Business Commons^™

Examining The Role Of Business Intelligence And Analytics In Hospitality Revenue Management, Anna I. Kharitonova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Most hospitality revenue management forecasting systems were built prior to the business intelligence and analytics movement. Only recently these systems have been enhanced to offer contemporary business intelligence and analytics functionalities. In addition, revenue management professionals are receiving support from standalone, supplementary business intelligence and analytics platforms. The purpose of this dissertation was to produce a holistic review of and establish the role of business intelligence and analytics within hospitality revenue management. Data was collected from twenty-three interviews; all participants were employed by hospitality organizations in revenue management specific positions. Grounded theory methodology was utilized. The results show that nearly …

Smart Speaker Forensics, Steven Engelhardt

Business/Business Administration

Devices such as the Google Home and Amazon Echo are great sources of digital evidence and artifacts due to the fact that much of the data these devices generate are stored both locally and in the cloud. For this reason, law enforcement and forensic investigators are not forced to rely on companies such as Google and Amazon to retrieve useful information. In this paper, techniques used to retrieve this information are discussed. Although some of these techniques require an analyst to have an individual’s login credentials, other techniques that focus on the data stored in a user’s phone can be …

You Might Just Surprise Yourself: When Will Consumers Purchase A Surprise Product As A Self-Gift?, Kelly Morrow

Business/Business Administration

Consumers are becoming increasingly self-oriented in their purchase and consumption behaviors. Self-gifts have proliferated on the market, especially self-gifts that contain an element of surprise, which can be seen with the rise in popularity of subscription boxes. Surprise has been found to enhance the function of self-gifts, but it can also result in post-purchase regret if the surprise did not meet consumer expectations. Typically, individuals consume self-gifts as forms of indulgences, rewards, and as mood-regulatory devices. Based on these findings, this paper examines the relationship between three mood conditions (positive, neutral, and negative) and consumers’ likeliness to purchase a surprise …

Cross Cultural Comparison Of Factors Driving Luxury Consumption, Claire Williams

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The global luxury market continued to grow to $313-318 billion in 2018 and the market is estimated to reach about $442 billion in sales by 2025 (Arienti, Levato, Kamel, & Montgolfier, 2018). Despite the rapid growth of the luxury market, factors influencing consumers’ perceptions and purchase intentions toward luxury brands remain under investigated. Researchers found consumers rely on extrinsic attributes such as country of origin (CoO) when purchasing luxury products. The mixed results of CoO effect in prior studies yield a need for further research. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of CoO and the …

Ndikimi I Online-Marketing Në Zhvillimin E Firmave Të Vogla Dhe Të Mesme, Arijeta Morina

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë temë do të trajtoj çështjen e ndikimit të marketingut online apo siç është i njohur dhe ndryshe marketingu digjital në firmat e vogla dhe të mesme. Tendenca e të shpjeguarit të marketingut në sferë digjitale apo të kohës së tashme, pra të kohës së internetit si dhe krejt karakteristikat në vijat më të thjeshta të elementeve e përkufizojnë marketingun e konkretisht marketingun online si pjesë e pandashme e suksesit në biznes në kohët e sotme. Po ashtu rrjedhimisht do të trajtoj të metat dhe përparësitë e të bërit biznes në kontekstin e marketingut online. Do të isha jo …

Aplikimi I Marketingut Përmes Rrjeteve Sociale, Blerina Mehija

Theses and Dissertations

Rrjetet sociale janë njëra prej risive ose inovacioneve virtuale më të mëdha të periudhës aktuale në të cilën po jetojmë dhe atyre po ju referohemi si risi ose inovacione për shkak të lehtësive të mëdha që ato po ofrojnë, sidomos në aspektin e komunikimit duke tejkaluar në performancë dhe efikasitet të gjitha mjetet e nëparshme të komunikimit. Por, krahas komunikimit ndërmjet njerëzve, këto rrjete sociale kanë mundësuar komunikim shumë të lehtë dhe efikas edhe ndërmjet bizneseve dhe klientëve të tyre, gjë që ka nxitur shumicën e biznesve që një pjesë të marketingut të tyre ta fokusojnë në rrjetet sociale dhe …

Procedurat E Regjistrimit Dhe Obligimet Tatimore Të Bizneseve Në Kosovë, Blend Berisha

Theses and Dissertations

Shumë individë ndërmarrin hapat për të nisur ndonjë biznes, por janë të paktë ata që mbijetojnë luftën e egër dhe të pamëshirshme të tregut të lirë. Kosova ka nevojë më shumë se kurrë të ngrisë përkrahjen për hapje dhe inicim të bizneseve të reja të i josh të rinjtë inovator dhe sipërmarrës me shpirt ndërmarrësie që të hapin biznese të reja për të ofruar mundësin për punësim më të madh sidomos të të rinjve ku në Kosove ekziston një papunësi e madhe dhe vetëm sektori privat investimet e huaja dhe shpirti ndërmarrës mund te rrisin ekonomin dhe ofrojnë vende të …

Social Class And Perceptions Of Unethical Behavior In An Organizational Setting, Jake Grawe

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore whether social class of third-party adjudicators or perpetrators affected punitive decision-making in unethical workplace scenarios. It was hypothesized that third-party adjudicators would grant leniency towards lower-class perpetrators as well as towards perpetrators who shared their own social class. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the perception and assignment of punishment for different social class perpetrators, nor did the results show that leniency was granted to perpetrators who shared adjudicators’ social class. Although the study did not confirm the initial hypotheses, unexpected trends did arise within the study and are …

The Investment Potential Of Modern Hip Hop Artists, Kyle Garuccio

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Popular modern hip-hop artists are often seen flaunting custom jewelry, pricey cars, expensive personal collections, and other highly-depreciative luxury items. The influence of hip hop culture on the spending habits of its members is responsible for these traditional portrayals. Members of the hip hop community feel the need to mold to the norms established by its history and momentous idols. If those who identify themselves as members of the hip hop community invested their money in the financial markets and instruments, they may have the opportunity to grow their income at a much larger rate. I propose possible market investment …

Help Wanted: Inside The Role Of A Community Development Lending Policy Editor, Robert Spichiger

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Students receiving professional degrees are often less motivated than their peers to graduate from the Renée Crown University Honors Program at Syracuse University. One possible explanation for this is that these students are discouraged by the requirement of writing an academic thesis. To remedy this issue and motivate more students from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management to graduate from the Honors Program, this project aims to serve as an example to future business students of one possible way to structure a professional thesis.

This paper is a critical reflection of the skills one develops while working at a …

Evaluation Of Herd Size Management Strategies, Colson A. Tester

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is comprised of two studies examining the effects of price signal based herd size management strategies on profitability of cow-calf operations. Herd size management strategies were evaluated across the previous two cattle cycles, 1990-2014, using a fixed land resource and included a variety of production scenarios. These scenarios varied in terms of stocking rates, fertilizer applications rates, and calving season. Each scenario was also analyzed both with and without weather effects on forage production. Weather effects were simulated using a production index derived from satellite imagery across the observed 25-year period. Three herd size management strategies: i) constant …

Producer Preferences For Alternative Irrigation Practices In The Arkansas Delta, Robert Edward Rosene

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We use a bivariate sample selection model to address peer network effects on participation in and/or intensity of use of land being irrigated by alternative irrigation practices in the state of Arkansas. As groundwater in the state becomes more limited, the use of scientific scheduling, flowmeters, and more efficient row crop water application systems will allow producers to better manage water resources. We find relatively large, positive relationships between belonging to a peer network of the same irrigation practice and participation in that practice. Intensity of use of alternative irrigation techniques is mostly influenced by which crop type the practice …

An Examination Of The Perception, Role And Impact Of Student-Led Clubs And Organizations On Student Development, Engagement And Success: A Small-Sample Study Of Extreme Users And Extreme Non-Users Using Service Innovation Methods, Bailey Coppedge

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was, first, to research what involvement in student-led clubs and organizations (SLCOs) contributes to student development, engagement, and success. Second, to understand the perceptions that students at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga have about SLCOs and their impact on the students’ development, engagement, and success. I posed three research questions: 1) What is the perception of SLCOs from the perspective of both uninvolved students and extremely involved students? 2) What drives students to become engaged in SLCOs? 3) What impact does involvement in SLCOs have on students’ development and success? My goal in conducting this research …

A Proposal And Potential Use-Case For The Transition From Gig City To Smart City, Andrew Cox

Honors Theses

Over the past decade, smart city concepts have been gaining attention from scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers in both developed and developing nations. A recent proliferation of publications has involved a multitude of disciplines, but have focused almost entirely on the potential for smart cities to change the way cities are managed, operated, and planned. However, there has been little published on the tangible benefits of a specific smart city initiative, nor many use-case studies following smart city initiatives. This paper aims to propose a transition from Gig City to smart city via technological advancement in the form of ICT to …

Is Bitcoin Reminiscent Of Past Bubbles?, Jessica L. Leath

Honors Theses

Bitcoin, an open-source decentralized peer-to-peer payment system, has made an unprecedented rise to notoriety in the last decade. In 2018, Bitcoin reported its worst year in history with depreciation of more than 70% from its year opening price. Consequently, the narrative of a bubble that surrounded Bitcoin was amplified by this news. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the presence of a bubble within Bitcoin by comparing its price volatility and the psychological factors that influence its price formation to that of two historic bubbles, the Dotcom Bubble and the Tulip Mania.

The State Of Financial Literacy In Tennessee: Do Students Need Higher Quality Financial Education?, Jordan Barnes

Honors Theses

Financial literacy is the way that individuals understand, manage, and plan their personal finances, which is essential to making healthy financial decisions. In the United States, there is an overall lack of financial literacy. Some states, such as Tennessee, have tried to increase financial literacy by implementing a required personal finance course at the high school level. The purpose of this study is to understand the effectiveness of personal finance education in Tennessee high schools by measuring the financial literacy of college students who may or may not have been impacted by the requirement. When students were separated into Group …

A Net-Zero Framework For Farms: A Business Plan, Lauren Dunn

Honors Theses

With current agricultural methods causing an abundance of environmental problems, LDEC, LLC is an environmental consulting firm created to address these environmental impacts in the Southeast region of the United States. Examining an industry overview of small dairy farming (a dairy farm having fewer than 500 cows) in the state of Tennessee, LDEC, LLC looks to potentially impact the farming industry on a larger scale. The research for LDEC, LLC is centered on utilizing net-zero technologies in order to address energy usage, water consumption, and waste build-up on farms and reduce their side effects. The success of net-zero initiatives in …

Something’S In The Water: A Look At How Creativity And Innovation Can Prevent Future Water Crises, Tristan Holiday-Nowden

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of this project is to raise awareness and create a level of consciousness about water, unlike anything we have seen in the past. This project presents a synthesis of current writings and ideologies from the fields of Environmental Science and Water Research. As well as think pieces and informative news articles from various publications.

To illustrate the damaging effects of water contamination, water pollution, and water scarcity; Flint, Michigan will serve as a case study. After diagnosing and defining the problem using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) framework. This project will explore the challenge and look at the …

Essays In Corporate Finance, Bina Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore the effects of exogenous shocks on firms' and managers' behaviors. The first essay examines the effect of shareholder-initiated litigation risk on opportunistic insider trading by exploiting US states' staggered adoption of Universal Demand (UD) laws, which weakened shareholders' ability to file derivative lawsuits against corporate insiders. I find that UD laws lead to significantly more profitable insider trades, specifically insider sales. After the adoption of UD laws, insider sales on average avoid an additional loss of about 2 percent ($24,000) per month in buy-and-hold abnormal returns. The benefit of UD laws is greater for insiders …

Branding The Barre: A Strategic Marketing Plan For Stars Dance Academy, Crystian Neaman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

STARS Dance Academy has been experiencing stagnation within the last several years of operation. Although the dance studio industry in the United States is growing at 3.5% annually, and is expected to reach $4.1 billion by 2023, STARS is having trouble standing out from the intense studio competition in the highly saturated Omaha market. As there are low barriers to entry, and the popularity of dance is attracting new competitors, it is crucial for any dance studio to have a strong brand reputation and loyalty among its current customers. STARS has struggled for the last 10 years to embody their …

Fashion Merchandising: An Augmented Reality, Naeha A. Sayed

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

There is a continuous and constant transformation in the field of Augmented Reality (AR), both in the Retail, and the Manufacturing sector. It has started to influence everything from fashion runway shows to online shopping. Consumers dynamics have shifted in the fashion industry, the ways becoming more dominant than the old observant ones- the simple buying experience no longer satisfies them. Due to the emergence of the new digital platforms and technological enhancements, the consumers are looking for more- be it a more exciting buying experience or more user interaction or more enhanced products. This technological change starts with the …

Comprehensive Poultry Supply Chain Model With Vertical And Horizontal Linkages: Implication Of Domestic And International Shocks, Hakan Unveren

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to USDA FAS, in 2017, the US was the largest broiler-producing country with 18.696 million metric tons and the second largest exporter of broiler products with 3.075 million metric tons (Brazil is the largest exporter with 3.847 million metric tons). Thus, around 83% of US production is consumed domestically. According to USITC, chickens are the most important protein source in the US, and Americans consume more chicken per capita than any other country. However, while the broiler industry is a key segment of US agriculture, it is underserved by large-scale supply-chain and trade models.

In this study, to fill …

Social Class And Social Networks: How Sociocultural Upbringing Affects Organizational Social Networks, Jacqueline Tilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizations are a key venue where individuals from different backgrounds have the opportunity to interact and yet we know very little about how social class background shapes interactions within the workplace. There is reason to believe that the differing value systems of social class groups influence their attitudes and behavior towards workplace connections and relationship formation. This article considers how social class background affects organizational social networks as well as the class-distinct values and attitudes that shape networking behavior of employees. To study this phenomena, I analyze a sample of 490 employees from a broad range of roles and organizations …

The Effects Of Japanese Ryokan Attributes On Perceived Values And Purchase Intention, Ryuichi Karakawa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increasing demand for spa and hot spring resorts, particularly within the luxury markets, provides an opportunity for new types of accommodations. This study focused on Ryokan which is described as traditional Japanese hotels with hot springs. Despite the recent trend of expanding Japanese Ryokans in the global market, most extant research had only focused on perceptions of customers who have experienced Ryokans. Therefore, this study explored what attributes of Japanese Ryokans are important to potential customers and to what extent these attributes could enhance perceived values toward Japanese Ryokans. A total of 983 usable responses were collected through an …

A Better Predictor Of Nfl Success: Collegiate Performance Or The Nfl Draft Combine?, Michael Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

NFL teams spend massive sums to ensure they are prepared for the future, but how should they determine whom that future includes? This study set out to find what predicts NFL success more accurately – collegiate in-game performance or the NFL Draft Combine. In the sample of 2007-2012 first-round picks, 191 athletes were measured in three NFL Draft Combine drills, two physical components, and a varying amount of ingame collegiate and NFL performance statistical categories, dependent on position. Secondarily, this work examined Power 5 and non-Power 5 players to determine if attending a more prolific program was predictive of NFL …

Empirical Investigation Of Digital Strategies In Online Retail, Yong Chin Tan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation examines digital strategies used by online retailers to engage customers and increase sales. The first essay investigates the impact of offering incentives to recapture lost sales from abandoned online shopping carts (i.e., customers adding items to their carts, but leaving without purchasing). Collaborating with an online fashion retailer, I conducted a randomized field experiment by manipulating the presence of incentives in recovery interventions. Findings reveal that incentives facilitate purchase conversion, but responsiveness to the incentives differs across various customer and cart characteristics.

In the second essay, I explore how retailers can leverage Augmented Reality (AR), a technology that …

Three Essays On Information Diffusion And Market Friction, Li Guo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

How markets impound information into asset prices is one of the most important concerns of financial economics. Due to behavioural bias and transaction friction, information could be mispriced in the real world, thus driving market anomalies and return predictability of behavioural factors. My dissertation contributes to the literature by investigating how information can be quantified, acquired, disseminated and priced in the financial market with the existence of market frictions.

In Chapter 2, we propose an efficient method based on machine learning and textual analysis to quantify cross industry news and shed light on how news travels across different industries. The …

The Multidimensionality Of Business Risk: A Managerial Perspective Implications For Its Classification, Interpretation & Management, Prakash Bagri

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Business risk has been a critical area of managerial attention and the topic of extensive academic research. Despite the intense focus, there is little convergence around its understanding and limited insights on how managers deal with it. Extant literature provides an ex post model of business risk, focusing on the behavioural context of risk-taking driving a linear expression of risk action.

We conducted in-depth interviews of 16 C-suite executives to find that managers (1) view business risk as a multi-dimensional construct involving different facets of risk, (2) emphasize the importance of people across these facets, (3) differ in their prioritization …

Do Satisfied Employees Deliver Better Service Experiences That Result In Satisfied Customers, And, What Are The Factors Affecting Employee Satisfaction And Customer Satisfaction?, Chuen Kong Kevin Cheong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

It is often said that a happy worker is a good worker, but do happy workers in the service industry result in happy or satisfied customers or guests? This research aimed to seek out answers to this anecdotal question by surveying both frontline, customer-facing employees and visitors or guests in several visitor attractions in Singapore and the Philippines. The research found significant correlation between job satisfaction, psychological empowerment and guest satisfaction, particularly in zone-managed visitor attractions. Zone-managed attractions did not deploy the conventional and traditional functional operating structure; employees’ job functions were clustered by customer touchpoints associated with how the …

Research On Extreme Poverty Governance Based On Social Network Analysis, Wenyong Lei

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In this dissertation, the author goes inside some of China's most remote and poorest villages and tries to reveal the determinants, correlates and strategies to address the gap of existing poverty governance system and the complexity and diversity of poor population. He offers in-depth insights into what the poor people think about poverty with two major indicators, identifies evidence on the feasibility of duel-network embedding strategy to reduce poverty, and explains how diverse groups hit by extreme poverty could develop entrepreneurship relationship with diversified market and available social economic resources. Drawing on examples that take place in Xide County, a …