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- Genre: Academic theses
Description
This dissertation examines the role that business counselors in a public entrepreneurial development program play in improving the Entrepreneurial Specific Human Capital (ESHC) of nascent and active entrepreneurs. Through multiple research methodologies, this study identifies the types of ESHC provided by business counselors then compares them to the types of ESHC commonly accepted as necessary for entrepreneurial success. The comparison reveals a number of insights for policy and research, most notably a minimum portfolio of skills necessary for entrepreneurial success. This study also examines the methods counselors use to help entrepreneurs acquire higher levels of ESHC. These methods allow counselors to assist entrepreneurs in recognizing and overcoming common barriers to business growth, and a model of entrepreneurial business growth barriers has been produced which depicts these barriers as conceptual-operational transition points for the entrepreneur. Additionally, this dissertation develops important information about the use of the business plan in entrepreneurial development, and uncovers a number of moderators in the relationship between the use of the business plan and entrepreneurial success. Finally, the study produces detailed information about ESHC which has potential for scale development, and highlights a number of insights for policy and research that have not been identified previously.
ContributorsDahlstrom, Timothy R (Author) / Chapman, Jeffrey I. (Thesis advisor) / Phillips, Rhonda (Committee member) / Knopf, Richard (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
This research is focused on competitive female video gamers. This study focuses on a specific group of competitive female gamers who participate in an all female online community group or clan known as the PMSclan. The purpose of the study is to analyze the highly competitive female video gaming clan members of the PMSclan in order to understand how resistance is displayed in a female centered video gaming community and how that affects the identity of the individual gamers through Shaw's (2001) theory of resistance. This study employs qualitative research design and uses content analysis of publicly available clan doctrines and member blogs through the PMSclan website. Findings indicate that collective acts of resistance lead to individual acts of resistance which can be seen through self-expression, self-determination, and empowerment. These acts of resistance have a positive impact on female gamers with outcomes of strength and power which can be displayed in a typically masculine society.
ContributorsPeña, Siobhan Jennell (Author) / Rodriguez, Ariel (Thesis advisor) / Knopf, Richard (Committee member) / Hayes, Elisabeth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Developing new markets in tourism is vital for the prosperity of Small Island Tourism Economies like Bermuda (McElroy). Countries must continuously improve and reinvent themselves in order to maintain growth. SCUBA diving in Bermuda is a market that could be improved. Most SCUBA divers are of higher than average household income and can make an attractive tourist base. This thesis analyzes SCUBA tourists in Bermuda to ascertain their characteristics, economics impacts, and participation in island activities in order to help guide future endeavors involving SCUBA tourism in Bermuda and provide an outline of how to analyze other Niche markets. Comparisons are made between SCUBA and Non-SCUBA tourists (those who participated in Scuba against those that did not). The results show that spending, activities/events participated, and SCUBA tourists characteristics are not all significantly different from one another at the 5% level. Meaning that some variables were significant and some weren't , with in their respective groups. Within Trip Expenditures it was shown that, of the 9 variables tested, 3 were significant. In Activities, 8 of the 11 tested were significant, attractions there were 8 of the 18 variables that were significant and in Evening Entertainment, there was 2 out the 6 variables being significant at the 5% level.
ContributorsJack, Alastair (Author) / Tyrrell, Timothy (Thesis advisor) / Knopf, Richard (Committee member) / Herbst, Chris (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
What happens to community-based institutions (CBIs) when persistent out-migration changes the socio-demographic structures in the community? This question needs exploration in the context of increasing urbanization in the developing countries, where a substantial population depends on forests for subsistence livelihoods. In pursuance of this question, Almora district in India provided the necessary conditions of high out-migration, and the presence of oldest surviving CBIs of forest management (locally called as Van Panchayats or VPs). Framing the research question as social resilience of VPs amidst high out-migration, a representative sample of six VPs in Almora was investigated. Factors considered crucial to social resilience were analyzed by using qualitative and quantitative techniques on primary data collected through household surveys (n=111) and secondary data from authentic sources. Results, organized by three levels of analysis, highlight: 1) community - low participation, particularly of women, in proceedings of VPs, and a transition away from forest-based livelihoods; 2) institutional (VPs) - low adaptability to changes in gendered composition and a shift away from the community-specific needs; and, 3) policy - reduced use and access of forest resources for the community, and curtailed autonomy of VPs. The findings suggest that out-migration is one among the multiple factors, and its impacts on VPs are mediated by the broader political economy around VPs, thus obviating a linear causal relationship. Therefore, the findings arguably inform policy and future research by highlighting linkages between diverse contextual factors at the regional and community level, and the points of concern for social resilience of VPs, with particular focus on out-migration.
ContributorsPrateek, Gautam (Author) / Knopf, Richard (Thesis advisor) / Aggarwal, Rimjhim (Committee member) / Kelman, Candice Carr (Committee member) / Mobarakeh, Behrang Forroughi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Denver, Colorado is experiencing an unprecedented growth spurt, particularly in the downtown neighborhoods. As such, the city has proposed a multitude of urban revitalization projects in its urban core. This pattern of revitalization has unintended consequences including changes in residents’ meanings assigned to their neighborhoods and subsequently changes in residents’ attachment to those neighborhoods. Given this, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to use a symbolic interactionist perspective to uncover resident meanings of their neighborhoods and discover how redevelopment efforts are affecting those assigned meanings. Participants, recruited through the snowball sampling method in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods in downtown Denver, were interviewed during spring of 2017. Photo-elicitation techniques were used as part of the interviews. Additionally, secondary data available through public documents were analyzed to provide a context for understanding the changes that are taking place in the selected neighborhoods. This data aids in guiding future research, which may ultimately better inform the government agencies and private organizations who are looking to redevelop low-income neighborhoods similar to the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods in the given study.
ContributorsHumberger, Olivia (Author) / Budruk, Megha (Thesis advisor) / Knopf, Richard (Committee member) / Larsen, Dale (Committee member) / Tetreault, Colin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Social determinants of health present significant barriers to utilization of maternal health services in transitional countries. This dissertation study examined associations between household autonomy and utilization of prenatal services among women of reproductive age in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Using nationally representative survey data, this study explored if household autonomy of women positively influenced the timing of the first prenatal visit, the number of prenatal care visits, and the content of care during visits. Results showed that household autonomy was positively associated with the timing of the first visit for prenatal care and the number of prenatal care visits. The content of care was negatively associated with the autonomy of women. Findings also pointed to an endogenous influence of a woman's position in the household structure. Additionally, this study analyzed associations between women's reproductive history and utilization, and economic disparities in utilization of prenatal care. The findings demonstrated that a history of complications during pregnancy and stillbirths were positively associated with utilization of prenatal care. Economic disparities in utilization of care were identified. Future interventions to increase utilization of maternal health services should account for traditional household structures in transitional countries. Women from poor families should receive support from social assistance and the health sector in accessing services pertaining to their health and well-being.
ContributorsUrbaeva, Zhyldyz (Author) / Anderson, Steven (Thesis advisor) / Krysik, Judy (Thesis advisor) / Herbst, Chris (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA) Public Law No: 111-148, substantially changed health insurance access in the United States. One group that the law particularly affects is young adults, defined as individuals between the ages of 19 to 26. Specifically, the expansion of young adult dependent coverage was one of the first provisions that went into effect after the ACA’s enactment. This dissertation comprehensively studies the impact of the ACA’s dependent coverage provision on young adults. Across three empirical chapters, the dissertation examines outcomes related to health insurance coverage, labor market outcomes, and educational enrollment. Chapter 1, titled “Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Young Adults Insurance Coverage,” documents the changes in health insurance take-up for the young adults population, which has historically had the lowest rates of such coverage. Changes in coverage are also evaluated separately for sub-groups of young adults. Chapter 2, titled “Labor Market Outcomes for Young Adults,” evaluates whether the law altered employment decisions and earnings for this group. It also assess whether the ACA led to increased job mobility for young adults. Finally, Chapter 3, titled “Does having Dependent Coverage from the ACA impact Educational Enrollment,” evaluated changes in educational enrollment levels for young adults following the expansion of parental dependent coverage. The research conducted in this dissertation provides evidence of the ACA’s impact on health insurance coverage, employment, and education. It also provides support for the claim that the ACA covers insurance gaps that young adults might experience as they go through life transitions when they are likely to lose coverage.
ContributorsKaul, Zoram (Author) / Herbst, Chris (Thesis advisor) / Callan, Benedicte (Committee member) / Coursen, Cristi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The purpose of this research is to connect community development and local economic development to determine the impacts of the local economy on economic wealth and quality of life. This will be explored through a community development lens examining how the community, and its location and capitals (specifically economic, social and human capitals), impact the dependent capital variables. Laughlin’s (2012) research design of social capital and its impact on economic wealth used United States county samples, which reflect many local economies. This dissertation builds on Laughlin’s model and explores local economies at a Zip Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. It also incorporates elements of Chaskin’s (2001) model, which explores community capacity as social and human capital, Benhabib and Spiegel’s (1994) human capital model, Levine and Renelt’s (1992) economic capital model, Krugman’s location and economic geography (1998), Emory and Flora’s community capital framework (2006), and concepts of quality of life and economic wealth by Schumacher (1964) and Jacobs, (1970). Economic wealth and higher quality of life can represent community development outcomes; there must be a balance within community systems and an exploration of these capitals (Emory and Flora, 2006).
This research expands beyond exploring impacts of social capital on economic wealth to include multiple community capitals. Furthermore, it tests economic measurements and their impact on a local economic level as opposed to a regional/state level, thus providing a deeper understanding of local economies and their impact on communities.
This dissertation provides a new baseline for understanding the relationship between community and economic development, its specific connections and the overall impacts of local economic activity. This will allow a richer exploration into economic activity and perspectives about how economic policy may impact communities. Research and literature has shown the immense advantages of strong local economies in contrast to regional/state economies and globalization; this will provide the necessary research bridge to connect with community development. The outcome of this research explains the impacts of economic, social and human capital on economic wealth and quality, specifically within local economies.
This research expands beyond exploring impacts of social capital on economic wealth to include multiple community capitals. Furthermore, it tests economic measurements and their impact on a local economic level as opposed to a regional/state level, thus providing a deeper understanding of local economies and their impact on communities.
This dissertation provides a new baseline for understanding the relationship between community and economic development, its specific connections and the overall impacts of local economic activity. This will allow a richer exploration into economic activity and perspectives about how economic policy may impact communities. Research and literature has shown the immense advantages of strong local economies in contrast to regional/state economies and globalization; this will provide the necessary research bridge to connect with community development. The outcome of this research explains the impacts of economic, social and human capital on economic wealth and quality, specifically within local economies.
ContributorsTrevan, Eric S (Author) / Phillips, Rhonda (Committee member) / Knopf, Richard (Committee member) / Lacher, Geoff (Committee member) / Buzinde, Christine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Great disasters can often serve as birthing grounds for national transformation. As communities work to recover and rebuild, opportunities to reassess of prevailing development theories and programs may arise. As traditional development programs, supported by top-down development theories and billions in foreign aid, have not changed Haiti's impoverished status, such an opportunity has been presented to the Caribbean nation. Just a few months removed from the devastating 7.0 earthquake of Jan 12, 2010, this study identified the emergent thinking about development as expressed by key informants (N=21) from six entity types involved in Haiti's rebuilding efforts - government agencies, social ventures, grassroots, diaspora, foreign, and hybrid nonprofits. Findings were supplemented by participant observation of a civil society meeting in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) Framework was used as a lens with which to understand the causes of Haiti's social, institutional, environmental, and economic vulnerabilities. Modified grounded theory was used as the qualitative data analytical method from which five themes emerged: Haitian government, rebuilding, aid work and its effects, Haitian society, and international interference. Participants called for a refoundation, the building a nation from the ground up, of Haiti. Based on these findings, four transformative processes were identified as fundamental to Haiti's refoundation: 1) communication and collaboration with the Haitian government, 2) engagement of the Haitian people and the Haitian diaspora in the redevelopment work, 3) a broad vision of development for the nation, and 4) coordination and collaboration among NGOs.
ContributorsInnocent, Darlye Élise (Author) / Knopf, Richard (Thesis advisor) / Phillips, Rhonda (Committee member) / Aggarwal, Rimjhim (Committee member) / Wang, Lili (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
ABSTRACT
Food insecurity is a global concern and is acute in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa as well as pockets in the global North. In the lush green spaces of “God’s Own Country”, the state of Kerala in India, about 379,000 women are engaged in farming in about 75,800 groups. Spearheaded by Kudumbashree, the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) the women farmers, along with women who co-own other micro-enterprises, totaling approximately 4.5 million members in all, are part of a quiet revolution. Through a powerful statewide network of tens of thousands of well-trained community-based educators, SPEM facilitates non-formal education in farming, other livelihoods, and gender-based oppression. Boosted by this non-formal education and abundant informal learning, the women group farmers have taken matters into their own hands. Rather than wait for their male family members to rescue them from economic hardship, the women farmers learn to grow nutritious food both for family consumption and for sale. In the process, they are creating pathways for the practice of food justice in their families, villages, and the entire state. The study focuses on two women’s farming groups, one from the highly marginalized Adivasi (ancient inhabitants, or tribal population) and one from the general population. The primary research question is: “How do women in collective/group farming initiatives learn to build capacity for food justice?”. The study found the building of a robust set of capacities such as effective leadership, participatory decision-making, and shared power critical to community development, thereby generating income, financial literacy, and a sense of empowerment. The findings also suggest that the women farmers are making steady gains in the arena of women’s agency and empowerment in harmony with their families, aided by 50,000 community educators who focus on building awareness about gender-based oppression and ways to combat it. This study pertains to two concerns in community development: 1) The role of the “invisible” learning dimension in capacity building and 2) food justice. The study is relevant to communities everywhere, including food-insecure pockets both in the global south and the global north.
Keywords: Learning, capacity building, the practice of food justice, women’s empowerment.
ContributorsMAHALINGAM, MAHALAKSHMI R (Author) / Mook, Laurie (Thesis advisor) / Knopf, Richard (Thesis advisor) / Schugurensky, Daniel, 1958- (Committee member) / Larsen, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022