Business Commons^™

Multi-Criteria Decision Modeling For Best Value Selections In Target Value Design Integrated Project Delivery, Brent Patrick Griffis

Master's Theses

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) combined with Target Value Design (TVD) is a better way to deliver value for the client than traditional guaranteed maximum price (GMP) methods. With traditional GMP delivery methods, the interests of the parties are often at odds. The goal of IPD is to align all party interests in order to achieve a win-win scenario. Due to the aligning nature of IPD and the fact that each party’s success is dependent on achieving the project objectives as a whole; a non-biased, transparent, decision-making process is necessary in order to deliver the project objectives within the constraints of …

City Of Los Angeles Arts District Form-Based Code, Ryan Jupiter Banuelos

Master's Theses

Los Angeles is experiencing a loss of inventory with Industrial land due to adaptive reuse and property conversion. The primary factors behind the conversions are

inconsistent land use regulations and a strong market

demand for residential property. In an effort to streamline land use regulation,

the city will create a new zoning code. In conjunction with the zoning update,

the purpose of this project will be to develop a form-based code for the Los

Angeles Arts District. The new land use regulation will explore methods to

preserve job producing industrial space and accommodate the growing

residential market in the area. …

Future Of Payment Platforms, Salim Benjamin Youssefzadeh

Master's Theses

With the vast increase in smartphones, there have been an increasing number of opportunities growing in the app industry. One in particular is the way we deal with money. There are huge overheads in the current payment systems around the world particularly in the United States, many of which include large transaction fees. Many new businesses have grown to solve these inefficiencies and create a new platform that provides a new user experience, security, and convenience among many other things. However, many of these platforms are still centralized, making them more susceptible to attacks. This thesis goes over the various …

Engaging Youth: Linking Design And Implementation Choices Of Out-Of-School Time Programs In Boston To The Development Of Political Engagement Attitudes In Youth Age 14 To 18, Felicia M. Sullivan

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Tens of thousands of youth in communities across the United States are engaged every day in out-of-school time (OST) programs. These young people seek opportunities to recreate and socially engage, enhance academic and leadership skills, express themselves creatively, explore important issues in their communities, and work toward affecting change. These programs provide important institutional learning environments in which young people begin to assimilate their roles as political actors and citizens. As the delivery of social services and public programs has increasingly devolved from the government to the nonprofit sector, these programs also shape how young people come to understand their …

Two Essays On Investment, Bin Wang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the first essay titled "Shareholder Coordination, Information Diffusion and Stock Returns", we show that the quality of information sharing networks linking firms' institutional investors has stock return predictability implications. First, we demonstrate that firms with high shareholder coordination experience less local comovement and less post earnings announcement drift, consistent with the notion that coordination improves firms' information environment. We then document that the stock return performance of firms with high shareholder coordination leads that of firms with low shareholder coordination, supporting the view that coordination acts as an information diffusion channel. Finally, we provide evidence consistent with the notion …

The Impacts Of Heritage Tourism On Gadara, Northern Jordan, Ammar Abdelkarim Alobiedat

Student Theses and Dissertations

As the tourism industry continues to grow and the desire to visit heritage sites becomes a popular pursuit, heritage has turn into a commodity in the marketplace. This dissertation analyzes the economic, sociocultural and environmental implications of tourism in Gadara, northwest Jordan. It also elaborates on the changing force of tourism and its ability to transform host societies through altering their tangible and intangible heritage. On the one hand, this dissertation provides an understanding of how Gadarenes view visitors, heritage, and tourism and its impacts. On the other hand, it highlights what factors might explain the residents' perceptions and how …

Exploring Different Operationalizations Of Employee Engagement And Their Relationships With Workplace Stress And Burnout Among It Professionals In Community Hospitals, Paula E. Anthony-Mcmann

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

This study suggested that the relationships between workplace stress, burnout and employee engagement depend on how the construct of employee engagement is actually measured. The study's hypotheses predicted negative relationships between employee engagement and workplace stress and further predicted that burnout would play a mediating role in those negative relationships. However, it was predicted that even similarly conceptualized measures of employee engagement would expose different relationships with these variables suggesting that the selection of employee engagement measurement instruments is vital both to understanding different aspects of the construct and to its operationalization in practice. Responding to a resurgence in scholarly …

Supply Chain Risk Management In India: An Empirical Study Of Sourcing And Operations Disruptions, Their Frequency, Severity, Mitigation Methods, And Expectations, Andreas Udbye

Dissertations and Theses

With an annual growth of almost 20% since the year 2000, Indian merchandise exports exceeded 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2012. The country is becoming a major supplier to the world. However, companies sourcing products and operating in India are experiencing a variety of supply chain disruptions that impede their operations and finances. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the frequency, impact and severity of supply chain risks experienced by companies in India, as well as assess the usefulness of mitigation methods and enquire about future expected disruptions. It is hoped that the results will prepare managers to …

Market Frictions And The Efficiency Of Capital Allocation, William J. Hippler Iii

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation contains two unique empirical studies that contribute to the overall literature in the field of Financial Economics in the areas of mutual fund investing and financial intermediation and regulation. The first Chapter, entitled “The Impact of Macroeconomic Stress on the U.S. Financial Sector”, examines the relative impact of macroeconomic stress on financial and non-financial U.S. firms. Empirical results show that macroeconomic shocks appear to have a larger impact on financial firms. Additionally, the sensitivity of financial firms to macroeconomic events can be traced to the influence of non-depository institutions, or “shadow banks”, like finance and investment companies, …

Two Essays In Finance: Analyzing The Value Of Cash To U.S. And Non-U.S. Firms And Institutional Trading In Stock Index Futures, Li Xu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the first chapter, we analyze the role of market development, risk premium, and transparency as factors influencing the value of cash in firms listed as American Depository Receipts. Based on the method by Pinkowitz and Williamson (2002), our primary results are as follows. The market value of cash is greater on average for ADR firms than for U.S. firms, and within the ADR sample the value of cash is greater for firms based in less developed countries after 2007 financial crisis but not before. Together, the results suggest that the market development is especially important during more volatile periods. …

Risky Business: Recommendations For The Insurance Industry To Contribute To Greater Disaster Risk Reduction And Climate Change Adaptation, Jessie G. Rountree

Master's Projects and Capstones

The private insurance industry is susceptible to increasing risk from climate change and can serve as a catalyst to change behavior to minimize loss. The research examined the current impact and future potential of the insurance industry to reduce both physical and financial risk. The insurance industry currently raises awareness, assigns an economic value to risk, advocates for climate change action, and takes measures to reduce physical risk through mitigation. As well, the industry has proven to be a critical influencer to encourage risk-adverse behavior and regulation. Recommendations to the industry to have a greater impact include: 1) pursue more …

How Does The Amount Of Spending On Coaches' Salaries And Recruiting Budgets Affect Win Percentage In College Football?, Ashleigh "Alex" Watson

Honors Theses

College football has become much more than a sport for the athletes who play it and entertainment for the fans who watch it. In college football, especially for Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools, winning has become a way to make money. However, in order to make money, people must spend money. In a college football program money is spent on a multitude of things. This study focuses on two important factors, coaches' salaries and recruiting budgets. Specifically, this study looked to find out how the amount of spending on coaches' salaries and recruiting budgets affected win percentage in college football. …

The Development And Production Of The Comodo Keeper, Ashley Cook

Senior Theses

As a musician of large ensembles, I have seen the destruction the harsh sound of a metal mouthpiece cap falling onto the cold, hard floor can do to both the concentration of the members of the rehearsal as well as the mood of the conductor. Many saxophonists and clarinetists keep their mouthpiece caps on the edge of their flimsy music stands because during periods of rest, it is best to preserve the reed with the cap. However, with virtually every rehearsal I partake in, shuffling one’s music and grabbing pencils off the stand results in an accident. Witnessing this interruption …

Functional Space Management In The Hospitality Industry And Its Future Outlook, Katherine Dail

Senior Theses

In recent years, profit made from ancillary revenues has become more vital to the success of service companies. This phenomenon is very pronounced in the airline industry, but is also beginning to become more relevant to hotels as it is applied to functional space and meetings. Most of these ancillary revenues, including meetings, are typically not considered an important source of revenue for hotels, but rather as tools to draw in primary activities. This thesis seeks to delve into the importance of the meetings industry to the economy and to the hospitality industry by considering underutilized functional space and customer …

A Decrepit New York: Synthesizing New York’S Infrastructure Problems, Connor Farrell

2014 Student Theses

Coastal living has become a very popular, often fantasized, way of life. This lifestyle is easy, relaxing, and, above all, it soothes the stress. However, mankind’s innate desire to live near America’s oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water have allowed its population to become vulnerable to super storms. Super storms, such as Hurricane Sandy, have become more prevalent over recent years, and America needs to take into account the massive population whom call the East coast home. Focusing in on the New York area, I will be able to show how our thoughtless designs and locations of towns/cities have …

Pace Of Play In Golf, Dennis O. Leahy

Sport Management Undergraduate

Pace of play in golf is a major problem that is affecting participation rates negatively. A number of issues are compounding the problem, such as technological advancements, length of golf courses, players’ individual needs, and contemporary changes in the value placed on leisure time. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the topic in Upstate New York. Surveys were sent to 167 golf course PGA professionals, asking about pace of play at their courses. The survey collected basic information about the professionals’ courses and moved to items regarding what the courses are doing and not doing concerning pace of …

Facebook: A Marketing Tool For Small Business, Michaela Willer

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Redesigning The Future Walt Disney Worlds Innoventions Pavilion, Elizabeth Albers

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Higher Education Institution Choice Behaviors Of International Students On U.S. College Campuses, Anil Tan

Theses & Dissertations

The economic, social, and personal value of education has been realized as motivating factors for seeking a better education overseas by individuals. In addition, political, economic, and educational conditions of home countries impact individuals’ decisions to study abroad. There were over 4 million tertiary students studying outside their home countries in 2011. Nearly 820,000 of those students were studying in higher education institutions in the United States. Students from China, India, and South Korea comprise nearly 49% of the international students in the United States. The increase in the number of students studying overseas and their valuable contributions develop a …

The Impact Of Generational Differences On Organizational Relationships: A Communication Perspective, Mecca M. Salahuddin

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to investigate the relationship between an individual’s generation and the communication styles used with other generations, and explore the influence of intergenerational communication styles on organizational relationships. The study utilized the Global Perceptions of Intergenerational Communication (GPIC) survey to assess participants’ perceptions of others and one’s own communication styles on three factors: accommodation, nonaccommodation, and respectful avoidance. Three hundred and eighty-five participants of staff and administrators employed at five community colleges located in South Texas completed the survey. Principal component analyses and multiple analysis of variance analysis results showed the …

Understanding Season Ticket Holders’ Buying Behaviors, Stephen M. Castro Jr.

Sport Management Undergraduate

Increasing the average dollar spent from fans is important for an organizations’ bottom line. Existing literature focuses on general attendance versus the unique population of season ticket holders. Having already invested fans consume more, due to higher attendance, can increase the bottom line. By having the Rochester Red Wing’s season ticket holders fill out a survey it will uncover their buying behaviors and what affects their attendance. The results show aroma is how fans decide what concessions to buy and new merchandise is how fans decide what merchandise to buy.

The Role Of A Player Development System In Major League Baseball, Kyle Conklin

Sport Management Undergraduate

This paper looks at the role of a player development system and the possible paths to success in Major League Baseball (MLB). The study looked at rookie players in the MLB to see if the path of their journey to the major leagues has an influence on their success as a rookie. Two paths were studied, those who played collegiately and those who went through the minor leagues straight from high school. This study used quantitative data to analyze the differences in player’s performance as rookies through statistics such as batting average and on-base percentage for hitters and winning percentage …

The Financial Gap Between Athletic Scholarships And Athlete Expenses, Marykate Edmunds

Sport Management Undergraduate

This research examined the financial gap between athletic scholarships and athlete expenditures. The literature shows that several parties feel athletes are being undercompensated for their efforts at their institutions. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine how much money athletes are actually missing out on. The population was DI football players receiving a full ride scholarship at SEC and ACC institutions. Data was collected from the College Board and the US Census Bureau to determine institution financial statistics and athlete expenditures respectively. Results showed a significant financial gap exists for all schools and that there is no significant difference of …

When Business Is The Mission: A Study Of Faith-Based Social Business In Sub-Saharan Africa, Brian W. Albright

Business as Mission Theses and Dissertations

There is an extraordinary group of people, motivated by their Christian faith, starting businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa because they believe that business plays a key role in alleviating poverty. These faith-based social business (FSB) leaders face situations similar to those faced by leaders in other academic and practitioner fields including business as mission, social entrepreneurship, international business, and international development, given their pursuit of multiple-bottom lines, cross-cultural engagement in undeveloped nations, and a focus on integration of faith. The complexities of their contexts create opportunities and challenges in which their strategies and operations require further investigation and analysis.

This case …

Online Communities Of Practice In The Contact Center Environment: Factors That Influence Participation, Jimmie Ray Black Jr.

Dissertations

Knowledge is a critical element of competitive advantage. More specifically, tribal knowledge developed by workers from on-the-job experiences is of significant value and is also one of the most difficult forms of knowledge to capture and leverage across the workforce. In an effort to capture, store, and share tribal knowledge, organizations have begun to adopt a concept of social learning known as communities of practice. However, low participation by community members in many organizations has resulted in mediocre results. This has been particularly evident in the contact center environment, which has its own unique culture and challenges. Without a solid …

Strategic Human Resources In Casino Operations: Revealing The Perceptions Of Casino Operators And Human Resource Leaders, Gary Burrus Jr.

Dissertations

The casino industry in America continues to grow. As the industry expands, the competition for revenue generation and market share increases. This requires the ability to differentiate from the competition and create competitive advantage, within a highly commoditized industry. In service of this need, capable gaming executives are necessary to design and execute the strategy required. Human resource (HR) leaders are not immune from this requirement. Human resource leaders are in an excellent position to create an HR strategy aligned with organizational strategy to capitalize on an employers’ workforce in support of differentiation and sustained competitive advantage.

Six research objectives …

Building Change Readiness Practices For Information Technology Support Staff, Dianna Joseph Perkins

Dissertations

With the turbulent economic conditions of the healthcare market, organizational leaders are faced with significant factors driving unprecedented change. Healthcare organizations are challenged with reimbursement reductions, high costs, modification of government regulations, and demanding healthcare consumers. Survival for healthcare organizations in this volatile climate requires successful implementation of rapid change. Healthcare leaders recognize a correlation between competitive advantage and the implementation of advanced information technology. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of healthcare leaders, many change initiatives fail. This study explores the effects communication, leadership, and culture strategies have on individual change readiness as perceived by IT support staff in a not-for-profit …

Workforce Incentives That Increase The Efficiency Of Organizations' Workforce, Daniel G. Schoon

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

The Future Of Supply Chain Management In The Downstream Segment Of The Oil And Gas Industry: Emphasis On Company Phillips 66, Kiley Huslig

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to provide insight for supply chain management scholars in the downstream segment of the oil and gas industry. To broaden their view of how a supply chain management degree can be used in an industry other than retail/CPG, which is heavily focused on in the classroom. The research will be exploring the downstream segment of the oil and gas industry. A direct focus will be placed on the company Phillips 66. Their company profile will be presented, comparing it to their competitors and peers. The challenges that the downstream oil and gas companies are …

Man Games Lost In The Nhl: A Correlation Between Travel, Rest Periods And Injuries In The National Hockey League, Aaron T. Kneeland

Sport Management Undergraduate

Each year in the National Hockey League, teams travel thousands of miles, coast to coast, to play hockey. Each year there are also hundreds of injuries, and thousands of man games lost in the league. While there has been substantial research on how travel can affect Circadian Rhythms, no research has connected this with injury in the NHL. This study used Circadian Rhythm Theory, the amount of travel miles, and back-to-back games played by teams to understand a possible correlation between travel, rest periods, and the amount of man games. After analysis, it was clear there was no consistent correlation …