Business Commons^™

Promotion Architecture: A Deal Fairness Model Of Restricted Price Promotions, Shangwen Yi, David Hardisty, Dale Griffin, Thomas Allard

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This research examines the effectiveness of two common types of restricted price promotions: threshold promotions (conditional on spending more than a threshold amount; e.g., “Get $5 off on orders of $10 or more”) and capped promotions (limited to a maximum dollar value; e.g., “Get 50% off, up to $5 per order”). Results from seven pre-registered studies, including one field study, show that threshold promotions lead to higher purchase intentions and conversion rates (but potentially lower purchase amounts) than comparable capped promotions—even though capped promotions are equivalent in maximal economic savings for the consumer—when the trigger value (the spending amount at …

Gaming The Marketplace: Consumer Opportunism And Beliefs About Societal Hierarchy, Shilpa Madan, Aparna Labroo, Constantine S. Katsikeas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Consumers often behave opportunistically, taking more than what fair marketplace exchange warrants (e.g., taking excess samples, returning used items). While each individual transgression may be minor, cumulatively they can undermine firm profitability. Thus, addressing consumer opportunism is an important managerial concern. We identify a novel antecedent of consumer opportunism: consumers’ acceptance of societal hierarchy (i.e., power distance belief [PDB]), including firms’ higher position in it than consumers. Nine studies (plus two supplementary studies) employing archival, correlational, and experimental data provide converging evidence that, in marketplace interactions, this belief evokes a need to feel clever (i.e., to feel smart and knowledgeable …

Definitions And Mathematical Models Of Op Variants, Pieter Vansteenwegen, Aldy Gunawan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We have described the basic orienteering problem (OP) in Chap. 2, as one known variant of the single vehicle routing problems with profits (VRPP). In this chapter, we introduce the best-known variants of the OP. The first one is the team orienteering problem (TOP). In the TOP multiple routes can be composed to visit a subset of customers. In the context of the game of orienteering, the TOP corresponds to several players of the same team, each collecting profits in parallel, during the same time span. Another well-known variant of the basic OP is the OP with time windows (OPTW), …

Validating Valuation: How Statistical Learning Can Cabin Expert Discretion In Valuation Disputes, Andrew C. Baker, Jonah B. Gelbach, Eric L. Talley

Faculty Scholarship

This article challenges conventional methods used in financial valuation across transactional and litigation domains. We show that conventional valuation methods allow for considerable discretion, making it possible for each side’s experts to submit dramatically varying valuations simply by choosing among facially reasonable values of parameters that must be selected to carry out conventional valuations. We use large-scale empirical simulations powered by real-world data to demonstrate the scope of such discretion. We next consider several alternatives based on data-driven machine learning approaches, and show that they offer both approximately unbiased estimates of valuation and substantially reduced variability in valuation results. Consequently, …

Healer Or Human? How Online Physician Reviews Guide Patient Choice, Shabnam Azimi, Sina Ansari, Ignacio Luri, Atefeh Yazdanparast

Faculty Publications

Online reviews increasingly guide physician choice, yet it remains unclear whether content emphasizing a physician's competence (technical skills) or benevolence (prioritizing patients' welfare over self‐interest) more strongly influences patients' decisions. Integrating a field study of 12,351 physician reviews with two online experiments, we distinguish two dimensions of review effectiveness: how helpful readers find a review, and how confident they feel about the choice it informs. We show that competence‐ and benevolence‐focused content influences these outcomes through distinct mechanisms. Benevolence‐focused reviews receive higher helpfulness evaluations because caring behaviors are easier to describe in concrete, vivid language and because naturalistic review platforms …

Most Affordable And Fastest-Growing Cities In The Mountain West, 2026, Cason Noll, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet presents data on the most affordable and fastest-growing cities among the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are sourced from MoneyLion’s “50 Most Affordable, Fastest-Growing Cities” report, which analyzed and ranked U.S. cities by the most affordable places with large population growth. This fact sheet focuses on the 10 Mountain West cities that ranked within the top 50 and their corresponding 5-year population growth rate, median household income, annual cost of living for both homeowners and renters, and the leftover savings available at the end of the year for …

2026-07-28 Message From The President, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Message sent on July 28, 2026 by the President to the campus community regarding upcoming dates and events for the Fall Semester, academic calendars, construction news, campus personnel recognitions and other updates.

The Tragedy Of The Cognitive Commons: How Ai Could Disrupt The Regeneration Of Professional Expertise, Nolan C. Lovett

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Artificial intelligence is reshaping cognitive work, but Human Resource Development scholarship has treated this transformation as an organizational training challenge, leaving the collective regeneration of professional expertise unexamined. This conceptual paper introduces the Cognitive Commons framework, integrating commons theory, HRD scholarship, and distributed cognition to explain how rational AI adoption decisions can deplete the shared expertise pool professions require for renewal. The framework distinguishes Internalized Mastery (deep domain knowledge from sustained practice) from Distributed Mastery (orchestrating human-AI systems), and develops the Validation Tether: effective AI oversight depends on the expertise AI adoption may undermine. Early labor market and clinical evidence …

Co-Opted Boards And Anti-Takeover Provisions In Us Firms: Do Better Financial Outcomes And Dynamic Governance Matter?, Mohammad Dulal Miah, Rashedul Hasan, Sabur Mollah, Arun Upadhyay

Management Faculty Publications

This research examines the relationship between co-opted boards and firms' anti-takeover provisions (ATPs). Analyzing 5585 US firm-year observations for the period 2012–2022, the authors document a positive relationship between co-opted boards and ATPs. They further illustrate that the positive relationship is stronger in firms that exhibit subpar performance and compensate senior executives and directors more than the industry average. Furthermore, their research finds that good governance, board and executive gender diversity, gender equality, and board cultural diversity moderate the positive relationship between co-opted boards and ATPs. Our results remain robust across a battery of tests. The findings of this research …

An Introduction To The China Land Sales Data Set: The Universe Of Land-Use-Right Transfers In China 2000-2022, Yilin Hou, Lin Li, Qiang Ren

Center for Policy Research

The China Land Sales Data Set (2000-2022) includes the universe of land-use-right sales in China in the first 23 years of the 21st century, a period of the fastest mass urbanization and intense infrastructure construction in China’s history, that accompanied the rapid growth of China’s economy and household income. For this reason, this data set carries substance in many ways for anyone who needs to understand the occurrences in China of that period. The phrase “land sale” refers to the transfer of land-use right from the state as the sole owner of urban land to any individual, firm or entity …

Co-Designing New Website Ideas In The Age Of Ai, Rami Huu Nguyen

Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute Publications

This workshop introduced students to the principles of website co-design in the age of artificial intelligence through a collaborative, project-based learning experience. Participants first explored the mission of the Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute and the instructor's career journey before learning the fundamentals of e-commerce website design. Students were organized into five teams to develop original website concepts in areas including travel, fashion, sports, and gaming. Each team conducted research using search engines and generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, created website wireframes, and presented their ideas using Canva. The workshop emphasized teamwork, creativity, user-centered design, …

Banks' Conservative Lending Since Covid-19: The Effect On Trading Rates, Daniella Puig

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigated how bank’s conservative lending during the COVID-19 global pandemic affected trading rates, examined through a constructivist lens and established with a flexible, mixed-methods design. Rather than addressing bank behavior and market pricing in a mechanical way, this study contextualizes mortgage lending conservatism as a response to uncertainty derived from a socially constructed interpretation of risk, the financial narrative at the time, and regulatory policy. Using qualitative interviews with mortgage lenders, combined with a quantitative analysis of survey data, this research explores mortgage lending decision- making during the crisis. The flexible design enables the use of both qualitative …

Transformational Leadership In Manufacturing: Integrating Biblical Principles To Enhance Organizational Culture, Employee Development, And Operational Excellence: Dissertation, Kaynnera T. Capers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the current research was to explore how combining transformational leadership with biblical concepts could benefit an organization’s culture, employee development, and performance. Within a pragmatic approach and a qualitative design with flexible elements, the study included 30 interviews, case analysis, and triangulation techniques. I sought to address the challenges leaders face when implementing organizational cultural changes and maintaining employee motivation without a value-driven approach. I intended to explore whether the application of stewardship, humility, and servant leadership could facilitate transformational leadership. As a result, the findings indicated that these approaches could help leaders develop trust, innovative thinking, …

Effective Strategies To Improve Telemedicine Services For Veterans In Baltimore, Maryland: A Qualitative Single-Case Study, Dolapo Uthman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative single-case study investigated the inefficiency and limited accessibility of telemedicine services within a selected healthcare organization located in Baltimore, Maryland. The purpose of this study was to investigate how telemedicine services can be improved to enhance healthcare outcomes for patients and their overall quality of life. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 16 participants, supported by fieldnotes, and publicly available documents, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Methodological triangulation was used to validate the findings to ensure credibility and consistency. The research indicated that telemedicine enhances access to healthcare and supports continuity of care, especially for …

A Strategic Guide To Understanding How Leadership Motivation Creates A Productive Work Environment In The Service Sector, Sakina Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative case study explored the challenges leaders face in motivating employees in the service sector that threaten a productive work environment in the educational sector. The problem to be addressed is the challenges leaders face in motivating employees within the service sector that threaten a productive work environment. The purpose of this study is to explore how leadership strategies influence employee motivation and productivity, particularly within the education industry, where leaders often contend with stressors such as workplace change, low morale, and burnout. Guided by a constructive constructivist paradigm, the research employed a qualitative multiple-case study design, using semi-structured …

Unethical Leadership And Team Performance, Katlin R. Conroy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Unethical leadership remains a persistent problem within organizations, negatively impacting employee attitudes, team dynamics, and overall performance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how unethical leadership behaviors can impact team performance. Guided by four research questions, this study examined the effects of unethical leadership, the behaviors that contribute to decreased performance, employee perceptions of such behaviors, and strategies organizations can use to address them. Data were collected through semi‑structured interviews, using the Unethical Leadership Scale for methodological triangulation. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns and recurring themes across participant responses. The findings revealed several …

The Influence Of Pestle Factors On Organizational Culture, Structures, And Operational Risks Within Multinational Enterprises In The East African Community: A Qualitative Study, Sherria Mcguire

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative multiple-case study investigated the impact of political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal (PESTLE) factors on the structures, culture, and operational risks of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating within the East African Community (EAC). Despite the recognized importance of macro-environmental analysis in international business research, limited empirical research had examined how PESTLE factors systematically shape operational risks in institutionally diverse and emerging markets. The study addressed the lack of a structured framework for evaluating these risks, which contributed to misalignment between host country conditions and organizational strategies. This study employed a pragmatic qualitative multiple-case study design, informed by research …

The Business Next Door: The Unfamiliar, Unique Story Of Manufacturer Hemco Gage, Steve Vanderveen

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Most people are not familiar with Hemco Gage — although every day an estimated 10,000-15,000 vehicles pass by its building at 455 Douglas Ave. in Holland without knowing what happens inside

Do Voters Understand The Benefits Of Taxes?, Benjamin Carter, Alessandro Del Ponte, Peter Discioli

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

We use economic experiments to study a fundamental question in political economy: Do voters understand the benefits of taxes? Participants play an economic game as members of a virtual society composed of computer players. In each round, the players earn low or high income, see the distribution of income, and then vote for low or high taxes. We test whether participants vote rationally for high taxes when poor and low taxes when rich, following a classic model in political economy, or whether they focus on the burden of taxes more than the benefits. Across three experiments, poor players voted against …

Case Study: Feasibility Of Creating A Simulated Mobile Data Center For Cross-Disciplinary Academic Programs, Stanley Mierzwa, Christoper J. Schultz, Iassen Christov, Michael Fagioli, Thomas Ikeda, Reinaldo Jaramillo, Giolian Sanagustin

Center for Cybersecurity

This case study examines the potential to envision, create, and deploy a simulated mobile micro data center solution that can be easily replicated and transported between locations and educational settings. The coined term for this solution is the Mobile AI-Centered Data Center (Mobile ACDC), which provides students with a platform to construct, in a hands-on fashion, such a solution and navigate the product to gain greater competencies and understanding of the components found in a data center. Instructor and student feedback assessments from the pilot classroom modules and laboratory experiential learning activities indicate that such a solution helps to improve …

Beyond Sticky Floors: Executive Gender Diversity And Firm-Level Gender Pay Inequality In Uk Firms, Yasser Eliwa, Sally Ahmed, Ahmed Saleh

All Works

This study examines whether executive gender diversity is associated with gender pay inequality in UK firms. Although prior research has extensively examined board diversity, less is known about whether gender diversity within executive leadership teams is linked to differences in pay inequality across firms. Using a panel of FTSE 350 non-financial firms from 2017 to 2023 and mandatory UK gender pay gap disclosures, we estimate regression models to examine the relationship between the proportion of female executives and the gender pay gap. The findings show that greater executive gender diversity is significantly associated with lower gender pay inequality. In contrast, …

2026-07-14 Minutes, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Staff Congress meeting minutes from July 14, 2026.

Fred Luthans, Unl Business Management, Positive Organizational Behavior, Mark Griep, Fred Luthans

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Fred Luthans was awarded the ORCA in 2008. He was born in Clinton, Iowa in 1939. He earned three degrees from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, located only a few miles from Clinton. His bachelor's was in mathematics in 1961, a Master’s of Business Administration in ‘62, PhD in Management and Psychology in 1965. After serving two years as a captain in the Army at West Point, where he taught psychology and leadership, he joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as an Associate Professor of Management. He's had a remarkable career, but I'll only mention three major distinctions. His …

Human-Driven, Autonomous, Or Hybrid? The Optimal Fleet Configurations For Ride-Hailing Platforms, Wenjing Li, Yali Zhang, Jun Sun, Zhaojun Yang

Information Systems Faculty Publications

The growing commercialization of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is reshaping consumer service preferences and prompting ride-hailing platforms to redesign fleet structures that accommodate the coexistence of human-driven vehicles (HVs) and AVs. This article develops a queueing game framework that incorporates vehicle heterogeneity and consumer preference differences to systematically compare three fleet configuration strategies: the pure HV (PHV) strategy (HVs only), the pure AV (PAV) strategy (AVs only), and the hybrid strategy (both HVs and AVs). The analysis highlights how consumer mismatch losses, AV operating costs, and service rates jointly shape equilibrium outcomes. Results show that when consumer mismatch losses are moderate, …

The Impact Of Leadership Communication And Organizational Trust On Psychological Safety And Employee Voice In Healthcare Organizations, Crystal D. Smith

M.S. in Leadership

Healthcare organizations operate in increasingly complex environments where effective communication, employee engagement, and patient safety are essential to organizational success. Despite the importance of employee voice, many healthcare professionals hesitate to express concerns, report errors, or share ideas for improvement because of perceived interpersonal and organizational risks. This study examines how leadership communication and organizational trust influence psychological safety and employee voice within healthcare organizations. Using a qualitative literature review, the study synthesizes scholarly research from healthcare leadership, organizational behavior, organizational psychology, healthcare management, and patient safety. The review explores major themes, including psychological safety, leadership communication, organizational trust, employee …

Signal And Substance: Why Methodological Sophistication Fails To Guarantee Inference, Aamir Rashid, Rizwana Rasheed

Publications and Research

Despite increasing analytical sophistication, empirical research in organization studies continues to suffer from fragile inference, uneven theoretical accumulation, and contested credibility. This paper seeks to explain why these problems persist by shifting attention from authors’ methodological choices to the evaluative dynamics of peer review. Adopting a conceptual and theory-analytic approach, the paper theorizes peer review as an inferential gatekeeping system. Drawing on research design, theory evaluation, and philosophy-of-science literatures, this study develops an analytical framework to examine how evaluative routines shape what constitutes empirical rigor during the review process. The analysis identifies five recurring reviewer blind spots: inferential scope inflation, …

Vertical Information Sharing Of Reference Quality In E-Marketplaces, Zhaojun Yang, Yuke Hu, Jun Sun, Xu Hu

Information Systems Faculty Publications

Purpose – The platform economy has enabled extensive information sharing among manufacturers, retailers, and e-commerce platforms. While existing studies primarily examine bilateral exchanges of demand or supply data, the rise of platform-provided customer analytics allows manufacturers to better understand consumers’ reference quality and refine their product quality decisions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether such analytics truly enhance customer satisfaction without prompting excessive or misdirected investments in product quality.

Design/methodology/approach – This study investigates a manufacturer’s optimal choice of information sources for product quality decisions by integrating game-theoretical modeling with numerical analysis. The model captures a multi-echelon supply chain …

Drop By Drop: An Experiential Water Waste Exercise, Rachel Dolechek Dba, Gregory Weisenborn

Applied Business Faculty Publications

Implementing a water-use experiential exercise in business courses reinforces student learning outcomes associated with managing both traditional business wastes and those wastes associated with social or environmental impact and responsibility. In this exercise, students are challenged to reflect on their own sustainability attitudes and behaviors by measuring their wasted water. The exercise is adaptable to include other business learning outcomes and is flexible for a variety of high-level sustainability frameworks. It provides an approachable opportunity to discuss social and environmental waste challenges and supports synergy to discuss multiple sustainability metrics associated with the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals, corporate social …

2026-07-06 Message From The President, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Message sent on July 6, 2026 by the President to the campus community regarding upcoming dates of importance, new Carnegie Designation, new building openings and dedications campus personnel announcements and other updates.

The Business Next Door: How The Essenburgs Became The Chick-Fil-A Of The Car Wash Industry, Steve Vanderveen

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

It is difficult to imagine a more entrepreneurial family than the Essenburgs.