Business Commons^™

Enhancing A Brand With The Introduction Of Merchandise And A Social Media Content Schedule, Rachel Imming

Theses

This project focuses on how to enhance a brand by incorporating merchandise for the brand and utilizing a social media content schedule to push out content consistently and uniformly. The primary beneficiary of this project is J.E.D.I. Brew Co, a small craft brewery out of Southern Illinois. The aim of the project is to study the important aspects of marketing and brand awareness, in order to help a brand better promote themselves. Ultimately, the project studies consumer engagement, advertising, experiential marketing, storytelling, and consumer behavior to help brands understand how these things affect and aid their business.

Security Compliance And Work-Issued Mobile Devices: Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind?, Kent Marett, Shan Xiao, Sumin Kim

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

For security, economic, and efficiency reasons, many businesses supply mobile devices to employees to use both in the workplace and remotely, accompanied by policies governing their appropriate use. Extant research has shown that work-issued mobile devices can disrupt employees' perceptions of work-life balance (WLB) and, indeed, WLB can impact employees' job satisfaction and performance. The global COVID-19 pandemic meant that more employees than usual performed their work remotely, but this situation may have not fit the preferred WLB for some. Did this encroachment mean that appropriate use policies were forgotten? We conducted two rounds of surveys, one pre-pandemic and the …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Work From Home 2019-2021, Maryam Raja, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Research Background and Methods: The ACS reports that by 2021 around 27.6 million individuals (17.9% of workers) worked from home. Pandemic affected commuting patterns and workplace systems.

Research Findings: The data presented in Table 1 account for all workers aged 16 and above. Among Mountain West states, Nevada reported the smallest percentage of home-based workers in both 2019 (tied with Colorado) and 2021. Table 2 presents population data for Mountain West MSAs with populations of 1 million or more and percentage of home-based workers with a margin of error in both 2019 and 2021.

Developing Specialized Master's Programs In Business Schools: The Convergence Of Mission And Markets, Elizabeth Johansson Bristol

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Practical problems can emerge when new academic programs are developed. If program development decisions are driven primarily by desires for enrollment growth and revenue generation, new programs may be created without clear connections to institutional missions or organizational core competencies. Additionally, introduction of new academic programs may generate internal conflict and competition for resources diminishing the capacity of both new and existing programs. Misalignment with mission, lack of connection to faculty expertise, and fierce internal competition for resources can create an environment where new academic programs are unlikely to thrive. The purpose of this multi-site case study was to understand …

Should State Land In Southern California Be Allocated To Warehousing Goods Or Housing People? Analyzing Transportation, Climate, And Unintended Consequences Of Supply Chain Solutions, Tianjun Lu, Jian-Yu Ke, Azure Fisher, Mahmoud Salari, Patricia Valladolid, Fynnwin Prager

Mineta Transportation Institute

In response to COVID-19 pandemic supply chain issues, the State of California issued Executive Order (EO) N-19-21 to use state land to increase warehousing capacity. This highlights a land-use paradox between economic and environmental goals: adding warehouse capacity increases climate pollution and traffic congestion around the ports and warehouses, while there is a deficit of affordable housing and high homeless rates in port-adjacent underserved communities. This study aims to inform regional policymakers and community stakeholders about these trade-offs by identifying current and future supply of and demand for warehousing and housing in Southern California through 2040. The study uses statistical …

How To Build Student Organizations In A Post-Pandemic World: A Strategic Analysis, Allison Karr

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

As student organizations recover from the damaging effects of COVID, how do they encourage membership retention and involvement? Post-pandemic, the Beta Alpha Psi chapter at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has had an involvement problem, which stems from there being a misalignment between the value that students desire and the value that the organization provides. To find the areas of the misalignment, different values offered by student organizations were identified. Then, the significance attributed to each value by Beta Alpha Psi members was assessed, and the extent to which Beta Alpha Psi delivers on each of these values was …

Euro Interest Rate Swap Yields: A Garch Analysis, Tanweer Akram, Khawaja Mamun

WCBT Working Papers

This paper models the month-over-month change in euro-denominated (EUR) long-term interest rate swap yields. It shows that the change in the short-term interest rate has an economically and statistically significant effect on the change in EUR swap yields of different maturity tenors, after controlling for various macroeconomic and financial variables, such as the month-overmonth change in inflation or core inflation and the growth of industrial production, and the percentage change in the equity price index, the exchange rate, and the size of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) balance sheet. It uses a generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) approach to model …

E-Commerce Digital Information Transparency And Satisfaction. Can We Have Too Much Of A Good Thing?, Slava Ferguson

All Dissertations

Despite core product and service quality improvements and advances in shopping processes and technology, customers often report being unsatisfied with their online purchases. One plausible reason for lower customer satisfaction rates is too much or too little information that is shared with the customers about their orders. We show that when forming their perceptions about the purchases, customers form digital information satisfaction (DIS) levels as they evaluate supplementary informational services in addition to the core product being purchased. We believe that DIS is one of the dimensions of overall customer satisfaction. We also show that supplementary informational services are essential …

Airbnb Valuation: A Machine Learning Approach, Katherine Wyatt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses a geospatially-enhanced, machine learning approach to investigate variations in rental success on the peer-to-peer property sharing website Airbnb.com. Geographic factors, listing attributes and amenities, customer response metrics, and host attributes are included in decision tree modeling to predict the short-term probability of receiving a review. The most important variables in increasing model accuracy are assessed and variations in the importance of these variables investigated using Shapley values.

Dentistry And The Law: Requiring Proof Of Adoption/Retaining Orthodontic Models, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In this Dentistry and the Law column, a dentist seeks guidance on handling a situation where racial differences between a child and an accompanying adult raised concerns during an examination, leading the dentist to request proof of adoption. The response clarifies that asking for proof of adoption is not illegal, citing relevant Michigan adoption statutes. The column advises adopting an office policy, emphasizing human trafficking training. Additionally, a dentist inquires about retaining orthodontic models and X-ray films. The answer recommends assuming orthodontic models are part of dental records, subject to a 10-year retention period. Patients can be given their models, …

Endodontic Therapy, Crown Amputation, And Soft Tissue Advancement To Treat A Hopeless Tooth, Timothy Daws Dds, Thomas Bolten Dds, Md

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Managing patients with a history of intravenous bisphosphonates and antiresorptive medications poses challenges in clinical decision-making. Extractions are generally discouraged in these patients due to the risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). This case study presents an 89-year-old female with metastatic breast cancer on Xgeva, facing a non-restorable tooth (#30). A collaborative approach involving the general dentist, endodontist, and oral surgeon employed endodontic therapy, crown amputation, and soft tissue advancement, avoiding extraction. The technique, akin to coronectomy, mitigates MRONJ risk by preserving bone integrity. Follow-up assessments indicate successful treatment without complications, highlighting the efficacy of this approach in …

Diver Perceived Value And Satisfaction On The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Ka'lon Duncanson

Honors Theses

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is known for its coastal beauty and the tourism that comes from the recreational activities associated with the water. However, there appears to be an underserved segment of the tourism industry. The coast provides opportunities for local scuba divers to take part in a range of diving activities, but there is minimal support for this tourism activity in Mississippi. There is a need for greater understanding about what local divers value in their diving experiences and how this might lead to greater satisfaction with this activity. Along with overall perceived value, the argument is made that …

Estimating Financial And Environmental Risk: Some New Developments And Comparison Study., Fnu Kamronnaher

All Dissertations

This dissertation delves into the concept of risk, specifically focusing on two prominent categories: financial risk and environmental risk.

Financial risk is the probability of unfavorable outcomes of an investment while environmental risk refers to the possible harm to the environment resulting from extreme weather events. More specifically, risk is the high (low) quantiles of the distribution of variables of interest. \\ To quantify and assess uncertainties in financial and environmental risk, robust and reliable methodologies are needed. The aim of this dissertation is to develop some risk assessment methods and compare them with the widely used methodologies in both …

Becoming A Modern-Vintage Bride: Something Old, Vintage, Borrowed, And Blue, Lea Marie Chojnacki

Theses

This project is a guidebook, demonstrating how to create a vintage bridal ensemble for a modern-day bride. Vintage fashion and brides as 21st-century bridal wear consumers are investigated. Recommendations for shopping vintage fashion and the benefits of implementing vintage clothing and accessories into one’s wedding day are analyzed. Sourcing efforts using a vintage boutique and private collections are used to create a visual guidebook of four vintage bridal styles, including bohemian, classic, glamorous, and romantic, for a 21st-century bride. This guidebook demonstrates the ease of shopping vintage bridal wear, aiding the reader in becoming a successful modern-day vintage bride.

An Empirical Study Of The Relationship Between Board Chairperson Activism, Board Gender Diversity, Board Gender Inclusion, And Firm Performance, Phyu Phyu Aung Myint

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation empirically examined the effect of board chairperson activism and board chairperson power on board gender diversity, board gender inclusion, and firm performance using a sample of boards of Fortune 500 firms. Board chairperson activism, in this dissertation context, refers to board chairpersons taking actions such as speaking out on, advocating for, or actively supporting gender equality or women leadership in business. Board gender diversity refers to the gender heterogeneity of directors in the boards whereas board gender inclusion refers to the extent to which women directors are given opportunity to participate and contribute to …

The Strength Of Community: The Role Of Social Support Networks In Sport Officials’ Retention, Jacob K. Tingle, Brittany L. Jacobs, Matthew Katz, Stacy Warner

School of Business Faculty Research

Previous researchers have indicated that a sense of community and social support are vital to referee retention; however, little is known about the connection between specific characteristics of sports officials’ networks and retention. To better understand the sports officiating shortage, researchers explored the social support networks of 116 referees utilizing egocentric network analysis. The authors suggest that retention of sports officials depends on the interpersonal ties and network structures within which the referees are embedded. Specifically, resulting hierarchical models confirmed that retention relationships among officials are a multilevel phenomenon, and that outside communication and community were vital network characteristics that …

Crossing Digital Borders: An Exploration Of Changes In Exposure And Perceptions Of Other Cultures Via Social Media Platforms, Madison Mahoney

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media's explosive growth has revolutionized global connectivity, engaging billions of users and transforming how we learn and share in digital communities. Social media has enabled cross-cultural connectivity and cultural exploration, showcasing diverse lifestyles and customs.

In this Honors undergraduate thesis, research was conducted exploring the relationship between exposure to other cultures on social media and user's perception from seeing this content. This research gauged if there were more positive or negative associations for people from other countries or cultures due to exposure via social media, users' perception and reaction to culturally-insensitive content on platforms, and consumer reaction to culturally-oriented …

Ralph Lauren Strategic Analysis, Baylee Christoffersen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Ralph Lauren is an apparel company with ownership of many other well-known companies such as Polo Ralph Lauren and Polo Jeans Company. The company specializes in luxury items. Their business model focuses on providing top quality products that are timeless, authentic and inspirational. An analysis of their business strategy will discuss the influential factors on the industry and the company itself using a SWOT analysis. This will identify how Ralph Lauren approaches their opportunities and threats to the company as well as how they address their strengths and weaknesses. Porter’s Five Forces will also be used to determine how Ralph …

2023-December-01-Why I Teach- Dr. Joshua Reid, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

In this episode, Dr. Josh Reid, Associate Professor of English, talks about how he engages his students with classical and early modern literature. He also shares his favorite books of the year.

United Express Strategic Audit, Ryan Hakim

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

United Express is the regional brand of United Airlines, a worldwide airline from the United States. United Express provides excellent domestic and international service from smaller airports to United Airlines hubs. With a volatile and solid industry of vast competition and operational styles, this report seeks to give an industry analysis of the regional airline industry with relation to United Express’ position. It surveys the industry using a PESTLE analysis along with Michael E. Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Model. United Express has many resources and competitive advantages which headline the advantages it boasts to be a regional airline industry leader. …

How Does Rolling Conformity Affect State Tax Revenue?, Tyler Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent federal tax legislation has dramatically altered the landscape of state taxation. A product of this change is the increased interest in rolling conformity among corporate income taxing states. Under rolling conformity, states adopt federal tax provisions on a continual basis without the need for legislative approval. Despite its benefits, academic literature theorizes that rolling conformity is associated with several attributes that may negatively impact state budgets. I assess the merits of these concerns by examining the effect of rolling conformity on state corporate tax revenue. My results suggest that corporate tax revenue in rolling conformity states is more sensitive …

Understanding The Antecedents Of Patients’ Missed Appointments: The Perspective Of Attribution Theory, Guorui Fan, Zhaohua Deng, Lai C. Liu

Information Systems Faculty Publications

The occurrence of missed appointments from online outpatient bookings significantly hinders the operational efficiency of outpatient services. This study aimed to investigate various factors influencing patients’ missed appointments from online outpatient bookings. Drawing on attribution theory, an empirical analysis was conducted using 382,004 authentic online outpatient appointments. The empirical findings revealed that appointment lead-time, appointment time, weekday appointments, online doctor rating, appointment doctor’s expertise, patient distance, and previous outpatient visit experience significantly influenced patients’ missed appointment behaviors from online outpatient bookings. Importantly, previous outpatient experience positively moderated the relationship between the appointment doctor’s expertise and patients’ missed-appointment behavior. This study …

Partisanship In Loan Pricing, Ramona Dagostino, Janet Gao, Pengfei Ma

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Does partisanship influence the way investors price financial assets? Using voter registration data of bankers originating large corporate loans, we show that bankers whose party differs from that of the U.S. President charge 7% higher loan spreads than other bankers. This effect holds regardless of borrowers’ partisanship, and becomes stronger for politically active bankers and when partisan media exhibit greater disagreement. Bankers do not match disproportionately with co-partisan borrowers but they lead syndicates more frequently with co-partisan bankers. Our results are not driven by bank or borrower fundamentals, but suggest that investor optimism, driven by political alignment, shapes asset prices.

In Search Of Cryptocurrency Failure, Donglian Ma, Jun Tu, Zhaobo Zhu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper explores the determinants of cryptocurrency failure and the pricing of crypto failure risk. We document different significant market- and characteristic-based predictors for coin and token failures. The introduction of Bitcoin futures and the outbreak of COVID19 affect the importance of many predictors. Investors require extra return for bearing high failure risk of crypto assets. The return difference across high and low failure risk crypto assets is not explained by the market, size and momentum factors in the cryptocurrency market. Finally, investors benefit from diversifying into high failure risk crypto assets that is little correlated with the stock market.

"Maybe I Shouldn't Have Worn Such High Heels" Examining Self-Presentation Expectations For Corporate Women Using Communication Theory Of Identity, Taylor E. Mack

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines how corporate women use self-presentation in the workplace to communicate professionalism. The study utilizes Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) to consider the self-presentation experiences of corporate women. CTI identifies four identity layers: personal, relational, enacted, and communal, which interact and influence each other as individuals attempt to define themselves. Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with corporate women, the present study found the following results: women often receive communication regarding self-presentation standards from peers rather than formal policies, self-presentation expectations have become more casual and diverse, women still encounter challenges resulting in the need to (re)negotiate their identity, …

An Analysis On The Efficiency Of Philippine Microfinance Institutions: A Stochastic Frontier Approach, Ryan Lou Dio, Elijah Jacob Mendoza, Lunette Clarisse Nunez, Ma. Ellory Villanueva, Myrna S. Austria, Tereso S. Tullao Jr

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) were created to provide loans and financial services for the poor as commercial banks have requirements that are not accessible to them. The Philippines government soon started using MFIs as a poverty alleviation tool to answer the market failure created by the commercial banking industry since it cannot accommodate the needs of low-income earners due to the high costs attached to it. However, recent studies have shown that MFIs are “mission drifting,” which means that they are deviating from their original social purpose and becoming more financially driven. As a result, this paper estimates the financial and …

How Trade Liberalization And Labor Development Could Coincide In The Philippines, Aeneas Dr Hernandez, Brendan Emmanuel A. Miranda, Martin William P. Regulano, Andrae Jamal Tecson, Martin William P. Regulano, Ma. Ella Oplas, Tereso S. Tullao Jr, Winfred M. Villamil

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

As the world adapts to the rapid pace of globalization in the 21st century, countries ease trade restrictions by gradually removing tariffs and non-tariff barriers to incentivize the free flow of goods across nations. This prevalence of trade liberalization policies propelled policymakers and economists to investigate the relationship between trade reforms and economic outcomes including wage inequality around the world. They found that trade liberalization, on average, has had a positive impact on economic growth, but prior studies that examine the effects of trade liberalization on wage inequality in developing countries have found mixed results. Recently, Murakami (2021) examined the …

Analysis On The Credit Accessibility And Growth Of Manufacturing Firms In The Cases Of Indonesia, Philippines, And Vietnam, Sophia Angela Jimenez, Kamille Daquinag, Maria Regina Victoria Sagrit, Brian Irvin Chan, Albert Lamberte, Maria Zunally Rapada, Krista Danielle Yu

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) contribute to income and employment generation, poverty reduction, and industry growth in the ASEAN region (Mendoza, 2015). Their significant contributions to economies have led countries to emphasize the importance of firm growth, which is influenced by credit accessibility. Majority of existing enterprises in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam are composed of MSMEs with limited financial resources to foster growth (Paratama, 2019). This hinders the potential of manufacturing MSMEs to have sufficient funding. However, existing literature suggests that credit access significantly provides a positive impact on firm growth only until a certain threshold point (Nizam …

Adoption And Continued Use Of Irrigation Management Practices In Arkansas, Evelyn Osei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The paper assesses row crop producers continued use of irrigation management practices, namely the decision to continue rather than stop the use of irrigation practices, using a probit with a sample selection model. To better explain and increase user acceptance, we must understand why producers adopt and continue using irrigation management practices. Past studies have researched the adoption of management practices. However, it is also essential to consider what factors influence continued use and why producers discontinue irrigation practices after adoption. This is the first study to investigate factors influencing the continued use of irrigation management practices in Arkansas. Producers …

Social Media Impacts On Arkansas Consumer Perceptions Of Gmos, Elizabeth R. Berner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study builds upon previous consumer perceptions of GMOs studies. A need existed to determine what, if any, effects social media messages about GMOs had on consumer perceptions in Arkansas. The study utilized a qualitative approach with three focus groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive code. Participants were found to have a general understanding of GMOs, though discussion about what a GMO product was took an uncertain tone. Most participants did not consider GMOs as a factor when purchasing products. Rather participants considered characteristics such as price, quality, and convenience. Participants did not believe the infographics had changed their opinions …