MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

This research is designed to explore the relationship between comprehensive planning and local business districts in first-ring suburbs. Achieving an economically viable local business district in the first ring suburb is particularly difficult because many have begun to experience challenges rooted in aging infrastructure, disinvestment, and urban sprawl. Research has shown that a plan must embody several criteria for a district to become economically viable. It uses a list of criteria necessary to achieve an economically viable local business district. By researching several planning interventions, I formulate the list of criteria that makes a local business district economically viable—defined as low vacancy rates, new and retained jobs, and new and rehabbed buildings—as a measurement standard. This list is used as a standard to measure the Deer Park Comprehensive Plan against. Ultimately this is how I answer my research question: “How is the Deer Park comprehensive plan helping or hindering the local business district's ability to maintain its role and economic vitality?” By measuring the Deer Park Comprehensive Plan against the criteria, I determine how effective the plan will be in making the local business district economically viable. Ultimately this thesis provides the reader with a set of criteria that can be used by practitioners in other jurisdictions to improve their downtown space. The suggestions should be tailored to fit the needs of the community, as all local business districts are unique.

Committee: Marisa Zapata PhD (Committee Chair); Menelaos Triantafillou MLA (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1963, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Economics

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2022, Educational Administration (Education)

In Appalachian Ohio, a grassroots group of citizens across industry sectors have convened to use community assets to create solutions impacting multiple parts of the community system, thus attempting to solve complex rural problems in innovative ways. One intermediary organization, Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C), has implemented community and career connected learning programs as a way to solve problems threatening rural community viability through engaging multiple community stakeholders including the community's youth. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, this study investigated the contributions of stakeholders and the impact to community systems of one community and career connected learning program: high school internships. This study conceptualizes the place-based, cross-sector, bidirectional interactions facilitated by community and career connected learning as a learning ecosystem. Further, this study uses Social Return on Investment (SROI) to quantify impact within the learning ecosystem to communicate and maximize change. This study found for every $1 invested in high school internships, between $13.07–$15.37 of value to social and economic systems is created. The ability to explore career fields through experience in order to eliminate career paths not of interest to them and then to be able to clearly define next steps in career paths that were of interest to them were outcomes valued most by students as stakeholders. Host site stakeholders reported the most valuable impacts to economic and social systems were, respectively, development of a workforce with basic skills and the personal satisfaction of being able to watch a young person in their community grow and develop through the internship period and beyond. For community supporting stakeholders, the most valuable impacts were the increased connection between schools and businesses in the community as well as the potential to reduce outmigration. Repeatedly, participants drew (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Lowery (Advisor); Jacqueline Yahn (Committee Member); Lesli Johnson (Committee Member); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member); Emmanuel Jean-Francois (Committee Member); Tasha Werry (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

This thesis is proposing a new meal service for college students. The service combines the methods of the cooking co-op model and meal kit services. The thesis was developed in two steps: first is theoretical research and the second is service design and marketing planning. Theoretical research includes primary research and secondary research. The primary research of the thesis focuses on students' meal experience and discovering their needs in meals, preparing for the development of the service design. The secondary research aims at the social psychologist Carl Hovland's theories of persuasion and communication, discussing three components of persuasion: 1) source, 2) message and 3) audience, and establishing the guidelines for marketing development. The second step is service design and business planning. According to the data collected previously, a CoCook proposal was established. The business plan starts with the creation of personas. Then, a customer journey map was developed to stimulate the purchasing process. Finally, the theory of persuasion, which is discussed in secondary research, was applied on the lead nurturing process.

Committee: Peter Chamberlain M.F.A. (Committee Chair); Dianne Hardin M.S. M.Des. (Committee Member); Tony Kawanari M.A. I.D. (Committee Member); Gerald Michaud M.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1987, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Business Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1983, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Economics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1982, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Political Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1969, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Business Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2016, Management

Organizations often struggle to achieve success when implementing complex enterprise systems despite the use of traditional governance structures such as project management methods and risk assessments. While this challenge is certainly multi-level, our motivation for this study stems from the lack of research that connects executive IT governance to implementation outcomes. Steering committees are in a unique position to influence implementation outcomes, yet the literature offers sparse perspectives with no insight into the internal dynamics of steering committees and their effects on implementation outcomes. We ask: What factors contribute to steering committee performance and influence implementation outcomes? In this dissertation, we develop a theoretical model of steering committee performance based on information processing capabilities. We surmise that the model offers greater explanatory power and depth than previous explanations of steering committee performance. The dissertation covers the motivation, detailed research questions, methods, research design, and key findings. We also review the implications of the findings for academia and practice. The study follows a sequential mixed-method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative inquiry. Using a grounded theory approach, we first conduct semi-structured ethnographic interviews among a theoretical sample of experienced steering committee team members. Based on the findings, we articulate a theoretical model founded on the information processing view that synthesizes the factors that influence steering committee performance. The information processing view offers us a lens to understand why steering committees struggle, and how steering committees contribute to their performance by building information processing capabilities. To validate our model, we conduct a survey among 164 steering committees and analyze the results using structured equation modeling (PLS). We find that implementation unce (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Chair) Subjects: Information Systems; Information Technology; Management

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Toledo, 2011, College of Engineering

This study examines what factors facilitate or inhibit the success of ERP projects. The study proposes that worked with functionality, maintained scope, project team, management support, consultants, internal readiness, training, planning, and adequate testing are critical to a successful ERP project implementation and also dealing with organizational diversity, development, and budgeting are other important factors that are contributing to a successful implementation.

Committee: Matthew Franchetti PhD (Committee Chair); Udayan Nandkeolyar PhD (Committee Member); Yong Gan PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Computer Science; Engineering; Industrial Engineering; Information Systems; Mechanical Engineering; Operations Research

BA, Kent State University, 2012, College of Communication and Information / School of Communication Studies

The marketing, logistics, and business-related functions of the sole proprietorship Ivy Summer Special Events, to be launched in Colorado, is tied together by economic and market research. The tentative business plan is divided into eight parts: Executive Summary, Company Description, Products and Services, Industry and Research Economics, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan, and Growth Plan. These parts conclude the history and inspiration of the business, the way the organization is run, how the company creates a competitive edge amongst others in the event planning industry, and an exit strategy. The culture of the business is reinstated throughout and implemented in each function of the entrepreneurial venture.

Committee: Rozell Duncan (Advisor) Subjects: Entrepreneurship

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2012, Educational Leadership

Critics of business school education cite a widening gap between scholarship and practice, and suggest both are necessary to both educate and inform the other (Bennis & O'Toole, 2005; Mintzberg, 2004; Pfeffer & Fong, 2002, 2004; Tushman, O'Reilly, Fenollosa, Kleinbaum, & McGrath, 2007). By generating rigorous, relevant research and helping corporations integrate theory into practice, executive education and other business school leaders can lessen the gap, increase the impact, and mend the relationships between corporations and the institution (Tushman et al, 2007). This research on the leadership behaviors of women executives addresses a gap in both research and practice (Helgesen, 1990; Kanter, 1977; Levitt, 2010; Marshall, 1995; Rosener, 1990). The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) and a brief demographic questionnaire were completed by 320 executives (director, vice president or above) in a metropolitan Midwestern region of the United States in 2007-2008. The results determined that the frequency with which women executives demonstrated 29 of the 30 leadership behaviors did not differ from their male counterparts. Executive women reported that they used one leadership behavior, “find ways to celebrate accomplishments” significantly more frequently than executive men. Additionally, individual follow-up interviews were conducted with ten women and two men in executive level roles. The data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using the grounded theory method. From the data, ten theories emerged as the essential leadership skills women need in order to be successful in an executive level role. These are a) Develop self awareness, b) Get results, c) Value relationships, d) Recognize and reward performance, e) Foster collaboration, f) Take risks, g) Be resilient, h) Learn to assimilate, i) Value lifelong learning, j) Find balance This research may be valuable for current and aspiring women executives, their sponsoring corporations, and the executive educati (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Biddle (Committee Chair) Subjects: Adult Education; Business Administration; Business Education; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Leadership; Gender; Gender Studies; Management; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior