This study examined people's attitudes regarding varying cases of sexual harassment in the workplace. The study attempted to determine if sexual harassment could be classified in a manner similar to drinking on the job and/or plagiarism of a colleague's work. The participants in this study (n = 252) voluntarily completed one version of the self-designed questionnaire, which consisted of four different versions. Each form contained directions, three hypothetical case scenarios, and request for demographic information. Following each scenario, participants responded to closed-ended questions about recommended consequences for, and seriousness of, the conduct described. Results, which were yielded through T-tests and chi-squares, demonstrated that certain cases of sexual harassment were viewed to be as serious, if not more so, than examples of intoxication and plagiarism. Further, findings indicated that implementation of similar consequences would be suitable for these inappropriate types of behavior at work.

<p> Global online retail sales are on the rise and are predicted to experience a double digit growth annually over the next three years. Given little marginal cost involved in adding new products and brands to their catalogues, online retailers tend to increase product and brand offerings to increase sales by selling products that could not have been sold due to space constraints in physical stores. Frank Urbanowski, Director of MIT Press, attributed the 12% increase in sales of backlist titles directly to increased accessibility to these titles through the Internet. For consumers, the ability to buy products that they would not have otherwise bought increases their consumer surplus. </p><p> Despite preferring a large assortment of products in online retail stores due to product variety and diversity in brand choices, this poses a problem to consumers as the number of alternatives and attributes reduces their confidence in the selection of a product to purchase; product comparison and evaluation also becomes a difficult task. Thus, an online retail store that does not facilitate easy product information search, comparison, and evaluation would cause consumers to make poor purchase decisions. In this thesis, I investigate how the design parameters of online stores such as the presentation of product information, product comparisons, consumer reviews, and recommendations influence consumers' information seeking and decision making process. </p><p> Specifically, the objectives of this thesis are to learn the individual and joint effects of such design parameters on the effort that consumers expend in the shopping process, quality of their purchase decisions, and their satisfaction with the shopping experience. A controlled experiment was conducted online using six variants of an online retail store to understand the effects of such design features. While the result was modest, the study found that presentation of information that allows consumers to have a preview of the subsequent page after clicking on a link has moderate effect on consumer's physical and cognitive effort in seeking product information, the purchase decision they made, and their satisfaction with an online store.</p>

<p> Onboarding ensures learning success through sharing and acquiring knowledge to remain competitive. However, little is known about new Information Technology (IT) hires' learning needs in the absence of onboarding; therefore, the purpose of this case study was to examine, increase, and retain their technical knowledge at the Unified Communications Company (UCC). Following the theoretical model of knowledge management, which holds that knowledge is the key to confirm learning and knowledge sharing, the research questions were used to examine how the company assessed and increased their technical knowledge and how they taught their culture in the absence of onboarding. A qualitative instrumental case study design was employed with a purposeful sample of 4 former employees who were former new IT hires at the UCC. These employees contributed to the study using journals, surveys, and interviews drawn from their experiences as new IT hires at the UCC. Reoccurring themes regarding formal learning were extracted from the data, validated through peer and member checking, and then triangulated with each round of data collection and the themes described in the literature. The themes of culture, onboarding, training, and experience/feedback consistently emerged as areas needing improvement and indicated a need for formalized training. Based on these findings, a job aid was created to provide enhanced performance and learning to offer knowledge throughout training. Companies employing new IT hires can use the results from this study to provide onboarding in addition to their current orientation. The use of these data would positively affect social change by enhancing company competitiveness and job retention while reducing overall unemployment and the skills gap. </p>

The purpose of this study was to use Everett Rogers' Innovation-Decision Process model as a basis for examining Level Four (Business Results) evaluation practices to gain greater insight into Level Four evaluation and to determine the adequacy of the model to explain the adoption status of Level Four evaluation. Specifically, this study examined (1) knowledge level of Level Four evaluation, (2) perceptions of the innovation attributes (relative advantage, compatibility, observability, trialability, and complexity) of Level Four evaluation, (3) extent of adoption of Level Four evaluation, and (4) the applicability of Rogers' hypothesized relationship between innovation attributes and extent of adoption for Level Four evaluation. / This study's sample was 315 training evaluators and training directors/manager/coordinators who were members of the National Society for Performance and Instruction (NSPI). Data were obtained using a 39 item mailed survey instrument and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. / Results indicated that 85.2% of the training professionals possessed sufficient knowledge of Level Four evaluation to consider it for adoption. Additionally, results showed that the overall extent of use of Level Four evaluation is quite low with the majority of training organizations (78.4%) either not using or only considering or experimenting with Level Four evaluation. Hypothesis testing revealed that Rogers' hypothesized relationship between five innovation attributes and extent of Level Four adoption was not supported (alpha =.05). However, the results did show a significant positive relationship between compatibility and trialability with Level Four evaluation adoption and a significant negative relationship between observability and Level Four evaluation adoption. Additionally, the results indicated that the five innovation attributes did explain approximately 43% of the variability in extent of use of Level Four evaluation. Concerning Level Four evaluation innovation attributes, results indicated that the sample's perceptions were best described as undecided with slight trends toward viewing Level Four evaluation as trialable but not relatively advantageous or observable. These findings, when examined in light of previous research, call into question the validity of some of the assumptions of Rogers' Innovation-Decision Process Model, but do suggest that there is a basis for the model. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-07, Section: A, page: 2342. / Major Professor: John M. Keller. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

This study investigated executive succession and strategic choice factors in public organizations. The goal was to classify and describe these factors from actual executive succession events using the Wechsler-Rainey Framework for the Study of Transition Events. The executive succession factors examined were precipitating forces (succession antecedents), successor characteristics (observable) and successor theory of the situation as reported in a questionnaire and from interviews. The subsequent organizational actions taken (strategic choices) by the successor were also examined by questionnaire and interviews. / The subjects for this study were 36 successors appointed to governor and governor-cabinet state level agencies in Florida between 1979-87. Data were collected from the successor and other key players using questionnaires and structured interviews composed of four major sections associated with the research framework: (1) Antecedent information; (2) Successor characteristic data; (3) Theory of the situation; and (4) Strategic choice. The questionnaire data were assigned numerical values for classification. Content analysis and inter-rater reliability were used to measure agreement on the interview data, the basis of the event descriptions. / Six propositions were evaluated and found consistent with the literature associated with this study. The proposition findings generally supported the following: (1) Succession antecedents influenced the selection of successor insiders or outsiders. (2) Succession antecedents were associated with the successor theory of the situation. (3) Successor origin impacted the successor theory of the situation. (4) Successor origin was related to the amount of change initiated. (5) The successors' theory of the situation and the amount of change initiated were generally consistent. (6) The amount of change initiated by public sector successors tended to be low based on environmental, structural, and procedural constraints in the public sector. / The complete findings supported the research framework as a tool for understanding actual succession events and served as a foundation for recommendations of future succession event analysis and theory building. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-03, Section: A, page: 0733. / Major Professor: Barton Wechsler. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.

Jensen's free cash flow theory produces numerous merger-related predictions. Existing empirical evidence is consistent with many of the predictions of the free cash flow theory, though little has been done to test this theory. This dissertation contributes to the understanding of the role that free cash flow plays in acquisitions. Different measures of free cash flow are investigated. / This dissertation addresses two specific issues. The first issue is the ability of free cash flow to explain consummated mergers. This is accomplished by determining whether free cash flow is matched (according to Jensen's theory) or mismatched between acquiring and acquired firms. Results indicate that free cash flow does play a role in the pairing of merger participants; however, the predictions of free cash flow theory are not supported. The inability to support Jensen's free cash flow theory may result from other factors not controlled for in this analysis. / The second issue is whether free cash flow can be used to explain firms that are acquired. This is accomplished by estimating a logit model for a sample consisting of acquired and non-acquired firms that includes free cash flow proxies and other variables. Free cash flow, growth, size, and exchange listing are observed to be characteristics that distinguish acquired firms from non-acquired firms. A model that includes a free cash flow measure relative to the industry is able to correctly predict 71.3 percent of acquired firms and 59.7 percent of all firms in the holdout sample. / The conclusions from the two issues addressed indicate that free cash flow does have a significant effect on merger activity. However, results do not support the predictions of Jensen's free cash flow theory of takeovers. An extension of this study would be to evaluate the abnormal returns of portfolios formed by free cash flow based models. Future research should also investigate whether free cash flow measures can explain the wealth effects observed for merger participants at the merger announcement date. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-09, Section: A, page: 3168. / Major Professor: Pamela P. Peterson. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.

This study examines the impact of alternative distribution channels on policyowners' costs and profitability of ordinary life insurers. Using performance data and company characteristics for a sample of forty-five ordinary life insurers, step-wise regression analysis was applied to examine the relationship between alternative distribution channels and life insurer profitability and policyowners' costs. The results from this study do not support any specific relationship between life insurer profits or policyowners' costs and the type of distribution channel employed by a life insurer. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-04, Section: A, page: 1418. / Major Professor: Robert A. Marshall. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

The major question this study examines is whether international acquisitions show different patterns of returns to participating firms than purely domestic events do. The research design holds the time period and sample constant, focusing on the measurement of returns using two models and three estimation periods. The models are a domestic market model (DMM) and an international market model (IMM). The estimation periods are a pre-event, pooled pre and post-event, and separate post-event period. / The sample is composed of 73 acquisitions occurring from 1970 to 1980, involving cash payment. Thirty-five acquisitions represent U.S. firms acquiring U.K. firms, and 38 events represent U.K. firms acquiring U.S. firms. Returns to the firms are measured for a $\pm$36 month period around the first acquisition announcement date. / Eight null hypotheses are used as benchmarks of performance. Hypotheses one and two state that acquired firm returns using pre-event estimation and the DMM and IMM, respectively, are not significantly greater than zero. Hypotheses one and two are rejected for U.S. and U.K. acquired firms since excess returns are significantly positive based on both the pre-event DMM and IMM. / Hypotheses three through five state that returns to U.S. (U.K.) acquiring firms under the DMM for pre, pooled, and post-event estimation, respectively, are not significantly different from zero. Hypothesis three cannot be rejected (accepted) around the event date (following the event date) because of insignificant (significant) negative returns. Hypothesis four cannot be rejected prior to (following) the event date because of insignificant positive (negative) returns, respectively. Hypothesis five cannot generally be accepted because of significantly positive returns. / Hypotheses six through eight state that returns to acquiring firms under the IMM for the three estimation periods, respectively, are not significantly different from zero. Hypothesis six cannot be rejected (accepted) for U.S. (U.K.) firms because of insignificant (significant) negative returns prior to (following) the event, respectively. Hypothesis seven cannot be rejected because of generally insignificant positive returns. Hypothesis eight cannot be accepted because of generally positive returns. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-07, Section: A, page: 1904. / Major Professor: Robert L. Conn. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

This research investigates the reasons that U.S.A. companies issue public debt in straight fix rate Eurodollar bonds rather than issue public debt in straight fix rate domestic bonds; analyze the factors that affect the placement of the eurodollar debt in the capital structure of the companies, and the factors that affect the at issue price of Eurodollar bonds. Data for 128 companies with 887 Eurodollar bond issue and 720 domestic companies issuing 7521 domestic bonds for the period 1985--2000 were used to test the different hypotheses The results for the choosing of debt show that firms with higher growth opportunities, higher credit rating, higher research and development expenditures, and higher international activity are more likely to issue Eurodollar bonds. Stocks of companies that issue Eurodollar bonds present a negative cumulative abnormal return on a two days window, just like domestic bonds issue The next section analyzes the debt placement for Eurodollar bonds. The results show that size of issue is negatively related to the proportion of Eurodollar debt, there is a positive relation of the intangibles assets with the proportion of Eurodollar debt, the retail foreign investor take into account the change with respect to their own currency and is willing to accept lower interest if there is a dollar revaluation. The foreign income does not affect the proportion of Eurodollar debt and the more profitable companies have lower proportion of Eurodollar debt. The results suggest that there is a target proportion of Eurodollar debt The factors that determine the bond pricing were analyzed. On average, the market requires a higher spread for buying larger issues. The increases in the maturity of the bonds increase the yield on average as was expected for both domestic and Eurodollar bonds. The market does not see on average any difference between companies in regulated and unregulated industries. Eurodollar bonds are sold at higher prices than domestic bonds. The Eurodollar bond yield, from the regression, is on average 66.2 points lower than similar domestic bonds issued by companies that do not issue Eurodollar bonds. The results suggest forward-looking financial markets / acase@tulane.edu

This paper explores the effects of declarative and procedural knowledge, of motivation, and of the interaction between knowledge and motivation on task and contextual performance in manufacturing operations. Using a field study, this study tests the following hypotheses: (a) Knowledge is positively related to task and contextual performance; (b) Motivation is positively related to task and contextual performance; and (c) Knowledge interacts with motivation to predict both task and, contextual performance. The hypothesized interaction is such that individuals with low levels of motivation display at best a moderate relationship between knowledge and performance, but for more highly motivated individuals, knowledge is more important in determining the level of task and contextual performance. In addition, this study tests the following hypotheses regarding the dominance analysis: (a) Motivation is expected to have a greater influence on contextual performance than knowledge, and (b) Knowledge is expected to have a greater impact on task performance relative to the effect of motivation. Results indicate that job-specific task proficiency is better predicted by measures of Knowledge, whereas demonstrating effort is better predicted by measures of Motivation. In summary, this study provides tentative support for the dominance effect of Knowledge over Motivation in predicting job-specific task proficiency and the dominance effect of Motivation over Knowledge in predicting demonstrating effort / acase@tulane.edu