Business Commons^™

Governors State University College Of Business Newsletter - Spring 2018, College Of Business

COB Publications

No abstract provided.

Supporting User Evaluation Of Messaging Interactions With Potential Romantic Partners Discovered Online, Douglas Zytko

Dissertations

Online dating systems have transformed the way people pursue romance. To arrive at a decision to meet for a face-to-face date, users gather information about each other online pertinent to romantic attraction. Yet sometimes they discover on the date that they made the wrong choice. One aspect of online dating system-use that may be a contributing factor, but is largely overlooked in the literature, is interaction through text-based messaging interfaces. This dissertation explores how messaging interactions inform face-to-face meeting decisions through two qualitative studies, and explores through a mixed methods field study how innovative messaging interfaces that embody theory from …

Guidelines For Ecotourism Operations In The Great Plains, Larkin A. Powell, Kelly Powell, Katie Nieland

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature defines ecotourism as: Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socioeconomic involvement of local peoples.

Ecotourism has the potential to support communities and conservation efforts from revenue streams to parks and reserves in the Great Plains, while also contributing to a culture shift towards a conservation ethic. Recent surges in ecotourism have contributed to growth in the tourism sectors in Great Plains states, because these …

Public Accounting Vs. Private Accounting: Student Intentions, Robert Lazzaro

Honors Projects in Accounting

Most accounting students are faced with a big decision as they near the end of their undergraduate career. Will they work toward the Certified Public Accountant license and enter public accounting or will they will choose private accounting? Both fields have their pros and cons which makes this a difficult decision. This research indicated that students more focused on extrinsic rewards, such as compensation, are more likely to choose public accounting, while students more focused on lifestyle factors, such as work-life balance, are more likely to choose private. These findings were derived from surveys distributed to accounting students at Bryant …

Fixing The Future, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Silicon Valley’s business model has wreaked havoc on the world. Human agency will be crucial to save it

The World Wide Web, when it exploded into mainstream culture in the mid-1990’s, promised to democratise information and level a playing field that had become tilted towards the rich and elite. When the United States Congress enacted the 1996 Communications Decency Act to regulate pornographic material on the internet, activist John Perry Barlow wrote A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, urging governments to “leave us alone” in a realm where “anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter …

Towards A Cashless Society, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Infrastructure, settlement, and the ‘last mile’ likely to keep cash in vogue (and your pockets)

In the December 2017 Red Book statistic report by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), it was noted that “the number of cashless transactions seems to have at least doubled over the last 10 years across all countries”. Countries like Singapore, Australia, and the Netherlands lead the way with over 400 cashless transactions a year per person – more than double from 10 years ago – while China has gone from single digits to nearly 30 in five years.

Why Smart Firms Are Out And Proud About Lgbt Expats, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Retaining talent is a bottom-line issue as well as duty of care

Talent shortages are pressing international businesses to re-evaluate how they tackle employee mobility as globalisation grows.

A Research Proposal: The Effect Of Visual Merchandising On Female Consumer Shopping Behavior, Caroline Ellis

MBA Student Scholarship

The purpose of this qualitative research proposal is to investigate the effect visual merchandising has on female consumer shopping behavior. The retail industry is continually changing. Unless stores can differentiate themselves from their competitors, they will not survive in the retail sector. To give stores a competitive advantage, they need to have the newest and most unique; storefronts, merchandise mix, and overall store environment. Keywords below, will help define visual merchandising within the retail industry. The literature review section examines previous studies conducted with visual merchandising and female consumer shopping behavior, in addition to reviewing the intimate retail sector in …

Family Involvement - Influence On Change Management, Value And Performance Of Small And Medium Scale Businesses - A Research Proposal, Abimbola Mary Ojo

MBA Student Scholarship

The aim of this research proposal is to analyze the impact of family involvement over change and performance of small and medium size family businesses. Three family business theories mostly used by previous researchers namely: entrepreneurial, stakeholder and stewardship theories will be used to explore relationships between ownership, change management and the performance objectives of family firms. This study will examine the relationship between Familiness (that is, family ownership) and firm performance by considering the influence of family management, family control, and firm size using the family influence scale (the familiness-power, experience, and culture scale [F-PEC]) presented by Klein, Astrachan, …

Business Law Bulletin, Spring 2018

Business Law Bulletin

No abstract provided.

Digital Banking: Overcoming Barriers To Entry, Alan Megargel

Dissertations and Theses Collection

This dissertation examines digital banking from the perspective of two types of industry participants; non-bank FinTech alternative [substitute] financial service providers whom are intent on disrupting the market, and [incumbent] traditional banks whom are urgently pursing digital strategies in order to counteract the FinTech threat. This study is motivated by five main research questions: (1) Are FinTech firms disrupting traditional banks, and if so, what are the modes of disruption? (2) Do tradition banks view FinTech firms as a threat, and if so, what are they doing about it? (3) What are the various digital banking strategies, and how are …

News From The Graduate School - Masters Of Business Administration, Otterbein Office Of Graduate Programs

Graduate School

Newsletter that provides updates from the Graduate School and the MBA Graduate Program.

The Business Of Being Good: Crm Strategies And For-Profit Organizations, Danielle Crepeau

Honors Projects in Marketing

Many studies have measured the impact of cause related marketing (CRM) strategies on non-profit organizations, however few have been able to measure the impact that these strategies can have on the for-profit organizations employing them. This study hypothesizes that a co-branded CRM strategy will have greater benefits for a for-profit organization than will a jointly-branded strategy or no strategy at all. This hypothesis was tested using two studies, both with a 2x3 factorial design for firms with both a positive and negative brand reputation. It was found that, for an organization with a negative image, consumers viewed the organization more …

Seeking To Understand Subaru’S Turbocharged Appeal: A Study Of Brand Communities, Product Utility, And Corporate Promotion, James Imrie

Honors Projects in Marketing

This study attempts to analyze Subaru’s significant and unique appeal in the greater automotive market. The primary research findings are presented in a video documentary, while frameworks for existing research on certain facets of brand management and consumer groups are presented in the following paper. Based on analysis of existing data and interviews conducted with people connected to the brand, we can conclude that the phenomenon is a result of an appealing product that offers differentiated utilities at an affordable price, the formation of consumer groups around the various offerings, and insightful promotion on Subaru’s part. The degree to which …

How Technology Has Changed Direct Selling, Robert Anthony Norris

Honors Projects in Marketing

Traditional direct selling has undergone a dramatic transformation as new technology, products, and methods have developed over the last few years. The industry has adapted to these advancements in order to stay relevant in today’s changing market place. In some ways, these technological advancements have created opportunities, though some believe the essence of direct selling is now at risk. There has been little research in the field of direct selling and even less on the impact technological advances have on the industry or players involved. The purpose of this research is to uncover how the development of technology and social …

Dental Practice Success Vol. 5 No. 1, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

Dental Practice Success

No abstract provided.

Wall Fellows Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue 3, Spring 2018, Coastal Carolina University

Wall Fellows Newsletter

Newsletter of the Wall Fellows Program in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration.

Ursinus College Investment Club Newsletter, Spring 2018, Haley Sturla, Johnathan Myers, Scott Deacle

Investment Management Company Newsletter

Inside this issue:

A Note to Our Readers and Donor Recognition

Quantitative Strategies with Matt Yuros ’12, TFS Capital

Inside Institutional Investments with Michael Fleming ’97, Vanguard

Bitcoin: Is It A Bubble? with Dr. William Luther, Kenyon College

Portfolio Performance, the First Year

Looking Forward

An Analysis Of Retail Sales In Micropolitan Areas In The Year 2000, Brett Miller, Michael Davidsson

Paper Presentations

In this paper retail sales will be used to help understand the consumer spending habits of micropolitan areas in the year 2000. The year 2000 was a big year for American consumers, it was at the turn of the century, some said that the world was ending; others said it was just the begging of a new technological era. This paper will take a look at many factors that could have affected the retail sales (i.e. consumer spending) in micropolitan areas, as well as be able to help explain the consumer confidence in the year 2000. Areas such as population …

Purposeful Building Of Social Capital And The Adoption Of Essential Tools And Technologies In Impoverished Communities In The Philippines, Chon Phung Lim

Dissertations and Theses Collection

Despite its popularity and a wide range of applications, social capital is a contested concept. There is also no agreement on whether social capital responds well to external interventions. Many scholars found no or, at most, mixed impacts that social capital can be purposefully developed. However, Burt and Ranchi (2007) and Janicik and Larrick (2005) provided compelling evidence that simple network training can significantly improve participants’ ability to see gaps in their network and develop social capital.

The manifestations of social capital are context-dependent and complex, and rarely map into a single discipline or methodology (Jones and Woolcock, 2007). Hence, …

Enterprise Marketing Automation Software Selection, Anju Babu

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Enterprises devote a large amount of time and effort in selecting software products that are critical to their competitive advantage, and one such software is the marketing automation software. The paper discusses in detail the different criteria and methodology for selecting one marketing automation software product among the leading products available in the market.

The selection process was identified as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem and the methodology used for analysis was Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM), a variation of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Nine experts with different backgrounds in terms of job functions, functional experience, and geographies, who had expertise …

El Negocio Del Desarrollo Internacional: Las Dinámicas Asimétricas De Poder Entre Voluntariados Internacionales Y Comunidades Locales / The Business Of International Development: The Asymmetric Power Dynamics Between International Volunteers And Local Communities, Ivana Giang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El estudio de caso de la organización no gubernamental (ONG), Semillas de Aprendizaje ( Seeds of Learning , SoL) demuestra el fenómeno de volunturismo, en que voluntarios principalmente estadounidenses cada uno paga una cuota estándar de $1.550 a SoL para hacer un viaje alrededor de una semana a Nicaragua. Allí, participan haciendo proyectos de construcción, como aulas y bibliotecas, a desarrollar oportunidades educativas para los estudiantes de comunidades rurales. SoL también crea un itinerario para los voluntarios hacer actividades turísticas, los costos incluidos en la cuota. Después de tres semanas de entrevistas y observación participante en los sitios de SoL …

The Changing Tide Of Corporate Social Responsibility, Conor Soucy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a world that is plagued by the crises of climate change, the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility has never been so essential. While looking out towards the future, we must visualize the methods, practices, and mentality that will allow our society to overcome the obstacles of practicing ethical and sustainable business. This paper describes the perception and mentality associated with CSR today, and how ethical minds and innovative technologies can change CSR for the future.

Shaping Our World For A Better Tomorrow: Sustainable Investing, Esg, And Industry Insight, Anna M. Ballate

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable investing is a relatively new field in the world of finance and banking. Even though there is tremendous growth in sustainable investments over the past few years, it is still a niche market that requires more transparency, standards, and incentives. Switzerland has become one of the leading countries for sustainable finance, exhibiting a growth in sustainable investments under management. Despite the vast amount of research and development on sustainable investing, there is still much confusion and negative perception in the professional banking world about the topic. This study is designed to fill the gap between the academic rhetoric behind …

Ultraviolet Inkjet Ink: A Market And Audience Analysis For Kowa American, Haley Smith

Senior Honors Projects

My report was commissioned to examine the market strategies and audience approaches implemented in the ultraviolet inkjet ink industry. My research juxtaposes the initiatives of leading ink investors with those of the monomer-producing corporation, Kowa American. My findings emphasize the discrepancies in competitive development between Kowa and similar globally innovative agencies. My research indicates that Kowa must capitalize on industry gaps, conduct environmental research, and minimize financial setbacks to obtain a competitive advantage in the current ink market. Further, Kowa must personalize customers’ buying experiences in order to expand its budding product lines and maximize profits.

Ethical Consumerism And The Target Segment For Fair Trade Coffee, Lauren Mangan

Senior Honors Projects

The fair trade movement is a social entrepreneurship project that deals with a subsistence marketplace in order to improve the lives of suppliers in the ways of improved pay, increased opportunity fair treatment , positive environmental impact and more. Marketing is important in promoting and growing the fair trade movement and it is important to me to assist in this movement because I have become passionate about the rights of farmers after my immersion to Nicaragua. The first step in improving a marketing campaign is conducting market research. This research aims to answer the question: What is the target segment …

The Relationship Between Financial Literacy, Financial Status, And Academic Success In College Students, Brian Douglas Brausch

Dissertations

As the cost of college continues to rise, an increasing number of students are relying on loans and credit cards to fund their postsecondary education. In an effort to curb student debt and increase retention and graduation rates, many universities have begun to offer financial literacy initiatives to stimulate financial knowledge and promote positive money management behaviors.

This study examines the relationship between a for-credit personal financial literacy course and student academic success and economic status. Students who took a personal finance course during their first or second year of college are compared to a random sampling of students who …

Impact Of Leadership Styles On Employee Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment – A Study In The Construction Sector In India, Akhila Nidadhavolu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Leadership plays a vital role in any industry. Therefore, a positive relationship between the management and the employees is very crucial for any organization to get better turnover and recognition. The current study discusses the leadership styles used in the Construction Industry in India. The development of construction industry in India requires suitable leadership approaches of the management. In the condition of such requirement, this research paper has three-fold objectives: first, to study the leadership styles used by the higher-management levels of Indian construction companies, and second, to examine the impact of leadership styles on job satisfaction, and third, to …

Competition And Concentration In Banking Sector: Evidence From Bangladesh, Junnatun Naym

2018 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity – Documents

Abstract

Considering the significance of competition and concentration in pricing, efficiency, productivity and stability of banking sector, this paper has explored the competitive behavior and concentration level in the banking sector of Bangladesh considering 20 commercial banks for the period of 2004-2013. The level of competition has been tested using the Panzar and Rosse model while the level of concentration has been analyzed using concentration indices and the Herfindahl-Hirschman indices in terms of assets, loans, and deposits. The findings point to a non-concentrated market with monopolistic competition in the banking sector of Bangladesh. This paper contributes to the understanding of …

Terrorism Risk Insurance: Is It Really Working?, Rebecca Demarest

Honors Projects in Mathematics

This paper investigates terrorism risk insurance in the United States as well as those programs offered in other countries throughout the world. In the United States, particular attention is devoted to the interaction of government with private insurers to maintain an effective insurance program. An analysis is performed comparing terrorism insurance before and after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The paper looks into actual terrorist events that have occurred focusing on 56 world-wide events that are associated with property losses greater than $10 million. This paper not only investigates the losses that were incurred …