Business Commons^™

Diurnal Changes In Alfalfa Quality And The Effects On Revenue Maximization, Nelson Sip

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Before alfalfa hay is sold to brokers or diaries, it is quality is evaluated to determine the price. These tests go into great detail about the micro and macro nutrients alfalfa contains or they could be a function of the fibers alfalfa contains to determine the digestibility. Studies show ways to increase alfalfa quality such as harvesting later in the day at peak photosynthesis. However, the financial benefits, or lack thereof, based on these changes to quality have no conclusion. Here we show that harvesting alfalfa later in the day increases the quality and has financial benefits. We found that …

A Welfare Comparison Of Historical Cost And Fair Value Accounting Regimes, Palmer Edholm

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

With ongoing controversy concerning fair value and historical cost accounting, existing accounting theory is focused on intra-firm decision making and is thus deficient in addressing the issue of maximizing social welfare. I propose models of historical cost and fair value accounting regimes which are embedded in models of monopoly and oligopoly. This allows for social welfare implications. I find that historical cost results in greater expected profits for both monopolists and oligopolists. However, if the market is elastic enough, a fair value regimes is welfare enhancing. Whereas, if the market is inelastic enough, historical cost is welfare enhancing.

Mountain States Oilseeds: Risk Management For Safflower Production In The Intermountain West, Jameson F. Packer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Safflower is an oilseed crop primarily produced in the western Great Plains because of its compatibility with cereal grain equipment. Varieties grown in that region are harvested predominantly for seeds high in safflower oil and oleic acid that are processed and used in cooking oil, human nutrition, and other health and beauty products. Safflower is also grown in Utah, Idaho, and California for birdseed mixes due to the region’s arid climate, which yields a crisp, white seed that is highly favorable in the birdseed market. Mountain States Oilseeds, headquartered in American Falls, Idaho, is one of the United States’ largest …

Responding To Financial Stress For Agricultural Producers And Couples, Jacob D. Gossner, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Tasha Howard

All Current Publications

Finances are a necessary component of running an agricultural production and with an uncertain economy, drought conditions, and rising costs, financial stress is increasingly common. Although financial stress is linked with poor individual and relationship outcomes, research suggests that there are effective ways to manage financial stress so that it does not reduce personal or relationship well-being. We review the body's response to stressors and how to respond rather than react to stress. We present specific strategies couples can use to navigate financial stress together. We include ideas for practical application for individuals seeking to improve the way they manage …

Who Is More Likely To Be Delinquent In Their Mortgage Payments Among Homeowners? The Role Of Financial Literacy, Ellie Donne Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Homeownership is a way for families to build wealth and marks status attainment. Despite the many benefits of homeownership, homeowners who are delinquent on their mortgages lose the effective means of wealth accumulation and may trigger the beginning of the foreclosure process. There is evidence that homeowners with appropriate levels of financial literacy have a lower likelihood of mortgage delinquency.

Using data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), the main purpose of this study was to examine what factors are associated with mortgage delinquency among homeowners. This study also examined to what extent financial literacy plays a role …

Do Board Diversity And Gender Quotas Affect Firm Value? Evidence From California Assembly Bill No. 979, Emily Kelleen Blake, Sepideh Raei, Katarzyna A. Bilicka, Todd Griffith

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

We analyze the stock market reaction and returns for California-headquartered companies following the announcement of AB 979 (California Assembly Bill 979) that was signed into effect on September 30th, 2020. AB 979 requires public firms headquartered in California to meet board gender and diversity quotas by December 31st, 2021. Cumulative abnormal returns in a [-1, +1] event window average a 0.98% abnormal return as benchmarked against all publicly traded firms and a 1.29% abnormal return when benchmarked against our control group (of firms headquartered outside of California). California headquartered firms with exclusively male boards had a larger cumulative abnormal return …

Asilomar: A Historical Study Of The Role Of The Ywca In Women's Leadership Development As An Absent Narrative In The History Of Hrd, Kenneth R. Bartlett, Susan R. Madsen, Michael Valesano, Ying Feng

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

The dominant narrative on the history of training and development, especially in the United States, reflects entrenched gender bias with little acknowledgment of human resource development (HRD) designed for and delivered by women. The role of women’s organizations as forces for social change, advocates for gender equality, and providers of leadership development are significant areas of HRD history largely ignored in the literature. This historical study considers archival records on the former YWCA Asilomar Conference Grounds, near Monterey, California which was the first conference training facility owned by a women’s organization in the US. The study is focused on the …

The Benefits That Come From Moving Out Of State For College, Sadie Morris

Student Research Symposium

My topic is about how moving to a new state can benefit a student when starting college. Not that many students move to a different state to go to college, and there can be a lot of benefits that come from moving some where new. This poster highlights the positives that come from moving to a new state from college.

Extracurriculars: An Investment In Tomorrow’S Generation, Charles Merriam

Student Research Symposium

High school age students across the country find themselves either underperforming in or dropping out entirely from high school. This already alarming issue increases in severity when we discover that the majority of these students belong to groups that need what a high school diploma has to offer the most. My research aimed at discovering how involvement extracurricular activities can motivate these students and provide them with the tools necessary to succeed. I investigated the topic using the University Library Database and other online databases to collect and evaluate primary and secondary sources. These sources focused mostly on studies that …

A Proposed Change To The Beautiful Game's Most Important Event, Carson Clark

Student Research Symposium

FIFA is proposing and researching the feasibility for a biennial World Cup instead of the four year intervals that are currently in place. They are doing so to hopefully involve more countries into the tournament and gain more revenue to further development of international soccer. This study is to investigate whether or not this change in frequency of the World Cup would be better or worse for the tournament and all those that would be affected. Research was conducted by gathering information using a library database and reading primary sources along with other articles by those with different perspectives and …

Esports In Education, Ryan Miner

Student Research Symposium

This project seeks to investigate and answer whether the benefits of implementing esports (competitive video games) in schools outweigh the negative effects of video games in the lives of students. I conducted thorough research on my College’s library database as well as news websites to find primary and secondary sources of the effects of esports in schools, both in the positive and negative. The research also had a special emphasis on several different perspectives, including students at each schooling level (elementary, middle, high school), as well as parents and educators. Analysis of this evidence shows that video games can cause …

Measuring The Intensity Of Mymotivators™ / Whole Brain® Communication In Print Advertising, Tanner Schulz

Student Research Symposium

Advertising’s purpose is to create a state of mind conducive to purchase. This study seeks to identify, measure, and understand the intrinsic motivators communicated within print advertisements and quantify their intensities. The theory is that ads with more intense motivator content - distributed somewhat evenly across all four quadrants of the Whole Brain^®Model - will be more effective in influencing that state of mind.This research is the first step in identifying, quantifying, and visualizing motivators communicated within print advertisements. The study analyzed 15 print ads found in contemporary magazines.

Geospatial Analysis Of Drug-Related Crimes In Local Communities In Utah, Erin Crump

Student Research Symposium

According to the 2021 World Drug Report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), over 36 million people among 275 million people who used drugs worldwide suffered from drug use disorders in 2020 alone. In addition, the number of people who use drugs is estimated to increase by 11 percent globally by 2030. Therefore, there exists a strong need to further understand drug usage and drug-related crimes to address prevention and intervention policies. In particular, the identification of geographical locations with frequent drug-related crimes is very critical for law enforcement agencies and state/federal governments to establish …

Measuring The Intensity Of Mymotivators™ / Whole Brain® Communication In Print Advertising, Tanner Schulz

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Advertising’s purpose is to create a state of mind conducive to purchase (Colley, 1961).

This study seeks to identify, measure, and understand the intrinsic motivators communicated within print advertisements and quantify their intensities. The theory is that ads with more intense motivator content - distributed somewhat evenly across all four quadrants of the Whole Brain ® Model - will be more effective in influencing that state of mind.

This research is the first step in identifying, quantifying, and visualizing motivators communicated within print advertisements. The study analyzed 15 print ads found in contemporary magazines.

The framework for this work is …

Rare Earth Element Supply Chain: China’S Chokehold Creates A Dangerous Us Dependency, Sabrina Ellis

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Sabrina, a Cache Valley native, studies international business and got involved in research through the Center for Anticipatory Intelligence.Utah’s Silicon Slopes industry is dependent, like most US technology enterprises, on rare earth elements used to make critical computer components. China holds a near monopoly on these elements and could cause considerable damage to Utah’s economy if its government chose to restrict access to rare earth elements or faced supply chain issues. Sabrina has been studying steps the US can take to minimize the risks our tech industry would face if it lost access to these elements. Sabrina has …

Only 7.8% Of Eligible Vehicles In Utah Enroll In The Utah Road Usage Charge (Ruc) Program, Tyson Bomsta, Joe Davis

Research on Capitol Hill

Senior Tyson and sophomore Joe are Center for Growth Opportunity Research Fellows studying economics and finance at USU. The duo focused their research on their native Utah. The increase in fuel-efficient and electric cars has begun to impact Utah’s ability to fund roadwork, and this is likely to become a more serious problem as time goes on. Taxing gas is no longer a viable way to raise the funds necessary, and Joe and Tyson are looking at ways to reform our tax structure to keep Utahns on the road. Both students agree that research is the best way to learn. …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Aviation-Wildlife Strikes Across Europe, Isabel C. Metz, Marta Giordano, Dionysios Ntampakis, Marianna Moira, Anneke Hamann, Rosanne Blijleven, Jürgen J. Ebert, Alessandro Montemaggiori

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between aircraft and wildlife (i.e., wildlife strikes) pose a serious threat toward the safety of aircraft, its crew, and passengers. The effects of COVID-19 related travel restrictions on wildlife strikes are unknown. With this study, we aim to address this information gap by assessing the changes of wildlife hazard management performance across European airports during the lockdown period (e.g., period of reduced operations and borders closure in spring 2020). We also sought to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife strike prevention in times of reduced operations. The objective of our study was to compare wildlife strike data before …