Business Commons^™

Pay Them Now, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Apparently it took the actions of a wealthy spoiled rich white kid to get the attention of the mainstream of American media on the issue of paying college athletes. The case of Johnny “Football” stirred the nation when the NCAA in its continuing quest to embarrass itself suspended the Texas A & M quarterback for signing memorabilia. Johnny signed not to make money, but so that those entrepreneurs who make a living from collecting signatures of athletes on sporting paraphernalia could cash their tickets.

One Experience And Multiple Reviews: The Case Of Upscale U.S. Hotels, Edwin Torres, Howard Adler, Xinran Lehto, Carl Behnke, Li Miao

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose– The present study aimed to understand the relationships between the various kinds of feedback received by hospitality operators. Information from guests, experts, and internal sources are often received, valued, and processed in various ways. The researchers sought to further explore the usage of such feedback and implications for theory and practice.

Design/methodology/approach– A survey was sent to hotel general managers of four‐ and five‐diamond properties around the USA using the listing of the American Automobile Association (AAA). A total of 140 responses were received. The researchers utilized correlations and canonical correlation analysis to help understand the relationships among the …

Concussion Suit, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It was just a bit over a week before the start of the regular season of the National Football League when a settlement was announced in the much anticipated concussion law suit brought by and on behalf of more than 4000 retired NFL players. The number represents about one-third of all retired NFL players.

Exploring Stimulus Variability In Applicant Attractiveness, Robert L. Dipboye, Lyndsey Dhahani

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Previous research on physical attractiveness bias in job applicant evaluations has ignored three important issues. First, the sex-typing of the positions for which applicants are evaluated is usually weak despite the need to provide strongly male and female-typed positions in testing for beauty is beastly effects. Second, the samples of stimuli used in the manipulations of applicant sex, attractiveness, and sex-typing of the job are small. Third, the statistical analyses used in testing hypotheses fail to incorporate variability among both human participants and stimuli. The present research corrected for these three omissions in an experiment in which participants evaluated the …

Biogenesis, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It is likely that Marvin Miller is spinning in his grave. Bud Selig may have achieved something that baseball owners have long wanted in their battle with the Major League Baseball Players Association. And that something would be a victory, or at least something resembling a victory, over the players.

Pac 12 Grand Canyon University, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

While waiting for the other shoe, or perhaps shoes, to drop in the anti-aging campaign by Major League Baseball, and noticing that Bud Selig is not getting any younger, it has suddenly hit me that college football is about to descend upon us with all the hypocrisy that it can muster. As a result crime reports in the sporting press will escalate, and there will be a new harvest of “Boys Gone Wild” videos as student-athletes begin their late summer season. One can only hope that “old school” football coaches do not retain “old school” training techniques that endanger the …

Finding The Sweet Spot In Your Life Can Be More Than Just A Dream, Bob Porter

UCF Forum

When I was a small child, I had a recurring dream that I ran and jumped out of my second-story bedroom window and began to fly. I would fly around the neighborhood to see my friends and help people, and I had a lot of fun doing it. I can’t exactly recall how I learned to fly, but it was instinctive, and I just inherently knew it was a gift. I can still remember how my stomach would get jittery in the moments right before I took the jump in order to fly.

Exploring Pull Factor Influences At Campgrounds By Rv Association Members, Jill Fjelstul

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Recreational vehicles (RVs) are owned and/or rented by travelers of diverse ages, traveling parties, and agendas. RVs, in most cases, will be parked at a campground during use, lending to the question of what factors influence campground selection. The current study explored pull factors specific to RV campground attributes by members of a RV association, identified the general demographics of the respective RV association, and investigated campground travel decisions by members of the RV association. Findings from the current study can assist campground owners/operators in developing effective marketing strategies for attracting RV travelers with customized products, onsite amenities, and/or services. …

Our Military Heroes, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Over the last few years, with the Vietnam War fading into history and the military draft a thing of the past, the relationship between the general population of the United States and the U.S. Military has changed considerably. A conscious effort is now being made to honor American military personnel for the sacrifices they make on behalf of their country. This has long been needed and is a welcome development.

Murray, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The words monumental, epic, unforgettable, and historic are thrown around with reckless abandon in our hyperbolic age that specializes in over-inflating the reality of mundane events. As a historian I am especially wary of the term “historic,” when describing a sports event. In the universe of high frequency television commentators, all of these words suffer from overuse.

Wimbledon, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It has been some time since I have watched an entire tennis match. In point of fact my interest has drifted away from the sport. Somehow Wimbledon calls me back. The setting and tradition play a role, as does the fact that it is the only grand slam tournament I have ever seen in person.

The Accelerator, Volume 6 Issue 12, Summer 2013, Christa Santos

The Accelerator

No abstract provided.

The Relevance Of Cultural Tourism As The Next Frontier For Small Island Destinations, Robertico R. Croes, Kelly J. Semrad

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to apply the cultural tourism typology of McKercher and to estimate the economic relevance of cultural tourism to the context of a small island destination tourist market. Small island destinations may be confronted with environmental constraints that restrain the traditional small island tourism development model, which is based on sun, sand, and sea. The cultural tourism typology is used in order to determine whether the typology may be used to segment tourists thereby allowing researchers to determine the economic impact of different cultural tourist segments. This study draws attention to some of the foundational …

Microequity A New Model For Microfinance In The U.S, Joseph Ball

HIM 1990-2015

Most of the research on microfinance focuses on the microloan activities of microfinance institutions such as Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and Banco Sol of South America. These institutions make small loans to the poor to help them engage in income generating activities. Many organizations have tried to translate this practice to the United States, but due to fundamental differences between the advanced U.S. business environment and that found in the developing world, such attempts have been met with limited success. There is a substantial amount of research on microfinance institutions and activities in the U.S., however almost all of the …

Will Leasing Lose Its Luster: An Analysis Of Lease Reporting Under Fas 13, Casey Gates

HIM 1990-2015

When standards for financial reporting are amended, potential for change in the appearance of financial position for companies reporting under those standards arises. Currently standards set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) allow for two methods of reporting lease obligations on the financial statements. The first of these methods is the operating method, which allows lease payments to be expensed within the period they are incurred and only a decrease in cash or an increase in an account payable is recognized on the balance sheet. The second method is the capital method, which requires the present value of …

How Sports Franchises Communicate Via Social Media, Christopher Jones

HIM 1990-2015

The aim of the research is to evaluate how professional sport organizations communicate via social media and lay groundwork on how to effectively do so in the future. The research focuses on the history of social media and its involvement in sport, how it's used today, examples of effective communication and how it can eventually drive revenue for a sport franchise and build a stronger fan base at the same time.

Expectancy Theory And Major League Baseball Player Compensation, Edward Leonard

HIM 1990-2015

Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations spend millions of dollars each year on athletes with the end goal of winning a World Series title. However when an organization signs a player to a long term contract are they actually receiving the production that they paid for? Under the MLB's current form of player compensation players may not be properly motivated or at least not motivated to perform at their highest level. The intent of this thesis was to apply expectancy theory in assessing Major League Baseball's current form of player compensation. It evaluates how well players are currently motivated to perform …

Human Capital Effect On Second Generation Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Ali Mazahaem Flores

HIM 1990-2015

Interest in entrepreneurship has increased in the past few years as more schools are beginning to incorporate subject and degrees specializing in the area as well as individuals mobilizing into an entrepreneurial lifestyle due to the lack of opportunities in the standard workplace environment. Historically, immigrants have made up a large majority of entrepreneurs and it has been their primary way of upward mobility in society. The boom in high tech start-ups and other small businesses in the last decade have primarily been driven by children of immigrants. As a result of these recent trends this study analyses the foreign …

College Students' Attitudes Towards Green Hotel Practices, Elvis Perez

HIM 1990-2015

This research was conducted to discover college students' attitude towards green hotel practices and will be helpful to the hospitality industry to help focus their marketing efforts Based on the survey correlations between variables it appears that the people who use green practices at home are more aware of green practices when staying at a hotels. Implementing green practices into hotels will help the environment and also create a positive brand image and loyalty from guests. The movement of "Green" benefits everyone: the employer, the employees, and the guests.

Dick's Last Resort Restaurants: A Unconventional Theme "Bad Service" Becomes Unique Experience For Guests, Sunghyeon Kim

HIM 1990-2015

The hospitality industry has focused on increasing customer satisfaction by offering services that are generally described as flawless, courteous, and friendly. Dick's Last Resort restaurants, however, are distinguished by intentionally staged erroneous, obnoxious, and rude services that nevertheless provide a unique experience for customers. This unconventional service theme might work for some customers but not for others. This study focuses on exploring the factors that lead to customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction at Dick's Last Resort restaurants. In addition, customer satisfaction levels are examined according to gender and location. Using the modified critical incident technique, 518 online reviews were analyzed through …

A Quantitative Study Exploring The Difference Between Gaming Genre Preferences, Anil Bilgihan, Cihan Cobanoglu, Khaldoon Nusair, Fevzi Okumus, Milos Bujisic

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Although gaming technologies have been in use for more than thirty years, there is a lack of academic researchin this area. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to identify the difference between age and gender ingaming genre preferences. A cross sectional online survey was administered with a sample size of 408. It wasfound that there is a statistical difference between age groups and their gaming preferences with the older generation focusing more on strategic gaming offerings while the younger generation tended to side more withaction games. The findings of this study provide insights for game developers.

Meeting The Challenge Of Assurance Of Learning: Perspectives From Four Business Schools, Jane Whitney Gibson, Regina A. Greenwood, Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, Shelley R. Robbins, Julie A. Teahen, Dana V. Tesone

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

"Practice what you preach" is often a phrase used to emphasize the importance of maintaining one’s integrity through performing as one advises others. In the case of succession management, this phrase can be used to emphasize the differences between educators and practitioners. Furthermore, it is the practice of educators to instill in students the understanding that a succession plan is necessary in business practices. However, within the confines of higher education, succession management plans are rare. This brings into question if institutions are aware of the immoral implications that it establishes by teaching a concept itself is unwilling to implement.

Economic Impact Of Visitor Segments In Osceola County 2012, Robertico R. Croes, Manuel A. Rivera

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The main purpose of this report is to document the economic effects of tourism in Osceola County. Few industries have as much impact on the economy of Osceola County. In 2012, a total of 5.9 million tourists visited the area, spending on average $5.8 million per day, resulting in $2.1 billion in direct spending effect. The total economic contribution of tourism to the county is $3.1 billion, resulting in an estimated multiplier of 1.48. The total economic contribution of tourism accounts for about 28% of the gross economic product of the county. In total, the tourism industry supported one in …

The Week That Was, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

Some may regard this as one of the strangest weeks ever in Sportsworld. Certainly the less than forthcoming appearance by Lance Armstrong with Oprah had some surrealistic qualities. After years, or even decades, of denial, Armstrong told America’s mother-confessor that, yes, he had indulged in all sorts of performance enhancement techniques to win his record seven Tour de France crowns. The fact that he had taken PED’s surprised no one, but the fact that he did a TV confessional- “bless me Oprah for I have sinned”- surprised a lot of people both in and out of the cycling community.

Baseball Hall Of Fame, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

The biggest problem and greatest injustice with the voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame was not revealed yesterday. It is a problem and injustice that goes back several years and multiple votes by various groups of voters.

Hockey, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

In my Florida neighborhood it was a quiet Saturday morning. In fact it was probably much the same across much of the United States. No one was in the streets celebrating. No one made comparisons to 1980 when the United States won the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ufa, a city of million or so in Central Russia.

The Force Field Of Tourism, Jorge Ridderstaat, Robertico R. Croes, Peter Nijkamp

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The literature on tourism development has focused on a one dimensional relationship between tourism development and quality of life. The impact of shock events on the relationship tourism development and quality of life seems ignored. Rather less attention has been paid to the multi-dimensional aspects of the relationship between tourism development and quality of life, and the potential impact of shock events on shaping this relationship. This study proposes a conceptual framework describing a triad of relations between tourism development (TD), quality of life (QoL) and shock events, and advocates that a bilateral relation exists between these three constructs. The …

Social Media Effectiveness, Ya You

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade, the advent of social media such as online product reviews (e.g., Amazon.com),blogs and other social networking sites (e.g., Facebook.com) has dramatically changed the way consumers obtain and exchange information about products. This dissertation investigates the impact of various types of social media on product performance and compares the effectiveness of social and traditional media under various conditions. Specifically, the first chapter performs a meta-analysis of consumer-generated WOM elasticity in social media to identify the factors that influence the impact of WOM on product sales and to assess the generalizability of the relationship. The second chapter examines …

The Accelerator, Volume 6 Issue 11, Winter 2013, Christa Santos

The Accelerator

No abstract provided.

Backpacking In The Digital Age: Ethnographic Perspectives From Latin America, Russell Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis ethnographically examines the changing nature of backpacking for Westerners in Latin America amid a proliferation of mobile computing and social networking. While anthropological and sociocultural research on tourism is extensive, the social scientific literature on backpacking has, thus far, been largely unconcerned with Western Hemisphere countries and the effects of digital technology on this mode of travel. Recent findings suggest, however, that backpacking has currently moved beyond its niche roots as a subculture of independent traveling into a full-fledged tourist industry. My thesis investigates the Latin American backpacking scene to better understand if this is a global trend. …