Business Commons^™

To Compare Is Human: A Review Of Social Comparison Theory In Organizational Settings, Michael J. Matthews, Thomas K. Kelemen

Management Faculty Publications

Social comparisons are one of the most ubiquitous behaviors that individuals, groups, and firms undertake. In particular, social comparison theory is based upon the premise that actors are motivated to engage in comparisons and that decisions throughout this process impact employees’ core self-evaluations, team relations, executives’ behaviors, firm prestige, and more. However, despite the prevalence of the phenomenon—and thereby the frequent application of the theory in organizational studies—a synopsis of the theory’s underpinnings and extant findings remains absent. Here, we present a state-of-the-art review that summarizes the theory’s history and mechanics and critically examines how social comparison theory has been …

Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and …

Next In Line: Exploring Owner, Business, And Family Characteristics And Farm Succession Planning, Tucker Lane Bittick

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The growing average age of the American farmer raises concerns about who will be involved in the future agricultural economy. Efficient succession in family farms keeps farm values high, and farms that plan for succession have an incentive to invest more resources into the farm. Knowing what factors on family farms are common when succession occurs could help encourage earlier succession planning. The research questions were: “Are family, business, and owner characteristics significantly related to the presence of a farm succession plan on farms in the Midwest?” and “Are family, business, and owner characteristics significantly related to principal operators’ preference …

Integrated Valuation Of The Ecological, Social And Economic Benefits Provided By A Multifunctional Nature-Based Solution, Laura Costadone, Shan Zhang

ODU Articles

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer multifunctional approaches to address climate change and environmental challenges, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional gray infrastructure. Despite their promise, widespread adoption remains limited, in part due to an incomplete understanding of their full costs and benefits relative to conventional infrastructure. Traditional benefit–cost analyses often overlook non-monetized benefits and the interconnected ecosystem services provided by NbS. This study introduces a methodological approach to quantify both the physical and monetary value of ecosystem services and co-benefits delivered by an NbS project. We applied an integrated valuation framework to a case study in Virginia Beach, VA, USA, where …

Accessibility In Hospitality, Marina Kearns, Reese Middendorf, Seonwoo Yoo, Kamran Ahmad, Matthew Olszewski, Krista Grant

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Accessibility in hospitality venues can present significant challenges for individuals with both visible and invisible limitations. Individuals may benefit from a range of physical and/or cognitive accommodations. At Johnson & Wales University, the Spring Tiefel Scholars have conducted in-depth research on different aspects of accessibility, including mobility, neurodiversity, sensory impairments, respiratory limitations, religious and cultural considerations, and access for the unhoused. Their goal is to help make Rhode Island’s hospitality venues some of the most accessible in the United States. To achieve this, the Tiefel Fellows collaborated with the College of Health & Wellness and other experts to develop a …

A Second Glance, Madeleine Gould

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Success in retail is designed, not discovered. This project followed the challenge of designing a comprehensive business model for a hypothetical retail store, Second Glance. The objective of this project was to accurately simulate the real-world complexities that retail businesses face. It required significant research as well as the application of everything the presenter learned in the Fashion Merchandising and Retailing major curriculum. To start, a situation analysis was conducted to establish marketing positioning as a retailer that specializes in preloved clothing. The target market consisted of 18–25-year-old fashion-forward college students with a low income. Primarily operating as an ecommerce …

Epicuria Food Hall, Gabrielle Tringali

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Epicuria Food Hall (EFH) was developed to create a unique, community-focused dining experience in Manchester, New Hampshire. The initiative addressed common challenges in the dining landscape, such as consumer indecisiveness, group dining struggles, lack of sustainable options, and need for inviting workspaces. EFH introduced an experiential dining destination featuring 9 diverse food and beverage concepts. It emphasized collaboration with small business owners through licensing agreements to showcase established restaurant concepts while retaining flexibility for new ventures.

Epicuria Food Hall featured thoughtfully themed dining areas and offered engaging experiences such as cooking classes, flights, and a speakeasy. A commitment to sustainability …

Nirsa Student Referees: Exploring The Connection Between Sense Of Community And Positive Health And Well-Being Outcomes, Jacob K. Tingle

School of Business Faculty Research

Despite working in complex environments, which require managing antagonistic and abusive relationships, sport referees are essential to ensure fair and safe competition. Evidence suggests officiating can positively impact well-being and officiating communities provide social support. Despite those positives, there remains a shortage of qualified officials, which is compounded by aging referee populations. These concerns emphasize the need to attract young people and examine well-being benefits resulting from involvement in officiating communities. As such, the aim of this study is to help NIRSA professionals better understand how the community or social networks made through officiating intramural sports could better support student …

Corruption Perception, Institutional Quality And Stock Prices: Evidence From The Egyptian Capital Market, Rasha Elbolok, Gina Eltabei, Dina Hassouna

Business Administration

This study examines the impact of institutional quality and corruption perception on stock prices in the Egyptian capital market, with a focus on the post-revolution period from to . Using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methodology, this study provides empirical evidence on the significant role of macro-political factors and firm-specific variables in shaping stock market dynamics. The findings reveal that institutional quality, characterized by governance efficiency, regulatory frameworks, and the rule of law, positively correlates with stock prices. Similarly, enhanced corruption perception control significantly boosts investor confidence, leading to increased market valuations. Firm-level factors such as Tobin’s Q and …

Salary Negotiation Dynamics For Athletic Trainers: Insights From Employers On Expectations And Organizational Influences, Julie M. Cavallario, Forrest Andrews, Kendallyn Johnson, Katherine Schalk, Cailee E. Welch Bacon

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context

While researchers have previously identified that most athletic trainers (ATs) do not negotiate their salary, little is known about employers' expectations and behaviors relative to establishing and negotiating salaries for the ATs they hire.

Objective

To examine employers' expectations and behaviors regarding AT salary negotiation.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Web-based survey.

Patients or other participants

413 employers who are in a role that requires them to negotiate salary offers with prospective AT employees and who have minimally hired one AT into the organization they work for accessed the survey from a random sample of 7,000 ATs (6% access rate); 324 …

Leadership In The Digital Economy: An Investigation Into How Digitalisation Is Changing The Role And Practice Of Leadership In The Australian Defence Industry, Rhogan Aitken

Theses

Digitalisation is a phenomenon that is transforming society and is the process that moves an organisation to become digital. Research was conducted on senior leaders in the Australian defence industry with the purpose of investigating how the role and practice of leadership was changing because of digitalisation. A two-phased qualitative methodology was employed. An initial Delphi study on 13 experts in digital transformation was adopted to gain consensus on key issues, with the results informing a second stage of semi-structured interviews with 32 senior leaders in the Australian defence industry. The results identified factors that were influencing leadership, including increased …

The Tiktok Miracle: Cracking The Code Of Tiktok’S Platform Strategy, Ying Hou, Yanli Zhang, Yiying Zhu

Department of Management Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study decodes the winning platform strategies behind TikTok's rapid rise in the social media ecosystem, aiming to provide generalizable insights for companies in the platform economy. It explores how TikTok overcame the formidable network effects of dominant platforms like Meta and identifies the platform strategies that fueled its unprecedented growth. The study identified six key platform strategies driving TikTok's success: 1) Create a fun and immersive user experience; 2) Build network effects by supporting creators; 3) Harness human psychology in AI algorithms; 4) Foster viral dissemination via social Interactions; 5) Transform its weaknesses into strengths in competition; and 6) …

The Oprah In Me: Becoming Sidney O., Sidney Opal Young

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Oprah Winfrey is a staple in American History and the world. She has infiltrated American media pop culture with a range of experience and expertise in various forms of media: television, literature, radio, Internet and film. Oprah has influenced popular culture. She continuously shared her ‘truths’ through her experiences and successes both good and bad making her extremely relatable. Oprah educates and inform the public about pressing issues in media and the world. Oprah has stood as an icon for many women, including me.

Consumer Experiences In The Secondhand Market: Finances, Frugality, Fashion, & Fun, Melissa Chasko Turner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Secondhand apparel refers to clothing and accessories that have been previously owned, handed down, donated, or resold to others. They are a sustainable product because they are reused instead of being discarded into landfills. Consumer experience refers to the emotional and psychological responses individuals have during their interactions with products and services across all touchpoints. In the secondhand apparel market, consumer experience plays a significant role in product purchasing, and the unique aspects of retail entertainment serve as key motivators. Consumer-perceived risk refers to the uncertainty of adverse outcomes associated with purchasing a product. Purchasing secondhand apparel poses similar yet …

Service Guarantee Decision Of Online Service Providers And Market Implications, Aijun Lu, Fuzan Chen, Harris Wu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Online services face quality uncertainties. To address user concerns, Online Service Providers (OSPs) sometimes provide service guarantees, compensating users if quality falls below a predefined threshold. This paper analyzes how OSPs use service guarantees to navigate market competition and enhance revenue through game theory and queuing theory models. Key findings include the following: offering guarantees enable OSPs to increase prices; in monopolistic markets, guarantees are offered only if the service guarantee strength is sufficient, whereas in competitive markets, decisions depend on relative strengths and competitor actions. Surprisingly, slower response times under service guarantees can boost profits, especially when resource costs …

5g-Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance: An Improved Pbft Consensus Algorithm For The 5g Network, Xin Liu, Xing Fan, Baoning Niu, Xianrong Zheng

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

The consensus algorithm is the core technology of blockchain systems to maintain data consistency, and its performance directly affects the efficiency and security of the whole system. Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) plays a crucial role in blockchain consensus algorithms by providing a robust mechanism to achieve fault-tolerant and deterministic consensus in distributed networks. With the development of 5G network technology, its features of high bandwidth, low latency, and high reliability provide a new approach for consensus algorithm optimization. To take advantage of the features of the 5G network, this paper proposes 5G-PBFT, which is an improved practical Byzantine fault-tolerant …

Employers' Perceived Value Of High School Industry Recognized Credentials, Teri Harris, Mickey Kosloski, Philip A. Reed

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine whether industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) earned in secondary school led to quality employment and which IRCs should be integrated into career and technical education (CTE) high school courses. Using survey data from business leaders across the 14 nationally recognized Career Clusters (Advance CTE, 2024a), credentials were ranked by importance within five program areas (n = 257). Pareto analysis revealed 80% of respondents rated health sciences, family and consumer sciences, and agricultural sciences credentials highest, while business/marketing and skilled/technical sciences/STEM credentials did not rank in the top 20%. This research provides empirical evidence for …

A Systematic Literature Review On Resilient Digital Transformation, Examining How Organizations Sustain Digital Capabilities, Thira Chavarnakul, Li Da Xu, Zhuming Bi, Achyut Shankar, Gaurav Dhiman, Wattana Viriyasitavat, Danupol Hoonsopon

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

In an era marked by relentless technological shifts and market volatility, digital transformation (DT) alone is insufficient. Organizations must develop Resilient Digital Transformation (RDT)—the organizational capabilities required to sustain DT over a medium-term horizon—to navigate these challenges effectively. This study primarily aims to propose a guideline for fostering RDT. Drawing on the PRISMA guidelines and a systematic review of 77 peer-reviewed papers, this study identifies and synthesizes key targets and drivers across three core pillars: Technology, Organization, and External Environment. These elements collectively foster organizational resilience. Specifically, this study highlights how adaptability, innovation, and scalability form the technological underpinnings of …

Towards Dynamic Learner State: Orchestrating Ai Agents And Workplace Performance Via The Model Context Protocol, Mohan Yang, Nolan Lovett, Belle Li, Zhen Hou

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Current learning and development approaches often struggle to capture dynamic individual capabilities, particularly the skills they acquire informally every day on the job. This dynamic creates a significant gap between what traditional models think people know and their actual performance, leading to an incomplete and often outdated understanding of how ready the workforce truly is, which can hinder organizational adaptability in rapidly evolving environments. This paper proposes a novel dynamic learner-state ecosystem—an AI-driven solution designed to bridge this gap. Our approach leverages specialized AI agents, orchestrated via the Model Context Protocol (MCP), to continuously track and evolve an individual’s multi-dimensional …

Feel Bad To Discard A Fashion Product: How Ai Designers Influence Individuals' Sustainable Consumption, Ha Kyung Lee, Dooyoung Choi

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study explores how AI technology in fashion design influences consumers' sustainable consumption behaviors, focusing on emotional attachment to products. By comparing AI-generated and human-designed fashion items, the study examines how designer type impacts negative emotions about discarding products, mediated by emotional attachment. Results from two experimental studies reveal that designer type significantly affects negative emotions toward discarding human-designed items, but emotional attachment was not influenced by designer type in the first study. This lack of difference may be due to personal characteristics that moderate the effect. The second study found that individuals who perceive AI as human-like form stronger …

Exploring The Impact Of Value Co-Creation Through Ai-Driven Chatbbots On Customer Repeat Purchases, Dooyoung Choi, Jaeha Lee

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study explores how perceived value co-creation during chatbot interactions influences customer repeat purchase intentions through cognitive, emotional, and social responses to chatbots. A survey of 220 participants revealed that perceived value co-creation significantly affected repeat purchase intentions, with cognitive evaluations, emotional reactions, and social value serving as key mediators. However, the direct effect of value co-creation on purchase intentions was not significant. The findings suggest that while value co-creation enhances consumer engagement, repeat purchases occur only when consumers experience positive cognitive, emotional, and social outcomes. Therefore, it is crucial for retailers to incorporate …

Resilience Of Food Sovereignty Organizations To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rachel M. Brice

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This sequential explanatory mixed methods study explored the organizational resilience of food sovereignty organizations (FSOs) in the northeastern United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a novel “open structural learning approach” that integrates structural contingency theory, open systems theory, and organizational learning theory, this research examined how FSOs’ structural attributes, resource flows, and organizational culture shaped their ability to navigate crisis. The study engaged FSO leaders through surveys (n = 13) and in-depth interviews (n = 7), supplemented by archival data analysis, to explore factors that strengthened or diminished FSO resilience. Findings revealed that FSOs navigated COVID-19 with multiple concurrent …

Women’S Leader Development: Examining The Impact Of Leadership Grants, Bias Interrupters, Stereotype Threat, And Purpose On Leader Identity, Emily L. Chan

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Leader identity is a proximal outcome of individual leader development processes, particularly important for women leaders who may face systematic denials of their leadership. Understanding the mechanisms that bolster and hinder leader identity is crucial for emerging women leaders. In two simulation experiments, I proposed and tested strategies for mitigating the negative impact of leadership denials and stereotype threat on an individual’s leader identity. In the first experiment, I hypothesized that perceptions of granted leadership claims through written bias interrupter statements (i.e., “women are encouraged to apply”) buffered the negative relationship between leadership denials (ads without the statement “women are …

Artificial Intelligence, Society 5.0 And Smart City Adaptation Initiatives For Businesses: An Integrated Approach, Inês A.M. Gil, Fernando A.F. Ferreira, Neuza C.M.Q.F. Ferreira, Florentin Smarandache, Momtaj Khanam, Tugrul Daim

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The unprecedented migration of populations to urban areas has created major challenges for municipalities and service providers. To address these issues, decision-makers must embrace smart city and Society 5.0 paradigms, both of which focus on adaptability and sustainable development. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role by expanding service capacity, enabling automation, and processing vast data to align urban development with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper develops a multi-criteria analysis system designed to support decision-making in complex socio-technological contexts. Using cognitive mapping and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique within a neutrosophic environment, the study …

Optimizing Port Logistics Through Generative Ai: Revolutionizing Efficiency And Resilience In The Maritime Industry, Minodora Badea, Olga Bucovetchi, Adrian V. Gheorghe, Gabriel Raicu

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The maritime industry faces growing challenges in optimizing port logistics due to increasing trade volumes, environmental regulations, and supply chain disruptions. This comprehensive literature review examines the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI), with particular focus on generative AI, in enhancing efficiency and resilience in port operations. Through systematic analysis of 23 peer-reviewed studies published between 2021-2025, this review synthesizes advancements in real-time data integration, machine learning, digital twins, IoT, and autonomous systems that collectively improve operational decision-making, risk management, and environmental sustainability. Key findings reveal that machine learning applications achieve 90% effectiveness ratings in operational optimization, while predictive analytics …

A Comparative Analysis Of Preprocessing Filters For Deep Learning-Based Equipment Power Efficiency Classification And Prediction Models, Sang-Ha Sung, Chang-Sung Seo, Michael Pokojovy, Sangjin Kim

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The quality of input data is critical to the performance of time-series classification models, particularly in the domain for industrial sensor data where noise and anomalies are frequent. This study investigates how various filtering-based preprocessing techniques impact the accuracy and robustness of a Transformer model that predicts power efficiency states (Normal, Caution, Warning) from minute-level IIoT sensor data. We evaluated five techniques: a baseline, Simple Moving Average, Median filter, Hampel filter, and Kalman filter. For each technique, we conducted systematic experiments across time windows (360 and 720 min) that reflect real-world industrial inspection cycles, along with five prediction offsets (up …

Unconventional Philosophies And Practices: Vietnamese Family Firm Performance In Multiple Countries, Amon Simba, Mai Thi Thanh Thai, Aymen Ammari, James V. Koch, Paul Jones

Economics Faculty Publications

The diversity of business philosophies and practices across family firms suggests their performance is influenced by factors that can be hard to isolate or understand. Based on 215 observations of Vietnamese firms operating in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, we use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis techniques to discern the configurational relationships underlying their performance pathways. Of the 64 possible configurations, three pathways with a high consistency (95 percent) for high performance are distinguishable. These three pathways are characterized by varying degrees of family labor involvement, social network-based labor sourcing, and capital contributions from partners. They reveal how cultural factors, …

Ethnic Politics And Fiscal Dominance: Implications For Currency Union Formation In Sub-Saharan Africa, Benjamin D. Keen, Christine O. Strong

Economics Faculty Publications

Numerous currency unions have been proposed in Africa over the past 50 years, but none have succeeded. This paper asserts ethnic favouritism is a crucial yet often overlooked feature that strongly influences an African government’s willingness to join a currency union. We use a Barro and Gordon (1983) style model that incorporates fiscal dominance, political business cycles and ethnic favouritism to assess the benefits and costs to African households and governments of joining a currency union. Our results show that ethnic alignment between the head of state and central bank governor amplifies fiscal dominance, which reduces an African government’s desire …

Women Leaders' Lived Experiences Of Bravery In Leadership, Michelle E. Bartlett

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Purpose

The research aims to understand the stories of women leaders who have demonstrated bravery in leadership. By analyzing their lived experiences through storytelling and narratives, it seeks to shed light on the challenges and motivations behind their brave actions, contributing to a deeper understanding of bravery in leadership within gender and organizational contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a qualitative multiple case study approach, focusing on the autobiographical accounts of three women leaders to explore their experiences of bravery in leadership. Utilizing narrative analysis (NA), it is grounded in ethical leadership theory and narrative identity theory. The research method involves …

Interfaces, Social Information Processing, And Diversity Cascades: How Board Diversity Influences Invention Output, Daniel Z. Mack, Guoli Chen, Po-Hsuan Hsu, Yen Teik Lee, Gerard George

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Although recent studies report a positive relationship between board diversity and firms' invention output, less is known about the mechanisms by which they operate, given that boards are typically far removed from on-the-ground invention activities. Drawing from research on interfaces and social information processing, we propose a theory of diversity cascades across the organizational hierarchy. Specifically, we posit that board diversity has a positive––albeit indirect––influence on firms' invention output. This relationship is mediated by the diversity of top management teams and inventor diversity, as board diversity cascades from the top to lower ranks of an organization. This indirect effect is …