Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 70
Description
Investment real estate is unique among similar financial instruments by nature of each property's internal complexities and interaction with the external economy. Where a majority of tradable assets are static goods within a dynamic market, real estate investments are dynamic goods within a dynamic market. Furthermore, investment real estate, particularly commercial properties, not only interacts with the surrounding economy, it reflects it. Alive with tenancy, each and every commercial investment property provides a microeconomic view of businesses that make up the local economy. Management of commercial investment real estate captures this economic snapshot in a unique abundance of untapped statistical data. While analysis of such data is undeniably valuable, the efforts involved with this process are time consuming. Given this unutilized potential our team has develop proprietary software to analyze this data and communicate the results automatically though and easy to use interface. We have worked with a local real estate property management and ownership firm, Reliance Management, to develop this system through the use of their current, historical, and future data. Our team has also built a relationship with the executives of Reliance Management to review functionality and pertinence of the system we have dubbed, Reliance Dashboard.
ContributorsBurton, Daryl (Co-author) / Workman, Jack (Co-author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Atkinson, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of women a year in the United States, and kills tens of thousands. African-American women experience a lower incidence of breast cancer, yet they die at twice the rate of Caucasian women. This disparity demonstrates the ineffectiveness of mammography at decreasing mortality in women at higher risk of late stage diagnosis. In this paper I argue that the continued support of the predominating idea that the benefits of mammograms strictly outweigh their negative effects may be a factor in the continued racial disparity in breast cancer mortality between African-American and Caucasian women. In addition, I will argue that mammograms are less effective for African American women because they are predisposed to later stage diagnosis and the accompanying poorer mortality prognosis due to higher-risk environments caused by varied socio-political status. My claims are supported by studies of incidence rates, survivorship versus mortality rates, screening usage rates, late stage and early stage diagnosis rate, tumor type, and the effects of socioeconomic status on stage of diagnosis. In particular, mortality rates have not decreased parallel with increased mammogram usage, especially in African-American women. Although early stage diagnosis has drastically increased, late stage-diagnosis remains unchanged and higher in African-American women. Tumor types vary by race, and African American women tend to have tumors that are highly prolific and more likely to be metastatic. Socioeconomic factors are more of a marker for breast cancer disparities than race, however race and socio-political structures that embody racism are often intersected.
ContributorsHuper-Holmes, Chloe Lynn (Author) / Lynch, John (Thesis director) / Brian, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The purpose of this research is to define significant explanatory factors behind gendered differences in career expectations. The data was collected through a survey that was administered to undergraduate and graduate students who are in the beginning stages of their career development. The questions in the survey focused on determining the expectations that college aged men and women have for their future careers on a subjective and objective basis. In addition, the questions were intended to determine gender differences in four explanatory factors including personality, core self-evaluations, work life values, and gender fatigue. Findings from the study coincide with previous research in that women indicated lower career expectations on a monetary and hierarchical basis in the short term and at the peak of their career. The difference in expectations were found to be significantly correlated with gender differences in extroversion levels, beta work values, and gender fatigue, all of which are internal influences that help to explain the current gap in career expectations, and thus the gap in men and women's eventual compensation and advancement. The findings from the study also help to show that different expectations are caused by differences in how people define success. Implications for these findings can be looked at from two different perspectives. For decades, feminist movements were the approach, and equality was the goal. Now that our society claims gender equality, we are at a standstill in progression, even though there are still clear gaps in compensation and leadership positions. This research can be helpful for not only universities advising future graduates, but also companies currently seeking future employees. Recommendations for future direction are based on the findings from the study and the responses of the individuals.
ContributorsHaechler, Amaelia Josephine (Author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Kalika, Dale (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to examine how companies can most effectively attract and retain millennial workers. Millennials are the future of the corporate world, and their retention in the workforce is important. Research for this study was gathered through the use of two surveys administered to Arizona State University students and corporate recruiters. The student survey focuses on what students' value in future employers, while also concentrating on challenges and opportunities job seekers presently face. The corporate survey asks questions related to the efforts used to attract and retain future employees, and the challenges and opportunities of the millennial worker. The findings reveal the millennial generation and the employers of today find alignment and disagreement within the topics of job dedication, culture, generational perceptions, and perceptions of the millennial. This study has a number of practical implications for employers seeking to understand how to integrate millennial workers into their corporate environment. Students will also find practical implications from this study, as they can better understand how to successfully get hired and be a part of a corporate environment. Recommendations for change on the students and employers respective behalf are based on survey findings and secondary source research.
ContributorsSt. Marie-Lloyd, Honi (Author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Hill, Sarah (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to explore if any correlation exists between the proposed components of happiness with overall self-perceived happiness. This thesis also explores how introversion and extraversion, gender, and working status affects the proposed components of happiness for college students and how their happiness influences engagement, motivation, preference of organizational culture, and the activities that they engage in. This research was gathered from secondary sources and a survey that was given to undergraduate students at Arizona State University. We found that well-being, gratitude, achievement, psychological empowerment, and affection contribute to both extraverts and introverts' happiness. In addition, we found that extraverts reported higher means than introverts in each factor; including happiness in general and what contributes to it. Contrary to popular belief, our research shows that autonomy either had no correlation or negatively correlates with happiness. In addition, we found that both extraverts and introverts participate in social and nonsocial activities rather than solely on their expected type of activity. Our research also shows that females reported higher means than males on gratitude, achievement, and autonomy. One significant implication of this study is that it can help individuals to better understand themselves and people they interact with.
ContributorsVasquez, Delia (Co-author) / Lopez, Miguel (Co-author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Arce, Alma (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Research on teamwork has shown that teams are more productive and produce better results than individuals working on their own. Yet, research on individuals' work preferences makes it clear that not everyone prefers working in teams. In order to improve teamwork and achieve better results in both the collegiate arena and in the professional world, this study was designed to research different factors that affect a group's performance and creativity: satisfaction, familiarity, and the behavioral styles of individual team members. Additionally, this study addresses if the group's composition of Keirsey types \u2014 temperament patterns \u2014 also play a role in the group's creativity and performance. In this study, students created teams of four to seven students and completed specific in-class activities called Applied Insights. Groups composed mostly of Guardians, one of the four Keirsey temperaments, are able to adapt to the task at hand, which is demonstrated here with creativity. Further, groups who perceive themselves as sharing similar traits with many members are more satisfied and achieve a higher overall performance. Lastly, groups comprised of individuals who were least familiar with their teammates they had not previously worked with, produced more creative results in the short run. Whereas groups comprised of individuals who were least familiar with their teammates they had previously worked with, produced better overall results in short run.
ContributorsPinto, Linda (Co-author) / Hulse, Christopher (Co-author) / Vaughn, Michael (Co-author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Purpose: This thesis studies the effectiveness of various recruitment strategies directed towards college students in the interest of acquiring the best talent for internships and full-time career opportunities after graduation. The purpose of this thesis is to develop an understanding about what current students respond to when it comes to efforts companies make to recruit for employment and then to provide suggestions to improve recruitment strategies. Methodology: In addition to research of existing literature, a survey was given to students at Arizona State University, in order to determine students' reactions to recruitment strategies used by companies. Differences in reactions will be examined by talent, as well as position, gender, school of discipline, and age. Findings: Through the research conducted, I found that personalized efforts are not necessarily always preferred by students. Mass efforts, such as career fairs and job postings, hold a lot of weight and influence in a decision. Two personalized recruitment efforts that should be noted are interaction with the HR team and direct emails. Reputation also plays a significant part in the recruitment of students on campus. Establishing a well-known and liked reputation within the different areas of reputation is vital to the recruitment of students.
ContributorsHoeck, Sarah Rose (Author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Harthun, Jyll (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Purpose: This thesis studies the behavior and actions of introverted and extraverted students in regards to preparing for and obtaining a postgraduate position. The purpose of this thesis is to develop an understanding of introverts' and extraverts' approach to the job search process and to provide suggestions to improve the job search process. Methodology: In addition to research of existing literature, a survey was given to students at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, to determine students' job search behaviors, and to recruiters of organizations who recruit from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University to determine what recruiters look for in a candidate. Findings - We found that extraverts are more likely to network online than introverts. Secondly, we found that extraverts are more likely to self-promote their strengths to company recruiters than introverts. Thirdly, we found that introverts are more reserved when it comes to discussing their strengths with company recruiters than extraverts. Fourthly, we found that extraverts are more likely to feel as though they successfully represent themselves to company recruiters than introverts. Additionally, we found that the top three behaviors that recruiters look for in candidates include the candidate being energized about the prospects of working for the organization, that the candidate is knowledgeable about the organization, and that the candidate asks questions and introduces him-or-herself at organization information sessions. The three lowest rated behaviors were that the candidate uses live (in-person) networking to connect with the recruiter, that the candidate is reserved when discussing his/her accomplishments, and that the candidate uses online networking to connect with recruiters.
ContributorsRobles, Margaret (Co-author) / Carroll, Allison (Co-author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Pfund, Michele (Committee member) / Harthun, Jyll (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Vaccine opposition is a growing problem in developed countries where dropping vaccination rates threaten general public health by laying the foundation for resurgence and reemergence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. This thesis argues that the current movement is only the most recent incarnation of opposition that has co-evolved with vaccine practices for the duration of their mutual histories. Part one provides a historical context for the current movement using the example of the development and deployment of the smallpox vaccine as a representative timeline of vaccine acceptance and opposition. Part two describes the current movement in the United States and the United Kingdom, interprets the reasons for the conclusions drawn by vaccine-concerned parents, and provides a framework for public health officials to approach the issues.
ContributorsKost, Stephanie Michelle (Author) / Lynch, John (Thesis director) / Hurlbut, Ben (Committee member) / Robert, Jason (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-12
Description
Purpose: This thesis studies students' motivations for accepting internships, and how companies can better their internship programs to retain interns for full-time employment. The purpose of this thesis is to produce ways for companies to increase the return on investment of their internship programs by increasing their conversion rates of interns to full-time employees. Methodology: In addition to research of existing literature, a survey was given to undergraduate students at Arizona State University to determine students' motivations for accepting internships, interest level in working for the company full-time before starting their internship and upon completion of their internship, what factors are important when seeking an internship versus a full-time job, what different companies offer in their internship programs, and how companies stay in contact with interns following their internship. Findings: Through my research I found that upper and lower division students have different motivations for completing internships, and that upper division students have more of a motivation for working full-time for the company they intern for. I also found that students' interest in the company will shift throughout the course of their internship, but those students that are satisfied with their internship will be more likely to want to work full-time with that employer. Students also found different factors important when seeking internships versus full-time jobs; students looking for internships are most interested in work that they enjoy, industry, and pay, while students searching for a full-time job find pay, work, that you enjoy, and location most important. I also found that students would be most satisfied with those internships in which the program centers on engagement, meaningful work, and feeling a part of the team. Finally, students who accept return offers from the company they intern for receive minimal communication from the company after they receive their offer. This may be the reason so many former interns continue to seek other job opportunities following the acceptance of their return offer.
ContributorsFader, Julianne Arbor (Author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Harthun, Jyll (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2014-05