Business Commons^™

Strategic Audit: Spreetail, Jake Rehwoldt

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This report is an in-depth look at the history and trajectory of Spreetail, an ecommerce company based in Lincoln, Nebraska. As the ecommerce market itself grows rapidly, Spreetail is facing challenges and obstacles to success in the industry, especially since it is competing with Amazon. This report breaks down the factors affecting Spreetail both internally and externally (using SWOT and PEST analyses) and outlines several strategic possibilities for moving forward. The final strategy recommendation for Spreetail is to increase their catalog size and focus on exclusives.

Strategic Audit Of Kohl's Corporation, Abigail Jarratt

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Since its founding in Brookfield, Wisconsin Kohl’s Corporation has managed to adapt and consistently satisfy customer needs. By focusing on customer experience Kohl’s has become a le leader within the department store industry capturing $19.1 billion in total sales. However, with recent shifts in the retail and department store industry, it is time to take a step back and analyze its strategy given the current state of the economy.

As such, this report will investigate the current state of Kohl’s Corporation and provide future recommendations. Companies within the department store industry must continue grow and adapt to customer needs and …

Strategic Audit Of Moody's Analytics, Matthew Dottavio

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis compiles research and analytics on Moody’s Corporation with a focus on Moody’s Analytics in order to provide a strategic recommendation for Moody’s Analytics. Analyses are preformed, including a SWOT and a PEST analysis, to determine the current state of Moody’s Analytics and Moody’s Corporation. A strategic recommendation is made to strengthen Moody’s Analytics’ growth, along with a possible implementation plan.

Investigation Of Factors That Influence Public Librarians’ Social Media Use For Marketing Purposes: An Adoption Of The Technology Acceptance Model And Theory Of Planned Behavior, Soohyung Joo, Namjoo Choi, Lindsey M. Harper

Information Science Faculty Publications

This study aims to explore multiple factors that are associated with social media use by public librarians for marketing purposes. Based on the technology acceptance model and theory of planned behavior, the effects of five factors—usefulness, ease of use, attitude, subjective norms, and behavioral control—on social media use intention were examined. A survey was conducted, and 462 valid responses were collected from public librarians across the United States. The findings revealed that all five factors have a significant impact on librarians’ intention to engage in social media activities for library marketing. Perceived behavioral control factors were the most influential on …

Differential Impact Of Investor Sentiment On The Capital Asset Pricing Model And Discounted Cash Flows Model Estimates Of The Rate Of Return On Equity, Vinh Tran

Senior Honors Theses

Traditional asset pricing models such as Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) have been used widely in academics and practice due to their simplicity and popularity. The CAPM is a prescriptive model that describes the relationship between a stock’s required return and risk relative to the movements in the market, while the DCF is a descriptive model that measures the realized rate of return on a stock based on the market price of the stock, which in turn incorporates investor perceptions about the stock and the market. In an ideal, efficient market where investors behave rationally, …

Estimating Chance For Success In Shale Gas Development Based On The Case Of The United States, Moira Lennon

Senior Theses

Natural gas, commonly extracted through the hydraulic fracturing of shale basins, has the potential to provide an abundant supply of energy that is more sustainable than other fossil fuels. Due to the complicated and risky nature of the hydraulic fracturing process, only the United States has developed the technology on a large scale. However, in the face of increasing global energy demands and vast supplies worldwide in virtually untapped basins, other countries may want to explore the potential development of this industry. Existing literature on Poland, Mexico, and China are analyzed to assess their similarity to the US in regard …

Strategic Audit: Starbucks, Madison Clements

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee brand that is expanding operations. There are many obstacles to this level of growth, and the company needs to take great care in the differentiating the way stores are built in the United States and internationally. In order to establish brand longevity, the company should examine several strategic options. A final strategy can be chosen based on the results of a situational analysis, financial analysis, and company goals. After a final strategic recommendation has been made, a contingency plan will be created to ensure long-term success.

The Naa Challenge: Serving Millennials Through Subscription Boxes, Katie Gaul, Tommie Brechbill, Kylee Yakel, Grant Schirmer, Regan Burnham, Paris Gunderson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

As an older generation of University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduates phases out, capturing the attention of millennials becomes more and more important. Unfortunately for the Nebraska Alumni Association (NAA), many soon to be and recent UNL graduates do not see the value in spending hundreds of dollars to become a lifetime member. Although some people we interviewed saw an NAA membership as just a donation and are not expecting much in return.

We believe that the Nebraska Alumni Association can take advantage of its connections with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to offer experiences through subscription boxes that will engage millennials and …

A Strategic Audit Of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., Sean Plowman

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Food is a part of every person’s life, and in today’s society people are looking for ways to get quality food in a quick and easy manner. Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant that aims to provide “Food with Integrity” quickly while providing a positive dining experience. Within the competitive restaurant industry, Chipotle has done many things to stand out. This leaves the question: What strategies does Chipotle use to successfully compete in such a hectic industry and what strategies will Chipotle employ to grow in the future? This paper analyzes Chipotle by looking at its background, products, …

Facebook Inc. Strategic Analysis And Recommendation, Artem Shukaev

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For fifteen years, Facebook has been bringing people closer together. From a college project to the world’s largest social-media platform, Facebook exemplifies the modern tech company. This astronomical growth is not an accident, rather the result of an open market and strong strategic planning. Facebook’s plan focuses on rapid growth, aggressive user monetization, and smart acquisitions to further grow its market penetration. However, is this strategy still effective? As Facebook faces slowed growth and a litany of scandals, is it time for Facebook to change their strategy? This paper looks at Facebook’s current state – from its suite of applications, …

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Strategic Audit, Jessica Salzar

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Berkshire Hathaway is an extremely successful, well-known company. With Warren Buffett approaching retirement, it is important that the company prepares its stakeholders and is strategically prepared. What must be determined is whether or not Berkshire Hathaway needs to implement a new strategy or continue doing what it is already doing. This strategic audit analyzes Berkshire Hathaway's company history, internal and external environment, competitive advantages, and organizational structure. After the analysis of Berkshire Hathaway, several strategy alternatives are considered, ending with a strategic recommendation, implementation plan, and contingency plan.

Strategic Audit Of Mls, Jacob Reed Miller

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Major League Soccer (MLS) is the highest caliber soccer league in the United States. The league, formed in 1995, has grown from just ten teams to twenty-four, with more on the way. The league has rebounded from a period of losses in the early 2000s and has established new fan bases through the usage of the designated player rule. This paper analyzes the current situation of MLS, as of the spring of 2019, and proposes a strategic recommendation. The current situation of MLS is evaluated using SWOT and PEST tools, and the strategic recommendation is created based on MLS’s competitive …

A Strategic Audit Of Corecivic, Reid Gahan

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

CoreCivic is a private prison company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1983, CoreCivic exists to “better the public good.” The company believes it can do this through its three branches: CoreCivic Security, CoreCivic Community, and CoreCivic Properties.

CoreCivic Security is the main business segment. It is responsible for directly managing 77 correctional and detention facilities. CoreCivic Community is a small branch that attempts to ease the reentry process for inmates that are released. CoreCivic Properties is a vital part of CoreCivic, as this branch allows the company to operate as an REIT. Properties is responsible for providing real estate …

Project Manager Leadership Behavior: Task-Oriented Versus Relationship-Oriented, Thomas G. Henkel, James W. Marion Jr, Debra T. Bourdeau

Publications

In this paper, we examined managers’ leadership behavior when working on a simulated team project regarding task-oriented versus relationship-oriented leadership behavior to effectively achieve successful project completion. Managers attending an advanced project management development program responded to the Fielder Leadership Behavior Style Self-Assessment, which is a useful framework to determine task-oriented versus relationship-oriented leadership behavioral styles. The degree of task-oriented versus relationship-oriented leadership behavior styles was assessed to determine the approach taken by the managers for achieving successful project completion. A Pearson’s chi-square test was conducted to determine whether the observed values were significantly different from an expected value of …

“Mixed Up In The Coal Camp”: Interethnic, Family, And Community Exchanges In Matewan During The West Virginia Mine Wars, 1900-1922, Lela Dawn Gourley

History Theses & Dissertations

The West Virginia Mine Wars are etched in the popular memory of West Virginians, who view these events as an important part of their identity as Mountaineers; yet, there is still much historians do not know about the Mine Wars, especially when concentrating on the perspectives and experiences of the working-class miners. These everyday miners and their families are the topic of this thesis. Using oral histories from the Matewan Development Center Records housed in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, this thesis argues that community-building across ethnic and racial lines within Matewan’s …

Underlying Factors Behind Generation Of Different Types Of User-Generated Content - Impact Of Individual And Brand/Product Level Factors In Generation Of Brand-Oriented Content And Community-Oriented Content, Kemal Cem Soylemez

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Defined as groups of people who communicate with each other about brand and product via internet without restricted by geographical and ethnic origin constraints to accomplish collective goals, express mutual sentiments & commitments and entertainment, online brand communities are valuable source for marketing practitioners. Although content generation is heavily used in the literature, earlier studies assumes that user-generated content is monolith, and all aimed to brand. However, our experiences tell us that reality is far different from that. This study categorizes user generated content based on target audience, namely brand-oriented content and community-oriented content. Although both types of content are …

The Influence Of Consumer Inference About A Company’S Motive On Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Evaluation, Taehoon Park

Theses and Dissertations

The author investigates the roles of consumer inferences and consumer suspicion in responses to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities by companies.

Chapter 1 examines how consumers infer a company’s motive for its prosocial activity when the same company is also involved in a socially harmful accident. When a company is involved in both CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and CSI (Corporate Social Irresponsibility), consumers can infer the motive for the CSR campaign from the temporal order of these two events. The author further proposes that this effect will be moderated by perceived invested effort in CSR campaign. Specifically, high effort invested …

Understanding Well-Being At Work: Development And Validation Of The Eudaimonic Workplace Well-Being Scale, Amy L. Bartels, Suzanne J. Peterson, Christopher S. Reina

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Given the amount of time and effort individuals pour into work, scholars and practitioners alike have spent considerable time and resources trying to understand well-being in the workplace. Unfortunately, much of the current research and measurement focuses on workplace well-being from only one perspective (i.e. hedonic well-being rather than eudaimonic well-being) or by generalizing between workplace well-being and general well-being. In this study, we sought to integrate the workplace context into the current eudaimonic perspective to develop an 8-item measure of eudaimonic workplace well-being. Using multi-wave data, we developed and validated a reliable, two-dimensional eudaimonic workplace well-being scale (EWWS). The …

The Impact Of Fintech Innovations And Financial Standards On Bank Performance: Evidence From Selected Commercial Banks In Asean, Kiyono Hasaka

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the rapidly evolving financial
technology (fintech) landscape, there has been an increase in the number of the
industry research papers and articles on fintech adoption and innovations. However,
there are relatively few empirical studies that provide a quantitative analysis
of the effects of fintech and financial standards on bank performance using
financial indicators. This dissertation attempts to fill this research gap by
identifying and analysing the impact of commercial banks’ adoption of mobile
banking technologies on bank financial performance in five countries that adopted
financial standards in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Using
the longitudinal panel data …

J Mich Dent Assoc April 2019

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA’s 6,200+ members across the state. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!.

This month's issue features candidates for MDA Officers, Trustees, and ADA Delegates, a continuation of our 100th anniversary celebration, and ethical issues in corporate practice.

Editor's Note, Marites Tiongco

DLSU Business & Economics Review

No abstract provided.

The Curious Case Of Filipino Micro-Entrepreneurs’ Financial Sophistication And The Triple Bottom Line, Sheevun Di O. Guliman, Arnel Onesimo O. Uy

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study examines the effects of the three proposed financial sophistication dimensions, that is, (1) knowledge; (2) behavior, and (3) decision-making style, on the triple bottom line (TBL) framework. Based on a sample of 384 micro-entrepreneurs across the National Capital Region (NCR) in the Philippines, results of PLS-SEM showed that the financial decision-making style had a positive effect on all areas of the TBL. Financial behavior showed to have positive effects on the economic and environmental aspects while financial knowledge only had a positive effect on the economic bottom line. Lastly, the relationship between female micro-entrepreneurs’ financial decision-making style and …

Diaspora International Family Entrepreneurs: No Place Like Home, Maria Andrea L. Santiago

DLSU Business & Economics Review

Myanmar is one of the last frontiers in Asia and it provides an enormous investment opportunity, especially for diaspora Burmese who desire to re-establish their roots in their home country. This paper posits that returning diasporans who establish capital-intensive entrepreneur-led family firms in frontier economies would have a competitive advantage over non-family business owners, homegrown entrepreneurs, and foreign investors because they are endowed with a unique combination of social, human, financial, cultural, and informational capital. Even though the risks of investing in a frontier economy are high, the motivations to invest in the homeland go beyond the financial returns. This …

Unbundling The Influence Of Human Capital On The New Venture’S Performance, Ferran Giones, Brian Gozun, Francesc Miralles

DLSU Business & Economics Review

We use a longitudinal dataset on new ventures to assess the effects of human capital factors (education, work experience, and entrepreneurial experience) on new ventures’ performance. Our results show how the influence of human capital factors are dependent on the context (high vs. non-high technology industries) and illustrate the different effects of general and specific human capital factors. The findings help to clarify the existing debate on the influence of human capital where we introduce a longitudinal perspective that contributes to uncover the influence of factors such as prior experience, in particular if in the same industry, as a positive …

The Rise Of The Manileña Entrepreneur: Her Story In Periodicals From 1898–1938, Katherine G. Lacson

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The separate spheres ideology implicitly denied the economic value of many female activities and therefore attributing the economic world to male-centered activities. Utilizing the power of the periodical as a source to uncover the story and images of women, this article describes the Manileña entrepreneur as she competed in the world of business from 1898 to 1938. As compared to representations of businessmen, which were ubiquitous, this study also shows that there was not one specific iconographic image or idea of a woman entrepreneur. What was available were new and varied images due to the diverse backgrounds and enterprises that …

Creativity, Innovation, And Sustainability: Insights Of Entrepinays In The Handicrafts Industry, Divina M. Edralin, Maria Victoria P. Tibon, Paz Esperanza T. Poblador, Junius W. Yu

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study analyzed the insights of Filipina entrepreneurs in the handicrafts industry on creativity and sustainability as they relate to innovation. Specifically, the responses of the EntrePinays in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao pertaining to factors affecting their innovation activities; the degree of implementation of innovation activities; factors hampering innovation activities; and the effects/impact of innovation on sustainability and other outcomes were compared. The study utilized the conceptual framework on creativity and entrepreneurship by Matthews (2007) and the innovation measurement framework of the OECD/Eurostat (2005). Two hundred three Filipina entrepreneurs in the handicrafts industry from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were interviewed …

Innovation Practices Of Entrepinays From Camarines Sur, Ma.Cresilda M. Caning, Divina M. Edralin

DLSU Business & Economics Review

Innovation as an output and as a process is the result of new combinations created by the entrepreneur (Schumpeter, 1934). In this exploratory study, we investigated the case of four women entrepreneurs from Camarines Sur to determine their innovation strategies and their implication to their business performance. We compared the degree by which these Entrepinays implement innovation practices based on the OSLO Innovation Measurement Framework. This framework specifies four types of innovation, namely: product, process, marketing, and organizational innovation. Based on the content analysis of our data gathered from the one-on-one interview, our results revealed that the Bicolana entrepreneurs implemented …

A Platform For Social Business Incubation In The Philippines: The Case Of Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm, Raymund B. Habaradas, Patrick Adriel H. Aure, Ian Benedict R. Mia

DLSU Business & Economics Review

Our study examined the business model of Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm (GKEF) and described how it creates, delivers, and captures value as a social business incubator. Using the case study research design, we saw that GKEF’s social business incubation program has adopted a multilever ecosystem approach by (1) harnessing the human and natural resources of its host community, (2) leveraging the compassion and entrepreneurial talent of its selected incubatees, (3) tapping the knowledge and skills of interns and volunteers, (4) leveraging the expertise and experiences of other more established social enterprises, and (5) taking advantage of its network of partners …

Alleviating Poverty In The Philippines Through Entrepreneurship, Cynthia P. Cudia, John Paolo R. Rivera, Tereso S. Tullao Jr.

DLSU Business & Economics Review

Poverty is a global phenomenon characterized by the lack of access by households to their basic necessities— those earning US$1.25 daily and possessing very low capital, thus trapping them in a cycle of poverty as capital diminishes from one generation to another. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the Philippine government has set as one of its overarching goals to significantly reduce poverty incidence. To address poverty, several interventions have been put in place such as the conditional cash transfer, foreign aid, and entrepreneurship. Using a repeated cross-section model, we look into entrepreneurship as an intervention to push economic …

Pay-For-Play In College Athletics: A Phenomenological Study Of Former And Current College Student-Athletes’ Perception Of Pay-For-Play, Brittany Dobson

Masters Theses

The literature suggests the conceptual definition of amateurism set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the increase in corporate athleticism within the NCAA has resulted in a controversial debate concerning the pay-for-play model, which would allow student-athletes to receive additional compensation. Numerous studies related to pay-for-play have been implemented, however, few have examined how student-athletes feel about the pay-for-play model. The purpose of this study will be to explore student-athletes’ perceptions of pay-for-play. In order to understand student-athletes’ perceptions of pay-for-play, a phenomenological research design was chosen. Three former and two current NCAA Division I student-athletes from Liberty …