Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Economics

This dissertation is composed of two empirical studies on risk management. The first part is an empirical study on income risk and portfolio choice of investors. Recent theoretical work has shown that uninsurable labor income risk likely reduces the share of risky asset investment. Little empirical work has been done to examine this effect. This empirical study on the issue has three novel features. First, the long labor income history in NLSY79 is used to estimate the labor income risk. Second, the study distinguishes between permanent and transitory labor income risk, and estimates them for individuals. Third, I explicitly consider human capital as a component of the portfolio. Human capital is treated as a risk-free asset and estimated using signal extraction technique to labor income data. The study finds strong empirical support for the theory that labor income risk significantly reduces the share of risky assets in the portfolio of an investor. Furthermore, as economic theory suggests, permanent income risk has a significant effect on portfolio choice while transitory income risk has little effect. The second part of the dissertation is an empirical study on the interest rate risk management of banks. Using a rolling sample of bank holding companies from 1986 to 2002, the study investigates how banks adjust their balance sheet maturity structure according to their perception of current and future interest rate changes. Banks tend to lengthen the maturity of net assets when the yield curve is steeply sloped and shorten it when they expect the interest rate to increase in the future. To account for the off-balance-sheet activity effect on interest rate risk exposure, the sample is divided into those with high and low interest rate derivative activities. For banks with little off-balance-sheet interest rate derivative activities, the cross-sectional variation in their responsiveness of maturity structure to interest rate changes explains the stock market risk and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Pok-sang Lam (Advisor) Subjects:

PHD, Kent State University, 2013, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies

In the current global business environment many endeavors are undertaken as projects. Translation, localization and other language services are no exception and must be viewed and studied as services performed in a projectized environment. If they are not, there will continue to be gaps between the way translation is taught and researched (as an isolated activity) and how it is performed in the business world (as part of projects). The existence of these gaps not only prevents translation practitioners from recognizing and communicating the value of the service that they provide, but also diminishes the value of the training that future translators receive. Lack of understanding of the context in which translation is performed limits the opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between translation studies and other disciplines in the academic environment, and between organizations and divisions within a given organization in the business environment. This study proposes to contribute to the research on translation in project contexts by examining risk management, which is an important area of focus for organizations and professionals in many sectors, but which is largely ignored in the language industry. This study first provides an overview of the language industry, explores key concepts, such as risk, uncertainty, project management, risk management and maturity model, and explains the role and relevance of risk management in the language industry. It then reviews existing risk management frameworks developed by project management and risk management practitioners, including the framework developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Next, a model of risk sources developed specifically for application in translation and localization projects is presented and discussed. The theoretical discussion is followed by a case study in which PMI's project risk management framework is implemented and the proposed model of risk sources is applied in a real (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gregory Shreve (Advisor); Françoise Massardier-Kenney (Committee Member); Sue Ellen Wright (Committee Member); Jayaram Muthuswamy (Committee Member); Frederick Schroath (Committee Member) Subjects: Foreign Language; Language

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2015, Civil Engineering

Construction projects are always expected to be delayed, but the likelihood of a delay varies between projects because of the particular circumstances and schedule for that project. It is usually left to the scheduler to estimate these future circumstances of the project when preparing the schedule and determining the duration of the project. However, the schedule of the Critical Path Method (CPM) does not indicate the factors that are assumed to participate in determining the likelihood for delay. These deterministic durations, apart from the relationship between the activities, are the dominant contributor to the critical path in the CPM calculation. Risk management focuses on the processes that are considered critical, although delay may emerge from non-critical paths. In this study, a new fuzzy model is proposed to provide a subjective assessment of the likelihood of delay for activities in different periods. Using this model, the scheduler's assessment of the likelihood of delay for each activity can be combined to determine the likelihood of a project delay. This process is done utilizing fuzzy logic and fault-tree analysis and is then combined with the CPM schedule of the project. The result is a fuzzy fault-tree that shows the potential delay of the project and its contributing paths. Applying this method on a sample project, the results show that risk of delay comes not only from critical paths but also from non-critical paths. Consequently, the CPM schedule duration can be reevaluated such that the project can be rescheduled to account for the new findings and, at the very least, the risk of delay can be accounted for.

Committee: Fabian Tan (Advisor); Tarunjit Butalia (Committee Member); Rachel Kajfez (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Engineering; Industrial Engineering; Logic; Management; Mathematics; Operations Research

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2014, Environment and Natural Resources

Runoff from agricultural nutrient applications in the Maumee watershed is the most significant human factor leading to phosphorus loading and water quality issues in Lake Erie. The adoption of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) that address the amount, form, placement, and timing of nutrients could reduce runoff and result in cost savings for farmers, however recent research has shown that, depending on the practice, a quarter to a half of farmers in the Maumee watershed are choosing not to adopt these practices. The aim of this study was two-fold: to examine whether occupational stress in farmers influenced their intentions to adopt BMPs, and to examine whether occupational hardiness moderated the impact of stress on farmer's intentions to adopt BMPs. Questionnaires were mailed out to corn and soybean farmers in the Maumee watershed of Ohio in March, 2014. Principal component analyses were used to form the Maumee Watershed Farm Stress Scale and the Farming-Related Hardiness Scale. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that risk perception and beliefs about BMP effectiveness in reducing phosphorus runoff positively influenced farmer's intentions to adopt BMPs, and that stress negatively influenced these intentions. As stress increased, farmer's intentions to adopt BMPs decreased. Moderated regression analysis showed that high hardiness moderated stress' influence on intentions to adopt BMPs. Specifically, when hardiness and stress were high, adoption was high, but when hardiness was low and stress was high, adoption was low.

Committee: Robyn Wilson Ph.D (Advisor) Subjects: Agricultural Education; Agriculture; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Communication; Environmental Health; Environmental Management; Psychology; Social Psychology; Water Resource Management; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2013, Computer Science and Engineering

The Enterprise is a complex of associations between Business Processes, Services and Applications with Interdependencies. Thus, enterprise-wide Information Risk Management and related activities like Disaster Recovery are complex tasks. They typically involve communication across Business Solution Areas and Lines of Business. Far too often today they depend on high-level abstractions and estimation of financial impact. In the absence of specifics and Decision Support Metrics, Risk Assessments are not data-driven. Application dependencies and related Incident Management, Patching and Vulnerabilities data exists, but is often not documented in a manner conducive to being scaled-up to the corresponding Business Processes in the Enterprise and correlated to extract patterns that may identify new Risks. The contribution of this thesis is a Disaster Recovery Framework (DRF) that focuses on correlating Application (App) and Infrastructure mappings in the Configuration Management Database, and aligns this data per the Enterprise Architecture Meta-model to find Interdependencies and App Recovery Time Actual (RTA). This is achieved using the Recovery Sequence Algorithm (RSA) that locally prioritizes the order of recovery At Time of Disaster (ATOD) such that it minimizes cost of downtime to the Enterprise.

Committee: Jayashree Ramanathan (Advisor); Rajiv Ramnath (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Engineering; Computer Science; Engineering; Information Technology; Management; Technology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Engineering and Applied Science: Civil Engineering

Wastewater utilities in the United States face an aging workforce, higher consumer expectations, stricter environmental regulations, security concerns, and an aging infrastructure. As a result, many utilities have turned to Asset Management for better decision making to prioritize their needs. According to numerous studies that were conducted in the past decade, most notably the USEPA Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure GAP Analysis Report and the ASCE Report Card, wastewater utilities will need to invest approximately 390 billion in capital infrastructure over the next two decades. Meanwhile, the field of Asset Management is emerging to improve the decision making process to renew, replace, or rehabilitate the infrastructure. Asset management can be defined as set of activities, guidelines, and decision tools that seek to minimize the life cycle costs of capital and O and M spending while maintaining an acceptable minimum level of service (USEPA 2006). This research provides a road map for the implementation of asset management in wastewater utilities with a strong focus on the critical tools that are needed to identify, quantify, and manage risk associated with the structural failure of sewers. The two components of the Business Risk Exposure; namely the probability and consequences of failure were thoroughly evaluated. Criticality matrices for linear assets were developed using expert opinion. A GIS based criticality tool was developed to identify the most critical assets. The GIS model was developed to eliminate biases and establish a systematic methodology to quantify the impact of failure of an asset. Subsequently, maps were generated showing the critical sewers that the utility needs to focus its efforts on to reduce its risk exposure. Probability curves of sewer failure were developed using historical data extracted from repair history performed between 1997 and 2009. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) condition assessment methodologies are the basi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ossama Salem PhD (Committee Chair); Lawrence Gales PhD (Committee Member); Makram Suidan PhD (Committee Member); Heng Wei PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Sanitation

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Environment and Natural Resources

While the Endangered Species Act is generally viewed as a strong tool for environmental conservation, concerns have been raised over its effectiveness at recovering listed species. While every listed species requires the development of a plan to recover population levels, it has been argued that management activities to recover listed species have resulted in an overemphasis on individual species with detrimental impacts to other ecosystem components. For example, management for the Kirtland's warbler (Septophaga kirtlandii Baird), a neotropical bird with nesting grounds in the northern great lakes region, has led to questions regarding decreased biodiversity, homogenized landscapes, the displacement of rarer ecosystem types, and development of hazardous fire management conditions. Such potential conditions create a challenge for managers who are charged with preserving critical habitat for threatened and endangered species while also restoring ecosystem processes and conditions that may pose short-term risks to listed species. Drawing on the case of the Kirtland's warbler, this project examines the factors that influence management decisions regarding the development and preservation of habitat, the use of fire as a management tool, and restoration of ecosystem integrity. Twenty-five management personnel from federal and state government agencies and other key stakeholders involved in Kirtland's warbler recovery efforts participated in in-depth interviews where they were asked questions pertaining to Kirtland's warbler and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) ecosystem or habitat management. Results were then coded to determine the legal, psychological, and social factors influencing management decisions. Results indicate legal mandates and policies as the largest factor influencing management. Risk aversion was also predominant in affecting management decisions. Collaboration and information exchange were also central to management decisions. Desired management strat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Toman (Advisor); Robyn Wilson (Committee Member); P. Charles Goebel (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Management; Environmental Studies; Natural Resource Management; Wildlife Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Business Administration

The business environment is always changing and change creates risk. Managing the risk of the uncertain future is a challenge that requires resilience – “the ability to survive, adapt and grow in the face of turbulent change.” Academics and industry leaders have seen the need to supplement traditional risk management techniques with the concept of resilience that is better designed to cope with extreme complexities, unpredictable events and adaptive threats. However, without standardized definitions, accepted variables or measurement tools, supply chain resilience is merely a theoretical concept. This dissertation will explore the current thought on supply chain resilience and develop the construct into a managerial process for implementation. In Phase I, the Supply Chain Resilience Framework was developed to provide a conceptual framework based on extant literature and refined through a focus group methodology. Findings suggest that supply chain resilience can be assessed in terms of two dimensions: vulnerabilities and capabilities. Research identified seven vulnerability factors composed of 40 specific attributes and 14 capability factors from 71 attributes that facilitate the measurement of resilience. Phase II created an assessment tool based on this framework – the Supply Chain Resilience Assessment and Management (SCRAM TM). Data gathered from seven global manufacturing supply chains was used to assess their current state of supply chain resilience. The tool was validated using a qualitative methodology comparing assessment scores to 1,369 items recorded from discussions of 14 recent disruptions. Phase III concluded the research project by identifying critical linkages between the inherent vulnerability factors and controllable capability factors. Accomplished through a mixed-method triangulation of theoretical linkages, assessment correlations and focus group connections, research identified 311 specific linkages that can be used to guide a resilience (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Keely Croxton PhD (Advisor); Martha Cooper PhD (Committee Member); Joseph Fiksel PhD (Committee Member); Walter Zinn PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology

Due to shifts in U.S. environmental policy initiatives and improvements in scientific understanding of ecological systems, watershed management decisions have begun to rely increasingly more on input from the general public. Proponents of this decentralized approach adhere to broad assumptions regarding the benefits of public involvement, suggesting local participation can increase public acceptance of environmental responsibilities, improve perceived legitimacy of government agencies, and increase representation of more diverse public interests, leading to the enhancement of related environmental quality indicators. This research sought to critically examine these assumptions by taking a closer look at public motivations and public expectations for involvement. A survey of 1190 residents of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) in eastern Ohio was used to evaluate public interest in participating in watershed management planning activities. Participants were asked to respond to a variety of questions designed to measure public attitudes towards MWCD practices, frequency of resource use, and level of awareness associated with watershed development planning options. A theoretical model representative of the vested interest perspective was constructed using influences from risk perception and social exchange theories and was used to explore research hypotheses. The implications of the study findings regarding the role of vested interests as factors facilitating participation are discussed. Results suggest that awareness of MWCD programs and activities may significantly influence participation. Analysis of the multivariate model suggests the need to further explore dimensions, indicators, and situational applicability of the vested interest concept.

Committee: Ted Napier (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2011, Urban Studies and Public Affairs

The purpose of this research was to examine how New York State government applies the Government Performance Project (GPP) capital management model and explore the components and procedures incorporated in capital management. The research was expected to fill the gap that defines the systematic structure incorporated in capital management between theory and practice. A qualitative method was used in the research. The researcher conducted a survey among 203 identified financial managers who are currently working in 110 state agencies and collected data through a designed survey and documentation review. The researcher reviewed the state's financial laws and regulations, agencies' procedures related to capital management, and the 2008, 2009, and 2010 internal auditing reports that are available online. The researcher categorized the collected information from document review and analyzed the data collected from the survey. The findings of the survey show that the New York State is applying the GPP capital management model in the management of their assets. The six identified components of long-range planning, capital budgeting, project management, maintenance, decision criteria for assessing a project, and risk management are not only applied by most responding state agencies, but also other components such as information security, compliance with governmental law and regulations and internal control are used. In addition, the state provides its successful experiences on project management and internal control. The key findings of this case study are valuable to other state governments to better manage capital assets.

Committee: Raymond Cox III Dr. (Advisor); Nancy Grant Dr. (Committee Member); Ramona Ortega-Liston Dr. (Committee Member); Nelson Michael Dr. (Committee Member); Spicer Michael Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Administration

Master of Fine Arts, Miami University, 2024, English: Creative Writing

Debridement is a collection of poems about subjects including the modern gay male experience and the ways difficult and even traumatic events can become negotiated parts of the self. The collection focuses on the dissolution of a marriage between a man and woman, male intimacy, queer fatherhood, violence and navigating grief. By employing narrative, particularly fable, beside lyric forms, and through the use of images related to mycological phenomenon, the collection asks the reader to consider how shame and feelings of worthlessness might be transformed into self-validation and understanding. The poems encourage the reader to view life as involving calculated risk and liminality, to step foot into a world where arrival is an illusion and becoming is a constant.

Committee: Keith Tuma (Committee Chair); Nik Money (Committee Member); cris cheek (Committee Member) Subjects: American Literature; Literature

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Management

This dissertation investigates how managers assess ambiguous emerging exposures which lie at the intersection of measurable risk and unmeasurable uncertainty. The problem is important because it has implications for organizational resilience and the efficiency and effectiveness of the risk management function. Study 1, a qualitative interview-based exploration, suggests that risk managers assessing emerging risks in the insurance industry may not evaluate front-line business managers as critically as the “Three Lines” risk governance model recommends they should. The data indicate four potential reasons for the seeming reluctance: (1) the effect of framing emerging risks as opportunities; (2) shared social identity among risk managers and business unit managers; (3) preferences for measuring ambiguous risks qualitatively instead of quantitatively; and (4) the time horizon within which a risk is expected to materialize. Study 2, an experiment with 115 financial professionals, examines two of these reasons: shared social identity and risk framing. It finds that risk managers who identify more strongly with the business units they assess tend to be less objective and that positively framed risks are evaluated less critically. Study 3, an experiment with 193 risk managers, investigates the remaining two reasons—risk quantification and time horizon—and the influence of a risk manager's numerical ability. The study tests how these factors affect the assessment of ambiguous risks indirectly through subjective processing fluency and perceived reliability of risk information. Results show significant indirect effects of information presentation format on willingness to challenge risk information, moderated by time horizon and numeracy. Specifically, controlling for numeracy, risk managers who are considering the distant future along with a quantitative presentation experience greater difficulty processing the risk information, which they then perceive as less reli (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Timothy Fogarty (Committee Chair); Anthony Bucaro (Committee Member); Torben Juul Andersen (Committee Member); Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Member); Thomas King (Committee Member) Subjects: Accounting; Behaviorial Sciences; Business Administration; Management

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Leadership Studies

This correlational study examined the competency of crisis readiness and leadership of ice arena managers using a cross-sectional survey. The target audience was ice arena owners, managers, and operators of ice arenas in the United States and Canada. The researcher examined which factors (ice arena characteristics) best predict ice arena managers' Crisis Readiness as well as group differences in Crisis Readiness. The Crisis Readiness Survey, which consisted of 61 items, was emailed and/or posted to participants. Twelve questions gleaned demographical information, while the remaining items generated nine subscales: Emergency Evacuation Planning, Agency Calibration, Spectator Control, Policies and Procedures, Liability, Emergency/Crisis Management, Credential Control, Perimeter Control, and Crisis Leadership. The subscales were measured using a 5-point scale from 1 (very low capability) to 5 (very high capability). Subscales were calculated as the mean of respective items. The mean of 42 items generated the variable Overall Crisis Readiness. The data indicated statistically significant differences in Crisis Readiness by Participation in Training. The more training ice industry professionals obtain, the better prepared they will be to manage a crisis and lead their staff through it. Whereas Education Levels, Years of Experience, and Job Title did not generate statistically significant differences in Crisis Readiness subscales and overall. Participation in Training was found to be the best predictor of Overall Crisis Readiness, based on the predictive model Y = 2.43X + 2.59. However, Participation in Training only accounted for 5% variance in Overall Crisis Readiness. When comparing the United States and Canada, Canadian ice arena managers reported significantly higher competency in Evacuation Planning.

Committee: Rachel Vannatta Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Janet Hartley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Monica Moll Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kristina LaVenia Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paul Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Business Administration

Supply chain risk management and public policy are both complex and ever-changing fields that continually affect each other across many industries including the United States (US) pharmaceutical industry. There is a call for more overlap between public policy and SCM from supply chain scholars (Helper et al., 2021; Joglekar et al., 2016; Spring et al., 2017; Tokar and Swink, 2019) and from public-policy makers (The White House, 2021). This dissertation focuses on understanding the elements connecting public policy and supply chain risk management (SCRM) and how the decisions in one discipline can affect the decisions in the other. First, a conceptual model is created depicting the elements, sub-elements, and relationships between public policy and supply chain risk management. This model is created through a structured literature review of notable and influential supply chain management journals and leverages interpretive sensemaking to contextually understand the public policy, social welfare, supply chain risk, supply chain risk management, and supply chain performance elements in each paper. The relationships are also identified in context and support a feedback loop between the elements; showing that public policy can affect SCRM and so too can SCRM affect public policy by way of affecting social welfare. This model is generalizable, spanning industries and geographic regions. After establishing the conceptual model, a deeper study of the US pharmaceutical supply chain is executed in the second essay. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are a player in the support supply chain of US pharmaceutical distribution, working on behalf of health care sponsors (e.g., health insurance) to manage the business decisions surrounding pharmaceutical coverage. This study asks how one of the PBM's sourcing practices, removal of drugs from insurance coverage, affects adverse events to patients. Secondary data from the FDA adverse events reporting s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Keely Croxton (Committee Co-Chair); A. Michael Knemeyer (Committee Co-Chair); Terry Esper (Committee Member); John Gray (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Medicine: Genetic Counseling

Background Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) face an increased risk of maternal health complications and worsening disease manifestations during pregnancy. There are no established consensus guidelines that address pregnancy management in patients with TSC. In the absence of established guidelines, TSC healthcare providers rely on individual experience and preference to derive treatment decisions when caring for this population. We sought to ascertain provider recognition of pregnancy related maternal complications in patients with TSC and the common evaluation and management strategies employed to address these complications. Methods We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey of healthcare providers. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze our three primary variables: 1) Provider recognition of maternal risks/complications; 2) Provider recommendations before and during pregnancy; and 3) Provider/clinic protocols. Results We received responses from 87 providers from 11 countries, with 40.7% (n=35) seeing >30 TSC patients yearly. The majority of providers (n=70, 88.6%) deemed that a patient with TSC needed expert care beyond the standard of care for typical pregnancy, with over 25% of providers reporting that they have seen LAM exacerbation, seizures, and preterm labor in pregnant patients with TSC. Providers who managed mTOR inhibitors (mTORi) also agreed that mTORi use should be stopped prior to pregnancy (n=45, 68.2%) but there was uncertainty about when to stop the mTORi (one month 28.9%, two months 11.1%, three months 42.2%, and 6-12 months 2.2%). Additionally, there was no consensus on restarting mTORi in response to disease progression. When asked about provider or clinic specific protocols, 71.6% (n=53) of providers stated that they do not have a clear protocol for management decisions for patients with TSC before/during pregnancy. Conclusion Healthcare providers recognize that patients with TSC are at an i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Melanie Myers Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jennifer Glass MS (Committee Member); Emily Wakefield M.S. (Committee Member); David Ritter Ph.D. (Committee Member); Leandra Tolusso M.S. (Committee Member); Paul Horn Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Genetics

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Adultification bias is the perception of Black youth as less innocent and more adult-like than their peers (Epstein, Blake & Gonzalez, 2017). This perception is based on racialized and gendered stereotypes held by the adults who view these children. Research on adultification bias thus far has shown implications of this social stereotype on the lived experiences of Black girls across public systems (e.g., education, juvenile justice). Despite the potential long-term effects that have been discussed in qualitative research, no prior study to our knowledge has examined the impact of adultification bias on the transition to adulthood. The present study sought to fill this gap in the literature through examining the psychological and behavioral consequences of experiencing adultification bias in childhood in early adulthood. To quantitatively examine the implications of adultification bias it was necessary to develop a questionnaire to measure retrospective experiences of adultification bias (Adultification Bias Scale). The first aim of this study was to examine the factor structure, validity, and reliability of this new measure. Factor analysis of the Adultification Bias Scale revealed a sound, valid measure of childhood adultification bias experiences that may continue to be used in future research building upon this phenomenon. Overall, our findings revealed that collegiate Black women overwhelmingly recall experiences of adultification bias throughout their childhood. The data revealed an association between childhood experiences of adultification bias and current internalizing symptoms in young adult Black women. Further, internalizing symptoms appeared to mediate the relationship between adultification bias experiences and risk-taking and weight-management behaviors. Limitations and implications of the current study as well as recommendations for future research are discussed.

Committee: Angela Neal-Barnett (Advisor); Josefina Grau (Committee Member); Carla Goar (Other); Kelly Cichy (Committee Member); John Updegraff (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2021, Manufacturing and Technology Management

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, the world has gradually appeared markedly different compared with the pre-crisis era. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dynamic changes, but the long-lasting turbulence across the business world was not merely caused by this global crisis. In the first two months of the outbreak, regional shutdowns led to a dramatic supply shock, followed by a demand shortage due to the increasing need for pharmaceuticals and critical medical products (Sherman, 2020; Shih, 2020). In addition, panic buying behaviors of essential living supplies, together with the demand shortage, increase the difficulty of handling supply chain disruptions. These sudden changes caused by COVID-19 are extremely challenging for companies to react appropriately, especially in such a short period of time. However, at the time of writing, it has been more than ten months since the first confirmed case, and the business world is still affected by supply chain disruptions. So, risk management needs breadth and depth investigation to identify potential risk sources beyond the initial disruptions, to assess the risk impacts of subsequent vulnerabilities, to mitigate and predict unnecessary risks, and to improve resilience capabilities from a dynamic view (DuHadway et al., 2019; Ivanov et al., 2017; Ivanov & Dolgui, 2020). This dissertation aims to identify the accelerated risk forces that occur during and after a significant disruption event (i.e., disruption event itself is not the main focus of this investigation), examine how those risks drive the advancement of firm resilience capabilities through strategic and operational practices, and then evaluate the associated performance outcomes. This study first explored the trending topics and business issues from major business newspapers and media sites to obtain research relevant. It results in 1,660 news articles from 11 different sources (e.g., Financial Times, Wall S (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Paul Hong (Committee Chair) Subjects: Management; Operations Research

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2020, Education

Audits are rarely used by organizations to effectively improve their information governance (IG) programs. The objective of this qualitative, semi-structured interview research was to determine if an organization that performed an audit of their IG program could improve compliance and policy objectives. The sample included four participants from Federal, state, and municipal government agencies that met level a three of ARMA's GARP Maturity Model (2012) regarding an organization's regulatory, compliance, and policy requirements. Participants conducted at least one audit of their IG program over an eight-year period. The findings concluded that the utilization of audits improved IG program policy compliance and mitigated information risk in an organization. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

Committee: John Gillham (Committee Chair); Amanda Ochsner (Committee Member); Charlie Sodano (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Science; Information Science; Information Systems; Information Technology; Legal Studies; Systems Design

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Civil Engineering

Water Distribution Systems (WDSs) are the most essential civil infrastructure systems for the functioning of communities. Economic prosperity and social wellbeing of modern society depend on reliable, robust, and resilient WDSs. Unfortunately, a majority of water pipelines in the United States (U.S.) are in service beyond their intended design life and have experienced a high failure rate. Aged metallic pipelines are susceptible to failure due to corrosion deterioration, traffic loading, excessive water pressure, seismic loading, and other factors. These failures result in enormous direct and indirect economic and societal consequences. Moreover, water pipe failures often lead to cascading consequences to other interconnecting infrastructure, especially road networks. In the face of these frequent failures, water utilities are struggling to maintain their assets with limited budget and resource constraints. There is a clear need to develop a comprehensive framework to assess and mitigate the risk posed by combined external loading (e.g., water pressure, traffic loading, earthquakes) and corrosion deterioration to WDSs. This research presents a risk-based asset management decision-support framework for WDSs subjected to combined corrosion and external loading, considering both component-level and system-level risk. A critical literature review of existing literature on various aspects of asset management is performed to establish the knowledge gap between current practice and theory in WDS research. Various fragility models of pipelines and systems are developed considering the effect of corrosion deterioration. Uncertainties involved in fragility and restoration models are accounted for using the probabilistic approaches. The seismic restoration process is modeled considering the repair activities overtimes. Next, a framework is proposed that incorporates topological and hydraulic reliability model, seismic functionality and resilience model, scenario-based seismi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Yue Li Dr. (Advisor); Wojbor Woyczynski Dr. (Committee Member); Xiong Yu Dr. (Committee Member); Christian Carloni Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2020, Business Administration

Higher education, like other industries, must innovate to keep pace with new challenges and opportunities. This critical need requires leaders who are predisposed to innovation, particularly in the area of enrollment management that serves as a key revenue source. The personal characteristics of a leader can help to foster innovation, so an examination of the characteristics of chief enrollment officers in higher education may help to explain or predict innovation in higher education. This quantitative study examines the relationships between the constructs of self-efficacy, risk propensity, and innovation. The population of the study is chief enrollment officers of colleges and universities in the United States, divided into their “control types” of public or private not-for-profit. The quantitative study collected responses from chief enrollment officer at 91 public institutions and 105 private not-for-profit institutions. The four hypotheses tested whether the control type influenced the behavior and characteristics of the chief enrollment officers. While the data suggest a positive correlation between both self efficacy and risk propensity to innovation within this population, the data does not find a statistically significant difference between the two groups.

Committee: Brenda Jones PhD (Committee Chair); Denise Rucker PhD (Committee Member); Lewis Chongwony PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Entrepreneurship; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Organizational Behavior