The purposes of this study were to examine the influences of (1) individual characteristics on consumer skills in shopping for apparel products, (2) socialization processes on consumer skills, (3) social structural and developmental variables on socialization processes, and (4) consumer skills on consumers' satisfaction with their skills. A questionnaire was mailed to 1255 White, non-Hispanic and Hispanic undergraduate students randomly drawn from a large southwestern university. Principal factor analysis was performed on the consumer skills and socialization variables to reveal five factors each. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to test each of the hypotheses Results indicated that selected individual characteristics of the respondents had a direct influence on socialization processes, which in turn, influenced consumer skills. Several social structural and developmental variables appeared to indirectly influence consumer skills variables via the socialization processes.

This dissertation is an examination of the rates of return obtained on the assets of municipal pension funds located in the State of Florida that are managed by boards of trustees. The risk characteristics associated with the employment of these assets are also examined. The study is based on a sample of 37 plans out of a population of approximately 200 which fit the "trustee managed" classification. Before addressing the sample data the current literature and various evaluation techniques are reviewed. The methodology employed is based on the works of Dietz and modified using the semi-variance techniques favored by Osteryoung. / The composition of these plans seems to be related to their size as measured in total asset value. Smaller funds are composed primarily of low risk deposits while larger funds have diversified portfolios. There are exceptions to this rule, of course. Analysis of their operating characteristics really entails a study of management responses to changing market stimuli. Also considered, and found very important, is the efficiency with which management handles the stream of contributions. These factors impact on the performance of the sample funds. Performance, as measured by the return earned on total available assets, is compared with the rate of inflation and the cost to the sponsoring cities of borrowing funds. / The conclusions reached are that these pension plans are not performing in a manner which will protect their assets from decreasing in value due to the effects of inflation. The effect of security trading may be detrimental to attempts to obtain efficient trade offs between risk and return, the buy-hold strategy may be the better route to follow. Decisions for or against funding should be made on a case-by-case basis considering the unique conditions concerning individual sponsors and plans. / Some areas for future research in this area might be an investigation into the specific investment goals of these funds, an application of the capital asset pricing model to the performance of pension plans, and the development and use of a simulation model to test performance of these funds without considering the legal restrictions placed on the composition of their investment portfolios. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 1130. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 5106. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

This study investigates the effect of differences in personality types on the extent to which managerial roles are emphasized by practicing managers. Personality, as a job related contingency factor, is considered because the literature suggests that it has a major effect on the manager's job. / The study builds on Mintzberg's research by using his descriptions of managerial activities and provides an opportunity to evaluate the influence of the person variable on the manager's job. The major thrust of the study is to test the proposition that differences in personality type influence the extent to which certain managerial roles are emphasized by managers. / The research methodology utilizes an empirically derived classification of managerial roles and a standard personality instrument to test several a priori hypotheses which grow out of the literature. Ninety practicing managers were surveyed. It was predicted that significant differences would exist among the responses of managers of different personality types insofar as they emphasized certain managerial roles. Generally, the results of the hypothesis testing show statistically significant differences do not exist. / Findings from a post hoc analysis, however, show statistically significant differences do exist between the responses of several specific (i.e., more homogeneous) personality types and certain managerial roles. Although these findings tend to support the basic proposition of this study, it is not possible to make a clear case because of their tentative nature. There appears, however, to be enough trends and differences to indicate that the phenomenon is worthy of further research. / Overall, this study: (1) endorses Mintzberg's findings that manager's play ten managerial roles but with different emphasis, and (2) provides general support to the contingency notion that the work of a manager varies according to his/her personality. Perhaps the most important contribution of this study was the demonstration of an effect, though limited, of personality on managerial work. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, Section: A, page: 0860. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

A number of studies have examined the association between accounting income numbers and security returns. Various individuals have argued that the informational content of the financial statements cannot be captured by analyzing only net income. They argue that the information is jointly reflected by a number of accounting variables. This study provides evidence as to whether the information content of a firm's earnings number is affected by knowledge of other financial statement information. / The theory of fundamental analysis makes it plausible that a firm's capital structure, as reflected by its debt/equity (D/E) ratio, may affect the association between accounting earnings numbers and security returns. In addition, the results of other studies suggest that the relevant risk of a security is not completely reflected by the market model's systematic risk measure ((beta)). This study investigated the effect of capital structure on the association between unanticipated changes in accounting earnings and abnormal security returns. Abnormal return behaviors for firms experiencng unexpected earnings changes were examined. These results were assessed after various degrees of financial leverage were considered. In this way, the impact, if any, of financial leverage on the security price adjustment process could be seen. / Two approaches to measuring abnormal return behavior were utilized. The return-residual technique was employed as well as the iso-systematic risk methodology. For the sample of firms selected, daily abnormal return behavior for the period surrounding their quarterly earnings announcements was examined during the 1972-1975 period. / The results of this study supported the findings of previous research in that there was a positive association between unexpected changes in accounting earnings and abnormal security returns. Although there appeared to be a noticeable difference in the level of abnormal returns among the low, medium and highy levered firms' securities, the difference would generally not be deemed statistically significant (p value (TURN) .20). / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0496. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The first part of this study summarizes and evaluates some new developments in time series analysis. They are identification methods, lack-of-fit tests, R-square, the aggregation issues, the causality tests, and multiple time series analysis. Methods are demonstrated and evaluated. Cautions in application are identified. / The second part of this study applies time series to the study of the interaction effect of price and advertising. The data are filtered by time series models. The residuals are then fitted by regression. Advertising is found to increase the effectiveness of price change. / Knowledge of the negative interaction effect is not enough to permit a marketing manager to find optimal strategy. A time series simulation algorithm is presented. The isoprofit plot developed should aid managers to make sound decisions. The value of time series simulation in finding optimal strategy, compared to other methods currently found in the literature, is discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-06, Section: A, page: 2025. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

This research explores premium disparities which are customary in the pricing of automobile insurance coverages. The process of pricing individual coverages to a given driver class is examined using data from the State of Florida and the Insurance Services Organization. / Pure premiums (losses per exposure unit) are used to compute relativity factors (pure premiums of each driver class relative to the pure premium of a base class of drivers) which indicate the actual premium needed for that coverage to produce a sufficient premium volume to cover its losses. Relativity factors are derived for various driver classes on individual automobile coverages to determine whether rate equity is achieved when applying a common relativity to all of the coverages which a driver purchases. / Significant differences are found to exist between average relativity factors across coverages for most drive classes, especially youthful drivers and drivers over age 65. Therefore, the application of a common relativity factor to each of the coverages that these and other drivers purchase will result in under- or over-pricing of individual coverages. This practice is particularly inequitable when drivers do not buy the entire package of coverages but only purchase selective coverages. / Simulation procedures are used on sample base rates to show the differences in premiums which result when a common relativity factor is applied across coverages rather than exact (coverage-specific) relativity factors. When all coverages are purchased, the total package is adequately priced and sufficient premium is generated to cover losses. When only specific coverages are purchased, some drivers such as youthful males may be overcharged for PIP and comprehensive, and under-charged for liability and collision coverages. Techniques are explained for alleviating these pricing inequities while simultaneously generating adequate premium volume. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-02, Section: A, page: 0579. / Major Professor: Richard Corbett. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.

This study was undertaken for three purposes: (1) to investigate the role of household wage earners in the use of non-market time; (2) to estimate the relationship between household earner wages and the consumption of time-specific characteristics; (3) to investigate the role of wants for needs and luxuries in the use of non-market time by the household. / Hypotheses proposed to explain these relations were based on a forward-sloping labor supply function exhibited by the household. Low wages were assumed to be consistent with relatively large amounts of available non-market time combined with a dominant demand for needs, both resulting in the household directing non-market activities primarily towards the production of "needs commodities." High wages were assumed to be consistent with relatively small amounts of available non-market time combined with a dominant demand for luxuries, both resulting in the household directing non-market activities towards the consumption of "luxury commodities." / The empirical analysis utilized a large, cross-sectional study of detailed household food expenditures. Hypothesized differences in budget share estimates at different values of the household wage serve as the central empirical test of this study. The distribution of various demographic characteristics at different wages was examined also. / Budget share estimates of the time-specific food groups were consistent with the hypothesis and statistically significant at a five percent confidence level. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-09, Section: A, page: 2921. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

This was pre-experimental, field study research designed to examine the effects of the personality type of the manager on the strategy, structure, and performance of a small firm within a contingency framework. / Data were collected by interview from 31 independent restaurants and apparel stores in two small Southeastern cities. The population was restricted to firms that had been in business at least five years (1978-1982), employed 5 to 50 employees and reported less than $3 million sales in 1982. / The dissertation defined and measured four types of variables: (1) a managerial contingency variable represented by the personality type of the manager; (2) two strategy variables (growth and financial control); (3) an organizational structure variable; and, (4) an organizational performance variable. / Strategy (Growth in Total Assets and Growth in Debt/Assets) and performance (Return on Assets) variables were operationalized using accounting data. A delegation scale measured organizational structure. / The Filley and Aldag instrument (1978) classified respondent managers into Craft, Promotion, and Administrative types. Twenty of the respondent managers were classified as Craft types, the remaining 11 as Administrative types. The absence of Promotion types in the sample came as a surprise. / An important methodological finding was the ease of collecting financial performance information from managers of small firms using a set of tables requesting the respondent to choose numbers "closest to" the actual data. / Results of hypothesis testing using nonparametric statistical techniques showed: (1) the personality of the manager only affected the performance of a small firm through moderating strategy and structure variables; (2) small firms managed by Administrative types reported higher levels of organizational structure than those managed by Craft types; (3) higher organizational performance was associated with lower rates of growth among Craft types and lower levels of organizational structure among Administrative types; and, (4) simultaneous analysis of personality, strategy and structure revealed two patterns associated with higher organizational performance within each personality type. No "one best pattern" of personality type, strategy and structure emerged. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-02, Section: A, page: 0573. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

The purpose of this study was to test benefit measures of air pollution to human health and welfare. Two market approaches, labor market (wage rate) and housing market (property value), were employed to estimate benefits from improvements in air quality. Indices of air pollution used in this study were sulfur dioxide (SO(,2)) and total suspended particulate matter (TSP). / The property value approach was applied to test the benefits of improvements in air quality in Jacksonville, Florida. A multiple regression property value model was developed and tested. The results provided support for the hypothesis that property values are negatively related to air pollution. TSP appeared to have no statistically significant influence on the mean property values. By contrast, SO(,2) significantly affected the mean property values in each census tract. It was concluded that improvements in air quality are capitalized into the property value. / Using the labor market approach as a measure of benefits from improved air quality, a Mortality Effect Model (MEM) was developed. Then, the model was utilized to quantify the estimates of the pollution-mortality relationship for the city of Jacksonville. The resulting pollution-related mortality function was then monetized by applying estimates of individual's willingness to pay for mortality reductions. The MEM was estimated using the multiple regression analysis. TSP showed no statistically significant association with mortality rates. The significance of the estimated coefficient for the pollution variable SO(,2), supported the contention that some form of air pollution bears a positive and significant relationship to mortality rates. By utilizing a willingness to pay estimate for mortality reductions, it was concluded that individuals in Jacksonville would be willing to pay a minimum of $10 million annually, in order to maintain SO(,2) concentrations at a level of one percent below the average for 1972. / The overall conclusion of the study is that there are significant benefits from improvements in air quality. Furthermore, these benefits can be measured through a property value or a wage rate approach. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-09, Section: A, page: 2917. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.