Business Commons^™

The Impact Of Employee Equity Incentives On Enterprise Innovation Efficiency: From The Perspective Of Granting Restricted Stocks To Employees, Zongjie Ji

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the dual backdrop of the in-depth implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and the continuous deepening of SOE reforms, restricted equity has emerged a mainstream instrument for medium- and long-term employee incentives in Chinese SOEs. However, the underlying mechanisms, effect characteristics, and boundary conditions through which employee restricted equity incentives influence innovation efficiency in SOEs remain to be systematically examined. Drawing on panel data of 4,880 firm-year observation from Chinese A-share SOMEs over the period of 2015-2024, this study develops a direct effect model of “Equity Incentives-Innovation Efficiency” from the perspective of employee restricted equity grants. It further introduces …

The Gospel Of Glamour: A Christian Woman's Style Blueprint, Osaromwenyeke Osemwota

Theses

The Gospel of Glamour: The Christian Woman’s Style Blueprint was a luxury-branded, sustainability-focused, faith-based style guide that addressed a gap in fashion, theology, and sustainability scholarship. Existing literature had either systematized fashion, explored the spiritual significance of dress, or examined sustainable and luxury practices—but none had integrated these dimensions into a prescriptive, actionable guide for Christian women. Drawing on Scripture as the foundational authority, including passages from Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, and Proverbs, the guide framed clothing as both practical provision and visible expression of covenantal identity. The style guide synthesized secular fashion methodology, modest-fashion scholarship, and sustainable luxury principles to …

Between Conformity And Change: How Institutional Forces Shape, And Are Shaped By, Projects, Masoud Aghajani, Ashkan Memari, Shankar Sankaran

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Projects operate within institutional environments that shape their structures, practices, and legitimacy. At the same time, projects may contribute to institutional stabilization, adaptation, or incremental change. A growing body of research has applied institutional theory to examine these interactions; however, the literature remains dispersed across various contexts and levels of analysis, thereby limiting a cumulative understanding of how institutional and project dynamics are interconnected. This paper undertakes an integrative review of 119 publications that apply organizational institutional theory in project management studies. The findings build upon earlier research to consolidate this body of work and clarify how institutional forces shape …

Prescribing Tourism: Cultivating Positive Travel Experiences For Individuals With Health Conditions, Fangli Hu, Jun Wen, Sebastian Filep

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Clinical evidence of tourism's health-related benefits for people with health conditions is notably scarce. Prescribing tourism, wherein medical professionals recommend engaging in tourism activities to enhance overall health and well-being, could offer unique insights into the tourism–health nexus. This paper adopted a conceptual approach, underpinned by a state-of-the-art literature review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA framework to identify knowledge gaps in the existing literature. This paper proposed prescribing tourism as a novel research agenda at the intersection of tourism and health, and further introduced it as a promising approach for people with health conditions, aiming to potentially minimise adverse …

Vertical Price Transmission In The Philippine Rice Supply Chain: Responses To Shocks In The Post-Tariffication Period, Bates Bathan

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

In the post-Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) period, several protectionist policies and state interventions have reemerged in the Philippine rice market. Using national-level time series data from January 2018 to April 2025, the study applies autoregressive distributed lag models to assess the impact of policy changes and external shocks on unmilled rice (palay) and rice prices. Results show that National Food Authority (NFA) rice stocks significantly affect palay farmgate prices and special rice retail prices. Vertical price transmission flows from farmgate to wholesale levels for special rice, and from wholesale to retail levels for well-milled and regular-milled rice. Major …

Farmers’ Perspectives Toward Organizing A Cotton Producers’ Union In Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, Ismail Efe, Mehmet Cançelik, Mehmet Reşit Sevinç

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study examines the attitudes of cotton producers in Şanlıurfa toward establishing a producers’ union to address structural challenges in Türkiye’s leading cotton production region. Şanlıurfa contributes approximately 40% of Türkiye’s cotton output, yet lacks organizational frameworks for its nearly 20,000 producers who face significant risks including price volatility, high input costs, and limited market access. The research utilized primary data collected through face-to-face surveys with 165 cotton producers selected via convenience sampling. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed a significant paradox: while …

The Hidden Cost Of Performative Culture In Learning Organizations Introduction, Coby Dillard

Human Resource Development Student Publications and Presentations

Purpose

The aim of this article is to present a viewpoint that performative culture disrupts organizational learning by eroding alignment between espoused values, system design, and lived experience. Design/methodology/approach

This article adopts a conceptual and practitioner-oriented approach, drawing on foundational theories of organizational culture and learning to examine how misalignment between values and systems shapes organizational behavior. The discussion integrates insights from organizational culture and learning frameworks to reinterpret performative culture as a system design issue. Findings

The article identifies that performative culture undermines organizational learning in three key ways: by eroding trust through inconsistent signals, fragmenting systems and reducing …

Farmers’ Perspectives Toward Organizing A Cotton Producers’ Union In Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, Ismail Efe, Mehmet Cançelik, Mehmet Reşit Sevinç

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study examines the attitudes of cotton producers in Şanlıurfa toward establishing a producers’ union to address structural challenges in Türkiye’s leading cotton production region. Şanlıurfa contributes approximately 40% of Türkiye’s cotton output, yet lacks organizational frameworks for its nearly 20,000 producers who face significant risks including price volatility, high input costs, and limited market access. The research utilized primary data collected through face-to-face surveys with 165 cotton producers selected via convenience sampling. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed a significant paradox: while producers …

To Swear Or Not To Swear: Exploring The Role Of Profanity In Influencer Marketing, Mahdi Niknejad Moghadam, Vijay Mahajan

Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Influencers play a central role in promoting products and services on digital platforms. Understanding the impact of their linguistic choices, including the use of profanity, is therefore important for marketers seeking to engage target audiences. This study investigates how influencers’ profanity usage shapes user engagement. The authors analyze videos shared by influencers on a popular video-sharing platform and extract auditory, visual, and verbal features using a range of machinelearning tools. The findings indicate that profanity in focal content is associated with lower engagement, with a substantially larger effect in categories where profanity is less normatively expected. This negative effect is …

Epi Dataset, Nancy Tran

Finance Faculty Publications

EPI Dataset.

Regulatory Cost Of Production In Napa County Vineyards, Lynn Hamilton, Michael Mccullough

Agribusiness

Regulatory costs are an increasing concern for California growers. Recent studies in Salinas Valley lettuce and San Joaquin Valley fruit, vegetable and row crops show that regulatory costs are growing at a much faster rate than costs of production. Napa County Farm Bureau contacted Cal Poly to conduct a case study of regulations accruing to Napa Valley vineyards. We interviewed one large (1000-acre) and one small (200-acre) vineyard in 2025 and documented the costs of complying with regulations in the following categories:

• Education and Training for Regulatory Compliance
• Air Quality
• Water Quality
• Surface and Groundwater Regulations …

The Disney Adult: A Consumer That Creates Free Marketing, Emily Elizabeth Kempf

Theses

This research looks at the evolving complex relationship between the Walt Disney Company, The Disney Adult content creators and the fan base. It focuses on how user-generated content (UGC) and social media can play a large role in contemporary marketing strategies. As the target audience has expanded to include Disney Adult, this new audience has become a central part in the company’s marketing strategy encouraging fan engagement across all social media platforms. This research is a qualitative case study on the Disney Adult and how social media content can be used as a core marketing strategy. The Disney Adult influencer …

A Data-Guided Analytical Framework For Assessing The Value Of Additional Variables In Heart Transplant Decision Making, Ali Dag, Hamidreza Ahady Dolatsara, Abdullah Asilkalkan, Joseph Ekong, Kamil Ciftci, Ugur Kucuk, Ozlem Cosgun

School of Business

Heart transplantation is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage heart failure. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which administers the US organ allocation system, substantially expanded the number of clinical and demographic variables collected in its database in 2004. This study examines whether these newly added variables improve the ability to predict survival outcomes for patients on the heart transplant waiting list. An information-gain-based feature selection approach, supported by an extensive review of prior studies, was combined with survival analysis and regularized regression to identify the most influential predictors. Using the selected variables, several classification models, including tree-augmented …

Mda Advocacy: Advocacy Continues Despite A Challenging Climate, James Budd Mpp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This update reviews the MDA's legislative efforts during a period of significant gridlock in the Michigan Legislature. It highlights key priorities such as bills addressing virtual credit card payments and dental specialty advertising. The source emphasizes that advocacy remains essential even when progress is slow, as it builds the relationships necessary for future success. Additionally, it outlines the "MDA Service Promise" and announces an upcoming PAC competition at the Annual Session to support the association's political activities.

When Toxic Behaviors Sneak Into Practice, Amrita Patel, Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article addresses the challenge for new dentists in identifying and managing toxic workplace behaviors. It details common red flags such as chronic negativity, poor communication, "blame culture," and excessive production pressure that compromises ethics. The author explains how these environments can lead to burnout and practicing defensively rather than confidently. The source emphasizes the importance of developing self-awareness, seeking external mentorship, and establishing professional boundaries. It concludes that recognizing when to leave an unhealthy practice is an act of professional self-respect and essential for long-term career satisfaction.

Farmers Markets As Community Infrastructure: Evidence From A Three-Year Statewide Data Project In Utah, Jaclyn Pace, Roslynn Mccann, Blue Cook, Steven Price, Lorali Smith, Dianna Parkynn, Joshua Cafferty

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah farmers markets play a critical role in food access, small business viability, and community connection, yet limited statewide data document their impact. The Utah Farmers Market Network (UFMN) and Utah State University (USU) Extension conducted a mixed-methods evaluation (2023–2025) and found that farmers markets make valuable contributions to the community.

Elevating The Performance Of Software Development Teams By Leveraging Emotional Intelligence Through Improved Knowledge Sharing, Rajiv Sabherwal, Mary M. Dunaway

Information Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role in managing emotions within software development (SD) teams, which often face challenges such as stress and anxiety. EI can enhance knowledge sharing (KS) and team performance, contributing to the success of SD projects. This paper examines EI in terms of four aspects - awareness and management of own and others' emotions - and investigates how they affect KS and team performance. The study is based on survey data from 357 individuals in 86 teams at seven large companies in the United States. Multilevel modeling, specifically using Generalized Structural Equation Modeling in Stata 19, …

Language Analysis Of "Gaslight" And "Narcissist" As Seen On Tiktok, Aaren Fernandez

Journal of Research Initiatives

TikTok is a popular social media platform from which users frequently obtain information. Specifically, psychological concepts such as anxiety, depression, and related conditions are becoming popular vernacular on TikTok through trends such as "story times." However, the accuracy of these terms' usage requires examination. In this qualitative analysis of TikTok posts and comments under the hashtags #gaslight and #narcissist, it was found that videos under these hashtags often originated from users attempting to warn viewers about psychological traits that align with common diagnostic language. However, comments under these videos tended to use these terms in a more casual sense than …

Research On The Influence Mechanism Of Digital Transformation On The International Competitiveness Of The Srdi Smes In China, Bo Sun

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

With the continuous advancement of digital technologies, the digital economy is increasingly becoming the dominant force in the global economic landscape. Against this backdrop, the digital transformation of China's specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative (SRDI) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has transcended beyond mere technological upgrades and evolved into a crucial strategy for these enterprises to build core competitiveness. Despite SRDI SMEs' strong willingness to pursue digital transformation, research is still lacking on how digital transformation efforts translate into international competitiveness Additionally, existing studies on the degree of digitalization have focused on large enterprises or general SMEs, leaving an academic …

Organizational Characteristics And Business Transformation: An Investigation On Corporate Transformation In The Construction Industry, Wei Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Draw on a structural decline in demand triggered by selective real estate industrial policies, this study explores how construction companies drive business transformation through organizational characteristics in environmental uncertainties. Extant research has largely focused on the independent impact of single organizational factors or capabilities on transformation, lacking a systematic exploration of the interactions between organizational characteristics and the external environment. Take a typical construction group as an example, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach, through interviews and questionnaires, to systematically examine the impact of organizational characteristics on business transformation. The key findings are: in environmental uncertainties, an organic organizational structure …

The Role Of Negotiable And Non Negotiable Dimensions In Brand Revitalization: The Case Of Whisky Packaging Design, Liang Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In consumer sectors such as digital appliances, apparel, cosmetics, and food and beverages, the number of brands has grown explosively, intensifying market competition. As the primary touchpoint between brands and consumers, product packaging design directly shapes consumer attitudes. Adjustments to packaging elements can catalyze brand growth but may also trigger trust crises. Although recent studies have explored the role of packaging design in brand revitalization, research remains insufficient regarding its “negotiable” and “non-negotiable” dimensions and the mechanisms through which it influences consumer attitudes.

Drawing on brand life cycle theory, brand image theory, and consumer behavior theory, this dissertation investigates how …

Middle Plaza Redesign, Marlo Lavacude-Klenck

City and Regional Planning

Middle Plaza Redesign presents a conceptual redevelopment of Middle Plaza, an 8.43-acre site located at 500 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, California. Originally developed as a mixed-use project in the 2010s, the redesign evaluates the site through the regulatory atmosphere, market conditions, and housing needs of 2025.

The project examines site conditions, market demand, state and local planning frameworks, and applicable development standards, including recent California housing legislation that eliminates parking minimums and streamlines environmental review. A financial feasibility analysis using proforma modeling evaluates two investment scenarios and demonstrates the economic challenges of delivering high-density rental housing despite regulatory …

Nominal Prices, Retail Investor Participation, And Return Momentum, Jun Du, Dashan Huang, Yu-Jane Liu, Yushui Shi, Avanidhar Subrahmanyam, Huacheng Zhang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We employ an identification strategy for retail participation to explore the link between return momentum and investing clientele. This scheme relies on strictly enforced round-lot rules in China, which financially constrain retail investors from participating in stocks with high nominal prices. We find that there is strong momentum in high-priced stocks, but no momentum on aggregate. This result supports the idea that noise trades of retail investors mask momentum, while other, more sophisticated investors contribute to momentum. We validate this notion by showing that retail investors with small (large) portfolios are less (more) prone to participating in stocks with high …

Can’T Get Work Off My Mind: The Effect Of Nonwork Goal Reflection On After-Work Rumination And Well-Being, Trevor A. Foulk, Min-Hsuan Tu, Michael Schaerer, Amber Johnson

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Many employees lament that their inability to stop ruminating about work during nonwork time is one of their most significant work-related challenges, yet limited research has articulated actionable strategies to address this issue on a day-to-day basis. Integrating goal shielding theory with rumination theory, our model introduces nonwork goal reflection as a deliberate behavioral intervention employees can engage in to curtail work-related rumination, in a way that facilitates well-being during nonwork time. Specifically, we argue that engaging in nonwork goal reflection—where employees intentionally reflect on nonwork goals to be completed during their nonwork time—can curtail work-related rumination and is associated …

Program Management And Building Partner Capacity: A Tangled Thicket, Phil W. Reynolds

Publications

This chapter explores how the U.S. Department of Defense plans and executes Building Partner Capacity projects in lower-middle and low-income partners. U.S. planners and practitioners rarely understand the effective pre-conditions that influence partner security apparatus and infrastructure. Consequently, security capabilities provided to the partner are rarely sustained and provide questionable security to the affected population. The U.S. Department of Defense uses a three-part approach to building security with partners: training and equipping, building institutional capacity, and monitoring and evaluating. U.S. security planners should manage all three parts concurrently to produce a security capability that the partner uses and sustains and …

Algorithm-Based Pay-For-Performance (Apfp) Systems: Paradoxes In Artificial Intelligence's Influence On Pay-For-Performance Theories, Anthony Nyberg, Dhuha Abdulsalam, Ormonde Cragun, Vijayesvaran Arumugam

Faculty Publications

Although artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) are increasingly used to assess and reward employees, their implications for foundational pay-for-performance (PFP) theories remain underexplored. Traditional PFP systems are effective in an era of static evaluations and infrequent feedback, but they lack the intelligence and flexibility needed for today's dynamic work environments. In response, we introduce algorithm-based PFP (APFP) systems—PFP systems that leverage AI and GenAI to enable real-time adaptability, predictive capabilities, customization, automated algorithmic recommending, and measurement sophistication. We then use the APFP framework to assess its implications for three foundational PFP theories (equity theory, expectancy theory, and tournament …

Improving Public Transport Through Machine Learning Influence Flow Analysis (Mifa): Southern England Bus Case Study, Benjamin Lee, Wolfgang Garn, Masoud Fakhimi, Nick F. Ryman-Tubb

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Public transport (PT) is crucial for enhancing the quality of life and enabling sustainable urban development. As part of the UK Transport Investment Strategy, increasing PT usage is critical to achieving efficient and sustainable mobility. This paper introduces Machine Learning Influence Flow Analysis (MIFA), a novel framework for identifying the key influencers of PT usage. Using survey data from bus passengers in Southern England, we evaluate machine learning models. Subsequently, MIFA uncovers that easy payments, e-ticketing, and mobile applications can substantially improve the PT service. MIFA’s implementation demonstrates that strength and importance lead to specific insights into how service characteristics …

Dyadic Trust Congruence And Asymmetry: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Needs On Trust And Performance, Hongyin Cai

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This thesis examines how trust congruence and trust asymmetry shape leader-subordinate relationships and how these dynamics influence LTS and subordinate job performance. Trust congruence and trust asymmetry are defined by the degree of alignment between STL and SFT. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study investigates these processes from the subordinate’s perspective using a mixed-method design that integrates qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis.

Results show that subordinate trust in leader (STL), subordinate felt trust (SFT) and leader trust in subordinate (LTS) are three distinct constructs. Trust asymmetry is prevalent, with subordinate often trusting more than they feel trusted. Asymmetry meaningfully shapes …

Enterprise Digital Transformation: An Analysis Of Value Creation From An Operational Perspective, Weiguo Ling

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Digital transformation has become a critical pathway for the manufacturing sector to break through growth bottlenecks and reshape its core competitiveness. However, in practice, a large number of enterprises are trapped in the transformation paradox of a “discrepancy between perceived consensus and actual outcomes”. The core issue lies in the fact that traditional investment evaluation methods struggle to effectively measure the multi-dimensional value created by digitalization. From the perspective of operational management, this study focuses on the mechanisms and evaluation methods of digital value creation in different manufacturing contexts. A four-dimensional Value Evaluation Framework is proposed, comprise of Value Identification, …

Governance-By-Support: Non-Financial Incentive, Agency Costs, And Performance In Overseas Projects, Jixiang Lyu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As the Belt and Road Initiative continues to advance, multinational corporations from emerging economies have become increasingly reliant on expatriates to oversee overseas project execution, facilitate technology transfer, and manage on-site coordination. However, in contexts characterized by financial constraints, information opacity, and significant geographic and cultural distance, traditional Western models of expatriate management, which emphasize high compensation and tight monitoring, often prove difficult to sustain in practice. In reality, some firms are able to maintain high levels of expatriate commitment and stable overseas project performance even when expatriate compensation is below market levels. This seemingly anomalous phenomenon poses an interesting …