Business Commons^™

Flexible And Family-Friendly Policies At Utah’S “Best Places To Work”, Robbyn Scribner, Michelle Vargas, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic that reached Utah in March of 2020 has had an enormous impact on the way companies do business. Perhaps the biggest change for employees came in the widespread shift to remote work as a public health measure, but many companies adjusted work practices and policies in other ways to support their employees during a challenging time. Many changes focus on flexibility and family-friendly policies, which have traditionally been a double-edged sword for working women. Though such offerings have made it possible for some mothers to remain in the workforce, taking advantage of such programs has often placed …

Flexible And Family-Friendly Policies At Utah's "Best Places To Work", Robbyn T. Scribner, Michelle Vargas, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic that reached Utah in March of 2020 has had an enormous impact on the way companies do business. Perhaps the biggest change for employees came in the widespread shift to remote work as a public health measure, but many companies adjusted work practices and policies in other ways to support their employees during a challenging time. Many changes focus on flexibility and family-friendly policies, which have traditionally been a double-edged sword for working women. Though such offerings have made it possible for some mothers to remain in the workforce, taking advantage of such programs has often placed …

Women Leaders In Utah Government–Their Paths To Power, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

When both men and women work together in leadership roles, organizations thrive. This holds true for government—and democratic governance processes in general—and it supports the call to reflect gender diversity at all levels. Yet, typical conversations about women in government often focus on the need for women to run for elected office. While this is certainly important, little if no attention has been given to the lack of women leaders within the halls of government. In response to this, Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) researchers recently conducted pioneering research resulting in three research briefs that, for the first time, …

Women Leaders In Utah Government – Their Paths To Power, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

When both men and women work together in leadership roles, organizations thrive. This holds true for government— and democratic governance processes in general—and it supports the call to reflect gender diversity at all levels. Yet, typical conversations about women in government often focus on the need for women to run for elected office. While this is certainly important, little if no attention has been given to the lack of women leaders within the halls of government. In response to this, Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) researchers recently conducted pioneering research resulting in three research briefs that, for the first …

Kalsun Inc: Sourcing In Asia, Vijay R. Kannan

Management Faculty Publications

Karen Young, Purchasing Manager at Kalsun Inc., a producer and retailer of home office accessories, has to make a sourcing decision for one of the company’s best-selling items, an adjustable laptop stand. The coronavirus pandemic has led to more people working from home and thus significant demand growth, but also supply challenges. While Kalsun has a reliable Chinese supplier, potential changes in the supplier’s product strategy, increasing costs, and U.S. - Sino political tensions are motivating Karen to evaluate supply alternatives.

The Status Of Women Leaders In Government–Utah Cities And Towns, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen, D. Candice Backus Pierucci, Brooke Smith

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Research shows that communities and organizations increasingly thrive when men and women work together in leadership roles. Gender inclusivity benefits not only businesses, churches, schools, and state legislatures, but also state and local governments. American democracy is grounded in the idea of representation. “Representative bureaucracy” is the term for government entities employing a workforce that shares the demographic characteristics of the communities they serve, and the combined experiences and perspectives of that workforce represent and benefit all residents within its purview. This includes the thousands of government professionals who run the daily functions of municipalities within the State of Utah.

Bear River Health Department: Covid-19 Contact Tracing, Mike Dixon, Zach Rusk

Huntsman School of Business Teaching Scholarship Series

This case introduces students to a highly variable process that has uncertain demand and processing times. It describes the contact tracing efforts as a response to positive Covid-19 cases in a rural health district in the state of Utah during the first 9 months of the pandemic of 2020. The case puts students in the shoes of the managing director of a health department trying to decide how to best manage a team of contact tracers who are increasingly unable to timely complete their work that is vital to stopping the spread of the disease.

Encouraging Snap Shopper Participation At Utah Farmers Markets, A Best Practices Guide, Kelsey Hall, Alicia Meiners

All Current Publications

This guide’s steps were compiled during background research for advertising acceptance of SNAP benefits using Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and the Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up) program offered at farmers markets throughout Utah. Information in this guide will expand marketing campaigns across Utah to promote farmers markets already accepting SNAP benefits, especially to minority and low-income populations. The information, however, may be generalized to other health/food programs and to populations with low incomes in other states.

Connections Impact On Student Persistence: Impact Report Spring 2015 To Fall 2018, Amanda M. Hagman, Heidi Kesler, Matt Sanders, Mitchell Colver

Publications

Connections is Utah State University's (USU) first-year seminary. A primary objective of Connections is student persistence. It is designed to help students become learners. While being a learner is not synonymous with being a college student, it aligns students’ expectations with what is required to succeed in college and at USU. This impact report explores the influence of Connections participation on student persistence to the next term. Participation in Connections is associated with a 1.4% increase in persistence to the next term. The positive impact of Connections is increasing with strategic programmatic changes.

New Student Orientation: Impact Analysis Fall 2017 To Spring 2019, Amanda M. Hagman, Jacob Van Den Akker, Erik Dickamore, Lisa Simmons

Publications

The transition to university represents a major life change more incoming students. To facilitate this transition, USU adopted a phased-orientation system that provides students information justin- time for use. Currently, Module 3 can be completed either in-person or online. This analysis explores both the impact of the phased-orientation modules and the impact of completing Module 3 online verse in-person on student persistence to the next term. METHODS: First students who completed Module 3 online were compared to students who completed Module 3 in-person. Next students who completed all 5 modules were compared to students who only completed the required modules. …

Writing Center: Impact Analysis Fall 2014 To Fall 2018, Amanda M. Hagman, Kendall Becker, Susan B. Andersen, Star Coulbrooke, Erik Dickamore, Jasilyn Heaps

Publications

The Utah State University (USU) Writing Center is dedicated to empowering students to express their knowledge and ideas in writing. Their approach promotes academic inquiry, critical thinking, and expressions of diversity. While research and evaluation suggest that the Writing Center significantly impacts student academic performance, the impact on student persistence is not yet clear. This report explores the association between USU’s Writing Center and students’ persistence toward graduation. METHODS: Students’ Writing Center use was captured through student log-ins at writing appointments. Students who had a record of using the Writing Center were compared to similar students who did not have …

Passport Experience: Impact Analytics Fall 2014 To Fall 2018, Amanda M. Hagman, Nate Jensen, Lisa Simmons, Janet Anderson, Erik Dickamore

Publications

Utah State University (USU) dedicates substantial resources to support student transition to higher education. The Passport Experience cuts across all university domains to support early student participation in curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities. Students are invited to attend a variety of events, when milestones are reached, students are rewarded. Persistence is a primary objective of the Passport Experience. The Passport Experience helps students develop an increased awareness of campus events, broad their engagement in the university experience, and become more involved in the University community. This report explores the association between the Passport Experience and students’ persistence toward graduation. METHODS: …

Writing Fellows: Impact Analysis Fall 2015 To Spring 2019, Amanda M. Hagman, Julie Foust, Erik Dickamore, Hayden Hoopes

Publications

The Writing Fellows program strategically places high performing writing mentors in courses with rigorous writing requirements. Writing Fellows work with each student in a course by reviewing their writing and offering mentoring to improve their written communication skills. Persistence is a secondary objective of the Writing Fellow program. As such, an impact evaluation on persistence should only be used as part of an evaluation of the influence of the Writing Fellows program on student wellbeing. This impact evaluation on student persistence found that students in courses with a Writing Fellow experienced a significant increase in persistence to the next term …

How Do Usu Students Use University Support Services?, Amanda M. Hagman, Meghan Lewis, Kristi Swainston, Mitchell Colver

Publications

The central mission of USU is to be one of the nation’s premier student-centered universities. This is accomplished by fostering academics and offering opportunities to expand students’ vision of the world around them through co- and extra-curricular activities. These auxiliary activities are designed to support academic achievement and to engage students in meaningful opportunities to practice and enhance their personal and professional well-being. This analysis describes how students are using co- and extra-curricular services. It investigates the most salient student-facing programming in supporting student retention.

Fraternity & Sorority Life: Impact Analysis Spring 2016 To Fall 2019, Erik Dickamore, Paige Eidenschink, Amanda M. Hagman

Publications

Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) is a valued part of the USU community It connects students with leadership and philanthropic opportunities throughout their time at university. Many students cite their time spent associated with FSL as one of the biggest contributing factors of their university experience. METHODS: Student’s membership in a FSL is recorded each semester on rosters. These rosters were used in identifying which students participated in FSL. Students were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. Students who participated in FSL were matched with non-participating students based on their persistence predication and their propensity to participate. FINDINGS: Students were …

The Status Of Women Leaders In Government–Utah Counties, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Recent events underscore the need for government—and democratic governance processes in general—to embrace diversity at all levels. Organizations with diverse leadership teams, including both women and men, have proven to be more innovative and resilient, make better strategic decisions, and have an increased capacity for problem solving. The benefits of gender equity can be found in any organization, including government structures such as state legislatures, city councils, and state and local bureaucracies.

The Status Of Women Leadership In Government–State Of Utah, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Organizations increasingly thrive when both men and women hold leadership roles and work together. Gender inclusivity in leadership benefits not only Utah’s businesses, but also its government organizations, such as state legislatures, city councils, and state and local bureaucracies. Recent events underscore the need for government—and democratic governance processes in general—to demand diversity at all levels.

The Status Of Women Leaders In Government – State Of Utah, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Organizations increasingly thrive when both men and women hold leadership roles and work together. Gender inclusivity in leadership benefits not only Utah’s businesses, but also its government organizations, such as state legislatures, city councils, and state and local bureaucracies. Recent events underscore the need for government—and democratic governance processes in general—to demand diversity at all levels

Profiting From Protecting Small Business Borrowers: Take That To The Bank!, Jerome D. Williams, Sterling A. Bone, Glenn L. Christensen, Alexandra Tebbs

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

While small businesses represent a significant portion of the economy, there is mounting evidence that the playing field is not level for these firms in access to capital. Based on 10 years of matched-paired mystery shopping tests in banks to investigate bank lending practices and customer experience, the results demonstrate that in almost every instance, minorities were treated more poorly than their White counterparts. However, the authors acknowledge the controversy surrounding this issue, as some question the need for government action to push banks in this direction. Before offering evidence of the impact race can have on the treatment of …

Quantum Frontiers: To Boldly Go, Mike Dixon, Cali Christensen, Rachael Leisek

Management Faculty Publications

Cali Christensen started her summer at Quantum Frontiers (QF) at an intern lunch. Seated around her were 20 other interns from universities all over the country who had been selected from a pool of over 900 applicants to participate in high-tech, space-related research endeavors pushing the boundaries of various fields such as engineering, mathematics, computer science, machine learning, and physics. Cali quickly realized after the first presentation that she may be one of the only non-engineer or scientists in the room. Her internship was different from any others that QF had yet sponsored. Instead of making space-related discoveries in new …

What Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Specialists Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Utah Girls And Women, Robbyn T. Scribner, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Utah is full of engaged, passionate individuals who frequently ask the question, “What can I personally and/or professionally do to strengthen the impact of Utah girls and women?” To provide specific answers to that question, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) hosted a series of “think tank” gatherings to collect best practices for various stakeholders interested in supporting and empowering Utah women.

What Leaders In The Interfaith Community Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Utah Girls And Women, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2020 gathering of 25 leaders within the local interfaith community. Religious and faith-based organizations are of vital importance to many individuals and families, and these leaders recognize the positive role they can have in the lives of Utah women and girls.

The Status Of Women And Entrepreneurship In Utah: A 2020 Update, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen, Ann Marie Wallace

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Throughout the nation, women are building and running successful businesses. In 2016, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) asked whether Utah was a good place for women to start and run businesses. The answer to that question was released in a research and policy brief titled, “The Status of Women and Entrepreneurship in Utah,” which became part of a series that focused on understanding the status of women’s leadership in Utah’s politics, education, nonprofits, business, government, and other settings.

Size And Scope Of Carbon County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Steven Price

All Current Publications

Carbon County is located south of Duchesne and Wasatch counties in east-central Utah. Along with Emery County to the south, it is often referred to as Utah’s Castle Country. The county became industrialized very early after statehood with the arrival of the railroads and discovery of many coal beds for which the county is named. It is also a large producer of natural gas within the state. Its primary economic base today comes from regional services, retail, tourism, recreation and resource extraction. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 20,295. Price is the largest city and county seat. This …

Library Services: Impact Analysis Spring 2018 To Fall 2018, Amanda M. Hagman, Lindsay Ozburn, Hayden Hoopes, Erik Dickamore, Bradford R. Cole, Mitchell Colver

Publications

Libraries are an essential element of learning on university campuses. The content housed within libraries supports academic exploration and growth. Physically, libraries are designed to provide access to materials and spaces that facilitate learning. This report explored the impact of student library resource use on student persistence to the next term.

Students' library resource use was captured with EZ Proxy log-ins and library material check-outs. Students who had a record of using library resources were compared to similar students who did not have a record of library resource use. They were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. Students who used …

Women's Leadership In Higher Education: Status, Barriers, And Motivators, Susan R. Madsen, Karen A. Longman

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Advancing more women into institutional leadership roles in higher education matters. Although numerous studies have documented the value of involving diverse perspectives in decision-making processes (Donovan & Caplan, 2019; Gero & Garrity, 2018; Williams, 2013; Woolley & Malone, 2011), many individuals and organizations—ranging from the corporate sector and the political realm to postsecondary education—have voiced commitments to increasing the representation of women in higher ranks, yet they have been stymied in achieving measurable results. A variety of examples in the research-based literature reflect the glacial pace of progress for women into leadership roles across a variety of fields. Examining the …

Women And Finances: What Utahns Need To Know, Robbyn T. Scribner, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Throughout much of history, women have been seen as an extension of their male relatives when it comes to finances; American women were not allowed to own property in their names until the mid-1800s, overt pay discrimination was legal until 1963, and women could not access credit on their own until 1974. Hence, it is only in the last half century or so that women in the US have been able to participate fully in the financial matters that affect their everyday lives. This holds true in Utah as well, yet Utah women’s lives in the 21st century look dramatically …

What Therapists Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Utah Girls And Women, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2020 gathering of 25 therapists and other mental health practitioners. As society becomes more aware of how mental health impacts overall wellbeing, therapists will play an increasingly influential role, not only to their clients, but in the broader community as well.

A Historical View Of Women In Utah’S Top Political Roles, Susan R. Madsen, Candice B. Pierucci

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

According to Better Days 2020, “The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of Utah women being the first in the nation to vote under an equal suffrage law. It also marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, extending women’s voting rights throughout the United States, and the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, protecting voting rights of women and men of racial minorities.” In honoring these anniversaries, this historical snapshot documents the women who have served in prominent elected positions within Utah since its statehood. The appendices were compiled by Rhoda Struhs and former Utah House Representative Beverly …

What Media Professionals Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Utah Girls And Women, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2020 gathering of 25 members of the media, including journalists, broadcasters, and producers. As powerful public voices, media professionals recognize they play a role both in educating the public and initiating important conversations. This discussion centered on how they could work in their specific roles to benefit women, both within the public sphere and in their own news organizations.