Business Commons^™

Systems, Apparatus And Method For Material Preparations And / Or Handling, Robert Doebler, Ali Nadim, James D. Sterling, Anna Hickerson, Barbara Erwin, Denice Woyski, Ryan P. Talbot, Bruce Irvine

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oscillating angularly rotating a container containing a mate rial may cause the material to be separate. Denser or heavier material may unexpectedly tend to be collected relatively close to the axis of rotation, while less dense or light material may tend to collect relatively away from the axis of rotation. Oscillation along an arcuate path provides high lysing efficiency. Alternatively, a micromotor may drive an impeller removably received in a container. Lysing may be implemented in batch mode, flow - through stop or semi-batch mode, or flow - through continuous mode. Lysing particulate material may exceed material to be lysed …

Generalized Relay Network Design And Collaborative Dispatching In Truckload Transportation, Amin Ziaeifar

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

The truckload industry faces a serious problem of high driver shortage and turnover rate which is typically around 100\%. Among the major causes of this problem are extended on-the-road times where drivers handle several truckload pickup and deliveries successively; non-regular schedules and get-home rates; and low utilization of drivers dedicated time. These are by-and-large consequences of the driver-to-load dispatching method, which is based on point-to-point dispatching or direct shipment from origin-to-destination, commonly employed in the industry. In this dissertation, we consider an alternative dispatching method that necessitates careful design of an underlying network. In this scheme, a truckload on its …

Indicators And Thresholds For Black Bear Viewing Proximity Preferences At Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, Meghan M. Roberts

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Human-wildlife interactions in protected areas are complex, and visitor preference for close proximity to wildlife continues to challenge managers. Two indicators and thresholds questionnaires with varying photo panel orders were distributed to a total of 302 visitors at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina to examine the acceptability of various distances and management actions for black bear viewing. Results show average minimum acceptability for black bear viewing is 38 yards for a single bear and 38 - 44 yards for a black bear sow with two cubs; photo panel viewing order influenced participants’ evaluations, illustrating the potential for …

A Comparison Of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, The Analytic Hierarchy Process, The Analytic Network Process, And New Hybrid Approaches For A Case Study Involving Radon, Jesse Ray Toepfer

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the use of three new combinational hybrid approaches to solve a rational decision problem. Even though Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the Analytic Network Process (ANP), are all long established theories, their practical applications continue to grow and generate new knowledge. As a case study approach, there exists a knowledge gap concerning the use of these MCDM methods in the area of environmental remediation, and more especially, in situations that involve radioactive materials. From this, and as borne out by the literature review discussed herein, a problem statement is thus …

Two Essays On The Effects Of Organization Capital On Firm Behavior, Andrew Root

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

A growing stream of finance literature involves measuring the effects of organization capital (“OC”) on investment decisions, financial policy, and firm value. Li, Qui & Shen (2018) use the exogenous event of a merger or acquisition to determine whether high OC acquirers perform better. We extend the OC literature by considering economic policy uncertainty (“PU”)(Baker, Bloom & Davis, 2016), which is also exogenous to the firm, to determine the effect of OC on firms in the face of PU. Univariate tests show that high OC firms take more investment risk, have lower leverage, higher cash, lower total shareholder payouts, and …

On The Yellow Brick Road, A Path To Enterprise Architecture Maturity, Avsharn Bachoo

The African Journal of Information Systems

This study concentrated on the relationship between the Enterprise Architecture (EA) maturity of an organization and the business value associated with it in the South African financial services environment. It was developed within the critical realism philosophy, which states that mechanisms generate events by accentuating the underlying EA mechanisms that lead to business value, as well as provide insights into the opportunities and challenges organizations experienced as they progressed to higher levels of maturity. Constructed using the resource-based view of the firm as the underlying theoretical framework, this research examined EA as an intangible resource and maturity as a source …

"The Healing Of America" And The Next Steps For American Healthcare, Carter A. Hanson

Student Publications

An exploration of three healthcare systems—France, United Kingdom, and Canada—and what can be learned for them. Elements from the three national systems are combined into a proposal for reforming the American healthcare system into a devolved single-payer system.

The Macro Drawbacks Of Microfinance, Meghan E. Guy

Student Publications

For decades, microfinance has been utilized as a tool to reduce global poverty rates. Many communities become entangled with microfinance institutions (MFIs) with the hope of achieving the financial independence, security, and empowerment that these institutions promise their clients. This paper highlights the negative consequences of relying on microfinance institutions to improve the development status of nations. Specifically, high interest rates attached to microloans, strict loan repayment schedules, and corrupt microloan officers threaten the safety and increase stress on majority-female microloan borrowers. MFIs fail in their mission to transform economic and social structures in developing nations.

2019-October-01-Now On Shelves, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Proceedings Of The Global Conference On Business And Economics: Volume 2, Cihan Cobanoglu, Muhittin Cavusoglu, Abdulkadir Corbaci

University of South Florida (USF) - M3 Publishing

This is the second volume of the Global Conference on Business and Economics Proceedings Series.

ISSN: 2641-502X

Students’ Expectations Within A Nontraditional College Of Business Classroom, Angela Patrick, Rick Simmons, Russell Calk

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

Students in a college of business classroom have various expectations regarding the faculty member and the course. If the faculty member fails to meet those expectations, the resulting misalignment can cause misunderstandings and other issues. This study attempts to understand the expectations of nontraditional students to assist faculty in identifying the potential areas of misalignment. Using a series of modified questions from Schmitt, Larsen, Miller, Badawy, Dougherty, Sharma & Benson (2013), this study reports the results of a survey of 152 upper-division undergraduate and graduate students from the college of business at a regional university with a teaching mission. The …

Ceo Effects On Firm Value And Its Components, Alex Bolinger, Jeff Brookman, Paul Thistle

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

In this paper, we contribute to the ongoing debate about the extent to which CEOs influence firm performance. We also seek to shift the existing debate from its narrower focus on CEO effects on firm performance (typically measured as ROA) to a broader focus on CEO effects on firm value (operationalized in terms of Tobin’s Q) and on the components of firm value. We analyze the three components of firm value: current performance (ROA), leverage (equity multiplier), and market valuation (priceto- earnings ratio). We also introduce a methodological innovation, the fixed effect least squares dummy variable (FELSDV) approach, to better …

How Small Business Can Win: Surviving E-Commerce And Category Killers: Ridgefield Hardware, Ronald W. Pimentel

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

In the small town of Ridgefield, Washington, growth seems inevitable, with more people moving to the Portland-area suburbs in search of affordable living and a smalltown atmosphere. But for the residents of Ridgefield, there is a growing concern about the loss of this very atmosphere, primarily driven by a fear of large stores moving in and displacing smaller local retailers. This study examines the town of Ridgefield, the community’s attitudes toward growth and local businesses, and how one local business—Ridgefield Hardware—is overcoming the growth of e-commerce and big-box retailers. Key findings include recommendations for small retailers to embrace being small …

An Exploratory Study Of The Online Presence Of Colorado Telephone Companies, Johann Snyman, Debbie Gilliard

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

The wireline telecommunications industry has experienced dramatic changes during the last three decades. The internet, new digital technology, and regulatory changes have significantly increased competitive pressures on existing telephone companies or Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) as they were called after passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This paper briefly reviews the history of the landline or wireline telecommunications industry and the development of ILECs and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) that entered the industry after 1996. Research questions are developed about the utilization of the internet and social media as a strategy to address the competitive pressures facing …

Just Shoot! Using Real Options And Agency Theory To Explain The Tough Choices In Zombie Narratives, David Tufte

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

Real options apply the theory typically used to value financial options to situations in which goods and services whose consumption can be timed or selected. Agency theory applies to situations in which connected decision-makers have different valuations. Teaching students about these topics is a worthwhile addition to their toolbox. They are common in some electives for undergraduate finance (and occasionally economics) majors, and also in required and elective graduate courses. This paper uses popular culture narratives about zombies to explain where net present valuation falls short, and where real option valuation and agency theory offer improvements.

The Convergence Of Financial And Esg Materiality: Taking Sustainability Mainstream, Ruth Jebe

Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sustainability reporting can be seen as an attempt to bring improved environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices to mainstream business. However, this movement to mainstream is hampered by the disconnect between financial and ESG information. Both reporting streams use the concept of materiality to shape firms’ disclosure obligations, but the term carries different meanings for different organizations. One sustainability organization, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), has developed reporting standards to merge sustainability and financial information by leveraging the definition of materiality for financial reporting purposes. This use of financial materiality positions the SASB to collide with the Security and …

Swimming Against The Current: Mayall V. Usa Water Polo And Its Potential Impact On Overseeing Athletic Organizations, Sam C. Ehrlich

Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The concussion epidemic has been a major source of discussion among commentators in a variety of different subject areas, as many attempt to determine how to solve this crisis and curb the threat it poses to sport participation. While much of the discussion is centered around professional and intercollegiate sports, amateur youth sports have been affected as well. According to medical researchers, around 600,000 sport- and recreation-related concussions by youth sport participants are treated each year; between 22.5 percent and 52.7 percent of high school students’ concussions are not reported to medical providers for treatment. It may be impossible to …

The Number Of Restaurants Is Growing In The Tyler Msa, Manuel Reyes-Loya

Hibbs Brief

This issue of the Hibbs Brief discusses growth of restaurants in Tyler, Texas.

An Unlikely Pair: Impressionism And The Work-Life Interface, Emily N. Roush

Student Publications

When I get asked what I am studying in college, I often get puzzled or confused replies due to the fact that the fields are pretty unconventional as a pairing. The remarks, “What in the world are you going to do with that?” or “How interesting,” are common responses after sharing. Organization and management studies and art history are an unlikely duo that seem to be vastly different at first glance. After taking many courses within both disciplines to fulfill my double major, I argue that these disciplines are more similar than one may initially assume. Thus, I was inspired …

Investigating Usage Of Social Media Platforms In South Africa, Adheesh Budree, Kaja Fietkiewicz, Elmar Lins

The African Journal of Information Systems

This study investigated the differences in usage of different social media platforms within the South African context, broken down by user characteristics, specifically gender and age, in addition to investigating the correlation between usage of differing social media platforms. This was carried out to determine which social media needs do the different population groups aim to fulfill when using different social media platforms. Based on the results, the study confirmed the existence of preferences between types of social media platforms and groups of social media platforms in South Africa, based on frequency of use by age group and gender. Social …

The Influence Of Socioeconomic Factors To The Use Of Mobile Phones In The Agricultural Sector Of Tanzania, Edison Wazoel Lubua Dr, Michael E. Kyobe Prof.

The African Journal of Information Systems

This study determined the influence of socioeconomic factors to the adoption of mobile phones in the farming community of Tanzania. Currently, a series of well-established models (such as the TAM, UTAUT and the Social Capital Model) provide inadequate consideration toward socioeconomic factors, by ignoring them, or putting them under the same cluster, regardless of their differences in impacting the technology use. Methodologically, a survey strategy was adopted, with a sample of 116 respondents. The study involved farmers along the Pangani River Basin, found in Kilimanjaro and Tanga Regions of Tanzania. Data was analyzed using advanced quantitative methods such as the …

Mobile Technology Usage For Street Traders’ Market Search In Dodoma—Urban Tanzania: An Exploratory Study, Joel Rumanyika, Matti Tedre, Apiola Mikko, Nasibu Rajabu Mramba

The African Journal of Information Systems

Increased access to mobile technologies has significantly contributed to almost all types of work, including informal work. Mobile phones are one such technology that has been exponentially adopted and used by street traders. However, there is limited information about how street traders use mobile phones to search for new markets. This study investigated street traders’ mobile usage for new market search in Dodoma, Tanzania. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth interviews with 29 street traders, followed by a focus group discussion with eight street traders. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that using mobile phones …

Institutional Investors And Corporate Environmental, Social, And Governance Policies: Evidence From Toxics Release Data, Incheol Kim, Hong Wan, Bin Wang, Tina Yang

Finance Faculty Research and Publications

This paper studies the role of institutional investors in influencing corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies by analyzing the relation between institutional ownership and toxic release from facilities to which institutions are geographically proximate. We develop a local preference hypothesis based on the delegated philanthropy and transaction-costs theories. Consistent with the hypothesis, local institutional ownership is negatively related to facility toxic release. The negative relation is stronger for local socially responsible investing (SRI) funds, local public pension funds, and local dedicated institutions. We also find that the relation is more negative in communities that prefer more stringent environmental policies …

The Effects Of Tariff Increases On Supply Base Complexity: A Conceptual Framework, Sangho Chae, Carlos Mena, Mikaella Polyviou, Zachary S. Rogers, Robert Wiedmer

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Recent protectionist trends around the world have raised interest in newly enforced or increased tariffs and their effects on global supply chains. For firms sourcing globally, tariff introductions or increases significantly affect importing costs, which ultimately affect product costs. Such tariff changes may incentivize firms to adjust their supply base to mitigate these cost increases, thus altering the structure and complexity of firms' supply bases. In this paper, we first characterize the U.S. tariff landscape from 1997 to 2017. We then develop a conceptual model to explain how the severity and timing uncertainty of expected tariff increases influence a firm's …

The Goldilocks Effect Of Strategic Human Resource Management? Optimizing The Benefits Of A High-Performance Work System Through The Dual Alignment Of Vertical And Horizontal Fit, Joo Hun Han, Saehee Kang, Rebecca R. Kehoe, David P. Lepak

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Although vertical and horizontal fit in strategic human resource management are foundational to the links between a high-performance work system (HPWS) and organizational performance, little is known about how these two fits interact to affect organizational performance. We address this shortcoming while also advancing knowledge on each type of fit. We offer a more nuanced examination of vertical fit (which has typically been assessed with respect to organizations' broad strategic types) by focusing on the alignment of an HPWS with an organization's market entry timing mode—a key element of strategy. We propose that among organizations pursuing new product development, the …

Paints-R-Us Term Project, Tyler Campbell, Skye Gilbreth, Michael Oluwole, Elijah Raffo, Brad Unruh

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

This project will consider a linear product mix optimization problem for a fictional paint company, Paints-R-Us. Paints-R-Us is a wholesale paint manufacturer located in the Pacific Northwest. The Global Production Manager, Steve Brush, has been tasked with maximizing Paints-R-Us’s profit in the upcoming quarter. Steve Brush oversees the global production plan, and in collaboration with the production planners will develop a production plan which optimizes the profits that Paints-R-Us can create in the quarter accounting for the following criteria:

• Demand in the given quarter for each of the 5 paint types that Paints-R-Us produces • The warehousing storage capacity …

Introduction To Financial Statement Analysis, Alexander Núñez-Torres

Open Educational Resources

This lecture discusses why the disclosure of financial information through financial statements is critical to investors. The function of the balance sheet, income statement, cash flows and statement of stockholder’s equity will be discussed. It discusses financial statement analyses through ratios and financial reporting in finance.

Valuing Cash Flows Streams, Alexander Núñez-Torres

Open Educational Resources

This lecture discusses how to value a series of cash flows such as perpetuities, annuities, growing perpetuities and growing annuities. Additionally, it discusses how to solve for variables other than present value or future value of cash flows.

Fundamentals Of Stock Valuation, Alexander Núñez-Torres

Open Educational Resources

This lecture describes the basics of common stock, preferred stock, and stock quotes; describes a tradeoff between dividends and growth in stock valuation. Finally, discusses how to value a stock as the present value of the company’s total payout.

Big-Data Talent Analytics In The Public Sector: A Promotion And Firing Model Of Employees At Federal Agencies, Rabih Neouchi

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

Talent analytics is a relatively new area of focus to researchers working in analytics and data science. Talent Analytics has the potential to help companies make many informed critical decisions around talent acquisition, promotion and retention. This work investigates data science to predict “shiny star” employees in the U.S. public sector, defined as top-notch performers over the years of a given time span. Its scope falls within talent analytics, also called people analytics, a relatively new research area.

We clean a data set made available by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and present two models to predict the …