Business Commons^™

Economic Disparities In Financial Education: How Financial Literacy Varies By Socieoeconomic Status In The United States, Sergio Arguello, Megan Beach, Adolfo Duran, Gabriel Gomez

Posters - 2025

Financial literacy enables informed decisions, wealth building, and economic mobility.

• It is unevenly distributed across socioeconomic groups in the U.S.

• Key factors: parental income, education, occupation.

• Lower-income populations face greater financial vulnerability (Pew Research, 2024; FINRA Foundation, 2022).

• Improving literacy fosters stability, reduces welfare dependence, and boosts growth.

• Our study identifies barriers and recommends policies to close the literacy gap.

Advancing Devsecops In Smes: Challenges And Best Practices For Secure Ci/Cd Pipelines, Jayaprakashreddy Cheenepalli, John Hastings, Khandaker Mamun Ahmed, Chad Fenner

Research & Publications

This study evaluates the adoption of DevSecOps among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), identifying key challenges, best practices, and future trends. Through a mixed methods approach backed by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, we analyzed survey data from 405 SME professionals, revealing that while 68% have implemented DevSecOps, adoption is hindered by technical complexity (41%), resource constraints (35%), and cultural resistance (38%). Despite strong leadership prioritization of security (73%), automation gaps persist, with only 12% of organizations conducting security scans per commit. Our findings highlight a growing integration of security tools, particularly API security …

The Interplay Between Endothelial Glycocalyx Maturity And Both The Toxicity And Intracellular Uptake Of Charged Nanoparticles, Claire A. Bridges, Lu Fu, Jonathan Yeow, Xiaojing Huang, Miriam Jackson, Rhiannon P. Kuchel, James D. Sterling, Shenda M. Baker, Megan S. Lord

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanoparticles are widely studied for delivering treatments to target tissues, but few have reached clinical use. Most nanoparticles encounter blood vessels on their way to target tissues. The inner surface of these vessels is lined with endothelial cells covered by a glycocalyx, an extracellular matrix rich in anionic glycans. The role of the glycocalyx in nanoparticle interactions is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that endothelial cells need extended culture times to synthesize a mature glycocalyx. Our research shows that branched polyethyleneimine functionalized gold nanoparticles bind to endothelial cells expressing either a developing or mature glycocalyx, with the interaction involving …

Digital Transformation And The Future Of Work: Closing The Digital Skills Gap, Siu Loon Hoe

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The purpose of this article is to discuss the near future digital technology landscape and propose several specific in-demand digital skills for organizations and individuals in the next few years. This article reviews some recent publications from representative inter-governmental, governmental, non-governmental, and commercial organizations on the rise of digital technologies and corresponding growth in digital jobs. Within this context, several specific in-demand skills are proposed by the author who has written a book on the topic of digital transformation. Rapid advancements in digital technologies continue to shape organizational practices and the future of work. To take advantage of emerging digital …

State Of Women In The Media: A Look At Kenya, Tanzania, And Uganda - Policy Brief 2025, Hesbon Owilla, Nancy Achieng' Booker, George Nyabuga, Shitemi Khamadi, Alykhan Peermohamed, Clare Mogere, Pauline Muriuki

Graduate School of Media and Communications

In 2023, Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (AKU-GSMC) undertook a study examining the representation of women in East African news media organisations with a focus on the coverage and portrayal of women in prominent newspapers, television, and digital news platforms across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The study specifically sought to assess gender representation within the media workforce, the distribution of leadership roles and responsibilities in media companies, and the way women are covered and portrayed in the media. Using content analysis, the study reveals that women are frequently underreported in news stories and disproportionately portrayed in …

Historic Bedrocks Of Volunteer Recruitment: Collaboration Between The Peace Corps And Higher Education Partners, Melanie Elizabeth Graham

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In this study I investigate the collaboration between the United States Peace Corps and their higher education partnership institutions, focusing on Peace Corps Prep Programs (PCPP) which aim to recruit, prepare, and retain diverse Peace Corps Volunteers. The inquiry examines the purpose, structure, and process of these collaborations to uncover successes and shortcomings, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to effectiveness or hinder progress. A mixed-method, multiple case study methodology, integrating surveys and individual interviews that parallel The Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory, facilitates an in-depth examination of the intricate dynamics and multifaceted experiences within the collaborative partnerships. By …

A Theoretical Framework For Examination Of Context In Complex System Governance, Meggan M. Schoenberg

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

“A complex system’s identity and viability are directly related and affected by its context. It is important to identify, monitor, and manage (or mitigate risk) system contextual elements” (Keating C. B. et al., 2022, p. 209). Despite this importance, there is very limited research and literature on complex systems context. This research seeks to expand our understanding of complex system context and improve our ability to govern complex technology development programs effectively. The ability to analyze complex systems and their problems is necessary for this improvement.

A “clear understanding of the specific complex system context is fundamental to the process …

Capital Formation, The Sec, And Accredited Investors, Neal F. Newman, Lawrence J. Trautman, Brian Elzweig

Faculty Scholarship

Protecting the investing public, while simultaneously facilitating the efficient flow of capital needed by all new and growing businesses continues as a primary responsibility of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Enhancing the capital formation process is a necessary step in the creation of jobs and growth of any economy. Central to the SEC’s regulatory schematic is the proposition that some particularly sophisticated and wealthy investors require less protection than those with less knowledge, experience, and resources. During December 2023, for just the third time, the SEC staff issued a report examining the status of the natural person accredited …

Analyzing Stability Of Estimates At Completion For Long Duration Development Efforts, Bradley Vuu, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Brandon M. Lucas, Edward D. White

Faculty Publications

Defense program managers utilize Earned Value Management (EVM) methodologies to measure, report, and predict the cost and schedule performance of their programs. Previous research conducted by Christensen (1996) and Kim et al. (2019) has shown varied results in the stability of EVM Estimates at Completion (EACs). Stability is defined as a 10% or less deviation from the final EAC at a specified percent completion point of the program. The Christensen (1996) and Kim et al. (2019) studies also noted that program-specific factors, such as phase, can impact the accuracy of EVM metrics. This study builds upon those works by assessing …

Seasonal Wages And Program Outcomes In Wisconsin’S Non-Profit Outdoor Education Industry, Michael H. Schneck

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Non-profit outdoor education is an important tool that helps participants build meaningful relationships and positive perspectives of the natural world. Many non-profit outdoor education programs in Wisconsin rely on seasonal staff to fulfill the mission and vision of their programming through meaningful and tedious work. Because these staff are asked to help facilitate ideal program outcomes, it is important to analyze how seasonal wages for these roles influences staff effectiveness. This case-study analyzes the relationships between wages and program outcomes through the lens of human capital and workforce development and equity theory to better understand what most notably influences seasonal …

Internal Control And Urban Investment Bond Issuance, Feixiong Zhu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the rapid growth of China's economy, the financing needs of local governments are increasing, and municipal investment bonds, as animportant financing tool for local governments, play a pivotal role in the capital market. However, the rapid development of the municipal investment bond market has also brought about problems such as inadequate informationdisclosure and accumulation of market risks, which has aroused widespreadconcern about potential financial risks. Against this background, the state has strengthened the regulation of municipal bonds, emphasized the importance of compliance management, and introduced a series of policies and measures toimprove the transparency and standardization of the market. …

Culture And Sustainability: Understanding The Roles Of Values, Norms, And Cultural Tightness In Sustainable Consumption Behaviour, Sook Sum Au

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The past decade has seen an increased interest in environmental sustainability. Yet, few studies have examined the relationship between culture, sustainable consumption intention (SCI), and sustainable consumption behaviour (SCB). This study addresses this gap by examining the roles of values, norms and CTL in an integrative model to predict SCI and SCB. This study focuses on four types of values that are considered most relevant in environmental research (biospheric, altruistic, egoistic, and hedonic). Drawing on data from a sample across the 10 most culturally "tight" and 10 most culturally "loose" states in the US, this study applied multilevel modelling to …

Impact Of Supervisor Support And Organisational Support On Individual Employee Engagement In Environmental Organisational Citizenship Tasks, Yuen Mei Susan Chong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the rising importance of sustainability in the light of climate change challenges and the rising voices of society, government and investors (UNEP, 2024a, 2024b) as well as the recent report that 2024 was the warmest year on record (Bardan, 2025), organisational sustainability is growing in importance and can be achieved when the organisation is able to contribute to sustainable development by achieving the triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social/human performance simultaneously i.e. profit, planet and people (Boyer et al., 2016; Hart & Milstein, 2003a; Kim et al., 2016a; Spreitzer et al., 2012). The triple bottom line with …

The Impact Of Eva Performance Evaluation System On Market Value Management Of State-Owned Listed Companies, Xiaohua Cai

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the backdrop of intensifying global economic competition and the deepening reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), improving the operational efficiency of central state-owned enterprises has become a core issue in China’s pursuit of high-quality economic development. Meanwhile, as market-oriented reforms advance and capital markets open further in both directions, central state-owned enterprises’ market value management has increasingly emerged as a pivotal mechanism connecting national strategies with market value, necessitating the establishment of an institutional framework that balances value creation and value realization. In 2009, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council introduced the Economic Value Added …

Flow Experience In Immersive Tourism Performance: Antecedents And Tourists’ Satisfaction, Xiaoli Zhu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the deep integration of culture and tourism, immersive tourism performance has emerged as a new form of experiential consumption and has gradually become an essential vehicle for shaping destination branding and enhancing tourists’ cultural identity. By breaking the boundaries of traditional stages and integrating spatial construction, narrative mechanisms, and multidimensional interactive experiences, immersive performances create a sense of presence and immersion for tourists. This study focuses on the mechanism influencing tourists’ flow experience and satisfaction in immersive tourism performances. A theoretical model incorporating authenticity, interactivity, sense of presence, and value congruence was constructed and tested to reveal how multidimensional …

Risk Management For Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers Within Rapid Changing International Environment: An Empirical Study, Youbing Cao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Semiconductors, as a key upstream component in the electronics and information industries, have attracted global attention from nations and corporations due to their vast market values. The emergence of global semiconductor supply chains has fostered specialized industrial divisions, such as semiconductor materials, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and semiconductor fabrication. While China’s semiconductor industry holds certain global market shares across various sectors, it still lags in advanced technologies and high-end markets. Since 2018, the United States has imposed increasing tariffs and export restrictions on many Chinese firms (known as the US-China trade war) to prevent technology outflows, leading to substantial uncertainties that …

Entrepreneurial Orientation In Family Firms: The Role Of Intergenerational Dynamics, Firm Size, And External Working Experience, Wai Sam Kong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Family firms are key contributors to the global economy, yet their long-term entrepreneurial sustainability remains uncertain, particularly during intergenerational transitions. While entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has been studied widely in general business contexts, the interplay between intergenerational dynamics and EO remains underexplored in family firms. This study addresses the existing gap by methodically studying how family-specific factors influence EO, thereby contributing a novel perspective to entrepreneurship and family business research. Drawing on Constructivist Learning Theory, we conceptualise EO not as a static firm attribute but as a developmental process shaped by intergenerational interactions, governance structures, and external influences. Using a multi-method …

The Impact Of Moral Courage On Peer-Reporting Intentions, Taterial A. Mcclendon

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Occupational fraud remains a pervasive threat across all organizational levels, with the potential to undermine ethical standards and organizational integrity. Employees are not only central to shaping the ethical climate but also serve as critical agents in identifying and addressing unethical conduct (Brink et al., 2022). Understanding how individuals evaluate unethical behaviors such as occupational fraud through the lens of their own moral standards offers valuable insight into mitigating such misconduct.   In this context, professional moral courage emerges as a key factor, representing the willingness to uphold ethical values despite potential personal or professional risks. This study explores the role …

Who’S On First, What’S On Second An Analysis Of Major League Baseball Fans And Multiple Points Of Attachment, Ryan W. Dastrup

Theses and Dissertations

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Reducing Information Asymmetry: Economic Value Of Airbnb Signals In A Small College Town, Hatice Sena Akkurt

Theses and Dissertations

Trust is the backbone of platform operations. Airbnb platform designers implement various methods including trust-building mechanisms, user interface (UI) artifacts, and reputation management systems. Previous research has explored trust in Airbnb, yet little is known about the economic value of trust indicators in smaller cities and rural areas. Thus, this thesis investigates the economic significance of User Interface (UI) artifacts, including the “Superhost” badge, star ratings, and listing photographs, within the peer-to-peer accommodation sector in the Columbia Metropolitan Area. Drawing on signaling theory, we conducted quantitative analysis, to examine the relationship between trust indicators and listing prices, controlling factors like …

A Multifaceted Perspective Of Scaling Entrepreneurial Innovation And Impact In Developing Country Contexts, Chanyong Yoo

Theses and Dissertations

This paper redefines the understanding of venture scaling in emerging and developing countries through a longitudinal case study of over a decade of transformative growth by Gojek, a local venture in Indonesia. Contrary to the replication logic common among global players—which prioritizes rapid and broader market opportunity expansion using a single, proven business model—Gojek adopted a more incremental and depth-oriented approach. By identifying untapped local demands and developing new market opportunities through stacking different business models, Gojek generated both demand- and supply-side complementarities within its business model portfolio that led to subsequent scaling. The findings suggest that scaling in developing …

Exploiting Structures In Reinforcement Learning: Multi-Agent Homogeneity, Euclidean Symmetry, And Natural Languages, Dingyang Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Reinforcement learning (RL) has emerged as a powerful paradigm for decision-making in complex environments. However, many RL tasks exhibit inherent structural properties—such as homogeneity, symmetry, and linguistic patterns—that are often underutilized, leading to inefficiencies in learning and generalization. This dissertation systematically exploits these structures to improve the efficiency, scalability, and robustness of RL algorithms across multi-agent and sequential decision-making settings. First, we investigate homogeneity in multi-agent systems, where agents share similar roles and objectives. By leveraging this structure, we develop communication-efficient actor-critic methods for homogeneous Markov games, enabling scalable learning with reduced coordination overhead. Second, we introduce Euclidean symmetry in …

Comparing And Contrasting Diversity And Inclusion Concepts: An Identity-Blind And Identity-Conscious Application, William Ward

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation systematically investigates the differences between diversity and inclusion concepts. Notably, this dissertation focuses on exploring the differences between diversity and inclusion climates and recruitment messages. This paper first explores the theoretical traditions that are often applied to diversity (social identity theory) and inclusion climate (optimal distinctiveness theory) and offers guidance on why individuals may react to diversity and inclusion climates differently from the basis of these theoretical foundations. Additionally, this dissertation expands existing theory by promoting a more novel approach of differentiating diversity and inclusion through exploring their relationships with identity-blind and identity-conscious human resource practices. The first …

Athlete Decision-Making Process In The Liminality After Career-Ending Injuries, Grace Davie

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the decision-making process of athletes in the liminal period immediately following career-ending injuries. While existing research has examined transition challenges and coping strategies, there remains a critical gap in understanding how athletes actively make decisions that shape their post-sport trajectories during this crucial period. Using Crisis Decision Theory (CDT) as a theoretical framework, this study investigated athletes' overall experience, support systems, injury severity assessment, and response option determination and evaluation during the immediate post-injury decision-making process. Key findings demonstrated that athletes' decision-making processes closely aligned with CDT's three-stage framework: assessing injury severity, determining response options, and …

Essays On Platform Operations: Applications In Service Operations And Sustainability, Timothy Campbell Clarkson

Theses and Dissertations

Online platforms inhabit every corner of daily life, from social media, to medicine, to retail, and everything in between. Platform owners are met with a litany of challenges as they seek to maximize the platform's value and implement novel strategies to foster widespread adoption. This dissertation focuses on empirically assessing the impact of online platforms in both sustainability and service operations contexts. In the first chapter, we examine the impact of introducing an agricultural advisory platform on smallholder farmer potato production in a single district in Rural India. We find positive impacts to overall production, and we explore the mechanism …

Behind The Curtain: The Influence Of Tourism And Production Costs On Broadway Success, João Branco Chaves

Student Publications

Broadway’s success is closely tied to the fluctuating dynamics of tourism and the rising costs of production. This paper explores how the growth in NYC tourism impacts Broadway’s profitability and the challenges producers face as production costs (lumber and cotton) continue to soar. Through an analysis of various sources, this study highlights the key role tourism plays in sustaining Broadway’s revenue and the vulnerabilities created by its unpredictability. It also examines the increasing financial burden of mounting Broadway productions, exploring how producers are adapting to stay financially viable. The paper identifies key strategies for managing these challenges, including innovative cost …

Smart Strategies: The Impact Of Social Media And Ai In Modern Marketing, Waverly O. Smith

Student Publications

In recent times, social media and artificial intelligence (AI) have become increasingly popular in the world of marketing. With these technologies, companies can more efficiently and effectively find consumers and create tailored product advertisements. AI has helped companies segment consumers, identify trends, and predict consumer needs. Social media has created a platform in which companies can connect with consumers and gain direct feedback. Additionally, it has created a space in which anyone can become an influencer or market a product. With the evolution of technology and digital marketing, it has also become increasingly important for companies to use high quality …

The Effectiveness Of Sms Marketing Campaigns Versus Email Marketing Campaigns, Akriti Nepal, Edward A. Porter, Eliza M. Hoover, Kyla G. Cordell

Student Publications

In the present study, we examine the effectiveness of using SMS marketing campaigns versus email marketing campaigns when marketing towards consumers. We used the e-commerce direct messaging multichannel from 2021 to 2023 to test our hypotheses. A random sample was taken of a messages-demo data set with 7,564 rows that contains 10 million messages to test our hypotheses. The effectiveness of purchasing rates in email and SMS marketing campaigns was tested using an independent samples t-test. The results demonstrate that email marketing messaging had a more positive customer perception compared to SMS marketing messaging, as measured by whether customers opened …

Ai, Blockchain, And Autonomous Innovation : Charting The Future Of Intelligent Enterprises, Shubham Gupta

Harrisburg University Other Works

In today’s digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain are twin forces driving transformative change. AI and blockchain each rose to prominence on their own, but together they hold the promise of revolutionizing how businesses operate and create value. AI systems can analyze massive datasets, automate complex decisions, and even mimic human learning and reasoning. Blockchain technology, on the other hand, enables secure and tamper-proof transactions by distributing records across a network, ensuring transparency and trust without relying on a central authority. The convergence of these technologies is ushering in new possibilities for automation, smarter decision-making, and secure digital transactions …

Understanding Med Spa Preferences, Lee O. Brannon Iii, Tabor L. Schilling, Baily R. Trettel, Nancy B. Alden

AMTP Proceedings 2025

This study aimed to understand the key factors that influence client loyalty, determining the most effective marketing channels, and analyzing industry trends and client preferences, in order for med spas to increase their number of client bookings. Utilizing a survey, the researchers gathered data on client demographics, preferences, and behaviors related to aesthetic services. The analysis highlighted the critical elements of client retention, the impact of various marketing strategies, and the competitive landscape. By analyzing the results, the researchers provided descriptive analysis of demographic variables and client preferences. This research provided actionable insights to enhance client loyalty, attract new clients, …