Business Commons^™

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medication Abuse At The University Of Arkansas, Morgan Mutti

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

When a student enters the University of Arkansas, ADHD medications are frequently introduced and classified by students as a common aid for studying. Because the University does not have a specific program to inform and warn students about the consequences of ADHD medication abuse, students who are new to the vigorous demands of college can easily start inadvertently taking the medication.

To further knowledge on ADHD medication abuse at the University of Arkansas and its effects, a student research study was conducted. This study includes the history of ADHD as well as brief inspections of current studies on Attention Deficit …

Consumers' Willingness To Pay For Specialty Table Eggs, Rachel Braun

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to define the relationship between two constructs and the purchasing behavior of consumers. These two constructs are composed of zoocentric and anthropocentric ideologies, which are established according to one’s attitudes towards an animal’s purpose on earth in relation to humans. This study investigates the effect that these two viewpoints have on a consumer’s willingness to pay for specialty table eggs and conventional table eggs. Using a survey questionnaire, we sampled 327 college students to test these relationships. Using confirmatory factor analysis to establish construct validity and hierarchical linear regression to test the hypotheses, we …

The Legend Of Wara And Benchmarking Purchase Price Allocation Data, Matthew Crane

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

This paper examines the relationship of the relative weightings of intangible assets recorded in purchase price allocations by industry based upon a weighted average rate of return (“WARA”) framework to determine if there is a statistical relationship between the value weightings and discount rates and if benchmarking the value weightings to industry data can be used as a reliable indicator of reasonableness. Both the WARA process and benchmarking assume that the relative values of intangibles impact the discount rate selected or that there is commonality in the industry ratios. Intuitively, the use of WARA and Benchmarking for financial reporting both …

Hedging With Volatility, Mário Alagoa

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

A risk-averse investor with a long equity position is presumably interested in identifying a hedging strategy that protects the value of that investment. The common approach encompasses using either financial derivatives or holding assets (such as gold or Swiss francs) as portfolio hedges as they show negative correlation with equities. This paper proposes using volatility indexes as portfolio hedges instead; it shows that a volatility-based dynamic hedging strategy is the most effective at protecting the value of an equity investment.

An Exploratory Study Examining A Transformational Salesperson Model Mediated By Salesperson Theory-Of-Mind, Philip (Tony) A. Pizelo Dr.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

A customer revolution caused by the popularity of internet commerce, the reliance on social media, and the globalization of the retail industry, calls for an examination of a sales model driven by transformational salespeople. This study examined potential salesperson performance drivers and a proposed moderated mediation model of salesperson performance. This study relied upon a foundation of transformational and other leadership attributes and salesperson theory-of-mind (SToM). Although the conditional indirect effects of the model were not statistically significant, transformational leadership was found to be a statistically significant predictor of sales performance (c’=.024, t=2.63, p =.0088). Several sub-components of transformational leadership …

Antecedents Of Employee Engagement In A Multicultural Work Environment: The Case Of The Uae, Khamis Khalfan Al Zahmi

Business Administration Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the antecedents of employee engagement within a multicultural work environment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2017, the UAE launched the corporate happiness and positivity initiative across organizations where employee engagement was considered as one of the key drivers and enablers of this vision. Existing research indicates that employee engagement is a major factor leading to organizational success and competitiveness. Employee engagement is believed to lead to many benefits for both the organizations in question and their employees. These benefits can include better financial results and improved performance through increased productivity and performance, employee wellbeing, and …

The Value Of The Global Supply Chain & Operations Management Capstone Consulting Course On Graduates Careers, Ashley Kathleen Hannon

Senior Theses

The University of South Carolina’s Global Supply Chain & Operations Management [GSCOM] program in the Management Science Department has witnessed incredible growth and success throughout its first ten years as a major in the Darla Moore School of Business. The crown jewel of the GSCOM program is the Capstone project, a consulting course offered for program seniors. This thesis paper examines the value of the Capstone program through analysis of results from a graduate survey. The survey was administered to graduates from the 2013-2017 classes, and aims to capture the value that Capstone had on the first year of each …

The Rearview Mirror And Windshield: Utilizing The Intersection Of Nostalgia And Neophila To Target Today's Consumers", Hannah Lucile Hungate

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

In a technologically-advanced, rapidly-changing business world, successful marketing practice is becoming more and more elusive to the competing corporations. Two popular tactics—nostalgia and neophilia—have been shown to both dazzle and destroy, depending upon their use. These concepts have been utilized by a variety of brands—some of the world’s largest beverage companies, the most popular application of 2016 and air fresheners, to name a few—and have resulted in heavy profits and losses for the companies.

Nostalgia and neophilia in marketing must first be analyzed as individual concepts, each with their own merits and disadvantages, and then viewed as an intersection where …

An Independent Record Label Business Plan, Jack Raybuck

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

A business plan created for an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The record label is focused on solving the gender inequality problem that currently exists in the music industry.

The Reality Of The Refugee Crisis In Italy: A Look Into The Lives Of Illegitimate Refugees And The Unofficial Organizations That Support Them, Cole Mcquirk

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The words written on the United States of America’s famous Statue of Liberty, written by poet Emma Lazarus over a century ago:

Give me your tired, your poor,

your huddled masses yearning to breathe free

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. . . .

America and Europe alike have forgotten the sacred words that gave hope to so many 100 years ago. Many use phrases like “floods of people” or “swarms” to describe those who leave their countries for a life in the Western world. Which of the refugees welcomed into the most powerful country in the world were …

A Business Plan For The Three Barn Farm, Jessica Loechler

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Three Barn Farm is a rural wedding venue that offers a personal, intimate experience for those who appreciate the simple beauty of the American countryside. Our mission is to make our home your home on the best day of your life. The name “The Three Barn Farm” reflects the three beautiful fixtures on the land. The first barn is the one-hundred-year-old classic red barn. With recently refurbished wood to capture the barn’s original beauty for years to come, this barn serves as a Pinterest-worthy spot for bridal photos, a welcome area, and many other purposes. The second barn is …

Nonprofit Marketing Strategy, Marisa Lizana

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

This paper explores the new and vague idea of nonprofit marketing. From studies comparing traditional marketing to nonprofit marketing and surveys analyzing the current status of organizations’ marketing plans, we see the gray area that is nonprofit marketing and the lack of research to enlighten us what a successful marketing strategy looks like. Then, I talk about my first-hand experiences working for a nonprofit, what I learned, and what questions and ideas I have regarding the future of nonprofit marketing strategy.

The Impact Of Strategic Management Practices On The Performance Of Uae Banks, Fatmah Mohamed Al Suwaidi

Dissertations

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of strategic planning and management practices (SPM practices) on the performance of banks in the United Arab Emirates and the challenges they face in developing and implementing their strategic plans. Although banks in the UAE were able to recover smoothly after the 2008 financial crisis, they still face challenges due to globalization, low oil prices, and political instability in the region. The situation calls for efficient strategic planning and management by the authorities of the banks. This study, therefore, aims to contribute to improving the effectiveness of SPM practices within …

Insider Trading And The Stock Act Amendment, Josh Wilson

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

On April 2, 2012, Congress passed the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act. The purpose of this legislation was to enhance transparency among the financial investments of Congress members, congressional staffers, and other government employees. One year later, an amendment was passed which no longer required staffers or government employees to publish their holdings online citing “national security”. Treating this event as a natural experiment, I examine whether insider trading occurred in the days leading up to and through the signing of the law by President Obama. In general, I find that portfolios of the 50 most commonly held …

Understanding The Role Of Social Capital On Performance In Family Firms., Mahshid Jessri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One important form of social capital is family social capital, which is mainly the relationship among family members in family business. In this dissertation, we utilize two perspectives of innovativeness and network mobilization to study the relationship between family social capital and firm performance. In the first study, we examine family social capital as a multidimensional construct, and study the relationship between the three aspects of structural, cognitive, and relational family social capital. The relationship between relational social capital and performance is studied through the lens of network mobilization, and the model investigates how family firm identity alters this relationship, …

A High-Level Overview Of How The New Accounting Standard Update On Revenue Recognition Impacts The United States Healthcare System, Leslie Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In May of 2014 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued a long-awaited joint updated standard on revenue recognition, ASU 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. While almost all entities will be affected to some extent by the new standard, particularly the changes in required disclosures, this research seeks to examine the impact the new standard will specifically have on the healthcare industry. By highlighting areas of significant challenge a better understanding will be gained of the impact health care service entities will experience as they transition to a new standard.

Gender Diversity Around The World: The Role Of Country Legal Regulations And Culture, Madison E. Newton

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this project is to analyze the factors that contribute to the gender discrepancy in labor force participation rates around the world. This paper will explore potential drivers of the gender disparity phenomenon through the analyzation of country-specific elements to detect related impacts that may be imposed on a country’s composition of labor force as it relates to gender. More specifically, I interpret the degree to which specific factors can directly influence the proportion of female presence in labor forces around the world. My empirical results suggest that the societal factors, legal regulations, culture, total fertility rate (births …

An Exploratory Study Of Military Management Practices, Physical Activity, And The Prevalence Of Shin Splints In Rotc Cadets, Jakayla Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS, Shin splints) is very common in military personnel accounting for up to 35% of incidences, which is almost twice the incidence seen in the average active individual. Each year there is in increase number of injuries in Army recruits. Though Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs are known for commissioning approximately 60% of 2^nd Lieutenants and 40% of generals on active Army duty, no research has been done examining MTSS occurrences in relation to military management practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between military management practices and …

Spirituality As A Human Resource Attribute To Facilitate Employee Engagement And Retention, Wesley Dale Sumner

Theses and Dissertations

Spirituality as an important component of American workplace success is a phenomenon only better understood during the past two decades. Until now, little research has been done to understand workplace spirituality in the human resource context of employee retention and engagement. The pioneering study with a focus on workplace spirituality led by Mitroff and Denton (1999a) signaled a theoretical and empirical convergence highlighting spiritual practice influence on organizational outcomes (Benefiel, Fry, & Geigle, 2014). The inclusion of spirituality in the workplace is an avenue to more fully engage workers who wish to express themselves at work, resulting in their deeper …

Divestment Of Strategic Resources In A Hypercompetitive, Capital Intensive, Knowledge Based Industry, Steven Robert Rivet

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation creates a model explaining the factors that drive the decision by a semiconductor firm to divest a specific strategic resource. The dissertation is based on a case study of a medium size semiconductor firm that divested a competitively performing manufacturing facility in a low labor cost Asian country, and replaced the services it performed with contracted services. The study draws on competitive advantage, resource based view, transaction cost, divestment, international business, and asset-light model literature. The existing literature either fails to explain (or to explain completely) the reasons driving these type of divestiture decisions (resource based view, transaction …

Attributes And Economic Impact Of The Exhibitors At The Annual Ozark Empire Fair On The Local Economy, Raysha E. Tate

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The main objective of this research is to evaluate the economic impacts of spending by the exhibitors during the 2016 Ozark Empire Fair. Surveys were collected from commercial and livestock exhibitors. Respondents reported the amount of money spent on various items including material and supplies, rental for the space within the fair, hotel, restaurant, shopping, and attractions outside the fair. SPSS and IMPLAN software were used to analyze and interpret the results. Impacts were measured in terms of total output and jobs (full-time equivalent) created. Livestock and commercial exhibitors generated a total economic output of $854,386 and $845,836, respectively. Similarly, …

The Development And Validation Of Implicit Measures Of Emotional Intelligence, Ricardo R. Brooks

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Emotional intelligence (EI) has attracted much attention in the decades since Goleman’s (1995) claim that EI is important for success in a wide range of social and professional roles. With this interest has come much debate about whether EI should be defined and measured as a set of abilities or as a set of dispositional self-perceptions. The latter is typically assessed with self-report measures that are susceptible to contamination related to inaccurate self-knowledge and impression management artifacts – problems that may be mitigated by implicit measures. This research used Implicit Association Test (IAT) procedures to develop implicit measures of EI …

Buying Time: Consuming Urban Pasts In Nineteenth-Century Britain, Dory Agazarian

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is about how historical narratives developed in the context of a modern marketplace in nineteenth-century Britain. In particular, it explores British historicism through urban space with a focus on Rome and London. Both cities were invested with complex political, religious and cultural meanings central to the British imagination. These were favorite tourist destinations and the subjects of popular and professional history writing. Both cities operated as palimpsests, offering a variety of histories to be “tried on” across the span of time. In Rome, British consumers struggled when traditional histories were problematized by emerging scholarship and archaeology. In London, …

The Effects Of Developed Country Equity Markets On Developing Country Trading Partner Growth, Jorge S. Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three chapters, focusing on the effects that developed countries have on their developing country trading partners with the consideration of macroeconomic variables. In Chapter I, I explore the differences in the drivers and the corresponding magnitude effects on domestic real stock returns during fixed and floating exchange rate regimes. In Chapter II, the equity developed market effects on domestic real stock returns is determined during the pre- and post-great recession periods under floating exchange rate regimes. Chapter III summarizes the findings and provides concluding remarks regarding the benefits and disadvantages in adopting a floating exchange rate …

Essays On Institutional Ownership And Corporate Finance, Qijian Wang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of three chapters that span earnings management, innovation, and insider trading.

Chapter 1: Prior literature finds that earnings management is negatively correlated with institutional ownership. The question is whether institutional investors drive down earnings management of the firms they invest in, or they choose firms with lower earnings management. In this paper, I use the regression discontinuity design around Russell 1000 and 2000 indexes reconstruction to obtain an exogenous variation in institutional ownership. I find that institutional investors do not drive down earnings management after they become shareholders. Instead, institutions choose firms with lower earnings management level …

Essays On Banking And Corporate Finance, Alev Isil Yildirim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of two chapters.

Chapter 1: The Effect of Relationship Banking on Firm Efficiency

This paper analyzes the impact of relationship bank oversight on firm operational efficiency and default risk. I find that a new loan from a relationship bank improves the technical efficiency of inefficient firms that have an elevated probability of default. Moreover, borrowing firms with elevated default risk exposure experience reductions in their probabilities of default in the years following new relationship bank loans, benefiting both banks and borrowers. Thus, the benefits of relationship bank monitoring are most apparent the higher the ex ante default …

Some Like It Hot: The Effect Of Serving Temperature On Perceived Caloric Content And Intent To Purchase Complementary Food, Sara Baskentli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This research introduces the serving temperature bias, which is defined as the belief that a food or beverage served hot has more calories and is considered more fattening than the same item served cold. Six studies, including an observational field study and follow-up controlled experiments, demonstrate that people indeed hold the serving temperature bias. This belief is grounded in the conceptual associations between warm foods and beverages and consumers’ affiliative semantic associations regarding home and hearth - concepts captured by the phrase “homelike.” Specifically, hot foods and beverages are perceived to be labor of love and reminder of home (homelike) …

Covered International: A Proposal For Growth, Sarah Shumaker

Honors Projects

The following proposal examines the operation of Covered International, a nonprofit organization committed to helping women who have been victims of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking, Contemporary ideas and suggested changes are detailed that will foster the growth of the organization through education and awareness, funding, and expansion.

Budgeting In Student Life: An Educational Website, Heather Grunden

Honors Projects

An applied honors project in the form of a website prototype. The purpose of this website is to introduce college students to the concept of budgeting and to teach them the core steps of creating their own budget, since many existing budgeting applications are pay-to-use, and the free options tend to have little to no instruction.

An Analysis Of Milb Salaries And Cost Of Living: How Does The Ability To Live On Milb Salaries Differ Based On Player Contract And City?, Collin Hetherington

Sport Management Undergraduate

The purpose of this research was to determine how Minor League Baseball (MiLB) player ability to live on different MiLB salaries change from city to city. This research set out to discover if the salaries made by MiLB player’s during the 2016 season was sufficient enough to cover the cost of living in each MiLB city. An increasing level of disparity between MLB and MiLB salaries has developed, but no research specifically compared MiLB city cost of living to MiLB salaries. The results of this study are valuable for Minor League Baseball players because it allows for individual cost of …