Business Commons^™

What Every Business Student Needs To Know About It, Kerri Kizer

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis focuses primarily on assessing whether or not the objectives of the Pre-business core and the Walton College of Business program regarding exposure to all eight majors and technology utilization are being met. Emphasis is being placed on knowledge of technology related tasks. It begins by stating the importance of information systems to businesses. The next portion focuses on analyzing if the WCOB objectives are being met. Finally, students inputs on Information Systems are examined. There were three main hypotheses at the outset of the research. The first hypothesis was that the Walton College of Business pre-business core objective …

Wheat-Gold Currency How To Make Large-Scale Grain Storage Possible, David L. Garrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The United States has a National Oil Reserve but no food reserve. Just as the oil reserve is designed to buffer unforeseen disruptions in the critical supply, the nation should also have a food reserve for at least the same purpose.

Water Desalination: Arizona, California, Nevada And Mexico, Clinton P. Kennedy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This was a study on the history of the Colorado River, the water challenges of the Lower Basin states and the international water laws that govern the United States and Mexico concerning the Colorado river. The main purpose of this study was to determine possible long-term solutions to the growing water needs of the Lower Basin states and how Mexico could help.

After discussing some concerns that the Lower Basin states had, research was done on the different types of desalination. This research included the different methods and their processes. MSF, MED, RO and MVC methods are discussed mentioning their …

Knowledge, Norms And Preferences For Tamarisk Management In The Green And Colorado River Corridors Of The Colorado Plateau, E. Clay Allred

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research was created collaboratively between the National Park Service and Utah State University as an explorative study addressing social implications of tamarisk management. It has created a stronger partnership between the university and the National Park Service in Moab, Utah. Through this research, Utah State University was able to find valuable social science data to aid public land managers in the planning and management of tamarisk control on the Colorado Plateau. Utah State funded a research assistant for one year to perform this research, totaling approximately $16,000.

This study focused on finding river user knowledge, preferences, and norms for …

The Sho Goes On: A Theoretical And Empirical Evaluation Of Uptick-Related Short-Sale Constraints, Alexander James Bylund

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper explores the effects of uptick-related short-sale constraints first on the Glosten-Milgrom Model of Sequential Trade and then empirically on the stocks in the Russell 3000 index used by the SEC in the pilot program created by Reuglation SHO. Finally, the effect of uptick constraints on the relationship between the short and put call ratios is studied through the use of impulse response functions. Both the general and alternative uptick rules are found to decrease informational efficiency in hypothetical financial markets, have no statistically significant positive effects on key financial market metrics, and the change in sign from negative …

Value At Risk In Dominican Banking: Evaluating The Regulatory Method, Jonathan Medina

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Financial institutions in the Dominican Republic, since 2004, have used the regulatory Value at Risk to measure market risk. This method is subject to criticism. The purpose of this study is to compare the regulatory VaR method against the Historic Simulation, Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity, and Monte Carlo approaches. The latter is more conservative and its assumptions are more realistic.

Social Business: Maximizing Economic Value To Create Social Value, Melody Alene Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Throughout the world, there are problems threatening the lives and livelihood of humanity. Where there are problems, there are people who want to fix them. But charity has shown to be unsustainable and ineffective in creating positive change in the long run. Some companies have chosen to go beyond corporate philanthropy or "corporate social responsibility" by incorporating a social mission into the core of their businesses. The ideals and mission permeate through company goals and strategies. This new model of doing business seeks to sustainably create social value. But this undertaking would not be possible without creating economic value through …

How Are Interest Rates Affecting Household Consumption And Savings?, Lacy Christensen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper explores the optimal interest rates that could potentially maximize overall consumption and savings. I attempt to determine whether artificially low interest rates are positively or negatively affecting consumption. There has been speculation on whether the United States needs to raise the effective federal funds rate to provide financial institutions the incentive to lend money and increase household consumption. The Federal Reserve is currently keeping the effective funds rate between 0 and .25 in hopes of increasing consumption levels. This paper uses fifty years of interest rate data to narrow in on an optimal interest rate that leads to …

Potential Benefits Of Extended Season Sales Through Direct Markets, Irvin Yeager

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examines fresh produce production sold through local farmers’ markets in the U.S. Rocky Mountain region to determine likelihood and benefits for extending production and marketing of fresh produce. Surveys were conducted with producers and farmers’ market managers to determine the likelihood of season extension, marketing realities, and potential products. Prices for eight commonly found produce items were collected at farmers’ markets in Utah and Colorado to model expected off-season pricing.

Surveys responses show producers have a short marketing season, limited acreage, and receive low revenues, but are experienced and have adopted some season extension techniques. High tunnels, one …

Personal Savings In The United States, Samanatha A. Marsh

Honors Theses

Over the past decade personal savings in America has been much lower than in the past. The question is why household savings is so much lower and what factors are contributing to the decline. To answer this question, I look at data collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS has conducted a survey of consumer expenditures, or buying habits, since 1984. By using the BLS 2010 Consumer Expenditure Data, I can look at how different factors, such as income, age, family size and number of kids under the age of eighteen all effect household savings. Using the …

The Impact Of Whistleblowing Legislation On Developed And Emerging Markets, Catherine C. Koh

Honors Theses

This paper intends to study the impact of whistleblowing legislations and on developed and emerging markets. The main reason the study is carried out is because there is lack of research and literature conducted on this topic areas. The testing of the relationship between how whistleblowing affects the equity markets in developed and emerging countries is conducted through a multi-regression analysis across four parameters (i) the weekly historical adjusted returns of the countries' indices around the time the legislation was proposed or passed, (ii) the occurrence of the event which is the week when the legislation was promulgated or enacted, …

Organizational Responsiveness To Anti-Offshoring Institutional Pressures, Shaji Ahmed Khan

Dissertations

This study explores the extent to which organizations are responsive to pressures from institutional constituents against offshoring of information technology and business processes. Drawing on a theoretical framework that integrates institutional and strategic explanations, it proposes that organizational responsiveness to anti-offshoring institutional pressures is a function of both the characteristics of such pressures as well as organizations’ prior success with offshoring. Results based on moderated hierarchical multiple regression analyses on survey data from 84 offshoring client organizations indicate the following. First, both greater organizational expectations of enhanced social legitimacy obtained from compliance and mimetic influences from other organizations led to …

The Look Of The Line: An Empirical Investigation Of The Impacts Of Facial Symmetry On Salary Levels Of Offensive Linemen In The Nfl, Kristen Wampole

Business and Economics Honors Papers

Evaluation of a professional athlete's performance for the purposes of compensation determination is difficult, especially when decision making may not follow the expected "instrumental rationality." This paper will look to examine the factors, both productive and non-productive, impacting an Offensive Lineman's salary in the NFL. The purpose of this study is to determine whether an offensive lineman's salary is based on productive characteristics adhering to instrumental rationality, or whether the influence of non-productive characteristics influence salary as ultimately determined by team management. Results indicate that players within the tackle position with earning salaries in the seventy-fifth percentile gain additional benefits …

Does Race Influence Executive Compensation In Chinese Firms?, Elizabeth Mahoney

Business and Economics Honors Papers

In this study, we considered the effects of Chinese cultural and political influences on executive compensation in Chinese firms. The chief focus of this study is on whether the race of executives or the racial composition of the compensation committee affects the average compensation of executives, though other factors such as sales, industry, and compensation committee size were also included in the model. Data was collected from Chinese firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with data for the companies gathered for the year 2009 and executive salaries collected for the year 2010.

What Effect Do Corporate Governance Characteristics Have On Ceo Compensation In A Small Cap Firm?, Kiley Stauffer

Business and Economics Honors Papers

Extensive research has been conducted to examine the effect that corporate governance structure has on CEO compensation. Past studies have focused primarily on larger corporations and have neglected smaller public firms. By shifting focus to small cap firms, this study hopes to find patterns between CEO compensation and specific corporate governance components. These include CEO duality, the presence of a dual founder CEO, and the level of equity ownership held by the CEO. Empirical evidence has suggested that CEO duality and increased ownership equity of a dual founder CEO may significantly impact CEO compensation.

Teammates In Growth An Examination Of The Nfl’S 1982, 1987, And 2011 Work Stoppages: How Collaborative Strategies Can Aid In The Future Growth Of The Nfl, William K. Wright Iv

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Insights Of A Wmu Student Into The Particularities Of Non-Profit Organizations: Observations From Cross-Cultural Experience In Two Organizations., Alyssa L. Lord-Hill

Honors Theses

Through my voluntary service in the non-profit sector I have been given the opportunity to experience the benefits that non-profit organizations provide and their missions and strategies to go about fulfilling them. In the course of completing my 6-month internship abroad and as founder of the German Club at WMU, these experiences have sparked my interests in non-profit organizational and success factors. Personal experience is the key to understanding and being able to accurately analyze a situation. Thus I will be using the two non-profit organizations to aid in the understanding of non-profit organizations and their counterparts, for-profit businesses. My …

Detecting Fraud In Bankrupt Municipalities Using Benford's Law, Allyn H. Haynes

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores if fraud or mismanagement in municipal governments can be diagnosed or detected in advance of their bankruptcies by financial statement analysis using Benford’s Law. Benford’s Law essentially states that the distribution of first digits from real world observations would not be uniform, but instead follow a trend where numbers with lower first digits (1, 2…) occur more frequently than those with higher first digits (…8,9). If a data set does not follow Benford’s distribution, it is likely that the data has been manipulated. This widespread phenomenon has been used as a tool to detect anomalies in data …

The Impact Of Quantitative Easing Measures On Interest Rates, Financial Markets, And Economic Activity: A Case Study Of U.S.A., Aneesha A. Rai

Honors Theses

This study focuses on the impact of Quantitative Easing measures done by the Federal Reserve and its impact on the U.S.A, with a focus on interest rates, financial markets and economic activity. The Quantitative Easing measures studied are Operation Twist, Quantitative Easing I as well as Quantitative Easing II. The secondary research is conducted using event studies, and different perspectives of economists have been taken into consideration. The answer whether further quantitative easing should be pursued by the Federal Reserve is debated. A different step-by-step view is given into reasons as to why this quantitative easing has been pursued. A …

Navigating The Skills Of Successful Leaders In Business And Sailing, Aras Karaitis

Honors Theses

This research starts by examining some men who have achieved great success in both business and sailing. Looking at the skills and competencies that set these men apart from their competition. The research shows how leaders in both situations organize teams, motivate, and build trust among their individual team members. While gaining an understanding of the value of using a Kaizen approach to leadership in order to promote an atmosphere of continuous improvement and open communication. The research also examines how successful leaders in both business and sailing monitor and react to the external environment, consistently working to manage risk, …

Expatriates' Acculturation Strategies: Going Beyond "How Adjusted Are You?" To "How Do You Adjust?", Matthew Lineberry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Expatriates' degree of adjustment to living and working in a foreign country is well-accepted as an important outcome variable in expatriate management research. However, measures of degree of adjustment do not capture the breadth of strategies expatriates may use to achieve such adjustment, which may be critical for understanding whether expatriates have achieved a healthy and productive orientation to life abroad. Borrowing from research on immigrant populations, this study examines the construct of expatriate acculturation strategies, which characterize expatriates' mode of adjustment along two independent dimensions reflecting maintenance of one's home culture and engagement of the host culture, respectively. One …

The Increased Savings Of Cash By United States Firms, Robert M. Zak Jr.

Honors Theses

Today, many United States firms are holding nearly double the amount of cash they held in the 1980s. The purpose of this discussion is to interpret and analyze the increase of cash-holdings of United States firms throughout the last 30 years, and to determine exactly how and why firms are holding so much more cash than they used to hold in the past. This discussion conveys significant reasons of why firms throughout the United States are holding more cash, including: a recent drop in on-hand inventories, an increased risk of cash flows for firms, money spent on capital by firms …

Assessing The Performance Of Microfinance Institutions In Sub-Saharan Africa: The Effect Of Profitability On The Depth And Breadth Of Outreach, Mary Catherine Hoyt

Theses & Honors Papers

This study is the first to use empirical analysis to address the tradeoff between financial and social performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions are used to compare the depth and breadth of outreach of MFIs. Results indicate that for-profit MFIs in Sub-Saharan Africa have less depth of outreach, indicated by larger loan sizes, and significantly more breadth of outreach than non-profits. Results support the conclusion that for-profit MFIs grant more loans overall, but these loans do not necessarily reach the poorest clients; they simply address different target markets in doing so,

Mobile Device Security: Current Challenges And Existing Solutions, Hugo J. Martinez

Honors Theses

The mobile device industry has increased exponentially over the past couple decades. This has created a great demand for the devices along with great dependence on their capabilities. There is an assortment of mobile devices among which can be found laptops, tablets, smartphones, and personal music players. All these provide a way of making personal productivity and business capabilities greater. While businesses and the public benefit from the capabilities of these devices, not everyone notices how valuable the information that they handle is. Today’s mobile devices handle information such as contacts, banking details, GPS location, and personal and corporate e-mail …

Capacity Position And Financial Performance: Longitudinal Evidence From U.S. Manufacturers, Carol J. Cagle

Information Systems & Operations Management Dissertations - Archive

This research synthesizes research from the strategy, organization theory and operations management streams in exploring the competitive implications of firms' capacity over time. Data from archival sources are analyzed via Hierarchical Linear Modeling in exploring: 1) systematic relationships between capacity and financial performance that they obtain over time; and 2) the role of strategic and environmental covariates in these relationships.

The Strategic Association Between Enterprise Content Management And Decision Support, Jaffar Alalwan

Theses and Dissertations

To deal with the increasing information overload and with the structured and unstructured data complexity, many organizations have implemented enterprise content management (ECM) systems. Published research on ECM so far is very limited and reports on ECM implementations have been scarce until recently (Tyrväinen et al. 2006). However, the little available ECM literature shows that many organizations using ECM focus on operational benefits while strategic decision-making benefits are rarely considered. Moreover, the strategic capabilities such as decision making capabilities of ECM are not fully investigated in the current literature. In addition, the literature lacks a strategic management framework (SMF) that …

A Multilevel Analysis Of Institutional Fiscal Autonomy And Its Effect On Affordability, Operating Efficiency, And Minority Access At Public Colleges And Universities, Christine J. Glass

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, an unstable funding environment for state higher education systems has led to a trend of increasing institutional fiscal autonomy in exchange for reductions in appropriations. With the growing concern that reducing state oversight will result in increased tuition and spending levels, this study was designed to provide a clearer understanding of how fiscal autonomy at public institutions impacts measures important to the state public policy goals of affordability, operating efficiency, and access. To accommodate the diversity and hierarchical structure of public institutions, this study used multilevel modeling techniques to integrate complex, interrelated institution- and state-level data. Institution-level …

Assessing Major League Soccer's Efficiency, Chris Maxwell

Sport Management Undergraduate

Since the North American Soccer League dissolved in 1984, there was no longer a prominent professional soccer league in North America until Major League Soccer was founded in 1996. Previous research on MLS efficiency was last recorded after the 2000 season, leaving a ten-year gap. This research revisits MLS efficiency for the 2010 season through a formula based on percentages against averages of each team for all tested elements. The factors used to compute efficiency are absolute attendance, television viewership, points awarded, and total team salary. Efficiency scores are then further analyzed for anomalies. In contrast to previous research, the …

Qualitative Study Of The Relationship Between The Employee Engagement Of Certain Employees And The Emotional Intelligence Of Their Respective Leaders, Ann Kulow

Professional Projects

The purpose of this ethnographic qualitative study was to explore the relationships between an employee’s engagement and the emotional and social intelligence of the employee’s manager. The participants were certain employees of a Midwest manufacturer who were chosen by purposeful, criterion sampling. Direct reports of the chosen and consenting leaders were asked to complete a survey designed to measure the employee’s assessment of the social and emotional intelligence of their leaders. A total of 42 reports and 21 managers participated in this portion of the study. The emotional intelligence survey results were coded, reviewed and compared with the engagement survey …

Athlete Endorsements: Effects On College Students, Cory Mcallister

Sport Management Undergraduate

Celebrities have been used as endorsements for years and have often been heralded as the best way for a company to sell their product through advertisements. Professional athletes are known around the globe as the most recognizable celebrities. Numerous studies have been completed in order to find the effects that athlete endorsements have on consumer spending. These studies have discovered changes in purchasing behaviors based on youth, gender, race and geographic location. Yet, there are limited sources that explain the effects on college students and their purchasing intentions. A sample of St. John Fisher College students was used to examine …