Business Commons^™

Can The Next Housing – And Financial Crisis Be Averted?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Global financial systems and economies are still far from recovering from the recent financial crisis triggered by the burst of the American housing bubble. Naturally, the investment community, the academia, and of course, the regulators would be keen to find out how to prevent history from repeating itself.

Adaptability In Socio-Political Contexts: Moving Beyond Ability And Intelligence, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

It is increasingly difficult to be a popular political or corporate leader. Public and employee expectations are evolving quickly and technologies now impose constant demands on 'engagement'. While most leaders are already expected to possess both the skills and the smarts to navigate within highly complex environments, what sets the good apart from the mediocre is an ability and willingness to exert the necessary efforts for change. 'Adaptability', however, requires an appreciation of the psychological processes underlying human cognition, emotion and behaviours, said a distinguished line-up of speakers at the inaugural Behavioural Sciences Institute Conference 2012.

Twitter: High On Celebrity Gossip, Low On News Discussion, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

The news media are going through their most robust transformation since the dawn of the printing press, in large part due to the Internet and message sharing services like Twitter. As news agencies gear up to find out how they can make use of social media, businesses have also wondered how tapping on this new phenomenon can help them increase their customer reach. The first step to doing it is to understand the information sharing habits of these users.

Emosonet: An Emotion-Aware Social Network For Emotional Wellbeing, Zerrin Yumak-Kasap, Yu Chen, Pearl Pu

Faculty Publications, Information Systems & Technology

This paper presents our initial ideas towards developing an emotion-aware social network for the purpose of increasing emotional wellbeing. The framework will use sensors and behavior analysis methods in order to infer users’ stress level automatically with minimal user effort and use audio, animation and vibro-tactile feedback for enhanced engagement. Additionally, we will explore the role of social support, social influence and gamification for sustained behavior change.

The Triumph Of The Passenger Ship - An Exhibition Of The Norman H. Morse Ocean Liner Collection, Osher Map Library

Osher Map Library Exhibition Catalogs

Triumph of the Passenger Ship: Highlights from the Norman H. Morse Ocean Liner Collection, 1870-2010.

May 15, 2012 to August 23, 2012

The experience of life aboard the great vessels that plied the Atlantic, from the introduction of steam to the rise of air travel, is presented through this selection of materials from the Morse Collection of ocean liner ephemera.

Coordination, Cooperation, And Collaboration: Defining The C3 Framework, Breanna Weaver

Honors Projects in Management

The term C3 refers to the framework of coordinative, cooperative and collaborative relationships within the realm of external supply chain partnerships. Each unique partnership offers both benefits and challenges within a supply chain and must be aligned with company and supply chain strategy in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. This paper aims to fill the current void in supply chain literature concerning C3 by defining each term based upon current supply chain research as well as give the most prevalent characteristics and differences between each “C” in this phase model. This research is then compared to the industry through a …

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2012: Q1 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

Between 2011 and 2012, customer satisfaction for the InfoCommunications sector rose by 1.6-points to 65.9-points (on a 0 to 100 scale). This significant 2.5% improvement reverses the downward trend the sector experienced since tracking begun in 2007.

Book Review: Steven D. Levitt And Stephen J. Dubner, Superfreakonomics, James W. Gentry

Department of Marketing: Faculty Publications

I listened to Freakonomics on audiotape borrowed from the library and liked it sufficiently to spring for the sequel SuperFreakonomics. The authors place great emphasis on the role of incentives in generating human behaviors. One does not need to read the first book in order to enjoy the second book, as the latter is just an extension of the first that focuses on new issues. I do recommend reading both books as they are thought provoking, which is my highest praise for scholarly communication in any form.

The strength of the book is that the problems facing society are …

Status: In A Relationship How Effective Is Customer Relationship Marketing On Facebook?, Courtney Weiss

Honors Projects in Marketing

Facebook provides an avenue for companies to connect with consumers in new ways. Since so many tools for communication are available on the site, it can be difficult for a company to focus its marketing efforts. This study examines how consumers respond to Facebook Advertisements and company pages on Facebook in order to determine where companies should allocate their resources on the social networking site. Specifically, it explores consumer click-through rates on Facebook Ads, as well as consumer perception of various Facebook promotional tools. The methodology includes traditional research in the form of a literature review, as well as focus …

Pricing Online Subscription Services Under Competition, Ram Bala

Information Systems and Analytics

In recent times, rapid advances in the field of information technology have enabled firms selling information products (for example, in the form of a CD) to provide subscription services using remote servers. Making the product versus service decision involves a trade-off. Online subscription offerings are perceived to be of lower quality because of data security and network reliability issues but can reduce or even eliminate the credible commitment (of prices) problem typically faced by firms selling durable products. We model an infinite horizon game between two symmetric firms that choose the design architecture, that is, product or service (and consequent …

Examining Market Response Following Hurricane Landfall: Does The U.S. Stock Market React Efficiently To Hurricanes?, Evan R. Hewitt

Economics Honors Projects

This paper examines market efficiency surrounding hurricanes in the immediate post-landfall period. Using hypotheses derived from distinctions between the efficient market hypothesis and the adaptive market hypothesis, it runs event studies on a sample of gulf-exposed property and casualty insurers for hurricanes that made landfall domestically in the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. Testing these post-landfall inefficiency measurements shows that a statistically significant window of inefficiency exists immediately following hurricane landfall. This confirms the prediction of the adaptive market hypothesis, and as a result shows that hurricanes create opportunities for abnormal risk-adjusted returns in this market.

Using Second Circuit Precedent To Fundamentally Change Mutlinational Corporations' Global Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Internal Investigations, Travis Robert-Ritter

Brigham Young University International Law & Management Review

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Three Interfaces For 360-Degree Video On Spatial Cognition, Wutthigrai Boonsuk, Stephen Gilbert, Jonathan Kelly

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In this paper, we describe an experiment designed to evaluate the effectiveness of three interfaces for surveillance or remote control using live 360-degree video feeds from a person or vehicle in the field. Video feeds are simulated using a game engine. While locating targets within a 3D terrain using a 2D 360-degree interface, participants indicated perceived egocentric directions to targets and later placed targets on an overhead view of the terrain. Interfaces were compared based on target finding and map placement performance. Results suggest 1) nonseamless interfaces with visual boundaries facilitate spatial understanding, 2) correct perception of self-to-object relationships is …

Roger Williams Park Edible Forest Garden, Mark S. Scialla

Senior Honors Projects

An edible forest garden is a low-maintenance system that uses edible native and regionally-adapted plants arranged in beneficial relationships to meet human, wildlife and ecosystem needs. The forest garden in Roger Williams Park will transform underutilized urban land into a highly productive parcel producing market-viable fruits, nuts, vegetables, medicine and fiber. Forest gardens mimic natural forest systems in architecture and complexity. The design follows ecological principles to create a system that promotes biodiversity and enhances the surrounding ecosystem. This project also demonstrates the potential to grow food and create land-based livelihoods in the city.

Located on the edge of a …

The Impact Of Personality, Religiosity And Interpersonal Orientation On Ideological Contracts, Katherine Goll

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigated the Big Five personality traits, religiosity and interpersonal orientation to see how they affect ideological contract formation. This research also included students’ expectations and preferences for future employers/organizations as they relate to ideological contracts. Personality factors, religiosity and interpersonal orientation did not display convincing evidence that they affect ideological contract formation. However, this study did find that junior and senior students are already anticipating forming ideological contracts with their future employers/organizations. The students already have strong convictions about what causes they believe in and will form their ideological contracts based on these causes. This is valuable knowledge …

The Relationship Between Organizational Commmitment And Position In Postsecondary Education, Linda Brewer Keller

Dissertations

Organizational commitment has been linked to important employee behaviors and perceptions, including turnover, intent to turnover, absenteeism, and job satisfaction. In spite of its important outcomes, the formation of commitment is not well documented and research concerning antecedents has provided inconsistent results. Little of this research has involved the postsecondary education field and characteristics unique to it. This study investigated the relationship between employee position and organizational commitment in the postsecondary education setting. The model of organizational commitment utilized was the three-component concept developed by Meyer and Allen (1997) composed of affective, continuance, and normative commitment.

Research participants were 2,914 …

The Evolution Of The “Southwest Effect”, Daniel Webb

Honors Projects in Finance

The “Southwest effect” - a large decrease in fares paired with an increase in traffic - has been discussed around the airline industry since the term was first coined in a government study in the early 1990s. But the airline industry has drastically changed since then - Southwest has become the largest domestic airline, and many of its competitors have had the chance to restructure through bankruptcy.

This study examines some of Southwest's latest city additions, as well as a few of the airline’s intra-California routes where it is now a dominant player. Using publically-available government data, the change in …

The Impact Of Three Interfaces For 360-Degree Video On Spatial Cognition, Wutthigrai Boonsuk, Stephen B. Gilbert, Jonathan W. Kelly

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In this paper, we describe an experiment designed to evaluate the effectiveness of three interfaces for surveillance or remote control using live 360-degree video feeds from a person or vehicle in the field. Video feeds are simulated using a game engine. While locating targets within a 3D terrain using a 2D 360-degree interface, participants indicated perceived egocentric directions to targets and later placed targets on an overhead view of the terrain. Interfaces were compared based on target finding and map placement performance. Results suggest 1) nonseamless interfaces with visual boundaries facilitate spatial understanding, 2) correct perception of self-to-object relationships is …

Attitudes Of Canadian Beef Producers Toward Animal Welfare, J. M. Spooner, C. A. Schuppli, D. Fraser

Farm Animal Welfare Collection

Commercial beef production in western Canada involves raising cows and calves on large tracts of grassland, plus grain-based ‘finishing’ of animals in outdoor feedlots. This study used open-ended, semi-structured interviews to explore views on animal welfare of 23 commercial beef producers in this system. Although wary of the term ‘animal welfare’, participants understood the concept to encompass three well-known elements: (i) basic animal health and body condition; (ii) affective states (comfort, contentment, freedom from hunger or thirst); and (iii) the ability to live a ‘natural’ life. Participants attached importance to protecting animals from natural hardships (extreme weather, predators), yet many …

Center For Real Estate Quarterly, Volume 6, Number 2, Portland State University. Center For Real Estate

Center for Real Estate Quarterly

Table of Contents:
--Shifting Demographics by Mary Ludgin (p. 2-12)
--Residential Market Analysis by Evan Abramowitz (p. 13-32)
--Multifamily Market Analysis by Evan Abramowitz (p. 33-39)
--Office Market Analysis by Kyle Brown (p. 40-49)

Huntsman Alumni Magazine, Spring 2012, Usu Jon M. Huntsman School Of Business

Huntsman Business Magazine

Alumni magazine for the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

Response Of Long-Term Interest Rates To Overnight Interest Rates In The United States, Charles Kweku Konadu-Adjei, Roger W. Mayer, Wen-Wen Chien

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The behavior of the long-term interest rates is a practical problem for private and public organizations. Organizations need to estimate interest rates for purposes of assigning value to long-term obligations such as defined benefit plans and long-term leases and making decisions related to long term capital purchases. The purpose of this study was to analyze the determinants of long-term interest rates in the United States, using 352 quarterly time series data points extending from 1999 to 2009. This study examines how a change in overnight interest rates, budget deficit, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation, and net capital inflow impact on …

The American Public Comprehensive University: An Exploratory Study Of The President's Role In Fundraising, Robert L. Jackson

Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine America’s 272 public comprehensive universities and the president’s role in fundraising in order to better understand this unique group. In addition, this study examined the president’s background, training, duties, and specific involvement in the fundraising process. Also, this study reviewed what background and training would have been helpful prior to and during a presidency in preparation for these duties and responsibilities.

Previous studies stated that presidents ranked fundraising as the number one area where they were least prepared when they assumed their new role. In addition, many university presidents reported that …

An Analysis Of Factors Impacting K-12 Technology-Infused Design, Wesley A. Waddle

Dissertations

Public education in the 21st Century can be characterized as being in a period of unparalleled change, including the adoption of Common Core State Standards, increased public accountability, and renewed emphasis on the educational needs of every student. Simultaneously, as public education seeks to address these demands, the digital divide between traditional classroom instruction and learning needs of 21st Century students continues to grow, despite considerable fiscal investments in educational technology.

This study examined two questions: What teacher-related factors positively impact the level of technology-infused lesson design? and To what degree does the use of an instructional framework to guide …

Recognizing Leadership At A Distance: A Study Of Leader Effectiveness Across Cultures, Peter D. Harms, Guohong Han, Huaiyu Chen

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The present study investigated whether personality and leadership evaluations based on photographs of Chinese CEOs made by Western raters were accurate at predicting organizational outcomes. Consistent with implicit leadership prototypes held by Westerners, perceived effectiveness was associated with higher levels of perceived intelligence, dominance, and positivity. However, actual organization performance was associated with the culturally appropriate leadership trait of risk taking. These findings suggest that although it is possible to use perceptions of personality based on photographs to predict objective leader effectiveness, individuals using a leadership paradigm suited to Western cultures are poor judges of potential success in Eastern cultures.

An Assessment Of The Human Resources Department In Sake, Erika Kirsch

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

SAKE is a student-run business in the Walton College. This assessment is an in depth look at the challenges faced by the human resources department in SAKE. Solutions and new opportunities for the department were researched and presented.

Student Pressures And The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, Morgan Stellpflug

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

My research topic was inspired by my experience as a Resident Assistant through University of Arkansas Housing. Through this position, I have worked closely with students and developed an understanding of the concerns that result from entering college. Students’ financial situation, one of the most fundamental of the concerns, revealed an interesting pattern. Many students that attend the University of Arkansas are Arkansas residents who have received financial support through the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, a scholarship now supported by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. Many of these students also still experience financial burden. Together these facts bring up many questions. …

The Growing Use Of Social Media In Political Campaigns: How To Use Facebook, Twitter And Youtube To Create An Effective Social Media Campaign, Kaitlin Vonderschmitt

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

A political campaign is carefully crafted for each candidate, to address their constituency and present the candidate and party in the best possible way. After the creation of the United States suffrage was limited to land owning white men, these men were involved in politics by reading local newspapers and visiting the politicians face to face. However as we fast forward to the 1930’s President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the radio to connect with the American public, and then in 1960’s Nixon and Kennedy’s debate introduced the mass-produced version of face-to-face politics through televisions all over the country we begin …

“Make Your Move, Choose Your Food”: A Healthy Lifestyles Empowerment Campaign, Michelle Child

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis documents the campaign “Make Your Move. Choose Your Food.” This healthy lifestyles empowerment campaign was one of six conducted in Bowling Green, Kentucky during February 2012 for the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) 2011-2012 Bateman Case Study Competition through the public relations capstone courses Journalism 454 and 456. The objective of this campaign was to encourage children, teenagers, parents, educators and community organizations to improve their individual health and the health of the community. My team, consisting of four public relations seniors and myself, created three overall objectives grounded in research, planned strategies specific to our …

Academic Integrity: A Study Of Attitudes And Behaviors Focused On Technology & Narcissism, Joseph Hogan

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis focuses primarily on the misuses of technology in regards to academic integrity violations and examines some of the psychological traits that are more likely to lead these violations. It begins by defining Narcissism, and then analyzes its effect on cheating frequencies and attitudes. The next portion focuses on the relationship between the misuse of technology and narcissism. Finally, technological cheating methods are examined; survey results are compared with UA academic integrity case records to find areas in which violations most often occur.