Business Commons^™

Do Board Diversity And Gender Quotas Affect Firm Value? Evidence From California Assembly Bill No. 979, Emily Kelleen Blake, Sepideh Raei, Katarzyna A. Bilicka, Todd Griffith

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

We analyze the stock market reaction and returns for California-headquartered companies following the announcement of AB 979 (California Assembly Bill 979) that was signed into effect on September 30th, 2020. AB 979 requires public firms headquartered in California to meet board gender and diversity quotas by December 31st, 2021. Cumulative abnormal returns in a [-1, +1] event window average a 0.98% abnormal return as benchmarked against all publicly traded firms and a 1.29% abnormal return when benchmarked against our control group (of firms headquartered outside of California). California headquartered firms with exclusively male boards had a larger cumulative abnormal return …

Comparing Actively Managed Mutual Fund Categories To Index Funds Using Linear Regression Forecasting And Portfolio Optimization, Luke Weiner

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The global investment industry offers a wide variety of investment products especially for individual investors. One such product, index funds, which are younger than actively managed mutual funds, have typically outperformed managed funds. Despite this phenomenon, investors have displayed a tendency to continue investing in actively managed funds. Although only a small percentage of actively managed funds outperform index funds, the costs of actively managed funds are significantly higher. Also, managed fund performances are most often determined by their fund category such as growth or real estate. I wanted to answer the following question for individual investors: can we …

Impact Of The Quality Of Esg Reporting On Profitability Of Trucking And Oil Companies, Diane Meng

Honors Scholar Theses

A growing number of companies have been providing disclosures regarding ESG issues and goals in their financial reports. Studies have investigated the association between the quality of ESG reporting and the financial performance of various companies, which showed various results. However, the association between the two factors remains unclear. In this study, I examine the relationship between the quality of ESG reporting and the profitability of companies in the trucking and oil industries from 2011 to 2020. I predict that greater quality of ESG reporting results in higher profitability of companies in both industries. Overall, the results of this study …

The Role Of Perceived Organizational Support In Anxiety And Depression, Chloe Dingens

Honors Projects

This study seeks to explore the relationships between employees’ levels of perceived organizational support (POS) and their levels of anxiety and depression. Eisenberger et al. (1986, p. 500) defines POS as an employee's perception about how much the organization they work for values them and cares about their well-being. It was hypothesized that workers who experience higher POS will report lower anxiety and depression. Survey data were collected from 494 adults who worked an average of 39.9 hours per week (SD = 8.3). Participants completed survey measures of POS, anxiety, and depression, and reported demographics (e.g., job tenure) that were …

A Seminar For Student Leaders To Engage And Retain Members In Student-Led Organizations, Luke Mcpherson

Honors Theses

The challenge of attracting and maintaining members in student-led organizations (SLO) inspired this thesis. Current research literature was used to create a presentation for student leaders. The presentation applied marketing principles as well as best practices suggested by the research. Interviews with four student leaders and two administrators involved in student activities were conducted to interact with the research. Their insights suggested that the strongest factor in attracting students was social, whether personal invitation or a sense of belonging to the group. The strongest deterrent to participation was a perception that the benefits did not outweigh time commitments to school …

An Argument And Model For Garden Corps, Sydney Ellis

Honors Theses

The benefits of community gardening have been thoroughly documented. Despite the value of community gardens, however, these gardens face many barriers that threaten their sustainability. This research investigated the benefits, barriers, and solutions to barriers of community gardening. The author performed literature review and conducted interviews with four community garden coordinators from the Chattanooga area to explore these topics. The author used the insights gained from the interviews to develop a business model for Garden Corps, a nonprofit dedicated to building capacity for community gardens.

Recipe For Good: Analyzing The Authenticity Of Csr Commitments Among The Leadership Of A Parent Company To Global Restaurant Brands., Lauren E. Reuss

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a form of private self-regulation conducted by businesses; CSR aims to contribute to societal goals of philanthropy, activism, and ethics by improving society, policy, and or the environment. Corporate social responsibility is becoming a greater aspect of modern business, but as it becomes part of the modern discourse, it is right to question whether its efforts are authentic to those driving these initiatives? This case study seeks to understand how the leadership within the parent company of a global foods brand depicts authenticity and communicates its social and environmental efforts to stakeholders. Building on existing …

Broadband Access: Assessing The Digital Divide In East Texas, Manuel Reyes-Loya, Marilyn Young, Joshua Menhennett

Hibbs Newsletter

It is widely known that different individuals have different access to broadband and technology based on their geographic location, which is frequently called “the digital divide”. Broadband is the access to high-speed internet that is alwayson and faster than dial-up access; this can include fiber, wireless, digital subscriber line (DSL), satellite or cable.1 Broadband access does not mean that the homes have completely adopted a broadband service program, but that if they were looking to adopt or purchase a program, it would be available to them. Whereas a household who has a subscription has access to broadband technology, decided to …

Organizational Digital Agility: Strategic Imperative For Digital Transformation And Firm Performance, John Willard Hill

Theses and Dissertations

A firm’s ability to achieve a competitive advantage through the creation of digital capabilities is affected by a firm’s organizational digital agility (ODA). At their heart, both the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities provide vehicles for describing the ‘what’ regarding the role of resources in executing firm strategy. However, these two theoretical foundations do not address the ‘how’ and the manager's role in deploying those resources to achieve a competitive advantage. Resource orchestration theory begins to address this gap and advocates for the manager’s role in deploying these resources. Yet, despite this theoretical foundation, little research has been conducted on …

The Great Resignation: A Content Analysis Of News Sources' Portrayals Of The Covid-19 Labor Shortage., Mackenzie Williams

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

When workers left the labor market in large numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, proclamations of a labor shortage emerged extensively throughout the news. In this study, I analyze the coverage of the worker shortage among three news sources with different political orientations. Several themes emerged from analyzing a total of 75 articles. The findings showed that the perspective shown in the article, the cause of the labor shortage, restaurant worker portrayal, support of solutions, and opinion of the labor shortage all differed based on the political identity of the news source. This research supports previous findings that show there is …

Opportunity Calls: The Moral Economy During Existential Economic Transition In The Ural Mountains And Appalachia, 1991 - 2008, Nora Springer

Of Life and History

It is often assumed that economists and businessmen act outside of moral constraints, even in times of existential economic crisis. The econometrics of Chubais and Gaidar, as well as the accounting of Deloitte, have all been used to characterize engineers of transition as cold, academic, and removed from reality. However, in both Appalachia and the Urals, mathematics about what will make a profit is inextricable from moral questions of what should make a profit. The goals of economic transition, and ideology about what economic transition should mean, were baked into the calculations of both transitions. Further, the data used to …

When The Green In Green Packaging Backfires: Gender Effects And Perceived Masculinity Of Environmentally Friendly Products, Reto Felix, Eva M. González, Raquel Castaño, Lorena Carrete, Richard T. Gretz

Marketing Faculty Publications

Previous research has emphasized the importance of product packaging to consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions, but empirical studies that explore the specific mechanisms by which packaging color influences marketing-relevant downstream variables in relation to environmentally friendly products is scarce. The current research addresses this gap by building on insights from theories on consumption values, gender roles, and gendered products. In two studies, the current research shows (1) how color-induced perceptions of masculinity can trigger perceived product effectiveness and purchase intentions, (2) how competing mediation through masculinity and perceived fit with the product category influences perceived product effectiveness and purchase intentions …

Walmart Vs Amazon: How Walmart Can Compete With Amazon In The Age Of E-Commerce, Andrew Turner

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the growing battle between the retail giants, Walmart, and Amazon, it has become clear that Walmart must take steps to secure their place in a market where a pandemic-driven technology enabled e-commerce industry is expected to grow leaps and bounds over the next several years. In order to compete with Amazon, who dominates the majority of e-commerce in the US, Walmart must identify core competencies that drive revenue and customer loyalty and adapt them to a new age of retail. By taking advantage of physical locations and access to customer data, Walmart may be able to continue to offer …

Sec Reporting Of Cybersecurity Incidents, Michaela Morosky

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper documents the reporting to the SEC of 197 major incidents of cybersecurity breaches among public firms in the years 2011-2019. My goal is to contribute to the debate on the need to revise the disclosure guidance by evaluating the extent to which cybersecurity breaches are disclosed in SEC filings under the current regulatory regime. In evaluating the individual breaches, I document whether prior to the SEC’s 2022 proposed amendment, firms were already following the SEC recommendation of disclosing material cybersecurity breaches in a timely manner. I find that it is extremely rare for a firm to follow the …

Exploring Women’S Sizing Chart: A View Into Psychosizing, Patience Billingsley

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The apparel industry lacks a universal sizing system and has created tactics to group consumers under a few generic sizes. The inconsistency in sizing has led to a struggle of consumers trying to find pieces of clothing that are not only their size but fit their measurements as well. An analysis of the sizing charts of 5 different women’s clothing private labels ranging from sizes 0-16 within two major department stores was assessed. The sizing charts within each individual store were evaluated, and then compared to one another. After calculating the sizing differences, an average of both store A and …

The Many Sides Of Social Capital: How Social Capital Is Related To Entrepreneurship?, Vivian M. Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explores two questions about the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurship that have not received much attention. The first is, how different dimensions of social capital relate to entrepreneurship? The second is, to what extent community social capital is related to the level of entrepreneurship among marginal and dominant members of a community? Social capital is the benefits derived from social connections. We know about the positive aspects of the relationship between social capital but it is also important to examine if there are negative effects. Further, community social capital, which is the aggregate level of social capital …

How Innovation Occurs In The Software Industry: A Qualitative Study On Innovation Management, Jihoon Rim

Student Theses and Dissertations

Research in innovation has been widely conducted by academics. However, many of them merely define associations among innovation factors, findings are often contradictory, and research that involves innovation leaders with rich experiences, both successes and failures, is rare. Thus, how to best innovate remains a question among practitioners. This qualitative research is aimed at filling this gap in the literature. To that end, 23 innovation leaders, most of whom founded software companies worth hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, were interviewed with a grounded theory approach using Peter Drucker’s innovation theory as a lens through which to view new …

Nsu Huizenga College Of Business And Entrepreneurship 2022-2023 Graduate Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Huizenga Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Modernizing Handmade Crochet Lace, An Antiquated Craft, Through The Development Of A Blog, Livier Olson

Theses

This project investigates the degree of difficulty involved in initiating a web-based blog and growing its content with the intention to create craft-based entrepreneurship. With the advancement in technology and the help of the internet and social media, this project also aims to express how a vintage craft can be modernized and continue to thrive as a cottage industry. The final deliverable is a blog that intends to educate the public about the history of crochet and its ties to the lace and fashion industry, tutorials for crocheted lacemaking, and the continued use of crocheted lace in modern fashion.

Apparel Students' Perception Of Denim Quality In Relation To Price And Brand, Karli Haws

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate apparel students’ perception of quality in denim jeans based on the influences of price and brand. The following research objectives were developed:

1. To determine if apparel students’ perceptions of garment quality are affected by price and brand.

2. To determine how apparel students perceive quality in a garment.

3. To determine if price and brand are indicators of quality to apparel students.

Consumers Perception Of Quality For Ladies' Swimwear Based On Price And Brand, Jennifer Avila

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Consumers shop at multiple retailers for different needs. It is understood that many choose a retailer for an experience and others will shop at large discount retailer for the better savings aspect. These two retailers are constantly working on improving customer experience as well as trying to increase their sales. In a time where E-commerce is at an all-time high, these two retailers also need to consider how other retailers compare against them in different sales categories. Since March of 2020, the retail world shifted with COVID-19 disrupting the supply chain. As retailers solve ways to keep consumers content and …

Corporate America Gives Back: Exploring The Best Practices And Implemented Programs That Help Combat Food Insecurity In America, Emily Uvaney

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

As businesses of all types become more self-aware and responsive to consumers’ interests, they are quickly adapting their business models to include pillars of philanthropy. Philanthropic qualities are especially important in regards to the CPG industry (consumer packaged goods) since they often produce food products. Many consumers and analysts believe that CPGs have a moral obligation to cater to people with various types of dietary needs, restrictions, and preferences while also helping customers meet their nutritional minimums. Companies can aid consumers in a plethora of ways. Beneficial programs can include initiatives like fundraising, food drives, internal employee assistance programs, and …

Keurig Dr. Pepper Internship: Development Of A Tool In A Big Data Environment To Uncover Risks And Opportunities, Lindsey Ross

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Selling and sales management professions permeate job application websites. Sales is often associated with a pushy used-car dealership and cold calling. These practices are necessary, but selling, especially in our increasingly consumerist society, has long influenced and is a part of almost all business professions. You could argue that almost every employed individual operates in some sort of sales function due to the current job landscape. Whether this includes working directly with the sale of a product or even selling one’s self to a company or client. Selling in the retail space is understandably the heartbeat of the company, especially …

Helping Small Businesses In Belize, Laura Hollingsworth

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper will discuss my summer internship project with Peacework in Belize. The study abroad Special Projects in Belize with Peacework was supposed to be the summer of 2019. The trip was going to be two months long and while there we were going to get paired with a community leader or a local development organization to work on a community project in Dangriga, Belize. Because of COVID-19, the trip was cancelled for the summer of 2019 and then for the summer of 2020 it was moved to virtual. The Belize team was still paired with people from the community …

Colgate-Palmolive Customer Development Year-Long Internship Project, Maggie Johnson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

From June 2021 to May 2022, I had the privilege of being the Customer Development Intern in the home care department at Colgate-Palmolive. In this thesis I will unpack the experience of working with Colgate Palmolive, specifically as it pertains to my largest project for the company.

The genesis of the project was informed by observations of the company over the course of the internship. The company had a noticeable gap in the data collection tools it was utilizing. I, along with the manager and analyst of the home care team, identified a solution by using Walnut in Google Data …

Creative Brief For Blakeman's Fine Jewelry, Abigail Bouve

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

According to recent trends, the global luxury market has grown due in part to a shift in young adult luxury consumers, including generations Y and Z, and millennials. Recognizing that consumer interest in luxury goods exists within this age range, new marketing strategies and insights are vital to encourage a lifetime of brand loyalty (Eastman, Shin, & Ruhland, 2020). With respect to brand loyalty, if a person were to have an exceptional experience while purchasing their first piece of fine jewelry at a store, then they would be more likely to remain a loyal customer at that same store as …

Achieving Brand Authenticity In The Age Of Cancel Culture: Why Brands Can No Longer Be Neutral Without Being Seen As Complicit, Caitlin Paris

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

As cultural controversies arise, brands experience pressure from consumers and competitors to take a stance. The looming presence of cancel culture has increased this feeling, as users are quick to point fingers at organizations they think are falling short. However, increased brand engagement has created a gap between superficiality and moral accountability. When a crisis strikes, the media arena becomes filled with statements, pleas, and promises, but when the dust settles, those who lack action are quick to be criticized. Companies must strike a balance between focalized brand authenticity and short-term reactivity, in a culture where it is unacceptable to …

A Historical And Practical Analysis For Neuromarketing In Business Practices Today, Scott Wicinski

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

What thoughts come to your mind when you think of the term neuromarketing? In a digital age where personal privacy seems to be diminishing and data exploitation appears to be rising, many people are skeptical about businesses' attempts to combine neurology, psychology, and business. This skepticism is unfortunately, legitimate. Our history reveals plenty of occasions where businesses have exploited their customers through unethical means and traded valuable relationships and resources for profits. However, despite the flaws business can introduce, business is arguably still the most powerful tool for creating value in a community. Through business, customers have had access to …

Harvesting Growth -- An Internship Thesis, Emma Conover

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

During the Summer of 2021, I had the privilege to Intern with Harvest Group in Rogers, Arkansas. During this 12-week internship, I was placed in the Client Services division and was a part of a consumables team that served several clients. I gained invaluable experience from this internship and developed both personally and professionally.

The Ethical Dilemmas Of The True Crime Genre, Jordan Smail

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Along with the recent mainstream popularity of true crime entertainment, the genre has been increasingly criticized for ethical violations. Interestingly, the centuries-long history of true crime and the moral debates around it has led to an abundance of literature on the subject with little to no consensus. The mere existence of true crime entertainment can even be considered controversial in some cases. For those who produce and market true crime content, a lack of common guidelines means receiving a wide range of feedback. This dichotomy of both backlash and praise being published about the same works reveals a gap in …