Digital Commons Network^™

Why Agtech Startups Fail? Evidence From Global Shutdown Patterns In 2025 And The Cost-Adoption Mismatch Effect, Ankit Chandra, Ishani Lal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Agricultural technologies are widely seen as a driver for sustainability, resilience, and food-system transformation. Yet in 2025, agtech startup across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa experienced multiple shutdowns. Although each company closed for its own reasons, the failures highlight consistent underlying patterns. We analyze 18 publicly reported shutdowns across controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), robotics, insect protein, digital platforms, sensors, and ag-biotechnology. We find that most ventures struggled not with scientific feasibility but with economic and adoption dynamics at the farm level. We identify a Cost-Adoption Mismatch Effect, in which the capital and operational burden of a technology exceeds farmers’ capacity …

Play For All: Financial And Legal Dilemmas In Proposing Adaptive Playgrounds, John J. Miller Dr., Jason W. Lee

The COSMA Journal

This case study examines the complexities of designing, funding, and legally complying with adaptive and inclusive playgrounds for children with disabilities. Inclusive playgrounds prioritize social integration by enabling children of all abilities to play together, while adaptive playgrounds focus on accommodating specific functional needs through specialized equipment. Both approaches support physical, cognitive, and social development and promote equitable community participation. Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), mandate accessibility in public and private recreational spaces, yet compliance alone does not guarantee meaningful inclusion. Additionally, funding remains a significant challenge, with full-scale adaptive playgrounds often costing hundreds …

Securing U.S. Leadership In Agentic Ai Literacy And Adoption: U.S. Vs Chinese Government Policies And Initiatives, Satyadhar Joshi

Harrisburg University Other Works

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of U.S. and Chinese frameworks for AI literacy and adoption, with focus on agentic AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) systems capable of autonomous reasoning and execution. We examine national policies, educational integration, governance structures, and technological roadmaps, employing both qualitative review and quantitative modeling. Mathematical formulations include multi-dimensional literacy scoring, Bass diffusion models for adoption dynamics, risk assessment functions, regulatory effectiveness indices, competitiveness metrics, and optimization frameworks for resource allocation. Our analysis reveals divergent paradigms: the U.S. Favors decentralized, innovation-driven approaches with emphasis on interoperability and public-private collaboration; while China pursues centralized, state-led …

2026-01-13 Minutes, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Staff Congress meeting minutes from January 13, 2026.

Effects Of Green Human Resource Management On Green Innovation In Pakistani Textile Industries: The Mediating Effect Of Green Behavior, Saeeda Mirza, Shazia Parveen

Business Review

In the textile sector, employees' green behavior and green innovation are currently receiving more attention as contributing factors. Consequently, firms are launching a variety of sustainable development initiatives and developing green business plans. This study seeks to fulfil the identified need and contribute to theoretical advancement by examining the underlying mechanisms that explain the determinants of green innovation among managers of the textile sector, utilizing the framework of Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity theory. Purposive technique and two-wave sampling methodologies were employed to gather data via self-report survey questionnaires. Data were collected from a total of 310 textile managers. The primary …

Financial Ratios And Stock Volatility: Empirical Evidence From The Banking Sector, Rahma Tri Benita

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

Banking stock price volatility is closely related to company performance and fundamental indicators. This study analyzes the short-term and long-term relationships between financial ratios and stock price volatility in the banking sector. Based on the results of the long-term correlation, the Price to Earnings Ratio (P/E) and Dividend Yield (DY) variables are proven to be dominant factors influencing volatility because they are directly related to stock price movements. In the short-term correlation between state-owned banks, there is an inverse relationship between Price to Book and ROE, and Debt to Equity has a significant negative effect on Return on Assets and …

Book Review: Lessons From History: The Courage To Lead: The Leadership Legacy Of Theodore Roosevelt And Why It Matters Today, Elizabeth Gingerich

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

No abstract provided.

Business And Baseball Go Hand-In-Glove, Ritch Eich

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

There are many parallels between baseball and the business world. From experience, we know that both institutions are particularly competitive and require highly skilled personnel, inspiring leaders, cohesive teamwork, and the ability to sustain success over time. But that is only part of their similarities.

The Power Of Choice: Transformative Moments In The Lives Of Biblical Heroes, Hershey H. Friedman, Linda Weiser Friedman

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This paper examines pivotal moments in the lives of key biblical figures and explores how these choices shaped both personal destinies and spiritual legacies. Biblical narratives depicting the lives of Adam, Noah, Joseph, Judah, Moses, Ruth, Boaz, David, Solomon, Zerubbabel, Esther, Mordechai, and Samson illustrate that these transcendent moments involve significant moral choices. We see that even revered figures can experience moral failings, and that some individuals can achieve greatness through singular acts of moral courage. These momentous decisions – whether acts of bravery, failures of judgment, vengeance versus reconciliation, worldly power versus spiritual calling, or moments of redemption—reveal profound …

The Receptive And Resilient Leader: Thriving In An Era Of Ai And Digital Disruption, Hershey H. Friedman, Nakato Hirakubo, Barbara Jo Lewis

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

In an Age of Chaos, a term often used to describe the digital AI age, with its explosive growth of information and disruptive technology, businesses face unprecedented turbulence. This paper examines the essential leadership qualities required for success in this environment, arguing that traditional leadership, as seen in the decline of Kodak, Sears, and Blockbuster, struggles to adapt to rapid technological and market shifts. We identify several key competencies for leaders in the digital age: fostering agility, championing an ethical culture, pursuing purpose-driven goals, maintaining technological competency, and genuinely understanding diversity. Perhaps most crucial is receptive leadership, which embodies humility, …

Curiosity, Courage, And Complexity: Leadership Lessons From My Dad, Elizabeth A. Luckman

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Some of the most important leadership lessons don’t come from classrooms or boardrooms—they come from the people who coach us through life’s turning points. For me, that coach was my Dad. An engineer turned leadership coach, he taught me that curiosity, courage, and the ability to navigate complexity are the foundation of ethical leadership. In this editorial, I share three of his favorite phrases and the values they carry: get curious before reacting, be courageous by starting to experiment, and check your assumptions because sometimes the problem is your lens, not your limits. Along the way, I connect these lessons …

Winter/Spring 2026

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

No abstract provided.

Marketing Strategy In The Age Of Ai, Mary C. Martin

All Open Educational Resources

Marketing Strategy in the Age of AI is an Open Educational Resource designed to help students master foundational marketing strategy while understanding how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing practice. The textbook emphasizes core strategic thinking and positions AI as a tool that enhances, rather than replaces, human judgment and decision-making. The book covers key areas of marketing strategy across the marketing mix, including environmental analysis, market research, product development, pricing, distribution, and promotion. Each chapter introduces established marketing frameworks and then explores how AI-driven tools and data improve insight, speed, and effectiveness in real-world marketing decisions. Examples and cases highlight …

2026 Spring Convocation Program, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

The 2026 Morehead State University Convocation Program from January 7, 2026.

The Nexus Between Entrepreneurial Ingenuity Antecedents And Market Penetration Of Tanzanian Formal Retail Businessesmarket Penetration: Entrepreneurial Ingenuity: Formal Retail Business, Salum Makangila, Omari Khalifa Mbura

Business Management Review

The entrepreneurial ingenuity is a fundamental strategy employed by business proprietors and operators to navigate market penetration challenges when formal and informal retail businesses operate simultaneously in the same commercial environments. Guided by positivism research philosophy and cross-sectional design, quantitative data were collected from randomly selected sample size of 520 business proprietors and operators through structured questionnaire. The study hypothesized and tested the relationship between entrepreneurial ingenuity antecedents and market penetration of Tanzanian formal retail businesses using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The empirical results reveals that entrepreneurial ingenuity antecedents namely creative, innovative and open-minded behaviour positively and significantly influences market …

Strategic Distribution, Digital Marketing, And Open Innovation: Toward Integrated Capability Development For Sme Performance, Johannes Baptista Halik, Maria Yessica Halik, Septin Basongan, Jhoel Mapau

Asia Marketing Journal

This study examines the impact of Distribution Strategy on SME performance, with Digital Marketing and Open Innovation as mediating variables. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were analyzed from 250 SMEs in Makassar, Indonesia. The results show that Distribution Strategy positively affects performance, both directly and indirectly through Open Innovation. However, Digital Marketing does not serve as a significant mediator, indicating that its use among SMEs may still be limited to tactical functions. Open Innovation emerges as the strongest contributor, highlighting its role in converting distribution capabilities into performance gains. The study enriches Resource Advantage (R-A) Theory …

How Does A Consumer’S Anticipated Happiness Influence Participation In Value Co-Creation? : Focusing On Definition Of Happiness, Minsik Cho, Suna La

Asia Marketing Journal

Value co-creation (VCC) is essential for a new product development, transforming ideas into collaboratively created value-in-use, particularly under Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic). Recognizing that consumers engage in VCC with the goal of achieving happiness, this study investigates how anticipated happiness—arising from affective forecasting of VCC experiences—encourages customers’ participation in high-technology VCC initiatives. It also examines how individuals’ definitions of happiness—calmness vs. excitement—influence this process in VCC, using a validated temporal focus manipulation to induce these differing happiness orientations. Results indicate that future-focused individuals tend to define their happiness as excitement, while present-focused individuals associate it with calmness. Then, definitions of …

The Impact Of Sense Of Power On Consumer Click-Through Intention Under Ai Personalized Recommendation, Li Li, Dhakir Abbas Ali

Asia Marketing Journal

This study investigates how consumers' sense of power influences their click-through intentions in AI-driven personalized recommendation systems. While prior research has explored personalized marketings impact on consumer behavior, the role of perceived power remains understudied. Through scenario-based experiments, we find that a heightened sense of power enhances engagement with AI recommendations, with self-efficacy as a key mediator. However, this effect weakens when privacy concerns are high, highlighting privacy as a critical moderating factor. Specifically, empowered consumers are more likely to interact with AI recommendations, but only when privacy risks are minimal. These findings deepen our understanding of consumer-AI interactions, emphasizing …

Effects Of Ai Transparency On Perceived Fairness In Ai-Driven Selection Tools: The Mediating Roles Of Ai Literacy And Attitudes Towards Ai, Tony Mellek

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly prominent feature of modern hiring, creating opportunities to enhance efficiency and consistency in selection. This study examined how AI transparency, AI literacy, and attitudes toward AI shape applicants’ perceptions of fairness when engaging with AI-scored pre-hire assessments. A sample of 290 U.S. adults were randomly assigned to either a high- or low-transparency hiring scenario and then completed measures of AI literacy, attitudes toward AI, and procedural fairness. Results indicated that both AI literacy and attitudes toward AI were strong and significant predictors of perceived procedural fairness, suggesting that applicants who feel knowledgeable about AI …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Delivery Of Trauma-Informed Services To Hospital-Based Clients Ot, Frank Czuba

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Hospitalization can traumatize clients and impact overall health outcomes, leading to increased hospital readmission rates and resulting in a negative impact for both clients and providers. Limited information exists regarding how hospital-based occupational therapists evaluate and address trauma, even though incorporating trauma-informed principles into professional practice can enhance the occupational therapy process. The study explored the comprehension and perceived significance of trauma-informed tenets among occupational therapists delivering services in hospital-based settings. A quantitative research study with an exploratory design was implemented to explore how occupational therapists (OT) understand and utilize trauma-informed practices with their clients in a hospital setting. An …

Electronic Structure With Rovibrational Calculation For The Molecule Ali, Including The Spin-Orbit Coupling Effect, Hana Abdelnabi, Ghassan Younes, Dunia Houlla, Mahmoud Korek

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The adiabatic potential energy curves for the lowest singlet and triplet electronic states in the representations 2S+1Λ+/- and Ω(+/-) (with and without spin-orbit coupling) of the molecule AlI have been computed by using the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) with multireference configuration interaction (MRCI+Q) method. The spectroscopic constants ωe, Re, Be, and Te have been calculated. Using the canonical quantum mechanics approach, the rovibrational constants Ev, Bv, Dv, Rmin, and Rmax were calculated for the low-lying electronic states with and without spin-orbit coupling. A comparison between our calculated values and those available in the literature reveals excellent agreement.

Charting The Distinct Rights Of Sea Workers In European Waters : A Focus On Decent Working Time, María Carrera-Arce, Raphael Baumler, Laura Carballo, Bikram Singh Bhatia

Reports

The document contains three distinct reports:

• The Report 1 ‘Social rights of sea workers in European waters – A Legal study’ discusses sea workers labour regulations in Europe, including cross-sectoral and sector-specific instruments. (pp. 13-68)

• The core of Report 2 ‘Ensuring decent working time for the future – Seafarers under EEA and non-EEA flags’ analyses flags State working-time requirements in the EEA and selected non-EEA jurisdictions. (pp. 69-131)

• The Report 3 ‘A working time comparative analysis – Examples of labour gaps between sea and land workers’ explores in depth working time between sea workers and other occupational …

Supplemental Files For "From Knowledge To Practice: Deia Perspectives, Faith-Based Policies, And Job Postings", Sarah E. Keil, Meredith Ader, Gina K. Bolger, Ryan Yoakum

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Supplemental files for the book chapter, "From Knowledge to Practice: DEIA Perspectives, Faith-Based Policies, and Job Postings." Tge job posting spreadsheet and reference list are available below.

Job Posting Spreadsheet

The PDF of the Job Posting Spreadsheet includes the following items:

• A comprehensive spreadsheet of the job ads used in this project, with additional information about the institution included (DEIA statement, affiliations, accreditation, etc.)

• A spreadsheet with other information about the institutions, including links to statements of faith, missional documents, etc.

• A spreadsheet with information about how DEIA is defined by various organizations and accrediting bodies

• Color coding key

• An …

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Technology Adoption Risk In A Mongolian Precast Concrete Manufacturer Operating In An Emerging Market, Tselmeg Enkhtuvshin

Business ETD Collections

This study examines the risks associated with the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in a precast concrete manufacturing firm in Mongolia, with particular focus on an emerging market context. Although Industry 4.0 technologies can improve productivity, efficiency, automation, and responsiveness to changing market conditions, their implementation can involve significant financial, operational, organisational, and market-related risks. These challenges may be particularly pronounced in emerging economies where limitations in infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and skilled labour can affect technology adoption. Using a case study approach, the research identifies the key risks associated with technology adoption and examines how these risks interact during the …

Mass Tourism And Sustainability Discourses: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Stakeholder Communication Across The Canary Islands, Iceland, And Puerto Rico, Carmen Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes 123 websites from the Canary Islands, Iceland, and Puerto Rico, each including an equal number of tourism businesses, environmental organizations, and governments from each region, to examine the rhetorical digital communication strategies used and the textual differences between these websites. Thematic analysis was the methodology employed in this study. Ten themes were found inductively from the data, which are: 1) economic value framing, 2) cultural identity and heritage, 3) technological mediation, 4) inspiring guilt, awe, and urgency, 5) sustainability as an instrument, 6) intergenerational responsibility, 7) global versus local contestations, 8) accessibility and inclusion, 9) transparency and …

Part Ii: Industrial Information Integration Review 2020-2025, Jinzhi Li

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Industrial Information Integration Engineering (IIIE) has become increasingly essential for improving operational efficiency and harmonizing heterogeneous industrial systems through advanced digital integration approaches. Fueled by rapid advancements in Industry 4.0 technologies—including digital twins, artificial intelligence, immersive interfaces, and IoT infrastructures—IIIE is substantially transforming traditional enterprise architecture and integration frameworks. This systematic review synthesizes recent developments and emerging trends, with particular attention to the accelerating adoption of digital twins and the deepening convergence between operational technologies (OT) and information technologies (IT) across multiple sectors. While notable progress has been made, significant challenges persist, especially in developing resilient integration architectures and fully …

The Soft Target Curriculum: Using Nigeria's 2026 Cascading Breaches To Teach Foundational Cybersecurity Failures, Chinedum Amaechi, Doris Asogwa, Samuel Alade

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

SourceURL:file:///home/amaechi/Documents/ *Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice (JCERP)*. **Title:** The Soft Target Curriculum: Using Nigeria's 2026 Cascading Breaches to Teach Foundational Cybersecurity Failures.docx

Background: Between March and April 2026, a single threat actor allegedly compromised four Nigerian institutions across banking, payment infrastructure, government registry, and power distribution sectors. The breaches exposed millions of records and disrupted critical services, yet all four exploited elementary vulnerabilities taught in introductory cybersecurity courses. Objective: This pedagogical case study analyzes the four breaches as a unified phenomenon of "normalized negligence" and provides ready-to-use teaching materials for cybersecurity educators. Methods: Using open-source intelligence analysis of …

Empowering Change From The Ground Up: Women’S Entrepreneurship In Sub-Saharan Africa’S Informal Sector, Rita Abban, Esi A. Elliot

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

Women’s entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a critical driver of socio-economic development, within the informal sector where women enterprises are concentrated. Despite substantial contributions, structural and institutional barriers impede the formalization of these businesses, curbing their economic impact. This study examines how women entrepreneurs in Ghana and SSA navigate informal practices to achieve economic mobility. Employing a systematic literature review - PRISMA framework, the research synthesizes key themes including entrepreneurial capacity, sustainability, intellectual property, and institutional support. A comparative lens incorporating Rwanda and South Africa reveals Ghana’s high rate of female entrepreneurship, predominance of informal trade, and socio-cultural dynamics …

Rewards That Resonate- How Incentivized Online Reviews Shape Customer Loyalty And Review Outcomes, Sameeha Khizindar

Marketing Dissertations

In today’s competitive marketplace, online reviews have become a central feature of consumer decision-making and business strategy. Research consistently documents that online reviews have a positive impact on outcomes such as review volume and product sales, underscoring their critical role in shaping firm performance. However, the majority of consumers do not voluntarily write reviews, posing a challenge for companies that rely on user-generated content. To address this issue, companies often offer incentives to motivate customers to write reviews. Despite their widespread use, research on their impact remains limited. This dissertation is comprised of two essays that examine the impact of …

Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment On Employment In The Metropolitan Statistical Areas Of North Carolina, Matthew Y. Xiong

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is widely recognized as a catalyst for regional economic development; however, limited research has examined its relationship with employment growth at the metropolitan level within individual U.S. states. This study examined the relationship between FDI and employment growth across fifteen North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) from 2010 to 2019. Guided by Dunning's Eclectic (OLI) Paradigm (1988), Endogenous Growth Theory, the Human Capital/Absorptive Capacity Framework, and Institutional Capacity Theory, this quantitative study employed a balanced panel dataset of 150 MSA-year observations. Fixed-effects panel regression models with cluster-robust standard errors were used to examine the effects of …