Business Commons^™

An Empirical Study Of Re-Sampling Techniques As A Method For Improving Error Estimates In Split-Plot Designs, Benjamin M. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

For any acquisition program, whether Department of Defense (DOD) or industry related, the primary driving factor behind the success of a program is whether or not the program remains within budget, stays on schedule and meets the defined performance requirements. If any of these three criteria are not met, the program manager may need to make challenging decisions. Typically, if the program is expected to not stay within budget or is expected to be delayed for one reason or another, the program manager will tend to limit areas of testing in order to meet these criteria. The result tends to …

Optimizing An F-16 Squadron Weekly Pilot Schedule For The Turkish Air Force, Murat Yavuz

Theses and Dissertations

Fighter squadrons in the Turkish Air Force build flight schedules for weekly periods. This process requires a great deal of time and does not seek optimality. Schedules are built with feasibility concerns. The Turkish Air Force doesn’t have an automated tool for flight scheduling. Many constraints including crew rest, number of sorties flown in a month, and duty currencies affect the schedule. Providing an automated scheduling tool may help schedulers save time for other squadron tasks including mission preparation, briefing, and debriefing. In this research, a heuristic approach to the problem is developed. Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures (GRASP) is …

Downside Risk Optimization Of The Thrift Savings Plan Lifecycle Fund Portfolios, Matthew C. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the defined benefit contribution plan for the US Government, introduced the asset allocation Lifecycle (L) Funds in August 2005. These funds seek to minimize risk and maximize expected portfolio return via mean-variance optimization (MVO). The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and examine the efficiency of the TSP L Funds and create alternative L Fund portfolios via downside risk optimization (DRO). Whereas MVO minimizes the portfolio variance (standard deviation), DRO seeks to minimize the risk below an investor’s minimal acceptable return in the market, defined as the Co-Lower Partial Moment (CLPM). The research team …

Evaluation Of Cost Improvement Models When Programs Experience Unplanned Production Decreases, Anthony R. George

Theses and Dissertations

As military and other governmental budgets decline and impacted project deadline changes require instantaneous responses, cost analysts' tasks become more and more formidable. Inaccurate estimates can lead to misappropriation of resources and can thus create delays in goods reaching warfighters. This thesis aims to avail cost estimators of more reliable projection tools and to challenge the status quo of cost estimating, the production rate cost improvement model, when programs face reductions in lot quantities. The findings reveal that the status quo proves efficient under many cost profiles, but clearly does not estimate as well when a program suffers lot quantity …

A Study Of Formal And Informal Mentoring In The United States Air Force, Russell H. Gheesling

Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has been identified as a significant contributor to employee performance and development. Debate has come about as result of implementation of formal mentoring programs where mentors are assigned to protégés as opposed to informal relationship formed out of mutual respect and liking. Secondary data, including measures of leader member exchange, similarity, contact time, and others, were used from a 1998 survey of company grade officers (protégés) and their formal and informal mentors. Analysis of Variance compared mean values between formally and informally mentored protégés. Additionally, a logistic regression was used to understand the impact that different measures had on …

Understanding The Effectiveness Of Performance Management Practices, Ross T. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Effective employee management is an essential element for achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage. Through a variety of performance management practices organizations can translate competitive strategies into individual performance expectations and transform employee potential into desired organizational outcomes. Despite the promise of robust performance management practices, a significant research gap exists between the scientific research in Organizational Behavior (OB) and the performance management practices espoused by the “practitioners.” The purpose of this thesis research is to explore a set of performance management practices as an initial step toward providing direct, empirical support for the linkages between performance management practices, the …

Motivations For Camp Staff To Work At Camp, Jessica M. Cresci

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Camp staff are the heart of summer camps and can affect how the summer runs. The purpose of this study was to identify the motivations for staff to work at residential summer camps with special regard to any differences in motivations between staff who attended camp as a camper and staff who never attended camp as well as between international and national staff. This study used cluster sampling measuring 21 possible motivations. A link to an online survey was sent to eight camps as identified on the American Camp Association website. The top six motivations for staff to work at …

Gerber Project For Lockheed Martin, Andrew Callahan, Sean Lawyer

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Lockheed Martin, the world’s premier aerial combat vehicle manufacturer was pressed to find an eco-friendly way to package their impregnated epoxy. In the current system, the epoxy would be cut on the Gerber table to a pre-determined length and then sandwiched inside of two corrugated fiberboard sheets for storage inside of a freezer. The current process was not only labor intensive, but the corrugated fiberboard had to be disregarded after one use. In conjunction with the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Packaging program and Melmat Incorporated, we were able to find a corrugated plastic substrate to replace the currently non-reusable …

Continuously Improving Cash-Gift Process, Alejandra Sanchez

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Cal Poly is in process of executing a strategic plan with the vision of becoming the “Premier Comprehensive Polytechnic University”. Working to optimize University Advancement Services’ (UA) donation processing and gift acceptance is critical for future success of the campaign. In order to accomplish UA’s vision, Industrial Technology professor Eric Olsen applied a lean process tool known as Kaizen to promote continuous improvement. The Kaizen event was focused on reducing delays in the cash-gift processing and ensuring donations are properly allocated while donors recognized in a timely manner.

The Kaizen event engaged key players from all levels of the process. …

Marketing Plan Focusing On The 4 P’S Of The Marketing Mix For A Wine Bar In The City Of San Luis Obispo, Kurtis Robert Wurster

Agribusiness

Wine is a large industry expanding into new markets and open to new ideas. A popular idea was to open wine bars, where individuals could come experience the world of wine without any prior knowledge. Wine bars have been growing and not all have managed to stay successful and meet the demands of consumers. To discover consumers’ preferences, primary research was conducted in the city of San Luis Obispo. The tool used was a survey of 168 respondents. The research was done to determine the feasibility of a wine bar in San Luis Obispo and if so, how to market …

A Marketing Plan For An Artisan Bread Bakery, Audrey Campana

Agribusiness

This study was undertaken to determine whether there is market potential for Word-of-Mouth Bakery to expand its current operation in food retailing in Modesto and the surrounding areas. A Case Study was conducted on Panera Bread Company to use as a competitive analysis to compare Word-of-Mouth Bakery with an established nationally known artisan bread company. An expert opinion poll was also conducted to assess the market potential in supermarkets from the observations of in-store bakery managers in Modesto and the surrounding areas. A SWOT analysis was used to determine the internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats that …

The Political And Economic Justifications Of Rice Trade Distortions In The United States And Japan, Ryan Thomas Wilson

Agribusiness

Rice is one of the most distorted commodities in the world. The United States and Japan both hold rice sector policies that significantly protect their industries and distort trade. This study identifies major rice sector policies in the U.S. and Japan, and demonstrates their probable economic consequences in terms of social welfare. U.S. producers are major beneficiaries and Japanese consumers are at a major welfare loss. This study demonstrates the use of economic analysis as a tool in policy formulation. Change to these policies is not likely, unless drastic social/economic changes were to happen.

A Study Of The Economic Effects Of Imposing Fair Trade Coffee Consumption In San Francisco, Alexander Preston Magginetti

Agribusiness

Noting the rising sales of eco-friendly and fairly traded goods in the United States, this study examines the effects of implementing a policy that would limit the supply of non-fair-trade coffee in San Francisco. The goal of this policy would be to increase the sales of the fair-trade coffee market in the United States, and benefit fair-trade coffee growers by mandating the sale of fair-trade coffee in San Francisco. This study focuses on the economic effects of the policy on consumers and producers of fair-trade coffee, regular coffee, tea, and soda.

“Fair trade” began at the end of World War …

Correlation Of Art And Design Characteristics Used In Wine Labels And Prices, Jordan Waltman

Agribusiness

A study determining if there is a correlation between art and design characteristics incorporated in the label and the wine's price.

A Target Profile And Positioning For An Informational Lettuce Website, Julee Dyann Evangelo

Agribusiness

This project was conducted to determine what type of content a consumer would like to see on a lettuce informational website and what will drive consumers to re-visit this informational website. A survey was used to collect the data for this project. The survey was self-administered online offered through Survey Monkey. The survey link was posted on a number of food forums, Facebook fan pages related to food, and Tanimura & Antle’s website.

The data described lettuce purchasing behavior, internet usage related to food and social networking, and demographics of potential lettuce informational website visitors. Statistical tests were used to …

The Relationship Of Wine Prices And The Qualitative Aesthetics Of Wine Labels, Danielle Drews

Agribusiness

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between price and various wine label design elements. These variables included golden mean, uniform font, proportion of yellow and orange, direction, realistic, abstract, winery/grape image, winery emblem, font type changes, font size changes, horizontal label, vertical label, Sonoma, and Napa. The researcher wanted to determine whether specific combinations of color and images on wine labels reflect greater aesthetic content and relate to their recommended price. Fifty wine labels were randomly selected from a given sample and several researchers evaluated each label looking specifically at the design elements listed above. A regression analysis …

Labor Cost Effects On Apple Price, Victor Cancel

Agribusiness

Agriculture is an essential part of life in the United States due to the fact that everyone needs to eat. And, being that many commodities within agriculture, such as apples, are very labor intensive, the people that work in the industry are also very important. But while these laborers, many of who are legal or illegal immigrants from Mexico, are important to supplying Americans with food, many are compensated at a wage at or around the amount required by federal law. Since the apple industry is so labor intensive, discussions have been raised about how much the cost of labor …

Consumers And Benefits Of Genetically Modified Vegetables, Megan Carter Judge

Master's Theses

With the adoption of biotechnology in many agricultural products with first-generation biotechnology traits such as increased pest resistance, greater herbicide resistance, and increased yields the growers have accepted them. The next wave of biotech crops have second-generation traits, such as improved nutrient content, extended shelf life, reduced pesticide and herbicide application (a consumer demanded trait), and better taste. Will these consumer benefits offset any concern that the consumer has regarding biotechnology? What are those benefits and how should the information be communicated to the consumer?

Three focus groups give insight to the proposed questions. The focus groups were done in …

Integrated Conflict Management Systems As Cure And Cause: How Leaders Address Cultural Change And Conflict In Their Organizations, Brian S. Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organizations experience the bottom line impact of internal conflicts daily. Conflicts between employees simply drain organizational resources. The idea of Integrated Conflict Management Systems (ICMS) has been introduced to help minimize the impact of these conflicts. ICMS, through the development of policies and procedures to address conflicts, are actually attempting to change the organization's culture, and when organizations attempt cultural changes, conflicts are likely to occur. The primary component of cultural change is the organizational leader.

The study interviews organizational leaders about the conflicts that occur when organizations change cultures and the methods that leaders use to work through those …

Analysis Of Function Drink Brand Recognition, Natasja Kashani

Agribusiness

The beverage industry has been rapidly expanding over the last century, and currently includes a variety of smaller beverage markets. Functional Beverages have been the newest addition to the beverage industry and Function Drinks is only one of the major companies operating in this market segment. The objective of this study is to assess the current level of brand recognition for Function Drinks among college consumers. The main focus behind this research is to assist the company increase the level of consumer’s brand identification for their company and products through various forms of marketing, advertising, and promotional strategies. It is …

Perceptions Of American Wines In The United Kingdom And Uk Trend Analysis, Jordan Sauvain

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

Budget Analysis For A Napa County Vineyard, Christopher Jan Hyde

Agribusiness

This study was undertaken to determine whether farming premium wine grapes can generate profit on a 10 acre site in Napa County, and if farming wine grapes can be a profitable long term investment.

The report utilizes two techniques for analysis of the data. The break-even analysis will be used to determine whether the operation is potentially profitable. Vineyard establishment costs were outlined in and production costs (from year 3 forward) defined. Production costs and grape revenues are weighed to determine net revenues above total costs. Monthly per acre break down of costs demonstrates how vineyard production costs fluctuate during …

Thoroughbreds: European Roots, Jennifer Elaine Skidmore

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

A Marketing Plan For Main Street Small Animal Hospital In Templeton, Ca, Lisa Karcher

Agribusiness

A marketing plan was developed for Main Street Small Animal Hospital in Templeton, CA using client survey research. The surveys determined the possible marketing avenues to improve the current marketing status of Main Street.

A Study On The Feasibility Of Implementing A Replacement Heifer Enterprise, Spencer Bradley Winton

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Wine Label Design Aesthetics And The Correlation To Price, Vince Bonafede

Agribusiness

A study determining if there is a correlation between art and design characteristics on wine labels and if it determines the price points of the wine.

Inflacioni, Granit Fetoshi

Theses and Dissertations

Qëllimi i këtij studimi është që të kuptojmë rëndësinë dhe rolin e inflacionit, në mënyrë më të detajizuar në këtë punim pëveç inflacionit si tematik kyqe, do të bëhet fjalë dhe për paranë, deficitet dhe marrëdhëniet midis tyre. Objektivat kryesore të këtij punimi janë verifikimi i dijes teorike dhe praktike të arritura gjatë studimeve si dhe aftësia e studentit që të mbrojë dhe argumentojë përfundimet vetanake në lidhje me materijen të cilën e ka përpunuar në punim. Pasi që inflacioni është në marrëdhënie të ngushtë me paranë, deficitet dhe papunësinë, atëherë në këtë punim është parashtruar nevoja që edhe ato …

Writing A Usda Process Verified Program, Noah Nelson

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project undertakes the writing of a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Process Verified Program (PVP) for the cattle in California Polytechnic State University’s Beef Program. This project covers the writing of the program, its submittal for review and auditing from the USDA, and the management changes required in Cal Poly’s beef program.

Social Media As A Marketing Tool For Business Operations, Katharina Jung

Theses

The purpose of this study was to elaborate different social media tools and their benefits as well as their risk for marketers.

An increasing number of companies use social media for their purposes and Internet users spend plenty of time with social media.

The use of social media is on the rise and cannot be ignored anymore. It is more cost-effective than traditional media marketing and distribution as well as other interactive marketing. Traditional media is struggling, but there is a connection between traditional and social media, which shows that these two relate to each other and influence the overall …

Brand Extensions For Hotels’ Food And Beverage Expansion To The Outside Of Property: A Case Of Westin Chosun Hotel In Korea, Claire Hyun Jung Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

First, this paper will explain the term “brand” in general (i.e. brand, brand equity, brand image, and brand extensions) and allow readers to understand the broad concept as they begin reading. The paper will then look into the growing importance of F&B business in the hospitality industry. From the overview of the industry’s branding strategies for their F&B business management, the readers will notice that the hotels in Korea have focused on brand extensions. This paper will then introduce and examine the case of Westin Chosun Hotel in Korea which property has been known for successfully using brand extension techniques …