Business Commons^™

Examining The Mediating Influence Of Occupational Self-Efficacy And Perceived Organizational Support On The Relationship Between Perceived Managerial Coaching Behaviors And Employee Engagement Among Higher Education Enrollment Management Professionals, William S. Carrell

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. higher education environment is characterized by significant governmental/regulatory scrutiny, increasing competition, decreasing State funding, and demands for professionals to do more with less. In this environment, managers are increasingly expected to take on functions typically associated with traditional human resource roles, in particular the training, development, and retention of employees, often with limited or no access to formalized training resources.

This study predicted that a relationship exists between the perceived managerial coaching behaviors enacted by a direct supervisor and employee engagement among manager-level employees in strategic enrollment management divisions within higher education institutions. The hypotheses predicted this relationship …

Beyond Higher Ed Marketing: Unsanctioned User Generated Content, Jordan Taylor Salvador

Honors College Theses

The impact of User Generated Content (UGC) on higher-education marketing is an entirely untouched area of marketing research, therefore the current study aims to better understand how widely disseminated this content is among students, how they perceive this content and its impact upon their university, as well as what kinds of students are drawn to participate in and consume this content. A sample of 187 university students at a large public institution were surveyed regarding their engagement with UGC content associated with their school, and the ways in which it may effect their perception of the institution.

A Self-Assessment Of Hrd Competency Development In Undergraduate Students: Indigenous Project-Based Learning Experience, Kendra Hall

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In the field of human resource development, the literature and research suggest that in order for students to become proficient practitioners in a global business world, there is a need for the inclusion of diversity education. The purpose of this study is to understand student’s perceptions of their competency development after a semester-long engagement with an Indigenous organization. The current study examines HRD undergraduate student’s competency development, using the Association for Talent Development (ATD) standards and focuses on the global mindset foundational competency. The participants completed a retrospective pre-post self-assessment to measure their competency development prior to and after the …

Exploring Diversity Workforce Experiences Of Ahrd Alumni, Kayce Croy

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Diversity plays a crucial role in everyday life, especially in academic and workplace settings. Despite increased attention to the value of diversity across settings, institutions of higher education, businesses, and organizations often do not provide adequate diversity initiatives to prepare students and employees for life and work in diverse environments. Therefore, to understand diversity education practices from formal college education and workforce experience, alumni who have graduated within the last five years from the Adult Education/Human Resource Development (AHRD) graduate program at James Madison University (JMU) were surveyed.The current study utilized a mixed methods survey approach that provided data on …

Examining The Impact Of Transformational And Transactional Leadership Style On Work Attitudes, Motivation, And Work Outcomes In Nonprofit Organizations, Kim Hartzler-Weakley

Dissertations, 2014-2019

In an effort to better understand leadership and turnover in the nonprofit sector, this study investigated the impact of transactional and transformational leadership style on work attitudes, motivation, and work outcomes in nonprofit organizations. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Neither transactional leadership nor transformational leadership were significant predictors of turnover. Only transactional leadership was found to be a significant predictor of organizational citizenship behaviors. Transactional leadership was a significant predictor of perceived organizational support, affective commitment, procedural justice, and continuance commitment. Transformational leadership was a significant predictor of job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, and procedural justice. Finally, mediation …

A Case Study Of Brand Associations For Yeezy Brand, Garrett Kalel Grant

LSU Master's Theses

Brands can thrive in the marketplace based on their ability to generate brand equity. Companies have utilized many techniques to gain brand equity with their consumers. One method that has been very popular has been co-branding. Branding literature explains that one way that brand equity is created is through brand associations. Brand associations are generated through a consumer's direct and indirect experience with a brand. This research looked at a special case of co-branding in the form of the clothing line Yeezy. The purpose of this research is to better understand this special case of co-branding strategy by analyzing Yeezy …

The Influence Of Emotional Intelligence And Personality Traits On Effective Leadership, Joy N. Cooper

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Ineffective leadership contributes to the majority of organizational problems and business failures. The negative effects of poor leadership in the health services arena is a prominent issue in today’s health services workforce, and is exacerbated by the challenges posed by the Affordable Healthcare Act of 2012. This study investigates the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) and personality traits (the Big Five), two variables commonly linked to effective leadership, within the context of healthcare.

This study examined the influence of EI and the Big Five personality traits on leadership effectiveness within a healthcare institution. The study assumed EI and the Big …

Studies Of Financial Analysts: Over-Optimism, Investment Value And Herding Behavior, Tao Li

2018

Financial research analysts are experts who analyze the financial markets and company fundamentals to make investment recommendations. Based on the US analysts’ stock recommendations, I examine the issue of financial analysts’ over-optimism, the investment value of analysts’ stock recommendations, and analysts’ leader-follower herding behavior. The goal of this thesis is to enhance the understanding of the roles that financial analysts play in promoting information transmission in the financial market. The study of analysts’ over-optimism focuses on the market reaction asymmetry. Consistent with analysts being over-optimistic, the financial market responds more strongly to analysts’ unfavorable recommendations than to their corresponding favorable …

Bitcoin, Blockchain And Trust, Quentin Rene Marcel Rosso

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In the past few months, there has been an incredible craze about Bitcoins and Blockchain. Prices skyrocketed, and trading platforms emerged very quickly. This new cryptocurrency economy has been compared to the more traditional economy which has been shaken by many crises in the past twenty years. Crises arise when trust collapses. With a mix of interpersonal and institutional trust, our financial system and its institutions are considered obsolete. We are repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Bitcoin will fix our current economy by providing three new elements of Trust: (1) Decentralized architecture and governance neutrality based on …

Factors Impacting The Intent To Use An Interactive Visual Aid On A Tablet Pc Platform By A Biotechnology Sales Force, Tom Dotter

Theses & Dissertations

The interactive visual aid on a tablet PC technology platform is a relatively new marketing tool. The interactive visual aid was developed to replace the visual aid brochure, also known as pharmaceutical promotional literature. The interactive visual aid is used by biotechnology area business managers to promote their respective medications directly to a healthcare provider. Biotechnology corporations are equipping their sales forces with tablet PCs to leverage customer relationship management tools, adhere to compliance and Food and Drug Administration regulatory policies, and to launch marketing tools such as the interactive visual aid. Do these companies know the factors contributing to …

The Sport Commitment Model’S Effect On The Participation Frequency And Purchase Behavior Of Golfers, Kevin Rubel

Theses & Dissertations

Golf has a multi-billion dollar impact on the U.S. economy. Golf course revenues have flattened since the industry peaked in 2005. Many golf courses have closed as fewer and fewer golfers continue to play. Golf course managers must develop effective marketing plans to retain customers. This means developing effective systems to retain golfers who have a large variety of playing and equipment options. Determining what factors are related to the reasons a golfer continues to play would help in the development of needed programs. Commitment to golf could be one of the factors related to the purchase intention and participation …

Motivations Of Ncaa Student Athletes In Community Service, Karen Boleska

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. Research is ongoing around the United States on volunteer motivations; however, NCAA student athletes remain an understudied population. This quantitative study investigated the motivations of NCAA student athletes in community service to determine if the importance of motivational functions differ demographically. The specific purpose of this study was to examine and determine the order of the motivational function of importance for NCAA student athletes in connection to their participation in mandatory community service. Determining if the importance of motivational functions differ demographically by gender (male, female), academic classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate students), and by sport type …

Mapping Energy Access In Rural Tanzania: 2017 Summer Internship With The World Resources Institute, Naramena Mccray

Sustainability and Social Justice

This report details my 2017 summer internship experience; both the report and the internship being requirements of the GIS for Development and Environment Graduate Degree at Clark University. My internship was hosted by the World Resources Institute, an international non-profit organization in Washington D.C. As implied by my position title, “Energy Access-GIS Intern”, I spent the duration of my internship (14 weeks) applying my geospatial expertise to address the topic of energy access which is an issue effecting rural areas of many developing countries. I was given the responsibility of creating an interactive map application of Tanzania accessible by energy …

Knowledge, Technical Skills, And Employability Skills Required Of Accounting Graduates: Perceptions Of Certified Public Accountants In Mississippi, Lisa Sandifer

Dissertations

Employers report recent college graduates are not prepared for the workforce and a skills gap exists (O’Bannon, 2016). Research indicates accounting graduates do not have the skills needed when entering the workforce (Altarawneh, 2016). The skills gap is costing companies money (Nanduri, 2017). Employers report extended job vacancies cost U.S. companies close to one million dollars annually (Nanduri, 2017). Also, the skills gap costs the U.S. economy an estimated $160 billion per year (Fisher, 2014).

This research determined the knowledge, technical skills, and employability skills required of accounting graduates in the workforce as perceived by Mississippi CPAs and determined if …

Exploring Churn And Alignment Between Retention And Occupational Culture As Perceived By Professional Truck Drivers, Catherine M. Cole

Dissertations

Despite advances in logistics software and increased driver pay, the trucking industry continues a historic wave of human capital risks in the form of driver turnover and driver shortages. Previous efforts to understand the phenomenon of driver turnover rely heavily on supply chain, transportation, and logistics based disciplines. The current study provides a human capital ontology towards understanding professional truck driver perceptions. Within the interpretive framework of pragmatism, the study applied a simultaneous ethnographic and phenomenological research design to explore the phenomenon of churn and professional truck driver perceptions of environmental alignment between trucking industry retention strategies and the occupational …

Agricultural Information Needs And Food Access In The Stann Creek District Of Belize, Sam Harris

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe agricultural information sources available to farmers and to describe food access and availability for the people of Dangriga, Stann Creek, Belize. This study used descriptive survey research methods with convenience sampling of the general public (n=22) and of farmers (n = 38) in the summer of 2017. Farmers use a variety of agricultural information sources with the extension service cited most often, followed by friends and fellow farmers. Weather, lack of information, pests, and inadequate access to capital were of primary concern for farmers. Face to face meetings were …

A Seniors Guide To Finding Success In College, Gabriel Munson

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Incoming college freshmen are bombarded with ways to succeed in the classroom immediately as they inter a college campus. With access to many resources to improve academics it can be perceived that academics are the only success needed to succeed in college. To the contrary, other factors including personal financial management and extracurricular activities will have a strong affect on students as they graduate and move into their professional careers. This research explores studies and personal accounts of what skills students will need to succeed after college and connects societal functioning and college success.

The Rise, Fall, And Revival Of The Moviegoing Experience: The Viability Of Independent Theatres In A Multiplex World, Isabel S. Cruz

Sustainability and Social Justice

Moviegoing has been a leisure activity since the early twentieth century. From their origination, movie theatres have served as a community gathering place for people from different socioeconomic backgrounds to come together for a shared experience. Even as substitutes for movie viewing options threaten the movie theatre industry, independent cinemas are surviving and thriving. This paper includes results from interviews with independent cinema owners and managers on steps they are taking to preserve moviegoing as an immersive and personal experience. Findings are used to explore how lessons can be applied to create a credible business proposal to locate an independent …

Epoca House: The Implementation Strategy, Courtney Thomas, Yaffa Fain, Shuxiao Teng, Mingjun Xie

School of Professional Studies

This capstone report provides a written strategic implementation plan for EPOCA House. EPOCA, Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement, is a non-profit dedicated to creating better resources and opportunities for prisoners and ex-prisoners in Worcester. The organization’s most recent initiative, EPOCA House, is a transitional facility that will provide reentry services and temporary housing to ex-offenders in and around the Worcester area. Recently, Massachusetts passed a comprehensive criminal justice reform bill that will dramatically reduce the number of people being incarcerated; however, little attention is focused on what will happen to individuals after they leave prison. At the same …

A Guide For Hiring Mature Employees At Ascentria, Binghe Change, Calleigh Leach, Elsie Lu, Hongquiang You, Mengge Wang, Nina Mariotti

School of Professional Studies

This paper will explore existing literature on aspects of an intergenerational workplace in a nonprofit organization and provide recommendations for recruiting and retaining older employees for a human service organization, Ascentria Care Alliance, in Worcester, MA. The paper will review research on trends in the nonprofit industry, a comprehensive breakdown of generational workplace values, reasons people are returning to work and effective marketing strategies that appeal to older generations. Marketing strategies specifically will explore best practices for website design, social media usage, and job descriptions. Additionally, this paper will research case studies of nonprofits with successful intergenerational workforce initiatives, as …

Clear The Air: Moving Towards A More Supportive, Welcoming, Tobacco-Free Clark University, Edward Aroko, Simon Elliot, Jackson Espe, Donovan Smith, Michael Spanos

School of Professional Studies

The deleterious health effects of the consumption of tobacco products, especially for youth, have been documented thoroughly and are nearly universally recognized. Numerous federal, state, and local regulations, coupled with health education and tobacco cessation initiatives have been launched to address these effects. Although these pushes have done much to reduce the rates of preventable health conditions and death due to the usage of tobacco, there remains much work to be done at the local level to discourage and disrupt patterns of substance use and abuse. The mission of Clark Clear the Air is to propose various and creative ways …

Inbound Marketing, Hasini Assiriyage, Isabelle Zoeckler, Emmanuel Aghado, Kefu Bu, Xiouyu Jiang, Rajesh Kamble, Yan Wang

School of Professional Studies

This study looks into inbound marketing practice through the process of secondary research. This insight on best practices and market examples have been employed in order to identify the benefits of Inbound Marketing for the School of Professional Studies at Clark University. Through the research, this team has consolidated a number of recommendations for the SPS marketing strategies moving forward. A focus has been placed on identifying solutions, which were effective and financially feasible. The primary solutions are internally sourced; with a future long term recommendation of seeking advice from a third party firm to automate the process.

Adult Learners: A Targeted Marketing Approach, Sarah Baldelli, Camilo Botero, Camille Ferreol, Caleb Horton, Xinyue Ma, Stefan Sprinkmoller

School of Professional Studies

The development of the Adult Learner Capstone Project started with a focus and need to learn more about affinity groups in the Worcester area in order to reach the potential adult learner demographic. Although some partnerships already existed, the Director of Marketing and Communications for Graduate Admissions, Tara Probeck, yearned to explore the potential partnerships and alternative uses of professional organizations to market to the current working professionals. From this idea, our capstone project was introduced in hopes of establishing a comprehensive and exhaustive list of potential organizational partnerships, specific for the School of Professional Studies.

My Choice Greens, Alina Zulfikarova, Amelia Mohr, Hesi Zhang, Ruiqi Huang, Sean Tatar, Yuhao Zhou, Zijun Zhou

School of Professional Studies

My Choice Programs for Independent Living is a nonprofit in Worcester, Massachusetts that helps individuals with special needs. In 2016, My Choice Programs added a branch to their organization called My Choice Greens. My Choice Greens is committed to growing fresh produce in their hydroponic farm. The profit generated from selling their vegetables is put back into direct programming for My Choice Programs. My Choice Greens is the first hydroponic farm in Worcester, but unfortunately not many people are aware of their program. Also, since they are a small nonprofit, they do not have sufficient funding or resources to market …

Smart Or Shirking? The Effect Of Aggressive Tax Avoidance On Corporate Repuation, Jennifer Mcgarry

College of Business Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I investigate how news that a company has engaged in aggressive tax avoidance affects the company’s reputation. If the general public believes companies have a responsibility to pay their “fair share” of the national tax burden, then they will likely view aggressive tax avoidance negatively. If instead the public believes companies have a responsibility to shareholders to maximize profits by minimizing tax, then they will likely view aggressive tax avoidance positively. I examine these two possibilities by conducting an experiment. I find that people tend to view aggressive tax avoidance negatively and thus companies suffer reputational damage …

Optical Heritage Museum: An Interactive Touch, Connor Guerin, Ankur Halwai, Jinzhao Liu, Qi Liu, Yangjing Wang, Yashaswini Bharti

School of Professional Studies

Optical Heritage Museum (OHM) was established in 1983 with the aim to preserve, promote and display historical artifacts of the optics industry and educate all of its vital role optics has played in societal development. Over the years, the museum has grown in its physical space along with exhibit development to engage audiences in innovative, effective methods. Clark University’s School of Professional Studies department and curator of Optical Heritage Museum, Mr. Whitney’s Whitney, have establish a collaboration that has spanned over two semesters with the goal to support and aid in improving OHM. Our capstone group was assigned the task …

Leicester Research A Study In Effective Technology In Education, Jimeshkumar Chauhan, Anna Lakomy, Li Liu, Christina Mccarthy, Scott Mccarthy, Roman Pena, Emilie Smiley

School of Professional Studies

The LPS Research Team has been tasked with researching and recommending a technology plan for a new school that Leicester Public Schools is planning to build. In this paper, we present an overview of the our goals and our client’s goals, an introduction to industry trends, and discuss our findings based on research conducted via interviews with schools that have undergone similar projects. We also outline the conclusions drawn from this research and our analysis of the data we uncovered, and make specific recommendations for technology to be utilized in Leicester’s new school. Finally, we present a 3-part framework that …

Leicester Public Schools Information And Data Portal: Research And Recommendations, Yue Cen, Natalie Bonetti, Rashida Buchanan, Sathark Jain, Yuwei Wong

School of Professional Studies

The purpose of this project is to develop a strategy for the creation of a multifaceted portal to help with the organization and dissemination of information about the Leicester public school district. The functionality of this portal is to provide comparative financial, demographic, and academic data to other relative school districts in the area, both for the parents’ and for the city’s reference. It will be an examination into the best practices for creating a portal, both technological and aesthetic recommendations, as well as research into the value the publication of this data would provide for the parents of current …

Water In Worcester A Campaign For Public Fluoridation, Ryan Early, Xiao Gu, Yajing Huang, Lauren Meininger, Emma Phillips, Yao Su

School of Professional Studies

Water in Worcester: A Campaign for Public Fluoridation arose as a project from our sponsors, Chris Philbin, Vice President of Government Relations at UMass Memorial Health Care, and Joe O’Brien, former Worcester Mayor, Executive Director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, and Clark University Adjunct Professor. Our goal has been to produce resources that will support the fight for fluoridation in the City of Worcester. Fluoridation has failed to pass in Worcester on four separate occasions, but Mr. Philbin and Mr. O’Brien believe that the time has come to try again.

In order to fluoridate Worcester’s water supply, the municipal …

Canine For Disabled Kids Awareness Campaign Research And Implementation Plan, Jiamin Gu, Kendall Harcourt, Chang Liu, Kiamu Liu, Jemmie Tejada

School of Professional Studies

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) service animals are: “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities” ( ADA, 2015). On the other hand, emotional support animals are: “dogs that provide comfort and support in forms of affection and companionship for an individual suffering from various mental and emotional conditions.” In addition, an emotional support animal is not required to perform any specific tasks for a disability like service dogs are (Ibid).

The ADA limits the number of questions that can be asked to protect the privacy of utilizers. In fact, …