Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, EECS - Computer and Information Sciences

A large number of Americans with increasing medical complexity reside in nursing homes and around 4 million individuals receive care and services in a nursing home during a year. Antibiotics are some of the most frequently prescribed medications in nursing homes and it is estimated that 50 to 70% of residents will be prescribed an antibiotic in a year. Unfortunately, 25 to 75% of antibiotic use in nursing homes is inappropriate. The most common prescribing problems are using an antibiotic when not needed, choosing the wrong antibiotic, and using the wrong dose or duration. These problems can be harmful to the resident's health, contributing to potential adverse drug events, allergic reactions, and antibiotic-resistant infections. Antibiotic stewardship, which seeks to minimize unnecessary and inappropriate antibiotic use, is urgently needed in American nursing homes to improve resident outcomes and to reduce the adverse events associated with antibiotic use. In 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a change that required all nursing homes to have an antibiotic stewardship program by November 2017. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a framework for antibiotic stewardship implementation called the Core Elements that detail actions critical for the success of antibiotic stewardship implementation. Two of the seven Core Elements are the tracking and reporting of antibiotic use. Currently, many nursing homes lack the resources, expertise, and infrastructure to track and analyze antibiotic use measures. Further, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding how many and what kinds of antibiotics American nursing home residents receive. Our project started with the development of a web-based interactive analysis tool to determine the feasibility of using administrative data to quantify antibiotic use. The outcomes suggest that pharmacy transaction data can be utilized to capture antibiotic use in many nursing h (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jing Li Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Robin Jump MD. Ph.D. (Advisor); Mehmet Koyuturk Ph.D. (Committee Member); Siran Koroukian Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Science; Public Health; Statistics

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2024, Business Administration

Cultural competency has gained significant attention in the past two decades, particularly within human services nonprofits. These nonprofits often operate under the governance of white, affluent, college-educated individuals while providing services to minority populations with limited financial resources and education. These differences may create cultural understanding challenges. This study endeavored to shed light on the effective cultural competency approaches employed by these organizations in serving a diverse population. Using qualitative comparative analysis, this research examined the disparities among human services agencies in terms of successful strategies for fostering cultural competency within their board of directors. The study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 28 directors from human services agencies categorized into two groups based on their annual revenue: agencies with an annual revenue between $100,000 and $999,999 and those agencies with $1 million and higher. The findings showed that 25 of the 28 agencies described themselves as successful and implemented cultural competency building efforts among their board members. Of the 25 successful agencies, 13 directly linked their success to their cultural competency building efforts. The other 12 successful agencies stated they could not directly link their success to their cultural competency efforts. These results implicate the need for additional research that looks at a larger sample with broader demographics and other approaches that allow for deeper probing of cultural competency training efforts.

Committee: Lewis Chongwony (Committee Chair); Christopher Washington (Committee Member); Bora Pajo (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Management; Organization Theory

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2024, College of Education

This study describes two Midwest congregations and how their lead pastor budgets and promotes giving according to an ecclesiological understanding of identity, mission, and ministry. Data was collected through an interview with each lead pastor, an interview with two leadership board members, interviews with three congregants, and participant observation at each congregation. The findings show that these two congregations use their congregational finances differently and they develop unique, opposing cultures of money based at least partially on the differing ecclesiologies of their leaders. When a leader's ecclesiology, use of congregational finances, and the congregational culture of money are complementary, congregation members trust their money is being used for good. When there are conflicts within these three areas, it can lead to confusion and congregational finances not being used to their full potential.

Committee: Judy Alston Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Clergy; Finance; Religious Congregations

Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 2022, Honors Theses

This thesis studies the relationship that private property has to the environment and the ecological crisis humanity faces. Today private property serves as the socioeconomic cornerstone of Western civilization and seems nearly absolute. This study seeks to understand in part the relationship private property has had in informing humanity's attitudes about how external things are to be held and the environment. That relationship in this study is viewed through the lens of the Catholic teaching on private property and the right relationships human beings should have in this regard.

Committee: Ronald Carstens (Advisor); Harry McKnight (Other); Imali Abala (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Political Science

Master of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 2022, Public Health

Having risen as a global concern, characterization of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria within different agricultural landscapes is essential to recognize and mitigate AMR-associated global health risks. Individual animal factors such as lactation stage, parity, and previous antimicrobial use and herd-level factors like size and production type may need to be supplemented with community-level factors such as landscape diversity, density of agricultural animals, soil composition, landscape fragmentation, and connectivity to describe AMR in across agricultural landscapes. Because cephalosporins are used extensively and commensal organisms often harbor resistance in cattle, we investigated herd and community level risk factors of broad-spectrum cephalosporin resistance (BSCR) in cattle across 54 cattle farms in two Ohio counties to explore the role of community-level factors in AMR. From the summer of 2019 through the summer of 2021, interview data, pooled manure samples from cattle, and deer manure samples were collected from farms (n=54) across two counties with different landscape types in Ohio. Proportions of BSCR Enterobacteriaceae were calculated using counts of bacterial colonies grown on non-selective and selective MacConkey agar plates. Herd level predictors included in analysis were outdoor access, other livestock species' presence on the farm, cattle imports to the farm, and herd size. Community level predictors were calculated using a centroid buffer with a 3-kilometer radius around each farm and included cropland diversity, mean dairy kernel density, mean beef kernel density, distance to nearest hospital, distance to nearest wastewater treatment plant, and proportion of broad spectrum cephalosporin resistance in deer manure collected on the property. Beta regression was used to identify significant predictors across both counties combined and stratified by county. Of all models, those including only herd size outcompeted the others in the combined ana (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rebecca Garabed (Advisor); Jiyoung Lee (Committee Member); Stephen Matthews (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Health; Veterinary Services

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Medicine: Clinical and Translational Research

Background: Although children with tracheostomies frequently undergo respiratory culture testing, the frequency of antibiotic prescribing and the prevalence of respiratory culture antibiotic resistance are not known. It is also not clear if recent antibiotic use contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant respiratory culture organisms. Objective: To quantify antibiotic prescribing, determine the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant respiratory culture organisms, and assess for an association between frequent antibiotic prescribing and the development of antibiotic-resistant organisms in children with tracheostomies. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included children with tracheostomies 2 months to 18 years old from 2010-2018. Detailed demographic and antibiotic prescribing data were extracted from the medical record and combined with respiratory culture results (tracheostomy aspirate or bronchoalveolar lavage). Antibiotics were classified by spectrum using CDC definitions; resistance was defined using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute breakpoints. New antibiotic resistance was defined as any organism with resistance for which the same organism was previously isolated without resistance or for which the resistant organism had never been isolated in the child before. Antibiotics prescribed were summarized using the number of courses initiated and days of therapy (DOTs) of antibiotics prescribed per child per year of enrollment during the study period. Descriptive statistics were generated for respiratory culture growth and antibiotic-resistance data. A generalized estimating equation was used to assess for association between antibiotic use within 120 days and the outcomes of any or newly antibiotic-resistant organism(s) on respiratory culture while accounting for patient-level covariates and within patient clustering. Results: Children were prescribed a median of 7.1 antibiotic courses per child per year (IQR: 0.6-5 (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Patrick Ryan Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Marepalli Rao Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joanna Thomson (Committee Member) Subjects: Surgery

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2021, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

In Norms in the Wild: How to Diagnose, Measure, and Change Social Norms, Cristina Bicchieri outlines a novel amalgamation of elements to form an updated conceptualization of social norms (2017). The purpose of this study aimed to determine how social norms influence public dialogue about environmental issues by elected officials in counties that (1) extract coal through surface mining, (2) contain no town larger than 35,000 residents, (3) contain no major four-year university, and (4) voted for Trump in 2020. The ultimate goal of research was to assess whether or not, in a highly polarized political culture, norms prohibit elected officials in conservative communities from addressing topics of environmental concern. Data was elicited via interviews with elected officials from counties with coal mining legacies in West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, North Dakota, and Wyoming. Through analytic, descriptive, and open coding, qualitative analysis focused on perceptions about climate change, pollution, and economic transitions away from coal. Results indicated that a majority of interviewees, 56%, viewed climate change as a topic to be avoided in public settings. Of the 33% of interviewees who lived in communities where they perceived they could openly discuss climate change, 67% of the subset identified climate change as an existential threat, which accounted for 22% of the total number of interviewees. While pollution was named a subject to be avoided in public by 22% of interviewees, pollution was only reported to be a public concern by 11% of the total sample. The remaining 89% contended that pollution did not exist in, or posed no risk to, their communities. In conclusion, analysis suggested that social norms aligned with community leader preferences. Thus, Bicchieri's blueprint for behavior change, which hinges on identifying maladapted social norms, will not serve practitioners who hope to employ Bicchieri's social norm concept as a st (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Geoffrey Dabelko Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Risa Whitson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Liang Tao Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Management

Previous service innovation research has predominantly focused either on outcomes and typologies of service innovation or on the service innovation process itself. Little work explores service-innovation antecedents such as managers' behaviors or firm capabilities. This work helps fill this research gap. Specifically, this research explores how organizational-level factors help facilitate stewardship and thus drive service innovation capabilities. Stewardship is key in service-dominant logic as the value proposition is a promise not only about 'what' but also about 'how' the firm, the customer, and other parties co-create value on the basis of the value proposition, with the help of resources, providing a link between the behaviors, activities, and outcomes. To fill the research gap in service-innovation antecedents, the aim of this study is to examine stewardship as an operant resource in service-innovation antecedents and its effects that support and/or constrain the action of other operant resources such as service innovation capabilities under S-D logic. I use a mixed-methods approach to first understand (Study 1) what aids service innovation leading then to measure (Study 2 and Study 3) how and to what extent the role of stewardship as an operant resource affects other operant resources such as service innovation behavior, service innovation ideation, service innovation strategy development, and the utilization of the voice of the customer. My results suggest that the construct of stewardship has a positive impact on S-D logic's operant resources. My research findings explain the granularity of stewardship in S-D logic, with broader implications for service innovation.

Committee: Casey Newmeyer Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Yunmei Wang Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stephan Liozu Ph.D. (Committee Member); Rakesh Niraji Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Management; Marketing

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2019, Management

The personal sustainability of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) influences their effectiveness and thus, their organization's performance. Leaders whose personal mission is too closely intertwined with their organization's professional mission are at the most risk of experiencing diminished sustainability; defined as personal wellbeing and professional effectiveness over time. Suggestions have been made on combatting the issue, but the phenomenon of low sustainability persists among nonprofit leaders. Through studying nonprofit organization leaders, the purpose of this research is to elevate and preserve the personal wellbeing of nonprofit organization leaders while contributing to a growing body of knowledge on professional effectiveness. Using mixed methods, a qualitative study was followed by a quantitative study at two time periods. Critical incident interviews for the qualitative study were conducted with twenty "sustainable" and ten "unsustainable" CEOs of diverse nonprofit organizations, as identified by trusted third party raters. Interviews were also conducted with fifteen spouses. A true focus on the organization's mission, mastery over relationships, and self-care significantly differentiated the sustainable and unsustainable CEOs. Building off those findings, 107 nonprofit executive directors and CEOs were administered a survey in the quantitative study combining the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Avolio, Bass, & Jung, 1999), Personal Sustainability Index (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2013), Relational Climate Survey (Boyatzis & Rochford, 2015), Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, 1984), and Reputational Effectiveness Survey (Tsui, 1994). Portions were administered to the spouse and a direct report for validation. Personal sustainability practices, both the intensity and variety of renewal activities engaged in by leaders in relation to stressful activities, had a positive impact on leadership effectiveness. The qualitative survey was also take (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Boyatzis Ph.D. (Committee Chair); David Aron MD, MS (Committee Member); Christopher Burant Ph.D., MACTM (Committee Member); Melvin Smith Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Business Administration; Health; Management

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2018, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Antibiotic resistance is a public health crisis. Infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria lead to over 2.5 million infections and 23,000 deaths annually in the United States (US). Non-judicious use of antibiotics can accelerate what should be avoidable selective pressure, accelerating the evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Although any antibiotic exposure, whether appropriate or not, may contribute to the selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria, failure to follow clinical prescribing guidelines make the problem worse. In American Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) up to 75% of antibiotic prescriptions do not meet these guidelines. Antibiotic stewardship, which seeks to minimize inappropriate or unnecessary antibiotic use, is one solution to combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic stewardship is urgently needed in LTCFs to improve resident outcomes and to reduce selection for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Driven by both the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and recent federal mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, LTCFs across the US are rapidly implementing antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs). ASPs are coordinated approaches for harmonizing competing concerns of adequate spectrum of coverage, adverse events, and resistance. The CMS mandate will be enforced through a range of sanctions ranging from civil fines to closure of the facility. To date, LTCFs have been slow to adopt stewardship measures. Studies of US LTCFs are limited and there is also a paucity of well-validated strategies specific to these healthcare settings. Despite emerging evidence of successful stewardship in a selection of US LTCF settings, adoption may be bottlenecked due to personnel who may lack training or experience in data collection and analysis, funding or logistical constraints, prescriber's decision-making autonomy, or few electronic resources. The objective of this dissertation is to examine the patt (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Alfred Rimm PhD (Committee Chair); Robin Jump MD, PhD (Advisor); Scott Williams PhD (Committee Member); Siran Koroukian PhD (Committee Member); Stefan Gravenstein MD, MPH (Committee Member) Subjects: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; Medicine

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Interpretive nature walks are an important tool for conservation organizations, which use them to educate, and to connect visitors with their sites. Interpretive studies often focus on program outcomes. However, less research exists on how the experience itself is perceived by visitors. Is it primarily a learning process? What role does the guide play, and how does the process of interpretation affect the visitor experience? What implications might this have for interpretive techniques, and for organizations seeking to build supportive stewardship communities? The purpose of this study was to explore how the process of interpretation affects a short-term nature experience by examining it through the lens of both visitor and guide. I accompanied nature walks on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, and subsequently conducted semi-structured interviews with guides and visitors. This provided a trifold perspective on each trip, enabling an examination of the trip as observed by the researcher, and as perceived by both visitor and guide. Learning was an important part of the experience, as expected. However, interviews revealed that a major aspect of a trip is social. A large proportion of respondent narrative was devoted to social observations: about group dynamics; the sharing of knowledge, experience, and personal history; social norms; and the guide's social aptitude. Information transfer did not always originate with the guide, but resulted from visitor-to-visitor interaction. Visitors learned from each other by comparing past experiences, speculating about observations, and generating questions for the guide. Thus, in addition to receiving knowledge delivered by the guide, visitors were engaged in active, constructive social learning and building and reinforcing common interests. At the same time, they were reinforcing a common identity as members of a particular social “tribe.” Guided nature walks are thus revealed as a social forum for constructive learning. Visi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joy Ackerman PhD (Committee Chair); Carol Saunders PhD (Committee Member); Will LaPage PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Education; Environmental Studies

Master of Education, University of Toledo, 2015, Higher Education

Donor cultivation and retention is vital to the continued success of higher education institutions, especially at a time when tuition is on the rise and state funding continues to decrease. Mid-range donors are the future of major gifts, thus it is vital for institutions to have an adequate understanding of their giving influences and patterns. This research solicited mid-range donors for their perceptions on cultivation and stewardship practices at Lourdes University. An electronic survey was distributed to 275 individuals who were identified by Lourdes University as mid-range donors. Fifty-three surveys were electronically submitted for a response rate of 19%. Respondents placed significant value on Lourdes University's positive influence on the community. Responses also revealed that there is a lack of awareness in regards to campus events and giving societies. The researcher suggested that Lourdes capitalize on the University's involvement and influence on the community when cultivating new donors. Recommendations also included increasing donor scope through engagement of community members rather than focusing solely on alumni.

Committee: Debra Harmening Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Snejana Slantcheva-Durst Ph.D. (Committee Member); David Meabon Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Finance; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy in Manufacturing and Technology Management, University of Toledo, 2012, College of Business and Innovation

In today's age of industrialization and globalization, environmental deterioration and overuse of natural resources are identified as bottlenecks of social and economic development worldwide. To address these issues, a circular economy has been used by China as its national environmental strategy. The circular economy emphasizes 1) reducing resource and energy use, 2) reusing materials and items, and 3) recycling wastes and used products. Practically, China implements a circular economy at three different levels: regions, industrial parks, and companies. While adequate research has been done at the regional and industrial-park levels, how companies participate in a circular economy is not well understood. To fill this research gap, this study examines the following research questions: 1) What are the mechanisms that enable companies to develop their circular economy capability? 2) What are the antecedents of these mechanisms? 3) Does the development of circular economy capability lead to improvements of environmental and business performances? To address these questions, this research presents a conceptual framework based on complexity theory, natural resource based view (NRBV), dynamic capability theory, absorptive capacity theory, and ecological modernization theory. In particular, product stewardship and green supply chain design are proposed as the key mechanisms through which companies build their circular economy capability. External contextual dynamism for environmental implementation, potential absorptive capacity, and environmental orientation are proposed as antecedents of these mechanisms. Companies' environmental and business performances are proposed as the outcomes of their circular economy capability. To test this research model, measurement instruments were developed and validated for eight major constructs and 28 sub-constructs. Then, the research model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on data collected from a large-scale (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Vonderembse (Committee Co-Chair); Sachin Modi (Committee Co-Chair); Yue Zhang (Committee Member); Ozcan Sezer (Committee Member); Jiquan Chen (Committee Member) Subjects: Organization Theory

Master of Education, University of Toledo, 2008, Higher Education

This study solicited recommendations to improve The University of Toledo's (UT) donor recognition practices following its merger with the Medical University of Ohio (MUO). The sample included 1,469 randomly drawn contributors. The instrument was a mailed questionnaire. A response rate of 26% was realized. Responses revealed that giving philosophies and loyalties to UT influenced giving decisions for survey participants, while contact with UT administration and staff did not. Respondents were highly satisfied with aspects of the UT stewardship program. Events and club membership benefits were not highly valued. The researcher suggested that UT update its donor data base, develop forms of communication aligned with donor loyalties, and create events for newer donors to aid in donor retention. Recommendations included structuring gift clubs around members' common interests and loyalties.This study contributes to the body of knowledge concerning donor recognition practices. It informs endeavors to improve fund raising performance at institutions of higher education.

Committee: Penny Poplin Gosetti PhD (Advisor); Ronald D. Opp PhD (Committee Member); Snejana I. Slantcheva-Durst PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education; School Finance

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, ED Policy and Leadership

The stewardship of schools is central to the renewal and preservation of that which is precious in our nation's schools. This study examined perceptions of future teachers as to the degree to which their teacher preparation program emphasized the idea of stewarding schools. With a theoretical foundation that initial teacher preparation provides the foundation for teacher beliefs and practices, gaining insight how teacher preparation emphasizes the stewardship of schools provides a better understanding of the current milieu in schools. The result of teachers focusing on stewardship of schools leads to school renewal through a sense of obligation to the welfare of the entire educative community. Teacher candidates in the final stages of their initial teacher preparation program were the target population for this study. Specifically, candidates enrolled in initial teacher preparation programs at four different, four-year public universities in Ohio participated in this study. Two of the programs selected had an explicit focus on the stewardship of schools as part of their conceptual framework and through their relationship with the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER). The two other institutions did not have a specific focus on stewardship and did not have a formal relationship with the NNER. The questionnaire used in this study measured candidates' perceptions of how the stewardship of schools was emphasized through teacher education coursework and through field experiences and student teaching. The questionnaire was developed through a cognitive interviewing process and was pilot tested prior to data collection to establish instrument reliability. To further enhance the validity of the instrument, an established scale that produced a high positive correlation with the developed items on stewardship was embedded in the questionnaire. Findings indicated a high level of agreement that the stewardship of schools was emphasized in the subjects' initial tea (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Anderman PhD (Advisor); Antoinette Errante PhD (Committee Member); Robert Hite PhD (Committee Member); Anita Woolfolk Hoy Phd (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2012, Management

During the past twenty years legislative and regulatory actions have driven significant changes in the structure and processes of corporate boards. During this same period scholars have provided confounding empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of these reforms on firm performance. The simple reality is we have little understanding regarding the behavioral processes and dynamics associated with board decision making, despite the fact that a potent reminder from the Enron disaster is “good governance comes down to directors making good decisions” (Useem, 2003: 249). Using a multi-methods research approach, this dissertation is built around three separate but interrelated studies. These studies are designed to open the “black box” of the boardroom by investigating the strategic decision making processes of publicly traded U.S. corporate boards with the intent of gaining insights into how strategic decisions are made and their associated behavioral processes and board dynamics. The first study – a qualitative study of eight firms - draws upon decision making theory in order to assess the characteristics that motivate boards to deploy procedural rationality in their strategic decision-making deliberations. I propose that boards that align around a unified corporate purpose, have balanced power relationships, and effective board leadership are more likely to employ rational decision-making processes in lieu of political behaviors. The second study is a quantitative study based on a survey of 151 directors representing 119 U.S. publicly traded companies. This study, drawing on Forbes and Milliken's (1999) procedurally rational model for strategic decision making, provides support for the creation of two factors - a climate of respect within the boardroom as well as collaboration between the executive team and board members - as antecedents in creating procedurally rational decision-making processes. The third study further examines the relationship of trust in the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Simon Peck PhD (Committee Chair); Diana Bilimoria PhD (Committee Member); Richard Boyatzis PhD (Committee Member); Kalle Lyytinen PhD (Committee Member); Terry McNulty PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Management

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2010, Accounting

The United States Steel Corporation, formed in 1901, was the first company in the United States financial markets to be capitalized at the billion dollar level. Its iconic role in the industrial economy of the country has been studied from several dimensions. This research proposes to examine fully the reporting outcomes for the company. Previous content analysis projects [Claire (1945), Vangermeersch (1970, 1979)] have examined shorter periods of US Steel's external reporting. However, this study will examine a complete set of the company's annual reports from 1902 to 2006, in hard copy and digital formats. It is motivated by an interest in establishing an historical perspective for a question posed by Ross Watts, “Why do financial reports take their current form?” (Watts, 1977, 2006) The study is initiated with the undertaking of traditional, manual content analysis of the annual report data set. In this process, five separate eras of financial reporting were identified throughout a century of annual reports. The eras identified are: 1) The Gary Years; 2) The Transition Years; 3) The Voorhees/Tyson Years; 4) The Evolution Years; and 5) The Cost-Effective Years. Each of these eras are distinctive in their reporting style and corporate financial information which was emphasized and reported. Next, a model-based method of content analysis was developed and performed using structured equations in an attempt to identify external variables which may have influenced the content, display, and tone of the annual reports over the period of the study. This analysis did not produce significant results; however, the process of developing the model and analysis of the reports provides a promising pathway for future exploration of single company data sets by clarifying the limitations of such modeling for long periods of time. The findings altogether assist in improving an understanding of the managerial ideology of the company toward public reporting which appears to have evolv (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gary Previts PhD (Committee Chair); Timothy Fogarty PhD (Committee Member); Larry Parker PhD (Committee Member); Bo Carlsson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Accounting

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2012, Theatre Arts-Arts Administration

This paper suggests that nonprofit institutions engaged in passive collecting could benefit on many levels from a solid collections management policy. The instituting of an established and active policy facilitates the systematic accepting of collections of materials with cultural importance. Solid collection management policy allows for smooth transition from private to institutional care, and provides guidelines for the care, use, and public access to a collection. A collections management policy provides the organizational structure and documentation required for the collection to be used for research; it helps to validate the institution as a creditable collector in the eyes of potential donors; and it helps develop public awareness of the institution.

Committee: Durand Pope Mr. (Advisor); Rodney Bengston Mr. (Committee Member); Lynn Metzger Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Arts Management; Museum Studies; Museums