A Spousal Joint Decision Making Exercise: Do Couples Perceive Differences In Influence Tactics Used In Decisions Involving Differing Product Categories And Levels Of Product Disagreement?

Past research has indicated that husbands and wives often employ influence tactics to attempt to sway their spouses toward making a final purchase decision (Kirchler 1993, 1995; Nelson 1988; Spiro 1983).  This study explores whether those influence tactics differ based on whether couples face product choices in across or within product categories.  Also of interest is whether the initial level of disagreement (high or low) experienced by the couple regarding the likelihood of product purchase impacts use of influence tactics in the final joint decision.  Given the increased possibility of conflict between spouses when faced with purchase decisions involving different product categories, it is expected that couples will employ a greater level of influence tactics in an effort to persuade their partners in the decision making process and, at the same time, minimize the likelihood of open conflict.  It is also thought that higher initial disagreement will be more likely to result in the use of influence tactics in the final joint product decision than lower levels of disagreement.  This study found support for these predictions

Effective Practices of Successful Blended Learning Schools

Blended learning is a teaching technique utilizing face-to-face teaching and online or technology-based practice in which the learner has the ability to exert control over the pace, place, path, or time of learning. Schools that employ this teaching method often demonstrate larger gains than traditional programs due to their increased ability to differentiate and quickly assess student learning. This study sought to determine ways blended-learning models contribute to student success, how blended-learning schools are measuring student success, and how administrators are supporting teachers in their use of blended techniques.In this mixed-methods study, survey data were collected from 230 teachers and 43 administrators in blended-learning programs. Interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators at two school sites in the Southwestern most region of the United States, along with classroom observations and reviews of participating schools’ Local Control Accountability Plans (California Department of Education, 2017) and mission statements. Results yielded five consistent themes: an understanding of student needs to drive individualized instruction, varied and individual success criteria, strong relationships with students tied to decision-making that fosters individual achievement, student needs as a driving force behind the development of school programs, and an increased level of student choice to combat low motivation

McREL Leadership Responsibilities through the Lens of Data: The Critical Nine

In the United States, the beginning of the┬á 21st century also ushered in a new era of school accountability and reform with the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] (US Department of Education, 2010). Although the law is no longer in effect, the district and school level accountability that it brought remains. The accountability and need for ongoing improvement rest squarely on the shoulders of school principals, many of whom have no skill sets or experience with the use of data to improve student outcomes. This article utilizes the research studies and findings from the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) lab, in order to examine those leadership responsibilities intertwined with the use of data to improve student achievement. McREL has identified 21 leadership responsibilities that describe the knowledge and skills school leaders need to positively impact student achievement.┬á This analysis focuses on the McREL leadership responsibilities with an effect size of .25 or higher that require a focus on data. The use of hard and soft data to focus improvement is then analyzed and expanded upon through the McREL lens. ┬á ┬

Students\u27 Attitudes towards Textbook Types: Are Students Really Ready for E-Textbooks?

Abstract - This study examines students’ attitudes and preferences to the four primary textbook types currently on the market. These types include hardback, paperback, loose leaf, and E-textbook. Two hundred twenty-three students currently taking Principles of Marketing from a large public university in the southeastern United States completed the survey. Results found that students still prefer paperback textbooks, even when this textbook is at a higher price than other alternatives. When students were asked their opinions on the various textbook options, it was clear that price, ease of use, health concerns, and ownership desires were the primary reasons why they liked and/or disliked the various textbook options

Students\u27 Attitudes Towards Textbook Types: Are Students Really Ready for E-Textbooks?

Textbook selection is just one of the many decisions a professor has to make when teaching a class. These selection decisions are sometimes made by the individual professor while other times it is made by committee or department. In many cases, students are not taken into consideration when making these decisions. However considering many professors complain that students do not buy or use the required textbook (Kingkade 2014, Paxhia 2011, Robinson 2011), maybe it is time to think about student’s attitudes and preferences before making textbook adoption decisions. Unfortunately there are only a few studies (e.g. Daniel and Woody 2013) that have examined students’ perceptions towards the different types of textbooks currently on the market. Because of this, the goal of this exploratory study is to examine the attitudes and opinions of students towards four possible textbook options (hardback, paperback, e-textbook, and looseleaf) in order to better assist in textbook adoption decisions

A Sad Clown Story: McDonald\u27s Lack of Support for Ronald McDonald Houses

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) was created in 1974 to “provide housing for the families of sick children and for children receiving outpatient care” (“McDonald’s gives little,” 2013). RMHC currently has locations in more than 60 countries and regions around the world (“Ronald,” 2015). Each Ronald McDonald House establishes their own policies, budget, and fundraising goals; therefore, assets from each house are not co-mingled (Morran, 2013). Considering RMHC is named after Ronald McDonald from the McDonald’s Corporation, one would expect that McDonald’s makes extensive financial contributions to RMHC; however, this is not the case. The company has recently come under fire because RMHC only gets about 10% of their money from McDonald’s (Morran 2013). Further complicating matters is the fact that most of this 10% contribution actually comes from McDonald’s consumers via donation boxes at supporting McDonald’s restaurants. McDonald’s contributes only one penny to RMHC for each Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal purchased. (“McDonalds,” 2015). Overall, McDonald’s philanthropic contributions are 33% lower than other leading corporations (Kim, 2013)

Revisiting Textbook Adoption Decisions: Are Students Finally Ready for E-Books?

This study re-examines students’ attitudes and preferences to the four primary textbook types (hardback, paperback, loose leaf, and E-book). One hundred eighty-three students currently taking Principles of Marketing from a large public university in the southeastern United States completed the survey. Unlike the 2014 study, where students overwhelming preferred paperback textbooks, even when this textbook is at a higher price than other alternatives, the 2018 study found that the textbook choice depended on if an access code to publisher’s online course materials was required. When access codes were required, students preferred paperback textbooks, followed closely by E-books. When no access code was required, rental options were preferred. When students were asked their opinions on the various textbook options, it was clear that price and ease of use were the primary deciding factors as to why they liked and/or disliked the various textbook options

Factors Contributing to Counselor Education Doctoral Students’ Satisfaction with Their Dissertation Chairperson

The relationship between doctoral students and their chairpersons has been linked to students’ successful completion of their dissertations and programs of study. When students fail to complete their degrees, there is a rise in attrition rates, and both programs and students suffer. The current study, based on a survey developed by the first author, was based on previous literature and themes generalized from a qualitative pilot study of recent counseling doctoral graduates regarding the selection of a dissertation chairperson. The purpose of this study was to examine factors used by students to select their chairperson and behaviors exhibited by chairpersons as predictors of overall student satisfaction with their dissertation chairperson. One-hundred thirty-three counselor education doctoral students participated in this study. Results suggest that specific selection criteria and chairperson behavior components significantly predict counseling doctoral students’ overall satisfaction with their dissertation chairpersons

An Analysis of Millennials and their Interactions with Financial Institutions

As the largest generational cohort since the Baby Boomers of the mid-20th century, Millennials hold significant power over the future. This is especially true in business; therefore, consideration of the environment and the target market should be lucrative. Millennials seem to fit this role more every year. This project investigates the Millennial age cohort and creates a social media portfolio to create a short social media campaign for Ascend Federal Credit Union to market their financial services and education to people ages 23 – 37. This project seeks to better understand how to utilize social media in a business setting to grow business effectively with minimum cost to the company. In addition, the project will also explore the reasons why Millennials tend to wait until later in life to take on some of the larger financial commitments such as mortgages. The two main goals of this project are 1) To understand Millennials and how to use social media to sell to them and 2) To create a marketing plan targeting this age group in order to bring business to Ascend Federal Credit Union