Master of Science in Software Engineering, Cleveland State University, 2017, Washkewicz College of Engineering

In today's distributed software ecosystem, we have witnessed a broad exhibition of notable approaches to software architecture. Traditionally, these approaches have centered around persisting a system's current state. Rather than adhere to these criteria, two modern architectures, Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS) and Event Sourcing have inspired us to persist the interactions of the software actor as replayable events which describe the history of their input data. While CQRS and Event Sourcing allow for considerable benefits in many types of systems, maintaining parallel realities (multiple snapshots of history deriving from a single parent history) is generally regarded as too complex for maintainability. In our pursuit to achieve parallel realities in Event Sourcing systems, we established Command Sourcing, a superset of the two aforementioned architectures. Leveraging Command Sourcing, we effectively demonstrate maintainable parallel realities as part of a collection of architectural guidelines, data structures, and algorithms. By further applying Command Sourcing and researching the algorithms that belong in these systems, we present solutions to related complex milestones such as merging realities, reality optimization, conflict resolution, and aggregate duplication.

Committee: Nigamanth Sridhar Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Yongjian Fu Ph.D. (Committee Member); Janche Sang Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Science

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2009, Management

The dissertation draws on theory of organizational controls to understand the salient controls that the buyer, or focal firm can use to succeed in outsourcing initiatives. I use multimethod research to study ‘buyer side' (or focal firm) success factors in large scale, complex outsourcing initiatives. The research design consists of sequential exploratory theory generating qualitative study, and theory validating quantitative study. This design triangulates data and theory across distinct data collection methods and analyses. The research design strengthens inferences of causality in cross sectional (although independent) samples. In the first study, I use the inductive, positivist case study method in the spirit of Eisenhardt, to carry out a field study on the antecedents of success in large scale IT outsourcing. The study involves interviews with Chief Information Officers at successful focal firms, and a leading US based global vendor. The case study theoretically triangulates interview data with extant conceptualizations of well known constructs to formulate an extended model of success in IT outsourcing. The study suggests environmental and firm level predictors for selective sourcing, which has been viewed in the extant research to be superior to total outsourcing, although the conditions that lead to successful selective sourcing are not well understood. Inductively derived configurations of focal sourcing firms suggest gestalts of sourcing related capabilities that are difficult to develop in isolation. In the second study, I develop a model of Information Technology (IT) outsourcing success that draws on the field study and a review of organizational controls literature. To this end I identify a set of salient organizational mechanisms as predictors for outsourcing success. These mechanisms are exercised by focal firms in the successful management of large strategic outsourcing arrangements. Data from a survey of senior focal firm executives is used to valid (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen (Advisor); Richard Boland Jr. (Committee Member); Bo Carlsson (Committee Member); Fred Collopy (Committee Member) Subjects: Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Business Administration

This dissertation addresses the relative importance of price and non-price criteria in sourcing decisions from three distinct perspectives. Each essay is motivated by the same problem: that organizations tend to unintentionally overweight cost minimization objectives in their sourcing decisions. In the first of three essays, I show that excessively price-based decision-making is a widespread problem in sourcing. To do this, I combined two sources of data on contract awards by the US federal government. I applied coarsened exact matching to identify cases where contracts were awarded using different criteria in similar situations. I then used logistic regression to show that when non-price criteria are weighted more heavily, the same contractor is more likely to receive awards for similar work in the future. This relationship is absent when there is a requirement for the decision-maker to provide written justification for the use of the more price-based approach, allowing me to infer a solution to the problem identified. In the second essay, I investigate whether the procurement profession's identity influences the relative importance of price in supplier selection decisions. I first conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with current practitioners, eliciting their comments on: their level of identification with the procurement profession; procurement's group image; others' perceptions of procurement's group image; and, procurement's status within their organization. Drawing from the observed variation in responses, I designed and conducted a scenario-based experiment. I find that strong identification with the procurement profession can contribute to more price-based sourcing decisions. In the third essay, I expand my focus from procurement professionals to a broader set of professions that commonly contribute to sourcing decisions: supply management, engineering, and marketing. Seeking to understand how these different perspectives influence (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Gray (Advisor); James Hill (Advisor); Christian Blanco (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Management; Operations Research

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism (Communication)

This study examined sourcing and framing in PTSD news coverage published by The New York Times from 1999–2020 using quantitative content analysis. Based on the findings of previous studies, it was hypothesized that the sampled coverage would overrepresent combat trauma relative to other sources of trauma, underrepresent options for treatment and recovery, privilege men and official sources over women and unofficial sources (i.e., men and official sources would speak more often than women and unofficial sources), and favor episodic/individual framing over thematic/social framing. However, these hypotheses were only partially supported. The researcher ultimately found that, while the sampled coverage did overrepresent combat trauma and underrepresent treatment and recovery options, as well as favor men over women in sourcing, it defied expectations in other ways. Namely, it was observed that civilian/unofficial sources predominated over official sources, and that thematic/social framing predominated over episodic/individual framing.

Committee: Parul Jain Dr. (Advisor); Rosanna Planer (Committee Member); Victoria LaPoe Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Mental Health

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2021, Design

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world stage was an unprecedented situation in contemporary western life. In this unprecedented situation there was a crucial need for high quality information available to the public so that they might make informed choices about their health and about prevention. This project aims to explore different barriers to the dissemination of quality information in a pandemic. This is done through the research for and design of a prototype source for COVID-19 information. Over the course of this investigation the problem of political polarization in coverage of COVID-19 is uncovered and examined. The problem of political polarization is further considered in exploratory features of the prototype. User-centered and design research techniques were employed to explore this problem area and used to inform the choices at the design level. Research was conducted over the course of four separate phases with protocol including online survey, card sorting, and group workshops. Insights gathered from this research helped inform users' information needs and existing information sourcing habits. This information was utilized in the creation of a user-centered app for COVID-19 information. Users' information sourcing biases were also examined and used to explore different ways for reducing political bias in the presentation of COVID-19 news through interface design. From this research additional design-based recommendations for designing during a pandemic are uncovered and discussed.

Committee: Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders Ph.D (Advisor); Peter Kwok Chan Ph.D (Committee Member); Sébastien Proulx Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2018, Geography

Blight management has long been an issue for local governments. Due to the housing crisis and population loss vacancies and abandonment are on the rise. Homeowners are walking away from their homes leaving them to tax delinquency and ultimately being forfeited to the state. Abandonment leads to further deterioration of houses and which are being demolished leaving vacant lots scattered through the city - many of which are concentrated in central city. Increased abandonment poses an issue for local governments – How do we maintain these properties for the community with decreases in funding? The City of Toledo chose to take a unique approach to managing blight within its community. The Division of Code Enforcement has implemented GIS, crowd-sourcing, and community engagement to help better manage blight. By utilizing community residents to maintain properties within the neighborhood the city has increased their max capacity by 301%.

Committee: Yanqing Xu (Committee Chair); Sujata Shetty (Committee Member); David Nemeth (Committee Member) Subjects: Geographic Information Science; Geography; Urban Planning

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Arts and Sciences: Classics

This thesis is a review of recent archaeometric studies on glass of the Roman Empire, intended for an audience of classical archaeologists. It discusses the physical and chemical properties of glass, and the way these define both its use in ancient times and the analytical options available to us today. It also discusses Roman glass as a class of artifacts, the product of technological developments in glassmaking with their ultimate roots in the Bronze Age, and of the particular socioeconomic conditions created by Roman political dominance in the classical Mediterranean. The principal aim of this thesis is to contextualize archaeometric analyses of Roman glass in a way that will make plain, to an archaeologically trained audience that does not necessarily have a history of close involvement with archaeometric work, the importance of recent results for our understanding of the Roman world, and the potential of future studies to add to this.

Committee: Barbara Burrell Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kathleen Lynch Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Classical Studies

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2012, Arts and Sciences: Anthropology

Using lithic raw material data from 33Ha49 in Shawnee Lookout Park in Hamilton County, Ohio, this research explores the role that waterways play in lithic raw material procurement strategies. Previous archaeologists have investigated the cultural processes associated with the movement of lithic raw materials across the landscape (Tankersley 1989, 1991, 1998). Explanations for the movement of flaked-stone artifacts include both human activity and geological processes. To best examine the cultural processes associated with raw lithic procurement, Optimal Foraging Theory was applied. By utilizing Optimal Foraging Theory, lithic raw material is considered a type of “currency” and becomes subjected to considerations of risk, energy expenditure, and efficiency. The use of waterways in lithic procurement could offer a way for groups to maximize their gain and acquire quality lithic raw materials. Research has also found evidence of people operating on the waterways. Evidence of dugout canoes operating on lakes and rivers has been recovered (Fagan 2004; Gamble 2002; Johnston 1962). Excavated during the summer of 2011, the lithic raw materials, which consisted primarily of chert, numbered over 17,000. Using primarily visual and petrographic identification techniques, all of the lithic raw materials were sourced to their locations in the Greater Ohio Valley. Statistical models considered stream location, distance, direction, glaciation, quality, and locality as factors to understand what elevates certain lithic raw materials over others. These models demonstrated the importance of streams in procuring these lithic raw materials. The evidence for this was most visible with Wyandotte chert. It was concluded that streams can be a viable route to more easily obtain lithic raw materials from source areas. Waterways provide the most energetically efficient way to procure currencies such as lithics.

Committee: Kenneth Tankersley PhD (Committee Chair); Vernon Scarborough PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Archaeology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Textiles and Clothing

January 1, 2005 brought the elimination of quantitative restrictions to trade in the apparel industry. Because apparel products are produced in almost every country around the world, the elimination of trade barriers has important implications for apparel sourcing decisions. The research in this dissertation assesses the impact of quota release using two methodologies: interviews of sourcing personnel, which will give a micro-economic view of imports at the company level, and econometrics, which will be used to give a macro-economic view of impacts on the industry. The combination of these two methodologies will give a holistic look at the reduction of trade barriers and their impact on the apparel sourcing decision. The qualitative data consisted of transcripts from interviews of six sourcing personnel. New themes that emerged from the data included vendor relationships, security of country and natural barriers, such as weather phenomena. External environmental barriers, such as economic, political/legal, and socio-cultural barriers, found in previous research were confirmed by the qualitative data. The quantitative data used for this research was collected from various US and international agencies. OLS regression revealed all variables (difference in GDP, geographical distance, duty, real exchange rate, and quota) to be significant. The regression model does not include the emergent variables, due to the difficulty in quantifying them. Quota and tariffs were significant factors in the sourcing decision, both in the qualitative and quantitative studies. Quota has an interesting phenomenon occur, in that as quota decreases, US demand for apparel imports increases. This can be seen in the data (import quantity) and can be attributed to confounding variables not included in the model.

Committee: Leslie Stoel (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Technical and Scientific Communication, Miami University, 2006, Technical and Scientific Communication

During my internship with Choice Systems, Inc. from April until December 2005, I worked as a technical communicator, developing documentation for the company's supply chain management software applications. This report is a chronicle of my internship and includes information about the company and the projects on which I worked. It provides a discussion of single-sourcing, a documentation methodology I investigated to determine whether it would improve the efficiency of developing and managing the large body of documentation that Choice maintains. This report also includes an analysis of the process I used to develop documentation based on the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model from supply chain management. From this analysis, I conclude that efficiencies in documentation can be realized less by automating the documentation process than by aligning the software development and documentation development supply chains. An additional benefit would be increased availability of information, which is critical to organizations like Choice with networked cultures.

Committee: Jean Lutz (Advisor) Subjects: Computer Science

PHD, Kent State University, 2011, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Ambassador Crawford / Department of Management and Information Systems

An ongoing challenge in supply chain management is to reduce costs while continuously improving customer service levels. Providing “value” to the customer is a significant, yet increasingly difficult component of this challenge as customers continue to demand high quality sustainable products delivered at their door in minimum time and at a minimum cost. This dissertation focuses on how sourcing contributes to best value supply chains. This work introduces a “value sourcing” framework with a set of mathematical models that support the foundation of the framework. In the form of three essays, the dissertation provides insights for establishing responsive supply chains in today's competitive business landscape and contributes to meeting the challenges of managing suppliers in a global supply chain. The first essay establishes a conceptual framework for value sourcing. We define value sourcing as “the process of procuring goods and/or services to meet the needs of the customer via a set of customer-focused supply management initiatives that enables an organization in the selection and management of suppliers”. The second essay defines a mathematical framework that links the value sourcing initiative of supplier evaluation to a supplier's delivery performance. We minimize the costs associated with untimely delivery and investment to improve delivery performance and present a model to enhance responsiveness in the supply chain. Finally, the third essay uses an optimization model to link costs of penalty and improvement to supplier selection and management, the decision outcomes of value sourcing. In this final essay, guided by a prescribed budget constraint for continuous improvement, we optimize the buyer spending for improvement in supplier delivery performance that contributes to supplier capability, buyer-supplier alignment, and supplier management. This dissertation contributes to academia and practice in three ways. First, the value sourcing framework addressed in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Alfred Guiffrida PhD (Committee Chair); Murali Shanker PhD (Committee Member); Michael Hu PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Management

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The privatization of tools, the specialization of knowledge, and the restriction of access to technological systems have progressively removed the amateur from the design of the built environment. Today, maker culture and the open source movement offers an alternative approach. This approach invites the public into a new sphere where access to open information systems and shared, affordable, user-friendly technology renders the specialist obsolete. In doing so, these post-industrial movements transfer authority and tools to the commons, and offer a growing library of free, downloadable blueprints with an enormous supporting network of opinions, advice, and training. Technology and the Internet are quickly erasing the division between the professional and the amateur. Presently architecture fails to address this and it is ill-prepared for this confrontation. The following thesis surveys the current situation through relevant literature reviews, current technological applications, and applied analogies to other fields which are offered to better address the lack of architectural research on this subject. This thesis is grounded in the theoretical framework of the open source movement and it situates itself to answer the following questions: How can architects compete in a networked information system that allows downloadable manufacturing kits to produce open designs? How can architecture be crowd-sourced and made more open to perform for and from the commons? What lessons can be learned from other fields that have adopted an open source methodology and process for their work? What are current examples of this transition, and how can the architect be relevant in a globally networked information society? To address these questions, this thesis presents research on the early development of open source software and its rejection of hierarchical organization. It reveals its successes, its supporting legislation, and its widespread use in computer science and g (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch (Committee Chair); Aarati Kanekar Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, Business Administration

In recent years, healthcare organizations (HCOs) in the United States and across the globe have come under increasing pressure to reduce cost while maintaining high quality of care. Supplies and equipment contribute significantly to the total healthcare cost as these categories account for approximately 40% of HCO spending. The healthcare supply chain is distinctly different from traditional supply chains, and findings from extant supply chain research may therefore not apply to the healthcare supply chain. The relationship between the supply chain members is a key determinant of supply chain excellence. In this dissertation the role of dependence and inter-organizational power and the effect of supply chain relationships in the healthcare supply chain are investigated. Survey data from 276 procurement professionals from US HCOs are analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The relationship between an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and an HCO is interceded by a middleman, the Group Purchasing Organization (GPO). The analysis offers strong empirical evidence that this interceded relationship is positively affected by an OEM’s non-mediated power and that this relationship positively affects the performance of both the OEM and the HCO. The relationship between the GPO and the HCO is positively affected by the GPO’s non-mediated power, but is surprisingly not affected by the GPO’s mediated power. This GPO-HCO relationship furthermore only affects the GPO’s performance. The results suggest that the performance of an HCO is not affected by a relationship with a GPO. The analysis also indicates that when a buyer uses a procurement service provider, such as a GPO, the buying organization can end up in a dependence trap; An HCO’s dependence on the GPO positively affects the HCO’s dependence on the OEM. Furthermore, an HCO’s dependence on a GPO and on an OEM affects the HCO’s assessment of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: W.C. Benton (Advisor); Peter Ward (Committee Member); Gökçe Esenduran (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration