Business Commons^™

Movie Choice Under Joint Decision, Young Ju Kim, Jae Hwan Kim

Asia Marketing Journal

This study describes consumers` movie choices in conjunction with other group members and attempts to reassess the effect of the online word of mouth (WOM) source in a joint decision context. The tendency of many people to go to movies in groups has been mentioned in previous literature but there is no modeling research that studies movie choice from the group decision perspective. We found that ignoring the group movie-going perspective can result in a misunderstanding, especially underestimation of genre preference and the impact of the WOM variables. Most of the studies to measure online WOM effects were done at …

Innovative Marketing Channel In The South Korean Retail Banking Industry, Hwan Chung, Sang Young Kim, Chang Jo Yoo

Asia Marketing Journal

To overcome the profitability challenge these days, many global banks are increasingly focusing on cost efficiency through more efficient banking processes, such as online and mobile banking, whereas a number of other banks choose to differentiate their services for retaining and attracting the most valuable customer segment (Deloitte, 2011). While global banks in the retail banking industry are adopting either of these two business models as a strategic choice for their long-term growth, KB Kookmin Bank, one of the leading retail banks in South Korea, has begun to operate ‘KB Rockstar’ as a strategic channel, particularly designed to target college …

Factors Influencing Students’ Selection Of A Bank, Wei Tai, Jiage Zhu

MBA Student Scholarship

The paper aims to determine what factors influence students’ choice of bank. Exploratory sample data (N= 100) was taken from students at John & Wales University, Brown University, and the University of Rhode Island (All Southern New England). The instrument was comprised of fourteen questions, ten being derived from the related literature: service provision, the proximity of ATM, branch location, card design, students benefit, service charge, financial products, recommendation, security, and online service. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed using convenience sampling; 94 were returned, and among them 89 were deemed valid, yielding a response rate of 89%. This …

2014-April-29-Americas Best Award - 2014, University School, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Can Managerial Knowledge Of Executive Compensation Encourage Or Deter Real Earnings Management? An Analysis Of R&D Reporting Methods, Andrea Gouldman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of research and development (R&D) reporting method and managerial knowledge of supervisor compensation on R&D project continuation decisions. The current study employs an experiment with a 2x3 between-participants design, manipulating both R&D reporting method (expense vs. capitalize) and knowledge of supervisor compensation (control group with no knowledge vs. knowledge of non-restricted stock compensation vs. knowledge of restricted stock compensation). Using salient short-term incentives to motivate real earnings management, this study demonstrates that capitalization may result in managers foregoing economically efficient R&D investment opportunities. The results indicate that managerial knowledge of supervisor compensation structure has little …

Brand Evaluations Across Age Cohorts And Ethnic Groups: Convergence In The Youth Segment?, Michael P. Levens

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Research indicates a general consensus that ethnicity does influence consumption behavior, consumer experience, marketing response and media selection. It is, however, unclear as to the extent of that influence and the nature of the difference from segmenting consumers on some other criteria such as needs. Businesses have approached ethnic marketing in different ways ranging from a targeted effort at distinct ethnic markets to a more multi-cultural theme that is shared across many different groups. Today’s youth are often considered to view the world from a diverse perspective such that youth and diversity are often considered synonymous. An assessment of brand …

The Influence Of Social Networking Sites On Buying Behaviors Of Millennials, Sharon S. Pate, Melinda Adams

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Social media sites have become an important part of many individuals’ lives. According to the Pew Research Center (2010), Millennials, also known as Gen Y, are living their lives on the internet where 75% of them have a profile on a social networking site. When compared with only 50% of Gen Xers and 30% of Boomers, this gives them the distinct identity that they are more technologically advanced.

Online Product Search And Purchase Behavior Of Generation Y, Dawn B. Valentine, Thomas L. Powers

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether gender differences exist in online product search and purchase behaviors. A survey of 116 undergraduate college students with questions regarding the types of products researched and purchased over the Internet, the type of information they looked for when researching the products, reasons for not purchasing products online, and reasons for returning products purchased over the Internet. While both male and female college students use the Internet to research and purchase products, the findings indicate that they differ significantly in the types of products they research and purchase online, the kinds of …

The Strategic Importance Of Customer Value, Donovan A. Mcfarlane

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This paper examines the importance of customer value as a strategic approach to doing business in the 21^st century hypercompetitive marketplace and marketspace. The author examines the customer value theory of Professor Art Weinstein as a valid and plausible conceptual framework for strategically positioning an organization through market orientation to design and deliver superior customer value as a competitive advantage. Citing examples of new economy companies that have effectively propelled themselves to the forefront of the competition through the delivery of superior customer value, the author argues that customers are not simply just consumers or buyers of goods and …

"Do You Know Me?" The 'Doodling' Of Iconic Mink, Milk, Booze, And Fruit Campaigns, Linda A. Ferguson

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Anyone who has paid attention to advertising for the past several decades is familiar with five iconic campaigns: Blackglama mink “What becomes a legend most?”; American Express “Do you know me?”; Absolut vodka “Bottle”; Fluid Milk Processor Board “Got Milk?”; and Apple computer “Think Different.” These smart, successful, and long-running campaigns share an important characteristic: they rely on the audience to have a certain level of cultural literacy in order to interpret them. However, an advertiser in today’s digital world can no longer take cultural literacy for granted. Yesterday’s common experiences in all facets of life are being replaced by …

Non-Verbal Customer-To-Customer Interaction In Retail Setting: An Investigation Of Indirect Effects Of Perceived Customer Similarity On Important Marketing Outcomes, Nusser Raajpoot, Anita Jackson, Jean Lefebvre

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the causal effects of similarity among customers in retail mall settings on four outcome variables: intent to stay, satisfaction, word-of-mouth generation and repurchase intention. Using structural equation modeling, we tested both direct and mediated effects. Results indicate significant direct influence in the direct model and significant indirect influence in the mediated model. The study suggests that similarity with other customers has a significant influence on outcome variables. Therefore, mall managers should measure and monitor consumers’ perceptions of similarity and enhance these similarities whenever appropriate and feasible. To our knowledge, this …

Revisiting Cognitive Dissonance Theory:Pre-Decisional Influences And The Relationship To The Consumer Decision-Making Model, Paul J. Costanzo Dr.

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This paper examines pre-decisional dissonance as a motivating factor in consumer decisional-making. A review of the marketing literature found the majority of research studies were limited to post-decisional influences. Several studies including measures of pre-decisional activity linked the construct to post-decision situations. The author provides evidence regarding the popularity and resurgence of research on cognitive dissonance theory and asserts that researchers in the field of consumer behavior may gain a better understanding of consumer decision-making when studying pre-decisional consonance and dissonance as separate entities and independent of post-decisions.

An Exploratory Investigation Into The Budget Allocation Of Mexican Male Sojourners In The U.S., Willie Nichols, Marko Grünhagen

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Mexican male sojourners make up a large, distinct consumer segment that has been present in the United States for decades, but have not been extensively studied from a business perspective with respect to their budget allocation decisions. The result is that this consumer segment may have been underserved due a lack of understanding and research. This paper examines the budget allocation process of these sojourners, exploring their patterns of sending remittances and the extent of their expenditures, providing grounds for future studies focusing on how to better serve this segment.

Actual Vs. Perceived Value Of Players Of The National Basketball Association, Stephen Righini

Honors Projects in Mathematics

Over the past few decades the media has played an increasingly large role in shaping how player effectiveness in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is perceived. Several factors have caused fans, announcers, and even NBA team management to have unintentional bias toward certain players. This study aims to utilize various formulas created by NBA statisticians, called Player Raters, to identify how efficient each NBA player actually is in comparison to the rest of the league. Data from the past 12 seasons was compiled and six Player Raters were used to place values on every NBA player since the 2000-2001 season. …

Time Series Data Mining: A Retail Application Using Sas Enterprise Miner, Daniel Hebert

Honors Projects in Mathematics

Modern technologies have allowed for the amassment of data at a rate never encountered before. Organizations are now able to routinely collect and process massive volumes of data. A plethora of regularly collected information can be ordered using an appropriate time interval. The data would thus be developed into a time series. With such data, analytical techniques can be employed to collect information pertaining to historical trends and seasonality. Time series data mining methodology allows users to identify commonalities between sets of time-ordered data. This technique is supported by a variety of algorithms, notably dynamic time warping (DTW). This mathematical …

The Stock Market Impact Of Bond Rating Changes, Michael Leonard

Honors Projects in Mathematics

This paper examines the impact of a downgrade of a company’s credit rating on its stock price in the days surrounding the downgrade. If we consider this downgrade new information, then a negative impact on the company’s stock price would be expected. However, if we assume that rating agencies use information that investors have already accounted for, then there would be no impact. There could also be an impact, at least temporarily, due to the fact that a ratings downgrade is bad news, even if the reasons for the downgrade have already been priced in. To perform this analysis I …

The Numbers Behind Celebrating More Birthdays: An Analysis Of The American Cancer Society’S Relay For Life, Eva Mahan

Honors Projects in Management

Despite all of the medical technological advances society has experienced, and is still experiencing, there has not been an ultimate cure for cancer found. Non-profit organizations like the American Cancer Society have been working for 100 years to raise funding and awareness for this issue and although great progress has been made since their founding in 1913, there is still more work that needs to be done to make cancer a disease of the past. This study first focuses on the structure of non-profit organizations, their role in society, and the techniques and procedures they follow when looking for donors. …

Is Advertising To Teenagers Ethical? Media’S Influence On Body Image And Behavior, Stephanie Lemire

Honors Projects in Marketing

An examination of the ethics involved in advertising to adolescents. Specifically, a content analysis and survey research was conducted dealing with how television commercials and magazine advertisements targeted towards males ultimately affect female body image and behavior. The content analysis consisted of Axe Body Spray advertisements, as well as Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition. Findings of survey research include increased body monitoring as a result of exposure to advertisements. Implications and future opportunities are discussed.

Google Search, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

A recent study (See paper here, Nature) finds that the level of searches by particular terms is highly correlated to overall portfolio returns, particularly when trading strategies are based on these terms. The idea is that the search terms are a predictor of trading behavior, whether bullish or bearish.

Relationship Between Interest Rate And Bank Common Stock Return: Evidence From The Top 10 United States Banks And Financial Sector Index, Hieu Trung Tran

Honors Projects in Finance

This research paper investigates the effect of changes in long-term interest rates on the returns of the top 10 US banks included in the Financial Sector Index. There are three main parts of this paper.

The first part uses the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test to test the “Random Walk” of banks’ common stock returns. Based on the test’s results, returns of banks’ common stock do not solely follow the “Random Walk”.

In the second part, the Two-Factor Arbitrage Pricing Theory is employed to test the effect of changes in long-term interest rate on the return of banks’ common stocks. The …

Private Student Loan Asset Backed Securities: A Default Curve Analysis, Nicholas Gentile

Honors Projects in Finance

Business and mainstream media devote significant attention to the student lending industry and its possible threat to the economy. While the private loan component of student lending may not be largest part of this one trillion dollar industry, it is likely to be the space where evidence supporting the media’s concerns are found. This paper examines the variation in cumulative default rates for private student loan asset backed securities issued between 2001 and 2007, revealing the dynamics of these opaque financial instruments. The study analyzes internal pool data and external economic data, uncovering the primary factors that shape the respective …

The Cost Of Culture The Impact Of National Culture On The Pass-Through Of Commodity Shocks, Christine Gerrity

Honors Projects in Finance

This study analyzes the impact of national culture on the pass-through of commodity price shocks to retail goods. In particular, this study explores the commodities of coffee, cotton and steel. Through the use of regression analysis, this study looks to determine the relationship between two key predictive variables: risk tolerance of a country and commodity shocks within a company’s associated commodity market, and their impact on the value of companies within that country. Additional factors are explored at the firm financial level and the firm country level. The purpose of this study is to examine if consumers of one country …

Has Government Tax Policy In Greece Led To A Large Shadow Economy?, Nils Thompson

Honors Projects in Economics

This capstone investigates the impact that tax policy has on the shadow economy in Greece. Greece has one of the largest shadow economies in the world and the largest in the European Union, with tax evasion being one of the main drivers. While previous research has provided measures of the shadow economy, none matches the shadow economy estimations with policies, laws, and agencies enacted by the government, specifically over the period in time of 1990-2012. This study contributes to the literature by connecting the policies implemented by the government with the size of the shadow economy in Greece, along with …

Initial Public Offerings In The Microfinance Industry: Does A Mission Drift Occur?, Sarah Segill

Honors Projects in Finance

This thesis analyzes whether or not there is a mission drift when microfinance organizations become publicly traded entities. One of the most debated criticisms of microfinance institutions (MFIs) today involves becoming for-profit organizations in attempt to raise more capital. Donor funding is limited for non-profit organizations and does not give an MFI much room to grow to serve a maximal number of people. The entry of for-profit microfinance institutions has a great deal of possibility in terms of generating scale, efficiency and innovation. Yet these for-profit institutions can easily lose track of their social mission to serve the poor and …

The Impact Of New Product Announcements On Quick Service Restaurant Companies’ Stock Returns, Tim Drechsler-Martell

Honors Projects in Finance

This study seeks to answer two main questions: 1) Do product announcements impact quick service restaurant stock returns? 2) Do economic conditions impact the degree which product announcements impact quick service restaurant stock returns? 159 total product announcements were collected for 6 quick service companies: McDonald’s Corp., YUM! Brands Inc., The Wendy’s Co., AFC Enterprises Inc., Jack in the Box Inc., and Sonic Corp. 84 of these announcements were from 2005-2007 (Labeled “Pre-Recession”), and 75 were from 2009-2011 (Labeled “Post-Recession”). Using historical stock price data, an analysis of the overall trends of the mean-adjusted excess returns was conducted to determine …

Equilibrium Implications Of Social Utility And Reference Dependence, Kangkang Wang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

It is well-known that consumers can deviate from the assumptions of standard economic theory in many ways. My dissertation examines the strategic implications of some behavioral anomalies of consumers in an equilibrium framework. In particular, I focus on how these behavioral anomalies could affect the optimal strategy and profitability of firms. The dissertation is comprised of two essays. In the first essay, I study the implications of consumer utility having a social component for competitive strategy of the firms and propose a model to explain the randomness of fashion hits observed in the fashion market. In the second essay, I …

Who Is The American League Mvp On A Per Dollar Basis?, Patrick Decker

Honors Projects in Mathematics

This study will look at the value of MLB players in the American League on a per dollar basis. It will be based on the 2011 statistics and will use a linear regression model to create a value for each player. The value will be based on a variety of statistics based upon position. For all players: age, team wins, and years in the league will be accounted for. For field players: games played, hits, runs, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, walks, strike outs, stolen bases, on base percentage, slugging percentage, fielding percentage and errors will be accounted …

The Santa Clara, 2013-04-25, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Lessons From Health Care Fraud Cases: Implications For Management Of Health Care Entities, Haley Onofaro

Honors Projects in Accounting

Fraud has been a major issue all throughout the health care industry. There have been many cases around the world in relation to health care fraud. There are several laws now that do try to reduce the amount of healthcare fraud, but more changes could and should be made to reduce it even more. Four different cases that have occurred within the health care industry have be analyzed in this project. It looks at the positives and negatives of each company’s internal control structure and provides suggestions for how to improve these internal controls to prevent fraud from reoccurring in …

2013 - The Eighteenth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Eighteenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 25, 2013. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.