Business Commons^™

Do Needle Exchange Programs Cause More Harm To Injection Drug Users And Compromise The Safety Of The Communities In Which They Are In Place?, Amber L. Payne

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Needle Exchange Programs (NEP) are put in place in regions in the US, where illegal injectable drug use is prevalent, in order to decrease the amount of blood borne diseases by at least 10%, such as Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), being spread throughout the drug-using community. People and Healthcare Professionals in these communities have questioned if NEPs have caused more harm to the drug users and if they have compromised public safety due to incorrect disposal of syringes.

During a study in 2011, the spread of blood borne diseases in areas where NEPs were present, decreased among …

Association Of Electronic Prescription In Controlled Substances Used, Archana Suwal, Jemima Akinyi Okonjo

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Controlled substances have been described as pharmaceuticals or illegal medicines that act primarily on the central nervous system and could cause physical and mental dependence, eventually leading to addiction. Prescription opioids were a significant contributor to the opioid epidemic, accounting for more than 70,000 opioid-related overdose deaths, including illicit and prescription opioids, between 2018 and 2019. The Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) initiative recently aimed to reduce rates of prescription opioid addiction, abuse, diversion, and death. The system for controlled substances had become more widely used as providers and governments trying to combat the opioid problem. Because …

Implementing Best Practices In Human Resources For A Local United Way Organization, Keyona Mcneill Bostick

Education Projects

This consultancy project provides Human Resources (HR) best practices, policies, and procedures for a small nonprofit organization. The project focused on developing solutions that will decrease risk and improve performance for the challenges faced in HR departments. The challenges discovered were inadequate employee personnel files, absence of compliance policies and training, lack of a health and safety program, and other HR internal practices. The results of this project included establishing HR policies and the significance of each policy that was implemented with step-by-step procedures. It also included solutions to assist with compliance of employee personnel files, compliance training programs that …

Improving Volunteer Retention With Nonprofit Organizations Through Implementing Onboarding Training, Tawanda Lashone Carpenter

Education Projects

Many nonprofit organizations are staples in the community as they provide services for disadvantaged and marginalized groups that seek services that are not easily accessible to them through for-profit organizations. Hence, the retention of volunteers is a challenge for many nonprofit organizations as they depend on volunteers to assist with the day-to-day tasks that cannot be accomplished by paid employees (Garner & Garner, 2011). During the time of this project, One Step Further, Inc. (OSF) Community Support and Nutrition Program (CSNP) was faced to deal with the national pandemic of COVID-19, leaving this organization to depend on paid staff exclusively. …

Redesigning An Onboarding Hiring Process For A Local Government Agency, Hannah Angel

Education Projects

Hiring processes are an important process of an organization’s overall employee job satisfaction in the Department of Health and Human Services division. First impressions help establish a long-term relationship between an employee and a company. Onboarding and orientation involving surveys, advisors, and relationships within the company assist in retaining dedicated employees. Follow-up meetings are required to enable a successful team involvement relationship. Job satisfaction ensures a lower turnover rate in the hiring process for the company. Hiring processes involving onboarding and orientation ensure stability, trust, and comfort for the employee within an organization.

Level Of Acceptance (Loa) For Scan-To-Bim Creation, William Fulton Ikerd Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents two contributions to the use of Reality Capture and Scan-to-BIM for facility management (FM). The first manuscript proposes a novel construct for accurately defining scope on Scan-to-BIM projects. Combining the concepts of tolerance, accuracy, and density of point cloud measurements, it will aid laser scan usage in new construction as-built validation, help renovation of existing buildings that lack as-built documentation, and support facility managers who lack accurate plans and digital twins of their buildings by helping determine and communicate the appropriate requirement for Scan-to-BIM. In view of making this process more efficient and cost effective, this article …

The Hotelling Valuation Principle: Does User Cost And Reserve Differentials Improve Validity?, Brian K. Hicks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Hotelling Valuation Principal (HVP) implies that the value per unit of an in-ground exhaustible natural resource is equal to the current price less the cost of production. The assumptions required for this principle include a certain and homogenous reserve stock, unconstrained extraction, and constant costs. Extensive research has empirically investigated the HVP. This paper expands the HVP framework and relaxes the theory’s assumptions to account for reserve differentials. The results show that the original net price model is more closely aligned with developed reserve value, than total reserve value. In addition, this paper develops two- and three-factor net price …

Hotel Executives’ Perceptions Of Effective Promotion Processes And The Successful Transition From Single-Unit To Multi-Unit Management, Mark A. Sharkey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growth experienced by the hospitality industry, especially the hotel industry, has outpaced its ability to develop future leaders. Like many organizations, the hotel industry employs a management hierarchy of single-unit managers responsible for each unit (hotel) and a multi-unit manager who oversees single-unit managers and their units (hotels). The vast majority of these multi-unit managers are promoted from a successful single-unit operation. The promotion can be challenging, and first-time multi-unit managers struggle to make a successful transition. Research confirms that this struggle is partially due to the need for a newly promoted multi-unit manager to develop a new and …

Employee Ownership And Moral Hazard: How Broad-Based Equity Sharing Can Lower Agency Costs And Reduce Inequality, Colin Clinton Hudson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Providing incentives to top managers by offering equity has become the norm; this practice, however, does not hold for all levels of employees. After tax incentives for employee ownership were introduced through the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, there has been little legislative support to encourage companies to implement broad-based equity sharing programs. Moreover, decades of neoliberal policies have incentivized the pursuit of short-term profits and speculation, which contribute to economic instability and explain the growing gap between productivity and real wages observed since the late 1970s. Developments in the literature contend that employee ownership aligns the goals …

The Duality Of Reality: Perception Creation Using Symbolic Management, Christopher J. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People have historically used different types of symbols to signal an ideology, to create a sense of prestige, or to gain legitimacy. Examples of these types of symbols can be seen in displays ranging from marketing ads to presidential election materials. While these types of symbols tend to be socially constructed, and universally identifiable, the consequences of their use are less uniform in nature. This study explores the gap that currently exists between a symbol’s inherent value and the expected consequences of its use. My theoretical prediction includes two principles: The use of symbolic management to create symbolic environments and …

Airbnb Release Of Latent Economic Value And Return To Equilibrium, Daniel Joseph Trujillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We empirically consider Airbnb’s effect on a new variable in Short Term Rental (STR) research, second homes, employing a model pre-Airbnb diffusion (2009), and post-Airbnb diffusion (2019). In doing so we test our hypothesis that second home use will be converted to short-term rentals with the advent of Airbnb. We do so through a natural experiment examining housing stock. We create a schema to segregate tourist and non-tourist counties based on economic variables and deploy these in our research framework observing a shock to housing supply. Notably, we observe a structural change in the use of second homes resulting in …

Microfoundations Approach To Risk And Uncertainty In The Uppsala Internationalization Process, John P. Merli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study answers rising calls in International Business to employ a microfoundations approach for greater insight on differences in managerial cognition for entering business in high-risk locations. Consequently, findings challenge the Uppsala model’s longstanding stance concerning the risk-internationalization association governed by strict firm-level analysis. I examine CEO decision-making through the lens of their values, represented by their political ideology score along the liberal-conservative continuum, to offer greater predictability for rationalizing strategic choices. Accordingly, political ideology proved a significant predictor for explaining the circumstances in which CEOs elect high-risk locations based on their political ideology’s degree of liberalism. Additionally, its interactions …

Competition In Economic Theory And The Skew In U.S. Corporate Wealth Creation, Marc H. Pentacoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historical studies of U.S. capital markets show a dramatic skew in the distribution of corporate wealth. This thesis investigates the evolution of economic thought related to realistic models of competition, seeking to find the most suitable theory of competition to explain this skew in U.S. corporate wealth creation. The incorporation of realistic elements into the static theories of competition leads to theoretical difficulties in the early 20th century. Another line of thought developed non-equilibrium dynamic models of competition, culminating in Schumpeter. In Schumpeter, firms seek to manage the uncertainty f rom rapid change induced by innovation and increasing returns by …

Corporate Ventures: Relational Microfoundations Of Innovation Performance, Burak Malkoc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large, established companies invest in innovation to sustain and improve their competitiveness. In addition to in-house R&D departments, they acquire startup companies and operate them under a separate organizational structure. Corporate ventures’ success depends on many factors, such as available resources, compensation schemes, and acquisition strategies, which have been explored in the extant literature. This study explores the antecedents of corporate venture innovation performance through the lens of dynamic capabilities and social capital theories. Existing research on dynamic capabilities has explored its microfoundations of managerial cognition and top management initiatives. However, the development of dynamic capabilities requires actors’ level interactions …

The Push For Independence: A Closer Look At The United States And United Kingdom Regulatory Environments, Nicholas Hardner

Senior Honors Projects

The purpose of this research project is to examine the regulatory environments of both the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (U.K.) and to further compare and contrast the two. This comes in recent light of the prominent topic of the Big Four public accounting firms (i.e., Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers) being called to separate their audit practices from their other lines of service over independence concerns within the U.K. At the time of the creation of this project’s focus, there had been public outcry for this action to take form after numerous audit failures, which came …

President Trump’S Payroll Tax Deferral And Its Implications, Brian Synek

Senior Honors Projects

This paper explores the general concept of payroll taxes and the wide-ranging effects of President Trump’s payroll tax deferral. This single executive action has impacted millions of people and may impact millions more in the years to come. To determine the payroll tax deferral’s effect on a wide variety of stakeholders, I used a mix of sources including but not limited to federal laws and regulations, professional practice guides written by practicing CPAs, and academic and mass media publications. Furthermore, I conducted interviews with practicing tax professionals to discern what impact the payroll tax deferral may have on long-term tax …

The Psychological And Technological Intersectionality In Game Design And Development, Nicholas Saladino

Undergraduate Honors College Theses 2016-

Over the past number of decades, video games and game design have been evolving and pushing technology forward. This is quite obvious when comparing the original Pong (1972) to God of War (2018). Pong is a simple recreation of table tennis, on the other hand, God of War is a large-scale action-adventure game with highly realistic graphics. What brings these two games together is that they are both meant for a player to enjoy. At the time of each game’s creation, the developers were utilizing the available technology to its fullest. While technology has been advancing, the psychology and philosophy …

The Future Of Living: Exploring Sustainable Residential Developments Through A Case Study Analysis Of The Sustainable City Dubai, Carys Davidson-Huxley

Honors Program Theses

With population growth continuing on an upwards trend and urban living projected to increase in the coming years, a redesign of typical property development is required to ensure that housing demand not only has a lesser impact on the environment, but also meets the needs of communities. Through a combination of literature review, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, this paper presents a case study of The Sustainable City Dubai (TSC), a key sustainable development within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), taking into account its social, economic and environmental strategies and consequent impacts. Investigation has been conducted into the importance of …

Workings Of Theocracy: The Historical Function And Modern Applicability Of Charitable Endowments, Nuh Elalaoui

Honors Program Theses

Historically, various systems and institutions across diverse civilizations have been established to meet the many needs that interweave the fabric of society. One, and perhaps the most significant of these institutions is the waqf/hubus system. Characterized by the designation of a property or revenue stream as mortmain and the investment of the usufruct for the benefit of (often predetermined) beneficiaries, this form of charitable endowment is hailed as a cornerstone of Islamic civilization. The objectives of this paper are threefold. Primarily, it examines the historical role of awqāf, with focus on their social and economic significance in two distinct Islamic …

Effects Of The Needle Exchange Program Implemented In West Virginia, Amber Graves, Anthony B. Uriarte, Katherine Duty

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: West Virginia has had a recent spike in infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis due to increased rates of injectable drug use. The rising costs associated with such diseases have been a cause for concern in the sector of healthcare and public health. In the state, the exchanging of dirty needles has resulted in the spread of bloodborne pathogens, however, the implementation of needle exchange programs has sought to decrease the rates of infection, improve health outcomes, and lower healthcare costs. However, there is a question as to the effectiveness of such programs.

Purpose of Study: …

Effects Of Demography On Opportunistic Product Return Behaviors In E-Commerce, Nikhila Anand

Honors Undergraduate Theses

College student consumers are an increasingly important segment for marketers and scholars, particularly with the advent of online shopping. This research aims at exploring the effect of college students' decision-making styles on online purchase and return behavior. An online questionnaire survey was conducted on 1100 college students at the University of Central Florida to understand how respondents' return behavior changed with various scenarios and demographic factors. Analysis shows that scenarios involving late arrivals are the highest drivers of returns, while guilt and post- purchase regrets drove far fewer returns. Statistically significant differences in return behavior were found between demographic groups. …

Small Business Risk In The Context Of A Pandemic: A Simulation, Ashlyn Sperry

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this thesis, I consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses, as they are acutely at risk due to the lack of implicit government insurance that would be available to larger corporations. I will discuss insurance's characteristics using the basic theory of insurance, analyze pandemic insurance's viability in the private market, and critique alternative solutions. While the theory suggests that pandemics are not insurable in the private market, I will perform specific analysis to determine if this is the case or not. Using a simulation of the economic landscape firms face, business owners with varying levels of …

Effects Of The Covid-19 Economic Downturn On Central Florida Nonprofits, Tiffany C. Chinwuba

Honors Undergraduate Theses

COVID-19 has had significant impacts on society, both in lifestyle and commerce, especially in Central Florida where the economy is centralized around tourism. While local and state governmental agencies are distributing aid to meet the needs caused by high unemployment, the nonprofit sector mobilized to help fill the gap in assistance by providing resources and services. However prior research into the nonprofit sector finds that prolonged economic downturn may eventually affect the nonprofit force by reduced funding to programs as it did during the 2008 economic recessions. Hence, many nonprofit organizations may be at risk of insolvency in the coming …

Cultivating Early Career Teachers’ Purpose: A Mechanism To Sustain Early Career Teachers’ Commitment To The Profession, Neesha Yatin Daulat

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The attrition rate of early career teachers is high. In fact, the government spends $2 billion annually to replace teachers in the first five years of their tenure (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2005). The purpose of this dissertation is two-fold: 1) to test the relationship between purpose, psychological well-being, and affective commitment to the profession, and 2) to design and examine the impact of a purpose-centered intervention in a sample of early career teachers in their first or second year of teaching, in the northeast. Study 1 examined the relationship between early career teachers’ purpose, psychological well-being, and commitment to …

Understanding Successful Strategies Human Service First-Level Managers Utilize When Addressing Workplace Incivility, Mary Elizabeth Barlow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social problem of workplace incivility is a well-researched issue that impacts employees, work groups, and organizations across the nation. The purpose of this study was to understand how first-level human service managers describe employee turnover in relation to workplace incivility and what first-level human service managers view as successful strategies they have used to address workplace incivility. The theoretical framework utilized for this study was incivility spiral theory, as described by Andersson and Pearson. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to gain an understanding of successful strategies that first-level human service managers utilize when addressing workplace incivility …

Effective Decision-Making Strategies That Support Long-Term Sustainability In Nondenominational Churches, Andre Paul Davis Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective financial decision-making has frequently led to nondenominational church failures and contributes to 4,000 to 8,000 churches closing each year in North America. Grounded in stewardship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective financial decision-making strategies in nondenominational churches that support long term sustainability. Participants were 10 church leaders who successfully used financial decision-making strategies to support long-term sustainability in Central North Carolina was used for this study. Data were collected from semi structured interviews and internal church documents relating to church leadership's financial decision-making and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: budgeting …

Empowerment, Personality, And Leader-Member Exchange Quality In Physicians, Tony S. Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly 100,000 people suffer injury or death each year due to errors in the United States healthcare system. Researchers have identified that empowerment by physicians can address this significant social issue. Despite this knowledge, qualifications to empowering behaviors in physicians have not been identified. A quantitative nonexperimental correlation approach was used to determine the role that personality type and high-quality leader-member exchange may play in the physician’s ability to create empowerment at academic medical centers in the United States. The theoretical framework of empowering leadership, Jung’s psychological types, and leader-member exchange quality informed the research design and contributed to the …

Leadership Strategies For Implementing Organizational Change, Aljanal Hamer Carroll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Change initiatives within the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry fail because business leaders are not successful in implementing change readiness strategies. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that some leaders in HVAC companies use to implement change initiatives successfully. The participants consisted of 4 business leaders from 4 HVAC companies who successfully implemented change initiatives within their organization. The 4 businesses have fewer than 100 employees located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Data collection procedures included semistructured interviews and a collection of organizational documents. Validating the study …

Key Strategies For Small Business Information Technology Consulting With Sustainability Beyond 5 Years, Christopher Lassiter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall business information technology consulting owners lack strategies to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years financially. Small business owners are concerned with sustaining their businesses, as their livelihood and employees are at stake. Grounded in Porter’s five forces theory, the resource-based view model, and Hax and Wilde’s delta model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business information technology (IT) consulting owners used to achieve financial sustainability beyond 5 years. Data were collected by semistructured interviews from 5 small business information technology consulting owners. Performance and financial success documents augmented the data collection of …

Small And Medium Enterprises Strategies For Winning Mining Contracts For Profitability And Sustainability, Patrick Sipopa Akayombokwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia experience annual failure rates of 20%. SME survival is essential for improving national economic development and social benefits. Grounded in a resource-based view and Freeman’s stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies supply and contracting SME owners used to avoid failure. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from four successful SME owners in Zambia and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: competitive quality products, interactive marketing and financial strategies, and resource acquisition and effective utilization. The key recommendations …