Business Commons^™

Leadership In Startups: How Founder Personality And Leadership Behaviors Impact Startup Success And Psychological Safety, Ria Passi, Ronald Riggio

CMC Senior Theses

New ventures created by entrepreneurs are crucial to the economy and to the diffusion of innovative technologies. However, startups often operate in highly uncertain environments characterized by constrained resources, lack of established processes, and complex market dynamics. Despite surges in startup investment, the failure rate for new ventures remains high, making it crucial to understand the factors that can contribute to their success. This thesis explores how founder personalities, leadership styles, and cultivating psychological safety impact startup performance and growth trajectories. Founder personality traits like openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are positively associated with securing funding, achieving exit opportunities, and overall …

Architects Of War: The Economic And Industrial Strategies Of The Third Reich And United States Under Albert Speer And William Knudsen, Spencer David Taylor

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis presents a chronological narrative that delves into the economic and industrial underpinnings of the Second World War, focusing on the contrasting war machines of Germany and the United States. By examining the strategic decisions and outcomes shaped by two central figures, Albert Speer of Germany and William S. Knudsen of the United States, this study highlights how their approaches to war production profoundly influenced the overall trajectory and outcome of the war. Knudsen’s embodiment of the American industrial spirit and Speer’s manipulation of Germany's constrained resources illustrate the crucial roles that economic strategies played alongside military operations. The …

The Effects Of Ai On Recruiting In The Accounting Field, Reina Tain

CMC Senior Theses

This work investigated the impact of AI in accounting firms, particularly on the hiring scene. As AI use increases in the accounting industry, it would have a significant impact on what types of accountants firms are starting to hire, which this paper examines. This work incorporates research found through various accounting and business-related articles that discusses the impact of AI on recruiting in accounting firms. This paper found that candidates with high knowledge of technology with excellent communication and critical thinking skills are more likely to be hired by firms. The results indicate that recruiters prefer accountants that are curious …

Generation Z'S Use Of User-Generated Content For Travel Advice, Emmie Kay Hudson

Honors College Theses

This research project examines Generation Z’s use of TikTok’s and YouTube’s user-generated content (UGC) for travel advice related to accommodation, activities, cuisine, and other tourist practices. As this generation ages and enters the consumer market, continued research is needed to implement marketing strategies with the most significant influence. This study will examine the younger generations' behaviors and help the tourism industry understand its rising target market in comparison to Generations X and Y. This study is conducted through a non-experimental systematic literature review of the subject. This research provides information from various sources on topics such as Generation Z, TikTok, …

Nfl Positional Value In Terms Of Salary Cap Spending: Why Are Running Backs Undervalued?, Charlton Jackson

CMC Senior Theses

Running Backs over the past two decades have seen a contract value devaluation relative to other positions and the league's salary cap spending limit. The growth of running back salaries has stagnated in the past decade, and they currently fail to keep pace with the contracts for other positions. Through our empirical research, we were able to either reject or better explain existing reasoning for recent running back devaluation, such as the increase in passing volume, durability concerns, and running backs by committee. We found that the most significant change in the past 30 years of the NFL, since the …

Objectification And Meaning Transference: Does Showing More Skin Mean Less Perceived Agency For Brands?, Zachariah Schlichting

CMC Senior Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of sexual imagery in advertisements on consumers’ perceptions of brand competence and agency. The effect of a brand’s expected agency was also manipulated between two groups, high expected agency (e.g., tech companies) vs low expected agency (e.g., alcohol companies). 167 participants (M=22.48, 54% women) were recruited through Sona Systems and social media to partake in an online survey conducted through Qualtrics. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups and shown seven fictional advertisements; four target advertisements and three deception advertisements. They were then asked to rate their …

Bunzi, Non-Profit Contemporary Art Center For Archive And Craftmanship In Abidjan, Ivory Coast., Kinda Ghandour

MA Projects

Growing up in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, I discovered my passion for arts through my fine art teacher. Every two months, she would arrange visits to the Cecile Fakhoury gallery or the Donwhahi foundation. As I walked through these spaces, my imagination and mind expanded. These contemporary art platforms opened doors to me, giving me the opportunity to work in the arts. Cecile Fakhoury has proved that west African art offers great promise and growth since 2013. According to artsy, Aboudia was one of the top 20 selling artists in 2022. The 1-54 art fair, which has existed for 10 years, …

Customer-Centric Data Strategies To Drive Revenue Growth., Maxwell Okeyo

Theses & Dissertations

In today's digital age, media organisations grapple with declining revenues due to the shift from print to digital platforms. To tackle this challenge, there is a pressing need for these organisations to explore sustainable business models that prioritise revenue from readers. This project aims to address this issue by delving into data-driven strategies centred around readers' preferences and behaviours, aiming to sustainably spur revenue growth. The primary objective of this project was to craft and implement a reader-focused strategy to boost revenue. To achieve this, specific goals were outlined. Initially, the project sought to explore reader preferences and behaviours in …

Harnessing The Potential Of Digital Media For Business Growth Of Legacy Media In Kenya., Lilian Odera

Theses & Dissertations

In today’s digital era, businesses in Kenya have a unique opportunity to leverage digital technology to drive growth, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experiences. By embracing digital transformation, the media industry can expand its market reach, streamline operations, foster innovation, and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving business landscape. However, this transition is not without challenges, including cybersecurity risks, skills gaps, and ethical considerations. This study provides an analysis of the digital technology for business growth of the legacy media in Kenya. To conduct this research, a descriptive research design was employed, and the researcher collected primary data from …

The Gig Economy And Labour Resource Practices: A Case Study Of Africa Uncensored Limited, John Allan Namu

Theses & Dissertations

The following capstone paper discusses an emergent issue in labour relations within the media sector; contract or “gig” work. It draws on a context of nearly a decade of falling profits and failing business models within the news media sector, juxtaposed against the rising dominance of revenue models that are derivative of digital media businesses. The objectives of the capstone were to determine sustainable remuneration models that can be explored by Africa Uncensored Limited(AUC) staff in gig work and build a framework for engagement with individuals doing gig work. Employing a case- study approach, the researcher facilitated an understanding of …

Capturing Value In Emerging Markets: A Real Options Perspective On Resilience And Risk, Alexander Castillo

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the evaluation of investment opportunities in emerging markets (EMs) through real options analysis, against the backdrop of their unique risk profiles and the recent trend of EMs exhibiting resilience in economic performance. While EMs are associated with high growth rates and infrastructure gaps, they have shown adaptability, particularly in monetary policy responses to inflation. This paper explores the sensitivity of net present value (NPV) and real options (RO) to changes in the capital asset pricing model, adapting the yield spread to capture default risk and local risk-free rates. Utilizing oil benchmark price data, the paper constructs a …

Did Asu 2020-06 Impact Firm Corporate Financing Decisions?, Eric Sanchez

CMC Senior Theses

This research examines the influence of financial accounting standards for hybrid securities on corporate financing decisions. It uses ASU-2020-06 as a setting to test changes to the influence of moral hazard, adverse selection, and financial distress contracting costs on the likelihood of convertible bond issuances under the prior and latter accounting regimes for securities convertible into an entity's own equity.

The Impact Of International Baseball Players On Mlb Organizations: An Analysis Of Performance, Attendance, Revenue, And Valuation, 2012-2022, Aidan Booth

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the impact of international baseball players on MLB organizations. The paper uses the Sean Lahman Database focusing on team-wide statistics including performance metrics, winning percentage, and attendance. Using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression model, the paper examines the effect of share of foreign-born players on team success, attendance, revenue, and valuation. The dataset controls for a number of variables throughout these regressions including payroll, population, stadium capacity, number of all stars on each team, and the number of competing professional sports teams in the metropolitan area in order to isolate the effect of foreign-born players on …

Unions’ Impact On Firms’ Financial Decision Making: A Look At Right-To-Work Laws And Their Impact On Firms’ Leverage Decisions, Rachana Muvvala

CMC Senior Theses

I study the impact of unions on firms’ financial decision making by exploring their capital structure, specifically leverage. I test two opposing hypotheses to understand the relationship between unions and firms’ leverage: (1) the bargaining hypothesis which suggests that firms use higher leverage as a bargaining device with unions, and (2) the crowding-out hypothesis which suggests that firms have lower leverage because unions crowd out their debt capacity due to their perceived riskiness. Focusing on the 2007 to 2022 period, I examine right-to-work (RTW) laws, since they are exogenous shocks that decrease union power in five different states. Then, I …

Driven By Change: The Impact Of Macroeconomic Shifts And Covid-19 On New Vehicle Sales, Jackson Aldrich

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the impact of macroeconomic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic on new vehicle sales. In order to address these two topics, a two-pronged approach was used with separate regression models. The macroeconomic variables include monthly supply of new homes, CPI for urban public transportation, unemployment rate, disposable personal income, inflation expectation, consumer sentiment, average gas prices, and total vehicle miles traveled which were regressed on total vehicle sales from 1978-2022. The regression results confirmed and supported current literature and highlighted the importance of the housing market and unemployment rate on new vehicle sales. The COVID-19 pandemic model variables …

Ceo Characteristics That Lead To Extreme Outperformance: A Statistical Analysis Of William Thorndike’S “The Outsiders”, William Turner

CMC Senior Theses

What makes a high-performing CEO? What CEOs should you invest in? These are the questions that the Board of Directors, headhunters, academics, and investors all seek the answer to. This paper explores the answer to this question by examining CEO performance at the extremes. Inspired by the work of William N. Thorndike’s “The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success,” this study expands upon his methodology, employing a statistical approach to analyze a broader dataset of CEOs over the past thirty years. Using a logit model of hyper-outperforming versus hyper-underperforming CEOs, it assesses the …

Activism Aftershocks: Looking Beyond The Short-Term Stock Surges Caused By Activist Hedge Fund Campaign Announcements, Zara Vakath

CMC Senior Theses

It is well known that firms targeted by activist hedge funds experience positive abnormal stock returns during the campaign announcement window. However, the link between these short-term returns and the impact to long-term target firm performance has not been established. In this study, I find essentially no link between the positive announcement window returns and long-term performance improvements, using a variety of different methods. I examine performance changes over time and also relative to a matched sample of firms that have not been targeted by activist hedge funds. Additionally, I assess the correlation between the magnitude of short-term abnormal stock …

Towards Algorithmic Justice: Human Centered Approaches To Artificial Intelligence Design To Support Fairness And Mitigate Bias In The Financial Services Sector, Jihyun Kim

CMC Senior Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has positively transformed the Financial services sector but also introduced AI biases against protected groups, amplifying existing prejudices against marginalized communities. The financial decisions made by biased algorithms could cause life-changing ramifications in applications such as lending and credit scoring. Human Centered AI (HCAI) is an emerging concept where AI systems seek to augment, not replace human abilities while preserving human control to ensure transparency, equity and privacy. The evolving field of HCAI shares a common ground with and can be enhanced by the Human Centered Design principles in that they both put humans, the user, at …

Owning Green: Evaluating The Effects Of Actively Managed Sustainability Fund Ownership On Esg Scores, Caleb Young

CMC Senior Theses

The growing trend of acknowledging ESG performance as a material concern when conducting due diligence on investment opportunities has exacerbated the number of assets being managed by investors with sustainability-oriented goals. At the same time, as social and climate-related issues have become more intense, investors want to use their agency as shareholders to influence companies to act in ways that align with their values. Frequently, this can be most effectively achieved through proxy voting and corporate engagement, particularly if the fund is an active manager. This thesis explores the interaction between ESG-focused ETFs and mutual funds and their management style …

Strategies For Growing Audience For Community Radio In The Digital Era. The Case Of Arua One Fm., Grace Rechue Lekuru

Theses & Dissertations

The media landscape has been profoundly transformed by the emergence of digital technologies and the internet, posing both challenges and opportunities for community radios to reach and expand their audiences. Through an in-depth case study analysis, this research aims to examine approaches and tactics utilized by Arua One FM, shedding light on the broader strategies that community radios can adopt to thrive amidst the dynamic digital disruptions in the media industry. Arua One FM is a rural community radio located in the North-West of Uganda and owned by Vision Group. This study employed qualitative methodologies with a focus on the …

Investigating The Impact Of Digital Transformation On Legacy Media In Uganda: The Case Of New Vision Newspaper., Francis Kagolo

Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to investigate the impact of digital transformation on legacy media in Uganda, using the leading English newspaper, New Vision, as a case study. Employing qualitative methods, including documentary analysis and interviews with 13 senior editors, circulation and finance managers, and media scholars, the study evaluated the impact of digital transformation on New Vision, examined revenue streams, and assessed the newspaper’s content strategy effectiveness. Findings reveal that while digital technology enhanced news gathering and distribution efficiency, it diminished the newspaper's ability to break stories, leading to declining sales and revenue. New Vision's attempts to monetise digital content face …

Upskilling And Retooling Regional Correspondents In A Changing Media Landscape: A Case Study Of Royal Media Services Limited., Fayzah Wanjiru

Theses & Dissertations

Regional correspondents play a major role in the media in Kenya by bringing into the national discourse local stories from rural, marginalized, and isolated communities, as well as from other towns away from the capital city or the head office of a media organization. Advancements in technology in the digital era have transformed the media landscape, forcing the media to adopt new business models as audience consumption habits change. Regional correspondents must equip themselves with relevant skills to adapt to the evolving media landscape. Industry players have found that regional correspondents lack competency skills. Ireri (2017) argued that journalists feel …

Exploring Strategies Broadcast Media Can Use Togenerate Revenue From Social Media Platforms: A Case Study Of Galaxy Fm In Uganda., Esther Nalubega Wamala

Theses & Dissertations

Globally, the manner in which people are communicating and interacting has changed mainly due to social media. This change has affectedtraditional media that is print and broadcast because part of the audiences have shifted to Social Media Platforms (SMPs) like Facebook (Meta), Twitter (X), WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and others where they get all the information. This shift has negatively impacted the revenue base of the traditional media because advertisers have also turned to SMPs to advertise their goods and services. The goal of this study, therefore, was to explore strategies broadcast media houses can use to generate revenue from …

Visit North Carolina: Trail Accessibility, Hannah Caitlyn Guschel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This paper focuses on the perceived barriers to travel from marketing material for individuals with disabilities compared to those without disabilities and the direct impact on leisurely travel participation, particularly in outdoor spaces. Employing a cross-sectional study design encompassing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, this research investigates the experiences and transparency of trail accessibility in the state of North Carolina. Quantitative data were gathered through trail assessment accessibility checklists, while qualitative insights were obtained via in-depth interviews. The findings reveal an improved understanding of accessibility and the application of an accessibility checklist. Moreover, the study underscores the importance …

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 …

An Examination Of Contemporary Fundraising Trends And Support For A Sustainable Shift To Full-Cost Funding, Alison Scott

Master's Projects and Capstones

For decades, nonprofit organizations have faced immense challenges securing adequate funding that will not only run their programs, but cover all operational and overhead costs. Traditional funding models often restrict funds to specific projects or services, leaving nonprofits with financial instability, and potentially hindering their ability to fully deliver on their missions. Recently, there has been a shift in the philanthropic landscape that challenges these more restrictive fundraising models. As this conversation has grown, the concept of “Full Cost Funding” has gained traction, which calls for a more comprehensive funding approach that covers the full costs of running an organization, …

Analyzing Employee Perceptions On Monitoring In The Workplace, Jacob W. Holden

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This literature review will focus on companies' and employees' views on electronic workplace monitoring, surveillance, and tracking, the ethicality of such activity, and the benefits and drawbacks of such activity. I conducted a literature review with the specific research question "How does a company's policy on workplace monitoring, surveillance, and tracking affect employees' or potential candidates' view on working for the company?". I discuss four scholarly articles and the implications they have on how electronic performance monitoring (EPM) systems are perceived in the workplace.

Grace House Akron Volunteer Information And Training Kit, Lilly Wright

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Grace House Akron is a non-profit organization that provides housing and care to people on hospice who are homeless, living in indignant conditions, or do not have an able and/or willing caregiver. Over the course of Grace House’s first year in operation, they have worked alongside over 200 volunteers. Now, they are seeking to expand the demographic makeup of these volunteers. The objective of this project is to create a deliverable volunteer kit that will include 4 sections: Introduction, In-House Volunteering, Out-of-House Volunteering, and Reference Materials. This kit will streamline the process of onboarding volunteers by introducing them to the …

Honors Project Hartville Potato Chips (Final) - College Of Business - Team 5 (Marketing Partnerchip), Isabela Schroeter, Justin Kriess, Trent Thomas, Devin Maddox, Irina Hacck, Jake Lubic

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

TO EXPAND THE HARTVILLE POTATO CHIP COMPANY BRAND IN A WAY THAT WILL CREATE A UNIQUE POSITION IN THE MIND OF THE CONSUMER.

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 …