Business Commons^™

A Telecommuter Program For Second To None, Inc., Michael J. Postma

Honors Theses

Telecommuting, or working from a remote location, is a very popular idea that has gained growing support from employees and companies over the past decade. The opportunity to stay home and do work appeals to employees, and the ability to reduce overhead costs appeals to the company. Developing a program that outlines how this arrangement would take place is vital. Outlined are a few of the components that should be included in this type of arrangement.

First, the telecommuter situation will be on a trial basis for a predetermined amount of time. The company or the employee has the right …

The Global Stock Market: Implications To American Investors, Angela Giordano

Honors Theses

Investors in most industrialized nations have many alternatives beyond the traditional checking and savings accounts. Alternatives such as stocks, which can be purchased off over 180exchanges worldwide, bonds, mutual funds, retirement plans (401k, 501c, 403b), annuities, money market accounts and CDs are often used as investment tools. With all these alternatives, how does one determine which tool or tools to utilize in investing their hard-earned income?

A Study Of Customer Satisfaction With Products And Services Offered By The Bernhard Center, Heidi L. Haskins, Dana Hasselback, Kimberly Heffel, Dean Seales, Amanda Wartchow

Honors Theses

The purpose of this report was to conduct research for the Bernhard Center. The objective was to determine student and faculty/staff perceptions of the Bernhard Center. It also served to facilitate possible suggestions for ways to renovate or replace existing areas with facilities that better serve the population of Western Michigan University. The Bernhard Center is a popular place on campus for WMU students, faculty, and staff, as well as community members to eat, study, hold meetings and events, and socialize. In an effort to maintain or increase the appeal of the Bernhard Center among these groups, while at the …

Children's Attitudes Toward Television Advertising: A State Of The Art Review, Heidi L. Haskins

Honors Theses

The issue of children and advertising came to light in the 1970s and has continued to be a topic of much discussion ever since. In started in the 1970s when the Action for Children's Television petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to eliminate all commercials from children's TV programs. Then in January 1973, the major networks agreed to reduce commercial time in children's weekend programs from 16 minutes an hour to 12 minutes an hour. In 1991, the Better Business Bureau estimated that children in the U.S. watch an average of 3.5 hours of television every day, and the average …

Assessment Of The Job Posting Procedures At The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, Sharmelle J. Thomas

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess employee and supervisor perceptions of the job posting system used by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as an internal recruiting mechanism for non-faculty employees.

The Effects Of Fasb Statement No. 121 On Financial Statements, Karen Courtade

Honors Theses

As managers contemplate the adoption of SFAS 121, Accounting for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of, most will be considering the impact of these new requirements on their particular reporting situation. This effect is important to managers because whenever the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issues a new statement, financial statements need to be in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). New requirements also cause tax and auditing concerns, effects on financial statement users, and extra costs to companies involved. The FASB's intent in issuing SFAS 121 was to force more …

A Comparison Of Print Advertisements To Corresponding Web Sites: Are Marketers On Target, Sarah Jo Sautter

Honors Theses

Technological advances constantly make lives easier and information more accessible. Marketers seek the best ways to communicate with their prospects. This means keeping pace with technology, and being a pioneer in the industry. The Internet is one communication medium growing in popularity among marketers. As a new advertising medium, companies rush to beat their competitors, and many others follow. As a result, Web addresses are found in traditional media like television, radio and especially print.

Michigan State Government Employment Sector: Are We In Line With The National Trends?, Thomas Walter Cronkright Ii

Honors Theses

Examines the national trends of employment to make a comparison for Michigan State government employment. Results show that Michigan's public employment trends do not follow national employment trends in a comparable way. Michigan is distinct from the nation for several reasons: a hiring freeze placed on Michigan State Departments, higher levels of union participation and employee pay, and benefits packages that cost more than the Executive Branch of the U.S. government. Thus, either Michigan provides superior benefits or it pays a premium for those benefits. Suggests further research is needed.

A Company Specific Analysis Of The Capital Budgeting Process As It Pertains To A Zero Emissions Mandate On The American Automobile Industry, Brian M. Woodcock

Honors Theses

The rapid growth of the U.S. auto industry in the 20th century has led to a fast-paced society that emphasizes the importance of convenience and time-efficiency. Consequently, the cost of this society has been high levels of emissions, causing pollution to the surrounding environment. General Motors' attempt at a solution to the problem is their introduction of the first electric vehicle known as the EV1. The EV1 has the potential to meet society's transportation demands and to create a more pollution-free environment. However, in a free market economy, the price tag for a solution such as GM's may currently be …

A Review Of Defensive Strategies Used In Hostile Takeovers, Chirag Shah

Honors Theses

Nineteen Ninety Five smashed all records for mergers and acquisitions at home and abroad. An unprecedented $458 billion in deals were announced by U.S. companies, up 32% from the old record of $347 billion reached in 1994, according to the Securities Data Co. Similarly, deal count, which last year came in with 7,565 announced transactions, registered a new record as 8,954 transactions were announced in 1995. Globally, a record $866 billion in transactions were struck, up 51% from the $572 billion announced in 1994. The big highlights were banking, financial services, pharmaceuticals and big transactions in media and telecommunications. From …

Technical Analysis: Connecting The Dots Or A Legitimate Investment Tool?, Daniel P. Sutter

Honors Theses

Wall Street is full of many unusual characters. They appear frequently in the newspaper headlines, on the evening news, and now on the Internet. They are portrayed both as villains such as Michael Milken or Ivan Boesky and as heroes such as Warren Buffett or Martin Zwieg. While these people may seem very distant at times they really impact each one of us every day, whether or not we are aware of it. The companies we conduct our routine transactions with are financed through them, our retirement plans our dependent on them, and even our jobs rest on the success …

My Life At The Arts Council Of Richmond Or An Analysis Of A Senior Project On Advocacy, Laura Yeatts

Honors Theses

Advocacy entails different activities, dependent on the issue, but all types of advocacy have certain characteristics in common. Advocacy is promoting one's chosen cause by creating publicity, calling and writing legislators or others in power, developing programs to show off your cause, etc. The goal of all advocacy is to garner support from a wide range of people, especially those who can influence the success of your efforts. Most often that means influencing legislators who control public funding and business leaders who make up the bulk of private funding. Advocacy takes place at the grass roots level with community canvassing …

My Experiences With The Community Foundation, Jennifer L. Vest

Honors Theses

Founded in 1968, the Community Foundation is a philanthropic endowment serving the Greater Richmond and Central Virginia community. ...in the Foundation's 1992 Annual Report they write, "We exist to help individuals, corporations, and other foundations achieve their own unique ideas about community philanthropy. We provide permanent stewardship, efficient administration, and the opportunity for our benefactors to remain active in their giving." ...over 400 localities across the nation have created similar foundations that cumulatively manage $8 billion in assets. In 1992, The Community Foundation made grant commitments totalling $1,352,232 to 193 agencies in Greater Richmond and Central Virginia and has approximately …

The Culmination Of A Major, Juli Finnell

Honors Theses

Recycling efforts up until now have been generally successful. The United States has gone from being a complete "throw-away" society to one with recycling firmly implanted in its consciousness. Over the past decade, the amount of material collected for recycling has increased dramatically. Yet, we must remember that recycling is much more than just collection. There are three stages involved in completing the full recycling cycle, and collection is only the first. The second and third stages involve reproduction and resale. Overall, America has done well on the first two stages. The advancement of technology has greatly increased our ability …

The Effects Of Perceived Consequences On Ethical Decisions, Eldean Gwen Cornish

Honors Theses

Increasing public awareness of ethics in business, or a lack thereof, has inspired an abundance of study, research and a variety of theories regarding ethics and has encouraged many firms and associations to establish corporate and professional codes of ethics. This thesis begins with a literature review surrounding the definition of ethics and ethical decision-making behavior. The Theory of Reasoned Action model designed by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) proposed a linkage of external variables and an individual's behavioral intention (Randall, 1989), the theory being that change is ultimately a result of changes in beliefs. Tests to predict behavior suffer from …

Inventory Ordering Decisions Over The Product Life Cycle, Matthew J. Seiler

Honors Theses

This report will link two key business concepts together. It will first examine the characteristics of different inventory replenishment systems used by purchasing managers. Second, it will bring the marketing phenomenon of the product life cycle into the picture. The varying demand patterns found in a typical product life cycle curve will become test data for a simulation exercise to determine which of four ordering models yield the lowest combination of holding and ordering costs. The costs related to holding finished good inventories account for a large portion of a firm's total cost structure (Adam and Ebert, 1989). To stay …

A Contingency Analysis Of The Management Control Systems In Tennessee Hospitals /, Cynthia A. Tiegs

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if the presence and perceived effectiveness of management control systems in nursing departments are contingent on the variables identified in the reviewed literature, The contingent variables investigated were the size of the hospital, the number of services offered, and whether it was profit or not-for-profit. The four control mechanisms examined were; control over inventory and capital equipment, and the staffing and monitoring of nursing care hours. Nursing directors were asked to indicate the effectiveness of each of these management control systems

Tourism In The Chattanooga Area, Donald W. Cambron

Honors Theses

This paper deals with tourism in the Chattanooga area. It has three main focuses. First, a profile is developed for the typical visitor and his or her economic impact in the local economy. Second, the travel industry in Chattanooga is studied by an analysis of several reports compiled by Carrier & Associates for the Lookout Mountain Attractions . Third, two questionnaires are developed and tested for use by the attractions.

The Value Of Subliminal Advertising To The Modern Marketer, Bruce Peckover

Honors Theses

This paper provides an evaluation of the arguments and evidence advanced supporting and denying the effectiveness of various subliminal techniques used in advertising. These practices supposedly influence consumer behavior by subconsciously altering attitudes or preferences toward products. While researchers offer some marginal evidence of subliminal stimuli influencing like/dislike reactions, the marketing relevance of the evidence remains to be documented. This investigation examines the history, use, legality, and value of subliminal advertising to the marketer. A thorough discussion of each of these points is made with reference to documented sources. The intent of this paper is not to deny the existence …

The Attitudes Of Illinois Petroleum Jobbers About The Marketing Of Propane, Dale E. Houston

Honors Theses

The study considers several hypotheses: the percentage of Illinois petroleum jobbers marketing propane will increase due to the fact that propane sales increase profitability, the Illinois propane market is expanding because it is less expensive than gasoline, fuel oil sales are decreasing because propane furnace installation is cheaper than oil furnaces, and propane furnaces are less expensive to maintain and operate.

National Food Brokers Association Members Communicate Attitudes About Women Working In Food Brokerage Positions, Dennis S. Moore

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify the attitudes of the National Food Brokers Association Members in the East North Central states about women working in the food brokerage positions of retail sales representative, sales supervisor, and sales manager. This study examines three hypotheses: (1) The small percentage of women in these positions is due to unawareness of the job titles and opportunities available, (2) The small percentage of women in these positions is due to the fact that top management believes male employees are more effective in relating to principles than women, and, (3) The small percentage of …

The General Manager, "The Man In The Middle", David Dombrowski

Honors Theses

This paper explores the contemporary purpose and function of the General Manger's position on a baseball team, as well as addressing some historical events that contributed to this present role. By examining these events, one can gain insight into the increased responsibility that has been thrust upon the General Manager, and the eventual delegation of these duties as the responsibilities multiplied.

Television Advertising And Children, Vince Delange

Honors Theses

Thesis begins by examining the learning and cognitive processes and development of children, followed by a history of advertising to children, then explores the traditional concerns with advertising to children. The author discusses research findings and makes recommendations regarding advertising to children.

A Study Of The Utility And Validity Of Earnings Forecasts, Michael P. Howell

Honors Theses

According to William J. Casey, the past Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and recently appointed Under Secretary of State and Economic Affairs, forecasting should be the first and most important priority of all areas of management and public accounting. Only large institutional investment corporations have had access to such "useful" information when needed. Consequently, large investors are able to make more objective and intelligent investment decisions. A recent study determined that few investment corporations veritably have access to pertinent internal forecasting models. In fact, when interviewed, many executives claimed that even if they could procure such information, they …

The National Retail Credit Association: An Experiment In Cooperation For Retail Credit Control, Barbara Tharpe

Honors Theses

With the use of consumer credit becoming more and more widespread, there has been a growing feeling that its use should be controlled. This is an examination of the fundamental developments in the history of the National Retail Credit Association, the leading association of retail credit men, giving special consideration to the idea of credit control. The credit abuses before any form of cooperation or control evolved are presented in the first chapter. Then, the part that the NRCA played in bringing about the cooperation of retail credit men is treated . The NRCA was the first to suggest voluntary …

History Of The National Retail Credit Association, Elizabeth Redford

Honors Theses

With the ever increasing use of credit in our present day economy, it is only fitting that our attention be directed to an organization which, although established less than thirty years ago, has come to be one of the most important institutions in our modern credit economy. This institution is the National Retail Credit Association which was established for the expressed purpose of bettering credit conditions in the field of retall trade. As far as we are able to determine, no complete history of this organization has been published, and it is for this reason that I have endeavored in …