Business Commons^™

Exploring The Use Of Rasch Models To Construct Measures Of Firms’ Profitability With Multiple Discretization Ratio-Type Data, Chen Qiu

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Ratio-type data plays an important role in real-world data analysis. Mass ratios have been created for different purposes, depending on time and people’s needs. Then, it is necessary to create a comprehensive score to extract information from those mass ratios when they measure the same concept from different perspectives. Therefore, this study adopts the same logic of psychometrics to systematically conduct scale development on ratio-type data under the Rasch model. However, it is first necessary to discretize the ratio-type data for use in the Rasch model. Therefore, this study also explores the effect of different data discretization methods on scale …

Examining Social Mission In Kentucky Social Enterprises, Bo Milburn

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Social Enterprises are business entities that incorporate social value creation into their business operations. This study aims to investigate, explore and share key insights gained through the lived experience of owners or managers of these organizations. The reputational method of sample selection was used to identify informed individuals who participated in interviews to share phenomenological knowledge by telling the stories of their organizations, describing how they manage the balance between profitability and sustainability, sharing observations about the influence of social mission at their firms and other insights. Participants identified stronger relationships between coworkers, increased professional creativity, and greater employee engagement …

When Should Sales Managers Get Involved In Their Salesteams' Transactions, Daniel E. Chavez

Theses and Dissertations--Marketing and Supply Chain

The existing literature on sales teams explores various aspects of team members and their effects on sales performance. The literature on sales management has described how managers can promote better results from salespeople. The question at the intersection of these two streams of literature – if managers should be part of sales teams -- has not been addressed and is what we explore. Using data from a Fortune 1,000 firm that operates automotive service stores across the US we test these effects. The data presents a natural experiment as sales teams with different compositions are assigned randomly to the customers. …

Laptop Recycling Case Study: Estimating The Contained Value And Value Recovery Process Feasibility Of End-Of-Life Consumer Electronics, Zebulon Hart

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Work has been done to establish, through the development and use of novel assay techniques and analysis metrics, the contained value of a sampling of laptop computers (as an analog for myriad e-waste sources). This work has conceptualized e-waste as an alternative to geologic-origin complex metallic ores and has likewise evaluated the feasibility of value recovery from e-waste sources in a similar manner to an ore. The application of conventional and novel mineral separation techniques to e-waste recycling processes has been evaluated and positive results are demonstrated. Further, this work has demonstrated the ability to identify the presence of base …

The Diffusion Of A Discipline: Examining Social Marketing's Institutionalization Within Environmental Contexts, Liz Foote

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As a social change discipline, social marketing has demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing many types of wicked problems. However, despite its utility in environmental contexts, it is neither well known nor widespread in its uptake in these settings. This study’s purpose is to reveal opportunities to drive the adoption, implementation, and diffusion (“institutionalization”) of social marketing within the domains of environmental sustainability and natural resource conservation. This research considers the use of social marketing as an innovative practice within a diffusion of innovations framework and uses a systems lens to examine early adopter social marketing professionals and the institutional contexts …

Evaluating The Impact Of Off-Farm Decisions On Federal Government Program Utilization And Financial Success For Missouri's Beginning Farmers, Lyndsey Ann Parker

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Farmers and ranchers will have to increase production by approximately 70% by the year 2050 according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (2017). People in the agriculture industry face several challenges from start-up costs to limited land availability (Ahearn, 2011). There are federal and state government programs available to assist with some of these challenges but bring their own hardships as well. This study measures off-farm decisions that affect financial performance and utilization of government programs for Missouri’s farmers and ranchers. Three types of financial performance of Missouri farms are prioritized in this study, liquidity (current ratio), solvency (debt-to-asset ratio), …

Retirement Lost: Enhancing The Durability Of The 401(K) Account, Anna-Marie Tabor

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

American workers have left billions of dollars in 401(k) accounts that they may never be able to find. The problem affects low-wage workers the most, aggravating income-based retirement inequality. Workers who are laid off or change jobs often leave their 401(k) savings in a former employer’s plan. As time passes, communication breaks down between departed employees and their plans, and changes to the employer, plan provider, or individual accounts may prevent the worker from finding the account. Once participants and plans have lost contact with each other, many plans force transfer balances under $5000 into Individual Retirement Accounts, without the …

Collected Papers (On Various Scientific Topics), Volume Xiii, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This thirteenth volume of Collected Papers is an eclectic tome of 88 papers in various fields of sciences, such as astronomy, biology, calculus, economics, education and administration, game theory, geometry, graph theory, information fusion, decision making, instantaneous physics, quantum physics, neutrosophic logic and set, non-Euclidean geometry, number theory, paradoxes, philosophy of science, scientific research methods, statistics, and others, structured in 17 chapters (Neutrosophic Theory and Applications; Neutrosophic Algebra; Fuzzy Soft Sets; Neutrosophic Sets; Hypersoft Sets; Neutrosophic Semigroups; Neutrosophic Graphs; Superhypergraphs; Plithogeny; Information Fusion; Statistics; Decision Making; Extenics; Instantaneous Physics; Paradoxism; Mathematica; Miscellanea), comprising 965 pages, published between 2005-2022 in different …

A2k4d’S Webinar Series: Women & The Future Of Work: The Urgency Of Inclusion, Naglaa Rizq

Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Privacy Paradox: The Impact A Health Crisis Has On Individual Views Regarding Privacy And Data Collection, Jessica B. Walsh

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Ceo Types And Firm Efficiency, Lok Chi Lam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the connection between CEO types and firm efficiency. I utilize the general ability index (GAI) as a proxy to examine and separate CEO types: generalist CEOs and specialist CEOs. Initially, I applied the pooled ordinary least square (OLS) and fixed effect regression on 26,830 firm-year observations to explore the GAI effect on firm efficiency. The finding shows that GAI has a negative impact on firm efficiency. It indicates that CEOs with lower GAI are better at improving firm efficiency; for instance, specialist CEOs are preferable to generalist CEOs. Further analysis of CEO types using the quadrant method …

High Potential Programs In Professional Service Firms, Charlene Robison

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether a mixed-cohort of billable and non-billable (e.g., marketing, human resources, accounting, technology) participants in a high-potential development program is beneficial to the organizations that utilize this development approach and to the participants in such programs. This research focused on professional service firms with time-defined and structured high-potential programs. This study utilized a mixed-method design and gathered data in two phases: a survey and a focus group. These methods were used to obtain participant sentiments of participating in their respective high-potential programs. Twenty-five high-potential professionals completed the survey and six participated in the focus group. The study …

Beyond The Green Iron Cage: Exploring The Macro And Micro-Level Influences On Executive Decisions About Sustainability Investments In Small And Medium Size Firms, Igor Estraykh

Theses and Dissertations

Although research on corporate environmental sustainability has shed light on different aspects of organizational and individual level factors that influence corporate decisions, it does not fully account for how individual executives within firms react to these forces and make decisions, specifically within small to medium size enterprises (SMEs). This study used a grounded theory approach to interview 19 SME executives from 13 different industries to explore how organizational and individual level factors influence their ability to evaluate and make decisions related to sustainability initiatives. The study found that SME executives faced isomorphic pressures for sustainability, individual agency pressures, significant resource …

Corporate Activism Best Practices In The Age Of Social Media, Fransisco Flores

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate activism, or the act of corporations speaking out on sociopolitical issues, has become more common with technological advances and social media access. Corporations’ role in society has evolved to include non-economic functions that aim to improve societal conditions. Despite corporations fulfilling additional societal roles, they face increased scrutiny from shareholders and stakeholders alike. Speaking out on social issues or staying silent causes ripple effects amongst their internal and external networks. Speaking out on social media while working for a private or publicly traded corporation can be challenging as it entails weighing a wide array of conditions, stakeholder desires, and …

Board-Level Sustainability Paradoxes, Robert S. Bikel

Theses and Dissertations

Managing sustainability in for-profit organizations can give rise to multiple tensions, including those between financial and social objectives or meeting competing stakeholder demands on the firm. Recent research into these tensions suggests that framing them paradoxically, as competing objectives that are interconnected and persist through time, can help to manage those tensions and may even promote innovative solutions. This research project, consisting of two complimentary papers, examined how a paradox approach might help directors on the boards of for-profit companies more productively manage sustainability. Specifically, it examined how a paradox mindset, a willingness to embrace multiple tensions among competing objectives, …

Employment Recovery: It Doesn't Advance At The Same Pace Everywhere, Manuel Reyes-Loya

Hibbs Brief

In this issue of the Hibbs Brief, we discuss post-pandemic employment recovery levels across the country and state.

Thriving In A Vuca World: A Case Study Exploring Geopolitically- Focused Intelligence Teams In The Private Sector Through A Systems Theory Lens, Angela Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

For several decades, business executives have been faced with increasing complexity in the global environment, including disruptions, rapid changes, and heightened global pressures. In an effort to maintain a strategic advantage, business leaders are increasingly leveraging geopolitically-focused strategic intelligence teams to accurately and concisely synthesize large quantities of data to support high-level business decision making. However, limited research has been conducted on the organizational development of these teams, the context in which they exist, and how they can most effectively support differing and evolving decision-maker needs. As these teams have the potential to have an outsized impact on global business …

How Job Function Characteristics Impact Performance Of Diverse Teams In High-Tech Industry, Angela Fong

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effect of diversity in the technology industry across different technical job functions and the possible moderating factors. One-on-one interviews were conducted with 16 participants who have different demographic characteristics and different job roles across multiple companies in the United States. It was found that about two-thirds of participants do not perceive diversity as having any positive or negative impact on the outcomes of work teams. The other participants believe that there are positive effects, but it is inconclusive when it comes to whether certain types of diversity result in better team outcomes. The results also reflect …

Sex, Money, And Free Speech: The Many Harms Of Fosta/Sesta, Desmond Mantle

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis tracks the development of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act/Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, or FOSTA/SESTA, which became federal law in 2018. The law's passage followed as a natural consequence of popular concerns about human trafficking. Congress passed the legislation by large margins in both houses given bipartisan opposition to sex trafficking. This thesis identifies plausible reasons for the only two Senate votes against the bill: those of Senators Rand Paul and Ron Wyden. Though these senators came from opposite sides of the aisle, they shared concerns about the future of free speech online and the potential failure …

Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Household Financial Decisions: A Consumer Vulnerability Perspective, Atefeh Yazdanparast, Yasser Alhenawi

School of Business

This study joins a rapidly growing body of research that investigates the multi-faceted impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on consumers' behavior. Specifically, we examine how the pandemic-induced state of vulnerability impacts consumers' saving, investing, and spending decisions. Using survey data from four different countries (i.e., USA, UK, South Africa, and Mexico), we examine the role of personality on consumer vulnerability, create an index of consumer vulnerability, and establish the role of vulnerability in impacting important financial decisions. We report evidence that perceptions of vulnerability and the pandemic-induced changes in financial and consumption behaviors vary across residents of developed and developing …

A Spatial Analysis Of Smart Meter Adoptions: Empirical Evidence From The U.S. Data, Yue Gao, Chao Fang, Jing Zhang

School of Business

With the increasing demand on grid modernization for improving environmental sustain-ability and grid security, the topic of smart meter adoption has attracted much attention, especially with regard to the roles of public policies. However, there is a lack of research investigating the association between the multi-layered government policies and smart meter adoption from a spatial perspective to explain the variant adoption rates across the United States. This study constructs a panel of 48 contiguous U.S. states and the District of Columbia over the period 2007–2019. Using this unique dataset and spatial econometric models, we investigate the impacts of federal and …

“Work For The Night Is Coming": How Christian Hymns Frame Human Labor, Monty L. Lynn, Sarah Easter, Ryan Jessup, Greg Straughn

Management Sciences

No abstract provided.

Thinking About Developing Business Leadership For The Post-Covid World, Stephen M. Brown, Martha J. Crawford

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of a successful model on how to prepare business students to be successful in a new, post-pandemic world that faces enormous social challenges.

Design/methodology/approach– The article discusses the current business and social movements that suggest the relevance of social entrepreneurship and explain the pedagogical model developed at the Center for Nonprofits at Sacred Heart University.

Findings– The article suggests how this pedagogical model may provide students with the skills, attitudes and values required for successful social entrepreneurship processes.

Research limitations/implications– The article presents the current picture which will undoubtedly …

The Gender Bias Burden On Business: Women's Access To Credit In Bahrain, Sandra J. Thiman

Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award

Entrepreneurship is essential to virtually every economy; however, Bahraini women face many challenges accessing business development. In particular, a major constraint for these women is their access to capital support. In 2020, the government signed a law prohibiting gender-based discrimination in access to credit to help the issue; nonetheless, its effectiveness has yet to be systematically examined. Using data from several sources, I test whether the law significantly affected the gender gap in borrowing for business purposes while controlling for other variables. Importantly, I find that women’s labor force participation is a significant factor in reducing the borrowing gap between …

Reconstructability Analysis: Discrete Multivariate Modeling, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

An introduction to Reconstructability Analysis for the Discrete Multivariate Modeling course and for other purposes.

Promoting A Walk/Run Event To Expand Services For Individuals With Disabilities, Mckenzie Rodgers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex (CEC) at WKU provides services to many individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders and other developmental delays and disabilities. As a nonprofit organization, the clinic relies heavily on donations and fundraisers as sources of income. One of the CEC’s primary fundraisers is the annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism. This event is held each April during autism awareness month, at the Bowling Green Ballpark, providing an opportunity for the community to support the clinic in an enjoyable way.

For an honors capstone experience, the author promoted the 15th annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism …

Eagle Executive Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Business: News & Publications

• From the Desk of Dean Amason
• College News
• Department News
• Feature: Parker College Welcomes Newest Carter Chair
• Graduate Programs
• Alumni News
• Development News

Eagle Executive Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Business: News & Publications

• From the Desk of Dean Amason
• College News
• Department News
• Feature: Parker College Welcomes Newest Carter Chair
• Graduate Programs
• Alumni News
• Development News

Eagle Accountant, Parker College Of Business

College of Business: News & Publications

No abstract provided.

China Inc. And The World's Response, Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

This article is based on the author’s new book, China, Inc.: How the Chinese Communist Party Transformed China into a Giant Corporation (Cambridge University Press, 2022). The author argues that leveraging its absolute power, low human rights advantage, and tolerance by other countries, the Chinese Communist Party has transformed China into a giant corporation. Living, working, and investing are not rights but privileges granted by the party. The party is the management of China, Inc., with the politburo standing committee as the board of directors and the party’s general secretary as the CEO. The various ministries are the functional departments …