Business Commons^™

Judging A Book By Its Cover: Exploring Ethical Solutions For Marketing & Labeling Romance Novels With Illustrated Cover Art, Tricia Filbrun

Honors Projects

As social media platforms and subcommunities have driven massive sales for romance titles in the publishing industry, there has been an intense debate among literary communities, parents, and school administrators about whether the illustrated cover art style is appropriate. Some readers feel that these books are intentionally marketed towards a younger audience, and the sexually explicit nature of the content was not made clear, or labeled at all, before they read the book. This paper explores four likely marketing and labeling solutions that could be implemented to resolve this issue, and whether they are ethical by marketing and advertising standards, …

Elijah Northcutt Named 2026 Sibley Award Recipient, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Why Western Michigan University Should Implement A Women's Varsity Ice Hockey Program, Lauren Young

Honors Theses

This study evaluates the feasibility and strategic value of implementing a varsity women’s ice hockey program at Western Michigan University (WMU). As women’s ice hockey continues to experience significant growth at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels, disparities in participation opportunities persist, particularly within institutions that sponsor men’s hockey but not women’s programs. This research argues that WMU is well-positioned to address this gap by establishing a women’s varsity ice hockey team that aligns with institutional goals, gender-equity standards, and national participation trends.

A qualitative case study approach was used to assess feasibility through three primary areas: institutional comparison, …

Hidden Barriers: Enforcement Asymmetry And The Political Economy Of U.S.–Mexico Food Trade And The Cattle Industry, Sabina Prieto, Chris Jackson

Honors Thesis

This project examines how enforcement irregularities in Mexican food safety regulation affect small exporters’ ability to access U.S. markets. On paper, agricultural trade is regulated by laws on food quality, certification, and logistics. In practice, it is how those rules are enforced. In Mexico, big firms and producer associations tend to gain steady support and easier certification, while smaller producers face delays, rejections, or inconsistent oversight that make it much harder to compete. This study uses a comparative case study approach to analyze how similar industries produce different outcomes in market access. By tracing key events such as disease outbreaks, …

Investigating Machine Learning As An Anomaly Detection Tool In College Basketball, Eli G. Whitaker

Honors College Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are more commonly becoming tools that organizations use to prevent, detect, and deter fraud. Like other organizations, the amount of fraud that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) faces is growing at an alarming rate. The primary issue involves athletes that undermine the integrity of their sport by purposefully playing below their true potential as participants in broader betting-related schemes. This thesis focused on Division 1 Men’s Basketball evaluates the viability of using supervised ML to detect anomalies in team performance over games in recent seasons. Anomalies, like red flags in the context …

Improving Transfer Portal Decision-Making Through A Microsoft Excel Optimization Model, Peyton Steffes

Honors Projects

The creation of the transfer portal has increased the mobility of collegiate athletes, giving players the autonomy to switch teams throughout their career. As a result, the roster development process has become more complex, as coaches are tasked with the challenge of recruiting from the transfer portal, which involves an extensive decision-making process. Coaches not only have to evaluate a substantial pool of players, but they also must consider the following constraints they are under: scholarship budget, roster spots available, and positional needs. To simplify this decision-making process, this analysis includes the results of a Microsoft Excel data optimization model …

Changing Employee Motivation From Obligation To Opportunity: Increasing Intrinsic Motivation In Non-Profit Organizations, Evelyn L. Williams

Senior Honors Theses

Motivation is a key driver behind tasks within the workforce. Harnessing employee motivation increases productivity, employee retention, efficiency, and output quality. Non-profit organizations, however, are often unable to devote resources to externally increasing motivation. This study presents a motivational model that is built from three motivation theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory, and Self-Determination theory. By incorporating principles from these theories this model helps organizations internalize and increase the effectiveness of their employees’ motivation through increasing the autonomy, competence, and relationality felt by each employee. The six tenets of the REWARD model give non-profit organizations a framework …

Exploring The Relationship Between Telework Intensity And The Voluntary Or Involuntary Nature Of Physical Work Arrangements Related To Work-Related Rumination, Savannah R. Schwartz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Work-related rumination occurs when an individual thinks about work during non-work hours. Following the emergence of COVID-19, more employers adopt flexible models of physical working arrangements for their employees that extend beyond traditional on-site (working from a designated business office location) models, such as hybrid (working part of the time from home and part of the time at a designated business office location) and fully remote (working from home all of the time) models. The present non-experimental quantitative, cross-sectional survey study explored the relationship between telework intensity (i.e., the amount of time one spends working remotely), as well as the …

A Qualitative Case Study On Leadership And Organizational Dynamics In The Adoption Of A Learning Management System In Higher Education: A Post-Positivist Approach Using The Technology Acceptance Model (Tam), Ashley Hudson Tharpe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this flexible design, qualitative, single case study was to explore the process of a learning management system (LMS) transition and the perceptions of administrators, course designers, and faculty during that process at a higher education institution. The study focused on understanding perceptions of LMS adoption, using the technology acceptance model as a conceptual framework. Three research questions were used to address the problem by providing insights into the procedural, relational, and strategic elements of LMS adoption. Data was collected through 30 semi-structured one-on-one interviews, 33 reflective journal responses, and multiple institutional artifacts related to LMS migration. Six …

Employee Engagement In The Digital Age, Kimberly A. Wells

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher in this qualitative multiple-case study explored how technology has impacted employee engagement in the modern workplace. The problem being addressed is the continual decline in employee engagement, and the limited understanding of whether technology influences engagement -and if so – how it impacts engagement. A flexible design and qualitative methodology were used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 25 subjects across two non-profit organizations. The researcher transcribed each interview, which was then coded and analyzed. The findings revealed several core themes, including digital saturation, device benefits, device etiquette, device boundaries, and technostress. These themes indicate that technology enables greater …

Bridging The Gap: Leadership Support For Military Veterans Who Transition To Civilian Employment, Kimberly S. Buchanan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A gap in leadership support hinders military veteran employees from effectively leveraging their skill sets during their transition from military service to civilian employment, leading to decreased performance, low job satisfaction, and reduced retention of Veteran talent. This flexible qualitative single-case study explored why gaps in leadership support exist for military veteran employees, the extent to which these gaps hinder the utilization of their skill sets, and how leaders can address them. The study included semistructured interviews with 18 military veteran participants, representative of the U.S. Military and diverse in backgrounds. Data analysis involved coding, theme development, and review of …

Psychological Contract And Perma Well-Being, Ryan T. Roddey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The PERMA model, a five-factor framework- positive emotion (P), engagement (E), relationship (R), meaning and purpose (M), and accomplishment (A)- was developed to assess the building blocks of well-being (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). In the workplace setting, organizations perceive how positive organizational psychology shapes employee well-being through exchange relationships (Donaldson et al., 2022). Previous research confirms the effect of the psychological contract on well-being when the contract is violated in the workplace. Yet, limited studies examine the association between overall well-being and employee exchange agreements, such as the psychological contract. This study explored the differences between relational and transactional psychological …

Training & Support Impacts To Leader Mental Health: A Multiple Case Study, Casey R. Childers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This expansive body of work displays a composite overview of the problem considered, research process employed, and conclusive findings centered on mental health in leadership within the healthcare setting. From the research background, literature review, planning phase, execution tasks, data analysis, and conclusive findings, the research comprehensively signifies a complex contribution to the current body of knowledge. Throughout this study each of the specific research phases are carefully outlined to fully identify the problem surrounding insufficient support systems and the subsequent impact on team engagement, retention, and overall performance. The study leverages a flexible design to approach the problem statement …

Platform Affordances, Produsage, And The Attention Economy: From Red (Taylor’S Version) To The Life Of A Showgirl, Angela Rose Asuncion

The Manuscript: Journal of Taylor Swift Studies

Social media platforms increasingly operate as infrastructures of visibility, shaping the conditions under which cultural content is produced, circulated, and recognised (van Dijck et al.; Nieborg and Poell). This article examines Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) and The Life of a Showgirl as two distinct visibility configurations emerging from the affordances and algorithmic logics of TikTok and Instagram. Drawing on platform studies (Abidin), celebrity theory (Dyer; Marshall; Marwick), and participatory culture and produsage (Jenkins; Bruns), the study employs a QCA-inspired configurational approach (Ragin) to analyse how clusters of affective cues, aesthetic strategies, parasocial signals, and circulation patterns generate contrasting visibility …

China-Canada Resource Diplomacy: New Era Of Land Grabbing, Valdrin Dragusha

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This paper examines the evolving economic relationship between China and Canada, particularly in the context of China's transition from a strictly social economy to an authoritarian socialist market economy. It highlights the implications of China's Going Out Policy initiated in 2000, aimed at securing vital natural resources amidst growing domestic demands driven by rapid economic expansion. The paper analyzes China's significant demand for resources, its sustainable development policies, and the changing dynamics of land acquisitions, particularly in relation to Canada, which is perceived as a strategic investment destination due to its abundant natural resources and technological advancements in clean energy. …

Research On The Characteristics Of Energy Storage Technology Transfer Networks From The Perspective Of Patent Transfer, Mingli Zhu, Zhanlei Yao

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] Energy storage technology is crucial for addressing climate change and promoting energy transition. A comprehensive examination of energy storage technology and its regional industrial development trends under the context of China's unified national market has significant practical implications for promoting the flow of scientific and technological innovation resources, facilitating achievement transformation, and narrowing regional innovation gaps. [Method/process] This research focuses on patent transfer data to investigate the evolutionary characteristics of technology transfer networks, firstly establishes a novel patent transfer record extraction model to detect technology transfer phenomena. Secondly, it employs the gravity center model to quantitatively analyze the spatial …

Latine Financial Wellness Content Creators: Rhetorical Strategies And Approaches, Ariana Bribiesca

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

The following paper explores Latine popular culture through the lens of Latine Instagram content creators who focus on financial literacy and wellness. First, “Viv” from Overcoming Generational Poverty provides a free budget template and money resources. She is the first in her family to build generational wealth while simultaneously supporting her family financially. Second, Giovanna González, a financial educator and award-winning author of Cultura & Cash: Lessons from the First Gen Mentor for Managing Finances & Cultural Expectations, explores the intersection of culture and finances. Finally, Hip Latina’s “Finances Section” explores content with financial resources as part of their larger …

Clawing Back Fraudulent Profits—Investor Protection Or Regulatory Overreach: The Disgorgement Dilemma In Securities Law, Jessica Sun

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment explores the legal complexities surrounding the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) use of disgorgement as an enforcement tool, specifically addressing the tension between investor protection and regulatory overreach. Sun examines the evolution of disgorgement from a court-created equitable remedy to a power formally codified by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, while highlighting the significant limitations imposed by Supreme Court rulings in Kokesh v. SEC and Liu v. SEC. The comment centers on a current circuit split between the Second Circuit’s decision in SEC v. Govil—which requires a showing of "pecuniary harm" to victims before awarding disgorgement—and …

Copyright On Stage: Protecting The Directions Behind The Performance, Eliana Sakin

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

In this comment, the author argues that theatrical stage directions should be recognized as copyrightable material under the U.S. Copyright Act, primarily by categorizing them as "choreographic works". Sakin highlights that while the 1976 Copyright Act explicitly protects choreography and pantomimes, stage directions—which serve as the "blueprints" for a production's blocking, technical cues, and artistic mood—currently exist in a legal gray area. Through an analysis of historical context and industry disputes, such as the Urinetown and The Most Happy Fella settlements, the author illustrates a growing industry recognition of a director’s staging as a protectable, original contribution, despite the lack …

Scotus Rules For Whistleblowers: What Eliminating The Retaliation Requirement For A Sarbanes-Oxley Discrimination Claim Means For The Future Of Corporate Whistleblowing, Abigail Pezzolo

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment analyzes the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC. The author examines how the Court addressed the significant "information asymmetry" that often leaves employees unable to prove an employer's specific retaliatory intent. By confirming that plaintiffs are not required to provide proof of "retaliatory animus," the decision reinforces the "contributing-factor" burden-shifting framework established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Pezzolo argues that this holding is a critical victory for whistleblowers, as it lowers the evidentiary hurdles for those reporting financial misconduct and encourages corporations to implement more robust internal transparency systems. Ultimately, the article situates this …

Diverging Views On Class Certification In The Insurance Industry: Uniform Valuation Methods For Totaled Vehicles, Celine Makhani

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment explores the legal challenges surrounding how insurance companies calculate the "actual cash value" of totaled vehicles . The author focuses on the controversial use of "negotiation adjustments"—deductions insurers apply based on the assumption that buyers typically negotiate car prices downward—which policyholders argue systematically undervalues their claims. The central conflict of the article is a significant circuit split: while the Ninth Circuit in Jama v. State Farm recently allowed these claims to proceed as class actions, the Fifth Circuit in Sampson v. USAA reached the opposite conclusion, requiring individual proof of harm for each policyholder . Makhani analyzes these …

Ultras: Rethinking Tax Policy For Digital Assets, Lauren Liedel

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment examines the challenges current federal tax policy faces in addressing the rapidly expanding and volatile digital asset market. The author argues that the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) current "piecemeal" approach to defining taxable events—such as mining and staking—creates significant uncertainty for taxpayers and leads to strategic litigation. To resolve these issues, the article proposes the adoption of Unliquidated Tax Reserve Accounts (ULTRAs) as an alternative reporting framework. By utilizing blockchain's inherent capability to track notional interests, ULTRAs allow the IRS to account for economic activity while offering taxpayers the flexibility to defer actual payment until the assets are …

Relevance Matters After Patel: Where The Economic Substance Doctrine Goes From Here, Daniel Chung

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This article examines the modern Economic Substance Doctrine (ESD) through the framework of the Tax Court's decision in Patel v. Commissioner. The author argues that Patel serves as a "doctrinal reset," restoring the ESD to its intended role as a narrow, purpose-driven judicial backstop rather than a generalized anti-abuse tool. Central to this analysis is the reemergence of a "relevance" inquiry, which requires courts to determine if the ESD applies to a transaction at all—based on pre-codification common law—before engaging the statutory two-prong test under Section 7701(o) . While the court in Patel ultimately found the doctrine relevant and sustained …

Guarding The Game: Building A Defensive Line Between Athletes' Biometric Data And Gambling Interests, Caroline Hébert

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment examines the intersection of wearable technology, professional sports, and the burgeoning sports betting industry. Focusing primarily on the National Football League (NFL), the author explores how biometric markers such as heart rate, stress levels, and fatigue—originally intended for player health and performance—are increasingly targeted for commercialization in the gambling market. The comment provides a critical analysis of the current legal landscape, noting that existing frameworks like HIPAA and GINA, as well as current Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), offer insufficient protections for athletes' sensitive personal data. Hébert identifies key points of exploitation by third-party vendors and highlights the conflicting …

Your Money, Your Message, Ella Rosebrook

Honors Projects

The Your Money, Your Message pamphlet offers a basic overview of personal finance and personal branding to act as a guide for young adults looking to further their knowledge in these areas. It gives beginner-level guidance in budgeting, tracking spending and saving habits, filing taxes with a CPA, a brief description of common payroll taxes, and personal branding. It is important for individuals entering the workforce to be knowledgeable in these areas no matter what their major is, as these skills will bring about a positive impact for anyone. Developing healthy personal finance habits and a strong personal brand is …

Steve Coleman Recognized By Ohio Valley Conference, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Library Programming And Marketing Best Practices For Gen Z Audiences, Maria Atilano

Library Faculty Presentations & Publications

A lot has changed in marketing and outreach in the last decade, but this question remains the same: how do we reach audiences we wish to serve? The Gen Z audience (those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s) are unlike other generations that came before them. These digital natives who have never been without the internet would seemingly be easy to reach with social media content and advertisements, but that’s not always the case. Join Maria Atilano, Student Engagement Librarian at the University of North Florida, for an enlightening webinar that explores how best to reach and engage …

University Theatre Guild Guide, Maria Perez

Honors Theses

The WMU Theatre Guild Assistant position is one of the primary assistantships in the Arts Administration department. The Theatre Guild Assistant works alongside Emily Duguay, the Director of Arts Administration, Joan Herrington, the Director of the School of Theatre and Dance, and the WMU Theatre Guild Board to manage their daily operations and help develop donor events. The University Theatre Guild Guide explains the details and processes this position follows. This guide is broken down into four sections. The first section is the Introduction. The Introduction includes congratulations from the past Theatre Guild Assistant and a short breakdown of the …

Navigating Uncertainty: A Deep Insight Into Tariffs’ Effects On The Automotive Industry, Gavin J. Gautier

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to address the financial, strategic, and external effects caused by tariffs within the automotive industry, with a specific focus on the effects caused by the Section 232 tariffs imposed on aluminum and steel. More Specifically this thesis will examine a comparative analysis of General Motors between 2017 and 2018 during the Section 232 enactment. While traditional studies tend to observe the input-cost effect, my hope is to examine the broader effects at the firm-level, such as inventory shifts, cost management, and risk hedging procedure. Through an evaluation of GM’s 10-K filings, key financial ratios, …

Personality, And Generation In Green Entrepreneurship, Julie Garritano

Honors Projects

This research investigates the drivers of Green Entrepreneurial Intent (GEI) by examining the intersection of personality traits and immigrant generation status. Utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework, the study focuses on how openness to experience and conscientiousness—the traits most strongly associated with sustainability-oriented innovation—influence entrepreneurial intentions.

A central aim is to determine how first- and second-generation immigrant statuses moderate these relationships, particularly through the lens of intergenerational transmission of values and social norms. The study integrates illustrative case analyses of Timberland and Patagonia to trace how environmental stewardship and ethical business practices evolve across successive leadership generations.

The …