Business Commons^™

Curating Attendee-Centered Corporate Event Experiences Through The Strategic Implementation Of Psychological Principles, Alexis G. Mullendore

Senior Theses

This thesis explores how psychological principles can inform event professionals’

decisions in the planning and execution of attendee-centered corporate events. In the modern

experience economy, corporations increasingly prioritize engaging, high-production events for

employees and stakeholders, while attendee expectations for immersive, spectacle experiences

continue to rise. Therefore, the importance of designing corporate events that balance clients’

fiscal and objective needs with attendees’ experience-driven expectations has become

increasingly recognized. This shift toward a human-focused approach prompted the researcher to

examine how psychological principles can inform the design and execution of events. The

project was conducted through a three-phase research process consisting of …

Can Argentina Overcome The Lithium Natural Resource Curse? A Case Study Into Argentina's Institutional Framework For Lithium Supply Chain Development And Innovation, Colby Greene

Senior Theses

Through the analysis of the natural resource curse, the development of institutional frameworks in societal contexts, the nature of natural resource-based industry value chains, and value creation through institutions and value chains, all in the context of Argentina’s lithium industry, this paper finds that Argentina has failed to implement the necessary institutions and promote proper policy to promote value addition and real economic growth through the conduit of the development of the lithium industry, yet it is not actively a victim of the natural resource curse. In the hierarchical nature of mining value chains, Argentina has permitted their vast lithium …

The Implications Of Semiconductor Export Controls On The Innovation Activity Of Domestic Manufacturers, Mary C. Compton

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the domestic innovation effects of the October 2022 U.S. semiconductor export controls, focusing on the tradeoff between national security objectives and firm-level competitiveness. By restricting exports of advanced chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, these controls may limit cross-border revenue opportunities and natural channels of knowledge transfer. However, the innovation response of affected firms is theoretically ambiguous: reduced access to foreign markets may depress revenues and lead firms to scale back R&D expenditures as a percentage of gross revenue, thus dampening innovation intensity, or, alternatively, firms may sustain or even increase R&D allocations to overcome trade …

Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …

Profit Vs. Principle: How Formula 1 Navigates Their Global Brand Perception In The Middle East, James R. J. Celli

Senior Theses

This thesis explores how Formula 1 (F1) tries to balance its growing economic goals with the ethical questions that come with expanding into the Middle East. As F1 continues to host races in countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, concerns have grown about whether the sport is being used for “sportswashing,” where major sporting events are meant to improve the image of governments with poor human rights records. At the same time, F1 promotes values like sustainability, equality, and human rights, which makes this situation even more complex.

The goal of this research is …

Crafting Sustainability: Fiber Artists And The Limits Of Sustainable Production, Hallie R. Cole

Senior Theses

This research examines the role of individual fiber artists in advancing sustainability within the slow fashion movement, with particular attention to the operational decisions that shape sustainable craft practices. Scholars and practitioners acknowledge that individual fiber artists are not only key agents in sustainable production but are foundational to the existence and persistence of the slow fashion movement; however, the existing literature mainly focuses on firms or consumer behavior. Motivated by the need to fill this important research gap, this research aims to understand the decision-making of fiber artists with the goal of enhancing the progress of the Slow Fashion …

Leveraging Accounting Analytics To Enhance Payroll Accuracy And Fraud Detection In U.S. Public Sector Institutions: A Case Study Approach, Regina Debrah

Beacom School of Business Student Publications

This study explores how accounting analytics can be leveraged to enhance payroll accuracy and improve fraud detection in U.S. public-sector institutions, addressing persistent irregularities amid rising demands for fiscal transparency. The research employs a qualitative design with secondary sources including academic literature, reports, and case studies. The literature identifies successful analytics implementation, such as Treasury OPI’s machine learning for data integration for unemployment claims. These precedents demonstrate direct transferability to payroll’s high volume and rules-based structure. Findings show that analytics significantly reduce improper payments through real-time screening, data integration, and risk prioritization when embedded in workflows. The findings also show …

Mentorship As Identity Work: The Meaning Black Queer Men Ascribe To Mentorship In Identity Development And Professional Identity Formation, Kai Christian

JWU Dissertations & Theses

This descriptive-phenomenological study examined the role of mentorship in shaping identity. There is limited literature that examines mentorship as an identity-shaping process among Black queer men (BQM). Intersectional and Black queer theory provided the theoretical framework for thematic analysis.

Within the workplace, BQM must negotiate the effects of double marginalization resulting from racism and anti-queer biases. The effects of racism and anti-queer biases can lead to adverse psychological and physical health outcomes, negatively impacting the careers of Black and queer individuals. BQM benefit from support that addresses and acknowledges how their identity shapes their experiences. Mentorship can provide …

Examining Factors Influencing Customer Loyalty In Omnichannel Retailing: The Mediating Role Of Customer Experience, Min Xiuxia

Student Works (2020-2029)

Research aims: This study aims to investigate factors that influence customer loyalty in omnichannel retailing and mediating role of customer experience. It also examining an impact of customer engagement on customer loyalty within the omnichannel context. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative research design was employed using a structured online questionnaire distributed to consumers in Malaysia who had purchased from the same retail brand through both online and offline channels. Data were analysed using Smart PLS (Partial Least Squares) Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships among omnichannel characteristics, individual characteristics, customer experience, customer engagement and customer loyalty. Research findings: The …

Strategic Planning Time Horizons And Hospital Performance Outcomes, David Meyer

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Background: Despite widespread adoption of strategic planning in healthcare, empirical evidence linking strategic planning time horizons to hospital financial and quality performance outcomes remains limited. Healthcare executives invest substantial resources in strategic planning processes, yet lack evidence-based guidance on whether longer or shorter planning horizons yield enhanced financial and quality-related results.

Methods: This study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design combining executive survey data with archival performance data. A REDCap survey was administered to 22 hospital CEOs, CFOs, and other C-suite executives between January and February 2026. Survey responses were matched to publicly available financial and quality performance data from …

Spatial Narrative Beyond The Proscenium: Set Design As A Tool For Wellness, Christina Griffey

LSU Master's Theses

Inspired by a health crisis that led to spending time in medical settings, this thesis examines how our surroundings impact our well-being. By developing a framework that explores the topics of storytelling, space, place, theatre, and expanded scenography, I propose that set design can be used as a tool for wellness. I explore several disciplines through the lens of set design and highlight the disciplines, professionals, and designers that are contributing to the creation of therapeutic environments using scenographic practices.

Unpacking Low Glycaemic Index (Gi) Food Purchase Intentions In An S-O-R Framework: The Multidimensional Moderating Roles Of Consumer Knowledge And Trust, Cao Henglei

Student Works (2020-2029)

Research aim: Examine Malaysian consumers’ decisions to purchase low-GI foods using the S–O–R framework, while considering how knowledge and trust shape these decisions. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative survey was conducted among 302 Malaysian consumers, with data analysed via confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, and moderation analysis. Research findings: Attitudes toward low-GI foods are shaped by health consciousness, environmental concern, and social influence, but not price perception. Purchase intention is directly influenced by trust, with moderation observed only for subjective knowledge. Theoretical contribution/Originality: Extends the S–O–R framework through differentiating knowledge type and clarifying the role of trust in low-GI food consumption. …

Exploring And Identifying The Challenges And Successes Of Reintegration Experiences Of Bipoc Female Veterans, Ruby Screen

JWU Dissertations & Theses

The reintegration experiences of BIPOC female veterans remain underrepresented in scholarship and policy discourse, despite evidence of race, gender, and veteran status intersect to shape post-service outcomes (Fox, 2019; Hunt & Aggad, 2024). Existing research has largely centered on male or non-minoritized veterans, limiting understanding of how structural inequities influence employment, healthcare access, community integration, and psychological well-being for BIPOC women (Lawrence et al., 2021). This gap constrains the development of culturally responsive policies and support systems. Guided by intersectionality theory (Crenshaw, 1989) and reintegration frameworks (Sayer et al., 2011), this primarily quantitative study, supplemented with open-ended survey responses, examined …

Impostor Phenomenon And Its Implications For Business-To-Business Sales Professionals, Charlene Decesare

JWU Dissertations & Theses

Many high-performing professionals experience persistent self-doubt and fear being exposed as incompetent despite clear evidence of their success. Defined as Impostor Phenomenon (IP) by Clance and Imes in 1978, this dynamic has been studied for nearly five decades, primarily in academic and healthcare settings. IP often manifests as fear, anxiety, and misattribution of success, along with behaviors such as overpreparation, procrastination, and reluctance to seek help. Business-to-business (B2B) sales roles are complex, highly evaluative, and among the hardest positions to fill. However, empirical examination of IP in commercial roles has been limited.

Impostor experiences have increasingly …

Key Elements Of Mission-Based Urban Agriculture In The United States Aimed At Addressing The Social Determinants Of Health, Jordan Losavio

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Urban agriculture (UA) in the United States (U.S.) is increasingly positioned as a multi-domain strategy for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), yet evidence is fragmented and often focused on participant outcomes rather than the organizational and environmental conditions that determine whether those benefits can be sustained, expanded, or maintained over time. This dissertation uses an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to clarify (1) what SDOH outcomes are associated with UA in the peer-reviewed literature, (2) which internal and external factors leaders perceive as driving UA organizational success or failure, and (3) which factors predict comparative organizational functioning across a national …

Daniels Distinction Portfolio By Maeve Hoffert, Maeve Hoffert

Business Information and Analytics: Undergraduate Distinction Portfolios

A Daniels Distinction Portfolio of experiential education by Maeve Hoffert.

Converting The Social Security Trust Fund Into A Sovereign Wealth Fund: A Proposal To Secure The Future, Keanu Moore

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis proposes the conversion of the Social Security Trust Fund into a sovereign wealth fund (SWF), paired with the phased creation of a mandatory retirement savings system for all working-age Americans. In response to forecasts projecting Trust Fund depletion by 2034, the proposed portfolio shift would diversify assets beyond U.S. Treasuries into global equities, real estate, alternatives, and fixed income, with the goal of enhancing long-term returns while remaining passively managed. While this reform would extend the Fund’s solvency, it is not, on its own, a permanent fix. To ensure structural sustainability beyond the exhaustion date, the thesis proposes …

Governing Bme Amplification In Large Language Models: A Standards-Aligned Framework For Llm Data Lifecycle Risk Detection And Ethical Ai Governance, Dale A. Rutherford

Theses and Dissertations

Large Language Models (LLMs) now underpin critical systems in education, healthcare, and policy advisory contexts, yet remain susceptible to the recursive amplification of bias, misinformation, and error (BME). These distortions, driven by feedback loops between user interactions, model retraining, and data reuse, accelerate epistemic drift and erode information quality over time. This dissertation advances a comprehensive governance architecture to detect, quantify, and mitigate these risks across the full AI lifecycle. The research introduces the BME Metric Suite, a standards-aligned diagnostic framework comprising five original metrics: Bias Amplification Rate (BAR), Echo Chamber Propagation Index (ECPI), Information Quality Decay (IQD), Pretraining Diversity …

Pandemic Challenges: Resource-Based Strategies In The Black Belt Region, Valencia D. Winston

College of Business

From 2019 to 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected rural small businesses in Alabama and Mississippi's Black Belt Region. Rural communities in the Black Belt face a number of significant economic and structural barriers, such as historic lending inequities, generational poverty, and a lack of access to capital and mentorship, compounded by unreliable broadband and fiber optic connectivity. This study utilizes the resource-based view (RBV) to explore how businesses leverage their assets for success. The research has three main objectives: to determine if the distribution of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan was equitable across demographics, to investigate whether demographic …

Digital Transformation And Esg Performance In China: The Mediating Role Of Green Innovation, Zhou Yanyu

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study explores the relationship between digital transformation and ESG performance in Chinese A-share listed companies, focusing on the mediating role of green innovation. From the view of resource-based theory, the digital transformation is found to the first enhances ESG performance and how green innovation serves as a key transmission mechanism. Using fixed-effects regression analysis based on 6,763 firm-year observations from 2015 to 2023. The empirical results indicate that digital transformation improves ESG performance by fostering green innovation, which in turn partially mediates this effect. These findings provide theoretical insights on how digital capabilities drive corporate sustainability and offer practical …

Esg, Institutional Investors, And Financing Constraints: Evidence From Chinese Listed Companies, Zhu Yinquan

Student Works (2020-2029)

This thesis examines the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance and financing constraints, placing particular emphasis on the moderating role of institutional investors in listed Chinese firms. Drawing on information asymmetry theory, the study argues that ESG performance can reduce financing constrains by narrowing informational discrepancies between firms and external capital providers. While prior research has largely focused on the direct effects of ESG on financing, limited attention has been given to the ways in which institutional investors who are both major users of ESG information and active participants in corporate governance shape this relationship. China’s capital market …

Retaliation Management : Trade Imbalance And China’S Retaliatory Tariffs During The 2018 Trade War, Jinpo Li

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

In 2018, the United States initiated a trade conflict with China, prompting a counter-response by the latter. Despite extensive research into the ramifications of the US-China trade conflict, the intricacies of China’s strategic formulation of retaliatory tariffs remain unclear. This study focuses on how the trade imbalance influences China’s retaliatory tariff strategies during the trade war. Our findings suggest that China’s retaliatory measures mainly concentrate on products with which China maintains a bilateral trade surplus vis-à-vis the United States. On an extensive margin, notwithstanding the comprehensive tariff imposition on US imports, products that represent a surplus are more likely to …

Workforce Participation In Northeast Kentucky: A Qualitative Documentary Study, Timothy A. Gibbs

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University By Timothy A. Gibbs on March 2, 2026.

The Impact Of Employee Equity Incentives On Enterprise Innovation Efficiency: From The Perspective Of Granting Restricted Stocks To Employees, Zongjie Ji

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the dual backdrop of the in-depth implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and the continuous deepening of SOE reforms, restricted equity has emerged a mainstream instrument for medium- and long-term employee incentives in Chinese SOEs. However, the underlying mechanisms, effect characteristics, and boundary conditions through which employee restricted equity incentives influence innovation efficiency in SOEs remain to be systematically examined. Drawing on panel data of 4,880 firm-year observation from Chinese A-share SOMEs over the period of 2015-2024, this study develops a direct effect model of “Equity Incentives-Innovation Efficiency” from the perspective of employee restricted equity grants. It further introduces …

The Gospel Of Glamour: A Christian Woman's Style Blueprint, Osaromwenyeke Osemwota

Theses

The Gospel of Glamour: The Christian Woman’s Style Blueprint was a luxury-branded, sustainability-focused, faith-based style guide that addressed a gap in fashion, theology, and sustainability scholarship. Existing literature had either systematized fashion, explored the spiritual significance of dress, or examined sustainable and luxury practices—but none had integrated these dimensions into a prescriptive, actionable guide for Christian women. Drawing on Scripture as the foundational authority, including passages from Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, and Proverbs, the guide framed clothing as both practical provision and visible expression of covenantal identity. The style guide synthesized secular fashion methodology, modest-fashion scholarship, and sustainable luxury principles to …

The Disney Adult: A Consumer That Creates Free Marketing, Emily Elizabeth Kempf

Theses

This research looks at the evolving complex relationship between the Walt Disney Company, The Disney Adult content creators and the fan base. It focuses on how user-generated content (UGC) and social media can play a large role in contemporary marketing strategies. As the target audience has expanded to include Disney Adult, this new audience has become a central part in the company’s marketing strategy encouraging fan engagement across all social media platforms. This research is a qualitative case study on the Disney Adult and how social media content can be used as a core marketing strategy. The Disney Adult influencer …

Research On The Influence Mechanism Of Digital Transformation On The International Competitiveness Of The Srdi Smes In China, Bo Sun

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the continuous advancement of digital technologies, the digital economy is increasingly becoming the dominant force in the global economic landscape. Against this backdrop, the digital transformation of China's specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative (SRDI) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has transcended beyond mere technological upgrades and evolved into a crucial strategy for these enterprises to build core competitiveness. Despite SRDI SMEs' strong willingness to pursue digital transformation, research is still lacking on how digital transformation efforts translate into international competitiveness Additionally, existing studies on the degree of digitalization have focused on large enterprises or general SMEs, leaving an academic …

Organizational Characteristics And Business Transformation: An Investigation On Corporate Transformation In The Construction Industry, Wei Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Draw on a structural decline in demand triggered by selective real estate industrial policies, this study explores how construction companies drive business transformation through organizational characteristics in environmental uncertainties. Extant research has largely focused on the independent impact of single organizational factors or capabilities on transformation, lacking a systematic exploration of the interactions between organizational characteristics and the external environment. Take a typical construction group as an example, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach, through interviews and questionnaires, to systematically examine the impact of organizational characteristics on business transformation. The key findings are: in environmental uncertainties, an organic organizational structure …

The Role Of Negotiable And Non Negotiable Dimensions In Brand Revitalization: The Case Of Whisky Packaging Design, Liang Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In consumer sectors such as digital appliances, apparel, cosmetics, and food and beverages, the number of brands has grown explosively, intensifying market competition. As the primary touchpoint between brands and consumers, product packaging design directly shapes consumer attitudes. Adjustments to packaging elements can catalyze brand growth but may also trigger trust crises. Although recent studies have explored the role of packaging design in brand revitalization, research remains insufficient regarding its “negotiable” and “non-negotiable” dimensions and the mechanisms through which it influences consumer attitudes.

Drawing on brand life cycle theory, brand image theory, and consumer behavior theory, this dissertation investigates how …

Middle Plaza Redesign, Marlo Lavacude-Klenck

City and Regional Planning

Middle Plaza Redesign presents a conceptual redevelopment of Middle Plaza, an 8.43-acre site located at 500 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, California. Originally developed as a mixed-use project in the 2010s, the redesign evaluates the site through the regulatory atmosphere, market conditions, and housing needs of 2025.

The project examines site conditions, market demand, state and local planning frameworks, and applicable development standards, including recent California housing legislation that eliminates parking minimums and streamlines environmental review. A financial feasibility analysis using proforma modeling evaluates two investment scenarios and demonstrates the economic challenges of delivering high-density rental housing despite regulatory …