The purpose of this study is to extend the body of Agency Theory Literature to the class of relatively small firms that use the revolving Asset-Based Loan (ABL) as their major source of debt financing. Specifically, the revolving ABL structure is examined and implications for both the resolution...

Many firms have taken advantage of increasing international opportunities. Therefore, internationalization is important because it has been a source of growth and profitability. To adequately study the topic, it is necessary to investigate the factors that constitute and influence...

This dissertation develops and tests a new theory of private branding, a business practice under which manufacturers' products are sold to consumers under retailers' brands. The theory first argues that consumers' satisfaction with a product depends on both the performance of the manufacturer...

Over the last several decades, manufacturers in the developed countries have adopted organizational techniques collectively referred to as lean production. An essential element of the lean production model is the specialization and decentralization of production decisions throughout the supply...

This dissertation synthesizes previous research from consumer research, psychology and applied economics to develop a conceptual model explaining the effects of perceived price and perceived brand on consumers' pre-purchase service expectations. This research also addresses the extent consumers'...

The choice problem between a profit and an investment center revolves around whether it is desirable to delegate investment decision responsibility to a divisional manager who is better informed about the investment opportunities of the division. We show that an accounting performance measure...

This dissertation research examines consumer skepticism and the possible mitigating effect of credibility on consumers' behavior in the marketplace. Of particular interest to this research is the interaction between the credibility of a set of information and consumers' skepticism toward a...

The focus of this dissertation is the industrial and institutional organization of the telegraph industry in the United States from 1838 to 1868. It contributes to the understanding of how network technologies develop and are regulated at both the state and federal levels.

This dissertation presents three essays exploring the impact of corporate diversification on a business-unit's (BU's) performance, a research which reflects the linkage between corporate-level and business-level strategies. One distinguishing feature of this research is that it explicitly...

The objective of this study is to determine how US franchisors in the food service, hotels/motels, and business services industries choose between owning the wholesaler or contracting with an independent wholesaler to distribute their franchise system in host countries. US franchisors own the...