Business Commons^™

Nelnet Consulting Project, Ellie Hellman, Kennedy Johnston, Abe Stutzman, Emily Kist, Sam Stott, Tom Hermanek

Honors Theses

The purpose of this capstone engagement was to do a market analysis of two potential investment opportunities for Nelnet. Our group went through an extensive research process of current players in the market, regulations that exist, financial considerations, and risk analysis. Through the capstone course we were introduced to design thinking and the 10 types of innovation to use as methods of evaluation for the Nelnet consultation. Our team went through processes such as stakeholder analysis, PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and internal resources and capabilities. Our final project consisted of a formal presentation to Nelnet executives and final report …

Challenges Of The Industrial Revolution Era 1.0 To 5.0 : University Digital Library In Indoensia, Merlin Apriliyanti, Ilham M

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study explains the development of the world of libraries to establish a very close relationship with the world of information technology. For this reason, facilities and infrastructure are needed to facilitate data and information retrieval quickly and accurately. Facing the challenges of the Industrial Revolution 5.0 era by utilizing information technology, libraries must also adapt to the times. Because the library has an important role, among others, as a source of information and the development of knowledge. Used libraries are still conventional to be converted into digital libraries. In essence, this development represents the desire of library users for …

The Effect Innovation Of Information Technology, Product, Work, And Service Toward Development Performance Academic Business Laboratory In Indonesia, Ilham M, Tanti Handriana, Fendy Suhariadi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study was conducted to compile a work plan and create an integrated laboratory information system and improve academic services at Uin Sunan Ampel Surabaya based on the implementation of work programs towards a world class university. The purpose of this research activity is to design and implement a system capable of providing work information for each manager of the integration laboratory and maximizing the utilization of the integration laboratory so that the use of the integration laboratory is better and more precise. The results of this research can form an integrated laboratory information system that can optimize the performance …

Green Delivery: An Arbor Day Foundation Partnership Program, David Petersen

Honors Theses

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) will partner with online retailers to create a ‘Green-Delivery’ option wherein customers can opt to delay the shipment of their order by a day in exchange for a tree being planted in their name. Each partner would fulfill their donation obligation to the ADF by allocating a portion of the cost savings generated by shipping their orders via a slower service.

Green Delivery: A New Approach For The Arbor Day Foundation, Cassandra Arritt, Vincent Malene, Anthony Hare, Sarah Schilling, David Petersen, Ross Grieb

Honors Theses

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) will partner with online retailers to create a ‘Green-Delivery’ option wherein customers can opt to delay the shipment of their order by a day in exchange for a tree being planted in their name. Each partner would fulfill their donation obligation to the ADF by allocating a portion of the cost savings generated by shipping their orders via a slower service.

Google Ads: A Strategic Audit, Jessee Zhang

Honors Theses

Google began as an internet search product, allowing users to find relevant sites based on a search query. Over the past several decades, Google has become an extremely large and profitable business though online digital advertisements. While Google has a diverse product mix, the overwhelming majority of its revenue is generated through ads. This strategic audit first looks at the current external environment, looking at the political, economic, social, and technological changes and opportunities relevant to the industry. Then, it looks at the current competitive environment and shows the profitability of the business because of the large barrier to entry. …

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla, John J. Stobbe Jr.

Honors Theses

This paper examines in depth one of the most innovative companies in recent years: Tesla. Redefining what it means to be an electric car, Tesla has produced impressive cars year after year. However, they’ve run into tremendous production issues and have still yet to make any significant profits. This strategic audit analyzes Tesla’s current place in the market and considers many perspectives to come to a proposed recommendation. This recommendation is to secure its market share and resolve production issues. This could be accomplished through sticking to only a few Tesla car models, then iterating year after year, and then …

Review Of “Dreammakers: Innovating For The Greater Good” By Michele Hunt, Dreammakers (Dreammakers.Org), Sang M. Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This is an inspiring book about DreamMakers, those individuals and organizations that have the audacity to rethink, redesign, and co-create a new world view of doing well by doing good. These dream makers aspire to reset the workings of the world to alleviate major ills and problems that societies face today. To understand and appreciate this book fully, we need to know about the author.

Michele Hunt is an extraordinarily successful lady with colorful professional background. Upon graduation from college (BA in Sociology from Eastern Michigan University and MA in Sociology from University of Detroit), she worked for 9 years …

7 Tips To Grow Your Rural Business With Purpose And Meaning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative Collections

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this article is to help rural entrepreneurs discover ways to grow their businesses with Living with Purpose and Meaning Megatrend.

Become A Future-Focused Leader: Use Three Megatrends To Grow Your Rural Business, Connie Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative Collections

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. This article discusses three megatrends shaping the future of rural businesses:

1) The Rise of the #GigEconomy

2) Living with Purpose and Meaning

3) The Decentralized Marketplace

The article also provides coaching tips for rural entrepreneurs on how to use megatrends to grow their businesses.

While many companies are struggling to keep up with the rapid rate of change, …

Quality Management And Innovation: New Insights On A Structural Contingency Framework, Dara Schniederjans, Marc Schniederjans

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

With increasing market competition, organizations are striving for greater innovation in products and services. Quality management has the potential to invigorate an organization’s product, process and administrative innovation when strategically aligned with internal contingencies. This paper seeks to address the relationship between social and technical quality management with innovation. Moreover, this paper empirically assesses contingency factors including organization size, task and managerial ethics which play roles in moderating the relationship between quality management and innovation. Based on an empirical study we find social quality management practices, not technical quality management practices, are positively associated with innovation. We also find a …

Future-Focused Leadership: Three Mega-Trends Influencing Distance Learning, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

While many continue to question the skyrocketing costs and value of a college education, future-focused leaders are recreating learning experiences by blending technology with the human experience. What does the future of distance learning look like, taste like and feel like? It can be difficult to predict the future of education as the world continues to evolve at an increasingly rapid pace; however, distance learning administrators can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to plan for the future. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. The purpose of this paper is to …

The Marshmallow Challenge, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

I discovered the Marshmallow Challenge when taking an online course through Stanford called, “A Crash Course in Creativity” with Dr. Tina Seelig (http://venture-lab.org/creativity).

The exercise has been used with groups of all ages from around the world by Tom Wujec, who Seelig calls an, “award-winning designer and innovator” (p. 144).

How do you use the Marshmallow Challenge? I use it in a number of different ways:

1. As an icebreaker
2. As a teambuilding exercise
3. To stimulate creativity and innovation
4. As an experiential exercise that adds FUN to learning!

Seelig and I have the same thoughts on the importance of …

Ownership Structure, Absorptive Capacity, And Innovation: Planting Vs Harvesting Innovation, Seung Hoon Jang

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation investigates the main research question: Which classification of innovation explains the heterogeneous timing of revenue realization? Given the significance of financial gain, researchers are recommended to pay attention to whether innovation outcomes result in commercial gains in the short term. Following this notion, a new category of innovation, planting and harvesting, is presented. While harvesting innovation seeks new resources in the expectation of commercial performance in the short term, planting innovation pursues potential resources creating value over a long time period. The interest in the determinants and financial contribution of these types of innovation leads to the second …

Coaching As A Catalyst: Distance Learning For Personal Innovation (Revised Presentation), Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract of the paper and basis of the presentation:

Coaching is emerging as a tool that can be used to achieve sustainable personal and organizational innovation, and distance education technologies have made coaching more accessible, affordable and available. Distance learning professionals are in a unique position to help technology-based coaching evolve in an effective and sustainable manner. The expertise and experience of distance learning professionals has the potential to advance the interrelationships between teaching, learning and coaching in an effort to help individuals and organizations achieve sustainable and meaningful innovation. A coaching case study utilizing the Inner Leader Coaching Ecosystem …

Coaching As A Catalyst: Distance Learning For Personal Innovation, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Abstract of the paper and basis of the presentation:

Coaching is emerging as a tool that can be used to achieve sustainable personal and organizational innovation, and distance education technologies have made coaching more accessible, affordable and available. Distance learning professionals are in a unique position to help technology-based coaching evolve in an effective and sustainable manner. The expertise and experience of distance learning professionals has the potential to advance the interrelationships between teaching, learning and coaching in an effort to help individuals and organizations achieve sustainable and meaningful innovation. A coaching case study utilizing the Inner Leader Coaching Ecosystem …

The Freedom To Create Your Destiny, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

We have a unique gift in the United States, and that gift is freedom. The Declaration of Independence guarantees all of us “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This means we are free to pursue our lives and our vocations in any way that makes sense to us. Freedom is what makes America so great. What we do with our freedom is up to us. It is our choice. Freedom is our grandest opportunity and should be protected, especially in challenging times.

This radio update presents discusses the importance of freedom.

Coaching For Personal Innovation: The Role Of Intuition, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Innovation has become essential to survival and success in the 21^st Century. Globalization combined with the rapid rate of change and explosive population growth have created a need for entrepreneurial activity, both inside and outside of new venture creation, that leads to continuous innovation while considering social and environmental impacts. Entrepreneurs are needed to establish new ventures and to employ others while developing new products, services and solutions. Entrepreneurial individuals, who may or may not start a business, are needed because they are innovators who behave or act in a proactive manner and move organizations forward.

Many different structures, …

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer And A Four-Year-Old: Lessons For Leadership & Life, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Last week while I was in the shower, my four-year-old daughter, Raquel, walked into the bathroom and asked me an interesting question. “Mom, why doesn’t anyone like Rudolph’s shiny red nose?” My daughter was supposed to be in bed sleeping. I am 99% sure she was lying in bed reflecting on her day.

Many nights I have quietly checked on her before going to bed myself only to find her talking to herself while she makes vivid hand gestures and motions. On this particular evening, her talk and gestures must have focused on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. After thinking about …

The Increasing World Population: A Call For Entrepreneurial Leadership & Innovation, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

According to the United Nations, the world’s population hit 7 billion on October 31, 2011. The United Nations is projecting the world population to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. The new population landmark set off alarms in governments and organizations around the world. Most of the growth will occur in the poorest and least developed regions of the world, which already must work to resolve issues related to shortages of quality food, soil, air and water. Many people living in these countries also lack access to education, healthcare and global political capital. This white paper discusses the importance of innovation …

Coaching Leaders: Co-Creating Purpose Based Innovation, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Innovation always begins with people, and leading innovation at the individual and organizational levels can be a tricky process. This presentation focuses on Dr. Connie's Inner-Leader Coaching Ecosystem and the positive impact it has had in three different cases.

(Presentation) Innovation Begins With People: Leading With A New Lens, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Innovation always begins with people. This workshop focused on the importance of creativity and innovation for Nebraska leaders and communities.

Innovation Begins With People: Leading With A New Lens, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Innovation Begins with People: Leading with a New Lens will focus on developing innovation strategies for communities. Topics covered include leadership, creativity, innovation, teamwork, trends, challenges and opportunities.

Interorganizational Knowledge Transfer Through Corporate Venture Investment, Taewan Kim

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A single research question motivated this dissertation: How does corporate venture capital investment by a parent firm affect knowledge transfer from the start-up? In answering this question I employed two theoretical foundations. First, drawing on the concept of distant search, I argue that search for external knowledge through CVC investment provides a parent firm with an opportunity to source external knowledge from the start-up. Second, building upon literature on knowledge transfer, I suggest that types of CVC structure facilitate external knowledge transferred from the start-up to a parent firm. Finally, I posit that knowledge attribute of the parent firm improves …

What's Your Pitch? Explain Your Business In 30 Seconds (Or Less)!, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

This keynote presentation was designed to help entrepreneurs, small business owners and community leaders use the "High 5" Elevator Pitch developed by Connie Reimers-Hild, Ph.D. (creimers2@unl.edu) to better sell themselves, their businesses and communities.

Ready, Set...Pitch: Marketing Yourself With A High Five For The Nta Promarks Spring Meeting, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

A workshop presented at the NTA Promarks Spring Meeting designed to help them develop their elevator pitches using Dr. Connie's High 5 Elevator Pitch method

Leading Innovation: Creating A Culture Of Sustainability Workshop Presentation, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

A workshop designed to lead sustainable innovation with a focus on Dr. Connie's "5 Rays" of Innovation

Leading Innovation: Creating A Culture Of Sustainability Workbook, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

A workbook designed to compliment the workshop, "Leading Innovation: Creating a Culture of Sustainability" and focused on teaching Dr. Connie's 5 Rays of Innovation

Leading Innovation: Creating A Culture Of Sustainability For Communities, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Innovation is as essential to communities as it is to businesses and other organizations. This innovation workshop focused on core elements of leading innovation in communities.

Dr. Connie's Inner Leader Coaching Ecosystem, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Dr. Connie’s Inner Leader Coaching Ecosystem recognizes that life is a journey

with its ups and downs, joys and sorrows, positive and negative changes.

It is designed to blend the spiritual with the physical and material. Most importantly,

it is an ecosystem that recognizes the importance of living fully while making

desired changes and adjustments. A central focus of Dr. Connie’s Inner Leader

Coaching Ecosystem is to help clients live more fully while on their journey to

develop their inner leader and move towards their personal vision. It is not a

coaching process focused on solely reaching goals and achieving …