Adaptation is an important requirement for mobile applications due to the varying levels of resource availability that characterizes mobile environments. However without proper control, multiple applications can each adapt independently in response to a range of different adaptive stimuli, causing conflicts or sub optimal performance. In this thesis we presented a framework, which enables multiple adaptation mechanisms to coexist on one platform. The key component of this framework was the 'Policy Server', which has all the system policies and governs the rules for adaptation. We also simulated our framework and subjected it to various adaptation scenarios to demonstrate the working of the system as a whole. With the help of the simulation it was shown that our framework enables seamless adaptation of multiple applications.

As corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting becomes an increasingly adopted practice, the question concerning its utility remains. Many organizations including the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and Global Reporting Initiative encourage firms to report because of purported benefits to revenue generation and cost control. This study investigates whether such boons of CSR reporting exist in the manufacturing industry by building a regression model that analyzes the relationship between gross profit margins and response to CDP questionnaires. While the results of the study are inconclusive, they hint at a positive relationship between CSR reporting and profitability. Further research with a larger data set and broader measure of CSR reporting is required to definitively state whether any significant relationship between the two variables exist.

The purpose of this study was to contribute to current theory-driven research in crisis communication by examining the perceptions of multiple stakeholder groups to a university crisis response strategy. Two main questions were examined in this dissertation. The first question attempted to determine if a significant difference existed between stakeholder groups and their perception of university reputation, responsibility for the crisis, and potential supportive behaviors toward the university following the university’s response to a crisis. The second asked if Coombs’s Situational Crisis Communication Theory is a practical application for universities. The participants were from 4 stakeholder groups associated with a regional public university: students, faculty, staff, and alumni. An online survey was sent to participants via email. The data analysis revealed significant differences in the perceptions of reputation and in the potential supportive behaviors between staff and faculty and between staff and students. Staff perceived the reputation more favorably and had more favorable potential supportive behaviors than both the faculty and the student stakeholder groups. The results of this research provided empirical evidence that distinct stakeholder groups do perceive crisis response strategies differently. It also supported the application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory in a university setting.

Increasing concern regarding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts are influencing investor decisions. The growing risk of climate change impacts poses a risk to long-term sustainable economic growth and returns. Additionally, increasing societal concern over corporate ESG impacts also poses a risk to corporate efficiency and success. As a result of these increasing risks investors, both retail and institutional, are participating in ESG investment strategies. Such strategies take into account corporate ESG impacts and behaviors, however, ESG information and data is not easily available. This thesis will examine the current ESG investing landscape, more specifically what investors are demanding. For the most part, investors want reliable data that they can use in their investment strategies, however, the ESG information available is insufficient, unreliable, and incomparable as ESG reporting and disclosures are not currently mandated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). One available solution to this obstacle is the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), which guides corporations on how to optimally disclose on its ESG impacts. Unfortunately, this solution on its own is not enough. SEC intervention is clearly needed to enforce and regulate ESG disclosure to avoid the challenges of voluntary ESG reporting. Furthermore, the concept of materiality implies a corporate duty to report on ESG issues as there is strong evidence indicating its influence over investors' decisions. Likewise, the SEC has a duty to regulate this information. While this thesis suggests the SASB framework as a possible solution to the deficiency of ESG information, its goal is not to solve the issue, but rather merely begin the discussion.

This study investigates the effect of CFO gender on auditor turnover, audit fees, and financial reporting timeliness. Since investors value audit outcomes such as auditor turnover, audit fees, and reporting timeliness as important financial signals, differences in the probability of auditor turnovers, the amount of audit fees, and the speed of financial reporting between male CFO firms and female CFO firms can help investors make better informed financial decisions. Additionally, these audit outcome differences between male and female CFOs can also provide insights to executive hiring-decisions and audit budgeting. The results of this study suggest that firms with female CFOs take longer to report financial statements than their male counterparts. However, I do not find evidence for differences in the probability of auditor turnover between female CFO and male CFO firms. I also do not find significant differences in audit fees between firms with female and male CFOs. Overall, this study highlights how gender differences in risk-tolerance and confidence level can affect tangible audit outcomes.

Modern Leadership Compared to Historical Leadership Shown Biblically Forrest Jones This thesis is a comparison between modern leadership and historical leadership. Modern leadership has been differentiated from management since the early 1980’s. Historical leadership is shown by Jesus Christ through the Bible, used as a historical text. Historical leadership was found to have two separate tools used by Jesus Christ which would be useful additions to what leadership today is. The first tool is submission to authority. Most people in positions that would be considered leadership positions do not feel that they need to follow anyone else. Often times they act contrary to a way they have been directed to, because they feel their opinion is the only valid one. The second tool is servant leadership. In addition to believing their opinion is the only valid one, most leaders today consider their own needs before others and are not willing to serve those who they see as their followers. With the incorporation of submission businesses could function smoother, react quicker to challenges and less conflict would develop between leaders and their authority. With the incorporation of servant leadership, employee retention would increase, quality of work would increase and ultimately more goals would be reached. Current leadership is much more effective in many areas of business than management. The differentiation between the two areas since the early 1980’s has allowed many businesses to react quicker to a changing market place and ultimately become better businesses. Leadership in its current form is effective, but can we historically infer possible improvements through looking at the example of Jesus Christ historically shown in the Bible? The conclusion is significant in the business world, because it shows that through servant leadership and submission a high degree of ethics and commitment is shown. The net result of the ethics shown in this manner will increase trust both inside the business and to others who interact with them.

This thesis evaluates the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives implemented by Alcoa, Votorantim, and Vale as a means to aid in poverty alleviation in the Brazilian regions these mining companies operate. Even though Brazil is ranked as the eighth largest economy in the world, 50 million Brazilians are living on less than US$1 per day. The presence of large mining corporations in Brazil’s poorest regions represents an opportunity for corporate social responsibility investments to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions in these locations. This research highlights the importance of designing corporate social responsibility programs according to the specific characteristics of a region such as, stage of development and style of negotiations with the local community. In addition, mining companies should focus on publishing comprehensive information on corporate social responsibility investments as a means to portray transparency to stake holders. Further, companies must design corporate social responsibility programs with clear and quantitative goals in order to implement effective monitoring and evaluating mechanisms. This research illuminates that Alcoa, Votorantim, and Vale appear to allocate minimal or no funds for corporate social responsibility program appraisal and lack strategic responses to improve their programs.

This paper seeks to present the moral and ethical frameworks in which to consider the effect of bribing on business and the great community; confront the cultural differences that lie between American businesses and its potential interest abroad, as well as the growing international move to implementation similar to that of the FCPA; analyze prior anti-bribery legislation and the historical events that prompted the need for a policy like the FCPA, discuss the basic elements of the policy’s two pronged approach of anti-bribery and disclosure regulation; examine several cases in the enforcement of the FCPA on American businesses; and consider the advantages and disadvantages of the statute on the performance of American businesses as a factor of total international exports.

The prominence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives today suggests that the corporate perception of such policies has shifted from an unnecessary addition to a critical business function. Using a reliable source of data on corporate social performance (CSP), this study explores and tests the relationship between CSP and corporate financial performance (CFP). Unlike prior research, this study additionally tests the impact CSP has on sales and gross margin in hopes of providing insight on sales strategies that can be implemented to maximize the impact of the relationship. The dataset includes most of the S&P 500 firms and covers years 2001-2005. The relationships are tested using time-series regressions. Results indicate that CSP and CFP have a significantly positive relationship in both directions, supporting the view that CSR programs have positive impacts on the bottom-line. Results also indicate that increased CSP leads to increases in gross margin, indicating that some customers are willing to pay a premium for the products and/or services of a company with CSR initiatives. Lastly, results also indicate that increases in CSP leads to a decrease in sales, which implies a decrease in customer base because less people are willing to buy the products at premium. Despite the result on sales, I argue in this paper that firms can increase sales by increasing CSR investments—assuming increases in CSR investments leads to higher CSP—as long as the perception of programs transform from socially responsible, philanthropic actions to programs promoting corporate shared value (CSV).

Environmental sustainability is an issue facing our global society and one that must be addressed through communication in order to encourage change amongst individuals. The current research focuses on the organization, in this instance a “Green” printing company, and its role in building identification amongst employees. This study focuses on environmental sustainable practices initiated or continued by employees through the use of a directed mission statement and organizational rhetoric. Utilizing individual interviews, the findings suggest that by building organizational identification, more environmentally-friendly practices amongst organizational members may be achieved.