Digital Commons Network^™

Excelling In An Entry-Level Job, Paul Hill, Osei Vega-Sandoval

All Current Publications

Experience in an entry-level job becomes more valuable over time, especially when performance is exceptional. Managers conduct periodic performance reviews to provide feedback that entry-level employees can use to improve. Performance reviews are an opportunity for employees to learn, share career goals, and seek tailored guidance for their career development. This fact sheet provides insights into the character and qualities an employee should demonstrate to become a high performer, and what organizations can do to retain such employees.

Obtaining An Entry-Level Job, Paul Hill, Osei Vega-Sandoval

All Current Publications

Entry-level jobs are designed for people with little to no work experience. These jobs do not require previous education or training. Entry-level roles range from labor-intensive jobs (e.g., stocking shelves, preparing food, cleaning equipment) to customer service jobs (e.g., cashier, bank teller, retail associate). Entry-level jobs are the most common gateway into an organization. This fact sheet explains how to find entry-level jobs and outlines the fundamentals to improve one’s prospects of gaining employment.

A Sustainability Index For Airlines: A Kpi-Based Framework For Benchmarking Environmental Performance, Craig Dedrick

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The aviation industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact, yet standardized methods for evaluating airline sustainability performance remain limited. This study proposes a structured sustainability index designed to benchmark airline environmental strategies using fourteen key performance indicators (KPIs) derived from publicly disclosed corporate sustainability and annual reports. To improve analytical clarity, the KPIs are organized into seven conceptual clusters capturing distinct dimensions of environmental performance: strategic governance and commitment, operational and fleet efficiency, the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) ecosystem, emissions reduction and climate mitigation outcomes, carbon management and neutralization, energy transition and electrification, and environmental pollution and resource …

Ai-Driven Predictive Analysis Of Airline Profitability Under Macroeconomic And Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Shivika Singh

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study presents an AI-enhanced predictive model to assess airline profitability under the combined influence of macroeconomic trends and the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). By including economic indicators such as GDP growth, inflation rates, and fuel price volatility with airline operational data, including ticket prices and fuel costs, the model simulates profitability across multiple carriers. Scenario-based analyses, encompassing optimistic, moderate, and pessimistic projections, illustrate different financial sensitivities between low-cost and legacy airlines.

Supply Chain Analysis: The Oregonator Autocatalytic Case Study, Abigail Butcher

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Understanding stability in complex supply chains remains a critical challenge due to nonlinear feedback, delayed responses, and sensitivity to parameter changes. This project presents a novel framework that applies bifurcation analysis to evaluate system stability, using the Oregonator autocatalytic chemical reaction model as an analog for supply chain dynamics. A parameter sweep of key model variables, particularly the stoichiometric factor f and the reaction rate constants k, is used to identify transitions between stable and oscillatory regimes. These transitions provide insight into how variations in feedback strength can drive instability in real-world systems. The framework will then be extended to …

Strategic Information System Leadership And Information System Function Performance In Universities In Kenya: A Pls-Sem Analysis, Joseph K. Muchina, James M. Njihia Prof., Agnes N. Wausi Prof.

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Information systems as enablers have evolved from an efficiency and effectiveness focus to enterprise-wide performance, placing strong demands on information system leadership. Emerging leadership models call for collaborative practices. Information systems leadership in higher education is a challenging task. Universities' top management team members and their information system executive counterparts lack a common and shared vision and understanding of information systems capabilities and roles. As the highest-ranking officers in organizations, they make strategic IS decisions. Yet, noting that existing approaches are ineffective, there is a growing concern about the kind of leadership needed to guide the institutions. Four sets of …

Project 337, Kaushal Meda, Tuhin Misra, Pranav Rathi, Vraj Patel, Diivyaang Desa, Sameera Patki, Vaidehi Saini, Roy Su

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Access to critical medical infrastructure and supplies can be limited in rural and remote communities, where long travel distances and limited transportation networks can delay emergency response/care. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine, in the United States alone, “about 20% of the US population—more than 50 million people—live in rural areas, but only 9% of the nation's physicians practice in rural communities”, highlighting the challenges many communities face in accessing timely medical resources. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), however, offer a potential solution by providing fast and flexible delivery of critical life support medical payloads. Project 337, developed …

Predicting Passenger Demand On National Flights Departing From Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atl) In 2024, Brooklyn Gossett, Ana Yu Wen

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The aviation industry relies heavily on accurate demand forecasting to guide critical decisions regarding route planning, capacity management, and pricing strategy. Misjudging passenger demand can result in significant revenue loss and operational inefficiency, making it essential for airlines and analysts to identify the key drivers of flight patronage. This study investigates the factors that most significantly predict the number of passengers on domestic flights departing from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) during the 2024 calendar year. Using passenger and route data sourced from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), a multiple regression analysis …

2026-08-11 Minutes, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Staff Congress meeting minutes from August 11, 2026.

Professionalism And Performance Expectations In The Modern Aviation Industry, Anayah Smith, Spencer Baldock Spencer Baldock

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The aviation industry operates as a highly regulated, safety-critical environment in which professionalism and consistent performance are essential to maintaining operational safety and reliability. However, emerging shifts in workforce composition, communication styles, and technology integration have created misalignment between traditional professional standards and evolving employee expectations. Established aviation cultures emphasize structured procedures, formal feedback mechanisms, and communication hierarchy, while newer entrants, shaped by digital communication norms and contemporary academic environments, often expect continuous feedback, collaborative leadership, and adaptive performance evaluation. Prior research on crew resource management, human error frameworks, and generational work values highlights how inconsistencies in communication, feedback expectations, …

Exploring The Motivations Of Undergraduate Sport Management Students, Kyle J. Brannigan, Tyler J. Hajek

The COSMA Journal

This study explored the motivations of undergraduate sport management in four university programs. Convergent mixed-methods research through the theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory was incorporated with an adapted questionnaire of the Academic Motivation Scale and semi-structured interviews through Thematic Analysis. Ninety-six surveys with nine interviews were deemed usable across four regionally focused, vocationally minded, and accessible universities. Overall, students reported higher levels of extrinsic motivation than intrinsic motivation. The findings suggested intrinsic motivation to know and extrinsic motivation through regulation for identification scored highest with the participants. No significant differences were found between classes and ethnicities. However, male students experienced …

Revisiting The Flutie Effect: The Impact Of Collegiate Athletics On College Choice, Robin Hardin, Michelle L. Childs, Win G-Y Koo

The COSMA Journal

This study revisits the Flutie Effect by examining factors that influence a student’s college choice which includes the role of athletics and its brand. The study assessed items related to academics, interpersonal influences, campus culture, and athletics through a survey of first-year students. An exploratory factor analysis produced a seven-factor model explaining 71.51% of the variance. The strongest factor was emotional and behavioral identification with university athletics, reflecting fandom, affiliation, and pride in athletic success. Athletics significantly influenced college choice, but their impact extends beyond athletic success to include broader dimensions of branding, fandom, and affiliation. For institutions seeking to …

Beyond Procedural Participation: A Process Perspective Of Disability-Inclusive Digital Innovation, Millicent Agangiba, David Aboagye-Darko, Salah Kabanda, William Agangiba, Ralitsa Diana Debrah

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

While previous research has recognized the importance of participation, how the structurally embedded inclusion of PWDs reshapes digital innovation processes and their outcomes in resource-constrained contexts remains underexplored. The study addresses this gap through a longitudinal qualitative case study of a five-year recurring hackathon organized in Ghana from 2021 to 2025, with a focus on disability inclusion. Drawing on Adaptive Structuration Theory as an analytical lens, normatively supported by critical disability studies, this study analyzes the qualitative interview and observation data from 20 participants. The results reveal that inclusion is a structuring force through four interrelated mechanisms: (1) lived experience …

Big Data Analytics Strategy Formulation In South African Organisations, Never Kondo, Maureen C. Tanner

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

The main goal for organisations investing in big data analytics (BDA) is to derive business value. However, most organisations struggle to gain a competitive advantage from BDA insights. As a result, top management continues to grapple with pervasive BDA issues that they find difficult to comprehend. This research explores the foundational components that inform the formulation of a BDA strategy for organisations in South Africa. The research followed a general inductive approach through a multiple-case study of two South African BDA organisations. The findings revealed 5 components that inform the formulation of a BDA strategy. In particular, organisations require well-articulated …

Artificial Intelligence And Marginalised Enterprises: A Systematic Literature Review, Rahinatu Haruna, Muftawu Dzang Alhassan, Isahaque Mahama

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across economic sectors has intensified debate about whether such innovations exacerbate or alleviate structural inequalities, particularly for actors excluded from mainstream economic systems. Marginalized enterprises, including micro, small and medium enterprises operating in informal economies, occupy a structurally vulnerable position in digital transformation. Despite growing scholarly attention, limited attempts have been made to synthesize the body of knowledge specifically at the intersection of AI and marginalized enterprises. As such, this paper fills this gap by developing a comprehensive framework that synthesises and provides an overall direction of AI-marginalized enterprise (AI-ME) research, pointing …

Predicting Agile Success: The Critical Few Factors, Ridewaan Hanslo, Maureen Tanner

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

While Agile projects are more successful than traditional software development project management approaches, their overall success rate remains relatively low, with a high percentage of projects still deemed challenged or failed. This low project success rate is attributed to projects not being rigorously evaluated against critical success factors (CSF) of Agile projects and contemporary project success criteria. To identify the CSF that contribute to Agile software development project success as perceived by Agile practitioners, this study used a positivist approach to investigate the CSF of Agile software development projects. PLS-SEM with SmartPLS was used to analyse the data and test …

The Role Of Organisational Culture In Implementing Cybersecurity Practices To Address Insider Threats In South Africa, Thamsanqa Ngcobo, Salah Kabanda, Ronald Chiwariro

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Cybersecurity is a critical component of organisational resilience as digital transformation reshapes operations and risk management. Despite substantial investment in technical controls, insider threats remain a persistent challenge, shaped as much by cultural and organisational factors as by technology. This study examines how cultural factors influence the implementation of cybersecurity practices aimed at mitigating insider threats in South African organisations, considering national, organisational, and individual dimensions. Using a qualitative research design, semi‑structured interviews were conducted from nine participants working across a range of industries including ICT consulting, financial services, IT services, gaming, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and IT managed services. The findings …

Ai-Driven Financial Forecasting, Risk Assessment And Decision Making In Start Up Enterprises, Ntando S. Sibanda, Petronella Muziti

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Start-up enterprises operate in uncertain and rapidly changing financial environments characterized by volatile cash flows, limited historical data, and high exposure to financial risk. Conventional financial forecasting and risk assessment methods are often static and assumption-driven, limiting their effectiveness in supporting managerial decision making. Within the Decision Support Systems (DSS) domain, this study analyses the effect of AI-driven DSS on financial forecasting, risk assessment and managerial decision making among start-up enterprises in the Harare Central Business District, Zimbabwe. The study adopts a quantitative approach using structured questionnaires administered to founders, financial managers, and senior decision makers. Data were analysed using …

Social Media Motivations And Crisis Engagement Among Generation Z: A Uses And Gratification Perspective, Edina Galaa, Sulemana Bankuoru Egala, John Asibuo Boakye, Abdul-Hamid Sokun Alhassan

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Generation Z's growing use of social media during crises raises important questions about their motivations. This study applies Uses and Gratification Theory to investigate how four motivations — entertainment, social recognition, information sharing and altruism- drive Gen Z’s media use during emergencies and whether empathy moderates these effects. Using a scenario-based survey of 319 respondents and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling analysis, findings reveal that social recognition and altruism motivation significantly influence social media use intensity, while entertainment seeking and information sharing intention do not. Importantly, social media use intensity simultaneously predicts both prosocial need fulfilment and content validation …

Robbed With Permission: Toward A Receiver-Consent Architecture For Trust-Preserving Mobile Money Transactions In Africa, Raphael Amponsah

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Mobile money transacted more than USD 2 trillion globally in 2025 across 2.3 billion registered accounts, with Sub-Saharan Africa holding over half of all accounts and two-thirds of transaction value. Between 58 and 72 percent of mobile money fraud on the continent exploits trust rather than technology, yet current security architecture authenticates the sender and merely notifies the receiver, leaving the transaction execution moment structurally unguarded. This paper introduces the Receiver-Consent Transaction Protocol (RCTP), a USSD-native protocol requiring the receiver's active PIN consent on their physical SIM before any credit completes, grounded in Design Science Research with Routine Activity Theory …

Genai Goes To Campus: A Narrative Literature Review Of Benefits, Challenges And Policies, Jayson Warren Peters, Mmasechaba J. Seopa, Justin T. Maistry, Tebogo J. Matome, Christen Du Toit, Maureen C. Tanner

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

This study examines the role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the learning and administrative experiences of students and educators in higher education, through a narrative literature review of thirty-one articles. The literature was thematically reviewed and coded to identify themes and factors contributing to challenges, benefits, and policies and guidelines. These themes were explored in depth with their relation to GenAI for learning outcomes, the role of GenAI in student’s learning experiences and the effectiveness of using GenAI tools to support educators’ administrative processes. In light of the challenges and deterrents identified (e.g. implementation - maintenance, privacy and security, …

C.S.A. Assessment - Tamp Family Health Center Portal, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This C.A.S. assessment evaluates how the Tampa Family Health Centers website influences userattention, cognitive processing, information accessibility, navigation efficiency, and digital user experience.The assessment examines whether the platform supports intentional engagement and informed decision-making while minimizing cognitive overload, distraction, confusion, and unnecessary attentional demands.

TFHC serves as a healthcare access portal providing appointment scheduling, patient resources, providerinformation, healthcare services, MyChart access, payment services, and community health resources.These functions make attention management and information clarity critical to successful user outcomes.

Economic Development Corporations In Small Communities, Mary L. Bullock

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Type A and Type B Economic Development Corporations (EDCs) in supporting economic growth in small Texas communities. Using key indicators such as population trends, employment, infrastructure, housing, and legal frameworks, this paper compares how each EDC structure addresses these issues. While both Type A and Type B Economic Development Corporations contribute to economic growth, Type B EDCs are generally more effective in small Texas communities due to their broad ability to fund housing projects, create critical infrastructure, and shape quality-of-life community development projects that have a more immediate and measurable impact on unemployment, population …

Succession, Sustainability, And Service: Workforce And Leadership Challenges In Rural Municipal Governments, Dewayne Armstrong

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Rural municipal governments across Texas and the United States face a convergence of workforce and leadership challenges that threaten long-term service delivery and organizational sustainability. An aging public-sector workforce, persistent recruitment and retention constraints, and fragile leadership continuity interact in ways that uniquely affect small and rural communities. Public works departments, which play a vital role in infrastructure maintenance and regulatory compliance, are particularly vulnerable as experienced employees approach retirement without adequate succession pipelines or mechanisms for institutional knowledge transfer. At the same time, small-town governments face ongoing difficulty attracting and retaining qualified personnel due to constrained fiscal capacity, geographic …

Patient Psychological Safety: A Qualitative Study Of Patient Experiences, Derick R. Simmons, Cheryl Rathert, Ryan Valayil, Maria Joseph, Ibraheem Jawadi

Patient Experience Journal

There is growing interest in understanding patients' experiences with psychological safety during healthcare encounters. Recent studies reveal that patients describe needing patient psychological safety (PPS) to form connections with their care providers, which are associated with better health outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to examine indicators of PPS. Using a phenomenological interpretive approach, this study utilized a patient narrative survey methodology to qualitatively explore how and why patients experience a lack of PPS during their healthcare encounters. We surveyed patients from across the U.S. and analyzed responses among a sub-sample of respondents to an open-ended question whose responses indicated they …

Patient-Centred Care: An Integrated Bibliometric And Structural Equation Modelling Approach, Japheth Nuhu Ahmed

Patient Experience Journal

This study investigates how communication and service quality in Patient Relationship Management impact patient satisfaction through trust. The literature in this field is predominantly in developed countries, whereas it is scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. Combining bibliometric analysis and structural equation modelling, the study highlights emerging research trends and provides empirical evidence to guide healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in improving patient care. To strengthen its theoretical foundation, the study integrates the Social Exchange Theory and Expectancy–Disconfirmation Theory to explain the model. The study retrieved quantitative data from the Scopus database for bibliometric analysis. A questionnaire was used to collect data …

Healing The Social Covenant: Rebuilding Trust And Re-Humanizing Healthcare, Cynda Hylton Rushton

Patient Experience Journal

Violence against healthcare workers continues to escalate despite substantial investments in security measures, workplace violence prevention programs, and legislative protections. Although these interventions are necessary, they have not produced sustained improvements in workforce safety or retention, suggesting that workplace violence is more than a behavioral or security problem. This commentary argues that it also reflects a deeper erosion of trust within healthcare. Drawing on evidence linking workplace violence to burnout, moral injury, psychological distress, and turnover intention among nurses, we propose that repairing trust is essential to sustaining the workforce and healthcare.Building on our earlier work, Rebuilding a Foundation of …

Trust: Why A Commitment To Human Experience Matters, Jason A. Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

Trust is one of the most essential elements in our overall human existence. It is a critical part of our human experience, one that reaches well beyond the boundaries of healthcare. Trust is the element that holds society together. It emerges in the relationship of one human being connecting with another human being, and it reaches to the engagements people have with organizations, institutions, and systems as well. Trust, while hard to hold, is ever present. It is a powerful force that guides our way of being, our interactions, our choices, even if we ourselves are not directly conscious of …

Foundations Of Project Management, Michael Daniel Sherwin

Open Education Materials

This book aims to equip readers with practical tools and strategies for managing people, resources, and tasks effectively. We include examples, case studies, references, and tools and templates. We encourage you to explore references and videos to deepen your understanding of project management. It is designed for everyone, not just those individuals seeking to be project managers. Whether you are supporting or leading projects, this course will provide a foundation for developing the skills needed to drive results within an organization.

Course: GRBU 638

Creative Commons Attribution

Closing The Awareness–Behavior Gap: A Role-Based Phishing Training Framework For Higher Education, Ranylene O. Olaybal, Ryan A. Olaybal

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Phishing remains one of the most persistent cybersecurity threats facing higher education institutions, where diverse user populations and highly connected digital environments increase exposure to social engineering attacks. Although cybersecurity awareness initiatives are widely implemented, high awareness does not always translate into secure behavior. This study examined phishing awareness, phishing-related practices, phishing susceptibility, and phishing experiences among college students, teaching faculty, and administrative staff in a private higher education institution in the Philippines. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 553 respondents through a validated survey instrument and analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, Tukey's honestly …