Business Commons^™

Sit Back, Relax, And Tell Me All Your Secrets, Sarah Kirk, Daniel Foreman, Cody Lee, Shannon W. Beasley

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The goal of this research is to describe an active learning opportunity that was conducted as a community service offering through our Center for Cybersecurity Education and Applied Research (CCEAR). As a secondary goal, the participants sought to gain real world experience by applying techniques and concepts studied in security classes. A local insurance company tasked the CCEAR with assembling a team of students to conduct penetration testing (including social engineering exploits) against company personnel. The endeavor allowed the insurance company to obtain information that would assess the effectiveness of employee training with regard to preventing the divulgence of sensitive …

Accounting Research Thesis, Henry Creel

Honors Theses

During the junior year of my academic career in the Patterson School of Accountancy, I participated in an accountancy thesis class. In this class we independently analyzed and assessed the financial statements and information presented by each case. The practical application of my accounting knowledge on the professionally formatted financial information presented by each case has strengthened my understanding in accounting in ways that no other class has. Through this course, I have grown in both professional and academic aspects, and my findings will be relevant for the rest of my career.

A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies And Analyses, Madison Huey

Honors Theses

Over the course of two semesters I completed twelve case studies under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson. Each of those cases is presented here to serve as my Honors Thesis. They are accompanied by brief analyses to show my understanding of each topic covered in the case. In addition to the completion of case studies, I also had the opportunity to attend twelve presentations from Big 4 firms. During these presentations, I learned the values of each firm and had the opportunity to network with professionals from each firm. Furthermore, I participated in two case competitions, during which I …

Accounting Cases, Drew Caruthers

Honors Theses

I developed my thesis in the Accounting 420 class, which is an exclusive class for accounting majors in the Sally Barksdale Honors College at Ole Miss. The class would meet once a week for two semesters. The class period would involve us receiving accounting cases that we would work on during the class and the rest of the week. The accounting cases involve real world companies and financial statements. Each case was designed to help us figure out and learn a different accounting topic each week with a total of 12 cases. The professor, Dr. Dickinson, would grade and suggest …

An Evaluation Of The Racer Academy Of Agriculture And Its Effectiveness, Caleb Brannon

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Through this thesis research study, an evaluation of the Racer Academy of Agriculture (RAA) is performed to get a better understanding of how well it is doing in several key areas. One of the focus areas for the RAA as well as most other dual credit programs includes allowing high school students to attain college credit through participation in a class that counts both towards high school and collegiate degree completion. Other key objectives for these programs include aiding in the recruitment of students to the participating university, preparing the students to succeed at a higher rate once becoming full-time …

Symptoms Of Depression And Stressors In Law Enforcement, Parisa Tiana Mash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policing has long been recognized by experts in the field as a stressful, unpredictable, emotionally exhausting, and dangerous occupation. Stress and contributing risk factors have lasting and sometimes fatal results among police officers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between symptoms of depression and 3 constructs of the Personal Observation Wellness and Evaluation Report--Power Portfolio (PP) survey, specifically administrative and organizational pressures, emotional, physical, psychological threats, and lack of administrative support. Archival data from the National Police Suicide Foundation were used. The independent variable was symptoms of depression as measured by the …

Innovation Strategies For A Global Manufacturing Business, Sachin Kakaji Ramteke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some global manufacturing businesses fail to reach an adequate level of financial

performance within 5 years. The purpose of this single case study was to explore

innovation strategies that business leaders of a global machinery manufacturing company

in northwestern Illinois used to increase profit margins. The conceptual frameworks for

this study included the holistic innovation model and the disruptive innovation theory. A

purposeful sample of 9 business leaders who had more than 5 years of experience in the

manufacturing industry and more than 2 years of experience using innovation strategies

participated in the study. Data were collected from semistructured in-depth …

Retail Employee Motivation And Performance, Angela Michelle Addair

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail industry leaders seek effective strategies to improve employee motivation to increase levels of workforce productivity. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies successful retail industry leaders used to motivate their employees to achieve higher levels of workforce productivity. The conceptual framework for the study was Vroom's expectancy theory of motivation. The research participants consisted of 2 retail store managers from the same retail store located in southeastern mid-Atlantic region of the United States who successfully motivated their employees. Data collection consisted of semistructured interviews, direct observation, and review of company documents. Data analysis included …

Retention Strategies To Prepare And Maintain Talent For Future Leadership Roles, Shagranda M. Traveler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining qualified talent is essential to organizational leaders' ability to maintain a

competitive advantage. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the

retention strategies that financial managers used to prepare and maintain talent to assume

future leadership roles. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was the

transformational leadership theory. The research participants were financial managers

from 5 financial services businesses located in the southern region of the United States

with a minimum of 5 years of management experience and at least 3 direct reports. Data

were collected from semistructured interviews, observations, and review of annual

reports, …

Retention Strategies For Oil And Gas Industry Managers, Faye Gerard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The turnover cost of specialized employees in the oil and gas industry can exceed 400% of an employee's annual salary. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that oil and gas company managers used to retain specialized employees. The specific population for the study was 8 managers from 4 oil and gas companies in a metropolitan city in the southern United States, which included 5 hiring managers and 3 engineering managers who had demonstrated success in retaining specialized employees. The conceptual lens used in this research study was the job embeddedness theory. Study data were …

The Alchemy Of Sustaining New Business Ventures, Alicia R. Hooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high failure rates of new business ventures (NBV) negatively affect employment and potential contributions to the economic health of communities. The high NBV failure rate is essential, as NBV sustainability influences job creation and increases employment rates in communities surrounding the NBV. The purpose of this qualitative single case study, using the effectuation conceptual framework, was to explore strategies organization leaders in the state of Missouri used for sustaining NBV operations beyond 5 years. The sample consisted of 6 NBV consultants from a single Missouri NBV consulting firm who have sustained NBVs beyond 5 years. The 6 NBV consultants …

Strategies To Manage Transfer Pricing Risks, Emmanuel Lah Kanee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transfer pricing compliance related issues continue to pose challenges to leaders of multinational entities (MNEs) and tax regulators. MNE leaders strive to mitigate the risks of non-compliance violations and double taxation, while tax regulators seek to minimize profit shifting and revenue losses. This multiple case study explored strategies for managing transfer pricing risks against the backdrop of various risks MNE leaders face for non-compliance violations. The cost contribution agreement theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected from organizational documents and semistructured interviews conducted with 6 finance executives representing 2 multinational entities in the midwest and …

Strategies To Reduce Employee Stress To Enhance Productivity In Credit Unions, Angela K. Love

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some credit union leaders experience a reduction in productivity when employee stress is significant in the workplace. Credit union leaders noted employee stress increases costs and decreaseproductivity. This study might be important for business leaders seeking to reduce employee stress to enhance productivity. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies credit union leaders use to reduce employee stress to enhance productivity. The population comprised of 11 credit union leaders in western and midwestern states in the United States who have implemented successful strategies to reduce employee stress to enhance productivity. Job demands-resources theory was the conceptual …

Relationship Between Regulatory Compliance Cost, Operation Cost, And Profitability Of Credit Unions, Maher Shbaita

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decline in the profitability of credit unions with less than $10 million in assets harms the number of small credit unions available to serve local communities. Grounded in the financial intermediation theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between regulatory compliance costs, operation costs, and profitability. The population of this study consisted of federally insured credit unions with less than $10 million in assets and located in the state of Texas. Archival data from the National Credit Union Administration database were collected and analyzed. Multiple regression was used to identify a statistically significant …

Strategies For Implementing Workplace Violence Prevention Policies In Small Businesses, Anthony Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace violence can produce adverse financial outcomes for organizational shareholders, harms employees, and might create long-lasting mental health issues for survivors. Leaders of small businesses might lack the tools available to larger organizations to effectively address the growing incidence of violence in the workplace. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies some leaders of small businesses used to prevent workplace violence. The targeted population consisted of 3 leaders of small businesses from 3 different organizations in the government consulting industry in northern Virginia who successfully implemented workplace violence prevention programs. The general systems theory was the …

Managing Customer Complaints In Online Auction Markets, Mohammad Mousavi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies managers in the online auction industry used to manage customer complaints to improve customer satisfaction. The targeted population consisted of 4 managers of online auction companies in the southwestern region of the United States. The conceptual framework for the study was Argyris and Sch�n's double-loop learning theory. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with business managers, observation of company operations and behaviors, review of documentation, and member-checking activities. Data analysis consisted of text interpretation of data and notes using coding techniques. Data analysis resulted in 5 themes: business orientation, …

Experiences Of Subtle Sexism Among Women Employees In The National Park Service, Audrey Marie Ashcraft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although blatant sexism persists in the workplace, there is a subtler type of sexism that is not often discussed. Some of the harmful outcomes that concern organization employees and leaders include decreased job satisfaction and morale, increased stress and turnover, damaged workplace relationships, barriers to career development for women, and decreased feelings of safety in law enforcement employees. Subtle sexism is often disguised as friendliness or chivalry, and therefore is difficult to detect, so it is often ignored or trivialized. The harms are cumulative and compound over time. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to gather data about …

African American Women Middle Managers’ Stories Of Stereotype Threat And Leadership Aspirations, Rockell Chandler Ashley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with the rise of racial diversity in the workplace, African American women remain underrepresented in upper management and organizational leadership positions, making up only 1% of U.S. corporate officers. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore the daily experiences of African American women middle managers in regard to stereotype threat and the effect of these experiences on their engagement with leadership aspirations. The narrative inquiry method was used to address this gap and answer the research question, through storytelling from African American women in middle-management positions. This study was framed by 2 key concepts that …

Strategies For Small Business Survival For Longer Than 5 Years, Tashani J. Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses play a key role in the health of the U.S. economy; however, approximately 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by owners of small businesses to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. The conceptual framework used was the resource-based theory. The population of this study consisted of 3 owners of small businesses in North Carolina who sustained their businesses for at least 5 years. The data sources included semistructured interviews of the participants as well as business websites, …

Mergers And Acquisitions: Organizational Integration Strategies, Martha Jean Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions exceeded $4.7 trillion in 2015, yet more than 70% of M&As fail to meet postmerger performance expectations with unsuccessful organizational integration cited as the primary source of failure. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore organizational integration strategies some business leaders use to achieve anticipated postmerger performance and growth expectations. The study population consisted of 10 executive and midlevel business leaders in 2 privately held companies, domiciled in Arizona and Iowa, who have contributed to successful organizational integration in M&A transactions in the last 5 years. The tenets of organizational …

Exploration Of Barriers To And Enablers For Entrepreneurship At Subsidiaries Of Multinational Corporations: Analytic Autoethnography, Boris Kantsepolsky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate entrepreneurship is dedicated to the continuous exploration of opportunities and leveraging innovation activities to achieve a competitive advantage, improved performance, and prosperity of companies. The problem is that the complex reality of multinational corporations is creating distinct obstacles for subsidiary managers who are attempting to develop and promote entrepreneurial activities. The purpose of this qualitative analytic autoethnographic study was to explore barriers and enablers for corporate entrepreneurship ‎practice by focusing on the individual and organizational processes, culture, and lessons learned from entrepreneurial activities that took place at the selected organization during the last decade. The interviews with 9 participants, …

The Role Of Strategic Leadership In The Profitability Of Large Organizations, Bernard Yaw Owusu-Boadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large organizations in the United States endure a 30%-50% failure to achieve profitability. Senior executives' lack of strategies to ensure profitability diminish performance and economic growth. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies senior executives use to ensure profitability in large tax preparation organizations. The conceptual framework for this study was the resource-based view theory. The sample consisted of 2 board members and 3 senior leaders from a large tax preparation organization located in the United States. Study site participants had at least 15 years of experience in enhancing organizational profitability and 5 years of …

Relationship Between Regulatory Compliance Cost, Operation Cost, And Profitability Of Credit Unions, Maher Shbaita

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decline in the profitability of credit unions with less than $10 million in assets harms the number of small credit unions available to serve local communities. Grounded in the financial intermediation theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between regulatory compliance costs, operation costs, and profitability. The population of this study consisted of federally insured credit unions with less than $10 million in assets and located in the state of Texas. Archival data from the National Credit Union Administration database were collected and analyzed. Multiple regression was used to identify a statistically significant …

Strategies For Employee Retention In Nonprofit Organizations, Gentri Mabelann White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low employee retention is one of the main challenges for managers and negatively impacts an organization's ability to survive and remain competitive. Using Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies nonprofit sector managers use to retain employees. The participants included 4 managers from 4 Illinois nonprofit organizations who implemented successful strategies for employee retention. Data were collected using semistructured, face-to-face interviews, company documents, and archival records. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, which revealed 3 themes: employee fit, workplace culture, and employee feedback. The implications for positive social change include …

Strategies Middle Managers Of Nonprofit Health Care Organizations Use To Motivate Their Administrative Workforce, Chastidy Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the awareness of employee motivation among scholars and business leaders, many American workers attest to being unmotivated. A lack of employee motivation can lead to negative business outcomes. Therefore, middle managers may experience challenges in identifying strategies to motivate their staff. Grounded in the path-goal theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore nonprofit health care organization middle managers' motivational strategies for the administrative workforce. The participants were comprised of 13 middle managers in the United States who supervised administrative teams of 4 or more members for over 2 years and effectively implemented motivational strategies. …

Strategies Healthcare Managers Use To Reduce Employee Turnover, Christopher Sean Atkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare managers who are unaware of the various strategies that exist for reducing turnover could adversely affect patient care, organizational morale and performance, and the achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies healthcare supervisors used to reduce employee turnover. The participants comprised 3 senior healthcare managers located in central Texas responsible for hiring, firing, training, supervising, and successfully using strategies to reduce employee turnover. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory provided the conceptual framework. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in 5 …

Internal Control Strategies To Mitigate Fraud In Small Manufacturing Businesses In Cameroon, Thomas Ndive Molungu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 51.3% of small manufacturing businesses lack effective internal controls to deter fraud. Internal control strategies, when adequately implemented, can mitigate fraud and improve profitability in small manufacturing businesses. The objective of this single qualitative case study was to explore the internal control strategies used in a small manufacturing business to mitigate assets misappropriation fraud and improve profitability. Agency theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Five business managers in a small manufacturing firm in Cameroon participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. The data analysis process included Yin's 5-step process. Identified themes included (a) governance at a higher management level, …

Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee Turnover In Public Schools, Peggy Teresa Proctor-Matos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The oversight of systematic approaches to reducing voluntary employee turnover decreases educational institutions’ budgets and performance. In the United States, public schools spend over $2.22 billion annually in voluntary employee turnover costs. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies public school leaders use to reduce voluntary employee turnover. The population consisted of 3 leaders from 1 public school located in Georgia, with successful experience reducing voluntary employee turnover. The conceptual framework for this study was grounded in Vroom’s expectancy theory. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and organizational documents and artifacts. Data were analyzed …

Self-Efficacy And Leadership Commitment During Lean Strategy Deployment, Angela Deloise Pearson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lean strategy deployment (LSD) provides a means to create lasting value at reduced cost; yet most LSD efforts fail to attain sustainable improvements. The current study sought to gain an understanding of how leaders in oral healthcare manufacturing setting in the northeastern region of the United States can apply self-efficacy and leadership commitment during an LSD. Using Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy this qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences and perceptions of 15 mid-to-senior level managers, concerning the use of self-efficacy and leadership commitment during a lean strategy deployment (LSD). The key findings resulted in 10 emergent themes. The top …

Improving Organizational Performance In Mixed Design Organizations Through Cultures Of Trust, Mary M. Rydesky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effect of trust on employees’ business processes and work outcomes is an important focus for managers because more businesses have combined centralized and remote work environments in mixed-design organizations (MDOs). A multiple case study was conducted to explore successful strategies that 9 business leaders and managers in 5 service sector MDOs in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States used to improve organizational performance by successfully building organizational cultures of trust. Leader–member exchange served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and documents as secondary sources. Thematic analysis was used …