Business Analytics Commons^™

Aesop Under L'Oreal: Growth Vs. Brand Integrity, Gowrav Ghatamaneni, Spencer Godina, Reed Mchenry, Cole Miller, Shruti Pradeep

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

Founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 1987, Aesop has emerged as a global luxury skincare brand known for its minimalist packaging, commitment to sustainability, and sensory in-store experience. In 2023, L'Oréal Groupe acquired Aesop from Natura & Co. in a deal valued at $2.5 billion, marking the largest acquisition in L'Oréal's history. The brand's dedication to aesthetics has set it apart in the competitive beauty industry. But how does a brand built on small-scale, curated retail experiences navigate the expansion driven by a multinational owner? Can Aesop maintain its core values while scaling up?

Cotopaxi: Stewardship To Succession, Roy Dumblauskas, Landry Geiger, John Post, Jack Smiley, Zachary Wallenburg

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

Cotopaxi is a company built from the ground up to be socially conscious, from their governance structure to their deeply ingrained core values. Despite being in a market dominated by incumbents like Patagonia, they've done well in the past, bringing in around $160 million in revenue in 2023 while donating millions outright and carefully maintaining ethical internal business practices. But just as the company began taking off, founder Davis Smith left the company to pursue religious mission work. He spent years, starting the search in 2019 before finally stepping down in July 2022, looking for a successor, eventually finding a …

Bombas: Weaving Purpose Into Profit, Bethany Barnwell, Madelyn Craft, Emily Nau, Carina Swanson, Vaughn Thompson

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

Bombas is a leading premium basics brand with a unique focus on socks and philanthropy. Its 'buy one, give one' model, along with a viral appearance on Shark Tank, helped propel the company into the public eye. Since the company’s inception, they have donated over 150 million essential clothing items to people in need. Bombas’s commitment to quality and product innovation has earned it a loyal consumer base. However, its production practices and business model have faced scrutiny, raising questions about whether the company is truly maximizing its impact in giving back

New Belgium Brewing: Balancing Growth And Company Values Post-Acquisition, Brooke Bode, Charlie Brockmeier, Chase Kling, Zach Hammann, Jace Ruth, Jay Selzer

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

New Belgium Brewing was founded in 1991 by Jeff Lebesch and Kim Jordan in Fort Collins, Colorado, famously inspired by a bicycle tour through Belgium, with "environmental stewardship" viewed as a core value from day one (New Belgium Brewing, nd). From its earliest years, New Belgium had set out to prove that a brewery could be a successful business while also being a force for good. The company implemented open-book management and a profit-sharing program that allowed employees as early as 1998 to vote and give up bonuses to invest in a wind-powered brewery in the U.S. (New Belgium Brewing, …

Benford's Law And The Impact Of Director Blockholders, Ying "Caroline" Chen

Presentations - 2025

This presentation was given by a faculty member on Benford's Law and it's effects on management.

"Benford's Law is a mathematical law which relates to the leading digits of numbers in naturally occurring tables. The probability of the first digit equaling some number d is roughly equal to

𝑃 𝑑 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 (1 + 1 𝑑)

The probability of the second digit equaling some number d is roughly equal to

𝑃 𝑑 = σ𝑥=1 9 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 (1 + 1 10𝑥+𝑑)

Durtschi, Hillison, and Pacini (2004) – Analysis using Benford’s Law is primarily useful on sets composed of mathematical combinations of …

1 – 1 > 0: Growing The Pie By Reallocating Shelf Space To Small Brands, Jesse Core, Ho Kim

AMTP Proceedings 2025

We examine whether reallocating shelf space to smaller brands enhances total category sales. During a three-month field experiment involving 20 supermarket stores in Arkansas (10 treatment and 10 control stores), we increased shelf facings for smaller brands in treatment stores and reduced facings for larger brands, while maintaining the total shelf space constant. A difference-in-differences analysis reveals that increasing facings for smaller brands significantly boosts total category sales, with an average increase of 960 ounces per week during the intervention. Notably, sales remained elevated by 786 ounces per week after shelf facings reverted to the original level, indicating a persistent …

Transforming Undergraduate Marketing Research: Building An Industry-Driven Research Incubator, Kristy C. Grayson, David Olsen

AMTP Proceedings 2025

This study presents a transformative approach to preparing undergraduate Marketing Research students for the data-driven workforce by creating the Research Incubator Framework (RIF). Drawing on an entrepreneurial philosophy, this adaptable model integrates open-source statistical tools such as Python and Google Colab, collaborative pedagogies, and strategic partnerships with local businesses to create a dynamic and iterative learning environment. Through hands-on projects with real-world datasets, students developed technical proficiency, critical thinking, and actionable problem-solving skills. The incubator emphasized iterative learning, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and alignment with industry standards, offering a scalable and cost-effective solution for modern marketing education. This study contributes empirical evidence …

Lemonade: Mini-Case Study Report, Grace Boguslawski, Seth Daup, Aditya Jain, Chaitra Pirisingula, Caden Punteney

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

Lemonade disrupts the traditional insurance industry through its innovative use of AI-driven underwriting and claims processing. By leveraging AI to replace traditional brokers, Lemonade positions itself as a technologically advanced and socially responsible alternative in a legacy-driven market. As a certified B-Corp, the company emphasizes its mission-driven approach, notably donating leftover premiums to nonprofit organizations selected by its customers. This case study examines the strategic challenges arising from Lemonade’s position in an evolving AI landscape. It explores how Lemonade can maintain its differentiation while navigating increasing competition, ethical considerations, and the diminishing sustainability of AI as a unique long-term competitive …

Tillamook: Ethical Values Or Misleading Marketing?, Victoria Chin, Ealynn Hsu, Kyana Le, B Littman, Natalia Trejo Andalon

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

Tillamook began as a humble cooperative for the local dairy farmers of Tillamook County, Oregon, to ensure that high-quality cheese was the local standard. As time passed, Tillamook evolved to establish an internal Farm Services Team to help support each farmer and pay above market value for members’ milk–in return, receiving a stable supply of dairy to manufacture its dairy-based products. Additionally, the farmers are still the ones who call the important shots for Tillamook rather than other corporate shareholders. Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) has since expanded nationally, but the foundation remains the same: high-quality dairy to create high-quality …

Gojo & Company, Inc.: Collaborate To Elevate - Microfinancing Through Strategic Partnerships, Ellenna Divingnzzo, Joshua Feng, Charles Moloney, Brendan Shanks, Emma Wagner

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

Gojo’s mission is to “extend financial inclusion across the globe” with the goal “to enable the provision of high-quality affordable financial services in 50 countries” (Impact Report, Gojo, pg. 4). They are a microfinance institution (MFI) that provides financial assistance mainly to individuals in five countries: Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, and Tajikistan (Impact Report, Gojo, pg. 10). They also have partnerships that extend into many other countries to a lesser extent. Gojo’s group companies provide services such as group loans, business loans, microenterprise loans, emergency loans, voluntary savings, affordable housing, microcredit depositing, and more to over 2.4 million clients. …

Forecasting Supply Chain Disruptions And Reducing Costs Through Data Science, Kayla Ahrndt

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The timely and cost-effective distribution of antiretroviral (ARV) and HIV laboratory commodities, particularly in over-exploited and low-resource settings, is imperative through effective Supply Chain Management.This project uses a comprehensive supply chain dataset to analyze pricing trends, predict lead times, forecast demand, and optimize costs for ARV and HIV lab shipments across multiple countries. Through data science, we can predict future demand, detect unusual pricing patterns, assess risks of supply chain disruptions, examine how commodity prices fluctuate over time and across regions, identify key factors influencing shipment lead times, and develop predictive models for future demand. Through anomaly detection techniques, we …

Market Structure Evolution In The U.S. Automobile Industry: A Review Of Diversity And Concentration Metrics, P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan

AMTP Proceedings 2025

I examine the evolution of market structure in the U.S. automobile industry from 1937 to the present, focusing on the application of both traditional and novel diversity and concentration metrics. I use the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), Comprehensive Concentration Index (CCI), and newer metrics from fields such as ecology and genetics to uncover insights into the shifting dynamics of market power, firm turnover, and industry stability. The U.S. automobile industry, characterized by consolidation and technological advancement, provides a unique case study for analyzing long-term market evolution. I contribute to the literature by synthesizing a broad range of diversity metrics and offering …

Analyzing Stability Of Estimates At Completion For Long Duration Development Efforts, Bradley Vuu, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Brandon M. Lucas, Edward D. White

Faculty Publications

Defense program managers utilize Earned Value Management (EVM) methodologies to measure, report, and predict the cost and schedule performance of their programs. Previous research conducted by Christensen (1996) and Kim et al. (2019) has shown varied results in the stability of EVM Estimates at Completion (EACs). Stability is defined as a 10% or less deviation from the final EAC at a specified percent completion point of the program. The Christensen (1996) and Kim et al. (2019) studies also noted that program-specific factors, such as phase, can impact the accuracy of EVM metrics. This study builds upon those works by assessing …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Fashion And Retail Efficiency: A Strategic Analysis, Andrew Burnstine, Raouf Ghattas

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare: A Qualitative Study Among Physicians And Nurses In Florida, Aaron Miri

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This investigation will leverage participant focus group interviews with 32 clinicians (16 nurses / 16 physicians) to study what, if anything, is inhibiting AI adoption across the hospital. Specific physicians will be sourced across the key service lines of primary care, oncology, cardiology, behavioral health, and emergency department medicine, as these tend to be patient volume driven and thus have the maximum amount of potential for positive impact leveraging AI. Nurses in these same departments will be assessed to analyze if there is a similarity or difference between the nursing and physician AI adoption barriers.

Enhancing Interoperability In Geospatial Analytics Systems: Navigating Diverse Standards For Optimal Data Integrity, Justin W. Bennett

Dissertations

In this study, we explore the domain of geospatial analytics, focusing on how different geographic information systems (GIS) and technology solutions can better communicate and maximize interoperability. Central to our study is the impact of this interoperability on data integrity, which is critical for accurate decision-making in domains like urban planning, environmental management, and national security. Accurate decision-making requires modeling ecosystems that are easy to comprehend and are often intricate due to their physical or artificial nature and the diversity of geospatial parameters; therefore, it is essential to gather a comprehensive array of spatial and temporal measurements. We examine the …

Employee Engagement In Corporate Sustainability Initiatives: An Empirical Comparison Of Conventional And Modern Working Environment Practices, Ahmad Mansour, Hind Al-Ahmed, Ahmad Shajrawi, Khaled Alshaketheep, Muhammad Alshurideh, Arafat Deeb

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objective: The study targets the investigation of Employee Engagement differences across Traditional and New work forms in Corporate Social Initiatives together with workplace practices that boost Sustainable Project Engagement. Methodology: The authors used a mixed-methods design approach in their research. A survey with 300 sustainable project personnel either working full-time or part-time collected quantitative data for analysis. Thirty semi-structured interviews comprised both employee and managerial personnel to collect qualitative data. The evaluation of workplace practices like flexibility and autonomy and communication & leadership on employee engagement was conducted through regression analysis. Researchers employed thematic analysis on interview data for the …

Impact Of Foreign Remittances, Foreign Direct Investment And Financial Development On Human Development Of Selected Asian Countries, Sumra Khalid, Ayesha Rehan, Bushra F. Malik

Accounting, Business Analytics, Economics, and Finance Department Faculty Articles

Foreign remittances play a contributing role in determining the growth potential of the nations of the world. Considering its significant role, the existing research has analyzed the major factors affecting the economic growth of some selected Asian nations. The data was utilized from 2005 to 2020 in some selected Asian countries. Human development was used as the dependent variable. However, foreign remittances, financial development and foreign direct investment, trade openness and labor force participation rate were taken as independent variables. The OLS regression results indicated that foreign remittances, foreign direct investment, and financial development led to enhanced nations' human development. …

A New Measure Of Non-Parametric Correlation For Variables In The Likert Scale, Shubhabrata Das

Working Papers

We propose a new measure of nonparametric correlation that is especially suited for measuring association between variables measured in the Likert scale where data is ordinal and tied observations are extremely common. The proposed general structure of the measure is based on graded level of concordance and discordance between the pairs of metrics. The general form of the measure has all the desirable properties except the measure is not necessarily zero for independent variables. This limitation is acceptable given only ordinal nature of the metrics. Three versions of the measure are studied. The first is based on simple equi-distant weights. …

Developing A Successful Pr Campaign With Crisis Management And Competitive Positioning, Anna V. Gutierrez

Marketing

This senior project examines the key elements that contribute to the success of a public relations campaign and how these elements can be leveraged to help a company effectively respond to and recover from a crisis. By analyzing high-profile campaigns like Spotify to Wicked, the project identifies best practices in brand communication, audience connection, and narrative control. Marketing research and a professional interview provide additional insight into real-world applications of PR strategies, offering a deeper understanding of how brands maintain trust and visibility during challenging times. Ultimately it provides a framework for how businesses can craft compelling PR campaigns that …

Microsimulation: A Solution For Effective Client Engagement, Girish Balakrishnan

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

A key challenge that product management professionals face is to convince their clients about the relevance of a product towards their business needs by aligning those with the product vision. To accomplish this need, new strategies to engage the clients with the product vision are extremely critical. Microsimulation is a wonderful way to not just communicate product vision but also to familiarize clients with unique functionalities offered by the product. Microsimulations avoid miscommunications by establishing interaction between provider and consumer. This research study primarily focuses on solving the problem of client disengagement in organizations involved in product development and operating …

De-Dollarization And South Asia: Challenges And Opportunities For Nepal In A Multipolar Currency World, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

The United States dollar’s dominance as the global reserve currency, established under the 1944 Bretton Woods system, persists despite the 1971 decoupling of the gold backing to the dollar. Its liquidity, stability, and full support by the US government confer a solid financial security and advantage to the currency, including a universal acceptance of the dollar and a relatively low borrowing cost. Because of these reasons, the US dollar has been able to dominate the global financial markets for the past eight decades. However, the rapidly emerging global political and economic power shifts are challenging the status of the US …

From Classroom To Boardroom: An In-Depth Look At Critical Thinking Amongst Accounting Students, Dorothy A. Thompson, Timothy G. Bryan

Accounting Faculty Research

The 2020 Guiding Principles and Standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation Standard 4.3 requires business students to be equipped with critical and analytical thinking skills. Killian (2013) states that by engaging students in a problem-based case study in an introductory-level managerial accounting course, students can acquire critical thinking skills, rather than memorize. Results from this study suggest critical thinking skills increased when it came to detecting, explaining, and defining a problem. Just as significant, critical thinking skills increase when a student encounters a problem and can solve it and make a conclusion. The paper concludes …

Robust Conic Satisficing, Arjun Ramachandra, Napat Rujeerapaiboon, Melvyn Sim

Working Papers

In practical optimization problems, we typically model uncertainty as a random variable though its true probability distribution is unobservable to the decision maker. Historical data provides some information of this distribution that we can use to approximately quantify the risk of an evaluation function that depends on both our decision and the uncertainty. This empirical optimization approach is vulnerable to the issues of overfitting, which could be overcome by several data-driven robust optimization techniques. To tackle overfitting, Long et al. (2022) propose a robust satisficing model, which is specified by a performance target and a penalty function that measures the …

Uncertainty In Pricing And Risk Measurement Of Survivor Contracts, Kendrick Raymond So, Stephanie Claire Cruz, Elias Antonio Marcela, Jeric C. Briones, Len Patrick Dominic Garces

Mathematics Faculty Publications

As life expectancy increases, pension plans face growing longevity risk. Standardized longevity-linked securities such as survivor contracts allow pension plans to transfer this risk to capital markets. However, more consensus is needed on the appropriate mortality model and premium principle to price these contracts. This paper investigates the impact of the mortality model and premium principle choice on the pricing, risk measurement, and modeling of survivor contracts. We present a framework for evaluating risk measures associated with survivor contracts, specifically survivor forwards (S-forward) and survivor swaps (S-swaps). We analyze how the mortality model and premium principle assumptions affect pricing and …

Comprehensive Data-Driven Analysis Of Nyc Real Estate Transactions: Insights Into Pricing Dynamics, Neighborhood Evolution, And Socioeconomic Influences, Ruiming Xu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project provides a comprehensive analysis of New York City’s real estate market, focusing on its historical evolution, shifting demographics, and the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on housing trends. Utilizing data from trusted sources like Zillow, the NYC Department of Finance, and the U.S. Census Bureau, the study investigates how property values have changed over time, highlights neighborhoods undergoing notable transformations, and identifies the economic, cultural, and social factors driving these changes. The research aims to reveal the complex forces shaping the market while offering insights into its future direction and the reasons behind current trends. A key …

Fresh Looks, Familiar Voices: Balancing Conformity And Differentiation In Young Adult Literature Market, Nami Kim, Jiyoon An

AMTP Proceedings 2025

This study examines optimal distinctiveness strategies in the Young Adult (YA) literature market, analyzing bestseller data across visual representation, author concentration, content diversification, and linguistic evolution. Results reveal increasing visual differentiation in book covers, growing reliance on established authors, gradual expansion of content diversity, and linguistic convergence in book descriptions. These findings demonstrate how publishers dynamically adjust various product aspects to achieve optimal distinctiveness, extending optimal distinctiveness theory to brand-level strategies in cultural industries.

Understanding Market Outlooks, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

As 2024 has concluded, many industry analysts will reflect on the market trends and forces that shaped 2024 to make improved decision making in 2025. This is a pivotal time to evaluate the factors influencing commodity markets and plan for the future. Market outlooks play a vital role in this process, offering agricultural producers and industry stakeholders valuable insights into price trends, production forecasts, and market dynamics. By analyzing data from government agencies, universities, and private firms, these outlooks help users anticipate and navigate market fluctuations, whether through short-term forecasts or long-term projections spanning decades. With advances in technology and …

Assessing The Readiness And Awareness Of Key Stakeholders In The Egyptian Maritime Industry To Implement Smart Green Port Practices: A Case Study Of Alexandria Port, Mohamed Elhussieny, Ahmed El Kassar, Kareem Tonbol

Blue Economy

This study explores the readiness and preparedness of the major stakeholders within the Egyptian maritime sector towards the adoption of smart green port practices, with particular consideration given to Alexandria Port. With growing environmental threats, the need to support sustainable maritime operations is high. The study evaluates the current state of the ecosystem at Alexandria Port and benchmark it against international standards to highlight the critical gaps that should be covered for the effective execution of smart green port approaches. The results indicate that, although stakeholders have basic knowledge of sustainability issues, large perceived barriers, particularly regarding resource availability, limited …

Kroger Post-Pandemic Customer Segmentation, Mario Mata, Joey Truitt, Renn Spigelmyer, Dhanuja Kasturiratna, Lisa Holden, Nitish Baidya, Hanna Tafari

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The grocery retail industry landscape has changed greatly in the wake of the pandemic. Specifically, delivery and pickup services have become more popular and customer buying habits have evolved. At the same time, improvements in data collection and analysis have allowed grocery marketing strategies to become highly individualized.

We worked with 84.51, an analytics firm, to identify customer segments for the Kroger Company based on data from 2023. Using clustering techniques, we organized customers into groups, or segments, based on similar characteristics. We identified and profiled four distinct groups of customers. Three segments were characterized by high frequency and spending …