Business Commons^™

Policy Frameworks And Citizens’ Use Of Fintech Solutions: The Pros And Cons In Egypt, Salma Al-Mohamady

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the significant influence of financial technology (FinTech) on the banking industry, consumer finance, and economic growth. It specifically concentrates on the swiftly changing FinTech environment in Egypt. The study investigates the impact of incorporating advanced technologies on worldwide financial practices, which has significantly transformed traditional banking models and facilitated the emergence of inventive financial services. The transition is clearly apparent in Egypt, where the expansion of FinTech has been driven by advances in regulations, adaptation to technology, and a population that is becoming more comfortable with digital solutions.

Using a combination of quantitative …

The Organizational Socialization Of K–12 Classified Employees, Steven Dunlap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify to what extent newly employed classified staff in K–12 school districts in Southern California experienced organizational tactics (content, context, and social) to support their socialization process during the 1st year of employment (G. R. Jones, 1986). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the degree to which newly employed classified staff saw these tactics as effective in supporting their socialization to their new role (role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery).

Methodology: This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to engage …

Community Cultural Wealth And Its Impact On Pandemic Relief Funding For Small Businesses, Brett Smith

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This dissertation investigates the impact of social, navigational, familial, aspirational, and resistant capital on the ability of small business owners in Pennsylvania to access relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily the period from March 2020 to December 2020. Utilizing Dr. Tara Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, the study explores systemic barriers within relief initiatives and how they affect marginalized communities.

To meet business owners where they were, and to utilize technologies born as a result of the pandemic, this study utilized Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVI) and online surveys, to capture the lived experiences of these small business owners. Not …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

The Impact Of Internal And External Influences On Federal Procurement Specialists, Jonathan Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Federal procurement specialists have a unique and powerful role in how the United States government spends money. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the impact internal and external influences have on the decision-making process of federal procurement specialists. A mixed-methods research study was conducted using an electronic survey questionnaire to collect quantitative data and video interviews to collect qualitative data. The sample included individuals who held a Federal Acquisitions Certification in Contracting and worked for non-Department of Defense federal agencies. The quantitative findings found that internal and external influences impact federal procurement specialists, but the …

Dealing With The Effects Of Covid-19 Job Demands On Public Sector Employees’ Work Engagement And Job Burnout: The Role Of Public Service Motivation, Servant Leadership, And Mission Valence, Phillip Joseph Dillulio

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The global recession stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the public sector of the U.S. economy. Specifically, reduced tax revenues from a dramatic decline in economic activity and increased demand for public services resulted in new and increased job demands for public sector employees (Eggers et al., 2020). However, limited research has examined the effects of COVID-19-related demands on job burnout and work engagement among public sector employees, and the role of personal, social, and organizational resources to protect their well-being (Demerouti & Bakker, 2023). The current study addressed this gap by employing the Job Demands …

Understanding Job Satisfaction In The National Park Service, The Needs Of Black Employees, And The Decision-Making Of Managers, Akiebia Hicks

All Dissertations

According to the 2020 U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, the National Park Service (NPS) was ranked the 353rd best place to work out of the 411 government agencies surveyed, with an engagement score of 61.3%, which was lower than the 69.0% average amongst government agencies. This survey is performed annually and asks employees to score their employer in the following categories: leadership, empowerment, pay, teamwork, innovation, recognition, response to COVID-19, and work-life balance. The scores are divided by a quartile key. In every category except “innovation,” the NPS landed in the lower quartile, causing the need …

Historic Downtown Streetscape Plan Price City, Utah, Patricia Beckert

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The idea of a small-town Main Street has profound meaning within the American culture that has prevailed for the past two centuries. Historically, Main Street serves as the beating heart of a community, a place where economic, social, cultural, and civic activities are centered (Francaviglia, 1996; Main Street America, n.d.). Since the beginning of the 19th century, many factors have led to the decline of Main Streets, and despite a variety of efforts from different stakeholders, that decline has only intensified in recent decades (Isenberg, 2008; Orvell, 2014 Howard, 2015). In 1980, after a three-year project conducted by the National …

Tourism, Mapping, Retail And Recreational Trails: A Case Study Of Connectivity Between Trails And Adjacent Downtowns In Anniston, Alabama, Usa, Jennifer Green

Theses

This study examines the estimated increase in economic impact on a geography’s local economy by creating cross-marketing efforts between expanding an established outdoor recreation trail to a closely located city downtown commerce district. This research will analyze the resulting potential rise in sales/lodging tax revenues for that city by mapping the trail and downtown district, and cross-marketing the other to users of both or either venue. Potential increase in economic impact will be estimated utilizing IMPLAN methodology by assessing the economic impact on the local economy that a percentage range of increased spending resulting from this cross-marketing effort could generate.

Public Service Motivation: African American Senior Military Officers Transitioning To Civilian Service, Ansara Todd Burgess

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Motivation plays a crucial role in public organizations in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as well as moral obligation. While considerable efforts over the past several decades have led to vast improvements in federal workforce diversification, significant problems still exist involving diversity management and racial representation across all levels of federal government employment. The theoretical framework guiding this study was public service motivation. The purpose of this study was to explore the U.S. federal government’s inability to attract and retain senior executive service African Americans through lived experiences of retired African American military officers who currently work for the …

The Experiences Of Women Executive Leaders In A Leadership Development Program, Angela Ivy Gustus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The host organization is a nonprofit that has a mission of supporting the work of 19 other separate organizations, 47% of which are run by women. The problem addressed in this research is the host organization’s lack of knowledge related to how to create a leadership development program that will maintain or increase the current gender diversity. The purpose of this research was to gather information about the current leaders to inform the creation of a leadership development program for the host organization based on research conducted at Harvard University. The aim was to understand the experiences of the women …

A Case Study Of Joint Accountability Mechanism And Interorganizational Collaboration In Post-Earthquake Haiti, Jude J. Jean-Gilles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract: The earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, caused massive destruction of its capital city Port-au-Prince and its suburbs and killed over a quarter of million people. The recovery period that followed required effectiveness to plan and mobilize resources. The magnitude of the destruction, lack of local recovery plans or previous disaster experience, and scarcity of local resources inspired the creation of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), a compilation of local and international stakeholders who agreed to collaboratively address the recovery challenges. Several studies have examined post-earthquake recovery initiatives under the leadership of local governments, but having …

A Case Study Of Joint Accountability Mechanism And Interorganizational Collaboration In Post-Earthquake Haiti, Jude J. Jean-Gilles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract: The earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, caused massive destruction of its capital city Port-au-Prince and its suburbs and killed over a quarter of million people. The recovery period that followed required effectiveness to plan and mobilize resources. The magnitude of the destruction, lack of local recovery plans or previous disaster experience, and scarcity of local resources inspired the creation of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), a compilation of local and international stakeholders who agreed to collaboratively address the recovery challenges. Several studies have examined post-earthquake recovery initiatives under the leadership of local governments, but having …

Resource Development Swot Analysis To Improve Organizational Sustainability For A Grassroots Nonprofit Organization, Felicia Rosetta Frances Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are approximately 1.54 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. However, without a resource development plan in place, or unforeseen emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, some nonprofits struggle to meet annual fundraising goals. The purpose of study was to conduct a strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of an organization’s fundraising plans to assist in creating an annual resource development plan. This qualitative case study explored nonprofits within black and brown communities as to what they needed to generate and maintain funding greater than $500,000. Five interviews were conducted among organization leaders, managers, program coordinators, program directors, …

The Experiences Of Women Executive Leaders In A Leadership Development Program, Angela Ivy Gustus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The host organization is a nonprofit that has a mission of supporting the work of 19 other separate organizations, 47% of which are run by women. The problem addressed in this research is the host organization’s lack of knowledge related to how to create a leadership development program that will maintain or increase the current gender diversity. The purpose of this research was to gather information about the current leaders to inform the creation of a leadership development program for the host organization based on research conducted at Harvard University. The aim was to understand the experiences of the women …

Using Input From Administrative Staff To Make Cost-Effective Decisions For Telecommuting, Technology, And Productivity During The Covid-19 Era, Chika Egemba

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The purpose of this research was to examine if collaborative technologies enhance productivity in the face of remote work during the COVID-19 era using the diffusion of innovation framework. Dothan Housing is a Moving to Work (MTW) Expansion Agency under the Landlord Incentive Cohort #3. This means the agency was granted certain flexibility to pursue innovation. This research study used a post-positivist philosophy and a quantitative research design to investigate the thoughts, opinions, and feelings of Dothan Housing administrative staff about their experience with telecommuting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were selected from among Dothan Housing staff who were …

Improving Financial Resiliency To Provide Accessible Community Services During Emergency Conditions Through Strategic Planning, Maria Elisa Colmenares

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study site organization lacked financial resilience to ensure the provision of social services to populations reliant on these services, including before, during, and after emergency conditions. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to provide strategic planning recommendations to increase financial resilience and describe the unique partnership between the client agency and the nonprofit arm. The study addressed strategies to increase the financial resilience needed to sustain the organization’s core mission, and strategies the agency can use to provide community services before, during, and after emergencies such as COVID-19, hurricanes, or severe storms. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and …

Looking Through Their Lenses: An Analysis Of Virginia Environmental Nonprofits' Roles And Challenges In Shoreline Management For Coastal Resilience, Taiwo C. Olanrewaju Lasisi

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Environmental nonprofit organizations have emerged to attend to the environmental needs of individuals and communities. Some of these needs are usually those that have been neglected, given insufficient attention, or cannot be singularly handled by the government. In advocating for coastal resilience, environmental nonprofits have been identified as actors who address coastal issues like sea-level rise, flooding, and shoreline management.

Shoreline management involves building setbacks and formulating short and long-term defense strategies such as building living shorelines, ripraps, bulkheads, and tree plantings. These strategies formed the basis of coastal defense in coastal zones. Shoreline management is a significant area of …

Public Acceptance Of Medical Screening Recommendations, Safety Risks, And Implied Liabilities Requirements For Space Flight Participation, Cory J. Trunkhill

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The space tourism industry is preparing to send space flight participants on orbital and suborbital flights. Space flight participants are not professional astronauts and are not subject to the rules and guidelines covering space flight crewmembers. This research addresses public acceptance of current Federal Aviation Administration guidance and regulations as designated for civil participation in human space flight.

The research utilized an ordinal linear regression analysis of survey data to explore the public acceptance of the current medical screening recommended guidance and the regulations for safety risk and implied liability for space flight participation. Independent variables constituted participant demographic representations …

The Impact Of Food Justice Advocates In Creating And Influencing Public Policy, Michael Joseph Chadukiewicz

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the impact that food justice advocates had on creating and implementing public policy to provide access to adequate, healthy, and culturally appropriate food for the residents of New Haven, Connecticut. The problem the case study explored is in 2020 food insecurity affected 22% of the residents of New Haven, more than twice the national average. This qualitative case study used grounded theory to analyze the experiences of 31 food justice advocates that were members of a coalition of researchers, food service providers, non-profit agencies, grassroot organizations, and residents tasked with improving the city’s emergency food system. …

Applying Situational Crime Prevention To Terrorism Against Stadiums, Emanuel Maurice Yeoman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, there has been increasing concern of terrorist threats to U.S. stadiums. The research problem is that existing U.S. stadium policies, procedures, and plans do not adequately address evacuation of special populations in the event of a terrorist threat. There is a particular concern regarding the adequacy of existing stadium evacuation plans for patrons with special needs. In the current study there were three research questions examining the organizational deficiencies and best practices of stadium evacuation plans currently in place to respond to terrorist threats How situational crime prevention (SCP) can help in the identification of deficiencies …

Case Study: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities And Threats Analysis For My Brother’S Keeper Organization, Tyriek Bobby Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this case study, strategies to increase the impact of mentorship programs and academic success of African American high school students were examined through the use of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The purpose of this case study was to gather empirical data to identify opportunities for First Generation College Bound, Inc., an affiliate of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative to strategically improve and expand their program. The research question focused on identifying the programs’ current administrative practices as well as areas to better engage and support mentees. Using the conceptual framework of Hersey and Blanchard’s …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Pennsylvania Wine Industry With Actionable Recommendations For Industry Improvement And Growth, Seth Porter

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Local wine industries are vital engines of agricultural economic growth, rural development, and sustainable long-term tax base creation. While the Pennsylvania wine industry has made admirable progress, the industry still has a poor collective reputation, high variance in product quality differential, and a perceived regulatory environment that creates negative externalities for local wine, agricultural production, and auxiliary enterprises. This comprehensive analysis attempts to diagnose and remedy all primary public policy, regulatory, state, non-profit, and non-state private actions that have impeded the Pennsylvania wine industry. A methodology of grounded theory qualitative processes, furthered by texting mining and document analysis techniques, were …

Millennial Motivation For Nonprofit Arts And Culture Organizations, Rebekah Wagenbach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many arts-related nonprofit organizations rely on a volunteer labor force and often face difficulties fulfilling their missions without successful recruitment and retention efforts. Millennials make up almost a third of the volunteer force. This research focused specifically on members of the Millennial generation and their relationship with arts and culture-related nonprofit organizations in their communities for the purpose of helping these types of organizations recruit, retain, and manage volunteers from this age group. The theoretical foundation for this research consisted of public service motivation theory and generational cohort theory. The research question examined the primary motivations for Millennial adults born …

Strategies For Improving The Effectiveness Of Internal Control Processes In Nonprofit Organizations, Annie Selorm Dumoga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some leaders of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) lack financial strategies to develop and implement effective internal controls for their financial health and the continuation of their organizations’ provision of humanitarian services. The failure of leaders in NPOs to implement adequate internal controls results in insolvency, the inability to pay off debts, and threatens the ability to provide needed social services. Grounded in the Committee of Sponsoring Organization's internal control integrated framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies NPO leaders used to develop and implement effective internal controls for their organization's financial health and ability to …

Which Financial Measures Can Be Leveraged To Help Close The Unfunded Liability Gap For State Pension Plans?, Selette M. Jemison

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

The main purpose of this study is to identify the key determinants of the unfunded liability (UL) for state and local public Defined Benefit (DB) pension plans. The UL is a measure of pension debt in plans across the U.S. This debt continues to rise while pension obligations to current and future retirees must also be satisfied. The UL is derived by subtracting the market value of plan assets from its accrued liabilities. If assets are less than liabilities, it signals a lack of funds set aside to cover all pension benefits and generates what is known as an unfunded …

Servant Leadership And Conflict Adaptivity In Local Government Leaders, June F. Mighty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Government organizations’ focus on public service provides a fertile ground for conflict due to competing interests and goals. Conflicts exist and persist because of workplace pressures such as unstable political climates, budget restrictions, technological advances, a diverse workforce, disruptive change, and organizational transformation. Although typically risk-averse, these organizations need flexible and adaptive leaders who exhibit the appropriate behaviors in the best interests of the organization and the community. Servant-leaders seem likely to demonstrate conflict adaptivity due to their focus on serving the needs of followers and other stakeholders, which may require different conflict styles at different times and in different …

Return Migration And Entrepreneurship In Egypt, Shorouk Fouda

Theses and Dissertations

Many Egyptians are currently choosing to emigrate in pursuit of benefits such as; education, professional development, acquisition of new skills and accumulation of savings. Although this was previously viewed as having a damaging effect to a country’s economy through the loss of most talented and ambitious nationals, more pertinent economic views suggest possible instances of brain circulation and gain upon the return of a national to their home country. In some cases, gains of return migration are unlocked in the form of entrepreneurial behavior; as a result of accumulation of financial and human capital. In this research, both quantitative and …

A Gateway To Economic Success, Nathan R. Boudreau

School of Professional Studies

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a leader in the United States, a gleaming example of the American dream and the way life should be. We are always at the forefront of world-class innovation, house arts and culture that rival some of the best cities in the world, and have high-class educational institutes rivaled by almost no other region. Massachusetts leads the way when it comes to progressive ideals that provide for the less fortunate and ensure equality for all while keeping taxes reasonable, unemployment down, and living wage jobs readily available. With all that said, I began to ponder why …

A Comparison Of Community Development Corporations (Cdcs) In Worcester, Massachusetts, Benjamin L. Gessel

School of Professional Studies

This paper examines the factors that influence the effectiveness of two community development corporations (CDCs) in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Main South CDC is more community-oriented and has a comprehensive approach to improving its neighborhood. Worcester Community Housing Resources (WCHR) has a narrower approach that is limited to developing and financing affordable homes. The paper investigates the success of these two organizations on factors widely considered important for CDCs, including their ability to provide affordable housing, the extent of services they offer, their level of community control, and their financial security