Business Commons^™

The Research Of The Non-Financial Factors In The Investment Decision, Wenbiao Hou

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Driven by globalization and technological innovation, the complexity of investment decisions is continuously increasing. While traditional financial factors still play a crucial role in these decisions, an increasing number of real-life cases indicate that investors are relying more on non-financial factors. This paper systematically analyzes the impact of these non-financial factors in the framework of investment decision-making.

This paper employs a mixed research method, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative analyses to ensure comprehensive coverage of the topic. First, it outlines the theoretical basis and development of non-financial factors in investment decisions through a review of prior literature. Next, it collects …

Esg Performance And Debt Financing Cost, Bo Shi

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation thematic model, I calculate the comprehensiveness score of corporate ESG report and examine how the score correlates with corporate debt financing cost. Based on the empirical analysis over a sample of Chinese listed A-share firms with available ESG reports. I find that more comprehensive ESG report reduces corporate debt financing cost. Specifically, an increase by one standard deviation in ESG report comprehensiveness can decrease corporate debt financing cost by 3.88%. In heterogenous analysis, I find that the effect of ESG input on reducing corporate debt cost is stronger for state-owned firms. Good financial performance of …

Marketing Budgeting In The Upper Echelons, Junqiu Jiang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Marketing professionals and academics frequently highlight the challenges of obtaining and protecting the marketing budget. However, prior academic research predominantly focusses on the optimal allocation of a given marketing budget, with little attention directed towards understanding the organizational process of securing approval for the marketing budget. Accordingly, this dissertation addresses this gap with two essays examining the marketing budgeting process by drawing on the theories-in-use (TIU) of both Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) seeking approval for the marketing budget, and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) approving the marketing budget. In Essay 1, I explore the objectives of both CMOs and CEOs …

The Effect Of Culture On Paying And Playing Free-To-Play Mobile Games: A Comparative Study Between China And The Usa, Erik Eugene Ford

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In this dissertation, the effect of culture on consumers’ desire to pay for and play free-to-play (F2P) mobile games was examined. Culture can be defined as the “collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group of categories of people from others” (Hofstede, 2011). The study compared consumers in China and the United States who completed an online survey. Cultural scientists such as Hall and Hofstede defined these two countries as the two largest gaming markets in the world with very different cultures. The research method included a questionnaire. The sample size was 201 people in China …

Sports Broadcasting In 2024: Analyzing The Transition From Linear To Connected Tv With An Emphasis On Sports Streaming, Noah Benjamin Holiber

Journalism

The ongoing movement away from linear television (broadcast and cable) towards connected TV (streaming services) has boosted popularity amongst streaming services greatly. Since the inception of the streaming services, sports have remained a linear TV attraction. However, the continued evolution of this transition has reached a tipping point characterized by rapidly intensifying competition between streaming platforms for sports programming. The “streaming wars'' will drive an increase in the overall value of sports media rights and fundamentally alter sports programming consumption behavior. Popular streaming services continue to bid for the rights to broadcast sports games. This paper will examine trends in …

Uncovering The Mimicry Of Online Review Breadth And Depth And Its Subsequent Effect On Consumer Responses, Andrea Pelaez Martinez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Word-of-mouth (WOM) in marketing occurs when consumers discuss a company's product or service or any consumption experience with their friends, family, and others with whom they have any relationship. With the advent of social media, this phenomenon has expanded rapidly into virtual environments where consumer conversation is enabled through chats, forums, social media posts, and online reviews. In response to this rapid growth of online WOM, academics and practitioners have focused their interest on this phenomenon and its implications on consumers, firms, and society. So far, the evidence of the critical role that online WOM plays in helping consumers make …

Mandatory Esg Disclosure And Executive Compensation: Evidence From The Europe Union Non-Financial Reporting Directive, Dana Lacondre Nugent

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The European Parliament passed the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) with the intent to “encourage firms to identify and manage ESG risk” and “provide more transparent and relevant information …intended to empower stakeholders” (EU Directive 2014/95/EU). In my dissertation, I examine whether this change in the information environment is associated with a change in discretionary compensation as a result of decision-useful information conveyed in the mandated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures. While I expected that new ESG information (Resist) would experience cross-setting changes, my results show that the impact of the mandate is more nuanced. I find herein that …

Naturify 2300, Yarina Yiwei Dai

Masters Theses

In my art practice, I explore the interplay between human desires to manipulate and anthropomorphize nature, as seen in the technological augmentation of plants and living entities. This investigation delves into how this intersection, alongside empathy towards these creations, contributes to fears of uncontrollability and the risks of addiction and excessive dependence on technology.

Bioengineering and genetic modification have cultivated unprecedented developments, allowing humans to manipulate the fundamental building blocks of life. My research speculates on this technology further, modifying the genetic code of organisms and creating bioengineered wearable entities with enhanced traits or entirely new functionalities. The primary objective …

Call And Response : Experiments In Storytelling, Deanne Fernandes

Masters Theses

Being part of RISD's inaugural Masters of Illustration cohort has been an immense honor. This journey has been nothing short of transformative and healing, as it has allowed me to unearth layers of self-discovery through my creative practice.

In my thesis, I introduce a fresh research methodology rooted in the principles of call and response, with adaptability, creativity, and storytelling as its foundational pillars. Through the lenses of visual storytelling, experimental animation, graphic journalism, and fictional world-building, I demonstrate how these techniques can effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice. This dynamic approach fosters meaningful connections among diverse perspectives …

The Impact Of Renewable Energy Adoption On State-Level Housing Market Prices, Hernan Checchi

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

Renewable energy continues to gain popularity amongst businesses and residents due to the growing concerns on climate change, government regulations and the overall need for a more sustainable energy system. Renewable energy has surged in popularity due to declining costs, and the growing awareness of the need for renewable energy to combat ongoing climate issues. The transition to renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal power is expected to have a significant impact on various aspects of the economy including the housing market. This research aims to explore the relationship between renewable energy adoption and housing prices in the …

Economic Policy Uncertainty And The Uncovered Interest Rate Parity Of Exchange Rate Determination, Yanyan Freitag

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

I argue that the Uncovered Interest Rate Parity (UIRP) relationship depends on the Economic Policy Uncertainty zones (EPU). The UIRP-EPU relationship is state-dependent, non-linear, and asymmetric. Using the monthly data for the sample period January 1999 to December 2023, I test the relationship between changes in the U.S. Dollar in the Euro exchange rate and the spread between the yields on the 10-year U.S. Treasury Note vs. the euro area 10-year convergence bond. The relationship is tested at three different zones or ‘levels’ of the EPU for the U.S. The low, intermediate, and high EPU zones are determined by employing …

The Impact Of Soft Skills Training On Guest Satisfaction In The Hospitality Industry, Lawrie Colaco Mr

Masters Projects

The hospitality industry has become immensely fast-paced, and prioritizing guest satisfaction levels has been one of the main objectives. While hard skills such as technical expertise and operational proficiency are important aspects which are required by the hospitality staff, soft skills also play a pretty significant role. Soft skills enable the staff to be adaptive and communicative, it raises their empathy levels and teaches them to control their emotions and perform under stressful working environments. The importance of soft skills in this sector cannot be overemphasized, not only does this help with harbouring a positive attitude among the employees but …

Fluid Futures: The Revitalization Of Yangzhou Through Its Historical Waterways, Feiyang Wu

Masters Theses

In China, cities such as Yangzhou, which in pre-modern times played central roles in the political, cultural, and economic functioning of the country based on their geographic location, proximity to water-based trade routes, and connections to the imperial court, are today facing uncertain futures due to waterways no longer being critical to trade, and government-driven development being focused on first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. With this, the working-age population migrates from smaller cities toward these urban giants, leaving behind aging relatives, a less robust and diversified economic base, and few attributes other than cultural tourism that …

Fpdr And Portland: A Concerned Accountant's Perspective, Noah Roth

University Honors Theses

Established in 1942, the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) fund was intended to attract young men to serve as firefighters and police officers in the city of Portland. FPDR provides defined benefit retirement payments to some 2000 retirees from Portland Fire and Rescue and the Portland Police Bureau. Portlanders are obligated to pay these benefits through a property tax levy determined by the proprietors of the Fund itself. The overall liability owed to these retirees, and current employees, accounts for more than half of all liabilities owed by the city of Portland, representing a fiscal burden that calls …

Risk Analysis In Financial Statements, A Comparative Study Of Ai Vs Human Risk Assessment, Andre Denegri

University Honors Theses

This theses explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the auditing industry, focusing on its implications for audit quality, efficiency, and the evolving role of human auditors. A comprehensive review of relevant literature highlights the integration of AI-driven tools such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing in audit processes, emphasizing their capabilities in enhancing risk assessment, fraud detection, and data analytics.

The experimental design features an innovative approach to compare the efficacy of AI and human auditors in conducting risk analysis for three companies--Blockbuster, Enron, and Lehman Brothers--presented anonymously with pre-bankruptcy financial information. The findings …

Business Capstone Review: Team Dynamic Effects On Business Decision-Making, Lauren Mann

University Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on team dynamics and how they affect business decision-making when finding solutions collectively. It analyzes new team dynamics in relation to Tuckman's model of the five stages of team development. While much-existing research measures team dynamics and leadership styles, the purpose of this study is to highlight the characteristics and processes created in teams that lead to the strongest results. The constructive cohesion of team members comes from building a specific culture based on attitudes and guidelines. This knowledge is valuable because it can lead to the success or failure of decisions. This thesis argues that relationship-building …

Condiciones Laborales De La Floricultura En Colombia, Alexander Thibado

University Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the laboral conditions and the socioeconomic implications of the Colombian floriculture industry. The proportion of employment opportunities for rural Colombian peasant women is examined and how it challenges traditional gender structures in Colombia and the empowerment of the female workers. Likewise the controversy of domestic violence is addressed and how workshops given in flower farms contribute to its prevention and addressing. In addition, the usage of pesticides in flower production and its significance for the health of the workers is examined, highlighting the associated risks with long-term exposure to chemical pesticides and the importance of protection and …

Financial Time Series Fusion, Completion, And Prediction With Deep Neural Networks, Dan Zhou

Dissertations

Time-series analysis is essential for a wide range of financial applications, including but not limited to bond valuation, firm earnings forecasts, firm fundamentals predictions, and firm characteristics imputations. Given its considerable value, the financial community has shown a strong interest in refining and advancing time-series analysis techniques. The study in this dissertation contributes to this field by employing advanced machine learning approaches, specifically graph neural networks, deep neural networks, and matrix/tensor methods. The primary objectives are twofold: first, to reveal complex correlations within financial time series to improve prediction accuracy, and second, to enhance the process of integrating and imputing …

Sensing With Integrity: Responsible Sensor Systems In An Era Of Ai, David Eisenberg

Dissertations

Deep and machine learning now offer immense benefits for consumer choice, decision-making, medicine, mental health and education, smart cities, and intelligent transportation and driver safety. However, as communication and Internet technology further advances, these benefits have the potential to be outweighed by compromises to privacy, personal freedom, consumer trust, and discrimination. While ethical consequences for personal freedom and equity rise from these technological advances, the issue may not be the technology itself but a lack of regulation and policy that allow abuses to occur. A first study examines how emerging sensor-based technologies, limited to only accelerometer and gyroscope data from …

Tied Together With Ticketmaster: Analyzing The Exclusive Contracts Of Ticketmaster Through The Lens Of Antitrust Scholars, Jenna Gillam

Honors Projects

The Eras Tour Verified Fan Sale in 2022 revealed major flaws in the ticket-buying process, which many attributed to Ticketmaster's dominant industry position. The exclusive contracts of Ticketmaster have been their source of gaining a competitive advantage in the ticketing industry, but many have been critical of these contracts for restricting competition in this industry. This research analyzes the effect of the exclusive contracts of the merged Ticketmaster-Live Nation entity on competition in the ticketing industry through the lens of prominent antitrust scholars. Previous literature reveals differing ideas about whether exclusive contracts are an exclusionary practice and literature identifies the …

Neural Operator For Accelerating Coronal Magnetic Field Computations In Bifrost Mhd Model, Yutao Du

Theses

The application of the Tensorized Fourier Neural Operator (TFNO) to significantly enhance the computational efficiency of coronal magnetic field calculations within the Bifrost Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model is introduced in this study. Leveraging simulated data from the European Sunrise Science Data Center, the TFNO? an extension of the Fourier Neural Operator (FNO) that incorporates tensor decomposition for improved handling of high-dimensional data?is employed to solve time-varying partial differential equations (PDEs) over a 3D domain. The performance of the TFNO is compared with traditional machine learning methods, including Vision Transformer and CNN-RNN (encoder-decoder) architectures, to demonstrate its accuracy, computational efficiency, and scalability. …

More Than Just A Paycheck: Campus Student Employment As High-Impact Practice, Katie Martin

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Institutions of higher education have a unique opportunity to support their students’ holistic development by incorporating elements of high-impact practice into campus jobs. High-impact practices ask students to dedicate significant time and energy to meaningful work, which channels students’ efforts toward productive activities that deepen their learning and is correlated with higher levels of learning outcome achievement and persistence. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly half of today’s college students are employed, which can distract from their ability to be successful in school. Using features of high-impact practice, universities can leverage campus jobs to offer students employment …

The Accessibility And Affordability Of Televised Sport And Effects On Viewership, Pershelle Rohrer

Honors Projects

This research examined how accessibility and affordability impact viewership for consumers of live sports content. More specifically, this study analyzed the viewing preferences of sport management majors at a Midwestern mid-major university. Accessibility and affordability of sports programming has previously been studied, particularly relating to cable and satellite television. However, this study also examined this developing relationship in the emerging age of sports on live streaming services. The following research question guided this study: How do accessibility and affordability of televised sports impact viewership for viewers? Three sub-questions were asked to create a better understanding of the primary research question. …

Digital Technology Usage Behaviour Among Unorganised Retailers In Tamil Nadu, Karthik Ram M

Theses and Dissertations

Unorganised retail, consisting of small local shops offering various products, holds a significant market share of 81.50 %, according to the India Retailer Report (2023). Despite the burgeoning e-commerce and organised retail sectors, unorganised retail remains a preferred shopping choice for many consumers.

In response to the sector's potential, several startups have emerged, aiming to support kirana stores. While these startups have primarily focused on horizontal solutions to enhance efficiency, there is a growing need for tailored solutions addressing the specific requirements of unorganised retailers.

Introducing the Dukantech (Dukan in hindi meaning ‘Shop’) model as a solution, this approach enables …

1 A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Hospital-Based Physical Therapy Department Leaders’ Most Successful Change Management Initiative, Joseph Patanella

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

A phenomenological study of the lived experiences of hospital-based physical therapy department leaders’ most successful change management initiative

Problem: Change management initiatives are consistently employed in healthcare to promote quality care. Of concern is that not all initiatives are successful. Individuals involved in successful change management can offer insight to those approaching initiatives.

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of hospital-based physical therapy department leaders’ most successful change management initiative.

Methods: The research design was a qualitative approach. A phenomenological research design was employed, using the voice of a group that has …

Back To The Office: Us Employee Reluctance And Re-Engagement Strategies, Khin Thaw Ta Chit

Student Theses and Dissertations

When the pandemic era was concluded, organizations were facing difficulties in bringing employees back to the office. The purpose of this study is to investigate dynamics influencing employee reluctance to be back to the office and to explore the effective re-engagement strategies aiming to propose effective strategies. Although there is a good amount of literature exploring the employee reluctance to be back to the office, there are gaps such as the need for post-pandemic studies and inclusive communication strategies, underscore the timeliness and relevance of the proposed thesis. By using a qualitative method, a survey utilizing Qualtrics Online Survey Software, …

Nostalgia Marketing: An Integrative Framework, Yasamin Mehdian Rad

University Honors Theses

Nostalgia is a longstanding yet evolving concept in marketing, employed to evoke sentimental longing for the past. It is a complex emotion that can invoke warmth, happiness, sadness, and melancholy, and can be directed towards both personal memories and imaginative pasts--times and places that one has never experienced. This dual nature of nostalgia, categorized into personal and imaginative nostalgia, offers a powerful emotional appeal that marketers leverage to influence consumer behavior. Since the 1950s, the use of nostalgia in marketing has increased significantly, allowing brands to forge deep emotional connections with consumers. Despite its prevalent use, research on nostalgia's impact …

Cool Brands And Their Grateful Fans: A Multi-Method Exploration Of Brand Coolness And Consumer Gratitude, Melanie Moore Koskie

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the course of three essays, this dissertation explores brand coolness, gratitude, and the relationship between the two. In the first essay, cool brands and their marketing outcomes are viewed through the lens of standing out and fitting in—two paradoxical motivations held together in the concept of cool. Utilizing structural equation modeling, I examine the relevant relationships between consumer’s motivations to stand out and fit in, the corresponding brand coolness attributes of subcultural and popular, the consumer emotional response of gratitude, and a consumer’s willingness to pay more for cool brands. Importantly, this essay finds that the consumer emotion of …

Demands At Work: The Moderating Influence Of Motivation On The Relationship Between Challenge Demands And Employee Work Engagement, Lauren R. Dinnat

Doctoral Dissertations

Work engagement is a popular topic due to the positive outcomes linked to it. For example, engaged workers are shown to be more productive workers and better organizational citizens. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory has been the most widely accepted explanatory model for work engagement due to its flexibility to be applied to all work environments. While the JD-R does not argue that motivation is fixed, it does not account for moment-to-moment changes in motivation. A state theory of motivation that examines how motivation may impact the relationships between demands and work engagement has yet to be examined. This study …

The Impact Of Irrational Beliefs On Dysfunctional Decision-Making In B2b Salespeople, Barron W. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

The complexity of the contemporary business-to-business (B2B) sales landscape requires salespeople to respond faster, be more knowledgeable, and add more value to buyer interactions than ever before. As such, B2B salespeople must carefully consider the impact of their decisions since they have the potential to directly impact organizational revenue and bottom-line outcomes. The present research utilizes rational-emotive behavior theory to examine judgment and decision-making in B2B salespeople. Research questions are presented and tested with a sample of 306 B2B salespeople using structural equation modeling. The results of the analysis reveal that irrational beliefs lead to dysfunctional emotions, and in turn, …