Digital Commons Network^™

Ai You Can Trust: Understanding The Role Of Structural Assurance And Situational Normality In The Use Of Generative Ai, Olushola Bunmi Abayomi

Dissertations

The rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has increased its use in productivity, content creation, and decision support; however, adoption depends on user trust, as GenAI performs tasks that are often associated with human judgment. Drawing on the Trust in Technology Model, this dissertation examines how structural assurance and situational normality influence Trust in GenAI, and how Trust in GenAI affects trusting intentions and users' willingness to depend on GenAI. Structural assurance and situational normality, captured through several factors, were modeled as antecedents of Trust in GenAI and, in turn, trusting intentions. The model was tested using survey-based experimental …

Identifying The Threshold: Using Regulatory Focus As A Predictor Of Ceo Adaptibility During Environmental Changes, George B. Constantine Iii

Dissertations

Building on research on CEO turnover and strategic leadership, this study examines how decision makers' regulatory focus shapes strategic decision-making and how this can contribute to performance decline, often resulting in CEO replacement. Drawing on regulatory focus theory, the study theorizes that measurable chronic regulatory focus attributes influence decision makers’ capacity to adapt to environmental change—conditions under which prior research suggests executives may become rigid and persist with established strategies. Despite its relevance for strategic adaptation, such chronic trait behavior has received limited attention in the current business literature. To address this gap, effectuation theory is integrated into a simulation-based …

The Evolution Of The Modern Library Brand: Transforming Community Engagement Into Sustainable Revenue, Slone Williams

Georgia Library Quarterly

This article examines the development of the Cobb Library Shop, an e-commerce initiative launched by the Cobb County Public Library to generate sustainable funding through brand engagement. Built on a modest startup budget, the shop integrates a multichannel sales strategy and leverages internal talent to create a scalable, community-centered retail model.

The project achieved a full return on investment within 14 days and continues to demonstrate steady revenue expansion. By combining entrepreneurial practices with public service values, this case study highlights how libraries can diversify funding streams, enhance community engagement, and establish a replicable model for revenue-generating library systems.

Exploring Factors Related To Retention Of Young Soccer Officials, Jacob K. Tingle, Lynn L. Ridinger, David J. Hancock, Joseph Foran, Lucas Ribeiro

School of Business Faculty Research

Purpose/Rationale

The purpose of this study was to examine factors (needs and motivations) that contribute to retention of young soccer officials.

Design/Methodology/Approach

An online survey was distributed to soccer referees who received their first USSF officiating license as a juvenile.

Findings:

Correlational and regression analyses yielded five key findings: (1) Self-Determination Theory (SDT) principles are salient to retention; (2) Intrinsic Motivation and Sense of Community significantly impact retention; (3) variables across scales were highly correlated and had large effect sizes; (4) findings were similar across demographic variables; and (5) small increases to Relatedness and Choice had a large impact on …

Managing Inventory In The Supply Chain, Matthew J. Drake

Open Education Materials

Inventory represents a significant investment for most organizations and enables its operations to fulfill customer requirements. Effective inventory management frees critical working capital that the organization can use elsewhere while making sure products and services are available for customers. This book discusses the fundamental concepts of managing inventory within the supply chain and also describes methods for making inventory decisions in a variety of business scenarios.

A Deep Reinforcement Learning Framework For Dynamic Order And Rack Scheduling In Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems, Lingjun Wang, Bayi Cheng, Zhiguang Cao, Aldy Gunawan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Robotic mobile fulfillment systems play a vital role in modern e-commerce, but their efficiencydepends on overcoming a critical challenge: coordinating orders and racks effectively under dynamicorder arrivals, diverse delivery deadlines, and resource sharing among multiple stations. This papertackles the resulting dynamic order and rack scheduling problem and proposes an intelligentscheduling framework centred on deep reinforcement learning. At its core is TriNet-PPO, whichtrains a scheduling policy using TriNet, a tripartite graph neural network encoder tailored to capturethe many-to-many relationships among orders, racks, and items. Furthermore, we introduce IPCSA,an integer programming-based cooperative scheduling algorithm that maps station-level actionpreferences to conflict-free joint decisions …

Bank Competition Amid Digital Disruption: Implications For Financial Inclusion, Erica Xuewei Jiang, Gloria Yang Yu, Jinyuan Zhang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We examine how digital disruption affects bank competition using the staggered rollout of 3G mobile networks. 3G expansion increased mobile banking adoption among tech-savvy households, reducing branch networks—especially in younger counties. Banks' strategies diverged: Less branch-reliant banks closed branches and competed on price, while more branch-reliant banks maintained branches but raised spreads. A structural model shows that perceived digital service improvements among younger consumers drove these shifts, reducing welfare for older savers. Counterfactuals demonstrate that subsidizing adoption for older savers can cost-effectively reduce these disparities, facilitating a smoother digital transition.

Financing Transition In A Hydrocarbon Economy: The Uae Case, Suzanna Elmassah, Mahmoud Elrefai

All Works

The objective of this paper is to examine the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a test case of Gulf energy transition finance by analyzing how a hydrocarbon-dependent economy is constructing the financial, regulatory, and institutional architecture required to move from net-zero pledges to climate finance flows. Rather than treating climate finance as a set of isolated instruments, the paper conceptualizes the UAE’s approach as a state-led transition-finance model shaped by Gulf state capitalism, sovereign wealth accumulation, national oil company strategy, financial regulation, and post-COP28 climate diplomacy. Using a qualitative policy and institutional review, the paper maps the UAE’s transition-finance architecture …

Measuring Administrative Hiring Confidence Of Music Teachers In The Context Of Shallow Hiring Pools, Aaron M. Strum

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the confidence of K-12 administrators in hiring music faculty. This study also aimed to analyze administrators’ perspectives and confidence in key stages of the hiring process, including defining job expectations, posting, advertising, interviewing, and selecting highly specialized music teachers in K-12 settings. Confidence of K-12 administrators can be gauged through their understanding of how well an applicant aligns with the specific needs of the school’s program. Three research questions guided this investigation: (1a) How confident are K-12 administrators in their understanding of music teaching pedagogy when interviewing music teacher candidates …

Retention During Turbulent Times Of Higher Education: Modeling Intent To Leave Academia For Research University Faculty, Jordan Monroe Ball

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

University faculty operate as the lifeblood of any institution given that their job requires a “double duty” to develop both scholarly research and student minds. Due in large part to these expectations, research shows a long history of poor mental health for faculty, which ultimately results in faculty turnover. One model of faculty work motivation (Padilla et al., 2023) details the way in which the faculty work environment influences their mental health, and subsequently informs their job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to leave academia, which serves as a proxy for turnover. Retention related issues have not been a pressing …

A Correlational Study Exploring The Influence Of Organizational Climate On Job Satisfaction Of Non-Faculty Staff At Texas Community Colleges, Tamesha M. Hilliard-Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As U.S. higher education institutions face increasing challenges related to employee morale and retention, understanding the drivers of workplace satisfaction is critical for institutional stability. This research investigates the relationships between organizational climate factors and job satisfaction among staff within Texas community colleges, applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene as the theoretical framework. Specifically, this study explores the influence of institutional communication, employee well-being, and organizational mission and pride on staff job satisfaction. Utilizing a quantitative correlational design, the study analyzed secondary data from ModernThink’s Higher Education Insight Survey©. The sample consisted of 2,265 higher education professionals collected …

Business Responsibility And Sustainability In India : A Comprehensive Analysis Of Brsr Disclosures Of India’S Top 1,000 Listed Companies For Fy 2024–25, Rajeev Ranjan Tripathi, Aditya Gupta, Mohan Krishna, Sonika Gandhi

Monograph and Other Reports

The intersection of capital markets, corporate governance, and sustainable development has, over three decades, given rise to a transformative shift in management practice: the systematic disclosure and evaluation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. Once confined to niche ethical investment circles, ESG reporting has evolved into a mainstream imperative, shaping investment decisions, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder expectations across both developed and emerging economies. Today, ESG performance is no longer an addendum to financial reporting but a substantive dimension of enterprise value and long-term organisational legitimacy. India’s ESG reporting journey reflects a trajectory of incremental but decisive policy evolution. The …

From The Editor: Is Giving Actually Better Than Receiving?, Romesh Nalliah

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial examines the relationship between generosity, volunteerism, and well-being. Using the Michigan Dental Association Foundation’s Mission of Mercy as a focal point, the author highlights research suggesting that prosocial behavior can improve mental and physical health while benefiting communities in need. The article encourages oral health professionals to use their skills and resources to support underserved populations through volunteer service, mentorship, and community engagement.

J Mich Dent Assoc August 2026

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association delivers news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200-plus members. It remains the main publication reaching Michigan dentists and is available worldwide through ADA Commons.

The August 2026 (Volume 108, No. 8) issue of the Journal is published in print format to provide updates and insights for Michigan's oral health community and MDA members. Print editions occur every other month beginning with January.

The August 2026 issue of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association explores clinical, professional, legal, leadership, and public …

The Impact Of State Insulin Copayment Caps On Diabetics In The United States, Ryan C. Meyer

All Theses

Insulin is a life-saving medication for people with diabetes that helps regulate blood glucose levels throughout the body. A Type 1 diabetic cannot survive without insulin, and a Type 2 diabetic’s quality of life greatly diminishes without access and use of this drug. Currently, many diabetics skip, ration, or abstain from insulin due to financial barriers. As of June 2026, 29 states have enacted insulin copayment caps for state-regulated commercial health insurance plans to reduce the financial burden of insulin costs. This study examines the impact of these caps on all commercially insured diabetics in the United States, particularly on …

Strategic Ties That Bind: How Founder Identity Shapes Enduring Imprints Across The Firm And Community, Michelle Gras

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines how founder identity creates long-lasting imprints on organizations and the communities in which they operate by researching a historical case study in the U.S. textile industry.  This research responded to calls in the imprinting literature for greater attention to secondhand imprinting mechanisms, multiple sensitive periods, and durability of founder influence over time (Marquis & Tilcsik, 2013; Marquis & Qiao, 2025) and draws upon the theoretical lenses of founder identity theory (Fauchart & Gruber, 2011) and organizational imprinting theory (Stinchcombe, 1965; Marquis & Tilcsik, 2013).  The findings suggest that founder identity persistence is not solely a consequence of …

The Information Content Of The Implied Volatility Term Structure Slope For Forecasting Commodity Market Volatility, Lawrence E. Mckenzie

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

This study evaluates the implied volatility term structure (IVTS) slope (𝜅) for forecasting 21-day realized volatility against traditional time-series benchmarks and a 3-month continuous futures baseline. Using a matched sample of eight energy and agricultural commodities spanning 2007 to 2019, the study explicitly tests whether the option-implied slope contains unique predictive information beyond deferred price histories. The empirical findings yield three primary insights. First, redundancy testing indicates that the slope parameter delivers a statistically significant, independent risk signal even when controlling for deferred continuous futures paths. Second, an integrated joint encompassing framework that combines near-term historical volatility, generalized autoregressive conditional …

Transnational Social Protections And The Market: Seeking Support From The Global Cruise Industry, Yasmin Y. Ortiga

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Migration studies have mostly portrayed employers as paternalistic or exploitative, creating the very conditions that make migrants’ lives insecure and unstable. This paper challenges this view by showing how the market can also be an unlikely source of protections, where extractive work conditions co-exist with a certain degree of social support. Drawing on interviews with 45 Filipino cruise workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, I discuss how migrants used a logic of employee rights to claim benefits such as food, housing and insurance. Cruise lines willingly provided such protections, but only while workers maintained active contracts onboard their ships. Rather than …

Exploring The Determinants Of User Discontinuance In Ai-Driven Usage-Based Insurance, Wenzhuo Li

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

While interest in algorithmic decision-making continues to grow, limited research has examined the post-adoption phase. This study examines how users evaluate their post-adoption experiences with algorithmic decision-making in the context of usage-based insurance (UBI), focusing on how expectation disconfirmation shapes satisfaction and the intention to discontinue use. It explores two key questions: What factors influence users’ discontinuance intention toward AI-based UBI systems? And how do specific algorithmic characteristics alter how users form these post-adoption evaluations? To investigate these questions, this study develops a comprehensive theoretical model that integrates the Expectation Confirmation Model and Reactance Theory, incorporating additional factors such as …

Women In Banking Leadership: A Qualitative Study On Experiences In Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling, Thelma E. De León García

Theses & Dissertations

Although women make up a substantial part of the banking workforce, they remain underrepresented in leadership roles due to barriers like the glass ceiling that limit their career advancement. Despite women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles, little research has examined their perspectives on the enablers of career advancement in this sector. This qualitative descriptive study explores the factors women identify as critical in breaking these barriers to attain leadership roles. Ten semi-structured interviews of women who hold a leadership position in banking were thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis and NVivo software. Guided by feminist theory, the …

Responsible & Ethical Ai Use: From Principles To Practice, Ila Lama

Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute Publications

This presentation explores responsible and ethical artificial intelligence through a practical framework centered on five core principles: fairness, transparency, accountability, privacy, and safety. It examines how ethical challenges surrounding AI are emerging across educational, organizational, creative, and societal contexts, including concerns related to bias, privacy, academic integrity, AI-generated content, and responsible decision-making. The presentation also introduces the Trust Cycle as a practical approach for moving from awareness and reflection to safe experimentation, feedback, and transformation, encouraging participants to critically evaluate AI use while maintaining human judgment, accountability, and trust.

Two Essays On Designing Conversational Agents: Varying Level Of Mimicry And Personality–Brand Congruence, Sama Ashouri

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Across two essays, this dissertation demonstrates that mimicry and personality shape consumers’ perceptions of chatbot intelligence, creativity, and fit, with downstream effects on recommendation acceptance that depend on factors such as mimicry intensity, brand familiarity.

Essay1: Mimicry, a central aspect of human interaction, is increasingly being examined in human–AI communication, particularly with chatbots. While prior research shows mimicry can build rapport, trust, and engagement, it has often been treated as a binary factor, overlooking how different levels may influence user perceptions. This research proposes and tests a dual-mediation framework in which different levels of chatbot mimicry affects recommendation acceptance through …

Structure Meets Context: A Simulation Study Of Centralized And Decentralized Decision-Making In Complex Environments, Murat Balci

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The question of when to centralize or decentralize decision-making authority is a foundational problem in organizational theory and management science. Yet existing research often favors decentralized structures, frequently treating them as universally superior, and provides limited guidance on when centralization may be more effective. Leaning toward decentralization without thoroughly exploring options leaves organizational designers without clear direction under varying environmental conditions. This study addresses that gap by developing and applying a simulation-based framework to evaluate the context-dependent effectiveness of centralized and decentralized decision-making structures.

Drawing on contingency theory and decision science, the study conceptualizes environmental complexity along two dimensions: dynamism …

Medical Firms’ Online Q&A Interactions: Effect Of Language Style On Investor Engagement, Runyu Wang, Keng Siau, Zili Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how language styles used by medical firms on digital question and answer (Q&A) platforms influence investor engagement. It examines the linguistic characteristics of managerial responses and compares their effects across industries, with a focus on the distinctive demands of medical communication.Design/methodology/approachWe analyze a panel dataset of 1,223 firm-month observations, constructed from 13,549 individual responses provided by 70 medical firms on a major Chinese web-based firm-investor Q&A platform over a 24-month period (2020–2021). Content analysis is used to assess linguistic features, such as first-person usage, uncertainty, understandability and concreteness. A two-way fixed effects model with clustered …

The Influence Of Leadership On Leader Retention, Ruiwei Li

Dissertations

Prior research provided limited insight into how mid-to-senior leaders experienced and interpreted leadership in relation to retention. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored how mid-to-senior leaders in a U.S. retail organization experienced and interpreted upper management leadership in relation to their retention decisions. Five leaders with at least four years of tenure participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Each account was analyzed idiographically before patterns of convergence, variation, and divergence were examined across cases. Findings showed that willingness to remain reflected continued internal growth and meaningful influence, supportive leadership that affirmed personal value while preserving agency, and relational and cultural …

Navigating The Dark Side: Emotional Labor's Impact On Hr Professionals' Wellness, Esmeralda Amelia Rendón

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to document and describe how female-identifying human resource (HR) generalist practitioners serving as sole or primary employee relations practitioners in small- to medium-sized organizations across the United States experience and manage emotional labor in their roles, cope with its demands, and how these experiences impact their wellness and perceptions of organizational support. Despite the centrality of emotional labor (EL) in human resource professionals’ (HRPs) roles, little was known about how HRPs in these underresourced environments cope with these demands. Data were collected through semistructured virtual interviews with eight participants and analyzed using Braun and …

The Impact Of Local Content Requirements Policy For 4g Lte Cell Phones On The Performance Of The Indonesian Telecommunications Industry, Gary Dabelza Abi, Mohamad Dian Revindo, Indri Br Situmorang

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

This study examines the impact of Indonesia's 2017 tightening of Local Content Requirements (LCR) for fourth-generation long-term evolution (4G LTE) mobile phones on firm performance in the telecommunications manufacturing industry, a setting characterized by a large domestic market but limited upstream electronics capability. Using firm-level data from the 2016 Economic Census and the 2017-2018 Large and Medium Manufacturing Survey, we examine the effects of raising the minimum LCR threshold from 20% to 30% on firm output, labor productivity, imported input intensity, and foreign capital ownership through pooled regressions with firm-level controls. The results show that the stricter LCR threshold is …

Unlocking The Past: Chemical Cleaning And Xrf Analysis In The Restoration Of A Renowned Work Of Art, Crisencio M. Paner

DLSU Arts Congress Conference Proceedings

This study presents the conservation and scientific analysis of a painting by Ang Kiukok, a prominent Filipino National Artist. The project emphasized preventive and restorative conservation, focusing on cleaning methods and pigment identification using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The findings provide valuable insights for developing effective preservation strategies and enhance our understanding of the artist’s materials and techniques, thereby contributing significantly to the documentation and advancement of Philippine art history. Conservation trainees, under expert supervision, followed a structured restoration process. For initial cleaning, three standard materials were used: Vulpex (a non-acidic liquid soap), Artist’s Picture Cleaner, and purified beeswax. These …

Participatory Approach To Revitalization Of Inclusive, Resilient, And Sustainable Public Space, Ma'ruf Ma'ruf, Firman Syakri Pribadi, Sari Surya, Suryadi Suryadi, Yofan Syarif

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 emphasizes the role of cities in providing safe, inclusive, and accessible green public spaces. Therefore, this study investigates the participation process in revitalizing a public space through the perspectives of various stakeholders, including religious, cultural, women, and youth leaders, on the revitalization of historical public spaces in Indonesia. A focus group discussion was conducted to capture stakeholder insights on the design of public space in Pariaman City, West Sumatra. Thematic analysis identified eight key themes relating to the design of Lapangan Merdeka and plans for revitalization. Participants emphasized the potential to evolve into a vibrant, …

Redefining Creativity: Exploring The Value Of Generative Ai In Art, Zaldy D. Duenas Iii

DLSU Arts Congress Conference Proceedings

Artificial intelligence (AI) has profoundly transformed human activities and industries, including education, business, healthcare, entertainment, and the arts. The creative and artistic sector, in particular, has been significantly impacted, giving rise to public discourse around AI-generated art, commonly termed "AI art ."Advances in generative AI tools have disrupted traditional artistic practices by enabling rapid and seamless image generation from text prompts. These emerging AI technologies have introduced various economic, legal, ethical, and philosophical debates surrounding creativity in AI-generated works. In line with this, this paper examines the implications of generative AI on art and creativity, posing the central question: "Can …