Business Commons^™

Money, Fdi And Economic Growth In Mena Countries., Huda Alsayed

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

First chapter examines the link between FDI, trade, capital formation and economic growth in 12 MENA countries using panel analysis for yearly data between the period 2001 to 2017. Using cointegration and Hausman test, our results indicate that, all the variables are stationary at first level, and long run relationship exist between our variables. A model of endogenous growth highlight that MENA countries favored FDI to trade, where trade has negative relation with economic growth. Capital formation and labor has positive and significant relation. We also, address the relation of education level, as we know that increase in Education level …

The Role Of Marketing Education In Reactions To Advocacy Advertising, Tobin Carlberg

University Honors Theses

The present research aims to explore whether marketing education creates a positive or negative reaction towards advocacy advertising in general. To test this, consumers with varying levels of marketing education were either interviewed or surveyed to gauge their level of persuasion knowledge, advertising appreciation, and overall reactions to advocacy advertising. Thus, a combination of qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods were employed. Interview results suggested that those with greater marketing education held more favorable attitudes toward advocacy advertising, and survey results illustrated a strong correlation between those with more marketing education and one’s appreciation for advocacy advertising, which influenced positive …

21st Century Supply Chain Innovations In The Fast Food Industry, Saitoti Meekisho

University Honors Theses

In the last 20 years, attending to consumer demand for at-home delivery has been an area of concern for supply chain specialists in the restaurant industry. Applying logistically-sound processes for food delivery to its final destination (Also called last-mile delivery) has become a necessity for restaurants to gain and sustain competitive advantages. This research seeks to catalog the dynamic last-mile delivery innovations by restaurants per consumer demand, assess the competitive sustainability of four current food delivery methods (takeout, restaurant delivery, 3^rd party company delivery, & monthly meal delivery) using the VRIN framework, and suggest collaborative delivery strategies for future …

Tourism And Tradition In Chiang Mai, Jared Makana Kirkey

University Honors Theses

This paper is an attempt to delve deeper into the relationship between tourism and culture in Chiang Mai. The push and pull of these forces is of particular interest. On one side, tourism is beneficial for Chiang Mai's economy, and encourages the preservation of its unique culture. Tourist dollars support local businesses, and any further profits can be reinvested into the local economy. And because many of Chiang Mai's major tourist draws are its cultural attractions, their preservation seems commonsense. But this is not always the case. Oftentimes, tourist dollars are funnelled out of Chiang Mai as packaged tours, luxury …

Workplace Motivation: Addressing Telework As A Mechanism For Maintaining Employee Productivity, Kaitlyn Fujii

University Honors Theses

This research seeks to identify social and psychological factors that affect satisfaction levels of employees. The thesis suggests teleworking as a renewed tool for communicating and executing work in organizations; and moreover, demonstrating how telework systems can motivate millennial and gen-z workers to be productive. The main factors identified for said analysis have been determined through the study of business and academic literature about workplace culture and how it is changing. Such research investigated the differences between baby boomers, millennials and gen-zs, and furthermore how providing employees with the option to participate in telework may enhance their output. To make …

Working Around Political Divides: A Multidisciplinary Examination Of Political Identity As A Factor Of Organizational Diversity, Blake D. Horner

University Honors Theses

In an age of targeted rhetoric and extreme polarization, the political has trespassed into the personal. As a result of this obtrusive integration, disagreements in the workplace are on the rise. Friction caused by inter-employee political diversity has been shown to cause several harmful organizational outcomes including job dissatisfaction, turnover, burnout, and psychological distress. Although this issue is common and harmful, few studies have been published on the subject. In this literature review, I attempt to contribute to the scholarly knowledge on this under-researched concept of workplace political diversity by employing a multidisciplinary approach. To illustrate the components of this …

Understanding Effective Supervision And The Relationship Between Supervision Effectiveness And Education, Rachel S. Bernini

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Supervision is a function at the core of the social work profession. The goal of social work supervision is to provide practitioners with the needed support, oversight, and education so that practitioners can ultimately render efficient and effective services. Despite positive outcomes, little is empirically known about effective supervision and its relationship with educational background. Recognizing the lack of empirical evidence regarding effective supervision practices within the social work profession, this study examined the delivery of supervision within a large Pennsylvania human service organization delivering fee for service case management. Using the MCSS-26©, supervisees rated their experiences of supervision; then …

Leadership Adapted: Towards An Understanding Of How Western-Developed Leadership Theories Are Translated And Practiced In The Modern Arab Middle East, Derek R. Olson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand how western-developed leadership theories are translated and practiced in the Modern Arab Middle East (MAME). Over the past century the notion of leadership has progressed through phases of understanding, definition, and practice. This evolution continues today and is no longer contained to the academic and practice-oriented institutions of North America and Europe. Through western-styled educational institutions and professional industries, western-developed leadership theories have stretched around the globe, including the MAME. While this is known, what is much less understood is how these theories are adopted and adapted. This study’s objective is to …

Increasing Organizational Commitment: Empowering Employees In The Workplace, Kathryn Davidson

University Honors Theses

Attaining organizational commitment from employees plays a vital role in the success of a business. This is because commitment ensures loyalty and stability within an environment. Employee empowerment is also another critical element of business as it ensures motivation and engagement from the organization’s workforce. By using Natalie Allen and John Meyer’s three types of commitment as a major lens, this paper analyzes appropriate literature related to empowerment leadership. The correlation between organizational commitment and employee empowerment is discussed and it indicates that empowerment can positively impact an employee’s commitment to their work organization. Employees can experience burnout if their …

Psychological Well-Being During Retirement Transition And Adjustment For Southern Baptist Pastors: A Phenomenological Multi-Case Study, Tresa Gamblin

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological multi-case study was to understand the psychological well-being experience of Southern Baptist pastors during transition and adjustment to retirement. Questions centered around their upbringing, their calling experience, their education, career progression in churches, reasons for retiring, preparation for retirement, experience after retiring, and how identity and purpose may or may not have been related to their role as pastor. The goal of the study was to investigate these experiences to provide rich data and analysis that is missing in current literature.

The research was based on two theories: continuity theory and role theory. The study …

Rotarians’ Transformative Path From Initiate To Servant Leader: A Narrative Study Examining The Motivation To Volunteer, Edwin A. Kalinka

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Rotarians’ Transformative Path from Initiate to Servant Leader: A Narrative Study Examining the Motivation to Volunteer The purpose of this research study was to explore Rotarians transformative path from initiate (follower) to servant leader supporting student programs. Research was conducted using a qualitative narrative design to examine participants’ perceptions of the factors that motivated them to join a volunteer organization with the motto “service above self,” the factors that motivated them to support student programs, and their perceptions of the impact of their volunteer efforts. Sixteen Rotarian participants supporting EarlyAct, InterAct, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Short-Term Youth Exchange, and Long-Term …

Investing In The Land Of O.Z.: The Promise Of Qualified Opportunity Zone Investing In Ameliorating Urban Blight, Lukas John Foy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 2017, President Trump’s landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced one of the most prolific federal incentives for real estate development in decades. In an effort to stimulate investment in neglected neighborhoods across all 50 states and five territories, the Federal Government authorized the designation of almost 9,000 blighted census tracts across the country as eligible for tax incentives. Investment in these tracts, deemed Qualified Opportunity Zones, allow investors to receive substantial capital gains deferral and possible capital gains exclusion at the end of the designated holding period, assuming they comply with the regulations of the program. While designed …

Seeking Justice: Reform To The Resolution Of Sexual Harassment Workplace Claims, Maygen Martinez

Honors College Theses

The era of the #MeToo Movement has brought about significant change in both personal and professional lives. With support from the community, many survivors of sexual assault are now able to publicly confront the atrocities that have happened to them. Further, and as a result of this impetus, historic legislation and internal action have caused many companies to end their mandatory arbitration practices for sexual harassment complaints. The ending of mandatory employer-sponsored arbitration opens the door to a significant change in the way discrimination and harassment complaints are resolved in the workplace. More employees than ever are now able to …

Evaluation Of Student Reactions To Consumer Products, Bryce K. Lesher

Honors College Theses

Based on gender role congruence theory, this research sought to understand how consumer perceptions differ for masculinized and feminized products when they are presented by the opposing gender. Additionally, our research sought to understand what role—if any—political affiliation played in the consumer’s perception of the products presented. The results of this study were inconclusive due to a data collection error, however, the study itself serves as a good framework for answering the question of interest and should be rerun to draw meaningful conclusions.

Developing And Sustaining Organizational Systems That Honor The Dignity Needs Of Stakeholders, Robyn Short

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

At the time of the study, organizations were missing opportunities for innovation and bottom-line growth by failing to align performance management systems with basic human needs and dignity needs. Employees were missing opportunities for accessing their potential, and were failing to thrive. Organizational leaders needed to understand the importance of integrating basic human needs and the essentials of dignity as attributes of organizational systems design in order to maximize employee engagement, attract and retain top talent, increase innovation, and optimize bottom-line growth.

This research explored the role of dignity in organizational systems design. A qualitative research approach, specifically case study …

Considerations For Introducing, Facilitating, And Expanding Mindfulness Training In The Workplace, Laura H. Saher

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This creative thesis is designed to further the understanding of the considerations for offering mindfulness training in the workplace and to offer mindfulness practitioners a guide for introducing and facilitating mindfulness training into their workplaces. This thesis consists of two primary components: 1) a rationale paper and 2) a creative component. The rationale paper includes a literature review that focuses on the benefits and risks of offering mindfulness training in the workplace; these form the business case for bringing mindfulness to the workforce and identify the gaps in the research that prompted the questions underlying this thesis. These gaps were …

The Nonprofit Gender Leadership Gap: Data-Driven Systemic And Inclusive Solutions, Katya Alcaraz-Minnick

Master's Projects and Capstones

The gender leadership gap has maintained its divide throughout world history. There have been positive advancements in gender leadership equity within the political arena and in the for-profit sector, however, it is within the nonprofit sector that the most progress has been made in collapsing the gender leadership gap. Women make up a large percentage of the nonprofit sector’s workforce, so it would seem that the nonprofit sector is poised to lead the economic world to close the gender leadership gap and achieve equity within its top managerial ranks. Research on leadership theories relating to skills, traits, and styles will …

Are Major Gift Donors The Answer? Assessment Of The Views Of Development Professionals On Major Gift Donor Support To A Nonprofit Organization’S General Operating Funds, Sam Tongo

Master's Projects and Capstones

This Capstone research assesses the views and experiences of development professionals who specialize in major gift fundraising, specifically related to major donor practices in giving to a nonprofit’s general operating funds. By learning why major gift donors have these views and how it affects the social sector, nonprofit leaders can start to better understand what they can do to better cultivate these relationships so that major gift donors eventually trust the nonprofit organization enough to give unrestricted funds. The goal is to help nonprofit organizations increase organizational capacity so that social missions can be achieved.

A literature review largely influenced …

China And The Us- The Behemoths Trade War, Mingwei Chen

Master's Projects and Capstones

China and the US are the world’s largest economies and the largest mutual trade partners. The US has also held the position of the world’s largest economy for most of the current fiscal age. However, China is rising, largely bolstered by a great population, resource repository and government support in its quest to become a leading global powerhouse. As a major trading partner with the US, the rise of China impedes some of the growth potential of the US economy. One of the largest areas is the manufacturing sector where China is an emerging force that seeks to establish its …

Examining The Mediating Effect Of Job Crafting On The Relationship Between Managerial Coaching And Job Engagement In The Skilled Trades, Jennifer H. Duplessis

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Employee engagement continues to gain considerable attention owing to its positive correlation with numerous desired work-related outcomes (Saks, 2019; Shuck et al., 2017). Engagement in one’s job has become of particular interest in industry sectors experiencing shortages, such as the skilled trades (Bilginsoy, 2003). The skilled trades have reportedly been the most difficult segment of the employee market to staff globally year over year (Schwartz, 2015; Wright, 2013).

As organizations wish to improve engagement in one’s job, they have looked to developmental antecedents of engagement (Ellinger, Musgrove, & Ellinger, 2012). Managerial coaching has been supported as having a significant direct …

Branding On A Budget: Marketing In The Nonprofit Sector, Nicholas Biere

Honors Projects

“Branding on a Budget: Marketing in the Nonprofit Sector” This service learning project combines academic research with experiential service learning. The purpose of this project was to create a strong brand for BeInstrumental, a nonprofit music education organization from Toledo, Ohio through the creation of a graphic branding plan. Principles of visual communication technology, graphic design, marketing strategies, branding, and graphic design are all implemented in this project.

A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Richard Brohaugh

Honors Theses

This thesis compiles twelve case studies provided by Dr. Victoria Dickinson. Each of these cases, which were performed over the course of the 2018-2019 academic year, presented accounting problems that used both fictional and real-world situations to provide an experiential approach to learning. These cases presented numerous types of business problems and challenged me to better understand the various dimensions of accountancy, ranging from data analytics to banking and finance. The procedures used to gather solutions and data for each of the cases were unique, but for each case, I was able to learn how to research potential issues and …

Stand For The Small: How To Effectively Brand And Market Your Small Business On Social Media, Erika Glover

Honors Projects

This document is a resource intended for female entrepreneurs who own or are looking to launch their own small business. The focus of this resource is to help business owners understand and apply strong social media marketing tactics to their small businesses. The document draws on passions, mission, and brand identity to help the user visualize the long term vision of their company's image. This is achieved by providing research and information on social media marketing in the following categories: target audience, gaining customers, brand goals, mission, visuals, voice, platforms, hashtags, analytics, and a pep talk.

The final element of …

The Super Bowl And Individual State Income Taxes, Benjamin T. Cosby

Honors College Theses

Every year the NFL Super Bowl is held in a different state. Due to the differing state income tax rates, there appears to be an incentive for the NFL Super Bowl to be held in some states over others. Over the past 21 years, the Super Bowl has occurred more often in low tax states, but after analyzing the relationships between state income tax rates, average state temperatures, and the states in which the Super Bowl has been held, it appears that average state temperature is a more important factor in determining the location of the Super Bowl, not state …

A Compilation Of Case Studies Focusing On Financial Reporting Issues, Haydn Brown

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a compilation of case studies that focuses on various financial reporting and accounting topics. Each case addresses different topics using real world examples of specific companies. The thesis demonstrates the understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and was completed under the supervision of Victoria Dickinson to satisfy the requirements for the University of Mississippi, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, and Patterson School of Accountancy, and ACCY 420 course in the 2018-2019 academic year.

A Compilation Of Case Studies On Modern Issues And Applications Of Accounting, Tyler Butler

Honors Theses

Over the academic year spanning from 2018 to 2019, I attained knowledge of the accounting profession and applications of accounting techniques that have arisen from modern needs in the professional world. Having since spent the summer working as an accountant for a private construction company, I have been able to apply the knowledge in a real-world setting. For the thesis requirement, I thoroughly completed case studies on a variety of topics related to accounting. Each of the sections have been completed in case format with attention to readability and thoughtful presentation of information. Every case began with a problem to …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Accounting Environment And Procedures Through A Series Of Case Studies, Ryan Mccarty

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a culmination of twelve case studies completed throughout the academic year of 2018-2019 under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson, as a requirement of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and completion of the ACCY 420 course. Each case study is independent of the next, and is an in-depth response to questions and theories that are found outside of this document. Each analysis is accomplished by myself alone and through the studies of Financial, Managerial, and Cost accounting courses in my career at the University of Mississippi. The thesis is intended to analyze accounting procedures and …

Beyond A Tube Of Red Lipstick: An Economic Valuation Of Estee Lauder And The Beauty Industry, Aisea Odencrantz, David Offenberg

Honors Thesis

The current valuation of the beauty industry is approximately $532 billion, yet this industry is not commonly suggested by investment professionals as a way to add diversification into their investors’ portfolios. The current craze of the market is technology and fossil fuels, but the beauty industry has remained a major player in consumer spending patterns throughout time. Through examining the historical financial statements of the publicly-traded cosmetic conglomerate Estēe Lauder, as well as several of its competitors, I modeled the future valuation of Estēe Lauder using the Discounted Free Cash Flow and Comparable Firm Multiples models. This analysis demonstrated how …

The Book Of Twelve Accounted For Cases, Ty Craig

Honors Theses

This thesis is comprised of twelve case studies. The case studies were completed in conjunction with Professor Dickinson's ACCY 420 course. Each case is independent and has its own abstract.

Topics In Accountancy, Kara Kennedy

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I conducted a thorough analysis of the accounting field and profession through the lens of historical case study examples. In a classroom environment, I researched and debated case topics together with fellow accountancy students under the guidance of our thesis advisor, Dr. Dickinson. Case topics included analysis of broader areas, such as the current conceptual accounting framework or the analysis of accounting careers, along with analysis of more specific areas, such as the sale of debt securities or the appropriate capitalization of costs. Most cases required the evaluation of relevant financial statements in order to gain valuable …