Management Theses and Dissertations

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Inequality in Shared Micromobility: Global, National, and Local Perspectives
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Meng, Sian; Brown, Anne
Shared micromobility systems, such as shared bicycles and e-scooters, have seen substantial global growth over the past decade. Although these systems offer affordable, flexible, and environmentally friendly transportation options, their rapid proliferation has raised significant equity concerns. The unequal distribution of shared micromobility services may limit access for the transportation disadvantaged, which could exacerbate the inequalities in the existing transportation system. This dissertation examines inequalities in shared micromobility through three studies at global, national, and local scales. The global-level study utilized world city theory to analyze the establishment and expansion of shared micromobility companies worldwide and employed mixed methods to explain what leads to the inequality in system distribution across cities. This study reveals that shared micromobility industries are associated with the world cities of ride-hailing, advanced producer services, and startups. Factors such as low demand for shared micromobility, unfriendly regulatory environments, and negative public and governmental attitudes towards shared micromobility are the major barriers to the adoption of shared micromobility systems at the city level. The national-level study examines the effects of policies aimed at equalizing resources and opportunities on vehicle and trip inequalities within shared micromobility systems in the US. Resource-equalizing policies for shared micromobility aim to equalize the distribution of shared micromobility vehicles, which directly alleviates inequalities in vehicle distribution and indirectly lessens trip distribution inequalities. In contrast, opportunity-equalizing policies subsidize people with less capability to use shared micromobility, such as low-income, unbanked, and non-tech-savvy people. However, policies for equal opportunity are less effective in addressing inequalities in shared micromobility. The local-level study investigates the impact of introducing shared e-scooters on existing transportation modes—bikeshare, railway, bus, taxi, and ride-hailing—in Chicago’s transportation equity priority areas, where residents face increased mobility barriers. The introduction of shared e-scooters results in distinct effects on different transportation modes between equity priority and non-equity priority areas. In the equity priority area, shared e-scooters significantly boost bikeshare usage and reduce taxi usage. In contrast, in the non-equity priority area, shared e-scooters notably reduce trips by bikeshare, railway, and taxis, but increase ride-hailing trips.
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Identity Work Through Prosocial Certifications in Hybrid Organizations
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Cha, Hyeonjin; Russo, Mike
In this dissertation, I explore the role of prosocial certifications in the identity work of leaders within hybrid organizations. Existing literature has primarily emphasized the impact of these certifications on external legitimacy but has given less attention to their influence on internal dynamics. This study addresses this gap by investigating how these certifications guide internal identity alignment. Through qualitative methodologies using Certified B Corporations as an empirical setting, my research reveals that leaders initially engage in relational identity work for themselves, using prosocial certifications to deepen their understanding of their roles within the hybrid organizational context. This personal identity work is then leveraged into relational, discursive, and material identity work aimed at aligning and motivating employees. By demonstrating how these aspects of identity work are interlinked to one another and guided by certifications, this study contributes to the theoretical understanding of identity work by providing a detailed analysis of how certifications facilitate the integration of blended missions within hybrid organizations. This dissertation enriches the organizational identity literature by showcasing the multifaceted utility of prosocial certifications in enhancing internal cohesion and advancing social responsibility.
Open Access
Establishing Reputation on the Warsaw Stock Exchange
(University of Oregon, 1999-08) Standifird, Stephen Scott
During 1989, East Central Europe witnessed one of the most remarkable transformations in socio-political history. The economic transformation that followed represents one the most remarkable economic transitions in modern history. In Poland, the Warsaw Stock Exchange has greatly facilitated the transition from a centrally controlled to a market-based economy. Still, the general youthfulness of the Warsaw Stock Exchange erodes the ability of individual firms traded on the exchange to establish a positive reputation with investors. This dissertation investigates how firms traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange establish reputation with investors despite the youthfulness of the exchange. To address this topic, a general model of organizational reputation formation is developed. The model presented suggests that the individual firm can establish itself as reputable through the mechanisms of performance, signaling and legitimation. The general model is used to develop specific hypotheses concerning how firms traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange establish reputation with investors. Two separate analyses are conducted to test the hypotheses. The first analysis looks at all firms traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange as of the end of 1996 while the second analysis looks specifically at the reputation of firms immediately following the issuing of new shares. The results provide mixed support for the hypotheses. However, the results suggest an important role for financial performance, ownership structure and the use of international brokers during the issuing of new shares, each relating to the mechanisms of performance, signaling and legitimation, respectively. Thus, each of the mechanisms identified in the general model of organizational reputation formation appears to have some influence in shaping the reputation of the firm.
Open Access
Understanding Belongingness in the Gig Economy: The Uplifting and Undermining Effects of Online Communities on Lonely Gig Workers
(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09) Pychlau, Sophie; Wagner, David
All humans have a need to belong and belongingness at work serves important organizational and personal purposes. However, gig workers face significant challenges to experiencing belongingness at work because their work is highly temporary, project-based, and occurs outside the relational scaffold afforded by organizations. Given these challenges, gig workers frequently engage in online communities that serve critical social and information-sharing functions. In this dissertation, I focus on gig workers’ individual behaviors in online communities related to gig work and analyze how these behaviors impede or further belongingness. Integrating the evolutionary model of loneliness and regulatory focus theory, I propose that loneliness at work motivates gig workers to engage in online communities in different ways that can either impede or facilitate belongingness. Specifically, I hypothesize that gig workers feel less belongingness when engaging in lurking behaviors, more belongingness when engaging in contributing behaviors. To offer practical advice on how to increase belongingness, I develop an intervention designed to increase contributing behaviors that enhance belongingness. Ultimately, I suggest that belongingness will affect withdrawal from work. I test my theoretical model in a ten-day experience sampling study (ESM) with 95 gig workers. My dissertation contributes to an understanding of how modern workers experience belongingness outside of organizations and the impact of online communities in this process.
Open Access
The W. A. Woodard Lumber Company: A Case Study in "Rugged Individualism"
(University of Oregon, 1961-06) Sturdivant, Fred D.
The coming of the twentieth century witnessed the continuation of the movement of settlers to the western states of this nation. the movement having gained its greatest impetus in the discovery of gold in California in 1849. The discovery of gold in the Bohemia Mountain District of the Cascade Mountains near Cottage Grove, Oregon, in 1858 had also attracted settlers. Not all of those that came were attracted by the prospect of finding gold. Many came to work in and develop industries and business concerns that were far less glamorous, but yet offered a promising future as the economy of Oregon developed.
Open Access
The Development and Present Status of Corporate Disclosure
(University of Oregon, 1953-06) Sorenson, Kimball J.
This thesis deals primarily with only one of the several forms of business organizations. It has to do with the cooperative form and to a large extent with those cooperations of larger size where the capital investment is relatively high and where there is not usually an intimate relationship between those who own the business from those who manage and operate it. More specifically, the subject matter is a particular problem which has arisen in connection with the corporate form. This problem concerns the disclosure by management to stockholders, bondholders, and those who are interested in becoming such, of the pertinent, vital information about the financial condition and operating results of the business which such persons are entitled to have. The roots of the problem go deep and wide in our economy's. They affect many of us directly and individually because of the widespread ownership of securities. They affect most of us a bit less directly but, nevertheless, materially because of the influence they have upon employment and upon the availability of many things which come to us through the effective operation of large-scale business. They affect the nation as a whole, because the nation’s security and progress are closely tied to an efficient productive capacity and to the welfare and satisfaction of its individual members.
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Federal Credit Unions: Growth and Operations, 1934—1961
(University of Oregon, 1963-06) Lewis, James Wilson
This study deals with federal credit unions on a national basis. It attempts to answer such questions as the following: what is a federal credit union? Where does the Federal Credit Union stand, as a financial institution, in our present day economy? Are there economies of scale in the larger credit unions’ operations? Should there be a tax upon the earnings of federal credit unions similar to the tax upon earnings of other financial institutions (such as commercial banks and savings and loan associations)? For what purpose do credit unions lend? This study also analyzes Federal Credit Union growth and operations. It attempts to point out the significant changes that have taken place in the Federal Credit Union since 1934. The method of presentation in this study is both historical and statistical. And the analysis of statistical data the emphasis is predominantly on developments in recent years.
Open Access
Primary Factors Responsible for the Present Business Standing of the Northern Wholesale Hardware Company
(University of Oregon, 1939-06) Hayman, Paul E.
It is the purpose of this thesis to show what factors are responsible for the success and development of the Northern Wholesale Hardware Company, a cooperative retail buying association. It may be well to point out these factors by determining to what extent, if at all, the whole cell functions of selling, buying, credit, delivery, and storage are performed by this company; And, also, to further the appraisal by pointing out its advantages and disadvantages. The history and present status of the cooperative retail buying association movement is first described in developing this thesis. This is followed by a discussion of the history, organization and wholesale functions performed by the Northern Wholesale Hardware Company. In each chapter on the wholesale functions of this company a comparison is drawn with drug and grocery cooperatives, as well as others in the hardware field. The material for this thesis was obtained from several sources. Much of it was gathered through members and officials of the company by questionnaires, private interviews, and correspondence. A second source was books and magazine articles on cooperative wholesaling. As a final source, such material as the Federal Trade Commission reports, information obtained from other governmental agencies, and interviews with regular wholesale hardware firms was utilized in the formulation of this study.
Open Access
Internally Generated Factors Affecting Expansion of Aluminum Fabrication Operations in the Pacific Northwest
(University of Oregon, 1963-12) Burrow, Robert Loveland
this thesis is basically an analysis of the industrial market for aluminum in the Pacific Northwest. As such it does not include many of the variables that would have to be examined in order to determine the profitability of expansion of aluminum fabricating facilities in the region. The rather important factor of transportation cost is touched on lightly, and the other factors, such as labor costs and local taxation have not been discussed at all. The prime purpose of the study was not to make a thorough analysis of the northwest economy, but, instead, to examine and analyze the principal uses of aluminum in the two state area in hope of being able to establish the locally generated need for a greater supply of raw materials for aluminum product manufacturers. It was necessary to set some geographic limitation on the market in question and, since the bulk of the heavy industry in the Pacific Northwest is located in the states of Oregon and Washington, with the majority being in the latter, it was dedicated that these two states would comprise the area under study. Further limitations were necessary in order to adequately define the demand for aluminum. If all industrial consumers were considered, the considerable amount of double counting would result, so a “consumer of aluminum closed quote has been defined as any firm manufacturing a finished product from aluminum which is, at the time of completion, ready for its final use. Thus, the definition includes the manufacturer of cast aluminum parts, but omits a contractor who places already finished aluminum windows into a new dwelling.
Open Access
The Role of Letters of Credit in Foreign Trade Financing
(University of Oregon, 1958-06) Kageyama, John Atsushi
Foreign trade is a system of exchanging goods and services among the nations. Fundamentally there is little difference between foreign trade and domestic trade. The existence of political and geographical boundaries. However, give rise to the difference of customs, traditions, languages, rules and regulations, markets, currencies and so on. These differences create a number| of difficult problems in financing foreign trade, such as obtaining credit information, integrity, and management ability of customers in a foreign country.
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Credit Insurance as an Aid to the Export Trade of the United States
(University of Oregon, 1925-07) Marshall, Hardwood Leon
It is the purpose of this thesis to discuss the service offered American exporters by credit insurance companies in the United States, and to analyze this service in the light of the statements made by its advocates that it is an important aid to the exporter in the granting and extension of credit. The first part of this thesis deals with export trade methods and an analysis of the credit risk involved. The second part deals with the history and development of credit insurance in the United States and an analysis of the service offered by credit insurance companies. The third part deals with an evaluation of this service.
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A Study of the History and Efficacy of the Federal Agricultural Credits Act of 1923, With Especial Application to Oregon.
(University of Oregon, 1925-06) Hunter, Kenneth H.
The aim of this thesis is to discover the efficacy of the Federal legislation on agricultural credits, particularly of the Agricultural Credits Act of 1923. A short history of the Act is given to show the size of the problem that was given for Congress to solve. This history will also explain why such an incongruous law as the Act of 1923 was passed. The writer is deeply interested in the Pacific North West and in Oregon. That is why the work on future of the Spokane Intermediate Credit Bank, of the Twelfth District is so fully discussed. Greater space is not accorded the National Agricultural Credit Corporations because it is doubtful if any will ever be organized. They cannot compete with the privileged Intermediate Credit Banks.
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An Analysis of the Problem of the Uninsured Motorist in Oregon
(University of Oregon, 1959-06) Rauch, Raymond C.
This paper is probably the first academic attempt to define the problem of the uninsured motorist in Oregon. It represents a piece of research in an area where little has been done to determine the scope and depth of the problem. The size of the problem is shown by the number of uninsured motorists involved in accidents, and the amount of damages incurred by individuals that become involved with uninsured motorists.
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Changing Concepts of Capital Gains Taxation
(University of Oregon, 1950-06) Griffin, Roy L.
A capital gain or loss results from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. It is the difference between the purchase price or acquisition value and the selling price or taxable exchange value of a capital asset. A capital asset is often defined as any asset held not in the ordinary course of the individual's business. Unless otherwise provided by law, capital assets are all assets except: (1) stock in trade or property held primarily for sale or customers; (2) depreciable property or real estate used in trade or business; (3) Federal, State, and Municipal obligations issued after arch 1, 1941, on a discount basis and payable without interest at a fixed maturity date; and (4) personal consumption goods.
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A Critical Survey of the Orginization and System of Accounts Used in Lane County
(University of Oregon, 1934-06) Kimberling, Delbert O.
The purpose of this study is to make a critical survey of the organization and system of accounts used in Lane County and to offer a constructive criticism thereof. The system of accounts now in use in Lane County appears to be inadequate to serve the needs of the public. It fails to provide information which the public has a right to demand, and it fails to give a true condition of county finances. There has been some awakening in public conscience to this condition of affairs. Taxpayers, who once were content to passively pay their assessments, mildly complain that they were too high, and blindly hope that next year they would be lower, have begun to realize that they are entitled to know where their money goes and to be assured that municipal business is conducted properly and honestly. At the 1929 session of the Legislature of the State of Oregon, House Bill No.238, an excerpt from which follows, was passed and became a part of the General Laws of Oregon on June 4, 1929.
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Oregon Cooperatives and Taxation
(University of Oregon, 1951-06) Holt, Thomas Melvin
“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall hang separately” are famous words spoken by Benjamin Franklin at the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. That attitude of working together resulted in the founding of the United States of America. The establishment and growth of the cooperative form of business in the United States of America. The establishment and growth of the cooperative form of business in the United States has been derived from much the same attitude of working together for the mutual benefit of the ones who are cooperating.
Open Access
Resource Mobilization for Disadvantaged Entrepreneurs: Evidence from Field Experiments in Morocco
(University of Oregon, 2022-10-26) Hmaddi, Ouafaa; Nelson, Andrew
This dissertation is composed of one conceptual review chapter and two empirical chapters with the following abstracts. In the first chapter, I adopt a resource mobilization framework, which delineates the process in three stages: search, access, and transfer. In doing so, I explore how resource mobilization is closely linked to entrepreneur’s resource endowments. I identify the main issues for the mechanisms of each stage which helps highlight the problematic path of resource mobilization when entrepreneurs lack the necessary endowments. I then suggest an adapted path with macro and micro-level solutions to potentially overcome such issues. In the second chapter, I challenge the premise that resource holders must “pick winners” because they are most likely to convert the support into tangible and positive entrepreneurial outcomes by asking when does selection matter less? This chapter’s core premise is that expanding access to resources by removing selection barriers can help enhance two key entrepreneurial outcomes: action and persistence. I find that removing selection barriers to the provision of knowledge and financial resources significantly increases the likelihood of entrepreneurs engaging in action and persistence independent of their initial stock of resources. These findings help de-emphasize the role of endowment and selection in the resource mobilization process and highlight the importance of inclusion in the allocation of entrepreneurial resources. In the third chapter, I examine the question: do entrepreneurs incorporate what they learn? Are they behaviorally experimenting? I argue that entrepreneurs within such environments may need more than the explicit knowledge on how to experiment to navigate the ambiguous and informal markets where they operate. I use a field experiment in the context of an acceleration program spanning the 12 regions of Morocco, where I randomized access to knowledge resources (training and mentoring) among other resources. I then take advantage of the staff quasi-random assignment of the mentor-entrepreneur pairs to evaluate the effect of having a matched mentor who would have the appropriate tacit knowledge to help entrepreneurs localize and contextualize the explicit knowledge they acquired. I find that having access to tacit knowledge increases the probability to engage in behavioral experimentation by 20 percent. These findings suggest that tacit knowledge helps entrepreneurs incorporate their learning into their decision-making.
Open Access
The Impact of Unethical Leader-Requests on Employees' Anger, Anxiety, and Family Lives
(University of Oregon, 2020-09-24) Qiu, Feng; Wagner, David
This dissertation aims to explore the potential non-work consequences of unethical leader-requests. Specifically, it examines how unethical leader-requests can trigger anxiety and anger in employees, which in turn harmfully influence employees’ insomnia, emotional exhaustion at home, and interactions with family members. In addition, this dissertation examines whether employees’ moral identity and responsibility displacement propensity will serve as two moderators that affect the degree to which they emotionally and behaviorally respond to unethical leader-requests. A three-wave field survey, a laboratory experiment, and an experience sampling method study were conducted to collectively improve the internal and external validity of the findings. Overall, the findings suggest that employees feel anxious and angry when they are requested by their leaders to engage in unethical behavior and that the negative emotions can spill over to employees’ family domain to harmfully impact their family lives. Implications and future directions will be discussed.
Open Access
Restoring Undermined Institutions: How Firms Combine Nonmarket Strategies to Respond to Digital Piracy
(University of Oregon, 2020-09-24) McDonald, Aaron; Russo, Mike
How do firms strengthen their institutional environment after the unplanned and radical weakening of a strong regulatory institution? For some industries, regulative institutions play a dominant role in defining the institutional environment by providing stability and certainty for firms. Yet, environmental jolts can radically weaken regulative institutions causing increased uncertainty and instability in the institutional environment. Driven by this uncertainty, firms may attempt to strengthen their weakened institutional environment. By exploring this question, in the context of weakened copyright protection after the rise of digital piracy, I can make important contributions to the institutional change literature. Specifically, I build new theory on how firms coordinate actions targeting multiple institutional pillars (e.g. regulative and normative) to change their institutional environment and the institutional environment of different industries. I test these theories using a longitudinal dataset of the corporate political activity of copyright-reliant firms, and the copyright infringement takedown notices sent to Google.
Open Access
Within-person Differences in Uncertainty Management, New Venture Ideation and Initial Belief Formations
(University of Oregon, 2020-02-27) Gish, John; Wagner, David
This three-paper dissertation investigates dynamic performance in uncertain situations. Each chapter in this dissertation represents a stand-alone paper. The first chapter combines literature on sleep processes with decision making in uncertain contexts to create a process model of sleep and uncertainty management. I highlight many mechanisms between sleep and uncertainty management, and explore the recursive relationship between these activities and subsequent sleep. The underexplored mechanisms in Chapter 1 provide the empirical impetus for Chapters 2 and 3. The second chapter investigates entrepreneurs in new venture settings, providing causal evidence for the effect of sleep restriction on new venture ideation and belief formation. The third and final chapter provides a constructive replication of the second chapter in an angel investing context, where beliefs about new venture potential are formed more frequently and more formally by investors. These chapters work together to inform our collective understanding of dynamic performance in a decidedly uncertain new venture context. This dissertation contains both previously published and unpublished co-authored material.