Business Commons^™

Promoting A Walk/Run Event To Expand Services For Individuals With Disabilities, Mckenzie Rodgers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex (CEC) at WKU provides services to many individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders and other developmental delays and disabilities. As a nonprofit organization, the clinic relies heavily on donations and fundraisers as sources of income. One of the CEC’s primary fundraisers is the annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism. This event is held each April during autism awareness month, at the Bowling Green Ballpark, providing an opportunity for the community to support the clinic in an enjoyable way.

For an honors capstone experience, the author promoted the 15th annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism …

Launching And Maintaining A Wedding Photography Business, Shelley D. Owens

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With the popularity of the wedding industry in America perpetuated by social media, blogs, and other networking sites, thousands of self-employed photographers have set out to make a living documenting the most important day of some people’s lives. Digital photography appeals to many for its convenience, but having a camera does not make one a professional photographer. What separates the hobbyists from the professionals is the development of skills and creative vision and the proper legal and business licensing to make a profit off of their wedding photography. Shelley Owens provides her own experiences as a professional wedding photographer as …

Just-In-Time Management In Healthcare Operations, Jinglin Li

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Reducing costs and improving quality are two of the most important goals in managing healthcare operations. In this study, we explore how to improve healthcare operations by integrating Just-in-Time (JIT) management system. We first introduce the JIT management system, and then discuss how it can generate benefits in healthcare operations. We investigate implications for healthcare practice, which include how JIT techniques can be applied to healthcare operations, how hospitals and general practices can use JIT techniques, how JIT can help the patient throughput rate, and how technological advances can speed up healthcare processes. Implications for management and directions for future …

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case Study On Carlsberg, Anne Sofie Brusendorff

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In today’s business environment corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability are extremely influential in a firm’s competitiveness. A literature review will provide an analysis of past cases illustrating the importance of CSR, considering both positive and negative impacts CSR strategy can have on business success. Furthermore, important definitions and terminology critical to understanding CSR will be highlighted. This paper explores the evolution of CSR and provides a general overview of the effects CSR can have on a company’s reputation. The way a company can effectively utilize a CSR-strategy as a competitive advantage is also examined, along with scholarly views both …

What Appeals To The Wku Honors Student? A Promotion Mix Designed To Intrigue, Brittany T. Kittleman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The presence of honors programs and honors colleges at universities is a growing trend in response to increased competition for high-caliber students. Public universities are finding that honors colleges can provide students with an affordable option that is equivalent to the educational experience of a private institution. There is minimal research regarding the promotion strategies of honors colleges, and regarding promotions that are most effective in attracting high-caliber students to universities with honors colleges. This thesis attempts to expand on this area of research by analyzing the factors, opportunities, and experiences that were most important to current honors students of …

Institutional Inconsistencies And Microentrepreneurial Intent To Quit A Business: Street Vendors In Vietnam, Mai N. Tran

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Beyond actual institutional influences, entrepreneurs’ perceptions of institutions and their potential inconsistencies in interpreting institutional change may influence entrepreneurial intent to quit a business. Especially at the microentrepreneurial level, inconsistencies in perceptions of institutional change may variously affect individuals’ intent to abandon their business, seek jobs in other sectors, or even continue in business despite regulatory institutional changes making their business legally untenable. Our goal in this research is to empirically measure these intents in the face of inconsistent perceptions of institutional change with a sample of 660 street vendors from different cities in Vietnam. We find that perception of …

Voices Of Color: The Presence Of Minority Broadcast Media Professionals, Kristi Runyon

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

'Workplace diversity" is becoming something of a catch phrase in the business world. As the United States population diversifies, so must the United States workforce, or so the theory goes. In the broadcasting industry, organizations have issued mandatory minority-hiring regulations. However, a large number of minorities argue that there is much room for improvement when it comes to newsroom diversity. Studies show not only that there is an insufficient number of minorities in front of the camera, but also that there are few minorities in the executive and management offices. Minorities do have a presence in the broadcasting industry, but …

A Study Of How Women Are Perceived In The Workforce, Christopher Roberts

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Women are defined as a minority in the United States. This is not because there are fewer women than men in our country but because they have traditionally held less power and earned salaries 39% lower than the average male's income (Conrad, 1994). although the gap in pay is decreasing, it illustrates the different expectations our culture places on men and women. Whether we embrace the idea or reject it, men and women also behave differently. Researchers argue that these differing behavioral patterns are either genetic or learned. This paper explores communication differences in an organizational setting. More specifically, it …