Business Commons^™

Deloitte U.S. Strategic Analysis, Lucy Bazis

Honors Theses

Deloitte is a well-known public accounting firm that provides various services, such as audit, tax, and consulting. This analysis assesses the external forces affecting Deloitte utilizing a PESTEL analysis, the industry forces utilizing a Porter’s Five Forces analysis, the current strategy, competitive advantages, and the resources of capabilities of the firm. Based on the assessment, this paper gives strategic recommendations to remain the top of the accounting industry.

Workiva Strategic Audit, Rose Pilakowski

Honors Theses

Workiva is a software development company that simplifies complex reports for companies in over 180 countries around the world. Within a controlled, secure, audit-ready platform, Workiva customers connect critical business data directly with their source systems. This paper will analyze Workiva to help understand how it utilizes its platform to gain and sustain competitive advantages in the software and accounting environments. After completing an analysis of Workiva and its industry, I found that Workiva currently sits at an advantageous position in relation to its competitors, but still has room to grow in holding the lead above them.

Fedex Ground Strategic Audit, Samantha Gates

Honors Theses

FedEx Ground is an operating segment of the parcel carrier giant FedEx Inc. The company, known for shipping products via delivery truck, has remained one of the largest parcel carriers in the country, despite drastic changes in its environment. This report seeks to understand the changing operating environment of FedEx Ground, its competitive advantages, and the future challenges it may face. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry FedEx Ground operates in. Additionally, challenges and recommendations are offered to navigate the future of this company.

Handwringing Over How To Slice The Pie When Ustr Should Be Focused On Growing It, Christine Mcdaniel

Yeutter Institute International Trade Policy Review

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) recently released its report on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on U.S. workers and “underrepresented and underserved communities.” The report catalogs a host of information gathered from a literature review and several roundtables on the adverse effects of U.S. manufacturing imports. But the report’s laser focus on manufacturing imports leaves a huge gap for readers interested in the distributional effects of trade.

Manufacturing imports are an important part of trade, but they aren’t all of trade. Trade is imports and exports, goods and services, inputs and final goods. Trade is manufacturing, …

Training Transfer, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is training transfer? Training transfer is formally defined as “the degree to which trainees effectively apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained in a training context to the job” (Baldwin & Ford, 1988, p. 63). Training transfer has been conceptualized based on three main factors, which are detailed further below. ► Maintenance versus generalization: Maintenance consists of the degree to which knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) from the learning environment are able to persist over time, whereas generalization consists of being able to take KSAs acquired from a learning environment and apply them to situations or settings that are …

How Can Supervisors Support New Employees?, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

QIC-Tips

When the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) recently asked public child welfare agency staff and leaders about their concerns related to improving the workforce, one of the questions was, “How do we support new employees?” This QIC-Tip aims to answer this question with research-informed recommendations and practical advice from the field.

The process by which newcomers make the transition from being organizational outsiders to being insiders is known as onboarding, or organizational socialization (Bauer et al., 2007). The overall goal of onboarding is to facilitate newcomer adjustment, meaning that new employees understand the key tasks of …

Exploring Mortgage Loan Opportunities For Native 360, Donald Nam, Brooks Douglass, Michael Buehre Stackpole, Broderick Diez

Honors Theses

Native 360 is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that aims to provide affordable capital, credit, and assistance to develop strong and self-sufficient Native Americans. Native 360 currently accomplishes this by specializing in providing personal and business loans. However, Native 360 would like to expand into home mortgages as an additional offering. Native 360 has reached out to us to have us develop a strategy to raise capital for their ambitious new business line in an attempt to strengthen the Native American community through home ownership.

Launching An Online Boutique And Analyzing Digital Marketing Strategies Used, Kayla Weyers

Honors Theses

Digital marketing is becoming more relevant and widely used in the marketing industry. In order to use the marketing skills that I have learned through my marketing major in a real-world scenario, I launched an online women’s clothing store called Ash + Grae. This paper examines the start-up process and legal obstacles of opening a small business. It also analyzes the different marketing techniques by comparing digital marketing strategies such as social media, influencer, email, and SEO marketing.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: November 30, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 0.12% in October 2022. The leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic growth six months in the future, has fallen in four of the last six months. Such a decline signals a stagnant economy in Nebraska at the beginning of 2023. Four components of the leading indicator worsened during October. There was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance, signaling some softening of the Nebraska labor market. There was also an increase in the value of the U.S. Dollar in October. A rising dollar creates challenges for Nebraska businesses that compete in international markets. …

Importance Of Good Communications For Generational Ag Business Transfers, Allan Vyhnalek

Cornhusker Economics

Adapted from Right Risk, volume 10, Issue 10, October 2022.

Effective communication within a farm or ranch family, especially when multiple generations are operating and managing the business, is the underpinning of all other decisions made in a family business. It is critical that farm and ranch families identify areas of contention and develop communication skills that will allow them to negotiate satisfying outcomes. This may involve basic skills training, including communication, problem solving, and decision making.

Northern Natural Gas Company Strategic Audit, Morgan Reinecke

Honors Theses

Northern Natural Gas Company is a natural gas interstate pipeline company owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. A strategic audit of the company was conducted by analyzing external and internal factors affecting the future of the company. The transportation industry macro environment was assessed using PESTEL analysis. The competitive environment of the industry was evaluated using Porter’s Five Forces. Northern Natural Gas Company differentiates itself from competitors by its position in the market and its competitive advantages of having an extensive pipeline network, a reputation for reliability, and high-quality customer service. To maintain a sustainable competitive advantage, Northern Natural Gas Company …

Takeda Pharmaceutical Rare Hematology Strategic Audit, Brian Duval

Honors Theses

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company is a large Japanese-based multinational pharmaceutical company that manufactures treatments for many different diseases. It is the largest pharmaceutical company in Asia and has a significant share in markets across the world. This report focuses specifically on Takeda’s treatments for rare bleeding disorders under its Rare Diseases & Hematology division. Using internal and external analysis tools, this report seeks to understand how Takeda has created and sustained competitive advantages in the complex environment of the pharmaceutical industry. Specific tools used to highlight this include Porter’s Five Forces and PESTEL analyses. This report also examines the environment surrounding …

Value Of Gain On Winter Backgrounded Cattle, Elliott James Dennis

Center for Agricultural Profitability

Survey work from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln shows that producers can use a combination of price risk management and different lengths in their production system as a hedge against adverse price movements. Putting on weight during the winter and selling in March-April or selling in the late summer are the two common backgrounding production systems in Nebraska. Within these two systems, total weight gain can be influenced by the type of feed given. Table 1 shows group-level trial data for these two types of systems in Nebraska. Gain can either be fast or slow in either the winter stocking 2022-23 …

Digital Research Proficiency In Information And Communication Technology Skills Employed By Secretarial Staff And Business Teachers In Day-To-Day Administration And Training In Secondary Schools, Honesta Chidiebere Anorue, Ogenyi Ochehe, Maureen Anayo Madu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Not only does Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have the potential to increase the efficacy and efficiency of teaching and learning, it also has the potential to lessen administrative obligations. This study investigates the extent to which secretarial staff and business teachers use of digital research proficiency in information and communication technology skills in their day-to-day interactions in secondary schools in Benue State. Specifically, a descriptive survey research approach was used for this investigation.The study tested four hypotheses and answered four research questions at 0. 05 level of significance. The study's population was 53 respondents that comprised 38 business teachers …

The Impact Of Low Stocks-To-Use Ratio And The Ukraine-Russia Conflict On The Distillers-To-Corn Price Ratio, Elliott James Dennis

Center for Agricultural Profitability

Distillers’ grains play an important role in both maintaining ethanol plant profit margins and providing affordable, nutritious feed to livestock feeding operations. Distillers’ grains are produced as necessary by-products of the fuel ethanol production process and therefore rely on an input grain – most commonly corn in the United States – and fuel ethanol in their production (USDA ERS 2021). As a result, the primary tenets of the supply structure in the distillers’ grains market In the United States are fuel ethanol and corn, while livestock operations in need of feed products comprise the majority of distillers’ grain demand structure.

“Friendshoring,” Ag Markets, North American Integration Among Issues Examined At Yeutter Institute Symposium, Geitner Simmons

Yeutter Institute International Trade Policy Review

A Nov. 2, 2022, symposium sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Yeutter Institute brought together experts addressing a wide array of trade matters, including global ag market dynamics, North American economic integration and Asia-Pacific economic diplomacy. Among the key questions discussed:

— What complications arise for efforts to shift trade policy toward “friendshoring”?

— How well has North American economic integration fared in the wake of NAFTA and its successor, the USMCA?

— What factors, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are currently affecting agricultural markets and global food insecurity?

— What guideposts can best direct U.S. economic diplomacy …

Effective Medical Waste Management For Sustainable Green Healthcare, Sang M. Lee, Donhee Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study examines the importance of medical waste management activities for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. This study applied a multiple methodological approach as follows. A thorough review of the literature was performed to delineate the factors that have been explored for reducing medical waste; hospital staff who handle medical waste were surveyed to obtain their opinions on these factors; the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the priorities among the identified key factors; and experts’ opinions were consulted to assess the actual applicability of the results derived by the AHP. The study identified the following factors …

Counterproductive Work Behavior, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is counterproductive work behavior? Counterproductive work behavior (CWB), also sometimes referred to as workplace deviance, is defined as “voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and in so doing threatens the well-being of an organization, its members, or both” (Robinson & Bennett, 1995, p. 556). CWB is one of the three main domains of workplace performance, along with task performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB; Dalal, 2005). CWB and OCB are thought to be conceptually opposite constructs; CWB is behavior that harms an organization, whereas OCB is behavior that helps an organization. Indeed, CWB and OCB are modestly and …

Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is organizational citizenship behavior? Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is defined as “individual behavior that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system, and in the aggregate promotes the efficient and effective functioning of the organization” (Organ, 1988, p. 4). This definition has been further refined to specify that OCB supports task performance in organizations by enhancing the work environment where task performance takes place (Organ, 1997). OCB is one of the three main domains comprising workplace performance, along with task performance and counterproductive work behavior (CWB; Dalal, 2005). OCB is thought to be conceptually opposite …

Innovation In Futures Markets: Event Contracts, Speculation, And Hedging, Fabio Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

The CME Group has recently launched a new type of contract whose payoffs are based on specific events. These contracts are called event contracts but are also known as prediction contracts or information contracts. They are short-term contracts that expire at the end of each trading day. Traders can take positions in these contracts as they predict whether the price of a given asset will finish the trading day above or below a set value.

Discusses: How are they traded? Main characteristics of event contracts. Event contracts offered by CME group and event examples on October 21, 2022. Why were …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 26, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.34% in September 2022, after a small decline in July and August. The leading indicator is designed to predict economic growth six months in the future. A flat value for the indicator over the last three months signals a stagnant economy in Nebraska at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. Three components of the leading indicator improved during September. There was an increase in hours worked in the manufacturing industry. There was also a decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance and respondents to the September Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to …

Historical Corn Price Evolution Implications For Pre-Harvest Hedging, Cory Walters, Richard K. Preston

Cornhusker Economics

Commodity markets evolve through information provided by participating buyers and sellers and throughout this process the conditions in which commodity markets work are revealed. Producer pre-harvest commodity marketing can be further developed by incorporating information on how commodity markets work, leading to better farm financial performance.

We investigate how commodity markets have historically evolved from spring to fall. While changes in future prices appear random in any given year, observing average daily prices over 32 years could uncover a seasonal tendency. In the past 32 years, the average daily price tends to be higher in the spring than the fall, …

New Cooperative Approaches: Successes And Opportunities, Charlotte Narjes

Cornhusker Economics

The National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International states that there are 40,000 co-ops in the United States that range in size. Examples of cooperatives include the local Ace Hardware (purchasing cooperative) to Land O' Lakes. Cooperative businesses operate across virtually all industries, or sectors. The most common cooperative in Nebraska is the agricultural cooperative. According to the Nebraska Cooperative Council ag facts, in June 2020 there were 401 cooperatives located across the state providing jobs and services in many rural communities. In addition, there are over 64,400 farmers and ranchers that are voting members of Nebraska cooperatives with many members …

With No Deterrent Effect, The Wto Dispute Settlement Crisis Leaves Us Exporters Exposed, Especially Us Agriculture, Christine Mcdaniel

Yeutter Institute International Trade Policy Review

The absence of a functioning Appellate Body at the World Trade Organization (WTO) leaves the dispute settlement mechanism weakened, and countries may be more likely to pursue their domestic policy goals in ways that restrict trade. Industries with relatively large export exposure like US agriculture will be particularly vulnerable in this new chaotic regime. The deterrent effect is more important than you think An integral part of the world trading system has been the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism, which enables the WTO to enforce the rules the Members signed up for. Knowing you could get sued in the WTO for …

On The Market For "Lemons": When Low Quality Does Not Drive High Quality Out Of The Market, Konstantinos Giannakas, Murray E. Fulton

Cornhusker Economics

In a research article published in Nature's Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s4l 599-020-00658-w) we identify the conditions under which the introduction of a low -quality product does not drive its high-quality counterpart out of the market but, instead, ends-up coexisting with it. Using a theoretical framework of heterogeneous consumers and producers in the context of a market for quality- ( or vertically-) differentiated products supplied by producers differing in their production efficiency, we show that the equilibrium quality configuration in a market depends on both the unobservability of product quality by consumers and the relative costs …

Don't Let The Past Sink Your Future, Timothy L. Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

Decision scientists have many algorithms for making decisions. These algorithms can be qualitative and subjective, such as following a 7-step process, to highly quantitative procedures like minimax regret, or linear programming. These techniques are very different from each other, but in one way they are very similar; they never, ever suggest the manager become emotional and use past decisions to guide the future.

Past decisions and events should guide decision-making. They help managers assign probabilities as well assessing performance. Viewing these events and situations as permanent paths is where sunk costs become problematic.

Includes discussions of four scenarios.

New Plant Engineering Techniques, R&D Investment And International Trade, Stéphan Marette, Anne-Célia Disdier, Anastasia Bodnar, John C. Beghin

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

New plant engineering techniques (NPETs) may significantly improve both production and quality of foods. Some consumers and regulators around the world might be reluctant to accept such products and the global market penetration of these products may remain low. We develop a parsimonious economic model for R&D investment in food innovations to identify conditions under which NPET technology emerges in the context of international trade. The framework integrates consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for the new food, the uncertainty of R&D processes, the associated regulatory cost of approval, and the competition between domestic and foreign products. With generic applicability, the …

A Strategic Audit Of Hasbro, William Weiner, Amanda Fuechtmann, Avery Smith, Michaela Webb, Zach Buhman

Honors Theses

This strategic audit dives into ten components of Hasbro’s strategic management. The first component discusses Hasbro’s history and current strategic leadership. This is followed by an analysis of the impacts of its external and internal environment. Next, the audit examines Hasbro’s recent performance and competition it faces in the Toy Wholesaling industry. The sixth, seventh, and eighth components consider different levels of strategy that Hasbro pursues. Lastly, the strategic audit considers Hasbro’s corporate governance and its organizational structure and controls.

Overall, we conclude that Hasbro is a mature company in a slow-growing industry. Its ability to translate its iconic and …

Perceptions Of The Economy And Employment In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2022 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy L. Meyer, Steven A. Schulz, Amanda Tupper

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans believe most of the listed economic items will become worse or much worse over the next 12 months when asked in May and June. Almost nine in ten think the following will become worse: inflation, gasoline or diesel fuel prices, grocery prices, and interest rates. In fact, at least four in ten rural Nebraskans believe the following items will become much worse in the next 12 months: gasoline or diesel fuel prices, inflation, grocery prices, and healthcare costs. The two items that had less than one-half believing they would become worse or much worse during the next …

Work-Family Enrichment, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is work-family enrichment? Work-family enrichment is used to describe the positive benefits derived from spillover between work and family. Specifically, work-family enrichment is formally defined as “the extent to which experiences in one role improve the quality of life in the other role” (Greenhaus & Powell, 2006, p. 73). This is often contrasted with the concept of work-family conflict, which represents the negative spillover between the work and family domains. Work-family enrichment is often distinguished by the direction of its effect; benefits from work that are applied to the family domain are termed work-to-family enrichment (WFE), and benefits from …