Digital Commons Network^™

Corporate Social Responsibility And Consumer-Brand Relationships: An Investor-Oriented Integrated Framework, Ada V. Campbell

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study examines the evolving landscape of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the European Union (EU) and the dynamics of the consumer–brand relationship (CBR), proposing an integrated theoretical framework for investor analysis. The EU's regulatory trajectory, marked by the transition from the Non-financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) alongside European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), signifies a paradigm shift towards mandatory, standardized, and audited sustainability disclosures. Concurrently, the strength of CBR, built on dimensions such as trust, self-connection, and commitment, profoundly influences consumer behavior, brand …

A Comprehensive Marketing Plan For Calvary Christian Academy, Emily Piwowarski

Senior Honors Theses

Marketing strategies have been implemented by companies for years. The outline of a marketing plan requires businesses to do extensive research on the industry they plan to enter, including evaluating the political, environmental, social, technological, economical, and legal factors that are affecting it. This research helps to form the marketing mix–the product, price, promotion, and place strategies-–which determine what the business will offer the industry and how it will make this offer. A business will then use marketing tactics to reach its target audience. Tactics that have risen along with the advancement of technology are social media marketing and search …

2026 Research Day Program, Lincoln Memorial University

Research Day

This program contains abstracts and presentation summaries from LMU's 2026 Annual Research Day conference.

The Impact Of R&D Team Diversity On Ambidextrous Innovation In Srdi Smes, Cheng Zhan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As a vital organizational form of R&D teams in specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative (SRDI) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), distributed teams have gradually emerged as a dynamic source of innovation for such enterprises. Against the backdrop of the (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) era, markets have imposed higher demands on enterprises' innovative and sustainable development capabilities, exerting substantial impacts on the growth of SRDI SMEs. Although the distributed R&D team model, developed through continuous exploration in=132=132enterprises' innovation practices, has drawn practical and scholarlyattention for its role in shaping ambidextrous innovation in SRDI SMEs, the internal mechanism underlying the relationship …

Valuing Biodiversity Impact, Han Wei Koh

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Biodiversity loss has emerged as a systemic challenge with far-reaching implications for ecological stability, economic activity, and long-term financial resilience. Despite growing recognition of nature-related risks in finance, biodiversity remains far less developed than climate within investment analysis, particularly at the portfolio level. This dissertation addresses that gap by examining how biodiversity impacts can be measured, valued, and interpreted within an investment portfolio concentrated in resilient and essential sectors of the economy.

The study constructs a Global Essential Economic Systems Portfolio comprising 16 publicly traded companies operating across non-discretionary sectors, including agriculture, energy, materials, pharmaceuticals, utilities, infrastructure, telecommunications, and financial …

The Impact Of Corporate Venture Capital On Financing And Innovation In Academic Entrepreneurial Firms, Tingting Luo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Amid the ongoing advancement of China’s innovation-driven development strategy, the effective transformation of scientific research into industrial impact has become a central concern. Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), as a strategic investment mechanism connecting industrial capital with entrepreneurial ventures, is increasingly viewed as a critical external resource for high-technology start-ups. At the same time, Academic Entrepreneurship Firms (AEFs), characterized by their deep research capabilities and original technological trajectories, play a distinctive role as knowledge suppliers in uncertain, emerging industries. However, whether AEFs can effectively attract CVC support and convert it into innovation performance remains an open empirical and theoretical question.

This …

The Impact Of Genai Guidance Strategies On Employee Ai Acceptance: A Field Experiment Based On Private Domain Marketing, Mai Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As a novel technological instrument for content production and customer communication, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has garnered significant attention for its value in private domain marketing. However, enterprises frequentlyencounter a paradox of high initial introduction rates coupled with a lackof substantive application. Employee apprehensions regarding the qualityof AI-generated content (AIGC) and organizational guidance strategies are critical factors impeding the realization of technological value. Drawing upon the technologyacceptance model (TAM), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology(UTAUT), and the task-technology fit (TTF), the study constructs a theoretical model positioning corporate AI guidance strategies as the independent variable andemployee AI …

Pitch Perfect: From Neural Perspective To Behavioural Outcomes—Live, Online, And Brochure, Randy Sison De Guzman

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Business presentations have long been a cornerstone of persuasion in business-to-business (B2B) markets. Yet, the rapid shift to virtual communication in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has left managers to grapple with a pressing question: Do online presentations measure up to traditional in-person meetings, or can asynchronous formats like brochure-only communication truly take the place of real-time pitching? While this question has clear relevance for everyday business practice, there is still relatively little empirical research to guide these decisions.

This dissertation draws on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to suggest that the way information is delivered shapes how people …

Ai-Assisted Thematic Analysis On Consumer Acceptance Of Upcycled Food In Asia, Oon Ling Lee

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Food waste overuses natural resources and is responsible for a considerable share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Coupled with the growing global food insecurity, food wastage appears even more irresponsible and showcases the inefficiencies of the current food system. These escalating global environmental concerns and strained planetary resources have necessitated sustainable food innovation (James & Sheena, 2025; Upadhyay, 2025), particularly the production of upcycled food (UF), a novel food product category transformed from production byproducts such as Okara, barley grain, and beer spent grain (Zhang et al., 2023). This upcycling process supports waste reduction, achieves a circular bioeconomy (Ribeiro et …

The Impact Of Brand Authenticity And Innovation On Stakeholder Behaviours, Jacky Xu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study employs a dual-perspective questionnaire survey, collecting data separately from corporate employees and brand consumers, and uses multiple regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The findings reveal the following: (1) both brand authenticity and innovation have significant positive effects on employee brand citizenship behaviour and consumer purchase intention; (2) brand commitment plays a negatively moderating role in these relationships, such that when stakeholders’ commitment levels are relatively low, the positive effects of brand authenticity and brand innovation on behaviour are stronger, whereas under conditions of high commitment, these effects are weakened, reflecting a substitution effect between emotional attachment and …

Enhancing Market Acceptance Of Sports Rehabilitation Services: A Perspective Of Public Health Literacy And Information Acquisition, Na Li

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This article takes public health literacy as its point of departure, constructs a theoretical model of “Health Literacy–Health Information Acquisition–Market Acceptance”, and introduces rehabilitation experience and service accessibility as moderating variables, in order to systematically examine the formation pathways and underlying mechanisms of market acceptance in the sports rehabilitation service sector.

This study adopts a combination of questionnaire survey and empirical analysis, collecting data from public samples across multiple regions and conducting statistical tests. The findings indicate that, Firstly, public health literacy has a statistically significant positive influence on the market acceptance of sports rehabilitation services. As the level of …

The Impact Of Mortality Awareness On Task And Relationship Leadership Styles, Sang Yeol Lee

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In current organizational management practice, the question of how leaders can transform the universal awareness of human finitude into constructive leadership is an issue that embodies both profound humanistic concern and significant managerial implications. Based on transcendence management theory and leadership style theory, this study explores how mortality awareness affects leaders’ task orientation and relationship orientation styles, revealing its underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. By conducting a three-wave, matched-pair questionnaire survey involving 203 enterprise managers and their subordinates, the theoretical hypotheses were tested. The findings are as follows: First, mortality awareness has a significant direct positive effect on both task-oriented …

The Impact Of De-Familization Of Governance Structures On Corporate Performance During The Intergenerational Succession Of Family Businesses, Jing Qiao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Intergenerational succession poses a vital challenge for family firms, with only 10% of global family businesses surviving to the third generation. Chinese family firms, growing alongside reform and opening-up, now face a critical succession period as founders average over 60 years old.

Based on 1932 A-share listed family firms from 2007 to 2024, this study theoretically and empirically examines how intergenerational succession affects corporate performance, investigates the mediating role of governance de-familization (management, ownership, control rights), and tests the moderating effect of intergenerational differences.

First, succession significantly harms financial and market performance: ROE falls by 1.330% and Tobin’s Q drops …

From Ancient Harmony To Modern Sustainability: Assessing The Coupling Of Taoist “Harmony Between Humanity And Nature” With Esg And Its Impact On Firm Innovation And Performance, Biyi Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the backdrop of intensifying global ecological crises, the ESG evaluation system has become a core metric for corporate sustainable development worldwide. However, the Western-dominated ESG system lacks crucial cultural dimensions in its application within Chinese corporate practices. The ecological wisdom embedded in the Taoist concept of “Harmony between Humanity and Nature” offers a significant philosophical foundation for the ESG localization. Extant research has focused on the influence of Confucian culture on ESG, with insufficient exploration of the modern managerial value of “Harmony between Humanity and Nature”. A scientific coupling framework linking this concept with ESG indicators has yet to …

Precision Or Invasion? Mapping The Personalization Paradox, Shyamala N. Chalakudi, Gnana Bharathy

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

AI-driven personalization has transformed consumer engagement, yet existing research offers no systematic way to determine when personalization shifts from helpful to intrusive. Current research and models explain privacy concerns or expectancy violations but do not measure the point at which personalization triggers user discomfort, creating the personalization paradox. This study introduces the Discomfort Threshold Assessment & Measurement (DTAM) framework, a conceptual model that identifies and evaluates this threshold by integrating Dual Process Theory, Expectation Violation Theory, and Privacy Calculus Theory. DTAM distinguishes between affective discomfort reactance and cognitive discomfort reactance and outlines how these constructs could, in future empirical studies, …

Budgeting Apps, Financial Literacy, And Financial Control, Max Masabo, Abdullah Mohammad Mahi

Presentations - 2026

Our paper shows the real hidden connections between budgeting app usage and financial wellbeing of U.S Households

Budgeting Apps, Financial Literacy And Financial Distress: Evidence From U.S. Households, Max Ngenzi Masabo

Posters - 2026

• First, it provides the first large-scale, nationally representative evidence on how budgeting app usage relates to household financial distress in the United States. Contrary to the intended purpose of these tools, we find that app users, especially frequent users, experience significantly higher levels of financial strain. • Second, we show that financial literacy is a critical moderating factor. The adverse association between budgeting apps and financial distress is substantially stronger among low-literacy individuals, highlighting financial literacy as an essential safeguard against harmful fintech outcomes. • Third, we identify behavioral mechanisms through which budgeting apps may exacerbate financial difficulties. App …

When The Jingle Isn't Human: How Ai-Generated Vs. Human Composed Sonic Branding Shapes Consumer Response, Zecong Ma, Hong-Hee Lee, Danielle Rangel

Posters - 2026

Sonic branding elements—such as sound logos and jingles—shape brand meaning by communicating cues that consumers process quickly and often implicitly (e.g., through affect, fit, and memory). Recent evidence suggests that even specific musical choices (like instrumentation in a sound logo) can shift perceived brand personality traits (e.g., sophistication, ruggedness), indicating that audio can function as a powerful identity signal rather than mere “background.” At the same time, generative AI is rapidly lowering the cost and increasing the speed of producing branded music, making AI-composed jingles a realistic and scalable tool for marketers. Yet consumer responses to AI-generated creative work are …

The Impact Of Targeted Marketing On The Health Of Teenagers In America: Regulatory Safeguards And Implications, Katelyn Overbay

Senior Theses

The rise of digital marketing has transformed how companies engage with consumers, particularly those that fall within the adolescent age group. Teenagers represent a uniquely vulnerable demographic due to the developmental stage they are in, making them especially susceptible to targeted advertising strategies that leverage data analytics, social media algorithms, and behavioral tracking. The aim of this study is to examine the direct and indirect impacts of targeted marketing on the physical, mental, and social health of teenagers in the United States. Drawing on existing literature, case studies, recent lawsuits, and regulatory analysis, the research gathered explores how industries such …

Exploring The U.S. Public Service Employees’ Experiences With Gamified Cybersecurity Awareness Training, Bisola Adepoju

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the U.S. public service employees' experiences with gamified cybersecurity awareness training. The primary research question guiding this inquiry was: How do U.S. public service employees make sense of their lived experiences with gamified cybersecurity awareness training? Two secondary questions examined what aspects of the training employees perceive as meaningful or disengaging, and how they interpret their motivation, engagement, and cybersecurity awareness during training. I chose an interpretive qualitative research design grounded in a constructivist paradigm and purposefully selected 11 U.S. public service employees who had participated in gamified cybersecurity awareness training. …

Conceptualizing Cancel Culture In Marketing: Moral Policing In A Hyperconnected World, T. Andrew Poehlman, Sairah Abraham

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The dynamics of marketing in society have shifted. Brands no longer sit at a distance broadcasting messages; they now occupy the same social networks as people, speaking in a human voice and inviting quasi-personal relationships. In this environment, we argue that corporate cancel culture is best understood as moral policing of brands that have chosen to act like human nodes in social networks. Drawing on hierarchy research, we frame cancellations as “leveling” responses when high-status brands behave in ways that feel domineering, hypocritical, or extractive rather than prestige-based and service-oriented. Using Moral Foundations Theory, we show how diverse cancellations can …

Mistargeted Advertising: The Impact Of Human Vs. Ai Error On Consumer Brand Perception, Abdulela Alshehri, Umair Usman

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized personalized advertising by enabling precise targeting based on consumer profiles, yet mistargeted ads—those falsely implying eligibility for benefits like premium credit cards—can trigger frustration, disappointment, and negative brand perceptions. This study examines how consumers respond to such errors when attributed to a human employee, an AI system, or an AI system with human oversight. Grounded in attribution theory (Folkes, 1988; Weiner, 2000), it tests perceived group homogeneity (Longoni et al., 2022) and negative self-perception (Grewal et al., 2019) as mediators, with belief in a just world (BJW; White et al., 2012) as a moderator. The …

The Psychology Of Acquisition, Consumption, And Disposition Of Clothing Among Consumers, Kamila Muratkyzy Buckle, Trang Phuc Tran

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This qualitative analysis investigates consumer behavior in the clothing industry, highlighting the importance of qualitative data in informing retail strategies and gaining a deeper understanding of the complex motivations and emotional connections consumers maintain with fashion brands. The analysis explores a variety of values that impact clothing acquisition, including affordability, quality, and ethical considerations, while investigating the influence of social media on consumer brand loyalty and purchase motivations. Through focus groups, interviews, and social media analysis, this research project emphasizes how retail brands can implement consumer insight to improve engagement. The results enrich the understanding of consumer behavior and provide …

Can Financial Literacy Enhance Esg Disclosures?, Xiaoran Jia, Kiridaran Kanagaretnam, Kiat Bee Jimmy Lee, Chee Yeow Lim

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using an international sample of firms and two country-level measures of financial literacy, we find robust evidence of a positive relation between financial literacy and firms' Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures. In cross-sectional analyses, we find that the effect of financial literacy in enhancing ESG disclosures is more prominent in poorer information environments, weaker legal institutions and weaker ESG reporting environments. Lastly, we find that financial literacy also enhances ESG performance. Our study contributes to and extends the literature by providing strong evidence that citizens' financial literacy enhances firms' ESG disclosure and the associated ESG performance.

Navigating The Ai Classroom: Integrating Ai In Education For Enhanced Learning And Career Readiness, Katryna M. Johnson

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This study employs an innovative approach by integrating AI and human endeavors in the research process. The examination provides a literature review and theoretical frameworks for integrating AI in education, focusing on three key stakeholder groups: students, faculty, and institutions. The analysis explores the benefits and challenges of AI in the classroom from each group’s perspective. The paper emphasizes hands-on AI experience for marketing students to remain competitive. The paper provides practical tips and suggestions for using AI in marketing classes and creating an institutional environment to support long-term AI growth. Additionally, the study presents widely used AI tools in …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Marketing Education: A Conceptual Framework For Curriculum Enhancement, Aisha Ghimire, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This paper introduces a Constructivist–Experiential GenAI Integration Framework to embed Generative AI (GenAI) across undergraduate marketing curricula. Grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories, the framework positions GenAI as a learning partner, through hands-on, reflective, and ethically informed learning. Discipline-specific vignettes illustrate how GenAI can enhance marketing courses through accessible and scalable activities that align with diverse class sizes, institutional resources, and delivery modes. By leveraging freely available GenAI platforms, the model promotes inclusivity while cultivating AI literacy, ethical reasoning, and strategic agility. The paper concludes with recommendations for empirical validation and cross-institutional collaboration to ensure that GenAI-driven marketing education …

Clusters Of Student Perceptions Of Ai-Assisted Grading: Implications For Fair And Transparent Assessment Practice In Higher Education, Roberto Bello

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly embedded in assessment and feedback systems, understanding how students perceive these technologies is vital for maintaining trust and fairness in higher education. This study investigates how students experience AI-assisted grading through an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that incorporates fairness, transparency, and trust as pedagogically relevant constructs. Survey data from undergraduate marketing students (N = 142) were analyzed using cluster analysis, revealing three distinct perception profiles: Enthusiasts, Pragmatists, and Skeptics. These clusters differ significantly in their willingness to rely on AI feedback, perceived fairness of algorithmic grading, and expectations of …

The Acquisition, Consumption, And Disposal Of Clothing: A Qualitative Analysis, Omar H. Alqudsi, Trang Phuc Tran

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Using 22 semi-structured interviews on apparel acquisition, use, and disposal, we find that practical value dominates choice while identity cues matter at the margin. Price and comfort consistently outrank brand and trend. Disposal is purposeful: donation is favored when garments retain utility, with resale and recycling rising alongside sustainability awareness. Consumers often justify purchases as extensions of self yet report lower satisfaction when items lack durability or clear ethical provenance. These patterns align with utilitarian value frameworks and signal clear levers for marketers: durable basics, transparent sourcing, and simple channels for responsible end of life. Overall, everyday clothing decisions follow …

Beyond The Launch: Designing Integrated Marketing Communications Across The Publishing Lifecycle, Philip J. Boutin Jr.

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This paper advances a lifecycle view of integrated marketing communications for book publishing and specifies a practical model beyond launch. We present the Lifecycle IMC in Publishing (L-IMC) framework with four layers—strategic capability, orchestration, phased execution (pre-launch, launch, post-publication), and measurement/learning—grounded in evidence on carryover, cross-media complementarity, discoverability, and the creator economy. Seven propositions predict that lifecycle consistency, coordinated post-publication activity, metadata priming, creator–title fit with clear disclosures, network-aware seeding, continuous testing, and reserved reinforcement budgets improve visibility, conversion, and returns. Design principles include codified message architecture and governance, a vetted creator bench, managed discoverability, sequencing high-trust signals before conversion …

Experiential Learning In Marketing Education: Student Reflections In A Client Based Project, Samit Chakravorti

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This paper explores student experience with a client based project in an upper division marketing class and its impact on development of work readiness skills, learning and satisfaction with the course. The client was a local small business food cooperative. Student reflection papers submitted at the end of the project were content analyzed based on preset categories to understand the impact of the project on the outcome variables. Analysis shows that for most students the project was interesting, relevant but challenging, increased their satisfaction and enjoyment of the course, and positively impacted learning of profession specific and foundational work ready …