Business Commons^™

Why Teens Today Wear The Brands They Wear And How This Is Affected By Reference Groups, Moriah Houser

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper describes and reports the results of a study that examines how teenagers choose to purchase and wear different brands. I wanted to find out if they would be affected positively or negatively towards different brands when they were associated with their membership, aspirational, or dissociative reference groups as well as how a teenager decides what brands are relevant to them or convey what they want to convey about themselves. Through the exploration of friends, hobbies, advertising, social media, situational factors, parents, through interviews, along with the help of many scholarly articles, I was able to find out what …

Misuse Of Company Time: How The Internet And Social Media Are Creating A New Time Theft, Ryan Hancock

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines how social media and online shopping are providing new forms of employee time theft for companies and considers the impact they have on productivity. Whether the trends are actually apparent was then connected to an individual’s perception of whether stealing company time is unethical. Data was obtained in this study through a survey. The survey was conducted through direct and behavioral questions of participants. The first half of the survey contained direct questions measuring the respondent’s own usage of social media, their online shopping habits, and whether they do these activities while working. The second half of …

The Impact Of Unions On Information Asymmetry, Caroline Burke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior literature documents a positive association between union power, calculated using industry-level union data, and information asymmetry. Prior literature also finds a mitigating effect from employee ownership on the negative association between union power and voluntary disclosure. Using a sample of company observations for fiscal years 2008 through 2010, I examine the effect of company-specific measures of employee unionization on market-based measures of information asymmetry (proxied for by insider trading activity, analyst following, and analyst dispersion). I also examine whether employee ownership impacts the effect of company-specific measures of employee unionization on my market-based measures of information asymmetry. I find …

Big Data And Organizational Impacts: A Study Of Big Data Ventures, Taha Havakhor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

New information technology (IT) ventures are at the forefront of developing IT innovations. In spite of their importance in the advancement of IT and the unique risks of survival that distinguishes them from established firms, the organizational literature on IT has mostly overlooked new IT ventures. Specifically, Big Data industry is a context where new IT ventures actively change the landscape of IT innovations. However, less is known about the factors influencing the economic success of Big Data ventures (BDVs), as well as the established firms that invest in them. To shed light on these factors, three essays are designed …

Perceptions Of Division I Athletic Director Career Paths, Eric A. Wood

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is increased information about the profile of current collegiate athletic directors as it relates to education, age, race, and gender. However, there is a gap in the knowledge of the career paths of the modern day Division I collegiate athletic director position compared to the athletic directors studied over 20 years ago. There is also a gap in the knowledge of the skills necessary to be an effective athletic director from the perspective of Division I athletic directors. The purpose of this study was to use the Perceptions of Division I Athletic Director Career Paths (PADCP) scale to determine …

The Effectiveness Of Supply Chain Transparency Among Consumers, Audrey Mcclain

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study seeks to understand the impact that a business’s level of transparency may have on consumers. Extant research and literature suggests a relationship between transparency and consumer confidence. However, though a relationship exists, there is reason to believe that many consumers do not use the transparency efforts they demand. This study hypothesizes that there is in fact a demand for transparency, but ultimately, consumers do not use the transparency efforts that they call for. A survey was created for the purpose of this study and its results were analyzed and then compared against the hypotheses laid out in the …

Two Essays On Analytical Capabilities: Antecedents And Consequences, Rishikesh Jena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although organizations are rapidly embracing business analytics (BA) to enhance organizational performance, only a small proportion have managed to build analytical capabilities. While BA continues to draw attention from academics and practitioners, theoretical understanding of antecedents and consequences of analytical capabilities remain limited and lack a systematic view. In order to address the research gap, the two essays investigate: (a) the impact of organization’s core information processing mechanisms and its impact on analytical capabilities, (b) the sequential approach to integration of IT-enabled business processes and its impact on analytical capabilities, and (c) network position and its impact on analytical capabilities. …

It's All About Me: How Self-Brand Connection And Social Media Interactivity Influence Purchase Intent, Shannon Taylor Mccarthy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social media is ubiquitous and allows consumers to display identity by through possessions through posts, images, and interactions. The self is all the individual calls their own and is expressed outwardly through everything visible, including possessions, relationships, and interactions. They tell their story through the display of envy-inducing artifacts, and create a perfect, photoshopped life. Consumers seek a connection to positively viewed brands they feel are self-representative through interaction. This dissertation seeks to better understand consumer rationale for and gratification from online brand engagement and how that, in turn, impacts the brand. Three studies examined the effects of self-brand connection, …

Recruiting: An Act Of Trust, Krystal Evette Beachum

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The realization for incoming freshmen to be able to balance education and participate in athletics at the college level takes complete dedication. Participation in athletics has been linked with reports of growth in the individual's personality and leadership skills and with their overall satisfaction with the college experience (Ryan, 1989). Using former student-athletes as participants, the study aims to look at college athletics through the eyes of the student-athletes.

The purpose of this study offers an inside look at former Division I football student-athletes perception of the recruiting process, along with the perception of the financial agreement and the National …

Leveling The Playing Field? A Content Analysis Of Espn.Com And Espnw.Com’S Online Coverage, Rachael Caldwell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to compare sports coverage provided by the male-centric website ESPN.com and its affiliated female-centric website ESPNW.com. The amount and type of coverage provided for female athletes was the primary focus of this study. Results suggest that ESPNW.com provides an outlet for increased coverage of women’s sports, but the type of coverage provided to female athletes is not equivalent to that of their male counterparts. These results supported findings in previous studies on mass media coverage of women’s sports, specifically coverage on the emerging field of Internet coverage.

Audit-Related Services And Audit Quality: Evidence From Benefit Plan Audits, Jaclyn Prentice

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following study examines a material but less understood component of the public audit marketplace, namely the provision of “audit-related” services to financial statement audit clients. I use the benefit plan audit service setting to examine the company and benefit plan characteristics associated with auditor selection and the impact of audit-related services on financial statement audit quality. I provide market evidence of distinct shifts in the use of the same audit firm for the financial statement audit and other audit-related services over time as well as characteristics of the choice of auditors. I then test whether having the same audit …

Does Assurance Matter? Evidence From U.S. Financial Institutions, Ashley Warwick Douglass

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I explore the determinants and consequences of the level of assurance that a bank selects. Using a sample of small, privately held U.S. (United States) financial institutions (banks), I find that two differing types of banks are more likely to purchase more assurance. First, larger banks that are experiencing growth purchase relatively more assurance than other banks. Second, more complex banks with lower returns on assets, losses, and higher leverage are more likely to purchase an audit than a lower level of assurance. This may indicate the influence of regulators on banks’ assurance purchasing decisions. I also …

A Social Marketing Plan For The Lester C. Howick Animal Shelter, Joseph Michael Spiegelhoff

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Lester C. Howick Animal Shelter (Howick) is a non-profit organization serving Washington County, Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas community. This thesis offers Howick a comprehensive Social marketing plan. The goal of the animal shelter is to increase the total number of cats and dogs adopted, increase the total amount of donations, and increase the number of volunteers helping at the facility and various events. In order to accomplish these goals for 2016, a Social marketing plan was developed through research on other non-profit organizations, other animal shelters, communication with the shelter employees, crafting a public service announcement (PSA), and …

Why We Follow: Exploring How Culture Shapes Users’ Motivation For Following Sport Organizations On Twitter And Weibo, Bo Li

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore how culture shapes Social media users’ usage as they follow sport organizations on two similar microblogging services - Twitter and Weibo. In particular, the study attempted to measure whether Social media users exhibited different usage pattern, points of attachment, and usage motivations within two different cultural environments known as individualism and collectivism.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Social media followers were selected and invited to participant in this study. There were 839 the Lakers’ Weibo followers and 334 Twitter followers who completed an online survey facilitated on Qualtrics. The results of Multivariate analysis …

Omni-Channel Supply Chain Management: Assessing The Impact Of Retail Service Operations In The Retail Supply Chain, Simone Theresa Peinkofer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The traditional retail environment, which is characterized by a clear division between brick-and-mortar and non-brick-and-mortar retail channels, has been recently disrupted by developments in e-commerce and mobile technologies. The result has been the emergence of omni-channel retailing. Within the reality of this new retail environment, it has been proposed that retailers should develop the necessary capabilities to fulfill consumer demand from anywhere – the store, the distribution center, or via drop-shipping from a supplier – which leads to the emergence of new operational complexities and challenges in the retail supply chain. In light of the growing popularity of these new …

It's Not The Load That Breaks You Down, It's The Way You Carry It: An Examination Of The Relationship Between Negative Identity And Consumer Behavior, Cassandra Denise Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research examining Social identity and consumer behavior often centers on groups with positive Social identities, exploring the influence of similar identities (i.e., shared values, shared gender, shared political affiliations, shared ethnicity…etc.) or desired identities (e.g., sports celebrities, actors, and actresses). For example, research has shown that people display an increased attention to identity-based stimuli following the activation of a Socially distinct identity (Forehand, Deshpandé, and Reed 2002) and that heightening the self‐importance of a consumer Social identity leads to a preference for identity-related brands (Reed 2004). An important but often overlooked aspect of the influence of Social identity on consumption, …

Hedging In Energy: The Case Of Linn Energy, Llc, Riley E. Nelson

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper is a case study of LINN Energy, LLC over the period of Q1 2013 to Q4 2015. Due to volatility in commodity prices, energy companies choose to hedge their future production using forwards, futures, swaps, and options strategies. I selected LINN Energy as the subject for this study due to the breadth of detailed historical hedging information available through the company’s website. LINN Energy disclosed much more than is required for independent oil and gas companies, making them the perfect case study for this thesis. LINN Energy, LLC is one of the few publicly traded LLC’s and is …

An Exploration Of Omnichannel Marketing Through Fifa 16, Virginia N. Roman

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

According to Forbes, Omnichannel marketing is a marketing strategy that engages consumers over multiple channels, a strategy reflecting the change in how consumers are willing to engage with companies. EA Sports is a branch of Electronic Arts, an entertainment software company that in the fiscal year of 2015 had a GAAP net revenue of $4.5 billion. EA Sports produces sports related video games including the Madden NFL, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, and FIFA. Omnichannel marketing is the next frontier and the video game industry is on the rise. At the crossroads of these two is FIFA 16, this year’s installment …

Getting Hooked On Gnarly Rods, Cody A. Nelson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

At Gnarly Rods, our objective is to supply builders and fishermen alike with the quality gear, components, and service necessary to catch everything life has to offer. From providing rod building parts, to repairs, to fully customized fishing rods, we are the destination for all things in custom fishing. Conceptualized in 2015, Gnarly Rods will be based out of Springdale, AR, and started by Robert and Cody Nelson, a father and son pair as passionate for fishing as they are family and the influence the outdoors can have in life. As of now, we will be the only two employees …

Understanding Employees’ Reactions To Sexual Harassment Training: Interactional Disruptions, Identity Threats, And Negative Training Outcomes, Shannon L. Rawski

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sexual harassment training is a common organizational activity. Yet, we do not have very much knowledge about why sexual harassment training is effective or ineffective. There is evidence that employees often react negatively toward sexual harassment training, and these negative reactions may help explain inconsistent findings regarding whether sexual harassment training improves employees’ knowledge, attitudes, and transfer of training to the job context. This dissertation draws from Social interactionism and identity theory to suggest that employees may experience threats to their valued identities at the announcement of sexual harassment training and during the administration of sexual harassment training. Interactional characteristics, …

The Production And Exportation Of Arkansas Non Gmo Vs Gmo Soybeans To China, Weston Cartwright

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

In recent years, the increase and shift in China’s population combined with a reduction in useable farmland due to soil contamination has prompted a significant increase in food imports. Soybeans, in particular, have become a significant import, and the United States is one of their prime suppliers. Chinese soybean imports have increased from 18 million bushels in 1996 to 1.171 billion bushels in 2015. Soybeans are used in food products like tofu and cooking oils and also as a base for animal feed. In the United States, soybeans are the second largest field crop, ranking just behind corn. Close to …

Seats: A Business Plan, Mycah Sandridge

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Every year over 88 million people participate in recreational boating on lakes all across the U.S. (http://www.statista.com/topics/1138/recreational-boating/). While enjoying their favorite aquatic activities, these people have needs and desires just like any other time in life, but with a relatively high opportunity cost to acquire goods. Making a trip to the marina and back costs both money and time that boaters would rather be spending having fun with family and friends. The Seats model, a mobile vending vessel, will fill this gap, providing food necessities and a fun environment that does not require boaters to dock their boat in order …

Evaluating The Perception Of Luxury Brands In Today's Marketplace And The Impact Of The Digital Age On These Brands, Mary M. Turner

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

“In spite of the global recession, luxury seems to be everywhere. Luxury is a term that is routinely used in our everyday life: a promise of decadence and a dream of an exclusive lifestyle, a key component of marketing management and a tagline in commercials and advertising campaigns…However, what does luxury really mean? The only consensus on the meaning of luxury is that there is little consensus” (Hennigs et al. 3). For an industry that once presented itself as so exclusive and definitive, it is hard to believe there is such uncertainty in defining this market. Much of this ambiguity …

More Ethical – Thai Or American Business Behavior?: Ethical Business Practices And Differences Between Cultures, Michelle Carlson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The study and comparison of cross cultural business ethics was conducted specifically in the countries of Thailand and the United States. To study these two countries’ business ethics, a survey was conducted in each country, analyzed, and compared to one another. The research was conducted on a Micro Empirical scale. This approach by definition “hypothesizes the existence of general norms or values and then gathers and analyzes data with a view of determining the extent to which these norms or values prevail in the group surveyed” (Koehn & Leung, 2004). Thailand and the United States are hypothesized in this study …

Outperforming The S&P 500 Using Top-Down Asset Allocation, Benjamin Lanier

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates whether portfolio managers can outperform the S&P 500 index using top-down asset allocation, using historical returns, standard deviations, and correlations of different asset classes. Efficient diversification between asset classes reduces the idiosyncratic risk by selecting assets from a wide variety of different classes of assets in different parts of the world. The goal is to create an optimization model that makes it possible for a portfolio manager to generate higher expected returns, while taking risk equal to that of the S&P 500, or incur lower risk while generating the same expected return of the S&P 500.

Effect Of Automated Advising Platforms On The Financial Advising Market, Benjamin Faubion

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis outlines the cost to investor differences between a traditional financial advisor and the growing group of highly competitive automated Robo-Advisors.

The Fall Of Petrobras And Its Impact On The Brazilian Economy, Nicolas Lema Severich

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates the full scope of the poor decisions made by the Brazilian oil giant, Petroleo Brasileiro. This paper is focused on the midst of a corruption scandal that ended the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. Fundamental analysis as well as technical analysis are used to determine the intrinsic value of Petrobras. Petroleo Brasileiro is analyzed as an oil company, as a mother company for the Brazilian economy and as the disruptor of a recession that will be remembered historically.

How Does Music Consumption Impact The Music Industry And Benefit Artists?, Benjamin Fly

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the introduction of digital music in the 1990s, it internet-based music consumption has become significantly simpler and increasingly more popular as more and more consumers are streaming, sharing, and discovering new music all across the globe. With this new development of digital music, the dynamics of the music industry have been affected dramatically both in terms of record sales and the way music listeners are consuming music. Unfortunately, with the rise of music in its digital format came the rise of illegal file sharing sites, causing many to believe that the music industry was headed for its impending destruction. …

Strategic Asset Allocation For Fixed Income And Fixed Income-Like Securities In Anticipation Of A Bear Market, Ngoc B. Phan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

In a market contraction, it is often beneficial to actively manage fixed income and fixed income-like portfolio via strategic asset allocation. Many fixed income securities tend to outperform equities during market contractions owing to their fixed payment streams, lower volatility, and higher position in capital structure. This study seeks to estimate a set of optimal asset allocation portfolios in anticipation of recessions empirically using historic inflation-adjusted data. I apply mean-variance optimization to find optimal portfolio mix, discuss investors of different risk levels and discuss performance of portfolios in growth, recession and long-term periods.

Modeling Supply Chain Resiliency, Jeff A. Hazel

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Engineered Resilient Systems (ERS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) program focusing on the effective and efficient design and development of complex engineered systems throughout their life cycle. There is a growing literature with qualitative definitions of resilience and quantitative models for systems with one performance measure. This paper uses a quantitative resilience framework (the Framework for ERS) that includes system design options, reliability, threats, vulnerabilities, responses, and consequences assessed in multiple system performance measures. The framework assists in establishing a model for any system to evaluate resiliency. This paper applies this framework using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) to …