Business Commons^™

Understanding Collaborative Writing Of Technical Proposals With A Process/Product Model, Frank Joseph Greco

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Group work creates concerns with respect to performance, collaboration, and conflict management. Writing technical proposals creates appropriate settings for gaining insight into work group efficiencies and project conflict. The research involved different work groups preparing responses to Federal Government solicitations. A proposed Process/Product model was applied to create a new framework and perception of the technical proposal development effort. There exists a rich dialectic between the forces of Process, (how the effort is accomplished), and, Product, (what the effort will produce.) The investigation attempted to learn if the P/P model provides explanations for project conflict during technical collaborative writing.

The …

The Global Challenge, Alfredo H. Boniforti

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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The Feasibility For Exporting "Power Painter" Into Thailand, Nopparat Amornsrisuk

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Recently, international business has become meaningful for international companies. It makes the business more profitable and interesting. Moreover, it has made an innovative and improvement for the world of business. This project will study the process of exporting and marketing of the "Power Painter", product of Wagner Spray Tech Corporation, into Thailand which is directly involved with international business. It will study both controllable and uncontrollable business factors. Finally, it will study the feasibility of exporting the selected product into the selected country.

However, the exporting and marketing the "Power Painter" into Thailand should be feasible.

A Methodology To Generate Air Force Materiel Command Manpower Reduction Alternatives, Steven T. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to generate manpower authorization reduction alternatives for Air Force Materiel Command. The advent of low-cost personal computer software applications, such as Excel, has created an assessable tool with the ability to solve linear programming problems. This research examines the manpower resource reduction process of Air Force Materiel Command and models the Resources Allocation - Integrated Process Team (RA-IPT) decision process. A linear programming model is developed to assign these reduction through a weighted sum. The linear programming model is developed as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet model, the Exercise Support Program (ESP), using Visual Basic …

Excise Taxes In Egypt, Amira Mohamed Ibrahim Kazem

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Economic And Monetary Union In Europe, Charalambos K. Demetriou

Theses

The plans for Economic and Monetary Union in Europe became difficult to achieve during the period 1992-1993. The convergence criteria set up in the Maastricht Treaty block the road towards unification. It is very complex to expect twelve governments with different shades of political colour and twelve states with different economic interests to compromise in such criteria (as inflation, government borrowing, exchange rate stability and interest rates) and eventually, speak with one voice at the end of this decade.

This current research provides significant modifications in The Maastricht Treaty , policy making, objectives, even changes in political behavior for better …

Environmental Messages In Boating Magazines: A Content Analysis Of Recreational Power Boating Articles, Robert S. Holtzman

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

This paper presents the results of a study analyzing the editorial content of consumer power boating magazines for messages of environmental responsibility. It presents evidence of a cause and effect relationship between recreational power boating and damage to the marine environment, and cites arguments that power boating in its currently popular form, involving high speeds and heavy fuel consumption, is inherently "unfriendly" to the environment. The paper describes a "chain of influence" through which boat manufacturers, in their role as advertisers, influence the editorial content of consumer boating magazines through the tactics of marketing public relations. A hypothesis is developed …

The New Certificates Of Financial Responsibility: Environmental Progress Or National Economic Disaster?, Paul R. Younes

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) is the first comprehensive oil spill legislation passed in the United States. Included in the law were new provisions governing the liability and financial responsibility of both the company responsible for the spill and the insurer. These provisions, while well-intentioned, have created a dangerous situation for both the environment and the economy of the United States. This paper will examine the financial responsibility and liability regime that was in place prior to the passage of OPA 90, and the provisions of OPA 90 that establish new requirements shipowners must meet to qualify …

Consumers' Attitudes Toward Advertising And Purchase Intentions Regarding Direct Response Advertisements In A Multicultural Market, Steven Marc Edwards

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Bike Racing Sponsorships As A Means To Meet A Corporation's Marketing And Promotional Objectives, Patty Sue Peoples

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

A Role Analysis Of Opinion Leaders, Adopters, And Communicative Adopters With A Dynamically Continuous Innovation, Stephen W. Graham

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

A Center For Training And Development, Mendy L. Warman

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Measuring The Mentoring Functions Performed By Female Mentors To Female Protegees, Angela P. Ricketts

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Organizational Concepts And Trends As Related To Team And Matrix Structures, Victor A. Finazzo

Theses

This thesis will focus on an analysis of organizational trends in the United States, and the move away from functionally based organizational structures toward team structures .

Increased domestic and international economic pressures have forced many U. S. companies to seek out new methods of operation in order to stay competitive and maintain market share . A major emphasis has been placed on organizational streamlining in an effort to become leaner and more productive . Many companies have taken the slow and cautious approach, carefully calculating the impact of organizational change, and others have leaped head first into new and …

The Downsizing Of American Corporations: Have They Gone Too Far?, Patricia A. Sturm

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of corporate downsizing and its impact on Americans and American businesses. Has it really been the cure-all that most top executives believe it to be, or is it simply a temporary fix that creates additional problems? Whatever the answer, this phenomenon, which began in the early eighties and still exists today, has changed the way corporations do business and the way Americans feel about their jobs.

Over the years executives have made many mistakes as they took a slash and burn type of approach toward eliminating jobs. They found that although this method …

The Use Of The Federal Concept On The Before And After Techniques In Partial Takings For Privatization, James Lamantia

Theses

The concept of valuation is legally supported in the Constitution of the United States. The federal area of Eminent Domain has created a field of use through case law and federal administrative policies and requirements. The federal case law and court decisions have created a whole field of legal terminology. The areas of Eminent Domain and its Just Compensation requirements have developed legally accepted methodology. One of the required methodologies for partial federal takings is the "Before and After" concept. The "Before and After" methodology is used to measure the difference between two sets of valuation facts. This concept when …

Administrative Quality Planning, Carolyn Joan Costello Baker

Theses

The quality movement in American businesses is becoming increasingly popular. American businesses are now competing internationally for market and the Japanese are winning. American businesses have adopted various quality systems to help them become customer driven, assisting in the regaining of lost market share. Some companies have been successful in implementing a quality system, but most have fallen short of achieving the desired a quality operation.

Most of the successful quality programs have come in manufacturing plants, but quality in the support services of the administrative levels have fallen short. Many manufacturing organizations approach quality implementation for the plant and …

A Generalized System Performance Model For Object-Oriented Database Applications, Ellen Moore Walk

Theses and Dissertations

Although relational database systems have met many needs in traditional business applications, such technology is inadequate for non-traditional applications such as computer-aided design, computer-aided software engineering, and knowledge bases. Object-oriented database systems (OODB) enhance the data modeling power and performance of database management systems for these applications.

Response time is an important issue facing OODB. However, standard measures of on-line transaction processing are irrelevant for OODB . Benchmarks compare alternative implementations of OODB system software, running a constant application workload. Few attempts have been made to characterize performance implications of OODB application design, given a fixed OODB and operating system …

The Making Of A New Product Development Process, William Scott Robertson

Theses

The core process that almost all manufacturing organizations are built on is new product development. It is the new product development process that determines how the Technical Operations, i.e., Engineering, Manufacturing, etc., of a particular company will be organized.

In 1993, Michael Hammer and James Champy wrote a revolutionary book entitled 11Reengineering the Corporation." In this book, they tell businesses to forget most of what they know about how business should run -- because it is all wrong.

They say that businesses must learn to reinvent themselves in order to compete in the ever-changing business climate of the 1990s and …

Corporate Image: The Role Of Communications In Development And Maintenance, Michelle L. Warner

Theses

This thesis will focus on corporate image - what it is, what it does, why it is necessary and how to develop and maintain it.

The term "corporate identity'' was first coined in the 1960's by Walter Margulies. Corporate identity is the term most commonly used to define a corporation's "sense of self." Corporate image is a direct offshoot of identity. Corporate image is the picture that an audience has of an organization through the accumulation of all received messages.

The bridge between corporate identity and corporate image is corporate communications. The most effective way to manage corporate image is …

The Implementation Of Cellular Manufacturing On To A Functional Factory Floor, Todd E. Richter

Theses

This thesis will focus on the implementation of cellular manufacturing and the issues that must be addressed for the successful transformation from a traditional functionally partitioned manufacturing environment .

A large percentage of companies who attempt to transform a functionally partitioned factory into a cellular layout fail to obtain the benefits that it can bring. Research has attributed this to the lack of planning for all the issues involved in cellular manufacturing . It is necessary to address all the issues, not just one or two, or the negative effects of partitioning a factory floor (the loss of pooling synergy) …

The Investigation Of The Needs Of Contemporary Woman And Development Of The Business Plan For Time For You, Ltd., Paula P. Macmann

Theses

This project focuses on the changing roles - and subsequent needs - of today's women.

Society slowly adapts to change; consequently, the responses to women's needs result in some being met, some only being addressed while others are completely ignored.

Still. changes in society have afforded unique opportunities for today's woman. Associated with these opportunities comes challenges. Segments of society continue to hold gender based stereotypical beliefs limiting women to traditional roles. But a new version of women's potential has emerged in the last quarter century. These new attitudes open up a more expanded scope of roles. They also result …

An Investigation Into The Development, Design, And Feasibility Of A Comprehensive Breast Diagnostic Center, Kelly W. Emrick

Theses

This thesis will focus on the feasibility of implementing, operating, and managing a free standing comprehensive breast diagnostic center for the detection of breast disease.

The important concern for diagnosis, treatment, and management of breast cancer in women is no new theory to the health care industry. Current public awareness of breast cancer is at an all time high. Every day the American public hears some aspect on the subject, whether it is on the evening news, TIME magazine, or just by word of mouth at the office.

This business plan will provide an all encompassing prospectus for potential investors …

Empowering The Survivors Of Downsizing, Marian W. Guidry

Theses

Downsizing, a term relatively new to the business world just a few years ago, has now become a house-hold name. In an effort to trim the budget, companies are reducing their personnel at an alarming rate.

The recent downsizing is having a devastating effect on employee morale. Downsizing threatens the security and self-esteem of survivors and victims. It causes turmoil and shatters the morale inside of organizations.

Survivors of downsizing are faced with the challenge of remaining loyal to the organization, even when feelings of insecurity and cynicism are dominating. Fear is permeating the workplace. Lack of mobility and advancement …

Empirical Research Study Of Rates Of Return On Earnings And Cash Flow, Joseph A. Agiato

Theses

Business valuation texts and reference sources all seem to indicate that the rate of return on cash flow should be between 300 and 600 basis points lower than the rate of return for earnings. Thus, when using a build-up approach to determine the rate of return on cash flow, an addition of between 3 percent and 6 percent is necessary to arrive at a rate of return on earnings. This thesis analyzes the relationship between earnings and cash flow (as dividends) over a two year period from 1993 to 1994.

The purpose of this study was to study the relationship …

The Importance Of Utilizing Older Workers As They Become A More Significant Factor In America's Work Force, Marilyn K. Brown

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of how America's companies are beginning to realize what a valuable asset their older employees have become. These people bring years of experience, knowledge , skill and loyalty to the work place. Contrary to stereotypes of older workers being slow, inflexible, unproductive, costly, uncreative and not adaptable , organizations are discovering that these people in general do not fit this "mold."

Throughout history there has been a change in attitudes toward older individuals. During colonial America, age represented authority, power , arrogance and greed. Around the time of the American Revolution, equality among …

Evolution Of The Workplace: Where Do We Go From Here?, Patricia L. Brockmeyer

Theses

This paper will take the reader on a fascinating journey through the workplace from colonial times to the decade of 2000+. It will be a tumultuous roller coaster ride with victories and sacrifices for both employees and employers. It will begin with the birth of our country when labor was largely concentrated either in agriculture, or people were self employed in retail, or skilled trades. It will identify the somewhat nefarious methods for obtaining servants, from Europe and Africa when indentured servants and slaves provided cheap labor.

Soon the industrial revolution invaded the shores of the new nation and workers …

The Impact Of Corporate Training Programs And Business/Education Partnerships On The Skills Gap Of The American Workforce, Clare G. Romeo

Theses

This thesis will focus on the study of the impact of corporate training programs and business education partnerships on the skills gap of the American workforce.

Research indicates that there is an emerging crisis in the American workplace. Increased demand for highly skilled workers, combined with an aging workforce, has created shortages of skilled workers, shortages that are predicted to grow for many years to come. This shortage of skilled workers required by employers is defined as the skills gap.

Some of the causes of the skills gap are demographic trends, technological change and increased international competition. One major factor …

Marketing Student-Athletes, Susan Emilie Sagara

Theses

This thesis explores the increasingly strategic role of parents and student-athletes in marketing themselves for collegiate athletic scholarships. Focusing primarily on high school athletes aiming to secure positions in college athletic programs, Sagarra argues that recruiting is not just the domain of coaches and scouts—it is a business-like endeavor that requires active family involvement. The project examines how athletes and their families can take initiative to promote both academic and athletic qualities, navigate NCAA and NAIA recruiting rules, and leverage external resources such as coaches, scouting services, and media. It discusses the pressures athletes face—emotionally, academically, and socially—and how informed …

The Impact Of Self Directed Work Teams On Organizational Performance, Wanda M. Roane

Theses

This is an expository study that will examine organizational problems that have contributed to the declining health of north American businesses. It will further identify a treatment approach, that when strategically applied can improve a business' performance and ultimately its ability to compete in global markets.

For many years North American Business have operated under a paradigm that embraced the belief that bureaucracy was the best organizational form to achieve business success. Research indicates that bureaucracy, and its failure to focus on people and the role that they play has been a leading cause to the decline in business. Many …