Business Commons^™

Coerced Regimes: Management Challenges In The Anthropocene, David G. Angeler, Brian C. Chaffin, Shana M. Sundstrom, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Kevin L. Pope, Daniel R. Uden, Dirac Twidwell, Craig R. Allen

Department of Finance: Faculty Publications

Management frequently creates system conditions that poorly mimic the conditions of a desirable self-organizing regime. Such management is ubiquitous across complex systems of people and nature and will likely intensify as these systems face rapid change. However, it is highly uncertain whether the costs (unintended consequences, including negative side effects) of management but also social dynamics can eventually outweigh benefits in the long term. We introduce the term “coerced regime” to conceptualize this management form and tie it into resilience theory. The concept encompasses proactive and reactive management to maintain desirable and mitigate undesirable regime conditions, respectively. A coerced regime …

Supplementary Materials For "Integration Of And Deliveries Among The World Zionist Organization, Israel, And Diaspora Countries: System Articulation With The Social Fabric Matrix", F. Gregory Hayden

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

“Untact”: A New Customer Service Strategy In The Digital Age, Sang M. Lee, Donhee Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The Industry 4.0 era has brought a shift in consumers’ purchasing behaviors from traditional retailing to online and/or mobile channels, triggered by advanced digital technologies and an easy access to the global market. Smart digital devices and advanced technologies have enabled “untact” service, facilitating customer encounters without a face-to-face contact with employees. This study presents the concept of untact service based on a review of the literature on technology-enabled customer encounters with service providers and analysis of several real-world cases. The results indicate that untact services are becoming widespread in various areas of daily life, such as ordering food at …

Lessons Learned From Battling Covid-19: The Korean Experience, Sang M. Lee, Donhee Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world like a gigantic tsunami, turning social and economic activities upside down. Methods: This paper presents some of the innovative response strategies implemented by the public health system, healthcare facilities, and government in South Korea, which has been hailed as the model country for its success in containing COVID-19. Korea reinvented its public health infrastructure with a sense of urgency. Results: Korea’s success rests on its readiness, with the capacity for massive testing and obtaining prompt test results, eective contact tracing based on its world-leading mobile technologies, timely provision of personal protective equipment …

Organizational Aspirations And External Venturing: The Contingency Of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Varkey K. Titus Jr., Owen Parker, Jeffrey G. Covin

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

We contribute to the organizational aspirations and corporate venturing literature by theorizing and testing (a) the influence of a firm’s idiosyncratic strategic posture on behavioral responses to performance attainment discrepancies, and (b) that performance feedback may influence multifaceted yet thematically related forms of search. Specifically, we examine the influence of performance feedback on equity-based external corporate venturing. We then propose that a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is a critical contingency when theorizing about how firms respond to attainment discrepancies. Our findings indicate that a firm’s EO is an important contingency when considering behavioral responses to attainment discrepancies.

Inventory Sharing And Demand-Side Underweighting, Hui Zhao, Liang Xu, Enno Siemsen

Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics: Faculty Publications

Problem definition: Transshipment/inventory sharing has been used in practice because of its risk-pooling potential. However, human decision makers play a critical role in making inventory decisions in an inventory sharing system, which may affect its benefits. We investigate whether the opportunity to transship inventory influences decision makers’ inventory decisions and whether, as a result, the intended risk-pooling benefits materialize.

Academic/practical relevance: Previous research in transshipment, which is focused on finding optimal stocking and sharing decisions, assumes rational decision making without any systematic bias. As one of the first to study inventory sharing from a behavioral perspective, …

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing In The 21st Century: Identification And Analysis Of Key Elements, Robert N. Mills

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The availability of quality pharmaceutical products impacts the lives of the global population on a daily basis. The importance of product availability and quality within pharmaceutical manufacturing requires that quality systems put into place are capable of accurately and robustly capturing the quality compliance, or lack thereof, of the various stages of production. This review intends to analyze current expert-recommended best practices within key elements of a pharmaceutical manufacturing quality control system and provide recommendations throughout. The quality elements discussed include Quality by Design method validation, necessary equipment determination, and equipment qualification, followed by documentation control and data flow.

Strategic Success: The Ansoff Matrix Vs. The Balanced Scorecard, Christian Cleberg

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Academic and professional research has proven that strategic planning and management frameworks have tremendous impact on an organization’s success. However, these studies do not opine on the usability and fit of strategic frameworks within an organization. This paper examines the composition of two popular frameworks, the Ansoff matrix and the balanced scorecard, and illustrates the various ways that these frameworks have found success in the corporate world. It also compares and contrasts the frameworks’ differing structures and offers recommendations for how these frameworks may be applied to companies with diverse goals and missions.

The Combine Receives Sba Award, Tom Chapman

Nebraska Innovation Campus Materials

In September 2019, Invest Nebraska (https://investnebraska.org) announced its new incubator program, called the Combine (https://nebraskacombine.com/). This program is a statewide initiative to support high growth companies in food and agriculture. The program provides support to help companies commercialize nascent technologies that are being developed in the state – including those at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The incubator is housed on Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, and it represents the aggregation of five entities’ efforts to build ag-tech businesses in Nebraska – NUtech Ventures, Invest Nebraska, The Nebraska Food Processing Center & Greenhouse Innovation Center, the Robert B. Daugherty Institute, and …

Recent Research To Build Knowledge Of The Child Welfare Workforce, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Child welfare worker turnover is costly and can negatively affect the relationship between families and the child welfare agency. The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) aims to build the body of evidence in the child welfare field to better understand worker turnover and strategies to address it. Although turnover is a widely acknowledged problem, there has not been reliable data to calculate staff turnover, caseloads, and workforce capacity. A recent study and article, Characteristics of the Front-line Child Welfare Workforce (Edwards & Wildeman, 2018), makes available a new data source and provides an analysis of workforce data from …

A Phenomenological Study Of Leadership Outcomes In Short-Term Study Abroad, Jeanette Milius

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The impact of global citizenship is far-reaching and encompasses skills and outcomes beyond simple economic and business success. Enhancing all students’ knowledge and ability to navigate a global community is not just of interest to governmental units, policymakers, and global organizations, but also to universities who wish to adhere to accreditation standards. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to identify characteristics related to an individuals’ motivation to complete a short-term study abroad (one to three weeks in duration) and the impact that experience had on their personal and leadership growth. Eighteen self-identified leaders enrolled in a college degree or …

An Evaluation Of Sustainability In Consumption: The Behaviors Behind Purchase, Care, And Disposal Of Apparel, Ana La Rosa

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

Fashion trend cycles have become increasingly fast-paced and unsustainable due to competition and consumer demand in the apparel sector. Despite having sustainable apparel choices available, consumers seem reluctant to adopt sustainable changes in their consumption habits due in part to the market allure of rapid turnover of goods, better known as ‘Fast Fashion’. Paired with aggressive marketing campaigns that encourage increased consumption beyond need, the apparel industry keeps expanding at alarming rates around the world. Although it has been identified that consumers increasingly care about the unethical behaviors in the industry that negatively impact the environment, this feeling does not …

Country Of Origin Impact On Consumer Perception Of Value In Fast Fashion, Katherine Walter

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

With fast fashion growing rapidly, insight onto consumers perception of the value for the country of origin in this sector of the retail industry is a topic that needs to be delved into deeper. While there are studies over the impact of country of origin and fast fashion separately, the correlation between these two dimensions has yet to be reviewed. The purpose of this study is to identify consumers perception of the overall value of fast fashion merchandise based on country of origin. Through a questionnaire, participants were asked open and closed-ended questions about specific factors of value based on …

Engel Receives Association Of University Research Parks Award

Nebraska Innovation Campus Materials

Kate Engel, director of communication and culture for Nebraska Innovation Campus, was honored with the Rising Star Award from the Association of University Research Parks (https://www.aurp.net/) on November 6. The award, among several of the association’s Awards of Excellence, recognizes an individual under the age of 40 that exhibits significant contributions to the development and success of communities of innovation. “I am honored and humbled to receive this inaugural award,” Engel said. “Recognition by AURP and my research park peers is an incredible compliment.” Engel noted that she is grateful to be part of the team at Nebraska Innovation Campus …

Experiencing Voice-Activated Artificial Intelligence Assistants In The Home: A Phenomenological Approach, Valerie K. Jones

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Voice-controlled artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Assistant, serve as the gateway to the Internet of Things and connected home, executing the commands of its users, providing information, entertainment, utility, and convenience while enabling consumers to bypass the advertising they would typically see on a screen. This “screen-less” communication presents significant challenges for brands used to “pushing” messages to audiences in exchange for the content they seek. It also raises questions about data collection, usage, and privacy. Brands need to understand how and why audiences engage with AI assistants, as well as the risks with these …

The Business Case For Industrial Safety: Revealing The Comprehensive Value Of Ergonomic Investments For Manufacturing Enterprises In Industry 4.0, Shane Stan

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

How can today’s manufacturing enterprises construct, implement, and optimize modern safety initiatives in a manner that will present maximum return on investment and facilitate enterprise growth? Furthermore, how can these manufacturers assure individual ergonomic investments become part of a larger strategy to facilitate organizational change in safety? This work addresses these questions by placing industrial ergonomics in a business improvement context which comprehensively presents the financial returns and growth opportunities poised by modern safety initiatives. Additionally, to further strengthen the business case for industrial safety, an ergonomic action planning framework is established to guide the creation of holistic safety programs …

New Incubator For Ag, Food Startups Opening At Innovation Campus, Matt Olberding

Nebraska Innovation Campus Materials

A new space at Nebraska Innovation Campus is dedicated to helping agriculture-and food-related startup companies. Invest Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development have teamed up to create the Combine Incubator, a 2,000-square-foot space in the Rise Building. Invest Nebraska, the state’s public-private venture development organization, will operate the space and the Economic Development Department will provide support. The space itself will offer dedicated desks and private office spaces, among other amenities. Companies using the Combine Incubator also will have access to resources on Innovation Campus, including the UNL Food Processing & Innovation Center,Biotech Connector, Daugherty Water for Food …

Using Technology To Reduce The Burden Of Paperwork: Preliminary Lessons Learned From The Qic -Wd Virginia Site, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) partnered with the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) in 2017 to conduct research examining the efficacy of technology interventions aimed at reducing child welfare staff turnover and improving child welfare outcomes. Virginia is a state-supervised, countyadministered child welfare system. The state elected to study the implementation of and outcomes from job modernization technology interventions in 18 localities. These 18 localities represent a workforce of approximately 450 of the state’s 2,200 frontline staff. The intervention is occurring in multiple phases: (1) transcription services; (2) a mobility technology application; and (3) a Comprehensive …

Perceptions Of Higher Education In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Research Report 19‐4, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Some recent national polls have shown a decline in confidence in higher education. The cited reasons for this decline are concerns about affordability, access and the political culture on campuses. Given these national trends, how do rural Nebraskans view the impacts of their education? Do they view higher education as important for individuals and the economy? Have these views changed over the past four years? What types of higher education institutions have their households attended? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,776 responses to the 2019 Nebraska Rural Poll, the 24th annual effort to …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: September 25, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 fell by 1.89% during August of 2019. The drop in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, follows a sharp 2.51% increase during July. Taken together, results from the two months imply modest economic growth in Nebraska at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. The leading indicator fell primarily due to a an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance and a sharp increase in the value of the U.S. dollar. A rising dollar creates challenges for Nebraska busineses which export. Business …

Introducing Virginia’S Mobile Solution, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) and the 18 local departments of social services (LDSS) identified the lack of technological supports to help child welfare workers complete the administrative tasks of their job as a cause of turnover. The Virginia site rolled out the first part of their intervention (transcription services) in 2018 and is now preparing to roll out a mobile application in late fall 2019. This one-page summary describes COMPASS, Virginia’s mobile app designed to make it easier for workers to manage the administrative aspects of their job.

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: September 6, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence rebounded in Nebraska during August 2019 while business confidence declined. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 105.8 in August, above the neutral value of 100 and the July value of 101.2. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) fell to 108.4 in August, which is well above the neutral level but down from a value of 112.0 in July. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 30 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 26 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 19 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. Forty-seven percent …

Designing Rigorous Tests Of Workforce Interventions In Complex Environments, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Public child welfare agencies continually struggle with how to address issues of staff recruitment and retention. Furthermore, very little evidence exists regarding what works to attract, select, and retain talented staff. Much of what agencies do to address workforce issues is never formally evaluated and successes are not published widely. Thus, agencies confronted with urgent retention needs have little to go on to identify an intervention that is likely to succeed. The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) was funded by the Children’s Bureau to begin to address this issue, in part through carefully selected, and rigorously evaluated interventions …

Trends In Well-Being In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report 19-3, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Timothy Meyer, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Nebraska’s economy remained strong in the beginning of 2019. However, the continued weakness of the agriculture sector had the possibility of hampering the state’s economic growth. In addition, the March flooding had the potential for negative economic effects. Given these challenges, how do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided by their community? How do rural Nebraskans believe they are doing and how do they view their future? How satisfied are they with various items that influence their well-being? Have these views changed over the past 24 years? This paper provides a detailed analysis …

Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Child Welfare Workers, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

There is growing evidence to suggest that child welfare workers are experiencing high levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of exposure to traumatized clients in crisis (e.g., Barbee, et al, 2018). The Quality Improvement Center on Workforce Development (QIC-WD) surveyed 1,113 front line child welfare workers in 13 jurisdictions between November, 2017 and March, 2018 using the Bride (2007) Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale as part of a comprehensive workforce needs assessment. An average of 54% of participants reported clinical levels of STS. When these elevated numbers are compared to the original Bride research of social workers, they …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: August 21, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) 1 rose by 2.66% during July of 2019. The sharp increase in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, implies solid economic growth in Nebraska through the end of 2019 and into early 2020. The leading indicator rose primarily due to a sharp drop in initial claims for unemployment insurance during July as well as strong business expectations. Respondents to the July Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase in sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months.

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: August 2, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Business confidence rebounded in Nebraska during July 2019 while consumer confidence declined. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 101.2 in July, slightly above the neutral value of 100 but below the June value of 104.4. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) rose to 112.0 in July, which is well above the neutral level and up 11.7 from a value of 100.3 in June. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 34 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 24 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 15 percent mentioned competition from other …

Tiny Houses In Metropolitan Areas Of Nebraska: Seasonal Or Permanent Living Environments, Michele L. Hybner

Interior Design Program: Student Creative Activity

This study is designed to determine if tiny houses offer a viable seasonal and/or permanent living environment for Nebraska residents. Two objectives are used to assess the viability of tiny housing in this Midwestern state. The first analyzes the economics (demand, supply, and cost) of tiny housing in metropolitan areas of Nebraska. The second identifies barriers to occupancy of tiny houses in the state. The results of this research are significant because tiny housing presents a means to address the state’s need for more affordable housing options available to Nebraska residents. At the time of this study, 11.4% of Nebraska’s …

Perceptions Of Immigration Among Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans: Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report 19-2, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

The percent of Nebraska’s population that is foreign born has steadily increased during the past decade. In fact, its growth in foreign born population since 2010 ranks in the top 10 among all states. Given these changes, are rural Nebraskans aware of recent immigrants in their community? How do they perceive immigrants and their impacts on rural Nebraska? How do they view various immigration policies? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,776 responses to the 2019 Nebraska Rural Poll, the 24th annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of …

Designing Single-Family Residences: A Study Of The Positive Impact Of Interior Design In Creating New Home Value, Shawn M. Falcone

Interior Design Program: Student Creative Activity

This study seeks to demonstrate that interior designers should be included as primary stakeholders in the home construction market. The market demand for new single-family homes in America is a relative constant. The primary stake and role that land developers, architects, draftsman, home builders, bankers, appraisers, real estate agents, and buyers have in the home construction market is clear. What is less clear is the role in value an interior designer has in the home construction market. This thesis examines the impact designers have on home value when their expertise is utilized in space planning (i.e.: layout, function, room utilization, …