Articles Published in 2024
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(Alphabetical by Faculty Last Name)
"Entrepreneurial Mindset and Intentions for Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship in Engineering and Business Students"
Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy
Agnieszka Kwapisz · Professor of Management
Kregg Aytes · Professor of Management
Scott Bryant · Professor of Management
Co-author: Brock J. LaMeres; Montana State University
Abstract: With the shifting dynamics of the modern workforce, there is a growing recognition of the essential role that an entrepreneurial mindset (EM) plays in shaping future innovators, notably within engineering disciplines. Despite the acknowledged significance of EM, there remains a gap in understanding how it relates to entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial intentions (E/II). This research investigates the link between EM and E/II among business and engineering students. We also analyze how EM changes over time. Our findings indicate that in both domains, ideation correlated with entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and intrapreneurial intentions (II). In both domains, altruism was associated with II. Empathy and interest were related to EI in engineering students, distinct from their business counterparts, whereas open-mindedness and interest correlated with II. These differences emphasize the need for distinct educational strategies to prepare both business and engineering students for their entrepreneurial paths.
"Minding the abstraction gap: approaches supporting implementation"
System Dynamics Review
Laura Black · Professor of Management
Co-author: Donald R. Greer
Abstract: Regardless of insights gained from building and analyzing dynamic models, the only strategies people can act on are those in their heads. The strategies people internalize are related to their perceived capacities to act—the verbs they believe they can do. If we want others to implement model-informed policies, then we must connect model abstractions with new situated, concrete actions stakeholders can take. We can emphasize opportunities to act with SD representations, navigating levels of abstraction cleanly, identifying flows as verbs, and choosing variable names that signal who is acting. By drawing on social-science theories as we offer our grammar of accumulations, activities, and relationships in the language of actions accessible to stakeholders, we help connect experiential understandings to richer, dynamic explanations people can internalize and so discover situated steps to implement policies informed by modeling.
"Reflecting on Zagonel's dichotomy of microworlds and boundary objects"
System Dynamics Review
Laura Black · Professor of Management
Abstract: Aldo Zagonel's distinction between “microworld” and “boundary object” approaches to modeling suggests we ask ourselves pointed questions about what we are valuing, under what conditions, as we involve stakeholders with system dynamics representations. Reflecting on developments in both participatory modeling and large system simulations, I propose that Zagonel's dichotomous descriptions lie along a continuum, with room for scholars and practitioners to explore more explicitly the multiple ways we adapt system dynamics methods to the needs and capacities of the stakeholders with whom we are working at that time. Regardless of approach, whether simulation models or causal diagrams, modifiable in the moment or fixed by design, the goal of using system dynamics representations remains focused on fostering intelligent action among the stakeholders facing the problem of focus.
"Measures and Metrics of ML Data and Models to Assure Reliable and Safe Systems"
2024 Annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS)
Shane Hall · Assistant Professor of Management
Co-authors: Benjamin D. Werner, Benjamin J. Schumeg, Jon Vigil, Benjamin G. Thengvall,
Mikel D. Petty
Abstract: This paper is an exploration of the research and development conducted by OptTek and UAH within the framework of how it may be applied to the assurance of systems to be developed by the US Army and augment practices in reliability and safety.
"Consumer fantasies, feelings, fun..., and death? How mortality salience invokes consumers' fantastical thoughts about luxury products"
Journal of Consumer Behavior
Omar Shehryar · Professor of Marketing
Abstract: Previous research has demonstrated that the salience of one's mortality can influence the consumption of luxury goods because the higher monetary value of luxury goods pads one's self-esteem which in turn assuages fear aroused by death thought accessibility. The present research presents an alternative explanation for this relationship by exploring the role of fantasy in the relationship between mortality salience and the preference for luxury goods. In four studies, we consistently find that consumers demonstrate a greater preference for luxury goods when their mortality is made salient (vs. control condition). In study 2, we extend previous research by utilizing fantasy engagement to demonstrate that increased preference for luxury goods following mortality salience is constructed through engagement in fantastical thinking. In study 3, we use fantasy proneness as an individual difference variable to show that together, a heightened awareness of mortality and a greater capacity for fantastical thinking lead to a greater preference for luxury goods. Finally, in study 4 we rule out alternative explanatory variables such as materialism and status-based consumption to demonstrate that fantastical thinking mediates the relationship between death anxiety and evaluation of luxury goods whereas materialism and status-based consumption do not elicit the same effect. Based on our findings we conclude that when existential concerns are activated, luxury goods allow for greater fantasy engagement than non-luxury goods and that greater fantasy engagement increases preference for luxury goods. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.
"Dishing Up Morality: How Chefs Account for Gratuity"
Journal of Business Ethics
Omar Shehryar · Professor of Marketing
Abstract: This study delves into the intricate world of tipping, examining how restaurant chefs and chef-owners account for and morally justify this practice. While previous research has paved the way for understanding several of the nuances of tipping in the dining experience, little attention has been given to chefs’ perspectives on its moral dimensions. In today’s evolving restaurant dining landscape, tipping practices have become increasingly contentious. Therefore, it is imperative to grasp the ethical intricacies of tipping experiences, as they hold significant implications for social and economic interactions. This study focuses on interviews with culinary artisans—the masterminds behind the dining experience, including executive chefs, chef-owners, sous chefs, chefs de cuisine, private chefs, and pop-up chefs. Through these conversations, we explore the moral justifications for tipping, unintended consequences that arise, and the advent of tip coercion. Our findings shed light on the moral reasoning and ethical dynamics behind tipping practices. These findings offer a foundation for shaping theoretical frameworks, informing practical solutions, and guiding policy decisions in this complex realm.
