The purpose of this research is to explore phenomena within the experience of consumer packaged goods (CPG) account representatives in customer-facing roles by investigating the impact of supply chain training, experience, and skills on sales role effectiveness in CPG companies. Findings suggest that skills needed for sales include technical competency, excellent communication skills, and the knowledge to keep commitments. Supply chain understanding within their industry impacts these identified skills by removing confusion, improving identification with their company, realistically aligning customer expectations, and building confidence.

Abstract

The sense of belonging to a community, or social cohesion, is established in food spaces enabled by three separate and unique mechanisms: proximity, frequency, and interactions. This study looks specifically at the Fulton Street Farmers Market in Grand Rapids and the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on the social benefits derived from the mechanisms of social cohesion, in an attempt to identify and discover new ways to leverage social cohesion in food spaces. Three populations were identified at the farmers market: customers, vendors, and market staff. Surveys and informal interviews provided evidence that proximity to and within the market, higher frequencies of attendance, and greater instances of interactions indicate a trend towards stronger feelings of belonging and connectedness (social cohesion) at the farmers market. Data on COVID-19 shows the market became a space where social cohesion was possible and may have even increased in part due to higher attendance, supported by higher food assistance transactions.

Abstract

The present study was designed to broaden the way researchers and practitioners of the organizational sciences conceptualize, measure, and ultimately work to improve the adaptability, innovativeness, and resilience of organizations. This involved identifying how to measure and delineate the relationships between the interlinked multilevel psychosocial constructs of organizational adaptability, innovativeness, and resilience and the individual and organizational level resources of personal resources, human capital, social capital, and job-related resources as components to conceptual model of organizational effectiveness coined The Adaptation and Innovation Model of Organizational Resilience, or AIR model. A survey was developed and administered to operationalize worker perceptions of the presence of each of these constructs within their organization of work. The data gathered generally supported the relatedness of the AIR model’s components and pointed towards the possibility of an indirect pathway between worker perceptions of their organization’s adaptability and their perceptions of its resilience.

Abstract

Given that technology and innovation are rapidly rising the last few decades at excessively high rates, people tend to become more creative, searching for new ideas that, through their entrepreneurial spirit, transform into businesses, known as startups. This process of transforming an idea into an actual business that becomes productive and profitable sets the basis for entrepreneurship. Being interested in startups and the idea of creating an enterprise from scratch, I decided for my senior project to focus on these new well-known enterprises and, more specifically to zoom in on the startup ecosystem of Greece, which seems to have great potential for economic growth for the country but also faces a significant number of challenges, nowadays. This project aims to present the structure of the Greek startup ecosystem, the importance that it has for the Greek economy, as well as the most important challenges that startups face in the market. Through the conduction of a questionnaire and recorded interviews I was able to validate the odds that entrepreneurs have to face in Greece and separate them into four different aspects: 1) Regulatory Framework / Bureaucracy, 2) Government Involvement and Provision of Appropriate Incentives, 3) Taxation, 4) Team Development and Performance. I hope that this research will contribute to highlighting the importance and the potential of the Greek startup ecosystem, thus sending a message to the Greek government to redefine some of the measures that currently harming the startups, and provide the right incentives for them with the ultimate goal of creating a startup ‘nation’.

Abstract

Since the reform and opening up, China’s family enterprises have developed rapidly and some family enterprises have entered the period of intergenerational inheritance which may experience some organizational turbulence and face great uncertainty. Meanwhile, more and more CEOs of Chinese enterprises realize that innovation has become the driving force for the transformation and upgrading of SMEs. So, during the intergenerational inheritance and afterwards, whether CEOs of family enterprises make the same decision on innovation strategy as CEOs of non-family enterprises? Whether the second generation CEOs of family enterprises make the same decision on innovation strategy as the founders of family enterprises? It’s worthy of examining the role of family ownership and the regulatory focus of CEOs. Using the multi case study and grounded theory, this study selects 7 Chinese SEMs to explore the relationship between CEOs and innovation strategies of family and non-family SMEs. Through the interviews, field observation, and the archived information, a large number of data has been collected, which provided a multiple evidence basis for the formation of concepts and the development of theories. We find that different ownership influences the decision-making on innovation, and the different regulatory focus of CEOs mediates the relationship between CEOs’ social identity and their preference on innovation strategy.

Abstract

The purpose of this Honors Capstone research project is to gain insight and understanding into how buyer behavior may or may not have changed after by the COVID-19 Pandemic through the perspectives of sales professionals, marketing professionals, and consumers themselves. This research project compared data from literary based research, 1:1 interviews, and three unique mass surveys dispersed on LinkedIn to gather information from multiple touch points. There were limitations to this research given the Pandemic is ongoing and there continues to be adjustments to this global phenomenon. Additionally, data collection from interviews and surveys was strictly voluntary and survey responses were limited in sample size due to lower interactions and responses to the postings on LinkedIn. Overall, this research has indicated a dramatic effect on buyer behavior as there is a clear divide in those who have disposable income and those who don’t, with consumers expecting more from businesses both in their offerings and digital buyer journey.

Abstract

Across many industries, reputation management has been a top priority, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing issues surrounding gender, race, and ethnicity. The beauty and cosmetic industry, for example, continues to face several challenges involving diversity and representation in product development and advertising. This is a study of the beauty and cosmetic industry and how corporate reputation is shaped by representation in advertising and product development. This research demonstrates select ways how brands have marketed their products throughout history by retrieving print advertisements from archives and social media. Changes in representation of gender, age, skin tone, skin type, and ideas of femininity and masculinity are all seen in the historic examples of cosmetic advertising. Therefore, it is critical that beauty companies be inclusive as they continue to set standards of how diverse groups perceive and value themselves.

Abstract

This study seeks to revalidate existing research insights on the relationship between internationalization and firm performance and to examine the role of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) as a potential moderator to this relationship. The research uses a longitudinal database of US-listed manufacturing companies over the period 2000-19. It employs a foreign market penetration-based construct as well as a foreign production-based construct of internationalization and uses a fixed effects linear regression model for the analysis.

The study suggests that the relationship between foreign market penetration-based internationalization and firm performance shows a declining trend over the past two decades. This may not be a negation of the generally accepted relationship (inverted-U or S-shaped) but a reflection of the data set used and the economic conditions of the study period. The trend towards co-movement of global business cycles has eroded the benefits of internationalization while factors like protectionism and political and foreign currency risk continue to create challenges for diversified firms. Foreign Production based internationalization, on the other hand, does not have a significant relationship with firm performance.

Further, the GFC negatively moderated the relationship in the case of Foreign Market Penetration based internationalization. This could be due to heightened protectionism, increased complexity and cost pressures induced by the crisis. The moderation impact of the GFC in the case of Foreign Production was not significant. This can be attributed to the fact that the strong negative effects mentioned above were attenuated by the benefits of strong subsidiary linkages (i.e. financial support as well as internal markets in the case of vertical linkages.)

Finally, and drawing from these points, the study also suggested that the negative moderation impact of the GFC on firm performance was stronger in the case of foreign market penetration-based internationalization than in the case of foreign production -based internationalization.

Abstract

This project began as an attempt to understand how events, such as the “Great Resignation” (i.e., an unprecedented mass exit of employees from the U.S. workforce), have impacted the way in which organizations are attempting to mitigate employee turnover. In addition, this project examined what role managers might play in promoting a positive organizational culture. A review of literature identified Schein’s (1990) model of organizational culture and Spitzberg and Cupach’s (1984) conceptualization of communication competence as useful frameworks for helping managers understand and promote positive organizational culture and employee mental health and well-being. In addition, the review of literature pointed to key skills that could be developed to increase the communication competency of managers. Those skills were identified as, but are not limited to, perception checking, cognitive complexity, empathy, and role-taking. These four skills were the focus of a proposed workshop that is aimed at promoting positive organizational culture and improving managers communication competences.

Abstract

Higher Education plays a key role in developing societies’ economies through preparing successful leaders and citizens who can compete in today’s rapidly-changing labor market. Entrepreneurship education can pave the way for job creation, innovation, critical thinking, and economic growth. The aim of this study is to explore the views of higher education stakeholders about the economic, socio-cultural, and pedagogical implications of entrepreneurship education in a private international higher education institution in Egypt, namely the American University in Cairo (AUC). Moreover, the study seeks to investigate some of the obstacles and best practices of entrepreneurship education at the AUC. The study adopted a qualitative case study design to answer the study questions. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were utilized to gather the required data. The purposeful sampling technique was utilized for selecting fourteen stakeholders from the AUC. Clark’s (1998) framework of the entrepreneurial university informed data collection and provided the lenses from which the study results were analyzed and interpreted. The study provides a clear picture and deep understanding of entrepreneurship education in higher education, its implementation practices and the challenges faced in one of the Egyptian international higher education institutions. The findings showed that there is a direct correlation between entrepreneurship and economic growth, innovation, and job-creation. Moreover, entrepreneurship education acts as a catalyst for tackling social issues and changing learners’ mindset to take risks, pursue opportunities, and become job-creators. The findings also revealed that although the AUC is considered as the best university that supports entrepreneurship and business ventures in Egypt, there is still a lot to be done to advance entrepreneurship at the AUC.

Abstract

Study 1

Blockchain technology (BT) in the supply chain/logistics has drawn much attention. Several benefits associated with the technology include cost-saving, sustainability enhancement, and economic viability. However, there are limited BT performance measurement models. The topic of the BT performance in supply chain management (SCM) is scattered across multiple disciplines. This study identifies different dimensions of BT performance and supports SCM managers to understand the systematic and holistic assessment of BT performance.

Study 2

The specific features of blockchain provide promise in managing supply chain risks. Given the growing research scrutiny in blockchain-based supply risk management, the development of a reliable and valid instrument to measure supply chain risk management is imperative. Nonetheless, no systematic research has been done to develop such an instrument. This study employs a comprehensive and rigorous procedure to develop a multifaceted measurement scale through an empirical analysis. We defined and operationalized the concept of blockchain-based supply chain risk management followed by validation and item measurement development.

Study 3

The supply chain management field is experimenting with the integration of blockchain, a cutting-edge and highly disruptive technology. However, blockchain research in supply chain risk is still nascent, especially the relationship between blockchain adoption and its impact on both risk management performance and supply chain competency. We aim to investigate the potential influence of BT-based security management in mediating the effects of blockchain adoption on both risk management performance and firm performance. We plan to administer a survey to review the opinions and views of supply chain practitioners.

Abstract

This study seeks to obtain a better understanding of the factors influencing employees’ knowledge sharing behavioural intentions within the Emirati organisational context. While the literature provides some examples of studies on the subject in Western countries and Asia, there has been a lack of research around the topic in the Middle East, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Some organisations have placed a lot of emphasis on innovation and technology and forgotten what (ultimately) makes their business really successful – the human factor.

The study followed a mixed methodology approach; the quantitative method was the primary approach and qualitative methods were employed as a complementary technique to deepen the understanding of some of the quantitative data results. The theoretical foundation of this thesis is based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). These theories are widely used in social psychology to explain many human behaviours. The model therefore is developed based on the latest evolution of the TRA and TPB framework as well as additional factors highlighted in the literature. Eleven variables were tested to examine their impact on the intention to share knowledge in an organisational context. Primary data were obtained from a questionnaire administered to three large government organisations in the UAE: of 1073 questionnaires, 881 were usable. A total of 21 (including the pilot interviews) semi-structured interviews were carried out in the same three organisations with organisational executives, KM managers and KM practitioners. Structural equation modelling was used to test the three study models. The results show that both inclusive leadership’s and knowledge leadership’s influence on organisational culture dimensions (participation, trust, agreement, team orientation, and openness) were highly significant. Interestingly, and contrary to expectations, the quantitative data show that neither participation nor team orientation had a significant impact on attitude toward knowledge sharing. Also, the results show that inclusive leadership has a positive an impact on attitude toward knowledge sharing whereas knowledge leadership was found to have a negative influence. In addition, all TRA constructs were significant for all three models. The results offer various insights into knowledge sharing behavioural intentions in organisations in the UAE. Policy makers, executive leaders and KM managers will be able to utilise the results and the practical implications of this study to create intervention programs to enhance knowledge sharing intentions and practices in organisations.

The thesis provides an alternative view to the more common technological focus, moving it more onto human related factors. It is important for organisations to acknowledge the importance of both leadership and organisational culture on knowledge sharing behavioural intentions among employees. Like anything else that keeps evolving, organisational culture and leadership too evolves and therefore, organisations need to look for the best organisational culture and leadership style that will keep them on top of the market.

Abstract

With the booming development of mobile Internet in China, social platforms have unlocked new channels for commodity supply chain and retailing and promoted business model innovation. Online social networking has fundamentally changed the way the entire society communicates. Social networking is no longer constrained by space, social platforms have become a stage for many ordinary people to showcase themselves, and the popularity of mobile payment has made mobile phones the wallets of Chinese residents as well. The innovative contents and interaction styles delivered by social software have triggered a qualitative change in the efficiency of everyone’s communication and interaction, making it the main portal of traffic, opening up China’s immense markets in lower-tier cities and enabling the evolution from retail business model toward online socialization. Relying on China’s efficient supply chain system, the communication capability of social platforms has been commercialized, thus facilitating the development of social new retailing business model.

Social new retailing business model is the object of this research. This paper is structured as follows: Firstly, through theoretical analysis and case analysis, this paper defines social new retail as a new retail business model that realizes diversified and multi-level sales of goods or services through the matrix communication method of social platforms and the innovative application of multi-level direct sales. Secondly, the role of social new retailing in improving the welfare of practitioners is investigated through questionnaire survey and empirical analysis. The results indicate that the extremely low barrier to entry has created employment opportunities for more people with low academic qualification and low income, and that it is beneficial for improving the skills of practitioners, etc. Thirdly, this study focuses on the regulatory pattern applicable to social new retailing. We’ve found through case analysis, questionnaire, and interviews with social new retailing business owners, legal experts and regulatory experts that the current applicable Chinese regulations are lagging so behind that they are impeding the innovative development of social new retailing business model, which must be adjusted in various aspects, such as legislation and regulatory procedures. Fourthly, corresponding policy recommendations are proposed for the regulators based on the findings of this paper, including revising current regulations and specifying regulatory responsibilities and procedures.