Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

A Question For The Ages: The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing And Quality In Appalachian Skilled Nursing Facilities, Eric Jason Pulice

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Nurse staffing levels have been shown to have a critical impact on nursing quality in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Sociodemographic disparities in Appalachian areas have the potential to impact SNF nurse staffing levels and quality. This study examined the relationship between nurse staffing levels and quality in Appalachian SNFs, as well as compliance with the Biden Administration’s minimum staffing mandates as set forth in CMS-3442-F enacted on June 24, 2024.

The study applied Resource Dependency Theory (RDT) through Donabedian’s Structure-Process-Outcome (SPO) conceptual framework to assess how external resource constraints and regulatory policies impact nurse staffing levels and quality in Appalachian …

Positive Reinforcement In Leadership, Jen Lee Williams

M.S. in Leadership

This project examined whether leaders’ use of positive reinforcement
improves team retention, satisfaction, and performance across Generation
X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Jen Williams selected this topic due to the
rising turnover challenges and lack of consistent reinforcement training in
leadership practice. Using mixed-methods design, the study combined a
quantitative survey of 13 working professionals with a qualitative interview
from a Generation X leader participant. Results showed that over 92% of
the participants felt motivated by recognition, and 72% linked
reinforcement to increased satisfaction and desire to stay with their
organization. Generational differences appeared in frequency, authenticity,
and emotional sensitivity …

Startup Equity To Stock Exchange: Key Drivers In Venture-Backed Ipo Journeys, Aryaman Shiv Khosla

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the components that shape the probability of a venture capital (VC) backed company’s ability to transition from private to public markets through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The study employs logistic regression models to analyze firm-specific and funding-related determinants of IPO likelihood. Key predictors in this study include total VC funding, number of VC rounds, average deal size growth, size of first round, average days between rounds, company age, number of employees, and primary industry sector. The findings reveal that higher total funding increases IPO likelihood, highlighting the critical role of robust capital access in fueling growth …

Pay-Performance Sensitivity: How Firm Performance Impacts Ceo Compensation, Yuefeng Ma

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the relationship between firm performance and CEO compensation, revisiting and extending the foundational framework established by Jensen and Murphy (1990). The sample comprises compensation data for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of all publicly traded companies on the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) Compustat – ExecuComp dataset from 1994 to 2023. Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models, the analysis evaluates the sensitivity of CEO pay to changes in shareholder wealth and other performance metrics, while accounting for structural and temporal shifts driven by corporate governance, macroeconomic environment, and legislation. The findings reveal that changes in shareholder …

Skip-Level Meetings: Perspectives Of Skipped First-Tier U.S. Tech Leaders, Samuel Blacher

Dissertations

Although significant research exists on numerous intersecting theories, such as adaptive leadership, leadership communication, and employee voice, and although they are discussed in business publications and widely yet inconsistently implemented in industry, skip-level meetings are little scholarly studied. Such meetings offer benefits for employees, direct (skipped) managers, and skip-level leaders, and through them, to organizations, yet they also hold risks and pitfalls, and are influenced by various contextual factors, such as stakeholders’ national culture and age. This exploratory qualitative study employed elements of interpretive phenomenology, followed by thematic analysis, to examine the experiences, perceptions, and emotions of a diverse set …

From Silos To Synergy: A Multi-Case Study Of The Enablers And Inhibitors Of Successful Post-Acquisition Technology Platform Integration, Nasario Mejia

Theses and Dissertations

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have long been an important strategy for achieving growth. Levels of M&A have been increasing over the past 10 years. An enduring challenging problem post M&A is the effective integration of the technology platforms of the acquired and acquiring firms. This study investigates the enablers and inhibitors of successful post-acquisition technology platform integration (PATPI) through the lens of interdependent People, Process, Technology, and Data capabilities. Based on data collected from interviews with senior leaders combined with publicly available secondary data, a multi-site qualitative comparative case study analysis was used to identify enabling and inhibiting platform integration …

Creation-Disruption Theory: How Innovators Create And Disrupt Markets In The Era Of Ai And Beyond, Jukka Alanen

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how innovators create and disrupt markets remains a central challenge in strategic management and innovation, especially amid rapid advances in AI. In this two-paper dissertation, I develop and empirically ground the Creation-Disruption (CD) Theory as a novel and unified theory that explains how innovations and innovators transform markets through intertwined processes of creation and disruption, addressing limitations of prior frameworks. In the first paper, I develop the CD Theory conceptually, treating innovations as the unit of analysis, and reconceptualize, integrate, and extend prior frameworks — most notably, disruptive innovation theory and Blue Ocean Strategy — into a unified theory …

Reflection & Reciprocity: The Role Of Community In The Career Decision-Making Processes Of Indigenous & Non-Indigenous College Students, Amanda M. Langhorst

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the complex role of community in the career decision-making of college students. Our career decisions impact our life in many ways; individualistic cognitive models provide some insight but miss the important relationships and interaction we have with our communities and the role of culture. Through 45 interviews across a primary sample and two contrast samples with public university college students and student service professionals, this research revealed two key processes in how we utilize community in our career decision-making, reflection & reciprocity. The data resulted in a Community-Embedded Career Decision-Making Model showcasing the process of “how” we …

If The Body Keeps The Score, What Happens When You Bring The Body To Work? Exploring The Health Effects Of Trauma On Human Capital, Lisa Jones Christensen, Elizabeth Embry, Arielle Badger Newman, Paul C. Godfrey

Faculty Publications

Data reveal that the physical effects of trauma exposure increasingly surface in business, social, and other settings. Exposure to trauma at any point in life can cause employee health concerns, yet many firms do not acknowledge or address this. Herein, we combine trauma theory with human capital theory to explain how manifestations of trauma exposure—hyperarousal, intrusion, and constriction—impact employee health and performance. This article outlines how each manifestation affects human capital deployment, and thus employee performance. It further demonstrates how these human capital deployment issues have individual- and unit-level performance implications. This article offers a theory linking health effects of …

Existing Personal Leadership Prototypes Versus Organizational Leadership Prototypes: How Individuals Manage Tensions Between Leading With Authenticity And Conformity During Their Socialization As Leaders In Organizations, Benjamin M. Galvin, Jeffrey S. Bednar, Archie Bates

Faculty Publications

Based on qualitative data collected at the United States Military Academy (West Point), this research enhances our understanding of how individuals manage tensions between leading with authenticity and organizational pressures for conformity, resulting from a lack of alignment between their existing personal leadership prototypes and organizational prototypes of leadership. Our theoretical model moves beyond existing research on leader identity construction− which largely treats individuals as blank slates as they construct who they will be as leaders in organizations− by highlighting how individuals learn to enact a leadership approach during socialization that fits within their personal zone of acceptable authenticity and …

Rejected From Pastoral Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of The Voice And Lived Experiences Of African American Pentecostal Women In Clergy, Cynthia Ann Hurns

Dissertations

The study explored the lived experiences of 10 African American Holiness-Pentecostal clergywomen who faced rejection in a predominantly male-led church system. These women shared detailed stories of their experiences in leadership as pastors, apostles, and co-pastors. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was employed, using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) because it allows for in-depth exploration of how people make sense of their experiences, aligning with the study’s focus on leadership journeys. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through descriptive and iterative coding. Codes were grouped into broader categories, resulting in five emerging themes: voiceless calling, bound to tradition, call from …

The Tiktok Miracle: Cracking The Code Of Tiktok’S Platform Strategy, Ying Hou, Yanli Zhang, Yiying Zhu

Department of Management Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study decodes the winning platform strategies behind TikTok's rapid rise in the social media ecosystem, aiming to provide generalizable insights for companies in the platform economy. It explores how TikTok overcame the formidable network effects of dominant platforms like Meta and identifies the platform strategies that fueled its unprecedented growth. The study identified six key platform strategies driving TikTok's success: 1) Create a fun and immersive user experience; 2) Build network effects by supporting creators; 3) Harness human psychology in AI algorithms; 4) Foster viral dissemination via social Interactions; 5) Transform its weaknesses into strengths in competition; and 6) …

The Oprah In Me: Becoming Sidney O., Sidney Opal Young

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Oprah Winfrey is a staple in American History and the world. She has infiltrated American media pop culture with a range of experience and expertise in various forms of media: television, literature, radio, Internet and film. Oprah has influenced popular culture. She continuously shared her ‘truths’ through her experiences and successes both good and bad making her extremely relatable. Oprah educates and inform the public about pressing issues in media and the world. Oprah has stood as an icon for many women, including me.

Service Guarantee Decision Of Online Service Providers And Market Implications, Aijun Lu, Fuzan Chen, Harris Wu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Online services face quality uncertainties. To address user concerns, Online Service Providers (OSPs) sometimes provide service guarantees, compensating users if quality falls below a predefined threshold. This paper analyzes how OSPs use service guarantees to navigate market competition and enhance revenue through game theory and queuing theory models. Key findings include the following: offering guarantees enable OSPs to increase prices; in monopolistic markets, guarantees are offered only if the service guarantee strength is sufficient, whereas in competitive markets, decisions depend on relative strengths and competitor actions. Surprisingly, slower response times under service guarantees can boost profits, especially when resource costs …

The Federal Reserve’S Fight Against Covid-19: A Study Of The Corporate Bond Intervention, Noah Seilgson

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve (Fed) embarked on an unprecedented mission to stabilize the U.S. economy as businesses shut down. One emergency Fed facility, the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility (SMCCF), was used to purchase corporate bonds and corporate bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the secondary market. This extraordinary measure, which injected liquidity into the corporate bond market, aimed to mitigate economic fallout for large companies. Purchasing corporate bonds marked a departure from previous Federal Reserve interventions, but the statutory authority was the same as had been used in past crises: Section 13(3) of the Federal …

Company Districts, C.J. Suglia

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

Special districts that are owned or controlled by private entities and act almost uniformly like a company town can be dubbed a “company district.” These special districts, similar to historical company towns, have autonomy over the districts, control the local government, and only have to answer to the state government. Historical company towns like Pullman, Illinois and Hershey, Pennsylvania had almost canonical command over the land within their boundaries. Company districts operate their business similar to a company town—in a city that the private entity controls, but do not have employees living on-site. Company districts benefit by being immune to …

Alternatives To Delaware? Evaluating Corporate Law In Nevada, Texas, And Wyoming, Joseph Landau, Bailey Swartz, Anthony Rickey, Robert Ragazzo, Benjamin Edwards, George A. Mocsary

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

No abstract provided.

Algorithms In Finance: Balancing First Amendment Protections And Regulation, Yusraa Tadj

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

As algorithms become a function of decision-making in the financial sector, policymakers, the judiciary, and academics grapple with regulatory questions. With the increased reliance on algorithms in finance, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a rule to mitigate potential conflicts of interest that can arise out of financial firms using algorithms. Algorithm users, including financial firms, are finding novel ways to protect algorithm use, such as by offering them First Amendment protections.

This Note considers to what extent algorithms can be considered protected speech amidst the complexity of algorithms and relationship within the financial sector. The Note argues that …

Bridging Top-Down Values And Bottom-Up Practices: A Case Study On A Rebar Fabrication Facility, Kaitlynn J. Martin

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This study examines how alignment between top-down corporate values and bottom-up shop-floor practices influences culture and productivity within metal manufacturing. Using a qualitative case study of a rebar fabrication facility, observations were conducted across two periods to assess how leadership communication, safety culture, and teamwork evolved in response to management changes. The analysis integrates lean Six Sigma principles with organizational culture theory to evaluate how leadership behaviors shape safety adherence, cross-training, and operational performance. Findings reveal that when corporate values, particularly safety and collaboration, are actively modeled by local leadership, they become embedded in daily behavior, leading to improvements in …

Analysis Of Technology Skill Requirements For Entry-Level Accountants, Jiane Louella Tolentino Rabara

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the evolving impact of emerging technologies on skill requirements for entry-level accountants. Using a mixed-method approach that combines literature review and quantitative analysis of 2,257,082 job postings from 2021 to 2024 provided by the Butler Center for Research and Economic Development, the study evaluates trends in employer expectations across firm sizes and time. Chi-square tests revealed significant changes in the proportion of postings requiring technological skills (χ² = 117,672, df = 3, p < .001), indicating a shift in how technology-related competencies are presented in job ads. Specifically, while previous job postings often included general technical skills alongside traditional accounting tasks, recent job postings increasingly emphasize advanced or specialized technologies—such as ERP systems, cloud accounting platforms, and automation tools. This shift suggests that employers are moving away from broad technical expectations toward more targeted skill sets, reflecting the evolving technological demands of the profession. A separate chi-square test found a significant relationship between technological skill requirements and job ad duration (χ² = 2,309.57, df = 4, p < .001). However, no consistent pattern of longer posting duration was observed for technology-oriented roles. Literature-based synthesis further showed that large accounting firms continue to demand more advanced technological competencies than smaller firms. Overall, while traditional accounting skills remain predominant, the findings indicate a transition toward more specialized technological expectations in the entry-level accounting role.

Governance And Innovation In Plastic Waste Management: The Case Of Japan, Minoo Tehrani, Yu Cui

Business Faculty Publications

This study investigates plastic waste management, focusing on Japan. The volume of plastic waste in Japan is more than eight million tons, and less than a quarter of the plastic waste is subjected to recycling. Considering that Japan is an archipelago consisting of a combination of four large islands and numerous smaller ones, plastic waste that enters the ocean poses significant threats to marine life, birds, other living beings, and beach pollution. This research explores the underlying factors that have made Japan one of the highest users of plastic. In addition, this study evaluates different strategies that are utilized in …

Food Deserts: How To Make Them Green, Minoo Tehrani, Andreas Rathgeber, Lawrence Fulton, Bryan Schmutz

Business Faculty Publications

Despite tremendous progress in addressing food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are still widespread across the globe. Different factors, such as low levels of income and education, lack of access to food markets and transportation, high unemployment and population rates, and abandoned homes in a neighborhood, are among the factors that have been attributed to the creation of food deserts in emerging and developed countries. Some of the leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart attack, obesity, and diabetes. These major causes of death have a higher rate among the Black, Latin, and Hispanic populations. Access to healthy and …

Confronting Indecision, Lane Allison Murray

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This course aims to increase students' understanding of indecision and how to confront it. The class provides insight into how the fear of the unknown holds people back from making decisions and about understanding one's values as a means to combat indecision. Students and teachers alike explore instances of indecision and evaluate their own impulses & thought processes by reflecting on the deeper reasons for their choices. Students will increase their comfort level of asking themselves and their peers questions about the values that guide them and, in doing so, strengthen their relationships with themselves and others.

Instruments Of Radio Frequency Resource Management, Stanisław Piątek

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyse changes in the set of instruments used to manage radio frequency resources by the telecommunications regulator and frequency users.

Methodology: The research methods used include literature studies, analysis of documentation and results of selection procedures, EU and national program documents on frequency management and reports of operator organisations, taking into account the practical effects of regulation.

Results: The results of the analysis indicate a permanent centralisation of instruments concerning decisions on frequency allocation, marketisation of frequency allocation processes, liberalisation of the conditions for their disposal and expansion of …

Is Corporate Social Responsibility A Must Or A Plus? The Role Of National Culture, Liu Wang, Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

This study examines the role of national culture in shaping corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and how CSR is valued by investors. In a multilevel study of 4998 firms across 34 nations, we find that firms in performance-based culture (PBC) are more likely to engage in explicit CSR activities, but performance-driven investors view such an effort as a drag on shareholder returns in PBC-oriented societies, resulting in lower valuation. In contrast, firms in socially supportive culture (SSC) tend to invest less in explicit CSR activities, but such an investment is viewed favorably by social-minded investors in SSC-oriented societies, and thus …

The Pursuit Of Sustainability In Solar Power Generation, Leni John

Open Access Dissertations

Solar energy has become an important source of power generation. Like all technologies, photovoltaic (PV) components have limitations in their usefulness and operational effectiveness. The rapid development of solar power technology, along with the costs and requirements for long-term maintenance, complicate the serviceability of these technologies when they become obsolete. As critical component spare parts are depleted, warranties expire, or original equipment manufacturers cease support for their legacy technology, it poses a significant risk to maintaining PV power plant operations. As a result, owners lack a comprehensive Decision Support System (DSS) to address failures in obsolete technology.

This dissertation aims …

Project Manager Risk Response Via The Schedule Duration Mechanism In New Product Development, James S. Bryant

Open Access Dissertations

This experimental study investigated the relationship between project risk level and forecasted project schedule duration. Grounded within a systematic literature review, the research is motivated by the continuing high failure rate for new product development (NPD) projects to meet their time objectives. U.S.-based project managers (PMs) were given a project network diagram, assigned to one of four experimental groups (each group also receiving varying information regarding project risks), and asked to forecast the most likely schedule duration from start to finish. The data suggest that there is no correlation between the level of project risk and the forecasted duration and …

Nirsa Student Referees: Exploring The Connection Between Sense Of Community And Positive Health And Well-Being Outcomes, Jacob K. Tingle

School of Business Faculty Research

Despite working in complex environments, which require managing antagonistic and abusive relationships, sport referees are essential to ensure fair and safe competition. Evidence suggests officiating can positively impact well-being and officiating communities provide social support. Despite those positives, there remains a shortage of qualified officials, which is compounded by aging referee populations. These concerns emphasize the need to attract young people and examine well-being benefits resulting from involvement in officiating communities. As such, the aim of this study is to help NIRSA professionals better understand how the community or social networks made through officiating intramural sports could better support student …

The Dark Tetrad And The Intention To Invest In Cryptocurrency, Amy Bauer-Sinicin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Dark Tetrad comprises four distinct negative personality traits with some overlapping qualities: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism. Characterized as being risky and speculative, cryptocurrencies are not backed by government banks like fiat currencies, nor do they offer the same privacy when engaging in transactions.

Narcissists may view cryptocurrency investment as an opportunity to showcase their financial acumen, reinforcing their self-image. Machiavellians see the decentralized, loosely regulated market as ideal for exploiting opportunities through strategic manipulation. Psychopaths, drawn by the market’s volatility, may engage in exploitative schemes for personal gain. Sadists may find satisfaction in the power and control they …

The Effect Of Alternative Work Regimes On Recruiter Productivity, Keith Sean Cogdell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the impact of different work regimes, onsite, remote, and hybrid, on recruiter productivity within the staffing industry. As workforce models evolve, organizations encounter challenges in determining how these structural changes influence employee performance. Existing studies are often cross-sectional and rely heavily on self-reported data, limiting their capacity to capture long-term trends and contextual factors. To address this issue, the present research utilizes a longitudinal design with five years of recruiter-level performance data from a national staffing firm, which includes over 27,000 observations. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a framework, the study investigates how intrinsic motivation mediated by …