Business Commons^™

The Effects Of Foreign Direct Investments On Oil Sands Industry Development In Canada, Kolawole Ilesanmi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The apparent decline in conventional crude oil reserves creates concern about how to meet future global oil demand. The Canadian oil sands industry could help to fill the gap in projected world oil supply; however, the oil sands industry in Canada is operating below capacity because local investors lack the funds needed for sufficient development. Foreign direct investment could enhance the quick evolution of the oil sands industry in Canada. The purpose of this case study research was to explore the effects of foreign direct investment on the development of the oil sands industry in Canada by examining the case …

Financial Literacy In Appalachian Kentucky With A National Comparison, Tanya Noah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial literacy is a national problem; many studies confirmed that Americans have low levels of financial literacy. There is little to no research about financial literacy in Appalachia, and the level of financial literacy was unknown for Appalachian Kentucky. There is a problem deserving attention which can be seen by examination of the 3 key financial indicators. Many researchers found the Appalachian Kentucky region deficient regarding poverty rates, unemployment rates, and personal income rates. The purpose of this study was to develop a baseline level of financial literacy of Appalachian Kentuckians and to compare it to national levels. Becker's theory …

Strategies To Minimize Direct Care Worker Shortages, Eric Ik Iloabachie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a worldwide shortage of direct care workers who help older adults in their own homes. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that owners of home health care businesses can use to retain adequate direct care workers for their businesses. Five home care agency owners from Wake County, North Carolina, participated. Each owner had successfully implemented strategies to ensure adequate caregivers to sustain the business. Human relations theory was used to address the business problem. Data collection involved interviewing the 5 owners of home care agency businesses in their offices. Through a process of …

Virtual Worker Perceptions Of Retention In The Financial Services Industry, Shelly Zaldivar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the need for cost-efficient, talented teams continues to grow, leaders often consider the use of globally dispersed teams, also defined as virtual teams. Despite the apparent benefits, the unique needs of virtual team members are often overlooked in general leadership, change management, and retention discussions. Leaders need to understand contributing factors to the attrition of virtual workers. The foundation for this research included theories of employee retention and change management. The research question for this qualitative phenomenological study focused on the lived experiences of current or former virtual financial services workers regarding job retention. Participants were chosen using purposeful …

Success Strategies Of Small Business Owners, Lyndabelle Jakes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 20% of newly established small businesses, including small

businesses in the life insurance industry, fail within 2 years, and over 50% of them fail during the first 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify and explore the strategies that life insurance brokerage owners use to sustain business operations beyond 5 years. Porter's 5 forces model served as the conceptual framework for exploring this subject matter. Owners of 3 separate small life insurance brokerage firms in Texas, who sustained their businesses beyond 5 years, participated in semistructured interviews. A secondary source of …

Balancing Internal Controls With Change Management In The Pacific Military Unit, Miriam Seveses Mefford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Federal government managers were advised to strengthen internal controls; the law dictates attestation of effective management controls, and the internal control program is used to detect risks. However, managers lacked preparatory training, with training being overlooked given the increased responsibilities. Managers are assigned the programmatic role regardless of the lack of program standards in knowledge, skill, and ability. The research questions addressed change management components, concepts, and core qualifications relative to program readiness. The purpose of this single case study was to identify and explore change management components contributing to the effectiveness of internal controls. The conceptual framework was based …

Chief Executive Officers' Compensation And Firms' Performance In The U.S. Banking Industry, Xin Li

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growth rate of chief executive officers' (CEOs) compensation has dramatically outpaced average employees' pay increases. Scholars have not been able to reach a consensus on whether the financial performance of firms has a positive influence on CEOs' compensation. Also, boards of directors lack a clear understanding of the relationship between financial performance of firms and CEOs' incentive compensation in the U.S. banking industry. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the predictive relationship between financial performance of firms (measured by return on equity [ROE] and annual revenue) and CEOs' total compensation in the U.S. banking industry. According …

U.S. Corporate Energy Productivity, Greenhouse Gas Productivity, And Return On Equity, Terry Geonnie Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate leaders are expected to engage in corporate social responsibility by some stakeholders, but there is no consistent evidence that corporate social performance relates to financial performance. Grounded in instrumental stakeholder theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship among energy productivity, greenhouse gas productivity, and return on equity. The 2016 Newsweek Green Ranking U.S. 500 was the population for this study, which consisted of the largest companies in the United States with the highest corporate social performance scores. The secondary data were collected from Newsweek.com and Morningstar.com for this study. The multiple linear regression was …

Exploring Employee Retention Strategies In The U.S. Hotel Industry, Nathaniel Nwabuzor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational managers and business leaders struggle to retain hotel employees. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the strategies that hotel managers use to improve employee retention and reduce turnover. The conceptual framework for this study was Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. The 4 cases were 4 different hotels in the midAtlantic region of the United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 4 purposefully selected hotel managers (1 from each hotel) and document review. Data analysis consisted of compiling the data, coding for emergent and apriori codes, disassembling the data into common codes, reassembling the data …

Association Of Insider Trading Patterns With Earnings Management Citations From 2002-2012, Anne-Mary Emuobonuvie Nash-Haruna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Insider trading and earnings management (EM) have traditionally been associated with fraud and corporate scandals. Corporations involved in fraudulent financial reporting or earnings manipulations were assumed to have used insider trading patterns to manipulate earnings, thereby concealing information from investors. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to examine the association between insider trading patterns and EM citations among a randomly selected sample of publicly traded companies. The research question pertained to the association between the number of EM citations and whether a firm exhibited patterns of insider trading among publicly traded firms. The theoretical framework was based on …

Leadership Strategies To Reduce Employees' Occupational Stress, Ransford George Davidson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job-related aspects of the work environment, such as work pressure, workload, leadership, and management support cause occupational stress and increase costs to organizations. Grounded in the job demands-resources model theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies some bank managers use to reduce employees' occupational stress. The interview process included 5 managers employed at a bank in the Caribbean who successfully implemented strategies that reduced employees' occupational stress. The data collection and analysis process involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews and analysis of organizational documentation. Using the exploratory approach in data analysis, data were systematically integrated, evaluated, and …

Correlates Of Job Satisfaction Among Bank Employees In Nigeria, Nosayaba Ernest Oumwense

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job dissatisfaction among bank employees may adversely influence the financial performance of banks due to employee turnover, decreased productivity, poor service quality, decreased customer satisfaction, and negative employee attitudes in the workplace. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine how work on the present job, pay, opportunities for promotion, supervision, and coworker relationships predict job satisfaction among bank employees in Nigeria. The population of the study was 167 bank employees in 3 commercial banks in Nigeria. The 2-factor theory (TFT) served as the theoretical foundation in this study. Data collection was through a survey instrument called the job …

Strategies Construction Managerial Leaders Use To Counteract Material Cost Overruns, Daniel John Van Der Kuyp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The project cost overruns instigated through the loss of construction materials lowers the profitability of each stakeholder significantly. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies managerial leaders of a large construction firm used to counteract material cost overruns successfully. The diffusion of innovation theory was the conceptual framework for this study. The target population consisted of 6 managerial leaders with experience in large construction projects adhering to waste management standards and industry certifications. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and review of company documentation. The data analysis approach involved the content analysis research method to interpret …

Strategies Church Financial Leaders Use For Financial Sustainability During Economic Crises, Jessie Hyman Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Church financial leaders were affected by the economic crisis after the 2008 recession. In a 2009 group study conducted nationwide with church financial leaders, 57% stated that the economy had a negative effect on their church budgets. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that some church financial leaders used to ensure financial sustainability during economic crises. Resource dependence theory was the conceptual framework. Data were collected from 6 church financial leaders at 4 churches in the northeastern region in the United States; church financial leaders were selected through purposeful sampling to participate in …

Early Detection And Prevention Of Corporate Financial Fraud, Marcia Schillermann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The economic cost of financial statement fraud continues to be a problem for organizations and society. The research problem addressed in this study was the limited risk management strategies available for the early detection and prevention of financial statement fraud by corporate managers and auditors. These strategies are important to the proactive prevention of fraud. This study is important to future trustworthiness of financial statements. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple-case study was to explore current early detection and prevention methods in financial statement fraud using a risk management conceptual framework. The research question focused on current fraud detection and …

Equity Trading Evaluation Strategies In Switzerland After The European Mifid Ii, Linn Kristina Karstadt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Swiss bank traders are affected by technological and regulatory challenges, which may affect their broker voting process and may result in a change of trading and evaluation behavior in 2018. Compounded challenges exist when broker evaluation strategies are not effective or Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) II compliant. This qualitative, single case study, built on efficient capital market hypothesis and innovative disruption theory, was focused on effective broker evaluation strategies after MiFID II in Switzerland. The sample consisted of 4 buy-side traders, who shared their unique perspectives. Methodological triangulation was achieved through semistructured interviews, a review of the institution's …

Financial Crowding Out Of Ghanaian Private Sector Corporations, Andrews Kwablah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The government of Ghana borrows from both domestic and foreign sources to finance the budget deficit. By the year 2013, the domestic debt was 55% of the public debt. Government domestic borrowing is competitive and can potentially crowd out the private corporate sector. Therefore, the specific research problem addressed in this study was whether the Ghanaian government's domestic debt (DEBT) caused financial crowding out (FCO) in Ghana. FCO theory is not conclusive and not proven specifically for Ghana, so the purpose of this research was to investigate its presence in Ghana. The neoclassical theory of FCO underpinned the research. The …

Strategies Taxicab Owners Use To Sustain Their Operations In A Competitive Environment, Emmanuel Appah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Taxicab owners are losing market share to technology companies including Sidecars, Lyft, and Uber. Whereas Uber is growing rapidly, operating in over 150 U.S. cities and 58 countries with an estimated market valuation of $62.5 billion, taxicab owners have experienced a significant decline in growth because of a deficiency of business strategies. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore business strategies taxicab owners use to sustain their operations. A purposive sampling of 6 taxicab owners and managers from 6 taxicab companies in Denver County, Colorado participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews. Data from the interviews were transcribed, …

Effective Strategies To Sustain Small Businesses In Rural Areas, Nicole A. Dobson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compared to their urban counterparts rural small businesses face unique socio-economic and environmental challenges including isolation, lack of resources, poverty, limited networks, and a smaller population of working age adults. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore effective strategies that rural small business managers have used to sustain a business in their area. The population for this study included a purposeful selection of 8 rural small businesses. Institutional theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data was collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews of participants. The data was analyzed and coded by using a modified Van …

Relationship Between Chief Executive Officer Compensation, Duality, And Return On Equity, Elizabeth Rescigno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor decisions and conflicts of interest by members of company boards of directors have been a factor in the dramatic rise in chief executive officer (CEO) compensation, resulting in a lower return on equity (ROE) for shareholders. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between CEO compensation, CEO duality, and ROE after controlling for CEO age, CEO tenure, and firm size, as measured by total assets. Agency theory was the theoretical framework for this study. The study examined whether a statistically significant relationship existed between CEO compensation, CEO duality, and ROE, after controlling for CEO age, …

Relationship Between Liquidity, Asset Quality, And Profitability Of Mortgage Banks In Nigeria, Olabanjo Johnson Obaleye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Liquidity (LQ) and asset quality (AQ) management present significant challenges to mortgage bankers in their efforts to improve profitability (PR). When liquidity increases, there is no positive impact on mortgage asset growth; however, this trend indicates that asset management and liquidity positions are not well managed. To run a viable mortgage business, mortgage bankers need to have a good grasp of the association between LQ, AQ, and PR. Anchored in the profit theory paradigm, the purpose of this multiple regression study was to examine the relationship between LQ, AQ, and PR of mortgage banks (MBs) in Nigeria. Archival financial data …

Share Retention, Underwriter Reputation, And Initial Public Offering Underpricing, Marcia Yvonne Reid-Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Initial public offering (IPO) underpricing is a costly practice that decreases the IPO proceeds accruing to the issuing firms and can derail a firm's growth objectives. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the relationship between share retention, underwriter reputation, and IPO underpricing among a population of IPOs issued in Jamaica. The efficient market hypothesis served as the theoretical framework for this study. Archived data for 52 IPOs issued in Jamaica from 1986 to 2018 were collected and Spearman's correlation matrix and heteroscedasticity-consistent standard errors regression analysis were applied. The outcomes of this study indicated no significant relationship …

Digital Strategies Senior Bank Executives In Mauritius Use To Improve Customer Service, Sailesh Sewpaul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Customers' use of digital banking has reshaped traditional banking, and senior level bank executives must know how to leverage this innovation to improve customer service to increase profitability. Using the technology acceptance model as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore effective digital banking strategies that senior level executives used to improve customer service to increase profitability. The target population for this study included senior-level executives from 3 banks in Mauritius possessing successful development and implementation experience in digital banking strategies to improve customer service. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and organizational documents, …

Mortgage Regulations And Compliance Strategies, Cheryl Travis-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, regulators established new rules for single-family mortgage services that tightened the loan amount consumers could qualify for, restricted fees lenders could charge, and placed numerous financial penalties for improper servicing of loans. Regulatory fee restrictions made it difficult for leaders to offset the compliance costs through the price of services provided. Leaders responsible for mortgage regulatory compliance experienced increased operating costs for single-family mortgage services due to the new regulations, and some leaders found it challenging to comply and remain competitive. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies leaders in the single-family mortgage services …

Managerial Strategies To Sustain Small Auto Repair Businesses, Osaka Kugblenu Tetteh-Odonkor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small auto repair business owners need strong operational skills; however, some lack expertise in managerial strategy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify managerial strategies small auto repair business owners use to sustain businesses in Columbus, Ohio with respect to strategy, time management, and alteration of value chain services. Based on the Vroom expectancy theory of motivation, small auto repair business owners may use effectiveness and efficiency of business performance with particular emphasis on managerial strategic development and execution to enhance financial results and rewards. Data collection involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews with 5 small auto repair business …

Characteristics Of Stocks And Individual Investor Herd Behavior: A Causal-Comparative Study, Tze Sun Wong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some individual investors follow institutional investors in trading, a phenomenon called herding, that leads to excess market volatility and mispriced stocks. Individual investors who herded suffered from inferior investment performances and monetary losses, and the impact is broader in an individual investor dominant market such as Taiwan. Behavioral finance is the theoretical base of herd behavior. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to examine individual investor herd behavior as related to characteristics of stocks in the Taiwan stock market. The research questions addressed what differences in individual investor herd behavior, if any, existed by market capitalization, price-to-book (P/B) ratio, …

Forensic Detection For Earnings Management In Selected Code Law Nations Of Europe, Jef Lee Garner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated earnings management in European firms. The private investors became victims of manipulated earnings where few laws offered regulatory oversight. The study forensically examined the attributes of earnings management identified using a discretionary accrual model published in Jones' work and Schippers' work. The firms' managers should fulfil agency theory when they made reporting decisions, and they should act in the investors' best interests to fulfil stewardship theory. The managers failed as they seemed to favor insiders when they reported manipulated earnings to outsiders like small investors even though the managers published financial reports conforming to the International Financial …

Strategies For Sustainability Of Nonfranchise Casual Dining Restaurants, Kristin Burke Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, over 50% of restaurants fail within the first 5 years of operations resulting in approximately $2.1 billion annually in lost national sales revenue. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by owners of nonfranchise, casual dining restaurants to ensure sustainability longer than 5 years. The study was grounded in Porter's 5 forces framework as a lens for identifying effective strategies that promote restaurant sustainability. The data collection process comprised gathering data and information via semistructured interviews with 3 owners of nonfranchise, casual dining restaurants in the mid-Atlantic region who sustained …

Compliance Strategies To Reduce The Risks Of Money Laundering And Terrorist Financing, Cassandra Nottage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective compliance programs expose banking and trust companies to increased risk of money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF). Using risk management theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore compliance strategies that Bahamian bank and trust company managers use to reduce ML/TF risks. Study participants comprised 7 senior risk and compliance managers experienced in risk strategy development and implementation. Semistructured interview data were triangulated with data collected from internal policy and procedural documents, publicly available papers of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), and the Central …

Financial Advisors' Marketing Strategies To Minorities, Jonica Rowland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Independent financial advisors face challenges with successful marketing strategies as competition from web-based resources, large U.S. financial services, and wealth advisors' corporations increase. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to understand financial advisors' perceptions, experiences, and marketing strategies to improve their companies' sustainability by targeting a broader population base, including minorities, who need assistance with retirement planning strategies. Consumer culture theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Purposeful sampling was the basis for selecting 7 financial advisors from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States for face-to-face interviews. Semistructured interviews with open-ended questions were used to identify …