Business Commons^™

Exploring Information Technology Return On Investment Reports For Planning, Budgeting, And Implementation, Constantine Bitwayiki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure rate of new government information technology (IT) projects in developing countries is high, with 35% classified as total failures and approximately 50% as partial failures. The population for this study was 10 senior managers of a public sector organization in Uganda selected because of high IT project successes achieved through leveraging IT return on investment (ROI) reports. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore the strategies Ugandan senior public sector officials used to leverage IT ROI reports during planning, budgeting, and implementation of IT projects to reduce failure rates. The conceptual frameworks were the strategic …

Exploring Leadership Skills For The Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Yvette Julianne Peters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute to the stability and growth of economies by creating employment in rural and urban areas. More than 60% of SMEs do not survive for longer than 5 years; a lack of leadership skills is among the key problems. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the leadership skills owners-managers used to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. Research participants were 4 owners-managers of SMEs from the manufacturing industry in Trinidad and Tobago that sustained their businesses for at least 5 years. The contingency leadership model and the skill-based leadership …

Factors That Predict The Adoption Of Online Shopping In Saudi Arabia, Momen Nachar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the increased numbers of online consumers, e-commerce growth is slow in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In this correlational study, the technology acceptance model (TAM) was used as a theoretical framework to examine whether perceived ease of use of e-commerce platforms and perceived usefulness of e-commerce platforms could predict consumers' intention to adopt shopping online. A pre-existing TAM survey instrument was used to collect data from consumers (N = 95) who live in a City and have shopped at least once online. The regression analysis confirmed a positive statistically significant relationship between perceived ease of use of e-commerce platforms …

An Approach To Determining Customer Satisfaction In Traditional Serbian Restaurants, Florentin Smarandache, Dragisa Stanujkic, Darjan Karabasevic, Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas, F. Cavallaro

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The aim of this paper is to make a proposal for an easy–to–use approach to the evaluation of customer satisfaction in restaurants. In order to provide a reliable way to collect respondents’ real attitudes, an approach based on the use of smaller number of evaluation criteria and interactive questionnaire created in a spreadsheet file is proposed in this paper, whereby an easy-to-understand and simple-touse procedure is proposed for determining weights of criteria. In addition to the said, the proposed approach applies the simplified SERVQUAL-based approach, for which reason a simplified version of the Weighted Sum Method based on the decision …

Procure-To-Pay Software In The Digital Age: An Exploration And Analysis Of Efficiency Gains And Cybersecurity Risks In Modern Procurement Systems, Drew Lane

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Procure-to-Pay (P2P) softwares are an integral part of the payment and procurement processing functions at large-scale governmental institutions. These softwares house all of the financial functions related to procurement, accounts payable, and often human resources, helping to facilitate and automate the process from initiation of a payment or purchase, to the actual disbursal of funds. Often, these softwares contain budgeting and financial reporting tools as part of the offering. As such an integral part of the financial process, these softwares obviously come at an immense cost from a set of reputable vendors. In the case of government, these vendors mainly …

Adapting Financial Technology Standards To Blockchain Platforms, Gabriel Bello

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional payment systems have standards designed to keep transaction data secure, but blockchain systems are not in scope for such security standards. We compare the Payment Application Data Security Standard’s (PA-DSS) applicability towards transaction-supported blockchain platforms to test the standard’s applicability. By highlighting the differences in implementation on traditional and decentralized transaction platforms, we critique and adapt the standards to fit the decentralized model. In two case studies, we analyze the QTUM and Ethereum blockchain platforms’ industry compliance, as their payment platforms support transactions equivalent to that of applications governed by the PA-DSS. We determine QTUM’s and Ethereum’s capabilities to …

Employer Strategies For Improving Employee Work-Life Balance, Vernessa Lashawn Johnson-Hoffman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior leaders who fail to implement work-life balance strategies may experience reduced profits and sustainability challenges. This single case study explored employers' strategies for improving employee work-life balance. The population for the study included 4 senior leaders of a hospice care agency in North Carolina who successfully implemented employee work-life balance strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and from the review of company documents, website, and social media pages. The conceptual framework for the study was the transformational leadership theory. The trustworthiness of interpretations was supported by member checking. Four themes emerged from inductive analysis of the data: a …

Telehealth Implementation Strategies For Healthcare Providers, Ismaila Gbenga Olatinwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shift in the landscape of healthcare services from inpatient care to outpatient care prompts healthcare leaders to re-evaluate their strategies to boost declining revenue. Telehealth offers potential for increasing efficiency and access to care, and the acceptance of its modal quality is essential for its diffusion and adoption. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that healthcare providers used to implement telehealth to increase profitability. The conceptual framework was the technology acceptance model. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and review of organizational documents. The research population comprised 4 healthcare leaders in 1 organization in …

Leadership Strategies For Improving Employee Engagement In The Information Technology Industry, Geneva L. Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disengaged employees in the information technology industry lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, poor job performance, higher employee turnover, and reduced organizational effectiveness. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the leadership strategies that information technology leaders used to improve employee engagement. The transformational leadership theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 3 leaders of information technology companies in Illinois and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis and using Yin's 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding data. The 3 emergent themes …

Agent-Based Modeling And Simulation Approaches In Stem Education Research, Shanna R. Simpson-Singleton, Xiangdong Che

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The development of best practices that deliver quality STEM education to all students, while minimizing achievement gaps, have been solicited by several national agencies. ABMS is a feasible approach to provide insight into global behavior based upon the interactions amongst agents and environments. In this review, we systematically surveyed several modeling and simulation approaches and discussed their applications to the evaluation of relevant theories in STEM education. It was found that ABMS is optimal to simulate STEM education hypotheses, as ABMS will sensibly present emergent theories and causation in STEM education phenomena if the model is properly validated and calibrated.

Momentum 2019, Stephanie Clarke

Momentum

A journal of undergraduate research

Impact Of Agreeableness On Virtual Team Performance Through Team Identification And Shared Mental Models, Alexandria Brown

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Virtual teams help organizations efficiently utilize their employees for a task without the requirement of co-location. The literature on team performance suggests that teamwork is integral to a team’s success; however, in virtual teams this is often a challenge. Certain personality characteristics on virtual teams may be particularly important to the development of effective teamwork. An under-investigated factor is the role agreeableness in virtual team processes and how it affects the overall team performance. The main research question of this study is how the degree of agreeableness on a virtual team affects the overall team performance through predicted associations with …

Farm To Label: A Critique Of Consumer Activism In The Sustainable Food Movement, Olivia Whitener

Pomona Senior Theses

“Local,” “organic,” “natural,” and “Fairtrade” are just several of the many claims adorning the food products that line grocery store shelves. These promises of environmental sustainability and social responsibility are pillars of the “good food revolution” sweeping the nation as consumers demand alternatives to the products of the industrial food system. Green consumerism, the premise that consumer demand for environmentally sustainable goods will bring about ecologically beneficial outcomes, is at the heart of the sustainable food movement. This thesis takes a critical look at the operation of green consumerism in the food system. It explores the ideology and shortcomings of …

Relationship Between Time Estimation, Cost Estimation, And Project Performance, Eyas Nakhleh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the project management role is increasing, project failure rates remain high. Project time and cost are 2 project factors that can affect the performance of the projects. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between time estimation, cost estimation, and project performance. Data collection involved a purposive sample of 67 project sponsors, managers, and coordinators in Qatar. The theoretical framework was the iron triangle, also known as the triple constraints. Participants were randomly invited to answer 18 questions using the project implementation profile instrument. A standard multiple regression analysis was used to examine the correlation …

Attractive Or Aggressive? A Face Recognition And Machine Learning Approach For Estimating Returns To Visual Appearance, Guodong Guo, Brad R. Humphreys, Mohammad I. Nouyed, Yang Zhou

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

A growing literature documents the presence of appearance premia in labor markets. We analyze appearance premia in a high-profile, high-pay setting: head football coaches at bigtime college sports programs. These employees face job tasks involving repeated interpersonal interaction on multiple fronts and also act as the “face” of their program. We estimate the attractiveness of each employee using a neural network approach, a pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network fine tuned for this application. This approach can eliminate biases induced by volunteer evaluators and limited numbers of photos. We also use this approach to estimate the perceived aggressiveness of each employee based …

How Ceo Wealth Affects The Riskiness Of A Firm, Sonik Mandal, Charlie Swartz, Sanjib Guha, Carl B. Mcgowan Jr.

Finance Faculty Publications

The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the ownership level of managers and the risk averse behavior of the firm. We measure the ownership level of the managers by the ratio of their ownership of the company relative to their total wealth for a sample of 69 individuals from the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest individuals in the world for the period from 2001-11 using an unbalanced panel data analysis. The dependent variable is the Altman Z-score of each firm and we further test these relationships using financial leverage. The independent variables are delta and …

Unclogging The Pipeline: Advancement To Full Professor In Academic Stem, Helga Van Miegroet, Christy Glass, Ronda R. Callister, Kimberly Sullivan

Ecology Center Publications

Purpose: Women remain underrepresented in academic STEM, especially at the highest ranks. While much attention has focused on early-career attrition, mid-career advancement is still largely understudied and undocumented. This paper analyzes gender differences in advancement to full professor within academic STEM at a mid-size public doctoral university in the western US, before and after the NSF-ADVANCE Program (2003-2007).

Methodology: Using faculty demographics and promotion data between 2008 and 2014, combined with faculty responses to two waves of a climate survey, the magnitude and longevity of the impact of ADVANCE on mid-career faculty advancement across gender is evaluated.

Findings: This study …

Cognitive Computing Meets The Internet Of Things, Zakaria Maamar, Thar Baker, Noura Faci, Emir Ugljanin, Yacine Atif, Mohammed Al-Khafajiy, Mohamed Sellami

All Works

This paper discusses the blend of cognitive computing with the Internet-of-Things that should result into developing cognitive things. Today's things are confined into a data-supplier role, which d ...

Climate Risks And Market Efficiency, Harrison Hong, Frank Weikai Li, Jiangmin Xu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Climate science finds that the trend towards higher global temperatures exacerbates the risks of droughts. We investigate whether the prices of food stocks efficiently discount these risks. Using data from thirty-one countries with publicly-traded food companies, we rank these countries each year based on their long-term trends toward droughts using the Palmer Drought Severity Index. A poor trend ranking for a country forecasts relatively poor profit growth for food companies in that country. It also forecasts relatively poor food stock returns in that country. This return predictability is consistent with food stock prices underreacting to climate change risks.

Lease Structures & Occupancy Costs In Eco-Labeled Buildings, Jeremy Gabe, Spenser Robinson, Andrew Sanderford, Robert A. Simons

School of Business: Faculty Scholarship

Purpose: This research investigates whether energy-efficient green buildings tend to provide net lease structures over gross lease ones. It then considers whether owners benefit by trading away operational savings in a net lease structure.

Design: Empirical models of office leasing transactions in Sydney, Australia, with wider transferability supported by analysis of office rent data in the United States.

Findings: Labelled green buildings are approximately four to five times more likely than non-labelled buildings to use a net lease structure. However, despite receiving operational savings, tenants in net leases pay higher total occupancy costs, benefiting owners. On average, …

Developmental Test And Requirements Best Practices Of Successful Information Systems Efforts Using Agile Methods, Jeremy D. Kramer, Torrey J. Wagner

Faculty Publications

This article provides insights into the current state of developmental testing (DT) and requirements management in Department of Defense information systems employing Agile development. The authors describe the study methodology and provide an overview of Agile development and testing. Insights are described for requirements, detailed planning, test execution, and reporting. This work articulates best practices related to DT and requirements management strategies for programs employing modernized Software Development Life Cycle practices.

An Economic Analysis Of Consumer Learning On Entertainment Shopping Websites, Jin Li, Zhiling Guo, Geoffrey K.F. Tso

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Online entertainment shopping, normally supported by the pay-to-bid auction mechanism, represents an innovative business model in e-commerce. Because the unique selling mechanism combines features of shopping and online auction, consumers expect both monetary return and entertainment value from their participation. We propose a dynamic structural model to analyze consumer behaviors on entertainment shopping websites. The model captures the consumer learning process, based both on individual participation experiences and also on observational learning of historical auction information. We estimate the model using a large data set from an online entertainment shopping website. Results show that consumers’ initial participation incentives mainly come …

A Blockchain-Enabled Peer-To-Peer Energy Trading Platform For Managing Complex Exchange Of Kilowatt-Hours And Negawatts, Murat Kuzlu, Rasheq Rahman, Jason Lin

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Under the Department of Energy’s STTR funding, BEM Controls LLC performed research from July 2, 2018 to April 1, 2019. The purpose of this research was to design, develop and demonstrate the technical feasibility of the blockchain enabled energy trading platform for managing complex exchange of kilowatt hours and negawatts. The energy trading platform was developed in the open-source HyperLedger Fabric blockchain framework and the performance of the blockchain network was evaluated. Key research findings and results include (1) the successful design and development of an open-architecture blockchain-based energy trading platform able to execute smart contract transactions across eight use …

Undergraduate Bulletin, 2019-2020, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Undergraduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

From The Editors, Carole L. Hollingsworth, Michael E. Whitman, Herbert J. Mattord

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Welcome to the Fall 2018 issue of the Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research, and Practice (JCERP). On behalf of the editorial team, we thank you for taking the time to read this issue and strongly encourage you to submit an article for consideration in an upcoming edition.

Using A Game To Improve Phishing Awareness, Patrickson Weanquoi, Jaris Johnson, Jinghua Zhang

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cybersecurity education has become increasingly critical as we spend more of our everyday lives online. Research shows that college students are mostly unaware of the many online dangers. To teach students about cybersecurity using their preferred medium, gaming, we developed an educational 2D game called “Bird’s Life” that aims to teach college students, as well as general interest individuals, about phishing. Players will come to understand phishing attacks and how to avoid them in real-world scenarios through a fun gaming context. The game can be deployed to multiple platforms such as PC, web, and mobile devices. To measure the effect …

An Examination Of Cybersecurity Knowledge Transfer: Teaching, Research, And Website Security At U.S. Colleges And Universities, Aditya Gupta, James R. Wolf

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This work seeks to answer the question: Does faculty cybersecurity knowledge gained from teaching and research transfer to other IT units in the university? Specifically, do colleges and universities that excel in cybersecurity teaching and research have more secure websites? This work explores a unique setting where the knowledge of the source and recipient are both directly related and observable without outside intervention. Our study employed data from 591 U.S. colleges and universities, the National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) program, accepted paper data from the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) and the IEEE Symposium on Security …

Find, Process, And Share: An Optimal Control In The Vidale-Wolfe Marketing Model, Michael C. Barg

CODEE Journal

The Vidale-Wolfe marketing model is a first-order, linear, non-homogeneous ordinary differential equation (ODE) where the forcing term is proportional to advertising expenditure. With an initial response in sales as the initial condition, the solution of the initial value problem is straightforward for a first undergraduate ODE course. The model serves as an excellent example of many relevant topics for those students whose interests lie in economics, finance, or marketing. Its inclusion in the curriculum is particularly rewarding at an institution without a physics program. The model is not new, but it was novel to us when a group of students …

1996 - Monterey County Hydrogeologic Study, Volume Ii -- Critical Issues Report And Interim Management Plan, Final Report

Monterey County Water Resources Agency Engineering Reports

This document was a companion report to the North Monterey County Hydrogeologic Study, Volume I, dated October 1995. The document built from the technical understanding and problem identification developed in Volume I and focuses on key issues relative to developing a management plan for the water resources of the area. These included the interrelated policy, legal and financial issues that complicate the management of the resource. The purpose of the report was to provide an analysis of these issues towards the development of long-range management objectives.

1998 - 2030 Land Use And Water Needs Conditions

Miscellaneous Monterey and San Luis Obispo County Documents and Reports

Documentation of the methodology and data used to estimate the land use, M&I water needs, and pumped agricultural water under the 2030 conditions. One of the primary goals of the Salinas River Basin Management Plan (BMP) is to meet the agricultural, and municipal and industrial water needs of the Valley under the existing conditions (1995 level of development) as well as, under the future conditions (2030 level of development), while stopping the seawater intrusion and balancing the hydrologic conditions in the basin. In order to meet the 2030 water needs, a reasonable estimate of land use and water use conditions …