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This paper intends to examine topics related to Chinese financial policy and
institutions mainly in the early 21st century. China has gone through enormous changes in the late 20th century and early 21st century, and financial policy reforms and adjustments have been at times instrumental to aiding that growth, and

This paper intends to examine topics related to Chinese financial policy and
institutions mainly in the early 21st century. China has gone through enormous changes in the late 20th century and early 21st century, and financial policy reforms and adjustments have been at times instrumental to aiding that growth, and at other times have served as impediments to the country’s success. As China’s clout has grown both economically and politically in the wider world, it has become evermore important to understand the Chinese financial system, particularly as other authoritarian regimes may seek to emulate it in the perhaps recent future. The paper will examine the institutional elements of Chinese finance, including the broader structure of the party state apparatus and the role of legislative and executive authorities in determining financial policy. Next, the paper will go through both the legal-regulatory environment of the country and the structure of the preeminent Chinese banks. Finally, issues in Chinese monetary policy, particularly exchange rate system reforms, and the developing stock and bond markets will be addressed.
ContributorsFeatherston, Ryan (Author) / Hill, John (Thesis director) / Mendez, Jose (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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This paper is a beginner’s guide to the product management (PM) career. The paper starts with an introduction to myself and my product management journey, as well as my purpose in writing the guide. Next, I cover the basics of a product management career, such as career path, salaries, job

This paper is a beginner’s guide to the product management (PM) career. The paper starts with an introduction to myself and my product management journey, as well as my purpose in writing the guide. Next, I cover the basics of a product management career, such as career path, salaries, job descriptions, responsibilities and characteristics of product managers, and the different types of product managers. I then go in depth on the product development lifecycle, the place where the product manager’s work resides. The product development lifecycle consists of: finding and planning the right opportunity, designing the solution, building the solution, sharing the solution, and assessing the solution. Product managers work cross-functionally with marketing, design, and engineering teams. After discussing each step to the process, I move into the topic of how to get the knowledge and skillset necessary for a product management job. This includes tips and advice on degree choice, books, websites, PM internships and full-time jobs, and how to prepare for interviews. The guide provides fundamental information about product management, getting a product management job, and where to go after to learn more.
ContributorsLevy, Lital (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Eaton, Kathryn (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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The following report is an analysis of the decision to change food distribution at United Food Bank and an analysis on the transition. In order to distribute the best food items in a standard quantity, United Food Bank has come up with the idea of Emergency Food Bags (EFB). Packed

The following report is an analysis of the decision to change food distribution at United Food Bank and an analysis on the transition. In order to distribute the best food items in a standard quantity, United Food Bank has come up with the idea of Emergency Food Bags (EFB). Packed into reusable bags are a fruit product, a vegetable product, a protein, and a starch meal item. The intention is for the EFB to serve as a grocery supplement and products are intentionally picked so recipients can create meals. With this transition, there are many factors to consider such as production levels and government assistance. This report will address all aspects and give recommendations to United Food Bank.
ContributorsKoehler, Bailee Elizabeth (Author) / Eftekhar, Mayhar (Thesis director) / Fowler, John (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
The purpose of The Cabin is twofold. My first goal is to introduce the West to Hindu myths from the Mahabharata and Ramayana while also sharing the Hindu values of toleration and empathy. At the same time, the stories will show Hindu Americans the philosophy inherent within their myths and

The purpose of The Cabin is twofold. My first goal is to introduce the West to Hindu myths from the Mahabharata and Ramayana while also sharing the Hindu values of toleration and empathy. At the same time, the stories will show Hindu Americans the philosophy inherent within their myths and legends. It will also attempt to remind Hindus that to achieve enlightenment and to break the cycle of life and death; race, caste, gender, and sexuality must all be forgotten. These identities are all lies, told by a fearful ego, hoping to survive. We must destroy our egos and realize that our only real identity is God.
My intent is not to just rewrite Hindu stories. I am striving to make these stories as accessible as possible to Hindus and non-Hindus alike. If a person who has never heard of Krishna is able to read and understand the stories, I will have accomplished my goal. I am also trying to emphasize and draw out the philosophy inherent to each of these myths. To achieve this, I have made a number of creative changes to the original myths so that the philosophical lessons each character teaches us are prioritized.
For example, the main creative change I make to the story of Yudhisthira is the order of tests that the Lord of Righteousness faces. In the original tale, Yudhisthira first refuses to abandon the dog, and then refuses to leave his family behind. I change the order of tests to family, then people of other faiths, and then the dog, to better show Yudhisthira’s commitment to leaving no one behind. In addition, Yudhisthira’s attempt to save people of different religions from hell was imagined by me. I felt Yudhisthira’s discussion with Indhra is particularly relevant for the modern age. It also helps capture how Hinduism views other religions and faiths. Furthermore, in the original myth, Yudhisthira is liberated from the cycle of birth and death after exhausting the karma of his good deeds in heaven. In my story, Yudhisthira is reborn on Earth to demonstrate the effect of attachments and to reveal that heaven and hell, if they exist, are not the end goal in Hinduism.
The story of Rama is mostly faithful to the original legend. The key difference is the private conversation that occurs between Rama and Dasharatha. Rama’s entire life exemplified the path of action, but I felt that by having him explicitly teach Dasharatha to renunciate the fruits of action, the philosophy would become much clearer to the reader.
In contrast, I make several changes to the story of Karna. As my story encompasses Karna’s entire life, many of his legends are either abridged or omitted in order to maintain narrative flow and focus. The casteism that Karna experiences early in his life are inspired by the stories I have heard of how untouchables were abused in India. To eliminate casteism, we must acknowledge its rotten, immoral, and embarrassing existence. Additionally, in the original tale, Karna disguises himself as a Brahmin so that Parashurama will teach him. In my version, Karna presents himself as a Sudra in order to portray how he is constantly rejected based on caste until he finally achieves liberation. In the original myth, when Karna surrenders his armor and earrings to Indhra, the King of the Gods gives him the Brahmastra, a weapon with incredible power. Instead, I have Indhra promise Karna enlightenment, which helps focus on the philosophical lesson of the tale: liberation. Finally, the Brahmin’s second test to Karna, where he pretends to be repulsed by Karna’s caste, is imagined by me. This final test proves to Krishna that Karna sees the God in everyone, and that he is worthy of liberation.
My depiction of the Vishwaroopa, or Krishna’s true form, must also be explained. Karna and Raj’s visions of God differ based on their understanding of the world. They only see what they can comprehend. Because of this, Karna’s vision is similar to traditional descriptions of the Vishwaroopa in the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures. In contrast, Raj’s vision reflects his understanding of modern science and the creation of the universe, as well as his awareness of religions like Christianity and Islam. I add these references to other religions to show the inclusive, all encompassing worldview of Hinduism
Finally, I would like to briefly discuss the scope of this project. Hinduism is incomprehensibly vast. It is the oldest living religion, and has more Gods than Peru has people. Hindus can be polytheist, monotheist, monist, atheist, and anything in between. Hindus understand that there is no single path for everyone. We all have different minds and internal biases and imagine God through these differing lenses. The stories told in The Cabin encapsulate the essence of Advaitha philosophy, the school of non-dualism. Advaitha Hindus believe there is no reality but God. There is no difference between us and God. In order to be liberated from the cycle of eternal life and death, the soul must realize this truth and return to God.
For three millenia, Hindus used storytelling to immortalize their values and pass their ideas on to the next generation. I am proud to be able to continue this sacred tradition.
ContributorsKoka, Anirudh (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Reed, Steven (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is one of the latest developments in the world of African politics. It influences several key policy arenas, including the focus of this paper: developmental policy. The AfCFTA hopes to integrate the intra-African trading system, as well as implement several measures to integrate their

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is one of the latest developments in the world of African politics. It influences several key policy arenas, including the focus of this paper: developmental policy. The AfCFTA hopes to integrate the intra-African trading system, as well as implement several measures to integrate their entire economies. This paper examines the intersection between the AfCFTA and developmental policy defining how it helps and hinders African development goals. This thesis intends to give a clear picture of how this agreement coincides with developmental policy through both economic and political research. The goal of this paper is to provide readers with a detailed report on how this economic agreement could be shaping the developmental policy of the African world.
ContributorsZeleny, Dylan Peter (Author) / Wong, Kelvin (Thesis director) / Hill, Alexander (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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British Neuroscientist Adrian Owen documents in his book Into the Grey Zone difficult cases of patients between a state of brain death and consciousness. His team collected evidence that sug- gested patients—presumed to be brain dead—were partially or, in some cases, fully conscious. The two culturally dominant metaphysical accounts of

British Neuroscientist Adrian Owen documents in his book Into the Grey Zone difficult cases of patients between a state of brain death and consciousness. His team collected evidence that sug- gested patients—presumed to be brain dead—were partially or, in some cases, fully conscious. The two culturally dominant metaphysical accounts of consciousness, Cartesian dualism and eliminative physicalism, are unable to explain the presence of consciousness in Owen’s cases. To better understand the consciousness present in Owen’s cases I argue we should look to Ned Block’s distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness.
ContributorsQuint, Elana (Author) / Karen, Taliaferro (Thesis director) / Jeff, Watson (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
This paper looks at case studies, legal journals, and legal commentaries to examine the history of plea bargains and determine how such a practice slowly crept its way into the American judicial system. Next, I discern both the two specific benefits and three disadvantages of utilizing plea bargains in a

This paper looks at case studies, legal journals, and legal commentaries to examine the history of plea bargains and determine how such a practice slowly crept its way into the American judicial system. Next, I discern both the two specific benefits and three disadvantages of utilizing plea bargains in a system that was traditionally renowned for its unique form of adversarial / trial based justice. By analyzing case studies and legal texts, I find that the administrative advantages and cost benefits used to rationalize continued usage of plea deals does not outweigh its extremely negative effects on significant aspects of law and the American legal system. These significant negative effects as a product of the plea bargain are a definitive hindrance to justice and further characterize the system as no longer fair and certainly not equitable. Consequently, I assert that in order to maintain the ethics of the system, plea bargains should be removed. I also generally outline the Philadelphia Bench Trial as a prospective and viable alternative to plea bargains that could act as an intriguing substitute. The Philadelphia Bench Trial represents a highly viable alternative to the plea bargain and consequently preserves many of the advantages plea bargains offer the system without sacrificing the adversarial element necessary to receive correct and accurate verdicts.
ContributorsRimsza, Alex Gill (Author) / Stanford, Michael (Thesis director) / Forst, Brad (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Differences between cultures have been (and continue to be) examined by researchers all over the world. Prominent studies performed by organizations such as GLOBE and Hofstede have created a foundation for our understanding of how culture affects business in different countries. They also inspired our study, which investigates how employment

Differences between cultures have been (and continue to be) examined by researchers all over the world. Prominent studies performed by organizations such as GLOBE and Hofstede have created a foundation for our understanding of how culture affects business in different countries. They also inspired our study, which investigates how employment benefits vary in different cultures. We examined the difference in employee benefit preference of Austria and Germany compared to America and how that affects their perception of the organization. Specifically, we studied how employees in those countries would react to an increase in wage or an increase in vacation time. Each participant read a hypothetical scenario in which they received one of the two benefits. The alternative benefit was not disclosed to them. After reading about the reward, they were asked various questions about the company. These questions gauged their belief in the ability of the organization, their benevolence toward the organization, their perception of the integrity of the organization, their trust in the organization, their turnover intentions, and their obligation felt towards the organization.
Two of the six variables tested yielded statistically significant results after we performed a univariate analysis of variance test on each of the variables. The two variables that yielded statistically significant results were belief in the integrity of the organization and benevolence toward the organization. Americans expressed more benevolence and belief in the integrity of their organization when they received more vacation time, while Europeans exhibited the opposite reaction (to a lesser degree). These results could provide insight to companies that are looking to strengthen company culture or increase motivation of employees. The variables with non-significant results could be attributed to globalization, limitations of our study, or the concept of scarcity.
ContributorsMackey, Henry Aloysius (Author) / Baer, Mike (Thesis director) / Hom, Peter (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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I have been studying both Supply Chain Management and Business Sustainability during my undergraduate at Arizona State University. This paper has allowed me to further explore some of the topics that I was introduced to during my time studying at ASU. For my supply chain alternative thesis, I attended multiple

I have been studying both Supply Chain Management and Business Sustainability during my undergraduate at Arizona State University. This paper has allowed me to further explore some of the topics that I was introduced to during my time studying at ASU. For my supply chain alternative thesis, I attended multiple interesting faculty research presentations in the Supply Chain department and wrote reflections on each. The presentations were used to help choose a topic to focus on in the rest of my thesis. It is the third research seminar that I attended by Barbara Flynn, titled Understanding Adaptation to a Sustainability Technology Innovation: Longitudinal Outcome Trajectories, that sparked my interest in further researching sustainability in supply chains. The second portion of this paper contains a literature review of papers and journals on the topic of sustainability within supply chains over the last decade. Studies on this topic are becoming more popular as concerns with global warming increase. My research mainly consisted of reading journals and articles on ways that sustainable practices can be applied to reduce the environmental impact of businesses. This paper focuses on recent sustainability trends found across different areas of the supply chain, including: supplier selection and engagement, manufacturing, building efficiency, and logistics.
ContributorsSchneider, Chris (Author) / Printezis, Antonios (Thesis director) / Vitikas, Stanley (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Today’s job market favors the candidate as a result of the low unemployment rate in the United States. This requires companies to look beyond their typical recruiting techniques if they want to ensure they are hiring the best candidates after college in order to build their future leadership in the

Today’s job market favors the candidate as a result of the low unemployment rate in the United States. This requires companies to look beyond their typical recruiting techniques if they want to ensure they are hiring the best candidates after college in order to build their future leadership in the company. Throughout research for this thesis it became apparent that many of the recruiters surveyed during this study were not actively using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their recruiting tactics. In addition, a lot of the career pages of companies that actively recruit at Arizona State University do not even mention the topic. Throughout primary research of students that attend Arizona State University, surveys were able to draw conclusions on the type of students that prioritize Corporate Social Responsibility in their recruiting seasons. From these surveys, it was found that students with higher GPAs who are ethnically diverse, female, with more than one internship experience, or graduating within the next two years on average chose to prioritize Corporate Social Responsibility over other traditional “perks” of jobs. Following the collection of survey data, in order to get a more genuine understanding of what students are looking for, there was a focus group conducted with nine (9) W. P. Carey School of Business students. This allowed for there to be a guided conversation about Corporate Social Responsibility and allow students to share their feelings about the topic and how they prioritize it when looking for jobs. This, in combination with the surveys of recruiters and students, made it very clear about exactly the kind of students that recruiters should be targeting. Therefore, it has become apparent that if recruiters want to hire candidates who are more experienced, diverse, and with higher GPAs then they should be incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility into their recruiting techniques. Whether that is advertising it on their career pages and at career events, asking questions about it in interviews, or starting a conversation with students about it, this will allow recruiters to find those students with a genuine appreciation for the topic.
ContributorsGrosskopf, Madeline Taylor (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05