Business Commons^™

Business Perspective E-Banking Systems In India, Divya Nalluri

Dissertations and Theses

The paper seeks to explore how internet or e-banking has improvised the efficiency and adequacy in the banking sector within a very short span of time, Research Design/Process in Financial Organization, Methods of Data Collection, taking into consideration the trends, challenges of E-banking, the security measures and propound a solution that can root out the fraud in e-banking.

I would like to thank my professor Dr. Stephen Onu for all the guidance he is providing me for the completion of the paper. I would also want to thank Professor Prof. John Clark for helping me out with the research with …

Role Of Effective Quality Risk Management In Drug Safety Project, Bhawna Sharma

Dissertations and Theses

Identifying risk is one of the key topics of discussion in project planning and update meetings. Project managers have to identify and manage different risks at various levels of projects. These risks must be managed and eradicated in the effective and structured manner to perform effective quality risk management and thus leading to adequate project management. The research investigates the potential root cause of the quality risk management issues using tools such as the fishbone diagram (Ishikawa), 5-Whys, FTA etc. which could remedy this situation. An effectiveness check measure can also be implemented after applying corrective/preventive actions to ensure that …

Reasons For Success And Failure Of Projects, Tamunogbenye Dago

Dissertations and Theses

This paper discusses information from at least ten peer-reviewed project management related articles on project success and failure. The articles provide information on the challenges faced in global projects. This paper will address the link between infrastructure, culture and project outcome.

Regardless of the chosen methodology, there are many possible reasons for project failure, partial success and total success, the articles have discussed different factors which could be a reason or a partial reason for the outcome of a project.

Agile methodology is becoming increasingly popular and utilized on large and complex projects. Large projects that lack clarity in some …

Using Iop As A Mechanism For Project Team Management, Maryam Selah Varzi

Dissertations and Theses

This project investigates the application of Industrial-Organizational Psychology (IOP) in project management. Project managers are responsible for creating effective teams and building a proper environment to communicate, collaborate, and deliver their tasks. Factors such as lack of trust, miscommunications, and personal conflicts lead to dysfunctional teams which can ultimately fail a project. Thus, understanding the behavioral characteristics of the team members and realizing the psychological principles of the interpersonal relationships in organizational settings would significantly help project managers. The purpose of this project is to find out whether project managers can exploit IOP for effective team management. By an exhaustive …

Managing Business Process Transformation Projects Using Contextual Hybrid Agile Methodology, John Tu

Dissertations and Theses

Business and business processes never cease to change, and this is especially true with today’s accelerating pace of changing business environment. Executives and project teams in both traditional and Agile organizations across industries have been increasingly motivated to find a flexible project management methodology that can work well and can be readily customized in the context of each of their own organization.

This thesis seeks to first abstract the concept and practices of the Agile methodology by examining the hallmarks of both traditional and Agile project management through comparison. It then constructs a contextualized model by identifying key characteristics of …

Adopt Agile Methodology For Building Wealth Management Platform Building, Mandar Shripad Kulkarn

Dissertations and Theses

Agile software development is becoming very important software development methodology in the IT world because it is iterative and its agility. This research shows how the agile methodology helps to deploy the project smoothly by saving time and money. This research also shows the benefits of adopting agile than following traditional procedure. The result of the research would help to adopt and implement the agile methodology and would help to achieve the business goals.

Middle Managers Working Beyond Senior Management’S Expectations: A Phenomenological Study Of The Managed Healthcare Industry In Southern California, Gerald Dugas

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how middle managers and senior managers working in the managed healthcare industry in southern California perceive what factors motivated middle managers to work beyond senior management’s expectations.

Methodology. A qualitative phenomenology study was chosen because it allowed the researcher to acquire a firm understanding of the nature of everyday lived experiences. This methodology was used to capture the meaning of experiences that motivated middle managers to work beyond expectations. The researcher conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of the participants. Participants …

Identification Of Right Leadership Style For Agile Teams, Aashik Sekharan

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research is to identify trends within leadership techniques applied in agile projects that lead to project success. Certain motivation and productivity drivers need to be defined in order to understand how to evaluate key project success metrics. My research approach involved reviewing papers that studied theoretical leadership frameworks in decision-making, motivation and information sharing. The methodology applied includes creating a mock project scenario, in which two leadership styles (authoritarian vs. servant) will be tested to understand the relationship between leadership, project performance and team morale. The project will have two team leaders applying the leadership style …

Business And Plurilingualism: The Advantage Of A Foreign Language, Anabelis E. Martinez

Honors Theses

Nowadays, global economy has implications that suggest the need for an adaptation to operate efficiently in this new environment. Is bilingualism a skill that professionals should be acquiring? To investigate this aspect, I am researching how many online job postings come out over the course of a week asking for language proficiency across three different business specialties (Accounting, Management and Marketing). My project will answer the following questions: How often do job openings require bilingualism within the sample? Which states have a higher demand for bilingual candidates? And which languages are the most sought after?

Case Study Of A Collaborative Approach To Evaluation Within A School District Central Office, Oriana Eversole

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) provides an in-depth examination of a collaborative approach to evaluation within a school district’s central office. This study analyzes the implementation of collaborative approaches to evaluation (CAE) within a school district’s central office with an emphasis on evaluation use from the evaluators’ perspectives. It also explores the role and evolution of the evaluators throughout the evaluation process. Furthermore, this study adds to educational research on how to support the implementation and use of improvement processes in school district central offices. The analysis focuses on the evaluation activities that my colleagues and I led as …

Two Essays On String Of Earnings Benchmarks, Yiyang Zhang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Essay 1 Abstract

Prior research indicates that equity markets assign a higher valuation to firms that sustain a string of earnings increases (earnings string) and a string of meeting or beating analysts’ earnings expectations (MBE string). However, to date, there is little evidence on the response of debt investors when firms sustain a long string of meeting/beating earnings benchmarks. This study fills the gap in the literature by analyzing the impact of sustaining an earnings string/MBE string on the cost of debt. I find evidence of a positive (negative) association between the length of the earnings string/MBE string and the …

Knowledge Sharing As A Means For Capacity Building In International Non-Governmental Organizations In Ecuador, Yolanda E. Ledesma Silva

Latin American Studies ETDs

The purpose of this research was to study factors that facilitate technical knowledge sharing internally in international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) in Ecuador. Using a qualitative design, and semi-structured interviews this study examined knowledge sharing practices in four INGOS located in Quito, capital of Ecuador.

The findings supported nine factors identified in the literature as influencing knowledge sharing practices. These factors included (1) organizational culture, (2) role in organization, (3) procedures for managing knowledge, (4) perceived value of knowledge sharing, (5) media used for sharing information, (6) management practices, (7) organizational structure, (8) mission and strategy, and (9) organizational climate and …

Essays On Ipo Lockups, Wentao Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation includes two chapters. The title of the first chapter is “How Divergence of Opinions Matters: Evidence from Lockup Effects in VC-backed IPOs”. The title of the second chapter is “Short-selling Around IPO Lockup Expiration”.

The first chapter discusses how divergence of investor opinions plays a role in explaining IPO lockup effects in venture capital backed (VC-backed) IPOs. It is well established that IPO lockup expiration is associated with negative cumulative abnormal returns (CARs). While a number of studies have examined these lockup effects, they offer very limited explanations to the phenomenon. Miller (1977) suggests that divergence of investor …

Conversational Leadership: A Leadership Approach For Nonprofit Executive Directors, Qiana O'Leary

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary nonprofit executive directors practice to lead through conversation using Groysberg and Slind’s (2012b) four elements of conversational leadership (intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality).

Methodology. The qualitative phenomenological method was decided by a group of 12 thematic researchers to study conversational leadership practices based on four variables: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality. This method was selected to investigate the experiences, perceptions, and decisions of the participants to help identify the patterns of conversational leadership practitioners. The population for this study was nonprofit executive directors in …

Athletic Identity, Institutional Support Services, And Transition Factors: An Analysis Of Student-Athlete Perceptions And Implications, John Nowak Kaczorowski

Theses and Dissertations

Brewer, Van Raalte and Linder (1993) defined the term athletic identity as the degree to which a person identifies with the role of an athlete and seeks outside acknowledgement of that role. Those who have a high athletic identity tend to be those who have achieved elite levels within athletics. These elite athletes tend to base their self-worth and self-esteem on their ability, performance and the appreciation of their athletic talent, while gradually neglecting other aspects of psycho-social development (Cieslak II, 2004). These resulting deficits have been attributed to what is called identity foreclosure in the literature. High-stakes athletes can …

Weary At Work: A Conservation Of Resources Approach To Understanding Job-Related Boredom, Candace Angela Esken

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the pervasive nature of boredom in the workplace, there has been surprisingly little theoretical and empirical analysis on the phenomenon. The existing research suffers from several shortcomings preventing progress on job-related boredom including the lack of an agreed definition and a properly developed and validated measure of the construct. This dissertation addresses these deficiencies by first developing and validating a psychometrically sound measure for job-related boredom. Then, drawing upon conservation of resources theory, hypotheses for the antecedents and consequences of job-related boredom were tested using a sample of 199 employees at a large insurance organization in the United States. …

Supporting User Evaluation Of Messaging Interactions With Potential Romantic Partners Discovered Online, Douglas Zytko

Dissertations

Online dating systems have transformed the way people pursue romance. To arrive at a decision to meet for a face-to-face date, users gather information about each other online pertinent to romantic attraction. Yet sometimes they discover on the date that they made the wrong choice. One aspect of online dating system-use that may be a contributing factor, but is largely overlooked in the literature, is interaction through text-based messaging interfaces. This dissertation explores how messaging interactions inform face-to-face meeting decisions through two qualitative studies, and explores through a mixed methods field study how innovative messaging interfaces that embody theory from …

Digital Banking: Overcoming Barriers To Entry, Alan Megargel

Dissertations and Theses Collection

This dissertation examines digital banking from the perspective of two types of industry participants; non-bank FinTech alternative [substitute] financial service providers whom are intent on disrupting the market, and [incumbent] traditional banks whom are urgently pursing digital strategies in order to counteract the FinTech threat. This study is motivated by five main research questions: (1) Are FinTech firms disrupting traditional banks, and if so, what are the modes of disruption? (2) Do tradition banks view FinTech firms as a threat, and if so, what are they doing about it? (3) What are the various digital banking strategies, and how are …

Purposeful Building Of Social Capital And The Adoption Of Essential Tools And Technologies In Impoverished Communities In The Philippines, Chon Phung Lim

Dissertations and Theses Collection

Despite its popularity and a wide range of applications, social capital is a contested concept. There is also no agreement on whether social capital responds well to external interventions. Many scholars found no or, at most, mixed impacts that social capital can be purposefully developed. However, Burt and Ranchi (2007) and Janicik and Larrick (2005) provided compelling evidence that simple network training can significantly improve participants’ ability to see gaps in their network and develop social capital.

The manifestations of social capital are context-dependent and complex, and rarely map into a single discipline or methodology (Jones and Woolcock, 2007). Hence, …

Ultraviolet Inkjet Ink: A Market And Audience Analysis For Kowa American, Haley Smith

Senior Honors Projects

My report was commissioned to examine the market strategies and audience approaches implemented in the ultraviolet inkjet ink industry. My research juxtaposes the initiatives of leading ink investors with those of the monomer-producing corporation, Kowa American. My findings emphasize the discrepancies in competitive development between Kowa and similar globally innovative agencies. My research indicates that Kowa must capitalize on industry gaps, conduct environmental research, and minimize financial setbacks to obtain a competitive advantage in the current ink market. Further, Kowa must personalize customers’ buying experiences in order to expand its budding product lines and maximize profits.

Ethical Consumerism And The Target Segment For Fair Trade Coffee, Lauren Mangan

Senior Honors Projects

The fair trade movement is a social entrepreneurship project that deals with a subsistence marketplace in order to improve the lives of suppliers in the ways of improved pay, increased opportunity fair treatment , positive environmental impact and more. Marketing is important in promoting and growing the fair trade movement and it is important to me to assist in this movement because I have become passionate about the rights of farmers after my immersion to Nicaragua. The first step in improving a marketing campaign is conducting market research. This research aims to answer the question: What is the target segment …

Perceptions On The Advancement Of Women To Public Accounting Leadership Roles, Mylane Bella-Smuts

Senior Honors Projects

For more than 21 years, women have joined the accounting profession in equal numbers to men, yet women represent just 19% of the U.S. public accounting partner population (Bennett, 2013). This research project looks at the current environment for women in leadership positions in public accounting firms by analyzing perceptions on the work environment for women, work-life balance, and implementation effectiveness of firm initiatives related to the advancement of women. Results from one-on-one interviews and surveys suggest that the perception of the work environment for women in the public accounting profession is positive, but women’s commitment to achieving partnership status …

Foregrounding The Role Of The Consumer In Social Entrepreneurship, April M. Wyatt

Capstone Collection

The research purpose of this study initiates the need for describing the role consumers have in social entrepreneurship. Current research remains primarily dedicated to the leadership and organizational structures of entities operating as a social enterprise – while overlooking the role of consumers. This style of entrepreneurship requires specific attention on the social aspect of consumers and beneficiaries in order to create and implement ethics in this growing field. This research examines the current role of the participants in the social-mission driven organizations they support; data collection indicates that, at the present, most consumers support organizations without engaging in direct …

Farmers For America Documentary Screening, Tiffany Jane Thompson

Agricultural Education and Communication

The agriculture industry is seeing a decrease in the number of beginning farms, operations that have been in existence for 10 years or less, across the United States. According to the most current Census of Agriculture by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), beginning farms make up approximately a quarter of the 2.1 million total farms across the country. This is a 20 percent drop between the 2007 and the 2012 censuses (2012 Census Highlights, Beginning Farmers, 2017). At the same time, the average age of the U.S. farmer is increasing and is now at 58 (Williamson, J. & …

Delta Airlines: A Strategic Analysis, Erin Mckenna

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

Consisting of three parts, the first two reports provide an overview of Delta Airlines, their current strategy, their resources and capabilities, and the overall environment of the industry. In this final report I will be conducting a full SWOT analysis on Delta Airlines and look at their internal strengths and weaknesses as well as their external opportunities. After conducting this analysis I will be drafting some strategic questions that I feel Delta is facing as well as provide my recommendations to solve each question.

United Technologies Corporation: Pratt And Whitney Analysis, Emily Leclerc

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

This poster outlines various analyses tools and frameworks used to analyze the global technology company, Pratt & Whitney.

Risky Business: The Correlation Between Sensation Seekers And Entrepreneurs, Matthew D. Buck

Selected Honors Theses

This study attempts to determine if college students with sensation seeking tendencies are more likely to have entrepreneurial tendencies due to the risk involved in both entrepreneurship and thrill seeking activates. This study used a combination of the Sensation Seeking Scale and the Attitudes Towards Enterprise test to determine the correlation between physical risk taken in hobbies and taking risk in business. An online survey was sent to 350 business students at a university in Central Florida and 62 valid surveys were received and analyzed. Through calculating the correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, and t-tests, the author deducted that an …

Is The J-1 Trainee And Intern Exchange Visitor Program Still Fulfilling Its Original Purpose As An Educational And Cultural Exchange Program?, Rachael Ropkey

Capstone Collection

The J-1 Trainee and Intern Exchange Visitor program came out of the legislation of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. This policy was brought forth at the end of World War II. The J-1 is a “non-immigrant visa category … for individuals approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs” (U.S. Department of State, J-1 Visa Basics). The J-1 has many subcategories, including Au Pairs, Summer Work Travel, College and University Student, Intern, Trainee and many more. The J-1 visa subcategories that will be the focus of this capstone paper are the …

Sit Graduate Institute: Moving Sit Towards A Model Of Inclusive Excellence In Diversity, Steffen Glenn Gillom

Capstone Collection

The Inclusive Excellence Model has been used by college diversity offices all across the United States to help streamline diversity policy and foster a more inclusive collegial environment for students, staff, and faculty. It is now time for SIT Graduate Institute to benefit from this model. SIT has a long and rich history of diversity and inclusion work. However, much of that history has been lost or stored away in long-forgotten archives. Also, much of this memory has never been analyzed in a way that increases institutional wisdom. This study takes on the challenge of analyzing SIT’s institutional memory on …

Consumer Perceptions Of Social Business Practices In South Korea And Thailand, Emily Gaynor

Capstone Collection

The global economy is shifting from Western capitalism towards more inclusive alternatives. Leaders like Muhammed Yunus are normalizing global social enterprise opportunities and cross-sector collaboration. International certifications like B Corporations, Fair Trade, Cruelty Free (The Leaping Rabbit), 1% for the Planet, and the Rainforest Alliance are rapidly growing their networks. Universities, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and governments are incorporating social entrepreneurship into their best practices. In particular, Asia has seen significant growth in its social economy.

Notably, South Korea and Thailand (with six other Asian countries) are included in the world’s 30 best nations to be a social entrepreneur. Particular attention …