Business Commons^™

Employee Development And Workforce Engagement In A Behavioral Health Organization, Lakisha R, Brimage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ongoing training at the targeted behavioral health organization is necessary to improve employee knowledge, skills, and abilities to drive engagement and overall organizational performance. The purpose of this case study was to determine what leadership practices and strategies are currently in place and what training modules improve employee development for the purpose of improving workforce engagement. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to guide the qualitative case study of the nonprofit organization, which provides social services to low-income families in the United States. Data sources included semistructured interviews with two behavioral health leaders at the organization and reviews of organizational …

Disaster Relief And Humanitarian Logistics: Three Essays, Peter H. Imbriale

2023

The increased frequency and impact of natural disasters and other humanitarian crises—including events such as the COVID-19 pandemic—makes studying disaster relief and recovery particularly important. One relevant area of research in this space is humanitarian logistics. This dissertation provides insights into disaster relief logistics by exploring the government’s role in humanitarian logistics, examining the government’s efforts to address COVID-19 medical supply chain challenges, and determining how to lessen the impact of supply chain bottlenecks from unwanted post-disaster donations. Chapter one (sole-authored) is a literature review of the role of governments in humanitarian logistics. Although governments are vital stakeholders in nearly …

Former United States Political Figures On S&P 500 Boards: Three Essays, Tyler K. Wasson

2023

Corporate political activity has been considered an increasingly important component of corporate strategy (Schuler, et al. 2019). Corporate political activity research examines how corporations interact with political officials to attempt to influence their political environment in ways that benefit their economic activity (e.g., Funk & Hirschman, 2017; Lawton, et al. 2013). In this dissertation I present three novel research studies on one area where corporate political activity research is underdeveloped, the presence and impact of government experienced directors, individuals who were either elected or appointed to work for the United States (U.S.) government and then served as a director on …

Digital Nudges: An Investigation Of Both Consumer And Designer Perspectives, Ja-Naé Duane

2023

This dissertation explores how knowledge of digital nudges impacts consumer decisions, and how consumer preferences based on that knowledge impacts design decisions. Paper 1 presents a systematic narrative literature review on the evolution of digital nudge literature. This investigation uncovers several themes and provides a basis for a revised definition of digital nudges and a taxonomy wheel of digital nudges. Paper 2 (co-authored with Jeffrey Livingston, Jonathan Ericson, and Patrick McHugh) investigates how knowledge about digital nudges impacts consumer preferences to have them within the digital experiences they use. This paper highlights how knowledge of digital nudges impact consumer online …

Interpreting The Magnitude Of Predictor Effect Sizes: It Is Time For More Sensible Benchmarks, Scott Highhouse, Margaret E. Brooks

Management Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving Workplace Judgments By Reducing Noise: Lessons Learned From A Century Of Selection Research, Scott Highhouse, Margaret E. Brooks

Management Faculty Publications

Some assert that noise (i.e., unwanted variance) is the most neglected yet most important source of error in judgment. We suggest that this problem was discovered nearly 100 years ago in the area of personnel selection and that a century of selection research has shown that noise can be demonstrably reduced by structuring the process (i.e., decomposing the component parts, agreeing on standards, and applying those standards consistently) and by aggregating judgments independently. Algorithms can aid significantly in this process but are often confused with methods that, in their current form, can substantially increase noise in judgment (e.g., artificial intelligence …

The Exit Theory Of Judicial Appraisal, William J. Carney, Keith Sharfman

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

For many years, we and other commentators have observed the problem with allowing judges wide discretion to fashion appraisal awards to dissenting shareholders based on widely divergent, expert valuation evidence submitted by the litigating parties. The results of this discretionary approach to valuation have been to make appraisal litigation less predictable and therefore more costly and likely. While this has been beneficial to professionals who profit from corporate valuation litigation, it has been harmful to shareholders, making deals costlier and less likely to be completed.

In this Article, we propose to end the problem of discretionary judicial valuation by tracing …

Blacking Out Congressional Insider Trading: Overlaying A Corporate Mechanism Upon Members Of Congress And Their Staff To Curtail Illegal Profiting, Nicholas Gervasi

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

Congressional insider trading involves members of Congress or their staff trading on material, nonpublic information attained while executing their official responsibilities. This type of private profit-making, while in a government role, casts doubt on the efficacy and impartiality of lawmakers to regulate companies they hold shares of. Egregious acts of illegal profiting from insider trading based on information entrusted to the government escape prosecution and liability due to fundamental gaps in the common law and the Congress specific statutes lack enforcement. Recent calls on Congress by the public and multiple bipartisan proposed bills in both chambers have begun to address …

The Solution To Shadow Trading Is Not Found In Current Insider Trading Law: A Proposed Amendment To Rule 10b5-2, Jamel Gross-Cassel

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

Shadow trading is a lucrative way to exploit a loophole in insider trading law. Insiders abuse this loophole to make six-figure profits and escape liability when done at the right companies. Those who shadow trade use material, nonpublic information to trade not in the securities of their own company, which would be illegal, but in the securities of a closely related company where the information is just as impactful. Efforts to close this loophole rely on the individual insider trading policies of the involved companies. These policies vary in language, making liability for shadow trading dependent on specific language or …

From Tether To Terra: The Current Stablecoin Ecosystem And The Failure Of Regulators, Mary E. Burke

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

The Tether controversy and Terra crash have placed stablecoins in the regulatory spotlight. Stablecoins are often portrayed as posing systemic risks to financial markets, with some pundits labelling them “the villain of the finance world.” Global regulatory bodies, namely the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank of International Settlement (BIS), and political leaders, including the Biden Administration, have all called for stablecoin regulation. These officials allege that stablecoins’ structure, combined with their exponential growth, pose a unique risk to global markets. Before the May 2022 Terra crash, government reports superficially treated stablecoins by exclusively focusing on asset-backed coins. Post …

Internal Control Strategies To Limit Nonprofit Organization Fraud And Embezzlement Costs., Ralston K. Tracey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmployee intent to commit fraud and embezzlement costs has the potential for adverse business outcomes. Nonprofit leaders are concerned with employee fraud and embezzlement costs as it is the main predictor of employee wrongdoing and increase the chances of their organization's failure. Grounded in fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore internal control strategies nonprofit leaders use to limit fraud and embezzlement costs. The participants were eight leaders from four nonprofit organizations in the Southeastern United States who successfully used strategies to prevent fraudulent financial losses in their organizations. Data were collected from semistructured …

Outsourcing Interruptions And The Emergence Of Reshoring, Enrico Castillo Santos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 25 years, offshore outsourcing has been accepted as a standard business practice, primarily for the cost advantage of operating in lower costs offshore locations. Lately, the trend is reversing; business leaders are moving their manufacturing operations back home despite the near-term negative impact of the reversal decision. This qualitative multiple case study aimed to understand the factors that influenced manufacturing business leaders of U.S.-based companies to reverse previously made offshoring decisions and reshored at a high reversal rate. In this study, I applied the conceptual framework proposed by Fratocchi et al. (2016). Data were collected from five …

Effective Strategies To Sustain Small African American Food Service Businesses Beyond 5 Years, Alvin West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American small food service business owners contribute to national and local economies; however, only 45% of them sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. African American small food service business owners are concerned with the lack of effective business strategy implementation, as it is the number one predictor of actual business failure. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies African American small food service business owners used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants were seven African American small food service business owners in the southeastern United …

Comparing The Performance Of Initial Coin Offerings To Crowdfunded Equity Ventures, Elijah Joseph Turan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Uncertainty in markets increases the likelihood of market failure due to volatility and suboptimal functioning. While initial coin offerings (ICOs) and crowdfunded equity (CFE) offerings may improve functioning in growing markets, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding pertaining to the relative efficiency and behavior of ICO markets compared to CFE markets, potentially perpetuating and thwarting the various communities they are intended to serve. The purpose of this correlational study was to compare a group of ICOs with a group of CFE offerings to identify predictive factors of funding outcomes related to both capital offering types. Efficient market hypothesis …

Effective Onboarding Strategies To Increase Talent Retention, Mark L. Carpenter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human resource (HR) leaders are concerned about the adverse effects of employee turnover on employees and organizational success. Without a successful introduction to the corporate culture, employees may be more likely to exit their positions, resulting in higher recruitment costs and lower productivity for companies. Grounded in social exchange theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore onboarding strategies organizational HR leaders use to reduce employee turnover. The participants were six HR leaders at light manufacturing companies in the United States Midwest region who successfully reduced employee turnover. Data from semistructured interviews and publicly available documents were …

Sustainability Strategies For Nonprofit Organizations, Ramchand Francisco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders face the challenges of ensuring their organizations are financially healthy while navigating economic and organizational issues that require strategies to support program growth with limited financial resources. Grounded in Markowitz’s modern portfolio theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit leaders used to support program growth and sustainability with limited financial resources. The study participants were three leaders of a nonprofit organization in the northwest region of the United States who had expertise related to the focus of the research. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, analyses of the client organization’s internal …

Succession Planning Strategies In Polish Family-Owned Businesses, Jan Marcin Klaczak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family-owned businesses contribute to social and economic advancement, yet many business owners struggle with employing succession planning during intergenerational leadership transitions. Family business leaders are concerned with identifying effective succession planning strategies for the leadership transition to the next generation for business continuity. Grounded in Rothwell’s seven-step model for succession planning, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore succession planning strategies Polish family business leaders used for the leadership transition to the next generation. Three Polish family business leaders who successfully implemented succession planning in their organizations participated in the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, …

Strategies To Improve Nonprofit Governance To Increase Donations, Charmaine Nicola Williams Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe leaders of nonprofit organizations rely on donors to achieve the organization’s mission, and governance practices are a key contributor to donor confidence and positive donor behavior. Some nonprofit leaders lack effective strategies to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase donations. Grounded in resource dependence theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that nonprofit leaders use to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase levels of donations. The participants comprised four senior executive members of a donor-amalgamation nonprofit organization in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected from semistructured …

Professional Staffing Small Business Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee, Gwendolyn L. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business owners need help reducing voluntary employee turnover, often putting the business at risk for performance failure. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies professional staffing small business owners used to decrease voluntary employee turnover. The participants were five professional staffing small business leaders in the Washington, D.C., area with successful strategies to retain talented employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using Yin’s five-step process. Three themes emerged: (a) employee recognition, (b) communication, and (c) advancement and training. A key recommendation for small business owners …

Perceptions And Knowledge Of Information Security Policy Compliance In Organizational Personnel, Jesus M. Mosqueda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

All internet connected organizations are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks due to information security policy noncompliance of personnel. The problem is important to information technology (IT) firms, organizations with IT integration, and any consumer who has shared personal information online, because noncompliance is the single greatest threat to cybersecurity, which leads to expensive breaches that put private information in danger. Grounded in the protection motivation theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to use multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between perceived importance, organizational compliance, management involvement, seeking guidance, and rate of cybersecurity attack. The research question for …

Overcoming The Challenges Of Formal Organizational Structure: Individuals’ Desire For Reducing Their Workflow Dependencies, Seong Won Yang

Theses and Dissertations--Management

In a field social network study of 141 employees in an international organization, I examined individuals’ future desires to either collaborate more intensely with existing network partners or seek out new partners based on the latent value of these social ties – the potential social capital that will be generated from strengthening or building a tie in terms of reducing their formal workflow dependencies on others. Employees tended to desire more intense collaboration with a constraining existing tie (i.e., a bottleneck in their existing workflow network) when they trusted the person, suggesting they believed that the partner would provide high-quality …

Consumers’ Responses To New Technologies In The Marketplace, Umair Usman

Theses and Dissertations--Marketing and Supply Chain

Chapter 1. This research examines whether the use of blockchain technology to back a brand’s claims (i.e., blockchain augmented claims) influences consumer preference for sustainable products. Consumers are demanding higher levels of transparency from brands and are also showing keen interest in consuming sustainable products, which includes products that promote social, environmental and economic sustainability. Recent advancement in digital technology, specifically blockchain, is offering an opportunity for brands to meet both these consumer demands. In five laboratory studies, I demonstrate that blockchain augmented claims, as compared to traditional industry practices (i.e., use of third-party labels and brand’s self-made claims), increases …

Sensory Marketing For Consumer Wellbeing, Josh Lundberg

Theses and Dissertations--Marketing and Supply Chain

Chapter 1. Many consumer decisions – from trying a new brand to trying a new recipe – involve some risk. However, although consumers’ appetite for risk has received over fifty years of investigation, the impact of situational variables (e.g., atmospherics) on consumer decision making involving risk remains relatively unexplored. To address this gap, the current work examines the influence of temperature, a ubiquitous situational influence, on consumers’ inclination toward risk. Across four studies, we find evidence for a positive relationship between temperature and risk taking, using multiple manipulations of temperature and measurements of risk. Evidence suggests that this effect is …

When The Past Comes Knocking: An Alter-Centric Perspective On Network Mobilization In Prosocial Occupations, Jason Ross

Theses and Dissertations--Management

Networks are vital to our ability to access resources. However, scholars have often overlooked just how social networks are mobilized. Underexplored in the literature is how individuals think and feel about mobilizing networks with little attention directed towards the person (alter) being reached out to. In this dissertation, I use a basic, interpretive design to better understand how people think and feel about receiving requests for task-related help, paying particular attention to when those requests originate from people from one’s past. To do so, I conducted interviews with 40 animal rescuers given their passion for helping, but their inability to …

Using Unconscious Thought To Improve Evaluations Of Complex Accounting Estimates, Blake Holman

Theses and Dissertations--Accountancy

Accounting practitioners and regulators have recently focused efforts toward increasing the efficiency of management review controls (MRCs), including the evaluation of complex accounting estimates. Although increasing cognitive effort (i.e., conscious deliberation) is an intuitively appealing strategy for improving decision quality, Unconscious Thought Theory (UTT) suggests that a period of unconscious thought is a more beneficial strategy in complex domains. Drawing on UTT, I predict and find across two studies that prompting accounting practitioners to engage in unconscious thought facilitates the recognition of patterns of bias within management provided estimates, resulting in higher quality assessments of fair value estimates. My findings …

How A Professional Describes Reasons For Working In And Ultimately Leaving The Foster Care Field In The State Of Missouri: A Case Study, Lauren Williams

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The foster care field continues to have a high turnover rate of the professionals working in the field. While support and work balance are available for some professionals, many face the challenges of heavy workloads, unrealistic expectations, and health sacrifices that lead to many professionals leaving the field. This case study of one former foster care professional’s description of reasons they worked in the field, and reasons they ultimately left the field provides insight of the challenges and support as a foster care professional. The findings of this study are organized into three major themes including “Challenges for Foster Care …

Ownership Of Esg Characteristics, Mark E. Bateman, Lisa R. Goldberg

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

A portfolio can be viewed as the collection of the businesses, policies and practices of constituent companies. We measure investors' Ownership of this collection. Ownership metrics aggregate an assortment of company specific Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) characteristics to the portfolio level, and they can inform investment and engagement decisions. Relative to a benchmark, investor Ownership is active and satisfies a zero-sum property, which underscores the distinction between Ownership and impact. Ownership of ESG characteristics may be interpreted as ascribing ethical responsibility, but that conclusion and any decisions that result from it belong to the investor.

By Chameleonic Means; "Trust Based" Philanthropic Relationships, "The Business Of Yes," As Experienced By Black Fundraisers, Novien Yarber

Dissertations

In the wake of society’s reinvigorated consciousness around structural and systemic racism, conversations centering justice, equity, inclusion, access, and cultural diversification are going far beyond political discourse. Contemporary fundraising practices are also challenging antiquated hegemonic ways of philanthropy and are critically examining the practice from within. Among many things, this entails diversifying the historically White-female dominated fundraising workforce. In this, fundraising literature has paid minimal attention to intercultural/cross-racial dynamics as implications of diversification of the fundraiser workforce. Although some research may center fundraisers themselves (relative to their ethical and/or professional standards), this dissertation expands this field of study by offering …

Esg Metric Variance And Methodology Standardization, Jordan Moyer

Honors Theses and Capstones

Across the globe Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scoring has become a tool used for mission-aligned investment. In the United States, there is no standardized method for scoring companies based on ESG practices; it is all completed by private companies with their own ways of managing data and creating scores. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting, though mandatory in some countries, is also completely voluntary in the United States. CSR reports are a key part of the data collection used for ESG scoring. This research looks to understand how much CSR reporting is being influenced by ESG scoring methodologies, as well …

Connecting Organizational Learning Strategies To Organizational Resilience, Stephanie Douglas, Gordon Haley

Publications

The objective of this study is to analyze the conceptual and domain overlap of organizational learning and organizational resilience; specifically, the adaptation or renewal domain in organizational resilience. From the findings, strategies to foster collective learning leading to organizational resilience are identified and outlined.