Business Commons^™

Building A Business: Baker & Associates Cpa, Heath Baker

Honors Program Theses

Baker & Associates CPA is a start-up accounting firm that will offer traditional accounting services and business consulting. Located in Orange City, Iowa, Baker & Associates CPA will provide tax, audit, bookkeeping, payroll, business consulting, and financial planning services. Because of the owner, Heath Baker's, tax experience and the local market's demand for tax services, Baker & Associates CPA's core service will be tax. Baker & Associates CPA will be entering a fragmented industry that is in the growth stage. It has low barriers to entry, competes primarily on quality of service, and has fairly constant demand. By providing value …

Engagement In The Workplace: Incorporating Athletic Team Characteristics Into The Business Community In An Effort To Alleviate Male Disengagement, Matthew J. Bries

Honors Program Theses

This paper will focus on the idea of leveraging athletic team characteristics within the workplace in an attempt to alleviate disengagement amongst males. In order to understand what this disengagement is and how to alleviate it, three central themes, motivation and its relationship with engagement, engagement itself, and the power of identification in organizational engagement, will be discussed. Lastly, recommendations developed from a synthesis of engagement and athletic research will be presented.

The Aadere Model Of Progression In The Hospitality And Tourism Industry: An Empirical Study Of High-Salaried Black Managers, Ivan Benjamin Turnipseed

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Applying grounded theory methodology and method, this qualitative study uncovers and presents a rich, theoretically expressed understanding of the experience of salaried Black hospitality and tourism professionals who earn at least $100,000 annually. A 13-step customized research process featuring a novel literature review method, which utilizes researcher pre-data collection assumptions as a framework for conceptualizing and processing an unwieldy literature, enhancing post-data analysis, and developing research conclusions, is introduced.

Twenty loosely structured, open-ended, and in-depth interviews (12 male) are the singular data collection tool. An exhaustive analysis of participant transcripts resulted in 5,337 co ding in cident s , or …

Factors Related To The Unemployment Rate: A Statistical Analysis, Reanna Collins

Honors Program Theses

Current United States economic conditions have everyone searching for ways to solve the downward spiral that has instigated a crisis in the minds of many people. Rapidly increasing unemployment rates are key reasons leading to this feeling of emergency. A better understanding of unemployment trends over the past few decades and factors correlated to the rate could serve as future indicators of fluctuations in the unemployment rate. A statistical analysis was conducted to determine if any relationship between the unemployment rate and nine selected variables existed in order to identify trends in the unemployment rate and to produce a model …

Assessment Of Sustainability Of Rural Tourism Villages In Southeastern China Using Sustainable Tourism Development Indicators, Tang Chen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to assess sustainability of rural tourism practices in heritage, ecological, and ethnic communities in southeastern China, using sustainable tourism development indicators. The rural tourism communities selected for this study were Tengtou Village in Fenghua, Zhuge Bagua County in Lanxi, and She Minority Village in E Shan Tonglu, representing examples of domestic rural tourism initiatives in China. This study applied the 2004 WTO sustainability indicator model to develop appropriate indicators for assessing sustainability of rural tourism practices in the selected communities, and aimed at answering the following research questions. First, what indicators would be most …

A Study Into The Use Of Business Process Reengineering In Re-Designing Procurement Processes Within The Southern Health Board, Treasa Dempsey

Theses

Prior to undertaking the implementation of an integrated finance and procurement information system, the Southern Health Board (now know as the Health Service Executive - Southern Area) undertook a Business Process Reengineering project to redesign, standardise, streamline, and document their procurement processes. This study examines how useful Business Process Reengineering can be in a public sector environment, using the project undertaken in the Southern Health Board, as a case study. The literature on BPR, in conjunction with the material from the BPR project, and interviews from relevant project team members, is examined. The case study demonstrates that it may be …

The Cost And Benefits Of Upskilling The Irish Labour Force, Peter Daly

Theses

This study assesses the position of Irish businesses in relation to upskilling their workers in the globalised business environment. There is a scarce amount of data published on the implications for Irish businesses and their interaction state supports for upskilling the Irish labour-force.

This study has found that Irish businesses recognise that they now operate in a global market and that they believe that a strong third and vocational level of skills exist but work based skills must improve. Outsourcing parts of the business process is not considered a preferred option of skills replacement by Irish businesses but business networks …

The Organisational Impact Of Outsourcing On Multinational Businesses Operating In Ireland, Veronica Perdisatt

Theses

This study is an examination and assessment of the effectiveness of outsourcing arrangements currently employed by a sample of multinational organisations operating in Ireland. Informed by previous research, this study employs field research in the form of interviews with experienced and successful practitioners in the outsourcing industry. The study responds to issues of focus, which include the analysis of benefits of outsourcing programs, barriers to achieving outsourcing benefits and identification of unexpected or indirect impacts of outsourcing. This research highlights that from the perspective of operating from a small open economy, outsourcing is one strategy that organisations are increasingly adopting …

Integrated Marketing Communications: Student Recruitment At Cork Institute Of Technology, Mervyn O'Mahony

Theses

Competition has, and will continue to intensify further in the third-level educational sector to attain increased student numbers into the future. Third-level Institutes must focus on marketing activities, and understand that without an effective marketing communications strategy, the possibility of attracting increased numbers of students is negligible.

Cork Institute of Technology faces unprecedented funding shortfalls. This coupled with a soon to be introduced new funding mechanism, based on student numbers, has made it imperative for CIT to exploit new and innovative marketing media to generate awareness of the Institute and the courses it has to offer.

The students of today …

The Future Of The Irish Manufacturing Industry In Relation To Global Competitiveness, Joceley Martins Wilson

Theses

This study is an examination of the challenges faced by the manufacturing sector in Ireland. As the speed of globalization intensifies, new demands are constantly being levied on the manufacturing sector. In order to maintain this very important sector in Ireland, the manufacturing industry must promote constant innovation, automation and specialization, specifically in niche areas where there is a requirement for specific specialized skills, and where the labor cost is not a prohibitive or fundamental issue.

Innovation has been a key success factor for the manufactures to date, and will continue to be an ai'ea of focus as competitive forces …

Teenage Consumer Behaviour: Factors That Influence Their Purchase Decisions Towards Clothing Brands., Regina Baylor

Theses

This study explores the perceptions held by Irish teenage consumers in relation to branded clothing and investigates the different factors which influence them in their decision-making process. In seeking to expand the understanding of teenage consumer behaviour and the factors that influence their clothing brand choices, this study focuses predominantly on the susceptibility of teenage consumers to peer and reference group influence. This study examines the social and psychological concepts of attributing status, social value and specific purchase intent to clothing brands in relation to teenage consumer decision-making.

This study is therefore interested in exploring the hypothesis that branded clothing …

Little To Large: Critical Success Factors & Implications For Sme's In Kerry And Rural Ireland., Noelle Foley

Theses

This research is unique in that it profiles the growth trajectories of three global knowledge based companies in rural Ireland. The chosen companies were start-up small businesses that became international global leaders in their selected fields. The selected companies range from different industries but share similar growth trajectories and factors which have enabled high growth. There was a gap in research regarding the growth factors which have allowed small to medium-sized enterprises develop into large corporations. This study took an in-depth look at how each company has managed the vital factors in their growth transition in the hope of applying …

Examing The Need For A Code Of Conduct In New Jersey Teacher Union Contracts, Cristina M. Guarneri

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Motivational Push Factors For Visiting Reenactment Sites, Sutithee Guha

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Utilization Of A Hybrid Task Technologyfit-Technology Acceptance Model For The Evaluation Of Hotel Guest Empowerment Technologies Usage, Thomas Schrier

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the modern economy organizations are trying to find every means possible to increase productivity and reduce costs. As such many organizations have turned to technology to aid in this. Due to this in recent years there has been a transition from traditional consumer self-service environments to technology assisted self-service environments. Through the use of technology customers are able to create products and services for purchase by with little to no help from the organization providing the products and services.

The hotel industry has also seen a rise in the use of technology applications to guests in performing services once …

Cedar Rapids Flood Of 2008: Manmade Or Statistical Anomaly?, Beth Kolsrud

Honors Program Theses

One of the main research questions for this thesis is what factors caused the flooding last summer and why was it so extreme? This is an important question to answer because it is vital to understand what causes a flood of this magnitude so communities can take steps to avoid or minimize damage that may result from floods in the future. The second question is what impact does this flood have on flood insurance? Flood insurance is one tool used to protect property owners from substantial loss due to flooding and plays a vital role in recovery after a flood, …

The Financing And Reform Of The United States Healthcare System, Sarah Georgeau Bernheisel

Honors Theses

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately forty-five million people in the United States, including nearly nine million children, were without health insurance in 2007 ("Fast Stats A to Z" 1). Additionally, in 2007, nearly 30% of young adults, ages 18-24, in the United States were uninsured ("Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage" 22). Sadly, none of these figures includes the countless individuals who have insufficient healthcare coverage caused by their high out-of pocket costs compared to their wages.

The Impact On Organizational Performance Of Contextual Factors, Strategy And Management Control Systems, Nazmi Saeb Jarrar

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This dissertation examined antecedents of the use of contemporary management control systems (MCS) by testing the alignment of strategic and contextual variables with variables of contemporary systems of control in the organization. The study further explored the performance consequences of the implementation of these control systems, and the manner in which strategy can influence the organization’s control culture and management accounting practices. The impact of contextual factors, notably size and structural arrangements, such as decentralization and diversification, on management's choice of control systems were also examined. Hence, the study addressed the need for a better understanding of the association between …

An Integrated Probability-Based Approach For Multiple Response Surface Optimization, Okay Isik

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nearly all real life systems have multiple quality characteristics where individual modeling and optimization approaches can not provide a balanced compromising solution. Since performance, cost, schedule, and consistency remain the basics of any design process, design configurations are expected to meet several conflicting requirements at the same time. Correlation between responses and model parameter uncertainty demands extra scrutiny and prevents practitioners from studying responses in isolation. Like any other multi-objective problem, multi-response optimization problem requires trade-offs and compromises, which in turn makes the available algorithms difficult to generalize for all design problems. Although multiple modeling and optimization approaches have been …

Building Collaborative Capacity Across Institutional Fields: A Theoretical Dissertation Based On A Meta-Analysis Of Existing Empirical Research, Vivian Hernandez Carrasco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation study folds the existing empirical literature across a broad spectrum of disciplines with the experience of a national collaboration between Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies and the United States Army to explore the capacity and key competencies required to support successful interorganizational collaboration (IOC) at the individual and organizational level. It explores the evolution of collaboration and maps the continuum of related concepts, illustrating their distinction in a spectrum of IOC. It presents the collaboration process as a dialectic model within a Systems Psychodynamic Perspective, detailing the necessary ingredients for increasing collaborative capacity within individuals and organizations. The …

Three Essays On Chinese Outward Investment, Yan Gao

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Empirical research and theory development have traditionally focused on Western MNEs. The rise of multinational firms from the emerging markets, particularly MNEs from China has attracted limited empirical research attention. In the current research, I attempt to fill this gap by exploring the entry modes strategies, motivation and government interference when Chinese MNEs go abroad. Early international business theories suggested that firms invest abroad on the basis of possessing certain-firm specific competitive advantages. By leveraging these existing firm-specific advantages overseas, firms are able to generate sufficient returns to overcome the "liability of foreignness". These early FDI theories were largely based …

Top Management Team Heterogeneity, Global Strategic Posture, And Firm Performance: Evidence From Mnes Headquartered Around The World, Adrian Gil

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study empirically examines the relationship between top management team (TMT) heterogeneity and firm performance for a sample of multinational enterprises (MNEs) headquartered in 31 countries from across the globe. Utilizing the theoretical perspectives of upper echelons (Hambrick & Mason, 1984) and information processing (Daft, Bettenhausen, & Tyler, 1993; Galbraith, 1973), I hypothesize that global strategic posture, a measure of the intensity of a firm's involvement in the multinational business environment, moderates the relationships between TMT heterogeneity and firm performance. My findings reveal an "enhancing" interaction (Cohen, Cohen, West, & Aiken, 2003: 285-286) between the different TMT heterogeneities investigated and …

Three Essays On The Quantification, Validation, And Application Of Gray's Accounting Values, Ramon P. Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This doctoral Dissertation creates, validates and uses a quantification of country-level accounting values based on Gray's (1988) framework. This Dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay reports the theoretical foundation and method for the quantification of the accounting values. The quantification results in reported scores for each of Gray's (1988) four accounting values - Professionalism versus Statutory Control, Uniformity versus Flexibility, Conservatism versus Optimism, and Secrecy versus Transparency. Accounting values scores are reported for 58 countries. The second essay reports the method and results of validation testing preformed on the accounting values scores. The primary validation method, Multi-Trait Multi-Method …

A Qualitative Study Of The Interaction Between Maritime Pilots And Vessel Traffic Service Operators, Andreas Bach

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Shipping Strategies In Dry Bulk And Tanker Markets : Specialisation Versus Diversification, Jean-Pie Gauci-Maistre

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Defining Value Based Information Security Governance Objectives, Sushma Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

This research argues that the information security governance objectives should be grounded in the values of organizational members. Research literature in decision sciences suggest that individual values play an important role in developing decision objectives. Information security governance objectives, based on values of the stakeholders, are essential for a comprehensive security control program. The study uses Value Theory as a theoretical basis and value focused thinking as a methodology to develop 23 objectives for information security governance. A case study was conducted to reexamine and interpret the significance of the proposed objectives in an organizational context. The results suggest three …

Work Is Fun: The Phenomenon Of Boys Enjoying Work In A Camp Setting, Zina Lenore Bennion

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived outcomes of participation in a summer camp that included physical work and service as a major component. A qualitative data analysis approach was used. A convenience sample of 10 male adolescents and 10 parents were selected. The data was analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Data analysis was used to ascertain perceived outcomes from the program from both boys and their parents. Analysis of the data showed the emergence of a core theme of boys learning to work and enjoying work. Enjoying work was the term chosen to represent …

Why Do People Use Or Not Use An Information Technology: An Interpretive Investigation On The Adoption And Use Of An Electronic Medical Records System, Li Long

Theses and Dissertations

In the literature of information technology acceptance, much empirical evidence exists that is inconsistent with Technology Acceptance (TA) Models. The purpose of this study is to find out why the extant TA models fail to predict in reality as they purport to in theory. This research argues that the extant literature has not been able to explain how individuals actually form their perceptions about using an information technology. Since past research attempting to do this has been unsuccessful or empirically refuted, this research uses an interpretive case study to investigate the experiences of professionals’ adoption and use of an information …

The Perceptions Of Superintendents Regarding The Need For Graduate Business Classes In Educational Leadership, Howard Leland Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the comprehensiveness of educational leadership programs regarding the extent of appropriate business knowledge attained by public school administrators. Portions of the study included a discussion of current licensing practices, academic governance, basic business requirements for leadership and management, and basic financial literacy. A further purpose was to measure the perception of how the inclusion of specific business-oriented graduate education in the certification process might increase the initial success of administrators.

The literature review supported the concept that superintendents understand change management and fiscal responsibility. Survey respondents supported these concepts by indicating the …

Assessing Podcasting As A Learning Methodology For Digital Natives And Digital Immigrants In The Corporate Learning Environment, Niccole Byrd Chandler

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher examined employee perceptions of pod casting through the use of the Technology Acceptance Model and how those perceptions influenced corporate decision making for the selection of podcasting technologies. The stratified random sample was divided into two groups: digital natives (N = 127) and digital immigrants (N = 128). Both groups consisted of employees that work within learning environments at one of three service-oriented organizations within the United States. The groups answered the survey-based test to determine their perceptions of ease of use and usefulness toward podcasting in a corporate training environment. Results revealed a statistically significant difference between …