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J Mich Dent Assoc July 2021

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

In this issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover story on “Measuring Outcomes to Improve the Quality of Clinical Care”.
• A feature article, “Is Your Office Winning or Losing the Race? You Won’t Know Without Measurement”.
• The feature article, “The DQA and Quality Measurement in Dental Programs and Plans”.
• News you need, Editorial and regular department articles on MDA Foundation activities, Dentistry …

A Sweet Future For Sugar Makery: A Deeper Dive Into Small Business Consulting, Samuel Lauritsen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This case study investigates a local candy store in Glenwood and Council Bluffs Iowa. Processes, consistency and concise planning promoted the rapid growth of Sugar Makery into two locations in three short years. Results from the analyses indicate that the main problem facing Sugar Makery is sustaining its differentiated strategy from new industry entrants, key recommendations to sustain its success are presented. Every company has its own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The key is identifying each to be able to capitalize on competitive advantages, mitigate the damage done by weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities and create plans to avoid …

2021 Ijbe V1 Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Carolina Consulting Scholars Cohort: Enabling Students To Be Stronger Analytical Thinkers And Problem Solvers, Alexis Mcconomy, Justin Farley

Senior Theses

Undergraduate students at the Moore School currently have limited avenues to pursue management consulting upon graduating from the University of South Carolina. The Darla Moore School of Business has academic excellence initiatives that have led to great success from certain programs and centers; however, there lacks a formalized support system to help students looking for internships or full-time roles in consulting. Our proposed Consulting Scholars cohort seeks to gather top students from all majors and offer them a cohort that will educate and prepare them for success as future consultants. By leveraging existing classes within the Management department and the …

Returning To Solvency Through Quality Improvement, Matthew Faciane, Susan K. Fan, Rocky J. Dwyer

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore quality improvement strategies senior manufacturing production managers use to reduce Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) to increase profit. The participants for this study were production managers within a manufacturing company located in the southeastern region of the United States who successfully developed and implemented strategies to lower COPQ to increase profitability. Six major themes emerged from the study: continuous improvement, quality assurance, employees as agents of quality improvement, communication between stakeholders, holding all firm members accountable for quality, and training. Manufacturing managers can use these strategies to lower COPQ and …

The Effects Of Customer Segmentation, Borrowers' Behaviours And Analytical Methods On The Performance Of Credit Scoring Models In The Agribusiness Sector, Daniela Lazo, Raffaella Calabrese, Cristian Bravo Roman

Statistical and Actuarial Sciences Publications

The main aim of this study is to analyse the joint effects of customer segmentation, borrowers' characteristics and modelling techniques on the classification accuracy of a scoring model for agribusinesses. To this end, we used data provided by a Chilean company on 161,163 loans from January 2007 to December 2013. We considered random forest, neural network and logistic regression models as analytical methods. Regarding the borrowers' profiles, we examined the effects of socio-demographic, repayment-behaviour, agribusiness-specific and credit-related variables. We also segmented the customers as individuals, SMEs and large holdings. As the segments show different risk behaviours, we obtained a better …

Effective Use Of Data Analytics And Its Impact On Business Performance Within Small-To-Medium-Sized Businesses, Alfonso Berumen

Theses and Dissertations

Business use of data analytics and its potential impact on firm performance have become topics of deep interest within both the business practitioner and academic communities. While previous research has demonstrated relationships between data analytics and firm performance in larger firms, there is limited research on whether and how data analytics is used within and impacts Small-to-Medium-sized Business (SMB) settings. Given the preponderance of SMBs within the US economy, and their contribution to employment and economic activity, it is important for SMB owners to understand what management practices lead to effective use of data analytics that in turn impacts SMB …

Public Policy Origins Of U.S. Data, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides detailed introduction and overview of public policy origins of U.S. data. Shows how congressional legislation and Office of Management and Budget documents influence compilation and dissemination of U.S. Government data. Stresses how Indiana General Assembly requirements influence compilation of Indiana state agency data and Indiana local government agency data. Places emphasis on roles played in data compilation and dissemination by public policy research institutions/think tanks. Concludes by stressing limitations of data collection by governmental and non-governmental entities.

Developing An On-Campus Creative Economy Clinic To Elevate The Quality Of Existing Community Service Program, Andri Zainal, T. Citra Nisa Farza, Khairunnisa Harahap, Pasca Dwi Putra

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

The ongoing community service program has not provided optimal and sustainable outcomes that can improve the creative economy sector as a partner, especially in the era of technological disruption. This study describes the importance of setting up a creative economy clinic at the university, which is based on the needs of upscaling local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs’) performance. The discussions presented in the paper arise from a qualitative conceptual study using an instrumental case study approach, linking insights from theoretical perspectives and works across disciplines that concern the development of a creative economy clinic. The results of the …

College Of Business Dean's Report: 2019-2020, Ryan Butt

College of Business Dean’s Reports

No abstract provided.

Outcomes Of Platform Openness In Complementary Markets, Franck Loic Soh Noume

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mobile platform ecosystems are hyper-competitive environments. They provide important entrepreneurial opportunities for businesses that develop mobile apps. Platform openness is foundational in mobile platform ecosystems as it enables interactions between complements and platform. Although there are several studies on the impact of platform openness, our understanding of the outcomes of platform openness remains limited. In this dissertation, we examine thoroughly underexplored facets of platform openness as well as understudied outcomes. In the first essay, we investigate the impact of platform openness on incumbent complements’ performance outcomes. We unravel important causal mechanisms related to competition dynamics between new entrants and incumbent …

A Proposal Digital Marketing Strategy For Marcheluzzo Srl: Training And Evaluating A Prediction Model For The Number Of Adv. Impressions, Charles Alves De Castro

Articles

This research aims to describe a digital marketing strategy elaborated to be deployed in the MarcheluzzoSrl Company located in Italy. In addition, it intends to give a wide range of information to the company about its customers, target, competitors, market, digital marketing strategy, and potential recommendations. It is also important to highlight that this strategy is focused on the Brazilian market. Most of the information collected for the situational analysis and many other components for this research were gathered through the author`s perception during his internship in the company. The methodology includes secondary data collected through field observation in the …

Web Analytics: Best Practices For An Organization’S Successful Performance; A Preliminary Analysis, Salma Dahbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research presents an exploratory study concerning organizations’ best practices of Web analytics for a successful performance and the factors influencing the companies’ successful adoption of Web analytics.

A qualitative research methodology was used engaging a comprehension of Web analytics adoption using the Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 1995) and the theory building approach (Eisenhardt, 1989). Interviews with five companies from different industries were conducted.

Findings suggest that for a successful performance, companies should consider:

• Data for better decision making.

• Web analytics barriers

• Selecting the right KPIs and metrics based on the company’s goals.

• Web analytics …

Green Delivery: A New Approach For The Arbor Day Foundation, Cassandra Arritt, Vincent Malene, Anthony Hare, Sarah Schilling, David Petersen, Ross Grieb

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) will partner with online retailers to create a ‘Green-Delivery’ option wherein customers can opt to delay the shipment of their order by a day in exchange for a tree being planted in their name. Each partner would fulfill their donation obligation to the ADF by allocating a portion of the cost savings generated by shipping their orders via a slower service.

Analyzing Local Alcohol Vendor Inventory Management Strategy, Angelo J. Amore

Senior Theses

This paper attempts to analyze how local alcohol vendors maintain their inventory throughout the year in Columbia, attempting to manage factors such as the season, sporting events, and other public gatherings and events. The research question resulted in contacting over 30 local alcohol vendors in Columbia, to ask them questions regarding their strategy in alcohol inventory management. The responses to these questions were then used to organize the vendors into groups by whether or not they utilize a reorder point to purchase/brew alcohol, or if they utilize periodic ordering. The vendors were also asked to rank the seasons from most …

2020 Ijbe Front Matter

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. Letter from International President
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Financial Technology Usage 2017 Predictive Analytics Study, Alan D. Smith

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

An Econometric Evaluation Of Localism And Other Potential Success Factors In California’S Craft Brewing Industry, Connor Sinclair

CMC Senior Theses

As growth of the American craft brewing industry slows and smaller firms account for a greater proportion of expansion, I test whether traits that are indicative of smaller firms have an effect on brewery success. I hypothesize that firms which utilize localist strategies such as geographical branding, use of local ingredients, charitable giving, and/or sustainable practices are more successful than others and therefore produced more barrels of beer in 2017. To test my hypothesis, I estimate ordinary least squares regressions with robust standard errors using data collected from the Brewers Association and the websites of 362 California craft breweries. I …

The Bluebox Practicum: Integrating Technology, Culture, And Academic Service-Learning, Charles Braymen, Dustin Ormond

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Advancing education in marginalized communities has been more difficult compared to more privileged communities due to the lack of infrastructure, which in part results in an absence of educational materials. The BlueBox Project was created to minimize this divide by bringing a wealth of information to these communities. Using a small digital computer, faculty, staff, and students across many disciplines built the BlueBox, a stand-alone digital library which hosts an array of books, articles, educational games, and videos to inspire learning in a variety of subjects including science, technology, math, music, and literature. The BlueBox is powered by solar energy, …

College Of Business Dean's Report: 2018-2019, Ryan Butt

College of Business Dean’s Reports

No abstract provided.

Executive Leadership Challenges In Today’S Environment, Herbert J. Degraffe Jr.

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract

Individuals in top management positions often have conflicting interpretations concerning the authoritative qualities that align with the intrinsic and external relations of an organization. Although, researchers may still debate about the extent to which athletic development personality factors are important internal components of an individual. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if athletic development personality factors correlate with decision making at the executive leadership level. The research questions focused on determining if there was a relationship between athletic development personality factors and decision making. Social exchange theory, social representations theory, and leadership theories comprised the theoretical …

2019 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Quality Of Life Research For Cal Poly Construction Management Graduates In The Bay Area And Los Angeles County, Trevor Colbert

Construction Management

Construction Management Graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate at an impeccable 97.5% per year. On average over 78% of graduates relocate to the Bay Area or Los Angeles County, but how are graduates basing their decision on where to relocate? Sociology professor, Mark Schneider, developed an accurate way to measure the satisfaction of residents within a given city. Through subjective and objective social indicators, Schneider is able to gauge total life satisfaction. Analyzing data from interviews with recent graduates, economic data from local, state and federal governments, and personal knowledge from living in each area – an immense …

Scenario Economic Impact & Marketing Implications For South Texas Saltwater Fishing Tournaments, Yeong Nain Chi, Marvin Lovett

Marketing Faculty Publications

The main purpose of this study is to employ scenario analysis to estimate the economic impact of the expenditures of anglers who participate in saltwater fishing tournaments in Port Isabel/South Padre Island, Texas. Secondly, this study discusses the implications for initiating, maintaining, and/or expanding marketing communications, including event marketing and event sponsorships, to promote saltwater fishing tournaments in South Texas. This study also evaluates impacts on adjacent areas, identifies potential uses for economic impact information, and provides justification for investment and support of programs related to the growing needs of saltwater recreational fisheries management. To accomplish this study, the IMPLAN …

A Model For Better Social Project Management, Brenda Massetti

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

With environmental degradation and other social ills on the rise, demand for businesses to perform social action is growing (Robertson, 2014). Yet, most Commercial enterprises take a diminutive view of social projects, and many Social enterprises flounder in the harsh realities of commerce (Austin, Stevenson, and Wei-Killern, 2012). To improve all enterprises’ social performance, the paper introduces the Social Project Grid, a dual-factor assessment tool which prioritizes social projects for better managerial oversight. In specific, it compares social projects on their Resource Use and Outcome Clarity to highlight which projects are successful and which are in trouble. Not only is …

Project Management And The Temporary Relocation Of The Decoupling Point: Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study, Christopher Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigates, understands, and describes the value of engaging a project manager to support a customer-driven project that creates a random supply chain demand event. Specifically such an event would require the temporary re-positioning of the decoupling point between the supply push and demand pull within the supply chain. In response to the challenges of this type of event, this study will focus on two specific project manager roles. First, the project manager would act as an extension of a customer-driven project and serve as a conduit for the voice of the customer (VOC) into the supply chain. Secondly, …

An Exploration Of Internal Controls And Their Impact On Employee Fraud In Small Businesses, Kent Lachney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain greater understanding of the current practices of the internal control systems of small businesses and to explore the effectiveness of their systems in comparison with anti-fraud activities recommended by forensic accountants. The researcher selected five small businesses that were members of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce and had fewer than 100 employees. The researcher interviewed the owners and/or managers of the businesses, reviewed and analyzed company documentation, interpreted data, made observations, and offered recommendations. The researcher asked each participant to respond to questions related to the five elements of …

Risky Business: The Correlation Between Sensation Seekers And Entrepreneurs, Matthew D. Buck

Selected Honors Theses

This study attempts to determine if college students with sensation seeking tendencies are more likely to have entrepreneurial tendencies due to the risk involved in both entrepreneurship and thrill seeking activates. This study used a combination of the Sensation Seeking Scale and the Attitudes Towards Enterprise test to determine the correlation between physical risk taken in hobbies and taking risk in business. An online survey was sent to 350 business students at a university in Central Florida and 62 valid surveys were received and analyzed. Through calculating the correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, and t-tests, the author deducted that an …

The Study Of Crowdsourcing In Knowledge Management: The Role Of Employees' Innovative Behavior On Job Performance, Vetrivadivel Vel

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

Employees are a main source of innovative ideas via their insights on companies’ products, processes, customers, and competitors. Enterprise crowdsourcing systems (ECSs) are used to collect, refine, and realize ideas. However, only a small percentage of employees submit ideas – about 7.7% at Pfizer, 2% at HCL Technologies, and 3% at Polaris Industries. Why is employee participation low? More specifically, what factors can lead employees to actively use ECS to submit and share their innovative ideas for improving their job performance? In this research, we used a multi-actor dyadic survey to survey 183 employees and their managers and conducted data …

2018 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International