Business Commons^™

Examining The Usefulness Of Amerinet's Valusource 3.0 Software, Theresa A. Jarus

Theses

The main focus of this research is to provide AmeriNet, Inc., a group purchasing organization of medical and healthcare supplies, with a statistical and realistic perspective regarding user training requirements and effectiveness of their latest software release, ValuSource 3.0.

This electronic catalog was developed for AmeriNet members to provide contract pricing information. The software release took over a year to design and implemented most of the functionality required/requested by AmeriNet shareholders and members.

The purpose of the software is to give members access to up-to-date contract information such as pricing, contract terms, commitment levels, etc. ValuSource 3.0 is capable of …

Empowerment Of A Uaw Workforce, Paula L. Hughel

Theses

This thesis will investigate whether empowerment of a workforce has a positive correlation on employee job satisfaction.

Research supports that the automotive industry is continuously focusing on the reduction of structural costs. One area that is commonly focused on is the reduction of manpower, specifically management. As the number of managers are reduced some of the work is being redistributed to the employees. Along with the additional work comes decision making responsibilities.

Although research supports that empowerment has a positive correlation on business results and working environments, it is inconclusive that empowerment has a positive correlation relative to job satisfaction. …

The Effect Of Humorous Advertising On Viewer In Television Medium, Monica Del Carmen Carrera Vergara

Theses

This study will focus on the effects of humorous advertisements in the television medium and its impact on viewers.

Research has established to the humorous advertising in the business importance of world and the effect that it has on consumers' consciousness.

Humor in advertising is seen as an important factor in the purchaser's process . Also, it is a tool that companies use to create a positive attitude toward the brand .

At this time, humor in commercials is the heavy attribute that gives viewers often pleasures . However, some current uses of humor in commercials do not achieve this …

Sewing The Seeds Of Passion: A Study On Effectively Communicating Vision In A Volunteer Based Non Profit Organization, John R. Miller

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of modem nonprofit organization and the crucial role which leader hip and vision play in fueling these organizations.

Recent literature. written both specifically about nonprofit and about corporate culture in the general business world. suggests that there is a direct correlation between the strength of leadership al the executive and board levels, and the degree to which volunteers and paid staff will "buy-in" to the philosophy and work of the nonprofit . And because of the nature of the nonprofit business, that is, that it exists "for the public good" as opposed to …

The Effectiveness Of Cognitive Stress Management Intervention For Customer Contact Employees, Nancy M. Rickert

Theses

The relationship between cognitive stress management interventions and an improved stress level for customer contact employees was examined . Twenty- five (25) customer contact employees were volunteer subjects of this study. Twenty-five (25) completed the pretest and posttest questionnaire (the work stress inventory) . Six (6) of the twenty-five volunteer subjects completed the pretest , participated in the cognitive stress management workshop , and the posttest. Results revealed a significant difference in reported levels of stress between the two groups of customer contact employees .

The Effects Of Humorous Advertising On Viewer In Television Medium, Monica Del Carmen Carrera Vergara

Theses

This study will focus on the effects of humorous advertisements in the television medium and its impact on viewers.

Research has established to the importance of humorous advertising in the business world and the effect that it has on consumers ' consciousness.

Humor in advertising is seen as an important factor in the purchaser's process . Also, it is a tool that companies use to create a positive attitude toward the brand.

At this time, humor in commercials is the heavy attribute that gives viewers often pleasures . However, some current uses of humor in commercials do not achieve this …

Integrated Marketing Communication, Nareerat Kesaraphong

Theses

This thesis will focus on the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in the United States and Thailand.

The new world of IMC provides a radically different way for companies to promote themselves. Throughout marketing history companies promoted a product by advertising. Advertising stated the "reason" people should purchase the product. You advertise it heavily. Consumers buy it. Advertising was king.

Integrated Communication and integrated marketing is good to reach the same amount of consumers that had been reached in the past. The vast amount of media available, such as the World Wide Web, trade shows, television, periodicals and outdoor advertising, make …

Army Officer Evaluation Report: Past, Present, And Future, Jason Brownrigg

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of performance evaluations of Army officers and the type of evaluation most useful for the future.

The Army has been using performance appraisals to evaluate the performance of officers since its inception over 200 years ago. Since World War II has the Army provided a required format for these evaluations.

The fom1at of these evaluations has changed over the years due to operational requirements along with the expansion and contract ion of the total Army structure. Also influencing the content of the evaluation reports are the current moral beliefs of the nations that …

A Business Plan For A Case Management And Home Health Agency, Zeporah A. Dunbar

Theses

This thesis will focus on the changes in health care delivery in the United States and how case management and home health care agencies have impacted upon it. The quality and cost-effectiveness of case management and home health care delivery will also be explored.

As we approach the twenty-first century, the focus of health care delivery is changing rapidly. The health care delivery system has undergone major changes and has had a tremendous impact on the development of case management and home health care agencies. These changes are affecting, and will affect health care consumers and the delivery of home …

Partnering With Profs, Patrick J. Cooney

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of corporate universities and the development of a business plan for the implementation of Bi-State University.

Research presented will cause the reader \O consider alternatives 10 accomplish strategic organizational training and development objectives. The reader should keep in mind their organizational culture and the developmental needs of their organization's human resources.

The purpose of this commentary is to identify the various options available beyond traditional training methods to develop a corporate university for Bi-State Development Agency. The best way to research approaches to human development is to ask the subject matter experts. Several …

Baby Boomers' Feelings On The Relationship Between Price And Quality, Rebecca A. Hudzik-Presson

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of Baby Boomers and the impact their particular generation has upon the type of products they purchase.

Marketing research has indicated that generational data can be very helpful. Generational factors provide a framework for understanding the marketplace. Many marketers who want to appeal to Baby Boomers attempt to recognize what interests Boomers. A fundamental truth is that marketers who take into account age group have an important competitive advantage over those who do not.

Research has also indicated that Baby Boomers show some loyalty to brand names. They look at quality as a …

The Valuation Of Family Limited Partnership Interests, Steven J. Krekeler

Theses

The focus of this report is on using family limited partnerships to reduce wealth transfer taxes. This report will explain how valuation discounts applicable to family limited partnership interests enable wealth to be transferred which avoids gift and estate tax. Furthermore, the report will discuss why some family partnership valuation discounts are accepted by the IRS and others are rejected, including steps taxpayers and their professional advisors can take to increase their chances of success.

Senior family members throughout the U.S. have a growing interest in preserving their wealth for the next generation. Many are not aware that 55% or …

Innovative Business Communication And Its Effect On The Bottom Line, Jane M. Lloyd

Theses

This thesis will examine a variety of business communication styles and show how various forms of communication can have an impact on a company's profitability.

Although a number of variables have been known to contribute to a company's bottom line - sales volume, cost of production, quality of products, etc. - only in the last ten to fifteen years have companies begun to look at the impact their business communication techniques have on productivity.

In these times of downsizing, rightsizing, and reengineering, it is more important than ever to maintain open lines of communication among all levels of employees. It …

Changing Policies Regarding Advertising In Taiwan & Their Impacts, Li-Tzu Yang

Theses

Mass media is not only an important tool to develop social change but also a condition to ensure democracy's continued development. Before the lifting of martial law, newspaper publication was controlled by the KMT Party. This situation meant that the mass media had no freedom and could not decide for themselves what to publish. After the lifting of martial law, Taiwan experienced great changes in politics, economics, society and culture. These huge change were reflected in mass media before and after martial law and are the purpose of this research analysis. Specifically, the role advertising played before the lifting of …

An Economic Assessment Of The Tourism Industry In The Tralee Area And Possible Future Development, Patrick M. Mcelligott

Theses

This study has been carried out at a time when Tralee is trying to develop a viable tourism industry and aims at analysing the impact of this process. It studies Tralee s transition over the last decade from being a commercial town to becoming a recognised tourist destination. The present state of the local tourism product is portrayed and fixture courses of action suggested. This analysis is conducted utilising the views of tourists, tourism operators in the town and current industry thinking. Relevant hterature is examined and questionnaire surveys of tourists and accommodation providers were administered and their results investigated. …

A Strategic Marketing Plan For Welltech International, Renee Denlow

Theses

It's here, and whether you know it or not, you are getting swept away by a strong underlying current of the "digital revolution ." For many, life has become an inoperative treadmill on the loose, for the pace gets quicker and more challenging. How often do you find yourself or the people surrounding you saying, "Fax me the draft, so I can review it prior to tomorrow's meeting.," "Leave me a message on my car phone," and/or "e-mail me the latest statistics before noon?" Electronic mail (E-mail) is just one of many of the technologies that is changing the landscape …

The Socio-Economic Role Of Crude Oil In The United States And Finland, Judith Deak Kallo

Theses

Running a company requires daily assessment of opportunities, risks and trends which involve socio-economic changes and scientific uncertainties. Technical-material resources play a major role in the uncertainty of corporate economics. Overproduction combined with increasing efficiencies have resulted in accelerated use and misuse of resources, accompanied by socio-ecological abuses related to wars and pollution. A significant current threat is global warming. As a result of this global challenge several companies have moved towards a more comprehensive environmental business management model. This is seen in corporate management initiating life cycle assessment and risk analysis of their products.

The socio-economic role of crude …

The Differential Effects Of Residential Placement And Exercise Activity Of Aging Persons With Mental Retardation, Sandra K. Wise

Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Sale Forecasting Methods : A Case Study, Susan J. Canavan

Theses

This study investigated forecasting accuracy for sales. Three quantitative and one qualitative forecasting techniques were tested and two combinational models were generated and evaluated.

Three data sets, obtained from a market leader were used to forecast sales. The series represented monthly sales for three years. Three accuracy levels were employed in this study, these are: Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). Results indicated that the quantitative method outperformed the qualitative method; that combining two or more quantitative methods provide better forecasts than the individual methods; and that combining quantitative and qualitative …

Design, Simulation And Fabrication Of A Mems In-Situ Contactless Sensor To Detect Plasma Induced Damage During Reactive Ion Etching, Subramanian Ganesh

Theses

The present trend in the semiconductor industry is towards submicron devices. An inevitable process technique in achieving this is by reactive ion etching of the polysilicon gate. During RIE, the gate oxide may get damaged due to several causes. One of the main causes of the damage is the non-uniformity of the plasma. It is reported that these plasma inconsistencies are mainly due to electrode design and that they create spatial plasma potential fluctuation. These fluctuations are reported to be in the range of 10-20 Volts. By providing an in-situ monitoring of the wafers, the reliability of the device could …

Mergers And Acquisitions: A Primer For Successful Employee Transition, Jan Dunlap

Theses

This thesis will focus on the 'human side' of mergers and acquisitions. It will show the impact on employees and ways in which management can ease these employees through the transition.

Research has shown that there are many more failures than successes, when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. Even with all the failures that exist, mergers and acquisitions are more prevalent than they have been in the past. Everyday the newspapers, news casts and radio stations mention a merger that is in the works.

If mergers and acquisitions are going to continue, and research shows that they will, then …

Business Ethics...A Contradiction In Terms?, Kimberly Rose Crawford

Theses

Business ethics occupies a unique position in the field of ethics. It consists of uneasy applications of some very general ethical principles (ie: duty or utility) to rather specific and often unique situations and crises. Unlike the professions of medicine and law, business ethics is concerned with an area of hum.an enterprise whose practitioners do not, for the most part, enjoy professional status and whose motives, to put it mildly, are often thought (and said) to be less than noble. Breed is often cited as the sole purpose of business, and much of the history of business ethics, accordingly, is …

Employee Motivation: What Works, What Doesn't, Michelle A. Koenig

Theses

Corporate America has seen a multitude of changes in the last century, but the change with the greatest impact is that of the employees. In the 'old' days, it was an employer's market. Employees felt lucky just to have a job. Companies did not spend time or money worrying about whether or not their employees were happy or motivated. The majority of jobs required manual labor and little or no education. This made replacing an unhappy or unmotivated worker much easier. In addition, there weren't as many U.S. or foreign companies competing for employees.

In today's competitive market, hiring and …

Motivating And Leading Today's Workforce, Janet Brown-Mitchell

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of motivation tactics used by American companies in reaching their two most important goals - goals which are one, to grow and expand by increasing profits and two, to stay in business.

Organizations are finding that they cannot survive and prosper merely by laying off employees and restructuring . Events are unraveling at a dramatic pace, and businesses are no longer able to compete globally.

Companies must begin to think long term if they are to meet their goals. Downsizing and restructuring are resulting in poor employee morale, and reduction of quality in …

A Study Of Stress In The Workplace In The 1990s, Reva Carol Mays

Theses

This study was conducted to determine if there was a significant difference in the intensity and frequency of organizational stress and job risk stress perceived between salaried, white-collar (N=37) employees and skilled blue-collar, union employees (N=35). 59 of the subjects were male and 13 were female.

The respondents completed two self-administered questionnaires. One was a work stress instrument, and the other was a demographic data sheet. The stress instrument contained 40 items, with scoring based on a 5-point Likert-type scale, that measured intensity and frequency of stress. The demographic data sheet contained 13 items.

Major findings of the research concluded …

An Analysis Of Price Discrimination Of Alcoholic Beverages: Marketing Towards African-American Vs. Anglo-Americans In St. Louis Communities, Tamara L. Morrow

Theses

This thesis will focus on the analysis of price discrimination of alcoholic beverages marketed towards African-Americans in St. Louis. Missouri.

Research has indicated that alcoholic beverages cost more in predominantly African-American communities compared to predominantly Anglo-American communities. Previous studies indicate certain factors that play a major role in identifying price discrimination. Some of these factors include social class, type of retail store and brand names and images.

However, an investigation of price discrimination of alcoholic beverages can indicate other reasons why prices are higher in certain areas. The percentage of alcohol and consumer demand in particular areas may pre-determine the …

Organizational And Social Systems, Ronald James Snelson

Theses

This project explores systems theory and practice as applied to Communications. A system is an organized or complex whole; an assemblage or combination of things, or parts forming a complex or unitary whole. A system is made up of (1) inputs, (2) operations (or processes), (3) outputs. Each interacts with, and is dependent on the proper functioning of the other. If something happens to one part the others parts are affected. Thus, within an organization, what happens to one can affect the whole.

An organization is a system. The systems approach has three goals: ( 1) to define relationships both …

The Effects Of Organizational Culture On Employee Motivation, Vickie R. Newman

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of organizational culture and the effect of the organization's beliefs and value systems on employee behavior. Current research has focused on the organization as the unit of analysis, rather than on the individual . Measuring individual behavior at t he organizational level is a challenging endeavor . However, the measurement o f organizational behavior, in its individual components, must be assessed for each individual within the organization.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the internalization of organizational culture by individuals and the resultant outcome behaviors. It is hypothesized that organizational culture, …

Employee Benefits, Kimberly Elinor Miller

Theses

This paper discusses how group benefits have changed over the past ten years, what corporations are offering their employees such as medical insurance, employee assistance programs, wellness training programs, child care programs, flexible compensation plans, continuing education benefits and retirement benefits and how each one of these benefits is set up . Employers want not only to implement benefit programs which will help them meet their organizational goals, but also to attract, retain and motivate employees. In order to succeed in these efforts they must install a program of benefits that is both cost effective and will meet organizational profit …

An Investigation Into The Design And Implementation Of A Business Plan For Ozark Builders, A Housing Development Company, Benjamin Luke Beaman

Theses

This thesis will investigate the design and implementation of a business plan for Ozark Builders, a housing development company.

One of the oldest professions in the United States, is the construction industry . This diverse industry that employs a large percent of the populace, plays an important role in our nation ' s economy . While, profits are to be made in the construction industry, the risks are overwhelming. The turnover rate for contractors exceeds twenty percent a year. Speculative building is considered a big gamble, and the builder ' s need to stay attuned to changes in consumer preferences, …