Business Commons^™

The Synergies Between Tourism Expansion And Development An Analysis Of Economic Growth, Poverty And Human Development In Ecuador, Manuel Antonio Rivera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to answer the question of what has been the effect of tourism expansion and development in Ecuador. We attempt to analyze, both theoretically and empirically, the relationship between tourism and development. There have been an enormous number of studies explaining how tourism can affect the various dimensions of development. However, no research has been undertaken to simultaneously empirically examine the impact that changes in tourism expansion has on poverty, human development, and economic growth. To this end, we propose a cointergation methodology with an error correction model to estimate the impact of tourism expansion on poverty, human …

Strategic Global Human Resource Management: An Analysis Of Liability-Of-Foreignness Issues Associated With Inpatriate Managers, Miriam Moeller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Essay 1: This manuscript addresses the strategic role of an inpatriate staffing approach in the development of a global mindset within global organizations. The premise lies in the development of the liability-of-foreignness concept from the individual level of analysis in the context of global assignments. I first provide arguments relative to the utility of inpatriate managers in global organizations by advocating what appears to be a shift to a strategic global human resource management paradigm. Drawing upon reference point theory, the manuscript highlights potential hardships faced through an analysis of managerial and contextual liability-of-foreignness as may be perceived by inpatriate …

Extending The Human Capital Theory Of Career Success: An Empirical Test In The Ecuadorian Context, Mario Joseph Hayek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human capital theory has traditionally been used as the primary explanation for objective career success. However, inconsistent results of the human capital-performance evaluation-objective career success relationships, as proposed in human capital theory, motivated this dissertation to further develop the theory by including economic, managerial, and institutional facets. These facets include not only an economic rational perspective, but also a managerial component that considers organizational policies and practices, as well as an institutional component that considers how environmental pressures influence objective career success. Also, boundary conditions for the proposed model are hypothesized explaining how the relationships between the constructs differ for …

An Empirical Study On User Acceptance Of Simulation Techniques For Business Process, Olurotimi Adeboye Ladeinde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Non acceptance of technology may result in serious damages to organizations. For example, non acceptance of simulation technology cost Merrill Lynch Bank over {dollar}50 billion in 2008, while statistics in 2 separate studies showed that non acceptance of technology was responsible for a 57% decrease in performance level for physicians practicing in public tertiary hospitals in Hong Kong, and a 39% decrease in productivity for hotel workers in Seoul, Korea. The problem addressed in this research was non acceptance of simulation technology by project managers. This research investigated the correlation among personal innovativeness, organizational innovativeness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of …

A Neural Network Approach To Estimating The Allowance For Bad Debt, Donald Joyner

Theses and Dissertations

The granting of credit is a necessary risk of doing business. If companies only accepted cash, sales would be negatively impacted. In a perfect world, all consumers would pay their bills when they become due. However, the fact is that some consumers do default on debt. Companies are willing to accept default risk because the value of defaults does not exceed the value of the additional sales generated. This creates an issue in regards to the valuation of uncollectible accounts. In order for a company to disclose the true value of its accounts receivable, it must establish an allowance for …

A Comparison Of Leadership Traits Across Countries: Taiwan And United States, Chi-Shou Justin Yang

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

With the rise of new technologies, geographical and political boundaries between companies are disappearing. Managers within multinational organizations are faced with the challenge of adapting to new paradigms of leadership while leading employees who may share different backgrounds. With businesses becoming more globalized, it is important to know and understand how to lead and interact with people from other cultures. The purpose of the study is to explore and describe similarities or differences with managers from the United States and managers from Taiwan in relation to the 29 leadership traits overall as well as at individual management levels. As a …

The Performance Of Venture Capital Funds And Vc-Backed Ipos: An Evidence From China, Weng Hong Lou

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study is divided into three parts based on the listed companies on the Small and Medium Enterprise Board on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in China. The first part is to study the investment performance of Venture Capital Funds. I found that the investment return in terms of investment multiple and annual rate of return is better than those in the US market, and also the VC investment portfolios outperform the public equity market. Furthermore, I compare the performance of non VC-backed IPOs and non VC-backed IPOs by using the Buy-and Hold Abnormal Return and Wealth Relatives. Both measurements show …

Optimal Advertisement Scheduling In Breaks Of Random Lengths, Ajay Srinivasan Aravamudhan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Broadcasters generate a large part of their revenue through advertising, especially in live sports. Scheduling advertisements can be challenging in live broadcasting, however, for sports such as Cricket that have breaks of random lengths and number during which the ads are shown. This uncertainty, coupled with the high price of spots for major competitions, means that improving ad scheduling can add significant value to the broadcaster. This problem shares similarities with the stochastic cutting stock problem and the dynamic stochastic knapsack problem, with applications in the wood, steel and paper industry and the transportation industry respectively.

This dissertation adds to …

Examining Perceptions Of Managers And Financial Advisors Of A Mentoring Program On Productivity And Retention, Marston A. Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that 90% of financial advisors leave the life insurance industry in first year, 68% in the second year, and 50% in the third year. Researchers have noted the importance of mentorship aimed at work attitudes, yet there is a lack of research concerning attrition and its effects on the industry. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine managers' and financial advisors' perception of a mentoring program on advisors productivity and retention. Social learning theory was applied as the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected from financial advisors and their managers across 13 branch …

Implications Of Executive Succession Upon Financial Risk And Performance, Susan F. Weiss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Executive replacements have historically created fluctuations in the market value of a company and precipitated inappropriate investor reaction. However, the direction and statistical significance of relationships between executive turnover, market value, financial risk, and investor reaction among a census of highly performing firms was previously unexplored. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the relationship between CEO turnover and indicators of company performance. Theoretical foundation for this study was the efficient markets hypothesis. Hypotheses tests were designed to support an ex-post facto research methodology for pre-post comparison of volatility of financial metrics, which are indicators of …

A Review Of The Department Of The Army's Decentralized Cost Benefit Analysis Process, Gerard M. Acosta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 1996 to 2006, the number of Department of Defense (DoD) contract transactions increased, leading to over expenditures and the need for agencies to determine benefit estimation to improve risk management of a project. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to apply a total quality management theory to explore if a standardized versus decentralized benefits framework within the cost benefit analysis process could improve the Department of the Army acquisition selection process. The two central research questions addressed (a) the differences between successful and failed acquisition systems cost benefit analysis, and (b) whether a standardized or decentralized cost …

Factors Affecting The Job Satisfaction Of Registered Nurses Working In The United States, Ann Marie Huffenberger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the health care sector in the United States undergoes transformation, job dissatisfaction has become a problem that is confounded by the challenge that nurse executives encounter in understanding the aspirations of an increasingly diverse workforce. A quantitative survey was conducted online using a representative sample of registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. Approximately 127,000 RNs from across the nation received an invitation, and 272 RNs participated. Factorial ANOVAs were performed to answer the research questions of whether aspects of job satisfaction differ across the demographic factors of a diverse RN workforce. No differences exist in personal satisfaction or satisfaction with workload …

A Mixed Methods Examination Of The Influence Of Dimensions Of Support On Training Transfer, Laura A. Schindler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations invest a significant amount of time and money on training; however, most employees do not transfer what they learned in training to the specific tasks required in their job. While extant research suggests that supervisor support may facilitate training transfer, the influence of specific types or dimensions of support is still unknown. The purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to examine how specific dimensions of support (mentoring, coaching, social support, and task support) influence training transfer. Organizational support theory and the theory of planned behavior served as the theoretical framework for this study. Quantitative data were …

The Potential Role Of Business Intelligence In Church Organizations, Charmaine Felder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business intelligence (BI) involves transforming data into actionable information to make better business decisions that may help improve operations. Although businesses have experienced success with BI, how leaders of church organizations might be able to exploit the advantages of BI in church organizations remains largely unexplored. The purpose of the phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of pastoral leaders concerning the potential usefulness of BI in church organizations. Conceptual support for the study was based on the premise that churches may also benefit from BI that helps improve decision making and organizational performance. Three research questions were used to …

Leadership Styles And Faculty Satisfaction In The State University System Of Florida, Justin Ted Bateh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Universities must retain satisfied employees to enhance productivity and reduce turnover. Leadership represents one of the fundamental factors in job satisfaction. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between perceived academic administrator leadership styles and the satisfaction of faculty members. The independent variables were the transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant leadership styles of academic administrators as evaluated by faculty members. The dependent variable was job satisfaction of full-time faculty members. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used to identify the leadership style of an administrator as perceived by faculty members. Spector's Job Satisfaction Survey was used to assess …

Exploration Of The Project Management Practitioner's Emotional Intelligence Competencies, Linda A. Hooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The success rate of information technology projects is on a downward trend, with reported losses in the billions of dollars. Recent studies indicate a 50--56% project success rate based on quality, budget, and on-time criteria. Building upon the conceptual framework of the emotional intelligence and knowledge management theories, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how project management practitioners apply self- and cultural-awareness competencies to affect project outcomes. Using a purposeful sampling method, 24 experienced U.S.-based project management practitioners participated in a web-based questionnaire. Following Giorgi's data reduction process resulted in numeric data coding. Thematic analysis revealed themes …

Learning Without Onboarding: How Assessing And Evaluating Learning Benefits New Information Technology Hires, Dory L. Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Onboarding ensures learning success through sharing and acquiring knowledge to remain competitive. However, little is known about new Information Technology (IT) hires' learning needs in the absence of onboarding; therefore, the purpose of this case study was to examine, increase, and retain their technical knowledge at the Unified Communications Company (UCC). Following the theoretical model of knowledge management, which holds that knowledge is the key to confirm learning and knowledge sharing, the research questions were used to examine how the company assessed and increased their technical knowledge and how they taught their culture in the absence of onboarding. A qualitative …

Asset Reuse Of Images From A Repository, Deirdre Herman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to Markus's theory of reuse, when digital repositories are deployed to collect and distribute organizational assets, they supposedly help ensure accountability, extend information exchange, and improve productivity. Such repositories require a large investment due to the continuing costs of hardware, software, user licenses, training, and technical support. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of evidence in the literature on whether users in fact reused enough digital assets in repositories to justify the investment. The objective of the study was to investigate the organizational value of repositories to better inform architectural, construction, software and other industries whether …

Prediction Of Air Traffic Controller Trainee Selection And Training Success Using Cognitive Ability And Biodata, Karen D. Fox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has experienced decreased return on investment caused by hiring too many air traffic controller specialists (ATCSs) who performed poorly in field training, thus failing to become certified professional controllers (CPCs). Based on Schmidt and Hunter's theory of job performance and biodata theory, this quantitative, archival study examined whether factors of cognitive ability and biodata could predict job performance status of 2 generations of ATCSs, poststrike (PS) and next generation (NG) controllers. For each generation of controllers, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine if any of the independent variables---transmuted composite (TMC) score for PS …

Background And Leadership Traits To Effectively Lead Faculty Senates In California Community Colleges, Julie Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the major responsibility for community college governance falls to presidents and administrators, researchers have recognized the integral role of faculty in governing higher education institutions. Few studies, however, have explored the effectiveness of contributions of faculty elected to community college academic senates. The purpose of this research was to investigate the background traits and leadership skills of elected academic senate presidents in order to identify both their perceptions of themselves as leaders and the perceptions of other faculty senate members. This study was based in the theory of transformational leadership in organizations and its impact on the effectiveness of …

Evolution Of Physician-Centric Business Models Under Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Tanya Nix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For several decades, the cost of medical care in the United States has increased exponentially. Congress enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 to ensure affordable healthcare to the citizens of the United States. The purpose of this case study was to explore physicians' perspectives regarding physician-centric business models evolving under the requirements of PPACA legislation. Complex adaptive systems formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were gathered through face-to-face, semistructured interviews and e-mail questionnaires with a purposeful sample of 20 participants across 14 medical specialties within Northeast Texas. Participant perceptions were elicited regarding opinions …

The Impact Of Industrial Technician Skill Losses At A West Tennessee Manufacturer, Kenneth W. Moten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business survival requires that decision makers understand the critical knowledge resources that support the business' core competencies, while also facing the challenges of current labor trends. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the management staff at a west Tennessee manufacturing facility about industrial technician skill losses. This phenomenological design included semistructured interviews of 20 managers, supervisors, and engineers and was an exploration of the potential losses from skilled worker attrition. The foundations of labor theory; knowledge management; and accounting measurements of intangible assets in advanced technology, communications, and economic systems provided the key elements …

Improving Community College Faculty Effectiveness Through Technology-Based Learning Communities, David Mark Peter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College faculty members are often inadequately prepared to use technology in their classrooms. They often learn technology without institutional support, and without understanding technology's impact on student learning. As a result of these shortcomings, the use of technology in the college classroom is often not systematic or focused on improving learning. This study used a conceptual framework based on Wenger's learning community or community of practice idea. This study examined a Midwestern university where faculty made only limited use of classroom technology and did not demonstrate contemporary approaches to student learning. The study set out to determine the impact of …

An Exploratory Study To Develop A Geotourism Typology Model Based On The Experience And The Importance Of Geotourism In The Decision To Visit A Destination, Hasoly P. Hurtado

Theses : Honours

This study develops a typology model for geotourism to address the existing gap in the literature regarding who is participating in geotourism. As geotourism is a new concept, the literature is not only lacking in this area, but there is also a conflict of definitions available from scholars and organisations. This study defines geotourism in accordance to the definition of Newsome and Dowling (2010). It also aims to reduce the gap in literature by providing a starting point to the development of future geotourism typology models through the adaptation of McKercher's Cultural Tourism Typology Model (2002). Participants eligible for this …

Social Media Marketing: Facebook And The Effect Of Coupons On Customer Loyalty Among College Students, Ciara Pearce

Honors Program Theses

Research for this honors thesis involved social media marketing (SMM), which is the utilization of social media channels to engage with online communities by building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. SMM exists as a subset of the field of integrated marketing communications (IMC). The primary goal of IMC is to synchronize marketing communications from all platforms to create a consistent and strong message. The inclusion of social media marketing in corporate IMC plans is occurring more and more often, as participation in social media sites continues to rise. According to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, …

Ifrs: A Detailed Look At Progress In The United States, Johnny Ko

CMC Senior Theses

This paper will examine the history of international accounting that eventually led to the adoption of IFRS in the European Union. It will have an in depth analysis of IFRS and what it may mean for the United States should there be an adoption or a convergence. It will also comment on what needs to be considered in the convergence or adoption process.

Congressional Insider Trading: An Analysis Of The Personal Common Stock Transactions Of U.S. Senators, Scott T. Yingling

CMC Senior Theses

I have examined the common stock investments made by members of the U.S. Senate between 2006 and 2009. I find that the average stock portfolio in the Senate exhibits one and two year cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) of -0.15 % and 0.43%, respectively. This suggests that members of the Senate are not trading on insider knowledge as indicated by one previous researcher who calculated a one year CAR of 25%. However, my findings are in line with another previous researcher who found a one year CAR of about -2% and concluded that Congressmen are not trading on inside information. I …

Interchange Fee Rate, Merchant Discount Rate, And Retail Prices In A Credit Card Network : A Game-Theoretic Analysis, Hangfei Guo

Lingnan Theses

We consider two game-theoretic settings to determine the optimal values of an issuer's interchange fee rate, an acquirer's merchant discount rate, and a merchant's retail prices for multiple products in a credit card network. In the first setting, we investigate a two-stage game problem in which the issuer and the acquirer first negotiate the interchange fee rate, and the acquirer and the retailer then determine their merchant discount rate and retail prices, respectively. In the second setting, motivated by the recent U.S. bill "H.R. 2695," we develop a three-player cooperative game in which the issuer, the acquirer, and the merchant …

Ant Colony Optimization Approach For Stacking Configurations, Yijun Chen

Lingnan Theses

In data mining, classifiers are generated to predict the class labels of the instances. An ensemble is a decision making system which applies certain strategies to combine the predictions of different classifiers and generate a collective decision. Previous research has empirically and theoretically demonstrated that an ensemble classifier can be more accurate and stable than its component classifiers in most cases. Stacking is a well-known ensemble which adopts a two-level structure: the base-level classifiers to generate predictions and the meta-level classifier to make collective decisions. A consequential problem is: what learning algorithms should be used to generate the base-level and …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of The Probability Of Informed Trading (Pin) On Corporate Diversification Discount And Ceo Pay-Performance Sensitivity : Evidence From China, Man Jin

Lingnan Theses

This thesis includes estimating the probability of informed trading, PIN, developed by Easley, Kiefer and O’Hara (1996, 1997a, 1997b), for a large sample of listed firms in China from 2002 to 2008, and I use PIN to explore two independent research questions in corporate finance.

First, the probability of informed trading is applied to explain the discount in value for firms with diversified business operations. Although aiming to increase firm value, the corporate diversification decision usually results in a firm value discount, for a variety of reasons, one of which is the transparency problem. My study directly tests the relation …