Business Commons^™

2025 January, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for January of 2025.

Unraveling The Impacts Of Online Secondhand Resellers On Brick-And-Mortar Thrift Stores, Neely Connor

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the current online controversy debating the effects of online secondhand resellers on brick-and-mortar thrift stores. While this debate has been featured in consumer media sources (e.g., Heydari, 2022), there is a lack of scholarly research on this topic. This study seeks to fill that gap by examining the effects of online secondhand resellers on brick-and-mortar thrift stores, particularly concerning price increases, product availability, and quality of items. Online qualitative surveys and interviews were conducted to develop an understanding of the perceptions on this topic held by both online resellers and …

Trash To Textiles: The Journey Of Recycled Plastic In Fashion, Abigael Rasmussen

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Plastic is all around us in modern America and in the world. Plastic is found in our vehicles, clothing, houses—it’s even made its way into our food, our septic systems, our oceans, and even our rain (Seferian). Plastic waste is a very pressing issue that brings up many environmental challenges: microplastics, landfill buildup, air pollution, soil contamination, water contamination etc. The textile industry is a major contributor to plastic pollution with the rise of fast fashion (Bandera). To combat this, textile and environmental scientists are exploring ways to transform plastic waste into usable textile materials through upcycling, “transforming mixed plastic …

2024 Aadej-Adea Gies Foundation Editorial Award - Third Place: Gen Ai, Marisa Watanabe Dds, Ms, Ficd

AADEJ - The Communicator

This article is featured as a recipient of a 2024 AADEJ-ADEAGies Foundation Editorial Award. It explores the growing presence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in everyday life and its specific implications for dentistry. While AI shows great promise in improving diagnostic accuracy in dentistry, the author cautions that it is not without limitations and potential mistakes, such as overfitting, lack of contextual information, limited data diversity, false positives/negatives, inadequate training data, and sensitivity to image quality. The piece stresses that AI should augment, not replace, dental professionals, serving as a supportive aid rather than a definitive diagnostic tool. Key benefits …

2024 Aadej-Adea Gies Foundation Editorial Award- Second Place: The Human Role In Artificial Intelligence, Christopher J. Smiley

AADEJ - The Communicator

This article is featured as a recipient of a 2024 AADEJ-ADEA Gies Foundation Editorial Award. It addresses concerns about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in dentistry, particularly the warning from technology researchers regarding "profound risks to society and humanity" due to advanced AI systems. The author argues that the conversation should focus on AI's potential and, more critically, the essential role humans play in its successful adoption, rather than fears of machines taking over. A main risk identified is blind reliance on AI recommendations, which can lead to a loss of critical thinking, misdiagnosis, or inappropriate treatment decisions. Therefore, focused human oversight …

Aadej And Icd Usa Section — Together For Over 50 Years!, Elaine C. Wagner Dds

AADEJ - The Communicator

With a new-found collaboration of our annual meetings in 2025, we celebrate more than 50-year partnership between the International College of Dentists (ICD) USA Section and the American Association of Dental Editors & Journalists (AADEJ). It highlights that both organizations are composed of individuals passionate about their respective missions: ICD Fellows focus on serving the underserved and improving global oral health, while AADEJ is dedicated to enhancing communication and elevating standards in dental journalism. The collaboration has stood the test of time, and for the first time, their Annual Meetings in 2025 will be held together at the Manchester Grand …

Ai And Personal Finance: Evaluating Rules Of Thumb Generated By Chatgpt, Jing Jian Xiao, Kexin Meng

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to evaluate the information quality generated by ChatGPT on rules of thumb in personal finance.

Design/methodology/approach – Prompts were developed to ask ChatGPT questions regarding rules of thumb in personal finance. After several iterations, we selected seven rules of thumb and asked ChatGPT to provide more in-depth information. The information was evaluated by checking its accuracy and validity based on relevant peer reviewed journal articles.

Findings – We found both advantages and limitations of using ChatGPT for information search. The advantages include its speed of information generation, width of topic generation, adaptivity …

Challenges And Future Strategies For B-Schools, Anatoly Zhuplev, Francisco J. Valle, Jose Rincón, Max Plithides

Management Faculty Works

This chapter examines the evolution of American higher education (HE) and business schools (B-schools) in the historical and contemporary strategic context. It explores the influence of the Humboldtian model on the contemporary HE industry in America. The chapter analyzes the current HE landscape, revenue sources, and global reach. The chapter investigates strategic disruptors like demographic shifts, skyrocketing costs of college and student loan burden, technological impacts, including proliferation of IT and AI, eroding public confidence in HE, and political and regulatory trends. The chapter explores solutions like accreditation reform and diversified credentials. It examines pressures on B-schools, including slow technology …

Revisiting Circular Economy Rebound: Market Dynamics, Policy Implications, And Future Research Directions, Trevor Zink Ph.D., Benjamin H. Lowe, Andrea Genovese, David Font Vivaco

Management Faculty Works

The circular economy has gained momentum as a sustainability paradigm that aims to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation by promoting resource efficiency and waste minimization. However, mounting evidence points to a critical challenge: circular economy rebound (CER). This phenomenon occurs when efficiency improvements intended to reduce resource use provoke systemic, market, or behavioral responses that diminish or even reverse the anticipated environmental gains. This is particularly problematic within growth-oriented economies, where resource efficiency often reinforces rather than reduces consumption. This paper draws on insights from a roundtable discussion with leading experts—Trevor Zink, David Font Vivanco, and Andrea Genovese—to critically …

Modeling Healthcare Managerial And It Sophistication, Gary Hackbarth, Teuta Cata

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Sophisticated healthcare managers understand that managing information and selecting technology are two related but separate skill sets. Information Technology Governance (ITG) allows healthcare organizations to deal with complex issues, compete effectively, and support patient needs by integrating managerial and IT sophistication to improve business performance. An organizational model that merges IT and managerial sophistication by improving ITG to forecast business outcomes must grasp the intricacies of technology to acquire, manage, and utilize information technology in alignment with business strategies. The proposed model differentiates between internal and external IT management strategic thinking, emphasizing the critical need to govern IT effectively by …

Engaging The Plus-Size Community Through Social Media And Public Relations, Esperanza Chavez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores which platform, TikTok or Instagram, best supports engagement andcommunity building for the plus-size audience. Grounded in theories by Goffman, Berger & Luckmann, and David Meerman Scott’s 85-10-5 Rule, the study combines strategic PR methods with digital media tools to elevate plus-size voices. The campaign included 30 Instagram posts, 35 TikToks, street interviews, and a podcast series, all designed and executed for this project. Engagement was measured through likes, comments, shares, saves, follower growth, and qualitative audience feedback.

Book Review: Basketball Beyond Paper, Chad Goebert

Global Sport Business Journal

Dean Oliver’s Basketball Beyond Paper is a thoughtful and in-depth follow-up to his paradigm-shifting work in 2004, Basketball on Paper. Twenty years after Basketball on Paper laid the groundwork for possession-based efficiency metrics, Oliver returns with a deeper focus: incorporating the human side of the game. Rather than simply refining statistical models, Oliver argues that understanding motivation, emotional ups and downs, distractions, and team dynamics is just as critical to winning as traditional data analysis. Written with a direct and technical style, Oliver not only advocates for the importance of analytics in the transformation of how basketball is played, but …

Legal, Professional, And Ethical Issues In Identifying Bias In Artificial Intelligence-Based Personnel Selection, Dennis Doverspike, Arthur Winfred, Rosanna Miguel

2025 Faculty Bibliography

Although still in its infancy, the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in personnel selection has sparked concerns regarding potential implications for bias, fairness, discrimination, and unethical decision-making. This article delves into the complex issue of AI-based personnel selection as it pertains to the preceding concerns, exploring key definitions, bias-assessment methodologies, legal frameworks, professional and government considerations, and ethical dilemmas unique to AI-based selection. The critical role of consulting and industrial-organizational psychologists in ensuring fairness, validity, and nondiscrimination in the selection process is emphasized. The need for transparency, informed consent, and a holistic consideration of diversity/validity in the design of AI-based …

Is Your Supply Chain Breaking Down? Call Aaa For Resilience Assistance, Andrew Zeisler, Mikaella Polyviou, Adegoke Oke, A. Michael Knemeyer, Keely Croxton

2025 Faculty Bibliography

Supply chain disruptions regularly interrupt the normal operations of organizations, impairing their financial, operational, and service performance. Therefore, organizations must develop capabilities to enhance their resilience–their ability to anticipate, overcome, and transform after disruptions. The literature proposes that agility, adaptability, and alignment (AAA capabilities) enhance long-term organizational success but does not explicitly link these AAA capabilities to resilience. Motivated by conversations with senior supply chain leaders, our research explores how organizations utilize practices, behaviors, and structures to build AAA capabilities in their pursuit of resilience over different phases of disruption. We use a grounded theory approach, conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews …

The New Professional: Intentional Goal-Setting For 2025, Amrita Patel D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The article emphasizes the importance of intentional goal setting, networking, and leadership for new dentists to achieve long-term success. It advocates for setting clear, measurable goals, breaking them into manageable milestones, and focusing on building strong professional relationships. Networking with mentors and peers, engaging in social media, and participating in dental organizations are highlighted as ways to foster growth and opportunities. Leadership roles, even in small capacities like volunteering or joining committees, are seen as critical steps toward personal development and career advancement. These strategies collectively help new dentists establish a solid foundation for achieving their professional aspirations.

Effect Of Trade Openness On Food Security In Economic Community Of West African States Region, Yahaya Umar Isah, Ikubor, Ofili Jude, Bernard, O. A., Zakari Saheed S., Ayodeji, S.

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study investigates the impact of trade openness on food security in the ECOWAS trade zone. The study relied on the system GMM approach to analyze the impact of trade openness on overall and disaggregated components of food security in the ECOWAS trade zone during the period 2014 and 2021. Annual time series data were sourced from the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank Metadata base, and World Integrated Trade Solution. Major findings from the study reveal that trade openness has a significant positive impact on overall food security indicators. However, trade openness has not significantly impacted food availability and …

The Global Value Chain Effects Of Rcep: Estimating The Impact On The Philippines, Caesar B. Cororaton

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This paper extends the global CGE model results of Cororaton (2022) by disaggregating further the RCEP trade creation effects on the Philippines into global value chain (GVC) impacts. The GVC analysis indicates that the trade agreement in RCEP results in higher Philippine exports of US$ 2.8 billion in 2031, of which the increase in Philippine domestic value added is US$ 2.4 billion, significantly higher than the foreign value added of US$ 403 million. Electronic products contribute 67% of the value added generated within the Philippines. The increase in the import contents of Philippine exports is only US$ 413 million. Furthermore, …

Cultural Relativism: Addressing Diversity And Expression Of Culture Through Dress, Robert L. Woods, Maureen Archer-Festa, Rachel Raskin, Alyssa Dana Dana Adomaitis

Publications and Research

As America becomes more diverse, so do postsecondary institutions. While they also reflect the world's political, social, and economic climate, institutions of higher learning continuously seek newer and inventive ways to include better culturally diverse students in their programs and campus life. Multicultural education is a set of educational strategies developed to teach students about diverse groups' histories, cultures, and contributions. Moreover, Multiculturalism has become a way of teaching that promotes inclusion, diversity, and democratic learning. If left unaddressed, however, it can breed biases that isolate students, manifest hate crimes, and increase a school's retention rates (Gruman, 2016). Having received …

Prospector Orientation And Csr: The Moderating Role Of National Philanthropic Environments, Alexey V. Semenov, Arilova Randrianasolo

Funded Scholarship

Existing research often frames firms with a prospector orientation as integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) to enhance reputation and competitiveness. However, this perspective typically relies on the resource-based view (RBV) and overlooks the institutional context that influences CSR. Addressing this gap, we examine how national philanthropic environment (NPE), a component of the normative institutional environment, moderates the relationship between prospector orientation and CSR. Drawing on institutional theory and RBV, we analyze cross-country, firm-level data from 262 companies across 10 countries. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we find that in countries with high NPE, prospector orientation is positively associated with CSR, whereas …

Research Reimagined: The Dissertation-To-Book Journey And Building A Scholar-To-Author Presence, Seema Kumar

Master's Projects

This capstone project, completed for a second master's degree after a Ph.D., discusses aspects of transforming the doctoral dissertation on digital versus manual mediums in fashion design into a research monograph book proposal for academic publication. It reflects on a publisher's requirements and the process, including de-thesizing the dissertation, planning the book's structure, rewriting sample chapters to improve flow and readability, and creating a table of contents that demonstrates the work's development into a publishable book rather than a dissertation. Another part of the project includes developing an author platform through blog posts and platforms such as Substack, preparing the …

Digital Battlegrounds: The Power Dynamics And Governance Of Contemporary Platforms, Richard A. Hunt, David M. Townsend, Joseph J. Simpson, Robert Nugent, Maximilian Stallkamp, Esin Bozdag

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

The ubiquity of digital platforms is undeniable, as is their transactional efficiency and world-flattening possibilities. Yet, these platforms are contested battlegrounds where stakeholder power struggles reflect and influence broader societal turbulence. In the emerging era, alongside the blinding speed and global reach of the gig economy are looming specters of rentier capitalism, digiserfdom, misinformation, data exploitation, digital addiction, and near-ungovernable algorithmic agents. To date, scholarly focus on digital platforms has been on their transactional features and impacts, dimensionalizing governance mechanisms as emanating from old economy conceptions of bottom-up or top-down checks and balances, or incentives and efficiencies. These emphases, while …

Insider Threat Agent: A Behavioral Based Zero Trust Access Control Using Machine Learning Agent, Michael Fojude

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Hybrid work, cloud adoption, and freely available AI‑enabled attack tools have exposed critical weaknesses in perimeter‑centric security. Current breach reports attribute more than one‑third of incidents to insider misuse or credential compromise, yet many organizations still depend on static Role‑ or Attribute‑Based Access Control that neither verifies intent continuously nor adapts to subtle behavioral change. This research addresses that gap by designing and validating a behavioral based Zero Trust Access Control (ZTAC) Agent. A five‑year enterprise log Dataset was extracted and cleansed to establish a high‑fidelity baseline of normal user behavior. Feature engineering captured temporal regularity (login sequence, session duration), …

When The Going Gets Tough, Who Gets Going? Relational Embeddedness, Institutional Support And Entrepreneurial Continuance: Evidence From China's Small Business Owners, Tenghao Zhang, Pi Shen Seet, Janice Redmond, Jalleh Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – This study investigates how relational embeddedness and perceived institutional support influence entrepreneurs' intention to keep entrepreneurial ventures going in an emerging transition economy, China, during a major disruption, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – We surveyed 295 small business owners in China during its second COVID-19 wave. Covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) was used to evaluate the model. Findings – The study found that relational embeddedness and perceived institutional support both significantly influenced their intention for entrepreneurial continuance (IEC) through the mediating effects of the three Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) determinants. It also found that relational …

Risk Management, Internal Audit Function, And Corporate Performance, Ahmad Saiful Azlin Puteh Salin, Zubaidah Ismail, Malcolm Smith, Suryani Abdul Raman, Norliana Omar, Siti Marlia Shamsudin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between risk management practices and the internal audit function with the performance of companies. It is interesting to examine how competitive advantage can be achieved when the company is able to face and adapt to a complex business environment via robust risk management practices and an internal audit function. This study uses archival analysis on the annual report of the top 500 publicly listed companies in Bursa Malaysia, which represent approximately 65 percent of the total market capitalization. Both independent variables, namely risk management and internal audit function, are measured …

Determinants Of Customers’ Variety Seeking Intentions On Mobile Food Ordering Applications, Chandrasekaran Padmavathy, Seon Jeong Ally Lee, Murugan Pattusamy, Sanjit K. Roy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mobile Food Ordering Applications (MFOAs) have gained prominence in the hospitality sector, particularly post-COVID-19, reflecting customers’ preference for digital food ordering. Despite this, there remains ample opportunity for substantial research in this evolving domain. This study examines the impact of technological, psychological, and economic factors on customers’ variety seeking intentions, by utilising the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). Drawing on a sample of 979 customers from India, results show that deal proneness, personalised product recommendations, online ratings, and delivery timeliness show mixed effects on variety seeking intentions. The results also show that perceived convenience acts as a mediator between central and …

The Missing Link In Urban Tourism: Connecting Leisure, Accessibility And Resident Participation For Enhanced Value, Juliana Juliana, Amelda Pramezwary, Arifin Djakasaputra, Moh Muhlis Anwar, Ferry Jie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aims to explore the interrelationships between urban leisure opportunities, accessibility of cultural resources, residents’ active engagement in urban tourism and their perceptions of tourism value. By examining these dynamics, the study seeks to provide insights into fostering sustainable urban tourism that benefits both residents and visitors. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a structured survey distributed to urban residents. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the relationships among variables, supported by reliability and validity tests. Bootstrapping techniques further assessed the robustness of the hypotheses. The results indicate significant positive relationships among the studied …

Australia’S Rare Earths Lie Between Economic Security And Liberal Markets, Naoise Mcdonagh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

China’s dominance over the global supply of processed critical minerals and rare earth elements is well documented, as is its willingness to use such dominance for geopolitical leverage. Beijing has applied export controls to restrict supply on numerous occasions. Recent examples include new restrictions applied to gallium and germanium in 2023, antimony in 2024, and seven rare earths in 2025. This has constrained global supply and elevated spot prices of these metals that serve as critical inputs to advanced industry. The frequency of restrictions is growing, as geoeconomic competition heats up and Beijing turns its mineral dominance into a key …

Enhancing Phygital Customer Experience Through Generative Ai: A Social Listening Method For Strategic Retail Decision-Making, Zahra Dahish, Shah J. Miah, Ameet Pandit, Sanjit K. Roy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) to transform vast amounts of textual content for strategic insights have been a rapidly growing trend for business researchers. Although various studies have identified applications of GAI in business operations, aspects related to strategic support are yet to be fully developed in the relevant literature. This paper introduces a new GAI-enabled social listening solution that integrates advanced text analytics techniques: (a) Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)–a specialized form of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) adept at capturing long-term dependencies through its memory function over time, and (b) Google BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers). Our …

Boardroom Dissent: An Integrative Review And Future Research Agenda, Aira Eirola, Pieter Jan Bezemer, Stephan Reinhold

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research Question/Issue: Scholars and practitioners view boardroom dissent as central to the functioning of boards of directors. However, there is a lack of consensus on what dissent is, who is involved, when and where it happens, and whether it is a behavioral or cognitive phenomenon. This conceptual unclarity and related fragmentation of empirical results call for an integrative literature review to build a coherent agenda for future research. Research Findings/Results: A content-analysis of 73 articles published between 1997 and 2023 reveals three distinct research clusters that explore the empirical phenomenon: (1) dissent as expressed through voting, (2) dissent as diverging …

Accessible Tourism: Tourists With Physical Disability - Segmentation Based On Perceived Travel Barriers, Changjiang Tao, Songshan Huang, Jin Wang, Guanghui Qiao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study aims to explore the heterogeneity of the tourist market for people with a physical disability (PwPD) based on travel barriers, to serve them better, from a tourism marketing perspective. Design/methodology/approach: A market segmentation analysis was conducted on a sample of 480 PwPD in Sichuan Province, China, based on their perceived travel barriers. Data were obtained through three on-site and four online surveys. A four-step factor-item mixed segmentation, including factor analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis and chi-square tests, was applied to examine the differences among PwPD tourist market segments in terms of various demographic characteristics, disability conditions (e.g. …