Business Commons^™

From Early Curiosity To Space Wide Web: The Emergence Of The Small Satellite Innovation Ecosystem, Yue Song, Devi R. Gnyawali, Lihong Qian

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Innovation ecosystems have gained significant scholarly and managerial attention. Much of the literature focuses on established ecosystems, and the limited research that examines ecosystem emergence does not dig deeper into the dynamics and challenges during the process of emergence. With a focus on the transition from birth to growth of an ecosystem, this paper fills this important gap by systematically examining how a nascent ecosystem develops into a thriving one. Employing a conceptualized composition approach, we conduct an in-depth qualitative study on the emergence of the modern small satellite ecosystem from 1981 to 2017. Our case analysis demonstrates a dynamic …

A Review Of The Business Capstone: Working With An Education Program, Hanna Tran

University Honors Theses

This review thesis walks through the business capstone process which is a hands-on experience with a local business client. The business client, Company A, is an arts and education program that has reached out to the School of Business's capstone class to help them improve their reach to potential customers and find alternative funding other than student tuition and donations. To achieve these goals, our group conducted several analyses and thorough research combined with our existing business education. Our findings and final recommendations are shown in presentations and a final report that the business client can utilize for their future …

Stakeholder Conflict And Standard-Setting Foundation Oversight, Amanda M. Convery, Matt Kaufman, Terry D. Warfield

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examines foundation oversight authority as a distinct tool used to maintain the accounting profession’s delegated authority to set standards. Prior literature traditionally focuses on the standard-setting boards and technical arguments surrounding proposed accounting standards. We examine whether the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) can manage stakeholder conflict and legitimize contentious activity through exercise of its oversight role. The presented case is a qualitative analysis of the FAF’s GASB Scope of Authority project, a rare public exercise of FAF oversight authority, in which the FAF applied its authority despite stakeholder disagreement on the line between oversight and standard setting. We …

A Capstone Journey In Enterprise Software Consulting For Microsoft: How An Interdisciplinary Philosophy Fosters Critical Thinking And Promotes Cross-Functional Teamwork, Jacob Mccall

University Honors Theses

This capstone review thesis explores the application of strategic innovation and enterprise software with a Portland State University (PSU) School of Business Administration (SBA) interdisciplinary team consulting for Microsoft. Faced with improving pitch meetings with a new target audience of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs), Microsoft’s West Coast enterprise software sales team sought consultation from the PSU SBA 2023 Business Honors cohort. This text reflects on the precursors responsible for the consulting project’s success, including the university’s guiding principles, interdisciplinary philosophy, and applicable business practices. The final solution includes insights into CMO types, needs development, a marketing enterprise software visual sales …

The Praxis Of Professional Communication In Simulated Business: Psu Capstone Analysis, Molly Daniels

University Honors Theses

"Let knowledge serve the city" serves not only as Portland State University's motto but also as the guiding intent of the Business Administration capstone program to assist local companies in the city of Portland. This review covers the experience of my participation in the program including the use of education and challenges. While the experience recorded within is atypical due to the unforeseen closure of the participating client, effective communication studies with clients and other students remain pressing. This entailed examining the quantitative and qualitative needs of a hybrid coffee shop and event space and whether changing to a larger …

Patient Mistreatment And New Nurse Adjustment: The Role Of Rumination And Work Engagement, Hai-Jiang Wang, Peikai Li, Talya Bauer, Berrin Erdogan

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

During organizational entry, newcomers often draw upon internal resources like coworkers and supervisors to navigate their roles. Could external interactions with customers or patients hold the key to newcomer adjustment in certain job contexts? Our study, rooted in the conservation of resources theory, identifies a critical link between mistreatment from external parties and newcomer adjustment—a connection that is explained by rumination and work engagement. Through two studies involving new nurses in China (Study 1: four-wave cross-lagged panel design, N = 181; Study 2: four-wave time-lagged design, N = 198), we uncover that mistreatment from patients results in rumination among newcomers, …

How Strategic Public Procurement Creates Social Value: Evidence From Uk Anchor Institutions, Kostas Selviaridis, Davide Luzzini, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates how public procurement is used strategically to create social value. Public management research has analysed the different levels, forms, and processes of social value creation, but little is known about the role of public procurement in this respect. Based on 17 cases of UK public-sector anchor institutions (Metropolitan Councils and hospitals), we unveil social value-oriented procurement strategies, inter-organizational structures, supplier management practices, and capability development and performance assessment activities. We contribute to public administration research by showing how social value policies translate into strategic procurement goals and activities.

The Chatgpt Artificial Intelligence Chatbot: How Well Does It Answer Accounting Assessment Questions?, David A. Wood, Muskan P. Achhpilia, Mollie T. Adams, Sanaz Aghazadeh, Elizabeth D. Almer, Multiple Additional Authors

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

ChatGPT, a language-learning model chatbot, has garnered considerable attention for its ability to respond to users’ questions. Using data from 14 countries and 186 institutions, we compare ChatGPT and student performance for 28,085 questions from accounting assessments and textbook test banks. As of January 2023, ChatGPT provides correct answers for 56.5 percent of questions and partially correct answers for an additional 9.4 percent of questions. When considering point values for questions, students significantly outperform ChatGPT with a 76.7 percent average on assessments compared to 47.5 percent for ChatGPT if no partial credit is awarded and 56.5 percent if partial credit …

Not On The Menu: Customer Sexual Harassment In The Restaurant Industry, Fernanda Wolburg Martinez

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the high prevalence of customer sexual harassment (CSH) paired with a high turnover in the restaurant industry, there have been few suggestions on resources that may attenuate the effect that bystander and direct CSH might have on strain--anxiety and depressive symptoms--and turnover intentions among restaurant workers. Based on the stipulations of the job-demands resources theory and the empowerment framework, the current study frames direct and bystander CSH as job demands that may be linked to employee strain and turnover intentions. Moreover, CSH preventive supervisor behaviors and organizational intolerance towards CSH are introduced as job resources that may weaken the …

I Know That You Know That I Know: Meta-Parody Ads And Brand Credibility, Giuliana T. Mintiero

University Honors Theses

In recent years, advertisers have been turning to a new form of humorous advertising to reach wary consumers. This study refers to this new form of advertising appeal as 'meta-parody' advertising, defined as humorous advertisements that parody advertising tropes for the sake of building credibility with the consumer. These ads are aimed at overcoming persuasion knowledge, which is what consumers use to cope with attempts to influence them. Despite the prevalence of meta-parody in contemporary advertising, there is no existing research on meta-parody ads, let alone their relationship with brand credibility. Previous research into humorous advertising has produced mixed views …

The Radical Relationality Of Complex Partnerships: Community-Member Experiences In Critical Community-Based Learning, Amie Riley

Dissertations and Theses

Through a radical relationality within the social-ecological systems that sustain us, critical community-based learning (CBL) in higher education offers a praxis for engaging the demanding pedagogical and community challenges we face. When CBL is implemented as both a critical and sustainability pedagogy, as a strategy for social change, the relationships created by CBL partnerships have the potential to generate transformational outcomes for all partnership agents. Using a critical complexity theoretical framework, a bricolage of complexity science and critical theory, this critical qualitative study sought to understand the systemic patterns and behaviors of a community-based learning partnership by elevating community-member voices. …

Trackxi Capstone Review, Kevin Abarca

University Honors Theses

This University Honors review thesis is based on my business capstone which revolved around developing a strategic road map for the startup company Trackxi. Trackxi is a real estate tech startup aiming to streamline transactions using a patent-pending visual online platform. The platform is similar to companies such as Asana but provides a more linear representation of real estate transaction steps, equal to a long visual chain with blocks representing next steps. The platform also caters to independent real estate agents, as more established real estate agents usually have in house solutions. Our team also continually interfaced with the client …

Bought But Never Used: How And When Unused Utility Reduces Subsequent Spending, Shruti Koley, Brandon J. Reich

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Consumers often buy products that they later do not use. How does failing to use purchased products affect subsequent spending? Six experiments demonstrate that when consumers do not use their purchased products, it decreases their subsequent discretionary spending across product categories due to an aversion to wasted money. We find that this effect is driven primarily by perceived money waste and not product waste. Consequently, the effect persists even when consumers avoid product waste, such as by donating their unused products, but is mitigated when they avoid money waste, such as when their unused products are freely acquired. We also …

Newcomer Work-To-Nonwork Conflict To Withdrawal Via Work-To-Nonwork Self-Efficacy: The Buffering Role Of Family Supportive Supervisor Behavior, Allison M. Ellis, Talya Bauer, Tori Crain

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

In adulthood, starting a new job is a major life event that, for many, accompanies significant changes to one’s personal life (e.g., moving to a new location, setting up new childcare or eldercare arrangements, renegotiating schedules and nonwork responsibilities with a spouse or partner). Research shows that job candidates anticipate the degree of work-family support and conflict they might experience in a new role when deciding to accept or reject a job offer. Despite this, work examining associations between newcomer work-to-nonwork conflict (WNC), once arriving at a new job, and their adjustment to the new work role has lagged. To …

The Impact Of Sars-Cov-2 On The Consolidated Meatpacking System In The United States, Judith R. Solomon

Anthós

The Sars-Cov-2 virus has had a particularly intense impact on the meatpacking industry in the United States. In this paper I provide a brief introduction to the social, economic, and political realities that lead to mass deaths of meatpacking workers from COVID, and the impact of a consolidated meatpacking system on disease mitigation. These workers are considered expendable due to a lack of power.

Proxies Of Design: A Case Study And Analysis Of Place And Commercial Real Estate In Seattle, Nicholas Miranda

University Honors Theses

What kinds of relationships exist between individual buildings and greater society in Seattle? Focusing on the role of design in shaping the value and desirability of commercial properties, the study examines and utilizes a large temporal and spatial dataset to test price analogs between common building attributes and metrics. By employing a hedonic pricing model, the study seeks to identify the impact of these attributes on property values and ultimately relate them to architectural and contextual design, from a micro to a macro level. The empirical findings are not necessarily novel or groundbreaking, but rather, they shed light on the …

Business Analysis And Recommendations For Timber, Jared Alexander

University Honors Theses

To close out my PSU school of business experience, I've been placed on a team with five other classmates in the School of Business honors program cohort to help a business owner with some hurdles they are facing in their ventures. Throughout the last nine weeks, my teammates and I conducted a lot of research, and gave four presentations to the business owner. Our final presentation highlighted our final recommendations. The name of the business owner and company have been anonymized for confidentiality. All images featuring the name or logo of the company have been covered.

In this capstone review, …

The Power Of (Virtual) Convergence: The Unrealized Potential Of Pair Programming And Remote Work, Mikayla Maki

University Honors Theses

Remote work is expensive. It can lead to isolation, miscommunications, and ossified organizations. These problems occur because of a synchronicity mismatch between how we need to communicate as humans, and what today's tools are capable of. This mismatch can be solved by the adoption of remote pair programming, as exemplified by the authors work at a startup (Zed). Pair programming provides the organic, synchronous, reciprocal interaction necessary to develop the sorts of relationships that remote firms currently lack.

The Evolution Of Leadership During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Analysis Of The Research, Luca Patrick Thierry Gregston

University Honors Theses

A crisis, however terrible in its consequences, is also a great opportunity to study and create new models of leadership, to discover how the concept of leadership has evolved over the pandemic. Hence this paper's research question, "How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the concept and practice of leadership? In the end much of the empirical evidence for what COVID 19 did or didn't change in leadership practices is still relatively ambiguous. So it is too early to say that "business as usual" is gone for good. And COVID furthered and deepened long term trends, accelerating the great resignation and …

An On-Ramp To Financial Inclusion: Measuring The Impact Of Mercy Corps' Community Investment Trust Program On Minority Investors, Lexi Yokote

University Honors Theses

Mercy Corps' Community Investment Trust (CIT) was launched in 2017 as a low-risk real estate investment and education initiative. The program is now working to replicate this in cities across the United States. However, it has not been able to collect much feedback from existing investors about their experiences and needs. This paper will use primary and secondary research in the form of a literature review and original surveys to collect information about investor demographics, attitudes toward the CIT and investing, risk perceptions, and future investment plans. The results show that U.S.-born versus foreign-born status, ethnicity, and gender affect the …

The 2022 Pdma Doctoral Consortium: Emerging Research Priorities In New Product Development And Innovation And Insights Into Community Building, Yazhen Xiao, Neeraj Bharadwaj

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

In July 2022, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) hosted the fifth Product Development Management Association (PDMA) Doctoral Consortium. As a critical vehicle to promote doctoral student research and scholarly networking, this consortium featured emerging research topics on new product development (NPD) and innovation by promising doctoral students and leading scholars, provided exposure to cutting-edge practice in additive manufacturing, and facilitated opportunities for the NPD and innovation research community building. This article summarizes key insights and synthesizes important research topics emerging from the event.

Traits Of Leadership, Alinta Magdalene Ali

University Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis is to analyze the correlation between leadership styles, introverted and extroverted trails, and their impact on effective leadership within the workplace. The first section defines leadership and introduces leadership styles: servant, transformational, identity, autocratic, democratic, and coaching. The discuss delves into the distinctive characteristics, advantages, and obstacles associated with each leadership style, highlighting how each leadership prioritize personalized guidance and assistance for team members. The second section explores the introvert and extrovert aspects and how they complement each other in the workplace. Effective leaders possess the ability to adjust their personality traits, exhibiting both social …

Small Business Marketing In The Sports Industry, Cheyenne L. Abbett

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how small sports businesses can avoid high failure rates by establishing a strategic marketing plan that makes the most of their constrained resources. The current literature on sports marketing strategy examines social media, relationship, and influencer marketing, but is limited in its application to small businesses. The purpose of this thesis is to address and fill that gap. This thesis consists of a literature review of the previously stated topics, best practices that incorporate the findings of this research, and a brief case study of these recommendations in action. Best practices include establishing a greater purpose for …

Leading For Success: Leader-Member Exchange Relationships And Employee Creative Self-Efficacy, Mary Joy Wytsma

University Honors Theses

In today's competitive and ever-evolving business landscape, creativity has become a major focus for managers, leaders, and organizations. However, there are downsides to making creative employees the end-all goal. Instead, managers and leaders should focus on fostering employee creative self-efficacy via high-quality Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationships. Within team settings, LMX works in tandem with Team-Member Exchange (TMX), and these relationships allow employees to experience positive physiological state, social persuasion, vicarious experience, and mastery experience, the four drivers of self-efficacy. Employees with high levels of creative self-efficacy experience increased creativity, job satisfaction, and motivation, making them major assets to teams and …

Globalizing Investments: Enhancing Retail Investor Portfolios Through Cross-Asset International Diversification, Charlotte T. Kline

University Honors Theses

Diversification is frequently reiterated, but for the standard retail investor, the what, how, and why often slide between the cracks. Diversifying internationally appears even more seldom discussed. A wealth of research has been integrated throughout this paper to focus on the what, how, and why of foreign diversification, all from a retail investor's perspective. This synthesis provides a comprehensive background followed by a discussion of a variety of asset classes available for diversification and biases and factors that lead to these gaps in diversification. The findings were divided into two categories: possible asset classes favorable to international diversification and causes …

Portland State University Spring Symposium Report, Stephen Percy, Amy Mulkerin, Anna Ruby, Andria Johnson, Rowanna L. Carpenter, Jill Emery, Jennifer H. Allen, Kevin Neely, Lindsey Wilkinson, Cara Meyer, Michelle Janke, Jen Gray-O'Connor, Brad Simmons, Kelly Fry

Office of the President Publications and Presentations

The 2023 Spring Symposium arose in response to a request to PSU administrators in a Faculty Senate Resolution. That resolution noted the high level of interest by the Faculty Senate in both understanding and engaging in the university’s budgeting processes.

The Symposium offered an opportunity for all PSU employees to come together to identify priorities and shared purpose regarding the university’s approach to long term financial planning. The recommendations created during the symposium are being shared with incoming president Ann Cudd to inform her thinking as PSU pursues a path toward financial sustainability.

Table of Contents

04 Statement from President …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Innovation Ecosystems In Facilitating The Adoption Of Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Dana Sami Bakry

Dissertations and Theses

Sustainable entrepreneurship has a substantial role of a steadily growing economy and advanced industrial economies. Several strategies have been formed and employed to support the adoption of innovation and technologies in the sustainable entrepreneurship sector. However, the successful outcome of these strategies in achieving their goals depends on how effective they are in satisfying their objectives and thus increasing innovation adoption. One measurement for effectiveness of ecosystem implements can be their support to the input of the process of innovation and technologies adoption and their impact on satisfying regional goals.

The objective of this research is evaluating the effectiveness of …

Governmental Restrictions And Real Estate Investor Risk Perception, Carina Kaiser, Julia Freybote, Wolfgang Schäfers

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigate the impact of governmental restrictions on the short-term risk perception, as proxied by the going-in cap rate, of investors in regional and neighborhood shopping centers. We use the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment and proxy for the length and severity of COVID-19 restrictions with the political affiliation of state governors. Using a sample of 40 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) across 27 states over the period of 2018 to 2021, we find that for states with Republican governors, which proxy for shorter and fewer COVID-19 restrictions, investors in regional malls required a lower going-in cap rate in the …

Diversity In Recruitment: The Role Of Realistic Website Job Previews For Racial And Ethnic Minority Applicants, Jennifer Saucedo

Dissertations and Theses

Prior research has examined the effects of diversity-related recruitment on racial and ethnic minority applicants, but less research has focused on how objective and realistic information about diversity influences applicant outcomes. Drawing from previous literature on realistic job previews (RJPs) and social identity theory (SIT), the current study investigates how recruitment material with objective racial demographic information (i.e., percentage of racial minorities employed) and leader diversity testimonials (i.e., positive or realistic) on diversity recruitment webpages affect racial and ethnic minority applicant outcomes (i.e., organizational attraction, sense of fit, and organizational trust) using a 3x2 between-person experimental design. Finally, the study …

The Power Of Algorithms And Big Data: A Marketing Perspective On Consumer Manipulation In Business, Jordan C'Rene Reuille-Dupont

University Honors Theses

In marketing, predictive analytics molds big data into tools that can create demographics, target pleasurable neuromodulator chemicals like dopamine, and influence individual and societal behavior patterns. Professionals and scholars alike can use machine-based computation to transform big data into usable knowledge that accurately represents and tracks human behavior. In the past couple of decades this has led to the acceleration of the attention economy and has fueled the age of information. It has pushed countries to not only enforce new laws and regulations, but also race to secure control over data science technologies. The research for this thesis will ultimately …