Business Commons^™

Are “Chippers” For The Chop? An Investigation Into How Independent Fast Food Outlets Are Managed., David Mccarthy

Theses

This research investigates and explores the quick service segment (Fast Food) of the Irish Foodservice Industry, with a particular focus on how independent owners of Fast Food outlets manage their business. This growing sector of the Irish Foodservice market is experiencing dramatic changes, in terms of their “food offer”, the legislation governing the industry and the level of increasing competition within the market. As a result of year on year growth and increasing consumer trends towards fast casual dining, this sector of the market is attractive to the plethora of both international and national food franchises who are seeking further …

The Risk-Return Characteristics And Diversification Benefits Of Fine Wine Investment, Tania Salomon

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis evaluates the risk-return characteristics and diversification benefits of fine wine investment. It compares the historical performance of wine to that of equity, fixed income, real estate, and commodities. I calculate the correlation, volatility, and expected returns of these assets to examine whether adding wine to a portfolio increases its risk-adjusted return. I do this through the Markowitz portfolio optimization technique. The findings suggest that wine has a low correlation with traditional assets, providing diversification benefits. My results also show that adding wine to a portfolio increases its risk-adjusted return only when there is an allocation constraint of 0 …

Legacy Of Women And The Culture Of An Organization, Nicole C. Kutsi

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to explore women in executive leadership positions in traditionally male-dominated public-sector organizations. This research will determine whether women entering into these positions have the ability to change the culture of a traditionally male-dominated institution so that women are regarded as equals to men in leadership success, team-building, solicitation of organizational input from subordinates, and overall operational efficiency in the organization. The study will also explore how uniquely feminine qualities contribute to a distinctively transformational leadership approach in women, challenging the common notion that only men are qualified to lead because of their traditionally aggressive …

Citizen Engagement In Local Government Management In Post-Colonial African Countries: A Case Study Of The Republic Of Burundi, Ngulwe K. Alfani

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Literature on in-depth studies of citizen engagement in local government management in African post-colonial countries is scarce. This qualitative research sought to understand the practice of citizen engagement in four selected African countries, but due to financial constraint, the Republic of Burundi was selected for the study. Data consisted of documentary sources, observational field notes, focus group discussions, and 23 individuals’ semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions of Burundian local government, mainly, Marie de Bujumbura and its communes. Data were analyzed through detailed description, categorical aggregation, direct interpretation, and development of naturalistic generalization. The findings from the reading of governmental documents …

Consumer Response To Increases In The State Cigarette Tax, Patrick Nolan

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In this paper I look at consumer responsiveness to the cigarette tax. Cigarette taxes are motivated by wanting to raise money for the state and wanting to deter smoking in the state’s population. Obviously reducing smoking in the population would reduce the externalities caused by smoking. We know the health effects are completely detrimental to the consumer, and detrimental to those around them. In addition to this we know that tobacco is an addictive substance, meaning than is inherently extremely inelastic.

To find on how consumers respond to tax increases I conducted a difference in difference analysis of tax revenue …

An Examination Of Nonprofit Lobbying Expenditures, Danielle Middleton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Nonprofit organizations are characterized by both their programmatic and advocacy activity. Nonprofits are called on not only to provide essential services for many citizens, but also to advocate on the behalf of the issues impacting the populations they serve. An important advocacy activity engaged in by nonprofits is lobbying which is defined as communication directed at a legislative body with the intent to influence a legislative outcome (Raffa, 2000). Nonprofit lobbying is regulated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which ensures that lobbying does not constitute a substantial part of a nonprofit’s budget. Statistics show that few nonprofits report lobbying …

Empowering Women For Economic Growth: A Measurement Of Social And Demographic Impacts On Afghan Women In Business, Tracy Taylor

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Non-governmental organizations working in conflict-prone, resource-deprived developing countries face a very unique set of challenges. Like with other non-profits, program dollars and other resources must be allocated carefully and thoughtfully so the maximum output is achieved with the inputs allotted. Unlike other non-profits, however, the political, social, and economic environment is constantly changing in developing countries like Afghanistan. Basic human needs are not being met, leaving the path to NGO program success fraught with seemingly impossible challenges. This is the case for Peace Through Business, a training and development program serving women entrepreneurs in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Peace Through Business seeks …

นวัตกรรมน้ำมันเตากำมะถันต่ำจากการผสมน้ำมันไพโรไลซิสสาหร่ายขนาดเล็กและน้ำมันหล่อลื่นใช้แล้ว, ศุภฤกษ์ อร่ามกิจโพธา

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

น้ำมันไพโรไลซิสจากสาหร่ายขนาดเล็กเป็นทางเลือกของเชื้อเพลิงหมุนเวียนที่สามารถนำไปใช้ทดแทนเชื้อเพลิงฟอสซิลได้ เนื่องจากมีค่าความร้อนที่ดีและมีปริมาณกำมะถันต่ำ ส่วนน้ำมันหล่อลื่นใช้แล้วเป็นอีกทางเลือกหนึ่งของเชื้อเพลิงทดแทนที่มีราคาต่ำและเป็นขยะอันตรายที่มีการสนับสนุนให้ถูกนำกลับมาใช้ใหม่ จากที่องค์กรทางทะเลระหว่างประเทศประกาศให้มีการใช้น้ำมันเตากำมะถันต่ำ (กำมะถันน้อยกว่า 0.5% โดยน้ำหนัก) ในการขนส่งทางเรือ มีผลบังคับใช้ในวันที่ 1 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2563 และการผลิตน้ำมันเตากำมะถันต่ำจากเชื้อเพลิงปิโตรเลียมยังมีข้อจำกัดด้านต้นทุนและกระบวนการในการผลิต ผู้วิจัยพบว่าการผสมน้ำมันระหว่างน้ำมันไพโรไลซิสจากสาหร่ายขนาดเล็กและน้ำมันหล่อลื่นใช้แล้ว มีความเป็นไปได้ในการนำมาผลิตน้ำมันเตากำมะถันต่ำเพื่อตอบสนองความต้องการในอนาคต ในงานวิจัยนี้เลือกน้ำมันไพโรไลซิสที่ผลิตจากสาหร่ายสไปรูลิน่าเนื่องจากการเก็บเกี่ยวที่ง่ายและได้ผลผลิตน้ำมันสูง โดยนำสาหร่ายแห้งมาผ่านกระบวนการไพโรไลซิสด้วยเครื่องปฏิกรณ์ไพโรไลซิสแบบต่อเนื่องขนาด 3 ลิตร และน้ำมันหล่อลื่นใช้แล้วได้จากโรงงานปรับปรุงคุณภาพน้ำมันหล่อลื่นใช้แล้วด้วยกระบวนการตกตะกอนและกรองเพื่อแยกน้ำและสิ่งปนเปื้อนออก น้ำมันทั้ง 2 ชนิดถูกผสมด้วยอัตราส่วน 100:0, 80:20, 50:50, 20:80 และ 0:100 เพื่อทำการทดสอบคุณสมบัติตามมาตรฐาน ISO 8217 ซึ่งเป็นมาตรฐานของน้ำมันเตาที่ใช้ในเรือขนส่ง
ผลการศึกษาที่ได้ พบว่าการผสมน้ำมันไพโรไลซิสจากสาหร่ายขนาดเล็กในอัตราส่วน 20% และน้ำมันหล่อลื่นใช้แล้วในอัตราส่วน 80% ซึ่งเรียกในงานวิจัยนี้ว่า MLB20 มีความเป็นไปได้ในการใช้ผลิตน้ำมันเตากำมะถันต่ำในเชิงพาณิชย์มากที่สุด โดยมีคุณสมบัติที่สำคัญดังนี้ ความหนาแน่นที่ 15 องศาเซลเซียส 910.9 kg/m3 ความหนืดที่ 50 องศาเซลเซียส 87.26 mm2/s ปริมาณกำมะถัน 0.461% โดยน้ำหนัก ปริมาณขี้เถ้า 0.515% โดยน้ำหนัก ปริมาณน้ำ 4.1% โดยน้ำหนัก และค่าความเป็นกรด 5.4 mg KOH/g โดยพบว่า MLB20 มีคุณสมบัติผ่านเกณฑ์ของ ISO 8217 ทั้งหมด ยกเว้นเพียงปริมาณขี้เถ้า ปริมาณน้ำและค่าความเป็นกรด ซึ่งสามารถนำไปใช้พัฒนาในงานวิจัยในเชิงพาณิชย์ต่อไป

William Shakespeare As A Purveyor Of Re-Productions: Understanding Shakespeare’S Plays As Profitable Products, Giannina Ong

Canterbury Scholars

This project, “Recasting William Shakespeare in The Business of Playwriting,” works to reinvigorate the value gained by reading Shakespeare by:

• Beginning with espousing the importance of reading Shakespeare as a practical businessman first, instead of the mythological literary genius that men decades and now centuries after Shakespeare marketed and herald him as. Although this is not the primary focus of this paper, it is an important framework that begins to enable us to shift our presumptions of the canonical text, Romeo and Juliet .
• The next section sets the backdrop, i.e. the environment, in which Shakespeare used an emerging profession …

Surfaces In A Digital Age: Marketing Strategies For Software Startup Company Myra Mirrors, Georgia Norfleet

Honors Theses

This thesis will highlight the strategies and tactics used to promote and launch software startup Myra Mirrors' first consumer product, Myra mini, a luxury home smart mirror. Myra mini is a real product that is currently in the prototyping phase of development and will be launched this summer on the crowd funding site Kickstarter. While the smart home industry has been reported to have incredible potential, it has failed as of yet to reach mass market penetration. The industry has seen a great deal of criticism for producing products that are over priced and difficult to install and sync with …

Observations Of Homeownership In The United States Since World War Ii: A Look At The Ups And Downs, Jake Muse

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the mechanisms that have affected homeownership since World War II. Homeownership rates can reflect people's desire to own homes or not own homes. Therefore, studying the homeownership rates will give me a better opportunity to understand how the residential real estate market operates. Robert Shiller's Homeownership graph, the U.S. Census Bureau's Total Housing Inventory Table and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' graph of the homeownership rate drove my research. Dating back to World War II, wherever I observed a significant increase or decrease in homeownership, I wanted to explain what was driving the increase or …

Is Major League Baseball Striking Out? In-Game Advertising And Its Effects On America's Pastime, Ashley M. Anderson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the effectiveness of in-game advertisements at Major League Baseball games. Average attendance at Major League Baseball games has been steadily declining for years. Simultaneously, the average length of a professional baseball game has increased significantly. Secondary research has shown that just a few minutes of advertising per game could add up to hours of extra playing time per season. There is ample research available on the evolution and frequency of in-game advertisement, but little has been done to study the actual effectiveness of in-game advertising. Therefore, I conducted primary research in the …

They Call It Le Big Mac: The Importance Of Adapting To Local Preferences In Marketing Strategy, Walker Bobo

Honors Theses

When McDonald's entered France in the 1970s, critics did not believe it would be a success. France is a country with a strong and longstanding gastronomic tradition, and it is proud and protective of its culture. In addition, the country has been known for its anti-globalization views. However, France is today the largest market for McDonald's, outside of the United States. How was McDonald's able to win over the French market and become so successful? This thesis analyses adaptations to marketing strategy that McDonald's undertook in France to better appeal to the local audience and connects these adaptations to trends …

A Comprehensive Review Of Accounting Through Case Studies, William O'Keefe

Honors Theses

The following collection of case studies serves as an overview of important concepts in financial reporting. Every publicly traded company is subject to the same financial accounting standards, meaning these concepts have important real-world applications. The goal of this thesis was to investigate further into the specifics of these concepts to gain a better understanding of their impact on the decision-making processes of these companies. The standards that these companies must follow are not uniformly applied to all companies, so the majority of accountants' work comes from assuring that each company's subjective interpretation of the standards is appropriate. The end …

Analysis Of Financial Accounting Methodologies And Applications, Kate Culbertson

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of a series of case studies on various areas of financial accounting. The areas of financial accounting discussed include inventory valuation, relevant income and assets, statement of cash flows, accounts receivable and estimations, inventory and revenue recognition, depreciation, international accounting standards, long-term debt, stockholders' equity, securities, income and regulation, deferred taxes, and pension and retirement plans. In the financial accounting case on inventory valuation, two companies' financial statement values were analyzed through evaluating the related balance sheets and income statements to determine which company would be a better investment. Through ratio analysis related to profitability and liquidity …

An Investigation Of Financial Accounting Statements And Reporting Techniques, Rachel A. May

Honors Theses

The following report includes solutions to a series of financial reporting case studies completed in fulfillment of the requirements of the honors ACCY 420 course at the University of Mississippi from the fall of 2015 through the spring of 2016. Each case examines various accounting topics and principles using a company's financial statements. Each topic was thoroughly researched as assigned. Included in each case is an analysis of each company and its financial stability along with various mathematical calculations to better understand each situation. As the cases progress, the accounting topics become more advanced. Topics range from generic financial accounting …

An Analysis Of The Financial Literacy Of Senior Students Across Fields Of Study At The University Of Mississippi, Robert Hollis Burrow

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the financial literacy of senior students at the University of Mississippi, as well as which variables influence a student's financial literacy level. Financial literacy is crucial for both an individual's current and long-term well-being and financial health. Students in various major fields of study participated in a multiple-choice survey, including demographic, socioeconomic, and financial literacy questions. The student's answers were analyzed using univariate analyses, an ordinary least squares stepwise regression, and a logistic stepwise regression. The study found that the average student score of 2.75 out of five financial literacy questions was comparable to the national average …

Outcomes Of Fdi In Mississippi: The Cases Of Nissan And Toyota, Cayla Cardamone

Honors Theses

My original motivation for selecting this topic for my Croft thesis was to examine an issue that is of community relevance in Mississippi and could reveal how multiple global regions intersect and affect the quality of life in Mississippi. Guided by this motivation, I decided to examine whether the expected effects of Japanese FDI projects in Mississippi have been achieved in terms of job creation relative to both job quantity and job quality. My particular analytical focus has been on the job-creation effects of the Nissan plant in Canton and the Toyota plant in Blue Springs. For my analysis, I …

An Analysis Of Cases In Financial Accounting, Charles L. Barraza

Honors Theses

The following thesis consists of solutions to a series of case studies in financial accounting that were completed in fulfillment of the requirements of the ACCY 420 course at the University of Mississippi for the fall and spring semester for the 2015/2016 academic year. The thirteen case studies each focus on a separate area of financial accounting and aid in the comprehension and analysis of different accounting topics, such as revenue recognition and depreciation expense. The cases were formatted as a series of questions to a specific scenario. Included are answers consisting of accounting financial statements, journal entries, calculations, and …

Strategic Recommendation For Evertec, Inc., Talia Zook

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Our research seeks to improve the operational effectiveness of Latin American transaction processing firm Evertec, headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The unstable economic status of Puerto Rico—as the site of headquarters and as the source of approximately 7% of Evertec’s total revenue—is of external concern, though there are promising technological trends occurring in much of Latin America. The risk of entry by potential competitors in industry appears high, but all other risks as outlined by Michael Porter’s Five Forces are low, indicating an attractive market. Internally, Evertec exhibits several core competencies, including innovation, end-to-end (comprehensive) service, community service/social responsibility, …

Factors Affecting Debt Decisions: Syndicated Loans Vs. Corporate Bonds, Theerut Winaikosol

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Following the recent developments and expansions in syndicated loans market, syndicate loans are currently accounted for around one-third of borrowers' total public debt and equity financing. It is one of the main alternative debt instruments for corporations. Syndicated loans are bank loans by their settings but also have many of the corporate bonds' characteristics. These characteristics have made syndicated loans hybrid debt instruments which combining features of both bank loans and bonds. This study investigates the financial factors behind syndicated loans issuance for a comprehensive sample from 2000 to 2016 of United States non-financial companies which are listed in New …

Assessing The Implementation Of Internal Branding Training In The Hotel Industry, Peter Juskiw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Internal branding (IB) evolved from marketing to engage employees in a company's strategic planning. IB has been studied extensively in the hospitality industry, but not with human resource (HR) departments. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to assess the effectiveness of corporate training designs in instilling IB corporate values in global employees of a multinational hotel chain to determine whether European core values could be transferred across different cultural backgrounds. Structured interviews on IB were conducted with 22 HR practitioners of a luxury hotel chain to capture essential information through the lived experiences of the participants, all of whom …

Gender Bias In Leadership: Do Gender Of Leader, Type Of Error, Diversity Climate, And Gender Of Subordinate Affect Faculty Perceptions Of Academic Leaders' Effectiveness?, Adriana Alfaro

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The cyphers don’t lie: women remain significantly underrepresented in positions of authority across the United States, despite their nearly equal representation in the labor force. Gender bias has been proposed as one of the major reasons for the disparity in leadership roles between men and women. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether gender bias influenced faculty’s perceptions of leadership effectiveness at a Research 1 (R1) Doctoral institution in the southeastern United States when high-ranking university leaders made mistakes, and how type of error, diversity climate, and gender of subordinate affected this relationship. Two scenarios were …

The Hult Prize: A Guide On How To Be Successful, Kelsey T. Jones

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Hult Prize competition is the worlds largest international case competition. After participating in the Hult Prize for the past 2 years as the team captain, one which the group came out as one of the top 10 teams out of over 25,000 for a business model that aimed to double the income of individuals making less than $2 a day, I have created an overarching guide that will guide future teams to being successful within the competition. The key is to focus on a few on a few key parts: building a team, the general timeline, research, brainstorming, finances, …

An Assessment Of Tire-Buying Among Millennial Consumers, John R. Hojnacki, Caleb P. Ohrn, Ben M. Nelson, Addie A. Hujar, Taylor J. Kirian

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study first examines general purchasing trends among millennial consumers before digging into the perceptions that millennial consumers have of the tire-purchasing experience. Our initial hypothesis was that the negative view of tire-purchasing held by many millennial age consumers was driven by the difficulty of the process itself. Through our own research, we discovered that it is the perceptions held by those who have not yet purchased tires rather than the reality of the purchasing experience that is the issue.

Financing Strategies For Real Estate Investments, Joshua Parr

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Most people have a dream of being financially independent and in order to do so it is necessary to save and invest their money. The key is to invest wisely so that one can earn a solid return on their money. Real estate investments are a great way to build wealth because of the benefits they have over other investments. Many are under the misconception that they cannot invest in real estate because of a lack of capital. This belief is entirely untrue and there are dozens of different strategies for investing in real estate with little or no capital …

Millennials On The Move, But To Where?, Zach Kisor, Shelby Hoge, Ashley Cosher, Bethany Gump, Derek Carson, Kristi Mitchell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following reports discuss the geographical preferences of Millennials in relation to job selection preferences. Our team analyzed the moving trends of Millennials in both Ohio and the United States to determine what factors influence this decision. Collectively, our team concluded that in order to successfully recruit Millennials, companies must offer benefit packages that center around work-life balance. This entails not just highlighting what a job requires technically, but opportunities for leadership development, social activities outside of work, and more. To recruit this upcoming talent, companies need a holistic approach that convinces Millennials that working for their company creates a …

Effects Of Workplace Environment On Recruitment And Retention, Gino Ciarimboli, Madison Frericks, Tyler Riemenschneider, Michael O'Neill

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Recruitment and retention are affected by numerous factors, including the environment present at a workplace, as well as by the tangible and intangible benefits offered by a company. This research seeks to define numerous discrete elements that can sway a recent college graduate whether to ultimately accept a position offered to them. Identified were three key areas of improvement at the target client, the J.M. Smucker Company, including customizable desk spaces, differentiated departmental designs, and a full-scope health and wellness program. These areas were further recommended within the context of the client's workspace to enhance their recruiting and retention efforts.

Experiential Learning And Its Place In A Quality Business Education, Zach Gollwitzer, Callie Mack, Brenna Mack

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this paper, the authors explore experiential learning pedagogy in the context of a business education based on the research of John Dewey (1897), David Kolb (2005), and Scott Wurdinger (2009). In addition to examining the definition of experiential learning and the various implementations of it, this research includes an examination of the business school standards body (AASCB) and of the components in a quality business education. The authors then delve into a literature review of experiential learning, which explores the social structure of education (Dewey, 1897), the process of experiential learning (Kolb, 2005), and specific experiential learning methods (Wurdinger, …

Stigma And Reputation: Exploring The Lingering Effects Of Organizational Stigma, Jahnavi Patel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Stigmas have been widely used to describe organizations and individuals that have negative reputations or that have engaged in illegitimate practices. Extensive research has been done on the effects of positive reputation and personal reputation. However, there is still much to learn about the effects and consequences of organizational stigmas. The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical overview of the consequences of organizational stigmas, particularly in the area of employee mobility, and to help understand the relationship between negative organizational reputation and personal reputation. Contributions of this research, the limitations and directions for future research are discussed …