Business Commons^™

Altering Time: The Effect Of Feedback Frequency On Employee Behavior, Nate Waddoups

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in technology have made it possible for employers to provide performance feedback to employees on a more frequent basis. This study investigates how different feedback frequencies can alter employees’ perceptions of time and subsequently how these altered perceptions influence employee productivity. I predict and find that feedback frequency alters the way employees break up or segment their work time—a process that I refer to as feedback-driven time segmenting. Ultimately I find that this process causes feedback frequency to have opposing effects on employee productivity. Specifically employees who receive more frequent feedback find fewer task efficiencies than employees who receive …

The Impact Of Cmo Tenure On Brand Equity And Cost Of Capital: Insights From Business To Consumer Industries, Tracey A. Swartz

Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the relationship between CMO tenure and firm risk as measured by cost of capital. The author develops a conceptual model linking the direct impact of CMO tenure on the firm’s cost of capital and indirect impact through brand equity. The hypotheses are tested using data on 125 public US-based firms between 2004 and 2013. The findings suggest that longer CMO tenure results in higher brand equity. Further, longer CMO tenure reduces cost of capital through its impact on brand equity. The author also finds that the impact of CMO tenure on brand equity is strengthened when the …

Mitigating Advocacy Bias: The Effect Of The Reviewer Role On Tax Professional Judgment, Mary E. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Prior literature finds tax professionals exhibit advocacy bias, a threat to tax professionals’ objectivity, which can expose accounting firms and their clients to penalties for overly aggressive tax reporting decisions. Mitigating this bias has been the topic of several prior studies; however, research thus far has focused on how reviewers identify bias within tax research memorandums (e.g., stylized writing or other obvious cues). In an experiment administered to seventy-five tax professionals, this study isolates the effect of the reviewer role and compares professionals’ evidence evaluation and conclusions by role (i.e., reviewer or preparer). I find professionals who occupy the reviewer …

More Than Meets The Eye: Development Of A Sport Event Stimuli And Destination Image Fit Scale, Yongjin Hwang

Theses and Dissertations

Much research demonstrates an impact of sensory experience on sports fans’ satisfaction with live sporting events (Lee, Heere, & Chung, 2013; Lee, Lee, Seo, & Green, 2012). It was, however, not studied how to enhance those sense-centric experiences. One possible approach would be to utilize unique region-based characteristics to design unforgettable and emotionally engaging experiences. Most sporting events are location-based, and venues are also considered as a landmark of the area where they are placed. Consequently, we can create a natural link between sporting events and the hosting cities or regions. Visual designs, musical contents, famous local food, and signature …

Effectiveness Of “Good” Governance Policies Across Contexts: A Test Of The Universal Vs. Embedded View, Sabrina Ferdous Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to examine the effectiveness of “good” governance principles that are commonly benchmarked in shaping the Corporate Governance (CG) policies. Specifically, I examine the firm level internal mechanisms of Monitoring CG and Incentive CG and the country level external mechanisms of legal rules and disclosure provisions. The origin of these CG policies is rooted in the Anglo-Saxon countries, where stand-alone firms are mostly owned by the dispersed shareholders, and Type I agency problem is common between company owners and top managers. For precisely examining the generalizability of “good” CG principles, I have conducted my investigation in an empirical …

Three Essays On Corporate Finance: A Multilevel Inspection Of Target Capital Structure & Convertible Debt Issuance And Market Valuations Of Innovative Ability, Ashleigh Eldemire-Poindexter

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents empirical analysis of the capital structure, security issuance, value creation, and valuation concepts of corporate finance. Two analysis examine connections between firm capital structure and the use of convertible debt securities, which have mixed debt and equity attributes. The third analysis examines the valuation of implicit and explicit signals of firm quality.

Chapter 1, Convertible Debt & Target Leverage Adjustments, examines how does convertible debt affects advances toward target capital structure. Convertibles may improve leverage adjustments by providing capital that is less costly to issue and less expensive to service. However, convertibles can be risky liabilities with …

An Analysis Of Perceptions Of Restaurant Authenticity At Food Tourism Destinations In The Southeastern U.S, Jamie A. Levitt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive scale, containing multiple restaurant attributes and authenticity conceptualizations, to measure restaurant authenticity; to test a model examining the mediators and outcomes of restaurant authenticity at independent, full service Southern-style restaurants at food tourism destinations in the Southeastern U.S.; and to determine if the influences of restaurant authenticity differ between food tourists, general tourists, and locals.

A four-step approach adapted from Netemeyer et al. (2003) was used to develop the restaurant authenticity scale (RAS). Ultimately, the RAS contained six authenticity conceptualizations, 20 items and three dimensions: restaurant heritage and environment, food …

Investor Reactions To Complex Financial Accounting Disclosures: Experimental Evidence From The Tax Disclosure Of Permanently Reinvested Earnings, Laura N. Feustel

Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates how increasing the transparency of complex financial accounting disclosures affects investor judgments. The income tax disclosure of permanently reinvested earnings is the context of this investigation as the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is currently evaluating income tax disclosures and has specifically identified the disclosure of permanently reinvested earnings as an area to be reevaluated. Current standards allow corporations flexibility in their disclosures that can lead investors to be surprised by changes in a corporation’s assertions regarding the reinvestment of foreign earnings. My study suggests that increasing the transparency of complex disclosures through the explicit reporting of …

Antecedents To The Selection Of Ceos With Higher Levels Of Narcissism And How Ceos With Higher Levels Of Narcissism Affect The Ceo Succession Process, Ormonde R. Cragun

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the antecedents to the selection of CEOs with higher levels of narcissism, as well as their impact on the CEO succession process. The first study predicts how and when boards select CEOs with higher levels of narcissism. I predict when firm performance is low, environmental dynamism is high, and when environmental munificence is high, the board is more likely to select a CEO with higher levels of narcissism. I further predict that environmental conditions (i.e., dynamism and munificence) have a moderating effect on the relationship between firm performance and the level of narcissism of the newly-selected CEO. …

Evaluation Of An Adaptive Reading Program At A Title I Public Elementary School, Monica M. Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the I-station adaptive reading program and determine its impact on reading proficiency of third-grade students. The school of study was a Title I school with proficiency rates for third-grade students of about 40% annually. The district recommendation for student usage mirrored the recommended minutes per week established by Imagination Station, the I-station parent company.

The program evaluation utilized the context-input-process-product model components, measuring process and product. There were two research questions underpinning the study: 1. Process: Is the I-station program being used with fidelity at the school of study to achieve program intended …

The Effect Of Organizational Culture On The Retention Of Millennial Employees, Charlene Bolton

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative research method study of the organizational culture preferred by physician assistant graduate students was designed to explore how organizational culture can affect the retention of Millennial employees. Millennials will make up approximately 50% of the global workforce by 2020, so it is important to understand how organizational culture can influence Millennials’ willingness to stay with an organization. The problem addressed involved the inability of organizations to retain Millennials beyond their 2 years of being hired, which occurs because the values of the organizations do not align with the work values of Millennials.

After extensive literature review on the …

Reducing Sepsis Mortality: A Cloud-Based Alert Approach, Janet A. Zink

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of a cloud-based CDS alerting system for SIRS, a precursor to sepsis, and sepsis itself, on adult patient and process outcomes at VCU Health System. The two main hypotheses are: 1) the implementation of cloud-based SIRS and sepsis alerts will lead to lower sepsis-related mortality and lower average length of stay, and 2) the implementation of cloud-based SIRS and sepsis alerts will lead to more frequent ordering of the Sepsis PowerPlan and more recording of sepsis diagnoses. To measure these outcomes, a pre-post study was conducted. A pre-implementation group diagnosed …

A Multi-Objective Framework For Information Security Public Policy: The Case Of Health Informatics, Kane Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Detailed holistic patient data is critical for healthcare organizations to better serve their patient populations. This information allows healthcare organizations to create a detailed and holistic record of a patient’s health. However, this large aggregation of personally identifiable patient data raises serious privacy and security concerns amongst patients. For this reason, patient concerns around the privacy and security of information retained by healthcare organizations must be addressed through the development of effective public policy. This research, therefore argues that any decision making process aimed at developing public policy dealing with patient data privacy and security concerns should not only address …

Loyalty Program Effectiveness: An Examination Of Mainstream And Niche Sport Fan-Team Relationships, Lisa S. Rufer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of using loyalty programs on sport fans’ relationship quality and fan engagement toward sport organizations. This study also sought to explore which relationship quality and fan engagement factors potentially differed as a result of using loyalty programs. Since there are two major defined sport levels, differences were explored across niche and mainstream sport organizations. Using relationship marketing as the theoretical framework, participants (n = 678) were administered a 55-item instrument that included revised relationship quality and fan engagement scales. Quantitative data were used to run confirmatory factor analyses, analyses of …

Comparison Of Hiring Strategies Of Orthodontic Private Practitioners, Steven C. Petritz

Theses and Dissertations

COMPARISON OF HIRING STRATEGIES OF ORTHODONTIC PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS

By Steven C. Petritz, D.D.S.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018

Thesis Director: Bhavna Shroff, D.D.S., M.Dent.Sc., M.P.A.

Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Orthodontics Program Director

Purpose: Evaluate factors that influence hiring outcomes of clinical and non-clinical staff in orthodontic private practices.

Methods: Orthodontists (n=1968) were surveyed regarding their hiring methods and outcomes. Responses were summarized using descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests were used to compare between hiring strategies and outcomes. …

Good Game, Greyory Blake

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis and its corresponding art installation, Lessons from Ziggy, attempts to deconstruct the variables prevalent within several complex systems, analyze their transformations, and propose a methodology for reasserting the soap box within the display pedestal. In this text, there are several key and specific examples of the transformation of various signifiers (i.e. media-bred fear’s transformation into a political tactic of surveillance, contemporary freneticism’s transformation into complacency, and community’s transformation into nationalism as a state weapon). In this essay, all of these concepts are contextualized within the exponential growth of new technologies. That is to say, all of these semiotic …

Understanding Knowledge Sharing Motivation In The Public Sector: Application Of Self-Determination And Person-Environment Fit Theories, Jaeyong Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge has been recognized as an important resource that should be carefully managed in order to enhance organizational competitiveness. Therefore, it is important to manage knowledge resources that have been learned and stored in organizations. Several scholars in the public administration literature have examined whether public service motivation (PSM) can help employees share their knowledge in ways that contribute to the effective functioning of public organizations. However, the mechanisms by which PSM influences individuals’ propensity to share knowledge have not been clarified by past research.

Against this background, at first, this study contributes to understanding the relationship between PSM and …

Consuming Digital Debris In The Plasticene, Stephen R. Parks

Theses and Dissertations

Claims of customization and control by socio-technical industries are altering the role of consumer and producer. These narratives are often misleading attempts to engage consumers with new forms of technology. By addressing capitalist intent, material, and the reproduction limits of 3-D printed objects’, I observe the aspirational promise of becoming a producer of my own belongings through new networks of production. I am interested in gaining a better understanding of the data consumed that perpetuates hyper-consumptive tendencies for new technological apparatuses. My role as a designer focuses on the resolution of not only the surface of the object through 3-D …

Sfidat E Shitjes Dhe Marketingut Tek Kompanitë Ferizajase, Agnesa Nebihu

Theses and Dissertations

Marketingu është prezent në jetën tonë të përditshme dhe në masë të madhe ndikon në stilin tonë të jetesës. Ndërmarrja është e lidhur me tregun, dhe këtë lidhje e siguron marketingu i cili është esencial për suksesin e ndërmarrjeve dhe siguron realizimin e qëllimeve madhore, gjegjësisht mbijetesën e ndërmarrjeve, rritjen dhe zhvillimin e tyre.

Në Kosovë, bizneset çdo ditë e më shumë po vetëdijesohën se marketingu luan një rol të rëndësishëm në reputacionin e tyre, por në përgjithësi vërehet një mungesë e marketingut në biznese. Lojërat shpërblyese e shitjet promocionale nuk përfshijnë gjithë marketingut si lëmi. Marketingu është shumë më …

Analiza Statistikore E Punësisë Dhe Papunësisë Në Republikën E Kosovës, Afije Gashi

Theses and Dissertations

Kosova ka një rritje të shpejtë të popullsisë si dhe ka popullsinë më të re në botë. Kjo bazë mund të ndikojë pozitivisht në rritjen ekonomike, në të njëjtën kohë paraqet një sfidë të madhe në vend në fenomenin e papunësisë së të rinjëve gjë që mund të kërcënojë stabilitetin politik dhe zhvillimin e qëndrueshëm ekonomik në vend.

Qëllimi i këtij studimi ështe shqyrtimi dhe krahasimi i nivelit të papunësisë në Kosovë dhe nevojën për përmbushjen e masave të kërkuara për të zvogëluar nivelin e papunësisë.

Përgjigja për këto pyetje është kërkuar përmes një hulumtimi të literaturës vendore, të dhënat …

Standardet Ndërkombëtare Të Auditimit Të Jashtëm Dhe Të Brendshëm, Emine Bajraktari

Theses and Dissertations

Historia e viteve të fundit të zhvillimit ekonomik, financiar dhe social në kushtet e procesit të shpejtë të globalizimit dhe efiçienca e kërkuar në përdorimin e fondeve publike ka çuar në zhvillime dhe ndryshime të shumta e të mëdha, të cilat duhet të rivlerësojnë rolin e profesionit të Audituesit. Sot nevojiten institucione publike dhe agjenci auditimi që e bëjnë punën më mirë për të promovuar ndershmërinë dhe qeverisjen kompetente, për të mirën e sotme dhe të ardhmen e çdo vendi.

Pra, ky punim më shumë është më shumë i fokusuar në rolin dhe rëndësinë e standarteve ndërkombëtare të auditimit. Standardet, …

Analizë Mbi Bizneset Familjare Si Dhe Funksionimin Dhe Performancën E Tyre Në Kosovë, Merisa Xhaferi

Theses and Dissertations

Në një pjesë të madhe të literaturës u është kushtuar pak vëmendje definimit të bizneseve familjare dhe shpjegimit të tyre si një lloj i vaçant i bizneseve, por në anën tjetër në kuadrin praktik dhe në tregun botëror këto forma të biznesit paraqesin formën më të vjetër të organizimit, dhe shumë nga kompanitë më të suksesëshme në botë vijnë nga po ky lloj i kompanive. Meqenëse disa nga kompanitë me rëndësi të madhe botërore si Walmart e Porsche, e shumë të tjera janë biznese familjare, atëherë cfarë roli ka ky lloj i organizimit të biznesit në ekonominë botërore.

A dallon …

Symbiotic Relationships Among Innovations And Sustainable Practices: A Supply Chain Management Perspective, Muratcan Erkul

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability as a business phenomenon has occupied the attention of academicians, practitioners, and consumers for more than three decades. While some firms emphasize on their own internal sustainability initiatives, there is a growing trend to implement sustainability across the supply chain. This increasing interest makes implementation of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices very important for focal firm's sustainability; however, the ability to create innovative products, processes, and ways of operating is crucial if an organization is to be sustainable. Although there have been studies that investigate innovation in the context of sustainability, their scopes are limited to a single …

Hormonal Influence On Female Consumption Of Revealing And Sexy Fashion Products, Ngoc B. Pham

Theses and Dissertations

This doctoral dissertation addresses the biological and psychological components of consumers’ decision-making processes. Particularly, it investigates the impact of female sex hormones on women’s consumption behaviors regarding fashion products. These hormones reach peak level when women are near ovulation, and this research examines how these hormones, when at peak level, influence women’s attitudes and purchase intention towards sexy and revealing fashion products.

The research is based on two theoretical frameworks: ovulatory shift hypothesis (OSH) and theory of reasoned action (TRA). Specifically, the OSH, based on the female ovulatory cycle postulates that women change their sexual preferences for men with perceived …

Two Essays On International Capital Flows And Cross-Listings, Lu Sui

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores two interesting issues: international capital flows and cross-listings. With high volatility of capital flows and imbalance of capital flows between emerging and advanced economies, the topic of capital flow management is always attractive to researchers and policy makers. The first essay explore how capital flows in G20 countries are significantly impacted by pull and push factors. The results show that international capital flows are significantly associated with domestic financial development, which is measured by stock market liquidity and domestic credit. Moreover, international capital flows are affected by some push factors such as, the growth of world economy …

Essays On Financial Decision Making, Corey A. Shank

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals make financial decisions daily, yet the literature on the mechanisms that drive financial decisions is limited. This dissertation looks to examine how physical characteristics, and personality subconsciously influence financial decision making by conducting an experiment. Furthermore, this dissertation examines biased decision making in the betting market by using data from covers.com. First, this dissertation finds that the cognitive impairments associated with having a higher body mass index is positively related to poor financial decision making and being more likely to commit the present bias, and distorting probabilities. Second, this dissertation finds that business students are more apt to fit …

Regression-Discontinuity Analysis Of The Effects Of Government Housing Policies, Alejandro Rojas

Theses and Dissertations

An influential literature has applied regression-discontinuity (RD) analysis to investigate the effects of government housing policies. This literature has failed to identify substantial effects of these policies, but may also suffer from various biases and limitations. This dissertation carefully examines what, if any, issues face RD analysis in this context. Chapter II considers the Affordable Housing Goals (AHGs) and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), affordable housing policies that compel Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (F&F) and depository institutions, respectively, to increase access to mortgage credit for borrowers perceived by some as “underserved” by the mortgage market. Chapter III considers the overall …

Jetëgjatësia E Ndërmarrjeve Të Reja: Analizë E Start-Ups Në Kosovë 2010-2016, Vehbi Hajrullahu

Theses and Dissertations

Synimi i këtij studimi është që të shqyrtojë dhe analizojë jetëgjatësinë e ndërmarrjeve të reja apo start-ups në Republikën e Kosovës si dhe ndikimin e faktorëve të jashtëm dhe të brendshëm të cilët bëjnë pjesë në këtë proces.

Tema është zhvilluar bazuar në literaturën e gjerë dhe praktikat e sektorit të zhvillimit të NVM-ve të reja dhe rëndësisë së madhe të aktiviteteve strategjike në drejtim të rritjes ekonomike dhe pasurisë së firmave. Gjatë përgatitjes së këtij studimi janë përdorur një sërë metodash në kërkimin dhe studimin e zhvillimit të NVM-ve me fokusin mbijetesën dhe zhvillimin e tyre në epokën e …

Krahasimi I Strategjive Të Marketingut Në Korporatat E Kosovës, Agrin Gashi

Theses and Dissertations

Strategjia përfshinë në vete hapa për të arritur objektivat e marketingut dhe objektivat e përgjithshme të ndërmarrjes. Këto strategji fillojnë të bëhen më komplekse me rritjen e biznesit, kërkojnë më shumë vëmendje dhe profesionalizëm. Strategjia ndryshe njihet si një hartë e cila të ndihmon për të zgjedhur rrugën më të favorshme drejtë fitimit dhe sukseseve. Është shumë e rëndësishme që ndërmarrjet të aplikojnë strategji të tilla që ndihmojnë në procesin e zhvillimit sidomos kur kemi të bëjmë me ndërmarrje në nivel të Korporatave, të cilat padyshim kërkojnë angazhim të ekspertëve që kontribuojnë mjaftueshëm me dijet e tyre në hartimin e …

Politika Fiskale, Donjeta Jashari

Theses and Dissertations

Për të arritur mirëqenie dhe stabilitet politik, qeveritë kombëtare synojnë arritjen e ekuilibrit ekonomik. Qeveria përdor instrumente të ndryshme për të stimuluar rritjen e ekonomisë, për të ulur papunësinë dhe për të arritur objektivat makroekonomike. Në kontekst të rritjes së ngadalshme ekonomike të viteve të fundit dhe të presioneve fiskale, Kosova ballafaqohet me sfidën komplekse të zhvillimit ekonomik. Papunësia vazhdon të jetë në një shkallë të lartë. Kërkesa për fuqi punëtore është ende shumë e ulët dhe krijimi i një ambienti që do të favorizojë formimin e vendeve të qëndrueshme të punës është një detyrë sfiduese që kërkon reforma shumëdimensionale …