- / -

- / -

- / -

Class of 2016 Abstract / Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a correlation between diabetes control and beverage consumption. We hypothesize that diabetes control (as measured by A1C) is inversely related to consumption of sugary sweetened beverages (SSB) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This study will be a retrospective chart review evaluating the relationship between intake of sugary sweetened beverages and hemoglobin A1C values (HgA1C). Individuals will be eligible for inclusion in the study if they are current patients at El Rio Community Health Center with type 2 diabetes and were 18 years of age or older at the time of the study. Exclusion criteria are as follows: not seen by a clinical pharmacist for diabetes within the last year (Jan 2015 – Feb 2016), no beverage consumption information available in electronic chart and/or no A1C value listed in the patient’s profile. The anticipated study population will be comprised of 330 patients. The data will be analyzed using a t-test to determine the relationship between A1C and beverage consumption. Results: 150 patients were identified from the patient pool as meeting inclusion criteria. The mean fluid ounces of SSB consumption in the low SSB intake group and high SSB intake group were 7.2 (SD=2.441) and 30.269 (SD=21.197) respectively. The mean A1C in the low SSB intake group was 8.35 (SD=2.038) and in the high SSB intake group was 8.799 (SD=1.852). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean A1C in the low SSB intake group and the high SSB intake group (p=0.2451). Conclusions: The mean A1C between high SSB intake and low SSB intake appears similar.

M.B.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Employee theft in a beverage operation can cause critical management problems. The dollar amounts involved are large enough to tremendously influence the cost effectiveness of the total business operation. This subject has been investigated by means of a review of written material pertinent to the theft problem within beverage operation. To further explain the problem, the author has drawn upon his actual work experience as well as his experience as an instructor in this field. The problem of employee theft is not limited to the personnel in any particular job category. In this case, the possibility of theft extends from the entry level positions throughout the organization to top management. A method of control then becomes the primary emphasis of the author's work. This comprehensive control system for inventory, from purchasing to the delivery of the goods to the consumer, has the capability of reducing the opportunity for employee theft. In addition, the system can provide management with inventory information, cost per serving, customer preferences, etc. The control system is, therefore, not limited to controlling the opportunities for t-heft but can be utilized as an effective management tool as well. All of the benefits of the system can lead to better management and greater cost effectiveness of the beverage operation.

The aim of this thesis is to introduce theoretical basis and practical review of actual revenue management usage in hospitality, espacially in the Food&Beverage Department. First chapter brings out the concept of revenue management from the view of its origin, development and integration into other industries. The second and third chapter describes different tools and approaches between the Rooms and Food&Beverage Department. The purpose of the last chapter is to compare revenue management usage through survey within both mentioned departments in the Czech Republic.

Labeling of malt beverages is impacted by multiple entities, both regulatory and industry. The entity with the most overt impact is the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which defines and regulates the following items: 1) required label components for beverages that meet the TTB’s institutional definition of “malt beverage”, and 2) the formula approval process for malt beverages required to undergo the pre-Certificate of Labeling Approval (COLA) evaluation. In order for producers of malt beverages to sell their products in interstate commerce, they must first satisfactorily complete the Certificate of Labeling Approval (COLA) process. For products that are created using “nontraditional” processes or ingredients, producers must also complete a formula submission prior to completing the COLA process. The substantial growth of the craft brewing industry has resulted in a corresponding increase in the submission volume of COLAs and formula approvals. The increased workload of TTB officials responsible for processing approvals, coupled with intense industry focus on innovation, has resulted in a complicated interchange between industry and government. Using three studies, this research evaluates the craft brewer experience with the TTB’s COLA and formula approval processes.The first study was a qualitative research study conducted to explore craft brewers’ perceptions of regulations related to the COLA and formula approval processes. Using convenience sampling, 13 interviews were conducted with craft brewers from August 2018 to December 2018. All interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings indicate that formula and labeling approval presents unique challenges to craft brewers. Participants associated with small and large craft breweries identified opportunities for improved communication between the craft brewing industry and the TTB. The data collected also indicate that that there exist opportunities to improve existing resources for brewers as they pertain to labeling and formula approval.The second study evaluated the role of brewery characteristics in brewer preparation of COLA and formula submissions. Using survey data, the relationship between brewery characteristics and regulatory submission outcomes was evaluated. The brewery characteristics of interest were number of full-time personnel, permit age, production volume, and COLA and formula submission volume. The submission outcomes evaluated were information burden, expense burden, and resubmission frequency of COLA and formula approvals. The results indicated that production volume significantly predicts one measure of information burden (regulatory navigation) related to COLA preparation: the data suggests that as production volume increases, information burden decreases. In addition, submission volume of formulas was significantly related to one measure of information burden (regulatory navigation), with decreased information burden occurring alongside increased submission volume. Expense burden and resubmission frequency were not significantly predicted using any of the studied brewery characteristics.The third study examined the role of resource utilization in regulatory submission outcomes (expense burden, information burden, resubmission frequency). Using survey data, the relationship between the volume and type(s) of resources used during submission preparation and submission outcomes was evaluated. The resources of interest were: the TTB website, the Brewers Association website, advice from a fellow brewer, advice from a coworker or boss, correspondence with TTB officials, and (in formula submissions) the TTB Exemption List (Attachment 1 of TTB Ruling 2015-1) .The results indicate that advice from a boss or coworker reduced expense burden of COLA submissions, while advice from a fellow brewer was associated with decreased expense burden of formula submissions. In addition, advice from a fellow brewer, correspondence with TTB officials, and use of the Brewers Association website were all associated with decreased information burden of COLA submissions. Information burden associated with formula submissions was significantly predicted using advice from a fellow brewer and advice from a boss and/or coworker. Resubmission frequency of formula submissions was significantly predicted using correspondence TTB officials.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Communities and States are increasingly targeting the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), especially soda, in their efforts to curb childhood obesity. However, the empirical evidence based on which policy makers design the relevant policies is not causally interpretable. In the present study, we suggest a modeling framework that can be used for making causal estimation and inference in the context of childhood obesity. This modeling framework is built upon the two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) instrumental variables method and have two levels – level one models children’s lifestyle choices and level two models children’s energy balance which is assumed to be dependent on their lifestyle behaviors. We start with a simplified version of the model that includes only one policy, one lifestyle, one energy balance, and one observable control variable. We then extend this simple version to be a general one that accommodates multiple policy and lifestyle variables. The two versions of the model are 1) first estimated via the nonlinear least square (NLS) method (henceforth NLS-based 2SRI); and 2) then estimated via the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method (henceforth MLE-based 2SRI). Using simulated data, we show that 1) our proposed 2SRI method outperforms the conventional method that ignores the inherent nonlinearity [the linear instrumental variables (LIV) method] or the potential endogeneity [the nonlinear regression (NR) method] in obtaining the relevant estimators; and 2) the MLE-based 2SRI provides more efficient estimators (also consistent) compared to the NLS-based one. Real data analysis is conducted to illustrate the implementation of 2SRI method in practice using both NLS and MLE methods. However, due to data limitation, we are not able to draw any inference regarding the impacts of lifestyle, specifically SSB consumption, on childhood obesity. We are in the process of getting better data and, after doing so, we will replicate and extend the analyses conducted here. These analyses, we believe, will produce causally interpretable evidence of the effects of SSB consumption and other lifestyle choices on childhood obesity. The empirical analyses presented in this dissertation should, therefore, be viewed as an illustration of our newly proposed framework for causal estimation and inference.

Health and well-being have become one of the most important topics in organizational research. The Covid-19 pandemic has compounded the stress levels in all sectors across the world. The current environment has created unprecedented levels of employee turnover, in what economist have been calling the "Great Resignation," where individuals are not only quitting but are questioning their career choice and choosing to leave their profession altogether. This research utilized Conservation of Research (COR) theory and the Buffer Hypothesis (the notion that social support protects individuals from the negative impacts of workplace stress) to investigate occupational stress and well-being (i.e., burnout and job satisfaction) in the full-service restaurant segment. Prior research on occupational stress has investigated the buffering effect of support by focusing mainly on social support in general (support from friends and family), organizational support, supervisor support, and coworker support. This research is one of the first to conceptualize workplace support to include the role of customer-initiated support as well as organizational support, supervisor support, and coworker support in the occupational stress literature, specifically in the restaurant industry. Additionally, this study simultaneously investigated intention to stay with the employer and intention to change careers/career turnover. The results indicated that workplace stress positively impacts both dimensions of burnout: exhaustion and job disengagement. Subsequently, burnout was found to decrease job satisfaction, which was found to be an important driver of retention. Interestingly, job satisfaction was not significantly related to career turnover, suggesting overall job satisfaction is not enough to prevent career turnover and the buffering hypothesis was not supported. Results suggest that workplace support, including customer-initiated support, may play a different role in the occupational stress, burnout, turnover path. A discussion of the results, implications, and recommendations for future research are provided.