Business Commons^™

The Crowdfunding Paradox In Crisis: Rising Funder Demand Vs. Declining Entrepreneur Supply, Dan Liu, Guangzhi Shang, Cynthia Fan Yang

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study investigates how the crowdfunding marketplace responds to major crises, focusing on behavioral shifts among funders and entrepreneurs. Results show a dual impact on platform dynamics. On the demand side, funders become more engaged, with notable increases in the number of backers, average contributions, and total pledge amounts. This heightened activity suggests stronger altruistic motivations, as individuals view crowdfunding as a way to support others during difficult times. On the supply side, however, entrepreneurs act more cautiously, leading to a decline in new project launches. This drop likely reflects increased risk aversion and uncertainty as creators navigate volatile conditions. …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On National Hockey League Fan Attendance, Ramon E. Rivera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic struck swiftly around the world, causing several societal functions and normalcies to adapt or shut down completely. This culminating project explores the effects of COVID-19 on arena fan attendance of the National Hockey League (NHL). This project was guided by the following three research questions: Q1 – How did the NHL arena closures affect fan attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic? Q2 – What factors influenced NHL fan arena attendance before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? Q3 – What factors impacted the NHL arena fan attendance after the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic? An empirical model developed …

Property Management System, Abbas Kurnool

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The real estate industry generates and manages large amounts of data, including tenant information, lease agreements, property maintenance schedules, and financial transactions. Reliance on traditional manual methods often results in inefficiencies, fragmented data, and delays in decision-making. To overcome these challenges, this project presents the design and implementation of a Real Estate Property Management System (REMS) for Future Properties, a company aiming to optimize its operations through digital transformation.

The proposed system is developed on Microsoft Dynamics 365 as the core platform, integrated with the Microsoft Power Platform tools (Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Pages). This integrated framework provides …

Scaling Down Safe: Can The Scaled Agile Framework Be Adopted By Small And Medium Enterprises? A Multiple Case Study, Ritchie Piessens, Pascal Ravesteyn, Benny De Waal

Communications of the IIMA

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) has gained significant traction in recent years as a strategy to mitigate the risks associated with traditional front-end planning, which often results in downstream development challenges. The adoption of SAFe is not common for Small- and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as its implementation is often perceived as complex, time-consuming and resource-intensive. However, the application of SAFe can add value for SMEs as well, when adapted and scaled down for use in those organisations. This qualitative multiple case study was undertaken to deepen our understanding of the applicability of the seven core competencies of SAFe in business …

Skill Evolution In The Age Of Ai-Utilizing Text Analytics For Skill Gap Analysis To Prepare Women For Leadership Roles, Blenda G. Mutuma, Marcelline Ouma, Beth Kanyiri

Communications of the IIMA

ABSTRACT
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the global workforce, presenting both opportunities and challenges for leadership development, particularly for women. As AI automates routine tasks and redefines skill requirements, there is a growing demand for uniquely human capabilities such as emotional intelligence, creativity, and strategic thinking, qualities that are inherently strong and often highly associated with women. Research indicates that women typically score higher in emotional intelligence, particularly in areas such as empathy and relationship management, which are critical for effective leadership (Goleman, 2020). Furthermore, studies by McKinsey & Company (2022) highlight that gender-diverse leadership teams, …

Beyond The Classroom: Competition Competency Creates Cybersecurity Careers (5cs), Dan Manson, Morgan A. Zantua, Zoe L. Fowler

Communications of the IIMA

ABSTRACT

The demand for cybersecurity talent appears to be constantly growing^[1], but the statistics can be illusory. According to Wages and Employment Trends in ONET On-Line^[2] cybersecurity job openings are ranked as having a Bright Outlook, and on May 1 2025 Cyberseek listed 450,000 US job openings out of a workforce of 1.25 million. However, most entry-level cybersecurity jobs require several years of experience resulting in a mismatch between supply and demand. Despite a “hot job market”, recently minted cybersecurity college graduates without experience have a hard time securing their first “entry-level” because they don’t meet the …

Responsible Ai: Applications And Ethical Considerations, Emuesiri Oduaran, Skye Ese Oduaran

Communications of the IIMA

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms industries and societies, its applications present both immense opportunities and significant ethical challenges. This paper explores the concept of Responsible AI, emphasizing the importance of integrating ethical considerations into AI development and deployment. It examines a range of AI applications, from healthcare and finance to autonomous systems, highlighting their potential to drive innovation while also raising concerns about bias, privacy, accountability, and job displacement. The paper evaluates the ethical principles that should guide AI design, including transparency, fairness, privacy protection, and human oversight. Furthermore, it critically analyzes the current landscape of AI governance, identifying …

Enhancing Sarcasm Detection With Contextual Factors For Improved Model Robustness Based On Bmlrf, Walter O. Yodah, Alice S. Mataruse, Never O. Kangara

Communications of the IIMA

Detecting sarcasm in text remains a critical yet challenging task in natural language processing (NLP). Despite significant advances through deep learning, particularly the use of transformer-based architecture like BERT, sarcasm detection models still face challenges in achieving high accuracy. A major limitation lies in their insufficient incorporation of contextual awareness, including conversational history, social inter- actions, emotional cues, and cultural factors. To address this, this paper proposes the BERT with Meta-Feature Logistic Regression Fusion (BMLRF) model, which in- tegrates sentence-level embeddings from a pre-trained transformer with meta-features capturing social, emotional, and cultural contexts. The model also leverages multi-turn dialogue history …

Adoption Of Blockchain Technology In Beverage Supply Chains: Drivers, Benefits, And Challenges In The Coca-Cola And Bodyarmor Sport Water Recall Case, Alexander Adams Jr., Nima Molavi

Communications of the IIMA

The beverage industry faces growing scrutiny as demands for transparency and accountability intensify. In today’s digital landscape, companies must prioritize enhanced traceability to ensure product safety, comply with regulations, maintain consumer trust, and safeguard brand reputation. This research investigates blockchain technology as a potential solution to these challenges, emphasizing its capacity to decentralize data, improve traceability, and accelerate response times during safety recalls.

The study traces the evolution of food safety regulations and analyzes current traceability practices and technological innovations within the beverage sector. Using the Coca-Cola and BODYARMOR Sport Water recall as a case study, this study examines drivers, …

An Empirical Investigation Into The Effect Of Brain Drain “Japa Syndrome” On Agile Practitioners Developing Healthcare Information Systems Software In Nigeria, Yazidu Buba Salihu, Julian M. Bass, Gloria E. Iyawa

Communications of the IIMA

Within the software engineering context, agile approaches encourage customer collaboration, iterative development, and flexibility. However, the mass exodus of highly skilled professionals, known as the “brain drain” or "Japa Syndrome," has emerged as a significant challenge, especially in Nigeria. This phenomenon has particularly impacted agile software development practitioners by undermining project continuity, knowledge transfer, and team dynamics. This study empirically examines the effect of brain drain, “Japa Syndrome,” on agile practitioners developing healthcare information systems software in Nigeria. It employed a qualitative, multi-method approach to gather empirical data from 13 agile practitioners in Nigeria’s healthcare information systems sector. The study …

Exploring Ai Corporate Governance Through The Lens Of Dynamic Capabilities, Albert Samigullin, Paul Dooley

Communications of the IIMA

As AI technologies evolve, organizations must continuously adapt their governance structures to address emerging challenges related to transparency, ethics, and regulatory compliance. Given the rapid pace of AI advancements, traditional governance approaches may not be sufficient to ensure responsible AI oversight while maintaining competitiveness. This research examines AI corporate governance through the lens of Dynamic Capability (DC) Theory, focusing on how organizations can develop the capacity to sense technological and regulatory shifts, seize opportunities, and reconfigure governance mechanisms to align with AI-driven transformation. Through a literature review and the development of an AI Corporate Governance Framework grounded in DC Theory, …

Sustainable Enterprise Architecture: Embedding Circular Economy And Lifecycle Thinking In It Strategy, Sai Chandrahas Kaveripakam, Frank Lin

Communications of the IIMA

This paper explores the integration of sustainability into traditional Enterprise Architecture (EA), proposing a novel Sustainable Enterprise Architecture (SEA) model, and uses the fashion industry to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed model. The SEA framework systematically embeds environmental, social, and economic sustainability principles into corporate strategy and operational practices. This research also addresses the significant intention-action gaps among consumers and organizations in sustainability practice. Through vivid case examples, such as MUD Jeans' leasing model and Pact's affordable circular apparel, this research highlights practical pathways for operationalizing sustainability. By leveraging Circular Economy (CE) and Product Life Cycle (PLC) concepts, SEA …

Table Of Contents, Ciima 2024 Proceedings

Communications of the IIMA

Table of Contents IIMA conference proceedings 2024

Ethical Dilemmas And Solutions In The Adoption Of Ai Technologies In Supply Chain, Mohammad Reza Sadeghi Moghadam, Taha Mansouri, Iman Ghasemian Sahebi

Communications of the IIMA

As organizations increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to optimize their supply chain operations, they face a growing set of ethical challenges that demand careful consideration. This study explores the key ethical dilemmas and potential solutions in implementing AI within the supply chain context, drawing insights from in-depth interviews with a diverse group of experts. The thematic analysis of the interview data revealed four primary ethical dilemmas: algorithmic bias and discrimination, lack of transparency and explainability, privacy and data ethics issues, and the socioeconomic impacts of AI-driven automation. To address the dilemmas, this study identified various mitigation strategies, including techniques …

Integrating Values In Dutch Music Copyright: A Q Methodology Study, Nerko Hadziarapovic, Pascal Ravesteyn, Marlies Van Steenbergen

Communications of the IIMA

This research investigates the integration of stakeholders' values into the digital frameworks of Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) within the Dutch music copyright system. Utilizing Q methodology, the study captures diverse perspectives from composers, lyricists, publishers, and CMO representatives on values, value tensions, norms, and system requirements. A pilot study with four experts tested data collection methods and refined the study design for a larger, follow-up study involving 30 participants. Preliminary findings, based on factor analysis of participant rankings of 30 statements, reveal two distinct perspectives: one focused on "Fairness and Accountability," emphasizing trust-building and equitable treatment, and the other on …

A Non-Invasive Mental Health Risk Predictor Using Machine Learning Models Utilising Music Listening Habits

Communications of the IIMA

Globally, there has been a rise in mental health issues such as insomnia, anxiety, and depression. However, the stigma that is associated with such a diagnosis makes individuals not want to seek help. Recent research has explored the relationship between music listening habits and mental health status, offering promising insights into the potential of leveraging this data for predictive modelling. This research proposes a non-invasive approach that integrates features extracted from music listening patterns including demographic and lifestyle data to build machine learning models that detect mental health conditions such as insomnia, depression and anxiety levels The results show that …

Framework For Enhanced Intergenerational Connectivity (Eic): A Professional Program Development Report, Amanda Michelle Reigle

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This program development report documents the implementation and facilitation of the Sages and Seekers pilot program at California State University, San Bernardino (Palm Desert Campus) from 2022 to 2025. Grounded in communication theory, intergroup contact principles, and instructional design, the report outlines a structured intergenerational intervention aimed at enhancing empathy, connection, and understanding between older and younger adults. Drawing from facilitator observations and program implementation experiences, this work led to the creation of the Framework for Enhanced Intergenerational Connectivity (EIC), a five-point planning model emphasizing leadership, facilitation, administrative support, participant continuity, and structured program design.

The EIC framework is accompanied …

Personalized Retention Strategy Optimization Of Auto Insurance Customers Using Churn Prediction Analysis, Sai Charan Kurakula

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Addressing customer churn remains one of the greatest difficulties in the auto insurance sector, frequently caused by unmanaged complaints, service inaction, and insufficient communication regarding the customer’s needs. The goal of this research is to create a framework based on machine learning algorithms that predict whether a customer complaint will be confirmed by the regulatory authority and use this as a proxy to estimate customer churn in the absence of direct cancellation data. Through predicting complaint confirmation, which acts as an indicator of genuine service failure, the model helps in detecting customers with greater risk and aids in formulating individualized …

Sustainabilty Reporting And E-Waste Management In The Electronic Industry, Sai Prasad Pochampally

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The rapid expansion of the electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) industry has led to a critical surge in electronic waste (e-waste), which is currently growing at an annual rate of 4%. E-waste contains hazardous substances such as mercury, cadmium, and lead, which contribute significantly to environmental degradation and pose serious health risks—particularly in low- and middle-income countries where proper recycling infrastructure is lacking. In response, electronics manufacturers increasingly rely on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting frameworks to demonstrate transparency and accountability. However, a significant gap persists between what companies choose to report and what stakeholders—particularly consumers—expect to see.

This …

Challenges The Sporting Industry Faced During Covid-19 On Fan Attendance: The Case Of The National Basketball Association, Marlon Long

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This culminating experience project investigates the challenges the sporting industry faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focused look at the National Basketball Association. The research questions are: (Q1) How did the NBA arena shutdowns impact fan attendance for each team during the COVID-19 pandemic? (Q2) What factors influenced NBA arena attendance before the COVID-19 shutdowns? (Q3) What factors influenced NBA arena attendance after the COVID-19 shutdown? The data collected includes all 30 NBA teams from 2019 through the 2024 seasons. The research questions were analyzed using multilinear regression analysis and comparison of attendance data over 6 seasons including the …

Leveraging Data Analytics For Enchanced Economics Prediction: A Study Of Predictive Models And Economics Indicators, Janelle Rueda

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is intended to investigate the lack of use of data analytics in predicting and managing the impacts of economic crises. This project investigates what economic key factors can be used to create a framework model and evaluate the effectiveness of the key economic indicator being tested as early warning signs. The project uses programs such as Excel, RStudio, and Tableau for the collection of historical data, and regression analysis to determine if certain economic indicators have a statistically significant correlation with GDP, that may help enforce systems in place to help us mitigate economic crises …

Network-Based Attacks In Cloud Computing In 2020-2024, Yaswanth Sai Manikanta Anguluri

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As the use of cloud technologies has increased in the past five years, the number of network attacks is also increasing. During 2020 to 2024, there are lot of changes in cloud technologies which led to various network attacks in the cloud computing environments from 2020 to 2024. This study investigates the evolution of network-based attacks in cloud environments from 2020 to 2024. Data was collected from Kaggle website to analyze the trends of the evolution of network-based attacks. The research questions are: (Q1) How do the trends change in network-based attack from 2020 to 2024 and why? (Q2) Which …

Understanding Household Financial Stability: Examining The Effects Of Inflation And Income, Cyndy E. Gutierrez-Fierros

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to investigate the impact of inflation on US household financial stability from 2013 to 2023. As inflation rises, individuals’ purchasing power erodes leading to influence economic behaviors. Behaviors such as spending, saving, and borrowing should be a priority concern in the US economy. Results of this study reveal that inflation does not affect financial well-being and its direct impact on household stability is statistically weak. Regression testing shows that income emerges as the most significant factor. Most noticeably income influences savings and debt management in a positive way. As per these results, economic policies should be focused …

Usage And Engagement Patterns Of Students In Online Learning Platforms, Sumalatha Panja

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Online leaning platforms play an important role in this modern education world by providing flexible and diverse learning opportunities. This study investigates the most engaged online learning platform and the pattern by which the students are mostly attracted to a particular platform by focusing on enrollments, duration, price and completion rate of each course across different platforms. The research questions asked in this paper are: (Q1) What are the most engaged online learning platforms by students? (Q2) What are emerging patterns of engagement of students in online learning platforms? The dataset which is used for answering these questions is being …

Predicting Late Deliveries In International Healthcare Logistics Using Machine Learning Models, Jeevan Sai Gali

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The healthcare supply chain plays a pivotal role in ensuring the timely delivery of essential medical supplies, particularly during global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this critical system is often plagued by inefficiencies and disruptions caused by factors such as inadequate infrastructure, natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and variability in vendor performance. These challenges underscore the need for advanced methodologies to enhance supply chain resilience and operational efficiency. This culmination experience project explores the integration of machine learning models and external variables, such as the Logistics Performance Index (LPI), to optimize lead-time predictions and mitigate risks in global healthcare …

Are Emojis The New Words? A Sentiment Analysis Of Social Media Brand Conversations, Yashodhan Karulkar, Dev T. Vora, Siddharth Vaddepalli, Yash Thakur

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Emojis have become an increasingly important aspect of consumer-brand interactions in the Indian subcontinent. However, the impact of emoji use on brand image and mental health remains underexplored, particularly in emerging economies like India, where structured research on this topic is limited. To address this gap, the present study analyzes over 4,600 consumer tweets related to 19 prominent brands across eleven industries. Using VADER sentiment analysis, the research develops a metric to assess consumer sentiment and brand engagement in relation to emoji usage. The findings indicate that effective integration of emojis contributes to positive consumer sentiment and enhanced brand engagement. …

On Legislating Cybercrime: Nigerian, South African, And United Kingdom Perspectives, Sagwadi Mabunda, Roland Akindele

Communications of the IIMA

Cybercrime has evolved to be a menacing challenge to all the countries of the globe. Consequently, it has become necessary for effective laws and policies to be enacted and implemented globally. This paper aims to review the cybercrime legislation of three jurisdictions: Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (UK), to examine how each country has conceptualised and legislated cybercrime. The paper begins with a discussion on the definitional considerations necessary for legislating cybercrime. It draws from the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) as the primary international convention on cybercrimes, to analyse some of the specific provisions …

Augmenting Legal Expertise: The Role Of Ai In Enhancing Human Capabilities In Legal Services

Communications of the IIMA

This study explores the dynamics of digital transformation within the legal services

industry, focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to augment

human capabilities. By examining the interplay between institutional norms and

technological innovations, this research aims to understand how AI disrupts

traditional legal practices while maintaining ethical standards and promoting

equitable access to justice. Employing a qualitative content analysis, this research

analyzes data from international news sources spanning April 2011 to March 2021.

The study examines the roles of key industry actors, identifies barriers to digital

adoption, and explores the implications of digitalization for competition within the

legal …

The Intricate Dance Between Stars And Words: A Review Of Customer Reviews In Tourism

Communications of the IIMA

Travel and tourism industries rely heavily on customer reviews from past travelers as an invaluable source for informing potential travelers’ decisions. Thanks to the internet, reviews are an invaluable source for both quantitative star ratings as well as qualitative text comments that evaluate travel experiences. In this paper we analyse this complex relationship between text comments and their associated star ratings; using existing literature we highlight their interplay to give an overall picture of customer satisfaction. Factors that influence ratings and comments include both intrinsic (service quality, staff behavior) and extrinsic aspects such as location or price. Sentiment analysis through …

The Role Of Masculine And Feminine Gender Enactment In Hospitality Leadership, Michelle Russen, Mary Dawson, Tiffany Legendre

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose: The stereotypical assumptions of what it means to be hegemonically masculine and to be a leader are aligned in current society, potentially creating role incongruity for anyone who does not fit into this definition. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether masculine and feminine leadership traits of men and women hospitality managers affect employees’ intention to trust leaders and organizational attractiveness.

Design/Methods/Approach: Explanatory mixed methods were employed. First, two experiments (study 1 = woman manager, n = 137; study 2 = man manager, n = 117) were conducted with current hospitality employees to test the interaction of …