Business Commons^™

Technical Analysis: Connecting The Dots Or A Legitimate Investment Tool?, Daniel P. Sutter

Honors Theses

Wall Street is full of many unusual characters. They appear frequently in the newspaper headlines, on the evening news, and now on the Internet. They are portrayed both as villains such as Michael Milken or Ivan Boesky and as heroes such as Warren Buffett or Martin Zwieg. While these people may seem very distant at times they really impact each one of us every day, whether or not we are aware of it. The companies we conduct our routine transactions with are financed through them, our retirement plans our dependent on them, and even our jobs rest on the success …

Sexual Harassment: The Effects Of Gender And Attitude On Perceptions And Consequences Of Sexual Harassment, Barbara Cupit

Graduate Theses

Ninety-one individuals (52 males) and (39 females) read 13 scenarios depicting various sexual harassment incidents. Participants were asked to determine the seriousness of the harassment in each scenario, choose the type of grievance procedure they would prefer, and then rate how likely they would recommend each consequence in regards.to the harassment. Participants were also asked to complete a Sexual Harassment Attitude Questionnaire that measured "tolerance" towards sexual harassment. Potential differences between male and female perceptions and attitudes were examined. Results yielded significant differences between males and females with men exhibiting significantly more tolerant attitudes than did women towards sexual harassment. …

Causal Models Of Work-Family Conflict From Family And Organizational Perspectives, Lyse Guttau Wells

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

More women are entering the workforce and the number of dual career couples has increased and will probably continue to do so. As women's tasks and responsibilities outside of the home have increased, those within the home have not diminished resulting in higher work-family conflict (Greenglass, Pantony, & Burke, 1988). This research examined a woman's work-family conflict from both work and family perspectives. Two models were described and tested. One model included individual and family antecedents and consequences of work-family conflict. The antecedents included sex-role attitudes, role salience, and perfectionism in the wife. The consequences were quality of family life …

Toward Understanding Team Leadership: The Empirical Development Of A Team Leadership Classification System, Brian J. Ruggeberg

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a classification system of team leadership through the empirical process of numerical classification. Although the value and importance of leadership have been recognized in the team literature, few empirical studies have been conducted to understand the phenomenon of team leadership. A thorough review of the relevant literature was conducted to identify the various behaviors, functions, traits, and KSAOs associated with team leadership. This information was then used to select and construct data collection instruments for the classification process.

Two separate studies were conducted to achieve the overall goal of developing a team …

A Study To Determine The Effects Of Marketing Occupational Experience On Urban Secondary Marketing Teachers' Perceptions Of Curriculum Priorities, K. Denise Threlfall

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of marketing occupational work experience on urban marketing teachers' prioritization of curriculum content areas delivered through instruction. This study tested a hypothesis of difference, using the variable of years of experience in marketing occupations as the catalyst for four research questions. By identifying the effect of occupational experience in marketing and its relationship to the prioritization of curriculum content for urban secondary marketing programs, the importance of occupational experience on curriculum content could be explored from an educational viewpoint.

This research assessed seventy-five secondary marketing educators and a twelve member …

The Effect Of An Integrated Library Computer System On Job Characteristics In Public Libraries, Richard J. Harris

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study investigated the effects of computerization with an integrated library system (ILS) on job characteristics in public libraries.

Two different but complementary research design components were used. One component consisted of a case study of the Norfolk (Virginia) Public Library, where an ILS was implemented between 1988 and 1995. The case study relied on data from interviews, archival sources, and questionnaires. The other component was a mail survey of public library workers across Virginia.

Case study interview data was analyzed by coding. Time series analysis was used to examine trends in budget and staffing. Pattern matching logic was used …

Developing Methods To Measure And Project Levels Of Combat Readiness In A Naval Aviation Squadron At The Unit Level, Michael Lawrence White

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Among the various missions and levels in a military organization, the term "Combat Readiness" is defined in many ways. To a unit-level command, such as an aircraft squadron, it simply refers to the unit's capability to perform its assigned mission when called upon. The proof of that capability is evident in the aftermath of combat, however, it is too late at that point to address any shortcomings that may exist. The problem is, how can the unit effectively define, continuously measure, and confidently forecast its ability to perform in combat? A quantitative model based upon historical data that encompasses all …

The Valuation Effects Of Corporate Investment Decisions: Evidence From Domestic And Foreign Plant Announcements, Bum Suk Kim

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This study examines the effects of corporate investment decisions--announcements of plants--on the value of the firm, using event-study methodology. This paper consists of two parts. Essay I discusses the valuation effects of domestic investments, while Essay II analyses the valuation effects of foreign investments undertaken by U.S. firms and compares the valuation effects between the two investments. Specifically, this study examines the validity of the overinvestment hypothesis and whether focus-increasing investments enhance the value of the firm.

First, the evidence shows that the valuation effects of the investment decision depend on the firm's investment opportunities, proxied by Tobin's q. That …

Volatility Risk Premiums In Futures Markets: Investment Prices And Commercial Bank Performance, Richard P. Gregory

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This dissertation is an in depth study of the measurement of pricing biases in futures options, and whether this bias is due to volatility risk premia, market overreaction to public information or information asymmetry. Futures options for thirteen different contracts are used. Additionally, the contracts are from three different marketplaces.

Six hypotheses are tested. The first is whether implied option volatilities from the Black (1976) futures option model is the only significant determinant of the volatility processes of the underlying futures contracts. For this estimation, we use both a GARCH (1,1) model and the Partially Non-parametric model of Engle and …

Extreme Response Style, Irvine Clarke Iii

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The objective of this research was to understand the effect of culture on Extreme Response Style (ERS) for cross-cultural marketing efforts employing Likert type scales. Growth in quantitative cross-cultural marketing research has brought alternative methodological considerations, like ERS, to the forefront of attention, since, traditional inferential statistics used in group comparisons become confounded by this systematic bias. Marketers comparing groups with differing degrees of response style may incorrectly make claims based on observed differences that are strictly attributable to cultural ERS. Therefore, the specific objective of this dissertation was to relate ERS to culture, Likert response formats and to demonstrate …

Lobbying In The Nonprofit Sector: A Study Of Practice And Values, Larry A. Buzas

Dissertations

Executive directors of nonprofit organizations were interviewed to determine their lobbying practices. Direct lobbying and grassroots lobbying, as defined by P. A. 94-455 were studied. Independent variables include: (a) formal organizational support, (b) organizational affiliation, (c) organizational characteristics, and (d) the executive directors' perceptions and demographic characteristics.

Data were collected during semi-standardized interviews. A random sample of 50 executive directors of nonprofit organizations in Michigan was selected. The research shows that executive directors of nonprofit organizations do lobby policy makers at the local, state, and federal levels using the following techniques: (a) face-to-face visits, individually or with coalitions, including providing …

A Methodology For The Analysis And Prediction Of Air Force Officer Retention Rates, Mark A. Basalla

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of certain national economic conditions and certain Air Force related conditions on officer retention rates and to build, verify, and validate a multivariate linear regression model to be used by Air Force personnel management officials that will predict officer retention rates for rated and non-rated line officers aggregated by Yeargroups and AFSC groups. Previous retention models were reviewed to study possible predictors and methodologies.

Modeling Diminishing Marginal Returns: An Application To The Aircraft Availability Model, Wayne L. Zorn

Theses and Dissertations

The Aircraft Availability Model (AAM) provides the Air Force with a worldwide peacetime requirement for reparable spare parts. This research models AAM methodology as it relates to the concept of diminishing marginal returns in resource application. Three separate modeling techniques are investigated with the goal of reformulating the AAM as a mathematical programming model that provides a comparable solution and a capable tool for the conduct of sensitivity analysis. The general formulations presented here are continuous non-linear, continuous linear, and piecewise linear discrete/continuous models. Two formulations of the piecewise linear discrete/continuous model are presented. The piecewise linear model based on …

Requirement For C-130 Aircraft In The Intratheater Korean Scenario, Philip B. Oglesby

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to provide a timely and reasonably accurate methodology for determining C-130 intratheater airlift requirements, this research concentrated on a rough-cut capacity approach using a straight forward linear programming spreadsheet model. To provide more detailed analysis, a more sophisticated linear program was investigated. Specifically, the spreadsheet model calculated the minimum number of C-130s required to carry required cargo, passenger, and aeromedical loads based on user-defined daily requirements. For a given scenario, inputs include the daily requirements and the expected capacity for C-130 aircraft, trucks, and 22-car trains. Included in the capacity inputs are the number of daily cycles …

Poverty In Egypt, Amal Rakia Abd El Ghani El Bishry

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Integrating Key Functions In Product Development : A Conceptual Product Development Model For The Korean Context, Jong-Wook Kim

Theses

The high-tech market is characterized by market uncertainty, technology uncertainty and rapid change. To survive in this risky high-tech market, a company must create competitively effective product development practices that meet its own unique needs and circumstances.

One effective practice is cross-functional integration in the product development process. The advantages of integration include a shortened time to market, successful transformation of research results to production, productivity improvement, innovation project success, and high-quality problem solutions. However, these advantages are rarely obtained in the current product development practices of Korean companies. Their product development efforts are generally characterized by time consuming sequential …

Auditing Troubled Employees In The Public Sector, Lila Mehdiyar

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Towards A Model For Software Project Estimating, Stuart Hope

Theses : Honours

The use and development of software is an integral and critical part of modern industrial society. The outcomes of many software development and maintenance projects have been less than satisfactory with significant numbers being over schedule, lacking in functionality and over budget. These problems are the result of poor management of both the process and the product. One of the major problems to overcome in the management of software development projects is the ability to predict the outcomes early in the project when there are a large number of unknowns. The ability to reliably predict the outcomes in a repeatable …

An Analysis Of The Court's Decisions Relating To Fair Market Value And The Concept Of Blockage In Regards To Artist's Estates, Noel Laine Novak-Pilch

Theses

This thesis will focus on three specific court cases and the relevant decisions as they relate to the hypothetical concept of Fair Market Value and the concept of a blockage discount.

In recent years, cases involving artists' estate holdings of unsold works have dealt with Fair Market Value and a blockage discount. The three main cases are the Estate of David Smith, the Estate of Georgia T. O'Keeffe, and the Estate of Andy Warhol. In all three cases, the court was asked to decide what amount, if any, was to be applied for a blockage discount. While each of these …

Earnings Management And Accounting Choices In Initial Public Offerings : Evidence From Indonesia, Tatang A. Gumanti

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Information asymmetry about the value of the firm making initial public Offering and the potential investors exists. This thesis investigates whether issuers of initial public affairs (IPOs) use accounting discretion to increase the reported earnings through the choice of accounting methods. Anecdotal evidence •suggests that accounting numbers are used in the pricing of IPO. Further, there is an economic incentive for issuers of IPOs to sell the offering shares at the highest possible price which in tum increases their proceeds and thus their wealth. This suggests a prediction that, immediately prior to the offering, issuers exercise accounting discretion to increase …

Social Disclosure By Australian Listed Mineral Mining Companies: A Stakeholder Approach, Gary S. Kong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examines the incentives of Australian listed mineral mining companies within the stakeholder theoretical framework to disclose socially responsible information in their corporate annual report. The three dimensions of the stakeholder theory were empirically tested to explain the association of a social disclosure model comprising categories of social disclosure for environment, energy, product and services, human resources and community involvement, with nine firm-specific characteristics. The sample of 179 Australian listed mineral mining companies for the financial year ending 1994 was obtained by personal contact. The extent of social disclosure was measured by a dichotomous index against the social disclosure …

Selected Problems Involving The Probability Of Ruin For An Insurance Company, Andrew J. Schafer

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

In the actuarial science literature, an insurance company is said to be ruined if, at some time t > 0, the aggregate claims up to time t exceed the sum of the initial surplus and the total premium collected up to time t. The calculation and/or estimation of the probability of ruin is of fundamental importance. In this paper we use computer simulation to estimate the probabilities of ruin over a finite horizon of time when the aggregate claims process is Compound Poisson and the distribution of the claim sizes is: (i) Weibull, and (ii) exponential with a random parameter. The …

Is Peru A Great Place For A&W?, Miguel Atala

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Statement of the problem. "Peru has the ideal market for A&W restaurants."

Methods. The literature review would be done with the help of a questionnaire that had three different sections and with an interview with the president of A&W Mr. Feltenstein. The questionnaire proved that Peruvians want the presence of A&W, an American fast food restaurant in Lima, the capital of Peru. This researcher reviewed the literature concerning Peru. Results. The final results have been very positive, Peru has economic stabilization and is recognized internationally as a star. It was bankrupt five years ago and now is growing very fast. …

An Investigation Into The Determinants Of Information Systems Employee Turnover, Kenita F. Mckenny

Theses

This thesis will concentrate on the subject of the determinants of voluntary employee turnover in the workplace. Business owners and corporate executives are interested in the subject of turnover because it bas a financial impact on organizations. For decades, this concern has made employee turnover a popular topic of study for researchers. Several definitions have been used to describe turnover, thereby creating an opportunity for theorists to research many areas, such as functional or dysfunctional turnover, organizational and individual effects of turnover, and causes of turnover.

The purpose of the present study is to focus on the turnover of a …

Facets Of Job Satisfaction Among Social Service Workers, Mary Ann Meegan

Theses

Workers in the field of social services report being overworked and underpaid. Studies have shown evidence that this is an accurate perception. Yet those same studies, as well as others, indicate that social service workers are generally satisfied with their jobs. This presents a question as to what the source or sources of this satisfaction are. An instrument designed to explore facets of job satisfaction specifically in the social services professions was administered to 40 Children's Services Workers of the Division of Family Services in St. Charles Co., Mo. The results indicate that, while less than satisfied with salary, promotional …

Concepts Of Career Planning, Stephanie G. Venable

Theses

This thesis study consists of general information and historical perspectives on vocational guidance. Vocational guidance is researched and the problems of managing one's own career. This study introduces major writers and summarizes their contributions of work in vocational guidance. Specifically the research of what organizations and schools are doing to help individuals manage their careers. The most important research to this focus is job hunting and in-depth discussion on various topics related to this focus.

Nursing Home Management Of The Certified Nurse's Aide: Voluntary Job Turnover, Job Satisfaction, And An Overview Of Industry Challenges With Proven Solutions, Kevin G. Sullivan

Theses

This thesis will focus on the issues surrounding the voluntary turnover rate of the certified nurse's aide population. Research has attributed the high turnover rate to numerous factors such as inadequate monetary compensation, lack of job satisfaction, difficulty in being promoted, inattention of management to the relevant issues, and the failure of management to use proven solutions utilized by other non- health care businesses in attracting and retaining qualified and desirable employees.

With annual turnover rates of the certified nurse's aide population estimated in the 100% to 300% range, the magnitude of the problem cannot be disputed. However, with the …

Designing, Implementing, And Measuring Return On Quality Within The Corporate Sector: A Primer, Richard A.N. Stones

Theses

This thesis will focus on the concept of Return on Quality, which allows managers to measure their company's return on investment on quality-improvement programs. Although over 90 percent of American companies have some form of quality-improvement initiatives in place, studies have shown that as much as 66 percent of the programs implemented have failed to produce satisfactory results.

This finding does not mean that all quality programs should be scrapped. Rather, it underscores the importance of assessing the program's ability to contribute to the company's bottom line. Top financial executives should actively participate in measuring the performance of such programs …

The Role Of Non-Verbal Communication In The Maintenance Of Stratification By Gender And Race In America, Barbara Ann Dulaney

Theses

The research goal of the following culminating project is to identify the role of non-verbal communication in the maintenance of social stratification based on gender and race in America.

The first chapter seeks to clarify the two main components: social stratification and non-verbal communication. Social stratification is defined and a summary is given of several theories regarding stratification and of how, in various religious, political and social movements, it is a significant factor. The constituents of non-verbal communication are identified.

The second chapter reviews literature on the subject of general social stratification. In order to present a concise look at …

Cost Efficiency Of Managed Care, Tammie M. Scott-Thorpe

Theses

This paper studies the role of health maintenance organizations in the health care market. Managed Care represents the growing wave of health care in the future by eliminating unnecessary and costly procedures. Vanishing are the repetitive tests that once victimized the consumer. By regulating fixed costs, the industry is forcing a change in testing and research.

Since Managed Care regulates costs, they appear particularly prominent in the elderly population. Financial efficiency helps provide the proper organized system of long term care brought by the aged. Also, complex paper work and bills should be eliminated or at least decreased to a …