Business Commons^™

Parasocial Relationships In Variety Live Streaming: How It Can Affect Attitudes And Buying Intention Toward Sponsors, Megan Burroughs, Deborah Diazgranados

Undergraduate Research Posters

Online streaming and video platforms have become a popular form of entertainment as opposed to traditional media like movies and TV shows. Similar to traditional media, viewers often relate to and form one-sided relationships with actors/creators, known as parasocial relationships. Actors and creators can then leverage that relationship to advertise and market products to their audience. The primary objective of this study was to understand if perceived credibility and loyalty towards a streamer fuel parasocial relationships and how perceived credibility and parasocial relationships with an online live streamer influence attitude towards a sponsored brand and purchasing intention. It was predicted …

Keep It Simple? Effects Of Color And Age On Product Packaging, Saamiya R. Mohammed, Alex Robinson

Undergraduate Research Posters

Packaging has always played a pivotal role in consumer decision-making. Specifically, the color of the visual elements placed on product packaging have garnered significant attention for their potential to influence consumer perceptions and behaviors. Color is believed to have emotional/psychological associations across cultural and societal contexts.

On the one hand, research has noted that the use of grayscale does not elicit an emotional response (Clarke and Costall, 2008) and this may be because they’re considered passive colors (Bottomley and Doyle, 2006). Conversely, Jacobs et. al (1991), found that black is associated with being expensive and powerful. Based on the conflicting …

Does The Rock Really Rock? The Effects Of Using A Celebrity In A B2b Advertisement., Mary Widmer, Amanda Heah

Undergraduate Research Posters

Background: Previous studies have investigated the relationship between the content of advertisements and the effect it has on viewers’ engagement and retention. Seno and Lukas (2007) looked into this phenomenon and stated, “research has found that celebrities are more effective than other types of endorsers” (p. 121). Another study by Tantiseneepong, Gorton, and White (2012) found that celebrity endorsers “can improve the effectiveness of marketing communications, by enhancing a product’s image, attracting attention and improving recall rates” (p. 57).

Research Questions:This research addresses relationships with having a celebrity in a B2B advertisement. This study sought to answer the following …

The Lego System Makes Co-Creation Painless For The Lego Group, Seth A. Peacock

Undergraduate Research Posters

Co-creation is using consumers to help innovate with a product. While the methodology of co-creation has been extensively researched, different products’ relative suitability to co-creation is rarely examined. This research examines the LEGO Group’s co-creation efforts including LEGO Ideas, LEGO Factory, LEGO Mindstorms NXT, and LEGO Architecture. These programs’ reliance on LEGO’s versatility, modularity, adult fan community, and fan LEGO building expertise are evaluated and compared to other firm’s co-creation efforts. The adult LEGO community’s custom LEGO creations, including fan-designed and fan-sold sets, commissioned sculptures, and LEGO robotics development all constitute consumer innovation independent of the firm; the LEGO Group …

"Black People Don't Tip": Racism In The Restaurant Industry, Hortance E. Houngbeke

Undergraduate Research Posters

Due to discrimination, waiters are less likely to provide good customer service to their black dinners solely based on the assumption that they are poor tippers. The theory of discrimination is the foundation of this observational study where attentiveness is measured to reflect waiters’ avoidance of African American diners. Assuming waiters start with their preconceived notions about Black customers, this research will use the critical race theory to determine if waiters are less attentive to African American diners. To further understand the subtle discriminatory behavior of waiters toward African Americans, this study analyzes observational data from a sample of waiters …

Ethnic Diversity Of Boards Of U.S. Companies: Business Sustainability And Group Dynamics, Saajan Sappal

Undergraduate Research Posters

Ethnic minorities are significantly underrepresented on the Board of Directors of large US firms. White males comprise nearly twice the proportion of directorships of Fortune 1000 companies as they do the total US population. Ethnic diversity in corporate governance is valued as an asset per two prominent theories: Resource Dependence theory and Agency theory. However, Ethnic diversity on the Board of Directors can also impair the group process per Status theory and constraints such as tokenism and marginalization. This paper is aimed at developing both a theoretical and empirical understanding of the value of ethnic minorities on the Board of …

Addressing The Challenges Of Computer Literacy Among Young Haitian Adults, Siobhan A. Gray

Undergraduate Research Posters

The objective of the research study was to identify and address challenges of capacity building required to facilitate technological competency among school students, young adults and teachers in Haiti through, a two-phase research plan. The first phase utilizes a citizen centric framework for Information and Communication Technologies for Education (ICTE) capacity development that integrates stakeholder needs, prototype development, capacity building, training, and evaluation. They include a sustainable computing platform, Computer on a Stick (COS), and teacher workstation with Internet in a Box (IIAB). The ICTE solutions are installed at six different sites in the impoverished Central Hinche province. The citizen-centric …