Business Commons^™

Entr/Mgnt 421: Initiating And Managing Entrepreneurial Growth—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Varkey K. Titus Jr.

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

My primary goal for this portfolio is to codify the processes and goals of this course in a manner that can be transferred to other instructors. Students consistently comment on how much they enjoy the participatory and interactive nature of the course; I would like to formally document methods to create an interactive classroom that aligns with the expectations we have of senior-level entrepreneurship students regarding critical thinking and communication skills.

Ebc Childcare Center Web Development & Mobile Application, Kristin M. Spearman

Master of Information Systems Capstone Executive Summary

This capstone project involved a website, on-line information request and a mobile application for the EBC Childcare center. This website and mobile application increased the enrollment of the childcare center by providing more information for the parent to determine if EBC is the perfect center for their children.

The State Of The Anti-Union Address: A Rhetorical Critique Of Select Service Worker Training Methods, Richard Ries

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an interdisciplinary master's level thesis that explores links among technical writing, training manuals, surveillance, and anti-union rhetoric used with service workers in select American chains and franchises. Brief histories are provided, including those of technical writing, the rise of unions in America, and how technical writing became inextricably linked with labor. A major shift occurred in the 20th century when workers began interacting less with products and more with the public. The research focuses on training manuals, techniques, and rehearsed dialogues of McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Panera, and Publix, though similar organizations are referenced. Service worker language, …

Reaching The Yield In The Non-Investment Grade Corporate Bond Market, Michael Willar

Theses

The spread1between non-investment grade corporate bonds and Treasury bonds have contracted nearly 16% since the depths of the credit crisis in 2008, buoyed by strong investor demand. In this study, I conduct an empirir.al analysis on the relationship between unconventional monetary policy instituted in 2008 and market participants reaching for yield (RFY) in the speculative grade corporate bond market. This study uses the BofA High Yield Master II Index to quantify the RFY phenomenon, and is regressed against a number of interest and independent variables over two separate time periods namely, Ql 2003: Q3 2008 and Q4 2008-Q3 2014. The …

A Review Of Human Rights And Information Communication Technologies: Trends And Consequences Of Use, John Nirenberg

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

The Internet and communications technologies have enabled the democratization of information and global networking. These two factors have significantly empowered NGOs in championing human rights. Unfortunately, as we have seen over the last year, these same tools can and are being used to identify, inhibit, and destroy efforts by human rights activists. This review of Lannon & Halpin, (2013) (Eds.) Human rights and information communication technologies: Trends and consequences of use (Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference) shows that their book sheds light on the challenges ahead. In particular, the authors have identified eleven technology-related issues facing human rights organizations that …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Development Of Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp) Systems Education For Third-Level Business Students, Maurice O'Brien

Theses

This study is an empirical investigation of the development of Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERP) education for Business students. It uses Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) as its case study to determine the benefits of practical ERP education, the challenges faced by third-level institutions and how ERP education should be provided to Business students. The researcher used observation, review of documentation, and semi-structured interviews of fifteen academics as the research techniques.

As well as being beneficial for students, employers and ERP vendors, this study finds that the provision of practical ERP education has reciprocal benefits for the third-level institution. By …

The Role Of Social Marketing In Salt Reduction, Michael Barry

Theses

More people die from cardiovascular disease than any other cause in Ireland (Department of Health, 2013). A direct correlation exists between high salt intake and high blood pressure and ensuing cardiovascular diseases (He and MacGregor, 2010). This thesis focuses on the use of social marketing to educate people on the dangers of high salt intake with the eventual aim of making recommendations to aid in the reduction of high blood pressure. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve leading personnel from salt reduction and social marketing fields. All interviewees reached similar conclusions suggesting that salt reduction as a health issue needs …

Becoming An Entrepreneur: Researching The Role Of Mentors In Identity Construction, Monika Dukarska

Theses

This study examines the role of the mentor on the identity construction of the Nascent Entrepreneur. It aims to answer the questions on how the mentor supports the creation and growth of their business, encourages them to experiment, stimulates their reflexivity and opens and encourages the network opportunity for them. This is examined through a formal mentoring programme known as the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development programme, designed by Enterprise Ireland and managed by the local Institutes of Technology. This thesis researches the relationship that develops between the mentor and the mentee, the mentoring life cycle and the tools and techniques …

Front Matter And Faculty Notes

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law

No abstract provided.

Dysfunction In Contract Drafting: The Causes And A Cure, Kenneth A. Adams

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law

The primary task in empirical research is describing the characteristics of whatever it is you’re researching, but usually you also attempt to explain your findings. The skills required for the former task differ from those required for the latter, so it’s not unusual that explanations offered by those who undertake research are superseded by better explanations subsequently offered by others.

That comes to mind on reading The Three and a Half Minute Transaction: Boilerplate and the Limits of Contract Design, by Mitu Gulati, a professor at Duke Law School, and Robert E. Scott, a professor at Columbia Law School. It …

Abi Commission Testimony November 7, 2013, George W. Kuney

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law

There are two areas that I believe should be the focus of Chapter 11 reform: reducing reorganization costs in small to middle-market cases and instituting a uniform structure and process for § 363 sales of substantially all the assets of a debtor. Essentially, I think that the plan process in all cases needs to be streamlined and sped up to decrease transactions costs, and the 363 sale process needs to be slowed down to promote more robust disclosure and exposure of the assets in question to the market.

When Should Ediscovery Vendors Be Disqualified?, Michael A. Cottone

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law

As a general proposition, courts have inherent authority to disqualify parties and their representatives and consultants from participating in litigation. Attorneys, expert witnesses, and litigation consultants may face disqualification motions in the event of a conflict of interest. With the rapid expansion of the eDiscovery industry, however, a new question has arisen: If an eDiscovery vendor has a potential conflict of interest, when should it be disqualified? What standard should apply?

Case Commentaries

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law

No abstract provided.

Rola Sektora Publicznego W Okresie Kryzysu, Stanisław Piątek

Monografie/Monographs

Prezentowana publikacja jest pokłosiem konferencji naukowej zorganizowanej przez Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego we wrześniu 2013 r. Celem konferencji było omówienie roli, jaką powinien odgrywać sektor publiczny, w szczególności publiczne instytucje gospodarcze i finansowe, w przezwyciężaniu kryzysu z perspektywy nauk ekonomicznych, nauk o zarządzaniu i nauk prawnych Opracowania i wypowiedzi przedstawione na konferencji są wyrazem kryzysu dotychczasowych teorii i niepewności w ocenie przyszłych skutków zastosowanych w praktyce terapii antykryzysowych.

When Does The Devil Make Work? An Empirical Study Of The Impact Of Workload On Worker Productivity, Tom Tan, Serguei Netessine

IT & Operations Management Research

We analyze a large, detailed operational data set from a restaurant chain to shed new light on how workload (defined as the number of tables or diners that a server simultaneously handles) affects servers’ performance (measured as sales and meal duration). We use an exogenous shock - the implementation of labor scheduling software - and time-lagged instrumental variables to disentangle the endogeneity between demand and supply in this setting. We show that servers strive to maximize sales and speed efforts simultaneously, depending on the relative values of sales and speed. As a result, we find that, when the overall workload …

The Classification Performance Of Multiple Methods And Datasets: Cases From The Loan Credit Scoring Domain, Jozef Zurada, Niki Kunene, Jian Guan

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Decisions to extend credit to potential customers are complex, risky and even potentially catastrophic for the credit granting institution and the broader economy as underscored by credit failures in the late 2000s. Thus, the ability to accurately assess the likelihood of default is an important issue. In this paper the authors contrast the classification accuracy of multiple computational intelligence methods using five datasets obtained from five different decision contexts in the real world. The methods considered are: logistic regression (LR), neural network (NN), radial basis function neural network (RBFNN), support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (kNN), and decision tree (DT). …

Shopping Preference: A Comparative Study Of American And Taiwanese Perceptions, Chuleeporn Changchit, Robert Cutshall, Tzong-Ru Lee

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

With a growing number of households turning towards the Internet and the world of e-commerce to shop, invest, make payments, and do online banking, it is crucial for online businesses to understand why some consumers prefer online shopping and some prefer shopping at a physical store. It is also important to investigate further whether their shopping preference is influenced by culture. This study aims at comparing the shopping preference between the consumers in the U.S. and in Taiwan. Three hundred and seventy-two (372) Americans and three hundred twenty- six (326) Taiwanese participated in this study. Five factors of shopping perception, …

Value Of Online Social Networks From The Perspective Of The User, A.J. Gilbert Silvius, Ruta Kavaliauskaite

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper reports a study on the willingness to pay for the services of online social networks (OSNs). The relevancy of the question is derived from indications that these OSNs are considering charging their users for more advanced services in order to develop from the advertisement-based business model. The value of these OSNs has been studied mainly from the perspective of the advertiser. This paper reports a study into the value of OSNs from the user perspective. More specifically, the study investigated the willingness to pay for the use of the OSNs Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and the factors influencing …

An Empirical Application Of Delone And Mclean Model In Evaluating Decision Support System In The Banking Sector Of Oman, Anu Manchanda, Saurabh Mukherjee

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Banks are investing a huge amount on information systems to provide fast services to their customers and to stay competitive. Therefore it becomes necessary to measure the success of these systems. The main objective of this study is to assess the applicability of DeLone and McLean model of information systems in evaluating decision support system in the banking sector of Oman and to check the relationship among variables of the model. In order to achieve the objectives, data was collected from the managers and assistant managers using decision support system in the banks of Oman. Hypotheses were tested using correlation …

Technology Adoption: Issues And Challenges In Information Technology Adoption In Emerging Economies, Samuel A. Ejiaku

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Recognizing the need, effect and importance of Information Technology (IT) in any society, this study explored some of the challenges in the transfer and adoption of IT in developing countries. In Advanced countries, IT has generally revolutionized all facets of life, including technology, business, education and the global economy. Developing countries have not fully participated in this global revolution. This paper discusses some of the challenges that developing countries and donor countries encounter in the transfer and adoption of IT in developing countries. Some of these challenges include government policies, infrastructure, training, and culture of the recipient countries. The study …

The Influence Of Cognitive Trust And Familiarity On Adoption And Continued Use Of Smartphones: An Empirical Analysis, Efosa C. Idemudia, Mahesh S. Raisinghani

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

In the information-driven and application rich environment of smartphones, power is closer to the user than ever before and it has the potential of helping them become more effective and efficient. Smartphones have become increasingly important for companies to create strategic opportunities and competitive advantage by adding value for its stakeholders and improving efficiency. Technological advances in smartphones have led to increased mobile applications and implications for theory and practice since they create strategic opportunities and competitive advantage by adding value for customers and improving efficiency through the use of mobile technologies. Understanding the factors that influence the continuance in …

Unibusiness: The Alumni Magazine Of The College Of Business Administration University Of Northern Iowa, 2014, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Business Administration.

UNIBiz

Inside This Issue:
-- Message from the Dean ••• 2
-- Engagement, Innovation & Impact ••• 4
-- Engagement ••• 5
-- Innovation ••• 8
-- Impact ••• 10
-- Get Ready for Business ••• 12
-- UNIBusiness in Action ••• 14
-- UNIBusiness International ••• 16c
-- UNIBusiness Diversity Matters ••• 17
-- Annual Report on Giving ••• 18
-- Faculty ••• 23
-- Professional Readiness Program ••• 26
-- Graduation Celebration ••• 28
-- UNIBusiness Alumni ••• 32

Political Ideology And Consumer Preferences, Adam Farmer

Theses and Dissertations--Marketing and Supply Chain

Despite continued polarization along political party lines, it remains unclear how differences in political ideology impact the choices consumers make. The results of seven studies indicate that political ideology profoundly influences the way consumers think and behave. Liberals and conservatives are systematically drawn to distinct choice preferences where liberals prefer hedonic, novel, and desirable options, while conservatives prefer utilitarian, status quo, and feasible options. These findings are robust for multiple measures of political ideology across multiple choice sets. Differences in behavior are explained by the amount of deliberation used for a given decision. Liberals deliberate more than conservatives as they …

Evolutionary Motives And Consumer Food Choice In Romantic Relationships, William Robert (Rob) Richerson Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Marketing and Supply Chain

This research examines the evolutionary eating patterns of consumers when eating with those they are in relationships with, moving beyond eating decisions made in isolation or in the presence of strangers. Across three studies, unique patterns of consumption emerge when males and females are in different stages of romantic relationships. I demonstrate that the evolutionary motives of mate acquisition and mate retention drive eating patterns for relationship partners relative to their gender. I show that females match the eating habits of males at early stages in the relationship but are more independent later in the relationship, while males match eating …

The Impact Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act On Employment Strategies: Results Of The 2014 Hr@Moore Survey Of Chief Hr Officers, Patrick M. Wright, Anthony J. Nyberg, Donald J. Schepker, Michael D. Ulrich

Reports

In order to assess how firms have responded to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), as part of the 2014 HR@ Moore Survey of Chief HR Officers we asked CHROs how they have experienced different aspects of the health insurance and health care system and how they have changed their employment strategies. The results show that 78% of the respondents indicated that their health insurance costs have risen (by an average of 7.73%) and 37% reported that their labor costs have increased (by an average of 5.6%) as a direct consequence of the PPACA. Companies have sought to …

Industry-Specific Human Capital And Wages: Evidence From The Business Process Outsourcing Industry, Keongtae Kim, Sunil Mithas, Jonathan W. Whitaker, Prasanto K. Roy

Management Faculty Publications

Human capital is becoming more critical as the global economy becomes more information intensive and service intensive. While IS researchers have studied some dimensions of human capital, the role of industry-specific human capital has remained understudied. The IT-enabled business process outsourcing (BPO) industry provides an ideal setting to study returns to human capital, because jobs in this industry are standardized and many professionals in this new industry have come from other industries. We build on IS and Economics literature to theorize returns to human capital in the BPO industry, and we test the theory using data for over 2,500 BPO …

Does Information And Communication Technology Improve Job Satisfaction? The Moderating Role Of Sales Technology Orientation, Yam Limbu, C Jayachandran, Barry J. Babin

Department of Marketing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Empirical research concerning the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in shaping business-to-business salesforce job satisfaction remains relatively scarce. The authors propose and empirically test a causal model that theoretically represents structural relationships among factors comprising ICT and eventual salesperson job satisfaction. Study results indicate that ICT indirectly influences job satisfaction through salesforce administrative performance. While ICT infrastructure, training, and support positively relate to administrative performance, none of them influence outcome performance significantly. In addition, salesperson technology orientation moderates the effect of both ICT infrastructure and support on job satisfaction. Managerial insights and implications from the research are discussed.

Using Measures Of Risk Perception To Predict Information Security Behavior: Insights From Electroencephalography (Eeg), Anthony Vance, Bonnie Anderson, C. Brock Kirwan, David Eargle

Faculty Publications

Users' perceptions of risks have important implications for information security, as the actions of individual users can compromise entire systems. Therefore, there is a critical need to understand how users perceive and respond to information security risks. Previous research on perceptions of information security risk has chiefly relied on self-reported measures. Although these studies are valuable, risk perceptions are often associated with feelings—such as fear or doubt—that are difficult to measure accurately using survey instruments. Additionally, it is unclear how these self-reported measures map to actual security behavior. This paper contributes by demonstrating that risk-taking behavior is effectively predicted using …

The Chinese Social Enterprise: A Global Phenomenon With Chinese Characteristics, Amanda Jingtong O'Malley

Honors Theses

Social entrepreneurship, a concept that integrates business strategies with achieving social goals, is gaining traction in China. However, it is a distinctly Chinese variant of an approach exported by Western entrepreneurs. The purpose of this thesis to is analyze the Chinese social enterprise by identifying China’s socioeconomic and political forces that create the unique environment in which this trend is taking root. By examining how these factors are changing in China’s progressively more market economy, I conclude that key characteristics of the Chinese social enterprise are also shifting in response—moving from a civil society- originated model to a market‐based social …

Rewards To Meet Market Expectations: Evidence Of Stock Market Sophistication, Weishen Wang, Mark Pyles, Rachel Graefe-Anderson

Business

Very often, firms report earnings that meet or beat market expectation (MBE). In this study, we empirically document that managers are rewarded more cash bonus when their firm MBE more often, and this relation holds same regardless of the extent of managerial entrenchment. We find that stock market reacts positively overall when firms MBE, but it reacts less positively for firms with entrenched managers. The study shows that stock market is more sophisticated in rewarding firms for meeting or beating market expectation than a firm's cash bonus system does.