Business Commons^™

The Influence Of Selected Perceptual And Demographic Factors On The Involvement Of Youth In Violent Behaviors, Nathaniel Mcclinton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected perceptual and demographic factors on the self-reported aggressive/violent behaviors of young adults while they were enrolled in school. Specific objectives formulated to guide the research were to: 1)determine the level of involvement in violence and violent behaviors; 2) determine the attitudes and beliefs of young adults; 3)determine the environmental conditions experienced by young adults when last in school; 4)determine if a relationship exists between the level of violence and violent behavior and selected perceptual and environmental factors among young adults, and finally 5)determine if a model exists to …

Integrating A Technology-Enriched Curriculum: Ethno-Case Study, Juliette D. Angers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide an examination of beliefs, context factors, and practices of exemplary teachers that lead to a technology-enriched curriculum. Three middle school teachers participated. Using both direct and participant observation the Spradley model was followed with three rounds of observations: (1) descriptive, (2) focused, and (3) selective. Interviews were conducted with open-ended questions and documents were collected from the parish website. This research provides: (1) up-to-date information on what and how educational technology is used today; and (2) information which gives other educators an understanding of what beliefs and context factors influence teachers …

Regret From Consumer Action Versus Inaction: The Effects Of Post-Decision Information, Decisional Responsibility And Perceived Source Expertise, Neel Das

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation proposes to examine regret arising from action versus inaction in consumer decision-making contexts. Although there has been extensive research in the area of regret, no extant literature in marketing has been found that has investigated the nature of regret arising from inaction, specifically in stockout conditions. The first study defines the concept of decisional action and inaction as the key sources of the regret emotion. Specifically, regret arising from inaction (and action) is investigated under sub-optimal and optimal conditions. Subsequently, circumstances are identified when inaction-driven levels of regret are likely to be higher than levels of action-driven regret …

Construct Validation Of An Arabic Version Of The Learning Transfer System Inventory For Use In Jordan, Samer Abdelkarim Khasawneh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Organizations in Jordan have invested heavily in employee training. However, these training efforts may not be as effective. One area of particular interest is learning transfer, or the extent to which learning from training is applied on the job. Recent research efforts have led to the development of the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI), the only valid and reliable measure of key transfer system factors. This study validated the constructs of the LTSI for use in Jordan. By doing so, HRD practitioners in Jordan can use such instrument to diagnose early problems with learning transfer, the key to training effectiveness …

An Evaluation Of The Business Value Gained Through The Use Of Customer Relationship Management And Related Ebusiness Solutions Deployed Within An Irish Enterprise, Catherina Kelly

Theses

The company at the centre of this case study is the Irish registered company Hewlett Packard (HP) European Software Centre (ESC) based in the Ballybrit Industrial Estate in Galway, Ireland. The core operation of the ESC is customer services distribution. For HP ESC, effective customer support and service had become a major strategic focus resulting in the strategic requirement for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) eBusiness solution.

This case study evaluated the business value associated with HP’s CRM implementation focusing primarily on intangible elements of business value as opposed to the more traditional financial measures of IS/IT evaluations. The research …

Assessing The Impact Of Movies Upon An Individual's Image Formation Concerning A Given Destination, Jeeyeon (Jeannie) Hahm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The process of watching a movie is a common way to be entertained in this day and age. There are multiple ways in which people can enjoy a movie ranging from the big screen at a commercial theater, on their home's television, or even in a car while driving. One outcome associated with watching a destination movie might be that the viewer will be compelled to visit or not the location portrayed in the movie. It is a primary assumption of this thesis that movies have the ability to create or change an individual's image of a destination by its …

Postpurchase Implications Of Low Price Guarantees And Consequences Of Low Price Guarantee Default, Sujay Dutta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Past research on consumer perceptions related to Low Price Guarantees (LPG) have primarily investigated effects of LPG on consumer search intentions, their perception of offer value and their purchase intentions. The present research had two major objectives: (i) to study the probable effect of LPG on consumers' intentions to search after the purchase and the boundary conditions of such effects; (ii) to study probable consequences of default of an LPG, that is, postpurchase discovery of lower prices in the marketplace despite promise to the contrary. It was shown that while LPG is likely to discourage prepurchase search it might encourage …

The Pricing And Performance Of Convertible Preferred Stock Offerings Following Issuance, Vitaly S. Guzhva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a comprehensive study of convertible-preferred-stock pricing and performance following issuance. It is the first major academic study that identifies significant abnormal performance of corporate contingent claims following issuance. The research utilizes both option-based contingent claims valuation models and econometric techniques to investigate the sources of superior investment performance of convertible securities as an asset class that has persisted for the past thirty years. Two main issues are examined: potential underpricing of convertible preferred stocks at issuance and their subsequent investment performance. Underpricing is examined based on a robust contingent-claims valuation model. Using two samples of convertible preferred …

Grassmere: "Nashville's Home", Regina M. Cordoba

Theses

This thesis and digital video project will focus on the study of Grassmere Historic Farm and Residence in Nashville, Tennessee, and its relative importance socially, architecturally, and politically to the community of Nashville, the state of Tennessee and the larger context of the United States.

Over the years, research studies have been conducted by students at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Vanderbilt University in Nashville to assemble and catalog artifacts and information for historic preservation. These studies, along with historical documentation housed in the archives of the Tennessee State Library in Nashville were investigated for an accurate …

Sox In The Boardroom: The Impact Of Sarbanes-Oxley 2002 On The Corporate Reporting Of The Fortune Fifty, Angela Boedeker

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

When I began this research project I believed that I would find some major differences in reporting between the 2001 and 2002 financial reports of major corporations. My research question was, "What was the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 on the corporate reporting of the top 50 corporations in America as identified by Fortune magazine." Each year Fortune magazine lists the top 500 public corporations in American with the rankings based upon revenues. The results of the 2001 financial reports of these corporations led to the 2002 listing in the magazine; the results of the 2002 financial reports …

Rules-Based Vs. Principles-Based Accounting Standards: Analyzing The Impact Of Amending Apb No. 18 To A Principles-Based Standard, Jodi E. Ferring

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

In the above analysis I considered the impact of amending APB No. 18 to a principles-based standard upon implementation, accounting objectives, and management manipulation. The analysis has uncovered both positive and negative aspects to a change in the accounting standards setting process. Implementation would be more costly and require more resources due to applying judgment instead of objective tests. Accounting objectives of comparability and reliability could arguably be improved assuming implementation is accurate. Principles-based accounting standards would not significantly improve consistency. Management structuring of transactions could be decreased assuming accurate implementation. The analysis has discovered that the potential success of …

The Mutual Find Scandal: A Day Trading Simulation, Matt Becker

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

The 6.9 trillion dollar mutual fund industry has come under fire due to questionable practices conducted by mutual fund companies. Individual investors trying to diversify with a small amount of money have historically turned to mutual funds. Mutual funds were used as a safe vehicle for investors rather than buying thirty different stocks in order to diversify away unsystematic risk. The perception that mutual fund companies were acting in the best interests of individual investors has been challenged in the past year. Elliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, brought to light some illegal and highly questionable activities of mutual …

The Empty Page, Julia Dover

Theses

This work is the combination of several different pieces harvested from a cluster in my graduate program that focused on writing the memoir.

Memoir writing, for those who may be unfamiliar with it, is the art of dissecting memories into pictures, textures, aromas, melodies and flavors, then reconstructing them into some coherent form so as the reader may feel as if she has lived the experience herself. This is ultimately the goal of the memoir, but I do not believe it is the purpose of writing it in the first place.

The purpose of the memoir is reflection. The writing …

A Comparative Study Of Sports Orientated And Non-Sports Orientated People's Perceptions Of The Appropriateness Of Alcohol Sponsorship Within Sport, Sharee Wilton

Theses : Honours

This study examines people's perceptions of alcohol sponsorship in sport. Alcohol consumption and sport are closely linked as part of Australian culture and alcohol companies are major sponsors in Australian sport. This study explores any differences of opinion on alcohol sports sponsorship between sports orientated, somewhat sports orientated and non-sports orientated people. A continuum was used to determine where an individual fits between sports orientation and non-sports orientation. The study identified underlying influences that effect people's perception, such as personal participation in sport or having immediate family involved in sport. The study focused on Edith Cowan University students due to …

Imagining The Performance Zone: Overcoming Ambiguity In Consumer Based Electronic Performance Support Systems, Jason Simons

Theses : Honours

The locus of performance support implementation was once the domain of large corporations where its principles offered an attractive alternative to traditional methods of training within the scope of contemporary business practices. Due to economies of scale the large corporations were able to build effective performance support through the precise identification of the PERFORMANCE ZONE. This zone is created through the defining of the three attributes of performance, 1) the nature of the worker, 2) the nature of the task, and 3) the type and amount of support needed. lncreasingly the principles of performance-centred design have been adopted within diverse …

Contracting With Nonprofit Organizations: A Model For Local Governments, Renee Jackson

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

A number of factors have contributed to the rise in nonprofit organizations during the last three decades. No matter the reasons one significant consequence has been an intensification of competition for available funding. With the increasing competition for funding there is growing concern that there may not be an equitable and efficient method in place for many funders to base their allocation decisions on. These concerns arise from the issues that occur during funding processes such as: how open and competitive is the request for proposal process; is there duplication of the same service; can the organization adequately provide the …

The Search For Character: Servant-Leadership In An Australian Organisation, Margaret R. Whitmore

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study is in response to globalisation, changing world values and the call in modern literature for leaders of good character. Servant-leadership is offered to fill this requirement because its effectiveness is said to be reliant on the good character of the leader. In the literature this type of leadership is said to represent a new paradigm. The work of servant-leadership’s proponent, Robert Greenleaf, is thoroughly examined to explain how his understanding of trust as faith is linked to spirituality and this is the key to understanding the character of servant-leaders. Greenleaf’s work is compared with the modern servant-leadership literature …

Perceptions Of Wine Quality, Stephen J. Charters

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The term `quality' is regularly used by those who produce, promote and consume wine. However, the nature and features of wine quality are rarely explained. This study was designed to explore what drinkers consider to be the nature of wine quality and what they believe its features to be. Focus groups and individual and small group interviews were used to explore the conceptualisation and dimensions of wine quality, how that quality is assessed, and what its relevance may be. There were 105 informants, sourced from three states across Australia primarily by utilising friends and acquaintances of the researcher. Informants included …

The Construction Of A Business English Curriculum, Relevant To The Workplace, And Making Use Of Word Processing In Place Of Handwriting, Ladawan Wattanaboot

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since the Thailand economic crisis in 1997 there has been a sense of urgency expressed in many areas of the society that businesses must modernize their practices and focus more on international trade and communication. Two important components of the changes required are better use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and better use of the English language for business communication. In the education arena this has translated into the need to provide graduates with better skills in the use of English and computers. These two skill areas come together naturally in the study of Business English. In Thailand Rajabhat …

Self-Reported Business Leadership Competencies Of Middle-Level Managers, Philip Teo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study aims to investigate self-reported managerial leadership competencies of middle-level managers in business organisations in Australia, and stems from the Karpin Report (1995) on perceived weaknesses in Leader hip and Management skills in Australia. The report leads to a need to investigate the perceptions of the current middle level business managers in regard to leadership competency and to develop a scale to measure leadership competency. A model of leadership competency, based on a literature review, was developed for this study and involves four aspects: Leading, Managing, Communicating and Best Practice. Data were collected in two parts-a questionnaire and interviews. …

The Impact Of Corporatisation And Management Reform On The Role And Working Life Of Managers In An Australian Electricity Utility: A Triangulated Study, 1994-2002, Desmond E. Lehmann

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

For decades electricity has been a critical source of energy for all major industries, nationally and internationally. In 2002 the Australian electricity supply industry had assets in excess of $86 billion and accounted for more than 1.4 percent of gross domestic product. It is a major employer with more than 33,000 people serving more than 8 million customers. This study explores the impact of corporatisation and management reform on the role and working life of managers within the broader context of this industry. It is an industry identified by academics, commentators and the business media over the past two decades …

Perceived Likelihood Of Activity-Based Costing To Succeed In A University Setting, Nazmi Jarrar

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study provides exploratory empirical evidence on the likelihood of Activity Based Costing (ABC) to succeed in a university setting and the association of this success with specific behavioral implementation factors. The study examined perceptions of Edith Cowan University's ABC users and preparers of the likelihood of the system to succeed in the University and their perceptions of eleven behavioral implementation factors identified by previous studies to have significant association with ABC implementation success. Results were analyzed so as to determine the significance of the correlation between the users' and preparers' perceptions of each of the eleven factors and their …

Paperless Construction: How Contractors Can Adjust To Change In The Industry, Tyler Hackman, James Lindgren, Kerri Rackow, Chris Snyder

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Paperless construction, in a nut shell, is the use of online or electronic programs for managing contracts, changes, drawings, submittals, RFis, correspondence, lab data, and inspection reports (Construction). The paperless construction movement is making its way through all types of construction, including residential, commercial, and heavy highway. It affects the whole project, from pre-bid, to project management, to closeout, and as the industry constantly becomes more paperless, contractors are forced to make changes in their processes to keep up with the trend. Peters Construction Corporation in Waterloo, Iowa, is an example a company committed to keeping on the leading edge. …

Sarbanes-Oxley: A Compliance Case Study, Rachel Kass

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Sarbanes-Oxley is a piece of legislation passed into law on July 30, 2002 (The Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 With Analysis, 2002, p. iii). The act was developed to, " .. . to enhance public company governance, responsibility, and disclosure (p. l)." The official name of the act is Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act. The name Sarbanes-Oxley comes from the act's co-sponsors: Senator Paul Sarbanes, D-Maryland and Senator Michael Oxley, R-Ohio. (Callaghan, 2004) The legislation adds requirements for publicly held corporations, not private companies, in the United States regarding internal controls and financial reporting. Sarbanes-Oxley, nicknamed SOX, …

An Examination Of Cross-Cultural Understanding In A Global Automotive Company, A. Dale Phillips

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study

Global Motors o f the United States and Baumgart AG of Germany came together to produce an automobile that was marketable in both countries. Since this project involved people from two cultures, the purpose of this study was to examine perceived cultural markers at work during this joint vehicle development project by identifying these markers and investigating their effects on the overall success of the joint-venture project.

Methodology

I chose to use a qualitative methodology, specifically focus groups. All engineers who worked on the project team received an email inviting them to participate and assuring them …

A Comparison Of The Relationship Management Methodology And The Extended Business Rules Diagram Method, Jeff Campbell

Theses : Honours

This research is a comparative study of the Relationship Management Methodology and the extended Business Rules Diagram method, when applied to the development of a Web-based hypermedia system. The RMM method focuses almost exclusively on the design phase of Web-based hypermedia systems with insufficient emphasis placed on the requirement's analysis phase. The extended BRD method has been proposed to address this issue and attempts to cover more fully the development life cycle of Web based hypermedia systems. A comparison of the main concepts, the phases of steps, as well as the modelling technique, notation and graphical representation is made between …

Towards An Understanding Of The Grey Nomad Consumer, Mandy Pickering

Theses : Honours

This exploratory study applied a grounded approach to the collection and analysis of data. The study investigated the consumption behaviours utilised by a sample of Grey Nomads who subscribed to an eco·camping philosophy and who occupied their own caravans for accommodation whilst travelling. The aim was to examine the growing phenomenon of Grey Nomads who travelled in Western Australia in order to obtain insight into the group as consumers. Thirty nine informants (n=39) were interviewed where an understanding of the primary concerns of informants could be achieved. Informants were recruited who were over 60 years of age, travelled for a …

Barriers To The Acceptance And Utilisation Of Knowledge Management Systems: An Exploratory Study, Patricia Kennett

Theses : Honours

Organisations entering the 21st Century arc exposed to an environment of continuous change, a challenge that requires a movement away from more predictable structures of the past, with hierarchies and formal chains of command. The emerging fluid and network like structures present new challenges for ensuring the development and dissemination of organisational knowledge. An area of considerable current debate involves the issue of harmony and balance between and organisation's culture and its Knowledge Management (KM) systems. The focus of this study is on organisations that are recognising the implications of these changes and are responding by installing knowledge systems in …

Identifying The Potential Advantages And Disadvantages Of Creating A Separate Foundation For Development At The University Of Kentucky, David Shellhorse

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Issue

The question of whether or not the University of Kentucky should create a legally independent, institutionally related foundation to receive, hold, invest, and administer the private gift support of the University has been an ongoing debate between UK administrators for many years. This study seeks to identify the potential advantages and disadvantages of creating such a foundation by: (1) conducting a qualitative analysis consisting of personal interviews with officials from the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, and Murray State University; and (2) conducting a quantitative regression analysis to determine whether or not …

An Investigation Of The Antecedents And Consequences Of Individual-Level Customer Orientation: A Comprehensive Approach, Ceyhan Kilic

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Customer orientation has been acknowledged by both practitioners and scholars as a critical element for the success of almost every business.

The primary objective of this research study is to respond to the previous research calls (e.g., Brown et al. 2002; Deshpande, Farley, and Webster 1993; O'Hare, Boles, and Johnston 1991) by investigating the antecedents and consequences of customer orientation at the individual level through a comprehensive structural model. The suggested model captures a comprehensive set of potential antecedents of customer orientation. The antecedents and consequences of customer orientation include organizational factors (i.e., organizational culture and market orientation), j ob-related …