An Optimal Patrolling Strategy for Tree Networks

We settle a recent conjecture on a continuous patrolling game. In this zero-sum game, an Attacker chooses a time and place to attack a network for a fixed amount of time. A Patroller patrols the network with the aim of intercepting the attack with maximum probability. The conjecture asserts that a particular patrolling strategy called the E-patrolling strategy is optimal for all tree networks. The conjecture was previously known to be true in a limited class of special cases. The E-patrolling strategy has the advantage of being straightforward to calculate and implement. We prove the conjecture by presenting $\varepsilon$-optimal strategies for the Attacker which provide upper bounds for the value of the game that come arbitrarily close to the lower bound provided by the E-patrolling strategy

Inbound Marketing Plan for Small & Medium-Sized Businesses

The objective of this study was to develop an inbound marketing plan for the case company Baila Baila Oy. Baila Baila is one of the oldest Latin American dance schools in Finland. The 20 years old school has a good reputation and several loyal customers. Baila Baila actively spreads its brand through marketing strategy, and it hopes to inspire more people to dance. Despite the company’s effort, they cannot generate many new customers. Thus, the company looks for ways to improve its performance. The case company’s data was collected for the current state analysis based on qualitative research. Several in-depth interviews with related individuals and group discussions were conducted. The aim was to have a comprehensive observation of Baila Baila’s current marketing strategy. During the interviews, obstacles and barriers to the current marketing strategy were identified. The biggest challenges were the lack of competency, time, and budget. The current state analysis also defined the strengths and weaknesses of the case company identified and analysed its competitors. The results of the current state analysis helped develop a tactical approach to improve the company’s performance. The existing knowledge section focused on identifying best practice and suggestions for building the proposal, especially in relation to a better understanding of how technologies change consumer’s behavior and marketing strategies. The outcome of the thesis is the framework built on discoveries from the conceptual framework and current state analysis. The framework was constructed cautiously and included several methods and tactics to ensure the competency framework. It was evaluated by two marketing officers and the founder who can determine whether it is applicable or relevant to the case company in achieving its goals. These findings are also a wake-up call for those who are doing marketing in traditional ways. Also, strategies and tactics were chosen carefully, and good examples were evaluated thoroughly

Binding and Coreference in Vietnamese

This dissertation investigates the real-time comprehension and final interpretation of object pronouns in Vietnamese, a language in which reflexive and non-reflexive pronominal forms have overlapping meanings. It addresses the questions of whether and how Principle B is applied as a structural constraint to determine the appropriate antecedent for pronouns in the language. The central argument is that Vietnamese speakers rely on two distinct mechanisms to resolve anaphoric relations: Within a pronoun\u27s local domain, even though coreference is highly permissive, binding is strictly prohibited. Results from three two-alternative forced choice and three self-paced reading experiments show consistent profiles for both the online and offline processes: Non-local subjects are always preferred, and local subjects are only accessible when they are referential, but not quantified, noun phrases. These patterns align with the key predictions of a pragmatic approach to pronominal competition, supporting the view of characterizing Binding Theory as a competitive model

Corporate Blockholders and Leverage

This paper investigates the relationship between corporate block ownership and firm leverage. Corporate blockholders – nonfinancial firms who hold more than five percent equity in another industrial corporation − can affect a firm’s policies through their business relationships, monitoring, or through expropriation. By examining the evolution of corporate block ownership after block formation, I find that corporate block ownership is negatively related to firm leverage in fixed-effects and dynamic GMM regressions. In addition, corporate blockholders often obtain board seats, indicating that corporate investors are actively involved in governance activities. Furthermore, the negative relationship between corporate blocks and leverage becomes stronger when corporate blockholders have more board representation on the target firm, when the firm has higher agency costs, and when there is no product market relationship between corporate blockholders and the firm. Overall, my findings suggest that corporate blockholders play an important monitoring role in firm policies and can substitute for other monitoring mechanisms including leverage and institutional investors

Business, Belonging, and Culture Within the Realms of Culturally Based Fraternal Organizations (CBFO)

This qualitative research study aimed to explore the membership experience of culturally based Greek organizations in relation to childhood upbringing and background. Through in-depth interviews with collegiate and alumni members, the study sought to understand what factors from childhood and cultural background motivates individuals to join a Culturally Based Fraternal Organizations (CBFO) and examines the themes of belonging and business within the overall CBFO membership experience. Information from this study is beneficial to understand the needs, motivations, and values of current members and future members. Leadership from national to local CBFOs can utilize the insight gained from this study to examine how organization’s operation and programming can make improvements to cater to the needs of their targeted demographic