Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Exploring The Organizational Effects Of Directors' Embeddedness In Board Networks, Hansin Bilgili

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore how top executives’ and directors’ embeddedness in corporate elite networks within and between organizations’ boards of directors influence organizational strategy and policy. In the first study, I conduct a comprehensive review of the governance literature using both a traditional narrative approach as well as a bibliometric main path analysis, which traces the development and diffusion of scholarly knowledge on corporate elite networks. In the second study, drawing from network theory and behavioral governance research, I introduce a methodology that allows researchers to model intraboard networks by measuring the strength of ties among members of boards …

The Inner Dynamics And Long-Term Value Creation Potential Of Operational Excellence, Issam Moussaoui

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Operational excellence is an executional competency that reflects a firm’s ability to run its day-to-day operations efficiently, effectively, and profitably. Differing views have been expressed regarding the inner dynamics and value creation potential of operational excellence. From an inner dynamics perspective, the competency’s dimensions of efficiency and effectiveness are viewed by some as conflicting and difficult to reconcile (the tradeoff model), and by others as synergistic and mutually supportive (the cumulative model). From a value creation perspective, operational excellence is portrayed by some as an effective cash-flow generator and a potent enabler of firm growth, and by others as a …

Personalized Decision Modeling For Intervention And Prevention Of Cancers, Fan Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Personalized medicine has been utilized in all stages of cancer care in recent years, including the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Since prevention and early intervention are particularly crucial in reducing cancer mortalities, personalizing the corresponding strategies and decisions so as to provide the most appropriate or optimal medical services for different patients can greatly improve the current cancer control practices. This dissertation research performs an in-depth exploration of personalized decision modeling of cancer intervention and prevention problems. We investigate the patient-specific screening and vaccination strategies for breast cancer and the cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV), representatively. Three popular …

Marksburg: The Evolution Of Administration, Trade And Economics From 12-15th Centuries, A.D., Claire E. Beach

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Between the fifth and eighth centuries AD, central Europe experienced large amounts of migration. Known as the Völkerwanderung, an estimated 750,000 people moved in bands of 10,000-20,0002 across Europe. As these bands moved across Europe, many established settlements on tribal or village systems. These new peoples created a hierarchy, setting themselves above those they defeated. Despite being socially marginalized, the original peoples remained technically free and retained full rights to their lands under the allodium system. The word allod is of Frankish origin and indicates property inherited along family lines. The right to allodial lands could not be revoked by …

Creating Sustainable Supply Chains: Influencing Sustainable Practices In The Supply Chain, Saif Mir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizations worldwide are reporting their commitment to create sustainable supply chains. Ultimately, supply chain professionals are the drivers of change within their respective organizations, so this dissertation examines the role of communication as a tool to persuade supply chain professionals to create sustainable supply chains. The three studies within this dissertation employ different methodologies to examine the role of communication in the development and implementation of sustainability initiatives. The first study, a grounded theory investigation, highlights the network, communication, and structural factors that provide a strong business case for the development of sustainability initiatives. A strong business case influences the …

Does Industry-Level Information Affect Auditors’ Assessment Of Client-Level Risk?, David Rosser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates auditors’ consideration of industry-level information in their assessment of client-level risk. Auditing standards suggest that industry-level information is likely to be important in the assessment of client-level risk, but the standards provide few specifics about how auditors should use industry-level information in the risk assessment process. I argue that industry norms serve as a benchmark for evaluating the risk of the client and that deviations from industry norms could indicate increased audit risk. I create measures that capture the extent to which clients deviate from industry norms using proxies for client-level risk factors. In my primary tests, …

On The Right Track: Exploring Influences Contributing To Successful Track-Switching Of Indians Working For A U.S. Company, Rose-Marie Speck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how Indian managers assessed the influences leading to their transition from technician to manager when working for a company in the U.S. This study was based on interviews with fifteen Indian managers who had track-switched from a technical job to a management position in the U.S. in a U.S. company. The interviewees were asked five questions about what they believed made them successful in track-switching, and the consensus among interviewees was that for a technician to track-switch effectively, the technician had to have excellent technical skills. In addition to technical skills, the …

The Disclosure Of Organizational Secrets By Employees, Danny Franklin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational secrets enable firms to protect their unique stocks of knowledge, reduce the imitability of their capabilities and achieve sustained competitive advantages (Hannah, 2005). In today’s business environments, the loss of valuable proprietary organizational knowledge due to intentional employee disclosure represents a substantial threat to firm competitiveness. Anecdotal evidence suggests that firms in the United States lose more than $250 billion of intellectual property every year, with intentional employee disclosure accounting for a significant portion of these losses (Dandliker, 2012; Heffernan & Swartwood, 1993). Thus, understanding factors that influence such intentional secret disclosure is a key concern, especially in knowledge-intensive …

Do Investors Value The Required Stress Tests Of Financial Holding Companies?, Brendan A. Colligan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper explores the value of disclosing stress test results to investors and market participants within the US financial system. Recently the Federal Reserve (“Fed”) expanded its required internal stress testing program, often referred to as the Dodd-Frank Act Stress Test (“DFAST”), to include bank holding companies (“BHCs”) with more than $10 billion in total assets. These BHCs were required to publicly disclose their results for the first time in June of 2015. Large BHCs are subject to another level of stress testing implemented by the Comprehensive Capital Analysis Review (“CCAR”). Large BHCs are defined as having more than $50 …

Financial Performance In Upstream, Downstream, And Integrated Oil Companies In Response To Oil Price Volatility, Jonathan P. Garcia

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates the relation between crude oil price volatility and stock returns among oil companies using a three-part methodology, by using the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) as oil price benchmark. I asses the various indicators that set signals for oil price volatility and the interpretation of each (PMI, S&P500, DJIA, and World Crude Oil Output). This research also focuses on the relation between different types of companies in the oil industry (integrated, upstream, and downstream) and how each type of company will be assessed in a particular way to predict abnormal returns, based on market data and statistical analyses …

Getting Hooked On Gnarly Rods, Cody A. Nelson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

At Gnarly Rods, our objective is to supply builders and fishermen alike with the quality gear, components, and service necessary to catch everything life has to offer. From providing rod building parts, to repairs, to fully customized fishing rods, we are the destination for all things in custom fishing. Conceptualized in 2015, Gnarly Rods will be based out of Springdale, AR, and started by Robert and Cody Nelson, a father and son pair as passionate for fishing as they are family and the influence the outdoors can have in life. As of now, we will be the only two employees …

The Microfinance Industry In Bolivia, Jorge J. Eguino

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the international context, and particularly in Bolivia, microfinance and microcredit have been the subject of innumerable analyses. The arguments rely on the attributions of these two ways of intervention in financial services, as well as their impact with respect to poverty, their input, and their incidence on economic growth. Bolivia has contributed to the debate in these fields due to its experience with the microfinance system and its relevance to the country’s economy.

The purpose of this project is to describe the process of development and consolidation of the microfinance system in Bolivia. From a description to an analysis …

Modeling Supply Chain Resiliency, Jeff A. Hazel

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Engineered Resilient Systems (ERS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) program focusing on the effective and efficient design and development of complex engineered systems throughout their life cycle. There is a growing literature with qualitative definitions of resilience and quantitative models for systems with one performance measure. This paper uses a quantitative resilience framework (the Framework for ERS) that includes system design options, reliability, threats, vulnerabilities, responses, and consequences assessed in multiple system performance measures. The framework assists in establishing a model for any system to evaluate resiliency. This paper applies this framework using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) to …

The Determinants And Consequences Of Disclosure Committee Adoption, Lyle Roy Schmardebeck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

After the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission recommended that companies voluntarily adopt disclosure committees to aid in preparing company disclosures. In this paper, I investigate the determinants and consequences of disclosure committee adoption. I find that companies with material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting and less readable 10-K filings are more likely to adopt disclosure committees. In consequences analyses, using a propensity score matched control sample and a difference-in-differences research design, I find that 10-K filings are longer and less readable after disclosure committee adoption. However, consistent with institutional theory, I …

Labor Force Commute Mode Preferences And The Natural Environment, Brandon Killen

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

In commuting to work, commuters select from a limited variety of transportation modes, including alternative modes like cycling and walking, based on needs and preferences. Understanding these needs and preferences, and how the conditions of the immediate environment can influence them can benefit both businesses and local governments in their efforts to accommodate the commute needs of their workers and better serve their communities. Though the body of commute preference research has grown significantly over recent decades, the study of the effects of the natural environment has remained mostly overlooked. In my research, I examined the relationships between selected weather …

Kinder Morgan’S Master Limited Partnership Reorganization, Brett Doyel

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the reorganization of Kinder Morgan’s (KMI) master limited partnership (MLP) structure. In October 2014, four publicly traded companies – Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI), Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: KMP), Kinder Morgan Management, LLC (NYSE: KMR), and El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EPB) – were merged under the Kinder Morgan, Inc. name. This study analyzes the consolidation of KMI through the use of qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative research involves the study of the company’s 10-K reports, earnings call transcripts, and energy sector reports. The quantitative research includes …

Does Who We Are Influence What We Say? The Impact Of Organizational Identity On Responses To Ethical Issues, Amy J. Guerber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Business organizations frequently face ethical issues which may lead stakeholders to question the competence or integrity of organizational actors. In such cases, the way the organization communicates with its stakeholders can play a critical role in preserving or restoring organizational reputation, financial performance, and trust. Thus, understanding factors that influence organizational communication in the wake of ethical issues is important. Previous research has focused on the impact of situational characteristics on organizational responses and stakeholder reactions to those responses but has not explored the role that organizational characteristics play in shaping firms' responses to ethical issues.

The current study seeks …

Strategic Planning Tool Development Using Portfolio Decision Analysis, Luis B. Vargas Rojas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A portfolio decision analysis strategic planning tool was developed for the Facilities Management Office at the University of Arkansas. The tool provides information to support budget allocation decisions based on their Strategic Planning Project List, project attributes (e.g, seat utilization, scheduling preferences, and sustainability rank), and budget constraints. The projects are evaluated using multiobjective decision analysis. We introduce dynamic value functions, which vary the range of the value measures based on the planning horizon, to evaluate the projects). We determine facilities portfolios based on the project values and constraints using Linear Programming. In addition, insightful reports are generated, which provide …

Managing Warehouse Utilization: An Analysis Of Key Warehouse Resources, Vitaly Brazhkin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The warehousing industry is extremely important to businesses and the economy as a whole, and while there is a great deal of literature exploring individual operations within warehouses, such as warehouse layout and design, order picking, etc., there is very little literature exploring warehouse operations from a systems approach.

This study uses the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to develop a focused resource management approach to increasing warehouse capacity and throughput, and thus overall warehouse performance, in an environment of limited warehouse resources. While TOC was originally developed for reducing operational bottlenecks in manufacturing, it has allowed companies in other industries, …

The Differentiation And Integration Of Information Technologies: Three Empirical Studies On `Bring Your Own Devices', Zachary R. Steelman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how the management and configuration of organizational IT portfolios enhance organizations and their employees. Specifically, the theory of the differentiation and integration of information technologies is developed with in-depth examinations of "Bring-Your-Own-Device" (BYOD) policies. Four data collections are utilized: survey vignettes, case studies, agent-based simulations, and a questionnaire survey. Each essay uses a mixed-method approach providing insights into the selection, development, and management of ITs across individual and organizational levels.

Essay 1 explores the impact of BYOD on employees' performance, job satisfaction, and work-life conflicts. The results indicate that IT integration improves performance and job satisfaction, and …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Elizabeth Fretheim And The Search For Sustainable Trucking, David G. Hyatt

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

In early 2014 Elizabeth Fretheim, Director, Business Strategy and Sustainability for Logistics with Walmart, was reviewing with other members of the transportation team data on the fuel efficiency of their private fleet, which included over 6,000 trucks and 61,000 trailers operated by over 7,000 drivers. The logistics and transportation groups were vigilant in their basic goals of (1) loading trucks efficiently, (2) driving fewer miles, and (3) investing in fuel efficient equipment. But this issue concerned the drivers’ impact on mpg. In particular, the data showed that idling had increased over the past calendar year (2013) compared to the year …

Explaining The Effects Of Pay Variation On Individual Outcomes, Samantha A. Conroy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Compensation is an area of research rife with debate among experts. These debates are primarily concerned with the effectiveness of pay-for-performance. The pay variation and performance relationship is a subset of this research where disagreement and inconclusive findings are common. Is pay variation conducive to higher performance or is pay compression ideal? This study contributes to the pay variation and performance debate by focusing on performance-based pay variation and addressing fundamental assumptions of prior work. Past research has treated pay variation as a proxy for allocation rules and incentive intensity. Separating these two constructs rather than confounding them provides a …

How Microlending Affects Innovation And Entrepreneurship: Evidence From Ethiopia, Robert Hirth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advocates of microlending suggest it is a sustainable intervention that reaches the poor directly and offers them the means to invest and improve their incomes (Khavul, 2010; Morduch, 1999; Yunus, 2007); yet, impact studies of these interventions have suggested they often have little or even a detrimental impact on borrowers (Van Rooyen, Stewart & De Wet, 2012). This dissertation examines the efforts to promote entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty in developing countries through microlending. I begin by reviewing the microlending literature, and in particular, impact studies of the effect microlending is having in developing countries. Next, I review theory and empirical …

The Arms Race In College Athletics:Facility Spending And Its Relationship To College Athletics And University Communities, Haley Roane Prewett

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The arms race in collegiate athletic facilities continues to advance and involves more and more money all the time. Large athletic departments continue to spend money on new, large, state-of-the-art facilities for their programs in order to give them the ability to attract big name coaches, players, and donors. College athletics is a major interest to many people in this country and the fact that these programs have become more and more of a business makes major facility expenditures an interesting and relevant topic to most of the general public. This leads to the question of what factors within the …

The Horsemen Of The Apocalypse: Predictors Of Recessions, Sarah-Margaret Pittman

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

For decades, many financial economists have suspected that an inverted yield curve predicts recession. This paper explores the accuracy of this belief by testing multiple variables and seeing if they result in a recession. The dependent variable tested is probability of a recession; independent variables tested are: three-month Treasury-bill minus ten-year Treasury note; controls include: three-month Treasury-bill yield to maturity, ten-year Treasury-note yield to maturity, number of months since last recession, equal-weighted return on the S&P 500, value-weighted return minus equal-weighted return, return on the S&P 500, rate of inflation, and the interaction between the difference between the three-month Treasury-bill …

The Current State Of Financial Literacy Of University Of Arkansas Students: 2014, Stacia Tianne Baughman

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

In light of recent events in the global economy, more attention has been given to the subject of personal financial management. With a sluggish economy, rising student debt levels, increasing attention and concern, universities are considering if something should be done in an attempt to make students more financially literate. In order to better understand the current level of financial literacy, a survey of students at the University of Arkansas was conducted and compared to the same national survey conducted by Jump$tart. University of Arkansas students were found to have slightly lower levels of financial literacy than their national counterparts …

One Mans Dream: How A Company's Unique Culture Can Translate Into Long Term Success, Carli Zink

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis answers the question of whether a unique organizational culture can help a company find long-term success. My main focus of the thesis was on the Walt Disney Co., a company that I think has set the standard in organizational culture and is where I will be starting my professional career. My aim was to find what aspects of culture are most important to have, and how companies can use their culture to gain a competitive advantage. In order to answer this question, I researched companies that have been recognized for having a very successful organizational culture, as well …

Biobotic Solutions, Michael Joseph Iseman

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

BioBotic Solutions is a business plan that was created and used to compete in national business competitions. The business takes an in-depth look into the pathology industry, which has an impact on nearly 75% of all patient diagnosis, and proposes a change- to automate a process currently done manually, and introduce to proprietary products, a robotic arm and a new container. The solution addresses a $500M annual opportunity, and will reduce both errors and costs for mid/large size laboratories.

Hot Crime: Economic Analysis And Insight Into The Relationship Between A City's Latitude And Its Rate Of Violence, Erin K. Piepenbrok

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Every day in America, a case of violent crime makes headlines across the television, newspapers, websites, and social media. These tragedies deeply affect those directly involved and the communities in which the crimes take place. Not only are individuals physically and mentally affected by violent crime, but communities and cities suffer an economic loss from rising violent crime rates. Reducing the current rates of violent crime (robbery, assaults, rapes, and murders) can reduce costs for cities and taxpayers, while ultimately improving the quality of life for Americans. Research into what affects violent crime rates lead to discoveries that unemployment, gun …

An Inventory Management Readiness Assessment Model, Joseph J. Castrodale

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within the realm of today's business world, cutting costs is extremely important. One of the largest contributors to the total cost of a business is related to inventory. Even though it is known by business persons that inventory is a major component to cost, not every company realizes how well they are managing their inventory. While inventory management is a valued part of any business, it is not always evident how well an organization is performing in this area. This research has resulted in the development of an Inventory Management Readiness Assessment Tool for use by supply chain professionals. The …