Business Commons^™

Business Mind To Business Owner: Finding Startup Success, Ammon Kou

Marriott Student Review

Entrepreneurs face a host of challenges when starting a business. Three business owners share their experiences.

Executive Spotlight: Jesse Barnes, Highvista Strategies, Victoria Beecroft

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Buzzwords, Evan D. Poff

Marriott Student Review

This feature will explain the following buzzwords:

• Blockchain
• Cryptocurrency
• Work-Life Integration
• Passive Equities
• Risk-Adjusted Returns

Unpacking The Briefcase Of Business Aversion, Brooke Gledhill

Marriott Student Review

An editorial asserting that improved business skills across professions will lead to progress for individuals, organizations, and the global community.

Editor's Letter: Bridging The Gap, Marianna Richardson

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue: Bridging The Gap (Vol. 2, Issue 1), Marianna Richardson

Marriott Student Review

A bridge brings together two pieces, which normally would not connect. Without the connecting link, those two sections would be separate. For example, a bridge between two landmasses gives travelers access to new locations, new vistas, and possibly even new opportunities. Bridging the gap can also be perilous if the bridge is not safe and secure. The connection needs to be maintained and inspected regularly for cracks, fissures, or signs of wear that should be fixed immediately. In this issue of Marriott Student Review, the authors have explored the bridges built in business and the importance of maintaining those connections.

Strategic Implications Of Blockchain, William R. Adams

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis introduces blockchain, the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and discusses how best to conceptualize it relative to other technologies. Following an explanation of the fundamentals of blockchain, also known as the distributed ledger, I identify the characteristics of the technology. Building upon blockchain’s inherent strengths and limitations, I explore potential business applications of blockchain. Finally, I recommend that leaders continue to track the development and adoption of blockchain technology, even if they decide that implementing it does not align with their organization’s strategy at present.

The Digital Global Supply Chain: The Growing Case For Blockchain Technology Expansion Within Global Supply Chain, Jonathan Chichoni, Scott Webb Dr.

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In a competitive global market place, technology adoption and application in supply chain is becoming increasingly important as companies seek to acquire competitive advantages. Since blockchain’s advent to the global stage of modern disruptive technologies, several questions remain unanswered pertaining to the benefits that blockchain adoption poses to global supply chains. I apply a typology analysis to a corpus of company filings, press releases and industry studies to better understand the reasons for which global supply chains industry wide are adopting blockchain technology and the specific benefits which they seek to exploit through the use of blockchain. I characterize the …

Best Practices For Financial Success In The Nonprofit Sector, Zach Mckenzie, Benjamin Hendricks, Emily Foskey, Michelle Baria, Gabriel Walker

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

With the recent upturn in economic success over the past year, United States citizens are becoming more and more poised to contribute to nonprofits and philanthropic causes. The aim of this project was to establish the best practices for financial success in the nonprofit sector as nonprofits look for an increase of funding from this philanthropic surge. Using ratio and environmental analysis, we found several best practices that can be applied to other organizations.

Predictive Power? Textual Analysis In Mergers & Acquisitions, Philip Morgan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Modern corporations utilize mergers and acquisitions as strategies to develop shareholder value today more than ever before, yet the need for understanding firms’ rationale and strategy is critical in predicting post-merger stock performance for all investors. I apply the interpretive power of textual analysis and regression to a corpus of SEC mergers and acquisitions public company filings between 1994-2017. Not only do I challenge the statistically significant correlation between word content and post-transaction abnormal stock returns, but I also characterize the effects of time segments, transaction size, and industry variation across time. As a final application, I consider sentiment analysis …

Gone With The Wind: The Evolving Influence Of Social Movements And Counter Movements On Entrepreneurial Activity In The U.S. Wind Industry, W. Chad Carlos, Wesley D. Sine, Brandon H. Lee, Heather A. Haveman

Faculty Publications

Social movements can disrupt existing industries and inspire the emergence of new markets by drawing attention to problems with the status quo and promoting alternatives. We examine how the influence of social movements on entrepreneurial activity evolves as the markets they foster mature. Theoretically, we argue that the success of social movements in furthering market expansion leads to three related outcomes. First, the movement-encouraged development of market infrastructure reduces the need for continued social movement support. Second, social movements’ efforts on behalf of new markets increase the importance of resource availability for market entry. Third, market growth motivates countermovements that …

Informational Video Gaming In The Waiting Room, Andrew Long, Mitchell Ramirez, Coltin Shields, Nathan Twyman

Faculty Publications

This study is testing the potential of a gamified method of conveying information and the ability of the game to influence people’s sentiment towards immunization. The most popular way that medical information and awareness is spread is in the form of pamphlets or flyers, even though many people either ignore them or do not retain much information from them. Perhaps a game paired with intermittent quiz questions that influence the overall score will improve overall retention as compared with plain reading. To test this hypothesis, a game was designed to include identical information as a pamphlet commonly handed out in …

Education, Cognitive Performance, And Investment Fees, John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian, William L. Skimmyhorn, Stephen P. Zeldes

Faculty Publications

We study the association between human capital and rollovers into Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), using administrative records from the defined contribution savings plan for U.S. government employees: the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Employees who separate from government employment have the option to leave balances in the TSP, where fees are currently under 4 basis points. However, we estimate that more than a third of the TSP balances end up being rolled over into IRA accounts, which are very likely to have much higher fees. We find that educational attainment has a very small positive association with the propensity to roll …

Monthly Payment Targeting And The Demand For Maturity, Bronson Argyle, Taylor Nadauld, Christopher Palmer

Faculty Publications

We provide evidence of mental accounting in the market for consumer installment debt and argue that increases in credit supply have been an important contributor in the recent rise in auto debt through a demand-for-maturity channel. Since the Great Recession, auto debt has grown faster than any other category of U.S. consumer credit and now eclipses credit cards in total debt outstanding. Simultaneously, auto-loan maturities have increased such that more than half of 2016 auto-loan originations had a term of over 65 months. We document three phenomena we jointly refer to as monthly payment targeting using data from millions of …

Understanding The Unique Nature Of The Adolescent Study Abroad Experience, Mat D. Duerden, Eric Layland, Michael Petriello, Amanda Stronza, Mary Dunn, Shelby Adams

Faculty Publications

Despite rising numbers of adolescents traveling abroad each year, the majority of study abroad research focuses on emerging adults. This study represents an effort to expand our understanding of the study abroad experience from the adolescent perspective. Qualitative data were drawn from interviews and focus groups with, and observations of, participants in the program. Results indicate preparing for and then sharing the experience with like-minded peers, coupled with exposure to a new culture and direct interaction with locals, facilitated a process of reflection and growth with both perceived short-term and potential long-term impacts.

Development And Validation Of The Outdoor Activity Profile (Oap): A Research Note, Andrew Lacanienta, Mat Duerden, Peter Ward, Ramon Zabriskie

Faculty Publications

This study sought to design and validate the Outdoor Activity Profile (OAP), which was based on the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP; Zabriskie & McCormick, 2001). The OAP was designed to measure and categorize involvement as opposed to time in outdoor activities. Data were collected from undergraduate students on two occasions separated by four weeks. Significant correlations existed between all time one and time two involvement scores, thereby supporting the OAP’s test-retest reliability. Descriptive data is presented outlining involvement, satisfaction, and whom respondents were with during activity categories. One-way ANOVA results describe differences between male and female outdoor activity involvement …

Do Accounting Firm Consulting Revenues Affect Audit Quality? Evidence From The Pre- And Post-Sox Eras*, Ling Lei Lisic, Linda A. Myers, Robert Pawlewicz, Timothy Seidel

Faculty Publications

In recent years, public accounting firms have experienced a steady increase in the proportion of their revenues generated from consulting services. Although growth in consulting revenue following the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has been generated primarily from services provided to nonaudit clients, regulators have expressed concerns about the potential implications of this increase for audit quality. In contrast, accounting firms assert that the expertise developed by their consulting professionals helps them to provide better quality audits. We examine the relation between the proportion of accounting firm consulting revenue to total revenue and audit quality and investor perceptions of audit quality. Because …

Examining The Impact And Influence Of The Leisure Science Literature, Mat D. Duerden, Michael B. Edwards, Michael C. Goates, Justin Dyer

Faculty Publications

This study explored the impact and influence of the leisure sciences literature through an analysis of highly cited articles. Discriminant function analysis identified whether articles had more exclusive impact inside or outside the field. Research themes and methodologies were examined based on these classifications. Results indicate articles with the greatest impact within the leisure literature tended to be quantitative studies drawing upon survey data and non-experimental designs focused on general leisure and outdoor/forest recreation. Articles with the greatest impact outside the leisure literature were more recent and focused on place attachment, psychological motivation, or community parks and recreation and used …

Leisure At Work And Employee Flourishing, Andrew Lacanienta, Mat D. Duerden, Mark A. Widmer

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of Duerden, Courtright, and Widmer’s leisure at work (LAW) model and explore the relationship between LAW and employee flourishing (i.e., resilience, work engagement, organizational identification). In a sample of 266 computer software employees, structural equation modeling revealed that LAW and leisure as a state of mind (i.e., intrinsic motivation, perceived freedom, positive affect) had positive relationships with personal expressiveness (b ¼ .704, p < .001) and organizational identification (b ¼ .164, p < .01). In addition, LAW had a positive relationship with resilience mediated by personal expressiveness (b ¼ .157, p < .01). Results suggest that LAW can provide added value to the workplace by facilitating personal expressiveness, resilience, and organizational identification. This study contributes to the discussion on LAW-related benefits and provides recommendations for practical application and future research.

Pragmatism And Pluralism: A Moral Foundation For Stakeholder Theory In The 21st Century, Paul C. Godfrey, Ben William Lewis

Faculty Publications

Donaldson and Preston (1995) defined the three pillars of stakeholder as descriptive, instrumental, and normative. Because of their close alignment between the instrumental and normative pillars and the moral philosophies of utilitarianism and deontology, the latter became the default moral foundations of stakeholder theory. In this chapter, we argue that the moral foundation of the descriptive pillar, pragmatism, provides a moral foundation for twenty-first century stakeholder theory. As we show, pragmatism and its close cousin pluralism fits a stakeholder theory concerned with the descriptive questions that characterize current work in stakeholder theory. Pragmatism and pluralism both see eudemonia, or human …

Experience Design In Leisure Studies, Parks, Recreation, And Tourism, Neil R. Lundberg

Faculty Publications

This article provides a response to the article “Leisure Studies is for Experience, Not Industry,” by Harmon (2018). In responding to Harmon’s critique, I address two important issues; both could be expanded into full-length articles but are treated only briefly in this response. First, it is critical to clearly understand and differentiate between the related concepts of experience design, experience industries, and experience economy, so I will provide a preliminary differentiation. Second, and in connection with the differentiation of experience-based concepts, I briefly discuss the need for curriculum reform or refocus within the broad discipline of leisure studies, parks, recreation, …

Exoskeletons, Entrepreneurs, And Communities: A Process Model Of Opportunity Co-Construction, Stella K. Seyb, Dean A. Shepherd, Trenton Alma Williams

Faculty Publications

Exoskeletons represent a technological breakthrough that presents a diverse range of potential opportunities to overcome human physical limitations. Drawing on data from 16 exoskeleton prototypes, we develop a model of opportunity co-construction that involves mutual adjustment between the actions and beliefs of entrepreneurs and their communities of inquiry. Our study enhances our understanding of potential opportunities as dynamic entities that are (re)constructed as entrepreneurs and community members seek to resolve key tensions throughout the process. Specifically, we identify tensions relating to technological change, shifting power dynamics, and reduced visibility, and explain how actors seek to resolve those tensions through opportunity …

Public Ownership And The Local Economy, Jess Cornaggia, Matthew Gustafson, Jason Kotter, Kevin Pisciotta

Faculty Publications

We provide evidence that a firm’s transition from private to public ownership stunts local economic growth, especially in less populated and poorer areas. After accounting for endogeneity in the ownership decision, areas hosting companies that go public experience muted growth in employment, establishments, population, and wages, relative to areas where firms file to go public and remain private. Establishment-level analyses reveal that transitioning to public ownership causes firms to geographically diversify their establishments and employee base. These findings are consistent with public ownership reducing a firm’s reliance on local agglomeration economies, to the detriment of the local community.

Comparables Pricing, Justin Murfin, Ryan Pratt

Faculty Publications

Finance professionals commonly set prices based on the analysis of recently closed, comparable transactions. Using data on syndicated loans, we exploit the lag between loans’ closing dates and their inclusion in a widely used comparables database to identify the effect of past transactions on new transaction pricing. Comparables pricing is an important determinant of individual loan spreads, but a failure to account for overlap in information across loans leads to pricing mistakes. Comparables used repeatedly are overweighted as they develop redundant channels of influence on later transactions. Market conditions prevailing at the time a comparable was priced also unduly influence …

Credit Supply And The Rise In College Tuition: Evidence From The Expansion In Federal Student Aid Programs, David O. Lucca, Taylor Nadauld, Karen Shen

Faculty Publications

We study the link between the student credit expansion of the past 15 years and the contemporaneous rise in college tuition. To disentangle simultaneity issues, we analyze the effects of increases in federal student loan caps using detailed student-level financial data. We find a pass-through effect on tuition of changes in subsidized loan maximums of about 60 cents on the dollar and of about 20 cents on the dollar for unsubsidized federal loans. The effect is most pronounced for more expensive degrees and degrees offered by for-profit and 2-year institutions.

Improving Security Message Adherence Through Improved Comprehension: Neural And Behavioral Insights, Bonnie Brinton Anderson, Daniel Bjornn, Jeffrey Jenkins, C. Brock Kirwan, Anthony Vance

Faculty Publications

Security warnings are critical to help users make contextual security decisions. Unfortunately, users find these warnings hard to understand, and they routinely expose themselves to unintended risks as a result. Although it is straightforward to determine when users fail to understand a warning, it is more difficult to pinpoint why this happens. The goal of this research is to use eye tracking to step through the building blocks of comprehension—attention, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics—for SSL and other common security warnings. Through this process, we will identify ways to design security warnings to be more easily understood.

The Moderating Effect Of Benevolence On The Impact Of Organisational Culture On Employee Creativity, Samuel Ogbeibu, Abdelhak Senadjki, James Gaskin

Faculty Publications

Rooted in the Nigerian manufacturing industry experience, this study, investigates the effect of top management leaders' benevolence on the impact of organisational culture (OC) on employee creativity. Structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicated that top management leaders' benevolence, and adhocracy OC have positive and significant effects on employee creativity. Market and clan OC have significant negative effects on employee creativity, and hierarchy OC has no significant effect on employee creativity. Likewise, benevolence has no significant moderating effect on the impact of clan OC on employee creativity, and has a significant negative moderating effect on the impact of adhocracy OC on …

Gui-Based Vs. Text-Based Assignments In Cs1, Robert Ball, Linda Duhadway, Spencer Hilton, Brian Rague

Faculty Publications

Teaching CS1 can be daunting. The first courses in the CS curriculum help determine which students will ultimately matriculate into the program. There have been various studies on how to improve motivation and reduce attrition by using visual-based environments and assignments. We performed a year-long study in which we addressed two research questions: 1) How is student performance affected by drag-and-drop GUI assignments when compared to traditional text-based assignments? 2) If given the choice, would students select GUIbased or text-based assignments? For the first question, there was no statistical significance, indicating that student performance is not affected by this visual …

A Reference Framework For Conceptual Modeling, Lois M. L. Delcambre, Stephen W. Liddle, Oscar Pastor, Veda C. Storey

Faculty Publications

With decades of contributions and applications, conceptual modeling is very well-recognized in information systems engineering. However, the importance and relevance of conceptual modeling is less well understood in other disciplines. This paper, through an analysis of existing research and expert opinions, proposes a reference framework for conceptual modeling to help researchers and practitioners position their work in the field, facilitate discussion among researchers in the field, and help researchers and practitioners in other fields understand what the field of conceptual modeling has to offer as well as contribute to its continued, extended influence in multiple domains.

Aaa Research Relevance Task Force: Recommendations, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.