Matching Items (49)
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- All Subjects: Business
- Creators: Department of Management and Entrepreneurship
- Creators: Department of Supply Chain Management
Description
Although there are some key qualities that all good leaders employ, variations in effective leadership approaches are evident across different cultures. This project sought to compare and analyze the differences and similarities in leadership principles between Chinese and American business cultures, with emphasis on the divergence caused by the influences of history, culture and politics.
ContributorsLe Tourneur, Maxine Archondakis (Author) / McKinnon, David (Thesis director) / LePine, Marcie (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
Through the research of: accredited business articles, wedding sites such as The Knot, personal interviews with brides, research novels, television shows, and movies; this project will depict why and how traditional, American "White Weddings" have become so commercialized by advertisements and businesses as a result of various media channels' reinforcements of cultural ideals and norms about brides and weddings since the 1920s. The purpose of this paper is to identify the largest cultural and commercial forces that contributed to the growth and expansion of the wedding industry.
ContributorsHovendon, Allison Michelle (Author) / Suk, Mina (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
This study explores the best known practices of small businesses from different entrepreneurs' perspectives and attempts to address the question: are there consistencies between different entrepreneurs' approaches to establishing and growing a business? Ten entrepreneurs from a variety of business types (product and service) were interviewed using a consistent question template that asked questions regarding financing, business strategy (and scalability), interpersonal forces, innate qualities, partnerships, and resources. The primary overlaps between these businesses are with regard to the confluence between personal risk and business strategy, the risk of working with friends and family, the capacity to scale relative to special content knowledge or process knowledge, and partnerships
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ContributorsCole, Chandler William (Author) / Kellso, James (Thesis director) / Gilmore, Bruce (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
The rationale behind this thesis is grounded in nearly two years of experience interning at UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS). I was able to gain a wide exposure to different facets of the supply chain management organization during my time as an intern, from strategic sourcing and commodity management, to tactical procurement and supplier development. In each of these respective areas, I observed a variety of initiatives that did not reach their full potential because employees were not provided the tools for success. One of these areas in particular is the New Product Introduction (NPI) process management, in which there is not a standard process for program managers to follow from start to finish. I saw this as an opportunity to hone in the scope of my thesis research and experience at UTAS to improve a process and provide standard work and tools for it to be consistently executed. The current state process is not formalized \u2014 it merely tracks certain metrics that are not necessarily applicable to the overall health of the program because they do not monitor the progress of the program. This resulted in heavy costs incurred from inadequate planning, a skewed timeline, and customer frustration. The aim of the desired state NPI process is to gather cross-functional expertise and weigh in, adhere to a strict entry to market timeline, and increase customer satisfaction, all while minimizing costs incurred throughout the life of the program. The dominant output of this project will be a cross-functional flow chart of the process for each group to follow and standard work and tools to support the process across a variety of NPI program applications.
ContributorsThorn, Taylor Aiko Marie (Author) / Brown, Steven (Thesis director) / Arrigoni, Gregory (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This thesis will examine market research relating to consumer food trends and the business environment of Austin, Texas in order to evaluate the initial feasibility of establishing a small hydroponic produce farm. A main concern of this report is to provide a general overview of hydroponics and its potential advantages over traditional farming methods as a technique for producing food products for consumers in a local setting. To explore the potential of establishing such a venture, this report will also include a partial business plan focusing on the marketing strategy of initiating a hydroponic produce farm in Austin.
ContributorsShriver, John Andrew (Author) / Schmitz, Troy (Thesis director) / Manfredo, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Derived from the idea that the utilization of sustainable practices could improve small business practice, this honors thesis offers a full business assessment and recommendations for improvements of a local, family-owned coffee shop, Gold Bar. A thorough analysis of the shop's current business practices and research on unnecessary expenses and waste guides this assessment.
ContributorsSorden, Clarissa (Co-author) / Boden, Alexandra (Co-author) / Darnall, Nicole (Thesis director) / Dooley, Kevin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Humanitarian aid organizations, while providing aid services, require inputs and utilize business processes like other for-profit firms. Many charity organizations depend on donations for revenue. The level of public trust in charities can affect donations. To support the American public and protect individuals from dishonest charity agencies, charity watchdog organizations publish ratings of charities to assist the public in donation decisions. The ratings focus on a variety of topics orienting how much of donation funds go directly to the cause not administrative or soliciting costs. In the American Red Cross, a new process was engineered to make procuring consulting services more efficient and cost effective. This project was focused on investigating areas of improvement for the new process. Deliverables included process suggestions for business unit managers, process suggestions for sourcing managers, and detailed process flowcharts highlighting potential modifications in the new process. Overall, it is critical to keep consulting costs low to ensure that watchdog organizational ratings stay positive and public trust in the American Red Cross remains high.
ContributorsDonahue, Nancy Elizabeth (Author) / Brooks, Daniel (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Arizona State University has prided itself on the mission to become a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and inclusion for students of all backgrounds. To provide the most meaningful experiences and promote student growth both personally and professionally, the university offers over 800 students organizations for involvement and leadership on campus. With a heavy reliance on paper and print materials, large-scale engagement events such as Passport to ASU and Panhellenic Formal Recruitment have become wasteful and inefficient, straying from the goals established by university president, Michael M. Crow. The processes involved within these two events are outdated and limit accessibility for many students, minimizing the opportunity to get involved and connect with their peers. Engage is a company founded by an Arizona State University student, hoping to find feasible solutions to meet the needs and improve the overall student engagement experience. By designing two separate mobile applications for Passport to ASU and Panhellenic Formal Recruitment, Engage has eliminated the need for paper and print materials while simplifying the event processes for incoming students and the organizations. These apps will similarly improve accessibility for all students, allowing users to get involved and connect with peers without limitations such as transportation or time. Innovation is a key focus of Arizona State University, and to stay competitive they must find new ways to improve the student experience and modernize current offerings. Getting involved is often considered one of the defining parts of collegiate life, and the university must work to maximize opportunities and make the transition as effortless and enjoyable as possible. By implementing these two mobile apps, student engagement will reach new heights and realign with the missions Arizona State University was founded upon.
ContributorsFitzgerald, Paige Elizabeth (Author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Many companies recognize the need of soft skill improvement and utilize leadership development programs. As the program states, the company uses the curriculum to focus on developing and cultivating leadership skills for their employees. While perfecting the aptitudes, it is vital that these curriculums focus primarily on developing soft skills rather than hard skills. Not stating that hard skills are not significant; just that leaders require to apply soft skills abundantly in their day to day duties. Within this thesis, the discussion is on the gap of soft skills and why the need to improve and narrow the breach is imperative in today's workforce. About 67% of HR managers will hire a candidate with strong soft skills, even if their hard skills are lacking; since HR managers value and recognize the proficiency gap of soft skills in the workforce today. Because of the necessity for soft skills, it is vital for employers to identify how to assess for soft skills. In order to do so, the companies should focus on the competencies that are required for the needed position. For the competencies that are utilized in leadership positions, soft skills are emphasized and assesses for more. Salt River Project is utilized, in the thesis, as a company example on assessing competencies that are desired when hiring for leadership positions, varying from a supervisor level position to a director level position. Due to the findings stated in the thesis, soft skills are weighed heavily and are recognized as required skills for most leadership positions. Therefore, soft skills are paramount in leadership development programs.
ContributorsRodriquez, Alisa (Author) / Macafee, Lisa (Thesis director) / Knott, Eric (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Monocular is a user engagement application that offers a website owner the opportunity to track user behavior and use the data to better understand the site's strengths and weaknesses in terms of user satisfaction and motivation. This data allows the customer to make improvements to a website, resulting in a better user experience and potential for an improved bottom line.
ContributorsHooke, Wade (Co-author) / Ortiz-Monasterio, Diego (Co-author) / Clark, Joseph (Thesis director) / Prince, Linda (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2014-05