Business Commons^™

Venue Managers And Meeting Planners: A Combined Perspective Of Their Roles, Relationships, And Attributes Necessary For Hosting A Successful Meeting, Maame Afua Offeibea Adu

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

The purpose of this research was to gain the perspectives of venue managers and meeting planners on their roles in the meetings industry, their relationship with each other and attributes needed to host a successful meeting. An online survey was conducted involving these two stakeholders to define their roles, assess the strength of their relationship and identify attributes based on their experience with working together and hosting meetings. Results showed that venue managers and meeting planners are essential to the hosting of successful meetings. It also indicated that venue managers are willing to build and maintain stronger relationships with meeting …

Corporate Wellness Programs, Kenneth L. Ragan

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses Workplace Wellness Programs (WWP) in large and small businesses to assess if and how they are effective, what employers perceived about WWP, and what components from a WWP are perceived as best for achieving desired results. In order to address this, 10 large and small business in the city of Columbus, Georgia were interviewed. The literature suggested that businesses should consider implementing WWPs. After conducting the interviews, local businesses do in fact support workplace wellness as they perceive a WWP may help reduce stress and an unhealthy lifestyle for employees, and in turn, develop a more productive …

Strategies For U.S. Manufacturers To Defend Home Markets From International Competition, Gabrielle Chan

Theses and Dissertations

The existing research on ways U.S. manufacturing firms can improve performance is limited to strategies to grow internally with focus on human resource and financial strategies. Therefore, there is little information regarding how the firms can defend themselves from international competition. With the rise of globalization, firms have to compete on an international level while trying to protect their home market. Large firms have more resources such as wealth and capital to conduct international research and strategize to compete with global competition, but small domestic firms have less resources to dedicate to the protection of their business. This research focuses …

The Dogs Of The Dow Strategy Applied To The S&P 500, Autumn Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The Dogs of the Dow trading strategy popular strategy that invests in the ten stocks with the highest dividend yield in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. We examine a newer variation of this strategy that involves investing in the five highest dividend yield stocks from each sector of the S&P 500. We compare returns of this this strategy to those of the Dogs of the Dow and to those of the S&P 500. We find that this strategy has higher raw returns than both the Dogs of the Dow and S&P.

Improving Accounting Education, Frances Ruth Woolfolk

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines and explores the potential of active teaching methods inside and outside the classroom. This literature review analyzes studies of accounting programs in different countries including the United States. The previous literature suggest that students perform better through active methods of teaching, rather than the traditional form of teaching in accounting programs. The findings also suggest that active teaching methods better prepare students for field work in accounting versus the traditional teaching methods. This analysis has two implications for accounting education. First, it provides a deeper understanding for the need of experiential learning in accounting degree programs. Second, …

How Do National Employment Policies Influence Human Resource Practices? A Comparative Study Of The Integrated Resort And Hotel Industry In Macau And Singapore, Poh Chong Danny Ng

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Asia’s growth in prominence over the last decade is a phenomenon that has seen some governments and international financial institutions defining the twenty-first century as the Asian Century, in which Asia will be the focus of economic growth (Kohli, Sharma & Sood, 2011). The wealth in the major economies of Asia will see an increase in a dominant middle-income group, with strong spending power not only in terms of lifestyle domestically, but also internationally. This group’s quest for the finer things in life will transform the hospitality industry in countries such as Singapore and Macau: both are international metropolises with …

Exploring Management Practices Of The Health Care System For Contractors, Gary L. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that military members serving in war experienced changes in physical and mental health. Military members' healthcare is managed by the Department of Defense. The problem was that management practices of the system for providing long-term healthcare for employees of a contracting company working in foreign combat zones is either minimal or nonexistent. The purpose of this case study was to explore ways that contractor managers and government managers can work together to provide healthcare for those contract employees who will be deployed with the U.S. military. The primary research question was to determine what managers of contractors …

Agile–Stage Gate Management (Asgm): Npd Implementation Practices From Global Firms Developing Complex, Physical Products, John J. Salvato

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Stage Gate Management (SGM) has been used successfully by global organizations to direct the New Product Development process (NPD) for years, recently a new variant of this venerable approach has emerged. Researchers and firms have begun to intersperse elements of Agile, as popularized for the development of software, to create an Agile – Stage Gate Management (ASGM) hybrid NPD framework. Agile practitioners believe in process waste reduction, an intense focus on customers, and the creation of nimble entrepreneurial project teams, which, for software products, has positively impacted development time to market, resource utilization, and market success, more generally, improved business …

The Intercultural Communication Of The Business World: A Review Of The Literature And Application To Colombian And English-Speaking Professionals, Anna Colleen Kelly

Honors Program Theses

This paper studies major works that contribute to the knowledge of the formation of cultural values and how those values are influential in the context of business, especially when it comes to international management. As the world becomes more globalized, business organizations face new challenges as members encounter cross-cultural situations. Experts on international management and leading scholars on culture and business Alfons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner (2012) explained that the “internationalization of business life requires more knowledge of cultural patterns” (p.6). It is no longer sufficient for business people to ignore their own culture, and to understand and accept the …

An Analysis Of Equity-Linked Insurance Pricing, Clara C. Ortgies

Honors Program Theses

This comprehensive study of equity-linked insurance options will explore the pricing of certificates of deposit and life insurance options using a present value method. With this study, I will be able to construct and price various equity-linked insurance products, with a focus on life insurance, that insurance companies could then sell to prospective customers. I will use concepts and formulas based in actuarial math, probability theory, and financial engineering in order to construct, price, and analyze new equity-linked insurance products. The fundamental methodology I will use involves applying pricing theory based on the expected value of the insurance payoff present …

Social Media Usages In Small Not-For-Profit Organizations, Sarah Nolan

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Effective social media management takes time, effort, and intentionality. Small not-for-profit organizations would benefit from doing this, but often have difficulty with being able to do so. In order to find out how small not-for-profit organizations use their social media and how social media could best be used to accomplish their mission, the following research questions were asked: What communications policies and procedures are followed by small not-for-profits organizations? Are the current social media practices of these organizations effective? What are the primary needs of these organizations in terms of social media and how can they be addressed?

In order …

Municipal Responses To The Shifting Environment Of Shopping Mall Retail, Paul Kleier Iii

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Economic development is a vital local government responsibility because it guides the provision of jobs for residents, markets for the purchase of goods, and revenue for the government itself. Shopping malls have been key drivers of local economic activity for decades, but their viability going forward has become uncertain since the turn of the century. This paper considers both reasons for this uncertainty and strategies that have been or can be implemented to improve mall sustainability and profitability. While literature addressing this topic focuses almost exclusively on the role played by mall management, this paper places special emphasis on the …

The Vendor In A Retail Setting: A Survey, Jesse Laporte

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

We consider the problem of managing nonperishable inventory as a vendor in a grocer setting. To manage inventory effectively, we must meet the demand of our customers as closely as we can. Too much inventory results in holding costs and ties up a large amount of capital and too little inventory results in lost sales or substitution. It is typical in a retail setting for the vendor to have access to past ordering data, but this data is only representative of the demand when we have sufficient inventory. Otherwise, the demand exceeds the inventory on hand and we lose, in …

Marketing Plan For Columbus State University, Kaylyn Cockrell

Theses and Dissertations

Marketing is an important tool for capturing customers and sales in business, and it’s equally as important to an institution like Columbus State University (CSU) aiming to capture student customers. The development of a marketing plan through extensive research and planning will contribute to the success of all involved marketing efforts. This marketing plan will include all the standard essential elements: business mission statement, situation (SWOT) analysis, objectives, marketing strategy, implementation, and evaluation control. For the mission statement, the current statement from the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan will be used. The situation analysis will include looking at the current strengths, weakness, …

Big Theories In Small Places: Lean/Six Sigma In The Small To Medium Size Nonprofit – Can They Work?, John Lochner

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing emphasis by donors and the public towards accountability and demonstration of results in the nonprofit sector. Quantitative measures are increasingly expected from donors of the nonprofit organization, whether individuals or larger foundations, to demonstrate value and generate further support. As such, there have been many efforts to introduce practices of private sector management theory, specifically performance management theories, to the non-profit sector. Enterprise Performance Management, Business Process Management, Total Quality Management, Balanced Scorecard, and other programs of this type are all the trend to enable the more agile, responsive, effective organization. These initiatives have however focused …

Social Engineering Knowledge Measured As A Security Countermeasure, Christopher Artejus Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

Social Engineering has become a significant threat to the security of business, government, and academic institutions. As vulnerabilities to social engineering attacks increase, organizations must incorporate risk mitigation strategies to their portfolios of Information Systems Security Countermeasures (ISSC). The goal is to implement mitigation strategies that balance the cost of implementation, the privacy of employees, and the resulting expected costs of social engineering attacks. In this paper we develop an analytical model that calculates the total cost of protection, including the trade-off between the cost of implementing protection strategies and the resulting expected cost of social engineering attacks. We use …

The Impact Of Entrepreneurs' Characteristics On The Performance Of Venture Businesses, Janghoon Lee

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In South Korea, venture businesses play a key role in commercializing new technology and revitalizing the economy. The Korean government implements various policies and supporting programs directly. Evaluating the possibility of future growth and selecting good venture business is very important for the effectiveness and efficiency of government programs supporting venture businesses.

There have been many studies aimed at finding the factors affecting the success of venture businesses, and entrepreneurs‟ characteristics are known as the major factor. In this study, the impact of entrepreneurs‟ characteristics on the performance of venture businesses is analyzed by using the survey data of 2,049 …

School Day Extension And Female Labor Supply: The Case Of The Dominican Republic, Patricia Mones

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Since 2012 the Dominican education authorities have been transitioning the schools from a four-hour to an eight-hour per day schedule. As time spent in school is a proxy of childcare, the extension translates into a childcare cost reduction for participating families. Considering the long-studied relationship between childcare costs and mothers’ labor decisions, this study explores the effect of the implementation of the new school schedule on female labor supply both to the extensive and to the intensive margins in the Dominican Republic. Results suggest higher shares of students attending the new schedule within a municipal district are associated with a …

Is The Accruals Anomaly More Persistent In Firms With Weak Internal Controls?, Kanishk Kapur

CMC Senior Theses

In 1996, Sloan identified the accruals anomaly, in which the negative relationship between the accruals component of current earnings and subsequent stock returns can be exploited to generate excess returns. One would expect the accruals anomaly to dissipate and ultimately disappear as investors take advantage of the now-public information. However, nearly two decades later, it persists as one of the most prominent and contentious anomalies; its magnitude of current and future excess returns still remain controversial. The main reason for its persistence is that extreme accrual firms possess characteristics that are unappealing to most investors. These characteristics, which include insufficient …

You Can Run But You Can’T Hide: The Advance Of Shareholder Activism, Kendall Greenberg

CMC Senior Theses

Shareholder activism has exploded in popularity since the turn of the century, due in large part to impressive relative returns generated by its major participants. The result has thus been a surge in assets invested in the category, to in excess of $170 billion today up from less than $3 billion in 2000 (Inglis 2015; Romito 2015). This influx of capital, in absolute dollars and pace of growth, has caused many to wonder whether activists truly create shareholder value and, if so, if the value generated is sustainable. Numerous studies of activist interventions prior to 2009 reveal significant stock price …

นวัตกรรมระบบสารสนเทศเพื่อสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจในการจัดการฟาร์มกุ้งของเกษตรกรรายย่อยภายใต้กลุ่มสหกรณ์, ธนภัทร ยีขะเด

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วิทยานิพนธ์นี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษาพฤติกรรมด้านสารสนเทศต่อการสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจในการจัดการฟาร์มกุ้งของเกษตรกรผู้เลี้ยงกุ้งรายย่อยภายใต้กลุ่มสหกรณ์ 2) พัฒนาต้นแบบนวัตกรรมระบบสารสนเทศเพื่อสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจในการจัดการฟาร์มกุ้ง 3) ศึกษาการยอมรับการใช้งานนวัตกรรม และ 4) การนำนวัตกรรมต้นแบบไปสู่เชิงพาณิชย์ โดยในการวิจัยนี้ใช้ระเบียบวิธีวิจัยแบบผสม โดยการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพเพื่อศึกษาพฤติกรรมด้านสารสนเทศในการจัดการฟาร์มและสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจ และการวิจัยเชิงปริมาณเพื่อการศึกษาปัจจัยที่มีอิทธิพลต่อการประยุกต์ใช้เทคโนโลยีในการจัดการข้อมูลร่วมกันผ่านระบบออนไลน์ จากกลุ่มตัวอย่างเกษตรกรผู้เลี้ยงกุ้งจำนวน 90 ตัวอย่าง และการพัฒนาตัวแบบพยากรณ์ราคากุ้งเพื่อใช้สนับสนุนการวางแผนและตัดสินใจจากชุดข้อมูลราคากุ้งและข้อมูลทุติยภูมิที่เกี่ยวข้องย้อนหลัง 5 ปี (2557-2561) จำนวน 830 ชุดข้อมูล โดยใช้เทคนิคการวิเคราะห์ถดถอย และได้นำโมเดลพยากรณ์ราคากุ้งมาพัฒนาระบบวางแผนและสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจด้านการเงินและจัดการข้อมูลการเลี้ยงกุ้งผ่านโมบายแอพพลิเคชั่น จากนั้นได้ศึกษาการยอมรับการใช้งานและแนวทางการนำนวัตกรรมต้นแบบสู่เชิงพาณิชย์ ผลการศึกษาพบว่า 1) เกษตรกรผู้เลี้ยงกุ้งภายใต้กลุ่มสหกรณ์ใช้สารสนเทศในการวางแผนและสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจบนพื้นฐานของ 7 งานหลักคือ การเลือกแหล่งที่ตั้งของฟาร์ม การวางแผนธุรกิจเลี้ยงกุ้ง การจัดการบ่อเลี้ยง การจัดการกุ้ง การจัดการด้านการเงิน การจัดการฟาร์ม และการจัดการชุมชน สังคมหรือกลุ่มเกษตรกร และปัจจัยที่มีอิทธิพลต่อการใช้เทคโนโลยีในการจัดการข้อมูลร่วมกันผ่านระบบออนไลน์ของเกษตรกรผู้เลี้ยงกุ้ง พบว่า ความไว้วางใจซึ่งกันและกัน ความคาดหวังต่อความพยายาม อิทธิพลจากสังคม การสนับสนุนของทรัพยากร และอำนาจของผู้มีส่วนร่วม มีอิทธิพลต่อการยอมรับการใช้เทคโนโลยีที่ระดับ 51.4% 2) ผลการวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงสถิติเกี่ยวกับโมเดลพยากรณ์ราคากุ้งพบว่า ราคากุ้ง = -1759.426-1.066(ขนาดของกุ้ง)+9.881(อัตราเงินเฟ้อ)+11.135(ดัชนีราคาผู้ผลิต)-1.835(ดัชนีราคาผู้ผลิตภาคเกษตรกรรม) +1.863(อัตราแลกเปลี่ยนเงินตรา)+0.002(อัตราผลิตกุ้งขาวแวนนาไมรวม)-1.864(ราคาน้ำมันดีเซล)+42.448(ถ้าเป็นเดือนมกราคม)+53.286 (ถ้าเป็นเดือนกุมภาพันธ์)+30.325(ถ้าเป็นเดือนมีนาคม)+2.057(ถ้าเป็นเดือนเมษายน)-20.070(ถ้าเป็นพฤษภาคม)-10.085(ถ้าเป็นเดือนมิถุนายน)-3.180(ถ้าเป็นเดือนกรกฎาคม)-3.320 (ถ้าเป็นเดือนสิงหาคม)-11.835(ถ้าเป็นเดือนกันยายน)-30.390(ถ้าเป็นเดือนตุลาคม)-11.835(ถ้าเป็นเดือนพฤศจิกายน) ซึ่งปัจจัยดังกล่าวมีอิทธิพลต่อราคากุ้งร้อยละ 89.7 ที่ระดับความเชื่อมั่นร้อยละ 99 โดย โมเดลพยากรณ์ราคากุ้งนี้ได้นำมาพัฒนาเป็นโมบายแอพพลิเคชั่นเพื่อวางแผนและสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจทางด้านการเงินของผู้เลี้ยงกุ้งภายใต้ชื่อ Smart Aqua 3) จากการสอบถามทัศนคติจากกลุ่มตัวอย่างผู้ใช้งานนวัตกรรมต้นแบบจำนวน 30 ตัวอย่าง พบว่ามีความพึงพอใจต่อการใช้งานระบบในด้านความสามารถของระบบ ด้านเนื้อหา ด้านการออกแบบ ด้านความปลอดภัย ด้านการรับรู้ประโยชน์ของระบบ ด้านการสนับสนุนทรัพยากรและข้อมูล ทัศนคติต่อการใช้ และการยอมรับการใช้ในระดับพอใจมากและ 4) การให้ใช้สิทธิโดยไม่จำกัดแต่เพียงผู้เดียวเป็นรูปแบบที่เหมาะสมที่สุดในการนำนวัตกรรมต้นแบบสู่เชิงพาณิชย์ โดยคาดว่าจะใช้ระยะเวลาคืนทุน 3.5 ปี

The Influences Of Locus Of Control, Debt Overhang, And Framing On Saving For Retirement, Patrick Ilcin

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This study evaluates locus of control, debt overhang, and framing effects as potential drivers of retirement savings decisions. We use a hypothetical scenario administered through an online survey to analyze how much an individual will save for retirement. The study finds that individuals who measure as having an external locus of control (based off the Rotter I-E scale), contribute significantly less to their retirement savings than individuals with an internal locus of control. Interestingly, this study finds no significant relationship between debt overhang and initial contributions. To measure framing effects, participants were given the choice to change their initial contribution …

A Case By Case Study On Accounting Principles, Cody Letchworth

Honors Theses

This thesis contains twelve different case studies that regard some of accounting's key principles. Each case is different in its own right and contains vital applications that relate to real-world scenarios. From analysis of business activities to computation of inventory, each case presents the opportunity to learn how real-world scenarios are approached and executed. Over an eight-month period, each case was prepared through analysis and other means. Each case presents its own outcome and findings due to the fact that each case is unique. With the compilation of all twelve cases, this thesis presents a brief glimpse of how to …

Financial Reporting: A Case Study Analysis, Darby Mills

Honors Theses

This paper looks at accountancy following the application of the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) through case study analysis. Within this paper, there are twelve case studies that cover areas of financial accounting, financial statement analysis, and research. The financial accounting cases cover several topics, such as stockholder's equity, inventory, leases, and deferred tax assets and liabilities. The financial statement analysis cases use ratios, creation of financial reports, and commentary to discuss in further detail the financial statements. The FASB Codification is used as a basis for research in many cases. Dr. Vicki Dickinson facilitated each case within this …

A Comprehensive Review Of Accounting Through Case Studies, E. Dean Ramsey

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a comprehensive overview of financial accounting concepts. Publicly-trade companies have to follow certain accounting standards, and the concepts that arise have real-world significance. The purpose of this thesis was to gain a better understanding of these underlying concepts and see how they impact the decision-making processes of companies. These concepts are not uniformly applied to all companies, meaning that accountants have to design unique accounting systems within each company. The goal for accountants is to produce a set of financial statements that are free from material misstatements that can be used by investors. Each section of …

A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Elizabeth Forbes Owen

Honors Theses

This thesis has been prepared to meet requirements for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College in alliance with The Patterson School of Accountancy. Throughout the course of a year, I studied and researched various topics within the world of accounting and business. This thesis serves as a compilation of each of those cases. Topics vary from issues dealing with inventory, revenue, and depreciation to sifting through the FASB's Codification to support client requests. Each case presents a new topic within accounting with support for the given question or issues the client presented. At the end of each case, an outcome …

Survey Of Accountancy In Generally Accepted Accounting Principles And Financial Statement Analysis, Evan Turner

Honors Theses

This paper surveys the current landscape of accountancy following U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles through a series of twelve case studies spanning different areas of financial reporting, taxation, financial statement analysis, and research. Several cases involve research using sections from the FASB Codification, financial statement analysis using ratios, and commentary on the impact from the perspective of users of financial statements. The cases span several areas of financial accounting including leases, stockholders equity, inventory, and deferred tax assets/liabilities in order to offer a broad perspective on the current landscape of financial reporting through individual, focused cases. The cases within this …

A Comparative Study Of American And French Fashion Conspicuous Consumption Habits On Instagram, Hannah J. Corson

Honors Theses

As social media has become an integral part of every day communications, consumers have begun to conspicuously consume through the Internet. One social media platform, Instagram, puts a central focus on media sharing and allows its users to post photos and videos to their profiles. This makes Instagram an ideal place for Internet users to put their belongings on display. However, a user's nationality and cultural upbringing could influence how one utilizes this platform to conspicuously consume. To determine if this were true, Instagram photos from American and French users were analyzed to find any potential discrepancies. Fashion items were …

Delving Into Corporate Accounting, Allison Ann Floyd

Honors Theses

Delving into Corporate Accounting uses the financial statements of companies within the corporate realm to highlight key accounting aspects. There are a couple of instances within this thesis where hypothetical situations were given to further investigate the role of a specific concept as it relates to the industry. This is made obvious by the presence of a series of questions. Furthermore, the exploration of various accounting concepts was completed via Accountancy 420. My classmates and I conducted our studies on each concept over two semesters, fall 2016 and spring 2017. Ultimately, the collation of company research and hypothetical instances contributed …

Risk Perceptions For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among College Students, Seth Simmons

Honors Theses

With the number of cases of Type 2 diabetes mellitus on the rise among the world's adolescent population, there is an increasing need for more information concerning the adolescent perceptions of risk to acquire diabetes. While there is an abundance of available data on adult risk perceptions for developing this disease, the research on younger individuals' risk perceptions is scarce. Therefore, this study examines data of risk perceptions of students between the ages of 18 and 25 that are undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi. The specific goal of the survey is to examine which groups of individuals feel …