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Minutes & Seconds: The Scientists, Patrick Aievoli

Zea E-Books Collection

Minutes & Seconds, is a captivating intelligible read for those who strive to understand where the “what if” moment has gone. Succeeding his other captivating books, Aievoli’s deep introspective lens dials his readers in to awaken the proverbial sleeping giant inside of our consciousness. He designs an insightful exciting romp through the surreal landscape of our society and illustrates how various pioneers have lead us to a crossroads. I’m truly impressed with Aievoli’s perspicacious comprehension of where digital has taken us through the hands of these select individuals. --Sequoyah Wharton

In creating Minutes & Seconds, Aievoli has assembled an interesting …

Using Implementation Science To Strengthen The Child Welfare Workforce, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The QIC-WD is using implementation science to strengthen the child welfare workforce in eight child welfare agencies across the U.S. According to a synthesis of the literature, implementation can be defined as a specified set of activities designed to put into practice and activity or program of known dimensions. The QIC-WD is using the implementation science framework developed by NIRN and the guide created by the Permanency Innovations Initiative to support our sites through the stages of implementation: Exploration, Installation, Initial Implementation, and Full Implementation as described below. The QIC-WD knows that high quality implementation of a selected intervention is …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: September 12, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer and business confidence diverged in Nebraska during August 2018. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) rose from 106.4 in July to 110.4 In August but the Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell, dropping from 101.9 in July to 100.2 in August. Business confidence remains well above the neutral level of 100, but consumer confidence is best described as neutral. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 26 percent of respondents, while the availability and quality of labor was mentioned by 24 percent, 13 percent mentioned competition from other businesses, …

Individual And Community Quality Of Life In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report 18-3, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph Cantrell, Brad Lubben, Larry J. Mcelravy Jr., Timothy Meyer

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

Trends in Community Ratings (1996–2018)

Community Change, 1996–2018

Expected Community Change Ten Years from Now: 2011–2018

Expected Destination of Those Planning to Move: 1998–2018

Proportions of Respondents Very or Somewhat Satisfied with Each Service, 1997–2018

The Community and Its Attributes in 2018

Perceptions of Community Change by Region

Expected Community Change in Ten Years by Community Size

Feelings of Community Powerlessness by Region

Satisfaction with Retail Shopping by Region

Satisfaction with Cost of Housing by Community Size

Satisfaction with Cellular Phone Service by Community Size

Opinions About Community

Change in Community Political Discussions during …

Skills-Based Volunteering As Both Work And Not Work: A Tension-Centered Examination Of Constructions Of “Volunteer”, Sarah Steimel

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The Corporation for National and Community Service defines professional skills-based community service as “the practice of using work-related knowledge and expertise in a volunteer opportunity.” Traditional definitions of volunteer work in organizational communication scholarship, however, are typically based on (1) the bifurcation between work and volunteer activity; (2) low barriers to volunteer entry and exit; (3) the lack of managerial power/control over volunteers; and (4) the altruistic focus of volunteer work. An analysis of interviews with 19 skills-based volunteers highlights the identity and role tensions inherent in professional volunteering and serves as the basis for a proposal for a new …

[Nebraska] Innovation Studio Assists Stadium Window Upgrade, Deann Gayman

Nebraska Innovation Studio

Nebraska Innovation Studio assists Memorial Stadium window upgrade.

Husker fans in Memorial Stadium's club suites will get to watch the Scott Frost era kickoff with a nearly obstructed view through new windows developed by a Lincoln company, with an assist from Nebraska Innovation Studio (https://innovationstudio.unl.edu/nebraska-innovation-studio).

Chad Bloomquist, a Lincoln native and project manager for Glass Edge, combined elements of residential single-hung windows with a component from rolling garage doors to create a completely new design that minimizes window frames, enhancing the view of the action on the field.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: August 22, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 was flat during July of 2018, rising by just 0.05%. A flat value for the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, suggests that Nebraska economic growth will slow significantly at the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019. Business expectations were a positive component of the leading indicator. Respondents to the July Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. However, a rising U.S. dollar and a drop in building permits for …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: August 3, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Business confidence fell in Nebraska during July 2018. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) fell from 115.4 in June to 106.4 In July. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) also fell, dropping from 103.9 in June to 101.9 in July. Both business and consumer confidence are above the neutral level of 100, but confidence in Nebraska is best described as solid rather than strong. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 36 percent of respondents, while the availability and quality of labor was mentioned by 24 percent and 9 percent …

Social Issues In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Perceptions Of Social Stigma And Drug And Alcohol Abuse: 2018 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Conclusion

Many rural Nebraskans think it brings shame upon a person to do the following: file personal bankruptcy, apply for food stamps and apply for income assistance. Most rural Nebraskans disagree that the following items bring shame to a person: go to Alcoholics Anonymous or other alcohol treatment, seek mental health care, and go to drug treatment. In general, rural Nebraskans say that residents of their community are more likely than they personally are to think doing the items brings shame upon a person.

At least one-third of rural Nebraskans think the following are a very serious problem or a …

Buying Behaviors Of Generation X Women On Fast Fashion Products: A Mixed Methods Study, Yiyue Fan

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fast fashion has changed the world’s fashion industry and consumer behavior extensively. Not only has the fast fashion provided “hot” products that capture the latest fashion trends from the catwalk, but has also allowed consumers purchase products with affordable prices (Su et al., 2016). Generation X is an important age group to study since it “bridged pre-digital and digital cultures, liberal and neo-conservative political swings, material abundance and economic hardship, social engagement” and has an important role in bridging baby boomers and the Millennials (Katz, 2017). A lot of literature is available about Millennials consumer buying behavior, but very little …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: July 25, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 fell by 0.40% during June of 2018. The decline in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, suggests that the pace of Nebraska economic growth will slow significantly during the 4th quarter of 2018. The indicator fell due to another sharp increase in the value of the U.S. dollar. A rising dollar puts additional pressure on Nebraska businesses which export. A decline in manufacturing hours and an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance also contributed to the drop in the LEI-N. Business expectations were …

Readiness For Change And Why It Matters, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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Organizations seeking to implement and evaluate a workforce intervention must be prepared for change. Change management experts suggest that when readiness in an organization is high, the organization is better able to initiate and sustain a major change. Staff in organizations that are ready for change are more likely to exert greater effort, persist in the face of obstacles, and display cooperative behavior. In organizations where staff are not ready for change, implementation and evaluation of a new intervention can be very difficult. Staff may not be ready for change if they don’t see the need for an intervention, are …

Understanding The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Turnover, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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“Organizational culture” is a term used to describe the norms and expectations in a work environment. Research has found that there are three aspects of a human services organization’s culture that predict better outcomes related to the implementation of evidence-based practices, staff turnover, and the serviced provided: 1. Proficiency includes staff skills, competence, responsiveness, and a focus on client well-being. 2. Rigidity reflects issues related to decision making, transparency, micromanagement, and trust. 3. Resistance considers if staff are resistant to change or new ways of doing things. Healthy organizations are highly proficient and not too rigid or resistant. For example …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: July 6, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Business confidence surged in Nebraska during June 2018. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) rose from 102.4 in May to 115.4 In June. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) also rose, ticking up from 101.3 in May to 103.9 in June. The surge in business confidence is a significant improvement, especially since both business and consumer confidence had declined in Nebraska during April and May. With confidence high, businesses were concerned about costs and competition. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 27 percent of respondents, while the availability and …

Virginia Selects And Begins Implementation Of A Workforce Intervention: Transcription Services, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) was the first QIC-WD site to select a workforce intervention. VDSS learned from the field that many workers leave the agency because they feel overloaded with paperwork. In Virginia, 2,400 Family Services Specialists (FSS) representing 120 local departments of social services (LDSS) perform child welfare and adult protective services. These FSS must document case notes for all interactions with clients, families, and service providers. FSS often manage several high-priority cases and need tools to complete their required documentation in a timely and high-quality manner. VDSS decided to implement three technology solutions to ease …

Stress And The Child Welfare Workforce: Recognizing Signs Of Secondary Traumatic Stress, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

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Child welfare workers are exposed to a variety of stressors in their everyday work. These stressors can come from: 1. Direct traumatic events – Murder, threats on the lives of workers or their family members, name calling, cursing, shouting, assaults, dog attacks, and property damage. 2. Secondary traumatic events – Exposure to the perpetrators or the victims and survivors of trauma (e.g., children who are abused, neglected, abandoned, and killed, battered women, victims of crime, survivors of natural disasters). 3. Organizational environments – Bureaucratic rules, paperwork, work overload, role confusion, high demands with low resources, high levels of office politics, …

Economic Development In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Internet Use, Nature-Based Tourism, Federal Tax Policy And Workforce Development: 2018 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Conclusion

The proportion of rural Nebraskans accessing the Internet using their cell phone has increased compared to two years ago. But, the proportion subscribing to high-speed Internet service at home remained stable during the past two years. Persons living in or near the smallest communities are less likely than persons living in or near larger communities to have high-speed Internet service at home.

Not many rural Nebraskans report significant limitations from their home Internet service on their ability to do most tasks. At least one in ten report being limited significantly or not being able to play real time video …

The Effects Of Immediate And Delayed Payments On Consumptions Behavior, Arvind Agrawal

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Payment-timing is conceptualized as a payment instrument focal characteristic to explain differences in consumers’ purchasing behavior when they chose to pay-now versus pay-later. Payment-timing preferences represent consumers’ attitudes, beliefs, and motivation for delaying marketing transactions. Cash, debit cards, and online banking represented consumers’ preferences to pay-now, while credit cards and loans represented the inclination to pay-later.

There were two key findings: Firstly, I present payment-timing models that theorize consumers’ choice of payment types with differences in payment-timing and motivations to pay for purchases. Two models are presented that unify the following attitudes and motivations: (1) five attitudinal antecedents to consumers’ …

Lincoln Area Skills Gap Report: Final Report, Eric Thompson

Bureau of Business Research Publications

In recent months, the Nebraska Departments of Labor and Economic Development have led efforts to conduct two surveys regarding the skills of workers and skill needs of employers in the Lincoln area. The surveys were conducted during late 2017 and early 2018. The Lincoln area includes the two counties of the Lincoln Metropolitan Area (Lancaster and Seward), all or most of five surrounding southeast Nebraska counties (Gage, Jefferson, Saline, Saunders, and York) and a portions of 4 other adjacent counties (Butler, Cass, Fillmore, and Otoe). The two surveys are the Lincoln Area Labor Availability Survey and the Lincoln Area Survey …

Nic To House Nebraska's First Self-Driving Shuttle, Scott Schrage

Nebraska Innovation Campus Materials

Nebraska Innovation Campus is living up to its name. The university’s epicenter of forward-thinking initiatives will temporarily house the state’s first self-driving shuttle, which was announced June 20 at Nebraska Innovation Studio. The City of Lincoln, which won a $100,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to test the autonomous system, plans to release a public riding schedule for the shuttle within the next two weeks. Expected to remain in Lincoln through at least mid-July, the electric-powered shuttle will be monitored by an onboard operator. It carries up to 15 passengers. With the announcement, Nebraska becomes one of the first Big Ten …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: June 20, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 rose by just 0.26% during May of 2018. The increase in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, suggests that the pace of economic growth will slow in Nebraska during the 4th quarter of 2018. The LEI-N rose due to strong business expectations. In particular, respondents to the May Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. There also was an increase in manufacturing hours and passenger enplanements during May and a drop …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: June 1, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer and business confidence fell in Nebraska during May 2018. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 101.3 in May from a value of 104.3 in April. Consumer confidence is now close to the neutral value of 100.0. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) fell to 102.4 in May from 104.8 In April. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 36 percent of respondents, while the availability and quality of labor was mentioned as the most important issue by 21 percent. Households reported a variety of financial concerns with …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: May 23, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 rose by 0.67% during April of 2018. The increase in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, suggests that the Nebraska economy will continue to grow through the 4th quarter of 2018. The LEI-N rose due to strong business expectations, an increase in airline passenger counts, and a drop in initial claims for unemployment insurance. In particular, respondents to the April Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. However, there were also …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: May 4, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) rose by 1.00% during January of 2019. The increase in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, implies solid economic growth in Nebraska into the third quarter of 2019. Strong business expectations were the primary reason for the increase in the leading indicator. Respondents to the January Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. The value of the U.S. dollar also dropped in January for the first time in a year, providing relief …

Firm Structure And Environment As Contingencies To The Corporate Venture Capital–Parent Firm Value Relationship, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Brian Anderson

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Corporate venture capital (CVC) is a valuable strategic tool associated with numerous innovative outcomes. However, less is known about whether CVC investing creates value for the investing (or parent) firm. Drawing from the attention-based view and contingency theory, we suggest that an increase in firm value from CVC investing is contingent on attentional mechanisms that discipline the selection of new investment opportunities. We posit that increases in firm value associated with CVC investing accrues to firms adopting specific operational structures and operating in particular environmental contexts. We find support for our research model in a sample of 95 companies between …

Applications Of Varying Leadership Structures For Software Engineering Teams, Elliot Sandfort

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis explores the similarities and differences between applications of managing software engineering teams in Design Studio and the state of the practice. Information about the leadership structure of Design Studio teams was gathered over 3 semesters of Design Studio experiences with two companies: Hudl and TD Ameritrade. Information about leadership concepts in the state of the practice was gathered from experiences and observations with three different companies: Hudl, Garmin, and TD Ameritrade. From these experiences and observations, it can be concluded that the leadership structure of Design Studio is valuable as a student learning experience, and with proper consideration …

Effects On Producers Of The Transition To Revenue-Based Federal Crop Insurance Programs, Evan Wiese

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Prior to the passage of each farm bill, there is much debate regarding the programs contained within it. One of these programs is federal crop insurance, which underwent a major shift in the mid-1990’s with the introduction of revenue-based crop insurance rather than yield-based. Revenue-based programs provide insurance of a certain revenue level, rather than a certain yield level, which contributed to their popularity among producers. These revenue-based programs have become a key component of federal crop insurance. From 2014 to 2018, the costs of federal crop insurance were approximately $41 billion, much of this a result of subsidized insurance …

Nvidia Corporation: A Strategic Audit, Daric Teske

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

NVIDIA is company that has been involved with the production of computer hardware known as a graphics processor units (GPUs) since the turn of the century. Over the past decade, NVIDIA has begun to explore other applications of its proprietary technology, including the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerated computing. Looking from a business perspective, this strategic audit analyzes the history of the company and its current state, as well as industry outlooks to provide a strategic recommendation. Annual reports, market reports, and press releases were all utilized to provide the best perspective of the industry possible. Though NVIDIA …

Strategic Audit Of The Public Accounting Industry With A Focus On Ey, Mary Candela

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Public accounting firms provide valuable assurance services that, because of their place in our economic system and because of strong regulatory requirements, are unlikely to stop being demanded. The industry is facing several issues surrounding stagnation of the client base and difficulty in competition. Finally, the industry is also being rocked by the pace of emerging technologies and will need to adapt to and embrace them in the coming years.

The following uses several strategic frameworks to analyze the industry, the subset of the Big Four accounting firms, and EY. Ultimately, this project develops and understanding of EY’s place in …

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla, Abigail Hoelzlhammer

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This strategic audit will examine the problems Tesla is currently facing, do a Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the company, review environmental factors affecting Tesla, state Tesla’s current strategy, evaluate their distinguishing resources and competitive advantages, and end with a strategic recommendation along with implementation requirements.

One of Tesla’s vehicles crashed in March 2018 while on autopilot, which caused their stock to drop significantly. They’re also experiencing issues with the production of the new Model 3. The current political situation and growing demand for the parts Tesla needs are environmental factors that are having a negative effect. On the other …