The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the celebrity's physical attractiveness, their credibility and their congruency with the advertisement, and consumer's attitudes toward the advertisement, the brand and their intent to purchase the advertised product. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire that corresponded with three different apparel advertisements, using three different celebrities. The dependent variables, purchase intentions, attitude toward the ad and attitude toward the brand were measured against the independent variables, physical attractiveness, source credibility, and celebrity/brand congruency using one-way ANOVA and backward linear regression. Findings indicated that celebrity endorsements generated higher purchase intentions, positive attitudes toward the ad and positive attitudes toward the brand. However, the celebrity itself should be taken into consideration. All three celebrities had different scores for each backward linear regression test. Further research should include measuring celebrities endorsing their own brands, using multiple celebrities in one ad and measuring the same product using a celebrity and a non-celebrity. / A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Textiles and Consumer Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science. / Summer Semester, 2006. / June 30, 2006. / Purchasing Intentions, Consumers Attitudes, Endorsements, Celebrity, Advertising / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeanne Heitmeyer, Professor Directing Thesis; Mary Ann Moore, Committee Member; Emily Haymes, Outside Committee Member.

Many researchers within the organizational sciences have considered the influence of personality and learned behavior differences between individuals, and some have given thought to how the political landscape of the organization shapes employee competencies. However, few have examined how personality and learned behaviors, which both have a broader domain than the organizational setting, influence the development of political skill within the organization. In addition, although some have found that political skill influences the individual's stress process, little attention has been given to how that takes place. The present study assessed how specific personality traits and learned behaviors differentially predict dimensions of political skill. Moreover, it investigated the role that political skill has in the stress process. The findings indicated that although personality characteristics had several relationships with learned behaviors (i.e., Reactive Responding) and political skill, there was little mediation of the personality-political skill relationship by learned behaviors. In addition, the results suggested that two dimensions of self-reported political skill (i.e., Interpersonal Influence and Networking Ability) play a role in the stressor-strain relationship and that supervisor-rated political skill (i.e., Networking Ability) has a direct impact on job performance. The implications from these results are that personality appears to have mostly direct influences on learned behaviors and political skill and that political skill plays several roles in the stressor-strain-behavior process. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Management in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 27, 2008. / Political Skill, Stress, Socio-economic Status, Personality, Self-Regulation / Includes bibliographical references. / Pamela L. Perrewé, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert Brymer, Outside Committee Member; Gerald R. Ferris, Committee Member; Jack T. Fiorito, Committee Member; Chad Van Iddekinge, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to examine ways to improve marketing efforts to virtual world participants on the part of brands. In addressing this issue, this study built and tested a full model of flow, separating the perceptions associated with the activity from the resulting mental state. This research also connected flow with brand attitudes and with behavioral intentions regarding online shopping. Data collected from 348 virtual world participants confirm that flow can be defined as a separate mental state with at least two antecedents, as opposed to a unidemensional construct. Additionally, a participants level of flow should have a positive and direct impact upon his/her attitude about a brand and its associated products. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2010. / April 29, 2010. / Flow, Brand Attitudes, Virtual Worlds, Marketing / Includes bibliographical references. / David Paradice, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Molly Wasko, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Charles Hofacker, University Representative; Robin Teigland, Committee Member; Deborah Armstrong, Committee Member.

Cynicism is described as a mind-set characterized by hopelessness, disappointment, and disillusionment, and is also associated with scorn, disgust, and suspicion (Andersson, 1996). This strong negative attitude has infiltrated America's corporations, and is believed to be responsible for a host of unfavorable organizational consequences. Thus, cynicism is acknowledged as a increasing problem in the workplace that merits immediate and detailed research attention. In large part, cynicism is emerging as the new pattern of employer-employee relations. Past research indicated that a large percentage of employees agreed that management in organizations would take advantage of them if given the chance, employees are never really told the real reason behind decisions that affect them, and a person doesn't know whom he or she can count on (Kanter & Mirvis, 1989; Mirvis & Kanter, 1992). Contemporary academicians now realize the profound effect that cynicism can have on organizations, and the significance of understanding this seemingly ubiquitous organizational phenomenon. However, most studies have not examined organizational cynicism as the central concept, and theoretical model development has been limited. Thus, the principle objective of this dissertation is to propose, and empirically test, a comprehensive, integrative model of organizational cynicism that is comprised of antecedents, moderators, and consequences. This dissertation takes a systematic view in which organizational cynicism is considered a negative attitude directed particularly towards the organization. The projected contribution of this investigation is to offer the field a more informed understanding of organizational cynicism. Specifically, this study examines four workplace perceptions (perceptions of organizational politics, organizational justice, psychological contract violations, and perceived organizational support) as antecedents of organizational cynicism, work locus of control and workplace spirituality as moderators the individual workplace perceptions-organizational cynicism relationships, and job strain (job tension and teacher burnout), citizenship behaviors (organization focused and person focused), workplace deviance (counterproductive behavior and compliance), and performance (individual performance and organizational performance) as associated outcomes. Findings indicate that all four workplace perceptions significantly influence organizational cynicism, and that work locus of control moderates the relationship between perceive organizational support and organizational cynicism. Additionally, findings reveal that organizational cynicism is positively related to job tension, teacher burnout, counterproductive work behavior, and compliance. On the contrary, results show a negative relationship between organizational cynicism and personal citizenship behavior, and as expected, organizational cynicism did not significantly influence individual performance. Tests of the model assumption further indicate organizational cynicism partially mediates the relationships between perceptions of organizational politics and job tension, perceived organizational support and job tension, and perceived organizational support and teacher burnout. Additionally, support was found for the notion that organizational cynicism fully mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and organizational performance. Furthermore, post hoc analysis results suggest that work locus of control and workplace spirituality moderate the relationships between various workplace perceptions and individual factors of organizational cynicism. Implications are discussed and future research considered. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2005. / March 4, 2005. / Organizational Cynicism, Social Exchange, Cynicism, Schools, Workplace Perceptions, Employee Attitudes / Includes bibliographical references. / Gerald R. Ferris, Professor Directing Dissertation; Wayne A. Hochwarter, Professor Directing Dissertation; Carolyn D. Herrington, Outside Committee Member; Pamela L. Perrewè, Committee Member; John A. Sample, Committee Member.

Interest-rate volatility is known to be level-dependent. However, Filipovic, Larsson and Trolle (2017) found that volatility becomes more level-dependent as the interest rate approaches the zero lower bound. This varying volatility level-dependence feature motivates the use of CEV market model to model the interest rate. In this dissertation, we compare the lognormal forward LIBOR market model, the CEV market model and the normal market model through regression analysis, hedging analysis and calibration analysis to assess their performance. The investigation is performed using EURIBOR 10-year interest-rate caps with various strike rates. This research work has a significant impact as the industry often needs to hedge interestrate caps. We show that although the CEV market model best calibrates to market prices, the normal market model is the best in terms of hedging interest-rate caps.

A software-based platform brings app developers and customers together. It creates new opportunities for app developers to compete in a dynamically changing marketplace. To survive in intra-platform competition, app developers have to successfully manage and evolve their apps. Intra-platform competition is inherently dynamic due to the rapid growth in apps. Understanding how to be successful in this competition is a critical issue for app developers. In this study, I draw on evolutionary economics theory to reveal what drives app success in intra-platform competition. The research model was tested using survey data collected from 218 app developers on Google Play and objective data collected from three websites (Google Play, AppAnnie, and AppBrain). This study found that the online customer monitoring routine is positively associated with both strategic evolution and operational evolution. Meanwhile, strategic evolution is positively associated with operational evolution. Furthermore, this study found that operational evolution is positively associated with app market performance. This study has three contributions to theory. First, by focusing on the content of evolution such as what and how an app evolves, this study proposes a more comprehensive conceptualization of evolution that includes both strategic evolution and operational evolution, rather than simply the speed of evolution. Second, this study empirically tests the intertwined relationships among strategic evolution, operational evolution, and app market performance, which promote a sound understanding of evolution and its impacts on app success. Third, this study identifies three types of online monitoring routines that allow app developers to continue observing environmental changes in the market. It reveals how app developers leverage their online monitoring routines to influence the evolution of their apps. In this way, this study helps us better understand the role of online monitoring routines in app evolution. This research also makes two contributions to practice. First, unlike previous studies that suggested that fast evolution of an app can lead to better performance, this study shows app developers that how they evolve an app matters. By investigating the impacts of these two types of evolution on app success, this study provides suggestions to app developers that help them improve their app market performance, when they have limited resources to allocate to app evolution. Second, this study also shows app developers that continually observing customers' activities can help them discover ways to evolve their apps, and thus increase an app's market performance. This finding shows app developers the importance of online monitoring routines and helps small or startup app developers with limited resources understand how to access market environment information. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2018. / August 31, 2018. / Includes bibliographical references. / Ashley A. Bush, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Xinlin Tang, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Ruby (Pui Wan) Lee, University Representative; Guangzhi Shang, Committee Member.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / The aim of this thesis is to identify the employment integration and retention experiences of people with disabilities in South Africa. The objectives of the study are to examine factors that influence these experiences. These factors include the time of onset of a person’s disability, the education the person received, the integration and retention phases of employment and attitudes towards disability in the workplace.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / Research in the field of financial management of start-up SMEs in South Africa has suggested that many of these businesses could benefit from the implementation of rudimentary financial management practices such as improved access to finance and greater cash flow stability (GEM, 2003). Studies have indicated that high performing entrepreneurs have benefited from Complete Planning and Critical Point Planning Strategies as well as higher levels of Entrepreneurial Orientation (Krausse, 2005). Studies pertaining to the latter have focused on understanding or forecasting the entrepreneurial act in relation to success or failure and have been able to define more accurately, multiple dimensions of strategy. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of psychological factors such as strategy process characteristics and entrepreneurial orientation in explaining success in entrepreneurship research in a cross-sectional sample of 192 entrepreneurs in the Western Cape. This study examines mediating and moderating effects of entrepreneurial actions and strategies such as complete planning, critical point planning, reactive, and opportunistic strategies, as well as entrepreneurial orientation on the financial management practices-entrepreneurial success relationship. This study demonstrates the importance of the aforementioned personal strategies and how they could impact on the overall strategy-success relationships of start-up entrepreneurs.

Includes bibliographical references. / This thesis responds to calls for more advanced portrayals of institutional effects on cross-country opportunity entrepreneurial activity (EA). In particular, it examines the effect of formal institutional development on EA depending on differences in informal constraints and economic development (ED). Though acknowledged in part within extant theory, little empirical research has documented the simultaneous interaction of all of the three variables in formal and informal institutions and ED. This research offers one perspective on the interdependencies and directionality between these variables. I suggest that a country's entrepreneurs respond differently to formal institutional incentives depending on societal culture and the nature of opportunities that arise from the predominant economic structure whether agriculturally, manufacturing or services based. I also develop an operational framework to translate institutions to conditions for EA. This framework suggests that formal institutions are associated with entrepreneurial opportunities and incentives, financial capital and an explicit form of human capital such as formal education. In addition, informal institutions are associated with social capital and a tacit form of human capital such as practical experience.

Includes bibliographical references. / Lean, a management system based on the Toyota Production System, is increasingly being applied to healthcare contexts with mixed outcomes. While there are many case studies reporting on the outcomes of Lean implementation, there is little empirical evidence indicating which factors influence Lean implementation. Furthermore, there is an absence of critical and theory building research of Lean implementation. This study specifically addressed these gaps by identifying some of the enablers and inhibitors of Lean implementation, using empirical methods.