Business Commons^™

Blending Minds, Balancing Goals: Tmt Heterogeneity And Sustainable-Innovation In Family Firms, Mahdi Vesal, Muhammad Aftab Alam, Mohammad H. Rahmati

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Family firms often prioritize profitability and growth, but balancing these with environmental sustainability is challenging. While TMT heterogeneity shapes various performance outcomes, its role in addressing the profitability–environmental sustainability dilemma in family firms remains unclear. Building on the upper echelons theory, we investigate how TMT heterogeneity drives the simultaneous pursuit of financial and environmental performance, which we refer to as hybrid financial–environmental performance, through sustainable-innovation practices. Additionally, we examine how family-firm governance mechanisms influence these relationships. Analyzing data from two matched samples of CEOs and senior production managers of Australian family firms, we find not only that TMT heterogeneity enhances …

Workplace Mistreatment: A Systematic Review Of Interventions And Future Research Agenda, Gillian Leake, Albert Amankwaa, Irene Elisabeth De Pater

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Workplace mistreatment has garnered increasing attention from scholars and so has calls for research on interventions to prevent or reduce this phenomenon. However, there has been a lack of broad systematic approaches to studying interventions and existing reviews on workplace mistreatment interventions have predominantly focused on workplace bullying and incivility in the healthcare sector. To address these gaps and set an agenda for future interventions research, our review focuses on interventions for all forms of mistreatment and across industries and organizations. We reviewed 40 intervention studies from 38 articles finding a wide variety of interventions for specific forms of workplace …

Environmental, Social And Governance (Esg) Drivers Of Sustainability Transitions In Sub-Saharan Africa: Why One Size Does Not Fit All, Emmanuel Kwaku Manu, Bismark Asante, Gabriel Eweje

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite growing emphasis on sustainability transitions in developing economies, evidence remains limited on how environmental, social and governance (ESG) conditions shape sustainability outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study examines the environmental, social and governance drivers of sustainability transition performance across 39 SSA countries over the period 2000–2023. A composite sustainability transition performance index (STPI), constructed from renewable energy consumption and reverse-coded energy intensity indicators, is used to capture transition performance. A multi-method panel framework is employed to examine direct, conditional, nonlinear and dynamic relationships. The findings show that environmental pressures, particularly carbon intensity and energy use, consistently weaken sustainability …

Optimizing Subgroup Selection In Petrochemical Industries: A Robust Data Envelopment Analysis Approach For Uncertainty Management, Sadegh Niroomand, Hilda Saleh, Morteza Shafiee, Dragan Pamucar, Ali Mahmoodirad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study addresses the critical challenge faced by organizations in selecting an optimal subgroup of decision-making units (DMUs). Such a selection procedure can significantly influence efficiency, profitability, and strategic development. Recognizing the limitations of existing methods in handling inexact data and incorporating managerial preferences, this study proposes a novel framework that integrates data envelopment analysis (DEA) with binary linear programming models. The model applies belief-degree–based representations of uncertainty to capture imprecise inputs and outputs. For this model, two solution approaches—namely, chance-constrained programming and expected value approaches—were developed. These approaches are suitable for real-world applications using standard optimization software. The effectiveness …

The Justice–Empowerment Nexus: Pathways To Inclusive And Sustainable Tourism Development, Raymond Rastegar, Siamak Seyfi, Mostafa Rassolimanesh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As the pursuit of sustainability increasingly calls for social inclusion and equity, this study examines how social justice shapes community empowerment in tourism destinations. Although justice is central to sustainable development discourse, limited empirical understanding exists of how its dimensions collectively influence empowerment. Focusing on the tourism across three major tourism destinations, Australia, the UK, and the USA, the research examines the relationships between recognition, procedural, and distributive justice and different dimensions of community empowerment including psychological, social, economic and political empowerment. Utilizing a quantitative approach and guided by equity and social justice theories, the study employs partial least squares …

Unlocking The Intellectual Core Of Transformative Service: A Hybrid Review And Research Agenda, Pranav Nijhawan, Somnath Chakrabarti, Sanjit K. Roy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Research on the Transformative Service Research (TSR) domain has proliferated in the service management literature over the past decade. The purpose of this study is to undertake a hybrid systematic literature review of TSR to trace its theoretical evolution, examine its conceptual underpinnings and propose pathways for future research. Design/methodology/approach: We identify and categorise the fundamental themes in TSR research by supplementing a systematic literature review with bibliographic coupling of 247 extracted papers. Furthermore, based on content analysis of extracted themes, we propose a comprehensive conceptual framework encompassing facilitators and unintended outcomes of transformative value creation. We used the …

Why Repeat Visitors Matter For Harassment‑Prone Destinations: Five Actionable Lessons For Accommodation Managers, Annmarie Nicely

Visitor Harassment Research Unit Special Papers

The goal of the study was to identify demographic factors that could predict visitors likely to support micro-traders at a destination after being harassed by a member of their community. Then show how the accommodations sector (like hotel managers and vacation home rental managers) can use the findings to improve visitor support of micro-traders at destinations with trader harassment (TH). The researcher examined seven demographic features of visitors to four countries. They were their gender, education level, income level, marital status, prior visit to the destination, type – domestic or international, and whether they were alone at the time of …

Smart Healthcare Systems Use: A Cross-Cultural Empirical Study Using Valence–Instrumentality– Expectancy Theory, Khaled A. Alshare, Murad Moqbel, Valerie L. Bartelt, Maysoon Sewailem

Information Systems Faculty Publications

In recent years, smart healthcare systems (SHS) spurred by the Internet of things have revolutionized how people manage their health. Despite their numerous benefits, SHS still face many challenges worldwide, including limited user motivation. This study builds on the valence-instrumentality-expectancy theory to examine the motivational factors influencing the use of SHS, while also considering the moderating role of social support. We conducted two studies— one in the United States and the other in Qatar—to assess how well the proposed model applies across different cultural contexts. Our findings show that the model explains users’ motivations to use SHS and the interdependencies …

The Impact Of Strategic Social Media Guidelines In Healthcare Communication, Margaret Marie Milka Kouassi

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This capstone project examines how hospitals can strengthen social media engagement through a structured, research-informed communication guideline. Phase One analyzed randomized hospital social media activity. and found that low engagement was often linked to unclear target audiences, inconsistent messaging, limited planning, and a lack of measurable goals. These results suggested that the issue was not whether hospitals used social media, but how strategically they used it. Phase Two built on these findings by developing and testing a Healthcare Strategic Social Media Guideline. Using applied quantitative design, the study employed two online surveys, administered before and after a two-month implementation period, …

Debunking The Myth: A Dive Into The Role Of Relational Capital In Sustainable Food Production Systems, Ismail Badraoui, Tarik Saikouk, Nejib Fattam, Ahmed Hamdi, Vikas Kumar

All Works

The shift towards sustainable food production is essential to address the urgent dual challenges of climate change and population growth, with agricultural cooperatives playing a vital role in this transformation. However, many cooperatives struggle to deliver the expected value to their members. By considering cooperatives as member-centred production systems, this research investigates relational capital's role in determining cooperative success. This study uses a sequential mixed-methods research approach. First, we use empirical survey data from 320 farmers to test a moderated mediation model that links relational capital to collaboration activities and outcomes. Then, we use qualitative responses from 50 farmers to …

Customer Experience, Engagement, And Co-Creation In Augmented Reality Retail Service, Amjad Abu Elsamen, Linda D. Hollebeek, Saifeddin Alimamy, Nikolaos Stylos, Weng Marc Lim

All Works

Retailers are increasingly using augmented reality (AR) to enhance the customer experience. This research investigates how AR service experiences contribute to customer co-creation. Two experimental studies using real AR applications and PLS-SEM provide evidence. Study 1, utilizing IKEA Place and WannaKicks, examines whether network externality enhances experience quality and whether customer autonomy influences this effect. Results show that network externality enhances experience quality, but the effect weakens at higher levels of autonomy, indicating that autonomous customers rely less on network cues. Study 2, utilizing Warby Parker and Dulux Visualizer, examines whether experience quality influences co-creation through engagement and whether the …

Fasttree-Guided Genetic Algorithm For Credit Scoring Feature Selection, Rashed Bahlool, Nabil Hewahi Prof., Youssef Harrath Dr.

Research & Publications

Feature selection is pivotal in enhancing the efficiency of credit scoring predictions, where misclassifications are critical because they can result in financial losses for lenders and exclusion of eligible borrowers. While traditional feature selection methods can improve accuracy and class separation, they often struggle to maintain consistent performance aligned with institutional preferences across datasets of varying size and imbalance. This study introduces a FastTree-Guided Genetic Algorithm (FT-GA) that combines gradient-boosted learning with evolutionary optimization to prioritize class separability and minimize falserisk exposure. In contrast to traditional approaches, FT-GA provides fine-grained search guidance by acknowledging that false positives and false negatives …

Marco Lee's Inspiring Journey To The Young Alumni Award, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Syllabus For Com 3150 Dept. Of Communication Studies, Baruch College, Cuny, Rachel Kovacs

Open Educational Resources

This is a Fall 2025 Syllabus for COM 3150 (Business Communication), which is a 3-credit, 15-week required course for the Communication Studies major.

2025-12-18 University Graduate Committee Emergency Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., University Graduate Committee.

Faculty Senate Records

Emergency meeting minutes from the University Graduate Committee from December 18, 2024.

China’S Influence Over The Mining Industry In Africa, Safa M. Altamimi, Reda Amer

Undergraduate Research Symposium

How much influence does China have over the international supply of minerals from Africa? The purpose of this research is to study China’s involvement in Africa’s mining industry and analyze its impact on US economic interests. China has traded and invested in many mining sites across Africa; However, I will be focusing on DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe for my research. Using ArcGIS pro tools, I will create and analyze a map that contains information about mineral deposits and facilities.

Community Leader Elisa Bender Receives The Alumni Service Award, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

2025-12-17 Course Proposal / Course Suspension / Deletion Forms, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., University Graduate Committee.

Faculty Senate Records

Course proposal, suspension, and deletion forms approved on December 17, 2025 by the University Graduate Committee.

2025-12-17 University Graduate Committee Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., University Graduate Committee.

Faculty Senate Records

Meeting minutes from the University Graduate Committee from December 17, 2025.

Stonex Commodity Solutions Strategic Analysis Podcast, Zachary J. Johnson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project comprises two separate podcast episodes that analyze the environment in which StoneX Commodity Solutions, a physical commodity trading firm, operates and provide strategic recommendations for the company. These episodes are informed via interviews with multiple StoneX Commodity Solutions employees. The first episode provides an evaluation of the company by examining its external and internal environments using tools such as PESTEL analysis and Porter’s Five Forces. Building on this, the episode discusses several of the company's strategic objectives and the current competitive advantages it has gained as a result of these objectives.

Expanding upon the information discussed in the …

Employee Commitment, Engagement, And Performance When Shifting To A Virtual Workplace, Ariyana C. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the accelerated implementation of remote work, leading to a decline in employee attitudes toward organizational commitment and productivity following the shift to a virtual workplace. This shift has resulted in high turnover rates and difficulty achieving continued success. Previous research has focused on the impact of remote work on employee productivity but lacks data showing how to improve employee attitudes toward commitment in a remote work environment. This study used a fixed design with correlational methods to determine how employee attitudes toward commitment have been affected by the shift to a remote workplace, leading to …

Homelessness Among Utah Women: A 2025 Update, Robyn C. Blackburn, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

In 2025, the total number of Utah residents experiencing homelessness on any given night grew to 4,584,¹ up from 3,131 in 2020² (a 46.4% increase), as reported in our 2022 research snapshot³ on this topic, and an 18.0% increase from 2024.⁴ According to The Office of Homeless Services under the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the number of people who accessed homelessness services in Utah sometime during the year grew 27.2% between 2021 and 2025, from 24,037⁵ to 30,578 individuals.⁶ Homelessness continues to remain a concern for many Utah women and families, and it …

Structured Project Prioritization Process In Higher Education Institutions, Maura Vidal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explored structured project prioritization processes within higher education institutions in California to address challenges in resource allocation and alignment with strategic objectives. Guided by general systems theory and a pragmatic research paradigm, the study used a flexible research design with case studies and semi-structured interviews involving project managers, portfolio project managers, and administrators. Thematic analysis revealed three key findings: institutions faced significant challenges in prioritizing projects due to competing stakeholder interests, limited resources, and unstructured decision-making; those using structured prioritization methods, such as multi-criteria decision tools and portfolio reviews, achieved better alignment with strategic goals and reduced …

Leveraging Social Capital For Value Creation In Public Procurement: The Role Of Strategic Purchasing Integration, Iryna Malacina, Jad El Bizri, Frederik G. S. Vos, Elina Karttunen, Aki Jaaskelainen

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose Although the integration of the purchasing function within strategic decision-making has been extensively studied in the context of the private sector, its significance for the effective functioning of public procurement (PP) remains underexplored. Effective PP is critical for suppliers, users of public services and society at large. This study investigates how the strategic integration of PP influences operational, environmental and innovative value creation by developing social capital in buyer–supplier relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study empirically examined how strategic purchasing integration contributes to the development of social capital in buyer–supplier relationships, which in turn affects value creation. It utilizes survey data …

Multiple Application Models For Monte Carlo Analysis In Excel, Tom Arnold, Deniz Besik, Xia (Summer) Liu, Nancy Tran

Finance Faculty Publications

Monte Carlo simulation techniques are performed in Excel with multiple applications for option pricing: a single Geometric Brownian motion (GBM) process, a GBM process with volatility bootstrapping, and two correlated GBM processes.  This leads to the creation of a “generic” Monte Carlo simulation framework that can be applied to many different models in addition to the demonstrated commercial real estate valuation/transaction model.   Because the models are all programmed in Excel with minimal VBA programming, the techniques become very accessible for practitioners.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Various Monte Carlo simulation techniques are implemented in Excel to perform option pricing applications with (1) a …

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Michelle Obama, Narineh Gevorkian

Honors Scholar Theses

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, has emerged as a powerful figure in politics, social advocacy, and public service. During her time in the White House, she worked on initiatives in education, health, and military family support while inspiring millions of people worldwide through her authenticity and advocacy. What distinguishes Michelle Obama as a leader is how her influence comes not from authority or hierarchy, but from connection, empathy, and moral purpose. This approach allows her to lead with authenticity, motivate others, and address inequalities within communities. As the first African American First Lady in US …

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Lorne Michaels, Emily Laput

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis critically investigates the leadership effectiveness of Lorne Michaels, the executive producer behind the comedic institution Saturday Night Live (SNL). For nearly half a century, Michaels has cultivated a unique and high-pressure environment credited with launching the careers of numerous comedic actors. Drawing upon Kouzes & Posner's Five Principles of Exemplary Leadership framework and peer-reviewed research, this analysis examines the balance Michaels strikes between fostering innovation and exercising strict control. Ultimately, this thesis aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Lorne Michaels' leadership, assessing its effectiveness within the dynamic and often volatile environment of live television production and …

Gender Equality Discourse: A Japanese Context, Gabriel Eweje, Hitomi Toyosaki, Kazunori Kobayashi, Sitong Michelle Chen, Masahiro Hosoda

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – This review paper aims to critically examine the discourse on gender equality in Japan, focusing on its socio-cultural, economic and political dimensions. By synthesising existing literature, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and barriers that influence the gender equality debate in Japan, while identifying gaps and opportunities for future research and specifying where practice can be recoupled to policy. Design/methodology/approach – An integrative literature review was conducted across four key institutional domains – markets, government/public sector, families and education – analysed at the macro, meso and micro levels. The synthesis is integrative rather than exhaustive, prioritising …

How Climate For Green Initiatives Drives Eco-Innovative And Citizenship Behaviours: The Role Of Green Engagement And Green Values, Aaron Makafui Ametorwo, Michael Kyei-Frimpong, Abdul Razak Suleman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose This study proposes and tests the nexus between climate for green initiatives, green innovative behaviour, organisational citizenship behaviour for the environment, green work engagement, and individual green values. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted the explanatory research design, where data were gathered from 374 star-rated frontline employees at two different waves within a one-month interval. The data retrieved from the respondents were analysed using descriptive and inferential (partial least squares structural equation modelling) statistics. Findings The study revealed that a climate for green initiatives positively and significantly relates to green innovative behaviour and organisational citizenship behaviour for the environment. Also, the …

The Loop That Eats Itself: Fast Fashion And The Myth Of Accessible Sustainability, Christie Westby

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This chapter examines fast fashion as a self-reinforcing system driven by speed, consumption psychology, and misaligned incentives, arguing that true sustainability requires slowing supply chains and redesigning governance rather than simply buying “better” products.