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The magazine industry plays an important role in shaping how women speak, act, and perceive themselves and others. This industry presents pleasure, consumerism, and a cult of femininity to its largely female readers. The purpose of the literature review was to understand the culture of women's magazines and find a

The magazine industry plays an important role in shaping how women speak, act, and perceive themselves and others. This industry presents pleasure, consumerism, and a cult of femininity to its largely female readers. The purpose of the literature review was to understand the culture of women's magazines and find a method of examination that would fit best with the intent of this thesis project. Based on this research, the project involved reconstructing a series of Glamour magazine articles from a feminist perspective. This study looked at the degree to which Glamour's editorial content and graphics matched its editorial policy. By researching previous studies of women's magazines, the literature review guided the reframing of Glamour articles from a feminist perspective. Most of the studies reviewed were written in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, when the radical feminist movement was at its peak. Since then, few analyses have been made on the topic of feminism and women's magazines. This project offered an update on that research by looking at current women's magazines and evaluating if their content/graphics have improved over the last thirty years. Twelve Glamour magazine articles over a three-year period, 2012 to 2014, were selected at random to rewrite. By reconstructing the editorial content and graphics from the selected articles, this study hoped to create a more positive and beneficial magazine for women free of gender stereotypes. Rather than produce a magazine that criticizes women, the reconstructed version of Glamour included a voice that made women feel accepted. This required removing language that reinforced negative gender stereotypes and content that urged women to be perfect, please men, look a certain way, and more. This study found that Glamour is actually a lot closer to representing this gender-neutral magazine ideal than previously thought and creating a gender-neutral magazine is possible with thoughtful editing.
ContributorsAffelt, Stacia Emily (Author) / Barrett, Marianne (Thesis director) / Hawken-Collins, Denise (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
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Semiconductor Manufacturer (Semi) wants to improve the valuation of the extended warranties they purchase for their metrology tools and determine whether or not extended warranties are worth the financial investment. Historically, suppliers have commonly overvalued warranties. For example, there is a 50%-60% profit margin on warranties in the consumer electronics

Semiconductor Manufacturer (Semi) wants to improve the valuation of the extended warranties they purchase for their metrology tools and determine whether or not extended warranties are worth the financial investment. Historically, suppliers have commonly overvalued warranties. For example, there is a 50%-60% profit margin on warranties in the consumer electronics industry. The costs incurred from purchasing extended warranties contribute to millions of dollars each year in tool ownership for Semi. By creating an extended warranty valuation model, our goal is to reduce the total cost of metrology tool ownership. A different perspective on the valuation of extended warranties will lead to an increased bottom line for Semi. Our valuation model will assist in determining warranty purchase pricing and appropriate service levels of maintenance personnel associated with the extended warranties. The model's objective is to compare the statistical expected total cost of buying tool parts on an "as needed" basis with the quoted price of an extended warranty. It will assess the strict financial value of either buying or not buying the extended warranty. Using actual tool part consumption data, the model can quickly evaluate the value of a supplier's warranty offer. In addition, the results from the model can be used as a negotiation tool with the suppliers. However the model will have its limitations. For example, the model will not be able to evaluate whether a metrology supplier relies on extended warranty revenues to fund research and development or whether a supplier has the financial health to remain in business with the loss of extended warranty related revenues. A shift in extended warranty purchasing by Semi could have a profound impact on the number of competitive suppliers in the future, and Semi's managers should take this into account when altering their extended warranty purchasing strategy. Our model can be utilized for three different functions: negotiating with suppliers, simplifying the decision to buy or not buy an extended warranty and influencing managers' purchasing strategies. Changing the service level costs of labor can impact Semi's decision to buy or not the extended warranty due to its effect on the probability of the warranty being a good or bad deal. In addition, the model output can significantly influence a manager's purchasing strategy within the organization by breaking down the cost savings associated with the metrology tools' part failures. In order to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the financial model, we recommend that Semi collect and assemble the model input data in a different manner. Although it is possible Semi does collect more detailed data, the input data we received needed to be more comprehensive; it should include a list of tool parts with their respective failure dates, along with which supplier is responsible for which tool. Furthermore, Semi should develop a supplier scorecard to account for financial health, which can be factored into the model. This will result in a more precise evaluation on whether or not an extended warranty is worth the financial investment.
ContributorsGordon, Audrey Elizabeth (Co-author) / Barkley, Erin (Co-author) / Brady, Max Jordan (Co-author) / Lin, Jessica (Co-author) / Shieffield, Ethan (Co-author) / Hertzel, Michael (Thesis director) / Simonson, Mark (Committee member) / Schembri, Christopher (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2013-05
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Description
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of digital on the fashion industry. In order to accomplish this, we must first examine the fashion industry, as well as the emerging digital space, and how these two industries are rapidly colliding. Fashion, an industry that has been around

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of digital on the fashion industry. In order to accomplish this, we must first examine the fashion industry, as well as the emerging digital space, and how these two industries are rapidly colliding. Fashion, an industry that has been around since the early 1800s in the United States (Fashion History: The American System for Fashion, 2009), is being forced to pivot, and change its traditional practices, in order to remain relevant in a world heavily influenced by the Internet and consumer preferences. The largest changes taking place within fashion include the power of various industry influencers, including designers, magazines, retailers and lifestyle bloggers, and the rise of blogging as a fashion news source. Although designers, magazines and retailers still have significant clout within the industry, bloggers are becoming a force to be reckoned with, adding a new variable to the industry.

Meanwhile, digital is still being defined, as countless people work to determine best practices and reconcile the unending amount of information available into something that can be used. Trends in digital include the concept of new media, blogging, social media and new channels of media. Overall, we are seeing a shift to user-­‐ generated content, available all the time, and a proliferation of content being created and published on the Web.

Some of the ways these two industries are colliding include the rise of lifestyle bloggers, developments and usage of technology, an abundance of new e-­‐commerce models, and finally, a shift in the ways consumers curate and discover products online.

Predictions for the future include a more streamlined and user-­‐friendly process for search and product discovery online, increase in social commerce and personalization of products, and finally, a return to brick and mortar shopping, but with an improved, experiential model. These trends will affect industry stakeholders dramatically, and so necessary actions for these stakeholders are also discussed, such as allocating more resources to content generation and e-­‐commerce, giving consumers the ability to personalize, and improving their physical shopping experiences to provide something valuable and entertaining.
ContributorsLose', Jenna Elizabeth (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Boonlorn, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2013-05
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This creative is established in the field of business, with an emphasis on fashion, art, and<br/>the creation of a body-positive exhibit. Using qualitative research from experts on fashion<br/>curation, we seek to create, curate and pitch a fashion exhibit. Using the information we gather<br/>from experts from two different museums, we will

This creative is established in the field of business, with an emphasis on fashion, art, and<br/>the creation of a body-positive exhibit. Using qualitative research from experts on fashion<br/>curation, we seek to create, curate and pitch a fashion exhibit. Using the information we gather<br/>from experts from two different museums, we will create a new age exhibit that pushes the<br/>boundaries of fashion as art through our theme of body positivity.

ContributorsGulinson, Chloe (Co-author) / Palmer, Jacqueline (Co-author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Leslie, Bush (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description
Dr. Dean Kashiwagi created a new thinking paradigm, Information Measurement Theory (IMT), which utilizes the understanding of natural laws to help individuals minimize decision-making and risk, which leads to reduced stress. In this new paradigm, any given situation can only have one unique outcome. The more information an individual has

Dr. Dean Kashiwagi created a new thinking paradigm, Information Measurement Theory (IMT), which utilizes the understanding of natural laws to help individuals minimize decision-making and risk, which leads to reduced stress. In this new paradigm, any given situation can only have one unique outcome. The more information an individual has for the given situation, the better they can predict the outcome. Using IMT can help correctly "predict the future" of any situation if given enough of the correct information. A prime example of using IMT would be: to correctly predict what a young woman will be like when she's older, simply look at the young woman's mother. In essence, if you can't fall in love with the mother, don't marry the young woman. The researchers are utilizing the concept of IMT and extrapolating it to the financial investing world. They researched different financial investing strategies and were able to come to the conclusion that a strategy utilizing IMT would yield the highest results for investors while minimizing stress. Investors using deductive logic to invest received, on average, 1300% more returns than investors who did not over a 25-year period. Where other investors made many decisions and were constantly stressed with the tribulations of the market, the investors utilizing IMT made one decision and made much more than other investors. The research confirms the stock market will continue to increase over time by looking at the history of the stock market from a birds-eye view. Throughout the existence of the stock market, there have been highs and lows, but at the end of the day, the market continues to break through new ceilings. Investing in the stock market can be a dark and scary place for the blind investor. Using the concept of IMT can eliminate that blindfold to reduce stress on investors while earning the highest financial return potential. Using the basis of IMT, the researchers predict the market will continue to increase in the future; in conclusion, the best investment strategy is to invest in blue chip stocks that have a history of past success, in order to capture secure growth with minimal risk and stress.
ContributorsBerns, Ryan (Co-author) / Ybanez, Julian (Co-author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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Description
As I stare at my closet overflowing with a variety of beloved and colorful garments, I
think about how big of an impact just one of those pieces made in the world before it ended up
in my possession. A tiny spaghetti-strap tank top – bought from my local Goodwill for two

As I stare at my closet overflowing with a variety of beloved and colorful garments, I
think about how big of an impact just one of those pieces made in the world before it ended up
in my possession. A tiny spaghetti-strap tank top – bought from my local Goodwill for two dollars, originally purchased at H&M for eight – reminds me that although this square foot of
material might seem minute, it and the thousands of replicas manufactured along with it still
add to the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Plain and simple – fashion comes at a cost,
whether fashionistas like to be privy to that truth or not. This truth launched an exploration of
my own fashion sense and work to uncover ways to make a difference, birthing ‘K’.
My intention stemmed from my love for clothes, a love rooted in some of my earliest
memories of my mothers’ fashion sense. I found it interesting that for her, and for myself, every
occasion seemed to call for a certain type of dress; occasions like school, church, vacations,
musicals, and nights out on the town to name a few. Not everyone abided by the rules of fashion
that seemed to be so important to me at a young age - no white pants after Labor Day kinds of
things – but, for me, these unspoken rules of dress carried true. Now, as an adult balancing
school, work, and social activity, I like to observe how my peers, coworkers, and friends present
their own sense of style.
After getting a job at a local resale store called Buffalo Exchange, the concept of fast
fashion and the ensuing lack of sustainability fueling it became a concern of interest. Thinking
about the styles of those around me, each completely unique to the wearer but similar in regard
to the individual pieces, struck me that people today are uninformed about the consequences of
their shopping habits. In reality, every consumer partakes in the fashion market in some sense,
meaning that every person feeds into the growing issues associated with fast fashion and similar
business, or join the conversation about sustainable fashion.
Taking my love for resale, a love birthed from ethical sourcing and the giddiness of
finding a good treasure after a big hunt, and partnering my creative skillset for fashion design, I
took on a big project to see for myself what people’s perceptions about resale are and how I
could be a part of the conversation. I began this line thinking about how my unique style always
seems to amass compliments from people liking just how different my items are. I figured that
taking my keen eye for aesthetics and using that to make resale items more desirable, I’d be able
to tap into a market that hardly acknowledges its own existence.
ContributorsMickelsen, Karsten Raye (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Lisjak, Monika (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The landscape of professional sporting venues within the United States is changing. From 1990-2018, within the four main American professional sports leagues, 20 new NHL arenas, 24 new NBA arenas, 22 new NFL stadiums, and 26 new MLB stadiums were built. As the industry morphs, a handful of new initiatives

The landscape of professional sporting venues within the United States is changing. From 1990-2018, within the four main American professional sports leagues, 20 new NHL arenas, 24 new NBA arenas, 22 new NFL stadiums, and 26 new MLB stadiums were built. As the industry morphs, a handful of new initiatives are being worked into the construct of these venues including increased commercial areas for shopping and restaurants and sharing of the venues between two organizations in an attempt to increase the overall utilization of the spaces. Additionally, in Detroit, San Francisco and Atlanta, where new stadiums and arenas were just recently introduced, the municipalities are using the venues to catalyze further growth and development within the city. However, these trends, while innovative, are tethered to high prices.
This thesis seeks to analyze the changes in how current stadiums are being funded, the public’s reaction to and perception of those financing plans and what the future might hold. Research showed that tax dollars are increasingly unpopular and teams are moving away from using public money to fund sports venues. Gathered for this report, survey data of 815 Arizona State University students supported anecdotal evidence that people within a community are relatively unhappy with the idea of their money being used to partially subsidize wealthy sports organizations’ infrastructure. Altogether, recent evidence suggests that multi-use facilities funded in majority by private wealth are more popular and generate greater economic impact for the municipality than earlier in history, when heavily subsidized venues allowed teams to take advantage of local government and created fan mistrust.
ContributorsKleen, Brendon (Co-author) / Cwiakala, Alec (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Streetwear is a category of fashion that has evolved from being a niche style of dress influenced by American counter cultures, into a formidable industry. Over time, Streetwear has become a culture in itself whose members are critical of inauthentic brands and commercialization. Streetwear brands have the need to be

Streetwear is a category of fashion that has evolved from being a niche style of dress influenced by American counter cultures, into a formidable industry. Over time, Streetwear has become a culture in itself whose members are critical of inauthentic brands and commercialization. Streetwear brands have the need to be perceived as authentic, exclusive, and being connected to celebrity to survive in the industry long-term. Additionally, as the industry grows larger, the marketplace has become increasingly saturated. This can be attributed to how easy it is to create a fledgling streetwear brand due to advances in garment production technology and streetwear's roots in low-cost clothing. Streetwear brands need to differentiate themselves in an effective manner to stand out to consumers in the saturated streetwear market. Primary research conducted via a survey administered to streetwear consumers was done to learn more about the effectiveness of popular tactics and marketplace events streetwear brands use to differentiate themselves. Secondary research was done in literature on the topics of creativity and energized differentiation. Research by Gerzema and Lebar presented in their book The Brand Bubble on the topic of energized differentiation is reviewed and applied to streetwear brands. This thesis will discuss the key elements brands need to have to be successful in the streetwear industry. Along with this, it will also look at the effectiveness of specific tactics bands can execute to effectively differentiate themselves in the saturated industry and the important role creativity plays in their success.
ContributorsGriblin, Austin W. (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The millennial generation is quickly solidifying its place as the dominate generation within the workforce. As millennials transition through workplace hierarchy it is essential organizations understand how to properly develop incoming talent. This is especially important within sales as the opportunity cost for hiring and developing new sales professionals is

The millennial generation is quickly solidifying its place as the dominate generation within the workforce. As millennials transition through workplace hierarchy it is essential organizations understand how to properly develop incoming talent. This is especially important within sales as the opportunity cost for hiring and developing new sales professionals is much higher compared to other professions. Downward trends in millennial retention rates is also a strong contributing factor to the importance of understanding the millennial generation. This paper aims to identify key concepts and elements employers should incorporate into their sales training programs in order to better develop millennials entering sales roles. Through an analysis of each generation and sales training a clear framework will be identified to achieve this goal. Analyzing millennials unique strengths and weaknesses will provide the basis for the key areas employers need to focus on when designing their sales development programs. The framework identified is easily adaptable within any organizations as the concepts discussed can be universally applied.
ContributorsStensland, Zachary William (Author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Schlacter, John (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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This thesis explores the current relationship between high fashion and the advancements and changes in technology that have catapulted the industry into a potentially dangerous level. It is simple for one to identify fashion as a booming industry; however, upon further inquiry, it becomes clear that the pace of the

This thesis explores the current relationship between high fashion and the advancements and changes in technology that have catapulted the industry into a potentially dangerous level. It is simple for one to identify fashion as a booming industry; however, upon further inquiry, it becomes clear that the pace of the fashion industry is unsustainable as the demands and expectations that the current consumer has for high fashion brands grow unproportional with the standard rate of the industry. In 2016, the fashion industry reached $2.4 trillion in total value, placing it as the seventh largest economy in the world (Amed, 2016), but these numbers are as fickle as a fashion trend. The fear and talk of the current state of fashion is that this will stagnate and even drop off, due to multiple factors. The shift to the "see now/buy now" platform (CFDA, 2016), a marked reliance on social media "influencers" in order to determine success (Friedman, 2016), and the commercialization of creative directors attributing to the high turnover rate at brands (Prigent, 2016) may lead one to conclude the technology is positively affecting the fashion industry. However, these factors ought lead one to conclude that high fashion is moving at an unsustainable pace, one which will result in long-term detriments to the seemingly unshakable industry and remove high fashion off its current pedestal. Over the past few years, a larger consumer base motivated growth in sales numbers, but in 2016, sales growth was at 2-3% with predictions of stagnation to come for the upcoming years (Amed, 2016). This thesis will look at if the high fashion industry itself has become "trendy" and where the current peak of the industry will lead for the future.
ContributorsGur-Arie, Hannah Esther (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05