Business Commons^™

The Positive Effects Of Differing Communication Styles On An Organization, Julie A. Saylor

Theses

This project explores the issue of communications between people who have different educational backgrounds, experiences, and social styles, yet who are bound together as a team through membership in an organization.

A common definition of the word team is "a group of individuals working collaboratively toward a common goal" John Scott). Teamwork can be accomplished by utilizing communication, cooperation, and collaboration. An easily remembered acronym is:

Together Everyone Achieving More

This study will establish ways that people of varying communications and social styles can work together in a way that will ultimately prove to positively effect …

T.H.A.N.K.S.: Teens Helping Anyone Needing Knowledge Service, Carole Dawn Arrendale

Theses

This thesis is a business plan for a new non-profit organization for volunteerism. This non-profit organization will connect college students, high school students, grade school students, and other nonprofit agencies for the purpose of providing volunteers to non-profit agencies.

The enactment of the Welfare Reform Act (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, TANF) has created a greater need for quality, well-trained volunteers in order to meet the growing demands for and needs of non-profit agencies. The □ew deadline for Welfare to Work is now 2-5 years and public assistance such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and …

An Investigation Into The Design And Implementation Of A Business Plan For Ozark Builders, A Housing Development Company, Benjamin Luke Beaman

Theses

This thesis will investigate the design and implementation of a business plan for Ozark Builders , a housing development company.

One of the oldest professions in the United States, is the construction industry. This diverse industry that employs a large percent of the populace, plays an important role in our nation's economy. While, profits are to be made in the construction industry, the risks are overwhelming. The turnover rate for contractors exceeds twenty percent a year. Speculative building is considered a big gamble, and the builder 's need to stay attuned to changes in consumer preferences, in competition, and in …

An Investigation Into The Design & Implementation Of A Customer Service Manual For Laboratories In A Hospital Setting, Fay M. Kraft

Theses

The following applied learning expository thesis will focus on the design and implementation of a customer service manual for reference laboratories in a hospital setting.

The purpose of the manual is to provide direction for the reference laboratory customer service employees. Specifically, the manual consists of a series of steps which will enable employees to better service the hospital reference laboratory customers. The manual was broken down into sections which addressed characteristics, order taking, dispatching phlebotomists, proper collection of specimens, phlebotomy notification, registration of patient specimens, processing and reviewing of specimens, hiring, training, customer satisfaction, complaints and expectations.

Three reference …

"Quick Tips": A Manual For Not-For-Profit Organizations, Mary Brooks

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of volunteerism within a not-for-profit organization. Meeting the growing demand for volunteers and controlling then high turnover could determine how smoothly a nonprofit organization runs.

In the past the need for volunteers and nonprofit organizations was not as great as it is today. There are at least two reasons for this upward trend. The first reason is more women are working outside the home leaving less leisure time for volunteering. The second reason is the government is playing a smaller role thus causing the public to seek help elsewhere.

Research has attributed the …

Marketing Lindenwood University Through A Promotional Video, Deidamia Batista, Karen Cordoba

Theses

In recent times video productions have been used as an effective sales tool. Moving pictures, like those that video provides. are an effective way to communicate in a quickly growing business market. With a video a company is able to reach and approach clients more effectively, because they can present information which is attractive to people.

We have seen over the last decade that the use of technology has invaded every market, including the education market. It is common to see how the business community within the education center has been quick to embrace video for many different purposes-one of …

Multimedia At Mcdonnell Douglass Corporation & Possible Future Implications, Robert L. Williams

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of multimedia at The Boeing Company in St. Louis, Missouri and on the corporate world as a whole.

Multimedia is for real. Though the contemporary hype exceeds the current level of real development activity, multimedia is properly billed as the next major dimension of computing.

Multimedia will promote a monumental clash of cultures between the software engineering and media production organizations within the corporate communications departments of major corporations. The convergence of media that is the very essence of what is being described as multimedia will spawn one of the great professional culture …

The New American Family, And A New Generation Of Young Americans Entering The Workforce, Flo A. Kistner

Theses

This thesis focuses on the dysfunction of a significant proportion of America's youth and shows how it can be attributed directly to lack of parental presence or parental control. Today's youth are in total chaos. Research shows there is a definite lack of quality time with today's children from their parents. This lack of parental involvement plays a crucial role in the development or lack of development of today's youth and tomorrow's workers.

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the structure of the American family, and the resulting need for management to assume a more …

Kenyatta International Conference Center: A Proposed Marketing Plan, Rose M. Kwena

Theses

This study will focus on analyzing the marketing capabilities of the America's Center and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC) in the conventions and exhibitions industry, with the aim of preparing a marketing plan to be implemented by Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) in Kenya based on the success of St. Louis CVC. The information gathered from researching published data and personal interviews will be used to develop strategies and recommendations.

Kenyatta International Conference Center was not purposely built to host events of large magnitude as exhibitions and conventions. The center was built with public funds by the …

The Impact Of Computer-Assisted Communication Techniques On The Accounting Profession, Jennifer Ellwanger

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Computers have made a tremendous impact on society in the last twenty years. They have affected practically every aspect of life; therefore, it isn't surprising that computers have impacted the accounting profession. The computer has changed the way accountants prepare tax returns and financial statements, and has influenced every other accounting process (Khani and Zarowin, 1995). Computers may also impact the way accountants communicate with clients and their coworkers. This study examines the impact of computer technology on communication in the accounting profession.

Prior research has reported what technologies are available and which ones are being used by accountants. A …

Senior Auditors' Reaction To Premature Sign-Off By A Staff Member, Amy L. Slabaugh

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

The research presented in this paper is an extension of research completed by Kaplan (1995), who examined senior auditors' reporting intentions upon discovery of premature sign-off of an audit step by a staff member. His research found that audit seniors do not always formally report the discovery of premature sign-off, even though firms have formal policies requiring such reporting (McNair 1991). In Kaplan's (1995) research, an experiment was conducted in which subjects were asked to respond to a hypothetical scenario in which an audit staff member prematurely signed off on a required audit step. His study manipulated two situational variables: …

Financial Planning As A Career, Mikol Sesker

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Financial literacy in the United States stands at about 18% of the population according to the Investor Protection Trust's 1996 Investor Knowledge Survey. This figure includes the infamous baby-boomer generation which is now in the process of thinking about retirement and making major financial decisions. This need has fueled the growth of the financial services industry and particularly the field of financial planning. People today feel inadequate to the task of organizing their financial situation and making sound investment decisions. For help with this situation they often turn to a personal financial planner. But the search for a competent, trustworthy …

Diary Of A Backpacker Rockstar: A Uni Student's Guide To Traveling Western Europe, Jason James Joseph Sloan

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

During the summer of 1996 I dedicated two months of my life to backpacking Western Europe. It was the most incredible experience of my life. It is my belief that many students at UNI would love to have the opportunity to travel as I did. In fact, a journey across Europe is completely within the reaches of the typical UNI student. Planning such a trip is systematic and reasonably simple. From obtaining passports to buying airline tickets and train passes, all aspects of planning a European backpacking excursion can be accomplished easily.

The Changing Telecommunications Industry, Marie P. Woodcock

Theses

Telecommunications in today's global society has undergone a dramatic transformation since the invention of the telephone. In the early years of telephony, a host of dedicated men and women endured tremendous hardships to pioneer the telephone. Bell, his wife Mabel, his two benefactors along with Thomas Watson and Theodore Vail fought to gain recognition of the instrument and establish its usefulness to society. Many great inventions came from by the Bell Laboratories, which forever sought a better way, encouraging the progress of civilization. Despite major setbacks caused by the government and regulation, the Bell system evolved into a very capable …

Employee Benefits, Kimberly Elinor Miller

Theses

This paper discusses how group benefits have changed over the past ten years, what corporations are offering their employees such as medical insurance, employee assistance programs, wellness training programs, child care programs, flexible compensation plans, continuing education benefits and retirement benefits and how each one of these benefits is set up. Employers want not only to implement benefit programs which will help them meet their organizational goals, but also to attract, retain and motivate employees. In order to succeed in these efforts they must install a program of benefits that is both cost effective and will meet organizational profit goals. …

The Design And Implementation Of An On-Line Grocery Fulfillment Service Business Plan, David A. Puzzuoli

Theses

This thesis focuses on the study of the on-line grocery fulfillment industry. Research was conducted and pertinent information was gathered to assemble a business plan for an on-line grocery fulfillment service in Southeastern Alabama.

Research indicates that in order to successfully start, operate, and perpetuate a fulfillment service, business owners must focus on issues such as market analysis, service, finance issues, and operations. The business plan for the proposed fulfillment service draws on industry data regarding those and subordinate issues.

Upon completion of the business plan, two businessmen were selected to judge the plan's thoroughness and Likelihood of successful implementation. …

The Team Concept In Today's Work Environment: People Are Our Greatest Asset, Jack D. Patten

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of The Team Concept in today's work environment. People are the greatest asset any company possesses and how they are utilized directly affects the success and failure of that organization. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of what is required to implement a team approach.

Both knowledge and skills associated with the subject must be fully attained before any results can be achieved. This study provides knowledge around the team concept and provides some tools necessary for implementation. Knowledge is what any student can learn about a subject, but …

Cultural Transformation: Desire To Change?, Arthur L. Seaman

Theses

Gaining knowledge about what motivates people working in an environment afflicted with laws, statutes, policies, regulations, procedures, standards and jobs threatened by political movements is considered valuable information. This thesis is a focused study of human motivation theory, with the intent of learning why past attempts to change the culture of the United States Army Aviation and Troop Command (ATCOM) and the co-located Aviation Program Executive Office (PEO) organizations have failed to produce lasting results.

It is theorized that past attempts to bring about lasting change to the culture of ATCOM and the PEO organizations have failed in part because …

Competitive Intelligence, Victoria Ann Stamps

Theses

The focus of this project is competitive intelligence. According to Larry Kahaner in Competitive Intelligence, "Competitive intelligence is a systematic program for gathering and analyzing information about your competitors' activities and general business trends to further your own company's goals."

Facing an information overload, business people are beginning to realize that information must be analyzed to produce actionable intelligence. Actionable intelligence has an impact on the bottom line. This new field is growing at an astonishing rate as business people realize that analyzing this information is vital to success.

The purpose of this study is to investigate why business people …

A Guidebook To Nonprofit Agency Board Service For The New Board Member, Barbara Ward

Theses

This thesis will investigate the need for a training manual to assist in preparing not-for-profit agency volunteers to become effective board members.

In 1996, a presidential initiative was launched in which the general American public was encouraged to actively become involved in local not-for-profit agencies. Because of this call for volunteers, an influx of people are likely to become non-profit agency board members. Many of these new board members may not have previous board experience. As a result, an increased need to train and orient new board members will develop.

Providing sufficient board training can be a time-consuming endeavor. Today's …

Changes In Telecommunications Due To The 1996 Telecommunications Act, Eugene A. Demers

Theses

Telecommunications has gone through various stages of development since its conception in the late l 800's. The most current event and the basis for this thesis, is the legislation that passed Congress titled the ''Telecommunications Act of 1996". It is the purpose of this document to research the impact of this legislation to the user and the businesses involved in this industry.

There were three main areas of focus for this research. The first area of study pertained to the current local and long distance companies in the telecommunications industry. The second area related to the users of the telecommunications …

Dropping Out Of High School Among African Americans In Benton Harbor, Michigan : A Study Of Its Economic Implications, Dahlia E. Pottinger

Dissertations

Problem

This study examined the economic implications of dropping out of high school for African Americans in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Methods

The methodology used in this study is a documentary one. Sources relating to the economic implications of dropping out o f high school among African Americans were studied. The United States 1990 Census o f Population, the National Center for Education Statistics, and local publications provided data for the research.

Results

Dropping out o f high school has definite economic implications for dropouts in Benton Harbor. The estimated number of African American dropouts as of 1990 was a total …

Expert System For The Generation Of A Work Breakdown Structure, Bernard O'Callaghan

Theses

This thesis outlines research work carried out in the Mechanical & Manufacturing Department in Cork Regional Technical College, Ireland. With computers now having an increasingly dominant role in all areas of business, it was inevitable that computer-based project management packages would become more popular. To date however, these packages have concentrated on monitoring and controlling projects. The definition and brainstorming phases required to generate a project plan are still largely manual tasks. Planning a project initially involves generating a complete and organised list of all the tasks needing to be completed in order to achieve a project’s goal. This list …

Corporate Communication With The Intranet, Carol J. Sonderman

Theses

This project will focus on the study of the intranet through a review of literature and interviews to determine its value as a corporate communication tool. Currently, the intranet is in the early "innovator and adaptor" stage of development. However, it is moving rapidly forward to the early maturity stage within the corporate world.

Intranets can connect every person, every document, and every application within an organization, no matter where they are physically located. Intranets help companies reduce their paper costs in core areas of communication such as company telephone directories, employee benefits handbooks, manuals, and interoffice or department newsletters. …

A Survey Of Health Care Personnel's Perceptions Toward Diversity In The Workplace, Jacqueline Elaine Sharpe

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the diversity climate in a large teaching military hospital by assessing the perceptions of employees regarding the organizational climate, including aspects of the climate related to ethnicity, gender, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, and job level. All 3,176 eligible employees based in the medical center were invited to participate, 1,252 did so (RR = 40%). Participants were 37% minority, 57% females, 25% officer, 30% enlisted, and 45% civilian. Twenty-four percent were at the managerial level. Perceptions of the diversity climate were measured using the Diversity Survey Instrument (the reliability and validity of …

The Corporate Character Ethical Value Structure: Construct Definition, Measurement, Validation And Relationship To Organizational Commitment, Edward D. Showalter

Theses and Dissertations

The corporate character value structure consists of ethical values applied in a business setting arranged in a two dimensional matrix presented here as the Corporate Character Ethical Value Matrix, or CC-EVM. The two matrix dimensions are: behavior-types defined as either (1)custodial or (2)proactive; and behavior targets (1)task, (2)consideration-specific, directed toward a specific relationship, or (3)consideration-general, directed at generalized relationships or the organization. The current research developed the matrix to define and classify the six values presented by The Character Counts Coalition’s (1993) as core “pillars” of character: trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, caring, fairness and citizenship. The theoretical background for this matrix …

Does Good Project Management Ensure Successful Software Development?, Julie Lisa Eldridge

Theses : Honours

For many years the development of computer software has been plagued by poor customer satisfaction caused by missed schedules, underestimated budgets and the development of products which do not meet requirements. The ever increasing reliance on computers, as reported by Sommerville ''the result of the proliferation of computer systems into all aspects of life and business is that personal, corporate, national and international economies are [becoming] increasingly dependant on computers and software systems" ( 1992, p.2), calls for more stable software which can be developed within time and budget constraints. To achieve this, software development activities must be analysed and …

A Survey Of The Use And Perceptions Of Analytical Procedures, Rebecca Hutchinson

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

In order to comply with generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), auditors are required to gather sufficient, competent evidence to support their opinion concerning the amounts and disclosures in the client's financial statements. Auditors have numerous ways by which to obtain such evidence, and one whose use is continually increasing--largely due to its cost-effectiveness--is analytical procedures.

Analytical procedures (APs) are defined as "evaluations of financial information made by a study of plausible relationships among both financial and non-financial data" (SAS No. 56). For non-auditors, an example of an AP is using historic gross profit percentages to determine if the gross profit …

A Comparative Study And Estimation Of The Life-Cycle Cost Impact Of Application Of Real-Time Non-Intrusive (Rtni) Monitoring Technology To Real-Time Embedded Systems, Michael D. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The use of real time non-intrusive (RTNI) monitoring has had an impact on life cycle costs of existing programs through a reduction in debug time. Other areas in which RTNI monitoring can provide potential benefits to future programs are through the use of increased dynamic testing and the sharing of testing time among more engineers. There are a number of areas in which software life cycle costs are impacted by various cost drivers. To determine which areas were affected by the use of RTNI monitoring, a panel of expert users of RTNI monitoring was created using a form of the …

An Analysis Of Managerial Behavior In The Restaurant Industry: The Effects Of Consideration And Structure On Job Satisfaction, Gerald J. Lemoine Jr

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.