Business Commons^™

The Reciprocal Relationship Between Passive Social Networking Site (Sns) Usage And Users’ Subjective Well-Being, Jin-Liang Wang, James Gaskin, Detlef H. Rost, Douglas A. Gentile

Faculty Publications

Prior studies have found an inconclusive relationship between social networking site (SNS) usage and users’ subjective well-being. Passive SNS usage may be detrimental to subjective well-being, because it cannot provide social support and may evoke envy and jealousy. Conversely, it is also possible that lower subjective well-being may predict higher passive SNS usage, which can be used as a means to relieve stress. To examine this reciprocal process, a two-wave study among a sample of Chinese college students was conducted (N ¼ 350 at Time 1, 265 at Time 2). Data were analyzed with structural modeling. Cross-lagged analysis indicated that …

Ontological Deep Data Cleaning, Scott N. Woodfield, Spencer Seeger, Samuel Litster, Stephen W. Liddle, Brenden Grace, David W. Embley

Faculty Publications

Analytical applications such as forensics, investigative journalism, and genealogy require deep data cleaning in which applicationdependent semantic errors and inconsistencies are detected and resolved. To facilitate deep data cleaning, the application is modeled ontologically, and real-world crisp and fuzzy constraints are specified. Conceptualmodel- based declarative specification enables rapid development and modification of the usually large number of constraints. Field tests show the prototype’s ability to detect errors and either resolve them or provide guidance for user-involved resolution. A user study also shows the value of declarative specification in deep data cleaning applications.

The Creation Of Military Family Leisure Experiences, Karen K. Melton, Jasmine Townsend, Camilla J. Hodge

Faculty Publications

This article provides a theoretical model that positions family leisure experiences as a mechanism for positive family outcomes and resilience in military families. The article integrates the Creation of Family Experiences (CFE) framework with literature on military families, family leisure, and structured experiences. The CFE framework is a conceptual model that provides a lens for examining the context of family activities in order to better identify benefits for human development and family relations. When contextualized within military settings, the CFE can be used to understand and systematically optimize military family leisure experiences. It is critical to consider the experiences of …

Measurement Of Deep Structured Experiences As A Binary Phenomenon, Gary D. Ellis, Patti A. Freeman, Jingxian Jiang, Andrew Lacanienta

Faculty Publications

We developed a procedure for measuring ‘deep structured experiences’ based on a conceptualization of such experiences being binary (i.e. present or absent at a given moment) rather than continuous. Deep structured experiences are heightened states of attention and motivation that may occur during a distinct period of activity. This binary approach is consistent with definitions of similar concepts, such as Maslow’s [1962. “Lessons from the Peak-Experiences.” Journal of Humanistic Psychology 2 (1): 9–18] description of ecstasy, Csikszentmihalyi’s [1975. Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass] description of flow, and Ackerman’s [1999. Deep Play. New York: Vintage Books] description of deep …

Behavioral Household Finance, John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian

Faculty Publications

This chapter provides an overview of household finance. The first part summarizes key facts regarding household financial behavior, emphasizing empirical regularities that are inconsistent with the standard classical economic model and discussing extensions of the classical model and explanations grounded in behavioral economics that can account for the observed patterns. This part covers five topics: consumption and savings, borrowing, payments, asset allocation, and insurance. The second part addresses interventions that firms, governments, and other parties deploy to shape household financial outcomes: education and information, peer effects and social influence, product design, advice and disclosure, choice architecture, and interventions that directly …

Team Video Gaming For Team-Building: Effects On Team Performance, Mark Jeffrey Keith, Greg Anderson, James Eric Gaskin, Douglas L. Dean

Faculty Publications

Teams rapidly form and dissolve in organizations to solve specific problems that require diverse skills and experience. For example, in the information systems context, cross-functional and project-based teams that comprise a mix of personnel who temporarily work away from their usual functional groups (best perform agile software development (Barlow et al., 2011; Keith, Demirkan, & Goul, 2013). These newly formed work teams need to become productive as quickly as possible. Team video gaming (TVG) has emerged as a potential team-building activity. When new teammates play a collaborative video game, they engage in cooperative and challenging goals while they enjoy the …

Potential Vs. Realized Savings Under Automatic Enrollment, John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian

Faculty Publications

Employer adoption of automatic enrollment can dramatically increase retirement savings plan participation. However, many savings plan participants withdraw some, or even all, of their accumulated balances prior to reaching retirement. The extent to which individuals’ preretirement withdrawal decisions, sometimes months or even years after they have been automatically enrolled, offset the increased savings induced by automatic enrollment is an open question. We explore this issue by studying the evolution of retirement savings outcomes over time for the employees at a large firm that introduced automatic enrollment in 2005. Comparing employees hired in the 12 months after the introduction of automatic …

Freedom To Explore The Self: How Emerging Adults Use Leisure To Develop Identity, Eric K. Layland, Brian J. Hill, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

During a period of newly attained freedom preceding commitments expected in adulthood, emerging adults are faced with the major task of identity development. Leisure provides a context with relative freedom wherein emerging adults explore new experiences and access opportunities not always available in more constrained environments like work and school. In this case study of 40 emerging adults from 18 countries (Mage = 23.14 years), qualitative interviews were used to investigate the role of leisure as a context for identity development. Results indicate five major themes for leisure-based identity development in emerging adulthood: discovering identity, forming identity, defining identity, positioning …

Why People Play At Work: A Theoretical Examination Of Leisure-At-Work, Mat D. Duerden, Stephen H. Courtright, Mark A. Widmer

Faculty Publications

Postmodern perspectives on work and leisure acknowledge the interwoven nature of these domains, an example being the increasing number of organizations intentionally incorporating leisure into the employee experience. Existing research, however, provides no specific theoretical guidance regarding the potential impacts of strategically integrating recreation activities into the work domain. Thus, based on positive organizational scholarship and leisure science theories, we build an individual level model describing the phenomenon of leisureat- work (LAW). We propose LAW activities have the ability to produce feelings of personal expressiveness at work as moderated by employees’perceptions of the activities. Personal expressiveness then mediates LAW activities’ …

Real-World Large-Scale Iot Systems For Community Eldercare: A Comparative Study On System Dependability, Hwee-Pink Tan, Austin Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The paradigm of aging-in-place — where the elderly live and age in their own homes, independently and safely, with care provided by the community — is compelling, especially in societies that face both shortages in institutionalized eldercare resources, and rapidly-aging populations. Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, particularly in-home monitoring solutions, are commercially available, and can be a fundamental enabler of smart community eldercare, if they are dependable. In this paper, we present our findings on system performance of solutions from two vendors, which we have deployed at scale for technology-enabled community care. In particular, we highlight the importance of quantifying actual system …

Strategic Financial Management, Fina-475, Roberto Stein

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Strategic Financial Management is the new, case-based capstone course of the Finance Major at the UNL College of Business. Introduced in the Fall 2016 Term, it has since been revised and is being continually updated, to better achieve the its academic goals. In this portfolio, I describe the course’s overall structure, goals and main components. I then detail a number of changes made for the Spring 2018 version of the course, and proceed to analyze data pertaining to the outcomes observed from these changes. Finally, I outline potential strategies and further changes that might be implemented in future iterations of …

2018 January, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases from January of 2018.

2018 February, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications And Marketing

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for February of 2018.

Cryptocurrencies Are Taxable And Not Free From Fraud, Joseph Wall, D. Larry Crumbley, Lewis B. Kilbourne, Caleb Blair

Accounting Faculty Research and Publications

In this report, the authors discuss cryptocurrencies — especially bitcoin — and argue that because the IRS lists them as property, they are taxable, and because they are not as anonymous as once thought, they are not free from fraud.

Cryptocurrencies are digital assets used as a medium of exchange, but they are not really coins. They can be sent electronically from one entity to another almost anywhere in the world with an internet connection. There are many cryptocurrencies in the market, including bitcoin, ethereum, ethereum classic, litecoin, nem, dash, iota, bitshares, monero, neo, and ripple. Many of the cryptocurrency …

Three Studies Examining Auditors' Use Of Data Analytics, Jared Koreff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three studies, one qualitative and two experimental, that center on auditor's use of data analytics. Data analytics hold the potential for auditors to reallocate time spent on labor intensive tasks to judgment intensive tasks (Brown-Liburd et al. 2015), ultimately improving audit quality (Raphael 2017). Yet the availability of these tools does not guarantee that auditors will incorporate the data analytics into their judgments (Davis et al. 1989; Venkatesh et al. 2003). The first study investigates implications of using data analytics to structure the audit process for nonprofessionalized auditors. As the public accounting profession continues down a path …

Three Studies Examining The Potential For Relational Reasoning To Enhance Expertise In Complex Audit Domains, Matthew Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three studies that explore the potential for relational reasoning to advance research on the facilitation of expertise in complex audit domains. Study One seeks to explicate the potential that theory and methods from relational reasoning and associated research have to advance the audit expertise research stream. The implications for future research on facilitating auditing expertise are discussed in synchrony with future research questions, including whether or not such strategies will be effective in domains with more than minor relational complexity. Studies Two and Three experimentally examine the use of metacognitive skills intended to enhance relational knowledge, …

Ne Maquixtia: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Leaders’ Dispositions And Their Impact On The Organizational Cultures They Lead, Georgina Yvette Garcia

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

The aim of this field-based research study was to explore and examine the importance of leader dispositions and their impact on organizational culture and sustained success. It focused on answering the following research question: What leadership dispositions, whether in education or in business, transcend organizational boundaries and most likely lead to organizational cultures that sustainably impact results and support continuous improvement?

This study spotlights the urgent need for leaders in all organizational contexts to immerse themselves in a profound and meaningful manner with developing greater awareness of the dispositions related to their leadership and the cultures they directly impact and …

Effects Of Income Level On The Relationship Between Leadership And Employee Behavior, Andrew James Sherman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that leadership affects employee behavior, but additional research could explain how this relationship is mediated. The purpose of this correlational, quantitative design study was to test the mediating effects of employee income level on the relationship between leadership and employee behavior within the United States. The general problem for leaders is the lack of a comprehensive understanding regarding the relationship between their leadership and employee behavioral outcomes. The specific management problem is that unintended employee behavioral outcomes may be due to leadership decisions made without consideration given to the mediating effects of employee income level. Based …

Successful Strategies For Reducing Employee Turnover In The Restaurant Industry, Jaun Derek Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover remains a ubiquitous phenomenon that could negatively impact the operations and profitability of any business entity. For decades, managers, business leaders, and individuals in academia have devoted considerable time and resources to understanding and reducing the phenomenon. This qualitative multiple case study was conducted to explore the successful strategies that restaurant managers used to reduce employee turnover. The population sample consisted of 4 restaurant managers from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago who had successfully used strategies to reduce employee turnover. The conceptual framework used was the transformational leadership model. Data for the study were gathered using semistructured …

Media Marketing Strategies University Leaders Use To Increase Alumni Financial Support, Wesley Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges and universities in the United States could end operations in record numbers largely from financial shortfalls. The Urban Institute reported that nonprofit organizations lost $3.4 billion in reneged pledges from 2013 to 2014 from donor dissatisfaction, creating a problem because financial losses can occur from a lack of understanding on how media marketing efforts affect fundraising. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify traditional and social media marketing strategies that some nonprofit college and university leaders use to increase alumni financial support. Interviews took place with 7 college or university leaders at 3 private, nonprofit …

Factors Affecting Employee Persistence In An Online Management Development Certificate Program, Todd D. Chester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An important approach to prepare new managers for increased responsibility is participation in online management development programs; however, there is a lack of information about the factors that affect employee completion of these programs. This study addressed how chief executive officers (CEOs) can implement these programs to rapidly develop new managers who are qualified to serve in the leadership roles left behind by many retirees. This qualitative descriptive case study explored employees' perceptions about persistence in an online management development certificate program at a U.S. nonprofit organization. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Rovai's composite persistence model provided the conceptual framework for …

Strategies For Low Employee Turnover In The Hotel Industry, Odetha Antonnett Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover affects the profitability, performance, and customer service of an organization. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that leaders in the hotel industry used to maintain a low rate of employee turnover. Motivation-hygiene theory was the conceptual framework for the study. The study population included 9 hotel leaders from 2 international hotels operating in Jamaica. Methodological triangulation involved the comparison of data from observation of hotel facilities and leaders' interactions with employees, review of company documents, and semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed into emerging themes using a Gadamerian hermeneutics framework of interpretation. Four major …

Entrepreneurial Opportunities To Develop Strategies For Small Business Success, Tawanda Gilliard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Entrepreneurs of small businesses fail because of the lack of strategies to improve business performance. Using the model of strategic entrepreneurship, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies entrepreneurs used to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities to improve their business performance. Three entrepreneurs from different fitness businesses in South Carolina shared strategies used to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities to business performance. Data were collected from semistructured, face-to-face interviews and a review of company documents such as business performance plans, consolidated financial statements, and a digital equipment user log. Member checking and methodological triangulation increased the validity of the data. …

The Effects Of Foreign Direct Investments On Oil Sands Industry Development In Canada, Kolawole Ilesanmi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The apparent decline in conventional crude oil reserves creates concern about how to meet future global oil demand. The Canadian oil sands industry could help to fill the gap in projected world oil supply; however, the oil sands industry in Canada is operating below capacity because local investors lack the funds needed for sufficient development. Foreign direct investment could enhance the quick evolution of the oil sands industry in Canada. The purpose of this case study research was to explore the effects of foreign direct investment on the development of the oil sands industry in Canada by examining the case …

Mitigating Petroleum Product Shortages In The Nigerian Downstream Petroleum Supply Industry, Lucky Ubini Itsekor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, almost every business enterprise relies on petroleum products for power or transportation. Shortages of petroleum products cripple business activities and undermine development of the Nigerian economy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore supply chain management strategies needed by petroleum business leaders to mitigate shortages and sustain business development in Nigeria. The sample for the study included 10 senior leaders from 2 private-sector Nigerian downstream petroleum supply companies located in the Niger Delta region, who had successfully implemented strategies for petroleum supply. The resource based view theory served as the conceptual framework for the study. …

Effective Strategies Used By Restaurant Managers To Reduce Employee Absenteeism, Dawn Renita Johnson-Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee absenteeism costs organizations in the U.S. restaurant industry more than 15% of profits each year. Some restaurant managers lack strategies to reduce employee absenteeism. Using the expectancy theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore effective strategies that restaurant managers use to reduce employee absenteeism. The target population was managers of a single restaurant, known for successfully implemented strategies to reduce employee absenteeism, located in the Baltimore-Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews with 3 managers and a review of company archival documents such as memorandums, training documents, employee records, and employee performance …

Social Media Marketing Strategies In Landscape Industry Small Businesses, Crystal Victoria Lupo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Almost 50% of small businesses close within 5 years in part because of inadequate marketing strategies. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how landscape industry small business owners have successfully used social media marketing to help ensure business viability. The population for this study was landscape industry small business owners in central Alabama, who have been successful in using social media marketing. The conceptual framework for the study included adoption theory to understand the successful implementation of social media as a marketing tool, and social exchange theory to explain how social behavior results from the exchange …

Stress In Rural North Georgia Policing, Robert C. Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many operational and organizational stressors in policing. This study was designed to gain a better understanding of what causes police officers in a rural southern state mental and physical stress and to determine how best to assist officers when they are dealing with stress. The purpose of this study was to determine whether organizational or operational issues cause more stress among police officers in a rural southern state. Qualitative research methods and the phenomenological approach to obtain data from participants who have experienced job-related stressors were used. The social construct theory, a theory of knowledge in sociology, was …

Strategies For Retaining Qualified And Experienced Employees In The Nonprofit Sector, Ebony Irene Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retention of qualified and experienced employees is the greatest challenge faced by nonprofit organizations. Using transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this single-case study was to explore strategies used by managers of nonprofit organizations to increase employee retention. The population for this study included 3 managers of one nonprofit organization in Texarkana, Texas, with tenure of at least 2 years. These managers had successfully implemented retention strategies to retain qualified and experienced employees for more than 2 years. Collected data included semistructured, face-to-face interviews and from archived documents that pertained to employee retention in nonprofit organizations. The data analysis process …

Factors That Encourage Unethical Practices By Organizational Leaders In Nigeria, Ebenezer Bankole Odole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underlying concern for this research was the increasing numbers of reported culpability of organizational leaders' involvement in unethical practices, and the lack of previous literature on organizational factors that encourage unethical practices by organizational leaders in Nigeria. The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of the factors that encourage unethical practices by organizational leaders in Nigeria despite having ethical leadership skills and knowledge. This study was grounded in the framework of moral development theory by Lawrence Kohlberg, also known as the cognitive developmental theory of moralization. Data were gathered from document reviews from public library …