Business Commons^™

Heart Neighbors Art Café Business Plan, Wei Hsuan Chen

MA Projects

Heart Neighbors Art Café is a unique establishment that combines a coffee shop with an art gallery, aimed at creating a vibrant cultural hub in the Wenshan District of Taipei City. Our mission extends beyond serving delicious coffee and providing a comfortable environment; we aspire to foster community cohesion and cultural exchange through the power of art. The philosophy of Heart Neighbors Café is to use coffee to open the heart doors between strangers and art as a means of self-expression. Through respect, inclusivity, and attentive listening, individuals accompany each other, bringing warmth to every lonely soul. The fusion of …

Perceptions Of Available Funding Opportunities For West Tennessee’S Young And Beginning Row Crop Farmers, Logan Meeks

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Research quickly identified many different avenues of funding available to new and beginning traditional row-crop farmers in Tennessee, but questions surrounding local farmers’ knowledge of these opportunities are in question. Many programs specific to the New and Beginning Farmer demographic boasted the potential benefits of using these programs as well as the good work these programs are accomplishing. The current increase in cost of traditional row-crop funding continues to drive the need for more funding resources with New and Beginning Farmers. Providing resources of where farmers can find the best available funds for their operation will expand the level of …

Social Media Comments Of Top Athletes: A Gender Analysis, Madigan Mcgrath

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Sports are fraught with gender inequality and sexism. This research focuses on differences in public opinion regarding top athletes' personal social media. The study investigates gender differences in topic, gender differences in tone, gender differences in platform, and differences in sports. Additionally, it aims to explore the tone and topics of comments on Instagram and X. Using the methodology of content analysis, this study will examine comment tone (e.g. negative, positive, or neutral), as well as whether the topic of comments is sports-related or gender-related. Findings provide insight into gender differences in the treatment of athletes in the digital sphere.

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Awakening To The Politics Of Consumption: A Qualitative Study Of Politicized Consumerism As Social Identity, Julia Belmiro

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This qualitative study examines the influence of politicized consumerism on individual social identity through a social psychological perspective. Drawing from Tajfel and Turner’s Social Identity Model (1979) and Cross’s model of Black Identity (1991), we explored politicized consumption as a form of identity through the voices of consumers. Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), we analyzed thirty-seven survey respondents’ descriptions of their types of politicized consumption choices, factors contributing to their “awakening” to consumer politicization, the integration of these choices into their identity, and whether they viewed politicized consumption as a mechanism for social change. Participants in our sample …

Do Regulatory Announcements Still Cause Price Volatility? : A Pre- And Post-Msr Analysis Of The Eu Ets, Pornnapat Kuleung

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines whether the introduction of the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) has changed how the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) responds to regulatory policy announcements affecting EUA supply and demand. Using event study and volatility analysis, it compares 81 events across Pre-MSR (before 2019) and Post-MSR (after 2019) periods.Cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) are estimated via a mean-adjusted model and tested using Welch’s t-test. Volatility is assessed through a GARCH(1,1) model, with structural differences evaluated using a Likelihood Ratio Test and a bootstrap test.Findings show that the MSR has reduced overreaction and volatility in specific contexts—particularly during recurring supply-related …

Green Bonds, Green Returns: The Impact Of Green Bond Issuances On Financial Performance In The U.S. Energy Sector, Adora Lei

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the impact of green bond issuances on the financial performance of U.S. energy firms, the largest greenhouse gas-emitting sector. To explore the incentives for adopting green projects among firms with the most significant margin for improvement, I focus on Gross Profit Margin (GPM) and the Tobin’s Q Ratio as key indicators of profitability and valuation. Using a dataset of 462 companies, I analyze green and conventional corporate bond issuances from 2010 onwards in the context of their financial reports. The findings reveal that green bonds positively influence long-term valuation, with Tobin’s Q showing significant increases from the …

The Fourth Industrial Paradigm: The Emergence Of Artificial Intelligence As A Business Tool For Startups And Technology Companies, Evan Barr

Honors Theses

Society is currently living in an era known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), which is primarily defined by technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, which provide prediction capabilities for businesses across all industries. But how are small technology companies and startup businesses navigating the influx of future possibilities of AI? This thesis examines how governments and consulting firms portray the future possibilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Using Sheila Jasanoff’s concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, the research explores how these imaginaries shape AI narratives through primary documents like the Biden Administration's "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights" and McKinsey & …

The Impact Of Signing Bonuses, Age, And Country On Mlb Success: Evaluating Investment Returns In The Mlb International Amateur Free Agent Market, Elliot Wolf

Honors Theses

MLB’s International Amateur Free Agent Market provides teenagers across the world opportunities to sign, develop, and potentially fulfill their dreams of playing in the MLB. It also allows teams to sign players at young ages, increasing the amount of time players can develop within a team’s minor league system. While signing bonus decision-making is backed up by a team’s scouts and data, the signing bonus a player receives is rarely a reflection of their future value. I argue that teams are not spending this money optimally. However, in an environment where players have low acquisition costs and volatile performance outcomes, …

Sustainable Frameworks & The Circular Economy Within Digital Marketing & Advertising Agency Groups, Angelique Bautista

Honors Theses

Digital marketing significantly contributes to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of marketing and advertising agencies. Despite efforts towards corporate sustainability, discrepancies in carbon accounting and sustainability practices persist across the industry. An increasingly relevant topic for many industries is the circular economy (CE). It is concerned with creating a structured and cyclical sustainable practice and/or operation. This research paper examines the intersection of the CE and environmental sustainability initiatives in global digital marketing, analyzing sustainability efforts and ordinances up to April 2024, alongside theories from Science and Technology Studies (STS). Then, CE principles are explored more in-depth and the sociotechnological …

Exploring Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Ai Tools In Auditing: A Mixed-Methods Study, Fahad Alsudairi

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial Intelligence's (AI) rise has created value for organizations and society, prompting scholars to study its spread across many areas. However, the impact of AI adoption on governmental organizations still needs to be explored. Governmental entities face unique challenges distinct from private organizations, and existing research often focuses on the perspectives of AI experts or senior management, neglecting the insights of lower-level employees who will use the system daily.

This study investigates the multifaceted factors influencing the intention to adopt AI tools within a governmental auditing bureau in Saudi Arabia. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has …

Transforming Accounting: Robotic Process Automation In The Accounting Environment, Leah Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, I have worked with many companies that run legacy accounting and operation systems that do not integrate. With the introduction of RPA, it provides these companies with the ability to integrate without the need for customization. This dissertation is my personal pursuit of understanding the risks associated with implementing RPA and identifying specific areas where organizations may face challenges. I accomplish this objective through three papers: a literature review, a survey, and an experiment. The literature review synthesizes RPA literature, organizing it by implementation state. The survey paper provides an analysis of how internal auditors rate particular …

การปรับปรุงระบบขนส่งเพื่อการส่งออกสินค้าตู้คอนเทนเนอร์ กรณีศึกษาผู้ผลิตอาหารสัตว์สำเร็จรูป, กฤษณะพงษ์ เกตุขุนทด

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาและเปรียบเทียบแนวทางการขนส่งสินค้าเพื่อการส่งออกที่เหมาะสมสำหรับผู้ผลิตอาหารสัตว์สำเร็จรูปในประเทศไทย โดยพิจารณาแนวทางการขนส่งหลัก 3 แนวทาง ได้แก่ คลังสินค้าเช่า และทำการขนส่งด้วยรถบรรทุกทั้งหมด คลังสินค้าสร้างเองในโรงงาน และทำการขนส่งด้วยรถบรรทุกทั้งหมด คลังสินค้าสร้างเองในโรงงาน และทำการขนส่งด้วยรถบรรทุกควบคู่กับการขนส่งผ่าน สถานีบรรจุและแยกสินค้า กล่องลาดกระบัง (Inland Container Depot: ICD) เพื่อขนส่งด้วยรถไฟไปที่ท่าเรือ การประเมินต้นทุนรวมในช่วงเวลา 10 ปี ดำเนินการภายใต้สมมติฐาน 3 กรณี ได้แก่ กรณีฐาน (Base Case) ที่ปริมาณส่งออกเติบโตปีละ 2%, กรณี High Demand ที่เติบโตปีละ 6% และกรณีที่ต้นทุนปรับตัวตาม Real GDP ที่ 1.8% ต่อปี ผลการศึกษา พบว่า แนวทางที่ 1 มีต้นทุนรวมต่ำที่สุดในกรณี Base Case แต่ไวต่อความผันผวนของต้นทุน ผันแปร แนวทางที่ 2 มีต้นทุนสูงที่สุดที่เกิดจากการลงทุนสร้างคลังสินค้า แต่สามารถรองรับปริมาณที่เพิ่มสูงขึ้นจากความต้องการในอนาคตได้ ส่วนแนวทางที่ 3 แม้มีต้นทุนระดับกลางที่เกิดจากก่อสร้างคลังสินค้า แต่สามารถควบคุมต้นทุนด้านการขนส่งได้ในกรณีที่ราคาน้ำมันเชื้อเพลิงพุ่งสูงขึ้นอย่างมาก อย่างไรก็ตามจากการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกผู้ประกอบการในหลายอุตสาหกรรม พบว่ายังมีข้อจำกัดของระบบราง เช่น ความไม่แน่นอนของรอบรถ ตารางรถไฟอาจมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงอย่างกระทันหัน ซึ่งอาจก่อให้เกิดต้นทุนแฝงและกระทบต่อความเชื่อมั่น ผลการศึกษานี้สามารถใช้เป็นแนวทางประกอบการตัดสินใจของผู้ประกอบการในการเลือกแนวทางขนส่งที่เหมาะสม และวางแผนการลงทุนเพื่อรองรับการเติบโตของการส่งออกในอนาคต

Motivation, Learning, And The Workplace: A Study Of Community College Student Affairs Professionals And Continued Professional Learning, Joseph M. Ginese

Theses and Dissertations

Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This study utilized a quantitative research design to examine the physical and psychological factors of the work environment that can influence a community college student affairs professional’s motivation to pursue continued professional learning. Through the theoretical lens of Lewin’s Field Theory and Eccles’ Expectancy-Value Theory, I designed a 58-item survey (N = 41) …

Implementation Of The Dutch Biking System In The United States Subject: Portsmouth Nh, Linda K. Freeman

Honors Theses and Capstones

This thesis explores the feasibility of implementing the Dutch Biking System in the United States, focusing on Portsmouth NH as a potential candidate for such infrastructure development. By analyzing the history of bicycles, the Dutch biking system, and the American biking system, the study aims to establish the need for enhanced biking infrastructure in the U.S. The research outlines a comprehensive implementation plan based on cost considerations and project scope, with a long-term vision spanning several decades. Key stakeholders, including civil engineers, communications specialists, and data analysts, play crucial roles in designing, promoting, and evaluating the biking infrastructure. The study …

A Study How Gender Equality Affect Financial Inclusion In Pakistan, Mehwish Javed

Master of Science in Islamic Banking & Finance

The study focused on the relationship of gender equality with financial stability and financial inclusion in Pakistan. Time-series balanced annual frequency data between 2007 and 2023 (17 consecutive years) was collected from World Development Indicator (WDI), Global Financial Development Index (GFDI), and Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) databases. The results demonstrated positive relationship between gender equality and financial inclusion. This manifested the fact that gender equality, macroeconomic policies optimizations, adequate operational procedures, and risk management are all top priority areas that require attention to generate sustainable development of the Pakistani banking sector and enhanced financial inclusion. The research proposes …

Healthcare Workers With Attitude: Covid-19 Pandemic Affects Their Work-Related Attitudes, Quinn M. Sybert

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The COVID-19 pandemic left an unforgettable mark on the world, affecting individuals and societies on an unprecedented scale in this modern era. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the attitudes of healthcare professionals, specifically doctors and nurses working in a hospital in the southwestern United States. My research question is: did the COVID-19 pandemic change healthcare professionals’ work-related attitudes, specifically sense of calling, work meaningfulness, strength of workplace friendships, and organizational identification? Data collected from two cohorts of healthcare professionals both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in the months of February 2019, January and February 2020, …

Leading Financial Indicators Of Corporate Bankruptcy, Macee Patritti

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

A Time Series Geometric Term Structure Model: Indications For U.S. Treasury Yield Curve Interpretation And U.S. Federal Funds Target Rate Forecasting, Danny L. White

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This quantitative experiment executed an extensive study of the theoretical and exploratory development of a discrete step Federal Funds Target Rate (FFTR) forecast model expressed as the time series geometric average of an applied transform conversion of the U.S. Treasury Yield Curve (USTC). The novel approach, introduced as the Geometric Yield Curve (GYC) model, used USTC data taken directly from the U.S. Treasury Department website as its only input for term structure of interest rate modeling specific to the FFTR. A transform process, presented as term framing, introduced conversion of USTC embedded macroeconomic and macro-finance trend information into a daily …

Self-Exciting Point Processes In Real Estate, Ian Fraser

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis introduces a novel approach to analyzing residential property sales through the lens of stochastic processes by employing point processes. Herein, property sales are treated as point patterns, using self-exciting point process models and a variety of statistical tools to uncover underlying patterns in the data. Key findings include the identification and explanation of clustering in both space and time, and the efficacy of a temporal Hawkes process with a sinusoidal background in predicting home sale occurrences. The temporal analysis starts by employing the state of art techniques for time series data like regression, autoregressive, and autoregressive integrated moving …

Three Essays On Risks In The Option And Cds Markets, Seyed-Erfan Sadeghi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation comprises three essays investigating topics in insurance on debt and equity. The first essay utilizes patent groups as an indicator of technological proximity and demonstrates that climate risk associated with technology-related firms can predict the next quarter’s Credit Default Swap (CDS) for the focal firm. The findings indicate that a 24 basis point (bps) change in the next quarter’s CDS can be attributed to the spillover effect from technology-related companies. Sentiment analysis reveals that this outcome is primarily driven by concerns related to regulatory factors. Importantly, these results remain robust even after accounting for firm-specific characteristics and industry-fixed …

Investigating The Use Of Voluntary Furloughs To Reduce Labour Costs: The Effect On Employee Effort, Kelsey Matthews

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

To quickly reduce costs in response to external shocks, firms often implement voluntary furloughs. In a voluntary furlough, employees decide whether to accept a reduction in their pay with a corresponding reduction in work hours. Despite the prevalence of voluntary furloughs in practice, it remains an empirical question how employees will respond to this cost reduction practice. The purpose of my dissertation is to investigate how the implementation of a voluntary furlough affects the subsequent effort of employees who volunteer and those who do not volunteer for a furlough.

I address my research question using two experiments where I manipulate …

การเปรียบเทียบต้นทุนและผลกระทบต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมของการใช้รถบรรทุกไฟฟ้าและรถบรรทุกดีเซลขนาดใหญ่: กรณีศึกษาผู้ผลิตบรรจุภัณฑ์อลูมิเนียม, ศิริมา แสงชู

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อวิเคราะห์และเปรียบเทียบต้นทุนรวมตลอดอายุการใช้งาน (Total Cost of Ownership: TCO) และผลกระทบต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมในรูปของการปล่อยก๊าซเรือนกระจก (GHG) ซึ่งวัดเป็นคาร์บอนฟุตพริ้นต์ (Carbon Footprint) ระหว่างรถบรรทุกไฟฟ้าแบบใช้แบตเตอรี่ (Battery Electric Vehicle: BEV) และรถบรรทุกดีเซล ภายใต้สภาพการใช้งานจริงในภาคโลจิสติกส์ของประเทศไทย โดยใช้ข้อมูลจากรถหัวลากขนาด 10 ล้อ 2 รุ่นที่มีสมรรถนะใกล้เคียงกัน ได้แก่ รถดีเซลทั่วไป และรถไฟฟ้ายี่ห้อ NEX ที่ติดตั้งแบตเตอรี่ลิเทียมไอออนขนาด 282.62 กิโลวัตต์ชั่วโมง กรอบการวิเคราะห์ TCO ครอบคลุม 4 องค์ประกอบหลัก ได้แก่ ต้นทุนเริ่มต้น ต้นทุนการดำเนินงาน ค่าบำรุงรักษา และมูลค่าคงเหลือเมื่อสิ้นอายุการใช้งาน โดยกำหนดช่วงเวลา 10 ปี อัตราคิดลดร้อยละ 8 ต่อปี และระยะทางเฉลี่ย 124,800 กิโลเมตรต่อปี สำหรับการวิเคราะห์สิ่งแวดล้อมใช้แนวทาง Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) ครอบคลุมช่วงการผลิต การใช้งาน และการกำจัด โดยอ้างอิงค่าปัจจัยการปล่อย (Emission Factor) สำหรับดีเซลที่ 2.68 กิโลกรัม CO₂/ลิตร และสำหรับไฟฟ้าที่ 0.404 กิโลกรัม CO₂/กิโลวัตต์ชั่วโมง ตามโครงสร้างการผลิตไฟฟ้าในประเทศไทย ผลการศึกษาแสดงให้เห็นว่า BEV มีต้นทุนรวม (TCO) ตลอด 10 ปีที่ 19.07 ล้านบาท ต่ำกว่ารถดีเซลที่ 19.83 ล้านบาท และปล่อยคาร์บอนตลอดอายุการใช้งานที่ 931.04 ตัน CO₂e ซึ่งต่ำกว่ารถดีเซลเล็กน้อยที่ 935.65 ตัน CO₂e คิดเป็นส่วนต่างเพียง 0.5% สาเหตุสำคัญมาจากค่าการปล่อยของระบบไฟฟ้าในประเทศไทยที่ยังอยู่ในระดับสูงเมื่อเทียบกับประเทศที่มีสัดส่วนพลังงานหมุนเวียนมากกว่า อย่างในงานของ MacLean & Lave (2003) และ O’Connell et …

Community Cultural Wealth And Its Impact On Pandemic Relief Funding For Small Businesses, Brett Smith

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This dissertation investigates the impact of social, navigational, familial, aspirational, and resistant capital on the ability of small business owners in Pennsylvania to access relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily the period from March 2020 to December 2020. Utilizing Dr. Tara Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, the study explores systemic barriers within relief initiatives and how they affect marginalized communities.

To meet business owners where they were, and to utilize technologies born as a result of the pandemic, this study utilized Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVI) and online surveys, to capture the lived experiences of these small business owners. Not …

Hiring Practices In Black Nonprofit Organizations: Servant Leadership And The Employee Experience, Whitley Dozier

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This dissertation examined the impact of servant leadership within a Black nonprofit organization facing hiring challenges, particularly during organizational growth. The study explored how the leadership style of an executive leader influences employee experiences at a Black nonprofit organization. Using a mixed methods approach, quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess employee perceptions of servant leadership and its effects on various aspects of their employment journey, including hiring, onboarding, professional learning, personal development, and opportunities for career advancement. By investigating these dynamics, the study sought to contribute to a deeper understanding of how servant leadership and robust human resource …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Talent Acquisition And Retention: A Mixed Methods Study Of Organizational Practices, Dawayne Mcintosh

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study employed a convergent mixed methods approach to explore diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within Company A (pseudonym). It examined the effectiveness of DEI practices in recruitment and retention, leadership attitudes towards DEI, and overall commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. The conducted survey involved a combination of a Likert scale survey and a few open-ended questions from a pool of participants across the organization. The quantitative data highlighted trends and patterns in DEI practices, while the qualitative data revealed nuanced insights into individual experiences and perceptions. The results provided insights into the DEI initiatives that are in place …

Strategies To Improve Employee Retention In Nonprofit Organizations, Robert A. Thornburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Talented employee turnover in nonprofit organizations has the potential for excessive costs and unfavorable outcomes. Nonprofit organization managers are concerned with retaining talented employees not only to sustain competitive advantage but also to continue to provide essential services. Grounded in person-organization fit theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that four nonprofit organization managers in the southern United States use to increase employee retention. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational retention documents. Through Yin’s five-step data analysis process and thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) employ competitive benefits …

Navigating Global Landscapes: Exploring The Dynamics Of Cultural Intelligence In Business Organizations, Rong Min

Dissertations

This dissertation delves into the multifaceted factors influencing Cultural Intelligence (CQ) among U.S. managers, with a specific focus on openness to experience, emotional intelligence, international experience, and the role of age. Employing a quantitative research methodology, this study engages a diverse sample of managers across various industries in the United States to ascertain how these variables collectively contribute to or hinder the development of CQ within a global business context. Both openness to experience and emotional intelligence were significant predictors of higher CQ, underscoring their importance in facilitating effective leadership in multicultural settings. Although international experience also enhances CQ, its …

Understanding Neurodiversity And Executive Disfunction To Discover More Effective Accommodations And Create A More Inclusive Workforce For Neurodivergent Individuals, Carley Dahlstrom

Honors Theses and Capstones

The goal of this paper is twofold. One: understand executive disfunction to gain a broader understanding of neurodiversity and the challenges those with neurodiversity face in the workforce. And two: research different accommodations to combat executive disfunction and evaluate their effectiveness. To accomplish these goals, an extensive literature review was conducted to understand neurodiversity, executive disfunction, government requirements relating to accommodations, and an exploration of current accommodations available. Additionally, research was conducted in the form of interviews and a survey to expand and add to the overall understanding of this research area.

Results of the survey indicate an overall lack …

Social Workers In Human Resources, Alexandra H. Pogany

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.