Business Commons^™

Data Analysis For The Cal Poly Compost Operation, Mark C. Klever

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This data analysis is an excel program designed to be a working tool to handle and analyse large volumes of numbers (temperatures) created by the Cal Poly Compost Operation. This program will help in the best management practices to quickly analyze data to help prevent, reduce or eliminate pathogens in the finished product.

Complying With Proposition 2 Chore-Time Modular Belt Cage System Modifications And The Effects, Angela Coelho, Andrew Demler

Agribusiness

The California poultry industry is at a turning point due to the approaching deadline of Proposition 2 taking effect in 2015. The method of choice to be implemented to stay in business is called an enriched colony cage system. This system is very popular in E.U production, however has yet to be implemented in the United States. Thus, for the purpose of this project the modification of Chore Time® equipment at the Cal Poly poultry unit to resemble colony cages was the taken approach.

The fiscal impact the new law will have on California egg farmers can only be estimated. …

Optimizing Finance Procurement For New Businesses, Kyle Schoenberger

Graphic Communication

When starting a business in the Graphic Communication field, capital is nearly always needed to purchase equipment as most of these graphics based businesses require state of the art computers, printing presses, and large facilities to conduct business. Such expenses can range from a few thousand to a few million dollars. While some might have previous experience procuring business capital, many have none. Being that these items are crucial to starting a business in the Graphic Communication industry, capital is a keystone to success. This study addresses the problem of how to optimize efforts when seeking capital through bank loans …

An Intercultural U.S.-China Restaurant Service Process Model: U.S.-China Servpro Restaurant Model, Pearl Teo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The globalization of markets has created many opportunities for service firms to expand internationally. China is an example of a country that has seen the growth of international service companies over the last two decades. The liberalization of economic and legal policies in China has provided the impetus for growth and development. Among one of the growth sectors of foreign services companies is western restaurants.

The Effects Of Consumer Animosity, Consumer Ethnocentrism And Patriotism On The U.S. Made Products : A Study Of Muslim Consumers In Malaysia., Khairul Anuar Mohammad Shah

Student Works (2010-2019)

The primary objective of this study is to examine the negative attitudes of Malaysian Muslim consumers towards US made products. The conceptual model for this study was adapted from the model developed by Klein, Ettenson and Morris (1998). In their model, two sources of negative attitudes towards foreign made products were included, i.e., consumer animosity and consumer ethnocentrism. However, this study integrated another source of negative attitude, i.e., patriotism. The framework of this study suggests that consumer animosity, consumer ethnocentrism and patriotism will negatively influence the judgment of US made products and, subsequently, their purchase willingness and purchase action. Also, …

Understanding Cognitive Differences In Processing Competing Visualizations Of Complex Systems, Madhavi Mukul Chakrabarty

Dissertations

Node-link diagrams are used represent systems having different elements and relationships among the elements. Representing the systems using visualizations like node-link diagrams provides cognitive aid to individuals in understanding the system and effectively managing these systems. Using appropriate visual tools aids in task completion by reducing the cognitive load of individuals in understanding the problems and solving them. However, the visualizations that are currently developed lack any cognitive processing based evaluation. Most of the evaluations (if any) are based on the result of tasks performed using these visualizations. Therefore, the evaluations do not provide any perspective from the point of …

Job Seeking And Job Application In Social Networking Sites : Predicting Job Seekers' Behavioral Intentions, Maria Marcella Plummer

Dissertations

Social networking sites (SNSs) are revolutionizing the way in which employers and job seekers connect and interact with each other. Despite the reported benefits of SNSs with respect to finding a job, there are issues such as privacy concerns that might be deterring job seekers from using these sites in their attempts to secure a job. It is therefore important to understand the factors that are salient in predicting job seekers' use of SNSs in applying for jobs.

In this research, a theoretical model was developed to explicate job seekers' intentions to use SNSs to apply for jobs. Two aspects …

Virtual World Commerce Adoption (Vwca) : A Case Study Of Second Life Investigating The Impacts Of Perceived Affordances, Trust, And Need Satisfaction, Kamolbhan Olapiriyakul

Dissertations

Virtual worlds are computer-simulated worlds in which multi-players can simultaneously interact in a rich graphical environment. The development of virtual worlds, along with the massive growth of users, creates opportunities for business organizations. This dissertation involves many studies regarding virtual world adoption in business by virtual consumers.

Most of the research in Information Systems (IS) was conducted investigating factors influencing technology adoption, such as ease of use and usefulness, subjective norms and behavioral controls, self-efficacy, performance and effort expectancy, flow, etc. However, most of these research studies focused neither on design aspects related to affordances nor users' goal-oriented behaviors, such …

Swot Analysis Of A General Store, Brooke Chandler

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Job Satisfaction Factors And Affective Commitment On The Intention To Quit For Occupations Characterized By High Voluntary Attrition, Kenneth Mark Baylor

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the antecedents to the intention to quit in an occupation characterized by a high degree of voluntary attrition. This study posits that job satisfaction and affective commitment are antecedents to voluntary turnover. The study concerns the application of Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory to determine the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction factors and affective commitment on the intention to quit among drivers in the solid waste management industry. Participants were volunteers taken from an industry leading publicly listed company, a premier privately held organization, and a unionized operation which represent all three …

The Relationship Between Perceived Leadership Practices And Organizational Culture Within The Aerospace Industry, Bradley Michael Mccain

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

There is a common thread of leadership research that theorizes the dynamic between a leader's behavior and their followers is essential in encouraging employees to exceed expectations, thereby increasing organizational performance (Bass, 1985; Bennis & Thomas, 2002; Kouzes & Posner, 1987). Research indicates transformational leadership correlates well with organizational culture, but the number of empirical studies is few. Kouzes and Posner (2002) maintain that organizations create culture; therefore a leader's behavior can and does affect organizational performance. Schein (2004) maintains it is leadership's duty to step outside the organizational culture to initiate changes (by their behavior) when warranted.

The purpose …

Application Of Multiple Intelligence Theory To An E-Learning Technology Acceptance Model, Alfred J. Degennaro

ETD Archive

With the speed of doing business on the rise, employees must learn to adapt to new technologies and improved performance expectations without losing productivity or time on task. Students looking to enter the workforce must understand that education does not end with graduation rather the expectation is that everyone will be life long learners. To meet the challenge, education providers are looking for alternative ways to bring education to the student and enhance the learning experience. With e-learning, students enjoy flexible scheduling, businesses can realize improvements in workforce skills while reducing education expenditures (i.e. improved Return On Investment, ROI) and …

Competitive Actions Of New Technology Firms The Red Queen Effect And New Firm Performance, Robert L. Porter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The competitive strategy used by a new firm may be the most important strategy it ever employs (Covin & Slevin, 1989; Ferrier, 2001). A well-chosen and executed firm strategy is essential for a firm to realize its potential competitive advantage (Porter, 1981). A firm‘s strategic intent and resulting competitive actions are especially important when firms are new and vulnerable as they strive to learn which strategic actions help them adapt to their rivals actions and to their environment (Stinchcombe, 1965). Further, the competitive actions that new firms choose to take with rival firms affects the overall competitive dynamics of their …

Trends In International Compulsory Licensing Of Pharmaceuticals Since The Institution Of The Trade-Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Protection (Trips) Agreement, Reed F. Beall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement went into effect for World Trade Organization (WTO) members in 1995. The agreement defines minimum standards of patent protection that must eventually be observed by all signatories. TRIPS includes "compulsory licensing", a policy that allows for states under certain conditions to permit the use of a patented innovation without the consent of the patent holder. This paper considers instances of compulsory licenses (CLs) aimed to increase access to pharmaceuticals during urgent public health scenarios. The WTO maintains no registry of CLs; therefore, this research is an effort to catalog as many …

Financial Crisis, Bank Acquisitions, And Value Creation: The Case Of Bank Mergers For The Past Five Years, Sarina Ar-Loc Ng

Theses Digitization Project

This paper will focus on the bank acquisitions of the United States and Europe. It will specify the most highly regarded cause of the financial crisis and consider what all the components might explain about perception of consumers in the United States and in Europe. This paper also uses a commonly used event study methodology to understand the market reaction in these bank acquisition announcements.

The Debt And Dividend Decisions For Non-Stock Cooperatives: Pecking Order Vs. Trade-Off, David P. Smiy

Theses & Honors Papers

This study tests the trade-off and pecking order theories about the debt and dividend capital decisions for non-stock electric cooperatives. Decisions to finance investments with debt or equity are important because they determine the firm's capital structure. With the trade-off theory there is an optimal balance of debt and equity, and the firm uses debt until it is more expensive than issuing equity thus reaching the firm's optimal capital structure. Meanwhile, the pecking order theorem contends the firm should use internal funds first, then debt, and equity as a last resort. Both theories have the same …

A Macroeconomic Approach Of Foreign Direct Investment (Fdi) In Post-Castro Cuba, Orlando Raimundo Villaverde

HCBE Theses and Dissertations

The Republic of Cuba has been experiencing economic fluctuations for at least the last 50 years due to endogenous and exogenous socio-economic and political conditions. Based on these factors, Cuba has lost market share and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This dissertation studied macro variables from 13 countries and tested their relationships with FDI to Cuba during the period of 1998 through 2008. The results showed that level of technology, GNI per capita, and human capital had significantly impacted FDI to Cuba. The result also determined that financial capital, energy and natural resources, transportation and communication, market type, environmental factors and …

Information Disclosure And Banking Sector Performance And Stability, Perihan Iren

ETD Archive

Over the last decade, financial and capital markets have grown very rapidly and the markets have become more complex as a result of increased used of derivative securities. The recent subprime crisis has intensified the debate regarding the need for greater transparency. The purpose of this study is to contribute to this debate by examining the relationship between the quantity and quality of information disclosure regarding a bank's securitization and credit derivative activities and the subsequent impact on bank performance and stability. The results show a significant relationship between the quality/quantity of disclosure and bank performance/stability. When information on securitization …

Business Intelligence And Learning, Drivers Of Quality And Competitive Performance, Joseph M. Woodside

ETD Archive

Purpose: As healthcare organizations expand the scope of their operations with an eye towards cost reductions, quality improvements, sustainability, increased stakeholder satisfaction and increased performance, they are increasingly investing significant resources into information systems in general and Business Intelligence Systems (BIS) in particular to provide the necessary operational and decision support information. This paper seeks to model the relationships between BIS, learning, quality organization and competitive performance, as well as measure the influence BIS has on end-user perceptions of quality and competitive performance from a learning point of view. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative methods including survey, interview, and case study …

New Product Development And Innovation Through Joint Knowledge Creation And Transfer In A Dyadic Supply Chain Relationship, Richard John Miller

ETD Archive

The development of radical and incremental products in the context of supply chain relationships is changing the competitive paradigms for individual firms. The knowledge required for innovation is no longer the sole responsibility of a single firm. As firms use their supply chain's knowledge stocks to innovate and develop products, the decisions regarding its internal and joint resource investments, the types of innovation, and how the firm and the supply chain respond to market turbulences must also change. In order to understand the dynamic behavior of this complex system, a System Dynamics simulation model of a focal firm, a supplier …

Asset Allocation With The Inclusion Of The Owner-Occupied Home, Michael M. Niro

ETD Archive

For at least the last six decades optimal portfolio selection has been one of the main focuses of financial research. Since Markowitz (1952) many authors have developed ideas about the optimal allocation of assets that have reached today's mainstream portfolio decision-making. However, many of them miss the single largest investment most people make in their lifetime, their home. Therefore, this research seeks to analyze the impact of the owner-occupied home on the portfolio in order to determine its optimal allocation. The motivation for this analysis is derived from the individual investor who spends a lifetime saving in order to maximize …

Analysis Of The Terms Of Bank Lending And Risk Management;Three Essays On Small Business Loans, Raymond L. Posey

ETD Archive

This is a three-part dissertation, which provides a multi-faceted examination of loans and lending to small businesses in the US, which are a key source of economic and job growth. From a broad perspective, this work shows the interplay among various terms of lending, marked differences in lender behavior based on size and type, and a significant role of multiple loans/lenders in explaining loan delinquencies. Essay 1 examines the role of loan guarantees in lines of credit grated to small businesses. The presence of a loan guarantee is associated with lower interest rates and smaller lines of credit. There is …

Collaborative Planning Forecasting Replenishment (Cpfr);Successful Implementation Attributes, Robert G. Stoll

ETD Archive

This dissertation paper offers a theoretical and empirical explanation for why interfirm collaborations form yet fail, and further suggests how firms might manage them for a more positive outcome. The main focus of this dissertation was to research and investigate the implementation issues in the early stages of CPFR. The crux of the argument is that firms enter into collaborative relationships because these are expected to yield superior results relative to alternate organizational forms in certain situations, offering potentially synergistic combinations of complementary resources and capabilities, yet such relationships are frequently prone to failure. Since CPFR implementations are a recent …

The Persistence Of The Glass Ceiling, Lora B. Holland

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper presents a comprehensive review and analysis of the obstacles white women encounter as they climb the corporate ladder to senior executive positions. It explores the phenomenon known as the glass ceiling. Gender issues, societal stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination will be researched to determine the impact to women seeking senior executive positions. For the purpose of this paper, senior executive positions are defined as company presidents and chief executive officers (CEO), as well as positions reporting to them. This paper will define the glass ceiling, review obstacles, determine if the obstacles still exist, and suggest ways to obtain senior …

Marketing Capability, Analyst Recommendations, And Firm Value, Tien Wang

Marketing Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation consists of two essays to investigate the potential performance impact of marketing capability. The first essay focuses on the impact of marketing capability on analyst recommendations. It examines the direct and relative effect of marketing capability on analyst recommendation metrics. The moderating effect of market competition on this capability-recommendation link is also tested. The result supports that marketing capability not only has a positive direct impact but also a stronger effect, relative to financing capability, on analyst recommendations for the firm. Furthermore, the direct effect of marketing capability on analyst recommendations is nonlinear. Pursuing an extremely high level …

Entrepreneurial Orientation: An Investigation Into The Ecology Of "Eo" Measures, Sheryl Lynn Roberts

Management Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation is designed to investigate variables that may influence the application of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) related measures commonly used in Entrepreneurship research. It examines the theoretical development and application of the construct of Entrepreneurial Orientation's related scales over time, through an historical observation analysis. Theoretical foundations are traced, uncovering stages of development in purpose and application of EO scales. The study discusses level of analysis design and respondent perception factors unique to the setting of these scales. Empirical analysis examines level of analysis application associated with aspects of profiles, perceptions, and mechanics of respondents answering EO related measures. Several …

A Correlational Study Of Telework Frequency, Information Communication Technology, And Job Satisfaction Of Home-Based Teleworkers, Shana P. Webster-Trotman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2008, 33.7 million Americans teleworked from home. The Telework Enhancement Act (S. 707) and the Telework Improvements Act (H.R. 1722) of 2009 were designed to increase the number of teleworkers. The research problem addressed was the lack of understanding of factors that influence home-based teleworkers' job satisfaction. Job dissatisfaction has been found to have a significant impact on voluntary turnover. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship among telework frequency, information communication technology (ICT), and job satisfaction. The research questions were designed to answer whether correlational relationships exist among telework frequency, ICT, and job satisfaction and …

Job Satisfaction, Job Involvement, And Perceived Organizational Support As Predictors Of Organizational Commitment, Jennifer Parker Ayers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a significant relationship between job satisfaction, job involvement, perceived organizational support, and organizational commitment among educators. A review of the literature revealed there is limited research that examined organizational behaviors among educators. Organizational commitment has been identified as a leading factor impacting an employee's level of success in various organizations. There remains a gap in the current literature regarding specific attitudinal behaviors influencing organizational commitment across various levels of education. Organizational commitment among educators employed at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels was examined. The sample for …

Who Shares? Managerial Knowledge Transfer Practices In British Columbia's Ministry Of Health Services, Gwendolyn Elizabeth Lock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The British Columbia government's Ministry of Health Services will experience significant loss of operational knowledge from an aging managerial workforce, increased staff turnover, and difficulties in recruitment. The purpose of this study is to provide the ministry's Strategic Human Resources Planning branch staff with a map and description of knowledge transfer practices used by approximately 40 managers within the ministry's Health Sector Information Management/Information Technology division and its Vital Statistics Agency. The study is a mixed-methods case study of knowledge retention and transfer practices founded on a knowledge management and social network theoretical foundation. To understand the ministry's complex nature …

The Influence Of Spirituality On Servant Leadership Among Small Business Entrepreneurs, Sharilyn D. Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Servant leadership, which promotes virtuousness and altruism, is gaining attention as a potential solution to the perceived leadership crisis, as evidenced by the ethical breakdown of some of America's largest corporations. Entrepreneurs, who represent 99% of all employers, play a significant role in the American economy as innovative risk takers and early adopters. As such, it is important to understand how they relate to servant leadership. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore research questions related to (a) the extent to which servant leadership is practiced by small business entrepreneurs, and (b) the relationship between their levels of …