Business Commons^™

Thriving Or Surviving: The Current State Of Marcia. P. Hoffman School Of The Arts, Emily Fredrickson

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

This report discusses an internship with the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida. Included in the report is an overview of the organization, a description of internship related tasks, an analysis of its current state, research on contemporary nonprofit practices, and recommendations for the organization. The internship took place between December of 2013 and March of 2014.

An Arts Administration Internship: Kid Smart, Katherine Drinkwater

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

The purpose of this internship report is to review and provide recommendations to KID smART based primarily from my work with the organization from March through July of 2009. During this time, I worked directly with the Executive Director and the Program Director. The following report provides a detailed analysis of the organization, including organizational structure, funding, programs, and marketing as they stood at the time of my internship: summer of 2009. Due to the amount of time that has passed since the time of my internship, I will also include updates as to where the organization stands as of …

A Process Framework For Managing Quality Of Service In Private Cloud, Arvind Maskara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As information systems leaders tap into the global market of cloud computing-based services, they struggle to maintain consistent application performance due to lack of a process framework for managing quality of service (QoS) in the cloud. Guided by the disruptive innovation theory, the purpose of this case study was to identify a process framework for meeting the QoS requirements of private cloud service users. Private cloud implementation was explored by selecting an organization in California through purposeful sampling. Information was gathered by interviewing 23 information technology (IT) professionals, a mix of frontline engineers, managers, and leaders involved in the implementation …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of A University Response To Crisis, Katherine M. Kelley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to current theory-driven research in crisis communication by examining the perceptions of multiple stakeholder groups to a university crisis response strategy. Two main questions were examined in this dissertation. The first question attempted to determine if a significant difference existed between stakeholder groups and their perception of university reputation, responsibility for the crisis, and potential supportive behaviors toward the university following the university’s response to a crisis. The second asked if Coombs’s Situational Crisis Communication Theory is a practical application for universities.

The participants were from 4 stakeholder groups associated with a …

How Microlending Affects Innovation And Entrepreneurship: Evidence From Ethiopia, Robert Hirth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advocates of microlending suggest it is a sustainable intervention that reaches the poor directly and offers them the means to invest and improve their incomes (Khavul, 2010; Morduch, 1999; Yunus, 2007); yet, impact studies of these interventions have suggested they often have little or even a detrimental impact on borrowers (Van Rooyen, Stewart & De Wet, 2012). This dissertation examines the efforts to promote entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty in developing countries through microlending. I begin by reviewing the microlending literature, and in particular, impact studies of the effect microlending is having in developing countries. Next, I review theory and empirical …

Mispricing, Speculation And Real Activities Manipulation, Cristhian R. Mellado-Cid

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Real activities manipulation involves changes made by firm’s managers to the normal business operations of the firm and consequently should affect the firm cash flows. Real activities manipulation can reduce firm value because actions taken in the current period to increase earnings can have a negative effect on cash flows in future periods. As such, real activities manipulation should deserve more attention from researchers. First, I attempt to explore the causality relationship between real activities manipulation and firm equity mispricing. Results show that firms with high real activities manipulation have lower level of equity mispricing while firms with high levels …

The Relationship Between Institutional Ownership And Firm Performance, Javeria Farooqi

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In the past three decades, the presence of institutional investors has increased 33% in the equity market. The main goal of this dissertation is to study the relationship between institutional ownership and firm performance. I examine how the level institutional investors' involvement in composing their own portfolio, as oppose to replicating their portfolio, impacts their level of monitoring and disciplining their portfolio firms. Specifically, I investigate the relationship between institutional ownership and firms' operating efficiency, earnings management and cost of debt.

In Chapter II, I explore the relationship between institutional ownership and firms' operating efficiency. I use the data envelopment …

Can I Smile With Spirit? Towards A Process Model Associating Workplace Spirituality And Emotional Labor, Ashwini Gangadharan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Workplace spirituality (WS) is a framework of organizational values embedded in the culture of the organization that promotes employees to experience a sense of meaningfulness at work, sense of connection with coworkers, congruence of organizational values with theirs' and experience transcendence through their work. This dissertation presents workplace spirituality as an organizational intervention to manage the problem of emotional labor and its dysfunctional consequences among the service employees.

The main thesis of the dissertation is that workplace spirituality will enable service employees to appraise emotional labor as a positive stressor (challenge stressor) rather than a negative stressor (hindrance stressor). The …

Underpricing And Buy And Hold Abnormal Returns In Venture Capitals' Portfolio Firm Ipos, Abdelhamid Riani

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

I seek to explore in detail the relationship between Venture Capitals (VC) characteristics and the underpricing and long-run performance of their portfolio firms overtime using a sample of 2,052 IPO firm-year observations, corresponding to 669 unique U.S.VCs from 1985-2013. Gompers (1996) and Lee and Wahal (2004) focus on individual portfolio firms and relate the performance of these firms in IPOs to the VCs that back these firms, I focus on the VCs themselves as individual entities and examine how their whole portfolio of IPOs fares. I find that the more experienced the VC is, the larger the underpricing and the …

An Examination Of G10 Carry Trade During Non-Crisis And Crisis Period (2007-2009), Charles Kwame Armah Danso

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Carry trading is a form of currency trading in which an investor buys assets in a higher interest yielding currency by borrowing in a low interest yielding currency without hedging for exchange risk. I seek to compare and contrast the performance of carry trade strategy before and after the financial crisis (2007-2009). I also compare and contrast how the carry trade strategy and covered interest rate arbitrage fare in different periods. Carry traders do not hedge their position using forward rates whereas covered interest rate arbitrageurs do hedge their position using forward rates. A comparison of the two trading strategies …

The Influence Of Collaboration In The New Product Development Process, Laurel Aynne Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Consumers expect greater involvement in the product and service offerings of firms. In response, the integration of collaboration in the new product development (NPD) process has become of interest to researchers across disciplines. Collaboration can be viewed as a "looking glass" technique, which fosters an enhanced sense of shared identity by promoting a "we" versus an "us-them" orientation. Drawing from social identity and exchange theories, the central purpose of this dissertation is understanding ways that collaboration influences perceptions during the NPD process to help shape consumers' identity with the firm.

Essay 1 employs a mixed-method approach across three studies to …

Buyer Beware : Consumer Response To Manipulations Of Online Product Reviews, Mengzhou Zhuang

Lingnan Theses

Online product reviews have become an important and influential source of information for consumers. Firms often manipulate online product reviews to influence consumer perceptions about the product, making it a research topic of urgent need for theory development and empirical investigation. In this thesis, we examine how consumers perceive and respond to the three commonly used manipulation tactics. Firstly, an exploratory pre-study via in-depth interviews with online shoppers indicates that consumers commonly have the knowledge for online review manipulations as well as for detecting them. In the first study, a survey was used to investigate the three popular manipulation tactics …

An Assessment Of Dual Audit Effect And Contagious Effect On The Audit Quality Of Non-Big N Cpa Firms For Chinese Companies In Different Markets, Meixin Wang

Lingnan Theses

External auditor is an independent agent to provide assurance about the validity of financial statements prepared by management to enhance the reliability of information in financial reports. As such, audit quality has long been a concern for all stakeholders and is a topic of on-going research interest. In China, the dual audit requirement for AB share companies and AH share companies started in 2001 was abolished in 2007 and 2010 respectively. This study attempts to examine whether there are dual audit effect and contagious effect on the audit quality of non-Big N audit firms for A share companies in different …

An Examination Of South Carolina’S Institutions Of Reform And Their Impact On The Self-Narratives Of African American Men, Ashley E. Krejci-Shaw

Capstone Collection

In the State of South Carolina (SC), African American male adolescents disproportionately face disciplinary action in public schools and other institutions. In 2013, South Carolina’s Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ) released data that listed Black male children comprising 57% of all juvenile referrals in the state. This disproportionate trend is also present in South Carolina’s correctional system. In 2013, South Carolina’s Department of Corrections (SCDOC) reported that out of 20,777 male prisoners, 13,631 were Black. For adolescents or young adults looking to continue their education, alternative programs are available. One program that captures educationally displaced children in South Carolina is …

Comparing And Contrasting The Us And German Banking System With Emphasis On The Financial Crisis In 2008, Sarah K. Gleissle

Honors College Theses

This thesis will compare and contrast the Financial Systems of the United States and Germany, the structure, institutions and regulations. Furthermore, we investigated the impacts that the Financial Crisis in 2008 had on Financial Systems, the outcomes and effects. First, we looked at both Systems and the structures more closely, and compared them to each other. Next we looked at the regulations and regulatory agencies in both countries and the work they do. We realized that the different competitive natures the banking systems are under influence their businesses and business decisions.

Supply Chain Relationships In Procurement: Is Collaboration Reality?, Wesley S. Boyce

Dissertations

Supply Chain Management (SCM) often requires independent organizations to work together to achieve shared objectives. This collaboration is necessary when coordinated actions benefit the group more than the uncoordinated efforts of individual firms. Collaboration is a key dimension of SCM, and it has numerous key dimensions of its own. These include information sharing, resource sharing, decision synchronization, incentive alignment, goal congruence, joint knowledge creation, and collaborative communication. Trust and commitment are also key factors that intertwine with these dimensions. Successful implementation of these types of collaborative relationships can lead to a collaborative advantage, where firms working together achieve greater success …

Do Firms’ Earnings Reported Under Ifrs 3r Reveal More About Future Earnings And Cash Flows? Evidence From The European Union, Lin Yuan Wang

Lingnan Theses

Motivated by recent studies documenting inconsistent results regarding the benefits of adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the objective of this thesis is to examine the information value of firms’ earning reported focusing on IFRS 3 (Business Combination). IFRS 3 aims at providing systematic guidelines for acquirers of a business combination transaction to properly report identifiable assets and liabilities, to fairly measure goodwill and to disclose relevant information for investors’ evaluation. IFRS 3 was revised and became effective in July 2009. Opponents of the revised IFRS 3 (IFRS 3R) criticized the guidelines to have broadened the disconnection between current earnings …

Leading Happiness: Leadership And Happiness At Work In Certified B Corporations, A Qualitative Study Of Leaders And Employees To Understand The Influence Of Shared Leadership On Worker Happiness Within Certified Benefit Corporations, Travis Hellstrom

Capstone Collection

The Certified B Corps movement is setting a new standard for businesses, committing to a multiple stakeholder orientation focused on community, environment and the workplace in addition to financial profit. More than 1,000 companies, including well-known companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Flour, and Etsy, have joined the ranks of Certified B Corps in over 30 countries.

The B Corps certification is understood to promote a set of organizational practices, which envision improved employee performance and well-being. An important element of that well-being is employee happiness. Previous research has shown that improved business leadership practices can have significant …

Creative Economies: Using Arts To Revitalize Post-Industrial Cities And Towns In Massachusetts, Anna Price

Honors College Theses

During my senior year in the Honors College at UMass Boston, I became involved in the yearlong Creative and Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship program. During this program, I interned alongside other UMass Boston students at a local creative non-profit organization, providing the staff with assistance as they worked towards achieving their goals. This internship was funded by the Creative Economy Fund (CE Fund) from the University of Massachusetts President’s Office. My involvement in this program sparked an interest in pursuing an Honors thesis investigating the CE Fund and how the awarded projects are benefitted by that fund.

After looking through all …

Examining Academic Performance Of Polynesian Student-Athletes Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Sierra Terina Keung

Theses and Dissertations

This study used Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore Polynesian student-athletes' motivation to improve academic performance (AP), while participating in Division I (D1) college football. Specifically, this study examined how attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control influence motivation to achieve a higher GPA. Furthermore, ethnic identity, family obligation and cultural values were examined as potential contributors to subjective norms. The sample consisted of 70 Polynesian football student-athletes at 10 U.S. D1 universities. A modified TPB questionnaire was used to assess the TPB variables (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) as contributors to Polynesian football student-athletes …

Bumps Along The Long And Winding Road: Factors Related To Truck Driver Turnover And Job-Induced Tension, Layla Rhiannon Mansfield

Dissertations and Theses

Voluntary turnover rates among truckload carriers are extremely high, ranging from 50% to more than 100% annually (Griffin & Kalnbach, 2002), furthermore, long-haul truck drivers operate in a stressor-filled environment, which exerts enormous adverse influence not only their well-being but also on their intent to quit. This study explores the relational aspects of the driver's work environment to highlight how the relationships that a driver has with their organization, supervisor, and dispatcher can explain turnover and job-induced tension. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, Conservation of Resources Theory, and concepts from Hirschman's (1970) theoretical framework of Exit, Voice, and Loyalty, this …

Do I Date My Dance Partner: An Examination Of Marital Satisfaction Among Serious Leisure Participants In Partner Dancing, Sara Alexandra Hyde

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare marital satisfaction among serious leisure participants in partner dancing and their spouses based on their participation patterns in dance (both dancers or only one dancer), with covariates of spousal support, satisfaction with leisure, and leisure-family conflict. This study not only found a significant relationship between marital satisfaction and participation patterns for dancers (participating together β =.2125), but the averages for joint and individual participation patterns fell on either side of the non-distressed versus distressed cut-off score for marital satisfaction, suggesting that participation in a serious leisure activity, like partner dancing, without your …

Two Essays On Corporate Finance, Qiancheng Zheng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In the first essay titled "The Value of Strategic Alliances in Acquisitions and IPOs," I investigate how firms' strategic alliance experience affects their valuations as acquisition targets or in IPOs. I propose that strategic alliance experience serves as a valuable signaling device for target and IPO firms, particularly those with more intangible assets and greater opacity. The results show that takeover targets with alliance experience receive higher premiums than those without such experience. More recent alliance experience as well as alliance experience in the same industry also contributes to a larger target gain. Similarly, IPO firms that have alliance …

Takt Time Grouping: A Method To Implement Kanban-Flow Manufacturing In An Unbalanced Process With Moving Constraints, Mitchell Alan Millstein

Dissertations

One-piece flow and kanban/pull methods have been used to reduce WIP and speed flowtime in manufacturing flow processes; however, these methods have limitations. For example, one-piece flow does not work well when there are relatively large set-up times required between different components. One-piece flow also requires operations to be well-balanced. Unfortunately, these conditions often do not exist. The Theory of Constraints drum-buffer-rope (DBR) method is designed for unbalanced processes, and it has been shown to be effective for products with large operation time variation. However, DBR does not generally optimize flowtime and cannot handle a process with moving constraints (bottlenecks). …

A Study To Determine Student Perceptions Of The Cal Poly Veterinary Clinic, Fallon Bliss Sheridan

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the important benefits of Cal Poly Veterinary Clinic (CPVC) and establish areas of interest for the students at the CPVC. The CPVC is a student run veterinary clinic that exposes students to teachable hands-on veterinary experiences by addressing the needs of animals on campus as well as animals in the San Luis Obispo.

This study thoroughly investigated the student who have taken or are currently taking any of the five courses taught at the CPVC. The research was accomplished through a survey questionnaire. The student questionnaire was conducted by the researcher at …

Fan Involvement With Regional Or City Affiliated Nfl Teams, Kristopher C. Jones

Sport Management Undergraduate

This research looked at the difference between how involved NFL fans are with their favorite/identified team, based on such team being either regionally or city affiliated. Prior to this study, it was known that sport fandom is positively correlated to a fan’s psychological well being, in addition to knowledge that fans who develop loyal relationships towards their team become increasingly involved with the team, resulting in positive identification with the team. The research conducted in the study was an attempt to uncover new knowledge on how the location affiliation of an NFL team relates to the team’s fans. For this …

Transnational Companies And Radical Transformation Processes: A Study Of Performance In Comparison To Other Multinational Companies, Jorge Alejandro Palacios

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to answer the following question: Do organizations that were defined as having successfully adopted the transnational model, as per Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989), and labeled as transnational companies (TNC), perform significantly better than other multinational companies (MNC) when going through radical transformation processes?

This research question was answered through a mixed method research design. The first part used a quantitative research approach and evaluated the financial performance of TNCs selected from the Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) research, using secondary data sources from 6 TNCs and 20 MNCs. The second part used a qualitative approach …

Evolution Of Food Quality Demand In The Food Service Industry In China: The Case Of Duck, Rachel Alison Carnegie

Open Access Theses

Booming economic growth and rising consumer incomes have impacted food preferences and purchasing behavior in China. At the same time, several internationally publicized food safety incidents, particularly in the animal husbandry sector, have heightened awareness of and concern for food safety and quality in meat and dairy. Rising quality demand and safety concerns have been studied at length in the food retail sector, but also appear to be important in the food service industry. This research uses data from a survey of duck restaurant managers and consumers in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou to determine preferences and willingness to pay …

Football Head Coaching Evaluations: Perceptions On The Ncaa Division Iii Level, Bryan Schnell

Sport Management Undergraduate

The purpose of this study was to look at the evaluation criteria used during the evaluation of a Division III head football coach. The reasoning behind the subject is because of the lack of knowledge on the criteria used. While some researches have given a short list of reasons why coaches get fired, however none of them have focused on Division III which’s landscape is very different of that in Division I. A survey was sent out to 150 head coaches and athletic directors throughout the country. After looking at the results it showed the perceptions did differ between both …

An Examination Of The Factors Determining Successful Implementation Of An Electronic Medical Record (Emr) System In A Regional Hospital, Mehrdad Motamed

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the College of Business and Public Affairs Morehead State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Mehrdad Motamed in July of 2014.