ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
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- Creators: Shen, Wei
- Creators: Kavazanjian, Edward
Description
Recognizing that CEOs are less capable of diversifying their employment risks than shareholders who could diversify their investment risks through portfolio investments, agency theory assumes that CEOs tend to be risk averse compared with shareholders. Based on this assumption, agency theory scholars suggest that to align the risk preference of CEOs with that of shareholders, CEOs need to be closely monitored and have less power. SEC regulators have been adopting the suggestion and accordingly CEO power has been reduced in the past decades. However, the empirical results are mixed and cannot provide solid support for the suggestion that reducing CEO power could lead the CEO to take more risks.
Considering that managerial risk taking is an important issue in strategic management research and agency theory has been widely adopted in academia and business worlds, it is imperative to clarify the mechanism behind the relationship between CEO power and risk taking. My study aims to fill this research gap. In this study I follow agency theory to take an employment security perspective and fully consider how CEOs’ concern about employment security is affected by their power and ownership structure to enrich the understanding of the effects of CEO power and ownership structure on risk taking. I fine-tune the key concept CEO power into the CEO power over board and introduce a key aspect of ownership structure - nontransient investor ownership. I further suggest that CEO power over board and nontransient investor ownership affect CEOs’ employment security and the resulting CEO risk taking. In addition, I consider a set of industry and firm characteristics as the boundary conditions for the effects of CEO power and nontransient investor ownership on CEO risk-taking. This set of industry and firm characteristics include industry complexity, industry dynamism, industry munificence and firm slack.
I test my theory using a large-scale, multi-year sample of U.S. publicly listed S&P 1500 firms between 2001 and 2017. My main hypotheses about the effects of CEO power over board and nontransient investor ownership on CEO risk taking receive strong support.
Considering that managerial risk taking is an important issue in strategic management research and agency theory has been widely adopted in academia and business worlds, it is imperative to clarify the mechanism behind the relationship between CEO power and risk taking. My study aims to fill this research gap. In this study I follow agency theory to take an employment security perspective and fully consider how CEOs’ concern about employment security is affected by their power and ownership structure to enrich the understanding of the effects of CEO power and ownership structure on risk taking. I fine-tune the key concept CEO power into the CEO power over board and introduce a key aspect of ownership structure - nontransient investor ownership. I further suggest that CEO power over board and nontransient investor ownership affect CEOs’ employment security and the resulting CEO risk taking. In addition, I consider a set of industry and firm characteristics as the boundary conditions for the effects of CEO power and nontransient investor ownership on CEO risk-taking. This set of industry and firm characteristics include industry complexity, industry dynamism, industry munificence and firm slack.
I test my theory using a large-scale, multi-year sample of U.S. publicly listed S&P 1500 firms between 2001 and 2017. My main hypotheses about the effects of CEO power over board and nontransient investor ownership on CEO risk taking receive strong support.
ContributorsZhu, Qi (Author) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Zhu, David (Thesis advisor) / Certo, Trevis (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
One of the most economical and viable methods of soil improvement is dynamic compaction. It is a simple process that uses the potential energy of a weight (8 tonne to 36 tonne) dropped from a height of about 1 m to 30 m, depending on the project requirement, on to the soil to be compacted hence densifying it. However, dynamic compaction can only be applied on soil deposits where the degree of saturation is low and the permeability of the soil mass is high to allow for good drainage. Using dynamic compaction on saturated soil is unsuitable because upon application of the energy, a part of the energy is transferred to the pore water. The technique also does not work very well on soils having a large content of fines because of the absence of good drainage. The current research aims to develop a new technology using biogenic gas production to desaturate saturated soils and extend the use of dynamic compaction as a ground improvement technique to saturated soils with higher fines content. To evaluate the feasibility of this technology an experimental program has been performed. Soil columns with varying soil types have been saturated with substrate solution, resulting in the formation of nitrogen gas and the change in soils volume and saturation have been recorded. Cyclic triaxial tests have been performed to evaluate the change in volume and saturation under elevated pressure conditions and evaluate the response of the desaturated soil specimens to dynamic loading. The experimental results showed that soil specimens treated with MIDP under low confinement conditions undergo substantial volume expansion. The amount of expansion is seen to be a factor of their pore size, which is directly related to their grain size. The smaller the grain size, smaller is the pore size and hence greater the volume expansion. Under higher confining pressure conditions, the expansion during gas formation is suppressed. However, no conclusive result about the effect of the desaturation of the soil using biogenic gas on its compactibility could be obtained from the cyclic triaxial tests.
ContributorsBorah, Devajani (Author) / van Paassen, Leon A. (Thesis advisor) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Zapata, Claudia E. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
With the growth of global population, the demand for sustainable infrastructure is significantly increasing. Substructures with appropriate materials are required to be built in or above soil that can support the massive volume of construction demand. However, increased structural requirements often require ground improvement to increase the soil capacity. Moreover, certain soils are prone to liquefaction during an earthquake, which results in significant structural damage and loss of lives. While various soil treatment methods have been developed in the past to improve the soil’s load carrying ability, most of these traditional treatment methods have been found either hazardous and may cause irreversible damage to natural environment, or too disruptive to use beneath or adjacent to existing structures. Thus, alternative techniques are required to provide a more natural and sustainable solution. Biomediated methods of strengthening soil through mineral precipitation, in particular through microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), have recently emerged as a promising means of soil improvement. In MICP, the precipitation of carbonate (usually in the form of calcium carbonate) is mediated by microorganisms and the process is referred to as biomineralization. The precipitated carbonate coats soil particles, precipitates in the voids, and bridges between soil particles, thereby improving the mechanical properties (e.g., strength, stiffness, and dilatancy). Although it has been reported that the soil’s mechanical properties can be extensively enhanced through MICP, the micro-scale mechanisms that influence the macro-scale constitutive response remain to be clearly explained.
The utilization of alternative techniques such as MICP requires an in-depth understanding of the particle-scale contact mechanisms and the ability to predict the improvement in soil properties resulting from calcite precipitation. For this purpose, the discrete element method (DEM), which is extensively used to investigate granular materials, is adopted in this dissertation. Three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) based numerical models are developed to simulate the response of bio-cemented sand under static and dynamic loading conditions and the micro-scale mechanisms of MICP are numerically investigated. Special focus is paid to the understanding of the particle scale mechanisms that are dominant in the common laboratory scale experiments including undrained and drained triaxial compression when calcite bridges are present in the soil, that enhances its load capacity. The mechanisms behind improvement of liquefaction resistance in cemented sands are also elucidated through the use of DEM. The thesis thus aims to provide the fundamental link that is important in ensuring proper material design for granular materials to enhance their mechanical performance.
The utilization of alternative techniques such as MICP requires an in-depth understanding of the particle-scale contact mechanisms and the ability to predict the improvement in soil properties resulting from calcite precipitation. For this purpose, the discrete element method (DEM), which is extensively used to investigate granular materials, is adopted in this dissertation. Three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) based numerical models are developed to simulate the response of bio-cemented sand under static and dynamic loading conditions and the micro-scale mechanisms of MICP are numerically investigated. Special focus is paid to the understanding of the particle scale mechanisms that are dominant in the common laboratory scale experiments including undrained and drained triaxial compression when calcite bridges are present in the soil, that enhances its load capacity. The mechanisms behind improvement of liquefaction resistance in cemented sands are also elucidated through the use of DEM. The thesis thus aims to provide the fundamental link that is important in ensuring proper material design for granular materials to enhance their mechanical performance.
ContributorsYang, Pu (Author) / Neithalath, Narayanan (Thesis advisor) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Rajan, S.D. (Committee member) / Mobasher, Barzin (Committee member) / Jiao, Yang (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
This dissertation critically evaluated methodologies and devices for assessing and protecting the health of human populations, with particular emphasis on groundwater remediation and the use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to inform population health. A meta-analysis and assessment of laboratory-scale treatability studies for removing chlorinated solvents from groundwater found that sediment microcosms operated as continuous-flow columns are preferable to batch bottles when seeking to emulate with high fidelity the complex conditions prevailing in the subsurface in contaminated aquifers (Chapter 2). Compared to monitoring at the field-scale, use of column microcosms also showed (i) improved chemical speciation, and (ii) qualitative predictability of field parameters (Chapter 3). Monitoring of glucocorticoid hormones in wastewater of a university campus showed (i) elevated stress levels particularly at the start of the semester, (ii) on weekdays relative to weekend days (p = 0.05) (161 ± 42 μg d-1 per person, 122 ± 54 μg d-1 per person; p ≤ 0.05), and (iii) a positive association between levels of stress hormones and nicotine (rs: 0.49) and caffeine (0.63) consumption in this student population (Chapter 4). Also, (i) alcohol consumption determined by WBE was in line with literature estimates for this young sub-population (11.3 ± 7.5 g d-1 per person vs. 10.1 ± 0.8 g d-1 per person), whereas caffeine and nicotine uses were below (114 ± 49 g d-1 per person, 178 ± 19 g d-1 per person; 627 ± 219 g d-1 per person, 927 ± 243 g d-1 per person). The introduction of a novel continuous in situ sampler to WBE brought noted benefits relative to traditional time-integrated sampling, including (i) a higher sample coverage (93% vs. 3%), (ii) an ability to captured short-term analyte pulses (e.g., heroin, fentanyl, norbuprenorphine, and methadone), and (iii) an overall higher mass capture for drugs of abuse like morphine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and the opioid antagonist metabolite norbuprenorphine (p ≤ 0.01). Methods and devices developed in this work are poised to find applications in the remediation sector and in human health assessments.
ContributorsDriver, Erin Michelle (Author) / Halden, Rolf (Thesis advisor) / Conroy-Ben, Otakuye (Committee member) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
The public has expressed a growing desire for more sustainable and green technologies to be implemented in society. Bio-cementation is a method of soil improvement that satisfies this demand for sustainable and green technology. Bio-cementation can be performed by using microbes or free enzymes which precipitate carbonate within the treated soil. These methods are referred to as microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) and enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP). The precipitation of carbonate is the formation of crystalline minerals that fill the void spaces within a body of soil.
This thesis investigates the application of EICP in a soil collected from the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus. The surficial soil in the region is known to be a clayey sand. Both EICP and MICP have their limitations in soils consisting of a significant percentage of fines. Fine-grained soils have a greater surface area which requires the precipitation of a greater amount of carbonate to increase the soil’s strength. EICP was chosen due to not requiring any living organisms during the application, having a faster reaction rate and size constraints.
To determine the effectiveness of EICP as a method of improving a soil with a significant amount of fines, multiple comparisons were made: 1) The soil’s strength was analyzed on its own, untreated; 2) The soil was treated with EICP to determine if bio-cementation can strengthen the soil; 3) The soil had sand added to reduce the fines content and was treated with EICP to determine how the fines percentage effects the strength of a soil when treated with EICP.
While the EICP treatment increased the strength of the soil by over 3-fold, the strength was still relatively low when compared to results of other case studies treating sandy soils. More research could be done with triaxial testing due to the samples of the Polytechnic soil’s strength coming from capillarity.
This thesis investigates the application of EICP in a soil collected from the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus. The surficial soil in the region is known to be a clayey sand. Both EICP and MICP have their limitations in soils consisting of a significant percentage of fines. Fine-grained soils have a greater surface area which requires the precipitation of a greater amount of carbonate to increase the soil’s strength. EICP was chosen due to not requiring any living organisms during the application, having a faster reaction rate and size constraints.
To determine the effectiveness of EICP as a method of improving a soil with a significant amount of fines, multiple comparisons were made: 1) The soil’s strength was analyzed on its own, untreated; 2) The soil was treated with EICP to determine if bio-cementation can strengthen the soil; 3) The soil had sand added to reduce the fines content and was treated with EICP to determine how the fines percentage effects the strength of a soil when treated with EICP.
While the EICP treatment increased the strength of the soil by over 3-fold, the strength was still relatively low when compared to results of other case studies treating sandy soils. More research could be done with triaxial testing due to the samples of the Polytechnic soil’s strength coming from capillarity.
ContributorsRoss, Johnathan (Author) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Thesis advisor) / Zapata, Claudia (Committee member) / Hamdan, Nasser (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
In this study I investigate the factors that may influence consumer preference and choice in China’s home interior decoration industry. With the fast development of information technology such as the internet in China, it becomes increasingly important to have a more precise understanding of consumer preference and choice in home interior decoration decisions so that companies in this industry can provide better services to meet customer needs. Using survey data from a sample of potential customers and a sample of existing customers of a large home interior decoration company, I find that (1) internet has become the mostly used channel by consumers to gather information about home interior decoration, (2) design style is the most influential factor in consumers’ choice of home interior decoration company, and (3) consumers are more likely to choose home interior decoration companies to provide full services when they are between 35 to 45 years old or above 55 years old, when it is the first time for them to purchase a real estate property, and when they are located in the Eastern region of China. Findings of this study can help home interior decoration companies better understand customer needs and preferences, facilitate changes in their marketing and sales strategies, and consequently strengthen their competitive advantage．
ContributorsYang, Jin (Author) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Zhang, Anmin (Committee member) / Gu, Bin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
This study investigates three issues that are relevant for the development of multinational investment banks in China. The first is about the domestic market conditions that are necessary for a country to develop multinational investment banks. The second issue is about the degree to which China has met these conditions. The last issue focuses on the potential strategies Chinese investment banks can undertake to become multinational corporations.
To address the first issue, I draw an important distinction between international investment banks and multinational investment banks. For an international investment bank to be regarded as a multinational, I propose that it must have a strong presence (i.e., holding at least one percent of the market share) in at least two of the seven major capital markets in the world. Using this criterion, I identify 25 multinational investment banks. I then analyze their home countries’ domestic market conditions and propose that the following six factors are important to the development of multinational investment banks: the size of the home country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the total capitalization of its domestic security market, the number of its Global 500 firms, the volume of its foreign direct investment (FDI), the internationalization of its currency, and the openness of its capital market to foreign investors.
By comparisons, I find that China’s domestic market conditions are comparable to the home countries of multinational investment banks with respect to the size of GDP, total market capitalization, the number of Global 500 firms, and the volume of FDI. What China lags behind are the internationalization of currency and the openness of capital market to foreign investors. Given the current trends of development, it is very likely that China will be able to catch up on the latter within ten years, thus meeting all the conditions necessary for the development of multinational investment banks.
Based on the above findings, I suggest that Chinese investment banks seize this historical opportunity, speed up the internationalization of their businesses, and learn from the experiences of global industry leaders to become truly multinational corporations.
To address the first issue, I draw an important distinction between international investment banks and multinational investment banks. For an international investment bank to be regarded as a multinational, I propose that it must have a strong presence (i.e., holding at least one percent of the market share) in at least two of the seven major capital markets in the world. Using this criterion, I identify 25 multinational investment banks. I then analyze their home countries’ domestic market conditions and propose that the following six factors are important to the development of multinational investment banks: the size of the home country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the total capitalization of its domestic security market, the number of its Global 500 firms, the volume of its foreign direct investment (FDI), the internationalization of its currency, and the openness of its capital market to foreign investors.
By comparisons, I find that China’s domestic market conditions are comparable to the home countries of multinational investment banks with respect to the size of GDP, total market capitalization, the number of Global 500 firms, and the volume of FDI. What China lags behind are the internationalization of currency and the openness of capital market to foreign investors. Given the current trends of development, it is very likely that China will be able to catch up on the latter within ten years, thus meeting all the conditions necessary for the development of multinational investment banks.
Based on the above findings, I suggest that Chinese investment banks seize this historical opportunity, speed up the internationalization of their businesses, and learn from the experiences of global industry leaders to become truly multinational corporations.
ContributorsLiu, Xin (Author) / Chang, Chun (Thesis advisor) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Chen, Hong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The current study combines field study, survey study, and public financial reports, and conducts an in-depths comprehensive study of the cost of the global tire industry. By comparing the price and the total cost structure of standardized tire products, we investigate Chinese tire industry’s global competitiveness, especially in light of China’s fast increasing labor cost. By constructing a comprehensive cost index (CCI), this dissertation estimates the evolution and forecasts the trend of global tire industry’s cost structure. Based on our empirical analysis, we provide various recommendations for Chinese tire manufacturers, other manufacturing industries, and foreign trade policy makers.
ContributorsZhang, Ning (Author) / Zhu, Ning (Thesis advisor) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Chen, Hong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
This study seeks to develop a framework that can help firms in China’s guarantee industry to better identify and prevent risk when they offer guarantee services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). With the continuously increasing demands of SME financing, the guarantee industry has developed rapidly in China. Meanwhile, the turmoil in global financial markets and the significant slowdown of global economy have started to have a negative impact on China’s economy, increasing the risk exposure of China’s guarantee industry. In this context, risk identification and prevention becomes the core competence of a guarantee company. Based on a review of the existing research, two in-depth case studies, and the author’s personal experiences in this industry, this paper does not only provide a comprehensive list of the risks that guarantee firms face in China but also measures for risk identification and prevention.
This thesis is organized as follows. First, I provide a brief description about the emergence and development of China’s guarantee industry, as well as its current status. Next, I explain what kinds of risks faced by guarantee firms in China that influence their performance and survival, and summarize the various external and internal risk factors. I also conduct one in-depth case analysis to illustrate how a guarantee firm can better identify the risks it is exposed to. Next, on the basis of another in-depth case analysis, I develop a framework that can help guarantee firms to systematically develop effective measures of risk identification and prevention. I conclude with a discussion of this study’s implications for guarantee firms and the regulatory governmental agencies in China.
This thesis is organized as follows. First, I provide a brief description about the emergence and development of China’s guarantee industry, as well as its current status. Next, I explain what kinds of risks faced by guarantee firms in China that influence their performance and survival, and summarize the various external and internal risk factors. I also conduct one in-depth case analysis to illustrate how a guarantee firm can better identify the risks it is exposed to. Next, on the basis of another in-depth case analysis, I develop a framework that can help guarantee firms to systematically develop effective measures of risk identification and prevention. I conclude with a discussion of this study’s implications for guarantee firms and the regulatory governmental agencies in China.
ContributorsWu, Daorong (Author) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Liu, Jun (Thesis advisor) / Chang, Chun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Up to 25 percent of the operating budget for contaminated site restoration projects is spent on site characterization, including long-term monitoring of contaminant concentrations. The sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility of analytical methods have improved to the point where sampling techniques bear the primary responsibility for the accuracy and precision of the data. Most samples represent discrete concentrations in time and space; with sampling points frequently limited in both dimensions, sparse data sets are heavily extrapolated and the quality of data further limited.
Methods are presented for characterizing contaminants in water (groundwater and surface waters) and indoor air. These techniques are integrative, providing information averaged over time and/or space, as opposed to instantaneous point measurements. Contaminants are concentrated from the environment, making these methods applicable to trace contaminants. These methods have the potential to complement existing techniques, providing the practitioner with opportunities to reduce costs and improve the quality of the data used in decision making.
A conceptual model for integrative sampling of environmental waters is developed and a literature review establishes an advantage in precision for active samplers. A programmable sampler was employed to measure the concentration of chromate in a shallow aquifer exhibiting time-dependent contaminant concentrations, providing a unique data set and sustainability benefits. The analysis of heat exchanger condensate, a waste stream generated by air conditioning, is demonstrated in a non-intrusive method for indoor air quality assessment. In sum, these studies present new opportunities for effective, sustainable environmental characterization.
Methods are presented for characterizing contaminants in water (groundwater and surface waters) and indoor air. These techniques are integrative, providing information averaged over time and/or space, as opposed to instantaneous point measurements. Contaminants are concentrated from the environment, making these methods applicable to trace contaminants. These methods have the potential to complement existing techniques, providing the practitioner with opportunities to reduce costs and improve the quality of the data used in decision making.
A conceptual model for integrative sampling of environmental waters is developed and a literature review establishes an advantage in precision for active samplers. A programmable sampler was employed to measure the concentration of chromate in a shallow aquifer exhibiting time-dependent contaminant concentrations, providing a unique data set and sustainability benefits. The analysis of heat exchanger condensate, a waste stream generated by air conditioning, is demonstrated in a non-intrusive method for indoor air quality assessment. In sum, these studies present new opportunities for effective, sustainable environmental characterization.
ContributorsRoll, Isaac B (Author) / Halden, Rolf U. (Thesis advisor) / Johnson, Paul C (Committee member) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015