Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Risky Business For The Almighty Roi: Alternative Assets In Higher Education Endowments, Clayton Ellis

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions (HEI) are heavily reliant on alternative revenue streams to mitigate rising operational costs. One alternative revenue source is the endowment, an aggegation of assets invested to support the institutional objectives of an HEI through generated income. Before the 21^st century, institutions have typically sought after more conservative investment strategies via traditional asset classes like bonds and equities. The growing financial obligations to educate students has led endowment managers to make a shift in their investment strategies towards alternative assets classes – private equity, venture capital, secondaries – in order to gain advantage in generating alpha (α) …

First Annual Advances In Business Education Conference 2025 Proceedings, Kelsey Metz, Joshua Ray

Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference Proceedings

Conference Overview: The First Annual Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference was held on May 16, 2025, at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Hosted by the LMU School of Business, the ABE Conference was established to promote teaching excellence through innovation and collaboration in business education. With a focus on fostering meaningful dialogue among educators, researchers, and students, the conference welcomed participants from across disciplines and institutions. The event was structured around three key tracks:

Pedagogy & Teaching Excellence: Showcasing innovative teaching methods and strategies for enhancing student learning and engagement.

Business Research: Presenting research focused on advancing knowledge …

Creating A Regenerative Organizational Culture, Sukanya Nagfernandes, Jennifer Mowery

Beyond the Project Horizon: Journal of the Center for Project Management Innovation

Abstract

The review article aims to explore the concept of creating a regenerative organizational culture through the application of transformational practices. The study investigates the potential benefits of integrating regenerative practices within an organization's cultural framework to foster adaptability, innovation, and sustainability. By examining the literature on regenerative culture and digital transformation, this study provides an overview of the key components and strategies necessary for building a regenerative organizational culture in the digital era and proposes an innovative approach to predicting regenerative cultural practices required within stages of a project’s life cycle.

Organizational culture works as a lifeline. It is …

Leading Like Jesus In Organizations: Assessing The Practices Of Servant Leadership, Keenan A. Siegal

M.S. in Leadership

This project explores the concept of servant leadership through examining biblical accounts of Jesus Christ’s life and teachings. This project highlights how Jesus exemplified key principles of servant leadership, including humility, empathy, self-sacrifice, and a deep commitment to serving others before himself. The project contrasts Jesus’ leadership style with modern leadership models and discusses its relevance in today’s professional settings. Overall, it aims to explore a transformational approach to leadership in which it that prioritizes compassion, integrity, and the empowerment of others over meeting the needs of the business or serving yourself as a leader.

Colaboración Interdisciplinaria: Tablero De Control Para Una Institución Politécnica R01 En Los Ee. Uu. [Libro], Cristo Leon Ph.D., Victor Hugo Guzmán Zarate Ph.D.

STEM for Success Showcase

Introducción
En el ámbito académico, la colaboración interdisciplinaria emerge como un imperativo estratégico y un desafío multifacético. Este estudio tiene un enfoque eminentemente práctico y busca diseñar y aplicar una herramienta específica —un tablero de control interactivo— para facilitar y mejorar la colaboración interdisciplinaria en un entorno académico real. La complejidad inherente a este desafío se refleja tanto en el dinamismo del ambiente investigativo como en la falta de definiciones operacionales cohesivas que faciliten la evaluación y visualización de la colaboración interdisciplinaria. Para abordar estos desafíos, el presente estudio se llevó a cabo en la Facultad de Ciencias y Artes …

An Examination Of Impact Of Immigrant Entrepreneur Cultural Intelligence On Performance During Crisis, Arpita Joardar, Sibin Wu

Management Faculty Publications

This paper integrates research from cross-cultural management and entrepreneurship to examine the interactive effects of cultural intelligence (CQ) and individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) on performance during times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic. We argue that the various dimensions of CQ will have differential effects on performance due to the unusual circumstance. The findings indicate that contrary to expectation, knowledge CQ has negative effect on performance. However, as predicted, skills CQ was found to have positive effect on performance while meta-cognition CQ has a significant negative effect on the same during crisis. Additionally, there was evidence of significant interaction …

Ai And The Metaverse In Business Strategy, Emma M. Han, Emma Nguyen

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The Metaverse has quickly become an important part of the future of the business world. Mainstream companies like Walmart, Toyota, Nike, and many others have established a presence with virtual goods (NFTs), virtual spaces for consumers to interact, and employees to collaborate and train. Yet there is little research into Metaverse strategies that are efficient and sustainable over time. With the rise of AI, businesses now have the opportunity to integrate AI and the Metaverse as complementary technologies, reshaping their strategies for innovation and competitive advantage. We researched the top 500 global brands to uncover lessons from entry approaches taken. …

Eat The Rich? Eat The Poor: The Growing Disparity Between Corporate Greed, Ceo Pay, And Minimum Wage Stagnation, Kayla D. Ocallaghan, Uzoamaka Anakwe

Honors College Theses

This paper analyzes the CEO to minimum wage compensation ratio between 2010-2023 in the United States. By assessing reported compensation of 30 certain disciplined U.S. publicly traded companies in the 2023 Fortune 500 and with total compensation for CEOs disclosed through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings (DEF 14A), a comparative ratio and significance study adjusted for inflation occurs. While average CEO compensation remained consistent in real value, the average CEO to minimum wage compensation ratio was above 1,000:1 for a majority of the companies and over 2,000:1 for a select few by 2023. These results indicate that the …

Additive Manufacturing And Sustainability, Eric J. Venzor-Villarreal

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This chapter explores the transformative role of Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, within modern supply chains, with a particular focus on its adoption in the aerospace and defense industries. It begins by introducing the core technologies behind AM and tracing its historical development. The chapter then examines the advantages of AM—such as reduced material waste, faster prototyping, and decentralized production. A detailed case study on Lockheed Martin showcases real-world applications. Comparative insights from other defense manufacturers and global leaders provide a broader context, reinforcing AM’s potential as a key driver of supply chain innovation and resilience.

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Ray Dalio, Johan Gomez Hernandez

Honors Scholar Theses

Understanding what makes an effective leader remains a key point in the study of business leadership and company success. This paper offers a critical assessment of Ray Dalio's leadership at Bridgewater Associates, diving into both his strengths and shortcomings of his unconventional approach. Examining his leadership through established frameworks, Dalio’s success can be attributed to his clear vision-setting, culture of intellectual rigor, and rooted transparency. At the same time, it highlights points where his leadership style can be improved, especially in aspects such as employee recognition and the balance between high performance expectations and emotional intelligence.

Behind The Degree: The Hidden Struggles Of Graduate Student Life - A Qualitative Analysis Of Student Perspectives, Barbara Holmes, Kent Willis, Kyle Borske, Conner [email protected], Jared Gerke, Kaitlyn Calabrese, Dylan Sawicki, Mattie Schimenz, Dejuanna Parker

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

This qualitative study explores the persistent challenges facing graduate students in contemporary higher education, where attrition rates remain at approximately fifty percent. Through analysis of graduate student narratives and existing literature, this research identifies key barriers to degree completion including financial constraints, mental health challenges, online learning isolation, work-life balance issues, and academic preparation gaps. The study presents findings from direct student perspectives and offers institutional recommendations for improving graduate student retention and success.

Keywords Graduate Student Attrition, Scholarly Writing, Persistence, Student Perspectives

Will Vegas Bet On Itself?, Quintez Gatewood

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Abstract:

• Las Vegas faces a serious dilemma post covid, whats next? After having been decimated with the shot to hospitality it nearly collapsed the city.
• The question I am supposing is how do we prevent this?
• Like any investor would suggest, diversify your portfolio to mitigate risk. So why hasn’t Vegas done this with the job market?
• I seek to answer this by using models and illustrating how the outcome will be

A Century Of Currency And Forms Of Exchange In Five Global Powers, Hannah A. Rodriguez-Rodriguez

Honors College Theses

This research is a collective explanation of a century of history and of the forms of currency, forms of payment, and security features on financial devices in the top five global powers in 2025, according to GDP. It highlights the implications for fraud, security, economics, and politics as well as compares the forms of payment and exchange used in each country.

Managing Change In Higher Education: Implementing Mobile Credentials Across Usnh, Amy R. Gray

M.S. in Leadership

As higher education institutions continue to embrace digital transformation, mobile credentials are emerging as an innovative solution for modernizing campus ID systems. Literature suggests that these digital versions of campus ID cards, stored on smartphones, offer enhanced security, operational efficiency, and a more seamless campus experience. This research project explored best practices and key factors necessary for implementing mobile credentials across the University System of New Hampshire (USNH), with a focus on leadership’s role in managing change. Using a mixed-methods approach—including case study analysis, a literature review, and survey research—this study examined best practices, challenges, and strategies for successful adoption. …

Mindful Symbiotic Ecosystems. Designing For Women In Remote Workspaces, Andrea Guevara Araujo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women represent 61% of designers in the workforce but hold only 29% of leadership roles. This disparity highlights a critical need for an ecosystem that removes barriers and cultivates mentorship, community, and leadership among women (Bolt, 2020). Even though women have proven their ability to succeed in male-dominated corporate cultures, the real question is not about capability but sustainability. Driven by overwork, competition, and burnout, the workplace does not just push women out; it leads to long-term instability for the entire organization (Krivkovich et al., 2024). In the workplace, a culture of masculinity reinforces harmful, outdated mindsets and glorifies aggressive, …

Differences Between Media And Industry Professionals’ Views On Welfare Issues At Equine Racetracks In The United States, Olivia Burris

Honors College Theses

The objective of this project was to see if there was a difference in views between lay publications in the media and industry professionals regarding welfare issues occurring at equine racetracks. This study focused on the issues of drug usage and racing-related injuries in racehorses. This project examined current lay publications versus surveys of industry professionals discussing the specific welfare issues. These lay publications were reviewed and summarized for comparison to the industry professionals’ responses to the survey.

Front Line Innovation In Federal Agencies: U.S. Department Of State Passport Services Innovation Portal Engagement Program, Bill Langer

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores strategies for enhancing front-line innovation within federal agencies through employee engagement with the U.S. Department of State's Passport Services Innovation Portal. Rooted in the principles of creative leadership and intrinsic motivation, the project addresses persistent barriers to innovation in federal settings, such as bureaucratic inertia and a lack of feedback mechanisms for idea submissions. Utilizing the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) model and a modified 21st-century facilitation framework, the project team designed and implemented an engagement program that included informational briefings and targeted newsletters. Quantitative data from website analytics and idea submissions were analyzed using paired t-tests and …

Wax On, Wax Off - Polishing Toward An Exceptional Staff, Michael Saba D.M.D.

Journal of the Macomb Dental Society

This article features a monthly column from the Macomb Dental Society's editor, Dr. Michael Saba.

Embracing Change In The Business World: Adapting And Evolving For Success, Miguel Garza

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

This thesis looks at how companies can succeed in a business world that is always changing. I studied the idea that to keep up, companies must focus on four main areas: giving power to their employees, using new digital tools, acting in a fair and honest way, and adopting the latest technologies. I gathered ideas from books and articles and also talked to business leaders from different industries to see what has worked for them. In my research, I found that companies like Google, Amazon, Netflix, and Patagonia show that when workers are trusted and given room to share ideas, …

Home Depot Strategic Audit, Jackson E. Clasen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Home Depot is a distinguished North American home improvement retail store that offers a wide variety of products and services to its customers. The company has created its distinction in the home improvement market for nearly fifty years for its effort to excel in service to its customers, associates, the communities it serves, and its shareholders. This strategic audit will analyze the internal and external factors that influence Home Depot’s ability to develop and preserve its competitive advantage in the home improvement industry. This report will begin with an inward focused discussion of Home Depot, including its history and current …

Small Business Development In The Tourism Industry In Dangriga, Belize, Jonathan R. Kasper

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The thesis, Small Business Development in the Tourism Industry in Dangriga, Belize, examines efforts to bolster economic opportunities and entrepreneurial resilience in a culturally rich but economically underserved town. The project focused on addressing the underperformance of Dangriga’s tourism sector relative to other Belizean destinations, despite its potential. By engaging directly with local entrepreneurs and organizations, the initiative aimed to improve marketing practices, digital presence, and long-term business viability through practical interventions.

Major accomplishments included the development of a reservation-capable website for the Bonefish Hotel, social media and marketing consultations for various small businesses, and advisory work for the …

Analytics Insights From Text: Machine Learning, Ai, And Sentiment Analysis On Beige Books, Charlie Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Business analytics is about drawing actionable insights from data. These distinct but connected essays represent a novel approach to explore how natural language processing (NLP) advances and machine learning can transform unstructured text data into actionable conclusions. Essay 1 provides a broad framework. Essay 2 strengthens the sentiment analysis with the most recent artificial intelligence methodologies for capturing nuanced sentiment in complex texts. Essay 3 applies those insights to forecast recessions using topics that can be readily interpreted and applied.

The research demonstrates how these methodologies can be applied to enhance understanding of the same dataset, Beige Books. Published by …

Prescription For Progress: A Retention Plan To Heal The Dying Nurse Workforce, Margaret Curd

Senior Honors Theses

The United States is currently facing an unprecedented nursing shortage which stems from many variables, including a lack of clinical rotation sites for students, increased burnout among current nurses, and a growing retiring workforce. Rising nurse turnover rates negatively impact patient outcomes, which should concern all levels of management. One specific hospital facing such an impact is Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois. This thesis seeks to address their substandard staffing ratios in an extensive, holistic strategic retention plan. Metrics for proving the plan’s success are provided alongside a discussion of proper calculations for each.

Developing Standard Operating Procedures For The Dewitt Town Clerk’S Office, Noura M. Osman

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

ABSTRACT OF PROJECT

Developing Standard Operating Procedures for the DeWitt Town Clerk’s Office

This project addresses the operational inconsistencies in the DeWitt Town Clerk’s Office in Syracuse, NY, by creating a structured Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) manual. The focus is on six high-impact processes: tax collection, water bill payments, dog licensing (new and renewals), marriage license transcript requests, and handicap parking permit issuance and renewal. Each SOP includes visual info-graphics to enhance accessibility and minimize errors. The final product is designed to improve on-boarding, reduce staff reliance on memory, increase efficiency, and align with creativity and change leadership principles.

Exploring Contributions Of Partnerships Between Employers And Disability Organizations On Recruitment, Hiring, Training, Retention, And Accommodation Of Individuals With Disabilities In Mississippi, Peter Oluwadare Kalejaiye

Dissertations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities (IWDs) by prohibiting discrimination in employment. However, one out of four IWDs face discrimination in employment in the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Additionally, despite establishing the Office of Disability Employment Policy and enacting the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to help integrate IWDs into the workforce, IWDs face barriers to equal and equitable employment (NASEM, 2017). Previous studies recommend partnerships between employers and disability organizations (DOs) to provide employment opportunities and benefits for IWDs through recruitment, hiring, training, retention, and …

The Digital Incorporated Worker Narrative: A Mixed Methods Study Of Digital Capital, Work Selection, And Outcomes In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Tracie King

Dissertations

Digital technology permeates society and industry, making digital-ready workers necessary for firms of all sizes as a firm seeks competitiveness in the market (Bergson-Shilcock et al., 2023; de Ruyter et al., 2018; Gorski et al., 2022; Karaboğa, 2023; Kim et al., 2017; Qureshi Zia, 2019). Firms seeking digital-ready workers face a complex digital divide that creates a worker shortage (Bergson-Shilcock et al., 2023; Karaboğa, 2023; Qureshi Zia, 2019). This study aims to describe workers' work selection, work experience, and outcomes in a complex digital society.

Most digital divide research focuses on the individuals excluded from owning, accessing, and having skills …

Federal Telework Intensity, Perceived Organizational Support, And Perceived Supervisor Support As Predictors Of Affective Commitment In A Post-Pandemic Environment, Jamaris Moore

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many governments to transition to non-traditional work such as telework (Lunde et al., 2022). However, in a post-pandemic environment, federal agencies required their employees to return to the offices (Office of Management and Budget, 2021), which led employees to agency hop, looking for more accommodating work arrangements (The Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 2022). Therefore, the researcher sought to determine if telework intensity (TI), perceived organizational support (POS), and perceived supervisor support (PSS) predicted employee organizational commitment (OC). The researcher used a quantitative correlational cross-sectional survey to assess 202 federal employees from two Department of Defense …

J Mich Dent Assoc May 2025

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association is published digitally each month through ADA Commons, reaching 166 countries and accumulating over 35,800 downloads. This extensive reach provides news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry, our state's oral health community, and the MDA's 6,200+ members. It serves as the main publication for connecting with Michigan dentists.

The May issue features:

• An informative interview with Dr. Cheri Newman, the MDA’s new president.
• A feature article from Delta Dental on the utilization of dental services pre- and post-COVID-19 and how the continuing decline in the utilization of restorative services may impact plan design. …

Mda At Your Service: Questions About Dental Insurance Participation, Kristin Johnson Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article by the MDA membership Chair Kristin Johnson and the Michigan Dental Association (MDA) Department on Membership addresses common questions from dental professionals. It highlights the MDA's endorsement of PPO Negotiation Solutions to help members maximize profitability through insurance network participation and fee negotiation.

The MDA also provides guidance on hiring associates and their network participation, emphasizing the importance of understanding patient base and practice goals. Furthermore, the document outlines the MDA's resources for patient inquiries on water fluoridation, including talking points and online materials. Information on MIOSHA regulations and compliance within dental practices is also available through the …

The New Professional: Exploring Careers Other Than Clinical Dentistry, Amrita Patel Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This "New Professional" column explores alternative career paths for dentists who find clinical practice unfulfilling. It encourages reflection on personal interests and highlights various options within the dental field and beyond, such as dental education, research, practice management, dental sales, product development, and public health dentistry. The article emphasizes that a dental degree provides a strong foundation for diverse roles that still contribute to the well-being of others. It suggests that transitioning to a new career path requires an open mind and a focus on one's passions and values. Entrepreneurship is also mentioned as a potential avenue.