Business Commons^™

Nông Thôn Mới And Rural Development In The Mekong Delta: A Comparative Study Of Bàu Môn And Hòa Phụng C Hamlets, Alex Lintz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Vietnam’s Nông Thôn Mới or New Rural Development program is a relatively new target program introduced in 2010. As of yet there has been little research done on its effects on the economies in rural areas. This paper attempts to analyze the economic situation in the Bàu Môn and Hòa Phụng C hamlets with a particular emphasis placed on income and factors that affect income in terms of Vietnam’s Nông Thôn Mới or New Rural Development program. In order to assess the economic situation in the hamlets, a survey was administered to 25 participants in each hamlet and leaders from …

Curbing Corporate Inversions: A Study Of National And International Efforts To Establish Corporate Tax Equity, Scott Novak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, the number of U.S. companies trying to merge with a foreign company and thereby reincorporate themselves in countries with a lower corporate tax rate – a practice known as corporate inversion – has skyrocketed. The public outcry in 2014 against corporate inversions led the U.S. Treasury to release a series of new anti-inversion regulations, and more policy changes are in the process of being debated. At the same time as this national discussion on the harmful effects corporate inversions have on the U.S. tax base is progressing, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is in …

“Decentralization Dilemma In Indonesia: Does Decentralization Breed Corruption?”, Glenys Kirana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Given the pervasiveness of corruption, collusion and nepotism during Suharto’s rule (1967-1998), many people assume that the Reformasi era (1998-present) would introduce a new wave of liberal democratic values, which would consequently reduce corruption in Indonesia. This paper seeks to look at the changes in people’s socio-political incentives to corrupt given the changes in political and legal structure, analyzing it in the context of its contribution to Indonesia’s socio-economic development. Specifically, it centers on how decentralization has affected corruption in the regional districts, legislative, judiciary, and other civil society groups. It is the prominence of the corruption issue in the …

La Educación Y El Lucro No Se Mezclan: Un Examen De Las Políticas Y Las Consecuencias De Los Colegios Particulares Subvencionados En Chile / Education And Profits Don't Mix : A Review Of Policies And The Consequences Of Subsidized Private Schools In Chile, Sophie Sharps

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With the arrival of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile (lasting from 1973-1990) came the implementation of a neoliberal economic model based on tenants such as privatization, deregulation, growth of a free market economy, and a passive government to uphold the private sector. This economic model manifested itself through structural reforms that distinctly changed the function of all institutions, including the educational system. Due to a series of changes in laws and ideology, a new educational sector (referred to as “particular subvencionado”) arose, and has only strengthened and augmented since the end of the dictatorship. In this sector, individuals, …

El Caso De Madygraf (Ex-Donnelley): Una Exploración De La Tensión Entre La Legalidad Y La Legitimidad De Las Empresas Recuperadas En Argentina / The Case Of Madygraf (Ex-Donnelley): An Exploration Of The Tension Between The Legality And The Legitimacy Of Recovered Businesses In Argentina, Maggie Joyce

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In December 2001, Argentina declared the largest economic debt default in history. Following the default, Argentina’s economy spiraled into depression and a severe economic crisis plagued the country. Unemployment skyrocketed, dollar shortages continued, and many businesses closed under financial pressures. As private business and large corporations alike shut their doors indefinitely, oftentimes under the auspices of fraudulent bankruptcies, freshly unemployed workers across the country reclaimed their right to work by occupying their workplaces and eventually putting them back into production. These businesses now under worker control are part of the empresas recuperadas, or recovered businesses, phenomenon. The fight for existence …

He Creators A Look At The Changing Work Of Potters And The Future Of Their Craft In Thimi, Nepal, Natalie Silver

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Newari sur-name Prajapati has been associated with those who are of the potter caste in the Kathmandu valley. In the past 30 years ceramics in the historic pottery town of Thimi has changed drastically from being an essential and necessary craft and the only occupation for Prajapatis, to a struggling population of visually aging potters. This paper examines the workshop Everest Pottery in Thimi nepal as a case study for the state of ceramics in Thimi today. The author traces the origins of the workshop's founder Shiva Prajapati and examines the shift that Shiva made from traditional Newari pottery …

Financial Literacy And Financial Inclusion Of Women In Rural Rajasthan, Emily Levi-D'Ancona

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Financial inclusion is an important step in development, as access to finances can help the poor build money and lift themselves out of poverty. In many parts of the developing world, and especially in India, microfinance is seen as a new approach to fighting poverty by bringing financial services, including low-interest loans, to the poor so that they can afford to start a business or invest and eventually gain self-sufficiency – in other words, a method of financial inclusion for the poor. However, microfinance in India cannot sufficiently reach the poor populations, especially those in rural India, and many of …

Nepali Corporate Culture Of Giving: Investigating Practices Of Corporate Social Responsibility, Taylor Knoop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research is to explore corporate Nepal’s definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR), how these definitions influence corporations’ activities and the motivation and rationale behind giving. Multiple factors are impacting the practice of CSR, such the historical influence, personality of industry sector, post-conflict recovery efforts, and trust and transparency in giving. However, corporations’ definition of CSR contradicts the type and level of activities they engage in. The rhetoric is often stronger than the action undertaken, although there is slight trend towards a more incorporated social responsible business model, particularly in the financial and tourism industries. The primary …

Index-Based Insurance And Risk Management Among Nomadic Mongolian Herders , Kelsey Larson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mongolian herders must contend with the risk of dzuds, harsh winters that can kill large numbers of livestock. To do so, they use a mixture of formal financial tools and traditional risk mitigation techniques. This paper is a study of the interaction between the Mongolian Index-based Livestock Insurance Program and traditional informal risk mitigation techniques. The researcher interviews herders in Bulgan soum, Arhangai aimag and Galuut soum, Bayanhongor aimag to compare the IBLI program’s impact in a community that has had IBLI since 2006 and one that only received IBLI in 2012. This study finds that insurance purchase is positively …

An Examination Of South Carolina’S Institutions Of Reform And Their Impact On The Self-Narratives Of African American Men, Ashley E. Krejci-Shaw

Capstone Collection

In the State of South Carolina (SC), African American male adolescents disproportionately face disciplinary action in public schools and other institutions. In 2013, South Carolina’s Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ) released data that listed Black male children comprising 57% of all juvenile referrals in the state. This disproportionate trend is also present in South Carolina’s correctional system. In 2013, South Carolina’s Department of Corrections (SCDOC) reported that out of 20,777 male prisoners, 13,631 were Black. For adolescents or young adults looking to continue their education, alternative programs are available. One program that captures educationally displaced children in South Carolina is …

Leading Happiness: Leadership And Happiness At Work In Certified B Corporations, A Qualitative Study Of Leaders And Employees To Understand The Influence Of Shared Leadership On Worker Happiness Within Certified Benefit Corporations, Travis Hellstrom

Capstone Collection

The Certified B Corps movement is setting a new standard for businesses, committing to a multiple stakeholder orientation focused on community, environment and the workplace in addition to financial profit. More than 1,000 companies, including well-known companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Flour, and Etsy, have joined the ranks of Certified B Corps in over 30 countries.

The B Corps certification is understood to promote a set of organizational practices, which envision improved employee performance and well-being. An important element of that well-being is employee happiness. Previous research has shown that improved business leadership practices can have significant …

The Importance Of Community Resilience: Developing The American Red Cross International Services Department In The New Hampshire Region, Sarah Romac

Capstone Collection

Disaster management and humanitarian aid organizations have had to reevaluate how communities and individuals can better adapt and prepare for future disaster events. One concept organizations are incorporating into their overall framework is strengthening community resilience. Increasing a community’s resilience level increases its ability to cope with the changes that affect it. Creating awareness of the vulnerabilities in an area, addressing these vulnerabilities with preparedness training, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and sustainable changes made over the long-term can develop a community’s adaptive capacity to be more resilient.

For my practicum, I was given the opportunity to be the International Services …

Setting Expectations: An Onsite Orientation For Intern Abroad Programs In London, Ilse B. Damkoehler

Capstone Collection

International internships have been continuously rising in popularity over the past decade, with participation in work, internships, and volunteering abroad (WIVA) more than tripling over a ten year span from 1999/2000 to 2010/2011(Farrugia, 2013). One of the most important elements of an intern abroad program is to set expectations so that students can have a successful program, both personally and professionally. The onsite orientation is therefore a vital piece of an effective intern abroad program.

Setting Expectations: An Onsite Orientation for Intern Abroad Programs in London is a four-day orientation program in London, England developed for participants in the Intern …

High-Impact Women Entrepreneurs In Argentina: A Study Analysed Through The Endeavor Model, Stephanie Soussloff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Latin America and the Caribbean women represent 41.6% of the population active in the economy. Among those women, 15% identify as entrepreneurs. Yet even a smaller percentage are able to become high impact entrepreneurs, whose businesses reach international levels, create jobs and stimulate the economy of their regions.

The organization Endeavor is founded around the principal idea that entrepreneurship is a catalyst for economic development. Endeavor is committed to boosting the impact of entrepreneurs in emerging markets through giving them a support network of experts in their field to help expand their business. In exchange the entrepreneurs are expected …

Window To The Unbanked: The Potential Of Mobile Money As A Means Of Saving In Uganda, Allison Ryder

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The meaning of poverty is more than just merely the shortage of money. It is the lack of access to the instruments and means through which the poor could improve their lives. Many people lack appropriate means to manage their finances, which limits their economic potential and renders them vulnerable to exogenous shocks. Increasing financial inclusion to those without access contributes to poverty reduction by providing people with means to manage their finances. This study was conducted through a month long internship at the Bank of Uganda following with a short trip to Gulu, northern Uganda. The objective of this …

An Assessment Of Public Awareness Regarding E-Waste Hazards And Management Strategies, Anuj Shah

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The fast pace of innovation both within India and abroad, along with the increasing affordability of electronic goods due to economic growth, has led to the rapid turnover of these consumer goods and thus enormous amounts of electronic waste (or e-waste). In addition to the sheer volume that must be managed, electronics contain highly toxic chemicals that complicate the waste handling process and can be detrimental to human health and the environment. However, India has only recently implemented regulations that directly address this issue through the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Public awareness of this government policy and e-waste …

Analyzing The Dynamics Of The Artisan Fishing Industry And Lapsset Port In Lamu, Kenya, Valerie Rodden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The LAPSSET project has the potential to severely impact the artisan fishing industry in Lamu. Through the provision of a perception focused survey and a few one on one interviews with artisan fishermen and key stakeholders in the industry, this study creates a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the fishing industry and the LAPSSET project. The fishermen of Lamu are most concerned about the lack of communication concerning the port’s activities and the blocking of fishing areas during port construction and operation. In general, there is a great sense of fear surrounding the port and the future of …

La Coexistencia De Dos Agriculturas En Argentina Una Mirada A La Vida De Una Granja Familiar: ¿Cómo Sobrevivir Al Lado De Las Grandes Empresas?, Camille Sanchez De La Vega

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Desde los primeros años del siglo XX, el desarrollo de Argentina como país estaba coincidió con el desarrollo de la industria agrícola. Hoy, Argentina es famosa por su papel en el mercado global como exportadora de bienes naturales. No solamente es un país con uno de los niveles más altos de alimentos transgénicos, sino que tiene el título del mayor exportador de producción orgánica en América Latina. Con los dos tipos de agricultura —exitosos pero contradictorios— con un enfoque hacia la exportación, quería entender como esta coexistencia está reflejada en el mercado interno para los bienes naturales.

A través de …

A Vision Of Capitalism, As It Was Meant To Be: A Social Purpose Business Plan For Foodshed Productions, August Miller

Capstone Collection

FoodShed Productions, a social enterprise is pursuing a mission: to raise the caring capacity of communities and resilience of our local environments through resident education in organic backyard farming. As a social enterprise, FoodShed Productions, a for-profit, earns its economic viability doing work more often associated with non-profits, measuring its worth by the social, environmental, and economic benefits of its operations. The communities in Boulder County, CO. are served by FoodShed Productions through a social process in which “We Build, We Coach, You Keep Growing,” toward the goal of self-reliance.

The topic of this CLC is a Social Purpose Business …