Business Commons^™

More Than Just A Workplace: A Case Study Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Marriott International Inc. Hotels, Julia Selin

Experience Industry Management

Diversity, equity, and inclusion practices are essential for a hotel to function. Having diversity is an important aspect of a company because it allows for multiple perspectives that bring new ideas together, and most importantly multiculturalism. The purpose of this study was to examine the diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the workplaces of Marriott International Inc. Hotels. Research for this study was conducted using a case study. The results indicated that Marriott values diversity, which is seen though corporate programs and global initiatives. Marriott is an international company that helps create job opportunities around the world and forms mentor …

Analyzing Student Experience On Group Work With The Application Of Different Group Allocation Approaches, An Yee Tan

Management and HR

Working as a group can be as challenging as working by oneself. Common issues like ineffective group work, unequal work contribution, and poor communication are believed to be the reasons why many students preferred to work individually. The purpose of this study is to understand if there is a disparity in student experience on group work by implementing different methods of group formation, which are, intentional group formation and random assignment. Topics around team well-being, team communication, and team effectiveness are the main focus of this study. The second emphasis of this study is students’ opinions on whether or not …

The Center Of Success: A Case Study On Hilton's Company Culture, Elsie G. Lamo

Experience Industry Management

Company culture is an essential element to the success of any organization. This is especially true in the hospitality industry where positive employee experiences are vital to customer satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the company culture of Hilton. Data were sourced primarily from Hilton websites, third-party websites, and academic articles. This study found that Hilton’s culture is shaped by compelling mission, vision, and value statements that drive every organizational aspect. Additionally, award-winning reward, recognition, and training programs sustain and reinforce a culture that grants Hilton a unique competitive advantage. To maintain market leadership, Hilton must continually …

"The James Gang": Keys To The Success Of Tobin James Cellars, Natalie A. Fink

Communication Studies

This study looks at what motivates people to join and sustain membership with a particular wine club in the Paso Robles area. The four flows of organizational communication were applied to discover what allows wineries to be successful in the direct-to-consumer wine market. The study will uncover the research question: Using the four flows of organizational communication, why do individuals join and sustain membership with Tobin James Cellars as part of the “James Gang” wine club? Interviews were conducted with both wine club members and employees in order to collect data to answer the research question. Strong relations amongst employees …

University Fundraising Through Special Events: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Megan Elizabeth Hobbs

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to apply the Revised Theory of Planned Behavior and EVENTQUAL models to explore (1) event qualities that significantly impact guests’ satisfaction with a university event that they attend, (2) significant factors influencing university loyalty as a result of an event, and (3) willingness to make a charitable donation to a university as a result of attending an event. An online survey was sent to attendees of an annual Cal Poly auction event between 2002 and 2016 that directly benefits Cal Poly students. The data were used to test a series of hypotheses to determine …

Alternative Institutional Arrangement For Urban Transit And Intercity Railway Operations: Lessons For The U.S., Seitu Akira Coleman

City and Regional Planning

Public transportation is an important part of the U.S. transportation system. After losing popularity in the U.S. during the mid-20th century, public transportation has been making a strong comeback in major metropolitan areas since the 1990s. In an effort to reduce inner-city traffic congestion, promote environmentally sustainable development patterns, rejuvenate decaying central business districts, and take advantage of all the other externalities of public transportation (i.e., reduced air pollution, a smaller urban footprint reducing sprawl, etc.), urban areas have been actively expanding their existing systems or building completely new systems. Despite the strong interest in reinvesting in public transportation and …

Analyzing Organizational Consulting As A Professional Practice: An Exploration Of The Theoretical And Attitudinal Assumptions, Kristina Rose Cosgrave

Communication Studies

This project (with both theoretical and applied portions) serves to enrich understanding about the vicissitudes of organizational consulting while simultaneously serving as preparation for working in this field. With such a wide spectrum of approaches and disciplines among professional consulting occupations, an important objective of this project is to explore underlying theoretical principles that generally influence the field of organizational consulting. In this project, theoretical insights from many pertinent organizational communication and persuasion concepts, especially Edgar Schein’s (1969, 1988, 2009) behavioral models of organizational consultation (purchase-of-expertise, doctor-patient, and process), are offered to accompany the professional correspondences with which they correspond. …

Consumer Perception Of Organic Milk, Christina Puetz

Dairy Science

The objective of this study was to determine the potential factors, reasons and beliefs that contribute to college aged consumers’ choice to purchase organic milk. The data were from survey of students using questions that were modeled after consumer issues and concerns over conventional milk as discussed in the literature review. This study was particularly interested in exploring differences between students in agriculture classes and non-agriculture classes. The literature referenced came from a variety of sources, including scientific journals, online articles, milk advisory boards, and governmental agencies. According to the literature review, consumer concerns and reasons for purchase of organic …

Design, Fabrication And Manufacturing Analysis Of A Rollover Protection System, Nikolas Paris

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, fabrication and manufacturing analysis of a rollover protection system specifically designed for early body style Ford Broncos (1966-1977). The rollover protection system, or roll cage, is an integral safety feature on vehicles which commonly encounter extreme terrain conditions. Many vehicles which attempt to traverse terrain such as this are not always properly equipped with a rollover protection system. This is the case with the early body style Ford Bronco. This system will be designed to market the niche of early bronco parts.

Hiring And Recruitment As Rhetorical Strategies: An Analysis Of The Way Businesses Approach Graduating University Students And Influence Their Choices, Sean D. Gibson

Communication Studies

To answer the question, which rhetorical strategies are most persuasive to university graduates regarding hiring and recruitment, I surveyed three classrooms with a questionnaire that gauged university graduates attraction to three different types of rhetorical strategies. The rhetoric came from three major businesses that recruit university graduates: College Works Painting, Peace Corps, and Hewlett Packard.

Each one of these businesses uses a different type of strategy to recruit university graduates. College Works Painting uses an Experience Illusion strategy based on the premise that the company will help train university graduates to become managers and leaders in business. Peace Corps’ uses …

Partial Budgeting Analysis Of Conventional Pump Over Versus Pulsair Cap Management System For A Large–Scale California Winery, Zachary Thomas Hicks

Agribusiness

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the financial feasibility of implementing an automated gas injection system from Pulsair as an alternative to the traditional pump over cap mixing technique that is used during the alcoholic fermentation stage of winemaking.

There were various costs involved in this project that were determined and explained through the use of the partial budgeting method. The costs that were thoroughly analyzed included equipment, labor, utility, and initial investment costs for the Pulsair system as well as the related pump over operation costs. After the two methods associated numbers were evaluated, they were then …

Modern Leadership Compared To Historical Leadership Shown Biblically, Forrest Jones

Master's Theses

Modern Leadership Compared to Historical Leadership Shown Biblically

Forrest Jones

This thesis is a comparison between modern leadership and historical leadership. Modern leadership has been differentiated from management since the early 1980’s. Historical leadership is shown by Jesus Christ through the Bible, used as a historical text. Historical leadership was found to have two separate tools used by Jesus Christ which would be useful additions to what leadership today is. The first tool is submission to authority. Most people in positions that would be considered leadership positions do not feel that they need to follow anyone else. Often times they …

Observational Study Of Retail Wine Venues In San Luis Obispo In Relation To Shelf Space And The Amount Of Wine Sold, J. (James) Calvin Mead

Agribusiness

This study was conducted in order to gain valuable information related to the retail wine industry and find similarities and differences in wine shelf space from store to store. All the stores were unique to some degree, but they also shared several aspects of the wine display. For example, some stores were similar in relation to the number of wine brands they offered, structure of the wine displays, prices of wines, types of promotions, types of packaging, number of sections based on varietals or countries, and overall ratings. Averages, frequencies, one-way analyses, multiple comparisons, and descriptive statistics were all calculated …

Impact Of Lean Practices On Printing Companies, Jenna Bodolay

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to bring understanding to what Lean and sustainable practices are most efficient and popular within printing companies. The information and data collected provides insight into what companies are doing to be Lean. The data exhibits what Lean and sustainable techniques that provide positive effects for companies and identifies potential pitfalls for why companies have not been able to be productive with Lean strategies.

This study collected and analyzed data on Lean and sustainability efficiency through historical case studies and descriptive research surveys. Case studies in the printing industry were studied and compared on the …

Does Student Leadership Participation Enhance The Development Of Emotional Intelligence, Michelle Breanne Curro

Master's Theses

Emotional Intelligence is believed to explain how emotions may be used, monitored, and measured to predict workplace success and failure, the suggestion that if individuals can balance the emotions within themselves and others, they can use their skills to better their organization. This study explored the development of Emotional Intelligence in the ASI Student Manager Team in comparison to Student Government members at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) during the fall 2008 quarter. The Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) was used to assess student leaders’ Emotional Intelligence (EI) development (N = 27). A two sample t-test …