Business Commons^™

The Voices Of Professional Cheerleaders And Dancers: Perceptions Of Sexual Harassment, Melanie A. Hosty

Student Theses and Dissertations

Sexual harassment has persisted for decades but has recently gained attention, especially after the “Me Too” movement. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, or other characteristics. It can also occur anywhere, such as the workplace or in sport. This descriptive study looks at a sample of professional cheerleaders and dancers to determine their experience with sexual harassment. Through an open-ended questionnaire, they were given the opportunity to have their voices heard. Responses revealed who their harassers were, to whom they reported, and post-harassment symptoms, such as stress. Findings showed that fans and people within the …

Does Debt Matter? Empirical Analysis Of Sovereign Debt Default, Juan Pablo Espinosa

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Sovereign debt default can have significant economic, social, and reputational costs. For this reason, policy makers across the globe are constantly trying to balance fiscal policy and economic growth. Many of them, however, are still unable to do so and fall into sovereign debt default. This research paper looks at 52 sample countries from 1980 to 2018 and examines whether sovereign debt default can be explained by the gap between GDP growth and interest rates and/or debt-to-GDP levels. Through a series of empirical analysis, I find that if GDP growth is higher than interest rates, risk of default is typically …

Social Power Of Jazz Festivals, Olga Bekenshtein

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Jazz festivals occur in all parts of the world, small cities and metropolises, urban and rural landscapes, stadiums, churches, streets, and abandoned factories. Being a part of the entertainment industry, they have the potential to impact social change. Jazz festivals help us reconsider notions of identity and community, and their communal experience has the potential to undermine dominant social norms. The industry of jazz festivals is based on Black music and has a history of positive and negative social outcomes. Evaluating festivals through the symbolic meaning of music provides an optic into how festivals marginalize and exploit African American cultural …

Religiosity And National Political Leadership As Essential Conjoined Social Determinants Of Volunteerism: Implications For International Non-Governmental Organization Leaders, Theresa L. Koepfler Reimbold

Dissertations, 2020-current

Lack of an integrated and commonly accepted theory to explain volunteerism is a function of the multi-dimensional nature of the construct, which is positively correlated to multiple behavioral, cultural, and political attributes in myriad studies. Likely, there is a combination of social determinants that best predict levels of volunteerism better than others. The issue of overarching theory development to explain volunteerism becomes further convoluted when approaching the construct from a global perspective as commonly held definitions become eroded due to language barriers and cultural nuances. Despite these challenges, the importance of studying volunteerism and its determinants is essential for the …

Community Foundation Donor-Advised Funds: Analyzing Efficiency And Effectiveness, Megan Bartell

Master's Projects and Capstones

Philanthropy is constantly evolving, and some traditional philanthropic institutions may need to rethink their strategies to attract the next generation of donors. The younger generation of donors tends to value the broader concept of social impact through many aspects of their lives, rather than traditional philanthropy alone. One trendy giving vehicle, with extensive growth in the last few years, is donor-advised funds (DAFs). This research is an analysis of California-based community foundations and their approaches to working with DAF donors. DAFs are a popular subject today in the nonprofit world, but in fact, they were originally established in the 1930s …

The Effect Of Investor Sentiment On Earnings Management, Lin Chen

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

The association between investor sentiment and corporate reporting decisions/outcomes has been recently examined in the accounting and finance literature. As an important outcome of corporate reporting decisions, earnings management (EM) may be affected by investor sentiment. In this dissertation, I examine two research questions. The first is whether investor sentiment is associated with the propensity of firms’ engaging in the two primary forms of EM: accrual earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM). The second question is whether firms’ internal governance strength and external audit quality would moderate the association between investor sentiment and AEM as well as REM. …

Shah-Dissertation2020-Humancapitalofupperechelons, Tushar R. Shah

Management Dissertations - Archive

My dissertation studies strategic change in the context of digital transformation and the role of organization’s upper echelons (specifically the human capital of TMTs and CEOs) in predicting digital transformation. I concur with the prevalent belief that digital transformation is the fourth industrial revolution. It is already disrupting several businesses and business models as a result of which existing models of strategic change may have to be modified to explain these drastic transformations. I begin with defining the domain of strategic change as experienced by organizations when they intend to or are undergoing digital transformation. To support my theoretical assertions, …

Us And Them: The Impact Of Differing Founder Mindsets On Firm Strategic Orientation, Manisha M. Vaswani

Management Dissertations - Archive

Historically, small business founders were assumed to be motivated by profit-maximization. Today, we understand that founders also have non-economic goals for starting a business, including furthering their family legacy. This dissertation contrasts two types of founder mind-sets: an entrepreneurial mindset and a small business mind-set. I propose theoretical arguments which predict that founders who identify more with the small business mindset would pursue long-term, trust-based strategies that foster relationships with stakeholders such as suppliers and customers. On the other hand, founders who identify with the entrepreneurial mindset are more likely to pursue strategies that are ambitious, contractual, and profit-enhancing. Using …

Predictors Of Organizational Decoupling In The Context Of Corporate Sustainability, Ajith Venugopal

Management Dissertations - Archive

The gap between what firms say and what they do is referred to as organizational decoupling. Despite the fact that decoupling is a widespread phenomenon, there is a paucity of empirical studies that have examined individual level predictors of organizational decoupling, especially in the context of corporate sustainability. In this dissertation, utilizing upper echelon theory, I examine how CEO psychological charactersitics predict policy-practice decoupling in the environmental and social dimensions of corporate sustainability. Using a sample of U.S.manufacturing companies from S&P 1500 during the period 2009-2018, I test the relationship between CEO personality (FFM traits), CEO value (self-transcendence), and CEO …

Risk Control System Construction Of China’S Equity Crowdfunding Platforms: A Comparative Study On The Differences Between Equity Crowdfunding And Traditional Venture Capital Investment, Wentao Bai

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Equity crowdfunding is a new type of public financing activity realized by Internet technology with small single investments funds, which is different from traditional venture capital. It greatly solves the equity investment problem of middle-class people and the difficulties of small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups in financing. It is also conducive to the construction of multi-level capital market, and the healthy development of national financial system. Due to the advantages of equity crowdfunding, the global equity crowdfunding market has developed rapidly in recent years. Unfortunately, China's formal legislation on equity crowdfunding has not been introduced yet. Each platform can …

Corporate Cash Holdings, Firm Performance, And Ceo Compensation, Dhruba Banjade

Finance and Real Estate Dissertations - Archive

The dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay investigates the relationship between corporate cash holdings and firm performance in new and old economy firms. Results show that firm performance increases when they maintain cash balances at or slightly above a certain level (optimum level). However, their performance degrades if they hold cash at levels beyond the optimum. Furthermore, I find that new economy firms hold more cash relative to their old economy counterparts. Corporate governance and balanced board structure also impact cash holdings and firm performance. I find that as institutional ownership increases, firm performance increases due to better …

Shareholder Activism: Does Gender Diversity Among Hedge Fund Managers Affect Activism Returns?, Ankita Agarwal

Business Administration Dissertations - Archive

Divergent and often contradictory arguments appear in organizational research on the relationship between gender-diverse top management team and performance. In the present study, I integrate several distinct literatures to test a theoretical model that examines the influence of gender diversity among hedge fund executives on the performance of the target firm. Specifically, I argue that gender diversity among hedge fund executives weaken the performance consequences because females are perceived to possess traits less suited for the leadership position, which in turn influence their performance. I further argue that because of stereotypes gender-diverse hedge funds are perceived negatively and hence are …

The Effect Of Investor Sentiment On Earnings Management, Lin Chen

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

The association between investor sentiment and corporate reporting decisions/outcomes has been recently examined in the accounting and finance literature. As an important outcome of corporate reporting decisions, earnings management (EM) may be affected by investor sentiment. In this dissertation, I examine two research questions. The first is whether investor sentiment is associated with the propensity of firms’ engaging in the two primary forms of EM: accrual earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM). The second question is whether firms’ internal governance strength and external audit quality would moderate the association between investor sentiment and AEM as well as REM. …

Ndikimi I Tatimeve Në Zhvillimin E Bizneseve Në Kosovë Në Periudhën E Pas Luftës, Art Bekeri

Theses and Dissertations

Ndërtimi i politikave tatimore dhe zbatimi i tyre në mbushje të buxhetit të vendit kanë një rol të rëndësishëm në zhvillimin ekonomik të vendit si dhe për mbajtjen dhe zhvillimin e një sërë sektorësh të shoqërisë kosovare. Reformimi i sistemeve tatimore është njëri nga segmentet më të rëndësishme të tranzicionit ekonomik të udhëhequr nga aspirimi për t’u anëtarësuar në Unionin Evropian.

Politika Tatimore e një shteti është pjesë e politikës fiskale që lidhet me përcaktimin e llojeve të tatimeve të zbatuara në një vend, nivelet dhe llojet e përqindjeve tatimore si dhe për burimet e ndryshme të të ardhurave. Përveç …

Roli I Marketingut Të Personalizuar Në Marrëdhëniet Biznes-Klient, Ejona Bajraktari

Theses and Dissertations

Në filmin Minority Report, Tom Cruise hynë në një qendër tregtare dhe përshëndetet nga postera (billboards) “live” që i adresohen në emër dhe i sugjerojnë veshje në të cilat ai mund të jetë i interesuar. Këtë arrijnë ta bëjnë përmes skanimit të retinës së tij, dhe e bëjnë për çdo klient që ndodhet në dyqan. Megjithëse ende nuk kemi mbërritur në një kohë me një teknologji të tillë, kompanitë sot po synojnë një shërbim të tillë, pra ofrimin e një përvoje të personalizuar për çdo klient të kompanisë.

Ideja e marketingut të personalizuar qëndron në krijimin e një eksperience …

How Consumers Use And Propagate Information In Digital World, Meichen Dong

Marketing Dissertations - Archive

With the advent of technology and the emergence of social media, information-sharing amongst consumers has increased exponentially. Consumers now can discuss their purchases with different people in different formats, in person or online (Hennig-Thurau et al., 2010; Berger and Iyengar, 2013). Both researchers and marketers have acknowledged word of mouth (WOM) as a significant driver for consumption decisions (Akpinar & Berger, 2017). However, research regarding how consumer will use or share information in the digital world is still unclear.This dissertation research is trying to investigate the drivers of how consumers use, or share,information in digital environment – and how this …

Differences In Opportunity Evaluation Between Corporate And Independent Entrepreneurs., Alireza Aghaey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Opportunity evaluation is a critical step in the process of entrepreneurship and is the main precursor to entrepreneurial action. This is true for both corporate entrepreneurs and independent entrepreneurs. However, these two groups may evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities in different ways because they operate in different contexts and have different decision-making schemas. In my dissertation, I use an “entrepreneurial cognition” perspective to explore such differences. By using two major theoretical lenses – i.e. resource availability and tolerance for uncertainty – and employing a conjoint experimental design, I compare and contrast decision policies of corporate and independent entrepreneurs captured in real time. …

Emotional Demands-Abilities (Ed-A) Fit, Emotional Labor, And Resource Depletion, Joohan Lee

Management Dissertations - Archive

Perceived emotional demands-abilities (ED-A) fit, defined as a perception of the congruence or fit between emotional demands of a job and abilities to fulfill these demands (Diefendorff, Greguras, & Fleenor, 2016), has been recently introduced to the area of management research. The main goal of this study is to test how a service employee’s psychological ownership of a job (POJ) predicts his or her ED-A fit and whether/how ED-A fit is related to emotional labor and depletion. I also look into the underlying mechanism by testing the mediation effect of commitment to display rules (CDR) on the relation of POJ …

Mutual Funds: Governance And Holdings, Jason Morrison

Finance and Real Estate Dissertations - Archive

In this dissertation I examine the role of governance and holdings within the mutual funds industry to determine if active managed fund strategies are affecting fund flows and increasing returns. My first two essays focus on dividend juicing and the results of this strategy and the types of boards of directors that would allow this strategy to be implemented. My third essay focuses on the concentration of holdings and the effect on the overall fund performance. I use hand collected data on the governance characteristics of the board of directors as well as the economic data and holdings of the …

The Effect Of Investor Sentiment On Earnings Management, Lin Chen

Finance and Real Estate Dissertations - Archive

The association between investor sentiment and corporate reporting decisions/outcomes has been recently examined in the accounting and finance literature. As an important outcome of corporate reporting decisions, earnings management (EM) may be affected by investor sentiment. In this dissertation, I examine two research questions. The first is whether investor sentiment is associated with the propensity of firms’ engaging in the two primary forms of EM: accrual earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM). The second question is whether firms’ internal governance strength and external audit quality would moderate the association between investor sentiment and AEM as well as REM. …

Adapting Biotoxin Monitoring For The Future: An Opportunity For A Harmful Algae Bloom (Hab) Network In Casco Bay, Maine, Zachary B. Gordon

All Theses And Dissertations

Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) related to marine biotoxins have considerable impacts on coastal communities and have been increasing in size and frequency globally. Maine is recognized as a leader in biotoxin management as it relates to bivalve shellfish, but it has been unclear how current management practices effect the growth of shellfish aquaculture and how they will adapt to future conditions. This research uses a collaborative approach to analyze the current state of biotoxin management in Maine. First, the current management practices in Maine were compared and contrasted with five other states dealing with similar issues. Then, the perspectives of …

Three Essays On Ceo Activism, Strategic Choices And Firm Performance, Keshab Acharya

Theses and Dissertations

There is a longstanding societal expectation that business leaders refrain from involving in social and political issues and primarily focus on managing their firms. In recent years, however, there is a growing trend of CEOs taking a stance on controversial sociopolitical issues that are not directly related to their company’s core business. This dissertation consists of three essays focusing on this phenomenon of CEO activism.

In my first essay, given that CEO activism represents a nascent phenomenon, I explore the conceptualization of CEO activism. Additionally, I propose three main motives behind CEO activism: intrinsic, instrumental, and stakeholder-focused. In my second …

An Examination Of The Role Of Online Reviews For Niche Restaurant Segments: Casino Buffet Restaurants, Tevfik Demirciftci

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation applied hygiene factor (two-factor theory) and rational choice theory to investigate the factors which influence satisfaction for iconic, niche casino buffet restaurants, determine if the factors that impact satisfaction also impact WTP in the same direction and with the same weight, and examine the relationship between those items mentioned in online reviews and WTP in a buffet setting. Two studies were conducted to discover the key attributes of the casino buffet restaurant. In the first study, a qualitative-text analysis-was made to discover satisfiers and dissatisfiers for casino buffet restaurants. In the second study, a quantitative analysis -conjoint analysis-was …

Identifying Competencies And Outputs Of Sss Role In Stem Bridge Programs In The Silicon Valley, Alexandra C. Duran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study identified the competencies and outputs associated with the role of student support specialists (SSS) in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) bridge programs in the community colleges of Silicon Valley. The growth of STEM education, coupled with the increasing diversity of student population in community colleges, has made the work of SSS professionals in the region challenging. While the SSS professionals are often positioned as comprehensive, nonacademic support for STEM students, not enough has been documented on the competencies and outputs associated with SSS role in STEM bridge programs. In addition, most studies on student affairs professionals primarily …

How Youtube Health Vloggers Influence Viewer Compliance: The Interplay Between Vlogger Characteristics, Parasocial Interaction, And Viewer Characteristics, Md Nazmus Sakib

Theses and Dissertations

Drawing on the notion of parasocial interaction (PSI) theory (Horton and Wohl, 1956), this dissertation provides a framework to demonstrate how YouTube health vloggers can influence viewer compliance intention toward a prescribed health behavior (i.e., weight-loss diet to lose weight). Initially, drawing on the discounting principles of attribution theory (Kelly, 1973), physical attractiveness stereotype (Eagly et al., 1991), and the black sheep effect (Marques and Yzerbyt, 1988), the interaction effects of three vlogger characteristics on viewer PSI experience were conceptualized and examined (Study 1). Then by using a scenario-based experiment, viewer PSI experience with the vlogger was manipulated (high vs. …

Creativity And Engagement In Ideas Crowdsourcing: A Situation Awareness Perspective, James Gitau Wairimu

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the influence of performance feedback in user motivation and creativity development in idea crowdsourcing engagement. Creativity occurs when users of idea crowdsourcing communities engage in direct and indirect interactions that expose them to a pool of knowledge that enhances their cognitive development leading to the contribution of novel ideas for innovation in organizations. Additionally, participant motivation to engage in ideas crowdsourcing is increased through rewards and conditions that make the ideation process more inclusive and enjoyable. An idea network design is developed by applying social network analysis principles. The idea network design consists of mechanisms for motivating …

Seeking A Perfect Match: The Effect Of Spousal Capital On Performance Of Family Firms, Xi Yang

Theses and Dissertations

The research about family business has received increasing attention. However, the research that focuses on the effect of owner-managers marriage on family firm performance is scarce. In this study, I argue that the family business manager's spouse can affect firm performance through firm-level and individual-level channels. First, I propose that a family business's firm performance is influenced by owner-managers marriage in terms of spousal human, social, and financial capital based on a family capital topology—a firm-level lens. I build a conceptual model of spousal capital in a family business and develop hypotheses. Further, by integrating the complementary needs theory of …

Two Sides Of The Same Coin: Essays Investigating The Founder And Backer Dynamics Of Crowdfunding, Ruben Ceballos

Theses and Dissertations

Crowdfunding provides the opportunity for entrepreneurs to acquire capital for their projects by utilizing a platform that allows the masses to provide funds towards the completion of the project. Thus, it can be looked at as two sides of the same coin. On one side you have the entrepreneurs seeking the funds otherwise known as founders, and on the other are those that provide the funds also known as backers. The purpose of this study is to investigate what factors lead to founders successfully attaining their funding, what motivates backers to support the projects, and whether the founders can deliver …

Innovative Boards: Exploring The Curvilinear Relationship Of Firm Innovation With Information Diversity, Dynamic Capability Diversity And Governance Diversity Of The Board Of Directors, And Understanding The Critical Moderating Effect Of Board Size On This Relationship, Ajay Makhija

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The role and effectiveness of Board of directors in fostering innovation is an area of keen interest for both academics and professionals. Heterogeneity research suggests that diverse groups consider a broader range of perspectives and hence are able to foster creativity and drive innovation. The focus of most prior research on board diversity has largely been on gender, and the outcomes have been generally inconclusive. In addition, previous research efforts have focused on the RBV (Resource based view) in terms of the board role and also in explaining the diversity relationship with innovation. This study extends the diversity, governance and …

Strategic Organizational Sustainability Climate: Scale Development And Validation, Petra Brnova

Theses and Dissertations

The Strategic Organizational Sustainability (SOS) Climate encompasses the employee perceptions of the policies, practices, and procedures that promote long term organizational success in the era of pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. In order to promote such workplace climate, organizations must be able to measure it. To this end, the SOS Climate scale was developed and validated using first a phenomenological approach in interviews with sustainability professionals working in organizations across economic sectors. After this, scale items were generated and judged, followed by a pilot study. Principal component analysis was conducted for preliminary dimensionality and item reduction. Lastly, confirmatory factor …