Business Commons^™

An Insurance Case That Develops Problem-Solving, Statistical Analysis, And Excel Skills, Ed Pappanastos, Jeffrey Bohler, Benjamin Larson, Charles Coco

Journal of Business, Industry, and Economics

Good Faith Insurance, a thriving hometown insurance company, has established itself by building strong, trust-based relationships within its community. After nearly a decade of consistent profitability, the company implemented three strategic initiatives to expand its footprint and enhance its brand as a high-quality regional insurer. This case study invites students to assess the financial impact of these strategic decisions, offering a valuable opportunity to refine their decision-making and problem-solving abilities. It is particularly well-suited for undergraduate courses in statistics or insurance.

The Role Of Psychological Capital In Shaping Leaders’ Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence: Mindset Meets Machine, Justin W. Carter, John A. Parnell, Steven Puckett

Journal of Business, Industry, and Economics

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize the construction industry, yet the pivotal role of leaders’ attitudes in its successful adoption is undeniable. This study explores these attitudes' potential positive psychological drivers, leveraging the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) to dissect the complex interplay of factors influencing AI adoption. We hypothesize that Psychological Capital (PsyCap’s) plays a role in shaping leaders' positive and negative attitudes toward AI. Results show that PsyCap was a significant driver of both positive and negative attitudes. Moreover, negative attitudes toward AI partially mediated the link between PsyCap and positive attitudes, underscoring …

Impact Of Financial Management System On Organizational Accountability And Responsibility: A Study Of Corporate Entities, Nur Farhanah Binti Marjuni, Junaid M. Shaikh

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

This research investigates the impact of Financial Management Systems (FMS) on organizational accountability and responsibility in Brunei's manufacturing sector, utilizing a mixed-methods approach that includes primary data collected through questionnaires distributed to 41 local manufacturing companies and supplemented by secondary data from other ASEAN countries for comparative analysis. The primary focus is to assess the awareness and significance of efficient FMS implementation. Findings demonstrate a substantial influence of FMS on organizational accountability and responsibility, supported by an analysis of primary and secondary data from the ASEAN region. Nevertheless, this study acknowledges limitations such as its exclusive focus on Brunei and …

Chinese Fintech Goes Global: Political Challenges And Business Strategies, Yujia He

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications

Fintech (the application of digital technology to financial services) has witnessed unprecedented growth, bringing significant implications for the financial system and sustainable development.1 The Financial Stability Board, an international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system, defines fintech as “technologically enabled financial innovation that could result in new business models, applications, processes, or products with an associated material effect on financial markets and institutions and the provision of financial services.”2 The use of technology in finance is certainly not new—consider the growth of electronic banking and high-frequency trading in the early 2000s. In the past two …

Two Essays To Encourage Agritourism Cluster Development In The Appalachian Region: An Analysis Of Agritourism Operation Regarding Clustering And Toolkit Curriculum For Cluster Development, Oluwatoyin Adebisi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focused on encouraging agritourism operators in the study area to engage in clustering. Collaboration within networks and clusters is strongly encouraged as a catalyst for accelerating industrial transformation, developing regional competitive advantages, and boosting company and job creation. All these factors ultimately contribute to economic progress and prosperity. A snowball sampling method was used to survey 192 agritourism operators, with 145 responses meeting the inclusion criteria for analysis. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify factors contributing to agritourism business development in the selected six states. Based on a linear regression model, the findings reveal that net income …

A Critical Event Narrative Analysis Of African Women Immigrant Entrepreneurs In The United States: Impacts Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Damilola T. Fasinu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This doctoral research presents a qualitative critical event narrative study focused on African Women Immigrant Entrepreneurs (AWIE) in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to explore the unique challenges, coping mechanisms, and resilience strategies of AWIE by examining their experiences before, during, and after the pandemic. The research is driven by three guiding questions: (1) How do AWIE describe their experience before the pandemic? (2) During the pandemic? (3) After the pandemic? This inquiry provides a comprehensive narrative, capturing the challenges and successes experienced in the pre-pandemic environment, documenting the immediate impacts of the pandemic on …

Executive Compensation And Competitive Behavior Of The Firm: A Behavioral Agency Perspective, Oleksandr Tsaruk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation attempts to address the research question: how does the CEO’s compensation structure affect the firm’s competitive actions in the context of rivalry with competitors? Prior research has systematically examined antecedents of firms’ competitive actions, such as TMT characteristics, industry structure, exogenous shocks, competitive attacks and counterattacks. However, there is a lack of systemic research on how CEO compensation structure serves as a motivational factor of the firm’s competitive actions. The influence of the CEO on a firm’s competitive behavior has long interested scholars in strategy research. Thus, filling this gap in the literature is of significant importance.

This …

Ethics In Action: Exploring B Corporation Certification, Value Congruence, And Empathy Within Organizations, Jiahui Lu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is comprised of three studies. It explores ethical practices within organizational settings from three different perspectives: a macro perspective, an individual perspective, and a micro-level interaction perspective. The first study examines the earnings management behavior of B Corporation managers, providing a macro view of how an external corporate certification may address the broader issue of business ethics. The findings of this study contribute to the legitimacy of B Corporations and our understanding of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and earnings management. The second study investigates the effect of value congruence on employee whistleblowing at for-profit social mission …

Ireland, Intellectual Property And The Political Economy Of Information Monopolies, Kenneth W. Murphy

Articles

Ireland’s policies towards US-owned global digital intermediaries (Big Tech) have emerged as an international political issue and received global media attention. So far, political and media focus has been on the impact of Ireland’s tax policies on the revenue-raising ability of other European states and perceptions of light touch regulation of those corporations based in the Republic. The current paper will focus on how Ireland’s switch to a focus on capital allowances for the sizeable American tech corporations has enabled the latter to sustain their dominance in the digital transition through incentivizing and subsidizing their switch to assetization as a …

The Influence Of Celebrity Endorsers On Brands' Perceived Warmth And Competence, Helene Gilis

Honors Program Theses

The utilization of celebrity endorsers has become a prevalent strategy among marketers in recent years, serving to enhance brand communication and audience engagement. This study examines the dynamic relationships of celebrity endorsements, specifically investigating the impact of perceived warmth and competence on celebrity endorsers through the stereotype content model (SCM). The model was introduced to fill the research gap in a marketing context on the influence of the perceived warmth and confidence of endorsers on the perception of brands and, subsequently, consumer behavior. Furthermore, the research evaluates the consequential effect of brand image on key brand elements, including purchase intention, …

Water Misuse In Tourism And Link To Poverty Cycles, Chloe Landry

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Tourism is a key distributor of wealth in many developing countries and yet they still struggle with basic needs like food, adequate shelter, and water. Water poverty is extremely prevalent in already poor locations, and when this situation merges with over-tourism it only gets worse. Tourists consume almost 3-4 times the amount of water than locals. This can be from showers, kitchen appliances, recreational uses, and the drinking supply. Since tourists bring in economic empowerment for these destinations, they are inclined to use however much water they please while the locals suffer. This creates a cycle of poverty that begins …

Crikey: A Man Misremembered, Emma Smith

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Hegemony in media is the process in which the dominant ideologies of a society are upheld through signs, signifiers, and other imagery. Using “The Crocodile Hunter,” Steve Irwin as an example of a larrikin, media artifacts and biographical remnants of Irwin’s life were assessed to determine if Steve met the criteria to be considered a larrikin. Critical opinions of Steve Irwin, as well as profiles of other famous Australian larrikins, were also used to compare and contrast the ideals of the larrikin. The purpose of this project was to analyze the concept of hegemony and how it relates to larrikinism, …

Introducing Accessibility To Sustainable Tourism, Emma Akian

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Tourism is a universal activity, but not every individual has equal access to travel. This proposal analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the accessible tourism industry to identify ways of making travel both more accessible and sustainable. It focused on the benefits of incorporating accessibility into the three pillars of sustainable tourism: environment, community, and economy. With an estimated 1.3 billion people living with a significant disability globally, tourism providers are neglecting a significant demographic of travelers with immense influence over tourism revenue. Barriers to accessible tourism include a lack of comprehensive information, poor digital accessibility, and both physical and …

Student Mental Health Crisis: A Study In Stress, Cara Steere

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This research project explores the question “Why are mental health issues increasing in high school and college students and why are the issues they are dealing with so different from one another?” A literature review was conducted to understand the difference between high school and college stress. 61% of students have said that performing well and getting good grades deemed satisfactory has "put them over the edge". To further understand the plague of mental health issues, 1:1 interviews peer interviews were conducted to compare the stress of high school and college. These interviews showed that high school and college stress …

Textile Designs & Collection, Paige Brown

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

An apparel and home furnishing collection made from original textile designs and a color palette rooted in nostalgia. Made to round out my time in RTL3075 Textile Design, these patterns, and the subsequent collection, were made using Procreate and the sample fabric through the fabric company Spoonflower. The materials were selected using our Spoonflower Fabric Kits. The final presentation goes over the details of this collection, the inspiration, target audience, and specifics about the patterns and materials. When making this collection, I had the college student, and the comfort they would want in their off time, in mind. I wanted …

Uncovering The Green Procurement Knowledge Structure: A Systematic Citation Network Analysis, Abderahman Rejeb, Karim Rejeb, Andrea Appolloni, John G. Keogh, Mohammad Iranmanesh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recently, academics and practitioners have devoted considerable attention to studying green procurement. Due to the growing number of articles in this fast-evolving domain, it is critical to examine the current body of knowledge thoroughly. The knowledge structure and dissemination channels in this field have been systematically examined for the first time. Four hundred fifty-two Scopus journal articles were analysed using keyword co-occurrence network and main path analysis (MPA) to identify the important research topics and historical evolution of green procurement research. The findings indicate that the literature focuses on multiple topics, including green supply chain management, sustainable public procurement, sustainability, …

Spiritual Grounding As An Influence On Servant Leadership Practice Among Senior Executives In U.S. Publicly Traded Companies, Nancy K. Bosire

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the influence of spiritual grounding on the practice of servant leadership among senior executives in publicly traded companies in the United States (U.S.). The research problem centers on the potential marginalization of individuals aspiring to practice servant leadership without spiritual grounding. The study aims to investigate whether spiritual grounding is foundational for servant leadership practice and to examine the relationship between servant leadership, spiritual grounding, and reliance on authoritative sources. Through a comprehensive review and analysis of existing literature, this research identifies a gap in understanding the role of spirituality and authoritative sources in servant leadership practices. …

Emotional Intelligence And Its Influence On Burnout From Surface Acting In A Seasonal Service Industry, Jeremy Fishman

Dissertations

In the world of customer service, it is commonly believed that the customer is always right, even when they may not be or may be. Roles that carry immediate interaction with the consumer have certain expectations that employees must fulfill, necessitating both surface acting and deep acting; tenets of emotional labor (Diefendorff et al., 2006). Previous research has revealed that relying solely on surface acting can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout, impacting individuals and even spreading through emotional contagion (Mawritz et al., 2012; Totterdell & Holman, 2003). Leaders turn to emotional intelligence to address these challenges, which can potentially …

Regulatory Innovation And (De)Legitimisation: Accountability Challenges In The Healthcare Field, Kazeem Akinyele, Lisa Baudot, Jared Koreff, Steve Sutton

School of Business Faculty Research

Accounting research examines accountability in the healthcare field but little attention is paid to how contemporary regulatory innovations (e.g. AI-driven data algorithms) impact accountability objectives. We address this concern through a study of how regulatory innovations may appropriate accountability by (de)legitimising healthcare actions. This is examined in the case of a regulatory innovation enacted in the US healthcare sector. Specifically, we employ a field study of a healthcare provider subject to oversight to highlight how actors (de)legitimise the provision of healthcare services. Our findings show that regulatory innovation generates debates around illegitimate services as determined by healthcare oversight contractors. These …

Contextualizing The “Spanish Dream”: Using Critical Hrm To Understand Immigrant Homeownership In Spain, 2000–2009, Mario V. Gonzalez Fuentes, Jonathan Ross Gilbert, Robert F. Scherer, Carlos Iglesias-Fernandez

School of Business Faculty Research

Purpose A pronounced rise in postpandemic immigration is creating consumption opportunities and challenges for countries worldwide. Past research has shown that immigrant homeownership indicates advanced consumer acculturation. However, critical factors which differentiate immigrant decisions to purchase a home remain underexplored. This study aims to examine the importance of different identity resources in determining homeownership gaps between immigrant groups in Spain during a dynamic decade.

Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods research design with triangulation was used. First, the critical “historical research method” is used to empirically assess 15,465 household-level microdata files from the National Immigrant Survey of Spain. Second, the analysis is …

Developmental Pathways From Player To Coach For Volunteers In An American Football Organization In Germany, Gary Cramer

Dissertations

The leadership style of organizational leaders is a key factor affecting volunteer coach recruitment and retention; yet the examination of developmental pathways from player to coach is lacking in the literature, especially as viewed from the perspective of those who are followers. The study addressed the following research question: How do volunteer coaches in an American football organization in Germany, who once played for the same head coach in the organization they currently coach, describe their pathway of development from player to coach? The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to inductively investigate the developmental pathways of volunteer sport …

ความมั่นคงของมนุษย์ท่ามกลางการแพร่ระบาดของวิกฤตโควิด-19: การศึกษารายกรณีสามล้อถีบในเขตเทศบาลนครนครราชสีมา, เนติ ภูริทัตสิริ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ (1) เพื่อศึกษาชีวิตความเป็นอยู่และการดำเนินชีวิตของผู้ประกอบอาชีพสามล้อถีบก่อนการเกิดสถานการณ์วิกฤตโควิด-19 (2) เพื่อศึกษาสถานการณ์ตามกรอบแนวคิดความมั่นคงของมนุษย์และการรับมือของผู้ประกอบอาชีพสามล้อถีบ และ (3) เพื่อเสนอแนะแนวทางการยกระดับความมั่นคงของมนุษย์ของผู้ประกอบอาชีพสามล้อถีบในพื้นที่เทศบาลนครนครราชสีมา โดยใช้วิธีการเชิงคุณภาพ ในรูปแบบการศึกษารายกรณี โดยมีกลุ่มตัวอย่างในการวิจัย 3 กลุ่ม คือ กลุ่มผู้ประกอบอาชีพสามล้อถีบ กลุ่มบุคคลแวดล้อม และหน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้อง จำนวนรวม 19 ราย โดยใช้เครื่องมือแบบบันทึกการศึกษาภาคสนาม แนวคำถามการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึก และแบบบันทึกการถอดข้อมูลโสตทัศนูปกรณ์ เพื่อใช้เป็นเครื่องมือในการการเก็บรวบรวมข้อมูลทั้งใช้ในการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึก และใช้การสังเกตแบบไม่มีส่วนร่วมเพื่อศึกษาปรากฏการณ์ที่เกิดขึ้น ผลการศึกษาพบว่า ผู้ประกอบอาชีพสามล้อถีบเป็นแรงงานสูงอายุและย้ายถิ่นเข้ามาในพื้นที่เพื่อทำงานระยะยาว ปัจจุบันประสบปัญหาเกี่ยวกับชีวิตความเป็นอยู่ อาทิ การมีรายได้น้อย การมีความเสี่ยงด้านสุขภาพ และเมื่อเกิดการระบาดของโควิด-19 ส่งผลให้อาชีพสามล้อถีบได้รับผลกระทบ 5 มิติ คือ (1) ผลกระทบมิติการมีงานทำและรายได้ (2) ผลกระทบมิติสุขภาพ (3) ผลกระทบมิติอาหาร (4) ผลกระทบมิติครอบครัว ส่งผลให้มีการปรับตัว และ (5) ผลกระทบมิติที่อยู่อาศัยและสิ่งแวดล้อม ทำให้เกิดการปรับตัวที่คล้ายกัน เช่น การปรับตัวด้านค่าใช้จ่ายและรายได้ การถีบสามล้อเพื่อรับอาหารและสิ่งของ การเรียนรู้เทคโนโลยีเพื่อเข้าถึงสวัสดิการของรัฐ และการใช้อุปกรณ์ป้องกันการติดเชื้อโควิด

An Accessible Life Sills Training Program: Mentoring An Individual's Internal And External Growth Simultaneously, Alana Hayes

Doctor of Leadership

Within Lubbock County there is not an accessible life skills training program that mentors an individual's internal (emotional) and external (financial) growth simultaneously. My focus is on mentoring at risk individuals with a hand up and not a hand out within my community. It is also applicable to individuals who want to help strengthen the lives of disadvantaged and/or at risk members in their community. It is most helpful to mentors as business owners, a manager, or a non-profit organization. However, it could also be useful to community members that would like to complete a long term service project. Ideally …

A Study Of Developing Artificial Coral Innovation In Line With The Context Of Promoting Thailand’S Economy And Society, Chawin Poomee

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research aimed to develop innovative artificial reef technology to align with the context of promoting the Thai economy and society. The objectives were to understand the development direction of artificial reefs to meet the needs of tourists and conservationists, explore the feasibility of introducing new technology into artificial reef production, and study methods to reduce environmental destruction caused by reef deployment. The research employed exploratory and qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews with a target group of 10 individuals and questionnaire surveys to study consumer behavior and product acceptance among a general consumer group of 100 individuals. Data analysis …

Muslim Collegiate Student-Athletes' Experience With Fasting During Ramadan While Participating In Sport, Mishaal Amjad, Julie M. Cavallario, Nicolette A. Harris, Cailee E. Welch Bacon

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: As colleges and universities continue to focus on creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments, it is important to gain more knowledge on the experiences that Muslim student-athletes have while fasting during the month of Ramadan. While previous researchers have investigated the physical effects of fasting on the body, little is known about the challenges or support Muslim student athletes experience while fasting and participating in sport during Ramadan.

Objective: To explore the experiences of Muslim collegiate student-athletes regarding fasting during Ramadan while participating in sports.

Design: Consensual qualitative research.

Setting: Individual video interviews.

Participants: 12 Muslim collegiate student-athletes (4 …

Enhanced Prediction Of Stock Markets Using A Novel Deep Learning Model Plstm-Tal In Urbanized Smart Cities, Saima Latif, Nadeem Javaid, Faheem Aslam, Abdulaziz Aldegheishem, Nabil Alrajeh, Safdar Hussain Bouk

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Accurate predictions of stock markets are important for investors and other stakeholders of the equity markets to formulate profitable investment strategies. The improved accuracy of a prediction model even with a slight margin can translate into considerable monetary returns. However, the stock markets' prediction is regarded as an intricate research problem for the noise, complexity and volatility of the stocks' data. In recent years, the deep learning models have been successful in providing robust forecasts for sequential data. We propose a novel deep learning-based hybrid classification model by combining peephole LSTM with temporal attention layer (TAL) to accurately predict the …

Applications Of Ai/Ml In Maritime Cyber Supply Chains, Rafael Diaz, Ricardo Ungo, Katie Smith, Lida Haghnegahdar, Bikash Singh, Tran Phuong

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Digital transformation is a new trend that describes enterprise efforts in transitioning manual and likely outdated processes and activities to digital formats dominated by the extensive use of Industry 4.0 elements, including the pervasive use of cyber-physical systems to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and increase responsiveness. A new domain that intersects supply chain management and cybersecurity emerges as many processes as possible of the enterprise require the convergence and synchronizing of resources and information flows in data-driven environments to support planning and execution activities. Protecting the information becomes imperative as big data flows must be parsed and translated into actions …

Project Control System (Pcs) Implementation In Engineering And Construction Projects: An Empirical Study In Saudi's Petroleum And Chemical Industry, Sahar Jawad, Ann Ledwith, Rashid Khan

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Purpose

There is growing recognition that effective project control systems (PCS) are critical to the success of projects. The relationship between the individual elements of PCS and successfully achieving project objectives has yet to be explored. This research investigates the enablers and barriers that influence the elements of PCS success and drive project objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a mixed approach of descriptive analysis and regression models to explore the impact of six PCS elements on project outcomes. Petroleum and chemical projects in Saudi Arabia were selected as a case study to validate the research model.

Findings

Data from a …

Strategies For Mitigating The Costs Of Evolving U.S. Governmental Regulations In The Financial Investment Industry, Walter Steven Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial investment leaders who lack strategies to respond to U.S. government financial policy changes’ risk decreasing organizational profitability resulting in customer and employee attrition. Grounded in Porter’s theory of competitive advantage, Barney’s resource-based view (RBV) theory and Pigou’s public interest theory, the purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to explore strategies financial investment leaders use to respond to U.S. governmental policy changes. The participants comprised three financial investment leaders at three Jacksonville, Florida organizations. Data were collected using semistructured interviews conducted face to face and by telephone along with documents obtained from the company websites. Through thematic analysis four …

An Analysis Of The Public Participation Processes Employed For An Urban Greenway Project, Maeve O'Connell

Articles

The purpose of this study is to examine the public participation mechanisms employed for a proposed new infrastructure project. Public participation is a core characteristic of a contemporary democratic society as policy makers are increasingly encouraged to engage with citizens for learning and legitimacy. Participation is a loose concept with many forms and interpretations. This study explores the key characteristics of public participation formats, challenges to and the criteria for success. This analysis is then applied to the proposed local infrastructure consultation process. An additional survey is designed and its role in the public participation process is assessed. The processes …