Business Commons^™

Book Review: Women In Financial Services: Exploring Progress Towards Gender Equality, Jessica Ye

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

How Recruitment And Staffing In The Healthcare Industry Has Been Impacted By The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jake O'Neil

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The New Consumed Consumer: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Compulsive And Impulsive Buying Habits Of Gen Z, Kristen Kline

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This study focuses on the compulsive and impulsive spending habits of Gen Z over the past year. Gen Z is defined as the generation born within the years of 1997-2013, following the millennial generation. This generation has been raised surrounding the internet and social media and are considered one of the most technologically advanced generations (Schroth, 2019). Gen Z’s use of technology continues to drastically increase. Recent Data shows that 98% of Gen Z own a smartphone and average a usage time of about 4 hours per day (Kastenholz, 2021). The most popular social platforms among Gen Z are Instagram, …

How Technology Has Changed The Field Of Accounting, Emmanuel J. Quinto Ii

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The thesis aims to discuss how technology has changed the field of accounting. The research focuses on information from journal articles and research reports to discover the changes that technological advancements have brought to the accounting industry and profession. The customer Satisfaction Model is one of the researcher's theories in this thesis. The theoretical framework also consists of the Technology Acceptance Model as the other theory. The discussion emphasizes the technological advances in accounting and the shortcomings of technological advancements in accounting. Each type of business is affected differently by technology. Accounting, for example, must keep up with the rapid …

The Houston Astros' Cheating Scandal: A Case Study On Crisis Communication In Sports, Wendy Edouard

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In January 2020, the Houston Astros organization was accused of cheating during the 2017 and 2018 baseball seasons. In 2017, the Astros had also won the World Series, thereby offsetting a sports scandal which dominated media coverage for several months. Owner of the Houston Astros, Jim Crane and his players released a statement to the press, a month after the investigation was concluded by the Major League Baseball organization. The investigation concluded that the Astros, in fact, had been stealing pitching signs from opposing teams and using technology to communicate signs to their pitcher. Crane’s response (relying primarily on shift …

Digital Disruption In The Financial Services Industry: The Emergence Of Fintech, Alex Guenther

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Financial services, traditionally consisting of banking, asset management, lending, insurance, and payment systems, are facing a perfect storm brought on by technological innovation and shifting customer expectations. Such changes have exposed a gap in the financial services space between those who have access and those who do not. Traditional financial institutions have been hindered in pursuing strategies of financial inclusion to large underserved and underbanked populations. There is a major opportunity for financial technology companies to alter the competitive dynamics in an industry that has long been dominated by major banks and other large financial institutions. ‘Fintech’, as it is …

A University Student’S Perspective On Financial Literacy, Matthew Braley

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Financial literacy is one of the most important, if not the most important topic students need to prepare them for their future. This should be obvious, yet it still does not have a permanent place in the curriculum. Many financial literacy organizations, such as the Council for Economic Education, National Jump$tart Coalition, and Next Gen Personal Finance, are making great progress to get financial education in schools throughout the United States. However, there are many young adults that have missed the window of opportunity to obtain financial education in school. The beginning of this paper will address the current state …

A Study On Differing Generational Values And Expectations In Corporate America, Abigail Grella

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This paper examines the most common factors that lead to voluntary employee turnover, and the implications employee turnover has on an organization. Additionally, this paper will consider the varying values and workplace expectations of different demographic groups such as Millennials, Generation X, Generation Y, and Baby Boomers and how such factors could influence voluntary turnover. A study is conducted from survey results gathered across a large span of generations that are currently employed. Using statistical analysis employing t-tests and a Mood’s Median test, the results show that different generations have differently weighing values for specific organizational offerings. The results show …

Adapting To A Health Crisis: A Case Study Of A Real Estate Brokerage Team’S Crisis Communication And Management, Brielle Labonte

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The Covid-19 crisis was a foreign crisis to societies worldwide. Since its introduction in December 2019, businesses had to adapt to major societal changes, as new restrictions were implemented on societal functions worldwide. The real estate industry, in particular, experienced significant changes in the market, as well as their overall practices of business. This study will use qualitative research, specifically a case study approach, to study how the Lori Seavey Realty Team of North Attleboro Massachusetts, mitigated the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). The significance of this thesis in the field of communications …

Barriers To Careers: How Self-Efficacy Impacts Student Career Readiness, Brandon Goncalves

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This paper explores how known career barriers such as gender, age, and ethnicity are impacting career readiness during the pandemic. Despite these barriers being significant, participants feel that their most challenging barrier currently is the global pandemic. Self-efficacy was measured to investigate its impact on future career outlook. Those with higher self-efficacy scores were more confident and optimistic for their future than those with lower scores.

Opening The Treasure Chest: A Family Memoir

The Graduate Review

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Emotional Intelligence In 21st Century Organizations, Jordan Martin

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Emotional intelligence is an increasingly growing trend throughout businesses, and is extremely beneficial to the hiring process in particular. It can be defined as the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, and use the information to guide one's thinking and actions. This knowledge will help obtain better hires and ultimately strengthen the development of employees. It’s also an important factor for managers and all employees to have exposure to. Increasing emotional intelligence not only benefits the employee, but their co-workers, customers, and the business as a whole. By now seeing EQ (emotional quotient, or emotional intelligence) …

The Power Of Promotional Marketing To Millennials, Colleen Longley

Honors Program Theses and Projects

As Millennials are currently at the forefront of the consumer population, their business is an essential partnership. When targeting the Millennial Generation; the most effective component of the Marketing Mix is Promotion. The main purpose of this thesis is to highlight the importance of adaptability and increased targeting toward the Millennial Generation. The methodology will include: a combination of data from primary and secondary research on the Millennial’s Promotional Marketing experience, and an analysis of successful promotional strategies from the corporate and industry level. The research will clearly identify the overall importance and benefit of the Promotional Marketing Strategy of …

The Opportunity Zones Program Provides High Returns On Investments, Kane Moran

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The Opportunity Zones Program is a new tax incentive established in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The program aims to direct investors towards low-income communities in the United States by providing more attractive investment prospects. The end goal of the program is to disrupt the unhealthy trend of geographic inequality caused by a disproportionate number of investments being funneled to a select few areas of the U.S. On a large scale, the benefits include a more balanced economy across the entire nation, while also providing tax benefits for investors, which can contribute to a higher return on …

Barriers Women Face At Work: A Cursory Review Of The Literature, Jessica Curran

Honors Program Theses and Projects

“Whether there are female leadership styles…is not really the right question. It is more important to ask why there has been so little attention paid to women leaders over the years as well as why the styles of leading more often exhibited by women are particularly useful at this critical moment in history” ~Charlotte Bunch

In the United States, women have been making steady gains in the workforce for more than 40 years (Ho, 2018).Despite this fact, women continue to face discrimination when it comes to leadership roles in the upper ranks of organizations (Ho, 2018). Noting these challenges, this …

The Lebron Effect: Is A Superstar Worth The Money?, Colin Josselyn

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Every industry has superstars. Whether it’s the entertainment industry, the music industry, or the sports industry, superstars are everywhere. Sports are perhaps where we most commonly see and pay superstar athletes the most. Some athletes drive fans to come and flood the area near the arena. These “superstar” athletes cause a buzz and can bring in more and more fans to spend money both inside and outside the arena. In this paper using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies we research NBA superstar LeBron James and his possible impact on the franchises he plays for in the cities he …

Marketing U: Preparing Students To Succeed In The Job Search Process, Emily Guyon

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Despite the extensive careers services programs offered at secondary education institutions across the United States, students continue to underutilize the programs offered for career preparedness. The purpose of this research was to investigate what skills students were interested in learning more about related to the job search process and how they preferred to receive such information. It also examined if the graduate students in the Ricciardi College of Business at Bridgewater State University utilized Career Services, what resources they were interested in learning more about, and how they preferred these resources to be offered. The findings were consistent with previous …

How America Permitted The Great Recession, Robert A. Moss Iii

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Many people have thrown out many ideas as to how the Great Recession happened. Some blame the banks, some blame the system, and others blame the lawmakers. The truth is much more complicated, and many different events lined up to make it happen. The essential fact is that there would likely have been a recession in the 2000s as a result of the commodities price recession of the 90s. What made the recession bad enough to be called the Great Recession was the gradual de-regulation that occurred after Glass-Steagal. Primarily, this paper will deal with the laws surrounding the banking …

Criminal History And Employment: Why We Need To Ban The Box!, Jakari Griffith

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Book Review - We Are What We Make. Joshua B. Freeman, Behemoth: A History Of The Factory And The Making Of The Modern World (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2018)., Todd Harris

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Proposition 2-½ Overrides: Does A Town’S Approval Or Rejection Impact Property Values?, Rebecca Guerrier

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The purpose of Proposition 2-½, a property tax measure enacted in 1980, was to reduce government spending and increase efficiency through local tax restrictions in Massachusetts. It imposes a limit on the total amount of property taxes a certain town can raise every year. Towns are allowed to override their levy limit in order to collect more taxes for new constructions or the renovation of public properties such as schools. The main focus of this paper is to study the impact that overrides have on property values and whether bond issuance would be a better alternative, given the tradeoff between …

You Are Included: The Effectiveness Of Diversity And Representation Of Ethnic Minorities In Tv Advertising, Eric Debenedictis

Honors Program Theses and Projects

While ethnic diversity in advertising has long been studied, researchers have found conflicting results when studying the attitudes of consumers towards multi-ethnic representation in ads. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using an ethnically diverse or ethnically-specific cast in television advertisements in order to target ethnic minorities. This study seeks to determine if an actor’s ethnicity influences the viewer’s identification with the ad, depending on the viewer’s strength of identification with their ethnic group. Findings demonstrate that people who identify more with their ethnic group tend to identify more with ads that feature a member …

Nafta, Globalization And Free Trade: Can The U.S. Maintain Leadership In The World Economy?, Elmore R. Alexander

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Ecosystems Of Chinese And American Entrepreneurship Education, Chien Wen Yu

Management Faculty Publications

Since the 1980s, entrepreneurship education in the United States has become increasingly popular. The system of entrepreneurship education in the United States is characterized by relatively scientific and systemic teaching and research. The concept of ecosystems, which comes from the natural sciences, is increasingly applied to regional development and focused on inter-organizational relationships. One way to assess the ecosystems of entrepreneurship education is to consider all components of the whole – the business model, teaching philosophy, curriculum, teaching content, teacher training, infrastructure, culture, network and practices of each country. A useful tool for understanding these interrelationships is the Triple Helix …

The Gender Wage Gap: Causes, Consequences, And Remedies, Yaveline Aly

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Women are almost half of the workforce, yet they are still getting pay less than men. They receive more college degree than men. Hispanic women and African American women get pay even less than men. For every 40 hours that Americans women work, they only get pay 80 cents for every dollar paid to men. Wage discrimination is a reality. Society needs to take a stand and fight for wages equality (NWLC.org). Although the equal pay act was implemented 50 years ago, women of every race and education level are still getting pay less than men. It only gets worse …

Judgements Of Managerial Personality Affecting Employee Job Satisfaction, Makenzi Astore

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Personality is the configuration of thought, emotions and behaviors (Funder, 2013). Locke argues that job satisfaction is a positive state that derives from appraisal of a job experience (as cited in Ilies & Judge, 2004, p. 367). Job satisfaction has consistently been shown to affect productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine if employee judgements of managerial personality characteristics contribute to the overall satisfaction of the employee. I surveyed 79 individuals from the Bridgewater State University community and beyond, each being at least 18 years of age and employed to some capacity. The survey measured the level of …

Ethnic And Gender Diversity In Top Level Management And Firm Performance: Shareholder’S Perspectives, Rohail Hassan, Maran Marimuth, Eraj Tariq, Raja Aqeel

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study examines the relationship between demographic diversity in top management levels with a firms’ financial performance using 84 non-financial companies in Malaysia. Demographic diversity consists of ethnic diversity and gender diversity. The top management level includes both the top management team and the board of directors. This study uses data from 2008 to 2012. Return on assets measures the financial performance. Ethnic and gender diversity measured by the number of Non-Malays and the number of females in top management respectively. This study incorporates descriptive statistics, correlation testing, and regression analysis. The results show that ethnic diversity in the top …

Cultural Factors Influencing Chinese Residents And Students’ Views On Solar Photovoltaic Rooftop Adoption, Ashleigh Bell

Honors Program Theses and Projects

With a large focus on global warming, the idea of using solar energy has become popular worldwide. However, the adoption rate of solar energy in China is relatively low in comparison to the sizeable quantities of solar Photovoltaic (PV) products produced in the nation. By using Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions (Hofstede & Minkov, 2013) this paper investigated cultural factors and their impact on solar adoption based on the responses of surveys. This research used primary data collected from both Chinese residents and Chinese college students in the major cities: Shanghai and Beijing, China and secondary sources to examine the cultural …

A Comparison Of Brick-And-Mortar And Online Last Mile Delivery Networks, Dennis Corvi

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Driven by the rapid growth of e-commerce, last mile delivery has become an increasingly necessary strategy for retailers to stay competitive. The locations of distribution centers and the capacity of vehicles have profound effects on transportation costs. Demand for same-day delivery services is expected to increase in popularity as new technologies, such as drones and automated transportation, evolve and become cheaper to develop. Organizations that design their logistic network efficiently hold the largest competitive advantage. Amazon is currently an industry leader in shipping and delivery logistics by utilizing its online ordering process. Brick-and-mortar stores such as Walmart and Best Buy …

Blockchain Technology: Digitizing The Global Financial System, John Frechette

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Recent technological innovations have sparked massive restructurings across the entire global economy. Despite the changes that have already taken place, an underutilized and emerging technology, known as “blockchain,” has the potential to disrupt every segment of the financial services sector. Using information and data accessed through the Bridgewater State library database, analyst reports, news articles, and the Bloomberg Terminal, this paper details the intricacies of blockchain technology, determines its potential effect on the global financial system, and reflects on its initial implementation with the creation of Bitcoin currency. While Bitcoin, a new cryptocurrency first invented in 2008, drew attention to …