Business Commons^™

Dreams And Livelihoods In Rural Areas Require Capital, Too: An Investigation Into The Role Of Diminishing Community Banks, Financial Education, And Access To Capital In Rural Areas, Jackson Walton

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Individuals in rural communities face unprecedented economic challenges due to a lack of financial education and a decline in the prevalence of community banks. These problems have continuously grown exponentially without successful attempt at remedy. The community banks that once served as the center of economic activity and prevalence in rural communities are leaving these communities quickly- leaving many without access to lines of credit, personal relationship banking, and without necessary financial education in a world with more financial options than ever. Access to banking and higher financial literacy proficiency rates are almost directly linked to better financial outcomes like …

The Mathematics Of Financial Portfolio Optimization Incorporating Environmental, Social, And Governance Score Information, Ian Driskill

Master's Theses

We numerically investigate the effects that Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores have on portfolio optimization with Modern Portfolio Theory assumptions and how ESG scores correlate with the market returns of a rated company's stock. Additionally, we review and analyze a research paper published in the Journal of Financial Economics regarding ESG investing titled “Responsible investing: The ESG-efficient frontier” by Pedersen, Fitzgibbons, and Lukasz. Our overall goal is provide insight for socially responsible inclined investors, to help them understand what ESG scores tell us and how those scores may effect their overall investment returns."

Bidding Strategy For A Wind Power Producer In Us Energy And Reserve Markets, Anne Stratman

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wind power is one of the world's fastest-growing renewable energy resources and has expanded quickly within the US electric grid. Currently, wind power producers (WPPs) may sell energy products in US markets but are not allowed to sell reserve products, due to the uncertain and intermittent nature of wind power. However, as wind’s share of the power supply grows, it may eventually be necessary for WPPs to contribute to system-wide reserves. This paper proposes a stochastic optimization model to determine the optimal offer strategy for a WPP that participates in the day-ahead and real-time energy and spinning reserve markets. The …

Get Smart About Your Money, Sharonda Singleton Brown, Imani Beverly, Jacquelyn J. Daniel

Georgia Library Quarterly

“Get Smart About Your Money” was an event held at the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library for Money Smart Week 2023. The goal of the event was to introduce the new business librarian, promote financial literacy in the Atlanta University Center community, and participate in National Money Smart Week.

Persuasion As A Function Of Celebrity, Argument Complexity, And Need For Cognition, Stratton Stave, Blair T. Johnson Dr., Lisset Martinez-Berman, Matthew B. Jané

Honors Scholar Theses

With advertising commanding so much money as an industry, it is critical to determine what people like or do not with ads. Our focus was on three main factors within advertising, two dimensions within how the advertisement is presented, one based on the person reading the ad. The two dimensions based on presentation were the complexity of the ad, done the first time by omitting letters from the ad and the second time by swapping letters within words, and celebrity endorsement, comparing popstar Taylor Swift’s to Alicia Steele, an AI-generated celebrity. We also measured Need for Cognition (NFC), the level …

Community Development In Stann Creek, Belize, Connor O'Neill

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research attempts to understand the inner workings of community development by taking part in ongoing development projects in Belize. Through collaboration with existing government entities, we took part in meetings, surveys, and site visits to gather the data necessary for the development projects. These projects consisted of finding cost of production, collecting market research, and constructing business plans. During our time, we experienced multiple difficulties similar to those that developers consistently encounter. Ultimately, we gained valuable insight into procedures involved in community development, as well as being able to aid in ongoing development work.

To Tip Or Not To Tip: An Analysis Into Prompted Tipping, Jared Dingman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Giving tips (or gratuities) in restaurants in the United States has been and is currently a hotly debated and discussed topic. Concerns regarding proper compensation have been raised, but there is a need for empirical evidence to investigate and solve potential issues of compensation. This honors thesis aimed to answer two questions: Whether restaurant patrons tip more when prompted with tipping percentages, and whether those who have worked in the tipping industry tip more than those who have not. I administered a brief survey with tipping scenarios to gauge prompted and unprompted tipping behaviors. With these scenarios, demographic information was …

Co-Creating A Process Of Tacit Knowledge Seeking Using Appreciative Inquiry: An Exploratory Case Study, Kristina Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In today’s dynamic workplaces, knowledge exchange among employees is vital for organizational innovation and competitive advantage. However, existing literature on knowledge management has primarily focused on knowledge sharing, neglecting the proactive process of knowledge seeking, particularly regarding tacit knowledge. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring the social process of tacit knowledge seeking in the workplace. Using appreciative inquiry as a method for collecting data, this qualitative exploratory single case study examines how employees seek tacit knowledge in an international consumer products organization. Guided by a social constructionist framework and appreciative perspective, the study seeks to understand the …

The Extreme Rise Of The Fast Fashion Industry From Country To Country: Does Consumer Behavior Differ Cross Culturally Regarding Fast Fashion Between The United States And European Countries?, Madison R. Feuerbacher

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

The apparel industry has various categories of fashion. One of these categories known more readily today as fast fashion. Fast fashion has gained immense global popularity over the past decade. The concept of fast fashion apparel involves producing vast amounts of product as quick as possible to sell to the consumer at an aggressively low price. It is important to understand this current phenomenon of the global rise of fast fashion as well as understand the devastating effects our environment is facing because of it. As the vocalization of the harmful effects of fast fashion have become more prevalent …

Understanding The Influences Of Hedonic Personality Towards Advertising Avoidance On Social Media, Diera Desmonda, So Yohanes Jimmy, Mohammad Annas

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study aims to investigate and explore how the hedonic personality that exists in each individual can influence avoidance behaviour towards advertisements on social media platforms.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative approach with a purposive sampling technique was employed to collect data from 198 respondents who have shopped or at least searched for products on social media. The data were then analysed using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique.

Research Findings: The results showed that hedonic personality affected advertising avoidance behaviour. Through multigroup analysis, this research found differences in how men and women respond to an advertisement. On the other …

Mandatory Credit Allocation And Government Guarantee In The Philippines, Luis F. Dumlao

Economics Department Faculty Publications

Mandatory credit allocation is a policy intervention to pressure banks to lend to certain sectors that otherwise unfettered finance would not give access to. While some would argue that mandatory credit allocation results in sub-optimal allocation of resources, it has been shown that such intervention results is socially desirable outcome. However, mandatory credit allocation should not be the responsibility of banks only, it must be supported with government guarantees. In the Philippines, there are three sectors in which mandatory credit allocation is given namely the agriculture sector, the micro, small and medium enterprises or MSME sector, and enterprises involved in …

Disparities In Housing Affordability By Income, Housing Tenure, And Race In Us Census-Designated Regions, Jeffery S. Bredthauer, Javed Iqbal, Christopher Decker

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

This analysis demonstrates that there are significant regional disparities in housing affordability among US Census-designated regions, with the Northeast and West consistently bearing the highest costs. Over time, the burdens incurred by both owners and tenants have lessened, but renters' burdens have grown considerably. Furthermore, significant regional differences in severely cost-burdened households are highlighted. The Northeast has more severely cost-burdened households than the Midwest, South, or West. There are also significant ethnic differences: Asian Americans experience a slightly lower housing cost burden, while African Americans and Native Americans bear the greatest burden, followed by Hispanics. To address these problems, legislative …

Covid-19'S Consequences In Day-To-Day Life, Christian Mclain, Perla Guadalupe Vega

ENGL 1102 Showcase

This anthology discusses the consequences that the Covid-19 left. These drastic changes are still visible 4 years later, in two important sectors of Georgia's economy: the Work force and the housing market. These 2 sectors collide and merge with our daily life since they take up most of our time. Homes took on the roles of offices and schools as employees and students were forced to stay home due to the pandemic. Before and after Covid 19, everything changed from the criteria of buyers in the housing market, the inventory, the reasons why it is short, in addition to the …

Jargon To Jackpot: The Financial Impact Of Infusing Pop Culture References In Social Media, Madelynn Solow

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This research explores the impact of incorporating pop culture references in a company's Twitter feed on the company's stock price. Pop culture is integral to people's everyday lives, providing a sense of familiarity and fun between individuals. Many companies have started leveraging pop culture references on social media platforms like Twitter to establish a relatable and engaging connection with diverse consumer demographics. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate whether this strategy is beneficial within the stock market. It is hypothesized that incorporating pop culture references on Twitter can lead to increased sales and higher stock prices, as …

Is Seeing Believing? How Television Advertisements Influence Investment Decisions, Lucas Selb

Business and Economics Honors Papers

Stock returns are influenced by many factors. Finance scholars have attempted to examine the potential causes of stock price changes by comparing the observed returns of stocks after an event with the predicted returns they should have experienced had the event not occurred. The current “Super Bowl-Stock Returns” studies tend to find conflicting results regarding whether the returns of Super Bowl advertisers’ stocks deviate from their predicted values during the trading days following the Super Bowl, as well as the direction in which these returns deviate and why they deviate. This study uses a more precise model for estimating predicted …

Powerhouse Problem: The Examination Of The Nfl Draft And Possible Biases, Nicholas Troha

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This research explores the NFL draft's dynamics, investigating potential biases in player selection. Despite stars like Tyreek Hill and Antonio Brown emerging from small D1 institutions in the later draft rounds, a bias towards Power 5 conference players persists, particularly with wide receivers. Drawing from NFL draft data (2016-2020), this research finds that not only does there seem to be a premium placed on Power 5 receivers, but Southeastern Conference (SEC) linebackers as well. Quarterbacks were also evaluated in this research but revealed little information about what factors influence their draft position. The discrepancy of what influences a player’s draft …

The Alchemy Of Diversification: A Deep Dive Into The Stock-Bond Correlation, Evan Coffey

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This research delves into the intricate dynamics of the stock-bond correlation, seeking to reveal the underlying factors that drive its fluctuations. Through a comprehensive analysis of empirical data, it investigates the diverse array of influences that contribute to the variability in the relationship between stock and bond returns. Factors such as inflation, unemployment, market volatility, FED policy, and market growth are scrutinized for their impact on altering the correlation pattern. Additionally, the research explores the implications of the stock-bond correlation on portfolio diversification. By explaining the multifaceted nature of the correlation, this study provides valuable insights for investors, policymakers, and …

Nfl Rule Changes Favor Offenses; But Don't Defenses Win Championships?, Kipp Satterlee Ransome

Business and Economics Honors Papers

The NFL's emphasis on favoring the offense through implementing new game rules is likely a significant factor in increasing a team's average points per game. Additionally, an increasing average points per game metric is likely a contributing factor to increasing real team revenue, as prior research indicates that higher-scoring games lead to higher fan satisfaction. Using game, team revenue, and rule implementation data from the 2002-2022 seasons, this author tests two new hypotheses that test whether specific rule changes targeting defenses or special teams increase a team’s average points per game and whether an increased points per game metric positively …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: April 24, 2024, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator-Nebraska fell by 1.31% in March 2024. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic growth six months into the future, followed a very rapid 3.97% increase in February. Taken together, the February and March values continue to imply strong growth in the Nebraska economy in mid-2024. A decline in building permits for single-family homes contributed to the drop in the LEI-N during March. There also was a decline in manufacturing hours worked after a sharp February increase. On the positive side, business expectations remained strong in March. Respondents to the March Survey …

Establishing Networked Territorial Spatial Pattern To Serve New Development Pattern, Jiaming Li, Jiaoe Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

A networked territorial spatial pattern, centered around major strategic corridors, plays a crucial role in supporting the construction of the new dual-circulation development pattern. The “Two Horizontals and Three Verticals” major strategic corridors that have been formed can effectively promote the concentration of socio-economic factors in major urban agglomerations. However, there exists a mismatch between the north-south vertical strategic corridors and the east-west socio-economic linkages and transportation corridors. Besides, the existing strategic corridors lack sufficient horizontal support for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, and the land and sea corridors exhibit weak horizontal driving effect and insufficient connection with external corridors. “Three …

Layout Of Comprehensive Functional Regions And Recent Regional Guidelines In China, Fengjun Jin, Zhuo Chen, Jie Fan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The overall strategy of the “four major sectors”, the regional major strategies and the major functional oriented zoning strategy have strongly supported the regional coordinated development in China. However, it also brings the risk of exacerbating the imbalance and incoordination of regional development due to strategic differences and segmentation. Based on an analysis of the trends in regional coordinated development in China, this study puts forward the layout of China’s comprehensive function regions, which divides the mainland of China into 10 regions: the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, the middle reaches of Yangtze River basin, the upper reaches …

Strategic Priorities Of China's Urbanized Areas During 15th Five-Year Plan Period, Wei Qi, Jie Fan, Jiaming Li, Yu Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Urbanized areas are areas whose main function is to provide industrial and service products. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the urbanization rate of China’s population will exceed 70 percent, thus entering a long-time stage of high urbanization levels. The strategic positioning of urbanized areas will be defined as county-level administrative districts with a high concentration of scientific and technological innovation resources, new quality productivity, and new-type industrialization. In terms of strategic layout, the scope of urbanized areas will be optimized to promote the concentration of population and economy in urban agglomerations, metropolitan areas, and central cities, and to strengthen …

Improve Policy System Of Main Functional Zones In National Spatial Planning, Fan Qi, Siqi Qiu, Chengshuangping Zhao, Jianglong Chen, Siyu Shao, Bangrui Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

This study analyzes in detail the effectiveness and existing problems of the current policy implementation of the main functional zone in the “multi planning and integration” national land spatial planning system, and proposes an overall idea of systematizing, differentiating, coordinating, and incentivizing the policy system of the main functional zone in the new era of national land spatial governance. From the perspectives of strengthening the top-level design of policy systems, classifying and improving policy tools for the main functional zone, strengthening comprehensive policy coordination, and improving policy implementation evaluation mechanisms, the policy recommendations are proposed for improving and implementing the …

Venture Capital And Its Role In Facilitating Better Development In China's Artificial Intelligence Industry, Randong Yuan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The venture capital (VC) industry plays a crucial role in advancing the development of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. As a key bridge between technological innovation and industrialization, VC not only provides financial support to AI startups but also empowers them in strategic planning, technological research and development, and market expansion. However, China's VC industry currently faces several challenges in supporting AI development, including an imbalance in the roles of state-owned and private capital, a short-term investment mindset, and the cyclical phenomenon of "herding" and abrupt market exits. These issues hinder the growth trajectories of Chinese AI enterprises and constrain …

Suggestions For Layout Adjustment Of China's Agricultural Regions During Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Period, Yong Xu, Hua Yang, Jian Duan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Adjusting and optimizing the strategic paradigm of China’s agricultural regions in the new era is of great significance to the implementation of the “Greater Food” concept and the building of a strong agriculture. This study takes the layout adjustment of China’s agricultural regions during the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan period as its theme, and firstly summarizes the problems that exist in the main agricultural production regions and the layout changes in grain production bases. Then, in conjunction with the new requirements of the national strategies, the functional types of agricultural regions are refined, the different function positions are clarified, the adjusting …

Implementation Evaluation And Outlook Of Major Function Oriented Zone, Dong Chen, Baoyin Liu, Jie Fan, Daojing Zhou, Rui Guo, Zhao Wang, Jianxiong Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Major Function Oriented Zone (MFOZ), an attempt and exploration aimed at ecological civilization during China’s industrial civilization period which is divided into two stages, the stage of MFOZ planning and the stage of the national strategy and basic institution before and after the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress, and the main characteristics of both stages are analyzed. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the strategic thinking of the MFOZ has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, the strategic pattern of the MFOZ has been basically formed, the development of the categorized MFOZ has achieved …

Research On Spatial Collaborative Allocation Of Innovation Chain And Industrial Chain And Regional Economic Layout In China, Jianhui Yu, Wenzhong Zhang, Jiaming Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The driving force of China’s economic development in the new era is gradually shifting from traditional production factor inputs and export-led growth to scientific and technological innovation-driven development, and technological innovation is increasingly becoming the main engine of China’s economic development. China needs to urgently address difficult issues such as the disconnect between science and technology and the economy, as well as prominent problems such as repeated resource allocation and scattered scientific research forces. Under the complex and volatile development environment, it is necessary to further optimize the spatial collaborative allocation of innovation chains and industrial chains and promote the …

Strategic Pattern And Optimization Of China's Eco-Regions During Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Period, Kan Zhou, Jie Fan, Daojing Zhou, Zhedong Qian, Hu Yu, Hanchu Liu, Jian Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since the implementation of the major function oriented zoning, the ecological space of key ecological functional areas has continuously expanded, with a significant increase in vegetation coverage. Concurrently, there has been a dual change in population dynamics, characterized by a decrease in total population and an increase in the urban population. Furthermore, significant achievements have been made in economic and social development, and there has been a steady improvement in the functions of ecological security barriers, contributing to an alleviation of tension in human-environment relationships. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is imperative to adhere to the functional orientation …

Research On Cohesion Strategy Of Land-Sea Functional Oriented Zoning Based On Perspective Of Land-Sea Coordination, Chengjin Wang, Zhaoyang He

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The marine-terrestrial interlaced zone serves as a crucial spatial hub linking the functional zoning of both land and sea areas. Optimizing the ecological function, economic function, and national security function of the marine-terrestrial interlaced zone is of significant importance for promoting the coordination between land and sea functional oriented zoning and achieving their mutual beneficial interaction. It also contributes to enhancing the economic, social, and environmental benefits, effectively allocating resources, and advancing social sustainability. Building upon the clarification of the current development status and characteristics of China’s marine-terrestrial interlaced zone, the research systematically examines the key issues existing in the …

Impact Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence Technology On Employment And Income In China, Yan Lu, Lincui Gui

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, employment and income in China will undergo some new changes. It is necessary to explore the impact of artificial intelligence technology on employment and income distribution. The study finds that in terms of employment, the impact of artificial intelligence includes redefining the number and nature of jobs, affecting work patterns and work skills, and possibly triggering structural imbalances between supply and demand in the labor market, leading to employment inequality, increasing employment risks. In term of income distribution, artificial intelligence technology has a heterogeneous impact on the initial distribution of different fields, …