Digital Commons Network^™

The Self-Concept And Symbolic Consumption; Their Effect On Consumer Behavior, Cory L. Dobbs

Theses

A major issue confronting consumer researchers and other investigators of social-psychological phenomena is whether individuals are motivated to purchase products that symbolically are congruent with their self-concept.

This issue is of particular importance to consumer and marketing researchers, since much of their data and resulting actions depend on the decision processes leading up to the consumer's choice of product for consumption. Examining the relationship between the self and consumption through congruence of self-images and images of owned or desired products reveals that the consumer regards his or her consumed products as expressive of themselves.

Perception plays a critical role in …

Weight Loss In Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparison Of Care Options, Linda Dyhouse Kaiser

Theses

The purpose of this culminating project is to examine the care of Alzheimer's disease patients residing in a special care unit with the care received by those residing with the general nursing home population. More specifically, it compared the weights of patients on a special care unit with the weights of patients housed with the general nursing home population.

According to demographic information, the fastest growing cohort of the population is the older-old. This data is of great significance to health care providers for it is the 80 and above age group that are prime candidates to develop Alzheimer's disease. …

Training Manual For The Long Term Care Facility Quality Assessment And Assurance Committee, Kris S. King

Theses

This thesis addresses the need for a training manual for the federally required long term care Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee. The training manual has been designed to provide guidance to the Committee members, recognizing that effective leadership is essential for a successful quality and compliance program in any facility.

There have been numerous publications devoted to quality assurance in the long term care setting; however, few provide simplistic and meaningful explanations for conducting quality assurance and improvement activities. This manual has adopted a unique approach by correlating federal requirements to specific quality assurance and improvement processes.

The training manual …

Do The Experiences Of Other Health Care Systems Identify Incentives For A Cost-Effective Universal Health Care System In The United States?, R. Daniel King

Theses

Each health system used various incentives to achieve lower cost and better utilization of services. In some cases there was evidence that particular incentives demonstrated considerable success with no negative side-effects, while others were effective but introduced new problems.

The results of this analysis did support that other universal health care systems contained examples of proven incentives that if incorporated would benefit a universal health care system in the United states.

Establishment Of A Program For The Education Of Cytotechnologists, Joan R. Kohrs

Theses

The Barnes Hospital School of Cytotechnology closed in 1977 as have many other programs tor the education of cytotechnologists. These programs were victims of hospital budgetary concerns, as well as a job market that had no demand tor new cytotechnologists.

Unfortunately with fewer and fewer graduates from accredited programs in the last 15-16 years there is, currently a shortage of these skilled laboratory professionals.

Faced with unfilled vacancies in the cytology laboratory many hospitals are considering re-evaluating the possibilities of sponsoring programs for the education of cytotechnologists.

Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri, long a leader in both health care· and …

The Use Of High-Tech Sales Recruitment In The Data Communications Industry, John J. Speraneo

Theses

The purpose of this study is to conduct a research investigation of the use of executive recruitment. While corporate America automates and downsizes in order to compete in the worldwide market, workers try to find creative ways to market themselves and use the best means to locate jobs in this competitive environment.

The main focus of this study is to determine the primary means used to locate high-tech sales positions in the data communications industry. This could vary from executive recruiters, classified ads, personal referrals, and other miscellaneous methods.

The following paper is an empirical study, designed to provide an …

The Effects Of Racial Polarization On African-Americans Being Elected To Public Office In St. Louis And Kansas City, Missouri, Juanita Head Walton

Theses

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of race in the process for election and selection of candidates for city wide offices in St. Louis and Kansas City.

The data for this analysis includes census statistics and election results in the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City. In addition, I have examined campaign finance reports, official government reports and manuals, writings of experts in the field of race and politics and other research sources documented in my citations, tables, illustrations and bibliography, as well as interviews with African-Americans holding public offices and local experts in the …

Time, Temperament, And Talent: The Dynamics Of Sustainable Organizational Commitment, Charlotte A. Sullentrup

Theses

Organizational commitment is one of many linkages between employees and employing organizations. It cannot be established as the cause of, or demonstrated to be caused by, other dependent or independent variable constructs, and it cannot be uniformly or conclusively correlated with them, singly or in combination.

Rather, organizational commitment exists in a dynamic and shifting matrix of other employee/organization linkages such as job satisfaction, job performance, work experiences, productivity, etc. The relative strengths, perceived priorities, and consequences of these variables in the matrix are, in turn, functions of the continuously changing characteristics of time, temperament, and talent of both the …

A Proposed New National Health Care Plan, Larry W. Pruett

Theses

Larry W. Pruett’s 1993 thesis, A Proposed New National Health Care Plan, explores the need for comprehensive reform of the U.S. health care system and outlines a detailed alternative model. Frustrated by inefficiencies, escalating costs, and limited access, Pruett evaluates the systems of Canada, Germany, and Japan, rating them on technology, public health, service, efficiency, and equity. He also reviews reform proposals from President Clinton, the American Medical Association, and the American Hospital Association.

Pruett’s plan shifts the primary point of care from hospitals to outpatient clinics, which would provide most non-emergency health services. Hospitals would retain a role …

A Successful Penetration, Troy M. Rybicki

Theses

Many new products fail due to poor data or inadequate planning. The purpose of this thesis was to develop and outline a marketing plan that would effectively coordinate the marketing mix elements: price, product, promotion, and distribution into a focused strategy, reducing the risk of failure for Emerson Motor Division's new recreational pump motor line. The following plan was determined to be an effective strategy to successfully penetrate the Nema 56 Recreational Pump motor market by two experts with Fractional Horsepower Motor Industry experience. Accordingly, this project provides a thorough, accurate analysis of the relevant data from which an effective …

Workplace Drug And Alcohol Testing: A Blueprint For Employee Acceptance And Success, Charles Edward Martin

Theses

Drug and alcohol testing in the workplace is a highly emotional and complex issue. Society's drug and alcohol abuse problem has become so pervasive that employers are obligated to act to protect themselves, their businesses and their employees .

Business costs have risen dramatically due to lost productivity resulting from drug and alcohol abuse. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and rehabilitation efforts have been somewhat successful but are extremely expensive.

Many businesses have chosen to protect themselves by implementing pre-employment drug screening. Some businesses drug test current employees randomly and "for cause". "For cause" has generally been defined as reasonable suspicion …

Image Is Reality, Sarah Louise Meininger

Theses

How individuals perceive a business is reality. It doesn't matter if these perceptions are true or false. This paper explores aspects of corporate image and identity and the importance of shaping an image for a company.

We will focus on the importance of research and how initial research should determine how people perceive a company in and outside the organization itself. We will also discuss the CEO' s impact and his/her role. The CEO oversees current perceptions, shapes and molds an image for the company, guides the image for the future and should also be a communicator within the company. …

Management By Objectives: A Cost/Benefits Analysis Toward Achieving Organizational Goals, John J. Mueller

Theses

This thesis will focus on the management process commonly known as Management by Objectives in an attempt to determine if this type of management is a viable option for companies to employ.

In its simplest form management by objectives has been around for hundreds of years. The modern day version of this management technique developed in the early 1950's due in large part to the writings of Peter Drucker . MBO's popularity grew slowly at first, but by the late 1960's and early seventies this management technique took hold in the United States and spread to corporations both large and …

Adding New Life To Years: A Senior Peer Exercise Program, Cynthia Lymm Pearl Nayer

Theses

The thesis "Adding New Life to Years: A Senior Peer Exercise Program" explores the development and impact of a peer-led exercise program aimed at improving physical, social, and emotional health among older adults. Recognizing the challenges associated with aging—such as decreased mobility, social isolation, and chronic health issues—the study focuses on engaging active seniors as volunteer leaders to conduct low-intensity exercise classes for frail elderly participants.

This program aims to foster mutual benefits: healthy senior volunteers experience enhanced self-worth, social engagement, and physical fitness, while the frail elderly improve in areas like blood pressure, mood, and perceived self-efficacy. Grounded in …

Condemnation And 'Just Compensation' For Business, Timothy F. Hogan

Theses

Since the beginning of time man has always searched for justification in the acquiring of private property to serve some public need. In this endeavor, three explanations for this justification have evolved. They are 'higher law', 'sovereignty' and 'eminent domain', and each of these explanations has been used to forcefully take land from private individuals.

In the beginning land was taken without compensation, and this was justified by the concept of 'divine rule' and the inherent power of the state. Later in man's development, compensation was a stipend paid to the owner of the land in accordance with the prevailing …

An Investigation Into The Design And Implementation Of A Policies And Procedures Manual For Collegiate Financial Aid, Pam Jones Williams

Theses

This expository study will focus on the development of a Policies and Procedures Manual for Collegiate Financial Aid.

Collegiate financial aid is a complex, ever-changing field. As such, there is a pressing need for financial aid offices to develop, and adhere to, a set of financial aid policies and procedures which can be uniformly applied and consistently referred to by all staff members.

The total dollars involved in the financial aid process can be staggering: each year billions of dollars are awarded to students in the form of federal, state, and institutional scholarships, grants, and loans. It is no wonder …

The Changing Work Environment: A Challenge For Corporate America, Angela D. Hamilton

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of change in the work environment, and the impact change has on American corporations and workers. Predictions foretold a changing workplace, workforce, and global economy. As a result, there are specific challenges to corporations, workers, and the country.

Research has attributed the lack of worker training and development to a decline in the importance of training. Most human resources planning in American corporations has played second fiddle to other business decisions; judgments are made and human resources follow. So it becomes necessary to focus more clearly on the American business environment and the …

A Family Study Of The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, And Jacob, Yvonne A. Rosen

Theses

Outstanding among recurrent, connected themes revolving around the issue of the Blessing for the Patriarchal succession are the complementary rival roles of sons, modeled on the mythical motif of Cain and Abel; the favoring of the younger son; the barrenness of the Matriarchs; and the conflicted nature of marital relationships in a patriarchal system that included matriarchal elements tending to social equality alongside the institution of concubinage with its fundamental psycho-sexual Inequality. Abandonment of primogeniture paralleled separation from polytheistic culture; and the personalities of the Patriarchs constituted !deal types toward which the emergent community moved. Roles were assigned and maintained …

Scooping The Kid's Market: Writing For Children In The Nineties, Judith Collins

Theses

Many people think writing for kids is simple. After all, what parent, grandparent or teacher has not picked up A Little ABC Book book and thought, "I can do better than this ! "

However, even though writing for kids in the 1990s is possible, exciting and fulfilling it 's not as easy as it looks. In addition to knowing how to write well , writing for kids today takes more commitment, ambition, creativity, sensitivity and expertise because kids are much more sophisticated than they were ten or twenty years ago.

And, because global information systems and mass media have …

The Development Of A Project Management Handbook For St. John's Mercy Medical Center, Angela D. Matherne

Theses

The purpose of this study is the development of a project management handbook, as a guide for Information Systems (I.S.) projects at St. John's Mercy Medical Center. The need for this study was supported by inconsistencies in project management methods observed at St. John's.

A review of project management literature revealed that there has been very little empirical research in this area, and suggested that the nonspecific nature of project management literature may be contributing to the problem observed at St. John's. The literature review supported the view that a project management handbook should be developed, containing commonly accepted project …

An Investigation Into The Validity Of John Holland's Theory Of Vocational Choice And The Accuracy Of His Self-Directed Search Model As A Means Of Career Guidance, Paula Sandbothe-Swope

Theses

This study tested two hypotheses derived from John L. Holland's theory of vocational choice. The first hypothesis was that there should be some correlation between congruence, as measured by Holland's Self-Directed Search instrument, and an individual's expressed job satisfaction. The second hypothesis was that individuals will tend to seek out congruent occupations over time. The Self-Directed Search instrument was administered to 112 individuals working in a variety of occupations in order to measure job congruency. A questionnaire relating to job tenure and job satisfaction was also given to each individual. The information garnered from the SDS and the questionnaire was …

The Design And Implementation Of A Business Plan For A Neighborhood Inn, Edward L. Beck

Theses

This project will focus on the study of the eating and drinking establishment industry. Information was gathered for the purpose of constructing a business plan for The Haven.

Research has indicated that the owner of an inn must be concerned with several factors associated with the successful operation of an inn, those being: industry data, specific company data, financial data, and marketing data. The Haven inn's business plan was formed by utilizing information from each of these areas.

Once The Haven's business plan was completed, two members of the eating and drinking establishment industry were chosen to judge the plan's …

The Impact That An Aging American Population Has On Financial Institutions, Jerry M. Bladdick

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of America's aging population and the impact this population has upon financial institutions and the services and products these institutions provide.

Research has shown that real estate and cash are the primary sources of wealth for the majority of older adults. Banking institutions realize that with the ever-increasing size of this _population. special programs, incentives, and services may need to be provided in order to maintain the loyalty of older clients.

In recent years, financial institutions have hired management consulting firms to confirm that the older banking consumer of the 1990s will dramatically …

Do Women In Anxiety Support Groups Demonstrate Less Anxiety Than Those Who Are Not In Support Groups?, Anna L. Addis

Theses

Not available.

Strategic Planning: The Long And Short Of It, Linda Ann Flynn

Theses

This thesis will focus on corporate strategic planning, its stages and the impact that the planning process has on organizations.

Over the yea.rs corporate America has deemed it necessary that not-for-profit organizations should include time for planning in their management efforts. Research has shown that the management of any not-for-profit can be at best difficult. With the help of strategic planning, however, even not-for-profits can be better off in the future with time well spent today.

Time taken to understand the planning process and to follow the steps will help top management to solicit the commitment from both board members …

The Development Of The Business Plan For Baker Accounting And Tax Service, Marsha P. Baker

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of developing a business plan for a small home-based accounting and tax service .

Statistics indicate that the failure rate for new businesses is high. Research indicates that the main reason for the high rate of new business failures is lack of planning . Specifically, many entrepreneurs feel that preparing a formal business plan is not necessary and thus fail to plan for significant factors that impact their businesses.

The purpose of this study is to research all aspects of beginning a home- based accounting and tax service in preparation for writing a …

How Men And Women Communicate, Dara Elaine Bremerkamp

Theses

Men and women have successfully cohabited for centuries; however, the fact still remains that men and women are different and, therefore, communicate differently. This fact is becoming blatantly apparent in our nation's organizations. It is imperative for the success of our country's organizations that men and women comprehend their own communication process and, more importantly, one another's.

The work force is changing drastically. It has been estimated that the number of traditional White American males entering the work force will be diminished substantially. In fact, women will comprise the largest portion of the incoming work force by year 2000.

In …

Sexual Harassment: A Pilot Study In The Hotel Industry, Wen-Yi Tera Chung

Theses

Several studies have documented the existence of sexual harassment in workplaces in society-at-large. This pilot study seeks to determine whether sexual harassment is higher within the hotel industry than in workplaces in society-at-large, whether men and women react differently to sexual behaviors in the workplace, and whether those differences vary by department. In addition, the study seeks to determine hotel employees knowledge of the existence of policies and procedures on sexual harassment within one hotel property, to identify the initiators of sexually harassing behaviors, to suggest implications for management, and to provide a data base for future research. Sixty-nine employees …

The Corporate Travel Index In Taiwan: A Case Study, Liming Chen

Theses

Since it has booming business opportunities, Taiwan is shifting from a pleasure destination to business one. Business travel has become one significant segment of Taiwan tourism industry. However, tourism is not a major source of income for the Taiwanese. Consequently, there is less material discussing the spending style of business travelers in Taiwan. An overview of Taiwan tourism based on the statistics data from Tourism Bureau in Taiwan was done to give a general idea. The spending style of business travelers tried to identify the special items purchased by business travelers. This study followed the way for the Corporate Travel …

An Evaluation To Determine If There Is A Communication Gap Between Campus Auxiliary Services And Their Student Customers, Marylynne Crocker

Theses

The purpose of this study was to find out what the student customers of Campus Auxiliary Services have as their perceptions of the services provided by the corporation, and also if there is a communication gap between the corporation and their student customers. The question of whether there is a gap between what the customers expect and what they receive was also studied. The population studied consisted of student customers, Resident Advisors, and the Salaried CAS/Dining Service employees. A ten item perception questionnaire was given to CAS /Dining Service employees and also to the SUNY Geneseo Resident Advisors. A twenty …