Festival of Scholars

Student Abstracts

Benefiting Employees Through Sustainability

View abstract

Much has been written about sustainability and the importance of taking a more holistic approach to doing business. Less understood are the benefits such initiatives provide directly to employees. What do corporate environmental programs do for the heart of the organization – that is, its employees? Numerous professional, technical and scholarly sources were researched in order to examine the potential benefits to employees of implementing environmental programs and broader sustainability initiatives. Through this research it was concluded: 1) employees can, indeed, benefit when their employers take steps to reduce environmental impact and incorporate sustainability into their business model; 2) there appear to be three scenarios that dictate whether and to what extent employees actually realize those benefits and, if they do not, what employers can do to change that; and, 3) it would behoove employers to include benefits to employees as a standard metric when measuring outcomes of environmental initiatives.

Student(s):
Joan Burns

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mary Jo Shane

Determinants of the Unemployment Rate

View abstract

Unemployment was a detrimental byproduct of the latest economic recession in the United States. In response to this issue, this paper identifies those factors that affect the level of employment and thereby the level of unemployment. The theory behind each factor is founded based on Lagrange multipliers and prevailing economic theory. Regression analysis is used to empirically substantiate these theories. I found that the signs attached to all 19 of the independent variables coincided with prevailing economic and mathematical theory.

Student(s):
Dakota Fog

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dan Hamilton and Dr. Bill Watkins

The Globalization of the Hospitality Industry: Understanding Management-Employee Communication

View abstract

The management personnel within today’s hospitality industry are notorious for moving around the world. The globalization of today’s current business world has demanded a need for a better understanding of how to effectively communicate in the work place. By analyzing the ways in which foreign-born hospitality managers communicate with their employees, one is able to gain a better understanding of their actions. I conducted my research through a number of interviews with foreign-born managers in the hospitality industry, as well as analyses of their actions from an employee’s perspective. This study presents a better understanding of some of these actions. I was able to draw connections between the business customs of their home country and their management style here. In gaining a better understanding of these connections, one is able to better relate to their coworker and understand the reasoning behind their actions.

Student(s):
Lacey Foss

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Paul Witman

TempReader

View abstract

The thermometer industry has had a lack of innovative advancements in comparison to the technological explosion in recent years in not only the medical field but also in its general application to the public and industry. With the exponential development of smartphones and tablets, the thermometer industry has a significant gap in bridging its functionality with these current technological trends. Using comparative analysis of the current thermometer industry, reaching out to the general public, the medical industry, and the transportation industry, opportunities were defined by which TempReader© could enhance each industry. TempReader© is a small portable temperature device which, in conjunction with its embedded wireless capability, can read and track temperatures for both personal and industrial uses in conjunction with proprietary software for use with smartphones, tablets, and traditional computers. With successful execution, TempReader© will have a huge impact on a worldwide scale.

Student(s):
Nora Fragoso, Andy Chhan, Cedric Gamelin, and Elizabeth Soto

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Chris Denove

Nike ReUse a Shoe and the Nike Grind Marketing Plan

View abstract

How do you educate consumers and influence their behavior regarding the environment and the world in which we live? We explore a marketing plan to start locally, but act globally, with one of the four ‘Rs’ of sustainability…ReUse. Our position statement: We want teens and young adults to bring their worn out athletic shoes to a drop off location so those shoes can be ReUsed and “play on” and not be tossed in the landfill. Join us to see our marketing plan and recommendations on how to increase participation in this current program from Nike by convincing people to change their behavior patterns and increase their awareness of sustainable issues.

Student(s):
Michelle Francisco, Pornrutai (Nuria) Chuensukjit and Tina Strange

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Valeria Makarova

Baseball's Effect on the American Voter

View abstract

Rational Voter theory states that voters choose candidates based on their utility function and not irrational or emotional motivation. However, a recent study by Andrew Healey shows that results of college football games affect how well the incumbent does in mayoral, gubernatorial, and presidential elections. This research expands upon Healey’s findings and looks at the potential effect of the World Series results on incumbents in gubernatorial elections. Using economic and baseball variables, multiple regressions were run using the binary probit method with the dependent variable being categorical between incumbent party winning or losing the election. Some of the independent variables included crime rate, real GDP per capita, unemployment rate, winning/losing World Series, number of games in the series, and real total pool made by the series. The results showed that losing the World Series reduces the likelihood that an incumbent will be reelected, although the t-scores were low.

Student(s):
Kristen Keough

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dan Hamilton and Dr. Bill Watkins

Organizational Conflict and Its Effect on Productivity and Morale

View abstract

In today’s economy where organizations employ people with varying backgrounds and cultures, conflict is inevitable. Typically people view conflict as purely negative and avoid conflict at all costs. This study analyzed the effects of organizational conflict on productivity and morale. By investigating the conflict levels individuals perceive within their organizations and whether individuals are informed of policies for managing conflict, conflict is expected in organizations without policy implementation which will lead to decreased morale and productivity. To analyze perceptions of conflict, a questionnaire was administered to 100 employees. As a result of completing the above procedure, unmanaged conflict was found to result in a lack of productivity, but conflict within a properly maintained environment was found to positively benefit an organization. As conflict is inevitable in today’s changing economy, ensuring organizations prepare management and employees to properly manage conflict is a vital component to ensure organizational profitability and productivity.

Student(s):
Karina Lyons

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Frederick Elias

Employee Compensation: Effects on Labor Turnover

View abstract

This paper looks at the effects of compensation on employee turnover with the goal of demonstrating to managers the importance of thorough research on compensation in order to minimize turnover for their own employees. The author hypothesized that compensation has an effect on turnover. This paper reviews the existing literature on the various types and levels of compensation. Likewise, a review of existing literature on turnover rates and effects that compensation has on turnover rates is performed. The paper studies a test group of workers to empirically determine how compensation can affect turnover. A statistical analysis of the results in combination with the existing literature shows that compensation does have an effect on employee turnover. How managers should use this information to make better decisions is discussed.

Student(s):
Christopher Mayoral

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Frederick Elias

Do State Taxes Affect Business Formation?

View abstract

Economic growth is a major goal for most governments. State governments have the ability to tax at different rates. As a result of a variety of tax rates, states may see different levels of economic activity. This paper attempts to identify the factors that cause economic activity, including tax policy. I used business establishment as a proxy for growth. I used Ordinary Least Squares regressions to analyze the various factors that contribute to the rate of business establishment. I came to the conclusion that oil production has a strong positive effect on the rate of business establishment. The model could be stronger by including other variables and accounting for unexplained spikes in the regression. It is a good starting point for future research that aims to look at how tax policies affect the growth of business establishment.

Student(s):
Daniel Mock

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dan Hamilton and Dr. Bill Watkins

Why Go Green? Benefits and Costs of Sustainable Strategies for Corporate Organizations

View abstract

As the climate issue has become an ever more central part of the agenda for organizations over the last years, organizations need to start looking at which strategies to implement in order to face the problem in the most efficient manner. This paper researches the potential benefits and costs of implementing environmental strategies in organizations. The paper is a literary review, which analyzed several articles on the topic in order to reach its conclusion. It found evidence that almost all organizations can benefit financially from introducing environmental policies. The important thing is to research which environmental strategy will fit each organization best, as there is no “universal solution.” Another finding is that many organizations do not go green because of a lack of information. The most important finding is that environmental organizations and the academic community need to become better at communicating the benefits of sustainable strategies to managers.

Student(s):
Tarjei Myklebust

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mary Jo Shane

Facebook Extract: The Power of Social Networking

View abstract

The rapid growth of social networking has enabled both for-profit and non-profit entities to engage with their stakeholders in many and varied ways. Much effort has gone into the study of for-profit business use of this media, with much less attention to non-profits and religious organizations. The goal of this project was to build a tool that would extract public data from Facebook, capture the data in a datastore, and enable visualizations and other analyses of the data. We used the programming language Python in combination with utilizing GoogleAppEngine as a server to run a web application on Facebook. This implementation allowed for flexibility and scalability for future usage of the application. Ultimately, we hoped to discover who uses particular Facebook Pages, how they are interacted with, and how that usage changes over time. The goal is to provide perspective on the value of social networking to the non-profit community.

Student(s):
Ashley Parish

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Paul Witman

The Effect of TSA Regulations on United States Airline Boardings

View abstract

Over forty percent of the population of the United States takes at least one airline flight per year. Transportation Security Administration regulations on the airline industry have grown increasingly strict since the agency’s creation in 2001. The possible impact of these regulations should be examined to determine if they are a partial cause of declining airline boardings in the United States. Previous research has indicated a negative effect on boardings due to these regulations, but the research is not current. This study uses ordinary least squares regression to analyze the impact of TSA regulations on the amount of air travelers. Prior findings of a negative impact have been confirmed; however, only one regulation—the forced removal of a passenger’s shoes before boarding—has a statistically significant impact at a ninety-five percent confidence level. Further research is suggested.

Student(s):
Evan Pruss

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Bill Watkins and Dr. Dan Hamilton

Factors that Drive the Cost of Energy Sources

View abstract

Energy and the appropriate mix of energy sources is a subject of much debate in the United States. This paper attempted to contribute to that discussion by the factors that drive the cost of various energy sources. After a literature review of similar research I ran four regressions, using the methodology of Ordinary Least Squares, one for four major energy resources. From my analysis, I document the statistically significant causes that drive the cost per kilowatt hour for four important energy resources: coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear. Eventually, I hope to model different scenarios for energy costs if the United States were to switch to 40% nuclear, 60% nuclear, etc.

Student(s):
David Reaves

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dan Hamilton and Dr. Bill Watkins

The Effect of Performance Appraisals on Job Satisfaction

View abstract

The purpose of selecting the effects of performance appraisals on job satisfaction as the hypothesis for the report are twofold; one, to research and find the preferred method and best practices for performing appraisals; and two, to assist organizations that have never given appraisals, or that have, but are considering the implementation or revision of one and want to know the benefits, the best method and its structure, and the effect it will have on employee job satisfaction. Sixteen articles were reviewed and a study was conducted surveying participants who had experience receiving a performance appraisal. The effectiveness of using the traditional approach and the forward thinking approach was compared, and the impact of each on job satisfaction with the latter resulting in more positive job satisfaction. The results provide appealing and motivating facts regarding the benefits of using the forward thinking approach and its specific aspects, or best practices.

Student(s):
Elizabeth Soto

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Fredrick Elias

How to Be a Reliable and Successful Manufacturer

View abstract

If we ask the question, “what makes a manufacturer thrive,” I believe answers vary and can include the brand, marketing, services, or even the overall management scheme. However, what can be easily overlooked, yet is almost the lifeline of a manufacturer, is quality. Quality problems occur daily, and happen to even well-known high-end brands. Thus this article focuses on the main concepts of quality control and illustrates measures that can be taken by manufacturers. Based on research and analysis using five main scholarly works, this article puts forth the essence in quality requirements, including testing and inspection techniques, corrective and preventive action, lean manufacturing concepts, maintenance management, occupational safety issues, and pollution prevention practices. By integrating all of these elements as a whole working mechanism, manufacturers can provide quality assurance before or after products enter into a market, which is the backbone for a thriving brand and organization.

Student(s):
Shanshan Zhang

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mary Jo Shane

« Back to Schedule

Schedule of Events

School of Management Poster Session

Student Abstracts

Benefiting Employees Through Sustainability

Determinants of the Unemployment Rate

The Globalization of the Hospitality Industry: Understanding Management-Employee Communication

TempReader

Nike ReUse a Shoe and the Nike Grind Marketing Plan

Baseball's Effect on the American Voter

Organizational Conflict and Its Effect on Productivity and Morale

Employee Compensation: Effects on Labor Turnover

Do State Taxes Affect Business Formation?

Why Go Green? Benefits and Costs of Sustainable Strategies for Corporate Organizations

Facebook Extract: The Power of Social Networking

The Effect of TSA Regulations on United States Airline Boardings

Factors that Drive the Cost of Energy Sources

The Effect of Performance Appraisals on Job Satisfaction

How to Be a Reliable and Successful Manufacturer