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- All Subjects: Technology
- Creators: Department of Information Systems
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Description
The main goal of this study was to understand the awareness of small business owners regarding occupational fraud, meaning fraud committed from within an organization. A survey/questionnaire was used to gather insight into the knowledge and perceptions of small business owners, while also obtaining information about the history of fraud and the internal controls within their business. Twenty-four owners of businesses with less than 100 employees participated in the study. The results suggest that small business owners overestimate their knowledge regarding internal controls and occupational fraud, while also underestimating the risk of fraud within their own business. In fact, 92% of participants were not at all familiar with the popular Internal Control \u2014 Integrated Framework published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The results also show that small business owners tend to overestimate the protection provided by their currently implemented controls in regard to their risk of fraud. Overall, through continued knowledge of internal controls and occupational fraud, business owners can better protect their businesses from the risk of occupational fraud by increasing their awareness of fraud.
ContributorsDennis, Lauren Nicole (Author) / Orpurt, Steven (Thesis director) / Munshi, Perseus (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The purpose of our research was to develop recommendations and/or strategies for Company A's data center group in the context of the server CPU chip industry. We used data collected from the International Data Corporation (IDC) that was provided by our team coaches, and data that is accessible on the internet. As the server CPU industry expands and transitions to cloud computing, Company A's Data Center Group will need to expand their server CPU chip product mix to meet new demands of the cloud industry and to maintain high market share. Company A boasts leading performance with their x86 server chips and 95% market segment share. The cloud industry is dominated by seven companies Company A calls "The Super 7." These seven companies include: Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu. In the long run, the growing market share of the Super 7 could give them substantial buying power over Company A, which could lead to discounts and margin compression for Company A's main growth engine. Additionally, in the long-run, the substantial growth of the Super 7 could fuel the development of their own design teams and work towards making their own server chips internally, which would be detrimental to Company A's data center revenue. We first researched the server industry and key terminology relevant to our project. We narrowed our scope by focusing most on the cloud computing aspect of the server industry. We then researched what Company A has already been doing in the context of cloud computing and what they are currently doing to address the problem. Next, using our market analysis, we identified key areas we think Company A's data center group should focus on. Using the information available to us, we developed our strategies and recommendations that we think will help Company A's Data Center Group position themselves well in an extremely fast growing cloud computing industry.
ContributorsJurgenson, Alex (Co-author) / Nguyen, Duy (Co-author) / Kolder, Sean (Co-author) / Wang, Chenxi (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
C.C. Silver & Gold Inc., a local precious metals and coin dealer, is introducing a new product line, Tooth Fairy Tokens. This one year marketing plan aims to clearly define the business goals of this new venture by outlining the company's current market position and providing it with a competitive marketing strategy that relies on niche market opportunities and established supplier relationships. By providing the firm with a solid foundation of research and direction, this marketing plan will help the company achieve its goals of gaining a market presence and increasing company revenue within the first three years of introduction.
ContributorsBlackmer, Courtney Lauren (Author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Brown, Steven (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The object of the present study is to examine methods in which the company can optimize their costs on third-party suppliers whom oversee other third-party trade labor. The third parties in scope of this study are suspected to overstaff their workforce, thus overcharging the company. We will introduce a complex spreadsheet model that will propose a proper project staffing level based on key qualitative variables and statistics. Using the model outputs, the Thesis team proposes a headcount solution for the company and problem areas to focus on, going forward. All sources of information come from company proprietary and confidential documents.
ContributorsLoo, Andrew (Co-author) / Brennan, Michael (Co-author) / Sheiner, Alexander (Co-author) / Hertzel, Michael (Thesis director) / Simonson, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
In an effort to gauge on-campus resident's satisfaction with services provided by Century Link and the University Technology Office as well as understand the resident's technology usage habits, the Performance Based Research Studies Group at ASU conducted a survey to collect the data needed to initiate improvements. Unlike previous years, the 2015 edition of the survey was distributed more efficiently by engaging University Housing staff members (those who work closest with the residents). The result was a 288% increase in responses from the previous year, totaling 2352 respondents and a 167% increase in the number of Residential Halls surveyed, totaling 24. As a primary concern, on a scale of zero to five, the average Internet satisfaction rating was 2.42. In the comments section residents reported issues with the reliability and speed of the ASU networks. It was further determined that residents were dissatisfied with the television services with an average satisfaction rating of 2.91; and the vast majority of comments regarding television services demanding that the ESPN channels be provided. In addition to the metrics on resident satisfaction, it was found that the majority of on-campus residents do not utilize hard-wired ports. Based on the information gathered from this survey, it is recommended that the University Technology Office: 1) focus efforts on upgrading, expanding, and improving the existing ASU networks in particular the reliability and speed of those networks, 2) invest in a broader channel line-up to at minimum provide the ESPN channels, and 3) start an awareness campaign to educate residents on the usage of hard wired ports with the goal of increasing hard wired port usage. As a corollary to information gathered from the survey, it is possible to begin building technology usage profiles on each building and even building such profiles on each residential college and academic unit to better understand the clientele and adapt the services a necessary.
ContributorsMcculloch, John Patrick (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Esports is the fastest growing sub sector within the entertainment industry, predicted to garner over 600 million viewers by 2022. However, there is a big category of esports - mobile esports - that are not yet recognized globally. This thesis project analyzes how mobile esports has risen in the Eastern countries of the world, primarily Southeast Asia, and compares it to the possibility of replication in the Western countries of the world, primarily the United States and Brazil. It examines the specific factors that caused mobile gaming and thus mobile esports to flourish in the East Region of the world. The thesis additionally incorporates current attitudes towards esports and mobile esports in the United States and discusses the viewpoints of consumers in those specific areas. This research uses primary data and literature synthesis to ultimately increase knowledge on how mobile esports has risen in popularity in various Asian countries and whether or not mobile esports can thrive in a different environment such as the United States.<br/><br/>This thesis takes data from the “Newzoo Global Esports Market Report” conducted in 2020 by Newzoo. This report does the following:<br/>- dives deep into the global and regional esports economy<br/>- provides a realistic estimate of the market’s future potential regarding revenue streams, audience numbers, key trends, and franchises<br/>- highlights financial and statistical trends for the esports industry in the future<br/><br/>Overall the thesis finds that mobile esports have succeeded in the Asian market due to an established demographic of esports fans and players, mobile first consumers, and wide technology network in Asia. Data analysis finds that currently many American gamers still find mobile gaming to be “boring” and ultimately that cultural attitude, generational shifts, and the ideal game need to align for mobile esports to succeed in the United States.
ContributorsCai, Mark William (Author) / Sopha, Matthew (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Sustainable supply chain management has become increasingly more important for companies over the last decade. The need to create socially and environmentally sustainable supply chains that are also efficient and profitable is no longer something companies should do, but rather something they must do to stay competitive and successful in the long run. Through the examination of scholarly supply chain literature, case studies, and industry reports with an emphasis on digital technology, supply chain, and sustainability, a conceptual model was created to begin the research in the area of cost savings through the use of digital technologies to enable companies to be more sustainable. This paper works to define the terms sustainability, sustainable supply chain management, and intelligent supply chain designs. It focuses on the positive social and environmental impact of the implementation of leading-edge digital technologies in supply management processes by creating transparency, efficiency, and reliability throughout the supply chain. Through an applied analysis of Mattel, Rana Plaza, Nike, and Coca-Cola and a cost-benefit analysis, it is concluded that companies that implement blockchain technology into their supply management process designs may create more sustainable supply chains while increasing savings and increasing profits. Blockchain may provide the reliability and transparency needed to better manage the supply management process which will evoke better business decisions. Intelligent supply chain designs improve the environmental and social sustainability of a company while maintaining a competitive edge.
Keywords. Supply Chain Management, Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Economics, Supply Management, Blockchain, Intelligent Technology
Paper Type. Conceptual Paper
Keywords. Supply Chain Management, Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Economics, Supply Management, Blockchain, Intelligent Technology
Paper Type. Conceptual Paper
ContributorsVon Mizener, Noel Maria Yvonne Svetlana (Author) / Carter, Craig (Thesis director) / Forst, Bradley (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Entrepreneurship is an incredibly difficult endeavor. Along with the potentially high risk-to-return-ratio, starting an entrepreneurial venture, in nearly any capacity, necessitates a significant summation of work, time, creativity, and adaptability.1 In my opinion, many of the token hyper-productive individuals that have produced enormous amounts of value for the world were entrepreneurs who started their own companies and organizations. However, for every successful founder, there are thousands of failed entrepreneurs. In 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that roughly 50% of businesses fail in the first four years.2 Founders, over time, must become professionals in their respective industries in order to succeed. With limited financial capital to hire employees, founders must learn skills in a variety of focus areas which could include finance, strategy, technology, management, marketing, sales, and many more, until they can generate enough capital to hire employees to fulfill these roles. Although the learnings and experiences from starting a company can more effectively be understood through experiencing it first-hand, in this document, I intend to start a startup from scratch, learn a multitude of skills involved with starting a startup and describe my experience. My hope is that potential founders can read this document and get a better understanding of what it’s like to start a startup. This thesis will be less focused on quantitative data capturing and more focused on my first-hand experience.
ContributorsNaluz, Ethan Gabriel (Author) / Sebold, Brent (Thesis director) / Mian, Sami (Committee member) / Ravichandran, Anirudh (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Through the personal experience of volunteering at ASU Project Humanities, an organization that provides resources such as clothing and toiletries to the homeless population in Downtown Phoenix, I noticed efficiently serving the needs of the homeless population is an important endeavor, but the current processes for Phoenix nonprofits to collect data are manual, ad-hoc, and inefficient. This leads to the research question: is it possible to improve this process of collecting statistics on client needs, tracking donations, and managing resources using technology? Background research includes an interview with ASU Project Humanities, articles by analysts, and related work including case studies of current technologies in the nonprofit community. Major findings include i) a lack of centralized communication in nonprofits collecting needs, tracking surplus donations, and sharing resources, ii) privacy assurance is important to homeless individuals, and iii) pre-existing databases and technological solutions have demonstrated that technology has the ability to make an impact in the nonprofit community. To improve the process, standardization, efficiency, and automation need to increase. As a result of my analysis, the thesis proposes a prototype solution which includes two parts: an inventory database and a web application with forms for user input and tables for the user to view. This solution addresses standardization by showing a consistent way of collecting data on need requests and surplus donations while guaranteeing privacy of homeless individuals. This centralized solution also increases efficiency by connecting different agencies that cater to these clients. Lastly, the solution demonstrates the ability for resources to be made available to each organization which can increase automation. In conclusion, this database and web application has the potential to improve nonprofit organizations’ networking capabilities, resource management, and resource distribution. The percentile of homeless individuals connected to these resources is expected to increase substantially with future live testing and large-scale implementation.
ContributorsKhurana, Baani Kaur (Author) / Bazzi, Rida (Thesis director) / Sankar, Lalitha (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Supply chain is changing. The focus has always been on information and how it is used to get a product to the right place at the right time. But now, there is a greater emphasis on speed. Speed in how information is transferred and how decisions are made. In the new era of Supply Chain 4.0, companies in every industry are in a race to use digital technologies to achieve this speed. These digital technologies include Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, and Blockchain.
The challenges that companies face when digitally transforming the supply chain can often be self-inflicted. This paper will address those challenges and provide a structured approach to a successful transformation. It will also share insight from interviews conducted with the CIO and directors of three different companies as well various studies from outside sources. The purpose is to urge business leaders to re-evaluate the way they approach digital transformation in the supply chain to close information gaps and provide value to the whole organization.
The challenges that companies face when digitally transforming the supply chain can often be self-inflicted. This paper will address those challenges and provide a structured approach to a successful transformation. It will also share insight from interviews conducted with the CIO and directors of three different companies as well various studies from outside sources. The purpose is to urge business leaders to re-evaluate the way they approach digital transformation in the supply chain to close information gaps and provide value to the whole organization.
ContributorsRamesh, Sanjana (Author) / Davila, Eddie (Thesis director) / Blackmer, Cindie (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05