Matching Items (505)
Description
The study of lighting design has important implications for consumer behavior and is an important aspect of consideration for the retail industry. In today's global economy consumers can come from a number of cultural backgrounds. It is important to understand various cultures' perceptions of lighting design in order for retailers to better understand how to use lighting as a benefit to provide consumers with a desirable shopping experience. This thesis provides insight into the effects of ambient lighting on product perception among Americans and Middle Easterners. Both cultural groups' possess significant purchasing power in the worldwide market place. This research will allow marketers, designers and consumers a better understanding of how culture may play a role in consumer perceptions and behavior Results of this study are based on data gathered from 164 surveys from individuals of American and Middle Eastern heritage. Follow up interviews were also conducted to examine the nuances of product perception and potential differences across cultures. This study, using qualitative and quantitative methods, was executed using a Sequential Explanatory Strategy. Survey data were analyzed to uncover significant correlations and relationships using measures of descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression analysis. Interviews were analyzed using theme-based coding and reported in narrative form. The results suggest that lighting does in fact have an impact on product perception, however despite minor differences, this perception does not vary much between individuals from American and Middle Eastern cultures. It was found that lighting could affect price and quality perception with reference to store-image and store atmospherics. Additionally, lighting has a higher impact on subjective impressions of product (such as Freshness, Pleasantness, and Attractiveness), more than Price and Quality perceptions. This study suggests that particular lighting characteristics could be responsible for differences in product perception between these two cultures. This is important to note for lighting designers and marketers to create retail atmospheres that are preferable to both cultures.
ContributorsAlsharhan, Dalal Anwar (Author) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Thesis advisor) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
An ethical dilemma is not a matter of “right” versus “wrong,” but rather it is a situation of conflicting values. A common ethical dilemma is that of honesty versus loyalty—is it better to tell the truth, or remain loyal to the company? In the Japanese culture, truth is circumstantial and can vary with different situations. In a way, the Japanese idea of honesty reflects how highly they value loyalty. This overlap of values results in the lack of an ethical dilemma for the Japanese, which creates a new risk for fraud. Without this struggle, a Japanese employee does not have strong justification against committing fraud if it aligns with his values of honesty and loyalty.
This paper looks at the Japanese values relating to honesty and loyalty to show how much these ideas overlap. The lack of a conflict of values creates a risk for fraud, which will be shown through an analysis of the scandals of two Japanese companies, Toshiba and Olympus. These scandals shine light on the complexity of the ethical dilemma for the Japanese employees; since their sense of circumstantial honesty encourages them to lie if it maintains the harmony of the group, there is little stopping them from committing the fraud that their superiors asked them to commit.
In a global economy, understanding the ways that values impact business and decisions is important for both interacting with others and anticipating potential conflicts, including those that may result in or indicate potential red flags for fraud.
This paper looks at the Japanese values relating to honesty and loyalty to show how much these ideas overlap. The lack of a conflict of values creates a risk for fraud, which will be shown through an analysis of the scandals of two Japanese companies, Toshiba and Olympus. These scandals shine light on the complexity of the ethical dilemma for the Japanese employees; since their sense of circumstantial honesty encourages them to lie if it maintains the harmony of the group, there is little stopping them from committing the fraud that their superiors asked them to commit.
In a global economy, understanding the ways that values impact business and decisions is important for both interacting with others and anticipating potential conflicts, including those that may result in or indicate potential red flags for fraud.
ContributorsTabar, Kelly Ann (Author) / Samuelson, Melissa (Thesis director) / Goldman, Alan (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The goal of our project was to determine how to create the most marketable hockey team. To do this, consumer needs, team psychology, and financing were all researched and evaluated. With this information, a business plan was designed around the next NHL expansion team. Two surveys, one for marketing distributed to the general public, and one for team psychology distributed to current and former hockey players were created and sent out, while data for the financing aspect was collected by comparing data from other NHL teams and franchises from different sports. In terms of financials, this comes in lower than average ticket prices, a nice and expensive stadium, the ideal city to generate capital, and sufficient money spent on advertising. Our ticket prices of $140 is based on having a low enough price to generate lots of demand while high enough to make a profit. The $600 million stadium (which will be fully funded) will surely draw a significant crowd. Choosing Seattle as a city is the most ideal to meet these goals and lastly, in meeting with an NHL GM, we determined $4 million in yearly advertising costs as sufficient in creating the most marketable team. Throughout this whole process, we remained data focus. We focused on data from a customized marketing survey, organizational structures, salary cap, and attendance. What our marketing survey results showed us is that our potential fans wanted three characteristics in a hockey team: speed, intensity, and scoring. In looking at organizational structures teams that exemplified these characteristics had a heavy emphasis on development and scouting. So we built our organizational tree around those two ideals. We hired GM Mike Futa, a current director of player personnel for the L.A. Kings, and Head Coach Adam Oates, a current skills development coach for top players to bring those ideals to fruition. In constructing our team we replicated the rules set forth for the Vegas Knights' expansion draft and hypothesized a likely protected list based off of last years lists. As a result we were able to construct a team that statistically out performed the Vegas Knights draft numbers by double, in goals, assists, and points, while also beating them in PIM. Based off of these numbers and an analysis of how goals translate into game attendance we are confident that we have constructed a team that has the highest potential for marketability. For the team psychology area, when creating a roster and scouting players, some of our main findings were that it is important to pursue players who get along well with their teammates and coaching staff, are aggressive, are leaders on the team, and are vocal players who communicate effectively. We also recommended avoiding players who significantly portrayed any "pet-peeve" traits, with the most emphasis placed on "disrespectful toward teammates," and the least emphasis placed on "over-aggression." By following all of these recommendations, we believe the most marketable hockey team possible can be created.
ContributorsQuinn, Colin Christopher (Co-author) / Spigel, Carlos (Co-author) / Meyer, Matt (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Amidst transition are the citizens living and forging identity. This thesis is divided into three portions including Scotland, the Czech Republic, and Taiwan. Each section includes a history, literature, and interview investigation.
The analysis of Scotland includes the examination of identity as a consequence of Scottish history, the Scottish Referendum, and the Brexit Referendum. National identity is explored through literature and through the analysis of Dr. Neal McGarvey, a Scottish Economic Councilman, and Arizona State University exchange student Scott Fyfe. Scotland expressed strong political activism realized through their political participation and open discussions. Yet, their ability to demand change is hindered by the United Kingdom and will continue to be unless drastic changes occur.
The analysis of the Czech Republic includes Czech history from World War II through the Prague Spring, the Velvet Revolution, the split of Czechoslovakia, and the current Communist party. National identity defined by literature is observed in conjunction with interviews of Lukáš Rumian, an Arizona State University exchange student, the Čižmár family with a unique military background and split support for Communism, an anonymous family with multigenerational viewpoints, and lastly, a former refugee with strong opinions on immigration and cultural preservation. The findings of the Czech Republic are of an apathetic country with few avenues for political discussion or education. The generations face massive difference in their mindsets as they continue to be influenced by their Communist past.
The examination of Taiwanese independence includes a look at centuries of domination, the Chinese Kuomintang party, and the Sunflower Revolution. National identity highlighted through literature is paired with the interviews of Kun Baba, a Taiwanese orchard owner, an anonymous set of a college student, his girlfriend, and his father, and a Taiwanese aboriginal who openly explores the “bullying” of China. Findings of Taiwan establish a growing sense of Taiwanese identity and an outward-looking approach to preserving their independence from China.
These three countries each shared a desire to forge their futures yet took different approaches. Scotland being vocal but limited by government. The Czech Republic apathetic, yet citizens take advantage of democratic freedoms. Taiwan is creating political stances through elections, yet is finding these stances to be inadequate in securing a future of continued independence. Thus they search for international assistance. In each country, I realized the importance global citizenship has in promoting political discussions in a quest to understand the needs and desires of citizens internationally. With a deepened understanding of a nation’s political climate, global citizens can help citizens voice their opinion, increase literature of citizen opinion, receive government recognition, and secure the change they desire.
Note: The interview participants range from college students to retirees, ages 17-78. Many asked for anonymous reporting to protect their identity and employment status.
The analysis of Scotland includes the examination of identity as a consequence of Scottish history, the Scottish Referendum, and the Brexit Referendum. National identity is explored through literature and through the analysis of Dr. Neal McGarvey, a Scottish Economic Councilman, and Arizona State University exchange student Scott Fyfe. Scotland expressed strong political activism realized through their political participation and open discussions. Yet, their ability to demand change is hindered by the United Kingdom and will continue to be unless drastic changes occur.
The analysis of the Czech Republic includes Czech history from World War II through the Prague Spring, the Velvet Revolution, the split of Czechoslovakia, and the current Communist party. National identity defined by literature is observed in conjunction with interviews of Lukáš Rumian, an Arizona State University exchange student, the Čižmár family with a unique military background and split support for Communism, an anonymous family with multigenerational viewpoints, and lastly, a former refugee with strong opinions on immigration and cultural preservation. The findings of the Czech Republic are of an apathetic country with few avenues for political discussion or education. The generations face massive difference in their mindsets as they continue to be influenced by their Communist past.
The examination of Taiwanese independence includes a look at centuries of domination, the Chinese Kuomintang party, and the Sunflower Revolution. National identity highlighted through literature is paired with the interviews of Kun Baba, a Taiwanese orchard owner, an anonymous set of a college student, his girlfriend, and his father, and a Taiwanese aboriginal who openly explores the “bullying” of China. Findings of Taiwan establish a growing sense of Taiwanese identity and an outward-looking approach to preserving their independence from China.
These three countries each shared a desire to forge their futures yet took different approaches. Scotland being vocal but limited by government. The Czech Republic apathetic, yet citizens take advantage of democratic freedoms. Taiwan is creating political stances through elections, yet is finding these stances to be inadequate in securing a future of continued independence. Thus they search for international assistance. In each country, I realized the importance global citizenship has in promoting political discussions in a quest to understand the needs and desires of citizens internationally. With a deepened understanding of a nation’s political climate, global citizens can help citizens voice their opinion, increase literature of citizen opinion, receive government recognition, and secure the change they desire.
Note: The interview participants range from college students to retirees, ages 17-78. Many asked for anonymous reporting to protect their identity and employment status.
ContributorsCrynes, Victoria Elianna Navarette (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Brashears, William (Committee member) / Monson, Angela (Committee member) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
#VanLife is a long-time, up and coming lifestyle movement on social media centered around the process of leaving the traditional nine-to-five work week for a life on the road in a camper van. While the ‘hippie-esque’ vagabond lifestyle has its humble roots long before the turn of the century, the inception of social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest have fueled the more recent popularization of a full-time life on the road. #VanLifers often freelance on the road, work part time jobs, or gain sponsorships to help fund their traveling and humble lifestyle.
As the #VanLife craze continues to grow, new businesses are finding ways to meet the demand in the market. For #Vanlifers who own and operate their own camper vans, specialized companies like GoWesty, Vanagain, and Boxeer offer a full range of parts, upgrades, and custom mechanical and systems conversion kits to keep these vans on the road as OE manufacturers discontinue production on these parts. For those who have an itch to try out the #VanLife for a shorter period and without the financial commitment, companies like Roamerica, TontoTrails, and adventureRIGS offer nightly and weekly rental opportunities on fully-outfitted campervans ready to hit the road.
For my Honors Project I wrote a complete analysis on the history, development, and modernization of the #VanLife movement. With plans to take to the road for an extended period of time after graduation, I also developed a complete financial plan for a one-year #VanLife experience. The financial plan includes a comprehensive set of budgets that scrutinize the start-up an operational costs of the #VanLife and associated travel.
As the #VanLife craze continues to grow, new businesses are finding ways to meet the demand in the market. For #Vanlifers who own and operate their own camper vans, specialized companies like GoWesty, Vanagain, and Boxeer offer a full range of parts, upgrades, and custom mechanical and systems conversion kits to keep these vans on the road as OE manufacturers discontinue production on these parts. For those who have an itch to try out the #VanLife for a shorter period and without the financial commitment, companies like Roamerica, TontoTrails, and adventureRIGS offer nightly and weekly rental opportunities on fully-outfitted campervans ready to hit the road.
For my Honors Project I wrote a complete analysis on the history, development, and modernization of the #VanLife movement. With plans to take to the road for an extended period of time after graduation, I also developed a complete financial plan for a one-year #VanLife experience. The financial plan includes a comprehensive set of budgets that scrutinize the start-up an operational costs of the #VanLife and associated travel.
ContributorsRischitelli, Noah Gary (Author) / Garverick, Michael (Thesis director) / Dawson, Gregory (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Sports have connected fans together for years, but the way fans are engaging with their favorite teams and the way they are interacting with athletes and teams have changed and will continue to change. Social media is one of the fastest growing trends today and it is continuing to grow and change the way people live. The connection between sports and social media has grown and will continue to evolve, with 93.3% of global sports leaders believing that the pair will continue to grow in the next 5-10 years (Reddy). Sports have been around for many years and each sport has created a special fan base that appeals to them. More recently, the two have become more intertwined with one another and have benefitted from the connection. Sports teams and players are now using social media to draw attention to themselves and differentiate themselves from other teams. Companies are using social media to show their partnerships with teams and the players on those teams. Both entities understand the importance of being ahead of their competitors and staying up to date with the newest trends. It is crucial for social media platforms to stay relevant in the eyes of consumers just as it is important for sports teams, and players, to stay relevant to their fans. The emphasis of social media in society has led to more sponsorships between businesses and teams and has allowed consumers to see those relationships play out right on their device. According to a study done by Fullerton, sports account for 70% of sponsorship money spent in a year (Fullerton). With revenues of both sports and sponsorships increasing, these two entities will grow together. Social media can bring good and bad aspects along with it, but for companies looking to have top teams or athletes support them, it is very beneficial. 75% of consumers reported being always on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which are two of the top platforms used by companies to promote themselves (Reddy). These social media 4 platforms can be good for exposure and getting products and news into the world, but can be bad because it can bring light to situations that are not always good. The problems do not arise because of the partnerships that are formed, but rather nobody outside the partnership knowing about it. When a player posts about a product on their social media with no indication of a deal with a company, fans seeing the post would have no idea that they are being paid to say it. When someone clearly shows that it is an "#ad", people are free to form their own opinions because it has been made aware that the post is being made as part of an agreement. This project explores how posting on social media affects the fans perception of the player/team if they know it is a sponsored ad or not. With social media continuing to play a large role in the sports world and advertisements becoming more prevalent on all platforms, it is important for the teams, and the players, to be transparent with their fans.
ContributorsSeip, Bridgette (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This thesis examines the impact of price changes of select microprocessors on the market share and 5-year gross profit net present values of Company X in the networking market through a multi-step analysis. The networking market includes segments including media processing, cloud services, security, routers & switches, and access points. For this thesis our team focused on the routers & switches, as well as the security segments. Company X wants to capitalize on the expected growth of the networking market as it transitions to its fifth generation (henceforth referred to as 5G) by positioning itself favorably in its customers eyes through high quality products offered at competitive prices. Our team performed a quantitative analysis of benchmark data to measure the performances of Company X's products against those of its competitors. We collected this data from third party computer reviewers, as well as the published reports of Company X and its competitors. Through the use of a preference matrix, we then normalized this performance data to adjust for different scales. In order to provide a well-rounded analysis, we adjusted these normalized performances for power consumption (using thermal design power as a proxy) as well as price. We believe these adjusted performances are more valuable than raw benchmark data, as they appeal to the demands of price-sensitive customers. Based on these comparisons, our team was able to assess price changes for their market and discounted financial impact on Company X. Our findings challenge the current pricing of one of the two products being analyzed and suggests a 9% decrease in the price of said product. This recommendation most effectively positions Company X for the development of 5G by offering the best balance of market share and NPV.
ContributorsArias, Stephen (Co-author) / Masson, Taylor (Co-author) / McCall, Kyle (Co-author) / Dimitroff, Alex (Co-author) / Hardy, Sebastian (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Haller, Marcie (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Financial stress is one of the main stressors that university students face. At Arizona State University, 18.8% of students reported that financial stress has a high or very high effect on their overall stress levels. Nationwide, the National Student Financial Wellness Report states that over 70% of college students feel stressed about their financial situation. To address this problem, universities across the nation have implemented financial wellness programs to educate students on financial matters. This thesis conducts a study of five of the top financial wellness programs in the country, and then uses those findings to identify best practices for creating and implementing a financial wellness program at Arizona State University. I propose the development of a peer-to-peer program formed under the Financial Aid office. It would deliver content through presentations, workshops, one-on-one meetings, and an online platform called iGrad. It would cover critical financial topics such as budgeting, loans, credit, and investments. The program's goal of increasing financial wellness should be evaluated based on perceived efficacy, satisfaction with the material, a decrease in stress levels, lower default rates, and lower borrowing rates. Implementing this program allows ASU to help break the vicious cycle of financial stress that many students face.
ContributorsWilliamson, Madeline Jean (Author) / Pizzo, Melissa (Thesis director) / Dawes, Mary (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the Big Four Sporting Leagues of US Professional Sports. In recent years, the NBA has enjoyed milestone seasons in both attendance and television ratings, resulting in steady increases to both, over the previous decade. (Morgan, 2017) This surge can be attributed in part to the integration of "cultural recognition" initiatives and the overall message of inclusivity on the part of NBA franchises, with their respective promotions and advertisements such as television, social media, radio, etc. Heritage Nights, such as "Noche Latina," among other variants in the NBA, typically feature culturally influenced changes to team logos, giveaways, and other consumer offerings. In markets where Hispanics make up a significant percentage of the fan-base, such as Phoenix, NBA franchises such as the Phoenix Suns must ascertain the financial or perceptual impacts, associated with risks of stereotyping, offending or otherwise unintentionally alienating different categories of fans. To this end, data was collected from the local NBA franchises' fanbase, specifically Phoenix Suns season-ticket holders, and was statistically checked for significant relationships between both categories of fans and several different variables. This analysis found that only $192K in revenue is being missed through the investment of Heritage Nights, and that fan perceptions of stereotypical or offensive giveaways and practices have no significant effect on game or event attendance, despite the stereotypes toward giveaways and practices still being present. Implications of this study provide possible next steps for the Suns and continue to widen the scope of demographical sports marketing both in professional basketball and beyond.
ContributorsGibbens, Patrick Alexander (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This paper is intended to identify a correlation between the winning percentage of sports teams in the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and the GDP per capita of their respective cities. We initially compiled fifteen years of franchise performance along with economic data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to analyze this relationship. After converting the data into a language recognized by Stata, the regression tool we used, we ran multiple regressions to find relevant correlations based off of our inputs. This paper will show the value of the economic impact of strong or weak performance throughout various economic cycles through data analysis and conclusions drawn from the results of the regression analysis.
ContributorsAndl, Tyler (Co-author) / Shirk, Brandon (Co-author) / Goegan, Brian (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12