Business Commons^™

Bilingual Consumer Memory In The Advergaming Context: A Cross-Script Comparison, Monica D. Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Written language is the core of culture and central to marketing communications. The differences in language processing exhibited by Eastern/Western bilingual consumers are of great concern for global and multinational companies wishing to effectively promote their products through the Internet. Advergaming is a promotional method consisting of the delivery of advertising messages through electronic games. Despite recent scholarly interest, no previous research has compared brand memory across groups of bilinguals of different writing systems or scripts in the advergaming context.

The dissertation investigated differences in brand memory of bilinguals of languages based on different scripts. Specifically, a logographic-based language (Chinese), …

Corporate Governance And Expropriation Of Minority Shareholders' Rights: Evidence From Latin America, Marisela Santiago-Castro

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The dissertation empirically examines whether the internal corporate governance mechanisms of the firms represented in Latin American equity markets lead to the expropriation of minority shareholders' rights; and whether such expropriation leads to economic underperformance. Specifically, the dissertation answers the following: Is there a relationship between the board of director's characteristics and the expropriation of minority shareholders rights in Latin American firms? Is there a relationship between the ownership structure of Latin American firms and the expropriation of minority shareholders rights? Moreover, does the expropriation of minority shareholders rights lead to economic underperformance among Latin American firms?

Several hypotheses were …

The Drivers And Antecedents Of Satisfaction, Trust, Commitment, And Loyalty Among Chinese Customers, Yun Chu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation explores the relationship between satisfaction, trust, commitment, and loyalty among Chinese customers. The selection of China as the location for this study is due to a number of factors. China's economic expansion and recent ascension to full membership within the World Trade Association (WTO) has generated “excitement, uncertainty, and fear” (Ghoshal, 2003). In the recent past trade with China has grown at on average of 15 percent a year and foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country has grown even faster (Ghoshal, 2003). This growth may result in an interesting paradox. If China maintains just two thirds of …

The Effect Of Personal And Managerial Capitalism On Firms' Capabilities In Colombia's Grupos Económicos, Carmen Leonor Martinez-Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Researchers have investigated business groups or grupos económicos and personal and managerial capitalism as separate topics. This dissertation integrates these concepts in order to study the effect of personal and managerial capitalism on firms' performance in Colombia's grupos económicos. Colombian grupos económicos were selected as the sample for this study for a number of reasons. For example, Colombian is ranked first in Latin America in the overall ranking for world competitiveness for countries with a population greater than 20 million (The World Competitiveness Year book, 2003). Although small by international standards (Reinhardt and Peres, 2000), since at least the …

Exploring The Managerial Intuition And Knowledge Of Managers In Mexico's Maquiladora Industry, Jose Castillo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Decision-making has been a subject of interest for management scholars since the scientific management era (Wren, 1994). Brockmann and Simmonds (1997) and Guinipero, Dawley and Anthony (1999) studied the link between managerial decision-making and tacit knowledge in the effort to identify important cognitive elements in the day-to-day decision-making processes of firm managers. Despite their bold and innovative aims, however, Brockmann et al. (1997) and Guinipero et al. (1999) were weakened by their fundamental assumption that tacit knowledge is synonymous to intuition, and by inconsistencies in their research goals and methods. This dissertation addresses these shortcomings.

The contributions of this research …

Community, Fortitude, Satisfaction, And Loyalty: Tests Of Oliver's Proposed Frameworks, J. Martin Fraering

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This paper discusses tests of two competing loyalty frameworks proposed by Richard L. Oliver. The cognition to action (CTA) loyalty model specifies four phases: cognitive loyalty, affective loyalty, conative loyalty, and action loyalty, a framework originally discussed by Oliver. The fortitude-community (F-C) loyalty model argues that loyalty is a function of the degree of personal fortitude and the extent to which customers feel that they are members of a community of consumers. In both of these models loyalty is posited to arise from customer satisfaction. Research hypotheses are formulated that assert positive relationships between satisfaction and various loyalty constructs. The …

Stock Return Volatility In Emerging Equity Markets: The Relative Effects Of Country And Global Factors, Benjamin Adam Abugri

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The rapid growth of capital markets in developing countries has come as a major event in recent financial history. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), portfolio flows to emerging countries has kept rising since the early 1980s and the trend has continued even after a number of financial crises (IFC, 2000). Probably one of the most commonly known characteristics of these markets is their high volatility compared to the more developed markets. But results of studies on volatilities in these markets are often based on estimates of the variance of market indexes or asset returns over relatively long periods …

R&D, Advertising And The Market Value Of Internet Firms, Damir Tokic

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study is to explain the valuation of Internet firms during the valuation “bubble” period from 1996 to 2000. The theoretical foundation of the study is the investment opportunities approach to the valuation of growth shares. Consistent with predictions of the investment opportunities approach, the results show a positive and statistically significant relationship between the market value of Internet firms and investments in R&D and advertising in each year of the sample period. These findings strongly support the view that R&D and advertising are intangible assets. The investment opportunities approach also predicts a positive relationship between market …

United States Gaap Versus International Accounting Standards: Convergence Or Divergence. Evidence From Form 20-F, Kendra Jo Huff

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Numerous accounting standards and practices affect the financial statements analyzed by investors and creditors thus bringing into question the comparability of such statements. Firms operating internationally often apply accounting methods and practices accepted by other global firms and investors. Comparability increases, or harmonization occurs, as firms converge toward a few accepted methods or when the number of methods applied decrease. This study analyzes the comparability of profits based on U.S. principles versus International Accounting Standards and other foreign accounting principles. The data for the analysis consisted of the reconciliation items and profits reported in Form 20-F filed by foreign corporations …

Determinants Of Electronic Data Interchange Adoption In International Buyer -Supplier Communications, Jose V. Gavidia

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In spite of the increased interest in supply chain management in recent years, few studies have examined the adoption of the technologies that facilitate information flows along the supply chain. Information flows have been shown to have a positive effect on economic efficiency and supply chain partner satisfaction. The adoption and use of information technologies to communicate with suppliers can also stimulate small business growth and foster regional economic development.

This dissertation develops and empirically tests a model of the determinants of the adoption of interorganizational information systems, specifically electronic data interchange (EDI), between buyers and suppliers in international supply …

Risk, Return And Integration In Latin American Equity Markets, Eduardo Enrique Sandoval

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

There has been an increasing interest in studying the cross sectional relationship between systematic risk (as measured by beta) and return due to the inability of unconditional models to explain this relationship and the empirical contradictions found for the Sharpe-Lintner-Black CAPM model. Extant research on developed stock markets shows a significant relationship between beta and return when it is conditional to up and down markets. However, whether these results apply to Latin American equity markets is an issue that has not been previously studied.

With this in mind, this dissertation pursues two main objectives: (1) to analyze whether unconditional or …

Economic Impacts Of Nafta And Transfer Pricing Legislation Along The United States-Mexico Border, Alton Henry Cook Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Economic theory predicts that small economies benefit most from regional economic integration. There is ample anecdotal evidence of the NAFTA economic benefit for Mexico in the post-Treaty expansion, both in size and number, of the many maquiladora manufacturing plants established from Matamoros to Tijuana. The U.S. is the large economy in the NAFTA regional integration arrangement. Have the Treaty economic benefits also extended to the large economy in this tripartite agreement? Employing trade data before and after NAFTA, the dissertation investigates the economic impact resulting from the Treaty for the U.S. as a whole and its sub-regions. The other purpose …

An Analysis Of Financial Issues Faced By Microenterprises In Mexico, Heikki Heino

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The economic and social role of microenterprises in developing countries is well recognized. Research has shown that the importance of microenterprises in economic development derives from the fact that small firms use labor intensively rather than capital. In the case of Mexico, microenterprises employ over 20 percent of the working age population. Moreover, from 1991 to 1995 the number of microenterprises operating in Mexico increased from 5.7 to 6.1 million firms.

Given the role that microenterprises play in employment creation, a natural research question that arises is then, “how microenterprises are created and survive under credit market imperfections.” A general …

The Etic/Emic Dimensions Of Organizational Citizenship Behavior In Mexico: A Cross -Cultural Research Study, Luis Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this dissertation is to use field research data gathered from Mexican maquiladora administrative professionals in order to develop a new scale of Mexican Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (MOCB—“going beyond the norm”). A major tenet from the literature states that to correctly capture an entire phenomenon such as MOCBs in a different culture, researchers must use both the emic/etic dyad, triangulation, and should use employee samples.

The methodology in this dissertation utilizes a preliminary study and a main study. The first study uses two large multinational enterprises (MNEs) to empirically test six propositions. The preliminary study determined that organizational …

Sectoral Labor Choice In Post-Revolutionary Nicaragua: The Evolution Of The Informal Labor Sector In The 1990s, Michael Jack Pisani

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation focuses on the contemporary informal labor sector in Nicaragua. Central to the study are four research questions concerning the informal labor sector in Nicaragua; they are: (1) Are Nicaraguans positively or negatively selected into the informal/formal sector? That is, do Nicaraguans participate in their respective sector by choice (e.g., positive selection) or by force (e.g., negative selection)? (2) Are Nicaraguans working in the informal sector queued to work in the formal sector? (3) How has the queue changed, if any, for informal sector workers desiring formal sector employment over the course of the 1990s? and, (4) How have …

The Antecedents And Consequences Of Customer Loyalty: The Roles Of Customer Satisfaction And Consumer Trust -Commitment, Sergio Alonso

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The objective of this dissertation is to develop and test a model of customer loyalty. This model can help explain the process that a customer follows to pledge loyalty, sometimes even subconsciously, to a product or service provider. From the provider's perspective, this process enables a firm to have a superior marketing performance based on the consideration that a loyal customer always is going to repurchase from the same provider. The whole model is composed of two sides: the firm and the consumer side. The firm is the entity that starts the process with the production of a consumer value …

Manipulating Ethos And Pathos: Accents, Product Complexity, And Promotional Messages In Chile, Victor Ramon Davila

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation is motivated by fundamental questions about source effects in persuasive communications: Do receiver attributes influence perceptions about the source and about the object of the message? Do source and object cues influence receiver perceptions about the source? Do source and object cues influence receiver perceptions about the object of the message?

Traditional conceptions of receiver responses to a source have focused on character trait inferences. Of these character trait inferences, the literature on source credibility appears to converge on two categories: source expertise and source trustworthiness. A more recent stream of research has grown around the concept of …

Factors Affecting Learning Effectiveness In International Joint Ventures (Ijv): An Empirical Analysis Of Indian Ijvs, Sameer P. Vaidya

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Increasing globalization of the business environment has prompted companies to form cross-border alliances. The need to form joint ventures is evident from the increase in the number of international joint ventures (IJV) in the US as well as in other nations. Researchers are also attempting to identify relationships that foster longevity in IJVs. This study contributes to the research in the field of IJVs by examining issues relating to the learning effectiveness of IJVs. Research (Harrigan, 1985; Kogut, 1998; Beamish, 1994) has shown that there are three main approaches for joint venture formation, which are transaction cost approach, strategic behavior …

Explicating Sex Differences In Marketing Managers' Egoist Versus Utilitarian Ethical Orientations: The Effects Of The Enactment Of Agentic Versus Communal Social Roles, Jason Blair Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examines the issue of sex differences in ethical orientations and suggests that the enactment of social roles and the associated use of information processing strategies influence the presence of sex differences in managers' ethical orientations. Managers' ethical judgments and intentions to use punishments or rewards to encourage ethical behavior are the two dependent variables in the study.

A 3 (prime: gender-role, work-role, no role) by 4 (ethical condition: positive egoist/positive utilitarian, positive egoist/negative utilitarian, negative egoist/positive utilitarian, and negative egoist/negative utilitarian) experimental design was applied in the efforts to answer the main research question: What is the role …

Small Business Financing Sources And Self -Employment Trends Of Mainland And Island-Born Puerto Ricans, Yolanda Ruiz-Vargas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A growing interest in studying the self-employment decision can be attributed to the conventional wisdom that small business formation is necessary for economic development. Extant research has also begun to explore the self-employment determinants of emerging populations, such as immigrants and African Americans, emphasizing that there is need for better policies aimed at helping these populations. Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans epitomize this need to pursue these two areas of research. To specifically address these areas, this dissertation pursues two objectives: (1) to empirically analyze the self-employment trends of Puerto Ricans and mainland Puerto Ricans against other groups (Dominicans, Cubans, …

Trust And Ethics In International Business Negotiations: A Cross-Cultural Analysis, Mohammad Niamat Elahee

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The growing interdependence in the global economic and political arena is resulting in accelerated growth in cross-national commercial relationships. Since some form of negotiation precedes most commercial activities and relationships, the topic of cross-cultural negotiation is of crucial importance to academicians, practitioners, and policy formulators. Despite its importance, research on cross-cultural business negotiation has not been very systematic and most of the empirical studies lack the explanatory power that is necessary for theory building. This study attempts to overcome this shortcoming by systematically linking different dimensions of national culture with different types of negotiation behavior.

This dissertation studies the relationship …

Spillover Effects On Latin American Equity Markets: The Case Of Adrs And Non-Adr Firms, Roberto Jairo Curci-Berrio

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The development of the American Depositary Receipt (ADR) market allows investors desiring to diversify in Latin America to follow three diversification strategies. First, they may invest in Latin American firms traded through ADRs in the U.S. equity market. Second, they may invest in the underlying stocks of Latin American ADRs traded in Latin American stock exchanges. Third, investors may invest in Latin American firms not cross-listed; hereafter called non-ADR firms, and traded in Latin American stock exchanges. This dissertation contributes to the current literature by investigating whether U.S. and Latin American investors improve portfolio performance by investing in ADR or …

Effects Of Labor Unions On Regional Economic Development In Mexico, Rafael Otero

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this research is to help determine the net effect of trade unionism in Northern Mexico (Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Juárez, and Tijuana). The maquiladora industry is used to empirically test union regional economic effects because there are different union structures along the regions where maquiladora firms are located. The results of the investigation regarding the relative changes in wages in the maquiladora and non-maquiladora sectors for the four cities in the study are consistent with the hypothesis that the real wage growth in a region's maquiladora sector relative to the non-maquiladora sector is associated with the strength of …