Business Commons^™

Demand Forecasting: An Open-Source Approach, Murtada Shubbar, Jared Smith

SMU Data Science Review

In this paper, we compare demand forecasting methods used by the supply chain department at Bilports to open-source forecasting methods. The design and implementation of the open-source forecasting system also attempts to use several external datasets such as consumer sentiment, housing permit starts, and weather to improve prediction quality. Additionally, the performance of the forecast is evaluated by the reduction of shipment lead times from China, the company’s primary vendor. The objective of our paper is to improve Bilports’s forecasting capabilities. The primary motivation of this paper is to increase forecasting accuracy and identify the weaknesses of the methods used …

Use Advances In Data Science And Computing Power To Invest In Stock Market, Mustafa A. Sakarwala, Anthony Tanaydin

SMU Data Science Review

As part of its overseeing of capital markets, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires firms with publicly traded shares to issue periodic reports to shareholders. These SEC filings are part of the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system (EDGAR), a large online database. Financial services and banking industry have armies of analysts that are dedicated to rushing over, analyzing, and attempting to quantify qualitative data from this SEC mandated reporting. We sought to prototype a predictive model to render consistent judgments on a company's prospects, based on the written textual sections of public earnings releases extracted from …

Leveraging Reviews To Improve User Experience, Anthony Schams, Iram Bakhtiar, Cristina Stanley

SMU Data Science Review

In this paper, we will explore and present a method of finding characteristics of a restaurant using its reviews through machine learning algorithms. We begin by building models to predict the ratings of individual reviews using text and categorical features. This is to examine the efficacy of the algorithms to the task. Both XGBoost and logistic regression will be examined. With these models, our goal is then to identify key phrases in reviews that are correlated with positive and negative experience. Our analysis makes use of review data publicly made available by Yelp. Key bigrams extracted were non-specific to the …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: May 3, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence dropped sharply in Nebraska during April 2019 while business confidence remained strong. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 95.6 in April, below the neutral value of 100 and well below the March value of 110.0. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) stood at 107.8 in April, well above the neutral level and down slightly from 108.9 in March. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 29 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 27 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 19 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. Fifty-three percent …

2019-May-03-Quillen College Of Medicine Celebrates Commencement, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Dr. Bethany Alden-Rivers Named Associate Vp For Institutional Effectiveness, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

2019-May-03-2019 Alumni Awards, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

2019-May-03-Tennessee Small Business Development Center Workshops, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Hammond Institute To Host Dr. Marcus Witcher For May 22 Langenberg Speaker Series, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Online Law Enforcement Degree Recognized By Sr Education Group, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: May 3, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence dropped sharply in Nebraska during April 2019 while business confidence remained strong. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 95.6 in April, below the neutral value of 100 and well below the March value of 110.0. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) stood at 107.8 in April, well above the neutral level and down slightly from 108.9 in March. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 29 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 27 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 19 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. Fifty-three percent …

2019-May-03-Rotc Commissioning Ceremony, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Athletic Advantage: Employers’ Views On Applicant’S Involvement In Student Athletics, Jonathan Wenning

Honors Projects

I have always been told that because of my involvement in athletics, recruiters will be more interested to hire me over other candidates because of the skills I have learned as a student athlete. By completing this honors project, I had the ability to survey hiring managers and recruiters targeting Bowling Green Business Students to see if and why they have a preference of hiring a student athlete.

2019-May-03-Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy Celebrates 10th Graduating Class, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Evaluating An Mlb General Manager’S Bang For Their Buck, Devin Mathura

Honors College Theses

With my passion for baseball, I decided to calculate the value of each player on an MLB active roster and determine whether they are underpaid or overpaid. I then used that information to evaluate and rank how efficient each MLB general manager utilizes their money on players. With the luxury tax becoming more of an issue for teams with high payrolls, there has been an emphasis on general managers to construct a team that will be highly competitive at a reasonably low price. In my report, I imported data that reflected the position for each player as well as their …

Are We There Yet? Racial Diversity In Digital Retail Advertising, Riley O'Keefe, Julian Saint Clair

Honors Thesis

How are African Americans represented in advertisements? Although prior research is very thorough, it focuses almost exclusively on print and broadcast, leaving a significant gap in the literature with respect to diversity in digital advertisements. This focus on print and broadcast media has also left a gap in analysis of advertisements by small businesses who often lack budget for mass media placements. Using a comparative analysis, the authors hypothesize that the representation of African Americans in digital advertisements by large companies will follow the same trends previously found in print and broadcast media, but digital advertisements by smaller companies will …

How Small Business Owners And Managers Make Marketing Decisions Based On The Success Of The Local College Football Team, Sarah L. Rychlak

Honors Theses

Existing literature suggests that while many people, especially business owners, believe that their local economy suffers when the nearby sports team is not performing well, that is not the case. Student enrollment can take a dip when this occurs in college towns, but economic growth and prosperity is not dependent on a successful sports team. Studies have explored these effects in large cities, but less attention has been paid to the cities that would be more affected by the performance of sports teams, which is small college towns. This research explores the relationship between college football team success and small …

Shootings And Their Effect On Stock Price And Volume In The Firearm Manufacturing Industry, Conor O'Donnell

Honors Scholar Theses

This article investigates how mass shootings are influencing the price and trading volume of firearm manufacturers differently than the previously documented “fear-based” gun sales price spikes. (Wallace, 2015). It is expected that, following a mass shooting, firearms sales increase due to a fear of legislation banning products and a limited timeframe to obtain them. For instance, The Financial Times of London reported 52% increase of gun sales in the year following the Sandy Hook shooting; however, in the long term, if there is regulation that limits the autonomy of manufacturers then investors would be inclined to divest in firearms manufacturers. …

The Santa Clara, 2019-05-02, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Examining The Relationship Between Technostress And The Effectiveness Of Organizational Communication, Lisa K. Hajdasz

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Research has shown that organizational communication plays a pivotal role in both employee engagement and commitment to the organization. However, in today’s business world, employees are required to process ever increasing amounts of information through a growing number of communication channels using various information and communication technologies (ICT). This leads to a phenomenon termed technostress. The purpose of this study was to determine if the quantity of communication disseminated by James Madison University (JMU) had any impact on the stress levels of its faculty and staff. The study utilized an anonymous online Qualtrics survey which was disseminated to all active …

The Introduction Of Bitcoin Futures: An Examination Of Volatility And Potential Spillover Effects, Benjamin M. Blau, Ryan J. Whitby

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Theory in Stein (1987) suggests that introducing derivative contracts, such as futures, can destabilize underlying asset prices if the contracts attract enough speculative traders. This paper examines how the introduction of Bitcoin futures influences the underlying Bitcoin market. Consistent with Stein (1987), we find that that Bitcoin's volatility increases significantly during the post-introduction period. Perhaps more importantly, however, we observe significant spillover effects into related markets. For instance, in other cryptocurrencies, the increase in volatility in these markets is greater than the post-introduction increase in Bitcoin.

Failure To Launch?: Advancing The Case For Financial Literacy Interventions In Postsecondary Education, Cathleen Snyder

Dissertations, 2014-2019

For college undergraduates, the thought of managing money is often new, exciting, and terrifying in the same breath. Some students have learned well from their parental and prior academic influences, and yet others may be overwhelmed by a lack of those same resources. As postsecondary institutions endeavor to level the proverbial playing field, helping college graduates launch into meaningful, financially independent lives, it begs additional consideration on the intervention methods that might be most impactful.

This study examined a for-credit, curriculum-based intervention specific to personal finance topics. It attempted to answer several key questions: How knowledgeable are students relative to …

Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Supply Chain Management, Christine Kinsey

Honors Projects

This paper discusses how artificial intelligence is being implemented in today's supply chain with a focus on the automotive industry. It looks at some of the challenges businesses are facing while implementing artificial intelligence, as well as a case study with a prominent automotive manufacturer. Lastly, it discusses the future of the supply chain industry with artificial intelligence's influence.

Lindenwood Gis Wins Grant Third Year In A Row, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

2019-May-02-Etsu College Of Nursing Celebrates Convocation, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

The Quality Of Xbrl Structured Financial Statements: An Empirical Examination Of Custom Tags, Aidana Razhap Kyzy

Theses and Dissertations

In 2009 the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) system to improve the process by which financial statements can be used. Interactive financial data filed with the SEC using XBRL provides easily readable and comparable financial data, thereby improving transparency and efficiency in the corporate market. SEC rules permit companies to use custom tags in their financial reports in cases when an appropriate element cannot be found in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) standard XBRL taxonomy. The inordinate use of custom tags may result in a reduction of financial report quality by …

Social Media Is Bananas: The Effect Social Media Has On Rebranding And Customer Attraction And Retention, Kara Heater

Honors College Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether social media had an impact on the rebranding of the Savannah Bananas baseball team. The study also focuses on the impact social media has had on the attraction and retention of customers. Interviews were conducted with full time staff members and customers of the Savannah Bananas. An online survey was distributed through social media to learn more about the connection between customers and the Bananas social media. The results of the study suggest that social media has had a positive affect on both the rebranding of the Savannah Bananas and …

The Application Of Paperless Processes To Improve Data Management Within Small To Medium Businesses, Kelley D. Nemec

Honors College Theses

Businesses are creating new value by implementing new processes built on modern tools. Small businesses, though, with much fewer resources than the most significant competitors, cannot follow the same path. How can these businesses use standard, widely available tools and techniques to improve their processes and create value within their business? This paper discusses the implementation of paperless processes using the electronic form technology, Google Forms, within the Honors Program at Georgia Southern University over two years. Action research methods were used to guide the research and implementation of new processes. Through the introduction of cloud-based electronic forms and process …

The Future Smart-City: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Global And Technological Innovation On The Evolution Of Economic Systems, Shannon L. Wade

Senior Honors Theses

In 21st century, the current economy is rapidly utilizing globalization to create a vastly different future. With the advent of new technology merging with entrepreneurs who effectively utilize that technology, the economic model is changing. Faster, sleeker, more effective forms of communication and information transfer drive the process of globalization. Production for a single product can happen in multiple countries, companies can operate virtually 24/7 through call centers halfway around the globe, and preliminary smart cities are beginning to emerge to give us a glimpse of the future world. A new category of businesspersons called “prosumers” is emerging and has …

What Young Women Leaders Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Utah Girls And Teens, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2019 gathering of 30 Young Women leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter, “the Church”) in Utah. Since around 60% of Utahns identify as members of the Church, these leaders have the potential to influence a large segment of Utah teens. This discussion focused on how leaders could help young women find purpose and perspective, develop new knowledge and skills, form healthy relationships, and grow as leaders. Attendees also discussed how they could advocate for young women with other stakeholders.