Business Commons^™

Travel Big Spend Less, Jessica Sharpe

Journalism

Travel Big Spend Less is a blog designed for college students who are looking for inspiration and ways to travel on a budget. I started this website after taking Advanced Digital Journalism (JOUR 410) and finding a way to keep my study abroad spirit alive. Creating the website from scratch as well as creating multimedia journalism components for the website have been one part of this project.

After starting this platform my friend and I who studied abroad together decided that we should write a book as well. The book is titled “A Guide to Studying Abroad.” Both the blog …

Preliminary Study Of Communication Network Characterization Towards Improved Organizational Behavior, Taylor F. Flaxington

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly one third of the Air Force acquisition system’s large programs are over cost and half are over budget; performance must improve. This research applies a systems perspective to this challenge and frames the acquisition system as a complex system of systems. It is a system composed of people in multiple organizations; organizations interacting with one another to develop, acquire and sustain weapon programs. The system’s performance is an emergent behavior of its components (people), structure and processes. Communication networks are a view of a system’s structure, revealing the flows and interactions between components (people) as the system accomplishes its …

A Comparison Of Sbir Investment Methods: Afwerx Vs Legacy, Evan A. Gist

Theses and Dissertations

The AFWERX Open Topic (AOT) program uses funding from the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) budget to adapt commercial technology to USAF needs. The AOT approach to small business investment is markedly different from that of legacy SBIR investment methods. This research is a comparison of processes and outcomes for AOT and legacy SBIR. The first axis of comparison is on commercialization rates. Applying a legacy definition of commercialization on a sample of AOT contracts, we found AOT’s commercialization to be 37% (compared to an 8.8% for legacy SBIR). We caveat this finding by …

Developing Standard Production Cost Factors For Major Defense Acquisition Program (Mdap) Platforms, Jordan S. Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Cost estimators commonly use the analogy and factor method when developing Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) estimates. Previous studies discussing and developing factors for the production lifecycle phase have been limited in scope and statistical analysis efforts. This research significantly expands the currently available toolkit for Department of Defense cost analysts by updating the current database of historical data and exploring potential relationships through statistical testing. Specifically, 3,462 unique factors were created across nine level II Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) elements broken down into four categories; commodity type, contract type, contractor type, and service. The production cost factors were created …

The Utility Of Self-Assessment In Predicting Program Office Estimate Accuracy, Dana P. Luketic

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of the Program Offices to provide accurate cost estimates is an essential element in planning and programming. Historically, cost estimating has led to budget overruns and continues to be an area of scrutiny and concern. A series of legislative reforms have sought to address each of these perceived underlying causes which are located at all levels of decision making – from the SPO to CADE. The current study is specifically interested in determining how well SPOs are doing. There have not been comprehensive studies on SPO performance. In large part, this deficiency is due to the inability to …

Improving Acquisitions In Science And Technology Programs Through Factor Development And Program Analysis, Eric A. Plack

Theses and Dissertations

This research involves a study of Air Force science and technology (S&T) programs which includes the creation of standard factors and a program analysis. There has been little prior cost research on S&T programs, which occur very early in the acquisition lifecycle. This leads the cost analyst to utilize estimating techniques such as analogy, factors, and parametric in order to develop budgets with minimal information. The absence of formal S&T cost reporting requirements and common cost elements necessitate a segregated two phased data analysis. The Factor Development phase accomplishes the development and creation of two new standard cost factors along …

Behavioral Antecedents Of Fuel Efficiency, James A. Cotton

Theses and Dissertations

The US Department of Defense is the largest institutional petroleum consumer in the world. In addition to the financial cost of petroleum-based fuels, the US DoD generates more CO₂-equivalent greenhouse gases than the entirety of modern, industrialized nations like Sweden and Norway. Other dangers and externalities arise from the fuels supply chain, like toxin risks to fuel handlers, and human costs to transport fuel in-theater. Within the DoD, the USAF alone often rivals or exceeds the consumption of all other services combined. While the USAF prefers technical, hardware-based solutions to problems, and has given increasing attention to logistical …

Cpas As Data Analysts: How Louisiana Accountants Respond To Data-Driven Business Paradigms, Janis C. Weber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study considered challenges confronting Louisiana Certified Public Accountants, relating to technological changes to accounting information systems, which necessitated the use of advanced analytical tools. The research emphasized the problem of accountants’ lack of preparedness to use big data analytics in accounting work. The project focused on practicing accountants in Louisiana, to gain their perspectives about big data analytics in accounting, the competitive impact technology shifts have on accounting practice, and preparedness to use accounting analytics in accounting work. The research methodology chosen was a qualitative case study design, which allowed consideration of opinions and perceptions of the individuals experiencing …

A Qualitative Study On The Detrimental Impacts Of Attrition In Mid-Level Managers In The Marine Corps, Richard Lee Diddams Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the qualitative, case study research was to explore leadership and retention factors associated with Marine Corps officers the Marine Corps desired to retain until retirement eligible. The objective was to explore the views of Command and Staff students who were at the mid-point of their career and faced with retention decisions. The study incorporated a comprehensive document review focused on leadership and retention, Marine Corps precepts involving promotion and retention policies, Marine Corps leadership and retention archival documents, and participant interviews using semi-structured questions to obtain insight into the research questions. The study involved the dynamic relationship …

Investing With Cryptocurrencies: A Liquidity Constrained Investment Approach, Simon Trimborn, Mingyang Li, Wolfgang Karl Hardle

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

Cryptocurrencies have left the dark side of the finance universe and become an object of study for asset and portfolio management. Since they have low liquidity compared to traditional assets, one needs to take into account liquidity issues when adding them to a portfolio. We propose a Liquidity Bounded Risk-return Optimization (LIBRO) approach, which is a combination of risk-return portfolio optimization under liquidity constraints. Cryptocurrencies are included in portfolios formed with stocks of the S&P 100, US Bonds, and commodities. We illustrate the importance of the liquidity constraints in an in-sample and out-of-sample study. LIBRO improves the weight optimization in …

Changes In Decision-Making Authority When Chaebol Firms Grow: From The Perspective Of Non-Family Managers, Changhwan Kim

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

What changes do non-family managers in large family firms such as chaebols (Korean conglomerates) observe in their decision-making authority when their organizations grow? The intuitive expectation is that non-family managers' decision-making authority will grow in conjunction with the successful expansion of the business and growth of the firm.

Based on 45 in-depth semistructured interviews with non-family managers from a wide range of chaebol firms, this study analyzes how non-family managers perceive the change in their decision-making authority and the cause of this change.

The findings indicate that respondents perceive that their decision-making authority does not increase with the growth of …

The Influence Of Facebook Social Interaction On Healthy Eating Behaviour And Work Productivity / Wong Wen Yin, Wen Yin Wong

Student Works (2020-2029)

In the current competitive global environment, one of the core determinants of the business success lies in the foundation to workplace productivity amongst the employees. The rise of social media in the health domain can have it play the role of an alternative channel for the promotion of healthy eating behaviour. Literatures outlined that social interaction on Facebook seems relevant towards the promotion of positive health behaviour(s). However, details pertaining to the interaction and its subsequent impact on health remains unexplored. This research examines the influence of Facebook social interaction on healthy eating behaviour and its subsequent impact on work …

2020 March, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for March of 2020.

Does Environment Really Matter? The Impact Of Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective On Istanbul Chain Hotels, Aysin Pasamehmetoglu, Mustafa Mehmet Gokoglu

Journal of Global Business Insights

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective has been embraced by various countries. This perspective directly affects the behavior of organizations in different countries. Environmental, cultural and employee related issues create a suitable platform for those countries which lack certain aspects of dealing with the related problems. This also creates a general perspective where managerial practices of organizations are redesigned in light of universal standards of CSR. From this standpoint, organizational response to CSR problems is driven by the universal standards. Nevertheless, specific dimensions of CSR may dominate managerial practices paving the way for different kinds of practices to be forefront in …

The Relations Between Sector Features, Pricing Behavior, And The Concept Of Social Responsibility: An Example Of The Accommodation Sector, Cigdem Ozkan

Journal of Global Business Insights

The aim of this study is to examine the relations between the cost structure of sector features and pricing behaviors through the example of the accommodation sector in terms of social responsibility. This has benefited from both the analytical geometry and the income and cost data of a real accommodation enterprise. The findings point out this situation: In the accommodation sector, the fixed costs are high, and the variable costs are low. Thus, the effects of the cost in determining the optimal price, in view of the short term, are at a very low level. There is such a very …

When The Bank Comes To You: Branch Network And Customer Omnichannel Banking Behavior, Mi Zhou, Dan Geng, Vibhanshu Abhishek, Beibei Li

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Banks today have been increasingly reducing their physical presence and redirecting customers to digital channels, and yet, the consequences of this strategy are not well studied. This paper investigates the effects of banks' branch network changes (i.e., branch openings and branch closures) on customer omnichannel banking behavior. Using approximately 0.85 million (33 months') anonymized individual-level banking transactions from a large commercial bank in the United States, this paper shows the asymmetric effects of branch openings and branch closures on customer omnichannel banking behavior. In particular, we find that branch openings increase customers' branch transactions; however, the first branch opening leads …

Dbs Impact Measurement Project: Technical Review, Hao Liang, Phuong Tran Bao Nguyen, David Fernandez, Jun Ho Park

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The measurement of ESG and its impact is becoming one of the more important and debated issues in sustainable business practice, with the significant challenges being the subjectivity of scope, criteria, as well as lack of consistency across different rating agencies and data providers

Impact measurement goes beyond ESG measurement. Apart from qualitative and input-based approach, it encapsulates a more outcome/impact-based approach, supported with quantitative methods

Impact measurement and valuation are still at the infant stage, with limited research and guidelines, thus [Impact Institute] II’s approach has significant novelty and is among the first to measure and value impact

II …

A Behavioral Signaling Explanation For Stock Splits: Evidence From China, Chenyu Cui, Frank Weikai Li, Jiaren Pang, Deren Xie

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We propose a behavioral signaling explanation for the positive announcement effects of stock splits. There are two key behavioral ingredients in our model. First, (retail) investors have misconceptions about stock splits that make them view stock splits as good news. Second, investors are loss-averse and will be particularly disappointed if a splitting firm’s ex-post performance falls short of expectation. In a separating equilibrium, only managers with favorable private information use stock splits to signal. Using a comprehensive sample of stock splits in China over the period of 1998 to 2017, we find supporting evidence: (1) stock splits elicit positive announcement …

Why Commonality Persists?, Raja Velu, Zhaoque Zhou, Chyng Wen Tee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Studies on commonality in returns, order flows and liquidity find that the first principal component is closely aligned with the market factor. With the increasing presence of high-frequency trading, commonality in returns, order flows, and liquidity can potentially arise from the commonality in the interpretation of real-time signals. In this paper, we go beyond the first factor and show that the other dominant principal components consistently reflects investors' herding behavior, demonstrating the multi-dimensional aspect of commonality. Instead of relating the asset returns to order flows, we take both as endogenous, and provide empirical evidence showing that returns commonality is driven …

Win-Win In Distributive Negotiations: The Economic And Relational Benefits Of Strategic Offer Framing, Michael Schaerer, Martin Schweinsberg, Nico Thornley, Roderick I. Swaab

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In distributive negotiations, people often feel that they have to choose between maximizing their economic outcomes (claiming more value) or improving their relational outcomes (having a satisfied opponent). The present research proposes a conversational strategy that can help negotiators achieve both. Specifically, we show that using an offer framing strategy that shifts offer recipients’ attention to their reservation price (e.g., “How does my offer compare to your minimum price?”) leads to both (a) an assimilation effect whereby recipients make more favorable counteroffers (economic benefit) as well as (b) a contrast effect whereby recipients feel more satisfied with the negotiation (relational …

Exploring The Essence Of Participation Of The Female Puerto Rican Basketball Athlete, Roberto Medina

Masters Theses

In Puerto Rico, little is known regarding how female collegiate and professional basketball players perceive and experience their playing participation. The population of girls playing basketball has experienced recent increases. However, the culture in Puerto Rico has yet to embrace the participation of female basketball athletes. Attempting to address the void in scholarly literature, this study explored female athlete participation perceptions in competitive basketball within the Puerto Rican sport culture. The investigation implemented a qualitative approach using a phenomenological methodology to form descriptive themes. Data was obtained from 14 female basketball athletes, of which 10 were student-athletes, and four were …

Nonprofit Sector Response To Covid-19, Laura Deitrick, Tessa Tinkler, Emily Young, Colton C. Strawser, Connelly Meschen, Nallely Manriques, Bob Beatty

Nonprofit Sector Issues and Trends

In an initial effort to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local nonprofits’ ability to meet their community’s needs, The University of San Diego’s Nonprofit Institute issued a survey to nonprofit leaders on March 18, 2020. The aim of this report is to provide real-time data to government officials, foundations, and other decision-makers about the current economic conditions facing nonprofits and the need for immediate and long-term support in order to ensure the ongoing provision of critical services in the San Diego region.

Identifying And Positively Addressing Real And Perceived Barriers To Inclusion In Construction, Lisa Breitenfield

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry is facing difficulties in recruiting and training new skilled workers. My essay will identify some methods companies and the AGC can use to attract new employees. Some potential solutions involve encouraging schools to expose students to the construction industry, recognizing and assisting working parents with childcare issues, companies offering employees personalized career advancement schedules, and recruiting students focused on the arts and history for detail oriented roles in the industry. The Associated General Contractors can help by advising individual companies on attracting employees and facilitate greater mentorship programs between companies and educational institutions.

Current State Of The Employee Assessment Process In The Construction Industry For Southeast United States, Dhaval Gajjar, Shima Clarke, Cayla Anderson

The Professional Constructor

The employee assessment process (EAP) is a formal evaluation system used by an employer to evaluate employee’s performance and behavior within a company. The objective of this paper is to determine the current state of the most common used practices for EAP in the construction industry; specifically in Southeast United States. Existing literature was reviewed to understand the historical context and the current documentation of existing EAP processes in other industries and within the construction industry. Literature revealed that there is no formal standardized process documented for EAP practice within the United States construction industry. Based on the literature findings …

State Department Of Transportation Suas Program Development And Operational Deployment, Dennis Bausman, Joseph Burgett, Ajay Jadhav, Scott Shaffer, Eric Stuckey

The Professional Constructor

Over the past several years small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) have gained popularity in the private sector. Recent studies have shown an increasing interest from state DOTs in the U.S. for the use of drone technology. However, most of the studies did not fully investigate the depth of program integration or application. This study combines the findings of recent studies to identify state DOTs with the most extensive sUAS operational experience. The drone champions for the six states identified, were interviewed to gain substantive insight regarding program initiation and organization, the spectrum of agency use, perceived benefits, and the DOT’s …

Increasing Diversity And Inclusion Through Mentoring Underrepresented Groups, Corban Williams

The Professional Constructor

The Construction Industry historically has struggled to gain traction with underrepresented groups, such as women, African-Americans, and the Hispanic/ Latinx community. To combat this, industry-wide action is necessary to increase diversity and inclusion. Underrepresented communities have misconceptions about the construction industry including a lack of knowledge about the wide range of possible careers. By the AGC establishing a mentoring program with career goals and psychological attributes for grades 6-12 and college students, a positive dialog about the industry would be established. Visibility and promotion of the program would encourage students of underrepresented communities to consider a career in the construction …

Perspectives On Diversity And Inclusion In Construction, Anna A. Pasha

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry is rapidly growing and contractors are optimistic about the immediate and long-term growth of the industry. As demand increases, the construction industry faces a projected labor shortage crisis. As the construction industry grows, it must rise to meet the challenge of solving this labor shortage by diversifying and widening its labor pool and strategically attracting new talent. This essay offers a detailed solution that includes a redefinition of approaches to diversity, ideas for short-term policies and creative long-term policies, and a lasting vision for the industry that will guide us to continue growing progressively and avoiding crises …

Examining The Pre-Construction Professional: Career Evolution, Responsibilities And Skilles, Aaron D. Sauer, Hariharan Naganathan, Kevin M. Hubbard

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry is constantly evolving to meet the needs of clients in light of significant technological and regulatory change. The Pre-Construction Professional is one example of a new career path that has emerged in response to changing market conditions. This study investigated the Pre-Construction Professional in an effort to define when the career path emerged and why it was needed. The researchers also sought to describe the role of the Pre-Construction Professional and document their requisite knowledge and skills. The research design was based on extensive interviews with working Pre-Construction Professionals and supported by available literature. The findings of …

Assessing The Equity Gap In Construction Education, Jared M. Burgoon, John Killingsworth, Jonathan W. Elliott, Molly M. Weisshaar

The Professional Constructor

There is a documented demand for an educated construction management workforce. To help meet this demand, construction education programs at numerous post-secondary institutions have established objectives and goals to recruit, train, and graduate high-quality students; and, many of these programs are charged with providing educational opportunities to students who have been traditionally underserved in higher education (e.g., female, minority, first generation students, etc.). This study compared the enrollment and retention rates, interdepartmental migration patterns, and student satisfaction and graduation success outcomes of undergraduate students enrolled in a CM program at a public university as a means of identifying trends and …

Workplace Communication: Examining Leader-Member Exchange Theory, Uncertainty Avoidance, And Social Styles, Guy Robinson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

There are numerous books, articles, and papers written about communicating in the work environment; especially how to communicate to the work force at large. However, not much is written or studied concerning the dyadic communication between supervisor and subordinate. The paper will use leader-member exchange theory (LMX) as a basis for communication between supervisor and subordinate. LMX gives steps to aid in the communication process and helps guide the relationship between a supervisor and subordinate; however, there are two other elements in need of attention. In order to communicate effectively with their subordinates, supervisors need an understanding of the subordinates’ …