Business Commons^™

How Women’S College Student Involvement Contributes To Their Career Aspirations And Navigation For Success In Technology Startup Organizations, Heather Doshay

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between women’s (co)curricular student involvement in college and their career outcomes in technology startups. This study focused on the ways in which past student involvement shaped women’s future career aspirations and helped them navigate their present career situations to achieve success. The study extended Astin’s Student Involvement Theory by considering how student involvement impacted career outcomes.

The qualitative methodology incorporated nine semi-structured interviews with recent college graduates turned professional women in startups working in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and analyzed using …

Antipodean Owenite Or Colonial Socialist: Charles Harper, Economic Development, And Agricultural Co-Operation In Western Australia, 1890 To 1910, David J. Gilchrist

Theses

Charles Harper (1842-1912) was a Western Australian pastoralist, newspaper proprietor and influential politician. The central hypothesis advanced in this thesis is that Harper was instrumental in establishing co-operatives in Western Australia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a pragmatic means by which to overcome the economic constraints that normally confront a settler population in a frontier economy. Specifically, Harper believed that co-operatives were an important means by which to build the type of private and public physical capital that was needed to settle colonists on the large, low-yielding Western Australian landmass, and, further, to provide the required …

Mitigation Of Preventable Medical Errors Via The Use Of Human Resources And Human Factors, Callender Creel

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss historical and current rates of preventable medical errors (PMEs), their causes, and methods used to reduce them. I will also provide recommendations that I believe can help reduce the number of injuries and deaths that result from them. Data and information used in this thesis were drawn from a variety of sources. While the large majority was sourced from articles in academic journals, government health reports, Federal Flight Administration documents, phone interviews, and personal experiences in the medical field also provided invaluable information. To summarize, there are two major types of preventable …

Boss Lady: How Female Chinese Managers Succeed In China's Guanxi System, Charles Palmer Withers

Honors Theses

This project examines how female Chinese managers within China's traditionally male-dominated, guanxi-related private sector are coming into their own as leaders of the new Chinese economy. In this project, guanxi (关系) is defined as interpersonal relations and connections and research hinges around investigating how female Chinese managers use, or do not use, guanxi in their careers and personal lives. After establishing a background of preexisting scholarship, this project implements a Case Study Analysis chapter on three self made female entrepreneurs followed by an Interview Analysis chapter conducted with four female managers that took place in May, 2014. The goal of …

A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Student Loan Debt And Its Impact On Postsecondary Education And The American Economy, James Wesley Howell

Honors Theses

This paper seeks to address the current student debt problem in the United States from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. I have analyzed the student debt problem using data from the New York Federal Reserve, CollegeBoard, and a number of university studies and independent sources. In this paper I address the current structure of postsecondary educational finance with a focus on student loans. I address the causes of the current amount of outstanding student debt on governmental, institutional, and personal fronts, and analyze the amount of debt and cost of tuition and fees by type of institution in order …

A Strategic And It Analysis Of Quirky And An Examination Of Business And Accounting Case Studies, Lisa-Marie Schalk

Honors Theses

The purpose of this secondary and primary research is not only to explore the concept of management and information technology consulting in the context of a startup up company based in New York called Quirky, but also to present the culmination of my participation in two accounting case study competitions, PricewaterhouseCoopers' xACT competition and KPMG's International Case Competition. After my secondary research on management and IT consulting and the role of IT in various functional areas such as human resources, supply chain management, and financial reporting, I present a brief background on Quirky, a startup company with the mission to …

Vivre En Travaillant: Exploring The Economic And Social Effects Of The 35-Hour Workweek In France, Mellie Mcgehee

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Fraud And Its Relation To The Hospitality Industry, Nicole Ross

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze and explore the numerous components of fraud, including its relation and presence in the hospitality industry. Additionally, the study contains findings and analyses derived from participation in a professional development series conducted in a classroom setting and two accounting case studies hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and KMPG in Fall 2013. I will dissect fraud down to its various elements and compile a work plan and proposal originating from the findings from the study. The study examines the causes of fraud, people who commit fraud, fraud legislation, and fraud trends. Through primary and secondary …

Aicpa Audit Committee Toolkit : Not-For-Profit Entities, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants. Audit Committee Effectiveness Center, Cna Financial Corporation

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Take Your Marketing Online!, Kelly Lucas, Sarah Warlick

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Cgma Exam Case Study Guide, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Adviser's Guide To Health Care, Volume 2: Consulting Services, Robert James Cimasi, Todd A. Zigrang

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Tax Research Techniques, Robert L. Gardner, Dave N. Stewart, Ronald G. Worsham

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Essentials Of Forensic Accounting, Michael A. Crain, William S. Hopwood, Carl Pacini, George R. Young

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

The Power Of An Actively Managed Portfolio: An Empirical Example Using The Treynor-Black Model, Alexander D. Brown

Honors Theses

The focus of this thesis is to examine the added benefits of actively managing a portfolio of securities from an individual investor's perspective. More specifically, managing a market portfolio with the combination of a selected few actively managed securities can, in some instances, create excess return. The active portfolios are formed based on the firms' specific industries or region in which they operate. The idea is that an investor can forecast that a specific industry will outperform or underperform other industries during different periods in the market. Using the investor's forecasts can provide excess returns if the forecast is accurate. …

Using Digital Learning Platforms To Extend The Flipped Classroom, Jonathan M. Balzotti, Lynn B. Mccool

Faculty Publications

Although digital environments already play a vital role in the flipped classroom model, this research project shows that in university writing classrooms, innovative content design and delivery systems can extend the walls of the classroom to areas beyond, in which students transfer and connect course content with the professional world. In this article, we describe the incorporation of video learning modules into three professional communication classrooms for just such a purpose.

Consumer Behavior Change At The Base Of The Pyramid: Bridging The Gap Between For-Profit And Social Responsibility Strategies, Lisa Jones Christensen, Enno Siemsen, Sridhar Balasubramanian

Faculty Publications

This longitudinal field experiment compares two different for-profit market entry strategies with a philanthropic strategy in terms of how each influences consumer behavior in base-of-the-pyramid communities. We analyze reactions to a water purification product offered at three price points (moderate discount, deep discount, and free) in rural Malawi. We find that those who paid the deeply discounted price remain more likely to re-obtain and use the product than do those who paid the moderate price or who took it for free.

Lost (But Not Missing) At Work: Organizational Lostness As An Employee Response To Change, Lisa Jones Christensen, Scott C. Hammond

Faculty Publications

This article draws from the psychology of lost person behavior, established from wilderness search and rescue missions, to suggest that employees experience the condition of being lost within organizations. Data from wilderness searches, survivors, and organizational actors suggests that lessons from lost person behaviors apply in organizations. Reactions to being lost in an organization follow predictable patterns and include five specific stages: separation, isolation, deviation, deprivation, and realization. In defining the construct of organizational lostness and differentiating it from stress, coping, and resistance, we suggest an organizing framework to understand employee behaviors that would previously seem idiosyncratic. This article offers …

Faster-Better-Cheaper Projects: Too Much Risk Or Overreaction To Perceived Failure?, Robert L. Dillon, Peter M. Madsen

Faculty Publications

From1992 until 1999,NASA adopted a Faster-Better- Cheaper (FBC) paradigm—i.e., smaller low-cost spacecraft—for its unmanned missions. When many early missions met their objectives at much lower cost than traditional flagship missions, the FBC approach seemed successful. However, after the failures of two Mars spacecraft in 1999, the FBC paradigm was viewed as a failed experiment. We reflect on the legacy of FBC. In particular, we focus on the organizational learning literature to explore whether FBC, a stretch goal, was a good step for NASA. Previous examinations of FBC have focused on failure rates rather than on cost effectiveness. We revisit the …

Who Gets Credit For Input? Demographic And Structural Status Cues In Voice Recognition, Taeya M. Howell, David A. Harrison, Ethan R. Burris, James R. Detert

Faculty Publications

The authors investigate the employee features that, alongside overall voice expression, affect supervisors’ voice recognition. Drawing primarily from status characteristics and network position theories, the authors propose and find in a study of 693 employees from 89 different credit union units that supervisors are more likely to credit those reporting the same amount of voice if the employees have higher ascribed or assigned (by the organization) status— cued by demographic variables such as majority ethnicity and full-time work hours. Further, supervisors are more likely to recognize voice from employees who have higher achieved status— cued by their centrality in informal …

Authenticity Matters More Than Intelligence And Personality In Predicting Metacognition, Dan S. Chiaburu, Inchul Cho, Richard G. Gardner

Faculty Publications

Purpose – Metacognition – or learning how to learn – is an important competence in business and academic settings. The purpose of this paper is to examine individual difference predictors of metacognition, including two traditional (general mental ability (GMA), five-factor model (FFM) personality traits) ones, and a novel one, individual authenticity.

Design/methodology/approach – Volunteers (n¼243) were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with the respective statements on a seven-point Likert-type scale for GMA, FFM personality traits, and authenticity measures. Data were collected at different points in time to introduce psychological separation among the study measures.

Findings – …

Using Trust And Anonymity To Expand The Use Of Anonymizing Systems That Improve Security Across Organizations, Anthony Vance, Paul Benjamin Lowry, David W. Wilson

Faculty Publications

To mitigate risks inherent in sharing sensitive cyber-security information, recent research has examined anonymizing systems (ANS) that hide the identities of participants and decouple data from their originators. ANS are particularly compelling as a potential support to cyber-security information sharing because the cost of implementation is relatively low, and the more organizations and nations that participate, the more everyone benefits. Although such systems are promising to both developing and mature cyber-infrastructures, they still have not been widely adopted for use in sharing cyber-security information. Relatively little prior research has investigated the perception and adoption of these systems, despite their potential …

Identity Communication In Virtual Teams: Insights From Interviews With Working Professionals, David W. Wilson, Susan A. Brown, Sherry M. B. Thatcher, Sarah D. Harris

Faculty Publications

Organizations are increasingly using virtual teams to gain competitive advantages in the marketplace, but managers face a tradeoff between the benefits that such virtual teams provide and their inherent weaknesses. This paper examines identity communication in virtual environments, arguing that identity communication can counteract some of the negative aspects of virtual teamwork. Using coded transcriptions from 35 semi-structured interviews with working professionals who participate in virtual teams, we explore the process of identity communication in virtual teams and the role of technology in influencing and enabling these processes. Using established identity and media theories as a guide, we formulate, and …

Playing To Win: The Surprising Power Of Play In Innovation, Suzanne M. Piotrowski, Kalle Lyytinen, Richard Boland, James Gaskin

Faculty Publications

Organizational teams are the primary mechanism by which ideas are birthed and recombined into innovations for maintaining or achieving competitive advantage. We know that resources of people, time and funding impact team effectiveness in innovating. We also know that factors such as individual traits of talent, expertise, and collaboration skills also matter greatly. What is less known, and less studied, is the role of team characteristics, in particular, team play and team playfulness on innovation results. Our two-part study examined 145 teams and discovered that team playfulness is present on all successful innovation teams and emerges as divergence and deep …

The Role Of Stress And Motivation In Problematic Smartphone Use Among College Students, Jin-Liang Wang, Hai-Zhen Wang, James Gaskin, Li-Hui Wang

Faculty Publications

Although numerous studies have examined factors that influence problematic smartphone use, few have investigated the interactions between different types of motivation and psychosocial well-being factors in facilitating problematic smartphone use. Thus, this study analyzed the moderating role of perceived stress on the relationship between entertainment or escapism motivation and problematic smartphone use. Using a sample of 600 typical smartphone users (Chinese college students) we found: (1) Perceived stress moderates the relationship between entertainment motivation and problematic smartphone use, and between escapism motivation and problematic smartphone use among users scoring high on problematic use; (2) perceived stress moderated the relationship between …

Three Essays On Remittances, Institutions, And Economic Development, Durga Gautam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Does the inflow of remittances affect the quality of institutions in the recipient countries? This question is important because economists have stressed that good economic institutions, particularly those in the public sector, are instrumental for economic development and growth. The literature on remittances, however, does not document a thorough analysis and compelling evidence of the relationship between these private financial transfers and institutional quality. Unlike other kinds of international capital flows, remittances inflows are not mediated by the government of recipient countries. Remittances are not taxed directly and so are not a source of revenue for the government. Then a …

Toward A Synthesis Of Hr Competency Models: The Common Hr "Food Groups", Dave Ulrich, Wayne Brockbank, Mike Ulrich, David Kryscynski

Faculty Publications

As businesses face unprecedented rates of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), business leaders increasingly recognize the importance of talent (workforce, competencies, skills, abilities), leadership (senior leader and leadership team), and organization (workplace, capability, culture, processes, systems) as sources of competitiveness. Competitors can readily copy access to capital, strategic intent, and operational efficiency but they have a more difficult time copying talent, leadership, and organizational practices. As a result of this increased visibility, HR issues have received increased attention in the C-suite.

March Market Madness: The Impact Of Value-Irrelevant Events On The Market Pricing Of Earnings News*, Michael S. Drake, Kurt H. Gee, Jacob Thornock

Faculty Publications

Each year, the NCAA basketball tournament (March Madness) is a daytime distraction for millions of people, providing a largely exogenous shock to investor attention. We investigate whether March Madness influences the market response to earnings by diverting investor attention away from earnings news. We find that the price reaction to earnings news released during March Madness is muted. This result generally holds across several samples and additional analyses. We also find that the result is more muted for low institutional ownership firms, consistent with the effect being driven by less-sophisticated investors. Furthermore, we find that it takes the market 30 …

When Does Pre-Ipo Financial Reporting Trigger Post-Ipo Legal Consequences?, Mary Brooke Billings, Melissa F. Lewis-Western

Faculty Publications

Prior research suggests that the fear of litigation precludes most managers from manipulating earnings in the initial public offering (“IPO”) setting. Yet, managers’ restraint is perhaps unwarranted: research has not yet linked instances of aggressive pre-IPO reporting to increased litigation risk. This paper investigates when aggressive IPO reporting triggers legal consequences. Examining 2,037 IPOs, we find that even when ex post evidence indicates the presence of earnings inflation, litigation is more likely to occur when investors have relied on the suspect earnings during the pricing process. Why might investors rely on some firms’ abnormal accruals when valuing the IPO and …

Historical Cost Measurement And The Use Of Dupont Analysis By Market Participants, Asher Curtis, Melissa F. Lewis-Western, Sara Toynbee

Faculty Publications

We investigate whether historical cost measurement of assets lowers the usefulness of DuPont analysis for investors. Because firms report assets at modified historical cost under US GAAP, accounting ratios can be biased upward when assets have appreciated. Thus, variation in asset turnover, which is the DuPont ratio most affected by asset measurement, can be due to both economic forces and measurement effects. We assess the extent of measurement effects using the average age of a firm’s assets and find that asset turnover ratios are higher and more persistent for firms with older assets. Forecast errors of asset turnover are associated …