Matching Items (745)
Description
Africa has some of the "fastest growing economies," yet there is a lack of a middle class (Economist). Natural resources have attracted foreign investments, however, most of the revenue exit these economies. What remains a consistent, permanent advantage is culture; it has been the most integrated core value before and after colonialism. The concept of culture has become a part of the identity of Africa and it has not been leveraged to its full potential. The 2013 Creative Economy Report states, "Culture is a way to create jobs and improve people's lives. It empowers people. It works for development" (UNESCO/UNDP). Cultural industries create local sustainable jobs that are less susceptible to the fluctuation of the global economy compared to jobs in factories and multinational companies. They are based on "local tacit know how" that is not accessible globally as they are people intensive rather than capital intensive (Scott A.J, 1999). Activ8 seeks to tap into this opportunity by maximizing the economic potential of developing economies by investing in their cultural industries. Activ8 aspires to accomplish this by targeting two sets of customers: creators, who are the activators, and investors. Our activators consist of two target segments: one living and working in these industries in a developing country, and the other being refugee clients who may have been exposed to a cultural industry and may want to pursue developing cultural products in their new country of asylum. Our investors are globally minded individuals who want to be culturally aware, have an appreciation for authentic cultural products, or seek to invest in entrepreneurial pursuits in Africa. During our first phase we will focus on the cultural industries in Ghana, West Africa. This will range from products in the textiles industry to sculptures and traditional instruments. We plan to pilot the first phase in Ghana and in the second phase, form a partnership with the International Rescue Committee, a refugee settlement agency, in Arizona. Our goals are to provide education and mentoring, market accessibility, product development, and financing to encourage and empower activators to be self-sufficient and successful cultural entrepreneurs, whiles improving economic development in their communities. Our online store will feature our activators' authentic products, their stories, and the cultural importance of each product. There will also be a platform for entrepreneurs in other industries in Africa to connect with venture capitalists or angel investors around the world. The educational component will be infused with product development and entrepreneurship training derived from the "From AHA!! to EXIT" strategy coined by Aram Chavez from the College of Technology and Innovation at ASU. In order for Activ8 to successfully execute its mission, Activ8 will need to be able to give our team and our activators access to technology, mentorship, and financial resources to operate an online store and rum Activ8's educational program. We also envision creating partnerships with boutiques and retail corporations to adapt these cultural products. Our long-term goal is formulate the conditions conducive for economic growth and sustainable development to ensure Africans become the main agents of development.
ContributorsAdusei, Esther (Author) / Chavez, Aram (Thesis director) / Schoellman, Todd (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
The purpose of this paper is to identify a strategy and list recommended initiatives that aim to reduce the total carbon footprint of Brookfield Global Relocation Services and its supply chain by 50% by 2028, and enhance the appeal of this plan through revealing a multitude of beneficial factors for the organization, its suppliers, and community. To begin the approach to realizing a 50% reduction to Brookfield GRS's and its supply chain's total carbon footprint is to first measure the current level of greenhouse gases being emitted by the organizations and its suppliers. Using the EPA carbon footprint calculator tool this was accomplished to understand and put an actual value on Brookfield GRS's and its supplier's impact on the environment and to begin setting goals to substantially decrease this level. This leads to the second step of focusing on the internal need to shift the culture, goals, and initiatives towards sustainability before looking to the external environment of the supply chain. To accomplish this second step, Brookfield GRS must reach a high level of awareness for this sustainability shift by the end of 2016, through establishing a Green Committee, setting up an awareness survey, proactively getting involved with the organization newsletter, and the creation of sustainability incentive program. Once awareness is established and continuously increased, a switch towards organization wide mobilization can begin in 2017. This entails looking at areas of high emissions determined by the EPA tool, launching a set of processes aimed at reducing the emissions of these areas by 2018, and wrapping up the phase with an environmental management system by 2018 to catch the results of the processes and allow them to be continuously improved upon. This internal shift towards sustainability packaged into two phases of awareness and mobilization are not just environmentally beneficial but also prove to have value in cost reductions, efficiency gains in processes, reduction in waste/office supplies, talent acquisition and retention, risk mitigation aspects, marketability, brand reputation building, and is a competitive advantage as it inspires innovation. Aiming to reduce emissions by 50% holds huge value internally, but can garner even more benefits externally through Brookfield GRS's supply chain. Once an internal foundation of sustainability culture, goals, and initiatives aimed at reducing its output of emissions are concrete, Brookfield GRS can then continue to build its commitment to the environment and lower its overall carbon footprint by looking externally to its suppliers. This phase is similar to the internal shift, in which awareness and mobilization are required so that Brookfield GRS can identify suppliers that need to be removed, who are willing to work with Brookfield GRS, and the suppliers who are already on track to reducing their emissions by 50% by 2028. Awareness begins with Brookfield GRS communicating to its suppliers that there will be a set of green requirements imposed on them starting in 2019 through an updated RFP process and sustainability survey. Mobilization then occurs with the suppliers abiding to the green requirements of a total carbon footprint calculation to be reported starting in 2019, a set of goals and implementation plans aimed at reducing their total carbon footprint to be reported annually starting in 2019, and an establishment of an EMS or similar system by 2019 warranting continuous improvement of greenhouse gas reducing programs to aim for 5% annual reduction goals and a 50% total decrease by 2028. It is important that the supply chain management employees at Brookfield GRS provide ample evidence of why the emission reduction goal and shift towards sustainability is beneficial for the organization by looking at benefits incurred by Brookfield GRS and value added to other successful organizations like Celestica, Disney, and Intel making similar changes. There are even mutually advantageous results such as increased demand, risk mitigation, cost breakdown form process improvements, and Brookfield GRS and its suppliers will be more collaborative and competitive in the long run. The EMS system then works as a continuous improvement process from 2019 to 2028 to ensure Brookfield GRS and its suppliers are on track to yearly 5% emission reductions and an overall reduction of 50% by 2028. Through Brookfield GRS using this strategy to focus internally and then branching out externally to its suppliers to meet a 50% reduction in total carbon footprint emissions by 2028, numerous environmental, economical, and societal benefits can be gained.
ContributorsGennaro, John Christopher (Author) / Kellso, James (Thesis director) / Whalin, Susan (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to better understand the current work and research being done by Supply Chain Management professors from universities from around the world. This paper includes an explanation of the research being done by four presenters, a summary of their work, and a reflection. These summaries and lectures allowed me to learn about current supply chain research and provide a focus for the rest of my thesis. The seminars include research being done by: Mark Ferguson, Edward Anderson and Rachna Shah. The preceding professors will discuss previous or current research. The second portion of this thesis will include a literature review of papers on the topic of corporate social responsibility and unintended consequences.
ContributorsBarney, Lauren E (Author) / Printezis, Antonios (Thesis director) / Oke, Adegoke (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
Description
The Tale of the Tigers is a children’s picture book in which a tiger named Guava is transported from his world of Serenia to our world. In an attempt to find someone to help him with this situation, Guava meets another tiger named Papaya. After having his prey scared away by Guava, Papaya begins to explain the different hardships and dangers that tigers face in their natural habitat. Papaya also teaches Guava about the different programs and activities that humans have been doing to help increase and restore tiger populations. At the end of the story, Guava returns to his world and spreads awareness to those that live in Serenia about how tigers are threatened in other places and what’s being done to help them. Papaya uses basic ecological concepts to explain the importance of tigers in their ecosystem. These concepts include habitat loss, trophic levels, landscape fragmentation, and poaching. The story also incorporates different conservation methods, including captive breeding and the use of camera traps.
ContributorsMooney, Lena (Author) / Jesse, Lewis (Thesis director) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Food provides nutrients and sustenance that are essential to life. Humans rely on food to fuel our thoughts and actions. However, food isn’t just a source of energy; it’s a fundamental part of culture and connection. Simply sharing a meal with someone can build teamwork and create a bond. Throughout this short memoir, I explored the ways in which food creates a connection across language and cultural barriers through reflection on specific experiences that I had in India, Uganda, and South Africa. While my experiences in each of these three countries were vastly different, there was one defining theme that brought them together: food. This memoir uses mixed media (personal reflection, research, recipes, and photos) to connect the three different international experiences. Reflection on my own family traditions and history bridges the gap between my upbringing and my interactions with people while spending time abroad. Popular recipes from each of the three countries are mixed into the personal reflection, showing how preparing food in a different geographic location can change the experience of preparation and eating. In addition to personal experience, included is a synthesis of research done on the effects of sharing a plate or a meal on negotiations tactics, how eating the same food increases trust, the ways in which food sharing is an act of social intimacy, and how it can build community. Food is an important part of family connection, a tool in many rituals such as Sunday dinners or breaking bread, a critical aspect of many religions, and is tied to the celebration of both birth and death in cultures around the globe. We all need to eat; food is the great commonality among people.
ContributorsRivard-Lentz, Haley Marie Anne (Co-author) / Rivard-Lentz, Haley (Co-author) / Fette, Donald (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Mark (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Blockchain technology has the potential to be an effective form of identity management and human trafficking prevention as an identity solution. The topic of this thesis originates from the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal to create a form of identity for every individual on the plant by the year 2030. This research analyzed and compared primarily global databases with information on human trafficking populations and unidentified populations to understand both issues, and the intersections of their populations. This is followed by a discussion of Blockchain technology’s attributes and a Blockchain identities potential characteristic. This research concludes that a Blockchain based identity can be used to mitigate human trafficking by creating various forms of identity for affected populations. Four basic factors of Blockchain technology can be utilized through public and private partnerships to address different parts of the AMP model for the cycle of human trafficking. The conclusion that Blockchain is a potential solution to the analyzed issues comes with caution and alongside an examination of the risk factors involved in implementing this technology and the future investigation necessary to test this conclusion. Risk factors with using blockchain technology as a solution are examined to help direct future research on the topic. The conclusion is based off Blockchain’s ability to address specific problems in human trafficking and the global identity crisis (GIC) that were found in the analysis.
ContributorsMcnamara, Mary Patricia (Author) / Wiedmer, Robert (Thesis director) / Calvin, Samantha (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis research project is to explore blockchain technology and its present and future applications within supply chain management. Emerging blockchain technologies, both public and private, are already showing great promise for a number of applications in and outside supply chain management. Our sole focus is to understand the fundamentals of blockchain, smart contracts, current applications in supply chain, and the future possibilities for blockchain to shape global supply chains. Many have theorized about how private blockchains can be implemented and used; however, there is little research to date that has collected and explored the actual use cases in industry today. The mission of this research paper is to separate theory from the current state of the technology and provide a clearer understanding of where the technology is headed in the near future. We aim to produce a work that will provide a comprehensive description and commentary on current use cases for the education of students and industry professionals alike. With any new technological developments, terminology and technicalities can be paralyzing, and this is particularly true for blockchain technology. For this project, our goal was to create a document that cuts through the complexities and allows a non-technical audience to gain a strong foundational understanding of blockchain's potential and current limitations within supply chains. Provided this, some highly technical concepts and implementation details will not be explored due to the complexity and minimal understanding even amongst industry experts. As future supply chain professionals, we are motivated to further our understanding of blockchain technologies and the potential for this technology to shape the future of supply chain management.
ContributorsBecker, Logan (Co-author) / Falco, Alexander (Co-author) / Murphy, Thomas Brian (Co-author) / Taylor, Todd (Thesis director) / Wiedmer, Robert (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Optical Communications are at a high point of interest by the space engineering community. After successful projects like the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD), NASA has become interested in augmenting their current Deep Space Network (DSN) with optical communication links. One such link is Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) which will be launching with the Psyche mission. To gain a full understanding of the advantages of this network, this thesis will go over the history and benefits of optical communications both on Earth and in space. This thesis will then go in depth on NASAs DSOC project through an algorithmic implementation of the communications channel.
ContributorsHorton, Paul Alexander (Author) / Mauskopf, Philip (Thesis director) / Sandy, Douglas (Committee member) / Martin, Thomas (Committee member) / Software Engineering (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This creative group project aims to bring visibility to the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community at Arizona State University by sharing the personal stories and opinions of people from across ASU's rainbow spectrum. Created and produced by a gay couple that met in their first year dorm and a passionate ally, gAySU: Exploring Sparky's Rainbow is a compilation of photos, videos, and stories from ASU students, faculty, and staff that identify with the LGBTQ+ community. When reflecting on their own journey over the past three years, gAySU's creators recognized ASU can feel large with many pockets of communities, yet through trial and error over the past 4 years they managed to explore their identities and grow as individuals, as a couple, and as an ally. By sharing their story and the stories of others, it is the hope that gAySU allows its readers and viewers an insight into what it means to be both a Sun Devil and LGBTQ+, and for those new to or anxious to identify with the LGBTQ+ community, to understand they are not alone in their journey and that it is okay to bleed maroon, gold, and all other colors of the rainbow.
ContributorsKing, Shay Scott (Co-author) / Hendricks, Brock (Co-author) / Hom, Claire (Co-author) / Dove-Viebahn, Aviva (Thesis director) / Sanchez, Daniel (Committee member) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
A desk provides an interesting forum between two people. The first party sits behind the desk while the second approaches with a question. The desk presents itself as a stage for the drama of that conversation to take place; as all furniture and property do, we naturally make assumptions about the owner based on the things they possess. Just as a Ferrari says one thing while a truck says something different, our furniture conveys a similar sensation. The desk is special because it acts as a stage - it can create a very subtle first impression of the person who owns it. The question then becomes, "what should I try to convey through the desk I sat behind?". If someone walked into my office and looked strictly at my desk, what impression would I want to give them about who I am as an individual? I conjunction with this question about the design of the desk itself comes to another question about the materials used. This thesis goes into the symbolic nature of wood in modern and ancient times across cultures, explores wood in modern construction today and explores the source of the wood used in this specific project through a supplier analysis of Porter Barn Wood. Porter Barn Wood is a local Phoenix company that specializes in reclaimed barn wood delivered from the east coast. Determining the story of how the wood got to Phoenix and to the company that made it possible was just as important to the story of the desk as the wood itself. Overall, this project explored my ability to construct a desk and build a story around that piece of art while maintaining a business mindset throughout. It was eye-opening to me and I would encourage you to read further!
ContributorsDuran, Alejandro Michael (Author) / Vitikas, Stanely (Thesis director) / Fleming, David (Committee member) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05