Business Commons^™

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: November 18, 2016, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) fell by 0.14% during October of 2016. The decline in the LEI-N, which predicts economic activity six months in the future, suggests that economic growth will be modest in Nebraska during the first half of 2017. Two of the six components of the LEI-N were negative during October. Airline passenger counts declined during the month, falling back after a sharp increase in September. There also was another increase in the value of the U.S. dollar during October, a negative for export-oriented businesses in Nebraska. Three components of the indicator rose during October, but …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: November 4, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The gap between business and consumer confidence closed in Nebraska during October. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 94.0 during October, from a value of 87.9 in September. A reading of 94.0 is still below the neutral value of 100. The outlook of Nebraska businesses was also closer to neutral than in the previous months. Businesses were only slightly optimistic in October, with respondents to the Survey of Nebraska Business neutral on sales and only slightly optimistic regarding employment. Twenty-four percent of businesses expect sales to rise over the next 6 months, while the same percent expect …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 21, 2016, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) rose by 1.14% during September of 2016. The increase in the LEI-N, which predicts economic activity six months in the future, suggests moderate economic growth in Nebraska in the first quarter of 2017. Four of the six components of the LEI-N were positive during September. There was a strong increase in airline passenger counts and an increase manufacturing hours during the month. There also was an decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance. Business also optimistic. Respondents to the September Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: October 7, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

During September, a gap re-emerged between business and consumer confidence in Nebraska. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 87.9 during September, from a value of 97.4 in August. A value of 87.9 is well below the neutral value of 100, and indicates weak consumer confidence in Nebraska. By contrast, Nebraska businesses were optimistic, with respondents to the September 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business reporting plans to expand sales and employment. Thirty-one percent of businesses expect sales to rise over the next 6 months, while just 19 percent expect sales to fall. Thirteen percent of businesses expect to …

Apologetics Without Apology: Arguments For The Existence Of God From Business & Economics, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

This paper offers the reader ways for the business practitioner to participate in Christian apologetics. Apologetics is defined. The purpose and tasks of apologetics is described. A case is made for the importance of Christian apologetics. Several tactics are introduced that offer potential for the Christian apologist. A matrix describes the potential opportunities to develop Christian apologetics for the context of business and economics. A discussion follows regarding the implications for business scholars and Christian business school curriculum at all levels.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: September 16, 2016, Eric Thompson, William Walstad

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) fell by 0.32% during August of 2016. The decline in the LEI-N, which predicts economic growth in the state six months in the future, followed an increase of similar magnitude during July. Taken together, the two months of results suggest slow economic growth in Nebraska in early 2017. Three of the six components of the LEI-N were negative during August. There was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance, as well as a decline in manufacturing hours during the month. There also was a small decline in airline passenger counts. At the …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: September 2, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence and business expectations held near July levels during the month of August. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 97.4 during August, slightly below the neutral value of 100, and similar to its value of 97.5 in July. Further, Nebraska businesses maintained a positive outlook during August. In particular, respondents to the August 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business had a positive outlook for both sales and employment over the next six months. Twenty-nine percent of businesses expect sales to rise, while 24 percent expect sales to fall. For employment, 15 percent of businesses expect to increase …

Tipping The Scales: Is Right-To-Work Legislation On The Path To Prosperity?, Jessica Canada

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With West Virginia having just become the twenty-sixth state to pass right-to-work (RTW) legislation, the U.S. labor relations movement is at a tipping point. Other policy makers are closely watching the recent revival of RTW laws that has occurred over the last five years and are analyzing relevant studies to determine whether passing legislation that would outlaw union shops in their states might be worth a second look.

With this paper I intend to examine one of the dominant arguments against enacting RTW legislation in a state, which is that this legislation results in a greater degree of state-level income …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: August 5, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence improved and business expectations remained positive during the month of July. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 97.5 during July, from a value of 92.4 in June. After the increase, consumer confidence is now only slightly below the neutral value of 100. Further, Nebraska businesses maintained a positive outlook for employment in July. In particular, respondents to the July 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business had a slightly negative outlook for sales but a positive outlook for employment over the next six months. Twenty-three percent of businesses expect sales to rise, while 24 percent expect sales …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: July 1, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence improved and business expectations remained positive during the month of June. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N), while below the value of 100 which signifies neutral confidence, rose to 92.4 during June, from a value of 89.3 in May. Further, businesses held a positive outlook in June. Respondents to the June 2016 Survey of Nebraska Business have a positive outlook for both sales and job growth at their businesses over the next six months. Twenty-two percent of businesses expect sales to rise, while just 18 percent expect sales to decline. Eighteen percent of businesses expect to increase …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: June 3, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Continuing a pattern seen over the last three months, business expectations remained positive and consumer confidence stayed weak in Nebraska during May. These mixed findings are based on monthly surveys of both Nebraska households and businesses. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell back to 89.3 in May, after a reading of 92.2 in April. In both months, consumer confidence is well below the value of 100 which would signify neutral confidence. Households report a variety of financial concerns with 52 percent reporting that their primary financial concerns relate to the cost of living including health care costs, taxes, …

Sustainable Architecture Design: Environmental And Economic Benefits, Michael Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the movement of environmentalism, and its impact on architecture and construction. During an interview with a professional architect, a basis for research of sustainable design was devised, when he explained that “good” architecture attempts to holistically integrate the external and built environment. Presently, the main measurement for sustainability is energy efficiency. Therefore, architects constantly implement new technology in an attempt to unify both the external and built environment in an energy efficient manner. Furthermore, this thesis provides an environmental and financial cost analysis of implementing sustainable design and build. Research shows that the life cycle and up-front …

An Appraisal Of The Actuaries’ Climate Risk Index, Stephen Lee Kolk

May 18, 2016: The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads

PDF of powerpoint presentation given at the workshop "The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads: An Appraisal of the Projects Underway" on May 18, 2016 at the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center, 1030 University Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23435

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: May 6, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Business expectations remained strong and consumer confidence stayed weak during April. These findings, based on monthly surveys of both Nebraska households and businesses, show a split assessment of the state economy. In particular, the Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 92.2 in April, little changed from its value of 91.0 in March. However, consumer confidence is well below the value of 100 which would signify neutral confidence. Households report a variety of financial concerns with three in five indicating that their primary financial concerns relate to the cost of living including health care costs, taxes, major expenses (furniture, …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: April 1, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Business expecations improved in Nebraska during March while consumer confidence was little changed. These findings, based on monthly surveys of both Nebraska households and businesses, show a split assessment of the state economy. In particular, the Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 91.0 in March, little changed from its value of 91.6 in February. However, consumer confidence was well below the value of 100 which would signify neutral confidence. Households report a variety of financial concerns with one-half indicating that their primary financial concerns relate to the cost of living including health care costs, taxes, major expenses (furniture, …

Sustainable Architecture Design: Environmental And Economic Benefits, Michael Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the movement of environmentalism, and its impact on architecture and construction. During an interview with a professional architect, a basis for research of sustainable design was devised, when he explained that “good” architecture attempts to holistically integrate the external and built environment. Presently, the main measurement for sustainability is energy efficiency. Therefore, architects constantly implement new technology in an attempt to unify both the external and built environment in an energy efficient manner. Furthermore, this thesis provides an environmental and financial cost analysis of implementing sustainable design and build. Research shows that the life cycle and up-front …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: March 4, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Nebraska surveys of households and businesses again reveal a split assessment of the state economy. While consumer confidence is poor, Nebraska businesses have a somewhat positive outlook for economy. In particular, the Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 91.6 in February, well the below value of 100 which would signify neutral confidence. On a positive note, the CCI-N rose by 6.9 points in February after a dip to 84.7 during January 2016. The improvement likely reflects stabilization of the stock market in February. In terms of specific concerns, half of responding households reported concerns about costs including health …

Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska And Survey Of Nebraska Business: February 5, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

January surveys of Nebraska households and businesses reveal a split assessment of the Nebraska economy. Nebraska businesses are optimistic about the outlook for sales and employment while household consumer confidence is low. In particular, the Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N), which is being released for the first time this month, declined during January 2016 to 84.7 from a value of 89.0 in December 2015. This level and drop in the index, which is calculated based on a Survey of Nebraska households, indicates that consumer confidence is weak in Nebraska. The drop may reflect a decline in optimism in the …

Results Of The December Survey Of Nebraska Business: January 8, 2016, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Respondents to the December Survey of Nebraska Business have a positive outlook for employment and a neutral outlook for sales over the next six months. To be specific, 26 percent of respondents to the December 2015 survey expect to increase sales over the next 6 months and the 26 percent expect to decrease sales. At the same time, 13 percent of respondents expect to grow employment compared to 2 percent who expect to reduce it. Looking across the state, businesses are more optimistic in the Nebraska’s urban regions. The outlook is strongest in the Omaha region, closely followed by the …

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 3, 2016, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 2, 2016, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 1, 2016, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 4, 2016, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Profile, 2016, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Profile is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

Macroconstants Of Development: A New Benchmark For The Strategic Development Of Advanced Countries And Firms, Andrey V. Bystrov, Vyacheslav N. Yusim, Tamilla Curtis

Publications

This research proposed a new indicator of countries’ development called “macroconstants of development”. The literature review indicates that the concept of "macroconstants of development" is not used at the moment in neither the theory nor the practice of industrial policy. Research of longitudinal data of total GDP, GDP per capita and their derivatives for most countries of the world was conducted. An analysis of statistical information has been done by employing econometric analyses.

Based on the analysis of the statistical data, which characterizes the development of large, technologically advanced countries in ordinary conditions, it was identified that the average acceleration …

Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles: Financially Viable Option?, Ali Soltani-Sobh, Kevin Heaslip, Ryan Bosworth, Ryan Barnes

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Natural gas vehicles are being developed because of increasing concerns about energy dependence, air quality and emissions, and, more recently, climate change. The major advantage of natural gas vehicles is their lower fuel cost. Several economic and technical factors such as limited range and availability of relevant infrastructure prevent widespread adoption of natural gas vehicles. A model for the financial analysis of the possibility of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles being competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles is offered. The model evaluates the extent to which commuters find adoption of CNG vehicles to be economically viable in the United States. The results …

The Economics Of The Political Parties: A Comparison Of Economic Performance Under Conservatives And Liberals, Austin Fischer

Honors Program Projects

A topic that has long been a subject of debate is which party in America’s two-party political system has better economic policies. Democrats tout strong economic records, boasting of their tried and true Keynesian principles. Republicans point to the accomplishments of recent presidents in combating recessions with supply-side ideals. This project attempts to look at the actual performance of the economy under Republican and Democratic presidents since 1950, and come to an unbiased conclusion on whose policies really do work better.

This project looks at GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, disposable income, and budget deficits to determine which party’s policies help …