Business Commons^™

Evaluation Of Greater Mankato Area United Way's Annual Allocations Process From The Partner Agencies' Perspective, Erin A. Trytten

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project aims to provide information to GMAUW about the annual allocations process and level of engagement with partners from the partner agencies/programs themselves. GMAUW values their relationship with their partners and realizes the importance of evaluating their own practices to ensure that the relationship remain strong and mutually beneficial. GMAUW has never had the internal capacity to complete an evaluation of this nature and will use the findings to improve their processes.

Research Question: How do GMAUW’s partners view the annual allocations process?

Business As Usual : The Nonprofit Sector In The U.S. National Elite Network, Scott Vincent Dolan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research on the structure and distribution of power in the United States has focused mostly on the relative power of business, and has largely neglected the nonprofit sector. This is despite evidence that points to the emergence and growth of large-scale, bureaucratic, and elite-led nonprofit organizations. When the political role of the nonprofit sector has been examined, it has come predominantly from two sets of literature: the civic engagement/social capital tradition or the interest group tradition. I argue that both sets of literature, however, start with faulty assumptions about the nature of power and politics, and thereby fail to situate …

Exploring The Applicability Of A Lean Six Sigma Framework For Performance Excellence To K--12 Education In New York State : A Soft Systems Approach, Thomas Daniel Buccino

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Based on current legislation, existing accountability systems, and organizational practice reflected by present data trends, the level of academic proficiency mandated for all students enrolled in New York State public schools by 2014 will not be achieved. Coincident with demands for higher performance, schools are experiencing unprecedented financial pressures. There is an urgent need for breakthrough change in performance associated with the public educational system. This requires a change in thinking, a change in culture, and a change in practice. As a proven transformational strategy, Six Sigma combined with Lean methods have demonstrated sustained success in achieving high levels of …

The Effects Of Netflix And Blockbuster Strategies On Firm Value, Andrew K. Jordan

CMC Senior Theses

Blockbuster and Netflix are two firms in the home video rental market that experienced vastly different outcomes. Netflix vastly increased its firm value while Blockbuster lost its dominant market position and slid into bankruptcy. This paper examines the strategies pursued by Blockbuster and Netflix and the impact these strategies had on firm value. This paper finds that on average Blockbuster’s strategies did not have a significant impact on its firm value while Netflix’s strategies increased its firm value. Specifically, Netflix’s strategies in the areas of service improvement and promotional activity created the most value. The strategies each firm pursued in …

Organizational Culture And Brand : A Grounded Theory Assessment Of Employees' Enablement To Live The Brand At A Best Place To Work, Tyler Laird Magee

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

No abstract provided.

Assessing Organizational Culture And Climate Dimensions In Support Of Continuous Improvement At A Private, Christian University, Kathy L. Milhauser

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

No abstract provided.

An Inductive Study On How Business As Mission Entrepreneurs Decide To Start Businesses, Michael J. Bates

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Relationship Of Ethical Leadership With Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Laurie Yates

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

No abstract provided.

Chinese Cultural Factors Affecting The Culture Shock And Sociocultural Adjustment Of American Business Expatriates Working In The People's Republic Of China : An Exploratory Study, Alain Gracianette

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

No abstract provided.

The History Of Technical Communication Instruction At Missouri University Of Science And Technology: The Evolution Of A Curriculum, Elizabeth Marie Roberson

Masters Theses

"This thesis provides a written record of the history of technical communication instruction at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). Beginning with the school's inception in 1871 as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (MSM) through to the year 2005, I have examined course catalogs and department files and conducted interviews to provide an overview of the evolution of technical communication instruction at this institution. To better understand this evolution, I have also provided a framework for the development of the English department from a single course in 1871 to the current Department of English and Technical …

Isp Thesis, Joseph Michael David

Wayne State University Theses

Abstract

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE ON TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

By: JOSEPH DAVID

December 2010

Advisor: Dr. Richard Raspa

Degree: Master of Interdisciplinary Studies

Many people in today's world often submit to broad assumptions, generalizations and faulty reasoning in determining what constitutes a competent leader. Qualities such as high energy, positive attitude and charisma are unfortunately the sole traits that elect leaders. While positive thinking does help to produce compelling visions to inspire people, high energy is necessary for leadership given the workload and charisma needed to win people over. These are components for election not successful leadership.

Such narrow sighted values for …

Essays On International Corporate Cash Holdings, Yonghong Jia

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of two distinct chapters. The first chapter is concerned with the secular trends in corporate cash holdings and the determinants of the changing cash policies for seven industrialized countries--Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the US, and UK. In the first chapter, we document that a pronounced secular upward trend in cash holdings is almost systemic across sample countries over 1991-2008, with France exhibiting a modest rise and Japan a substantial decline. However, the driving forces underlying the cash pattern are not uniform across countries. While the evolution in firm characteristics necessitated elevated cash balances, the time-varying …

When Are Super Bowl Advertisings Super? An Empirical Analysis Of The Economic Impact Of Super Bowl Advertising, Jin-Woo Kim

Marketing Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation investigates the relationship between Super Bowl advertising and advertisers' market valuation. The first essay identifies several factors that influence the financial rewards of this media-placement strategy. Specifically, I examine the impact of each ad's featured characters and appeals, and the product benefits promoted, on abnormal stock returns for sponsoring companies that appear in Super Bowl ads. Event study results show that Super Bowl advertising from 2004 to 2008 is positively related to abnormal stock returns for advertisers. Cross-sectional regression analyses indicate that market value of Super Bowl advertisers is positively related to likeable characters, emotional appeals, and approach …

Teleworking: An Examination Of The Irish Dichotomy, Deirdre Donovan

Theses

Changing demographics and labour market structures are placing increased pressure on identifying work/life balance solutions, while global competition is forcing companies to look beyond traditional solutions to search for competitive advantage. Recent rapid technology developments facilitate a strategic application of teleworking, which, in suitable organisations, would appear to alleviate both of these issues. Despite this, the limited evidence that exists in the telework literature indicates a dearth of telework in Irish companies, and recent research on the reasons for this, form a gap in the literature.

This study, therefore, empirically examines the key factors that influence the extent of telework …

The Management Of Sports Sponsorships In Ireland, Noel Collins

Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine the management of sports sponsorship in Ireland from the perspective of the sponsoring company and the sports property, and to present an accurate, up-to-date analysis of this relatively unexplored area. Four interviews were conducted with executives of major sports properties while four interviews were also conducted with executives of commercial sponsors who sponsor these sports properties.

The study reveals that Irish sports sponsorships are very well managed and are considered to be very successful by both sponsors and sports properties. The strength of the interpersonal relationships and understanding between both parties is …

Quantifying The Impacts Of The 2007 Economic Crisis On A Local Tourism Industry And Regional Economy, Yun Ying Zhong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to explore the accuracy of the Input-Output model and its derivative, the Occupation-Based model in investigating the impacts of the 2007 economic crisis on the tourism-related industries and the local economy in the Metro Orlando Area, Florida. The 2007-2008 total visitor expenditure change is taken as an initial shock from the economic crisis on the region's tourism-related industries, and the total impacts are measured in terms of industry output (sales), employment and annual occupational wage. The estimation results are compared with the actual data to verify the accuracy of the modeling results. Paired-sample T …

Customer Relationship Marketing By Destination Marketing Organizations Does It Lead To Favorable Behavioral Intentions To Meeting Planners?, Jumyong Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In convention market, one of the fastest growing sectors in hospitality industry, meeting planners play an important role to select a destination for their event. Therefore, a good relationship with them can be a competitive advantage for a convention destination considering a fierce competition among the destinations. The objective of this study is to develop an empirically valid relationship marketing (RM) model that would verify the antecedents, mediators, and consequence of the relationship between the destination marketing organization (DMO) and meeting planners. This study found three antecedents (i.e., customer orientation, familiarity, and reputation) of the RM mediating constructs that consist …

The Impact Of Continuing Education Modules On The Moral Obligations And Responsibilities Of Financial Advisors, Sandy Modell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased life expectancies and a significant reduction in the number of corporate pension plans nationwide have made the prospects of retirement a challenge for many of us. The burden of funding retirement will move from the corporation or government to the individual. Those individuals with limited financial experience will most likely need the guidance of a financial advisor. Can we trust and rely upon them? Following the 2004 late trading scandal and the 2008 financial meltdown, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") implemented Continuing Education requirements at the advisor level. The intent was to improve the quality and integrity of …

Attributes Influencing Meeting Planners' Destination Selection A Case Of Orlando, Fl, Adi Hayat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) industry generates billions of dollars in direct and indirect spending annually, and is considered one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. Destinations that want to capitalize on this industry must understand what drives its planners. The current study used Orlando, Florida as a case study, and investigated whether there are differences between the three meeting planners' types (association, corporate, 3rd party) in regards to destination selection attributes and the recent recession impact. The study further identified attributes that affect future bookings to Orlando. Data was collected from a nationwide survey …

Essays On Consumer Charity, Joseph Thomas Paniculangara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two essays comprise this doctoral dissertation on consumers and their charitable donations. The overall objective is to investigate the role of psychological distance in charitable donations, with each essay dealing with a different moderator of this relationship. In the first essay, I study the interactive effect of social distance and processing mode (affect vs. cognition). Specifically, people tend to donate more if they use their emotions rather than cognition as diagnostic inputs for decision making, especially when donor and recipient are separated by greater social distance. This may be because affect-driven and cognition-driven donors are influenced by different goals. Affect-driven …

Marketing Innovation And Firm Performance Research Model, Research Hypotheses, And Managerial Implications, Robert P. Cascio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research conceptualizes and develops a scale for the marketing innovation construct for the purpose of furthering research in marketing strategy. This marketing innovation construct and its associated strategic activities are clearly distinguished from product and process innovation, better enabling researchers and practitioners to identify new and updated paths from innovation to firm performance. Marketing innovation is defined as the degree of novelty in the implementation of three core business processes: (1) product development management, (2) supply chain management, and (3) customer relationship management, as identified in the Srivastava, Shervani & Fahey (1999) framework. Results from qualitative interviews indicate marketing …

Good Guys Don't Always Finish Last: The Moderating Role Of Brand Extension Fit On Product Evaluations Based On Corporate Ability (Ca) And Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Associations, Zachary Scott Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Termed corporate associations, consumer corporate brand perceptions influence evaluations of new products made by consumers. Corporate associations are conceptualized as falling within two categories (Brown and Dacin 1997): a corporation may develop a reputation for Corporate Ability (CA) by developing quality products or for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through its corporate commitment to societal obligations. Past research suggests that product-related CA associations lead to more favorable product evaluations than CSR, which is a contextual association that is less product-related. However, past research has been limited to line extensions, which are evaluated in a piecemeal cognitive process. Unlike line extensions, evaluations …

Hotel Manager Attitudes Toward Environmental Sustainability Practices Empirical Findings From Hotels In Phuket, Thailand, Sivika Saenyanupap

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the attitudes of hotel managers in Phuket, Thailand, in an attempt to identify whether their attitudes influence their utilization of environmental sustainability practices. Due to the increasing number of visitors to Phuket, Thailand, the consumption of natural resources has increased in the region, causing serious environmental problems. A sustainable way forward is needed for the tourism industry in the region in order to maintain quality of service while reducing environmental damage. The data analyzed in this study came from self-administered questionnaires that surveyed hotel managers in Phuket, Thailand, with a sample of 243 respondents. Research results revealed …

The Rise Of Glocal Generation Y: How Its Personality And Psychological Contract Is Affected By Global Forces And Local Context, Seyedeh Hoda Vaziri Bozorg

Management Theses - Archive

When Generation Y started to enter the workforce in the early 2000s, discussions about their characteristics and their impact on organizations began among scholars around the world. A question has been raised whether the generational shift seen around the world shares common characteristics and whether globalization and technology advancement have lead to a Global Generation Y. This thesis criticizes the idea of Global Generation Y, and defines the concept of Glocal Generation Y, which is influenced by global forces but reacts differently based on its local context. However, there are still some common characteristics that can be used by human …

Are Coworkers Good Soldiers Or Good Actors?, Tae Seok Yang

Management Dissertations - Archive

Drawing from attribution theory, I propose a field study which develops and tests a model to describe (1) how individuals use multiple observations of coworker behavior to form attributions about whether beneficial behaviors have self-serving or prosocial motives, (2) how the attributions regarding the motive for coworker behavior (self-serving or prosocial) moderate the influence of organizational citizenship behaviors on affect toward that coworker, and finally, (3) how such affect toward a coworker translates into more distal performance-related evaluations of coworkers. Specifically, two attribution cues, distinctiveness and consistency, are considered as mechanism through which coworkers form beliefs about the motives for …

Learning The “Craft Of Auditing”: Applications Of The Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework, Kimberly D. Westermann

2011

This dissertation consists of three studies examining component(s) of the cognitive apprenticeship (CA) model applied to on-the-job learning in auditing. This abstract summarizes each study, including purpose, methodology, and findings. The first study provides descriptive evidence on the importance and pervasiveness of CA as a model of on-the-job learning (OTJL) in auditing, investigates changes in its use over time, and assesses factors that promote or hinder auditors’ learning through apprenticeship. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 relatively new and more experienced audit partners at a Big 4 firm, seeking their impressions about past and current OTJL practices in public accounting. …

Essays On Hedge Fund Replication: Methodological Assessment And Development Of The Factor Approach, Nonlinear Modeling And Policy Perspectives, Guillaume Weisang

2011

This dissertation is concerned with hedge fund replication, a subject of a practical and theoretical importance, both from an investment and a risk management point of view. One of our goals is to extend known methodologies in order to enhance our understanding of an industry that is known for its secrecy and its lack of transparency. A second goal is to contribute to the quantitative finance literature with improved techniques for hedge fund replication. Hedge fund replication (HFR) is approached from the methodological as well as from practical and regulatory perspectives. The first two chapters provide the motivation and the …

Past Financial Reporting Credibility: Does It Influence Market Perceptions Of Fair Value Assets?, Jason M. Rehhaut

CMC Senior Theses

During the financial crisis, many assets became illiquid and ceased trading on the open market, thus classifying them as level three assets. This study attempts to determine whether fair value asset disclosures, especially level three assets, were viewed by the market as valued correctly, given the amount of subjectivity involved. This paper will discuss prior literature on the topics of fair value accounting, various earnings quality measures, and corporate governance impact on fair value disclosures. Using models similar to prior papers, many of the coefficients of interest proved insignificant. However, the models improved when examining only the least credible firms.

The Effect Of The Introduction Of A Clearinghouse On Trading Costs: The New York Stock Exchange In The 1890s, Sara Reed

CMC Senior Theses

As one of the oldest and most innovative financial institutions, a clearinghouse efficiently clears and settles payments for equity transactions as well as other securities. However, this paper will only be concerned with common and preferred equity securities. The purpose of a clearinghouse is to reduce counterparty risk. It acts as an intermediary between two parties, so that the risk of one party failing to honor its contractual obligation is diminished. It reduces settlement risk through netting, the process of eliminating offsetting transactions, thus decreasing the amount of cash flow. I examine the impact of the New York Stock Exchange …

Running Backs In The Nfl Draft And Nfl Combine: Can Performance Be Predicted?, Chris Blees

CMC Senior Theses

Berri and Simmons (2009) investigate the relationship between the NFL Combine and the NFL Draft. They find that a quarterback’s performance in the Combine can have a significant impact on that player’s draft position. However, they find that no known aspect of a quarterback before they are drafted is an indicator of success in the NFL. I examine if these relationships exist for the Running Back position. I find similar results to Berri and Simmons: that performance in the Combine does have an effect on that player’s draft position, but that no aspect of a running back’s pre-draft characteristics can …