Business Commons^™

Implementing A Dairy Industry In Mauritius, Lainey Deitrick

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the Summer, I interned at the University of Mauritius and the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security from May 18th to July 15th, 2022, researching issues with Mauritius’s food security and helping to create solutions to their economic problems. My project covered all Mauritius’s agricultural imports, but it had an emphasis on their dairy industry. While in Mauritius, I conducted research on food security among Mauritians, and a feasibility study on if residents would be open to drinking more fresh milk, which is a market the country is exploring to replace sugar cane. My data analysis will be …

Surveys Assessing Food Security And Willingness To Buy Dairy Products In Mauritius Conducted Summer 2022, Abigail Burch

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the summer of 2022, I worked on a team of University of Arkansas and University of Mauritius students to administer surveys regarding the consumption of dairy milk and the impact of COVID-19 on food security in the island nation of Mauritius. This project was created by both universities in conjunction with the Mauritian Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security.

Hogs For A Cause: Art As A Medium For Community Engagement, Jaden Hendrix

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the power to influence various sectors of society, art is a dynamic medium for instituting change. To explore the power of art and its impact on communities, I am organizing an event in Fayetteville, Arkansas called “Hogs for a Cause.” Hogs for a Cause would double as an art competition and a community fundraising event for local charities, ultimately taking a multifaceted approach to enhancing our community through public art. This project will serve several purposes: showcase the work of local artists, support local charities, and foster community engagement and development. I will be collaborating with the …

Unveiling The Influence: Corporate Lobbying And The American Diet, Annaleigh Mattingly

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States has an ongoing health problem. At 41.9%, our obesity rate is one of the highest in the worldi . While there are several factors that contribute to obesity, food is a crucial one. Food plays a key role in our short- and long-term health. This impact spills over into other aspects of life, such as productivity and mental well-being. This begs the question why the United States, as a very wealthy nation, has relatively lower food quality when compared with other high-income nations. This is a multi-faceted problem that is rooted in American culture, government regulation, and …

Community Development In Stann Creek, Belize, Connor O'Neill

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research attempts to understand the inner workings of community development by taking part in ongoing development projects in Belize. Through collaboration with existing government entities, we took part in meetings, surveys, and site visits to gather the data necessary for the development projects. These projects consisted of finding cost of production, collecting market research, and constructing business plans. During our time, we experienced multiple difficulties similar to those that developers consistently encounter. Ultimately, we gained valuable insight into procedures involved in community development, as well as being able to aid in ongoing development work.

Communication And Marketing In Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcu) Sports, Philip Reynaldo King

Theses (2016-Present)

This study's objectives are to evaluate the impact that communication and marketing efforts have on the attendance and revenue of HBCU sporting events; identify and explain potential challenges and obstacles to effective marketing and communication initiatives; analyze the effectiveness of current communication and marketing efforts; and examine and identify strategies for improving communication and marketing efforts in HBCU sporting events. The current state of communication and marketing in HBCU athletics will be analyzed through an analysis of the existing body of literature. Best practices will be identified, and the research will investigate strategies to optimize communication and marketing efforts in …

Assessing Undergraduate Nonprofit Management Education Programs: Combining Industry And Student Perspectives, Benjamin Walworth

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Given the role of the nonprofit sector in the U.S. economy, as well as the growth of nonprofit management education (NME) programs, there is a need to specifically assess undergraduate NME programs. This study addresses the current research gap by examining the undergraduate nonprofit studies minor at the University of Arkansas. An assessment of the minor was conducted by surveying three groups: nonprofit professionals, current students pursuing the nonprofit studies minor, and alumni of the minor. These groups were surveyed to understand why students pursue the minor, what students want or gain from the experience, as well as what skills …

The Rise And Fall Of A Video Game Dynasty And Its Road Back To Glory, Kade Rogerson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

For years the EA Sports NCAA Football series had been a long-standing success story in the world of sports video games. Combining the unique feel of collegiate athletics with the realistic nature of the game that its technology provides led the series to be a major source of revenue for Electronic Arts, Inc. in the extremely competitive and profitable industries of video games and sports merchandising.

However, the series came to an abrupt halt in 2013. Spearheaded by the O’Bannon v. NCAA lawsuit, EA was forced to discontinue the series after legal action was taken regarding the game’s unauthorized use …

Government Program Decision Analysis In Nebraska At The Farm Level, Tatum R. Brunkow

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill until September 30, 2024, has extended several government programs for the 2024 crop year including those in Title I: Commodities. This analysis looks at three different financial scenarios and analyzes five different alternatives for a case farm to select the optimal farm program decision for the operation by evaluating net farm income. Since 2021, eligible producers have been able to elect either Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for their operation on an annual basis. Support levels for these programs are trending close together making the election decision more …

Lockheed Martin Strategic Audit, Trevor Deboer, Gunnar Lombard, Sam Nelson, Tj Taylor, Paul Wynegar

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Abstract

This case study explores Lockheed Martin, a global leader in defense contracting. Our team performed a strategic audit using the theories of strategic management. Our research was pulled from various sources, including Lockheed Martin’s website, SEC filings, related news articles, and relevant industry analysis. The goals of this case study revolved around collecting data and performing analysis to evaluate Lockheed Martin’s potential for competitive advantage in the airplane and parts manufacturing industry.

Some of the various analyses performed on Lockheed Martin include firm analysis, industry analysis, internal analysis, external analysis, competitive dynamics, business-level strategy, corporate-level strategy, and exploring their …

Spotify: A Strategic Analysis Of A Digital Music Streaming Industry Leader, Madison Giacomo

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Spotify (Spotify Technology S.A) is a digital music streaming platform headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Offering music, podcasts, and audiobooks, Spotify is the leading digital music streaming platform with over 30% of the market share. Spotify bases their business model on user growth and experience, content acquisition and expansion, monetization, and partnerships and collaborations. Spotify’s main focus is to differentiate themselves through a personalized user experience, offering music and podcast recommendations based on listening history. This analysis looks to understand Spotify’s growth and business strategy within a competitive industry, through the use of a PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces Analysis, evaluating …

"Men Hunt, Women Gather." Perceptions Of Gender And Leadership In Outdoor Recreation In A Higher Education Setting, Elizabeth Marie Johansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation delved into the complex interaction between gender dynamics and leadership perceptions within outdoor recreation, particularly in the context of higher education. Utilizing Transformational Learning Theory, Critical Feminist Theory, and Conditional Outdoor Leadership Theory, this study aimed to uncover the nuanced ways in which gender influenced perceptions of leadership roles and behaviors in outdoor recreation activities based on participant’s experiences. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design, which included a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews to gain a more holistic understanding of participants' perceptions and experiences.

Findings suggest that despite progress towards gender equality in outdoor recreation …

Paying To Reduce Disparity: Financially Incentivizing Workforce Diversity And Its Effects On Managers’ Promotion Decisions And Employees’ Effort, Bret S. Sheeley

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Disparities in employee representation persist in higher-level organizational positions despite recent attention to workforce diversity and its associated benefits. In response, companies have begun integrating diversity initiatives with varying degrees of specificity (hereafter, “initiative specificity”) into their managers’ compensation packages to increase underrepresented employees’ representation in higher-level organizational positions. This study uses an experiment to examine how offering managers financial incentives to accomplish diversity initiatives (hereafter, “diversity incentives”) and initiative specificity interact to influence managers’ promotion decisions and employees’ effort choices in a promotion setting.

The results suggest that as underrepresented employees’ pre-promotion efforts increase relative to overrepresented employees’ efforts, …

A Fish Out Of Water: An Examination Of Self-Identified Introverted Business Students' Perceptions Of Their Leadership Ability, Katie J. Jolicoeur

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Current American cultural and societal ideals favor personalities that are outgoing, positive, and talkative in nature, due to the rise of the Culture of Personality (Wilmot, 2019; Kim, 2012; Cain, 2013). Beginning with the industrial revolution and expanding rapidly midcentury, parents began to view children who are quiet as less favorable than those who are more gregarious, thus children and parents began forced socialization at an earlier age (Wilmot, 2019; Cain, 2013). Very little, if any, research has been conducted to understand the impact that the cultural ideal of favoring extraversion has upon undergraduate students seeking a degree in business, …

Topgolf Callaway Brands, Corp. Strategic Analysis, Sean Smith

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Topgolf Callaway Brands, Corp. (the “Company”, “Topgolf Callaway”, “Topgolf”, or “Callaway”) is an industry-leading golf and active lifestyle company that provides golf entertainment experiences, designs and manufactures premium golf equipment, and sells golf and active lifestyle apparel and other accessories through their family of brand names. They operate under the Topgolf, Callaway, Jack Wolfskin, OGIO, TravisMathew, Odyssey and Toptracer logos for their various product and service offerings. This report seeks to understand the industries in which the firm operates, the forces present in those industries, the resources and advantages of the firm, risks associated with their operations, and recommends several …

Zara Strategic Audit, Rachel Hoffschneider

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Zara, a popular fast-fashion brand, operates under the Inditex group. Rooted in Spain, the company sought expansion and gradually worked its way into the international market. Utilizing vertical integration, the company provides swift production cycles in order to appeal to customer demands. This strategic audit analyzes Zara by comparison to rival competitors, a PESTEL test, Porter’s Five Forces, and highlights possible future challenges.

Delta Air Lines Strategic Audit, Victoria Diersen, Rebecca Koppelman, Nicholas Lauver, Aaryan Naik, Drake Vorderstrasse

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This case study focuses on Delta Air Lines, a prominent company in the airline industry. We conducted a strategic audit utilizing theories and principles central to strategic management to complete the case study. Our research used publicly available information that included the company’s website, SEC filings, news articles, and industry analysis. The goal of this case study is to collect and analyze data, apply strategic management concepts to a contemporary organization, and evaluate the firm’s potential for competitive advantage.

We looked at many factors for Delta Air Lines, including firm analysis, industry analysis, external analysis, internal analysis, performance analysis, competitive …

T-Mobile Strategic Audit, Naren Narasimhan, Kathryn Kraemer, Alex Nydahl, Carlos Fuentes, Cole Swofford

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This strategic audit delves into the performance and competitive landscape of T-Mobile within the wireless communications industry. The research question driving this study was to assess T-Mobile's position and prospects across various facets of its business operations. The research methodology was gathered from T-Mobile's official sources such as its website, annual reports, press releases, and other publicly available information. The audit offers a comprehensive examination of T-Mobile's strategic landscape, encompassing industry dynamics, the company's mission, and its overarching objectives. It proceeds with an extensive external and internal analysis, culminating in insights into T-Mobile's competitive advantage and future positioning vis-à-vis other …

First Solar Strategic Audit, Sydney Pelster, Abigail Cota, Katherine Schoenfelder, Nolan Mauk, Eli Waring

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This case study explores First Solar, a global leader in the photovoltaic solar module industry. Using strategic management strategies and principles, we have curated a strategic audit to analyze the company’s competitive position. We used First Solar’s publications and website as well as general articles on the solar industry, analyst findings, and additional public findings as the basis of our analysis. Overall, our goal was to apply the learned strategic management concepts to a complex organization and identify First Solar’s potential competitive advantages.

We looked at many factors for First Solar, including firm analysis, industry analysis, external analysis, internal analysis, …

External Adverse Neighborhood Factors Influence On Students' Grades 3-6 Schooling Success, Chloe Marie Janssen

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

As education evolves with the growth of technology, it is crucial to study the impacts of external challenges on student outcomes within the classroom. The goal of the present cross-sectional study is to investigate the relationship between a student’s environmental factors and student-peer relationships, academic performance, and engagement, specifically within urban, low-income schools that exist in underserved areas of the community. The following research question is posed: How do external adversities in one’s neighborhood impact a student’s relationship to their peers and success in school? To learn more about this question, we conducted research in partnership with Butler University, the …

Technology Adoption In U.S. Naval Programs: Barriers, Challenges, A Way Forward, Wesley Hill

Executive DBA Dissertations

This dissertation is based on applied research that examines the United States Navy’s current innovation ecosystem, aiming to identify challenges, barriers, and viable solutions. The assessment involved a qualitative study as well as a quantitative study, encompassing respondents from various Navy organizations. Results of the qualitative interviews (study 1) were used to reveal patterns, concepts, and theoretical insights that informed the design of the quantitative survey (study 2). The research revealed significant process gaps, including communication breakdowns across organizations and a critical deficiency in knowledge management. Additionally, the research highlighted suboptimal decision-making among practitioners, negatively impacting the ecosystem. To chart …

Assessing The Impact Of Esg Scores On M&A Performance: A Theoretical And Empirical Examination, Nathan Mortkovitch

Executive DBA Dissertations

This dissertation examines how ESG scores impact the financial performance of acquiring firms in the post-M&A phase. Anchored in the frameworks of Agency Theory and Signaling Theory, this study develops three hypotheses to assess the influence of ESG scores on post-M&A performance. The empirical investigation utilizes a dataset of over 5,000 M&A observations, applying the Arellano–Bond dynamic panel-data estimation technique. This approach provides compelling statistical evidence on the ramifications of ESG scores on the performance of acquiring firms in the post-M&A period.

Fundamental Reporting Differences In Nonprofit Operating Models, Angelica G. Castro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Not all nonprofit organizations rely on donations to achieve their social mission. Some nonprofit organizations, which Dart (2004) classifies as social enterprises, generate revenue through commercial transactions. This study identifies significant operating, monitoring, and efficiency differences between traditional fundraisers and social enterprises. Using panel data and fixed effects regressions, I find that social enterprises report more revenue persistence and better program ratios - a common metric for evaluating nonprofit performance - than traditional fundraisers. I also find that social enterprises are less likely to audit their financial statements than traditional fundraisers. Furthermore, when evaluating operating efficiency, social enterprises appear to …

The Cost Of Student Mandatory Fees: An Examination Of The Longitudinal Growth In Student Mandatory Fees At Four-Year Public Universities In Texas And Their Impact On Student Retention Rates, Charles Matthew Crouse

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The ever-increasing costs and debt incurred by US college students is a hotly contested issue. In March 2022, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) released a refreshed strategic plan for the stateâ??s higher education: Building a Talent Strong Texas. The refreshed plan concentrated on access for minority populations, enhanced student completion goals, and expanded the focus on reducing student debt. Texas set out to lead the nation in the least college student debt reported. One of the least examined or understood college costs is student mandatory fees (Arnott, 2012; Black & Taylor, 2018; Kelchen, 2016; Reinagel & Cooper, 2020). …

"Say What You Can't" By Nick Oliveri, Nicholas Oliveri

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As a writer, Yeorbin both benefited from and competed against artificial intelligence. He shivered a bit but maintained a painful interest in what the video had to say. He thought it ironic that computer scientists were some of the first ones to suffer from artificial intelligence’s jet sweep of human labor. They’re supposed to be the anointed ones. Software engineers are supposed to be the ones with the guaranteed jobs. What’s happening?

What Drives A Firm To Implement Environmental Sustainability Practices?, Julia Elisabeth Suess

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This literature review investigates the motivations that leads firms to implement environmental sustainability practices (EMPs). The research focuses on understanding how business strategy emphasizes sustainable firms and successfully managing their responsibility to employees, the natural environment, and shareholders to protect natural resources. The review answered questions in regard to the motivations to adopt EMPs, differences in proactive and reactive approaches, and environmental sustainability from an industry and country perspective. In addition, the business case demonstrates the cost and the benefits of environmental sustainability practices. The results stem from the motivations to adopt EMPs included external (consumers, competitors, regulators) and internal …

Adaptive Apparel For People With Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review And Future Research Agenda, Md. Rafiqul Islam Rana M.S.,Ph.D, Kerri Mcbee-Black, Ishtehar Sharif Swazan

Faculty Publications

This systematic literature review examines research on adaptive apparel for people with disabilities (PWDs), an underrepresented consumer group. Using the scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and the theories, contexts, characteristics, and methods (TCCM) framework, 51 articles from three academic databases were analyzed based on specific keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria. The review highlighted advancements addressing the needs of PWD consumers, such as innovative designs, user-centered methodologies, and inclusive marketing. However, there remain gaps in areas like disability types, methodologies, cultural factors, and societal barriers. The implications of this research underscore the urgent need for the apparel …

Analyzing Information Diffusion In Social Media Networks, Amin Riazi

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Social media is a dynamic platform where a wide range of information is shared, including both true and false content, and it involves interactions between human users and social bots. This study investigates information diffusion patterns on X (formerly Twitter) by analyzing retweet (repost) network topologies. The results reveal distinct behavioral patterns for humans and bots when spreading true and false information, highlighting the need for further examination of their roles in information dissemination. Moreover, this study tackles the challenge of differentiating between broadcast and viral information diffusion on X, acknowledging the possibility of genuine information also being potentially misleading. …

From Baguettes To Gold Medals: The Paris 2024 Olympics And Paralympics Exhibit Signs, Tim Bottorff, Kerri Bottorff

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: May-August 2024
Featured items: Books from the Rosen Library Collection. Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics mascots and t-shirt. T-shirt and credential from U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Marathon.

Curators: Tim Bottorff and Kerri Bottorff

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From Baguettes To Gold Medals: The Paris 2024 Olympics And Paralympics Exhibit Postcard, Tim Bottorff, Kerri Bottorff

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: May-August 2024
Featured items: Books from the Rosen Library Collection. Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics mascots and t-shirt. T-shirt and credential from U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Marathon.
Curators: Tim Bottorff and Kerri Bottorff

See more items from this exhibit