morality of these practices. Six studies show that under certain conditions in …

The Ultimate Advertisement: Comparing The Effectiveness Of Simple And Complex Designs In Instagram Reels, Caroline Green

Honors Projects

This study investigates whether simple or complex design is more effective in portraying in short form video advertisements on social media. The purpose of this research is to inform organizations how to more effectively and efficiently create social media advertisements to best communicate their brand and products. An experimental design was used to test short video advertisements for a fictional brand. The ads differed by Feature Complexity, i.e. the basic visual features, such as color, luminance, or edges; and Design Complexity, i.e. the more elaborate shapes, objects, and patterns (Pieters et al., 2010). High feature complexity was more effective in …

Research On The Impact Of Industrial-Financial Cooperation On Corporate R&D Investment, Jiayin Yin

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The national industrial-financial cooperation pilot policy represents a key strategic initiative to implement China's strategy of building a "financial powerhouse" and guide financial resources toward empowering high-quality development in the real economy. In December 2016, four central government departments in China jointly announced the first batch of national industrial-financial cooperation pilot cities. Leveraging this quasi-natural experiment, this study comprehensively evaluates the impact of the pilot policy on corporate R&D investment activities using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2014 to 2019.

Research findings indicate: (1) The industrial-financial cooperation pilot policy significantly increases enterprises' R&D investment levels. Specifically, compared …

Buckeye Property Consulting, Stephen Manning

Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection

This business plan outlines the creation and strategic development of Buckeye Property Consulting, a startup firm specializing in compliance consulting for affordable housing property management companies. The plan addresses the growing demand for expert support in navigating complex regulatory requirements associated with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) programs. Through industry and market analysis, the document identifies a service gap faced by small to mid‑sized property management firms that lack sufficient in‑house compliance resources but cannot afford large national consulting firms. The plan details the company’s mission, value proposition, service offerings, competitive …

Military Recruiting Crisis: A Qualitative Study On The Motivation Of Generation Z, Ruth D. Kane

PhD in Organizational Leadership

This qualitative study investigates the declining motivation of Generation Z to join the U.S. military, using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a framework. Despite significant investments in recruitment, enlistment rates continue to decline, revealing a gap between military structures and the psychological needs of potential recruits. SDT provides a useful perspective by emphasizing the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in motivating and promoting well-being. Through in-depth interviews with eight Gen Z individuals eligible for service, this study explores how social, cultural, and institutional factors influence perceptions of military service and career decisions. Results indicate that motivation to enlist increases when …

The Age Of Hr Delivering Stakeholder Value Through Strategic Organizational Capability: Talent, Leadership, And Culture, Anthony Nyberg, Rebecca R. Kehoe, Dave Ulrich, Patrick M. Wright

Research Briefs

A landmark collection of 62 chapters from the world’s foremost thinkers in HR strategy, talent management, and organizational leadership—written at the inflection point where AI, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving stakeholder expectations are reshaping the future of work and the humans at its center.

2026 Private Capital Markets Report, Craig R. Everett

Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Report

The Pepperdine private cost of capital survey was originally launched in 2007 and is the first comprehensive and simultaneous investigation of the major private capital market segments. This year’s survey specifically examined the behavior of senior lenders, asset‐based lenders, mezzanine funds, private equity groups, venture capital firms, angel investors, privately‐held businesses, investment bankers, business brokers, limited partners, and business appraisers. The Pepperdine survey investigated, for each private capital market segment, the important benchmarks that must be met in order to qualify for capital, how much capital is typically accessible, what the required returns are for extending capital in today’s economic …

Book Review - Olympic Outliers: Brisbane 2032 And The Future Of The Olympic Games, Robert Sroka

Global Sport Business Journal

This book review examines Olympic Outliers: Brisbane 2032 and the Future of the Olympic Games by Peter English, a multidisciplinary analysis of Brisbane's  appointment as host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The book argues that Brisbane's selection as a mid-sized, regionally focused outlier host reflects a turning point in the Olympic Movement driven by IOC governance reform, shifting geopolitics, and a scarcity of competing megacity bids. Evaluated across four chapters addressing bidding history, legacy planning, media framing, and broader implications for future host selection, the book demonstrates considerable scholarly and practical value. Drawing on robust primary and secondary …

Staging Technological Change: Media Ecology, Cultural Memory, And Fantasy Theme Analysis In The Tesla Cybertruck Unveiling, John Rodgers

Communication Theses

This thesis examines contemporary product launches as communicative events, arguing that they help shape how technological change is publicly interpreted and remembered. Drawing on media ecology and cultural memory, and using Fantasy Theme Analysis as the primary method, the study analyzes Tesla’s 2019 Cybertruck unveiling as a case of symbolic meaning-making at the moment of introduction and in its immediate circulation. The analysis identifies four dominant fantasy themes that organize the launch’s symbolic world and cohere into a rhetorical vision presenting Tesla as a disruptive actor introducing a resilient technology for an already arriving future. It then traces how that …

Immersive Experiences And Brand Equity: Ar And Vr As Engagement Tools For Gen Z In Art Studio Start-Ups, Helena F. Allman, Erol Pala, Hilmi A. Atadil, Felicia N. Morgan, Alison J. Green, Qiulin Lu

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The paper examines the distinct roles of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and personal storytelling in influencing consumer-based brand equity. The work explores how VR-based art experiences enhance sensory and emotional engagement and how AR-based experiences increase interactivity and creative participation of Gen Z art studio patrons. The inclusion of the business owner’s personal story narrative is expected to strengthen perceived brand authenticity and emotional connection. From a theoretical perspective, this work will extend experiential marketing theory by showing how immersive technologies and authentic narratives shape consumer experiences, particularly for Generation Z consumers. From a managerial standpoint, the study …

A Labor Market Unleashed: College Football Labor Substitution In The Transfer Portal Era, Adrian M. Simion, Jeremy M. Losak, Catalina Bush

Sport Management - All Scholarship

College football's labor market has been transformed by litigation-driven regulatory change eliminating long-standing mobility restrictions. Central to this transformation is a new roster construction dilemma — whether to acquire experienced collegiate talent through the transfer portal or invest in traditional high school recruiting. Using a fixed effects panel of 127 Football Bowl Subdivision programs across six recruiting cycles (2019–2024), we examine whether schools substitute transfers for high school recruits. Three findings emerge. First, portal activity is associated with reduced three-star recruiting but no relationship with four-star or five-star prospects, with substitution driven by quantity rather than quality. Second, substitution is …

2026 Gsba Conference Abstracts

Global Sport Business Journal

Conference abstracts from the 2026 GSBA Conference "Ideas in Motion"

Post-Covid Update: Magic Can Still Happen, Michelle C. Dziurgot

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In this editorial, Dr. Michelle Dziurgot addresses the persistent staffing shortages in dentistry six years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares personal insights on managing a leaner practice by utilizing virtual assistants, cross-training existing staff, and emphasizing the "TEAM" philosophy—Trust, Education, Accountability, and Magic. Dziurgot discusses the transition to new practice models and the importance of patient communication during times of limited personnel. Ultimately, the piece encourages practice owners to find innovative ways to maintain high standards of care and team morale despite a difficult labor market.

See These Great Speakers And Their Programs At Annual Session!, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This feature highlights the speaker lineup and curriculum for the 2026 MDA Annual Session in Grand Rapids. The program offers diverse continuing education tracks for the entire dental team, including pediatric dentistry, oral pathology, risk management, and practice growth strategies. Notable speakers include clinical experts, legal professionals, and motivational keynotes. The document also explains the transition to a simplified registration system using one-day or full conference passes, allowing attendees more flexibility to choose sessions on-site without pre-registering for individual courses.

Evaluating Current And Prospective Major League Soccer Marketing Strategies To Spanish Speakers In The United States, Larissa Lee

Honors Theses

This quantitative study identifies the relationship between Spanish-language marketing and Major League Soccer (MLS) fandom and support among consumers. Data were collected by administering a survey in both English and Spanish to ensure inclusivity and increase accessibility. A total of 497 responses were collected, and a series of simple linear regressions were conducted using SPSS to evaluate if MLS fandom and team support could be predicted by language preference for marketing campaigns, perceptions of current Spanish-language content availability, cultural representation, cultural inclusion, and demand for more Spanish-language content.

Results indicated statistically significant differences across all hypotheses. Regarding the dependent variable …

Assessing Tracking Error Of The Municipal Bond Etfs, Maksym Chikin

Honors Theses

Municipal bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide diversified exposure to state and local government bonds through a single tradable security. They also provide interest that is usually exempt from federal income tax. This thesis examines 31 investment-grade and 3 high-yield municipal bond ETFs from April 2015 to February 2025 and compares them with three passively managed broad-market bond ETFs: BND (investment-grade bonds), SCHR (Treasury bonds), and JNK (high-yield corporate bonds). Using tracking error, volatility, and returns across the pre-COVID, COVID, and post-COVID periods, the results show that municipal bond ETFs—especially high-yield funds—have higher tracking errors, greater volatility, and more variable returns …

Ethical Attitudes Of Emerging Entrepreneurs: Unethical Business Practices And Informal Entrepreneurship, Reuben Mcdonald

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to analyze the connection between how entrepreneurs’ ethical attitudes impact their intentions in pursuing informal entrepreneurship practices. The research question of this thesis is, “To what extent do the ethical attitudes of pre-venture entrepreneurs affect their willingness to engage in informal business practices?” To answer this question, the researcher utilized both previously validated and developed scales to measure how ethical attitudes impact the informal entrepreneurship intentions of college students. Within this thesis, the researcher discusses the creation of the measurement instrument, the results of the data measured by the instrument, and the impact of ethical attitudes on …

An Austrian Approach To Accounting Regulation: How Policy Intervention Distorts The Market For Assurance Services, Kyan Howe

Student Scholarship

This thesis applies the causal-realist method of the Austrian School of Economics to the market for assurance services in the United States. The central argument is that post-crisis accounting regulation has systematically distorted the incentive structures of independent public accounting firms in ways regulators do not predict and cannot fully control. Financial crises, properly understood through Austrian Business Cycle Theory, originate in monetary distortions rather than market failure. Post-crisis regulatory responses nonetheless target the profession rather than the underlying distortion, introducing rules that alter the institutional constraints within which auditors exercise professional judgment.

The thesis develops a judgment-based equation of …

Gsbj Editor's Note

Global Sport Business Journal

Editor's Note for Volume 11 (2026)

Book Review - The Fast Track, Darlene A. Kluka

Global Sport Business Journal

This review examines The Fast Track by Jane McManus, a timely analysis of the commercial rise of women’s sport in the United States. McManus challenges the persistent narrative of low consumer demand, reframing it as a consequence of historical underinvestment and limited infrastructure. Drawing on industry data, stakeholder interviews, and economic analysis, the book highlights key growth drivers, including media rights, sponsorship alignment, and athlete-led digital visibility. It also situates these developments within broader social and political contexts, addressing issues of equity, representation, and governance. While primarily U.S.-focused, the book offers a compelling market diagnosis and underscores women’s sport as …

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

Data Tracking And Analytics Within Inventory Management: Coffee Shop And Retail Store Optimization, Mateo J. Moyon

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the application of inventory management theory in the small and medium-sized business context, with a specific focus on the food and beverage industry. Drawing on the foundational academic literature spanning from Harris’s EOQ formula in 1913 through stochastic inventory theory, ABC analysis, and just-in-time strategy, this paper establishes the mathematical and operational bases for modern inventory management practice. Although there are proven value to these frameworks, research demonstrates that small to medium sized businesses adopt inventory management systems at lower rates citing cost and implementation as barriers. This thesis argues that the emergence of low-cost inventory and …

Curating Attendee-Centered Corporate Event Experiences Through The Strategic Implementation Of Psychological Principles, Alexis G. Mullendore

Senior Theses

This thesis explores how psychological principles can inform event professionals’

decisions in the planning and execution of attendee-centered corporate events. In the modern

experience economy, corporations increasingly prioritize engaging, high-production events for

employees and stakeholders, while attendee expectations for immersive, spectacle experiences

continue to rise. Therefore, the importance of designing corporate events that balance clients’

fiscal and objective needs with attendees’ experience-driven expectations has become

increasingly recognized. This shift toward a human-focused approach prompted the researcher to

examine how psychological principles can inform the design and execution of events. The

project was conducted through a three-phase research process consisting of …

Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …

Profit Vs. Principle: How Formula 1 Navigates Their Global Brand Perception In The Middle East, James R. J. Celli

Senior Theses

This thesis explores how Formula 1 (F1) tries to balance its growing economic goals with the ethical questions that come with expanding into the Middle East. As F1 continues to host races in countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, concerns have grown about whether the sport is being used for “sportswashing,” where major sporting events are meant to improve the image of governments with poor human rights records. At the same time, F1 promotes values like sustainability, equality, and human rights, which makes this situation even more complex.

The goal of this research is …

Crafting Sustainability: Fiber Artists And The Limits Of Sustainable Production, Hallie R. Cole

Senior Theses

This research examines the role of individual fiber artists in advancing sustainability within the slow fashion movement, with particular attention to the operational decisions that shape sustainable craft practices. Scholars and practitioners acknowledge that individual fiber artists are not only key agents in sustainable production but are foundational to the existence and persistence of the slow fashion movement; however, the existing literature mainly focuses on firms or consumer behavior. Motivated by the need to fill this important research gap, this research aims to understand the decision-making of fiber artists with the goal of enhancing the progress of the Slow Fashion …

Social Media Engagement And Financial Performance In Apparel Retail, Emily M. Burke

Student Publications

As companies increasingly rely on social media to engage with consumers, questions remain about whether social media metrics translate into measurable financial outcomes.This study investigated whether changes in Instagram engagement metrics predicted financial performance among publicly traded apparel and lifestyle retail companies. Social media data, including the number of posts and average likes, were collected manually for February 2025 and February 2026. Financial data, including adjusted stock prices and year-over-year quarterly revenue growth, were collected from Yahoo Finance. The final sample included 28 companies after removing outliers and cases with missing data. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that percent change …

The Cost Of Silence, Sabine Benoit

Asian Management Insights

From wellness myths to financial hype, the real risk is not just misinformation—it’s misinformed decision-making. When confidence becomes a proxy for credibility, strategies and sensibility drift. Here’s how leaders can raise the evidence bar and institutionalise independent challenge.