Business Commons^™

Essays On Supply Chain Optimization: Operational Decisions With Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation And Live-Streaming Channel Introduction, Haiying Yang

Dissertations - ALL

In this dissertation, we study a supplier's operational decisions for supply chain optimization considering corporate social responsibility implementation and live- streaming channel introduction. Both essays start from analytical models that are inspired by observations, and we explore how different parameters affect the supplier's decisions through extensive numerical studies. In the first essay, we notice that cost auditing is becoming an increasingly important tool to improve supply chain efficiency and mitigate the influence of information asymmetry. We study how cost auditing indirectly influences retailer and supplier's behavior in social responsibility. We also discuss the potential negative social responsibility externalities of conducting …

Strategies For Sustaining Automotive Dealerships Beyond 5 Years, Lyndon Fitzgerald Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses in the United States employ 48% of the workforce, and only 50% percent of small businesses survive beyond 5 years. Business leaders are concerned with strategies to retain and expand their customer base to mitigate business failure and enhance survivability. Grounded in the leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of my qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies automotive dealership business leaders used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants comprised five business leaders in the automotive industry in the Central and Southwest U.S. State of Michigan. Data were collected using semistructured face-to-face interviews and a …

The Examination Of Psychophysiological Effects Of Multisensory Imagery Marketing Strategy. A Triangulation In 3 Studies, Sasawan Heingraj

Theses and Dissertations

Multisensory imagery marketing strategy has been extensively suggested to be one of the advertising strategies that can generate long-term brand awareness, brand image, and authentic experience in a highly competitive market condition. This dissertation explored the psychophysiological effects of multisensory imagery marketing strategy on consumers' attitudes. Results from study 1 suggested that consumers’ masculine-feminine self-concept played an important role when evaluating multisensory imagery marketing messages. Specifically, consumers who exhibited a lower degree of masculine self-concept and those with feminine self-concept were likely to evaluate multisensory imagery marketing messages more positively than their higher masculine self-concept counterparts. We also found that …

Essays On Individuals’ Information Assessment, Information Disclosure, Participation, And Response Behaviors In Online Health Communities, Joseph Ade Manga

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of online health communities (OHCs) has enabled the use of information technologies to address some social and health needs including but not limited to emotional, social, and health-related issues. This information age has encouraged user generated (UG) content, which facilitates both peer-to-peer and business-to-peer interconnections. This rich and active information epoch (i.e., OHCs) is distinct in that value is generated when peers or participants—who may be content generators and/or content consumers—interact together by exchanging information and receiving supports aimed at addressing their specific needs; and this is made possible through the online platforms or support groups acting as …

Self-Service Technologies That Appear Human Interacting With Customers: Effects On Third-Party Observers, Ross Paul Murray

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effects of viewing and hearing service failure and recovery interactions between self-service technologies (SSTs) and customers on third-party observers. Third-party observers are those that observe the actions of other customers as they interact with a firm in some way. These observations could occur in the present (face-to-face) or past (watching a video or listening to an audio recording). Third-party observers provide a unique perspective as they can provide a more neutral perspective of a failed service transaction and recovery as compared to the involved customer and firm.

This dissertation contributes to the SST literature and to …

Startup Futures: Entrepreneurs, Investors And Imaginaries Of Care In Global India, Ipshita Ghosh

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examines the emerging cultures of venture capital-driven, technology-infused startups in India and the multiple ways in which they shape the nation's entrepreneurship landscape. Based on findings drawn from 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork with Delhi's startups, I argue that entrepreneurship serves as a cultural and ideological formation that creates a new regime of values and reshapes our social, political, and civil life. In this sense, I suggest that previous studies on entrepreneurship which focus purely on its economic impacts (or lack thereof) tend to undervalue the long-lasting cultural transformations created through it. One of the primary ways in …

Reconceptualizing Informal Learning In An Online Learning Environment, Silvia Clark

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020, many organizations moved their formal training programs to an online learning context due to COVID-19. Informal learning, which refers to activities that are self-guided and occur independently outside of formal learning contexts has gained significant interest among researchers and practitioners in the past two decades as it has been identified as the primary type of learning in today's organizations. Despite the increasing interest in informal learning, no attempt has been made to examine and understand informal learning in an online learning environment.

This dissertation provides an integrative review of prior work on formal and informal learning in online …

The Most Important Human Capital Resource: A Strategic Human Resources Perspective On Top Management Team Effectiveness, Spenser Michael Essman

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises two studies that theoretically and empirically examine a critical human capital resource, the top management team (TMT). In the first chapter, I propose a conceptual model that focuses on the context in which TMTs are embedded, by building on recent theory suggesting that the TMT is embedded within a multiteam system, referred to as a strategic leadership system. Specifically, I suggest that functional leadership teams – decision making groups responsible for managing firm functions and business units (e.g. finance; human resources) – are likely to be a part of the strategic leadership system, and develop theory regarding …

“No Tits In The Pits!”: An Exploratory Analysis Of The Experiences Of Female Decision Makers In Motorsports In The United States, Alexia Pedo Lopes

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lived experiences of sixteen women who have decision-making roles in motorsports in the United States. The purpose was to shed light on the experiences of women who broke the glass ceiling in this unexplored male-dominated industry (Glass & Cook, 2016). The challenges these women encountered along with the mechanisms they employed to navigate those, and finally their motivation to continue pursuing a career in this industry, were assessed via in-depth semi-structured interviews and then the data was analyzed following a constant comparison thematic analysis. Challenges and coping mechanisms were classified according to the four levels, namely …

Customer Touchpoint: Conceptualization, Index Development, And Nomological Validation, Hyunsu Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Business executives across a wide variety of sectors, including retail, education, banking, healthcare, as well as hospitality and tourism, have increasingly realized that offering a superior customer experience is vital to a firm’s long-term success. Due to the experience-based nature of hospitality and tourism offerings in terms of heterogeneity, inseparability, intangibility, and perishability, providing exceptional CXs has long been recognized as essential to gaining a competitive advantage and establishing a foundation for brand loyalty.

To better understand what CX entails, hospitality and tourism scholars have conceptualized different forms of experiences, including flow experiences and memorable dining experiences. However, little attention …

Affective Risk Perceptions Toward Travel In A Covid Era: Policy And State Political Influences, Chloe Riley

Theses and Dissertations

This paper aims to analyze the influence of state political affiliation and policy on affective risk perceptions, in the context of COVID-19. The study of risk perceptions in the travel literature is important because it can help industry leaders predict tourist decision-making and ensure feelings of safety for travelers. The relevance of risk perceptions has become even more apparent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyzes three policies put into place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19: mask mandate, cancellation of public events, and school closures. Affective risk perceptions were measured by the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative’s …

How To Improve Employee Efficiency Practices For Small Family Businesses., Nelva Sulme Bautista Prado

Business ETD Collections

The aim of this research project is to examine the efficiency of employees from the perspective of small family businesses and the workable solutions to improve low efficiency. The sampling method chosen to conduct this research was non-probabilistic and the type of sampling used was expert sampling. The non-probability sampling investigation was conducted using the qualitative research method, which this research project pursued.

An interview was undertaken with an expert in the field of business development and productive development issues who is an ILO Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The results of the research showed that trust between …

Addressing Employee Turnover In The Restaurant Industry Of Ireland., Sirley Virian Lafuente Cuaquira

Business ETD Collections

This study aims to determine the causes of employee turnover in the restaurant industry in Ireland. It is well known that this sector represents high levels of employee turnover and staff shortages. Due to this, strategies aimed at counteracting the loss of employees and the attraction of new personnel will be proposed. This study seeks to delve into the voluntary causes for which employees decide to resign, increasing the unemployment rate, and therefore costs for the restaurant industry.

The applied research methodology considers the qualitative method, through surveys of employees who work directly in the hospitality sector, specifically in restaurants, …

Logistics Outsourcing And Its Impact On Businesses: A Study Into The Changing Trends In The 3pl Market., Ana Lucia Hernandez Gonzalez

Business ETD Collections

This research addresses the question, what are the challenges for 3PL providers to fulfil shippers’ expectations in outsourcing logistic functions and what are the trends from 2012 to 2020 in the 3PL industry globally. 3PL global and domestic markets are constantly changing. As a consequence of this, it is absolutely necessary for both users and providers of 3PL services to ensure that they are well-prepared in terms of the strategies, procedures, and technologies available to them. This can be accomplished in part by bridging the gap between what the shippers desire and what service providers offer. Hence, this paper attempts …

For-Profit Business Leaders’ Perceptions Of Technology And Conflict Resolution In The Workplace, Sherry Hamilton Latten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored for-profit business leaders’ experiences with technology and conflict resolution. With the rise of technology in communications in the workplace and the risk of miscommunications leading to negative impacts on organizational and individual performance, understanding leader experiences is vital to organizational success. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand for-profit business leaders’ (1) perceptions of technology and conflict resolution in the virtual workplace and (2) perceptions of their leadership styles and the impact on conflict resolution in the virtual workplace. Prior literature regarding the impact of technology on communications revealed mixed results with some studies …

Abusive Supervision Within The Military Ranks: A Qualitative Examination Of Positive Emotion-Focused Coping Strategies, Demetrius Mcdew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher examined abusive supervision coping by military members. Based on social exchange theory and the power and influence theory, the researcher investigated whether veterans perceived emotional coping (avoidance, support seeking, and reframing) as strategies that mitigated stress caused by abusive supervision while they were serving in their respective military departments. Past studies have not accounted for junior officers or enlisted members; therefore, the researcher studied this lower ranking tier of personnel and discovered that the hierarchy of the military system affected their reporting of and receiving assistance in dealing with abusive supervision. Therefore, affected service members …

Empirical Assessment Of Big Data Technology Adoption Factors For Organizations With Data Storage Systems, Ahmad B. Alnafoosi

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Many organizations have on-premises data storage systems. Data storage systems are evolving in multiple ways. One way is the adoption of Big Data. Big Data is a data storage system with the ability to analyze large volumes, velocity, and a variety of data. Per the Economist, data is now the most valuable resource (Parkins, 2017). Big Data holds the promise of unlocking a substantial value of data stored. Yet many organizations are not implementing Big Data. There is a need to identify key factors affecting adoption for such organizations. The literature review revealed multiple gaps in studied adoption factors (un-studied …

Organizing Economies: Narrative Sensemaking And Communciative Resilience During Economic Disruption, Timothy Betts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation unites organizational communication, and economic theory to understand how individuals make sense of economic crises, imbed power and logic in those understandings, and construct new economic realities in the aftermath of crisis. Contra economic orthodoxy, this project conceives of economy and economics as a social construct. As a social construct, individuals organize economy and economics through discourse, make sense of through narrative, and rebuild through communication. This dissertation combines different theoretical perspectives—actor-network theory, antenarrative organization theory, and the communication theory of resilience—to recenter social scientific accounts of economic reality around communication, story, and power.

Specifically, I focus on …

Prevalence And Predictors Of Careless Responding In Experience Sampling Research, Alexander J. Denison

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the current study we examine the prevalence and several predictors of careless responding to an experience sampling (ESM) study. While careless responding has been noted as a potential problem in ESM research, few studies have examined the prevalence of this behavior (Beal, 2015; Berkel et al., 2017; Eisele et al., 2020; Gabriel et al., 2019; Jaso et al., 2021). Using statistical methods of careless response classification, we derive cut scores from data simulation and graphical examination of item correlations, and flag 44.98% of response episodes as careless. A majority of these flagged episodes were the product of overly consistent …

An Analysis Of International Soccer Fans’ Knowledge Of Qatar, Perceptions Of Qatar’S Country Image, And Intention To Support The 2022 Fifa World Cup, Taleb Al-Adbah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

International sporting competitions have become an essential tool for countries to promote a favorable image of themselves around the world. This study focuses on the FIFA 2022 World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar - the first Arab country ever to host the event. Since 2010, when Qatar was awarded the FIFA 2022 World Cup, several studies have shown that soccer fans are hesitant to attend matches in Qatar. This study investigates the correlations between soccer fans’ level of knowledge, soccer fans’ perception of Qatar using a 4D model of country image, and soccer fans’ behavioral intention to support …

Spillover Effects In Product Customization, Samuel Babu Sekar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Product customization is increasingly being offered as consumers interact with businesses online. When consumers customize a product, they often choose from among multiple, inter-related categories. Thus, the choices made in a prior category could influence choices in later categories (spillover effect). Currently, marketers attempt to nudge consumers to choose more expensive/profitable options by preselecting these options (explicit reference). In this dissertation, I explore whether implicit references can be employed to generate a spillover effect. Implicit references are generated by arranging the options within a category in either descending or ascending price order, with descending price order favoring the selection of …

Environmental Transmission Of Career Interests Through A Genetic Lens: Understanding The Confounding Around Parental Occupation, Tyler Allan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has established that parents can influence the career interests of their children through both their shared genetics and the household environment they create. However, most studies look at these parental influences in isolation either focusing on the environmental influences or the genetic influences. As such, the results of these studies fail to account for potential confounding in their results do to the nature of career interests. This study used a genetically informative twin sample to address the issue of shared genetics while looking at the measured environmental influence a parent’s occupation has on their child’s career interests. A …

Entrepreneurial Orientation Impact On Micro And Small Enterprises In Egypt, Fayrouz Negm

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the proposed study is to test and analyze the impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on micro and small enterprises’ growth in Egypt, measured by three growth indicators: sales revenue, profit margin, and employment. The growth rates are measured over four periods (past three years, past year, next year, and next three years) to examine the historical and potential impact of EO on growth rates.

EO is defined as the process which organizations use to renew themselves and their markets by innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking (Miller, 1983). While EO is considered one of the crucial factors in determining …

Cultivating Creative Storytelling, Emma Kuli

Canterbury Scholars

This essay investigates how the structural expectations and narrative conventions restrict contemporary creative writing. This work seeks to imagine how, in order to work towards the creation of an anti-racist creative space, a classroom may work without and against the limits set by writing and language conventions. Blending academic research, sample student work, and narrative anecdotes, this essay examines the ways in which storytelling can be used to uplift young writing voices.

Can Blockchain-Supply Chain Announcements Create Shareholder Value? Evidence From An Event Study For International Initiatives, Alyaa Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how Blockchain based Supply chain (BC-SC) announcements impact the stock market performance of the announcing firms. Using a sample of 104 news and firm announcements between 2016 and July 2021, we conduct an international event study to determine the effect of BC-SC announcements on the market performance. We find that an overall significantly positive market reaction of 1.45% to all BC-SC announcements on the announcement day. In addition, we find that the stock market reaction slightly differs when different SC challenges are targeted by the announcing firm. When blockchain is used for traceability purposes, the market response …

Do Auditors Respond To Changes In Clients’ Analyst Coverage? Evidence From A Natural Experiment, Mohammad Alkhamees

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has established that analysts serve as an important monitor of managementand improve the quality of firms’ financial reporting. In this study, I utilize the natural experiment resulting from the mergers and closures of brokerage houses, to examine whether this exogenous change in firms’ information environment impacts the audit process. Specifically, I examine whether reductions in analyst coverage have an effect on auditor effort proxied by audit fees and audit report lag, as well as financial reporting quality, measured by future restatements. I find that client firms pay significantly higher audit fees following an exogenous reduction in analyst coverage …

Honey Tree: A Neo-Soul Album, Artist & Musical Development Through The Electronic Press Kit, Raine Welterlen

University Honors Theses

This paper describes the process of preparing a Neo-Soul album for public release including monetization, marketing, arrangement, and production.

Are All Pictures Worth 1,000 Words? An Investigation Of Fit Between Graph Type And Performance On Accounting Data Analytics Tasks, Shawn Paul Granitto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The usefulness of accounting data is directly dependent on the presentation and interpretation of the data (DeSanctis and Jarvenpaa 1989; Brown-Liburd et al. 2015; Cao et al. 2015). While both corporate accounting and public accounting have a large focus on data analytics and visualizations, accountants in both fields have reported to have minimal experience creating visualizations and observe a growing use of visualizations within their role (Krumwiede 2019; Buchheit et al. 2020; Gibson et al. 2020). Vessey (1991) finds that the appropriateness of a visualization can impact a user’s decision-making performance. Although prior studies have provided suggestions of when to …

Clarifying And Measuring Inclusive Leadership, Kelly Mason Hamilton

Dissertations and Theses

Many organizations view diversity as a strategic business priority that provides important benefits such as increased creativity and innovation. Research indicates, however, that the potential benefits of diversity cannot be realized without employees feeling a sense of inclusion, which involves feeling like one belongs and can be themselves at work. Although scholars acknowledge the important role managers play in fostering inclusion, there remains limited research on specific behaviors they can enact to foster inclusion perceptions in their work groups. Additionally, there is a lack of agreement in the literature about the scope of "inclusive leadership." Historically, scholars viewed inclusive leadership …

Factors Influencing The Popularity Of Animation Series And Movies Among Chinese Audience On Online Video Websites, Shengyi Chen

Fordham Dissertations and Theses

Since 2010, online video platforms and computer animation technologies have been developing at an accelerated speed around the world. More and more animation works were produced by computers and then broadcast through new media, especially the online video platforms. With the help of computer technologies and the promotional effect of new media platforms, animation, a traditional art form, is gaining popularity among the youth around the world.

At the same time, animation producers often face a very real and challenging task – to decide whether to invest money in an animation program only with the script, a crude character …