Business Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality In Distance Learning, Rashana Weerasinghe

Honors Scholar Theses

This study focuses on the applicability of emerging technologies in education. To explore this, our research was conducted through an “Intro To Emerging Technology” course taught by the OPIM Department at the University of Connecticut. The class meets in two modalities: virtual reality environment and video-conferencing platform. Our research explores the learning outcomes produced by the different classroom environments, seeking to better understand the impact of virtual reality in distance learning. The purpose of this is to identify and predict how virtual reality will be integrated into a distance learning environment and understand if it can be used as a …

Impact Of The Quality Of Esg Reporting On Profitability Of Trucking And Oil Companies, Diane Meng

Honors Scholar Theses

A growing number of companies have been providing disclosures regarding ESG issues and goals in their financial reports. Studies have investigated the association between the quality of ESG reporting and the financial performance of various companies, which showed various results. However, the association between the two factors remains unclear. In this study, I examine the relationship between the quality of ESG reporting and the profitability of companies in the trucking and oil industries from 2011 to 2020. I predict that greater quality of ESG reporting results in higher profitability of companies in both industries. Overall, the results of this study …

Consumer Response To Green Brands Vs. Traditional Brands On Digital Platforms: An Analysis Through A Series Of Case Studies, Madison Busick

Honors Scholar Theses

In the age of environmental crisis, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their decisions. Accordingly, many companies seek to provide more eco-friendly and sustainable products while building their brand around these values. Consumers also are increasingly using and engaging on social media and other digital platforms. But just how well do these "green" brands do in the digital space? This study aims to compare differences between brands that embody environmentalist values and traditional brands with a variety of case studies across several consumer goods segments including clothing, cosmetics, and technology. The data is collected from a variety …

Analyzing Competitive Balance In Professional Sport, Kevin Alwell

Honors Scholar Theses

In this paper we review several measures to statistically analyze competitive balance and report which leagues have a wider variance of performance amongst its competitors. Each league seeks to maintain high levels of parity, making matches and overall season more unpredictable and appealing to the general audience. Here we quantify competitive advantage across major sports leagues in numbers using several statistical methods in order for leagues to optimize their revenue.

An Analysis Of The Business Structures And Performance Of Traditional Vs. "Freemium" Applications, Daztar Pagdiwala

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis will examine the rationale and financial success of “freemium” applications versus traditional applications. I define what the “freemium” model is, and how it compares to the traditional (premium) and “free trial” models. In addition, I discuss the value proposition of the business structure, and how it is fully dependent on the consumer’s ability to perceive an increase in value through the purchase of additional features. I also analyze the major positive and negative aspects of the “freemium structure.

Overall trends that I note in the paper include a general shift towards “freemium” and “subscription” based products; within the …

Between Developed And Emerging Markets: Globalization Of Large Consumer Good Enterprises, Christine Savino Ms.

Honors Scholar Theses

A few years ago, The Economist promulgated that “the only way that companies can prosper in [emerging] markets is to cut costs relentlessly and accept profit margins close to zero” (The Economist, 2010). Likewise, according to the World Bank’s 2018 Ease of Doing Business Index[1], the least ranked countries (#94 and under out of 190 countries) are solely undeveloped and developing, while the top 20 countries are solely developed economies (World Bank, 2018). It has been long held that emerging markets[2][3] are non-strategic investments for multinational expansion, and that business giants from …

Evolution Of Insurance: A Telematics-Based Personal Auto Insurance Study, Yuanjing Yao

Honors Scholar Theses

Insurance has been constantly evolving since its inception; nowadays, insurance has become an indispensable part of people’s daily life. Nonetheless, very few individuals understand the mechanism behind their insurance coverage. This paper focuses on the evolution of personal auto insurances. The first part of the paper summarizes traditional pricing techniques for personal auto insurance and discusses their deficiencies. The second part of the paper introduces telematics insurance, an innovative form of auto insurance. This new kind of insurance integrates telematics as well as other technologies in the premium calculation process. The study proceeds to evaluate the pros and cons of …