Business Commons^™

Generational Cohort Differences In Types Of Organizational Commitment Among Nurses In Alabama, April Lavette Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In hospitals in the United States, the ratio of nurses to patients is declining, resulting in an increase in work demands for nurses. Consequently, organizations face challenges with nurses' organizational commitment. Studies have revealed generational differences, as determined by birth year, in employee levels of organizational commitment in a number of organizational settings. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the impact of generational cohorts on the organizational commitment of nurses. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional design was to address whether generational cohorts of nurses differed in their levels of organizational commitment, and to investigate whether …

An Examination Of Irish Females Attitudes Towards Nanotechnology Claims Used In Advertising Appeals By The Cosmetics Industry, Deirdre Kelleher

Theses

Cosmetics advertising exert an image of hope and belief to consumers in that these products will dramatically make them look younger and change their lives. Much criticism has been drawn to cosmetic claims based on nanotechnology. Do they work? Are they safe? Do the cosmetic companies use false claims?

Today, the media is saturated with advertisements that promote cosmetic products. The cosmetics industry is becoming more and more advanced due to the use of nanotechnology. Cosmetic advertisements are so common that it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. Celebrity endorsers are being utilised by cosmetic companies to promote …

A Structural Analysis Of The European Monetary Union And Its Effect On Greece In Light Of The European Financial Crisis, Stephanie C. Ramos

CMC Senior Theses

The intent of this paper is to analyze the structural composition of the European Monetary Union and its implications for the European Financial Crisis, specifically with respect to Greece. This analysis will be driven by a trend analysis of several economic variables from 1999-2010. These variables range from the four requirements set under the Maastricht criteria, competitiveness indicators, and relative European trade balances, to international investment position. A quantitative and empirical analysis of this data finds that the Greek crisis was a result of structural issues with the EMU and the Greek government. The ECB’s inability to enforce the Maastricht …

Impact Of Relational Marketing Of Laptops: High Tech Product Adoptions In A Retail Setting, Anirudha Vasant Bansod

Theses

Marketing has developed from using a simple transactional model to a more sophisticated relational orientation model. Selling and marketing practices are different according to the culture of a country, purchasing power parity, economical situations, political conditions, the demand versus supply gap ratio and the socioeconomic conditions of the market place. Academics have translated these factors into a simple sales discipline. However, every region and country has its own style of business.

The business problem in this study was to understand ‘how retailers develop effective marketing strategies to increase the consumer’s propensity to buy high-tech products from their retail stores in …

To Know, Love, And Serve God: The Characteristics Of A Holy Cross School, Walter E. Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations

Religious congregations have contributed notably to the shaping of the American Catholic experience through their schools. Many of these congregations, founded in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, brought to the United States their values, traditions and expertise to sustain and complement the growing American Catholic community. However, in the later part of the 20th century, a dramatic decline in the number of religious in these communities posed a challenge to the American Church and its schools. In spite of the dramatically decreasing membership, the Congregation of Holy Cross continues to sponsor 13 secondary schools in the United States. …

Evaluating Multiple Factors That Can Be Used As Skill Predictors In Software Proficiency, Stephen Larson

Theses and Dissertations

In this ubiquitous computing society, most students are required to be proficient in computer skills to compete in today’s global job market. These computer skills usually include skills in business productivity applications. Assessing those skills is normally accomplished by hands-on skills exams, which can become onerous and costly. This study explored whether a combination of a computer self-efficacy (CSE) survey, cognitive questions, and skill-based questions could indeed be a valid alternative to a hands-on skills exam. The findings of this study indicate some types of questions may be better predictors of performance on the hands-on skills exam, and some combinations …

Investigating The Relationship Between Governance Mechanisms And The Disclosure Of It Control Weaknesses, Basil Hamdan

Theses and Dissertations

The current research is concerned with exploring the quality of information technology (IT) control over financial reporting systems as reported under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. More specifically, this dissertation examines the association between organizational governance mechanisms and the occurrence and subsequent disclosure of IT control weaknesses. Despite the adverse impact of IT control weaknesses on internal control quality and financial reporting reliability, research on IT controls in general and IT control weaknesses in particular remains largely anecdotal with limited reliance on theory. The current work proposes and tests an integrated theoretical model of the antecedents of …

Voluntary Environmental Disclosure By Australian Listed Mineral Mining Companies: An Application Of Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines, Yanan Xia

Theses : Honours

There is a growing interest in studying voluntary environmental reporting around the world, especially in the mining industry, as there has been an increasingly focused debate about mining and its environmental responsibility, driven by strong public sentiment. The objectives of this study were, firstly, to evaluate the changes in environmental reporting over the period 2007-2010, in terms of type and volume of information disclosed in the Australian mineral mining industry, using the 2006 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines and secondly, to identify the key political characteristics of companies that volunteer to disclose environmental information in their annual reports. Based on …

The Influence Of Budget Allocation By Function On Student Retention Of Public Community Colleges In The Sixteen States In The Southern Region Education Board, Clayton Clendenin Burton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Stakeholders of higher education expect a positive return for their investment. One of the measures of success for higher education is persistence; one of the measures of persistence is retention rate. One segment of higher education, community colleges, receives a significant outlay of public resources in terms of government appropriations, student financial aid, and individual investment. This study follows the framework of Ryan (2004) and Gansemer-Topf and Schuh (2006) who successfully created models using the allocation of financial resources to predict graduation and retention rates for four-year colleges. Using data from the U. S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education …

The Influence Of Business Ownership And Selected Demographic Characteristics On The Perceived Effectiveness Of An Entrepreneurship Training Program Among Female Participants, Carol A. Carter

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and entrepreneurship is of critical importance to women because it provides a means to becoming self-sufficient, in charge of one’s own career path, and as a way to rise about the “glass ceiling” of the corporate world. Women who perceive themselves as having the necessary skills and knowledge to start their own companies have a higher likelihood of starting a business than those who do not. Therefore, it is important to understand the training needs and perceptions regarding the efficacy of entrepreneurship training programs specifically targeted to women. The primary purpose …

Essays On Foreign Currency Risk Management, Sungjae Francis Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation studies on-balance-sheet and off-balance-sheet foreign currency risk management of corporate firms and commercial banks. It is comprised of two essays. The first essay investigates what determines firms’ foreign currency spot net asset positions, derivatives hedging and synthetic hedging positions. We build a model that anticipates a firm’s market timing in currency markets and credit markets according to the exchange-rate return and interest rate differential. Using a unique set of data containing complete foreign currency spot and derivatives positions of Korean exporting firms, we empirically find that currency position-squaring firms have significantly higher firm value. We also find evidence …

Contributors To An Enterprising Sex: Examining The Influence Of Creativity On Entrepreneurial Intentions And The Moderating Role Of Political Skill Controlling For Gender, Simone Trixie Allison Phipps

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research indicates a positive relationship between creativity and entrepreneurship. Research also indicates a tendency for successful entrepreneurs to possess certain skills and abilities and to engage in activities that reflect their political astuteness. In addition, numerous studies have supported the importance of behavioral intentions as they relate to actions. Thus, this research endeavor focused on intentions, as it investigated the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurial intentions among female and male students, and attempted to determine whether political skill moderated the relationship. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between creativity and entrepreneurial intentions among both …

Preferences Of Louisiana Agronomic Crop Producers And Crop Consultants Regarding Sources Of Information Related To Agricultural Production, Kenneth Craig Gautreaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The dissemination of information related to agronomic crop production is crucial to the success of the agriculture industry in Louisiana. This information is distributed by various sources and through multiple methods. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the preferences of Louisiana agronomic crop producers and crop consultants in regards to acquiring information related to their agricultural operations. A secondary purpose was to determine how agronomic crop producers perceived selected LSU AgCenter information sources on accuracy, awareness and frequency of use. Data for the study were obtained through surveys completed by 176 agronomic crop producers and 32 crop …

Evaluation Of Knowledge Transfer In An Immersive Virtual Learning Environment For The Transportation Community, Mary Leah Caillier Coco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the year 2009, 667 individuals lost their lives in a highway construction or maintenance work zone (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, 2010). Since the year 2003, 6,438 individuals have been killed in a highway construction or maintenance work zone, which is approximately 805 deaths per calendar year (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, 2010). This eye-opening and unfortunate statistic points to the need for a re-evaluation of training methodology as it relates to work zone safety. This study reports on the use of virtual learning technology for work-zone training. This research tested the use of an Immersive Virtual …

Becoming Formal Or Informal Entrepreneurs: How Institutions Matter, Joël Luc Raveloharimisy

Dissertations

This research explains the factors behind the variation of enterprise creation across countries by looking at the roles of formal and informal institutions and their interactions in the distribution of start-up enterprises in the formal and informal sectors. It tests two competing hypotheses about the individual versus mixed effects of formal institutions (measured by entry regulations) and informal institutions (measured by social capital) on entrepreneurship. The research uses quantitative analysis of data from 48 countries and a qualitative case study of Madagascar.

The findings from the quantitative and qualitative analyses are consistent regarding the independent effects of each set of …

Three Essays On Real Estate Finance, Shuang Zhu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the mortgage default behavior and the valuation of distressed properties. Three essays are included. The first essay uses New Orleans foreclosure data, where each property has three appraisals, to investigate the factors affecting appraisal bias and accuracy, and to estimate the magnitude of appraisal accuracy for distressed properties. Our main finding is that the relation between the client and the appraiser affects valuation bias. Customer employed appraisers tend to give client friendly valuation than their court appointed counterpart. Experienced and licensed appraisers render less biased valuations; while appraisers specializing in lenders tend to give lender friendly …

Development Of Self-Determination In Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In 4-H Programming: A Qualitative Study, Myra Jo Monroe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how 4-H programming may support positive youth development in youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Using Wehmeyer‟s Functional Model of Self-Determination as the theoretical framework, sixteen youth aged 14-21 years in an intact vocational training classroom engaged in a semester-long program utilizing direct instruction and environment theorized by Wehmeyer to enhance the emergence of self-determination in youth with IDD. This study drew from the fundamental principle that a person who was self-determined exhibited behaviors that reflected certain essential characteristics (Wehmeyer & Field, 2007). The study utilized data collected from …

The Influence Of Selected Demographic And Biographical Characteristics On The Level Of Cultural Intelligence Among Mid-Level Managers Of Home Health Care Systems In The United States, Martha Stuart Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Disparities exist in health care quality among racial and ethnic minority groups. Minority Americans receive lower quality health care than non-minorities even after adjustment for insurance status and income. A leading cause of these disparities is the biases and prejudices of health care providers. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between levels of cultural intelligence (CQ) and selected demographic and biographical characteristics among mid-level managers of home health care systems throughout the United States. This research provides an understanding of factors influencing cultural intelligence among site directors in home health care. An examination …

A Mixed Methodological Assessment Of Personal Development Of Undergraduate Orientation Leaders, Kimberly Dottolo Roberts

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Orientation programs, while unique in their own design and implementation across campuses, offer incoming students the opportunity to become acquainted with the institutional environment. A particularly important element of orientation programs is the component of orientation leaders who serve as peer mentors and guides to incoming students. These students fulfill several responsibilities of the institution and develop a lasting rapport with incoming students. Orientation leaders have the opportunity to personally develop and gain valuable skills as a result of working the orientation program. Kolb’s experiential learning model provides a framework that explains an orientation leader’s personal development. Kolb’s model consists …

An Evaluation Of Post-Katrina Emergency Preparedness Strategies In Hospitals On The U.S. Gulf Of Mexico Coastline, Holly Houk Cullen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent tragedies are causing hospitals to more intensively review their strategies and broaden their approach to emergency preparation. The Gulf Coast storms of 2005 and 2008 and other catastrophic events nationwide have illustrated the central role hospitals can and should play in a community’s disaster recovery infrastructure. Given the unpredictability of the world today, with the possibility of a mass casualty crisis constantly threatening, there is an urgent need to seek and achieve higher levels of readiness. If a hospital organization is not investing in emergency preparedness on a continuous basis, that facility and its community are placed at higher …

Understanding Online Sourcing Decisions From The Service Clients' Perspective: An Integrative Theoretical Framework, Baozhou Lu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study we empirically examine a new global phenomenon - online sourcing – with a quantitative research method. Online sourcing is the newest development in outsourcing recently that uses Internet as the primary sourcing platform to approach the global sourcing of services. We believe that the emergence of online sourcing will fundamentally change the way work is done. Thus, gaining a deep understanding of the adoption of online sourcing becomes particularly important. Drawing upon theories of firms including transaction cost theory, we propose an integrative theoretical framework for the understanding of online sourcing decisions from the service clients’ perspective. …

Auditor Tenure And Audit Quality, Li Zheng Brooks

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

I propose that audit quality is likely to increase with audit firm tenure due to a Learning Effect and decrease with audit firm tenure due to a Bonding Effect. The net impact of these two countervailing forces over audit firm tenure dictates whether the relationship between audit firm tenure and audit quality is a concave, convex, or linear function of audit firm tenure. When the Bonding Effect dominates the Learning Effect in the later (earlier) years of tenure, then audit quality is a concave (convex) function of audit firm tenure. Adopting the quadratic model to empirically estimate the audit firm …

The Good, The Bad And The Unintended: The Role Of Negative Self-Conscious Emotions In Marketing, Kathrynn Pounders

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Negative self-conscious (SC) emotions are important to examine in the field of consumer behavior. These emotions have been identified as drivers of social behavior; each day consumers make decisions and form attitudes and thoughts based on the negative self-conscious emotions they experience. Thus, these emotions are a common occurrence in the marketplace, making them particularly relevant to examine in the consumption experience. The purpose of this dissertation is to build a framework to identify how each one of these emotions function in the consumption experience. Specifically, five objectives are addressed: 1) Introduce and identify why negative SC emotions are important …

A Comparison Of Career Goals And Educational Values Between Hispanic Immigrant And Caucasian United States Citizen Employees Of Louisiana Crawfish Farm Operations, Richard Dean Johnson Ii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hispanic immigrants come to the United States with hopes to obtain a better life for their families through perceived better wages and educational opportunities. One source of income for Hispanic immigrants is through employment in crawfish farm operations. Crawfish farm operations benefit from the employment of Hispanic immigrants through government programs that supply workers to the industry. Therefore, many crawfish farm operations in Louisiana employ both Caucasian U.S. citizen and Hispanic immigrant labor to operate efficiently. The purpose of this study was to compare selected characteristics of crawfish farm workers as well as to explore values related to education, monetary …

Perceptions Of Faculty And Staff Of The Positive Behavior Process Utilizing Team Process And Staff Satisfaction Survey, Kara L. Hill

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There is a great need in education to find innovative ways to increase the amount of instructional time spent in classrooms. One way this can be accomplished is by improving the school climate through the use of Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS). Teachers can improve upon their own behaviors towards students, so that student problem behaviors do not escalate to the point of suspensions and expulsions. The PBIS philosophy embraces the idea that while humanistic values should not replace empiricism, these values should inform empiricism. Science tells us how we can change things, but values tell us what is …

Understanding The Role Of Expectation Disconfirmation Theory On It Outsourcing Success, Colleen Schwarz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Outsourcing has become a ubiquitous phenomenon, but IT outsourcing success has been elusive. Over half of the outsourcing contracts are ended prematurely and some organizations are beginning to backsource. This research employs a unique lens to understand outsourcing. Although most IT outsourcing studies employ absolute success measure, this research utilizes expectations and disconfirmations to predict success. Specifically, the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory is used to understand the role of various types of expectations on IT outsourcing success. A Delphi study of IT outsourcing experts in addition to a survey on success is utilized to present a triangulation of data to support …

Celiac Disease: Increasing Awareness For A Better Life, Sheetal Malini Verma-Bueche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the awareness and knowledge of Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance (CD/GI), among clients of a medical facility in the southern portion of the United States. A researcher-designed awareness/knowledge instrument was used to study a random sample of clients of a medical facility. Data were collected from 404 clients at the medical facility. Data collected included whether or not participants were aware of the disease, a 30-item knowledge instrument, and their demographic characteristics. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four identifiable subscales in the knowledge instrument: Symptomology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Interaction with Other Conditions and Overall Knowledge …

The Mentoring Role Of Louisiana High School Girls' Basketball Coaches In The Recruiting Process, Charles Anthony Owen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine coaches’ perceptions of their roles as mentors, the impact that high school coaches have on choices female athletes make regarding attendance in post-secondary education, the type of information possessed by the coaches to assist in these decisions and whether or not the coaches in the state believed in the necessity for additional training for themselves, their peers and whether or not additional training would benefit the athletes under their tutelage. Two hundred twenty four girls’ basketball coaches from throughout the state were surveyed and one hundred twenty eight participated in the …

Following The Path Of Involuntary Change: The Emotional Effects, Susan B. Carriere

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived emotional effects of the seven Medical Case Managers who moved from the role of “consultants” of a Railway to “employees” of a Managed Health Care Company in order to maintain employment within their field of telephonic disability case management of railway employees. This research followed the path of an unintended change with two interviews, 2003 and 2010. The participants were seven Medical Case Managers with a combined institutional knowledge base of over fifty years. The study was a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews. Results showed that the Medical Case …

Institutional Accreditation Liaisons In The Southern Association Of Colleges And Schools Region: Characteristics, Responsibilities, And Force Field Analysis, Tracy W. Molidor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ role of Accreditation Liaison to (a) explore the characteristics of the professionals who fill the Accreditation Liaison role and (b) understand factors that support or challenge liaisons. Within the theoretical framework of Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory, a sequential mixed-methods research design was employed to collect data in two phases. The quantitative method in the first phase was an on-line survey. The instrument focused on respondents’ educational, professional, and demographic characteristics, as well as their roles, responsibilities, and practices as Accreditation Liaisons. The …