Business Commons^™

The Importance Of Teaching Personal Finance, Ryan Brewer

Honors College Theses

Personal finance is a foreign concept to many, yet it is an essential concept for all. This research project considers the impact of a personal finance course being taught in an organized, non-profit setting. A community church offers a finance course to their congregants on an annual basis that is designed to teach short- and long-term personal finance concepts to individuals and families to encourage adequate budgeting and investment practices. This specific project will evaluate the participants skillset and confidence in their financial goals before and after they are involved with the course. The data of study will be collected …

The Unintended Effects Of Tamper-Evident Food Closures, Marissa Orlowski, Sarah Lefebvre, Laura Boman

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Restaurant-to-consumer food delivery has experienced disruption with the growth of third-party services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. However, this platform-to-consumer delivery method introduces increased opportunities for food tampering and contamination due to additional touchpoints in the delivery process. To mitigate these concerns, more restaurants are implementing tamper-evident closures such as seals attached to the food containers used for delivery items. Drawing on signaling theory, we examine the effect of tamper-evident closures in the third-party delivery context through two experimental studies and a focus group. Our results revealed a negative effect of tamper-evident seals on willingness to pay through lowered …

Thinking Outside The Bottle: Effects Of Alternative Wine Packaging, Marissa Orlowski, Sarah Lefebvre, Robin M. Back

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Packaging communicates intrinsic product attributes to consumers, which can influence consumer response and decision-making; however, little is known about the impact of non-traditional packaging formats. The current research aims to bridge this gap. Across five studies, we demonstrate that non-traditional packaging negatively influenced purchase intention of a complex product, wine, through product appeal and taste perceptions (Study 1A)/expectations (Studies 1B–4). We also demonstrate that the consumer response to non-traditional packaging is a function of individual differences (desire for unique products) and label attributes (eco-friendly labels).

The Importance Of Teaching Personal Finance, Ryan Brewer

Honors College Theses

This research project will consider the impact of a personal finance course being taught in an organized non-profit setting. A community church offers a finance course to their congregants on an annual basis that is designed to teach short- and long-term personal finance concepts to individuals and families to learn adequate budgeting and investment practices. Typically, anywhere from 5 to 15 people will sign-up for this course. This specific project will evaluate the participants skillset and confidence in their financial goals before and after they are involved with the course. The data of study will be collected from a pre- …

Dps 2.0: On The Road To A Cashless Society, Nwamaka A. Anaza, Delancy H.S. Bennett, Yana Andonova, Emeka Anaza

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

While cash will eventually become a thing of the past, marketing researchers have given little attention to the rise of cashless markets and the obstacles and opportunities they present. In fact, research that addresses the strategic approach to planning, coordinating, and executing the cashless adoption and experience for consumers is scant. To stimulate discussion and scholarly investigations into marketing’s contribution toward the evolution of cashless economies, this Idea Corner presents a research agenda that delineates the role of DPS 2.0, a new era of digital payment systems, in fueling the demonetization process. We offer that, compared to traditional payment systems …

Does Tax Curriculum Or Vita Participation Correlate With Improved Reg Section Cpa Exam Scores?, Sunshine Coombs, Sunshine Coombs

Honors College Theses

Abstract

Students who graduate with an accounting degree often take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam to increase their earning potential and gain prestige within the accounting profession. The Regulation (REG) section of this exam exemplifies a student's knowledge in the United States’ tax filing system and makes up a quarter of the total exam. Accounting students often participate in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs which may provide an avenue of preparation for the REG section of the CPA exam. This research aims to identify if there is a connection between universities that offer a VITA program and their …

Using Modern Portfolio Theory To Create Efficient Portfolios From The S&P Index, Dylan Rhoads

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) serves as a proxy for the U.S. equity market and is among the most widely cited financial instruments in the world. Its risk and return can be accepted as the market’s, leading it to be the benchmark for performance in many investment settings. Modern portfolio theory helps to quantify performance by explaining the relationship between risk and return. Every portfolio has its own return and risk level, with the optimal allocations falling on the “Efficient Frontier”, that is the line on a graph that connects the portfolios that have the maximum return …

Navigating The Public Funding Landscape: Lessons From One Small, Isolated, Rural, Arts Organization, Elise L. Kieffer

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

This study follows the experience of one arts organization in an isolated, rural, Appalachian community of Kentucky, to explore the relationship between the NEA and the state arts agencies with which they partner. Using the case study of Burkesville Academy of Fine Arts as an inspiration, this question is explored: If BAFA had received necessary technical support from the KAC, is it likely that it might have been awarded funding by the NEA? The study compares BAFA to organizations in comparable communities who received NEA funding. Following findings, suggestions for policy and practice are provided.

Rural And Regional Arts Organizations, Elise Lael Kieffer

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

This chapter presents the arts operating in two specific regions. Where arts organizations are located informs the political climate in which they work, their methods, and their constituency. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) was founded by an act of congress in 1965 and is tasked with five key goals. These goals include increasing economic opportunities within the region, improving workforce readiness, developing and maintaining critical infrastructure, utilizing and leveraging natural and cultural assets within the region, and developing leadership and community capacity (ARC, 2019). This area is defined by persistent poverty and reduced economic opportunity. Local issues are, in fact, …

Osha, Ada, And Other Government Mandates, Elise Lael Kieffer

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

In chapter fourteen the exploration is focused on governmental mandates, laws, rules and regulations. In contrast, policies and procedures within the organization are also covered. The discussion then centers on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), how the administration works, how one must and can follow OSHA mandates, and how penalties can be assessed if OSHA rules are not followed. Finally, the chapter concludes with a lengthy discussion of the physical requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, who must comply, and how one can do so.

Community College Employee Perceptions Of The Four-Day Schedule As A Community College Institutional Strategy, Mitchell Holder

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In the face of enrollment declines (American Association of Community Colleges [AACC], n.d.; Barrington, 2020; Schwartz, 2020) and state funding cuts (Lorenzo, 2018), community colleges search for institutional strategies to gain competitive advantages in student recruitment and enrollment management. The four-day schedule has been used by a number of community colleges and four-year colleges as an institutional strategy to reduce costs (Cardinale, 2013; Chen, 2020; Moltz, 2008), improve employee morale (Ellen, 2011; Toppo, 2018; Wallace, 1981), and increase productivity (Bothwell, 2019; Ellen, 2011). Some institutions have adopted the four-day schedule believing it would provide a competitive advantage in student recruitment …

Contributing Factors Of Success For Middle School Agriculture Teachers, Sara Hughes

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The changing dynamics of middle school agriculture education requires research into the causes for some teachers and chapters to succeed while others do not. The reasons for success may be varied and related to many different factors. The aim of this study is to determine how programs perform at high levels, what factors help them achieve success, and the role that evaluation may play in the process. The types of evaluation used for middle school agriculture teachers in Georgia will also be analyzed.