Business Commons^™

Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report, Tennessee. Governor's Office Of Diversity Business Enterprise, Tennessee. Department Of General Services

Annual Reports

This annual report highlights the purchases and contract awards of the Governor's Office of Diversity Business Enterprise for the fiscal year.

Effects Of Physical Activity Intervention On Reducing Neck And Upper Extremity Pain Intensity For Female Office Computer Workers, Peng Cheng Sung, Tiffany Chiu, Yunsen Wang

Department of Accounting and Finance Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The computer usage among office workers had increased tremendously in past recent years and the surge in computer usage has created a surge in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) on arm, neck, and shoulder. For prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in relation to gender and age, females had higher risk and prevalence of upper limb complaints and the prevalence of WRMSDs generally increases with age. Systematic review studies had reported effectiveness of various physical activity (PA) interventions on improvements of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSDs) or neck pain for office workers. However, the degree of adherence of PA interventions with WHO guidelines …

Editorial: Citizen Initiatives For Global Solidarity (Cigs) In Disaster And Humanitarian Response, Erika Frydenlund, Hanne Haaland, Jose J. Padilla, Hege Wallevik

VMASC Publications

[Introduction] The papers in this Research Topic contribute to the growing body of knowledge on citizen-led initiatives responding to disasters and humanitarian emergencies globally. From conflict and climate change to increased migration and the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faces humanitarian challenges of unprecedented scope and scale. With the globalization of news, travel, and crowdfunding, these crises have become more visible to ordinary citizens, prompting some to start their own aid initiatives. These small, often spontaneous organizations, sometimes referred to as Citizen Initiatives for Global Solidarity (CIGS), emerge to address urgent needs. Our team has studied the phenomenon of citizen-led aid …

Environmental Taxation In Spain: Policy And Practice, Emily Sang Lynch

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Understanding Neurodiversity And Executive Disfunction To Discover More Effective Accommodations And Create A More Inclusive Workforce For Neurodivergent Individuals, Carley Dahlstrom

Honors Theses and Capstones

The goal of this paper is twofold. One: understand executive disfunction to gain a broader understanding of neurodiversity and the challenges those with neurodiversity face in the workforce. And two: research different accommodations to combat executive disfunction and evaluate their effectiveness. To accomplish these goals, an extensive literature review was conducted to understand neurodiversity, executive disfunction, government requirements relating to accommodations, and an exploration of current accommodations available. Additionally, research was conducted in the form of interviews and a survey to expand and add to the overall understanding of this research area.

Results of the survey indicate an overall lack …

Investing In Love: The Finances Of Getting Married, Allison Frances Ivers

Honors Theses and Capstones

In attempts to examine the influence vendors have on consumers within the wedding industry, this study investigates the emotional and financial extremes brides will achieve to attain their definition of a “perfect” day. Additionally, the research shows the relationship between consumer behaviors related to wedding spending. The findings highlight the economic impacts associated with the bridal industry and the trends that define it. Couples value their wants and needs with their desire to be married. Although vendors can dictate their margin of the market, the couples getting married hold the purchasing power. During the search for secondary research, there was …

The Future Of Building: The Potential Impacts Of 3d Printing Within The Construction Industry, Alyssa Morrison

Honors Theses and Capstones

This research investigates the expanding practice of 3D printing in construction, focusing on its potential impacts and challenges it will face within the industry. Emphasizing both its sustainability and cost-saving benefits, this paper examines how 3D printing could potentially revolutionize traditional building methods. The ability to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, address the global housing shortage, and reduce material waste are addressed. Through interviews with industry professionals, as well as a thorough literature review, the research explores the factors driving interest and investment in 3D printing technology. Additionally, it analyzes common misconceptions regarding 3D printed structures and pinpoints areas for further …

Artificial Intelligence In Stock Analysis And Portfolio Building, Sean M. Lynch

Honors Theses and Capstones

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) investment analysts, often referred to as “robo-advisors”, has the potential to change traditional portfolio management. These systems access vast amounts of data and make portfolio management decisions and stock market predictions. In this study, I compared AI-generated portfolios with portfolios that were created manually. Surprisingly, the human-generated portfolios outperformed the AI portfolios. However, the prompt used in the AI application affects these results. The subset of AI portfolios that were created with specific objectives specified in the prompts outperformed those that were created with more generic prompts. Overall, this research sheds light on the …

Consumer Preference In Politics: Polarization In The Us Two-Party System, Jocelyne Y. Bisson

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper uses marketing analytics to analyze the current segmentation and positioning of the US two-party political system. In the literature review, the political parties will be illustrated as they exist in 2024 after a brief historical outline beginning with party politics post WWII. The current 2024 platforms and most polarizing issues will also be outlined in this section. This research aims to answer the following questions. Can marketing segmentation and positioning reveal the most and least polarizing party issues in the United States today? How do current presidential front runners fit into the larger US two-party system? Do their …

The Inflation Reduction Act’S Role In Shaping Pharmaceutical Investment Strategies, Grace Harbour

Honors Theses and Capstones

The impact of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 on the financial strategies of pharmaceutical companies is the focus of this study, emphasizing research and development and capital expenditures. The act introduces a significant change in U.S. healthcare policy by enabling Medicare to directly negotiate the prices of select drugs. Employing a difference-in-differences analysis framework, this study analyzes data from both treated and control firms from Q1 2020 to Q4 2023 to evaluate the immediate financial responses of pharmaceutical companies to this significant legislative change.

Understanding Large Accounting Firm Perceptions On The Decline Of Accounting Graduates And Implications Of Supply Shortages, Lilie Murray

Honors Theses and Capstones

The accounting industry in the United States faces a persistent supply shortage, exacerbated by declining undergraduate interest. The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) has reported a decline in accounting bachelor’s and master’s degrees over the last five years, with the largest drop in 2021-2022 (AICPA 2023). Misconceptions about the profession, high barriers to entry, and generational values are factors in this decline. Mass retirements of Baby Boomers and exits of young-to-midcareer professionals put further strain on the shortage. This study aims to better understand the perceptions of accounting professionals at large accounting firms regarding the decline in accounting …

College Sports As A Business: How Name, Image, & Likeness Deals Have Altered The Way Colleges Operate, Jake Alexander Macinnis

Honors Theses and Capstones

The introduction of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights for student-athletes by the NCAA has significantly altered college athletics, enabling athletes to profit from their personal brands. In this thesis, it examines the multifaceted impacts of thesis changes on student athletes, universities, and the broader collegiate sports ecosystem. Some of the key areas explored include the rise of NIL collectives, the influence of lucrative TV deals on conference realignment, and modifications to the transfer portal. The research highlights the lack of transparency in collective payments, raising concerns about regulation amongst colleges and universities on all levels. This complicates recruitment as …

Implementation Of The Dutch Biking System In The United States Subject: Portsmouth Nh, Linda K. Freeman

Honors Theses and Capstones

This thesis explores the feasibility of implementing the Dutch Biking System in the United States, focusing on Portsmouth NH as a potential candidate for such infrastructure development. By analyzing the history of bicycles, the Dutch biking system, and the American biking system, the study aims to establish the need for enhanced biking infrastructure in the U.S. The research outlines a comprehensive implementation plan based on cost considerations and project scope, with a long-term vision spanning several decades. Key stakeholders, including civil engineers, communications specialists, and data analysts, play crucial roles in designing, promoting, and evaluating the biking infrastructure. The study …

Giving Workers The 'Green Light': Defining Green Jobs And Exploring Their Distribution In The Us, Cole Fuller

Honors Theses and Capstones

As the United States continues to adopt sustainable practices and policies to combat climate change, it is important to consider how these green changes affect the workforce. The term ‘Green Jobs’ has become the colloquial term to refer to sustainable occupations, and despite its popularity in the literature, it often has different meanings in different settings. Our first goal was to explore these definitions and establish one to contextualize our research. We used data from the Occupational Information Network, and used their green job definition, which classifies jobs as green if, and how, they are impacted by the greening economy. …

Artificial Intelligence And The Entertainment Industry, Caroline Rae Mccarthy

Honors Theses and Capstones

Artificial intelligence is a fast-growing technology that is quickly taking over many industries, such as the entertainment industry. Artificial intelligence has the capability to replicate voices, create fake videos and photos, called deepfakes, of just about anything, and can practically bring people back to life. This technology, as it stands now, is similar to the wild west because in the vast majority of places, it’s lawless. Artificial intelligence is growing so rapidly that lawmakers haven’t had a chance to keep up. This paper explains more of what AI does in everyday life, and how its abilities can impact the entertainment …

Threading Unity Throughout Itaa: A Collaboration Of Fashion Academics Across Content Threading Unity: Apparel, Marketing, Beauty And Interior Design Within The Fashion Industry, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, Carter Gabriel Averbeck, Kendel Bolton, Denise Sutton

Publications and Research

Sustainability has been an academic research topic of late that impacts more than just the fashion industry for apparel. Besides the apparel industry, marketing, beauty, and interior design are aware of the promise of sustainability for both the environment and consumers. Sustainability reduces its environmental impacts of pollutants such as carbon footprints and unsold inventory, protecting workers who create garments, and animal welfare (Biela-Weyenberg, 2023) which can impact the supply chain. “The United Nations established the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion in 2019 to hold fashion brands to a higher standard to create environmentally friendly apparel” (2023, p.1). Through modern …

Legal Status Of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego As A Public Development Finance Institution, Sebastian Skuza

Monografie/Monographs

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego jest istotną instytucją w krajowym systemie finansowym. Zakres powierzonych mu zadań spowodował, że niektóre kwestie związane z jego funkcjonowaniem postanowiono uregulować w drodze odrębnej ustawy, wprowadzając rozwiązania o charakterze lex specialis dotyczące banków działających na zasadach komercyjnych. Monografia, jako jedna z pierwszych na rynku, prezentuje krajowe rozwiązania prawne zawarte w ustawie z dnia 14 marca 2003 r. o Banku Gospodarstwa Krajowego, ich analizę oraz ocenę zasadności ich funkcjonowania w kontekście reguły lex specialis również w aspekcie rozwiązań zagranicznych. Autor dokonał również przeglądu innych powszechnie obowiązujących przepisów prawa krajowego, w szczególności ustawy o Prawie Bankowym, a także rozwiązań …

Ailim Healing, Thomas M. Cooney, Martina Brophy

Case Study

For Niamh Malone, her challenges are typical of a high-tech start-up (i.e., raising funding, building an entrepreneurial team, creating a successful business model). However, these challenges are exacerbated by the additional difficulties associated with her disabilities. For instance, Niamh has difficulty securing financial lending due to her poor financial history as a result of not being able to work and having significant medical expenses. This case study requires a student to identify and address key issues in a business start-up, but they must also take cognizance of the additional and distinctive challenges faced by entrepreneurs who have a disability.

Reflections On Channelling Innovation Through Learning Development Support In Business Education In A Pandemic Landscape, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

The pandemic has undoubtedly challenged higher education (HE) in a multitude of ways but bringing lessons forward from that time can enable HE institutions and their staff to not lose sight of what innovative practices emerged that had a positive influence on student learning. Discussed from the perspective of a Head of Learning Development in a Business College which is now located in what is a new Technological University in Ireland, this reflective narrative discusses supporting staff across the diversity of Business disciplines during the impact of, and response to, the pandemic. The focus of the piece is on supporting …

A Study How Gender Equality Affect Financial Inclusion In Pakistan, Mehwish Javed

Master of Science in Islamic Banking & Finance

The study focused on the relationship of gender equality with financial stability and financial inclusion in Pakistan. Time-series balanced annual frequency data between 2007 and 2023 (17 consecutive years) was collected from World Development Indicator (WDI), Global Financial Development Index (GFDI), and Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) databases. The results demonstrated positive relationship between gender equality and financial inclusion. This manifested the fact that gender equality, macroeconomic policies optimizations, adequate operational procedures, and risk management are all top priority areas that require attention to generate sustainable development of the Pakistani banking sector and enhanced financial inclusion. The research proposes …

Innovation Originators, Tabrez Y. Ebrahim, Rafeel Wasif

Michigan Technology Law Review

Asian Americans are one of the most striking and undertheorized ethnic groups in the field of innovation. While a prolific ethnic group when it comes to being named as inventors on U.S. patents, very little has been written on this observation, perhaps because of previously limited datasets and unwieldy data analysis on ethnic backgrounds about patenting at the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). Research on inventor diversity and ethnicity in innovation has begun to explore some ethnic groups, but a more holistic account should focus on one particular overlooked group. Recently, entrepreneurship studies concerning ethnicity have shown that …

Social Media Marketing And Business Performance In Brunei Darussalam Amid Covid-19 Crisis, Safi Ullah Khan, Haja Norain Binti Hj Matali

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

In recent years, the highly competitive business environment and changes in a country's economic situation have affected small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on the global economy and SMEs. The struggle from the pandemic has enabled SMEs to take the challenges to overcome their problems. One way to tackle this problem is that businesses need to improve their marketing strategy by utilizing digital technologies and social media marketing (SMM) platforms, which can improve SMEs resilience and business performance. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of SMM on SMEs’ business performance …

Understanding Product Interest Through Mouse-Cursor Tracking Analysis, Christopher Coors, Jeffrey Jenkins, Joseph S. Valacich, Markus Weinmann

Faculty Publications

With third-party cookies being banned, alternative methods to assess users’ interests online are necessary. We propose that analyzing mouse cursor movements can help address this need. Based on the response activation model, we hypothesize that interest in a product will decrease the user’s movement speed and increase the number of submovements. We conducted an online study that monitored users’ mouse movements while they were presented with several products and navigated to a button to indicate purchase intention (yes/no). Following this, participants ranked their interest in each product. Contrary to our prediction, we found that product interest increased speed and decreased …

Supply Chain Managerial Processes And Models For Transportation And Facilities Resources Second Edition (2024), Michael Haughton

Business Faculty Publications

Smooth and efficient flows goods through supply chains depend on two crucial physical resources: supply chain facilities such as warehouses and transportation (e.g., trucks, trains, ships, airplanes, and pipelines). This textbook, "Supply Chain Managerial Processes and Models for Transportation and Facilities Resources", is designed to give students, professionals, and others a comprehensive understanding of the intricate workings of those two resources.

The book is particularly relevant to logistics and transportation courses in post-secondary business programs: both upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate/MBA courses. The book can also be used in courses outside of the traditional post-secondary educational system: e.g., continuing education …

Meaningful Consumption, Aditya Gupta, Meike Eilert, James W. Gentry

Faculty Publications – Marketing

While consumers frequently seek meaning through their marketplace interactions, a comprehensive understanding of meaningful consumption is conspicuously absent from marketing literature. Such insight would notably benefit macromarketing scholars who aim to evaluate the implications of consumer purchasing decisions on quality of life. Addressing this gap, our study employs 40 in-depth interviews to arrive at the phenomenological essence of meaningful consumption. We discover that meaningful consumption comprises three key themes—rejuvenation, expansion, and consolidation—accompanied by seven related sub-themes: repair and reconnection; intellectual, pragmatic, and relational expansion; and crystallization and contextualization. Our overarching framework enriches macromarketing theory by virtue of its ability to …

The Best Of Both Worlds: Affiliation And Agency In Traditional And Gig Work Choices, Nathan S. Hartman, Joy H. Karriker

Faculty Publications – Management

The opportunity to construct a career and the prevalence of virtual work are hallmarks of the extant environment that makes career decisions and workforce recruitment increasingly complex. We seek to understand jobseekers’ choices in this context, which allows for great personal control and independence. We draw on the career self-management stream of social-cognitive career theory to inform our examination of the influences of certain applicant work preferences and individual characteristics on preferences for gig or traditional work and related job-seeking behaviors. Findings from this study indicate that a sense of agency and need for affiliation are significantly related to new …

Healthcare Workers With Attitude: Covid-19 Pandemic Affects Their Work-Related Attitudes, Quinn M. Sybert

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The COVID-19 pandemic left an unforgettable mark on the world, affecting individuals and societies on an unprecedented scale in this modern era. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the attitudes of healthcare professionals, specifically doctors and nurses working in a hospital in the southwestern United States. My research question is: did the COVID-19 pandemic change healthcare professionals’ work-related attitudes, specifically sense of calling, work meaningfulness, strength of workplace friendships, and organizational identification? Data collected from two cohorts of healthcare professionals both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in the months of February 2019, January and February 2020, …

Leading Financial Indicators Of Corporate Bankruptcy, Macee Patritti

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Civic And Community Engagement Among Poor Rural Women In Bihar: A Pilot Study, Kirk Leach, Mirivel Julien, Tusty Ten Bensel, Avinash Thombre

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Civic and community engagement is often crucial for the successful development of rural areas and a catalyst of personal transformation. This article examines changes in civic and community engagement among women in rural Bihar, India. Using an exploratory factor analysis of survey data from n = 815 respondents who participated in Heifer’s Values-Based Holistic Community Development [VBHCD] training, the study identifies three factors that constitute civic and community engagement. Next, the study assesses the efficacy of VBHCD’s impact on participants’ civic and community engagement relative to participants’ duration in the program and type of self-help group. The results indicate that …

Optimizing Organizational Growth: Exploring The Integration Of Business Development, Leadership And Project Management, Nathalia Romao

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This quantitative study investigates the integration of business development, leadership, and project management practices to optimize organizational growth. Despite the extensive literature on business management, organizations continue to face challenges such as communication gaps, monitoring inefficiencies and discrepancies in the division of tasks, which undermine performance and stakeholder satisfaction. This research aims to identify effective strategies for aligning these critical areas, focusing on agile, waterfall methodologies and a hybrid project management suggestion. Opinion research and correlational analysis will be carried out to collect and analyze data from professionals from various sectors. Cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys provide information on current integration …