Business Commons^™

Towards A Model Of Best Practice: An Irish Perspective On Employee Empowerment, Richard O'Connor

Theses

This dissertation examines the topic of Employee Empowerment within an Irish context. The aim is to provide a model of best practice for its implementation Empowerment is defined as a process whereby: a culture of empowerment is developed, information is shared, competency is developed, and resources and support are provided. Each of the components of empowerment—culture, information sharing, resource provision, and support—is examined in detail. The benefits of employee empowerment are noted and the theoretical foundations of both Employee Empowerment and Internal Marketing are examined in an extensive literature review. A model of best practice is proposed and conclusions, recommendations …

The Impact Of Changing Demographics On Mature Industries, Paul Culloty

Theses

The research plan is to conduct a qualitative questionnaire in order to determine the impact of changing demographics on the Irish telecommunications industry in general, and Eircom marketing strategy in particular. The resulting consumer behaviour analysis will assist in gauging respondent acceptance and utilisation of technology, brand selection and loyalty and effectiveness of corporate marketing strategy as measured by customer acquisition and increased revenue.

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Fear Appeals Used In Road Safety Campaigns, Darren O'Sullivan

Theses

This research project looks at Fear appeals as a method of communication. It is an evaluation of the use of this method based on a number of criteria. These criteria look at differing aspects of fear appeals which form the basis of the evaluation. Issues such as ethics, involvement of the audience, credibility and the level of fear used are all examined in a bid to determine the overall perceived effectiveness of this form of communication.

The first section of the project examines the research question and the objectives which the research hopes to achieve in order to arrive at …

Tourism And Terrorism - Is There A Pattern Of Recovery Following A Terrorist Attack?, Mary Rose Stafford

Theses

The purpose of this research is to ascertain if there is a pattern of recovery in tourism following a terrorist attack. If so, what measures can be taken to mitigate against such a significant downturn in tourism as experienced by the tourism industry following the terrorist attacks of September 112001. The research conducted is a multi-method approach combining secondary research with primary research (in-depth interviews, case studies and tourist surveys) to provide a synthesis of research findings.

The findings suggest that there are defining phases to the recovery process but no clear pattern has emerged. A number of factors are …

Shopping Motivations And Their Influence On Shopping Experience In Australia And Indonesia, Tjong Budisantoso

Theses

The main focus of this study is on motivation. In particular, the study aims to investigate the relationship between the in-store experience of shoppers and their motivation for shopping. The in-store experience as defined in this study includes the perception of store atmosphere and cognitive responses. Another interest of the study is to test the relationship between cognitive responses and store atmosphere in two different countries. Lastly, this study explores the relationship between in-store experience and store patronage satisfaction, which in turn can influence shoppers’ repatronage intention. All the hypotheses in this study have been tested in Perth, Australia and …

The Factors Influencing The College Choice Of The Leaving Certificate Cohort, Patrick O Sullivan

Theses

This thesis examines the factors that influence the college choice and decision making behaviour adopted by Leaving Certificate Students choosing third level colleges in tertiary education. It attempts to understand the decision making process and associated influences that affect students when considering a third level college. The position adopted for this study is that of a consumer behaviour perspective.

Whether or not the potential students operate a systematic process, logically thinking throughout each step, is worthy of research. Secondary research confirms the many variables influencing the decision-making process, particularly in the USA and UK. However, in-depth knowledge regarding the criteria …

Sharing The Big Apple : A Survey Study Of People, Place And Locatability, Samer Nadim Karam

Theses

Over the past half century social trends and new technologies have weakened local social ties and thus, the fabric of civil society itself. Mobile location-aware community systems offer one path to redress these problems by enhancing community cohesion and the formation of social capital by helping people to meet each other and coordinate their actions. However, little is known about the general population's desire and attitude towards these systems.

The design space described by the People-to-People-to-Geographical-Places Framework (P3-Framework), was used to guide a survey study of the impact of 'place' on people's social information needs and their willingness to share …

Digital Libraries And Middleware Technology, Muhammad Umar Qasim

Theses

Digital libraries deliver personalized knowledge directly to their users, without being restricted to the contents of a physical library. In a digital library information from any online source can be managed and shared, making more knowledge available to users than before. The information sharing is achieved by integrating many autonomous heterogeneous systems available. The challenge is to provide users with the ability to transparently access digital library contents in spite of the heterogeneity among the information sources.

Research communities have proposed several approaches to accomplish the system integration in digital libraries. In this thesis, the working of currently employed approaches …

Family Friendly / Work Life Balance Policies: Perspectives Of Irish Employers And Employees, Caroline Williams

Theses

This study assesses the emergence of family friendly / work life balance arrangements within Irish organisations in view of changing conditions on the labour market, particularly with the increased participation of women. It incorporates the experiences, opinions and commentaries of both Human Resource representatives responsible for the implementation of such practices, and employees availing of them in a broad spectrum of public and private sector organisations.

This research addresses the perceived explicit and implicit barriers, such as organisational size, location and culture which challenge employers and employees in terms of alternative working arrangements. It illustrates the significance of introducing and …

Performance Measurement In Irish Credit Unions: An Evaluation Of Pearls, Ruth Vance

Theses

In recent years, the appropriateness of the measures used in performance measurement systems is one of the areas within Management Accounting that attracts significant interest. Even though a lot has been written on the advances in measurement systems in for-profit organisations there is a lack of literature on performance measurement systems in not-for-profit organisations. This dissertation describes and evaluates the performance measurement system used by credit unions in Ireland.

A literature review on performance measurement identifies the criteria that a performance measurement system needs in order to be effective: namely it should be linked to the organisation’s strategic objectives, reflect …

A Study Of Indian Culture As A Basis For Design, Evevon L. Little

Theses

This thesis will focus on the historical background of Indian-American culture. One key objective is to create a contemporary garment based on the knowledge of Indian traditional clothing.

Research has contributed to gaining knowledge about a continents regional inspirations and understanding how the environment plays a role in many lifestyles. The author sought to gain familiarity with many phases of Indian culture from regional textiles to cuisine.

Today, western influences of India are becoming more contemporary. American designers are mixing the vibrant embroidered textiles of India into their work. Not only is fashion of India popular, their crafts and arts …

A Guide To The Management & Operation Of A Chinese Restaurant In The United States, Wen-Chiung Huang

Theses

Before writing this thesis, the reason I choose for the issue of management and operation of Chinese restaurant is not because so much mass communication was related. It is the idea of the restaurant business how it to be created by using media or people's words of mouth. It is difficult to start a new business in the foreign country. Restaurant business does the same. In the early a late age of immigration, people realized only work hard can made a better life for themselves and their next generation. They started have their own business, created job opportunity even contributed …

An Investigation Into The Role Of Social Marketing In Preventing Adolescent Drinking., Cian Long

Theses

In recent years, there has been increased concern about the level of alcohol abuse by Irish teenagers. Countless studies have shown that underage drinking is now becoming an epidemic. Up to 100 million young people around the globe are alcohol dependent and another 400 million drink to excess. Research has shown that early onset of alcohol use can lead to alcohol dependency, violence, absenteeism, crime and subsequent health problems. It is estimated that alcohol related problems cost the Irish economy €2.65 billion in 2003. Unfortunately, this alcohol problem is not going to vanish or disappear. Alcohol has become Ireland’s number …

Getting Real About Ebusiness In Ireland : A Marketing Perspective, Daniel Finbarr Sheehan

Theses

Electronic business has been promoted as marking a sea change in the way companies can develop and deliver products and services. Global markets are increasingly accessible in the new digital economy. Ireland, situated on the periphery of continental Europe, appears to be a perfect example of an economy that can benefit from this new medium. This thesis seeks to go beyond the hype in order to examine eBusiness as a marketing channel.

Given the new opportunities made possible by information and communication technology (ICT), it is instructive to investigate the attitudes of marketers to electronic business. An online survey was …

An Investigation Into The Role Of Social Marketing In Preventing Adolescent Drinking., Cian Long

Theses

In recent years, there has been increased concern about the level of alcohol abuse by Irish teenagers. Countless studies have shown that underage drinking is now becoming an epidemic. Up to 100 million young people around the globe are alcohol dependent and another 400 million drink to excess. Research has shown that early onset of alcohol use can lead to alcohol dependency, violence, absenteeism, crime and subsequent health problems. It is estimated that alcohol related problems cost the Irish economy €2.65 billion in 2003. Unfortunately, this alcohol problem is not going to vanish or disappear. Alcohol has become Ireland’s number …

The Evidence For A Nascent Biotechnology Cluster In Cork, John W. Hobbs

Theses

Over the past 30 years, encouraged by Ireland’s low rate of corporation tax (currently 12.5 %), and active promotion of FDI by the IDA, foreign owned pharmaceutical plants have set up and multiplied in the Cork area. To Ireland’s advantages of a low tax rate, an English speaking population, a pro-business environment and membership of EU, Cork offered the added attractions of a deepwater port and large natural harbour, good freight connections, an international airport, an educated workforce and excellent sporting and leisure facilities for sailing, golf, etc. (Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and Schering Plough have …

Employee Retention And Customer Relationships In Services Industry, Aileen O'Connell

Theses

The business environment of the 1990s has seen a shift in firms’ emphasis away from recruiting new customers, towards nurturing and retaining those that they currently have (Palmer, 1996). The marketing emphasis has moved from customer acquisition to customer retention. Reicheld, (1996a) has identified a link between customer and employee retention, but this link has not been extrapolated by many researchers. For the purpose of this study, the researcher proposes to examine this link.

A large number of people who work for organisations are no longer what would be termed “traditional” employees of those organisations, i.e. employees for life. These …

A Framework Of Best Practice For Community Based Tourism Inititives, Cornelius O'Sullivan

Theses

This study commences with a detailed analysis of the tourism industry from a global perspective charting its inception through the time of the Persian, Assyrian, Greek, Egyptian & Roman empires to the present elimate, surpassed then by adherence to future predictions. The study then moves to examine the Irish tourism product by acknowledging the individuals who have pioneered & continue to survey its development. The study in response to its principle aim of creating a Framework of Best Practice for Community Based Tourism Initiatives identifies, discusses & evaluates in detail four core fundamental building blocks for such initiatives. These four …

Towards A Best Practice Framework : The Case Of Institutes Of Technology Campus Incubators, Mary Fenton

Theses

Campus incubators catalyse campus enterprise development by encouraging Third Level “spin offs”, commercialisation of research and facilitating “spin-in” enterprises. They provide academic staff, graduates and “spin-in” entrepreneurs with a range of support services including space, advice, training, mentoring and networking opportunities. The real value of a campus incubator location for clients is their association with a reputable Third level Institute and access to the Institute’s resources namely academic staff, embedded knowledge, manager’s expertise and enterprise netvyorks. The researcher explored literature on campus and business incubators and identified a lacuna of research on campus incubation, particularly within Irish Higher Education Institutes. …

Participatory Learning Environment : Requirements And Design Analysis, Vikas Manohar Achhpiliya

Theses

The primary purpose of this thesis is to develop the requirements and model preliminary database and class designs for the Participatory Learning Approach Environment (PLAE). The requirements and the designs will be presented for version 1.0 and 2.0 with version 2.0 supporting an enhanced requirements set.

Participatory Learning Approach Environment (PLAE) is an exercise management tool for the Participatory Learning Approach (PLA) - a pedagogy approach based on the theory of constructivism. The PLAE facilitates and enhances learning among students while easing the administrative burden of the instructor and cognitive overload of the students. The theory and concepts on which …

Electronic Marketplaces And Their Roles In The Staffing Industry : An Explorative Analysis, Vishal Khubani

Theses

This thesis will explore and analyze the role of electronic marketplaces in the staffing industry from the viewpoint of hiring executives, human resources personnel, staffing organizations, and candidates. Using analyses of popular electronic job marketplaces, this paper will establish the efficiency and effectiveness of electronic marketplaces as compared to traditional staffing methods. It will also provide a detailed view of various electronic marketplaces, their financial structure and analysis of their performance. This information will also result in a return on investment estimate for the average hiring organization using electronic marketplaces.

A Toolkit For Xml-Based And Process-Oriented Application Integration, Volker Münch

Theses

Systems integration is hard work; different architectures with different interfaces and an innumerable amount of Legacy applications with non-standard interfaces exist. However the needs to meet changing business requirements and to implement faster and optimised procedures within an enterprise and in cooperation with other external enterprises mean that there is a continuing demand for such integration strategies and products. Integration was often an activity separate from system development and could not be accomplished without re-involving system designers and developers. Such a process is therefore inefficient and costly. This thesis proposes a process-oriented integration strategy that combines the tasks of integration …

An Examination Of The Role Of Local Authorities In Local Sport Provision And The Implications For Their Role In The Local Sports Partnership Initiative, Dara Sugrue

Theses

The broad aim of this study is to analyse the current role of Irish local authorities in relation to the provision of local sport. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential contribution of Irish local authorities to the Local Sports Partnership initiative. The research considers how the local authorities need to evolve if their role within such a partnership arrangement is to be optimised.

A variety of methods were employed to analyse the prevailing and future role of the local authorities in relation to local sports development. These included a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, analysis of certain local authority documentation and …

Grassmere: "Nashville's Home", Regina M. Cordoba

Theses

This thesis and digital video project will focus on the study of Grassmere Historic Farm and Residence in Nashville, Tennessee, and its relative importance socially, architecturally, and politically to the community of Nashville, the state of Tennessee and the larger context of the United States.

Over the years, research studies have been conducted by students at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Vanderbilt University in Nashville to assemble and catalog artifacts and information for historic preservation. These studies, along with historical documentation housed in the archives of the Tennessee State Library in Nashville were investigated for an accurate …

The Empty Page, Julia Dover

Theses

This work is the combination of several different pieces harvested from a cluster in my graduate program that focused on writing the memoir.

Memoir writing, for those who may be unfamiliar with it, is the art of dissecting memories into pictures, textures, aromas, melodies and flavors, then reconstructing them into some coherent form so as the reader may feel as if she has lived the experience herself. This is ultimately the goal of the memoir, but I do not believe it is the purpose of writing it in the first place.

The purpose of the memoir is reflection. The writing …

An Evaluation Of The Business Value Gained Through The Use Of Customer Relationship Management And Related Ebusiness Solutions Deployed Within An Irish Enterprise, Catherina Kelly

Theses

The company at the centre of this case study is the Irish registered company Hewlett Packard (HP) European Software Centre (ESC) based in the Ballybrit Industrial Estate in Galway, Ireland. The core operation of the ESC is customer services distribution. For HP ESC, effective customer support and service had become a major strategic focus resulting in the strategic requirement for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) eBusiness solution.

This case study evaluated the business value associated with HP’s CRM implementation focusing primarily on intangible elements of business value as opposed to the more traditional financial measures of IS/IT evaluations. The research …

Marketing Ireland In The Face Of Adversity., Angela Wright

Theses

This study is an examination of the factors which influence the success or failure of the tourism industry in Ireland. This research incorporates the views, opinions, and commentaries of leading figures in each sector of importance for this key industry within the Irish economy. An examination of various bodies charged with the management of the Irish tourism industry, since its inception as a recognised commercial entity, is included in this study. This research highlights the confusion that has surrounded the constitution, mandate, and nomenclature of these national management bodies in recent times.

A significant finding of this study is that, …

Public Relations For Small Business: A Communication Application To Business Management, Diane J. Morton

Theses

Large corporations and businesses in the public eye employ public relations professionals or commission public relations agencies to manage efforts that protect business reputation and mediate relationships between a business and its publics. To succeed, small businesses need similar relationships with their publics, but many business owners do not dedicate time or resources to public relations functions. Relatively little information is available in the public relations literature specifically for small businesses. The purpose of this thesis is to identify the applicability of corporate public relations functions for small businesses, and to formulate a public relations plan for entrepreneurs and small …

"People Just Don't Seem To Be Listening": A Case For A Functional Approach To Reputation Management, Stephen E. Gustafson

Theses

This paper focuses on the growing study of corporate reputation management and the potential benefits of focusing management attention on building, sustaining, and defending the corporate brand's reputation. Specifically, the purpose of the paper is to provide a logical justification for major corporations to add the role of chief reputation officer to their organizational structures in order to properly manage this significant intangible asset.

Secondary research of print and electronic news media coverage was conducted to document a case history of the reputation crisis and ultimate demise of Big Five accounting firm Andersen (more commonly known as Arthur Andersen). The …

Brand Development By Small Firms, Aoife Hackett

Theses

The thesis explores the process of developing and managing brands. Particular emphasis is placed on how small enterprises gain recognition and acceptance for brands, the obstacles they encounter and how they surmount these obstacles.

In a review of the literature, brand management strategies and the value of brand loyalty to a business were discussed. Brand equity and measurement and measures of brand equity were also reviewed.

Interviews were conducted with large successful firms to discover arrangements and processes they employ to maintain market support, to extend the coverage or application of their brands to new product versions or new segments, …