Business Commons^™

Harmony In Collaboration: Curating Sustainability In Post-Pandemic Arts, Natalie M. Stepaniak

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In an interconnected world, collaboration in the arts is rising, challenging the traditional notion of the solitary artist. Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for advancing performing and visual arts, especially amidst declining audience attendance. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating challenges for the arts sector, recent data suggests a gradual recovery, with collaborative efforts fostering resilience.

This dissertation investigates the transformative potential of interdisciplinary collaboration from the perspective of musicians and their organizations. Through three case studies—collaborations between the Rapides Symphony Orchestra and Play On Theater Company, The Next Festival for Emerging Artists, and violist-composer Leilehua Lanzilotti and her collaborative relationship with …

Ethical Leadership And Moral Foundations Congruence, Sarah Willey

Dissertations

Research has examined follower perceptions of ethical leadership, but rarely accounts for the (mis)alignment between a follower’s sense of ethics and morality and that of a leader. This research examined the effects of a leader’s expression of each of the five Moral Foundations dimensions on ethical leadership perceptions, moderated by the respondent’s preferences for each of these foundations. To address this question, a policy capturing design was used to manipulate leaders’ high and low levels of each of the five foundations. The results of multilevel analyses indicate that at least for some dimensions of Moral Foundations, a follower’s evaluation of …

Improving On-Time Delivery Rates In Manufacturing By Manipulation Of Materials Requirements And Planning Dates. Aligning Scheduled Production Finish Date With Customer Request Date., Devin Dereski

Honors Theses

Firm A is a leading manufacturer of their product category. However, even still there is great pressure from customers to take business to their competitors based on the reliability of Firm A’s on-time Delivery. There are large financial consequences for these customers anytime they need a specific product but are not able to get it in time, amounting in hundreds of thousands of dollars per day per part. This has led Firm A to base their primary performance metric to be their on-time delivery rate for their Order Management Department.

For some reason, on-time delivery was a constant struggle for …

The Moderating Effect Of Leadership Style On The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Organizational Justice And The Performance Appraisal Satisfaction Of Sport Employees, Jeffrey S. White

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of how leadership style influences the relationship between sport employee perceptions of organizational justice and their satisfaction with performance appraisals. Sport employees are integral to the sport ecosystem, contributing to the physical, mental, and professional development of athletes, the operational success.

Focusing on these crucial constructs, the purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of leadership style on the relationship between organizational justice and performance appraisal satisfaction among sport employees. This quantitative empirical research utilizes PLS-SEM and multiple regression analysis with an aim to confirm the relationship between organizational justice and PAS …

Unpacking Influence: Dissecting Engagement Drivers And Dynamics For Effective Influencer Marketing Strategies, Nichole W. Santee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite influencer marketing's growing significance, brands face challenges in identifying the most effective influencers for their campaigns. This dissertation addresses a gap in influencer marketing engagement literature, focusing on the determinants of consumer engagement in social media interactions.

The impact of specific characteristics found within the proposed influencer marketing sender-receiver communication model on eight behavioral social media engagement metrics is analyzed through a non-traditional content analysis of 218 Instagram influencers utilizing AI analytics platforms. Results reveal several characteristics that significantly affect behavioral engagement, while others have conflicting effects, highlighting the complex nature of the IM industry. Eight hierarchical regressions showed …

Board Gender Diversity And Its Impact On Financial Performance And Risk-Taking: A Study Of Listed North American Companies, Ambrose Houphouet

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

In today's globalized world, gender diversity is increasingly recognized as vital for companies, yet women remain underrepresented in leadership positions. The lack of representation of women in leadership roles and their possible impact on business performance have led to a greater awareness of gender diversity on corporate boards in recent years. However, men dominate in some fields and the representation of women in decision-making levels is very low and it is unclear whether gender diversity brings any benefits to the company in terms of financial performance and risktaking. Therefore, the study examines the impact of gender diversity on financial performance …

Exploring Recognition, Rewards, And The Multi-Generational Workforce During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sara J. Hollenbeck

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

This study sheds light on the importance of rewards and recognition programs in improving employee engagement and highlights the need for organizations to rethink their rewards and recognition strategies to better meet the needs of multi-generational employees. One problem found in organizations was that many current multi-generational employees had low engagement due, in part, to outdated rewards and recognition programs (Agarwal et al., 2018; North, 2017; O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021). There was a gap in research regarding multi-generational employees in multiple professions and their perceptions of rewards and recognition and how those monetary and non-monetary rewards could affect their engagement …

Examining The Digital Literacy Competencies And Practices Of Generation Z Employees In Higher Education, Ashlea L. Wilson

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the digital literacy of Gen Z employees in higher education and provide implications for HRD research and practice and contribute to the HRD literature on Gen Z employees in the 21st century workforce. Three research questions guided my study: How do Gen Z employees in higher education experience digital literacy? What digital literacy skills gaps exist in Gen Z employees in higher education? And what can higher education institutions do to close the digital literacy gap for Gen Z employees entering the workforce? To examine the lived experiences of Gen Z employees’ …

The Relationship Between Operating Efficiency, Credit Score, And Small Business Sustainability, Garfield Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The first 5 years of a small business (SB) life are critical because 50-60% fail. SB leaders are concerned about the inability of many SBs to attain sustainability within 5 years, given their pivotal role in owner and community financial viability. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between SB operating efficiency, credit score, and sustainability. Secondary data for 211 closed and 211 companies still operating from 2013 to 2023 were collected from the Data Axle website for analysis. The results of the binary logistic regression were significant, X2 …

Marketing In Higher Education: The Effects On The College Choice Experience Of First-Generation Latinx Students, David Cortez

Dissertations and Theses

The Latinx population in the United States has drastically increased over the last twenty years. During the same period, the number of first-generation Latinx students enrolling in higher education post-recession has also increased by as much as 1.5 million students. The expansion of the Latinx student population in Oregon has mirrored the national trend by exponentially increasing over the last 10 years. As the population of first-generation Latinx students grows, it becomes essential to explore the issues and barriers Latinx students face in making their college choices. Previous researchers have found that selecting the right institution is important to increase …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Smartphone Retail Shopping Apps Through The Lens Of Customer Value, Satisfaction, And Loyalty, Jean B. Ntahontuye

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Retail e-commerce revenue was $904.9 billion in 2022; of this amount, $431.4 billion was realized via smartphone retail shopping apps, which is a 95% increase from 2019, and retail e- commerce is projected to exceed $1.7 trillion by 2027 (Statista, 2023a). Given the increasing popularity of these apps among consumers, management and marketing literature continues to debate what makes consumers accept and adopt retail shopping apps as their preferred online shopping method. Failure to understand what motivates consumers to repeatedly buy household goods via smartphone retail shopping apps may cause retailers to mistarget their customers by allocating scarce resources to …

Career Commitment Of Female Mid-Level Leaders In The Tourism And Hospitality Industry In The State Of Florida: A Narrative Inquiry Approach, Amy M. Bernard Harrelson

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The tourism and hospitality industry (THI) is the leading industry in the state of Florida's economy, yet it faces challenges related to workforce retention and leadership diversity. The aim of this dissertation was to explore the career commitment of female mid-level leaders within this industry, focusing on the factors influencing their commitment to their careers in the THI. This study involved in-depth interviews with three female mid-level leaders working in the THI in the state of Florida, using a qualitative research method with a narrative inquiry approach. The findings revealed that these leaders are driven by a profound passion for …

The Influence Of Coaching Behaviors On Gen Z Collegiate Athletes And Team Morale, Erik Bennett

PhD in Organizational Leadership

A coach's behavior significantly influences both athlete and team morale. As a generational change occurs, the behaviors exhibited by coaches may also require change. As members of Generation Z (Gen Z) begin to fill collegiate sports rosters, understanding their unique characteristics and preferences becomes critical for effective coaching strategies. Drawing upon generational studies and the interviews of six collegiate athletes within the Gen Z cohort, how coaching behavior influences collegiate athletes' athletic performance and team morale was analyzed within this cohort. Using a qualitative approach, data gathered from the six Gen Zaged collegiate athletes were analyzed to reveal patterns of …

A Quantitative Study Of The Influence Of Emotional Intelligence On The Ministerial Effectiveness Of Executive Pastors As Scored By Their Lead Pastors., Thomas P. Frisinger

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Over the past two decades, churches have expanded their pastoral staff to include executive pastors (XP) to support lead pastors (LP) by mitigating stress and enhancing effectiveness (Krenz-Muller, 2022; Tidwell, 2020) in finances, facilities, and governmental entities, and staff oversight and development. This study involved an examination of the relationship between the emotional intelligence (EI) levels of XPs, using the TEIQue-SF (Cooper & Petrides, 2010), and their perceived ministerial effectiveness (ME) as assessed by LPs on the Ministerial Effectiveness Survey (MES; Dobrotka & Frisinger, 2024). The aim of the study was to identify any significant correlation between XPs and ministerial …

How Leaders Make Sense Of Esg To Lead Sustainable Businesses: Multiple Case Studies, Tiffany M. Crosby

PhD in Organizational Leadership

This multiple case qualitative research study involved an exploration of ESG leadership in four publicly-traded Midwestern U.S. sustainability-oriented companies to determine what the process of leading ESG looks like, how sustainability leaders integrate environmental, social, and economic goals, and how an organization’s internal and external affect sustainability leadership. Numerous quantitative studies have linked prevailing behavioral leadership theories to improved financial performance outcomes for sustainability-oriented companies, but qualitative research into ESG leadership practices has been limited, creating a gap that is addressed through this study. Using a conceptual framework grounded in upper-echelon and stakeholder theories, the ESG leadership practices of an …

Workshop Series: Embark On Your Journey Of Growth And Development, Heather Wilharm

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Project Overview: Embark is a workshop series structured to assist entry-level associates in beginning, continuing, or restarting a journey of growth and development by offering each participant valuable knowledge, tools, and strategies to become a lifelong learner.

Project Themes: The curriculum consists of three steps, each with three to four modules. Step One—During Step One, each participant will understand their real (and true) needs, desires, goals, strengths, and everything else that makes you tick. Step Two—During Step Two, each participant will learn what it takes to optimize their performance which will inform their individualized growth and development plan. Step Three—During …

Study On The Structural Influence Mechanism Of Robot Construction On Real Estate Project Costs: Moderating Effect Of Management Change, Xiujuan Wei

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Cost control in construction is crucial for the survival of real estate enterprises. Especially in the context of cyclical downturns in the real estate industry, it is essential to achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement in real estate projects. Currently, the widespread application of robotics technology may hold the key to achieving this goal. Robotics technology is widely recognized for its ability to automate tasks and reduce labor costs. However, it also brings about transformative impacts on management, organization, production, and processes, which can paradoxically increase project costs. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research focusing on the impact of …

A Study Of Learnability In Software As Perceived By Practitioners In User Experience And Learning Design Professions, Courtney N. Miller

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

In the technology space, there are many factors that contribute to the marketability of software, including pricing and overall usefulness of the product (Jayathilaka, 2021). Many factors contribute to how usable a software is, including satisfaction, error prevention, memorability, efficiency, and learnability (Nielsen, 1994b). Learnability is one factor that may be affected or addressed by both user experience (UX) and learning design (LD) professional groups. While both fields address learnability, very few studies have been conducted to look at the UX interpretation of learnability as it relates to the LD interpretation (Elliott et al., 2002; Li et al., 2023). This …

The Blessed Assembly: Irreplaceable Physical Co-Presence In Worship And Healthy Hybridity Reimagined After The Pandemic In The Digital Age, Yvette, Ying Wai Lau

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Because of the unprecedented and unexpected force of the pandemic since 2020, most churches around the world have experienced some online worship during the lockdown of their cities or the mandated closure of the church buildings. For many people, online worship seems to be an equivalent, if not better, alternative for gathering together—a physical co-presence in worship—even after the pandemic has ended. As necessary and vital as online worship experiences have been for Christians during the pandemic, the witness of the church from Pentecost throughout Christian history indicates that gathered worship in physical spaces is irreplaceable for faith formation and …

How Passion Functions In Sport Applicant Attraction: A Biometric Approach, Jiayao Qi

Theses and Dissertations

Passion has been extensively researched from the perspective of athletes, entrepreneurs, and employees. In this dissertation, the researcher conducted an in-depth investigation of the way passion functions in sport job attraction. The two-stage experimental design combines the pioneer biometric methodology with qualitative inquiry, and 25 job seekers selected from a larger sample participated in the biometric lab. Results indicate that the interplay between cognitive and affective appraisals is critical in explaining sport job seekers’ highly individualistic and discriminative attraction toward work opportunities in sport. In particular, sports job seekers foster work passion through their multiple identifications with sport (playing history, …

Transaction Monitoring And Enforcing Confidentiality On Blockchain Transactions, Musa Omobolanle Ogunyemi

Executive DBA Dissertations

There has been significant growth in the adoption of blockchain technology mainly due to its inherent advantages, such as decentralization, disintermediation, security, store of value, etc. These characteristics have enhanced the adoption of blockchain which can be noticed in the increasing popularity of its use cases such as cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin and Ether), Non-Fungible Token (NFTs), Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Initial Coin Offerings ICOs, etc. However, despite its promise, there are still some fundamental weaknesses in the workings of blockchain technology. A balanced tweaking of these weaknesses can further enable it to realize its full potential with the attendant multiplier effects on …

Two Essays On Asset Prices Around Securities Class Action Lawsuits, Sounak Saha

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Essay 1: Prior studies on securities class action lawsuits have found that there are large negative abnormal returns and an increase in short-selling activity in the days preceding the lawsuit filing. These findings have largely been attributed to anticipatory inference and private information. However, our analysis of a large sample spanning 2009-2019 reveals that more than half of the lawsuits had a public announcement about the law firm investigation in the days leading up to the lawsuit filing. Strikingly, we find that the average cumulative abnormal return during the 10-day pre-filing period was: (1) over -17% for lawsuits with a …

Two Essays On Labor Heterogeneity, Enxi An

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Labor heterogeneity limits firm flexibility, subsequently affecting a firm's capacity to adapt and grow within a dynamic economic landscape and to formulate effective financial strategies. Firms with high labor heterogeneity tend to incur significant labor adjustment costs, making it costly and challenging to adjust their workforce in response to economic changes. While retaining skilled labor can be advantageous in preserving valuable human capital, it also incurs considerable economic costs that significantly influence firms' financial strategy and decision-making processes. This dissertation comprises two essays that explore the implications of firms' dependence on skilled labor.

The first essay empirically investigates how labor …

The Effect Of Advertising On Consumer Self-Improvement Motivation: When And How Advertising Motivates Consumers, Suwakitti Amornpan

Theses and Dissertations

In today's modern world, advertising permeates nearly every facet of consumers’ daily lives, from billboards over city streets to posts seamlessly integrated into social media feeds. The current research identifies a positive unintended consequence of advertising on consumer behavior: increased consumer self-improvement motivation. Across four studies, I find that exposure to mass (vs. luxury) advertising increases consumer motivation to engage in self-improvement. Specifically, I argue that because advertisements for mass (vs. luxury) products prime attainable (vs. unattainable) consumption goals, they increase consumer confidence in their ability to achieve their consumption goals (i.e., they enhance self-efficacy perceptions). This, in turn, puts …

Faith, Trust, And Pixie Dust: Understanding The Visions And Responsibilities Of The Varsity Esports Program Director, William Alan Fisackerly

Theses and Dissertations

The budding esports scene has drawn attention from higher education institutions in North America, who are growing community, competitive, and pedagogical esports initiatives. Varsity Esports Programs (VEPs) have proliferated since Robert Morris launched the first varsity program in 2014, with over 12,800 players from 650 institutions competing in the Spring 2023 National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Starleague season alone (Butler University Set To Host NACE Starleague’s Spring 2023 Grand Finals, 2023). Despite this growth, little is known about the Varsity Esports Program (VEP), specifically from the perspective of the directors that oversee their operations. Previous work exploring the creation …

Can A Tobin Tax Curb Speculation In The Housing Market? A Study On The Effect In The Primary Market Of Hong Kong Tax Policy, Dinh Tuan Dang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study examines the effect of Special Stamp Duty (SSD) and Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD) on Hong Kong’s housing prices in the primary market. Using micro transaction data, I show that the Tobin tax policies were not effective in cooling the primary market. The primary market responded differently when facing the two events. Specifically, SSD Phase 1 led to a 9.4% price increase within 6 to 12 months post-implementation, suggesting a lag effect. The introduction of SSD Phase 2 and BSD initially caused a significant 13.1% price surge in the first 6 months, but was followed by a notable 9% …

Essays On Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Management, Bowen Zhou

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation comprises three essays that investigate the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business.

Chapter 1 investigates the fundamental issue of how integrating AI within R&D activities influences a firm’s market value. We developed an "AI Index" using patent data and textual analysis. Interestingly, empirical results indicate a negative correlation between AI integration and market value. However, this does not suggest that AI is an unviable avenue for exploration. Further analysis of the boundary conditions reveals that complementary assets are crucial for successful commercialisation, highlighting that while AI adoption is costly, these assets significantly enhance its market value. …

Examining A Regulatory Flexibility Framework Of Psychological Distress: Integrating Distress Tolerance, Emotion Differentiation, And Emotion Regulation Flexibility, Germaine Yue Qi Tng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Several theoretical accounts identify emotion regulation (ER) difficulties, including poor abilities to withstand or distinguish negative emotions, as a transdiagnostic risk factor for symptoms of psychological distress. Considering this, nascent evidence hints that ER flexibility may be a mediating mechanism that explains the relationship between specific ER abilities (i.e., distress tolerance, negative emotion differentiation) and distress symptoms. Across time-lagged (Study 1) and three-wave longitudinal (Study 2) investigations of college-aged adults, a regulatory flexibility framework of distress was examined in which ER flexibility mediates the respective pathways from distress tolerance and negative emotion differentiation to psychological distress symptoms. Furthermore, we explored …

The Impact Of Organizational Dynamic Capability On Collaborative Innovation: A Supply Chain Perspective, Xiangdong Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Innovation capability is one of the most important competitive advantages of the firms, and fully collaborating with partners in the supply chain to form an innovation alliance has been proven can effectively promote the firm’s innovation performance. This research apply case study on China sportswear supply chain with a mixed method, aims to disclose the innovation Black-box and reveal the influencing factors and its mechanism. The study consists of two parts, Study 1 is semi-structured interviews with 32 industry experts, through the analysis of the interview records, we figured out what factors the industry experts believe it can improve the …

Neurodivergent Employees: The Impact Of The Disclosure Decision And Subsequent Workplace Accommodations, Tamara Farquhar

Theses and Dissertations

A great deal of organizational investments have gone towards diversifying the labor force as of late. However, the same cannot be said for efforts made towards making newly acquired talent feel included. Neurodivergent individuals in particular have not been sufficiently welcomed in organizations, partially explaining their reluctance to disclose their identity along with feeling excluded. Despite researchers framing the characteristics displayed by neurodiverse talent as natural variations found at the tail ends of the bell curve, many people are incapable of viewing them as such. Discrimination and stereotyping have thus resulted, further dampening neurodivergent employees’ work experiences. These two factors …