Business Commons^™

Evaluating Strategic Leadership Development Programs, Felicia Littlejohn

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Companies that lack an in-depth understanding of leadership development program evaluation may invest in a program that achieves suboptimal results. However, there is no generally prescribed framework for the evaluation of leadership development programs. Thus, the purpose of this action research paper is to provide the basis for vetting leadership development programs based on their organizational fit and investment value, training methodologies, workplace development approaches, coaching and development support, and targeted business outcomes.

Improving Strategic Management Planning In Non-Profit Organizations: Federally Qualified Health Centers, Esther Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative multiple case study included the challenges non-profits, specifically Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) leaders face when utilizing ineffective methods for strategic planning and management. The researcher conducted 21 semistructured interviews with critical decision makers involving executive, senior, and middle managers at three health centers in Texas to obtain a better understanding of their perspective on strategic planning and management. The results of the findings revealed that FQHC leaders face many barriers that limit their success or expansion of the mission, organizational growth, financial stability, and strategic alliances. However, the results demonstrated that leaders from non-profits, particularly FQHCs can …

A Novel Framework For Building Organizational Capabilities, Alexander Chan

Faculty Presentations: Business

The pace of change in the business environment is constantly being accelerated by rapidly emerging technologies and evolving customer demands. It is no longer sufficient for organizations to keep their strategic focus on elevating their existing capabilities to achieve excellence in their product and service offerings. It is critical to be able to develop new organizational capabilities which are aligned with new strategic insights. Existing frameworks have their limitations in terms of helping to identify new organizational capabilities and ensuring that they are closely aligned with the overall business strategy. In response to these challenges, a novel framework for designing …

Union Pacific Railroad Company Strategic Audit, Alison Steger

Honors Theses

Union Pacific Railroad Company (Union Pacific, UP, UPRR) is a freight railroad based in Omaha, Nebraska, servicing 23 states in America, with additional ports and country interchanges. The 160-year history of this railroad began with Abraham Lincoln and continues into 2023, with the recent announcement of CEO Lance Fritz’s departure. A PESTEL analysis provides an in-depth look at UP's external operating environment, and Porter’s Five Forces industry analysis assesses the industry's competitive environment. Analyses of Union Pacific's competitive advantages, essential resources, and projected roadblocks are followed by strategic recommendations for UP to remain a Class I freight railroad industry leader.

Vanmoof Strategic Audit, Chi-Chun Chang

Honors Theses

VanMoof is an e-bike brand originated in Amsterdam that has expanded to Western Europe, Eastern Asia, and North America. This paper will analyze the e-bike industry using PESTEL analysis. It will also analyze the industry’s competitive environment using the framework of Porter’s Five Forces, followed by an analysis of the strategy VanMoof’s currently employing. Based on the results, the paper will end with a recommendation for future strategies.

Lululemon Athletica Strategic Audit, Nolan T. Rinn

Honors Theses

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is principally a designer, distributor, and retailer of technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories with a vision to create transformative products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all (Lululemon). This paper will examine Lululemon to understand its market position and competitiveness within the athletic apparel industry. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry Lululemon operates in.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. Backhaul Strategic Audit, Hadley Hiatt

Honors Theses

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is an athletic apparel company headquartered in Canada. Lululemon targets consumers who strive to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Its business model is based on the “Power of Three x 2” focusing on three strategic pillars, product innovation, guest experience, and international expansion. This analysis seeks to understand Lululemon’s face paced growth and unique business strategy through the use of a PESTEL analysis of macro environment, Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the competitive environment of the industry, analyzing the company’s strategy, major strategic objectives, competitive advantages, resources that may lead to a sustainable competitive advantage, and …

Kate Spade Strategic Analysis, Cydne Munson

Honors Theses

Kate Spade is an American luxury handbag and accessory company. The company is best known for its fun yet timeless and functional designs and has been a highly regarded and recognized brand since its inception nearly thirty years ago. This report explores the history of the Kate Spade brand and its resources that contribute to competitive advantages in the industry. A Porter’s Five Forces analysis and a PESTEL analysis are used to examine Kate Spade’s external environment and the luxury handbag industry as a whole. Finally, potential future threats and strategies to counteract them are examined.

Nvidia Corporation: Pc Gaming Industry Strategic Audit, Charlie Peng

Honors Theses

Nvidia is a semiconductor company focusing on high-performance computer graphics technology. The company designs graphics processing units (GPUs), which are used in a variety of fields such as data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and gaming. This paper seeks to examine Nvidia’s position within the PC gaming industry. First, PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses are used to detail the overall PC gaming industry. The next section examines how Nvidia competes through its strategy, resources, and competitive advantages. Finally, future challenges and recommendations to position the company are explored.

Northern Oil & Gas Strategic Audit, Jacob Hansen

Honors Theses

Northern Oil & Gas is an energy company that operates in various basins across the United States. The company utilizes a non-operating model, meaning it does not drill wells or operate rigs, but rather partners with operators and acquires fractional working interests in drilling units. This report seeks to understand Northern Oil & Gas’ business model by examining its competitive strategy, advantages, and resources. Internal and external environmental factors are also analyzed using both PESTEL analysis and Porter’s Five Forces. In addition, key challenges facing the company are explored and recommendations are given on how Northern Oil & Gas can …

Werner Enterprises Strategic Audit, Leavitt K. Reno

Honors Theses

Werner Enterprises is a large trucking company based in Omaha, Nebraska, operating out of 15 terminals around the country. It is among the top five trucking companies in the United States. This report examines the trucking industry and where Werner Enterprises stands within it, as well as Werner Enterprises’ competitive advantages, and how future challenges of the trucking industry may affect the company. The report utilizes a PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analysis to closer examine the external environment and industry Werner Enterprises operates in. Following this evaluation, recommendations are provided based on Werner Enterprises’ current positioning and future challenges …

Walt Disney Theme Park Strategic Audit, Joseph Peraino

Honors Theses

Walt Disney theme parks are a part of the Theme parks, Resorts, and Cruise line sector of The Walt Disney Company. Despite many world changes to its environment throughout the years, Disney has remained one of the leaders in the entertainment industry. This Strategic audit will use PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces to analyze the industry as a framework to understand how Disney can remain a strong competitor in its changing environment and industry.

Editorial: Macintyrean Virtue Ethics For Organizations, Work And Employment: What More And What Else?, Caleb Bernacchio, Geoff Moore, Angus Robson, Marta Rocchi

College of Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Toward A Synthesis Of The Board-Strategy Relationship: A Literature Review And Future Research Agenda, Pieter-Jan Bezemer, Amedeo Pugliese, Gavin Nicholson, Alessandro Zattoni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research Question/Issue

The strategy role of the board of directors is a contentious topic in both theory and practice and the debate on what boards should or should not do around firm strategy has intensified with changes in global corporate governance. Boards face interventionist regulatory developments, calls for changes in their composition, growing owner engagement, and societal questioning on the corporation's very purpose. With this review, we aim to assess how the research agenda in this area has evolved with these developments.

Research Findings/Results

Our analysis of 152 articles published in 45 high-quality journals between 2008 and 2020 reveals that …