Matching Items (790)
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
For as long as humans have been working, they have been looking for ways to get that work done better, faster, and more efficient. Over the course of human history, mankind has created innumerable spectacular inventions, all with the goal of making the economy and daily life more efficient. Today, innovations and technological advancements are happening at a pace like never seen before, and technology like automation and artificial intelligence are poised to once again fundamentally alter the way people live and work in society. Whether society is prepared or not, robots are coming to replace human labor, and they are coming fast. In many areas artificial intelligence has disrupted entire industries of the economy. As people continue to make advancements in artificial intelligence, more industries will be disturbed, more jobs will be lost, and entirely new industries and professions will be created in their wake. The future of the economy and society will be determined by how humans adapt to the rapid innovations that are taking place every single day. In this paper I will examine the extent to which automation will take the place of human labor in the future, project the potential effect of automation to future unemployment, and what individuals and society will need to do to adapt to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology. I will also look at the history of automation in the economy. For centuries humans have been advancing technology to make their everyday work more productive and efficient, and for centuries this has forced humans to adapt to the modern technology through things like training and education. The thesis will additionally examine the ways in which the U.S. education system will have to adapt to meet the demands of the advancing economy, and how job retraining programs must be modernized to prepare workers for the changing economy.
ContributorsCunningham, Reed P. (Author) / DeSerpa, Allan (Thesis director) / Haglin, Brett (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Finance (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
Nuclear weapons possess enormous potential to inflict damage on our world. The majority of countries in the world denounce the proliferation of these weapons, but a minority of countries have a desire to proliferate. This essay analyzes the impact of regime type and alliance strength to a nuclear state on protégé proliferation decisions. Prior research focuses on single factors in proliferation decisions and fails to take in to account the multi-faceted factors that influence the international system that states operate in. The analysis finds that regime type gives an indication about a state’s likelihood to proliferate, but does not explain proliferation choices comprehensively. Alliance strength plays a large role in a state’s security calculations and must be analyzed in conjunction to regime type to understand proliferation decisions.
ContributorsHsu, Kai Nalu (Author) / Wright, Thorin (Thesis director) / Thies, Cameron (Committee member) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Finance (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 project was conducted to create a practical tool to help micro and small local food enterprises identify potential strategies and sources of finance. Currently, many of these enterprises are unable to obtain the financial capital needed to start-up or maintain operations.
Sources and strategies of finance studied and ultimately included in the tool were Loans, Equity, Membership, Crowdfunding, and Grants. The tool designed was a matrix that takes into account various criteria of the business (e.g. business lifecycle, organizational structure, business performance) and generates a financial plan based on these criteria and how they align with the selected business strategies. After strategies are found, stakeholders can search through an institutional database created in conjunction with the matrix tool to find possible institutional providers of financing that relate to the strategy or strategies found.
The tool has shown promise in identifying sources of finance for micro and small local food enterprises in practical use with hypothetical business cases, however further practical use is necessary to provide further input and revise the tool as needed. Ultimately, the tool will likely become fully user-friendly and stakeholders will not need the assistance of another expert helping them to use it. Finally, despite the promise of the tool itself, the fundamental and underlying problem that many of these businesses face (lack of infrastructure and knowledge) still exists, and while this tool can also help capacity-building efforts towards both those seeking and those providing finance, an institutional attitude adjustment towards social and alternative enterprises is necessary in order to further simplify the process of obtaining finance.
Sources and strategies of finance studied and ultimately included in the tool were Loans, Equity, Membership, Crowdfunding, and Grants. The tool designed was a matrix that takes into account various criteria of the business (e.g. business lifecycle, organizational structure, business performance) and generates a financial plan based on these criteria and how they align with the selected business strategies. After strategies are found, stakeholders can search through an institutional database created in conjunction with the matrix tool to find possible institutional providers of financing that relate to the strategy or strategies found.
The tool has shown promise in identifying sources of finance for micro and small local food enterprises in practical use with hypothetical business cases, however further practical use is necessary to provide further input and revise the tool as needed. Ultimately, the tool will likely become fully user-friendly and stakeholders will not need the assistance of another expert helping them to use it. Finally, despite the promise of the tool itself, the fundamental and underlying problem that many of these businesses face (lack of infrastructure and knowledge) still exists, and while this tool can also help capacity-building efforts towards both those seeking and those providing finance, an institutional attitude adjustment towards social and alternative enterprises is necessary in order to further simplify the process of obtaining finance.
ContributorsDwyer, Robert Francis (Author) / Wiek, Arnim (Thesis director) / Forrest, Nigel (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This paper will focus on the changes in China's OFDI while also explaining its growth. However, another primary focus will be comparing the relationships between China, Hong Kong, and Africa. This paper will show the correlating changes between the three regions and explain the distribution of China's investments. One argument is that Hong Kong may play a large role in facilitating Chinese investment into Africa, which if not disaggregated, could lead to inaccurate numbers of China's FDI into Africa. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of China's relationship with Hong Kong and Africa. In 2012, Garth Shelton argued that Hong Kong was an important gateway in South Africa's trade with China. Since then, many others have made similar claims in support of Hong Kong's bigger role. However, due to the difficulty of finding specific data for each region, these analyses are incomplete and fail to clearly substantiate their theory. I will try to find a correlation by gathering my own data, tables, and through different interviews.
ContributorsSon, James (Author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Iheduru, Okechukwu (Committee member) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / 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