Business Commons^™

Analyzing The Influence Of Gender Biases On College Students' Attitudes Towards Flexible Work Arrangements, Leah Elizabeth Rubino

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Flexible work arrangements are becoming more prominent after the Covid-19 pandemic. These flexible work arrangements, including flextime and flexplace structures, better allow for working individuals to find a work-life balance and have been shown to improve morale and productivity. However, previous studies have found that gender biases impact the utilization of flexible work arrangements as well as the attitudes and perceptions towards those who employ them. We propose that these gender bias impacts on the utilization and perception of flexible work arrangements will differ between college students with no work experience from the data collected using individuals in the workforce, …

Barbie (2023): An Analysis Of Mattel's Positioning Of The Barbie Brand Throughout The Decades And How Barbie (2023) Served As A Crucial Point In The Changing Of Perceptions Of The Iconic Doll., Alejandra Gomez

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper is a deep analysis of the positioning of Barbie by Mattel Incorporated. It analyzes what exactly is Mattel’s positioning of the Barbie brand before diving into a study into whether Barbie (2023) impacted this positioning at all by changing stereotypical perceptions of Barbie. The study consisted of 200 participants answering a survey that gathered their perceptions of Barbie. The 200 were then divided into groups who watched Barbie(2023) and groups who did not to further measure whether perceptions of Barbie (2023) were changed by the film which displayed Barbies as being diverse and had feminist themes.

Hay: A Hedonic Study, Chester R. Broadbent

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Hedonic price theory posits that the price of a product is influenced by the values consumers assign to its individual attributes. Hay is a versatile commodity with variation across several attributes helping to cater to diverse needs of consumers. A detailed analysis using hedonic regression techniques within hay pricing can help producers, stakeholders, and educators more fully understand the marginal values consumers place on diverse hay attributes. Previous studies focused on limited scopes within the hay industry or other sectors, allowing room for broader investigation. This study examines qualitative attributes impacting hay pricing, revealing significant influences from factors like location, …

Marketing Of Bread, Leeloo Blunt

Senior Honors Projects

A content analysis of gluten-free bread packaging

The gluten-free food market has seen huge growth in the recent decade with the market valued at 12.3 billion US dollars in 2023. This market growth is due to the increased awareness of gluten related illnesses such as celiac disease and gluten intolerance, as well as the increasingly widespread belief that a gluten-free diet leads to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle. Out of the gluten-free market, bread products have been a major contributor to the growth of the market due to the demand for low-carb, gluten-free bread. The purpose of this project …

Are “10 Grams Of Protein” Better Than “Ten Grams Of Protein”? How Digits Versus Number Words Influence Consumer Judgments, Marisabel Romero, Adam W. Craig, Milica Mormann, Anand Kumar

Marketing & Supply Chain Faculty Publications

Numerical information can be communicated using different number formats, such as digits (“5”) or number words (“five”). For example, a battery product may claim to last for “5 hours” or “five hours.” And while these two formats are used interchangeably in the marketplace, it is not clear how they influence consumer judgments and behavior. Via six experimental studies, two online ad campaigns, and one large secondary dataset analysis, we find that digits, compared to number words, positively affect consumer behavior. We refer to this phenomenon as the number format effect. We further show that the number format effect occurs because …

The Competitive Advantage Of Prioritizing Human-Centered Design Thinking In Business, Joshua Rajan

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of design thinking on promoting innovation within businesses. Design thinking is a human-centered problem-solving approach that solves problems using empathy, creativity, and iterative prototyping. The thesis commences by clearly defining design thinking and presenting its fundamental concepts, emphasizing how it differs from traditional business thinking. The thesis vividly illustrates the real-world impact of design thinking through compelling case studies from the consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, and entertainment industries. It showcases how design thinking fosters creativity and develops solutions that prioritize customers' needs. The case studies show how companies gained a competitive advantage by deeply understanding …

The 4c Framework: Towards A Holistic Understanding Of Consumer Engagement With Augmented Reality, Philipp A. Rauschnabel, Reto Felix, Jonas Heller, Chris Hinsch

Marketing Faculty Publications

Highlights

• The 4C framework highlights four unique characteristics of AR: Consumer, Content, Context, and Computing Device.

• Engagement with AR derives from an alignment of the 4 Cs.

• The paper advances theory by using the lens of complexity theory to explain how to engage consumers in AR experiences.

• The framework offers significant implications for managers and scholars.

• It allows systematic approaches to assess, communicate, and develop AR applications across various disciplines.

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging concept that impacts many disciplines, such as business, marketing, tourism, gaming, human–computer interaction, and manufacturing. Surprisingly, many scholarly and practical discussions overlook the …

Bridging The Gap Between The Disability Community And Marketers, Amari Richardson

Honors Capstones

People with disabilities have a large amount of buying power, due to their significant collective disposable income. This has resulted in a large untapped market which marketers could target in the future. This study seeks to understand how to people with disabilities would prefer disability inclusive marketing to be executed. One of the research objectives within this study are to understand the importance of disability inclusive marketing when individuals are choosing to purchase from a company. The other objective is to understand what marketing tactics individuals with disabilities prefer. Research method utilized within this study is a Qualtrics survey, which …

Filling In The Gaps: A Service Ecosystem Perspective On Purchase Groups As Interstitial Markets, Aditya Gupta, Sheila Roy, Renuka Kamath

Faculty Publications – Marketing

Purpose

Given the continuing need to study service marketing adaptations that emerged in the wake of Covid-19, this paper looks at the formation and evolution of purchase groups (PGs) that arose in Indian gated communities during the pandemic and have continued functioning in the post-pandemic marketplace. Not only did these groups act as much-needed interstitial markets during a time of significant external disruption, but they also served as sites of value co-creation with consumers collaborating with each other and with service providers.

Methodology

Using a phenomenological research approach, we conduct 22 in-depth interviews with Indian consumers and small service providers …

Social Selling: My Experiences Through An Internship With Outside Life, Zariah Farris

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Last summer I had the opportunity to be a campus development associate intern with Outside Life, a company who crafts personalized ski trips for universities across the United States. This internship was virtual and taught me so many skills about how to communicate well while being fully digital and how to go through the the sales process virtually. With our sales being made without any in-person connections, I was introduced to social selling, a concept I discuss further in my thesis. I reviewed the timeline of what my internship and getting started with the company looked like. In my thesis …

Crossing Borders And Breaking Barriers: A Strategic Analysis Of Chick-Fil-A'S Expansion Into The French Market, Avery Besson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the strategic considerations and potential challenges of Chick-fil-A, a prominent American fast-food chain, establishing itself in France. The study investigates the cultural, economic, and regulatory factors that may impact Chick-fil-A's entry strategy, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and obstacles the company may encounter in France. This research will examine Chick-fil-A’s previous attempts at expansion, analyze an American company that has successfully established themselves in France, and provide market entry strategies to Chick-fil-A to establish its presence in the French market successfully.

The Swift Effect: How Popstar Taylor Swift Has Brought Business And Viewership To The National Football League, Mckenna Baron

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Big reputation. Two words that perfectly define the twelve-time Grammy award-winning, and Time’s 2023 Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Swift had a monumental year in 2023. Her Era's tour is going down in history as one of the biggest tours to date. Swift is one of the most decorated music artists of all time. Swift’s love life had been kept quiet for the past few years until her recent relationship with football star Travis Kelce made headlines on the news. Kelce and Swift have taken the National Football League (NFL) and Swifties by storm, transforming the business and viewership …

Quantifying Marketing Lifts To Create A Data-Driven Model: Walmart Merchandising Operations Internship, Susannah Patton

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

I assumed the role of a Merchandising Operations Intern, working directly under the guidance of Planner Candace Gooding in D71. Given the prominence of the furniture and mattresses department in the online retail space, due to the limitations of in-store infrastructure for large products, our focus within D71 is centered on expanding the digital business. Over the past couple of years, Walmart has strategically shifted towards launching higher-end retail items, particularly in the realm of stylish furniture, bolstered by robust marketing initiatives. Although historical performance, seasonality, and price elasticity have traditionally guided forecasting for these items, the oversight of additional …

Instagram And Influencer Marketing: An Empirical Study Of The Parasocial Interaction Theory And Its Effects On Purchase Intention, Caroline Marie Chumley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have studied different factors that contribute to a parasocial interaction theory, and how this relates to purchase intention in the marketing industry. Previous research concentrates on parasocial interactions between television personalities and consumers, rather than influencers on social media. It is important to determine exactly what factors lead consumers to create a parasocial interaction with influencers in the media and determine how that parasocial interaction mediates purchase intention. Influencer marketing on Instagram is included in this study, as it contains brand-sponsored posts and allows users to interact with each other. This study utilizes the parasocial interaction model to determine …

The Marketplace Of Ideas Quenched: Examination Of Christological Conflicts, And Their Outcomes, In The Early Christian Church, Brent Monnett

University Honors College

The first four centuries of church history were largely dominated by a diverse mix of philosophical arguments, theological debates, and seemingly intractable conflicts over the nature of Christ and his person. The paper presented here will endeavor to examine these through multiple lenses of understanding, historical, political, geographical, and theological. Perhaps the most defining conflicts of this period of upheaval were the gnostic controversy of the 2nd century, followed by the Arian controversy of the 4th century A.D (Pagels, 1974, & Haas, 1993). The theological kerfuffle's over Christ and his humanity considered against his deity were every bit as sociopolitical …

Understanding The Influence Of Follower Count On Purchase Behavior And Consumer Perception In Influencer Marketing, Emaan Aziz

Honors Theses

In recent years, influencer marketing has emerged as a popular strategy for brands to connect with consumers on social media. This study examines the impact of influencer follower count on consumer purchase behavior and perception of influencers in the context of influencer marketing. A qualitative research approach was employed, surveying 60 participants familiar with the concept. The findings suggest a relationship between influencer follower count and consumer perceptions of influencer attractiveness indicating that influencers with larger followings are more likely to be deemed attractive to social media users. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on influencer marketing …

Expanding On Experiential Differentiation In Crowded Markets: Success Through Understanding And Addressing Intangible Consumer Needs, Mitchell Hibbs Hibbs

Honors Theses

This thesis project focuses on exploring and elucidating how businesses in crowded markets achieve their respective success. Markets include personal care, skin products, cosmetics, perfume, and others, to name just a few relevant to this work. I argue that by focusing on customers' intangible needs and engaging them through experiential means, businesses can create a substantial, sustainable, and compelling niche, differentiating themselves from the crowd. I propose an original model, EIND (experiential and needs-based differentiation), and a working structure to implement, analyze, and design using EIND principles.

Engaging For A Cause: How Nonprofits Can Leverage Theory To Maximize Video Engagement On Instagram., Aiko A. A. A. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video is the second-richest form of media, conveying both verbal and nonverbal cues to viewers (Hasim et al., 2020). When coupled with the accessibility of social media, videos can spark consumer interest and convert neutral parties to brand-supporters (Alamäki et al., 2019; Tseng & Wei, 2020). This study aimed to investigate the effects of using Aristotle’s persuasive appeals, Berger’s STEPPS, and Monroe’s Motivated Sequence on the success of nonprofit organizations’ social media videos, measured in engagement metrics (likes and comments). Through a content analysis of 50 videos posted to Instagram by randomly selected nonprofit organizations, this study found that pathos …

Spiking Engagement: Analyzing Social Media Tactics And Fan Interaction In The Omaha Supernovas, Anne Thomas

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The available engagement of social media for firms and their target market is unmatched. Rather than a one-way communication, it is an open channel. Potential customers can share their thoughts and feelings on the firms’ products and services, and firms can connect with their customers and create brand loyalty. This opens opportunities for marketers to look at new ways and strategies to connect with their customers. This is the same for professional sports teams. Just like a traditional firm, professional sports teams rely on being able to connect with and sell to their target market.

The newly established Omaha Supernovas …

The Rise And Fall Of A Video Game Dynasty And Its Road Back To Glory, Kade Rogerson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

For years the EA Sports NCAA Football series had been a long-standing success story in the world of sports video games. Combining the unique feel of collegiate athletics with the realistic nature of the game that its technology provides led the series to be a major source of revenue for Electronic Arts, Inc. in the extremely competitive and profitable industries of video games and sports merchandising.

However, the series came to an abrupt halt in 2013. Spearheaded by the O’Bannon v. NCAA lawsuit, EA was forced to discontinue the series after legal action was taken regarding the game’s unauthorized use …

An Investigation Into The Enoughness Mindset, Ai Nhan Thi Ngo

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of enoughness was an old but forgotten concept in human history. This research reintroduced the concept to our contemporary culture as a means to deal with consumers' endless desires by exploring the enoughness concept. Contemporarily suppressed under the development of modern capitalism, an extensive mythological trace of the enoughness concept showed its existence through more than 25 centuries across cultures with four key components: reining in desires, knowing contentment, knowing when to stop, and consideration of harmony. Building upon theories of desires, this research positioned enoughness as a means to help tame consumers' endless desires that can be …

Griz Give-And-Get: Understanding The Context, Philosophy, And Logistics Behind A Project To Reduce Waste At The University Of Montana, Sam Sullivan

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Griz Give-and-Get is an online platform at the University of Montana that aims to reduce consumer waste. It attempts to do this by providing students and staff with a place to give away their used items. The first objective of this essay is to describe the process behind Griz Give-and-Get’s early development. The second objective is to relate concepts from environmental philosophy to Griz Give-and-Get’s mission. Although part of Griz Give-and-Get’s mission is to build community and to mitigate the effects of student poverty, this essay will narrow its focus to explore the first issue that Griz Give-and-Get concerns itself …

Exploring The Potential Effect Of Google Chrome’S Removal Of Third-Party Cookies On Paid Display Advertising, Zhenya (Yevgen) Naydonov

Honors College Theses

The digital marketing industry continues to experience tremendous challenges caused by rising consumer privacy concerns. One of the industry’s most notable challenges revolves around the constant technological advancements and changes that these advancements pose on the advertiser’s strategies. My study explores the relationship between advertising expenditure and key performance indicators, such as impressions in paid display advertising. Google Chrome’s removal of third-party cookies could potentially affect this relationship. I chose this topic because of my passion for online consumer behavior and the role of technology and advertising in the continually evolving field of my study, where consumers’ behavior plays a …

2024 May, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2024.

Untangling Influence: The Effect Of Follower-Followee Comparison On Social Media Engagement, Yi Peng, Liling Lu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Social media platforms and marketers are keen on identifying truly influential creators. Number of followers (i.e., those who follow creators) and number of followees (i.e., those who are followed by creators) serve as cues to infer creators' influence. However, a cue of creators' actual influence is under-addressed and its effect on social media engagement remains to be explored. This research fills the gap in the literature by investigating how the cue of creators' actual influence (i.e., follower-followee comparison) may affect followers' engagement behavior. The study further examines the moderation effects of media-, topic-, and creator-related factors. The present work leverages …

Influence Of Fashion Involvement And Product Presentation On Consumers’ Online Impulse Buying, Sydney Buford

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The buying and selling of goods online (e-commerce) has grown significantly in recent years and will continue to grow (Grand View Research, 2023). E-commerce platforms serve as an alternative environment to brick-and-mortar stores, providing customers with the opportunity to make impulse purchases. Due to this, it is important to understand the reasons why people make impulse purchases online. The purpose of this study was to examine the driving factors behind impulse purchase patterns within e-commerce platforms. Using the stimulus-organism-response theory, this study examined the impact of consumer characteristics and external stimulus on consumer’s impulse purchase behavior. In particular, the study …

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 …

Patient Experience Diagnosis: Using Telemed Simulation To Assess Health Care Provider Verbal And Nonverbal Communication Issues To Prescribe Potential Interventions, Xiaowen Guan, Mike C. Porter, Paul G. Omodt

Patient Experience Journal

Patient experience contributes to health outcomes, and a host of healthcare organization success factors, including profitability. Often applied and academic analysis of patient experience applies macro-level approaches to defining issues and suggesting improvements. Guided by the theoretical framework of provider-patient communication during telemedicine, this study used a simulation to measure impacts of provider behaviors that might be improved through communication training to positively impact outcomes on both sides of patient care. The study employed between-subject experimental design to investigate impacts of provider verbal and nonverbal communication on patient satisfaction during telemedicine consultations. Participants, randomly assigned to one of eight experimental …

Implementing And Marketing Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Practices And Resources: Creating The E‐Buzz!, Essraa Nawar, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker

Digital Initiatives Symposium

Leatherby Libraries Librarians are committed to supporting and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. We demonstrate this commitment holistically through the provision of all resources and services in support of teaching, learning, and research. Our goal is to reduce obstacles to accessing diverse research resources, services, learning, and engagement through educational outreach in order to raise awareness of diversity related issues.

In 2020, Library administration selected a Diversity and Outreach librarian that was charged with creating a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Outreach plan. As a result, a number of practices and initiatives …

Implementing And Marketing Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Practices And Resources: Creating The E‐Buzz!, Essraa Nawar, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

Leatherby Libraries Librarians are committed to supporting and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. We demonstrate this commitment holistically through the provision of all resources and services in support of teaching, learning, and research. Our goal is to reduce obstacles to accessing diverse research resources, services, learning, and engagement through educational outreach in order to raise awareness of diversity related issues.

In 2020, Library administration selected a Diversity and Outreach librarian that was charged with creating a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Outreach plan. As a result, a number of practices and initiatives …