Business Commons^™

Outsourcing Strategies In Software Engineering, Cody Miller

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Over the last several years, software has become a vital component of almost every business. Success increasingly depends on using software as a competitive weapon [1]. In today’s software industry, many organizations are realizing that outsourcing is becoming an imperative, strategic step to growing their business, and as a way to gain competitive advantage over its competitors.

The focus of this article, will be a literature review of current literature on outsourcing, and its strategies in the Software Engineering domain. As a software engineer at Intel, I have seen an increased need for outsourcing within our business group, and the …

Lean Startups And Strategic Management, Joshua Binus, Horatiu Corban, Stephanie Miller, Hans Vanderschaaf

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Slides from a group presentation that offers a lean startup methodology overview, examines challenges and solutions, reviews case studies and discusses lean and strategic management.

Choosing The Best Software For Spec Review: An Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach, Bob Greenlee

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Every manufacturing company is faced with the problem of accurately converting customer requirements into products and deliverables, including a thorough review of customer specifications. Software can help facilitate this tedious and time consuming process, but choosing or designing the best solution is difficult due to conflicting and poorly prioritized criteria.

This paper illustrates the use of an analytic hierarchy process, specifically the hierarchical decision model (HDM) tool developed at Portland State University, to select the best software solution for facilitating customer spec review. In addition to resolving the primary question of which software to use, it shows how the HDM …

Hdm Model To Select Marketing Analyst Job Offer, Alex Tacco-Melendez

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Times have changed and we no longer pick a career in terms of climbing the corporate ladder or to continue with a “family profession tradition” that will make our parents happy. We now select an occupation based on the satisfaction and fulfillment it will bring to our lives.

Nowadays, people spend significantly more time on the job than in any other single activity, making this a crucial decision that will influence their lifestyles.

Recent graduates and entry-level professionals are not only interested in receiving a fair remuneration at the end of each month, they are also seeking for companies that …

Choosing The Most Suitable Ar-Enabled Wearable For Industrial Use, Roland Richards

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

This study seeks to provide guidance in choosing the most suitable augmented reality enabled industrial wearable for use in the high-tech production and support environment. New development breakthroughs are coming to light every month in the world of VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and MR (mixed reality). The research data provided can be used to assist fab production and support personnel choose the AR-enabled wearable headsets. Many factors and agents are responsible for bringing cutting edge technology into use. Multiple criteria decision modeling was used to assist in the selection process for hardware for an augmented reality pilot and …

How Managers Can Create A Fair Compensation Procedure In The Engineering Sector, Jose Banos Sanchez

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

This research has analyzed the feedback from managers and technicians in high tech companies when doing the individual evaluation of performance using a dualperspective approach. The research has established a list of categories and subcategories that all managers should include in a fair performance evaluation according to the feedback from different experts, avoiding potential bias described in Messick & Bazerman, (1996) and clearly known in advance by all the employees who will be evaluated. Finally, the paper concludes with an analysis of the potential impact and contribution to the employee’s satisfaction of alternatives methods of rewarding (using four options, money, …

Technological Evolution In Software Engineering, Cody Miller

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

In all software development processes, the software must evolve in response to its environment or user needs to maintain satisfactory performance. If software doesn’t support change, it gradually becomes useless. With many organizations today, being software-centric organizations, this has huge implications for their business: evolve your software, or risk your software becoming gradually useless, and therefore, your entire business.

Technology Evolution is a highly relevant subject, Intel’s business model for the last 50 years, has been that of Moore’s Law, a hardware centric Technology Evolution model. As a Software Engineer at Intel, our business group faces a similar issue, we …

Center For Real Estate Quarterly, Volume 12, Number 2, Portland State University. Center For Real Estate

Center for Real Estate Quarterly

Table of Contents:
--State of Cross-Laminated Timber by Deniz Arac
--The State of the Economy by Spencer Weills
--Residential Market Analysis by Jennifer Volbeda
--Multifamily Market Analysis by Sydney Bowman
--Office Market Analysis by Riley Henderson
--Industrial Market Analysis by Spencer Weills
--Retail Market Analysis by Rilery Henderson

Center For Real Estate Quarterly, Special Land Use Issue, Volume 12, Number 2, Portland State University. Center For Real Estate

Center for Real Estate Quarterly

Table of Contents:
-- Portland's Housing Market and the 2018 Urban Growth Boundary Decision by Gerard C.S. Mildner
-- East Metro Urban Reserves by Loos & Shimada
-- Hillsboro & Forest Grove Urban Reserves by Adisuryo, Crampton, Dick, Eldridge, Geffner & Wilkes
-- Oregon City Urban Reserves by Beh, Benson, Brown, Lee & Young
-- Sherwood Urban Reserves by Argyropoulos & Baarstad
-- Southwest Urban Reserves by Mandel & Miller - Freeman
-- Stafford Urban Reserves by Henderson, Leeding, Marchant, Miller, Sturley & Summers
-- Wilsonville Urban Reserves by Aleman, DuBois, Hoke, Legarza, Pollard & Zhang

The Nonprofit Nerd (April 2018), The Nonprofit Institute At Portland State University

The Nonprofit Institute Newsletter

This month’s topic is the 2020 Census.

You may have heard that the U.S. government is preparing for the next Census in 2020. Did you know that Oregon has joined seventeen other states in a lawsuit to block changes to the Census? Do you know what’s at stake for your nonprofit and the communities you serve? (hint: a lot!)

In this e-news, we interview Jason Jurjevich and Charles Rynerson of PSU’s Population Research Center to understand how nonprofits can take action by getting involved in local Complete Count Committees and by sharing important information with their communities.

Let the …

Keeping Score, Digitally, Kimmy Szeto

Publications and Research

How does a music score behave in the cloud? As music software moves to the cloud, the integrated interface for editing, engraving, and instantaneous publishing sparks innovative music practices. Artists can now create new works not only using notation and instruments, but also by way of physical gestures, movements, and live coding. The result brings audio, video, lighting, and visual design into a single artistic product. While traditional music making will continue to demand traditional scores, multimodal and multimedia integration will ultimately be reflected in its documentation, which will undoubtedly test our understanding of a “score,” and what roles libraries …

Are We There Yet, Impact Investing?, Manqi Shi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Impact investing has been an evolving field for the past ten years. More and more institutional investors are looking to change their investment approaches to impact investing. Academics, institutions, and international organizations are creating reports and publishing research on the impact investing field, tracking its growing progress. Without any incidents thus far, impact investing is an industry that is about to burst. A retrospective and internal analysis of the field is needed in order to grow at a better and faster pace. This paper is attempting to fill a hole in the information about impact investing. It provides a comprehensive …

The Changing Tide Of Corporate Social Responsibility, Conor Soucy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a world that is plagued by the crises of climate change, the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility has never been so essential. While looking out towards the future, we must visualize the methods, practices, and mentality that will allow our society to overcome the obstacles of practicing ethical and sustainable business. This paper describes the perception and mentality associated with CSR today, and how ethical minds and innovative technologies can change CSR for the future.

Shaping Our World For A Better Tomorrow: Sustainable Investing, Esg, And Industry Insight, Anna M. Ballate

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable investing is a relatively new field in the world of finance and banking. Even though there is tremendous growth in sustainable investments over the past few years, it is still a niche market that requires more transparency, standards, and incentives. Switzerland has become one of the leading countries for sustainable finance, exhibiting a growth in sustainable investments under management. Despite the vast amount of research and development on sustainable investing, there is still much confusion and negative perception in the professional banking world about the topic. This study is designed to fill the gap between the academic rhetoric behind …

Accounting Department Newsletter, 5, Department Of Accounting And Information Systems

News, Magazines and Reports

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Level Longitudinal Investigation Of Transformational Leadership Influence On Team Members Development In Engineering Project Teams, Nathapon Siangchokyoo

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to contribute to the existing Transformational Leadership literature. Despite the overwhelming support that Transformational Leadership theory has garnered over the recent years, the underlying mechanisms and processes by which these leaders exert influence on their followers have yet to be adequately examined. More importantly, while the majority of advances in leadership research can largely be attributed to traditional areas of management and social sciences, studies of leadership in the context of engineering still remain relatively unexplored. Drawing on previous empirical research as well as the concept of Core Self-Evaluations, this study sets out …

Case Study On The Development Of Engineering Design Modification Projects For U.S. Nuclear Power Plants: A Knowledge Retention Tool In Support Of The Longevity And Resilience Of The Nuclear Power Industry, Pamela M. Torres-Jiménez

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The nuclear power industry in the United States (U.S.) has gone through various changes throughout its history. Most recently, plans to grow the industry through the construction of new power plants have ceased. Because of this, the industry is at a period where the longevity and resilience of existing nuclear power plants are vital to its subsistence.

One of the ways existing nuclear power plants can assure longevity and resilience is by performing engineering design modifications efficiently and at a lower cost. Strategic plans, such as the Delivering the Nuclear Promise, can support nuclear utilities to achieve this. Another strategy …

Internalised Values And Fairness Perception: Ethics In Knowledge Management, Isabel D. W. Rechberg

Publications and Research

This chapter argues for ethical consideration in knowledge management (KM). It explores the effect that internalised values and fairness perception have on individuals’ participation in KM practices. Knowledge is power, and organisations seek to manage knowledge through KM practices. For knowledge to be processed, individual employees—the source of all knowledge—need to be willing to participate in KM practices. As knowledge is power and a key constituent part of knowledge is ethics, individuals’ internalised values and fairness perception affect knowledge-processing. Where an organisation claims ownership over knowledge, an individual may perceive being treated unfairly, which may obstruct knowledge-processing. Through adopting ethical …

The Path To Mainstream Finance: Exploring Complementary Currencies And Interest-Free Lending, Ema Di Fruscia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores elements of alternative finance including complementary currencies, credit clearing systems, and Islamic Banking practices. I begin first by outlining the issues created by the mainstream western banking model, including wealth inequality, socioeconomic discrimination, environmental degradation, and the collapse of small businesses and local economies. I go on to introduce and define the concepts of complementary currencies, Local Exchange Trading Systems, and credit clearing systems; I argue that these systems challenge the popularly held perceptions that currencies and mainstream banking practices in general are immutable, given, or ideal. To support this assertion, I transition into my research findings …

A Comparison Of Machine Learning Algorithms For Prediction Of Past Due Service In Commercial Credit, Liyuan Liu M.A, M.S., Jennifer Lewis Priestley Ph.D.

Published and Grey Literature from PhD Candidates

Credit risk modeling has carried a variety of research interest in previous literature, and recent studies have shown that machine learning methods achieved better performance than conventional statistical ones. This study applies decision tree which is a robust advanced credit risk model to predict the commercial non-financial past-due problem with better critical power and accuracy. In addition, we examine the performance with logistic regression analysis, decision trees, and neural networks. The experimenting results confirm that decision trees improve upon other methods. Also, we find some interesting factors that impact the commercials’ non-financial past-due payment.

Perceptions Of Transactional And Transformational Leaders According To Gender, Quinn I. Igram, Andrew N. Garstka, Lindsay D. Harris

Student Publications

The lack of females occupying leadership positions in the modern workplace has prompted the research of this study. In order to better understand the perceptions that exist regarding successful leadership, this study was conducted with the intention of understanding individual leadership style through the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, which measures transactional and transformational leadership styles (Bass and Avolio, 1993). 64 male and female participants, made up of 36 students and 28 individuals in the workforce ages 18-61 with an average age of 31 answered 21 questions to assess their leadership style and 1 to measure who they perceived as a successful …

Airbnb's Effect On The Hospitality Industry, Eric A. Douglas

Student Publications

I examined the effect that Airbnb’s entrance into and disruption of the hospitality market in 2011 had on hotel room rates across the world by 2017. Hotel room rates were taken from published data tables rather than my own analysis because of an unavailability of raw hotel pricing data. Price comparisons between current Airbnb and hotel room rates were researched to see if one method of accommodation would be better than the other. Twenty-seven cities’ hotel rate averages and Airbnb entire-home prices were averaged and compared. There was a significant difference in hotel room rates between 2011 and 2017, during …

The Effects Of Coworker Relationships, Involvement, And Supportiveness On Job Satisfaction And Performance, Stephen F. Occhipinti, Nicholas M. Rollo, Eric J. Klimowicz

Student Publications

Past research has indicated that relationships, involvement, and supportiveness have an effect on job satisfaction and performance. A study was done on Gettysburg College students who have had experience with group work. Sixty-four (29 males, 35 females) Gettysburg College students were used as participants in the study. The study was split fairly evenly between sophomores, juniors, and seniors. To start, the survey included two demographic questions: gender and class year. Participants completed an online survey about the relationships among group mates, group involvement, and group support experience. Questions about the overall satisfaction and performance were also included. A correlational design …

Building Small Commercial Airport Clusters To Increase Marketing Capability, Dixie Button Phd, Rachel M. Vigness, Patti Clark

Publications

Building Small Commercial Airport Clusters to Increase Marketing Capability was presented at MBAA International, Chicago, IL in April, 2018.

Strategic Business Audit Of Nelnet, Matthew Kachek

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis serves as a strategic audit for the company Nelnet. This covers Nelnet’s background, structure, and financial situation. Changes in Nelnet’s core student loan business has created uncertainty in their future. Multiple analyses, both internal and external, are performed and examined to determine Nelnet’s position as a company and within the marketplace. A strategic recommendation to continue growth in new technologies is presented in response to these analyses along with implementation details and alternatives.

A Strategic Audit Of Medtronic Plc, Jozzy Carter

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Humans will always have a need for healthcare, and as the world continues to innovate in the tech space, consumers will demand advances in medicine and medical devices. Medtronic is at the forefront of this innovation but faces intense competition in the medical technologies industry. This poses the question: what can Medtronic do to continue its growth and stay competitive in this space? This paper offers an analysis of Medtronic as a medical device company by offering insight to its competitive advantage, financials, business mix, and value chain. It also analyzes the forces that affect Medtronic using SWOT, PEST, and …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Social Media Marketing On Individuals’ Attitudes And Perceptions At Nova Community College, Nya Gibson

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Social media has become prominent in the 21st century. Companies are persistently looking for ways to utilize this new platform within their marketing strategies to increase business growth. Since social media is a networking and communication platform, it is important for companies to create a voice to humanize the business and maintain foot traffic. Although there are studies on how to use social media marketing within a business, there is minimal corroboration available of how social media marketing activities influence a consumer’s buying behavior. This study investigated the effects of social media on consumer attitudes of social media marketing and …

An Injury Incidence Analysis At The Wal-Mart Distribution Center In Mount Crawford, Va From February 2016 To January 2017, Christopher T. Ruszala

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The study focused on the correlation of injuries and time in service for workers in labor intensive, repetitive jobs. The population for this study comprised all hourly employees working at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center located in Mount Crawford, VA. In compliance with OSHA requirements, when an employee injury requiring medical attention occurs the data is collected and recorded. These data records were provided by the Safety Manager of the facility. The data was collected from February 2016 through January 2017 to coincide with fiscal year. During this time period there were 685 employees working within the warehouse.

A Chi-square statistical …

2018 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Consumer Perception Of Sport Event Sponsors, Omar Olando Brown

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore sport consumer’s perceptions of sport event sponsors, specifically concerning the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. This quantitative research surveyed 119 participants, employing a 24-questions survey instrument composed of Likert type and demographic questions. The data was analyzed to answer three specific research questions. The analysis of the data indicated although respondents fully supported the Olympics and believed athletes are using the product they endorsed, they believed the products must be beneficial to athletes. The findings also indicated respondents felt it was necessary for companies to support the Olympics, however they did not find …