Business Commons^™

Encore Dance Costume Rental: A Business Plan, Aubrey Utting

Honors Theses

Dance can be very expensive to participate in. One of the things making dance expensive is the high prices of dance costumes. Encore Dance Costume Rental helps solve the problem of expensive dance costumes by using a rental business model instead of traditional dance costume sales. This business plan details how this business will operate and create value for its customers.

Study In The States: Making An Impact On Honors Education, Hayley Weston

Honors Theses

Today, professionals around the world recognize the need for experiential learning in education. Many schools have adopted programs that allow for this type of learning, including The Carl and Winifred Lee Honors College at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The current Dean of the Lee Honors College, Dr. Carla Koretsky, states that, “The benefits of experiential learning are numerous. In a lecture it is easy for the mind to wander, while in experiential learning the students are constantly engaged. They learn more thoroughly and retain more information” (C, Koretsky, personal communication, March 2016). In a separate interview, the Director …

Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Different Observation Methods And An Exploratory Analysis Of The Importance Of Accuracy Of Various Observations On Safety Performance, Marlies Hagge

Dissertations

Behavior Based Safety (BBS) applies various types of safety observation to improve occupational safety in business. The purpose of the following study was to examine and compare different observation foci: peer-observation, self-observation and a combination of both options as well as supervisor observations and observations of employee behavior obtained by research assistants (RA). Participants were unionized employees of the facilities management department at a Midwestern university. Target behaviors included safe lifting and vacuuming. The dependent variables were safety performance and the discrepancy between the different observation types. Incident data were also reported. The different observational methods were investigated via a …

Western Client: A Business Plan, Connor Makowski

Honors Theses

Western Client was created to simplify electronic communications. We believe that we can challenge standard communication processes and revolutionize how smartphones disseminate media. We can help our users to foster better relationships and communicate more effectively. We are achieving this by streamlining user interfaces, compiling data, and minimizing unproductive intervals on electronic devices.

Western Client will offer an easy to navigate, well designed application that integrates information from many sources. We are currently focusing our efforts on designing an application for iOS and Android devices that provides universal inboxes. Every contact will have a dedicated universal inbox that will place …

Cross-Examining The United States And Germany's Education And Employee Treatments In Relation To The Unemployment Rate, Natalie Cook

Honors Theses

The unemployment rate has been a constant battle in the United States, especially in the last five years. In 2010 the unemployment rate was at a high of 9.7%, in 2011 it was at 9.0%, in 2012 is what at 8.2%, in 2013 it was at 7.4%, and in 2014 it was at 6.6% (Unemployment, total (% of total laborforce) (modeled ILO estimate), 2015). This is relatively high compared to other countries, such as Germany. Germany in the last five years has had lower unemployment rates in the last five years, their highest rate in the last five years was …

Framing Identity & Change In The Experience Of Interns, Bryleigh Loughlin

Honors Theses

The definition and framing of identity in scholarly work often focuses how an individual conducts identity work in response to identity regulation in order to construct a coherent self. This study expands upon this framework by illuminating the ways that undergraduate interns frame what identity is and the consequences of their framing for their resulting identity construction (identity work). Based on in-depth qualitative interviews, this study demonstrates how participants either framed identity as a stable entity or fluid construct. This study encourages the exploration and discovery of the colloquial ways workers define and discuss identity, so that scholars can understand …

Army Supply Chain Management: Trends And Parellels With Industry, Matthew C. Olson

Honors Theses

Documents assembled as part of a supply chain management study to compare the tools and concepts used by private industry with the public sector, specifically the Department of Defense and the United States Army.

Why Most Mergers Fail: An Emphasis On The Human Factors, Kimberly Defouw

Honors Theses

Recent studies have shown that 60-80% of all mergers are failures when measured by their ability to outperform the stock market or to deliver profit increases. Mergers must create value and grow the business to have true success. Often mergers fail due to financial and market factors, such as a poor economy, market entry timing, unrealized synergies, or a saturated market. It is easy to overlook the human factors, the characteristics of people that need to be considered when implementing mergers in order for people to interact effectively. While a CEO may be the first to say that people are …

The Potential Effects Of The Trans-Atlantic Common Aviation Area On Shannon Airport, Ireland, Daniel James Centilli

Honors Theses

The Trans-Atlantic Aviation Area is a proposed liberalization of the air services agreements known as bilateral agreements between the United States of America and the member states of the European Union. The new agreement would replace the restrictive bilateral and Open Skies bilateral agreements between the United States and the EU with a single comprehensive agreement. The emergence of true open skies between the US and EU creates many economic opportunities and some economic threats. One such threat is the situation faced by the Shannon Airport, Ireland. Under the current US/Ireland bilateral, Shannon's existence is protected by requiring US carriers …

A Local Market Analysis Of Various Exempt And Non-Exempt Positions At A Community Mental Health Provider, Stephanie Wallace

Honors Theses

Market analysis of pay structure for employees of Summit Pointe using data from two surveys, CompData (Compensation Data Michigan) and ASE (American Society of Employers-Southwest Michigan Region).

A Telecommuter Program For Second To None, Inc., Michael J. Postma

Honors Theses

Telecommuting, or working from a remote location, is a very popular idea that has gained growing support from employees and companies over the past decade. The opportunity to stay home and do work appeals to employees, and the ability to reduce overhead costs appeals to the company. Developing a program that outlines how this arrangement would take place is vital. Outlined are a few of the components that should be included in this type of arrangement.

First, the telecommuter situation will be on a trial basis for a predetermined amount of time. The company or the employee has the right …

Qualitative Inquiry Of Biased And Exemplary Practices Of White Supervisors In Multicultural Supervision, Brian D. Paul

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Managers' Clarification Of Business Linkage Of Training On Trainees' Transfer Of Training, Elizabeth J. Benanzer

Dissertations

This study investigated the hypotheses that if managers were engaged in specific activities aimed at increasing their understanding of the linkage of employee training to business goals, then they would in turn create a more positive transfer environment, resulting in greater transfer of training received by their employees. Some managers of trainees participated in a workshop in which they used an “impact mapping” procedure to clearly explain the relationship between training of their employees and strategic goals of the business; another group of managers did not receive this impact mapping training. Then, all managers’ employees participated in a supervisory training …

Inventory Ordering Decisions Over The Product Life Cycle, Matthew J. Seiler

Honors Theses

This report will link two key business concepts together. It will first examine the characteristics of different inventory replenishment systems used by purchasing managers. Second, it will bring the marketing phenomenon of the product life cycle into the picture. The varying demand patterns found in a typical product life cycle curve will become test data for a simulation exercise to determine which of four ordering models yield the lowest combination of holding and ordering costs. The costs related to holding finished good inventories account for a large portion of a firm's total cost structure (Adam and Ebert, 1989). To stay …

Perception Of Effectiveness As A Factor In Schedule Management System Usage In Industries Involved In Department Of Defense Development Programs, Lyle Adelbert Wolcott

Dissertations

The extent to which a schedule management system is used in day-to-day program management operations may depend upon how useful the individual manager perceives the system to be. This study attempts to identify system-manager relationships that impact their usage by management personnel.

The study had two purposes. The first objective was to isolate attributes of the company schedule system and determine the significance of their relationship with manager opinion of the system. The second objective of the study was to investigate selected operational conditions that may impact the schedule management system and determine the significance of their relationship with manager …

Perception And The Administrator An Investigation Into The Perceptual Areas Of Difference Between The Various Levels Of An Organization, W. W. Mcintire

Masters Theses

Introduction

It is frequently voiced that most of the problems that occur in organizations are "people problems." There are the result of misunderstandings, differences of interpretation, and inadequate coordination of effort. This study is concerned with this problem area, but it should be made clear that no attempt will be made to investigate "problem people" in organizations. They may legitimately be considered as part of the problem area, however, investigation of them is beyond the realm and scope intended for this study.

Study Of The Reliability Of Peer Nominations And Their Relationship With Nominations By Superiors Within An Established Organization, Ronald W. Miller

Masters Theses

Introduction

The Purpose

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the application of peer evaluation techniques. One such technique is that of peer nominations. This study is designed to determine the reliability of peer nominations and their relationship with nominations by superiors within an established organization.

Negligence In The Operation Of Business Aircraft, Daniel J. Garber

Masters Theses

Introduction

Basis for Business Aircraft

The use of airplanes as a production tool for executives and supervisory personnel by business firms in practically all fields of endeavor is ever increasing. This is true even though the airlines have largely substituted pure jet aircraft for piston powered airplanes and turbo-propelled ships on the trunk routes. This makes it more difficult for the business aircraft to save the executives of a company time and money by cutting down transportation waste in obtaining more hours of usefulness from those persons using business aircraft transportation and less expense for employee's hotel, meals and other …

The Effect Of Food And Drug Laws On Producers Of Paper And Paperboard Used For The Packaging Of Food, Charles W. Walton

Masters Theses

In 1958 the Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was adopted causing a great deal of concern on the part of producers of packaging material. Any ingredient of the package that might migrate or transfer to food contained in the package became, by definition, a food additive subject to regulation and prior approval of the Food and Drug Administration.

Other acts and regulations have been adopted since 1958 indicative of increasing concern by the Federal Government for consumer welfare. This activity can be expected to have far reaching effects on manufacturers who must depart from …

A Follow-Up Study Of Business Administration Graduates From Western Michigan University January, 1953 To August, 1961, David T. Kollat

Masters Theses

Preface

This is the first follow-up study of' the graduates of the School of Business of Western Michigan University. It is hoped that this study will assist in future curriculum planning and course content so that the School can continue to improve its excellent record.

I would like to thank the Records Office for suppling the names or the BBA graduates. I would also like to extend my appreciation to Mr. Ray Fenwick and his staff at the Alumni Office tor allowing me the use or their facilities so that the mailing list could be compiled.

It is impossible to …

A Survey Of Current Techniques For Selecting First-Line Supervisors In Industry, Linford A. Sutherland

Masters Theses

Introduction

The purpose of this investigation is to show to what extent the selection of supervisors is still based on subjective opinion, and to what extent objective devices have been developed and have gained acceptance.

The collection of relevant data for this survey involves a search of the published literature in the field. In this work the terms first-line supervisor, foreman, and supervisor will be used interchangeably.

The writer's interest in the area of supervisory selection was aroused after reading several articles on the problem of selecting factory supervisors of the highest caliber as industry now realizes that the supervisory …